The check engine light or service engine soon lamp is illuminated to alert the driver about the need for service. Although your car may seem to run fine now, your cars computer or Power Train Control Module (PCM) is trying to tell you something when that little light comes on. There are many sensors and computerized components that need to be working properly in order for your computer to manage your vehicle's engine performance and emissions. When one of these components fails, or wears to the point where the PCM can no longer make the needed adjustments, that check engine light may illuminate, every time you start and operate your car.
We apply strategy based diagnostics to be able to pinpoint exactly what's going on with your vehicle!
What do the stored engine trouble codes mean?
Each system on your vehicle is assigned a series of code numbers and letters that help us determine where your computer saw a problem that caused it to turn the light on. Keep in mind, these codes don't tell us exactly what failed, only what system the computer recognized a problem with.
Think of it like this; if you felt sick and your thermometer was reading 101 degrees, that only alerts you to the fact that you have a fever. Your fever could be from an infection, a virus or some other internal cause that would require more testing by your doctor to determine what is wrong with you and how it should be treated.
Well, your engine also has a thermometer and if it was reading too high, your computer would turn on the check engine light to alert you about it. With a cars computer, it can tell our certified, ASE master mechanics exactly what the trouble is, and where to look to further diagnose the issue.
Plus many more engine codes. And the numbers of codes for each of these systems can add up to over a thousand possibilities! So, understanding that the first place to start is to retrieve the stored codes, and then we can develop a strategy to properly diagnose the problem to save time and expense.
It's important to have the right equipment to not only access your computers codes, but to also work with your PCM to find the relevant data for the affected system. A vehicle test drive with our computer scanners plugged in will show us what your cars computer is seeing when problems are occurring. Once we know the engine trouble codes, we can get to the root cause and prescribe the correct repair.
All vehicles built since 1996 in the United States are equipped with a standardized On-Board Diagnostics System (OBD 2) that monitors engine performance. Discrepancies in performance levels are reported through your vehicle's computer system. Once the "check engine" or "service engine" light is displayed, your next step should be to seek out an engine diagnostic service or an engine tune-up. Strategy bases engine diagnostics allow our staff to gather helpful information about the operating condition of your engine. The insights obtained during an engine diagnostic will determine the extent of suggested engine repairs. The most common diagnostic trouble codes are generated in response to malfunctions in the powertrain. Ultimately, regular engine tune-ups and scheduled maintenance are necessary to optimize engine performance. A tune-up is also one of the most effective ways to prevent unexpected engine trouble. During an engine tune-up, our staff may replace the spark plugs, spark plug wires, air filter, fuel filter, and distributor cap and rotor in your vehicle (if equipped). Our experts will also inspect fuel lines, belts, hoses and fluids. Engine diagnostics and regular engine tune-ups can help extend the life of your vehicle and improve the health of your engine.
While performing regular scheduled engine maintenance will help ensure that your engine always performs at peak conditions, there are also warning signs you can look for that indicate an engine diagnostic or repair is needed. The "check engine" or "service engine soon" light is a sure sign that your engine should be looked at by an expert sooner than later. Most of the time, your vehicle's On-Board Diagnostics System will detect an engine issue and store the corresponding repair code, which can be accessed by a member of our service staff. Slow-cranking, rough idling, stalling, knocking, or pinging while accelerating are all signs that you should seek engine repairs or engine diagnostics to determine the full extent of your engine trouble. A decrease in gas mileage and detectable loss of power during acceleration are also signs of an impending engine tune-up or engine repair service. Engine warning lights help alert drivers to minor issues before they become major repairs. Be sure to follow up with our staff once your vehicle's On-Board Diagnostics System detects a problem with your engine.


It doesn't happen often (trust us!) but occasionally you may find a competitor who has the item of furniture you're looking for at a lower price. No problem! We match almost all local competitors' prices. Here's how it works.
We'll match almost any local competitor's price on an identical brand new item. We'll need to verify the price. We consider any store within 45 miles a "local" competitor. Not all prices can be matched. If we can't match the price, we'll let you know why.
Some of the prices that may not be matched include web prices. Why? There's little risk in buying books and shoes online. Not so with furniture, which is bulky and needs to be treated with extra special care. We'll match almost any local store (whether they offer Suburban's level of expertise or not), but there's going to be a modest price difference between local and web-only stores. Keep in mind that web-only stores often advertise free "curbside delivery" but charge handsomely for in home white glove delivery that comes standard with local store delivery charges. Many of our competitors local and on-line also impose lofty restocking fees for cancellations, whereas Suburban does not. Plus, local stores like Suburban can offer personalized service and years of experience that web-only stores cannot. Not all furniture stores are equal, especially when it comes to service and delivery. Please make sure you read others' pricing, service, returns and delivery policies to know if you are making an apples to apples comparison. But listen, if you find a difference you feel is excessive, bring it to our attention; we want your business!
Okay, but what if you've already purchased an item and THEN find it for a lower price at a different place? Again, not a problem! If you see the exact same item at a local furniture store for less within 30 days of your purchase, we will adjust the price or give you store credit. It's quite simple. If you haven't received your delivery yet, we adjust your order to match the sale items of the other store. If you have received your delivery in the last 30 days, we will give you store credit for the difference.
We work hard at being the best, here at Suburban Furniture, and that involves making sure our customers are happy and satisfied. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have a question! Happy shopping!


We're delighted to be able to introduce you to our new and unique wellness oasis spanning 300 square metres. Experience an inexhaustible variety of scents, light shows and the healing power of nature at the Aspen Alpin Lifestyle Hotel in Grindelwald. Everybody needs time to gather their thoughts and relax.
Aussenwhirlpool (36°C) mit Inneneinstieg. Im Winter direkt an der Piste!


Food quality and safety is one of the major global concerns. Effective food control systems are essential to protect safety and health of consumers. Furthermore, food control systems are important for ensuring the quality and standard of food products entering international trade and also to ascertain the quality of imported food for domestic requirements. Rising awareness and growing consumer concern for protection from unwanted hazards occurring at every stage of the food chain from primary production to final consumption is stimulating the market for food certification at a global level.
Increasing consumer concern regarding healthy food products is one of the major driving forces behind the growing popularity of food certification globally. Furthermore, increasing incidence of foodborne illnesses is boosting the popularity of food certification globally. Moreover, potential health risks associated with the consumption of contaminated food products coupled with issues concerning genetically modified organisms (GMO) and genetically modified food products are driving the market for food certification globally. Increasing disposable income and growing expenditure on quality food products are also expected to have a positive impact on the food certification industry.
The food products manufacturers are concentrating on strengthening its food safety and quality management system by applying food safety measures at every stage of food chain for better quality products. The certification bodies by doing surveys, audits, GAP analysis ensures the safety of the produced food products and provides certificates. Focusing on the consumers' demand for safe quality food products in order to avoid health hazards, food producers have upgraded their food safety systems in order to strengthen their foothold in the food industry. Authorities such as ISO 22000, International Food Standard and Safe Quality Food certification, The British Retail Consortium, Kosher certification, Halal Certification and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India among others provide certification to various companies involved in food industry globally. Primary objective of these standards is to ensure food quality and safety along the food chain, considering the wide array of activities and identifying the degree of risk involved in food production. With the changing eating patterns, consumers are showing preference for packaged and functional food products, which in turn is fueling the demand for certified packaged food market. Packaged food products, processed meat and poultry products, and certified dairy products are leading the food certification market . Furthermore, with growing consumer awareness demand for organic food and beverages and infant food products are expected to witness positive growth over the forecast period.
Food certification market in the developing nations such as Asia Pacific and Latin America is expected to witness positive growth during the forecast period. Due to increasing disposable income and rising living standard, consumers are showing preference for quality and certified food products in order to avoid unnecessary health hazards caused by contaminated food products.
Global food certification market was valued at USD 11.25 billion in 2014 and anticipated to reach USD 16.09 billion by 2021, expanding at a CAGR 5.3% over the forecast period. Due to the changing lifestyle and eating preferences of consumers, manufacturers have been focusing on introducing quality food. Furthermore, they are also taking special food safety measures to avoid any health issues due to consumption of unhealthy food products. Increasing demand for quality food products is driving the market for food certification at the global level.
Increasing preference for certified food products in order to avoid unnecessary health hazards caused by the ingestion of contaminated food products is driving the demand for food certification in Europe, followed by North America. Increasing standard of living and changing eating preferences of consumers are among the major factors contributing to the growth of the food certification market in Asia Pacific. Moreover, changing consumer perception towards quality food products has led to the growth of. the food certification market in Rest of the World (RoW).


Manufacturers usually build metal workbenches using stainless steel because of its strength and anti-corrosive properties. The stainless steel creates a rigid frame and gives the workbench a finished look. Steel workbenches are also very easy to clean if the bench is being used in a setting where cleanliness is important.
A metal workbench can be used for many purposes; so many different designs exist to help with various functions.
Some metal workbenches have foldable legs so that they can be easily stored away when they are not being used. Others are fitted with small wheels to make them mobile.
Manufacturing of metal workbenches typically starts in metal fabrication plant where the metal sheets are cut down to size and shaped into the components of the workbench. Once the pieces have been molded into the right form, they are welded together by hand or using an automated welding machine. Automated welding machines are the most common for this step since they are faster and more precise, allowing for top quality welds and higher levels of production. Precise welding of all the joints on the metal frame is important for maintaining strength, especially if the workbench is used to hold heavy objects.
A metal workbench can be very simple, but it is usually fitted with a few accessories to make any job more convenient. Shelving, cabinet doors, and drawers can all be built into the frame for storage and quick access to tools when the workbench is being used. Locks can be fitted to these drawers to secure valuables. Sometimes overhead lights or extra electrical outlets are integrated into the design of a metal workbench to make things more visible and make it very easy to connect power tools to an electrical outlet.
Most metal workbench manufacturers design and create a wide variety of metal workbench products that start with the most basic type and move all the way up to a workbench that is loaded with extra accessories.
Each industry has specific needs, so what functions well in one business might not be enough in another. Workplaces like carpentry shops, auto repair facilities, welding plants and metal fabrication shops all have very different needs, so various metal workbenches are available to meet those needs.
Metal Workbench Metal workbenches are usually found in industrial or commercial settings where a multi-purpose space for working on projects is needed.


text:
D-Backs finding their groove vs. losing teams
The Diamondbacks, who were struggling when this homestand began, won for the fourth time in five games on Saturday night.
D-Backs finding their groove vs. losing teams The Diamondbacks, who were struggling when this homestand began, won for the fourth time in five games on Saturday night. Check out this story on azcentral.com: https://azc.cc/2LOgpVv
Nick Piecoro, azcentral sports Published 11:32 p.m. MT June 2, 2018
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Miami Marlins
Arizona Diamondbacks' Paul Goldschmidt (44), Jake Lamb (center) and David Peralta celebrate their 6-1 win, sweeping the Miami Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/azcentral sports
Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Jarrod Dyson (1) and right fielder Chris Owings (16) field a ball off the wall by Miami Marlins' Justin Bour (41) during the ninth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/azcentral sports
Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (44) waits for a replay ruling during the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/azcentral sports
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher John Ryan Murphy (36) waits for a replay ruling during the ninth inning against the Miami Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/azcentral sports
Arizona Diamondbacks relief pitcher Jake Barrett (33) throws against the Miami Marlins during the ninth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/azcentral sports
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jake Lamb (22) fields a ground ball by Miami Marlins' J.T. Realmuto during the ninth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/azcentral sports
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Daniel Descalso (3) is tagged out at home by Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto (11) during the seventh inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/azcentral sports
An Arizona Diamondbacks fan waves a flag in left field seats during the seventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Jarrod Dyson (1) pulls up at third base on a double by Ketel Marte against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Ketel Marte (4) is waved around third base by third base coach Tony Perezchica against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Jarrod Dyson (1) is congratulated by left fielder David Peralta (6) and manager Torey Lovullo after scoring against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Chris Owings (16) scores on a wild pitch by Miami Marlins relief pitcher Tayron Guerrero (56) during the eighth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Dan Straily (58) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Matt Koch (55) throws against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto (11) forces out Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Jarrod Dyson (1) at home on the front end of a double play during the fifth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jake Lamb (22) against against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Jake Lamb (22) looks back Miami Marlins third baseman Brian Anderson (15) before showing to first base during the second inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Matt Koch (55) wets his fingers while pitching against the Miami Marlins during the second inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed (13) fields a ground ball by Miami Marlins Starlin Castro during the third inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Miami Marlins center fielder Lewis Brinson (9) jumps for a ball hit by Arizona Diamondbacks' David Peralta during the fourth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks catcher John Ryan Murphy (36) watches a pop foul ball against the Miami Marlins during the fourth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed (center) and second baseman Daniel Descalso run off the field after completing a double play against the Miami Marlins and Derek Dietrich (left) during the fifth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Daniel Descalso (3) drops his bat on a fielder's choice groundout RBI against the Miami Marlins during the fifth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Hopi dancers perform for fans arriving at Chase Field before a game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Miami Marlins in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Navajos Tanya King helps her husband Allen before dancing with other Indian tribes at Chase Field before the Arizona Diamondbacks play the Miami Marlins in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Navajo Allen King dances with other Indian tribes at Chase Field before the Arizona Diamondbacks play the Miami Marlins in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Dan Straily (58) throws against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fifth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Nick Ahmed (13) throws out Miami Marlins' Brian Anderson during the seventh inning at Chase Field in Phoenix June 3, 2018. Michael Chow/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke (21) throws during a MLB game against the Miami Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 2, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Miami Marlins starting pitcher Caleb Smith (31) throws during a MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 2, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (44) rounds the bases after hitting a homer against the Miami Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 2, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (44) high fives Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo (17) after scoring a homer against the Miami Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 2, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) foul tips a ball during a MLB game against the Miami Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 2, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Chris Owings (16) runs home in the second inning of a game against the Miami Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 2, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) runs home in the second inning of a game against the Miami Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 2, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) high fives Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke (21) after scoring a run in second inning of a MLB game against the Miami Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 2, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke (21) stretches during an at bat against the Miami Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 2, 2018. Cheryl Evans/The Republic
Diamondbacks Jake Lamb (22) comes into home after hitting a home run in the second inning against the Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks David Peralta (6) high-fives Jake Lamb (22) after Lamb hit a home run in the second inning against the Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks David Peralta (6) celebrates hitting a home run in the third inning against the Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks David Peralta (6) high-fives Ketel Marte (4) after hitting a home run against the Marlins during the third inning at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks Jarrod Dyson safely slides into second past a tag from Marlins JT Riddle during the fourth inning at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks Clay Buchholz pitches during the fifth inning against the Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks John Ryan Murphy (R) celebrates a home run with teammate Jake Lamb (22) during the fifth inning against the Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks Ketel Marte (4) rounds third and celebrates after a home run during the fifth inning against the Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks Ketel Marte (4) comes home to high-fives from David Peralta (6) and manager Torey Lovullo (17) after a home run during the fifth inning against the Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks Daniel Descalso (3) throws to first after recording a force out on Marlins Starlin Castro (13) during the first inning at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic, Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks Clay Buchholz (32) pitches during the first inning against the Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic, Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks Paul Goldschmidt (44) catches a foul ball against the Marlins during the first inning at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic, Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks Clay Buchholz (32) watches a pop foul during the first inning against the Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic, Patrick Breen/The Republic
Marlins Elieser Hernandez (57) pitches during the first inning against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic, Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks David Peralta (6) celebrates an RBI single during the first inning against the Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic, Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks Paul Goldschmidt (44) takes to the plate during the first inning against the Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic, Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks Daniel Descalso (3) high-fives teammate Ketel Marte after scoring during the first inning at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic, Patrick Breen/The Republic
Diamondbacks Clay Buchholz (32) watches a pop foul during the second inning against the Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 1, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic, Patrick Breen/The Republic
Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte (4) high fives Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Zack Greinke (21) after scoring a run in second inning of a MLB game against the Miami Marlins at Chase Field in Phoenix on June 2, 2018.(Photo: Cheryl Evans/The Republic)
Whether the Diamondbacks make it back to the postseason for a second consecutive year remains to be seen, but they are following the lead of last year's team in at least one meaningful way. They are beating up on the bad teams.
By beating the Miami Marlins 6-2 on Saturday night, the Diamondbacks won for the second consecutive night and for the fourth time in five games on a homestand that also included the lowly Cincinnati Reds. The Diamondbacks will go for a sweep of the gutted Marlins on Sunday afternoon.
With Saturday's win, the Diamondbacks improved to 18-11 (.621) against clubs with losing records. En route to 93 wins last season, they went 54-34 (.614) against losing teams.
Perhaps overshadowed by the Diamondbacks' offensive struggles in May was that it happened against mostly competent teams, not that that's an excuse for hitting .193 and averaging a scant 2.9 runs per game for a full month.
Goldy joyful to hit home run on his bobblehead night The Republic | azcentral.com
But in facing the two worst pitching staffs in the league in the Reds and Marlins this past week, the Diamondbacks have looked like a different team. They've hit .276 with a .927 OPS (on-base-plus-slugging) and are averaging a whopping 7.2 runs over the past five games.
"We didn't really have much farther down to go so it was bound to get better," Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt said. "We have to keep it going. It's still really early in the year. It's been a good five games. There's a long way to go."
On Saturday, Goldschmidt homered for the second time in the past three games and David Peralta homered for the second night in a row. Ketel Marte, who went deep twice on Friday, lined an RBI triple into the left-center field gap. The Diamondbacks had only six hits, but they also drew five walks and reached via a hit by pitch.
"When the guys in front of you are having good at-bats, it puts more stress on the pitcher," Goldschmidt said. "You're not just counting on that one opportunity. You get three, four or five opportunities and hopefully you can come through in one or two of them."
That it's happened to come against the teams that rank 14th and 15th in the National League in team ERA didn't seem to detract from manager Torey Lovullo's enjoyment.
"I feel like any big leaguer pitcher, no matter what team they're on and how they're performing, has quality stuff," Lovullo said. "You can evaluate it by staffs and I understand what you're saying, but big league stuff is big league stuff and our guys are going out there and executing and squaring up the baseball.
Lovullo: (Winning) starts with pitching The Republic | azcentral.com
"At times during the little rut that we had, we were missing some pitches that were out over the plate. I'm seeing the same velocities and better results right now. It's nice."
Saturday's win also meant a return to the top of the NL West. The Diamondbacks, who fell out of first on May 20, moved a half-game up on the Colorado Rockies, who lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier in the evening.
When it comes to the schedule, the only thing the Diamondbacks can do is play it. But the good news for them is that for as difficult as it was in May it appears far less challenging in June, with numerous upcoming series against clubs hovering at .500 or well below it.
"It was going pretty bad," said Diamondbacks right-hander Zack Greinke, who gave up one run in 6 2/3 innings. "We can't do much better than we've done so far this homestand. Hopefully, we can continue it. We're playing pretty good. We should be able to continue it if we just keep doing what we're doing and we'll continue winning games."
Chase Field springs a leak during Friday's Diamondbacks-Marlins game
Clay Buchholz shuts down Marlins for 1st win since 2016
Shelby Miller, Robbie Ray working their way back from injuries
Reach Piecoro at (602) 444-8680 or nick.piecoro@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @nickpiecoro.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Sublime™ diminishes the early signs of aging by naturally restoring the collagen that is lost with time and age. This treatment is perfect for all skin types and ideal for patients seeking a glowing, smooth and tighter skin but can't afford the days of downtime often associated with other energy-based treatments.
After 5 Treatment Sessions. Actual Medaesthetics Patient.
Sublime™ uses the elōs combination of safe and effective levels of infrared light and bi-polar radio frequency energies to provide controlled deepdermal heating to remodel the deep dermal layer of the skin by stimulating new collagen growth. This predictable heating of the deep dermis both stimulates and shortens aged collagen fibers, resulting in the immediate and long-term improvement of wrinkles and facial contour.


Located just west of the Mead Wildlife Area, Little Bear Hemlocks is one of four isolated woodlots - remnants of the once vast forest that historically occupied this landscape. This Hemlock trees dominate this 59-acre parcel many over 30 inches in diameter. The numerous trees and ferns provide a scenic area to go walking through during the warmer months and cross country skiing in the winter. This is one of the very few old-growth forest parcels remaining and is an excellent teaching and research site to study the effects of management on fragments of a once vast forest. From the intersection of County G and US HH West in Junction City, go east on Highway 10 2.4 miles, then north on State Highway 34 1 mile, then west on Elm Road and park. The site lies north of the road. Hunting is not allowed.


text:
\section{Introduction}
\label{sec:intro}

Understanding the dynamics of inflation in the early universe is tied with the study of primordial density fluctuations, in particular with their deviations from a Gaussian distribution (see e.g. \cite{Maldacena:2002vr}, \cite{Bartolo:2004if}, \cite{Acquaviva:2002ud}).
High order correlations have been shown to be sensitive to non-Gaussian density fluctuations  (see \cite{Meerburg:2019qqi} and references within). Yet, a brute force approach leads to prohibitively expensive $\mathcal{O}(N^n)$ computation of correlations, where $N$ is the number of objects and $n$ is the correlation order. This problem has been studied extensively~\citep{MarchThesis}. Several approaches to mitigate it were suggested for the calculation of three point correlations, each relying on a particular set of assumptions, e.g. small angle \citep{Yuan:2018qek}, Legendre expansion \citep{Slepian:2015qza}. The later approach was recently generalized for the $n$-point correlation function in~\cite{philcox2021encore} resulting in an $\mathcal{O}(N^2)$ algorithm. Here, we present an alternative computationally efficient way of evaluating such correlations. Similar to \cite{MarchThesis}, this algorithm exploits spatial proximity and similar to \cite{zhang2011FFT} and \cite{Slepian:2015qwa}, it uses a Fast Fourier Transformation ($FFT$). These characteristics combined with implementation facilities help achieve a notable reduction in calculation time without much memory overhead. The developed algorithm is applicable to discrete matter tracers, such as galaxies, as well as to continuous ones, such as Lyman-$\alpha$ and 21 cm line intensity, or matter maps derived from weak lenses. The method can be applied to evaluate self-correlations, as well as cross-correlations between different matter tracers. The algorithm {\it Convolves Kernels} with matter maps, hence it is named {\tt ConKer}\footnote{The {\tt python3} implementation of this algorithm may be downloaded at \url{https://github.com/mishtak00/conker}}. It is an extension of the {\tt CenterFinder} algorithm \citep{brown2021algorithm}, designed to find locations in space likely to be the centers of the Baryon Acoustic Oscillations.

\section{Algorithm description}
\label{sec:description}

\subsection{Strategy}
\label{subsec:Strategy}

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{pngFigs/n-pletes.png}
\vspace{-1.7cm}
\caption{A cartoon illustrating two point correlation ($0-1$), three point correlation ($0-1-2$), four point correlation ($0-1-2-3$), and $n$  point correlation ($0-1-2-3-...-(n-1)$).}
\label{fig:n-pletes}
\end{figure}

Let $\rho(X,Y,Z)$ be the density of the matter tracer (e.g. galaxy count per unit volume) at a location with Cartesian coordinates $(X,Y,Z)$, with the $\bar{\rho}(X,Y,Z)$ being the density of expected observations from tracers randomly distributed over with surveyed volume. We define the deviation from the average density as

\begin{align}
\Delta(X,Y,Z) = \rho(X,Y,Z)- \bar{\rho}(X,Y,Z)\ .
\label{eq:delta_def}
\end{align}

The two point correlation can be visualized as an excess of sticks of a given length over the ones that are randomly distributed over space. The three point correlation corresponds to an excess of triangles, the four point correlation - to counting pyramids (the four points do not necessarily lie in one plane), etc (see Fig~\ref{fig:n-pletes}). We will refer to these figures as $n$-pletes.

Let us consider all possible $n$-pletes with one vertex at point $0$, characterized by a vector $\vec{r}$, with sides radiating from this vertex equal to $s_1,s_2, ... s_{(n-1)}$. In the isotropic case considered here the lengths of other sides and all angles are arbitrary.

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{pngFigs/ConKer_K1_K2.png}
\vspace{-0.8cm}
\caption{A cartoon illustrating  three point correlation ($0-1-2$) with different scales $s_1$ on the side ($0-1$) and $s_2$ on the side ($0-2$). Integration over spherical shells $K_1$ and $K_2$ is equivalent to counting all possible triangles that have one vertex at point $0$ and the other two anywhere on the spheres.}
\label{fig:ConKer_K1_K2}
\end{figure}

The isotropic $n$-point correlation function ($n$pcf) is defined as

\begin{multline}
\xi_n(s_1,s_2,...s_{(n-1)}) = \\
\frac{\int \Delta(\vec{r}) \Delta(\vec{r}+\vec{s_1}) \Delta(\vec{r}+\vec{s_2}) ...\Delta(\vec{r}+\vec{s}_{(n-1)}) d\vec{r} d\Omega_1 d\Omega_2... d\Omega_{(n-1)}} {\int \bar{\rho}(\vec{r}) \bar{\rho}(\vec{r}+\vec{s_1}) \bar{\rho}(\vec{r}+\vec{s_2}) ...\bar{\rho}(\vec{r}+\vec{s}_{(n-1)}) d\vec{r} d\Omega_1 d\Omega_2... d\Omega_{(n-1)}} \ .
\label{eq:corr_theory}
\end{multline}
where the integration over $\vec{r}$ implies all possible positions of point $0$ in the surveyed volume.  The integration over a solid angle $d\Omega_i$($i=1,...n-1$) between vectors $\vec{s_i}$ and $\vec{r}$ is equivalent to integration over a sphere of  radius $s_i$ centered on point $0$, which, thus, evaluates the total number of tracers displaced from point $0$ by the distance $s_i$. This is illustrated in Fig.~\ref{fig:ConKer_K1_K2} for three point correlation. In term of Legendre polynomials expansion this definition of $n$pcf corresponds to $l=0$.

{\tt ConKer} evaluates the integral of the $\Delta$ field on a spherical shell of radius $s_i$  by placing a spherical kernel $K_i$ on point $0$ with Cartesian coordinates $(X,Y,Z)$ and taking its inner product with the $\Delta$ field. Then the kernel is moved to a different location, thus scanning the entire surveyed volume. The results of each step, $W_i(X,Y,Z)$, is a map of weights that characterize the integral of the density deviation on a spherical shell of radius $s_i$ around the location $(X,Y,Z)$.

\subsection{Input}
\label{subsec:input1}

The inputs to the algorithm are catalogs of the observed number count of tracers $D$, with the total number being $N_{tot}$, and $R$, which represents a number count of randomly distributed points within the same fiducial volume. Most surveys provide the angular coordinates: right ascension $\alpha$ and declination $\delta$, and the redshift $z$ of the tracer. The relationship between the redshift and the comoving radial distance is cosmology dependent:

\begin{align}
r(z) = \frac{c}{H_0} { \displaystyle\int_{0}^{z} } \frac{dz'}{ \sqrt{\Omega_M(z'+1)^3+\Omega_k(z'+1)^2+\Omega_\Lambda} }\ ,
\label{eq:hubbleint}
\end{align}
where $\Omega_M$, $\Omega_k$, and $\Omega_\Lambda$ are the relative present day matter, curvature, and cosmological constant densities respectively. $H_0$ is the present day Hubble's constant, $c$ is the speed of light. These user-defined parameters represent the fiducial cosmology. The integral in Eq.~\ref{eq:hubbleint} is evaluated numerically in {\tt ConKer}.
The comoving Cartesian coordinates are computed with:

\begin{align}
X=r \cos(\delta)\cos(\alpha)\ ,
\label{eq:cartesianx} \\
Y=r \cos(\delta)\sin(\alpha)\ ,
\label{eq:cartesiany} \\
Z=r \sin(\delta)\ .
\label{eq:cartesianz}
\end{align}
Cartesian coordinates are given as capital letters, $X$, $Y$, $Z$, as the redshift, $z$, is denoted in lower case.

We define a grid with spacing $g_s$, such that the volume of each cubic grid cell is $g_s^3$. $(X,Y,Z)$ denotes the Cartesian coordinates of the center of a grid cell. On this grid we define 3-dimensional histograms $D(X,Y,Z)$ and $R(X,Y,Z)$, which represent tracer counts in the cell $(X,Y,Z)$ from data and random catalogs respectively. These histograms may be populated by the raw count, or weighted count of tracers from the input catalogs. To properly account for the variation in angular completeness and the redshift selection function, the expected count from the random distribution, normalized to $N_{tot}$, is subtracted from the galaxy survey $D$ on the cell-by-cell basis. $R$ is evaluated using a random catalog. As an alternative, $R$ could be evaluated assuming that the tracers' angular, $P_{ang}(\alpha,\delta)$ and redshift\footnote{The redshift selection function $P_z(z)$ does not need to be uniform over $(\alpha,\delta)$, it could be defined piece-wise.}, $P_z(z)$ probability density distributions are factorizable \citep{demina2018computationally}. Then the expected count from the random distribution of galaxies in a Cartesian cell is:

\begin{align}
R(X,Y,Z) = N_{tot} [ P_{ang}(\alpha,\delta) \times P_z(z) ] \frac{dXdYdZ}{dV_{sph}} \ ,
\label{eq:factorizablility}
\end{align}
where $dXdYdZ$ and $dV_{sph}=r^2d \sin \delta d \alpha$ give the volume of a particular cell in Cartesian and spherical sky coordinates.
This method of estimating the expected count from the random distribution reduces the statistical fluctuations compared to the count taken directly from the random catalog. Both methods are realized in the algorithm and may be chosen by the user.

A 3-dimensional local density variation histogram $N(X,Y,Z)$, which is a discretized representation of the $\Delta$ field, is then defined on the grid to represent the difference in counts between $D$ and $R$:

\begin{align}
N(X,Y,Z) = D(X,Y,Z) - R(X,Y,Z)\ .
\label{eq:bgsubtracted_map}
\end{align}
This stage of the algorithm is referred to as \textit {mapping}.

\subsection{Kernels}
\label{subsec:kernel}

We construct $(n-1)$ spherical kernels, $K_i(X,Y,Z)$ on a cube of size $2s_i$ in all directions, just large enough to encompass a sphere of radius $s_i$. The grid defined on this cube has the same spacing, $g_s$, as the one used to construct $D(X,Y,Z)$. Grid cells intersected by a sphere of radius $s_i$  centered on the center of the cube, are assigned a value of 1. All other cells are 0.

\subsection{Convolution}
\label{subsec:conv}

We construct a 3-dimensional histogram $W_i(X,Y,Z)$ with entries  equal to the inner product of kernel $K_i$  centered on a cell  with coordinates $(X,Y,Z)$ and matter density variation field $N$:

\begin{align}
W_i(X,Y,Z) \equiv N(X,Y,Z)\ast\ast\ast K_i(X,Y,Z) \ ,
\label{eq:countconv}
\end{align}
where $\ast\ast\ast$ denotes a 3-dimensional discrete convolution.
One step in this process is visualized in Fig.~\ref{fig:cf_method}.

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{pngFigs/ConKer.png}
\vspace{-3.1cm}
\caption{A 2-dimensional representation of one step in the convolution between  the matter histogram $N$ (left) and the spherical kernel $K$ (center).  In this example, the inner product is 7, which is placed in the center cell of $W_1$ histogram (right).}
\label{fig:cf_method}
\end{figure}

This procedure is realized using an $FFT$ in a highly vectorized algorithm. In this process, all $N(X,Y,Z)$ cells are interpreted once as center points, i.e. point 0 in Fig. 2, and other times as points on shells. Thus the 3-dimensional histogram $W_0(X,Y,Z)$ is approximated as simply being the density variation in each cell of $N(X,Y,Z)$, i.e. $W_0=N$.

For normalization purposes, we perform the same procedure on the field of random counts. The result of the convolution of random density field $R$ with kernel $K_i$ is referred to as $B_i(X,Y,Z)$:

\begin{align}
B_i(X,Y,Z) \equiv R(X,Y,Z)\ast\ast\ast K_i(X,Y,Z) \ ,
\label{eq:randconv}
\end{align}
This stage of the algorithm is referred to as \textit {convolution}.

\subsection{n-point correlation function}

The $n$pcf, which approximates the one defined in Eq.~\ref{eq:corr_theory} is calculated as:

\begin{align}
\xi_n(s_1,s_2...s_{(n-1)}) =\frac{\sum W_0  W_1 W_2...W_{(n-1)}}{\sum B_0  B_1 B_2...B_{(n-1)} } \ .
\label{eq:ksin_delta}
\end{align}
The 2pcf is then

\begin{align}
\xi_2(s_1) = \frac{\sum W_0  W_1}{\sum B_0  B_1}  \ .
\label{eq:ksi2_delta}
\end{align}
The 3pcf necessitates convolution with kernel $K_2$ of radius $s_2$, resulting in weights $W_2$. The 3pcf is then calculated as

\begin{align}
\xi_3(s_1,s_2) =\frac{\sum W_0  W_1 W_2} {\sum B_0  B_1 B_2}\ .
\label{eq:ksi3}
\end{align}
The stage of the evaluation of the $n$pcf is referred to as \textit {summation}.

\subsection{Equidistant case}

Of particular interest are correlations between objects with a defined scale, such as those  arising from a spherical sound wave in the primordial plasma, a.k.a. baryon acoustic oscillation. In this case, one tracer taken as a starting point is displaced from the rest $(n-1)$ points  by the same distance $s_1$, e.g. the three point correlation  corresponds to isosceles triangles randomly distributed in space. This equidistant case corresponds to the diagonal of the $n$-point correlation function, which is calculated as

\begin{align}
\xi_n^{diag}(s_1) =\frac{\sum W_0  W_1^{n-1}} {\sum B_0  B_1^{n-1}}\ .
\label{eq:ksinDiag}
\end{align}

Note that only $W_0$, $W_1$, $B_0$ and $B_1$ need to be evaluated, resulting in a substantial time saving.

\subsection{Continuous matter distribution}

The continuous matter distribution map that results from line intensity or weak lensing, differs from the discrete case because the map does not have the meaning of counts. It can instead be interpreted as a $\delta$-field, where $\delta$ has a meaning of relative over-density:

\begin{align}
\delta(X,Y,Z) = \frac{D(X,Y,Z) - R(X,Y,Z)}{R(X,Y,Z)} \ ,
\label{eq:densitycont}
\end{align}
where $D$ and $R$ are continuous data and random fields defined on a grid, as is the $\delta$-field, which is identical to $W_0$ map. The convolution of $\delta$-field with kernels  produces $W_i$ maps.
Since  $\delta$-field is already  normalized by the random matter distribution it is not necessary to do it in the $n$-point correlation function, which is equal to:

\begin{align}
\xi_n(s_1, s_2...s_{(n-1)}) =\sum W_0  W_1(s_1)... W_{(n-1)}(s_{(n-1)}) \ .
 \label{eq:ksin_cont}
\end{align}
The two point correlation function is then

\begin{align}
\xi_2(s_1) = \sum W_0  W_1  \ .
\label{eq:ksi2_cont}
\end{align}

\subsection{Cross-correlation between different tracers}

The algorithm can be used to evaluate cross-correlation between different tracers. In this case we have two (possibly background subtracted) matter maps $\Delta_0$ and $\Delta_1$. Then map of weights $W_0$ is equal to $\Delta_0$,  and $K_1$ is convolved with $\Delta_1$ resulting in $W_1$. The two point correlation function is then evaluated according to Eq.~\ref{eq:ksi2_cont} or Eq.~\ref{eq:ksi2_delta} depending on whether the tracer counts are normalized to the random distribution or not.

\section{Performance study}

We evaluate the performance of {\tt ConKer} using SDSS DR12 CMASS galaxies \citep{ross2017clustering}, their associated random catalogs, and an  ensemble of MultiDark-Patchy mocks \citep{kitaura2016clustering,rodriguez2016clustering}. We apply {\tt ConKer} to the SGC and NGC catalogs for data, randoms, and 40 mocks. In this performance study, we used the following values for the cosmological parameters: $c = 300000$ km$/$s, $H_0 = 100h$ km$/$s$/$Mpc, $\Omega_{M} = 0.307$, $\Omega_{\Lambda} = 0.693$, and $\Omega_{k} = 0$. This choice was motivated by the cosmological parameters used in the generation of the mock catalogs. For this study, which highlights the algorithm's ability to probe correlations near the BAO scale, we compute correlation functions for a distance range of $54.8\mbox{---}139.8$ $h^{-1}$Mpc in 17 bins of width of $5$ $h^{-1}$Mpc. In all cases, the standard systematic \citep{ross2017clustering} as well as FKP weights \citep{feldman1993power} were used to create the density field map. The grid spacing for each run (with the exception of the timing study discussed in \S~\ref{subsec:timing}) is $g_s = 5$ $h^{-1}$Mpc.

\subsection{Distance calibration}

As in any algorithm that uses a map of tracers defined on a grid, there is a certain degree of degradation in the precision of the distance between the tracers. It is important to quantify the precision of distance determination. We calibrate the distance using a subsample of a random catalog, where we compare the distance measured on the grid with the one determined by a brute force calculation. Figure~\ref{fig:calib} shows the dependence of the mean true  distance on the kernel size. The shaded region correspond to the RMS of the distribution in the true distance given a particular value of the kernel size, which is shown in the inset for a kernel size of 60 $h^{-1}$Mpc. The RMS is approximately 2.5 $h^{-1}$Mpc, which corresponds to one half grid spacing. The calibration procedure must be performed using a random catalog for each value of the grid spacing, $g_s$.

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{pngFigs/calib.png}
\caption{The true distances between the tracers and the center of the kernel vs the discretized estimation of the distance in {\tt ConKer} (gold). The shaded region gives the RMS of the true distance distribution. The inset shows one such distribution for a kernel with size $s_1 = 60$ $h^{-1}$Mpc.}
\label{fig:calib}
\end{figure}

\subsection{Timing study}
\label{subsec:timing}

We present the analytical considerations of the time complexity of the three stages of the algorithm: \textit {mapping}, \textit {convolution} and \textit {summation} in Appendix~\ref{app:time}. Here we show the results of the timing study  performed using a personal computer with a 2.3 GHz Intel Core i7 processor and 8 GB of memory. All execution times are in units of CPU seconds.

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{pngFigs/TvsNobj2pcf.png}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{pngFigs/TvsGsSplitnpcf.png}
\caption{Color inline. The execution time of {\tt ConKer} as applied to subsamples of the SDSS DR12 CMASS SGC galaxies. Top: the dependence on the number of combined data and random objects, using a grid spacing $g_S = 5$ $h^{-1}$Mpc. Bottom: the dependence on the grid spacing, $g_S$, for 0.87M objects. Points present the measured time. Lines are the results of the fit to a power law, with the scaling given in the legend.
}
\label{fig:timingSplit}
\end{figure}

The primary advantage of {\tt ConKer} is in the behavior of the execution time as a function of the number of objects, $N$, shown in top plot of Fig.~\ref{fig:timingSplit} for the three stages of the algorithm. The  surveyed volume, $V$ is kept fixed. As expected the execution time of both \textit {convolution} and \textit {summation} are independent of $N$. \textit {Mapping} is a $\mathcal{O}(N)$ calculation, and starts dominating for catalogs larger than 10M objects.

The main parameter that determines the computation time of {\tt ConKer} is the number of grid cells, $N_c$, which depends the grid spacing, $g_s$ (see the bottom plot of Fig~\ref{fig:timingSplit} for $n=2,3,4$).  \textit {Mapping} is independent of $g_s$. For 2pcf \textit {convolution}  is expected to scale as $g_s^{-4} \log g_s$, and \textit {summation} as $g_s^{-4}$. Both parts scale somewhat slower than expected. The execution time of \textit {convolution} is independent of the correlations order $n$. Each additional order of correlation is expected to add one power of $g_s$ to \textit {summation} time. This is roughly in agreement with the observed dependence for 3pcf and 4pcf. \textit {Summation} starts dominating the execution time for 4pcf for grid spacing below 2 $h^{-1}$Mpc. For  $n>4$ the execution time is expected to be dominated by \textit {summation}, which is a $O(N_c^{(n+2)/3})$ calculation. For lower $n$ or higher grid spacing \textit {convolution} is the dominant part,  expected to be $O(g_s^{-4}\log g_s )$, or $O(N_c^{4/3} \log N_c)$.

The algorithm's memory requirements are discussed in Appendix~\ref{app:memory}.

\subsection{Comparison to nbodykit}

We present a comparison of the 2pcf and 3pcf evaluated using {\tt ConKer} and {\tt nbodykit} \citep{nbodykit}. The latter uses more traditional pair-counting methods, and may be used to evaluate the performance of {\tt ConKer}. In {\tt nbodykit}, the 2pcf is defined according to the estimator of Landy and Szalay \citep{Landy:1993yu,Hamilton:1993fp}:

\begin{align}
\hat{\xi_2}(s) = \frac{DD(s) - 2DR(s) + RR(s)}{RR(s)} \ ,
\label{eq:2pcfdef}
\end{align}
where $DD$, $RR$, and $DR$ are the normalized distributions of the pairwise combinations of galaxies from data, $D,$ and random, $R,$ catalogs (plus cross terms) at given distances $s$ from one another. The {\tt nbodykit} 3pcf is defined according to \cite{Slepian:2015qza} and we consider the $\ell = 0$ (isotropic) case. This corresponds to the {\tt ConKer} 3pcf.

Using {\tt nbodykit}, the 2pcf and 3pcf are calculated for the SGC sample of the SDSS DR12 CMASS galaxies and randoms. Due to the restriction that the 3pcf algorithm in {\tt nbodykit} scales as $\mathcal{O}(N^2)$ \citep{Slepian:2015qza}, where $N$ is the number of objects, the random catalog was reduced to 1M objects. Full random catalogs were used when running {\tt ConKer}. The data catalog remained unchanged in both cases. The {\tt ConKer} 3pcf was completed in $350s$ and the {\tt nbodykit} 3pcf in $9870s$.

The comparison between the two methods of computing the 2pcf is given in Fig.~\ref{fig:comparison2pt}. The two algorithms agree with one another across the entire range of $s_1$, and the residual between the 2pcf using {\tt ConKer} and {\tt nbodykit} is around an order of magnitude lower than the the value of $\xi_2$. The observed small differences are due to the precision of the distance determination on the grid in {\tt ConKer} resulting in some bin-to-bin migrations, while {\tt nbodykit} calculates the actual distance between the two points.

We repeat this procedure with the on and off diagonal elements of the 3pcf (Fig.~\ref{fig:comparison3pt}). Here, both methods agree as well, as demonstrated by the residual between the two methods shown in the bottom right of Fig.~\ref{fig:comparison3pt}. Some difference is due to the  reduction in the size of the randoms catalog for the {\tt nbodykit} calculation, which leads to larger statistical fluctuations. Overall, {\tt ConKer} is in a good agreement with standard algorithms, and has the unique advantage of being able to probe higher order correlations as well, with relatively little increase in run-time.

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{pngFigs/2pcfConKercomp.png}
\caption{The top panel shows the 2pcf, $\xi_2(s_1)$, for the CMASS galaxy sample of the SDSS DR12 survey computed using {\tt ConKer} (blue) and the 2pcf computed using {\tt nbodykit} (gold). The bottom panel gives the residual between the two, defined as $\xi_{2,{\tt ConKer}} - \xi_{2,{\tt nbodykit}}$ (grey dashed line). The solid black line in the bottom panel shows $\Delta\xi_2 = 0$.}
\label{fig:comparison2pt}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{pngFigs/3pcfConKerSQcomp.png}
\caption{The top left panel shows the 3pcf, $\xi_3(s_1,s_2)$, for the CMASS galaxy sample of the SDSS DR12 survey computed using {\tt ConKer} and the bottom left panel shows the 3pcf computed using {\tt nbodykit}. The top right panel gives the residual between the two, defined similarly as $\xi_{3,{\tt ConKer}} - \xi_{3,{\tt nbodykit}}$. The color scale corresponds to all three color panels. The bottom right panel gives a distribution over the residuals. The RMS of this distribution is  $1.34 \times 10^{-4}$.}
\label{fig:comparison3pt}
\end{figure}

\subsection{ConKer npcf}
\label{subsec:conkernpcf}

We use {\tt ConKer} to compute the diagonal elements of the $n$pcf for $n=2,3,4,5$ and off diagonal elements of the 3pcf for the SGC and NGC catalogs. The combination of NGC and SGC catalogs is done by adding together terms in the numerator and denominator of Eq.~\ref{eq:ksin_delta}. For example, the combined 3pcf is given by

\begin{align}
\xi_3(s_1,s_2) =\frac{\sum (W_0 W_1 W_2)_{\mathrm{SGC}} + (W_0 W_1 W_2)_{\mathrm{NGC}}} {\sum (B_0 B_1 B_2)_{\mathrm{SGC}} + (B_0 B_1 B_2)_{\mathrm{NGC}}}\ .
\label{eq:ksi3combined}
\end{align}

The diagonal elements of the $n$pcf's $n=2, 3, 4$ and $5$ are shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:npcfPanel}. We observe the expected features of the $n$pcf's based on both mock and data catalogs. These include an increase in magnitude at small scales, corresponding to galaxy clustering, and a well defined `bump' at the BAO scale. The $n$pcf's based on the random catalog fluctuate about $\xi_n = 0$ at several orders of magnitude below the signal observed in mocks and data.

Both on and off diagonal elements of the 3pcf are shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:ConKer3ptSQ}. The diagonal elements in Fig.~\ref{fig:ConKer3ptSQ} directly correspond to the values in the second panel of Fig.~\ref{fig:npcfPanel}. Off the main diagonal, we observe an increase in the magnitude of $\xi_3$ around $s_1 = 100$ and $s_2 = 60$ $h^{-1}$Mpc for data and mocks. The randoms show no clustering or BAO signal and fluctuate about $\xi_3 = 0$.

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{pngFigs/npcf_panel.png}
\caption{The diagonal $n$pcf, $\xi_n(s_1)$, from $n=2$ to $n=5$ (top to bottom panels), for the combined SGC+NGC CMASS galaxy sample of the SDSS DR12 survey (black), the average of the ensemble of MD Patchy mocks (green) and the associated randoms (red). The green shaded region gives the standard deviation across mock catalogs, which is also used to generate the error bars associated with the data catalogs.}
\label{fig:npcfPanel}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{pngFigs/3pcfConKerSQ.png}
\caption{The 3pcf calculated based on data (top left), random (bottom left), and mock (top right) catalogs, using the combined SGC and NGC samples. The panel in the bottom right shows the standard deviation across the mock ensemble. The color scale corresponds to all four panels.}
\label{fig:ConKer3ptSQ}
\end{figure}

\section{Discussion}

\subsection{Algorithmic framework}

The query for a pattern in matter distributions may prompt an employment of machine learning techniques.  {\tt ConKer}, being a spatial statistics algorithm  offers an alternative to such approach that is fast and transparent. It exploits the fact that the full set of equidistant points from any given point makes a sphere, with its surface density being a direct measure of how spherically structured this subspace of  points is. Aggregating and combining this measure over the whole space of $N$ objects allows us to calculate the space's $n$ point correlation function.

The algorithm exploits an intrinsic spatial proximity characteristic in the objective of querying for structures of negligible dimensions in a much bigger space. This spatial proximity factor leads to space partitioning algorithms targeting a nearest neighbor query approach, see for example the tree-based $n$pcf algorithms in \cite{MarchThesis}. However, {\tt ConKer} uses this fact as a heuristic in limiting its query space immediately to only the defined separation for each point in the space. Note how this is in contrast with the former technique family. In a nearest neighbor approach to the $n$pcf problem, the query space is grown at each point in the greater embedding space, aggregating the $n$-point statistic until the greater space is fully queried, whereas {\tt ConKer} aggregates the statistic over all embedding space, and then grows the query space before repeating.

This design choice realized in {\tt ConKer}'s core subroutine, a convolution of the query space with the embedding space performed by an $FFT$ algorithm, distills the complexity from the brute force $\mathcal{O}(N_c^2)$ to
$\mathcal{O}(N_clogN_c)$, where $N_c$ is the total number of grid cells in a discrete 3-dimensional map. This approach, combined with the heuristic above, lets the dominant components of {\tt ConKer} achieve independence of the number of objects as shown in Fig. \ref{fig:timingSplit}. There is certainly a trade-off between the sparsity of the whole space and the bias towards linear complexity in number of objects, as expected from an $FFT$-based algorithm, but even for very dense catalogs, we expect the scaling in the number of objects to be capped by $\mathcal{O}(N)$, where $N$ is the total number of objects. Ultimately, {\tt ConKer} is a hybrid algorithm that draws from both computational geometry and signal processing to achieve linear complexity in the number of objects.

\subsection{Applications beyond correlation functions}

Though traditionally the order of correlation $n$ is viewed as an important parameter, for the equidistant $n$pcf, all the information is entirely encoded by the weights $W_0$ and $W_1$. It was pointed out in \cite{carron2012} that the $n$pcf is inadequate in capturing the tails of non-Gaussianities. The distributions over $W_0$ and $W_1$ (as opposed to their sum over the sample as is used in the $n$pcf) could recover that sensitivity, which is a subject for future studies. The distribution of the product of two weights,  $W_0W_1$ normalized by the average $B_0B_1$ is presented in Fig.~\ref{fig:wishbone} for the kernel size of 107.3 $h^{-1}$Mpc for data, mock and random catalogs.

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{pngFigs/tpcf_diag_1075.png}
\caption{The distribution, $W_0 W_1 / \langle B_0 B_1 \rangle$ at $s_1 = 107.3$ $h^{-1}$Mpc, for the CMASS galaxy sample of the SDSS DR12 survey (black), one of the MD Patchy mocks (green) and the associated randoms (red). This plot includes SGC galaxies only.}
\label{fig:wishbone}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure}
\includegraphics[width=\linewidth]{pngFigs/skyslice.png}
\caption{A 5 $h^{-1}$Mpc thick slice of the SDSS DR12 SGC volume, where the color scale shows the value of $W_0 W_1 / \langle B_0 B_1 \rangle$ at $s_1 = 107.3$ $h^{-1}$Mpc, and the red stars indicate the positions of galaxies.}
\label{fig:skyslice}
\end{figure}

Moreover, $W_0$ and $W_1$ as well as their product are maps. While in the $n$pcf, the location information is entirely lost, in the maps produced by {\tt ConKer}, it is preserved and can be used for cross correlation studies between different tracers, such as weak lensing, Ly$\alpha$ and CMB. The preservation of this spatial information is illustrated by Fig.~\ref{fig:skyslice}, where the DR12 SGC galaxies are plotted on top of the values of $W_0 W_1 / \langle B_0 B_1 \rangle$ for a kernel size approximately equal to the BAO scale. The figure corresponds to a slice of thickness 5 $h^{-1}$Mpc. The observed circles around the boundaries of the catalog or the sparsely populated regions are a feature of the algorithm, since a single galaxy contributes to $W_1$ everywhere at a distance $s$ from the galaxy  forming a sphere. The highest values  in the map (yellow color scale) correspond to the regions that are both densely populated and have several galaxies displaced by a given scale from this point, as one would expect from the centers of the baryon acoustic oscillations. Similarly, lowest values (blue color scale) correspond to under-dense regions and troughs of BAO originating from this location. Such an aggregated approach gives access to the matter distribution in the early universe.

\section{Conclusion}

We presented {\tt ConKer}, an algorithm that convolves spherical kernels with matter maps allowing for fast evaluation of the isotropic $n$-point correlation functions. The algorithm can be broken into three stages: \textit { mapping, convolution} and \textit {summation}. Execution time of \textit {convolution} and \textit {summation} are independent of the catalog size, $N$, while \textit {mapping} is a $\mathcal{O}(N)$ calculation, which starts dominating for catalogs larger than 10M objects. For the correlation orders $n<5$,  \textit {convolution} is the dominant part with complexity $\mathcal{O}(N_c^{4/3} \log N_c)$, where $N_c$ is the number of the grid cells. For higher $n$ the overall time complexity is dominated by \textit {summation}, which is $\mathcal{O}(N_c^{(n+2)/3})$.

Comparison to the standard techniques shows a good agreement. We study the performance using SDSS DR12 CMASS galaxies, their associated random catalogs, and an  ensemble of MultiDark-Patchy mocks. The results up to $n=5$ are presented. Further metrics that may offer additional sensitivity to primordial non-Gaussianities are also suggested (e.g. distribution over weights $W_i$).

\begin{acknowledgements}

The authors would like to thank Z. Slepian for his interest and insightful comments, F. Weisenhorn for assistance with the {\tt nbodykit} 3pcf calculations, and S. BenZvi, K. Douglass and S. Gontcho A Gontcho for useful discussions. The authors acknowledge support from the U.S. Department of Energy under the grant DE-SC0008475.0.

Funding for SDSS-III has been provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Participating Institutions, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science. The SDSS-III web site is \url{http://www.sdss3.org/}. SDSS-III is managed by the Astrophysical Research Consortium for the Participating Institutions of the SDSS-III Collaboration including the University of Arizona, the Brazilian Participation Group, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Florida, the French Participation Group, the German Participation Group, Harvard University, the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, the Michigan State/Notre Dame/JINA Participation Group, Johns Hopkins University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, New Mexico State University, New York University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, University of Portsmouth, Princeton University, the Spanish Participation Group, University of Tokyo, University of Utah, Vanderbilt University, University of Virginia, University of Washington, and Yale University.

The massive production of all MultiDark-Patchy mocks for the BOSS Final Data Release has been performed at the BSC Marenostrum supercomputer, the Hydra cluster at the Instituto de Fısica Teorica UAM/CSIC, and NERSC at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. We acknowledge support from the Spanish MICINNs Consolider-Ingenio 2010 Programme under grant MultiDark CSD2009-00064, MINECO Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa Programme under grant SEV- 2012-0249, and grant AYA2014-60641-C2-1-P. The MultiDark-Patchy mocks was an effort led from the IFT UAM-CSIC by F. Prada's group (C.-H. Chuang, S. Rodriguez-Torres and C. Scoccola) in collaboration with C. Zhao (Tsinghua U.), F.-S. Kitaura (AIP), A. Klypin (NMSU), G. Yepes (UAM), and the BOSS galaxy clustering working group.

\end{acknowledgements}

\bibliographystyle{aa}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


This is one of the videos we worked on for Easternwell to showcase some of their operations across Australia, from Western Australia to Queensland on a number of different sites.
A great way to spend an evening in Brisbane. Shooting a music video for the wonderful Bec Laughton and some of her very talented dancers.


Today we're excited to announce our second accounting scholarship winner – Regan Stewart of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Regan's impressive GPA, glowing recommendation and thoughtful essay make her an extremely deserving recipient.
Last year, we awarded our first $5,000 finance, economics or accounting scholarship to Alisha McGoldrick of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Alisha was an incredibly deserving winner, who wrote a fantastic essay detailing how she deals with OCD on her journey to becoming an accountant.
Regan has kindly agreed to let us share her essay, which demonstrates her passion and drive to use accounting to make a difference in the world.
When I tell people my career aspirations of being an accountant, almost undoubtedly the first words out of their mouth are, "Oh, you must really like math." The truth is, I do like math, but the ability to complete complicated calculations is not what defines me. I am defined by my intentions to make a difference in the world – to be the creator, pursuer, and achiever of dreams. These ambitions are relevant in business, in the home, and in the community.
Entrepreneurs and business owners across the globe live with lofty goals of creating – and maintaining – a successful business. Unfortunately, they are often intimidated by the number crunching and transaction recording sides of business. One of the reasons accounting is so intriguing is that I know I can enable these visions to come to fruition. I can take charge of bookkeeping, payroll, and tax returns. I can be responsible for all the behind-the-scenes work so that the business owner can focus on pursuing their dream. I will be in charge of preservation; he or she will be in charge of innovation.
Modern technology allows for simple acquisition of important financial information. Banks can automatically route transactions to accounting software through bank feeds. Employees can be paid online through direct depositing. I can even demonstrate certain accounting practices to business owners through remote control programs such as TeamViewer or LogMeIn. Whether I perform the accounting work for a business or teach the owner to do it individually, I will encourage them in the pursuit of their dreams and in the betterment of society.
I am a firm believer that no success in the world can compensate for failure in the home, which is why I intend to extend my accounting knowledge beyond the corporate sphere. In my accounting classes I have learned valuable skills about budgeting, organization, and critical thinking. I believe these are all imperative in raising a family. I will teach my future children that keeping a budget and tracking their expenses ultimately allows them to fulfil any dream or desire. I will teach them problem-solving skills so they can be leaders and responsible citizens of their community.
As a senior in high school, I had the opportunity to co-create the "Steps for Noah" foundation at my high school. Noah Hernandez was fatally injured in a car accident and was paralyzed from the neck down. I ached for this family in our community and yearned to lend a helping hand in any way possible. Using my organizational skills, we formed a committee that visited classrooms every day to ask for donations. We raised over $1,000 the first week of the drive. We also posted announcements on various forms of social media which greatly increased our publicity.
Throughout the year, we continued to raise money to help this family in dire need. I recognized the immense joy I feel in helping others achieve their dreams. As I kept record of the money we were receiving, it seemed that community members were enthusiastic to help as well. I realized that careful organization and use of social media are powerful forces in fulfilling desires.
In my accounting profession, I will be a successful organizer – organizer of transactions, organizer of events, and organizer of people – but I also plan to be an encourager. I will recruit community support of worthwhile business ambitions like the "Steps for Noah" foundation. Modern technology in social media makes this possible because it allows any idea to be proposed and promoted across a worldwide audience. Strength in numbers and power in purpose can be achieved by citizens working together to promote good in their community.
Before we can make a difference in the world, we must be different from the world. I can be that difference. I will be fearless in my pursuits to make a difference not just in the accounting field, but across the globe. If opportunity doesn't knock, I will build a door. If someone feels they have reached the end of their road, I will help pave a new one. Today, I commit to be not just an accountant, but a valiant pursuer and achiever of dreams.
To Regan – thank you for sharing your story with us and our readers. Xero wishes you the best in the rest of your studies and hopes you have a wonderful accounting career.


The Jacksonville Armada FC defeated The Villages SC of the PDL in the Play-In Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Sunday night.
The 2-1 victory came at Jacksonville University's Southern Oak Stadium and allows the Armada FC to advance on to the First Round. SIMA Aguilas will host Jacksonville Wednesday night at 7:00 p.m. in Monteverde, Fla.
Jacksonville put away the first goal of the night and went on the board early in the match.
A sequence between Derek Gebhard and Yuma set up Michael Melvin for a cross. The cross went into the box where Ciarán Kilduff was waiting to head it in. He became the first scorer of the 105th U.S. Open Cup, just five minutes into the match.
Although the Armada FC kept the majority of the possession, the home team was not able to double the lead before the halftime whistle.
The Villages SC equalized in the 58th minute. Leonardo Paiva set up Gabriel Torres and he laid one into the net from in front of the box.
Paiva then almost had a goal of his own in the 64th minute, but the Villages was called offsides.
The winning goal came in the 71st minute.
Kilduff won a free kick 25 yards out, and it was taken by Mechack Jérôme. His shot met the Villages' defense, but he got to it again and sent it into the box where Wesley Charpie tapped it in.


This book is about practical hands-on coffee roasting.
It discusses profiling and how to profile sample roast, how to avoid over- and under-roasting, how different variables in roasting change flavours in the final cup, principles that govern the roasting process; and a lot more.
This book gives you all the necessary tools so you can successfully develop your own roasting profiles and edit the ones presented here. The same tools will help you to become a better, smarter, and more consistent coffee roaster.
It's a condensed collection of Raimond's 12 years coffee roasting experience with Specialty Coffees.


There are some myths and misunderstandings surrounding sterilization of pets that people choose to believe. Learn more about those myths, and the facts that dispel them, here. But if you truly love animals, you will have your pet spayed or neutered. What follows are the benefits of this important step in pet companionship.
In a spay procedure for female cats, their reproductive organs are removed.
In a neuter surgery, a male cat's testicles are removed. Both operations require that the cat be under anesthesia. It usually takes several days for a cat to recover, males more quickly than females.
Spaying and Neutering Benefits Cats!
* The procedure helps cats live longer, healthier lives.
* It decreases the cat's risk of developing health problems related to the reproductive system.
* Spaying prevents uterine or ovarian cancer and drastically decreases the chance of a female developing breast cancer, especially when spayed before the first estrous cycle.
* Neutering prevents testicular cancer and decreases the incidence of prostate disease.
Spaying and Neutering Benefits You!
* Kitties are friendlier after being altered.
* Neutered male cats are much less likely to spray and mark territory.
* Spaying eliminates your female cat's heat cycle. Females in heat can meow and yowl incessantly, act nervously, and attract unwanted male animals.
* Unaltered cats frequently develop more behavior and personality problems than do those who have been altered.
* Spaying and neutering can make cats less likely to bite.
* Cities and towns spend millions of dollars to deal with homeless pets.
* Animal shelters are inundated with homeless pets.
* Homeless cats and dogs fall into situations where people may not be kind to them.
* Thousands of animals, in our city and state alone, die each year because there are not enough homes for them.
Remember that though the cost of spaying or neutering may seem expensive, you only have to pay it once for a lifetime of benefits. Plus, by doing this for your pet, you are also helping a worldwide problem.
Check out our resources page for low cost spay and neuter options.


text:
Kómnina (engelska: Komnina) är en ort i Grekland.   Den ligger i prefekturen Fthiotis och regionen Grekiska fastlandet, i den centrala delen av landet,  km nordväst om huvudstaden Aten. Kómnina ligger  meter över havet och antalet invånare är .

Terrängen runt Kómnina är varierad. Den högsta punkten i närheten är  meter över havet,  km nordväst om Kómnina. Runt Kómnina är det ganska glesbefolkat, med  invånare per kvadratkilometer. Närmaste större samhälle är Stylída,  km norr om Kómnina. I omgivningarna runt Kómnina

Klimatet i området är tempererat. Årsmedeltemperaturen i trakten är  °C. Den varmaste månaden är juli, då medeltemperaturen är  °C, och den kallaste är januari, med  °C. Genomsnittlig årsnederbörd är  millimeter. Den regnigaste månaden är februari, med i genomsnitt  mm nederbörd, och den torraste är augusti, med  mm nederbörd.

Kommentarer

Källor

Orter i Grekiska fastlandet

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


At Abbey College, we are dedicated to providing an excellent education and the best opportunities for the children in Ramsey and its surrounding areas. Every child is known as an individual and all students are supported to achieve their goals and ambitions.
'There is a "culture of high expectations and aspirations" where students are "polite, respectful of the opinions of others, and prepared and willing to learn.


George returns from a visit to the Virginia Beach Genealogical Society and announces Family Historian (version 3), talks about special promotions at 1837online.com, and covers important information from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and a list of U.S. ports with published records. Drew corrects some information regarding the online version of NUCMC, points out when it is safe (copyright-wise) to use old photos, and discusses the importance of using the Social Security Death Index.


text:
docker-tailon
=============

I was looking for an easy way to expose application logs via web. Tailon does that very well, so I just needed an easy way to send my logs to Tailon: Docker volumes, of course :)

First run a conatiner you want to capture the logs from. If your conatiner was not given a name, grab the name and pass it to the Tailon container:

```
docker run -it --rm -p 8084:8084 --volumes-from CONTAINER_NAME ipedrazas/tailon
```

Access your web console in port 8084

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Right here at The Grafton!
Welcome to the Press Center.
There is always something exciting happening at Grafton on Sunset, West Hollywood's sophisticated urban retreat.
Vacation like an A-lister at this boutique (and pet-friendly!) gem in the heart of West Hollywood.


The Legislative Council Staff maintains an online database of past and present state legislators. Each legislator has a profile page containing information about their legislative career, such as the chamber(s) in which he or she served, leadership positions held, and committee assignments. There are a number of ways to search for a legislator's profile, including by name, district, political party, chamber served, county, and keywords.


Menu Plan for the Week ~ How Do I Cook For Three People?
I believe we should label this summer "The Summer of Never Being Home." Never is perhaps too strong a word, since in fact, we have been home for a few days here and there in between all the travel and camps. But we have certainly been away from home more than we've been at home. After a big trip to Nashville, a smaller trip to Oklahoma, two weeks at church camp – I am home for four days before taking off again.
Where am I going this time? Oooooh, yay me! I am blessed to go spend three days with my friend who had a baby a few weeks ago. I get to love on Mama and Daddy, love on baby, love on baby, love on baby…and maybe do a few dishes and some freezer cooking. Whatever Mama needs. I'm very excited.
After I get home, I'll have two days, then head off again for another quick trip. Then, our family will all be home together just in time to begin our school year the first full week of August. Phew! This has been (and continues to be) one very full summer!
So let's catch up a little here. I've been online very little in the past two weeks since internet access out at church camp was quite difficult to come by. I've missed you! Week One at camp found our family in these roles: Justus and Elias were both campers, Asa was a counselor, and Matt, Malachi, I were helping in the kitchen. Cooking for 140 campers and staff? So fun – and completely exhausting. Wow, and wow some more.
Week two of camp for us was quite different. It was Senior High session, which meant that Asa was/is now a camper; Justus, Elias, and Malachi were kitchen staff, and Matt and I were Bible class teachers. The week allowed for much more down-time for Matt and me. We studied, taught, studied some more, spent time with campers…and took naps and went to bed early every night. Really, I couldn't believe how much sleep my body kept asking for. Apparently, this summer has worn me out more than I realized. :) By Thursday, I believe we finally caught up on rest. It was a great week of refreshment for us. Matt and I loved team-teaching the youth. They blessed us so much, and working together in that role was wonderful.
Because the head cook said he could certainly still use our boys' help for the final week of Senior Session, we let them stay. So three boys are still at camp, and here we are at home with only our youngest, Malachi. It's quiet, for sure.
Right after Matt brought in the first bunch, we snapped and steamed them – then absolutely pigged out on them. We could not get enough. I mean, we did not even take the time to use a fork. We picked them up and ate them like they were French fries. No shame. Wow, they are unbelievably delicious.
Here's to a great week of continued refreshment, playing catch-up, and eating amazing summer produce!
Tell me what you've been up to the past few weeks! What has your summer been like? Full and busy, or restful and relaxing?
Son #1 is in the Marines, and was married on station in Hawaii last fall. Since none of the family was there for the wedding, he & his new wife came home in June so we could all celebrate! We did bridal teas & showers, parties with friends, enormous family dinners, and a huge and beautiful reception to cap it off.
How wonderful to hear that you and hubby were so blessed by teaching together. Isn't God great? Enjoy your time of cooking for only 3. You can cook less or cook like normal and put a bunch of stuff in the freezer! Your beans look beautiful. I didn't plant any of them this year, unfortunately. My summer has been a mix of full and busy with periods of restful and relaxing.
Looking forward to purchasing a new styled tee. I've always be bothered by how clothes are so revealing these days in the stores. Thanks for the info.
I feel like I'm finally ready for summer to START. Last November, we were given notice that my husband's office in Arizona was closing, and if he wanted to remain employed, we would have to move. Finally (after lots of prayer!), we are somewhat settled in here in the Valley Forge, Pennsylvania area. We have been here 3 weeks tomorrow and after all the packing, using up everything in the fridge/freezer, driving cross-country, staying in a hotel for 8 days waiting for our stuff, and then doing easy meals while unpacking, I am ready to start enjoying the wonderful summer weather up here! Lots of grilling & sitting on the deck to be done!


THIS HOLIDAY SEASON IS NUKING!
Shop / News / THIS HOLIDAY SEASON IS NUKING!
Santa Gravy has you covered! Enjoy this segment with the Magical, North Pole-Nuking, Legend himself.. Give the gift of Heritage this Holiday Season!


Sometimes little defects in teeth can attract more than their fair share of attention. The eye often seems drawn to the tiny chip in a front tooth; the slight mismatch in tooth size among adjacent teeth; the extra-pointy canine.
What to ExpectThe first step in the contouring procedure is to examine your teeth and diagnose how the reshaping will accomplish your goal of smile enhancement or correct a bite problem if you have one. This will ensure that the teeth being reshaped will not only look better but also will be healthy. Sometimes a reshaping of the root surfaces is required to protect you from gum disease. In that case, an x-ray may be necessary to isolate and protect the sensitive inner tissue (the pulp). However, most often tooth contouring only involves the removal of a bit of enamel - the hard outer covering of the tooth. Because enamel is not living and contains no nerves, you will likely not need even a local anesthetic.
You will probably feel some vibration as your tooth is gently sculpted, and then polished smooth. Reshaping one tooth usually takes less than half an hour - and the results will be obvious as soon as you look in the mirror! Sometimes reshaped teeth can be a little sensitive to hot or cold after the procedure, but this should last no more than a day or two.
Tooth contouring can be combined with whitening for a dramatically younger-looking smile. It's also often used in conjunction with cosmetic bonding or dental veneers - both of which can be used to reshape teeth with larger imperfections.


text:
book summaries and study materials
Critical Essays The Russian Revolution
One of Orwell's goals in writing Animal Farm was to portray the Russian (or Bolshevik) Revolution of 1917 as one that resulted in a government more oppressive, totalitarian, and deadly than the one it overthrew. Many of the characters and events of Orwell's novel parallel those of the Russian Revolution: In short, Manor Farm is a model of Russia, and old Major, Snowball, and Napoleon represent the dominant figures of the Russian Revolution.
Mr. Jones is modeled on Tsar Nicholas II (1868-1918), the last Russian emperor. His rule (1894-1917) was marked by his insistence that he was the uncontestable ruler of the nation. During his reign, the Russian people experienced terrible poverty and upheaval, marked by the Bloody Sunday massacre in 1905 when unarmed protesters demanding social reforms were shot down by the army near Nicholas' palace. As the animals under Jones lead lives of hunger and want, the lives of millions of Russians worsened during Nicholas' reign. When Russia entered World War I and subsequently lost more men than any country in any previous war, the outraged and desperate people began a series of strikes and mutinies that signaled the end of Tsarist control. When his own generals withdrew their support of him, Nicholas abdicated his throne in the hopes of avoiding an all-out civil war — but the civil war arrived in the form of the Bolshevik Revolution, when Nicholas, like Jones, was removed from his place of rule and then died shortly thereafter.
old Major is the animal version of V. I. Lenin (1870-1924), the leader of the Bolshevik Party that seized control in the 1917 Revolution. As old Major outlines the principles of Animalism, a theory holding that all animals are equal and must revolt against their oppressors, Lenin was inspired by Karl Marx's theory of Communism, which urges the "workers of the world" to unite against their economic oppressors. As Animalism imagines a world where all animals share in the prosperity of the farm, Communism argues that a "communal" way of life will allow all people to live lives of economic equality. old Major dies before he can see the final results of the revolution, as Lenin did before witnessing the ways in which his disciples carried on the work of reform.
old Major is absolute in his hatred of Man, as Lenin was uncompromising in his views: He is widely believed to have been responsible for giving the order to kill Nicholas and his family after the Bolsheviks had gained control. Lenin was responsible for changing Russia into the U.S.S.R., as old Major is responsible for transforming Manor Farm into Animal Farm. The U.S.S.R.'s flag depicted a hammer and sickle — the tools of the rebelling workers — so the flag of Animal Farm features a horn and hoof.
One of Lenin's allies was Leon Trotsky (1879-1940), another Marxist thinker who participated in a number of revolutionary demonstrations and uprisings. His counterpart in Animal Farm is Snowball, who, like Trotsky, felt that a worldwide series of rebellions was necessary to achieve the revolution's ultimate aims. Snowball's plans for the windmill and programs reflect Trotsky's intellectual character and ideas about the best ways to transform Marx's theories into practice. Trotsky was also the leader of Lenin's Red Army, as Snowball directs the army of animals that repel Jones.
Eventually, Trotsky was exiled from the U.S.S.R. and killed by the agents of Joseph Stalin (1979-1953), as Snowball is chased off of the farm by Napoleon — Orwell's stand-in for Stalin. Like Napoleon, Stalin was unconcerned with debates and ideas. Instead, he valued power for its own sake and by 1927 had assumed complete control of the Communist Party through acts of terror and brutality. Napoleon's dogs are like Stalin's KGB, his secret police that he used to eliminate all opposition. As Napoleon gains control under the guise of improving the animals' lives, Stalin used a great deal of propaganda — symbolized by Squealer in the novel — to present himself as an idealist working for change. His plan to build the windmill reflects Stalin's Five Year Plan for revitalizing the nation's industry and agriculture. Stalin's ordering Lenin's body to be placed in the shrine-like Lenin's Tomb parallels Napoleon's unearthing of old Major's skull, and his creation of the Order of the Green Banner parallels Stalin's creation of the Order of Lenin. Thanks, in part, to animals like Boxer (who swallow whole all of their leader's lies), Stalin became one of the world's most feared and brutal dictators.
Numerous events in the novel are based on ones that occurred during Stalin's rule. The Battle of the Cowshed parallels the Civil War that occurred after the 1917 Revolution. Jones; Frederick represents Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), who forged an alliance with Stalin in 1939 — but who then found himself fighting Stalin's army in 1941. Frederick seems like an ally of Napoleon's, but his forged banknotes reveal his true character. The confessions and executions of the animals reflect the various purges and "show trials" that Stalin conducted to rid himself of any possible threat of dissention. In 1921, the sailors at the Kronshdadt military base unsuccessfully rebelled against Communist rule, as the hens attempt to rebel against Napoleon. The Battle of the Windmill reflects the U.S.S.R.'s involvement in World War II — specifically the Battle of Stalingrad in 1943, when Stalin's forces defeated Hitler's (as Napoleon's defeat Frederick). Finally, the card game at the novel's end parallels the Tehran Conference (November 28-December 1, 1943), where Stalin, Winston Churchill, and Franklin D. Roosevelt met to discuss the ways to forge a lasting peace after the war — a peace that Orwell mocks by having Napoleon and Pilkington flatter each other and then betray their duplicitous natures by cheating in the card game.
George Orwell Biography
Critical Essays Major Themes
Study Help Practice Projects
Study Help Essay Questions
Study Help Full Glossary
Character Analysis Pilkington
Character Analysis Frederick
Character Analysis Jones
Character Analysis Moses
Character Analysis Benjamin
Character Analysis Mollie
Character Analysis Boxer
Character Analysis Squealer
Character Analysis Napoleon
Character Analysis Snowball
Character Analysis Old Major
Summary and Analysis Chapter 10
Summary and Analysis Chapter 9
Need Help With Essay Writing?
I'm Stephanie
Would you like to get such a paper? How about receiving a customized one?


text:
Farming Simulator 17 Review (XONE)
Farming Simulator games require a certain mindset from the player to really enjoy them. If you expect constant action and excitement and stimulation for a game to be good, this isn't the series for you. If, on the other hand, you enjoy things like grinding in RPGs, endlessly comparing statistics, a laidback pace, and think you might like the immense satisfaction that comes from turning a few acres of dirt into cash, you've come to the right place.
The latest real Farming Simulator – not a piece of broken knockoff garbage like Professional Farmer 2017 – from Giants Software is Farming Simulator 17 and it is easily the best one yet. Farming Simulator 17 makes smart improvements over previous entries and gives you a ton of options that really make it a better experience. The sheer amount of toys to play with and stuff to do is pretty impressive as well. See all of the details here in our full Farming Simulator 17 Xbox One review.
Developer: Giants Software
ESRB Rating: "E" for Everyone
Pros: Smart improvements over FS15; extremely satisfying; lots of new stuff; genuinely fun
Cons: Too slowly paced and boring for some; performance issues
For those not familiar with Farming Simulator, it is a slowly paced and obsessively detailed game about farming, raising animals, and even logging timber. It is full of real farming techniques, real equipment, realistic pacing, and a realistic economy that is a fairly accurate simulation of farming. That might sound boring to some, but if you are of the right mindset it can be one of the most satisfying and genuinely fun games around. Most importantly, though, the developers at Giants Software have made a lot of smart decisions to give you a ton of options to make it fun and accessible as well as give you a wide variety of things to do. It is only boring if you don't bother to make an attempt to find the fun.
I will fully admit, however, that the first several hours of the game can be a real drag, which is unfortunate because it gives new players an awful first impression. It is an absolute grind for the first few hours where everything takes forever to do because you have tiny equipment and not very much money. Once you get into the rhythm of things and start earning money and can buy better equipment, things get much better. Bigger equipment means you can do things faster, which means you earn money faster and can buy new equipment faster and do different things and have a lot more fun. It takes a good 6-8 hours to get to that point, though, which is where the series loses most players. Grind it out, earn some money (or better yet, find all 100 hidden gold nuggets on the Goldcrest Valley map to get a 1-million dollar bonus to buy good stuff ASAP) and buy better equipment and you'll have a great time with Farming Simulator 17.
I think it is also worth mentioning that the learning curve is quite steep in the Farming Simulator games and the in-game help and tutorials don't do a particularly good job of explaining how to do things. This is obviously frustrating because you can waste a lot of time doing things wrong at first, which also sours new players on the experience. My advice is to be patient look online for help if you need it right away. This isn't like Dark Souls where you get some twisted satisfaction from doing everything blind. Ask for help.
If you're already a series veteran, Farming Simulator 17 expands on the fantastic Farming Simulator 15 with new maps to play on, tons of new equipment to use, and some really smart new options to make the game more enjoyable to play. New options include the ability to turn off A.I. traffic cars (yes!), change the default camera when you switch equipment, and much more. I was shocked at how much control the developers have given us this time around to really make the experience our own.
All of the new stuff you can do also really increases how much fun you can have with Farming Simulator 17 as well. Raising animals is more realistic now because you can actually put them in a trailer and drive them around (or just pay a fee to have them delivered automatically). Pigs join the sheep and cows, but chickens are sort of scaled back this time around, which isn't a big loss. New crops include oilseed radishes, which you plant and then disc under as natural fertilizer, along with soybeans and sunflowers. There are also trains on the map this time around that you can use to move large amounts of crops at once. You also get the option to customize your farm a bit by placing storage buildings and silos however you want, which is cool.
The mission system has been changed to where you can go around and help other farmers work their fields for extra money. Finally, the maps seem more real and alive because the fields you don't own actually grow crops rather than sitting lifeless waiting for you to buy them. This new mission system can be sort of a pain, though, because having to manually plow or harvest a field can take more than an hour and you can't hire an A.I. worker to do it for you when you do missions. My advice here is to only do fertilizing missions because they go faster since they cover a huge area all at once.
And, of course, the game has a ton of new equipment to play with and most of it has customization options for colors and other options as well. There are multiple trucks to choose from, two different pickups, and a ton of tractors and harvesters and other stuff as well. They even have sowing machines that fertilize the field at the same time! That is crazy! This isn't nearly all of the changes and new stuff, either, but you get the idea. I would say that Farming Simulator 15 wasn't actually a huge change from the original 2013 Farming Simulator release for Xbox 360, but Farming Simulator 17 is absolutely a massive upgrade over previous entries in the series.
Well, not everything got upgraded that probably needed it. The game's performance is all over the place and can go from running perfectly smooth to 5-FPS at the drop of a hat. It doesn't really affect gameplay that much when the game is chugging along since the game isn't exactly fast paced anyway, but it definitely isn't a good look. Also, the logging aspect of the game is still just as annoying as ever and the equipment is just as impossible to control as FS15. I had really hoped for an improvement here. Animals are also still a pain in the butt since you have to mix their food and do all sorts of extra nonsense. At least the farming itself is awesome.
The presentation has seen some slight upgrades. I would say the equipment looks better overall, but the environments are similarly detailed to FS15. The game still draws the fields around you in a big circle – meaning the actual detailed crops pop into existence in a big circle around you while the rest of the field is lower detail – which still looks odd, but I guess that's the only way to keep a game with this much interactive stuff in it running properly (even if it runs like a pig). The sound has seen some improvements with the addition of multiple radio stations full of music to listen to and the equipment sounds better. The tone of the engines actually changes now so you don't just hear monotone noise while they're running, which is a big improvement.
Oh, one more thing - Mods. Farming Simulator 17 has full mod support so the community will be able to bring in new equipment, new maps, and tons of other new stuff all for free. In three months this game is going to be totally different than it is now, and that is pretty exciting.
All in all, Farming Simulator 17 is a surprisingly big upgrade over previous entries in the series that will get series fans hooked all over again while also being easily the best jump in point for new players thanks to the wealth of options and variety of tasks. Sure it's kinda janky and has iffy performance and has a massive learning curve, but if you're of the right mindset and are willing to learn to play it, it can be one of the most satisfying and genuinely fun gaming experiences around. Farming Simulator 17 is the best looking, best sounding, most fully-featured, best playing Farming Simulator ever. Buy it.
Posted by Eric at 10:39:00 AM