text:
'use strict';

require('../../../../env-setup');

var handle = require(global.VX_HANDLERS + 'operational-data-store-request/operational-data-store-request-handler');
var ncUtil = require(global.VX_UTILS + 'namecase-utils');

var log = require(global.VX_UTILS + 'dummy-logger');
// log = require('bunyan').createLogger({
//     name: 'operational-sync-endpoint-handler-spec',
//     level: 'debug'
// });

describe('operational-data-store-request-handler.js', function() {

    describe('handle()', function() {

        it('error path: missing record', function() {
            var config = {};
            var environment = {
            };

            var storageJob = {
                'jpid': '21EC2021-3AEA-4069-A2DD-08002B30309D',
                'type': 'operational-store-record'
            };

            var finished = false;
            runs(function() {
                handle(log, config, environment, storageJob, function(error) {
                    expect(error).toBeTruthy();
                    expect(error.message).toEqual('Missing record');
                    finished = true;
                });
            });

            waitsFor(function() {
                return finished;
            });
        });

        it('error path: missing uid', function() {
            var config = {};
            var environment = {};

            var ptSelectRecord = {
                'stampTime': 20150311140030,
                'birthDate': 19350407,
                'familyName': 'INT-TEST',
                'fullName': 'INT-TEST,PATIENT',
                'genderCode': 'urn:va:pat-gender:M',
                'genderName': 'Male',
                'givenNames': 'PATIENT',
                'localId': 1,
                'pid': 'EEEE;1',
                'sensitive': true,
                'ssn': 666223456,
                //'uid': 'urn:va:pt-select:EEEE:1:1'
            };
            var storageJob = {
                'jpid': '21EC2021-3AEA-4069-A2DD-08002B30309D',
                'type': 'operational-store-record',
                'record': ptSelectRecord
            };

            var finished = false;
            runs(function() {
                handle(log, config, environment, storageJob, function(error) {
                    expect(error).toBeTruthy();
                    expect(error.message).toEqual('Missing UID');
                    finished = true;
                });
            });

            waitsFor(function() {
                return finished;
            });
        });

        it('error path: missing stampTime', function() {
            var config = {};
            var environment = {};

            var ptSelectRecord = {
                //'stampTime': 20150311140030,
                'birthDate': 19350407,
                'familyName': 'INT-TEST',
                'fullName': 'INT-TEST,PATIENT',
                'genderCode': 'urn:va:pat-gender:M',
                'genderName': 'Male',
                'givenNames': 'PATIENT',
                'localId': 1,
                'pid': 'EEEE;1',
                'sensitive': true,
                'ssn': 666223456,
                'uid': 'urn:va:pt-select:EEEE:1:1'
            };
            var storageJob = {
                'jpid': '21EC2021-3AEA-4069-A2DD-08002B30309D',
                'type': 'operational-store-record',
                'record': ptSelectRecord
            };

            var finished = false;
            runs(function() {
                handle(log, config, environment, storageJob, function(error) {
                    expect(error).toBeTruthy();
                    expect(error.message).toEqual('Missing stampTime');
                    finished = true;
                });
            });

            waitsFor(function() {
                return finished;
            });
        });

        it('Happy path: rec enrichment transform', function() {
            function storeOperationalDataStub (record, callback) {
                // Just need to check one of the record enrichment fields to be sure it did call it.
                //----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                expect(record.displayName).toBe(ncUtil.namecase(record.fullName));
                return callback(null, { statusCode: 201 }, null);
            }

            var config = {};
            var environment = {
                jds: {
                    storeOperationalData: storeOperationalDataStub
                }
            };

            var ptSelectRecord = {
                'stampTime': 20150311140030,
                'birthDate': 19350407,
                'familyName': 'INT-TEST',
                'fullName': 'INT-TEST,PATIENT',
                'genderCode': 'urn:va:pat-gender:M',
                'genderName': 'Male',
                'givenNames': 'PATIENT',
                'localId': 1,
                'pid': 'EEEE;1',
                'sensitive': true,
                'ssn': 666223456,
                'uid': 'urn:va:pt-select:EEEE:1:1'
            };
            var storageJob = {
                'jpid': '21EC2021-3AEA-4069-A2DD-08002B30309D',
                'type': 'operational-store-record',
                'record': ptSelectRecord
            };

            var finished = false;
            runs(function() {
                handle(log, config, environment, storageJob, function(error) {
                    expect(error).toBeFalsy();
                    finished = true;
                });
            });

            waitsFor(function() {
                return finished;
            });
        });
    });
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


1. Brother Yeoh Ti Pheng and the committee to see to every detail of the preparation.
2. Church members to actively seek out those who can be invited for the event.
3. The participants for the two medical talks will be contacted and invited for this event.
4. Fine weather on that night that no one will be prevented from turning up.
5. All systems to work well without any hitch.
6. The team from Taiwan under Pastor陈忠喜 and his daughter 陈沙仑 will be kept in good health, their voices will be preserved and that they will be able to deliver the gospel message powerfully.
7. People will respond to the altar call to receive Jesus as their personal saviour.
8. Ushers and counselors will be equipped to assist Rev Lim in guiding those who respond to the altar call.


text:
Audio Visual (AV) Equipment
Portable Digital Voice Recorder features pre-record buffer.
Olympus Imaging America Inc. Jan 14, 2011
Weighing 3 oz, LS-7 pocket linear PCM audio recorder features pre-record buffer that captures 2 sec of audio before record button is pressed. Unit includes omni-directional microphone that captures frequencies as low as 20 Hz, and two condenser microphones placed at 45° positions for optimal stereo sound. Powered by two AAA batteries, it has 4 GB Flash memory, microSD removable media card slot, speaker, and LCD screen. Product supports WAV, MP3, and WMA formats.
New Olympus LS-7 "Pocket" Linear PCM Recorder Features Pre-Record Buffer, Low Frequency Mic, and Voice Guidance in a Compact, Affordable Device
Linear PCM power on a budget: simple-to-operate LS-7 recorder offers
better-than-CD-quality for capturing pristine audio in a handheld unit
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - Olympus, the market leader for portable digital voice recorders and professional dictation devices, builds on its reputation for incredible audio engineering with the new LS-7 "pocket" linear PCM audio recording device. Compared to previous LS series recorders, the LS-7 offers cutting-edge innovative features like a pre-record buffer that captures seconds of audio before the record button is pressed, an omni-directional mic to pick up lower bass frequencies, a switchable low-cut filter that eliminates unwanted low-frequency noise and voice guidance for users with assistive needs. The new features come in a compact, lightweight, sleek metal body with uncompressed 24 bit/96 kHz Linear PCM recording format for digital stereo recordings at an affordable price, providing further proof that Olympus lets you capture it all.
"The Olympus LS-7 Linear PCM recorder is compact and easy to operate, but technologically speaking, there is nothing small or simple about this device," said Amy Leslie, product manager, Olympus Imaging America Inc. "Whether you are a musician who wants to record practices, shows or song ideas; a nature enthusiast with a passion for capturing bird songs; a journalist or broadcaster; a choir or theater director or just someone who demands exceptionally clear, crisp sound, the LS-7 is must-have gear."
An Ultra-Portable, Studio-Grade Recorder
At just 4.4 inches and weighing 3 ounces, the robust LS-7 literally fits into any pocket. Additionally, like its LS series brethren, the device features uncompressed 24 bit/96kHz linear PCM recording capability to capture rich, dynamic sound quality. It has the versatility to record and play back in WAV, MP3 and WMA formats with either its internal mics or by plugging in an external mic.
The LS-7's value extends beyond the realm of music. Nature lovers can capture vivid, ambient sounds while journalists can record broadcasts and podcasts with professional audio that's ready for the airwaves or digital streaming. The device is also a valuable tool for multimedia artists who want to record high-quality audio to accompany video and still photography.
More Audio, Less Compromise
Equipped with a generous 4 gigabytes of internal flash memory, the LS-7 easily captures lengthy, uncompressed PCM recordings. It also features a microSD removable media card slot. Users can effortlessly move files between internal and external memory to help manage storage. Ideal for extended recording sessions, the LS-7 operates on two rechargeable AAA batteries.
Three Mics are Better than Two
Sensitive microphones are of utmost importance to capture the nuance of every note, word or soundfrom low to high tone range. The LS-7 employs two condenser stereo mics and a center, omni-directional mic capable of capturing lower bass ranges as low as 20Hz. The 45-degree outward positions of the two condenser mics enable users to record with wider stereo sound. Its flat frequency response characteristic generated by new code achieves natural recording quality.
In addition, the LS-7 can play back audio on its built-in speaker, allowing more than one person to listen to a recording simultaneously. This is great for collaborating musicians who want to evaluate the recording progress on the fly.
Block Out Unwanted Sound
When trying to record ambient sounds such as a babbling brook or bird call, background noise can prove incredibly frustrating. Thankfully, the LS-7 features a switchable low-cut filter that enables users to eliminate low-frequency sound from 100Hz and 300Hz. Unwanted background noises, like the rumble of a distant car or the strains of an air conditioning unit, can be greatly minimized.
One of the great features on the LS-7 is its pre-record buffer. It allows the LS-7 to capture two seconds of audio before the record button is depressed. It helps ensure users won't miss the opening notes of a song, the first words of an interview or a call in the wild.
Making Recording Accessible for Everyone
Another key LS-7 feature is voice guidance, whereby the recorder can provide audio prompts for users with assistive needs. This helps the user operate the device without needing to see the menus or buttons. Artists with visual or learning disabilities have long been faithful Olympus users. The LS-7 is the first Linear PCM Recorder built with them in mind.
The LS-7's relatively large, 1.69-inch backlit LCD screen is easy to read and shows file information, recording time and events clearly. A user-friendly thumb pad provides easy control to play or stop a recording, adjust volume level, fast-forward and rewind with a simple touch. Erase and File List buttons are positioned below the thumb pad for easy access.
Sleek Look in a Company Package
The LS-7 features a lightweight aluminum, black body with silver function buttons and edging on the microphones. At just 4.4 inches and 3 ounces in weight, the LS-7 provides remarkable power in a convenient size.
No Strings Attached with Wireless Remote
An optional RS-30W Wireless Remote empowers users to start and stop the recording of the LS-7 without touching the unit. It is ideal for live performances, as the device can be placed in an optimal recording position and activated at a distance.
Transfer. Edit. Enjoy.
Olympus Sonority®Software is included with the LS-7 to simplify the managing and editing of audio recordings. It allows users to easily download, manage and convert sound files and perform waveform editing on a PC or Mac.
In addition to Olympus Sonority software, the LS-7 is packaged with a USB cable, windscreen, carrying case, two rechargeable AAA batteries, strap, an instruction manual and Olympus warranty card. Optional accessories for the LS-7 include the infrared RS-30W Wireless Remote, WJ2 Wind Jammer and A514 AC adaptor.
The LS-7 provides excellent audio recording at a highly competitive price for a Linear PCM recorder: an estimated street price of $199.99 (U.S.). It will be available in March 2011.
ABOUT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC.
Olympus Imaging America Inc. is a precision technology leader, designing and delivering award-winning products for consumer and professional markets.
Olympus Imaging America Inc. works collaboratively with its customers and its ultimate parent company, Olympus Corporation, to develop breakthrough technologies with revolutionary product design and functionality that enhances people's lives every day. These include:
oDigital Cameras
oProfessional and Consumer Interchangeable Lens System Cameras
oRelated Underwater Products and Accessories
oDigital and Micro-cassette Recorders
oDigital Media
oBinoculars
Olympus Imaging America Inc. is responsible for sales in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. For more information, visit: www.getolympus.com.
Specifications*:
o Recording formats: Linear PCM, MP3 and WMA
o Frequency response (built-in mics): 20Hz-20kHz (center mic ON) or 70Hz-20kHz (center mic OFF)
o Maximum headphone output: 4.0mW + 4.0mW (at load of 16W)
o Recording Media: 4GB built-in memory / up to 32GB with microSD/SDHC Card
o Peak LED
o Speaker: 20mm diameter, round dynamics speaker (monaural)
o MIC jack: 3.5mm diameter, mini-jack, impedance 2.2kW
o EAR jack: 3.5mm diameter, impedance 8W or more
o Maximum speaker output: 400mW (8W load)
o Pre-recording: PCM 24bit: 1sec / PCM 16bit, MP3, WMA: 2sec
o File editing function: Divide (PCM/MP3), Partial Erase (PCM), Move/Copy
o Automatic recording level
o Limitter ON / Compressor ON / OFF
o Low cut filter: OFF / 100Hz / 300Hz
o Olympus Sonority Sound Editing Software
o Wireless remote control set (RS-30W) (optional)
o Tripod hole
o USB interface: Mass Storage Class (High Speed 2.0) / Audio Class (44.1kHz/16bit)
o Compatible OS (USB connection): Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7 or Mac OS X 10.4.1-10.6
o Battery: two AAA batteries (LR03) or two Olympus Ni-MH rechargeable batteries
o External power supply: A514 AC adapter (DC5V) (optional)
o Dimensions (H x W x D): 112 x 39.8 x 15.9 mm
o Weight: 90g (including batteries)
o Over 11 hours (built-in memory) of Linear PCM recording time
o Over 131 hours (built-in memory) of MP3 recording time
o Over 1,007 hours (built-in memory) of WMA recording time
o Included items: Ni-MH rechargeable batteries, CD-ROM(Olympus Sonority Sound Editing Software), USB cable, strap, windscreen, carrying case and manual
*Specifications and design are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer. All trademarks and registered trademarks listed herein are the property of their respective holders, in the US and/or other countries.
© 2011 Olympus Imaging America Inc.
Digital Radio operates in 136-174 MHz frequency band.
Active Noise Cancelling Technology integrated into CSR8675 device.
New Apollo RA670 Marine Stereo Comes with Multi-Zone Control in Up to Three Audio Zones
Rectangular In-Wall Speakers employ Quickmount(TM) baffles.
Video Extenders transfer HD video up to 1,000 ft.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
'M3GAN,' 'White Lotus,' 'Avatar 2' Get Clever Spoofs in 'Saturday Night Live' Parodies
"Saturday Night Live" went heavy on recent TV and movie hits on Saturday, with cleverly-executed skits from "M3GAN," "The White Lotus" and "Avatar: The Way of Water" livening up the selection of material.
"M3GAN" star Allison Williams made a cameo on "Saturday Night Live" spoofing a trailer for the sequel, M3GAN 2.0, celebrating the doll's status as a gay icon on NBC's Jan. 21 broadcast.
The trailer — featuring both host Aubrey Plaza and Chloe Fineman as the doll — declares the movie is a hit with audiences, including captivated one demographic most of all: gay men.
"It's like 'Bros,' but for gays," read one fake review from Variety.
As M3GAN, Plaza suggests hitting a drag show and doing poppers, and as she threatens to strangle Yang declaring she is bored, Williams bursts in to save the day.
"Wait, are you from the show, "Girls'?" Yang asks.
In another sketch, Fineman portrayed Jennifer Coolidge in "White Lotus" in the parody, "The Black Lotus." Cast member Kenan Thompson took on the role of concierge.
"Oh, gosh, I forgot my credit card. I must have left it in the limousine, is that OK, can you trust me?" asks FIneman.
"Avatar: The Way of Water" gets a cheeky SNL parody with Aubrey Plaza.
"No, I can't," Thompson replied. "I don't know you. I'm trying to run a business!"
An announcer then intones: "Coming soon to HBO, Black Lotus. All the decadence, all the intrigue, none of the foolishness."
Michael Imperioli's character — attempting to check in — is embarrassed as his guests are referred to as "hoes" that can charge anything they want to the room because they are given a spare key, while Plaza portrays a Latina bartender instead of her "White Lotus" character, Harper.
Later, Plaza and Heidi Gardner drop in to surprise the "Avatar: The Way of Water" cast as blue, sunglass-wearing "lesbians from Arizona."
Watch "The Black Lotus" below.
Previous Post: 'Cat Person' Review: Adapted from the Hot Potato New Yorker Story, This Divisive Romance Is No Date Movie
Next Post: Anne Hathaway Says When She Was a 16-Year-Old Actor, Journalist Asked Her: 'Are You a Good Girl or a Bad Girl?'


I'm happy to introduce you to this week's featured handmade crafter. Please welcome Linda from Created by Grace Designs.
Hello, my name is Linda Vizcaino-Rivera and I live in New Jersey. A few months ago I became a stay-at-home Mom to two beautiful daughters. In the interim, I found my hidden Passion: Designing and creating beautiful jewelry.
*Do you have a blog?
*How and when did you begin crafting?
I began crafting on a day my youngest daughter and I played with yarn and pony beads. She asked for a bracelet and I created a simple macrame bracelet. This intrigued me greatly and so I decided to go to Michaels Craft store to purchase beautiful beads and cords. From there on, my creative side flourished.
*What is your favorite craft to do?
I enjoy creating beautiful bracelets using differents kinds of cords, beads and ornaments. One of my favorite designs thus far is a wrapped bracelet I created using jewelry wire, silver tubes and beautiful beads; it is simply stunning. On other days I enjoy making scented soy candles.
*How long have you been selling your services/crafts?
I've been creating and selling my designs since June of 2012.


text:
Michael Thomas, né le  à Lambeth en Londres (Angleterre), est un footballeur anglais, qui évoluait au poste de milieu de terrain à Arsenal et en équipe d'Angleterre.

En 1988, il a participé au Festival International Espoirs avec les espoirs Anglais. Malgré la défaite en finale contre la France, il est désigné meilleur joueur du tournoi. Thomas n'a marqué aucun but lors de ses deux sélections avec l'équipe d'Angleterre entre 1988 et 1989.

Carrière
 1984-1986 : Arsenal
 1986 : Portsmouth
 1986-décembre 1991 : Arsenal
 1991-1998 : Liverpool
 De février à mars 1998 : Middlesbrough
 1998-2000 : Benfica
 2000-2001 : Wimbledon FC

Palmarès

En équipe nationale
 Finaliste et meilleur joueur du Festival International Espoirs en 1988.
 2 sélections et 0 but avec l'équipe d'Angleterre entre 1988 et 1989.

Avec Arsenal
 Vainqueur du Championnat d'Angleterre de football en 1989 et 1991.
 Vainqueur de la Coupe de la Ligue anglaise de football en 1987.
 Finaliste de la Coupe de la Ligue anglaise de football en 1988.

Avec Liverpool
 Vainqueur de la Coupe d'Angleterre de football en 1992.
 Vainqueur de la Coupe de la Ligue anglaise de football en 1995.

Notes et références

Liens externes

Footballeur international anglais
Joueur de l'Arsenal FC
Joueur du Portsmouth FC
Joueur du Liverpool FC
Joueur du Middlesbrough FC
Joueur du Benfica Lisbonne
Joueur du Benfica Lisbonne B
Naissance à Lambeth (ville)
Naissance en août 1967
Joueur du Wimbledon FC

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
U.S. Ninth Circuit
Third Travel Ban Wins and Loses Emergency Appeal
By George Khoury, Esq. on November 14, 2017 10:49 AM
In the latest chapter in the Trump travel ban saga, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has partially lifted the preliminary injunction issued by the federal district court in Hawaii. After Judge Watson issued the order, the feds appealed and filed for an emergency appeal regarding the preliminary injunction shutting down the travel ban as to the six Muslim majority nations it named.
The Ninth Circuit limited the preliminary injunction only to those foreign nationals with bona fide ties to the United States. For individuals, this means family members extending out as far as grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and even siblings-in-law. For businesses, there must be a formal, documented relationship that was not formed for the purpose of evading the travel ban.
The Ninth Circuit will hear the arguments in the actual appeal of Judge Watson's order in a few weeks, around the same time as the Fourth Circuit will be hearing the appeal stemming from the travel ban case out of the federal court in Maryland.
While there may be uncertainty about what will happen with the ban in the end, the appellate courts will likely determine the future of the ban at least for the next several months. It is unlikely that either side of the battle will give in, and as such, it'll keep going until the cases can be appealed up to the Supreme Court, where they'll likely be consolidated, just like the previous travel ban cases.
A spokesperson for the department of justice stated, in response to the Ninth Circuit's order: "We are reviewing the court's order and the government will begin enforcing the travel proclamation consistent with the partial stay. We believe that the [travel ban] proclamation should be allowed to take effect in its entirety."
Ninth Circuit Debates DACA Decision Documents Discovery Debacle (FindLaw's U.S. Ninth Circuit Blog)
Glassdoor Can't Protect Reviewers' Identities From Government (FindLaw's U.S. Ninth Circuit Blog)
Is RBG 'Bound by Law' to Recuse Herself on Travel Ban Case? (FindLaw's U.S. Supreme Court Blog)


Discover one of the best resource for gay dating in Rennes. Fbuds is a gay site in Rennes full of single gay men like you looking to find lovers, boyfriends, or just hook up and have some fun in Rennes. Here you can meet your fuckbud, NSA hookup or long term gay partner.


text:
Georg Friedrich Harms (* 2. November 1811 in Lübeck; † 4. Mai 1892 ebenda) war Senator der Hansestadt Lübeck.

Harms war seit 1835 Teilhaber der Weinhandlung Lorenz Harms & Söhne in Lübeck. Er wurde 1859 in die Lübecker Bürgerschaft gewählt und 1866 Senator der Stadt. Er gehörte der Militärkommission der Stadt von 1866 bis 1892 an und war seit 1873 deren Präses. Weiter war Harms in der Rechnungsrevisionsdeputation (1866–1889) und in der Senatskommission für kirchliche Angelegenheit (1868–1889) tätig.

Als Konsul vertrat er die Interessen des Königreichs Württemberg in Lübeck.

Literatur
 Emil Ferdinand Fehling: Lübeckische Ratslinie, Lübeck 1925, Nr. 1001

Trivia
Nach dem Tod von Senator Mann am 13. Oktober 1891 wurden Konsul Fehling und der Weinhändler Krafft Tesdorpf zu Vormündern seiner fünf hinterlassenen Kinder bestellt.

Thomas Mann war zu diesem Zeitpunkt 16 Jahre alt. In seinem Roman Die Buddenbrooks (1901), wofür er später den Nobelpreis erhielt, begegnen wir Georg Friedrich (Fritz) Harms als Senator James Möllendorpf.

Einzelnachweise

Senator (Lübeck)
Mitglied der Bürgerschaft (Lübeck)
Deutscher
Geboren 1811
Gestorben 1892
Mann
Konsul
Weinhändler (Lübeck)


Rue de Lyon blends old world styling with crisp lines and classic arches, bringing ageless style to home offices and small commercial environments. With stately veneers in a ruby cabernet finish, this collection's solid construction balances intricate hardwood trim and carved details. This high-back chair's black leather upholstery stands out against its polished wood frame.
Standard Features: A classic from the DMI Collection Ruby Cabernet finished frame with black leather upholstery Swivel-tilt mechanism Gas lift Five star hooded caster base Adjustable seat ranges from 20"-24" Overall height ranges from 41.5" - 43.75"


text:
Tatjana Patitz, supermodel of the 80s and 90s, dies at 56: NPR
Tatjana Patitz, one of an elite group of famous models who graced magazine covers in the 1980s and 1990s, has died aged 56.
Fabian Bimmer/AP
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Tatjana Patitz, one of an elite group of celebrity models who graced magazine covers in the 1980s and 1990s and appeared in George's "Freedom! '90" music video Michael, died at age 56.
Patitz's death in the Santa Barbara, Calif., area was confirmed by his New York agent, Corinne Nicolas, of Model CoOp. Nicolas said the cause was illness, but did not elaborate.
Patitz, who was born in Germany, raised in Sweden and later made her life in California, was known as one of an elite handful of "original" models, appearing in Michael's video with Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell and Cindy. Crawford.
She was a favorite of fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh, who showcased her natural beauty in his famous 1988 photo, "White Shirts: Six Supermodels, Malibu", and for the cover of British Vogue in 1990, this which led to Michael kicking off the band in his lip-sync video. , according to Vogue.
The magazine quoted its global editorial director, Anna Wintour, as saying that Patitz was "still the European symbol of chic, like Romy Schneider-meet-Monica Vitti. She was much less visible than her peers – more mysterious, more adult, more inaccessible – and that had its own appeal."
In a 2006 interview, Patitz felt that the golden age of fashion models was over.
"There was a real era, and the reason it happened was because glamor was introduced there," she told Prestige Hong Kong magazine. "Now the celebrities and actresses have taken over, and the models are completely in the back."
She also noted that models of her day had healthier physiques.
"The women were healthy, not these skinny little models whose names nobody knows anymore," Patitz said.
Previous Article Jim Cramer explains why December's CPI number is a 'big deal'
Next Article The crested anole lizard adapts to life in the city


text:
Be in a chance to win Ticketmaster vouchers!
As a New Year treat we're offering you a chance to win £100 Ticketmaster vouchers. All you have to do is follow us on Instagram and/or Facebook and tag a friend on one of our posts. It's as simple as that!
Go see a show, a band or your favourite sports team on us!
Follow us on Instagram and/or Facebook and tag a friend on one of our posts by the end of January 2023 to be in the draw. We will pick a winner at random and will announce the winner on 5th February 2023. You will be contacted via your social media platform messaging service. Good luck!
This competition is not sponsored or endorsed by Ticketmaster, Instagram, Facebook or anyone else.
Terms and Conditions: Entry deadline is midnight on 31st Jan 2023. Only available to residents of United Kingdom aged 18 years or older. You must follow Abingdon Simply Test on Instagram and/or Facebook and tag a friend on at least one post on one or more of the social media platforms to be eligible to be entered into the competition and the price draw. Those who followed Abingdon Simply Test on Instagram or Facebook before 2nd Jan 2023. Prize draw not available to Abingdon Health plc or Abingdon Simply Test employees. We will pick a winner at random and will announce the winner on the 3rd February 2023 on our Facebook and Instagram pages. The winner will be contacted directly before the announcement. We will only announce social media names and will not disclose personal emails or home addresses publicly. In the event Ticketmaster vouchers are not available, we will supply you with suitable alternatives. This prize is non-refundable and can not be exchanged for money or other gifts.
TEST. KNOW. ACT.
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See Self-Test Range
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text:
Amblyceps arunchalensis е вид лъчеперка от семейство Amblycipitidae. Видът е застрашен от изчезване.

Разпространение и местообитание
Разпространен е в Индия (Аруначал Прадеш).

Обитава сладководни басейни, пясъчни дъна, реки и потоци.

Източници

Литература

Amblyceps


text:
The mechanics of explosive dispersal and self-burial in the seeds of the filaree, Erodium cicutarium (Geraniaceae)
Dennis Evangelista,
Dennis Evangelista *
Department of Integrative Biology, University of California
Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
*Author for correspondence (devangel@berkeley.edu)
Scott Hotton,
Scott Hotton
Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University
Jacques Dumais
Accepted: 08 Nov 2010
A related article has been published: BEAM BENDING EXPLAINS HOW SEEDS SPRING
Dennis Evangelista, Scott Hotton, Jacques Dumais; The mechanics of explosive dispersal and self-burial in the seeds of the filaree, Erodium cicutarium (Geraniaceae). J Exp Biol 15 February 2011; 214 (4): 521–529. doi: https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.050567
The filaree (Erodium cicutarium), a small, flowering plant related to geraniums, possesses a unique seed dispersal mechanism: the plant can fling its seeds up to half a meter away; and the seeds can bury themselves by drilling into the ground, twisting and untwisting in response to changes in humidity. These feats are accomplished using awns, helical bristles of dead but hygroscopically active tissue attached to the seeds. Here, we describe the kinematics of explosive dispersal and self-burial based on detailed high-speed and time-lapse videos. We use these observations to develop a simple mechanical model that accounts for the coiling behavior of the awn and allows comparison of the strain energy stored in the awn with the kinetic energy at launch. The model is used to examine tradeoffs between dispersal distance and reliability of the dispersal mechanism. The mechanical model may help in understanding the invasive potential of this species and provides a framework for examining other evolutionary tradeoffs in seed dispersal mechanisms among the Geraniaceae.
Erodium cicutarium, seed dispersal, awn, bending, hygroscopic movement, burial, biomechanics, fast movement in plants, ballistic movement
The ability of seeds to disperse away from the parent plant and bury themselves can improve their chances of germinating and surviving. Explosive dispersal and self-burial can be accomplished using awns, hair-like appendages that launch seeds by storing elastic energy and subsequently move them across or into the soil using hygroscopically powered shape changes. Examples of this dispersal mechanism have been described in black oat grass (Stipa avenacea), wiregrass (Aristida tuberculosa), wheat (Triticum sp.), mouse barley (Hordeum murinum) and the musky heron's bill (Erodium moschatum) (Murbach, 1900; Collins and Wein, 1997; Elbaum et al., 2007; Wolgemuth, 2009; Stamp, 1989a). Members of the genus Erodium are widely distributed and invasive in several USA states, which some have attributed to their ability to disperse actively and bury themselves (Mensing and Byrne, 1998). Self-burial appears to enhance seedling survivorship (Stamp, 1989a), whereas dispersal ability is correlated with the spacing and size of patches and environmental heterogeneity at several scales (Stamp and Lucas, 1983; Stamp, 1989b; Baythavong et al., 2009).
Erodium cicutarium (Fig. 1) is a spring-flowering annual with small, pink flowers with five petals. After flowering, the fruits, which consist of five mericarps joined together, grow a large spine-like style. The style consists of the awns of each mericarp joined together. As the fruits dry, stresses develop within the awns, causing them to separate abruptly and flinging the seeds some distance away from the parent plant (explosive dispersal) (Stamp, 1989a). The preferred shape of dry awns is helical, but while in the fruit they are held straight by being joined together in the style.
Once on the ground, humidity changes cause the awns to unwind straight when wet, or rewind back to their helical shape when dry. The resulting motor action, combined with hairs on the seed and along the length of the awn, moves the seeds across the surface, eventually lodging them into a crevice and causing them to drill themselves into the ground (self-burial) (Stamp, 1984).
A mechanical model capable of describing the explosive release and self-burial of Erodium seeds would allow exploration of potential tradeoffs in this intriguing dispersal mechanism, and could be used to test hypotheses about the evolution of dispersal in the Geraniaceae. With this goal in mind, we developed a beam-bending model that accounts for the helical shape changes of the awn during burial, and used it to compute energy storage before launch. Using standard equations from fracture mechanics and ballistics, we estimated the energy released on launch and predicted the dispersal range and seed trajectory. These predictions were compared with measured kinematics and dispersal distances from high-speed filming of awn launches. Finally, we used the model to explore two fundamental tradeoffs in the Erodium-type dispersal mechanism.
Two important tradeoffs
Fracture at minimum energetic cost is needed to maximize dispersal distance. However, a premature fracture risks launching the seed before it has stored sufficient energy to reach appreciable range, resulting in a short range 'dud'. The two-sided constraint, in which the work of fracture must be high enough to prevent premature fracture but low enough to maximize ejection distance, is in sharp contrast to classical fracture mechanics problems where avoidance of fracture is the primary measure of success (e.g. Farquhar and Zhao, 2006). Others have applied crack propagation theory to the burrowing of worms in sediment (Dorgan et al., 2005; Dorgan et al., 2007), in which case fracture with the minimum energetic cost is necessary.
Erodium cicutarium launches seeds up to half a meter using energy stored elastically in a coil-shaped awn that is held straight before dehiscence. The awns subsequently bury the seed by drilling, as they wind and unwind with changes in ambient humidity.
Drag could form the basis of another tradeoff (Vogel, 2005; Stamp and Lucas, 1983). For E. cicutarium seeds, with elongated, hairy awns, drag is expected to alter the trajectory significantly compared with a zero-drag projectile of the same mass. Drag on seeds reduces the angle of launch at which maximum ballistic range is achieved, flattens the initial trajectory, and reduces the dependence of dispersal distance on initial height (Beer and Swaine, 1977). A seed with lower drag should disperse farther, and drag causes explosively launched seeds to lose between 64 and 94% of their theoretical maximum range in the absence of drag (Vogel, 2005).
However, short-range ballistic launching of a high-drag seed could act to move it to a location with higher wind that may aid dispersal. If the drag on the seed is high enough to reduce its terminal velocity to a value comparable with wind speeds, wind dispersal, which occasionally results in very long dispersal distances, becomes a possibility. It is plausible that disruptive selection between low drag (for high launch distance) or high drag (above some critical value for wind dispersal) could have been relevant in the diversification of the Geraniaceae, which includes species that eject only the low-drag seeds (without attached awns), species that do not eject but instead simply project the carpels outward, and species with intricately branched, hairy, high-drag awns that are primarily wind dispersed (Yeo, 1984; Tokarski, 1972).
E. cicutarium awn. (A) photograph and (B,C) model. The hygroscopically active portion is the helical middle, and the slightly curved inactive portion is shown 'in phantom'. Model shape parameters are the maximum diameter D, height L, number of turns n, spiral angle α and section width b and thickness h. Digitized landmarks for data plotted in Figs 3, 4, 5 and 8 are shown by colored dots: the proximal (seed) end of the active region is shown in green and the distal end of the active region is shown in red. Scale bar, 15 mm.
Erodium cicutarium awns
E. cicutarium (L'Hér) awns were collected over several years (2000–2008) near Merced, Davis and Berkeley, CA, USA. Plants were grown to obtain additional dry awns and fresh green styles. Additional plants and styles were collected in 2007–2009 from roadsides in Marin and Berkeley. Morphological data from 34 E. cicutarium awns are given in Table 1.
Awn shape and section properties measured from E. cicutarium awns
Movements and shape change during self-burial
Self-burial of individual awns was filmed using time-lapse video (DCR-HC42, Sony Corp., Tokyo, Japan; D80, Nikon Corp., Tokyo, Japan) at frame rates between 0.25 and 1 frame s–1. Awns were filmed on sandy soil and on paper towels after soaking with water from a spray bottle. Awns were also held in a vertical position using polymer clay (Polyform Products Co., Elk Grove Village, IL, USA). To quantify awn motions, awns were filmed from the side and from above. Seed and awn tip positions were digitized using GraphClick (Arizona Software, Neuchâtel, Switzerland). These recordings were then compared with predictions from a model.
A finite element model (Fig. 2) of the active region of the Erodium awn was used to compute shape changes with desiccation during burial. The model, implemented in Matlab (The MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA), included bending terms for a beam of rectangular cross section (Craig, 2000). The cross-sectional geometry was ascertained using hand sections, and the material properties were selected from values reported for wood (Ashby and Jones, 1996; Vogel, 2003; Beer et al., 2005) and wheat awns, which exhibit a similar self-burial behavior (Elbaum et al., 2007) (Table 2). The finite element model was validated by comparing the predicted awn geometry with that observed with the time-lapse video.
Awn material and section properties assumed in modeling
Awn shape was specified by the curvature and torsion of the awn axis (Kreysig, 1999; Crenshaw, 2000). This formulation was used because curvature is also used to compute bending moments in beam theory. The curvature and torsion terms may be thought of as 'pitch' and 'roll' for a trajectory along the neutral axis of the awn. Together with the arc length along the awn, any three-dimensional beam structure can be described; the method used here could be applied to other awns or to the movement of tendrils, vines or pollen tubes.
To derive curvature and torsion, the initial awn shape (r) was modeled as a logarithmic spiral (r=aemθ) stretched in the z direction to form a gradually opening helix. The shape is defined parametrically as a function of a dummy variable, t=[0,1], used for shape calculations:
Awn shape was completely defined by four parameters: maximum awn diameter, D; spiral angle, α; number of turns, n; and awn height, L. These parameters were determined from dry E. cicutarium awn specimens, as given in Table 1. The parametric description of awn shape in Eqns 1–3 was then converted to one using arc length, curvature and torsion. Arc length, defined along the length of the awn from the seed (t=0) to the distal tip (t=1), was obtained through integration:
where r=[r(t),θ(t),z(t)] is the position vector from Eqns 1–3 and r′ is the first derivative, dr/dt. Computation of torsion and curvature requires tangential vectors pointing along the curved axis of the awn. These were obtained numerically using normalized two-point forward differences:
where u is the tangential vector of the awn finite element.
Further use of two-point forward differences provided the curvature, κ(s), unit principal normal vector, p, unit binormal vector, b, and torsion, τ(s), after Kreysig and Crenshaw (Kreysig, 1999; Crenshaw, 2000):
Eqns 6–9 are sufficient to define a curve in three-dimensional space (Kreysig, 1999; Crenshaw, 2000). To make them easier to solve computationally, the equations were rearranged into a form called the Frenet equations (Eqn 10) (Kreysig, 1999; Crenshaw, 2000), which was then cast into first-order canonical form and integrated using a fourth-order Runge–Kutta method:
The curvature changes as variations in humidity create internal bending moments. To simulate hydration and desiccation, a desiccation factor xd=[0,1] was used as a premultiplier for the curvature estimates from the dry shape, and the Frenet equations were re-integrated to determine the new shape of the awn. This approach provided simulations from complete desiccation (xd=1) to total hydration (xd=0). Preliminary environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) work, in which small sections of awns were observed under controlled humidity conditions, showed uniform changes in curvature along the length of the section. This observation suggests that the use of a desiccation factor independent of arc position is valid.
Video recordings of awn movements after wetting were used to validate model predictions of awn shape during wetting and drying. Desiccation (for Fig. 5) was modeled as a first-order time response with a time constant τd of 300–400 s. The response is essentially an exponential decay (e–td/τd) in desiccation during the step change of wetting (from the spray bottle) and an exponential rise (possibly with a different time constant) in desiccation after the source of wetting was removed. The governing differential equation is:
where (applied wetting) is 0 when the awn is wet (visible in videos from the glistening of the moist surfaces) and 1 when the excess water is no longer visible. The awn is initially fully dry [xd(0)=1].
Energy storage, fracture mechanics and energy at launch
The amount of energy stored in the awn before launch was estimated using Castigliano's theorem (Craig, 2000):
where M is bending moment, E is Young's modulus, I is the second moment of area and the integral is taken over the entire length of the awn. To obtain bending moments, the moment–curvature relationship is used with the curvature estimates obtained from the finite element above (Eqn 10) (Craig, 2000):
where I=bh3/12 for a rectangular cross section and EI is the flexural stiffness of the beam.
The awn is released when the zone of contact between it and adjacent awns fractures. Energy release during launch was estimated using the fracture mechanics of a propagating crack (reviewed by Vogel, 2003; Craig, 2000; Farquhar and Zhao, 2006; Dorgan et al., 2005; Dorgan et al., 2007). As the cracks between the launching awn and those adjacent to it grow, the energy stored elastically (Uelastic; calculated above from Eqn 12) is released and used to grow the cracks further:
where Uelastic(x) here is the same integral as Eqn 12 with the upper limit replaced by x. Uelastic(x) represents the portion of the elastic energy that is released when a crack of length x frees that portion of the awn from the style and prevents it from developing bending moments. The surface energy required to grow the crack, Usurf(x) (energy that is lost during fracture) was estimated from the work of fracture (Farquhar and Zhao, 2006; Vogel, 2003):
where Gc is the work of fracture (in J m–2). We used Gc=150 J m–2 based on tabulated values for wood parallel to the grain (Vogel, 2003); we also evaluated the effect of changes in Gc, described below. The crack will propagate to completion, releasing the awn, when the crack length has grown to a critical size where the rate of elastic energy release exceeds the energy required to form new surface, i.e. when dΔU/dx>0. This point was found numerically from the finite element model bending moments using a Newton–Raphson method.
The kinetic energy used in awn translation at launch was then estimated by taking into account energy lost during the fracture process, as well as energy wasted on recoil of the stem and rotation of the seed:
where δrecoil is the fraction of energy lost to recoil of the style and stem and δrotation is the fraction of energy lost in rotational modes of the awn, estimated from kinematics. Energy lost in stem recoil (∼25%) was estimated assuming the masses of the remaining fruit and stem are large compared with that of the ejected awn. In cases where a single awn was ejected, three or four other awns generally remained; momentum conservation dictates that the energy lost to recoil in this case is 20–25%. Energy lost in rotation (∼30%) was estimated on the basis of the observed launch speeds and rates of rotation (Table 3).
Kinematic data from high-speed video of E. cicutarium launches and predicted values from the model using parameters from Tables 1 and 2
Filming of awn launch and modeling of trajectories
Explosive dispersal was filmed using a high-speed video (AOS Technologies AG, Baden-Daettwil, Switzerland) operated at 500 frame s–1. Ripe awns were cut from potted plants and from wild plants along roadsides in Berkeley, CA, and placed in dry containers for filming. The heat of the lighting was sufficient to dry the awns to the point of launch. Videos were analyzed frame by frame to obtain awn position in flight and initial translational and rotational velocities and launch angle. Immediately after each launch, mass and distance thrown were recorded and a photograph was taken to record shape. The shape at launch was used to estimate the awn desiccation, defined above, by comparing it with the shape of a control awn filmed during the entire desiccation process. Trajectories obtained from high-speed videos and measured dispersal distances were used to validate the fracture mechanics calculations (above) and ballistics calculations (below) by comparison with predicted trajectories and ranges.
The energy remaining after fracture determines the awn initial velocity (Ulaunch), and subsequent movement was determined by ballistic calculations with drag included (Beer and Swaine, 1977; Vogel, 2005), assuming still air. In the x-direction (horizontal), drag was assumed to be the only force acting, whereas in the y-direction (vertical), drag and gravity were assumed. The equations describing ballistics with drag are (Beer and Swaine, 1977; Vogel, 2005):
where g=9.81 m s–2 is the acceleration of gravity and the square of the vertical velocity is expressed as v|v|, so that the changing sign (direction) of the force is accounted for. The Reynolds number at launch ranges between ReD=500 and ReL=4000, and the drag equation given here is appropriate for high Reynolds number. To estimate the drag coefficient, awns were dropped and filmed to determine the terminal velocity (vT); launch speeds and terminal velocity are similar enough that a constant drag coefficient may be assumed. Un-normalized drag (drag coefficient times area) was determined from the relation CDA=2mg/ρv2T, where m is mass, g=9.8 m s–2 is gravitational acceleration and ρ=1.2 kg m–3 is the air density.
To solve this set of differential equations requires as initial conditions the initial position and velocity of the awn:
where β is the launch angle and h0 is the height of the style. The solution, providing the awn launch trajectory and range, was obtained using a fourth-order Runge–Kutta method.
Representative frames showing awn re-winding upon drying. A soaked awn was placed on polymer clay at time 0:00:00 (h:mm:ss). Green and red dots mark the proximal (seed) and distal ends of the actively bending region. See supplementary material Movie 1.
Tradeoffs in the Erodium seed launching apparatus
To explore the tradeoffs involved in the Erodium seed launching apparatus, we examined the sensitivity of the model related to fracture (material properties E and Gc) and to drag (CDA). Additionally, because the potential for long-term environmental variation such as warming to alter timing or effectiveness of dispersal, we examined model sensitivity to desiccation.
For each set of model parameters, the finite element model was used to calculate the energy storage as a function of desiccation; the energies were then used to compute dispersal distances using the fracture and ballistic equations. For each comparison, parameters were varied (50, 90, 100, 110 and 150% for E; 50, 66, 100 and 150% for Gc; and 200% for CDA) one at a time to determine the effect on energy at launch, distance thrown and critical crack length. The effect of varying geometrical parameters (L, D and m) on dispersal distance was also computed, but their effects were small in comparison and are not presented in detail here.
Model predictions for shape of actively bending region of E. cicutarium awns during drying. The predicted shapes correspond well with the observed shapes (Fig. 3). Desiccation factors (xd) for each shape are noted in the top left corner. Green and red dots represent proximal and distal ends of actively bending region, as in Fig. 3. See supplementary material Movie 3.
Upon wetting, awns unwound five to ten full turns over the course of ∼15 min (supplementary material Movies 1 and 2). On sandy soil, the unwinding movement allowed the seed head to move over the surface occasionally lodging into cracks. After several wetting and drying periods over several days, several seeds became completely buried. These observations confirm descriptions found in the literature (Stamp, 1984).
During the winding process, the awn goes through a series of complex shape changes appearing first to form a large bend before completing one loose coil that slowly tightens as more coils develop toward the seed (Fig. 3, supplementary material Movie 1). This behavior is reproduced with surprising accuracy by our simple model (Fig. 4, supplementary material Movie 3). To quantify the match between the observed awn kinematics and the model, we recorded the radial distance from the awn axis to the distal end of the active region during partial wetting and drying (Fig. 5), as viewed from above. We find that by varying a single parameter, the desiccation factor (xd), we can reproduce the intricate motion of the awn in precise quantitative terms. We also find that the wetting dynamics can be approximated by a first order decay with 330 s time constant on wetting and 400 s time constant on drying. Having established that the model captures accurately the kinematics of the awn, we used it to explore its mechanical aspects, in particular the storage of elastic energy that powers the explosive dispersal.
(A) Radial distance of distal end of active region (red dot in Fig. 2) from central axis as a function of time during a wetting and drying transient. Measured positions are shown in red, model predictions, in blue. Wetting period shown with blue overline. (B) Number of turns and desiccation as a function of time for wetting and drying transient. Measured number of turns is shown in red: the blue line indicates a simple first order step response to the wetting with the time constant (τd)=330 s on wetting and τd=400 s on drying (Eqn 11).
Energy storage and fracture mechanics at launch
Based on the geometry of awns right after launch, we determined that a desiccation factor of approximately 10% is achieved before explosive fracture. Using this information, we were able to map the curvature and bending moments (from Eqn 10) present along the length of the awn (Fig. 6). Integrating the local bending energy (Eqn 12) reveals how much elastic energy is freed by a propagating crack (Fig. 7A). Some of this energy is used to create new surfaces (Eqn 15), and the difference between these two energies is the net energy released. The critical crack length, at which the crack will propagate and the awn should launch, occurs where the slope of the net energy versus crack length curve switches sign. We predict a critical crack length of approximately 3 mm (Fig. 7). We were not able to directly measure the critical crack length, however, this distance is a reasonable estimate on the based on the position of the seed before launch and from awns mechanically forced to launch using a dissecting probe. Predictions for energy at launch and initial launch speeds are given in Tables 3 and 4.
Energy budget for E. cicutarium launch simulation
Curvature and bending moment in model awn as a function of arc length and desiccation. The blue line shows the curvature and bending moment at 10% desiccation (xd=0.1), typical of awns at launch. Bending moments are concentrated in the proximal half of the awn.
(A) Fracture mechanics of E. cicutarium awn launch, according to the energy storage model at 10% desiccation (xd=0.10). The dotted line indicates the energy required to form a new surface as the awn breaks away. The solid line indicates elastic energy released as the awn breaks away from seed to tip. The blue line indicates the net energy released. (B) Fracture occurs at crack lengths greater than the critical crack length (indicated by x) where the slope of the net energy released becomes positive. Momentum of the seed will also continue to grow the crack. Crack length is taken to be arc length (C). Energy storage is concentrated in the proximal half of the style.
Eight launches were captured on high-speed video (summary in Table 3, example trajectory in Fig. 8; supplementary material Movies 4 and 5). Upon release, ripe E. cicutarium awns were thrown at an angle of 40±30 deg (mean ± s.d., n=8) and covered a distance of 0.51±0.08 m. Filming of the launch showed average initial translational and rotational velocities of 4±2 m s–1 and 200±100 rad s–1, respectively. The observed trajectories compare well with computed trajectories based on the measured initial launch parameters [u(0), v(0), h0] and drag coefficient (Fig. 8B). Predictions for launch speeds and dispersal distance fell within measured values (Tables 3 and 4). Trajectories had fairly high initial velocities with straight initial sections and short ranges (considering the initial velocity), which is a characteristic of high drag, as expected from other work on the launch of spores and seeds (Vogel, 2005; Beer and Swaine, 1977; Noblin et al., 2009).
(A) Representative initial launch trajectory, shown by multiple exposures at 4 ms intervals. Movement is from left to right. (B) Predicted trajectory with drag matches the initial launch trajectory [inset box, seed (green) and tip (red) positions shown at 2 ms intervals] and final distance thrown (blue star). Scale bar, 10 cm. See supplementary material Movie 4.
Model sensitivity and tradeoffs between dispersal distance (range) and avoidance of 'duds' (critical crack size), according to the energy storage model. Stars indicate the average desiccation observed in newly launched awns. (A) Awns that are too wet do not store enough energy to fling (red portion on left); the higher the desiccation, the higher the energy storage and the greater the dispersal distance. (B) Overly wet duds are avoided by long critical crack sizes (upper left). However, this limits the maximum desiccation attainable with short critical crack sizes at higher stresses (lower right). (C,D) E. cicutarium appears to compromise by breaking at a point of diminishing return in range. A tougher trigger could allow higher stored elastic energy but would also reduce the launch energy by increasing the surface energy and increasing the risk of duds. (C) Under favorable conditions, Erodium might be expected to reach 1 m range. Reductions in drag coefficient could double the range or more, whereas increases could reduce the terminal velocity to speeds comparable with wind speeds.
Tradeoffs involved in the Erodium seed launching apparatus are shown in Fig. 9. Variation in E (50, 90, 100, 110 and 150%) is shown in Fig. 9A; variation in Gc (50, 66, 100, 150 and 200%) in Fig. 9B and D; and variation in CDA (50, 66, 100, 150 and 200%) in Fig. 9C. Erodium launches appear to be near a 'knee' in curves for dispersal distance. Drag and fracture mechanics have the potential to greatly alter dispersal distance, and the significance of these is discussed below.
The beam bending equations (Eqns 1–10) predict the shape changes of E. cicutarium awns during hygroscopic movement, as shown by the overall shapes in Figs 3 and 4 and the motion of the distal end of the active region (Fig. 5). The energy and ballistic equations (Eqns 12–18) predict trajectories (Fig. 8) and dispersal distances similar to those observed here (measured distance: 0.51±0.08 m; predicted distance: 0.58 m) and by Stamp (Stamp, 1989a), who found seeds of Erodium moschatum were flung an average of 0.56 m.
The time response to wetting (Eqn 11, Fig. 5) is consistent with a first order response with a time constant of 330 s on wetting or 400 s on drying. Further work is needed to look at the cellular basis for the hygroscopic behavior of the tissue. In addition, the profiles of bending moment, which set the awn shape, develop in the growing awn through some sort of axial patterning that establishes regions of bending in the middle to distal region and regions of torsion in the proximal to middle region. Finally, the model sensitivity calculations described below bound the effects of variation in material properties such as the Young's modulus and fracture toughness, and further histological studies could connect such macroscopic properties to tissue structure.
Energetics of seed launching in Erodium compared with others
Seed launching in E. cicutarium is costly compared with similarly sized jumping animals. Approximately 0.003 J is stored in a ripe awn held in a straight configuration (Table 4). Only 0.3% of the initial stored energy is imparted to awn translation. The mechanical cost of transport is 26 J kg–1 m–1, whereas the elastic energy storage required is ∼1000 J kg–1 m–1. These reflect loss of transmission of elastically stored energy and the effect of drag; the estimated range without drag is 2.7 m (Table 4). These results are similar to other spring-launched seeds; in Impatiens capensis, 0.5% of stored elastic energy is transferred to seed movement and the overall cost of transport is 280 J kg–1 m–1 (Hayashi et al., 2009). Animals, however, tend to be more economical. In many hexapedal runners, the mechanical cost of transport is approximately 1 J kg–1 m–1 (Full, 2001), 4.9 J kg–1 m–1 for an ideal ballistic jumper without drag, or ∼6 J kg–1 m–1 for a 5 mg amphipod (D.E., M. Perry and C. Ng, in preparation).
The high cost for seed launching in E. cicutarium reflects how dispersal is a slightly different problem from jumping in animals. First, seed launch is a one-time jump closely linked to fitness in an organism, with fewer alternative means of transportation than mobile animals. Second, in common with other small jumpers, drag plays a proportionately larger role in determining range, and nondimensional metrics are available to gauge its effect (Vogel, 2005). For E. cicutarium, 81% of the theoretical range in a vacuum is lost to drag. A nondimensional index of the degree to which drag alters the ballistic trajectory can also be calculated by balancing gravitational and fluid forces [(Vogel, 2005) modified here based on mass; m]:
where L, b and h are as previously defined and vo is the initial velocity (magnitude of first two terms of Eqn 18). A projectile with a range index (RI)>100 is relatively unaffected by drag, whereas one with a low RI should have a much shorter range. For E. cicutarium, RI is approximately 11. Compared with ballistic seeds, E. cicutarium is in the middle of the range of speeds, dispersal distance lost to drag and RI. Seed dispersal of the tropical tree Hura crepitans (RI=2, 90% of range lost to drag) is much faster than that of E. cicutarium at 70 m s–1, and loses a higher percentage of its range to drag at this extreme speed. However, other ballistic seeds with similar RI, such as those of hogwort (Croton capitatus; 37% of range lost to drag), vetch (Vicia sativa; 49.9% of range lost to drag) or the petunia (Ruellia brittoniana; 66.5% of range lost to drag), lose less of their range to drag than Erodium (Vogel, 2005). At slower speeds, Impatiens capensis seeds achieve velocities of 1.24 m s–1 and lose ∼20% of their range to drag (Hayashi et al., 2009). Considering just overall range, seeds of Euphorbia boetica travel a median distance of 1.3 m and a maximum of almost 8 m, whereas those of Euphorbia nicaeensis travel up to 5 m, both much farther than Erodium seeds (Narbona et al., 2005). However, none of these seeds bury themselves, nor do they carry with them the bulk of the launching machinery.
Fig. 9 illustrates some of the tradeoffs between stiffness, toughness, critical crack length, drag and range, and shows that the Erodium launches observed here are near a 'knee' in the curves for dispersal distance and critical crack length. Launch angle and height were not considered here, but in other seed-launching plants, such as V. sativa and C. capitatus, the height of flowers and a slight upward angle of launch appear to provide increases in range relative to random angles and locations low on the plant (Garrison et al., 2000).Fig. 9A shows that awns that are too wet (red line, left side) do not store enough energy to launch, because any cracks in them will not propagate to completion. Fig. 9A also shows the effect of a stiffer or softer material (higher or lower E). Stiffer materials store more energy than softer materials and a 50% increase in E would increase range by up to 60%, except that the critical crack size becomes small, increasing the possibility of a premature launch. A tougher material (higher Gc) may reduce the chance of a premature launch by increasing the critical crack size, as shown in Fig. 9B; however, this will reduce the distance thrown. In contrast, a more brittle awn (lower Gc) will lose less energy while breaking apart during launch, but it will be triggered at lower desiccation than a tougher awn, releasing less energy.
Fig. 9B,D further shows the compromise between fracture mechanics and dispersal distance. Higher energy storage (from higher desiccation) or greater energy release (from a more brittle material) only provides moderately more range, at the risk of more premature launches (a drastically reduced critical crack length). Increased toughness would allow more energy storage or higher desiccation, at the risk of more failed launches and higher energy loss upon launch. Under favorable conditions, such as in a ripe, undisturbed plant allowed to quickly dry all at once, ranges of up to a meter maximum might be expected for Erodium (middle blue line, Fig. 9C). To support this prediction, Erodium moschatum reached a maximum of 85 cm in dispersal distance experiments in still air (Stamp, 1989a). The interactions between dispersal, desiccation, temperature and humidity could be examined further by combining our mechanistic model with boot-strapped meteorological data (Denny et al., 2006).
Another major determinant of dispersal distance appears to be the drag of the awn (Fig. 9C), with range approximately doubled for a halving of the drag coefficient. This seems reasonable as ranges of up to 3 m are seen in Geranium maculatum, G. carolinianum and G. molle (Stamp and Lucas, 1983), which utilize low-drag seed ejection (Yeo, 1984). However, a doubling of drag coefficient, such as in high-drag carpal projection (Yeo, 1984), would reduce the terminal velocity to below 1 m s–1, improving chances for wind dispersal. By leaving the launching machinery with the mother plant, the seed ejection range is maximized; however, carpal projection with more branched awns will maximize drag to catch the breeze.
The Erodium specimens in this study were collected from windy roadsides and it is probable that both wind and ballistic dispersal are important in Erodium. Although we did not examine the effect of wind on Erodium launch rates, wind should enhance desiccation, and mechanical forces from wind agitating the style would contribute to crack growth between adjacent awns, both hastening launch. In addition, horizontal and upwards vertical components of wind would increase downwind dispersal distance predicted here.
The mode of seed discharge in Erodium appears to have originated early in the evolution of the Geraniaceae (Yeo, 1984; Tokarski, 1972). Transitions from Erodium-type discharge, which is ancestral to the Geraniaceae, to seed ejection or carpal projection, seen in later-evolving relatives of Erodium (Yeo, 1984), could be explored further using the models here as part of a comparative study. For such comparative studies, the model developed here could, (1) explicitly evaluate performance effects of trait changes in the seed ejection apparatus, as well as of secondary dispersal models related to self-burial. Further tradeoffs involving the length of the styles, the number of turns and awn diameter could also be examined to explore, (2) the effect on self-burial and hygroscopic movement on the ground, (3) the effect on drag and wind dispersal, and (4) the sensitivity of dispersal to changes in climate, so connecting biomechanics with ecology, phylogeny and evolution.
We thank Y. Zeng, M. Koehl, K. Dorgan, Y. Munk and the Koehl Lab, G. Goldsmith, D. Schichnes and S. Ruzin (UC Berkeley) and A. MacDowell (Lawrence Berkeley Labs) for their assistance and comments. High-speed cameras were provided by T. Libby of the Berkeley Center for Integrative Biomechanics in Education and Research (CIBER). Two anonymous reviewers provided useful comments that were incorporated.
reference area (m2)
section width (m)
unit binormal vector in Frenet equations
drag coefficient (dimensionless
maximum awn diameter (m)
base for natural logarithms (2.71828)
Young's modulus (Pa)
flexural stiffness (N m2)
drag force (N)
shear modulus
work of fracture (J m–2)
gravitational acceleration (9.81 m s–2)
section height (m)
initial height (m)
second moment of area (m4)
awn height (m)
bending moment (N m)
unit principal normal vector in Frenet equations
r=(r, θ, z)
cylindrical coordinates of awn finite element, radial (m), tangential (rad), and vertical (m), parameterized over awn coordinates [0,1] or arc length s (m)
Reynolds number (dimensionless)
range index (dimensionless)
arc length along awn neutral axis (m)
position, from proximal to distal, along awn neutral axis [0,1]
time (s) in desiccation model
tangential vector of awn finite element, pointing along neutral axis, in Frenet equations
horizontal component of velocity (m s–1)
Uelastic
elastic strain energy (J)
energy at launch (J)
Usurf
surface energy of crack (J)
vertical component of velocity (m s–1)
terminal velocity during drop test (m s–1)
applied wetting or drying, [0,1], in desiccation model
dessication factor [0,1]
awn spiral angle (rad)
launch angle (rad)
δrecoil
fraction of energy lost to recoil during launch, dimensionless
δrotation
fraction of energy lost to rotation during launch, dimensionless
curvature in Frenet equations (m–1)
Poisson's ratio (dimensionless
dummy variable of integration
air density (1.2 kg m–3)
torsion in Frenet equations (dimensionless)
τd
time constant for wetting/drying (s) in desiccation model
D.E. was supported by an NSF Minority Graduate Research Fellowship and a UC Berkeley Chancellor's Fellowship.
Engineering Materials I
, 2nd edition.
Baythavong
Understanding the consequences of seed dispersal in a heterogenous environment
Gindl
Tschegg
Work of fracture and chips formation during linear cutting of particle board
J. Mater. Process. Technol.
Swaine
On the theory of explosively dispersed seeds
New Phytol.
Mass allocation and self-burial of Aristida tuberculosa florets
J. Torrey Bot. Soc.
Wiley and Sons
H. C.
Analysis of the three-dimensional trajectories of organisms: estimates of velocity, curvature and torsion from positional estimates
Thermal stresses on intertidal limpets: long-term hindcasts and lethal limits
Dorgan
Jumars
Boudreau
B. P.
Burrow extension by crack propagation
Arwade
S. R.
Burrowing in marine muds by crack propagation: kinematics and forces
Elbaum
Zaltzman
Bugert
Fratzl
The role of wheat awns in the seed dispersal unit
Farquhar
Fracture mechanics and its relevance to botanical structures
Am. J. Bot.
The concepts of efficiency and economy in land locomotion
Efficiency and Economy in Animal Physiology
R. W.
G. L.
Raspet
Ballistic seed projection in two herbaceous species
Hayashi
Feilich
K. L.
Ellerby
The mechanics of explosive seed dispersal in orange jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)
J. Exp. Bot.
Kreysig
E. J.
, 8th edition.
Mensing
Byrne
Pre-mission invasion of Erodium cicutarium in California
J. Biogeogr.
Murbach
Note on the mechanics of the seed-burying awns of Stipa avanacea
Bot. Gaz.
Explosive seed dispersal in two perennial Mediterranean Euphorbia species (Euphorbiaceae)
Noblin
Dumais
Surface tension propulsion of fungal spores
N. E.
Self-burial behaviour of Erodium cicutarium seeds
J. Ecol.
Efficacy of explosive versus hygroscopic seed dispersal by an annual grassland species
Seed dispersal of four sympatric grassland annual species of Erodium
Ecological correlates of explosive seed dispersal
Tokarski
Morphological and taxonomical analysis of fruits and seeds of the European and Caucasian species of the genus Geranium
Monographiae Botanicae, Polskie Towarzystwo Botaniczne
Comparative Biomechanics: Life's Physical World
Living in a physical world. II. The bio-ballistics of small projectiles
J. Biosci.
Wolgemuth
Plant biomechanics: using shape to steal motion
Fruit discharge type in Geranium (Geraniaceae): its use in classification and its evolutionary implications
Bot. J. Linn. Soc.
Movie 1. Time-lapse movie of Erodium cicutarium awn re-winding upon drying, from Fig. 3. Total elapsed time 10 min.
Movie 2. Time-lapse movie of E. cicutarium awn movement with head in sandy soil during wetting and drying. Total elapsed time ∼20 min.
Movie 3. Model predictions for shape of actively bending region of E. cicutarium awns during drying, from Fig. 4.
Movie 4. Representative initial launch trajectory of E. cicutarium, from Fig. 8. 500 frames s−1 played back at 24 frames s−1.
Movie 5. Another initial launch trajectory of E. cicutarium−1 played back at 24 frames s−1.


This is a sister company to another company I do work for - Pharmacy Prime. Infomed Ltd, based in Mallow, Co. Cork, Ireland, is a company that was set up to database all the different types of drugs and medication out on the market today.
I designed the logo, stationery and designed and designed and built the website. I am also working on a series of drug Web Apps that can be viewed on the iPhone, iPad, iPod and any smart phone.
These sound bites of medical information will build up into an entire medical encyclopedia that will be a great resource for nurses and health professionals. Each App has a set of multiple choice questions after the sections of information where the viewer can test their new found knowledge.


text:
Michael Beda· February 14, 2021
Marking its fortieth anniversary, Rush's Moving Pictures continues to stand the test of time.
It seems like it was only yesterday that I learnt of Neil Peart's passing while struggling to articulate how Permanent Waves continues to shine forty years after its release. Now, here I sit thirteen months later, tackling the next album in Rush's catalogue to turn forty: Moving Pictures. In many ways, it feels like the last thirteen months have lasted as long as forty years. Time is a peculiar thing, though, in that the themes and dynamics Rush explored on Moving Pictures (released on February 12, 1981) are still both lyrically relevant and musically impressive today. Moving Pictures continues to both endure in popularity and endear itself to Rush's devoted fan base due to its ability to relate to present-day issues of intolerance and neuroticism while rocking your socks off.
The four tracks on Side A each can make a case as "best Rush song ever." The crash and synth opening of "Tom Sawyer" will forever be an immediate attention grabber for those who know and love it. Though I could vaguely make out the track playing over the PA system while watching the Leafs game on TV the other night, hearing it still brought on a rush of adrenaline. Cue the air drumming! Cue the obnoxious attempts at wailing like Geddy Lee! Cue Alex Lifeson's tasty guitar solo, which he claims he winged in only a few takes. Fathers of future generations will beckon their kids to "check out the drums in this part," doing their bit to ensure the shine never tarnishes. "Red Barchetta" is Rush at its apex. Peart's futuristic story about a protagonist taking a drive in a society under imposed "Motor Law" complements the arrangements of subtle time signature changes and movements kicked into overdrive.
Iconic Grammy-nominated instrumental "YYZ" finds each member of the "Holy Triumvirate" demonstrating their skills while educating listeners on Pearson International Airport's identification code. Perhaps it's the fact that each member takes centre-stage at various points throughout the piece that it feels as though you've feasted on a delectable three-course meal. The front side closes with "Limelight," which still garners heavy radio airplay (at least on my hometown hard rock station) and perfectly encapsulates Peart's introverted apprehensions about achieving fame ("I can't pretend a stranger is a long-awaited friend"). "Limelight" is Rush being incredibly relatable: We all have quirks and propensities for neuroticism. We can also be elite at a specific craft but yearn for it not to define us as a whole.
Moving Pictures' back half is certainly no slouch in comparison to its front. "The Camera Eye" was the group's final 'epic' ten-plus minute track, with Lee's keyboards playing a significant part in preparing fans for their mid-80s synth phase. Peart's lyrics on the ominous "Witch Hunt" criticize those intolerant of others with different values or backgrounds, echoing socio-political treatments of diasporas today. The thunderous fade-out of "Vital Signs," with each member going bananas over Lee's howls, not only prepares us for the group's next chapter but offers wisdom on how we can shape our destiny as well. "Vital Signs" urges you to be better without being too overbearing.
Peart's passing left many believing Rush was finished (although rumours of their demise may be greatly exaggerated), making Moving Pictures a landmark moment in the timeline of the band's illustrious career. And while many super fans may consider it as Rush's high-water mark, Moving Pictures continues to be relevant forty years on. Moving Pictures continues to stand the test of time: The clock keeps ticking, the air-drumming and horrendous shower-singing endure — and the Leafs still haven't won the Stanley Cup.
OntarioRush
The Cosmic Range
"Kowboy"
Donovan Woods
"Could I Be Your Girl"
Ancient Shapes
A Flower That Wouldn't Bloom
Gianna Lauren
Vanity Metrics EP
The Diskettes
No Fair, No Fun


For Ellise and James, whose special day was held at Scarborough Hotel, having a theme wasn't as important as attaining the right vibe. "We just wanted to keep everything really simple because that's us, I love the brightness of wild flowers and recycled timber etc. and the pineapples were for a bit of fun," explains the bride, who hired Audrey & Angus and Pretty Willow to help organise the day.
With such a great day planned, Ellise admits that choosing a favourite moment is nearly impossible. "I loved everything about the day, from the minute that I woke up and seeing the rain, to marrying James and seeing him for the first time also seeing how well our bridal party scrubbed up. But the real standout moment for me was while our first dance was happening and everybody jumped in also, when the beat kicked in to our song the entire party erupted and went crazy, I just remember standing there thinking this is the best feeling in the world," she tells us, adding that choosing her gown was pretty easy.
"The dress was Grace Loves Lace, I had followed their dresses for a while so I knew I had to go and check them out, so my mum and a couple of friends flew to Queensland for the night and went and tried some on. It was actually the last one that I tried on and one that I hadn't actually chosen to try on at the start. It was so easy, the first and last place, and they were so helpful with all of my needs," says Ellise, who tells us that though all of their vendors were amazing, there was one in particular that was a real star.
CREDITS Photos Weddings By Tim // Bridal gown Grace Loves Lace // Robes / getting read tees For Love & Lemons and Cotton On // Bride and bridesmaids shoes Billini Shoes // Makeup Mel Riccio // Rings Tiffany & Co, Judi's Jewellery and Cort Jewllery // Bridesmaid dresses and flower girl South Of The Border // Groom and groomsmen suits Montagio // Shoes Glue Store // Barber / grooming Barber Supreme // Groomsmen gifts Chicago Comb // Event planner / Stylist Audrey & Angus // Florist Pretty Willow // Ceremony Private property, NSW // Reception and catering Scarborough Hotel, NSW // Celebrant Greg Crowe // Cinematographer The Perfect Pair.


text:
The future will not follow any of the already imagined Hollywood movie scripts
We desperately need new scripts, new stories that will provide a realistic, non-catastrophic sense of where we should be going
Apocalypse now: Roland Emmerich's 2012 (2009)
Slavoj Zizek
By Slavoj Zizek
https://thespectator.com/book-and-art/future-follow-already-imagined-hollywood-movie-scripts/
We often hear that what we are going through is a real life case of what we used to see in Hollywood dystopias. So what kind of movie are we now watching?
When I got the message from many American friends that gun stores sold out their stock even faster than pharmacies, I tried to imagine the reasoning of the buyers: they probably imagined themselves as a group of people safely isolated in their well-stocked house and defending it with guns against a hungry infected mob, like the movies about the attack of the living dead. (You can...
When I got the message from many American friends that gun stores sold out their stock even faster than pharmacies, I tried to imagine the reasoning of the buyers: they probably imagined themselves as a group of people safely isolated in their well-stocked house and defending it with guns against a hungry infected mob, like the movies about the attack of the living dead. (You can also imagine a less chaotic version of this scenario: elites will survive in their secluded areas, as in Roland Emmerich's 2012 where a couple of thousand selected survive — with the admission price of $1 billion per person.)
Another scenario along the same catastrophic lines came to my mind when I read the following news headline: 'Death penalty states urged to release stockpiled drugs for COVID-19 patients'. 'Top health experts sign letter saying badly needed medications used in lethal injections "could save the lives of hundreds"', read the standfirst. I immediately understood that the point is to ease the pain of the patients, not to kill them; but for a split of a second, I recall the dystopian Soylent Green (1973), which takes place in a post-apocalyptic overpopulated earth, where old citizens, disgusted with life in such a degraded world, are given the choice to 'return to the home of God': in a government clinic, where they take a comfortable seat and, while watching scenes from pristine nature, they are gradually and painlessly put to sleep. When some conservatives proposed that the lives of those over-70 should be sacrificed in order to get the economy running and save the American way of life, would the option staged in the film not be a 'human' way to do it?
The death of the movie star
Where Jeanne Dielman went wrong
The Whale is meant to hurt you
Confessions of a Sight and Sound voter
Babylon is a gloriously magnificent and bloated epic
But we are not yet there. When coronavirus began to spread, the predominant idea was that it is a brief nightmare which will pass with the weather getting warmer in the spring — the movie rerun here was that of a short attack (earthquake, tornado etc.) whose function is to make us appreciate in what a nice society we live. (A subspecies of this version is the story of scientists saving humanity at the last minute by inventing the successful cure or vaccine against a contagion — the secret hope of most of us today.)
Now that we are forced to admit the epidemics will stay with us for some time, and will profoundly change our entire life, another movie scenario is emerging: a utopia masked as dystopia. Recall Kevin Costner's The Postman, a post-apocalyptic mega-flop from 1997, set in 2013, 15 years after an unspecified apocalyptic event left a huge impact on human civilization and erased most technology. It follows the story of an unnamed nomadic drifter who stumbles across the uniform of an old United States postal service mail carrier and starts to distribute post between scattered villages, pretending to act on behalf of the 'Restored United States of America'; others begin to imitate him and, gradually, through this game, the basic institutional network of the United States emerges again. The utopia that arises after the zero-point of apocalyptic destruction is the same United States we have now, just purified of its postmodern excesses — a modest society in which the basic values of our life are fully reasserted.
All these scenarios miss the really strange thing about the coronavirus epidemic, its non-apocalyptic character. It is neither an apocalypse in the usual sense of the utter destruction of our world, and even less an apocalypse in the original sense of the revelation of some hitherto concealed truth. Yes, our world is falling apart, but this process of falling-apart just drags on with no ending in sight. When the numbers of infected and dead rise, our media speculate how far from the peak are we — are we already there, will it be in one or two weeks? We all eagerly attend the peak of the epidemic, as if this peak will be followed by a gradual return to normality, but the crisis just drags on. Maybe, we should gather the courage and accept that we will remain in a viral world threatened by epidemics and environmental disturbances. Maybe, even if the vaccine against the virus will be discovered, we will continue to live under the threat of another epidemic or ecological catastrophe. We are now awakening from the dream that the epidemic will evaporate in the summer heat. There is no clear long-term exit plan. The only debate is how to gradually weaken the lockdown measures. When eventually the epidemic recedes, we will be too exhausted to take pleasure in it. What scenario does this imply? The following lines appeared at the beginning of April in a major British daily, outlining a possible story:
'Radical reforms — reversing the prevailing policy direction of the last four decades — will need to be put on the table. Governments will have to accept a more active role in the economy. They must see public services as investments rather than liabilities, and look for ways to make labor markets less insecure. Redistribution will again be on the agenda; the privileges of the elderly and wealthy in question. Policies until recently considered eccentric, such as basic income and wealth taxes, will have to be in the mix.'
Is this a rehash of the British Labour manifesto? No, it's a passage from an editorial in the Financial Times. Along the same lines, Bill Gates calls for a 'global approach' to fighting the disease and warns that, if the virus is left to spread through developing nations unhindered, it will rebound and hit richer nations in subsequent waves:
'Even if wealthy nations succeed in slowing the disease over the next few months, COVID-19 could return if the pandemic remains severe enough elsewhere. It is likely only a matter of time before one part of the planet re-infects another…I'm a big believer in capitalism — but some markets simply don't function properly in a pandemic, and the market for life-saving supplies is an obvious example.'
Welcome as they are, these predictions and proposals are all too modest: much more will be demanded. At a certain basic level, we should simply bypass the logic of profitability and begin to think in terms of the ability of a society to mobilize its resources in order to continue to function. We have enough resources, the task is to allocate them directly, outside the market logic. Healthcare, global ecology, food production and distribution, water and electricity supply, the smooth functioning of the internet and phone — this should remain, all other things are secondary.
What this implies is also the duty and the right of a state to mobilize individuals. They have a problem now (not only) in France. It's the time of harvesting spring vegetables and fruits, and usually thousands of seasonal workers come from Spain and other countries to do the job. But since now borders are closed, who will do it? France is already looking for volunteers to replace foreign workers, but what if there aren't enough? Food is needed, so what if direct mobilization will be the only way?
As Alenka Zupancic put it in a simple and clear way, if reacting to the pandemic in full solidarity can cause greater damage than the pandemic itself, is this not an indication that there is something terribly wrong with a society and economy which cannot sustain such solidarity? Why should there be a choice between solidarity and economy? Should our answer to this alternative not be the same as: 'Coffee or tea? Yes, please!' It doesn't matter how we'll call the new order we need, communism or co-immunism, as Peter Sloterdijk does (a collectively organized immunity from viral attacks), the point is the same.
This reality will not follow any of the already imagined movie scripts, but we desperately need new scripts, new stories that will provide a kind of cognitive mapping, a realistic and at the same time non-catastrophic sense of where we should be going. We need a horizon of hope; we need a new, post-pandemic Hollywood.
This article was originally published on The Spectator's UK website.
Hollywood's vacuous moral turn
Don't insult Joker by comparing him to Trump
The Nobel Committee honors an apologist for genocide
Don't end blind auditions
By Nicholas Finch
Burke's work
By Gregory M. Collins
Olivia de Havilland's Red Scare
By Stephen Daisley
Meet the Mozarts
By Richard Bratby
Purple podcasters
By Robert Jackman
Finally: Diamond and Silk are releasing a book
By Cockburn


text:
Faiditus sicki är en spindelart som först beskrevs av Harriet Exline och Levi 1962.  Faiditus sicki ingår i släktet Faiditus och familjen klotspindlar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Klotspindlar
sicki


Bing copying Google search data?
Uh oh. Google says they have looked into Bing's search results and claim Microsoft's tool is using Google data to improve its own results. Stealing or cheating? That's to be determined — probably in a court of law. But Bing does not deny it uses Google data and calls Google's experiment to track Bing results a "hack to confuse and manipulate" some of the signals generated by Bing's search toolbar.
This news comes from Search Engine Land via CNET. Check out the full article from Danny Sullivan at SEL, or the article from CNET.
I realize this has nothing to do with high-definition television, but couldn't pass up reporting on it!


Light Language is the language of the universe. It is believed that it is the original language of the earth before we started building the tower of Babel. It is the language of the Angels and holds an incredible vibrational force.
It has an intelligence all of its own and knows exactly what it needs to do. For this reason i am able to treat varying conditions with this both physical and mental.
I have used it to treat ear aches and the pain from ear infections. It has relieved the pain from backaches and other jont pains. It has released the pain and freed frozen shoulders.
I have used it to relieve the symptoms and pain from PCOS.


text:
Music from northern climates
I just picked up the new Mogwai album, Happy Songs for Happy People. I was surprised to find an insert in the album stating that the CD comes with a demo version of Cubase SX and the multitrack audio files of the first song on the CD, required to remix it. The Cubase demo is PC-only, so I don't get to see how the damned thing works under OSX, where most of my plug-ins can't go. The separate files are all .wav files, though, so if you don't mind not being able to load the .CPR Cubase SX project, you can still have a go at them. (Btw, Cubase SX files appear to be a RIFF data type; maybe some penguinhead will reverse-engineer them in due time, at least well enough to import them.)
Anyway, it's an interesting experiment; giving songs for the fans to remix like that. I can't see the copyright-crazed majors allowing their chattels to do something like that (i.e., if Radiohead did that, it'd probably come with a special rights-managed remixing program which ran only on your Trusted PC™ and let you give a few play-once low-bitrate Windows Media copies to a handful of friends before self-destructing), but I think it makes sense for indie artists. Mogwai probably have more to benefit from a fan-made remixes of one of their songs floating around the MP3 nets and being played by laptop-glitch DJs from their Ableton Live-equipped iBooks than most artists; much in the way that Björk has to gain from all the bootleg remixes of her songs floating around.
As for the album: haven't heard the whole thing yet, though it sounds good. It seems that the detour into Radical Jewish Thrash Metal that was My Father My King was just that, and the album is a progression from Rock Action; if anything, it's more introverted and subtle, though in a good way. In places they're starting to sound a bit like Sigur Rós, though.
Speaking of Sigur Rós, I also picked up their Sigur 1 - Sigur 9 single, which came with a DVD of videos. The one for Svefn-g-englar is not bad, and quite apt; it basically has people dressed up as angels moving about in slow motion around an Icelandic landscape, under a volcanic cliff and a featureless off-white sky. (The video was a US import, where they are released through MCA/Universal, which is presumably why it's a Region 1-only DVD.)
(Interesting that Mogwai hail from Scotland and Sigur Rós hail from Iceland. I wonder how long until a post-rock band emerges from the Faroe Islands, a point roughly halfway inbetween.)
There are 2 comments on "Music from northern climates":
Posted by: Graham http://grudnuk.com/ Wed Jul 2 15:43:57 2003
That's alright then. I can't say I liked much of "Kicking A Dead Pig", maybe the fans will do a better job.
Incidentally, Radiohead came out of contract with HTTT, so who knows what they'll do now.
Posted by: mitch http:// Thu Jul 3 00:14:35 2003
http://www.tutl.com (Faroe Islands) has quite a large Rock category; who knows what's hiding in there waiting to emerge.


The UK Supreme Court has ruled in support of an earlier European legal ruling that the records of up to one million individuals should be expunged from the National DNA Database.
The largest forensic DNA database in the world (see previous news) has for some years caused controversy over a number of practices, including the retention of samples and linked data from crime suspects who were subsequently either not charged, or tried but found innocent of any crime. The Supreme Court has now echoed the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights three years ago by concluding that this practice violates parts of the European Human Rights Convention and is therefore unlawful.
The UK government is planning updated provisions in the forthcoming Protection of Freedoms Bill currently before Parliament that will, if it passes into law, prevent retention of samples in circumstances. Until then, police may continue to hold DNA samples of anyone who is arrested, in accordance with the legal framework put in place in 2001.


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Publications [#295093] of Aarthi Vadde
Essays/Articles/Chapters in Books
Vadde, A. "National myth, transnational memory: Ondaatje's archival method." Novel a Forum on Fiction 45.2Duke University Press, (Summer, 2012): 257-275.
This essay proposes that Michael Ondaatje's novels develop an archival method that adapts the historical novel to the globalized era. Where Georg Lukács argued that the classical historical novel awakened national sensibility through the creation of psychologically complex characters (i.e. real individuals), I claim that Ondaatje's The Collected Works of Billy the Kid and Anil's Ghost explore the breakdown of that sensibility through the creation of characters as legends. The circulation of these legends, namely Billy the Kid and Sailor, turns the historical novel toward a disruption of national myth rather than the production of it. That disruption is made possible by Ondaatje's use of the archive as a formal paradigm for the novel – one that is open-ended, unsynthesized, and shape-shifting. Using the archive as structure and style, Ondaatje challenges national mythologies not so much by demystifying their ideological structures, but by immersing American and Sri Lankan legends, Billy and Sailor, in a proliferation of artifacts, genres, and contexts that traverse several national and supranational traditions. Archival form effectively subjects these national legends to defamiliarization and reinscription within transnational geographies of memory that both expand the number of groups which may lay claim to them, and trouble the boundaries amongst those groups without collapsing them. In this way, Ondaatje's novels show us how to begin remapping communal pasts in response to the demands of global collectivity, a configuration in which many groups might be said to intersect, but cannot be said to cohere.