Sponsorship negotiations can get sticky when it comes to placing the value into "value-in-kind." Afterall, most sponsorship deals involve at least some hard costs for the property, which makes straight barter deals a rarity. Nevertheless, bartering, often referred to as value-in-kind, in certain cases can make a lot of sense if it gives properties the opportunity to manage cash more efficiently, while opening up the prospect of sponsorship to a whole new set of small and mid-sized prospects that might have been previously priced out of the market for the opportunity.
So it make perfect sense that one smart motorsports team has added an exclusive 'barter' sponsor with over 25 years experience brokering all kinds of "cashless" business deals. The way it works is, products and services of every business in the network are exchanged for a special currency called T$, which businesses can then use to buy the services of others. By creating a "exclusive barter" sponsorship category, the team is hoping to open up Nascar sponsorship as a possibility to businesses that may not have previously been able to afford cash-heavy deals, but could instead provide valuable products and services.
As a result of the JD Motorsports partnership, Tradebank will be featured on both the No. 4 and the No. 01 car in every race throughout the rest of the 2012 Nationwide series and the team will use TradeBank to bring additional sponsors to the JD Motorsports team.
Tradebank International, headquartered in Lawrenceville, Georgia, has franchised and company owned barter outlets in over 50 locations throughout North America. By outsourcing responsibility for bartered transactions, Tradebank says it frees up the client's staff to focus on more important things like client retention and cash sales.
The deal with JD Motorsports is the second NASCAR sponsorship that Tradebank has signed. Back in March, the company agreed to a similar deal with Tommy Baldwin Racing.


text:
SEC v. John Babikian Fair Fund
No. 1:14-cv-01740-PAC
Welcome to the information website for the SEC v. John Babikian Fair Fund.
If you purchased shares of America West Resources, Inc. ("America West") common stock on February 23, 2012 and/or February 24, 2012, and suffered a loss according to the Distribution Plan, you may be eligible for a payment from the Fair Fund.
The SEC Commission filed a complaint against John Babikian for his role in a securities fraud known as "scalping", or recommending the purchase of a stock and immediately selling the stock without adequately disclosing the intent to sell. Babikian used a platform of affiliated microcap stock promotion websites to fraudulently promote and illegally scalp Utah-based coal mining corporation America West Resources.
A Fair Fund was established by the Court to distribute $3.7 million in disgorgement, prejudgment interest and civil money penalties paid by John Babikian to compensate investor victims of the fraud.
For more detailed information, please review the FAQs. You should also review the Distribution Plan, Distribution Plan Notice and other relevant documents, located on the Documents page.
SEC Recovery Period February 23, 2012 through and including February 24, 2012
Claim Filing Postmark Deadline January 2, 2019
Initial Distribution of the Fair Fund July 17, 2020
Questions? Contact the Distribution Agent at 1-844-616-6342 (Toll-Free).
© 2018 Epiq All rights reserved | | Version: 1.0.0.15 | Updated: 7/21/2020 3:23:28 PM

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: How to consume data from url in application I'm trying to get some json file from url using service and show them in my application.
Here's how my code looks like now...
Model:
public class IrrigNetModel
{
    public int Id { get; set; }
    public string Message { get; set; }
    public DateTime Date { get; set; }
    public string DateText { get; set; }
    public int StationId { get; set; }
    public string StationName { get; set; }
    public float StationLongitude { get; set; }
    public float StationLatitude { get; set; }
    public int ServiceId { get; set; }
    public string ServiceName { get; set; }
}

View:
[XamlCompilation(XamlCompilationOptions.Compile)]
public partial class IrrigNetPage : ContentPage
{
    public IrrigNetPage()
    {
        InitializeComponent();
        BindingContext = new IrrigNetViewModel();
    }
}

ViewModel
        //ServicesModel irrigNetModel = new ServicesModel()
        //{
        //    Id = 1,
        //    Message = "sample string 2",
        //    Date = DateTime.Now,
        //    DateText = "sample string 4",
        //    StationId = 5,
        //    StationName = "sample string 6",
        //    StationLongitude = 1,
        //    StationLatitude = 1,
        //    ServiceId = 7,
        //    ServiceName = "sample string 8"
        //};

        //public IrrigNetViewModel(ServicesModel services)
        //{
        //    irrigNetModel.Id = services.Id;
        //    irrigNetModel.Message = services.Message;
        //    irrigNetModel.Date = services.Date;
        //    irrigNetModel.DateText = services.DateText;
        //    irrigNetModel.StationId = services.StationId;
        //    irrigNetModel.StationName = services.StationName;
        //    irrigNetModel.StationLongitude = services.StationLongitude;
        //    irrigNetModel.StationLatitude = services.StationLatitude;
        //    irrigNetModel.ServiceId = services.ServiceId;
        //    irrigNetModel.ServiceName = services.ServiceName;
        //}

        public ObservableCollection<IrrigNetModel> IrrigNetCollection { get; set; } = new ObservableCollection<IrrigNetModel>
        {
            new IrrigNetModel
            {
                StationId = 1,
                StationName = "Krakatosia",
                Message = "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur scelerisque a lorem sit amet mattis.",
                DateText = "21.07.2012."
            }
        };

        public IrrigNetViewModel()
        {
            IrrigNetService.GetServices("TOKEN", "sr");
            TabTappedCommand = new Command((tabName) => OnTapClicked(tabName.ToString()));
            HideListOnTapCommand = new Command(HideListOnTap);
            IrrigNetModel model = new IrrigNetModel();
            //ShowIrrigNetDetailPageCommand = new Command(ShowDetailPage);
            var irrigNetModel = new IrrigNetModel
            {
                //StationName = model.StationName,
                //Message = model.Message,
                //DateText = model.DateText
                StationId = 1,
                Message = "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Curabitur scelerisque a lorem sit amet mattis.",
                DateText = "03.07.2021."
            };
            IrrigNetCollection.Add(irrigNetModel);
        }

In ViewModel you can see all what I have tried to show data but currnetly it's hardcoded for testing purpose (just to see how my page looks like with some data).
And, of course here is my service:
class IrrigNetService
    {
        public static async Task<IrrigNetModel> GetServices(string token, string lngCode)
        {
            string url = DataURL.BASE_URL + "ekonetmobile/getlistnotifications?lngCode={" + lngCode + "}";
            IrrigNetModel model = new IrrigNetModel();
            try
            {
                using(var client = new HttpClient())
                {
                    client.DefaultRequestHeaders.TryAddWithoutValidation("Content-Type", "application/json");
                    client.DefaultRequestHeaders.TryAddWithoutValidation("Authorization", token);
                    client.DefaultRequestHeaders.TryAddWithoutValidation("Culture", LocalData.Lang);

                    string content = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject(model);
                    HttpResponseMessage result = await client.PostAsync(url, new StringContent(content, Encoding.UTF8, "application/json"));
                    if (result.StatusCode == System.Net.HttpStatusCode.OK)
                    {
                        string resultContent = await result.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
                        model = (IrrigNetModel)Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(resultContent.ToString(), typeof(IrrigNetModel));
                    }
                    else if (result.StatusCode == System.Net.HttpStatusCode.Unauthorized)
                    {

                    }
                }
            }
            catch (Exception)
            {
                model = null;
            }
            return model;
        }
    }

POST api/ekonetmobile/getlistnotifications?lngCode={lngCode}

Currently my service show:
{StatusCode: 401, ReasonPhrase: 'Unauthorized', Version: 1.1, Content: System.Net.Http.StreamContent, Headers:
{
Cache-Control: no-cache
Date: Tue, 14 May 2019 12:03:14 GMT
Pragma: no-cache
Server: Microsoft-IIS/8.5
WWW-Authenticate: Bearer
X-Android-Received-Millis: 1557835393828
X-Android-Response-Source: NETWORK 401
X-Android-Selected-Protocol: http/1.1
X-Android-Sent-Millis: 1557835393651
X-AspNet-Version: 4.0.30319
X-Powered-By: ASP.NET
Content-Length: 61
Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8
Expires: -1
}}

So, the point is to set value in 'StationName', 'Message', 'DateText' etc, etc from json, instead of "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..." and other constant values...

A: Solution:
I created new class:
public class LocalData
{
    public static string Token
    {
        get
        {
            return CrossSecureStorage.Current.GetValue("TOKEN");
        }
        set
        {
            CrossSecureStorage.Current.SetValue("TOKEN", value);
        }
    }
}

Then, edited LoginViewModel like this:
class LoginViewModel
    {
        public string Username { get; set; }
        public string Password { get; set; }

    public Command LoginCommand => new Command(async () =>
    {
        LoginModel model = new LoginModel(Username, Password);

        if (model.CheckInformation())
        {
            AccountResponseModel response = await LoginService.Login(model);
            if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(response.Token))
            {
                await Application.Current.MainPage.DisplayAlert("Prijavljivanje", "Uspešno ste se prijavili", "OK.");
                LocalData.Token = response.Token;
                Application.Current.MainPage = new AgroNetMasterPage();

            }
            else
            {
                await Application.Current.MainPage.DisplayAlert("Prijavljivanje", "Prijava neuspešna. Netačno ime ili lozinka", "OK.");
            }
        }
        else
        {
            await Application.Current.MainPage.DisplayAlert("Prijavljivanje", "Prijava neuspešna. Netačno ime ili lozinka", "OK.");
        }
    });
}

As zou can se I set Token in LocalData
LocalData.Token = response.Token;

Also, here is AccountResponseModel:
public class AccountResponseModel
    {
        public string Token { get; set; }
        public string RoleId { get; set; }
        public string UserId { get; set; }
    }

After all my service now looks little bit diferent:
class IrrigNetService
{

    public static async Task<IrrigNetModel> GetServices(string token, string lngCode)
    {
        IrrigNetModel model = new IrrigNetModel();
        try
        {
            string URL = DataURL.BASE_URL + "agronetmobile/getlistnotifications?lngCode=" + lngCode;
            string content = Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.SerializeObject(model);

            using (var client = new HttpClient())
            {
                client.DefaultRequestHeaders.TryAddWithoutValidation("Content-Type", "application/json");
                client.DefaultRequestHeaders.TryAddWithoutValidation("Authorization", token);
                client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Authorization = new AuthenticationHeaderValue("Bearer", token);
                //client.DefaultRequestHeaders.TryAddWithoutValidation("Culture", LocalData.Lang);

                HttpResponseMessage result = await client.PostAsync(URL, new StringContent(content, Encoding.UTF8, "application/json"));
                if (result.StatusCode == System.Net.HttpStatusCode.OK)
                {

                    string resultContent = await result.Content.ReadAsStringAsync();
                    model = (IrrigNetModel)Newtonsoft.Json.JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(resultContent, typeof(IrrigNetModel));

                }
                else if (result.StatusCode == System.Net.HttpStatusCode.Unauthorized)
                {
                    //
                }
            }
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            model = null;
        }
        return model;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This Lower Third Multi Pack template for Final Cut X and Motion 5 will allow you to add 7 different lower thirds to your video creations. You can customize 2 text areas and colors of the Lower Third.
Use the template to help describe your news cast, sports event or anything any other of your videos that needs a description.
After you install this template, just add this generator over your video clip and then customize your liking. Enjoy!


This February let's go homemade Valentine's Day! There is something special about taking the time to make a gift. To me it says that someone took their precious time to make something personal and memorable just for me – a homemade Valentine's Day gift. So I put together a list to help you make your homemade Valentine's Day fun, meaningful and easier. I hope you have the sweetest of Valentine's Days!
Play hookie and stay in bed all day….
I hope these ideas help you to put together a special Homemade Valentine's Day!


text:
1985 Jaycees Five Outstanding Young Australians in Western Australia
I was going through some memorabilia and came across the list of finalists for the Jaycees Five Outstanding Young Australians in Western Australia for 1985. I was one of the finalists, though not one of the five eventually chosen.
Because I can find nothing about this event anywhere on the internet I thought I'd add scanned images of the program we got on the night the awards were presented. In addition to the images, I've also listed all the text from this program so that it is searchable for future researchers, and added extra information about some of the nominees (in square brackets), where known.
1985 Five Outstanding Young Australians in Western Australia
Co-ordinated by: Mandurah Jaycees
Sponsored by: Amatil Limited
Presented at: Bussell Motor Hotel, Bunbury, Saturday 31st August, 1985 [NOTE: The Bussell Hotel in Bunbury was destroyed by a fire in 2002 and was replaced by what is now known as the Parks Tavern]
Inside: list of nominees
Those in bold were the ones I ticked in the list back in 1985, and I assume they were the five winners for that year. Click the image to view it larger.
Christine Bailey — for her teaching and community work
Christine Barbara — for her contribution to the development of children
John Bond — for his religious leadership and community work
Rhonda Bracey — for her contribution to youth education [that's me!]
Peter Clarke — for his technological contribution
Rodney Congdon — for his courage and perseverance in overcoming his disabilities [October 2020: a Google search 2020 showed he worked for the Activ Foundation for more than 35 years]
David Couch — for his contribution to youth and community
Bradley Delavale — for his contribution to sport
Paul Dixon — for his contribution in drama and the arts
Gavan Forster — for his contribution to the building industry and community work [October 2020: he was Director of Housing for the Master Builders Association of WA for many years]
John Fussell — for his contributions to swimming and training of asthmatics [October 2020: a Google search indicated he passed away in January 2015 during a competitive swimming event]
Lee Hennessy — for her voluntary community work
Gail Jamieson — for her contribution for the care and development of young children
Jeff Leisk — for his contribution to sport [October 2020: was a motorcycling and racing competitor and champion at state, national and international levels, and a motorcycling hall-of-famer]
Chris Lewis — for his contribution to sport [October 2020: champion Australian Rules Footballer, playing in the inaugural West Coast Eagles team for 215 games]
Brian Manning — for his voluntary community work
Barry Marshall — for his contribution to medical research [October 2020: went on to win a Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2005 for his groundbreaking work in discovering the causes of stomach ulcers; has a library named after him at the University of Western Australia (formerly the Science Library)]
Monica McGhie — for her courage in overcoming her disability and the promotion of the the cause of the disabled [October 2020: mouth artist; continues to fight for the rights of the disabled; born without arms or legs as a result of thalidomide]
Jane McGibbon — for her outstanding contribution to the care and training of the handicapped
Frank Parleviet [should be Parlevliet?] — for his overall balanced lifestyle and community work
Glenda Pickersgill — for her contribution to sport
Lyn Russell — for her contribution to adult training and education
Susan Ryan — for her community work and work with the underprivileged
Rosemary Sambo — for her contribution to sport
Bronwen Scott — for her contribution to surf lifesaving
Enzo Sirna — for his community work [October 2020: CEO of Corporate Services / Director of the National Trust of WA]
Jenny Werner — for her outstanding contribution to deaf and blind work
Ronald Williams — for his contribution to sport.
NOTE: These descriptions and spelling are verbatim and reflect the words used at the time.
Categories : Life stuff
My teddy went to the teddy bear doctor
I've had Ted, my teddy bear, all my life (or very close to it; pictures of me with Ted when I was an infant: https://rhondabracey.com/2010/03/14/i-found-my-bear/). For the last couple of decades he has sat on a shelf looking a little the worse for wear. His arms, legs, and neck were quite floppy where the wood wool that was used to stuff him oh-so-long-ago had either compressed or disintegrated completely.
I've been watching the UK TV show 'The Repair Shop' for a while now, and the two teddy bear restorers there have done such wonderful work, giving life back to tired-looking (and in some cases, almost wrecked) bears, that I decided I should really get Ted rejuvenated as well. I found two teddy bear restorer places in Perth, but only one responded to my enquiry via their online form within a few hours (BTW, several months later and I still haven't heard from the other one!). So after sending Brigit a picture of Ted, she gave me an approximate quote and we arranged a time for me to come to Perth to drop him off. I was impressed with some of the website photos of the restorations she'd done, and after meeting her I felt comfortable leaving Ted with her for the month or so before she could get to him.
A few weeks later and he was fixed (including a new growler!). My sister brought him down to my Dad's 90th birthday and gave him back to me (though she did say he was so handsome she might keep him — some sibling rivalries never die!). Ted can now sit up on his own and Brigit added a lovely black bow giving him a certain extra charm.
He was always a handsome and kindly bear. Now he is even more so.
For those in Western Australia, he went to Brigit at https://www.brigitbears.com/. The cost for the restoration was around $100 and the growler was another $30, which I thought was a small price to pay to give him many more decades of life.
Notice how his neck and the tops of his arms and legs have lost filling, so Ted was pretty floppy and couldn't sit up without support (he's in a bookcase shelf in this photo)
Side view showing poor Ted and how he couldn't sit up properly
Sitting in the passenger seat of my sister's car on his trip down south
Ted can now sit up by himself, but as he's so top heavy, I've rested him against some furniture
What a handsome Ted! Brigit cleaned his paws too, and surface cleaned his fur
Rhythm quilt top
I just finished making a quilt top, using a pattern called 'Rhythm' from Lo & Behold Stitchery: https://www.loandbeholdstitchery.com/
I used a white spotted batik for the sashing and borders, and many hand-dyed pink/purple fabrics that my friend Flora gave me a few months ago, plus some batiks and similar fabrics in the purple/pink colourway to make up the 16 different fabrics needed.
This top is classed by the pattern maker as a 'small throw' but it's actually quite big, with the completed top finishing around 60 x 64 inches.
Next steps: Find a suitable backing fabric, sandwich it with batting, quilt it, then bind it. I'll likely bind it with a combination of the remaining pieces of the purple/pink fabrics, perhaps scattered with some of the white. Or maybe just all white, as I have enough (I think!).


TOPEKA - Unless two utilities competing for the project reach a deal, a battle over building extra-high-voltage power lines through southwest Kansas could stretch on for another year.
State utility regulators set out a schedule Thursday that would resolve the competition by December 2009, citing the need to meet due-process requirements.
But the chairman of the Kansas Corporation Commission said regulators would prefer to see the two companies involved work out an agreement to each build a portion of the lines.
ITC Great Plains, a transmission-only utility, and Prairie Wind Transmission, a partnership involving Westar Energy, each want to construct a series of lines through the region.
"We find it in the best interest of Kansans and in the best interest of these companies to work together to find a solution," said KCC Chairman Tom Wright. "And we're not alone. The governor and the Kansas Electric Transmission Authority have also encouraged the parties to work together."
The KCC would still have to approve any deal between the two companies.
If the two companies can't reach an agreement, the KCC faces the prospect of possibly picking a clear winner and clear loser in the case, Wright said.
"We would prefer to avoid that outcome for a number of practical reasons," Wright said.
State energy experts consider the lines to be a crucial upgrade in the region's transmission capacity, allowing western Kansas wind farms to export their power eastward.
Some lawmakers have been worried that delays in building the disputed lines could hurt the state at a time when its neighbors are moving forward to develop more wind power.
The subsidiary of a Michigan firm, ITC Great Plains wants to build 180 miles of V-shaped lines that stretch south from Spearville through Comanche and Barber counties and north to Wichita.
Prairie Wind is a venture involving Westar, the state's largest utility, and two other utilities with large national transmission holdings. Its proposal running through the region would stretch 230 miles in a Y-shape, with one section traveling south from Medicine Lodge to the Oklahoma border.
The lines could be the most electrified ones west of Mississippi, carrying 765 kilovolts, several times the electricity of conventional lines. The total cost of building the extra-high voltage transmission lines is estimated to be nearly $400 million to more than $600 million, according to the KCC.
Each of the two utilities have floated their own compromise proposals, including a suggested deal by Prairie Wind last week, and both left open the possibility Thursday that a deal still could be reached.
"We're going to talk with ITC Great Plains about that compromise proposal as well as any other possibilities," said Westar spokeswoman Karla Olsen. "We're open to compromise. We realize that two or three entities - or whatever the situation might be - can build something faster than one."
ITC Great Plains spokeswoman Kimberly Gencur Svaty said in a written statement that her company was again extending a compromise offer that had been made to Westar in September.
In that proposal, Sunflower Electric Power Corp. and Mid-Kansas Electric Co. - Hays-based utilities owned by the same six rural electric power cooperatives - agreed to allow ITC Great Plains to build two legs of the project and offered the third to Westar.
"This offer is a true win-win for all Kansans," Gencur Svaty said of the proposal.
Before construction of the lines can begin, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and its regional arm, Southwest Power Pool, must complete their proceedings, according to the KCC.
The Southwest Power Pool, which oversees transmission planning in Kansas and eight other states, could decide to allow the costs of the project to spread across the entire, rather than just inside the state.


What is it that makes great business leaders stand out from the crowd? Two American small-cap investors think they have found the answer, reports Richard Beddard.
It's the Holy Grail of investment: a way to uncover great companies before they achieve greatness, and the share price gains that go with it. Now two smaller-company investors in the US – Sean Iddings and Ian Cassel – think they've found the secret. The idea comes from Charlie Munger, who runs US investment company Berkshire Hathaway with the slightly-more-famous Warren Buffett. Buffett and Munger favour companies with sustainable competitive advantages – those that add value in a way that cannot be easily copied by rivals. It's these unique advantages – known as a company's "moat" – that determine how long it will remain a good investment. But what determines the strength of a company's moat? According to Iddings and Cassel, it's all about good leadership – or as they put it, intelligent fanaticism.
In the book, Iddings and Cassel look at eight leaders – one Brazilian, one British and six from the US – who founded businesses or turned them around, and grew them over decades into firms that dominated their markets. By studying great leaders from the past, the authors aim to distil characteristics that can be used to identify – at an early stage – entrepreneurs who can outsmart rivals and build businesses that redefine their industries. Their point is that culture is a firm's one true source of competitive advantage – the ultimate moat, if you will – and that the most competitive corporate cultures – those that empower and motivate staff to delight generations of customers – are fostered by intelligent fanatics. Examples in the book include Simon Marks, the son of Marks & Spencer founder Michael Marks, who fought off the challenge of FW Woolworth to establish the superstore concept in the UK. Or Herb Kelleher, who invented a low-cost business model for Southwest Airlines, the tiny Texan outfit he co-founded and ran from 1971 to 2001. It is still America's leading low-cost airline despite having spawned many imitators.
The rewards for correctly identifying a culture shaped by intelligent fanatics can be huge. The estimated shareholder returns attributable to the careers of those studied by Iddings and Cassel range from 16% a year during Marks' 37-year tenure from 1927 to 1964, to the 40% achieved by discount shopping pioneer Sol Price at FedMart and then at Price Club from 1954 to 1993. All eight leaders achieved high returns for at least 30 years, but even over 20 years, the numbers involved compound to mighty totals – at 16% a year, £10,000 becomes nearly £200,000; at 40%, it turns into over £8m.
So how can you analyse corporate culture? It's not easy for outsiders to do, except perhaps in hindsight, once the business-school case studies have already been written. However, by reading annual reports, meeting companies as shareholders, and interacting with them as customers, competitors and suppliers, investors can build an impression of the culture within firms. For example, companies often devote more space in communications with shareholders to describing their performance than to explaining how they achieve it. Some are afraid to shed light on their competitive advantages in case their rivals copy them. This can suggest their moat is narrow, and easy to duplicate. Companies with a solid moat ought to be more forthcoming. A strong culture is harder to replicate than a good product, and if it is allied to a profitable business, then it makes sense to boast about it. A company that tells its customers and shareholders why it's so good will attract more of them. It will also deter potential rivals, if they decide that competing head-on would end in failure.
Also, you can take your time. You don't need to invest right at the start of an intelligent fanatic's career to become wealthy riding their coat-tails. Nor, given the returns on offer, do you need to identify many to win. Below, I've looked at some promising candidates for UK investors. Executives at these firms share many of the characteristics identified by the Intelligent Fanatics Project. Better yet, their firms are highly profitable, well financed, and have already grown significantly. In what follows, remember that enterprise value is a measure of the firm's market value (including both debt and equity) and the debt-adjusted price/earnings ratio compares that value to its most recent adjusted profit. But if any of these companies keep earning outsized returns for decades, current valuations will be but historical footnotes.
Iddings and Cassel found that, with the exception of Marks, all their intelligent fanatics were industry outsiders. Industry dogma, they say, can hold businesses back. When Philip Meeson, executive chairman of logistics and airline group Dart, left the RAF to set up an aerobatics team and run a business importing second-hand Citroen 2CVs, he had plenty of experience of flying, but little of airlines. He eventually bought a business shipping flowers from the Channel Islands, which became Dart in 1991.
Dart is still involved in road freight, but most of its revenue and profit comes from Jet2.com, an airline launched in 2002, and Jet2holidays, a package-tour company launched in 2007. Dart's big idea was to give families in the north of England comfortable holiday flights at convenient times. The young airline doubtless learned much from Kelleher's example – just as Southwest honed its business model in Texas before expanding nationwide, Dart has only just extended into southern England – Jet2.com flew its first flight from Stansted this year.
Like all the intelligent fanatics, Meeson and his colleagues have developed a unique customer-focused business. It competes with arch-discounters such as Ryanair on service, and with package-tour operators on price. Although it's no longer a small company, it's gearing up for the next phase of expansion with major investment in new aircraft.
Howdens Joinery was founded by chief executive Matthew Ingle in 1995 and now has 650 depots across the UK. The firm is not afraid to boast about its competitive advantage – it is "proud to be trade-only", with a focus on small builders. It adds value for its customers in several ways: it keeps everything they need in stock; it offers them credit, so they can finish a job before they pay for the materials; and it keeps its prices confidential, so the builder can decide how much of a mark-up to charge.
Howdens exhibits another characteristic of the intelligent-fanatics model: the clever use of generous incentives to attract the best staff and help them flourish. At Howdens, depot managers receive a share of the depot profit, which, the company says, can be "life changing". It also gives managers the autonomy they need to earn their bonuses. Shareholders may rightly wonder how many more depots Howdens can open before the UK is saturated. But while that may happen within a decade, it would be premature to write the Howdens team off yet. Experimentation is another characteristic of intelligent fanatics – they are never complacent – and Howdens has been experimenting with stores in Europe for ten years.
Complexity breeds bureaucracy and sclerosis. A good sign that an intelligent fanatic is running a company is a preference for simplicity, say Iddings and Cassel. One reason Southwest Airlines could cut costs so effectively was because it only used one kind of plane, reducing bills for maintenance and pilot training. That brings us to our next company, Quartix. Some of the builders installing Howdens kitchens will have Quartix telematics systems in their white vans. Quartix rents its systems to firms with small fleets of vehicles. These companies don't have big budgets, or sophisticated needs. They just want to know that staff are not moonlighting or idling, and that they are driving safely between jobs.
In 2001, Andy Walters realised that this was a huge market that could be supplied with a generic product. The trick was to keep costs down, and to remove barriers such as up-front installation charges, or multi-year contracts, that deter small firms from using telematics. The company invests heavily in the product and systems, but only if new developments will benefit at least 80% of customers. Walters, who works from a serviced office in Cambridge and pays himself a very modest salary, explains clearly and simply how the company makes money, and disdains the technical jargon used by the industry to label his products. To Walters, they're not telematics systems, they're vehicle trackers. Indeed, Quartix's devices are probably the easiest bit of the company for a rival to copy. What would be far harder to replicate is its direct-marketing database and its frugal ethos.
You have to be iconoclastic to upend an industry, say Iddings and Cassel, but you risk losing your customers if you run too far ahead of them. The granddaddy of intelligent fanatics, John H Patterson of National Cash Register (founded in 1884), introduced shopping tills to the world. The technology was too much for American saloon keepers to take in one go, so Patterson stayed a short distance ahead, educating customers via a highly trained salesforce as NCR rolled out improvements to the cash registers.
John Kearon, System1's founder and chief executive, has faced and overcome a similar challenge. He believes the market-research industry has been barking up the wrong tree – measuring the persuasiveness of marketing doesn't necessarily predict how effective it will be. Instead, building on the work of behavioural scientists, he believes the extent to which brands and advertisements sway our emotions better predicts their power. System1 – formerly BrainJuicer – pioneered techniques to measure feelings, enabling it to test and validate ground-breaking marketing, including John Lewis's Christmas ads.
At first, System1 found that telling customers they needed to change their whole approach would often cost it business. So the company turned its techniques into straightforward products, allowing customers to experiment with behavioural testing and see the benefits for themselves, before offering to create marketing for them. Kearon thinks in terms of "Olympic" cycles (it's one of the most significant events in the world of marketing), and he wants the business to double in size each cycle. If it does, staff, who share in the profits, will do very handsomely – as will the company's shareholders.
Companies with long histories inevitably face crises along the way. Yet, helped by their controlling stakes, Iddings and Cassel's intelligent fanatics overcame adversity using courage and adaptability. Paul Swinney, founder and chief executive of Tristel, faced a similar test at the end of the last decade. The company started when Swinney spotted a small advertisement in the business section of The Sunday Times. It offered the chance to invest in a portfolio of disinfectants, whose chlorine dioxide chemistry made them as effective as the strongest disinfectants used in hospitals, yet safer for humans to handle. While the proprietary chemistry was not protected by patents, Tristel patented the delivery and audit systems that allowed it to be used safely.
However, towards the end of the 2000s, Tristel was driven out of its most important market – supplying disinfectant for machines that cleaned medical endoscopes – when the machine manufacturers acquired their own products. Alive to the risk, Tristel had developed wipes that clean simple instruments without requiring an expensive machine. Tristel Wipes are now the standard method of cleaning these instruments in UK hospital departments. The firm, which has also developed disinfectants for hospital surfaces, veterinary practices and laboratories, now has higher revenues and profits than it had when it was dependent on the machines.
The company is now registering and selling products around the world. Since it takes time and money to get approval for a product, the registrations, like the patents and Tristel's chemical and manufacturing know-how, create a wide moat to deter rivals – and Swinney's fanatical persistence doesn't hurt either.


You give a sigh, thinking all you wanted to do was apply to that great position you've seen, but you can't until you have put some words and icons on a page that you can call a CV.
Grrrrrind to a halt. Here goes. Let's write this CV and get it done.
Whether you're a Designer, a UX-er, a Techy or a PM, these are all within the creative industry. BE CREATIVE. It really will set you apart from the crowd. Think about it – Recruiters and Hiring Managers see in excess of 20+ CVs per day usually. If you had to look at it from their perspective, what would you want to see?
On that note, don't be so creative it looks like someone graffitied the side of a bus. It's all about the balance.
Minimal yet descriptive. This is something I always recommend sticking to. Would you want to read through a 10 page CV? Absolutely not.
Keep it concise and clear. We don't need to know what you studied at Primary School.
Use tangible info, for example, if you're a PM give some context about the size of budgets managed.
Having a photo of yourself. I'm sure that selfie is lovely, but keep it to Instagram.
Tables and formatting – only use these if you really have to.
Avoid generic skills. 'Great communicator' and 'Team worker'. I'm sure you are as a PM or whatever else. But you don't need this on there.
Not being in chronological order. Please make sure you do this. Hiring Manager's will want to see the most recent thing you've done first.
Portfolio links to your Behance, Dribble, Instagram, your dog's Facebook. Just provide one link!
If you follow a structure and keep the tone of voice consistent, it should open the door to speaking to the hiring manager, and ultimately land your dream job!
Think of it as the first impression they will have of you. Make it memorable, but not over the top!
Recruiters such as ourselves are here to help you. Give us a call for advice. It's what we do.
Why you should treat your recruiter like an interviewer.


text:
Real estate lender settles data security charges
FTC alleges customer information was not secure
Superior Mortgage Corp., a lender with 40 branch offices in 10 states and multiple Web sites, has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated federal law by failing to provide reasonable security for sensitive customer data and falsely claiming that it encrypted data submitted online, the FTC announced Wednesday.
The FTC's Safeguards Rule, enacted under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, requires financial institutions, including lenders like Superior, to implement reasonable policies and procedures to ensure the security and confidentiality of sensitive customer information. Superior maintained customers' Social Security numbers, credit histories and credit card numbers, among other sensitive information. The FTC complaint alleges that Superior violated the Safeguards Rule because it:
Failed to assess risks to its customer information until more than a year after the Safeguards Rule took effect;
Failed to implement appropriate password policies to limit access to company systems and documents containing sensitive customer information;
Did not encrypt or otherwise protect sensitive customer information before sending it by e-mail; and
Failed to ensure that its service providers were providing appropriate security for customer information and addressing known security risks in a timely manner.
The FTC also alleged that despite Superior's claims that sensitive personal information collected at its www.supmort.com Web site was encrypted using secure socket layer technology, the information was only encrypted while it was being transmitted between a visitor's Web browser and the Web site's server. Once the information was received at the Web site, it was allegedly decrypted and e-mailed to Superior's headquarters and branch offices in clear, readable text. The agency alleged that these claims were deceptive and violated the FTC Act.
The settlement bars Superior from misrepresenting the extent to which it maintains and protects the privacy, confidentiality or security of any personal information collected from or about consumers, and prohibits violations of the Safeguards Rule. The settlement also requires that Superior hire an independent, third-party auditor to assess its security procedures every two years for the next 10 years, and to certify that these procedures meet or exceed the protections required by the Safeguards Rule. The settlement also contains certain record-keeping requirements to allow the FTC to monitor compliance.
Superior Mortgage Corp. is based in Tuckerton, N.J. It has offices in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Connecticut, Indiana and Delaware.
What's your opinion? Send your Letter to the Editor to opinion@inman.com.


text:
Home > Straus, Roger A.
Straus, Roger A.
Roger A. Straus, Ph.D. has over twenty-five years of experience as a marketing researcher and sociological practitioner. A Certified Clinical Sociologist, he currently divides his time between his role as a Vice President with the Blackstone Group, Inc. and his independent consulting practice. He previously served as a research executive with such leading custom research houses as GfK, TVG, Opinion Research Corporation, and National Analysts Division of Booz Allen Hamilton.
In addition to countless focus groups, depth interviews and other qualitative studies, Dr. Straus has been responsible for a large number of quantitative surveys, typically involving advanced analytics. He has provided domestic and global research to a wide range of clients from Fortune 100 companies across industry verticals to universities, professional associations and start-ups. Dr. Straus has also served as head of Market Insight for ZymoGenetics, now a Division of Bristol Myers Squibb.
Growing up in Great Neck, NY, he attended Antioch College in Ohio and the New School for Social Research in New York City, then moved to the West Coast. After receiving his Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California, Davis, with a specialization in qualitative methodology, Dr. Straus decided to apply social science to solving real-world problems. He co-founded what is now the Association for Applied and Clinical Sociology, and remains an internationally recognized leader in the emerging field of sociological practice. He has published many articles on marketing research and social science, two textbooks on sociological practice, and a number of books for clinicians and the general public, one of which has been a bestseller. He has taught at the University of California, Alfred University, the MBA program at Maryhurst University, and elsewhere.
After many years in the Philadelphia area, he moved to Portland, Oregon in 2006. Just to keep things interesting, he assists his wife with her independent music labels focusing on good-time Americana music. Currently mammal-free, they live with a number of koi, tropical fish, and an extremely personable box turtle.
Name A - Z Name Z - A Price Low > High Price High < Low Rating Highest Rating Lowest
Mastering Focus Groups and Depth Interviews by Roger Straus
A Practiioner's Guide for Moderators and Interviewers


text:
You Never Give Me Your Money
Beatles blog by author Peter Doggett
David Bowie & the Plastic Ono Band
Influence is sometimes obvious, sometimes more subtle. For example: the Beatles openly demonstrated how much they respected their American rock'n'roll heroes by filling their early stage shows, BBC radio performances and records (from 'Twist And Shout' to 'Bad Boy') with their songs. Bob Dylan was an equally important influence on their work from 1964 onwards, yet they never covered any of his songs (George Harrison's endless introduction of Dylan tunes into the 1969 Let It Be sessions aside, of course). Dylan's inspiration is reflected in the way that the Beatles' songwriting changed between 1964 and 1965, and in their subsequent willingness to escape from the I-love-you, she-loves-me school of composing. (On another occasion I'll tell you about George's home demo of Dylan's song 'Every Grain Of Sand', cut alongside several takes of the Everly Brothers' 'Let It Be Me'.)
Several months back, I mentioned that I'd had to abandon this blog because I was writing a book about David Bowie & the 1970s. It's called The Man Who Sold The World, and it is out in the UK now (and available from Amazon here; US publication follows next year). In this interview, I talk about the way that the book grew out of the project that Ian MacDonald of Revolution In The Head fame was contracted to tackle at the time of his death.
As I've said before in this blog, I was struck during the research of the Bowie book by the influence that the Beatles had on Bowie's work in the 70s. Some of that influence is obvious - the McCartney-inspired piano styling of 'Oh! You Pretty Things', for example. As early as 1965, in an obscure song entitled 'That's Where My Heart Is', Bowie sounded as if he was learning how to write songs by listening to With The Beatles. Other musical links between Bowie and the Beatles were more surprising: in the book I talk about the apparent Fab Four influence on 'Blackout' from the 'Heroes' LP. In more recent times, of course, Bowie actually covered George Harrison's 'Try Some, Buy Some', claiming that he hadn't realised that George had written the song.
But the single most dramatic role played by the Beatles in Bowie's 70s work was exerted by John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band album. You can hear a touch of Lennon in the way Bowie sings 'Space Oddity' in 1969; some Beatles-inspired backing vocals on 'Star' from the Ziggy Stardust album; and, of course, yer actual Lennon voice and guitar on Bowie's cover of 'Across The Universe' and his hit single 'Fame'. For the full Plastic Ono Band effect, however, listen to this:
The acoustic opening section is orthodox enough. Where the track gets interesting for Beatles fans is about 50 seconds in, when Bowie is suddenly supported by exactly the same blend of piano, bass and drums that pushes Lennon through songs like 'Mother' on Plastic Ono Band. There's even a solitary bass drum exposed before the instrumental solo, borrowed from Lennon's 'Isolation'.
All of which made me wish that Bowie had made a whole album (1980's Scary Monsters, perhaps) in similar vein. So I was intrigued to learn from Bowie fan Martyn Mitchell that guitarist Adrian Belew recalled working on a whole set of Plastic Ono Band-inspired tracks with Bowie around this period, but that Bowie never completed or issued them. Perhaps he was hoping that he might persuade Lennon himself to join him in the studio - until fate, and a madman, intervened.
Posted by Peter Doggett at 11:57
Labels: Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Every Grain Of Sand, John Lennon Plastic Ono Band, Mother, Space Oddity, The Man Who Sold The World
Mr. Elsewhere 4 October 2011 at 06:12
Any truth to the rumour that "I Wanna Be Your Man" is a re-write of an old blues song?
http://werelateforclass.blogspot.com/2011/01/53-i-wanna-be-your-man-45.html
briteness 4 October 2011 at 10:08
POB was such a fine album, still probably my desert island pick among all Beatles and Beatles-related albums, although there is certainly competition. But in spite of how acclaimed it was, I don't think I have ever heard anything where its influence was more obvious. Bowie cannot not have been thinking of it on this track.
Makes me want to check out your Bowie book. Thank you.
Maddie 14 September 2013 at 03:38
Hi, Nice post thanks for sharing. Would you please consider adding a link to my website on your page. Please email me back.
maddie0147 at gmail.com
Great! But in the last Space Oddity version, isn't there the actual Lennon voice in a small part of the song ("Tell my wife I love her very much")?
depaula 10 January 2015 at 09:28
What a coincidence. I was thinking about it last night...Yes, about the Beatles influence in Bowie' music. I could detect the MacCatney piano style in more than one song, and now I found this Space Oddity version...Gee...it's pure Lennon. I imagine your book is quite good. I contratulate you for that.
SonofMrPeanut 8 February 2018 at 18:58
Perhaps the clearest POB moment for Bowie (at least during the Ziggy years) was "Five Years."
Randy Atlantis 15 March 2018 at 16:40
No mention of "I heard the news today, oh boy," at the end of Young Americans? There's maybe a bit of A Day In The Life thing also going on with Space Oddity chord-wise.
Enrique Lopez 30 June 2019 at 02:34
I'm also a fan of the BEATLES.
I have written a website about "The Get Back Sessions".
This website includes full time maps that reflect day by day all the "performances" that were recorded during "The Get Back Sessions".
These MAPs include all the technician's comments, all the recording holes, the interconnections between the A and B rolls, the partial and total times of the different segments, silences, recording errors, etc. indicating the Nagra roll and the moment in which each segment is extracted.
The MAPS are very strict and allow to reconstruct exactly what happened during these sessions.
The recordings used are all those that can be obtained in one way or another.
I have also included all the AKA's that I have found, as well as cross-referenced tables of all the different numbers that each performance has had over the years.
I hope this website is interesting for you.
Link: http://getbacksessions.blogspot.com/
Enrique Lopez
Come Together?
Peter Doggett
Author of Electric Shock: From the Gramophone to the iPhone: 125 Years of Pop. Earlier books include You Never Give Me Your Money, There's a Riot Going On and The Man Who Sold the World


But I (Paul) do NOT want YOU (Believers) to be ignorant, Brethren (Believers), concerning those (Believers) who have Fallen Asleep (The Dead in Christ), lest YOU (Believers) sorrow, as others who have NO Hope. For if We (Believers) Believe that Jesus (Jesus Christ) died and Rose Again, even so God (God Almighty) will bring with Him (Jesus Christ) those who Sleep in Jesus (The Dead in Christ). For this We (Believers) say to YOU (Believers) by The Word of The Lord (Jesus Christ), that We (Believers) who are Alive and Remain until The Coming of The Lord (Jesus Christ) will by no means precede those who are Asleep (The Dead in Christ). For The Lord (Jesus Christ) Himself will Descend from Heaven with a Shout, with The Voice of an Archangel, and with The Trumpet of God (God Almighty). And The Dead in Christ, will Rise first. Then We (Believers) who are Alive and Remain, shall be Caught Up Together with Them (The Dead in Christ) in The Clouds, to MEET The Lord (Jesus Christ) in the Air. And thus We (Believers) shall ALWAYS be with The Lord (Jesus Christ). Therefore comfort one another with these words.
NOW is The Time to get right with God Almighty! NOW is The Time to REPENT, for The Kingdom of Heaven (The Kingdom of God Almighty) IS At Hand! NOW is The Time, to acknowledge God's Amazing Grace AND accept God's Free Gift of Salvation. NOW is The Time, to accept Jesus Christ as Your Personal Lord and Savior! NOW is The Time, to ask Your Family, Your Friends, Your Church Family, Your Co-Workers, Your Neighbors, if they are CERTAIN they have accepted Jesus Christ, as Your Personal Lord and Savior! NOW is The Time, to Share The Gospel of Jesus Christ with ALL, who have Ears to hear AND Eyes to see, The Truth! NOW IS The Time!
Learn more about Bronner: A Journey to Understand at http://newhopepublishers.com/2015/09/bronner/, and visit Sherri Burgess' online home at burgessministries.com.
Now this I (Paul) say, Brethren (Believers), that flesh and blood can NOT Inherit The Kingdom of God (God Almighty); nor does corruption Inherit Incorruption. Behold, I (Paul) tell YOU (Believers) a MYSTERY: We (Believers) shall NOT All Sleep, but We (Believers) shall All be CHANGED, in a Moment, in The Twinkling of an Eye, at The Last Trumpet. For The Trumpet will Sound, and The Dead will be Raised Incorruptible, and We (Believers) shall be CHANGED. For this corruptible MUST Put On Incorruption, and this mortal MUST Put On Immortality.
Does your thinking tend to drift into an eternal cycle of the why's, the how's, and the what if's? Welcome to the club my friend. I am by nature an over-thinker. I have a PhD in overthinking. I've mastered it just about all my life. I've been guilty of overthinking about my overthinking. After a while it sounds like the mind of a crazy person and that's how you feel just about half of the time. Nothing just is what it is- there are deeper levels to everything and you have got to figure out how far that iceberg goes beneath the surface.
It's a blessing and a curse right? You can help others think through their problems, give insight at angles that aren't the norm, it makes for a great writer and for a Psychology major like myself it works out perfectly as I enter the why's and how's of human behavior (because I'm questioning my own about ninety percent of the time). The curse? Living in the moment is the struggle, your mind runs late at night and sometimes it's nothing but anxiety in disguise.
At that time Jesus (Jesus Christ) answered and said, "I (Jesus Christ) thank YOU, Father (God Almighty), Lord of Heaven and Earth, that YOU (God Almighty) have Hidden These Things (The Truth) from the wise and prudent, and have Revealed them (These Things, The Truth) to Babes (Believers). Even so, Father (God Almighty), for so it Seemed Good in Your (God Almighty's) Sight. All Things have been Delivered to Me (Jesus Christ), by My (Jesus Christ's) Father (God Almighty), and NO ONE knows The Son (Jesus Christ), except The Father (God Almighty). Nor does ANYONE know The Father (God Almighty), except The Son (Jesus Christ), and the One (Believers) to whom The Son (Jesus Christ) Wills to Reveal Him (God Almighty).


Sarah Wild helps nonprofits achieve their fundraising goals. She founded Wild Fundraising to address the diverse needs of organizations of all sizes. A UCLA graduate, she obtained her Master of Public Administration from the University of New Orleans with a specialization in Hazard Policy. Sarah is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) member with over a decade of experience managing charity fundraising projects and programs. Her specialties include strategic planning, support during leadership transitions and serving as interim development director and forging creative strategic development for grass roots non-profits. Sarah's an eye for creative solutions, and a tireless enthusiasm that drives her work with non-profits of all sizes. She is known for her teams resourcefulness, versatility, and determination to see projects to their successful end. In 2015 she published a chapter on the topic of Business Continuity during times of disaster, for the textbook The Private Sector's Role in Disasters: Leveraging the Private Sector in Emergency Management.
Robert was born and raised in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He attended Hendrix College, a small liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas, where he obtained a B.A. in Politics with a minor in Economics in 2016. Robert served many political causes in college, fundraising for both political and non-profit organizations. He matriculated to the University of Georgia in 2016, where he graduated with a Master's degree in Public Administration from the School of Public and International Affairs in May 2018, specializing in local government management. Robert's diverse experience includes work in international relations, government agencies, quasi-governmental organizations, non-profits, and non-profit development consulting agencies. Robert is an active member of his community, participating in the Greater New Orleans Chapter of AFP, the Young Leadership Council of New Orleans, and the Rotary Club of Mid-City New Orleans, among other groups. He brings his diverse skills and background to bear by assisting clients in growing their organizations, so they can focus on executing the organization's mission.
Vera Gutmann is a grant writer, researcher, and web content strategist who has been with Wild Fundraising since its inception. During the course of her graduate studies at Tulane University she researched in French, German, and Spanish-language archives and presented her work on the history of Africans in the Americas at prestigious national and international conferences. She has nine years of professional experience as a writer and nearly a lifetime of experience in creative writing. Vera previously served on the board of Ten Thousand Villages Overland Park, where she is helped the fair trade retailer create a new development strategy. She is currently the Digital Experience Director at the Colonial Motel in Grand Gorge, NY. In addition to updating the historic property's website and social media, she is assisting with fundraising and planning for its renovation. Vera finds the most rewarding aspect of her job at Wild Fundraising to be the opportunity to help people and organizations doing good in the world better communicate their vision, so they can do even more.


text:
How It Works Magazine
The ultimate action-packed science and technology magazine bursting with exciting information about the universe
Engaging articles, amazing illustrations & exclusive interviews
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Wildfires May Stomp Out Colorado Fireworks
By Stephanie Pappas published 2 July 12
Fireworks on the Fourth of July in Indianapolis, Ind. (Image credit: © Alexey Stiop | Dreamstime.com )
The rockets' red glare won't be quite as bright as usual in Colorado this year, thanks to a statewide fireworks ban forbidding private use of pyrotechnics.
The ban, signed into effect by Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper on June 14, is a response to the wildfires that have ripped through the state, burning hundreds of homes and killing at least three people. Hot weather and dry conditions have exacerbated the fire danger in the state.
Meanwhile, more than 30 cities and counties across the state are cancelling municipal fireworks displays. Jefferson County west of Denver has banned all city fireworks, as has Adams County west of the city. Denver plans to go forward with its July 3 fireworks display.
Fort Collins, just a few miles from the High Park Fire that has burned more than 87,000 acres, is among the cities that will eschew fireworks in favor of live music and other, less combustible, activities. The city of Boulder has also cancelled its Independence Day fireworks after the Flagstaff fire burned 300 acres only 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) from town. At least nine fireworks displays have been canceled in Colorado Springs, site of the devastating Waldo Canyon fire that has destroyed more than 300 homes.
Though some cities have determined that professionals can handle the risk, fireworks are a known fire danger. According to the National Fire Protection Association, fireworks caused an estimated 15,500 reported fires in 2010. More than 1,000 of these fires affected homes or other buildings, while 300 damaged vehicles.
Occasionally, fires started by fireworks spread beyond the backyard. In 2009, a 643-acre fire in Auburn, Calif., was attributed to teenagers setting off bottle rockets and firecrackers. And this year's still-burning Bear Trap 2 fire near Ennis, Mont., has been blamed on fireworks. That fire has burned 15,270 acres.
Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @sipappas or LiveScience @livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+.
Stephanie Pappas
Live Science Contributor
Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science, covering topics ranging from geoscience to archaeology to the human brain and behavior. She was previously a senior writer for Live Science but is now a freelancer based in Denver, Colorado, and regularly contributes to Scientific American and The Monitor, the monthly magazine of the American Psychological Association. Stephanie received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
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Look up! A 'potentially hazardous' asteroid will safely zip by Earth on Jan. 18
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20 of the worst epidemics and pandemics in history
Rare 'bionic' armor discovered in 2,500-year-old China burial
Modern humans lived in eastern Africa 38,000 years earlier than thought
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text:
#include <pantheios/util/test/compiler_warnings_suppression.first_include.h>

/* Pantheios Header Files */
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#include <pantheios/backends/be.N.h>
#include <pantheios/backends/bec.console.h>
#include <pantheios/backends/bec.file.h>
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#include <pantheios/inserters/blob.hpp>
#include <pantheios/inserters/exception.hpp>
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#include <stlsoft/string/string_view.hpp>
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#include <platformstl/filesystem/filesystem_traits.hpp>
#include <platformstl/synch/sleep_functions.h>

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#  include <unixem/unixem.h>
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# define WINSTL_ERROR_DESC_NO_IMPLICIT_CONVERSION
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# include <windows.h>

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# error Operating system not discriminated
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/* Standard C Header Files */
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/* ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// */

#define PSTR(x)         PANTHEIOS_LITERAL_STRING(x)

/* /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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# define XTESTS_TEST_STRING_EQUAL       XTESTS_TEST_MULTIBYTE_STRING_EQUAL

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# if defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_WINDOWS)
const size_t    LOG_ITERATIONS      =   5000;
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const size_t    SET_PATH_DELAY      =   1000 * 1000 * 10;
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const PAN_CHAR_T LOG_FILE_NAME[]    =   PSTR("test.component.be.file.threading.log");

/* /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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#if defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_UNIX)
static pthread_mutex_t  s_mx            =   PTHREAD_MUTEX_INITIALIZER;
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static int              s_activeThreads =   0;
#endif /* OS */

static int              s_showNotices   =   true;

extern "C" const PAN_CHAR_T PANTHEIOS_FE_PROCESS_IDENTITY[]    =   PSTR("test.component.be.file.threading");

/* /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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#if defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_UNIX)

typedef pthread_t   thread_handle_t;

#elif defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_WINDOWS)

typedef HANDLE      thread_handle_t;

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# error Operating system not discriminated

#endif /* OS */

typedef platformstl::filesystem_traits<PAN_CHAR_T>  fs_traits_t;
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/* /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 * Forward declarations
 */

#if defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_UNIX)

static void* thread_proc(void*);

#elif defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_WINDOWS)

static DWORD WINAPI thread_proc(void*);

#else /* ? OS */

# error Operating system not discriminated

#endif /* OS */

/* /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 * Pantheios configuration
 */

enum
{
    beid_console    =   1,
    beid_file       =   2,
};

extern "C"
{

pan_fe_N_t PAN_FE_N_SEVERITY_CEILINGS[] =
{
#ifdef _DEBUG
    { beid_console, PANTHEIOS_SEV_NOTICE },
#else /* ? _DEBUG */
    { beid_console, PANTHEIOS_SEV_NOTICE },
#endif /* _DEBUG */
    { beid_file, PANTHEIOS_SEV_INFORMATIONAL },

    PANTHEIOS_FE_N_TERMINATOR_ENTRY(PANTHEIOS_SEV_INFORMATIONAL)
};

pan_be_N_t PAN_BE_N_BACKEND_LIST[] =
{
    PANTHEIOS_BE_N_STDFORM_ENTRY(beid_console, pantheios_be_console, PANTHEIOS_BE_N_F_IGNORE_NONMATCHED_CUSTOM28_ID),
    PANTHEIOS_BE_N_STDFORM_ENTRY(beid_file, pantheios_be_file, PANTHEIOS_BE_N_F_ID_MUST_MATCH_CUSTOM28),

    PANTHEIOS_BE_N_TERMINATOR_ENTRY
};

} // extern "C"

/* ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// */

static int main_(int /*argc*/, char** /*argv*/)
{
    thread_handle_t   threads[32];

    pan::log_INFORMATIONAL(PSTR("main(): creating "), pan::integer(STLSOFT_NUM_ELEMENTS(threads)), PSTR(" threads"));

    { for(size_t i = 0; i < STLSOFT_NUM_ELEMENTS(threads); ++i)
    {
        void* arg = NULL;

#if defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_UNIX)

        pthread_mutex_lock(&s_mx);

        if(0 != pthread_create(&threads[i], NULL, thread_proc, arg))
        {
            pan::log_ALERT(PSTR("Failed to create thread "), pan::integer(i));

            pthread_mutex_unlock(&s_mx);

            return EXIT_FAILURE;
        }
        else
        {
            pthread_detach(threads[i]);
            ++s_activeThreads;
        }

        pthread_mutex_unlock(&s_mx);
#elif defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_WINDOWS)

        // NOTE: We are calling the Windows API function CreateThread()
        // directly, rather than going through beginthreadex() (or
        // equivalent), which is not the correct thing to do in a real
        // program, as CRT resources can be leaked.
        //
        // We do it this way in this case simply for portability of the
        // test program

        DWORD   threadId;

        threads[i] = CreateThread(NULL, 0, thread_proc, arg, 0, &threadId);

        if(NULL == threads[i])
        {
            winstl::error_desc  err;

            pan::log_ALERT(PSTR("Failed to create thread "), pan::integer(i), PSTR(": "), err);

            return EXIT_FAILURE;
        }

#else /* ? OS */
# error Operating system not discriminated
#endif /* 0 */
    }}

    s_showNotices &&
    pan::log_NOTICE(PSTR("main(): all "), pan::integer(STLSOFT_NUM_ELEMENTS(threads)), PSTR(" threads started"));

    platformstl::micro_sleep(SET_PATH_DELAY);

    s_showNotices &&
    pan::log_NOTICE(PSTR("main(): setting log file path"));

    pantheios_be_file_setFilePath(LOG_FILE_NAME, PANTHEIOS_BE_FILE_F_TRUNCATE, PANTHEIOS_BE_FILE_F_TRUNCATE, 0);

    s_showNotices &&
    pan::log_NOTICE(PSTR("main(): waiting for threads to complete; this could take several minutes"));

#if defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_UNIX)

    for(;;)
    {
        pthread_mutex_lock(&s_mx);
        if(0 == s_activeThreads)
        {
            pthread_mutex_unlock(&s_mx);
            break;
        }
        else
        {
            pthread_cond_wait(&s_cv, &s_mx);
        }
        pthread_mutex_unlock(&s_mx);
    }

#elif defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_WINDOWS)

    ::WaitForMultipleObjects(STLSOFT_NUM_ELEMENTS(threads), &threads[0], true, INFINITE);

#else /* ? OS */
# error Operating system not discriminated
#endif /* 0 */

    s_showNotices &&
    pan::log_NOTICE(PSTR("main(): all "), pan::integer(STLSOFT_NUM_ELEMENTS(threads)), PSTR(" threads completed"));

    pantheios_be_file_setFilePath(NULL);

    int retVal = EXIT_SUCCESS;

    lines_t lines(LOG_FILE_NAME);

    { for(size_t i = 0; i != lines.size(); ++i)
    {
        lines_t::value_type const&  line = lines[i];

        string_view_t               scratch1;
        string_view_t               scratch2;

        string_view_t               prefix;
        string_view_t               left;
        string_view_t               middle;
        string_view_t               right;

        if( !stlsoft::split(line, PSTR('|'), prefix, scratch1) ||
            !stlsoft::split(scratch1, PSTR('|'), left, scratch2) ||
            !stlsoft::split(scratch2, PSTR('|'), middle, right))
        {
            pan::log_CRITICAL(PSTR("line does not have required format: ["), pan::integer(i), PSTR(": "), line, PSTR("]"));

            retVal = EXIT_FAILURE;
        }
        else
        {
            if(left != right)
            {
                pan::log_CRITICAL(PSTR("line prefix and suffix do not match: ["), pan::integer(i), PSTR(": "), line, PSTR("]"));

                retVal = EXIT_FAILURE;
            }
        }
    }}

    if(EXIT_SUCCESS == retVal)
    {
        s_showNotices &&
        pan::log_NOTICE(PSTR("all lines logged to file correctly"));
    }
    else
    {
        pan::log_CRITICAL(PSTR("multi-threaded use of be.file has been defective; please report to the Pantheios project"));
    }

    return retVal;
}

#ifdef USE_MSC_VER_CRT_MEM_CHECKS
int main__(int argc, char** argv)
{
    _CrtMemState memState;

    _CrtMemCheckpoint(&memState);

    int r = main_(argc, argv);

    _CrtMemDumpAllObjectsSince(&memState);

    return r;
}
#else /* ? USE_MSC_VER_CRT_MEM_CHECKS */
# define main__     main_
#endif /* USE_MSC_VER_CRT_MEM_CHECKS */

int main(int argc, char** argv)
{
    if(2 == argc)
    {
        char const* arg = argv[1];

        if(0 == ::strncmp(arg, "--verbosity=", 12))
        {
            int verbosity = atoi(arg + 12);

            if(verbosity < 0)
            {
                verbosity = 0;
            }

            switch(verbosity)
            {
                case    0:
                case    1:
                    s_showNotices = false;
                    break;
                default:
                    s_showNotices = true;
                    break;
            }
        }
        else
        {
            fprintf(stderr, "unrecognised argument: '%s'\n", arg);

            return EXIT_FAILURE;
        }
    }

#ifdef STLSOFT_CF_EXCEPTION_SUPPORT
    try
    {
#endif /* !STLSOFT_CF_EXCEPTION_SUPPORT */

        int r = main_(argc, argv);

        fs_traits_t::unlink_file(LOG_FILE_NAME);

        return r;

#ifdef STLSOFT_CF_EXCEPTION_SUPPORT
    }
    catch(std::exception& x)
    {
        pan::log_ALERT(PSTR("Unexpected general error: "), pantheios::exception(x), PSTR(". Application terminating"));
    }
    catch(...)
    {
        pan::logputs(pan::emergency, PSTR("Unhandled unknown error"));
    }
#endif /* !STLSOFT_CF_EXCEPTION_SUPPORT */

    fs_traits_t::unlink_file(LOG_FILE_NAME);

    return EXIT_FAILURE;
}

/* ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// */

#if defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_UNIX)
static void* thread_proc(void*)
#elif defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_WINDOWS)
static DWORD WINAPI thread_proc(void*)
#endif /* OS */
{
#if defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_UNIX)
    thread_handle_t self = pthread_self();
#elif defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_WINDOWS)
    thread_handle_t self = GetCurrentThread();
#endif /* OS */

    pan::log_INFORMATIONAL(PSTR("thread_proc("), pan::blob(&self, sizeof(self)), PSTR("): entering"));

    // TODO: Do some threading stuff

    { for(size_t i = 0; i != LOG_ITERATIONS; ++i)
    {
        pan::log(pan::informational(beid_file), PSTR("|"), pan::integer(i), PSTR("|"), PSTR("this is"), PSTR(" "), PSTR("multipart log "), PSTR("statement"), PSTR("|"), pan::integer(i));
    }}

#if defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_UNIX)
    pthread_mutex_lock(&s_mx);
    --s_activeThreads;
    pthread_cond_signal(&s_cv);
    pthread_mutex_unlock(&s_mx);
#endif /* OS */

    pan::log_INFORMATIONAL(PSTR("thread_proc("), pan::blob(&self, sizeof(self)), PSTR("): exiting"));

    return 0;
}

/* ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// */

#if defined(PLATFORMSTL_OS_IS_UNIX) && \
    defined(_WIN32) && \
    defined(_STLSOFT_FORCE_ANY_COMPILER)
# include <windows.h>
extern "C" void syslog(char const* s)
{
    OutputDebugStringA(s);
}
#endif

/* ///////////////////////////// end of file //////////////////////////// */

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
The tricky numbers driving Democrats' Supreme Court battle
The discussion about the confirmation of Donald Trump's first Supreme Court pick, Circuit Court Judge Neil Gorsuch, begins with one fact, and two numbers.
The fact is that Republicans successfully blocked President Barack Obama's choice to fill this vacancy last year. Whether justified or not, it was certainly unprecedented and capped off numerous examples of unprecedented efforts to obstruct Obama on judicial and executive branch nominations throughout his two terms. That's important now because Democrats, including those in the Senate, are still white-hot hopping angry over this Supreme Court seat.
And the numbers are 52 (the amount of Republicans in the Senate) and 48 (the amount of Democrats, including two independents who caucus with them):
- To defeat a filibuster: Republicans need to be united and win the votes on cloture of eight Democrats.
- To confirm nominee: If Democrats are united, then Republicans need 50 of 52 votes from their conference along with the tie-breaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence.
- To nuke a filibuster: If Democrats are united, then Republicans need 50 of 52 votes from their conference plus Pence's vote to eliminate the filibuster on Supreme Court nominations, otherwise known as the "nuclear option."
What's a bit tricky about this math is that each of these three potential votes -- cloture, confirmation, and eliminating the filibuster -- are conceptually separate. It's possible that a senator might oppose a nominee but also oppose defeating that nominee by filibuster, either because her opposition is relatively mild or because she is against filibustering any Supreme Court nominee. Similarly, it's possible a senator (probably a Republican in this case) could support a nominee but oppose eliminating the filibuster.
Before Gorsuch was named, we were in a pre-spin gamesmanship zone that some players will continue to play at least up to Senate Judiciary Committee hearings. Democrats (or at least some of them) were saying they won't filibuster; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell promised to preserve the right to filibuster. On both sides, that's hogwash, but appropriate hogwash. Democrats want to say that they are opposed to this particular out-of-the-mainstream choice, although they would have accepted a "mainstream" selection. Republicans want to say that they wanted to keep the filibuster, but that a Democratic blockade gave them no choice.
The target isn't only public opinion. It's the handful of swing voters within the Senate. Red-state Democrats such as Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota want to be able to portray themselves as bipartisan and reasonable; that means their votes are potentially up for grabs. Still, since it's unlikely Republicans can win the eight Democrats they would need to get to 60, the Democratic side is mostly about spin, not about actual confirmation.
More important are the handful of swing Republicans. It's difficult to see a third potential "no" vote on Gorsuch, a very conservative justice with solid credentials, after Maine's Susan Collins and Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, but it's always possible. Much more realistic, however, is the possibility that several Republicans are reluctant enough to kill the filibuster that they would be willing to let a nominee be defeated. If it's a nominee they aren't enthusiastic about fighting for, that reluctance can be decisive.
And that's the problem for Democrats. While they can be certain that a full blockade (that is, an announced filibuster against any possible candidate) would trigger majority-imposed rules reform to end the blockade, they simply don't know whether they can block zero, one, two, or (likely) even more potential Supreme Court nominations before Republicans change the rules. It's quite possible that McConnell doesn't know because it's possible that the key swing senators themselves haven't decided. Which, again, is why McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, along with solid partisans on both sides, have been pretending to be less partisan about it than they really are.
For Democrats, a filibuster now is a poor strategy if they believe one of two possibilities. The first is that Republicans will allow Democrats to defeat any one or two nominees without going nuclear and that the difference between Gorsuch and a Gorsuch replacement is relatively small compared to the difference between some future nominee and his or her replacement: In other words, if you only have one (or two) shots, use them when they count.
The other scenario would be if they believe Republicans would go nuclear against a Gorsuch filibuster, but not against some future even more conservative nominees (who Republicans would nevertheless vote for since otherwise, the filibuster would be irrelevant). Or: use it when it would work.
If they believe that neither of those applies, then they might as well get it over with: Filibuster now, declare their intention to avenge Barack Obama for the "stolen" Supreme Court seat, and force Mitch McConnell to go nuclear -- just as McConnell and the Republicans forced the Democrats to change the rules on lower court and executive branch nominations in October 2013. And then hope that the next vacancy takes place with a Democrat in the White House or with a Democratic majority in the Senate, or both.
All of this depends, of course, on how Gorsuch looks by the time the Judiciary Committee votes, and by the time the nomination reaches the Senate floor. That sort of thing won't change McConnell's vote or Schumer's or any of the other 80 or so solidly partisan senators, but swing votes have changed before over such things.
Jonathan Bernstein is a Bloomberg View columnist