text:
Q: Rewriting an argparse argument from a .py file to a .ipynb, works but not as expected I am in a need to measure the word error rate (WER) given an Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) transcript and a ground truth transcript.
Searching for a program to help me with this need I found this repo on github that I tried and its calculates what I needed.
As far as I understand this program is built to run in a terminal, in fact that was how I tried and worked.
Now the thing is that I want to run the logic of this program for a group of files that I have, so in order to achieve that I wrote some code in a jupyter notebook that imports the module used and calculates the WER of each couple of files being in a directory of folders.
The problem that I facing now is that the code runs but I having wrong metrics, whereas I had the correct metrics running from the terminal.
Can someone please help understand if this problem could be related to how argparse works or if it can be related to how the asr_evalution modules manage the variables.
Please some hints on how I can debug or fix this problem.
Being that said, I have and did the following:

*

*Directory of files and folders used

|-- ASR
| |--1
| |. ref_groundTruth.txt
| |. hyp_fakeASR.txt
| |
| |--2
| |. ref_groundTruth.txt
| |. hyp_groundTruth.txt

*Because the imported module expects an argparse object I copy/paste from the repo the lines that creates the parser (create_parser)

*Results when I ran the program in the terminal vs in jupyter with the code developed
terminal's output & jupyter's output

*The text used for ref_groundTruth.txt, hyp_groundTruth.txt are the following:
Esto es un texto de prueba para utilizar la libreria ASR, luego de validar, paso al siguiente nivel

*The text used for hyp_fakeASR.txt is the following:

Esto es un text para test para utilizar la libreria ASR, luego de validar, paso al siguiente nivel

*The developed code is

# Import libraries
from asr_evaluation.asr_evaluation import *
import argparse
from os import walk

# Let's define the parse structure to invoke every time we need past to the module asr_evaluation
def create_parser():
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description='Evaluate an ASR transcript against a reference transcript.')
    parser.add_argument('ref', type=argparse.FileType('r'), help='Reference transcript filename')
    parser.add_argument('hyp', type=argparse.FileType('r'), help='ASR hypothesis filename')
    print_args = parser.add_mutually_exclusive_group()
    print_args.add_argument('-i', '--print-instances', action='store_true',
                            help='Print all individual sentences and their errors.')
    print_args.add_argument('-r', '--print-errors', action='store_true',
                            help='Print all individual sentences that contain errors.')
    parser.add_argument('--head-ids', action='store_true',
                        help='Hypothesis and reference files have ids in the first token? (Kaldi format)')
    parser.add_argument('-id', '--tail-ids', '--has-ids', action='store_true',
                        help='Hypothesis and reference files have ids in the last token? (Sphinx format)')
    parser.add_argument('-c', '--confusions', action='store_true', help='Print tables of which words were confused.')
    parser.add_argument('-p', '--print-wer-vs-length', action='store_true',
                        help='Print table of average WER grouped by reference sentence length.')
    parser.add_argument('-m', '--min-word-count', type=int, default=1, metavar='count',
                        help='Minimum word count to show a word in confusions (default 1).')
    parser.add_argument('-a', '--case-insensitive', action='store_true',
                        help='Down-case the text before running the evaluation.')
    parser.add_argument('-e', '--remove-empty-refs', action='store_true',
                        help='Skip over any examples where the reference is empty.')

    return parser

# My path is the folder in which the transcripts ASR are and the ground truth
mypath = './ASR'

#Let's define some macro variables
cnt = 1
prefix_ref = 'ref_'
prefix_hyp = 'hyp_'

# With OS walk we are going to find all the folders related to the transcripted audio which containt \
# the ASR and ground Truth text files
for (dirpath, dirnames, filenames) in walk(mypath):
    print(f'-------{cnt}------')

    if len(filenames) > 1:
        groundTruth = dirpath + '/' + ''.join([word for word in filenames if word.startswith(prefix_hyp)])
        fakeASR = dirpath + '/' + ''.join([word for word in filenames if word.startswith(prefix_ref)])

        parser = create_parser()
        args = parser.parse_args([groundTruth, fakeASR])
        main(args)

    cnt+=1

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


One of the great things about tennis in Ontario is that we have a culture of giving back and every year we have several donors step up to help deliver or help fund tennis programs to kids in need. This year is no different and Tyler and Spencer Keung are two of the best!
The boys are well on their way to meeting their fundraising goals for a second straight year with all proceeds going to Philpott Children's Tennis. Their fundraising campaign's goal is to collect 100 tennis racquets, 100 tennis bags and 100 pairs of tennis shoes for kids in need. Along the way they've also managed to raise some money as well.
Tyler won the top Lasallian Scholarship Award from his school which contributed $500 and they sold donated clothing they had collected raising another $250. RBC being so impressed with the work they had done agreed to donate $2,500.
In addition to the funding, they have collected 73 racquets and 13 tennis bags to date. With some work still to go, the boys are working hard and truly making a difference for kids in the program.


Now that summer is coming to a close, I'm looking forward to cooler weather and plenty of reasons to stay inside, curled up on my couch or my bed, and reading a book. So here are four books I hope to read this fall. Are any of them on your TBR list? What other books are on your list? Let us know in the comments!
Skybright is plunged into the terrifying Underworld where demons are bred, while Stone, stripped of his immortal status, must find a way to close hell's breach before more mortals die. Meanwhile, Zhen Ni, Skybright's former mistress and friend, is now wed to the strange and brutish Master Hou, and she finds herself trapped inside an opulent but empty manor. When she discovers half-eaten corpses beneath the estate, Zhen Ni worries that Master Hou is not all he seems. As Skybright begins the dangerous work of freeing Zhen Ni with the aid of Kai Sen and Stone, nothing can prepare them for an encounter so dark that it threatens to overtake their very beings.
A YA re-imagining of Romeo and Juliet set in 1915 Texas during the height of the Mexican revolution, about Joaquin, a Mexican-American teen trying to protect his family's ranch and his sweetheart, Dulcena, from the Texas Rangers and their posses.


Back to school stickers :sts can use them to talk /write according to their level. There are B&W for teachers who can't afford the colour copy.The stickers can be used with the classroom poster .
The above downloadable handout is best suited for elementary school students, kindergartners and nursery school students and students with special educational needs, learning difficulties, e.g. dyslexia at Beginner (pre-A1) and Elementary (A1) level.


Today, we feature 'Goo keyboard master Stuart Croxford Neale.
What is the name of the venue in Belfast that Limahl and Stuart Croxford Neale played in October of 2012?
Time is running out for you to purchase your copy of Limahl's new single!
KajaFax returns tomorrow with question 21 – see you then!


text:
Albina Youth Opportunity School is an alternative high school in Portland, Oregon, United States.

The school has been accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools since 1993.

References

High schools in Multnomah County, Oregon
Alternative schools in Oregon
Educational institutions established in 1966
Public high schools in Oregon
Public middle schools in Oregon
1966 establishments in Oregon
North Portland, Oregon

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Employment>
Census returns of 19th century Fovant show that the majority of men, boys and even some women, described themselves as 'agricultural labourers'. This was hardly surprising, for there were several farms in the area and farm work was the chief means of earning a living in Fovant during this period.
Almost without exception the Fovant farms were of the mixed variety. Not only were different crops grown and harvested, but beef and dairy cattle were kept and sheep, poultry and pigs were reared. There were many and varied tasks to be undertaken: ploughing, sowing, planting, harvesting, haymaking, forestry, thatching, hurdle making, milking, sheep shearing, pig killing – the list is endless. Within all these areas were the various 'specialists', such as shepherds, cattlemen, carters, and each had their underlings. The complexity of the cultivation of the soil, the tending of animals and land management argued the need for a large workforce before the days of mechanisation.
However, by the mid 19th Century mechanical innovation was starting to be introduced into farming practices. Fearing for their livelihood, riots broke out in nearby villages as agricultural workers broke up farm machinery. Resistance to farm machinery may have delayed its use, but it could not halt progress. Gradually, with the development of the internal combustion engine, machine power inevitably replaced manpower on the farm. As the 19th century progressed, workers engaged in agriculture adapted to the use of farm machinery and a new hierarchy of farm workers evolved in which the 'specialists' were just as likely to be 'traction engine drivers' as the more traditional skilled categories.
In addition to the major farms, many Fovant residents had smallholdings where they raised crops and kept animals for their own use. Most cottages had large gardens and some villagers also had the use of fields, orchards and allotments within the parish boundary. Cider making and pig killing were communal activities and, from the beginning of the 20th century, there were thriving watercress beds in the centre of the village (view on the left), which became Millbrook Trout Farm
(view on the right).
One village resident Charles Turner, a woodman on the Fovant estate of the Earl of Pembroke, kept a diary between 1899–1900. These entries were mainly concerned with the weather, but he also entered items such as:
'Finished tying up A. Lever's drift'
'Began spar making for R. Simper'
'T. Raymond carried the hay at the Elm'
'Planted broad beans where the French beans used to be'
This diary gives an insight into a whole year of a working man's life in the village of Fovant. His experience, typical of many of his fellows, was one of an ordinary villager who not only tended his own plot, but also assisted others to look after theirs.
Currently Ing's and Gerrard's Farms are private houses. We have one 'new' farm in Dean Lane Farm and Manor, East and West Farms are still in operation. They are all still mixed farms. West Farm, however, also has a prize herd of Blonde d'Aquitaine cattle, some members of which, in order to accustom them to people and noise they might encounter at cattle shows, have in the past been taken for walks through the village. There is more on Mechanisation and the Fovant Blondes on the following pages together with an extensive report on Water Meadows.
It is all agriculture.
The effect of mechanisation on agriculture
"The Fovant Blondes"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


DIGITAL.CSIC: Chaetotaxy of the cercariae of Fasciola hepatica (Trematoda: Fasciolidae) from Lymnaea truncatula snails collected in León, NW Spain.
Chaetotaxy of the cercariae of Fasciola hepatica (Trematoda: Fasciolidae) from Lymnaea truncatula snails collected in León, NW Spain.
Authors: Dimitrov, V.; Manga-González, M. Yolanda ; Kanev, I.; Radev, V.
Abstract: The chaetotaxy of cercariae of the species Fasciola hepatica (Linnaeus, 1758), obtained from naturally infected snails of the species Lymnaea truncatula collected in Spain (Iberian Peninsula) was studied. Tbe results obtained were compared with the chaetotaxy of cercariae of the same species obtained from the same snail host species L. truncatula collected in Bulgaria (Balkan Peninsula). Papillae O-7DL and O-1PIIIL, which have not been observed in cercariae from Bulgaria, were identified in the cercariae from Spain. These differences are discussed with respect to the present day concept of the species, subspecies, variations and adaptive forms of F. hepatica.


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text:
Hurricane Irene Marches North, Claiming Four Lives Thus Far [MAP, VIDEO]
Shauna Wright
Over a million people in North Carolina and Virginia are currently without power after Hurricane Irene came ashore on Saturday, and other states further north are bracing for impact on Sunday.
North Carolina's state emergency management agency reports blocked roads from downed trees, heavy rains and flooding, and roofs ripped off homes, businesses, and even an evacuation shelter, while a storm-spawned tornado in Tyrrell County demolished five houses.
Irene has already claimed at least three lives in North Carolina and one — a child — in Newport News, Virginia.
Meanwhile, airlines have canceled thousands of flights and airports in Philadelphia, Washington, New York and Boston plan some sort of shutdowns over the weekend, and the mass-transit systems in New York City ceased operations as of noon on Saturday.
Governor Chris Christie in New Jersey and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered unprecedented evacuations in their states, where Irene is expected to make landfall on Sunday.
"We have never done a mandatory evacuation before, and we wouldn't be doing this now if we didn't think the storm had the potential to be very serious," Bloomberg said.
Track the storm's movement in real-time on this live map.
[CNN]
Read Original: Hurricane Irene Marches North, Claiming Four Lives Thus Far [MAP, VIDEO]
Filed Under: death toll, evacuation, hurricane, irene, map, natural disater, power outages


New Delhi: 'Cycling is the best and cheapest form of exercise to keep our-self healthy and people must be encouraged to adopt such environment-friendly mode of transport,' said Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu.
New Delhi: Central Tax, GST Delhi East Commissionerate arrested a Shahdara based father son-duo in case of fraudulent issuance of Input Tax Credit invoices involving evasion of approximately Rs.28 Crores relating to the Copper industry.
New Delhi: Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given its approval for a proposal to establish a 100 bedded hospital at Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC) in Najafgarh here at an estimated cost of about Rs. 95 Crore.


It had already been well advertised and promoted that tonight's performance by Los Albertos was being filmed and recorded for the release of a live album later in the year. This added much hype to the atmosphere and expectation of the audience as well as the band's own performance. However Los Albertos were more than ready and able to live up to the moment and remained exquistely in control throughout the gig even though at times the audience got really wild, with photographers and cameramen fleeing the venue floor, leaving it to a mass of fanatical pogoing fans.
"Los Albertos are a six-piece ensemble of ska-dance protagonists who've been transmitting their hi-energy tunes to the nation since their formation in 2002. Christened by the barmaid at their debut gig in the legendary Prince Albert, their fistful of grinning 2-tone skank with a twist of funk, punk, Klezmer, rock and dub has drawn attention from far beyond the pebbled beaches of their hometown Brighton.
With three albums under their belts, they are about to unleash a new vinyl and download only EP, This Is A Serious Party, featuring three brass-powered floor stompers that have never seen the light of day, as well as a brilliant cover of 'Sweet Dreams'. It's dance music, Jim. But not as we know it."


Entrepreneurs always need lawyers, and in recent years, the do-it-yourself (DIY) market has exploded. Etsy store proprietors, craft food makers, home brewers, independent fashion designers, hyperlocal food growers, and vintage decor resellers—to name a few—are everywhere. Odds are that you have a family member or friend who's involved in a DIY business. Fueled in part by the struggling economy and in part by increased demand for locally produced goods, DIY businesses will likely increase their presence in the American economy.
These niche ventures are exciting for our family and friends, but they also create the need for legal assistance, as with any new business. However, DIY entrepreneurs likely can't afford expensive counsel to advise and guide them. It's a gap that's filled perfectly by newer attorneys on a low bono or pro bono basis. In doing so, you gain valuable experience and help your local economy.
Counseling a DIY entrepreneur allows young attorneys to gain marketable experience advising an actual business venture. DIY businesses share many of the same concerns as larger corporations: limiting liability, tax implications, regulatory compliance, etc. It's also a great way to gain experience in business entity formation.
Another benefit is that you are acquainted with the venture from its inception, and over time, you may have the opportunity to cultivate that relationship and grow with the company. You might even luck out and get in on the ground floor of the next Clif Bar & Company, which started in a home kitchen as a DIY business.
There are some things to keep in mind before you start counseling your first DIY business. Tailor the extent of your representation to what is appropriate for your level of experience and convey, in writing, that limitation to the client. Don't overrepresent your ability during the intake discussions; be honest and upfront about your experience. Draft an actual retainer agreement. A formal agreement may seem offputting to friends and family, but a written retainer is important for your protection and establishing expectations with the business owner. Make sure also to not run afoul of your jurisdiction's legal liability insurance requirements. Finally, keep representing DIY ventures in perspective. It's important to identify what you hope to get out of it because such ventures likely don't have the startup capital to pay market rate for a lawyer's time.
Whether done on a low bono or pro bono basis, representing a DIY business is very fulfilling, and I can't recommend it enough for the DIY entrepreneur in your life.


text:
Killeen Police are Seeking the Public's Help to Find Cynthia Bratt
Aaron Savage
Aaron Savage Published: May 6, 2021
Cynthia Louise Bratt - Killeen PD Courtesy Photo
The Killeen Police Department is asking for the public's help locating a woman who's been missing since late April.
According to police, 20-year-old Cynthia Louise Bratt's family haven't heard from her since April 26, 2021. They reported her missing Thursday, May 6.
If you see Cynthia or have any information that could help get her home safely, please call the Killeen Police Department at (254) 501-8800.
UPDATE ON ANOTHER MISSING PERSON IN CENTRAL TEXAS
Last week, Temple police reported that they were searching for 17-year-old Brooklyn McBride. They've since issued an update to say that she was safely located. They did not release further details.
Temple police were also searching for 17-year-old Mackenzie Trosclair, who was last seen on April 28, 2021. If you know where she may be, please contact Temple PD at (254) 298-5500.
LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America
Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.
Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.
LOOK: The most famous actress born the same year as you
Many of the actresses in this story not only made a name for themselves through their collection of iconic performances, but also through the selfless, philanthropic nature with which many of them approached their stardom. In an age of flipping the script on societal norms, many of these actresses are using their voices and platforms to be advocates for those who are otherwise unheard.
LOOK: The Most Famous Actor Born Every Year
LOOK: The most popular biblical baby names
To determine the most popular biblical baby names, Stacker consulted the name origin site Behind the Name and the Social Security Administration's baby names database then ranked the top 50 names from Behind the Name's Biblical Names origins list of 564 names, based on how many babies had been given these names in 2019. Click through to find out which biblical names have stood the test of time.
How Many in America: From Guns to Ghost Towns
Can you take a guess as to how many public schools are in the U.S.? Do you have any clue as to how many billionaires might be residing there? Read on to find out—and learn a thing or two about each of these selection's cultural significance and legacy along the way.
LOOK: 15 Discontinued McDonald's Menu Items
LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions
While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.
Filed Under: Killeen, Local News, News
Porch Pirates Be Warned! 5 Surefire Ways To Prevent Your Packages From Being Stolen
5 Heinous Valentine's Day Murders and Missing People in Texas
Nominate Someone You Love for Our 2023 Valentine's Day Prize Pack


Ingle International | NewPoint Capital Partners Inc.
Ingle International ("Ingle") is a Toronto-based aggregator, Managing General Agent ("MGA") and Managing General Underwriter ("MGU"), specializing in selling travel, international student, expatriate and special risk insurance.
NewPoint was retained by the shareholders of Ingle International to explore a potential sale of the Company in order to provide liquidity for the Company's founder and key shareholder. NewPoint assisted the Company through the comprehensive operational and financial due diligence process, as well as the negotiation of all key transaction terms and agreements related to closing.
After approaching a variety of North American and European investors, NewPoint and the shareholders concluded that the proposal from MSH International, a France based insurance provider, was the option that best addressed the objectives of the shareholders.


Tom Odell concert - February 16 at Arenele Romane, in Bucharest. More details here.
Alessandro Safina concert - February 17 at Sala Palatului in Bucharest. More details here.
Turandot - February 16, at the Bucharest Opera. Further details here.
Positive Festival - Winter Edition 2019 - indie, alternative, new wave music, February 16-17 at Beraria H. More on the event here.
Art Fashion Fair - February 16, 17 at Qreator by IQOS, in Bucharest. More info here.
Gustav Klimt. A Precursor of Modernity exhibition – ongoing, ends February 28; at the Suțu Palace (The Museum of the City of Bucharest). More here.
Ferestroika- Experience Communism – ongoing, ends February 23. An exhibition displaying the apartment life of a real Romanian family from the 80s. Further details here.
Invasion of the Giants Lego exhibition – ongoing, ends February 24, 2019. At the Grand Arena Shopping Mall in Bucharest. More details here.


I finally attended my first Dorkbot event last night at Serial Space. I was very impressed. The presenters – Harriet Birks and John Tonkin – both showed us interesting work, but what I was really inspired by, was the way they broke down all their concepts, processes and technologies involved for the audience. Tonkin was particularly generous with his experiences, describing his installation to us, right down to the components used.
Each dorkbot is different and is driven by the needs and interests of people in the local community. But generally, the main goals of dorkbot are: to create an informal, friendly environment in which people can talk about the work they're doing and to foster discussion about that work; to help bring together people from different backgrounds who are interested in similar things; to give us all an opportunity to see the strange things our neighbors are doing with electricity. dorkbot isn't really a forum for formal artist talks or lectures, but rather a chance for diverse people to have friendly conversations about interesting ideas.
The director of Sydney Dorkbot is Pia van Gelder and after spotting that we were new attendees, she made the effort to introduce herself and make us feel welcome. I don't pretend that Dorkbot is for everyone, but being interested in this kind of DIY technology culture, I have found it generally disheartening that those responsible for creating the work can be so protective of the technologies which should be available to everyone. Dorkbot feels like it sits at the other end of the spectrum: a little utopian group of nerds, hackers and tinkerers, who want to help each other out where they can. I'll definitely be back.


text:
<?php
namespace HeraldOfArms\Herald;

use Arr;
use HeraldOfArms\Contracts\FactoryInterface;
use InvalidArgumentException;

class Herald implements FactoryInterface
{
    /**
     * The current adapters instances.
     *
     * @var HeraldOfArms\Contracts\GatewayInterface[]
     */
    protected $factories = [];

    /**
     * Create a new gateway instance.
     *
     * @param string[] $config
     *
     * @throws InvalidArgumentException
     *
     * @return HeraldOfArms\Contracts\GatewayInterface
     */
    public function make(array $config)
    {
        Arr::requires($config, ['driver']);

        return $this->getGatewayFor($config['driver'])->make($config);
    }

    /**
     * Get an adapter instance by name.
     *
     * @param string $name
     *
     * @return HeraldOfArms\Contracts\GatewayInterface
     */
    public function getGatewayFor($name)
    {
        // Return if class were already instantiated.
        if (isset($this->factories['name'])) {
            return $this->factories['name'];
        }

        $driver = ucfirst($name);
        $class  = "HeraldOfArms\\{$driver}\\{$driver}Gateway";

        if (class_exists($class)) {
            return $this->factories['name'] = new $class();
        }

        throw new InvalidArgumentException("Unsupported [$name] gateway.");
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Marcer Campbell is a practicing artist who lives and works in Dumfries and Galloway in South West Scotland. He received a BA Hons in Visual Communication (specialising in Illustration) at Edinburgh College of Art.
'As a visual artist my interests are varied. I studied Illustration to degree level, but at the same time developed a keen interest in the possibilities of combining music and visual art through multimedia animation. I have continued to pursue these disciplines, along with my chief interest of painting, ever since.


text:
Cossart is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

Ernest Cossart (1876–1951), English actor
Gabriel Cossart (1615–1674), French historian
Hugh Cossart Baker Jr. (1846–1931), Canadian businessman
Hugh Cossart Baker Sr. (1818–1859), Canadian banker
Linda de Cossart, English surgeon
Pascale Cossart (born 1948), French bacteriologist


text:
Home News 'Hug your loved ones tight': Teen arrested after 4 killed in Utah...
'Hug your loved ones tight': Teen arrested after 4 killed in Utah home
Authorities in Utah were trying to determine Sunday why a teenage boy fatally shot a woman and three children in their home, leaving a small community overwhelmed by shock and grief.
An adult male was wounded in the rampage Friday night, Grantsville police said. The accused shooter was arrested at a local hospital after he accompanied the wounded man there, police said. The wounded man was expected to survive, police said.
All the victims were related, Grantsville Police Cpl. Rhonda Fields said, adding that investigators were sorting out the relationships between all those involved. The teen faces aggravated homicide and other charges, she said.
"As for motive, we don't have any of that," Fields said.
Gov. Gary Herbert said state law enforcement officials were aiding local police in the investigation. Utahns were mourning the loss of innocent lives, he said.
"Parents and grandparents, secure your firearms!" Herbert said in a statement. "Everyone, hug your loved ones tight. And remember love, not hate, will heal broken individuals and families."
Grantsville is a city of 10,000 about 30 miles west of Salt Lake City. Mayor Brent Marshall's job usually involves promoting the Children's Sociable and warning residents not to leave cars in the park during snowstorms.
This weekend Marshall was speaking for a community in mourning.
"It's a tragic event anytime something of this nature happens. It affects the community; it doesn't matter if it's a small city or a big city," Marshall told The Salt Lake Tribune. "People know each other and that has an emotional effect on everybody."
Neighbor Laurie Bahe said she knew the family for 10 years, describing them as happy and outgoing.
"I pray for the family that it happened to and the people that survived that are going to have a really difficult time with it," Bahe told ksl.com. "They were a really, really nice family. It's just shocking that it happened."
Patty Deakin-Daley, the administrator of the community Facebook page Tooele County 411, started an online fundraising effort that names the family. It says that the mother and her three minor children were killed, her husband wounded.
More than $31,000 had been collected Sunday.
"The family now has to pay the very expensive funeral and medical expenses related to this tragedy," Deakin-Daley said in the post. "There will be many expenses that will come up including having the home cleaned, repaired and made to feel like a home again."
Shooting arrest:Boy arrested after shooting that killed 4 in small Utah town
The Tooele School District said its crisis team would provide counseling services to students when school reopens on Tuesday after the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
We are deeply saddened and shocked to hear of the events that occurred," the district said in a statement. "We want to express our sincere condolences to those who have been impacted by this tragic situation. It is important that we stand together to care for and support each other through this difficult time."
Jason Killian, with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said the church was "devastated and deeply saddened" by the tragedy.
"We love this family, and will support them and the rest of our small community as we mourn together," Killian said. "We pray for this family and each member of our close community and invite any who may be struggling to reach out to us for spiritual counseling."
Contributing: The Associated Press
Continue reading at USA Today
DSMW
Capitol Police arrested a man with an 'unauthorized' inauguration credential and a gun at a security checkpoint.


>>>> does anyone know why ProcessSessionBean type declaration is "ProcessSessionBean<X> extends ProcessManagedBean<Object>" and not "ProcessSessionBean<X> extends ProcessManagedBean<X>"?
>>> The bean types of most beans (managed beans, producers) are defined by the type of the object defining the bean.
>>> The bean types of a session bean are defined by it's local views, as defined by the EJB spec. These might include the defining type (no-interface view), super-interfaces of the type (when defined using the classic Foo implements Bar, Baz, with @Local on interfaces) or interfaces not in the type hierarchy (when defined using @Local on the defining type).
>>> ProcessManagedBean allows access to AnnotatedType<X>, where X is the bean class.
>>> Putting this together, we can see there is a problem as X, as the bean class may have no relationship to the bean type, in the java type hierarchy (which is clearly crazy, but anyway). For this reason, we choose to simply avoid this whole problem by forcing people to do a cast on getAnnotatedBeanClass.
>>> Does that make sense?
> Ah, sorry. How about, that ProcessBean<X> allows you access to the Bean<X>, which in turn allows you to instantiate an instance. I think that is why it is blocked.
>> BTW this declaration "ProcessSessionBean<X> extends ProcessManagedBean<Object>" prevents from observing lifecycle events like ProcessBean<FooBean> which is not very intuitive IMHO.
>>>> Also there is no comment for type parameter X.


Rock, hip-hop, blues – there are a multitude of choices when it comes to music. And now there are almost as many decisions to make about how to stream it. We spoke with Nicholas Deleon from Consumer Reports to find out which streaming service is right for you!
First on our list is Apple Music. "The key difference with Apple Music is that there actually is no free tier," says Nicholas. "They do give you a three-month free trial, so if you test it out to see, you know whether you like the user interface, or whether or not your favorite band's on there." Apple Music might be your best bet if you've already spent a lot of money on iTunes. "Because then all your songs that you bought from the iTunes Music Store back in the day will be integrated into Apple Music," says Nicholas. Makes sense to us!
Next, you may have heard of a little company called Google – which has Google Play Music, YouTube Music, and YouTube Red to sort out. Google Play Music offers at least one possible advantage. "If you own songs that you ripped from CDs back in the day, you can basically upload your music to Google's cloud, and then stream those songs back to your phone," Nicholas explains.
Google also offers YouTube Music, which is a free, ad-supported app. You can go ad-free with YouTube Red, which gets you commercial-free YouTube. But wait, there's more! "They also kind of throw in YouTube Music, which is basically like Google Play Music in that it gives you access to tens of millions of songs that you can listen to on your phone. So I would recommend, if you're even reasonably into YouTube, it might make sense just get YouTube Red and then have access to the music almost as like an additional side benefit." Sounds like a good idea!
And, finally, there's Amazon – which has Amazon Prime Music and Amazon Music Unlimited. "If you already have Amazon Prime for the free shipping, Amazon Prime Music is a throw-in, but with a much smaller library," shares Nicholas. "I believe it's around two million songs." If you want to unlock the full library, it's a little cheaper than usual at eight bucks a month, or eighty bucks for the year. But that's in addition to Prime, which just went up from 99 to 119 dollars a year. For non-Prime members, it's the usual ten bucks a month.
Shop around: it's the most common piece of advice. Now you know enough about the three major streaming services to pick the right one for you!
Is Your Favorite Show on Netflix's List of the Most Binged Shows of 2017?


text:
Rutgers Today Logo
Family of Cheryl Wall, Champion of Black Women Writers, Donates Personal Library to Paul Robeson Cultural Center
Neal Buccino
neal.buccino@rutgers.edu
The gift is meant to encourage student analysis and appreciation of Black writers
The personal library of the late Cheryl Wall, a scholar recognized for advancing the conversation about African American literature, will be available for a new generation of research and examination at Rutgers University-New Brunswick's Paul Robeson Cultural Center following a donation from her family.
Wall, who died in April at age 71, was nationally regarded for her scholarship about African American women writers. She wrote Women of the Harlem Renaissance and Worrying the Line: Black Women Writers, Lineage and Literary Tradition, and edited several volumes of literary analysis of the works of Zora Neale Hurston.
Jakora Holman, director of Rutgers-New Brunswick's Paul Robeson Cultural Center; Camara Epps, daughter of Cheryl Wall; and PRCC assistant director Philip Chambers sort through dozens of boxes of books donated by Wall's family. Photo by Rebecca Huang
Download High-Res
Her daughter, Camara Epps, began transferring nearly 2,000 books amassed by Wall throughout her life to the Robeson center, including collections of works by Hurston, Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Gwendolyn Brooks, Octavia Butler and others, as well as books written and edited by Wall.
"These works represent my mother's life of reading, writing, analyzing and elevating the voices and intellectual contributions of Black authors," Epps said. "We wanted to give her books to a place where they would be used in honor of her legacy. The Paul Robeson Cultural Center is a perfect steward. My mom worked on Rutgers' Paul Robeson centennial committee (which organized a universitywide celebration of the 100th anniversary of his graduation from Rutgers).
"As a co-founder of the Rutgers English Diversity Institute, she encouraged Black students and other students of color to pursue careers in academia, which is deeply compatible with the Robeson center's mission of facilitating engagement through educational, cultural and social programs and services. This gift is a fitting way to honor her," Epps said.
Jakora Holman, the center's director, plans to make the books available to visitors following a fall 2021 public ceremony dedicating the collection in Wall's name.
"The Paul Robeson Cultural Center works to educate and create discourse around the experience of African Americans and all people of the African diaspora," Holman said. "This donation is so rich in different experiences, histories and legacies of Black people and Black literature, something for us to create discourse around for years to come."
Cheryl Wall's daughter, Camara Epps, with a few of nearly 2,000 books from Wall's collection she is donating to Rutgers University-New Brunswick's Paul Robeson Cultural Center. Photo by Rebecca Huang
During her nearly 50-year career at Rutgers-New Brunswick's School of Arts and Sciences, Wall received the Warren I. Sussman Award for Excellence in Teaching as well as numerous fellowships and awards, including being named a Board of Governors Professor of English in 2006 and the Zora Neale Hurston Professor of English in 2008. Epps accepted the Jay B. Hubbell Medal for Lifetime Achievement in American Literary Studies in her mother's honor on Jan. 7.
Felicia McGinty, Rutgers-New Brunswick's executive vice chancellor for administration and planning, said, "The thought of Cheryl Wall, Zora Neale Hurston, and Paul Robeson together warms my heart, and I look forward to celebrating her life and this gift to students with the Rutgers community in the near future."
Wall's close friend Deborah Gray White, the Board of Governors Distinguished Professor of History at Rutgers-New Brunswick, said, "I'm so glad that Cheryl's books will not have to leave the school she made her academic home. Just like Cheryl, who was a steadfast resource for the many years she was at Rutgers, her books will continue to nurture and teach generations of students for years to come."
A former chair of the Department of English, Wall was an advisor and mentor to generations of students in African American studies and Black feminist thought. She led the establishment of the graduate program in English and sought to empower students and encourage appreciation of the humanities and literature.
She was instrumental in developing "Reaffirming Action: Designs for Diversity in Higher Education," a Ford Foundation-funded project of the Institute for Women's Leadership that examined strategies to enhance racial and gender equity in higher education. She also served as vice chair of Rutgers' Steering Committee on Implementation, an effort to strengthen the university's commitment to diversity, with former university President Richard McCormick. In addition, she was the founding board chair of Crossroads Theater Company, the first Black theater in New Jersey, founded by two Rutgers graduates in 1978.
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Since changing payment providers, I have not been able to take people's money. This is impacting my business. I am being told that the issue is with TELUS blocking us from using port 443. A friend of mine recommended upgrading to a static IP so that my ports are not blocked. I don't want to spend more money, especially when it has worked for so many years.
Port 443 is not blocked for what you're trying to do. If you want to test it out, trying logging into just about any webmail (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc), all of these use port 443. You do not need a static plan to work your debit machine. I would suggest to contact your payment provider and tell them that the port is not blocked so they can investigate the issue further.
Is port 443 blocked when hosting a service or website? If so, is there a documented list of blocked ports?
Surely that's not for business customers, is it?
Also, this seems SO ludicrous in this day and age. Blocking port 1433 because there is an exploit in unpatched versions of SQL Server? This could literally apply to ANY port, as any program or service may potentially be listening on an arbitrary port, and that program or service may have an exploitable vulnerability.
I'm willing to (begrudgingly) accept that this is a policy for residential customers, but business accounts should be given the benefit of the doubt.
Business accounts are wide open. That is strictly TELUS Residential services. No ports blocked on TELUS Business internet. Sorry, assumed you meant that, as no ports being blocked in Business.
Telus needs to open port 80 and other standard parts. even on residential. The year2k exploit was 15 years and and Windows 2000 based OS vulnerabilities have since been a thing of the past.
Espically many people to do have many devices in their home that all use port 80 with built in webserver, http webcam, thermostat (ns3000) etc etc.
This forum is for Business related posts. The audience you are looking for will not be here.
Most of the old vulnerabilities were with XP systems, as the majority of home users did not have 2000. Some of the old vulnerabilities actually resurfaced with Windows 8 though I suspect some have been patched.
As for current things, just because time has passed, doesn't mean there isn't malware that will still utilize the ports Telus has blocked, especially the kind that runs a server without the users knowledge. Home users are currently not permitted to run servers either. If Telus changes that policy, there's a chance some of those ports may be usable in the future.
Every router has remote access feature , via webserver, people want to utilize port 80 , not non standard ports, Even when one does sign up to a webhosting service to atleast sendmail with their own server, TELUS blocks that connection to (outgoing) - whats the point of that when people just setup port 587 which Im sure TELUS will block that too.
According to the OP - I agree - This really sounds more of way for TELUS bring in more money buy requiring residential and business users to keep getting addons, upgrade to business package, etc.
Telus even gave m a static IP on my home account in 1999 before each house had dozens of devices with built in webservers.
I wouldn't even mind the need to go to business-class DSL if TELUS actually invested in their business infrastructure. In my area, residential services are 4x the speed of business, and 1/4 the cost.


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Q: How to use AWS Network Load Balancer with custom python server I am trying to set up a python server on AWS.
I would like to access this server through an elastic load balancer. However, I am having some difficulties troubleshooting my issue.
The steps I have taken so far are as follows.
I created a new EC2 instance, ssh-ed into it and created my server and started it.
the code for that server is as follows:
import socket
HOST = '127.0.0.1'
PORT = 3002

with socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM) as s:
    s.bind((HOST, PORT))
    s.listen()
    conn, addr = s.accept()
    print("listening")
    with conn:
        print('Connected by', addr)
        while True:
            data = conn.recv(1024)
            if not data:
                break
            conn.sendall(data)

Then I created a new target group and registered this ec2 instance to it. The target group is set for the same port as the server (3002).
Next, I created a network load balancer. This load-balancer has a listener set on port 3002 a rule to forward to the target group I have set up.
Finally, I created a local client on my machine with python to communicate with the server.
The code for that client is as follows:
HOST = DNS name for load-balancer
PORT = 3002

with socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM) as s:
    s.connect((HOST, PORT))
    s.sendall(b'Hello, world')
    data = s.recv(1024)

print('Received', repr(data))

My thoughts were the client would connect to the load-balancer on port 3002. The load-balancer, which has a listener on this port, would forward to the target group, which is also using port 3002. Therefore, the ec2 instance would receive the connection on this port and be able to handle it. However, nothing is ever received and the connection times out.
The security groups are configured to allow all TCP traffic on all ports to be allowed (for the time being while I try and figure this out)
Also, this is just me trying to learn how to use a load balancer and connect from a client. I am not planning on using this in a bigger project :) Any help on where my thinking has gone wrong would be greatly appreciated!

A: Your Python app is only listening to connections from localhost. Change this:
HOST = '127.0.0.1'

To this:
HOST = '0.0.0.0'


As you'll see on the facebook page, there was a neighborhood meeting that was largely unproductive less than a week ago. The solution from MPDC and the Park Police is to stay out of the woods, go around, and not go in after dark. After dark, fair. During the day is tough – there is a path which everyone has been using for years and NPS refuses to clean up, light, etc. Plus, daylight is no longer a deterrent.
The last two muggings were at 8:30A in the morning (when a lot of people use that path to go to the metro for work) and 2:54 pm, off the path and in the neighborhood more. If they are mugging at gun point in broad daylight, what's next? And what will it take to get MPD and the NPS/Park Police to do more – a gun shot, a sexual assault, or worse? And, you're telling me you are okay with criminals that mug and attack people with guns on your National Park Land that is so precious, you won't clean it up or put lights up so law abiding citizens can use the space?
I just can't be okay with this. The alerts above scare me even more. Things are escalating, fast – not getting better. I get that MPD can't be there constantly but this is getting out of control – even patrols would help.


text:
Chaonei No. 81 — Beijing Horror House
Shadowy figures in the window, chilling entrance during the summer, the old and haunted church in Beijing called Chaonei No. 81, keeps its secrets close to the chest.
Chaonei No. 81, also called Chaonei Church as it was built with that in mind, perhaps, the records aren't clear. The French reimagined baroque architecture from the 20th century stands out amongst the modern Beijing skyscrapers and the Ming dynasty buddhist temples. Out of place it has passed from a French manager of the railway or Christian missionaries, different governmental members of the Chinese Republic as well as the Catholic Church. But one thing remains the same, the rumours about a restless spirit that lingers, no matter who lives there.
The Mystery of the Building
The story behind the supposed haunted house at Chaonei No. 81 is hard to get straight. As with a lot of buildings before the formation of the People's Republic of China was formed, because of missing paperwork. Who built it? Was it the French manager of the railway? Or it might even have been the Qing imperial family building it for the British to use as a church? However it is believed to have been built around 1910, although some claim it is even older.
Check out the rest of MoonMausoleums Haunted Houses
By the neighbouring hutong, the traditional streets in Beijing, the house has always been remembered as haunted. And even during the 1970s, during the cultural revolution, the neighbours remember the Red Guard that lived in the house, got so frightened after staying inside of the haunted house, they had to leave after a few days.
The Woman Hanging from the Rafters
But who frightened its inhabitants, that even the red guard couldn't handle? According to the most commonly told legend, it is to a woman that once resided in Chaonei No. 81. Or rather, a scorned woman that used to live there, as most haunted histories start with.
The woman that used to live there is said to have been a wife or maybe a lover of an officer of the Kuomintang (KMT, or the nationalist party of China) that fought against the communist party during the Chinese civil war in the 1940s. The nationalist lost, and fled to Taiwan as the communist came into power.
The woman was allegedly left behind by her officer man who fled with the army to Taiwan, and she is said to have hung herself from the rafters of the house.
The Ghost: According to legend, the ghost haunting Chaonei No. 81 is the spirit of a woman left alone in the house by an officer who fled the country.
Whether the outcome of the war had anything to do with her death is debatable, as some suggest it was more that the officer was never at home, not paying her the attention she needed than the victory of the communists that led her to her decision of taking her life.
Her existence at all is debatable as a lot of things during the civil war are lost, forgotten or even hidden away and a lot of documentation to confirm or deny the story is not there. What we can go by is the word of mouth however, and many that have stayed in Chaonei No. 81 knowing its history say there was never a KMT officer living there, and no woman hung herself in the rafters.
The history behind Chaonei No. 81 is clouded in mystery, and there seems that no one can really agree on one account. But ghost stories have their own way of ignoring this, and sneaking their way into the mind of those around anyway. And according to the locals, this place has always been haunted. The locals persist in their own lore that she can indeed be heard, especially on those stormy nights, screaming from the empty house during thunder.
The Vanishing Workers
Even the construction of the house has been up for dispute with strange tales. Like the story of a British priest who supposedly built on the property disappeared before being able to build the church. When a search party was sent, they supposedly found a secret tunnel leading all the way northeast of the premise to the Dashanzi neighborhood.
There have also been three people, working on construction down in the basement in the building next to Chaonei No. 81 that supposedly vanished into thin air. They got drunk on the job and decided to break into the house by breaking the thin wall that separated the two houses. They were never seen again according to the reports.
The House that Never Dies
A message to the entrance is put up, telling the visitors that there are no ghosts residing there, contrary to local beliefs. Perhaps the sign is to ward off the hoards of people trying to get a glimpse of the ghost in Chaonei No. 81? Especially after the horror movie, The House that Never Dies, inspired by the the haunted legends of Chaonei No. 81 and its story, the interest of it came back. And after its release in 2014, up to five hundred people crowded outside the house, causing the catholic church to close the gates, only letting a few in at the time.
The same thing happened with Gonjiam Psychiatric Hospital when a movie was made about the legend and they eventually demolished the entire building.
Keeping the legend alive: The movie trailer from the 2014 movie 'The House that Never Die', inspired about the legends surrounding Chao Nei 81.
In 2016 however, Chaonei No. 81. interior and outside was renovated and rented out. Perhaps that is what it took to get rid of the spirit and the lore seeping from the old bricks. But there are also those claiming they have an uneasy feeling of dread when walking by the house. And even in the hot summer, with the sun scorching right at the door, the doorway of the mansion somehow always feels cooler than in the shade.
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Featured Picture by Daniel Case source:
Chaonei No. 81
Dilapidated Mansion Has Had Many Occupants, Maybe Even a Ghost (Published 2013)
This abandoned "Chaonei No.81" house in China is described as "Beijing's most celebrated haunted building" … Raising Ghosts: Five of Beijing's Most Haunted Attractions
Posted on 14. October 2021 2 By Mirror article Posted in article Tagged #1900s, 1950s, article, asia, baroque, beijing, china, city, darkdreamsbooks, featured, female ghost, Ghost, ghosts, hanged, haunted, haunted house, haunting, movie, soldier
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Apologies to the majority of you who have probably never heard this song before, but after mentioning it the other day I couldn't resist writing it up.
One thing to look out for in this is the two different versions of the C chord. In the original there's a strong bass-line move from C to D to E. So I've emphasized the E note in the second C chord. You can use the traditional C chord. But the C' chord does make the transition to Ab easier.
And check out the Musical Youth version for inspiration.


3, 2, 1… It's the Countdown to Happy Hour!
It's the little things in life that put a smile on our faces… like Happy Hour seven days a week! Admit it, you can't help but smile with all these delish specials available every dang day! ; ) It's never too early to start counting down 'til these yummies are offered at a super-special price—only at The Green Well!
Sunday • ALL DAY LONG!
ONE… GREAT PLACE TO DEVOUR IT ALL!


Narrator Cori Brackett had a strange cause-and-effect experience with the diet cokes she was drinking and quickly found herself disabled and diagnosed with MS. Slowly able to walk and speak again, she believes her illness is linked to aspartame. She is a co-owner of a video/film production company. After 7000 miles, and 25 hours of footage, "Sweet Misery" (2004) will reveal one of the most pervasive, insidious forms of corporate negligence since tobacco.
Aspartame (E951) is an artificial sweetener, used in over 6000 products. It is a very sweet chemical, responsible for a host of health problems. The US Department of Health has recorded 92 symptoms following complaints about aspartame.
Some of the brand names for aspartame: AminoSweet, NutraSweet, Equal, NatraTaste, Canderel, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure.
The following video is an excerpt from a CBS 60 Minutes feature aired in 1997 entitled How Sweet Is It? It investigates some of the unanswered questions and concerns overshadowing aspartame. Produced by Isidore Rosmarin.


text:
Field support training takes system-of-systems approach with Capability Set 13
By Nancy Jones-Bonbrest, PEO C3T and Edric Thompson, CERDEC Public AffairsJune 19, 2013
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. (June 18, 2013) -- As the Army's first units prepare for deployment with an array of new communications technologies, a new breed of "super" engineers are also training to help maintain these advanced capabilities in and out of theater. The new training approach is in response to the Army's shift from developing system-specific, stove-piped tactical communications capabilities to delivering a network that is integrated across the brigade combat team, or BCT, formation."They expanded the network to a point where it became critical to have the overall understanding of the architecture," said Jeff Bierman, lead Digital Systems Engineer, or DSE, for the East Regional Support Center with the Army's Program Executive Office for Command, Control and Communications-Tactical, known as PEO C3T. "The training allowed us to see the equipment, touch the equipment and become knowledgeable."Bierman was one of about a dozen DSEs to participate in the training offered by PEO C3T's Technical Management Division. This training was designed to prepare "super" DSEs responsible for supporting Capability Set 13, known as CS 13, an integrated communications package that spans the BCT, connecting the static tactical operations center to the commander on-the-move to the dismounted Soldier.CS 13 is being fielded to select BCTs as they prepare for potential deployment. It provides mobile satellite and robust radio capability so commanders and Soldiers can take the network with them in vehicles and while dismounted as they conduct security assistance and other missions."As a DSE we kind of sit above and look at all the systems to make sure they're talking to each other and working properly," Bierman said. "If there are issues between the different systems, then we work to coordinate with different field service representatives and project managers. But this was the first time we've ever had formal training on the capabilities as a whole."Because DSEs are often the first line of defense in troubleshooting the complex communications equipment, the systematic approach is expected to cut down on repair times.The two-week training offered classroom instruction, research facility exercises and hands-on training with the CS 13-equipped vehicles. The vehicles offer different variants of CS 13 capabilities to correspond with the numerous unique roles within a BCT. CS 13 components include Warfighter Information Network-Tactical Increment 2, the mobile backbone of the Army's tactical communications network, as well as radios, mission command capabilities and situational awareness equipment."In the past, training through project managers on their individual systems was well received, but there was nothing that tied it all together," said Chad Claussen, network integration branch chief for PEO C3T Technical Management Division. "And this is really what spawned the DSE training. We looked at what do they need - what are the key pieces from a system of systems perspective -- that these DSEs would need to know."The training included a day of hands-on training at the Communications-Electronics Research, Development and Engineering Center's, or CERDEC's, field laboratories at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., where the DSEs familiarized themselves with the vehicles equipped with components of CS 13 and were briefed on lessons-learned from the CS 13 Network Verification assessments performed a few months earlier.CERDEC engineers supporting the assessment were instrumental in identifying and helping to resolve issues with the CS 13 network architecture, while providing recommendations on techniques and procedures for successful deployment and operation of CS 13 equipment."With any system of systems initiative, especially one of this magnitude, there will be bugs that need to be worked out," said Lt. Col. Quentin Smith, Product Director Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance & Network Modernization. "It's important to share these lessons-learned and the associated risk/reward trade-offs with those going to the field to support these systems. It's paramount that they have this knowledge so the Soldier can trust that the system works as promised." The training was designed to provide the team of engineers with an understanding of CS 13 capabilities and architecture, a base system of systems understanding, the methodologies used in the assessments, significant findings and the way forward for continued support and resourcing for future CS fielding.Within the next few months PEO C3T expects to put forward a formalized training Program of Instruction as more units are fielded CS 13 equipment."The reality now is that everything is integrated," Claussen said. "To have one person go and look at the vehicle and be able to troubleshoot it as a whole, we don't have that today. That's what we're trying to get to. We want to put them in a better position to understand how everything ties together."
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Field support training takes on a system of systems approach with CS 13 fielding


text:
Martin Wicks
A personal website bringing together comment, articles and photos
Social Ownership / Nationalisation
Trade Union articles
Labour should reject the McCarthyite 10 Pledges – defend freedom of speech on Israeli
martinwicks January 17, 2020 January 17, 2020 Antisemitism, Israel, Labour
In a video of the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism, an ecstatic Joe Glassman, drunk on his 'victory' in the General Election, declared that "the beast is dead"; the beast being Corbyn. In a somewhat chilling video he declared that England's "green and pleasant land" had been "saved" by Labour's defeat in the general election, that is by the Tory victory. Yes, Johnson, who could write about "picanninies with watermelon smiles", had got back into Downing street and, apparently this was a victory for British Jews. Mr Glassman compared himself and his comrades with the Macabees who won back Jerusalem and re-dedicated the temple in 164 years BC. Their "spies and intel" had helped them win. According to him "they were coming to kill us" but "we won". Who exactly was coming to "kill us"? Corbyn?
Read on below or download a PDH here: 10 pledges
This outrageous hyperbole mirrored the joint statement of three Jewish publications which had said that a Labour government with Corbyn as leader would be "an existential threat to Jewish life in Britain". Many Jews were outraged at such exaggeration which could legitimately be described as hysterical nonsense. At a time when there is a global rise of anti-Semitism promoted by the far-right, conservative forces in Jewish communities (some of them big C-Conservatives) were declaring that socialists were threatening the existence of Jews.
If anybody imagined that the killing of the "beast" in the General Election would bring an end to the campaign of those who wanted to keep Corbyn out of Downing Street they were wrong. These very same organisations have stepped up their campaign and directed it at the candidates for Leader and Deputy Leader. They have demanded that all of them agree to support the Board of Deputies "Ten Pledges". With the exception of Richard Burgon (as of the time of writing) and Dawn Butler they all appear to have agreed to this ultimatum from the BOD. In executing this political capitulation they have now boxed themselves into a corner. Moreover this is a decision for the membership. Have they all renounced democracy?
What are the 10 Pledges that these would-be Leaders appear to have agreed on?
1. All cases must be brought to a conclusion with a "fixed timescale". Justice must be done and seen to be done. Anybody who might suffer being expelled from the Labour Party should be given the opportunity to defend themselves. Whilst cases should not be left hanging around for a long time, justice cannot be rushed. Accusations have to be proven or disproved. Nobody should be cavalierly expelled on the basis of some arbitrary timetable without due process and 'natural justice'.
2. Make the party's disciplinary process independent. An "independent provider" is suggested in order to "eradicate any risk of partisanship and factionalism". As an independent political party Labour should control its own procedures. It is not for the BOD or any other outside body to decide how it functions. It should be determined by the membership of the Party. It is particularly egregious that the BOD which has played a central role in the campaign against the Labour Party should have any say on how the party is run. It has certainly proved its 'partisanship' against Labour.
3. Ensure transparency. The idea that "Jewish representative bodies" should be given the right to detailed updates "on the basis of confidentiality" is unacceptable for the simple reason that the BOD and some other organisations, for example the CAAS, cannot for one moment be trusted to stick to confidentiality, as their activity over a number of years has shown. There should be transparency so that the members are able to examine the record in detail enabling them to judge the actions of the Party apparatus. During the period when Iain McNichol was General Secretary some Jewish members were falsely accused by other Jewish members of anti-Semitism. For instance Glen Secker, Secretary of the Jewish Socialist Group was suspended, found with nothing to answer, yet no action was taken against the malicious complainant. No apology was forthcoming. It was under McNichol, hostile to Corbyn, and one of the key people involved in the coup attempt against him, that the backlog of cases built up. As became clear from the statistics released by Jennie Formby nearly 40% of the complaints sent into the Labour Party were against people who were not Labour Party members. Margaret Hodge alone sent in nearly 20% of the complaints; 200 which related to 111 people of whom 91 were not party members.
4. Prominent offenders (like Ken Livingstone and Jackie Walker) should never be readmitted. It is completely unacceptable for any outside organisation to determine who can or cannot be a member of an independent political party, to institute a lifetime ban. This is an issue for Party members. No outside body should be able to determine the rules of a political party, and decide who should or should not be a member.
5. "No platform for bigotry", or guilty until proven innocent. The BOD's suggestion that anybody who "support, campaign or provide a platform for people who have been suspended or expelled in the wake of anti-Semitism incidents should themselves be suspended from membership". There is an assumption here that somebody is suspended as a result of "an anti-Semitic incident" is guilty. An accusation may be proved or disproved. It is an extraordinary proposal that somebody who "supports" an individual who is suspended because of a claim of anti-Semitism should themselves be suspended. Under this McCarthyite logic anybody who supports a campaign against an accusation, which they consider to be unjust, has their freedom of expression nullified. Clearly the person accused is guilty until proven innocent according to the BOD.
6. Adopt the international definition of anti-Semitism without qualification. This would then "provide the basis for any anti-Semitism disciplinary action". This is nothing other than an attempt to silence people who have a different political view of the Israeli state than the BOD and other organisations. Its purpose would be to define as automatically anti-Semitic the international BDS campaign and any criticism of the Israeli state which rejects, as many Jews do, both inside and outside Israel, the ethnic-religious basis of the state; its "Jewish character". The IHRA definition itself is unexceptional, the problem is with the examples, which as the author of the IHRA himself has said, are being used to silence debate on the Israeli state.
One "example" of supposed anti-Semitism in the IHRA includes this point:
"Denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g, by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavour."
Hence, anybody who believes that the Israeli state was founded on the dispossession of Palestinian/Arab people, is "anti-Semitic", even though it is an historical fact, facilitated by the exodus of 700,000 Arabs. Israel is an ethnic-religious state which privileges Israeli Jews and renders Arabs as second class citizens. How can a state which allows Jews only towns be anything other than racist? Some Jewish Israelis consider Israel to be a racist state. Some of them are opposed to Israel being a "state of the Jews" and want it to be "a state of its citizens". They are opposed to Jewish supremacy and fight for equal rights for Arab Israelis. These are not anti-Semites they are socialists and democrats. I must confess I have always found it strange that any socialist could support an ethnic-religious state, which must inevitably be racist/discriminatory since it is defined as the state of a particular ethnicity/religion rather than of all its citizens.
7) Deliver an anti-racism programme that has the buy-in of the Jewish community. This calls for the Jewish Labour Movement to be re-engaged to "lead" on training about anti-Semitism. If anybody doubts that this campaign of the BOD is politically motivated rather than about anti-Semitism per se, then this particular ultimatum proves it. If education on anti-Semitism was to be objective then it would include discussion of the different views on Israel, Zionist, non-Zionist and anti-Zionist. But the JLM has a political agenda which informs its view on anti-Semitism. It accuses other Jews who do not support the Israeli state of being anti-Semitic. The Jewish nature of the state is a red line against which everything else is measured. This mirrors the limits of Israeli democracy, because although Arabs have a vote, both Jews and Arabs are prevented from standing in elections if they proclaim that they want Israel to be "a state of al its citizens" and hence to cease to be a "Jewish state".
"According to the Basic Law: The Knesset, the Central Elections Committee may prevent a candidates' list from participating in elections if its objectives or actions, expressly or by implication, include one of the following:
1. negation of the existence of the State of Israel as the state of the Jewish people;
2. negation of the democratic character of the State;
3. incitement to racism."
Note that caveat, expressly or by implication.
The Jewish people here does not refer just to Jewish citizens of Israel but Jewish citizens of all and any states on a global scale, who have "the right of return" even if they have never been there and have no connection with it. "The "democratic character" of the state involves oppression and discrimination against the Arab population which constitutes 20% of the population. From the point of view of Labour Party rules the Jewish Labour Movement should clearly have been disaffiliated because of its refusal to support all Labour candidates in the general election and their opposition to the election of a Labour government. In practice, given the fact that the only governmental alternative to Labour was a Tory government then the JLM was effectively supporting the election of a Tory government. As far as I am aware it is unprecedented for a Labour Party affiliate to campaign against the election of a Labour government and to be allowed to remain in the Party. When the union, RMT, supported Scottish Socialist Party candidates, it was deemed to have excluded itself. The idea that an affiliate which has effectively supported the election of a Conservative government is subsequently allowed to "lead" education of its very tendentious view of anti-Semitism is scandalous.
8. Engagement with the Jewish community to be made via its main representative groups. The Labour Party, says this outside body, must only speak to Jews who are members of its "main representative groups" rather than "fringe groups". This is another McCarthyite prescription which says you must only speak to some Jews and we, the BOD and other "main representative groups" will determine which Jews you should speak to and which ones you should boycott. In other words the BOD is calling on Labour to even refuse to talk with organisations such as Jewish Voice for Labour, Jewish Socialist Group or Jewdas. The McCarthyite BOD determines who are the 'good Jews' and the 'bad Jews'.
9. Communicate with resolve. The BOD instructs this independent Party that it must avoid "generic statements" and issue "condemnation of specific behaviours – and where appropriate condemnation of specific individuals." On the basis of Pledge 6 this should no doubt involve condemnation of members who support BDS or say that Israel is a racist state and so on. In other words political views that the BOD disagrees with should be outlawed by Labour.
10. Show leadership and take responsibility. The leader must personally take on the responsibility of "ending Labour's anti-Semitism crisis". Quite what they want here other than a Leader who does everything that the BOD demands is difficult to say. But certainly Labour democracy does not seem to be a consideration. They appear to want a dictator.
There is no single "Jewish community"
So there you have the 10 Pledges as an ultimatum. There is no room for discussion. They have to be adhered if Labour wants to "begin healing its relationship with our community". The arrogance of the BOD knows no bounds because it speaks seemingly for "the Jewish community", all of it! In reality there is no single Jewish community. The BOD operates a form of communalism which is based on the idea that all Jews have the same interests and those interests, of course, are determined by the BOD. Hence, they could declare that the election of a government headed by Corbyn was against the interests of all Jews. In the real world meanwhile, the Jewish community is divided by class and political differences. There are many Jewish communities, and many different views on Israel.
What we have here is a clear political agenda, with the Israeli state at its heart. The BOD has long been an apologist for the Israeli state, even if it makes the occasional muted criticism of this or that Israeli government. It is attempting to impose its view on a political party by use of the label of anti-Semitism to demonise and silence people who simply have a different political view to them.
Anti-Semitism, real and counterfeit.
The joint statement of the three Jewish publications which announced that the election of a Labour government would be an "existential threat", inadvertently admitted that anti-Jewish racism was not prevalent in the Labour Party. It said
"Labour makes a distinction between racial anti-Semitism targeting Jews (unacceptable) and political anti-Semitism (acceptable)."
So Labour thinks that racial anti-Semitism is unacceptable? What then is this creature "political anti-Semitism" which isn't racial? It's a nonsense. As the unexceptional definition of the IHRA says
"Anti-Semitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of anti-Semitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities."
Hatred or abuse of Jews as a whole is anti-Semitic. If somebody is in favour of "driving the Jews into the sea" this is anti-Semitic. In contrast if you are in favour of Israel being "a state of all its citizens" this is a democratic demand, though obviously one which the BOD cannot countenance since it accepts the second class status of Israeli Arabs.
As I have written elsewhere in relation to anti-semitism, real and counterfeit, the attempt to label opposition to Zionism as anti-Semitic has a political purpose, that is to outlaw criticism of the Israeli state which questions its "Jewish" nature or believes it to be an "Apartheid state". Analogies, of course, have their limits. In South Africa blacks were an oppressed majority, in Israel Arabs are an oppressed minority. You might argue on the accuracy of the analogy, but Jews only towns, Jews only roads, are clearly racist, as is the new Law which says that in Israel "self-determination" is only for Jews.
The Israeli state was founded on the dispossession of Arabs. The state has recently introduced a new Basic Law which enshrines settlement, that is seizure of land in the West Bank as "a national value" "and will labour to encourage and promote its establishment and development". This gives more dispossession new legal sanction. They are seizing land which the UN has always said they are occupying illegally. Now it will formally become part of Israel.
Oppose the witch-hunt
The fact that Labour leadership candidates have so readily said that they will accept the 10 point ultimatum delivered by the BOD is a bad sign. That they appear frightened to even argue with any of the 10 Pledges is an indication of a witch-hunt atmosphere that has been created. People who might have commented on the issue have been silenced for fear of being accused of being anti-Semitic. Labour members who are opposed to this are fearful of being expelled.
The 10 Pledges, as I have highlighted above, are a McCarthyite weapon with a political purpose. If the Labour Party accepts the conditions which the BOD is demanding then it will be the prelude to a witch-hunt against members, Jews included, who are not anti-Semitic, but oppose Zionism as a political philosophy and do not support an ethnic-religious state in Israel. This is an anti-democratic attack on freedom of expression and the right to dissent. Holocaust deniers and people who express anti-Jewish sentiments have no place in the Labour Party. But a political discussion on what the Israeli state is, what it does, should be free from disciplinary threats. Political differences can only be clarified or resolved by political discussion free of threats.
The 10 Pledges, if accepted, are likely to lead to a Star Chamber in permanent session, as a wave of politically motivated complaints are sent in. As Joe Glassman indicated in his video countless hours were spent trawling through Facebook posts years old. The CAAS and others will do the same again. Supporters of the Israeli state will not stop until they are satisfied by a widespread purge.
What is sickening about this campaign to decry as anti-Semitic people who are not, is that there is a growing trend of anti-Semitism internationally which is rooted in the far-right. The killings in Pittsburgh were the latest example. Yet the Israeli government is quite happy to have friendly relations with anti-Semites like Orban in Hungary, whose government has organised an assault on democracy. In parallel the witch-hunt which the BOD promotes undermines democracy insofar as it attempts to take away (in this case in a political party) the democratic right of members to express their political views about the Israeli state. The narrative of the BOD is one where they split up Jews as good and bad, depending on their views on Israel.
Racism cannot be defeated by disciplinary action. There is a difference between somebody who may use an anti-Semitic 'trope' and somebody who has a racist attitude towards Jews. Challenging racism requires education and discussion free from threats. It is impossible to deal with anti-Semitism without a discussion on the Israeli state. This is something that the Labour leadership failed to do. Their failure gave the initiative to those who use anti-Semitism precisely to avoid that discussion. The very differences as to what does and does not constitute anti-Semitism relate directly to political views on Israel. The purpose of the BOD and some Jewish publications is to defend the Israeli state, as it is, to demonise other Jews who have a different view and for Labour to make them persona non-grata. Opposing the McCarthyite 10 Pledges is a necessary defence of freedom of speech on Israel and the right of Labour members to support those forces in Israel, both Jews and Arabs, that are involved in a democratic struggle to make Jews and Arabs equals and to end Jewish supremacy and privilege. Ultimately there can be no solution to the conflict without Jews and Arabs living together as equals. This is what the BOD and other self-professed Zionist organisations are opposed to since for them the "Jewish state" is sacrosanct.
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5 retail banking trends to look out for in 2021
If 2020 taught us anything it's that forecasts are far from an exact science. Indeed, this time last year, many of the predictions being made in even the most revered financial circles were being subtly undermined.
The COVID-19 pandemic effectively forced banks into digital action, with even the largest legacy names in finance unable to steer away from the digital tide that rose as a direct result of social distancing and global lockdowns. Particularly for banks that were still clinging to the mast of brick-and-mortar finance, this posed a major challenge as they were forced to shoehorn multiple years' worth of digital progress into a matter of months to satiate increased demand.
But nobody could have foreseen that tidal wave. So, let's not make any bold assumptions about what 2021 is going to look like for the retail banking sector. One thing we can be sure of, however, is that it's going to be a year unlike any other. If 2020 was a year that forced a sea change into digital transformation and more secure working from home systems, 2021 will be the year that leans into those changes.
To outline where else the retail banking landscape might take us in the next 12 months, we've focused on five of the most significant retail banking trends.
Cloud solutions make their mark
With the cloud becoming a more stable, affordable, and powerful solution every year, more and more banks are going to be side-stepping the traditional in-house IT infrastructure in favour of the leaner and more agile alternative. The cloud is where all of the truly disruptive technologies are taking root. Security and storage were always the primary reasons given for banks refusing to pull the trigger on cloud adoption, but those worries have been largely mitigated by continual capability upgrades.
COVID has arguably catalyzed this large-scale digital adoption and cloud migration. According to Capgemini, banks were on track to invest 48% of their IT budgets in the cloud in 2020, up from 34% in 2018. The real challenge, going forward, is going to be in banks scaling cloud operations in a manner that results in greater operational efficiency without alienating their legacy users. In that regard, it's all in the customer experience and this is something banks should also be investing in heavily this year if they hope to stay in the game. They need to act fast too, as they are very much on the back foot right now with legions of new-age, online-only challenger banks two steps ahead in terms of functionality and flexibility.
Greener banking is key
Studies show that consumers are going to feel a deeper connection with brands that prioritise environmentally friendly initiatives. In 2021, retail banks must focus on more sustainable banking initiatives and operations if they hope to be able to compete with the younger and more 'woke' challenger banks. This means developing internal sustainable cultures that promote environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices and encouraging that behavior amongst employees.
It also means focusing more heavily on sustainable products and services and investing in sustainable sectors and charities. Carbon-neutral banking is not the fairy tale it was once thought to be, after all. Of course, there have been several vocal commitments made by leading banks about cutting carbon footprints. NatWest aims to halve its climate impact by 2030 and the People's Bank of China is providing a wealth of green lending incentives. But it's still not far enough. 2021 is going to be the year where banks start to go that extra green mile.
The need for customer-first digital banking experiences
With the vast majority of consumers feeling either jaded or emotionally shell shocked by the last 12 months, they are more likely to feel drawn to brands that they feel comfortable with and that align with their values. Humanizing these increasingly digital banking experiences is going to be a large part of that, particularly as customers continue to migrate away from traditional face-to-face banking. Digital interaction is not going to be an option in 2021, it's going to be a must-have feature and it's going to need to go beyond the basics of simply having a bespoke app.
Traditional retail banks can't possibly hope to compete against their online-only incumbents in terms of price or even functionality. Where they can work to retain customers, however, is in how they interact with their customers. Banks are going to need to start looking towards more personalized offerings that offer better customer experiences. These are the kinds of uniquely tailored, on-demand experiences that are going to help users feel more comfortable and secure with their banks. This means giving customers the flexibility to choose whether they speak to human beings or automated electronic systems, and being more open and transparent with how they operate.
Smart credit quality management
With 2020 stretching credit quality to its limit and various government stimulus packages rendering traditional metrics for measuring credit quality utterly meaningless, 2021 is going to be the year where the chickens come home to roost, so to speak. This means retail banks are going to need to think hard about how they can meet the demand for credit and recognize how credit provision is integrated with payment transactions. Otherwise, a new generation of lenders will eagerly step in to fill the gap.
They are going to need to utilize the insights and data they have gained from the last 12 months and deploy micro-segmentation to analyze viability at a sector level. The more specific the better. Retail banks will also need to think smarter about credit extensions and more quickly how they react to changes in the market. There are plenty of opportunities for credit, particularly with the major increases in e-commerce we've seen in recent months. It's up to the banks to jump on those opportunities at the right time.
The end of cash
Finally, cash (at least in the conventional sense) has been on the way out for years now. Indeed, many of us don't even carry 'paper money' anymore because it's simply unnecessary. COVID simply accelerated a phenomenon that was already pulling comfortably into third gear, with social distancing measures now meaning customer preference has dramatically shifted away from cash towards contactless payment.
Throughout 2021, expect to see retail banks across the world starting to play catch up with countries like Sweden and Finland that have committed to cashless societies. This will have a number of benefits, including a reduction in the costs associated with handling cash and an increase in transactional data which can be used to better understand customers. Cashless systems are, however, going to be a more realistic proposition in some countries than in others. But even in countries that have been traditionally slow to adapt to change, such as Vietnam, there has been a major increase in cashless adoption in recent years; an adoption spurred on further by COVID.
In years to come, we'll most likely look at the world of retail banking through a 'pre-2020' and 'post-2020' lens. For the immediate future, however, it's going to be up to the banks themselves to decide whether they are ready for a revolution or an evolution. 2021 is going to be a chance for the sector to take a breath and steady its sails for the unsteady but potentially very lucrative waters that lie ahead in a post-COVID world.
Have you thought about how you're going to up your digital game in 2021? Get in touch with EXUS today and we'll be happy to take you through your options.