text:
Community or Island Nations?
Samantha Allen
You can also use this link to access an unlisted YouTube video of my talk. Sorry I couldn't be there in person!
Here's the expanded text of my talk:
Communities or Island Nations?
Hi, I'm Samantha Allen, you may know me as the co-developer of BLOCK PARTY, the game I made with Maddy Myers which changed the medium forever. I want to apologize for not being in San Francisco with you all; I have to be in New York right now.
When Critical Proximity's call for submissions first went out, Patreon was first starting to spread through games criticism, especially queer, feminist and allied games criticism. But there was a simultaneous, almost nostalgic undercurrent that accompanied the rise of Patreon: a conversation about community. Were we a community? Had we ever been one? How could we be one?
The story went that, in the past, we had tried to consolidate our eggs into a handful of baskets: The Border House, Nightmare Mode, Re/action Zine, etc. but we realized we could only make it if financially we fended for ourselves and began crowdfunding our own individual careers.
But still, even as new Patreons sprouted by the day, there was a mourning period, if only for the lost dream of a critical community.
In these few minutes, I want to ask: What does it mean to be part of a community? How does the social media we use shape or constrain the kinds of communities we can form? Were we in a community? Do we want one?
As I approach these questions, I am acutely aware of my own position in games criticism. Games criticism, for me, is, from a financial perspective, a source of supplementary income; some writing I get paid for, other writing I do for personal reasons. I receive substantial institutional support from my day job as a doctoral candidate at Emory. That institutional support is substantial but not permanent: in one to two years, I'll be looking for a new direction on much less certain footing.
So as I make some observations about games criticism and crowdfunding, I want to be clear that my ass is not presently on the line. I want to make some observations about crowdfunding but I'm not critiquing anyone's attempts to make ends meet; crowdfunding, as many of you know, has been life-saving for me personally.
This is not a scholarly presentation, this is not a proclamation or a manifesto or a series of judgments. I've just been gathering thoughts, musings, experimental ideas about the way that this conversation around community has unfolded over the last year and I want to spark some introspective conversations. So I'm just going to make five observations:
Observation #1: Twitter and Patreon are not community-building technologies.
Twitter and Patreon are both about building and sustaining personal brands, compelling brands to be sure, but still irreducibly personal. These brands can have effects that far outstrip our expectations. I'm always surprised when I meet someone who expects me to be larger than life: some princess riding around on alpaca, when I am, in fact, a girl with scraggly hair who eats a lot of buffalo wings. Twitter is an inherently individualistic technology that seduces us with its ability to brand ourselves and seduces others with our brands
Patreon, on the other hand, is essentially a monetized Twitter with dollar signs instead of followers. Some Patreon supporters donate money in order to receive promised products; others just want to demonstrate that someone's contribution, presence, indeed survival in the game space is appreciated and valued. I've been deeply gratified to see that Patreons are starting to help out folks who were not finding places at paid publications.
But in terms of community, Patreons are establishing critics as island nations. It's a necessary but also profoundly individualistic mode of establishing your presence. To be clear, that's not necessarily a bad thing, but if we are simultaneously yearning for some form of community, we should be aware that Patreon can shape the way we understand that community and limit the possibility of working towards it.
If we do want to feel like we have a "community" of games critics, the most salient technologies in our field can't be their foundation. That community needs to be decoupled from both our favorite mode of communication (Twitter) and the crowdfunding method of the day (Patreon).
Observation #2: Folks need to be a part of a lot of different communities. You can't expect queer, feminist and allied game critics to form your only or even your primary community.
I work in a Women's Studies department. At one time, Women's Studies departments were feminist bastions for community and solidarity on deeply patriarchal college campuses. As Women's Studies has slowly depoliticized and institutionalized itself, that built-in sense of community has eroded.
Some graduate students enter my own department, for example, expecting to find and build feminist community within it and they're sorely disappointed. It's a great place to make friends, sure, but not a place to sustain your feminist activism. I have had to accept that Women's Studies is my workplace but not necessarily my community; much of my time in graduate school has been spent building communities elsewhere in my life.
Twitter is just not enough. I encourage folks in games who are looking for queer, feminist and allied community online to also find and meet local feminist and LGBT groups, and to connect with folks in other areas of their life. Queer, feminist and allied gaming circles can be vital for relationship building and community formation, but folks need to have multiple sources of community and sustenance in case one of them falters or becomes less reliable.
Observation #3: Communities have to be intentional; they don't arise organically from shared interests.
Communities are not composed of people working in parallel on similar projects. Community-building is what happens when people work together on the same project. Just because a handful of folks are all, say, trans women game designers does not mean they are part of a community. If our desire for community is earnest, then people need to do work together.
Back when my day job was less intense, Zoya Street and I wrote a couple of entries in a series on The Border House called "Bunk Bed," a series that focused on issues of gender and sexuality in which we both separately recorded responses to the same game and then compared them to each other.
In the process, we produced pieces that were engaging for our readers, we learned and grew from each other's perspectives, and we caught the attention of the games' developers in the comments section. We created a platform where we grew closer together as critics while also giving the developers some food for thought.
I don't think community is something you can be a part of; I think it's something you have to do. I don't consider myself to be part of a community, but when I have the time to do a project like "Bunk Bed," I feel like I'm building community. If we still want something that feels like a community, it will require mutual investment and collaboration.
Observation #3: Funding efforts are always going to be exclusionary. Communities coupled to funding are always going to reflect those exclusions.
The structure and demographic makeup of sites like Kotaku and Polygon are lopsided, asymmetrical, and reflective of the systems of power in which they are situated but Patreon is not a panacea for these problems. Some Patreons are wildly successful; others have floundered or faded into obscurity.
If we think of modes of financial support as foundations for queer, feminist, and allied community, we're always going to reflect certain problematic exclusions. If an inclusive community is what we want, we need to build it across or apart from particular publications and sources of income.
Observation #4: In-person communities have built-in mechanisms for dealing with conflict that online communities lack.
In in-person queer, feminist, and allied communities, conflicts must be dealt with because people see each other: they cannot be blocked, hidden, or ignored in any sort of categorical way. When something happens, it has to be addressed for social lives to continue.
Inasmuch as conflicts and infighting have certainly fractured queer, feminist, and allied communities of game critics, we should be aware that this fracturing is a result of the fact that online, our conflicts can stagnate, fester, and divide us without anyone feeling motivated to resolve them. They can just SIT THERE. Building community online isn't easier because modes of communication are more immediate; it's harder because we can ignore conflict.
Observation #5 is my last observation and it's just a closing question: Do we want community? Did we ever want it? Was our proclaimed nostalgia and is our stated yearning for community earnest, or does it reflect a desire for something else: emotional fulfilment, friendship, appreciation, financial support? What is it that we want when we say that we want to feel like a part of a queer, feminist, and allied games criticism community? Is community a goal, or is it a placeholder for something else?
Thanks. And have a great Sunday!
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text:
Memberships & Related Links
Services & Therapy
Training for Licensed Therapists
Training for Graduate Students
Crisis Connections
Crisis counselors are available 24 hours per day and can be accessed by texting "connect" to "741741". For more information, visit http://www.crisistextline.org/.
Crisis Teams in Minnesota
Mental health crisis teams are available for each county in Minnesota.
For the list for adults, visit https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/adults/health-care/mental-health/resources/crisis-contacts.jsp
For the list for children, visit https://mn.gov/dhs/people-we-serve/children-and-families/health-care/mental-health/resources/crisis-contacts.jsp
National Suicide Prevention Line
The National Suicide Prevention Line can be accessed at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or by calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Other resources are available at http://www.namihelps.org/support/crisis-resources.html.
Minnesota Organizations
Additionally, the Family Attachment Center has rotating interns available for appointments.
Copyright © 2016-2020 The Family Attachment and Counseling Center of Minnesota, Inc.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Soft Hearted Scientists
'Please Read Me'
/'Moths Mistook Us For The Moon'
vinyl 45rpm - winkle 38
on sale late-July
pre-order now if you're in the UK...£6 inc P&P
...if you're NOT in the UK, please go to our SHOP page for recommended stockists
The Welsh cardiologically-inclined alchemists returned to the studio earlier this year after a lengthy break to record a cover for a year-end Fruits de Mer retrospective that we're still working on - but the result was so strong I felt it deserved a single release in its own right and the band had such a good time they decided to work on a new song to go with it.
So here we have The Bee Gees' 'Please Read Me', a 60s pop-psych gem from the brothers Gibb with not the faintest whiff of cheese to it is given a magical makeover, paired with an all-new SHS song, 'Moths Mistook Us For The Moon', that's just lovely and has that classic Soft Hearted Scientists sound.
other Fruits de Mer releases you might be interested in....
The Three Seasons
FdM Goes to Glastonbury
Anton Barbeau
if you're not already on a Fruits de Mer mailing-list, please email fruitsdemer7@hotmail.com
All copyrights reserved 2019
www.fruitsdemerrecords.com
...hear the tracks.. ..buy the vinyl.. ..smell the fish...


My name is Brittani and I live in Calgary Alberta CANADA!. My hobbies are having hobbies!
Once you get to know me you'll soon find out why that statement suites me!
I love to be busy and always have fun! I hope you enjoy my crafting blog.


Low alkali pre-reduced catalyst for steam reforming.
RK-400R is used in tubular reformers for steam reforming of feedstocks ranging from natural gas to LPG. RK-400R is pre-reduced and installed on top of RK-400 and a non-alkali catalyst like R-67-7H.
The RK-400R catalyst is the latest generation of Topsoe's low alkali catalysts and offers remarkable improvements in both catalyst activity and resistance to carbon formation compared to conventional alkali-promoted products.
RK-400R is delivered pre-reduced and in addition to potassium, are also promoted with a noble metal. This feature of the catalyst makes it especially suited for the inlet conditions in a steam reforming furnace, where low temperatures are prevailing. The superior ability of RK-400R to operate at the low temperatures in the top of the catalyst tube is the result of a special manufacturing technique and the addition of a noble metal promoter. An additional advantage is that the catalysts have been reduced in Topsoe's production facilities in dry hydrogen at an optimal temperature, which results in higher activity than what could be obtained by in-situ reduction.


You have probably heard that video is how to differentiate your website and establish a brand, but have you thought about where and how to use it? The beauty of using video on your website is that it is incredibly flexible and customizable. There are few rules. Unlike television, you do not have to fit your video into a certain block of time, so it is an enticing medium to express yourself and tell your business story.
If you are looking for some ideas on how to incorporate video into your website, consider trying one or more of the approaches below.
The Internet is notoriously impersonal. Showing your face to the world and introducing yourself and what you do can be a powerful way to humanize your online presence. When an online visitor sees your face, he or she will make subconscious assessments that help to determine whether you are trustworthy and authentic. A video, such as this one we made for Kim Chenier, can help your prospective clients and customers learn to trust you and believe in you more effectively and quickly than written word ever could.
A video that shows how a product looks or works will help bring that item to life, like this Dirt Devil commercial that hit the airwaves in November 2013. Video demonstrations help your website overcome the inherent disadvantage that comes with selling products on the Internet—the fact that a buyer cannot put his or her hands on a product. The two most popular approaches to showcasing products are to film a live demonstration or provide a 360° view. Live demonstrations tend to be the most effective approach because the viewer learns how to use the product.
Before the Internet changed the game, people often personally visited a company's office or plant before deciding to do business. In a global economy dominated by the Internet, that is not always practical. A video tour can help build trust and interest in what you do and can even be more effective than an in-person tour because the video controls what the viewer sees. For example, watch this tour of the Fairville Inn. After watching that, surely you are ready to make a reservation! When somebody watches a video tour, it helps your prospective customers see that you are legitimate, professional and worthy of patronizing.
One of the secrets to success on the Internet is positioning yourself as an authority and a resource. Creating a video that shows how to do something related to your business or area of expertise provides indisputable evidence that you know what you are doing and, furthermore, that you want to help others learn. Although you might think that they could deter people from buying, how-to videos build trust, which leads to more conversions.
Testimonials have long been one of the most effective marketing techniques; popularity of this approach began with the advent of radio and continues today. The most authentic testimonials come from real-life customers; however, it is also possible to pay actors or celebrities to endorse your products or services. When delivered correctly, a testimonial can be a powerful way to authenticate your brand and prove your legitimacy as a business.
A short video that highlights your best work can be more compelling and interesting than a static portfolio. Video is a superior way to share your work because it can emulate the way your eyes take in information, which is something a photograph or static page could never do. Another advantage of a video portfolio is that it can have a soundtrack and some of the elements listed above, which will make it more compelling and engaging. For an idea of what this could look like, please see our reel.
People are used to commercials, so having one on your website actually helps confirm your legitimacy and provides information about your business in a format that customers understand and subconsciously expect. Television commercials run from 15 to 60 seconds, but on the Internet you can make commercials any length, though two minutes or less is preferable.
If you are raising money on a crowdsourcing site such as Indiegogo or Kickstarter, or conducting a fundraiser for charity, a video is an invaluable tool to help get the word out. The most effective videos for fundraising are catchy and highly entertaining, while communicating the benefits the viewer will gain from giving money to your cause. To make a big impact, it is a good idea to have a professionally produced video or two on your website as well as your fundraising page.
JLB Media is highly skilled in the art and science of creating compelling video for your website. We have a video production team in Los Angeles and are able to mobilize nationwide, ready to assist you with your video production needs. If any of the above ideas seem like they would work for your website, please reach out to us with your questions or ideas. We look forward to helping you optimize your site with compelling video content.


The energy efficiency of wired networks has received considerable attention over the past decade due to its economic and environmental impacts. However, because of the vertical integration of the control and data planes in conventional networks, optimizing energy consumption in such networks is challenging. Software-defined networking (SDN) is an emerging networking paradigm that decouples the control plane from the data plane and introduces network programmability for the development of network applications. In this work, we propose an energy-aware integral flow-routing solution to improve the energy efficiency of the SDN routing application. We consider discreteness of link rates and pose the routing problem as a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) problem, which is known to be NP complete. The proposed solution is a heuristic implementation of the Benders decomposition method that routes additional single and multiple flows without resolving the routing problem. Performance evaluations demonstrate that the proposed solution achieves a close-to-optimal performance (within 3.27% error) compared to CPLEX on various topologies with less than 0.056% of CPLEX average computation time. Furthermore, our solution outperforms the shortest path algorithm by 24.12% to 54.35% in power savings.


Are you a postgraduate or undergraduate student who would like to help other students with IT services when they arrive at the University? If you are, then a job on the Student IT Support programme (SITS) at this year's start-of-session could be just the opportunity for you!
If you would like to be considered for a position please visit: nottingham.ac.uk/sits to apply for the 2019 recruitment. The closing date is 26 May 2019.


When I came to Doorway I was a new mom was in a abusive controlling relationship and felt worthless and was ready to give up on everything.
At Doorway I learned l was important and that I was worth more than I felt. I also learned how to have patience and to trust people.
Because of Doorway I'm a confident mom have a healthier lifestyle. I love who I am and can enjoy my kids and have someone ( one of the many friends I've met at Doorway) to lean on when I'm having a rough time.


text:
EXCLUSIVE: Gear for Iraq may extend U.S. stay
By Eli Lake - The Washington Times - Wednesday, February 11, 2009
As President Obama weighs options for withdrawing U.S. combat troops from Iraq, the country's military is purchasing American helicopters, cargo planes and tanks equipment that typically requires a prolonged U.S. presence for maintenance and training.
Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick, who is in charge of training Iraq's security services and military, told The Washington Times that some of the ordered equipment would not be delivered until 2012, even though a new status of forces agreement (SOFA) requires all U.S. troops to exit the country by 2011.
Gen. Helmick said the Iraqi military had already ordered 140 M1 Abrams tanks, up to 24 Bell Assault Reconnaissance helicopters and 6 C130-J transport airplanes. The tanks will not be delivered until 2011, and the helicopters and transport planes will not arrive until the end of 2012 or possibly in 2013.
"The government of Iraq does not have to purchase that kind of equipment from the United States; they have elected to do so," Gen. Helmick said. "To me that could indicate that the Iraqis would like to have a long-term strategic relationship with the United States."
The deals also will begin to redress the economic costs borne by United States to wage the Iraq war. Among the U.S. companies that will benefit from contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars are General Dynamics, which makes the M1 Abrams tank, Bell Boeing, which produces the assault helicopters, and Lockheed Martin, which makes the C130-J Super Hercules tactical airlifter. Lockheed Martin also makes the F-16 fighter jet, which also is generating some Iraqi interest, Gen. Helmick said.
Such complex defense systems require sophisticated maintenance and training that would keep U.S. forces in the country long beyond the deadline set in the SOFA.
"No matter how fast combat brigades are drawn down from Iraq, the president has always talked of the need for a residual force of some size to remain behind to, among other things, continue to train and equip the Iraqi security forces," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said. That would require an adjustment in the SOFA, which "as it stands now … would preclude [U.S. troops] from doing so after 2011 when all U.S. troops, combat or otherwise, have to leave the country."
Defense procurement is likely to be discussed when Iraq's defense minister, Abdul Qader al-Obeidi, comes to Washington next week and meets with Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.
Mr. al-Obeidi will visit defense contractors and weapons makers, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. Last month, he traveled to Seoul and told reporters that he considered the half-century-old U.S.-South Korea military relationship to be a model for Iraq-U.S. ties.
"The South Korean military is a model to follow because it has achieved modernization from a zero point," the South Korean Yonhap news agency quoted the defense minister as saying.
About 24,000 American troops are in South Korea, where U.S. forces have been stationed since the Korean War.
To build a sustained U.S.-Iraq military relationship, Iraq and the United States would need to modify the SOFA. U.S. and some Iraqi officials say that these arrangements usually are renegotiated over time and that some of the sections of the agreement leave open the option of a longer-term training relationship.
Gen. Helmick pointed out that Article 4 of the current pact allows for training.
"It says we shall continue in our efforts to strengthen Iraq's security capabilities, and that the training is mutually agreed upon. Equipping, supporting and supplying Iraq are all mutual agreed upon tasks," he said
Another factor is that both Kurds and Sunni Arabs, who are minorities in Iraq, may push for a continued U.S. presence as insurance against a resumption of the sectarian warfare that ravaged the country between 2005 and 2007.
"Some of the long-term deployments will reflect the long-term uncertainties in Iraq," said Thomas Donnelly, a defense policy analyst at the center-right American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research. "The Kurds will feel more secure and behave better if there is a long-term deployment of American troops in Iraqi Kurdistan."
He added, "It is also the case that the Sunni community will have a similar calculus."
The Democrat-led Congress, which has pressed for a full withdrawal from Iraq, could present a roadblock to Iraq's military procurements.
Lawrence Korb, a senior fellow at the center-left Center for American Progress and a former assistant secretary of defense in the Reagan administration, said Congress likely would not object to selling Iraq American equipment with one caveat: "I think Congress would say, 'yes,' assuming the Iraqis are not in the midst of a full-fledged civil war."


text:
Das Dekanat Neustadt an der Waldnaab gehört zur Region VII – Weiden des Bistums Regensburg.

Zum Dekanat gehören die folgenden Seelsorgeeinheiten (Stand: 2013):

 Altenstadt an der Waldnaab
 Burkhardsreuth
 Eschenbach in der Oberpfalz
 Floß
 Flossenbürg
 Grafenwöhr
 Kirchentumbach
 Neustadt an der Waldnaab mit Störnstein und Wilchenreuth
 Parkstein mit Kirchendemenreuth
 Pressath mit Schwarzenbach
 Speinshart mit Oberbibrach, Schlammersdorf und Vorbach
 Windischeschenbach mit Neuhaus und Wurz

Einzelnachweise

Neustadt an der Waldnaab
Neustadt
Wikipedia:Gründungsdatum ungeklärt
Organisation (Landkreis Neustadt an der Waldnaab)
Christentum im Landkreis Neustadt an der Waldnaab
Römisch-katholische Kirche in Bayern

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Google's war on conservatism continues.
As reported earlier this week by The Daily Caller, the world's most powerful search engine is now displaying fact checks almost exclusively for conservative and right-of-center publications in its results. Prominent liberal websites, on the other hand, don't seem to be receiving the same amount of scrutiny.
Obviously, those who run Google are, for the most part, left-wing ideologues who let their political beliefs influence how they run their business. In some ways, it's almost hard to believe that such a well-known company would focus so heavily on using their power of the Internet to silence conservative voices, yet it appears that this is exactly what is going on. And in addition to having an incredibly biased fact-checking system, more times than not, Google is just flat out wrong. Indeed, the company has developed something of a reputation for asserting that sites made certain "claims" that they never actually made.
On the contrary, left-wing websites like Vox and Gizmodo usually get a free pass from Google's fact checkers. Even though a user that searches for Vox or Gizmodo will see a "topics they write about" section (just like they would see after searching for The Daily Caller), there is no "Reviewed Claims" section. Why are right-wing websites receiving more scrutiny than liberal websites? Could it be that Google is actually more interested in silencing conservative voices than they are in finding the truth on the Internet?
Google's censorship of conservative websites and voices on the Internet is nothing new. As a matter of fact, just a few months ago, Dennis Prager and his conservative digital media organization PragerU announced that they were suing Google and YouTube (which is owned by Google) for censoring their content.
Indeed, the First Amendment is what all of this really comes down to. Whether it's actively discrediting conservative websites or banning conservative content entirely, Google has proven that they care little about the United States Constitution. They are showing the entire world that they are heavily driven by a left-wing political ideology, and it is up to the conservatives themselves to put an end to it once and for all, one way or another.


text:
from search_rex.recommendations.similarity.item_based import\
    JaccardSimilarity
from search_rex.recommendations.similarity.item_based import\
    CombinedRecordSimilarity
from search_rex.recommendations.similarity.item_based import\
    InMemoryRecordSimilarity
from search_rex.recommendations.similarity.item_based import\
    AbstractRecordSimilarity
from search_rex.recommendations.similarity.item_based import\
    CosineSimilarity
from search_rex.recommendations.similarity.item_based import\
    SignificanceWeighting
from search_rex.recommendations.similarity.item_based import\
    AbstractPreferenceSimilarity
from search_rex.recommendations.similarity.item_based import\
    RecordSimilarity
from search_rex.recommendations.similarity.item_based import\
    TimeDecaySimilarity
from search_rex.recommendations.similarity import item_based\
    as item_based_sim

from search_rex.recommendations.data_model.item_based import\
    Preference
from search_rex.recommendations.data_model.item_based import\
    AbstractRecordDataModel

from search_rex import services

import mock
import math
from datetime import timedelta
from datetime import datetime
from ..test_base import BaseTestCase

def test__record_similarity__get_similarity():
    expected_sim = 1.0

    record_1 = 'caesar'
    record_2 = 'brutus'
    preferences = {
        record_1: {
            1: Preference(1.0, None),
            2: Preference(2.0, None),
            3: Preference(2.0, None),
            4: Preference(1.0, None),
        },
        record_2: {
            1: Preference(1.0, None),
            4: Preference(2.0, None),
            5: Preference(2.0, None),
        },
    }

    fake_model = AbstractRecordDataModel()
    fake_model.get_preferences_for_record = mock.Mock(
        side_effect=lambda r: preferences[r])
    fake_sim = AbstractPreferenceSimilarity()
    fake_sim.get_similarity = mock.Mock(
        return_value=expected_sim)

    sut = RecordSimilarity(fake_model, fake_sim)
    sim = sut.get_similarity(record_1, record_2)

    assert sim == expected_sim
    fake_sim.get_similarity.assert_called_with(
        preferences[record_1],
        preferences[record_2])

def test__record_similarity__refresh__underlying_data_model_is_refreshed():
    fake_model = AbstractRecordDataModel()
    fake_model.refresh = mock.Mock()
    fake_sim = AbstractPreferenceSimilarity()

    sut = RecordSimilarity(fake_model, fake_sim)

    refreshed_components = set()
    sut.refresh(refreshed_components)

    assert fake_model in refreshed_components
    assert sut in refreshed_components
    assert fake_model.refresh.call_count == 1

def test__combine_rec_similarity__get_similarity__underlying_sims_are_called():
    record_caesar = 'caesar'
    record_brutus = 'brutus'

    fake_sim1 = AbstractRecordSimilarity()
    fake_sim1.get_similarity = mock.Mock(return_value=0.8)
    fake_sim2 = AbstractRecordSimilarity()
    fake_sim2.get_similarity = mock.Mock(return_value=1.0)

    sut = CombinedRecordSimilarity(fake_sim1, fake_sim2, weight=0.25)
    sut.get_similarity(record_caesar, record_brutus)

    fake_sim1.get_similarity.assert_called_with(record_caesar, record_brutus)
    fake_sim2.get_similarity.assert_called_with(record_caesar, record_brutus)

def test__combine_rec_similarity__get_similarity():
    record_caesar = 'caesar'
    record_brutus = 'brutus'

    sims = []

    fake_sim1 = AbstractRecordSimilarity()
    fake_sim1.get_similarity = mock.Mock(
        side_effect=lambda f, t: sims[0])
    fake_sim2 = AbstractRecordSimilarity()
    fake_sim2.get_similarity = mock.Mock(
        side_effect=lambda f, t: sims[1])

    sut = CombinedRecordSimilarity(fake_sim1, fake_sim2, weight=0.25)

    sims = [0.8, 1.0]
    assert sut.get_similarity(record_caesar, record_brutus) == 0.95

    sims = [0.0, 1.0]
    assert sut.get_similarity(record_caesar, record_brutus) == 0.75

    sims = [float('nan'), 1.0]
    assert sut.get_similarity(record_caesar, record_brutus) == 0.75

    sims = [1.0, float('nan')]
    assert sut.get_similarity(record_caesar, record_brutus) == 0.25

    sims = [float('nan'), float('nan')]
    assert math.isnan(sut.get_similarity(record_caesar, record_brutus))

def test__combine_rec_similarity__refresh__underlying_sim_metrics_are_refreshed():
    fake_sim1 = AbstractRecordSimilarity()
    fake_sim1.refresh = mock.Mock()
    fake_sim2 = AbstractRecordSimilarity()
    fake_sim2.refresh = mock.Mock()

    sut = CombinedRecordSimilarity(fake_sim1, fake_sim2, weight=0.25)

    refreshed_components = set()
    sut.refresh(refreshed_components)

    assert fake_sim1 in refreshed_components
    assert fake_sim2 in refreshed_components
    assert sut in refreshed_components
    assert fake_sim1.refresh.call_count == 1
    assert fake_sim2.refresh.call_count == 1

class InMemorySimilarityTestCase(BaseTestCase):

    def setUp(self):
        super(InMemorySimilarityTestCase, self).setUp()

    def test__in_mem_sim__get_similarity(self):
        include_internal_records = False
        record_caesar = 'caesar'
        record_brutus = 'brutus'
        record_napoleon = 'napoleon'
        record_internal = 'internal'

        sims = {
            record_caesar: {
                record_brutus: 0.9,
                record_internal: 0.8,
            },
            record_brutus: {
                record_caesar: 0.8,
                record_internal: 0.7,
            },
            record_napoleon: {}
        }

        is_internal = {
            record_caesar: False,
            record_brutus: False,
            record_napoleon: False,
            record_internal: True,
        }

        for from_record, rec_sims in sims.iteritems():
            for to_record, sim in rec_sims.iteritems():
                services.import_record_similarity(
                    from_record, is_internal[from_record],
                    to_record, is_internal[to_record], sim)

        sut = InMemoryRecordSimilarity(
            include_internal_records=include_internal_records,
            max_sims_per_record=10)

        assert sut.get_similarity(record_caesar, record_brutus) ==\
            sims[record_caesar][record_brutus]
        assert sut.get_similarity(record_brutus, record_caesar) ==\
            sims[record_brutus][record_caesar]

        assert math.isnan(sut.get_similarity(record_caesar, record_napoleon))
        assert math.isnan(sut.get_similarity(record_napoleon, record_caesar))

        # Internal Record
        assert math.isnan(sut.get_similarity(record_caesar, record_internal))
        assert math.isnan(sut.get_similarity(record_internal, record_caesar))
        # Unknown Record
        assert math.isnan(sut.get_similarity('unknown', record_napoleon))
        assert math.isnan(sut.get_similarity(record_caesar, 'unknown'))

    def test__in_mem_sim__lower_similarities_are_discarded_if_max_sims_reached(self):
        record_caesar = 'caesar'
        record_brutus = 'brutus'
        record_napoleon = 'napoleon'
        record_cleopatra = 'cleopatra'

        sims = {
            record_caesar: {
                record_brutus: 0.9,
                record_cleopatra: 0.8,
                record_napoleon: 0.1,
            }
        }

        for from_record, rec_sims in sims.iteritems():
            for to_record, sim in rec_sims.iteritems():
                services.import_record_similarity(
                    from_record, False, to_record, False, sim)

        sut = InMemoryRecordSimilarity(
            include_internal_records=True, max_sims_per_record=2)

        assert math.isnan(sut.get_similarity(record_caesar, record_napoleon))

    def test__in_mem_sim__refresh__similarities_are_reloaded(self):
        record_caesar = 'caesar'
        record_brutus = 'brutus'

        sut = InMemoryRecordSimilarity(
            include_internal_records=True, max_sims_per_record=10)

        assert math.isnan(sut.get_similarity(record_caesar, record_brutus))

        sim = 0.9
        services.import_record_similarity(
            record_caesar, False, record_brutus, False, sim)

        refreshed_components = set()
        sut.refresh(refreshed_components)

        assert sut.get_similarity(record_caesar, record_brutus) == sim
        assert sut in refreshed_components

def test__jaccard__get_similarity():
    from_prefs = {
        1: Preference(1.0, None),
        2: Preference(2.0, None),
        3: Preference(2.0, None),
        4: Preference(1.0, None),
    }
    to_prefs = {
        1: Preference(1.0, None),
        4: Preference(2.0, None),
        5: Preference(2.0, None),
    }

    sut = JaccardSimilarity()

    assert sut.get_similarity(from_prefs, to_prefs) == 0.4

def test__jaccard__get_similarity__one_list_is_empty():
    from_prefs = {
        1: Preference(1.0, None),
        2: Preference(2.0, None),
    }
    to_prefs = {}

    sut = JaccardSimilarity()

    assert sut.get_similarity(from_prefs, to_prefs) == 0.0

def test__jaccard_sim__both_records_have_no_interactions__returns_nan():
    from_prefs = {}
    to_prefs = {}

    sut = JaccardSimilarity()

    assert math.isnan(sut.get_similarity(from_prefs, to_prefs))

def test__cosine():
    from_prefs = {
        1: Preference(1.0, None),
        2: Preference(2.0, None),
    }
    to_prefs = {
        2: Preference(3.0, None),
        3: Preference(4.0, None),
        1: Preference(1.0, None),
    }

    sut = CosineSimilarity()

    assert abs(sut.get_similarity(from_prefs, to_prefs) - 0.6139) < 0.0001

def test__cosine__one_list_is_empty():
    from_prefs = {
        1: Preference(1.0, None),
        2: Preference(2.0, None),
    }
    to_prefs = {}

    sut = CosineSimilarity()

    assert sut.get_similarity(from_prefs, to_prefs) == 0.0

def test__cosine__both_records_have_no_interactions__returns_nan():
    from_prefs = {}
    to_prefs = {}

    sut = CosineSimilarity()

    assert math.isnan(sut.get_similarity(from_prefs, to_prefs))

def test__significance_weighting__below_min_overlap():
    min_overlap = 4
    sim = 1.0
    from_prefs = {
        1: Preference(1.0, None),
        2: Preference(2.0, None),
        3: Preference(2.0, None),
        4: Preference(1.0, None),
    }
    to_prefs = {
        1: Preference(1.0, None),
        2: Preference(2.0, None),
        5: Preference(2.0, None),
    }
    fake_sim = AbstractPreferenceSimilarity()
    fake_sim.get_similarity = mock.Mock(
        return_value=sim)

    sut = SignificanceWeighting(fake_sim, min_overlap)

    assert sut.get_similarity(from_prefs, to_prefs) == 0.5

def test__significance_weighting__above_min_overlap():
    min_overlap = 4
    sim = 1.0
    from_prefs = {
        1: Preference(1.0, None),
        2: Preference(2.0, None),
        3: Preference(2.0, None),
        4: Preference(1.0, None),
    }
    to_prefs = {
        1: Preference(1.0, None),
        2: Preference(2.0, None),
        3: Preference(2.0, None),
        4: Preference(1.0, None),
        5: Preference(2.0, None),
    }
    fake_sim = AbstractPreferenceSimilarity()
    fake_sim.get_similarity = mock.Mock(
        return_value=sim)

    sut = SignificanceWeighting(fake_sim, min_overlap)

    assert sut.get_similarity(from_prefs, to_prefs) == 1.0

def test__significance_weighting__similarity_is_nan():
    min_overlap = 4
    sim = float('NaN')
    from_prefs = {
        1: Preference(1.0, None),
        2: Preference(2.0, None),
        3: Preference(2.0, None),
        4: Preference(1.0, None),
    }
    to_prefs = {
        1: Preference(1.0, None),
        2: Preference(2.0, None),
        3: Preference(2.0, None),
        4: Preference(1.0, None),
        5: Preference(2.0, None),
    }
    fake_sim = AbstractPreferenceSimilarity()
    fake_sim.get_similarity = mock.Mock(
        return_value=sim)

    sut = SignificanceWeighting(fake_sim, min_overlap)

    assert math.isnan(sut.get_similarity(from_prefs, to_prefs))

def test__time_decay__similarity_is_weighted():
    fake_sim = AbstractPreferenceSimilarity()

    from_prefs = {
        1: Preference(1.0, datetime(2001, 12, 30)),
        2: Preference(2.0, datetime(2001, 12, 25)),
        3: Preference(2.0, datetime(2001, 12, 25)),
        4: Preference(1.0, datetime(2001, 12, 18)),
        5: Preference(1.0, datetime(2001, 12, 1)),
    }
    to_prefs = {
        1: Preference(1.0, datetime(2001, 12, 29)),
        2: Preference(2.0, datetime(2001, 12, 26)),
        4: Preference(1.0, datetime(2001, 12, 14)),
        5: Preference(1.0, datetime(2001, 11, 1)),
    }

    f_parts = [[1, 2, 3], [4], [], []]
    t_parts = [[1, 2], [], [4], []]

    def get_similarity(f_prefs, t_prefs):
        if f_prefs.keys() == f_parts[0] and t_prefs.keys() == t_parts[0]:
            return 0.8
        elif f_prefs.keys() == f_parts[1] and t_prefs.keys() == t_parts[1]:
            return 0.4
        elif f_prefs.keys() == f_parts[2] and t_prefs.keys() == t_parts[2]:
            return 0.0
        elif f_prefs.keys() == f_parts[3] and t_prefs.keys() == t_parts[3]:
            return float('nan')

    fake_sim.get_similarity = mock.Mock(
        side_effect=get_similarity)

    time_now = datetime(2001, 12, 31)
    item_based_sim.utcnow = mock.Mock(
        return_value=time_now)

    sut = TimeDecaySimilarity(
        fake_sim, time_interval=timedelta(7), half_life=2, max_age=4)

    sim = sut.get_similarity(from_prefs, to_prefs)

    assert abs(sim - 0.4228) < 0.0001

def test__time_decay__prefs_are_empty__return_nan():
    fake_sim = AbstractPreferenceSimilarity()

    from_prefs = {
    }
    to_prefs = {
    }

    fake_sim.get_similarity = mock.Mock(return_value=1.0)

    time_now = datetime(2001, 12, 31)
    item_based_sim.utcnow = mock.Mock(return_value=time_now)

    sut = TimeDecaySimilarity(
        fake_sim, time_interval=timedelta(7), half_life=2, max_age=4)

    sim = sut.get_similarity(from_prefs, to_prefs)

    assert math.isnan(sim)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The sound of pads popping, whistles blowing and bands playing can mean only one thing: Fall ball is just around the corner. Returning Ole Miss players were all over Baseball America's rankings of the top prospects in various summer leagues. Ryan Rolison, who went 4-0 with a 1.93 ERA in the Cape Cod League, made BA's list of the top prospects in that highly regarded circuit. UM's Parker Caracci was tabbed as the best prospect in the Ripken Collegiate League, where he posted seven wins and a 0.70 ERA. First baseman Cole Zabowski also made the Ripken top 10. Pitcher Houston Roth was on the publication's list of top prospects in the Perfect Game Collegiate League, and Dallas Woolfolk was a rather obvious standout (four saves, 0.87 ERA) for USA Baseball's Collegiate National Team. … Mississippi State left-hander Konnor Pilkington, who could be the first Mississippian picked in the 2018 draft, also pitched well for Team USA, and Bulldogs catcher Dustin Skelton made BA's Perfect Game prospect rankings. … Mississippi College outfielder Blaine Crim was ranked among the top prospects in the Great Lakes Collegiate League, and Will Freeman, a sophomore right-hander at Jones County Junior College, was rated No. 1 in the Prospect League. Alabama native Freeman was 3-1 with five saves and a 1.80 ERA as a freshman for state champion JCJC. … Mississippi State's new freshman class includes three members of Baseball America's Top 500 draft prospects from 2017: outfielder Jordan Anderson, pitcher Chad Bryant and outfielder Owen Lovell. Ole Miss has two of the Top 500: pitcher Jordan Fowler and first baseman Tim Elko. … Southern Miss welcomes back standout closer Nick Sandlin, who showed good stuff in the Cape Cod League, and Matt Wallner, who won several national freshman player of the year awards last season. … Delta State returns a bunch of players from its NCAA Division II College World Series team, including slugger Zack Shannon, who earned a boatload of conference, regional and national honors. … Mississippi University for Women will have a fall program for its first class of recruits. MUW, which has applied for NCAA Division III membership, will launch its inaugural season in 2018. Coach Matt Wolfenbarger is a former Coahoma Community College pitching coach and Delta Academy head coach. The Owls announced 35 commitments from prep and juco players for the coming season and will hold an open tryout on Saturday at Columbus High, where the W will practice and play. The 2018 schedule includes games against Rust, Tougaloo, Blue Mountain and Belhaven.


text:
A Nation with the Soul of a Church
Written by: George Thomas
George Thomas, the author of The Founders and the Idea of a National University, reflects on how the concept and birth of American independence informed the educational system in the United States.
K. Chesterton famously called America "a nation with the soul of a church" because it was founded on a "creed." It is telling that American celebrates itself on July 4th, the day it declared its independence to the world, justified by the political principles it set forth, which formed the basis of what Chesterton called its creed. In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln posited a nation founded with the Declaration of Independence that just happened to dedicate the nation to the proposition that "all men are created equal." This creed explained why America was engaged in an ugly war to end an even uglier institution. Here Lincoln himself was following precedent: Fredrick Douglass famously turned to the Declaration to speak of America's "great principles of political freedom and natural justice." Yet Douglass turned to these creedal commitments to highlight America's "great sin," slavery, which made America "false" to itself. Douglass, with a wonderful sense of timing, gave the address on July 5th, as if to highlight the gap between America's creed and its practice.
The idea of an American creed lends itself to the language of civil religion
The idea of an American creed lends itself to the language of civil religion. And there is something to this—particularly when it comes to civic education. As James Madison put it, contemplating how politics should be taught at the University of Virginia: "It is certainly very material that the true doctrines of liberty, as exemplified in our Political System, should be inculcated on those who are to sustain and administer it." Writing to Thomas Jefferson, Madison even called for a professor "orthodox" in politics to foster out "political creed." Yet at the same time, Madison and Jefferson appealed to distinctly modern understandings of freedom of thought and conscience. The very liberal principles they advocated seem, on their face, at odds with the idea of civil religion. Can we both foster a certain "political creed" and remain true to both genuine education and that creed insofar as it's rooted in liberal principles.
These questions come to life in Madison and Jefferson's advocacy, along with many of the leading minds from the founding generation, for a national university. The aim of the university was to sustain America's constitutional experiment by shaping the minds of its citizens. Accepting the Declaration's principles required altering the curricula of the colleges then in existence: theology would have to be removed the center of knowledge. Reconstituting the curriculum in line with the secular aspirations of the new polity would help embed the philosophical ideas underlining the Declaration into the mental habits and mind-set of the people. The ideas that shaped the curriculum would help constitution the American mind in a manner that made modern life possible.
These questions are at the heart of The Founders and the Idea of a National University: Constituting the American Mind. And while this work looks back to arguments from the founding generation, it does so better understand our present. It seeks to speak to contemporary debates about the link between democracy and education and how contemporary educational institutions are attending to this task.
Read an excerpt from The Founders and the Idea of a National University here.
About the Author: George Thomas
George Thomas is the author of The Founders and the Idea of a National University....
Whatever Happened to the Property...
The Partition of Ireland: 1918-1925
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text:
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Health facilities in Idlib have again come under increasing attack as part of the ongoing offensive in the region. Five medical facilities have been bombed since Tuesday alone, including a pediatric and maternity clinic. Wednesday's bombing marks the fourth attack on Kafr Nobol Hospital this year, despite being verified under the United Nation's de-confliction mechanism.
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text:
Warthe ist ein Ortsteil der Gemeinde Rankwitz am Nordende des Lieper Winkels auf der Insel Usedom.

Geschichte
Warthe soll erstmals 1317 urkundlich erwähnt worden sein. Diese Urkunde (PUB V/2 Nr. 3132) mit der Generalkonfirmation durch Herzog Wartislaw IV. für das Kloster Pudagla gilt als gefälscht, wie so viele Urkunden dieses Klosters. Eine weitere Erwähnung ist von 1329 (Bayersdorf, 1881, S. 37), der Inhalt ist aber momentan nicht bekannt. 1618 wurde Warthe dann in der Lubinschen Karte genannt.

Rankwitz mit Warthe und die anderen Orte im Lieper Winkel gehörten aber trotzdem den Prämonstratensern in Pudagla, die bis 1309 im Kloster Grobe bei Usedom (Stadt) ansässig waren, wie die Besitzstandskarte von 1530 aussagt.

Eine lokale Geschichte erzählt, dass 1675 preußische Soldaten eine Warte (Aussichtsturm) dort erbauten, um Schmuggler von Tabak aus Schwedisch-Pommern aus der Richtung Lassan zu erwischen. Danach soll der Ort den Namen haben. Da aber vorher auf jeden Fall bereits Nennungen erfolgten, ist dies als Legende anzusehen, wobei der inhaltliche Fakt durchaus der Wahrheit entsprechen kann.

Danach gibt es nur sehr wenige historische Zeugnisse. Warthe teilt die Geschichte des Lieper Winkels unter den Pommern-Herzögen, den Schweden nach dem Dreißigjährigen Krieg und den Preußen nach 1720.

1666 hat eine Bestandsaufnahme der Haushaltsvorstände der Region drei Bauern und zwei Kötter gezählt. Bei der Landesaufnahme durch die Schweden im Jahr 1693 war die Gemeinde so groß geworden, dass ihr ein Schultheiß vorstand. Registriert waren darüber hinaus 13 Haushaltsvorstände (4 Vollbauern, 2 Halbbauern, 5 Kötter, 1 Schweinehirt und 1 Einlieger).

1835 zeigt sich Warthe als Angerdorf mit der Funktion als Bauern- und Fischeransiedlung. Ein kleiner Hafen am Achterwasser wurde "Fischer Platz" genannt. Davor befand sich die "Sandbank Warther Haken". Westlich liegt der "Kusen Berg" und nördlich der "Haken Berg".

1880 wurde am Achterwasser bzw. dem dortigen Hafen ein Wohnplatz geschaffen, der sich Warthe-Ausbau und ab 1925 Neu Warthe nannte. In dem MTB von 1880 wurde auch erstmals der Erratische Block östlich von Warthe im "Stein Bruch" gezeichnet. Er nennt sich auch "Teufelsstein Warthe" und soll der größte erratische Block (Findling) von Usedom sein. Er ist als Geotop mit Nr. 2_027 registriert. Er ist 4,6 m lang, 3,4 m breit und 1,2 m hoch.

In Warthe endet die einzige durch den Lieper Winkel verlaufende, teilweise als Allee gestaltete Hauptverkehrsstraße, die in den Jahren 1896 bis 1898 gebaut wurde.

Im Jahre 1903 wurde die Freiwillige Feuerwehr Warthe gegründet.

1925 wurde dann Neu Warthe, der Hafenort von Warthe offiziell im Ortsverzeichnis genannt. Dort befand sich auch die einzige Windmühle der Gegend.

Vom Tourismus war der Ort bis weit ins 20. Jahrhundert hinein ausgeschlossen; dies war auch zu DDR-Zeiten im Wesentlichen noch so, lediglich nordwestlich vom Ort entstand am Achterwasser eine Bungalowsiedlung. Nach 1990 wurden die Häuser des historischen Kerns saniert, Fassaden bunt gestrichen, fand der Ort in Reiseführern Erwähnung und wurden vermehrt Ferienwohnungen gebaut bzw. angeboten. Es gibt zwei Gastronomiebetriebe. Zugeschnitten sind die Einrichtungen auf Ruhe suchende Wanderer, Radfahrer, Angler und Segler, und es besteht ein ausgewogenes Verhältnis zwischen Gästezahlen und infrastrukturellen Möglichkeiten.

Sehenswertes

 Ortskern mit farbigen Fachwerkhäusern, Rohrdächern und gepflegten Blumengärten.
 Kleine Badestellen am Achterwasser.
 Blaues Haus: Ältester, original erhaltener Fachwerkbau mit Reetdach (regional korrekter – "Rohrdach"). Auch eine Stallscheune aus Fachwerk mit alter Lehmausfachung ist zu sehen.
 Teufelsstein Warthe – erratischer Block, als größter Block Usedoms seiner Art.
 Wander- und Radweg südlich entlang des Peenestroms nach Quilitz bzw. östlich entlang des Achterwassers nach Grüssow (Rankwitz) und Reestow.
 Fischer-Strand am Achterwasser (Ortsteil Warthe-Ausbau): Hier ist an einer knorrigen Weide als Touristenattraktion ein Arrangement mit Reusenstäben, einem hölzernen Bottich und einem Fischerboot aufgebaut, das eine Kulisse für das Märchen Von dem Fischer un syner Fru rekonstruieren soll. Philipp Otto Runge, der es für die Brüder Grimm aufgeschrieben hat, stammt aus Wolgast und hat die Handlung im lokalen Bereich angesiedelt; nichts spricht indes für exakt diese Stelle.

Weblink
 Gemeinde Rankwitz

Einzelnachweise

Ort im Landkreis Vorpommern-Greifswald
Ehemalige Gemeinde (Landkreis Vorpommern-Greifswald)
Gemeindeauflösung 1973
Geographie (Rankwitz)
Ort auf Usedom


I've never been able to consistently keep a journal or a diary.
Along with visiting the Haleakala Crater and driving The Road to Hana, I planned another must-do for our trip to Maui: eating as much banana bread as possible.
If anyone had walked through my kitchen the Monday after Thanksgiving, they would have stopped in alarm.
I could eat pizza four days a week and would still excitedly say 'yes' if someone suggested grabbing a pizza on the fifth day.
This cabbage was truly massive.
I already wrote about one way to cook radishes: as a component in a refreshing spring pasta.
While my closet moves confidently into Fall, my palate is less gung-ho.
We've now made this galette two times in the last three days.
Since I've weathered the storm—though my kitchen, even after cleaning for an hour last night is still in disarray—the recipe at the end of this post is my adapted take, with the steps in the order I think they should be.
I made my very first cake this weekend, in honor of my mother-in-law's birthday.
This past Fall, I acted like (some) people do before a big snowstorm and stocked up like I wouldn't be able to leave the apartment all winter.
This is actually a dish I was hoping to make the day before Thanksgiving, for all of us to munch on while we were cooking Thanksgiving dinner.
My favorite kind of baking doesn't involve icing cupcakes, decorating cookies, or layering a cake.
It's time to say goodbye to a busy, memorable, and extremely hot summer.
Frankly, the size of this zucchini is intimidating.
We viewed the 4th of July as the official kick-off of our summer in Brooklyn.
In the February issue of Cook's Illustrated, I spotted a challenge that I was eager to take on: Chicago-Style Deep-Dish Pizza.


At the start of His public ministry, Jesus attended a wedding in Cana. Why was this the perfect setting for Him to work His first miraculous sign?
St. John tells us that after Jesus called and assembled His disciples, "there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there." It is interesting, isn't it, that right at the start of St. John's description of Jesus' public ministry, His mother gets first mention in this story. "Jesus and His disciples were also invited to the wedding," but "the mother of Jesus" is the one on whom the action pivots. St. John never refers to her as "Mary" in his Gospel. We know from Scripture and tradition that Mary and John lived as mother and son from the time of the Crucifixion. We might expect his description of her to be in more familiar terms. Because St. John's Gospel is considered to be profoundly interpretive in its report of the details of Jesus' life, we can legitimately wonder if his reference to Mary as "the mother of Jesus" has a deeper meaning than simply their biological relationship.
Indeed, it does. Recall that the prologue of this Gospel evokes the Creation: "In the beginning was the Word" (Jn 1:1). St. John wants us to be thinking about the early chapters of Genesis, both the glory we see there and the shadow cast by sin. The only hope for redemption after the Fall will be the fulfillment of a promise made by God. In speaking to the Serpent, He says: "I will put enmity [a battle] between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed" (Gn 3:15). In many subtle ways throughout his Gospel, St. John lets us know that "the woman" and "her seed" have finally appeared. Their battle against the Serpent has now been enjoined. Thus it is that in describing Mary in this story as "the mother of Jesus," St. John makes more vivid her connection to God's promise in Genesis.
So, why was Mary, so absorbed in the details of the wedding, moved to expect a miracle from Jesus to solve this problem? We don't know for sure, but we have to wonder if, as she participated in the wedding festivities with her Son in attendance, she recalled that His work, being God's Son, too, was to be the flesh-and-blood presence of the Bridegroom to God's people. During the long history of the Jews, God expressed His covenant relationship with them as a "marriage" (more on this in our First Reading). In Genesis, the marriage of Adam and Eve was fractured by sin. Sadly, God's covenant with His people was also greatly marred by sin. The Jews spurned their loving "Husband." However, the prophets foretold a restoration of the marriage. Mary knew that Jesus was born to mend this shattered covenant; He was the Bridegroom Who would purify the Bride.
These are Mary's last words in the Gospel. They continue to ring out over the centuries to all of us who discover that our lives have no wine—that we are living on the water of sin, meaninglessness, and fear. The Bridegroom has come to transform all this. We simply need to do whatever He tells us.
Possible response: Blessed Mother, I thank you for your loving advocacy for us in the details of our lives that matter so much to us.
This is one of the Old Testament prophecies in which God explicitly promises to be the Bridegroom of His people: "For the Lord delights in you and makes your land His spouse. As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so shall your God rejoice in you." All her life, Mary had heard these prophecies. Is it any wonder that at the wedding at Cana, she was full of expectation of what her Son could do for His people?
Possible response: Heavenly Father, help me remember today that You rejoice over us, Your people in the Church.
If we ask, in a practical way, what it means for the water of our lives to be turned into wine, this passage from St. Paul's epistle to the Corinthians gets us started on an answer. He writes about how, as a result of our baptism and faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit pours into us wonderful gifts that make present on earth God's own divine life. The gifts differ, of course, but "one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as He wishes." This life of God in us was what was lost in the Garden. The Bridegroom, beginning at the wedding in Cana, came to restore it.
Possible response: Lord Jesus, thank You for sharing Your life with Your people, the Church. Help us be faithful stewards of the gifts You have lavished on us.


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The 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup was a four-team, round-robin format ice hockey tournament played from May 18–27, 2012 at the Centre Bionest in Shawinigan, Quebec.  It was the 94th Memorial Cup championship and determined the champion of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL).  The tournament featured the London Knights, champions of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL); the Saint John Sea Dogs, champions of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL); the Edmonton Oil Kings, champions of the Western Hockey League (WHL); and the Shawinigan Cataractes, who won the right to host the tournament over bids by the Saint John Sea Dogs, Halifax Mooseheads and Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

On May 27, the Shawinigan Cataractes defeated the London Knights 2–1 in overtime to win the Memorial Cup for the first time ever in franchise history, becoming just the second team after the 2009 Windsor Spitfires to win the Memorial Cup after playing in the tiebreaker game; the first host to win the Memorial Cup at home since the Vancouver Giants in 2007; and the first QMJHL host to win the Memorial Cup since the Hull Olympiques in 1997. The Cataractes win also gave the QMJHL back-to-back Memorial Cups for the first time since the Granby Prédateurs in 1996 and the Hull Olympiques in 1997.

Round-robin standings

For the first time since the current tournament format was established in 1983, the teams each split their first two games. At the conclusion of the round-robin, the tiebreaker between the first and second team as well as between the third and fourth placed team were decided by head-to-head records.

Note: Shawinigan finished fourth based on head-to-head round-robin matchups but defeated Edmonton in the tiebreaker game.

Schedule
All times local (UTC −4)

Round robin

Playoff round

Statistical leaders

Skaters

GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; PIM = Penalty minutes

Goaltending

This is a combined table of the top goaltenders based on goals against average and save percentage with at least sixty minutes played. The table is sorted by GAA.

GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; SA = Shots against; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; SV% = Save percentage; SO = Shutouts; TOI = Time on ice (minutes:seconds)

Awards
Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy (MVP) – Michael Chaput (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Ed Chynoweth Trophy (Leading Scorer) – Michael Chaput (Shawinigan Cataractes)
George Parsons Trophy (Sportsmanlike) – Zack Phillips (Saint John Sea Dogs)
Hap Emms Memorial Trophy (Top Goalie) – Gabriel Girard (Shawinigan Cataractes)
All-Star Team:
Goaltender: Michael Houser (London Knights)
Defence: Jarred Tinordi (London Knights), Brandon Gormley (Shawinigan Cataractes)
Forwards: Henrik Samuelsson (Edmonton Oil Kings), Austin Watson (London Knights), Michael Chaput (Shawinigan Cataractes)

Rosters
References:

Shawinigan Cataractes (Host)
Head coach: Eric Veilleux

Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
Head coach: Gerard Gallant

London Knights (OHL)
Head coach:Mark Hunter

Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL)
Head coach: Derek Laxdal

Road to the Cup

OHL playoffs

QMJHL playoffs

WHL playoffs

References

External links
 Memorial Cup
 Canadian Hockey League

2012
2011–12 in Canadian ice hockey
2012 in Quebec


So far, technological improvements have been limited to repeatable tasks, but the machines are learning, and it won't be long until artificial intelligence can really start thinking for itself.
How will AI impact my business?
Will it create jobs and assist industry, or will it destroy them?
As Alan Kay said "The best way to predict the future is to invent it", so with that in mind, we'd like to present you with two AI trends that we believe you need to start exploring now.
For many businesses, having 24 hour a day customer support just isn't feasible, but in our 'on-demand' world, this could prove to be costly. Customers may have a question they want to ask at any time and those that provide the answer instantly are more likely to get the business.
Many companies are now turning to AI to provide a front-line support function on their websites, or even within messaging apps using chat-bot technology. By applying this, frequently asked questions can be answered by technology instantly, without the need of a real person 'manning the lines', improving the customer experience and encouraging loyalty.
When it comes to the 'smart home' there are already apps available that allow you to control your heating, and voice recognition technology such as Amazon's Alexa is starting to become mainstream. However, for the smart office, things seem to be lagging behind.
Here at BrightHR, we've cleverly integrated our people management software with Amazon's Alexa, so you can ask who's meant to be in work and who's off on any given day. Essential information made available without even the touch of a button.
But that's just the beginning, and we see huge potential for utilising this technology in the workplace. Imagine an AI virtual assistant that use internal data to forecast results or even suggest ways in which you can improve productivity – wouldn't that be something?!
These are just two of the many AI applications that businesses currently need to be aware of, and there are so many more on the horizon. The key is to understand the possibilities and turn them to your advantage, rather than let them negatively affect your business.


Are you captivated with passing in your knowledgeable data and revel in working with adolescents? For the initial pre-practicum, candidates sometimes spend sooner or later per week in a college setting with a mentor teacher. Tell the English main they will not make practically a million a year more over a lifetime as a trainer vs. being a manufacturing unit worker. Types 1 to three are often known as Decrease Secondary (Menengah Rendah), whereas Kinds 4 and 5 are often called Upper Secondary (Menengah Tinggi). Secondary education is at the moment optionally available, although most political parties now advocate the stance that it also needs to develop into compulsory. Not every course in the program is offered on line but faculty have decided which classes lend themselves to a web-based platform.
Third, our program affords four unique programs for our majors: 1) a one-credit freshman level introduction to secondary mathematics course; 2) a one-credit sophomore degree expertise in educating secondary math; 3) a one-credit score junior stage pedagogical content course; and four) a two-credit senior degree pedagogical content course.
A bachelor's degree may be VERY helpful for these people who need to enter careers which require a degree. The secondary education major acquired Nationwide Specialised Professional Affiliation (SPA) accreditation from the National Council of Lecturers of English (NCTE).
Many American youth were not inundated with the seriousness of EDUCATION which non-American college students are. The Maryland Accredited packages in secondary trainer education meet requirements for certification in other states. Upon profitable completion of this examination, they're awarded a Secondary College Certificates (or SSC). Measuring success and objectives are individual in nature so there's no actually saying having a degree is a measure of success to all. Degrees don't essentially need to be in English or teaching associated fields, but submit-secondary education is unquestionably a should, especially at the higher schools that provide increased salaries. Potential transfer students with a cumulative GPA of 2.50 could apply for admission to the Faculty of Education as a pre-education major by indicating their preference on the Application for Admission. A student can earn a master's degree concurrently with teaching certification.
Vocational and technical secondary education includes technical education schools for boys, technical education schools for women, commerce and tourism schools, non secular education schools, multi-program excessive schools, particular education schools, personal education schools and health education schools.


Are you interested in working on elections integrity, immigration, environmental issues, the economy, or justice issues? The Multnomah Democrats Platform, Resolutions, and Legislation Committee has study groups actively working on issues who could use your help! The outcome will be resolutions and the new party platform, which guides our work for the coming years.


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Château de Chambord, the largest château in the Loire Valley
Château de Chenonceau was built between 1519 and 1547. Upon completion the then wealthy owner, Pierre Nepveu played host to Emperor Charles V.
The château offers visitors unique French Renaissance architecture. During the Second World War, works of art on display at the Louvre in Paris were moved and stored at Château de Chambord.
Visitors every summer can visit and explore the château which has a facade 128 meters in length and consisting of 440 rooms, 282 fireplaces and 83 staircases. The building consists of eleven kinds of towers and its centre, the famous 'double-spiral staircase', which standing three stories high.
Château de Chenonceau is a UNESCO world heritage site.
For more information... https://www.chambord.org/en
Château de Chambord, 41250, Chambord, France
Entry fees, opening hours and other information correct at the time of publishing, March 2019.
Château de Chambord, the largest château in the Loire Valley | Pure France Holidays


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RSA Insurance Group plc (trading as RSA, formerly Royal and Sun Alliance) is a British multinational general insurance company headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
Checks revealed the driver was not listed on the vehicle's insurance and he was reported, with the car then being seized. CMP.
UK's car insurance postcode lottery revealed UK's car insurance postcode lottery revealed: Average motor policies fell 4% in Sutton but ROSE by as much as 9% in.
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Electric car 'hatchet job' debunked
A study claiming that electric vehicle produce more carbon emissions than a diesel car has been promptly debunked by academics and experts in Germany, where it was published last month. The Institute for Economic Research (Ifo) was roundly criticised over its findings which were founded on a relatively high weighting of coal generation in Germany's power mix.
Eoin BannonMay 8, 2019 - 18:23
The report made an apples-to-oranges comparison of a Mercedes C220 diesel to a more powerful Tesla Model 3 with a 75 kWh battery pack. It uses fuel efficiency data for the Mercedes diesel car that is based on the outdated NEDC test cycle, which has around a 40% gap with the real-world emissions. The NEDC test cycle is not used anymore in Europe – the new test (WLTP) has been in force since September last. It means the tank-to-wheel emissions of the Mercedes car over its lifetime are hugely underestimated in the study.
The report also uses data for the carbon intensity of the German electricity grid that is out of date. This is crucial as it improves considerably each year. Ifo used 650 grams of CO2 per kWh over the lifetime of the vehicle without a clear explanation why. Germany was already at 440 g/kWh in 2016 (while the EU then averaged 296 g/lWh) and it is expected to be be around 200g/kWh by 2030.
The data for carbon emissions from battery production used in the study are also outdated: they were taken as 177 kg CO2/kWh based on a since-discredited Swedish study. That Swedish study's outdated assumptions were later corrected by its authors. While data is rare and there are big disparities in terms of the method, location and process of production, the analysis being carried out for the European Commission by Ricardo this year, and seen by T&E, put the accurate average at between 65-100g/kWh.
Even Germany's largest carmaker Volkswagen felt compelled to publicly contradict the Ifo study days after its publication, giving a rare glimpse of its own lifecycle analysis based on company-specific data showing Volkswagen EVs are better than their diesels. Ifo was also under fire in the pages of Der Spiegel and industry magazine WirtschaftsWoche, which cited the study's use of 'pure fairytale values that have nothing in common with reality'.
T&E's executive director, William Todts, said: 'Using discredited official figures for the fuel efficiency of diesel cars, as well as old data for the carbon intensity of Germany's grid and the emissions from battery production, [the study] pits a Mercedes C-Class against a much more powerful Tesla Model 3. Even an internal combustion engine giant like Volkswagen now accepts the mounting evidence that EVs are cleaner in Germany and elsewhere. If anything this study highlights the need to speed up the exit from fossil fuels such as coal in our grids and diesel in our tanks.'
Carmakers pass the buck onto consumers for plug-in hybrid emissions
UK government says it will end fossil fuel car sales by 2035 under green recovery plan
Laggard carmakers caught out trying to pass off anti-EV research as independent
Electric car sales set to treble, but there's a risk of growth fizzling without tougher targets


Five moods – PURE, MOVE, HEART, ECO and EARTH – reflect the five key trends of the new Miroglio Textile S/S 2019 collection presented at Première Vision Paris.
A 2018-19 fall winter with important innovations for Miroglio Textile, starting with the two collections presented at Première Vision.
The four elements of nature inspire and guide the new Miroglio Textile spring/summer 2018 collection at Première Vision Paris.
Miroglio Textile at Première Vision Paris with the innovative Fall/Winter 2017-18 collection.
Miroglio Textile at Première Vision Paris with the new spring/summer 2017 collection.
Miroglio Textile at Première Vision Paris with the new Fall/Winter 2016-17 collection characterized by a strong international feel and prints on natural materials.
Miroglio Textile brings to Première Vision S/S 2016 four collections with a high level of creativity obtained through traditional and latest generation in digital printing.
MIROGLIO TEXTILE WITH H-FARM FOR "H-ACK FASHION"
The 2014 edition of H-ACK FASHION will see participation by Miroglio Textile ready to accept the challenge of hundreds of youngsters from all over Italy. The 24-hour non-stop marathon on 22 and 23 November is entirely dedicated to the development of digital ideas and projects for the fashion industry.
2014 Texprint Award presentation at Première Vision (Paris): the "Miroglio Texprint Award for Digital Innovation" prize went to young designer Charlotte Hetheridge.


text:
My Life in 2020
Depression, BLM and Facebook
I still can't shake off being depression but Facebook isn't helping due to people not educating themselves therefore doing their best to make me look bad. Sadly it's much to do with Black Lives Matter which people think I'm not getting it over racism, white supremecy and how black people are generally treated by police.
I'm not stupid or ignorant I am fully aware of racism and not just towards black people. For example, a favourite complaint is about immigrants coming to the UK for our benefits and NHS. I know there is truth in this as I've seen it with my own eyes in South East England but not all immigrants are like that.
There are East Europeans in North East England who are hard working, pay their taxes and make N.I. (national insurance) payments so they are paying into 'the system'. Why should they suffer racism when they are working and paying their dues?
There aren't so many ethnic groups in the area we live but again they work hard too. The gypsies/travellers aren't very popular either and I understand why yet the ones I've got to know aren't all bad. Some have been honest about the trouble they have been in but are trying to turn their lives around. It's not easy for them but the ones I've got to know have been respectful and honest. I used to spend quite a bit of time at one chapel in the circuit and some of the gypsies helped out around the place with such things as repairs. If I was spending time in the chapel they would always make a point of coming to me for a chat. It helped me to understand them better.
However, on the other side of the coin, black people need to accept responsibility for their own actions. George Floyd whose death started up BLM (peaceful) protests had a criminal past but found faith so should have had the support of all people. It's also terrible he died because of a police officer but one point people are missing is statistically more white people die at the hands of the police. They will argue that it is because there are more white people but this is taken into account. A police officer killing a black person causes an uproar and in this case four officers are facing charges. A white person dies and nothing happens to the officer so isn't that racism towards white people.
It frustrates me that when a white person dies because of the police it is rarely in the news but if it's a black person dies there is uproar. They miss the point that all lives matter not just black lives. Yes I do understand the white supremecy point but not all white people are like that. Why should the average white person be tarred with the same brush?
I understand why black people are making a stand but the problem is it's only black people who deserve equality. What about all the ethnic groups who have been treated badly by white people?
Is it okay for Native Americans, Aborigines and Maoris to name three groups to be treated less than equal to white people?
No, they deserve equal rights as well.
If a death is to do with the KKK then yes I agree it is disgusting and white supremecy is a major part of it. But what about racism from ethnic groups?
Why is that called being judgemental instead of racism?
My husband and I have suffered racism and threats of violence and potentially death. What about the racism towards Jewish people?
Is that okay?
Do people seriously believe all racism is aimed at black people?
We don't see asian people starting up Asian Lives Matter or Jewish people starting up Jewish Lives Matter. It's like saying the Holocaust didn't really happen and there are people who believe that.
As far the white sypremecy slave trade, well a black American has done her research which is in the internet arena. The slave trade was actually started by black West Africans and Ghanians and wasn't abolished until after the UK and USA abolished it. Why are people choosing to ignore that fact?
I've been ignored each time I have made that point. Don't people like or accept that black people are equally to blame for the slave trade?
What is the problem with accepting all ethnic groups lives matter?
Isis don't care what colour a person is when they commit acts of terrorism so why on earth can't all groups come together to end racism and inequally instead of putting black people on a pedestal?
Posted in Family | Tagged all, american, black, lives, matter, native | Leave a comment


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Customer Identity Authentication in the age of digital interaction, customer engagement and commerce is a highly necessary component in protecting customers from fraud as well as for managing business risk. While many organizations often consider a certain percentage of fraudulent transactions as an acceptable (risk calculation) cost of doing business, the bigger issue is how to prevent fraud and identity-theft related losses while enhancing the trust, quality and security of the customer experience.
Two distinct – and possibly conflicting – motivations overshadow the discussion on customer identification authentication (CIA). On the one hand, organizations want to improve customer service, which means dealing with contact center queries quickly and efficiently. On the other, organizations want to improve risk management. That means limiting to as small a percentage as possible fraudulent attempts at credit card purchases, identify theft, prescription drug misuse, or other crimes. These two motivations overlap sometimes as well: organizations strive to assure customers that their call-center processes keep personal information safe and secure.
Organizations increasingly face problems with the way they current conduct CIA, however. In today's call center, CIA involves a variety of options. One option is passwords, which can be hacked or forgotten. Another option is knowledge-based authentication (KBA), in which customers respond to questions that only they know the answer to. These can be static (i.e., pre-determined) or dynamic (i.e., generated at the time from background information).
The problem: all of these either take too long, or cost too much, and or are intensely disliked by customers (for instance, the answer to the question "who's your favorite author?" might not be the same in 2015 that it was in 2010). The authentication process can take from 30 to 120 seconds, while customers' preferred waiting time is just 60 seconds. In addition, we estimate that it costs 50 cents to authenticate each customer in the contact-center environment. Furthermore, industry estimates peg the percentage of calls because of "account lockouts" – that is, failure of passwords or challenge questions – at anywhere from 15 to 20 percent of calls, averaging one per hour per customer service agent.
©2015 Hypatia Research Group, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
For many years, vendors have promoted biometrics as a way to ensure authentication of a customer. These methods – which include fingerprint scanners attached to USB ports; retina scans using cameras, again attached to USB ports – tend to be both expensive and or inconvenient. While they are occasionally used in high-end security facilities and law enforcement, they have failed to gain traction in the part of the marketplace where cost is crucial, such as office workers. However, they are still viable in high-cost transactions, such as corporate wire transfers, or in law enforcement identification scenarios.
Advanced Analytics & Algorithms. A few years ago, algorithms required anywhere between 100 and 200 kilobytes of data to create a viable voiceprint. Now that amount is down to 5 kilobytes.
Processors. Systems use algorithms to match the speaker's voice to voiceprints on file. Today's faster processors make the analysis to confirm various aspects of the voice faster than ever before.
Storage: Cloud & On Premise. While organizations store voiceprints in databases that also have improved performance, what's more important is that, with the cost of cloud and hard disks going down, the cost of storing an expanding library of voiceprints is less than ever before.
Smartphones. This is the big change. In addition to the voice quality on most wireless networks improving, smartphones are now ubiquitous. That means that whenever customers (or employees) want to access personal information, they carry with them a device that can transmit their voice clearly and effectively.
That's why voice-based customer identification authentication is increasingly becoming the method of choice for a variety of industries. A voice print maps both physical and behavioral characteristics. Physical characteristics contribute to a print based on the shape of the vocal tract, the mouth, and the nasal passages. Behavioral characteristics include pronunciation accents, emphasis, speed, and gender.
It's simpler than other authentication methods, such as passwords and PINs. It's also faster and less intrusive. It can have a strong impact on operational efficiency, by reducing the time and cost of authentication, as well as the time and cost of fraud investigation.
The results from organizations that have already adopted it are encouraging; one telecommunications company [Vodafone] calculated that it has reduced its average hold time by 24 seconds; another [T-Mobile] has said it has increased customer satisfaction by 20 percent.
• Customer usage and return on investment assessments.


This property is located in a densely developed residential neighborhood of Osaka. The client had lived on the site since childhood, so when he commissioned us to design a new house there, we began by soliciting extensive input from him because he of course knew the characteristics of the site intimately. Following these discussions, we decided we wanted to build a house that would enable him to discover new things within this familiar place.
The property is boxed in by neighboring houses. The space between the structures is just wide enough for a person to pass through, and is further obstructed by air conditioning units and water heaters on the exterior walls. Probably due to this environment, the client had struggled for many years with a lack of natural light and problematic dampness in the house. Setting the new structure back from the surrounding properties would have allowed in more natural light, but this type of design would also have introduced an alien element into the neighborhood, and we therefore did not feel that it was the best solution. Instead, we sought a design that intentionally maintained the densely packed atmosphere.
The solution we arrived at was to build out as close as possible to the neighboring houses, tracing the silhouette of the previous structure, but to also carve out small gardens on three sides. The breezes that pass down the gaps between the houses enter these concave gardens, flowing into the interior along with natural light. A similar hollow on the fourth side of the house (the street side) contains the approach. The frontage of this house is about twice as long as that of its neighbors, but because the hollow divides the façade into two sections, it fits in with the scale of the surrounding houses.
The four indentations divide the interior space into zones that serve different functions. They are connected by a centrally located main room, which has a double-height ceiling and a lacey expanded-metal floor on the upper level. This allows soft light to enter the space from four directions, creating a living environment diametrically opposed to the one which the client previously inhabited. It is our hope that the house will allow the family to enjoy their life in this neighborhood, both now and in future generations.
consultant : S3 Associates inc.
general contractor : IFA inc.
gooood archive: New York, U.S.