Mugsy's Rap Sheet » We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Outrage for… More Outrage.
We Interrupt Our Regularly Scheduled Outrage for… More Outrage.
There was no shortage of things to talk about this week, with the a record-setting blizzard hitting the North-East, GOP feux-outrage over the use of "drones" as part of a secret National Defense policy where the government asserted it can kill anyone overseas deemed a threat to National Security… even United States citizens. And, of course, Tuesday night will be the President's State of the Union Address, where he is expected to lay out his priorities for his second term. But something even more traumatic… for me personally… came up last Friday that I feel I just have to talk about first. "Lefty's Autopsy". You might remember me mentioning two weeks ago how my beloved cat "Lefty" passed away after being diagnosed with cancer but then being told I had to wait ten days for the next available appointment for a bone marrow biposy before they could perform life-saving surgery on him. But by then, he was too weak and died on the operating room table. 2-1/2 traumatic months and $3,400 dollars later, all I have to show for my ordeal is a tiny urn on my kitchen table. I told the doctor upon his death that I wanted… nay needed… them to perform an autopsy because I HAD to know what happened to him. I finally got those results back Friday, and what I learned turned my sadness into outrage.
With regards to the recent snowstorm, I think my "myth-busting" report on "The Origin of the Global Cooling Myth" (with video), written almost three years ago to the day is worth checking out again. The fabulous 1970's science-oddities TV show "In Search Of…" dedicated an episode claiming to predict "the coming ice age" following the record-breaking North-East blizzard of 1978. Spoiler alert: the predictions were not based on actual science.
On the subject of "Drones" and "war made easy": Forgive my geekiness, but does anyone else remember an episode of Star Trek entitled "A Taste of Armageddon"? (watch it for free here.) Two neighboring planets that had been at war with each other for centuries found a way to "sanitize" war, eliminating the costly destruction caused by "real" war, by using computer simulations to wage attacks upon each other, upon which citizens living in the areas struck by "virtual bombs" then voluntarily walked into "disintegration booths" as the very real casualties of those "virtual attacks". Their war went on for centuries with no incentive to seek peace because they had removed the horror & destruction of war from the equation. I see the same thing happening with our increasing reliance upon unmanned aerial drones to do most of our killing. We've made war too easy. With no draft and a dwindling supply of willing recruits to volunteer to be lambs to slaughter just to perpetuate the lining of pockets by war-profiteers, we had to find new ways of conducting war without soldiers. The result: we now rely on drones… heavily. And as long as the risk to the lives of American troops is reduced or even eliminated, and the only consequences we see of our actions are blurry iPhone images flashed across the TV screen while we stuff our faces with Buffalo Wings and cheese-fries, there is very little incentive for anyone to take to the streets in defense of civilians living in the countries we are at war with caught in the cross-fire. That's how you end up in "the longest war in American history" while Republicans question if we're "leaving too soon".
And lastly, Tuesday will be President Obama's first State of the Union Address since being reelected to a second term. I plan to cover that in more detail in a special edition Wednesday.
But back to Lefty's autopsy. It all began last October. Not having much cash to spare and three cats to feed, I purchased "Purina Cat Chow" for the first time… knowing Lefty was unlikely to like it… because I had a $2 coupon that was about to expire. And sure enough, he didn't, eating only small amounts. At the same time, I was growing increasingly concerned about his two sisters who are grossly overweight. Hearing them eat all night long as I tried to sleep, I started collecting their food before going to bed at night and putting it back out the next morning. After a couple of days of this, Lefty began throwing up in the middle of the night. The first night I didn't think anything of it, the second night I became concerned, and after the third night in a row of him vomiting, I threw away the "Cat Chow" and called my vet to make an appointment, which wouldn't be for another two days. Despite throwing away the "Cat Chow" and leaving other food out for him all night, he continued to barf for the next two days. I finally got him to the vet who diagnosed him as having "pancreatitis", prescribed some bland wet cat food and gave him an injection of antibiotics that would last him ten days. I brought Lefty home the next morning (following a barf-free night) and hand-fed Lefty for the next ten days when he suddenly started throwing up again.
Not willing to trust the first vet again, I called a specialist that agreed to see him the next morning. Another night with poor Lefty throwing up (I was now flushing his throat out with water after vomiting to prevent acid erosion damage… something I should have been doing all along), I rushed him to the specialist the next morning. By now, he was already in very bad shape after having not eaten very much in nearly two weeks (only "Cat Milk" and the bland wet food I was now baby-feeding him). He went from a healthy 16-lbs to just 11-lbs in two weeks. By that time you could see/feel his spine along his back. They gave him IV fluids and aggressive care that included non-anabolic steroids for the next 36 hours before they released him. When I picked him up the next day, I was told Lefty did NOT have "pancreatitis" and the first vet had come to that conclusion based on a test for dogs. The specialist noticed that his spleen felt enlarged and scheduled him for a Sonogram the following Monday. I picked him up Friday evening and Lefty was once again stable with no vomiting.
On Monday, I brought him back for his Sonogram. It showed his spleen was indeed enlarged, so they performed a "needle biopsy" to check for cancer. The biopsy found the presence of "mast cells" indicating he had cancer… which seemed unimaginable as developing in barely two weeks, but I was told the cancer had probably always been there, dormant, coincidentally revealing itself only just now. The only treatment was to remove his spleen at a cost of "around $1,500", being told it wouldn't save his life, only alleviate his discomfort till he succumbed to the cancer in about a year. I couldn't afford such an expensive surgery for something that wasn't a cure, buying him just one more year of life.
I brought Lefty home, saddened by the thought that my pet… who was perfectly healthy just four weeks ago, was now predicted to be dead of cancer in just two months. I jumped online and started Googling "needle biopsies and cancer" to discover "needle biopsies" have a whopping 25% error rate, lending support to my suspicion he could not possibly have developed cancer so quickly.
The following weekend, Lefty started vomiting again. The Specialist was incredibly expensive (two visits totaled $2,300), and not trusting their diagnosis of cancer, I took him to a third vet. I expressed my concern and they reviewed his chart only to "agree" with the previous vet that cancer seemed all but certain and he needed surgery to remove his spleen… which, as I already mentioned, was a lot of money for something that wasn't a cure. They prescribed some anti-nausea medication and a pill for gastrointestinal upset. I also continued the steroids the Specialist had prescribed even after the prescription ended because it was the only thing keeping his strength up (ironically, I take the exact same pill every day, so I gave him some of mine until the vet renewed his prescription.) Lefty did quite well and went another ten days without throwing up. By now I was crushing all his pills together in a pill grinder and filling empty medicine-capsules because forcing three pills twice a day down his throat was pure torture (for us both). Lefty had become quite adept at faking swallowing his pills only to spit them out the moment my back was turned. So forcing three pills became "twelve" as I redeposited the same pills over & over until he finally swallowed them. By now, Lefty was actually eating on his own again, which was good because trying to force specially prescribed bland wet food down his throat was a lesson in futility.
When Lefty started vomiting again about ten days later, a family friend (also a vet) told us of a veterinary surgeon that could remove his spleen for only $700. She referred us to a local veterinary oncologist (pet cancer doctor) that I (incorrectly) presumed was the same doctor that would do the surgery. She wasn't. All she did was examine Lefty, look at his chart, agreed with the first vet's diagnosis of cancer based upon the needle-biopsy and charged us $450.
I went home and started calling every local vet to see if I could find someone that could remove a spleen for less than $700. Instead, I was quoted everything from $3,500 to $4,800. Another family friend suggested "Texas A&M Veterinary School", having once taken his own cat there years ago and only being charged the cost of anesthesia. So I called, but they wanted $2,300 and could not see him for at least a week, which was way too long. Suddenly, $700 didn't sound so bad. I had to stop Lefty from vomiting, even if it only bought him one year, as least it would be a good one with no suffering. I called and scheduled Lefty for surgery in 36 hours.
A day & a half later, I brought Lefty in for surgery and the vet expressed concern over his apparent anemia, saying he would have to run some tests first. I left him there only to receive a call a few hours later saying his blood count was now so low (having fallen from a marginal 19 to just 10 in barely a week) that it suggested the cancer had spread to his bones meaning his cancerous spleen might be the only thing keeping him alive (producing red blood cells) and removing it could kill him. The only way to know was a bone-marrow biopsy. Here I was thinking I'd finally be bringing home a pet no longer in discomfort, and now he would have to wait still longer for yet another test. I once again called every local vet only to be told that "only two places left do animal bone marrow biopsies: one is in California and Texas A&M." So I called TAMU to schedule an appointment and was told the soonest appointment I could get with a veterinary oncologist is in ten days! "Nothing sooner?", I begged? "No, that's the first appointment we have available." How on Earth was I going to keep this poor animal healthy for another ten days?
"Eight days ago", I told her.
"Is there a reason you are waiting so long?" I explained that that was the earliest appointment I could get.
"You always could have brought him into the Emergency Room", she replied, and my heart just sank. Here I was desperately trying to keep this poor animal alive and free of discomfort (never any sign of pain) for the past eight days and now I was being told there was never any need to wait??? I told her that I therefore would be rushing Lefty up there the next morning a day early. I was told to call once I was on my way so they could prepare for him, which I did.
The next day I received a call "before 11am" as promised to let me know how the surgery went. At 10:30, the doctor called, started using words in the past tense that I knew meant the worst had happened, and told me Lefty was in cardiac arrest, was being given CPR, and even if they revived him, he would probably be on a respirator at a cost of $10,000, asking me what they should do. Knowing Lefty's quality of life was now over, I tearfully gave them permission to stop their resuscitation efforts and greenlighted an autopsy for an additional $50 because I HAD to know what killed him. With two more cats at home, I couldn't risk this happening to them. I was told (not at that time) that it would take two weeks for the results.
Two weeks was last Thursday and no call. Friday I called and they agreed to email me the results. I was stunned (but not surprised) by the findings.
As you've probably guessed by now, I was right and Lefty didn't have cancer. Reading the report with my jaw agape, the words "Cause of death: unknown" stood out like a dagger in my heart. Plowing through lots of medical jargon (which I've gotten quite good at interpreting following years of battling my own health issues years ago), buried towards the end, almost in passing, I read that an ulcer was found in his stomach. The poor animal suffered for two weeks and died of a completely curable stomach ulcer (which would explain why he responded so well to the antibiotics the first vet put him on despite the misdiagnosis of pancreatitis.) Lots of internal damage from the chronic vomiting, and the presence of precancerous "mast cells" in his spleen and liver were reported. His bone marrow was fine, and the words "cancer" or "carcinoma" appear nowhere in the two-page report, but the word "presumed" appears several times.
The Moral of this story: No one cares about your health (or the health of those you love) more than you do. If something doesn't sound right, you're probably right.
So sorry to hear of your loss. I quickly lost my 23 lb "tuxedo" tabby, Boots, a couple years back at age 7. I was only out $160 after one vet visit, receiving the diagnosis of Hepatic lipidosis, feline fatty liver disease. It is becoming more common with a growing pet obesity problem in our nation. My vet said to be prepared to lose him soon so we just tried to make his last days as comfortable as possible with pain killers. A week before he died he was his normal energetic self, then suddenly started a lot of vomiting. My vet told me to quit feeding him and his sister, Smokey, dry food like Friskies, Cat Chow. Similar to today's human food, many pet foods on the market are too full of carbs and calories. He recommended California Natural or Buffalo Blue foods. The latter foods are twice the price but Smokey is now 11 and never been sick a day in her life.
I did have my boxer euthanized a few years back as he was diagnosed with colon cancer and the vet then wanted $3K for surgery. He was 14 years and getting very lame in his hips so his quality of life was quickly deteriorating. But I stayed with him to the very last. It was very disturbing to have his trusting eyes staring at me. Our pets love us unconditionally.
Now, I have been in chemo and radiation these past couple of months. The chemo drugs brought about some cardiac events twice causing me two hospital stays of 9 days at St. Luke's and Clear Lake Heart Hospital. I've had just about every test there is. Sometimes feel like I have "cash cow" written on my forehead because I have decent insurance. I've seen over 15 different physicians in the past few months. Seems like a lot of duplication of testing, especially blood testing since bone marrow has been compromised and blood cell/platelet counts have been low. I'm so tired of needle sticks. Even with Medicare and a supplemental policy, I am still paying thousands in co-pays.
According to the report, "Lefty" also developed "lipidosis" (fat in his liver). Not surprising because of all the weight loss and his liver trying to draw energy by burning fat (which cats don't do very well.) Sorry to hear about the loss of your own tabby. Your account sounds very familiar: an otherwise energetic cat up to the day he died. And my concern over his sister's obesity leading me to focus more on low-carb "wet" food and less on dry food… I was on that same road.
Also sorry to hear about your own health issues. I was misdiagnosed at the age of 20, and the doctors ignored my protests. Your body will tell you what you need and what is wrong or right. Listen to it and you'll feel much better.
I have four of those tiny urns on top of my bookcase. I know how hard it is to lose a beloved pet and my heart goes out to you.
So sorry to read about your and Lefty's bloody ordeal. Kitties are meat eaters so feed 'em (bite sized portions of bird (chicken…livers, especially, turkey, etc); fish (freshwater or sea,shrimp,lobster,etc); beef; pork; rabbit; and etc Cook it lightly…season it with a little salt, etc. I've had cats that like cantalope and cheese (cream cheese, too.) They like and need greens (live growing…including catnip.) Supplement this real food with a variety of flavors of premium dry food (the best you can afford.)My kitties all love whole milk, half and half and cream…not too much but a little every day. Regular use of a bit of cod liver oil or salmon oil is recommended and appreciated.
Fuzzhead is 16 and been to the Vet once. Wacky (Jack Kerowac) is 12 and been to the vet once.
These are but 2 of our present and past long lived beloved little felines. In the long run, happy, well fed (but not over fed) cats need very little doctoring but when old age maladies like dementia, arthritis, cancer occur we must let go.
I now feed my other two cats "wet" food daily instead of "every other day" (which was too expensive when I had three) and cut back dramatically on the high-carb dry food. That should help get their weight down.
Luckily/Unluckily, they refuse to eat "people food". I never gave them table scraps as kittens and now they are incredibly picky. Attempts to feed them boiled chicken and cow liver failed miserably. Even canned tuna and real milk get ignored. Quite amazing.
The hardest part is that he didn't have to die.


Dermatitis caused by neck threadworm microfilariae.
Dermatitis caused by Neck Threadworm.
Watch the video "How To Administer Equimax"
Treatment for Equine ringworm infection caused by Trichophyton equinum or Microsporum gypseum.
OvaMed® is indicated for the suppression of estrus in mares. Suppresion of estrus allows for a predictable occurrence of estrus following drug withdrawal.
OvaMed® is a registered trademark of Cross Vetpharm Group Ltd.
Polyglycan® is a patented formulation designed to replace lost or damaged synovial fluid. It contains naturally-occurring components of the synovia that play a central role in maintaining the homeostatic environment of the joint.
Polyglycan®-HV is a patented formulation designed to replace lost or damaged synovial fluid. It contains naturally-occurring components of the synovia that play a central role in maintaining the homeostatic environment of the joint.
Polyglycan®-SA is a patented formulation designed to replace lost or damaged synovial fluid. It contains naturally-occurring components of the synovia that play a central role in maintaining the homeostatic environment of the joint.
The combination of hyaluronic acid, chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine and methysulfonylmethane (MSM) help maintain joint health and mobility in horses. May be used in conjunction with Polyglycan Sterile Solution to support the joint function.
Tildren® is indicated for the control of clinical signs associated with navicular syndrome in horses. Navicular syndrome is the most common cause of chronic forelimb lameness in performance horses. It is a degenerative process instigated by mechanical forces.


text:
U.S. Track and Field Athlete Alexandria Gochenour Accepts Sanction for Anti-Doping Rule Violation
Sanction, Track & Field / December 17, 2019 December 17, 2019
USADA announced today that Alexandria (Alex) Gochenour, of Warrensburg, Mo., an athlete in the sport of track and field, has accepted a four-year suspension for an anti-doping rule violation.
Gochenour, 26, tested positive for ostarine as the result of a urine sample collected in-competition at the USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships on June 24, 2018. Ostarine is a non-Specified Substance in the class of Anabolic Agents and is prohibited at all times under the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee National Anti-Doping Policies, and the International Association of Athletics Federations Anti-Doping Rules, all of which have adopted the World Anti-Doping Code and the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List.
Ostarine, also known as MK-2866 and Enobosarm, is a selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM) that is illegally sold in the United States and worldwide as a performance-enhancing substance. Ostarine is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA); it is not currently available as a prescription medication in any country; and its unauthorized use may carry serious side effects and is a threat to public health. Nonetheless, ostarine has been found as a declared and undeclared ingredient in many dietary supplements sold in the United States, which has prompted the FDA to issue warning letters to specific dietary supplement manufacturers stating that ostarine is an unapproved new drug and that selling the drug is in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. More information about the risks of ostarine can be found through a USADA athlete advisory.
Gochenour's four-year period of ineligibility began on June 24, 2018, the date her positive sample was collected. In addition, Gochenour has been disqualified from competitive results obtained on and subsequent to June 24, 2018, including forfeiture of any medals, points and prizes.
In an effort to aid athletes, as well as support team members such as parents and coaches, in understanding the rules applicable to them, USADA provides comprehensive instruction on its website on the testing process and prohibited substances, how to obtain permission to use a necessary medication, and the risks and dangers of taking supplements, as well as performance-enhancing and recreational drugs. If athletes choose to use supplements despite the known risks, USADA has always recommended that athletes use only dietary supplements that have been certified by a third-party program that tests for substances prohibited in sport. USADA currently recognizes NSF Certified for Sport® as the program best suited for athletes to reduce the risk from supplements.
In addition, USADA manages a drug reference hotline, Global Drug Reference Online (www.GlobalDRO.com), conducts educational sessions with National Governing Bodies and their athletes, and distributes a multitude of educational materials, such as an easy-reference wallet card with examples of prohibited and permitted substances, a supplement guide, a nutrition guide, an athlete handbook, and periodic alerts and advisories.
USADA is responsible for the testing and results management process for athletes in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Movement and is equally dedicated to preserving the integrity of sport through research initiatives and educational programs.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: dependency for Apache Commons Configuration2 declared as optional I try to simple usage of simple Apache Commons Configuration2 loading configuration from a properties file. Here is my dependency:
    <dependency>
        <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
        <artifactId>commons-configuration2</artifactId>
        <version>2.1</version>
    </dependency>

I try to start my web application and get this:
java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: org.apache.commons.beanutils.DynaBean
    at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoaderBase.loadClass(WebappClassLoaderBase.java:1285)
    at org.apache.catalina.loader.WebappClassLoaderBase.loadClass(WebappClassLoaderBase.java:1119)
    at java.lang.Class.forName0(Native Method)
    at java.lang.Class.forName(Class.java:264)
    at com.sun.proxy.$Proxy21.<clinit>(Unknown Source)
    at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance0(Native Method)
    at sun.reflect.NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(NativeConstructorAccessorImpl.java:62)
    at sun.reflect.DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.newInstance(DelegatingConstructorAccessorImpl.java:45)
    at java.lang.reflect.Constructor.newInstance(Constructor.java:423)
    at java.lang.reflect.Proxy.newProxyInstance(Proxy.java:739)
    at org.apache.commons.configuration2.builder.fluent.Parameters.createParametersProxy(Parameters.java:294)
    at org.apache.commons.configuration2.builder.fluent.Parameters.properties(Parameters.java:245)

Lovely. Since when can't we use Maven to get dependencies automatically? I look at the commons-configuration2 POM on Maven Central and see that commons-beanutil is declared as optional.
<dependency>
  <groupId>commons-beanutils</groupId>
  <artifactId>commons-beanutils</artifactId>
  <version>1.9.2</version>
  <optional>true</optional>
</dependency>

Why is it declared as "optional" when obviously I need it?

A: This dependency is marked as optional because it is only required for some non central features of the library, which means you can still use most of the library without having this dependency installed.
As per the documentation: Runtime dependencies for Commons Configuration 2.0

Commons Configuration 2.0 requires Java 6 or later.
A lot of dependencies are declared in the Maven POM. These are all needed during compile time. On runtime however you only need to add the dependencies to your classpath that are required by the parts of the Commons Configuration package you are using. The following table helps you to determine which dependencies you have to include based on the components you intend to use:

Considering tables are not easily included in a SO answer, I'll just list the features from commons-configuration-2 which requires you to include beanutils:

*

*Configuration builders

*ConfigurationDynaBean

In your case, based on the stack trace you provided, you are using a configuration builder and thus need to manually included the beanutils dependency in your pom.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


we can do all thing through God that strengthen us.
Additional Business Information for ACCESS FACILITY MAINTENANCE,LLC.
Our company is based on the belief that our customer's needs are the utmost importance. Our entire team is committed to meeting those needs. Every member of our team is trained in cleaning techniques for efficient and spotless results. Access Facility Maintenance is ready to help. our cleaning services cover a wide range of tasks to free up your time so you can concentrate on the important things in life-family, friend, career hobbie.


text:
Lobosciara spinipennis är en tvåvingeart som först beskrevs av Mitsuhiro Sasakawa 1962.  Lobosciara spinipennis ingår i släktet Lobosciara och familjen sorgmyggor. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Sorgmyggor
spinipennis

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Current Objectives of
Postgraduate American Studies
Postgraduate Forum
Associated Journals
Contact/Legal
Lorena Bickert
Otto-Friedrich Universität Bamberg
Lorena Bickert is a Ph.D. candidate and contract lecturer at the University of Bamberg's American Studies department. Her Ph.D. project is funded by the Cusanuswerk and focuses on representations of eco-heroism in contemporary North American literature. She has taught courses on nineteenth-century American women's poetry and "Eco-Heroines in American Literature and Culture" at the University of Bamberg. She holds a teaching degree in English and Spanish and completed her master's degree in English and American Studies at the University of Bamberg with a master's thesis on "The Power Structures in The Hunger Games: Analyzing the Panoptic Spectacle and Counter-Spectacle."
Home > Vol 21, No 1 (2020) >	Bickert
Heroes in Body Bags: Renegotiating Heroism in Rebecca Roanhorse's Trail of Lightning
This paper discusses how Maggie Hoskie, the Indigenous "hero"of Rebecca Roanhorse's The Sixth World series,renegotiates what it means to be a hero in the "post-Native Apocalypse"(Dillon 10). Trail of Lightning,as a work that exploresIndigenous futurismsand ecofeminisms, demandsa renegotiation of Western hero ideals, highlighting how Maggie's most heroic qualities arise from her challenge of stereotypical Western heroism in the wake of ecological disaster.
Anthropocene, Ecocriticism, Heroism, Indigenous Futurism, Ecological Other, Community
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5283/copas.330


Feel by hand to make sure the shrink tubing is correctly installed.
Check that measurement B is 40mm (1-1/2 inches) between the joints from center to center.
Note! Remember the cable, color to color (with same color/single or multi-colored).


As the weather starts to cool off and running noses and sore throats become all too common, soups become one of the most appealing foods.
When the squash season starts to come to an end, its the perfect time to incorporate a multitude of wonderful, ripe squash vegetables into your daily whole made soups.
Butternut squash in particular, is raved about for its wholesome, as well as filling characteristics. In addition to a soup base, it can also be used as a ravioli filing or as a squash casserole.
As it pertains to soups, Deborah Mele, Italian cook and author of Italian Food Forever, has really nailed the perfect butternut squash soup recipe. I recently made this soup and I must say the flavor way phenomenal. From the sage to the drizzle of yogurt, the flavors could be tasted in every spoonful.
"This soup is also low in fat as only a little heart-healthy olive oil is used, and the soup gets its thick, creamy texture from the sweet potatoes rather than heavy cream." adds Deborah.
If you are battling allergies or asthma, butternut squash is also rich in vitamins and minerals to improve immunity through the cold winter months. According to Medical News Today, butternut squash contains an antioxidant known as Beta-Carotene which acts as a protective shield to the body, preventing free-radicals from getting into our systems. What could be better way to kick that stubborn cold?
Wether you be outside around a fire enjoying the crisp air that transitions into winter, or cuddled up on the couch in a blanket, there really is not a more satisfying taste then that of butternut squash. Before you bundle up to relax for the night, grab yourself a bowl or plate of your favorite squash meal.
< Previous Looking for a rich probiotic to enhance recipes? Greek yogurt is the answer.
Next > Giuseppe Cucina Rustica's grand opening; a switch from classical to modern dining.
SLO Grown Produce: the best of Italy is locally grown in San Luis Obispo, California.
Gratins; the easy A+ side dish for the family Christmas dinner.
Giuseppe Cucina Rustica's grand opening; a switch from classical to modern dining.
Looking for a rich probiotic to enhance recipes? Greek yogurt is the answer.


text:
Video Premiere: POWERMAN 5000's Footsteps And Voices'
POWERMAN 5000 has released the official music video for the song "Footsteps And Voices". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "New Wave", which was released in October 2017 via Pavement Entertainment.
POWERMAN 5000 vocalist Spider One told Artist Waves about the inspiration for "New Wave": "I wanted to make a record that I wasn't hearing in the rock world. I can't say I'm much of a fan of what I'm hearing these days. Rock has become pretty controlled. There is a very middle-of-the-road feeling I get from most bands and lyrically I hear a lot of generic sentiments. So, I guess, personally I was frustrated and inspired to do something that went against all that."
Regarding the overall sound of the follow-up to 2014's "Builders Of The Future", Spider One said: "We went a bit dirtier on this one. Ripped it up more than the last couple of records. One of the goals was to recreate the noise of the live show. Keep in the chaos."
Spider One told the Farmington Daily Times that "the most important ingredient" in the band's ascent in the early 1990s "was the absence of the Internet. And what I mean by that is how the Internet has changed music and monetized it. Nobody ever thinks about that, but what it did is, it killed the local sound. Before music was instantly available through downloads, musical sounds would germinate over the course of years in places like Seattle or Austin. Now, that's just been eliminated. If a band comes out with a unique sound, everybody copies it right away."
Tags: powerman 5000
BULLETBOYS Part Ways With Original Guitarist MICK SWEDA And Drummer JIMMY D'ANDA
SCORPIONS To Release 'Rock Believer' Single Next Week
Watch CHRIS CORNELL's Daughter TONI CORNELL Perform Solo Cover Of LEONARD COHEN's 'Hallelujah'
RAYNA FOSS's Daughter Denies Former COAL CHAMBER Bassist Is Missing: 'I Spoke To My Mother As Recently As Yesterday'
DJ ASHBA: Why I 'Bowed Out' Of GUNS N' ROSES
Ecdysis
WILDERUN


Comparing Crowheart, WY homeowners insurance is easy. Enter your Zip at the top of the page and you will be on your way to finding the cheapest coverage for your home in Fremont. Home insurance comparison is the most-trusted method of saving 30% or more on your premium. So stop overpaying and start saving by getting your quotes today.
What you should know about Crowheart, WY home insurance quotes is that not all of them are created alike, and while there are those that provide information on products that provide comprehensive coverage for an all-in-one premium, there are quotes that only provide information on certain types of coverage. And yet they will come up in the same query when you use insurance quotes websites, which can be a bad thing if you are not careful.
How much does Crowheart homeowner's insurance cost? Well, that really depends on your state. However, we are finding that across the United States, the average cost is between $600 to $1,600, with Idaho having the lowest average and Texas the highest. Of course, if you take a look at the specifics, you will find insurers that charge lower or higher than the state average.
Start saving now on your home insurance in Crowheart, WY. Enter your Zip Code at the top of the page and browse and compare through the list of the top insurance carriers in your area.
Preserving cash, tweaking your policy, protecting your household and your other valuables "� these are all things homeowners' need to have to know about prior to they buy an insurance policies plan. In this post, you will locate some wonderful guidelines on how to navigate the perplexing planet of house insurance policy and occur absent with a sound plan.
When searching for property owners insurance policies, saving funds is key. Obtaining devices such as smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and monitored house protection alarms in place can provide excellent reductions. Bear in mind to examine these (and other) basic safety products with your agent when negotiating your following house owners insurance policy.
Install a protection method to decrease the cost of your residence insurance policies. By installing a burglar alarm that is joined to a regional police station you can lower your home insurance policy yearly premiums by five% or far more. Make confident that you inform your insurance policies company that you have a stability system put in and be informed that they could inquire you to offer evidence.
When thinking about house insurance policy, think about how critical it is to have a greater or reduced deductible. With a decrease deductible, your rates will be increased through the yr, but you will have to pay much less for damages to your property. With a higher deductible, you preserve a lot more funds in your pocket in phrases of spending your premium, however most smaller sized claims will expense much less than your deductible volume.
If your property is broken severely with drinking water, do not dispose of any ruined home before your insurance coverage adjuster can evaluate the damage. You can take away wrecked things from the home so that they do not result in even more h2o injury to floors or other objects, but depart them on the property. Failure to do so signifies you might not be compensated for those things.
In buy to guarantee that your claim is processed rapidly, it is smart to have a current stock of your belongings. If you have had a big decline before, you know how hard it can be to don't forget your possessions. Having pictures of your home's contents is the simplest way to recall what you very own when you need to have to file a assert.
Improve your residence owner's insurance policy deductible. There are very a number of pros and disadvantages to growing the deductible quantity on your insurance policies. Nonetheless, if you are possessing difficulties paying out your residence owner's insurance policy, you may well want to critically think about it. It can end up conserving you anyplace from ten% to 37% off your high quality.
Prior to you even obtain a home, make confident to request your true estate agent questions about homeowner's insurance policies value. The value of homeowner's insurance policy differs, generally based on place. You do not want to live in an area that is likely to go away you broke paying out for homeowner's insurance coverage.
Put in a refined alarm method in your home, ideally one particular that is monitored by a reliable protection business, or is linked directly to the local police station. Insurance policies organizations decrease your yearly top quality by up to five% if you can show by an bill or deal that you have a centrally monitored safety technique installed.
You will have an less complicated time discovering a very good homeowner's insurance policy plan by making use of these tips, and they also assist you comprehend the importance of a single. It is properly-known that you need homeowner's insurance coverage to safeguard by yourself from the fiscal impact of loss to your residence and possessions under certain conditions. Proudly owning a residence signifies you need to have a plan to maintain it guarded.


text:
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN COLOMBIA
FINANCEAMERICASCOLOMBIAFINANCESOUTH AMERICAECONOMY
Solid financial fundamentals help transform economy and entice foreign investors
Strong institutions, precise macroeconomic policy and a solid financial system are seeing Colombia through an unprecedented period of economic development
JOSÉ DARÍO URIBE, GOVERNOR OF THE COLOMBIA'S CENTRAL BANK, LEFT, AND MAURICIO CÁRDENAS, COLOMBIA'S MINISTER OF FINANCE, HAVE INTRODUCED SUCCESSFUL FISCAL POLICIES THAT HAVE LED TO GROWING INVESTOR CONFIDENCE IN THE ECONOMY AND BANKING SYSTEM
Latin Finance says Colombia has the best finance minister in the region. He has won awards from América Económica, Emerging Markets, and most recently, The Banker, who named him Latin American Finance Minister of the Year in 2015. His name is Mauricio Cárdenas Santa María. And under his watch Colombia has consistently produced the economic policies and aggressive free trade stance that has seen the country grow by more than 4% over each of the last four years.
All three major rating agencies have upgraded Colombia's investment grade. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has never been higher, with record levels registered in 2013 and 2014. And multilateral commercial ties are thriving: free trade agreements (FTAs) with more than a dozen countries have been signed or are being negotiated. The US-Colombia FTA went into force on May 2012. Colombia is a founding member of the Pacific Alliance, and in 2013, it began its ascension process to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Not one to blow his own horn, the award-winning Mr. Cárdenas gives much of the credit for Colombia's positive economic performance to President Juan Manuel Santos, and the rest to his team. "There is no doubt that these are awards for a team effort, and the president has played a very important role. President Santos was minister of finance before. He knows what this position means and has been a continuing support. He is probably the most concerned person in the entire country about the issue of fiscal responsibility, just as he was when he was minister himself, and now as president he has made very important decisions, such as the fiscal law and changing the constitution in order to include fiscal sustainability as a right for all citizens. He makes the job of minister of finance a lot easier."
It helps that the model Colombia has adopted is actually working. It is one that emphasizes fiscal responsibility and discipline but that also focuses on wealth redistribution. The wealthy are taxed more heavily; those in need receive more. "We are not afraid of the word redistribution. We are very progressive in matters of allocating state resources, but we are quite conservative when it comes to macroeconomics. It is like blending together two ideas that used to be considered incompatible," Mr. Cárdenas explains.
Incompatible or not, it is unquestionable that the approach is working. When Fitch updated Colombia's ratings to 'BBB – outlook stable' a few years back, it did so based on the country's debt dynamics and credible and consistent policies. Fitch highlighted that Colombia's general government debt of 37.1% of GDP remains below its peers and is forecasted to steadily decline. Fitch's upgrade followed investment grade ratings by both Standard & Poor's and Moody's.
"We have trust and credibility in the markets, and we know that these are two very important assets for any economy to be successful. We want to safeguard that trust so we do our best to communicate everything the government does. That is a very important aspect of our economy"
Mauricio Cárdenas Santa María, Finance Minister
"Fitch said that our economic policies have continuity, and indeed, they have been very consistent, and include fiscal discipline, inflation control, and a strong financial system. The agency also mentioned that our policies are appropriate given current lower oil prices. So we have trust and credibility in the markets, and we know that these are two very important assets for any economy to be successful. We want to safeguard that trust so we do our best to communicate everything the government does. That is a very important aspect of our economy," adds Mr. Cárdenas.
The social impact of this economic progress has been felt acutely. Between 2010 and 2014, 4.5 million Colombians rose out of poverty, while 2 million more escaped from extreme poverty. Unemployment, while still high, has been in steady decline. Efraín Forero, president of Davivienda, part of Bolivar Group, the third largest bank in the country, says, "I believe that Colombia is a country that, among emerging economies, is in a process that has over the past 15 years considerably improved many things, in terms of employment, the reduction of poverty, the growth of the middle class, and the strengthening of government institutions and of private business."
"Fiscal order gives credibility in the government's management of public finance, and it is that credibility that keeps the growth rates, the inflation and general macroeconomic policies under control. This is why, despite the deceleration in the price of commodities, we are still seeing great confidence from investors"
Jorge Castaño Gutierrez, Superintendent of Colombia Financial Superintendence (SFC)
Ricardo Avila, director of Colombia's business journal, Portafolio, agrees: "It is very clear that Colombia has made a fundamental turn in terms of viability and stability, perspective and concrete advances, especially when it comes to the social side."
The rise of FDI in the country has helped significantly in the country's recovery. Camilo Reyes, executive director of the American Colombian Chamber of Commerce says that in 2000, Colombia received $2 billion in investment while in 2015, it received nearly $17 billion. "That means it has grown eight-fold. There are many reasons for this, but one of the most significant is the stability of the country's financial system," he comments.
Jorge Castaño Gutierrez, superintendent of the Colombia Financial Superintendence (SFC), the financial supervisory authority, says that beyond being the economy with the most promising growth projections in the region, investor trust in Colombia stems from the government's responsible fiscal management. "Fiscal order gives credibility in the government's management of public finance, and it is that credibility that keeps the growth rates, the inflation and general macroeconomic policies under control. This is why, despite the deceleration in the price of commodities, we are still seeing great confidence from investors," he says.
"The implicit message behind this is that the perception of trust in the country's institutions regarding the economic policy and sustainability of the financial system are all aimed at maintaining very good potential for growth and foreign investment. Today, over 17% of all public debt securities are owned by foreign investors, who also own a significant percentage of hedge bonds, which we see as a strategy for a stable investment in the medium and long term, not as something done by opportunists."
Mr. Gutierrez points to the way Colombia responded quickly to the drop in commodities prices by moving towards different sectors. He feels that the positive impact of this will be felt in real terms in 2016. "Obviously 2015 has been a year of some uncertainty, but I think in 2016, we will see more clearly the different impact. There is not one single sector that is especially vulnerable. All sectors are contributing to GDP, especially the financial sector. This is a result of strong institutions, a precise macroeconomic policy and a solid financial system. Those are the elements that have allowed Colombia to transform itself."
Solid banking sector
In 2015, Fitch Ratings stated that Colombia's banks, along with those of Peru, were among the most solid in Latin America and well prepared to handle external shocks. Adequately capitalized with ample reserves, the banking sector is well positioned to support Colombia's economic growth.
It is also profitable. In 2014, sector profits rose by 10.8%. Pension plans grew by an outstanding 85% and sector shares rose to $56 billion. In 2015, Colombia's banks are estimated to have grown a further 4.5%, driven by private consumption, new infrastructure projects and a rise in housing demand. The sector is not overly exposed to the highs and lows of petroleum prices and boasts sufficient liquidity to cover its short term obligations. In short, it has the strength to weather unforeseeable storms and to support Colombia's current needs.
José Darío Uribe, governor of the Colombian central bank, comments, "An important part of the Colombian economy is the strength of its financial system. We have a well-capitalized, profitable and liquid banking sector, which has expanded regionally and is increasingly reaching various sectors of the Colombian population. This has helped Colombia, despite slower growth, absorb negative external shocks and continue to excel in the region. Looking forward, we will see the financial sector making a valuable contribution to the development of the country, as it makes further progress in financial inclusion, especially in rural segments and small- and medium-sized producers, and as it participates in the financing of major infrastructure projects."
"An important part of the Colombian economy is the strength of its financial system. We have a well-capitalized, profitable and liquid banking sector, which has expanded regionally and is increasingly reaching various sectors of the Colombian population"
José Darío Uribe, Governor of the Colombian central bank
Mr. Gutierrez says the sector plan is based on seven pillars, of which three are strategically aimed at financial inclusion, including the expansion of banking services like mobile banking. Growing the country's stock market with an eye to regional integration and expanding microfinance are also priorities. "We have increased the number of people who have some kind of financial product, from 60% or 65% in 2012 to close to 72.5% today, and we expect this to reach 85% by 2018. We have also improved in the microcredit area, supporting SMEs (small- and medium-sized enterprises), and have had very good results. Our financial inclusion policies in the stock market are based on Collective Investment Funds (CIF), an instrument created by the government to democratize the market."
Carlos Raúl Yepes, president of Bancolombia, the only Colombian financial institution listed on the NYSE, says that despite the slowdown this year, the economy is still growing and so is his bank. "I think that in moments like this, the economy is in good shape if it is growing between 3% and 3.5%. The IMF predicted a 0.5% of growth for all Latin America, which means Colombia is growing much greater than what the IMF is expecting for the region. It is not the level we want, but there are many global factors that have an impact on this slowdown. So we are optimistic, and in this financial institution, we are accompanying the growth. We have the ability to continue this trend. There are many opportunities and we just have to take advantage of them."
The World Stage
Mr. Yepes also serves as a member of Colombia's Advisory Commission for Peace and believes that the end of the conflict will have a significant positive impact upon economic growth. "Indeed, I think peace will create many opportunities. Our role is not only in the economic aspect, but also as members of society. Interaction with society and the ability to achieve different effects are very important aspects of any company. I'm convinced that achieving peace is the best thing that could happen to the entire Colombian society, which is why it is so important to stay together and support the government through this process."
Mr. Cárdenas says that peace will pay for itself. "There are countless studies that show that Colombia will be able to grow at least an extra 1% per year. Why? Because peace will bring more tourism, it will allow us to expand our agricultural land, and it will bring more investment into the mining and energy sectors. That's why we say that peace will pay for itself, because it will bring the commitment for further investment, for reparation to the victims, and for assisting those segments of the population who need help the most. The peace process will demand resources, but in fact it will be the peace itself that will allow us to cover the financial costs of those commitments."
With economic and political stability within reach, Colombia has now set its sights on another great goal becoming a member of the OECD, the final nod to its maturity as a nation. Mr. Cárdenas is confident that it will happen soon. "We have excellent macroeconomic policy, we are doing great in matters of tax policies, we are a very open country and we comply with all the standards required by the Good Practice Guidance of the OECD," he concludes. "Although there are a few chapters where there is still some work left to do, we are working on them. Colombia is going through a very exciting time. The OECD representatives themselves say it. We are definitely on the right track. This is going to be a reality."


This Month's Awesome Hall of Fame!
Wow a wonderful cake that Gail made for her nephews 30th birthday with our clever Chocolate Fudge mix. Wish I was 30 again!
Yes, The Great British Bake Off is back on Channel 4 and, amongst all the controversy of it changing channels – we are really enjoying it! Robert made this cute Cottage Loaf with its beautiful belly button top and created this from our Parmesan & Sundried Tomato mix!
Rob also produced another Cottage Loaf using our Parmesan & Sundried Tomato mix and bacon!
Any of you entering this month's competition that Puzzler Magazine are offering? A Wright lovely prize if I say so myself!
Ahead of The Great British Bake Off's Cake Week, Nichola followed one of our fruited Carrot Cake recipes and baked up these two beauties for the Bank Holiday Weekend!
We liked Bread Week on last weeks Great British Bake Off and so did Paul Hollywood, saying it was one of the best! We particularly liked the Tea Cakes – well who doesn't like a Wright good Tea Cake!
Continuing the bread or bun's theme. Till made some lovely rolls recently. Made with our Parmesan & Sundried Tomato mix, he added a few ingredients and a good lump of cheese to the centre! Delicious.
Our awesome Oat & Linseed in Paul's bread making machine! Paul said this is always a winner in our house as it is so easy in the bread machine.
Well, a new one on me but with only 25 years in the baking business, I am always learning! Val popped a 500g Ciabatta Bread Mix into her Bundt tin – creating this lovely light loaf!
A stunning cake from Sammie – featuring our Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix which she turned into a Dreamy Chocolate Cake with chocolate fudge icing and little biscuit balls. Scrumptious!
As you know, our Victoria Sponge Baking Kit & Chocolate Sponge Baking Kit are on a buy one get one free currently. Here is Freda's voluptuous Victoria Sponge made with one of our brilliant baking kits!
Huge thanks to Judith who had a real task in making 17 cakes for an outing with Age Link, providing 150 pensioners with cakes for a boat trip! Judith said she could not have done it without us!
2 Coffee and Walnut – made with our Toffee Cake mix!


text:
package org.bdgenomics.avocado.genotyping

import org.bdgenomics.adam.models.VariantContext
import org.bdgenomics.avocado.AvocadoFunSuite
import org.bdgenomics.formats.avro.{
  Genotype,
  GenotypeAllele,
  Variant,
  VariantCallingAnnotations
}
import org.bdgenomics.utils.misc.MathUtils
import scala.collection.JavaConversions._

class JointAnnotatorCallerSuite extends AvocadoFunSuite {

  val baseGt = Genotype.newBuilder
    .setContigName("chr1")
    .setStart(1000)
    .setEnd(1001)
    .setVariant(Variant.newBuilder
      .setAlternateAllele("A")
      .setReferenceAllele("G")
      .build)
    .build

  test("discard reference site") {
    val genotypes = Seq(
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setAlleles(Seq(GenotypeAllele.REF, GenotypeAllele.REF))
        .build)

    val optNewSite = JointAnnotatorCaller.annotateSite(
      VariantContext.buildFromGenotypes(genotypes))

    assert(optNewSite.isEmpty)
  }

  test("calculate MAF for all called genotypes") {
    val genotypes = Seq(
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setAlleles(Seq(GenotypeAllele.REF, GenotypeAllele.ALT))
        .build,
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setAlleles(Seq(GenotypeAllele.REF, GenotypeAllele.REF))
        .build)
    val af = JointAnnotatorCaller.calculateMinorAlleleFrequency(
      VariantContext.buildFromGenotypes(genotypes))

    assert(MathUtils.fpEquals(af, 0.25))
  }

  test("calculate MAF ignoring uncalled genotypes") {
    val genotypes = Seq(
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setAlleles(Seq(GenotypeAllele.REF,
          GenotypeAllele.REF,
          GenotypeAllele.ALT))
        .build,
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setAlleles(Seq(GenotypeAllele.OTHER_ALT))
        .build,
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setAlleles(Seq(GenotypeAllele.NO_CALL, GenotypeAllele.NO_CALL))
        .build)
    val af = JointAnnotatorCaller.calculateMinorAlleleFrequency(
      VariantContext.buildFromGenotypes(genotypes))

    assert(MathUtils.fpEquals(af, 0.25))
  }

  test("roll up variant annotations from a single genotype") {
    val genotypes = Seq(
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setReadDepth(10)
        .setReferenceReadDepth(5)
        .setAlternateReadDepth(5)
        .setStrandBiasComponents(Seq(4, 1, 2, 3)
          .map(i => i: java.lang.Integer))
        .build)

    val annotation = JointAnnotatorCaller.calculateAnnotations(
      VariantContext.buildFromGenotypes(genotypes))

    assert(annotation.getReadDepth === 10)
    assert(annotation.getReferenceReadDepth === 5)
    assert(annotation.getReferenceForwardReadDepth === 4)
    assert(annotation.getReferenceReverseReadDepth === 1)
    assert(annotation.getForwardReadDepth === 6)
    assert(annotation.getReverseReadDepth === 4)
  }

  test("roll up variant annotations across multiple genotypes") {
    val genotypes = Seq(
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setReadDepth(10)
        .setReferenceReadDepth(5)
        .setAlternateReadDepth(5)
        .setStrandBiasComponents(Seq(4, 1, 2, 3)
          .map(i => i: java.lang.Integer))
        .build,
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setReadDepth(7)
        .setReferenceReadDepth(5)
        .setAlternateReadDepth(2)
        .setStrandBiasComponents(Seq(3, 2, 1, 1)
          .map(i => i: java.lang.Integer))
        .build,
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setReadDepth(9)
        .setReferenceReadDepth(9)
        .setAlternateReadDepth(0)
        .build)

    val annotation = JointAnnotatorCaller.calculateAnnotations(
      VariantContext.buildFromGenotypes(genotypes))

    assert(annotation.getReadDepth === 26)
    assert(annotation.getReferenceReadDepth === 19)
    assert(annotation.getReferenceForwardReadDepth === 7)
    assert(annotation.getReferenceReverseReadDepth === 3)
    assert(annotation.getForwardReadDepth === 10)
    assert(annotation.getReverseReadDepth === 7)
  }

  test("recalling genotypes is a no-op for no calls and complex hets") {
    val genotypes = Seq(
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setAlleles(Seq(GenotypeAllele.REF, GenotypeAllele.NO_CALL))
        .build,
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setAlleles(Seq(GenotypeAllele.OTHER_ALT, GenotypeAllele.NO_CALL))
        .build)

    val newGenotypes = JointAnnotatorCaller.recallGenotypes(
      VariantContext.buildFromGenotypes(genotypes), 0.5)

    genotypes.zip(newGenotypes)
      .foreach(p => assert(p._1 === p._2))
  }

  test("recall a genotype so that the state changes") {
    val genotypes = Seq(
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setAlleles(Seq(GenotypeAllele.REF, GenotypeAllele.ALT))
        .setGenotypeLikelihoods(Seq(0.0, 0.0, 0.0)
          .map(d => d: java.lang.Double))
        .build)

    val newGenotypes = JointAnnotatorCaller.recallGenotypes(
      VariantContext.buildFromGenotypes(genotypes), 0.9)

    assert(newGenotypes.size === 1)
    val newGenotype = newGenotypes.head
    assert(newGenotype.getAlleles.count(_ == GenotypeAllele.ALT) === 2)
    val posteriors = newGenotype.getVariantCallingAnnotations
      .getGenotypePosteriors
    assert(posteriors.size === 3)
    assert(MathUtils.fpEquals(posteriors.get(0).toDouble, -4.60517018599))
    assert(MathUtils.fpEquals(posteriors.get(1).toDouble, -1.71479842809))
    assert(MathUtils.fpEquals(posteriors.get(2).toDouble, -0.21072103131))
    val priors = newGenotype.getVariantCallingAnnotations
      .getGenotypePriors
    assert(priors.size === 3)
    assert(MathUtils.fpEquals(priors.get(0).toDouble, -4.60517018599))
    assert(MathUtils.fpEquals(priors.get(1).toDouble, -1.71479842809))
    assert(MathUtils.fpEquals(priors.get(2).toDouble, -0.21072103131))
    assert(newGenotype.getGenotypeQuality === 6)
  }

  test("allele frequency being outside of (0.0, 1.0) just computes posteriors") {
    val genotypes = Seq(
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setAlleles(Seq(GenotypeAllele.REF, GenotypeAllele.ALT))
        .setGenotypeLikelihoods(Seq(0.0, 1.0, 0.0)
          .map(d => d: java.lang.Double))
        .build)

    val newGenotypes = JointAnnotatorCaller.recallGenotypes(
      VariantContext.buildFromGenotypes(genotypes), 0.0)

    assert(newGenotypes.size === 1)
    val newGenotype = newGenotypes.head
    assert(newGenotype.getAlleles.count(_ == GenotypeAllele.ALT) === 1)
    val posteriors = newGenotype.getVariantCallingAnnotations
      .getGenotypePosteriors
    assert(posteriors.size === 3)
    assert(MathUtils.fpEquals(posteriors.get(0).toDouble, -1.55144471393))
    assert(MathUtils.fpEquals(posteriors.get(1).toDouble, -0.55144471393))
    assert(MathUtils.fpEquals(posteriors.get(2).toDouble, -1.55144471393))
    assert(newGenotype.getVariantCallingAnnotations
      .getGenotypePriors
      .isEmpty)
  }

  test("compute variant quality from a single genotype") {
    val genotypes = Seq(
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setVariantCallingAnnotations(
          VariantCallingAnnotations.newBuilder
            .setGenotypePosteriors(Seq(-4.60517018599,
              -2.40794560865,
              -0.10536051565)
              .map(_.toFloat)
              .map(f => f: java.lang.Float))
            .build)
        .build)

    assert(MathUtils.fpEquals(JointAnnotatorCaller.computeQuality(genotypes),
      20.0))
  }

  test("compute variant quality from multiple genotypes") {
    val genotypes = Seq(
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setVariantCallingAnnotations(
          VariantCallingAnnotations.newBuilder
            .setGenotypePosteriors(Seq(-4.60517018599,
              -2.40794560865,
              -0.10536051565)
              .map(_.toFloat)
              .map(f => f: java.lang.Float))
            .build)
        .build,
      Genotype.newBuilder(baseGt)
        .setVariantCallingAnnotations(
          VariantCallingAnnotations.newBuilder
            .setGenotypePosteriors(Seq(-6.90775527898,
              -0.00200200267
                - 6.90775527898)
              .map(_.toFloat)
              .map(f => f: java.lang.Float))
            .build)
        .build)

    assert(MathUtils.fpEquals(JointAnnotatorCaller.computeQuality(genotypes),
      50.0))
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Sri Lanka has come to a new phase of politics. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is formally seeking an election for another term as Executive President. While the date of the election will have to be fixed by the Commissioner General of Elections, the actual campaign is already on, with the President's proclamation declaring his intention to hold a presidential election seeking another term.
This will be Mahinda Rajapaksa's third election for the Executive Presidency. He was first elected on November 17, 2005 and was re-elected for a second term on January 26, 2010. He took the oaths as President for the second term on November 19, 2010 and completed four years in office, necessary to complete before calling for a fresh poll, on November 19, 2014.
In a country that has seen presidential elections earlier, having elected three previous presidents since 1982, when JR Jayewardene won his first elected term as president, and a democracy that has seen many changes of government through the ballot, what is most surprising is that no candidate from the opposition has yet clearly emerged to challenge the incumbent president.
The call for a common candidate to face Mahinda Rajapaksa in this move for a third term has been going on for several months. Many are the voices that have been heard calling for this candidate, and many are the strategies proposed. Yet, what is seen as the President gets his campaign rolling is more of common chaos, as this column stated last week, than any sign of a common candidate.
Pledges have been made to rid the country of the Executive Presidency, other plans have been announced to keep the Executive Presidency, but reduce its powers; much has been said about the need to return to the old Westminster style governance, which JRJ changed in 1978. But there seems to be a total lack of purpose or organizational capability among those who are ranged against Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his renewed call for a democratic choice to remain the national leader for another term.
Much of the earlier din about this election was to do with its legality. Constitutional provisions with regard to presidential terms and the legality of a third term have been canvassed on many a public platform, and in the mass media. Well know lawyers, and even those with experience in the higher judiciary, have been splitting legal hairs in public on the issue. There is silence on this matter once Mahinda Rajapaksa obtained the opinion of the Supreme Court that there is no legal impediment to his running for another term.
While those who are busy planning a common challenge to Mahinda Rajapaksa may continue their operational plans, what is most surprising is that the largest political party of the Opposition, the United National Party, has yet to make known who its candidate would be, and its alternate policies, if any, to those of Mahinda Rajapaksa and the SLFP-led UPFA, that is in office under his leadership.
Such indecision and/or delay are not what one must expect from a political party that has played an important role in the politics of this country since independence in 1948. After the LSSP and Communist Party, the UNP is the oldest national democratic party in the country. It has had prime ministers who had a good impact on the country, and also gave strong leadership to the Opposition. It brought about the change from the Westminster system to the partly French-style Executive Presidency, about which this campaign shows signs of turning on. But, its inability to come out with a clear candidate or policy, through all these months of pre-campaign strategy, demonstrates both divisions within it and an overall weakness in political strategy that cannot appeal to those who believe in good democracy.
Of course it has major issues to resolve in giving a fight to defeat Mahinda Rajapaksa. There are issues that go back to JRJ's referendum extending the life of the Parliament that brought the UNP to power with a five-sixth majority in 1977. It is answerable to the people, and also to the world, for what happened in 1983 - the Black July - that certainly had a strong hand of government in the attacks on the Tamil minority that was to lead to the terrorist violence of the LTTE. It also cannot forget its role in antagonizing the Indian leadership of Indira Gandhi, which led to India's RAW being involved in training the first LTTE cadres, and spawning terrorism here. It also saw the Indo-Lanka Agreement, that had little of Sri Lankan consent and the 13th Amendment that is still a matter of major concern in this country.
These are clearly not issues that have been erased from the minds of Sri Lankan voters. Even if they lie in the background of political thinking, they can easily come to the fore, when the UNP, whether alone or in a combination, has to campaign against Mahinda Rajapaksa, who stands out as the leader who defeated the LTTE, and restored peace in this country, after nearly three decades of the brutality and savagery of the LTTE.
There are other issues too, that are closer to the UNP leadership of today, also to do with the battle to restore peace in the country. It will have to face the memories among voters of the Ceasefire Agreement with the LTTE, brokered by Norway. It is not easy to shake off memories of how it posed major threats to Sri Lankan civilians in LTTE controlled areas or what were considered "border villages" at the time, and also helped strengthen the LTTE even further for a prolonged battle before final defeat.
There will also be questions asked about what the UNP has to say today on how it belittled the military operations to defeat the LTTE in the later stages of the battle against terror. Those who said that Toppigala, one of the key operational centres and a hideout of LTTE cadres at the time, was just a bare jungle and nothing of military purpose (2007/2008), or those who referred to the Elephant Pass, or Alimankada, as a fight at Pamankade, or were ready to mistake Kilinochchi for another location with no fight, are still in the ranks of the UNP's leadership, and very loud in the disputes within it.
The problems the UNP will have in facing up to the new challenge of Mahinda Rajapaksa, is whether it will be prepared to admit these strategic errors (if they were indeed errors and not part of political strategy), and whether they are ready to apologize to the people for this approach to the battle against terror?
The UNP could evade these issues with ease at the last presidential poll, when Mahinda Rajapaksa was returned with a huge majority, because it took shelter under the common candidate of that day, Gen. (Rtd.) Sarath Fonseka, who was lured to a humiliating electoral defeat, and saved the UNP of that ignominy. But such escape is not available today.
All the calculations that have been going on with continued uncertainty on a common candidate, has now compelled the UNP to face up to the reality of democratic politics. It cannot allow the clear divisions within the party, which are obviously having an impact on its popular support base to dominate, by evading the political necessity of a contest. At the same time, it must be aware of the many challenges it faces with Mahinda Rajapaksa as the rival.
Of course, there are others who are now trying to evade the fray by stating they do not accept this election as being valid or legal, and thereby try to cover up their own weaknesses in reaching out to the people. That is hardly giving ear to the people, however catchy their slogans may be. Red as they may be in political hue, they have yet to admit their own serious wrongs in the strategy of so-called revolutionary violence that was largely directed against the people. These also call for loud and clear apologies; recantation that comes from genuine self-criticism.
Both the UNP and any common political outfit that it will be in the arena, will have to come out with policies that can have a favourable impact on the people, who have live in five years of peace, have seen the restoration of democracy, in the North, East and South. Leaders with long experience in defeat must have the strength to shake off the garb, image and character of defeat, to show the people policies that can challenge the economic growth in the past decade, even during war, and the new directions the economy is taking, with new interest among foreign investors. They must be able to respond to the challenges of infrastructure development - that has pushed aside the partitions of war and brought about a new unity through the Yal Devi by rail to Jaffna and back, and the Southern Highway that speeds people to Galle and Matara...and thereby brings Hambantota and Kataragama that much closer in time to the rest of the country.
The challenge is now thrown to the strategists of common candidacy in the coming presidential poll. The uncertainly shown so far, despite the big talk of secrecy and strategic silence, is fast losing its very purpose. The lineup of diverse personalities, and contradictory policies and proposals; the array of diminished political talent that is seeking to sway the public, and the struggle of emerging leaders to get ahead of traditional losers, must all take cognizance of the challenge ahead of them. It is Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has called for re-election...who or what can the strategists of the politics of confusion and lack of conviction, come up with to meet this challenge?


text:
Home / Archives / Columns / BPM / BPM: A Global View– BPM as SaaS: The Next BPM Frontier
BPM: A Global View– BPM as SaaS: The Next BPM Frontier
June 3, 2008 , By Rashid Khan
From his first-hand experience as CTO of Ultimus, Rashid Khan discusses the opportunities and the challenges to BPM vendors as a result of the Software-as-a-Service trend currently in vogue. Although he foresees that the journey for BPM toward SaaS will be slow but steady, the process, done with care, will ultimately yield more adaptable BPM systems that will deliver significant benefits to the customer. Read Rashid`s Column for a thoughtful perspective on this important topic.
Rashid Khan, author of Business Process Management: A Practical Guide, is the Founder of Chatty Solutions (www.chattysolutions.com), a company that markets a mobile application platform. Previously he leveraged his entrepreneurial skills to build Ultimus (www.ultimus.com)into a successful global enterprise. In 1983, without any outside capital, Khan founded SINTECH, Inc., a start-up that pioneered the use of application software for mechanical testing automation. After a successful run in which he turned the company into an industry leader, he sold SINTECH, Inc. to MTS Systems Corporation. In 1994, Khan founded Ultimus, providing the start-up finances on his own to allow the company to pursue a long-term vision unencumbered by short-term financial objectives. Ultimus became a recognized leader in BPM employs 270 people in seventeen offices across the globe. Khan holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Masters in Computer Science from University of California at Berkeley, and a B.S. in Computer Science from M.I.T. Khan can be reached at rashid@chattysolutions.com.
Latest posts by Rashid Khan (see all)
BPM and the New Enterprise: BPM Vendors Lag in New Technology Uptake - October 5, 2010
BPM and the New Enterprise: The Case for Mobile BPM - July 6, 2010
BPM and the New Enterprise: Smartphones – The Ultimate IT Platform for the New Enterprise - May 4, 2010
BPM and the New Enterprise: Processes and the New Enterprise - March 2, 2010
BPM: A Global View – What BPM Can Learn from Robotics - December 1, 2009


What importance does Saint Paul has in the history of the Church?
The first factor is that Saint Paul exceeded Judaism. Already in the preaching of Christ this dimension was evident, as the Pentecost had confirmed. But nevertheless, it was St. Paul who spread the preaching of Christ among the pagans. In this sense, the Apostle was perfectly conscious of having received the mission of announcing the Gospel to the Gentiles, in the same way Peter's mission was to the Jews.
The other factor is the notable and explicit position that the "theology of salvation" has in Revelation. This presupposes that man should be conscious at the beginning that he is separated from God and that he needs a Saviour. Among the authors of the New Testament, Saint Paul is the one who emphasized the most the centrality of Christ as a means of salvation. Being a Christian is identification with Christ and acceptance of His pre-eminent role in the redemption of all men. Christ is the Head of all creation. Therefore, the starting point of the evangelization that St. Paul preached is the awareness of the need to be saved.
All men, affirms the Apostle, desires eternal happiness and the perfect contemplation of God, not through blurred images but face-to-face. Nevertheless, before his union with Christ, he felt separated from Him. He experienced the pull of the "flesh", the "body of death", and sin. It was not caused by radical pessimism. Rather, it was a reality and historical. It was due to the sin of Adam. In Adam, everyone sinned and everyone has to resurrect with Christ.
The family in which he was born and the education that he received were certainly guided by Divine Providence to forge him as the instrument that the Lord needed for the specific mission that later on he would receive. He was well-versed on Greek language and culture. He lived to the letter his being a Jew, and he was a roman citizen fully conscious of his rights, duties and the situation of the empire. Built upon the richness of his profile is his grand spiritual personality elevated by the vocation he received.
The primary formation that Paul received certainly came from his family who were practicing Jews (which he was very proud of). He was from the tribe of Benjamin (the same tribe of King Saul, from whom his name was derived). He was a Pharisee, interpreters of the Law. He was zealous in maintaining his family traditions. At the same time, he learned manual work with which he supported himself as it was the custom among the Jews at that time: he was a weaver of linen used in tents and also he knew the art of trading and the transport network of his time.
On the other hand, the formation he received directly from Gamaliel appears to indicate that his parents had plans to orient him as a Rabi (teachers of the Law). As fruit of his study and the lessons he received from such a great teacher, his thoughts were always centered on the Sacred Scriptures. He cites and comments on them many times and he considers frequently the promised salvation of Israel. His sense of history according to the Jewish traditions profoundly penetrates his theological vision.
What about St Paul's helenistic training?
Regarding his formation in helenism we haven't much information, but one can assume that, in studying at Tarsus, he must have gone to a school with a helenic teacher.
Not only that, but St Paul's knowledge of Greek and his mastery of rhetoric suggest specialized study in some school of oratory of the period. It is possible, though not certain, that he went to Rhodes, where there was an important school of rhetoric and stoic philosophy. St Paul's open and positive attitude towards the best Greek philosophy is reflected, not so much in his letters, as in his speech at the Areopagus of Athens, and, before that, in a speech at Iconium in Pamphylia. In any case, one has to remember that in Rom 1,20 St Paul doesn't hesitate to affirm the possibility of reaching, by the use of human reason, the certainty of the existence of God.
The most important aspect of this helenistic dimension of his cultural formation is his decision to write all his letters directly in Greek. St Paul, even though he uses sources prior to him, belonging to Palestine and Jersualem, decided from the beginning and in a completely natural way to use koiné Greek so that all the civilized world of that time might understand him.
What other cultural factors influenced the Apostle's personality?
The third – and without any doubt the most important – factor in his spiritual and apostolic formation was what he received directly from Christ, by means of spiritual experiences or personal revelations, and from the apostolic catechesis (as he himself states when explaining the words of the institution of the Eucharist). Without any doubt Paul was a Christian thinker and all his teaching is centred on Christ Jesus. Yet, the theological and apostolic vision of St Paul is not only Christian, but universal, "catholic", as is evident from his repeated affirmations about the unity of the believers, in spite of their ethnic, geographical or cultural differences.
Another, perhaps less salient, aspect of the Apostle's character is that Paul, as we know, was a Roman citizen, which suggests that he received his citizenship from his father. This characteristic, although it does not imply any special cultural formation, could have had a bearing on the Apostle's thought, particularly from his captivity in Rome onwards. In this sense, one is struck by St Paul's interest in establishing norms of behaviour in the Christian communities founded by him. Such interest in the legal and moral side of his apostolic and pastoral activity could come from his Jewish roots, but also from the legal mentality so apt to Latin culture and so characteristic of stoic thought.
The most decisive day of his life was his personal encounter with Jesus Christ on the road to Damascus. The light of the vocation brought sense to his life since the beginning up to that moment (his Jewish family of the Diaspora which were practicing Jews but at the same time open to the prevailing culture of his time, his pride as a roman citizen). He discovers the congruence between Divine Providence and the plan of God for him which is to preach the Gospel to all men, first to the Jews and later to the Gentiles. The experience that he had prefigures in some way the singular moment in the life of every Christian when the "why" and "purpose of one's life" is known and when one is demanded to take the decision to permanently commit oneself to that mission.
The divine call demands a deep interior conversion. When Jesus revealed himself and Saint Paul understood that He was the glorified Messiah, Paul had to radically change his way of thinking which was similar to a fervent Pharisee. If before he considers that the way to God was through the Law, now he is convinced that the Law is useless, given that Jesus, the Messiah and the Son of God, was condemned according to the Law and was cursed according to the Law. If before he thought that the true Israel was the one from the line of Abraham and follower of the Law, now he understands that the true Israel are the followers of Jesus, those who are identified to Him. In his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, Saint Paul acquired a new vision of the plans of God which will configure his thoughts and conduct beginning from that moment.
To be more accurate, one has to emphasize that the ethic that Saint Paul presents to the Christians is not the ethic based on commandments in a manner similar to the Jews but rather, an ethic based on virtues. Among the virtues, faith and charity are underlined. There are two foundations on which the Christian life is based: the confidence Divine Filiation brings and the awareness to the call to sanctity. "This is the Will of God, your sanctification". No one, since then, had dared to propose an end so lofty because Gentiles did not understand what sanctity is and because the Jews thought that only God is holy.
The awareness of the vocation, and his decision to correspond fully to it, did not spare him from encountering interior and exterior difficulties. The Apostle continued to experience his personal limitations and the weight of sin, against which he continued to struggle.
Nevertheless, these limitations did not impede nor stop his apostolic zeal. The Apostle gave himself unconditionally to the expansion of Christianity. Although his apostolic journeys were full of difficulties, he went from one place to another, where it was more necessary in each moment to spread the Christian message, and adapted himself to all sorts of circumstances and ways of thinking. Immediately after his encounter with Christ, he addressed himself to the Jews in Damascus; and when he went to Jerusalem, he preached to the Helenists, that is to say, to the non-Palestinian Jews of Greek origin.
His first contact with the gentiles came much later, when he helped Barnabas in his work of evangelization. Afterwards, when he and Barnabas were sent by the Holy Spirit, he went to Cyprus and started to preach in the synagogues of Salamis. Later on Paul and Barnabas preached in the same way –starting in the synagogues– in Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Philippi, Thesallonica, Beroea, Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome.
As a fruit of that continued correspondence to God's calling, at the end of his life he did not fear death nor judgment; he faced them with great confidence and serenity, believing in Whom he put his trust. In fact, the Apostle would give his supreme testimony during the reign of Emperor Nero in Rome; his martyrdom took place between 64 and 67 A.D.


text:
Q: c# where for generic type constraint class may NOT be I would like to exclude some types for being used in a generic class. I know how to make constrains in order to make sure a generic type is some kind of (interface) type. But I can't seem to figure out how to exclude (multiple) types.
For instance: I want a generic class to exclude ints and uints (but don't exclude DateTime for instance, so not all Primitives may be excluded).
I can't do something like this:
public class SomeWhereTest2<T> where T : !System.Int32
{
}

Can someone help me out how to exclude multiple types at once?

I made a special class that acts like a dictionary and is also a FiFo collection with an index, where 0 is the most recent value, 1 the previous etc. (public class FiFoDictionary<K, V>: IDictionary<K, V>, which uses OrderedDictionary as the internal dict.)
But since the index is given via an int, this gives issues when the key of the dictionary is an int. Because then you get the value linked to the key, instead of the index. Or is there any way to force the use of the index instead of the key for an OrderedDictionary?

A: Given the explanation in the comment, why you think you need this: No,
you don't need to exclude int from the generic type.
When overloaded methods in a class (methods that differ by type of their parameters only) are used in a generic class, then the decision which of the methods is called is already made while the Generic class is compiled independently of the concrete type then used later on.
Example:
class Test<T>
{
    public void Trigger(T test)
    {
        // Will always call Internal(object) and never call Internal(int) even when T is int.
        Internal(test);
    }

    private void Internal(int test)
    {
        MessageBox.Show("Triggered int");
    }

    private void Internal(object test)
    {
        MessageBox.Show("Triggered object");
    }
}

private void buttonTest_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    Test<int> test = new Test<int>();
    test.Trigger(42);
}

The output is

"Triggered object"

Even when T is int, the overloaded Internal method that takes an int is never called because the decision that Trigger calls the Internal method that expects an object is already made for the whole generic class independently of the concrete type used.

The same is true when you use an OrderedDictionary internally. myOrderedDictionary[x] where x is a generic type will always use the index property that accesses entries by key and not the one that accesses them by order because this decision is made based on the known constraints of the generic type independently of the concrete type used later on.
class TestDictionary<TKey, TValue>
{
    OrderedDictionary orderedDictionary = new OrderedDictionary();

    public void Add(TKey key, TValue value)
    {
        orderedDictionary.Add(key, value);
    }

    public TValue GetByIndex(int index)
    {
        return (TValue)orderedDictionary[index];
    }

    public TValue GetByKey(TKey key)
    {
        return (TValue)orderedDictionary[key];
    }
}

private void buttonTest_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
{
    TestDictionary<int, string> test = new TestDictionary<int, string>();

    test.Add(42, "Test");

    MessageBox.Show(test.GetByIndex(0)); // Correct output "Test"
    MessageBox.Show(test.GetByKey(42)); // Correct output "Test"
}

A: There is no such thing in C# however you can scope the generic type in a way that may help you to achieve that. This is just a sample and I don't consider this as a solution to your problem
class MyGeneric<T> where T : new() { } // T must be a class with default constructor
class MyGeneric<T> where T : System.IComparable<T> { }// T must implement IComparable interface
class MyGeneric<T> where T : System.IComparable<T>, new () { }

A: its no posible to do, The != and == operators can't be used because there's no guarantee that the concrete type argument will support these operators. here you can read more about


Hello parents! In order to insure the safety of your children we share photos, field trips, class calendars, and selected school policies to logged in accounts ONLY. Please login with your username and password to access this information. Thank you!


Located just minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, you'll be at the center of it all here at Greenville Park! Our warm and inviting apartment community is set amongst a beautifully landscaped setting and surrounded by every imaginable recreation available. World-class shopping, wonderful dining, local schools, commuter-friendly freeways and exciting recreations are all just minutes away.
With unique two and three bedroom floor plans, you're sure to find the ideal apartment for your needs here. All of our apartments come equipped with an array of highly desirable amenities, including central air conditioning, spacious walk-in closets, a state of the art kitchen with modern appliances and more!
Greenville Park offers a variety of amenities that suits any lifestyle. Your friends and family will want to visit for an afternoon BBQ or relaxing day by our swimming pool. Other amenities include children's play area, basketball court, laundry facility and more! There is something for everyone here. Our community welcomes you and your pet, so bring the entire family. Tour our photo gallery and see why Greenville Park is the ideal place to call home!


text:
Another Bear Sighted In Mercer County
Filed Under:Bear, East WIndsor Township, Monroe Township
By Todd Quinones
EAST WINDSOR, NJ (CBS) – At first people thought it might have been a dog, but as the animal got closer to the playground area, everyone realized it was a bear. Some people even got out their cell phones.
This black bear gave dad and Trenton police officer Lenny Aviles a bit of a scare Monday afternoon.
"I told everyone, 'Stay here, there's a bear.' Of course everyone looks at me like I have three heads as I'm saying 'bear,'" he said.
Aviles was playing soccer with his son near a community pool in the Twin Rivers development just before 4 p.m.
People in the pool saw the bear, too.
"We like locked the doors and got the kids back in [the pool area]," lifeguard Mariana Arriisueno said.
Worried about the kids in the playground, Aviles picked up a chair, lifted it over his head and got within about 50 feet as he told the kids to get behind the fence.
"I start [saying], 'Go away bear, go away bear.' He kind of grunted at me and I flung the chair. Then he walked away, just turned and walked away," Aviles said.
Minutes earlier, the bear had been spotted outside a nearby 7-Eleven.
Prentice Goodson followed the bear as it roamed through the neighborhood and managed to snap a picture.
"He wasn't scared of people at all. I wasn't too scared of him. I was probably a good 50 yards back, so if I had to run, I could've, but he didn't seem scared. It was more of a walk instead of a run," Goodson said.
Police followed the bear into a wooded area in nearby Monroe Township.
No one was injured and there were no reports of any property damage.


UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance on March 1, 2016. He spoke about the importance of passing the Miners' Protection Act, S. 1714. Call your Senators and tell them to protect miners' pension and retirement health care benefits!
Click here to view members of Congress speaking in support of S. 1714 and H.R. 2403.


text:
import {TemplateInterface} from './../../TemplateInterface';
const html = require('common-tags').html;

export class TslintJson implements TemplateInterface {
  public publishName: string = 'tslint.json';
  public name: string = 'tslint';

  get template() {
    return (html`
     {
        "rules": {
          "max-line-length": [false, 200],
          "no-inferrable-types": true,
          "class-name": true,
          "comment-format": [
            true,
            "check-space"
          ],
          "indent": [
            true,
            "spaces"
          ],
          "eofline": true,
          "no-duplicate-variable": true,
          "no-eval": true,
          "no-arg": true,
          "no-internal-module": true,
          "no-trailing-whitespace": true,
          "no-bitwise": true,
          "no-shadowed-variable": true,
          "no-unused-expression": true,
          "no-unused-variable": true,
          "one-line": [
            true,
            "check-catch",
            "check-else",
            "check-open-brace",
            "check-whitespace"
          ],
          "quotemark": [
            true,
            "single",
            "avoid-escape"
          ],
          "semicolon": [true, "always"],
          "typedef-whitespace": [
            true,
            {
              "call-signature": "nospace",
              "index-signature": "nospace",
              "parameter": "nospace",
              "property-declaration": "nospace",
              "variable-declaration": "nospace"
            }
          ],
          "curly": true,
          "variable-name": [
            true,
            "ban-keywords",
            "check-format",
            "allow-leading-underscore",
            "allow-trailing-underscore"
          ],
          "whitespace": [
            true,
            "check-branch",
            "check-decl",
            "check-operator",
            "check-separator",
            "check-type"
          ]
        }
      }\n
    `);
  }
}


We understand that a great deal of time needs to be invested when upgrading or changing business management software. If a project is undertaken for the wrong reasons or the reasons for the project are ill defined, this can be disastrous for both customer and supplier alike.
We therefore invest more time on site with our customers prior to contract to better understand their people, aspirations and workflow processes, and from this we are able to carry out a more thorough assessment of the project's value and viability.
Our business is about understanding people and identifying how to deliver viable solutions, and to gain this understanding takes time and so our business is therefore based on quality not quantity.
All of our customers are happy to be contacted as referees to our service.


With 7,000 hours of content, 148 gallons of coffee and 1,152 cookies consumed, day one of RingCentral's customer conference set the bar for day two.
After day one's focus on employee engagement and customer engagement coming together, day two focused more on innovation and collaboration in the workplace.
Kira Makagon, EVP of Innovation for RingCentral kicked off day two with a keynote on driving innovation in the millennial, always on, modern workplace. Emphasising the importance of the Dimelo acquisition and launch of RingCentral Engage, Kira spoke about how RingCentral's constant innovation enables day one's theme of uniting employee engagement and customer engagement.
Balancing customer-delighting interfaces, enterprise grade administration, a single communications app and a rich open platform were noted as the key acts when innovating throughout all products in the RingCentral portfolio.
Jenni Murer, CIO at Gant Travel were invited on stage to praise the innovation that RingCentral has bought to their company. As a remote travel company, the use of Glip, RingCentral Meetings and Pulse has allowed them to grow the business whilst lowering the costs. Gant's stats boast 30% cost savings while expanding, 95% reduction in agent transfers and 67% reduction in agent overtime.
"Because we are a virtual team, it's important that we don't feel virtual".
SVP of Product, Jose Pastor ran an interactive demo where the audience saw a real-time Facebook Messenger transaction into the RingCentral Engage platform. Within the agent console, the agent has access to all mediums that a customer interacts with the business on. So, if your customer has a large number of Twitter followers, you know upsetting them could reach a large audience.
When requiring expert assistance to aid the customer transaction, Jose demoed persistent chat history from the customer being shared with an expert in the given domain. By using the "Ask An Expert" option, Glip enables real-time collaboration to solve the customer problem, without having to keep the customer waiting for an extended period of time.
When the interaction required escalation to video, the RingCentral Engage platform enables seamless connection to a video call via the medium that the customer is in. Providing a URL link into Facebook messenger, the customer simply clicked the link and joined the video call – without needing to download additional software.
Through recently onboarded AI partners, David Lee, VP of Platform Products, demoed smart transcription. Within the playback interface, keywords, sentiments and call or video recordings are included alongside the transcript itself. As you play the call or video, subtitles are provided to provide context to what you are listening and watching.
Searching for keywords now navigates to exact part of the call where keywords are mentioned, saving time waiting for the topic to come up and searching through hours and hours of recordings. This is perfect for dispute resolution and user training. The innovative capabilities of all these products showcased today are real enablers in introducing innovation to clients and a huge leap towards digital transformation (DX).


text:
/ ZOU MATABELELAND SOUTH REGIONAL CAMPUS SUPPORTS THECLEAN- UP CAMPAIGN INITIATIVE
ZOU MATABELELAND SOUTH REGIONAL CAMPUS SUPPORTS THECLEAN- UP CAMPAIGN INITIATIVE
0n 1st February 2019, The Zimbabwe Open University, Matabeleland South Regional Campus staff joined Zimbabweans in the national clean-up campaign in support of the initiative by His Excellency, The Presidentof Zimbabwe and ZOU Chancellor, Cde. Emmerson D. Mnangagwa who launched the national clean-up campaign on 5 December 2018. The national clean-up campaign is an ongoing activity and is to be conducted on the first week of every month.
The campus had a very successful clean- up campaign, which saw all staff members fully engaged in cleaning and beautifying the campus, a move meant to enable the university to live in a safe, clean, tidy and user friendly environment. This 1st cleaning exercise was concentrated inside and around the campus premises. The Matabeleland South Regional Campus Regional Director, Mr. A. Nkala led the cleaning exercise.
Mr. A. Nkala (Centre), Matabeleland South Regional Campus Regional Director leading the cleaning exercise
In an interview on the sidelines of the clean-up campaign, Matabeleland South Regional Campus Regional Director said, "We took it upon ourselves to start by cleaning our Campus premises as well as offices. In addition to it (clean-up) being a noble endeavor worth everyone's support, the national clean up exercise dovetails with the healthy and philanthropy pillar of our corporate social investment policy as Zimbabwe Open University. We therefore remain committed to this and other initiatives to make our workplaces, communities, homes and the general environment clean and healthy for all. The region will continue getting engaged in this cleaning campaign every first Fridayof each month as declared by the President. It is hoped that this exercise will go a long way in bringing the university to world class standards and a university of choice by virtue of both its appearance and quality of education."
It was noted that every staff member had a task to carry out, all in the spirit of cleaning the campus.For Mat South Regional Campus staff, it was quite an experience, and everyone felt the two hours was rather too short. The SRC president, Mr. Chamunorwa Mahachialso joined the Mat South team in the clean-up campaign.
Members of Staff cleaning the Campus Premises
More Members of Staff cleaning the Campus Premises
Ms. Sithokhozile Sibanda (Right) Programme Coordinator -Media and Journalism Studies during the cleaning exercise