text:
Joel Thomas and his great team at Stratos makes booking a private charter easy. They keep in contact with you from the start right through to after the flight, which gives my travellers a piece of mind. Everything is always exactly planned to our specifications. Stratos really goes above and beyond in their industry - they are simply the best at what they do.
For example, we had three families on a Embraer Legacy, which is a 13-seat aircraft, for February half term. Because it's three of them grouping up, it's costing them about £7,000 for two families of four and one family of five. If you divide that up, it's not as expensive as people think [£538 per person]. We're seeing that more and more people are grouping up, putting more bums on seats and making it more affordable.
Dallas is the most modern and third largest city in America's second biggest state Texas. There are tons or art and science museums, amusement parks, gardens, historical sites, and businesses. Dallas also gives home to other activities like skydiving, rodeos, horse racing, and off-roading. If visiting this great, fun pack city be sure to hit up the Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas Museum of Art, Sixth Floor Museum, Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, Nasher Sculpture Center, Dallas Arboretum, and Fair Park. If you plan of staying a while Dallas offers visitors a nice dining variety, superb nightlife, breathtaking sightseeing, multiple places shop and receive 1st class hospitality.
All good. I would like info on best, fastest way to charter jet for my next trip to India. I'm not wealthy, & run a small business. My work is only to benefit impoverished people internationally. My website is www.lesindiennes.com.I must travel regularly to India yearly for my business.I wonder if your company alo cares about these people? Is it possible to use your services for this business travel? Can you advise me to a NY company that is more suitable to my needs. I answered your questionnaire. I look forward to your advice, & to learn how much your co. Is concerned with the plight of these people's? Best Mary
Foster can see how stressed and exhausted Stuart is, and he promises him extensive rest and relaxation. Stuart slowly realises his original plan for two weeks of sun, surf, and sex might not be lost yet. Confined to a yacht, isolated by aqua-coloured oceans and the sweltering sun, Stuart and Foster are about to find out just how hot the tropics can get.
Service was incredible. Joel and Stratos was fantastic. Had a delayed special occasion and they went out of their way to make everything perfect. It was a surprise trip and could not have been easier to work with and very helpful in getting all arrangements made for in-flight. Beyond a 5 star. Thank you all for making a special trip a truly MEMORABLE one for us!!!
The Hawker 750's biggest advantage is in its cabin, a fuselage-stretch modification first enjoyed by the -800 series. The cabin measures 21.3 feet-long, 5.7 feet-high and 6 feet wide, almost comparable to the class above. This space is plenty big to accommodate seven or eight passengers, a forward galley, a roomy lavatory, and a closet and baggage compartment. For even more amenities, the cabin comes equipped with the Airshow 21 cabin management system, providing user-friendly, LCD screens at every seat and VIP control of cabin temperature, light and entertainment systems. Superior travel is inevitable in the Hawker 750's cabin.
I have worked with Joel and Stratos Jets for several years and it has always been a pleasure. Most recently they booked a flight from St Petersburg, FL to Sanford, FL to Niagara Falls, NY with us on our Citation CJ1. The experience, as always was flawless and realtime feedback and communication meant the ASAP flight went without a hitch. Thank you Joel and team, I look forward to many more years of business with you.
When it comes to small planes, weight matters. Don't be surprised when your contact emails you for all passenger weights, and when the pilot organizes seating by weights. (You don't want the three biggest people on the right side, for instance.) Similarly, don't expect to bring two weeks of stuff for a weekend, and definitely mention if you're planning on bringing golf clubs or skis. If they don't fit, check out ShipSticks or LuggageForward, which sends your equipment beforehand for a relatively small fee.
If there are no empty leg flights for your exact itinerary and timing, LunaJets will search its proprietorial database to reroute an empty leg. This would be a private jet that would make an additional stop to pick you up at your departure airport, drop you off at your destination airport, or both. These stops incur an additional cost (landing fees, extra fuel) that LunaJets will negotiate with operators for the best possible deal. Although greater than an empty leg price, a rerouted empty leg will always be much less expensive than a full fare on-demand private jet price.


If you are looking for a specific patent, or are interested in knowing who owns a certain patent right, you are free to use the library's online resources. We give access to both national and international patent resources that you can access via the library's list of databases. More information about the databases is available under each heading.
If, on the other hand, you are looking for information regarding how to take out a patent for your invention, we recommend that you contact the AAU Technology Transfer Office. They can help you in matters concerning patenting and commercialization of inventions.


text:
"""Support for SimpliSafe alarm control panels."""
import logging
import re

from simplipy.entity import EntityTypes
from simplipy.system import SystemStates

from homeassistant.components.alarm_control_panel import (
    FORMAT_NUMBER,
    FORMAT_TEXT,
    AlarmControlPanel,
)
from homeassistant.components.alarm_control_panel.const import (
    SUPPORT_ALARM_ARM_AWAY,
    SUPPORT_ALARM_ARM_HOME,
)
from homeassistant.const import (
    CONF_CODE,
    STATE_ALARM_ARMED_AWAY,
    STATE_ALARM_ARMED_HOME,
    STATE_ALARM_DISARMED,
)
from homeassistant.util.dt import utc_from_timestamp

from . import SimpliSafeEntity
from .const import DATA_CLIENT, DOMAIN

_LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)

ATTR_ALARM_ACTIVE = "alarm_active"
ATTR_ALARM_DURATION = "alarm_duration"
ATTR_ALARM_VOLUME = "alarm_volume"
ATTR_BATTERY_BACKUP_POWER_LEVEL = "battery_backup_power_level"
ATTR_CHIME_VOLUME = "chime_volume"
ATTR_ENTRY_DELAY_AWAY = "entry_delay_away"
ATTR_ENTRY_DELAY_HOME = "entry_delay_home"
ATTR_EXIT_DELAY_AWAY = "exit_delay_away"
ATTR_EXIT_DELAY_HOME = "exit_delay_home"
ATTR_GSM_STRENGTH = "gsm_strength"
ATTR_LAST_EVENT_INFO = "last_event_info"
ATTR_LAST_EVENT_SENSOR_NAME = "last_event_sensor_name"
ATTR_LAST_EVENT_SENSOR_TYPE = "last_event_sensor_type"
ATTR_LAST_EVENT_TIMESTAMP = "last_event_timestamp"
ATTR_LAST_EVENT_TYPE = "last_event_type"
ATTR_LIGHT = "light"
ATTR_RF_JAMMING = "rf_jamming"
ATTR_VOICE_PROMPT_VOLUME = "voice_prompt_volume"
ATTR_WALL_POWER_LEVEL = "wall_power_level"
ATTR_WIFI_STRENGTH = "wifi_strength"

async def async_setup_platform(hass, config, async_add_entities, discovery_info=None):
    """Set up a SimpliSafe alarm control panel based on existing config."""
    pass

async def async_setup_entry(hass, entry, async_add_entities):
    """Set up a SimpliSafe alarm control panel based on a config entry."""
    simplisafe = hass.data[DOMAIN][DATA_CLIENT][entry.entry_id]
    async_add_entities(
        [
            SimpliSafeAlarm(simplisafe, system, entry.data.get(CONF_CODE))
            for system in simplisafe.systems.values()
        ],
        True,
    )

class SimpliSafeAlarm(SimpliSafeEntity, AlarmControlPanel):
    """Representation of a SimpliSafe alarm."""

    def __init__(self, simplisafe, system, code):
        """Initialize the SimpliSafe alarm."""
        super().__init__(system, "Alarm Control Panel")
        self._changed_by = None
        self._code = code
        self._simplisafe = simplisafe
        self._state = None

        self._attrs.update({ATTR_ALARM_ACTIVE: self._system.alarm_going_off})
        if self._system.version == 3:
            self._attrs.update(
                {
                    ATTR_ALARM_DURATION: self._system.alarm_duration,
                    ATTR_ALARM_VOLUME: self._system.alarm_volume.name,
                    ATTR_BATTERY_BACKUP_POWER_LEVEL: self._system.battery_backup_power_level,
                    ATTR_CHIME_VOLUME: self._system.chime_volume.name,
                    ATTR_ENTRY_DELAY_AWAY: self._system.entry_delay_away,
                    ATTR_ENTRY_DELAY_HOME: self._system.entry_delay_home,
                    ATTR_EXIT_DELAY_AWAY: self._system.exit_delay_away,
                    ATTR_EXIT_DELAY_HOME: self._system.exit_delay_home,
                    ATTR_GSM_STRENGTH: self._system.gsm_strength,
                    ATTR_LIGHT: self._system.light,
                    ATTR_RF_JAMMING: self._system.rf_jamming,
                    ATTR_VOICE_PROMPT_VOLUME: self._system.voice_prompt_volume.name,
                    ATTR_WALL_POWER_LEVEL: self._system.wall_power_level,
                    ATTR_WIFI_STRENGTH: self._system.wifi_strength,
                }
            )

    @property
    def changed_by(self):
        """Return info about who changed the alarm last."""
        return self._changed_by

    @property
    def code_format(self):
        """Return one or more digits/characters."""
        if not self._code:
            return None
        if isinstance(self._code, str) and re.search("^\\d+$", self._code):
            return FORMAT_NUMBER
        return FORMAT_TEXT

    @property
    def state(self):
        """Return the state of the entity."""
        return self._state

    @property
    def supported_features(self) -> int:
        """Return the list of supported features."""
        return SUPPORT_ALARM_ARM_HOME | SUPPORT_ALARM_ARM_AWAY

    def _validate_code(self, code, state):
        """Validate given code."""
        check = self._code is None or code == self._code
        if not check:
            _LOGGER.warning("Wrong code entered for %s", state)
        return check

    async def async_alarm_disarm(self, code=None):
        """Send disarm command."""
        if not self._validate_code(code, "disarming"):
            return

        await self._system.set_off()

    async def async_alarm_arm_home(self, code=None):
        """Send arm home command."""
        if not self._validate_code(code, "arming home"):
            return

        await self._system.set_home()

    async def async_alarm_arm_away(self, code=None):
        """Send arm away command."""
        if not self._validate_code(code, "arming away"):
            return

        await self._system.set_away()

    async def async_update(self):
        """Update alarm status."""
        event_data = self._simplisafe.last_event_data[self._system.system_id]

        if event_data.get("pinName"):
            self._changed_by = event_data["pinName"]

        if self._system.state == SystemStates.error:
            self._online = False
            return

        self._online = True

        if self._system.state == SystemStates.off:
            self._state = STATE_ALARM_DISARMED
        elif self._system.state in (SystemStates.home, SystemStates.home_count):
            self._state = STATE_ALARM_ARMED_HOME
        elif self._system.state in (
            SystemStates.away,
            SystemStates.away_count,
            SystemStates.exit_delay,
        ):
            self._state = STATE_ALARM_ARMED_AWAY
        else:
            self._state = None

        last_event = self._simplisafe.last_event_data[self._system.system_id]

        try:
            last_event_sensor_type = EntityTypes(last_event["sensorType"]).name
        except ValueError:
            _LOGGER.warning(
                'Encountered unknown entity type: %s ("%s"). Please report it at'
                "https://github.com/home-assistant/home-assistant/issues.",
                last_event["sensorType"],
                last_event["sensorName"],
            )
            last_event_sensor_type = None

        self._attrs.update(
            {
                ATTR_LAST_EVENT_INFO: last_event["info"],
                ATTR_LAST_EVENT_SENSOR_NAME: last_event["sensorName"],
                ATTR_LAST_EVENT_SENSOR_TYPE: last_event_sensor_type,
                ATTR_LAST_EVENT_TIMESTAMP: utc_from_timestamp(
                    last_event["eventTimestamp"]
                ),
                ATTR_LAST_EVENT_TYPE: last_event["eventType"],
            }
        )

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


There is NO ONE else like you out there, therefore, it's crucial that everyone you meet know exactly what you do for whom. Referrals are getting a warm introduction to a potential client which is THE best way to 'warm call'. Social proof comes from having an acquaintance or friend in common. We tend to like the same people that our friends do. And if you've helped a colleague in a similar business, chances are you can help me.


"After further review, we recognize the insensitive nature of the ad and have decided to cease airing it across our properties as soon as possible"
This Aug. 28, 2003, file photo shows the NBC peacock logo on the NBC Studios building in Burbank, California.
NBC pulled an immigration ad from President Donald Trump widely derided as racist after it aired on the network's NFL coverage on Sunday night.
A spokesperson for NBC's advertising sales department told NBC News that, "After further review, we recognize the insensitive nature of the ad and have decided to cease airing it across our properties as soon as possible."
CNN had declined to air the ad, citing its editorial coverage in calling it racist. Following NBC's announcement, Fox News said it had decided on Sunday to stop showing the ad. Facebook said it stopped the ad from receiving paid promotion because the video contains "sensational content," violating company advertising policy.
NBC's decision to run the ad, which linked an undocumented immigrant convicted of murdering two California law enforcement officials to migrants traveling toward the United States to seek asylum, drew flak on social media. "Will and Grace" star Debra Messing said she was "ashamed that my network aired this disgusting racist ad."


text:
NBA season teetering in wake of boycott; Heat playoff run in limbo
By Ira Winderman
Days after the Miami Heat advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs, the question now is whether there will be a second round of the playoffs.
Or any more NBA basketball this season.
With the remaining teams in the league's quarantine bubble at Disney World meeting Wednesday night to address what they believed to be a lack of league response to systemic racism, the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers voted to boycott the rest of the season, according to multiple media reports.
According to The Athletic's Shams Charania, Heat captain Udonis Haslem then questioned whether play could continue without those two teams. The remaining playoff teams reportedly voted to continue playing.
The NBA's Board of Governors is expected to hold an emergency meeting Thursday, with representatives of the players' union present, when the issue is expected to come to a head.
[Most Read Heat Coverage] ASK IRA: Is it go time for the Heat for the East No. 1 seed? »
Three playoff games were postponed Wednesday, with Thursday's three scheduled games also expected to be postponed.
The Heat completed a 4-0 first-round series sweep of the Indiana Pacers on Monday night, yet to be given a schedule for the second round of the playoffs.
The Heat went into Wednesday awaiting the winner of the first-round playoff series between the Milwaukee Bucks at Orlando Magic.
A Bucks victory in Wednesday's scheduled Game 5 against the Magic would have sent Milwaukee into a second-round series against the Heat.
Instead, in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin, the Bucks opted to boycott their scheduled 4 p.m. game at the Wide World of Sports complex.
The move elicited strong support around the NBA, including a Twitter post of "salute" from Heat center Bam Adebayo.
[Most Read Heat Coverage] Bam Adebayo's return, Jimmy Butler's triple-double spark Heat over Raptors 104-99 »
Shortly thereafter, the NBA postponed Wednesday's remaining two games, issuing a statement that read:
"The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association today announced that in light of the Milwaukee Bucks' decision to not take the floor today for Game 5 against the Orlando Magic, today's three games — Bucks vs. Magic, Houston Rockets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Lakers vs. Portland Trail Blazers — have been postponed. Game 5 of each series will be rescheduled."
The Heat mostly likely would have opened the Eastern Conference semifinals on Sunday with a Bucks victory either Wednesday or a potential Friday Game 6.
The NBA did not count Wednesday's game as a Bucks forfeit, leaving Milwaukee with a 3-1 lead in that series.
The other Eastern Conference semifinals series, between the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics, was scheduled for a Thursday start.
Even with the NBA playing in a quarantine setting due to the new coronavirus pandemic, players are free to leave the league's campus at any time, which would allow for the departure of Lakers and Clippers players, as well as others.
[Most Read Heat Coverage] 'Infinite possibilities' go Kyle Guy's way, with Heat two-way deal signed Monday »
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Wednesday's practice, but prior to the Bucks' boycott, that his team had not entered into discussions of a boycott.
Heat forward Andre Iguodala, a union executive, was among those who met with Celtics and Raptors players to discuss an NBA response to ongoing systemic racism, and then was a featured speaker at Wednesday night's meeting.
"Whenever they do meet, Andre gives us the update," Spoelstra said. 'From our end, there haven't been any discussions about that.
"I'm just going to observe and see what's going to happen over the next 24 hours."
Then came the cancellation of Wednesday's schedule.
Iguodala said a boycott involving the Heat at some point was not a notion summarily dismissed, "We haven't spoken about it openly, but I think there are plenty of guys that have had those thoughts."
[Most Read Heat Coverage] ASK IRA: Could Heat be second to none in the conference? »
Iguodala said the NBA setup still allows for statements to be made, with "Black Lives Matter" emblazoned on the courts the league is utilizing in the absence of fans at Disney.
"We're just trying to make the most of the situation," Iguodala said. "I take it as using this platform, of coming here and playing in a bubble, one of the largest platform in the world, where we get the most eyes, and be able to get our messages out there.
Miami Heat Source Newsletter
See what's buzzing about the Miami Heat, including game analysis, roster changes and more inside info.
"Whether it gets drowned out after a short period of time? Just keep pushing and try to spread the message."
Then came the Bucks' statement of arriving at the arena Wednesday and then declining to take the court.
Latest Miami Heat
ASK IRA: Could Heat be second to none in the conference?
"When you talk about boycotting a game, everyone's antenna goes up," Iguodala said. "It's sad you have to make threats like that — I wouldn't say threats — but you have to be willing to sacrifice corporate money for people to realize there's a big problem out there."
NBA players have been taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem at Disney, with coverage of those moments reduced since the league's resumption.
"They don't even show the anthem anymore," Iguodala said.
"We reached the point where we said, 'enough.' We realize the leverage we created for ourselves, not just to monetize it but bring change to what's been happening in our communities."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Red 3. Mulloon Creek. Competition. Orienteering Australia.
Doma map archive. Picaree Hill. Competition. Ori..
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Doma map archive. M21AS. Gardens of Stone, Culle..
Doma map archive. Ratall Creek. Competition. Ori..
Doma map archive. Awoonga, near Lake George. Com..


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text:
Vukan Perović (Cyrillic: Вукан Перовић; born 18 October 1952) is a Montenegrin retired professional footballer who played as a striker.

Career
Perović began playing professional football in the Yugoslav First League for FK Partizan. After spending two seasons with the club, he moved to Turkey where he would play with Adanaspor for one season. Next, he had a brief stint in the United States with the Tulsa Roughnecks.

Perović joined Austrian side Rapid Vienna in 1978, scoring 21 goals in 42 league matches during his two seasons with the club. Rapid allowed Perović to go on trial with Spanish club Real Betis, but they ultimately loaned him to Segunda División side Elche in December 1980. He scored eight goals in twelve games for Elche, but the club did not exercise an option to purchase his contract. He returned to Rapid for the 1982–83 season.

References

External links

1952 births
Living people
Footballers from Nikšić
Association football forwards
Yugoslav footballers
FK Partizan players
Adanaspor footballers
Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–1984) players
SK Rapid Wien players
Elche CF players
Yugoslav First League players
Süper Lig players
North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
Austrian Football Bundesliga players
Segunda División players
Yugoslav expatriate footballers
Expatriate footballers in Turkey
Yugoslav expatriate sportspeople in Turkey
Expatriate soccer players in the United States
Yugoslav expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Expatriate footballers in Austria
Yugoslav expatriate sportspeople in Austria
Expatriate footballers in Spain
Yugoslav expatriate sportspeople in Spain

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


It's February, the month of Valentine's Day, the perfect time to talk about the really juicy topic of…CONNECTION. Whether it's a friendship, a familiar relationship, or a romantic relationship, what we want most is to feel like we belong, to feel understood, and to feel safe/loved.
This months article is going to give you my 3 main tips on developing solid connections.
First tip: Connect through SHARED ACTIVITIES. There are a ton of activities to get involved with in school (athletics, academic clubs, band, chorus, honor societies, leisure clubs). If there is an activity you love doing , do it. If there is an activity you want to try, try it…and if you like it, keep doing it. When you share activities and interests with others, your conversations are easier, time spent together is more fun, and you feel closer.
Your writing exercise for SHARED ACTIVITIES: Make a list of all of the activities you enjoy doing and all of the activities you would like to try. Within the week, pick one and do it. Say hi to another activity goer and make a connection.
The second and third tips align closely with Dr. Brene Brown's definition of connection: "the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued, and when they can give and receive without judgment".
Second tip: Be AUTHENTIC. Know who you are and what you want. Listen to your gut and set healthy boundaries. The right people will like you for you. No need to impress. You will attract the people who are right for you (and good for you) when you are authentic.
Your writing exercise for AUTHENTICITY: On a piece of paper, make three columns. In the first column, describe the personality traits you like in a friend/partner. In the second column, describe what you need from a friend/partner. In the third column, write what you can best give to a friend/partner. Knowing what you like, what you need, and what you can give…and seeking out people who have those qualities…helps you form happier, healthier connections.
Final tip: Be VULNERABLE. Say what you mean. Be honest about how you feel. Have meaningful conversations. Share your heart, hopes, and struggles. We develop deeper connections with others by showing them our humanity and imperfection. The ones who can listen to us and hold our secrets safe are worth finding and keeping.
Your writing exercise on VULNERABILITY: Write about a time when you shared a struggle or secret about yourself with someone and you left the conversation feeling listened to and understood. What else did you feel after? Do you want more of these people in your life? Who do you feel like you can be vulnerable with right now? Within the next week, schedule a date with one of them. Make time for people you can be vulnerable with.
I hope you've enjoyed this month's topic of connection. Always remember, you are fun, people love you for being you, and when you're vulnerable-you're beautiful.


Jet Black Charlotte cut Czech glass seed beads in 6 strand hanks, size 13/0, pre-strung. 9 grams per hank. About 2100 beads per hank.
Lovely beads of the highest quality! Looking forward to doing business with you for years to come!
The beads are exactly what I need. Shipping is fast. Going to order more.


text:
Q: as MySQL root user: how to switch to other user without password In UNIX root user can do
su - tme34

without password. So he can test tme34 account. Howto do the same in MySQL?
I don't know other MySQL users password and don't wish to reset it.

A: You can't do that. However, you could add another user with the same username and different host.
If the current user has a wildcard host % you can add another one with your current IP address (or localhost if you are on mysql's machine) and they will coexist. You can then login from the command line and your matching IP will use that new user instead of the existing one.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Is GOOD Screenwriting About GREAT dialogue? >> YES!
When Glyn Carter got in touch with this blog, my first response to him was, "Are you on drugs? You KNOW my thoughts on dialogue!"
Then I got thinking: what if I were to run a two-post weekend, based around a question? In this case it would be, "Is Good Screenwriting About GREAT Dialogue?" Glyn could then argue the case for YES.
So here's Glyn with his case FOR dialogue … Tomorrow, I'll be writing MY take on this emotive issue for screenwriters with NO, so watch out for it!
YES, says Glyn Carter (@StoriesIn2light)
I've been getting feedback on a screenplay, and it's mostly been along the lines of "too long", "too much dialogue", "cut the talk", and "let the pictures tell the story".
I'm not saying they're wrong. I'm not saying my script can't be leaner. I'm not saying less can't be more.
It's almost a mantra. You'd think script reviewers want to go back to the silent era. You'd think actors want to be mimes.
So, here's 6 reasons to praise dialogue:
1) People talk!
Language is half of how people communicate and express themselves. MORE: 3 Reasons "Show, Don't Tell It" Is Bad Writing Advice
2) Dialogue is dramatic
Words can be clever, funny, profound, insightful, poetic. Words can build tension, or relieve it. Dialogue is accused of being for theatre. Well, it is for theatre, the home of drama, that's because it's dramatic. Duh! MORE: It's All In The Delivery
3) Great writers write great dialogue
Quentin Tarantino. Woody Allen. Aaron Sorkin. The Coens. Martin McDonagh. Nora Ephron. Sorkin's screenplay for The Social Network ran to 140 pages. Did David Fincher ask for a shorter draft? No, he got the actors to speak faster. You know what? More can be more too. MORE: 7 Ways Of Showcasing Your Writer's Voice In Your Screenplay
4) All the classics are dialogue-heavy!
Before Sunrise, Sex Lies and Videotape, Glengarry Glen Ross, Clerks, Diner, Juno, Swingers, The Breakfast Club, The Big Chill, Sophie's Choice, The Kings Speech, Good Will Hunting, LA Confidential, The Kids Are Alright, Twelve Angry Men and any courtroom drama, most comedies… Read the reviews, count the awards. Count the box-office. MORE: Drama Vs. Genre: The Difference Between Them
5) Dialogue is a lost art these days
Whoa! We're on the Mad Max road bound for Transformers-land. Must all films be like these? Or, on the other wordless byway, there's the realm of pretentiousness, where a five-minute hold on a face, or an actor walking, or washing up, is supposed to convey deep meaning and emotion. Less can be less. MORE: Genre Film: Don't Overthink It
6) It's not about wordcount, it's about quality
If a film has corny shots, zooms or angles, shaky cameras or poor focus, no one says "too many pictures". They say "rubbish direction and camerawork". If an actor is over the top, they don't say "too many actors" they say "hamming it" or "Jim Carrey". To quote Peter Schaffer's Amadeus, when the Prince says to Mozart that his composition has too many notes, "Which ones would you like me to remove?" MORE: 7 Writing Reminders
Everyone from the actor to the audience loves good dialogue when it moves them, opens up a character's soul, makes them laugh, and speaks a truth.
What people hate is cliché, exposition, on-the-nose, and untruth.
So let's be clear. The problem is not too much dialogue, the problem is bad dialogue.
I got feedback to "let the pictures tell the story". That's wrong in so many ways.
Better advice would be: don't tell the story at all. Show it.
Story is character in action, so let's see their stories unfold through their desires, their relationships, their eyes, their deeds … and their words. Only make sure they really are their words, not the writer's. And make them great words, make them sing, make them fly.
BIO: Glyn's film A Changed Man is on Vimeo. His webseries of dark comedies Pillow Talk launches shortly on You Tube. Teddy Bears, the third in the series, recently won Mutiny Media's short screenplay competition. Follow Glyn on Twitter as @storiesin2light and LIKE Stories Into Light on Facebook. Visit Glyn's website HERE for blog and newsletter signup.
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5 thoughts on "Q: Is GOOD Screenwriting About GREAT dialogue? >> YES!"
Ian Long July 19, 2015 at 12:26 pm
It's a good basic rule to cut speech as much as possible, which that means that the remaining dialogue will (or should) be pithy and gem-like. But the amount of dialogue in a script is surely dependent on the kind of story being told, and the personal style of the characters. A courtroom drama would look a bit strange with hardly any dialogue, but there should still be no room for repetition or over-egged writing (remember the disastrous courtroom scene in Roeg's "Eureka"?).
Glyn July 19, 2015 at 1:04 pm
I agree. And comedy. Charlie Chaplin and Rowan Atkinson are geniuses (genii?), but I don't just want mime and slapstick for laughs. I do get tired of American gagfests, but when genuine wit shines through, I get a warm glow!
Jef Benedetti July 20, 2015 at 5:11 pm
Man, this sounded like a difficult question to answer, until I thought about one thing: there are just two basic ways to move a story forward: Dialogue and visuals (with subtitles, because there's no dialogue).
If that's true, I'm gonna say those two things weigh the same. Therefore, with 50 percent weight, which is a high amount, good screenwriting does depend on great dialogue. They are interdependent and therefore, the importance of each is equal.
So, when and how could one argue that good screenwriting is not about great dialogue?
The only answer can be, when the dialogue is indeed great, but it blends together impeccably with the visuals, voiceovers and subtitles. Until we have technology that taps into our five senses, seeing, hearing and feeling (loud bass tones, for example), that's all we got. Emotions triggered by these senses will enhance them, but it's a numbers game with just three senses.
And when all elements of a story are impeccably blended, that's something special.
I am not to that point in my screenwriting life. A writer for decades, I'm relatively new to screenwriting. So far, all I've heard is this din, in my right ear mainly. It's the "show don't tell crowd," non-textual tinnitus, a buzzing fly. Sometimes, the buzzing gets in the way.
When that happens, I reassess the blend of action, narrative and dialogue. I generally seek the balance that's called for by the story. Some action-heavy stories need just snippets of snarkiness to advance the story, such as in Guardians of the Galaxy. Chick flicks, rom-coms, stories that are likely to cause slight teariness, need a bigger mix of dialogue.
I was told – before this became my opinion as well –that stories told by, about, or involving women must always be mixed a little heavy with dialogue.
Fiction or fact, any story told must be told with the weight of plausibility.
Do women talk a lot in real life? I think the more important question is, not including hugging, do they use dialogue to move forward the arcs of their own daily lives, in real life?
Does the way it unfolds on the silver screen occur in real life?
Yes, in this case, good screenwriting depends on great dialogue.
But wait! How about the other genres? Do they depend on dialogue?
Like a lot of decisions in writing a screenplay, the decision of how to tell a story can (and should) be dictated by the type of story. That's my thinking, anyway.
Long action sequences and films leave one drained – Die Hard. I like Bruce Willis, but I couldn't leave to pee when I saw it in the theatre. I have my limits.
In docstock, documentaries, the sequence of action, dialogue and narrative rises to supreme importance. The story progresses in the sequence it originally occurred – people talk, stuff happens, you see something, minute by minute (not including flashes forward or back).
On film, pace takes over and sequence is important, but second.
Again, I'm no expert, just someone who likes to tell all kinds of stories. The telling will always involve dialogue, and I try to make it great and plausible. My heritage also genetically calls for me to use my hands when telling a story in person.
Good dialogue is essential to screenwriting… and so are a lot of other things. Above all, story is at the core, which means that character is at the core, because story is all about what characters do. So as long as the dialogue serves story/character, rather than serving itself or the writer, it's to be treasured. As is showing a characer by their actions – so, for example, we can get a clearer instant impression of a character not from what they wear or what they say, but from what they are up to the first time we see them on screen.
But that doesn't mean they should say anything.
Oops – SHOULDN'T say anything
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Ensure Efficient Cooling Within an Affordable Budget?
An inverter is a device that is used for converting low-voltage DC current into AC current which is normally used within homes, shops or offices. An inverter is highly useful for operating a wide range of household appliances and electrical equipment using the power produced by an automobile or boat battery. It can also utilize renewable sources of energy like solar panels and wind turbines.
A solar inverter is used for converting variable direct current(DC) output from a photovoltaic solar panel into current(AC) thereby providing you with ample power. During daytime, the battery charges itself through the use of solar energy and once it gets charged to a particular level, the stored energy is used in order to provide electricity. As in the case of any other solar product, solar inverters come with an advantage over other inverters as they can be easily installed and use a renewable source of energy in order to convert to electricity.
Table fans are best suited for use in small rooms that are very warm. The smaller ones are best suited for personal use, be it for relaxing or working while sitting in a desk. Table fans of larger size can be positioned anywhere, to cool a room, dry hung laundry within a short span of time, or ensure a good circulation of air in the basement area. It is always wise to go for table fans that come with multiple speed settings, tilt adjustment and safety grill guards to ensure optimum finger protection when it is used in play areas. There are some blade-less table fans that can also be used as heaters. Orient table fans are equipped with high performance motors which offer a high quality of service even under low voltage conditions.
One of the most common types of fans that are used in homes, offices and commercial establishments, ceiling fans are best suited for use to keep the summer heat at bay. In areas that have a temperate climate, multi-speed ceilings fans can be used as a suitable replacement for ACs. Majority of the ceiling fan models available in the market can be reversed during winters in order to push down the warm air which rise naturally towards the ceiling.
The size of the room decides the length and number of blades that a high sped needs to offer the best quality of air circulation. To ensure a safe installation within rooms, it is better to take the help of an electrician. Crompton Greaves fans come with different types of blades and colors, and go well with the lightings inside rooms. with lights have also been launched in the market in recent years.
Cooling fans are highly portable and are suitable for both indoor as well as outdoor use. They come with rechargeable batteries and usually have three speed settings. These fans are widely used in kitchens, bathrooms, counters, computer rooms etc. They offer well balanced air to different parts of the room and are weightless. The latest range of cooling fans that have come up in the market come with noise free motors.
Ventilation fans are normally used for ventilating stores, offices, factories and shops. These fans are best suited for mounting on glass windows and are produced from high quality engineering plastic and are resistant to color change because of their anti-static properties.
Exhaust fans are used in kitchens in order to ensure the circulation of clean air, remove smoke and excessive heat. These fans also play an instrumental role in checking smell and the rise of temperature. These fans operate by using power. The operating procedure involves the use of an electric current that passes through the fan's motor and causes the blades of the fan to rotate.
Blades can be chosen according to the exact area where you will be installing a . The rule of thumb that you should follow is to determine the blade span on the basis of the room square feet. If the fan that you opt for comes with three blades, then you should measure the distance of the fan's center from the blade tip. On the other hand, it has two or four blades, then you will need to measure the distance between the opposing blades. You will need to opt for a blade span depending on the size of the room. For instance, if the size of your room is 400 sq. feet, then you will need to opt for fans that come with a blade span of 54-72''.
Once you have a clear idea of the blade span, you will need to decide the exact height at which the fan will have to be installed. If the ceiling height is less than 8'', then you will need to go for a low profile ceiling fan. If it is more than 9'', then it would be wise on your part to go for a ceiling fan that comes with a down rod. Hanging it at a proper height will ensure that neither you nor your family members suffer from any type of head injuries.
While buying exhaust fans for installation within kitchens, you will need to vent the hood outdoors when necessary so that the smoke and odors can easily move out from the kitchen. This is the most suitable way to ensure the removal of minute particulate matter. One major problem with recirculating fans is that though they can remove odors and particulate matters, they often recirculate them back into homes. Another suitable alternative that you can go for is to select a range hood keeping in mind its suitability with the exhaust fan and your cooking style. For normal cooking equipment (below 60,000 Btu for gas/electric cooktops), 100 CFM is suitable for every 1-foot width of your cooking surface.
If you are using high-performance cooking equipment, then you need to go for 1 CFM for every 100 Btu. For instance, 60,000 Btu will require 600 CFM. In case your cooktop includes a grill, then an additional 200 CFM to the total that you require. On the other hand, if the hood is rated above 300 CFM, then you may need to use a make-up air damper depending on local codes.
While buying table fans, you will need to pay attention to the material from which the fans are made. Plastic fans are most suitable as they do not rust unlike the ones that are made from stainless steel. Oscillating and rotating fans may develop vibrating noises and rattles over a period of time over a period of a few months. One possible solution to the problem is to opt for two or more table fans. You can use oscillating fans while oscillation is switched off and otherwise leave it as it is, for use on specific occasions. Table fans come with a wide range of designs such as tiltable, antique, squat fat etc.
The position, size, and speed of the blade are deciding factors of the effectivity with which a fan rotates and the quality of cooling it offers within a room. The blades of non-axial fans usually face in the direction of the airflow. The axial-flow design is used is used in some of the most widely used types of fans such as pedestal, ceiling and table fans. Centrifugal fans come with blades that are perpendicular to the direction of the air flow. Centrifugal fans come with a high pressure which makes them best suited for use in industrial cooling and moisture removal.
The efficiency of an inverter to a great extent depends on the amount of power that it draws. The power drawing capacity of an inverter may vary between 90-50% from full load to light load. One thing that you need to find out is whether the efficiency of the inverter is high on maximum load or not. Normally, an inverter offers the highest level of efficiency when it is used at around 1/3 to 3/4 of its full rating. Small inverters that are used in vehicles can run indefinitely as long as the vehicle's engine is running and there is sufficient battery power. Larger inverters, on the other hand, can offer power over extended time periods. All that you need to do is to add more batteries.
The power of fans is to a great extent decided by their speed settings and unit size. Higher speed settings ensure a cooler temperature within rooms and provide the user with a higher level of control. Bigger fans on the other hand can cover large areas. are motor drive. Therefore, you will need to verify the size and power of the motor before buying a fan.
Normally, you would expect your fan to be completely silent when it is under use. However, it is often not the case. As a rule of thumb, the higher the price of a fan, the lesser will be the noise that it will make. The noise level of a fan (measured in dBs) can be controlled if can control its speed. To ensure minimal noise of your fan, you will need to operate it at medium or low speed. In case you feel it essential to run the fan at the highest speed throughout the day, then you will need to opt for a bigger fan for your room.
The back-and-forth motion of majority of pedestal, tower and table fans is oscillation. Apart from moving left to right, a number of these fans also have the ability to move up and down. Normally, you can control the oscillation through the use of oscillation through the use of remote control or on buttons on the fan chassis. You can also disable oscillation also in case you feel that you desire air flow to flow to a particular spot. An oscillating fan blade unit moves from side to side. Portable fans that do not come with this feature need to be repositioned in order to offer airflow to another area of the room.
Slip-resistant feet, grounded cord and a ETL safety listing are some of the major safety features that a fan needs to have.
Cord length tends to vary according to the model of the fan as well as its type. A few cords tend to be short while the long ones may come with a length of around nine feet. Fans that are used in offices and commercial establishments usually have long cords. If you want to post the fan close to a wall outlet, then the cord length won't prove to be good issue. On the other hand, if the selected location for the fan is not quite close enough, then length of the cord will matter, unless you decide to opt for an extension cord.
Smaller fans such as desk fans sometimes come with the feature of optional battery compartment. Battery life to a great extent depends on the fan model. It may be as long as 72 hours in a single set of batteries.
Keeping up with the changing times, fan manufacturers are combining the designs of fans with the functionality of radio. The fans that come with this feature can be connected with the user's MP3 player which will enable the person to listen to music from the radio speakers of the fan while enjoying the flow of cool air through the different parts of the room.
Fans that are mostly used in commercial establishments come with in-built outlets which enables the user to connect it with a number of appliances. In the case the area where the fan is used requires the need for highly targeted airflow, then these in-built outlets will ensure that there is no necessity for multiple extension cords or outlets. However, you will need to ensure that there are not too many fans that are connected with each other so as to overload the room's outlet capacity.
Remote controls and programmable times are the normal types of equipment that are used in residential fans that are used in homes. Using a remote, you can easily control the speed and direction of airflow from any direction. You can easily adjust the airflow by changing conditions with the help of a remote. By pre-setting the operating cycle of a timer, you can preset the operating cycle for quite a few hours and turn off your fan once the cycle gets over. It will provide you with the much needed peace of mind, you won't have to overspend on your energy bills.
This feature is applicable in case of tower fans which come with in-built ionizers that are highly effective in cleaning air and doing away static electricity. The machine emits negative ions which will attach themselves to microscopic particles and allergens. Ionizers filter them before the re-circulation of air.
The blades of fans are made from a wide range of materials and come with different types of finishing. Natural wood and painted blades are normally created from solid wood, cross-laminated veneer or more affordable veneered constant-free density board. The normal finishes of fans include cherry, oak, natural, appliance white, bleached oak, burled camphor, black, rosewood, faux granite, high luster etc. Some of these blades come with a reversible finish. You can get a perfect idea of a fan's finish by simply turning it over on the other side.
It is used for measuring airflow which moves from a fan during a specific time period. You need to check the cubic feet(CFM)notation which can help you to differentiate between high output and low output fans.
Revolutions per minute(RPM)is used for measuring the frequency of rotation, i.e. the number of rotations around a fixed axis in one minute. It is used for measurement of rotational speed of fans.
Air Filters- Air Filters are highly effective in removing solid particulates like pollen, mould, bacteria and dust from the air. High flow air filters are known to energy friendly. They are usually made from thin materials, as in case of dust masks. They are usually made from paper, foam or cloth.
Air Cleaners-Air cleaners are suitable for removing odor and gases from air within homes and offices. They come with activated carbon filters and use a process known as adsorption in order to force the gases and odors to get attached using a chemical reaction. Some of the most common gases and odors that air cleaners help in resolving include cooking odors, indoor pesticides, kitty litter, toxins and tobacco smokes.
Dust Filters-A dust filter is specifically designed in order to remove particles from air. They help in checking asthma, allergies or respiratory problem to people within homes and offices. It is therefore, an important tool that can be used for maintaining air quality. Though dust filters are also used within homes, a dust filter is widely used in industrial settings. It can remove not only dust, but also ensure the presence of clean air within rooms. As a result, the working environment becomes safer and more desirable for employees to work in. It is also very useful in protecting products and equipment.
Disconnect the fan and wipe the blades well and wash the safety grills with care.
Follow the directions mentioned by the fan manufacturer to clean or replace filters and screens on fans.
In case the fan happens to shake while being in use, and check the bolts by attaching the blades to the fan motor.
Turn off the fan when you don't need to, in order to minimize wear and tear.


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Where's The Love?
We'll get to our Venezuela : Down The Rabbit Hole segment in a minute but first a few items from the weekend's news feed… I've always been a believer in the old saying, "Don't tell me you love me, show me." This applies to just about everything you hear coming out of Chavismo. Case in point, Nicolas Maduro constantly professes his love for "indigenous peoples". (He says the same for the Venezuelan people in general, but that's another story) Caracas Chronicles had this to say :
On March 20th four members of the indigenous Yanomami community were murdered by the Venezuela military in a dispute over a WiFi pass code in Amazonas. On July 1st, also in Amazonas, indigenous leader, Virgilio Trujillo Arana, was murdered after denouncing the expansion of illegal mining and presence of irregular armed groups on indigenous lands. Later in July members of the indigenous Jivi community were murdered in Bolivar state. Nobody has been charged with any of these crimes.
The Maduro regime hasn't admitted that indigenous peoples Yanomami, Yakuana, Sanema, Pemon, Wattuja, Piapoco, Karina, and Warao have suffered forced displacement, disappearances, murders, extortion, sexual and gender violence, and they endure malnutrition, lack of housing, unemployment, lack of access to utilities, and other structural problems. In 23 years Chavismo hasn't designed any public policy to deal with these issues. They did, however, re-brand October 12th as "Indigenous Resistance Day". Like all Chavista proaganda…It means nothing. Where's the love?
Moving on…we have Mehr news telling us that the CEO of Iranian Gas Engineering and Development Company, Reza Noshadi, met with VP of Venezuela Oil Company for gas affairs, Juan Santana, to pursue gas projects in Venezuela. Noshadi said "This company …is regarded as the largest developer of gas projects in the world… and is interested in designing and supplying goods and implementing oversea projects." For his part, Santana said "Venezuela is interested in exploiting Iran's experience in LNG production projects." All this comes as Venezuela is also talking to Colombia about restoring a gas pipeline. Maybe the Chavista destruction of it's oil production capability is so pervasive that it's turning to gas? Just thinking out loud…
Then we have Reuters reporting that retired Venezuela General, Cliver Alcala, facing US drug charges, says his involvement in a plot to oust Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro shows he's innocent. He claims there is exculpatory evidence based on his meetings with the CIA from 2017 – 2020. The CIA and federal prosecutors declined to comment.
And we have Rio Times reporting that Chile and Costa Rica have been elected to the UN Human Rights Council, a move that ousted Venezuela due to the fact that there were only two open seats for the region. Human Rights defenders everywhere are celebrating…for now.
Then we have a follow-up, sort of a well, that didn't take long kinda' thing. Reuters reports that US District Court Judge, Leonard P. Stark, approved an auction schedule for the sale of CITGO shares. As of now, the sale wouldn't happen until late 2023 or early 2024. It's all up to the US Treasury Department which currently has protections in place for CITGO but may choose not to extend them.
Last week we told you about the heavy rains in Venezuela that caused landslides that killed dozens of people with many more missing. A landslide basically wiped out the town of Las Tejerias. Caracas Chronicles reports that Maduro decreed three days of national mourning and went to Las Tejerias with his VP, Delcy Rodriguez (can you say photo opp?). His tour of the town was broadcast as if he were campaigning. He admitted that he knew the soil was saturated 10 days before the tragedy which means the government knew the risk of a landslide yet didn't evacuate.
The government refuses to invest in early alert programs for this kind of situation (it can be done easily and cheaply so…they just don't care) and their "constant monitoring" isn't public information. There's no demographic information since it's been decades since the last census. The local Governor criticized videos on social media saying they cause anguish. Minister of Interior, Remigio Ceballos, said unauthorized vehicles or people won't get in unless they have the "right credentials". (that means nobody gets in) He also asked journalists "not to interfere" and to get their information from State media. He threatened to bring those who challenge this order (those who try to get real information) to the authorities even though he violates citizen's right to information, journalist's right to work, and freedom of expression.
My take is that it was a preventable disaster, Maduro, almost without knowing, admitted the government knew of the danger (then he quickly moved on), and the Maduro regime is throwing a blanket over the whole thing so the people will only know what the Chavistas want them to know and the government will do nothing, or at least the bare minimum, to avert future disasters like this.
Now it's time to head Down The Rabbit Hole….
Chapter 3/ Killing The Goose That Laid The Golden Eggs
Venezuela's government-owned oil company, PDVSA, was once the envy of the entire oil-producing world. They were a founding member of OPEC (Oil Producing and Exporting Countries), the cartel that controls production and therefore pricing for much of the world's oil. Through years of savvy business administration, not to mention sitting on top of the world's largest proven oil reserves, PDVSA became an economic powerhouse. The government was smart enough to more or less allow them a free hand and just sat back and taxed the profits which, as you might expect, were substantial.
The government nationalized PDVSA in 1976, however, they were astute enough to allow the company to operate, more or less, autonomously, and continue with their partnerships and special associations with a group of large multinational oil companies.
I liken the situation to that of Hong Kong when it was still under British control. When the governor of Hong Kong, a Scotsman, was asked what his greatest fear was for the economy of one of the world's financial hot spots he said "I can only hope the powers that be, back in London, don't try to fix it."
In 1998 PDVSA was the largest company in Latin America and the 10th most profitable company in the world. It was the world's 5th largest oil exporter with a workforce of approximately 40,000. It had a healthy contingent of experienced engineers, financial professionals, and outstanding operational support. All that would soon be put to the test.
In December, 1998 Hugo Chavez was elected president of Venezuela. The former paratrooper was a man without much formal education, training, or experience in politics, business, or pretty much anything else but he was extremely charismatic. He swept in on a populist wave promising to lift the everyday people of Venezuela out of poverty and allow them to benefit from the oil riches as did the country's elite. His "Bolivarian Socialism" was heralded as "The New Socialism For The 21st Century". It was going to right the wrongs of the past and correct all the inequities and, truth be told, there were a lot of them. I won't say he promised free everything for everybody, as you hear today, to a degree, but he was definitely leaning that way. The Noam Chomskys and Sean Penns of the world led the parade of academics, politicians, economists, and revolutionary wannabes fawning over how great this was going to be.


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DE · Topics · Simulate
Forecasting the Next Epidemic with High Performance Computing
High performance computing is critical to detecting and studying infectious disease transmission.
Increasingly, researchers are turning to big data sets and large-scale computational models to support policymakers during epidemic emergencies. Image courtesy of gettyimages/ktsimage.
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By David Raths
When infectious diseases such as the Ebola and Zika viruses threaten to spread, epidemiologists look for ways to forecast the trajectory of an outbreak as quickly as possible to assist the public health policy response. Increasingly, researchers are turning to big data sets and large-scale computational models to support policymakers during epidemic emergencies. Mathematical models can generate forecasts of the progression of epidemics based on a variety of variables and potential actions taken to counter their spread.
One example is the Research and Policy for Infectious Disease Dynamics (RAPIDD) program coordinated by the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In 2015, RAPIDD ran an Ebola modeling exercise in which eight teams from U.S., U.K. and Canadian universities and several U.S. government agencies were tasked with predicting when Ebola would peak in Liberia and how it would progress between September and December 2015. Each team was given four different Ebola scenarios to model, each with different levels of containment. The teams were free to choose the parameters they would add to their model. The results were presented and compared at a two-day forum.
Nextstrain is an open-source project to harness the scientific and public health potential of pathogen genome data, for example to track and visualize the evolution of the Zika virus in real-time. One visualization example is shown here. Image courtesy of nextstrain.org.
"Ebola was the first case of developing such a model anywhere in Africa," says Cecile Viboud, a senior scientist at the Fogarty Center. The models contained detail about the population's household makeups, how people traveled, data on environmental factors, as well as fine-grained detail about the disease transmission process. "We had them predict a few weeks ahead the trajectory and watched how well their models worked," she says. "The idea is to try to learn for the next time with better models and to have better coordination between teams when the next crisis arises."
All these models are run on high-performance computer clusters. A simulation is just one representation of the results you could get, Viboud says, so doing hundreds of simulations with slightly tweaked parameters takes time, even with a big cluster. All of the modeling teams involved have access to high-performance clusters to run their models, and software has been developed to handle the management and analysis of epidemic simulations stemming from large-scale computational models. For instance, a platform called epiDMS was developed to address the need to generate, search, visualize and analyze large volumes of epidemic simulation data and observations during the progression of an epidemic.
Viboud says that one research group RAPIDD has worked with is led by Alessandro Vespignani, a professor at Northeastern University, whose team also developed models and interactive maps to make projections about the spread and impact of the Zika virus in 2017. According to a description on the Northeastern website, his team of 14 researchers "uses large-scale computational epidemic models that integrate socio-demographic and travel data of target populations along with simulations of infection transmission among millions of individuals to reconstruct disease spread in the past and project it into the future."
A sister effort to RAPIDD at NIH is called The Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study (MIDAS), a collaboration of research and informatics groups to develop computational models of the interactions between infectious agents and their hosts, disease spread, prediction systems and response strategies. MIDAS says it has produced a number of software packages to help local, state and federal public health officials prepare for and respond to infectious disease emergencies.
Studying Air Travel
Another approach to studying the spread of infectious diseases is to look at air travel. Funded by the National Science Foundation, the VIPRA Project is a multi-university effort to analyze new strategies for reducing the risk of spread of viral infections through air travel. (VIPRA stands for Viral Infection Propagation Through Air Travel.)
When the Ebola outbreak in Africa happened, some people called for travel bans from affected countries, notes Ashok Srinivasan, a professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of West Florida and a lead investigator of the VIPRA Project. Travel bans, however, have a big impact, not just on the spread of the infection, but on local economies and people's lives, he adds. "Can we take some actions that are not as drastic as banning air travel but at the same time would reduce the likelihood of infection spreading? That is our goal — to identify procedural or policy steps that could be taken to decrease the likelihood of infection spreading without disrupting air travel."
The researchers are integrating models of how people move and interact during air travel with a computational infrastructure that is designed for simulation-based policy analysis on some of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, including Blue Waters at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications at the University of Illinois. (Blue Waters uses hundreds of thousands of computational cores to achieve peak performance of more than 13 quadrillion calculations per second.)
A radial data visualization example from Nextstrain, an open-source project to track and visualize data in real-time. Images courtesy of nextstrain.org.
Srinivasan explains how the VIPRA Project takes advantage of Blue Waters. "We parameterize the sources of uncertainty and perform simulations to cover the range of uncertainties," he says. For instance, they look at how long it takes to board a plane and stow luggage. Once those variations are taken into account, the number of scenarios becomes very large and a sequential computation cannot solve it, he says. "This approach leads to high computational cost, which is handled through massive parallelization on Blue Waters."
Srinivasan says VIPRA's results show potential for substantial reduction in Ebola spread by changing current boarding and disembarkation procedures. Among their findings:
Random boarding leads to lower risk of infection spread;
Boarding has a higher impact than deplaning; and
Smaller planes are better than larger ones in terms of lower risk of infection spread.
The VIPRA team has worked to fine-tune its simulations to get better run times and has been able to take them from 20 minutes to less than 1 minute, Srinivasan says. "Blue Waters provides us access to a large number of processors so that, if a new infection comes, we will be up and running really quickly."
Genomic epidemiology is a field in which whole genome sequencing is used to investigate key infectious disease-causing microbes with a goal of understanding how they spread and cause illness. A Canadian open source project, the Integrated Rapid Infectious Disease Analysis (IRIDA) platform was developed to support real-time infectious disease outbreak investigations using whole genome sequencing data. IRIDA is designed for use in public health, food safety and clinical microbiology labs.
One of the principal investigators, William Hsiao, a senior scientist at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control's Public Health Laboratory, says the IRIDA platform was set up to allow DNA sequence data from disease-causing bacteria to be shared with other researchers. "By achieving more timely data sharing and allowing more people to do analysis, we are streamlining the process of infectious disease outbreak investigations," he says.
IRIDA is taking advantage of Cedar, the new advanced research computing system at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., which is the most powerful academic supercomputer in Canada.
Analyzing and processing the DNA sequencing is both memory- and CPU-intensive, Hsiao explains. "Having a large cluster means we can be scalable and can process more data in parallel. Previously available clusters were designed more for CPU-intensive tasks commonly used in physics and math, but bioinformatics work requires more memory," he says. "The new Cedar cluster has nodes that are designed to facilitate high-memory analyses that are quite common in bioinformatics."
The IRIDA project leaders are working toward making the software platform more portable with a specific goal of making it cloud-compatible. "That way, people could easily deploy the platform in the commercial cloud without having to have a dedicated cluster or dedicated personnel to install the software," Hsiao says. "We want the IRIDA platform to be compatible with different high-performance computing environments, and we are working toward that."
For mathematical models to have a greater impact on infectious disease response, it is important to have modelers embedded in public health settings, says the Fogarty Center's Viboud. She adds that, although modelers are interested in research questions and in creating the best model possible, there is an issue of timeliness. "If you want to make a prediction about public health, you have to be quick and applied, so you have to find the right interface between modelers and public health experts," she adds. "That is a dialog that is still happening."
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Digital Engineering https://www.digitalengineering247.com/article/forecasting-the-next-epidemic-with-high-performance-computing/ https://www.digitalengineering247.com/article/forecasting-the-next-epidemic-with-high-performance-computing/ Last updated October 31, 2018


The US$ is "King of the World" at the moment. The resulting weakness in markets has brought mortgage rates back into positive territory for US consumers.
I have a special comment up at XE.com.
Given what has been happening with corporate profits, and the likely impact of China's currency devaluation, this really shouldn't be a surprise.
To find out, click on over to my new post up at XE.com.
See, I can write a clickbait headline just like Business Insider!
The implications of the child care cost crush for median household income and "shadow unemployment"
The other day I showed that there is compelling evidence that the primary reason for the long term decline in the Labor Force Participation Rate in the 25 - 54 age range is the increasing real cost of child care, coupled with stagnant to declining real wages in the lower paying jobs typically taken by the second earner in a two earner household.
Today I have a few more precise graphs, and discuss the implications for median household income and the issue of "shadow unemployment" or "missing workers."
thie number of people aged 25-54 who told the Census Bureau that they were out of the labor force, but wanted a job now, peaked in 2011.
The Pew study found that as of 2012 the vast majority -- 85% -- of stay at home married mothers say the reason for not working is to take care of their children. Note also that the number of women staying at home is much larger for age groups 25-54 than for those either young or older. The only thing not making this the ultimate "smoking gun" supporting the child care cost crunch thesis is that the study makes no comparison with 1999.
Aside from the unemployment rate, working age people dropping out of the labor force due to increasing child care costs is the most important reason for the failure of median household income to return to its level in 2000. After all, giving up a second income necessarily means that the household's income is less than otherwise.
Finally, here is a graph of what the Economic Policy Institute calls "missing workers:"
potential workers who, because of weak job opportunities, are neither employed nor actively seeking a job. In other words, these are people who would be either working or looking for work if job opportunities were significantly stronger. Because jobless workers are only counted as unemployed if they are actively seeking work, these "missing workers" are not reflected in the unemployment rate.
Note that this has been rising since 2007, unlike virtually all other metrics.
I have been critical of this measure, which is based on projections from a 2006 Regional Fed study. The Census Bureau's series "Not in Labor Force, Want a Job Now" measures exactly what the EPI claims to be calculating, and that peaked out about 4 years ago. To the point, parents who stay at home to raise their children and tell the Census Bureau month after month that they quite simply don't want a job now are not "missing" from the unemployment rate.
But since increased wages, especially for lower quintile jobs, change the equation for families considering whether to have the second spouse work, i.e., increased real wages should result in more spouses opting to work, the Center's "missing workers" statistic, including its continued slow rise, makes perfect sense if we describe it not as those who have dropped out of the work force, but would return if the job market was strong, but rather as those who would return to work if wages were better.
The effects of the child care cost crush not only unravel the mystery of the decline in the prime working age Labor Force Participation Rate, but it is also the missing piece in the puzzle of the similar secular decline in real median household income, and the rise in "missing workers." Once we include these effects, almost all of the mysteries in current labor market statistics disappear.
So let's look at a couple of useful bits of information.
Basically, all of the existing trends are still intact.
I have a new post up at XE.com analyzing this morning's housing permits and starts report. We are neither Delivered nor Doomed.
Do rising child care costs & stagnant wages explain the declin e in the Labor Force Participation Rate ?
What is driving the long term decline, shown in the graph below, in the labor force participation rate (LFPR) among prime working age adults, ages 25-54?
If the primary explanation for the decrease in the employment-population ratio for ages 25-54 were the inability to find a job, the result of the two calculations should be the same. In fact, the second calculation (in blue) gives me a much lower value. That tells us that the primary driver of the increase in persons not being employed in age group 25-54 is not poor job prospects.
There is compelling evidence that the main culprit is increased child care costs, paired with stagnant or declining real wages.
Let's start with a framework for the discussion. Many families face a familiar choice between hiring a contractor vs. doing it yourself for a variety of tasks. For example, do I mow my lawn myself, or do I let a landscaper do it? All else being equal, higher costs for hiring a contractor will cause some increase in the number of homeowners who decide to do the task themselves. The same process would apply to other tasks, like hiring a painter or someone to install a new automatic garage door.
But since all of the above tasks can be done on nights or weekends, a choice to perform them doesn't mean the homeowner doesn't have to give up time from work to go the DIY route.
Child care stands alone. A choice not to send children to day care inevitably means limiting at least one spouse to part-time work, or dropping out of the labor force entirely. In other words, the cost of day care must be weighed against the income earned from a job. This is a balance: the higher the cost of daycare, or the lower income earned from a job, the more we should expect a parent to choose part-time work or dropping out of the labor force entirely.
So, what has been happening to the costs of child care? And what has been happening with real wages, especially in the lowest two quintiles of paying jobs, which a second income earner in a household is likely to be in (the primary earner by definition holding a higher paying job)? There is strong circumstantial evidence that both the real cost of day care has risen, and real pay in the lowest two quintiles has been particularly hard hit. In other words, the data supports a hypothesis that the secular decline in the LFPR among working age families has largely being driven by the issue of child care.
There's been a growing push for childcare workers to be better trained and educated, and the costs associated with those efforts make it tougher for managers to scrape up pay increases for existing personnel, said Anna Carter, president of the Chapel Hill, North Carolina-based Child Care Services Association.The mismatch in supply and demand has made childcare a "broken market," said Marcy Whitebook, director and founder of the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California at Berkeley.
"Mothers who do work are paying more than ever for child care. In inflation-adjusted dollars, average weekly child care expenses for families with working mothers who paid for child care (24% of all such families) rose more than 70% from 1985 ($87) to 2011 ($148), according to research by the Census Bureau. For those families, child-care expenses represent 7.2% of family income, compared to 6.3% in 1986 (the earliest year available).
Last year, the average cost of child day care in the US was $11,666, according to Babycenter.com. Meanwhile, an earner at the top of the 5th quintile, working a full time job, is making about $19,000 a year; a worker at the top of the 4th quintile, about $25,000.
That means a household with a second earner whose job pays among the lowest 20%, and well into the lowest 40%, might actually have a net financial gain by foregoing the second income to dispense with day care costs, and get the benefit of having a parent at home full time to run the household and be with the kids when they aren't in school.
While I have been unable to locate any data specifically quantifying the average or median incomes of primary vs. secondary earners in a two income hosusehold, a 2009 study by the BLS found that the median part time secondary earner makes 62.8% of part time primary earner But if anything, that percentage is too high, since most two income households are probably either both full time workers, or a full time worker and a part time worker.
More to the point is a December 2013 paper by the Hamilton Project, which found that the median 1 earner family income was ~$40,000, while the median 2 earner family income was ~$60,000.
By implication, the median part time earner only makes about 1/2 of primary earner, $20,000 vs. $40,000. Even that disparity is probably underestimating the true number, since the primary earner by definition is earning more, and is probably earning more than the median of all workers.
Remember that we are dealing with the *change* in the cost-benefit analysis that families make. As a simple matter of supply and demand, that day care costs have far outrun inflation, and that real wages among the lower two quintiles of jobs have declined, and declilned by more than the upper quintiles, implies that more parents would make the choice to stay at home.
By this time, the kids are in college if not already out of the house.
The new Pew Research Center report found that in 1989, only 5 percent of the 1.1 million at-home fathers said they were home to be primary caregivers. That share has increased four-fold now to 21 percent, a sign not only of the power of economics in reshaping traditional family structures, but of shifting gender norms.
"The assumption that a lot of people make is that the number of stay-at-home dads went up because of the recession. And while that's absolutely true, even if you take out that trend altogether, the fact is the number has been going up over time, regardless. And the biggest increase is in the share of fathers who want to stay home to take care of kids," said Gretchen Livingston, author of the new report. "That's very striking."
The Pew Research study findings are nearly a "smoking gun" in support of the thesis that that the increase in stay at home parents are the force driving the decrease in the prime working age LFPR.
In other words, even shortly after the end of the recession, 45% of the entire increase in stay at home dads since 1989 was in order to raise the children. While by no means a perfect fit, that is still pretty close to a "smoking gun."
Update: The BLS tables show that between 2001 - 2014, the number of people age 25 - 54 who are not in the labor force and did not want a job increased 3.3 million from 17.8 million to 21.1 million. No graphs, but the raw data can be found here. While not directly comparable, Pew showed an increase of this number by 2.6 million from 1989 through 2012, the lion's share of which occurred after 2000. That means the only missing piece of the puzzle is how much of the increase in women staying at home, about 600,000 from 1989-2012 as derived from the Pew data, is for child care reasons.
The share of mothers who do not work outside the home rose to 29% in 2012, up from a modern-era low of 23% in 1999, ... A growing share of stay-at-home mothers (6% in 2012, compared with 1% in 2000) say they are home with their children because they cannot find a job.
A little math shows that the number of stay at home moms for reasons *other* than inability to find a job has risen by 4.5% from 22.8% in 1999 to 27.3% in 2012. The Pew study on women does not break down this remaining number by those staying home due to disability, retirement, education, or other reasons besides raising children.
Of course this is not conclusive, and correlation is not necessarily causation. In particular, I have no information as to how the real median wage of second earners has changed over time.
the decision to be a stay at home jparent in a two earner family should rise when child care costs rise and/or lower quintile wages fall.
although we do not have the equuivalent data for women, the cirucmstantial evidence is compelling that the i ncreased real costs of child care vs. wages are the primary explanation for the secular decline in the LFPR among working age families over the last 15 years.
Via Mark Thoma, Prof. Stephen Williamson writes a nice, thorough post on the state of the labor market, which is well worth reading in full.
Early in the post-recession period, people were speculating as to whether the rightward shift in the Beveridge curve was due to cyclical factors (the Beveridge curve always shifts rightward in a recession) or some phenomenon related to mismatch in the labor market (the unemployed don't have skills that match well with the posted vacancies). Perhaps surprisingly, the Beveridge curve has not shifted back, with the end of the Great Recession now more than 6 years in the rearview mirror. That would seem to put the kabosh on cyclical explanations for the phenomenon. But it's not clear that mismatch fares any better in explaining the Beveridge curve shift. If that's the explanation, why doesn't the mismatch between the searchers and the searched-for go away?"
Employment growth is currently strong, and by most measures the labor market is currently somewhat tight to very tight.
In other words, the labor market is tight because even with a U3 unemployment rate of 5.3%, job openings are soaring. Although he doesn't mention it, there are more job openings now than even during the height of the tech bubble at the beginning of 2000!
1. During 2011-12, wage growth declined. Unfilled vacancies rose.
2. In 2013-early 2014, wage growth improved. Unfilled job opensings plateuaed.
Note that at 2%, YoY wage increases are well below even the 2003-07 average of about 3.5%.
This is a market which is not clearing. Prospective employers and employees are at a standoff. To put it less charitably, employers can't find workers to fill their job openings ... for the paltry wages they want to pay them. With near record corporate profits, that isn't a tight labor market. It's tight-wads.


text:
#if net40
using System;
using System.Threading;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Shouldly.Tests.TestHelpers;

namespace Shouldly.Tests.ShouldNotThrow
{
    public class FuncOfTaskScenario : ShouldlyShouldTestScenario
    {
        protected override void ShouldThrowAWobbly()
        {
            var task = Task.Factory.StartNew(() => { throw new RankException(); },
                CancellationToken.None, TaskCreationOptions.None,
                TaskScheduler.Default);

            task.ShouldNotThrow("Some additional context");
        }

        protected override string ChuckedAWobblyErrorMessage
        {
            get
            {
                return @"task should not throw System.RankException but does
Additional Info:
Some additional context";
            }
        }

        protected override void ShouldPass()
        {
            var task = Task.Factory.StartNew(() => { },
                CancellationToken.None, TaskCreationOptions.None,
                TaskScheduler.Default);

            task.ShouldNotThrow();
        }
    }
}
#endif


text:
RushOrderTees In The News
See What They're Saying About Us!
RushOrderTees In The Press
The scare that led to a T-shirt empire
A "can-do" moment was the start of what is now Printfly Corp., one of the largest custom, online, direct-to-consumer, high-tech T-shirt printing businesses in the country with two thriving brands, RushOrderTees.com and College.Ink. Based in Northeast Philadelphia, it has 251 employees (70 percent millennials), and designs and prints six million to eight million shirts a year.
Finch Post
Culture Counts - Rob Levin, COO of Printfly
Rob Levin, COO of Printfly shares his perspectives on the role of brand and culture after joining a business that experienced explosive organic growth. His insight speaks to the importance of these elements in sustaining and supercharging the next stage of the business.
Philadelphia Business Journal
6 things to know about the 76ers new T-shirt partner
The Philadelphia 76ers have added Northeast Philadelphia custom T-shirt printing and design company PrintFly to its roster of corporate partners. The deal provides the 14-year-old family-run company with a variety of online and in-game promotion opportunities, along with handling the Sixers' T-shirt needs. Here are six things you probably didn't know about PrintFly.
BusinessTown
How to Compete in an Overcrowded Industry
When people think personalization, the mind often wanders to the t-shirt industry—talk about an overcrowded market. The rise of e-commerce capabilities has seen numerous t-shirt businesses like www.rushordertees.com launched across the globe, and to stay competitive, the ability to personalize products has become the new normal.
Think a 401(k) Is Not a Sexy Benefit? Competition May Change That
Michael Nemeroff started Printfly, which runs RushOrderTees.com, a custom T-shirt printing business, with his brother and sister in 2002 in Philadelphia. He began offering a 401(k) retirement plan within the last year for his 180 employees, 80 percent of whom are millennials. It was a great tool for recruiting and retaining employees, he said.
Inc Magazine
Inc. 5000 2016: The Full List
RushOrderTees.com was listed #2317 on Inc. Magazine's annual list of the 5000 fastest-growing private companies in America.
From a Garage to the Inc. 5000: RushOrderTees.com Among America's Fastest-Growing Private Companies
RushOrderTees.com, a PrintFly company, was ranked #2317 on Inc. magazine's 35th annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. Over the past three years, RushOrderTees.com has grown 157 percent, purchased and moved into a 65,000-square-foot facility, and increased production by 250 percent. In 2016 alone, it added more than 60 jobs and formed official relationships with professional sports organizations, including the Philadelphia 76ers.
Technical.ly Philly
23 Philly-area companies make Inc. 5000 list
No. 2317 on the list was an ecommerce company out of Northeast Philly called RushOrderTees.com. The self-billed "printing geeks" made the cut for the first time.
Philly Voice
Philly custom apparel company snags coveted spot on list of fastest-growing private businesses
One Philadelphia-based company is making waves after being named one of the fastest-growing private businesses in the country.RushOrderTees.com, a custom apparel company, has grown 157 percent in the past three years and reported $22.9 million revenue for 2015. They've even secured an apparel deal with the city's beloved 76ers for the upcoming season.
Aug 2016
About RushOrderTees


The internet is a big part of daily life and more and more care and support services can be bought online.
You can also use the internet to discover how to get the most from your personal budgets and direct payments and advice to manage your money in the best way for you.
When you are using the internet, particularly if you are paying for things online, it is essential to know how to protect yourself and your personal information.
To protect you and your computer and mobile devices, the Get Safe Online website has practical advice, easy to understand information and the latest news, tips and stories from across the world.
Whatever you use your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone for, it is important to protect them from online threats.
Computer and web related words can be very confusing at times. The Get Safe Online Jargon Buster can help you understand them.
Your computer and devices are also at risk from physical theft. This is particularly the case for tablets and smartphones which are often used while out in public.
There is also plenty of help online with the BBC Webwise website. The site is not updated anymore, but still has excellent information for staying safe and making the most of the internet.
Your local library will also be able to help, with staff members able to answer basic questions, give you a helping hand and get you started. If you do not have your own computer Solihull Libraries can give you 2 hours free internet access too.
Your local library may also run computer training courses from time to time.
Using a computer to get online can bring the world to your fingertips.
From learning the basics to get started with a computer and get connected to the internet, to showing you how to socialise with your friends and make new friends, there is plenty of help online.
Having access to a computer and being able to browse the internet is a great way to stay more independent.
AbilityNet is a charity and company working to improve the lives of disabled people through digital technology.
AbilityNet is an excellent resource for you and your carer to get the best from the internet, with the website offering advice and information.
You can also download the free Staying Safe on Social Media and Online publication from the Foundation for People with Learning Disabilities website.
The internet is a great place for keeping in touch with friends, sharing selfies, looking for the latest celebrity gossip and catching up on your favourite programs.
STOP and THINK before you post anything, particularly pictures or videos. Are you sure you want the whole world to be able to see it and use it themselves?
The internet is ideal for young people and many vulnerable people. It means that information is just a click away, making it a great place to go to help with homework, shop for a bargain and find opening hours easily.
It is also perfect for young people to stay in touch with friends instantly through blogs and social networks and challenge the world to online gaming tournaments.
However, it can also be a bad place to be, with some people acting like predators and looking for vulnerable people.


The Chief's Shop Multipurpose Stool/Side Table can be used in a home office, bedroom, kitchen, shop... you get the idea. You can knock this one out in just an afternoon. Overall dimensions: 24 1/2 inches wide x 25 inches deep x 17 1/2 inches high.
You'll need a miter saw, jigsaw (optional), drill driver, and Kreg Jig to build it.


The National Electrical Code requires ground fault current interrupting (GFCI) outlets in bathrooms, kitchens, outdoors and anywhere else water is likely to be present. The breaker inside a GFCI outlet trips when it detects a sudden surge of current, such as would be caused by holding an ungrounded appliance while standing in water. GFCIs have two buttons in front, often colored red and black. The black button is for testing the outlet, while the red one is for resetting it in the event that it trips.
GFCI outlets have two buttons on the front.
Check the breaker controlling the circuit in which the GFCI is installed if the red button is out and won't stay in when you push it. Reset it if it is tripped and push the reset button on the GFCI again.
Unplug all appliances plugged into outlets downstream of the GFCI. Even though the outlets may not be GFCIs, a faulty appliance or a ground fault in an appliance plugged into one of them will prevent the GFCI from resetting.
Turn off the breaker to the circuit and unscrew the cover plate from the GFCI with a screwdriver. Unscrew the GFCI from the electrical box. Inspect the wire connections and verify that the live circuit is connected to the terminals marked "Line," usually the upper pair, and that the cable going to other outlets is connected to the "Load" terminals, usually the bottom pair. Correct the wiring if the cables are reversed.
Push the black test button if the red button is all the way in but there is no power to the GFCI or the outlets connected to it. The red button should pop out. If it doesn't, the GFCI is probably defective.


This bright and busy book tells the story of Mr. Renny, a painter whose works resemble their subjects so vividly indistinguishable from the real thing. Sadly, the economic downturn hits artists where it hurts, and Mr. Renny's stall at the local market is passed over for his friend Rose's bountiful produce stand. One day a stranger appears and makes a strange offer to the painter. If he would like, with the bite of an apple, he can paint things and have them actually be real. This is a lovely book; Leo Timmers artwork is packed with details.


Tomas is studying in Cairns with Cairns College of English and Business.
"Cairns College of English is helping me to get my English better. I can speak and communicate with people here in Cainrs and met lots of new great friends.It is my best experience.Nice people, friendly staff, and very good teachers," says Tomas.