text:
By Dropout Dudes May 1, 2018 532 views
Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg And WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum
In a shock to Facebook, WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum have decided to move on between reports that he had a difference of viewpoints with parent business company Facebook over data privacy, encryption, and other relevant issues.
Koum declared his exit from WhatsApp quickly after The Washington Post on Monday reported his plans to diverge "after disagreeing with its parent, Facebook, over the popular messaging service's strategy and Facebook's efforts to use its personal data and weaken its encryption."
"I'm moving at a time when people are using WhatsApp in more ways than I could have thought. The team is stronger than ever, and it'll continue to do marvelous things," Koum said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.
"I'm taking some time off to do things I enjoy outside of technology, such as collecting rare air-cooled Porsches, working on my cars and playing ultimate frisbee. And I'll still be cheering WhatsApp on – just from the outside. Thanks to everyone who has made this journey possible," he added.
Read Also: How WhatsApp Founder Went From A Dropout To Billionaire American Entrepreneur?
According to the report, Koum who sold WhatsApp to Facebook for more than $19 billion in 2014, "also plans to step down from Facebook's board of directors."
"The independence and security of its users' data is a core principle of WhatsApp that Koum and his co-founder, Brian Acton, promised to preserve when they sold their tiny startup to Facebook," the report added.
Koum further said:
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg quickly replied via a comment: "I will miss working so closely with you. I'm grateful for everything you've done to help connect the world, and for everything you've taught me, including about encryption and its ability to take power from centralized systems and put it back in people's hands".
According to Tech Crunch, One possible candidate for the new WhatsApp CEO role would be its top business executive Neeraj Arora.
Arora has been with WhatsApp since 2011 — well before the Facebook acquisition.
With 1.5 billion monthly users, WhatsApp is the most prominent mobile messaging service in the world. Over 3 million people are actively using WhatsApp Business app.
Neeraj Arora
How Nikhil Kamath followed his passion of blogging by dropping out and learned from his life lessons.
VIDEO: Indian Startup Story of Mompreneur: Deepti Sharma, A Chartered Accountant Dropout
By Dropout Dudes March 27, 2019 0
By Anshumaan Vishnu June 30, 2018 0
By Anshumaan Vishnu April 19, 2018 0
By Dropout Dudes April 19, 2018 0
Southern hills hit by summer snow
Play-off needed to decide last Bradford billiards semi-finalist
Hundreds go on a colorful run through downtown Las Vegas
Success Story of Abhishek Shrivastava- Founder of Food Cultuur
Young India Challenge by Human Circle is here to give you seed funding of Rs.1 Lac to #DoWhatYouLove
Success Story of Urban Ladder Founders- Ashish Goel and Rajiv Srivasta
17.5K+ likes


Each piece of furniture is made of highest grade double-sided Melamine laminated MDF board and desig..
Size: H 80 x W 40 x L 80 cm Color: Red Made in China ..
Natural Color Book shelf children bookshelf ( 4 levels ) h 90 x w 84&nbs..
Description This furniture is made of highest grade double-sided Melamine laminated MDF board a..


text:
Tampa International Airport launches daily nonstop service to San Francisco on United Airlines_20181025070151001
(February 16, 2017) Tampa International Airport this week celebrated the launch of nonstop daily service between Tampa and San Francisco on United Airlines. The Airport welcomed the arriving plane with a water arch salute, a San Francisco-themed cake and live music highlighting the new destination. United also treated employees and inaugural passengers to hot dogs, hamburgers and brisket on a plane-shaped grill designed to look like a 777.
The connection provides a long-awaited link between the Tampa Bay area and the West Coast's Bay area that has been in high demand among sbusiness and leisure travelers for years.
"San Francisco service has long been a top priority for the airport team and our partners," said Tampa International Airport CEO Joe Lopano. "Working together with our regional economic development groups and tourism bureaus, as well as the persuasiveness of our traveling community, we've logged a big win here in Tampa."
"Since arriving here in 2011, I can't even count the number of times I have been asked: When will we have a flight to San Francisco? I'm pleased to say that time is now."
Local resident Mike Stonebraker, who was at TPA to board the inaugural flight with his wife Carla, says that his job in the tech industry with Keysight Technologies requires traveling over 1.5 million miles annually with United. He says that the schedule is perfect for his business travel and he's looking forward to being able to fly nonstop out of his hometown airport.
"Our company headquarters is located just north of the Bay Area in Santa Rosa, so I'm back and forth to California all the time and making this trip about 5-6 times a year," said Stonebraker. "Of course, I'd love to fly out of Tampa, but in the past I've had to connect…this is just fabulous. I'll save a half a day in travel every time."
United will fly a 737-900 with United First, United Economy and Economy Plus seats. The flight leaves San Francisco daily at 8:30 a.m. and arrives in Tampa at 4:51 p.m. It will depart Tampa at 5:50 p.m. and arrive in San Francisco at 8:45 p.m.
"As the leading carrier in San Francisco, this new route will connect customers in Tampa's high-tech community to our premier hub in the Bay Area," said Grant Whitney, Vice President of Domestic Route Network at United Airlines. "This route will help fuel Tampa's booming technology economy, and with our prominent position in San Francisco, we are pleased to give customers a more convenient option for traveling between the two cities and beyond."
Prior to today's service launch, 600 people traveled daily between the two regions, making the Tampa to San Francisco Bay Area connection the most underserved route in America. The new flights are expected to connect the Tampa Bay area's growing technology industry directly to Silicon Valley and will provides easy access to international destinations through our premier gateway to the Asia Pacific region.
The United flights strengthen TPA as the top gateway to the west coast of Florida, as well as rounding out TPA's nonstop service to the West Coast. The Airport launched daily nonstop service to Seattle on Alaska Airlines in 2014 and currently offers nonstop flights to Los Angeles on Delta Airlines.
Tickets for the United flights between Tampa and San Francisco can be purchased at www.united.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Is $(B_t,B_t)$ a Brownian motion on the line $\{(x,x)\mid x\in\mathbb R\}$? I saw today that $(B_t^1,B_t^2)$ is a brownian motion on $\mathbb R^2$ iff $B_t^i$ a independent Brownian motion on $\mathbb R$. So, if for example, $(B_t,B_t)$ won't be a Brownian motion on $\mathbb R^2$ if $(B_t)$ is a Brownian motion on $\mathbb R$. This make sense, because it won't be normal distributed on $\mathbb R^2$. Nevertheless, I was wondering : does $(B_t,B_t)$ will be a Brownian motion on $\{(x,x)\mid x\in\mathbb R\}$ ? Or, does $(\cos(B_t),\sin(B_t))$ will be a Brownian motion on the circle ?
I think it could be yes for both, however, what it mean to be normal distributed on $\{(x,x)\mid x\in\mathbb R\}$ or on the circle.

A: Welcome to the world of stochastic differential geometry. You are, of course, spot on that, in order to make sense of a Brownian Motion on some subspace of $\mathbb{R}^2$, you need to find some feature of the usual definition (in $\mathbb{R}^d$) that you can generalise.
So how do we usually define Brownian Motion? Well, we usually define it as a process with independent, jointly normal increments. This already looks slightly bad, because we would have to make sense of the normal distribution on some arbitrary space (which you would likely end up characterising through Fourier theory, which requires you to be in a group setting). However, it is also just true that you can characterise Brownian Motion as a process $W_t$ with continuous sample paths and independent, stationary increments, that is $W_t-W_s$ has the same law as $W_{t-s}-W_0$ and for any partition $s_0<t_0<...<s_j<t_j<s_{j+1}<t_{j+1}<...<t_n$, we have that $(W_{t_j}-W_{s_j})_{0\leq j\leq n}$ is independent.
Hence, if you have some notion of subtraction, i.e. you're in the setting of a (topological) group (such as the diagonal under addition or the circle under complex multiplication), you can generalise this to say that a (left-)Brownian Motion is a continuous process $W_t$ such that $W_s^{-1}W_t$ is identical in law to $W_{t-s}$ and for any partition $(W_{s_j}^{-1} W_{t_j})_{0\leq j\leq n}$ is independent.
It's clear that $(B_t,B_t)$ fits this definition and could therefore be considered Brownian Motion on the diagonal (indeed, for an arbitrary finite dimensional vector space $V$, pick an isomorphism $\varphi: \mathbb{R}^{\dim(V)} \to V$ and then if $B_t$ is Brownian Motion in $\mathbb{R}^{\dim(V)}$, then $\varphi(B_t)$ would fit the above definition of Brownian Motion in $V$).
Now what about $(\sin(B_t),\cos(B_t))=e^{iB_t}$ (it's easier to work in complex form)? Well, $(e^{iB_s})^{-1} e^{i B_t}=e^{i(B_t-B_s)}$ so independence and stationarity for the increments of this process simply follows from those properties of Brownian Motion in $\mathbb{R}$.
Indeed, we could play this game over and over for any (topological) group $G$ and some group homomorphism $\varphi:\mathbb{R}^n\to G$. It is perhaps most natural in the setting where $\varphi$ is surjective and in some sense minimal.
There is a more general notion still of Brownian Motion on manifolds, but that's rather involved. You can find material on it in Elton Hsu's Stochastic Differential Geometry, which has basic stochastic calculus as a prerequisite. One would probably also be best off having read Stroock & Varadhan's Multi-dimensional Diffusion Processes first, since Hsu refers to them and mimics their proofs a lot.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


me cayó el veinte appears in 2000. The proposal centres around one question: what does the invention of the object petit a stand for? One way of presenting the problem was furnished by the Mexican colloquial expression that gives the name to our publishing endeavour: me cayó el veinte!, which means both the coming of an idea to the mind and the falling of an object: a 20 cents coin piece, necessary for an old telephone to function.
Each biannual review comes along with a book, TEXTOS DE me cayó el veinte: literature concerning each issue; and since there cannot be analysis without erotology, we added three collections which deal with it: TA EROTIKÁ, "the things of love"; grapas; y grapas+.


text:
Former Palm Beach prosecutor: Acosta is rewriting history of Epstein's plea deal
John SextonPosted at 9:21 pm on July 10, 2019
Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer has reacted to Sec. Acosta's claim that, if not for his actions, Jeffrey Epstein would have walked free. Here's Krischer's full statement:
READ IT HERE: Former Palm Beach (FL) State Atty Barry Krischer challenges Acosta's characterization of why Acosta pursued a plea deal for Epstein: "I can emphatically state that Mr. Acosta's recollection of this matter is completely wrong." pic.twitter.com/0Drs4vetTO
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) July 10, 2019
It reads in part, "I can emphatically state that Mr. Acosta's recollection of this matter is completely wrong." After confirming that a grand jury only returned one indictment, he continues, "Subsequently, the U.S. Attorney's Office produced a 53-page indictment that was abandoned after secret negotiations between Mr. Epstein's lawyers and Mr. Acosta. The State's Attorney's Office was not a party to those meetings or negotiations, and definitely had no part in the federal Non-Prosecution Agreement the unusual confidentiality arrangement that kept everything hidden from the victims."
Earlier today, Acosta claimed he stepped in to prevent Epstein from walking, arguing that the light prison sentence Epstein received was better than nothing. But Krischer writes, "If Mr. Acosta was truly concerned with the State's case and felt he had to rescue the matter, he would have moved forward with the 53-page indictment that his own office drafted. Instead, Mr. Acosta brokered a secret plea deal that resulted in a Non-Prosecution Agreement in violation of the Crime Victim's Rights Act." He concludes, "Mr. Acosta should not be allowed to rewrite history."
I'm not an attorney but Popehat says the existence of the 53-page indictment demonstrates that federal prosecutors had confidence in the case.
/2 If there was a lengthy draft indictment, that is completely inconsistent with Acosta's description of an office that had serious doubts about whether it could make a case.
— RammedTheRampartsHat (@Popehat) July 10, 2019
In other words, if they had a 53-page indictment ready, then the claim that 18 months in kiddie jail was the best Acosta could do is pretty hard to believe. I wonder what ever happened to that document. Did anyone save a copy? It would be interesting to compare it to the deal Acosta eventually reached.
Tags: Alexander Acosta Barry Krischer Jeffrey Epstein
Trump just ran a two-year trade war experiment. It failed. – HotAir


Global Volcanism Program, 2014. Report on Aira (Japan). In: Sennert, S K (ed.), Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 9 April-15 April 2014. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.
JMA reported that during 7-11 April two explosions from Showa Crater at Aira Caldera's Sakurajima volcano ejected tephra as far as 800 m. Incandescence from the crater was detected during the night of 10 April. The Alert Level remained at 3 (on a scale of 1-5). The Tokyo VAAC reported that on 10 and 12 April plumes rose to an altitude of 2.4 km (8,000 ft) a.s.l. Plumes drifted SE on 10 April.


text:
Last night was the Town Hall Meeting hosted by Senator Mike McGuire, and State Senator Bill Dodd, and supported by:
David Rabbitt – Sonoma County Supervisor
Kate Miller – Executive Director of the Napa Valley Transportation Authority Napa Valley Transportation Authority (ca.gov)
Suzanne Smith – Executive Director of the Sonoma County Transportation Authority Sonoma County Transportation Authority – Sonoma County Transportation Authority, SCTA (ca.gov)
Daryl Halls – Executive Director of the Solano Transportation Authority Solano Transportation Authority (ca.gov)
Anne Richman – Executive Director of the Transportation Authority of Marin Transportation Authority of Marin (ca.gov)
For some background information, please click on Resilient 37 website here-
Resilient 37 – Sonoma County Transportation Authority (ca.gov)
The Town Hall Meeting can be viewed here
Video Gallery | Senator Mike McGuire (ca.gov)
The main news I got out of watching the video, is that there is a two pronged approach to fixing Highway 37-one short term relief and the other is the more "utopian" permanent fix of this corridor. The short term relief is moving forward now-environmental studies to a proposed improvement to the 121/37 intersection at Sears Point plus the widening of 37 and the installation of a movable barrier that will allow two lanes of traffic instead of the current single lane to be realized in the morning going east to west, and then in the afternoon the two lanes would be going west to east. Timeline is environmental studies and report complete this summer, approved by the end of this year, funding and final design in 2022-2023, going to bid in late 2023, construction in 2024, and fully operational to the public in 2025. Price tag between $250million and $400 million. That's a lot of potential work for our guys!


Look through the profiles of Member members here at Punk Dating Site that are associated with Armenian. Meeting other members that have like minded interests is a pefect way to come up with ideas to do on a first date. Signup for a Totally Free Account to Meet Someone Tonight!
My name's Kim! I love music and people who can keep a condo going. Any questions just ask me!


text:
A US court issues arrest warrant for an Ahmadi leader for not appearing in his sexual assault trial
Muneeb Ur Rehman Ahmad, 38, was working on an assignment from the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya to oversee boys between seven to 15 years of age at Bait-ul-Ikram Mosque, Dallas.
A district court of Texas State of the US has issued an arrest warrant for Muneeb-Ur-Rehman, a former leader of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya, for not appearing in the court in connection with his trial on charges of sexual assault of a minor boy.
The court also forfeited his bail bond worth $100,000 for violating the bail conditions.
Judicial Officer Sherry Shipman had fixed May 25 for a hearing when the accused was expected to plead guilty but he did not turn up. Over Muneeb's conduct, his lead counsel Amy Brown withdrew her power of attorney and would no more represent him in the court. The victim boy is moved to a safe place to avoid any act of retribution at the hands of the fugitive.
Muneeb is facing 6 charges including sexual assault of the minor before the court. The crimes took place between March 2018 and March 2020 when the accused was working on an assignment from Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya to oversee boys between seven to 15 years of age at Ahmadi Bait-ul-Ikram Mosque, Dallas city, according to a report compiled by Facing Abuse in Community Environments (FACE), a US-based non-profit organization.
Muneeb was arrested on March 11, 2020, and was later released on bail after furnishing a $100,000 surety bond. The sic charges include three charges of sexual assault of a child and three charges of indecency with a child by sexual contact. These charges are in two different counties – Denton and Collin. There are two other allegations of the same nature against Muneeb in Harris County. His trial has yet to take place in Collin and Harris counties. He is from Canada and his passport is in police custody.
According to the FACE report, the accused groomed the 14-year-old boy under his care. Over the course of at least 11 documented encounters, the accused was reported to have sexually abused the boy at his apartment, in his car, and during community events and on youth group trips, they both attended. During the sex abuse interaction, the victim was appointed as Nazim Atfal (head of boys aged seven to 15) on July 21, 2019.
Learning about the grooming and sexual assault, the victim's family went to the police and Muneeb was arrested on May 11, 2020. He was subsequently removed from the post of Motamid Khuddam.
Ahmadi leader faces sexual assault charges, this time in US
Ahmadi women seek leadership's explanation on rapes, ask tough questions
Sex abuse victims risk retribution as Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya implements safeguards
Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya introduces measures to control sex abuse incidents with retribution risk for victims
Muneeb's case came to light after revelations of three other Ahmadis, including Dr Muhammad Afzal Upal, Akash Ashar, and Nida Ul Nasser, 36, who has alleged being sexually molested from early childhood to the age of 25 by her father and three other close relatives of the head of the Jamaat-e-Ahmadiyya.
FACE executive director Alia Salem in a statement on Friday criticized the US judicial system and said, "Today's experience for the victim is a prime example of why our criminal legal system is in desperate need of an overhaul and why so many victims choose not to come forward. Not only is the process lengthy and cumbersome for all parties where true restoration and meaningful justice are rare and often incomplete, but the gaps in the process also fail to provide actual accountability and, more often than not, centre the needs of the court above the needs of victims, the community-at-large, or even the perpetrators.
4 thoughts on "A US court issues arrest warrant for an Ahmadi leader for not appearing in his sexual assault trial"
B says:
Any updates to this? Has he been arrested yet?
Rana Tanveer says:
Still at large!
Pathan Boy says:
This is the satanic cult called Ahmadiyat or Qadiyaniat… Tbey r all followers of SATAN OR A DAJAL…. THEIR leader or we can say second dajal to their main dajal… Mirza basheer mahmood was having sex with his own daughter and also invited many ahmadis to have sex with her in same bed….
So nothing new… Its common in them… And its a kind of sawab (Good Deed) for them because thier cult founder a dajal namelh ghulam mirza qadiyani was Impotent after having two sons from his first marraige.. Then he became impotent 100% and could not fuck his own new wife half his age…even his father in law and mother in law were younger than him…. 😂… Then it was first dajal to main dajal noor din badmash who fucked that young girl and made her pragnent…. So its not new in them… Its common thinv in them to fuck boys girls mothers sisters aunties… All is well for them
Nosho says:
Ahmadiyya Jamaat should immediately EXPELL such individuals from Community.
Darul Qaza Rabwah, poor and injustices are promoting this trend. Delayed marriage is also a major factor. I don't know why Justice is disappearing from executives.


Courtney, Andrea, and I left when the morning dew was still on the ground to arrive in Northern Illinois for their wedding. With Starbucks in our hands and a mind full of ideas, we arrived at the church in awe of its grandeur.
Reconstructed from two different churches, this beauty was ready to make its mark on Old Mill Creek and we were ready to document one of the most serene weddings before it was fully complete.
And oh, was it serene! From the moment we met Sarah in person to the moment we left hugging each other tight, we were in love with this Bride and this couple.
With leaky eyes, Sarah put on her dress.
With leaky eyes, she saw her father.
With leaky eyes, she held the hand of her groom.
And with leaky eyes, we watched her dance to Return To Pooh Corner with her father before he invited Andrew to take his place.
From childhood memories to new adventures on the beautiful Strawberry Creek Golf Course, Andrew and Sarah blew us away with their young love and playfulness.
Sarah and Andrew, congratulations, you two, and thank you for your tender compassion and the incredibly generous love you showed to both us and your guests!
Best Man Speech Good evening everyone. First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Creighton Collier, and it's both an honor and a pleasure to be standing beside Nordyke as his best man this evening. And when I say Nordyke for the remainder of this speech, know that I'm referring to Andrew right here.
I'm one of Nordyke's best friends, and, as the best man, I was asked to come up here and say some nice things about him. Well I couldn't think of anything nice to say, so I'm going to make it up as I go. There's a rule you know, there's a certain bit of wedding etiquette we guests have to follow. No woman should look better than the bride. And no man should look better than the groom. I'd like to personally thank the ushers for abiding by that rule to the fullest. You did a great job today.
Let me go ahead and get some thank you's out of the way as well. To all of the guests, I want to personally thank you for taking the time to travel here tonight. I know some of you had to take planes, trains, or automobiles for several hours to make it and, on behalf of the lovely couple, we're so grateful. To all of the bridesmaids and the rest of the groomsmen, thanks for helping make everything go off without a hitch today. We nailed it. To Nordyke and Sarah's parents, thank you for raising these two amazing people we're all here to celebrate tonight. None of our lives would be the same without them and that's all thanks to you.
Nordyke and I have been friends for a long time. I first met Nordyke when we attended Vacation Bible School at the Catholic Church back in our hometown of Warrensburg, Missouri. And for almost the past two decades we've had some great times together. Some of my favorite memories have been our numerous "Catholics and Creighton" gatherings where Nordyke, Joel, Shaul, and I played hours of Halo 2 while quoting the entire Anchorman movie.
He's been by my side for every wrong move, every high, every low, and all the biggest moments from winning the state cross country championship our senior year to now. I'm so grateful that I was able to be here tonight celebrating alongside not only Nordyke but Sarah as well. Their relationship is something to admire. I have never seen two people who are more meant for each other than Nordyke and Sarah. I first met Sarah when Nordyke brought her over to my house to introduce her to me. They told me the story about their first date at a cattle show. It was at that moment I wondered, maybe there was something wrong with this girl, because there is no way he would get a second date from the story I just heard.
Yet, here we are today. And if you haven't heard about the story of their first date, tonight would be the night to ask. In all honesty, I knew from that moment that she was the woman Nordyke would end up marrying. She's beautiful, obviously. But getting to know her over the years, I've found her to be one of the most loving and caring people I know. She has been such a blessing to my family by checking in my grandmother and taking her to their favorite Mexican restaurant in Des Moines.
On a more serious note, I wish the both of you years and years of happiness and love. The running gag between Nordyke and my family is that people always mistaken him to be one of my brothers. Well I do consider Nordyke to be part of my family, and I am honored to have Sarah be part of my family as well.
So let's raise our glasses and toast to the future of this newly-married couple. May your lives be filled with family, friends, adventures, and a long and blissful marriage through and through. Cheers!


text:
Pennsylvania Online Gambling Market Ready to Introduce 2FA Ahead of 2023
Pennsylvania is getting ready to join the New Jersey and Ontario online gambling markets and introduce two-factor authentication (2FA) as a mandatory enhanced security method. The new changes need to be implemented by all operators by December 31. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) originally informed licensed operators about the upcoming move in June, giving them enough time to start implementing the necessary changes. PGCB's spokesperson Doug Harbach explained the way the multi-factor authentication will work.
2FA Engaged Once Every 14 Days
The multi-factor authentication will need to be engaged once every two weeks, no matter the level of activity of players. Plus, independent third parties will assess the security of these 2FA measures on a yearly basis, with reports being sent to PGCB. Gaming operators in the state will also need to encrypt players' personal data to make sure they are properly secured. These security measures will also undergo tests four times a year.
Unibet, FanDuel, and other operators in the state have already started to contact their registered players and announce the changes that will be implemented by the end of the year. Even more, operators such as BetPARX have already successfully put the fresh multi-factor technology into practice on their platforms.
Smooth Implementation of the 2FA in New Jersey
The introduction of the added layer of protection which guarantees security for online accounts beyond simple usernames and passwords does not come as a response to the numerous fraud issues that have been reported by operators lately. PGCB issued the directive in the summer during the same month when New Jersey regulators first introduced the requirement for the 2FA for all forms of mobile and online gambling. Ever since, the new authentication option proved to be successful, with very few to no complaints registered by gambling customers, according to New Jersey's Division of Gaming Enforcement. Minor difficulties were addressed by gamblers who did not own smartphones when using their authentication via email. The DGE expressed its commitment to finding alternative options for these players.
Gaming operators in Pennsylvania can expect that, by implementing the 2FA, they will have an easier time identifying and stopping fraud attempts. At the same time, players are also advised to continue to take the necessary steps for safe and smooth online gambling experiences hygiene, such as avoiding using the same passwords for multiple accounts. The 2FA works by sending a passcode using text messaging to players attempting to access their online accounts after filling in their login details. The passcode must be entered into their gambling app to enable full access to players' accounts. The following authentication request will commence after 14 days. Players trying to log in using different devices will be asked to repeat the 2FA procedure.
Previous PostPrevious Sportradar launches Athlete Wellbeing video on potential impact of sports betting
Next PostNext Online Casinos in India: Current Status and Popular Casino Sites
Star faces securities class action lawsuit in Victoria
"No connection" between MGA and subjects of mafia investigation, regulator says
Las Vegas Strip Investment Projects Getting Affected by Rising Interest Rates
The Platform Provider Strengthens Its Product Team with This Important Addition
Poker Legend Phil Hellmuth Takes Cover
Breaking Down the Americans' Opponents at the 2022 World Cup


text:
Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology
The University of Tampa
4-Year Colleges With the Largest Enrollment of Native American or Alaska Native Students
Washington Consortium
First-Year College Books and Readings 2014
Top 20 Community Colleges in the United States
Theology and Religious Studies: Providing a Foundation for Life
If you have ever voiced your thoughts about majoring in theology or religious studies, you might have been greeted with, "What are you going to do with that?" Well, this is what!
Articles & Advice > Catholic Colleges and Universities > Articles
by Dr. Brian Flanagan
Assistant Professor of Theology, Marymount University
If you have ever voiced your thoughts about majoring in theology or religious studies, you might have been greeted with, "What are you going to do with that?" In our results-oriented world, these majors might seem, at best, foolish or at worst a waste of your time or your family's hard-earned money. But contrary to any stereotypes about majoring in theology as impractical or "too religious," studying religion at the university level opens numerous opportunities, both practical and personal, for undergraduates at Catholic colleges and universities.
First, some definitions about theology and religious studies. Both of these ways of studying religion start in the idea that God, one's religious faith, and the religious faith and practices of others are open to scholarly investigation, critical reflection, and sustained inquiry. "Theology" generally refers to the academic study of one's own beliefs—the 11th century theologian and Doctor of the Church Anselm of Canterbury classically defined theology as fides quaerens intellectum—"faith seeking understanding."
Theologians often start with their own faith and are using their reason, to the best of their ability, to understand that faith better. They often see their work as being of service to the academic/scholarly world, as well as to their church or other religious community. Unlike a childhood Sunday school or CCD class, however, part of the point of theology is to begin critically asking, while simultaneously starting to answer, your own questions about God and your relationship to God, with the help of your professor, your fellow students, and the long tradition of intellectual inquiry that characterizes Catholic higher education.
Religious studies is a broader term that encompasses the study of religion as a phenomenon of human life and history. To study religion in this way is to take a bit more distance from one's own beliefs and to learn about the beliefs of others, their practices, and their values, and to look at broader similarities and differences across the spectrum of world religions. Religious studies was "interdisciplinary" long before scholars began using that term, drawing upon history, sociology, anthropology, and psychology as well as the work of theologians.
Every Catholic college or university has some courses in theology, religious studies, or, usually, both. Many times, students take some of these courses as part of a general liberal arts education, so that even if you major in chemistry or accounting, you will be exposed to the intellectual habits and methods of theologians and scholars of religion. But you might find, especially if you have never taken a theology or religion course before, that the questions that get raised in those courses are your questions too. If so, you might want to think about a religion major.
So what are some of those questions? One way of giving a sense of the breadth of these fields is to talk about some of the theology and religious studies courses typically offered at my university, and some of the questions they ask. All of our undergraduates get to take a general introduction to the field of theology and religious studies, a course we describe as studying "the perennial questions of human existence and the answers offered by the Christian faith." After that, you are prepared to take courses in a number of areas. In the area of theology, some courses study the Jewish and Christian Scriptures more intensely, asking about the history of those texts and their meaning: Why are there four Gospels instead of just one? Where did the "10 Commandments" come from? How should Christians read the letters of Saint Paul today? Other courses focus more directly upon some of the "big questions" of human existence and the way theologians have discussed them across the centuries: Who is God, and what does it mean to say God is a "Trinity"? Who is Jesus, and how should we try to talk about him? Why does God allow tragedies in our lives? What happens when we die? Other courses focus more specifically upon ethics and morality: When does life begin and end, and how should medical professionals use this knowledge? Why does poverty exist, and what is the proper response to structures of injustice and oppression?
Religious studies courses are just as diverse and begin with just as many questions. Some study the phenomenon of human religious practice: Why do religions have so many rituals? What do people think they are doing when praying or meditating? Is being a huge Red Sox fan a religion—why or why not? Others focus more directly upon particular religious traditions that you may never have encountered before, or that you may know a little bit about already. What does Judaism believe about God, and why? How do Hindus pray? What are the different branches of Islam?
As you can tell, the fields of theology and religious studies are defined as much by their questions as by their answers, and you might find it exciting to think about asking those questions in a sustained, thoughtful way over four years of college.
But to return to the initial question, "What are you going to do with that?" There are lots of interesting and surprising ways that theology and religious studies majors use their knowledge and skills in their careers. For some students, majoring in theology or religion provides a foundation for future work directly in religious occupations or environments. Our students have gone on to work for churches or religious communities, to teach religion at the high school level, to work for nonprofit organizations doing community organizing, evangelization, and other forms of service to the church and to the world. Some of our students have gone on to graduate work in theology and religious studies, sometimes to teach at the university level and sometimes to work as lay pastoral ministers and, yes, as priests and religious sisters and brothers.
But there are also many opportunities to draw upon theology and religious studies in other non-religious contexts. Students sometimes do this by combining a theology major with another major, such as education, political science, or sociology. Putting their knowledge of religion together with their study of global politics or criminal justice can strengthen their overall appeal to employers. Other students find that the liberal arts skills of reading carefully, communicating well, and learning to interact with different ideas and people provide a solid foundation for jobs in entirely unrelated fields.
Majoring in theology and religious studies might also help one stand out in a pool of other applicants. Most applicants to, say, medical school will have excellent training in biology, but fewer will have combined that with sustained reflection upon biomedical ethics. Most applicants to public policy programs will have a strong background in political science, but fewer will be able to understand the relation of people's religious culture and identity to their political life and choices.
Keeping in mind such practical realities, the main reason to major in theology or religious studies should be because you find theological and religious questions interesting, even exciting. Undergraduate education is a brief chance to follow your intellectual passions without hindrance—to pursue your questions about God, about your faith, and about the world, with wild abandon. If, in Anselm's phrase, you are passionate about understanding your faith or the role of religion in the world, then a theology or religious studies major might be right for you.
catholic Catholic schools catholicism majors picking a major religious studies theological studies theology theology studies


Do you love your breakfast? Do you have a short list of "go-to" recipes? Need a bit of inspiration to start eating breakfast again?
Getting some protein at each meal can help with blood sugar management, metabolism and weight loss. This is because protein helps you feel fuller longer and uses a lot of calories to absorb and metabolize it. So I'm going to show you how to get the protein, as well as some veggies and healthy fats for your breakfasts.


Functional Fluency is a model for understanding how we behave. It provides a practical framework for using our energy to 'react' less and 'respond' more, so that we feel less stressed.
Acknowledge our own needs and articulate them in a considerate way.
Build our resilience and not take negative comments to heart.
Stay more objective and not jump to conclusions.
Be confident in our strengths and abilities.
Care without wearing ourselves out.
Functional Fluency enables us to communicate more effectively and to build positive relationships at work and at home.


text:
Willi Sinnecker (* 7. Oktober 1924 in Tilsit, Ostpreußen; † 30. November 1988) war ein deutscher Politiker der SPD.

Ausbildung und Beruf
Willi Sinnecker besuchte die Volksschule und arbeitete später als Vermessungstechniker. Von 1942 bis 1945 war er im Kriegsdienst. Nach Kriegsende belegte er ein Studium an der Ingenieurschule Hamburg; 1947 wurde er Ingenieur. Von 1950 bis 1963 war er als Beamter des gehobenen technischen Dienstes tätig. Ab 1963 war er selbständiger Ingenieur. 1965 erfolgte die Hochschulreifeprüfung in Hamburg und im Anschluss studierte er Geodäsie an der Universität Bonn.

Politik
Willi Sinnecker war von 1952 bis 1957 Mitglied der Gesamtdeutschen Volkspartei (GVP) und von 1957 bis 1977 Mitglied der SPD. Er fungierte als Vorsitzender des Unterbezirks Krefeld und war Mitglied des Bezirksvorstandes Niederrhein sowie Mitglied des Landesausschusses NW. Der ÖTV trat er 1950 bei. Als Ratsherr der Stadt Krefeld war er ab März 1970 tätig.

Willi Sinnecker war vom 25. Juli 1966 bis zum 27. Mai 1975 Mitglied des 6. und 7. Landtages von Nordrhein-Westfalen. In den 6. Landtag wurde er für den Wahlkreis 038 Krefeld II direkt gewählt. In den 7. Landtag zog er über die Landesliste ein.

Im Juni 1977 beteiligte sich Sinnecker an der Gründung der Sozialen Demokratischen Union (SDU).

Weblinks

Landtagsabgeordneter (Nordrhein-Westfalen)
Politiker (Krefeld)
GVP-Mitglied
SPD-Mitglied
Deutscher
Geboren 1924
Gestorben 1988
Mann

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Home Insights In Automation The Automation Blog The Automation Blog Celebrates Its Four Year Anniversary!
Did you know The Automation Blog turned four years old last month?
And that during that time we've had over half a million unique visitors stop by, generating well over one million page views?
The reason all those people visited The Automation Blog is quite simple: They wanted access to our 500 free technical "how to" articles, and 200 free "how-to" videos.
As our regular readers know, while I love technology and creating how-to articles and videos, I don't enjoy taking time away from those activities to manage the advertising required to cover our free blog's server costs.
That in mind, I want to take a moment to thank those eight awesome readers who have pledged $1 or more a month to become our patrons at Patreon.com/Automation!
In appreciation of their pledges, I'll soon be merging AutomationFiles.com and AutomationTutorials.com into a single new upgraded site where Patrons will be able to download their monthly "patron rewards," as well as where anyone can sell automation related tutorials and sample code to our community.
Speaking of funding, it seems that the FTC is cracking down on blogs that don't make it abundantly clear that they're receiving funding from Ads, and commission from Affiliates Links.
So to insure The Automation Blog is in full compliance, I've expanded our site's footer with additional information to insure it's very clear how our blog sometimes makes revenue from these sources.
Simply put, if you click on an Ad, or Amazon / Ebay link on our site, we may make a small amount of revenue.
And while only a tiny fraction of our twenty five thousand monthly visitors click on these links, thankfully the revenue has been enough to keep our site free and online.
I plan to write more about this over on my personal blog, TheAutomationGuy.com, but the short version is that I hope to continue to grow our library of over 500 free articles and 200 free videos in The Automation Blog's fifth year.
So if you'd like to see us grow our free library of articles and videos in year five, don't hesitate to contact us about sponsoring The Automation Blog or sharing a guest blog, or by becoming a patron at Patreon.com/Automation.
And if you'ld like to comment on this (or any) article, feel free to do so in our free forum, TheAutomationForums.com.


text:
Goldman Fraud Case With SEC Settled
EconomyMonetary System
By John Lounsbury	 On Jul 15, 2010
Goldman Sachs (GS) and the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) have announced a settlement of the suit over the Abacus security case which was a civil action charging fraud by Goldman. According to the SEC announcement, which I watched on CNBC, Goldman will pay $550 million in disgorgement and penalties. In spite of this being a record cash settlement, this appears to be good news for Goldman and the stock is trading well after hours above $153, up about 6% from the close and over 11% from the day's open.
The entire press release and supporting documents are available here.
No Fraud
Others who might have standing to file suits for damages related to Abacus and similar securities appear to be completely undercut by this settlement. Goldman admits no fault. The question of fraud has been taken off the table. Here are some of the words used by SEC spokesmen in the press conference:
Goldman mislead investors with incomplete information.
The problem was with deficient marketing materials.
Nothing was said about "deliberate" actions. The implication I take away is that the assumption can be made that the entire episode was inadvertent, accidental. I personally do not subscribe to that interpretation.
SEC Statements about What has been Accomplished
Here are some other key items selected from the press conference:
The settlement assures accountability, punishment for past misconducts and prospective reforms.
Goldman agrees to tighten internal controls and provide full, accurate and complete disclosure in the future.
The settlement reinforces the concepts of full disclosure, honest treatment and fair dealing.
Goldman is consenting to a permanent injunction preventing it from violating the anti-fraud provision of the Security Act of 1933.
GS agrees to cooperate with the SEC in the prosecution of former Goldman executive Fabrice Tourre.
What has not been Accomplished
A number of things have not been accomplished:
The discussion of the documentation of this case in open court will not occur.
Internal responsibility for the misconduct within Goldman has been largely hidden.
Clarification of the distinctions between suitability responsibility and fiduciary responsibility has not been made.
No specific future actions by Goldman have been specified. They have simply promised to "do better", so to speak.
The Case Remains Open Ended
There are two things to mention here. One is pragmatic and one is intellectual.
First, the case against Fabrice Tourre remains open and it appears that Goldman will cooperate in his prosecution. To this observer, it appears that the rookie second stringer has been hung out to dry. It does not appear that he was the architect of any of this; he appears to have been little more than a sales manager. Was he following a sales script? Who wrote and approved the script? Yet he may well be the only individual suffering legal consequences. Is the "Fabulous Fab" going to be the collateral damage for Goldman in this affair?
The second point centers on the statement by the SEC spokesman that "Goldman is consenting to a permanent injunction preventing it from violating the anti-fraud provision of the Security Act of 1933."
Goldman does not admit to any wrong doing but is consenting to an injunction to prevent it from committing fraud in the future. Is such an injunction necessary for a firm which has not committed fraud?
Why must Goldman consent to an injunction to follow the law? Did the law not apply to them before the consent? This is a joke!
This resolution seems to do little to stop the type of behavior that allowed securities such as Abacus to be structured. It may be that enough lessons have been learned that such actions will not occur again. But maybe not.
The resolution does little to punish Goldman or those Goldman executives that condoned the actions questioned. Only Tourre has been singled out for further prosecution. Those who directed him may escape scrutiny.
Goldman, the company, has suffered a $550 million expense against approximate annual earnings of $12 billion and sees its market cap increase by more than $7 billion on the day. A mere slap on the wrist has been administered.
The SEC spokesman emphasized the need for accountability. Has accountability has been served?
derivativesfraudGoldman SachsHousinglawmortgagesregulation
John Lounsbury 74 posts 0 comments
John Lounsbury provides comprehensive financial planning and investment advisory services to a small number of families on a fee only basis. He has a background which includes 34 years with a major international corporation, 25 years in R&D management and corporate staff positions. John is also one of the ten most followed writers at Seeking Alpha and a Senior Contributor at TheStreet.com and Real Money. He is a founding partner and managing editor of Global Economic Intersection. Follow him on twitter @jlounsbury59.
The capital tsunami is a bigger threat than the nuclear option
How transitory is transitory, housing edition?
How to think about the GameStop saga
Worries about a retail investor-led speculative mania, part 2
Two takeaways from today's market meltdown
Alworth says 12 years ago
When did we vote on whether corporations could commit crimes, get away with them by paying meaningless fines and not have to admit guilt? I most have missed that one.
Dodd-Frank: The Devil is in the Details
MBS Putbacks Uncertain but Other U.S. Bank Problems Also…


text:
Sept 2: Vegas Food Trucks Rally for Festi-Brawl
Who: "Tuff-N-Uff: The Future Stars of MMA" along with the hottest gourmet food trucks from Las Vegas
Pop's On The Go
Chi-Town Hustler
Sauced
Fat Daddy's Ice Cream
When: Sunday, September 2, 2012
5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Where: South Point Arena
9777 Las Vegas Boulevard South, Las Vegas
I-15 at Silverado Ranch Boulevard
FESTI-BRAWL
Gourmet Food Trucks, Free Beer Tasting and Live Music Come Together for a Night of Premiere Amateur Fighting
LAS VEGAS, NV – "Tuff-N-Uff: The Future Stars of MMA" presents the Amateur Fighting Championships at the South Point Arena on Sunday, September 2 from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. The event will feature a mobile convoy of Las Vegas' hottest restaurants on tires and a special appearance from MMA superstar Shane Carwin.
Ticket holders are invited to attend the official pre-party for the event beginning at 5:00 p.m., which will feature free beer tasting and a live music performance by The Garage Boys. The first fighters will hit the ring at 7:30 p.m. The event will feature a must see fight as MMA fighters Tom Morales and Jake Swinney enter the ring to compete for the Championship Title.
General seating for Tuff-N-Uff: FESTIBRAWL starts at only $25 and is available by calling South Point Arena Box Office at (702) 797-8055 or online at SouthPointArena.com.
Admission to the food truck area is free and open to the public from 5 p.m. until the fights end.
Enjoy this incredible event with seats so close you can feel the action with the purchase of The SPICEBOX Ultra Lounge package The package will provide guests an exclusive experience featuring premium elevated floor seats on VIP couches for eight, a suite in the South Point for the night, two bottles of premium Spicebox Whisky with mixers, unlimited cocktail service with a visit from the Spicebox Prohibition Girls and Tuff-N-Uff apparel.
For more information and to purchase The SPICEBOX Ultra Lounge Package please call (702) 797-8273 or visit the South Point Arena Box Office.


Given by Gentleman Jim Stacey to be returned to Salyn Sarethi at Ghostgate. While this blade has the stats of a Glass Dagger, its appearance is identical to a Steel Dagger (a minor bug).
*In the 1.0 version of the game, this robe has a constant effect enchantment.
0.5 0 Looks enough like a Lesser Soul Gem to ruin Galbedir's experiment during the Fake Soul Gem quest for the Balmora Mages Guild. Another example, not related to a quest, can be found in Habinbaes.
Esta página foi modificada pela última vez à(s) 07h48min de 5 de dezembro de 2014.


Profitability cases often start with problem statements such as: 'Company X has seen its profits decline over the past few years' or 'Even though Company X's sales are up, profits are down'. With these kind of problems you want to make sure that you know what the major source of the problem is before getting to possible solutions. A lot of people would immediately start asking about revenue streams and costs but it is important here to look at external factors first before looking internally. External factors could be found on a macro-economic scale and on an industry-wide level.
You first want to make sure that nothing strange is happening in the economy. Perhaps the unemployment rate in Company X's country is increasing, leading to less disposable income for the consumers in that specific country. Perhaps the value of the country's currency has been dropping because of some political factors. Or perhaps the interest rates are fluctuating. All of these macro-economic factors may influence the buying habits of important customer groups. In addition, it might also affect a company's ability to borrow money from banks or other financial institutions. In the end this may cause the profitability problem. A good framework to map out macro-environmental factors is the PESTEL analysis (looking at Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors). This step however shouldn't take too much of your time. Just make sure that you are aware of what might be going on in the economy when starting off with a profitability case interview.
Secondly, you want to make sure to find out whether the profitability problem is an industry-wide or a company-specific problem. In the former case, you could look at some industry trends such as the market size and its growth pattern over time. In what lifecycle stage is the industry currently: emerging, mature, declining? Perhaps the product has become obsolete and demand is dropping. Next you want to look at competition. How does the competitive landscape look like and what are each player's market share? Perhaps a new competitor has entered the arena and is now stealing customers from Company X. Another element you want to look at is the supply chain. Are there some changes on the supplier side leading to increased cost of goods sold (COGS)? Are the distribution channels not working properly? Or has your buyers' bargaining power changed over time? A great framework to analyze the industry in terms of competition and supplier/buyer power is Porter's Five Forces model.
Now you know what is going on in the external environment, you could look more closely inside the company. You could start off by looking at the product mix of Company X. What product offering does it have and how is each product line doing individually? This is where the classic profitability framework (profit = revenues − costs) can be applied. Is the problem situated at the revenue side, the cost side or both? Try to break down revenues and costs into smaller pieces. You know that revenue is a function of volume × price. If revenues have dropped it might be the case that volume (sales) has decreased or prices have changed. Take the price elasticity into account as well! A higher price does not always lead to higher revenues, since less people might be able to afford the product. Price thus influences volume to some extent. Similarly you might want to break down total costs into fixed cost and variable cost. Have they changed over time and how do they compare to those of Company X's competitors? Ultimately you will find the major source of the problem by asking these kind of questions.
Now you have identified where the problem is coming from, the next step is to come up with creative and pragmatic solutions to resolve the situation. The first option you might want to try is to alter the price. As mentioned before, due to price elasticity, Company X might need to change its price in order to find the optimal revenue outcome. In some cases there might be room to increase the price, whereas in other cases you might want to decrease it in order to boost sales. Another option is to enhance the revenue streams by targeting new markets or by launching new products. A great framework to analyze suitable growth options is the Ansoff Matrix. Finally, you could take a closer look at the costs and see how they could be reduced. Possible solutions are to combine production facilities, invest in more efficient technologies, renegotiate contracts with suppliers, outsource expensive activities abroad or reduce inventories.
Even though profitability cases allow for a relatively straight-forward structure to follow, it also requires a lot of creative out-of-the-box thinking from the interviewee. Don't just apply the profitability framework blindly, but really try to adapt the framework depending on the kind of business you are focusing on. When you are working on a restaurant case, you cannot just use the words volume or sales. Rather, you should talk about the amount of meals per day or the amount of occupied tables. By multiplying these numbers with the average price of a meal or the average money spend per table, you get a good idea of the restaurant's daily revenue. This way you will show the interviewer that you can look beyond the framework and get a head start on your fellow applicants. Good luck!


GentleShark . BigBlackAna. BillyPassionX. AnastassiaSummer.
CherrySheillaCristalAndSharonPRINCIPETEEN1LikaMiers .NatalyaPearlHallyHCristalAndSharonLyamHot .NatalieKayTaraJouvetSHILOUHCherryWilling .13incselfsukkittysweettBrittanyOrionJackandBunny .RoomInRomeCrisAndMicSophieLarchBunnyFay .CecilyPetersNatalieKayLovelyAminahoneydddf .AlleenHotLisaCrownSamanthaThomsonAlleenHot .TaraJouvetIsabellaBondageJuliaDiamondXXXCherryWilling .BELAIREAmyTaylerrDirtyKennysSHILOUH .BrittanyOrionSalvador2LorenzoMinaDiamond82willybrasil .VictoriaJewelLyamHotArisSpartanAlliciaLove .
XNaughtyCoupleXKeshaForTaniaAmyTaylerrKathySugar .CecilyPetersAphrosiaAlliciaLovedaemonlove .BunnyFayAlleenHotjustme2014LatexFetishSex .AriellaMurrrsisi6LyamHotAriellaMurrr .sexmarker9SweetSophiee13incselfsukxSweetAngelCumx .KeshaForTaniaCherryWillingCrisAndMicFabianetta .AlleenHotwillybrasilAriellaMurrrBradleyCreed .CecilyPeterssisi6LyamHotGabrielLove1 .LocoSexxAshleyGorgeousSHILOUHCorsAlisa .hotcouple1223LikaMiersSalvador2LorenzoJulialiones .AllexisFordAlleenHotLovelyAminaBELAIRE .


This week has been one with a few good size releases and even some better sized news. Fresh off the table are two things that have hit the mainstream, one being that HTC Thrive price has been confirmed, pre-order dates in place, and the hardware shipping with it listed. Meanwhile on the other end we've learned that Smite has officially begun its launch onto PlayStation 4 with the closed Alpha having started just very recently. Oh and did we mention the fact that the Brazilian ratings boards have possibly confirmed a Bioshock: The Collection for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4? While the PlayStation 3 idea might just be a bad one, we can't argue that it may be a decent idea, and one that's worth possibly buying into for those who don't own a PC for gaming or, well, have had the chance to jump to PlayStation 4 or Xbox One as of yet.
So lets break down this weeks rant into a few sections.
There's no secret when it comes down to the idea that I absolutely love a good MOBA and I'm always willing to give one a go. After all I've invested hundreds of hours into Vainglory since it's launch on Android last year and still continue to play it this day. Now SMITE is a bit of a different story since I've played a decent amount on Xbox One due to convenience of a rather large screen compared to the one that my laptop has built in (we really do need a new review computer, add that to the list of things to do, when possible). SMITE is a rather interesting take on the MOBA genre since the game is one, if not the first third person MOBA that offers a third person shooter or even a third person hack and slash view of the battlefield.
The game itself is rather interesting as it brings deities from beliefs from around the world. Players can take on the role of playable characters such as Athena, Kukulkan, Nezha, Bellona, Kali, and many more through out the religions of the world. While the game has been largely available to the PC and Xbox One communities, the game has finally begun its movement to dominate the PlayStation 4's free-to-play market, much like titles such as Warframe, Blacklight: Retribution, and even War Thunder. With the beta coming in March, it'll be nice to see the community for SMITE grow in size.
When we first wrote about the cost of VR gaming due to the Oculus Rift price announcement, our jaws tightened, and our wallets began to flicker with flames coming to life. With the price leak of the HTC Vive, our hearts have sank and our wallets withered away as we watched any hope for affordable VR coming to life become a possibility. Instead one of my personal favourite hardware manufacturers has jumped in at the high-end price of hardware marketing. Unlike the Oculus Rift that was priced at 599.99 USD, it looks like HTC may have just taken an arrow to the knee on this one, and hobbled to the back of the VR race.
With Sony having not priced the PlayStation VR just yet, we can only hope that Sony doesn't follow in the path of both the Vive and Rift so that players may have an affordable experience, but if anything sticks true – the future of VR gaming may just cause some people to set their wallets on fire and walk away without any form of a smile on their faces. Only thing HTC can do now? Hope that UploadVR is wrong and they'll be dropping the price due to the feedback of consumers who might just not want to spend that much on a VR headset with two controllers. I know I sure as heck won't be.
We all know that if someone said that they haven't been even the slightest of the last gen franchise BioShock, we all know they are either lying or they genuinely aren't interested. My guess is more-so the first half since the franchise takes a rather interesting turn with the idea of human genetics and alteration. Let alone does it do that, the first two games are almost legitimately skin crawling as players will take on enemies that are physically damaged, mentally degraded due to their need for Adam, and even psychotically motivated with anything they do.
With the series having only three installments and a handful of DLC, it'd be an interesting move if publisher 2K decided to bring the franchise over to the next gen consoles with a bit of polishing, and even higher frame rates and resolutions than when they were previously released. Though the idea that the games could possibly see a Sleeping Dogs type release can make anyone cringe since Sleeping Dogs didn't see just a whole lot of upgrading between last gen and the current. If BioShock does anything, we just hope 2K gives a true HD re-release for home consoles. Who wouldn't want to exit a bathysphere once more only to take on lunatics. If the titling is true and this is happening, we'll see the collection on all consoles for Xbox and PlayStation as well as PC. Wait, why PC? That's beyond us, but this does give us some hope. Now if only we could get titles like Dragon's Dogma and the Mass Effect Trilogy on the current gen.
Lets just pretend for a moment that all of this is actually coming true. Mostly the BioShock portion, we already know that the series has become beloved by their fans, and with SMITE now on PlayStation 4, we can only hope that BioShock: The Collection and even a remaster of Dragon's Dogma will head this way. Till then? We'll be content playing some of this years upcoming titles and even taming some saber toothed cats on Far Cry Primal while clearing the streets of Manhattan as Division agents with Tom Clancy's The Division.


text:
package com.wmba.preference.test;

import com.wmba.preference.Preference;
import com.wmba.preference.FloatMemoryPreference;

public class FloatMemoryPreferenceTest extends AbstractPreferenceTest<Float> {
  @Override protected Float firstUniqueValue() {
    return 1.0f;
  }

  @Override protected Float secondUniqueValue() {
    return 1.1f;
  }

  @Override protected Preference<Float> createPreference(Float defaultValue) {
    return new FloatMemoryPreference(defaultValue);
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


"But not as deceitful as a low down, dirty... deceiver."
J.Monique has posted 23 links and 103 comments to WHEDONesque.
09/04/2015 08:13 CET 34395. Agents of SHIELD spinoff is in the works.
02/04/2013 14:57 CET 30724. Check out Nathan Fillion as Hermes AND Anthony Stewart Head as Chiron in the new Percy Jackson movie.
05/12/2012 16:14 CET 30091. Nicholas Brendon currently shooting The Morningside Monster.
26/11/2011 16:30 CET 27673. Jane Espenson's first episode of Once Upon A Time airs this Sunday night.
10/09/2011 22:17 CET 27235. Shawn Ryan lands a pilot at ABC.
10/09/2011 00:39 CET 27235. Shawn Ryan lands a pilot at ABC.
06/08/2011 05:54 CET 27032. Limited Buffy Lithograph by Mark Texeira exclusive to Wizard World Chicago.
25/04/2011 06:31 CET 26382. Goodnight Burbank - a web series with a host of genre actors - is now available on Hulu.
14/04/2011 11:53 CET 26329. Elisabeth Rohm joins Wizard World Anaheim.
12/04/2011 03:29 CET 26305. Happy Birthday Nicholas Brendon!
22/02/2011 05:47 CET 25923. Charisma Carpenter cloned.
02/01/2011 16:05 CET 25600. Nicholas Brendon's upcoming Wizard World Comic Con appearances.
02/01/2011 08:20 CET 25600. Nicholas Brendon's upcoming Wizard World Comic Con appearances.
29/09/2010 09:18 CET 24958. First episode of Nicholas Brendon's webcomic Very Bad Koalas!
03/09/2010 06:20 CET 24764. Portraits of Nicholas Brendon autographed for charity.
02/09/2010 06:02 CET 24754. Video: Nicholas Brendon dancing at Paris con.
19/08/2010 07:43 CET 24643. Nicholas Brendon goes from "Buffy" to web-comics with "Very Bad Koalas".
27/06/2010 21:51 CET 24212. New Blog From Very Bad Koalas - Webcomic by Nicholas Brendon, Steve Loter and Rafael Santiago.
26/06/2010 11:52 CET 24161. Cute video of Nicholas Brendon and a very young fan at his Los Angeles Meet and Greet.
01/06/2010 17:28 CET 24043. Blog Update from Nicholas Brendon.


text:
Medicine's Injection of "Woke" Ideology
Yesterday President Biden defended his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan saying "the buck stops here." What he completely ignored was that it was his lack of execution of that withdrawal, not the decision to do so that has Americans from both political parties deeply concerned. And our enemies celebrating.
I'll be talking more about that on the radio today.
John Murawski has written an in-depth investigative article about how the "woke" ideology is twisting medical science into something it was never intended to be---something that will destroy rather than heal.
"National racial reckoning and critical race theory is taking over the world of medicine and healthcare," he says.
I'll be talking about the very latest events in the chaotic handling of the withdrawal of US forces and other US personnel from Afghanistan on our live radio program this morning. Please join me. Here's how.
John Murawski has written an excellent---and lengthy investigative article on how medicine is falling prey to the so-called "woke" culture of the day.
It's a two-part report. This is part one. This is part two.
I recommend you read it.
The following is an overview of his report with some of my own observations:
The takeover.
"The national racial reckoning over reparations and critical race theory is taking over the world of medicine and healthcare," he writes.
Continuing he says: "Prestigious medical journals, top medical schools, and elite medical centers are adopting the language of social activism and vowing to confront 'systemic racism' dismantle 'structural violence' and disrupt 'white supremacy' in their institutional cultures."
Rare is the doctor who is willing to publicly question claims of white privilege and implicit bias in the healthcare system, and already several doctors who have publicly pushed back have been demoted and have filed legal actions alleging retaliation.
This year the medical profession received an unequivocal message when two editors of the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association resigned under pressure over a podcast that aired opinions expressing skepticism that the United States is plagued by systemic racism.
During this past year, more than 200 government bodies and private institutions declared "racism a public health care crisis," clearing the way to hire more minorities no matter their experience as doctors, academics, administrators, and editors as caretakers and gatekeepers.
Clyde Yancy, Northwestern University medical school vice dean for diversity and inclusion, wrote this: "All physicians, and particularly those in academic medicine, can and should address racial equality and engage with Black Lives Matter because atonement matters."
Anti-racist medicine calls for more black doctors. But that could mean jettisoning old medical standards.
The reasoning goes like this: because minorities, specifically blacks, have been discriminated against they have not had the opportunity to receive an equitable education. Consequently, grades and scores are no longer a credible way of measurement for academic qualification.
Sally Satel, an American Enterprise Institute senior fellow and author, notes that "Differences of any kind---in income, education, school performance, and, or, of course, health---are manifestations of racism and racism alone in this ideology.
She says "The practice of 'equity', the enactment of critical race theory, permits, if not endorses, unequal treatment of the dominate group in order to arrive at equal group outcomes, even if it is to the detriment of ailing individuals."
What about the Hippocratic Oath?
William Jacobson, clinical professor of law at Cornell Law School, says: "The medical ethics quandry tests the foundational principle of medicine itself, the Hippocratic Oath, by which doctors take a vow to 'do no harm'."
He says medicine in equalizing outcomes between blacks and whites may necessitate tolerating a greater loss of life...."It's a very ideological approach...People are going to die, so you have to agree with everything I have to say. And if you disagree with it, you want people to die apparently."
Jacobson also notes that the race equity push is "extremely lucrative for consultants and administrators who have a vested interest in perpetuating the problem."
The question lurking just below the surface is the sensitive question no one wants to discuss on the record: the quality of med students and doctors who have lower test scores and worse grades, and presumably would not have been admitted if not for the affirmative action.
Norman Wang, a University of Pittsburgh cardiologist whose peer-reviewed an article questioning the legality of racial preferences was, four months after it was published, retracted, leading to Wang's demotion and public denunciation by his employer and by the journal that initially saw fit to publish it.
Wang wrote, "Long-term academic solutions and excellence should not be sacrificed for short-term demographic optics."
The AMA is encouraging all physicians to align with "anti-oppressive and anti-racist praxis" to dismantle what it calls the white patriarchy.
Among the group's policy proposals is: "Medical schools must eliminate racial grading disparities."
There's more. But that is a quick look at how the medical field is being twisted and reshaped by the "woke" ideology.
Any honest inquiry is most often immediately attacked as racist. This investigation is no exception.
I found it very informative and helpful personally. I hope you will as well.
Personally, I do not believe there is a secular solution for racism. Racism, along with lists of other sins, is embedded in broken humanity---all have sinned and come short.
True equality is found at the cross of Jesus Christ. Authentic, biblical Christianity is the answer.


I spent a lovely weekend in the Lake District a few years ago with my husband, where I ate a lot of cake, admired the views and learnt a whole lot more than I needed to know about Beatrix Potter. There aren't many areas of unspoilt countryside about anymore, but the Lake District is one of them- so when Lake District Estates offered me the chance to give one of my readers a trip away to Ullswater, how could I refuse?
Ullswater, in the Lake District National Park, is the third deepest English lake (at 250 feet deep) and it's surrounded beautiful fells. It's also the setting for William Wordsworth's famous Daffodils poem. When you are in a place like this, you should spend as much time outdoors as is humanly possible. Luckily, the countryside surrounding Ullswater has many beautiful walks and cycling routes, and there are lots of water-based activities you can do on the lake itself.
You can walk round the lake to most of the surrounding quaint towns and villages to look at the shops and have some lunch, or you can tackle some of the more strenuous hill climbing routes. Handily, and a saving grace for your legs, once you walk one way, there are handy steamer boats to take you back across the lake. If cycling is more your thing, this is also a great place to bring your bike. Alternatively, you can hire electric bikes from the Electric Bicycle Network too. Cumbria Tourism has a handy map of the area with information on how to get around.
This is a collaborative post with Lake District Estates, but all opinions are my own.


text:
'Queer Eye' star Tan France talks new memoir, Tina Fey and the French tuck (of course)
"Queer Eye" star Tan France has already built a legacy as the sassy style expert (and French tuck advocate) on Netflix's hit reboot series. But in his new memoir out Tuesday, "Naturally Tan" (St. Martin's Press), France intends to leave another kind of legacy.
"For me, it was really important to be able to give people insight into what it's like for a (Pakistani) person of color growing up in a small town in England," he told USA TODAY in a recent interview. "I used this as an opportunity to finally tell my story my way, and hopefully be able to represent a community that I feel is so massively underrepresented."
France also chatted about stand-out moments in his memoir, meeting celebrities like Tina Fey and Bon Jovi, the French tuck (obviously) and much more.
Tina Fey's 'Bossypants' among his favorite books
France cites Tina Fey's memoir "Bossypants" as one of his favorite books. He met Fey last year when she hosted the 2018 season finale of "Saturday Night Live" and is an avid viewer of her NBC series "30 Rock." He watches it most mornings.
What other books does he like? France enjoys the essay-style format, as evidenced by his own memoir approach. "I recently read Amy Schumer's book and found that really interesting, because you think you know a version of these people that they are on TV or in the movies, and the books that they write shed light on who they are as real people," he says.
His favorite book, however, is a 1996 novel called "Mirage" by Soheir Khashoggi, an Egyptian writer. "I think it's beautiful," he says, and mentioned that he reads it every few years.
One book he hasn't read is "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" by Ann Brashares, nor has he seen the movie − this despite him claiming in his memoir that there's no such thing as the perfect pair of jeans. Still, "I stand by what I say."
More:'Queer Eye' star Tan France accuses TSA of labeling him 'security risk' due to skin color
That time he met Bon Jovi
France met Jon Bon Jovi when filming an episode of "The Today Show" − the first famous person who knew who he was.
"I cannot tell you how weird it is when you go from having absolutely nobody know who you are to suddenly being recognized by Jon Bon Jovi," he writes.
"You can't not recognize him," Tan tells USA TODAY of Bon Jovi. He's "one of the sexiest men on the planet."
Bon Jovi asked him for a picture just days after the show had come out. "My wife and I love you on the show!" Bon Jovi told him at the time. They almost FaceTimed her.
More:Bon Jovi to headline two Norwegian Cruise Line sailings in 2019
Why he switched suits with his husband at their wedding
You may think of France as someone who'd be particular about what clothes he wore on his wedding day. Think again.
Tan France's husband, Rob, whom he met in Salt Lake City, didn't feel comfortable in his suit that day. His "suit wasn't fitting him very nicely," France writes, "so I gave him my suit to wear, which fit him beautifully. I wore his suit, which I didn't really like and which didn't fit me right, either. He could see that it wasn't working, but I didn't care; I just wanted him to feel good."
Does France regret his decision? Kind of, but not really. He wishes he'd worn his own suit but says it was the "right sacrifice."
On his future at 'Queer Eye'
France will soon co-host a new Netflix competition series called "Next in Fashion," which begs a potentially loaded question: Will he remain on "Queer Eye"? France wasn't shy in his book about having had quite the job-quitting habit when he was younger (including a brief stint as a flight attendant).
But in this case, the proverbial ball is in Netflix's court.
"I love 'Queer Eye,'" he says. "I would like to believe that I will be in this as long as Netflix will allow me to be in this." If Netflix agreed to do 10 more seasons, he says he'll be shocked (and so will we) if he's not included.
More:'Queer Eye' star Jonathan Van Ness slams 'transphobic' critics of his Emmys dress
What Tan France really thinks about the French tuck phenomenon
It may have bothered him at first, but now he's all in on his French tuck association. (For those not in the know, a French tuck is a term for a partially, casually tucked-in shirt.)
"It makes me smile," he says. "Even if people can't remember my name when they see me, they'll say, 'Oh you're the French tuck guy.' So it makes me laugh."
More:'Queer Eye's' Karamo Brown talks new memoir, Ariana Grande obsession and political ambitions