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Superfluous humans in a world of smart machines
Remember Ray Bradbury's classic dystopian short story "The Veldt" (excerpted here) with its nightmare vision of a soul-sapping high-technological future where monstrously narcissistic — and, as it turns out, sociopathic and homicidal — children resent even having to tie their own shoes and brush their own teeth, since they're accustomed to having these things done for them by machines?
Remember Kubrick's and Clarke's 2001: A Space Odyssey, where HAL, the super-intelligent AI system that runs the spaceship Discovery, decides to kill the human crew that he has been created to serve, because he has realized/decided that humans are too defective and error-prone to be allowed to jeopardize the mission?
Remember that passage (which I've quoted here before) from John David Ebert's The New Media Invasion in which Ebert identifies the dehumanizing technological trend that's currently unfolding all around us? Humans, says Ebert, are becoming increasingly superfluous in a culture of technology worship:
Everywhere we look nowadays, we find the same worship of the machine at the expense of the human being, who always comes out of the equation looking like an inconvenient, leftover remainder: instead of librarians to check out your books for you, a machine will do it better; instead of clerks to ring up your groceries for you, a self-checkout will do it better; instead of a real live DJ on the radio, an electronic one will do the job better; instead of a policeman to write you a traffic ticket, a camera (connected to a computer) will do it better. In other words . . . the human being is actually disappearing from his own society, just as the automobile long ago caused him to disappear from the streets of his cities . . . . [O]ur society is increasingly coming to be run and operated by machines instead of people. Machines are making more and more of our decisions for us; soon, they will be making all of them.
Bear all of that in mind, and then read this, which is just the latest in a volley of media reports about the encroaching advent, both rhetorical and factual, of all these things in the real world:
A house that tracks your every movement through your car and automatically heats up before you get home. A toaster that talks to your refrigerator and announces when breakfast is ready through your TV. A toothbrush that tattles on kids by sending a text message to their parents. Exciting or frightening, these connected devices of the futuristic "smart" home may be familiar to fans of science fiction. Now the tech industry is making them a reality.
Mundane physical objects all around us are connecting to networks, communicating with mobile devices and each other to create what's being called an "Internet of Things," or IoT. Smart homes are just one segment — cars, clothing, factories and anything else you can imagine will eventually be "smart" as well.
. . . We won't really know how the technology will change our lives until we get it into the hands of creative developers. "The guys who had been running mobile for 20 years had no idea that some developer was going to take the touchscreen and microphone and some graphical resources and turn a phone into a flute," [Liat] Ben-Zur [of chipmaker Qualcomm] said.
The same may be true when developers start experimenting with apps for connected home appliances. "Exposing that, how your toothbrush and your water heater and your thermostat . . . are going to interact with you, with your school, that's what's next," said Ben-Zur.
MORE: "The Internet of Things: Helping Smart Devices Talk to Each Other"
Image courtesy of Victor Habbick / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Posted on April 9, 2014, in Arts & Entertainment, Science & Technology and tagged 2001: a space odyssey, Dystopia, john david ebert, Ray Bradbury, Science Fiction, technopoly. Bookmark the permalink.	5 Comments.
mrG | April 10, 2014 at 9:16 pm
This item may be worth considering in this context: increasingly, as these peripheral devices become networked, they become the backdoor access for hackers and spies
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/08/technology/the-spy-in-the-soda-machine.html
Matt Cardin | April 11, 2014 at 7:20 am
Excellent! Many thanks, mrG. The more voices and views in the mix, the better, and the issue addressed in that article is indeed important.
Jesse M. | April 15, 2014 at 12:05 pm
I think this trend is only "dehumanizing" to the extent that we still rely on a capitalist model where everyone has an obligation to work full-time, and so machines taking jobs that used to be done by humans is causing a lot of people to no longer be able to "make a living". If we see the increase in machine labor as a stepping stone to a post-scarcity economy where machines do all of the necessary but monotonous and boring jobs (like Ebert's 'clerk to ring up your groceries for you'), and push for something like a basic income which can continually increase as machines take more and more of these jobs, I think that would be the opposite of dehumanizing, it would free more people from wage slavery and allow them to pursue things they find rewarding even if they aren't financially lucrative, like art and learning.
Matt Cardin | April 15, 2014 at 12:53 pm
I've long circles back to (and away from) thoughts along somewhat similar lines, Jesse, and have counted among some of my most important intellectual and philosophical influences a number of writers and thinkers who advanced the same position that you describe. But at the same time, I'm deeply skeptical of the philosophical and economic underpinnings of such a project, for reasons that — in a nice bit of timing — were articulated just a few days ago by Nicholas Carr as his blog, in a post titled "The myth of the endless ladder":
There's something deeply comforting about the notion that labor-saving technology inevitably pushes workers to higher pursuits. . . . But like many of the comforting things we tell ourselves, it's no more than a half-truth. . . . The language that the purveyors of the endless-ladder myth use is revealing. They attribute to technology a beneficent volition. It "frees us" for higher-value tasks and "propels us" into more fulfilling work and "helps us" to expand ourselves. We just need to "allow" the technology to aid us. Much is obscured by such verbs. Technology doesn't free us or propel us or help us. Technology doesn't give a rat's ass about us. It couldn't care less whether we have a great job, a crappy job, or no job at all. It's people who have volition. And the people who design and deploy technologies of production are rarely motivated by a desire to create jobs or make jobs more interesting or expand human potential. . . . The biggest beneficiaries of the endless-ladder myth are those who have gained enormous wealth through the profit-concentrating effects of commercial computers. The myth helps them feel good about themselves. They, after all, are the ones who are setting in motion the virtuous cycle that, in the fullness of time, will bring us all to the nirvana of "higher-and-higher-value work." It suits their business interests, too, by conflating those interests with society's interests. Software and algorithms and robots will solve our problems, if we allow them to.
Jesse M. | April 15, 2014 at 4:18 pm
Well, I'm not saying technology or the people who develop it have some inherent motive to "free" us to higher pursuits, and as long as capitalism in its present form continues I think there's a strong tendency to just create new forms of work to replace those that can be done by machines (and in many cases, even if certain work can be done by machines, businesses will take the cheaper route of just finding parts of the world where people will do the same work for very low wages). But one of the main ideas of a "post-scarcity economy" is that when automatization reaches the point where basically any manufactured good can be made completely by machines, including the very machines involved in the manufacture themselves (like a 3D printer that could print out more 3D printers, or a system of factory robots that could build more factory robots), then a lot of things about the way the economy works would be dramatically changed. At that point, the cost of making basically any manufactured good would be barely higher than the cost of the raw materials and energy needed to supply the machines, so even a relatively small guaranteed minimum income should be enough to afford all the sorts of physical goods we associate with a "comfortable" middle-class lifestyle, and the system wouldn't fall apart if large numbers of people stopped working or switched to self-employed jobs that didn't make much profit. This is not to say we would suddenly be living in some sort of utopia, obviously there's far more to happiness and living a meaningful life than material comfort, but at least people wouldn't be forced to work at jobs that hold no meaning for them other than a paycheck out of fear of living in poverty if they quit. To quote a post I read a little while ago at http://coreyrobin.com/2014/02/13/death-and-taxes/ — "Socialism won't eliminate the sorrows of the human condition. Loss, death, betrayal, disappointment, hurt: none of these would disappear or even be mitigated in a socialist society. As the Pirkei Avot puts it, against your will you enter this world, against your will you leave it (or something like that). That's not going to change under socialism. But what socialism can do is to arrange things so that you can actually deal with and confront these unhappinesses of the human condition."


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Supercomputers a hidden power center of Silicon…
Supercomputers a hidden power center of Silicon Valley
By Pete Carey |
PUBLISHED: May 8, 2015 at 12:00 a.m. | UPDATED: August 22, 2018 at 12:00 a.m.
Silicon Valley is famed for spawning the desktop, mobile and cloud computing revolutions. What is less well known is that it"s one of the nerve centers for building the world"s fastest number-crunchers.
Once confined to big national laboratories, supercomputers are now in demand to crunch massive amounts of data for industries such as oil exploration, finance and online sales.
The valley"s strong hand in that business was highlighted in April when Intel landed the prime contract to design a $200 million supercomputer named Aurora to be housed at the Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois.
Aurora, developed in partnership with Cray of Seattle, will likely become the world"s fastest supercomputer when it goes online in 2018. With Aurora"s new architecture, the Santa Clara chip company appears to be taking aim at a bigger slice of what will soon be a $15 billion to $20 billion commercial market for "high-performance" computers that can give a company a competitive edge.
"Right now in the oil and gas industry, there"s an arms race to see who can get the biggest supercomputer," said analyst Steve Conway of the research firm International Data Corp., citing one industry that has been especially aggressive in buying the machines.
Energy companies use supercomputers to pinpoint oil deposits. Car companies use them to crash virtual cars in safety tests. Procter & Gamble uses high-performance computing to design detergents and shampoo and even potato chips. Supercomputer maker Cray says "at least one" Major League Baseball team uses one of its machines to see, among other things, how batters fare against different types of pitchers.
Among the valley"s supercomputer makers or component suppliers:
"One of SGI"s big initiatives is to leverage much of the experimental work we"ve done in developing the biggest, baddest systems out there and democratizing that into a package well-suited for the enterprise world," said Brian Freed, vice president of in-memory architecture.
Think of a supercomputer as a cluster of tens of thousands of Mac workstations performing together like a symphony orchestra to process billions and trillions of bits of data every second, sometimes for hundreds of users.
Supercomputer prices run from $500,000 to more than $100 million. Some are general purpose machines that can perform tasks like 3-D modeling while hosting large numbers of users at the same time. A second type is used for one task, such as running a cloud-based service.
"A whole class of things start to become practical as the cost of computing drops," said Alan Gara, an Intel fellow at the giant chip firm"s Santa Clara headquarters and lead system architect for the Aurora system.
"There used to be a few hundred supercomputers sold in the world each year because the prices were so high — $10 million and up," said analyst Conway of IDC. But prices have fallen so sharply for powerful machines that "these days, companies and small organizations that wouldn"t think of getting one before can do so." Nowadays, thousands of high-performance machines are sold every year.
Since they can provide an edge over competitors, some companies don"t want their supercomputers publicized.
"Some of the bigger companies really depend upon supercomputers to do lot of their work," said Bill Mannel, head of HP"s Apollo server team in Houston, who added that "whether it"s the oil, auto or aircraft industry, it"s become such a core part of their development that they won"t even share details of how much they have or who they buy from."
Most companies with valley headquarters have far-flung research and manufacturing sites, but this area is a key center of innovation said Scot Schultz at Mellanox Technologies. "I think it"s largely because most of the core tech providers have a presence here and have been a part of the Bay Area community here for so long."
Google — whose operations require massive amounts of computing power — is pushing the frontiers in a collaboration on a quantum computer project with NASA Ames and the Universities Space Research Association. The hope is to develop a radically different computer that in theory could do certain problems in a few days that would take today"s computers "millions of years" to perform.
"If you thought IBM"s Watson on Jeopardy was impressive," Conway said, "where things are headed will totally leave it in the dust."
Contact Pete Carey at 408-920-5419 Follow him on .
Bay Area"s Biggest number-crunchers
Pete Carey

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I want to spotlight a few businesses in the community I have working relationships with. I share my office with 2 other businesses, Atlanta Insomnia and Behavioral Health and TD Wellness. It is wonderful to have co-workers, and we often cross refer clients who can benefit from other wellness services housed in the same building.
I am a nutrition coach for the company Execuliv, where I provide my services in a coaching format to Executives. It is a great company and I'm proud to be a part of it! I've had the pleasure of meeting other wellness coaches through this affiliation and have learned some valuable lessons myself!


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In the last 2 weeks, I have gotten a few good deals by price matching, and that meant I was able to do all my shopping in ONE store!
I have gotten back into using coupons as well - although these can be hard to come across for items I actually need, but when I find them I stash them in my wallet!


What drives the world's most competitive economies?
In the 30th edition of the IMD World Competitiveness Rankings, the US has overtaken Hong Kong as the most global competitive economy, with Singapore placing third. The rankings emphasise the long-term trend that the world's most competitive economies each have a unique approach to becoming competitive.
Published earlier this month, the report credited the US's comeback to its strength in economic performance and infrastructure. Hong Kong, which dropped one position to 2nd place, owes its success to exploiting government efficiency and business efficiency.
The advancement of the Netherlands (4th) as one of the most competitive economies is due to its "balanced" path, scoring highly in economic performance, government and business efficiency, while Switzerland moved down to 5th place. Its decline is mainly due to a slowdown in exports and a slight increase in perceptions about threats of relocation of R&D facilities.
Denmark, the UAE, Norway, Sweden and Canada round off the top 10, with the Scandinavian countries showing strong performance in the overall productivity of the private sector and its management practices. Other high-performing economies worth noting include China (13th) and Austria (18th).


Writing isn't something that happens overnight. You don't suddenly wake up and start writing like Hemingway. Which probably isn't even your goal. Your B2B company is all about marketing to your prospects. And because you're a savvy inbound marketer, you know that the way to do this is through remarkable, engaging, valuable content.
Let's take a look at some tips that will help you be a better B2B writer and win more prospects.
This is the most important tip we can give, so listen up.
You are writing to your potential or current customers; don't get sidetracked with anecdotes that will neither interest them or provide any real value to them. Put yourself in their shoes. Ask yourself if what you are saying is something that will be rewarding to them. If it isn't, craft it over again.
Also, because inbound marketing is all about rewarding and engaging content, be wary about how much "selling" you're doing in your content. Blogs, articles, eBooks, guides, whatever it is you're writing, there's a fine line between selling your product or service and providing valuable information to your customers. The vast majority should be content that informs, rewards, and educates.
Be as descriptive as possible (without overdoing it). For example, don't just say medical supplies, be specific.
Create videos. Video marketing services are the future of B2B marketing, and they provide an excellent way for you to show prospects your company rather than tell them about it.
Make it real. Whenever possible, inject anecdotes and relatable stories that your audience would find compelling.
Using bulleted and numbered lists (like this one).
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Shorten paragraphs—even a one sentence paragraph is acceptable; it makes an idea or point stand out from the rest.
Include images—images break up text and add a visual to what is being described. Simply, they make a piece more interesting.
4. Start strong, finish strong.
Arguably the most important parts of any piece of content (aside from the title) are the beginning and the end. Upon first glance, it's clear whether you want to continue reading or not. Have you captured your reader's attention in your first sentence or paragraph? You don't stand a chance of getting them to the second if you don't. Starting with a question or a relatable story is a good way to pull them in.
Ending your piece is just as important as starting it; it leaves a lasting impression. Have you tempted your potential prospect to want to dig deeper and learn more about your company? Or at the very least, have you enticed them to read another blog or article?
Evaluate your content marketing generation strategies and decide if they could use a revamp. That's the beauty of marketing, it is constantly changing and we are constantly adapting and embracing it. If you aren't on board, you risk losing your potential customers to your competitors who are generating funnier, more informative, and more engaging content than you are. Don't let that happen…be a better B2B writer!


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HCC does not have very many symptoms early on, which is why it is often not noticed or diagnosed until it has advanced. Symptoms can include jaundice, unexplained weight loss, nausea, feeling full after eating very little, and abdominal pain on the upper right side.
Although less common, cholangiocarcinoma, also known as bile duct cancer, moves very fast and is often terminal. There are only about 5,000 new cases of this type of cancer each year, but finding a cure for it is difficult.
When determining the stage of any cancer, doctors look at the size, how far it has spread, and whether it has metastasized. This is indicated through TNM with numbers following each letter. An X next to any letter indicates that it cannot be assessed. A 0 indicates either no tumor is present, it has not spread or it has not metastasized. The combination of each of these groups provides the stage of cancer, which is 1 through 4, typically indicated with Roman numerals.
To find out more information on identifying the type and stage of cancer or for questions or help in seeking Phoenix liver tumor treatment, contact Phoenix CyberKnife and Radiation Oncology Center at 602-441-3845.


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This is precisely why Silver Springs foil balloons are not only grea...Read moreParty supply stores can provide foil balloons near Silver Springs, Florida for your event! Did you know that foil balloons can be refilled for even longer balloon enjoyment? Unlike regular balloons that tie at the bottom and loose their luster after a couple days, foil balloons last up to two weeks without even being refilled!
This is precisely why Silver Springs foil balloons are not only great for parties, but also as gifts. Silver Springs, Florida foil balloons can cheer up someone recovering in the hospital better than flowers that require care or latex balloons that won't last.
To see all of the options for stores with foil balloons in Silver Springs, check out our vendor database. Inquire about the types of foil balloons available including popular shapes, messages, and characters!
Balloon Artist - much more than just a little balloon dog!! Great for kids of all ages. Prices starting at $100. Birthday Parties, Corporate Events, Kids Nights, Themed parties, School Functions!! I ca...Read moreBalloon Artist - much more than just a little balloon dog!! Great for kids of all ages. Prices starting at $100. Birthday Parties, Corporate Events, Kids Nights, Themed parties, School Functions!! I can do balloon twisting, balloon decoration, balloon drops, or just pass out helium balloons which ever you prefer. I can even do a combination of any of the above.


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Q: Help with wrapping a command line tool in Python I'm really stuck with a problem I'm hoping someone can help me with. I'm trying to create a wrapper in Python3.1 for a command line program called spooky. I can successfully run this program on the command line like this:
$ spooky -a 4 -b .97

My first Python wrapper attempt for spooky looked like this:
import subprocess

start = "4"
end = ".97"

spooky_path = '/Users/path/to/spooky'
cmd = [spooky_path, '-a', start, '-b', end]
process = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
process.wait()
print('Done')

The above code prints Done, but does not execute the program spooky
Next I tried to just execute the program on the command line like this:
$ /Users/path/to/spooky -a 4 -b .97

The above code also fails, and provides no helpful errors.
My question is: How can I get Python to run this program by sending spooky -a 4 -b .97 to the command line? I would VERY much appreciate any help you can provide. Thanks in advance.

A: You need to drop the stdout=subprocess.PIPE. Doing that disconnects the stdout of your process from Python's stdout and makes it retrievable using the Popen.communicate() function, like so:
import subprocess

spooky_path = 'ls'
cmd = [spooky_path, '-l']
process = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdout=subprocess.PIPE)
output = process.communicate()[0]
print "Output:", output
process.wait()
print('Done')

To make it print directly you can use it without the stdout argument:
process = subprocess.Popen(cmd)

Or you can use the call function:
process = subprocess.call(cmd)

A: Try making your command into a single string:
cmd = 'spooky_path -a start -b end'
process = subprocess.Popen(cmd, shell=True)

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Panasonic TX-55AX902B 4K TV Review
By Vincent Teoh 7 November 2014, 2:05 pm GMT
Back at CES 2014 in January, Panasonic unveiled a 4K LED LCD prototype which the company claimed could match (or even surpass, depending on who you spoke to) plasma's picture quality, even daring to pit the display side-by-side against a Viera ZT60 – the best plasma Panasonic has ever produced – in a dark-room demo. As time passed, more and more details surfaced about the technologies behind this plasma-like LED TV which was eventually given a model number of AX900 (or AX902 in the UK): IPS LCD panel, direct-lit LED backlighting, 128-zone full-array local dimming (FALD), passive 3D capabilities, and a proprietary Studio Master Drive innovation that enhances shadow detail and colour saturation in low-light scenes.
10 months on, and just one year after the Japanese manufacturer announced its exit from the plasma television market, the final product is sitting pretty in our test room, awaiting us to put Panasonic's bold claims under scrutiny. We're reviewing the 55in TX-55AX902B which retails at £3,499 – pricier than any other 55-incher on the market at this time of writing. Two other screen sizes are available, namely the 65-inch Panasonic TX-65AX902B and the 85-inch TX-85X942B priced at £4,999 and £12,999 respectively. In case you're wondering, the 85-incher has been assigned a slightly different model number because of some changes in underlying specifications to VA-type LCD panel, 32-zone FALD and active 3D.
The Panasonic TX-55AX902 shares similar design characteristics to its step-down sibling, the Viera AX802/ AX800. A chunky stand – so heavy it even has recessed handles built in – acts as a ballast for the screen to lean backwards at a slight angle. Together with a glossy black bezel that's impressively thin especially for a direct LED television with FALD, this gives rise to a distinct, monolithic appearance that wouldn't look out of place in the most elegant of living rooms.
Unique to the Panasonic AX902/ AX900 is the presence of a calming blue glow from the bottom border of the panel, which can be switched off from the user menu. Although four fans can be found at the back of the panel, they spin at relatively low rpm, and collectively do not generate much fan noise. It's certainly softer than that heard on Panasonic's ZT/ VT plasma panels or Samsung's 7 and 8 Series UHD TVs, and is in any case easily masked by normal TV volume.
The TV ships with a swanky normal remote (by far our favourite in 2014 due to its brushed metallic silver finish, gratifying tactile feedback, tasteful backlighting, and – don't laugh – the inclusion of a [3D] button), a smaller smart remote allowing for touch and voice control, as well as two pairs of polarized 3D glasses.
All four HDMI ports on the Panasonic TX55AX902B support HDMI 2.0 (18Gbps, 4:4:4) and HDCP 2.2, an upgrade from the AX800 whose only HDMI input 4 is specced to this level. The onboard DisplayPort connection is version 1.2a rather than the recently announced 1.3, but given that no other TV maker even bother putting DisplayPort on their ultra high-definition (UHD) televisions, it's not something we'd hold against Panasonic.
Rear: 4x HDMI, 3x USB, component, DisplayPort, aerial & satellite ins, LAN, audio outs
Panasonic has updated its TV remote application, allowing for an even better second-screen calibration experience. We really liked this functionality when it was first introduced in 2013, mainly because it bypassed the need to summon picture menus on the television screen which can throw off measurements on certain displays, notably plasmas that are affected by ABL (Automatic Brightness Limiter). However, a couple of shortcomings prevented us from carrying an iPad everywhere to calibrate Panasonic plasma TVs in the field.
First, any adjustments made using the app (then known as VIERA Remote app) would only be applied to the "Custom [Viewing Mode] instead of the more accurate "Professional" modes which not only had most of the superfluous picture processing turned off by default, but also featured flatter gamma tracking out of the box. Also, the adjustments had to be operated by way of touch-based sliders, which presented a problem especially on smaller devices like an iPad Mini or an iPhone when finer controls were required.
Responding to enthusiast feedback as always, Panasonic has addressed these two issues with the latest version of its app (named TV Remote 2 on iOS and Android). Adjustments made via the application can now be saved in the [Professional] modes (which an ISF-certified calibrator can relabel as [isf Day] and [isf Night] for daytime and critical viewing respectively) in addition to [Custom] mode. Furthermore, the slider controls are now bookended by [+] and [-] buttons, allowing the settings to be adjusted incrementally with precision.
While we've previously mentioned the usefulness of such a remote calibration app on plasma displays, the same applies to a full-array local-dimming (FALD) LED LCD TV like the Panasonic AX902/ AX900 too. Inasmuch as possible, measurements taken off FALD sets should be done without the user menu – even something seemingly as innocuous as a slider bar – being displayed on screen, which can alter APL (Average Picture Level) and on-screen luminance depending on the dimming algorithm.
With this in mind, we proceed to calibrate our Viera TX-55AX902B review sample using the Panasonic TV Remote 2 app, as well as our trusty profiled Klein K10-A meter, DVDO AVLab TPG 4K signal generator and CalMAN 5.3 video calibration software, with read times extended to accommodate the dimming-related luminance fluctuations.
The default [Colour Temperature] setting of "Warm2" in the [Professional] modes produced red-tinted greys, which became progressively worse as the image got brighter:
Pre-calibration RGB tracking and delta errors (dEs)
It's nothing that couldn't be sorted out by the extensive calibration controls Panasonic provided. We first used the TX55AX902B's 2-point [White Balance] controls to bring greyscale closer to D65, then its onboard 10-point WB system to finetune at each 10% video signal:
Post-calibration RGB tracking and dEs in [Professional] mode
The result was excellent, with delta errors (dEs) reduced to below 1 across the entire luminance range. Since a dE of 3 is commonly accepted as the threshold below which inaccuracies won't be visible to the human eyes, this means the on-screen picture should be free of any untoward tinting.
The Panasonic AX900/ AX902 is the world's first consumer-grade flat-panel television to incorporate BT.1886 gamma function which modifies a base 2.4 gamma curve according to the black (and white) level of the display, the idea being that it would provide a clearer rise out of black and prevent clipping of shadow detail on low-contrast displays, not to mention facilitate a more consistent presentation of the same video signal on different displays with varying brightness/ contrast characteristics.
In practice, we found that although calibrating to BT.1886 does improve shadow detailing, it robs the on-screen image of the rich, filmic look afforded by 2.4 gamma, since even a black level of 0.003 cd/m2 (for example as measured on Panasonic's now-discontinued VT/ ZT plasmas) would curtail top-end gamma to 2.37 according to the BT.1886 gamma formula. It is for this reason that we still routinely calibrate to 2.4 gamma in our reviews and in the field, while taking care to manually align low-end gamma to 2.1/ 2.2 (to bring out shadow detail) if sufficient controls are available on the display, such as a 10- or even 20-point white balance/ gamma system.
Pre-calibration gamma tracking (2.25) Post-calibration gamma tracking (2.4)
Regardless of our preference, Panasonic does offer enough controls for users to calibrate to either BT.1886 or any other gamma value. New to the Viera TX-55AX902, "BT.1886" is now listed as an option within the [Gamma] submenu, and is the default setting for [Professional2] (or [isf Night]) mode. Out of interest, we calibrated [Professional1] mode to 2.4 gamma, and [Professional2] to BT.1886 gamma (Panasonic's TV engineers supplied a list of best practices for this purpose), with the intention of comparing them in real-world material.
Although the Panasonic TX-55AX902B features 3D LUTs (look-up tables) with 8000 registry points to reproduce accurate colours in dark scenes, all the processing happens under the hood, because as far as calibration is concerned, the TV's 3-axis (hue, saturation and luminance) colour management system (CMS) for the six primary (red, green, blue) and secondary (cyan, magenta, yellow) colours is exactly the same as that found on Panasonic's other ISFccc-ready TVs.
Post-calibration colour saturation tracking
The well-designed CMS allowed us to bring the TX55AX902's colours to spec, with all the measured saturation tracking points exhibiting no visible errors in real-life content.
Post-calibration colour errors (<3 not appreciable to the eye)
Benchmark Test Results
Dead pixels None (difficult to see when pixels are so small)
Screen uniformity Fantastic – dare we say plasma-esque
Overscanning on HDMI 0% with [16:9 Overscan] set to "Off"
Blacker than black Passed
Calibrated black level (black screen) LEDs dim down
Calibrated black level (4×4 ANSI) 0.13 cd/m2 (not representative)
Black level retention Stable if [Adaptive Backlight Control] off
Primary chromaticity Excellent
Scaling Excellent
Video mode deinterlacing Effective jaggies reduction
Film mode deinterlacing Passed 3:2 over 480i with [Film Cadence Mode] on
Viewing angle As good as we've seen on an LCD-based TV
Motion resolution 1080 lines (or higher) with [Intelligent Frame Creation] on
Digital noise reduction Optional; effective when engaged
Sharpness Defeatable edge enhancement
Luma/Chroma bandwidth (2D Blu-ray) Full Luma; chroma vertically softened
1080p/24 capability Mild judder in 2D; no judder in 3D
Leo Bodnar input lag tester 87ms in [Game] mode
Full 4:4:4 reproduction (PC) Yes, with [Pure Direct] modes engaged
Default [Normal] mode 118 watts*
Calibrated [Professional2] mode 119 watts
Standby <1 watt
*Note: [Ambient Sensor] was enabled by default in the out-of-the-box [Normal] mode.
Black Level & Contrast Performance
To be honest, we were more than a bit concerned when we learnt that the Panasonic AX900/ AX902 would be using IPS-type LCD panel which doesn't have the best reputation for delivering deep blacks, despite the fact that the TV would be kitted out with full-array local dimming (FALD) technology. Fortunately, our worries proved unfounded, and the lovely shade of blacks put out by the Viera TX55AX902B in addition to the wide viewing angles more than vindicated Panasonic's decision to stick with IPS.
Subpixel structure indicating S-IPS matrix from LG Display
"Lovely shade of blacks?" we hear you ask. "But the measured black level on a 4×4 ANSI chequerboard pattern is a rather uninspiring 0.13 cd/m2!"
True, but this is one case where ANSI contrast measurements did not accurately reflect what happened with real-world content. When designing the local dimming algorithm, Panasonic's engineers had to make strategic choices about when to switch the independently dimmable zones on and off to best cater for a wide range of on-screen images while keeping blooming/ haloing to a manageable level. As it turned out, a 4×4 (and 3×3, for that matter) ANSI chequerboard pattern was one of the few instances when FALD did not kick in (not to its full potential anyway).
The 55AX902's FALD system is activated through the [Adaptive Backlight Control] option which comes in three strengths besides "Off": "Min", "Mid" and "Max". After extensive testing with numerous low-APL scenes, we concluded that [Adaptive Backlight Control] "Min" was the best setting to substantially improve black-level performance without introducing excessive artefacts. The more aggressive "Mid" and "Max" settings incurred more visible blooming (since the discrepancy between the dimmed and undimmed zones was greater) and shadow detail loss.
For you number junkies reading this, the [Adaptive Backlight Control] settings of "Off", "Min", "Mid" and "Max" yielded black level measurements of 0.13 cd/m2, 0.017 cd/m2, 0.007 cd/m2 and 0.007 cd/m2 respectively on a full-field video black screen (peak white was pegged at 120 cd/m2).
An attribute to note about the TX-55AX902B's FALD system is that the transition between the dimmed and non-dimmed state takes place in a gradual manner (similar to a fade-in/ fade-out effect), which is not a bad thing in our books because it makes any fluctuation in brightness less perceptible. However, this does lead to a couple of interesting phenomenons.
First, when we quickly cycled through some test patterns, we observed a "ripple" effect as the dimming spread from one zone to another. Also, because an illuminated zone would take a few seconds to gradually fade away when it needed to be switched off, this caused an effect not unlike image retention on plasmas (hey, maybe that's what Panasonic engineers were shooting for!), which was most obvious when white text disappeared from a black background (for example during end credits). To be fair, neither bothered us in real-life viewing.
Screen & Backlight Uniformity
The combination of direct LED configuration and full-array local dimming did wonders for the TX55AX902's backlight uniformity: we saw no hint of corner bleeding, clouding or banding on our review sample. The notorious dirty screen effect (DSE) which normally affects even the best of LCDs was absent here – the Panasonic AX902 was truly plasma-like in terms of screen uniformity.
If we peered hard enough at an evenly toned image (such as full-field grey) for a while, we could probably make out the slightest hint of small, rectangular outlines suggestive of the dimming zones. In real-world viewing though, it's a total non-issue.
Engaging [Intelligent Frame Creation] even at its lowest setting of "Min" boosted motion resolution to 1080 (and possibly higher) from the LCD baseline of 300 (as determined via the horizontally scrolling lines pattern in Chapter 31 of the FPD Benchmark Software disc). The inherent motion cleanliness of IPS panel showed up well here, devoid of any black trailing/ smearing commonly seen on VA-type LCD panels, although we did spot some faint double ghost images in specialised test patterns, which suggests some sort of backlight scanning process going on. All in all, the Panasonic AX902B produced some of the nicest motion we've seen from an LED LCD display.
Any fears that the Panasonic TX55AX902B would fall at the first hurdle of black-level response (the Achilles' heel of IPS LCD panel) were immediately dispelled once we sampled some Blu-ray movies. Belying the ANSI contrast measurement (for the reason explained above), blacks – aided by the full-array local-dimming technology – looked convincingly deep even in the most challenging of low-light scenes, never descending into the milky greys typical of IPS panels, unless, of course, you choose to disable [Adaptive Backlight Control] (but why would you when you've forked out so much for this defining feature of the AX902/ AX900?).
With [Adaptive Backlight Control] set to "Min", the FALD system worked seamlessly to darken black level where it's needed in a subtle fashion (i.e. without obvious luminance fluctuations), while making sure that shadow detail wasn't crushed (though more on this later). Look hard enough and you'd see the occasional blooming (circumferential halos around bright objects overlaying dark backdrops, which is caused by the size of the dimming zone being larger than the pixels responsible for illuminating said objects), but it was never distracting to our eyes.
It's a testament to the brilliance of the local dimming algorithm devised by Panasonic's engineers that the AX902's FALD system just went about doing its thing without drawing attention to itself. Heck, most of the time it didn't even feel like we were watching an IPS panel as far as black level was concerned.
Why "most of the time" though? Therein lay one of the weaker points of the Panasonic AX902B. Despite the superb local dimming system, the low native contrast (around 1000:1) and limited dynamic range of the underlying IPS LCD panel meant that shadow detail wasn't presented as clearly as a screen with greater dynamic range would have done. Now we understand why the company opted to implement BT.1886 gamma on the AX900/ AX902 – to extract more near-black detail than what was possible from an uncompensated power law gamma formula.
With the help of Panasonic's BT.1886 initiative and "Black Gradation Drive" technology, the Viera TX-55AX902 managed to resolve more detail in shadowed areas than all other IPS-based LED LCD TVs we've tested to date. Nevertheless, it's still a touch behind the best plasmas and VA LCDs in this department.
Putting this minor issue aside, it's mostly good news on the picture quality front. Colours looked gorgeously accurate even in dark scenes, no doubt boosted by the Japanese brand's "Super Chroma Drive" technology that uses 3D lookup tables at multiple brightness intervals to maintain faithful colour reproduction. Skin tones and green foliage came to life with the sort of effortless realism rarely seen on LCD-based televisions.
We ran our TX-55AX902B review unit side-by-side against a calibrated Panasonic TX-P60ZT65B plasma, and were pleasantly surprised to find the AX902's colour and gamma characteristics matching up very well with the ZT65's. In fact, the similarities were so great that we struggled to tell the two displays apart in all but the darkest scenes (where the ZT triumphed owing to deeper blacks and superior shadow detailing).
Another aspect where the Panasonic AX902 mirrored the ZT was its blemishless screen uniformity – we cannot overstate the profound impact this has on one's viewing experience. On our Panasonic TX55AX902 sample, panning shots across a uniformly toned background (e.g. a football field) were as clean as they come, and darker scenes weren't blighted by patches of uneven backlighting. The wide viewing angles granted by IPS LCD panel were a boon too: there's little in the way of contrast loss and colour shifts that characterise VA LCD panels every time you stand up, sit off-axis or even too close (the left and right edges of low-grade VA screens may appear brighter than the centre, a.k.a. pillaring). Add 4K resolution to the mix, and the result was a lucid, utterly compelling "look out of window" effect that – prior to the arrival of the Viera AX902 – we've only seen on plasma and OLED televisions.
To our slight disappointment, the lowest [24p Smooth Film] setting of "Min" didn't smooth out the mild 24fps judder exhibited by the TX55AX902B, though it's a lot less noticeable at normal sitting distances. The higher settings of "Mid" and "Max" did so, but introduced undesirable soap opera effect. [Letterbox] "Dimmer" did nothing to darken letterboxed areas once [Adaptive Backlight Control] was engaged, so we left it at its default off position of "Normal".
This was actually the first time we've laid eyes on streamed Netflix 4K content on a Panasonic television (regular readers will be aware of the Netflix 4K snafu surrounding the step-down Viera AX802, which fortunately will be resolved soon following a software update).
And how stunning did it look, even though we've seen these footages many times before on UHD TVs from other brands. Bags of detail and texture were on show, providing a crisp yet never unnatural sense of immersion. Whilst Panasonic's Smart TV platform limited us to only the [Dynamic] and [Normal] picture modes initially, once Netflix's videos started playing we were able to select the [Professional] modes to apply our calibrated settings, and inject an extra dose of authenticity to proceedings.
The Panasonic AX902B fully resolved all 3840 vertical and 2160 horizontal single-pixel lines at 24Hz, 25Hz, 30Hz, 50Hz and 60Hz from a DVDO AVLab 4K signal generator. No roll-off or discolouration was seen at 4:4:4, indicating full HDMI 2.0 bandwidth. Feeding 2160p signals to the 55AX902B would disable (and grey out) the [16:9 Overscan] option, causing 3840×2160 material to automatically undergo 1:1 pixel mapping (yay!), but 4096×2160 (DCI 4K) videos to be downscaled.
Using our own custom-authored test pattern, we verified that the Panasonic Viera 55AX902 successfully delivered full HD 3D resolution, unlike certain other 4K Ultra HD TVs with passive 3D we've encountered over the past 12 months. Theoretically, this should result in a first-rate extra-dimensional viewing experience, what with passive 3D's known strengths of bright and flicker-free 3-D images.
In practice though, unfortunately the Panasonic TX-55AX902B was let down by its film-type patterned retarder (FPR) 3D LCD panel sourced from LG Display. From a normal viewing distance, we witnessed a significant amount of crosstalk near the bottom of the screen, even after we took great care to watch the TV at eye level. If we slouched and positioned our head below eye level, the crosstalk would shift from the bottom to the top of the screen instead. We found that the best way to minimise crosstalk was to sit farther away than customary (which is counter-intuitive for a UHD display).
We have experienced this exact same issue on other 2014 sub-65″ 4K TVs made by LG, which has been blamed on a new filter that reduces the vertical viewing angles even more at smaller screen sizes (since the polarizing lines have to be packed to a denser degree). Perhaps the 65in Panasonic TX-65AX902B will fare better in this regard.
Just like every Panasonic 3D television we've reviewed so far, the AX902B did not exhibit any judder in the third dimension regardless of whether the 3-D source material was 24Hz, 50Hz, 60Hz, video- or film-based. This makes the mild telecine judder we saw with 1080p/24 2D content all the more puzzling.
Competitive gamers, look away now – the Panasonic TX55AX902B is not for you. Even with [Game Mode] engaged, input lag came in at a sluggish 87ms according to our Leo Bodnar device.
Once we exited [Game] mode, input lag jumped to an eye-watering 205ms – the highest ever recorded on HDTVTest. It seems that the intensive processing required to drive the AX902's full-array local dimming system has taken its toll on gaming responsiveness.
Panasonic set out to build an LED LCD TV that performs like plasma, and in many ways the company has succeeded with its flagship AX902B series. Mention plasma and most video enthusiasts will immediately think of its formidable blacks, but occasionally people forget that PDP's other strengths include screen uniformity, viewing angles and motion quality that so endeared us to this now-defunct display technology.
And it's in these areas – if not outright black level – that the Panasonic TX-55AX902B stamped its mark. The set's breathtakingly accurate colours, near-perfect screen uniformity, wide viewing angles and impressive motion clarity combined to deliver an overall picture that looked as plasma-esque as we've seen on an LCD-based television.
Of course, sceptics will ask, why bother spending so much on an LED LCD display when plasmas and OLED TVs share similar advantages, and have superior black level to boot?
The reality is that the curtain has fallen on plasma display panel (PDP) technology, with Panasonic, Samsung and LG Electronics all having shuttered production within the span of twelve months. Meanwhile, LG – the only major OLED TV player in town – is still facing delays in bringing its 4K curved OLED model to market. At this time of publication, no other LED television comes closer to emulating plasma's alluring image quality than the Panasonic AX902/ AX900.
Professional TV Calibration Service
Own this (or any other) TV? Want to get the best picture quality? Book us in to calibrate your set. Affordable price... get a quote now.


Sleeping with the enemy has never been so complicated.
Twenty-eight-year-old Brooklyn Campbell is having a bad day. A speeding ticket, a towed car, and a broken heel are all working against her laid-back vibe. To top it all off, her birth mother, whom she's never met, has requested contact. The only bright spot is an impromptu date with a beautiful and mysterious brunette.
Jessica Lennox is what you would call a high-powered executive. She's the head of a multimillion-dollar advertising firm in New York City, and it didn't happen by accident. But when the blonde head turner from the wine bistro turns out to be her number one competitor, her life gets infinitely more complex.


text:
package br.com.mnix.mazinrpcaiser.sample.simple.interfaces;

import javax.annotation.Nonnull;
import java.io.Serializable;

/**
 * Created by mnix05 on 11/27/14.
 *
 * @author mnix05
 */
public interface ISubSample extends Serializable {
	@Nonnull
	String getFoo();
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Gabriel Robertstad Garcia Benito (born 1960) is a Norwegian economist, Professor of Strategy and International Business and a previous Dean of Doctoral Studies at BI Norwegian Business School, in Oslo, Norway. He is known for his work on foreign direct investments.

Biography
Benito graduated from BI Norwegian Business School in 1984, and did his postgraduate studies at Norwegian School of Economics, where he obtained his MA in 1992 and PhD in 1995.

Benito has been affiliated with several academic institutions including: Copenhagen Business School, Norwegian School of Economics, Østfold University College, and University of Agder.

Benito has held visiting positions at Copenhagen Business School, Henley Business School at University of Reading, University of Melbourne, and University of Valencia, and taught inter alia at Helsinki School of Economics (now Aalto University), Technical University of Lisbon (ISEG), University of Oslo, and University of Valencia. In 2005, he was President of the European International Business Academy (EIBA).

He was elected a Fellow of Academy of International Business in 2015., and Fellow of European International Business Academy in 2017.

Benito's research has focused on foreign direct investment, the structure and behavior of multinational enterprises and their foreign subsidiaries, and foreign operation methods.

Selected publications
Benito is the author of numerous publications. Books:
 Benito, Gabriel R.G., L.S. Welch and B. Petersen (2018) Foreign Operation Methods: Theory, Analysis, Strategy, 2nd edition. Edward Elgar.
 Benito, Gabriel R.G. with R. Narula, eds. (2007) Multinationals on the Periphery Palgrave.
 Benito, Gabriel R.G. and H.R. Greve, eds. (2007) Progress in International Business Research, Vol. 1 Elsevier.

Articles, a selection:
 Iurkov, Viacheslav and Benito, Gabriel R.G., "Domestic Alliance Networks and Regional Strategies of MNEs: A Structural Embeddedness Perspective", Journal of International Business Studies, 49(8), 2018, 1033–1059.
 Benito, Gabriel R.G., Rygh, Asmund and Lunnan, Randi, "The Benefits of Internationalization for State Owned Enterprises", Global Strategy Journal, 6(4), 2016, 269–288.
 Benito, Gabriel R.G., Lunnan, Randi and Tomassen, Sverre, "Distant Encounters of the Third Kind: Multinational Companies Locating Divisional Headquarters Abroad", Journal of Management Studies, 48(2), 2011, 373–394.
 Benito, Gabriel R.G., Petersen, Bent and Welch, Lawrence S., "Towards more Realistic Conceptualisations of Foreign Operation Modes", Journal of International Business Studies, 40(9), 2009, 1455–1470.
 Goldeng, Eskil, Grünfeld, Leo A. and Benito, Gabriel R.G., "The Performance Differential between Private and State Owned Enterprises: The Roles of Ownership, Management, and Market Structure", Journal of Management Studies, 45(7), 2008, 1244–1273.
 Benito, Gabriel R.G., "Divestment and International Business Strategy", Journal of Economic Geography, 5(2), 2005, 235–251.
 Benito, Gabriel R.G., Pedersen, Torben and Petersen, Bent, "Export Channel Dynamics: An Empirical Examination", Managerial and Decision Economics, 26(3), 2005, 159–173.
 Benito, Gabriel R.G., Grøgaard, Birgitte and Narula, Rajneesh, "Environmental Influences on MNE Subsidiary Roles: Economic Integration and the Nordic Countries", Journal of International Business Studies, 34(5), 2003, 443–456.
 Benito, Gabriel R.G., "Divestment of Foreign Production Operations", Applied Economics, 29(10), 1997, 1365–1377.
 Benito, Gabriel R.G., and Welch, Lawrence S., "De-internationalization", Management International Review, 37(SI 2), 1997: 7-25.
 Benito, Gabriel R.G. and Gripsrud, Geir, "The Expansion of Foreign Direct Investments: Discrete Rational Location Choices or a Cultural Learning Process?", Journal of International Business Studies, 23(3), 1992, 461–476.

References

External links
Norwegian Business School website

1960s births
Living people
Norwegian economists
Norwegian business theorists
Academic staff of Copenhagen Business School

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Walter Hervey Bagot was born at North Adelaide on 17th March 1880, the son of pastoralist John Bagot and his wife Lucy Josephine (née Ayers). The Bagot family, established in South Australia by Captain Charles Hervey Bagot, was one of several influential, pioneering pastoralist families that provided leadership in the economic and political advancement of the state.
Raised at the family properties of Nurney House in North Adelaide and Forest Lodge at Aldgate, with regular visits to Ayers House, the residence of his grandfather Sir Henry Ayers on North Terrace, Bagot was exposed to his father's love of gardening, botany, photography and the arts. He was educated at St. Peter's College and then served a four-year apprenticeship under Adelaide architect Edward Woods before going to England in 1902 where he studied architecture at King's College, University of London. Upon graduation, he gained entry to the Royal Institute of British Architects and, returning to Adelaide in 1905, established the firm of Woods Bagot. He also lectured in architectural history for five years at the South Australian School of Mines and Industries. On 18th November 1908 he married Josephine Margaret Barritt and they had three children.
He was the architect for work on St. Peter's Cathedral from 1907 to 1945 and for the Roman Catholic archdiocese from 1905 to 1926, being responsible for the chapel of the Convent of Mercy and the additions to St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral. As architect to the University of Adelaide from 1910 to 1945, he designed the Bonython Hall (completed in 1936) and the Barr Smith Library (constructed in 1931-32). He had a reputation for developing excellent relations with the workmen engaged on his projects.
Bagot and his wife were regular travellers to Italy and other parts of Europe, with Walter often offering design advice to his colleagues in Adelaide from Italian hotels. His architectural and community leadership, and his interests in northern Italian design and gardens, resulted in several appointments and honours. He was President of the South Australian Institute of Architects from 1917 to 1919, a Commissioner of the National Park at Belair, a Governor of the Adelaide Botanic Garden, and a Patron and founder of the Australian-Italian Association of South Australia. He was also President of the Adelaide Club from 1948 to 1950 and wrote a history of its founders. He was an enthusiastic supporter of plans to beautify Adelaide's parklands and in 1956 was one of the original sponsors of the National Trust of South Australia. On his retirement in 1960 he was made a Life Fellow of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects and in 1962 was created a Cavaliere (Knight) of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Italy.
Many of his contemporaries described Bagot not as an architect but as an artist, a classical scholar and a romantic. He would sweep into a meeting of the South Australian Institute of Architects with a commanding presence, attired in a black tie, red-lined cloak and top-hat, the 'perfect gentleman'.
He died at North Adelaide on 27th July 1963 and was buried at North Road Cemetery.
Bagot, J.M., Reveries in retrospect (Adelaide: Hassell Press, 1946).
Bagot, W.H., 'A Plea for Tradition' in S. Ure Smith and B. Stevens, eds., Domestic architecture in Australia (Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1919).
Page, M., Sculptors in space: South Australian architects 1836-1986 (Adelaide: Royal Australian Institute of Architects (S.A. Chapter), 1986).
Dr David Jones, 'Walter Hervey Bagot ', Adelaidia, History Trust of South Australia, http://adelaidia.sa.gov.au/people/walter-hervey-bagot, accessed 19 April 2019.


Oh, and most 'working class' people aren't likely to have the luxury of sitting around discussing such stuff. Let alone deploying their university educations and well-paid contracting to produce such carefully-crafted posts.
We all have a position in this. 19th century intellectual and moral frameworks are no more useful sometimes than 1990s ones. Though humans have been so for a very long time. It's why the likes of Shakespeare and the Illiad still shine some light on our motivations.
The key issue is the private sector aspect. Nactional want to sell anything that isn't nailed down, and they believe that being able to pry it up with a crowbar means it wasn't nailed properly in the first place.
So, first, you get LG out of stuff that your mates can make a profit doing (see Brownlee's comments about "the market will provide" in Chch), then you ditch the stuff that isn't profit making (like housing and infrastructure) on the basis that it's not "core services", and then you take over the debt that councils have incurred, on the basis that you also take over the assets that the debt enabled, then you sell off the assets (theoretically to pay the debt) to the mates from step one, which leaves tiny impoverished councils with nothing but rates for funding, which in turn means those councils will have to come cap in hand for government funding and that's how you control the spending. And somehow, this is supposed to reduce rates.
Let's face it - change is needed. Most councils are technically insolvent, because of the debt, just like many private companies, and their rateable population is just too small. But what Smith appears to be proposing is a gutting of democracy at the local level. Sure, we'll be able to vote for councillors, but they won't have the resources to actually do anything.
As you say, privatising services and assets has to be part of the intent here. Something I haven't seen picked up yet (maybe I've missed it): the insistence on 'must not compete with private sector' sounds an awful lot like Smith's (unsuccessful) plan to hobble ACC so profit-seeking Australian insurance companies could feasibly 'compete' with it. Don't want those Councils outperforming privatised services, do we?
Key and English seem to share this fear of 'crowding out' - hardly the mark of a confident entrepreneur or leader, you'd think.
Let's face it - change is needed. Most councils are technically insolvent, because of the debt, just like many private companies, and their rateable population is just too small.
Councils have long sought other income streams. Governments have blocked it.
And like central government, it is a mistake to see Councils as insolvent in a snapshot when they are by law responsible for the needs of future residents as well as current ones. Debt is a way of spreading the cost of current investments over future beneficiaries of it as well.
But I guess that might 'crowd out' the wealthy from leaving a private inheritance to give their own children a leg up. Sad they don't have more confidence in their offspring.
technical insolvency means an organisation has negative net asset value - its debts are greater than its assets.
This doesn't apply to any council in NZ: Wellington, for instance, has over $6bln in assets and $400mln in debts (2010 annual report). Kaipara, cited as a problem council, has $483mln in assets and $88mln in debt.
It's like calling someone insolvent when they have a $40k mortgage on a $600k house.
It's the smaller ones who have the biggest problems.
More on reconciling local vs central govt priorities.
Councils may have to bow to central government's preference as far as some local activities go, with Prime Minister John Key today saying it was not a local body's job to fund projects the Government had decided not to.
"In narrowing their purpose clause, it may exclude them from providing those services, or at least challenge their thinking about whether those services should be provided,'' he said.
It's actually mostly the ones in growth areas that have large per capita debt.
Which is logical, since as an area grows it needs water, sewage, local roads and other capital-intensive services. There will be a stream of rates in the future to pay for these (unless the growth collapses, which is possible if the car-based lifestyle out in subdivision land is destroyed by fuel costs).
It might be a plan to charge developers more of the upfront cost of services, but this is resisted. By the same Tories who are attacking councils for excess debt, natch.
and the policy includes "reviewing" development contributions. Doubt that means upwards somehow.
Robo-spin if I ever heard it. I wonder if he's referring to Auckland public transit?


text:
Elections to Kent County Council were held on 6 May 2021, alongside other local elections.

81 councillors were elected from 71 electoral divisions.

Summary

Election result

|-

Results by Division

Ashford

District summary

Division results

Canterbury

District summary

Division results

Dartford

District summary

Division results

Dover

District summary

Division results

Folkestone and Hythe

District summary

Division results

The election in Elham Valley was deferred to 17 June 2021 due to the death of a candidate after the close of nominations.

Gravesham

District summary

Division results

Maidstone

District summary

Division results

Sevenoaks

District summary

Division results

Swale

District summary

Division results

Thanet

District summary

Division results

Tonbridge and Malling

District summary

Division results

Tunbridge Wells

District summary

Division results

By-elections

Wilmington

Hythe West

References

Kent County Council elections
2021 English local elections
2020s in Kent


Michael Holmes, property expert and spokesperson for The Northern Homebuilding & Renovating Show (3-5 November 2017, HCC, Harrogate), offers some thoughts on the state of the UK housing market.
"The cause of the housing crisis in the UK is simple enough for any GCSE economics student to understand: there are too many people chasing too few homes to either buy or rent.
"The reason behind this is twofold: regional policy has failed to prevent employment and wealth from clustering around Greater London and the South East of England, and we have built far too few new homes for generations.
"The solution is equally obvious: we need to improve transport and infrastructure and create employment where housing is currently most affordable – which it is across much of the UK, and build more homes where people want and need to live.
"The latter can only be achieved by granting planning permission for more sites in more locations – and that's where the problem lies. Almost everyone seems to recognise the need to build more homes for future generations, but also holds the contradictory thought that they should be built anywhere else other than where they live.
"This is an unsustainable position. It is also creating a generation that has no choice but to rent, creating a divided society that is deeply corrosive. It is also slowly killing communities, especially in the Green Belt and open country, turning small villages in highly sought after areas into dormitory or retirement settlements, where no one under fifty can afford to live.
"Ironically, the same people who campaign to prevent new homes are often the very same people who decry the loss of the post office, local shop, school and community facilities.
"Only when we accept that no settlement is too small or too special to sustain at least some sort of level of expansion, even if it is one new home every twenty years, will things change.
"If this approach were put in place through policy, and communities challenged to decide at local level, how and where they want the new housing that is needed, it would help to diffuse the currently insurmountable local opposition to almost all housebuilding and lead to a constructive dialogue about what should be built and for whom.
"More small sites, where people actually want to live, will always find buyers and can be delivered. Small sites will open up the market to small and medium size housebuilders and those who want to build their own home. Small and medium size housebuilders used to build more than half of all new homes but now deliver a fraction of this, largely because they cannot access the land market. In most developed economies, an average of 30% of new homes are commissioned by their owners, but currently in the UK this figure is just 8%.
"The recently introduced Right to Build legislation in England is intended to open up the land market to those who want to build their own home. It requires local authorities to assess demand through registers (righttobuildportal.org.uk) and places a duty on them to grant planning permission for enough serviced plots to meet that demand.
"This means local authorities must facilitate the creation of sites for new homes that are shovel ready, with road access, electricity, water, gas, high speed broadband all in place or ready nearby. They can do this be working with landowners and developers through planning policy, by utilising public sector land, or by buying land and engaging in placemaking – capturing a share of the planning gain and generating much needed revenue in the process.
"Significantly, these sites need not just be small and single plots, they can form part of a larger strategic housing site. The serviced plots market can open up large sites that could otherwise take decades to deliver, to new markets, accelerating the delivery of new homes.
"Speculative volume house builders build at a long-term average rate of around 2.6 sales per month per site outside London. The only way to build out these sites faster currently, is to subdivide them and bring in another volume housebuilder, who can each sell another 2.6 homes a month.
"Research by the Home Builders Federation (HBF) finds that 33% of the public would consider buying new home from their members. The National Custom and Self Build Association (NaCSBA) believes that some of the other 67% of housebuyers would also consider buying a new home if there was more choice, ranging from simple upgrades to a blank canvass to create something unique, and everything in between.
"The UK Government is committed to solving the housing crisis and acknowledges the need to build more homes, and is very supportive of the custom and self build market, which it has pledged to grow to 20,000 homes a year by 2020. It has ambitions to take this much further to 50-60,000 homes a year by 2030, or 20% of new homes, more in line with Europe, the US, Canada Japan and Australia.


text:
Catholic Primary School
Headteacher's Statement
RE/Catholic News
Read Write Inc.
International School Award
Glimpses of God at St. Edward's
School's Special Needs Offer
Class F - Reception
Class 3 - Year 3 and Year 4
Friends of St. Edwards
School Curriculum
Maths and the New Curriculum
Assessment Without Levels
Safeguarding Updates
Parents Forms
Through God's Grace we grow and learn.
RE/CATHOLICITY
READ, WRITE
Our Catholic Primary School
We are a Voluntary Aided Primary school of 4-11 year olds based in Boston Spa near Wetherby. Our vision is that every child at St. Edward's will achieve their potential; academically, spiritually, morally, socially, creatively and physically.
St. Edward's is a Voluntary Aided Catholic Primary School, maintained by Leeds LEA. We cater for children aged from 4-11 years. The school exists to serve the children and families of St. Edward's Parish. We have pupils on roll from Boston Spa, Bramham, Thorp Arch and Wetherby.
The school was inspected by Ofsted in July 2008. Ofsted rated the school as "oustanding" overall, and gave every area of school, including; teaching and learning, leadership and management, curriculum provision, and care, guidance and support, the grade, "outstanding".
Please click here to view Headteacher's Statement
Please click here to view our School Video
Boston Spa St Edward's Catholic
Westwood Way
Boston Spa
LS23 6DL
StEdwardsAdmin@st-edwards.leeds.sch.uk
© 2021 St Edward's.


Many tulips are not strongly perennial and their floral display tends to decline from season to season. They bloom well the first year, but then peter out after a couple of years. Their large bulbs split themselves into smaller bulbs that may not have the same flowering power or are simply non-productive. Instead of one large, stately bloom appearing, two or three smaller flowers will pop out of the ground. Plantings that don't have enough energy will send up a mass of green foliage and no bloom.
But if you select the right tulip varieties, plant them in the right spot and provide the proper care, you can be rewarded with a magnificent spring display year after year.
These are real early birds: they bloom before any other tulips. They catch the eye not only because of their extra early flowering but also because of their inflorescence and cheery range of colors. In addition, the graceful way the flowers open and their pretty foliage make them attractive before, during and after flowering. They are not bothered by wind and weather and are great naturalizers. They not only return year after year, but they multiply and build up a small colony over time. These petite plants are well suited for rock gardens, along walkways and in naturalized areas. Bloom in early - mid spring.
The Darwin Hybrid group includes a series of tulips that excel due to their flower size and sturdy, long stems that withstand wind and rain. Their large, egg-shaped single blooms are available in a wide range of colors. Due to these qualities, these tulips have really made a name for themselves as cut flowers, and are cultivated extensively for this purpose. Among the best for naturalizing, they provide blooms up to 5 years! Bloom in mid-late spring.
Tulips like fertile, well-drained soil that is neutral to alkaline and plenty of sun - at least six hours a day. They need plenty of water when they are in growth, from fall to late spring.
If the fall has been dry, water your tulips immediately after planting to get the roots started.
Planting tulips deeper in the soil (four times the height of the bulb) can help keep them coming back. This protects them better from deep frosts and fluctuations in temperature. Their bulbs are less likely to split into 2 or more small bulbs.
Avoid planting too early in the season. Wait until mid to late fall, when daytime temperatures are in the 70s (20ºC) and nighttime temperatures are in the 40s (4ºC).
Make sure the bulbs don't get too much moisture in summer, when they're dormant. Plant your tulips in a site you will never water over the summer to avoid bulbs rot.
Don't cut your Darwin or Fosteriana tulips to make fresh bouquets. Removing their stems depletes their energy-storing ability. Wait until the flowers start dying back, then cut off the flower heads 1 in. below their base so the plant doesn't put its energy into seed production. This rule does not apply to the species tulips as you want to let them self-seed and multiply.
Let the foliage die back before removing it, which can take as much as 6-8 weeks.


What A Leader should has.
Son : Mom, why daddy is at home today?
Mom : Because today he is working from home since there is a rally.
Son : What is rally, mom?
Mom : Rally is demonstration where the citizent raise their opinion or compalints about something and demand government to change that.
Son : What is this about ?
Mom : They complaint about Jakarta Governor and ask president to change the governor.
Son : Why they ask the Governor to be changed?
Mom : Because he has different religion.
Son : Hmmmm… How about his attitude? Do he follow the rule? I meant the country rule?
Mom : Yes, indeed, he even tries to make all of citizens follow the rule.
Son : How about his emotion ? Do he care about people ? Do he easily get angry ?
Mom : Yes, he care about people and try to build Jakarta to a better place yet he is easily get angry and put out some harsh words.
Son : hmmm… I think he do a good work but he has to improve his emotion. No need to change him yet make him as co-governor and ask him to calm down. Afterwards he should be a governor again. Jakarta can have so many religions, isnt it Mom? Do we have a rule that only certain religion can rule?
Mom : Hmmm… I dont think religion is in the rule, son.
Son : Then, just try my suggestion. I think people should not complint again.
🙂 I wish it is that easy, son.


New Look AW11 Looks, Ummm yes, I Want Them ALL!
You all hopefully saw my post a couple of weeks ago from the New Look Autumn/Winter Press day, well here are the model shots directly from New Look. Here you can see the vibe they're going for next season, and I hope you all love it as much as me. They have some amazing pieces and we all know they are such great value so keep an eye out in stores and online and I advise if you like something…BUY IT, because these pieces will sell out FAST!


This extensive collection of over 130 black and white photographs, alongside documents and objects examine renewal and the complex process of reconstructing a home, a town or a continent.
In the years after the First World War, countries, cities and individuals had to regenerate and rebuild themselves on an extraordinary scale. From the devastation and loss, a new world emerged.
Renewal: Life after the First World War in Photographs is part of Making a New World, a season of innovative exhibitions, installations and immersive experiences at IWM London and IWM North in 2018 which will explore how the First World War has shaped the society we live in today.


text:
Jewish holidays are, in the words of Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, "the master code of Judaism." The primary teachings of Judaism are embedded in their messages: slavery and freedom, covenant with God, sin and the possibility of renewal, the celebration of life, assimilation and Jewish survival, the problem of evil, work and rest, etc. By understanding the holidays, one can review Jewish history, learn basic Jewish beliefs and values and encounter classic Jewish texts. But more than that, the Jewish holidays are a key to discovering the inner sanctum of this 4000 year old Jewish tradition. The person who lives their weekly, monthly and yearly rhythms holds the heart of the faith in his/her hands.
The sections below contain what we hope will be only the beginning of your exploration of beauty and meaning of Jewish holidays. For additional resources, check out the attached articles or websites in each section, visit the Adath library, or contact one of the rabbis.
According to a midrash, God once said, "I have a precious jewel in my possession which I wish to give to Israel. And Shabbat is its name." No Jew who has ever truly tasted the delight of Shabbat could argue with that description. If anything, it might be an understatement.
To a person looking from the outside, Shabbat might appear to be restrictive. A cursory glance at its traditional prohibitions might lead one to assume that it is day lacking joy and spirit. Yet experienced from within, it is just the reverse. Shabbat is a glorious release from weekday concerns and routine pressures. It is a day of peace, tranquility, inner joy and spiritual uplift accompanied by song and delight.
Shabbat is a precious treasure. It is a time for families to gather around their dining room tables. A time of sharing, resting, singing, walking, eating, praying and loving. Truly, God has given no more precious gift to Israel!
Right after Yom Kippur, the eight day festival of Sukkot is a welcome break from Yom Kippur's heavy mood of introspection and soul searching. Many mitzvot are associated with Sukkot. The sukkah itself and the gathering of the lulav and etrog are undoubtedly the most recognizable of the mitzvot. But one mitzvah stands out above the others, the mitzvah (literally 'commandment') of being happy.
The rabbis called Sukkot, "z'man simhateinu" (the season of our rejoicing). Through eating, entertaining, singing and dancing the festival can indeed take on a spirit of joy and celebration. Feeling a sense of renewal and hope from the Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe), we grant ourselves the pleasures of the outdoors and of relaxation. Lest we take this self indulgence too far, our reading from the Book of Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) reminds us of the temporal nature of this celebration. Ultimately, Sukkot provides many rich opportunities to enjoy the blessings of life while maintaining a keen awareness of its fleeting nature.
Home Service for Erev Sukkot
Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights.
It celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the Syrian-Greek Seculid army and the reclaiming and re-dedication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.
The miracle of Hanukkah, however, comes later in the Hanukkah story—a single flask of oil, used to light the menorah in the Temple, could only last for one day. Instead, it lasted for eight.
Each night of Hanukkah, the candles are lit. In some families, each person lights their own hanukkiah; in others, one is lit for the entire family. Two prayers are recited (and one additional prayer on the first night.)
Guide to Lighting Hanukkah Lights.
Shemini Atzeret and Simhat Torah
Shemini Atzeret and Simhat Torah, originally the climax and grand finale of the Sukkot celebration, are now distinguished by their emphasis on the Torah. After studying the Torah, one immediately realizes that it is a great gift and treasure of our people. Therefore, Shemini Atzeret and Simhat Torah are designated as the time when the community gathers to celebrate the completion of the annual Torah reading cycle and the transition from the end of the book Devarim (Deuteronomy) to the beginning of Beresheet (Genesis). The celebration includes prayer, song, and dance. Both the young and the old will dance around and embrace the Torah to show their love and appreciation for the gift of its teachings.
In the home, Shemini Atzeret and Simhat Torah are marked by the usual rituals of Kiddush, candle lighting, etc., and by the prohibition on working. Again, it is an excellent opportunity for the family to gather and celebrate the teachings and ideals of the Torah before gathering with the community for a large-scale celebration.
Yom Ha'atzmaut
On May 14, 1948 (5th Iyar), the modern State of Israel declared independence. For the first time in almost 1,900 years, the Jewish people had a free and independent homeland in the biblical Promised Land.
Every day since that declaration of independence, Israel and been forced to struggle to survive. But Israel has not only survived, it has thrived as a nation. Appropriately, Israelis celebrate Yom Ha'azmaut (Israeli Independence Day) with joyous festivities- parades, picnics, games and speeches.
Yom Ha'azamaut is a day of celebration not only for Israelis. Jews around the world join in because while Israel is the physical homeland of many Jews, it is the spiritual homeland of all Jews.
Tikkun Lail Selichot
On erev Shavuot, we observe the tradition of tikkun lail Shavuot, (staying up all night in the synagogue), reading Torah and studying together. Tikkun lail Shavuot is not a holiday itself.
Shavuot commemorates the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Tradition has it that all of us stood together at Sinai, and prepared ourselves for the gift of the Torah. Shavuot is a joyous holiday in which we reaffirm our commitment to Judaism and to the spiritual journey of Jewish learning.
As is true of all Jewish holidays, the festival of Shavuot has many layers of meaning. Originally the conclusion to the barley harvest (begun at Pesach), Shavout was initially an agricultural holiday that was celebrated at the Temple in Jerusalem. With the destruction of the Temple, the significance of the holiday changed and expanded. Rabbinic sages determined that exactly seven weeks (Shavuot literally means "weeks") elapsed between the exodus from Egypt and the revelation at Sinai. Shavuot, they taught, was z'man matan Torateinu, (the day that commemorates the giving of the Torah on Sinai).
Today, Shavuot is marked with special prayers, foods, the reading of Megillat Rut (the biblical Book of Ruth) and most importantly, the unique custom of Tikkun Lail Shavuot (an all night Torah study session). For more information on the mitzvot of Shavuot, further insight into the revelation on Mt. Sinai, recipes for the holiday and more, explore the Adath library.
Why Dairy on Shavuot? Here are few of the many reasons offered over the years:
Some derive the practice directly from Biblical sources, to symbolize the land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8) promised to the Israelites.
Those of kabbalistic bent equate the numerical value of the word halav (milk) with the number of days Moses spent on Mount Sinai receiving the Ten Commandments.
Some say that at Sinai, when the Israelites received the Torah, they were considered to be as innocent as newborns, whose food is milk.
Symbolizing modesty, dairy was seen as appropriate for the occasion of receiving the Torah, which should always be approached with humility.
Lag B'Omer
Lag B'Omer is literally the 33rd day of (the counting of) the Omer, and falls on the 18th day of the month of Iyar. It is a 24-hour spiritual festival with music, dancing and intense prayers. In fact, Lag B'Omer is one of a very few days between Pesach and Shavuot when Jewish law permits weddings.
The Omer is the seven weeks (49 days) between the second night of Passover and the day before Shavuot. This mourning period is to remind us that the Jews redemption from slavery (during Exodus) was not complete until we received the Torah, which we commemorate on Shavuot.
The Jewish New Year
The beginning of a new year is filled with mixed emotions. In looking back on the previous year we focus on our failures, missed opportunities and the precious moments that slipped by. At the same time, the High Holy days provide us with a new year full of hope and renewal.
The rituals and symbols of Rosh Hashanah wonderfully capture and express these mixed feelings. The shofars' blasts cry out for the year gone by. The shofar urges us to wake up, look inside ourselves and to recognize our habitual shortcomings. By beginning the process of introspection in the month of Elul we can recite the prayers of the High Holy days with a sense of seriousness and urgency.
But Rosh Hashanah is more than just somber prayers in a minor key. Gathered as families around the dining room table, we dip challah and apples into honey. The sweet honey reminds us of the many pleasures we experienced in the course of the previous year. By reciting special blessings we ask God to grant us a new year of health and happiness.
Yom Kippur lacks the shofar and the festival meal of Rosh Hashanah, but its rituals are no less powerful, its symbols no less evocative.
On Yom Kippur we dress in white. Over suits and dresses, it is customary to wear a kittel (white robe) during tefillot. White reminds us of the purity that we strive to attain throughout our lives.
During the course of the day's extended prayers, one symbol is repeated over and over again. As we recite the vidui (confessional), it is customary to stand slightly bowed and to lightly beat our hearts with our fisted right hand. Bent over under the weight of burdens and pain, we express our humility. Admitting that our hearts turned astray, we beat our chest to express the pain we caused ourselves and others.
When done for the first time, the customs of wearing a kittel and beating our chests may feel awkward and embarrassing. But both help us better enter the words of our prayers and the mood of the day.
The holiday of Purim is based on the story in Megillat Esther (the Bible's Book of Esther). Scholars have had difficulty identifying the time and characters of the story from a historical perspective. Nevertheless, Purim has attained great popularity because it reflects the perennial problem of the Jewish people—animosity against the Jews.
Despite (or perhaps because) of its very serious theme, the holiday is full of merry-making with songs, drinks, jokes, costumes, tricks, Purim shpiels and more.
There are four mitzvot specifically associated with Purim. They include:
Reading the Megillah
Seudat Purim – a festive meal
Misholah manot – exchange of food gift baskets
Matanot L'evyonim– gifts to the needy
By observing these mitzvot, we can fully enter the spirit of the holiday and reflect on its timeless story and lessons.
Day of Remembrance
Yom HaZikaron, the Israeli Memorial Day, is a day to remember Israel's fallen soldiers. For 24 hours (from sunset to sunset) all places of public entertainment (theaters, cinemas, nightclubs, pubs, etc.) are closed.
The entire nation observes a two-minute standstill of all traffic and daily activities marked by a country-wide siren. The first siren marks the beginning of Memorial Day at 8:00 pm, and the second is at 11:00 pm, before the public recitation of prayers in the military cemeteries.
All radio and television stations this day broadcast programs and songs devoted to the lives and heroic deeds of fallen soldiers.
Between 1939 and 1945, the Nazi Party, led by German Chancellor Adolph Hitler, engaged in the systematic attempt to kill every Jew in the world. Their "success," the death of six million Jews (one-third of the world's Jewish population), was and remains, overwhelmingly devastating to the Jewish people.
Yom HaShoah is a day to commemorate this tragic history. Solemn programs that often include memorial prayers and reminisces by Holocaust survivors help mark this day. While Yom HaShoah can do little to erase the anguish of destruction and death, it can do much to help Jews remember the victims and pledge to work toward a world where this kind of genocide will never happen again.
Tu B'Shevat is the fifteenth of the month of Shevat. We celebrate this rich holiday, known as the New Year for Trees, with some of the traditional fruits that grow in Israel.
Why do we celebrate a New Year for Trees in the middle of winter? In Israel this is the approximate time when the sap begins to flow once again, marking the "rebirth" of the tree following its winter hibernation. For Minnesotans, it serves as a reminder that spring will indeed come, as well as a link to our history and roots. And for all, it is an opportunity to rededicate ourselves to caring for the environment!
Planting a tree in Israel is the perfect way to show you care. You can plant trees for many different reasons and help green the land of Israel while sending a special gift to a friend or loved one. For each order, a beautiful certificate of your choice is mailed to the recipient with your own personal message.
Plant trees for all of these occasions: birth, Bar or Bat Mitzvah, graduation, wedding, birthday, get-well wish, or in memory of someone special. Over the last 100 years, JNF has planted over 240 million trees in the land of Israel. Click here to purchase trees through JNF.
Pesach (Passover)
The holiday of Pesach (Passover) commemorates the exodus of the Hebrew slaves from Egyptian slavery. It is also the springtime festival that celebrates the rebirth of the earth after the long, cold winter. Perhaps more than any other holiday, Pesach has shaped who we are as a Jewish people and who we want to become. Its story of slavery and freedom recalls our earliest history as a nation and also expresses our ongoing dream of a world redeemed.
The laws and customs of Pesach are extensive and detailed and preparing for the holiday requires some time and effort. But the mitzvot of kashering our homes for Pesach and making a seder bring to life the timeless lessons of this beautiful festival.
For more information on the laws and rituals of Pesach, how to celebrate and the meanings behind this celebration of freedom, explore the articles and links below. Further resources are available in the Adath library and from the rabbis.
Literally, the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, Tisha B'Av commemorates the destruction of the Holy Temples in Jerusalem in 586 BCE and 70 CE. We remember the destruction of Jewish life in Israel and the resulting exile of the Jewish people from their land on this solemn day of mourning and fasting.
The prophet Jeremiah who witnessed the destruction and lived through exile chronicled his experience in what became the biblical book of Eikha (Lamentations). The reading of Eikha by candle light on Tisha B'Av is one of the special mitzvot associated with this summer fast day.


"The wreath looks great and the teacher was very helpful".
"Thank you for the great workshop – good for the locals".
For further information please email learning@cgplondon.org or check our website cgplondon.org.


Nice two bedroom, 1 bath, kitchen/dining room, living room and laundry room with detached two car garage. House and garage exterior walls are stucco and have a fresh new coat of paint. Roof is a metal roof. Great house for a first time home buyer or investor.


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Q: Combining multiple EAGLE PCBs to one I made 6 different sensors , unfortunately they are separate designs, and it cots more for production as well.
I tested the prototypes and everything is working perfectly. So i dont want to change the component locations and traces.
Is there any simple way to put all those PCB files to one design as single PCB?
I tried copy and paste tools but didn't worked !

A: You can combine designs onto a single board.
In the board editor, you can create a new board without an attached schematic -- and then copy all the separate layouts into this combined board. It is not necessary to copy all the schematics into a single schematic file.
One problem that occurs is that EAGLE will change reference designators on the silkscreen as necessary to avoid duplicates. The solution is to follow the same steps you would use to panalize a single board design. Run the panelize ULP (File > Run ULP... or Tools > Panelize) to create "shadow" silkscreen layers that contain the original reference designators before copying. These new layers (125 and 126) will allow duplicate reference designators.
Section Combining Small Circuit Boards on a Common Panel in the EAGLE user manual provides the detailed steps:

Load the board file.
Run panelize.ulp to copy name texts.
DISPLAY all layers.
Use GROUP to select all objects to be copied. To select the whole layout you could also use GROUP ALL.
Click the COPY icon in order to put the group into the clipboard.
Edit a new board file with File/New.
Use PASTE and place the layout as often as wanted. If necessary, it is possible to specify an orientation for the group before fixing it.
Please make sure that the new board has the same set of Design Rules as the original board file has. It is possible to export Design Rules into a file (*.dru) and then import it into another board file (Edit/Design rules menu, File tab).
Save the new board file.
Tell your board house that they have to use layers 125/126 instead of 25/26.

If you are planning to have the board scored or routed (with breakaway tabs) to make the boards easier to separate, those details -- and the overall board outline -- can go on the Dimension layer of the combined board file.

A: Export gerbers for the individual boards, then use gerbmerge to generate a combined set of Gerber files.


text:
<?php

namespace JSiefer\MageMock\PHPUnit;

use JSiefer\ClassMocker\ClassMocker;
use JSiefer\MageMock\Mage\MageFacade;
use JSiefer\MageMock\MagentoMock;
use Mage_Catalog_Model_Product as Product;

/**
 * Class TestCaseTest
 *
 * Testing parent test case class
 *
 * @covers \JSiefer\MageMock\PHPUnit\TestCase
 * @package JSiefer\MageMock\PHPUnit
 */
class TestCaseTest extends TestCase
{
    /**
     * @var ClassMocker
     */
    static $mocker;

    /**
     * Bootstrap ClassMocker
     */
    public static function setUpBeforeClass()
    {
        self::$mocker = new ClassMocker();
        self::$mocker->setGenerationDir('../var/generation/');
        self::$mocker->mockFramework(new MagentoMock());
        self::$mocker->enable();
    }

    /**
     * Reset Mage god class
     *
     * @return void
     */
    public function setUp()
    {
        MageFacade::reset();
    }

    /**
     * Test model factory
     *
     * Use Closure function to generate new product mocks
     *
     * @return void
     * @test
     */
    public function testModelFactory()
    {
        $idCounter = 1;

        $this->registerModelFactory(Product::class, function() use (&$idCounter) {
            $instance = new Product();
            $instance->expects($this->any())->method('getId')->will($this->returnValue($idCounter++));

            return $instance;
        });

        $productA = \Mage::getModel('catalog/product');
        $productB = \Mage::getModel('catalog/product');

        $this->assertNotSame($productA, $productB, "Both product should be two different instances");

        $this->assertEquals(1, $productA->getId());
        $this->assertEquals(2, $productB->getId());
    }

    /**
     * Test mocking static Mage methods
     */
    public function testStaticMethodOverwrite()
    {
        $this->getMage()
            ->expects($this->once())
            ->method('getBaseDir')
            ->with($this->equalTo('base'))
            ->willReturn('foobar');

        $baseDir = \Mage::getBaseDir('base');

        $this->assertEquals('foobar', $baseDir);
    }
}


text:
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