My creative background is far more related to game development than to the world of comics. Me and three friends started a game company called Firedroid for which we worked part-time for a couple of years. We made our own games for mobile devices and we were pretty darn good at it, if I might say so (check out Barrr, Kings Can Fly and Ice Cream Nomsters 😉 ). Every year we team up (with Heinze as our 5th Beatle) to join the Global Game Jam in our hometown. Firedroid might not be among the living anymore, but the Global Game Jam tradition still is alive and kicking.
But the Global Game Jam is not just about making digital games. You're not limited to a digital medium and can create whatever you want during the 48 hours of the event. There's a world wide theme on which you have to create your game. Well, you don't have to, but it's fun to see what all the participants create based on the same theme.
This year's theme was Ritual. We made a game called Friend()? in about 28 hours. Quite an abstract game for our doing. The game hasn't been uploaded yet, but probably will be during the day if you're interested. It's a platformer game in which you have to collect triangles for an imposing AI that commands you to obey its obsessive, particular orders. You have a choice to obey or to ignore those commands.
In the mean while you can always play the game we made 5 years ago during the Global Game Jam: You Keep Dropping These Things and You Don't Seem to Notice. We still love that one.
<-- An example of the simple but fun animation work we made for the game. Bringing a simple rectangle to life!
Would you ever like to design your own board/card game if you got the chance?
Actually on Malta there have been some board game winners of the global game jam, "… and then we held hands" won in 2014 and the Mountain won in 2015 http://globalgamejam.org/2015/games/mountain-0. So maybe there should be more board game jams!
Wait, what? I've been following this comic for months now, and only now I read that you were part of my friend's company? Say hi to Willem for me!
I spent the GGJ this year making a Hidden Movement Game (a -la Fury of Dracula and Scotland Yard): http://globalgamejam.org/2016/games/bane . It turns out that, if your game takes an hour to play then you don't have a lot of opportunity to test it. Was fun though.
That's so cool! I'm really curious about the proces, we tend to nail down a broad concept on friday, complete a fully playable game loop at the end of saturday and polish on sunday. How does it work with boardgames? Did you work in a team? Do change the game during a test game, or do you complete a play before changing things? Are there tools to do calculations for balance etc?
as host for a gaming event in Enschede, i usaly invite a group that has a test game. in the past visitors have tested games, gave advice, complaints, etce. becaus the visitors pool is open to annyone the game is tested by a diverse group of people.
its a site that has all bordgame related events in twente on it (in dutch).
Kings Can Fly doesn't seem to be on Android / Play store..? Ice Cream Nomsters link is also broken.


Book: Exodus (1), Deuteronomy (1), Hebrews (1).
Series: Rob Piscatelli (2), Between Series (1).
Deuteronomy 28:47-48a (Part of the Rob Piscatelli series).
Preached by Robert Piscatelli on January 1, 2017 (Sunday Morning).
Hebrews 12:14-17 (Part of the Between Series series).
Preached by Robert Piscatelli on October 30, 2016 (Sunday Morning).


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Lizzy Caplan Is a Sensational Annie Wilkes in "Castle Rock"
Photo: Just Jared
After the first season of "Castle Rock" proved successful in weaving a new interconnected universe from various Stephen King works, it was unclear how a new season would be able to match this level of continued adulation. Without the added boost of having names like Bill Skarsgård or Sissy Spacek in the series, as the cast of season two were largely reported to be new, the direction the show would take was left shrouded in mystery. The biggest announcement came when Lizzy Caplan was announced to be portraying Annie Wilkes, the antagonist from King's 1987 novel "Misery" who was popularised by Kathy Bates in the 1990 film adaptation. After the first episode of season two is screened in front of a packed room at Madison Square Garden, no one in the venue has any doubts that Caplan is equipped to portray the many nuances of this interpretation of the character.
"I love Annie, I think she's a sweet baby," jokes Caplan as she begins to address the audience. "The Misery version of Annie Wilkes, obviously the OG Annie Wilkes portrayed by the incomparable Kathy Bates, nobody can touch her, she's amazing. That Annie Wilkes, she's already very isolated. She lives in that house by herself. The first person that she really comes in close contact with over an extended period of time is Paul Sheldon. Our Annie is still out in the world. She has to interact with people. She has to work, she has to make money, and she has to take care of her daughter. That immediately gives her different layers. I think by the end of this season hopefully we will understand why Annie wanted to move to a house in the middle of nowhere by herself."
This season is set to explore Annie's side of the story, as the original novel was largely shown from the perspective of Paul Sheldon. This time, the narrative is focused on showing both Annie's perspective and her origins to how she came to be the character people are far more familiar with. Even the smallest character details in this version allow the audience to better connect with her. Executive producer Dustin Thomason shares about the use of Carly Simon music with Annie's scenes.
"One of the defining aspects of Annie in every form that we've seen her is that she's really a woman born out of her time. Annie's tastes are decidedly old-fashioned and I love Carly Simon. I also think that there's something about the way that she defined an age. It was that idea of Annie being stuck in an earlier age."
Watching Caplan inhabit this character is unsetting in the best way right from the start. The episode's first introduction of her is without dialogue for a minute or so. As a result, the audience is able to witness how meticulous the attention to detail is in getting the physicality of her performance just right, from her posture to her manner of walking. Caplan addresses this aspect when it's brought up during the Q&A.
"There's lots of descriptions in the book, fairly offensive descriptions about Annie's physical appearance and her size and what she looks like and she's a 'mountain of her woman' and all this. I'm not particularly tall. I'm not particularly physically opposing. The only kind of choice I had was to do something that looked unsettling and maybe a little bit off. I also felt like whatever the walk is, it just made me feel solid and grounded, feet on the ground. I don't know where it came from. I didn't know if it worked."
It worked. It really worked.
"Castle Rock" season two premieres on October 23 on Hulu.
Labels: Castle Rock Hulu Lizzy Caplan New York Comic Con Stephen King
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Zaitsev out four weeks for Senators with heel injury
Nikita Zaitsev is expected to be out four weeks for the Ottawa Senators because of a heel injury.
The defensemen was injured in the first period a 2-1 loss at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
"We don't know the exact timeline but somewhere around that four-week range," Senators coach D.J. Smith said Saturday. "Which hurts us. Hurts us defensively. I think he was really coming and playing probably as good as he's played, him and [defenseman Thomas Chabot] really were meshing together there."
Zaitsev has scored two points (one goal, one assist) and averages 18:32 of ice time in 22 games. He has been playing on the top defense pair with Chabot.
The Senators complete a three-game road trip at the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; SN360, SN1, CITY, NBCSP, ESPN+, NHL LIVE).
Smith said Artem Zub could start on a pair with Chabot, but that the pairs likely will change throughout the game.
Jacob Bernard-Docker, who has been a healthy scratch for three games since being recalled from Belleville of the American Hockey League on Dec. 9, will play his first NHL game since Nov. 14.
Smith said he's confident that a week's worth of practicing and being around NHL players will be beneficial for Bernard-Docker.
"He's a smart player, does a bit of everything," Smith said. "Obviously offensively it's going to take a bit longer at the NHL level. But he can defend. He's a smart kid.
"He's up to NHL speed now, he's had lots of practices. But the difference between American Hockey League and the NHL is a huge jump. And we have to be aware of that and not put too much stock into one game or two games or three games. This is a process for these guys."
NHL Winter Classic ice construction begins at Target Field in Minneapolis
Bruins, Predators shut down through holiday break due to COVID concerns


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New revelations, steady witnesses, Trump tweets: takeaways from the first public hearing on impeachment
Democrats used Wednesday's open hearing to bolster their case for Trump's impeachment while Republicans again dismissed the process.
New revelations, steady witnesses, Trump tweets: takeaways from the first public hearing on impeachment Democrats used Wednesday's open hearing to bolster their case for Trump's impeachment while Republicans again dismissed the process. Check out this story on app.com: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/11/13/trump-impeachment-hearing-revelations-and-other-key-takeaways/2567637001/
Ledyard King, USA TODAY Published 4:35 p.m. ET Nov. 13, 2019 | Updated 3:32 p.m. ET Nov. 14, 2019
Two American diplomats shared key details of President Donald Trump's pressure campaign on Ukraine during the first day of public testimony in the impeachment inquiry and stuck to their story that Trump used his office to go after a political rival.
Democrats used Wednesday's open hearing to bolster their case for Trump's impeachment while Republicans tried to scuttle the process by dismissing Democrats' claims Trump engaged in a "quid pro quo" with Ukraine.
Over nearly six hours, House Intelligence Committee members peppered Ambassador Bill Taylor, the top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine, and George Kent, deputy assistant secretary at the State Department, with questions about Trump's motivations in Ukraine.
Taylor testified a Trump official said the president "cares more" about investigating former Vice President Joe Biden, a 2020 presidential candidate, and his son Hunter than he did Ukraine policy. And Kent suggested a Ukraine company at the center of the controversy should be investigated. But mostly, the two withstood fiery questioning from both sides, often expanding on what they'd offered in closed-door testimony.
Trump, meanwhile, claimed not to pay any mind, although he continually tweeted throughout the hearing.
The inquiry is based on a July 25 phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky where Trump discussed military assistance for Ukraine in exchange for a "favor" to investigate his political rivals.
More: Impeachment hearing: Diplomat says his aide overheard Trump asking about investigations
The details: Who are the 15 witnesses in the Trump impeachment inquiry and what have they said?
Here are key takeaways from Wednesday's hearing:
State Department Ukraine-Russia expert George Kent, left, and William B. Taylor, Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine are sworn in ahead of testifying before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence as the first witnesses in public congressional hearings in the impeachment inquiry into allegations President Donald Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rivals on Nov. 13, 2019. (Photo: Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
The new revelation
Taylor told the committee about a phone call between Trump and Gordon Sondland, the U.S. Ambassador to the European Union, in which the president seemed to indicate he was more interested in having the Bidens investigated than he was in overall U.S. policy toward Ukraine.
The details of the July 26 call, relayed to Taylor by an aide who overheard it, was a new revelation that had not come out of the closed-door hearings held in previous weeks.
In the conversation, Trump asked Sondland about "the investigations," Taylor told the panel Wednesday.
The president was apparently referring to his request to Zelensky to open probes into Joe Biden's son Hunter, who sat on the board of a Ukrainian gas company that was previously under investigation, as well as alleged Ukrainian interference in the 2016 presidential election. U.S. intelligence has found no evidence of Ukrainian meddling in 2016.
Taylor told lawmakers his staffer asked Sondland what the president thought about Ukraine after the phone call, which came a day after Trump's conversation with Zelensky that sparked the impeachment inquiry.
Sondland said that "President Trump cares more about the investigations of Biden, which Giuliani was pressing for" than the U.S. policies on Ukraine, according to Taylor.
Trump told reporters the phone call never happened.
Nov 13, 2019; Washington, DC, USA; Daniel Goldman (L), attorney and director of investigations with the House Intelligence Committee, and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (C) (D-CA) confer before William B. Taylor, Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine along with State Department Ukraine-Russia expert George Kent testify before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence as the first witnesses in public congressional hearings in the impeachment inquiry into allegations President Donald Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rivals. Mandatory Credit: Jack Gruber-USA TODAY ORIG FILE ID: 20191113_cjm_usa_006.JPG (Photo: Jack Gruber, USA TODAY)
The witnesses held up despite the GOP grilling
Taylor and Kent methodically laid out not only their concerns about the president's call and the resulting push by his allies to investigate the Bidens, but also the danger of using Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Guiliani, to pressure a strategic ally for political gain.
The taunts came early from Republicans. In his opening statement, California Rep. Devin Nunes, the top GOP lawmaker on the Intelligence Committee, mockingly congratulated them "for passing the Democrats' Star Chamber auditions held for the last six weeks in the basement of the Capitol."
Later, Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan, a staunch Trump defender known for his aggressive questioning, challenged Taylor about his "clear understanding" that both U.S. military aid and a meeting With Trump were contingent on Zelensky publicly announcing the investigations.
Jordan said he couldn't understand how Taylor could come to that conclusion when he never heard it firsthand from either Trump or Zelensky, whom he met three times since his appointment as ambassador in mid-June.
"Three meetings with the president of Ukraine and no linkage," Jordan said. "Your clear understanding was wrong because it didn't happen. (And) this is what I can't believe and you're their star witness,"
"I don't consider myself a star witness for anything," Taylor responded.
"They do," Jordan continued.
"I'm not here to take one side or the other or to advocate any particular outcome," the ambassador said. "My understanding is only coming from the people that I talk to."
At one point, both Kent and Taylor were asked whether they were "Never Trumpers." Both responded no.
Kent's Burisma concerns
In response to Republican questioning, State Department aide George Kent said the Ukrainian oligarch owner of gas company Burisma should be investigated for paying a bribe to kill a probe into the company.
The Ukrainian firm is at the center of the impeachment controversy. Hunter Biden, an attorney, joined the company's board in 2014 until leaving the firm earlier this year.
"To summarize, we thought that Mykola Zlochevsky had stolen money," Kent said of the head of Burisma. "We thought a prosecutor had taken a bribe to shut the case, those were our main concerns."
"Are you in favor of that matter being fully investigated and prosecuted?" asked Steve Castor, House Intelligence Committee Counsel for the minority.
"I think since U.S. taxpayer dollars were wasted, I would love to see the Ukrainian prosecutor's office find out who the corrupt prosecutor was and who took the bribe, and how much was paid, and that's what I told the deputy prosecutor general in February 2015," Kent replied.
Republicans have claimed investigations into Zlochevsky were ended to benefit Hunter Biden.
GOP downplays July 25 Trump call
Republicans questioned why Hunter Biden was getting a cozy appointment to a Ukrainian energy company that paid him as much as $50,000 per month. They brought up a debunked claim that Ukraine interfered in the 2016 election. And they accused Democrats of orchestrating an unfair process aimed at impeaching the president regardless of fact.
What they didn't talk about much was the actual contents of the July 25 call that triggered the impeachment inquiry and that critics have called an abuse of power.
When they did, it was to to say that nothing came of the president's alleged pressure.
"For the million of Americans viewing today, the two most important facts are the following," said Republican Elise Stefanik of New York. "Number one, Ukraine received the aid. Number two, there was in fact no investigation of the Bidens."
Jordan, the Ohio Republican, complained the panel wouldn't hear testimony from the anonymous whistleblower who reported Trump's July 25 call to the inspector general, which sparked the House investigation into Ukraine policy.
Jordan said lawmakers and the American public will never get the chance to gauge the whistleblower's credibility, motivation and bias.
"We will never get the chance to see the whistleblower raise his right hand, swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth," he said. "More importantly, the American people won't get that chance ... They understand the facts support the president. They understand this process is unfair."
But Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., said the committee would welcome testimony from the person who prompted the investigation.
"President Trump is welcome to come in and take a seat," Welch said to laughter in the hearing room.
Trump tweeted despite claims he wouldn't watch
Trump said he wouldn't be watching Wednesday's hearing but that didn't stop him from tweeting his criticism of the proceedings to his millions of followers.
The president's strongest weapon against impeachment has been his ability to keep Republican lawmakers in line. And they remain loyal in no small part due to the GOP base's devotion to Trump.
Trump was making sure his base had his version of the impeachment process with a string of tweets and retweets beginning Tuesday night that continued up to and during Wednesday's hearing.
Before the hearing, Trump called it a "phony showtrial," a "circus," a "fraudulent hoax conspiracy theory," and "another Witch Hunt." He retweeted conservative allies who have called the inquiry "a partisan sham" and said Democrats have "stacked the deck" against him.
At various times during the nearly six-hour hearing went on, the president retweeted his allies, some of whom mocked the "star witness" term Jordan had conferred on Taylor.
Trump also tweeted out an 83-second video halfway through the hearing that came with the following message: "DEMOCRATS ARE PUTTING POLITICS BEFORE COUNTRY!"
Contributing: Bart Jansen, Nicholas Wu, Courtney Subramanian
Trump impeachment inquiry public hearings begin
State Department Ukraine-Russia expert George Kent, left, and William B. Taylor, Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine are sworn in ahead of testifying before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence as the first witnesses in public congressional hearings in the impeachment inquiry into allegations President Donald Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rivals on Nov. 13, 2019. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
William B. Taylor, Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine arrives to testify before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence as the first witnesses in public congressional hearings in the impeachment inquiry into allegations President Donald Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rivals on Nov. 13, 2019. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
Daniel Goldman (L), attorney and director of investigations with the House Intelligence Committee, and House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff (C) (D-CA), and U.S. House Intelligence Committee ranking member Rep. Devin Nunes (R) (R-CA), are seen in the hearing room on Nov. 13, 2019. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
State Department Ukraine-Russia expert George Kent delivers an opening statement as he testifies before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Nov. 13, 2019, as one of the first witnesses in public congressional hearings in the impeachment inquiry into allegations President Donald Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rivals. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
William B. Taylor, Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine testifies before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Nov. 13, 2019, as the first witnesses in public congressional hearings in the impeachment inquiry into allegations President Donald Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rivals. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
Ranking member Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., left, looks on as Steve Castor, Republican staff legal counsel of the House Oversight Committee questions William B. Taylor, Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine along with State Department Ukraine-Russia expert George Kent during testimony before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Nov. 13, 2019. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
William B. Taylor, Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine testifies before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Nov. 13, 2019, as one of the first witnesses in public congressional hearings in the impeachment inquiry into allegations President Donald Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rivals. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
William B. Taylor, Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine and State Department Ukraine-Russia expert George Kent (L) arrive to testify before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence as the first witnesses in public congressional hearings in the impeachment inquiry into allegations President Donald Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rivals on Nov. 13, 2019. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
Journalists and camera crews report from inside the hearing room where the House Intelligence Committee will hold its first public impeachment hearing in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill Nov. 13, 2019 in Washington, DC. In the first public impeachment hearings in more than two decades, House Democrats are trying to build a case that President Donald Trump committed extortion, bribery or coercion by trying to enlist Ukraine to investigate his political rival in exchange for military aide and a White House meeting that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky sought with Trump. Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images
State Department Ukraine-Russia expert George Kent appears before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Nov. 13, 2019, as one of the first witnesses in public congressional hearings in the impeachment inquiry into allegations President Donald Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rivals. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, left, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., center, and Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, arrive before William B. Taylor, Jr., the top American diplomat in Ukraine along with State Department Ukraine-Russia expert George Kent testify before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence as the first witnesses in public congressional hearings in the impeachment inquiry into allegations President Donald Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rivals on Nov. 13, 2019. Jack Gruber, USA TODAY
A protestor holds signs outside Longworth House Office Building, where top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine William Taylor, and career Foreign Service officer George Kent, are set to testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 13, 2019, during the first public impeachment hearings of President Donald Trump's efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. Julio Cortez, AP
A television camera shows the hearing room where the House will begin public impeachment inquiry hearings Wednesday, during camera preparations on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2019, on Capitol Hill in Washington. With the bang of a gavel, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff will open the hearings into President Donald Trump's pressure on Ukraine to investigate Democratic rival Joe Biden's family. Jacquelyn Martin, AP
People waiting in line sit in the hallway before the hearing room where top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine William Taylor, and career Foreign Service officer George Kent, will testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019. Alex Brandon, AP
Capitol Police gather before the House Intelligence Committee hearing in the Longworth House Office Building on Capitol Hill November 13, 2019 in Washington, DC. In the first public impeachment hearings in more than two decades, House Democrats are trying to build a case that President Donald Trump committed extortion, bribery or coercion by trying to enlist Ukraine to investigate his political rival in exchange for military aide and a White House meeting that Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky sought with Trump. Sarah Silbiger, Getty Images
U.S. Capitol Police prepare to check the hearing room where top U.S. diplomat in Ukraine William Taylor, and career Foreign Service officer George Kent, will testify before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, during the first public impeachment hearings of President Donald Trump's efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. Alex Brandon, AP
A jogger runs past the U.S. Capitol, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, in Washington, as the House Intelligence Committee holds the first public impeachment hearings of President Donald Trump's efforts to tie U.S. aid for Ukraine to investigations of his political opponents. Julio Cortez, AP
Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/11/13/trump-impeachment-hearing-revelations-and-other-key-takeaways/2567637001/
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Two foreign leaders seem apprehensive, to say the least, about their meeting with President Obama on Tuesday: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured) and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
A private session with President Barack Obama is a big diplomatic get — all the more so when it comes as world leaders are descending en masse on New York for the opening week of the United Nations General Assembly.
But two foreign leaders seem apprehensive, to say the least, about their meeting with Obama on Tuesday: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
Netanyahu and Abbas did not dare decline a U.S. presidential invitation for a meeting with Obama, however conflicted the two leaders are about engaging in summitry before they feel conditions have been met for relaunching Middle East peace talks.
But both men also know that risks abound for them when they gather with Obama at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. With little or no chance for substantive breakthroughs at this largely cosmetic session, even the stagecraft could be dangerous. The iconic photograph that will doubtless emerge from the meeting, for starters, will be painstakingly scrutinized by highly skeptical domestic political audiences back home — audiences that are concerned that their leaders didn't live up to demands for more concessions from the other side before agreeing to their first meeting, even one that does not commit them to anything.
For Obama, too, the trilateral meeting with the Israeli and Palestinian leaders is not without risks. Even a symbolic meeting and photo op raise expectations of what can be achieved.
U.S. officials have sought to lower expectations for the meeting, saying it is more of a symbolic than a substantive breakthrough and will not be accompanied by an announcement for the restart of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. The hope is that the meeting leads to something positive, one U.S. official said on condition of anonymity Monday.
"Obama thinks he can extract some agreement outline and announce a follow-up," a former Israeli diplomat said. "What seems certain is that the U.S. will not — at this stage — come out with a declaration of principles. The president could still make the Mideast a major segment of his speech either at the U.N. or even in Pittsburgh," where Obama meets with G-20 leaders later in the week.
Netanyahu will have a chance to spin his take on the three-way conference when he meets with Jewish community leaders Thursday afternoon at the 92nd Street Y.


In architecture and structural engineering, a space frame or space structure (3D truss) is a rigid, lightweight, truss-like structure constructed from interlocking struts in a geometric pattern. Space frames can be used to span large areas with few interior supports. Like the truss, a space frame is strong because of the inherent rigidity of the triangle; flexing loads (bending moments) are transmitted as tension and compression loads along the length of each strut. Steel space frames provide great freedom of expression and composition as well as the possibility to evenly distribute loads along each rod and external constraints. With these features, steel space frames can be used to achieve also complex geometries with a structural weight lower than any other solution. The inner highly hyper-static system provides an increased resistance to damages caused by fire, explosions, shocks and earthquakes. Space frames are modular and made of highly industrialized elements designed with a remarkable dimensional accuracy and precise surface finish.
✪ SPACE FRAMES Temporary structures for events.
Alexander Graham Bell from 1898 to 1908 developed space frames based on tetrahedral geometry. Bell's interest was primarily in using them to make rigid frames for nautical and aeronautical engineering, with the tetrahedral truss being one of his inventions. Dr. Ing. Max Mengeringhausen developed the space grid system called MERO (acronym of MEngeringhausen ROhrbauweise) in 1943 in Germany, thus initiating the use of space trusses in architecture. The commonly used method, still in use has individual tubular members connected at node joints (ball shaped) and variations such as the space deck system, octet truss system and cubic system. Stéphane de Chateau in France invented the Tridirectional SDC system (1957), Unibat system (1959), Pyramitec (1960). A method of tree supports was developed to replace the individual columns. Buckminster Fuller patented the octet truss in 1961 while focusing on architectural structures.
Space frames are typically designed using a rigidity matrix. The special characteristic of the stiffness matrix in an architectural space frame is the independence of the angular factors. If the joints are sufficiently rigid, the angular deflections can be neglected, simplifying the calculations.
The simplest form of space frame is a horizontal slab of interlocking square pyramids and tetrahedra built from aluminium or tubular steel struts. In many ways this looks like the horizontal jib of a tower crane repeated many times to make it wider. A stronger form is composed of interlocking tetrahedra in which all the struts have unit length. More technically this is referred to as an isotropic vector matrix or in a single unit width an octet truss. More complex variations change the lengths of the struts to curve the overall structure or may incorporate other geometrical shapes.
Hanging covers. Designs on the cable taut, spine, and the catenary arch antifunicular show their ability to channel forces theoretically better than any other alternative, have an infinite range of possibilities for composition and adaptability to any type of plant cover or ensure vain. However, imprecisions in shape having the loaded strand (ideally adapts dynamically to the state of charge) and the risk of bending the arc to unexpected stresses are problems that require pre-compression and prestressing elements. Although in most cases tend to be the cheapest and the technical solution that best fits the acoustics and ventilation of the covered enclosure, are vulnerable to vibration.
Tube-frame chassis pre-date spaceframe chassis and are a development of the earlier ladder chassis. The advantage of using tubes rather than the previous open channel sections is that they resist torsional forces better. Some tube chassis were little more than a ladder chassis made with two large diameter tubes, or even a single tube as a backbone chassis. Although many tubular chassis developed additional tubes and were even described as "spaceframes", their design was rarely correctly stressed as a spaceframe and they behaved mechanically as a tube ladder chassis, with additional brackets to support the attached components, suspension, engine etc. The distinction of the true spaceframe is that all the forces in each strut are either tensile or compression, never bending. Although these additional tubes did carry some extra load, they were rarely diagonalised into a rigid spaceframe.
The first true spaceframe chassis were produced in the 1930s by designers such as Buckminster Fuller and William Bushnell Stout (the Dymaxion and the Stout Scarab) who understood the theory of the true spaceframe from either architecture or aircraft design.
The first racing car to attempt a spaceframe was the Cisitalia D46 of 1946. This used two small diameter tubes along each side, but they were spaced apart by vertical smaller tubes, and so were not diagonalised in any plane. A year later, Porsche designed their Type 360 for Cisitalia. As this included diagonal tubes, it can be considered the first true spaceframe.
The Maserati Tipo 61 of 1959 (Birdcage) is often thought of as the first but in 1949 Dr. Robert Eberan-Eberhorst designed the Jowett Jupiter exhibited at the London Motor Show in 1949 and taking a class win at the 1950 Le Mans 24hr. Later the small British car manufacturers developed the concept TVR produced an alloy-bodied two seater on a multi tubular chassis, which appeared in 1949.
Colin Chapman of Lotus introduced his first 'production' car, the Mark VI, in 1952. This was influenced by the Jaguar C-Type chassis, another with four tubes of two different diameters, separated by narrower tubes. Chapman reduced the main tube diameter for the lighter Lotus, but did not reduce the minor tubes any further, possibly because he considered that this would appear flimsy to buyers. Although widely described as a spaceframe, Lotus did not build a true spaceframe chassis until the Mark VIII, with the influence of other designers, with experience from the aircraft industry.
Other notable examples of space frame cars include the Audi A8, Audi R8, Ferrari 360, Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, Pontiac Fiero and Saturn S-Series.
A large number of kit cars, possibly the majority made in the UK, use space frame construction, because manufacture in small quantity requires only simple and inexpensive jigs, and it is relatively easy for an amateur designer to achieve good stiffness with a space frame. Generally the space frames are MIG welded, although the more expensive kits often use TIG welding, a slower and more highly skilled process. Many of these resemble the Lotus Mark VII in general outline and mechanical layout, however others are close replicas of the AC Cobra or Italian supercars, but some are original designs resembling no other vehicle. Often, considerable effort has been made by the designers to produce true space frames, with all points of significant load braced in 3 dimensions, resulting in strength and stiffness comparable to, or better than, typical production cars. Others are tube frames but not true space frames because they use relatively large diameter tubes, often curved, which are carrying bending loads, but due to the large diameter remain adequately rigid. However some inferior designs are not true space frames, because the tubes are carrying considerable bending loads. This will result in considerable flexing due to dynamic loads, and ultimately fatigue fracture, a failure mechanism which is rare in a correctly designed true space frame. The reduced stiffness will also impair the handling.
A drawback of the spaceframe chassis is that it encloses much of the working volume of the car and can make access for both the driver and to the engine difficult. Some spaceframes have been designed with removable sections, joined by bolted pin joints. Such a structure had already been used around the engine of the Lotus Mark III. Although somewhat inconvenient, an advantage of the spaceframe is that the same lack of bending forces in the tubes that allow it to be modelled as a pin-jointed structure also means that such a removable section need not reduce the strength of the assembled frame.
Moulton Bicycle at the Museum of Modern Art.
Space frames have also been used in bicycles, such as those designed by Alex Moulton.
^ Tetrasteel. "Space frame structures".
^ Alexander Graham Bell (June 1903). "Tetrahedral Principle In Kite Structure". National Geographic Magazine. XIV (6).
^ "Modular space grids". Archived from the original on 2016-09-15.
^ Cláudia Estrela Porto (2014). "Stéphane de Chateau's work" (PDF). Architectus. 4 (40): 51–64.
^ Dorothy Harley Eber, via telephone (June 29, 1978). "Fuller on Bell".
^ a b c Ludvigsen, Karl (2010). Colin Chapman: Inside the Innovator. Haynes Publishing. pp. 150–164. ISBN 1-84425-413-5.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Space frames.


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Lori Harvey tests her beauty products out on…
Things To DoEntertainment
Lori Harvey tests her beauty products out on boyfriend Michael B. Jordan
Lori Harvey tests her beauty products on boyfriend Michael B. Jordan.
The 24-year-old model – who went public with her romance with the 'Black Panther' star in January – has spilled that she always ends up persuading the men in her life to follow a skincare routine and that's why the 34-year-old actor has had a bit of a glow lately.
She told Vogue's Beauty Secrets: "I tested all my products, of course, on myself, but I also tested them on my boyfriend.
"I've pretty much gotten all of the men in my life on a skincare regimen, my dad included … so if you're wondering why his skin looks so good lately, it's because of me."
Elsewhere during her tutorial, Lori revealed that her make-up is massively inspired by '90s glam.
She said: "I love to look at old '90s glam for inspiration when I'm doing my make-up. I just feel like that was such a timeless era …and everything was very effortless."
Meanwhile, the catwalk beauty recently admitted she would love to rummage through Rihanna's wardrobe.
She said: "She definitely has some pieces I am dying to get my hands on."
As for her own style, Lori described it as "definitely a mix between girly and tomboy".
The daughter of actor Steve Harvey explained how she always chooses pieces that "accentuate" her body, but since the COVID-19 pandemic, she lives for "comfy" clothes.
She continued: "I love collecting vintage pieces and wearing clothes that accentuate my body are a must. I normally like to mix my high and low pieces when I go out, but since the pandemic hit, anything comfy has been my go-to."


text:
package com.azure.spring.cloud.autoconfigure.implementation.jdbc;

import org.springframework.boot.test.context.FilteredClassLoader;
import org.springframework.boot.test.context.runner.ApplicationContextRunner;

import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;

class PostgreSqlDatabaseTypeTest extends DatabaseTypeTest {

    private static final String POSTGRESQL_SCHEMA = "jdbc:postgresql";
    private static final String POSTGRESQL_PATH_QUERY_DELIMITER = "?";
    private static final String POSTGRESQL_QUERY_DELIMITER = "&";

    @Override
    void databaseTypeConstructor() {
        assertEquals(DatabaseType.POSTGRESQL.getSchema(), POSTGRESQL_SCHEMA);
        assertEquals(DatabaseType.POSTGRESQL.getPathQueryDelimiter(), POSTGRESQL_PATH_QUERY_DELIMITER);
        assertEquals(DatabaseType.POSTGRESQL.getQueryDelimiter(), POSTGRESQL_QUERY_DELIMITER);

    }

    @Override
    void databasePluginAvailable() {
        assertTrue(DatabaseType.POSTGRESQL.isDatabasePluginAvailable());
        new ApplicationContextRunner()
            .withClassLoader(new FilteredClassLoader("org.postgresql.plugin.AuthenticationPlugin"))
            .run(context -> {
                assertFalse(DatabaseType.POSTGRESQL.isDatabasePluginAvailable());
            });
    }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Girls and AI
Tua Huomo
Tue, 11.12.2018 - 20:57
I used to study computer science. I was one of the few women in my studies, as well as later on in the early years of my working career. Despite this, I have always felt at home. Super interesting job assignments combined with excellent colleagues have ensured this.
However, I have one vivid memory from my postgraduate times. When I was writing my doctor's thesis, an experienced and respected professor asked me: 'How come a woman so young has chosen so challenging research theme? Surely you must get a lot of support from others, right?'
Luckily I did not let such comments bother me. Instead, I gradually pushed ahead towards my dissertation and career in information technology. These days there are more women in IT, even in top positions. As one fresh example, consider the Hive Helsinki coding school sponsored by Supercell. Hive has Minna Kivihalme as its director and Linda Liukas as the chairwoman.
Personally I have lately been involved in ramping up the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence (FCAI). I blogged about it earlier this year. At FCAI I am responsible of the Industry and Society Program. If I was writing my thesis today, it might well be related to AI. And there might be some professor claiming it to be a 'very challenging research theme'.
Indeed, it is challenging. Developing AI intensive systems requires deep knowledge of data, machine learning, algorithms, and problem solving. Furthermore, AI is being applied in almost all industry domains, also in ones which have significant impact in the lives of girls and women. This is why it is very important to invite as heterogeneous a community as possible to work with AI. To lower the threshold, there are luckily a number of various projects such as FCAI's popular Elements of AI online course.
That being said, there is still a long way to go. According to the tech magazine Wired only approximately 12 percent of AI researchers are women. Forbes paints almost as grim a picture: 85% of professionals working with machine learning are men. Only a bit over four percent of Finnish authors in AI papers published in top conferences are women. In other words, AI is being developed in mainly male teams, even though research proves that heterogeneous workplaces deliver the best results. McKinsey's Diversity Matters study from 2015 reports that companies with gender diversity in their top management were 15% more likely to have financial returns above their industry mean.
Even worse, AI and automation in general threaten in particular professions with female workforce majority. For example, the above-mentioned Forbes article tells that 73% of cashiers in shops are women and estimates 97% of them to lose their jobs due to automation.
The Academy of Finland, EU networks, as well as other R&D funding bodies are worried about the lack of girls and women in technical fields. Fortunately there is a shared intent to fix this. Personally I wish that every teenager and young adult would at least consider the possibilities provided by IT and other technical fields. They are full of interesting opportunities and career paths – AI being one of the most attractive of them.
I am a mother of two teenagers. I want both my daughter and son to make the best fact-based choices regarding their careers and futures. Stereotypes and attitudes of the past should not form any obstacles for either of them as they pursue good lives and interesting jobs.
tua.huomo@vtt.fi
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Australian company aims to build 10 homes this year with autonomous robotic arm
In AEC, Automation, Construction
Australian company aims to build 10 homes this year with autonomous robotic arm2019-01-212019-01-21https://techplusexpo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/tech_logo_white_blue3.pngTech+ Expohttps://techplusexpo.com/wp-content/uploads/hadrian-x-hero.jpg200px200px
Buzz around robotics in architecture has been steadily building for some time now, though it's only in the last few years that the technology has seen much real-world action. However, robotic construction technology is seemingly one step closer to the commercial market as Australian company FBR has unveiled plans to bring its robotic bricklaying arm, Hadrian X, out of the testing facility and into the real world.
Earlier versions of the Hadrian, which shares the name of the Roman emperor perhaps most famous for his namesake wall that stretched across what is now the United Kingdom, had successfully created buildings in closed environments as early as 2015. This past November, the latest version built a nearly 2,000-square-foot, three-bed, two-bath home in a lab in under three days. After this success, FBR is attempting to take the robot out into the wild, with plans to build ten homes this year.
Hadrian X at work building in a testing facility. (Courtesy FBR)
Being billed as "the world's only fully automated, end-to-end bricklaying solution," the 100-foot, truck-mounted arm is able to lay as many as 1,000 bricks in a single hour without changing position. It interprets CAD files, calculating required materials on its own, before setting out to make the digital plans a reality.
According to a blog post from January 11, FBR has begun preparatory work, including adding additional sensing equipment for weather conditions and the like, for the Hadrian X's first outdoor build, a three-bedroom home that will be even more complex than the structure built in the last indoor test. Rather than aiming for speed, FBR sees this first build as a chance to "gather as much intel as possible," in order to make any necessary engineering adjustments and to prepare to launch its autonomous bricklayer for commercial construction use—a business in which the company says there is an "immense" demand for automation. Hoping to make building safer, faster, and less wasteful, CEO Mike Pivac believes that there's "massive potential for [autonomous building] technology…to shape the way the construction industry operates in the future."
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Now, the world's hottest brother and sister dancing duo are making a big announcement — while at the H&M studios in New York City, the siblings spilled to "Extra" that they are hitting the road again for their Move Beyond tour!
The pair will be switching things up from the last tour. Julianne shared they are "really trying to come up with some new tricks and flicks and all sort of things."


text:
The Inky Eagle
If I could convey things in one line, I wouldn't need a blog.
« new year.
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Oscar Jokes
Chris Rock made an Asian joke during his opening for the Oscars. And people are mad. Not mad enough that it's making top headlines, but at least a few Facebook links.
Sacha Baron Cohen also made an Asian joke during his presenting at the Oscars. This seems to have been largely ignored.
What were these jokes?
Rock's joke was about Asians being smart, which he brought home by bring three Asian children on stage as "PWC accountants". Cohen, in typical Ali G style, joked "How come there is no Oscar for them very hard-working little yellow people with tiny dongs? You know — the Minions."
So why is Rock making headlines and Cohen is buried in the articles are not mentioned at all?
Is it because the children? Children who clearly have some business agreement in place to appear on national TV for Rock's hosting. Children who have rehearsed the marks they're supposed to hit. Who got dressed up in costume for it. So if they're victims – no more than other child actors who get crappy jobs.
Is it because Rock was making a statement? Is it because we expect more diversity from a minority? Is it because no one watched the Oscars long enough to see Cohen's joke and now they're just jumping on the headline bandwagon? Or is it because we accept that Ali G is offensive?
It all sounds like excuses to me. If you call out Rock for making a stereotypical Asian joke (one that is pretty well accepted among Asians – let's be honest), but you don't call out Cohen – it's basically condoning racist jokes in certain situations. You didn't trot out children to be laughed at – so it's cool you refer to us as "yellow people". You were obviously joking and not trying to seriously speak about diversity – so your racist joke gets a pass. Forgive me when I start questioning your ability to judge racism at all.
This to me is ultimately a problem because it makes it seem like a fluke. Chris Rock is just one bad apple in the comedian world. And I'm pretty sure we all know that't not how it is.
It's odd. I've been finding that for the longest time, racial jokes about Asians no longer really register with me any more. It didn't even really dawn on me that Chris Rock's joke might have stirred people up. I had a similar reaction about the Jeremy Lin headline outrage a couple years back. Both times my reaction was "Oh, dumb joke", instead of "Oh, that's offensive."
I can't tell if it's because I'm just desensitized to this kind of stuff by now, or because I've worked and lived for so long in an environment where being Asian is not really a barrier to anything I want to do.
by Min March 2, 2016 at 3:28 pm
Agreed, being Asian has never been a barrier in my life. Which is funny because you and I both grew up in places that were not terribly diverse. So maybe we assimilated better?
But more than that I also don't think that making a "smart" joke is seriously detrimental to anyone. Oh these poor children who are being raised up as smarter than most non-Asian adults. They're going to be so ashamed to be Asian. Being thought of as smart is going to hurt you getting a job or cause the police to follow you home.
Give me a break. If anything "small dongs" have hurt Asians more than "being extra smart".
by klaygenie March 2, 2016 at 8:00 pm
>If anything "small dongs" have hurt Asians more than "being extra smart".
Been listening to the WNYC podcast "Nancy" – it's about LGBT culture, but both the hosts are asian. There was a pretty interesting episode a while back about how asians always have submissive roles in gay porn and how it set one of the hosts back in his sex life.
by Eric Mesa November 11, 2017 at 2:27 pm
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Coronavirus in Texas
Did your child get free or reduced-price school lunches? You may be eligible for $285 in food aid.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission on Monday extended the deadline for applying to July 31.
by Stacy Fernández May 28, 2020 Updated: June 29, 2020
Students grab lunch at North Side Independent School District in San Antonio. Credit: Jennifer Whitney for The Texas Tribune
Low-income Texas families now have through the month of July to apply for $285 in federal aid per child to make up for the free and reduced-price meals they missed while schools were closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission on Monday extended the deadline for applying to July 31.
Families that were on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in March don't need to apply for the program known as Pandemic-EBT, short for electronic benefits transfer. These benefits were automatically deposited on their Lone Star Card — the debit-like card Texas uses to distribute SNAP aid — in early June.
Other families, including those that enrolled in SNAP after March, have through July 31 to submit applications for the food benefits program.
Here's what parents and guardians need to know when applying for the benefits.
Schoolchildren up to 21 years old who received free or reduced-priced meals at school this school year are eligible for the program.
Although families who receive SNAP automatically got benefits for children 5 to 18 years old, they also have through July 31 to apply for benefits if they have eligible children under 5 years old or between the ages of 19 and 21.
Infants and toddlers are not eligible for Pandemic-EBT. If Congress were to pass the HEROES Act — another multitrillion-dollar coronavirus relief bill — toddlers would be eligible for Pandemic-EBT, and benefits would extend through the summer, said Rachel Cooper, a senior policy analyst with Every Texan, a left-leaning think tank previously known as the Center for Public Policy Priorities.
How much money will my family get?
The program will pay out a lump sum of $285 per eligible child, or about $5.70 to cover both breakfast and lunch for each canceled day of school. Guardians of two kids who missed out on school meals would receive $570 in benefits, guardians of three kids would get $855, and so on. This is a one-time payment.
Once approved, families will get one Texas Pandemic-EBT card in the mail preloaded with funds. The card works just like a debit card but can only be used for food.
Pandemic-EBT follows the same rules as SNAP. Families can't use either benefit for hot and prepared food, like a hot sandwich meant to be eaten immediately, alcohol or tobacco products. Benefits cannot be used at restaurants.
School districts should have sent out a link to the application in the first week of June.
The application is straightforward. Parents and guardians will fill out details like the child's name, address and school ID, Cooper said.
When will I get my benefits?
Families should get their Pandemic-EBT cards in the mail within seven to 10 days of submitting their applications as long as the information provided on the online application matches the records submitted by the Texas Education Agency and Texas Department of Agriculture.
If the information doesn't match, officials will follow up with both departments, which may delay when a family gets its card, said Elliott Sprehe, a spokesperson for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, the department that oversees Pandemic-EBT.
The commission said it will process orders as they come in, once it has a list of the children who get free or reduced-price school meals.
Does Pandemic-EBT affect my ability to get other benefits like unemployment or SNAP?
No. The school meal benefit will not affect eligibility for other benefits.
How long do I have to spend the benefits?
Unused benefits expire after a year.
Is my child still eligible if the school district has continued to provide meals?
Yes, Pandemic-EBT is an additional benefit, not a replacement for programs like grab-and-go school meals or summer meals.
Do you have to be a citizen to get Pandemic-EBT?
No, any child is eligible for the program, regardless of their immigration status or that of their caregiver.
While immigrant families may worry that applying for benefits will hurt their chances to become legal residents under the public charge rule — which penalizes immigrants who've used public benefits for a certain period of time — Pandemic-EBT does not count toward that rule.
Does my child qualify if they get free meals at their day care?
Maybe. If the child attends Head Start or a pre-K program that participates in the National School Lunch Program, they are eligible for the food benefits program.
Are kids in charter and private schools eligible?
Yes, as long as the school provided meals through the National School Lunch Program and/or School Breakfast Programs.
Meena Venkataramanan contributed to this report.
Disclosure: The Center for Public Policy Priorities, now called Every Texan, has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.


We're often told to put down the gadgets if we want to get a good night's sleep - but could these gadgets actually be the answer to getting more ZZZs?
GETTING some decent shut eye can be the solution to so many of life's problems.
But from getting comfy, to turning off all the brain noise created by modern life – it's not easy to get the rest you need.
Luckily the tech industry is on your side and is busy working on gadgets that can improve your nights sleep.
Mattresses are smart, sleep can be tracked and soothing sounds and lights can help you drift off into a blissful state of relaxation.
Lots of these companies have funded their sleep-improving products through crowdfunding websites where uptake has been quick.
It proves that there are a lot of people wanting a better bedtime experience.
Last year we told you all about the smart bed which could stop you from snoring, wake you up and warm your feet up!
Now, with new mattress companies 'springing' up all the time mattresses are offering to do more than just provide a soft place to lie down.
The Eve mattress boasts a cooling layer which wicks heat away from the body, putting an end to sweaty summer nights.
The Emma mattress claims to have a top layer which regulated humidity, again, less sweating, more sleeping seems to be the mantra.
If you're sorted for a comfy mattress, your next port of call for smart sleep tech is your pillow.
The folk at rem-fit have invented the ZEEQ smart pillow which listens out to find out if you're snoring, then gently vibrates to stop your snorting.
It can play music, analyse your sleep and work out the best moment during your sleep cycle to wake you up.
At nearly £200 you'd hope it would make you breakfast in bed too, but if it helps us get a good night's rest, we'll let it off the bacon and eggs.
While many sleep gadgets monitor your sleeping habits and suggest ways you could improve, one company is working on a device that will help you relearn how to sleep well if you've fallen out of the habit.
The scientists at Sheffield's SleepCogni are working on a device which measures your heart rate, skin temperature and blood oxygen levels.
The gadget, which sits on your bedside table and looks like a picture frame on a stick, then delivers tailored lighting and sounds to soothe the user to sleep.
And what if the problem isn't you, but the noisy neighbours or traffic sounds?
Well now you can rid yourself of night noises with the Nightingale sound masking device.
You plug in the two units and they blanket your bedroom in soothing nature sounds chosen by you.
No more noisy neighbours means better sleep, hooray.
Currently only available in the US, they have plans to launch in other markets soon.
And if your sleep problems are actually caused by the person you share a bed with – there are tech solutions there too.
If it's the sound of someone else snoring their head off that's keeping you from the land of nod, Braci could be for you.
This clever app listens out for serious snoring and sends small vibrations to a smart watch which encourage the snorer to change positions in bed.
We recently looked at the reasons you might be waking up in the night.
Find out what kind of sleeper you are with our quick quiz.
Time to take steps to get better sleep, because the effects of a bad night can be endless!


Eleven local chefs showcased their tapas style signature dishes at the Achievement Academy's fifth annual Top Chef of Polk County event on February 25 at the RP Funding Center. Each dish was accompanied with a wine or libation the complimented the flavors of the dish. The sold-out audience of 250 guests was given the opportunity to sample each of the chefs' dishes. The net amount of $148,000 raised at this event will benefit children with special needs at the Achievement Academy located in Lakeland. Chef Chris Worley of Terrie Lobb Catering, Inc. was named Top Chef of Polk County for 2019 and Top Philanthropic Chef with Top Table Décor going to Chef Tim Williams of Spectra Food Services at the RP Funding Center. 2019 Chefs' Choice Award was a 3 Way Tie between Chef Jose Vicente of Brasa Latina, Chef Chris Worley and Chef William Ball of Cob & Pen. Many thanks to the sponsors, participating chefs and volunteers that make this a special evening!


text:
Q: How to not overwriting my sqlite database in AdoniJS? I made an API that loads data from another API, store data in a sqlite database. I have 4 parameters in my route and after that my application check if that input is in my database, if it is the value is returned from database and if it isn't the value is returned from the main API. The problem is sometimes, i don't know when, my database is overwriting the last input.
async index({
    request,
    response
  }) {
const date = request.input('date');
const hourInput = request.input('hour');
const lat = request.input('lat');
const lon = request.input('lon');

const weatherData = await Weather
  .query()
  .where('lat', '=', lat)
  .where('long', '=', lon)
  .where('hour', '=', hourInput)
  .where('date', '=', date)
  .fetch()
if (weatherData.rows[0]) {
  console.log("exista")
  response.json(weatherData.rows[0].temp_c)
} else {
  try {
    const history = await axios.get('http://api.apixu.com/v1/history.json?key=' + WEATHER_KEY + '&q=' + lat + ',' + lon + '&dt=' + date)
    for (let i = 0; i <= 23; i++) {
      const hour = history.data.forecast.forecastday[0].hour[i].time.slice(11, 13);
      if (hourInput === hour) {
        const temp = history.data.forecast.forecastday[0].hour[i].temp_c;
        weather.lat = lat;
        weather.long = lon;
        weather.date = date;
        weather.hour = hourInput;
        weather.temp_c = temp;
        await weather.save();
        response.json(temp)
        console.log("Nu")
      }

      //response.json(weatherData.rows);
    }

  } catch (err) {
    console.log(err);
    //response.status(500).json({})
  }
}

}
Can someone explain me why my database is overwriting?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Patients call cancer doctor 'monster', 'evil' in sentencing statements
Patients and their relatives have begun giving an earful to a Detroit-area cancer doctor who admits ordering excessive treatments to get millions of dollars from insurers.
Roughly two dozen victims are signed up to give statements on Tuesday in Detroit federal court. It's all part of the sentencing for Dr. Farid Fata, who pleaded guilty last year to fraud, money laundering and conspiracy.
The government says more than 500 people received unnecessary treatments from Fata, including some people who didn't have cancer. Prosecutors are seeking a 175-year prison sentence, while the Oakland County man is asking for no more than 25 years. The punishment is expected later this week.
On Monday, Harvard medical professor Dr. Dan Longo said Fata performed a "stunning" number of rigorous but unnecessary treatments.
Cameras are not allowed inside the federal courthouse, but FOX 2's Roop Raj was in the room as the victim impact statements began.
He reports victims used words like "evil" and "monster" to describe Fata, and that the doctor never made eye contact with any speakers.
VIDEO: Watch the report from FOX 2's Roop Raj to hear more about the statements read Tuesday morning
You can read Roop's tweets from inside the courtroom here.
Fata made a request with his legal team Monday to not hear any of the statements.The request was denied.
This is a developing story. Stay with FOX 2 for updates.
Copyright 2015 by myFOXDetroit.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


A review of medical evidence has found that fetuses likely don't feel pain until the final months of pregnancy, a powerful challenge to abortion opponents who hope that discussions about fetal pain will make women think twice about ending pregnancies.
Critics angrily disputed the findings and claimed the report is biased.
"They have literally [ED: really?] stuck their hands into a hornet's nest," said Dr. Kanwaljeet Anand, a fetal pain (search) researcher at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, who believes fetuses as young as 20 weeks old feel pain. "This is going to inflame a lot of scientists who are very, very concerned and are far more knowledgeable in this area than the authors appear to be. This is not the last word -- definitely not."
The review by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco comes as advocates are pushing for fetal pain laws (search) aimed at curtailing abortion. Proposed federal legislation would require doctors to provide fetal pain information to women seeking abortions when fetuses are at least 20 weeks old, and to offer women fetal anesthesia (search) at that stage of the pregnancy. A handful of states have enacted similar measures.
But the report, appearing in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association, says that offering fetal pain relief during abortions in the fifth or sixth months of pregnancy is misguided and might result in unacceptable health risks to women.
I doubt the findings of this report, but also think the whole inquiry into fetal pain is irrelevant. Since when is it okay to kill people so long as they don't feel pain while you're snuffing out their lives?
Jay, I thought the same thing when I was watching people on both sides of the issue getting so lathered up about this new study.
The same people spent way too much time debating this same point in the Schiavo case, as well.


text:
package com.amazonaws.services.sqs.model;

import java.io.Serializable;
import javax.annotation.Generated;

/**
 *

 * A list of returned queue attributes.
 *

 *
 * @see AWS API
 *      Documentation
 */
@Generated("com.amazonaws:aws-java-sdk-code-generator")
public class GetQueueAttributesResult extends com.amazonaws.AmazonWebServiceResult<com.amazonaws.ResponseMetadata> implements Serializable, Cloneable {

    /**
     *

     * A map of attributes to their respective values.
     *

     */
    private com.amazonaws.internal.SdkInternalMap<String, String> attributes;

    /**
     *

     * A map of attributes to their respective values.
     *

     *
     * @return A map of attributes to their respective values.
     */

    public java.util.Map<String, String> getAttributes() {
        if (attributes == null) {
            attributes = new com.amazonaws.internal.SdkInternalMap<String, String>();
        }
        return attributes;
    }

    /**
     *

     * A map of attributes to their respective values.
     *

     *
     * @param attributes
     *        A map of attributes to their respective values.
     */

    public void setAttributes(java.util.Map<String, String> attributes) {
        this.attributes = attributes == null ? null : new com.amazonaws.internal.SdkInternalMap<String, String>(attributes);
    }

    /**
     *

     * A map of attributes to their respective values.
     *

     *
     * @param attributes
     *        A map of attributes to their respective values.
     * @return Returns a reference to this object so that method calls can be chained together.
     */

    public GetQueueAttributesResult withAttributes(java.util.Map<String, String> attributes) {
        setAttributes(attributes);
        return this;
    }

    /**
     * Add a single Attributes entry
     *
     * @see GetQueueAttributesResult#withAttributes
     * @returns a reference to this object so that method calls can be chained together.
     */

    public GetQueueAttributesResult addAttributesEntry(String key, String value) {
        if (null == this.attributes) {
            this.attributes = new com.amazonaws.internal.SdkInternalMap<String, String>();
        }
        if (this.attributes.containsKey(key))
            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Duplicated keys (" + key.toString() + ") are provided.");
        this.attributes.put(key, value);
        return this;
    }

    /**
     * Removes all the entries added into Attributes.
     *
     * @return Returns a reference to this object so that method calls can be chained together.
     */

    public GetQueueAttributesResult clearAttributesEntries() {
        this.attributes = null;
        return this;
    }

    /**
     * Returns a string representation of this object. This is useful for testing and debugging. Sensitive data will be
     * redacted from this string using a placeholder value.
     *
     * @return A string representation of this object.
     *
     * @see java.lang.Object#toString()
     */
    @Override
    public String toString() {
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
        sb.append("{");
        if (getAttributes() != null)
            sb.append("Attributes: ").append(getAttributes());
        sb.append("}");
        return sb.toString();
    }

    @Override
    public boolean equals(Object obj) {
        if (this == obj)
            return true;
        if (obj == null)
            return false;

        if (obj instanceof GetQueueAttributesResult == false)
            return false;
        GetQueueAttributesResult other = (GetQueueAttributesResult) obj;
        if (other.getAttributes() == null ^ this.getAttributes() == null)
            return false;
        if (other.getAttributes() != null && other.getAttributes().equals(this.getAttributes()) == false)
            return false;
        return true;
    }

    @Override
    public int hashCode() {
        final int prime = 31;
        int hashCode = 1;

        hashCode = prime * hashCode + ((getAttributes() == null) ? 0 : getAttributes().hashCode());
        return hashCode;
    }

    @Override
    public GetQueueAttributesResult clone() {
        try {
            return (GetQueueAttributesResult) super.clone();
        } catch (CloneNotSupportedException e) {
            throw new IllegalStateException("Got a CloneNotSupportedException from Object.clone() " + "even though we're Cloneable!", e);
        }
    }

}


Molecular gastronomy is a discipline of food science that examines the chemical and physical changes that occur in foods during their preparation, and thus aims to transform food from an empirical discipline to a true science.
This type of cuisine offers possibilities of discovering new flavours and new dishes that are of particular interest, and improves them from a dietary and matching perspective. There's nothing particularly strange about this, when you consider that molecular cuisine makes use of the transformation of ingredients caused by physical and chemical changes, somewhat like with bread, where fermentation of yeasts transforms flour and water to create bread, or with a simple grilled fillet, where the well-known Maillard reaction gives you that delicious crust.
The inventor of this discipline is the Nobel Prize winner Pierre Gilles De Gennes, who was awarded the prestigious award for physics in 1991. Since 1992, De Gennes has been committed to formulating a "meal theory" with the collaboration of chemists, biologists and cooks. This led to the birth of molecular gastronomy, or molecular cuisine.
In practice, the basis of this "discipline" is the desire to destructurise the senses of taste, temperature and consistency of the dishes, and give them new ones without introducing additives or other elements. Research into this topic started in France in the 1980s and then was pursued further in Italy, where its most prominent scientist is Davide Cassi. Professor Davide Cassi, working with the chef Ettore Bocchia, has written a "Manifesto for Italian Molecular Cuisine".
The key point of molecular cuisine is the revisitation of classic methods of cooking in order to create new tastes and improve dishes from both a nutritional and gastronomic point of view. Cooking is in most cases achieved without flames; cold-cooked eggs and ice creams made from liquid nitrogen can be prepared.
In Italy, one can find restaurants that have decided to embrace this new technique of molecular cuisine, one of which is the Mistral restaurant at the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio, which has been reviewed by the best Italian and international gourmet guides and awarded with a star by the Michelin Guide.
It is managed by the chef Ettore Bocchia, a passionate Mediterranean cook and skilled in researching high-quality raw materials and anticipating new solutions for gastronomic excellence.
The menu contains traditionally-inspired dishes linked to the seasons, innovative recipes, and even tasting sessions consisting entirely of molecular cuisine.
The Mistral Restaurant will transform a simple meal into an itinerary of tastes, consistencies and unique colours that will make the experience unforgettable.


text:
Let's get rid of it.
Illustration by Charlie Powell
August is the Mississippi of the calendar. It's beastly hot and muggy. It has a dismal history. Nothing good ever happens in it. And the United States would be better off without it.
August is when the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, when Anne Frank was arrested, when the first income tax was collected, when Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe died. Wings and Jefferson Airplane were formed in August. The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour debuted in August. (No August, no Sonny and Cher!)
August is the time when thugs and dictators think they can get away with it. World War I started in August 1914. The Nazis and Soviets signed their nonaggression pact in August 1939. Iraq invaded Kuwait Aug. 2, 1990. August is a popular month for coups and violent crime. Why August? Perhaps the villains assume we'll be too distracted by vacations or humidity to notice.
August is the vast sandy wasteland of American culture. Publishers stop releasing books. Movie theaters are clogged with the egregious action movies that studios wouldn't dare release in June. Television is all reruns (or worse—new episodes of Sex and the City). The sports pages wither into nothingness. Pre-pennant-race baseball—if that can even be called a sport—is all that remains. We have to feign interest in NFL training camps. Newspapers are thin in August, but not thin enough. They still print ghastly vacation columns: David Broder musing on world peace from his summer home on Lake Michigan? Even Martha Stewart (born Aug. 3) can't think of anything to do in August. Her Martha Stewart Living calendar, usually so sprightly, overflows with ennui. Aug. 14: "If it rains, organize basement." Aug. 16: "Reseed bare patches in lawn." Aug. 27: "Change batteries in smoke and heat detectors."
You can't get a day off from August, because it is the only month without a real holiday. Instead, the other months have shunted onto this weak sister all the lame celebrations they didn't want. Air Conditioning Appreciation Week, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Week, National Religious Software Week, Carpenter Ant Awareness Week: All these grand American celebrations belong to August. Is it any accident that National Lazy Day, Relaxation Day, Deadwood Day, and Failures Day are commemorated in August?
August is the month of vagueness. October is the 10th month, March is the third month. What's August—bet you can't remember. Does it have 30 days or 31? You have to recite the rhyme to figure that one out. The great writers of history forget August: It rates three mentions in Bartlett's Quotations, compared with a dozen for December and two dozen for March.
The people with August birthdays are a sorry bunch. Sure, Lyndon Johnson, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton * were born in August, but the other presidential Augustans are Herbert Hoover and Benjamin Harrison. Film is represented by Robert Redford and Robert De Niro—but also by John Holmes and Harry Reems. Third-raters populate August: George Hamilton, Danny Bonaduce, Rick Springfield, and Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford were born then. August gave us Fidel Castro and Yasser Arafat. In art, August offers Leni Riefenstahl, Michael Jackson, and Danielle Steele. (To be sure, not everything that happens in August is so terrible. Raoul Wallenberg, Alfred Hitchcock, Herman Melville, and Mae West were born in August. Richard Nixon resigned in August. MTV launched in August. And Jerry Garcia died in August.)
August can't even master the things it is supposed to do well. Despite its slothful reputation, it is not the top vacation month; July is. Nor is August the hottest month (on the East Coast, at least). That crown, too, is July's. August is when the garden starts to wither, and when the long summer days cruelly vanish.
We should rage, rage against the dying of the light. The United States desperately needs August Reform. Purists will insist that we shouldn't tinker with the months, that August should be left alone because it has done workmanlike service for 2,000 years. That's nonsense. Calendars are always fluxing. August itself was a whimsical invention. In 46 B.C., as part of a broad calendar change, Julius Caesar added two days to Sextilis, an old 29-day month. In the reign of his successor, Augustus Caesar, the Senate voted to change Sextilis' name to "Augustus" (as the Senate under Julius Caesar had renamed the month before, "Quintilis," "Julius").
August was created by politics, and it can be undone by politics. For too long, bureaucrats in Washington have been telling you how you must divide up your calendar. But these are your months, and you should be able to do with them what you like. Genuine August Reform will be hard. It will require tough compromises to protect the special interests of September and July. (And who better to sponsor this revolution, incidentally, than Sen. John McCain—birthday Aug. 29?)
Here is a framework for compromise. Cede the first 10 days of August back to July, thus extending holiday revelry for more than a week. September would claim the last 10 days of August, mollifying the folks who can't wait to get back to serious work. Labor Day would come 10 days earlier, the school year would run longer, and the rush of fall activity could get jump-started. August itself will keep 10 days. That is just enough: Every summer we'll be able to toot happily, "Gosh, August went by so quickly this year!"
And as for the 31st day, it will be designated a holiday independent from any month. It will fall after the 10th and last day of August, and it will celebrate the end of that most useless month.
Correction, Aug. 23, 2004: This article originally omitted Bill Clinton from the list of presidents born in August. (Return to the corrected sentence.)


What is the difference between the Old and New Wind Chill Formulas?
Weather channels and news organizations are still making reference to the "old" wind chill formulas. Wind Chill describes the rate of heat loss on the human body resulting from the combined effect of low temperature and wind. As wind increases the internal body temperature is driven down at a faster fast, quickly reducing the exterior and interior body temperatures.
The "old" wind chill formula was first instilled in the 1940s and based on the research from Antarctic explorers Siple and Passel. The Siple and Passell formula was implemented through a series of observations on freeze times of plastic cylinders filled with water and placed in differing temperatures and wind speeds.
This old system did not take in consideration that the human body produces its own heat, unlike the plastic containers. In addition, weather stations measure wind speed, the basis for the WCT index, at a height of 33 feet where it is often blowing stronger. This lead to meteorologists forecasting wind chill readings much lower than actuality.
The "new" wind chill formula was developed in 2001 and according to the National Weather Service, the formula is more detailed, "accounting for wind effects at face-level. This should result in more accurate calculations of human body heat loss."
To see accurate readings for the Whiteface region of the Adirondack Park, check out the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center, part of the University of Albany, in Wilmington, NY.
Adirondack Family Time™ guidebook series.


Incomplete mate recognition, leading to reproductive interference in matings between closely related species, is of core interest in evolution and ecology because of its role in maintaining species barriers. It may often also be asymmetric (i.e. reciprocal interspecific matings incur different fitness costs). This so-called 'satyrization' is of interest in insect control because of its potential to result in competitive displacement of species.
In addition to insect control via satyrization, selection against costly hybrid matings is important for novel control technologies exploiting underdominance. Underdominance occurs when the fitness of a heterozygote is lower than for both homozygotes. It could be used to drive an underdominant transgenic construct into a population to replace the wildtype allele.
These methods may inadvertently select for the evolution of reproductive character displacement to prevent hybrid matings. It is therefore important to investigate the nature and mechanisms of these evolving barriers, to understand nascent speciation as well as to improve insect control.
The student will investigate the evolution of mating barriers and mate recognition in species that hybridise, and in those that are undergoing replacement by underdominant alleles. The student will set up and run experimental evolution experiments in Drosophila and conduct tests of seminal fluid function in Drosophila and Aedes mosquitoes.
The project will be based at UEA but includes a placement of at least 8 months with the CASE partner, Prof. Luke Alphey, at the Pirbright Institute (formerly the Institute of Animal Health). The student will receive a broad training in all aspects of science delivery and dissemination, as well as in transferrable skills. Specific advanced skills include training in genetics, evolution, mate choice, transgenics, advanced statistical modeling and vector control.
The project combines tests of fundamentally important phenomena in evolution and genetics (mate choice, speciation) in an applied context relevant to the control of important insect vectors. It would therefore suit a student with interest in evolution and genetics, but also one who is interested in extending their knowledge into the applied arena - to develop new technologies towards environmentally benign methods for insect control.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview day on either Thursday 12th or Friday 13th February 2015.


The state continues to use paper workarounds to keep people covered by health insurance. The paper backlog fell to 21,000 pending applications, from 54,000 two weeks ago.
Almost 104,000 consumers remain in the legacy Commonwealth Care plans, which have so far been extended until June 30. The delay in switching consumers over to federal health reform-compliant insurance is costing the state $10M per month, because the state will receive a higher federal matching reimbursements once consumers are transferred to the new permanent plans.
There is one group in danger of losing coverage. That's about 29,000 people with unsubsidized health plans known as Commonwealth Choice, that will expire on March 31, unless they enroll in new coverage by the end of the month. A new paper-based "fast path" allows this population to re-enroll with their old insurer, but does not allow them to comparison shop to find the best prices.
We're looking at 217K people who have enrolled in plans, and have insurance. Since the estimate sent to HHS included 250K specifically for these people, should these 217K somehow be included in the spreadsheet? These are real people, who have filled out enrollment forms for ACA-compliant plans, but who just are stuck because Mass can't fill out the paperwork properly. Heck, about 2/3 of these people were part of the old exchange, and have been paying for their near-ACA compliant plans for years - and continue to pay for them during the extension period.
I was thinking, could these people be added as separate lines, like the "unpaid enrollees" in other states? In many ways, the 104K + 29K are "paid unenrollees" - they have insurance, and they're paying for it, but they aren't being counted. The 84K of transitional enrollees are being put in Medicaid, so they haven't technically paid for the plans they applied for, but how's that different from any new enrollees - they won't pay until they get that first invoice. I guess these 3 items could be rolled up into 1 line, but they are 3 different beasts.
This works for me, but with a big caveat: I'll go ahead and create a special 3rd row for Massachusetts, but I'm marking them in a different color on the spreadsheet and adding them to the "Enrolled but Unpaid" section on The Graph (ironically, as deaconblues points out, these folks are the opposite: "Paid but Unenrolled").


October, internationally known as 'Breast Cancer Awareness Month' is coming to a close. Now, or anytime really, is a great time to promote women's health. If you're not up for a crazy Halloween party to finish off this month how about a 'Pink' party.
I was hunting around my cupboards, wondering what could be fun to use with a pink drink. Then I discovered what every home that has children has an absurd abundance of- SPRINKLES!!!! As you can see sprinkles are the perfect rimmer for our pink and blue label Batch No. 12 Vodka PINK COSMO! A portion of the proceeds from Batch No. 12 Pink Label Vodka goes to the Carol Milgard Breast Center in Tacoma.
ps: I may or may not have eaten all the sprinkles off before I sipped this yummy drink… sshhh!