text:
 IoT is the next big wave and we can see it all around us. In my talk, i will show how to build a simple home automation hub using Angular, realtime database and microcontrollers. I will go over some of the other frameworks we can leverage to do rapid protoyping.
 This repo is accompny to my meetup on Oct 27, 2015 hosted by [js-chi](http://www.meetup.com/js-chi/events/225146363/)

## Software
### Pie Software
Our Pi is running Johhny Five and running process which talks to arudino. The arduino publishes the data over serial port, which is connected to the pie. The pie listens to the data over serial port, parses it and publishes it to the [firebase](firebase.com) node.

```javascript
var five = require("johnny-five");

five.Board().on("ready", function() {
    var temperature = new five.Temperature({
          controller: "TMP36",
              pin: "A0"
                });

      temperature.on("data", function() {
            console.log(this.celsius + "°C", this.fahrenheit + "°F");
              });
});

```

### Ardunio Software
The arudino is running firemata code which lets it integrate with Pi, which is running the Johhny Five process.

### Mobile Setup
I used [Ionic](www.ionic.io) to develop the mobile application with (firebase)[firebase.com] as the backend. Firebase provides first citizen support for angular and its [three way binding](https://www.firebase.com/blog/2013-10-04-firebase-angular-data-binding.html) support works great to show realtime data very easily.

In our mobile app, we have used this [three way binding](https://www.firebase.com/blog/2013-10-04-firebase-angular-data-binding.html) to tie our temperature scope variable, which is shown in the screen. The firebase node for this temperature is feed in realtime from our IoT gateway. The IoT gateway is running Johnny Five service which talks to our arudino, which is constantly monitoring our temperature sensor and publishing it to the firebase node.

## Hardware

### Material List
 These are things that i have used from a hardware prespetvie
* [Arduino](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12757)
* [Raspberry Pi](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12994)
* [Breadboard](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/12002)
* [Temp Sensor](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/10988)
* [Wifi Module](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/11713)
* [Jumper Wires](https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9194)

#### Raspberry Pie Setup
The Pi should be easy to setup, there are numberious tutiral out there depending on the version of linux. Now i think you can even have windows 10 running on it. But i used this tutorial to setup my pie

https://www.raspberrypi.org/help/quick-start-guide/

Once you have the pie setup i would advise you setup the wifi so that you can

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/using-pcduinos-wifi-dongle-with-the-pi

Once you have this setup, you can ssh into the pie and make sure you have nodejs installed on the pie. The install should be like any normal linux system. Curl the package build it and you are all set.

##### Source Code:

``` bash
git clone git://github.com/rwaldron/johnny-five.git && cd johnny-five

npm install
```

##### npm package:

Install the module with:

```bash
npm install johnny-five
```
#### Arduino Setup

The arudino you buy should come with instruction on how to setup it up. You can find more details about it in

https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/HomePage

I will adivse you to go throug few tutorial and getting famiilar with a few basic programs like blink, digital/aganlog read, serial comminication before connecting it to Pie to diving into [Johnny Five](http://johnny-five.io/). I personally thing even though, Jhonny Five makes it very easy to play around with Arduino you need to know how it works at a basic level to trobuleshoot issues, when they come along.

Once you have arudino setup, follow the following steps to have Johhny Five and Arduino up and running

1. Setup Firmata
  1. Plug in your Arduino or Arduino compatible microcontroller via USB
  2. Open the Arduino IDE, select: File > Examples > Firmata > StandardFirmata
  3. Click the "Upload" button.

If the upload was successful, the board is now prepared and you can close the Arduino IDE.

##### Breadboard for "Temperature - TMP36"
![images/temperature-tmp36.png](images/temperature-tmp36.png)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The UN Security Council must do everything it can to end the crimes against humanity and ongoing ethnic cleansing against the Rohingya civilian population in Myanmar, including by imposing a comprehensive arms embargo on the country, says Amnesty International USA.
Campaign Against Arms Trade has welcomed the European Parliament's vote to support an arms embargo against Saudi Arabia. The amendment was passed by 359 votes to 212, with 31 abstentions.
South Sudanese and international human rights, humanitarian and other NGOs have appealed to the US President.
As hostilities in Gaza and Israel resumed after the collapse of the ceasefire earlier this week, Amnesty International has renewed its call on the UK government to suspend all arms export licences for Israel.
Quakers in Britain have called on the UK Government to recognise Palestine as a nation state; for a comprehensive arms embargo on all sides and an end to the blockade of Gaza and occupation of Palestine.
Israel's ground assault on the Gaza Strip accentuates the need for urgent international action to protect civilians in Gaza and Israel from further war crimes by both sides, says Amnesty International.
The government has said it is deeply concerned at events in Cairo, but it has still failed to announce an embargo on arms sales to Egypt.


Vote now. Vote often. And tell your friends!
The athletes serve as a strong role model in the classroom as well as in their community and plans to attend college.
The athletes shows a commitment to the people and organizations in his/her community.
The athletes displays a high level of performance in his/her chosen sport(s).
The Athlete of the Year event is the culminating celebration of the Athlete of the Week program.
Won 100 (11.02) and 200 meters (22.41) titles at Allen Invitational and has fastest times in sprint events in Colonial League.
Totaled 7 goals and 5 assists in Trojans' two EPC lacrosse triumphs last week, including 9-8 victory over rival Emmaus.
He went 7-for-8 with three extra-base hits, 5 runs, 4 RBIs and 2 walks as the Blue Eagles went 3-0.
Won 3,200 (11:11.77) title at Allen Invitational, posting season's fastest time among area athletes in two-miler.
Won 800 (2:22.01) and anchored two winning relays for Hurricanes at Allen Invitational. Her 800 time is fastest in EPC.
Collected her 100th career hit during a week she batted .529 with 9 hits, including 2 doubles,3 RBIs, 7 runs scored and stole 4 bases.
Voting runs from 5:00 pm ET on Mondays to 9:00 am ET on Thursdays. Finalist eligibility cycle covers games from Sunday-Saturday of the previous week.
Congrats to the 2018 weekly winners!


text:
Focus on climate change: What is the future of Montana coal?
By Shaylee RagarFebruary 4, 2019
February 4, 2019 By Missoula Current
Signal Peak Energy bought the Bull Mountain mine near Roundup in 2008 and applied to the Bureau of Land Management to mine coal under 2,700 acres of federal land adjacent to the mine. (Inhabitat.com)
(UM Legislative News Service) The state of Montana's coal industry is in flux.
Conservationists blame the market's move away from fossil fuels. Industry leaders blame strict regulations. Either way, the future of coal is up for debate, and a recent committee hearing in Montana's Legislature proved that.
Rep. Mary Ann Dunwell, D-Helena, is carrying House Bill 193, also called the Montana Climate Action Act, which would tack a $10 tax onto each ton of carbon content — like carbon dioxide emitted from coal-fired plants. During the House Taxation Committee hearing last week, Dunwell argued it's time to move away from coal energy because it negatively affects public health, the environment and the economy.
The bill calls for splitting the projected $210 million yearly revenue from the tax between the state's general fund and the "redevelopment" of impacted communities that rely on fossil fuels.
"You could also call it a 'save Colstrip and other communities like it' bill," Dunwell said.
Rep. Mary Ann Dunwell, D-Helena, said in her bill's initial hearing that it would be strategic to keep Montana-made money in Montana by taxing carbon. (Shaylee Ragar/UM Legislative News Service)
The statement drew audible scoffs from some audience members.
Bob Gilbert, a former legislator from Sidney who now works as a lobbyist, testified against the tax, representing the town of Colstrip. He asked how the bill would replace hundreds of lost jobs and why 50 percent of the revenues would go to the general fund and not more to impacted communities. He also disputed the crux of the carbon tax argument.
"Don't give me the garbage that coal is killing people," Gilbert said.
The two-hour hearing drew 11 proponents of the bill, including Anne Hedges of the Montana Environmental Information Center, who implored lawmakers to consider the expensive consequences of climate change disasters.
Fourteen different groups and individuals opposed the bill at the hearing, including David Hoffman with NorthWestern Energy, who said the cost of the tax would increase Montanans' utility prices.
While coal has often been a contentious topic for lawmakers, the dramatic changes in the national coal industry and the impending closure of Units 1 and 2 of the coal-fired power plants at Colstrip in 2022 have added urgency to the debate. The closures are part of a 2016 settlement in a lawsuit filed by environmental groups claiming the plant violates the Montana Clean Air Act. On top of that, the state of Washington denied permits to a company seeking to build a port for coal exports on its coast, which would have made shipping coal from Montana to Asia much easier.
Colstrip's state senator, Republican Duane Ankney, describes efforts to help Colstrip as a fight for survival. Ankney said the loss of coal mining would be a huge hit to Montana's economy.
"That is not a hole we could fill easily," he said.
Last year, the Montana Chamber Foundation commissioned the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana, with the help of industry leaders, to make a report predicting the economic impacts of a decline in coal production.
The results released in June were bleak. It found the state would lose roughly 3,000 jobs and about $80 million in state collection revenues each year between 2028 and 2043.
Market shifts or strict regulation?
According to the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA), national coal exports declined drastically between 2013 and 2016, during the Obama administration, which introduced new carbon emission regulations and pushed for use of renewable energy sources like wind and solar.
In Montana, 2017 was the first year coal accounted for less than 50 percent of the state's energy generation, according to the EIA's profile of the state.
This is what many industry supporters call the "war on coal," and what Ankney said is the reason for Colstrip's decline. He said with a change in presidential administrations, coal exports are increasing again. The same EIA report shows that exports increased in the past two years.
University of Montana law professor Samuel Panarella, however, says it's more nuanced than that. Panarella practiced energy law and helped companies develop renewable resources before teaching. He said two main factors are contributing to coal's demise: competitively priced natural gas and cheaper batteries that can store electricity from renewable energy.
Panarella said market forces have been more influential than legislation in the energy economy.
"I don't have the view that it's Obama-era legislation that is causing coal to be in a slump," Panarella said.
Of course, there is still demand and need for coal in the U.S and Asia, he said, but it's unclear how long that demand will last as nations move away from carbon-emitting coal in favor of cleaner energy sources.
Debate in Montana's Legislature last week showed state leaders are grappling with how to move forward in this fast-changing market, and with changes in public opinion of coal.
Blocked from ports
According to the EIA, Montana has the largest coal reserve in the U.S. But 75 percent of mined coal leaves the state. Other states get about 45 percent and the remaining 30 percent is shipped to Canada and Asia.
Montana Attorney General Tim Fox joined his counterparts in Wyoming, Utah, Kansas, Nebraska and South Dakota in filing an amicus brief last May to show support for a lawsuit against the state of Washington for blocking construction of the port for coal exports on its coast. (Fox has since announced his candidacy for the GOP nomination for governor in 2020.)
Bob Gilbert is a former longtime legislator from Sidney, now a lobbyist. (Shaylee Ragar/UM Legislative News Service)
Wyoming's Legislature is currently considering a bill that would authorize lawmakers to bring their own suit against Washington state.
Montana Rep. Joe Read, R-Ronan, introduced House Resolution 4 last week, which requests the federal government to intervene in the dispute. The resolution claims that Washington is violating the interstate commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution, and that the state is discriminating against the project because it involves coal.
"We should be defending our constitutional rights," Read said in the resolution's hearing.
Groups like the Northern Plains Resource Council, however, argue that Washington has the right to govern the environmental quality of its land and water. When the Washington Department of Ecology denied the permit for the Millennium Bulk Terminals for coal export, it released a statement saying there were too many "unavoidable and negative environmental impacts" to allow the port.
The Colstrip lobbyist, Bob Gilbert, said Washington will not have reliable energy if it decides to reject Montana coal. He said the demand for coal in Asia is high, and that Montana would be better off if it had its own ocean port.
"I keep praying every night for the San Andreas fault to open up," Gilbert said, referring to the fault line that runs through West Coast states.
Ankney said Washington should be careful what it wishes for, citing Puget Sound Energy's mix of resources that supplies electricity, which is comprised of 30 percent coal. Ankney said coal provides a "base load" of energy, and that Washington won't be able to keep the lights on without it.
Rep. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip. (Shaylee Ragar/UM Legislative News Service)
Ankney also argued the industry should be given a chance to create updated facilities that generate "clean" coal, an idea conservationists say isn't possible.
In any case, Ankney has introduced legislation in preparation for a future with less coal. His Senate Bill 191 would create a county coal mine trust fund to prepare for revenue losses in counties that depend on coal. It would take money earned from coal-related activities and put it in trust for county governments to use.
The Montana Legislature does have a coal severance tax trust fund in place, but Ankney said it doesn't go far enough.
"There isn't a damn dime in there for displaced workers," Ankney said.
The bill states the money may be used to attract new industries to impacted areas or to decrease property tax mill levies. Ankney, a former coal miner, said the industry gave him a good life, and independence to raise a family. He wants that opportunity to continue.
"My crusade for this industry is now and always has been about providing a future for young Montanans."
Shaylee Ragar is a reporter with the UM Legislative News Service, a partnership of the University of Montana School of Journalism, the Montana Newspaper Association, the Montana Broadcasters Association and the Greater Montana Foundation. Shaylee can be reached at shaylee.ragar@umontana.edu.
Focus on climate change: Missoula leaders back the science, push for change

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


COULD SEVENTY BE "IT" FOR THE US?
Tuesday February 21st marks a special anniversary that will most probably be overlooked.
It happens to be the 70th anniversary of the United States replacing Great Britain as the world's number one power.
After fighting two world wars, Britain was faced with three major international crises all at once.
The new British Labour government had already announced plans to give independence to India, after two centuries of British rule. This led to turmoil on the sub-continent between Hindus and Muslims. British troops tried to keep the peace.
At the same time Palestine exploded. In 1946 Jewish nationalists blew up the King David Hotel in Jerusalem, British military headquarters in the mandated territory, killing 91 people.
The first two problems occurred on British territories; the third was in Greece, where communists were trying to take over the country.
At the same time, Britain was broke, following the two major global conflicts of the first half of the twentieth century. Early in 1947, economic problems at home meant that Britain could no longer allocate funds to the conflict in Greece. They decided to inform Washington to see if America wanted to take over.
"This was a momentous change. For two centuries Britain had been the dominant power in the eastern Mediterranean. Now it seemed to be surrendering that role in two key countries. It is often said that Americans lack a historical sense that Europeans have, but on this occasion it was the Americans who saw the historical significance of that moment. To British ministers, battling from day to day to keep the country's head above water, this seemed to be just a temporary retrenchment in one area. None of them appeared to see any larger implications in the decision. The American view was put in grandiloquent terms by Joseph M. Jones, who was in the State Department at the time: 'Reading the messages, Hickerson realized, as had Henderson before him, that Great Britain had within the hour handed the job of world leadership, with all its burdens and all its glory, to the United States." ("Picking up the reins," Norman Moss, 2008, page 64, italics mine).
The whole world did not recognize the change immediately, It was to be another ten years before it became clear to all. At the end of 1956 the Suez Canal crisis showed that London could not do anything without American support. Soon afterward, the US was encouraging Britain to dismantle its empire and then to join the European Union (then the European Economic Community).
That's easier said than done. But the EU could be the world's dominant military power for the simple reason that it is the world's biggest trading power. That's the main reason why the US took over from Great Britain. Economic power = military power. The US is struggling economically which is one reason why President Trump is demanding the Europeans pay more for NATO. Of course, the Europeans have their own financial problems, but they have an urgent need to protect themselves from both Russia and Islamic terrorism. If they are going to have to pay more for defense, why not go-it-alone? Especially when they no longer have confidence in American leadership.
One of the first superpowers, Babylon, was predicted to last "seventy years" (Jeremiah 25:12 & 29:10), illustrating how seventy is a significant number. In Psalm 90:10, Moses was inspired to write that "our days may come to seventy years," the lifespan of many human beings. Perhaps more significantly in the rise and fall of nations is the fact that, after seven decades, most people have forgotten everything. Few today remember World War II. Few remember that Baron Ismay, Secretary General of NATO from 1952-55, described the alliance as intended to "keep the Russians out, the Americans in and the Germans down." In the current debate on the future of the alliance, this has been completely forgotten.
Dismantle the alliance and two things will happen: 1) the American president will no longer be "the Leader of the Free World;" and 2) Germany will become the undisputed Leader of Europe (she already is economically). On the 70th anniversary of America's ascendancy, the Munich conference saw nations actively discussing the end of America's pre-eminence.
President Trump in Washington and Vice-President Mike Pence, who addressed the conference, may see themselves as being in the lead, calling the shots, insisting on changes within the alliance; but the other member nations have the choice of forming their own military alliance, which will not be led by the United States.
As with the change seventy years ago, it may take a while to fully emerge, but this is the direction we are heading in. On Sunday, Germany's Chancellor, Angela Merkel, announced she is seeking closer ties with Russia to bring about the defeat of ISIS.
In 1914, the German and Austrian empires went to war with the British, French and Russian empires. Germany was one of two in a world governed by five. The Germans lost. They repeated the same mistake in World War II, when Germany and Japan were the two, in a world still governed by five. The three opposing powers were Britain, America and Russia. Again, the Germans lost.
The five major powers right now are the EU, China, the United States, Japan and Russia (a great military power, but not so great economically). The US remains in alliance with the countries of the EU and Japan, making it one of three in a world governed by five. If the EU separates from the US, that will reduce America to being one of two.
This all may seem incredible with almost daily news of set-backs in the EU. France and Holland may leave after elections early this year; Greece and Italy have serious financial problems, which may affect the euro. But the fact remains that Germany dominates the continent and Germany is putting together a European military force to rival America's. The Munich security conference showed the will is there, boosted considerably by the change of administration in Washington.
Daniel 2:21 says that God is behind the rise and fall of nations. "And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings." It could be, that after seventy years, the American Era is coming to an end. Munich this weekend showed that many want to see that happen.
Something to think about as the US passes its seventieth anniversary!
September 11th will long be remembered as the date of a major setback in the struggle between Islam and the West.
September 11th, 1683, that is.
The forces of the Ottoman (Turkish) Empire had continued their expansion into Europe and had arrived at the very heart of Europe, Vienna, the capital of the Austrian Empire.
They were met by a combined force of Austrian, French, German and Polish troops, an alliance of Catholic emperors, princes and kings.
Together, they stopped the Islamic takeover of Europe.
Over the next two centuries, Muslim forces would be pushed back into modern day Turkey, which has a small foothold in Europe, but not much else.
Mindful of their defeat, Muslims significantly chose the same day to perpetrate 9/11 exactly fourteen years ago. This time, they scored a victory and hope to go on to bring about the Islamization of the western world.
After 9/11, President George W. Bush launched an attack on Afghanistan, commencing the longest conflict in American history. This was followed by a war in Iraq. The negative consequences of these two wars remain with us and are likely to continue indefinitely.
Amazingly, after the terror attacks on 9/11, the first new president chosen by the American people was the first one with definite Muslim connections! Refusing to allow members of the Administration to use terms like "Islamic extremism," most Americans remain clueless as to the seriousness of the threat Islam is once again posing to the western world. Multiculturalism is another factor that contributes to this blindness, as western nations welcome hundreds of thousands of Muslim refugees into their countries.
Ancient Rome suffered many setbacks before it finally fell, but the last blow came from the new religion of Islam, which swept all before it. We now see history repeating itself.
Michael Morrell, author of "The Great War of Our Time," a book that helps us understand the very serious threat from militant Islam, was interviewed on CBS Thursday morning. Mr. Morrell is a former Assistant Director of the CIA. In his interview he was asked how the fight against extremism is going. He replied that there are three battlefields. One is a military battle in Iraq and Syria. Here, he said, we have a "stalemate." The other two are the ideological battle to win the hearts and minds of young people in the West; and the battle against other militant organizations around the world linking up with ISIS. These two, he said, we are losing. In other words, we are not doing well against this very serious threat. One reason for this is that intelligence reports are being doctored to make it look as if the US is winning against ISIS. A report on this appeared in today's Daily Beast.
He also discussed increasing Russian encroachment into Syria. Building an air base, with a view to making air attacks on behalf of Syria's President Assad. The flow of Russian arms over Bulgaria and Greece has now been stopped, but Russia can still send arms via Iran. Moscow and Tehran are working together to keep Assad in power.
Although there are only 16 months left of the present Administration, there is no guarantee of any improvement under another. Political correctness has made it very difficult for anybody to see clearly the threat from militant Islam.
9/11 in 2001 was just the start of the latest Islamic push against the West.
40 And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over." (Daniel 11:40).
This prophecy is about a powerful Islamic leader who "pushes" against the King of the North, a revived Roman Empire.
Interestingly, in the midst of the migrant crisis, where hundreds of thousands are fleeing Islamic lands and moving into Europe, there are increasing European calls for a united effort to deal with this crisis. The root of the crisis is the Syrian civil war. Russia is increasingly involved in the conflict, which means it will go on even longer.
It's also possible that many of the refugees are being sent deliberately by ISIS into Europe, giving them a far greater advantage than they ever had in 1683. In the last hour, Saudi Arabia, which has taken no refugees from Syria, announced it will help those fleeing to Germany – by building 200 mosques in which they can worship. This will, of course, advance the cause of Islam even further.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, was in London this morning where he told British Prime Minister David Cameron that the "Middle East is disintegrating." The region remains the world's most dangerous neighborhood. Recent developments and increasing threats pose real dangers for the West in general and Israel in particular.
The Middle East and Europe are still at the center of world events, just as they were on September 11th, 1683.
I doubt this was true.
Pat Buchanan was likely more correct when he said on PBS's McLaughlin Group that the US was "absent" and "irrelevant" in the Ukraine's crisis.
Pivotal players in the Ukrainian situation were neighbors, Russia and the European Union. As more than half the population of the eastern half of Ukraine speak Russian, there is a lot of support for Russia but the western half of the country, until a century ago a part of the Austrian Empire, looks west and wants to join the EU.
It's not just language and history that divide the two halves. Religion is another factor, with the Russian half Eastern Orthodox and the western half Roman Catholic.
The pro-Russia / pro-EU division is not the only problem that divides.
There is a great deal of anger amongst the demonstrators about the level of corruption in Ukraine. As with demonstrators in many countries, economic deprivation is a major driving force.
What the EU represents for many is the hope of change, an opportunity to make a complete break with the Russian-Soviet past. The EU provides an opportunity to secure democracy and prosperity.
A report just over a week ago showed that the EU itself has become very corrupt. Perhaps not as bad as Ukraine but in some EU countries there's a very high level of corruption. The Mediterranean countries got a special mention, Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain, sometimes referred to collectively as the PIGS.
If and when Ukraine gets to become a full member of the EU, the country will not be another Germany. It will rather be one of the PIGS, heavily indebted to Germany and dependent on handouts from the wealthier members of the European club. Austerity is likely to be in force for some time.
If Russia Today, a 24/7 news channel free over the Internet, is accurate, Ukraine could also be a negative influence on the EU. RT claims that many of the rebel leaders are members of extreme right-wing movements. A number of European countries are seeing a rise in extreme right-wing parties. A victory for rightists in Ukraine would encourage the same elsewhere. It should be noted that, in World War II, many western Ukrainians were pro-Nazi.
Additionally, there is a very real threat of separatism along ethnic and linguistic lines. If the Russian-speaking, Orthodox, Eastern Ukraine breaks away from the Catholic, Ukrainian-speaking western half, it could encourage other separatist movements in Europe.
It's a mistake to assume that the fall of Ukraine's pro-Russian President Yanukovych solves everything. It is rather the beginning of a very uncertain future.
There is a possibility that Russia will move in militarily to protect its own citizens. They may also claim the Russian-speaking eastern half of the country. A Russian military intervention would be quick and would likely boost Putin's stature at home, already considerably boosted by the completion of a successful Winter Olympics in Sochi. It would be similar to the Russian war against Georgia in 2008.
If Russia does not intervene and Ukraine is free to join the EU, 15 billion euros in aid should arrive soon. That's $20 billion dollars – but Ukraine will be like Greece, beholden to Germany, subject to a long period of austerity that could build resentment and boost the extreme right even further.
It may be months or even years before we see the full consequences of the latest developments in Ukraine. It will be a while before we see clearly who the victors are from the upheaval that has just taken place.
On the one hand, we see regular articles on how the EU is falling apart; on the other we see Ukrainians willing to die to join the organization.
The battle between the Ukrainian protestors and the pro-Russian government in Kiev gets worse by the day.
What will be the end result?
If the opposition succeeds and Ukraine joins the European Union, the country, at 233,062 square miles, will be its biggest member. (If Turkey eventually joins, it will slide to second place.) It would also change the center of gravity, moving the parameters of the EU further east.
The EU is protesting the treatment of the demonstrators, as is the US. The EU does not have the military power to take on Ukraine, which is backed by a seemingly resurgent Russia. But it does have economic power – and more of it than Moscow. Sanctions imposed by the EU could have a profound effect on the Ukraine.
Russia is buying Ukrainian support with aid paid for from its oil revenues. But the EU is the world's biggest trading bloc and carries a lot of economic clout.
It's going to be interesting to see who comes out on top.
The Ukraine itself is divided. The western half of the country was a part of the Austrian Empire until World War I, so naturally leans toward the West. The eastern part was ruled by Czarist Russia and leans east. Russia has strong emotional and historical ties with the country going back to 988 AD when Kiev's leader converted to Christianity and chose the Byzantine Eastern Christian rite over Roman Catholicism. Russia continues to follow this religious system, still seeing itself as the Third Rome.
Germany and Russia fought over Ukraine in both world wars. This time, there is no physical fighting except for the violent demonstrations in Kiev. But the country could be headed for civil war, which won't benefit anybody. It is also possible that Russia will intervene militarily if President Putin fears losing Ukraine to the West. An invasion from Russia, however, could backfire.
The reality of massive pro-EU demonstrations contrasts sharply with disillusionment directed toward the EU in western Europe. Ukraine successfully joining the organization will give the others a boost – showing that the ideal of European unity is far from dead.


text:
Trespassing charges dropped for six We Are Seneca Lake protesters
October 3, 2016 October 3, 2016 gyost
Guilty verdict for disorderly conduct for four protesters to be appealed
READING, NEW YORK — In a decision likely to have broad implications for hundreds of We Are Seneca Lake defenders, Judge David Brockway dismissed trespassing charges against six local business owners due to insufficient evidence. The 12-hour trial took place in the Town of Reading Court on September 30.
In addition, four of the business owners were found guilty of disorderly conduct for preventing a vehicle from passing through the gates of Crestwood's gas storage complex on Route 14 in Reading, NY. Attorney Gibson will appeal that decision.
"We saw in the testimony that the officers arrested these people without any direct knowledge that they actually were on private property," said Sujata Gibson, defense attorney. "We are considering a federal lawsuit to ensure that this type of apparently politically motivated mass arrest and prosecution cannot continue to take place. The kind of behavior we saw here between law enforcement, the company, now recused members of the local justice courts and the prosecution has no place in a free democracy."
The group of business owners included Anna Redmond and Asa Redmond of Regional Access, Julia Abernathy-Uticone of Swamp Road Baskets and Bluebird Botanicals, Jessica Thorpe of Glen Mountain Bakery, and Peggy Aker of Macro Mamas, who had formed a human blockade on November 19, 2014, at Crestwood's gates. Asa Redmond and Peggy Aker were charged with trespassing, while the other four were charged with both trespassing and disorderly conduct.
They were protesting Crestwood's plans to store highly pressurized, explosive gas in abandoned salt caverns on the western shore of Seneca Lake. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) green-lighted the plan in 2014, but to date, construction has not begun. Opponents say the storage plan threatens drinking water for 100,000 people, and the regional economy based on farming, wineries and ecotourism. Thirty-two municipalities around Seneca Lake have passed resolutions denouncing Crestwood's plans because of overwhelming public opposition citing grave geological and public health concerns. To date, there have been 657 arrests at peaceful protests. On Sept. 1, Senators Gillibrand and Schumer requested that FERC withdraw the permit.
Defendant Julia Abernathy-Uticone of Cayutaville pointed out that "people don't plan vacations to look at a gas flare or swim in a polluted lake. We have been given this beautiful gift of where we live, the Finger Lakes. It is our job to protect it."
Peggy Aker of Trumansburg added, "We should be focusing on clean, sustainable energy practices that will be supportive of the life-stream of this planet and all the recipients of its natural resources. Without an economy based on clean energy, the economic vitality of this area will greatly diminish."
Asa Redmond of Trumansburg stated, "My sister Anna and I are owners of Regional Access, a local, organic and natural food distributor/ food hub. I know from first-hand experience how important the local food and wine economies are to this area. That is why I am standing up against the proposed expansion of gas storage."
"What will happen when they have ruined our water?" asked Anna Redmond of Trumansburg. "What will the farmers do when there is no water to irrigate their crops? How will the wineries continue to attract tourism to our area when it becomes the next scene of a natural disaster?"
Contact: Stephanie Redmond (607) 592-0131, stephanieredmond@gmail or Mariah Plumlee (607) 592-2741, mmplumlee@gmail.com
For more information visit We Are Seneca Lake's website: http://www.wearesenecalake.com
← Live From FERC – the Aliso Canyon hearing we deserve
Old assumptions inadequate for climate crisis →


text:
Q: Issues Installing Windows Mobile 6.0 and 6.5 Since the news that the WinMo app store is accepting applications, i've tried downloading and installing the 6.5 dev kit.
First i install 6.0, then 6.5.  In Visual Studio 2008, when i try to create a new Smart Device Project, there are no 6.5 devices in the target platform dropdown.
Is this correct?  Is my install just wonky, or is 6.5 really just 6.0 apps with a bunch of added libraries?

A: From what I've seen, from the .net cf side of things, there is nothing new in the api.  By the look of things, the big change with 6.5 is prettier UI.
http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsmobile/archive/2009/03/18/windows-mobile-6-5-what-s-in-for-developers.aspx

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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The Minister for Education and Skills Joe McHugh T.D. today (Monday January 21st) welcomed the fifth teacher supply regional focus group to be held under the Teacher Supply Action Plan, which the Minister launched in November 2018.
The development of the Action Plan was led by the Teacher Supply Steering Group, chaired by the Secretary General of the Department, in recognition of the significant challenges for some schools experience in recruiting teachers. At primary level, the recruitment of substitute teachers is problematic while at post primary the recruitment of teachers in certain specific subject areas, such as STEM, modern languages, Irish and home economics is proving difficult.
Tonight's event, which is being held in Letterkenny, will provide an opportunity for principals, teachers and parents in the North West to consider and respond to the Action Plan and to contribute new ideas. It is intended to have representation from post-primary school students and student teachers at separate focus groups later this year. The students will be given the opportunity to voice their concerns and make recommendations in relation to teacher supply.
This is the last in a series of five regional focus groups with others having taken place in Cork, Dublin, Galway and Kilkenny.
The Steering Group is chaired by the Secretary General of the Department and includes members of the Department's Management Board, representatives of school management bodies, senior nominees of the HEA, the Teaching Council, the Irish Universities Association and the HEIs and an independent expert.
Consultative forums will ensure that all stakeholders are kept aware of the measures being considered and implemented and to facilitate their input and participation.
The first consultative forum took place on Thursday 8 November in the Davenport Hotel, Dublin. A number of regional focus group meetings have taken place over the coming months.
Promotion of the teaching profession.
Policies and arrangements for schools and teachers that impact on teacher supply and demand.
Developing, with the support of the Government Information Service, a campaign to promote the teaching profession.
Review of School Placement Guidelines.
Development of a recruitment portal for teachers.


Fall into Routines, and Improve Old Habits: Tips for surviving the first quarter of school.
It's hard to believe that the 1st quarter of the school year is quickly coming to an end. It feels like just yesterday when we were up to our necks in summertime fun. The first quarter of the school year often slips by with families focused on getting back into routines for bedtime, school, sports, and homework. By the time that the first report card comes home, some children may already be struggling to keep up and master new material.
If you notice your child is struggling, don't get upset. The Child & Family Center offers tips to help guide you and your child, or just give us a call. We can help you and your child figure it out!
· Be calm and ask to your child about their experience at school—For instance, you might ask: Is the teacher moving too quickly? Do you need extra help with some topics? Is something going on at school that is distracting or upsetting you (bullying, relationships, etc.)? Are you struggling with organization? Do you miss out on some of what your teacher is saying and then feel lost? Would it be helpful to revamp our homework routine, so you are able to put forth your best effort?
· Accentuate the positive, no matter how small it is—Maybe your child is failing their math class, but they received an A+ on the quiz in art class. Be sure to celebrate this achievement as it will encourage them to strive for good grades in the future.
· Make a plan with your child—Ask your child what areas/topics they would like help. Offer ideas such as, going to talk with their teacher to make sure the routines are clear? More help with homework? More help checking their work before they turn it in?
· Look beyond the grades—Investigate whether there may be a hearing or vision problem, difficulty attending, struggling with one specific subject (that could suggest a learning disability). Smart kids often try to take the attention off their difficulty at school by acting like the class clown.
· Seek Professional Advice—Give us a call to schedule an evaluation today! While we offer comprehensive assessment and evaluation services, we also offer individual consultation appointments to help you decide what makes sense for you and your child. Our team will provide you with the answers you need to help your child succeed in school.
· Encourage your child—Always tell your child to try their best, regardless of the grade that is earned. Not every child is going to be an A+ student, and that is okay. It is important to remember that an honest effort and positive attitude matter the most.
Whether it's with homework or a specialized subject, a new year of school brings a chance to refresh. If your child's first quarter performance isn't quite as refreshing as you'd hoped, don't sweat it! Use the tips above to ensure a better outcome on the next report card. Call us! We can help!
Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month?
If you're tired of showers (and snow) and ready for flowers, prepare to be even more excited for the month of May when you hear about these upcoming events!
Our very own, Dr. Samantha Scott Ph.D., Chair of the Youth Development Advisory Committee (YDAC) and Lynn Sande, YDAC Member and Race Director discuss the importance of Mental Health Awareness Month and the activities that our community has put into place in support of the awareness and destigmatization of mental health.
Interested in joining in on the fun? Sign up for the eRace the Stigma 5k here! For more information on how to join the 2018 Children's Mental Health Matters Campaign, click here!
Just relax! Ever say this to your child or teen and get the blank stare or, worse, the eye-roll? You think you are suggesting something nice and being supportive but your child says you just don't get it! Well, it may be that your child actually doesn't understand what you are asking him to do or how or how to do it. Our kids are SO busy! From school, to sports, to clubs, to social events to ….. social media, when is the last time you saw your child unplug and really unwind? And, by the way, vegging out in front of video games or Netflix doesn't count! Does your child really know how to relax?! And, why is this important?
When I see children and teens in my office that are overwhelmed, stressed out, depressed, "lazy/unmotivated" this is a huge red flag that their body is shutting down. It's exhausted and depleted all of its resources. What's worse, is that most children not only struggle to generate ways to relax but they don't understand the importance. They see taking a relaxation break as lazy or what I hear most frequently, "I don't have time to take a break." Parents, this is NOT OK! Children and teens who say this are running themselves ragged and are actually probably wasting way more time trying to push through their exhaustion rather than taking time for themselves which would eventually make them more efficient.
What can you do? Help your child generate ideas of ways to relax. Put relaxing items in a box if you have to! Engage in fun and relaxing activities with your child. Bake cookies, make a scrapbook, do a puzzle together! And then encourage your child to do something relaxing every day! We know they are busy but 10 minutes here or there is definitely do able! And, remind them that giving their brain a break for 10 minutes might actually make them get homework done faster! But also remember, your child is watching you! Be sure to model this behavior and when you do relaxing activities together, be sure to put your phone and technology away too!
It is no secret that mental health influences how you feel, think and behave in daily life. But, did you know that mental health also affects your ability to cope with stress, overcome challenges and fight off illness? Mental and physical health are often regarded as separate entities, when in reality mental health can have a direct impact on physical health. With the abundance of the influenza virus within the United States, it is crucial that we make the connection between mental health and a weakened immune system. Poor mental health can affect the body's ability to fight off infection and disease. When the body is exposed to an infection, such as influenza virus, the immune system fights back to control and eventually remove the virus from our bodies. However, mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression slow the response of the immune system making it more difficult to reject the infection. This makes the body more susceptible to becoming ill and can result in a longer period of infection... and no one wants that!
· Exercise regularly- time to dust off those running shoes. Exercise results in the release of chemicals in the brain that can ease depression and anxiety. Pick a program or form of exercise and stick to it!
· Eat a healthy diet- put the fast food down! Foods loaded with processed and high-calorie ingredients have been linked with increased anxiety and depression. Avoid skipping meals, since this can lead to fatigue and a more vulnerable immune system.
· Maintain a normal sleep schedule- easier said than done right? But, not getting enough sleep has been linked with depression, anxiety and stress. If you're having trouble falling or staying asleep, check out these helpful tips on what to do when you can't sleep.
· Get support- phone a friend... or two! Mental health may be a difficult topic to discuss with others, but social interaction is a vital aspect to preventing a decline in mental health.
· Seek professional care as soon as possible (yes we said as soon as possible, and we mean it!)- getting help earlier can prevent mental health conditions, like depression and anxiety, from developing.
Keep in mind, if you feel you are experiencing symptoms of any mental health condition, it is important to contact a medical professional to determine help that is right for you. At the Child & Family Center, we can help!
On February 14, 2018, the Florida school shooting that resulted in the death 17 people marked the 12th school shooting to occur within the United States since the beginning of the year. This means that a school shooting has occurred within our country almost every two days… and we are only two months into the new year.
Mass shootings and violence within schools used to be a rare and shocking occurrence. Now it seems that these events are rampant within our country. As a result of the frequency of these tragic events, society risks becoming desensitized to disasters that don't affect them directly. When there is less attention or concern for these devastating acts, their frequency increases. It is crucial that we remain aware of the significance of these events and the impact that it has on our children, communities and our nation as a unit so that mass shootings can be prevented.
When there is a shooting or violent event that takes place within a school, the motive of the attack is thoroughly analyzed from a mental health standpoint. Often, the individual who commits the crime is suffering from emotional distress because of personal life occurrences. People who turn violent are frequently victims of bullying, people who have not found a way to make the bullying stop, have hit a personal limit and are desperate to make it stop. They typically feel isolated and rejected by their peers and sometimes even their family. Without a good support team, these individuals may become more isolated or withdrawn. Less frequently, the shooter may be copying behavior they've seen, or heard about. These are only a few of the reasons why a person may become violent. Some risk factors are known to increase the likelihood that a young person will become violent.
It is imperative that we become aware of these risk factors and spread this knowledge to others so that unusual behaviors do not go unnoticed and indications of violence are more widely identified, reported and understood. See something, say something. For more information, visit the CDC website below.
End Fear and Enter Empowerment. How to Respond when your Children ask Questions about School Shootings.
The beginning of the new year has marked 11 shootings in America. The most recent attack in a high school in Kentucky seems to have left our nation numb to gun violence and school shootings. In times of distress, parents and caregivers fall silent when asked questions by their children about the recent attacks. From a preventative standpoint, this is the worst thing to do. Unanswered questions leave your child guessing and wondering on the subject, resulting in fear and worry. While these occurrences are indeed frightening, we must teach our children to understand violence and the importance of awareness. Instead of instilling fear into the minds of our children, let us empower them by providing them with age-appropriate knowledge of these events. Do you want to be able to discuss these incidents with your children? Check out some of our helpful tips below.
· Keep the story simple. The younger the child, the simpler the explanation of the event should be. Keep in mind what you want your child to take away from this conversation. A young child should be given as little detail as possible.
· Be honest, but do not overshare. Be sure to truthfully answer the questions that your child asks you. The worst thing that can be done is to spread false information. However, remember not to provide too much detail if the child does not ask. Often, children want to know the synopsis of the event and the upsetting details are not beneficial whatsoever.
· Be available for questions and conversation at all times. Explain the basics of these events, keeping in mind the age, maturity and temperament of your child. Understand that one conversation may not suffice, and it is likely that your child will return with more questions. Be available and open to this. Some children are more apt to handle intense information than others.
· Ask them what they know, since they'll probably have gotten their information from friends, and you may have to correct facts.
· Consider your own reactions. Your kids will look to the way you handle the news to determine their own approach. If you stay calm and rational, they will, too. Process your own emotional response and have your first reaction away from your child.
· Focus on the positive. This may be difficult to find. Try and highlight the heroes of the story and stress their importance.
· Most importantly, listen to what your child has to say. Create a safe and understanding environment where children can feel free to come to you if they have questions or concerns. This way you can be certain they are receiving factual and age appropriate information.
It wasn't until my daughter Jessica wrote a blog about what it was like growing up on the Eastern Shore bisexual that I really understood the difficulties of being part of such a rural community and having to navigate sexuality. Beautifully written and inspiring it points out the complexities of finding self in a rural versus an urban area. This is worth reading as a parent of any LGBTQ+ youth.
Banding and Trapping Hawks for Education and Research.
Individual identification of birds makes possible studies of dispersal and migration, behavior and social structure, lifespan and survival rate, reproductive success and population growth.
For as long as I can remember, the outdoor environment, nature and the woods have been my sanctuary. A sanctuary of peace and belonging. When I step into the world of nature, it is like a plug is opened and out flows all the stress and anxiety that has accumulated in my body. It is in this place that I am filled with energy instead of being zapped of energy and it is in this place that I discovered the world of birding. The world of birds has opened my eyes to the fine details that surround all of us and I found that I began noticing and paying attention to sounds, colors, textures and sensations that I did not realize were there. All of this was happening as I looked for the smallest movement or quietest sound trying to locate a bird. Without realizing it I had found Mindfulness. I came to realize that the bird is my anchor and the woods for me is my sense of place and mindfulness. The anchor allows me to be present in the moment and empties my mind of all my worries and fears. It's funny how it has taken so long to put a name to my practice, other than birding.
Birding could be your mindfulness practice too. Why don't you give it a try? Take a walk in the woods. That could take all your worries away.
My Child Won't Put Down the iPad! Screen Time: How Much is Too Much?
Adeline Tryon, PhD. and Shalena Heard, Ph.D.
Have you ever worried about the amount of time your child spends watching television and/or playing video games? Some experts and parents refer to these activities as "screen time" and have questioned the consequences of too much screen time for children and adolescents. A concern shared by many parents is how watching television or playing video games for many hours may interfere with a child's peer relationships and school progress. A parent's intuition is often right and a child's ability to spend unusually long hours concentrating on a television screen is a valid concern.
Dr. Dimitri Christakis, a pediatrician at the University of Washington School of Medicine who studies children and media says that the stimulation provided by video games is more about the pace of the game and how quickly the scenes change. Due to the way our brain works, children who excessively play video games become comfortable with the fast pace and extreme alertness they use to respond and win video games. A potential long-term effect is that such children may find the real world less stimulating or less interesting, which may explain why some children who engage in long periods of screen time appear withdrawn and disconnected from others.
If your child shows other symptoms such as a short attention span, hyperactive behavior, impatience, disorganization, fidgeting, along with spending long periods of time watching television and/or playing video games you should consider having them evaluated for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A child's brain seeks more rewards and stimulation when they have ADHD. When a child is not taking medication to regulate their ADHD symptoms playing video games may serve as a form of self-medication, because it provides their brain with the stimulation it is seeking.
Despite potential fears about screen time interfering with your child's academic progress Dr. Christopher Lucas, associate professor of child psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine, states that the concentration children use to watch television and play video games is actually different from the kind they need to engage in school and other life activities. However, children who have less friends and engage in less social activities may use screen time to substitute actual peer relationships.
Your child's brain may seek more rewards and stimulation than usual and an ADHD evaluation may be helpful.
Your child may experience some difficulty making friends and screen time may be one way of coping.
Your child may find their school classes difficult and mastering video games makes them feel confident and capable.
For the full article and more detailed information see: "Fixated by screens, but seemingly nothing else" by Perri Klass, M.D.


Assalamualaikumwarahmatullah. Hope you are keeping well enough to carry on with your duties and responsibilities. We are fine too. The month, when mouthwatering and juicy fruits are abundant, is knocking on the next door. The flowers have blossomed on a range of fruit trees apart from flowering and gardening plants. You can smell those maddening scents from a mango tree even a few blocks away from your home. This blossoming of trees is a harbinger not only of those mouthwatering and tasty fruits but also of honeys of huge tastes. Bees working in mango orchard collect mango-flavoured honey but the bees grazing in litchi flower make litchi-flavoured honey. Apiculturists produce can harvest a variety of honey with medicinal value if they set their boxes of bees beside a black seed crop land. So we are running the cover story on honey and it will be tasty.
Those of you like summer of course you like the season without its simmering heat that it sometimes turn into. It reminds us of hellish fire though we who like winter don't want to miss out juicy summer fruits. But if you like it or not you need to take care of your health in this season when we huff and puff because of working hard and the sweating heavily after. Take extra-fluid to counterbalance those heat and be aware of heat-strokes. Summer boils may appear on your skin coupled with pimple, acne and skin related diseases. Don't worry antidotes are abundant around you— they are summer fruits and vitamin C enriched drinks.
Keep fit and we hope to return to you next month.


In the view. In our example, the code could be added to the subscriber_new() view.
In a separate file and imported. We could create a file in the app directory, say payment_processor.py, and add our code there. We'd then have to import that file into the subscriber_new() view.
On the model itself. In this case the code could be added to the Subscriber model as a method.
The recommended best practice is the last one; apply code to the model itself. This concept is referred to as fat models. When using fat models, it implies that our views are thin, meaning that we don't add too much code to them.
Why use the fat model method? This method is recommended because it makes it easy to reuse code. If we add credit card processing to the model, we can execute it from any view.
Having a rule like this will also make it easier to organize and read code.


text:
Q: Image with grid lines I have an image of a certain size.
img = Image[source, ImageSize -> escala];

I want to add a grid with a scale (0 to maxX from left to right and 0 to maxY from top to bottom). The problem is that GridLines is an option for Graphics, not for Image.
How can I overlay grid lines on my image?

A: You can use Show with gridlines specs combined with Method -> {"GridLinesInFront" -> True}:
img = ExampleData[{"TestImage", "Lena"}];

Show[img, GridLines -> {Range[0, #, #/10], Range[0, #2, #2/5]} & @@
  ImageDimensions[img], GridLinesStyle -> Directive[Thick, Red],
 Method -> {"GridLinesInFront" -> True}]

You can also use PlotStyle->Texture[img] with, say, RegionPlot:
RegionPlot[0 <= x <= 1 && 0 <= y <= 1, {x, 0, 1}, {y, 0, 1},
 PlotStyle -> Texture[img], PlotRangePadding->0,
 GridLines -> {Range[0, 1, .1], Range[0, 1, .2]},
 GridLinesStyle -> Directive[Thick, Red], Frame -> False,
 Method -> { "GridLinesInFront" -> True}]

Finally, you can use Mesh instead of GridLines:
RegionPlot[0 <= x <= 1 && 0 <= y <= 1, {x, 0, 1}, {y, 0, 1},
 PlotStyle -> Texture[img], Mesh -> {9, 4},
 MeshStyle -> Directive[Thick, Red], Frame -> False]

A: img = ExampleData[{"TestImage", "Lena"}];

grid = Graphics[{}, GridLines -> Automatic, PlotRangePadding -> None,
  GridLinesStyle -> Directive[Red, Thick], ImageSize -> ImageDimensions@img];

Overlay[{img, grid}]

For arbitrary numbers n+1 and m+1 of equidistant gridlines with automatic dependence on the ImageDimensions of img (which does not have to be a square either):
n = 13;
m = 7;
sub1 = Subdivide[-1, 1, n];
sub2 = Subdivide[-1, 1, m];

grid = Graphics[{}, GridLines -> {sub1, sub2},
  PlotRangePadding -> None, GridLinesStyle -> Directive[Red, Thick],
  ImageSize -> ImageDimensions@img];

Overlay[{img, grid}]


text:
GamingReview4U
Genshin Impact Amber
Author UnmeshPosted on January 3, 2022
Do you want to know how to make the greatest Amber build in Genshin Impact? Amber is often regarded as the least appealing party member in Genshin Impact, but being the second playable character you unlock in the game's prologue questline, you'll be playing as her for a while regardless of your feelings about her as a fighter. Furthermore, being one of only a few entirely free characters in the game, this Pyro Bow user is your best buddy if you want to keep your costs low in this free-to-play RPG sensation.
How to Obtain Genshin Impact Amber
Amber is a free character that you can use without rolling from the banners. However, if you want to receive her constellations, you'll have to roll on the normal banner.
Amber finds it difficult to build a name for herself in warfare. She's an excellent way to practise hitting weak points on adversaries with her Bow, and she can make good use of distant explosive barrels, as well as turn her puppet into a conveniently available bait bomb with enough duplicates from Wishes or maybe impending events.
However, due to her poor damage and scarcely discernible powers, she is not only the first character to join your team, but also the first to be benched. She's needed to solve a few tasks, but that's about the extent of her contribution to your team.
Weapons are the best Amber build
Amber is a bow user, and the Skyward Harp is unquestionably the ideal bow for making the most of her abilities. Hits with this bow do more critical damage and have a higher probability of delivering AoE damage with each hit, which helps to compensate for Amber's deficiencies in other areas of combat. Furthermore, Amber's terrifying explosive puppet (a.k.a. "Baron Bunny") is one of only two companion characters in the entire game who may activate the Skyward Harp for some special effects, indicating that this bow was clearly designed for Amber to utilise.
Artifacts is the best Amber build
As a general rule, any Artifacts that improve Amber's elemental powers must be equipped as soon as possible. Going all-in on the Wanderer's Troupe set, on the other hand, is your best shot for the most valuable effects. Equipping two pieces increases her Elemental Mastery by a massive 80, while equipping four increases her bow strikes' Charged Attack DMG by a huge (35 percent). There aren't many sets that grant such a balanced boost to both weapon and elemental attacks at the same time, and this one is highly pertinent to Amber, so it's worth chasing down all the pieces.
Amber's best build: Talents
Amber's ranged weapon assaults are more useful than her elemental offensives, so maximise her bowmanship by focusing on Sharpshooter and Fiery Rain. The latter allows you to have the best of both worlds, and there's something really fulfilling about launching a barrage of flaming arrows at your foes from a (relatively) safe distance, so don't overlook this potential component of Amber's design.
Tags: Genshin Impact
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Deathloop: How to Equip Trinkets
Author UnmeshPosted on September 17, 2021 October 13, 2021
In Deathloop, equip Trinkets are very valuable artefacts that allow players to enhance their weapons and characters in a number of ways. While fans...
Fable 3: 7 Easy Ways to Make Money
Author UnmeshPosted on July 9, 2021
With a potential Fable game on the verge, which will fortunately remain as humorous as the previous three games, now is the ideal moment...
Minecraft: How to Make Invisibility Potion
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Minecraft Invisibility Potion: In Minecraft, players can collect resources to construct a variety of various potions. These potions can then be kept in the...
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The Borderlands series and Borderlands 3 are regarded high watermarks in the looter-shooter community. Borderlands 3 the Seer is a first-person shooter action role-playing...
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This program is governed by the South East Queensland Chapter.
Ronald McDonald House South East Queensland Family Room Program opened its doors on the Children's Ward at the Gold Coast University Hospital early in 2014, welcoming families with a sick child or baby on the unit.
Our Family Rooms provide a much needed retreat from the clinical environment for families with a sick child or baby receiving treatment on the Children's Ward or Critical Care Children's Unit at the Gold Coast University Hospital in Southport.
Providing a warm nautical-themed welcoming environment for families to take some time out: relax, watch some TV or meet with other parents; a small play area for visiting siblings; internet and printing access;, a beverage bay with complimentary tea & coffee; shower facilities with toiletry packs for resident parents; laundry facilities. This warm welcome is provided by our volunteers 7 days a week, up to 12 hours a day.
Children under 18 years must be accompanied and supervised by an adult at all times.


text:
Theater owner organizes parking protest
Allen Michaan said his business has decreased by 50 percent since the new parking policies took effect July 1, and complained that "people are going out of Oakland for dining, entertainment and shopping."
"Oakland has put its businesses on an un-level playing field" with other cities" and predicted "business will fail and close down," he said.
The Oakland City Council voted June 30 to increase parking rates by 50 cents an hour, from $1.50 to $2, and keep parking meters operating until 8 p.m.
City of Oakland spokeswoman Karen Boyd said today that the city hopes to increase its revenues by $4 million a year with its new parking rates and hours.
"The City Council felt that there were not a lot of good choices in balancing the budget," Boyd said.
She said the council had already cut expenses by an "enormous" amount and decided "it needed a little revenue enhancement" by increasing parking rates and hours.
But Michaan said he thinks the increase will be decrease revenues in the long run because fewer people will do business in Oakland and sales and business tax revenue will decrease.
He said he's circulating a petition that asks that the parking policy changes be reversed.
Michaan said he also plans to circulate a petition to recall City Council members if they don't reverse the new policies.
He said he believes the policies must be changed soon because the city is now "training people not to come to Oakland" to do business.
Michaan said he's not sure how many merchants will join him in closing down on Thursday but he plans to have another one-day closure in four weeks and expects more merchants to participate then.


Abt Associates is at the forefront in conducting research and evaluation of adult basic skills instruction. We are leaders in providing technical assistance to state and local systems as they develop and support career pathways. Our experimental and quasi-experimental studies assess factors associated with low-skilled adults' reading development and implementation. We also execute outcome studies on career pathways systems and services in community colleges, community organizations and correctional facilities.
Questions We're Addressing: How Can Career Pathways Help Develop a Skilled Workforce for the U.S.?


What's the scariest thing you've ever done? Why did you do it?
Today on EWC, astronaut Chris Hadfield will share a story with us about spacewalking that went very wrong. It's a story with a lesson us earthlings can find a pearl of wisdom from for our more ordinary lives.
In the mid-1990s, Chris Hadfield reached a dream he'd had since he was nine years old: he became an astronaut for NASA.
Do you love TED as much as we do? Check out our list of Must-See TED Talks by clicking here!
That is so true! How often do we act rashly and make a bad problem even worse? What is the real risk? Is there actual danger in your fear?
Maybe having the real goal in mind next time something goes wrong would keep me more composed and less emotional?
I wanted to try a little exercise out on my own fears. So, I chose a few problems I'm faced with solving next week, and I sat with a pen and paper for a few moments after just watching Chris Hadfield's talk.
I thought about my problems and the outcomes that I feared the most, and then I more carefully imagined what I could do when things started to go the wrong way.
The actual danger is entirely different than my fear. My fear comes from telling myself the worst possible story about what will happen.
This is a great exercise for those moments when you feel almost too overwhelmed to even start in on your next adventure, and I suggest you give it a try!
Let's see how you do. Take two problems that are really turning you inside out right now. Look at the difference between the actual danger and the rash story you are telling yourself.
We need to release ourselves from fears that keep us from following paths that lead us to beauty and possibilities we can never imagine!
When Chris Hadfield released his cover of David Bowie's song Space Oddity filmed on the ISS, it captured the attention of the world. Let's take a moment to celebrate this iconic and beautiful video!


text:
Q: Vectorization of matlab code for faster execution My code works in the following manner:
1.First, it obtains several images from the training set
2.After loading these images, we find the normalized faces,mean face and perform several calculation.
3.Next, we ask for the name of an image we want to recognize
4.We then project the input image into the eigenspace, and based on the difference  from the     eigenfaces we make a decision.
5.Depending on eigen weight vector for each input image we make clusters using kmeans command.
Source code i tried:
clear all
close all
clc
% number of images on your training set.
M=1200;

%Chosen std and mean.
%It can be any number that it is close to the std and mean of most of the images.
um=60;
ustd=32;

%read and show images(bmp);
S=[];   %img matrix

for i=1:M
    str=strcat(int2str(i),'.jpg');   %concatenates two strings that form the name of the image
    eval('img=imread(str);');

       [irow icol d]=size(img); % get the number of rows (N1) and columns (N2)
       temp=reshape(permute(img,[2,1,3]),[irow*icol,d]);     %creates a (N1*N2)x1 matrix
    S=[S temp];         %X is a N1*N2xM matrix after finishing the sequence
                        %this is our S
end

%Here we change the mean and std of all images. We normalize all images.
%This is done to reduce the error due to lighting conditions.
for i=1:size(S,2)
    temp=double(S(:,i));
    m=mean(temp);
    st=std(temp);
    S(:,i)=(temp-m)*ustd/st+um;
end

%show normalized images

for i=1:M
    str=strcat(int2str(i),'.jpg');
    img=reshape(S(:,i),icol,irow);
    img=img';

end

%mean image;
m=mean(S,2);   %obtains the mean of each row instead of each column
tmimg=uint8(m);   %converts to unsigned 8-bit integer. Values range from 0 to 255
img=reshape(tmimg,icol,irow);    %takes the N1*N2x1 vector and creates a N2xN1 matrix
img=img';       %creates a N1xN2 matrix by transposing the image.

% Change image for manipulation
dbx=[];   % A matrix
for i=1:M
    temp=double(S(:,i));
    dbx=[dbx temp];
end

%Covariance matrix C=A'A, L=AA'
A=dbx';
L=A*A';
% vv are the eigenvector for L
% dd are the eigenvalue for both L=dbx'*dbx and C=dbx*dbx';
[vv dd]=eig(L);
% Sort and eliminate those whose eigenvalue is zero
v=[];
d=[];
for i=1:size(vv,2)
    if(dd(i,i)>1e-4)
        v=[v vv(:,i)];
        d=[d dd(i,i)];
    end
 end

 %sort,  will return an ascending sequence
 [B index]=sort(d);
 ind=zeros(size(index));
 dtemp=zeros(size(index));
 vtemp=zeros(size(v));
 len=length(index);
 for i=1:len
    dtemp(i)=B(len+1-i);
    ind(i)=len+1-index(i);
    vtemp(:,ind(i))=v(:,i);
 end
 d=dtemp;
 v=vtemp;

%Normalization of eigenvectors
 for i=1:size(v,2)       %access each column
   kk=v(:,i);
   temp=sqrt(sum(kk.^2));
   v(:,i)=v(:,i)./temp;
end

%Eigenvectors of C matrix
u=[];
for i=1:size(v,2)
    temp=sqrt(d(i));
    u=[u (dbx*v(:,i))./temp];
end

%Normalization of eigenvectors
for i=1:size(u,2)
   kk=u(:,i);
   temp=sqrt(sum(kk.^2));
    u(:,i)=u(:,i)./temp;
end

% show eigenfaces;

for i=1:size(u,2)
    img=reshape(u(:,i),icol,irow);
    img=img';
    img=histeq(img,255);

end

% Find the weight of each face in the training set.
omega = [];
for h=1:size(dbx,2)
    WW=[];
    for i=1:size(u,2)
        t = u(:,i)';
        WeightOfImage = dot(t,dbx(:,h)');
        WW = [WW; WeightOfImage];
    end
    omega = [omega WW];
end

% Acquire new image
% Note: the input image must have a bmp or jpg extension.
%       It should have the same size as the ones in your training set.
%       It should be placed on your desktop
ed_min=[];

srcFiles = dir('G:\newdatabase\*.jpg');  % the folder in which ur images exists
for b = 1 : length(srcFiles)
    filename = strcat('G:\newdatabase\',srcFiles(b).name);
    Imgdata = imread(filename);

        InputImage=Imgdata;

InImage=reshape(permute((double(InputImage)),[2,1,3]),[irow*icol,1]);
temp=InImage;
me=mean(temp);
st=std(temp);
temp=(temp-me)*ustd/st+um;
NormImage = temp;
Difference = temp-m;

p = [];
aa=size(u,2);
for i = 1:aa
    pare = dot(NormImage,u(:,i));
    p = [p; pare];
end

InImWeight = [];
for i=1:size(u,2)
    t = u(:,i)';
    WeightOfInputImage = dot(t,Difference');
    InImWeight = [InImWeight; WeightOfInputImage];
end
noe=numel(InImWeight);

% Find Euclidean distance
e=[];
for i=1:size(omega,2)
    q = omega(:,i);
    DiffWeight = InImWeight-q;
    mag = norm(DiffWeight);
    e = [e mag];

end

ed_min=[ed_min MinimumValue];

theta=6.0e+03;
%disp(e)

z(b,:)=InImWeight;

end

IDX = kmeans(z,5);
clustercount=accumarray(IDX, ones(size(IDX)));

disp(clustercount);

Running time for 100 images:Elapsed time is 103.947573 seconds.

QUESTIONS:
1.It is working fine for M=50(i.e Training set contains 50 images) but not for M=1200(i.e Training set contains 1200 images).It is not showing any error.There is no output.I waited for 10 min still there is no output.What is the problem?Where i was wrong?

A: To answer your second question, you can simply 'save' any generated variable as a .mat file in your working directory (Current folder) which can be accessed later. So in your code, if the 'training eigenfaces' is given by the variable 'u', you can use the following:
save('eigenface.mat','u')

This creates a .mat file with the name eigenface.mat which contains the variable 'u', the eigenfaces. Note that this variable is saved in your Current Folder.
In a later instance when you are trying out with your test data, you can simply 'load' this variable:
load('eigenface.mat')

This automatically loads 'u' into your workspace.
You can also save additional variables in the same .mat file if necessary
save('eigenface.mat','u','v'...)

The answer to the first question is that the code is simply not done running yet. Vectorizing the code (instead of using a for loop), as suggested in the comment section above can improve the speed significantly.
[EDIT]
Since the images are not very big, the code is not significantly slowed down by the first for loop. You can improve the performance of the rest of the code by vectorizing the code. Vectorized operations are faster than for-loops. This link might be useful in understanding vectorization:
http://www.mathworks.com/help/matlab/matlab_prog/vectorization.html
For example, the second for-loop can be replaced by the following vectorized form, as suggested in the comments
tempS = double(S);
meanS = mean(S,1);
stdS = std(S,0,1);
S = (tempS - meanS) ./ stdS;

Use MATLAB's timer functions tic and toc for finding how long the first for-loop alone is taking to execute. Add tic before the for loop and toc after it. If the time taken for 50 images is about 104 seconds, then it would be significantly more for 1200 images.


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text:
package org.apache.poi.hssf.record;

import org.apache.poi.hssf.usermodel.HSSFName;
import org.apache.poi.hssf.usermodel.HSSFWorkbook;
import org.apache.poi.util.HexRead;

import junit.framework.AssertionFailedError;
import junit.framework.TestCase;

/**
 * Tests the NameRecord serializes/deserializes correctly
 *
 * @author Danny Mui (dmui at apache dot org)
 */
public final class TestNameRecord extends TestCase {

	/**
	 * Makes sure that additional name information is parsed properly such as menu/description
	 */
	public void testFillExtras() {

		byte[] examples = HexRead.readFromString(""
				+ "88 03 67 06 07 00 00 00 00 00 00 23 00 00 00 4D "
				+ "61 63 72 6F 31 3A 01 00 00 00 11 00 00 4D 61 63 "
				+ "72 6F 20 72 65 63 6F 72 64 65 64 20 32 37 2D 53 "
				+ "65 70 2D 39 33 20 62 79 20 41 4C 4C 57 4F 52");

		NameRecord name = new NameRecord(TestcaseRecordInputStream.create(NameRecord.sid, examples));
		String description = name.getDescriptionText();
		assertNotNull(description);
		assertTrue(description.endsWith("Macro recorded 27-Sep-93 by ALLWOR"));
	}

	public void testReserialize() {
		byte[] data = HexRead
				.readFromString(""
						+ "20 00 00 01 0B 00 00 00 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 06 3B 00 00 00 00 02 00 00 00 09 00]");
		RecordInputStream in = TestcaseRecordInputStream.create(NameRecord.sid, data);
		NameRecord nr = new NameRecord(in);
		assertEquals(0x0020, nr.getOptionFlag());
		byte[] data2 = nr.serialize();
		TestcaseRecordInputStream.confirmRecordEncoding(NameRecord.sid, data, data2);
	}
	public void testFormulaRelAbs_bug46174() {
		// perhaps this testcase belongs on TestHSSFName
		HSSFWorkbook wb = new HSSFWorkbook();
		HSSFName name = wb.createName();
		wb.createSheet("Sheet1");
		name.setNameName("test");
		name.setRefersToFormula("Sheet1!$B$3");
		if (name.getRefersToFormula().equals("Sheet1!B3")) {
			throw new AssertionFailedError("Identified bug 46174");
		}
		assertEquals("Sheet1!$B$3", name.getRefersToFormula());
	}
	public void testFormulaGeneral() {
		// perhaps this testcase belongs on TestHSSFName
		HSSFWorkbook wb = new HSSFWorkbook();
		HSSFName name = wb.createName();
		wb.createSheet("Sheet1");
		name.setNameName("test");
		name.setRefersToFormula("Sheet1!A1+Sheet1!A2");
		assertEquals("Sheet1!A1+Sheet1!A2", name.getRefersToFormula());
		name.setRefersToFormula("5*6");
		assertEquals("5*6", name.getRefersToFormula());
	}
}


Sibelius for Mac is a powerful music notation tool. Sibelius, represents giant leap forwards for notation software, with three ground-breaking, unique features that will change the way you work with instrumental parts, composing for film and TV, and teach music with technology. Create beautiful, captivating scores more quickly than ever before with the world's best selling notation software.


text:
Kamil Piątkowski, né le  à Jasło en Pologne, est un footballeur international polonais qui évolue au poste de défenseur central au KAA La Gantoise, en prêt du RB Salzbourg.

Biographie

Raków Częstochowa
Né à Jasło en Pologne, Kamil Piątkowski est formé au Zagłębie Lubin. Il ne fait cependant aucune apparition avec l'équipe première.

Le , Kamil Piątkowski s'engage avec le Raków Częstochowa, pour un contrat de quatre ans, soit jusqu'en 2023. Il joue son premier match en professionnel le 18 août 2019, en entrant en jeu lors d'une rencontre de championnat face au Lechia Gdańsk. Son équipe s'impose par deux buts à un ce jour-là. Dans un premier temps utilisé au poste d'arrière droit, il finit par s'imposer en défense centrale et devenir l'une des réelles satisfactions du Raków Częstochowa. Il inscrit son premier but en professionnel le  face à l'Arka Gdynia, en championnat. Il ouvre le score et son équipe s'impose par trois buts à deux.

Piątkowski participe au parcours de son équipe en Coupe de Pologne en 2021, le Raków Częstochowa atteignant la finale, qui se déroule le  contre l'Arka Gdynia. Son équipe l'emporte par deux buts à un et il glane ainsi le premier titre de sa carrière.

Red Bull Salzbourg
Le  est annoncé le transfert de Kamil Piątkowski au Red Bull Salzbourg, qui prendra effet au . En , il est victime d'une fracture de la cheville, qui le tient éloigné des terrains pour plusieurs mois. Il fait son retour à la compétition le 27 novembre 2021, lors d'un match de championnat perdu face au SK Austria Klagenfurt, où il est titularisé (2-1 score final). Lors de cette saison 2021-22 il est sacré Championnat d'Autriche, le Red Bull Salzbourg remportant un neuvième titre d'affilée.

KAA La Gantoise
Le , Kamil Piątkowski rejoint le KAA La Gantoise sous la forme d'un prêt jusqu'à la fin de la saison. Il vient notamment pour remplacer Andreas Hanche-Olsen, parti au FSV Mayence.

En sélection
Kamil Piątkowski fête sa première sélection avec l'équipe de Pologne espoirs le 4 septembre 2020 contre l'Estonie. Il est titulaire en défense centrale lors de cette rencontre remportée largement par son équipe sur le score de six buts à zéro.

En mars 2021, Kamil Piątkowski est retenu par Paulo Sousa le sélectionneur de l'équipe nationale de Pologne. Il honore sa première sélection face à Andorre lors d'un match éliminatoire pour la coupe du monde 2022. Il est titularisé en défense centrale aux côtés de Kamil Glik et son équipe s'impose par trois buts à zéro. Il figure dans la liste des 26 joueurs polonais retenus pour participer à l'Euro 2020.

Palmarès

En club
 Raków Częstochowa
 Coupe de Pologne (1) :
 Vainqueur : 2021.
 RB Salzbourg
 Championnat d'Autriche (1) :
 Champion : 2021-22.

Notes et références

Liens externes

Footballeur international polonais
Joueur du Raków Częstochowa
Joueur du Red Bull Salzbourg
Joueur du KAA La Gantoise
Naissance en juin 2000
Naissance à Jasło

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Elizabeth Tettleton
Published on March 11th, 2020 | by Elizabeth Tettleton
Press Play: Oxford Film Festival Is March 18–22: Start Dog-Earing Your Programs!
Oxford is home to many festivals each year, but there is one that brings people from not only around the country, but around the world, and is focused on one mission: to celebrate film.
The 17th Annual Oxford Film Festival (OFF) kicks off Wednesday, March 18 with with the world premier of It's Time, which is the story of Ole Miss Rebel defensive back Chucky Mullins, and the Community Film Night featuring the "McPhail Block," and continues with a packed schedule all weekend through Sunday, March 22. OFF features documentaries, music documentaries, narrative features, LGBTQIA films, Mississippi and narrative shorts, and even a premiere of a Netflix original.
A statement from the Mississippi Film Office reads: In addition to providing a venue for our Mississippi filmmakers and storyteller, OFF presents bold and engaging independent films from around the globe while introducing those visiting filmmakers to the beauty and mystique of Mississippi.
The bulk of the festival takes place at the Malco Oxford Commons Cinema Grill located at 206 Commonwealth Boulevard, with various festival events around town. On-campus venues will be Nutt Auditorium, University Museum, and The Ford Center. The Powerhouse and the Oxford Conference Center will host film screenings as well.
Tickets and passes to the festival may be purchased online at oxfordfilmfest.com, and will also be available at the physical box offices starting March 18. All panels and workshops are free to attend. Single movie tickets will be sold for specific films, and this year the festival is offering 5 or 10 packs for a discount. VIP & Student VIP Passes grant the holder priority entrance to all films as well as access to all parties and the catered VIP green room.
"This year's VIP Lounge will be modeled after the Moonlight Cafe at The Hoka Theatre, in tribute to our longtime supporter, mentor, and friend, Ron Shapiro," said Executive Director Melanie Addington. "Though we lost him in 2019, he is forever with us in spirit."
OFF also recently announced special screening presentations and innovations, adding to what is already a film festival packed with highlights and must-see screenings. The special screenings include coveted films from Slamdance (Lynne Sachs' Film About A Father Who) and SXSW (Kate McLean and Mario Furloni's Freeland), the first look on the big screen of an exciting action thriller from Netflix (Peter Berg's Spenser Confidential), a second beloved film with local ties from the Opening Night Gala's celebrated director Allan Moyle (The Gun In Betty Lou's Handbag), and a secret screening with an appearance by an award-winning filmmaker.
Addington said, "Each year, after we initially set our schedule, exciting films will pop up and potentially be available for us to show to our Oxford Film Festival audiences. This year, we were fortunate enough to grab a few great ones. And we'll see everyone at our Secret Screening for the big reveal!"
I've had a chance to pre-screen some films, so here is my take on the ones I've watched so far. Watch for future issues for more pre-screening goodness right here in The Local Voice!
The ratings attached give my boiled down perspective on the piece as a whole based on content, filming, pacing, and acting/narration/profile choices.
Our Bodies Our Doctors
Director: Jan Haaken
Screens: Friday, 5:15 pm and Saturday, 4 pm
Oxford Conference Center
Mississippi is not particularly known for a progressive perspective when it comes to abortions, and regardless of your religious, moral, or medical perspectives on the issue, this documentary hits the key points surrounding the realities of the procedure and the women and doctors involved. What the film does not do is tell you whether abortions are right or wrong. Instead, it postures to diffuse the hype and misguided perspectives that persuade individuals to judge the procedure, the women having it, and the doctors and medical assistants involved with it.
Our Bodies Our Doctors deftly handles the emotional aspects, the gruesome physicality, and the morbid reality when life is ended and a pregnancy is "removed," while also acknowledging that the job isn't for everyone. Whether it should be required of every family practice doctor isn't even a question posed here. Instead the film suggests that doctors should be equipped to have a conversation with their patients, recommending them to a specialized physician most skilled at the procedures.
This is maybe not a film for the younger crowds, but still an important, relevant, and needed perspective that will be more influential and vital to young people's growth and understanding of sexuality, pregnancy, and women's medical health than any Mississippi pro-life rally.
A Stranger Among the Living
Mississippi Feature
Director: Christopher Wesley Moore
Screens: Friday, 10 pm
Malco Screen 1
This category, the Mississippi Features, holds the longest list of films in my stack to pre-screen and see during the festival, but this one was not my cup of tea. The second longest film in the block (only 10:25 minutes shorter than The Dinner Party), I finished the film not completely sure what I was taking away from it. The description promised a man narrowly avoiding being present at a school shooting due to a premonition that warned him the day before, but the method for which all the elements necessary to depict, clarify, and explain the premonition and its subsequent events are not in line here. The classic adage of "show don't tell" was unfortunately not well displayed, where every minutia is narrated by the cast and is fleshed out with cliches and overstatements that just muddy the message: are our characters grieving, surviving, discovering, mentally unhealthy, or on a drug trip? Please let me know when you find out.
The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
Narrative Features
Director: David Midell
David Midell and Enrico Natale have crafted a dramatization about a story I am sad to say I knew little about before watching this film. I am grateful for this duo bringing to our film festival this film that I hope will spark conversations on many elements. Since I was only eleven years old when Kenneth Chamberlain was brutally killed, I was unaware of his story. I don't want to ruin those revelations for you if you are also unfamiliar with his story, but know these things: the racial tensions between the blue and the black must dissolve.The film also brings to the surface question such as: When can a law enforcement officer defy his superior if he feels he is committing a criminal act? Are there protections from retaliation? When action and investigation and prosecution is called for by hundreds of thousands of people, why are law enforcement officers immune to indictment or charges?
I wish every Ole Miss student would watch this film, or rather, every student in America. I ended this film appalled, outraged, disgusted, angry, and diffused, feeling that america's racial tensions will never give slack.
Delta Blind Spot
Mississippi Narrative Short (6 minutes)
Director: John W. Bateman
Screens: Saturday, 5:15 pm
Post-segregation Mississippi is a time many of us have only heard about, but this poignant piece gives perspective to being perceived "to be who you spend you time with," when three young students find themselves in a "white-only" cafe while their professor is identified by a white supremacist, known for having fatally shot Medgar Evers.
Go, Go Boy
LGBTQIA+ Short (6 minutes)
Director: Oriana Oppice
Screens: Friday, 2:30 pm with Queen of Lapa
This short features a young boy living out his fantasies of being a performer that he has only a small way to channel through wrestling practices each week. Marcus Owens is the young actor that renders fantastic dancing skills in this delightful short.
Singing Out
Mississippi Documentary Short
Director: Mary Stanton Knight
Screens: Friday, 7:15 pm
This short follows two LGBTQIA singers local to Mississippi: Mattie Thrasher and Morgan Pennington (And the Echo). Together and separately they have helped to shape the music landscape of the past give years in Oxford, while opening the conversation up to other identifying members of the gay community. They discuss their struggles with identity in an unwelcoming state and their struggles with their families and hometowns, and how creating music in Oxford has helped them to find a new sense of home and place.
Sorry We're Closed: The Oxford Culinary Scene Goes Dark
Local Creative Writing Groups "The Oxford Comma" and "Quasar" Host Open House Reception at The Edison September 30
Tags: A Stranger Among the Living, Christopher Wesley Moore, Chucky Mullins, Community Film Night, David Midell, Delta Blind Spot, Elizabeth Tettleton, Jan Haaken, John W. Bateman, malco oxford commons, Mary Stanton Knight, Melanie Addington, off, Oriana Oppice, Our Bodies Our Doctors, Oxford Film Festival, The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain
Documentary Offers Detailed Portrait of James Meredith →
KD Hill Receives the Ole Miss Rebels' 2022 Chucky Mullins Courage Award →
Oxford Film Festival Receives Arts Grant From Mississippi Arts Commission →
August Brings Arts Events Aplenty: Hoka Days →
One Response to Press Play: Oxford Film Festival Is March 18–22: Start Dog-Earing Your Programs!
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Until 2000 very few people in Romania had ever heard of homeschooling, much less practiced it. This began to change when a small group of evangelical Christians in the country felt the need to give their children a Christian education and, after two years of study and prayer, they organized the Romania Home School Association (ROHSA). When issues arose concerning the legality of the practice, ROHSA contacted the late Chris Klicka-then HSLDA's director of international relations-who provided great encouragement and direction to Romanian homeschoolers. Since then, homeschooling has gradually moved forward in Romania among a few dedicated families.
Romania's constitution guarantees religious freedom, including the right of parents to give their children an education in line with their religious beliefs. However, the right of parents to homeschool for either religious or philosophical convictions has never found its way into legislation formally recognizing the practice. Families who homeschool their children must be very careful to teach all the subjects in the Romanian curriculum, test their children and keep good records of what they do. This is challenging, because it is difficult for students who are not enrolled in the Romanian school system to get Romanian textbooks. Another problem is that without a recognized high school diploma, it is impossible to enter any Romanian university. Even worse, entry-level jobs are very hard to find without a recognized high school diploma.
At times, families are visited by local school authorities. These authorities have been cooperative and have seemed mainly concerned that the children were not being educationally neglected. Nevertheless, ROHSA recognizes that some form legislation is probably coming soon and is working hard among elected authorities to create a well-written bill.
Robert Rapp works with national missionaries in Central and Eastern Europe to start churches and also helps families learn about homeschooling. He notes that the first-ever Romanian Homeschool Conference was a great success this year. "After seven years, homeschooling in Romania took a big step forward this year," Rapp declared. "The first nationwide Romania homeschool conference took place in Arad on March 13-14. Chris Klicka's book, Home Schooling-the Right Choice, was available in the Romanian language because of a grant from The Home School Foundation. When the conference ended, attendees agreed to develop regional homeschooling support groups with each church trying to develop its own association to work closely with ROHSA."
Rapp also asks for prayer for the country.
"The Romanian Parliament is currently considering legislation of some kind, and ROHSA is asking for prayer that it will be well-written and allow homeschooling to operate legally, without unnecessary limitations or heavy bureaucratic measures. Please pray for ROHSA President Gabriel Curcubet as he travels to influence key people. And ask for favor in the eyes of the ministry of education and the parliament."
HSLDA Attorney and Director of International Relations Mike Donnelly notes that legalizing homeschooling in Romania is an important step.
"To see homeschooling explicitly legalized and free in a former communist country," said Donnelly, "would send a powerful message to the rest of the world-especially countries like Sweden and Germany that are seeking to repress homeschooling. HSLDA is pleased to support homeschoolers in Romania and all over the world as they seek freedom to exercise their fundamental right as parents to determine what is best for their children without government interference. I know Chris Klicka would be so delighted to see this progress."