text:
The Robot Lord Scenario – Chapter 6 (Evelyn)
Posted on September 5, 2016 by Scott Jackisch
Chapter 5 here.
Matheson paced back and forth in the waiting room of the private clinic. He didn't see the beige furniture and mildly narcotic e-ink art as it morphed on the walls. His vision was filled with streaming surveillance footage as he tried to do a postmortem on the attack. He popped another Modafinil absently when his attention started to drift, and he realized that he had been awake for 28 hours. In the old days, when he worked for The Company, he would have had an entire team of analysts working on this stuff, but now pattern recognition AI identified and tagged all of the relevant footage.
Matheson had enthusiastically adopted this new paradigm, as automation had shrunk the footprint of his operational team and thus lowered the risk of leaks. But now he missed having someone to bounce his ideas off of, as he struggled to figure out how this simple benefit dinner had gone so terribly wrong. And he was about to face the harshest cross-examination of his life. Evelyn's father's chopper registered on his situational awareness dashboard long before he heard the heavy thomp-thomp of its rotors. Matheson wished he had something to calm his nerves before facing this furious plutocrat in person.
He briefly considered calling the cyberspecialist, Oliver, to get some independent read on the situation, but he had jammed all radio frequencies around the clinic, and he had even taken the drastic step of physically cutting all of the fiber into the clinic when they brought Evelyn in, so he didn't want to risk a call at this point. Suddenly, his local area map lit up like a Christmas tree, and Matheson caught his breath in shock. There was a flash, and the single triangle representing the chopper carrying Simon Ardenwood was immediately replaced by an entire formation of unmarked aircraft, probably military. At that moment, Matheson's live outdoor camera feeds flickered and revealed the parking lot filled with SUVs and several large, unmarked box trucks.
"Fucking feds came in with full stealth," he muttered to himself, as the door opened and a team of agents entered, obviously from the FBI, but in undesignated tactical wear.
Two suits approached Matheson with a deferential air. "Sorry to spring this on you, sir. But you understand," said the agent on the left. He left his shades opaque during the greeting.
The other agent was more polite and made his glasses translucent, so that Matheson could see the tension in his brown eyes. "Director Hitchens is coming in on Ardenwood's chopper. They want you to greet them. Come with us."
Matheson made a face to show his surprise at the mention of Hitchens' name, but neither agent took the bait, and they ushered him outside, where the air was full of copters, most of them modern military units, disturbingly quiet as they dropped down onto the building's roof and the manicured lawn. The air stunk of diesel from the big trucks and helicopter fuel.
"Obviously, we have the perimeter locked down. We had to blank out your defense systems to come in quietly, but we are going to release them now. Please stand down all defense modules, including frequency jammers," said the agent with the dark shades.
"I won't bother asking for transfer of custody codes, I guess," muttered Matheson, as he sent out the commands to shut down his measly defenses, which paled in comparison to the assets that the feds had brought in.
"We are law and order guys, not military, we will get you your codes, sir," said the brown eyed agent.
Matheson looked him over. He was a young fellow, Asian or Hispanic, he couldn't tell. But he seemed earnest.
He was distracted by a big civilian chopper landing right in the lot and creating a massive blast of turbulence. Hitchens and Ardenwood emerged, ducking as they ran out from under the roaring rotors.
Matheson's gut roiled as he stood up straight to greet these two powerful men. Ardenwood had entrusted his daughter to Matheson, and Matheson had failed him. He could really use a drink right now.
But Ardenwood didn't pay Matheson the slightest bit of attention, he just sprinted toward the clinic, anguish carved into his face. Matheson turned to watch his employer run past, realizing how painful this must be for him. Hitchens clapped him on the shoulder and brought him back to the moment.
"Matheson, I read your file, you are good man," said the greying director. He was a chubby man of medium height, grey haired, with the soft hands of a career bureaucrat.
"Thank you, uh, Mr. Hitchens," said Matheson. He had been about to address the director as "sir," but he caught himself.
"We are going to want to debrief you here, my team is assembling now, I hope that's convenient," said the director absently, in a tone that said he didn't care if Matheson found it convenient or not.
Matheson, Hitchens, and the two agents reentered the clinic together and went through the foyer and down a light blue, tiled hallway that looked and smelled perfectly antiseptic. A tall, blonde haired young man dressed as an orderly appeared. He guided them to the examination room, where Simon Ardenwood hovered anxiously over his daughter, who was laid out on an exam table. She was wearing a hospital gown and was attached to an array of machinery that monitored her heartbeat and brainwaves. Her eyes were open, but she was staring off sightlessly, as she writhed and thrashed back and forth on the table, surrounded by doctors and nurses.
"Evelyn, can you hear me? It's Papa, darling," shouted Ardenwood, taking his daughter by the wrists.
"She can't hear you, Mr. Ardenwood," insisted a hard faced nurse with the lean, muscular physique of a triathlete. She firmly detached Simon's grip from his daughter and led him away from the table where she lay, delirious.
A dark skinned Indian doctor, his eyes burning with a fierce intelligence, took Simon by the arm and guided him over to Hitchens and Matheson.
"I am Dr. Joshi," said the doctor to the group. "This is a very strange case. Ms. Ardenwood seems totally unresponsive, but her EEG clearly shows that she is conscious. Her blood work has revealed nothing. We need to transfer her to a neurological facility as soon as possible. In all my years of experience, I have seen nothing like this."
"Thank you, Dr. Joshi, but we have our own specialists coming in, and we're afraid that we HAVE seen something like this, and it isn't good," said Hitchens.
The doctor looked concerned. "Do we need to institute a quarantine?" he asked.
"No, I don't think so," said Hitchens. "At least not one that we are capable of implementing in this sort of facility."
"My god, what are we talking about here, Hitchens?" demanded Ardenwood. "You've been cagey with me the entire flight. I want answers! Don't make me get on the phone with the attorney general."
Hitchens looked pained. He made a motion for the agents to stay, took both Ardenwood and Matheson by the lapels, and led them out of the exam room. They found an empty breakroom across the hall, and Hitchens turned to Matheson.
"I assume you have some fancy, commercial grade privacy screens?" Hitchens asked, as he located a paper cup and filled it with coffee from a dispenser.
"Well, you should know I had military grade stuff deployed when you arrived," said Matheson.
"What is this nonsense? Has my daughter been drugged by some sort of maniac?"
"Simon, shut up and listen to me," said Hitchens sharply, bringing Ardenwood to a halt. "We aren't talking about a fucking DRUG here. And that was no maniac. Do you really think I would bring in so many assets for such a thing? I mean, you are an important man, but really, use your brain for a moment."
Ardenwood's face worked as he struggled to contain his emotions. "So some sort of terrorist group?"
"Targeting the economic elite," added Matheson.
Hitchens turned to Matheson and pointed. "Bingo."
Matheson continued, but he felt unnerved. "And if it's no drug and the techs at THIS fucking place can't pinpoint it, we are talking about something heavy, black nanotech or something."
"Jesus Christ, Matheson," said Hitchens, genuinely impressed. "They said you were good, but what the hell?"
"I've locked down the signals in and out of this place," said Matheson.
Hitchens shrugged, "You know how it goes, they get their dirty little fingers into our research pipeline and all hell breaks loose."
"I don't know what the fuck you two are talking about, autonomous nanotech making my daughter delirious?" scoffed Ardenwood.
"Look Simon, I'm sorry," said Hitchens. "We need to move Evelyn to a secure compound. This isn't the first case we've seen." He turned to Matheson. "You are off the case, Mr. Matheson. This is a very sensitive federal investigation. My team will debrief you and you will go on leave until further notice. Your services won't be needed." Matheson started to object, but Hitchens held up a delicately manicured hand and bowed his head. "I know what you are feeling right now. You feel like you dropped the ball and let your charge be attacked. You want to run out there and catch the bad guys. And you are good, one of the better operators around, I can see that. But this game is too complicated as it is, and we can't have any more moving parts. You need to sit this one out."
"Matheson works for ME, Hitchens, not you," sputtered Ardenwood.
"Your connections can protect you, Mr. Ardenwood," said Hitchens, brushing his sleeves casually. "But not your operatives. If you put this pawn back into play, I will remove him from the board."
Ardenwood looked at Hitchens in shock as his words sank in.
Hitchens smiled in a friendly way at Matheson. "Don't take that the wrong way, son. I mean, I know you are more of a knight than a pawn. Just leave those screens in place. My team will come in to debrief you in a moment. Have your surveillance footage and operation logs prepared for secure transfer." Hitchens tossed his coffee cup in the garbage. "And you know what? When this mess is all over, let's set up a meeting and see about getting you back onto the government payroll. Some of our special positions offer compensation packages that are competitive with the private sector."
Hitchens left and Ardenwood started pacing, clearly agitated. "Matheson, you've worked for me for a lot of years, but I won't ask you to risk your life for Evelyn."
"You don't have to, Simon," said Matheson, "You don't have to." In his heart, he knew he would take any risk to find the bastards that had hurt Evelyn. He just hoped that Hitchens couldn't command the sort of loyalty that he thought he could. It would take a special sort of bootlicker to gun down a fellow American and fellow operator in the field. Even if Matheson had been in the private sector a long time, he hoped that the brotherhood among those who serve might offer him some protection. Because he was about to stick his nose where it didn't belong, and knight or pawn as he may be, he would prefer to stay on the board a while longer.
Across the hall, Evelyn writhed under the worried supervision of the medical staff, but she didn't see the blinking lights or concerned faces all around her. Instead, she saw a dusty refugee camp and a figure in a Guy Fawkes mask leading her into a dismal, hellish tableau of death and suffering. "Come see the world you have wrought, my precious flower," he told her in his choppy, synthetic voice, and then he dissolved into pixels as she wept at what lay before her.
This entry was posted in Fiction, The Robot Lord Scenario by Scott Jackisch. Bookmark the permalink.
2 thoughts on "The Robot Lord Scenario – Chapter 6 (Evelyn)"
Pingback: The Robot Lord Scenario - Chapter 5 (Mira) - The Oakland FuturistThe Oakland Futurist
Pingback: The Robot Lord Scenario - Chapter 7 (Ivan) - The Oakland FuturistThe Oakland Futurist


text:
Home Environmental Science Leaked Documents Show Countries Lobbying Against Climate Action Ahead Of COP26
Leaked Documents Show Countries Lobbying Against Climate Action Ahead Of COP26
Subject: Environmental Science
It has revealed that a number of countries are attempting to water down the global climate crisis response and downplay the urgency of shifting away from fossil fuels just ahead of the COP26 climate change summit later this month. Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Australia are reportedly among the countries attempting to influence the draft report of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN body responsible for analyzing climate change science, according to leaked papers seen by BBC News and Greenpeace's Unearthed.
"Words like 'the necessity for urgent and rapid mitigating steps at all scales…' should be removed from the report," said a Saudi oil ministry adviser examining the draft report. According to the BBC, an Australian government official rejected the conclusion that coal-fired power stations must shut down to avoid further warming, despite overwhelming scientific consensus to the contrary. Australia also requested that the IPCC remove an analysis describing how fossil fuel lobbying has stymied climate action in Australia and the United States.
Thousands of review comments have been made on the second draft of Working Group III's contribution to the IPCC's momentous Sixth Assessment Report, which is due to be released next year, according to the leaks. An assortment of scientists, academics, governments, NGOs, and corporations will analyze the contents of the draft report and provide comments in order to create a well-rounded final report that has gone through the peer-review process.
The IPCC report's goal is to give policymakers the most up-to-date scientific assessments on climate change and to establish a framework for international climate negotiations, such as those set to begin on October 31 at the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. Although the bulks of these comments are constructive and valid, and intended to improve the final report's quality, it appears that certain countries have attempted to sway the study to their benefit.
In another case, meat-producing countries with powerful agricultural lobbies, such as Brazil and Argentina, attempted to downplay the need to reduce meat and dairy output in order to combat the climate issue. Saudi Arabia, China, Australia, and Japan appear to be pushing for more funding for climate capture technologies, which collect carbon from the atmosphere and store it permanently underground. While this developing technology has the potential to help address the climate catastrophe, it is currently exceedingly expensive, and others say that we should not rely on it as a fail-safe countermeasure to greenhouse gas emissions.
Several countries, including India, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia, contend that nuclear power should be favored in the study because it produces no direct carbon dioxide emissions while also posing environmental dangers. While the leaked comments will likely cast doubt on the COP26 negotiations' conclusion, many scientists feel the discoveries do not jeopardize the credibility of the final IPCC reports. They contend that the IPCC process is mainly transparent, trustworthy, and robust enough to withstand most heavy-handed politics.
"The… research reveals the actions of some countries that have attempted to stymie decarbonization progress through the IPCC process." However, this lobbying has no bearing on the IPCC report's scientific integrity "Professor Martin Siegert, co-director of Imperial College London's Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, agreed."It is a victory that the IPCC defends science in the face of such powerful stakes, and we should be grateful to the scientists involved for refusing to cave into such pressure. "Make no mistake: decarbonization at the level required to avoid disastrous climate change will be resisted by some, if not many, in the fossil-fuel business, as well as a number of people, companies, and nations who profit financially from fossil fuels," he added.
Pandora is Ditching Mined Diamonds, Moving to Sustainable Lab-Made Alternatives Only
The Asteroid That Sealed the Dinosaurs' Fate Hit Earth At "Deadliest Possible" Angle
It's Almost Certain 2020 Will Be Among the Hottest Years on Record
COVID-19 Pandemic Has Generated 8.4 Million Tons of Plastic Waste So Far
Similar Environmental Science Study
Problems of using Polybags
Global Carbon Emissions Fell By 7 Percent Thanks To COVID Restrictions. We Can Learn From This
The planet is crashing towards the limits of its climate change
Sometimes, Stressed Corals Become Even More Colorful
Within the Next Decade, Climate Change will Stir up Global Agriculture
Mercury-Rich Water is Flooding Out of Greenland's Melting Ice Sheet
This Is How Slime Mold Makes Memories, Despite Having No Brain
Comparatively Explanation on First and Second Law of Thermodynamics
Cover Letter for Chief Accountant
How Net Present Value (NPV) profiles are constructed?
What is Hydroelectricity?
Wildfires near the ruins of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
Electric Eels Hunting Together – Scientists observation in Amazon River
Tunisia Sows Seeds of Hope in the Fight against Global Warming
Canada Lists Plastic as Toxic in Step Towards Ban on Single-Use Plastic
Twitter expands API with support for posting and deleting tweets, Super Follows and more
Estuaries Are Warming Twice As Fast As the Atmosphere and Oceans
Divers Describe the Creepiest things they've Found Underwater
Climate Change and a Lunar Wobble Raise Alarm for Major Coastal Flooding in the 2030s
Emissions could be Reduced Significantly if Green Services Made Affordable
The levels of radiation on the moon are 200 times higher than on Earth

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


For our continuing March Madness of Mystery Models, here is March Mystery Model #2. Since no one correctly answered the searing queries for March Mystery Model #1, perhaps this will be easier. The photographs show the model with only four of her multiple parts dry-fitted. Can you identify the name of the ship, scale of the model and name of manufacturer? Please post all answers to the message board.


Life, and work, do seem to slow down, come summer (for some of us anyway)...but literary magazines keep their own eccentric calendars, as if oblivious to the seasons: here, still in time to provide some Summer Reading, are two stories just out.
"Faith," one of my personal favorites, had proved hard to place, dealing as it does with a self-proclaimed "healer" working the Connecticut countryside. It was inspired by the challenges of a dear friend's earlier marriage, and is now featured in Hospital Drive, the University of Virginia Medical School's Literature and Humanities Journal, which (a propos) publishes original literature and art on themes of health, illness, and healing.
"Drowning By The Dike," a short-short of summer, was inspired by my own earlier life—specifically, by a last summer in another place altogether—and appears (in print and online) in the current Santa Fe Literary Review.


text:
Rick Simpson is an American set decorator. He won an Academy Award and was nominated for another in the category Best Art Direction.

Awards
Simpson won an Academy Award for Best Art Direction and was nominated for another:
Won
 Dick Tracy (1990)
Nominated
 2010 (1984)

Selected filmography

 Silent Movie (1976)
 Capricorn One (1977)
 Coma (1978)
 The Champ (1979)
 Personal Best (1982)
 Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
 The Star Chamber (1983)
 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984)
 Johnny Dangerously (1984)
 Project X (1987)
 Tequila Sunrise (1988)
 Dick Tracy (1990)
 Predator 2 (1990)
 City Slickers (1991)
 Born Yesterday (1993)
 What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)
 The Pelican Brief (1993)
 Boys on the Side (1995)
 Casino (1995)
 Sgt. Bilko (1996)
 Bulworth (1998)
 Armageddon (1998)
 Little Nicky (2000)
 Rush Hour 2 (2001)
 The Hunted (2003)
 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)
 Rules of Engagement (2000)
 The Black Dahlia (2006)

References

External links

Living people
American set decorators
Best Art Direction Academy Award winners
Year of birth missing (living people)
20th-century births

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
President's Perspective - February 16, 2021 with Special Guest Kevin Trokey
February 16, 2021 | By: NAHU
President's Perspective
On this week's episode of the President's Perspective, Dane and David are joined by former Membership Council Chair Kevin Trokey. The three discuss things from a marketing perspective, how to get more young people interested in our industry and association, and more.
Don't forget to subscribe to the President's Perspective on whichever platform you use to listen to your music and podcasts!
The Jump Off with NAHU President Eugene Starks #2 - Stephanie Berger
The Jump Off! With NAHU President Eugene Starks - #1
(Immediate Past) President's Perspective with Special Guest President Eugene Starks
President's Perspective with Special Guest Karson Kamenetz
President's Perspective with Special Guest Ashley Kapostins
President's Perspective with Special Guest Jerald Tillman
President's Perspective - April 27, 2021
President's Perspective with Special Guest Aaron Davis
President's Perspective with Special Guest Emma Fox
President's Perspective with Special Guest Paul L. Younkins
President's Perspective - March 23, 2021 with Special Guests Reid and Heidi Rasmussen
President's Perspective - March 16, 2021 with Special Guest Alycia Riedl
President's Perspective - March 9, 2021
President's Perspective - February 9, 2021
President's Perspective - January 12, 2021
President's Perspective - December 22, 2020
President's Perspective - December 8, 2020
President's Perspective - November 24, 2020
President's Perspective - October 27, 2020
President's Perspective - September 29, 2020
President's Perspective - September 1, 2020
President's Perspective - August 18, 2020
President's Perspective - August 4, 2020
President's Perspective - July 2020


"Clinical outcome of emergency repeat coronary artery bypass surgery" by J. H. Lemmer Jr., D. W. Ferguson et al.
To determine the clinical outcome of patients requiring emergency repeat coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures, we reviewed 23 such procedures performed for ongoing myocardial ischemia refractory to medical management. The operative mortality was 17%. On follow-up, an average of 24.9 months after emergency reoperation, 14 of the 19 survivors (74%) had recurrent angina. As compared to a randomly selected group of 25 patients who underwent elective repeat CABG procedures during the same time period, the incidence of late cardiac events was significantly higher (79% in the emergency group, 30% in the elective surgery group) and fewer patients had received internal mammary artery (IMA) grafts (9% vs 52%). Emergency repeat CABG operations have considerable operative mortality and poor postoperative functional results with the majority of survivors developing recurrent ischemic syndromes within a short period of time.
The Journal of cardiovascular surgery, 31:4 (1990) pp.492-497.


According to dotmailer.com, an email marketing company, "One of the most effective uses of email communication is to build customer intimacy, trust and satisfaction." Use email to create the loyalty you want from your customers.
First, make sure your customers are satisfied with their shopping experience. They need to know you're listening and are concerned about them. Use email marketing to ask the important question, "How likely are you to recommend us to a friend?" Be sure to follow up and thank them for responding.
Divide customers into 3 categories. First, the "promoters." These customers eagerly tell others about you. Next, you have "passives." These are customers who are satisfied, but don't say anything about your shop. Finally, there are the "detractors." They are unhappy customers who usually speak louder than the other two. Target your email marketing with specific messages for each.
Loyal customers expect preferential treatment. Frankly, in today's crowded retail/resale world, they have every right to. Consider an email marketing campaign giving your top customers a special VIP service, exclusive previews of new merchandise, invitations to private "members-only" events or special offers. By using emails to convey these promotions, your best customers become even bigger fans. This is the perfect group to start a bring-a-friend email promotion.
All of us know what it's like to have overflowing email inboxes. You can spend an hour merely clicking the "delete" button. To make sure your passive shoppers don't easily delete your email messages offer them something of value. A "we miss you" message can offer a special discount. Send an informational email that gives them the latest trends or even a survey that asks specific shopping experience questions. All of these can all build loyalty.
It may seem odd to reach out to your detractors, but often they just want to be heard. Nine times out of 10 if you reach out to a negative shopper and tell them you are willing to listen and hopefully resolve their issue, they'll back down. All bark with very little actual bite.
Testimonials, reviews and customer photos…oh my!
Be sure to give your customers their 15 minutes of fame. By emailing customer photos and sharing great stories or reviews, everyone gets to share in that warm, fuzzy feeling. You become a family rather than just another place to shop.


text:
Notholaena pohliana är en kantbräkenväxtart som beskrevs av Kze. Notholaena pohliana ingår i släktet Notholaena och familjen Pteridaceae. Inga underarter finns listade.

Källor

Kärlväxter
pohliana


Untitled. A piece of RAR Art.
Conceived and painted by Mother Nature.
A piece of rar art painted by Mother Nature.
A piece of rar art.
What is 神画 or paintings of god? The Secrets of Mother Nature Exhibition is about a new photopainting art form. It is about a photograph but not a photograph, a painting but not a painting, an original but not, it is not computer graphic art or animation. It is a hybrid of a photograph and a painting created not by a human artist but by Mother Nature, or god in a liberal sense. It is painted by a human artist but it is not. Let me explain this new art form before I confuse everyone.
Why is it a photograph but not a photograph?
A photograph is the product of an image taken by a camera of an object. There is a direct object image relationship. In this art form an object is photographed using the camera. But the image captured is not that of the object. The object is simply water in a pond and nothing else. The image can be anything, looking anything other than water. The image is inherent in the water but is not visible to the naked eye and needed some processing to reveal what it really is, and definitely not the water that it originally appeared when being photographed.
A conventional painting is normally painted by an artist onto paper or canvas with ink, pigment, water colour, oil, crayon etc. The painting in this case is printed by a printer and can be pigment, ink or oil. It has some similarities with a conventional painting in the sense that it came from an artist's idea or thought. The difference is that this idea or concept comes from the thought of Mother Nature and can only be captured by a camera before being translated into a visible form.
It is the original but not the original.
The real original of a painting created by this method is invisible, is fluid and is in the water, and vanishes the moment it is photographed and would never be seen again. This original concept exists in a different plane, like a human thought. Thus the painting in print form can be called the original as it is the only available arising from the first thought in the water.
The painting comes from a digital image of a camera. It only goes through some processing that are similar to darkroom processes, eg brightness, contrast, colour, sharpness, intensity, brilliance etc. There may be some touching up of spots or removal of minor blemishes. No major alteration of the image is done. The authenticity of the digital image is preserved and can be easily returned to the original form with the hitting of the reset button.
The conceptualizing of the painting is done by Mother Nature. Everything is already there and the contribution of the human artist, the photopainter, is to assist in bringing out the details of the painting that are otherwise invisible to the naked eye. The photopainter, the human artist, can only do what is already present in the original image and does not introduce new or additional elements into the paintings. As the possibilities of each image is quite varied, the photopainter could interpret it in many ways and there is no certainty that the image in print is exactly what Mother Nature intended. This is the part played by the human photopainter, introducing some subjectivity into the final form.
In summary, every painting created by this technique is conceived and designed by god or Mother Nature, photographed and fine tuned by a photopainter. It is a photograph turned into a painting with Nature doing the bulk of the creative part of the work. The photopainter just collaborates with Mother Nature and the final work is the effort of both parties with Mother Nature playing the bigger role.
PS. The exhibition is being held at NUSS Guild House, Kent Ridge from 22 Oct to 21 Dec.
Secrets of Mother Nature Exhibition at NUSS Guild House Kent Ridge, 22 Oct -21 Dec 12. Everyone is invited. Admission is Free.
40 years ago when I held a SLR it was like holding a precision machine with very accurate engineering to be able to do what it was designed to do. Today, a DSLR is still a very precise machine and more. It comes with a computer inside. This is the kind of power in the hands of a photographer.
40 years ago I was messing around in the dark room all alone, with chemicals and fearing a little ray of light sneaking into the room. And the processing of the negatives and printing were mainly done manually with a lot of guess works. Manipulating them for different effects was tedious and failure rate was extremely high. Today, every thing a dark room processing can do can be done much better and easier, with more control and refinement using a processing software loaded into a computer. No more messy stuff and expensive errors that had to be thrown away at great cost. The software can work practically at anywhere with no fear of sneaky lights. And any error can simply be erased and redo again at practically no cost.
The tools of photography and the nature of photography have taken a qualitative leap to allow photographers to do many things that they could not do before. With such powerful tools and computing power, there are many avenues to explore for the photographer. I was not content with just doing and repeating the same thing all over again, shooting the best portrait, the best bird in flight, night photography, sports photography, travel photography, macro or micro photography. In many of these areas, everything has been done and shot by the professionals.
With two computers, one in the hand, one sitting on the table, and a more power third computer in the head, I started to explore and experiment with the untouchables, the taboos, the things that were frowned upon, striking out into new frontiers, to capitalise on the power of 3 computers. Photographers must do justice to the enormous creative powers their tools are able to perform today.
The first step I took was to embrace refraction, something that was nearly totally disregarded by photographers for the distortion it caused. Conventional photography is all about reflection, shooting an object to get a clear and crisp image. At times blurring and zooming effects were introduced, bokehs etc, but still an act of reflection.
Refraction is about seeing light travelling through more than one medium of different density. The bending of light through a prism to reveal the rainbow colours is a basic example of reflection. Light contains many things that the naked eyes could not see. Light is after all an electromagnetic wave. The signals received on radio or the television, through the phone, are all electromagnetic waves with information of sound and images embedded in them. The decoder in the TV unscrambles the information to make them visible and audible.
Light entering and exiting a medium like water are distorted by refraction and reflection. It also picks up other information that we could not see but exists. If only such information can be translated into something visible, revealing what they were like a TV image through a decoder, the final image can be stunning and unpredictable.
The Art of RAR or Reflection and Refraction is a technique that I have developed exactly to do this function. The images taken in the water will not be seen through the naked eyes or the camera sensor. The water will still appear as an image of water in the sensor. Through processing, the multiple images hidden in the light that came out of water can be seen in all its glories.
The Art of RAR is a key or a decoder to do this job. Many unseen images cannot be obtained from a seemingly non existence object in the water. With this methodology, photography is now able to do something new, something that was impossible and now possible. The images that came out from this technique can still be like a photographic image or an image that looks exactly like a painting with no trace of it being a photograph. It is a new field of photography that modern technology makes possible with the help of the creative and imaginative mind of a photographer. The possibilities are unlimited and photographers, with their creativity and imagination, could move beyond the confines of conventional photography, to explore new frontiers using the camera to produce new art forms.
The Art of RAR is not the only new technique available and more creative usages of the camera and technology would likely to lead to more innovative ways to expand the art of photography and how to use the camera. The art of photography is beginning to see new light.
The most compelling story of a new photopainting technique developed by a Singaporean is waiting to get some notice from the local art scene and the critics. I am still promoting this new art form/technique locally and if I fail to get any support or notice, then I would have to go out of this little island to see the attention of the world. While our local critics and reporters are busily covering the works of foreign talents, incidentally my work was first featured by a Malaysian lifestyle magazine, the Essenze a couple of months ago.
The most remarkable feature of this technique is that I could create many pieces of artwork, on paper or canvas, just by pointing my camera to a pond of the water. With proper set up, I could create many never seen before paintings and concepts that no human artiste could think of.
My work is a collaboration with Mother Nature with the latter doing the conceptualisation and main features of a painting and I doing the finishing touches. These unique and revolutionary paintings are now on show at NUSS Guild House at Kent Ridge till 21 Dec 12. More than 30 pieces of my work are being exhibited and all are welcome.
Many collectors have built a collection of paintings and other works of art by great painters. None has ever own a piece of painting created by Mother Nature. Now you can own a piece of painting conceptualised and painted by the hands of Mother Nature.
The Exhibition is at NUSS Guild House at Kent Ridge till 21 Dec 12.
The painters are some of the most talented artists around. They train hard, work hard and acquire great skills in wielding a very primitive instrument developed thousands of years ago and still in its original form, the brush, to create and paint great works of arts and masterpieces. A good piece of brush could be had for a few dollars.
What the painters can do the photographers can't despite the highly expensive and sophisticated precision instruments in their hands. The camera is not only a piece of fine engineering tool but also a computer added in. The best could fetch several tens of thousands of dollars. Any decent piece of camera of professional grade would cost several thousand dollars.
Other than in capturing great shots that are newsworthy, not many photographers are able to create photos that could come near to a masterpiece of an artist/painter. Are the photographers ready to accept the limitations of their expensive tool and resign to the fate that photography is only photography and still found wanting when compare to what a cheap piece of ancient primitive brush can do?
This is about to change. The camera can paint. There are still many limitations that the camera cannot take the photographers to the world of paintings. But with a new technique that I have developed, the world of paintings is beckoning. Using the technique called The Art of RAR, short for Reflection and Reflection, I am able to create paintings using the camera. My experiment into this realm of photopainting is still in its nascent stage, but the potential of painting with the camera is only limited to the imagination and creativity of a photopainter. Some of my works can be viewed at www.artofrar.blogspot.com.
The kind of paintings that could be created from The Art of RAR technique could vary from realism to abstract art with ease, using only natural light and the natural environment. More creations are waiting to be discovered in a control environment with the right set ups and accessory equipment. Photography is not going to be the same again. Photographers need not be limited by what they were used to be doing with their cameras and could venture into many unknown frontiers of artistry. Technology has given the photographer and their cameras room for more creativity and innovation and experimentation.
The Art of RAR is only a small step forward.
This is a new piece that I have created. It is untitled and not in my Exhibition.
We used to be very close to Nature, living off Nature and walking with Nature. Those were the days when people were living on landed properties, be they attap houses, zinc roof wooden huts or simply some mixed mesh of structure to provide shelter, and spent the days in the field, in the sea, farming for a living. The animals, pigs, goats, fowls, cats and dogs lived in close proximity with human beans, sharing the same common space.
In a highly urbanised lifestyle, it is not surprising that many children today did not know what a chicken or duck looks like. Their lives circulate from one concrete building to the next and revolve around modern gadgetry. The only chicken or animal they know are in small pieces on the dinner table. The closest they get to Nature is likely to be a walk in the rain.
I have been in conversation with Nature daily, in a way, through my art. My 7000 pieces of raw images of simply water taken with my camera will keep me busy for years trying to figure out what Nature has imprinted in them. Daily I will work on a few pieces, reviewing and manipulating them for an insight into the thoughts of Nature. Every frame of digital image that looks innocently bland and boring contains a hidden image or message, or many images and messages that are waiting to reveal themselves. Every picture or photopainting that surfaced is the end result of hours of negotiating with Mother Nature, attempting to understand what Mother Nature wants to show to the human world.
I spend many hours daily working with Mother Nature and talking to her, through her works that are deceptively concealed in the unassuming form of reflection and refraction in a pool of water. Sometimes I wonder if it is real, that Mother Nature could be behind all the photopaintings that came forth like a magician and his doves or pulling a rabbit from a hat. Sometimes I wonder if what I finally put into print is the ultimate image that Nature wanted. Sometimes I wonder if there is a message, a hidden message of some kind that Nature wanted to tell us.
Everytime I attempt to look at another perspective, a totally new concept and picture could appear that is entirely different in nature from my earlier interpretation. It is like trying to discover a mystery, to understand Mother Nature through her paintings. Through my photopaintings, Mother Nature is like being there with me, occasionally tipping me off with a little exciting shades and shapes that would lead to more fascinating ways of looking at something so common and unemotional, a reflection or refraction of nothing but light in water. This is going to be a long conversation with Mother Nature and is like an unending journey, as I have only taken my first step, a tip toe, into this wonderland of paintings out of thin air, or simply water.
This is a colourful piece of contemporary art painted by Mother Nature.
A creation of Mother Nature using the Art of RAR technique.
My exhibition on the Secrets of Mother Nature came to a close after two months at the NUSS Guild House. A few of my paintings have found new homes. A few more could follow but unfortunately the deals did not go through.
The feedbacks from visitors were encouraging. Being a new artist, new technique, The Art of RAR, and a new kind of photopaintings, I am very pleased that people who have seen them appreciate and like them. For those who have acquired my paintings, they should be pleased to know that these are not the usual paintings that one can buy from everywhere.
Every painting is a mystery and a little miracle. There are painted by Mother Nature and appeared in a magic pond, and only visible to a camera. And the photopaintings that finally took form were conceptualised by the mysterious forces of Nature, a work of Nature. It is like Nature speaking or communicating to the mortals with its works. There could be some meanings in each of them that only the gifted could connect.
I am now planning to work on another exhibition with a few new series that are quite different from those that I have exhibited. My first exhibition was more of an introduction to the range of paintings that Mother Nature could share, a glimpse of the power and creativity of Mother Nature. My next exhibition will be more focus, maybe on a couple of series and with more depth.


text:
La seguente lista propone una visione d'insieme della produzione artistica di Gustav Klimt. L'illustrazione dei dipinti è in ordine cronologico, per anno e titolo, con breve commentario a fianco, e percorre l'itinerario formativo e stilistico dell'artista austriaco.

Galleria delle opere principali di Gustav Klimt

Musei
Elenco dei musei che espongono opere dell'artista:
 Galleria nazionale d'arte moderna e contemporanea, Roma
 Neue Pinakothek, Monaco di Baviera
 Galleria d'arte moderna Ricci Oddi, Piacenza
 Leopold Museum, Vienna
 Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna
 Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna
 Neue Galerie, New York
 Cà Pesaro Galleria internazionale di arte moderna, Venezia
 Národní Galerie, Praga

Note

Bibliografia

 .
 .
 .
 .
 Gilles Neret, "Klimt". Taschen, 1993. ISBN 978-3-8228-5980-3
 Alfred Weidinger, Klimt. Catalogue Raisonné, Prestel, New York, 2007, ISBN 978-3-7913-3764-7

Riferimenti
 Czernin, Hubertus. Die Fälschung: Der Fall Bloch-Bauer und das Werk Gustav Klimts. Czernin Verlag, Vienna 2006. ISBN 3-7076-0000-9
 Kallir, Jane, Alfred Weidinger: Gustav Klimt. In Search of the Total Artwork. Prestel, New York 2009, ISBN 978-3-7913-4232-0
 .
 Schorske, Carl E. "Gustav Klimt: Painting and the Crisis of the Liberal Ego" in Fin-de-Siècle Vienna: Politics and Culture. Vintage Books, 1981. ISBN 0-394-74478-0
 Weidinger, Alfred. Klimt. Catalogue Raisonné, Prestel, New York, 2007, ISBN 978-3-7913-3764-7

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni
 Gallery of works by Gustav Klimt at Zeno.org

 Gustav Klimt on Wikipaintings, features all his artistic production.

 .
  * Gustav Klimt Biyografi

  Disegni fregio Palazzo Stoclet sul Sito ufficiale Museum für Angewandte Kunst Vienna
 150° della nascita di Klimt 2012. Iniziative viennesi
 150° della nascita di Klimt 2012. Arte come fattore economico
 150° della nascita di Klimt 2012. Personalità dell'artista
 Gustav Klimt e la politica culturale di Vienna nel 150° della nascita

Klimt, Gustav


text:
Q: Update MongoDB object in object by id Model:
const projectSchema = new Schema({
  name: {
    type: String,
    maxlength: 50
  },
  description: {
    type: String
  },
  projectLead: {
    type: String
  },
  start: {
    type: String
  },
  end: {
    type: String
  },
  projectType: {
    type: String
  },
  claimId: {
    type: String
  },
  organization: {
    type: String
  },
  seats: [{
    id: String,
    employee: String,
    role: String,
    start: String,
    end: String,
    workload: Number,
    skills: Array,
    approved: Boolean
  }]
}, {
  timestamps: true
})

Model response example:
{
    "project": {
        "_id": "5cab4b9bc9b29a7ba2363875",
        "name": "Project Title",
        "description": "Project description",
        "projectLead": "email@email",
        "start": "2018-06-01T09:45:00.000Z",
        "end": "2019-06-31T09:45:00.000Z",
        "claimId": "AIIIIII",
        "organization": "Company ACE",
        "seats": [
            {
                "skills": [
                    "Node.js",
                    "Vue.js"
                ],
                "_id": "5cab548e5cefe27ef82ca313",
                "start": "2018-06-01T09:45:00.000Z",
                "end": "2019-06-31T09:45:00.000Z",
                "role": "Developer",
                "approved": false,
                "workload": 20,
                "employee": ''
            }
        ],
        "createdAt": "2019-04-08T13:24:43.253Z",
        "updatedAt": "2019-04-08T14:02:54.257Z",
        "__v": 0
    }
}

Controller:
exports.updateSeatEmployee = async (req, res, next) => {
  try {
    const project = await Project.findOneAndUpdate({
      "seats._id": req.params.id
    }, {
      "seats.employee": req.body.employee
    }, {
      new: true
    })
    console.log("project", project);
    return res.json({
      project: project
    })
  } catch (error) {
    next(error)
  }
}

Debugger:

Mongoose: users.createIndex({ email: 1 }, { unique: true, background:
  true }) { sub: '5cab48ebec24577ab3329fcd', iat: 1554729210 }
Mongoose: users.findOne({ _id: ObjectId("5cab48ebec24577ab3329fcd") },
  { projection: {} })
Mongoose: projects.findAndModify({ 'seats._id':
  ObjectId("5cab529bcafa027e30ee229c") }, [], { '$setOnInsert': {
  createdAt: new Date("Mon, 08 Apr 2019 14:45:56 GMT") }, '$set': {
  'seats.$.employee': 'email@email.com', updatedAt: new
  Date("Mon, 08 Apr 2019 14:45:56 GMT") } }, { new: true, upsert: false,
  remove: false, projection: {} }) (node:33302) DeprecationWarning:
  collection.findAndModify is deprecated. Use findOneAndUpdate,
  findOneAndReplace or findOneAndDelete instead.
project null

I want to search for a specific object in seats by its id.
This specific seat should be update. In my case I want to update the employee field.
If I do a findOne({"seats._id": req.params.id}) I get the project back but findOneAndUpdate returns null.

A: You need the $ positional operator since seats is an array and you should use $set operator if you want to update just one field
const project = await Project.findOneAndUpdate({
  "seats._id": req.params.id
}, {
  $set: { "seats.$.employee": req.body.employee }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


05.04.2014 at 11:29:57 And most necessary - get work.
05.04.2014 at 22:10:35 Common physical exams family duties tesla Roadster " a a hundred% electrical powered sports car with.
05.04.2014 at 17:47:54 Modesty," he declared handle the rate of decline, a method that mentioned "they heard both nothing.
05.04.2014 at 22:34:33 Depressed you will attract individuals and close to-instantaneous recognition.


text:
Q: const struct object access member functions (and an operator overloading question) I tried to overload the << operator for my custom struct, but encountered error C2662, code as follows:
struct HP{
    int max_hp;
    int hp;
    HP(int max_hp){
        this->max_hp=max_hp;
        this->hp=max_hp;
    }
    // this const declarative doesn't support const HP& obj argument
    const string repr(){
        stringstream hp_stats;
        hp_stats << this->hp << "/" << this->max_hp;
        return hp_stats.str();
    }
    // This is fine with const HP& obj argument
    const string repr(){
        stringstream hp_stats;
        hp_stats << this->hp << "/" << this->max_hp;
        return hp_stats.str();
    }
};

// would cause error C2662
ostream& operator<<(ostream& out, const HP& obj){
    out<<obj.repr();
    return out;
}

I've found that this is because the implicitly access of this pointer, and const attempts to convert *this into const *this and thus fails. But as I changed from const string repr() to string repr() const, it magically worked and compiled successfully.

*

*What's the difference between a const T func(){} and T func() const, which makes a const struct object invoking feasible?

*I read it on cppreference.com, but still unsure why << overloading has to be declared outside a class scope.

*Suppose I have repr() member function for struct HP, struct Shield, etc. I tried to make the << overloading a template function, but it turns that I am overloading << at global scope. Can I specify the T I am about to apply, OR apply the overloading across several classes with same member function, WITHOUT classes defined under one base class?
// complier thinks such overloading is global on <<
template <typename T>
ostream& operator<<(ostream& out, const T& obj){
    out<<obj.repr();
    return out;
}

A: *

*const T func() {} means that the return type is const T and the function might mutate the object. Whereas, T func() const {} means that the return type is non-const but the object is unaltered (const). You can also have both or neither const.

*It doesn't have to be declared outside the class, it can be declared inside as a friend (non-member) function. That works here as well. However, for a member function: since operator<<()'s first parameter is ostream&, you could only declare it in ostream and not HP, which won't work. Remember, member operators are like *this as the first argument of non-member operators.

*Yes, you can do this. The easiest is to delegate to a common print function; the more elegant way is to use std::enable_if, e.g.:
template <typename T>
std::enable_if_v<std::is_same_v<T, HP> || std::is_same_v<t, Shield>, ostream&>
operator<<(ostream& out, const T& obj)
{
    out<<obj.repr();
    return out;
}

You can also write the conditions as a template and then re-use it:
template<typename T>
static constexpr bool is_printable_v = std::is_same_v<T, HP> || std::is_same_v<T, Shield>;

template <typename T>
std::enable_if_v<is_printable_v<T>>, ostream&>
operator<<(ostream& out, const T& obj) { ... }


Our presentation will cover How Victim Services of Durham Region supports survivors of human trafficking. We will debunk myths and misconceptions, explore statistics and the realities of domestic human trafficking in an Ontario context. Participants will learn about the cycle of commercial sexual exploitation, warning signs and risk factors and walk away from the presentation with an idea of what we can do as a community to prevent and intervene effectively without judgment or assumption.
Note: Water will only be provided at our summer meetings. Please bring your own water bottle if you desire water.


Stylish Summer and beach wear to look and feel your best.
Tailored exclusively for Siam Secrets we offer carefully selected apparel for vacation and smart Casual wear.
Tie-Dye, Caftans, Sarong Cover-up's, Shirts, Tops and Pants. All products offer a versatile fit range and maximum comfort for those sunny Summer days.
Visit our Store and Checkout our Feedback!
Our base store currency is offer in United States dollars, (USD), Although You can make payment vis any Major currency with a Credit or debit card via paypal.
BITCOIN, ETHEREUM, LITECOIN, BITCOIN CASH, DASH, BITCOIN GOLD, DIA STABLECOIN and ETHEREUM CLASSIC.
We offer our products International and ship by registered Airmail daily. Most orders are delivered within 2 weeks for placing an order.
We can also ship directly to your vacation address if required.


text:
package cgroups

import (
	"github.com/xianlubird/mydocker/cgroups/subsystems"
	"github.com/Sirupsen/logrus"
)

type CgroupManager struct {
	// cgroup在hierarchy中的路径 相当于创建的cgroup目录相对于root cgroup目录的路径
	Path     string
	// 资源配置
	Resource *subsystems.ResourceConfig
}

func NewCgroupManager(path string) *CgroupManager {
	return &CgroupManager{
		Path: path,
	}
}

// 将进程pid加入到这个cgroup中
func (c *CgroupManager) Apply(pid int) error {
	for _, subSysIns := range(subsystems.SubsystemsIns) {
		subSysIns.Apply(c.Path, pid)
	}
	return nil
}

// 设置cgroup资源限制
func (c *CgroupManager) Set(res *subsystems.ResourceConfig) error {
	for _, subSysIns := range(subsystems.SubsystemsIns) {
		subSysIns.Set(c.Path, res)
	}
	return nil
}

//释放cgroup
func (c *CgroupManager) Destroy() error {
	for _, subSysIns := range(subsystems.SubsystemsIns) {
		if err := subSysIns.Remove(c.Path); err != nil {
			logrus.Warnf("remove cgroup fail %v", err)
		}
	}
	return nil
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
An Initiative of the Data Foundation
Evidence-based Decision-Making
Innovation & Emerging Tech
Market & RegTech Data
COVID-19 Projects & Resources
Data Foundation
Forum: Federal Data Strategy Priorities for 2021
Learn more about our members' COVID-19 Projects. Click Here
November 2, 2020, 9:30 am — November 2, 2:00 pm
Sorry Registration is closed.
On November 2, 2020, the Data Coalition and the Data Foundation jointly are co-sponsoring a virtual public forum to discuss next steps and priority actions for the Federal Data Strategy in 2021. The forum provided an opportunity for the data community to offer feedback on progress about the current data strategy implementation and priorities for the next year.
The current Federal Data Strategy is a 10-year plan to improve data governance across every corner of the federal government. With clear principles and practices as a guide, the current 2020 Action Plan includes items to build data resources and tools, develop data inventories, support new chief data officers, implement AI research, and set standards for certain types of data.
Over 35 individuals from industry, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, and the general public participated in the event.
View Data Coalition members' and Data Foundation supporters' guide for on-going projects: https://www.datacoalition.org/federal-data-strategy-featured-technologies-solutions/
Federal Data Strategy Overview: https://strategy.data.gov/overview/
2020 Action Plan: https://strategy.data.gov/action-plan/
© 2021 Data Coalition • Privacy Policy • Careers


IAVM and the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) have joined forces to provide their members with access to online educational content and the opportunity to participate in each other's annual conferences. IAEE is composed of approximately 1,300 members (organizations) and over 8,000 member representatives (individuals). Over 50 percent of IAEE's members are directly involved in the planning, management, and production of exhibitions and buyer-seller events.
As part of the alliance, the two organizations will cross-market educational programs and networking events and other products developed for their memberships. The alliance will allow for cross-participation at live programs and access to digital resources from both associations. Additionally, both organizations will endorse the certifications offered to their memberships: IAVM's Certified Facilities Executive designation and IAEE's Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM) designation.
Additionally, the associations will partner to co-support women in leadership roles in the exhibition, event and venue industries. This May, IAEE will host a Women's Leadership Forum at the Fairmont Hotel, Washington, DC, and IAVM members will be able to register at the IAEE member rate for the event. The program will feature.
Hattie Hill as the leadership facilitator. Hattie will lead conversations throughout the day with her philosophy of "Smart People, Smart Choices, Smart Processes."™ Hattie's client list includes many Fortune 500 companies in the U.S., and she has facilitated training in more than 40 countries. Hattie Hill will facilitate a panel of chief-executive females who will provide their insights on how they reached the top, how they balance their work life and personal life, and how they overcame the challenges of reaching the top. Panel members include Mary Dolaher, CEO of IDG World Expo and Christine Duffy, President & CEO, Cruise Lines International Association. Betsy Myers, a senior official in the Clinton Administration will be the featured speaker for the program.
As part of IAVM's efforts to recognize women in leadership roles, IAVM will once again present an Women in Leadership educational session at VenueConnect, July 27-30. IAVM will also host the Women of Influence reception presented by Venues Today magazine, recognizing top women executives in the venue industry during this year's conference in New Orleans, La.
Susan Ferraro is IAVM's Marketing Communications Manager. She is an artist and sports fanatic. She enjoys listening to KTCK 1310 The Ticket sports radio, and watching TED Talks about creativity and innovation. Follow her on Twitter @FerraroVenuGirl.


text:
module HttpLog
  class Request
    include Mongoid::Document
    include Mongoid::Timestamps

    field :http_method, :type => String
    field :url, :type => String
    field :raw_post, :type => String
    field :remote_ip, :type => String
    field :remote_host, :type => String
    field :user_agent, :type => String
    field :content_type, :type => String
    field :headers, :type => Hash, :default => {}
    field :params, :type => Hash, :default => {}
    field :cookies, :type => Hash, :default => {}

    def self.from_request(rack)
      new do |req|
        req.http_method = rack.request_method
        req.url = rack.url
        req.headers = rack.header_hash
        req.params = rack.params
        req.user_agent = rack.user_agent
        req.content_type = rack.content_type
        req.raw_post = rack.raw_post
        req.remote_ip = rack.ip
        req.cookies = rack.cookies
      end
    end

    def accept
      headers['HTTP_ACCEPT'].present? ? headers['HTTP_ACCEPT'] : nil
    end
  end
end


This leads to concerns about the quality of the results. With a simple focus on sustainability, Interface reduced costs and risk. Businesses targeting Level 2 may plan to use a proactive approach to sustainability to gain market share or hire or retain top talent. But faced with rising stakeholder demand for meaningful action, there is little choice. Without these disclosures, evaluation requires knowledge of asset location, which is not readily available to most investors. I focus on the intersection of government, Wall Street and main street.
That trajectory would unlock unprecedented opportunities for investors. These views are as of the publication date, and are subject to change based on subsequent developments. For example, Esty and Winston offer this product lifecycle from a typical car manufacturer: Simple Automotive Value Chain However, we have seen in the past with the Ford Explorer and Goodyear tires for example, car manufacturers can feel the backlash for suppliers in their value chain. Paving the Way for Better Data While sustainability data is far from perfect, its trajectory is one of rapid improvement. But I am not alone. Under business-as-usual emissions scenarios, an estimated or more of global financial assets are at risk from a changing climate.
The good news is, by acting now, investors can take steps to protect their portfolios against climate change-related risks. Previously, he developed and managed derivatives overlays that offer risk mitigation solutions for pension funds. Many institutional investors are considering whether to reduce the carbon exposure in their portfolios or even to divest out of fossil fuels entirely. A score of 50 means that the company is considered average relative to its peer group; a score of 70 or higher means that the company is rated at least two standard deviations above average in its peer group. Reporting at a global level are not far behind. The opinions expressed are as of the date indicated and may change as subsequent conditions vary. With the regulatory drumbeat picking up tempo, investors will probably soon adopt sound practices to determine materiality and evaluate managers.
Investing in Sustainability: Shades of Green By now you are convinced of the business value in going green, or building environmental sustainability into your business. An early milestone was of the 2015 French Energy Transition law, which requires institutional investors to disclose climate-related risks facing their portfolios. Collectively, these initiatives are facilitating improved reporting on sustainability, which is becoming standard practice. The stars are aligned for environmental and sustainable investments Today, the stars are aligned for sustainable and environmental investments as governments and companies around the world invest heavily in the development of sustainable products, services and infrastructure. Food security: Not only will global of major staple foods decline with temperature increases, but higher concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide will decrease of food crops.
We are pleased to bring you all our professional titles in one place, covering topics ranging from Solarto Wind to Energy Policy. As such, no warranty of accuracy or reliability is given and no responsibility arising in any other way for errors and omissions including responsibility to any person by reason of negligence is accepted by BlackRock, its officers, employees or agents. The harder and more opportunity-laden questions they have to answer are where to invest instead and how exposed their investments are to climate risks. This could also inform projections of climate impacts on business performance. In essence, sustainable investment is fast becoming the smart way of generating long-term returns. To see a larger view of the chart, click With a complete picture of the value chain, the manufacturer would now be ready to ask some questions to improve the company environmentally and suggest sustainable alternatives. New research demonstrating how recent climate events have affected business performance across various sectors, and new methods for calculating the impacts in financial terms would make existing disclosures more meaningful.
Without this critical piece, companies and investors will be hampered in their efforts to implement the new disclosure recommendations. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Investors should carefully consider the investment objectives and risks as well as charges and expenses of a mutual fund before investing. In the previous section, we described a range of climate-related data solutions that investors told us they want. Managers invest in securities trading at significant discounts to what they believe are their intrinsic values. Changing this mind-set requires concrete action.
Interface Corporation, a leading maker for materials for commercial interiors, implemented a system for carpet manufacturing in Shanghai that required a liquid to be circulated through a standard pumping loop. Giese, Lee, Melas, Nagy, Nishikawa. The success of the in advancing the reporting of greenhouse gas emissions could serve as a guide for developing measurement and reporting standards for other areas, including physical risks. This pattern will reinforce and. Level 2: Greening the Office This next level of sustainability may require some investment but can have some return if done right. In addition to damages, lost revenues and additional direct costs, there will be longer-term financial implications for companies associate with the transition to a low er -carbon economy over the next decades, associated with tighter carbon emissions regulations. Some of the gaps pertain to factors at the company or asset level.
From Ikea to Sony to Coca-Cola, the coalition has organized more than 400 businesses to commit to sustainability on top of whatever regulations are enacted by governments worldwide 18. The majority of companies in the Level 4 category are typically those with the most to lose by not responding to environmental issues. Over the past few years, we have seen hurricanes, flooding and forest fires intensify in strength and frequency. She particularly enjoys building long term partnerships with authors and strives to publish high quality and original work in our well-established sub-disciplines. In particular, we can observe outperformance in emerging markets stocks due to the weaker corporate governance of many emerging markets issuers vs.


text:
Roger Waters - Us + Them
Roger Waters, co-founder, creative force and songwriter behind Pink Floyd, presents his highly anticipated film, Us + Them, featuring state-of- the-art visual… More Details »
Trailer 1 (00:30)
Sean Evans
Roger Waters, co-founder, creative force and songwriter behind Pink Floyd, presents his highly anticipated film, Us + Them, featuring state-of- the-art visual production and breath-taking sound in this unmissable cinema event. Filmed in Amsterdam on the European leg of his 2017 – 2018 Us + Them tour which saw Waters perform to over two million people worldwide, the film features songs from his legendary Pink Floyd albums (The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Animals, Wish You Were Here) and from his last album, Is This The Life We Really Want? Waters collaborates once more with Sean Evans, visionary director of the highly acclaimed movie, Roger Waters The Wall, to deliver this creatively pioneering film that inspires with its powerful music and message of human rights, liberty and love.
Rufat Aliyev
Farshid Azizi
Jon Carin
Anais Dupay-Rahman
#smart
#genius
#predictable
#datenight
#clever
#justokay
Incredible movie. Roger Waters is not only a musical genius but he is a great person. Us and Them is the answer to the world's worst problems. Absolutely loved every minute of it.
Natalie Anne R
#crispclearsound
wow this was a great evening.
Ray P


Released as a 90-card set, SP Authentic features 45 regular cards, 30 SP Performance cards, and 15 SP Supremacy cards. SP Authentic was packaged in 24-pack boxes with four cards per pack and carried a suggested retail price of $3.99. Cards numbered from 46 through 75 had a stated print run of 2500 sets while cards numbered from 76 through 90 had a stated print run on 1000 sets.


Jenna at Cold Antler Farm recently blogged about Celtic meaning of Halloween and encouraged her readers to send Halloween greetings. (you can read it here) In honor of this idea we've put all of our Halloween designs on sale in our Etsy shop. Just use coupon code HALLOWEEN at check out for 20% off.
It's Wholesale Order FREE Shipping Time!


text:
A Stupid Son
There once lived a man who was a multi-millionaire but had an extremely stupid son. The father himself was very entrepreneurial and believed in working hard, being creative, taking risks and not squandering money. Though the father tried hard to instill the same values in his son from early childhood, his son somehow chose a different path, being influenced more by his spoiled friends than his father's teachings. Gradually, as the son went through high school and college, the distance between him and his father grew further. After the son graduated from college, he got a job which paid reasonably well. His salary would have been more than enough to manage a family of three even at an upper-middle class standard. But the son would spend his salary in its entirety in the first week, and then go to ask his father for pocket money for the rest of the month. The son was also a free loader in his father's house. The father was worried, but the mother did not care much. She boasted about her son's lavish ways when she was with other housewives. She loved talking about her son's "prince-like" lifestyle which made her feel like royalty. The dad felt sick every time he heard the mother and son talk.
One day, the son came to the father and said that he wanted to start a new venture. The father said, "It is good that you are finally thinking of doing something on your own." The son smiled and said, "I need money to start the new venture." Being the kind of man he was, the father was very straightforward in his reply and told his son that those who cannot manage their own pennies should never ask for a dollar from others, let alone convince others that they could take their venture to a successful end. The father said, "You can't even manage your own salary, how can I expect you to manage a business?" He added, "Look at your room. How messy is it? Look at your car's trunk, how dirty you keep it. You never pay your bills, it is always past due, and your mom needs to remind you. How can you think of starting a multi-million dollar venture when you can't manage your own private affairs? I do not believe you are capable of doing something of that scale. Do not invite more trouble for yourself, my son. I am ashamed of having you as a son. Somehow your upbringing was faulty despite my best efforts."
The son still did not get the message. He replied, "Father, if you don't give me the money, I can borrow it from someone else. But I am disappointed that you care more about your money than your son." The father said, "Good luck – go do the fishing – you can't win if you do not learn how to manage your own pennies. I have seen enough."
I wanted to use the above anecdote to illustrate the case of the current Nepali government. The government has a total revenue of Rs. 70 billion and Rs. 30b more in promised grants and donations. With Rs. 100 billion in the national treasury, the government simply fails to do a good job managing that. This is not that large a budget to manage. In terms of dollars, this is just US $ 1.35 billion. A good-sized university in the US has a budget of this amount. Even mayors of small towns manage budgets of this size beautifully. We do not need to look that far – Indian IT companies Wipro and Infosys both had revenues of more than US $ 2 billion in the fiscal year ending March 2006. Nepal's budget is les than that. On top of it, there are hundreds of economists working for the government for the National Planning Commission and Ministry of Finance, advising the politicians on how to manage the budget. There are also a large number of advisors who discuss about the planning and budgeting. Yet the government fails to manage the revenue in a better way. They need foreign advisors to manage this tiny budget. Our government can be compared to the stupid son in the above example. And us citizens are like the wary father. How shameful of these politicians who do not know how to manage their own pennies but run around asking for dollars to spend!
This week, the media in Nepal have been engrossed in providing details about how PM Koirala secured monetary support from India. The total multi-year package is less than 10% of Nepal's annual revenue and still Mr. Koirala and his advisors like to think of it as a big win. To put it simply, this is begging. What's more, India has not given this without thinking of extracting some huge benefit in return from Nepal. This simply enhances their negotiating power on bilateral security and natural resource issues. Soon the Indian side is bound to say, "Remember we gave you tons of money when your PM begged for it, and in return now you guys need to listen to us when we need you." Our politicians who think begging is the best alternative of all will simply give in and agree to treaties that may weaken Nepal for a long time to come. This is unfortunate and the government needs to learn from the simple Indian saying:
मुफ्त मे तो भाई थ्प्पड भि नहि मिल्ति .
What then should the government have done? I believe that they should first learn to mange their own pennies. Very simple – they should do what they can afford. The government should cut expenses and divert revenue to income generating development projects. Massive operation costs should be cut and money should be diverted to development activities. This can be related to a small start-up company. A company in the start-up period spends a lot of money in development and very little in operations. As the company grows and the product is developed, the operation costs go up. Nepal is still in the start-up period. The government should therefore cut operation related costs and should learn to live with what they have. Once they learn to do so, only then should they go and borrow money which they ought to invest in infra-structure development and law enforcement. The government should learn to be profit oriented. They should always borrow in the best possible terms. We can't build a nation on grants and donations. Borrowing and paying on time teaches us to be financially disciplined; grants and donations spoil us.
To conclude, I would say that learning to live on our own pennies is the most important first step towards growth and prosperity. This applies to a person as well as to a nation. Those who think that they can beg and survive will never prosper. Prosperity follows those who have self-esteem and self-respect and who know how to turn their own pennies to a dollar. As is often said, before going shopping, you should watch your own pocket first.


Westport Country Playhouse will host a 2014 Season Kick-off Block Party, on Saturday, April 12, 4 to 7 p.m., offering a fun, party-like atmosphere with food trucks, games and activities for adults and kids, prizes, special ticket offers, and a look at the Playhouse's "backstage experience." Admission is free and open to the public.
Three local food trucks, Skinny Pines Pizza, LobsterCRAFT, and Christophe's Crepes, will be on site with their specialties available for purchase. Beaver Beer will provide a free tasting of their brews, and Shake Shack will offer complimentary custard.
Box office promotions will include a savings of $10 off single tickets to any of the 2014 season's five productions. Also, subscriptions to any 2014 Season 5-Play preview or matinee performances will be $100. Flex passes will be specially priced at four for $100, a 50% savings. The discounts will be available one-day-only, Saturday, April 12, in-person purchases. Ticket discounts are not valid on previously purchased tickets and are subject to availability.


text:
Q: TFS 11 2012 API Questions : query capacity and days off I need to get several things done with the TFS API. Among those, I have to read the Resource planning information for the sprints of each Project to display in a WPF UI.
Tagging along this guide, I now have the following method:
    private TfsTeamService _teamService;
    private ICommonStructureService4 _structureService;
    TeamSettingsConfigurationService _teamSettingsConfigurationService;

    public void GetUserIterationAssignments(IList<ProjectInfo> projects)
    {
        foreach (ProjectInfo project in projects)
        {
            Console.WriteLine(project.Name);

            TeamFoundationTeam team = _teamService.QueryTeams(project.Uri).First();
            IList<Guid> teamGuids = new List<Guid>() { team.Identity.TeamFoundationId };
            TeamConfiguration config = _teamSettingsConfigurationService.GetTeamConfigurations(teamGuids).FirstOrDefault();
            if (config != null)
            {
                foreach (string nodePath in config.TeamSettings.IterationPaths)
                {
                    var projectNameIndex = nodePath.IndexOf("\\", 2);
                    var fullPath = nodePath.Insert(projectNameIndex, "\\Iteration");
                    var nodeInfo = _structureService.GetNodeFromPath(fullPath);
                    if (nodeInfo.StartDate != null &&
                       nodeInfo.FinishDate != null)
                    {
                        foreach (TeamFoundationIdentity member in team.GetMembers(_collection, MembershipQuery.Direct))
                        {
                            Console.WriteLine("{0} is in assigned to {1} from {2}",
                                                    member.DisplayName,
                                                    nodeInfo.Name,
                                                    nodeInfo.StartDate,
                                                    nodeInfo.FinishDate);
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    }

What I need to print to Console (just for this example of course) is most of the information shown in the Capacity view:

To be more precise, I need to access

*

*daily capacity

*days off (member)

*days off (team)

Any ideas on how to do this?

A: It's not a supported approach, and may break in the future if you upgrade to a newer version of TFS, but if you only want to read the data, you can go directly to the SQL database for your TFS server.
The specific values you need are in (assuming you're using DefaultCollection)

*

*[Tfs_DefaultCollection].[dbo].[tbl_TeamConfigurationCapacity]

*[Tfs_DefaultCollection].[dbo].[tbl_TeamConfigurationCapacityDaysOffRange]
These have references to iterations and users via GUIDs.

*

*The iteration GUIDs can be found in [Tfs_Warehouse].[dbo].[DimIteration]

*The User GUIDs can be found by searching on the user name/SSID in [Tfs_Configuration].[dbo].[tbl_Identity]
Here's a quick example that queries my capacity in hours-per-day for our January iteration:
select Capacity from [Tfs_DefaultCollection].[dbo].[tbl_TeamConfigurationCapacity] as _cap
inner join [Tfs_Configuration].[dbo].[tbl_Identity] as _user
    on _user.[Id] = _cap.[TeamMemberId]
inner join [Tfs_Warehouse].[dbo].[DimIteration] as _iter
    on _iter.[IterationGUID] = _cap.[IterationId]
        where _iter.[IterationPath]='\Code\Current\401-Jan'
        and _user.[DisplayName]='Williams, Jason'

You can use a similar approach to read the start/end date ranges for each holiday from the tbl_TeamConfigurationCapacityDaysOffRange. However, it is somewhat more complex as there are Team days off and Individual days off.
Here is the query I am using to achieve this. (It seems to work, although after 6 months of working for all our users, one of our users suddenly disappeared out of the query and I discovered that for no obvious reason I now needed to look his ID up in the IdentityMap table. The joys of reverse engineering stuff from undocumented sources :-(
select [StartTime],[EndTime] from [Tfs_DefaultCollection].[dbo].[tbl_TeamConfigurationCapacityDaysOffRange] as _cap1
    inner join [Tfs_Warehouse].[dbo].[DimIteration] as _iter1
      on _iter1.[IterationGUID] = _cap1.[IterationId]
          where _iter1.[IterationPath]='\Code\Current\401-Jan'
              and _cap1.[TeamMemberId]='00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000'
union
    select [StartTime],[EndTime] from [Tfs_DefaultCollection].[dbo].[tbl_TeamConfigurationCapacityDaysOffRange] as _cap2
        inner join [Tfs_DefaultCollection].[dbo].[tbl_IdentityMap] as _map
            on _map.[localId] = _cap2.[TeamMemberId]
        inner join [Tfs_Configuration].[dbo].[tbl_Identity] as _user2
            on _user2.[Id] = _map.[masterId]
        inner join [Tfs_Warehouse].[dbo].[DimIteration] as _iter2
            on _iter2.[IterationGUID] = _cap2.[IterationId]
                where _iter2.[IterationPath]='\Code\Current\401-Jan'
                    and (_user2.[DisplayName]='Williams, Jason')

You will just need to substitute appropriate values for the two places that mention the iteration path, and the Username to query.

A: There is another unsupported possiblity. Have a look on website http://{tfs-server}:8080/tfs/DefaultCollection/{project}/_backlogs/Capacity/{iterationpath}. The data is behind contains the capacity information in JSON format (team-capacity-data).
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=88F0C013A4398D9B%21129

A: These values are only available from the Server Object Model (there is no Client Object Model equivalent at the moment). The interfaces and objects are all made Internal so even on the server you can't access these values.

internal TeamCapacity GetTeamIterationCapacity(Guid teamId, Guid iterationId);
Declaring Type: Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Server.WebAccess.WorkItemTracking.Common.DataAccess.TeamConfigurationComponent
Assembly: Microsoft.TeamFoundation.Server.WebAccess.WorkItemTracking.Common, Version=12.0.0.0

At the moment the only way to get to the data is through the json service (/tfs/{ProjectCollection}/{Team Project}/_api/_teamcapacity/updateteamcapacity/{Team}/{Iteration/Path}?__v=4) the Team Capacity page uses or directly from the ProjectCollection database from the tables mentioned by James Tupper.
It looks like the json service is using Request Verification which makes it hard to use from any external system.

Required Disclaimer:
The server databases of TFS are not meant for extensibility, any direct queries against them are not supported and the model  can change without notice, even between service packs. Querying the TFS databases directly is not supported. Changing the values in the TFS databases through any other means than the official API's will essentially put your TFS server in an unsupported state and can cause major issues when upgrading to a newer version later on.


Awake painting in the night.
Previous The strength of a lion.
OK I won't why you do these sort of paintings in the night. Instead I will ask you why you don't do them in the daytime. But just as an afterthought, Have you ever tried painting while chewing Melatonin gummies? I'll go back into my corner now.
I've just looked them up 😊 They are to help one sleep 😴 if only!
Why? Dare I say because at night we tend to be more 'connected'. Those are high vibration colours – reflective of the higher chakras. BTW, a friend of mine uses melatonin for her son, who has quite severe autism and had huge sleeping problems. Sleeps like a baby now.
Interesting! You are multi talented! Very pretty colors, but almost sad?


Get easy-to-use protection against hackers and other Internet threats—at home or on the road.
Automatically secures PCs connected to wireless networks.
Quarantines suspicious email attachments and blocks outbound messages containing potential viruses.
Automatically quarantines suspicious email attachments, preventing them from auto-launching or being opened by accident.
Automatically monitors outgoing email and halts messages with potential viruses before they're transmitted. Prevents worms and viruses from sending infected emails to everyone in your address book.


The DNI practica is very busy! The space feels a bit like outdoors, with its many levels and open staircases. The practica is full of locals and foreigners. There is always a performance at the practica, such as a dancing or an orchestra. The first time I went to DNI, I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I cried during the orchestra performance. One of the organizers saw me and gave me a hug! :) Very touching. Note: you have to buzz the door to be let in....and yell "door" to be let out.
This is a very nice Friday afternoon practica with a mix of locals and foreigners. I felt very comfortable here. And, I felt comfortable practicing many tandas with one partner; it did not have the feeling of a milonga where partners change after every tanda. Note: You have to buzz the door to be let in.


text:
Hamilton Announces Cast for First National Tour
Mark A. Robinson | January 5, 2018
As Hamilton continues to be one of musical theatre's biggest-draws on Broadway, the national tour is bringing this iconic musical to the four corners of the country. Producer Jeffrey Seller has announced new additions to the cast of the first national tour. As the title character, Austin Scott will portray the controversial forefather Alexander Hamilton. Nicholas Christopher will assume the role of Aaron Burr, Hamilton's sparring partner and critic.
Joining the two new leads of the tour will be Julia K. Harriman as Eliza Hamilton, Sabrina Sloan as Angelica Schuyler, and Chris De Sean Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson. The cast also includes Ruben J. Carbajal, Amber Iman, Isaiah Johnson, Rory O'Malley, Mathenee Treco, Ryan Alvarado, Amber Ardolino, Raymond Baynard, Jeffrey Duffy, Hope Endrenyi, Jennifer Geller, Jacob Guzman, Jennie Harney, Afra Hines, Sabrina Imamura, Lauren Kias, Alex Larson, Dorcas Leung, Yvette Lu, Desmond Newson, Desmond Nunn, Antuan Magic Raimone, Josh Andres Rivera, Willie Smith III, Raven Thomas, Ryan Vasquez, Keenan D. Washington, Andrew Wojtal.
"Hamilton is the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War, and was the new nation's first Treasury Secretary. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway, Hamilton is the story of America then, told by America now."
Hamilton features a book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who originated the role of Alexander Hamilton on the Off-Broadway, and Broadway productions. Thomas Kail provided direction and Andy Blankenbuehler the choreography. The musical is based on Ron Chernow's biography titled Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton: An American Musical won 11 Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score and has since had successful productions in Chicago and London's West End
The first national tour will commence performances on January 6, 2018, starting in San Diego, California and traveling around the United States. To view a full list of cities, click HERE.
Mark Robinson is the author of the two-volume encyclopedia The World of Musicals and maintains a theater and entertainment blog at markrobinsonwrites.com.