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Natchitoches Parish Journal
NATCHITOCHES NORTHWESTERN SYMPHONY RETURNS FOR A NEW SEASON
September 9, 2020 / NPJ
The Natchitoches Northwestern Symphony Society has announced the opening of its 2020-2021 season that will begin Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Magale Recital Hall on the NSU Campus.
Last season ended abruptly in March due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. After considerable organization and planning, Symphony Board president Tony Smith, Music Director Doug Bakenhus, and CAPA Director Scott Burrell have forged a workable, responsible, and exciting return of the symphony for another season that complies with the University's COVID-19 restrictions.
"For this season, we have chosen more chamber music and smaller orchestral compositions and temporarily set aside the full-orchestra masterworks to better socially distance the musicians when on stage," said Symphony Music Director, Dr. Doug Bakenhus. "There is a treasure trove of classical music for smaller ensembles that we can showcase this season that fits well into our priority concern for both musicians and patrons."
To maximize safety concerns, CAPA Director Scott Burrell stated that Magale Recital Hall is now capped at 72 persons with only single seats available that are 6 feet apart.
"To accommodate students and the public, each concert will have two consecutive evening performance dates; the first reserved exclusively for the students and the second for the public," said Burrell. "This will eliminate any competition between students and the public to attend a single performance."
Symphony President Tony Smith acknowledges the impact these changes will have on the new season, but he and the Board are committed to do the best it can to get the symphony beyond the pandemic and adapt to any changes that may need to become permanent.
"Our organization is no different from any other in this respect," says Smith, "and everyone is doing their best to adapt to the current situation and keep moving forward."
When asked about changes in operations for the symphony season, Smith stated that since attendance is capped at 72, those wanting to purchase tickets at the door are requested to arrive early to be placed on the waiting list.
Season ticket holders are requested to make their reservations by calling the CAPA Office at 318-357-4522; however, reservations will be released if not claimed by 7:20 p.m. on any season concert night. Patrons may also attend the concert from the comfort of their homes via livestreaming by visiting https://capa.nsula.edu/livestream/ the night of the concert. Of course, all patrons attending must be masked.
"We are aware of the impact these restrictions will have on season ticket holders, but we are encouraging all patrons, now more than ever, to become season ticket holders as a vote of encouragement and confidence for NSU and the Symphony," says Smith. "Despite this changing landscape, one thing has not changed — the Symphony's mission to foster and support gifted NSU student musicians through the many scholarships it provides each year."
The 2020-2021 Symphony season will start Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Magale Recital Hall on the NSU Campus. This opening concert is dedicated to the late Mrs. Pat Thomas, Natchitoches Northwestern Symphony Society President for the 2019-2020 season, who died suddenly last March after a brief illness. She was a tireless life-long supporter and leader of the Natchitoches Northwestern Symphony Society as well as many of Natchitoches's cultural and philanthropic organizations. In tribute, Maestro Douglas Bakenhus will conduct "Rest" by Louisiana-born composer Frank Ticheli and Haydn's Symphony #45, "The Farewell Symphony." Tickets are $15 at door. Season tickets can be purchased by calling 318-352-8055. For immediate updates on the Natchitoches Northwestern Symphony, join the Symphony's Facebook page.
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Mapping Quantum Circuits to IBM QX Architectures Using the Minimal Number of SWAP and H Operations
Robert Wille, Lukas Burgholzer, Alwin Zulehner
PDF Cite Code arXiv
The recent progress in the physical realization of quantum computers (the first publicly available ones—IBM's QX architectures—have been launched in 2017) has motivated research on automatic methods that aid users in running quantum circuits on them. Here, certain physical constraints given by the architectures which restrict the allowed interactions of the involved qubits have to be satisfied. Thus far, this has been addressed by inserting SWAP and H operations. However, it remains unknown whether existing methods add a minimum number of SWAP and H operations or, if not, how far they are away from that minimum—an NP-complete problem. In this work, we address this by formulating the mapping task as a symbolic optimization problem that is solved using reasoning engines like Boolean satisfiability solvers. By this, we do not only provide a method that maps quantum circuits to IBM's QX architectures with a minimal number of SWAP and H operations, but also show by experimental evaluation that the number of operations added by IBM's heuristic solution exceeds the lower bound by more than 100% on average. An implementation of the proposed methodology is publicly available at iic.jku.at/eda/research/ibm_qx_mapping.
In Design Automation Conference
quantum computing Compilation mapping SAT
My research interests include design automation for quantum computing, decision diagrams, and in particular equivalence checking of quantum circuits

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


'Mayom Tree' bracelet is as pictured. Has a shiny finish. To get it on, I first close the bracelet and then slip it on over the hand with the thumb on the palm, measurement 6.75". When on a wrist measuring 6.25" will not fall off and the look is attractive. I wear the bracelet with 'Hummingbird Mystique' ring by Alon Diller (Novica designer). The silver design of Mayon Tree branches is not what makes the bracelet unique. The uniqueness comes from the shiny, braided silver. Well made. Good value for classic jewelry.
Long live Monarch Butterflies and Oscar Figueroa! Thank you, Oscar, for your attention to detail resulting in excellent craftsmanship. I enjoy your sense of humor as well as your thoughtful designs. I look forward to seeing -- and owning -- more of them!
Handcrafted Floral Sterling Silver Bracelet, "Braided Hideaway"
Silver and Braided Leather Bracelet, "Java Groove"
Multicolored Guatemalan Leather Braided Wristband Bracelet, "Walks of Life"
Men's Leather and Sterling Silver Wristband Bracelet, "Bold Weave"


My student and his wife moved to the U.S. in 2005 from Pakistan. They started attending conversation classes and working with a tutor. They got an apartment and started a family. They both became citizens in 2010. Now, with four children, they are buying their first house.


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"We were very lucky to find such talented young actors here in Delaware." Those are the words of Sanford Robbins, founder and Producing Artistic Director of the Resident Ensemble Players (REP), the professional theater at the University of Delaware.
He wasn't making reference to college students. It was two Newark Charter Intermediate School students who impressed him so much. Evangeline Heflin, grade 4, and Aileigh Corbett, grade 6, shared the key role of Scout in the REP's recent production of Harper Lee's classic, To Kill a Mockingbird.
"Both Evangeline and Aileigh were consummate professionals and were a delight to work with during To Kill a Mockingbird," said Robbins. "I'm certain that their talent will take them far," he said.
over a period of two months before getting the part," she said.
But attending school, rehearsing six days a week for four weeks and performing in all 35 shows was a daunting challenge for the 10-year-old. She did homework during recess or late at night and got up early in the morning to run lines or study. "Mr. Meece and all my teachers were so supportive and they helped me get through it all," said Evangeline. She loved doing the school matinées but was always particularly excited when she knew some of her teachers and friends from school were in the audience. She loved it when they came backstage to say hello. In fact, the school's entire ninth grade class took a field trip to see the play, which they read in their American Literature classes.
Aileigh was understudy for the role of Scout. She, too, found a way to balance studies and performing. "I asked for a library pass so that I could go in there whenever possible, like during recess," she said. "That way I could work on the homework I knew that I already had that day. I would often get up an hour earlier than usual to finish any homework that I had left," she said.


Psychiatrist Rick Leskowitz, MD, editor in 2003 of the first book on complementary and alternative approaches in rehabilitative medicine and co-director for integrative medicine at the Harvard-affiliated Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, recently put me in touch with his Spaulding colleague and integrative medicine co-director, Ariana Vora, MD. Vora is a physiatrist in the Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School/Spaulding. She co-chairs of the ACRM's Complementary-Integrative Medicine Networking Group and also co-chairs the ACRM Cancer Rehabilitation Networking Group's Integrative Medicine Task Force.


Valentine's Day isn't just for lucky in love ladies - the main man in your life deserves something special too. And if it just so happens to be super stylish, well isn't that just all the better?
After sharing our Valentine's Day gift guide for the girls, we're turning our attention to gifts for the fashion conscious fellas. There isn't an aftershave or Toblerone in sight. Instead, we're getting your man date night ready in ETON, Jacob Cohen, Hugo Boss and the new brand in our Bawtry designer boutique, John Varvatos. Plus, we all know that the beauty of a shopping spree for someone else is that you don't have to hide the receipt when you get home.
If the humble tie is good enough for Richard Gere's millionaire tastes in Pretty Woman, it's good enough for us, especially when that slip of silk comes courtesy of ETON.
We're yet to meet a man who doesn't secretly harbour dreams of playing 007. Let him make like Mr Bond in this John Varvatos goat suede jacket, as seen on the man himself in the closing scenes of Spectre. If he prefers the classic leather biker jacket, it had better be Belstaff.
Upgrade his stinky sneakers to something a little more, how shall we put this…high fashion. These Emporio Armani trainers are new for SS18 and we're really feeling the khaki/grey colour way.
Jeans might not scream romance but it's a different matter altogether when they're handmade Jacob Cohen creations with solid gold and crocodile skin accents. Nothing says 'I love you' quite like limited edition.
With less than two weeks to go until Cupid fires his arrow, it's time to visit us in store to shop Valentine's Day gifts that will leave him love-struck. Visit our Bawtry boutique today at DN10 6JH, where love is in the air and our sales team is on hand to help find something special for the man who has everything.


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Why Are We Denying Purple Hearts To Veterans With PTSD?
By Gene Beresin, Executive Director
Posted in: Hot Topics
Topics: Mental Illness + Psychiatric Disorders, Stress
I have seen Arthur Segaloff* for psychiatric care for over 20 years. He suffers from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following his two tours of duty in Vietnam.
Arthur attended the University of Massachusetts, and graduated in 1969. Although he was drafted upon losing his student waiver, he chose instead to enlist as a volunteer. Soon he was training to deactivate bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in the field.
Although he proved to be quite talented, and ultimately succeeded in saving countless lives, he also experienced failure. No one can detect and suppress every device in the jungle.
Each and every death he witnessed felt like a terrible personal failure. He still dreams of the horrifying scenes he lived through in the war.
To this day, Arthur suffers from PTSD and profound survivor's guilt. While better in many ways, he qualified for total disability based on his diagnosis, and sees me on a regular basis.
Arthur received two Purple Hearts for physical wounds incurred in 1970 and 1971, but was denied Purple Hearts for his traumatic brain injury and PTSD because they were not considered obvious physical wounds at the time.
I appreciate the profound impact PTSD has had on his life—his daily flashbacks, impaired sleep, obsessions over what he could have done to save more lives, extreme vigilance to protect the ones he loves. Not a day goes by that he doesn't question himself.
It defies me that he has not earned Purple Hearts for these long-lasting effects of PTSD—awards to stand beside the two Bronze Star Medals for Valor he received.
In 2009, the Pentagon decided not to award the Purple Heart to veterans. This decision was supported by the Military Order of the Purple Heart (MOPH). Despite their sympathy for those who suffer from PTSD, the MOPH contend that the award is for those who have suffered physical wounds on the battlefield. In their view, the loss of a limb or any other combat wound is a permanent loss, whereas PTSD is a treatable disease. And, they argue, some may feign illness in order to receive medical treatment at the VA.
Others claim that the psychological, emotional and moral injuries of war deserve the same recognition as physical injuries. While psychiatric conditions are not visible, the cost imparted on the individual and family is devastating. Furthermore, there are sound scientific findings that PTSD and other psychiatric consequences of battle have profound physical effects on brain structure and function.
Let's face it: the brain is an organ of the body. It may be insulted by traumatic brain injury such as a concussion, or by derangement of neural circuits (as is the case in PTSD). And, while some individuals may heal and adjust, for others, suffering is life-long.
Why should we discriminate between a soldier who has lost a limb, yet worked through a rehabilitation program and gone on to build a good life for himself, and one who has been severely traumatized psychiatrically, yet worked through a treatment program and gone on to do the same? Both have sustained the scars of war. Both have served our nation. Both have had to cope with hardship along with their families, who have watched and endured their suffering and recovery.
There is a high correlation of suicidal thoughts, attempts and actions in veterans who suffer from PTSD and related anxiety disorders, including survivor's guilt (veteran suicides account for 20% of all suicides in the United States). In fact, the severity of suicides among veterans has resulted in the U.S. Senate and House unanimously passing the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act, and President Obama signing it into effect.
The New York Times reported that 22 veterans kill themselves every day. While many are older veterans, a survey conducted by the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)—which had made the Clay Hunt bill a centerpiece of its efforts to prevent veteran suicides—discovered that two out of five of its members knew of a recent combat veteran who had committed suicide. And, it's estimated that one out of five veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan war suffers from PTSD.
In a previous blog, I talked about my dad's undiagnosed PTSD following World War II. Back in those days, we had no idea what PTSD was, how psychological and emotional trauma affect brain structure and function. Now we do.
With our increased knowledge of trauma and its impact on our veterans' brains, minds and emotions, how can we sit on the sidelines and not at least honor their sacrifice?
How can we not provide better services for the emotional consequences of war? How can we let our soldiers serve us, and then stand back while they suffer horrible invisible wounds?
We should not allow the stigma of psychiatric disorders to add insult to injury for our veterans.
Arthur and many like him deserve Purple Hearts.
A Note From Arthur
Vietnam veterans are a national resource, very often untapped and yet shuffled aside. Many of us are in our 60s and 70s.We are dying by the hundreds. We are homeless. We fill many prisons.
What could we possibly do to help our younger brothers and sisters in arms? We can make sure that a generation of veterans is never left behind again. We see and experience firsthand the flaws in the current delivery of veterans' mental health services; I, for one, see veterans at the USO and the Red Cross as a veteran volunteer.
Confusion, social disconnection and PTSD still exist—in fact, even more so than expected because this is a volunteer military. Yet, adequate mental health treatment programs and support groups, job creation and an overall sense of self-worth are lacking. PTSD does not go away by itself; we who suffer from it face daily challenges to survive. The young veterans of today need to be educated about their benefits. They require mentors and advocates. Most successful treatment systems begin with outreach and grassroots efforts.
Our Vietnam generation will not leave anyone behind.
Arthur Segaloff, B.A., M.Ed., CAGS
RVN combat veteran 1970-1972
Combat Engineer Sapper
100% service-connected disabled
* Arthur Segaloff has given permission to reveal his relationship with Dr. Beresin.
– A version of this blog was originally posted on 6 February 2015
Gene Beresin, Executive Director
Gene Beresin, M.D. is executive director of The MGH Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds, and a staff child and adolescent psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital. He is also a ...
To learn more about Gene, or to contact him directly, please see Our Team.
June 4, 2015 Steven Schlozman
Military Sexual Trauma: Challenges To Our Female Soldiers And Veterans
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Primer


Help us be the best we can be!
ensuring activities and programs reflect the vision, mission and strategic goals of the Centre of Learning & Development.
Our Board of Directors seeks representatives from the wider Toronto community, as well as those living in the Regent Park area and current & former volunteers and clients. We have a particular need for individuals with skills in human resources, marketing and fundraising. Board governance experience is an asset. We are seeking leaders with time to devote to helping our organization excel and who can make connections that expedite program development and funding.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a Board Member, please contact our Executive Director, Alfred Jean-Baptiste (alfred@tccld.org) or our Board Chair, Jennifer Spiess (jennifer@tccld.org).


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« Things that come in threes: ASUO Senate, 26 January 2011
New Partnership Town Hall: A revised return on investments. »
Three's a crowd: ASUO Senate Recap, 26 January, 2011
EUGENE – The ASUO Senate moved two steps closer to full membership last night as three newcomers were confirmed as members of the body during its regular meeting in the EMU Walnut Room. With the Executive appointing Kerry Snodgrass to Seat Three (Programs Finance Committee) and Lamar Wise to Seat 10 (Department Finance Committee) and the Senate selecting Christian Erichsen to fill the "Freshman Senator" Seat, only one vacancy (Seat 12: Architecture and Allied Arts) stands between the Senate and its second full roster this year.
After dispensing with special requests at the beginning of the meeting, the Senate quickly moved to Snodgrass's confirmation. Sen. Laura Hinman pointed out the need for PFC to fill out its ranks, and Sen. Zachary Stark-MacMillan states "I'm really impressed with your experience within the ASUO already."
Snodgrass fielded questions on viewpoint neutrality and diversity, saying that diversity "is coming at an issue with different perspectives." After limited discussion, she was confirmed unanimously.
Wise, appointed to the open DFC Seat, was also confirmed easily. Wise has been a regular at the Senate's meetings thus far this year, a point which did not go unnoticed by Sen. Brianna Woodside-Gomez, who said that "we see you as a very dedicated individual."
Wise's hearing was not without some conflict. Hinman noted that she thought that more qualified candidates were available and that, while she did not consider Wise unqualified, she also didn't think he was the right choice. She announced that she would abstain from voting on the confirmation, which was unanimously passed.
After the meeting, she told the Commentator that she had discussed the matter with ASUO President Amelie Rousseau. "President Rousseau thought he was the most appropriate choice for this body. I respect her decision, but disagree," Hinman said.
Erichsen, candidate to be the very first Freshman Senator was presented to the body by Sens. Max Barkley, Hinman, Blake Sedgley, and Evan Thomas. Erichsen said that as an out-of-state student, he felt he could effectively represent the needs of what he described as a large out-of-state contingent within the freshman class. He also summarized his stance on viewpoint neutrality by saying he would assess programs "based on the content of their programs not the color of their pamphlet."
Questions arose during the hearing over the definition behind the Constitutional requirement that the Freshman Senator be an "intern." Sen. Chris Bocchicchio suggested that he would seek an opinion from the Constitutional Court as to the meaning of the term. He later confirmed this to the Commentator, saying "We can debate it all we want but Con Court has the final say. They'll be hearing from me soon." In the interim, the Senate was impressed with Erichsen's qualifications, and approved him unanimously. After a brief series of officer and committee reports, and a short discussion of public records custodianship, the meeting was adjourned.
Meeting Duration: 122 minutes (one recess)
Money allocated from Surplus: $14,007
Not Present: Lange, Schally
Resignation Count: Six
You're probably wondering why I didn't mention a $14,000 special request in the news story. Its because a) it makes sense to me (helping students help a good cause is about as close to "development" as I've seen programs get in awhile, b) it was approved unanimously and c) the appointments are a bigger deal.
Only one member of the ASUO intern class, run by the Executive, applied to be the Freshman Senator. That was Lamar Wise, who became a "real" Senator instead. I'm down for that; the guy has been to more Senate meetings that I have and seems to have it fairly well squared away. He's eager to get involved and be active; I'd be more than willing to bet that he will either be Senate President or just regular President at some point in the future, probably after I'm gone.
But when it comes to the definition of "intern," its kind of insane that the matter was not settled before someone whose credentials as an "intern," are not iron clad was appointed to the seat. Sen. Brian Powell tried to make a point about the issue, but was shot down. Bocchicchio said he was going to ask the Con Court, as he should. Con Court approved the wording of the constitutional amendment, which was painfully, horrifyingly vague; they owe it to the rest of us to sort this mess out.
In all honesty, I don't think they're going to allow the Senate to "create" an intern program out of thin air. If this issue sees the Con Court, and if they rule that the only "interns" are the Exec's intern program interns, I see little outcome other than Erichsen, qualified for the job as he may be, getting unceremoniously tossed. There was concern that failing to appoint a "Freshman Senator" would be a violation of the Green Tape Notebook, to which I would reply that I highly doubt that anyone is going to file a grievance against the Senate for not filling a seat that they (meaning both Senate and Con Court) are still trying to determine a definition of eligibility for.
I don't think this whole Freshman Senator mess is over, and, for the sake of clarity and the rule of law, I don't think it should be. At any rate, I still think the Freshman class will be best represented by Wise, not because I think Erichsen will be an ineffective advocate, but because Wise has a finance seat and a vote, of which Erichsen has neither.
This entry was posted on Thursday, January 27th, 2011 at 03:24	by Rockne Andrew Roll and is filed under ASUO. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
I hate copy errors.
atthecoast says:
Lyzi Diamond says:
Who BECAUSE a real senator instead? I think you meant became.
I think you're saying that the Exec is using the intern class to groom like-minded candidates for future exec positions.
"Only one member of the ASUO intern class, run by the Executive, applied to be the Freshman Senator. That was Lamar Wise, who because a "real" Senator instead. I'm down for that; the guy has been to more Senate meetings that I have and seems to have it fairly well squared away. He's eager to get involved and be active; I'd be more than willing to bet that he will either be Senate President or just regular President at some point in the future, probably after I'm gone."
What's wrong with this picture?
Fizzle T. Bizzle says:
Upon my own consultation of parli pro websites, some do consider a vote unanimous even if a member abstains.
All that about how abstentions are not adverse.
Sorry, guys.
Great summary once again, but I would consult the voting records Google Doc. There were abstentions on a couple votes you said were unanimous; those votes aren't unanimous.


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Altered Carbon Review
by Bryan
Joel Kinnaman plays Takeshi Kovacs in Altered Carbon
Altered Carbon Review – Spoiler Free
Altered Carbon is a Netflix original series which was recently added to the streaming platform. The show is based on a book of the same name by author Richard Morgan and is set in a futuristic world where one's consciousness is digitised and stored. In the world of Altered Carbon a person's consciousness once stored can be transferred into a new body or a clone of their old self once they die. In a way this allows someone to live virtually forever. But with what consequences?
The Altered Carbon TV series was created by Laeta Kalogridis who some may know as the writer of Terminator Genisys (2015), Shutter Island (2010) or Alexander (2004). The series stars Joel Kinnaman, James Purefoy, Martha Higareda, Chris Conner, Dichen Lachman, Ato Essandoh, Kristin Lehman and Trieu Tran.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhFM8akm9a4
As a fan of a variety of Netflix series' of the past, I was pleased to hear that there would be a new original sci-fi series heading to the platform. I had no idea of or had ever heard of the Altered Carbon book before, but the show was marketed to be something similar to what we got from the Blade Runner film series, so it got me interested. But also a little curious as to why Netflix would want a Blade Runner like series? As much as I like that franchise and adored Blade Runner 2049, I know in my heart that these types of sci-fi films aren't what the masses enjoy and you can see that with the 2049 performance at the box office so wondered what Netflix was trying to do with this series. But nevertheless we have Altered Carbon.
When first watching the series in full, I was left with quite a lot of questions when I finished as a few of the characters and their dealings escaped me completely and while I understood the basic meaning of the show and what it was getting at, I had so many questions about certain aspects of the show. So I had to watch it a second time. Which is why this review was a little delayed.
Altered Carbon is a little slow when it comes to the unravelling of its plot and its plot is not always totally clear. While most would recognise that the main story of Altered Carbon is the solving of the case surrounding the death and murder of Laurens Bancroft, the story is actually a lot deeper than the case itself. Bancroft hires Takeshi Kovacs to act as a sort of detective to solve it all. While I don't want to go into too many spoilers, Kovacs who is the main character isn't necessarily a straight forward investigator and has a rich character history that is explored throughout the show. In fact, unknown to many, but introduced early on, Kovacs is actually Asian, but is brought back in the body of a white man (Joel Kinnaman) by Bancroft. Although I do wish they explored this event a little further, in amongst everything else it sort of got drowned out.
James Purefoy plays Laurens Bancroft In Altrered Carbon
Similar to much in the sci-fi genre, Altered Carbon is filled with a variety of strong themes and moments of great symbolism which viewers can pick up on. While I don't want to go into a full analysis of the show, I would say that the main theme in this one is about humanity and an individual's ability to live far beyond their years. As a person keeps living way beyond 100 years or so, what happens to their identity and who do they become? Does a person retain their moral values as their long life continues or does something sinister happen to their character? Does the long life remove the humanity and make them more of a monster? There are multiple characters in the show who bring up these types of questions and it's an interesting thing to explore and an interesting concept for the show. What is being human when virtually you could live forever? What's the value of mortality? I love watching shows or films which have some type deep meaning to them or that have a lot for you to discuss with someone after watching it and Altered Carbon certainly does deliver that.
In terms of the acting in the series, I felt that possibly this was the most mixed part of the show. There are some outstanding performances from people like James Purefoy, Martha Higareda and Dichen Lachman. But from the show's main star Joel Kinnaman, I felt that I could never get into his performance as Kovacs or possibly it was just how the character was presented. Kovacs in the series and Kinnaman's portrayal of him shows very little emotion, in fact barely any. Even in moments where things really should be bad, while he does get angry, he's mainly the same in every scene. I've not read the book so I know nothing about Kovacs, maybe he's not meant to be an emotional person at all, but gosh it was hard to relate to this character or even like him. I would almost believe it was meant to be like this, if it were not for flash back scenes from Asian Kovacs from the past who was played by Will Yun Lee who had a different, more emotional performance for the same character. Odd I thought and odd experience to watch this all unfold.
Being a sci-fi show, it does have it's fair share of special effects and interesting things to see. I thought some of the shots of the futuristic city in which the character lived were quite beautiful to look at. Such bright and shiny lights, mixed in with total darkness. On the other side of things though, I didn't really love the costumes all that much. Being a show in the future, there's a big chance to create a distinct style. But everything seemed quite mixed and not cohesive. I also thought it strange that Kovacs wore a plain black suit and white shirt for half the series. Poor Joel Kinnaman looked like he had just walked off the set of House Of Cards and had no time to change (he was in that too by the way).
Overall Altered Carbon is an interesting science fiction television series. It has a few strong themes within it that you can discuss with friends in great detail while watching the show or once you've completed you first viewing. It has some re-watch value for those like myself who want to explore what was going on just a little more or to get to know some characters you might have missed or failed to understand in your first viewing. The acting is a little mixed with some great performances, but Joel Kinnaman's Kovacs is for some reason very hard to relate to at all. The story and its main plot is a slow tale, but it's great watching it unfold. There's a lot of twists and turns along the way as well, which is nice and the sci-fi setting is a lot of fun too. While Altered Carbon isn't a perfect sci-fi show, it's not bad either and a decent watch. If you've got some spare time on Netflix, it's worth taking a look at.
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Q: Encrypted layer 2 tunnel over Internet for a contiguous subnet I have two offices that are connected at layer 2 with fiber on a primary link with contiguous subnets on each end(it won't change anytime soon). It works just fine, I have full end-to-end layer 2 connectivity.
I want to setup a secondary link, over the internet as a backup in case the primary link fails.
I have SonicWalls on both gateways and I'd like to establish another layer2 tunnel in case the primary link fails. My preference is not to include any additional device/server, otherwise I'll have to use L2TP tunnel on two additional devices behind the firewalls on each end.
Has anybody built such a tunnel with sonicwalls?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Royal family releases new photo of King Charles, Camila, William and Kate
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Home > Literature Notes > The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn > Chapters 9-10 > Chapters 9-10
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The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain Chapters 9-10
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Daytimes we paddled all over the island in the canoe, It was mighty cool and shady in the deep woods, even if the sun was blazing outside. We went winding in and out amongst the trees, and sometimes the vines hung so thick we had to back away and go some other way. Well, on every old broken-down tree you could see rabbits and snakes and such things; and when the island had been overflowed a day or two they got so tame, on account of being hungry, that you could paddle right up and put your hand on them if you wanted to; but not the snakes and turtles — they would slide off in the water. The ridge our cavern was in was full of them. We could a had pets enough if we'd wanted them.
One night we catched a little section of a lumber raft — nice pine planks. It was twelve foot wide and about fifteen or sixteen foot long, and the top stood above water six or seven inches — a solid, level floor. We could see saw-logs go by in the daylight sometimes, but we let them go; we didn't show ourselves in daylight.
Another night when we was up at the head of the island, just before daylight, here comes a frame-house down, on the west side. She was a two-story, and tilted over considerable. We paddled out and got aboard — clumb in at an upstairs window. But it was too dark to see yet, so we made the canoe fast and set in her to wait for daylight.
The light begun to come before we got to the foot of the island. Then we looked in at the window. We could make out a bed, and a table, and two old chairs, and lots of things around about on the floor, and there was clothes hanging against the wall. There was something laying on the floor in the far corner that looked like a man. So Jim says:
But it didn't budge. So I hollered again, and then Jim says:
"De man ain't asleep — he's dead. You hold still — I'll go en see."
He went, and bent down and looked, and says:
"It's a dead man. Yes, indeedy; naked, too. He's ben shot in de back. I reck'n he's ben dead two er three days. Come in, Huck, but doan' look at his face — it's too gashly."
I didn't look at him at all. Jim throwed some old rags over him, but he needn't done it; I didn't want to see him. There was heaps of old greasy cards scattered around over the floor, and old whisky bottles, and a couple of masks made out of black cloth; and all over the walls was the ignorantest kind of words and pictures made with charcoal. There was two old dirty calico dresses, and a sun-bonnet, and some women's underclothes hanging against the wall, and some men's clothing, too. We put the lot into the canoe — it might come good. There was a boy's old speckled straw hat on the floor; I took that, too. And there was a bottle that had had milk in it, and it had a rag stopper for a baby to suck. We would a took the bottle, but it was broke. There was a seedy old chest, and an old hair trunk with the hinges broke. They stood open, but there warn't nothing left in them that was any account. The way things was scattered about we reckoned the people left in a hurry, and warn't fixed so as to carry off most of their stuff.
We got an old tin lantern, and a butcher-knife without any handle, and a bran-new Barlow knife worth two bits in any store, and a lot of tallow candles, and a tin candlestick, and a gourd, and a tin cup, and a ratty old bedquilt off the bed, and a reticule with needles and pins and beeswax and buttons and thread and all such truck in it, and a hatchet and some nails, and a fishline as thick as my little finger with some monstrous hooks on it, and a roll of buckskin, and a leather dog-collar, and a horseshoe, and some vials of medicine that didn't have no label on them; and just as we was leaving I found a tolerable good curry-comb, and Jim he found a ratty old fiddle-bow, and a wooden leg. The straps was broke off of it, but, barring that, it was a good enough leg, though it was too long for me and not long enough for Jim, and we couldn't find the other one, though we hunted all around.
And so, take it all around, we made a good haul. When we was ready to shove off we was a quarter of a mile below the island, and it was pretty broad day; so I made Jim lay down in the canoe and cover up with the quilt, because if he set up people could tell he was a nigger a good ways off. I paddled over to the Illinois shore, and drifted down most a half a mile doing it. I crept up the dead water under the bank, and hadn't no accidents and didn't see nobody. We got home all safe.
According to Tom Sawyer, why must Jim's escape be so elaborate?
That is the way it is done in romance novels.
To ensure success
To fool the ignorant villagers
To throw off suspicion
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn at a Glance
About The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Notice; Explanatory
Chapter the Last
Huckleberry Finn Geography
Mark Twain Biography
Freedom versus Civilization
Characterization — Pap versus Jim
Film Versions
Practice Projects


LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A Los Angeles-based actress has filed a request for a domestic violence restraining order against attorney Michael Avenatti.
Attorney Michael Avenatti, who represents Stormy Daniels in her legal battle with President Trump, was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, the LAPD said.
Miniutti is an actress whose IMDB filmography lists several small roles, including an uncredited part in "Ocean's Eight."
Avenatti tweeted Monday night: "I look forward to a full clearing of my name and disclosure of all of the facts. I have NEVER abused a woman or committed domestic violence against anyone. Any claim to the contrary is completely bogus and fabricated. I am a target. And I will be exonerated."


text:
Rear Admiral Henry B. Wilson, Commander, Patrol Force, to Patrol Force, 5/17/1917
Rear Admiral Henry B. Wilson, Commander, Patrol Force, to Patrol Force
Upon Receipt of This, Destroy Confidential Instructions Dated 17 April, 1917.1
PATROL FORCE, U. S. ATLANTIC FLEET
Confidential U. S. S. OLYMPIA, Flagship,
From: COMMANDER PATROL FORCE.
To: PATROL FORCE.
Subject: Instructions to vessels of PATROL FORCE
1. Patrol Commanders will patrol to the best advantage the areas assigned, with the view to safeguarding Transatlantic shipping and destroying enemy vessels sighted.
2. Make every effort to facilitate the passage of vessels through the patrolled area.
3. From sunset to sunrise darken ships and station lookouts. From daylight to dark station lookouts both aloft and on deck.
4. At all times of the day and night such portion of the battery to be manned and ready for use as is necessary to open fire instantly on a submarine sighted on any bearing.
5. Visual signals will not be used at night except in cases of emergency, and will then be restricted to the use of blinker tube if possible.
6. Searchlights will not be used for search, but to illuminate a target already definitely located, and they should be turned off immediately when the target has disappeared.
7. Recognition signals as directed.
8. Radio: Every precaution shall be taken to ensure that unnecessary radio messages are not sent, and messages when sent should be as brief as possible. Use land lines and cable for communications rather than radio.
9. Consider any submarine hostile unless it is definitely known that our submarines are operating in the locality.
10. Attention is invited to Intelligence Bulletin No. 1, United States Fleet, "Notes on defense against Submarines."2
11. Every effort shall be made by Squadron Commanders to further gunnery training particularly in the cases of vessels newly commissioned or with inexperienced crews.
12. The Patrol Force is charged with the destruction of derelicts which menace navigation. Squadron Commanders will locate and destroy dangerous derelicts within their areas. They are authorized to call upon the Commandants of Naval Districts for assistance when necessary.
OPERATIONS AGAINST RAIDERS
13. The search for raiders is of such character as to require special methods, and the following instructions are issued to vessels of this force for guidance in such operations.
14. Vessels of the Force will be sent on search by direct orders of the Patrol Force Commander.
15. RADIO. While on search use radio only in emergency. Do not answer calls except in reply to specialized secret calls. Make no acknowledgement unless message so directs. Be prepared at all times for message-sent broadcast.
16. Keep smoke at a minimum.
17. Report to Force Commander when search of the area has been completed, and unless previously directed otherwise, await instructions.
18. The area to be searched and one of the following plans of search will be defined in the order. If an area is to be searched by more than one vessel, all the vessels will be directed to rendezvous at a given time and place. The Senior Commander at the rendezvous will give necessary instructions.
19. PLAN A. Search area in the east and west direction beginning search on northern side of area.
If the distance is stated in the order, this will signify distance between lines run (east and west) for one vessel, or the distance between ships when more than one vessel is searching.
PLAN B. Same method as PLAN A, except begin search from the southward side of the area.
PLAN C. Search area in a north and south direction, beginning the search from the westward. The method of procedure when the distance is given in the order to be similar to that outlined in PLAN A.
PLAN D. Same method as PLAN C, except begin search from the eastward.
PLAN E. Search area using such method as the Commander or Senior Commander (if more than one vessel) deems best.
20. In the above methods, in beginning the search run the first line at a distance from the side of the rectangle equal to one half the distance ordered, and turn at one half the distance from the end.
21. Speeds at night to be such that advance from sunset to sunrise will not exceed the distance named in the order. Economize fuel at night.
22. While on search all friendly ports may be considered available for fueling.
H. B. WILSON
Addenda to Commander Patrol Force Confidential Instructions dated May 17, 1917.
Paragraph 14 (a) Despatches with the word STEAM (uncoded and preceding the cipher indicator) contain orders to proceed to sea on urgent duty, and preparations for sea will begin immediately upon their receipt.
Paragraph 20 (a) Nothing in the foregoing is to be construed as limiting the initiative of the officer conducting the search within his area, or to prevent his departing from the assigned plan upon receipt of reliable information such as may come from intercepted vessels.
C-in-C [Henry T. Mayo] 6
Squadron Comdrs 12
Commanding Officer, OLYMPIA [Henry S. Knapp] 1
Comdts Naval Districts One to Eight 1
M. S. Tisdale3
Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B.
Footnote 1: See, Wilson to Patrol Force, 17 April 1917, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517.
Footnote 2: This document has not been located.
Footnote 3: Lt. Mahlon S. Tisdale.
Rear Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Destroyers Operating from British Bases, to Rear Admiral Leigh C. Palmer, Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, 5/1/1917
Rear Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Destroyers Operating from British Bases, to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 5/1/1917
Vice Admiral Henry F. Oliver, Chief of War Staff, to Rear Admiral Dudley R.S. De Chair and Commodore Guy R. Gaunt, British Naval Attaché in Washington, 5/1/1917
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations to Rear Admiral Henry T. Mayo, Commander, Atlantic Fleet, and various Division Commanders, 5/1/1917
British Admiralty Memorandum Concerning Convoys from New York and Ports Northward, 5/1/1917
Rear Admiral Dudley R.S. De Chair to First Sea Lord Admiral Sir John R. Jellicoe, 5/2/1917
Diary of Lieutenant Commander Joseph K. Taussig, Commander, Destroyer Divison Eight, 5/3/1917
Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, to Commanding Officers, Armed Guard Detachments, 5/3/1917
British Admiralty to Admiral Sir Dudley R.S. De Chair and Commodore Guy R. Gaunt, British Naval Attaché in Washington, 5/3/1917
First Sea Lord Admiral Sir John R. Jellicoe to Commodore Guy R. Gaunt, British Naval Attaché in Washington, 5/4/1917
Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, to Commodore Guy R. Gaunt, British Naval Attaché in Washington, D.C., 5/4/1917
Commander John V. Babcock to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 5/4/1917
Rear Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Destroyers Operating from British Bases, to Navy Department, 5/5/1917
Admiral Henry T. Mayo, Commander, Atlantic Fleet, to Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, 5/5/1917
Commander Bernard A. de Blanpré, French Naval Attaché in Washington, to French General Staff, 5/6/1917
Rear Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Destroyers Operating from British Bases, to Anne Hitchcock Sims, 5/7/1917
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations to Rear Admiral James H. Oliver, Governor of the Virgin Islands, 5/7/1917
Diary of Lieutenant Commander Joseph K. Taussig, Commander, Destroyer Division Eight, 5/8/1917
United States Consul at Cork Wesley Frost to Secretary of State Robert Lansing, 5/8/1917
Commodore Guy R. Gaunt, British Naval Attaché in Washington, D.C., to British Admiralty, 5/8/1917
Chief of the Bureau of Chemistry Carl L. Alsberg to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 5/8/1917
Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels to Rear Admiral William S. Sims, 5/8/1917
Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels to Lieutenant Commander David C. Hanrahan, Commander, Destroyer Division Six 5/9/1917
Rear Admiral Leigh C. Palmer, Chief of the Bureau of Navigation, to Rear Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Destroyers Operating from British Bases 5/10/1917
Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels to Naval District Commandants, 5/10/1917
Rear Admiral William S. Sims to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 5/11/1917
Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels to Rear Admiral William B. Caperton, Commander, Pacific Fleet, 5/11/1917
Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels to Rear Admiral William S. Sims, 5/11/1917
Diary of Commander Joseph K. Taussig, Commander, Destroyer Division Eight, 5/12/1917
Joint Resolution of Congress Concerning Seizure of Enemy Ships, 5/12/1917
Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, to Admiral Henry T. Mayo, Commander, Atlantic Fleet, 5/12/1917
Rear Admiral Sir Alexander L. Duff to Vice Admiral Dudley R.S. De Chair, 5/13/1917
Rear Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Destroyers Operating from British Bases, to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 5/14/1917
Foreign Secretary Arthur J. Balfour to Under Secretary Lord A. Robert Cecil, 5/14/1917
Lieutenant Commander Edward C.S. Parker to Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, 5/15/1917
Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels to Frank A. Scott, Chairman, General Munitions Board, 5/15/1917
Rear Admiral Sir Dudley R.S. De Chair to Secretary of the Admiralty Sir W. Graham Greene, 5/15/1917
Rear Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Naval Forces Operating from British Bases, to Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, 5/16/1917
Lieutenant Ronan C. Grady, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, to Rear Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Destroyers Operating from British Bases 5/16/1917
Rear Admiral William L. Rodgers, Commander, Base Defense Force, to Base Guard Force, 5/17/1917
Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, to Commodore Guy R. Gaunt, British Naval Attaché, Washington, D.C., 5/17/1917
Extracts from Reports of Officers Commanding Armed Guards, 5/17/1917
Secretary of the Navy Josephus M. Daniels to Lieutenant Commander John H. Newton, Commander, Destroyer Division Five, 5/18/1917
Rear Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Destroyers Operating from British Bases, to Anne Hitchcock Sims, 5/18/1917
Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels to Captain William D. MacDougall, United States Naval Attaché in London, 5/19/1917
Rear Admiral William S. Sims to Anne Hitchcock Sims, 5/19/1917
Commodore Guy R. Gaunt, British Naval Attaché, Washington, D.C., to British Admiralty, 5/1917
War Diary-U.S.S. Ericsson, 5/21/1917
Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels to Commander William R. Sayles, United States Naval Attaché at Paris, 5/21/1917
Press Notice Issued by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 5/21/1917
Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations, to Chiefs of Navy Bureaus, 5/21/1917
Commander John V. Babcock to Reginald E. Gillmor, 5/21/1917
Commander William R. Sayles, United States Naval Attaché at Paris, to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 5/22/1917
House of Representatives Bill 3330, 5/22/1917
Commander William R. Sayles, United States Naval Attaché at Paris, to Rear Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Destroyers Operating from British Bases, 5/23/1917
Captain William D. MacDougall, United States Naval Attaché in London, to Office of Naval Intelligence, 5/25/1917
First Sea Lord Admiral Sir John R. Jellicoe, to Admiral Sir Dudley R.S. De Chair, 5/25/1917
Admiral Sir Dudley R.S. De Chair, R.N., to First Sea Lord Admiral Sir John R. Jellicoe, R.N., 5/25/1917
Admiral William S. Benson, Chief of Naval Operations to Admiral Henry T. Mayo, Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet, 5/25/1917
Commander Harris Laning, Senior Assistant to Capt. Josiah S. McKean, Chief of Bureau of Materials, to Rear Admiral William F. Fullam, Commander, Patrol Force, Pacific Fleet, 5/25/1917
Lieutenant Commander Benyaurd B. Wygant, Commander, Tucker to Lieutenant Commander Joseph F. Daniels, 5/25/1917
Vice Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, Commander, Coast of Ireland, to United States Navy Department, 5/25/1917
Address by British Vice Admiral Sir Lewis Bayly, Commander, Coast of Ireland, to American Destroyer Captains in Destroyer Division Nine, 5/26/1917
Captain Volney O. Chase, Acting Chief of Naval Operations, to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Destroyers Operating from British Bases, 5/26/1917
Vice Admiral Henry F. Oliver, Chief of War Staff, to Commodore Guy R. Gaunt, British Naval Attaché at Washington, D. C., 5/27/1917
Captain William V. Pratt, Planning Section, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, to Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Destroyers Operating from British Bases, 5/27/1917
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Destroyers Operating from British Bases, to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 5/27/1917
Regulations Concerning the Naval Convoy of Military Expeditions, 5/27/1917
Rear Admiral William C. Braisted, Surgeon General and Chief of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 5/28/1917
Captain Arthur MacArthur III, to Captain Edwin A. Anderson, Commander, Third Squadron, Patrol Force, 5/28/1917
Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels to Rear Admiral Albert Gleaves, Commander, Destroyer Force, Atlantic Fleet, 5/29/1917
Master Painter Frank M. Watson to Admiral Henry T. Mayo, Commander-in-Chief, Atlantic Fleet, 5/29/1917
British Admiralty to Commodore Guy R. Gaunt, British Naval Attaché, Washington, D.C., 5/29/1917
General Instructions for United States Navy Destroyer Force Operating in European Waters, 5/30/1917
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commnader, United States Destroyers Operating from British Bases to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 5/30/1917
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Destroyers, Operating from British Bases, to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 5/30/1917
Vice Admiral William S. Sims, Commander, United States Destoryers Operating from British Bases, to Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels, 5/31/1917
Diary of Lieutenant Commander John H. Newton, Commander, Destroyer Division Five, 5/31/1917
Captain William D. MacDougall, United States Naval Attaché at London, to Office of Naval Intelligence, 5/31/1917
OLYMPIA, S Tisdale, Mahlon, Henry S Knapp, Henry B Wilson
Atlantic Fleet, Patrol Force
Additional Resources for May 1917


Brick Chain and hey – some pictures!
Back on Canadian Soil and a Great Surprise!
While I am in Zimbabwe I am going to be posting here daily (as long as I have internet access/power) .? I will be posting to the Zimbabwe 2007 series that I started when I first announced my participation in this project.? If you'd like you can also subscribe to the series.
Series Navigation "Fill the bags"And we're off!
Please keep the fire burning!
Next Next post: And we're off!


1. Are any of your teeth yellow, stained or somewhat discolored?
2. Would you like your teeth to be whiter?
3. Do you have any gaps or spaces between your teeth?
4. Are any of your teeth turned, crooked, or uneven?
5. Are you missing any teeth?
6. Do you see any pitting or defects on the surfaces of your teeth?
7. Are the edges of any teeth worn down, chipped or uneven?
8. Do any of your teeth appear too small, short, large or long?
9. Do you have any prior dental work that appears unnatural?
10. Do you have any crowns or bridges that appear dark at the edge of your gums?
11. Do you have any gray, black or silver (mercury) fillings in your teeth?
12. Do you have a "gummy" smile (too much of your gums show when smiling)?
13. Are your gums red, sore, puffy, bleeding or receded?
14. Does the appearance of your smile inhibit you from laughing or smiling?
15. When being photographed, do you smile with your lips closed instead of flashing a full smile?
16. Are you self-conscious about your teeth or smile?
17. Would you like to change anything about the appearance of your teeth or smile?


Nature is a destination, but you don't have to travel anywhere to find it. Just open the door and step outside. A fun, hands on approach to getting involved in nature, The Kids' Outdoor Adventure Book includes 448 things to do year-round for kids of all ages -- more than one activity for every single day of the year. The perfect book for children and parents to read together, this interactive guide offers craft projects, fun outing ideas, yummy garden recipes, nostalgic outdoor games, and more, along with fascinating facts about nature, useful tips and tricks, and plenty of additonal resources.
Paperback, c2013, 224 p. : ill. ; 19 cm.


text:
<?php
/**
 * Created by PhpStorm.
 * User: andres
 * Date: 06/06/15
 * Time: 20:56
 */

namespace AppquariumBundle\Aquarium\ValueObjects;

class Integer {

    private $value;

    public function __construct($integer)
    {
        $this->validate($integer);
    }

    public function value()
    {
        return $this->value;
    }

    public function __toString()
    {
        return $this->value;
    }

    public function validate($integer)
    {

        (!filter_var($integer,FILTER_VALIDATE_INT)) ? $this->value = 0 : $this->value = $integer;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Fabulous 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom, plus flex office/storage room at VITA (Symphony Place).
Enjoy city and mountain views from all rooms in this corner home on the 23rd floor "Private Collection" residence level.
The spacious, open plan living space features hardwood floors, contemporary fixtures and a gas fireplace.
Entertain on the large balcony.
The upscale kitchen has a panelled fridge & dishwasher, sleek cabinets, black granite counter tops & gas cooktop.
The Master Suite has amazing views, a large ensuite bathroom with walk-in shower, a separate deep tub and heated floor.
The second bedroom is totally separated and would be ideal as a home office or guest room.
1 parking & 1 locker.


text:
EFG Companies Announces Second Annual F&I Innovator of the Year Competition
August 23, 2016 • by Staff
DALLAS — EFG Companies and Northwood University have launched their second F&I Innovator of the Year Competition. The competition asks six teams of junior and senior Northwood automotive students to conceptualize and build a new F&I product.
Each team is assigned a working F&I director to mentor and guide them through the competition. Teams must develop a business case for their new F&I product. It must incorporate industry research, offer a plan to market the product, and must detail the product's market potential, according to the company.
"This competition puts Northwood University students at the forefront of the innovation that will forever change the dealership landscape," said Keith Pretty, president of Northwood University. "Through this competition, our students have the opportunity to provide a never-before-seen solution to current dealership challenges and drive dealership profitability. This exemplifies our philosophy of hands-on learning and developing the leadership skills and talent necessary to bring the automotive industry into the future."
In November, a panel of leading dealer principals from across the nation and EFG executives will judge the business case competition. The winning team will be announced in early December. EFG Companies will then develop the winning F&I product, launch it to the retail automotive marketplace and donate a percentage of the sales profits back to Northwood University.
Last year, the winning team produced a product that utilizes a mobile application to help car owners stay current on their vehicle's maintenance needs. The app was also designed to be a theft deterrent, and can even be used to recover a stolen vehicle. EFG Companies plans to roll out that product later this year.
"The automotive industry is going through a period of extensive change," said John Pappanastos, president and CEO of EFG Companies. "Consumer expectations and buying habits have shifted toward a more value-conscious and long-term mindset. The Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau are continuing to focus on transparent auto lending practices. Manufacturers are undergoing a shift with the rise of electric vehicles, connected cars and ride sharing services. Each of these aspects of a dealership's operations is in a mutually effective relationship with F&I. As new, young talent has brought significant advancements to other areas of the auto industry, it makes sense for the F&I industry to avail itself with new ideas from fresh minds, as well."
Read more about EFG Companies F&I Innovations F&I products Northwood University


text:
Perhaps it will not be too long before we can hear a completely paralysed person saying, "oh it's a bit cold outside", the moment he/she relaxingly walks out of the house on a quiet winter morning, wearing an exoskeleton suit.
With immense concentration, Anlu Lin slowly lifted her right hand and, after a brief pause, let it sink gently onto a key of a grand piano, thus starting an emotional duet with the renowned virtuoso pianist Lang Lang in November last year. It was a beautiful piece of music, but the spotlight had always been on Lin herself, who technically was not using her 'own' hand.
Anlu Lin's performance with Lang Lang
Despite losing her right arm at the age of two in an accident, Lin never gave up on the dream of being able to play the piano, with both hands. Twenty years later, it was the BrainCo team, founded by Harvard University graduate Bicheng Han, who fulfilled Lin's dream by building her a prosthetic arm that can be operated through her mind.
Brain-computer interface (BCI) – telekinesis comes true
BrainCo is one of the pioneers in brain-computer interface (BCI), a technology that allows bidirectional communication between the brain and an external device, a process known as the 'brain control'.
In a BCI system, brain signals are acquired through various means, including electrocorticography, which involves poking a number of electrodes into the brain.
The collected brain signals are decoded by a computer, which extracts the useful information, e.g. signals that control arm movement. This information is then translated into kinetic commands that control the movement of a robotic arm.
Brain-computer interface (BCI) controlling a robotic arm
(diagram by Kelvin Kwok, photos from wikimedia.org and pixabay.com)
Restoring motion and the sense of touch
As noted by Daniel Dennett (1), the first human experiment on brain control probably dated back to 1963, when Grey Walter presented his pioneering work in a meeting at Oxford University.
In his experiment, Walter asked his patients to press a button to advance slides on a slide projector at their own pace, while he continuously recorded their brain motor cortex activity that preceded hand movement. He then established an information transmission link between their motor cortex and the projector, and repeated the experiment. To the patients' surprise, the projector now responded to their will to advance slides even before their hand movement was physically initiated.
This unpublished study was later followed by the seminal work by Miguel Nicolelis's team (2-5) that laid the foundation for robotic prosthesis control, with which Lin played the piano. They also built a BCI exoskeleton suit for Juliano Pinto, a 29-year-old paraplegic, who made the kick off in the 2014 World Cup.
In 2016, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh helped Nathan Copeland to restore the sense of touch, as he shook hands with Barack Obama using a prosthetic arm equipped with pressure sensors that were able to relay signals back to Copeland's brain.
Hope is now regained for those who suffer from physical disability.
Communication tool for the disabled
But BCI is not stopping there.
As the Ice Bucket Challenge went viral on Facebook and Twitter between 2014 and 2015, the BCI field has already progressed from assisting physical movements to providing means of communications for those who suffer from devastating motor neuron diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Before the widespread use of mature BCI technology, Stephen Hawking, a physicist with ALS and famous for his popular science bestseller A Brief History of Time, relied on the infrared detector mounted on his spectacles that catches the slightest twitches in his cheek muscles, which in turn instruct his speech-generating device in choosing alphabets for the words that he wanted to say.
It was not until 2016 when Hanneke de Bruijne, another late-stage ALS patient, could independently instruct a computer cursor to spell out words using brain signals alone. This BCI system allows her to type out approximately two words every minute, and is more reliable than her previous system, which types slightly quicker by tracking her eye movement but depended heavily on light intensity of the environment.
Hanneke de Bruijne's BCI device.
Electrodes implanted into Hanneke de Bruijne's brain collect brain signals and communicate with a tablet connected to her wheelchair. A cursor (red) on the tablet screen moves slowly across the screen and hovers on each alphabet. When de Bruijne wants to choose the letter, she imagines pressing her thumb against her forefinger. The brain signal generated is then detected by the electrode, which 'clicks' on the letter.
(diagram by Kelvin Kwok)
However, despite the great improvement in the quality of life in disabled patients, the limited communication speed is still a major obstacle for their well-being. Indeed, 150 words are easily spoken every minute in a natural speech, while most patients using BCI struggle to transmit even 10 words within the same time frame.
Speaking smoothly again
To provide an alternative to the spelling approach of current BCI technology, Edward Chang's team at the University of California San Francisco recently attempted to synthesise speech directly by translating brain signals (7). They used a three-step approach to accomplish this task, which was published earlier this year.
Ventral sensorimotor contex in the brain
(diagram by Kelvin Kwok, photo from pixabay.com)
Chang and colleagues view natural speech as a continuous flow of overlapping, multi-articulatory movement of the vocal tract. With this in mind, they first sought to deduce how the brain controls these movements (8), focusing on a specific region of the brain called the ventral sensorimotor cortex (vSMC).
This seemingly unattractive region on the side of your brain is probably controlling the most complex motor behavior in humans, as it orchestrates the coordinated movements of more than 100 muscles to produce fluent speech.
When participants in the experiment spoke sentences aloud or silently as instructed, Chang's team simultaneously recorded the neural activity in their vSMC, together with the gross movement of their facial parts that are phonetically important. This allowed them to decode brain signals into corresponding articulatory movements of the vocal tract (8).
Unfortunately, this correlation is not quite yet sufficient to generate any speech, because there is still an information gap between articulatory movement and actual speech.
To fill this gap, Chang's team went on and found public databases that contain articulatory movement data together with the corresponding audio recordings. Based on these data, they trained the computer to establish a correlation between articulatory movements and audio tracks.
With this extra information, the computer can finally translate the decoded articulatory movements into acoustic features.
The three-step approach of Chang's team.
1) Brain signals were measured and decoded into articulatory movements. 2) Using public databases, articulatory movements were correlated with corresponding speech waveform. 3) This in turn trained the computer to translate acoustic features from the decoded articulatory movements based on brain signals.These acoustic features were then used to synthesise speech waveform.
After optimizing this complex training network, the computer successfully synthesized acoustic waveforms that were recognizable to an independent listener, who was able to transcribe the synthesized speeches with up to more than 70% accuracy compared to the original speech.
Chang's team further compared the decoded neural-articulatory signals from different participants, and found a high correlation among them. This means that the speech synthesis system can probably be applied universally without individualised training, including in those who cannot speak.
Bright future ahead with BCI
Undoubtedly, there is still plenty of room for improvement in Chang's speech synthesis tool, and it is still restricted to English language.
Nevertheless, this seemingly primitive attempt to generate speech from pure brain activity represents a big step forward for those whose minds are trapped inside due to motor neuron diseases.
Perhaps it will not be too long before we can hear someone with ALS saying, "oh it's a bit cold outside", the moment he or she relaxingly walks out of the house on a quiet winter morning, wearing an exoskeleton suit.
Dennett DC. Consciousness Explained. Boston: Little, Brown, 1991, p. xiii.
Nature. 408 (6810): 361–5.
PLoS Biology. 1 (2): E42.
Journal of Neuroscience. 25 (19): 4681–93.
Nature. 479(7372): 228–231.
Neuropraxis, 22(3), 85–91.
Nature. 568(7753):493-498
Neuron. 6;98(5):1042-1054.e4
All photos are licensed under Creative Commons license
30 September, 2019 1 October, 2019 Kelvin KwokResearch, Sciencebrain-computer interface, popular science
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I've been fortunate to appear on several podcast over the recent weeks, and they've all had a unique context, flow, and topics of conversation. Earlier this week I was invited onto the Side Quest Fitness podcast with my dude Robbie Farlow.
I've known Robbie for the better part of a year when we first crossed paths in Kansas City at last year's Fitness Summit (which you should totally attend next year).
Naturally, we drank bourbon, ate barbeque, and did copious amount of biceps curls each day.
Robbie is a smart, extremely genuine guy putting out tons of content on his podcast with guests like Dan John, his blog, and on Roman Fitness Systems. To that point, I'm convinced he's a secret Jedi based his stunning red hair and all-around skill-set.
We've been bantering back and forth about finding a time to do this podcast, so I'm excited we were able to knock it out in time for Christmas. So, you know, you have something to listen too on your way to Grandmas for the Holidays.
N'Sync or Backstreet. Yes, you read it right.
My biggest failures in the gym, and training around injuries.
2015 accomplishments and 2016 goals.
I'd love for you to take a listen, and, if you enjoyed the episode, please give my dude Robbie Farlow and the Side Quest Podcast some love on iTunes and toss him a 5-star rating. He deserves it.


French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian detailed the naval part of the update to the French Military Planning Law today on a naval base in Brittany. The French Navy will receive 8 FREMM Frigates in total (while 11 of them were originally planned) and a new generation of frigates: the FTI (Frégate de Taille Intermédiaire or Midsize Frigate) which will start being delivered in 2023 for a total of 5 hulls.
French Navy FREMM Frigate Provence arrives to Toulon naval base for the first time.
French Defense Minister explained during his speech today that the delivery of a FREMM Frigate to Egypt (the former Normandie originally intended for the French Navy) will be compensated and six ASW FREMM Frigates will be delivered to the French Navy by the end of 2019 in accordance with the Military Planning Law. As a consequence, the production of these frigates will be accelerated. Subsequently, by 2022, two more ASW FREMM Frigates will be delivered. These two FREMMs will have increased air defense capabilities compared to existing FREMMs. Finally, these will be followed by the delivery of five new FTI Frigates starting in 2023.
Jean-Yves Le Drian declared "In order to take into account the updated FREMM delivery schedule I just mentioned, I decided to accelerate the FTI program by nearly two years. The launch of this program will allow a first delivery from 2023, in line with the FREMM production in Lorient. [...] I would like to stress here the decision taken on FTI frigates. Beyond the major challenge for our Navy, FTI is also all about good industrial policy choices. The analysis led by the DGA (ed.note: French procurement agency) in collaboration with DCNS and its partner Thales, has indeed demonstrated the need for a strengthening of a French offer for export, which is complementary to the FREMM product. The challenge is also to differentiate us on a technological level ten years from today from the global competition concentrated in the segment of mid-size frigates with the launch of similar projects in Spain, Italy and Germany among others. In this double perspective, operational and industrial, the anticipated launch of the FTI midsize frigate program will allow to match the format set by the White Paper on defense, giving DCNS and all subcontractors a significant visibility in their load plans (both in engineering and in production). It will also provide the FREMM a complementary product enabling DCNS to expand its export competitiveness.".
According to early rumors, the future French Navy FTI will be a 4,000 class multi-role frigate. Navy Recognition believes the FTI could be an evolution of the FM400, a DCNS project for a 3,500 to 4,500 tons modular frigate launched in the early 2000s but shelved since. We also believe that some of the next generation technologies studied in the XWind 4000 concept ship could find their way in the future FTI frigates. Cost however will have to be contained for the FTI to be competitive on the export market.
The FTI program is good news for DCNS because, as stressed by the French Defense Minister, it will add a new product line to DCNS' surface combatant offering (with a vessel that will nicely fill the gap between the Gowind corvette and the FREMM frigate) and it will keep the production line open at the Lorient shipyard well into the 2020ies.
As for the French Navy the current format of 15 "front line" surface combatant will be kept.
Update 30/05/2015: A DCNS press release provides more details on the FTI.
The new frigate, developed and built by DCNS, will be a front line warship. This frigate will have the advantages of a modular, robust, easy to use and has an unrivaled operational capability on the market. Adapted to the needs of the French Navy and the navies of many countries, the new DCNS frigate benefit from the most advanced technology solutions, including planar array radar.


text:
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Is Britain a Christian country?
Thought for the Day - BBC Radio 4 Today Programme
Wednesday, 30th November, 2022
Good morning. The results of the 2021 census show that, for the first time, fewer than half the people of England and Wales identify as Christian. The census question, 'What is your religion?', offered a variety of tick-box responses. It's a blunt instrument for measuring the beliefs of a nation, and religion is a complex and contested concept. For many believers, faith is not a religion but a way of life. Others may feel a deep spiritual awareness but would not describe themselves as religious. Catholic writer Richard Rohr refers to those who live 'on the edge of the inside'. This is not, he says, 'an outsider throwing rocks, not a comfortable insider who defends the status quo, but one who lives precariously with two perspectives held tightly together.' I think that's where many Christians like me find ourselves in the modern world, balancing precariously between a religious tradition that gives form and expression to our spiritual quest, and a secular culture that offers opportunities, equalities, and freedoms which are still denied in many religious institutions.
So what does it mean to say, as some headlines do in response to the census results, that England and Wales are no longer Christian countries? In the past and still today, Christianity has inspired great acts of altruism and philanthropy, and the harsh edges of social injustice have been softened by those whose Christian faith has moved them to act. But if full churches signify a Christian country, then Christianity has gone hand in hand with the cruelties of the slave trade and the tyrannies of empire, as well as the often degrading and exploitative practices that flourished with the emergence of capitalism and the industrial revolution. Today, one of the greatest threats facing the world is the rise of religious nationalism.
The idea of a Christian nation or country is not really Christian at all. In his Letter to the Philippians, St Paul reminds the early Christians that their citizenship is in heaven. In Matthew 25, Jesus tells his followers how they will be recognised. It's not by their noisy proclamations of faith, nor we might add, their ticking of boxes on a census, but by their care for those rejected and cast aside by society – feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, welcoming the stranger, visiting those in prison. There are many Christians in Britain today working with and for others of all religions and none to express their faith in these practical ways. It might not look like religion, but it's the expression of a living faith.
Listen to the broadcast here
religion in Britain
The Struggle for Women's Rights
Maternal Love and Guilt
Wealth and Vulnerability


With online driving sales at the likes of John Lewis and Sainsbury's over Christmas, retail brands are catering for a truly omnichannel consumer.
The numbers are telling. Over the six weeks to 31 December, online accounted for 40% of total sales at John Lewis, while sales from mobile devices were up 80% and now account for 37% of all traffic to the John Lewis website. To put these figures into perspective, shop sales at John Lewis were up just 0.8%, with the vast majority of consumers clearly preferring the convenience of online or click-and-collect.
It's a similar story at its rival Marks & Spencer. More than 30% of the retailer's website traffic now comes from its mobile phone app, while 62% of its online sales are now picked up in stores.
Sir Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, admits he had expected online growth to slow down in 2016, after accounting for a slimmer 36% of the brand's total sales the previous Christmas. But he says its "unavoidable growth" has now made investing in online infrastructure one, if not the biggest, of John Lewis's investment priorities.
Speaking to Marketing Week, he explains: "Yes, there are now a lot more digital-only shoppers but they aren't our focus. The most valuable shoppers are the ones who shop across multiple channels as they tend to spend a lot of money with us.
Sainsbury's also saw strong online sales over the festive period. Total online sales at the grocer were up 9% for the 15 weeks to 7 January. And when you add in Argos sales, online represents 18% of total sales. Argos itself saw "record levels of online participation", with 65% of its sales taken online over Christmas and a 13% rise in online sales.
When Sainsbury's acquired Argos for £1.4bn, its CEO Mike Coupe repeatedly said the move was all about building for the future. And much like John Lewis, you sense he sees the primary worth of physical space as an amplifier to online sales.
Coupe expects more retailers to prioritise multichannel over the coming years and says those that invest in "one more than the other" risk failure. Sainsbury's has click-and-collect at 200 stores and he claims consumers that use the service inevitably end up spending a "considerable" amount of money in-store as well.
Sainsbury's currently has 38 Argos concessions within its supermarkets and Coupe says "well over" half of the transactions at these stores are through click-and-collect or with a transaction that starts online.
"We have created our entire strategy around the fact our customers want us to be there whenever and wherever they want. We'd love shoppers to continue to shop at our big supermarkets but we also realise online will only keep rising and you need to be prepared [for every scenario]. Click-and-collect is crucial, and if you take Argos, which now has nearly £1bn of its sales through a mobile device, it's clear that would have been inconceivable just five years ago," he tells Marketing Week.
According to TCC Global's Bryan Roberts the hysteria of a few years back, when many analysts were claiming the death of the high street would turn many iconic retail brands into digital-only businesses, was short-sighted. With Amazon actively eyeing physical retail locations, he says there is now evidence that every single pure-play retailer will end up with a high street site.
He says the multichannel success of John Lewis, which saw an 18% rise in click-and-collect orders picked up in one of its sister brand Waitrose's stores last Christmas, has not gone unnoticed.
"Every retailer will be looking for similar internal partnerships that join up the online and physical retail operations. The reality is nobody is making any profits from online so the best way to do so is to ease people into click-and-collect, which both John Lewis and Sainsbury's via Argos are doing very cleverly," he explains.
The partnerships Roberts speaks of can also manifest in ways beyond click-and-collect. Morrisons, which has its own ecommerce platform through its deal with Ocado, also serves as a wholesale partner to Amazon, essentially providing Amazon Fresh with various own label fresh food items.
For the nine weeks to 1 January, Morrisons posted a 2.9% rise in like-for-like sales, its best performance over the festive period in seven years. And speaking to Marketing Week, its CEO David Potts seemed to be a man finally being won over by ecommerce.
"What impressed me with our wholesale partnership with Amazon was that thousands of customers made orders at 4.32pm on Christmas Eve and then received Morrisons groceries two hours later," he claims.
And with established retailers such as Asda and Next – both not exactly reknowned for their cutting edge omnichannel offers – struggling over the festive period, Potts' confidence in online growing hand-in-hand with a physical offering doesn't look misplaced.
Amazon's move into the grocery market and innovation around one-click shopping is causing sleepless nights for John Lewis, according to its head of customer marketing Chris Bates.
Is this the beginning of the end for free click-and-collect?
John Lewis made a 'brave decision' to start charging for click and collect purchases under £30 but other retailers are unlikely to follow suit in the online battle for customers and revenues.


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Tech Sergeant 'Loves The Smell Of Toner In The Morning'
OSAN AIR BASE, South Korea – US Air Force Tech. Sgt. William Kilgore "loves the smell of toner in the morning," sources told Duffel Blog today.
Kilgore, assigned to the 51st Fighter Wing's Logistics Readiness Squadron, is regarded by colleagues and superiors alike as a "reckless desk jockey," often completing his assigned tasks at the expense of hundreds of toner cartridges.
According to Senior Airman Charles "Chef" Yates, the "brash, eccentric office cowboy" puts on several pots of coffee each day, precisely at 0745, 1045 and 1415, all the while humming "Ride of the Valkyries."
Sources also disclosed that the operatic anthem underscores Kilgore's daily bowel movement at 0910.
"I thought [Kilgore] was a little odd when he cornered me and asked if I liked to web surf," said Yates. "I knew he was bat-shit insane when he kicked over his chair at the last Cyber Awareness Training brief and shouted, 'You can either web surf, or you can fight!' before charging out, yelling, 'To the Keurig!'"
Kilgore, who has bumper stickers that say "We Are the ADMINfantry!" and "Charlie Don't Collate" prominently displayed on his desk, claims to have engaged tens of thousands of reports, memoranda, and FOUO documents at the office's Xerox WorkCentre 3615/DN. He also claims he can "field strip" and reassemble the machine blindfolded in under seven minutes.
"How many copies have I made? There were those six thousand that I know about for sure," he said. "I made those photocopies. What the hell else was I gonna do?"
Underlying his quirks and maniacal tendencies, medical professionals speculate that Kilgore suffers from extreme PTSD – or Printer Toner Sniffing Dependency – which may have manifested as early as Kilgore's freshman year of high school, when he first joined the Yearbook Club.
"Disneyland? Fuck, man, this place is better than Disneyland!" the peculiar, staple-slinging renegade was overheard exclaiming.
Indeed, Kilgore's olfactory fascination with the acrid pungency of styrene-acrylate copolymer is so engrained, subordinates maintain, that he often hovers wordlessly over the shoulders of fellow airmen at the copy machine, breathing in deeply with a blissful, dreamy gaze, much to their discomfort.
Still, the office is not without crisis, and the melodic hum of the Xerox at work is harshly interrupted from time to time by the jarring sounds of a misfeed.
"I've seen paper jams … paper jams you've seen," Kilgore said. "But you have no right to call tech support."
Duffel Blog intrepid reporters Jay-B and Ted Heller contributed to this report.


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This mask is infused with an advanced blend of Lipids, Ceramides, Phyto-Keratin and Lactic Acid, the.The L'Oréal Professionnel Absolut Repair Lipidium range helps reduce the signs of damaged hair.I see that hair quality is getting much better after a treatment with Primer Repair Absolut Repair Lipidium.
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text:
Situé sur la commune de Saint-Côme-du-Mont en limite de Carentan, l'espace naturel sensible des Marais des Ponts d'Ouve occupe une position presque centrale par rapport au territoire du Parc naturel régional des Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin. Le site se trouve délimité par la Douve au sud et à l'ouest et par l'un de ses bras (la Jourdan) au nord et à l'est. Cette configuration forme une île au milieu des marais.

Le site est classé comme espace naturel sensible de la Manche (propriété du conseil général) et sa gestion est assurée depuis sa création par le parc naturel régional des Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin.

Classements et mesures de protection
L'espace naturel sensible est inclus dans les périmètres suivants :
 Parc naturel régional des Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin
 Convention de Ramsar
 Natura 2000 - Site de la directive "oiseaux" des basses-vallées du Cotentin et baie des Veys
 Natura 2000 - Site de la directive "Habitats, faune, flore" des marais du Cotentin et du Bessin - baie des Veys
 ZNIEFF de type 1 Marais des basses-vallées de la Douve et de la Sèves
 ZNIEFF de type 2 Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin

Histoire
La position géographique des Ponts d'Ouve en a fait un lieu stratégique qui a été particulièrement marqué par l'histoire. Étranglement de la vallée de la Douve entre Carentan et Saint-Côme-du-Mont, le site des ponts d'Ouve est l'un des points de passage naturels pour atteindre le Cotentin ou en sortir. Un château est bâti vers 1353 par Geoffroy d'Harcourt, chargé de la défense du Cotentin. Il défendait l'accès du pont côté Nord. Démoli partiellement en 1598, remplacé par une forteresse en 1755, elle-même détruite en 1857.

L'influence de la mer sur la partie la plus avale de la vallée de la Douve est notable. L'eau de mer actionne du  au  des moulins à marée. Ceux-ci seront démantelées par les communes riveraines en raison de l'obstacle à l'écoulement des eaux qu'ils représentaient.

Avant la construction du pont de la Barquette en 1735, les bas-marais de la Douve étaient encore régulièrement submergés par le flot de la marée, en particulier lors des vives eaux. Une fois les portes-à-flots en action, les marais ne sont plus soumis qu'à la submersion de l'eau douce. C'est à cette période que se met en place la spécialisation des terres en direction de l'élevage.

Géographie

Hydrologie
Le plan d'eau permanent, d'une surface de 5 ha en période estivale, peut atteindre 30 ha en hiver. Il constitue aujourd'hui la réserve ornithologique baptisée « réserve Frank Duncombe ». Celui-ci a été aménagé de la façon suivante :
 réalisation de plusieurs îlots, suffisamment éloignés des berges pour garantir la tranquillité des oiseaux ;
 une profondeur variable comprise entre quelques centimètres et 2 mètres, pour répondre aux besoins des différentes espèces ;
 des rives en pentes douces pour favoriser l'installation de différentes ceintures de végétation.

Plusieurs autres mares plus petites ponctuent l'Espace Naturel Sensible.

Un réseau de fossés limite les parcelles et permet une gestion hydrologique fine par la manipulation de vannes sur les collecteurs principaux.

Topographie
Le site est localisé dans la partie avale de la vallée de la Douve. Les prairies qui le composent sont extrêmement planes et à une altitude inférieure à 4 m NGF.

Faune et flore

Faune

L'accueil de la faune varie suivant les saisons. Si de très nombreuses espèces sont visibles toute l'année sur l'espace naturel sensible, certaines ne font qu'y passer l'hiver, d'autres n'y séjournent que pour s'y reproduire.

Oiseaux
Ne sont indiquées ici que les espèces les plus fréquemment rencontrées.
 Toute l'année
Grèbe hupé, grand cormoran,  butor étoilé,cigogne blanche, grande aigrette, héron cendrée, canard colvert, busard des roseaux, buse variable, faucon crécerelle, épervier, faucon pèlerin, râle d'eau, poule d'eau, foulque macroule, mouette rieuse, effraie des clochers, martin-pêcheur, bergeronnette grises (y compris yarellii), troglodyte mignon, accenteur mouchet, rouge-gorge familier, grive musicienne, merle noir, bouscarle de Cetti, mésange charbonnière, mésange noire, mésange bleue, pie bavarde, choucas des tours, corneille noire, moineau domestique, pinson des arbres, linotte mélodieuse, chardonneret élégant, verdier d'Europe, bruant des roseaux,
 reproduction (février-août)
Cygne tuberculé, sarcelle d'été, marouette ponctuée, coucou gris, martinet noirs, alouette des champs, hirondelle des rivages, hirondelle rustique, hirondelle des fenêtres, bergeronnette flavéole, Gorge bleue à miroir, tarier des prés, tarier pâtre, phragmite des joncs, locustelle tachetée, locustelle luscinoïde, rousserole effarvatte, rousserolle verderolle,
 En migration (août-octobre et février-avril)
Spatule blanche, échasse blanche, petit gravelot, chevalier culblanc, chevalier guignette, chevalier aboyeur, barge à queue-noires, barge rousse, courlis cendrée, bécassine des marais, combattant varié, torcol fourmilier, traquet motteux, phragmite aquatique, mésange à longue queue, panure à moustaches,
 Hivernants (novembre-février)
Cygne chanteur, sarcelle d'hiver, canard siffleur, canard chipeau, canard souchet, canard pilet, fuligule milouin, fuligule morillon, bécasseau variable, bécassine des marais, pipit spioncelle, pipit maritime,

Flore
Les prairies qui composent l'espace naturel sensible des Marais du Ponts d'Ouve accueillent des espèces végétales caractéristiques des zones humides : roseau commun, joncs, laîches, orchidée à fleurs lâches, orchidée négligée.
Les fossés et mares sont végétalisés par les espèces les plus aquatiques : potamot crépu, myriophylle, cératophylle, sagittaire, myosotis, etc.

Voir aussi
 Parc naturel régional des Marais du Cotentin et du Bessin

Bibliographie

 Gaspéri J.M. & Cornière J.Y. (1987), Les zones humides du Cotentin in Marais et prairie humides, valorisation écologique et gestion agricole, actes du colloque du 4-5 déc.1987.

 Rungette D. & Depériers-Robbes S. (1998), Basse-Normandie, Modernisation de l'inventaire ZNIEFF. Contribution à l'identification des espèces et milieux déterminants, RPEA/CSRPN/DIREN

Notes et références

Liens externes
Espace naturel sensible des Marais des Ponts d'Ouve

Géographie de la Normandie
Géographie de la Manche

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Simulate printing imperfections and defects with TeX?
Is there a way to simulate imperfections of some of the older books in LaTeX? Like the missing pieces of letters, extra splotches of ink and such?
Then, you need code that underlays these blots below the text, while varying which blot to underlay, how large to draw the blot, and where relative to the letter to spill the ink. The coding is such to make sure the blot doesn't screw up the letter kerning (via stackengine's \useanchorwidth setting [next to last argument]).
In this revision, I have also added \wblot, which overlays the letters with white stuff. But in this case, I can't overlay a white graphic, because the border is rectangular, and so the overlay would also be rectangular. Instead, I overwrite a white glyph over the desired letter. As with the black blot, you pick the overlay glyph (instead of the black blot), the scale of the overlay blot, and the (x,y) placement of the overlay blot.
The top line shows black blots underlaid, while the bottom line shows white overlays added.
Obviously, the shape and library of blots is a key parameter, and mine is limited to two, for example purposes only. I imagine ones would look better if they didn't look like spills, but rather stray imprints. Further, one doesn't want to throw them around gratuitously as I did in the MWE.
I will leave it to others to figure out how to randomly throw these about a document, rather than explicitly lay them in, as I have.
Well, I finally got a chance to look over my font library for fonts that might fit your description as "defective" and "old". This may not be exactly what you are looking for, because these are particular fonts, rather than defects in a font which you, the user, specify. Nonetheless, here they are.
I also have a number of older fonts that are not defective in their construction, but are from a bygone era. I'll post only one here, as a good example...Caslon Antique.
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged fonts printing fun or ask your own question.
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