text:
Companies Look to Make a Quantum Leap With New Technology
Volkswagen is among a growing number of firms experimenting with quantum computing to push their businesses forward
Companies have started to tap into quantum computing, like this D-Wave 2000Q System, in an effort to gain a competitive edge.
Photo: D-Wave Systems/Volkswagen
Sara Castellanos
@SCastellWSJ
sara.castellanos@wsj.com
May 6, 2017 7:00 am ET
Quantum mechanics has fascinated, confounded and even alarmed scientists for nearly a century with the notion that particles can exist in two states at once and communicate with each other across vast distances. The underlying science that Albert Einstein famously called "spooky" could soon become one of modern computing's core tenets.
Computers that utilize quantum mechanics are moving beyond pure scientific research and inching toward the commercial sector, with companies such as Volkswagen AG beginning to harness their unprecedented power to solve complex problems in nanoseconds.
"This technology is not futuristic," said Martin Hofmann, Volkswagen chief information officer, who oversees information technology for the group's 12 brands including Audi , Porsche and Bentley. "It's a question of years until it's commercialized, and investing right now in the technology is a big competitive advantage."
Companies including D-Wave Systems Inc. and International Business Machines Corp. have been pioneering quantum computing, and experts say that within five years the technology could be powerful enough to solve new classes of problems that are currently beyond the grasp of even supercomputers.
While traditional computers use binary digits, or bits, which can either be 0s or 1s, quantum computers use quantum binary digits, or qubits, which represent and store information in both 0s and 1s simultaneously. This means the computers have the potential to sort through a vast number of possibilities within a fraction of a second to come up with a probable solution.


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Tag Archives: 'The Fifth Floor'
In which BBC World Service listeners hear that barbecue is 'Palestinian food'
The March 1st edition of the BBC World Service radio programme 'The Fifth Floor' included an item described as follows in its synopsis:
"Tala Halawa of BBC Monitoring takes us on a tour of her hometown, the Palestinian city of Ramallah."
Presenter David Amanor introduced the item (from 40:53 here) thus:
Amanor: "Now, 'My Home Town': the series where we ask a Fifth Floor journalist to tell us about the things they find unique or special about their home towns. Tala Halawa works with BBC Monitoring. She takes us to the West Bank city of Ramallah."
While most of Tala Halawa's monologue is unremarkable, listeners may have noticed two spurious claims. [emphasis added]
Halawa: "Ramallah is so special because it has every available place to worship. Like, Christians have their churches, Muslims have their mosques and it's open for all cultures and religions."
Beyond the fact that there is nothing particularly "special" about a town with both churches and mosques, Ramallah – like the rest of the territory under the control of the Palestinian Authority – is clearly not "open for all cultures and religions" when the sale of land to Jews is a criminal offence.
Halawa: "Food is like the main thing that you can do in Ramallah. It's the main activity. Palestinian food like falafel, hummus, barbecue."
Some consider falafel to have been invented by Egyptian Copts and hummus to also have originated in Egypt. Regardless of their actual origins, to describe those foods as "Palestinian" is inaccurate. While we have seen similar efforts to promote a politicised narrative using claims of "Palestinian food" before, the notion of the barbecue as "Palestinian" is certainly a new one.
BBC WS airbrushes terror out of a story about Palestinian prisoners
BBC Travel politicises food to promote a narrative
By Hadar Sela • Posted in Accuracy, BBC	• Tagged 'The Fifth Floor', BBc Monitoring, BBC World Service radio, David Amanor, Ramallah, Tala Halawa
The September 7th edition of the BBC World Service radio programme 'The Fifth Floor' included an item described in its synopsis as follows:
"Radio messages for prisoners
Around 6,000 Palestinians are currently detained in Israeli jails, and one of the ways they get news from home is through Palestinian radio. Tala Halawa of BBC Monitoring is based in Ramallah and has been listening in."
The introduction by presenter David Amanor (from 17:31 here) likewise did not bother to inform listeners why those people are serving time in prison or that over 2,000 of them are directly responsible for the murders of Israelis.
Amanor: "Tala Halawa of BBC Monitoring tells me, by the way, the number of Palestinian radio stations in the West Bank has been steadily increasing over the years and so has the variety of programmes aimed at prisoners – yes, prisoners. Around six thousand are currently detained in Israeli jails and for many, radio is a vital contact with the outside world. Tala is based in the city of Ramallah."
Having told listeners of her penchant for changing radio stations while driving, Tala Halawa went on: [emphasis in italics in the original, emphasis in bold added]
Halawa: "I have been fascinated with the content of the radio programmes aimed at prisoners and their families. So this is Marasil [phonetic] which means messages in Arabic; a broadcast on Palestinian radio station Ajyal FM. The presenter Jenin Zaal is giving out the phone number for families to call with messages for prisoners. Her show lasts for 90 minutes and goes out every Friday. I met her in the radio station in Ramallah city centre.
Jenin told me that those 90 minutes are among the most important in her life but she says the programme is very draining. She says she could never give it up; it's one way she feels she can contribute to the Palestinian cause and do something for her homeland. The promo for Marasil [phonetic] says the programme breaks down prison bars. You can hear that messages like this one from a wife to her imprisoned husband."
After listeners heard a voice-over of the message, Halawa went on to give her own interpretations:
Halawa: "This is a kind of a typical news a wife would share with her imprisoned husband knowing that thousands are listening to her call. She wants to tell him how much she misses him but in a relatively conservative society she keeps the conversation limited to their kids' news. To excel in school is a very important matter in the Palestinian context so it's always the main topic to discuss on air. Spending too much time on social media platforms and computer games concerns all parents.
I also talked to a former prisoner Rula Abu Daho. She's now a lecturer in Birzeit University and she's one of the leading figures in women and gender studies in the Palestinian context. Rula said that getting a message from your family through the radio was almost like a visit. Of course it's a one-way communication but it still feels like a visit. This is Jenin Zaal taking a call from a girl whose mother is in prison."
After listeners heard another voice-over Halawa went on:
Halawa: "Another former prisoner Esmat Mansour who spent 20 years in prison. During that time he learned Hebrew and now he established a career in journalism. Esmat told me that he found out from the radio that his 20 year imprisonment was about to end. He said that the prison administration just would not say when his release date was. But then some fellow prisoners in the yard started calling him and telling him to listen to Ajyal FM. When he turned on the radio he heard his own family saying how they were preparing celebrations to welcome him back the next day. So, at least, the waiting was over.
I met Mansour for the first time in 2014. He never mentioned that he knew about his release from the radio programme. That was a surprise for me and this made me realise that those programmes are not simply two hours of broadcast: they carry a heavy load of human stories that deserve to be heard."
Obviously Tala Halawa's interest in "human stories that deserve to be heard" does not extend beyond the people she presents as 'prisoners' without the provision of any context whatsoever. BBC World Service listeners were not told that the quoted university lecturer Rula Abu Daho was imprisoned for her part in the murder of Yigal Shahaf in 1987.
"Dusk was settling over the Old City, reaching into its labyrinthine alleys and shrouding its holy sites as Yigal and Ronit Shahaf made their way slowly toward the Damascus Gate. The young couple, chatting in Hebrew with two friends, paid little heed to the dwindling crowds or the shopkeepers closing for the day.
Nearby, four young Palestinians, three men and a woman, waited. When the Israelis paused in front of a jewelry shop near the Via Dolorosa, one of the men ran toward them, aimed a pistol at the back of Yigal Shahaf's head and fired one shot.
As chaos broke out, the gunman fled, handing his weapon to one of his comrades, who gave it to the woman, a college student who had just joined the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a radical faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
The woman, Rula abu Duhou, 19, paid with nine years in prison for her participation in the slaying of an innocent Israeli civilian. And still today, freed by a controversial amnesty, she is unrepentant.
"I'm not sorry for it," Abu Duhou said recently, her dark eyes direct, as relatives and friends streamed into her family's comfortable West Bank home to celebrate her release. "On the contrary, I'm proud. And I wish I could do more for my country.""
Neither were BBC World Service listeners informed that the 'journalist' Esmat Mansour "spent 20 years in prison" because he took part in the murder of Chaim Mizrahi in 1993 or that since his release in 2013 he has received financial benefits for his part in that act of terror.
"In a typical homecoming package, the Palestinian self-rule government gave him $50,000, the rank of colonel and a monthly stipend of 6,000 shekels ($1,725), a higher-than-average income."
A month before this item was aired on BBC World Service radio the partially licence fee funded BBC department BBC Monitoring – which purports to "to provide news, information and insight to BBC journalists, UK government customers and commercial subscribers, allowing users to make well-informed decisions" – found it appropriate to publish similar 'analysis' by Ramallah based Tala Halawa under the title "The 'private space' radio offers to Palestinian prisoners".
There too Halawa showcased contributions from Rula Abu Daho and Esmat Mansour – but with no mention whatsoever of their involvement in acts of terror. She did however tell subscribers that:
"It is estimated that around 6,000 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli jails as a result of the ongoing conflict between the two sides. Palestinians see them as prisoners of war or political prisoners under international law, while Israel disputes this, saying they are terrorists or active in illegal terrorist organisations."
As has been noted here on previous occasions, the idea that people who have been convicted of perpetrating acts of terrorism are 'political prisoners' is rejected in Europe and we certainly do not see the BBC promoting the notion that people imprisoned in the UK for terror related offences may legitimately be defined in such terms.
These two reports further indicate that the BBC has not adequately addressed the issue of politicisation of Middle East related content produced by local staff and the serious question marks that raises regarding the impartiality of BBC content.
BBC's Knell tells audiences that convicted terrorists are 'political prisoners'
Identifying the BBC's anonymous "mother of a Palestinian inmate"
By Hadar Sela • Posted in Accuracy, BBC, Impartiality, Omission, Public Purposes	• Tagged 'The Fifth Floor', BBc Monitoring, BBC World Service radio, David Amanor, DFLP, Glorification of terrorism, Israel, Palestinian prisoners, PFLP, Prisoner release, salaries terrorists, Tala Halawa, terrorism
BBC WS radio promotes a problematic report yet again
Readers may recall that at the beginning of June the BBC World service aired a politicised report ostensibly about young Palestinians and culture in a series titled 'A Young World' that was aired on a programme called 'The Compass'. As was noted here at the time:
"Clearly Nida Ibrahim went far beyond her remit of providing BBC World Service audiences with an insight into how young Palestinians "express themselves culturally" and instead exploited the platform to promote copious amounts of politicised messaging and delegitimisation of Israel without any right of reply being given.
The BBC cannot possibly claim that this report meets its supposed standards of accurate and impartial journalism."
The creator of that report – BBC Arabic's Nida Ibrahim – was interviewed on the July 7th edition of the BBC World Service radio programme 'The Fifth Floor' (available from 15:27 here) with the item described as follows in the synopsis:
"Nida Ibrahim, who reports for BBC Arabic from Ramallah, has been talking to young Palestinians for a documentary series about the lives of young people around the world. The Palestinian Territories has the youngest population in the Middle East, but politics and administration are dominated by older generations. Nida says young people are finding different ways of expressing themselves."
The secondary purpose of the item was obviously to further promote that previous problematic report.
Presenter David Amanor introduced the item thus:
Amanor: "To Ramallah now in the West Bank: a small city with a young population. Average age is under 21 and it's a similar story throughout the Palestinian territories which has the youngest population in the Middle East. So when the BBC decided to do a series about the lives of young people, BBC Arabic's Nida Ibrahim waved a flag: they're over here! Nida is based in Ramallah…"
While this particular item avoided the politicised messaging and delegitimisation of Israel heard in Ibrahim's original report, at its close, Amanor directed listeners to the original problematic programme.
"Nida Ibrahim in Ramallah. Her documentary is on the BBC website. Just search for 'A Young World'.
Obviously it is disturbing to see the BBC engaging in further promotion of such a biased and politicised report.
BBC WS radio report on Palestinian culture exploited for one-sided political messaging
By Hadar Sela • Posted in Accuracy, BBC, Impartiality	• Tagged 'The Compass', 'The Fifth Floor', BBC, BBC Arabic, BBC World Service radio, David Amanor, Israel, Nida Ibrahim
BBC WS tells a context-free tale of Egypt's Six Day War 'naksa'
The June 3rd edition of the BBC World Service radio programme 'The Fifth Floor' included an item (from 27:13 here) billed as follows in the synopsis:
"Egypt's Naksa Day
Next Monday is the 50th anniversary of Naksa day, or Day of the Setback. The "setback" for Egypt was their crushing defeat by Israel in the Six Day War. BBC Arabic reporter in Cairo, Sally Nabil, tells us how the day is viewed there now."
At the start of the programme presenter David Amanor described the upcoming item as follows:
"…and a six-day war with consequences much greater. We're finding out what young Egyptians today know about the events of June 1967."
He introduced the segment itself thus:
Amanor: "Now most countries don't relish their defeats and I guess Egypt is no different. Next week sees the 50th anniversary of what's generally called the Six Day War in June 1967 but its impact remains much bigger than its short time span might suggest. It was a humiliating defeat for Egypt and its Arab nationalist leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. Israel took forces…took possession of the entire Sinai peninsula, leaving Egyptian forces to make a chaotic retreat. In Egypt the war is called the 'naksa'. Sally Nabil of BBC Arabic tells me the story behind that name."
What is most noticeable about this item is its complete abdication of responsibility to supply background information and context concerning a fifty year-old event that many listeners will not remember first hand and in particular, the failure to provide audiences worldwide with the facts concerning the Egyptian actions that led up to the war.
Nabil: "It's, you can say, an understatement of the word defeat. It's like literally a setback so it seems that the Egyptian regime at that time did not want to recognise that the army has been defeated. So they used the word 'naksa' – or setback – instead of defeat to try to sugar-coat a bit or to convince the people that this is not the end of it; we lost a battle but we did not lose the war."
Answering Amanor's question as to whether that is the history taught in Egyptian schools, Nabil told listeners that:
Nabil: "Yeah, absolutely. I remember when I was at school we used to know it as the 1967 'naksa' and they didn't elaborate much on it, as much as they did on the 1973 war because the Egyptian government and the Egyptian people as well they glorify the 1973 when Egypt managed to take part of Sinai back from Israel and then they made a political settlement and took all of Sinai back."
The "part of Sinai" gained by Egypt in the Yom Kippur war was of course two small areas to the east of the Suez Canal which were later joined under the terms of a cease-fire agreement that also saw Israel withdraw from areas captured west of the canal.
Later on Amanor gave Nabil the cue for her next topic:
Amanor: "This is seen as one of the shortest yet most decisive wars in the modern era but it wasn't just six days for a lot of the soldiers, was it? And there were a lot of casualties."
Nabil went on to tell an unverifiable story about an unidentified former soldier.
Nabil: "I mean I met a veteran soldier who was caught by Israel. He remained in Israeli detention for about a year and he was sentenced to death but he managed to escape and he said that this year he was detained by the Israeli soldiers has haunted him for years and years to come so for him the 1967 war it's a lifetime memory."
According to the Israeli MFA, all prisoner exchanges with Egypt were completed by 23 January 1968 and so Nabil's claim that the man was "in Israeli detention for about a year" is highly dubious, as are her unsupported claims that he "managed to escape" and that he "was sentenced to death".
Nabil's item continued with a description of the man's dire financial situation and criticism of "the fact that the government turned a blind eye to people like him". She then digressed to a topic outside the item's declared subject matter, comparing the current Egyptian government to the Nasser regime, before closing by telling listeners that BBC Arabic will be "marking this anniversary with a number of postcards [reports] from the different countries that were occupied during the 1967 war".
In conclusion, in this item BBC World Service audiences heard over seven minutes of entirely context-free reporting that included unverifiable and highly dubious hearsay. How the programme's producers can claim that is accurate and impartial reporting which enhances audience understanding of the topic of the Six Day War is anyone's guess.
By Hadar Sela • Posted in Accuracy, BBC, Impartiality, Omission, Public Purposes	• Tagged 'The Fifth Floor', BBC, BBC Arabic, BBC World Service radio, David Amanor, Egypt, Israel, Sally Nabil, Sinai, Six Day War
BBC Monitoring coverage of Ramadan soaps – the sequel
As was noted here last week, BBC Monitoring recently produced a written report for the BBC News website about the popular soap operas and dramas shown on television in the Middle East during Ramadan. That article refrained from informing audiences of the antisemitic and anti-Israeli content traditionally seen in many of those programmes.
On June 26th the BBC World Service radio programme 'The Fifth Floor' also devoted part of its content to the same topic.
"It is the holy month of Ramadan – a month of prayer and fasting and for some also accompanied by a lot of television. TV soaps and dramas are commissioned for the season and often bring in the highest ratings. BBC journalist Doaa Soliman is something of a connoisseur of Ramadan TV. Not only has she watched a lot for pleasure, but in her current role with BBC Monitoring, she is also tasked with keeping a professional eye on the current selection. This is Doaa's guide to what to watch this Ramadan."
A clip of that segment of the programme can be found here and once again it is notable that the long tradition of antisemitic content in Ramadan entertainment is concealed from BBC audiences.
By Hadar Sela • Posted in Accuracy, BBC, Omission	• Tagged 'The Fifth Floor', antisemitism, BBC, BBc Monitoring, BBC World Service radio, David Amanor, Doaa Soliman, Ramadan
BBC WS 'The Fifth Floor' highlights cartoonist known for antisemitic imagery
The day after the French president described the terror attack on the kosher supermarket in Paris in which four people were murdered as "an appalling antisemitic act", the BBC World Service's 'Fifth Floor' decided it would be good idea to highlight the work of a Jordanian cartoonist known for his antisemitic imagery.
Presenter David Amanour's introduction to the item broadcast on January 10th (available here from 01:00) was as follows:
"We start this week with the world of satire and the drawings that can provoke both roaring laughter and fury. The events in France this week highlighted the dangers facing political cartoonists around the world. Today we're focusing our attentions on the Middle East and the challenges cartoonists face there. With me here in the studio is Abdirahim Saeed of BBC Arabic and Turkish journalist with the BBC, Seref Isler."
Readers can judge for themselves whether or not the item fulfilled its stated goal but they will no doubt notice that a character created by the first cartoonist highlighted in the programme – the long since deceased "famous Palestinian cartoonist" Naji al Ali – is used to amplify a context-free narrative.
Abdirahim Saeed: "He's got a stock of iconic characters that still live on and are still relevant in today's world; in today's politics in the Middle East."
David Amanor: "Characters like?"
AS: "Characters like Handala. It's like Ali always mentioned that it's based on him. Handala is supposedly a ten year-old kid, barefooted, downtrodden but still hopeful of one day returning to his homeland where he was – according to the Palestinian narrative – they were obviously put into exile and expelled from their land. […] So it's not just commentary – a running commentary on Palestinian affairs but it's actually a running commentary on what's happening in the Arab world…"
There is of course a significant difference between cartoons as "running commentary" or satire and the use of images to create or reinforce an inaccurate politically motivated narrative.
The second cartoonist highlighted by Saeed is introduced as follows:
DA: "Let's talk about sensitivities then. A Jordanian cartoonist Emad Hajjaj – has he been upsetting people? I mean how would you describe his cartoons?"
SA: "I mean a bit like Ali Naja again. I mean he's a brilliant commentary for what's happening in Jordan in his own country but also across the Middle East…"
Here are two examples of that "brilliant commentary" from Emad (also Imad) Hajjaj from the time of Operation Cast Lead in 2008/9.
As anyone who knows even a little about cartoons in the Middle East will be aware, the use of antisemitic themes and imagery is very common and long-established. That fact, however, was not communicated to BBC audiences in the Fifth Floor's discussion of Middle East cartoonists.
By Hadar Sela • Posted in BBC, Impartiality, Omission	• Tagged 'The Fifth Floor', Abdirahim Saeed, antisemitism, BBC, BBC Arabic, BBC World Service radio, cartoons, Charlie Hebdo, David Amanor
Keeping the (context free) Gaza fires burning on BBC World Service radio
The October 24th and 25th editions of the BBC World Service radio programme 'The Fifth Floor' (which describes itself as providing "a fresh look at the stories of the week with journalists from our 27 language sections") ran under the heading "After the Ceasefire: the Cost of Reporting Gaza". The item referred to in that title can be heard from around 1:02 here and its synopsis reads as follows:
"For years he has been BBC Arabic's man in Gaza, reporting and living through conflict and peace time. We last spoke to Shahdi Alkashif during the recent offensive, when rockets and mortars were raining down between Gaza and parts of Israel. More than 2,000 people died during that particular conflict. Shahdi told us that he had spent 27 nights sleeping on the floor of the BBC office, battling with a lack of electricity and food and water, and trying to make sure that his family were safe. The ceasefire has now been in place for two months and Shahdi talks about how his family and others in Gaza are living today and some of the difficulties of living in and reporting conflict."
Where exactly is the mysterious place "between Gaza and parts of Israel" in which "rockets and mortars were raining down" is unclear, but presenter David Amanor uses the same peculiar phrase in his introduction.
DA: "Shahdi is BBC Arabic's reporter in Gaza. He was there during the recent conflict when mortars and rockets were raining down between Gaza and Israel. He tells me about the impact on his own family. You might find some of his descriptions later on disturbing."
Shahdi Alkashif: "In 2012 in the second war, Aya my daughter she asked me to promise her that this war will be the last war. And I did that actually. I did not expect that after two wars that there's another war will happen. But I think that's happen again in this war. She said you promise me that this will be the last war. And I…I did not, you know, I did not know what I should say. I mean you know that this is not easy. But at least we deal with it. I mean sometimes she need me to promise her that nothing will happen to her and I have to promise…"
DA: "You have to as a father…"
SA: "As a father. But you and me know this is difficult. And I moved my family three times from the area in the west of Gaza to the area in the south and to the north because all the areas was under bombing."
DA: "You mean during this recent…during the recent conflict?"
SA: "Yes, yes."
DA: "You moved three times?"
SA: "I moved from my house – a lot of tank shells fall around my house and I take them to my father house and the building beside him is bombed also so I take them after that to my brother house. So you're moving your family all the time."
DA: "What kind of effect has that – you know – those bombings, the mortars and the terror of it? Has it had an impact on people you know? Your family, of course, your daughter and…"
SA: "I mean Aya my daughter she's…she's sleeping under the stairs. The war is finished and she's still sleeping under the stairs because she thought that this is the safer place in the world. I'm just talking about Aya but the others also they, you know, they feel that all of Gaza is not safe. I mean it's not easy to ask them to go out to play now because they are all the time, you know, looking to the sky…"
DA: "Mmm…"
SA: "….which is not normal, I mean."
DA: "And they know – I mean – there's…there's a mind on some of those instances like the children who were playing on the beach for example."
SA: "And nobody can forget this, I mean…"
DA: "Right…"
SA: "The people still talking about the kids who's killed near the beach."
DA: "Was that one of the – coming back to you as a reporter, as a journalist – was that one of the most poignant, most significant moments in your reportage? The kids on the beach – or were there others?"
SA: "The kids on the beach and when the first time I…I entered to the El Shuja'iya neighbourhood in east of Gaza. It's….the Israeli army bombed this area for more than three weeks and we get a chance to visit the area for just a couple of hours through the ceasefire and when I reach to the El Shuja'iya neighbourhood I discovered that I did not recognize it. It's completely different. Dozens of houses is destroyed and when I go to the area inside – it's called Amalsour [phonetic] – inside the Shuja'iya, I discovered that there is a lot of bodies that not, you know, evacuated yet and I step over the bodies of kids and I think nobody can, you know, deal with that picture. I mean, to see the bodies of kids without heads, without arms….and this is was I think the difficult moment that I saw within this war."
DA: "These are the kind of things you have to see as a reporter…"
SA: "Yeah because you need to check the area. You need to see what exactly happened there. You hear sometimes about areas but you need to go there to see exactly and to ask what exactly happened. You are the witness because you are in that place and under this bad circumstances."
DA: "Seeing these things; you have to witness them but what kind of witness does it…what kind of witness do you become? Do you just remain – try and remain – dispassionate? Do you become angry – an angry witness, a cold witness, a partial witness and a subjective witness? What effect does it have on you?"
SA: "Our challenge is to keep covering under our rules and I think this is why BBC – the people's listening to the BBC – because the people trying to listen to the informations without emotions."
The conversation between Amanor and Alkashif continues in much the same vein until the end of the item and – notably – the word Hamas still does not appear once.
Alkashif's decidedly debatable claim that the BBC provides information "without emotions" is of course all the more jarring due to its appearance in an item which is all about manipulating the emotions of its listeners.
The entire item presents audiences with a subjective and inaccurate picture of a war waged by Israel on the civilian population of Gaza with the accent on children: Alkashif's own children, the children on the beach, the dead children he saw in Shuja'iya. No attempt is made whatsoever to place Alkashif's experiences in context: there are no terrorists in his war, the population of the Gaza Strip is entirely passive, Shuja'iya is just a residential neighbourhood rather than the site of Hamas assets and installations, buildings are just "bombed" for no apparent reason.
Two months after the ceasefire which brought the war to an end, it is blatantly obvious that the manipulation of public opinion by means of selective presentation of the conflict remains a priority for the BBC.
By Hadar Sela • Posted in Accuracy, BBC, Impartiality, Omission, Public Purposes	• Tagged 'The Fifth Floor', BBC, BBC Arabic, BBC World Service radio, David Amanor, Gaza Strip, Operation Protective Edge, Shahdi Alkashif
BBC's Alkashif slips gratuitous Israel mentions into Gaza Greek god story
On February 21st an article titled "The Apollo of Gaza: One fisherman's amazing catch" by BBC Arabic's Shahdi Alkashif appeared in the 'Features & Analysis' section of the Middle East page of the BBC News website as well as in its 'Magazine' section. An audio version of the report appeared on the BBC World Service programme 'The Fifth Floor' and is also available as a podcast for a limited period of time.
In that audio version Shahdi Alkashif tells listeners:
"Gaza's still, you know, under siege. There is no airports, there is no port, there is no any border with Gaza. The people cannot move out of Gaza."
Not only is no context provided to listeners as to why restrictions of movement to and from a territory ruled by a terrorist group are necessary, but clearly Alkashif's claim that "the people cannot move out of Gaza" is highly inaccurate and misleading. In the week February 9th to 15th alone, 3,550 people used the Erez terminal to enter or exit the Gaza Strip.
The written version opens:
"A statue thought to be an ancient bronze of Apollo, Greek God of poetry and love, has dropped off the radar after being found in the sea off Gaza last summer and surfacing briefly on eBay. It is 2,500 years old and priceless.
Jawdat Abu Ghurab used to be a builder but in 2007 Israel restricted the delivery of building materials to the Gaza strip, so he became a fisherman like his father."
Uninformed readers are left with the mistaken impression that one day in 2007 Israel simply decided to restrict "the delivery of building materials to the Gaza Strip". No mention is made by Alkashif of the all-important context of the violent coup which resulted in the Hamas take-over of the Gaza Strip and the subsequent escalation in missile fire at Israeli civilian targets which caused the designation of the Gaza Strip as 'hostile territory' by the Israeli government. Neither does Alkashif bother to inform readers what kind of building materials are restricted and to which projects and under what conditions they are permitted, or why it is necessary to control the entry of dual-purpose materials into a territory ruled by an internationally designated terrorist organization which uses concrete and other building supplies to construct cross-border tunnels for the purpose of carrying out terrorist attacks.
Further on in the report Alkashif does state that "..the smugglers' tunnels – dug to circumvent restrictions put in place by Israel and Egypt after the Islamist movement Hamas came to power in Gaza – have been out of action since they were closed by the Egyptian army last summer" but again insufficient background is given as to why such "restrictions" were necessary.
And what of Jawdat Abu Ghurab's employment history? Well, that seems to be rather flexible. At the end of January an article on the exact same subject appeared in Bloomberg Business Week. In that report it is stated that he has been a fisherman since 2005.
"Ghurab, a fisherman, is 26, and has a wife and two sons. He left school at 13 and has been fishing since he was 17."
And according to the same article, Ghurab's CV also includes other activities:
"For a while Ghurab made money digging some of the smuggling tunnels under the Egyptian border and helped shuttle contraband—from washing machines to hives of Egyptian honeybees—but that money dried up when Egypt cracked down on trafficking."
Later on in the article Alkashif states:
"After four hours they succeeded in getting the object out of the water. It was the statue of a naked man. They loaded it on to a cart and took it to Ghurab's house.
"My wife covered her face when she saw him lying naked in the house. She begged me to cover it," he says, laughing."
A Reuters report on the same story which appeared in the Guardian on February 10th states however:
" "I felt it was something gifted to me by God," Ghrab told Reuters. "My financial situation is very difficult and I am waiting for my reward."
His mother was less happy when she saw the naked Apollo carried into the house, demanding that his private parts be covered. "My mother said: 'What a disaster you have brought with you' as she looked at the huge statue," said Ghrab."
Unlike Alkashif's version of the story, other reports on the same subject – including that one from the Guardian, one in the Independent and one which appeared in the Jerusalem Post – have noted that experts are sceptical as to whether the statue was actually found in the sea.
" "It's unique, said Jean-Michel de Tarragon, an historian with the French Biblical and Archaeological School of Jerusalem. […]
"It's very, very rare to find a statue which is not in marble or in stone, but in metal," he said, adding that the apparent pristine condition of the statue suggested it was uncovered on land and not in the sea, as claimed.
"The one of Gaza is very special and unique because for us, it has not been, at all, found in the sea… It has been found, we don't know exactly the place, we have a guess you know, in the north of Gaza….But it has been found surely, in the sand," he said, adding that there were no tell-tale signs of metal disfigurement or barnacles that one normally sees on items plucked from water.
De Tarragon says the claim the statue was found in the sea is probably just a convenient story told to avoid arguments over ownership, particularly if the treasure was found on someone else's land."
The Times of Israel quotes a Gaza-based archaeologist as saying:
"…the statue, with its green patina, was unlikely to have come from beneath the waves.
"It is 90 percent intact and was probably found on land," he told AFP. "If it had spent time underwater, the bronze would be blackened."
"It's more likely that the statue was found in an ancient temple in the Gaza area. We need to search and find out," he said."
Whatever the truth behind the discovery of the statue and whatever the reasons behind the timing of the story's sudden extensive promotion in the international media some six months after its initial discovery, one thing is certain: Shahdi Alkashif's context-free introduction of Israeli 'restrictions' on the entry of building materials to the Gaza Strip into the story and his claim that "people cannot move out of Gaza" are both misleading and gratuitous and can only be seen as being politically motivated insertions.
By Hadar Sela • Posted in Accuracy, BBC, Impartiality	• Tagged 'The Fifth Floor', BBC, BBC Arabic, BBC News, BBC Online, BBC World Service, Gaza Strip, Hamas, Shahdi Alkashif
BBC WS 'Fifth Floor' version of the 1993 Rabin-Arafat handshake
On September 14th the BBC World Service's Twitter account came up with the following question for its 64,000 followers:
The programme being promoted in that Tweet is the BBC World Service's 'The Fifth Floor' which is described on its webpage as follows:
"David Amanor presents The Fifth Floor, a new weekly programme that revels in the variety and range of stories produced by the BBC World Service's 27 language sections.
In any given week the language services across the BBC World Service are producing hours of radio and television and streams of web output: a truly global picture of the world.
And now there is a place where you can tap into that talent.
The Fifth Floor brings you an authentic perspective on the week's global news.
From Russia to Rwanda and Burma to Brazil, Presenter David Amanor takes a sometimes playful look at the big issues and surprising stories that emerge in a week of global news.
This is an insider's view on the heart of the World Service looking at how pieces are made, and the stories that enrich and add colour to our understanding of world reporting."
The episode in question was originally titled "Historic Handshakes" but that title was later revised to "Historic Handshakes, Hugs and Kisses".
At 12:30 in this recording, presenter David Amanor says:
"Now we're going to talk about historic handshakes because on this date twenty years ago Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat – leaders in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict [sic] – shook hands on the White House lawn in Washington. It was meant to symbolize the beginning of the peace process. Issam Ikirmawi was a young journalist watching from the Middle East at the time and now he works for BBC Arabic, so let's head over there now. A famous handshake: the most famous – or what?"
Issam Ikirmawi: "I would say infamous."
DA: "Infamous?"
II: "Yes. You had two people who were enemies and they were brought together under the spotlight and they had to shake hands."
DA: "And this was at the White House.."
II: "And this was at the White House lawn with President Clinton playing the peacemaker, so he brought them together. He could see that Rabin was reluctant to extend his hand so there was a gentle nudge by Clinton on the shoulder while Arafat was over-enthusiastic. But also – if you look at the body language – both men were trying to appear as the one in charge of it."
DA: "You're Palestinian yourself. Where were you at the time?"
II: "I was in Jerusalem and I was watching on television at home. I can't think of anyone who'd missed that occasion."
So BBC audiences are being steered towards a version of events in which the handshake took place between a "reluctant" Rabin and an "over-enthusiastic" Arafat. Why Rabin might be reluctant to shake the hand of the man (wearing military fatigues at a ceremony to mark the signing of a peace agreement) who headed a terrorist organization responsible for the deaths of so many Israelis is not made clear to audiences. Why Arafat might be perceived to be "over-enthusiastic" is not explained in the context of the fact that at the very time that the Oslo Accords were being signed, a pre-recorded speech by Arafat to the Palestinian people was being broadcast on Jordanian television.
"From the very outset of the Oslo process, Arafat and his lieutenants viewed the agreements as an implementation of this strategy, not as its abandonment. Arafat said just that as early as September 13, 1993, when he addressed the Palestinians in a pre-recorded Arabic-language message broadcast by Jordanian television, even as he shook Yitzhak Rabin's hand on the White House lawn. He informed the Palestinians that the Israeli-Palestinian declaration of principles (DOP) was merely the implementation of the PLO's "phased strategy." "O my beloved ones," he explained,
Do not forget that our Palestine National Council accepted the decision in 1974. It called for the establishment of a national authority on any part of Palestinian land that is liberated or from which the Israelis withdrew. This is the fruit of your struggle, your sacrifices, and your jihad … This is the moment of return, the moment of gaining a foothold on the first liberated Palestinian land … Long live Palestine, liberated and Arab."
But with no context whatsoever provided by either Amanor or Ikirmawi, the impression audiences receive is one of the Israeli leader being "reluctant" to make peace whilst his Palestinian counterpart was just the opposite. As for the "gentle nudge by Clinton on the shoulder [of Rabin]" which Ikirmawi recounts, photographs of the event show Clinton's arms extended towards the backs of both Arafat and Rabin. A Reuters photographer present at the event recently recalled that:
"The documents were signed. Everyone stood up and all I remember was a pause – a pause that seemed like and [sic] eternity when Arafat and Rabin didn't exactly know what to do next. With what seemed like a small little nudge from President Clinton's outstretched arms, PLO Chairman Arafat reached first in the direction of Prime Minister Rabin who sported what seemed like a little puzzled look before he himself put his hand firmly into Arafat's."
At 17:02 in the recording above Amanor returns to the subject of that handshake:
"Well a handshake is just one type of embrace – of symbolic embrace – and of course it's culturally specific. There are many other types in the world and we live in a big, round world here on the Fifth Floor. Back to Issam. Issam; back to that scene with Yasser Arafat and Prime Minister Rabin. [laughs] Now Yasser Arafat usually kissed, didn't he?"
Issam Ikirmawi: "Yes. There was a big rumour at the time that Arafat was told by American officials that under no circumstances should he attempt to kiss Rabin or kiss anyone."
DA: "What was the protocol – the reasoning behind that protocol though – that American officials would say that?"
II: "But I mean in the West it's not customary for men to kiss when they meet each other, while in the Middle East they do, and Arafat was renowned for his fondness of kissing people when he meets them."
Of course Ikirmawi's suggestion that American officials sought to protect Rabin's 'Western' sensibilities from Arafat's 'Middle Eastern' customs conceals the fact that Jerusalem-born Rabin was no less Middle Eastern than Cairo-born Arafat. But it also plays into pernicious stereotypes of 'authentic' Palestinians and 'foreign' Israelis.
Whether the content of this section of the programme is intended to give BBC audiences the "insider's view" of a reporter who watched the event thousands of miles away on his television just like the rest of us, or whether the promotion of a selective version of events is meant to be "playful" is unclear. But what is certain is that nothing which could be construed as contributing to the acquisition by BBC audiences of an "authentic perspective" on the signing of the Oslo Accords has been contributed by this item.
By Hadar Sela • Posted in Accuracy, BBC, Impartiality	• Tagged 'The Fifth Floor', BBC, BBC World Service, Issam Ikirmawi, Oslo Accords
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This week's podcast sees us take a break from our normal format to stray out into the wider world. I was at the Rezzed gaming show in London this past weekend, and as Teflon was also there he kindly joined me to record a special from the press room at the show. This does mean that, unfortunately, the audio quality isn't the best, but you can still here what we're talking about.
It's safe to say that we covered quite a lot in a reasonably short podcast, but highlights include a discussion on Tef's time on the BAFTAs red carpet, a look at PlayStation VR, and our views on games that range from unusual titles like Reins and Burly Men At Sea to more traditional titles like The Dwarves and The Turing Test.


Founded in 2010 by Hagop Giragossian, Quasim Riaz and André Vener, Dog Haus' first location was in Pasadena, California and it was soon followed by several locations across the United States. Through the years, the chain has established a reputation for its signature hand-crafted sausages, all-beef dogs, and fried chicken sandwiches. The chain is also known for its avoidance of added nitrates on its products and for its use of 100% Black Angus beef on its patties.
Dog Haus prices are very affordable as you can get a hot dog for around $6. They have several less expensive options on the menu as well.
If you're conscious about what you eat, especially when it comes to meat that has been treated with antibiotics and hormones, then Dog Haus is a great place to be. You will also love the grilled Hawaiian rolls, which are made fresh daily, and the opportunity to either choose from a set menu or build your own sandwich. There are also craft beers for adults as well as soft-serve ice cream and premium shakes for those with a sweet tooth.
Dog Haus has a reputation for being a relaxed place to be, too. Here, families and friends gather to enjoy classic American fare at reasonable prices.
Below are the latest Dog Haus menu prices.
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Send us menu pictures from your local Dog Haus.


text:
The ISPN Guide to Pediatric Neurosurgery (USA): Evaluation of Hypertonia in Children. New York, USA: The International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, 2023 (https://ispn.guide/functional-disorders-of-the-nervous-system-in-children/hypertonia-in-children-homepage/evaluation-of-hypertonia-in-children/) (Accessed February 9, 2023)
HomeFunctional Disorders of the Nervous System in ChildrenHypertonia in Children HomepageEvaluation of Hypertonia in Children
Contracture
Familial spastic paraparesis
Radiologic Tests
Nuclear Medicine Tests
Electrodiagnostic Tests
Neuropsychological Tests
Correlation of Tests
Medical: The medical history should include questions about reactive airway disease, pulmonary function, scoliosis, feeding difficulties (reflux), and urological difficulties that suggest urinary retention. A history of reactive airway disease or gastroesophageal reflux can warn of possible dangers during anesthesia (21).
Surgical: A complete surgical history will add to the picture of the evolving functional disorder and also alert one to possible conflicting therapies that could adversely impact any benefits from a planned surgery.
Gestational, birth, developmental: Each type of CP is associated with a typical gestational and birth history as well as a stereotypic pattern of clinical evolution. If a patient's history does not match what would be expected for the presumed diagnosis of CP, then the diagnosis should be questioned and an underlying degenerative disorder should be ruled out before proceeding with planned surgery to correct spasticity.
Spasticity: Spasticity is described as a velocity-dependent increase in muscle tone (23). Clinically, spasticity is observed as the reduction in passive range of motion obtained with rapid, repetitive stretching of a muscle in comparison to the passive range of motion obtained with a slow stretching of the same muscle. Spasticity is commonly graded with a modified Ashworth Scale.
Modified Ashworth Scale for Grading Spasticity
Score Description
No increase in tone
1 Slight increase in tone, manifested by a catch and release or by minimal resistance at the end of the range of motion when the affected part(s) is moved in flexion or extension
2 More marked increase in muscle tone through most of the ROM, but affected part(s) easily moved
3 Considerable increase in muscle tone, passive movement difficult
4 Affected part(s) rigid in flexion or extension
From Bohannon and Smith (22).
Dystonia: Dystonia is a movement disorder characterized by involuntary writhing movement, either sustained or intermittent (e.g., twitching), that causes a twisting, repetitive movement and/or posture in a limb (1). It is often triggered by a voluntary movement (1). The movements may involve the extremities or axial skeleton.
Rigidity: Rigidity is a resistance to movement that is present even at low speeds of passive stretching of a muscle, and its force is not velocity dependent (1). It has a quality of a lead pipe being bent, and it is present in both agonist and antagonists muscles (co-contraction). There is no associated posturing, nor is any movement triggered by voluntary movement of distal musculature (1).
Goniometry: Goniometric measurements of the passive range of motion should be recorded so the development of muscle contracture can be appreciated. It can be recorded either as the range obtained when a given muscle is slowly stretched or as the number of degrees of movement or motion that is missing.
Muscle Group Movment
Normal Range
(deg from neutral)
Forward Flexion 180
Extension 45-60
Internal Rotation 70
External Rotation 90
Abduction 170-180
Flexion 150
Pronation 80-90
Supination 80-90
Extension > 60
Flexion 60-80
Flexion 120-135
Extension 30
Abduction 30-50
Adduction 30
Medial Rotation 30-40
Lateral Rotation 40-60
Dorsiflexion 15-30
Plantar Flexion 45-50
Femoral anteversion: The difference between the vertical and the axis of the tibia when the patient is prone and the trochanter is positioned so its lateral projection is maximal This is an approximate measure of the degree of abnormal relationship between the angle of the femoral neck and the posterior surface of the distal condyles.
Tibial torsion: Most use a thigh-foot angle measurement to assess tibial torsion. This is the angle between the axis of the femur and the axis of the foot with the patient lying prone and the knee and ankle joints held at 90 degrees each.
Patella alta: Normally, the top of the patella is one finger width proximal to the adductor tubercle of the femur.
Varus and valgus deformities of the foot: Varus (inversion) deformities of the rear foot or forefoot may be present. More rarely, there may be a valgus (eversion) deformity of the rear foot. These should be documented.
Description: The patient should be observed walking, if possible, both with braces and any assistive device (crutches, walkers, etc.) that the patient commonly uses and without braces (and without assistive device, if the patient is able). Any fixed or dynamic deformity at a joint is described, as is limitation in mobility in the joint. The stride length and pattern of foot plant is also described.
Formal gait analysis: Formalized study of a child's pattern of gait can also be obtained. Typically this includes the measurement of the pattern of muscle contraction during the gait cycle, range of joint movements during the gait cycle, and body alignment during the gait cycle. It can also include measurement of forces generated by the legs against force plates that the patient walks over during the testing.
No standard testing: No standard tests that will diagnose CP. Tests may be indicated if a metabolic or genetic abnormality is suspected.
Metabolic screening
Perinatal injury: Ultrasonography is a useful tool during the perinatal period when the anterior fontanelle is still open. It can be used to identify parenchymal and intraventricular hemorrhage and cystic changes resulting from previous parenchymal injuries.
Perinatal hydrocephalus: Ultrasonography can be used to identify causes for accelerated head growth such as hydrocephalus.
Emergencies: The main use of CT scans in infants and children is for emergent assessment of the brain, but CT scans are being rapidly replaced by quick rapid sequence MRI scans. CT scans are generally not preferred for routine diagnostic evaluations given the associated radiation exposure.
Documentation of calcified lesions: There are special situations where calcification is a diagnostic clue, and it is important to determine whether or not it is present. In these situations CT imaging is superior to MRI. An example would be suspected toxoplasmosis or craniopharyngioma.
Preferred imaging technique: MRI is preferred over other imaging techniques due to its resolution.
Resolution improves with myelination: The sensitivity of MRI improves in children after 18–24 months of age as myelination of the white matter matures.
Brain malformations occur during first and second trimesters: Malformations of proliferation and cellular lineage (microcephaly, hemimegalencephaly, and focal cortical dysplasia with balloon cells) occur earliest, followed by malformations due to disordered neuroblast migration (heterotopias, lissencephaly), and finally malformations of neocortical organization (polymicrogyri, schizencephaly) (25).
Early third trimester lesion periventricular: Injuries occurring early in the third trimester will be seen in the periventricular regions on MRI. These include PVL and IVH (24, 25).
Late third trimester lesions in gray matter: Injuries occurring late in the third trimester will be located in the gray matter of the basil ganglia, thalamus, central region, and hippocampus (24, 25).
Urodynamics: There is a 15% incidence of urological dysfunction in children with CP, and baseline urological assessment is recommended prior to any surgery (21, 26).
Not typically done
Physical examination and therapist: Any intended surgery must match the problematic tone that is preventing functional improvement from physical therapy.
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Understand and apply strategies for taking notes efficiently.
Determine the specific time-management, study, and note-taking strategies that work best for you individually.
By now, you have a general idea of what to expect from your college courses. You have probably received course syllabi, started on your first few assignments, and begun applying the strategies you learned about in Section 1.1 "Reading and Writing in College".
At the beginning of the semester, your work load is relatively light. This is the perfect time to brush up on your study skills and establish good habits. When the demands on your time and energy become more intense, you will have a system in place for handling them.
As you work through this section, remember that every student is different. The strategies presented here are tried and true techniques that work well for many people. However, you may need to adapt them slightly to develop a system that works well for you personally. If your friend swears by her smartphone, but you hate having to carry extra electronic gadgets around, then using a smartphone will not be the best organizational strategy for you.
Read with an open mind, and consider what techniques have been effective (or ineffective) for you in the past. Which habits from your high school years or your work life could help you succeed in college? Which habits might get in your way? What changes might you need to make?
What is your learning style? For the purposes of this chapter, learning style refers to the way you prefer to take in new information, by seeing, by listening, or through some other channel. For more information, see the section on learning styles.
How much clutter can you handle in your work space? Some people work fine at a messy desk and know exactly where to find what they need in their stack of papers; however, most people benefit from maintaining a neat, organized space.
How well do you juggle potential distractions in your environment? If you can study at home without being tempted to turn on the television, check your e-mail, fix yourself a snack, and so on, you may make home your work space. However, if you need a less distracting environment to stay focused, you may be able to find one on your college's campus or in your community.
Now read the following explanations. Again, think about whether each description sounds like you.
If you chose (a), you may be a visual learner. You understand ideas best when they are presented in a visual format, such as a flowchart, a diagram, or text with clear headings and many photos or illustrations.
If you chose (b), you may be a verbal learner. You understand ideas best through reading and writing about them and taking detailed notes.
If you chose (c), you may be an auditory learner. You understand ideas best through listening. You learn well from spoken lectures or books on tape.
If you chose (d), you may be a kinesthetic learner. You learn best through doing and prefer hands-on activities. In long lectures, fidgeting may help you focus.
Your learning style does not completely define you as a student. Auditory learners can comprehend a flow chart, and kinesthetic learners can sit still long enough to read a book. However, if you do have one dominant learning style, you can work with it to get the most out of your classes and study time. Table 1.3 "Learning Style Strategies" lists some tips for maximizing your learning style.
Use different-colored highlighters or pens to color-code information as you read.
Use visual organizers, such as maps, flowcharts, and so forth, to help you plan writing assignments.
Use colored pens, highlighters, or the review feature of your word-processing program to revise and edit writing.
Ask your instructor's permission to tape-record lectures to supplement your notes.
The material presented here about learning styles is just the tip of the iceberg. There are numerous other variations in how people learn. Some people like to act on information right away while others reflect on it first. Some people excel at mastering details and understanding concrete, tried and true ideas while others enjoy exploring abstract theories and innovative, even impractical ideas. For more information about how you learn, visit your school's academic resource center.
In college you have increased freedom to structure your time as you please. With that freedom comes increased responsibility. High school teachers often take it upon themselves to track down students who miss class or forget assignments. College instructors, however, expect you to take full responsibility for managing yourself and getting your work done on time.
At the beginning of the semester, establish a weekly routine for when you will study and write. A general guideline is that for every hour spent in class, students should expect to spend another two to three hours on reading, writing, and studying for tests. Therefore, if you are taking a biology course that meets three times a week for an hour at a time, you can expect to spend six to nine hours per week on it outside of class. You will need to budget time for each class just like an employer schedules shifts at work, and you must make that study time a priority.
That may sound like a lot when taking multiple classes, but if you plan your time carefully, it is manageable. A typical full-time schedule of fifteen credit hours translates into thirty to forty-five hours per week spent on schoolwork outside of class. All in all, a full-time student would spend about as much time on school each week as an employee spends on work. Balancing school and a job can be more challenging, but still doable.
Crystal knew that to balance a job, college classes, and a family, it was crucial for her to get organized. For the month of September, she drew up a week-by-week calendar that listed not only her own class and work schedules but also the days her son attended preschool and the days her husband had off from work. She and her husband discussed how to share their day-to-day household responsibilities so she would be able to get her schoolwork done. Crystal also made a note to talk to her supervisor at work about reducing her hours during finals week in December.
Now that you have learned some time-management basics, it is time to apply those skills. For this exercise, you will develop a weekly schedule and a semester calendar.
Working with your class schedule, map out a week-long schedule of study time. Try to apply the "two- to three-hour" rule. Be sure to include any other nonnegotiable responsibilities, such as a job or child care duties.
Setting up a schedule is easy. Sticking with it, however, may create challenges. A schedule that looked great on paper may prove to be unrealistic. Sometimes, despite students' best intentions, they end up procrastinating or pulling all-nighters to finish a paper or study for an exam.
Keep in mind, however, that your weekly schedule and semester calendar are time-management tools. Like any tools, their effectiveness depends on the user: you. If you leave a tool sitting in the box unused (e.g., if you set up your schedule and then forget about it), it will not help you complete the task. And if, for some reason, a particular tool or strategy is not getting the job done, you need to figure out why and maybe try using something else.
With that in mind, read the list of time-management dos and don'ts. Keep this list handy as a reference you can use throughout the semester to "troubleshoot" if you feel like your schoolwork is getting off track.
Set aside time to review your schedule or calendar regularly and update or adjust them as needed.
Be realistic when you schedule study time. Do not plan to write your paper on Friday night when everyone else is out socializing. When Friday comes, you might end up abandoning your plans and hanging out with your friends instead.
Be honest with yourself about where your time goes. Do not fritter away your study time on distractions like e-mail and social networking sites.
Accept that occasionally your work may get a little off track. No one is perfect.
Accept that sometimes you may not have time for all the fun things you would like to do.
Recognize times when you feel overextended. Sometimes you may just need to get through an especially demanding week. However, if you feel exhausted and overworked all the time, you may need to scale back on some of your commitments.
Have a plan for handling high-stress periods, such as final exam week. Try to reduce your other commitments during those periods—for instance, by scheduling time off from your job. Build in some time for relaxing activities, too.
Do not fall into the trap of "all-or-nothing" thinking: "There is no way I can fit in a three-hour study session today, so I will just wait until the weekend." Extended periods of free time are hard to come by, so find ways to use small blocks of time productively. For instance, if you have a free half hour between classes, use it to preview a chapter or brainstorm ideas for an essay.
Do not fall into the trap of letting things slide and promising yourself, "I will do better next week." When next week comes, the accumulated undone tasks will seem even more intimidating, and you will find it harder to get them done.
For the next two weeks, focus on consistently using whatever time-management system you have set up. Check in with yourself daily and weekly, stick to your schedule, and take note of anything that interferes. At the end of the two weeks, review your schedule and determine whether you need to adjust it.
Review the preceeding list of dos and don'ts.
Identify at least two habits from the "Dos" list that you could use to improve your time-management skills.
Identify the habit from the "Don'ts" list that you are most likely to slip into as the semester gets busier. What could you do to combat this habit?
If you are part of the workforce, you have probably established strategies for accomplishing job-related tasks efficiently. How could you adapt these strategies to help you be a successful student? For instance, you might sync up your school and work schedules on an electronic calendar. Instead of checking in with your boss about upcoming work deadlines, establish a buddy system where you check in with a friend about school projects. Give school the same priority you give to work.
One final valuable tool to have in your arsenal as a student is a good note-taking system. Just the act of converting a spoken lecture to notes helps you organize and retain information, and of course, good notes also help you review important concepts later. Although taking good notes is an essential study skill, many students enter college without having received much guidance about note taking.
These sections discuss different strategies you can use to take notes efficiently. No matter which system you choose, keep the note-taking guidelines in mind.
During class, capture important ideas as concisely as you can. Use words or phrases instead of full sentences and abbreviate when possible.
A good note-taking system needs to help you differentiate among major points, related subtopics, and supporting details. It visually represents the connections between ideas. Finally, to be effective, your note-taking system must allow you to record and organize information fairly quickly. Although some students like to create detailed, formal outlines or concept maps when they read, these may not be good strategies for class notes, because spoken lectures may not allow time for elaborate notes.
If you discovered in this section that you learn best with visual presentations, you may prefer to use a more graphic format for notes, such as an idea map. The next example shows how Crystal's lecture notes could be set up differently. Although the format is different, the content and organization are the same.
If the content of a lecture falls into a predictable, well-organized pattern, you might choose to use a chart or table to record your notes. This system works best when you already know, either before class or at the beginning of class, which categories you should include. The next figure shows how this system might be used.
In addition to the general techniques already described, you might find it useful to practice a specific strategy known as the Cornell note-taking system. This popular format makes it easy not only to organize information clearly but also to note key terms and summarize content.
Often, at school or in the workplace, a speaker will provide you with pregenerated notes summarizing electronic presentation slides. You may be tempted not to take notes at all because much of the content is already summarized for you. However, it is a good idea to jot down at least a few notes. Doing so keeps you focused during the presentation, allows you to record details you might otherwise forget, and gives you the opportunity to jot down questions or reflections to personalize the content.
Over the next few weeks, establish a note-taking system that works for you.
If you find that you are having trouble taking notes effectively, set up an appointment with your school's academic resource center.
Understanding your individual learning style and preferences can help you identify the study and time-management strategies that will work best for you. To manage your time effectively, it is important to look at the short term (daily and weekly schedules) and the long term (major semester deadlines). Also, be consistent about maintaining your schedule. If your schedule is not working for you, make adjustments. Lastly, a good note-taking system must differentiate among major points, related subtopics, and supporting details, and it must allow you to record and organize information fairly quickly. Choose the format that is most effective for you.


text:
Q: Can't import youtubesearchpython into my code Pip install youtube-search-python

And than when i try :
from youtubesearchpython import *

I see an error tells me that the module not found
What is the problem

A: Are you using anaconda or conda ? If not you can install it here.
I would recommend to built an environment (here : myenvname) first with all the available packages you need. You will be able to install youtube-search-python with conda-forge channel.
conda create --name myenvname --channel=conda-forge youtube-search-python
conda install -n myenvname python
conda install -n myenvname scipy
conda install -n myenvname matplotlib
...
conda activate myenvname

After that you choose your myenvname for your environment with specific packages installed. Feel free to consult the conda documentation available at the same link as above.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Alliance Announces Visit Harford! as the MD State BBQ Bash Title Sponsor
Bel Air Downtown Alliance July 16, 2015
Bel Air, MD – July, 16, 2015 – The Bel Air Downtown Alliance is pleased to announce that Visit Harford! will be joining the 2015 MD State BBQ Bash (August 14th & 15th) as the Title Sponsor.
"Visit Harford is excited to step up and support the Bash. It is definitely a county asset, and a great time, and that is what we are all about; supporting the things that work for our county," said Patricia Parker, President of Visit Harford!. As the Title Sponsor for the Tailgate Challenge awards, Visit Harford! will be presenting the 1st through 5th Place Awards for the Tailgate Challenge and the Grand Champion (1st Place) and Reserve Champion (2nd Place) for the official Kansas City Barbecue Society / Maryland State BBQ Championship Grand Champion and Reserve Champion Awards.
"We are very excited to have Visit Harford! as our Title Sponsor this year and are honored that the BBQ Bash was chosen as one of their break-out vehicles as they launch the new private tourism office here in Harford County, " reported Craig Ward, founder of the event and President on the Board of the Bel Air Downtown Alliance, the organization that hosts the MD State BBQ Bash. "We hope that this will be a long time partnership with Visit Harford! and that we can contribute to the combined success of tourism here in Harford County," he added.
About the MD State BBQ Bash
Harford County MD's most anticipated event of the year is the MD State BBQ Bash. Named as Harford County's "Best Event" in 2012, 2013 and again in 2014, the MD State BBQ Bash is a barbecue themed street festival featuring the Maryland State BBQ Championship, with more than 50 competition teams from the Mid-Atlantic area and beyond competing for $12,500 in cash prizes and the chance to compete in the annual Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue in Lynchburg, TN and The American Royal in Kansas City, MO. In addition, more than 40 amateur teams will compete in the MD State BBQ Bash Tailgate Challenge to see who has the best ribs while competing for cash, prizes, and bragging rights. For more than 10 years, the MD State BBQ Bash has grown to be one of the largest, most fun, and most anticipated events of the year in Downtown Bel Air. Great food, great music, great people, the Maryland State Barbecue Championship and the MD State BBQ Bash Tailgate Challenge, have combined to create a tradition that we hope you will want to be a part of this year and in the years ahead.
The MD State BBQ Bash is free for the public and has regularly drawn nearly 25,000 attendees over two days. The MD State BBQ Bash is one of the most anticipated and exciting community events in Harford County, with a following throughout the Baltimore metropolitan region and beyond. As always, the MD State BBQ Bash is being brought to you by the Bel Air Downtown Alliance, a 501(c)(3) non-profit, Main Street Maryland organization dedicated to creating a vibrant business community and visitor friendly destination in Downtown Bel Air, MD. This event is the largest fundraising effort for the Bel Air Downtown Alliance and 100% of the proceeds benefits the mission and is reinvested locally.
About Visit Harford!
Visit Harford! is the counties' Destination Marketing Organization, with the mission of supporting tourism and tourism related activities for Harford County. Visit Harford was appointed the DMO after the County privatized tourism in 2015.
About the Bel Air Downtown Alliance
The Bel Air Downtown Alliance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community development organization whose mission is to mobilize stakeholders to invest in Bel Air's neighborhoods, economy, and quality of life. The Alliance, one of 26 Main Street Maryland communities founded in 2001, is a volunteer network of local businesses and prominent citizens that focuses on enhancing Downtown Bel Air through the preservation of its appearance, traditions, community identity, and economic stability. If you would like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with Christine McPherson, please contact the Bel Air Downtown Alliance at (443) 823-1797 or Christine@DowntownBelAir.com.


The holidays…days full of food, family, activities, traditions and creating new memories. The weather is getting colder and the days are getting shorter, but that doesn't mean the likelihood of experiencing temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain decreases at all. The holiday season can be especially difficult for those who have been diagnosed with TMJ.
So much of the holiday season revolves around food. Whether it's food at holiday dinners and meals, hors d'oeuvres at a party or desserts while spending time with friends, food is often integral to activities during the holiday. If you are living the TMJ pain, food can be intimidating, especially if you're trying something new or are unaware of all the ingredients in the dish.
• Try to stay away from hard, crunchy or chewy foods. Avoid the veggie tray at the party, dishes made with nuts and candy canes on the dessert table.
•Don't experiment too much when it comes to food. If you're unsure about the ingredients in a dish, either ask or avoid it—taking a chance may not be worth the pain it causes after the meal is finished.
The holidays are full of fun activities to do with family and friends. But, they can be more complicated when you're managing TMJ pain. When you're planning your holiday schedule, think about your health and stamina first.
This can be an extremely stressful holiday activity, but it can be less stressful with some advance planning. If you have holiday shopping to finish up, plan to do it on non-weekend days when there are less people at the mall. To completely reduce your shopping stress, consider finishing your shopping online to beat the lines and traffic.
With temperatures dropping and snow starting to fall, spending time doing things outdoors can seem like fun. But, the cold temperatures can cause increased TMJ pain and aggravated symptoms. To keep your pain to a minimum, minimize the amount of time you spend outside—watch younger family members build snowmen from inside the house, check out light displays from inside the car and go ice skating for short amounts of time.
This holiday season, don't let your TMJ pain get the best of you. With some planning and awareness, you can enjoy the holidays with friends and family and without the fear of TMJ pain. If you need help managing your TMJ pain, Dr. Mitakides and the staff at the TMJ Treatment Center are here to help. For more than 40 years, Dr. Mitakides has been diagnosing and treating TMJ. Schedule an appointment with Dr. Mitakides or give us a call today at 937-427-3131.


The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation donated $10,000 to the American Indian College Fund in support of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation Oral Health Tribal College Scholarship Program. Established in 2002, the program has allowed American Indian students to pursue a degree at an accredited tribal college and university in an oral health field, such as allied health-dental, pre-dentistry, dental assisting technology, dental hygiene, dental surgery, and/or orthodontics.
Native students with a 2.5 grade point average who are attending a tribal college are eligible to apply.
The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation was established in 1987 to formalize the Wrigley Company's long history of charitable giving. Since its inception, the Foundation has contributed more than $47 million to philanthropic causes worldwide and currently supports initiatives focused in oral health and the environment as well as those addressing significant local needs in the communities where Wrigley associates live and work.


text:
Top 10 Real World Famous Alchemists
Alchemy is considered to be a perfect example of pseudo-science in every aspect of the term´s definition. It is definitely valid in pure modern view. However, this is a little bit harsh and snobbish when a historical context is taken into account. In that context, a proto-scientific philosophical direction seems a more appropriate description as it really had the basics of modern science branches like chemistry or physics. In ancient Egypt, Middle East, India and the Muslim world as well as in Europe – in all these places alchemists were trying to discover things like an elixir of immortality, a universal cure for any disease or to transmute ordinary metals to gold. In the following Top 10, some of the most world famous alchemists in the world are listed.
Image Credit: Blogspot
10. Ge-Hong (263 – 420)
Image Credit: Internet Enclyclopedia of Philosphy
Ge-Hong was a Chinese alchemist with a special interest in gold. He served in a military and also as a clerk to the local Prince in Southern China. His works cover the areas of alchemy as well as religion, philosophy and other branches of human activities. He was a promoter of the "gold elixir" as the only man to achieve transcendence. He shouldn´t be forgotten among the famous alchemists in the world.
9. Muhammad ibn Zakariyā Rāzī (865 – 925)
Image Credit: Brought to Life
This famous Muslim alchemist who is also known as Al-Razi or Rhazes lived in a Persia during the golden era of an Islamic civilization. He had an interest in mathematics, medicine, philosophy, chemistry and also alchemy. In all of these branches, he made a lot of success. He described chemicals like alcohol or kerosene. He is also called the father of pediatrics and made some breakthroughs in ophthalmology (what an irony as he became blind later) and became a chief physician of Baghdad´s hospital. In the field of alchemy, he was trying especially to transmute metals to gold and silver.
8. Thomas Aquinas (1225 – 1274)
Image Credit: Franciscan Media
Saint Thomas Aquinas is one the most important philosophers and scholars of Christianity during the middle-ages. His synthesis of Christian revelation with ancient Greek Aristotelian science defined the course of history for ages. Naturally, such a great scholar was interested also in medicine, biology, psychology… you name it. Alchemy was no exception. As an alchemist, he didn't achieve such a fame as a theologian and philosopher but his general importance put him into our list of important real world alchemists.
7. Roger Bacon (1219/1220 – 1292)
Roger Bacon was a Franciscan friar active in all of the major fields of science. And because he lived in the 13th century when there was no real difference between science and alchemy, he has his place in the list of the world famous alchemists. In his alchemic texts, he mentioned the philosopher´s stone as well as flying machines and submarines.
6. Johann Georg Faust (1480 – 1540)
Dr. Johann Georg Faust is probably most famous for being a model for the main characters of Goethe´s drama Faust (1808). The real Faust was German alchemist, astrologer, and magician and also a physician and doctor of philosophy. He died after an explosion of his alchemical experiment. Again, not one of the most famous alchemists in the world, but Goethe gave him a second life in which his impact was tremendous.
5. Paracelsus (1493 – 1541)
In fact, Paracelsus´ name meant "equal to or greater than Celsus" (Celsus was famous Roman encyclopedist of the 1st century). He studied medicine and is considered to be the father of toxicology. In the tradition of the late medieval Europe, he was also interested in the philosopher´s stone, the elixir of life, astrology and other things familiar to the scholars of his era.
4. Edward Kelley (1555 – 1597)
Image Credit: Prague City Line
With Edward Kelley, we have reached the golden era of alchemy. In Prague, emperor Rudolph II of Habsburg surrounded himself by the greatest of world famous alchemists (or those who told him to be one of them…). Kelley was an Englishman who claimed to be able to summon spirits and angels or to transmute base metals into gold. Rudolph believed in Kelley´s ability to produce gold and it is possible that his imprisonment was motivated by preventing him from escape with such an important secret. He was released but as he failed in producing gold, he was imprisoned again and soon he died from injuries while attempting to escape his prison.
3. John Dee (1527 – 1608)
Image Credit: ART UK
Respected astronomer and mathematician served for some time as an advisor of the English queen Elizabeth I. After that, he moved to Prague where he spent some time as a partner of Edward Kelley. There is a theory that Dee was the owner of the famous Voynich manuscript and sold it to the emperor Rudolph II. He has definitely his place among world famous alchemists as he is a representative of alchemy´s golden era.
2. Isaac Newton (1643 – 1728)
Image Credit: Kidskunt
You probably know Isaac Newton as a first-class scientist who defined Newton´s laws or invented the calculus. He is usually being described as the greatest scientists of all time with an IQ somewhere around 160. However, he has his place also among the real world alchemists. In his London laboratory, he actively experimented with alchemic procedures. To be aware of his interests in alchemy or interpretations of the Bible is necessary to fully understand his complicated personality.
1. Marie Curie (1867 – 1934)
Image Credit: Futurism
Is it not appropriate to list the first (and only) female double Nobel Prize laureate at the top among the world famous alchemists? We agree that her research was completely different from that of Edward Kelley or John Dee but we feel that she has her place on the top of this list. Why? It is because she finally proved and described that transmutation, the ultimate goal of generations of alchemists, is real and can be found in nature. It is tightly connected to radioactivity. Of course, Marie Curie was not an alchemist. But we took the chance and used her name to symbolically end the era of alchemy which freed the stage for the era of science.
Real world alchemists may be only the historical curiosity but surely an interesting one. If you have found this article interesting, why not to continue reading about another great person of medieval for of science? Top 10 Da Vinci Inventions!
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text:
Q: What is the role of npartitions in a Dask dataframe? I see the paramter npartitions in many functions, but I don't understand what it is good for / used for.
http://dask.pydata.org/en/latest/dataframe-api.html#dask.dataframe.read_csv

head(...)
Elements are only taken from the first npartitions, with a default of 1. If there are fewer than n rows in the first npartitions a warning will be raised and any found rows returned. Pass -1 to use all partitions.
repartition(...)
Number of partitions of output, must be less than npartitions of input. Only used if divisions isn't specified.

Is the number of partitions probably 5 in this case:
(Image source: http://dask.pydata.org/en/latest/dataframe-overview.html )

A: The npartitions property is the number of Pandas dataframes that compose a single Dask dataframe.  This affects performance in two main ways.

*

*If you don't have enough partitions then you may not be able to use all of your cores effectively.  For example if your dask.dataframe has only one partition then only one core can operate at a time.

*If you have too many partitions then the scheduler may incur a lot of overhead deciding where to compute each task.

Generally you want a few times more partitions than you have cores.  Every task takes up a few hundred microseconds in the scheduler.
You can determine the number of partitions either at data ingestion time using the parameters like blocksize= in read_csv(...) or afterwards by using the .repartition(...) method.

A: I tried to check what is the optimal number for my case.
I work on laptops with 8 cores.
I have 100Gb csv files  with 250M rows and 25 columns.
I run  the function "describe" on 1,5,30,1000  partitions
df = df.repartition(npartitions=1)
a1=df['age'].describe().compute()
df = df.repartition(npartitions=5)
a2=df['age'].describe().compute()
df = df.repartition(npartitions=30)
a3=df['age'].describe().compute()
df = df.repartition(npartitions=100)
a4=df['age'].describe().compute()

about speed :
5,30 >  around 3 minutes
1, 1000 >  around 9 minutes
but ...I found that "order" functions like median or percentile give wrong number when I used more than one  partition .
1 partition give right number (I checked it with  small data using pandas and dask)


We all have our fears, and it doesn't help that we live in a world that wants us to be afraid, and that tries to capitalize on those fears. Fear is a great source of both misery and evil, but we don't have to live as hostages to fear.
There is an old saying: "When fear knocks at the door and faith answers, no one is there!"
God gives us the strength and means to face all our fears, and to render them powerless. That's not to say that life will be easy, but when we truly trust God and His plan for us, there is nothing left to fear.


text:
Predictive Programming of Transhumanism in 'Transcendence' trailer
February 27, 2014 Isaac Weishaupt 1 Comment
Here's a trailer for the film starring Johnny Depp called Transcendence. It's more or less about the concept of uploading one's mind into an artificial construct (A.I.) and what will happen when humanity crosses the threshold of the 'Singularity'- the point that A.I. will out perform a human brain. This concept of the Singularity was brought forth by futurist Ray Kurzweil, who was recently (well, 2012 actually) brought into Google as the Director of Engineering. Kurzweil has a strong desire to push this Transhumanism movement, and has even claimed that he'd like to bring his father back to life digitally via an avatar.
All of this plays into this weird dystopic future we're looking at since there doesn't seem to be a way around Moore's Law and Kurzweil's observations of the Law of Accelerating Returns, which both say the same thing; the robots are gonna take over.
From KurzweilAI.net:
An analysis of the history of technology shows that technological change is exponential, contrary to the common-sense "intuitive linear" view. So we won't experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century — it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today's rate). The "returns," such as chip speed and cost-effectiveness, also increase exponentially. There's even exponential growth in the rate of exponential growth. Within a few decades, machine intelligence will surpass human intelligence, leading to The Singularity — technological change so rapid and profound it represents a rupture in the fabric of human history. The implications include the merger of biological and nonbiological intelligence, immortal software-based humans, and ultra-high levels of intelligence that expand outward in the universe at the speed of light.
So this film appears to either be warning us of the dangers of this transhumanism movement (which wouldn't make sense if you wanted to take the paranoid viewpoint), or it's showing us how we should react when it happens; with fear instead of rationality. There is what appears to be some kind of 'rebel' group that won't partake of this technology transformation (aka accepting the mark of the Beast) which I'm claiming because you see a guy being taken down that has a tattoo that says 'Unplug'. So perhaps the battling, fear, and rebellion is all the kind of actions we're supposed to take in order for the Illuminati elites to make some kind of sick profit as they usher in this new age of man that allows the robots to take over.
Not to mention that Illuminati front man Johnny Depp is the star of this film:
And we see the All Seeing Eye in the trailer:
I've got a whole bunch about this transhumanism concept broken down in my book A Grand Unified Conspiracy Theory: The Illuminati, Ancient Aliens, and Pop Culture:
Chapter 5- Worship of Serpents, Dragons, Shape Shifting Reptiles and Transhumanism
Gnostic Archons, Serpent Worship, Shape Shifters hijacking energy, Red Dragons, Rihanna vs. Rhiannon, Transhumanism Eugenics, Artificial Intelligence in a Facebook Virtual Reality, Bee Worship, Princess Diana's 'Unlawful Killing' documentary review
Here's that trailer:
Also, here is a very recent episode of Coast to Coast from Feb. 25th, 2014 with the future of the mind:
Future of the Mind:
In the first half of Tuesday's show, Dr. Michio Kaku discussed the astonishing scientific research on the mind being done in top laboratories, based on the latest advancements in neuroscience and physics. Our mind is the most complex object, perhaps in the known universe, and now some of its mysteries are being revealed as we are able to peer directly into the thinking brain, he marveled. The brain is different from a computer– it's a learning machine, a neural network that rewires itself after learning a new task, he explained, and a large portion of it is devoted to unconscious thoughts and emotions which gives us often useful involuntary responses. In the coming years, more people will have chips that connect their brains to computers to augment their abilities (currently used for paralyzed people), he detailed.
We can now insert a memory into a mouse, next will be primates, and then people with Alzheimer's and dementia, and eventually we may be able to upload information directly into our hippocampus (the region of the brain associated with memory). A 'smart pill' to enhance our cognition or enable photographic memory will likely be developed, and people will have chip implants that will, for example, telepathically control lights in their home, or direct their car to a specific destination, in a future world where computers will be "everywhere and nowhere," he posited. Kaku also described a recent experiment involving an MRI scan of the brain of a sleeping person, which revealed images of what the person was actually dreaming about.
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