Net-zero energy buildings are taking off for developers.
Many developers cite first-cost as a barrier to pursuing net-zero energy in their new and existing building projects. But one leading developer in Colorado is flipping the script on this assumption, showing that prioritizing energy performance can open up new cash flows, as opposed to draining existing ones.
John Madden Company (JMC) just closed on an energy efficiency project that will result in 30 percent energy savings for two buildings in their portfolio at no cost to JMC, and it will be cost-neutral to their tenants starting on day one. Existing building owners can learn a lot from understanding this project. Below, we've highlighted a few lessons learned that can advance buildings practitioners' thinking about ways JMC's approach fundamentally can shift performance economics.
When the buildings team at RMI first started working with Blair Bui, CEO of John Madden Company, it was a really refreshing experience. Not only was she a motivated, forward-thinking asset manager that wanted to find a way to make her portfolio more sustainable, she also wanted to look beyond her portfolio to inspire others in the real estate industry to pursue a similar path. JMC's latest project does just that.
JMC is a family-owned business that owns and operates a campus portfolio of buildings in Greenwood Village, Colorado. It is passionate about sustainability and hopes to differentiate itself from the rest of the market by offering more efficient and sustainable buildings. This started with retrocommissioning its existing buildings and obtaining LEED EBOM certification for them, as more tenants were requesting this level of performance. Now JMC wants to raise the bar, and strive for a goal of net-zero energy over time. JMC understands that energy efficient assets are good for its tenants as well as its bottom line.
Bui explained, "Transitioning our campus toward NZE is a process and it's not going to happen overnight, but starting somewhere feels important to us. We're starting with taking care of our tenants and creating a place for their employees to thrive."
John Madden Company has been working with McKinstry, an energy consulting company and design-build firm, since 2012 to evaluate and improve the efficiency of its buildings through active energy management, energy audits and LEED certification. So, when the rooftop HVAC units for two JMC buildings were nearing end of life, JMC and McKinstry chose to use replacing these rooftop units as a trigger to pursue a deeper energy saving project. JMC turned what would have been just a like-for-like rooftop unit replacement for most building owners into the largest commercial property assessed clean energy (C-PACE) project in Colorado.
When the rooftop HVAC units for two buildings were nearing end of life, JMC and McKinstry chose to use replacing these rooftop units as a trigger to pursue a deeper energy saving project.
C-PACE is a financing mechanism that enables low-cost, long-term funding for energy efficiency, renewable energy and water conservation projects and is repaid as an assessment on the property's regular tax bill. C-PACE is a relatively new financing tool that has been available in Colorado only for the last few years and is only available in 16 other states in the U.S. PACE is a unique financing tool because it can cover 100 percent of a project's hard and soft costs, offers long-term financing for up to 20 years and provides for the energy projects to be permanently affixed to a property because the PACE assessment is filed as a special assessment on the property tax bill. This means the loan remains with the property even if property ownership changes, allowing for property owners that only plan to hold onto their property for a short period to pursue efficiency projects with longer payback periods. Oftentime the annual energy savings for a PACE project exceed the annual assessment payment, so property owners and tenants are cash flow positive immediately.
JMC's PACE project will cost $7.1 million, result in $385,000 in annual energy and maintenance savings, and has an 18-year simple payback period. An 18-year payback period typically would be a nonstarter for building and portfolio owners because they may not even own their property in 18 years and want to see quicker returns on their investments. While JMC tends to have longer holds on their properties, PACE reduces the risk of this investment because the PACE loan remains with the property, not the property owner, so even if the owner chooses to sell the property before the efficiency project pays back, the owner is not responsible for paying off the remainder of the loan. Additionally, because the PACE loan is spread over a 20-year period, the efficiency project can be paid for using the energy savings. This means, as the payback period is shorter than the 20-year PACE loan term, tenants will see a slight decrease in operating expenses and experience better thermal comfort, and no upfront capital is required by the landlord.
This project shows the importance of bundling longer-payback efficiency projects with shorter-payback projects to get deeper energy savings with favorable economics. For example, the rooftop units replacement alone would have resulted in a payback period much longer than 20 years, so other efficiency measures with quicker payback periods were included to get under the 20-year payback period required to keep costs neutral to tenants.
This energy efficiency investment will result in 30 percent energy savings across the two buildings and set JMC's portfolio on the path to NZE. Included in the project are active energy management, advanced submetering, completely new controls, new high-efficiency rooftop units, evaporative condensers, water saving improvements and lighting improvements. Measures such as submetering, ongoing commissioning and advanced controls tied to the building automation system not only will result in lower energy use, but also much better energy transparency.
Submetering, ongoing commissioning and advanced controls tied to the building automation system not only will result in lower energy use, but also much better energy transparency.
This transparency can be used to engage tenants on their energy consumption as well as troubleshoot high energy consumption in the buildings.
The rooftop unit replacement demonstrates one of the more compelling value-adds of C-PACE — its ability to overcome the split incentive issue in leased buildings. Split incentives occur when those responsible for paying energy bills (tenants) are not the same as those making the capital investment decisions (landlords). JMC had to replace the rooftop units because they were almost at the end of their useful lives.
Typically, this would result in JMC's taking out a loan to finance the new rooftop units, and it would be able to pass some of the cost through to its tenants, but would need to cover the majority of the costs itself because there is a limit to how much cost it can pass through to its tenants. As JMC would not be able to recover the full cost of the rooftop units, under normal circumstances they would be disincentivized from purchasing more efficient equipment. But because PACE is a tax assessment, not an operating expense, and has a longer term than most loans, JMC was able to pass the full cost of the rooftop unit through to the tenants (without any increases to their rent) and therefore was able to purchase more efficient equipment.
The unique ability of C-PACE to resolve the split incentive issue in triple-net leases makes it a powerful and exciting financing tool that existing building owners should consider, especially if they don't have energy-aligned language in their lease.
This PACE project was a collaboration between John Madden Company; McKinstry; Bellco Credit Union, the project financier; Integro, the finance consultant; and the Colorado C-PACE program. Rocky Mountain Institute wasn't directly involved with this PACE project, but has been working with John Madden Company to create various guides around net-zero energy. The first guide, released in January, shares best practices for leased net-zero energy buildings, including the value proposition to developers as well as components to include in an NZE lease.
The second guide is expected to be released in June and will share how portfolios can forge a path to net-zero energy over time using cost-optimal timing. This guide will include an analysis of JMC's portfolio that builds on the analysis McKinstry did for the C-PACE project to develop a path to net-zero energy for JMC's portfolio over time. While it is true that achieving net-zero energy in existing buildings can be more difficult than in new construction projects, using finance tools such as C-PACE and well-timed upgrades, as JMC did, can bring existing buildings on the path to net-zero energy.


My Guy Friend Just Went on a Great Date. Want to Hear the Surprising Deal Breaker?
Last week, my good guy friend went on a fabulous date. He took a gorgeous girl to dinner and they had sparkling conversation over pasta and red wine. So what was the surprising dealbreaker?
"She didn't say 'thank you' after dinner, not even at the end of the date," he told me. "I took her out for drinks first and then a nice dinner," but when the check came, "she didn't reach for her wallet, which is fine--it's not about the money--but she should have at least said a quick thanks."
Now my friend is debating whether to ask her out again. On the one hand, maybe she was nervous and just forgot; but he worries that she might feel entitled and not grateful for all his efforts. He is a really great guy, he just doesn't want to be taken for granted!
What do you guys think? Do you think he should give her a second chance? Have you ever forgotten to say thank you at the end of a date? Or do you always remember your good manners?
P.S. Do you have guys friends? What are your dating deal breakers? What annoys you about your boyfriend or past boyfriend? Plus, one reader's dilemma: "Can I date someone who hates reading?"


text:
Tackling the obesity crisis: how do we 'measure up'?
Leading article
Alan A Jackson,
Martin Wiseman,
Stephen A Wootton
NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, Southampton General Hospital (MP113), Southampton, UK
Correspondence to Professor Alan A Jackson, NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, Southampton General Hospital MP113, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK; aaj{at}soton.ac.uk
In early 2013, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AoMRC) published the latest of several reports from various bodies over decades addressing aspects of the rising prevalence of obesity in the UK.1 Their report 'Measuring Up' made 10 recommendations targeted at the healthcare professions, at the obesogenic environment and towards making healthy choices the easy choices (box 1). The report made no claim to originality in describing the scale of the problem or in its selection of recommendations, derived from a wide ranging consultative process. It was, however, unusual in declaring the report to be the start of a campaign, and in its wide franchise in representing all the Medical Royal Colleges, and so indirectly virtually all medical practitioners in the UK. It is worth examining the contribution this particular report might make as part of its called-for campaign to solving what has up to now been a seemingly intractable problem.
Taken from 'Measuring Up'
Action by the healthcare professions
Education and training programmes for healthcare professionals: Royal Colleges, Faculties and other professional clinical bodies should promote targeted education and training programmes within the next 2 years for healthcare professionals in both primary and secondary care to ensure 'making every contact count' becomes a reality, particularly for those who have most influence on patient behaviour
Weight management services: The departments of health in the four nations should together invest at least £100 m in each of the next three financial years to extend and increase provision of weight management services across the country, to mirror the provision of smoking cessation services. This should include both early intervention programmes and greater provision for severe and complicated obesity, including bariatric surgery. Adjustments could then be made to the Quality and Outcomes Framework, providing incentives for General Practitioners to refer patients to such services
Nutritional standards for food in hospitals: Food-based standards in line with those put in place for schools in England in 2006 should be introduced in all UK hospitals in the next 18 months. Commissioners should work with a delivery agent similar to the Children's Food Trust to put these measures into place
Increasing support for new parents: The current expansion of the health visitor workforce in England should be accompanied by skilling up the wider early years workforce to deliver basic food preparation skills to new mothers and fathers, and to guide appropriate food choices which will ensure nutritionally balanced meals, encourage breast feeding and use existing guidance in the Personal Child Health Record as a tool to support this.
The obesogenic environment
Nutritional standards in schools: The existing mandatory food-based and nutrient-based standards in England should be applied to all schools, including free schools and academies. This should be accompanied by a new statutory requirement on all schools to provide food skills, including cooking, and growing—alongside a sound theoretical understanding of the long-term effects of food on health and the environment from the 2014/2015 academic year
Fast food outlets near schools: Public Health England should, in its first 18 months of operation, undertake an audit of local authority licensing and catering arrangements with the intention of developing formal recommendations on reducing the proximity of fast food outlets to schools, colleges, leisure centres and other places where children gather
Junk food advertising: A ban on advertising of foods high in saturated fats, sugar and salt before 21:00, and an agreement from commercial broadcasters that they will not allow these foods to be advertised on internet 'on-demand' services
Making the healthy choice the easy choice
Sugary drinks tax: For an initial 1 year, a duty should be piloted on all sugary soft drinks, increasing the price by at least 20%. This would be an experimental measure, looking at price elasticity, substitution effects and to what extent it impacts upon consumption patterns and producer/retailer responses
Food labelling: Major food manufacturers and supermarkets should agree in the next year a unified system of traffic light food labelling (to be based on percentage of calories for men, women, children and adolescents) and visible calorie indicators for restaurants, especially fast food outlets
The built environment: Public Health England should provide guidance to Directors of Public Health in working with Local Authorities to encourage active travel and protect or increase green spaces to make the healthy option the easy option. In all four nations, local authority planning decisions should be subject to a mandatory health impact assessment, which would evaluate their potential impact upon the populations' health.
The timing of the report and its contents must be seen in context. Obesity is acknowledged as among the most important aetiological factors for the development of chronic non-communicable diseases, which are now the major causes of ill-health and death on the planet.2–4 In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly for only the second time took health as the topic of its high-level meeting and used it to commit to addressing the prevention and treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases.5 ,6 In recognising this inextricably linked complex of challenges as a major global threat to the well-being of humankind, it adopted a resolution requiring international, regional, national and local cooperation to address the problem. During the 66th World Health Assembly in May 2013, member states of the WHO7 adopted an action plan for the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, including the needs to adopt a life course approach, to have an equity-based approach which recognised the needs of mothers and children and to empower people and communities.
What is meant by a campaign in the AoMRC report remains unclear. A 'campaign' can be defined in various ways, but most simply can be seen as working in an organised and active way towards achieving a goal. Doctors can reasonably be charged with carrying a special responsibility within such a campaign, and in particular paediatricians, if they are to ensure that the voice of children is adequately represented. It is worth considering the role that doctors should play, how they could contribute to actively working in an organised way, identifying and overcoming the factors that limit effectiveness and in identifying and communicating the nature of the goal.
Is there a problem?—yes. Is there a need to intervene ?—yes
There is no doubt that excess adiposity carries serious risks of mortality and morbidity in adults, and increasingly in children, being a causal factor in the development of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, respiratory ill-health and several cancers. While the conventional definition of adult obesity as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or more cannot reliably distinguish lean from fat mass, it nevertheless serves to identify individuals at significant increased risk in the general population.2 ,3 In childhood, the changing relationship during growth in the rate of acquisition of height, lean mass and fat mass leads to a more complex relationship between weight and height and simple cut-off values that reliably mark risk of comorbidities have been more difficult to define. Thus, obesity in children is defined variously either as those with a BMI above the 95th or 97th centiles for age or lying above a growth trajectory that projects to BMI 30 at age 18.8 The National Obesity Observatory and the National Child Measurement Programme use the definition of weight for age for populations above the 95th centile compared with the 1990 UK reference charts. However defined, high weight for height during childhood confers risk of immediate poor health and of later disease. It is clear that even during childhood, obesity is a cause of social and mental health problems. About a quarter of the adult population is now obese, compared with 7% in 1980, and about a third of 9-year-olds are overweight or obese. It is estimated that the direct costs of obesity to the National Health Service are of the order of £5 billion annually, and the indirect costs to the economy as a whole substantially greater. By any measure, therefore, obesity is a serious social, medical and economic problem.
Are the ends clear?—yes. Are the means clear?—no
While everyone agrees that this is a problem, there is less consensus on what are effective measures for prevention or management. Why might this be? First, it is significant that the Academy's report is from the medical profession. Obesity has historically been framed as a medical issue and was not a major public health problem until after the Second World War. And while management of existing obesity clearly falls (at least partly) into the field of medicine or healthcare, the effective prevention of obesity is less clearly so. Public health approaches to prevention rely on identification of causes, and while physiological mechanisms represent a final common pathway for the excess energy consumption that leads to obesity, the environmental triggers that make susceptibility to it manifest are more complex.9
It would be difficult to make the case that the public, politicians, healthcare professions or the food, drink and leisure industries are unaware of the problem (even if the subtleties of body composition and eating behaviour are not always appreciated). Why then is there a need yet again to raise concern? The social, health and economic costs are great, but despite long-standing awareness and expressions of concern, there is little success in abating them. The medical profession is right to offer leadership on the issue in view of the health consequences, but equally leadership could come from economists or the public. The Academy report stakes a claim to be the start of a campaign, but the question arises as to what the campaign is for. Do the 10 recommendations set out represent an appropriate response to the nature of the problem?
Are there examples of success?—no and yes
To raise concern implies a reasonable appreciation of how to correct the situation. The implication is clear that if the 10 recommendations were to be followed, then there is a reasonable expectation that the pervasive and insidious increase in the problem would be halted. But do we know what works (efficacy), and can it be sustained and developed at scale (effectiveness)?
There are many examples of interventions that can reduce excess weight based on diet, behaviour change and physical activity. Using schools as a setting appears to be a particularly valuable opportunity to support change.9–14 Successful interventions are characterised by highly motivated individuals or groups. Translating efficacy into effectiveness is a different challenge. The Health Technology Assessment Programme has reviewed success at scale in adults within a medical model of interventions. Modest success in the short term can be achieved with approaches that require either behaviour change15 or drug therapy,16 but this is not sustained, especially in the absence of ongoing support. Indeed, the only reliably effective treatment is bariatric surgery, and sustained weight loss is directly associated with reversal of comorbidities.17 ,18 It also appears to be effective in prevention, as, for example, with a decreased incidence of breast cancer.19 However for a variety of reasons, including but not only the risk of adverse effects from the intervention, it is hard to see this approach as a suitable solution for a problem affecting a majority of the population to a greater or lesser degree; this demands a public health approach that goes beyond a medical model.
The introduction of a structured framework within which to conduct environmental modifications, the Analysis Grid for Elements Linked to Obesogenic Environments (ANGELO), has facilitated comparative evaluations.20 ,21 The most extensive study using this approach to explore structured changes to the obesogenic environment and as the basis for a range of interventions was carried out in different communities in Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific Islands.22 The impact was depressingly small, and there was a measure of despair in the conclusion that it was imperative to reach beyond the medical community to wider society to achieve any success.23 Is there evidence for this? In Cuba, the loss of the USSR as a trading partner in 1989 led to a serious constraint of resources with economic output reaching a nadir in 1995 and recovery not being realised until 2000, and a severe reduction in food availability necessitating food rationing. There was a concomitant increase in energy expenditure, as fuel shortages limited availability of motorised transportation, and the population had to revert to manual labour.24 ,25 There was a population-wide fall in BMI of 1.5 units, accompanied by reduced morbidity and mortality, which reversed as resources became available once again, with some evidence of BMI overshoot.24 Finland is held as a model in terms of policy change that has substantially decreased the risk of chronic non-communicable disease. Across the age range, most of the population have BMI values associated with the lowest morbidity and mortality, but even here there is evidence of increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity.26 ,27
The one example of seeming sustained success is the experience of the EPODE (Ensemble, Prevenons l'Obesite des Enfants) study, based on the experience in villages in Northern France,28 where top-down policy was matched by bottom-up, community-based engagement, with sustained improvements in childhood weight. Although limited and not at scale, the approach has been followed in many other communities around the world. This positive experience offers opportunity as it appears that when a community decides to ensure that those factors that contribute to an unhealthy environment are simply not acceptable, and so not accepted, improved health can follow.29 However, it is not clear that the AoMRC approach incorporates a strong bottom-up element.
Can doctors usefully lead a campaign?
Obesity is a complex problem—the result of the interaction of a range of complicated biological and social factors, with a final common pathway of personal psychological and physiological factors. For many countries, and for many families, the benefits brought by development or 'progress' conspire to increase the risk of becoming obese. Sustained change will require that any shift in attitudes enables people and groups to 'swim with the tide, not against the current'. A healthy environment—conducive to healthy eating and an active lifestyle—needs to become the default, rather than the niche choice of more affluent groups. Food and culture and the behaviours around food acquisition, eating and cuisine embrace the essence of a society's values.
What might be the roles for doctors? How can they best use the respect and regard in which they are held to address both the prevention and the management of obesity while avoiding the blame game? The Nuffield Foundation has offered a ladder of intervention for public health, with obesity as one example.30 This highly regarded ladder is now widely used, but is structured around single actions. This is not sufficient for a complex situation, where the interaction of biomedical, social and economic considerations rubs against the social drivers for progress, and our very perception of the nature of progress. For some, the food industry has been demonised because of the appearance that economic drivers outweigh health considerations. A recent report in which the food industry has started to explore its own performance and responsibilities, assessing how well they meet defined standards of conduct suggests a more critical self-reflection.31 It might be too much to hope that society is ready for a dialogue that cuts across all sectors and sectoral interests, but perhaps this is exactly what could be achieved by a campaign or movement led by the medical profession. This might include a clear articulation of the damage that can be wrought by that essential component of living, food; discussion, and strong and consistent argument about the ways forward while placing human well-being at the heart of society's aspirations and being clear about the enormous economic cost of doing nothing compared with the enormous benefit of clear, decisive and coordinated action across all sectors.
One important question is why doctors have been slow to engage with the problem of obesity and take responsibility more fully. One consideration is that it is a diet and nutritionally related condition—an area where clinicians are notoriously poorly trained. The increasingly obvious comorbidities place the problem in a context that is more comfortable for clinicians, but paradoxically draws attention away from the underlying socioeconomic causes. The costs and difficulties in managing the consequences of obesity—both medical and social—mean that it can no longer be ignored. The call for a campaign is welcome, but better training in nutrition of all doctors and other health workers will be essential to provide the necessary knowledge and skills. The AoMRC report might have addressed their own constituency—doctors—more explicitly in this regard. The Academy Nutrition Group in the AoMRC has developed an undergraduate curriculum in nutrition for trainee doctors, which has been commended by the General Medical Council and is signposted in Tomorrow' Doctors.32 But until this undergraduate training is more widely embedded, the Intercollegiate Course in Human Nutrition overseen by the AoMRC is currently the only structured course for doctors in the basic principles of nutrition33 (http://www.aomrc.org.uk/committees/intercollegiate-group-on-nutrition.html).
The AoMRC report presents a challenge to doctors. We need to build the capability and capacity to address the challenge—this means not just training those working in obvious health fields, but ensuring that those in other sectors of society that impact on the obesogenic environment also see it as their problem. Further, there is the need for willingness and commitment to act to make sustained and coherent change across all sectors, within a single framework to address this major risk to future health. Individual paediatricians—and other doctors—should reflect on how they can contribute in their own practice to achieving this public health goal.
We acknowledge support to the NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research.
Academy of Medical Royal Colleges. Measuring Up, the medical profession's prescription for the Nation's obesity crisis. London: Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, 2013. http://www.aomrc.org.uk/publications/statements/doc_view/9673-measuring-up.html
Swinburn BA,
Sacks G,
Hall KD,
. The global obesity pandemic: shaped by global drivers and local environments. Lancet 2011;378:804–14.
Flegal KM,
Kit BK,
Orpana H,
. Association of all-cause mortality with overweight and obesity using standard body mass index categories: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA 2013;309:71–82.
World Health Organization. 2008–2013 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases. 2008. http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2009/9789241597418_eng.pdf
Secretary General. Prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. Report of the Secretary-General 66th session of General Assembly. 2011. http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/66/83&Lang=E
United Nations General Assembly. Political declaration of the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases. 2011. http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/66/L.1
World Health Organization. Global action plan for the control of non-communicable Diseases. Geneva: World Health Organization, 2013. http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA66/A66_9-en.pdf
Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. Consideration of issues around the use of BMI centile thresholds for defining underweight, overweight and obesity in children aged 2–18 years in the UK. 2012. http://www.sacn.gov.uk/pdfs/sacnrcpch_position_statement_bmi_thresholds.pdf
Rutter H
. Where next for obesity? Lancet 2011;378:747–8.
Flynn MAT,
McNeil DA,
Maloff B,
. Reducing obesity and related chronic disease risk in children and youth: a synthesis of evidence with "best practice" recommendations. Obes Rev 2006; 7(Suppl 1):7–66.
Gonzalez-Suarez C,
Worley A,
Grimmer-Somers K,
. School-based interventions on childhood obesity: a meta-analysis. Am J Prev Med 2009;37:418–27.
Brown T,
Summerbell C
. Systematic review of school-based interventions that focus on changing dietary intake and physical activity levels to prevent childhood obesity: an update to the obesity guidance produced by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. Obes Rev 2009;10:110–41.
Waters E,
de Silva-Sanigorski A,
Hall BJ,
. Interventions for preventing obesity in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2011;(12):CD001871.
Nixon CA,
Moore HJ,
Douthwaite W,
. ToyBox-study group. Identifying effective behavioural models and behaviour change strategies underpinning preschool- and school-based obesity prevention interventions aimed at 4–6-year-olds: a systematic review. Obes Rev 2012;13(Suppl 1): 106–17.
Loveman E,
Frampton GK,
Shepherd J,
. The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of long-term weight management schemes for adults: a systematic review. Health Technology assessment 2011, 15 No 2. http://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/61277/ExecutiveSummary-hta15020.pdf
Ara R,
Blake L,
Gray L,
. What is the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of using drugs in treating obese patients in primary care? A systematic review. Health Technology Assessment 2012, 16 No 5. http://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/59240/ExecutiveSummary-hta16050.pdf
Picot J,
Jones J,
Colquitt JL,
. The clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of bariatric (weight loss) surgery for obesity: a systematic review and economic evaluation. Health Technology Assessment 2009, 13 No 41. http://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0017/61154/ExecutiveSummary-hta13410.pdf
Sjostrom L
. Review of the key results from the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) trial—a prospective controlled intervention study of bariatric surgery. J Intern Med 2013;273:219–34.
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Sedjo RL
. Does intentional weight loss reduce cancer risk? Diab Obes Metab 2011;13:1063–72.
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Egger G,
Raza F
. Dissecting obesogenic environments: the development and application of a framework for identifying and prioritizing environmental interventions for obesity. Prev Med 1999;29:563–70.
Kirk SF,
Penney TL,
McHugh T-LF
. Characterizing the obesogenic environment: the state of the evidence with directions for future research. Obes Rev 2010;11:109–17.
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Mavoa HM,
Bell AC,
. Creating community action plans for obesity prevention using the ANGELO (Analysis Grid for Elements Linked to Obesity) framework. Health Promot Int 2009;24:311–24.
Uauy R,
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. Forward: pacific Obesity Prevention in Communities (OPIC) project. Obes Rev 2011;12(Suppl 2):1–2.
Franco M,
Ordunez P,
Caballero B,
. Impact of energy intake, physical activity, and population-wide weight loss on cardiovascular disease and diabetes mortality in Cuba, 1980–2005. Amer J Epidemiol 2007;166:1374–80.
Bilal U,
. 2013. Population-wide weight loss and regain in relation to diabetes burden and cardiovascular mortality in Cuba 1980–2101: repeated cross sectional surveys and ecological comparison of secular trends. BMJ 2013;346:f1515.
Vuorela N,
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. Change in prevalence of overweight and obesity in Finnish children—comparison between 1974 and 2001. Acta Paediatrica 2011;100:109–15.
Prattala R,
Sippola R,
Lahti-Koski M,
. Twenty-five year trends in body mass index by education and income in Finland. BMC Public Health 2012;12:936–43.
Borys Jm,
Le Bodo Y,
Jebb SA,
., EEN Study Group. EPODE approach for childhood obesity prevention: methods, progress and international development. Obes Rev 2012;13: 299–315.
Van Koperen TM,
Summerbell CD,
. Characterizing EPODE logic model: unravelling the past and informing the future. Obes Rev 2013;14:162–70.
Nuffield Council on Bioethics. Public health: ethical issues. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge Publishers Ltd, 2007.
Access to Nutrition Index. Global Index 2013. http://s3.amazonaws.com/ATN/atni_global_index_2013.pdf
General Medical Council 2009. Tomorrow's Doctors: outcomes and standards for undergraduate medical education. http://www.gmc-uk.org/TomorrowsDoctors_2009.pdf_39260971.pdf
Jackson AA
. Human nutrition in medical practice: the training of doctors. Proc Nutr Soc 2001;60: 257–63.
Provenance and peer review Commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
R Mark Beattie
Archives of Disease in Childhood 2014; 99 i-i Published Online First: 13 Jan 2014. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2013-305849

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


[* black] Press a suction cup onto the screen, just above the home button.
[* icon_note] Be sure the cup is pressed securely onto the screen to get a tight seal.
[* icon_note] If the screen is completely shattered to the point that a suction cup will not stick, use clear packing tape or similar to cover the screen. Sometimes you can even pull up using just the tape without using the suction cup.


text:
%%% Copyright 2021 Dr Umberto Armani
%%%
%%% Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
%%% you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
%%% You may obtain a copy of the License at
%%%
%%%       http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
%%%
%%% Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
%%% distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
%%% WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
%%% See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
%%% limitations under the License.

%%%  HyGPview.m
%%%  script that:
%%%  - plots the target function and the best tree of a HyGP experiment
%%%  - recomputes error metrics evaluating the HyGP model on the building or test data sets
%%%   conventions: R matrix containing the training data set (i.e. input file data)
%%%                Rtest matrix containing the validation data set
%%% Functions called:
%%% 1) get_experiment
%%% 2) read_INPUT_FILE
%%% 3) read_TEST_FILE
%%% 4) assign_f_obj_fun
%%% 5) count_runs
%%% 6) compute_expression
%%% 7) plot_act_vs_est
%%% 8) plot_model
%%% 9) plot autocorrelation function
%%% 10) plot objectives (after reading run_1/inputdata_stats.txt)
%%% Notes: 31/12/20 the script has been tested only for 1D and 2D problems...

clear all;
close all;
format long e;

% settings and variables ----------------------------------------
plot_char = '-b';
size_title = 11;
pi=3.141592653589793e+00;
sep = filesep;  % set separator
objectives_build=struct('RMSE',0.0,'Corrections',0,'R2',0.0,'Mean',0.0,'Var',0.0,'Min',0.0,'Max',0.0,'ACF',0.0,'Tot_variation',0.0);
objectives_test=struct('RMSE',0.0,'Corrections',0,'R2',0.0,'Mean',0.0,'Var',0.0,'Min',0.0,'Max',0.0,'ACF',0.0,'Tot_variation',0.0);
objectives_target=struct('RMSE',0.0,'Corrections',0,'R2',0.0,'Mean',0.0,'Var',0.0,'Min',0.0,'Max',0.0,'ACF',0.0,'Tot_variation',0.0);
%-------------------------------------------------------

% GET THE NAME OF THE EXPERIMENT AND ITS DIRECTORY (function)
%first_dir = ['E:' sep 'Research_Leeds' sep 'Linux' sep 'code' sep 'C++' sep 'experiments' sep 'structuralGP_OLD' sep 'output' sep]
first_dir=['D:\relocated_users\relocated_umba\Documents\OneDrive - University of Leeds\Research\2020_Research_ML_AI_Vassili\output']
[experiment, directory_name] = get_experiment(first_dir);
%if experiment selection is cancelled, directory_name should be zero
%and nothing should happen
if (directory_name == 0)
  disp('Quitted normally.')
  return
end

% GET THE NUMBER OF RUNS IN THE EXPERIMENT
last_run = count_runs(directory_name);

% READ INPUT FILE
%[PAR, R, CONSTR0, CONSTR1]=read_INPUT_FILE(directory_name);
[NVAR, NFITCASES, R, CONSTR0, CONSTR1]=read_INPUT_FILE(directory_name);
%NVAR = int16(PAR(2))
%NFITCASES = int16(PAR(8))

% READ FILE CONTAINING TEST DATA SET
%[NVAR_test, NTESTCASES, Rtest, found_test]=read_TEST_FILE(directory_name, NVAR);
[NVAR_test, NTESTCASES, Rtest, found_test]=read_TEST_FILE(directory_name);

% SELECT OBJECTIVE FUNCTION
f_obj = assign_f_obj_fun();

% ASK WHICH RUN TO PLOT
message = [ num2str(last_run) ' runs in the selected experiment. Which? '];
run=-1;
while ((run==-1) || (run>last_run))
    run = input(message);
    if (run>last_run)
        disp('Not available!!')
    end
end

% cycle (end at the last line of the script))
while (run)

    close all;
    clear R2_now;

    if (run)
        clear GEN F FITNESS R2 HITS EXPR;
    end
%     %-----------------------------------------
%     % Figure 1 : plot F evolution of all runs
%     %-----------------------------------------
%     Fave_matrix=[];
%     leg={};         %cell(last_run,1);
%     s_leg=0;
%     ok_run=0;
%     filename = 'data_gp.txt';
%     for i_run=1:last_run;
%         file = [directory_name '/run_' num2str(i_run) '/' filename];
%         fid = fopen(file);
%         if (fid~=-1)
%             C = textscan(fid,'%u %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f','commentstyle','#'); % 15 columns
%             fclose(fid);
%             s_leg=s_leg+1;
%             ok_run=ok_run+1;
%             Fave_matrix(:,ok_run)=C{12};  % average F->C{13}, min F->C{12}
%             % if you launch HyGPvoew with an experiment with different no
%             % of generations per run it goes into error as dimensions are
%             % different!
%             leg(s_leg)={['Run ' num2str(i_run)]};    % leg(i_run)={['Run ' num2str(i_run)]}
%         end
%
%     end
%     ok_run;
%     size(Fave_matrix);
%     plot(Fave_matrix,'-o')
%     legend(leg)
%     title({experiment; 'Evolution of minimum aggregate error (F) throughout the runs'},'FontSize',size_title,'Interpreter','none');

    % check the number of generations
    filename = 'best_gp.txt'; % best model - to access the individuals in the archive use 'objectives.txt';
    file = [directory_name '/run_' num2str(run) '/' filename];
    % extract number of generations from file (for my GP implementations)
    [GEN] = textread(file,'%d %*[^\n]',-1,'bufsize',16382,'commentstyle','shell','endofline','\n');
    tot_gen = size(GEN,1) - 1;       %size(GEN,1) is the number of rows in the text file...

    % ask for the generation of the best individual
    if (tot_gen==-1)
        disp('No generation in this run');
        break;
    end
    if (tot_gen==0)
        st = ['Only the initial generation (0) in the current run.'];
    else
        st = [ num2str(tot_gen) ' generations in the current run. Which? '];
    end

   % st = 'Which generation? ';
    cur_gen=-1;
    while ((cur_gen==-1) || (cur_gen>tot_gen))
        cur_gen = input(st);
        if (cur_gen>tot_gen)
            disp('Not available!!')
        end
    end

    % load HyGP model expression
    % reach the right generation on the file
    fid = fopen(file);   % best_gp.txt
    count_gen=0;
    cur_gen
    while (count_gen<cur_gen-1)
        % use text scan! text read starts every time from the beginning of the file!!!
        C = textscan(fid,'%u %*[^\n]',1,'commentstyle','#');
        count_gen = C{1};
    end
    % read tree objectives(TREE_MEAN, TREE_VAR, TREE_MIN, TREE_MAX, etc) at the requested generation
    disp([experiment ': tree in run ' num2str(run) ', generation ' num2str(cur_gen) ])
    %C = textscan(fid,'%u %f %f %f %d %q',1,'bufsize',16382,'commentstyle','#'); %,'endofline','\n')
    C = textscan(fid,'%u %f %f %u %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %f %q',1,'commentstyle','#'); %,'endofline','\n')  % best_gp.txt
    fclose(fid);
    cur_gen
    %# Gen F Fitness(RMSE) Corrections R2(adim.) Mean Var Min Max First_ACF Tot_variation Expression
    count_gen = C{1}
    F= C{2}
    FITNESS = C{3}
    CORRECTIONS = C{4}
    R2 = C{5}
    TREE_MEAN = C{6}
    TREE_VAR = C{7}
    TREE_MIN = C{8}
    TREE_MAX = C{9}
    TREE_FIRST_ACF = C{10}
    TREE_TOT_VARIATION = C{11}
    MAXABSERROR = C{12}
    EXPR = char(C{13})

    %
    tree_string = EXPR
    RMSE_HyGP = FITNESS
    R2_HyGP = R2
    disp(' ')

    % here you can place the call to the function that computes the
    % objectives on build and test data sets

    % % correct tree expression to make it MATLAB readable
    % tree = correct_equation(tree_string);  % 29/12/20 not needed if compute_expression is used
    % print the latex expression of tree.
    % ATTENTION: Nesting of {, [, and ( cannot exceed a depth of 32.
    % 8/9/20 Turned off to avoid the problem.
    %disp(' ')
    %disp('Tree expression in LATEX:')
    %tree_latex=print_latex_tree(NVAR,'Z',tree_string,'n');
    %disp(tree_latex)
    %title('FontSize',size_title,'Interpreter','latex');

    %---------------------------------------------
    % Figure 2 : visualize DoE in the design space
    %---------------------------------------------
    if (NVAR==1)
        figure(2);
        plot(R(:,1),zeros(NFITCASES,1), 'or','MarkerEdgeColor', 'k', 'MarkerFaceColor', 'r', 'MarkerSize',4);
        xlabel('Z1')
    end
    if (NVAR==2)
        figure(2);
        plot(R(:,1),R(:,2), 'or','MarkerEdgeColor', 'k', 'MarkerFaceColor', 'r', 'MarkerSize',4);
        xlabel('Z1')
        ylabel('Z2')
    end
    %legend('validating and building pts',  'Location', 'SouthOutside')
    %axis tight equal;
    title({experiment; 'Selected points in the domain'},'FontSize',size_title,'Interpreter','none');

    %------------------------------------------------------------------------
    % ACTUAL VS ESTIMATED RESPONSES : RMSE, R2, min, max, etc are computed
    % in plot_act_vs_est script. Transfer these operations in this (main) file?
    %------------------------------------------------------------------------
    % plot actual vs estimated response on building data set
    [tree_output_build, objectives_build]=plot_act_vs_est(NFITCASES, NVAR, R, tree_string, experiment, run, cur_gen, 'Building');
    % plot actual vs estimated response on test data set (if found)
    if (found_test)
        [tree_output_test, objectives_test]=plot_act_vs_est(NTESTCASES, NVAR, Rtest, tree_string, experiment, run, cur_gen, 'Test');
    end
    disp(['Shown image: run ' num2str(run) ', generation ' num2str(cur_gen) ]);

    %------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    % Figure 3 : plot objective function and selected HyGP model on building and test data sets
    % (RMSE and R2 are read from 'best_gp.txt' and currently only evaluated on building data set in plot_act_vs_est
    %------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    % plot model on building data set
    % RMSE_HyGP has to be equal to objectives_test.RMSE, R2_HyGP has to be equal to objectives_test.R2
    % as same individual evaluated on the same data sets (training and test)
    plot_model(experiment, run, cur_gen, RMSE_HyGP, R2_HyGP, NVAR, R, tree_string, f_obj, 'Building');
    % plot model on test data set
    if (found_test)
        % objectives.RMSE, objectives.R2 are the RMSE and the R2 of the
        % current individual calculated by MATLAB - not necessarily
        % identical to RMSE_HyGP_test, R2_HyGP_test computed by HyGP as in
        % HyGP code the best individual on the train data set may be
        % different from the best individual on the test data set.
        plot_model(experiment, run, cur_gen, objectives_test.RMSE, objectives_test.R2, NVAR_test, Rtest, tree_string, f_obj, 'Test');
    end

    %------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    % Autocorrelation function of input data (building) set and selected HyGP model
    % (relies on the vector tree_output_build returned by plot_act_vs_est()
    %------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    if (NVAR==1)
        % Autocorrelation function plot
        % define lag: by default equal to half the number of NFITCASES
        max_lag = floor(NFITCASES/2)-1;
        % compute autocorrelation function of original data
        [acf_original, ACF_pt_original] = compute_ACF(R(:,2), max_lag);
        % compute autocorrelation function of selected HyGP tree
        [acf_tree_build,ACF_pt_tree_build] = compute_ACF(tree_output_build, max_lag);
        delta=(ACF_pt_tree_build-floor(ACF_pt_tree_build)).*(R(ceil(ACF_pt_tree_build),1)-R(floor(ACF_pt_tree_build),1));
        objectives_build.ACF=R(floor(ACF_pt_tree_build),1)+delta;
        % plot the two autocorrelation functions
        figure;
        hold on
        plot(R(1:max_lag+1,1),acf_original,'-k',R(1:max_lag+1,1),acf_tree_build ,'-r')
        % the line that follows can be improved.. too much discretised!
        plot(R(floor(ACF_pt_original),1),acf_original(floor(ACF_pt_original)),'dk',R(floor(ACF_pt_tree_build),1),acf_tree_build(floor(ACF_pt_tree_build)) ,'or')
        hold off
        title('Autocorrelation function: original signal vs HyGP model')
        % captions
        line1_title = experiment;
        line2_title =  ['Run ' num2str(run) ', Gen. ' num2str(cur_gen) ' - Building data set'];
        line3_title = ['Autocorrelation function: original signal vs HyGP model'];
        title({line1_title; line2_title; line3_title},'FontSize',size_title,'Interpreter','none');
        legend('Original signal','HyGP model','Location','best')
    end

    %------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    % FFT plot of selected HyGP model
    % (relies on the vector tree_output_build returned by plot_act_vs_est()
    %------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    if (NVAR==1)
        % FFT plot on training data set
        disp('Plot GP spectrum on training data set ...')
        HyGPfft(R, tree_output_build, experiment, run, cur_gen, 'Building');
        if (found_test)
            % FFT plot on test data set
            disp('Plot GP spectrum on test data set ...')
            HyGPfft(Rtest, tree_output_test, experiment, run, cur_gen, 'Test');
        end
    end

    %--------------------------------------------------------------------------
    % Objectives on input data (building) set
    % Fitness(RMSE) Corrections R2(adim.) Mean Var Min Max First_ACF Tot_variation
    %--------------------------------------------------------------------------
    % read target data statistical properties on building data set from run_1/inputdata_stats.txt
    file = [directory_name sep '/run_' num2str(run) sep 'inputdata_stats.txt']  % sometimes run_1 fails with sge experiments.... do not know why
    fileID = fopen(file);
    C = textscan(fileID, '%f %*[^\n]','headerlines', 1); % textscan stops when it finds a different format, so at # First 5 record/fitness cases with target=
    fclose(fileID);
    C_array=cell2mat(C);
    C_array(3,1) % Sum of target values: sum_output
    y_ave=C_array(4,1) % Average target value: y_ave
    C_array(5,1) % SStot Total sum of squares of (target- y_ave) : Sy
    y_var=C_array(6,1) % Target variance: y_var
    y_max=C_array(7,1) % Max value of target: y_max
    y_min=C_array(8,1) % Min value of target: y_min
    y_ACF=C_array(9,1) % First autocorrelation function root
    tot_variation_input=C_array(10,1) % Total variation: tot_variation_input

    figure;
    marker_size=10;
    % Fitness(RMSE)
    subplot(1,9,1);
    hold on
    plot(0, FITNESS, 'o', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, objectives_build.RMSE, 'xg', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, objectives_test.RMSE, 'dr', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    hold off
    title({'RMSE'; '   '})
    % Corrections
    subplot(1,9,2);
    plot(0, CORRECTIONS, 'o', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    title({'Corrections'; '   '})
    % R2(adim.)
    subplot(1,9,3);
    hold on
    plot(0, R2, 'o', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, objectives_build.R2, 'xg', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, objectives_test.R2, 'dr', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    hold off
    title({'R2'; '   '})
    ylim([-1 1]);
    % Mean
    subplot(1,9,4);
    hold on
    plot(0, TREE_MEAN, 'o', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, objectives_build.Mean, 'xg', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, objectives_test.Mean, 'dr', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, y_ave, '+k','MarkerSize',marker_size)
    hold off
    title({'Mean'; '   '})
    % Var
    subplot(1,9,5);
    hold on
    plot(0, TREE_VAR, 'o', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, objectives_build.Var, 'xg', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, objectives_test.Var, 'dr', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, y_var, '+k','MarkerSize',marker_size)
    hold off
    title({'Var'; '   '})
    % Min
    subplot(1,9,6);
    hold on
    plot(0, TREE_MIN, 'o', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, objectives_build.Min, 'xg', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, objectives_test.Min, 'dr', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, y_min, '+k','MarkerSize',marker_size)
    hold off
    title({'Min'; '   '})
    % Max
    subplot(1,9,7);
    hold on
    plot(0, TREE_MAX, 'o', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, objectives_build.Max, 'xg', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, objectives_test.Max, 'dr', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, y_max, '+k','MarkerSize',marker_size)
    hold off
    title({'Max'; '   '})
    % First_ACF
    subplot(1,9,8);
    hold on
    plot(0, TREE_FIRST_ACF, 'o', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0,objectives_build.ACF, 'xg', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, y_ACF, '+k','MarkerSize',marker_size)
    hold off
    title({'ACF'; '   '})
    % Tot_variation
    subplot(1,9,9);
    hold on
    plot(0, TREE_TOT_VARIATION, 'o', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, objectives_build.Tot_variation, 'xg', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, objectives_test.Tot_variation, 'dr', 'MarkerSize',marker_size)
    plot(0, tot_variation_input, '+k','MarkerSize',marker_size)
    hold off
    legend('BUILD','BUILD (Matlab)','TEST (Matlab)','Target BUILD','Location','southoutside')
    title({'Tot variation'; '   '})
    % general title
    line1_title = experiment;
    line2_title =  ['Run ' num2str(run) ', Gen. ' num2str(cur_gen) ' - Objectives'];
    sgtitle({line1_title; line2_title},'FontSize',size_title,'Interpreter','none');

    % CYCLE: ASK WHICH RUN TO PLOT
    message = [ num2str(last_run) ' runs in the selected experiment. Which? (0 to exit) '];
    run=-1;
    while ((run==-1) || (run>last_run))
        run = input(message);
        if (run>last_run)
            disp('Not available!!')
        end
    end
end

clear all

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


We started with hard boiled eggs and made a puree of them with water, mustard, salt, cayenne and smoked paprika. The puree is the essence of deviled eggs. Really, if we were not making noodles I would have just eaten it by the spoonful. To be honest, I did. With the puree made we used it as the liquid element for our noodles with semolina as the grain and 0.5% baking soda to increase the chew factor.
This was our first run at these noodles and we have some improvements to make. The first is to reserve some of the deviled egg puree to reinforce the noodles flavor as part of a dish. The second tweak will be in the noodles themselves. We will increase the flavorful dry matter of the deviled egg in order to boost its overall impact. The third aspect of the noodles we need to address is how to serve them? Ideas range from topping them with Steve's wild domestic roe and a grilled walnut relish to serving them with the deviled egg puree, shaved white truffles and smoked hazelnuts.


"Wee woo Wee woo Wee woo!"
Movie based on the Funko line of products rumored to be in development at Warner Bros.
Characters already confirmed for the Funko movie: Darth Vader, Deadpool, Hellboy, Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, Care Bears, My Little Pony... Also Hello Kitty.
No superhero movie nominated for a Razzie!
In a world where superheroes embrace the darker side of their massive celebrity and fame, The Boys centers on a group of vigilantes known informally as "the boys," who set out to take down corrupt superheroes with no more than blue collar grit and a willingness to fight dirty.
The promo introduces us to the highly dysfunctional Hargreeves family (The Monocle, Spaceboy, The Kraken, The Rumor, The Séance, Number Five, The Horror, and The White Violin), who must band together after the death of their father and attempt to put their numerous differences aside in order to stop the apocalypse.


Mr Plant is one of Europes leading suppliers of artificial plants, flowers and trees. We offer a total concept, with high-quality products and additional accessories. We are a secure partner with a high level of service. A broad assortment that we renew seasonally and ambitious warehousing allow us to deliver the right product at the right time, world-wide. Mr Plant has headquarters and displays in Tidaholm, Sweden, and is also established in Norway, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Spain and France. The company was founded in 1988 and is part of the Dalema corporate group.


text:
Newswatch 7.2.07: iPhone activation woes, the threat to China, hackers' delight
AT&T tries to fix iPhone woes
[Wash Post] While blogs continue to simmer with complaints from people who waited months to buy an iPhone and now are experiencing problems activating it, AT&T Inc. said Sunday that the situation has improved. "We are working on any issues on an individual basis with customers who were impacted," said Michael Coe, a spokesman for AT&T.
iPhone: brilliant device, horrendous activation
[Ryan Irelan] The biggest frustration I had was that everytime I called I got a different answer as to why my phone wasn't activated. Once a rep even blamed Apple and their email server were backlogged. I confirmed that the final activation email is triggered by AT&T, but from a quick look at the headers is coming from Apple servers (Xserves, actually). I do not, however, think Apple was the bottleneck here. Do I know that for sure? No, I don't. I don't anything for sure about this whole situation because everyone at AT&T was treating it like a magical voodoo process, which was in the hands of a server and no one could change anything.
Asia fears impact of the iPhone
[NYT] "Apple's impact will be bigger than Asian handset makers think," said Kim Yoon-ho, an analyst in Seoul at Prudential Securities. "The iPhone is different from previous mobile phones. It is the prototype of the future of mobile phones." The fear now is that Apple may repeat in wireless communications what it accomplished in portable music with the iPod: changing the industry. Manufacturers like Samsung Electronics and Sony could find themselves wondering what hit them, say analysts and industry executives.
Race is on to hack iPhone
[Computerworld] By Sunday night (U.S. time), hackers had made progress towards circumventing the iPhone activation process, gaining access to key system files and finding two passwords used with the phone, according to the iPhone Dev Wiki.
"I think by the end of tomorrow we'll have an activation crack," one user wrote on the site.
Text-friendly hopefuls vie for hearts and thumbs
[Wash Post] "Your cellphone is probably the one piece of technology that is with you all the time," said Joe Rospars, Obama's new-media director. He oversees the mobile campaign, which kicked off a few days ago. "The reality is, I don't think there's a campaign or a political organization right now that has figured out how to smartly use this technology. There's going to be a lot of experimentation."
Murder, (s)he Wiki'd
[Wash Post] Investigators had not yet discovered the bodies of pro wrestler Chris Benoit, his wife and their 7-year-old son when someone altered Benoit's Wikipedia entry to mention his wife's death, authorities said.
Public Enemy turns to digital distributor
[NYT] TuneCore, a digital music distributor, is expected to announce that Public Enemy, one of the seminal hip-hop groups, will use its service for its new album.
Scamming African scam artists
[NYT] Prized scam-baiter trophies include photographs of the practitioners and their accomplices holding signs intended to humiliate them and saying things like "I am a bad person" or making statements that are unsuitable for print. The Web site 419eater.com uses photos of scam practitioners holding signs as navigation tools for the site.
One scam-bait video that turned into a YouTube hit shows scam artists in a Lagos grocery store acting out the dead parrot sketch from "Monty Python's Flying Circus."
RoboCops and Soldiers
[AP] "Right now, we have no plans to take any robot with a lethal-weapon approach to the market," Jim Rymarcsuk of iRobot said. "For this system, and all systems we have looked at, there is a human in the loop making the decisions. This in no way is giving
the robot the capability to use force on its own."
Hackers target execs and families
[InfoWorld] E-mails contained the name and title of the executive in the subject line, as well as a malicious Microsoft Word document containing executable code. The hackers are trying to trick the victim into thinking the messages comes from someone they know, in the hope that the victim will willingly install, for example, a program that can record keystrokes.


My inheritance check may be lost in the mail, since it was a TD check how fast can you stop pay and re-issue a new? Or, can you direct deposit directly into my savings?
Thank you for joining us today, Lee and we understand your concern. We recommend reaching out to the issuer of the check so they may place a stop payment. If TD Bank is the maker of the check, we recommend stopping into one of our Store locations during lobby hours for help. To take a look at our Store locations and their hours please visit http://bit.ly/TDStores. If you have any other questions, please contact us by submitting a new question here on TD Helps, visiting a TD Store or calling us 24/7 by dialing 888-751-9000. We hope this helps, Lee and have a good day.


Stephen Sommers ("The Mummy," "G.I. Joe") will direct a $47 million adaptation of Dean R. Koontz's 2003 novel "Odd Thomas" for Fusion Films reports Screen Daily.
The story follows Odd Thomas, an optimistic twenty-year-old short-order cook who can see both dead people and the shadowy figures called 'bodachs' that appear around death and disaster. When bodachs seem to be swarming around a diner customer he nicknames 'Fungus Man', Odd is convinced the man is connected to a terrible catastrophe about to occur.
Stephen Sommers is directing the movie from a script he adapted. Howard Kaplan and John Baldecchi will produce but no production start date has yet been set.


Ultra soft and breathable, the Birch Short is designed using comfortable sand form fitting four-way stretch fabric. They feature a higher waistline for extra support, whilst contouring the waist and hips. Style with the Birch Bralette Bra for a versatile outfit fit for the gym, road or studio.


Download LetterThis letter constitutes a formal request by Heather Lowe, Legal Counsel and Director of Government Affairs at Global Financial Integrity, to testify at the U.S. Department of Labor public hearing on January 15, 2015, discussing the proposed individual exemption involving Credit Suisse AG's ability to continue enjoying the privileges of "Qualified Professional Asset Manager" (QPAM) status.
The full PDF of the submission can be downloaded here. The full submission can also be viewed in its entirety on Scribd below.


IN MY FRESHMAN YEAR, I got asked a lot why I chose to attend Norwich as a civilian. Why not go to a "normal" college? Explaining it to someone who doesn't really know me is difficult. But first of all, the way I found out about Norwich blew my mind.
One day I was checking my email designated to the college search, scrolling through the mounds of colleges in North Carolina offering to waive my applications fees or trying to sell me on some aspect, not knowing I wanted to be a good distance from home when I went to college.
That's when I stumbled upon an email from Norwich's head wrestling coach, saying he'd love to have me visit the school and check out the team. Now, in my wrestling career I had plenty of people figure my name was just a typo, or thought it was just spelled funny, and decide I was actually called Kyle, and that I was a boy. So my first response to Coach [Alex Whitney '08] was pretty much I'd love to, but you know I'm a girl, right? The next email I got back mentioned nothing of my gender question, and simply said if I was interested I should fill out a prospective athlete form. I raced down the stairs and showed the message to my parents, shocked and elated that I had received an email from an actual college wrestling coach who didn't care if I was a female that wanted to wrestle co-ed. That was a big check on my list, especially since my number-one college choice was very much against females wrestling on traditionally all-male teams.
Norwich had a psychology major, but I was hoping to look more in depth into forensic psychology. When I visited, that was checked off too, since Norwich was advertising a forensic psychology minor. Another plus was that you were required to do research to graduate, and boy did I have a lot of hypotheses.
The last thing was the sense of home I felt when visiting. I'd toured probably seven colleges and Norwich was the only one that when I spent time there, it felt like I belonged.
As for the part about becoming a civilian, well, I pondered being Corps for a while. The option of doing research in the military appealed to me, but I could always contract as a civilian. I decided in the end, after meeting with the Army recruiter who told me yeah, maybe the military isn't for you, that I shouldn't go Corps side.
That's why I went civilian, and that's why I chose a private military academy, and I'm glad I did. There's nowhere else I think I could've gotten the experiences I did, other than Norwich. I somewhat understand a world most don't even get the chance to see. I can communicate with people in what can seem like a whole other language. And, while the military path isn't necessarily for me, I see clearly the other options that are open to me from this experience I was blessed to have.
Have a story you would like to share with the Norwich family that speaks to your Norwich experience? Send it to record@norwich.edu for consideration.


Due to uncertainty in financial markets, low-volatility stocks are in high demand. According to Pim van Vliet, portfolio manager of Conservative Equities, a generic low-volatility strategy is getting more expensive. An enhanced approach is necessary to prevent buying too expensive stocks.
There has been a surge in popularity of low-volatility investing. Are low-volatility stocks becoming expensive?
Yes, low-volatility is expensive, but Robeco Conservative is not. We do find that generic low-volatility strategies are more expensive compared to the market index, based on valuation metrics such as price-earnings (P/E) ratio. But our Conservative Equity portfolios have better scores on these metrics since we also use valuation and dividend as selection criteria in our strategy. The average valuation gap of the global Robeco portfolios is currently 20%, which is a significant 'margin of safety' versus generic low-volatility indices.
Does the higher valuation of generic low-volatility stocks worry you?
The higher valuation of generic low-volatility stocks does not necessarily concern me. There is a good reason for the current popularity of low-volatility investing; investors have become more cautious after a series of crisis and crashes such as the Dotcom Crash in 2000, the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 followed by the euro-crisis. They want to avoid risk and prefer the safety of low-volatility stocks, and are willing to pay more for these.
The current market circumstances are similar to the 1940's and 1950's. With the memory of the Great Depression fresh in their minds, investors preferred low-volatility stocks.
Another reason why the higher valuation of low-volatility stocks compared to the market index does not overly concern me is that, in general, investors have been too optimistic about the prospects of high risk-stocks. A higher valuation of low-risk stocks should be the norm.
What is the average valuation of your portfolios?
The valuation of our global portfolio based on P/E is 17.7, lower than the MSCI World index, which has a P/E of 20.3, and lower than the MSCI World Minimum Volatility index, which has a P/E of 22.6 (January 1st 2018). The dividend yield is also 1 percent higher compared to both indices.
In general, investors tend to be very optimistic about the prospects of high risk-stocks. During 2017 market excitement drove up mainly the prices of information technology stocks and cyclical material stocks.
For emerging markets, differences are even more pronounced. The P/E for market and minimum volatility indices are 14.6 and 16.1 respectively. Robeco Emerging Conservative Equities has a more attractive P/E ratio of only 10.8. So significantly 'cheaper'. The dividend yield on our Emerging portfolio is 1.5 percent higher compared to both indices.
Why is the valuation of your portfolios lower compared to low-volatility stocks in general?
The reason that the valuation of our portfolios is lower is because our stock selection model does not just look at low-volatility, but also takes into account valuation. We enhance a generic low-volatility strategy by using several valuation factors, but also momentum factors. Since the start of our Conservative Equity strategies in 2006, we have used this enhanced approach.
How well does your strategy work in the current market environment?
In these circumstances where generic low-volatility is more expensive, it is important to make a good screening. Not all low-volatility stocks are equal. In periods like this it makes a big difference in returns. Our enhanced strategy works especially well when low-volatility is expensive. This is based on research of a deep historical database going back to 1929.
We choose a sample period that is as long as possible and split this sample into two sub-periods: one where low-volatility stocks have a relatively low P/B and one where they have a relatively high P/B. Within these groups, we looked at a market index, a generic low-volatility strategy and the enhanced low-volatility strategy. We compared how well the three groups performed. Our research shows that the return difference between the two low-volatility approaches is up to 6% per year on average in favor of the enhanced low-volatility strategy.
What would you recommend investors who want to buy low-volatility stocks given the valuation?
Valuation is a reasonably good predictor of long-term returns. Therefore beware of what you buy; especially now low-volatility investing is becoming more popular. Investors should pay attention to valuation when buying defensive stocks: not all low-volatility portfolios are equal. The lower valuation of our portfolios compared to generic low-volatility stocks, combined with the strength of our proven Conservative model, distinguishes us from the competition.
Another thing that investors should keep in mind is that when markets rise strongly as in 2017, low-volatility stocks tend to lag the broader market, however, still delivering good absolute returns and low-volatility investing leads to better risk adjusted returns in the long term.
Please note: this article was initially published on June 5th 2013. On January 4th 2018, we have updated the article's figures.


text:
Overseas online sales to generate £28bn for British retailers by 2020
By Vanessa Zainzinger
International growth in online sales will outpace domestic online growth soon, a new report finds. The UK's mid-sized business are embracing international opportunities particularly rapidly, thus driving online retail abroad forward.
A surge in international sales of British goods is about to outpace domestic growth, and provide great opportunities for the UK's small and mid-sized retailers.
Online sales generated by UK retailers from international markets are expected to soar sevenfold to £28bn by 2020, according to new research published today by OC&C Strategy Consultants in collaboration with Google. Whilst in 2012 online sales from outside the UK were worth £4bn and made up 14 per cent of total online sales, the OC&C and Google research, "Britain's Retail e-mpire", predicts that international sales growth will outpace domestic growth to make up an impressive 40 per cent of total online sales by 2020.
The number of consumers searching online for British brands and retailers from outside of the UK is growing on average by 46 per cent a year since 2010. Flying the flag for British online retail abroad are well-known brands, such as Asos, Burberry, Jimmy Choo, Net-A-Porter, The Outnet, Topshop and Wiggle, who already receive over half of their traffic from overseas. But smaller UK-based retailers – such as Farfetch, Isabella Oliver, Surfdome and Corsetzs UK – are embracing international opportunities even more rapidly than their larger counterparts.
Small and mid-sized companies currently receive some 47 per cent of online searches for their products from overseas. They tend to ship to more countries and offer multi-lingual sites. Conversely, only 13 per cent of online searches for retailers with turnovers of more than £250m come from outside the UK.
It was, of course, e-commerce that has transformed what once was a game of local markets into an international market. Anita Balchandani, Partner at OC&C, commented: "There are a number of reasons why growth in e-commerce is changing the rules of internationalisation. Firstly, geographical proximity no longer determines which market is best suited for expansion – the internet allows customers seek out the best offers from around the world. Secondly, the nature of risk has changed. International expansion is much less capital intensive and this is creating growth opportunities which have a more controlled exposure to risk. Thirdly, the speed with which companies expand has also accelerated – over 40 of Britain's top-100 etailers serve customers in more than 40 countries."
This increase in the international sales of British goods by 2020 will come from across the globe, and represents a promising pool of opportunity. The majority of non-UK searches are currently coming from Europe, followed by North America and Asia.
Sales in Western Europe are expected to soar to £9.8bn in 2020 up from £1.5bn in 2012. These markets offer favourable trading conditions as a result of low barriers to entry through the European Union, combined with ease of delivery across the continent.
But also in the emerging economies of Central and Eastern Europe and Asia sales are predicted to reach £6.9bn by 2020 from £400m in 2012 and £4.5bn by 2020, up from £400m in 2012 respectively.
North America will continue to be the single biggest regional market for British online goods, with sales expected to increase from £0.8bn in 2012 to £2.7bn in 2020. However, the growth rate will be slower than other countries due to the relative maturity of the market and tougher competition from established national brands.
Retailers can use search data to identify pockets of demand and move quickly to meet the needs of customers. So far, British brands perform strongly across all sectors, with luxury goods, fashion and footwear the star performers.
Businesses such as Farfetch, an online marketplace for the world's best independent fashion boutiques, are doing particularly well. Farfetch now offers shops from 18 countries and delivers to over 150 countries. It's not just thanks to the product that the business has such a success story abroad to show for: "Farfetch has had an atypical story because we took a global approach from the very beginning, shipping initially from five countries to the rest of the world," says Andrew Robb, COO at Farfetch.
"A core part of our success has been implementing processes that work on a global scale, including customer acquisition, shipping, customs clearance and returns. We currently have operations in Europe, US and Brazil with websites in English, French and Portuguese. We strongly believe that providing a global product proposition with a localised, multichannel experience is the future."
E-commerce Expansion International Business Medium-sized Businesses News Retail


text:
OpinionFossil fuels
Oil and gas lobbyists are using Ukraine to push for a drilling free-for-all in the US
Raúl M Grijalva
Fossil-fuel firms want to turn violence and bloodshed into an oil and gas propaganda-generating scheme. The goal: a drilling bonanza
Oil rigs in the Cook Inlet oil field of Alaska. 'Doubling down on fossil fuels is a false solution that only perpetuates the problem.' Photograph: PA Lawrence/Alamy
Fri 4 Mar 2022 06.06 EST Last modified on Fri 4 Mar 2022 15.03 EST
Last week, we all watched in horror as Vladimir Putin launched a deadly, catastrophic attack on Ukraine, violating international treaties across the board. Most of us swiftly condemned his actions and pledged support for the Ukrainian people whose country, homes and lives are under attack.
Turn down heating by 1C to reduce need for Russian imports, Europeans told
But the fossil-fuel industry had a different take. They saw an opportunity – and a shameless one at that – to turn violence and bloodshed into an oil and gas propaganda-generating scheme. Within hours, industry-led talking points were oozing into press releases, social media and opinion pieces, telling us the key to ending this crisis is to immediately hand US public lands and waters over to fossil-fuel companies and quickly loosen the regulatory strings.
Our top priority must be ending Putin's hostilities, but as chair of the US House committee on natural resources, I feel duty-bound to set the record straight. We can't let the fossil-fuel industry scare us into a domestic drilling free-for-all that is neither economically warranted nor environmentally sound.
Despite industry's claims to the contrary, President Biden has not hobbled US oil and gas development. In fact, much to my deep disappointment and protest, this administration actually approved more US drilling permits per month in 2021 than President Trump did during each of the first three years of his presidency. Before the pandemic, oil and gas production from public lands and waters reached an all-time high, and the current administration has done little to change that trajectory over the last 13 months.
Fossil-fuel companies and their backers in Congress also profess that more drilling on public lands and waters would lower gas prices for Americans. But if that's true, why hasn't record oil extraction from both federal and non-federal lands over the last decade done anything to consistently lower, or at least stabilize, prices at the pump?
The fact is that crude oil is a volatile global commodity. Worldwide supply, demand, and unpredictable events – like wars – influence the price of gas, not the current administration's decision to approve a few new leases or permits.
Even if we take industry's claims at face value, nothing is keeping fossil-fuel companies from more drilling on public lands right now. The oil industry already controls at least 26m acres of public land and is sitting on more than 9,000 approved drilling permits they're not using.
They have a similarly gratuitous surplus offshore, where nearly 75% of their active federal oil and gas leases, covering over 8m acres, have yet to produce a single drop. Any new leases issued today wouldn't produce anything of value for years, or even decades in some cases.
With the facts laid bare, we see the fossil-fuel industry's crocodile tears for what they are
If industry did start to ramp up production from federal leases, the overall increase to the total US supply would likely be marginal. In 2020, public lands and waters only accounted for 22% and 11% of oil and gas production, respectively. The vast majority of oil and gas resources are beneath state and private lands – not public lands or federal waters.
With the facts laid bare, we see the fossil-fuel industry's crocodile tears for what they are – the same old demands for cheaper leases and looser regulations they've been peddling for decades. These pleas have nothing to do with countering Putin's invasion or stabilizing gas prices, and everything to do with making oil and gas development as easy and profitable as possible.
The US is the world's top oil and gas producer. Doubling down on fossil fuels is a false solution that only perpetuates the problems that got us here in the first place.
And quite frankly, we can't afford to maintain the status quo. In its newest report the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issued its most dire warning yet on the rapidly accelerating climate crisis. If we fail to enact major mitigation efforts, like curbing fossil-fuel development, both quickly and substantially, we will "miss a brief and rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a livable and sustainable future for all".
Fortunately, there is a path forward that simultaneously cuts the lifeline to fossil-fuel despots like Putin, stabilizes energy prices here at home, and creates a safer, more sustainable planet. We must wean ourselves off our oil and gas dependence and make transformational investments in cleaner renewable energy technologies, like those in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Build Back Better Act and the Competes Act, and we must do it now.
The fossil-fuel industry has had hold of the microphone for far too long. It's time we let the facts speak for themselves.
Raúl M Grijalva chairs the House committee on natural resources. He has represented southern Arizona in Congress since 2003


text:
list=$1
output_dir=$2

###############
# delete tractograms
###############
curr_dir=$( pwd )
# move to tmp directory to prevent accidental deletion of files
mkdir -p tmp
cd tmp

# remove all files except for connectomes folder
cat $list | while read subject; do
	sub=$( echo $subject | tr -d '\r' )
	echo $sub
	if [ -e $output_dir/$sub ]; then
		cd $output_dir/$sub
		echo "Deleting tractogram for subj ID: $sub"
		ls | grep -v "connectomes" | xargs rm -r
		cd $curr_dir
	else
		echo "WARNING: Could not find directory"
	fi
done

# remove tmp directory
cd ..
rm -r tmp


text:
WHO WE CURRENTLY SUPPORT
PANCREATIC CANCER EDUCATION
Flipgive Program
Pancreatic Cancer News
GOAL 2023
info@danzis.org
Donate to Jo-Ann Danzis Foundation Today!
From day one, the Jo-Ann Danzis Foundation has included in its mission advancing pancreatic cancer research. Since 2017, we have been raising funds for the cutting-edge research of Dr. Angela Alistar, a nationally-renown pancreatic cancer researcher and Director of GI Medical Oncology at Morristown Medical Center's Simon Cancer Center. In an effort to "do more good", the Foundation has narrowed its view with a new mission focusing solely on pancreatic cancer: To Advance Pancreatic Cancer Research and Awareness through Charitable Giving.
Our fundraisers include the annual Cork & Fork for a Cause each fall, along with other events as planned. We've paired this with increasing awareness through lecture sponsorship and educational outreach online and in schools.
Please come join us and help move the needle towards a cure for the world's deadliest cancer….you, can make a difference.
Why We Need
2nd Leading Cause
Pancreatic Cancer is expected to be the 2nd leading cause of all cancer-related deaths in 2020.
No effective early detection tools.
Highest Mortality Rate
Pancreatic cancer has the highest mortality rate of all major cancers. For all stages combined, 90% of Pancreatic Cancer patients will die within the five years of diagnosis-only 10% will survive more than five years.
Slow Improvement
Pancreatic Cancer is one of the few cancers for which survival has not improved substantially over more than 40 years.
Lack of Awareness
Poor public knowledge regarding the disease.
Please consider helping us spread awareness and increase research through fundraising. You can reach us by using this form or call 201-207-3493
Volunteer Contact Form
Please fill out the form and we will get back to you shortly.
Our Mission: To Advance Pancreatic Cancer Research & Awareness Through Charitable Giving
Email: info@danzis.org
The Jo-Ann Danzis Foundation, Inc. is an exempt organization as described in Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by law.


Check out our beautiful south Fargo rambler on a Crofton Cove pond lot! This 3-bedroom, 2-bath home features an open floorplan complete with custom kitchen cabinets, large island and spacious walk-in pantry. Enjoy the awesome pond view while relaxing next to the living room fireplace. The master suite offers an alluring tile shower, double sinks and walk-in closet. The 3-stall garage comes insulated and sheet-rocked, with a floor drain included.


US Vice President Mike Pence says the 1983 bombing of a Marine Corps barracks in Beirut that killed 241 Americans marked the opening shots of the "war on terror"
US Vice President Mike Pence described the 1983 bombing of a Marine Corps barracks in Beirut as the opening shots of the "war of terror" Monday, as he issued fresh warnings to Iran and Hezbollah.
Speaking during a ceremony at another building used to house Marines in Washington, Pence berated Tehran and framed the attack that killed 241 Americans as part of a series of outrages that included 9/11.
"Thirty-four years ago today, America was thrust into war with an enemy unlike any we had ever faced," said Pence -- who is the father and brother of US Marines.
"The Beirut barracks bombing was the opening salvo in a war that we have waged ever since -- the global war on terror," he said.
"It's a conflict that has taken American troops across the wider world -- from Lebanon to Libya, from Nigeria to Afghanistan, from Somalia to Iraq, and many other battlefields in between."
Pence's remarks come amid a broad Trump administration effort to ratchet up pressure on Iran.
Since coming to office, Trump has stepped back from a deal curbing Iran's nuclear weapons and vowed to push back against Tehran's influence across the Middle East.
The White House argues the nuclear deal -- forged by president Barack Obama -- resulted in America turning a blind eye to Iran's support of militia groups and terror financing across the region.
"This president will not sit idly by while the ayatollahs in Tehran plot more attacks like the horrific attack that we remember today," Pence said.
Many of Trump's inner circle, from White House Chief of Staff John Kelly to National Security Advisor HR McMaster have tangled with Iranian-backed militia in Iraq during their military service.
According to officials, Pence's appearance came after an invitation transmitted by the National Security Council.
But the inclusion of Iran in the "war on terror" is likely to raise questions.
For much of the last two decades, that "war" declared after 9/11 has become synonymous with US efforts to unravel predominantly Sunni terror groups like Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
The 1983 attack was blamed on Shia militia group Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran.
"The brutal act that brings us here today was planned and perpetrated by the terrorists of Hezbollah," said Pence, taking aim at the premier Iranian-backed armed group, which remains powerful in Lebanon and Syria.
"Under President Trump's leadership, we've redoubled our commitment to cripple Hezbollah's terrorist network and bring its leaders to justice," Pence said.
Earlier this month, the Trump administration offered $7 million for information that leads to Talal Hamiyah, alleged head of Hezbollah's "External Security Organization."
A further $5 million was offered for leads on Fuad Shukr, "a senior military commander" of Hezbollah in Lebanon, who Pence described as "one of the masterminds behind the bombing of the Marine Corps barracks."
"But as we all know, that terrorist group is merely a proxy for the leading state sponsor of terrorism," Pence said, referring to Iran.
"President Donald Trump has put Iran on notice that we will no longer tolerate their destabilizing activities or their support of terrorism across the region and across the world."
Pence said "Iran's theocratic rulers aided and abetted the Beirut bombers 34 years ago. And even now, Iran praises the attackers and remembers them as martyrs."
"Worse yet, the Iranian regime continues to funnel funds and weapons to its terrorist minions, with the goal of shedding blood and sowing chaos throughout the wider world," the US vice president added.


This is my letter to the bishops of New York.
I am writing to you and the rest of the bishops who are in charge of dioceses in the state of New York to plead with you for help and leadership in the face of the clergy sexual abuse scandal. I hardly know where to begin. I am a priest who also happens to be a victim of clergy sexual abuse. I'm one of the exceptions because I never blamed God. I don't hate God. And I don't hate the Church. I do extremely dislike how victims are, or more accurately are not being helped. I think that victim assistance offices are great. Measures put in place to help prevent future victims are wonderful but what about those who have already been victimized.
My victimization happened in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. I am currently a priest for the Diocese of Wilmington. Because I came forward and even though I was hurt by a member of the clergy, I gladly accepted the Archdiocese's help in payment of my therapy. My question to you and all of the other bishops in the Church is; what is being done for victims? This is the rub. Men and women came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against some members of the clergy. They were often rebuffed and sometimes worse. Because most victims' names and addresses are known to the diocese/archdiocese I have to ask was healing help offered. Did every single person that you know of receive a personal letter, (not a form letter), from the victims assistance office? These letters should be tailored to the victim, should not be on diocesan letter head and should not be signed by any clergy. Because each victim is an individual they need to be treated that way. And because of the grievous nature of what was done to those abuse victims our efforts to make positive contact must be continuous. Hostility and a rejection by the victims do not give the Church permission to claim that they did what she could and are moving on. Offers of help must be made and remade ad nauseam if need be. Alas victims are being treated as a group, in the vernacular, as ugly red-headed stepchildren.
I have two more things that I really need you to consider, pray about and incorporate into your policies and procedures. This crisis in the Church was created by the clergy and hierarchy of the Church. Because of that it needs to take precedence in the Church's charitable endeavors. Although these things; homelessness, hunger, poverty are issues that the Church usually deals with the Church did not cause them. We, (the collective we), caused this so we must fix it. It was members of the Body of Christ who were hurt so it's scripturally mandated that we help.
The second thing I would like to address is settlement money. Just throwing money at this crisis is not going to make it go away. The focus should be on healing. Money should be given and focused for healing. Besides private therapy the only group that I know of doing this work is Grief to Grace, www.grieftograce.org .
I expressed to my therapist once that God, the potter, has fashioned us all uniquely but in his own image and likeness. Since we are all battered in life by our own sin as well as the sins of others we carry around the cracks, dents and mars of this life. Those of us that have been abused have been thrown down and shattered. And now Mother Church must pick up the pieces and put them back together. Victims will always carry signs that we have been shattered and reassembled, just like Jesus Christ raised from the dead shows signs of his suffering and death.


I decided to take a moment to drive over to the Grand Geneva, where Gary Con VIII will be taking place. Since the building is a long and twisty one, I assumed that all activities would take place mostly near one end or the other. A strategic decision was needed as to where to park my car, considering how busy the resort is supposed to be this weekend. If I have time tomorrow, I might take another swing at it, just for the fun of it. Here are a few pictures to give you an idea of what the place is like. So far, this looks pretty good.
Welcome to Wisconsin's fine weather. Don't forget your snowshoes.
We do have a summer. At some point. . . honest.
Get in already and sit by the fireplace.
Sorry, no pool today. Try again tomorrow.
Should I peek and take a picture? ...nah. I'll leave them be.
One of the hallways to the various torture chambers. There are more of these hallways to get lost in.
One of the future torture chambers, I'm guessing.
Done for today. All aboard the Lake Geneva trolley for a downtown ride.


text:
Hello Kitty Starter Kit 9 in 1 for Nintendo DS
If you're a true Hello Kitty fan, than just playing the Hello Kitty games on Nintendo DS isn't enough. You'll also want to cover your Nintendo DS and all its accessories in her loveliness! The Hello Kitty Starter Kit 9 in 1 for Nintendo DS and it comes with everything you need for your DS including a whole bunch of pink Hello Kitty branded accessories such as a game pouch, neck strap, ear buds, game case, USB power cable and car charger – all for just $21.99.
Hello KittyNintendo DS


text:
Q: Only show users content I use Devise to let users log in through Facebook or create an acount on my website. When they are logged in they can add movies to their frontpage, the problem is that every user sees all the movies and not just the movies they added.
In my movies_controller.rb I have,
def index
  respond_with Movie.all
end

My movie.rb model has
belongs_to :user

And my user.rb model has
has_many :movies

Two questions, at the moment I'm using Movie.all which obviously shows all movies, what would be the correct syntax for showing only the movies the user created. Second question, do I need to insert the users id into the movie record?
I use Angular as my front-end framework,
the controller,
  $scope.addMovie = function() {
    movies.create({
      title: $(event.currentTarget).parent().find('.title').text()
    }).then(init);
  };

And the service,
.factory('movies', ['$http', function($http){
  return{
    create: function(movie){
      return $http.post('/movies.json', movie);
    }
  };
}]);

A: On your index method you are fetching all movies. Try fetch only current_user movies.
def index
  respond_with current_user.movies
end

For second question : You should add user_id in movies table. Otherwise you can't get user's movie list.
As a database standard belongs_to :xyz should always present in db as xyz_id to get all child records.

A: As Dipak suggested you can get
  1. all the movies from  Movie.all
  2. current user the movies from  Movie.all
u definetly need user id in Movies for relating the movies with user

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange