Few things may challenge you other than starting a Christian home based business of your own. However if a person is dedicated, has the passion, is truly committed, follows godly principles and looks forward to help people can be very successful in running a Christian home based business. You need to answer a few questions to yourself and follow a few steps to start your own Christian home based business.
1. Find out what your passion: try to ask yourself what you would love doing? You have to be very hones to yourself. After that make a list of things you feel you're passionate about, things like serving others, writing, working with others, teaching children, illustrating/designing or even strengthen families etc. start putting things that you love doing together and then make a decision which home based business is the best for you.
2. Once you know what exactly you want to do you, for instance if you decide "strengthen families" you can then think about providing families with quality videos and books which will help them as well as your business.
3. Then you must keep on reminding yourself what is the purpose behind your service. If you feel by teaching kids will make them a better person and can fetch you some money what can be better than that.
4. Now you need to first get your business registered, for that you need to follow the guidelines of your state.
5. Put your business up on the website, by doing so you will get better response for your business. This is important as many people today search for services from the means of internet.
6. Now you need to begin marketing for your business, apart from the internet which is the best way to market, you can also call or email your friends and family or even put up posters or distribute pamphlets in your area.
7. You can even publicize by writing and putting up a blog on the internet, this is again a very good way for people to know what you have to offer them. You could write all the details of your Christian home based business this will make your business get more customers.
If you follow these few simple steps you will be able to run a successful Christian home based business for yourself.
A person shouldn�t interrupt his boss when he is talking or discussing something very important. He must wait for him to finish his talk. He must be careful while interacting with employer.


text:
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+(UIImage *)resizableImageWithCapInsets2: (UIEdgeInsets) inset fromImage:(UIImage *)image;
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+(UIImage*)imageWithImage:(UIImage*)image scaledToSize:(CGSize)newSize;
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//传正常点的尺寸就行了,不需要像素
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+ (UIImage *)bilinUploadImage:(UIImage *)image;

+ (UIImage *)sd_cachedImage:(NSURL *)url;
+ (void)sd_buildImageList:(NSArray *)urls complete:(void (^)(NSArray *imageList))block;

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


It's still a tough job market, but these 25 counties can make it a lot easier to find work and a great place to live.
As of 2013 there were 134, 845 jobs created in Loudoun County across 8.987 businesses in the private, non farm sector.
The area's top employer in the private sector is Verizon Business. The top government employer is Loudoun County Public Schools.
Other companies with more than 1000 jobs include Orbital ATK, United Airlineds, M.C. Dean Inc. Inova Loudoun Hospital, Raytheon and AOL.
Easy access to the nation's capital and Dulles International Airport also creates opportunities for government and the airline and freight servicing industries. The planned extension of the Washington Metro into Loudoun, which recently got a green light for funding, is expected to lure more young professionals to the region.


text:
Lil Wayne Gets More Gay-Blaming From 40 Glocc Over Cash Money And Birdman
Maryam Louise
Lil Wayne has been quiet lately about the scene with his former record label, and rappers Birdman and Cash Money. But now the anger is back — and so are allegations that either Birdman, Cash Money, or Lil Wayne are not exclusively heterosexual.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, Lil Wayne planned a club tour that started in March and will end in May. In February when things were going south with Birdman and Cash Money, Lil Wayne said he was working on an album that would be finished in March.
Separate from Tha Carter V that was due to be released based on his old record label with Cash Money and Birdman years ago, the #FreeWeezyAlbum has now been pushed back to April.
Lil Wayne pushing back the date of the #FWA was not the only news he dropped during the April 2 show in Jacksonville, Florida. Posted to Instagram, Lil Wayne is quoted in a video on stage by NME as saying, "'Free Weezy Album' coming soon. 'Carter V' coming soon. F*** Cash Money," before dropping the mic."
Is there a new reason that Lil Wayne should be angry at Cash Money or Birdman? On the same day that Lil Wayne dissed Cash Money on stage, he released a picture of him on his Instagram account — flipping the bird.
Published on Vlad TV on YouTube the day after Lil Wayne dissed Cash Money, 40 Glocc responded to the drama that Lil Wayne was throwing out about Cash Money. According to the N.S.F.W. explicit language video interview by Vlad TV, "40 Glocc, the Left-Coast rapper openly shares his opinion on a range of topics including Lil Wayne and Birdman's current dispute over financial compensation, his thoughts on loyalty, and Birdman allegedly hooking up with a man while locked up."
About the Lil Wayne and Cash Money dispute, 40 Glocc stated on April 3, "I always seen that coming. When you have a bunch of fake s*** you're always gonna watch fake s*** crumble; it's evident — it's written."
Rapper 40 Glocc ended the talk about Cash Money and Lil Wayne stating, "I think it's a lot more s*** that's going to come out…. I think a lot homosexual sh*t, you know what I'm saying; but, that's just me." The rapper also inferred a lot of his insider information about Lil Wayne, Cash Money and homosexuality comes from Baby and Mac Minister.
Toward the end of the interview, 40 Glocc makes it sound like the scandal surrounding Cash Money, Birdman, and Lil Wayne is more about gay lovers having a fight than record label contract disputes. He says audience members listening to his opinions about what is really going on behind the scenes of the Lil Wayne record label scandal can "take it how you want."
Of course, most fans in 2015 are not going to care if Lil Wayne is gay or not — but part of the reason this topic keeps coming up is due to the fact that Lil Wayne spent most of 2008 talking about how he was "No Homo" because of old photos of him and Birdman kissing "like father and son."
In other words, rappers may be name dropping Lil Wayne and saying he is gay just to feed off his popularity for their own benefit.
[All images from the referenced links.]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


David Gaither is a self-taught Georgia-based painter whose work will be shown at 511 Gallery in the fall. His expansive paintings blur the lines between abstraction and representation with geometric shapes in bright, bold colors.
Following the Tubman Museum's exhibition David Gaither: Growth & Expansion (on display through July 23, 2016), the museum is acquiring one of his works, The Grand Mural. Gaither will be at the museum on Wednesday, July 20, at 10:30 a.m. to present the painting. This work includes the large scale and vibrant colors that are characteristic of Gaither's works, and also features Spiritman, whose iconography was influenced by Native American art.
More information about the Tubman Museum, Growth and Expansion, and The Grand Mural can be found on the Tubman Museum website, at www.tubmanmuseum.com.


Travel days are always a challenge. There is so much to do and the stress of making sure you don't forget something combined with making sure you are in the right place at the right time, figuring out transportation, finding money in a new country and on and on, makes us all a little crazy. We have a rule on the trip that everyone has to be EXTRA considerate of others on travel days. We all have to relax and make sure we keep it all in perspective. This usually helps (unless we are flying from Chamonix to Auckland).
The morning went really well and we were packed up and out the door right on time at 8:45. But before we get into the story, here are some pictures of our house in Kyoto.
Peter and Leas room - no beds!
The living room - look closely, can you find Lea?
We had a 12:25 flight from Osaka to Seoul, South Korea. When I had researched how to get from our house to the Osaka airport Google had laid out a pretty easy path: a 15 minute walk followed by two 30 minute trains. As we were walking to the train station, I was suddenly gripped with fear. The memory of showing up at the Sydney Airport on the wrong day hit me like a ton of bricks and I was compelled to double check our reservation details again, even though I had just done this a couple hours prior. As I was walking I pulled up the reservation on my phone and was relieved to see all the right things April 16th, 12:25PM instead of AM and so on. However, one little thing caught my attention. The reservation was from an airport with the code KIX. It did not say Osaka International Airport, just KIX. When I had planned our route I had entered Osaka International Airport and Google pulled it right up, so I never even thought to check to see if Osaka had TWO international airports! I quickly entered KIX into Google and found that KIX was the Kansai International Airport in Osaka. My heart fell back into my stomach. However, we had left early and they could not be that far apart right? I went back to Google maps and entered in our new destination and was further terrified when it came up as a two hour journey instead of the 1:15 I had planned for. Full on panic was now upon me. We were going to miss our flight, which would result in us missing the cruise we had booked for tomorrow in Vietnam and it was all because I made a stupid mistake.
I sheepishly said "hey guys - hold up" and filled in the rest of the family on my error. Now if this would have happened early in the trip I am afraid to say the reaction would have been ugly. However, the three of them just rolled with it as if this happens every day and started to work on solutions. It was awesome. I did not feel guilty anymore, I felt like part of a team with a problem to solve. I got back on the Google and started playing with different options. We quickly figured out that if we could get a taxi to Kyoto Train station there was a direct train to Kansai that only took 1:15. We would be there a little later than I had hoped, but we would still have plenty of time. We hailed a cab and within 5 minutes we were in the station trying to buy the right ticket - it was 9:08 at the time. I found the right train and when the schedule came on the screen I saw there was a 9:15 and then a 9:45, we needed to get tickets, find the train and be on it in 7 minutes - in Japan trains are not late. I went through the process and bought 3 tickets (the max you can buy at one time), but when I went to buy the 4th the 9:15 was not an option anymore. We ran to the turnstiles and pleaded with the guard to just let us through. He saw we were in a panic, handed me a special ticket and pointed us in the right direction. We sprinted down the hall and found our track with 2 minutes to spare. We jumped on board and settled into our seats proud to have avoided disaster.
We were the only people in our car when the train left the station so we were really at ease. A few minutes later the conductor came in to check tickets. He walked to the front of the car, turned around took off his hat, put it under his arm and gave us the most dignified bow we had seen to date. This bow was not special for us, it was what he did in every car after every stop, every day of his career, but he did it with pride and with dignity that was inspiring. Now, remember we were the only people on the car at this time, and we could not tell a good bow from a bad one and also had no expectation of a bow, he did it because it was his job and he wanted to do it the best he possibly could - it may sound weird, but it was inspiring. Funny that inspiration can come in the most ordinary circumstances.
The conductor helped me to buy my ticket and finally we were free to relax for the next hour. We made it to the station quickly and easily and right on time at 10:30, just 5 minutes after we had originally planned on being at the OTHER Osaka airport. However, once we went to leave the station we found out I had underpaid our fare and needed to make up the difference. Unfortunately I did not have enough cash on me to pay the entire fare and like everywhere else in Japan - they did not take credit. So I ran to an ATM to refill, but alas the ATM did not like my card and said "no soup for you"! I ran back to the counter and said - "I can't get any more cash". The nice woman who was helping us, came out of her booth, and walked me over to the ticket machine and after pressing about 83 buttons had me feed my credit card into the machine. A moment later 4 tickets for the balance of our fare spit out of the machine and my family was released from purgatory to carry on with our butter smooth journey to Vietnam.
We checked in and made our way quickly through security and immigration. We got a quick bite to eat and headed to our gate with plenty of time to spare. The flight from Kansai to Seoul was easy until we started our decent. We had to fly right through a thunderstorm and at one point lightning lit up the cabin and freaked Lea out pretty good. Despite the lightning and a few bumps we landed safely and started our 4:30 layover. Time went by quickly and about an hour before takeoff we decided to grab a bite to eat. We went up to the food court and Peter, Lea and I got some curry and Stacie got some ramen. Peter and I opted for the spicy curry and we got what we asked for. I love spicy food and can handle most levels of heat and this was pretty hot for me. Peter has been getting into spicy on this trip, but this was a level above what he had tried before and it showed pretty quickly. You know those shows someone eats something spicy and starts sweating profusely and drinking water as if they have been wandering in the desert for days - that was Peter. However, he did not want to stop - he kept saying "it's really hot, but its so good!". He finished the dish, and all of our water, and then quickly got some ice cream to cool off.
After dinner, we boarded the plane and had an easy 5 hour flight to Hanoi. By the time we landed Peter was not feeling all that great. His stomach was working through the curry / ice cream mix and he was not enjoying the process. We made it through immigration quickly and then waited for our bags. As soon as we had our bags we strolled through customs and were free. The process was much easier than I had anticipated. I just needed to get some money and we would be off. In fact I needed a lot of money because I had to pay for the cruise the next day in cash. I quickly found out that you can only take out roughly $93 a time at the ATM's in Vietnam, which is 2,000,000 Dong. In order to pay for the cruise I needed 27 million Dong, so it was going to take a while. After 5 withdraws my card got shut down. I was too tired to try to do something about it that night and decided to just get to the hotel and deal with it in the morning.
We jumped into a cab and met our weird and wonderful cab driver.
My brain - "Oh thank god - you speak english!"
My mouth - "Intercontinental Hotel - Westlake"
Him, one eyebrow up and one down with a questioning tone - "Incom?"
My brain - "Slow down Pete, you need to speak more clearly so he understands"
My mouth - "IN - TER - CON - TI - NEN - TAL - Hotel"
My brain - "Were F*&^#d"
This went on for about 5 minutes before I grabbed his phone and pulled it up on Google Maps. Then we were all good, until he then told us what we would be paying for the trip. He told us we would pay 500,000 dong for the trip there (even though the meter was running and did not correspond). I said - "What?". He just smiled and said "ok 400". I said "What?" He said "400". Had not been able to get comfortable with the conversion rate in the 20minutes we had been in to country, so I figured we were being ripped off. I said "no" - he just smiled and kept driving. I said "no way". He just smiled and kept driving. I said "take us back to the airport" He just smiled and kept driving. I said "TAKE US BACK TO THE AIRPORT", he just smiled and kept driving. Peter told us later he figured we were being kidnapped on our first hour in Vietnam. I finally grabbed his phone again and did the conversion of 400,000 dong to USD and found out it was $18. I said "ok 400", he just smiled and kept driving. A couple minutes later he said "Where are you from my friend" with a big smile on his face. We chatted for a little bit, but I wanted him to focus on the road and talking was clearly not helping. It was clear to me he was protesting the fact that the government has painted lines on HIS streets by making sure he had the lines right under the middle of his car at all times, rather than being in an actual lane. And he had a strange habit of both talking on a cell phone AND texting on another cell phone at the same time. Fortunately he only drove about 20 miles an hour so we were not in any real danger, until of course we arrived in the parking lot of the hotel at which time he accelerated as if the spirit of Jason Bourne had entered his body. He nearly took out the group of tourists in the circle next to reception before slamming to a halt with a big smile on his face and the words - "incom - we here!".
We were there, safe and sound after a long perfect day of travel. Well fell into our wonderful beds and were fast asleep within seconds.


This is SPY brand two way motorcycle alarm with remote engine start function.
The alarm does not include battery for remote control as which has risk of fire & we cannot ship it, so pls remember to buy a new pair of AAA battery for the remote control or the alarm will have no reaction.
Park the motorcycle and take the key off, then press the lock button once, the LED in the brain unit will blink and the flash will gleam once, the siren will sound "Beep" once. The remote control will respond with a beep sound to confirm, icons lock and siren on the display lighting on.
In arm status, press the unlock button once, the siren will chirp twice and flash lights will gleam twice. The remote control will beep twice with blinking of icons to confirm.
In arm with sound & flash status, if the system is triggered by shock, the siren will beep for 5 times with gleaming of flash lights. The motorcycle could not be started in this situation. To remind the owner, the remote control will beep for 5 times; then it will be vibrating with blinking of icons (shock and headlight icon). Then the remote will repeat warning once. If it is triggered again within 10 seconds, the siren will chirp for 30 seconds with gleaming of flash lights, the motorcycle could not be started in this situation. The remote control will beep for 30seconds, it will vibrate for 8 times after alarming; then it will be vibrating with blinking of icons (shock and headlight icon). The system will arm again.
In arm status, if microwave detector detects any continuous movement of human or object for 5seconds, the system will turn off the engine, lights will be off, the siren will sound "Bi" 5 times, the system enter into the 1st grade arming status, the transmitter will sound "Bi" 5times & vibrate once, the light icon and "[ ]" will be shown, the back ground color turns to green, the transmitter will repeat warning in this way for one time. If microwave detector detects any continuous movement of human or object for 15 seconds, the engine will be cut off, the flash lights will gleam, the siren will chirp for 30 seconds, the system enter into the 2nd grade arming status, the transmitter will sound "Bi Bi Bi" for 30 seconds, the light icon will be shown and the back ground light turn to yellow. The transmitter will vibrate 8 times during warning.
Press lock and unlock to set the microwave function, the function is on when "[ ]" icon twinkles on the screen, the function is off when the "[ ]" icon does not twinkle on the screen.
When parking in the rain, the microwave sensor can detect the rain drops to make the system alarming, you can cut off the microwave function with transmitter when raining. Then turn on the function after raining.
While the motorcycle is parked press the start button twice within 3 seconds, the engine will start, the gas outlet icon will twinkle on the screen; then the transmitter will sound "Bi" three times. The engine will run until it is turned off by remote.
If the motorcycle is started by remote it must be turned off by remote. After starting the engine, press the start button once, the siren will sound "bi" once, press unlock button to turn off the engine.
After starting engine by remote, drive the motorcycle. Make sure to shut off the remote starting feature before and restart manually with the key.
Do not drive the motorcycle when the remote starting feature is on. Do not install the remote start feature on a manual transmission as any damages resulting from this action will be the sole responsibility of the motorcycles owner. The manufacturer and the reseller assume no liability for any damages incurred by the motorcycles owner if driving with the remote feature on or if the remote feature is installed on a manual transmission.
Press the siren button once to find your motorcycle in the parking lot, then the siren will chirp for 10 seconds with gleaming of flash lights.
Keep pressing the siren button to find your motorcycle in the parking lot, then the flash lights will gleam without chirping.
Press any button to pause motorcycle locating.


text:
Vozera Svitsjaz (vitryska: Возера Свіцязь, ryska: Ozero Svityaz') är en sjö i Belarus.   Den ligger i voblasten Hrodnas voblast, i den centrala delen av landet,  km väster om huvudstaden Minsk. Vozera Svitsjaz ligger  meter över havet. Arean är  kvadratkilometer. Den högsta punkten i närheten är  meter över havet,  km sydväst om Vozera Svitsjaz. Den sträcker sig 1,5 kilometer i nord-sydlig riktning, och 1,5 kilometer i öst-västlig riktning.

Kommentarer

Källor

Insjöar i Hrodnas voblast
Insjöar i Belarus större än 1 kvadratkilometer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Landscape in Sight
Looking at America
John Brinckerhoff Jackson; Edited by Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz
During a long and distinguished career, John Brinckerhoff Jackson (1909-1996) brought about a new understanding and appreciation of the American landscape. Hailed in 1995 by New York Times architectural critic Herbert Muschamp as "America's greatest living writer on the forces that have shaped the land this nation occupies," Jackson founded Landscape Magazine in 1951, taught at Harvard University and the University of California at Berkeley, and wrote nearly 200 essays and reviews. This appealing anthology of his most important writings on the American landscape, illustrated with his own sketches and photographs, brings together Jackson's most famous essays, significant but less well known writings, and articles that were originally published unsigned or under various pseudonyms. Jackson also completed a new essay for this volume, "Places for Fun and Games," a few months before his death.
Focusing not on nature but on landscape—land shaped by human presence—Jackson insists in his writings that the workaday world gives form to the essential American landscape. In the everyday places of the countryside and city, he discerns texts capable of revealing important truths about society and culture, present and past. For this collection Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz provides an introduction that discusses the larger body of Jackson's writing and locates each of the selected essays within his oeuvre. She also includes a complete bibliography of Jackson's writings.
Helen Lefkowitz Horowitz is professor of history and American studies at Smith College.
"This collection will be widely and positively read, not only because of the significance of Jackson's brilliant and original insights and his elegant writing style, but also because of Horowitz's excellent work in compilation, introduction, and subtle explanation."—Paul Groth
"A large and varied sampler of essays by the late doyen of American cultural geography. . . . Highly recommended for geographers and students of the American scene."—Kirkus Reviews
"Jackson saw the world with fresh eyes, and he helps us to see it too. That alone would make him a writer worth knowing. But by putting man back into the landscape, he has done something of real importance, readmitting us to paradise—wiser, more responsible and with a greater capacity for joy."—Robert Wilson, Civilization
"Horowitz makes the reader appreciate once again the dignity and affection Jackson brought to garages, supermarkets, cemeteries or the urban grid."—Patricia Leigh Brown, New York Times
"Very few men or women since the Renaissance can be said to have created a new branch of the liberal arts or humanities, Jackson is one of these."—A Dictionary of Landscape Architecture by Baker H. Morrow
"Jackson remains a model for civil discussion of architecture and the landscape."—Michael Leccese, Architecture
"[This book] contains several wonderful essays in what is best described as domestic anthropology, including a paean to mobile homes and an investigation of the humble garage. Vintage Jackson."—Witold Rybczynski, Lingua Franca
"Will endure as fine writing and as milestones of a nation becoming painfully and joyfully aware of itself."—Orion
"An important source of insight and inspiration."—Patrick Pynes, Western Historical Quarterly
"Landscape in Sight is not the first book to gather Jackson's insightful sketches of the American scene, but it is the best. Working in consultation with Jackson prior to his death in 1996, the editor has chosen more than three dozen pieces, mostly from Landscape, and has arranged them in several useful sections."—Wayne Franklin, Annals of Iowa
"This illustrated book includes some of Jackson's most highly regarded work. . . . This book will introduce his ideas to a new generation of readers who, somehow, may have missed his work."—Richard Francaviglia, Journal of the West
"[This book] will become known as the introductory text in scholarship about J. B. Jackson. . . . Professor Horowitz not only organizes for us the voluminous record of Jackson's works that span nearly the last half of the twentieth century, she introduces the anthology with a useful biographical sketch of Jackson's peripatetic life, liberal education, and broad exposure to both the European and American landscapes. . . . The essays, when combined with the thorough, chronological bibliography and an excellent index, create a reference which will find a useful place on landscape architects' bookshelves."—Richard K. Sutton, Landscape Journal
"Horowitz's introduction combines clarity, narrative, and colorful detail—the subject's own strengths as a writer. Jackson blended the cultural geographer's eye with the novelist's ear and the critics dart. Quietly iconoclastic, he lambasted Modern architecture as it was still ascendant. Years before Robert Venturi's Learning from Las Vegas, he wrote appreciatively of the 1950s neon-clad strip. Both a patrician and a populist, Jackson could become as absorbed by the study of a Baroque town plan as he was by a city's tenderloin district. Architects should study Jackson's prose. He avoided jargon and abstractions, embraced observation and humor, and proffered fresh ideas that incited discourse, not controversy. Jackson remains a model for civil discussion of architecture and the landscape."—Michael Leccese, Architecture
"Horowitz's compact yet thorough biographical essay completes this important volume for collections on landscape architecture, urban design, and American studies."—Paul Glassman, Library Journal
"Jackson saw the world with fresh eyes, and he helps us to see it too."—Robert Wilson, Civilization
"The writer J.B. Jackson viewed the terrain of everyday life through his own distinctive lens. . . . Makes the reader appreciate once again the dignity and affection Professor Jackson brought to garages, supermarkets, cemeteries or the urban grid."—Patricia Leigh Brown, New York Times
"Contains several wonderful essays in what is best described as domestic anthropology, including a paean to mobile homes and an investigation of the humble garage. Vintage Jackson."—Rochelle Gurstein, Professor of History at the Bard Graduate Center, Lingua Franca
"Jackson's essays are carefully edited, satisfying and fun. He effectively parcels out bits and pieces of the immense body of American culture into comprehensible segments and, in the process, renders them fresh and quite wonderful."—Susan Wilcox, Washington Times
"Jackson's writings show the astonishing self-confidence, wit and range of reference one associates with earlier essayists like Samuel Johnson or Thomas Love Peacock."—Sally Muspratt, Journal of the New England Garden History
51 b/w illus.
The City Beneath
A Century of Los Angeles Graffiti
Susan A. Phillips
Demolition and Clearance of the Postwar Landscape
Francesca Russello Ammon
A History
Vittoria Di Palma
The London Square
Gardens in the Midst of Town
Todd Longstaffe-Gowan
The Tourist City
Edited by Dennis R. Judd and Susan S. Fainstein
Garden at Monceau
Carmontelle; Edited by Elizabeth Barlow Rogers and Joseph D
Discovering the Vernacular Landscape
John Brinckerhoff Jackson
A Sense of Place, a Sense of Time
Art and Architecture > Urban History and Landscape Studies
Science > Geography
Science > Landscape Studies
History > American Studies
Science > Environmental Studies


There is truly no end to the variety of designs you can construct using the Criss Cross skin for Thesis 2.1+. Whether you are trying to build an email list, write a blog, promote your business or market online, Criss Cross has an option for you!
Using Criss Cross is Easy as 1-2-3!
With the Thesis Framework doing all the heavy lifting, Criss Cross expands this foundation and allows for added functionality, design and complete control over the customization. This two-column box is just one of the many included features.


text:
Why Kel Seliger's 'Downgrade' To The Senate Agriculture Committee Signals Potential Conflict Over School Finance
Sen. Seliger didn't support Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's so-called school voucher program during the last session, likely putting him in Patrick's "bad graces."
By Michael MarksJanuary 22, 2019 12:46 pmGovernment & Politics
Charlie Llewellin/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Texas state Sen. Kel Seliger in 2009
The governor, lieutenant governor and House speaker all insist this will be the legislative "session of the teacher," and that the three of them are on the same page. But a bit of a shuffling act in the Texas Senate is raising some eyebrows and some new questions.
Last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick handed out committee assignments and Sen. Kel Seliger was not assigned to his usual role as chair of the Committee on Higher Education. Instead, Patrick assigned him to chair the agriculture committee.
Lubbock-based Jay Leeson is host of the "Other Side of Texas" radio show, a West Texas current events program. He says Keliger's assignment is essentially a demotion. He says that's because much of Texas' agriculture policy is determined at the federal level.
"Agriculture, of course, is federally driven, and there's not a lot you can do with it on the state level," Leeson says. "So, a pretty good downgrade for Kel Seliger."
Leeson says Seliger said this most likely happened because he voted against two of Patrick's 30 policy priorities during the last legislative session: school vouchers and caps on taxes for municipalities and counties.
"That put him in the lieutenant governor's bad graces," Leeson says.
Leeson says Patrick likely wanted to make an example of Seliger because he tends to "go his own way." That could include going his own way when it comes to school finance; Patrick, Gov. Greg Abbott and House Speaker Dennis Bonnen are apparently aligned on the issue, and if Seliger were head of the education committee, it's possible Seliger could challenge some of their initiatives.
Leeson says the conflict between Patrick and Seliger stems from differences in political style as well as in views on policy. For example, Seliger is a proponent of more traditional education systems, while Patrick has promoted so-called voucher programs, which allow public money to go toward tuition at private schools.
"Seliger is an old-guard Republican," Leeson says. "He's not into Patrick-esque Republicanism, which comes down on the side of private education over public education, and [Seliger is] always gonna push that back, and he has to because of his district."
Seliger's district covers 25 counties in the Panhandle, as well as parts along the New Mexico border and in the Permian Basin.
"There are not private schools available for kids, and vouchers – that'd be money displaced out of public education," Leeson says. "So he's gonna vote his district when it comes to those things."
Leeson says the current dynamic between Patrick and Seliger shows that Texas Republicans may not be in agreement when it comes to education, after all, despite the show of unity from Patrick, Abbot and Bonnen. Leeson says he thinks Republicans will be divided between those who want local control and those who are against vouchers.
"They may say that they're all on the same page, and generally they are … but there are nuances in this policy and Seliger certainly demonstrates that nuance," Leeson says.
Written by Caroline Covington.
Texas Standard For January 22, 2019
Should Texas Eliminate The High-Stakes STAAR Test?
Marfa Martians Prepare To Send Experiment To Space
A&M Scientist Will Help Determine What's Next In Astronomy Research
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Philip appears to have vanished.
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Police have arrested a sixteen year old accused of being involved in the shooting incident at the Jacksonville McDonald's last Friday (December 18th).
Assistant Police Chief Bill Wineman says that teen was arrested by members of the Calhoun County Major Crimes Task Force and members of the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force; he was charged with two counts of attempted murder with bond being set at $120,000 cash.
Wineman said because of state law, the sixteen year old will be tried as an adult in this case.
According to incident reports the shooting occurred at 8:40 Friday night, leaving two males injured – 18 year old Abdul R. Khalillah of Anniston and 19 year old Ronnie M. Royal, who is a resident of Alexandria.
Both were taken to Regional Medical Center in Jacksonville, then air-lifted to UAB Hospital.
Police believe the shooting occurred in the wake of an argument that began earlier that day at a basketball game.


text:
Lucky Otters Haven
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Monday Melody: Walking in Memphis (Marc Cohn)
Posted on January 25, 2016 by luckyotter
I think Monday's a day everyone could use a little music, so I decided to start a new regular feature on this blog, Monday Melodies. Each Monday, I will feature one song from the past that I really like and share it with my readers. I'll give a little background about the song and explain why I like it so much.
This week's selection is "Walking in Memphis" by singer-songwriter Marc Cohn.
This song was a big hit in 1991 and is the only hit for Marc Cohn. He wrote it after a trip to Memphis, Tennessee in 1985 which proved to be a musical and spiritual awakening for him. Many people think Cohn is a born-again Christian because of the line at the end, "Tell me, are you a Christian, child?" in which he replies, "Ma'am, I am tonight!" This is the song's iconic line. It grabs your attention and pulls the whole narrative together. But Cohn is and was a New York Jew. He's describing how he felt the pull of the religious fervor (and many would say the Holy Spirit) surrounding him as he sang "Amazing Grace" with 60 year old gospel singer Muriel Wilkins playing piano. (See the Wikipedia entry for more background.)
I love this song because to me, it's perfect in nearly every way. Cohn's voice is powerful and emotional, the lyrics are great, and the production isn't overdone. It's a song you don't forget, and I think that's why it's still often heard on the radio, even though it's 25 years old. It's timeless. The gospel choir at the end gives me chills every time. The way the song ends reminds me of waking up from a beautiful dream for some reason.
This entry was posted in "Walking in Memphis", music, popular music and tagged "Walking in Memphis", 1991 songs, gospel music, hit songs, Marc Cohn, pop music, singer-songwriters by luckyotter. Bookmark the permalink.
3 thoughts on "Monday Melody: Walking in Memphis (Marc Cohn)"
Army of Angels on January 25, 2016 at 11:22 pm said:
Love this song…I was just binge listening to it last week! There is a nice performance of it from "The Voice" on YouTube.
luckyotter on January 25, 2016 at 11:24 pm said:
I'll have to look that up. I never watched The Voice. You need to have a pretty big voice to sing this well. Cher covered it but I don't like her version as much.
Army of Angels on January 26, 2016 at 1:17 am said:
I wasn't crazy about Cher's version either.


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text:
Why I support affirmative action: An open letter to Chinese America | #NoLiesNoHate #edu4all
Dear Chinese America,
I love you more then you've ever really understood. When people ask me who I am, I proudly say I am Chinese American. And, while I may not be that great at being Chinese American — I don't speak Mandarin very well, my Cantonese is worse, and yes technically I am Chinese Canadian — you'll tease me for it, but you've never truly held it against me.
My whole life, I've associated you with honour; with respect; with dignity; with discipline; with intelligence; and above all, with love: love for one's parents, one's children, one's elders, one's friends, one's community.
And that's why I'm so disappointed right now. That's why I just don't understand why you're saying the stuff you're saying.
Like you, my mom and my dad immigrated to North America. They left home before I was born to come here, with nothing but college degrees, a couple hundred dollars, a mattress to sleep on, and a dream.
Many immigrants dream of the Golden Mountain. My mom's dream was of me. She dreamed of coming here; to have kids like me and my sister; to give us an education; to give us a happy childhood; to give us a life.
More simply, she dreamed of opportunity — a fair chance to prove what she was capable of, and to give that same opportunity to us.
And that's what affirmative action means. It means opportunity.
About forty years ago, Asian Americans were underrepresented minorities in North America. When my parents first came to North America, there was strong racism against Asians, and it was really hard to land a job as a fresh immigrant from Asia. Being an immigrant meant you didn't have the same skillset as people trained in North America — you couldn't speak English as well, you might not be able to type as well, or answer phones as well. On paper, there were many reasons why you might not appear to be as qualified as American candidates, or you might even not score as well on standardized tests. Immigrant kids tend to get lower grades in English or in exams that are administered in English: but that's because they are ESL kids, and not because they aren't trying as hard as English-speaking American kids. And some people were also just plain racist.
Because of these inherent problems, 40 years ago, Asian Americans (and particularly Chinese Americans) were huge beneficiaries of affirmative action programs — in colleges and in the work force. In the 1960's and 1970's, colleges and employers were recruiting and admitting Asian Americans, as well as Blacks and Latinos and others, under (among other programs) race-based affirmative action policies. My dad's first job was with a major software company, and he got it because he was highly skilled in programming, and also because the company was looking to hire Asian employees (to eventually break back into the Chinese market).
My mom arrived in North America without being able to speak a word of English. Her only marketable skill (she's a trained entomologist in insects native to Taiwan) wasn't marketable here. She had a much harder time then my dad finding her first job in North America. Because she couldn't speak English, she couldn't read or write in English, she couldn't type, and she couldn't answer phones, she couldn't compete in any quantifiable measure as a job candidate. Finally, one job gave her a chance — and again, it was in part because of affirmative action. Thanks to an employer who was willing to give my mom the benefit of a doubt and hire her despite her non-existent English language skills, she was able to land her first job as a secretary, where she learned to type as well as some basic English. From there, she was able to eventually land a second job — again, in part through affirmative action — where she eventually was able to teach herself programming and (many decades later) become head of IT.
My parents are immigrant success stories. They came to North America with nothing, and worked their way to upper middle-class, because of hard work, sweat and tears; but they are also immigrant success stories because they were given the chance by affirmative action programs to prove what they were capable of. Affirmative action programs looked beyond the quantifiable impacts of my parents' race, their class, and their language skills had in reducing their on-paper credentials. Affirmative action was America's assurance that my parents would have the opportunity to compete, even if they were starting from an unequal starting position.
I can trace my own successes as a child and an adult to both my parents' hard work, sweat, and tears; but also to how affirmative action programs helped my parents apply those characteristics. Thanks to everything my parents had to endure — as well as the programs that helped them compete in face of racism and classism — I've had the privilege of a comfortable childhood, great schools, and a budding career, and I couldn't be more thankful to my parents for it.
Sadly, the playing field still isn't level everywhere, even for Chinese Americans. I've written previously about biases that limit advancement of Asian Americans to faculty positions and higher; affirmative action policies today continue to consider the racial identity of underrepresented Asian Americans, as well as other minorities, when making faculty hires and when applying promotions in private companies. Affirmative action programs today continue to benefit Asian Americans seeking jobs and trying to break through America's bamboo ceiling.
Asian American women are least likely to receive tenure and become full professors. Source: https://review.org/
Affirmative action has been historically critical for Asian Americans, including Chinese Americans, to give us the opportunity to prove ourselves, and continues to be necessary for us now, even though our numbers on some college campuses suggest that as a community we may no longer be severely racially (though we may still be class-based) excluded from accessing a college education at those schools. Arguably, we (middle-class Chinese Americans) have largely "made it" when it comes to breaking into college admissions; but in other areas, we still need — and benefit from — affirmative action programs.
Affirmative action is also necessary for many other racial groups to make gains. Precisely because I understand exactly how much the opportunity my parents had access to has resulted in success for my family, I want to protect that opportunity for others.
Unlike my parents, most Blacks, Latinos, Native Americans and Southeast Asian Americans didn't have the benefit of a college education earned overseas to kickstart a career as a new immigrant in America. Many of these underrepresented minorities (URM) don't live in states like California or New York City — or in affluent local neighbourhoods within these states — where localities invest in public education. In the neighbourhoods where many URM kids live, public schools are treated less like places of learning and more like centers where students are placed in a holding pattern until they are 18, where many are sabotaged — often by their own teachers or guidance counselors — by the wrong-headed idea that all they should look forward to is a minimum wage job or jail. There is virtually no access to textbooks or school supplies; there is a dearth of energized and talented instructors; public libraries are underfunded and falling apart; and the notion of AP courses and extracurricular activities are a joke. And, this happens even in middle-class predominantly-URM schools that receive far less resources than predominantly-White schools in the same school district (thus nullifying issues of class).
At every turn, America has denied URM kids the tools they need to achieve academically, and they have done this in part because of these kids' race.
Yet, we blame deficiencies in work ethic or intellect when URM students don't perform as well on standardized tests, not racism. We fault them for scoring less well on "objective" measures of aptitude (while ignoring the evidence that these "objective" measures are anything but), rather than to be monumentally impressed by the work ethic it takes to score 90% as well when armed with 25% of the resources of others. If Chinese Americans value hard work, how can we not value this?
If a Chinese American didn't get into their college of choice, why do we assume the URM kid who did must have been "less qualified"?
How can we, Chinese Americans who have benefited so dramatically from affirmative action, and who have used those afforded opportunities to prove ourselves and pass that success on to our children, now turn around and say that other beneficiaries of affirmative action today are less qualified by virtue of benefiting from affimative action programs? My parents weren't unqualified when they were hired over White competitors; but they needed affirmative action to get the opportunity to prove that fact to their employers.
Since the passage of Proposition 209, our current metrics in California of assessment for college admissions assumes equal access for all high school students to necessary resources where none exists. Our current system rewards high school students who — through a combination of both hard work and opportunity — perform well on "objective" tests; and punishes other high school students who underperform predominantly due to the lack of opportunity and resources.
Our current system is the appearance of a level playing field when it's clearly not. Instead, our system is one that protects advantaged kids from having to compete in a levelled playing field against disadvantaged kids; it is a system that reinforces the denial of opportunity — opportunity that has been so critical for Chinese Americans — to others. And some Chinese Americans have positioned themselves to defend this system.
SCA5 does not implement racial bias into college admissions, as affirmative action didn't do prior to Prop 209. It will not deny Asian Americans access to college, as it didn't do in the early 1990's, when Asian American admissions was at 42% (nearly three times their state-wide population), and had risen at a faster rate then it has since the passage of Prop 209.
Left-hand graph represents AAPI admissions under affirmative action, and right-hand graph represents AAPI admissions to Berkeley following removal of affirmative action. From Joint Policy Report on Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders and Higher Education Diversity
SCA5 will revert UC college admissions to the pre-Prop209 process: a holistic review system that includes race as one of over 900 factors to assess students, to ensure that URM high school students can fairly compete despite having access to fewer educational tools and resources. It is a system that, in essence, gives a URM applicant a teeny tiny bit of credit for having done more with less. It is a system that is currently employed throughout the country to fairly admit thousands of Asian American students to elite colleges, and into classrooms also populated by highly competitive students of other diverse backgrounds.
SCA5 won't let unqualified URM kids skate by, no more so then affirmative action gave a pass to "unqualified" Chinese Americans. SCA5, and race-based affirmative action gives URM kids who have overcome to the best of their abilities the institutionalized iniquities that persist into today, the opportunity they need to excel at college.
And, the results may surprise you: at elite private universities, where race-based affirmative action is practiced, the graduation rate of Black students approaches 100% and is steadily improving in other universities. When given the opportunity to prove what they are capable of in a college setting, URM students are demonstrating that they have the exact same work ethic and intellect as their Asian and White peers (even as the nation is slow to recognize it).
As a Chinese American student, I have learned as much from my peers as I have from my teachers. Inviting hard-working and qualified URM students — who otherwise have limited access to a college education — isn't just beneficial to these communities. Access to college through affirmative action programs won't just benefit communities like Southeast Asian Americans where 85% of adults haven't had access to a college degree.
As a Chinese American, being able to learn alongside kids who are different from me has made me a better student, has taught me how to think abstractly and critically from divergent perspectives, and has better prepared me for a globalized international world. Studies have shown time-and-time again the value of classroom diversity on quality of education, and yet we Chinese Americans continue to oppose these measures that would strengthen the quality of college education for our kids. As a Chinese American who has had a chance to learn in a diverse classroom, I have been forced to think outside of my own narrative and my own self-interests; insodoing, I have become a smarter, better, more caring person who is well-equipped to tackle all the challenges the world will throw at me.
In the end, I think that's what my mom was dreaming of giving me in the first place when she came here.
Affirmative action is a complex topic and an imperfect solution. It is not a panacea for racism, and shouldn't be debated as such. But affirmative action, as it would be restored by SCA5, should be implemented alongside measures to improve general federal and state-wide investment in our schools and our students. Neither solution is likely to alone reverse the impacts of racism and classism on our fellow Americans; together, they are a good start. SCA5 should be recognized for what it is — a chance given to people the system has failed. 40 years ago, those people included us.
As a Chinese American, I believe strongly that our community is better than this. I believe we are not the self-interested and misinformed voters they are making us out to be. I believe in Chinese American principles of love, caring, and sacrifice: not just for ourselves and our children, but for our entire community. I believe it is our selflessness, not our selfishness, that defines us.
I'm asking you, Chinese America: please remember how important the opportunities afforded to us by affirmative action programs have been to us and our families, and how we have through hard work converted those opportunities into success. Please don't stand in defense of a system that would deny those same opportunities to others.
Posted on March 13, 2014 January 7, 2019
Categories Categories Affirmative Action, Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders
Tags Tags Affirmative Action, SCA5
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text:
Asymptotically optimal load balancing topologies
Debankur Mukherjee, Sem C. Borst, Johan S.H. van Leeuwaarden
Stochastics W&I
Stochastic Operations Research
Center for Quantum Materials and Technology Eindhoven
We consider a system of N servers inter-connected by some underlying graph topology GN. Tasks with unit-mean exponential processing times arrive at the various servers as independent Poisson processes of rate λ. Each incoming task is irrevocably assigned to whichever server has the smallest number of tasks among the one where it appears and its neighbors in GN. The above model arises in the context of load balancing in large-scale cloud networks and data centers, and has been extensively investigated in the case GN is a clique. Since the servers are exchangeable in that case, mean-field limits apply, and in particular it has been proved that for any λ < 1, the fraction of servers with two or more tasks vanishes in the limit as N → ∞. For an arbitrary graph GN, mean-field techniques break down, complicating the analysis, and the queue length process tends to be worse than for a clique. Accordingly, a graph GN is said to be N-optimal or √N-optimal when the queue length process on GN is equivalent to that on a clique on an N-scale or √N-scale, respectively. We prove that if GN is an Erdöo s-Rényi random graph with average degree d(N), then with high probability it is N-optimal and √N-optimal if d(N) → ∞ and d(N)/√Nlog(N)) → ∞ as N → ∞, respectively. This demonstrates that optimality can be maintained at N-scale and √N-scale while reducing the number of connections by nearly a factor N and √N/log(N) compared to a clique, provided the topology is suitably random. It is further shown that if GN contains Θ(N) bounded-degree nodes, then it cannot be N-optimal. In addition, we establish that an arbitrary graph GN is N-optimal when its minimum degree is N - o(N), and may not be N-optimal even when its minimum degree is cN + o(N) for any 0 < c < 1/2. Simulation experiments are conducted for various scenarios to corroborate the asymptotic results.
Proceedings of the ACM on Measurement and Analysis of Computing Systems
asymptotic optimality, cloud networking, data centers, delay performance, load balancing, load balancing on graphs, power-of-d scheme, scaling limits
10.1145/3179417
Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Asymptotically optimal load balancing topologies'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Load Balancing Mathematics
Server Mathematics
Topology Mathematics
Clique Mathematics
Queue Length Mathematics
Minimum Degree Mathematics
Graph in graph theory Mathematics
Mukherjee, D., Borst, S. C., & van Leeuwaarden, J. S. H. (2018). Asymptotically optimal load balancing topologies. Proceedings of the ACM on Measurement and Analysis of Computing Systems, 2(1), [14]. https://doi.org/10.1145/3179417
Mukherjee, Debankur ; Borst, Sem C. ; van Leeuwaarden, Johan S.H. / Asymptotically optimal load balancing topologies. In: Proceedings of the ACM on Measurement and Analysis of Computing Systems. 2018 ; Vol. 2, No. 1.
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title = "Asymptotically optimal load balancing topologies",
abstract = "We consider a system of N servers inter-connected by some underlying graph topology GN. Tasks with unit-mean exponential processing times arrive at the various servers as independent Poisson processes of rate λ. Each incoming task is irrevocably assigned to whichever server has the smallest number of tasks among the one where it appears and its neighbors in GN. The above model arises in the context of load balancing in large-scale cloud networks and data centers, and has been extensively investigated in the case GN is a clique. Since the servers are exchangeable in that case, mean-field limits apply, and in particular it has been proved that for any λ < 1, the fraction of servers with two or more tasks vanishes in the limit as N → ∞. For an arbitrary graph GN, mean-field techniques break down, complicating the analysis, and the queue length process tends to be worse than for a clique. Accordingly, a graph GN is said to be N-optimal or √N-optimal when the queue length process on GN is equivalent to that on a clique on an N-scale or √N-scale, respectively. We prove that if GN is an Erd{\"o}o s-R{\'e}nyi random graph with average degree d(N), then with high probability it is N-optimal and √N-optimal if d(N) → ∞ and d(N)/√Nlog(N)) → ∞ as N → ∞, respectively. This demonstrates that optimality can be maintained at N-scale and √N-scale while reducing the number of connections by nearly a factor N and √N/log(N) compared to a clique, provided the topology is suitably random. It is further shown that if GN contains Θ(N) bounded-degree nodes, then it cannot be N-optimal. In addition, we establish that an arbitrary graph GN is N-optimal when its minimum degree is N - o(N), and may not be N-optimal even when its minimum degree is cN + o(N) for any 0 < c < 1/2. Simulation experiments are conducted for various scenarios to corroborate the asymptotic results. ",
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journal = "Proceedings of the ACM on Measurement and Analysis of Computing Systems",
publisher = "Association for Computing Machinery, Inc",
Mukherjee, D, Borst, SC & van Leeuwaarden, JSH 2018, 'Asymptotically optimal load balancing topologies', Proceedings of the ACM on Measurement and Analysis of Computing Systems, vol. 2, no. 1, 14. https://doi.org/10.1145/3179417
Asymptotically optimal load balancing topologies. / Mukherjee, Debankur; Borst, Sem C.; van Leeuwaarden, Johan S.H.
In: Proceedings of the ACM on Measurement and Analysis of Computing Systems, Vol. 2, No. 1, 14, 04.2018.
T1 - Asymptotically optimal load balancing topologies
AU - Mukherjee, Debankur
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N2 - We consider a system of N servers inter-connected by some underlying graph topology GN. Tasks with unit-mean exponential processing times arrive at the various servers as independent Poisson processes of rate λ. Each incoming task is irrevocably assigned to whichever server has the smallest number of tasks among the one where it appears and its neighbors in GN. The above model arises in the context of load balancing in large-scale cloud networks and data centers, and has been extensively investigated in the case GN is a clique. Since the servers are exchangeable in that case, mean-field limits apply, and in particular it has been proved that for any λ < 1, the fraction of servers with two or more tasks vanishes in the limit as N → ∞. For an arbitrary graph GN, mean-field techniques break down, complicating the analysis, and the queue length process tends to be worse than for a clique. Accordingly, a graph GN is said to be N-optimal or √N-optimal when the queue length process on GN is equivalent to that on a clique on an N-scale or √N-scale, respectively. We prove that if GN is an Erdöo s-Rényi random graph with average degree d(N), then with high probability it is N-optimal and √N-optimal if d(N) → ∞ and d(N)/√Nlog(N)) → ∞ as N → ∞, respectively. This demonstrates that optimality can be maintained at N-scale and √N-scale while reducing the number of connections by nearly a factor N and √N/log(N) compared to a clique, provided the topology is suitably random. It is further shown that if GN contains Θ(N) bounded-degree nodes, then it cannot be N-optimal. In addition, we establish that an arbitrary graph GN is N-optimal when its minimum degree is N - o(N), and may not be N-optimal even when its minimum degree is cN + o(N) for any 0 < c < 1/2. Simulation experiments are conducted for various scenarios to corroborate the asymptotic results.
AB - We consider a system of N servers inter-connected by some underlying graph topology GN. Tasks with unit-mean exponential processing times arrive at the various servers as independent Poisson processes of rate λ. Each incoming task is irrevocably assigned to whichever server has the smallest number of tasks among the one where it appears and its neighbors in GN. The above model arises in the context of load balancing in large-scale cloud networks and data centers, and has been extensively investigated in the case GN is a clique. Since the servers are exchangeable in that case, mean-field limits apply, and in particular it has been proved that for any λ < 1, the fraction of servers with two or more tasks vanishes in the limit as N → ∞. For an arbitrary graph GN, mean-field techniques break down, complicating the analysis, and the queue length process tends to be worse than for a clique. Accordingly, a graph GN is said to be N-optimal or √N-optimal when the queue length process on GN is equivalent to that on a clique on an N-scale or √N-scale, respectively. We prove that if GN is an Erdöo s-Rényi random graph with average degree d(N), then with high probability it is N-optimal and √N-optimal if d(N) → ∞ and d(N)/√Nlog(N)) → ∞ as N → ∞, respectively. This demonstrates that optimality can be maintained at N-scale and √N-scale while reducing the number of connections by nearly a factor N and √N/log(N) compared to a clique, provided the topology is suitably random. It is further shown that if GN contains Θ(N) bounded-degree nodes, then it cannot be N-optimal. In addition, we establish that an arbitrary graph GN is N-optimal when its minimum degree is N - o(N), and may not be N-optimal even when its minimum degree is cN + o(N) for any 0 < c < 1/2. Simulation experiments are conducted for various scenarios to corroborate the asymptotic results.
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Mukherjee D, Borst SC, van Leeuwaarden JSH. Asymptotically optimal load balancing topologies. Proceedings of the ACM on Measurement and Analysis of Computing Systems. 2018 Apr;2(1). 14. https://doi.org/10.1145/3179417


In a thrilling encounter, North East club Aizawl FC defeated Churchill Brothers 3-1 to go back to top of the league table. . .
Kamo Bayi Stephen's brace (7′, 46′) and a late goal by Laldanmawia Ralte (85′) proved enough for Aizawl FC to gain all three points from the Tilak Maidan in Goa to put more pressure on Mohun Bagan for their second I-League title in three years.
Although Anthony D'Souza (69′) pulled one back in the second-half, the highlanders sealed it off in the later stage when the Mizo youngster L'danmawia nailed the final one.
Incidentally, the Red machines handed the Mariners their first defeat at the same venue a few weeks before to halt their unbeaten run in the Hero I-League 2016-17. Nonetheless, Aizawl FC go atop the table with the magnificent win, at least for another 90 minutes, until the full-time whistle at the Guru Nanak Stadium where Minerva Punjab FC host Mohun Bagan later today.
Churchill fans could have had an elated opening but Chesterpoul's header crashed into the woodwork in the third minute.
Aizawl FC drew the first blood early in the seventh minute when the Liberia striker Stephen Kamo Bayi poked it wisely between Naveen Kumar's legs following a misunderstanding between Meldon and Adil.
Brandon and Meldon combined well from the flanks to build up the attacks which latched onto the Aizawl FC 18-yard box copious times but eventually failed to hit the target.
After the changeover, even before the spectators could settle in, Stephen Kamo Bayi was spot on to rack his tally to 7 goals this season.
Derrick Periera's boys sensed some urgency and responded well. With the introductions of Anthony Fernandes and Gabriel Fernandes, the Goan outfit showed some real positive intent to make a comeback into the game.
Just at the stroke of the 70th minute, Anthony Wolfe latched on a marvellous run from the middle of the pitch and finally made an inch-perfect pass to Anthony Fernandes who breached the Aizawl FC defence, finally, to put some life into the game.
After the goal, Churchill Brothers FC Goa flooded the Aizawl FC box with a flurry of attacks. In the 77th minute, Albino Gomes made an acrobatic save to deny Gabriel Fernandes an equaliser.
Towards the end of the game, when Churchill opted to go all-out in their quest for the elusive equaliser, L'Danmawia Ralte sprinted almost 30 yards to finally net the third one for the Mizo-outfit, which took them to 33 points from 16 matches.
Now Khalid Jamil's troop will gear up to take on Mohun Bagan in their final Hero I-League home game this season on April 22, which would eventually prove to be an absolute show-stopper in terms of deciding the fate of Hero I-League 2016-17.


High frequency simulation data requires the IoT Time Series Bulk Service and simulation assets, which are currently only available in region Europe 1.
This guide describes how to use high frequency simulation data in MindSphere.
Simulation is widely used to test and analyze new products in a virtual environment in order to get early measurements and predictions on the expected behavior of the physical product during its life cycle. On the other hand, IoT data can be used as input for optimized simulation runs and both data sets can be used to predict possible weak spots of machines and thus enable better upfront designs and use cases like predictive maintenance.
You have a MindAccess Developer Plan.
You have the mdsp:core:iot.timAdmin role.
Simulation data can only be imported to simulation assets. These simulation assets do not represent an actual device importing data, but instead are completely virtual. However, they also require an aspect type that maps the imported simulation data. For details on how to create aspect types and asset types, follow the instructions on Modeling Assets.
Simulation assets cannot be derived from basic agents (e.g. Nanobox, IoT2040), subtenant assettypes and hierarchical assets.
Open the Asset Manager from the MindSphere Launchpad.
On the Assets tab click on the plus symbol to create a new asset. The screen for selecting the asset type is displayed.
Choose core.basicdevice or a custom asset type that inherits from it.
The classification of an asset can only be set upon creation. There's no possibility to change this value afterwards.
For further information regarding the Asset Manager, refer to the Asset Manager documentation.
A single file can contain multiple time series records, ordered by timestamp in ascending order. Data for a one-hour-interval can be distributed across up to 10 files, where time periods must not overlap. The Time Series Bulk Import Service works hourly aligned and requires that a single import job only contains data where the start and end time are within the same hour. I.e., the hour part of all timestamps within one file must be equal.
After successful upload, the service returns HTTP 201.
Import simulation data from the IoT File Service to an asset using the IoT Time Series Bulk Service. A single import job can take up to 10 input files that contain up to one hour of data as described above. For each input file, the relative path from the IoT File Service and the very first and last timestamps in the file must be specified. The following request imports the simulation data from two files into the aspect tireMonitor of an asset.
The import of multiple files for the same hour can be divided into multiple import requests. This enables importing files with overlapping time periods. Be aware that this service does not process data from multiple import requests for the same hour in parallel. Import requests for a specific hour are handled sequentially in the order they are received.


text:
Office of the Commissioner
of Lobbying of Canada
Advanced Registry Search Results
Start over | Modify criteria
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If you would like to view a summary of the last 12 months for a lobbying activity, use the 12-Month Lobbying Activity Search
Results: 1-50 of 25403
Canadian Live Music Association / Association canadienne de musique sur scene
In-house Organization: Erin Benjamin, President & CEO
Registration: 6 of 6 (2020-01-17 to present)
Canadian Chamber of Commerce / La Chambre de commerce du Canada
In-house Organization: Perrin Beatty, President & Chief Executive Officer
Registration: 78 of 78 (2020-01-17 to present)
The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Science
Consultant: Tara Mazurk, Global Public Affairs
Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) / Comptables professionnels agréés du Canada (CPA Canada)
In-house Organization: Joy Thomas, President and Chief Executive Officer
WestJet Airlines Ltd.
In-house Corporation: Ed Sims, President and Chief Executive Officer
S. C. Johnson and Son, Limited
Consultant: Xavier Bérard-Cadieux, TACT Intelligence-Conseil / TACT Intelligence-conseil
Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities
Consultant (Member of the board of directors): Judy Harwood
BC Dairy Association
Consultant (Member of the board of directors) (Member of the organization): Holger Schwichtenberg
Consultant (Member of the board of directors): Carmen Sterling
Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation
In-house Corporation: Brian Penney, President & CEO
Baxter Corporation
In-house Corporation: Stephen Thompson, President & General Manager
County regional Municipality of Brome-Missisquoi / Municipalite régional de Comté Bromne-Missisquoi
Consultant: Donald O'Hara
Volvo Group Canada Inc. / Groupe Volvo Canada inc.
In-house Corporation: Ralph Acs, President
Dart Canada Inc.
Consultant: Peter Curtis, Pathway Group
Transitions Canada Coalition (TCC) / Coalition Transitions Canada (CTC)
In-house Organization: Phillip Jarvis, President
Pembina Pipeline Corporation
In-house Corporation: Michael (Mick) Dilger, President and Chief Executive Officer
Municipalité de l'Île d'Anticosti
Consultant: Leïla Copti, COPTICOM Inc.
Municipalité de l'Île-d'Anticosti
Consultant: Christophe Aura, COPTICOM, Stratégies et Relations publiques / COPTICOM, Strategy and Public Relations
Hoffmann-La Roche Limited
In-house Corporation: RONNIE MILLER, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Registration: 93 of 94 (2020-01-15 to 2020-01-16)
Kivalliq Inuit Association
Consultant: Tom Garrett, Chadwick Consulting Ltd.
In-house Organization: Gervan Fearon, President and Vice-Chancellor
Calgary Economic Development
Consultant: Andrea Beltran, Global Public Affairs
Ford Motor Company of Canada, Ltd.
In-house Corporation: Dean Stoneley, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations / Conseil Canadien des Organismes de Motoneige
Consultant: Patricia Sibal, Crestview Strategy
Canadian Natural Resources Limited
In-house Corporation: Timothy McKay, President
NOVA Chemicals Corporation
In-house Corporation: Todd Karran, President and Chief Executive Officer
In-house Organization: Hadley Archer, Executive Director of Canada Program
TC Energy Corporation / Corporation TC Énergie
In-house Corporation: Russell Girling, President and Chief Executive Officer
Registration: 108 of 108 (2020-01-15 to present)
Consultant: TIM BARBER, BLUESKY STRATEGY GROUP INC.
ENMAX Corporation
In-house Corporation: Gianna Manes, President and CEO
Éco Entreprises Québec
In-house Organization: Maryse Vermette, Présidente-directrice générale
Suncor Energy Inc. / Suncor Énergie Inc.
In-house Corporation: Mark Little, President and Chief Executive Officer
Tenable, Inc.
Consultant: Graham Looney, The Capital Hill Group
Maritime Iron Inc.
In-house Corporation: Greg McKenzie, Chief Executive Officer
The Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs / Le Centre consultatif des relations juives et israéliennes
In-house Organization: SHIMON FOGEL, Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance / Alliance de L'Industrie Canadienne de l'Aquaculture
In-house Organization: Timothy Kennedy, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Mining Association of Canada (MAC) / L'association minière du Canada (AMC)
In-house Organization: PIERRE GRATTON, President & Chief Executive Officer
CAMECO CORPORATION
In-house Corporation: Tim Gitzel, President and Chief Executive Officer
Moltex Energy Canada Inc.
Consultant: Jordan OBrien, Criterion Consulting
Dairy Farmers of Canada
Consultant: Marianne Parvais
Dairy Farmers of Manitoba
Consultant (Member of the organization): Anton Borst
Gensteel Doors / Portes Gensteel
Consultant: Isabel Cyr, The CAI Global Group / Le Groupe CAI Global
QUALI-T-GROUPE ULC
Husky Oil Operations Limited
In-house Corporation: Robert Peabody, President & Chief Executive Officer
In-house Organization: Feridun Hamdullahpur, President and Vice-Chancellor
Air Transport Association of Canada (ATAC) / Association du Transport Aérien du Canada (ATAC)
In-house Organization: John McKenna, President and Chief Executive Officer
Agnico Eagle Mines Limited
Consultant: SUSAN SMITH, Bluesky Strategy Group
Consultant: Cameron Holmstrom, Bluesky Strategy Group
Canadian Home Builders' Association
In-house Organization: Kevin Lee, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER


text:
Bolchoï () est un film russe réalisé par Valeri Todorovski, sorti en 2017.

Synopsis
Une petite fille passionnée de danse et talentueuse va entrer à l'académie Russe de Moscou pour se former et entrer au Bolchoï.
On suit ses perigrinations, face à une formatrice atteinte d'Alzheimer qui la prend en affection et remarque son talent.
Venant d'un milieu modeste et ayant un tempérament vif elle fera face à la concurrence d'une fille de bonne famille et aux conséquences de son tempérament authentique...

Fiche technique
 Titre original :
 Titre français : Bolchoï
 Réalisation : Valeri Todorovski
 Scénario : Anastasiya Palchikova et Ilya Tilkine
 Direction artistique : Vladimir Goudiline
 Costumes :
 Photographie : Sergey Mikhalchuk
 Montage : Alexeï Bobrov
 Musique : Anna Droubitch et Pavel Karmanov
 Pays d'origine : Russie
 Format : Couleurs - 35 mm - Dolby Digital
 Genre : drame
 Durée : 132 minutes
 Date de sortie :
  :

Distribution
 Alissa Freindlich : Beleckaya
 Valentina Telitchkina : Untilova
 Ekaterina Samuilina : Yulka enfant
 Aleksandr Domogarov : Potockiy
 Nicolas Le Riche : Antoine

Distinctions

Récompenses
 16e cérémonie des Aigles d'or : meilleur scénario.
  cérémonie des Nika : meilleure actrice dans un second rôle pour Alissa Freindlich et meilleur son

Sélection
 Kinotavr 2017 : sélection hors compétition.

Notes et références

Liens externes

Film russe sorti en 2017
Film dramatique russe


Dreams exist on many levels. As our brain processes the experiences of the day while we sleep we may have related dreams. Prophetic dreams, however, are God-inspired visions. The dreams of poets are conscious flights of imagination. Visionaries have idealistic dreams of a better world. Through His people Israel, God offers the world dreams of Redemption. Psalm 126:1 reads, "When God returns the captivity of Zion, we will be like dreamers." This is a dream we are seeing fulfilled in our time.
Dreams and visions are woven throughout the Bible. What is the first biblical dream that comes to your mind? Maybe the dreams of young Joseph that caused his brothers to sell him as a slave? Then his being summoned from prison to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh, which caused him to become the most powerful man in the then world, second only to Pharaoh himself. We see that the ruler attributed Joseph's talent of interpretation to a Divine source for he says, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God? …Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as wise and discerning as you" (Genesis 41:38-39).
Kohelet tells us that God …"makes everything beautiful in its time. He also has set eternity in the hearts of man" (Ecclesiastes 3:11). That is the hope and the promise while we walk through our day to day journey in this world and dream our dreams. In the final accounting, all in His Kingdom, including ourselves, will be restored to its intended beauty through His grace and mercy; praise God. We anticipate and long for olam habah – the world to come; however, while we are in this world – olam hazeh, we need to face and deal with the imprefections and the often bitter hardships of the present reality. The means God has given to strengthen us, as we walk through the daily challenges we inevitably face, are His promises and the hope we derive from the "dreams and visions" of His prophets.
The wisdom of Proverbs tells us the oft quoted first half of the verse: "Where there is no vision the people perish" (KJV 29:18). This is rendered in the ESV, "Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint" and the second half of the verse reads: "but blessed is he who keeps the law/Torah". Blessing and vision cannot be separated from the Word – the teaching/Torah – of God.
What does a life wthout this vision, without dreams, look like?
The life of a "realist," of one who insists on only taking into account the practical reality he sees before him, becomes immersed solely in materialism. Life, with its expansive vision of further horizons, of greater depths of meaning, of dreams of beauty and glory, evades him and he becomes like a bird caged in the iron bars of grim "reality." The shackled soul cannot soar and find the heights for which it was created.
The power of dreams and of vision sets us free from the limitations of physicality. Instead of a partial and fragmented view of life, our dreams reveal to us the wider and more accurate truth of the eternal perspective of the God-created universe.
As we know, not every dream can be catagorized as "an inspired vision from God." The prophet Zechariah stresses, "Diviners …tell false dreams." (10:12) How do we know if a dream is prophetic or pointless? The more our minds are focussed on God and His purposes the more our imaginations become godly and can relate to the reality of eternal life. Our dreams are then more likely to reflect the truth of the spiritual dimension of reality. When a person is solely preoccupied with personal and materialistic concerns his or her dreams cannot rise above a self-centered view of reality.
Rabbi A.I. Kook refers to an allegory of the Sages that says, "Angels bring prophetic dreams anad demons bring false dreams" (Berachot 55b).** Angels are messengers of God who work to perfect the world in accord with the will of God. True dreams will be in harmony with this purpose. Demons are unholy and operate against God's purposes of truth and order. False dreams will therefore reflect selfish and ungodly fantasies.
The Hebrew word for dream is chalom. The initial letter chet – ח has the numerical value of 8 which indicates a new beginning. It's a letter that represents life, Chai – חי, the full expression of which is love. It also begins the word for 'stork' chasidah. Which is maybe where the myth began that it is the stork that delivers a baby, the fruit of life and love, to its parents.
It's shape represents a fence, a door or a gateway. A threshold to a new area or dimension. At this liminal space of a dream or vision from the Father, we can receive clear insight into the place we have arrived at on our journey and of the path set before us in His perfect plan for our life in His service. We gain greater clarity, as explained in Pirkei Avot, the Ethics of the Fathers, as we "Know from whence you came and to where you are going." The place where you will give a final accounting and where the glory of eternal life in God's Presence awaits.
Just as God did with Jacob, He promises, "I will never leave you nor forsake you!" In our loving Shepherd's grace and guidance we can trust our vision and press forward to our eternal destination with joyful anticipation.
* Photo credit "500 Years Away" #02 by Adam Ferriss.
** Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, Sapphire from the Land of Israel.
Keren, so timely and grounded and a blessing as usual. Thank you.
Also, I have not read Rabbi Kook's teachings through Chanan Morrison's books. Sapphire has been significant to me so it caught my eye there in your references. Do you recommend?
answered my own question on your recommended reading page. Great resource, thanks as always!
As always a very good read. Meaningful. Thank you!
It amazes me how our Lord can and does actively use many channels of communication to get through to us. I can think of several "crunch" times in my life when details of the situation were revealed to me through detailed, metaphoric dreams. Maybe it was just me, but I don't think so. It was confirming and clarifying to see the situation through another lens. I pray that we all would be protected and open in our dream lives to experience His heart for us in another way.


text:
Q: Popup menu in reorderable list is out of position Does anyone know why the PopupMenuButton renders at the wrong place when used in a ReorderableListView? It seems to render correctly when used inside a normal ListView.
Here is an example screenshot:

For those that want example code:
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';

void main() {
  runApp(ListApp());
}

class ListApp extends StatefulWidget {
  @override
  _ListAppState createState() => _ListAppState();
}

class _ListAppState extends State<ListApp> {
  List<String> items = [
    "Item 1",
    "Item 2",
    "Item 3",
    "Item 4",
    "Item 5",
    "Item 6",
    "Item 7",
  ];
  @override
  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
    return MaterialApp(
      home: Scaffold(
        appBar: AppBar(
          title: Text('Reorder List'),
        ),
        body: Container(
          child: ReorderableListView(
              // child: ListView(

              onReorder: (oldIndex, newIndex) {
                int deleteIndex = oldIndex;
                items.insert(newIndex, items[oldIndex]);

                if (oldIndex > newIndex) {
                  // The old index is now 1 index higher
                  deleteIndex++;
                }
                items.removeAt(deleteIndex);
                setState(() {
                  items = items;
                });
              },

              children: items.map((item) {
                return Card(
                  key: Key(item),
                  child: ListTile(
                    title: Text(item),
                    trailing: PopupMenuButton(
                      itemBuilder: (context) {
                        return [
                          PopupMenuItem(
                            child: Text(item),
                            value: item,
                          )
                        ];
                      },
                    ),
                  ),
                );
              }).toList()),
        ),
      ),
    );
  }
}

Could it be that I'm using the PopupMenuButton the wrong way or is this Widget buggy?
I'd like my list to be sortable but the PopupMenuButton appearing at the wrong place is a problem.

A: It seems that the problem should be in the ReorderableListView widget's code, but in fact it's hidden in PopupMenu. To calculate popup position this code evaluates overlay's rendering box:
final RenderBox overlay = Overlay.of(context).context.findRenderObject() as RenderBox;

Because, by default, the Overlay.of method searches hierarchy for the nearest overlay, in case of ReorderableListView it returns internal overlay (one created to restrict dragging gesture) but for ListView it returns root overlay. Since the root navigator used to show popup menu, a shift appears in the former case.
Calling Overlay.of method with rootOverlay: true fixes the bug:
final RenderBox overlay = Overlay.of(context, rootOverlay: true).context.findRenderObject() as RenderBox;

Patching Flutter SDK is the most appropriate solution.

A: I think this is as best as you can get it without tapping into the widget

             PopupMenuButton(
                  offset: Offset(0, 50), //add offset to fix it
                  itemBuilder: (context) {
                    return [
                      PopupMenuItem(
                        child: Text(item),
                        value: item,
                      )

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


When one walks into Horwoods Mall from the Front Street entrance in downtown Whilehorse it's hard to miss him. There, in one of the building's charming nooks and crannies, sits John Houle with greyish hair protruding endearingly from a small, black skull cap.
Houle is the owner/operator of ProPass, a one-stop-shop for all your photo ID needs — including FACs, immigration documents, and status cards. But to many who visit the mall for coffee or haircuts, he is simply "that passport guy".
Houle was born in Phoenix, but spent his time Calgary and Red Deer, Alberta before moving to the Yukon with his wife about five years ago. "I worked in Photovision," says Houle of his pre-ProPass livelihood.
Houle decided he would carry on doing it himself. He just needed a location. So he found a tourist map of downtown Whitehorse and began investigating a "two-mile" radius, looking for a suitable storefront. Word of mouth led him to one of the aforementioned nooks in Horwoods Mall. In a previous life it had been a food kiosk, rendering the walls a jaundiced yellow.
Still, the place had "potential" written all over it. The cranny in question is shaped kind of like a microphone; the side that is visible to the public flares out bulbously and is connected to the more private section, which is a hallway-like room spanning about four feet in width and 20 in length.
The bulb would make a perfect place to seat clients; Houle snapped up the location. He opened the shop in the first week of May and two weeks later his daughter burst into the world — an auspicious month made even better by his new neighbours in the mall. "(After my daughter's birth) I had about a dozen people show up with little gifts," he says.


text:
Q: Banno Admin API for External Transfers I am having an issue calling External Transfer Settings API. I tested other APIs and was able to get a response. Below is the URI I used for External Transfers.
https://banno.com/a/transfer-settings/api/v0/institutions/xxxx/xxxxxxx/transfer/settings/external
and the response I got is 'Cannot PUT /a/transfer-settings/api/v0/institutions/xxxx/xxxxx/transfer/settings/external'

A: 1) Which endpoint is the the one that is failing?
The /xxxx/xxxxx/ makes it a bit ambiguous if this is the Institution External Transfer Settings endpoint (PUT /a/transfer-settings/api/v0/institutions/{institutionId}/transfer/settings/external or if it is the User External Transfer Settings endpoint (PUT /a/transfer-settings/api/v0/institutions/{institutionId}/users/{userId}/transfer/settings/external
2) Can you provide the full error response?
The error response will have an HTTP status code (which is helpful), a response body, and a header x-request-id (which is also helpful) to understand what is occurring.


text:
Q: Xamarin Image Forms Base64 not showing I'm pretty new to Xamarin , i want to change image source after clicking a button , using FromStream method and base64 string , but after run application no image showing , here is my code :
note : i test my Base64 String on online convertor and it's ok ... (https://codebeautify.org/base64-to-image-converter)
<Image x:Name="Image1" Source="" HeightRequest="50"  WidthRequest="50" />

string imgBase64 = "[encoded data, 24308 characters]";

var byteArray = Convert.FromBase64String(imgBase64);
var stream1 = new MemoryStream(byteArray);
Image1.Source = ImageSource.FromStream(() => stream1);