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Wisdom | Spiritual Growth
It's Alright to Cry
by Leah Holder Wyman
I'm a crybaby. I've always cried. From infancy, where it was a basic mode of communication. To puberty, where it was an awkward exploration in hormones. To now, where it's just a fixture in my day.
The last 13 months of my life I've made note. In a total of 402 days, I've managed only 4 without giving in to the urge to cry. Dry ducts and deep breaths are big triumphs.
Yesterday was not one of those days. "Stop crying," my mom told me furtively over the phone as I stood in emotional shambles in the auto shop. I had a flat tire and was making my way out of New York City on a skimpy spare when the dreaded happened: the motor started shaking, the accelerator became sluggish, and the check-engine light started to blink.
"Stop crying," my mom told me furtively over the phone as I stood in emotional shambles in the auto shop.
Thankful I'd made it to the mechanic safely through rain and questionable infrastructure, I was nonetheless met with a discouraging diagnosis: three worn-out tires, a broken coil, frayed spark plug wires, two dead bulbs, and an "unidentifiable electrical problem." Due for an oil change, to boot.
After eight weeks on a cross-country road trip, my poor car was giving out—and I was five states shy of home. I was an anxious, weepy-eyed mess.
I'd hoped the trip, an unparalleled life adventure, would bring so much joy and mental clarity that it would fortify me against such emotional incontinence. Choosing the right travel companion was a good place to start. My friend Anine is a strong person who's sweet and genuine but not "touchy-feely." From Oslo, Norway, she committed to flying from Europe, meeting in Boston, and spending every waking moment of the next two months with me in a tiny car. So it's also fair to say she's crazy.
I met Anine in paradise—Blue Osa Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica where we volunteered for several months. As I've practiced yoga off and on, through many physical and emotional states, I've been encouraged by leaders and friends: "Be where you are"—something I was keen to do with vibrant people as azure waves rolled in and colorful macaws soared overhead. But our tenure there was short, so to ease the transition out of the utopia of Blue Osa and fulfill a dream of exploring the U.S., we planned a summer-long adventure together. We spent the next months tripping around the most thrilling and fascinating places in the country.
But now I found myself slumped in a chair next to a watercooler in a dark lobby, surrounded by tire displays, a buzzing fluorescent light above me, and Judge Judy squawking in the background. I felt vulnerable, stuck—yet again asking my parents for a financial bailout. And because I'm a crybaby, I (like the car) was having a breakdown. That's where I was.
There's a debate among scientists whether humans are the only beings that cry in susceptible states. In The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals, Charles Darwin wrote of elephants shedding tears of sorrow over losses in their pack.
"We must not, however, lay too much stress on the copious shedding of tears…as being due to the lack of all restraint," Darwin states. His words are comforting in light of society's diagnosis: Tears mean a lack of willpower or the manifestation of sad reality. A love of drama.
Sometimes people find my sensitivity endearing. A man once fell for me when I cried after Steve Buscemi's death in The Big Lebowski, his favorite film, which doesn't often render such a sentimental response.
Sometimes people find my sensitivity endearing.
And though I'm always crying, I'm not always sad.
Music and movies have a responsibility to a feeling nation to evoke beauty, wonder, glory—and tears. Once on the treadmill at the gym, I got sucked intoIndependence Day playing on the TV. The closed captioning flashed Bill Pullman's histrionic speech: "We will not vanish without a fight! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!" I came totally unglued. The man on the elliptical next to me seemed alienated, but extremely amused.
John Williams has messed with my tear ducts for years. The credits open in Star Wars and bang! I've got chills and my eyes start to water. The sweeping vista of brontosauruses in Jurassic Park paired with the swell of the orchestra has me stirred. Watching this recently, Anine noticed my state and laughed. She liked my messiness.
The lyric "See that girl, watch that scene" in Dancing Queen at once overwhelms and empowers me with sweat and saline. (Although there's certainly no argument that ABBA isn't glorious.)
Other times emoting like this is perceived by others as abject manipulation—like "crying wolf" or a tactic similarly used to elicit sympathy or cooperation toward a desired result.
My "G-Mom" (great-grandmother) would have supported fully the latter, and unapologetically used this to her advantage. One cheeky anecdote she loved to tell and tell again was how her crying manifested the elegant, stately sofa that adorned her living room since long before I was born. My great-grandfather came home with a new car one afternoon, to her frustration. In her prissy, Mississippi chirp she started to caterwaul: "You got a car and I don't even have a decent sofa!" A sucker for her tears, he took her right then to pick from the fanciest pieces in town.
She shared with me before my wedding this golden nugget of marital wisdom: "Turn on the waterworks; you'll get anything you want." (How very Scarlett O'Hara of her.)
Her advice is ironic to me now, considering the heartbroken outpour that had no effect on my husband when he told me he was done with our marriage. That man who'd loved me since watching The Big Lebowski almost ten years earlier walked out and left me sitting on our own sofa: staggered, totally raw. The kind of crying that makes you feel like you can't get your head above water. 402 days ago.
Yes, I'd been susceptible to tearful moments throughout my life, but the evening he left, something came unhinged. Now it's the everyday occurrence—anytime, anywhere, the floodgates open and I'm a visceral mess, my face a nightmare worthy of janitorial attention.
In the last year I got dumped, divorced. My dog Marvin (the all-time best buddy) was put to sleep. People I cherished passed away, including G-Mom, leaving me that beautiful sofa but less comfort. I'm coping with internal sufferings. My emotions are close to the surface. My heart isn't on my sleeve—it's my very skin. Easily sunburnt.
But this slippery flood has got to be washing me somewhere real, somewhere new. The journey with Anine was to repair my heart, change venues, make me feel revived. "I wish I cried more. It's got to feel good, feel cleansing," she observed, patiently rubbing my shoulder from the passenger seat during one of my daily gut wrenches.
This slippery flood has got to be washing me somewhere real, somewhere new.
Biochemical studies show that shedding tears can dispose of stress hormones and toxins when levels get too high, leaving the crier more rested and clear after the release process. Anine's idea of cleansing has the science to back it. But a "good cry" to me still feels like the exception, not the rule. And 402 days in, this release process feels like it's taking a long damn time.
The yoga mat should be a safe place for this process, but it's not always easy to approach. The infamous pigeon pose is, for many practitioners, where stored emotions are set free. Hip-openers conjure all kinds of cathartic sobs. But my entire body is a storage unit. Child's pose can be particularly taxing. And I'm self-conscious the slightest sniffle will jerk those around me right out of the Shangri-La they came for.
How do I bring myself to practice if I'm worrying shavasana will leave me exhausted and wailing for mercy?
I stopped during the trip for a class in Seattle with Jenniferlyn Chiemingo. "JL" is a loving instructor I had met when she led a retreat in Costa Rica. Her class was fiery—full of sweaty postures and compassionate adjustments. After practice, we shared a long hug. She remembered I'd been struggling the past year and while I teared up, reminded me I was brave. From hot yoga to warm conversation, she'd given me the recognition and permission I needed for release—the unspoken yogic encouragement of "Be where you are." For the first time in quite awhile, I left a studio feeling better than when I arrived.
It's not that I feel constant restriction. I'm blessed with the most steadfast, understanding friends and family. But I worry this serial emotionalism could wear down even my strongest supporter. My mom often reacts with her admonition "Stop crying." She usually doesn't cry. She's made of a different mettle. I admire her for her resilience, addressing head-on those things I'd consider impasses. But sometimes all I hear is "Don't be where you are."
But I should listen more openly. Because she also tells me: "You're more capable than you realize." She knows I can outlive this struggle. She's seen me do it before. I've sung at funerals, bested physical challenges, and offered comfort to others during their own dark struggles.
But I should listen more openly. Because she also tells me: "You're more capable than you realize."
And I did make it stone dry through the movie The Notebook, while every other woman in America blubbered and wiped snot from their faces.
Yoga and life need permission to "be where you are." But both are also about lengthening—stretch yourself to "be somewhere stronger."
As expected, the end of the trip with Anine was bittersweet. She warned me in advance she might not get choked up, but I shouldn't take it personally. She's a Viking, not a crybaby. But as we hugged goodbye, both of us welled up. "You big softy," I picked at her. This experience had inextricably linked us. This was a good cry.
After the phone call to my frustrated parents and about $700 in repairs, I was back on the road. I drove alone for the first time in months, and I cried. A lot. (The tears did get me an unintentional discount. G-Mom and Scarlett O'Hara would have been very proud).
Hugging my mom on arrival in South Carolina low country, I cried. I'm relieved to be parked and resting, but writing this, I cried. I cried at the sun peering through moss-covered trees while I jogged this morning. I cried rereading Harry Potter on the beach with a beer in my hand.
I hope tomorrow is tearless, but I know I can be okay with myself if it's not.
Maybe tomorrow's forecast will be fair skies. Day 5 of 403 without tears. Of course, I hope it is. But I also remember "Be where you are." I hope tomorrow is tearless, but I know I can be okay with myself if it's not. My emotional motor is still shaky and my check-engine light is on. But I'm not beyond repair. I should be okay with myself if I'm not there yet. I just am where I am. That's where I'm supposed to be.
purposeful living
Leah Holder Wyman
When photographer/writer Leah Wyman found herself in the midst of a quarter-life crisis, she left her job in the church world for the sanctuary that is Blue Osa. A classical singer, composer and... Read more>>
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In our Solid Foundations textbooks for NSSCO, we took extra care to facilitate learners' optimal performance during their final examination at the end of Grade 11 and give them opportunities to practise their exam writing skills.
Our textbooks are both learner-friendly and accessible.
They include numerous activities, summaries, exam practice and exam focus sections to help learners study regularly, practice the concepts taught and get a glimpse into what the exam will look like.
They enable teachers to develop learners' higher cognitive skills of analysis, interpretation and evaluation, which are important during the examination.
Our dedicated team of Sales Representatives is currently visiting Senior Secondary Schools all over the country, distributing promotional materials.


It is a gorgeous and have wealthy WordPress local weather widget ( and Visual Composer add-ons ) with extremely smart responsive design! merely put that in anywhere with any width to your web site and magic happens!
Sorry, only verified users can see topics!.
Please don't reply (bump) if your topic has not been replied. Old tickets without new replies have higher priority.


From April 24-April 26, the National Food and Nutrition Commission of Zambia hosted the third National Food and Nutrition Summit in Lusaka. Also known as the Third International Conference on Nutrition (ICN3), the event focused on the role of nutrition in driving sustainable development and was sponsored and attended by a range of government, research, and aid organizations. IPA Zambia presented on a study by Günther Fink, Rachel Levenson, Peter Rockers, and Sarah Tembo evaluating the effect of growth charts on child development. ICN3 highlighted the importance of multi-sectoral, multi-partner approaches to combat global and regional food and nutrition insecurity.


The millions who would probably be better off not working.
Although employment is going up, tax revenue is not going up by anything like the same rate because so many of these 'new jobs' either pay so little or have such few hours that employees are inside the allowance or are so poorly paid that employees are in receipt of tax credits.
We are basically subsidising low pay employers.
How is being paid 50p over NMW 'subsidising a low pay employers' ? Have you got experience of running a business? What do you propose NMW and tax threshold to be?
I'm not sure how the EU makes our government subsidise big business, and our government is completely helpless to stop it.
Perhaps you could point me to some specific EU directives or something. I always thought things like tax credits was down to our government. Hope you can show me how it isn't.
Are you suggesting that the tax credits system artificially keeps wages low?
If I'm asda, why should I pay more to my workers when I can get away paying them less because the state will top up their wages and money for rent? Small businesses would struggle to keep up though.
Any business which pays a wage which makes the employee eligible for tax credits is being subsidised by the taxpayer.
No, I don't have any experience of running a business but I do employ people all the time. I work in an industry where the people I need are highly skilled so the wages I pay put all my freelancers in the higher rate tax bracket so no real experience of having to pay low wages.
So, what's the answer? If nmw keeps going up, lots of those people won't be employed at all as it stands now. Also, you do fully support a system that ensures a vast supply of labour that will work at nmw. If labour supply was more limited then supply and demand would cause low wages to rise. You might realise being in a high earning industry, that those pay rates are partly due to limited supply of suitably skilled staff. If your role had a large supply of available labour, your rates would fall.
In principle though, I do agree wages need to rise across the board, and critically productivity rises, so more and more people come off benefits and into taxable wages.
Yep. Head just above water is well acceptable from a Tory's point of view 'but no higher'.
We're a thousand times richer than most countries in the world.
There's enough money in the world to sort all their problems. Trouble is, around 10 people control the money and they want to sit on most of it.
Me, me, me, I, I, I.
I don't know how Tories manage to breathe, their heads are in the sand all the time.


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Cornell Sun, Model United Nations Conference hosting Freedom of the Press Gala
by Guest Contributor March 27, 2018 March 27, 2018
The Cornell Daily Sun, 139 W. State St., Ithaca. Kelsey O'Connor/Ithaca Voice
This is a community announcement from a Cornell University organization. It was not written by The Ithaca Voice. To submit community announcements, email tips@ithacavoice.com.
The Cornell Model United Nations Conference and the Cornell Daily Sun will be hosting the Freedom of the Press Gala on April 13th in order to promote awareness for international press freedom and support the message of organizations working to secure such freedoms.
All proceeds will go towards CMUNC 2018's philanthropy, Reporters Without Borders. Tickets will be $10 for students and $15 for all others.
Please join us for an evening of entertainment, catered dessert, raffles, and invited speakers to discuss this important issue (more details to be announced). One recent initiative by Reporters Without Borders and Freedom Voices Network is the "Forbidden Stories" series.
"The goal of Forbidden Stories is to publish and continue the work that other journalists cannot carry on because they have been threatened, imprisoned or killed. Our aim is to keep their stories alive and to ensure that as many people as possible have access to independently reported information about important subjects such as the environment, public health, human rights and corruption." – Laurent Richard, founder of Freedom Voices Network
You can read more about this project below: https://rsf.org/en/news/launch- forbidden-stories-project.
Please join us to honor the work that these organizations do on a daily basis to guarantee press freedom and freedom of speech.
Featured Photo by Kelsey O'Connor/The Ithaca Voice
Tagged: Community Announcements, cornell, ithaca

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Why We Need to Cancel Student Loan Debt
Public Citizen is working hard to advocate for canceling student loan debt, which would begin the necessary task of closing the racial wealth gap and reviving our economy.
The coronavirus pandemic has brought to bear the full weight of the student loan crisis. The current economic downturn comes as the student debt total has steadily increased from year to year, reaching nearly $1.8 trillion today. Almost 45 million Americans hold student loan debt. Even worse, more than 8 million Americans have defaulted on these loans.
Canceling student loan debt would improve the lives of millions of Americans, especially Black and Brown communities who have been hit hardest by COVID-19 and the accompanying economic crisis.
President Biden campaigned on a promise to address racial inequality, and taking executive action to cancel student loan debt would set his administration on the right path to do just that with the stroke of a pen. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) also believe that the president has the power to act on his own. They have introduced a resolution calling on Biden to use his executive authority to cancel student debt and have been publicly urging the president to act quickly. A companion resolution in the House is co-sponsored by Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) along with 53 other members of Congress.
The Cost of a Degree
While a college degree is thought of as an "investment," the resulting debt that students accumulate forces graduates to defer their futures of buying homes and starting families as they attempt to pay it off. Over the past three decades, the number of U.S. households with student loan debt has doubled from one in 10 to one in five.
Most student loan borrowers are lower- and middle-class people who attend public community colleges and universities, HBCUs, and trade schools — not elite or "ivy league" universities.
The economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have only compounded the burden of student loan debt. Lost wages, increased medical costs, and other financial obstacles have made it more likely that individuals will be unable to repay their student loan debt for years to come. Canceling student loan debt would provide immediate relief and provide a much-needed stimulus to the economy by putting money into consumers' pockets.
Student Loan Debt Exacerbates the Racial Wealth Gap
One big reason why canceling student loan debt has gone from a progressive pipedream to mainstream popularity is the increased awareness of how the student loan debt crisis disproportionately impacts Black and Brown borrowers.
Canceling student debt is a critical component of closing the racial wealth gap and enabling Black and Brown students to become homeowners, save for retirement, provide for their families, and build intergenerational wealth.
Already disadvantaged by generational wealth disparities, Black families rely more heavily on student loans than their white counterparts. One report found that 85% of Black students take on student debt for a Bachelor's degree, compared with only 69% of white students. A 2020 report from the Federal Reserve found that 26% of Black borrowers had fallen behind on their student loan payments, compared with only 7% of white borrowers. Predatory for-profit colleges also target black students more often.
While canceling student loan debt will make a dent in centuries-long inequities resulting from widespread discrimination embedded in society, it is important to note that it is just one step in addressing racial injustice. Additional reforms like higher taxes for wealthy Americans would level the playing field for lower and middle-income Americans by ensuring the wealthiest people pay their fair share and provide the government with the funds necessary to create a more just society.
We Need Congress to Act
While President Biden has the ability to cancel student loan debt through executive action, Congress must also act to rein in the cost of colleges so that future generations are not saddled with a lifetime of student debt. With a majority in both the Senate and House, Democrats have an opportunity to lead on this issue and work with the Biden administration to address this critical issue that will continue to plague generations of students.
Public Support for Student Loan Cancelation
Canceling student loan debt is popular. In addition to being the right thing to do, canceling student debt is supported by the majority of Americans.
Prior to his inauguration, Public Citizen — along with 238 other organizations — called on President Biden to erase all student debt on day one of his administration. And last month, 960 scholars penned a letter to Biden with the same call. More recently, a multistate coalition of 17 Democratic attorneys general called on President Biden to cancel up to $50,000 in student loan debt per borrower.
We are still calling on President Biden to use his authority to cancel student debt and will continue fighting on behalf of everyday people for the President to use his authority. Erasing student debt will not only demonstrate President Biden's commitment to racial justice, but also set the stage for four years of future progressive policy with the people's real needs at the center.
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Public Citizen champions the public interest in the halls of power. We fight to ensure that government works for the people — not big corporations.
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Finding the Right Shoe For Your Wedding Day.
Wedding day footwear can play a huge role in completing your perfect bridal look. With so many directions to choose from we've complied a list of reminders to consider when choosing your perfect wedding day shoe.
1. Add personality! Whatever your personality is, there is a fabulous shoe to match. You can go glam, vintage, funky, or classic. Choosing to incorporate style and color will make for great photo's that will be a direct reflection of you. Add pops of blue, or personal initials to remember the big day in a custom way.
2. Heels anyone? If you are planning on wearing heels on your wedding day and you don't normally wear heels, you might want to reconsider taking on that feat. Since brides are typically standing 95% of the day walking and greeting people, you want to be in a comfortable height that you can walk gracefully in and not kill your pedicure. Still uncomfortable? flat shoes might be the way to go for you.
3. Put your best foot forward: If you are still unsure about the height and style, consider a bridal wedge or chunky heel. This provides a stable platform for walking and standing. If you can't find any comfort shoes that you like, you might want to have a back up pair to change into for the reception. Typically dresses are long enough that no one will see the swap.
4. Plan ahead: if you know your venue and what height you want to wear, commit and bring your shoes to your dress appointment! Most designers do a custom hem which will save you hassle of getting your dress hemmed to the proper length afterwards. With the only requirement of committing to a heel height, custom hem can save the stress of having a dress be too long.
5. Coordinate with your girls: A fun idea to spice up the photos of your nuptials is having your bridesmaids find shoes that match their personality as well! Everyone will be comfortable and they will thank you for not making them wear ankle breaking footwear. Choose a color for them to match and allow them to have some creative freedom. You'll notice how happy they are from the great dance moves and fun pictures.


Season 1, Episode 10 – Choosing an attorney you feel is prepared to represent you is as important as being prepared to meet with your potential attorney. In your initial consultation, you'll want to have with all your documents, be forthcoming, ready to make your own notes for future reference, and prepared to discuss the legal fees up-front. In this radio feature from April 25, Jordan Miller of JDSA Law explains What To Expect During an Initial Consultation.


Improve your health and whiten your teeth with only one ingredient! You probably have it in your cupboard. If you have no idea what could it be, we will give you the answer.
It is unrefined and edible coconut oil. You do not have to like its taste, because you will not eat it.
Instead of doing so, take 2 teaspoons of the oil and swish it in your mouth for 5 minutes, same as you do when rinsing your mouth. Spit it out. You may feel unpleasant, but that is the main point.
This technique has been used in Ayurveda for centuries. This method can help you eliminate bad breath and treat gingivitis, eczema, acne and other ailments.
Coconut oil will "pull out" bacterie from your mouth and your body in general. Oil, honey and other similar remedies are used to soften skin in order to heal the sores.
Even though there is no scientific evidence supporting this theory, science has shown that oil can help in eliminating bacteria from the oral cavity. A study found that coconut oil removes bacteria, plaque and calculus.
This home treatment will improve your oral health and treat bad breath. Do this every day and have in mind that experts recommend swishing the oil for 20 minutes. Floss and brush your teeth, and use oil regularly.


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Fibromatose é uma doença de etiologia desconhecida caracterizada por proliferação exagerada de tecido conjuntivo e produção de grandes quantidades de fibras colágenas espessas que formam massas irregulares ou nódulos. Na fibromatose palmar e plantar, as células proliferadas são miofibroblastos, razão pela qual a lesão tende a se contrair e produzir deformações nas mãos ou nos pés. Na fibromatose peniana (ou doença de Peyrone), a fibrose no dorso do pênis forma a massa que altera a anatomia do órgão. As fibromatoses palmar, plantar e peniana podem estacionar ou mesmo regredir espontaneamente, mas em muitos casos necessitam de intervenção cirúrgica. Pesquisas mostram a eficiência de métodos como a crioterapia no tratamento da patologia.

O tumor desmoide ou fibromatose agressiva se caracteriza pela proliferação de tecido conjuntivo que infiltra lentamente as estruturas vizinhas, especialmente fáscias e músculos. A lesão é muito celular na parte periférica, mas na região central é constituída por feixes grossos de colágeno parcialmente hialinizado. O tumor desmoide se origina nas fáscias dos músculos do ombro, coxas, tórax e abdômen; na parede abdominal é encontrado geralmente em mulheres após o parto. Tumores intra-abdominais são encontrados na parede pélvica ou no mesentério. A etiologia do tumor é desconhecida, mas o fator genético, devido a sua associação frequente com outras doenças hereditárias, é bastante considerado como agente etiológico.

Bibliografia
 Bogliolo; Patologia Geral. Geraldo Brasileiro Filho. Guanabara Koogan 2ª edição; 1998.

Transtornos dos tecidos moles

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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SPIE Medical Imaging 2017 news and photos
Browse below for updates from throughout the week.
Ending on a sunny note
Like the weather, SPIE Medical Imaging 2017 ended on a sunny note,
with attendees already looking forward to next year:
see you in Houston, Texas, USA, 10–15 February 2018!
Getting social — enjoying your photos!
We've enjoyed your photos on the SPIE #MedicalImaging Twitter feed — thanks so much for sharing with everyone! Among them, @JosephLo16 posted the photo at left of the Duke University contingent, and @ooliverdiaz from the University of Girona posted detail (at right) from one of his group's papers in the Wednesday evening poster session. To see more, follow the Twitter feed below.
Off to a great start!
Attendance was strong during the first day of technical sessions, with an audience of
nearly 350 attending the workshop on "Deep Learning in Medical Imaging Analysis."
SPIE's Medical Imaging conference, the premier event covering acquisition, display, processing, analysis, perception, and decision support, got off to a great start this week in Orlando, Florida. Activities began with a series of education courses on Saturday 11 February offering topics ranging from Fundamentals of Medical Image Processing and Analysis to High-Performance Computing and Writing for Publications in Medical Imaging.
Breast cancer imaging: considering the patient
Conferences began on Sunday, with opening keynotes in three.
Margarita Zuley
Margarita Zuley, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Magee-Womens Hospital, one of the top radiologists in the U.S., spoke to a packed room in the Image Perception, Observer Performance, and Technology Assessment conference.
Zuley provided a comprehensive overview of advances in imaging for breast cancer over the last two decades. Providing her perspective as a breast radiologist in an effort to help motivate the research community to develop new solutions, Zuley covered many examples of the challenges in making diagnosis using today's technologies.
She noted the necessity of taking into consideration the physiology of the patient, and showed multiple examples in which tumors were identifiable using one imaging modality, but not with others.
However, the multimodal imaging provided by ultrasound, tomosynthesis, and MRI can help increase the success in detecting cancer and reduce false positives. While additional imaging modalities provide expanded capability, Zuley illustrated how much more complicated the radiologist's task has become over the years with a picture of the bank of computers and equipment used by today's practitioners.
Managing data costs — and privacy
Anne LeGrand
(Ken Hanson photo)
Anne LeGrand, Global General Manager for Watson Health Imaging at IBM, gave the day's second keynote, as part of the Image Processing conference.
LeGrand opened with an overview of grand challenges pursued by IBM leading up to the launch of IBM Watson Healthcare. Advances in image acquisition technologies and precision have led to an exponential growth in medical imaging data. The opportunity is to leverage this data to improve care, control costs, and enhance health care globally, LeGrand said.
She discussed some of the opportunities and partnerships IBM is currently pursing. Extensive discussion session ensued where members of the standing-room-only audience had the opportunity to ask questions ranging from data privacy concerns to IBM's business model.
Neuroimaging and human behavior
Bruce Rosen
Bruce Rosen, Harvard Medical School, gave the day's final keynote talk, on advances in neuroimaging in the Biomedical Applications in Molecular, Structural, and Functional Imaging conference. Rosen, a world-leading expert in functional neuroimaging, covered a wide array of techniques and topics during his captivating lecture.
We do imaging to better understand diseases and patients to guide treatments, Rosen noted. Advances in imaging techniques have vastly contributed to our understanding of neural circuits and their role in human behavior. Rosen ended his talk discussing tools for viewing and mapping connections in the human brain.
Intensifiying the focus: technical workshops
Kyle Myers
Technical workshops closed the first day.
"Virtual Clinical Trials for Breast Imaging" drew a wide audience to hear the latest in breast phantoms, computational tools, reliable and computationally efficient mathematical model observers, and industry and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FD) perspectives. (Among the speakers was Kyle Myers of the FDA, at right).
"Deep Learning in Medical Image Analysis" saw in excess of 350 participants who gathered to learn about the newest research and opportunities to leverage deep learning in their research. Deep learning is increasingly used in medical imaging, but brings new challenges and requires new perspectives on existing problems.
Enjoy some networking with your coffee
Prognostications and predictions: implications for precision medicine
Anant Madabhushi
Anant Madabhushi, Case Western Reserve University, gave Monday morning's keynote talk, in the conference on Digital Pathology.
Madabhushi, an original co-founder of the Digital Pathology conference, spoke to a standing room only audience on "Predictive Radiomics and Pathomics: Implications for Precision Medicine."
Anant reviewed the statistics of cancer deaths underpinning the need for new tools to aid radiologists in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancers, and detailed various current and emerging techniques and their application to a wide range of cancers.
He closed by contrasting the capabilities of techniques based on deep learning for object detection and classification versus those using emerging handcrafted features approaches for improved predictive modeling of tissue appearance.
Elsewhere, conferences on Physics of Medical Imaging and Image Perception, Observer Performance, and Technology Assessment held a well-attended joint session on "Task-based Assessment in CT."
Lunch on the lawn
The grounds of the Renaissance Hotel provided the perfect site for a lunch break on Monday.
Wagner Award winners announced
After a welcome to attendees Monday afternoon, symposium chair Leonard Berliner (Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Methodist Hospital) announced first-place and runner-up winners of the Robert F. Wagner All-Conference Student Paper Awards.
Adrian Howansky of Stony Brook University (at left, with Berliner) won first place for "Direct measurement of Lubberts effect in CsI:Tl scintillators using single x-ray photon imaging" (10132-8).
Ahmet Cakir of Vanderbilt University (at right) was named runner-up, for "Evaluation of a high-resolution patient-specific model of the electrically stimulated cochlea" (10135-21).
The full group of finalists (below) was congratulated for their exceptional work.
Deep learning and medical applications: Greg Corrado plenary talk
From left, Berkman Sahiner, Greg Corrado,
and Leonard Berliner
Plenary speaker Greg Corrado, Director of Augmented Intelligence Research at Google, gave a captivating talk titled "Applying Deep Learning to Medical Imaging" on Monday afternoon to a capacity audience.
After an overview of deep learning, Corrado provided examples where deep neural networks have been successfully employed in areas such as voice and image recognition as well as applications in computer vision.
He closed with a discussion of the potential to leverage the power of deep learning for medical applications commenting that in order for it to be successful it will required close collaboration between doctors and technologists.
Corrado was presented with an SPIE biophotonics tie by symposium chairs Berkman Sahiner (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) and Leonard Berliner (Weill Cornell Medical College and New York Methodist Hospital).
Poster session: getting it straight from the authors
Dessert draws students and experts
Students were treated to a double dip Monday evening, in a networking event with experts over desserts.
Making connections: Women's Networking Lunch
SPIE Fellow Kyle Myers, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, welcomed colleagues to a Women's Networking Lunch Tuesday afternoon, for informal discussions and making connections.
Going the last mile in clinical translation
Aaron Sodickson
Physics of Medical Imaging keynote speaker Aaron Sodickson of Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, on Tuesday afternoon highlighted the basic needs for technology innovations to successfully translate into clinical practice. Through several case studies, he gave real-life examples of improvements that offered well-defined clinical benefits yet had varying degrees of success. Roadblocks included ease of use and integration into existing workflows.
Sodickson closed by encouraging all innovators to "think about the last mile". He stressed the need to consider clinical integration and workflow early in the development of any new technology, and to engage with collaborators to get end user input as early as possible.
Keen interest in 3D printing in medical imaging
Around 200 people turned out for a workshop highlighting presentations from leaders in developing and applying 3D printing technologies to medical applications. This rapidly evolving technology is sure to find many more applications as new tools and materials are developed.
Speakers were:
Andrew Maidment, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (United States)
Joseph Lo, Duke University
Jonathan Morris, Mayo Clinic, Rochester
Shaochen Chen, University of California, San Diego.
Meeting the challenge: Ultrasound Computed Tomography Data
Nicole Ruiter, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and Koen van Dongen, Technische Universiteit Delft, moderated a panel discussion among participants in the Ultrasound Computed Tomography Data Challenge (USCT), a new technology aimed primarily at breast cancer imaging.
This challenge was established to bring together experts to discuss the need for a USCT database to help with theoretical and practical aspects of this field. Topics discussed included the standardization of data and restrictions, how to develop phantoms and what characteristics are required, IP issues, and longer-term plans.
Panelists, above from left, were Thomas Mattews (Washington University in St. Louis), Marylin Pérez-Liva (Universidad Complutense de Madrid), Ken-ichi Kawabata (Hitachi, Ltd.), Roberto Janniel Lavarello Montero (Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru), Ivana Balic (SonoView Acoustic Sensing Technologies), and Neb Duric (Delphinus Medical Technologies).
So that's how you do it! Live Demonstrations in the ballroom
Tuesday evening's Live Demonstrations workshop was well received by the enthusiastic participants who were able to see and experience first-hand the many advanced developments on show.
"A Multimodal Workstation for Analysis of Retinal Images" was selected as the winning demonstration. Team members from Radboud University Medical Center are Bart Liefers, Freerk Venhuizen, Thomas Theelen, Carol Hoyng, and Clara Sanchez; from Fraunhofer MEVIS are Nadine Traulsen and Stefan Heldmann; and Bram van Ginneken is affiliated with both organizations.
Regulatory role in innovation and new solutions
Kyle Myers, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, gave the keynote in the Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) conference Wednesday morning, speaking on the FDA's role in the innovation and evaluation of evolving CAD solutions.
After reviewing the agency's mission, Myers provided background and examples of the process for medical device premarket submission for clearance.
She also discussed research activities in support of the mission and closed talking about new FDA initiatives.
Significant strides in liver cancer treatment
William Jarnagin
William Jarnagin, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, provided the keynote Wednesday morning for the Image-guided Procedures, Robotic Interventions, and Modeling conference.
His talk concentrated on the application of new imaging tools to inform the care, treatment, and cure of cancer patients with a specific focus on liver cancer.
Jarnagin provided a historical review of liver surgery, citing examples of challenges that surgeons have faced over the years. Significant strides have been made in the last two decades, he noted, with new image guidance tools and more sophisticated patient selection protocols offering promise for further improvements.
When the weather is blustery in Orlando ...
... lunch comes indoors! Above, Wednesday's mid-day meal in the Renaissance Hotel.
PROSTATEx Grand Challenge
Samuel Armato
A Wednesday afternoon session chaired by Samuel Armato (at right) and Karen Drucker of the University of Chicago celebrated the success of the PROSTATEx Grand Challenge, evidenced by more than 70 submissions from more than 30 groups around the world — including many from group not previously involved in SPIE Medical Imaging.
SPIE, along with the support of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), conducted the challenge to provide participants from academia, industry, and government a structured means to compare quantitative image analysis methods for the diagnostic classification of clinically significant prostate lesions.
The two top-performing teams presented their work Wednesday afternoon, highlighting the methods used and potential for future improvements.
Winners (below) were announced in Monday's plenary session.
PROSTATEx Grand Challenge winners from the Hospital Albert Einstein
with symposium chair Leonard Berliner
PROSTATEx Grand Challenge runner-up
Jarrel Chen Yi Seah (Alfred Health)
with symposium chair
Leonard Berliner
Saifeng Liu (MRI Institute for Biomedical
Health Research) with
symposium chair Leonard Berliner
Digital Mamography DREAM Challenge
Symposium chair Berkman Sahiner (U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration) introduced the Digital Mammography DREAM Challenge being conducted by Sage Bionetworks, in partnership with the open science DREAM Challenges community.
This Coding4Cancer Challenge is aimed at improving the accuracy of breast cancer detection on full-field digital screening mammograms, offers up to $1,000,000 in cash prizes, and is expected to be completed by 9 May.
Ultrafast ultrasound blood flow imaging
Lasse Løvstakken
Lasse Løvstakken, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, gave a keynote talk Wednesday afternoon in the Ultrasonic Imaging and Tomography conference, on ultrafast ultrasound blood flow imaging.
Løvstakken gave a thorough and far-reaching overview of advances in ultrasound imaging starting with a historical perspective of the pioneering work conducted at his institute. He highlighted current state-of- the-art methods including the many advantages of real-time color Doppler imaging first introduced in the mid '80s.
He closed his excellent presentation with a discussion of future opportunities in the field such as high-frame-rate imaging.
Getting into the detail in the poster session
Poster presenters were kept busy throughout the evening Wednesday talking with attendees and explaining the details of their research.
Meeting up at the event were University of Chicago colleagues, from left below, Karen Drukker, Natasha Antropova, Benjamin Huynh, and SPIE President-Elect Maryellen Giger.
3D medical printing: multiple applications, dramatic growth
William Weadock
William Weadock, University of Michigan, gave the week's final keynote Thursday morning, in the conference on Imaging Informatics for Healthcare, Research, and Applications.
In an introduction to 3D medical printing, he noted the field's dramatic increase in attention to 3D printing in the past few years. Applications are many, such as customized, personalized implants, life-saving tracheal stents for infants, and cutting guides for surgical procedures, with even more envisioned in this rapidly growing field. Multiple printing technologies allow objects to be printed in plastic, metals, and even cells, Weadock noted, helping inspire and drive new capabilities.
Physics of Medical Imaging: best paper awards
Chairs Taly Gilat Schmidt (Marquette University) and Joseph Lo (Duke University Medical Center) presented awards Thursday morning for outstanding work in the Physics of Medical Imaging conference.
First-place winner of best student paper awards sponsored by Carestream was Adrian Howansky, Stony Brook University, et al., for "Direct measurement of Lubberts effect in CsI:Tl scintillators using single x-ray photon imaging" (10132-8).
Runners-up were:
Martin Sjöli, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, et al., for "Optimal sinogram sampling with temporally offset pixels in continuous rotation CT" (10132-90)
Lucas Borges, Escola de Engenharia de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, et al., for "Pipeline for effective denoising of digital mammography and digital breast tomosynthesis" (10132-5).
The cum laude poster presentation award, sponsored by Siemens Healthineers, was awarded to Kazuki Shigeta, et al., of Toray Industries, Inc., for "High spatial resolution performance of pixelated scintillators" (10132-145).
Seven honorable mention awards were also presented.
Image-Guided Procedures, Robotics, Modeling: best paper awards
From left, Robert Webster, Haichong Zhang,
Michael Ketcha, Ahmet Cakir, Baowei Fei
Young Scientist Awards sponsored by Siemens Healthineers in the Image-Guided Procedures, Robotic Interventions, and Modeling conference were presented Thursday afternoon by conference chairs Robert Webster (Vanderbilt University) and Baowei Fei (Emory University).
Michael Ketcha (Johns Hopkins University) won first prize, for "Fundamental limits of image registration performance: effects of image noise and resolution in CT-guided interventions" (10135-7).
Ahmet Cakir (Vanderbilt University), et al., for "Evaluation of a high-resolution patient-specific model of the electrically stimulated cochlea" (10135-21)
Haichong Zhang (Johns Hopkins University), et al., for "Toward dynamic lumbar punctures guidance based on single element synthetic tracked aperture ultrasound imaging" 10135-18).
From left, Andrew Wiles, Ahmet Cakir
(accepting on behalf of Xiaochen Yang),
Robert Webster, Baowei Fei
Best Poster Awards sponsored by Northern Digital, Inc., (NDI) also were presented, by Andrew Wiles, NDI Manager of Advanced Research, along with Webster and Fei.
Cum laude winner was Xiaochen Yang (Vanderbilt University), et al., for "Straight trajectory planning for keyhole neurosurgery in sheep with automatic brain structure segmentation" (10135-87).
Pooneh Roshani (Children's National Medical Center), et al., for "Temporal bone dissection simulator for training pediatric otolaryngology surgereons" (10135-95)
Christina Yan (Queen's University), et al., for "Study into needle displacement during navigated breast cancer surgery" (10135-79).
#MedicalImaging
11 – 16 February 2017
See reports, photos, and video
from last year's event
Stay ConnectedGet the App
© SPIE
https://www.spie.org/


text:
Home News Summer Greens squeeze must stop, says civic
Summer Greens squeeze must stop, says civic
Xola Qetsemani
Overflowing sewers are a constant sight in Summer Greens according to the residents.
Summer Greens residents say unchecked building and overcrowding are threatening to turn their neighbourhood into a slum.
The neighbourhood's sewers and other infrastructure can't cope with the number of people being permitted to crowd onto single plots, says Summer Greens Residents' Association (SGRA) chairman Gary Jacobs.
Several other residents have also complained about this, saying they know of five of six families living on a single property.
"We feel like the City isn't enforcing the law. How can so many people be allowed to live on one property? The infrastructure isn't coping. There are constant sewage problems in our area where our drains overflow and our roads simply can't handle so much traffic. As the SGRA, we feel the building inspectors are to blame as well because they are too lazy to do their job," said Mr Jacobs.
Summer Greens homeowner Wendy McKay said the City should give more thought to the impact of building plans before passing them.
"The City just doesn't care anymore. They will approve anything they get at this point. This is just madness. How can it be allowed that a person can just build a two-storey flat on the front of their property without even notifying their neighbour? I think there must be something in it for the City. I know people need places to live and houses don't come cheap. But this is making our neighbourhood look very bad and could be affecting our property values," she said.
According to the City, most of the plots in Summer Greens are zoned Single Residential 1 (SR1) and boarding houses are not permitted.
Eddie Andrews, mayco member for spatial planning and environment, said residents could lodge complaints with the City against neighbours who broke the Municipal Planning By-Law (MPBL).
"There is no restriction on the number of related people maintaining a single household. However, unrelated persons maintaining a common household may not exceed five individuals in an SR1-zoned property.
"If people want to build on their properties, building plans must be submitted to the City for approval. Should owners wish to depart from certain zoning rules, they need to apply to the City in terms of the provisions of the MPBL. Such departure applications will require consultation with affected neighbours," he said.
The Summer Greens Residents' Association says that more and more flats are being built in the area, and they are putting a strain on the infrastructure.
Dr Zahid Badroodien, the mayoral committee member for water and waste, said a number of sewer overflows had been reported and resolved in Summer Greens over the past year or so, but they happened across the city.
"In Summer Greens, there has not been a significant increase in the number of overflows reported, although there is a slight increase compared to last year (158 in 2020 versus 161 in 2021 so far). Teams are always sent to clear the blockages. Sewer overflows continue to occur because inappropriate items are entering the sewer network by what residents are flushing, pouring down sinks and drains, and throwing into manholes," he said.
Mr Jacobs said residents' quality of life was suffering because of overcrowding in the neighbourhood.
"We want to know how they think it's possible to have a single residential dwelling with over five families living there. Each house only has one dirt bin, so where do they think these people will dump their trash? The area is turning into some sort of a squatter camp, and it's affecting our way of living. There doesn't seem to be any consideration for us ratepayers. Also, what happens to people that are found to have built illegally?"
According to Mr Andrews, the courts determine the extent of the fines for building and land-use contraventions.
"In addition, the MPBL provides for the determination of a penalty for land-use contraventions. The Municipal Planning Tribunal determines the penalty amount," he said.
Residents say that Emerald Way is a target for builders and their roads and drains need constant repairs.
Another homeowner, Kyle Chapman, accused the City of failing to enforce the law.
"The City keeps telling us what we should be doing to avoid sewage bursts and other similar issues, but why are they not making sure that people build correctly and to the neighbourhood's liking? Why allow so many people living in the same place? This is why the drains get blocked all the time. I am not against people trying to find a place to live, but you also have to think about your fellow citizen," he said.
Dr Badroodien said that sewer overflows happened because inappropriate items were dumped in the sewers.
"Chances of overflows also increase when it rains because residents illegally connect rain gutters to the sewers. This floods the sewers in the area, which are already straining from inappropriate items being dumped into the system that shouldn't be there," he said.
Basic tips from the City of Cape Town:
• Put a strainer in the sink to catch food or other waste before it goes down the drain and creates blockages.
• Wipe cooking fats, oil or grease off the pan, and don't pour it down the drain because it becomes hard and clogs up and blocks the sewer pipes.
• Don't flush nappies and sanitary products: they absorb water and expand, which causes blockages.
• Check that rainwater gutters don't flow into the sewer system, as it overloads it when it rains.
• Visit the City's drop-off facilities to dispose of recyclable items, electronics, garage waste and builder's rubble.
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This Tuesday 10 October, people all around the globe will be celebrating and encouraging positive mental health so come and join in the celebrations.
Visit the Students' Union (SU) Queens Hall foyer between 11am and 3pm and get involved with activities, help us raise awareness and pick up tips on supporting yourself and others.
Leicester Talks is one of the many services provided to help students get the support they need and to help improve their mental health. It is an online list of support services, including University, SU, Student-led and Community services.
You can visit the Leicstalk information pages which have clear information on the type of support available for different areas of need eg, from emotional and wellbeing to academic support. Click here to see the overview of these services and the areas they support.
Who provides co-ordinated sexual and domestic violence advice to anyone who has experienced this at any time (i.e. recently or historically).
The drop-in session runs on Thursdays from 10.30am-1.30pm, from the Education Unit in the SU.
Those that can't attend can either contact the ISVA directly on 07714134042 Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, or call the helpline at any time on 0116 2733 330.
If you have any questions please email Harriet Smailes (Project Officer - Standing Together).
A one-to-one confidential listening and signposting service for students who would like guidance on which services can help them.
The drop-in session runs on Fridays from 11am-1pm from the Education Unit, SU.
Those that can't attend can email leicstalk@le.ac.uk.
Follow Leicstalk on Facebook and Twitter.
You can also take a look at our recently created Need Help pages.


text:
DIRECTOR – TYLER PINA
Category: FILM FESTIVAL 2018 Tags: Film Language: English, Film Type: Short
After losing five years behind bars, a man begins his new life in San Francisco, eager to find a job, a home, and a second chance.
Director Biography – Tyler Pina
Tyler Pina is an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker. His first short film "88 Cents" has been selected to screen at over 30 international film festivals and has received more than 40 awards, including 8 for Best Director and 3 for Best Screenplay. Tyler is also the recipient of multiple Telly and CINDY Awards for his previous music video and commercial work. More recently, he was employed as a director and producer for Vox Media, creating content for it's verticals The Verge and Recode. Tyler's videos for The Verge reach over 130 million views per month; two of which were nominated at the 2018 Northern California Area Emmy Awards. Of those, one was awarded an Emmy in the Technology category.
Director Statement
When I tilt my head up and walk down the streets of San Francisco, I see glass towers shimmering in the sunlight, luxurious penthouse lofts, and hills painted with colorful Victorian-style houses. I walk past some of the wealthiest people in the world, and then I tilt my head down.
On the same block I see beat-up tents, cardboard boxes covered in dirt, and people laying on the ground starving. We make up stories for these people and stereotype them. It allows us to feel better about ourselves as we walk past them in silence. If we avoid eye contact, it's easier to pretend they're not there. If we walk fast enough, maybe they won't ask for help.
What happens if we stop walking?
88 Cents follows a young man as he descends into homelessness after recently being released from prison. There are over seven thousand people living on the streets in San Francisco, a hundred million worldwide, and little resources available to help. This film explores the intimate challenges of homelessness, and forces the viewer to stop walking.
Tyler Pina Director
Tyler Pina Writer
Tyler Pina Producer
Alasandro Fenston Producer
Matthew Weitz Key Cast Early October, Currency
Matthew Petrunak Director of Photography Early October, Ristretto
William Storkson Sound Designer Lost in Translation, The Bling Ring, The Last Smile, Somewhere
Harald Boyesen Composer
Tianyue Li Hair and Makeup
TJ Pintacura Hair and Makeup
Christina Scott Costum Designer
Anastasia Eliopoulos Associate Producer The Fate of the Furious, The Bye Bye Man, Rosewood, S.W.A.T., Teen Wolf
Christopher Dotson Associate Producer
Josh Quiros1st Assistant Camera White Boy Rick, My Friend Dahmer, The Jury, Legacy
Ryan Garakouei Chief Lighting Technician Ristretto
Bill Villarreal Color by Dolby Labratories Hancock, Outbreak, Hollow Man, I Spy, Men in Black II, Die Hard with a Vengeance, What Lies Beneath, The Shadow
Rick Taylor Color by Dolby Labratories Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Don Jon
Shane Mario Ruggieri Color by Dolby Labratories The Revenant, Nowhere Girl
Film Type: Short
Completion Date: January 20, 2018
Country of Filming: United States
Film Language: English
Shooting Format: RED
Aspect Ratio: 2.39 : 1
First-time Filmmaker: Yes
Student Project: No
BROKEN EARTH
MADE IN IRAQ
FINDING WATER


I work hard to make sure all of my lectures are up-to-date and reflect the latest trends, features, and ideas in the genealogy field. I can create custom lectures and keynote addresses based on your group's needs.
For more information on each of the following lectures please click on the hyperlink below. Also reference the FAQs below as well for answers to common questions.
A New Look at Brick Walls:The Genealogy N.I.N.J.A.
DNA/201: I Got My Results, Now What?
Funeral Homes and Family History: They Are Dying to Meet You!
Q: How much do you charge for the lecture?
A: I charge $100 for a 1 hour lecture plus travel expenses at the standard IRS rate of $0.535 per mile. I live in DeWitt, Michigan and travel to and from is calculated from that point. If your meeting is more than 90 miles from my home, additional costs may apply.
Q: What if our group is small and we can't afford the standard rates?
A: If your group's budget cannot accommodate the full cost of a one hour presentation, please contact me for more information.
Q: How long are your lectures?
A: I can tailor the lecture time to meet you needs, but most presentations are geared toward an hour. I also offer 2 or 3 hour hands-on workshops for small groups.
Q: What do you technology do you need?
A: For some presentations I would prefer a WiFi connection to the internet, if this is not available, please notify me in advance so I can make adjustments. I will also need a screen or a wall to project on.
Q: Do you provide handouts?
A: All lectures do have handouts. Please let me know the number you are expecting, and I can let you know if there will be an additional charge for them.
Q: How much do you charge for the webinar?
A: They are the same rate as a regular lecture, $115. If your society has your own webinar service subscription, there are no extra costs, if your society doesn't, don't fret! For a $25 technology fee, I can provide access to mine. Since there is no travel involved, there are no costs for travel.
Q: How long are your webinars?
A: Same as a standard lecture, about 1 hour. Workshops are not available in a webinar format.
Q: What technology will my group need?
A: Your group will need to have a WiFi connection (I recommend a minimum 10 Mbps download speed and 1 Mbps upload speed), you will also need a projector and a webcam.
Q: How do you handle handouts?
A: I can email the handouts and your group will be responsible to disseminating the handout.


text:
<?php

	Class fieldmemberPassword extends Field{

		protected static $_strengths = array();

		protected static $_strength_map = array(
			'weak' => array(0,1),
			'good' => array(2),
			'strong' => array(3,4)
		);

	/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Definition:
	-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

		public function __construct(){
			parent::__construct();
			$this->_name = __('member: Password');
			$this->_required = true;

			$this->set('required', 'yes');
			$this->set('length', '6');
			$this->set('strength', 'good');

			fieldmemberPassword::$_strengths = array(
				array('weak', false, __('Weak')),
				array('good', false, __('Good')),
				array('strong', false, __('Strong'))
			);
		}

		public function canFilter(){
			return true;
		}

		public function mustBeUnique(){
			return true;
		}

	/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Setup:
	-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

		public static function createSettingsTable() {
			return Symphony::Database()->query("
				CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `tbl_fields_memberpassword` (
				  `id` int(11) unsigned NOT NULL auto_increment,
				  `field_id` int(11) unsigned NOT NULL,
				  `length` tinyint(2) NOT NULL,
				  `strength` enum('weak', 'good', 'strong') NOT NULL,
				  `salt` varchar(255) default NULL,
				  `code_expiry` varchar(50) NOT NULL,
				  PRIMARY KEY  (`id`),
				  UNIQUE KEY `field_id` (`field_id`)
				) ENGINE=MyISAM DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 COLLATE=utf8_unicode_ci;
			");
		}

		public function createTable(){
			return Symphony::Database()->query(
				"CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `tbl_entries_data_" . $this->get('id') . "` (
				  `id` int(11) unsigned NOT NULL auto_increment,
				  `entry_id` int(11) unsigned NOT NULL,
				  `password` varchar(40) default NULL,
				  `recovery-code` varchar(40) default NULL,
				  `length` tinyint(2) NOT NULL,
				  `strength` enum('weak', 'good', 'strong') NOT NULL,
				  `reset` enum('yes','no') default 'no',
				  `expires` DATETIME default NULL,
				  PRIMARY KEY  (`id`),
				  KEY `entry_id` (`entry_id`),
				  KEY `length` (`length`),
				  KEY `password` (`password`),
				  KEY `expires` (`expires`),
				  UNIQUE KEY `recovery-code` (`recovery-code`)
				) ENGINE=MyISAM DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8 COLLATE=utf8_unicode_ci;
			");
		}

	/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Utilities:
	-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

		/**
		 * Given an array or string as `$needle` and an existing `$member_id`
		 * this function will return the `$member_id` if the given
		 * password matches this `$member_id`, otherwise null.
		 *
		 * @param array|string $needle
		 * @param integer $member_id
		 * @return Entry|null
		 */
		public function fetchmemberIDBy($needle, $member_id) {
			if(is_array($needle)) {
				extract($needle);
			}
			else {
				$password = $needle;
			}

			if(empty($password)) {
				extension_members::$_errors[$this->get('element_name')] = array(
					'message' => __('\'%s\' is a required field.', array($this->get('label'))),
					'type' => 'missing',
					'label' => $this->get('label')
				);
				return null;
			}

			$data = Symphony::Database()->fetchRow(0, sprintf("
					SELECT `entry_id`, `reset`
					FROM `tbl_entries_data_%d`
					WHERE `password` = '%s'
					AND `entry_id` = %d
					LIMIT 1
				",
				$this->get('id'), $password, Symphony::Database()->cleanValue($member_id)
			));

			// Check that if the password has been reset that it is still valid
			if(!empty($data) && $data['reset'] == 'yes') {
				$valid_id = Symphony::Database()->fetchVar('entry_id', 0, sprintf("
						SELECT `entry_id`
						FROM `tbl_entries_data_%d`
						WHERE `entry_id` = %d
						AND DATE_FORMAT(expires, '%%Y-%%m-%%d %%H:%%i:%%s') > '%s'
						LIMIT 1
					",
					$this->get('id'), $data['entry_id'], DateTimeObj::get('Y-m-d H:i:s', strtotime('now - '. $this->get('code_expiry')))
				));

				// If we didn't get an entry_id back, then it's because it was expired
				if(is_null($valid_id)) {
					extension_members::$_errors[$this->get('element_name')] = array(
						'message' => __('Recovery code has expired.'),
						'type' => 'invalid',
						'label' => $this->get('label')
					);
				}
				// Otherwise, we found the entry_id, so lets remove the reset and expires as this password
				// has now been used by the user.
				else {
					$fields = array('reset' => 'no', 'expires' => null);
					Symphony::Database()->update($fields, 'tbl_entries_data_' . $this->get('id'), ' `entry_id` = ' . $valid_id);
				}
			}

			if(!empty($data)) return $member_id;

			extension_members::$_errors[$this->get('element_name')] = array(
				'message' => __('Invalid %s.', array($this->get('label'))),
				'type' => 'invalid',
				'label' => $this->get('label')
			);

			return null;
		}

		/**
		 * Generates a random password for a member, using
		 * `openssl_random_pseudo_bytes` on PHP5.3, or falling back to a
		 * simple `uniqid` variant for other systems.
		 *
		 * @link http://php.net/manual/en/function.openssl-random-pseudo-bytes.php
		 * @link http://php.net/manual/en/function.uniqid.php
		 * @return string
		 */
		public function generatePassword() {
			if(function_exists('openssl_random_pseudo_bytes')) {
				return openssl_random_pseudo_bytes(20);
			}
			else {
				return str_shuffle(uniqid());
			}
		}

		/**
		 * Given a string, this function will encode it using the
		 * field's salt and the `sha1` algorithm
		 *
		 * @param string $password
		 * @return string
		 */
		public function encodePassword($password) {
			return General::hash($this->get('salt') . $password, 'sha1');
		}

		protected static function checkPassword($password) {
			$strength = 0;
			$patterns = array(
				'/[a-z]/', '/[A-Z]/', '/[0-9]/',
				'/[¬!"£$%^&*()`{}\[\]:@~;\'#<>?,.\/\\-=_+\|]/'
			);

			foreach($patterns as $pattern) {
				if(preg_match($pattern, $password, $matches)) {
					$strength++;
				}
			}

			foreach(fieldmemberPassword::$_strength_map as $key => $values) {
				if(!in_array($strength, $values)) continue;

				return $key;
			}
		}

		protected static function compareStrength($a, $b) {
			if (array_sum(fieldmemberPassword::$_strength_map[$a]) >= array_sum(fieldmemberPassword::$_strength_map[$b])) return true;

			return false;
		}

		protected function rememberSalt() {
			$field_id = $this->get('id');

			try {
				$salt = Symphony::Database()->fetchVar('salt', 0, "
					SELECT
						f.salt
					FROM
						`tbl_fields_memberpassword` AS f
					WHERE
						f.field_id = '$field_id'
					LIMIT 1
				");
			}
			catch (DatabaseException $ex) {
				// Table hasn't been created yet, just catch
				// and do nothing because there is no salt
				// to remember ;)
				return;
			}

			if ($salt and !$this->get('salt')) {
				$this->set('salt', $salt);
			}
		}

		protected function rememberData($entry_id) {
			$field_id = $this->get('id');

			return Symphony::Database()->fetchRow(0, "
				SELECT
					f.password, f.strength, f.length
				FROM
					`tbl_entries_data_{$field_id}` AS f
				WHERE
					f.entry_id = '{$entry_id}'
				LIMIT 1
			");
		}

		public static function findCodeExpiry() {
			return extension_members::findCodeExpiry('tbl_fields_memberpassword');
		}

	/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Settings:
	-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

		public function displaySettingsPanel(&$wrapper, $errors=NULL){
			parent::displaySettingsPanel($wrapper, $errors);
			$order = $this->get('sortorder');

		// Validator ----------------------------------------------------------

			$group = new XMLElement('div');
			$group->setAttribute('class', 'two columns');

			$label = Widget::Label(__('Minimum Length'));
			$label->setAttribute('class', 'column');
			$label->appendChild(Widget::Input(
				"fields[{$order}][length]", $this->get('length')
			));

			$group->appendChild($label);

		// Strength -----------------------------------------------------------

			$values = fieldmemberPassword::$_strengths;

			foreach ($values as &$value) {
				$value[1] = $value[0] == $this->get('strength');
			}

			$label = Widget::Label(__('Minimum Strength'));
			$label->setAttribute('class', 'column');
			$label->appendChild(Widget::Select(
				"fields[{$order}][strength]", $values
			));

			$group->appendChild($label);
			$wrapper->appendChild($group);

		// Salt ---------------------------------------------------------------

			$group = new XMLElement('div');
			$group->setAttribute('class', 'two columns');

			$label = Widget::Label(__('Password Salt'));
			$label->setAttribute('class', 'column');
			$label->appendChild(
				new XMLElement('i', __('A salt gives your passwords extra security. It cannot be changed once set'))
			);
			$input = Widget::Input(
				"fields[{$order}][salt]", $this->get('salt')
			);

			if ($this->get('salt')) {
				$input->setAttribute('disabled', 'disabled');
			}

			$label->appendChild($input);

			if (isset($errors['salt'])) {
				$label = Widget::Error($label, $errors['salt']);
			}

			$group->appendChild($label);

			// Add Activiation Code Expiry
			$div = new XMLElement('div');
			$div->setAttribute('class', 'column');

			$label = Widget::Label(__('Recovery Code Expiry'));
			$label->appendChild(
				new XMLElement('i', __('How long a member\'s recovery code will be valid for before it expires'))
			);
			$label->appendChild(Widget::Input(
				"fields[{$this->get('sortorder')}][code_expiry]", $this->get('code_expiry')
			));

			$ul = new XMLElement('ul', NULL, array('class' => 'tags singular'));
			$tags = fieldmemberPassword::findCodeExpiry();
			foreach($tags as $name => $time) {
				$ul->appendChild(new XMLElement('li', $name, array('class' => $time)));
			}

			$div->appendChild($label);
			$div->appendChild($ul);

			if (isset($errors['code_expiry'])) {
				$div = Widget::Error($div, $errors['code_expiry']);
			}

			$group->appendChild($div);
			$wrapper->appendChild($group);

			// Add checkboxes
			$div = new XMLElement('div', null, array('class' => 'two columns'));
			$this->appendRequiredCheckbox($div);
			$this->appendShowColumnCheckbox($div);
			$wrapper->appendChild($div);
		}

		public function checkFields(&$errors, $checkForDuplicates = true) {
			parent::checkFields($errors, $checkForDuplicates);

			$this->rememberSalt();

			if (trim($this->get('salt')) == '') {
				$errors['salt'] = __('This is a required field.');
			}

			if (trim($this->get('code_expiry')) == '') {
				$errors['code_expiry'] = __('This is a required field.');
			}

			if(!DateTimeObj::validate($this->get('code_expiry'))) {
				$errors['code_expiry'] = __('Code expiry must be a unit of time, such as 1 day or 2 hours');
			}
		}

		public function commit(){
			if(!parent::commit()) return false;

			$id = $this->get('id');

			if($id === false) return false;

			fieldmemberPassword::createSettingsTable();

			$this->rememberSalt();

			$fields = array(
				'field_id' => $id,
				'length' => $this->get('length'),
				'strength' => $this->get('strength'),
				'salt' => $this->get('salt'),
				'code_expiry' => $this->get('code_expiry')
			);

			Symphony::Database()->query("DELETE FROM `tbl_fields_".$this->handle()."` WHERE `field_id` = '$id' LIMIT 1");
			return Symphony::Database()->insert($fields, 'tbl_fields_' . $this->handle());
		}

	/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Publish:
	-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

		public function displayPublishPanel(XMLElement &$wrapper, $data = null, $error = null, $prefix = null, $postfix = null, $entry_id = null) {
			$field_id = $this->get('id');
			$handle = $this->get('element_name');

			$group = new XMLElement('div');
			$group->setAttribute('class', 'two columns');

			// Password
			$password = $data['password'];
			$password_set = Symphony::Database()->fetchVar('id', 0, sprintf("
					SELECT
						f.id
					FROM
						`tbl_entries_data_%d` AS f
					WHERE
						f.entry_id = %d
					LIMIT 1
				", $field_id, $entry_id
			));

			if(!is_null($password_set)) {
				$this->displayPublishPassword(
					$group, 'New Password', "{$prefix}[{$handle}][password]{$postfix}"
				);
				$this->displayPublishPassword(
					$group, 'Confirm New Password', "{$prefix}[{$handle}][confirm]{$postfix}"
				);

				$group->appendChild(Widget::Input(
					"fields{$prefix}[{$handle}][optional]{$postfix}", 'yes', 'hidden'
				));

				$help = new XMLElement('p');
				$help->setAttribute('class', 'help');
				$help->setValue(__('Leave new password field blank to keep the current password'));

			}
			else {
				$this->displayPublishPassword(
					$group, 'Password', "{$prefix}[{$handle}][password]{$postfix}"
				);
				$this->displayPublishPassword(
					$group, 'Confirm Password', "{$prefix}[{$handle}][confirm]{$postfix}"
				);
			}

			// Error?
			if(!is_null($error)) {
				$group = Widget::Error($group, $error);
				$wrapper->appendChild($group);
			}
			else {
				$wrapper->appendChild($group);
				if ($help) {
					$wrapper->appendChild($help);
				}
			}
		}

		public function displayPublishPassword($wrapper, $title, $name) {
			$required = ($this->get('required') == 'yes');

			$label = Widget::Label(__($title));
			$label->setAttribute('class', 'column');
			if(!$required) $label->appendChild(new XMLElement('i', __('Optional')));

			$input = Widget::Input("fields{$name}", null, 'password', array('autocomplete' => 'off'));

			$label->appendChild($input);
			$wrapper->appendChild($label);
		}

	/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Input:
	-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

		public function checkPostFieldData($data, &$message, $entry_id = null){
			$message = null;
			$required = ($this->get('required') == "yes");

			$password = trim($data['password']);
			$confirm = trim($data['confirm']);

			// If the field is required, we should have both a $username and $password.
			if($required && !isset($data['optional']) && (empty($password))) {
				$message = __('%s is a required field.', array($this->get('label')));
				return self::__MISSING_FIELDS__;
			}

			// Check password
			if(!empty($password) || !empty($confirm)) {
				if($confirm !== $password) {
					$message = __('%s confirmation does not match.', array($this->get('label')));
					return self::__INVALID_FIELDS__;
				}

				if(strlen($password) < (int)$this->get('length')) {
					$message = __('%s is too short. It must be at least %d characters.', array($this->get('label'), $this->get('length')));
					return self::__INVALID_FIELDS__;
				}

				if (!fieldmemberPassword::compareStrength(fieldmemberPassword::checkPassword($password), $this->get('strength'))) {
					$message = __('%s is not strong enough.', array($this->get('label')));
					return self::__INVALID_FIELDS__;
				}
			}

			else if($required && !isset($data['optional'])) {
				$message = __('%s cannot be blank.', array($this->get('label')));
				return self::__MISSING_FIELDS__;
			}

			return self::__OK__;
		}

		public function processRawFieldData($data, &$status, &$message=null, $simulate=false, $entry_id = null){
			$status = self::__OK__;
			$required = ($this->get('required') == "yes");

			if(empty($data)) return array();

			$password = trim($data['password']);

			// We only want to run the processing if the password has been altered
			// or if the entry hasn't been created yet. If someone attempts to change
			// their username, but not their password, this will be caught by checkPostFieldData
			if(!empty($password) || is_null($entry_id)) {
				return array(
					'password'	=> $this->encodePassword($password),
					'strength'	=> fieldmemberPassword::checkPassword($password),
					'length'	=> strlen($password)
				);
			}

			else return $this->rememberData($entry_id);
		}

	/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Output:
	-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

		public function appendFormattedElement(&$wrapper, $data, $encode=false) {
			$pw = new XMLElement($this->get('element_name'));

			// If reset is set, return the recovery-code
			if($data['reset'] == 'yes') {
				$pw->setAttribute('reset-requested', 'yes');

				$pw->appendChild(
					new XMLElement('recovery-code', $data['recovery-code'])
				);
				// Add expiry timestamp, including how long the code is valid for
				$expiry = General::createXMLDateObject(strtotime($data['timestamp'] . ' + ' . $this->get('code_expiry')), 'expires');
				$expiry->setAttribute('expiry', $this->get('code_expiry'));
				$pw->appendChild($expiry);
			}
			// Output the hash of the password.
			else if($data['password']) {
				$pw->setValue($data['password']);
			}

			$wrapper->appendChild($pw);
		}

		public function prepareTableValue($data, XMLElement $link=NULL){
			if(empty($data)) return __('None');

			return parent::prepareTableValue(array(
				'value' => __(ucwords($data['strength'])) . ' (' . $data['length'] . ')'
			), $link);
		}

	/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Filtering:
	-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

		public function buildDSRetrievalSQL($data, &$joins, &$where, $andOperation=false){
			$field_id = $this->get('id');

			if($andOperation) {
				foreach($data as $key => $value) {
					$this->_key++;
					$value = $this->encodePassword($value);
					$joins .= " LEFT JOIN `tbl_entries_data_$field_id` AS `t$field_id$key` ON (`e`.`id` = `t$field_id$key`.entry_id) ";
					$where .= " AND `t$field_id$key`.password = '$value' ";
				}

			}
			else {
				if (is_array($data) and isset($data['password'])) {
					$data = array($data['password']);
				}
				else if (!is_array($data)) {
					$data = array($data);
				}

				foreach ($data as &$value) {
					$value = $this->encodePassword($value);
				}

				$data = implode("', '", $data);
				$joins .= " LEFT JOIN `tbl_entries_data_$field_id` AS `t$field_id` ON (`e`.`id` = `t$field_id`.entry_id) ";
				$where .= " AND `t$field_id`.password IN ('{$data}') ";
			}

			return true;

		}

	/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Events:
	-------------------------------------------------------------------------*/

		public function getExampleFormMarkup(){
			$fieldset = new XMLElement('fieldset');

			$label = Widget::Label($this->get('label'));
			$label->appendChild(Widget::Input('fields['.$this->get('element_name').'][password]', null, 'password'));

			$fieldset->appendChild($label);

			$label = Widget::Label($this->get('label') . ' ' . __('Confirm'));
			$label->appendChild(Widget::Input('fields['.$this->get('element_name').'][confirm]', null, 'password'));

			$fieldset->appendChild($label);

			return $fieldset;
		}

	}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
United States Office of Personnel Management
The United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that manages the government's civilian workforce. The agency provides federal human resources policy, oversight and support, and tends to healthcare (FEHB) and life insurance (FEGLI) and retirement benefits (CSRS/FERS, but not TSP) for federal government employees, retirees and their dependents.[2]
Official seal
January 1, 1979; 40 years ago (1979-01-01)
Preceding agency
Theodore Roosevelt Federal Building
1900 E Street, NW
Washington, D.C., US
Margaret Weichert, Acting Director
Michael Rigas, Deputy Director
opm.gov
OPM is headed by a director, who is nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. On September 2, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Jeff Pon to be OPM's next director.[3] Pon was confirmed by voice vote on March 7, 2018[4] and served from March 9, 2018 to October 5, when he resigned.[5] Margaret Weichert, Office of Management and Budget Deputy Director for Management, was named acting Director.
The United States Civil Service Commission was created by the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act of 1883. The commission was abolished and replaced by OPM on January 1, 1979, following the passage of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 and Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1978 (43 FR 36037, 92 Stat. 3783).[6]
In 1996 the investigation branch of the OPM was privatized, and USIS was formed.[7]
According to its website, the mission of the OPM is "recruiting, retaining and honoring a world-class force to serve the American people."[8] The OPM is partially responsible for maintaining the appearance of independence and neutrality in the Administrative Law System. While technically employees of the agencies they work for, Administrative Law Judges (or ALJs) are hired exclusively by the OPM, effectively removing any discretional employment procedures from the other agencies. The OPM uses a rigorous selection process which ranks the top three candidates for each ALJ vacancy, and then makes a selection from those candidates, generally giving preference to veterans.
The OPM is also responsible for a large part of the management of security clearances (National Background Investigations Bureau conducts these investigations) for the United States Government. With the exception of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which maintains its own system, separate programs for each executive department have gradually been merged into a single, Government-wide clearance system. The OPM is responsible for investigating individuals to give them Secret and Top Secret clearances.[9] SCI compartments, however, are still managed by the particular agency that uses that compartment.
OPM is also responsible for federal employee retirement applications for FERS and CSRS employees.[10] OPM makes decisions on federal employee regular[11] and disability retirement cases.[12] OPM also oversees FEHB and FEGLI, the health insurance and life insurance programs for Federal employees. However, it does not oversee TSP, which is handled by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB), a separate independent agency.
Revolving fundEdit
The OPM revolving fund is described as the OPM's "fee for service" business that moves federal budget money from various federal agencies to the OPM for human resources (HR) services. During the decade from 2002–12, the dollar amount of the fund has tripled.[13] The fund is worth $2 billion, equivalent to almost all (90 percent) of the OPM budget.[14]
In July 2013, Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Texas) introduced the Office of Personnel Management Inspector General Act.[15] The bill would increase oversight of the fund. Farenthold introduced the bill as a response to accusations of fraud and concerns about security clearance background investigations.[16] The bill would fund the expenses for investigations, oversight activities and audits from the revolving fund.[17] In February 2014, President Obama signed the bill into law.[18]
The fund's history goes back to the early 1980s, where it was used for two main activities: training and background investigations for government personnel.[19]
2015 data breachEdit
Main article: Office of Personnel Management data breach
In June 2015, the Office of Personnel Management announced that it had discovered in April 2015 that it had been hacked more than a year earlier in a data breach, resulting in the theft of approximately 4 million personnel records handled by the office.[20] The Washington Post has reported that the attack originated in China, citing unnamed government officials.[21] By July 9, 2015 the estimate of stolen records had increased to 21.5 million, including those of current government personnel and people who had undergone background checks.[22]
New updates regarding this security breach came to light on September 24, 2015. The agency then indicated that additional evidence showed that 5.6 million people's fingerprints were stolen as part of the hacks, more than five times the 1.1 million originally estimated. The total number of individuals whose records were disclosed in whole or part, including Social Security numbers and addresses, remained at 21.5 million.[23]
Past directorsEdit
Source: OPM's Agency Leadership Through Time[24]
Alan K. Campbell (January 2, 1979 – January 20, 1981)
Campbell was the Chairman of the Civil Service Commission at its dissolution
Donald J. Devine (March 23, 1981 – March 25, 1985)
Loretta Cornelius (acting; 1985)
Constance Horner (August 22, 1985 – May 10, 1989)[25]
Constance Berry Newman (June 8, 1989 – June 30, 1992)
James B. King[26] (April 7, 1993 – September 1, 1997)
Janice R. Lachance (November 12, 1997 – January 20, 2001)
Steven R. Cohen (acting January 20, 2001 - July 11, 2001)
Kay Coles James (July 11, 2001 – January 31, 2005)
Dan G. Blair (acting, February 1, 2005 - June 27, 2005)
Linda M. Springer (June 28, 2005 – August 13, 2008)[27][28]
Michael Hager (acting; 2008–2009)[27]
Kathie Ann Whipple (acting; 2009)[29]
John Berry (April 13, 2009 – April 13, 2013)[30]
Elaine Kaplan (acting; April 15, 2013 – October 31, 2013)
Katherine Archuleta (November 4, 2013 – July 10, 2015)
Beth Cobert (acting; July 10, 2015 to January 19, 2017)
Kathleen McGettigan (acting; January 19, 2017-March 9, 2018)[31]
Jeff Tien Han Pon (March 9, 2018 – October 5, 2018)[32]
Margaret Weichert (acting; October 5, 2018 - Present)
Government of the United States portal
Federal Labor Relations Authority
Hatch Act
Human Resources University
Presidential Management Fellows Program
SHPS
Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations
United States Merit Systems Protection Board
^ Annual Performance Report (2017). p. 7
^ "Our Mission, Role & History - What We Do". Washington, D.C.: U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate Personnel to Key Administration Posts". Washington, D.C.: The White House. September 2, 2017. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
^ "Tracking how many key positions Trump has filled so far". Washington, D.C.: The Washington Post and Partnership for Public Service. Retrieved January 24, 2018.
^ "Jeff T.H. Pon". Washington, D.C.: U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
^ "Glossary of Terms". Retrieved January 5, 2016.
^ Gayathri, Amrutha. "USIS That Vetted Snowden Under Investigation; Booz Allen Hamilton Overlooked Snowden Resume Discrepancies." International Business Times. June 21, 2013. Retrieved on July 1, 2013.
^ "Biography of an Ideal". Retrieved January 5, 2016.
^ "Audit of the Federal Investigations Servies' Case Review Process Over Background Investigations" (PDF). opm.gov. page 2. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
^ 7 MAR. "Retirement Info Center". Opm.gov. Retrieved June 19, 2019.
^ "Pamphlet" (PDF). www.opm.gov. Retrieved June 18, 2019.
^ berrylegal (December 11, 2016). "OPM Disability Retirement". Federal Employee Law Blog.
^ Fact Sheet: OPM Revolving Fund, Products and Services. Avue Technologies Corporation. 2013-09-24 (Retrieved 2014-02-17)
^ Reilly, Sean. "OPM inspector general getting more money for revolving fund oversight". Federal Times. 2014-02-13 (Retrieved 2014-02-17)
^ "OPM IG Act (H.R. 2860)". GovTrack.us. (2014) (Retrieved 2014-02-17)
^ "OPM Inspector General Act signed into law". Ripon Advance. 2014-02-17 (Retrieved 2014-02-17)
^ "H.R.2860 OPM IG Act" The Week in Congress; Volume 10 Number 3. 2014-01-17 (Retrieved 2014-02-17)
^ Carney, Jay (White House Press Secretary). "Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 2860, S. 1901". The White House, Office of the Press Secretary. 2014-02-12 (Retrieved 2014-02-17)
^ U.S. Government Accountability Office. "OPM's Revolving Fund Policy Should Be Clarified and Management Controls Strengthened". GGD-84-23: Published: Oct 13, 1983. Publicly Released: Oct 13, 1983 (Retrieved 2014-02-17)
^ "Millions of US government workers hit by data breach". BBC News. June 5, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2015.
^ Sanders, Sam (June 4, 2015). "Massive Data Breach Puts 4 Million Federal Employees' Records At Risk". NPR.
^ Zengerle, Patricia; Cassella, Megan (July 9, 2015). "Estimate of Americans hit by government personnel data hack skyrockets". Reuters. Retrieved July 9, 2015.
^ Peterson, Andrea (September 24, 2015). "OPM says 5.6 million fingerprints stolen in biggest cyber attack in US history. America doesn't have anything together this is why this happened". Independent. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
^ "Agency Leadership". U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
^ "Our Mission: Constance Horner". opm.gov. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
^ "James King". U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
^ a b Rosenberg, Alyssa (August 1, 2008). "Bush taps new OPM director". National Journal. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
^ "Linda M. Springer Sworn In as New OPM Director" (Press release). United States Office of Personnel Management. June 29, 2005. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
^ "White House Names Acting Director of OPM" (Press release). United States Office of Personnel Management. January 23, 2009. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
^ "OPM Director John Berry". United States Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
^ "Kathleen McGettigan". Washington, D.C.: U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
^ Yoder, Eric (October 5, 2018). "Trump replaces federal personnel director, in job only a few months, with OMB official". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
Office of Personnel Management
Office of Personnel Management in the Federal Register
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_States_Office_of_Personnel_Management&oldid=902558140"


The Sr. Product Manager – Business Services will be responsible for the ideating, positioning, pricing, packaging, and defining features for existing and new products in LegalZoom's business products portfolio. The right candidate will be customer-minded, strategic and analytical, full of creativity, and effective at communicating with internal and external stakeholders. In your role, you will partner with a diverse cross-functional teams to lead, execute, monitor, and deliver results for various product management initiatives in a product line. You must have the ability to succeed in a matrix environment where your success is dependent on your ability to collaborate with cross-functional partners in a positive, productive, and transparent way.


text:
Q: Ajax prints output from perl script - Problems with IE7 Here is my javascript code:
var xmlhttp;
var result;
function load()
{
 xmlhttp=null;
 if (window.XMLHttpRequest)
   {// code for IE7+, Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari
   xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest();
   }
 else
   {// code for IE6, IE5
   xmlhttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
   }
 xmlhttp.onreadystatechange=state_Change;
 xmlhttp.open("GET",getLauncherPath,true);
 xmlhttp.send(null);
}

function state_Change()
{
 if (xmlhttp.readyState==3){
  if (xmlhttp.status==200){
   result = "readyState = 3, counting begins\n";
   result += xmlhttp.responseText;
   document.getElementById('T1').innerHTML= result;
  }
 }

 if (xmlhttp.readyState==4){
  // 4 = "loaded"
  if (xmlhttp.status==200)
  {// 200 = "OK"
   document.getElementById('T1').innerHTML= result + "\nreadyState = 4, DONE";
  }
 }
}

Here is my perl code
#!C:/perl/bin/perl.exe

use strict;
use warnings;
use CGI;

$|++;

my $cgi = CGI->new;

print $cgi->header,
      $cgi->start_html("Output Flush Buffer Test");

for ( 1..3 ) {
    print $cgi->p("Line $_");
    sleep 1;
}

print $cgi->end_html;

Result shows in IE7
undefined readyState = 4, DONE

Result shows in Firefox
readyState = 3, counting begins

Line 1

Line 2

Line 3
readyState = 4, DONE

I got some advice that IE7 doesn't support MIME, that is the reason why IE7 can't flush the output by using state change, is this true? If I run this perl script directly from my IE7 browser, e.g. localhost/cgi-bin/count.pl, IE7 actully shows results line by line with time delay. It is just not working with AJAX.
Please someone help me with this issue, or suggest me a better way to do this.

A: There is alternative way to flush the output in IE7 which I hate to do
1. stdout output into a log file in perl
2. When ajax starts call count, there will be another javascript to call the log file and print the text on the screen.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Is Subaru's Forester the Most Aptly Named Vehicle In America?
1 month ago • News
Posted by John Goreham
Vehicle names have gone off the rails. Here's a quick rundown of a few vehicles that still have names that really mean something.
For those who may not be Subaru fans, the image above shows a Subaru Forester being used by a forester. To forest. You may think that we just stumbled upon the image and created the story from a single image, but wait, there's more!
We could keep going…
As it turns out, there are a lot of Subaru Forester owners who actually take their Subaru Forester into the forest. There, they do things related to the forest. If there was every an aptly named vehicle the Forester is it. The Outback, also from Subaru, has a bit of a vibe to it that really seems to resonate with the attitude and capabilities the Outback has. Names like this are appealing. And you remember them.
Dodge has a strong naming tradition. It has named cars the Duster (as in "my car can dust yours"), the Demon (self-explanatory), and the Dart. However, at this brand, it may be the Challenger that is most perfectly named. The other brands came first with their performance coupes and established their own names. Mostly using words you never heard before (Camaro, AMX?). The Challenger is the new upstart about to blow your doors off. It makes perfect sense.
The Dodge Ram's model name was so perfect that Dodge dropped the brand name. The ten year anniversary of the Ram officially being its own individual brand came and went last week. If you still see the truck above and think "Dodge Ram" you know just how powerful naming can be. Ram employs a dedicated staff to help we autowriters correct the stories we still write about the "Dodge Ram."
Of all the brands that wanted to have the brand at top of mind rather than the individual model, MINI has likely been the most successful. Nobody says, "Hey, look a Cooper!"
Among those vehicles that had a great naming idea that didn't really pan out is the Smart car.
If you can think of some other aptly named vehicle models, please list them wherever you find this story. Just don't troll us with the Merkur XR4Ti.
Our thanks to Facebook Subaru Forester Owner's Club Members Marc Charbonneau and Sam Buck for their Forester images.
John Goreham
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VIDEO: We Take a First-Timer Around The Track in a 2015 Dodge Challenger Hellcat


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Q: What is the better performing / more compact way to send binary data to a server in WP7 Given the no direct tcp / socket limitation in Windows Phone 7 I was wondering what is the way that has the least performance overhead and/or can send it in the most compact way.
I think I can send the data as a file using HTTP (probably with an HTTPWebRequest) and encode it as Base64, but this would increase the transfer size significantly. I could use WCF but the performance overhead is going to be large as well.
Is there a way to send plain binary data without encoding it, or some faster way to do so?

A: Network communication on WP7 is currently limited to HTTP only.
With that in mind you're going to have to allow for the HTTP header being included as part of the transmission. You can help keep this small by not adding any additional headers youself (unless you really have to).
In terms of the body of the message then it's up to you to keep things as small as possible.
Formatting your data as JSON will typically be smaller than as XML.
If, however, your data will always be in a specific format you could just include it as raw data. i.e. if you know that the the data will have the first n bits/bytes/characters representing one thing, then next y bits/bytes/characters represent another, etc. you could format your data without any (field) identifiers. It just depends what you need.

A: If you want to send binary data, then certainly some people have been using raw sockets - see
Connect to attached pc from WP7 by opening a socket to localhost
However, unless you want to write your own socket server, then HTTP is very convenient. As Matt says, you can include binary content in your HTTP requests. To do this, you can use the headers:
Content-Type: application/octet-stream
Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary
Content-Length: your length

To actually set these headers, you may need to send this as a multipart message... see questions like Upload files with HTTPWebrequest (multipart/form-data)
There's some excellent sample code on AppHub forums - http://forums.create.msdn.com/forums/p/63646/390044.aspx - shows how to upload a binary photo to Facebook.
Unless your data is very large, then it may be easier to take the 4/3 hit of Base64 encoding :) (and there are other slightly more efficient encoding types too like Ascii85 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ascii85)