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Why Sport Clips?
The Hair Care Industry
Sport Clips Continuity Rate
Initial Evaluation Process
The Long-Term Result
Cultural Profiles
Franchising 101
Sport Clips News
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Call Us800.655.9679
Sport Clips Team Leader Profile: Alex Howson
Sport Clips Help A Hero Is Now One Of The "Top-Awarding" Programs Of Its Kind
(X Times Multiple = Resale) and your Exit Strategy
Sport Clips Haircuts Named a 2020 Top Franchise
Success Starts with Why
Validation Conversations with Franchisees
Understanding Franchise Rankings
Sport Clips Team Leaders: Rod & Jodi Reyes
Gordon Logan Speaks to Veterans at Business Beyond the Battlefield Conference
Three Types of Franchise Ownership
People. Product. Process. The Three Ps of Business
Dispelling 5 Big Myths About Joining the Sport Clips Franchisee Family
Sport Clips' Ambassador Program is Getting Future Stylists Excited about Joining the Team
What a Franchisor's FDD tells you about Its Company Culture
Multi-Unit Franchise
Cultural Profiles (30)
Featured Markets (8)
Franchising 101 (39)
Sport Clips News (40)
Team Leader Stories (74)
A Sneak Peek Into Sport Clips' Upcoming Validation Conference Call with Team Leader Shaun Norton
Posted By Nicole Wells - Sport Clips Contributor
The Nortons Sport Clips Journey
Shaun and Angelique Norton signed on with the Sport Clips team in August 2012 and, soon after they opened their first Sport Clips store in Kokomo, Indiana. The next three years the Nortons spent time searching for an appropriate site for their next store.
Shaun reflects on that period, saying "It was a bit of back and forth. Prime real estate sites were tough to come by. The Sport Clips real estate team cautioned us against going with a substandard site. They have a proven track record of understanding what makes for a successful site. We had to trust in that, even when we were ready to move on a site we listened to their seasoned advice."
During this unplanned, extended time between openings, the Nortons wisely used it to perfect their execution of the Sport Clips system, deliberately laying the groundwork that would position the team and them to capitalize on future growth opportunities.
Their Success
All of this proved to be beneficial in 2017, the Nortons and their team opened and acquired a total of eight additional stores. In executing that expansion, they relied on the management structure laid out by Sport Clips and hired an area manager ahead of the growth. Shaun says,"Following the system is how I was able to seamlessly grow at such a rapid pace. The management structure is effective and makes growth possible."
He continues, "The learning curve is definitely shortened because of all the phenomenal tools set out by Sport Clips. The scalabilty of this model and the available resources are the only reasons we have been able to grow at such a rapid rate this year."
Scalabilty and stability were two of the things the Nortons say were missing from their previous careers, which lead them to seek a change. Both starting out in the lending industry before turning to franchising, Shaun says, "When the housing crisis of 2008 hit, we realized we needed to build something for ourselves and family that was less tied to the economy, something that was more resistant to the ups and downs."
Expanding to Real Estate Franchising
This lead them into a real estate franchise. He says, "It was an obvious next step for us. It utilized our existing skill sets, and rental property was the way the housing marketing was moving." However, the owner/operator business model turned out to be a heavy time investment, and the Nortons began to experience burn out.
Shaun explains, "There was no name recognition with that brand. We had to spend a lot of time marketing ourselves as the expert, rather than people trusting the brand. It was up to us and us alone, and that model did not leave any way for us to grow the business beyond one or two locations. Angelique and I wanted a business that would scale."
The Nortons then began to look outside of the banking and real estate sector. They had two main criteria for their next investment. The brand had to have national recognition, and it also had to be scalable. They whittled their list down to 10 brands from a variety of industries.
Return to Sport Clips
Sport Clips became the standout choice as they began to look closer at the offerings. Shaun says, "The brand is widely recognized. Most people have heard of it. That was a big plus. And, the manager run business structure gives us the freedom and stability needed to scale our business. The support systems and resources provided by Sport Clips was another key differentiator. We knew we would not be in this by ourselves."
Having been in the same place, Shaun has some advice for someone considering purchasing a Sport Clips franchise, "When approaching such a big decision, you need to be honest about your work ethic. This is not a 'get rich quick' scheme. You need to put the work in your first store. The first store sets the tone for your others. You should be prepared to take the time to learn the business. Sport Clips provides everything you need, you just need to come into with the right attitude and mindset. All the tools are there, you just need to trust that."
Recalling one of his first mistakes as a Team Leader, "I came in with a banking operational mindset and not a people first mindset. I was rigid and buttoned up. I took a look around and realized the problem was with me. Once I relaxed and started to put people first, things started to fall into place. I never knew one could get so much enjoyment out of their career."
After so much growth this past year, the Nortons are looking forward to the new year and gearing up for continued future expansion. Shaun says, "I have set some aggressive goals for myself, and I know with the right people in place, the sky is the limit. Sport Clips has provided the framework for that."
Hear more from Norton on our upcoming Validation Conference Call.
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A phobia is an intense fear of something that, in reality, poses little or no actual danger.
If you have a phobia, you probably realize that your fear is unreasonable, yet you still can't control your feelings. Just thinking about the thing you fear may make you anxious. And when you're actually exposed to your phobia, the terror is automatic and overwhelming.
The experience is so nerve-wracking that you may go to great lengths to avoid it – inconveniencing yourself or even changing your lifestyle.
Animal phobias. Animal phobias are fears caused by an animal or insect. Examples include fear of snakes, fear of spiders, fear of rodents, and fear of dogs.
Natural environment phobias. Natural environment phobias are fears cued by objects found in nature. Examples include fear of heights, fear of storms, fear of water, and fear of the dark.
Situational phobias. Situational phobias are fears triggered by a specific situation. Examples include fear of enclosed spaces (claustrophobia), fear of elevators, fear of flying, fear of dentists, fear of driving, fear of tunnels, and fear of bridges.
Blood-Injection-Injury phobia. Blood-injection-injury phobia involves fear of blood, fear or injury, or a fear of shots or another medical procedure.
Social phobias: Social phobia, is fear of social situations where you may be embarrassed or judged. Fear of public speaking, an extremely common phobia, is a type of social phobia. Other fears associated with social phobia include fear of eating or drinking in public, talking to strangers, taking exams, mingling at a party, and being called on in class.
An estimated 13% of the adult population will develop a phobia at some point in their life.
If you're living in fear because of your phobia, take hope. Hypnotherapy can help with phobias quickly and efficiently. Most can be treated in just a few sessions.
Usually the original cause of the phobia can be traced back to early childhood where the traumatic event first occurred.
The hypnotherapist would then desensitise the client to the phobic stimulus i.e. spiders, by helping you reframe your thoughts about the experience.
You will learn new, more relaxed responses which help you become calmer in situations where you are likely to encounter the stimulus.
After the treatment, you will feel more in control so you can be free of your fears and start to go where you want and do what you want.


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home . film database . Blending and Blinding
Blending and Blinding
director: Richard Tuohy
original title: Blending and Blinding
Strictly working with the film material inside the camera, Tuohy updates slowly forgotten approaches to create a collage of architectural geometries. The monolithic nature of the image blurs the outlines of the buildings as the film frame disintegrates into grids cutting through the layers of the image in multiple exposures. The buildings depicted represent the cultures of the three main ethnic groups of Malaysia.
"This film is dedicated to Paul Clipson and Robert Todd, both of whose works were specifically on my mind while filming this film in Malaysia in 2016." R. Tuohy
Richard Tuohy (1969), the founder of Australia's international festival of experimental films, can trace his sensitive experimental language back to his experience working with raw film material. Overview of his wide-ranging career reveals a love for 8mm and 16mm film. He is also the founder of a specialized film development company, Nanolab, and operates the Artist Film Workshop dedicated to the creation of experimental films.
producer: Richard Tuohy
photography: Richard Tuohy
premiere type: European Premiere
section: Fascinations
awards: Best Experimental Documentary Film
format: 16 mm
RICHARD TUOHY / +04 00 74 88 64 / richard.nanolab@gmail.com
A collage of reflections on various artificial and natural surfaces forms fleeting, concrete and variable abstract visual compositions, with a voiceover meditation on forms of perception related to the acquisition and deepening of knowledge, from Antiquity to today's technical and social influences on how we perceive the world. German director, photographer, cinematographer, and university lecturer Thomas Kutschker (1963) experiments with sound, mixing recordings from social networks from around the world with excerpts from old films to explore human fear and the yearning for knowledge. The Jihlava IDFF previously showed his films Shadow Worlds (2008), Me, Myself and I in the Age of Download (2010), and Financial Locations (Global Mash Up) (2015)."Words, sounds and pictures seem to be independent, disconnected as the appearance of light, shadow and reflexion themselves... But they are woven into each other and connected following their own logical construction."
Beyond the Mirror Rim
Germany / 2016 / 14 min.
Ghostly hills and inhospitable landscapes created by physically deformed newspapers are a critical allegory of the inner workings of the contemporary media world in which, beside journalists who still hold in esteem reliable and verified information, the voice of those crooking facts and creating parallel and alternative "realities" intensify by the day. "A fact is supposed to be specific and verifiable. The fact you are willing to accept makes your reality of this world. Watch out! There are many different versions of each fact." Y. Nishimura
Shapes of Facts
Yoshiki Nishimura
Japan / 2019 / 10 min.
In the middle of the Teviot River in Scotland, the filmmaker saw a color in the sky like in the paintings of Gustav Klimt. He translates his amazement at this moment into fluid patterns of a digitally decomposed scene, all the way to its radical ending when the variously colored grids flowing on the screen like a calm horizon again dissolve into Klimt's golden color. "Making films is opening my heart and letting the magical powers of life shine in my imagination to merge them in images. I try to thrill those who watch colour and time flow in my films." J. Perconte
Or / Or, Hawick, may 18
Jacques Perconte
France / 2018 / 9 min.
This remake of Man Ray's celebrated Emak Bakia (1926), which uses a cameraless method of creating hand-processed film images in high-contrast black-and-white, refers to the original film even in its subject matter as well: continuing with the motifs of death, it works with artifacts and documents from US drone attacks on Pakistani territory in 2015. Kathryn Ramey (1967) is an American filmmaker, anthropologist, and teacher at Emerson College in Boston. Through celluloid manipulation and hand developing film stock, she creates new audiovisual forms that search for points of intersection between anthropological studies and experimental film. Her works have received numerous awards at international festivals."Combining experimental process - es with theoretical premises and anthropolo gy, my films and installations seek to deconsecrate the 'real' of conventional documentary and agitate the viewer to seek out subjugated narratives in dominant media culture."
ENOLAEMEVAEL
Kathryn Ramey
United States / 2016 / 7 min.
European Premiere
The melancholic atmosphere of wandering a landscape scarred by kitschy disco rainbows and colorful illustrations opens up the possibility of an extra-planetary consciousness sending a message in which references to the laws of thermodynamics and Mayan symbolism encounter critical interpretations of an expected confrontation between humanity and the cosmos. "'IT' knows." Yin-Ju Chen
Extrastellar Evaluations III : Entropy : 25800
Yin-Ju Chen
Taiwan / 2018 / 17 min.
This inventive experiment with a stereo 3D image follows a train track ending at a ruined bridge and then back again through the forest. The focus is on the spatial perception of diverse depictions of the journey laid side by side, captured with a film camera and confusing the eye of the viewer with various overlays and inversions of time levels. "Stereo3D films shall be done such a kind that they make no – or another – sense if they where only in mono2D. What we know from flat filmmaking is no help. So filmmakers have to start from scratch again and spectators too."
Dead End, rewind reversal
Björn Speidel
A compilation of behind-the-scenes footage shot while filming various Filipino films, including those of Lav Diaz and Erik Matti, creates a sense of quiet tension. In the style of slow narrations and in-depth observation, the film builds a dystopian sci-fi narrative of human avatars controlled by applications but is also a commentary on the various forms of contemporary Filipino cinema. "They say once a filmmaker becomes a parent, that person stops making films. The Remote Daddy Framework is a way for me to go out of the house to document in spurts of three hours to repurpose and make" J. Torres
We Still Have to Close Our Eyes
Philippines / 2019 / 13 min.
A frozen frame of a ten-lane boulevard lined by skyscrapers comes to life with past (or future?) movements, cars, advertisements, and people whose distinct as well as subtly visible traces struggle with the image's punctum for an urgent actuality and the non-linearity of time, which moves forwards and back. Korean director Yi Myun (1973) studied musical composition. He lives in Seoul, where he works as a composer and video artist. The Jihlava IDFF previously showed his short film Field (2014), which explored themes of urban ecology. His films often combine traditional music-based soundtracks with melancholy views of urban landscapes that seem to live their own lives independent of human beings."적 is the Korean title of this film and the sound of the word has diverse meaning in Chinese characters. It means: target, enemy, be right, build, trace, silence, advance, achievement, tread, watch, expose, angry, meet and fear."
Myun Yi
South Korea / 2016 / 3 min.
The margins and horizons of a landscape that perhaps never existed. A story told using the invented language of the Na'vi (created for the film Avatar), in which rhythm and tone create the narration. A semantic vision of the absence of what is present – birthplace, home, solid ground – questions the imagination about the unclear boundary between what is dream, what is possible and what is real. "I guess that the memory of a look is always indefinite and compromised by details." G. Giaretta
Giovanni Giaretta
Netherlands, Italy / 2017 / 9 min.
Raw film material consists in part of gelatin, which is made of the skin and bones of animals, including horses. The traces of light that shape our audiovisual dreams are thus imprinted on parts of animal bodies. Through the subtle use of audio, this found-footage collage focuses on images of the horse as an attraction, an animal of burden, and a mythological creature. "In 1900 there were 130,000 working horses in Manhattan. Horses were a central part of our lives. Jeremy Bentham: "The question is not: can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?" M. Hoolboom
3 Dreams of Horses
Canada / 2018 / 6 min.
International Premiere
A visual illustration of the process of remembering, when the mind associates the image of an object with similar images based on the person's mental organization. These are more a reflection of his identity than an imprint of real things and events. "I'm interested in creating works that exist as experience themselves. I consider it necessary to implement the sensitive, the sensual, the experiential into the artwork: to appeal to an erotic of artwork." G. E. Veloso
Some Clouds Float Distant
Gonzalo E. Veloso
Spain / 2017 / 6 min.
Desire without its object is like an image made unrecognizable by cutting out its parts; by scratching away part of the visible image, the image becomes a hole sliced into a pained body, fumbling about for what is missing, seeking physical contact and tangible proof of co-existence. ""Exhumation" is my interpretation of the reports of Dali's death mask recently. I worked to physically peel back layers of representation to reveal disintegrated memories of figures that once were." D. McIntyre
Daniel McIntyre

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A state judge on Monday upheld the right of police departments to set quotas for the number of tickets officers must write, if the numbers are reasonable, officials said yesterday.
Judge Reginald Stanton, in Superior Court in Morristown, ruled that two sergeants in the Mendham Police Department, Vincent Romano and Thomas Zenick, could be disciplined for failing to meet an average of 1 ticket per 11-hour shift, said Thomas J. Sateary, a lawyer for the Township.
The sergeants challenged the reprimands on the grounds that the ticket quota was arbitrary and it prevented them from using their discretion when dealing with motorists, said John List, president of Policeman's Benevolent Association Local 139 in Mendham.


The United States Department of Commerce announced the final tariffs on imports of softwood lumber from Canada last week. The tariffs are in response to what the U.S. says are Canadian lumber mills benefiting from improper subsidies, which is in turn hurting American mills that are competing with the Canadian lumber yards.
The news of the tariffs was met with disappointment from members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), who feel they will artificially boost the price of lumber, which will be felt by homeowners looking to rebuild in the wake of devastating hurricanes and wildfires in California.
According to the NAHB, more than 95% of imported lumber last year came from Canada.
"Canada and the U.S. need to work cooperatively to achieve a long-term, stable solution in lumber trade that provides for a consistent and fairly priced supply of lumber" said NAHB Chair Granger MacDonald.
Negotiations have been ongoing for roughly three decades, after charges were first formally filed in the 1980's. Over that time period, numerous petitions have by filed by U.S. firms and the last agreement expired in 2015.
The International Trade Commission will have the final say in pushing the tariff through, but the decision last week by the Commerce Department is a strong indicator that there are few options left.


When FiscalNote, a company founded by Tim Hwang '14, recently raised $1.4 million in funding, the company's list of backers included Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and the venture capital firm New Enterprises Associates. But among the list of high-powered investors was a more unexpected source of support, coming from Hwang's own Princeton classmates, Taylor Francis '14 and Raymond Zhong '14 by way of theDorm Room Fund, a venture fund run by student entrepreneurs at various universities across the United States.
Started by First Round Capital— a company that connects and invests in entrepreneurs — the Dorm Room Fund has been investing in various student entrepreneurs in the New York area since 2012. It also operates in the Philadelphia and San Francisco areas, with a branch in Boston coming soon. The fund relies on undergraduate student investors to identify potentially successful student entrepreneurs at their universities.
First Round Capital selected student investors via an application and interview, according to Cece Cheng '08, director of the Dorm Room Fund. The student investment team will choose who will replace the current members as they graduate, she explained.
The idea that student entrepreneurs do not have to choose between being enrolled in school and being part of a start-up is different from that motivating many other student-entrepreneur fellowships and grants, such as the Thiel Fellowship, which offers students $100,000 to drop out of school and start a company, Francis explained. Each branch of the Dorm Room Fund is given $500,000 to invest in undergraduate entrepreneurs, totaling $2 million across the four different branches. The average investment the Dorm Room Fund makes in a single start-up is about $20,000, according to its website.
FiscalNote was the first Dorm Room Fund investment made at the University. The start-up aims to provide real-time government analytics and actionable data for enterprises regarding relevant legislature that would otherwise not be easily accessible and would require the work of many entry-level assistants to compile, Hwang explained.
FiscalNote is on track to raise another $8 million in July, according to Hwang, and will probably expand from 14 to 20 employees by the end of the calendar year.
"I'm pretty confident that a little after graduation I'll be able to ramp [FiscalNote] up to 100 people and start expanding this company out globally," Hwang said.
In addition to providing initial seed financing to the start-ups, the Dorm Room Fund intends to provide mentorship to the aspiring student entrepreneurs. Over 60 entrepreneurs have joined the Dorm Room Fund as resident advisers already, according to Cheng. Many of these advisers are alumni from universities in which the Dorm Room Fund has student investors.
"There are two main ways that we see [resident advisers] interacting with the founders [student entrepreneurs like Hwang]. One is direct mentoring. We'll be pairing RAs with a student founder … that shares a similar background or is working on a similar problem. The second way the RA will be engaged with students will be via local DRF events; we'll also be hosting talks," Cheng said.
Some Princeton alumni who are currently featured on the Dorm Room Fund's website as resident advisers are Jon Steinberg '99, president and chief operating officer of BuzzFeed; Brian O'Kelley '99, chief executive officer of AppNexus; and Evan Baehr '05, cofounder of Outbox.
"In subsequent years [after graduation], I got to know Harvard, Stanford and MIT's undergraduate culture, all of which are amazingly celebratory of entrepreneurship. From my experience at Princeton, it was a place where entrepreneurship is at best not understood and at worst, mocked, and that's really disturbing. The Dorm Room Fund, from my perspective, is a way I can help more undergraduates at Princeton have a shot and think it is awesome to start a company," Baehr said.


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Artwork by Valero Doval
Rita On 'S-Town' Leaves A Lasting Impression
by Kylie McConville
S-Town, if you look beyond all of its twists and turns, is the story of man, meaning, and familial relationships. And one of its most interesting "characters" in the seven-episode podcast is John B. McLemore's cousin. So, who is Rita on S-Town, and why is her storyline so compelling? If you've made it through "Chapter II," you know that the story host Brian Reed is now telling is no longer the story of an alleged murder in small-town, "Sh*ttown," Alabama. (And if you haven't finished "Chapter II" yet, stop reading this article now because spoilers for Season 1 of S-Town are below.) When McLemore commits suicide by drinking cyanide at the end of "Chapter II," S-Town morphs into a fascinating story that examines not only our place in the world, but also our place within the ecosystems and structures that define and hold who we are.
McLemore's death blows open the story of Woodstock, Alabama in a brand-new way. It also ushers in a bevy of new people who are integral to the story because of their connection to McLemore's life. Chief among those people is his cousin, Rita, who drives to Woodstock from Florida with her husband after hearing about his death.
We first meet Rita in the aftermath of her cousin's death. As she's traveling to be with her family, Tyler Goodson is already at work trying to get power of attorney over McLemore's mom, Mary Grace, so that she can go home to her own house and not a nursing home. Rita and her husband, however, were already at McLemore's home with a local police officer, trying to get into the house. Because the police officer correctly reasoned that Goodson had the spare key, Rita and her husband wanted him to come to the house to let them in. This, unfortunately, is where the problem begins. The meet-and-greet between McLemore's cousins and his best friend spills out less than smoothly. According to Goodson, Rita says that she was just "wanting to get some, uh, clothes out of the house," ignoring that McLemore's death meant that his mother's care was up in the air.
Goodson told Reed that although McLemore had mentioned he had some distant cousins who were "nothing but trash," McLemore didn't offer up much more about his extended family. From Goodson's point of view, he tried to do the right thing, asking McLemore's mom what to do about the cousins (Mama, Goodson told Reed, said not to let them on the property if they hadn't even tried to visit her yet). More than anything, Rita's arrival puts front and center one side of the fractured half that makes McLemore's story so universal: the frayed connections familial bonds have on our lives.
In the "battle" of Goodson versus Rita, there's no winner. It's a he said, she said issue of the truth — his version of it, her version of it, and what actually happened. Though we learn so much about both of their stances on what should happen with Life After McLemore, Rita is a private person who deserves every right to privacy during this time. Their story may play out on a very public, very universal platform, it's important to remember that she's still a person who, very much like Goodson, is grieving the death of a family member and trying to do what she feels is best for her family. She and Goodson may have different means of answering that question, but it'd be wrong to assume they weren't both trying. It'd be foolish to assume one method is better than the other.


The Bert Sutcliffe Retirement Village located in Birkenhead, Auckland is a Ryman Village with retirement living and continuum of care.
× Have you visited this facility? Help others who are looking for a place by posting a review on BERT SUTCLIFFE RETIREMENT VILLAGE or review a different facility now.


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Sidra Ansari ia a Freelance Writer for hire
Sidra Ansari is currently editing her women's fiction novel. She writes children's books too, always with a focus on love and positivity. Her self-help book, 'Finding Peace Through Prayer and Love' was published by Beacon Books in January 2021 and it won the Golden Door Bronze Award for Truth and Integrity of the Written Word.
Sidra got her first taste of writing stories, as an adult, when she completed 'Becoming a Writer' with Farhana Shaikh, after which she was shortlisted for the Asian Writer Short Story Prize and chosen for the Penguin Write Now Live Program for underrepresented writers. Sidra then became 1/7th of the excellent writer's group, The Koyal Writers, too, which became one of her many secrets of success.
She is a qualified teacher and currently works as an online creative writing teacher, in between writing fiction.
During 2021, she wrote six brand new titles for Ladybird Education and hopes that she can continue in the same vain as she sees children's educational books as a perfect marriage of both the teaching and writing world. Her sixth written work of 2021 is an audio collection of original stories on Eid is now out, and can be bought here!
The setting for all her work is inspired by her love of the outdoors and the tendency to travel somewhere, anywhere, every year. Sidra currently lives in the West Midlands with her husband, five children, and cat, Sky.
Check out her Publications page for further details on her books.


What can Ruby Roo do on a rainy holiday? Use her imagination This fun, rhyming text sees these two intrepid explorers sail through the air in a seaplane (cardboard box) and land in the Amazon jungle (house plants) . . . will inspire little imaginations to see their world in a whole new way Packed with humor, color, and adventure, this is the latest picture book sensation from Pip Jones and superstar illustrator, Laura Hughes.


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We think of CES as the time for all the major TV announcements, but more and more companies are holding back their big stuff until later in the year. See Vizio waiting until March to announce a new lineup of TVs priced to sit between their budget and high-end reference sets. But the real kicker of their 2016 P-series? It includes a tablet as a remote.
When the reps at Vizio first displayed the new remote, they seemed proud—and I was worried about gimmick. Yeah, a 6-inch, 1080p Android tablet (rocking Lollipop OS and 16GB of storage) included with every TV sounds cool, but it also means another device you have to charge every day (they include a dock for wireless charging), and God help you if you drop it or lose it.
Helpfully Vizio is also including a traditional remote with each TV—so you'll be able to turn the set on and adjust audio even if your tablet is charging.
The real importance of the tablet was shown off when Vizio screencasted a Netflix show from the tablet to the TV. Instead of building a smart TV based on Android or Roku or some third-party smart TV OS, Vizio has opted to build Google Cast into the P-series. If you've got a device that can cast, you can watch whatever you like on the P-series set. You can also control the entire TV with any Android device by downloading Vizio's new SmartCast app.
In addition to controlling the TV, the app automatically aggregates content for screencasting from every other app on your phone. So whatever is on your Plex is displayed right next to what's available on Netflix or Hulu or Amazon Prime. It also works with other Vizio devices with built-in Google Cast, including a new soundbar, a wireless speaker speaker shaped a lot like the Amazon Echo, and another positioned to compete against the Sonos 5.
Notably Vizio's P-series is the first set of TVs capable of working with Google Cast in 4K. The sets also support wider color gamuts and HDR—specifically DolbyVision HDR. That's the same kind of HDR Vizio includes in their super pricy, high-end sets, and one of the two HDR formats Netflix currently supports. This means when you're screencasting Netflix shows in 4K/HDR, you'll enjoy a wider range of colors and better details in areas of extreme low light and highlights.
The P-series will start at $999.99 for a 50-inch set and hit a whopping $3799.99 for a 75-inch set. While I'd be hesitant to ever drop $3800 on a TV, that 50-inch set could be the best looking TV you'll be able to buy for under $1000. Particularly as it's the rare sub-$1000 set to include HDR, wider color gamuts, and full-array backlighting (with 128 zones).
We'll know more when we get one in for review. The P-series and it's whizzbang tablet will be available starting today.


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Home / Knowledge / Global renewables capacity exceeds coal
Global renewables capacity exceeds coal
Renewable sources of energy have surpassed coal in the past year to become the largest source of installed power capacity in the world according to a new International Energy Agency study.
Sustainability Design and Specification Carbon Climate change
by Richard McPartland
Global capacity to generate electricity from renewable sources has, for the first time, overtaken coal according to a new study from the International Energy Agency (IEA).
Thanks to strong policy support in key countries and sharp cost reductions and it's a trend the agency expect to continue. The sector is expected to grow 13% more between 2015 and 2021 - an increase on previous forecasts - due mostly to stronger policy backing in the United States, China, India and Mexico and falling costs for solar PV and onshore wind.
The latest edition of the IEA's Medium-Term Renewable Market Report charts a pivotal year for renewables with more than half of the total global new power capacity coming from eco-friendly sources and reaching a record 153 Gigawatts (GW) - a 15% increase on the previous year. Most of these gains were driven by record-level wind additions of 66 GW and solar PV additions of 49 GW.
About half a million solar panels were installed every day around the world last year. In China, which accounted for about half the wind additions and 40% of all renewable capacity increases, two wind turbines were installed every hour in 2015.
We are witnessing a transformation of global power markets led by renewables and, as is the case with other fields, the center of gravity for renewable growth is moving to emerging markets.
Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director, IEA
The agency highlights a number of factors for the growth in renewables: more competition, enhanced policy support in key markets, and technology improvements. That said, while climate change mitigation is a powerful driver for renewables, it is not the only one. In many countries, cutting air pollution and diversifying energy supplies to improve energy security play an equally strong role in growing low-carbon energy sources, especially in emerging Asia.
Over the next five years, renewables will remain the fastest-growing source of electricity generation, with their share extpected to rise to 28% by 2021 - up from 23% in 2015.
But while 2015 was an exceptional year, there are still grounds for caution. Policy uncertainty persists in too many countries, slowing down the pace of investments. Rapid progress in variable renewables such as wind and solar PV is also exacerbating system integration issues in a number of markets; and the cost of financing remains a barrier in many developing countries. And finally, progress in renewable growth in the heat and transport sectors remains slow and needs significantly stronger policy efforts.
The IEA also sees a two-speed world for renewable electricity over the next five years. While Asia takes the lead in renewable growth, this only covers a portion of the region's fast-paced rise in electricity demand. China alone is responsible for 40% of global renewable power growth, but that represents only half of the country's electricity demand increase.
This is in sharp contrast with the European Union, Japan and the United States where additional renewable generation will outpace electricity demand growth between 2015 and 2021.
Richard McPartland
@richmcpartland
Richard McPartland, editor of theNBS.com 2015-2018.
NBS logo
What we learnt at Northumbrian Water's Innovation Festival 2018
11 July 2018 | by Bridget Hamilton
We eavesdropped on a couple of this year's sprints to find out what projects might be on the horizon
Sustainability Design and Specification Climate change Smart cities Drainage Green walls Flooding
War on plastic: which side is construction on?
30 May 2018 | by Bridget Hamilton
We explore the ways the construction industry adds to the world's production of plastic waste, as well as how it works to tackle it
Sustainability Climate change Smart cities
Government strategies to decrease the production of carbon emissions
09 January 2018 | by Jodie Carson
The UK Government is taking a keen interest into the way that the UK can reduce its carbon emissions: this begins with legislative acts and policies.
Sustainability Contracts and Law Standards and Regulations Carbon Climate change Government policy
BS 8001 and embracing the circular economy
02 October 2017 | by Jess Sharman
Unlike with the current linear "take, make, dispose" economy model, in circular thinking materials, components and products are kept at their highest use and value at all time. The focus is on restoration, regeneration and reuse rather than disposal.
Sustainability Construction Products Plan of Work and Project Administration Climate change
Designing homes for water efficiency
22 March 2017 | by Richard McPartland
Simple measures can easily be included in new buildings, and retrofitted to old, to help reduce householders' water usage often at little or no cost to the developer. We explore key considerations when designing for the efficient use of water.
Design and Specification Sustainability Climate change


text:
Modi urges Assam militants to join mainstream
By The Assam Tribune - 3 April 2021 12:00 PM GMT
Tamulpur, April 3: Buoyed by a raft of peace agreements with underground outfits in the Northeast, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made a fervent appeal to militants in Assam who have not surrendered yet to return to
the mainstream as they are needed to create an 'Atmanirbhar Assam'.
Addressing an election rally here in Bodoland Territorial Region's (BTR) Baksa district, the prime minister said people of the state have rejected violence for
development, peace, unity and stability.
Accusing the Congress of encouraging violence, Modi said, "It is our responsibility to ensure the rehabilitation of those who have returned to the mainstream after years of struggle.
"I also appeal to those who are yet to surrender to return for the future of the state and for their own future, too, as they are needed to create an 'Atmanirbhar Assam'," he said.
Referring to the huge crowd of women present at the rally, the prime minister said during his last visit to Kokrajhar in BTR on Thursday, he was surprised to see women in large numbers and asked a political analyst about the reason, and was told "mothers are now sure their children will not pick up weapons and go away to the jungle again".
"I assure every mother and sister of the BTR that the dreams of your children will be fulfilled and they do not have to pick up weapons and go to the jungles or fall victim to bullets," he said.
Every child is special to their mother but their tears do not stop once the child picks up a gun and goes to the jungle, he said, adding the NDA is committed to ensuring that this does not happen again.
The NDA is committed to moving ahead on the path of development through "peace and goodwill" and it is this that has led to the signing of the historic Bodo Accord, he said.
The NDA government, he asserted, formulates policies that are non-discriminatory and for all sections of society.
"It's unfortunate that those who divided society and threw crumbs of development at particular sections for their vote bank politics are said to be practising secularism while we, who ensure that development reaches all, are termed communal," Modi said, attacking the Congress over long years of violence in the state.
"The NDA government has strived to holistically empower every section of society with our mantra 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas'. This game of secularism and communalism has hurt the nation a lot," he said.
During the last five years, the "double engine" NDA governments at the Centre and in the state have resulted in "double benefit" for Assam, the prime minister said.
"Whenever we think of any scheme, we think of everyone without any discrimination. We want that the benefits of the schemes reach every section of the society, irrespective of whether they are from a vote bank or not, literate or
illiterate. We are here to work for the nation and to change the lives of people," he said,
The Prime Minister said it is for the first time that special attention has been given to holistic development of 100 districts and out of these, seven are in Assam.
The people of Assam have realised this and the "Mahajhot ka Mahajhooth (the Grand lies of the Grand Alliance has been exposed with people reposing faith in development, stability, peace, goodwill, harmony and unity", he said.
Modi came down heavily on those claiming what people who will form the next government will look like and wear. He was apparently referring to the comments by Abdur Rahim, the son of AIUDF founder and MP Badruddin Ajmal, a Congress ally, who Friday asserted "dadhi, topi and lungi wallahs" will form the next government in the state.
"There cannot be a bigger insult to Assam. The people of Assam will not tolerate those who insult Assam's pride and identity and will give them a befitting reply through the ballot," he said.
The people of the state have decided to vote the NDA to power again, he asserted.
"I say this on the strength of my political experience, the love, affection and enthusiasm they have shown for the NDA in the two phases of polling already held. They are with development, stability, peace, harmony and unity," he added. - PTI


text:
play-grand
Playing with words to describe my grand life
Me and My W's
Category: Places
Vietnam: Sorting it Out
On February 6, 2017 February 6, 2017 By grand-playerIn Perspective, Places, travel4 Comments
On Tuesday, January 10, 2017, the New York Times International edition was on the carpet outside of my hotel room. I was immediately drawn to an article in the Opinion section. It's title: Vietnam: The war that killed trust. Half of the page displayed a photograph of helmeted soldiers canopied by dozens of helicopters, similar to scenes from news-clips seared in the minds of people, like me, who were adolescents in the late 1960's. The observation and opinion of the Vietnam Veteran who wrote the article is that prior to the war most people believed that our government was incapable of lying. Since Vietnam the great majority of Americans are distrustful and cynical of our institutions, especially government. I thought it ironic and a bit providential that I would be reading this paper at this time. My husband and I were in Hong Kong, about to catch a plane for Vietnam.
Vietnam. Just the word triggers confusion, angst and wonder in me. I must have heard it thousands of times when I was young, associated with stories of the jungle, rice paddies, agent orange, the draft, Hanoi Jane, protesters, LBJ, helicopters, napalm, and death. Vietnam, a country that changed all of us in ways we may never understand, especially those who served in the armed forces. While I was learning to question those in authority, he was learning to be fiercely loyal, to respect authority, to make quick decisions and to obey orders. He was discovering love of country, duty, and a cause of greater good.
He was returning, 48 years later, to a place that never really left him; to the memory of a 21-year-old boy and a war that tried and tested him in unimaginable ways. I came with him, hoping to catch a bit of insight into who that boy was, to somehow get a taste of what it's like to be a soldier and to sort out my feelings about Vietnam.
The Air-force taught him how to use a compass and a rifle, repel from helicopters, swim, scuba, parachute and to perform basic medical procedures. His job was to rescue downed pilots; his motto, That others may live; his challenge, to survive. My schooling and my friends taught me how to peacefully protest a war that was costing thousands of lives, and a government that misinformed, misguided and mishandled the whole affair.
We were joined by two friends who flew half-way around the world to walk with him as he re-visited a world we knew so little about. Our first stop Ho Chi Minh city, formerly Saigon. On descent I thanked God for allowing this soldier to live and I thought I would kiss the ground when we landed, but I didn't. Just like everywhere else, people were hurrying off the plane to get in line for customs and baggage claim. They didn't seem to recognize the gravity of the moment.
We took in the sites in HCMC and also in Da Nang and Hanoi. I saw gorgeous beaches and lovely smiling faces, ancient looking fishing boats crammed together donning brilliant colored flags, surrounded by floating baskets. We marveled at the new construction, office buildings, condos and expansive bridges. One bridge shaped like a dragon breathes fire at night. Most of the people dressed in western clothing but we saw some of them squatting as if sitting on invisible stools and wearing those iconic hats that look like lampshades. We tasted unexpected dishes from unknown cuisine. We merged into the stream of motorcycles and cars weaving in and out like swarms of fish around our rented jeep. We circled a place called Monkey Mountain but saw no monkeys. We walked around an outdoor museum displaying tanks and planes and helicopters, captured from the war. We visited a bar at China Beach and ran into an old American soldier who annually re-lives his glory days in a rented room above the bar. We flew in a sea-plane over Ha Long bay and ogled at the majestic tree covered limestone formations, blooming in the sea. We had drinks in an elegant resort made from extensive spans of bamboo.
Of all the things we saw, he said that he was most surprised that his barracks and hanger were still standing on the far side of the runway in Da Nang. I would have loved to see inside those barracks but we couldn't get close; another space left to my imagination. A new terminal has been built since he was there. It stands next to the old one as a micro picture of the whole country and my feelings – the new next to the old. I remember staring across the tarmac at the place where he once lived, served, and completed the task he was given. Was he putting on his boots for a mission at the same time I was singing to Country Joe and the Fish?
As we rode along taking in the sights, we exchanged bits of information and second-hand stories gleaned from books, articles, movies and rusty memories, asking him if anything happened here or there. Over meals together we talked of many things, urging his perspective on this or that. He, good-naturedly shared what he could. With him you have to read between the antidotes.
I came expecting some sort of clarity in seeing Vietnam through his eyes, the eyes of my soldier. I hoped to catch the spark of patriotism, duty and love of country that he has and become more like the disciplined, loyal, selfless man that he is. But alas, I have only my eyes in which to view the world. Perhaps one has to give something, maybe all of oneself in order to see the greater reality. I once tried to understand how Martin Luther King, jr. changed my life and I wrote a blog about those awful days of segregation. I read it to an older woman of color who grew up in Mississippi in the 30's and 40's. She looked at me with thinly disguised disgust and said, "honey, you don't know the half of it."
I have put my feet on the soil of Vietnam. I have seen her people, tasted her food. I have loved a man who lived, fought, saved lives and survived her war. I feel like I know something about that strange and wonderful country, but only as a detached observer. I keep hearing the words of my old african-american friend in the mouths of imagined Vietnam Vets shaking their heads and saying, "honey, you don't know the half of it."
A view of Paris
On September 3, 2013 By grand-playerIn Culture, Perspective, Places, travel2 Comments
It was a curious mix of history and art that summer; a harmonious blend of tranquil neutrals dabbed with vibrant color bleeding subtly into the more aggressive, impatient stokes and angles of stone and stucco. They arrived at their apartment in Paris by way of rolling rural farmlands after visiting the beaches of Normandy.
From their balcony they could see the Eiffel tower pointing towards the heavens and rising above the ordered rows of terraced rooftops. That is how they spent their apartment time, looking out. For, inside, the furniture was sparse and cheap and they had long ago outgrown sparse and cheap. "I chose the room for the view," he said.
If there had been long strands of beads hanging from the doorway to a mattress filled with water, or a dresser filled with jeans and halter tops, she would be certain that she had lived there before. "Just like some of my friends who spent a college-summer abroad," she said.
"Bohemian," He said.
She liked the city and the sound of cars breaking and accelerating, accentuating the race toward the future. She was attune to multiple dialects blessing or insulting receptive ears. From her window, fabulous foreign faces worthy of Renoir, impressed themselves upon her. She thought she saw a familiar one, a high school friend. But she quickly dismissed the likelihood of him being here, now, and completely unchanged in 40 years. The strong aromas of bread baking, laundry soap and garbage alternately wafted in with the breeze and dissipated once identified.
Outside they walked for miles on sidewalks crammed with people, shops, cafes, and museums. They saw old masters hanging in gilded frames mingling with tatted, pierced, spiked, youngsters. They listened as a girl in tight jean shorts played Vivaldi on her violin. A car playing rap music passed by. They ate fresh crepes and drank old wine. They bought a gift for their grandson who would be born at the time of her mother's 90th birthday. She felt energy flowing through her as if she were plugged in to a source of vigor that heightened her sensitivities and reversed the advancement of the last few decades.
Perhaps it was because they had come from the battlefields of world war II, frozen in time. Normandy, a beautiful, tranquil place and stage for a terrible war which birthed the acts of valor to which the French pay homage. She thought of the thousands who gave their lives to preserve the only way of life she had ever known. WWII was her father's war and he had come home. He lived to be 70. And though he was not buried then and there with the thousands in that memorial cemetery, to her he was just as gone .
Her husband's war was very different. It became a dark chapter in history and left a rancid taste in the mouths of the American youth in the 1960's and 70's. Drafts and protests, unclear message and mission, dead soldiers and heroes, none the less. Her husband talked some about that time. He had flown in a plane of the same model as one they saw in a Normandy museum. They spoke of returning to Southeast Asia some day. She wondered if the future held that possibility. She wondered who he was in high-school, before Vietnam, before they met.
Her father used to say, "you can't put an old head on young shoulders." But he was wrong. He should have known what young people don't, that youth is indeed a state of mind; old – the full richness of experience, reflection, knowledge, connection, and life – a story captured with pen, paint and voice punctuated with spilt blood and drunken wine.
In Paris the past presses urgently against the future as if all answers lie somewhere in between. In this space she rested her wise old head, no longer grey, against the strong shoulders of her husband's 18 year old self. She grabbed his hand.
On April 4, 2013 By grand-playerIn Faith, Places, relationships, travel3 Comments
"Tell me about your trip," my friends ask, curious about my first visit to Israel or just being kind. So I begin to try to adequately describe a piece of geography where seemingly every square inch tells a story of world-changing significance.
"The Jordan river is way smaller than you think," I weakly begin. "We ate breakfast on the Sea of Galilee and saw a fishing boat that has recently been discovered that dates back to the time of Jesus. The Dome of the Rock is huge and impressive, we were not allowed to go inside. The stations of the Cross are just tile numbers in buildings around the old city and people crowd the narrow streets doing business in the market, as if nothing ever happened there. We visited an olive factory and bought some crosses. The fort at Masada is quite moving and the view from the top is staggering. We saw the Dead Sea." I ramble on in no specific order. I pull out my cell phone camera roll for a little memory boost and try to ignore the nagging image that my heart recalls.
I see a wall. It is made of beautiful cream-colored ancient stones, piled way above the bobbing heads of the people who line it's base. They are rocking and chanting and praying, reaching up, out and over the wall to an unseen hand. They are placing little scraps of paper into crevices in the wall. One can't know the content of their lamentations but it's easy to imagine that they contain some version of unuttered need that screams, "I am in need, hear me."
Less than 6 miles away there is another wall. It is made from ugly columns of dirty concrete and topped with tall rows of electric wire. To enter Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, one must cross this formidable barrier through turnstiles and checkpoints. Scrutiny from guards shouldering rifles is a daily ritual for those passing from one side of the wall to the other. The wall begs to be breached and the lamentations of the Palestinians are as unique and numerous and as they are evocative. Each mark expressing a cry for help and the need to be heard.
I profess to have little to no understanding of what it is like to live in this region of profound historical and religious heritage and ever-present fear of imminent conflict. As an outsider, I try to wrap my mind around the people who stand and weep before both walls and wonder if I too should weep.
"For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility."
Ephesians 2:14 NIV
More Playgrand Posts
The Lincoln Log Heart
Young girls get weary
Benji and the Drain Critter
Good Will Mandate – (or How to have a Pleasant Christmas)
Visitors for Christmas
A field and an old House
This face


text:
from typing import Any, Dict, List

import numpy as np
import pytest
from typing import Text

import rasa.utils.train_utils as train_utils
from rasa.nlu.constants import NUMBER_OF_SUB_TOKENS
from rasa.nlu.tokenizers.tokenizer import Token
from rasa.shared.nlu.constants import (
    SPLIT_ENTITIES_BY_COMMA_DEFAULT_VALUE,
    SPLIT_ENTITIES_BY_COMMA,
)
from rasa.utils.tensorflow.constants import (
    MODEL_CONFIDENCE,
    RANKING_LENGTH,
    RENORMALIZE_CONFIDENCES,
    SIMILARITY_TYPE,
    LOSS_TYPE,
    COSINE,
    SOFTMAX,
    INNER,
    CROSS_ENTROPY,
    MARGIN,
    AUTO,
    TOLERANCE,
    CHECKPOINT_MODEL,
    EVAL_NUM_EPOCHS,
    EVAL_NUM_EXAMPLES,
    EPOCHS,
)
from rasa.shared.exceptions import InvalidConfigException

def test_align_token_features():
    tokens = [
        Token("This", 0, data={NUMBER_OF_SUB_TOKENS: 1}),
        Token("is", 5, data={NUMBER_OF_SUB_TOKENS: 1}),
        Token("a", 8, data={NUMBER_OF_SUB_TOKENS: 1}),
        Token("sentence", 10, data={NUMBER_OF_SUB_TOKENS: 2}),
        Token("embedding", 19, data={NUMBER_OF_SUB_TOKENS: 4}),
    ]

    seq_dim = sum(t.get(NUMBER_OF_SUB_TOKENS) for t in tokens)
    token_features = np.random.rand(1, seq_dim, 64)

    actual_features = train_utils.align_token_features([tokens], token_features)

    assert np.all(actual_features[0][0] == token_features[0][0])
    assert np.all(actual_features[0][1] == token_features[0][1])
    assert np.all(actual_features[0][2] == token_features[0][2])
    # sentence is split into 2 sub-tokens
    assert np.all(actual_features[0][3] == np.mean(token_features[0][3:5], axis=0))
    # embedding is split into 4 sub-tokens
    assert np.all(actual_features[0][4] == np.mean(token_features[0][5:10], axis=0))

@pytest.mark.parametrize(
    (
        "input_values, ranking_length, renormalize, possible_output_values, "
        " resulting_ranking_length"
    ),
    [
        # keep the top 2
        ([0.1, 0.4, 0.01], 2, False, [[0.1, 0.4, 0.0]], 2),
        # normalize top 2
        ([0.1, 0.4, 0.01], 2, True, [[0.2, 0.8, 0.0]], 2),
        # 2 possible values that could be excluded
        ([0.1, 0.4, 0.1], 2, True, [[0.0, 0.8, 0.2], [0.2, 0.8, 0.0]], 2),
        # ranking_length > num_confidences => ranking_length := num_confidences
        ([0.1, 0.3, 0.2], 5, False, [[0.1, 0.3, 0.2]], 3),
        # ranking_length > num_confidences  => ranking_length := num_confidences
        ([0.1, 0.3, 0.1], 5, True, [[0.1, 0.3, 0.1]], 3),
        # ranking_length == 0  => ranking_length := num_confidences
        ([0.1, 0.3, 0.1], 0, True, [[0.1, 0.3, 0.1]], 3),
    ],
)
def test_rank_and_mask(
    input_values: List[float],
    ranking_length: int,
    possible_output_values: List[List[float]],
    renormalize: bool,
    resulting_ranking_length: int,
):
    confidences = np.array(input_values)
    indices, modified_confidences = train_utils.rank_and_mask(
        confidences=confidences, ranking_length=ranking_length, renormalize=renormalize
    )
    assert any(
        np.allclose(modified_confidences, np.array(possible_output))
        for possible_output in possible_output_values
    )
    assert np.allclose(
        sorted(input_values, reverse=True)[:resulting_ranking_length],
        confidences[indices],
    )

@pytest.mark.parametrize(
    "split_entities_config, expected_initialized_config",
    [
        (
            SPLIT_ENTITIES_BY_COMMA_DEFAULT_VALUE,
            {SPLIT_ENTITIES_BY_COMMA: SPLIT_ENTITIES_BY_COMMA_DEFAULT_VALUE},
        ),
        (
            {"address": False, "ingredients": True},
            {
                "address": False,
                "ingredients": True,
                SPLIT_ENTITIES_BY_COMMA: SPLIT_ENTITIES_BY_COMMA_DEFAULT_VALUE,
            },
        ),
    ],
)
def test_init_split_entities_config(
    split_entities_config: Any, expected_initialized_config: Dict[(str, bool)],
):
    assert (
        train_utils.init_split_entities(
            split_entities_config, SPLIT_ENTITIES_BY_COMMA_DEFAULT_VALUE
        )
        == expected_initialized_config
    )

@pytest.mark.parametrize(
    "component_config, raises_exception",
    [
        ({MODEL_CONFIDENCE: SOFTMAX, LOSS_TYPE: MARGIN}, True),
        ({MODEL_CONFIDENCE: SOFTMAX, LOSS_TYPE: CROSS_ENTROPY}, False),
        ({MODEL_CONFIDENCE: INNER, LOSS_TYPE: MARGIN}, True),
        ({MODEL_CONFIDENCE: INNER, LOSS_TYPE: CROSS_ENTROPY}, True),
        ({MODEL_CONFIDENCE: COSINE, LOSS_TYPE: MARGIN}, True),
        ({MODEL_CONFIDENCE: COSINE, LOSS_TYPE: CROSS_ENTROPY}, True),
    ],
)
def test_confidence_loss_settings(
    component_config: Dict[Text, Any], raises_exception: bool
):
    component_config[SIMILARITY_TYPE] = INNER
    if raises_exception:
        with pytest.raises(InvalidConfigException):
            train_utils._check_confidence_setting(component_config)
    else:
        train_utils._check_confidence_setting(component_config)

@pytest.mark.parametrize(
    "component_config, raises_exception",
    [
        ({MODEL_CONFIDENCE: SOFTMAX, SIMILARITY_TYPE: INNER}, False),
        ({MODEL_CONFIDENCE: SOFTMAX, SIMILARITY_TYPE: COSINE}, True),
    ],
)
def test_confidence_similarity_settings(
    component_config: Dict[Text, Any], raises_exception: bool
):
    component_config[LOSS_TYPE] = CROSS_ENTROPY
    if raises_exception:
        with pytest.raises(InvalidConfigException):
            train_utils._check_confidence_setting(component_config)
    else:
        train_utils._check_confidence_setting(component_config)

@pytest.mark.parametrize(
    "component_config, raises_exception",
    [
        (
            {
                MODEL_CONFIDENCE: SOFTMAX,
                SIMILARITY_TYPE: INNER,
                RENORMALIZE_CONFIDENCES: True,
                RANKING_LENGTH: 10,
            },
            False,
        ),
        (
            {
                MODEL_CONFIDENCE: SOFTMAX,
                SIMILARITY_TYPE: INNER,
                RENORMALIZE_CONFIDENCES: False,
                RANKING_LENGTH: 10,
            },
            False,
        ),
        (
            {
                MODEL_CONFIDENCE: AUTO,
                SIMILARITY_TYPE: INNER,
                RENORMALIZE_CONFIDENCES: True,
                RANKING_LENGTH: 10,
            },
            True,
        ),
        (
            {
                MODEL_CONFIDENCE: AUTO,
                SIMILARITY_TYPE: INNER,
                RENORMALIZE_CONFIDENCES: False,
                RANKING_LENGTH: 10,
            },
            False,
        ),
    ],
)
def test_confidence_renormalization_settings(
    component_config: Dict[Text, Any], raises_exception: bool
):
    component_config[LOSS_TYPE] = CROSS_ENTROPY
    if raises_exception:
        with pytest.raises(InvalidConfigException):
            train_utils._check_confidence_setting(component_config)
    else:
        train_utils._check_confidence_setting(component_config)

@pytest.mark.parametrize(
    "component_config, model_confidence",
    [
        ({MODEL_CONFIDENCE: SOFTMAX, LOSS_TYPE: MARGIN}, AUTO),
        ({MODEL_CONFIDENCE: SOFTMAX, LOSS_TYPE: CROSS_ENTROPY}, SOFTMAX),
    ],
)
def test_update_confidence_type(
    component_config: Dict[Text, Text], model_confidence: Text
):
    component_config = train_utils.update_confidence_type(component_config)
    assert component_config[MODEL_CONFIDENCE] == model_confidence

@pytest.mark.parametrize(
    "component_config, raises_exception",
    [
        ({TOLERANCE: 0.5}, False),
        ({TOLERANCE: 0.0}, False),
        ({TOLERANCE: 1.0}, False),
        ({TOLERANCE: -1.0}, True),
        ({TOLERANCE: 2.0}, True),
        ({}, False),
    ],
)
def test_tolerance_setting(
    component_config: Dict[Text, float], raises_exception: bool,
):
    if raises_exception:
        with pytest.raises(InvalidConfigException):
            train_utils._check_tolerance_setting(component_config)
    else:
        train_utils._check_tolerance_setting(component_config)

@pytest.mark.parametrize(
    "component_config",
    [
        (
            {
                CHECKPOINT_MODEL: True,
                EVAL_NUM_EPOCHS: -2,
                EVAL_NUM_EXAMPLES: 10,
                EPOCHS: 5,
            }
        ),
        (
            {
                CHECKPOINT_MODEL: True,
                EVAL_NUM_EPOCHS: 0,
                EVAL_NUM_EXAMPLES: 10,
                EPOCHS: 5,
            }
        ),
    ],
)
def test_warning_incorrect_eval_num_epochs(component_config: Dict[Text, Text]):
    with pytest.warns(UserWarning) as record:
        train_utils._check_evaluation_setting(component_config)
        assert len(record) == 1
        assert (
            f"'{EVAL_NUM_EPOCHS}' is not -1 or greater than 0. Training will fail"
            in record[0].message.args[0]
        )

@pytest.mark.parametrize(
    "component_config",
    [
        ({CHECKPOINT_MODEL: True, EVAL_NUM_EPOCHS: 10, EPOCHS: 5}),
        ({CHECKPOINT_MODEL: False, EVAL_NUM_EPOCHS: 10, EPOCHS: 5}),
    ],
)
def test_warning_eval_num_epochs_greater_than_epochs(
    component_config: Dict[Text, Text]
):
    warning = (
        f"the value of '{EVAL_NUM_EPOCHS}' is greater than the value of "
        f"'{EPOCHS}'. No evaluation will occur."
    )
    with pytest.warns(UserWarning) as record:
        train_utils._check_evaluation_setting(component_config)
        assert len(record) == 1
        if component_config[CHECKPOINT_MODEL]:
            warning = (
                f"You have opted to save the best model, but {warning} "
                "No checkpoint model will be saved."
            )
        assert warning in record[0].message.args[0]

@pytest.mark.parametrize(
    "component_config",
    [
        ({CHECKPOINT_MODEL: True, EVAL_NUM_EPOCHS: 1, EVAL_NUM_EXAMPLES: 0, EPOCHS: 5}),
        (
            {
                CHECKPOINT_MODEL: True,
                EVAL_NUM_EPOCHS: 1,
                EVAL_NUM_EXAMPLES: -1,
                EPOCHS: 5,
            }
        ),
    ],
)
def test_warning_incorrect_eval_num_examples(component_config: Dict[Text, Text]):
    with pytest.warns(UserWarning) as record:
        train_utils._check_evaluation_setting(component_config)
        assert len(record) == 1
        assert (
            f"'{EVAL_NUM_EXAMPLES}' is not greater than 0. No checkpoint model "
            f"will be saved"
        ) in record[0].message.args[0]

@pytest.mark.parametrize(
    "component_config",
    [
        (
            {
                CHECKPOINT_MODEL: False,
                EVAL_NUM_EPOCHS: 0,
                EVAL_NUM_EXAMPLES: 0,
                EPOCHS: 5,
            }
        ),
        (
            {
                CHECKPOINT_MODEL: True,
                EVAL_NUM_EPOCHS: 1,
                EVAL_NUM_EXAMPLES: 10,
                EPOCHS: 5,
            }
        ),
    ],
)
def test_no_warning_correct_checkpoint_setting(component_config: Dict[Text, Text]):
    with pytest.warns(None) as record:
        train_utils._check_evaluation_setting(component_config)
        assert len(record) == 0

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


1. In the absence of a decision pursuant to Article 45(3), a controller or processor may transfer personal data to a third country or an international organisation only if the controller or processor has provided appropriate safeguards, and on condition that enforceable data subject rights and effective legal remedies for data subjects are available.
(f) an approved certification mechanism pursuant to Article 42 together with binding and enforceable commitments of the controller or processor in the third country to apply the appropriate safeguards, including as regards data subjects' rights.
(b) provisions to be inserted into administrative arrangements between public authorities or bodies which include enforceable and effective data subject rights.
4. The supervisory authority shall apply the consistency mechanism referred to in Article 63 in the cases referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article.
5. Authorisations by a Member State or supervisory authority on the basis of Article 26(2) of Directive 95/46/EC shall remain valid until amended, replaced or repealed, if necessary, by that supervisory authority. Decisions adopted by the Commission on the basis of Article 26(4) of Directive 95/46/EC shall remain in force until amended, replaced or repealed, if necessary, by a Commission Decision adopted in accordance with paragraph 2 of this Article.


text:
class CMessageEntity : public CPointEntity
{
	DECLARE_CLASS( CMessageEntity, CPointEntity );

public:
	void	Spawn( void );
	void	Activate( void );
	void	Think( void );
	void	DrawOverlays(void);

	virtual void UpdateOnRemove();

	void	InputEnable( inputdata_t &inputdata );
	void	InputDisable( inputdata_t &inputdata );

	DECLARE_DATADESC();

protected:
	int				m_radius;
	string_t		m_messageText;
	bool			m_drawText;
	bool			m_bDeveloperOnly;
	bool			m_bEnabled;
};

LINK_ENTITY_TO_CLASS( point_message, CMessageEntity );

BEGIN_DATADESC( CMessageEntity )

	DEFINE_KEYFIELD( m_radius, FIELD_INTEGER, "radius" ),
	DEFINE_KEYFIELD( m_messageText, FIELD_STRING, "message" ),
	DEFINE_KEYFIELD( m_bDeveloperOnly, FIELD_BOOLEAN, "developeronly" ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_drawText, FIELD_BOOLEAN ),
	DEFINE_FIELD( m_bEnabled, FIELD_BOOLEAN ),

	// Inputs
	DEFINE_INPUTFUNC( FIELD_VOID,	 "Enable", InputEnable ),
	DEFINE_INPUTFUNC( FIELD_VOID,	 "Disable", InputDisable ),

END_DATADESC()

static CUtlVector< CHandle< CMessageEntity > >	g_MessageEntities;

//-----------------------------------------
// Spawn
//-----------------------------------------
void CMessageEntity::Spawn( void )
{
	SetNextThink( gpGlobals->curtime + 0.1f );
	m_drawText = false;
	m_bDeveloperOnly = false;
	m_bEnabled = !HasSpawnFlags( SF_MESSAGE_DISABLED );
	//m_debugOverlays |= OVERLAY_TEXT_BIT;		// make sure we always show the text
}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose:
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
void CMessageEntity::Activate( void )
{
	BaseClass::Activate();

	CHandle< CMessageEntity > h;
	h = this;
	g_MessageEntities.AddToTail( h );
}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose:
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
void CMessageEntity::UpdateOnRemove()
{
	BaseClass::UpdateOnRemove();

	CHandle< CMessageEntity > h;
	h = this;
	g_MessageEntities.FindAndRemove( h );

	BaseClass::UpdateOnRemove();
}

//-----------------------------------------
// Think
//-----------------------------------------
void CMessageEntity::Think( void )
{
	SetNextThink( gpGlobals->curtime + 0.1f );

	// check for player distance
	CBasePlayer *pPlayer = UTIL_GetLocalPlayer();

	if ( !pPlayer || ( pPlayer->GetFlags() & FL_NOTARGET ) )
		return;

	Vector worldTargetPosition = pPlayer->EyePosition();

	// bail if player is too far away
	if ( (worldTargetPosition - GetAbsOrigin()).Length() > m_radius )
	{
		m_drawText = false;
		return;
	}

	// turn on text
	m_drawText = true;
}

//-------------------------------------------
//-------------------------------------------
void CMessageEntity::DrawOverlays(void)
{
	if ( !m_drawText )
		return;

	if ( m_bDeveloperOnly && !g_pDeveloper->GetInt() )
		return;

	if ( !m_bEnabled )
		return;

	// display text if they are within range
	char tempstr[512];
	Q_snprintf( tempstr, sizeof(tempstr), "%s", STRING(m_messageText) );
	EntityText( 0, tempstr, 0);
}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose:
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
void CMessageEntity::InputEnable( inputdata_t &inputdata )
{
	m_bEnabled = true;
}

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
// Purpose:
//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
void CMessageEntity::InputDisable( inputdata_t &inputdata )
{
	m_bEnabled = false;
}

// This is a hack to make point_message stuff appear in developer 0 release builds
//  for now
void DrawMessageEntities()
{
	int c = g_MessageEntities.Count();
	for ( int i = c - 1; i >= 0; i-- )
	{
		CMessageEntity *me = g_MessageEntities[ i ];
		if ( !me )
		{
			g_MessageEntities.Remove( i );
			continue;
		}

		me->DrawOverlays();
	}
}


text:
Governor Dukakis Speaks at CYSCA Event on Armenia Trip
By Aram Arkun
Mirror-Spectator Staff
BELMONT, Mass. — Former Massachusetts governor Michael S. Dukakis made a guest appearance at a Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association (CYSCA) panel discussion called Disabilities and Social Inclusion in Armenia held with the co-sponsorship of the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research at the latter's headquarters on May 26. His remarks focused largely on a trip to Armenia that he and his wife Kitty made in April of this year upon the invitation of the American University of Armenia (AUA).
The longest serving governor of Massachusetts, and the second Greek-American governor in US history, Dukakis was the 1988 Democratic presidential nominee. He is now a professor in the Department of Political Science at Northeastern University (Boston) and a visiting professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
The governor, an engaging and relaxed speaker, began by pointing out that "the Greek and Armenian communities are close in many ways. They are part of the same clan." He explained that he and his wife happened to visit Armenia because of a very close friend, Lorraine Alexander. He first met Alexander when she worked at the Massachusetts State House. She was recruited to UCLA to become the first Director of Development for the School of Public Policy there, where they became fast friends. She went on to Stanford University and other jobs, but now is the new Vice President of Development of AUA.
She introduced the governor to the president of AUA, Dr. Armen Der Kiureghian, while he was in the US, and the latter invited Dukakis to visit the university in Yerevan. The governor said, "I find the students to be very impressive—they are quite political in the best sense of the word. They are aware of things."
As his wife Kitty already had been friends with Caroline Mugar, this led the couple to visit a tree farm of the Armenian Tree Project. They were able to be present during the awarding of the first Aurora Prizes, which Dukakis found quite interesting. His wife Kitty has been quite active on genocide-related issues over the years. Among other this, as a member of the President's Commission on the Holocaust and the Holocaust Memorial Council, she pushed to have the Armenian Genocide included in the US Holocaust Museum in Washington DC despite some resistance.
He encountered some 15 Syrian Armenian youth at the university whose families were driven out of Aleppo. They were supportive of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as a protector of the Christian community and described their pre-war life in Syria as almost idyllic. Dukakis said, "This makes you pause a little bit." He wondered whether the attempts to create change in Syria were worth the humanitarian catastrophe that displaced and killed so many. He answered himself, saying he did not think so. He concluded, "We [the US] have to be a lot more careful about what we do, and how we do it."
The governor said that "we had a great time" in Armenia and hoped that he could go there again. He was surprised to see a number of Armenians from the Watertown area, both on the AUA faculty and at various events. One was Fr. Dajad Davidian, about whom he related a charming anecdote. Dukakis said that he and his wife would try to support a young student they met from Yerevan who wants to go to Northeastern.
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Track: TonyZ - Paradox (Inspired By Classic Alan Walker Style) [NCN Release] Music provided by NoCopyrightNation. Watch: Free Download / Stream:If any owners has an issue with any of the uploads please get in contact (manhhp997@ and it will be deleted immediately. Thank you for your coopertation.
Top 10 Track EDM Nhạc Điện Tử Cực Hay " EDM Hay Không Lối Thoát"


text:
Smog has to be cleared
Losing after winning is the worst feeling possible. This is how I feel looking out of my window at a thick pall of black smog engulfing my city. It was this time of the year, exactly 15 years ago, when Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) began its right-to-clean-air campaign. The air in Delhi was so foul one could hardly breathe. That was a time when air pollution was an unknown curse. Not much was known about its nature and the toxicity of the air contaminants.
Our first work was to establish that the air was dangerous for health. But it was not easy to prove since Indian scientists and officials dismissed the concerns. Indian automobile industry was not even bothered. This was the time when there were no standards for fuel or vehicle emission quality in the country. Indian fuel had 10,000 parts per million (ppm) of sulfur in it (currently it is 50 ppm).
As our campaign began to have an impact, government and industry went ballistic. We argued that the scale of pollution in Delhi was so big that we needed a leapfrog solution. Delhi could not take the incremental route to improve its fuel and vehicle standards. It needed a big idea for change, so we suggested that a transition to compressed natural gas (CNG) would be the best option because it emits far less particulate matter than petrol and diesel. If CNG was used in public transport vehicles by phasing out polluting buses and three-wheelers, then there would be double advantage: clean fuel for public transport, which, in turn, would move more people.
Government and automobile manufacturers tried every trick, from setting CNG buses on fire before crucial hearings in the Supreme Court to the Rs 100-crore defamation case against CSE filed by a major car manufacturer. Their position was that diesel was "clean". This when a major US study had just been released to state that diesel was a likely "air carcinogen".
These shenanigans did not work. The Supreme Court heard CSE and directed that use of diesel in buses would be banned. It imposed a daily penalty on diesel buses which did not convert to CNG. Simultaneously, fuel and vehicle standards were set and improved. All this improved Delhi's air quality. Data shows that between 2002 and mid-2008 pollution stabilised in this growing city. We could actually breathe free, see the stars at night.
However, since 2008 air pollution levels have been rising steadily. Each winter it gets worse. This year as the cold began to set in, still air laden with moisture brought back the worst of the smoggy days in the city. It does not help that satellite images released by NASA show a thick plume of smoke caused by agricultural fires—farmers burn rice residue in the fields—is reaching Delhi. All in all, the gains the city made because of the CNG transition are lost.
The fact is that Delhi's automobile population has imploded during this period. The city registers 1,000 vehicles a day. This is more than double of what it did in the pre-CNG period. Over 1.2 million car trips are made daily between Delhi and its neighbouring cities. That's why even when each vehicle has become cleaner—fuel quality and vehicle emission standards have been progressively tightened at a considerable cost—air quality remains poor because of the drastic increase in the number of vehicles.
Worse, government policy has meant that diesel vehicles sell. The price differential between petrol and diesel gives diesel vehicles the edge. Car manufacturers are laughing their way to the bank, even as you and I choke. The fact is that diesel is now a confirmed carcinogen. The fact also is that diesel vehicles are "legally" allowed higher limits for NOx and particulate emissions as compared to petrol cars.
Such a situation guarantees that air pollution will increase to life-threatening proportions. What do we do?
Clearly, the city needs its second-generation reforms on air pollution fast. No small measures will do. In the past, there has been some effort to augment public transport. Some buses have been added in the government-run bus service, roughly 200 km of metro lines have been built and commissioned and a cluster scheme for private buses for public transport has been launched. But all this is just not enough. Delhi can and must reinvent its mobility system. Even till date, cars move only 15 per cent of the commuters in the city, yet pollution from cars is slowly killing us. Barely 40 per cent of the city commutes by private transport. The rest take bus or walk or cycle. Worse, there is absolutely no provision for public transport for inter-city travel. The only way ahead is to build a system where there are seamless options to take the metro, the bus, the para-transport vehicle and the bicycle. It has to be done on a scale that will make a difference. It has to be done immediately and together. This is what we learnt from the CNG transition.
The city also has to prohibit diesel. Either make it very expensive or just not allow its use in private cars. There is no other way to clean the air. I know the automobile industry will fight this; it will argue that its diesel is clean; that industry's growth is necessary for India's economic future. But remember that this fight is a fight of life and death.
Tags: Air Pollution, CNG, Oxides Of Nitrogen (NOx), Vehicular Standards, Cancer, Delhi, Petrol, Down to earth, Sunita Narain, Fuel Quality, Urban Air Quality, Auto Industry, CSE, Personal Transport, Cars, Diesel, Public Transport, Editor's Page, Supreme Court,


text:
Eutomopepla abaearia är en fjärilsart som beskrevs av Charles Oberthür 1911. Eutomopepla abaearia ingår i släktet Eutomopepla och familjen mätare. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia