text:
Paladins Of The West Kingdom Becomes The Middle Chapter Of The North
Paladins of the West Kingdom becomes the middle chapter of the North Sea follow-up trilogy
Paladins of the West Kingdom
Shem Phillips' standalone sequel to Architects sees players defending the city they helped build
Raiders of the North Sea creator Shem Phillips has unveiled the second instalment in his follow-up trilogy set in the West Kingdom.
Paladins of the West Kingdom is the standalone sequel to last year's Architects of the West Kingdom, and jumps ahead 50 years to 900 AD as the domain of West Francia that players helped construct in the previous game finds itself threatened by invaders such as the Saracens, Byzantines and Vikings, making a cameo after their starring role in Phillips' acclaimed Norse-themed North Sea series.
Players' noblepeople need to gather workers from the city to build fortifications and hold off their attackers, while also spreading faith across the realm by commissioning monks. Helping them will be the kings' knights – the paladins of the title – who will lend their strength to clashes, with players choosing one paladin to aid them each turn.
As in Phillips' past games, the ultimate aim is to amass victory points, gained in this case by building outposts, upping the faith of the land and fighting off the various aggressors. The growing military might and faith of the people will also play a role in players' options in each of the seven rounds, hinting at a mechanic with echoes of Architects' virtue track.
Paladins of the West Kingdom is currently planned for a Kickstarter in March, with Architects also confirmed to be available as part of the same campaign. Phillips is yet to confirm any details about the third – and final – entry in the West Kingdom trilogy.


Over 200 people gathered at the Monroe County Courthouse on a rainy January afternoon to sadly remember the 1973 Supreme Court decision that threw out state laws against the killing of unborn children and to protest the continuing slaughter of unborn children in Bloomington and around the nation. The rally was organized by Christian Citizens for Life, an alliance of Monroe County churches committed to oppose abortion and advocate for a life-affirming culture.
In his opening remarks, CCFL publicity officer David Talcott reminded the crowd why we are here: that 50 million children have been killed by abortion since 1973, a procedure carried out under the protection of federal law. Talcott pointed to another grim statistic: the large number of abortions per capita in Monroe County. There were 676 abortions in 2005, and 1309 live births. It was even worse in 2004, with 775 abortions and 1273 live births.
What this means is that we have an incredible tragedy going on right under our noses while many people look the other way. Even worse, our city and county governments have given the tax money they have confiscated by force from our pockets to an abortion clinic that kills babies made in the image of God each Thursday just a few blocks south of where we held the rally. The march through downtown was designed to pass in front of Planned Parenthood to remind us of the atrocities committed and the precious lives ended in that damnable building.
It's difficult to wrap your brain around the sheer number of lives lost to abortion. But those of us who recognize that abortion is murder need to ask ourselves, in the face of what can only be described as genocide, are we doing enough? What can we do to fight against our depraved culture's view of human life as disposable?
David Talcott of Christian Citizens for Life opens the event.
Roger Clark, Executive Pastor at Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, gives the keynote address.
Abortion opponents listen to Pastor Clark.
Abortion opponents prepare to march through downtown Bloomington.
Waiting for the "walk" signal.
More abortion opponents begin the walk through Bloomington.


text:
The Biggest, Toughest Thriller Of Them All! A raw, violent world of caged men unleashed! Killers and lifers blasting over the big wall!
79 min 5.8 1958 USA
A crime boss tries to cause a riot and prison break while behind bars.
Gene Evans
Timothy Carey
John Qualen
Sam Edwards
John Dennis
Frank Richards
Emile Meyer
Arline Hunter
Kenner G. Kemp
Derek Vineyard is paroled after serving 3 years in prison for killing two African-American men. Through his brother, Danny Vineyard's narration, we learn that before going to prison, Derek was a skinhead and the leader of a violent white supremacist gang that committed acts of racial crime throughout L.A. and his actions greatly influenced Danny. Reformed and fresh out of prison, Derek severs contact with the gang and becomes determined to keep Danny from going down the same violent path as he did.
A hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him, in order to track down a killer.
After escaping from prison, Joe and Terry go on a crime spree, robbing banks through Oregon and California in order to finance their scheme for a new life south of the border. Unfortunately, things get more complicated when they meet Kate, who runs into them with her car. She joins the bandits on their cross-country spree, and eventually she steals something, too: their hearts.
Marshall Jed Cooper survives a hanging, vowing revenge on the lynch mob that left him dangling. To carry out his oath for vengeance, he returns to his former job as a lawman. Before long, he's caught up with the nine men on his hit list and starts dispensing his own brand of Wild West justice.
Hang 'em High
In this rough-and-tumble yarn, filmed on-location at the Georgia State Prison, the cons are the heroes and the guards are the heavies. Eddie Albert is the sadistic warden who'll gladly make any sacrifice to push his guards' semi-pro football team to a national championship.
Aspiring comic Rupert Pupkin attempts to achieve success in show business by stalking his idol, a late night talk-show host who craves his own privacy.
The King of Comedy
Framed in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older prisoner named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.
The true story of Henry Hill, a half-Irish, half-Sicilian Brooklyn kid who is adopted by neighbourhood gangsters at an early age and climbs the ranks of a Mafia family under the guidance of Jimmy Conway.
A tormented jazz musician finds himself lost in an enigmatic story involving murder, surveillance, gangsters, doppelgängers, and an impossible transformation inside a prison cell.
Shrek, Fiona and Donkey set off to Far, Far Away to meet Fiona's mother and father. But not everyone is happy. Shrek and the King find it hard to get along, and there's tension in the marriage. The fairy godmother discovers that Shrek has married Fiona instead of her Son Prince Charming and sets about destroying their marriage.
After a defecting Russian general reveals a plot to assassinate foreign spies, James Bond is assigned a secret mission to dispatch the new head of the KGB to prevent an escalation of tensions between the Soviet Union and the West.
The Living Daylights
A kidnapped boy strikes up a friendship with his captor: an escaped convict on the run from the law, headed by an honorable U.S. Marshal.
The mafia's Paul Vitti is back in prison and will need some serious counseling when he gets out. Naturally, he returns to his analyst Dr. Ben Sobel for help and finds that Sobel needs some serious help himself as he has inherited the family practice, as well as an excess stock of stress.
Analyze That
Frank Leone is nearing the end of his prison term for a relatively minor crime. Just before he is paroled, however, Warden Drumgoole takes charge. Drumgoole was assigned to a hell-hole prison after his administration was publicly humiliated by Leone, and has now arrived on the scene to ensure that Leone never sees the light of day.
Pro quarter-back, Paul Crewe and former college champion and coach, Nate Scarboro are doing time in the same prison. Asked to put together a team of inmates to take on the guards, Crewe enlists the help of Scarboro to coach the inmates to victory in a football game 'fixed' to turn out quite another way.
Three kids hire a low-budget bodyguard to protect them from the playground bully, not realising he is just a homeless beggar and petty thief looking for some easy cash.
After escaping with Newt and Hicks from the alien planet, Ripley crash lands on Fiorina 161, a prison planet and host to a correctional facility. Unfortunately, although Newt and Hicks do not survive the crash, a more unwelcome visitor does. The prison does not allow weapons of any kind, and with aid being a long time away, the prisoners must simply survive in any way they can.
Alien³

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Kafka 0.10 quickstart: consumer fails when "primary" broker is brought down So I'm trying the kafka quickstart as per the main documentation. Got the multi-cluster example all setup and test per the instructions and it works.  For example, bringing down one broker and the producer and consumer can still send and receive.
However, as per the example, we setup 3 brokers and we bring down broker 2 (with broker id = 1).  Now if I bring up all brokers again, but I bring down broker 1 (with broker id = 0), the consumer just hangs.  This only happens with broker 1 (id = 0), does not happen with broker 2 or 3.  I'm testing this on Windows 7.
Is there something special here with broker 1?  Looking at the config they are exactly the same between all 3 brokers except the id, port number and log file location.
I thought it is just a problem with the provided console consumer which doesn't take a broker list, so I wrote a simple java consumer as per their documentation using the default setup but specify the list of brokers in the "bootstrap.servers" property, but no dice, still get the same problem.
The moment I startup broker 1 (broker id = 0), the consumers will just resume working.  This isn't a highly available/fault tolerant behavior for the consumer... any help on how to setup a HA/fault tolerant consumer?
Producers doesn't seem to have an issue.

A: If you follow the quick-start, the created topic should have only one partition with one replica which is hosted in the first broker by default, namely broker 1. That's why the consumer got failed when you brought down this broker.
Try to create a topic with multiple replicas(specifying --replication-factor when creating topic) and rerun your test to see whether it brings higher availability.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


From the University of Melbourne, Monash University, Royal Women's Hospital, and Physioworks Health Group, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Duke University, Durham, North Carolina; Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada; and Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Acknowledgment: The authors thank Dr. Margaret Staples, who performed the sample size calculation and prepared the randomization schedule; Ben Metcalf for his assistance with study administration and manuscript preparation; and the physiotherapists who delivered the exercise intervention: David Bergin, Catherine Derham, Brad Fernihough, Sophie Heywood, Tim McCoy, Chantelle Pink, Christopher Snell, and Helen Walker.
Grant Support: The trial was funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (program grant 1091302). Prof. Bennell is supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council Fellowship (1058440). Dr. Rini received funding from a Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Center funded by the U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases through the Thurston Arthritis Research Center at the University of North Carolina (P60AR064166). Dr. Hinman is supported by an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (FT130100175). Dr. Abbott was funded by a Sir Charles Hercus Health Research Fellowship from the Health Research Council of New Zealand.
Disclosures: Prof. Bennell reports grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council during the conduct of the study; personal fees from Physitrack, ASICS Oceania, Peking University, and Brigham and Women's Hospital outside the submitted work; and other support from ASICS Oceania outside the submitted work. Dr. Dobson reports grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council during the conduct of the study and personal fees from Elsevier Oracle outside the submitted work. Dr. Keefe reports a program grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council during the conduct of the study. Dr. Hinman reports a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council outside the submitted work. Authors not named here have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Disclosures can also be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M16-1714.
Reproducible Research Statement:Study protocol: Available at http://bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2474-15-279 and in the Supplement. Statistical code: Available from Dr. Kasza (e-mail, jessica.kasza@monash.edu). Data set: Available from Prof. Bennell (e-mail, k.bennell@unimelb.edu.au).
Requests for Single Reprints: Kim L. Bennell, BAppSci(Physio), PhD, Centre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine, Department of Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne, Level 7 Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Melbourne 3010, Victoria, Australia; e-mail, k.bennell@unimelb.edu.au.
Current Author Addresses: Prof. Bennell, Ms. Nelligan, and Drs. Dobson and Hinman: Centre for Health Exercise and Sports Medicine, Department of Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne, Level 7 Alan Gilbert Building, 161 Barry Street, Melbourne 3010, Victoria, Australia.
Dr. Rini: Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Health Behavior, Campus Box 7440, 319C Rosenau Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7440.
Dr. Keefe: Duke Pain Prevention and Treatment Research Program, Suite 340, 2200 West Main Street, Durham, NC 27705.
Dr. Kasza: Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, 99 Commercial Road, Melbourne 3004, Victoria, Australia.
Dr. French: School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen's University, Louise D. Acton Building, 31 George Street, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3N6, Canada.
Dr. Bryant: Chelsea House, Suite 225, 55 Flemington Road, North Melbourne 3051, Victoria, Australia.
Mr. Dalwood: Waverley Park Physiotherapy Centre, 439 Police Road, Mulgrave 3170, Victoria, Australia.
Dr. Abbott: Centre for Musculoskeletal Outcomes Research, Orthopaedic Surgery Section, Department of Surgical Sciences, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 913, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand.
Author Contributions: Conception and design: K.L. Bennell, F. Dobson, F. Keefe, S. French, C. Bryant, A. Dalwood, J.H. Abbott, R.S. Hinman.
Analysis and interpretation of the data: K.L. Bennell, R. Nelligan, J. Kasza, J.H. Abbott, R.S. Hinman.
Drafting of the article: K.L. Bennell, R. Nelligan, F. Dobson, C. Rini, F. Keefe, J. Kasza, S. French, C. Bryant.
Critical revision of the article for important intellectual content: K.L. Bennell, R. Nelligan, F. Dobson, F. Keefe, J. Kasza, S. French, C. Bryant, J.H. Abbott, R.S. Hinman.
Final approval of the article: K.L. Bennell, R. Nelligan, F. Dobson, C. Rini, F. Keefe, J. Kasza, S. French, C. Bryant, A. Dalwood, J.H. Abbott, R.S. Hinman.
Provision of study materials or patients: K.L. Bennell, R. Nelligan, C. Rini, F. Keefe.
Obtaining of funding: K.L. Bennell.
Administrative, technical, or logistic support: K.L. Bennell, R. Nelligan, F. Dobson, C. Rini, C. Bryant, A. Dalwood.
Collection and assembly of data: R. Nelligan.
Effective, accessible biopsychosocial treatments are needed to manage chronic knee pain on a population level.
To evaluate the effectiveness of Internet-delivered, physiotherapist-prescribed home exercise and pain-coping skills training (PCST).
148 persons aged 50 years or older with chronic knee pain.
The intervention was delivered via the Internet and included educational material, 7 videoconferencing (Skype [Microsoft]) sessions with a physiotherapist for home exercise, and a PCST program over 3 months. The control was Internet-based educational material.
Primary outcomes were pain during walking (11-point numerical rating scale) and physical function (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) at 3 months. Secondary outcomes were knee pain, quality of life, global change (overall, pain, and functional status), arthritis self-efficacy, coping, and pain catastrophizing. Outcomes were also measured at 9 months.
Of participants enrolled, 139 (94%) completed primary outcome measures at 3 months and 133 (90%) completed secondary outcome measures at 9 months; multiple imputation was used for missing data. The intervention group reported significantly more improvement in pain (mean difference, 1.6 units [95% CI, 0.9 to 2.3 units]) and physical function (mean difference, 9.3 units [CI, 5.9 to 12.7 units]) than the control group at 3 months, and improvements were sustained at 9 months (mean differences, 1.1 units [CI, 0.4 to 1.8 units] and 7.0 units [CI, 3.4 to 10.5 units], respectively). Intervention participants showed significantly more improvement in most secondary outcomes than control participants. At both time points, significantly more intervention participants reported global improvements.
For persons with chronic knee pain, Internet-delivered, physiotherapist-prescribed exercise and PCST provide clinically meaningful improvements in pain and function that are sustained for at least 6 months.
Published: Ann Intern Med. 2017;166(7):453-462.


text:
Home » Coast to coast » Defend Ferguson UPRISING!
Defend Ferguson UPRISING!
By Abayomi Azikiwe posted on August 19, 2014
Youth protesters defy police terror in Ferguson.
Aug. 19 bulletin: News sources report that 78 people were arrested Aug. 18 during a police riot in Ferguson. A 23-year-old Black man was fatally shot by two St. Louis police on Aug. 19.
Aug. 18 — Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African-American youth, was shot at least six times by a Ferguson, Mo., white police officer, Darren Wilson, as shown in an independent autopsy requested by the family. The fatal bullet went through the top of Brown's head into his brain, killing him instantly.
Numerous eyewitnesses saw the fatal shooting of Brown, who was struck down on Aug. 9 as he walked to his grandmother's home. A cellphone videotape captured the scene minutes after the youth was gunned down in the street, as police stood around talking.
When Brown's family members attempted to see his body, police pushed them away. The officer's name was not released until six days after he shot Brown — only after mass pressure.
On Aug. 15, the day Wilson's name was released, Ferguson authorities also released a video, purportedly showing someone resembling Brown taking a box of cigars from a store and pushing a clerk. The video's contents and the timing of its release further inflamed tensions in the African-American community.
On the evening of Aug. 15, the store in question was trashed. This occurred a day after the St. Louis County Police force was ostensibly pulled back, having been criticized for its brutal actions against demonstrators, community members and even members of the media.
Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat, supposedly made the decision to lighten up on the police repression. He was called by President Barack Obama, who was attempting to reduce the damage these developments had on local, state and federal governments.
Nevertheless, by the morning of Aug. 16, riot police units were called back into Ferguson's areas of protest, and a curfew was imposed that evening, resulting in mass efforts to defy orders that people leave the streets by midnight.
On Aug. 17, militarized police units attacked people gathered in the streets more than two hours before the curfew was to go into effect. That evening, police claimed that they were fired upon and that attempts were made to erect barricades to hold back law enforcement and to overrun their command center. These claims were made to try to justify further repression.
Nixon announced that the curfew would be lifted on the evening of Aug. 18, but that he was deploying the National Guard to "maintain order."
Brown shot and killed at close range
The family's autopsy showed that Brown was shot four times in his shoulder and arm and twice in the head, with one fatal shot going through his skull. The fatal wound was apparently the final one, which takes on the dimension of an "execution-style" killing.
At a Aug. 18 press conference in Ferguson called by Brown's family, attorney Benjamin Crump acted as the chief spokesperson and conveyed three questions asked by Lesley McSpadden, the slain student's mother.
McSpadden wanted to know how many times her son was shot, whether he suffered prior to his death and, finally, why the police officer who killed her child had not been arrested.
"It verifies the worst that the family thinks happened — that he was executed," Crump told the media. "It confirms what the witnesses said, that this was an execution." (CNN, Aug. 18)
Crump was the attorney for the family of Trayvon Martin who was killed by George Zimmerman in February 2012. Like Brown, Martin's death galvanized African-American communities across the U.S., sparking demonstrations aimed at seeking justice and prompting world news coverage of the killings and protests.
Ferguson rebellion: a crisis for the ruling class
Obama has spoken twice on the situation in Ferguson. On Aug. 14, while on vacation, he was compelled to address the crisis after six days of mass demonstrations. Obama said that the U.S. was "one country with common values" and that the situation in Ferguson must be resolved through peaceful means. He admonished individuals who engaged in attacks on private property and the police.
Nonetheless, if the U.S. were one country, there would not be periodic urban rebellions throughout African-American communities across the country. Many of these outbreaks are fueled by blatant acts of police misconduct and brutality.
The situation in Ferguson is by no means an isolated incident. Since the time of slavery, Africans have resisted national oppression, racist violence and economic exploitation. To even suggest that the oppressed and the oppressor have equal responsibility in a situation that was clearly provoked by the police, the authorities in St. Louis County and the state of Missouri is disingenuous, to say the least.
In a second press conference on Aug. 18 after Obama's return to the White House, he mentioned the situation in Ferguson again.
Initially, as on Aug. 14, Obama discussed the current U.S. military intervention in northern Iraq with aerial bombardment and ground operations. He sought to justify the recent deployment of U.S. "military advisors" and fighter jets. He said civilians were being threatened and the Islamic State needed to be curtailed and contained.
The president never acknowledged the U.S. role in destabilizing Iraq and creating the conditions for sectarianism. The Islamic State, formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State of Syria and the Levant (ISIL), has been fighting against the Syrian government on the same side as Washington, which is committed to overthrowing Bashar al-Assad's presidency.
Obama refused to directly address an inquiry about whether he had any reservations about the militarization of U.S. police forces, which are given hundreds of millions of dollars in defense equipment utilized in war zones. He referred to the aftermath of 9/11 as a reason for the militarization.
However, the situation in Ferguson is not at all similar to the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. In Missouri, the reprehensible acts were committed by a white police officer, his department and the county law enforcement agency that carried out a militarized response.
Also bearing responsibility is Gov. Nixon, who has refused to address the oppressive conditions under which African Americans live. Instead of doing so, he sent in the National Guard to suppress the mass response to this enormous injustice.
The only programmatic response that Obama offered to questions about the social conditions of African-American youth in U.S. society was about his so-called "My Brother's Keeper" project. In essence, this program places the onus of responsibility for living in a racist capitalist society on the victims. It does not provide any assistance from the federal government or the corporate institutions which are at the root of mass unemployment, underemployment, poverty and incarceration — conditions prevalent among tens of millions of African Americans.
Obama said that many people of color do not feel they are part of the broader society. The fact is that African Americans and other nationally oppressed groups are not treated equally and are systematically discriminated against by disparate treatment due to their race and social class. Until these issues are corrected, nonviolent and violent protests will continue to occur throughout the U.S.
Advancing demands for self-determination, national liberation and full equality on a political level requires the mass organization of the oppressed in alliance with the working class as a whole. The only way racism and national oppression can be uprooted and destroyed in U.S. society is to fundamentally transform the system of racist capitalism.
The Roots of Lesbian and Gay Oppression – a Marxist view
https://www.workers.org/2014/08/19/defend-ferguson-uprising/


text:
Windows 10 Update: The Security Risks and Safeguards Everyone Should Know
By Shane Schick
The Windows 10 update marks a major turning point for Microsoft customers who want to move to a cloud-based version of the classic operating system, but researchers say cybercriminals are acting quickly to dupe early adopters into installing ransomware as part of their upgrade.
Unlike previous versions of the OS that required a local installation, Microsoft is offering the Windows 10 update through a software-as-a-service (SaaS) model. However, Cisco revealed that cybercriminals are creating versions of the company's email messages that, if clicked on, will inject the CTB Locker malware onto devices. A PC or tablet with CTB Locker installed will essentially be frozen unless the victim makes a cash payment within a four-day period. As CSO Online pointed out, the cybercriminals have replicated the Microsoft marketing materials very well, so be careful about what you open in your inbox regarding Windows 10.
The ransomware threat runs directly counter to Microsoft's efforts to bolster its reputation for security with its Windows 10 update. For example, Trend Micro recently detailed major improvements in Edge, which will replace the Internet Explorer browser as part of the OS refresh. While IE had often been a target for attackers, Edge has done away with toolbars and Browser Helper Objects, which have proven vulnerable in the past. At the same time, Edge will include features such as an Enhanced Protected Mode sandbox, a way to deal with memory corruption and a tool for sweeping out what are known as use-after-free (UAF) exploits.
According to some experts, though, Microsoft may have overlooked a few other default features that could rile security professionals and put consumers at risk without being aware of it. The Hacker News reported that the Windows 10 update contains a mechanism called Windows Update Delivery Optimization (WUDO). While the concept of WUDO is well-intended — allowing those with a poor or limited Internet connection to get apps or updates quickly — the feature can also use up significant bandwidth. Throw in the way cybercriminals have traditionally used torrents to distribute malware, and it may be best in some cases to disable WUDO.
Of course, the Windows 10 update is the kind of thing that will trigger many computer users to make a significant change to their machines, so it's not surprising that cybercriminals would want to find a way to get in on the action. And while Microsoft has suggested that in some ways this would be its last OS, don't expect these to be the last security warnings you hear about it.
Curve-Tor-Bitcoin (CTB) Locker | Microsoft | Ransomware | Windows | Windows 10
Shane Schick
Writer & Editor
Shane Schick is a contributor for SecurityIntelligence.


Large freehand filigree disc in random pattern with small pearls, scattered randomly. The silver is accentuated beautifully by the blush pearls, making a classy but very modern necklace. With an adjustable chain for a longer, or mid-length necklace.
Sterling silver, blush fresh water pearls.
Pendant size 5cm diameter, chain length 45cm (18").


text:
Q: Creating a form with transparent PNG as background in c# i want to create a transparent form with png as background... which looks verymuch similar to this.
http://cdn.lo4d.com/t/screenshot/800/lili-usb-creator-3.jpg
so far i've used this code
    protected override void OnPaintBackground(PaintEventArgs e)
    {
        e.Graphics.DrawImage(this.BackgroundImage, e.ClipRectangle);
    }

but the problem is when moving the part below doesnt update!!
i tried to use
invalidate();

but it keeps on drawing the image over and over making the dropshadow part denser and denser.
is there anything i can do??

A: this one works great.not very neat but it works upto the mark.
http://www.codeproject.com/Articles/19213/An-Alpha-Channel-Composited-Windows-Form-with-Desi


Leo Bike is a fully responsive PrestaShop theme suitable for Fashion store, Car Store, Bike store, etc. Designed with powerful responsive Prestashop framework Leo Framework, the admin panel will help you manage your site better, customize easier.
Supports multiple layout options, configured within seconds from backend.
Template support for Jquery Effects.
Supports multiple layout options, configured within from backend.
Lightweight, modern and very fast-loading design.


Last Friday, we went down to Phoenix for the first of a two day family reunion. We toured the science museum, one floor out of four anyway. It was hands on displays and the kids loved it, but grownups went deaf, those who weren't already that way when they arrived anyway. Then we went to The Kiddie Casino, Chuck E. Cheese's for pizza and kid fun.
On Saturday Andy and I tried to teach Ben how to play Scrabble. He quickly decided that he and I playing against his dad was a bad idea and he wanted to be on his dad's side next time. I very, very seldom win a game against any of my boys anymore. Ben wanted his dad to go easy on us but we still lost 410-267. We went to my sister's in the afternoon for a picnic. We stayed at her house instead of going to a park. Everyone had a great time. Ben and Jacob went home with a mild sunburn to show that they spent their springbreak somewhere other than Wisconsin.
lol,yesterday,bailey seen some people and a dog coming down road, he ran over(bailey is gentle),the other dog didnt do much, but they didnt have a problem, bailey didnt like when the girl pushing baby carriage said to him "nice girl",he then tried to pee on the baby stroller,lol,the mom pushing the stroller laughed, i told her sorry, while walking bailey home,keeping from laughing outloud,but also embarrased,,i see your making a quilt, i have a few more quilt blocks to cut out then start sewing..never ending is it!
I will be waiting to see your pictures of all you bought.
I hope your knee does ok tomorrow.I know you love working so much I do hope all works out for you.


Today, Robinhood Crypto received a virtual currency license, also known as the BitLicense, and a money transmitter license in New York. This will allow New Yorkers to invest in cryptocurrencies on the Robinhood platform, and marks another important step towards our mission of democratizing the financial system.
With Robinhood Crypto, you can invest in seven cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin and Ethereum, commission-free. Robinhood Crypto is already available in over thirty states and will roll out in New York over the coming months.
As we introduce new financial products, we're committed to partnering with regulators to ensure compliance with industry requirements. Today's announcement is evidence of this commitment.
We're excited to bring commission-free cryptocurrency trading to New York, and look forward to coming to more states soon.
Robinhood Financial LLC and Robinhood Crypto, LLC are wholly-owned subsidiaries of Robinhood Markets, Inc. Equities and options are offered to self-directed customers by Robinhood Financial. Robinhood Financial is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC), which protects securities customers of its members up to $500,000 (including $250,000 for claims for cash). Explanatory brochure available upon request or at www.sipc.org. Cryptocurrency trading is offered through an account with Robinhood Crypto. Robinhood Crypto is not a member of FINRA or SIPC. Cryptocurrencies are not stocks and your cryptocurrency investments are not protected by either FDIC or SIPC insurance.
Getting "early access" to options or Web is defined as signing up with a valid email address for a spot in Robinhood Financial's respective waitlist queues for Web or for options. Getting "early access" to Robinhood Crypto is defined as signing up with a valid email address for a spot in Robinhood Crypto's waitlist queue. Early access to the waitlist for Web, options, or Robinhood Crypto should in no way be construed as confirmation that a brokerage account with Robinhood Financial has been opened or will even be approved for opening. Priority may be given to Robinhood Gold subscribers and existing customers of Robinhood Financial.
Free trading of stocks and options refers to $0 commissions for Robinhood Financial self-directed individual cash or margin brokerage accounts that trade U.S. listed securities via mobile devices or Web. Relevant SEC & FINRA fees may apply. Please see the Commission and Fee Schedule.
Robinhood Financial is currently registered in the following jurisdictions. This is not an offer, solicitation of an offer, or advice to buy or sell securities, or open a brokerage account in any jurisdiction where Robinhood Financial is not registered. Additional information about your broker can be found by clicking here.
Margin trading involves interest charges and risks, including the potential to lose more than deposited or the need to deposit additional collateral in a falling market. Before using margin, customers must determine whether this type of trading strategy is right for them given their specific investment objectives, experience, risk tolerance, and financial situation. For more information please see Robinhood Financial's Margin Disclosure Statement, Margin Agreement and FINRA Investor Information. These disclosures contain information on Robinhood Financial's lending policies, interest charges, and the risks associated with margin accounts.
Investors should consider the investment objectives and unique risk profile of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) carefully before investing. ETFs are subject to risks similar to those of other diversified portfolios. Leveraged and Inverse ETFs may not be suitable for all investors and may increase exposure to volatility through the use of leverage, short sales of securities, derivatives and other complex investment strategies.
Although ETFs are designed to provide investment results that generally correspond to the performance of their respective underlying indices, they may not be able to exactly replicate the performance of the indices because of expenses and other factors. A prospectus contains this and other information about the ETF and should be read carefully before investing. Customers should obtain prospectuses from issuers and/or their third party agents who distribute and make prospectuses available for review. ETFs are required to distribute portfolio gains to shareholders at year end. These gains may be generated by portfolio rebalancing or the need to meet diversification requirements. ETF trading will also generate tax consequences. Additional regulatory guidance on Exchange Traded Products can be found by clicking here.
Options transactions may involve a high degree of risk. Please review the options disclosure document entitled the Characteristics and Risks of Standardized Options available through https://about.robinhood.com/legal or https://www.theocc.com to learn more about the risks associated with options trading.
The cash management program is expected to be offered by Robinhood Financial LLC. The cash management program, when operational, will be an added program to Robinhood brokerage accounts and will not be a separate account or a bank account. Robinhood Financial will provide additional information on the cash management program once it is operational to help customers, including those with "early access," to determine if they want to add the program to their brokerage account.
Third party information provided for product features, communications, and communications emanating from social media communities, market prices, data and other information available through Robinhood Markets, Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC or Robinhood Crypto, LLC are meant for informational purposes only and are not intended as an offer or solicitation for the purchase or sale of any financial instrument or cryptocurrency or as an official confirmation of any transaction. The information provided is not warranted as to completeness or accuracy and is subject to change without notice. Any information about Robinhood Crypto on any Robinhood website (including www.robinhood.com and blog.robinhood.com), the Robinhood platform, e-mails, or any other communications, are meant for informational purposes only and are not intended as an offer, solicitation, or advertisement for Robinhood Crypto or any goods or services offered by Robinhood Crypto. The Robinhood website provides its users links to social media sites and email. The linked social media and email messages are pre-populated. However, these messages can be deleted or edited by users, who are under no obligation to send any pre-populated messages. Any comments or statements made herein do not reflect the views of Robinhood Markets Inc., Robinhood Financial LLC, Robinhood Crypto, LLC, or any of their subsidiaries or affiliates.
All investments involve risk and the past performance of a security, or financial product does not guarantee future results or returns. Keep in mind that while diversification may help spread risk it does not assure a profit, or protect against loss, in a down market. There is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities, or other financial products. Investors should consider their investment objectives and risks carefully before investing.
Cryptocurrency is a digital representation of value that functions as a medium of exchange, a unit of account, or a store of value, but it does not have legal tender status. Cryptocurrencies are sometimes exchanged for U.S. dollars or other currencies around the world, but they are not currently backed nor supported by any government or central bank. Their value is completely derived by market forces of supply and demand, and they are more volatile than traditional currencies. Trading in cryptocurrencies comes with significant risks, including volatile market price swings or flash crashes, market manipulation, and cybersecurity risks. In addition, cryptocurrency markets and exchanges are not regulated with the same controls or customer protections available in equity, option, futures, or foreign exchange investing. Cryptocurrency trading requires knowledge of cryptocurrency markets. In attempting to profit through cryptocurrency trading, you must compete with traders worldwide. You should have appropriate knowledge and experience before engaging in substantial cryptocurrency trading. Cryptocurrency trading may not generally be appropriate, particularly with funds drawn from retirement savings, student loans, mortgages, emergency funds, or funds set aside for other purposes. Cryptocurrency trading can lead to large and immediate financial losses. Under certain market conditions, you may find it difficult or impossible to liquidate a position quickly at a reasonable price. This can occur, for example, when the market for a particular cryptocurrency suddenly drops, or if trading is halted due to recent news events, unusual trading activity, or changes in the underlying cryptocurrency system. Several federal agencies have also published advisory documents surrounding the risks of virtual currency. For more information see, the CFPB's Consumer Advisory, the CFTC's Customer Advisory, the SEC's Investor Alert, and FINRA's Investor Alert.
Robinhood Crypto, LLC has a seller of payment instruments license in Georgia, with reference number 61417.
Robinhood Crypto, LLC has a money transmitter license in New Jersey, with reference number 1803456-C22.
Please note that an Alaska money transmission license does not cover the transmission of virtual currency.
Check the background of Robinhood Financial LLC and Robinhood Securities, LLC on FINRA's BrokerCheck.
© 2019 Robinhood. All rights reserved.


In 99 full-color maps spread over 175 pages, the Barrington Atlas recreates the entire world of the Greeks and Romans from the British Isles to the Indian subcontinent and deep into North Africa. It spans the territory of more than 75 modern countries. Its large format (13 x 19 ins or 33 x 48 cm) has been custom-designed by the leading cartographic supplier MapQuest.com, Inc., and is unrivalled for range, clarity and detail. Over 70 experts, aided by an equal number of consultants, have worked from satellite-generated aeronautical charts to return the modern landscape to its ancient appearance, and to mark ancient names and features in accordance with the most up-to-date historical scholarship and archaeological discoveries. Chronologically, the Barrington Atlas spans archaic Greece to the Late Roman Empire, and no more than two standard scales (1:500,000 and 1:1,000,000) are used to represent most regions.
Since the 1870s, all attempts to map the classical world comprehensively have failed. This new initiative has finally achieved that elusive and challenging goal. It began in 1988 at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, under the direction of the distinguished ancient historian Richard Talbert, and has been developed with approximately $4 million in funding support.
The resulting Barrington Atlas is a reference work of permanent value. It has an exceptionally broad appeal to everyone worldwide with an interest in ancient Greeks and Romans, the lands they penetrated, and the peoples and cultures they encountered in Europe, North Africa and Western Asia. Scholars and libraries should all find it essential, although it is not just for them. It is also for students, travelers and lovers of fine cartography, as well as for anyone eager to retrace Alexander's eastward marches, to cross the Alps with Hannibal, to traverse the Eastern Mediterranean with St. Paul, or to ponder the roads, aqueducts and defense works of the Roman Empire. For the new millennium the Barrington Atlas brings the ancient past back to life in an unforgettably vivid and inspiring way.
The Barrington Atlas includes a CD-ROM Map-by-Map Directory. A separate 1,500 page two-volume print edition of the Directory is also available at $150 / AAA1/295. The Directory is designed to provide information about every place or feature in the Barrington Atlas. The section for each map comprises: a concise text drawing attention to special difficulties in mapping a region, such as extensive landscape change since antiquity, or uneven modern exploration.a listing of every name and feature on the map, with basic data about the period of occupation, the modern equivalents of ancient placenames, the modern country within which they are located, and brief references to relevant ancient testimony or modern studies.a bibliography of works cited.
The Map-by-Map Directory is an essential accompaniment to the Barrington Atlas. As a uniquely rich, comprehensive, up-to-date distillation of evidence and scholarship, it has no match elsewhere and opens the way to an immense variety of further research initiatives.
The CD-ROM will work on any MAC or PC that supports Adobe Acrobat Reader, version 4.0. The installation software for Acrobat Reader is included on the CD-ROM.


NHL on USA is the de facto title of a former television show that broadcast National Hockey League games on the USA Network. The network last broadcast games in 1985….
The Listening Post is a current affairs programme broadcast on Al Jazeera English.
Tattoo – Eine Familie sticht zu is a German television series.


text:
Q: Borderless window Drop shadow Opacity elements issue I am trying to create a borderless window in WPF. I am using the class mentioned in the link.
This works fine as long as all elements are all enabled (Opacity = 1). if i set opacity to 0.5, it is almost invisible.
The opacity works fine if i remove the code for the drop shadow. I am not sure what is the cause of this.
The class is the same one i am using as explained in link above. The rest of my code is below.
Any help is appreciated :

*

*Girija

XAML:
<Window x:Class="Sample.Window1"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    xmlns:local="clr-namespace:Sample">
<Grid>
    <Grid.RowDefinitions>
        <RowDefinition Height="70"/>
        <RowDefinition Height="*"/>
    </Grid.RowDefinitions>
    <TextBox Margin="2" Text="Something" Grid.Row="0"/>
    <Button Grid.Row="1" Content="Something" IsEnabled="False" Opacity="0.7"/>
</Grid>

Code behind :
/// <summary>
/// Interaction logic for Window1.xaml
/// </summary>
public partial class Window1 : Window
{

    public Window1()
    {
        InitializeComponent();

    }

    /// <summary>
    /// Raises the <see cref="E:System.Windows.FrameworkElement.Initialized"/> event.
    /// This method is invoked whenever
    /// <see cref="P:System.Windows.FrameworkElement.IsInitialized"/> is set to true internally.
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="e">The <see cref="T:System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs"/>
    /// that contains the event data.</param>
    protected override void OnInitialized(EventArgs e)
    {
        //AllowsTransparency = false;
        ResizeMode = ResizeMode.NoResize;

        WindowStartupLocation = WindowStartupLocation.CenterScreen;
        WindowStyle = WindowStyle.None;

        DwmDropShadow.DropShadowToWindow(this);

        base.OnInitialized(e);
    }
}

helper Class taken from above link :
class DwmDropShadow

{
[DllImport("dwmapi.dll", PreserveSig = true)]
private static extern int DwmSetWindowAttribute(IntPtr hwnd, int attr, ref int attrValue, int attrSize);

[DllImport("dwmapi.dll")]
private static extern int DwmExtendFrameIntoClientArea(IntPtr hWnd, ref Margins pMarInset);

/// <summary>
/// Drops a standard shadow to a WPF Window, even if the window isborderless. Only works with DWM (Vista and Seven).
/// This method is much more efficient than setting AllowsTransparency to true and using the DropShadow effect,
/// as AllowsTransparency involves a huge permormance issue (hardware acceleration is turned off for all the window).
/// </summary>
/// <param name="window">Window to which the shadow will be applied</param>
public static void DropShadowToWindow(Window window)
{
    if (!DropShadow(window))
    {
        window.SourceInitialized += new EventHandler(window_SourceInitialized);
    }
}

private static void window_SourceInitialized(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    Window window = (Window)sender;

    DropShadow(window);

    window.SourceInitialized -= new EventHandler(window_SourceInitialized);
}

/// <summary>
/// The actual method that makes API calls to drop the shadow to the window
/// </summary>
/// <param name="window">Window to which the shadow will be applied</param>
/// <returns>True if the method succeeded, false if not</returns>
private static bool DropShadow(Window window)
{
    try
    {
        WindowInteropHelper helper = new WindowInteropHelper(window);
        int val = 2;
        int ret1 = DwmSetWindowAttribute(helper.Handle, 2, ref val, 4);

        if (ret1 == 0)
        {
            Margins m = new Margins { Bottom = 0, Left = 0, Right = 0, Top = 0 };
            int ret2 = DwmExtendFrameIntoClientArea(helper.Handle, ref m);
            return ret2 == 0;
        }
        else
        {
            return false;
        }
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        // Probably dwmapi.dll not found (incompatible OS)
        return false;
    }
}

}

A: I dont know why are you using shadow effect by using dwmapi.dll. Why arent you using the hardware accelerated drop shadow effects from WPF Extended toolkit or from  presentationframework.Aero (referred from .NET assemblies in visual studio)?
  <ResourceDictionary Source="/presentationframework.Aero;V3.0.0.0;31bf3856ad364e35;component/themes/aero.normalcolor.xaml"/>

  <DropShadowEffect ShadowDepth="2"></DropShadowEffect>

A: Here you go :)
 <Window x:Class="Test.MainWindow"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    AllowsTransparency="True"
    Title="MainWindow"
    Background="Transparent"
    WindowStyle="None"
    Height="350"
    Width="500">
    <Border Background="#ffFEFEFE" CornerRadius="5" BorderThickness="2" Margin="10" BorderBrush="#ffaaaaaa">
    <Border.Effect>
        <DropShadowEffect Direction="270"
                          ShadowDepth="5"
                          Opacity="0.8"
                          BlurRadius="7" />
    </Border.Effect>
    <Grid>
        <Grid.RowDefinitions>
            <RowDefinition Height="70" />
            <RowDefinition Height="*" />
        </Grid.RowDefinitions>

        <TextBox Margin="2"
                 Text="Something"
                 Grid.Row="0" />
        <Button Grid.Row="1"
                Content="Something"
                IsEnabled="False"
                Opacity="0.5" />

    </Grid>

  </Border>
</Window>

A: Use nonzero value for one of the margins, eg. 1, 0, 0, 0; or 1, 1, 1, 1; and use your own Margins:
    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential)]
    public struct Margins
    {
        public int Left;
        public int Right;
        public int Top;
        public int Bottom;
    }


Question: Now for each of those items, please tell me how important each will be in your vote for Congress this year. Will it be one of the single most important issues, very important, somewhat important or less important than that? Immigration.


text:
Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition Finalists Announced
The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery has selected the finalists for the exhibition resulting from the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. The juried exhibition's 43 pieces include sculptures, mixed-media pieces, photographs, paintings and drawings. The works will be exhibited at the museum from March 12, 2016, through Jan. 8, 2017.
Seven artworks were shortlisted for this fourth occasion of the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. The first prize winner receives $25,000, as well as a commission to create a portrait of a living individual for the museum's permanent collection. Other cash prizes will be awarded for selected works. Winners will be announced at the press preview slated for March 10. A list of artists whose works were selected for the exhibition follows at the end of this release.
The selected finalists mark a turning point in advancing American contemporary portraiture. The jurors considered this exhibition a synopsis of historical and cultural events that have unfolded in the past three rounds, particularly in terms of race, sexual identity, gender and concerns about protecting childhood in an age of technology and gun violence.
"I was very impressed with the social-impact choices made this year," said Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery. "This year's competition finalists are truly remarkable and reflect the rigor with which they were chosen by the judges. Each judge came with a definite and strong point of view about what he or she considered a portrait to be and how today's artists are part of the national dialogue around issues of race, identity, family and community. I defy anyone coming to the exhibition not to be fundamentally moved by this year's interpretation of the human condition."
The competition received more than 2,500 entries in a variety of visual-arts media. Submissions included digital animation and video, large-scale drawings, prints, photographs and textiles, as well as painted and sculpted portraits. It was open to artists working in the United States who had created portraits after Jan. 1, 2014, in any visual art form.
External jurors for the competition are Dawoud Bey, professor of art and a Distinguished College Artist at Columbia College in Chicago; Helen Molesworth, chief curator at MOCA LA; Jerry Saltz, senior art critic, New York magazine; and John Valadez, a LA based realist painter and muralist. National Portrait Gallery staff on the jury are Brandon Brame Fortune, chief curator, and Dorothy Moss, associate curator of painting and sculpture and competition director.
Held every three years, the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition was made possible by benefactor Virginia Outwin Boochever (1920–2005), a former Portrait Gallery docent who volunteered at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery for 19 years. Boochever also shared the museum's increasing interest in the important role that contemporary portraiture could play in the life of the gallery, as well as in heralding the museum's engagement with figurative art and portraiture in today's world.
The exhibition reveals that in this media age—where the "selfie" is part of the visual landscape—the art of portraiture is not only universal, it is thriving and evolving. The dazzling variety of media and diverse approaches to the exploration of "self" and "other" challenge the preconceived notions of portraiture and expand the limits of the imagination.
In addition, one exhibiting artist will win the People's Choice Award, which will be announced Sept. 20, 2016. In this part of the competition, visitors to the exhibition, both online and in the gallery, will be able to cast a vote for their favorite of the finalists.
The competition has accelerated the careers of participants. The winner of the first competition (2006), David Lenz, created a portrait of Eunice Kennedy Shriver for the museum's collection. Dave Woody, who was awarded the top prize for the second competition (2009), was commissioned to create a portrait of Alice Waters and Bo Gehring, whose video portrait won the third installation (2013), was commissioned to create a video portrait of Esperanza Spalding.
After the exhibition closes in Washington, D.C., for the first time it will travel to three host museums across the country from February 2017 through June 2018.
The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery tells the multifaceted story of America through the individuals who have shaped its culture. Through the visual arts, performing arts and new media, the Portrait Gallery portrays poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists whose lives tell the American story.
The National Portrait Gallery is part of the Donald W. Reynolds Center for American
Art and Portraiture at Eighth and F streets N.W., Washington, D.C. Smithsonian
Information: (202) 633-1000. Website: npg.si.edu. Connect with the museum at @NPG, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Tumblr.
Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition Finalists and Short-listed Artists
John Ahearn, New York City
Dean Allison, Penland, N.C.
Wendy Arbeit, Emeryville, Calif.
Rick Ashley, Marblehead, Mass.
Evan Baden, Albany, Ore.
Claire Beckett, Jamaica Plain, Mass.
Claudia Biçen, San Francisco
Kelly Carmody, Waltham, Mass.
Marti Corn, Houston
Paul D'Amato, Riverside, Ill.
Ray DiCapua, Storrs, Conn.
Tim Doud, Washington, D.C.
Maureen Drennan, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Jess T. Dugan, St. Louis *
Gaspar Enriquez, San Elizario, Texas
Lucy Fradkin, Staten Island, N.Y.
Jona Frank, Santa Monica, Calif.
Rigoberto A. Gonzalez, Harlingen, Texas
Allison Janae Hamilton, New York City
Jessica Todd Harper, Merion Station, Pa. *
Anne Harris, Riverside, Ill.
Clarity Haynes, Brooklyn, N.Y
Cynthia Henebry, Richmond, Va. *
Sedrick Huckaby, Fort Worth, Texas *
Dave Jordano, Chicago
Riva Lehrer, Chicago
Jarod Lew, Beverly Hills, Mich.
Daniel McInnis, Perrysburg, Ohio *
Michael Meadors, Clayton, N.C.
Dean Mitchell, Tampa, Fla.
Thu Nguyen, Honokaa, Hawaii
Tim Okamura, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Christine Osinski, Ridgefield, Conn.
Paul Oxborough, Excelsior, Minn.
Louie Palu, Washington, D.C.
Joel Phillips, Oakland, Calif. *
Adrian "Viajero" Roman, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Amy Sherald, Baltimore *
Carolyn Sherer, Birmingham, Ala.
Donita Simpson, Royal Oak, Mich.
Mike Smith, Johnson City, Tenn.
Naoko Wowsugi, Washington, D.C.
Brenda Zlamany, Brooklyn, N.Y.
*Denotes artists who were selected for the short list.
S!-427-2015
Bethany Bentley
bentleyb@si.edu


text:
The Bình Di River () is distributary of the river Bassac and runs between Cambodia and Vietnam. It flows  through An Giang Province.

Rivers of An Giang province
Rivers of Vietnam

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


David Friedman, appearing in an interview with Walla! News, claims that Israel's settlement enterprise is sanctioned by international law.
What is Donald Trump's policy towards Israel and the Palestinians? No one from within the president's administration seems able to say.
During an interview with an Israeli news site, David Friedman, Trump's ambassador in Tel Aviv, advanced views contradicting decades of US policy, as well as the professed positions of the administration.
The State Department's response to his comments further suggests a foreign policy in total disarray.
Friedman, Trump's longtime bankruptcy lawyer, was referring to a Security Council resolution which, in fact, emphasizes "the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by war" and calls for Israel's withdrawal from territory occupied in the 1967 War.
Friedman's interpretation directly contradicts numerous subsequent resolutions that explicitly reaffirm the illegality of Israel's settlements in the West Bank.
Israel's transfer of its civilian population to territory it occupies is a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and is thus a war crime.
Friedman, incidentally, is a major bankroller of one such settlement.
He was wildly off mark.
The reality is that Israel has a massive settlement colony infrastructure throughout the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. More than half of the West Bank has been confiscated for the settlements or otherwise prohibited to Palestinians.
For decades US policy has been to view the settlements as an obstacle to an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. And last December, the US allowed the Security Council to pass a resolution restating that all the settlements are illegal.
But US verbal opposition to the settlements has never been matched by deed: successive administrations kept writing blank checks to Israel while the settlements kept expanding.
Friedman's comments represent a complete upheaval of that policy, however toothless it may have been.
As to what it means to him, Friedman shrugged it off. "It doesn't mean, I'm not sure. To me, I'm not focusing on labels, I'm focusing on solutions," he said.
During Thursday's press briefing, State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert struggled to reconcile Friedman's comments with the policy of the administration he represents.
Nauert's exchange with journalists can be watched in the video above.
"His comments – and I want to be crystal clear about this – should not be read as a way to prejudge the outcome of any negotiations that the US would have with the Israelis and the Palestinians. It should also not indicate a shift in US policy," Nauer states.
"Did he go rogue?" one reporter asks.
"This is at least the second time that from this podium you've had to sort of clean up Ambassador Friedman's remarks when he had upped the 'alleged occupation,'" another reporter says, referring to a comment Friedman recently made to the right-wing Jerusalem Post suggesting the US does not consider the West Bank and Gaza to be occupied by Israel.
"Even if it's not a change of position, is the perception that the ambassador to Israel has his thumb on the scale in the view of this conflict creating problems for the US?" the reporter adds.
"We have some very effective leaders and representatives for the US government, including Jason Greenblatt [and] Mr. Kushner, who are spending an awful lot of time in the region," Nauert replies, referring to two of Trump's advisors.
They're fair questions to ask. During the interview Friedman behaved as though he is Israel's ambassador to the US, rather than the US ambassador to Israel.
Friedman insisted that the Trump administration will move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem – another break from decades of US policy and international consensus.
That was a promise made during Trump's campaign but later backtracked once he took office.
Friedman stated that a peace deal may be reached in months but would not share any details of the parameters of the supposed peace negotiations.
Asked about Palestinian distrust due to his financing of settlements, the ambassador boasted of meeting with Majid Faraj, the head of Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas' secret police force, and chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat.
Though he says that Trump is the one calling shots in his inner circle, Friedman's reference to "my views" further suggests that the ambassador is operating on a long leash.
But he still behaves as Trump's lawyer.
I am shocked.... shocked. If someone had said that Trump would appoint the chairman of White Citizens' Councils International to be US ambassador to Zio-Land I wouldn't have believed them.
I condemn Ambassador Friedman's outrageous ignorance of international law with regard to Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.
Friedman's bizarre remarks should come as no surprise when weighed against the fact that he, Kushner and Greenblatt are themselves Israeli colonists who invest in the occupation but haven't found the time to settle down and plant grapes in one of those paradisical West Bank developments. Frankly, when they're all heading in the same direction, it's hard to say one of them is "going rogue".


text:
Privatizing Voting Systems Isn't Working
Daniel Greenfield
The one thing that should be obvious from 2020 is that privatizing election systems doesn't work.
The voting machine industry is largely dominated by three companies, Dominion, obviously is one of them, but all of them have had their major issues, regardless of the social media trends, and they exist because of political favoritism. There's a reason why voting machines are a niche industry dominated by a handful of companies that no one outside politics has heard of and why they hire political operatives and aides while producing subpar technology that is not up to standards.
I'm a fan of privatization, but elections are one area where privatization doesn't make sense because of trust issues.
Trust is the most essential element in an election. To maintain that trust, the process, the systems, and the data have to be transparent and overseen by both sides. The one thing everyone ought to be able to agree on is that's not the case here. Government doesn't do things well, but the voting machine industry certainly isn't.
The current system in which locals get voting machines from national and international contractors, who then hire their political operatives, is rife with corruption. And that's no different than 90% of government business, but elections are one area where even the perception of corruption shatters trust in the entire system.
The entire process is already badly broken with worthless voting rolls, and the already non-existent verification rendered even more ridiculous with drop boxes and ballot harvesting, but adding questions about voting machines further destroys the credibility of any election. And yet any conventional overhaul of the system is all but impossible because it's dysfunctional by design. Different elements of that dysfunction are part of the election strategies of both Democrats and Republicans.
But Democrats and Republicans both distrust the voting machine industry, just at alternate elections. The industry has become an election weak point and it can be a rallying point for more comprehensive reforms in which we let go of the old broken systems and move forward to something that is verifiable and transparent.
Our voting systems, even when they're electronic, are still rooted in the 19th century. The debates over voting machines are rooted in 70s computer technology.
The essential elements of any legitimate voting system has to be...
1. Verification of all voters
2. Voter control over their votes
3. External ability to verify the previous two points while maintaining the confidentiality of the voters and their vote.
It's not easy, yet we routinely deal with vast amounts of financial and medical data that offers some of the same challenges. The fundamental difference is that the United States is built around local control of elections. The voting machine industry is so controversial because it undermines that local control. And that is the fourth element that needs to be reconciled. It's not impossible, but we haven't even tried.


HOW TO PREPARE SSC GD CONSTABLE– ONLINE OR OFFLINE?
As you all must be aware, the SSC GD constable exam date is nearing and it is making all the aspirers much excited. This is causing a much of anxiousness across the portals online. The aspirers come from various parts of the country. You, an aspirer, are supposed to appear for the exam in a couple of months, and you need proper coaching–whether online or offline. The SSC GD constable online test is the phase one of the test which you need to give online and it has a written exam with patterned syllabus. The syllabus includes all the important topics such as given below and with the mentioned number of questions to be expected from each part as well.
This 100 marks are a sure score if you can practice well. With dedicated hours given to these you should be able to solve more SSC GD constable online test papers. These papers would be dealt with care by the online handlers. These papers are generally checked by the in-house or outsourced tutors with subject matter expert. The other two phases are also quite reasonable in themselves. Phase II and III are PET (Physical Efficiency Test) and MT (Medical Test). For these two tests, no amount of coaching will help. You need to take care of your health and metabolism with regular, healthy diet and timely exercise.
How can i prepare fpr RPF constable and exam?


text:
Mon, Sep 07, 2020 page3
KMT seeks referendum on US pork
AUTHORIZATION: The president has evaded legislative oversight by allowing US pork imports, KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang said, urging people to 'take back the power'
By Sherry Hsiao / Staff reporter
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) yesterday said that it would start collecting signatures to initiate a referendum against the government's decision to allow imports of US pork containing ractopamine.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) on Aug. 28 announced that Taiwan would ease restrictions on imports of US pork containing ractopamine and beef from cattle aged 30 months or older, adding that the decision is "based on our national economic interests and consistent with our overall strategic goals for the future."
The new policies are to take effect on Jan. 1 next year.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Johnny Chiang, front row center, is joined by party members in Taipei yesterday as he announces a referendum drive against the government's decision to allow the import of US pork containing ractopamine.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) yesterday led dozens of KMT representatives at a news conference outside the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei during lunch break at the party's National Congress to announce the launch of the referendum drive.
They chanted slogans including "Safeguard democracy, protect Taiwan," "Reject leanness enhancing additives," and "Support Taiwanese pork," while holding signs bearing similar messages.
Tsai made the decision to allow the importation of US pork and beef without legislative supervision, communication with the public or local governments, or regard for the development of the local industry, Chiang said.
"President Tsai Ing-wen was re-elected with 8.17 million votes," he said. "She thinks she can do as she pleases."
"We must call on all people to stand up," Chiang said, adding: "You [the public] gave her authorization, you can also take back the power."
The KMT would on Saturday initiate a referendum petition in the nation's various cities and counties, he said.
The proposed referendum question would read: "Do you agree to a total ban on the importation of pork and related products containing leanness enhancing additives (ractopamine and other beta agonists)?" the KMT said.
Speaking at the news conference, Yunlin County Commissioner Chang Li-shan (張麗善) of the KMT said that there are 1.56 million pigs in the county, or nearly 40 percent of the nation's total number.
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has said that circumstances have changed when it explained the reason for allowing US pork and beef imports, Chang said.
What has changed is that the DPP used to be the opposition party, but is now the ruling party, she added.
"What is the only thing that has not changed? It is that US pork containing leanness enhancing additives harms bodily health," she added.
Chang pledged that her county would continue to ban ractopamine even if the central government sets maximum residue limits "to safeguard the health of the public."
Under the Referendum Act (公民投票法), referendums can be held every two years, with the next possible date being Aug. 28, next year.
To hold a national referendum, a number equal to 1.5 percent of voters in the most recent presidential election must sign a petition supporting the referendum proposal.
There were 19,311,105 eligible voters in the Jan. 11 presidential election, according to Central Election Commission data.
Additional reporting by CNA
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is aware that Beijing's treatment of Hong Kong has weakened any possible sentiment for a "one country, two systems" arrangement for Taiwan, and has instructed Chinese Communist Party (CCP) politburo member Wang Huning (王滬寧) to develop new ways of defining cross-strait relations, Japanese news magazine Nikkei Asia reported on Thursday. A former professor of international politics at Fu Dan University, Wang is expected to develop a dialogue that could serve as the foundation for cross-strait unification, and Xi plans to use the framework to support a fourth term as president, Nikkei Asia quoted an anonymous source
By Jake Chung
LUCKY DATE: The man picked the 10th 'Super Red Envelope' in a lottery store in Taoyuan's Jhongli because he broke up with his girlfriend on Jan. 10 A man who recently broke up with his girlfriend won a NT$1 million (US$32,929) prize in the "NT$20 million Super Red Envelope" lottery after picking a card based on the date of their breakup, Taiwan Lottery Co said yesterday. The man, in his 20s, bought the 10th ticket at a lottery store in Taoyuan's Jhongli District (中壢), because he broke up with his girlfriend on Jan. 10, the store owner told the lottery company. The "Super Red Envelope" lottery was a limited offering by the company during the Lunar New Year holiday, which ended yesterday. The cards, which cost NT$2,000 each, came with
US senator doubts allies' willingness to defend Taiwan
A senior US senator on Monday questioned the willingness of some US allies to help defend Taiwan in the event of a Chinese invasion. Although Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) expects the US and Japan to respond in a war in the Taiwan Strait, he was "a little less confident what our other allies would do," US Senator John Cornyn said. Australia and New Zealand have voiced support for Taiwan, but it "is a far cry from committing troops to repel an invasion," Cornyn said during a discussion on China, Russia and the state of US military readiness at a forum hosted
Commuters say Ankeng light rail is inconvenient
TOURISM BOOST: The transportation system could help attract more visitors to the area, as the line is to connect multiple cultural sites, a city councilor said Residents in New Taipei City's Ankeng District (安坑) said the local light rail system might have a positive influence, but raised questions about its practicality. The Ankeng light rail system, which is to commence operations after the Lunar New Year holiday, would cut travel time for commuters from Ankeng to downtown Taipei or New Taipei City by 15 to 20 minutes, the city government said. According to the initial plan, there would be one train every 15 minutes during peak time and additional interval trains would run between the densely populated Ankang Station (安康) and Shisizhang Station (十 四張). To encourage people to
By Liu Tzu-hsuan


text:
2018 Toronto Bottle Show
Rob Campbell April 23, 2018 Business, EventsLeave a comment
Twenty five years ago, six or eight bottle collectors came together to form the Four Season's Bottle Collectors club with the express purpose of holding a bottles and stoneware only show and sale. Fast-forward a quarter of a century, and this annual show is now the mainstay of the bottle collecting community in central Canada. On Sunday the 22nd April 2018, the twenty-fifth Four Seasons Bottle Collectors Bottle Show filled the entire west auditorium of the Pickering Recreational Complex.
On that beautiful Sunday morning there were over sixty dealers' tables and about a half a million dollars worth of antiques and collectibles on display. But most of the vendors here don't do this to make money, as this article will demonstrate, but rather to feed their own obsessions. Every person in the room has, or has had, the 'bottle bug', an unexplained desire to acquire and collect and categorize and research old bottles and early Canadian pottery.
Each spring, those most infected by the bottle bug gather in a central spot to show their latest finds and trade for better booty. Their much-anticipated event is attended by hundreds of people (most of whom are also infected with the bottle bug) who drive in from all across Ontario to be there when the doors open at 10 am. This year the line-up snaked around the building; April 22nd was a gorgeous spring day and the first nice Sunday we've had in a while; it was a great day for a bottle show.
What happened at the 2018 Toronto Bottle Show?
This unofficial dispatch is traditionally featured on Dumpdiggers blog, but as that content portal is in transition, I've decided to scribe the information here and perhaps this will help spread the appeal of bottle collecting to more mainstream audiences.
This photo taken outside the front entrance of the hall at 9:55 am ; the show needs better signage to be sure.
2018 Toronto Bottle Show, Sun April 22nd – Pickering Recreation Complex
Toronto Bottle Show and Sale hosted by the Four Seasons Bottle Collectors Club is itself a moment in time. Once again this year, the show was held at the Pickering Recreation Complex, and once again it was really well attended by the public. Everyone you see in the photo below is a collector, and on a mission to find something, and this includes the dealers.
The annual event was real busy from the moment the doors opened at 10am, right up until 1pm when it slowed down somewhat, and it was all over by three. The show has something for everyone; no reproductions or 'new' items are allowed. In the image below, an insulator man checks the colour and looks for bubbles in the glass.
Attendees who enter their business cards in the raffle have a great opportunity to win FSBC Showbucks! There was one $50 prize, and two $25 gift certificates distributed throughout the day.
Time Capsule Premise: This author has a notion that, if I ever won big money, I'd come to this yearly bottle show and buy the single best bottle from every table. I would do this just to create a time capsule which I would then arrange to bury (legally) under a tall building that is just being erected (*which would indeed be somewhat ironic as many of these bottles would have been recovered from downtown Toronto and Montreal area construction sites). My time capsule would be bound for NEXT CENTURY, or the one thereafter. I would donate the pieces in a total pay-it-forward contribution to the future. With that in mind, here in the present day, I use the premise to tickle the imaginations of each dealer as I interview them on the floor. By simply asking dealers 'what would you sell me to put in my heritage capsule, and why?' the collected images and anecdotes makes an interesting cross-section of the show.
A perfect place to start, the book belongs to someone else following a similar dream; they're looking backwards too, but also in a strange way looking forward. The man in the background of the picture is Sean Murphy, a knowledgeable information broker in many categories of collectibles, and a good conduit for such temporal reflection. Sean selected a local druggist's bottle as his featured item.
Sean Murphy held this small town Ontario druggist's bottle, ALLAN TURNER & C0 / DRUGGISTS / BROCKVILLE, ONT. This was a local druggist or compounding pharmacist who had a shop in Brockville between 1857 and 1899. The 16oz square-sided bottle could have held anything, and was probably made in the mid to late 1880s. The vessel's shape and size resembles period gin bottles, just saying.
Farther down the line, Marcus Johnson responded to the challenge in a different manner, opting instead to showcase some of his very best stoneware. Marcus is a veteran dumpdigger, and he's also a City of Toronto employee; despite his protestations, I believe he still knows some secret digging spots.
Marcus chose to pose with a giant three gallon stoneware jug decorated with a handsome swan. Priced to sell at only $300, this was the largest item on his table, which was made by Gardiner Stoneware for CRYSTAL SPRINGS / AUBURN ME (Maine).
Right beside Marcus Johnson's booth was a medley of small medicines.
There was Goofus glass at the 2018 Toronto Bottle Show!
Chris Mascarin, a skilled auto worker from Mississauga, has spent a lifetime of evenings and weekends as a Goofus Glass collector; he brought his doubles and triples to the bottle show to sell or trade as he looks to fill out his own bottle collection.
Goofus Glass is pressed glass which was made cheap and decorated with cold, un-fired paint in the early 20th century, primarily in the United States. The cheap and relatively easy to manufacture glass was produced by several prominent glass factories and sold to merchandisers to be used as marketing promotions, house warming gifts and as prizes at regional fairs. Various patterns were produced by mold makers which displayed fruit, flowers, insects, or animals. Whatever the subject, it was either raised above the surface of the surrounding glass in a relief 'embossed pattern', or, indented beneath the surface of the surrounding glass in hollow relief, or an 'intaglio pattern'. Goofus Glass collectors today use shorthand means of differentiating these styles as either "EP" or "IP". The distinguishing factor that makes items worthy of inclusion in the "Goofus" family is that somewhere along the way the manufacturers of the pressed glass applied paint to these pieces. This process is referred to as "cold-painting", i.e. not fired.
Articles produced included plates, bowls, vases, oil lamps, dresser sets, salt and pepper shakers and candle holders. The most common colors used were gold, red, and green, with gold usually being the predominant color. Many of the items featured in the book, Goofus Glass by Carolyn McKinley, appeared on Chris's table, and he's always on the hunt for more.
"Most dealers don't know about it, or have forgotten, but when they see it they say I have some,' and 'I'll bring some next year.' And so in this respect Chris feels his presence here works to bring attention this otherwise obscure category. His own table's Goofus Glass display was quite impressive, and these were his traders (his doubles).
Chris Mascarin's Goofus Glass table display is good example of a private collector posing as a dealer to use the bottle show to bring attention to their own cause.
Terry Matz is another mission centered vendor eager to educate the masses. Terry puts museum quality pieces on his table that he has no intention of selling; the works are there to wow people and give them something to think about on the drive home.
Terry Matz is Canada's foremost torpedo bottle collector, but instead of standing behind one of these pointy- bottomed glass vessels, he chose instead to showcase a century old teapot. This is number two in a line of three vessels. This is the medium capacity unit in an array of three specimens, small, medium and large.
W.E. Welding was a maker of 'Stone' vessels, and by that I guess he means stoneware, and 'Rockingham Ware'.
Terry's teapot is similar to a piece found in the Royal Ontario Museum which they describe as "A variant form, the unmarked beaver and maple leaf teapot here does not conform to any excavated sherd or lids, though the piece as a whole is remarkable similar. While it could be a style of the post-1883 period, its relative heaviness and clumsiness suggest its an earlier Welding version (c. 1875 – 1880) and a predecessor of the excavated form. Canadiana R.O.M." This item was not for sale – Terry was offering his insights on the historically significant item as gift to knowledge seekers.
Club dealers get excited about primitive, homemade bottles.
Although bottle collecting pays homage to our nation's industry and commerce, sometimes the best bottles are homemade glass vessels made by small, local, Canadian artisans.
Ron DeMoor made the trip from Delhi, Ontario. He's a pop bottle collector and as such he also collects torpedo bottles and squat sodas. Ron generally walls off his corner booth in a stockade of common silk screened 12 oz sodas, keeping the more valuable vessels in a wood and glass 'keep' at the center of his holding. Instead of reaching into the display case and holding up his eight-sided cobalt blue soda, embossed H.SPROATT, circa 1860 and worth a couple thousand bucks, he chose a crude amber glass demijohn.
The vessel was hand blown in a primitive mold with an applied top. The colour is lovely and the whittling is marvelous – no attention was given to the finish, as the finished bottle was probably encased in leather or wicker. The container was purpose made for ferrying wine, and would have been made-to-order for a large family or fraternal order, or work camp. When I asked its origins, Ron pointed out another nearby dealer who had a homemade bottle mold on his table.
Mark Draak, and his son Justin, seen below, had on display a hardwood tree log (possibly hickory) that was split clean down the center and hollowed out to make a glass mold.
The stump had two large hinges on the back and the letters 'b' and 'b' and '3' and 'C' and 'L' around a pear shaped impression. It was burned slightly and that's because it was used to make the potion bottle you see below. Mark learned in that moment, holding the century old wooden stump in his arms as it smoldered and then burst into flames, that such homemade wooden bottle molds are best made from green logs and used when still moist.
The classic D&D potion bottle you see above was made in the vintage tree trunk wooden bottle mold. Mark has a retail store at 30 Hatt Street in Dundas, Ontario called the The Cabinet of Curiosities.
Scott Jordan holds a little brown jug.
Scott's little brown jug was marked S. BURNHAM / TORONTO U.C. So what does that mean? 'U.C.' means Upper Canada, which is what the Province of Ontario was called before Confederation in 1867. Scott explained that this piece of Canadian pottery was made for a brewer named Silas Burnham. When I asked how old it was, Scott revealed that he knows Silas Burnham left Toronto in 1839 to escape arrest and went to Illinois. And because we know that York was renamed Toronto in 1834, Scott Jordan deduces that this stoneware vessel was made between 1834 and 1839. That's really old (for Canada), and that makes this an awesome collectible, tied to crime, and super cool.
A passion for petroliana, John Dunbar with his green BP service-station uniforms remembers when 'full service' used to mean a
John Dunbar's booth at the 2018 bottle show also had a Tupperware muffin tray filled Canadian military uniform insignia and helmet emblems from all the different branches of the armed forces. John wanted $15 for each ornament, which means the stash you see my fingers combing through below is worth nearly a thousand bucks.
A Canadian ink bottle collector, Scott Wallace now prefers stoneware crocks and jugs.
Scott held up a gorgeous three gallon stoneware jug that I believe he had just acquired at the show. Scott doesn't need to shop here thought, he runs an antique glass bottle and pottery auction site, mapleleafauctions.com
The 3 gallon vessel he proudly holds was originally FROM / ROBERT CONROY / GENERAL MERCHANT / AYLMER CE
John Goodyer and Dave Dobing – Kingston Antiques Bottles
Bottle divers, dumpdiggers and pickers with a preference for eastern Ontario these boys come to the show to sell their excess treasures.
A gun for candy (painted silver with lead based paint).
Below is where all the marbles in the world went.
The bottle show details the fine line between collecting and obsessing or hoarding.
With 65 dealer tables this is Canada's biggest bottle show offering a huge selection of antique bottles, pottery and related collectibles for sale. The poster says "No crafts, reproductions or early admission."
2018 Toronto Bottle Show, Four Seasons Bottle Club, insulator collectors, Rockingham Ware, Terry Matz., Toronto Bottle Show
Lunch with Friends at Amico's Pizza in Parkdale
Rob Campbell April 12, 2017
Wolfpack Brings English Rugby to Lamport Stadium
Rob Campbell May 7, 2017
Shanny in the City at Basso Pizzeria in Corktown
Rob Campbell February 19, 2017
Cryptocurrency Culture in the City of Toronto
Rob Campbell January 11, 2018
Inside MagNet18, Canada's Magazine Super Conference
Spray Foam Wizard, George Shimi of Everest Insulation
Rob Campbell April 2, 2017
Announcing NO $IGNAL at The Mount Pleasant Rose, May 31st 2019
Behind the Scenes Making Masterlift's 2019 Print Calendar
Competitive Climbing, Speed Walls and Bouldering at Hub Climbing Markham
Rob Campbell August 22, 2018
Million Dollar Movie Posters at Super Wonder Gallery
Rob Campbell July 21, 2018
CanEggs Egg White Powder Photo Shoot
Rob Campbell June 14, 2018
Rob Campbell May 28, 2018
Spider Jones' Fight For Youth Charity Boxing Match


text:
John Eagleton
Executive Director, Tennis
Mark Strickland
Executive Director, Basketball
Roberto Borgatti
Executive Director, Golf
Gylton Da Matta
Executive Director, Volleyball
Jeff Salzenstein
Jane Forman
Harvey Newton
Executive Director, Weightlifting
Bill Patton
Lizl Kotz
Executive Director, Soccer
Joy Macci
Mark Kovacs
Jeff Salzenstein,
Former ATP World Tour top-100 player Jeff Salzenstein is focused on helping tennis players all over the world improve their tennis with world-class instruction in the areas of technique, footwork, nutrition, injury prevention, mindset, motivation, and athletic development training.
As member of the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame, Jeff has set the standard for tennis in Colorado with an unsurpassed record as a player at the amateur and professional levels. Early in his career, Jeff committed to learning and mastering the techniques and practice regimens that distinguish great players from good players. Today, his devotion and passion for the game are demonstrated by the athletic and personal accomplishments of the players he coaches.
Jeff joined the ATP World Tour immediately after his 1996 graduation from Stanford University, where he earned a B.A. in economics and All-American honors. He quickly rose through the ATP rankings, playing the circuit in Europe, Asia, Australia, Latin America, and the United States, including all the Grand Slam events (Wimbledon, French Open, Australian Open and US Open).
In 1997, Jeff was named Rookie of the Year by Tennis Week magazine. Highlights of his career include wins over Taylor Dent, Mardy Fish, Justin Gimelstob, Paul Goldstein, and Dmitry Tursunov, all of whom have been ranked top-100 in the world, as well as beating former or current world top-10 players Fernando Gonzales, Nicholas Lapentti, David Nalbandian, Jiri Novak, Greg Rusedski, and Fernando Verdasco and Jo Wilfred Tsonga. In 2003, he was the only American to qualify at the US Open.
Jeff concluded his playing career in 2007 to launch a second career in high-performance tennis coaching in Denver, Colorado. In addition to being a United States Professional Tennis Association Level 1 teaching professional and USTA High Performance Coach, Jeff is a bestselling contributing author of the book the "Ultimate Success Guide" with Brian Tracy as well as being a Certified Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.
Jeff is Founder and CEO of tennisevolution.com
Watch our instructional videos featuring Jeff Salzenstein on this link.


text:
Леолин Дана Уилгресс, CC (; 20 октября 1892 года, Ванкувер — 21 июля 1969 года, Оттава) — канадский дипломат.

Биография

Родился 20 октября 1892 года в Ванкувере в семье Генри Т. Уилгресса и его супруги Хелен М. Уилгресс (урождённой Эмпев). Получил образование в Ванкувере и Иокогаме, также учился в  в Александрии и в Университете Макгилла.

Начал карьеру дипломата в 1914 году с должности младшего торгового комиссара. В 1916 году стал канадским торговым комиссаром в Омске, а в 1918 году занял аналогичный пост во Владивостоке. На его пребывание в должности пришлось канадское участие в иностранной интервенции в Россию.

В начале 1922 года был назначен торговым комиссаром в Гамбурге, занимал этот пост до 1932 года, после чего стал директором Службы коммерческой разведки Канады. Принимал участие в Оттавской имперской конференции в (1932), Всемирной экономической конференции в Лондоне (1933), участвовал в переговорах о заключении торгового соглашения между Канадой с США (1936—1938).

В 1942 году был назначен первым канадским посланником в СССР. В 1944 году, после преобразования канадской миссии в посольство, стал послом Канады в СССР, занимал этот пост до 1946 год. В 1947—1948 годах был послом Канады в Швейцарии, в 1948—1949 годах — постоянным представителем Канады при ООН в Женеве, в 1949—1952 годах — верховным комиссаром Канады в Великобритании.

В 1952—1953 годах — заместитель государственного секретаря по иностранным делам Канады Лестера Пирсона. В 1953—1958 годах — постоянный представитель Канады при НАТО и ОЕЭС.

Скончался 21 июля 1969 года в Оттаве, был похоронен на мемориальном кладбище Оттавы.

Награды
 почётный доктор юридических наук Университета Британской Колумбии (1953)
 компаньон орден Канады (1967)

Семья
4 июня 1919 года Леолин Дана Уилгресс женился на Ольге Бюргин, дочери владивостокского купца швейцарского происхождения Рудольфа Бюргина. В их семье было трое детей.

Примечания

Сочинения
 The trade of the new countries of south-east Europe : Roumania, Hungary, Czecho-Slovakia, Austria, Turkey, Yugoslavia, 1921.
 Czechoslovakia as a market for Canadian products, 1927.
 Co-operation in scientific and technical research, 1960.
 The impact of European integration on Canada, 1962.
 Canada's approach to trade negotiations, 1963.
 Memoirs, 1967.

Литература
 Комкова Е. Г..  Истоки российской политики Канады: по мемуарам, письмам и статьям канадских послов в СССР, с привлечением некоторых других источников // США и Канада: экономика, политика, культура  - 2016. - № 9. - С. 3-18.
 Соков И. А.. Л. Д. Уилгресс и канадско-советские отношения в 40-х годах XX века // Новая и новейшая история. — 2012. — № 6. — С. 169—175

Ссылки

Постоянные представители Канады при ОЭСР
Верховные комиссары Канады в Великобритании
Послы Канады в СССР
Послы Канады в Швейцарии
Постоянные представители Канады при НАТО


This will kickstart a menu guiding you through all available actions.
For more details please visit us at open-wc.org.
building-rollup Default configuration for working with rollup.
building-webpack Default configuration for working with webpack.
chai-dom-equals Chai Plugin to compare dom and shadow dom trees. Part of open-wc recommendations.
create Scaffold web components following open-wc recommendations.
I'm interested in helping, what would be a good place to start?
A complete library to build Android apps with a built-in theme engine.
A complete library to build apps for Android 14+ (ICS or above) devices with a built-in theme engine. It is built on top of the latest app compat library to provide best compatibility.
It is a collection of activities, fragments, widgets, views and some utility functions required to build a standard Android app. It also provides some in-built use cases like an intro screen drawer activity, about screen, collapsing app bar, bottom navigation, color picker, multiple locales, runtime permissions, etc. which can be used and customised according to the need.
What do you need help with on the project?
Currently, I am using it for my personal apps available on Google Play. I tried my best to developed it in a more generalised way but still it is slightly influenced by my personal requirements as I am the only developer of this library.
So, I want more developers to try it in their projects so that we can cover more use cases and make it more stable. There is no need to use the whole library, it also has various independent modules which you can copy directly into your projects. This library is fully commented and you can read the javadoc here.
I'm making an app to read from web pages (currently only Reddit, but more coming soon!) based on how many minutes you have. You can check it out here.
Read your favorite text subreddits posts based on how much time you have.
This project is currently under development, but you can take a peek over here.
Also available as an iOS app.
Every contribution is welcome! Just take a look at the issues to see what's on the making right now or open your own issue if you want any feature to be implemented.
Building a Git GUI app called Thermal the source of the app is currently closed source, before releasing the app and source code, I want build basic functionality for the users to actually use the app.
If you interested to contribute to the app or want to check the progress of the app development, you can join the discord server.
Oooh! I have a different project for once. The Python script I use to add titles to my featured images was just made into a pip package. Help make it great!
Titles are split in half by the closest space and displayed using two solid red bars with a white text overlay on the upper right portion of the image.
We @rotkehlchenio (github.com/rotkehlchenio/rotkehlchen …) are looking for #opensource contributors. #Python, #typescript, #electron. Topic is #cryptocurrency tracking, asset management and tax reporting.
Oat++ is performance oriented web-service-development framework. Written in C++.
Any kinds of contribution are welcome: feedback, issues, PRs, examples, docs, etc.
Any Ruby/Rails/Elixir projects out there looking for contributors? Would love to take a look!
Dev.to for Rails (duh!) and AlloyCI for Elixir. Check them out!
Yeah I've committed to dev.to couple of of times, love it! :D (should do even more of it haha).
Haven't heard of Alloy, cool will check it out! Is it beginner friendly?
I think it is. I'm not associated with it, but the person who posted it a few times on this thread said so. No harm in trying! .


ZULI - Numbers. Vinyl EP. Bleep.
Having produced quite possibly our favourite UIQ back in Feb 2016 with the Bionic Ahmed EP, Zuli returns to Lee Gamble's endlessly on it imprint with a new six track 12" that follows on from a regular NTS stint and a killer mix for Fact.
As with all UIQ drops, Numbers throws a few curveballs that are set to twist and reshape the "club" landscape into bold new shapes. Zuli's talent lies in his seemingly infinite ability to be able to decode the DNA of Gescom style hip-hop and neo-junglist smash em up's into something entirely new, and most importantly deeply refreshing. From the cement chewing EVOL meets 154 dub technoise of Foam Home via the Drexciyan underwater electric shocka What You Do, Numbers sees Zuli going even further out than before, perfectly transcending any genre or style like few others can.
Numbers is sure to cement Zuli at the forefront of the UIQ crew's impending underground take over, we can't name another label around right now who are pushing electronic music as fwd as these guys. Seriously tipped!