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States Focus on Quality and Outcomes Amid Waiver Changes: Results from a 50-State…
States Focus on Quality and Outcomes Amid Waiver Changes: Results from a 50-State Medicaid Budget Survey for State Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019
Kathleen Gifford, Eileen Ellis, Barbara Coulter Edwards, Aimee Lashbrook, Elizabeth Hinton, Larisa Antonisse, and Robin Rudowitz	Follow @RRudowitz on Twitter
Gene therapy is used to treat or prevent genetic diseases by seeking to augment, replace or suppress one or more mutated genes with functional copies. CAR T-cell therapy is a form of immunotherapy that uses specially altered T cells (part of the immune system) collected from the patient to fight cancer.
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MaryBeth Musumeci and Jennifer Tolbert, Federal Legislation to Address the Opioid Crisis: Medicaid Provisions in the SUPPORT Act (Washington, DC: Kaiser Family Foundation, October 2018), https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/federal-legislation-to-address-the-opioid-crisis-medicaid-provisions-in-the-support-act/.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Health Expenditure Projections 2017 – 2026 (Washington, DC: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, February 2018), https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/Statistics-Trends-and-Reports/NationalHealthExpendData/NationalHealthAccountsProjected.html.
National Association of State Budget Officers, States Finalize Fiscal 2019 Budgets, (NASBO, July 2018), https://www.nasbo.org/resources/communityblogs.
National Conference of State Legislatures, FY 2019 State Budget Status, (NCSL, August 2018), http://www.ncsl.org/research/fiscal-policy/fy-2019-budget-status.aspx.
National Association of State Budget Officers, Summary: Fall 2017 Fiscal Survey of the States (National Association of State Budget Officers, December 2017), https://www.nasbo.org/reports-data/fiscal-survey-of-states.
National Association of State Budget Officers, States Target Surpluses to Rainy Day Funds, Other Priorities after Fiscal 2018 Revenues Exceed Estimates (National Association of State Budget Officers Budget Blog, July 2018), http://budgetblog.nasbo.org/budgetblogs/blogs/brian-sigritz/2018/07/30/states-target-surpluses-to-rainy-day-funds-other-p.
Kaiser Family Foundation, 50-State Medicaid Budget Survey Archives (Washington, DC: Kaiser Family Foundation, October 2017), https://www.kff.org/medicaid/report/medicaid-budget-survey-archives/.
Responses for North Dakota reflect information gathered during a telephone interview in early September 2018 and related research.
State fiscal years begin on July 1 except for these states: NY on April 1; TX on September 1; AL, MI and DC on October 1.
Eligibility and Premiums
Brian Neale letter to state Medicaid directors, January 11, 2018, https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/smd18002.pdf
Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicaid Waiver Tracker: Which States Have Approved and Pending Section 1115 Medicaid Waivers? (Washington, DC: Kaiser Family Foundation, accessed September 2018), https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/section-1115-medicaid-demonstration-waivers-a-look-at-the-current-landscape-of-approved-and-pending-waivers/.
In this report, work requirement policies are counted based on the initial date of implementation rather than the date on which the first coverage terminations will occur.
Medicaid statute requires that Medicaid coverage for most eligibility groups include coverage for a period of 90 days prior to the date of the application for medical assistance.
MaryBeth Musumeci, Elizabeth Hinton, and Robin Rudowitz, Approved Changes in Indiana's Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver Extension (Washington, DC: Kaiser Family Foundation, February 2018), https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/approved-changes-in-indianas-section-1115-medicaid-waiver-extension/.
The member can reenroll within 90 days from the end of the expired benefit period if they submit the requested redetermination information. However, after the 90-day period, the member is required to wait another three months, or six months from the initial date of disenrollment, until their next open enrollment before being permitted to reenroll in HIP. Indiana has also proposed a work requirement, but that provision would not be effective until FY 2019.
MaryBeth Musumeci, Elizabeth Hinton, and Robin Rudowitz, Proposed Medicaid Section 1115 Waivers in Maine and Wisconsin (Washington, DC: Kaiser Family Foundation, updated August 2017), https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/proposed-medicaid-section-1115-waivers-in-maine-and-wisconsin/.
Maine Question 2, Medicaid Expansion Initiative, (Ballotpedia, 2017), https://ballotpedia.org/Maine_Question_2,_Medicaid_Expansion_Initiative_(2017).
Nevada also implemented this option but did so using Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) funds and therefore is not counted in this report.
Jennifer Ryan, Lucy Pagel, Katy Smali, Samantha Artiga, Robin Rudowitz, and Alexandra Gates, Connecting the Justice-Involved Population to Medicaid Coverage and Care: Findings from Three States (Washington, DC, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, June 2016), https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/connecting-the-justice-involved-population-to-medicaid-coverage-and-care-findings-from-three-states/.
Positive changes from the beneficiary's perspective that were counted in this report are denoted with (+). Negative changes from the beneficiary's perspective that were counted in this report are denoted with (-). Reductions to Medicaid eligibility pathways in response to the availability of other coverage options (including Marketplace or Medicaid expansion coverage) were denoted as (#).
New premiums are denoted as (New). Changes to premium policies that have a neutral impact from the beneficiary's perspective are denoted as (Neutral).
This table captures eligibility and premium changes that states have implemented or plan to implement in FY 2018 or 2019, including changes that are part of pending Section 1115 waivers. For pending waivers, only provisions planned for implementation before the end of FY 2019 (according to the state or waiver application documents) are counted in this table. Waiver provisions in pending waivers that states plan to implement in FY 2020 or after are not counted here.
A court order issued on June 29, 2018 vacated the CMS approval of the Kentucky HEALTH waiver and remanded it to CMS for reconsideration regarding how the waiver would meet the medical assistance objectives of the Medicaid statute. At the time of the survey, the waiver remained under consideration at CMS.
After failing to meet the SPA submission deadline (April 3, 2018), Maine's Governor complied with a Maine Supreme Judicial Court order to submit an expansion SPA on September 4, 2018. However, he also sent a letter to the federal government asking CMS to reject the SPA. Expansion has not yet been implemented as of the time of this survey.
Massachusetts' pending amendment would remove an existing waiver provision that allows it to enroll expansion adults and other populations in coverage during a 90-day provisional eligibility period while income verification is pending.
Managed Care Initiatives
Connecticut does not have capitated managed care arrangements, but does carry out many managed care functions, including ASO arrangements, payment incentives based on performance, intensive care management, community workers, educators, and linkages with primary care practices.
California has a small PCCM program operating in LA County for those with HIV. South Carolina uses PCCM authority to provide care management services to approximately 200 medically complex children, but is not counted as a PCCM program for purposes of this report.
Julia Paradise and MaryBeth Musumeci, CMS's Final Rule on Medicaid Managed Care: A Summary of Major Provisions (Washington, DC: Kaiser Family Foundation, June 2016), http://files.kff.org/attachment/CMSs-Final-Rule-on-Medicaid-ManagedCare.
The general effective date of the final rule is July 5, 2016, although individual provisions of the rule take effect at different times.
National Association of Medicaid Directors, Biweekly Update, August 14, 2018, available at: https://medicaiddirectors.org/covered-in-this-newsletter-is-cms-drug-rebate-guidance-notice-cbo-report-on-growth-medicaid-managed-care-and-state-job-openings/.
Brian Neale, Medicaid Managed Care Regulations with July 1, 2017 Compliance Dates, (Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services Informational Bulletin, June 2017), https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/cib063017.pdf.
North Dakota's total MCO penetration rate estimated as approximately 22% based on data provided in the North Dakota Department of Human Services Quarterly Budget Insight, July 2017 – June 2018, available at http://www.nd.gov/dhs/info/pubs/docs/qtrly-budget-insight-july17-june2018.pdf.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicaid & CHIP Monthly Application, Eligibility Determinations, and Enrollment Reports, (Washington, DC: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, May 2018), https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/program-information/medicaid-and-chip-enrollment-data/report-highlights/index.html.
Illinois reported the MCO penetration rate for all beneficiaries but did not report penetration rates for the individual eligibility categories.
The five Medicaid expansion states without risk-based managed care were Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Montana, and Vermont.
Two other states (Colorado and Massachusetts) reported covering less than 75% MCO penetration for this group. Illinois reported the MCO penetration rate for all beneficiaries but did not report penetration rates for the individual eligibility categories.
81 FR 27497, available at: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/FR-2016-05-06/2016-09581.
In the rule, CMS formalized its policy around "in lieu of," which is an authority that a number of states were using to cover stays in IMDs prior to this rule. Some of these states must now adapt policies to meet the 15-day requirement, which may have fiscal and programmatic implications for these states.
28 states answered "yes" for FYs 2018 and 2019: AZ, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MA, MI, MN, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OR, PA, RI, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, and WI. 3 states (MO, SC, WV) plan to start using this authority in FY 2019. CA, MD, MS, NE and NH reported "no" and 3 MCO states – KS, NY, ND – did not provide a response.
U.S. Congress, House, HR 6, 115th Congress (2017-2018)., September 28, 2018, Substance Use–Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hr6/BILLS-115hr6eah.pdf
In April 2016, CMS issued a final rule on managed care in Medicaid and CHIP that provided a framework of plan standards and requirements designed to improve the quality, performance, and accountability of these programs. The current administration, however, is expected to release revised Medicaid managed care regulations for public comment.
National Association of Medicaid Directors, Medicaid Value-Based Purchasing: What Is It & Why Does It Matter? (Washington, DC: National Association of Medicaid Directors, January 2017), http://medicaiddirectors.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Snapshot-2-VBP-101_FINAL.pdf.
For more information on the State Innovation Models (SIM) initiative, see: https://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/state-innovations/.
CMS, through the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network, developed an APM Framework to create a common framework for measuring progress toward VBP. Category 1 includes fee-for-service strategies with no link to payment quality; Category 2 includes fee-for-service strategies with a link of payment to quality and value; Category 3 includes alternative payment models built on fee-for-service architecture; and Category 4 includes population-based payment. Information found at https://innovation.cms.gov/initiatives/Health-Care-Payment-Learning-and-Action-Network.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, CMS' Accountable Health Communities Model selects 32 participants to serve as local "hubs", (Baltimore, MD: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, April 2017), https://www.cms.gov/Newsroom/MediaReleaseDatabase/Press-releases/2017-Press-releases-items/2017-04-06.html.
Arkansas reported plans to implement an MCO program for the first time in FY 2019.
CMCS Information Bulletin, Medicaid Managed Care Regulations with July 1, 2017 Compliance Dates (Baltimore, MD: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, June 30, 2017), https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/cib063017.pdf.
Six states reported that they had no MLR specified in MCO contracts as of July 1, 2018 (GA, HI, NH, TN, TX and WI) but are monitoring MLR reporting by plans. Tennessee and Texas both noted that they rely on a methodology that controls for excess MCO profits.
One of the 28 states reporting a PHP arrangement that is not included in Exhibit 12 is Alabama, which reported having a PHP for maternity care.
Emerging Delivery System and Payment Reforms
National Committee on Quality Assurance, "Patient-Centered Medical Home Recognition," http://www.ncqa.org/Programs/Recognition/Practices/PatientCenteredMedicalHomePCMH.aspx.
Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Medicaid Delivery System and Payment Reform: A Guide to Key Terms and Concepts (Washington, DC: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, June 2015), https://www.kff.org/medicaid/fact-sheet/medicaid-delivery-system-and-payment-reform-a-guide-to-key-terms-and-concepts/.
Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Medicaid Delivery System and Payment Reform: A Guide to Key Terms and Concept (Washington, DC: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, June 2015), https://www.kff.org/medicaid/fact-sheet/medicaid-delivery-system-and-payment-reform-a-guide-to-key-terms-and-concepts/.
Samantha Artiga, Robin Rudowitz, Jennifer Tolbert, Julia Paradise, and Melissa Majerol, Findings from the Field: Medicaid Delivery Systems and Access to Care in Four States in Year Three of the ACA (Washington, DC, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, September 2016), https://www.kff.org/report-section/findings-from-the-field-medicaid-delivery-systems-and-access-to-care-in-four-states-in-year-three-of-the-aca-issue-brief/.
Alexandra Gates, Robin Rudowitz, and Jocelyn Guyer, An Overview of Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) Waivers (Washington, DC, Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, September 2014), https://www.kff.org/report-section/findings-from-the-field-medicaid-delivery-systems-and-access-to-care-in-four-states-in-year-three-of-the-aca-issue-brief/.
MaryBeth Musumeci, Robin Rudowitz, Elizabeth Hinton, Larisa Antonisse, and Cornelia Hall, Section 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waivers: A Look at the Current Landscape of Approved and Pending Waivers (Washington, DC: Kaiser Family Foundation, September 2018), https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/section-1115-medicaid-demonstration-waivers-the-current-landscape-of-approved-and-pending-waivers/
In this report, Oregon's Coordinated Care Organization (CCO) program is counted as an MCO program, but not as an ACO program, consistent with its CMS designation and the state's survey response. According to the state, "A coordinated care organization is a network of all types of health care providers (physical health care, addictions and mental health care and sometimes dental care providers) who have agreed to work together in their local communities to serve people who receive health care coverage under the Oregon Health Plan (Medicaid)." (Oregon Health Authority website accessed at: http://www.oregon.gov/oha/HPA/Pages/CCOs-Oregon.aspx.)
Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems
Jack Hoadley, Karina Wagnerman, Joan Alker, and Mark Holmes, Medicaid in Small Towns and Rural America: A Lifeline for Children, Families, and Communities, Georgetown University Center for Children and Families and the University of North Carolina, NC Rural Health Research Program, (Washington D.C., June 2017), https://ccf.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Rural-health-final.pdf.
Project ECHO (Extension for Community Health Outcomes) increases access to specialty treatment in rural and underserved areas by using telehealth to link front-line clinicians with specialist mentors at an academic medical center or hub.
The Substance Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act, expected to be signed into law as this report was being finalized, contains a number of provisions related to Medicaid's role in helping states provide coverage and services to people who need substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, particularly those needing opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment. For example, the Act includes new authority to cover IMD services for up to 30 days in a year for persons with an SUD.
Long-Term Services and Supports Reforms
Steve Eiken, Kate Sredl, Brian Burwell, and Angie Amos, Medicaid Expenditures for Long-Term Services and Supports in FY 2016 (IAP: Medicaid Innovation Accelerator Program: IBM Watson Health May 2018), https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/ltss/downloads/reports-and-evaluations/ltssexpenditures2016.pdf.
Molly O'Malley Watts, MaryBeth Musumeci, and Petry Ubri, Medicaid Section 1115 Managed Long-Term Services and Supports Waivers: A Survey of Enrollment, Spending an Program Policies, (Washington, DC: Kaiser Family Foundation, January 2017), http://www.kff.org/medicaid/report/medicaid-section-1115-managed-long-term-services-and-supports-waivers-a-survey-of-enrollment-spending-and-program-policies/.
U.S. Senate Commission on Long-Term Care, Report to the Congress, (U.S. Senate Commission on Long-Term Care, September 2013), https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/GPO-LTCCOMMISSION/pdf/GPO-LTCCOMMISSION.pdf.
US Department of Health and Human Services, Long-Term Services and Supports: Direct Care Worker Demand Projections 2015-2030 (Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Workforce, US Department of Health and Human Services, March 2018), https://bhw.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/bhw/nchwa/projections/hrsa-ltts-direct-care-worker-report.pdf
In FY 2019, Montana is eliminating live-in caregiver services and children's case management under the 1915(c) waiver for individuals with I/DD and eliminating occupational therapy, dietician/nutrition services, overnight support, and companion services from the Severe Disabling Mental Illness (SDMI) waiver.
After September 2016, with CMS approval, states can continue to transition eligible individuals through 2018 and expend remaining MFP funds through federal FY 2020.
Oregon is not included in this count. The state terminated its MFP program, effective June 30, 2015.
Rebecca Coughlin, Johanna Ward, Noelle Denny-Brown, et al. Final Report: Money Follows the Person Demonstration: Overview of State Grantee Progress, January to December 2016, (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, September 2017), https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/ltss/downloads/money-follows-the-person/2016-cross-state-report.pdf.
Most of these states are using current Section 1915(c) waivers that provide community transition services and environmental modifications for seniors, individuals with physical disabilities and/or individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and some states offer housing coordinators or other search services to assist waiver beneficiaries.
In June 2015, CMS issued an Informational Bulletin to clarify when and how Medicaid reimburses for certain housing-related activities, including individual housing transition services, individual housing and tenancy sustaining services, and state-level housing-related collaborative activities. CMS's intent was to assist states in designing on-going benefits that support community integration for seniors, individuals with disabilities, and individuals experiencing chronic homelessness. Many of the services outlined in CMS's Informational Bulletin were initially developed under the auspices of MFP...
This count does not include states that have/had managed FFS FADs. For more information see: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare-Medicaid-Coordination/Medicare-and-Medicaid-Coordination/Medicare-Medicaid-Coordination-Office/FinancialAlignmentInitiative/ManagedFeeforServiceModel.html.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) authorized the Secretary of Health and Human Services to implement the Financial Alignment Initiative to allow state-administered demonstration projects to improve the integration and coordination of services for individuals who are covered under both Medicare and Medicaid. This population, as a group, experiences high rates of hospitalization and use of LTSS and is, on average, a high need, high cost population. See: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare-Medicaid-Coordination/Medicare-and-Medicaid-Coordination/Medicare-Medicaid-Coordination-Office/FinancialAlignmentInitiative/FinancialModelstoSupportStatesEffortsinCareCoordination.html..
Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Health Plan Enrollment in the Capitated Financial Alignment Demonstrations for Dual Eligible Beneficiaries (Washington, DC: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, August 2016), https://www.kff.org/medicaid/fact-sheet/health-plan-enrollment-in-the-capitated-financial-alignment-demonstrations-for-dual-eligible-beneficiaries/.
Arizona, Idaho, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs) enroll beneficiaries who are entitled to both Medicare and Medicaid and offer the opportunity to better coordinate benefits among Medicare and Medicaid. For more information see: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Health-Plans/SpecialNeedsPlans/DualEligibleSNP.html.
Fully Integrated Dual Eligible SNPs were created by Congress in Section 3205 of the Affordable Care Act to promote full integration and coordination of Medicaid and Medicare benefits for dual eligible beneficiaries by a single managed care organization. They must have a MIPPA compliant contract with a State Medicaid Agency that includes coverage of specified primary, acute and long-term care benefits and services under risk-based financing. For more information see: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Health-Plans/SpecialNeedsPlans/DualEligibleSNP.html#s3.
Delaware, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, and New Jersey.
Rhode Island did not provide response to enrollment policy for dual eligible persons with I/DD.
Provider Rates and Taxes
Historically, Medicaid reimbursement for hospitals and nursing homes was cost-based, automatically reflecting incurred cost increases. When rates for these providers are frozen, such annual increases do not occur; hence for this report, rate freezes are counted as restrictions.
Maryland was not able to report MCO rate changes for FY 2019 because rate development was not complete.
Some states also have premium or claims taxes that apply to managed care organizations and other insurers. Since this type of tax is not considered a provider tax by CMS, these taxes are not counted as provider taxes in this report.
The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 modified section 1903(w)(7)(A) of the Social Security Act. This statute and the implementing regulations eliminated states' ability to tax only Medicaid MCOs.
Benefits and Copayments
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, New Service Delivery Opportunities for Individuals with a Substance Use Disorder (Baltimore, MD: CMS, July 2015), https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/SMD15003.pdf.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Strategies to Address the Opioid Epidemic (Baltimore, MD: CMS, November 2017), https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/smd17003.pdf.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome: A Critical Role for Medicaid in the Care of Infants (Baltimore, MD: CMS, June 2018), https://www.medicaid.gov/federal-policy-guidance/downloads/cib060818.pdf.
U.S. Congress, House, HR 6, 115th Congress (2017-2018), September 28, 2018, Substance Use–Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hr6/BILLS-115hr6eah.pdf
Indiana Health Coverage Programs, IHCP bulletin, IHCP adds coverage of community health worker services (Indiana Health Coverage Programs, May 2018), http://provider.indianamedicaid.com/ihcp/Bulletins/BT201826.pdf.
Julia Paradise, Medicaid Moving Forward (Washington, DC: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, March 2015), https://www.kff.org/health-reform/issue-brief/medicaid-moving-forward/.
MaryBeth Musumeci, Robin Rudowitz, and Elizabeth Hinton, Approved Changes in Indiana's Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver Extension (Washington, DC: Kaiser Family Foundation, February 2018), https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/approved-changes-in-indianas-section-1115-medicaid-waiver-extension/.
Benefit changes are denoted with (+) if they have a positive impact from the beneficiary's perspective, regardless of budget impact. Negative changes counted in this report are denoted with (-). Changes that were not counted as positive or negative in this report, but were mentioned by states in their responses, are denoted with (nc). Federally required changes (such as state coverage of behavioral services for children with autism spectrum disorder) are also denoted with (nc).
Pharmacy and Opioid Strategies
CMS Medicaid Drug Rebate Program website: https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/prescription-drugs/medicaid-drug-rebate-program/index.html.
Katherine Young, Robin Rudowitz, Rachel Garfield, and MaryBeth Musumeci, Medicaid's Most Costly Outpatient Drugs (Washington, DC: Kaiser Family Foundation, July 2016), https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-brief/medicaids-most-costly-outpatient-drugs/.
Richard Mark Kirkner, Gene Therapy: Must Sky-High Prices 'Come on Down' Before the Price Is Right?, (Managed Care Magazine, July 2, 2018; https://www.managedcaremag.com/archives/2018/7/gene-therapy-must-sky-high-prices-come-down-price-right.
New York State Medicaid Drug Utilization Review (DUR) Board Meeting Summary for April 26, 2018; https://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/medicaid/program/dur/meetings/2018/04/summary_durb.pdf.
Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Family Care, Family Care Partnership, and PACE Enrollment Data, (Wisconsin Department of Health Services, July 2018), https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/familycare/reports/enrollmentdata.pdf.
A "kick payment" is a supplemental payment over and above the capitation payment made to the MCO for beneficiaries utilizing a specified set of services or having a certain condition.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables (Rockville, MD: SAMHSA, September 2017), https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-DetTabs-2016/NSDUH-DetTabs-2016.pdf
"Understanding the Epidemic," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, accessed on September 2, 2018, https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/epidemic/index.html.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Determination That a Public Health Emergency Exists (HHS, October 26, 2017), https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/opioid%20PHE%20Declaration-no-sig.pdf.
Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicaid's Role in Addressing the Opioid Epidemic (Washington, DC: Kaiser Family Foundation, February 2018), https://www.kff.org/infographic/medicaids-role-in-addressing-opioid-epidemic/.
Neither letter addresses the use of federal Medicaid funds for IMD mental health services.
Several states mentioned plans to implement quantity limits based on a "morphine equivalent dose" (MED), which is the amount of opioid prescription drugs, converted to a common "standard" unit (milligrams of morphine). For example, both 60 mg of oxycodone (approximately 2 tablets of oxycodone sustained-release 30 mg) and approximately 20 mg of methadone (4 tablets of methadone 5 mg) are equal to 90 MMEs (morphine milligram equivalents).
"Clinical edits" are clinically-based claims adjudication rules that a claims system will follow when processing a pharmacy claim.
Step therapy prior authorization criteria involves requiring the use of another agent or therapy prior to the use of a specific opioid.
Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) are state-run electronic databases that are valuable tools for addressing prescription drug diversion and abuse. Currently, except for Missouri, every state and the District of Columbia operates a PDMP.
In this year's survey, Illinois did not report whether MCOs are required to follow Medicaid fee-for-service policies related to opioids and pharmacy benefit management.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, "Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)," (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, last updated 02/07/2018), https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment.
The Pew Charitable Trusts, Medication-Assisted Treatment Improves Outcomes for Patients With Opioid Use Disorder, (Washington, DC: The Pew Charitable Trusts, November 2016), http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/fact-sheets/2016/11/medication-assisted-treatment-improves-outcomes-for-patients-with-opioid-use-disorder.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, "Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)," Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, last updated 02/07/2018, https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment.
Kathleen Gifford et al., Medicaid Moving Ahead in Uncertain Times: Results from a 50-State Medicaid Budget Survey for State Fiscal Years 2017 and 2018 (Washington, DC: Kaiser Family Foundation, October 2017), https://www.kff.org/medicaid/report/medicaid-moving-ahead-in-uncertain-times-results-from-a-50-state-medicaid-budget-survey-for-state-fiscal-years-2017-and-2018/.
Naltrexone does not carry abuse or diversion potential, and any provider licensed to prescribe medications can prescribe naltrexone. However, to prescribe or dispense buprenorphine, physicians must obtain a "waiver". This process involves 1) registering with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to dispense controlled substances; 2) certifying intent to treat no more than 30 patients at one time in the first year; and 3) receipt of required training or certification. Physicians may apply to increase the allowable patient caseload, and if approved may treat up to 100 patients in their first year and up to 275 patients in subsequent years. Methadone may only be dispensed by opioid treatment programs certified by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Opioid treatment programs may also dispense buprenorphine.
On last year's budget survey, all 49 states that responded to a question about coverage of each of the MAT drugs reported coverage of buprenorphine and both oral and injectable naltrexone, but fewer states reported coverage of methadone.
In this year's survey, Illinois and Arkansas did not report whether their state covers Methadone to treat opioid use disorders.
Challenges and Priorities in FY 2019 and Beyond Reported by Medicaid Directors and Conclusion
Kaiser Family Foundation, 50-State Medicaid Budget Survey Archives, (Washington, DC: Kaiser Family Foundation, October 2017), https://www.kff.org/medicaid/report/medicaid-budget-survey-archives/.
State fiscal years begin July 1 except for these states: NY on April 1; TX on September 1; AL, MI and DC on October 1.
REPORT TABLES
50-State Medicaid Budget Survey Archives
Medicaid Enrollment & Spending Growth: FY 2018 & 2019
What Are the Latest Trends in Medicaid? Results from a 50-State Medicaid Budget Survey for State Fiscal Years 2018 and 2019 at a Forum with the National Association of Medicaid Directors


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Kalk Bay is easy to get to whether by car or with public transport. From the airport follow the N2 towards Cape Town and when you see an exit for the M3 direction Muizenberg, take it. Follow the M3 into the M4 and from Muizenberg follow the coast road south past ST. James to Kalk Bay: Or if you prefer follow the scenic Boyes Drive from just before Muizenberg to Kalk Bay - This is an excellent location to whale spot from as well.


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Q: Programatically access TFS account to get project names and work items I've been trying to access a TFS account (programatically using the TFS SDK) in order to get information such as the project names, work item names and developpment times for each work item.
I wasn't able to get project or work item information, but I was able to authenticate and access TFS using the class TfsTeamProjectCollection.
However, using the class TfsConfigurationServer, I was never able to authenticate to the server. This is a pity because the majority of examples I've seen in the web use this TfsConfigurationServer class.
The code that allows me to access TFS:
// Connect to Team Foundation Server.
NetworkCredential netCred = new NetworkCredential("myEmail@email.com", "myPassword");
BasicAuthCredential basicCred = new BasicAuthCredential(netCred);
TfsClientCredentials tfsCred = new TfsClientCredentials(basicCred);
tfsCred.AllowInteractive = false;

TfsTeamProjectCollection tpc = new TfsTeamProjectCollection(new Uri("https://tfs.gfi.pt:4430/tfs/gfi/"),tfsCred);

tpc.Authenticate(); // This one works, and when I enter tpc I can see I am correctly signed-in in TFS (I can for instance check my full name)

ITeamProjectCollectionService projCollect = tpc.GetService<ITeamProjectCollectionService>(); //returns null :(

I have 2 questions:

*

*What is the difference between the TfsConfigurationServer and the TfsTeamProjectCollection? I know the first leads me to the Server-Level and the second to the Collection-level, but, what is the server-level and collection-level?

*Why am I unable to get the projectCollection when I am perfectly capable of signing-in (why does the last line returns null when I am sure I have 2 projects on TFS)?

A: I just found out what the problem was. I just needed to replace the last line:
ITeamProjectCollectionService projCollect = tpc.GetService<ITeamProjectCollectionService>(); //returns null :(

By:
// Get the catalog of team project collections
ReadOnlyCollection<CatalogNode> collectionNodes = tpc.CatalogNode.QueryChildren(
new [] { CatalogResourceTypes.TeamProject},
false, CatalogQueryOptions.None);

// List the team project collections
foreach (CatalogNode collectionNode in collectionNodes)
{
    Console.WriteLine(collectionNode.Resource.DisplayName);
}

A: Regarding question #1, you can find some whys in Introducing the TfsConnection, TfsConfigurationServer and TfsTeamProjectCollection Classes. Shortly, you can have many user databases, i.e. Collection, managed by a single TFS instance, i.e. the Server.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Prancing Through LIFE - Why walk through life, when you can prance?
#anotherearthart
#inthecloset
#portraitoftheartist
#EIFF
#foreignplanetfilm
#girlsonfilm
#minorityreport
#stillshot
#blackonblack
#editorsletter
#lostintranslation
#photographicmemory
#theedit
#whenigrowup
#bedtimestories
#edbookfest
#litup
#newworldnovel
#poetscorner
#alternateuniversealbum
#fivesongsthat
#mydreamfestival
#trackbytrack
I Love Hip-Hop, Does Hip-Hop Love Me?
In Commentary, HOME, MUSIC by Sam Prance November 28, 2014
I moved to Edinburgh for University in 2013. Since then it has secured a very special place in my heart – Arthur's Seat, Sneaky Petes, the Fringe Festival; there's no other city quite like this. That being said, everything seems to have come together horribly for Edinburgh over the past few weeks.
Chilled ghost vibes with Edinburgh Uni's African Drum Society.
Firstly there was the exposure of the DKE-AS – an Edinburgh fraternity whose minutes see the members of the chapter 'joke' about raping other students. And then there was an incident of sexual assault in the Meadows (one of Edinburgh's main parks). Sadly these are just a few examples of the reason we need feminists working together in the city.
Nevertheless Edinburgh seems to have risen above this; just this Tuesday The 16 Day Campaign started with a rally for the elimination of violence towards women. It was incredible to be a part of something that saw so many people come together and stand against something so common and horrible in our society.
On my walk home from the rally, however, Migos' Fight Night came up on shuffle. I felt like a bit of a boss and then I suddenly felt awful and put on some Tom Waits.
It's not really a new realisation that a lot of my favourite tracks, particularly hip-hop tracks, are riddled with misogyny, and this misogyny is reflective of the music industry, and also society at large. And it is sad to admit that, as a feminist and LGBT+ identifying, I am so passive about this.
Let's start with Beyoncé, the 'queen of everything' (sic Azealia Banks). Her latest top 10 hip-hop influenced hit, Drunk In Love, is a monster of a song. Regardless of this though, I've watched the video a few (too many) times and read plenty of think pieces on it, it features a questionable lyric.
In the video Beyoncé looks seductively into the camera and mouths Jay Z's rap: 'eat the cake Anna Mae'. This is a reference to a scene in the Tina Turner biopic, What's Love Got to Do with It, when Tina's abusive partner, Ike, forces her to eat cake. It's hard to deny it sounds good and Jay Z's flow is impressive but with knowledge of it's original context, it's hard to accept. And yet I do – I even (try to) rap along to it.
The reference to domestic abuse may be lost on many but it's still there.
Despite this, Beyoncé clearly does great things for feminism too. Her latest huge ballad, Pretty Hurts, criticises the pressures society puts on women to be 'pretty' and her latest banger ***Flawless is a grimey track which interpolates Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche's speech: We Should All Be Feminists. These two songs alone epitomise Beyoncé's commendable promotion of female strength and empowerment.
These, and the fact that she manages herself, mean that I don't worry too much about her being married to a man who's biggest hit is about his b*tch not being a problem. Beyoncé isn't a bitch, she's a boss.
And as far as Jay Z's lyrics go in terms of misogyny they're nothing on Eminem's: 'Slut, you think I won't choke no whore,//'Til the vocal chords don't work in her throat no more?!' But it does make you wonder how we as a society ignore it; celebrate it even. Misogyny and rape culture are prevalent and these lyrics glamourise them. What's to say that listeners won't adopt these thoughts and attitudes towards women?
Mainstream hip-hop, and music as a whole, seems to be stuck in a lyrical rut. What sells is hyper masculinity/femininity and we, as a society, consume it if it has a killer hook and beat to go with it. It's just the way things are; in the words of Jay Z 'it's politics as usual'.
And it's not just misogyny and rape culture we're dealing with, it's homophobia too.
I've always found Syd tha Kid's and Frank Ocean's involvement in Odd Future kind of strange. Odd Future are constantly homophobic in their lyrics, and yet Syd tha Kid is openly gay and Frank Ocean published a letter on his tumblr in 2012 about a summer love he had with a man. It's an interesting conflict but, again, it really has no sway on what I think of any of the artists involved.
Syd is one of the coolest people in the game in my opinion, her track She Dgaf (translation: She Don't Give a Fuck) – seems to sum up what she is thinking when she makes music.
I think it is incredibly important to give a fuck though in terms of standing against homophobia, misogyny and prejudice at large. Hence me doubting my love of hip-hop.
There are of course artistic reasons why one might want to deal with homophobic, misogynistic or other offensive content in their music – and perhaps songs such as these should feature trigger warnings or something of the sort to confirm that they don't promote but instead acknowledge and seek to illustrate attitudes which exist at large within western society today.
Love The Way You Lie for example is a harrowingly accurate portrayal of the abusive relationships some women find themselves in – it serves a purpose. But then again, almost all of Eminem's work is in this vein. It's not the same as Nicki Minaj, playing a homophobic character in a song, such as Martha Zolanski. Eminem's alter ego, the Slim Shady, just comes across as an extension of himself.
When does a clever, artistic and perhaps satirical concept just become offensive?
Irrespective of misogyny and homophobia though there is a lot to commend in hip-hop today.
Kanye West's Bound 2 is still incredible. I spent all of the summer of 2013 driving around Bristol to it. The sample in it – 'uh-uh honey' – and those in the likes of J Dilla's Donuts are what make this genre so magical. Hip-hop is often intelligently produced and the use of interludes and stories flowing through most albums means that they're not just a bunch of songs thrown together; they a symphony.
However, here's hoping that mainstream hip-hop artists expand their lyrical content. Whilst this current brand of superbly produced masculine bravado/misogyny can make you feel like you the run the world – it ultimately encourages rape culture and prejudice. And there are other ways of creating this I'm-the-shit feeling through hip-hop. You only need to skim over the queer rap scene to see that empowering hip-hop comes in many shapes and forms. Shamir, Le1f, Cakes Da Killa…the list goes on.
It's been great this week to be surrounded by so many people who do care about issues such as misogyny which still exist within our culture and daily life today. One of the placards at the rally read 'an assault to one is an insult to all'. This campaign has really served as a reminder of how important the issue of violence towards women is for everyone; everyone deserves to feel safe.
I asked Lucy Hook, the person who set up and facilitated the campaign, what her empowering and motivational track was. She said a Whitney Houston song (there are a few) and Chaka Chan's I'm Every Woman. This is perfect for me because my current favourite song is Whitney's cover of the classic.
It may not be hip-hop but it makes me feel like the shit – no misogyny necessary.
Elizabeth Clarke
Liz is a 2nd year Religious Studies student in Edinburgh. When she was younger she could only fall asleep listening to Stephen Fry reading Harry Potter and so whenever Stephen Fry is on Tv/Radio she gets drowsy. She is big into music and radio podcasts, feminism and fashion.
If you want to stay posted with PTL content and musings, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
If you're interested in getting involved with PTL – drop us an email on prancingthroughlife@live.com.
Prancing Through LIFE
PTL is a site for which people write on their cultural interests, life stories and viewpoints. We place an emphasis on the personal and encourage people to write about the things they love and/or take issue with. Why walk through life, when you can prance?
Email: prancingthroughlife@outlook.com.
I read this article and found it very interesting, thought it might be something for you. The article is called I Love Hip-Hop, Does Hip-Hop Love Me? and is located at http://prancingthroughlife.com/2014/11/28/i-love-hip-hop-does-hip-hop-love-me/.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This cigar is worth the money. It delivers. I smoke this one when I have time to sit and enjoy with friends. It starts off dry tasting then the flavors come to play mildly then get strong but not over powering.


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Jenny Tolman Gives Fair Warning With Two-Stepping 'I Know Some Cowboys' [Exclusive Premiere]
Billy Dukes Published: October 21, 2021
Old Sol Records
Jenny Tolman's Texas two-step was inspired by a few Texas tour stops and a sassy comment to her boyfriend. The country singer is releasing "I Know Some Cowboys" as the first taste of an upcoming album.
Listen to the song first during this Taste of Country premiere. Guitars, fiddle, steel and B3 organ drive a rhythm that carries Tolman as she tells her man to step up or step aside.
"And if there's anyone who can give you a run for your run-of-the-mill / I know some cowboys down in Texas that will," she sings.
Tolman tells Taste of Country the origins of the song lie in a run of shows she did in cities including New Braunfels, Dallas, San Antonio and the Woodlands, Texas.
"And everywhere I went, there would be cowboys opening the doors for me, carrying my gear, tipping their hats … on and on," she shares. "So, when I came home, I said to my sweetheart and producer, Dave Brainard, 'Honey, you better step it up! 'Cause I know some cowboys!'"
Shots fired.
Actually, Tolman says she and Brainard just joke like that, and he stuck around to be a big part of this song and her life today. Bill Whyte helped them pen "I Know Some Cowboys," a song that she considers a favorite to play live, "because I like to show that girls can play honky-tonk songs, too."
For her next album: Tolman is aiming for 2022 and promising real-life storytelling and songs that fit her lively concerts. Her fans may recognize this song from live shows past, but now that it's officially released, the singer is sure to attract a few new followers, eager to dig into her catalog.
These Artists Prove Traditional Country Is Alive and Well
These 23 modern country singers prove that traditional country is alive and well. Cody Johnson, Justin Moore, Aaron Watson and newcomers like Triston Marez and Lauren Mascitti are staying true to country music's roots. Scroll down to find an artist you'll love.
Source: Jenny Tolman Gives Fair Warning With Two-Stepping 'I Know Some Cowboys' [Exclusive Premiere]
Filed Under: jenny tolman
Categories: Country Music News, New Country Songs
Jenny Tolman Celebrates Her Journey Into Motherhood With 'It's a Boy' [EXCLUSIVE PREMIERE]
Jenny Tolman Wants to Make You Laugh With 'Invent a T-Shirt' [LISTEN]


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Navy Captain Eben Ibim Princewill  was Military Governor of Cross River State, Nigeria  between 1986 and December 1989, during the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida.
He was allowed to retire from the navy with full benefits at the end of his term in office.

See also
List of Governors of Cross River State

References

Nigerian Navy officers
1946 births
Living people
Nigerian military governors of Cross River State

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


These pedestal lanterns have been designed to have great durability against bad weather as their key feature. Ideal for exposed driveways or decked areas.
They are made from 304 grade Stainless Steel with a matt black finish, the lens is polycarbonate for extra durability. They have a 15 year guarantee against structural failure.
Also available in the same collection are wall lanterns.


Ubisoft Forums > 1C:Maddox Games > IL2 Maddox General Discussion > Why am I flying so slow?
View Full Version : Why am I flying so slow?
I noticed that when playing on line other players fly right by me like im in a sopwith camel. Likewise in combat it takes me forever to catch up to the action. I am using DSL. Is this a connection speed problem, video card, or is my processer just too slow?
Not being there to see it myself, I'm going to say none of the above. You probably have one of three things going on, or a combination of two or more: Either you aren't trimmed properly, you are using the wrong prop pitch, or you are more heavily loaded with fuel or weapons. Also, on an imbarassing note, you might check to make sure you completely raised your flaps. I was chatting with my flight leader on TS the other night in a co-op and flew half the mission with my combat flaps down.Be sure to check the flap indicator a few minutes after take-off.
What he said. Also, sometimes it's simply maintaining a 'nose-up' attitude. Your speed will increase as you level out, trim out and drop whatever ordnance you may be toting around.
Not a computer issue...a piloting issue.
1) Learn to trim your aircraft. Some have only elevator trim and some have full elevator, aileron, and rudder trim. Use these to keep your nose level (for level flight) and the "ball" centered (all or nearly all aircraft have a guage showing how much you are slipping to the left or right, slipping is draggy).
2) Learn to manage your aircrafts engine. Supercharger stages, radiator settings, fuel mixture (rarely but sometimes), and other settings make a difference.
3) Fuel load...preflight check to see how much fuel you're taking. If its a 109 or a Yak 75% may be a good idea....but if its a P-51D Mustang taking 25% is more than enough as you still have more in that 25% than the 109 does in 75%. Fuel is heavy and can have an effect on your acceleration and handling in a fight.
Just a few to consider.
Like the others say, check trim and flaps. On my last squad mission, I forgot to raised flaps and was wondering why I was never catching up. Am I glad for cockpit indicaters! Always check your cockpit levers/lights just to be sure your gears and flaps are in.
Of course, if you fly in WW view then you`ll be a little stuck.
If you still didn't sort it out, send me a track of your flying. PM me and I will give you my e-mail adress.
Most common cause of flying too slow is trying to gain altitude too quickly. Lower your nose a bit and climb at a higher speed/lower climb rate. If that leaves you too low in the combat area, take a detour until you have the altitude you require.


CLEVELAND -- Nikola Vucevic scored 23 points and the Orlando Magic snapped a 17-game losing streak to the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 114-93 victory on Saturday night.
Orlando led by as many as 37 points and never trailed.
The skid was the longest in Magic history to any one team, just as the winning streak was Cleveland's best against a single opponent. The Magic hadn't beaten Cleveland since Nov. 23, 2012.
Jonathon Simmons scored 19 points off the bench for Orlando and Evan Fournier finished with 13 points. D.J. Augustin had 12 points and 16 assists.
Vucevic made 12 of 16 field-goal attempts.
LeBron James paced the Cavs with 22 points and Kevin Love added 19. Iman Shumpert scored 14 points off the bench.
Orlando jumped out to a 12-2 lead in the first three minutes of the first quarter. The Magic led 56-45 at halftime and pulled away with a 32-20 third quarter.
The Cavaliers shot just 38.4 (33 of 86) from the field.
The Magic shot 17-of-35 from 3-point range to Cleveland's 7-of-25. Orlando already had 11 3s in the bank by the time Iman Shumpert made Cleveland's first 3-pointer with 8:58 left in the third quarter.
NOTES: Magic PG Elfrid Payton is "going to miss some games," according to coach Frank Vogel. Payton underwent an MRI exam Saturday, which showed a "mild to moderate" left hamstring strain suffered in Friday's loss to Brooklyn. ... Orlando F Aaron Gordon (sore left ankle) missed his second straight game. He tested it out before the game but Vogel said it was unlikely Gordon would play. ... Both Magic players on "two way" contracts, C Khem Birch and F Wes Iwundu, were activated for the game. ... Cavaliers PG Derrick Rose missed the game because of the sprained left ankle suffered Friday in Milwaukee. Coach Tyronn Lue said he didn't know when Rose would return. The NBA upgraded the foul committed by Bucks C Greg Monroe that injured Rose to a flagrant-one. Monroe wrapped Rose around the neck on a drive to the hoop with 10:12 left in the game, but was assessed only a common foul. ... The Cavs were 17-of-17 from the foul line Friday night in Milwaukee. The last time they were perfect on that many foul shots was Dec. 17, 1987, when Cleveland shot 22-of-22 from the stripe against Chicago -- a franchise record.


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Is your old car a classic - or just a used car?
Thread: Is your old car a classic - or just a used car?
Is that nicely preserved '88 Buick in your garage a "classic " - or just another old car?
The answer depends on who you ask.
Most states won't issue a "classic" (or "antique") vehicle license plate and registration until a vehicle is at least 21 years old. Some old car clubs (such as the Antique Automobile Club of America) consider the passage of 25-30 years the absolute minimum before a car transitions from being an old car to an antique.
The slightly snootier Classic Car Club of America goes even further. This group, which claims to have been the first to use the term "classic car," refuses to acknowledge or accept any car built after the year 1948 - when mass-produced welded and stamped panels began to replace the more time-intensive, bolt-on/partial (or fully) hand-built processes that had been the norm previously.
CCCA regards only the coach-built cars of the 1920s and '30s - V-16 Cadillacs, Bugattis, Auburns, Duesenbergs, Cords, etc. - as worthy, although an occasional exception is made for low-production, historically significant machines built later.
Here's chapter and verse:
"A CCCA Classic is a 'fine' or 'distinctive' automobile, either American or foreign built, produced between 1925 and 1948. Generally, a Classic was high-priced when new and was built in limited quantities. Other factors, including engine displacement, custom coachwork and luxury accessories, such as power brakes, power clutch, and 'one-shot' or automatic lubrication systems, help determine whether a car is considered to be a Classic."
Of course, this rather restrictive definition is far from accepted by all old car hobbyists - most of whom will never have the wherewithal to afford a Duesenburg SJ or Auburn boat-tail speedster.
Arguably, it's not just a matter of the lowing masses (and lowing, mass-produced vehicles) vs. the elite (and elite, low-production, hand-built vehicles) that defines a "classic" car.
It's about a car having survived its era; and more precisely - by dint of having survived, of its providing us with a three dimensional piece of history via which we can see, touch, hear and experience the past.
Oodles more '55 Chevys were built than '36 Cord 810s. But both are time capsules, each in their own way. The Cord tells us one story, the Chevy another. But both are certainly "classic" - in the sense that we shall not see their like ever again in a new car showroom.
When you do a walk-around of either at a vintage car show, you see things that remind you (or if you were too young, reveal to you) bits and pieces of a long-gone era - of technology and styling and forgotten "firsts" that in many instances were revolutionary when these cars were new.
For example, the Cord's highly unusual (for 1936) front-wheel-drive layout - or the '55 Chevy's compact, high-powered "small block" OHV V-8, versions of which are still in production 60 years later. We see shapes and details etched into the dim recollections of our childhood brought back to life again; faded photographs from a time before our own resurrected in living steel, glass and rubber. The raspberry rip of a Flathead Ford; the burbling staccato of a 16-cylinder Caddy... .
It's a thrilling experience to see (and hear) these machines. And to marvel and remember.
Old cars also bring context and focus, helping us to understand the ongoing evolution of automobiles: Bias-plys to high-speed radials; gravity-feed and carburetors to direct injection.
This process does require the passage of time, however.
Each decade that flows by can be likened to a gold prospector's pan being shifted; the gravel washes away, the murky waters finally clear - leaving a few precious nuggets ... if the prospector is fortunate enough.
As an example of this, consider the now hugely desirable and much-sought-after muscle cars of the mid-late 1960s and early '70s. In their day, they were mostly mass-produced, cheap - and as expendable as an empty beer can. It was not so long ago that one could buy used Shelby GT350 Mustangs, SS Chevelles and big-block Mopars for the cost of a worn-out Corolla today.
It took a quarter-century for an awareness of the significance of these brash and fearsome cars to percolate; for the realization that they represented a unique era in automotive history, never to be repeated, to dawn.
By this time, the few that survived had become something very special indeed.
In the same way, 10 or 20 years from now, a well-preserved '86 Tune Port Injected IROC-Z Camaro may well be morph from redneck lawn sculpture to high-dollar icon of the Reagan Years. Its design and technology will seem quaint - relics of a bygone time.
We'll look, we'll reminisce ... and we'll be glad to see one again after all these years.
This process is ongoing - despite the snorts of the CCCA that nothing worth mentioning has happened since 1948.
Brands have come and gone (AMC, Studebaker; Oldsmobile and Pontiac - even Yugo). Makes and models that were once as common as pull-top soda cans have disappeared as completely as the passenger pigeon.
When was the last time you saw a road-worthy Honda CRX? Or Subaru Brat?
Such cars, it is true, may never attain the rarified status of the pre-war coach-builts - or even the muscle cars of the 1960s. But that does not mean the few roadworthy or restorable examples still around aren't interesting to see - or that they have nothing to tell us about their times.
Or worth hanging onto.
And that, ultimately, is what a "classic" car is all about.
J. ZIMM
THE HIGH DESERT, OREGON
What will evolve into a Classic Car? From what I have seen from todays offerings, not to much. Maybe some of the 'New Technology' like the "Toyota Prius", or the discontinued 'Honda Insite'. Maybe, the 'EV' units from GM. Those will never end up in some one's Garage. Most, if not all were destroyed by GM. Early Hybrids may end up as a static displays, as batteries may become obsolete, and hard to find, as well as being very costly. Of course, some one may come up with a barrage of things to keep 'em running down the road. It makes me wonder what will happen to our Classic Cars of today, when the Dinosaurs Bladder becomes empty. How many of you will be willing to sell your Home Brew, so we can keep our cars on the road. Makes a new meaning for High Test, High Octane Methanol, Alcohol available at your local distillery. Check out our new Products out behind the Barn.....
MikeHalloran
Critical, irreplaceable plastic parts of today's cars will be dust or goo in thirty years.
Enjoy 'em while they're here; they'll be impossible to restore.
I got a car in a swap the other day. I've had more people marvel at it and I've even had a couple of offers and I'm still getting all the bugs out of it from a previous owners repairs. I think he went to a mechanic named "Jack Legg". It sure has a lot of jack leg repairs to it.
It's a 1984 Lincoln Mark VII with just under 47K on the clock. I need to get the seats working (they're stuck, I may just put manual seat tracks under them) do some brake work, and a few other small things. It has no rust and if I ever sell the Benz, it will go into the garage. I'm rather surprised at how it handles and the way it will scoot. I'm still getting it sorted out but the average mileage isn't too bad either.
100_0237.jpg (125.2 KB, 9 views)
I had one of these bad boys donated to our Automotive Program back in the mid '90s. It had a 302, AOT, 4 wheel disk brakes, and air bag suspension. I could power brake it to the kids delight. I end up setting the engine and transmission on a stand for classroom activities. Kind of wished I could have used it in something else legally. Oh well, we did get a lot of good stuff from it for the classroom. And that was the main objective...
misterdecibel
Originally Posted by MikeHalloran
I wish plastic degraded that easily and quickly. The middle of the Pacific Ocean contains a Texas-sized area full of plastic garbage that just won't go away.
This is probably true; the cost of restoring, say, just the wiring harness (and all associated electronics) in a modern computer-controlled car will likely be prohibitive.
My guess is there will be "survivors" ... but not restorations.
I owned one of these (an '87 LSC). They're beautiful cars; they have that lead ingot look of a Mercedes SL (the older, classy ones).
Mine had the same-year Mustang GT's 5.0 liter HO/automatic combo; virtually identical powertrain and the car moved out snappily.
But man, those air springs!
Quick Navigation Classic Car Corner Top
Things to think about before you buy a classic car
Classic Car engine oil
By DonTom in forum Classic Car Corner
These may be classic...
By D_E_Davis in forum Classic Car Corner
What classic car do you really dislike?
Buying a classic car


text:
developer versus code monkey
I keep hearing this topic in the forum. On my previous job I was told to build a clustering engine in real time for a well known search engine. Essentially I was asked to replicate vivisimo.com' s functionality.
I spent 3 months cracking out algorithms and code for clustering, summarization using Information retreival and data mining concepts.
I also developed some heuristic methods for text summarization.Much of the my results compared with vivisimo's, so I thought for a 1 person effort it's not bad.
I had to create my own spec, testing, etc... doing
specs,testing and development all by myself.
working on the project I felt I was a code monkey sometimes, churning out lines and lines of code, but on the other hand I also felt like a proper dev guy, understanding algo's, doing big O stuff etc...
So i viewed my job as both.
How do people on the forum view their jobs?
There has been one time in my career that I have felt like a code monkey. There were some optimizations that had to be done in one area of code and I was put on a task force to deal with some performance issues. The senior person on this team basically had all the areas that he wanted optimized figured out and I was handed one section of code and basically told to re-arrange the exiting code to the way the lead guy had decided to optimize. So all I had to do was churn out the code, no design, no profiling, no creative thought involved at all. That was really the only time I have really felt like a code monkey. Now as a developer I just feel like a second-class employee (management is class #1, all hail management)
Thats a very cool project. Not monkey work by a longshot.
As long as you get to use your brain in a creative fashion, id say youre not a code monkey.
Eric Debois
Yeah, I've felt like a "code monkey" any time I don't have control of the "what" or "how". And even then, unless it's a really interesting problem I prefer to have control of the "what".
Forms. The more forms you make, the more of a monkey you become. God, save me from forms.
InfoPath!!!
http://office.microsoft.com/home/office.aspx?assetid=FX01085792
[sorry - couldn't help myself]
[caveat: the poster works for Microsoft]
Code Monkey is more of a state of mind that a job. I've had form building jobs and decided to make an abstract framework to help me build forms more easily.
Matthew Lock
When you write the code, you are writing some programming lines whcih can perform given task.
So when you optimize etc.. I put it in the same category.
When you figure out the requirement of your programs, it's also at minor level. Not the major level.
ie.. It's not about what good the search engine would do to company etc.. You certainly don't want to do that..
You might want to figure out exactly what you want. May be from 6month/2years from now.
I do the same thing 'almost' as I was doing 4 years back. Just little better and faster. I call that survival , not progress.
Still Developer
"Code Monkey is more of a state of mind that a job."
Depends. Some people work in a job where they are given very detailed specs and have to code it exactly to spec, with little or no flexibility or creativity allowed. That is code monkey work and the only way to do otherwise is to convince them that you are personally capable of writing the spec, or get another job.
T. Norman
Holy cow, imagining getting such spec that I can't decide what to do. Does this really happen? Is it where they create the classes/methods and controllers and you just fill in the blanks?
I guess I work on the complete other spectrum. I NEVER get enough specs. The more sophisticated the project the sooner everyone tries to get it into the hands of the programmers. Either that or they create *specs* that are more like hungarian goulash: just word after word after paragraph after page that is completely worthless except to people who judge content by the line. Rarely, rarely anything specific except that they'll then expect you to glean the ream. Antyime anything in a project rises to complex it's simply left for the programmers since "gosh, it must be programming stuff since we can't figure out how to organize it".
Seriously. What the OP described sounds like 99% of what I've ever seen.
I'd define a code monkey as someone who thinks specs are for sissies and before a thought could enter their head they start banging out code and when it boomerangs they just bang out more until the boomerangs stop. Such code often looks like it was written by a monkey.
Gorilla Coder
You guys are getting hot and bothered trying to work out the distinction between development and code monkeying.
Here's a tip. "Code monkey" is a dismissive term used by outsiders to devalue the work of developers. Developers are so dumb when it comes to their own interests that they then presume it really means something and start using it themselves.
There are some programmers who deserve to be called code monkeys, because they literally can't program anything that works unless you give them specs down to every method, parameter, and algorithm.
...and start using it themselves in an attempt to differentiate themselves from "them", the common herd, the great unwashed.
Surprise! To the managerial classes, we are ALL the great unwashed. Use phrases like "code monkey" and the bad reputation will come back to you like a boomerang.
Fernanda Stickpot
"There are some programmers who deserve to be called code monkeys, because they literally can't program anything that works unless you give them specs down to every method, parameter, and algorithm."
Some people call that a *compiler*.
What could you possibly need to pass on to an animal after you've reached such a fine level of detail?
(I know, I know, this is how things work all over the place. IT shops astonish me in the waste they demonstrate. Instead of hiring one good programmer at $250K, they fill a room of cubes with a dozen $80K muddleheads who work at 1/10th speed, plop a ribbon on the whole assemblage in the form of a $140K dunce called a manager, and call it crackerjack.)
Specs *ARE* for sissies.
>>(I know, I know, this is how things work all over the >>place. IT shops astonish me in the waste they >>demonstrate. Instead of hiring one good programmer >>at $250K, they fill a room of cubes with a dozen $80K >>muddleheads who work at 1/10th speed, plop a ribbon >>on the whole assemblage in the form of a $140K dunce >>called a manager, and call it crackerjack.)
Maybe its a case of there not being enough good programmers. So what should they do then, take a flying leap off a cliff? The ignorance of (some)people still abounds.
Anon-y-mous Cow-ard
There *are* enough good programmers. Most are simply hogtied in the quagmires I describe. I know many folks who could easily produce all the output of their entire organizations, faster, and with higher quality.
Does that sound impossible? You might ask "If they are so good, why aren't they producing at that level?" How many of you programmers have sat through a daylong meeting with 7 people discussing something you could have written during that same day if left alone to concentrate? How many are forced to endure horrid technologies or produce asinine artifacts that just slow you down without any benefit? How many have a manager stopping by for two minute discussions just often enough to keep you from ever reaching that zone of concentration when the software just bursts out of you? How many hours and days are lost guiding and cleaning up after the monkeys? How many don't have direct access to the people who know what their software should do, because there are proper channels one must follow? How many programmers have the raw talent, but have drunk the kool-aid and actually believe all that is "how things are done" or essential difficulties, never seeing a good way, never fully developing their potential.
How much of a drain on the soul must it be to deal with all that and more? How would one run at their own best speed under such circumstance?
The numbers are there alright, but many are encumbered.
(But the ice is slowly cracking too.)
I could catch a monkey!
"Developer vs code monkey" is terminology that displays another vestige of the idiotic backstabbing elitism that pervades programmer thinking.
My thinking is that most of us - no matter how degreed, elite, productive - are regarded as mentally retarded, stunted, dignity bereft "mini-me" trolls by others in executive and think-tank positions. The statements of position from offshoring advocates that define all "application programming" as a mindless and menial task clearly indicate that we are regarded as as "class below" all others, and rightfully so because our job is defined as lacking all thought and discretion.
So in addition, we do it to each other by erecting elistist little definitions that basically amount to "your job is stupid, I am perfect and better than you."
At one contract a couple of years ago I synthesized a port of a majorly bloated and spaghetti coded DOD application to a training simulator. The PHBs that I contracted to regarded the excruciating effort of tool selection and strategy as mindless, self evident twaddle. "Oh, just rewrite it for Windows and get it perfect." "Oh, we've already started it and thought it through, you just code it." Ahem... 400K lines of source code? Hello, dumb ass f*cks?!! "Do your job, contractor, your job is mindless and self evident." Yeah, right. @$$holes. I helped this clueless, stupid client deliver a contract deliverable cost efficiently that they had no clue about. They regarded my contribution and completely menial and in fact credited it to a couple of co-ops.
The point is, I had to pull years of judgement and experience together with one hell of a lot of hard work, that was intellectually well beyond the moron EEs that ran the place. My client regarded it all as grey, amorphous goo. Even though they committed to deliver this crap w/o a clue in place as to how to do so.
Where was I, anyway? Oh, yeah. Labels suck.
I am not a code monkey! Furthermore, I am smarter than Professor Neutonium, Dexter, Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Dr. Sivana and the HAL 9000 from "2001: A Space Odyssey" !


Period-TV dramas are the new darlings of the small screen.
History isn't always apparent while you're living it. But have you noticed we're in a go-go age for period-TV dramas? As 2012 unfolds, new shows are arriving, set in 1860s Manhattan, 1870s London and 1959 Miami, among other epochs.
Of course, there's a practical force at work too: ratings. Ever since Showtime's The Tudors and AMC's Mad Men debuted in 2007 to record-setting viewerships, broadcast and cable execs have been keen to clone them—and they're willing to put up the big budgets that period shows generally require. Some of the results have crashed, such as ABC's 1960s airline drama Pan Am, while others have soared. HBO's Prohibition-era Boardwalk Empire, with a pilot episode reportedly costing nearly $20 million, has a solid global audience, as does the channel's medieval fantasy, Game of Thrones. PBS has had such success with British import Downton Abbey that Encore hopes this fall that American viewers will embrace the BBC-produced miniseries The Crimson Petal and the White, the tale of a young prostitute in Victorian London. In late May the History Channel weighs in with Hatfields & McCoys, a miniseries about the infamous 19th-century family feud, starring Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton.
Whatever the milieu, enormous effort is being put into getting location details right. For Magic City, a love letter to the Miami Beach luxury-hotel scene during its mob-controlled, Rat Pack heyday at the dawn of the '60s, Starz agreed to base production in Miami, where series creator Mitch Glazer grew up. "There was no soundstage infrastructure there," says Glazer. The production team took over a former yacht-building facility to create a 340,000-square-foot interior set for the show's fictional resort, the Miramar Playa. Glazer claims he doesn't know the exact cost, but period shows are so hot right now, it didn't seem like a problem. "Everything's authentic," he says. "We have real chandeliers from the era and created exact replicas of Italian gold tiles. There wasn't a lot of 'We can't' involved." Ah, the lure of luxury—it's timeless.


* Fixed problem with the definition of "(mm2 day-2)/(mm2 day-2)"
* Corrected temporal decomposition algorithm in ut_decode_time().
* Fixed utCalendar() in the UDUNITS-1 interface returning 60 seconds.
* Added missing comma to snprintf() call under Windows.
* Added missing files to distribution for building on Windows.
* Changed definition and symbol of "astronomical_unit"
* Eliminated the use of unistd.h on Windows.
- Corrected the definition of "dram" and added "fluid_dram".
- Changed the definition of "molecule" to "1/avogadro_constant".
- Added comments and human-readable definitions.
- Removed latent bug on Windows in determining the name of the program.
- Removed lint discovered by Coverity.
compatible with version 2.1. Added concomitant test to unit-tests.
* Added units "molecule" (for conversion with "mole") and "bit".
* Added "-H have" and "-W want" options.
unit "8". (The unit "bit" was already defined).


text:
Q: OpenCV with GigE Vision Cameras I need to use OpenCV with a GigE Vision Ethernet Camera, but I couldn't find much useful information on how to do this, any pointers, documents and example code?
I need to read frames from the camera.

A: You can do this! I used the Baumer GAPI SDK, which is a GenTL consumer. GenTL is a generic transport layer, which is a module within genIcam. You can read up on GenTL HERE. Using a GenTL consumer like Baumer's GAPI or Basler's API makes things a lot easier. They should work with any GigE camera.
I made a more comprehensive way to use Baumer's GAPI SDK in another answer HERE, so I will give a summary of what you need.

*

*Visual Studios

*openCV 3 for C++ (HERE is a youtube tutorial on how)

*Baumer GAPI SDK HERE

*(optional) Test your camera and network interface card using Baumer's Camera Explorer program. You need to enable jumbo packets. You may also need to configure the camera and car IP address using Baumer's IPconfig program.

*Setup your system Variables. refer to the programmer's guide in the Baumer GAPI SDK docs folder (should be in C:\Program Files\Baumer\Baumer GAPI SDK\Docs\Programmers_Guide). Refer to section 4.3.1.

*Create a new C++ project in Visual Studios and configure the properties. Refer to section 4.4.1.

*Go to the examples folder and look for 005_PixelTransformation example. It should be in (C:\Program Files\Baumer\Baumer GAPI SDK\Components\Examples\C++\src\0_Common\005_PixelTransformation). Copy the C++ file and paste it into the source directory of your new project.

*Verify you can build and compile. NOTE: You may find a problem with the part that adjusts camera parameters (exposure time for example). you should see pixel values written to the screen for the first 6 pixels in the first 6 rows, for 8 images.

Add these #include statements to the top of the .cpp source file:
#include <opencv2\core\core.hpp
#include <opencv2\highgui\highgui.hpp>
#include <opencv2\video\video.hpp>

Add these variable declarations at the beginning of the main() function
// OPENCV VARIABLE DECLARATIONS
cv::VideoWriter cvVideoCreator;                 // Create OpenCV video creator
cv::Mat openCvImage;                            // create an OpenCV image
cv::String videoFileName = "openCvVideo.avi";   // Define video filename
cv::Size frameSize = cv::Size(2048, 1088);      // Define video frame size
cvVideoCreator.open(videoFileName, CV_FOURCC('D', 'I', 'V', 'X'), 20, frameSize, true); // set the codec type and frame rate

In the original 005_PixelTransformation.cpp file, line 569 has a for loop that loops over 8 images, which says for(int i = 0; i < 8; i++). We want to change this to run continuously. I did this by changing it to a while loop that says
while (pDataStream->GetIsGrabbing())

Within the while loop there's an if and else statement to check the image pixel format. After the else statement closing brace and before the pImage->Release(); statement, add the following lines
// OPEN CV STUFF
openCvImage = cv::Mat(pTransformImage->GetHeight(), pTransformImage->GetWidth(), CV_8U, (int *)pTransformImage->GetBuffer());

// create OpenCV window ----
cv::namedWindow("OpenCV window: Cam", CV_WINDOW_NORMAL);

//display the current image in the window ----
cv::imshow("OpenCV window : Cam", openCvImage);
cv::waitKey(1);

Make sure you chose the correct pixel format for your openCvImage object. I chose CV_8U because my camera is mono 8 bit.
When you build and compile, you should get an openCV window which displays the live feed from your camera!
Like I said, it can be done, because I've done it. If you run into problems, refer to the programmer's guide.

A: I use an uEye GigE camera (5240) with OpenCV. It works as a cv::VideoCapture out of the box. Nevertheless using the API allows for much more control over the cameras parameters.

A: You don't mention the type of the camera and your platform. On Windows, according to the OpenCV documentation:

Currently two camera interfaces can be
  used on Windows: Video for Windows
  (VFW) and Matrox Imaging Library (MIL)

It is unlikely that your GigE camera driver supports VFW, and for MIL you need the MIL library, which is not free AFAIK.
Most GigE cameras will have an API that you can use to capture images. In most cases the API will be based on GenICam. Probably your best approach is to use the API that came with your camera, and then convert the captured image to an IplImage structure (C) or Mat class (C++).

A: Gig-E is a communication standard for a wide range of cameras. OpenCV now contains a wrapper for The Prosilica Gig-E based cameras (see CV_CAP_PVAPI)
But in general it's better to use the camera's native API to get the data and then use openCV to convert the returned data into an image, openCv contains a number of Bayer pattern ->RGB routines.
The CvCapture module is convenient for testing, because it can seemlessly read from a camera or a file - but it's not really suitable for high-speed real-time vision


text:
Q: How to merge 2 RGB images in DM by scripting? I would like to overlay 2 (or more) RGB images in Digital Micrograph by scripting.
Unlike some realimages without color that can be merged by summing the intensity, RGB images should be merged in another way but I have no clue.
Thanks for helping!

A: You can sum RGB images just like regular images, but your problem is that you need to define what you mean by "overlay".
RGB Images are triplets holding a value for each of the 3 channels RED, GREEN, BLUE and these values are clipped between [0 and 255].
"Summing" RGB images will give you again a triplet, but any value bigger then 255 is truncated to 255, so you will shift more and more towards "white" in the image.
You could define an "overlay" as the mean-values instead, but the effect of "overlaying" then becomes more and more towards "average gray".
Or you could define an "overlay" as the "max-values" or "min-values" of the involved channels.
Or, or, or....
When you think of "overlaying" RGB images, it is helpful to think of other graphic programs like Photoshop which allow you combinining "layers". Usually these programs offer you multiple options ( "overlay, screen, lighten, darken, you name it..." ) which all define a different mathematical relationship between the three color values of the first and the three color values of the second layer.
The commands you need to do this maths are RGB( ), RED( ), GREEN( ), and BLUE( ) as well as simple maths. See the example:
image img1r := RealImage("Red 1",4,256,256)
image img1g := RealImage("Green 1",4,256,256)
image img1b := RealImage("Blue 1",4,256,256)

img1r = icol/iwidth * 256
img1b = iradius/iwidth * 256
img1g = irow/iwidth * 256

RGBImage img1 = RGB(img1r,img1g,img1b)
img1.Setname( "Image 1 (RGB)")

image img2r := RealImage("Red 2",4,256,256)
image img2g := RealImage("Green 2",4,256,256)
image img2b := RealImage("Blue 2",4,256,256)

img2r = (icol%10)<5 ? 256 : 100
img2g = (irow%10)<5 ? 256 : 100
img2b = (iradius%10)<5 ? 256 : 100
RGBImage img2 = RGB(img2r,img2g,img2b)
img2.Setname( "Image 2 (RGB)")

image sumImg = img1 + img2
sumImg.SetName( "SUM" )

image avImg = (img1 + img2)/2
avImg.SetName( "AVERAGE" )

image maxImg = RGB( max(red(img1),red(img2)), max(green(img1),green(img2)), max(blue(img1),blue(img2)))
maxImg.SetName( "Channel MAX" )

image minImg = RGB( min(red(img1),red(img2)), min(green(img1),green(img2)), min(blue(img1),blue(img2)))
minImg.SetName( "Channel MIN" )

// Arrange display
EGUPerformActionWithAllShownImages( "delete" )

minImg.ShowImage()
maxImg.ShowImage()
avImg.ShowImage()
sumImg.ShowImage()
img2.ShowImage()
img1.ShowImage()

TagGroup layout = SLMCreateGridLayout( 2 , 3 )
EGUArrangeAllShownImagesInLayout( layout )

It should also be noted that some "overlay" combinations are not based on the  Red/Green/Blue (RGB) color model, but on the alternative Hue/Saturation/Brightness (HSB) color model.
DigitalMicrograph scripting does natively only support RGB, but you can do the maths yourself.
You might also find it useful to look at the examples script "Display as HSB.s" on the Gatan script example site.

A: You can script image merging very simply with ImageMagick which is installed on most Linux distros and is available for OSX and Windows.
As you have not provided any sample images, I have made a couple - image1.png and image2.png like this:

Now, there are lots of Blend Modes available - some of the more common ones are Lighten, Darken, Overlay, Blend. So, let's try a few at the command line in Terminal:
convert image1.png image2.png -compose darken -composite result.png

convert image1.png image2.png -compose lighten -composite result.png

convert image1.png image2.png -compose overlay -composite result.png

The options are endless - you can get a list of the blend modes available in ImageMagick like this:
identity -list compose

Output
Atop
Blend
Blur
Bumpmap
ChangeMask
Clear
ColorBurn
ColorDodge
Colorize
CopyBlack
CopyBlue
CopyCyan
CopyGreen
Copy
CopyMagenta
CopyOpacity
CopyRed
CopyYellow
Darken
DarkenIntensity
DivideDst
DivideSrc
Dst
Difference
Displace
Dissolve
Distort
DstAtop
DstIn
DstOut
DstOver
Exclusion
HardLight
HardMix
Hue
In
Lighten
LightenIntensity
LinearBurn
LinearDodge
LinearLight
Luminize
Mathematics
MinusDst
MinusSrc
Modulate
ModulusAdd
ModulusSubtract
Multiply
None
Out
Overlay
Over
PegtopLight
PinLight
Plus
Replace
Saturate
Screen
SoftLight
Src
SrcAtop
SrcIn
SrcOut
SrcOver
VividLight
Xor

Here are all the options:


text:
Q: Listen to mouse and keyboard events using python i am trying to prompt error massage if the keyboard or mouse is not in used for some chunk of time. for that i tried pynput module, which is not worth for me. can anyone help me for this thing, thank you

A: This code will print(xxxxx) if you don't move(or click) your mouse and press your keyboard in five seconds.
from pynput import mouse,keyboard
import time
def on_move(x, y):
    global LastTime
    LastTime = time.time()

def on_click(x, y, button, pressed):
    global LastTime
    LastTime = time.time()

def on_scroll(x, y, dx, dy):
    global LastTime
    LastTime = time.time()

def on_press(key):
    global LastTime
    LastTime = time.time()

LastTime = time.time()
listener = keyboard.Listener(on_press=on_press)
listener.start()
listener = mouse.Listener(on_move=on_move,on_click=on_click,on_scroll=on_scroll)
listener.start()
while True:
    if time.time()-LastTime >= 5: # the break time,5 is second
        print("You need break your computer")
        LastTime = time.time()


Why do religious teenage girls consistently academically outperform religious teenage boys?
Why do religious girls academically outperform religious boys?
A prominent national religious newspaper recently headlined an article that proudly presented the high academic achievements and ranking of many of the national religious ulpanot (girls highschools). The headline then asked the rhetorical question, why do the ulpanot academically outperform the high school yeshivot ?Why do the girls academically outperform the boys?
This article will now present some tentative answers to the question.
First, there is the 'comforting' answer that the religious girls academically outperform the boys on bagruyot (matriculation exams) in secular subjects because the more intellectually gifted boys are busy investing their time and intellectual energy in religious (limudei kodesh) studies. Their yeshiva environment correctly (in my opinion) places less emphasis on excelling in secular subjects.
I believe that this answer has enough validity in order to statistically explain some of the difference between the boy's and girl's achievements.
However we will be fooling ourselves if we stop the discussion here, and do not more explore more basic psycho-social factors that can also explain the differences between the academic performance of religious girls and boys. By more fully answering this question we will gain insights into basic sociological forces that are affecting the religious life of our national religious community.
Second, most of us know that boys constitute 70% of all students diagnosed with learning disabilities, particularly in the areas of difficulties to conceptually focus, difficulties to abstractly conceptualize learning material, and shorter attention span. We all know that boys will be more hyperactive. Many educators hold that up to 20% of religious teenage boys are simply not capable of fruitfully participating in a serious academic environment for more than 3-4 hours a day. After the age of 22 they will be able to academically do what they cannot do when they are 16.
For example, a wide range of innovative educational programs have recently sprung up in order to cope with the twenty percent of teenage religious boys who cannot sit productively sit in a classroom for more than 3-4 hours a day. The boys' educational frustration has social implications. It usually brings them to simultaneously lessen halakhic behavior, and to outwardly adopt secular modes of recreation and dress. Their educational frustration, and outward changes in behavior, may often bring them into conflict with their parents.
Religious educators have responded to these challenges by setting up programs which combine some or all of the following elements.
One, the learning environment is small and intimate, and classes are usually less than less than 15 students.
Two, the emphasis is placed on reducing pressure and competition, and allowing each student to learn at an individual pace. All accomplishments receive clear, immediate, positive feedback, and failures are bypassed.
Three, behavioral rules are kept to a minimum, but all red lines are very strictly enforced.
Four, Most programs try to mix classroom learning with at least an equal number of hours of experiential, outside classroom learning activities. Recently, these have included agricultural work in the morning, work internships, and sports, music and crafts. Almost any activity that will allow the boys to develop a sense of responsibility, personal initiative, or creative self expression is encouraged.
Five, educators struggle to find the very delicate line (golden mean) between creating a serious religious atmosphere, with respect for halakha, without basing a religious atmosphere on too many rules and coercion. Most students enter the program already rebelling against religious behavior. Too many behavioral requirements will simply 'backfire' (cause a negative reaction).
On the other hand, religious observance adds a very necessary element of inspirational structure and purpose to the educational environment. Also, it is important that the boys maintain a living connection with halakha, so they can rebuild their connection when their teenage frustration, and confusion has waned. The ability to sustain a religious atmosphere in the midst of teenage rebellion often depends on the ability of the staff to both provide a personal example of 'simchat mitzvah' , while at the same time responding empathetically , and non judgmentally, to their students' rebellious attitude.
The learning difficulties of religious teenage boys probably reflect the growing sociological evidence that women across the board are more successful than men in adjusting to the vast sociological changes of the twenty first century. Coping in the post modern society favors those with a high degree of social communication skills, and a high level of self awareness. Women exceed in these social skills areas more than men. I will briefly offer a few examples of today's women outperforming men when it comes to adjusting to rapid social change.
One, men under fifty have a much higher suicide rate in America than do women. Men are increasingly at risk for death by drug overdose. Men will turn to drugs more than women because of a greater sense of social emptiness and frustration with their lives.
Second, the most rapidly growing area of employment is the area of service jobs in health and education fields. In America, men discharged from industrial jobs refuse to retrain as nurses, caretakers, and informal, out of the classroom educators.
Three, close to 60% of college graduates are now women, and only 40% men. Women finish their degrees quicker, and have a lower dropout rate.
Four, acceptance to medical school now requires not only a high grade average in the natural sciences, but also high scores on psychological aptitude tests. The result is that women are now more than 55% of medical schools' entry class.
Finally, we see that haredi women are much more successful than haredi men in training and entering the secular job market. Haredi women are becoming the primary breadwinners. This role reversal revolution creates a lot of tension in the haredi community. It does not bode well for the self image of the haredi male.
In summary, there is growing evidence that the educational difficulties of religious teenage boys reflect a larger trend of the difficulty of men to successfully adapt to the social changes of the twenty first century.
Recent studies show that a higher percentage of national religious men and women find employment in the fields of education, health and public service than do secular men and women. The 'best and the brightest' of our young people are more likely to enter these fields than are the 'best and the brightest' of the secular community.
I believe that this trend is exemplified by our educators' efforts to cope with rapid social change and provide appropriate educational environments to the 20% of teenage religious boys who require 'specially crafted' learning environments. Our educators are doing their best to remain 'only' one step behind rapid social change. They deserve our respect and support. They are the true pioneers of the twenty first century.


text:
package net.ozwolf.mockserver.raml.internal.validator;

import net.ozwolf.mockserver.raml.internal.domain.ValidationErrors;

public interface Validator {
    ValidationErrors validate();
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I have completed my second review of The Man and the Sea. This chapter introduces John Cabot, one of The Grand's lead characters and deals with his love for the sea.
There 62 modifications made to this 2 page chapter. Both Google Docs and Wattpad display the revised edition. Note that the Google Docs version permits comments and revisions, feel free to make use of this capability.


text:
Q: Is there any way of calculating this long formula? $$\left\{\frac{-x^4+y^4-y^2}{\left(x^2+y^2\right)\left(x^2+y^2-1\right)\sqrt{x^2+y^2}\sqrt{x^2+y^2-1}}\right\}\left\{1+\left\{\frac{y^2}{\left(x^2+y^2\right)\left(x^2+y^2-1\right)}\right\}^2\right\}+\left\{\frac{-y^4+x^4-x^2}{\left(x^2+y^2\right)\left(x^2+y^2-1\right)\sqrt{x^2+y^2}\sqrt{x^2+y^2-1}}\right\}^{\:}\left\{1+\left\{\frac{x^2}{\left(x^2+y^2\right)\left(x^2+y^2-1\right)}\right\}^2\right\}-2\frac{y^2}{\left(x^2+y^2\right)\left(x^2+y^2-1\right)}\cdot \frac{x^2}{\left(x^2+y^2\right)\left(x^2+y^2-1\right)}\cdot \frac{-y^4+x^4-x^2}{\left(x^2+y^2\right)\left(x^2+y^2-1\right)\sqrt{y^2+x^2}\sqrt{y^2+x^2-1}}$$
I'm sorry if this question is not proper here, but is there any way(website) to calculate this formula? In principle, this should be zero, but when I do it by hand, it doesn't seem like it. And I want to verify it. Thanks!

A: Your question is equivalent to asking whether the last term (without the minus sign) and the sum of the first two terms are equal. Expressing these two in the format of one big fraction, the denominators on both sides of the equation are the same: $(x^2+y^2)^{7/2} (x^2+y^2-1)^{7/2}$, therefore comparing the numerators suffices. Make the substitution $p=x^2$ and $q=y^2$ for simplification.
The numerator on the L.H.S. is
$
(-p^2+q^2-q)\big[ (p+q)^2 (p+q-1)^2 + q^2 \big] +(-q^2+p^2-p)\big[ (p+q)^2 (p+q-1)^2 + p^2 \big]
$
which can be simplified into
$-p^3-q^3-(p+q)^3(p+q-1)^2$.
The numerator on the R.H.S. is $2pq(p^2-q^2-p)$.
Notice how all terms when expanded on the R.H.S. must be in the form of $p^m q^n$ where $m,n \in \mathbb{Z} \neq 0$. But on the L.H.S., there are at least a $-p^5$ and $-q^5$ term.


text:
Q: When using inotify_read, pnctl_signal does not interrupt the inotify_read I am building a log parser program in PHP. Log parser reads the data from the log file created by ProFTPD and then runs some actions if it detects specific commands. To be able to detect changes in the log file, I am using Inotify. If log file gets too large, I want to rotate the log by sending a signal to the log parser to finish processing the current file and then terminate the log parser. Logrotate would then restart the log parser again after it makes sure that the original file that is being read is emptied.
The problem is that when I use Inotify and when the inotify is in blocking state, the interrupts won't work.
For example:
#!/usr/bin/php -q
<?php
declare(ticks = 1);

$log_parser = new LogParser();
$log_parser->process_log();

class LogParser {

  private $ftp_log_file = '/var/log/proftpd/proftpd.log';
  # file descriptor for the log file
  private $fd;
  # inotify instance
  private $inotify_inst;
  # watch id for the inotifier
  private $watch_id;

  public function process_log() {
    // Open an inotify instance
    $this->inotify_inst = inotify_init();
    $this->watch_id = inotify_add_watch($this->inotify_inst, $this->ftp_log_file, IN_MODIFY);

    $this->fd = fopen($this->ftp_log_file, 'r');
    if ($this->fd === false)
      die("unable to open $this->ftp_log_file!\n");

    pcntl_signal(SIGUSR1,  function($signal) {
      $this->sig_handler($signal);
    });

    while (1) {
      # If the thread gets blocked here, the signals do not work
      $events = inotify_read($this->inotify_inst);
      while ($line = trim(fgets($this->fd))) {
        // Parse the log ...
      }
    }
    fclose($this->fd);
    // stop watching our directory
    inotify_rm_watch($this->inotify_inst, $this->watch_id);
    // close our inotify instance
    fclose($this->inotify_inst);
  }

  private function sig_handler($signo) {
    switch ($signo) {
      case SIGUSR1:
        // Do some action ...
    }
  }

}

I know that one solution could be that I start the parent process and then add the signal handler to that parent process. The parent process should start the log parser and the log parser would get blocked by inotify_read, but parent process wouldn't, but was wondering if there is a solution not involving the parent process - if the inotify is able to support interrupts?
Thanks

A: Found a solution here: php inotify blocking but with timeout
Final code:
#!/usr/bin/php -q
<?php
declare(ticks = 1);

$log_parser = new LogParser();
$log_parser->process_log();

class LogParser {

  private $ftp_log_file = '/var/log/proftpd/proftpd.log';
  # file descriptor for the log file
  private $fd;
  # inotify instance
  private $inotify_inst;
  # watch id for the inotifier
  private $watch_id;

  public function process_log() {
    // Open an inotify instance
    $this->inotify_inst = inotify_init();
    stream_set_blocking($this->inotify_inst, false);
    $this->watch_id = inotify_add_watch($this->inotify_inst, $this->ftp_log_file, IN_MODIFY);

    $this->fd = fopen($this->ftp_log_file, 'r');
    if ($this->fd === false)
      die("unable to open $this->ftp_log_file!\n");

    pcntl_signal(SIGUSR1,  function($signal) {
      $this->sig_handler($signal);
    });

    while (1) {
      while (1) {
        $r = array($this->inotify_inst);
        $timeout = 60;
        $w = array();
        $e = array();
        $time_left = stream_select($r, $w, $e, $timeout);
        if ($time_left != 0) {
          $events = inotify_read($this->inotify_inst);
          if ($events) {
            break;
          }
        }
      }
      while ($line = trim(fgets($this->fd))) {
        // Parse the log ...
      }
    }
    fclose($this->fd);
    // stop watching our directory
    inotify_rm_watch($this->inotify_inst, $this->watch_id);
    // close our inotify instance
    fclose($this->inotify_inst);
  }

  private function sig_handler($signo) {
    switch ($signo) {
      case SIGUSR1:
        // Do some action ...
    }
  }

}

The suggested solution does not block interrupts and it also sets the thread in a non blocking state.