Privacy and government interaction with social media have been major topics of concern, especially since the NSA leaks. Now, these policies are gaining more attention in Brazil.
The Brazilian government has already enacted the first set of regulations around data and internet governance. Known as the "Internet Constitution," or Marco Civil da Internet, the document aims to establish the rights and duties of Brazilian citizens, the government and businesses regarding internet use. It has been in the works since 2009 but has been fast tracked since the U.S. spying news broke in July.
Now, according to a ZDNet article, Facebook and Google are expressing concerns because of recent proposed amendments. The main issue revolves around a requirement that all data be stored locally. A Facebook spokesman said this addition is an "enormous technical challenge" and could cause problems for the Brazil's internet service.
William Beer, a security expert at consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal, warned that this move would complicate an already difficult landscape.
"[The Brazilian government] needs to be very careful as there are a lot of datacenter-related issues already, such as the high cost of electricity, access to skills and even the temperature, which makes it expensive to run those facilities in Brazil," Beer said. "Then if you add regulation that will present further obstacles, companies might end up moving their IT operations to other South American countries where the rules are not so strict."
Brazil has made international headlines in recent weeks because of the role of reporter David Miranda played in the Edward Snowden NSA leak. However, a new event may be taking it off the front page.
According to a recent article from the Wall Street Journal, Brazil's foreign minister Antonio Patriota was fired this week after rising diplomatic tension with neighboring Bolivia. This stems from an incident where a Brazilian diplomat helped a Bolivian opposition senator facing criminal charges flee the country.
The senator, Roger Pinto, had been hiding out in Brazil's embassy after leaking Bolivian documents that allegedly show a connection between drug traffickers and the government. He claims to have received death threats since doing so. Pinto received asylum in June but Bolivian officials did not grant him permission to leave the country.
Word out of Patriota's camp is that the foreign minister had no knowledge of the plan to extract Pinto and issued a statement that said his department would be investigating the incident. Bolivian officials have called Pinto a fugitive and have said they will seek extradition.
"The controversy illustrates Brazil's tricky diplomatic role as the economic might of South America's largest country has grown," the article reads. "[Bolivian President Evo]. Morales is an ally of Brazil's leftist government, and Brazil has sought to stay out of Bolivian politics."
This move should help soothe the feelings between the two countries but it will be important to see how these two countries are able to interact while a solution is worked out.
Employee rights are a hot topic in countries around the world. It is impossible to debate the fact that workers deserve to be treated fairly, paid a livable wage and have conditions that are up to safety codes, but unfortunately, that is not always the case. However, there are laws in place and courts to bring companies that violate them to justice.
This week, the Brazilian Ministry of Labor has filed a lawsuit against technology company Samsung. The reasons stem from precarious working conditions imposed of the 6,000 employees at a manufacturing facility in the country.
According to a statement released by prosecutors, several irregularities were found at the factory in Manaus. This includes working shifts of up to 15 hours, lack of seats in the production line, lack of breaks and days off. This lead to some 2,000 employees taking sick leave of up to 2 weeks in 2012 alone because of back problems and repetitive strain injuries. On top of that, there are also claims of harassment in the workplace.
Samsung has responded, saying it will conduct a thorough review and co-operate with Brazilian officials to investigate these claims.
"We take great care to provide a workplace environment that assures the highest industry standards of health, safety and welfare for our employees across the world," the company said.
If found guilty, the company could be forced to pay $109 million in damages. It will be interesting to see how this plays out and what effect it could have on the manufacturing industry as a whole.
Land disputes still play a major role in many conflicts around the world. When needed, governing bodies step in and make a ruling to put an end to any violence. That is happening in Brazil right now as the Supreme Court (STF) will decide the dispute between boarding states Piaui and Tocantis after officials from the two were unable to reach an agreement.
The issue stems from unclear borders between the two. This became a problem in the late 1980s when Tocantis became a state when it was created by the Federal Government. As a result, certain cultural and bordering problems were not solved at the time and are still being challenged. On top of that, the region is known for its agriculture production, which can add to any state's profile.
A hearing took place on August 6 in the office of Justice Luiz Fux and the states were given ten days to layout their case and present any evidence to their claim of the land. Both sides presented their arguments and were unwilling to negotiate. The states did suggest using the anthropic criteria, which takes into account the the dynamics of human occupants of the land, but still no agreement could be met.
Because they have not been able to settle on their own, the STF will now step in to try and end things amicably. There is no telling where the boarder will end up when this is finally concluded.


While addressing the activists of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mufti said that new conditions would have to be worked out if India does away with Article 370.
Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday warned the government against the scrapping of Article 370 saying if it does so, the state will be forced to think upon its ties with India. While addressing the activists of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mufti said that new conditions would have to be worked out if India does away with Article 370.
"If you break that bridge (Article 370), then you will have to renegotiate the relationship between India and Jammu and Kashmir," Mehbooba Mufti said.
Mufti's response came after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that Article 35A was constitutionally vulnerable and was an impediment to the economic development of Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking on the same lines, former union minister Saifuddin Soz had also said that ties between Kashmir and India will be severed if Article 370 is scrapped.
"If it's (Article 35 A) is attacked then I don't know which flag the people of J-K will be forced to pick up instead of the tricolour," she had said. The voices seeking that the contention article is revoked have grown louder since the February 14 Pulwama terror attack.
Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution provide special status to Jammu and Kashmir.


Many federal and state government regulations affect the marine industry. Trade Only follows developments as companies strive to operate in compliance with the rules.
The boating industry will likely need to be compliant with Europe's General Data Protection Regulation because customers that visit the EU are protected by the regulation.
The Australian government's Department of Environment and Energy has finalized exhaust emissions standards for outdoor power equipment and marine engines.
Outboard engine manufacturers that include Honda, BRP (Evinrude) and Suzuki are supporting an Australian bill that would toughen emission standards so they are on par with U.S. rules.
Three bills that would benefit the boating and fishing industries advanced in the U.S. Senate on Thursday.
Florida House Bill 1227 would have blocked younger boaters from operating a boat of more than 10 feet.
A long-awaited policy review has a coalition of recreational fishing advocates demanding Congress change laws.
Financial analysts continued to dice up the Federal Reserve's 0.25 percent rate hike.
NASA decided to visualize how these dumps are forming.
The Florida Yacht Brokers Association hired a law firm to help change a more than century-old federal law.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $150 billion state budget includes a tax incentive for anyone buying a vessel valued at more than $230,000.


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The Leibniz PhD Network was founded in 2016 as an initiative of doctoral researchers from various Leibniz Institutes and represents the interests of all doctoral researchers of all institutes and museums – currently 95 – in the Leibniz Association , one of the four big scientific non-university organizations in Germany.
The Leibniz PhD Network has the goal to promote exchange among doctoral researchers within the Leibniz Association and beyond, to organize occasions and opportunities that foster and strengthen the Leibniz Network and to work towards common standards of working conditions for doctoral researchers within the Leibniz Association. The Leibniz PhD Network also aims to contribute towards more transparency regarding careers within and outside academia.
The Leibniz PhD Network is open to all doctoral researchers of the Leibniz Association. Ongoing work is organised in thematically organized working groups which are also open to all doctoral researchers. The annual General Assembly is the main forum of the Leibniz PhD Network. All representatives and delegates of the Leibniz Institutes gather each year to elect a steering committee, to discuss the activities and achievements of the working groups as well as to agree on a roadmap for the subsequent year. The steering committee comprises two spokespersons, one financial officer and five section officers representing the sections of the Leibniz Association.
Find us on Facebook,
follow us on Twitter,
and Instagram,
or on LinkedIn,
Visit our subpage at the homepage of the Leibniz Association!
Topics and Activities
The Leibniz PhD Network aims to establish a platform to encourage and promote exchange among doctoral researchers of the Leibniz Association on their research as well as on topics of societal and political interest/importance. Therefore, it plans to organise interdisciplinary conferences and networking events – some in cooperation with PhD networks of other research organisations.
Beyond that, the PhD Network lends a voice to concerns of doctoral research within the Leibniz Association. Members of the steering committee participate among others in the Leibniz Project Group "Research Careers" and get the opportunity to report to bodies of the Leibniz Association. Further topics are discussed and advanced in working groups. Working Groups are open to all doctoral researchers. Please contact one of the spokesperson to join an existing or to initiate a new working group.
leibniz_phd_net
Meet the 2019/2020 Steering Committee! ⠀ Irene B
Meet the 2019/2020 Steering Committee! ⠀ Annika
EUA-CDE
The PhD Network of the Helmholtz Association – Helmholtz Juniors
Science Media Center
THESIS e.V.
The Leibniz PhD Network is in constructive exchange with and financially supported by the Leibniz Association.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy for David Alston (Sole Trader)
At Dave Alston, accessible from https://davealston.co.uk, one of our main priorities is the privacy of our visitors. This Privacy Policy document contains types of information that is collected and recorded by Dave Alston and how we use it.
If you have additional questions or require more information about our Privacy Policy, do not hesitate to contact us through email at help [at] davealston.com
We are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and fully committed to working with them on any data security matter.
David Alston (Sole Trader) legal basis for collecting and using the personal information described in this Privacy Policy depends on the Personal Information we collect and the specific context in which we collect the information:
David Alston (Sole Trader) needs to perform a contract with you
You have given David Alston (Sole Trader) permission to do so
Processing your personal information is in David Alston (Sole Trader) legitimate interests
David Alston (Sole Trader) needs to comply with the law
David Alston (Sole Trader) will retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use your information to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our policies.
Dave Alston follows a standard procedure of using log files. These files log visitors when they visit websites. All hosting companies do this and a part of hosting services' analytics. The information collected by log files include internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, Internet Service Provider (ISP), date and time stamp, referring/exit pages, and possibly the number of clicks.
These are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable. The purpose of the information is for analyzing trends, administering the site, tracking users' movement on the website, and gathering demographic information.
We do not cookie you (how refreshing eh!).
Dave Alston's Privacy Policy does not apply to other advertisers, websites or vendors who help supply products and services which provide you with this website and/or subsequent products/services we may sell/supply you with. Thus, we are advising you to consult the respective Privacy Policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information. It may include their practices and instructions about how to opt-out of certain options. You may find a complete list of these Privacy Policies and their links here: Privacy Policy Links.
You can choose to disable cookies through your individual browser options. To know more detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers, it can be found at the browsers' respective websites.
All our data is secured to high industry standards.
Our site uses SSL (https protocol (you can see the green padlock). We use 2 Factor Authentication so that only authorised personnel may access the website. This helps prevent hackers accessing the site and either setting up software to steal visitor/subscriber details or simply preventing users access the site or their data.
We only use third party software and services which comply to rigorous standards of security and privacy (such as 2 Factor Authentication) to help eliminate risk to your data or infiltration by hackers through 'back doors' etc.
We endeavour to work with secure third party vendors.
We have installed anti virus and security software systems on the site to prevent hackers accessing the site via such things as 'brute force', 'man in the middle' attacks and more etc.
What Data Breach Procedures Do We Have In Place?
Should there be a data breach we will execute the following procedure...
The Data Protection Officer (David Alston) will notify the affected parties asap (within 24 hrs of the breach being discovered).
Reset all passwords/review and renew all security procedures ensuring all subscribers change passwords too.
Work with third party vendors/developers to ascertain and stop the breach spreading/deepening.
Inform the ICO that a data breach has occured.
In extreme cases, shut down the site yet ensure there is a public notice to inform the public what is happening.
Ensure the subscribers and customers are communicated in a timely manner throughout the breach either via email or if that has been compromised then via the support desk/and or other channels such as Twitter etc.
Should the severity of the breach require it, report to relevant authorities such as the Police.
Call in specialist help, and including legal counsel should point 6 arise and is required.
Children's Information
Part of our priority is adding protection for children while using the internet. We encourage parents and guardians to observe, participate in, and/or monitor and guide their online activity.
NOTE: Minors or people below 18 years old are not allowed to use this Website.
Dave Alston does not knowingly collect any Personal Identifiable Information from children under the age of 13. If you think that your child provided this kind of information on our website, we strongly encourage you to contact us immediately and we will do our best efforts to promptly remove such information from our records.
This privacy policy applies only to our online activities and is valid for visitors to our website with regards to the information that they shared and/or collect in Dave Alston. This policy is not applicable to any information collected offline or via channels other than this website.
*Situated by the Irish sea, the 1932 Art Deco Midland Hotel in Morecambe, Lancashire, was a beloved haven for Coco Chanel, Noel Coward, Sir Lawrence Oliver etc when on their jaunts here, 'up North.'
Dave loves it too... plus savouring a good coffee sitting where Agatha Christie's 'Double Sin' was filmed, while looking across the spectacular Bay to the Lakes is perfect for writing and client sales alike.
OFFICE: 745 Cameron House, White Cross, South Road, Lancaster. LA1 4XF.
© Copyright Dave Alston 2019. (All rights reserved).


Mysteries of the Hogback presents research and collection done by the artist while playing the naturalist on a prairie near Steuben, WI while an artist in residence at ACRE. The project utilizes the visual language of a natural history museum with the goal of exploring the possibilities and difficulties of portraying a place's botanical, biological, geological and historical realities using this form of display. How can one delve deeper to describe not just the physical characteristics of a place, but also its change, both natural and manmade, in order to acknowledge its present state?


STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN--(Marketwired - Oct. 14, 2013) - Lundin Petroleum AB (TSX:LUP)(OMX:LUPE) (Lundin Petroleum), through its wholly owned subsidiary Lundin Norway AS (Lundin Norway), announces the completion of wildcat well 6608/2-1S. The well was drilled in PL330 about 60 km east-southeast of the Aasta Hansteen gas field in the Norwegian Sea.
The exploration well 6608/2-1S, operated by RWE Dea Norge AS, was targeting the Sverdrup prospect. The well confirmed the existence of an active petroleum system but did not encounter reservoir rocks. The well is being plugged and abandoned as a dry hole. The well is the first exploration well in PL330.
Alex Schneiter, Chief Operating Officer of Lundin Petroleum comments; "Despite the results of this well we still believe the Utgard High has interesting exploration potential. We will review the results before determining our forward program."
The well was drilled to a vertical depth of 5574 metres below the sea surface, and was terminated in rocks of Lower Cretaceous age. The well was drilled with the rig Transocean Winner.
Lundin Norway AS is a partner in PL330 with 30 percent working interest. The operator is RWE Dea Norge AS with 40 percent interest while Marathon Oil Norge AS has 30 percent working interest.
Lundin Petroleum is a Swedish independent oil and gas exploration and production company with a well balanced portfolio of world-class assets primarily located in Europe and South East Asia. The Company is listed at the NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm (ticker "LUPE") and at the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) (Ticker "LUP"). Lundin Petroleum has proven and probable reserves of 202 million barrels of oil equivalent (MMboe).
This information has been made public in accordance with the Securities Market Act (SFS 2007:528) and/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act (SFS 1991:980).
Certain statements made and information contained herein constitute "forward-looking information" (within the meaning of applicable securities legislation). Such statements and information (together, "forward-looking statements") relate to future events, including the Company's future performance, business prospects or opportunities. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to estimates of reserves and/or resources, future production levels, future capital expenditures and their allocation to exploration and development activities, future drilling and other exploration and development activities. Ultimate recovery of reserves or resources are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management.
All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. Statements concerning proven and probable reserves and resource estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements and reflect conclusions that are based on certain assumptions that the reserves and resources can be economically exploited. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "seek", "anticipate", "plan", "continue", "estimate", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "predict", "potential", "targeting", "intend", "could", "might", "should", "believe" and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that these expectations and assumptions will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements should not be relied upon. These statements speak only as on the date of the information and the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties relating to, among other things, operational risks (including exploration and development risks), productions costs, availability of drilling equipment, reliance on key personnel, reserve estimates, health, safety and environmental issues, legal risks and regulatory changes, competition, geopolitical risk, and financial risks. These risks and uncertainties are described in more detail under the heading "Risks and Risk Management" and elsewhere in the Company's annual report. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
Unless otherwise stated, Lundin Petroleum's reserve and resource estimates are as at 31 December 2012, and have been prepared and audited in accordance with National Instrument 51-101 Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities ("NI 51-101") and the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook ("COGE Handbook")."). Unless otherwise stated, all reserves estimates contained herein are the aggregate of "Proved Reserves" and "Probable Reserves", together also known as "2P Reserves". For further information on reserve and resource classifications, see "Reserves, Resources and Production" in the Company's annual report.
Contingent Resources are those quantities of petroleum estimated, as of a given date, to be potentially recoverable from known accumulations using established technology or technology under development, but are not currently considered to be commercially recoverable due to one or more contingencies. Contingencies may include factors such as economic, legal, environmental, political and regulatory matters or a lack of markets. There is no certainty that it will be commercially viable for the Company to produce any portion of the Contingent Resources.
Prospective Resources are those quantities of petroleum estimated, as of a given date, to be potentially recoverable from undiscovered accumulations by application of future development projects. Prospective Resources have both a chance of discovery and a chance of development. There is no certainty that any portion of the Prospective Resources will be discovered. If discovered, there is no certainty that it will be commercially viable to produce any portion of the Prospective Resources.
BOEs may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A BOE conversion ratio of 6 Mcf : 1 Bbl is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead.


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Institutional Independence: Why it is Important and What We Are Doing
accountability independence governance
Wednesday, 10 February, 2016 - 10:19
In this article, the author provides an overview of the HSF's continued fight to secure adequate independence for the institutions charged with protecting the constitutional rights of South Africans
Wednesday 10 February, 2016 - 10:19
Since its inception in 1993, the HSF has promoted the liberal democratic values that informed, guided and defined Helen Suzman's work. The Helen Suzman Foundation ('HSF') has a particular interest in the values enshrined in the Constitution. Central to the freedoms conferred by the Constitution are checks and balances designed to guard against abuse of power. At the largest scale, these checks and balances are ensured by a division of functions between the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. Within this framework, there are a number of institutions which need a considerable degree of independence from day-to-day political pressures if they are to serve and protect the public. The HSF maintains that the promotion of liberal constitutional democracy is maintained by strong constitutional institutions. And strong constitutional institutions require adequate independence and protection to safeguard our rights.
The HSF has found considerable cause for concern about such independence and we have been involved in court action to contend against its erosion and to obtain legal clarity about the applications of the general principle of independence to specific instances. We continue to witness these infringements extending beyond the Bill of Rights and into the very constitutional institutions that ultimately regulate interactions between government and citizens.
This article sets out the crucial issues which the HSF has and continues to engage. The court battles may seem far removed from each other, however, the war is against a political organisation which seeks to consolidate power at all costs and, in the process overriding checks and balances which protect the public.
The notion that the African National Congress ('ANC') is the 'ruling party' has itself become controversial. The former Governor of the Reserve Bank Tito Mboweni has responded to letters by Former President Thabo Mbeki in which he referred to the ANC as the ruling party. Mboweni's response was as follows:
"Political parties, by their nature, cannot 'rule', but 'govern' based on the will of the people. They are voted into power. They can be removed by the voters, the people…So, the ANC in South Africa is the current 'governing party' not the 'ruling party'[1]
That the consent of the people authorises government should never be forgotten, as retired Archbishop Desmond Tutu has warned [2].
In 2010, the HSF was granted leave to intervene as amicus curiae in the Constitutional Court proceedings instituted by Glenister. The proceedings concerned the constitutionality of the South African Police Service ('SAPS') Amendment Act which disbanded the Directorate of Special Operations ('Scorpions') and created the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation ('Hawks'). The HSF was of the view that the Amendment Act unjustifiably infringed upon a variety of basic human rights while breaching the State's constitutional obligations to promote, protect and fulfil these rights. Furthermore, the Amendment Act severely hampered the State's ability to deal effectively with the scourge of corruption and organised crime.
On 17 March 2011, the Constitutional Court ruled in favour of Glenister, in no small part as a result of the intervention of the HSF as amicus curiae. The Court made two key findings. Firstly, that the Constitution imposed a duty on the State to establish and maintain an independent body to combat corruption and organised crime. Secondly, that the creation of the Hawks did not meet the constitutional requirement of adequate independence.
With regard to concerns about corruption the Court held at paragraph 166 that:
There can be no gainsaying that corruption threatens to fell at the knees virtually everything we hold dear and precious in our hard-won constitutional order. It blatantly undermines the democratic ethos, the institutions of democracy, the rule of law and the foundational values of our nascent constitutional project. It fuels maladministration and public fraudulence and imperils the capacity of the state to fulfil its obligations to respect, protect, promote and fulfil all the rights enshrined in the Bill of Rights. When corruption and organised crime flourish, sustainable development and economic growth are stunted. And in turn, the stability and security of society is put at risk.
The Amendment Act was referred back to Parliament to make the necessary amendments, however, Parliament failed to incorporate any of the necessary amendments. As a result the HSF initiated court proceedings. The Western Cape High Court decided in favour of the HSF.
Subsequently, the HSF applied to the Constitutional Court to grant an order for confirmation. This is a necessary procedural step when constitutional matters are at stake. The Confirmation application was to be heard at the same time as the State's application to appeal. The Court issued directions and the matter was set to proceed on 14 May 2014. The matter, however, was postponed as the President's Counsel had been unable to provide their Heads of Argument timeously.
On 27 November 2014, the Constitutional Court ruled in favour of the HSF ('November Judgment'). The Court held that the Amended Act did not ensure adequate independence for the Hawks. The November Judgment highlighted three concerns. The Court upheld the HSF's challenge that sections 17CA(15) and (16) amounted to a renewal beyond the prescribed period of the Head's and the Deputy Head's terms of office. This undermines the operational independence of the head and deputy head of the Hawks.
Secondly, as to suspension and removal, the Court held that the Minister's power to remove the Head from office in section 17DA(2) was a threat to his/her job security. Lastly, as to the content of Jurisdiction, the Court found that the State's failure to provide a clear mandate to the Hawks to fight corruption and to provide for a dedicated anti-corruption agency was unacceptable. The Court deleted the offending provisions making any amendments only possible via legislative intervention.
The outcomes are numerous. The HSF introduced argument based on best international practice. The Court reaffirmed that provisions in the Constitution may be interpreted in light of international instruments, norms and values as long as they are consistent with the spirit of the Constitution. It also found that independence needs to be adequate so that institutions may perform as they are required to do for the realisation of the rights with which they are concerned.
Unfortunately, the Constitutional Court's November Judgment was entirely disregarded by the Minister of Police, who relied on the grounds that had been excised from the Amended Act by the Constitutional Court, in his decision to unlawfully and, arguably, irrationally suspended the National Head of the Hawks in December 2014.
As a result, the HSF went back to court and on 23 January 2015 where the Pretoria High Court handed down judgment in favour of the HSF. The judgment vindicated the Constitutional Court's November Judgment, reaffirming the content of 'adequate independence' as well the trite fact that Government is bound by the Constitution.
The Minister applied for leave to appeal, the effect of which would be to stay the order of 23 January. The HSF brought a Rule 49(11) as read with Section 18 application ('Enforcement Order') that sought to have the order of 23 January made enforceable, subject to the finality of any appeals in the future.
On 6 February, the Pretoria High Court handed down judgment, in which it, dismissed the application for leave to appeal with costs and granted the Enforcement Order. It is worth mentioning at this point that Rule 49(11) has subsequently been repealed from the law books [3].
This did not dissuade the Minister, or his legal counsel, from petitioning the Supreme Court of Appeal ('SCA'). The SCA dismissed the matter on 7 May 2015.
In January 2015, however, the Minister of Police had appointed Lieutenant General, Berning Ntlemeza, as Acting Head of the Hawks, and reaffirmed same with a flimsy notice after having had the Court rule against him in January and February 2015. The new Head of the Hawks seems to continue his colourful history [4] into his present office [5]. At present, Lieutenant General Ntlemeza is not only occupying his position unlawfully but by continuing to do so is undermining the Constitution and its values [6].
The Judicial Service Commission ('JSC')
The HSF has always endeavoured to protect the Judiciary. Its work has ranged from the Justice Symposium Series [7] to publishing its view on the continued attacks on the Judiciary [8]. Given the important constitutional function of the Judiciary, it is crucial that it has the independence required to function as a constitutional check and balance between the various arms of government.
In 2013, the HSF instituted proceedings against the JSC. The case involves certain JSC decisions which expose deficiencies in the process being adopted for the nomination and selection of judges. The Constitution makes provision for the requirements that need to be considered in the appointment of applicants to the bench as follows in Section 174:
Appointment of judicial officers
Any appropriately qualified woman or man who is a fit and proper person may be appointed as a judicial officer. Any person to be appointed to the Constitutional Court must also be a South African citizen;
The need for the judiciary to reflect broadly the racial and gender composition of South Africa must be considered when judicial officers are appointed.
Both requirements matter. The need for the bench to 'reflect broadly the racial and gender composition of South Africa' cannot trump the need for 'appropriately qualified' women or men who are 'fit and proper'. The processes of selection of Judges are crucial to the independence of the Judiciary. Accordingly, it needs great care.
The HSF launched an application which seeks to challenge the lawfulness of the current nomination processes with reference to the constitutional provisions
governing judicial appointment. The Review application was done in accordance with Rule 53 of the Uniform Rules of Court. As a result, the JSC handed over all publically available documentation but withheld the existence of transcriptions and recordings pertinent to the HSF's case.
The refusal by the JSC to disclose certain documents necessitated the filing of an Interlocutory Application. The JSC's refusal to disclose relevant documents constitutes a failure to comply with the Uniform Rules of Court and the HSF is seeking to compel compliance in terms of Rule 30A.
The HSF noted that the application directed the disclosure of transcripts and recordings of deliberations that preceded the decision under review. These deliberations, the HSF maintains, will serve as evidence of the procedures adopted and factors considered by the JSC during the decision-making process. The JSC responded by arguing that the deliberations were private and that the court rules do not require disclosure thereof. All previous litigation involving the JSC has increased transparency in the process.
The Application was dismissed and the HSF has successfully petitioned the SCA. The matter will be heard in 2016. The JSC as well as various amicae, arguably, continue to strongly oppose transparency in their arguments. The HSF is prepared for a major battle on the issues of transparency and non-politicized use of transformation, a battle that is likely to continue to the Constitutional Court in regard to both the interlocutory application as well as the application in main.
National Prosecuting Authority ('NPA')
The NPA is tasked with deciding to prosecute on the basis of evidence before it. This applies to local as well as international crimes; the latter as a result of, most notably, the Rome Statute. If the NPA is not sufficiently independent to adhere to its mandate in light of the Constitution then there is a problem. If the NPA is a political tool, corruption and human rights violations will surely follow.
Over the past four years the NPA has been headed by no less than three National Directors, excluding Acting Directors, a post which can be held for up to 10 years. The fact that the office has seen such turnover raises concerns. The latest departure was Advocate Mxolisi Nxasana. In March 2015, in response to the call for comment by the Cassim Inquiry into Nxasana's fitness to hold office, the HSF put forward a submission highlighting the importance of the selection and dismissal processes as housed in both the Constitution and the NPA Act. In the Cassim Inquiry Order the HSF's input was applauded.
However, the Cassim Inquiry was dissolved by the President at the 11th hour and a severance package was agreed between the government and Nxasana. He left with a golden handshake of approximately R17 million [9]. His successor is Advocate Shaun Abrahams who took office on 18 June 2015. The appointment occurred at great speed and it is not clear that all the procedures, including correct security clearance, were complied with. This may ultimately create a situation in which Abrahams would be subject to an inquiry.
The following months saw the irrational withdrawal of charges against individuals such as the controversial Head of Prosecution Services, Nomgcobo Jiba [10]. All these actions call into question not only the independence of the NPA but the validity of the decisions within the NPA as a whole – an indictment against the State and a strike against our Constitution.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate ('IPID')
In February 2015 IPID came into the spotlight when the Minister of Police instituted Precautionary Suspension proceedings against the Head of IPID. The Minister intervened on the grounds that he was unhappy with the findings and decisions regarding the alleged involvement of senior Hawks officials in the unlawful rendition of Zimbabwean nationals back to Zimbabwe. The Final IPID Report, signed by McBride, found no case against most people involved, including the then Head of the Hawks. The Minister's intervention involved a series of unlawful and irrational steps namely: having a private law firm review the IPID Reports; having terms of reference that afforded the parties involved no opportunity to present their evidence and argument; and last but not least paying the law firm for this review.
The lawfulness of the Precautionary Suspension was challenged on an urgent basis and the Court ruled in favour of the Minister only in so far as the matter was not urgent. The Court decided that the lawfulness of the decision, should it be taken by the Minister, would be dealt with at a later date.
On 24 March, the Minister suspended the Head of IPID. The HSF applied to be amicus curiae in the proceedings. Mr McBride consented but the Minister opposed the application vehemently until consent was given the night before the hearing. Resistance by government to allow any amicus intervention is inappropriate in matters dealing with constitutional norms and values.
On 27 August 2015, the date of the hearing, the HSF argued that the executive officer of IPID enjoyed even more protection than that of the Hawks as a result of not only international comparators but the very wording of the Constitution itself.
On 4 December 2015, the Court handed down judgment in favour of the Applicant and by extension the HSF. The HSF's work in the area of the Hawks formed a substantial part of the precedent utilised in the judgment. The Judge confirmed the measure of independence to be granted to the Head of IPID and noted that because constitutional issues were involved the matter would be sent for confirmation by the Constitutional Court. Confirmation would validate the HSF's ongoing fight for institutional independence.
Strengthening the Constitution in the Global Sphere
In June 2015, the South African Litigation Centre ('SALC') launched an urgent application to compel Government to effect an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court ('ICC') against the President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir ('al-Bashir'). Al-Bashir prima facie appears to be guilty of murder, rape, torture, extermination, forced displacement and pillaging, which led to the death of more than 300 000 people and the displacement of over 2.5 million people.
The High Court granted the order but the State failed to enforce it. The State has appealed the High Court decision. The same attitude seems to have been adopted by the African Union ('AU') [11] and their displeasure with the manner in which the ICC is dealing with AU affiliates [12].
The State lodged the record in the proceedings and obtained an expedited date for the hearing of the matter by the Supreme Court of Appeal. The matter will be heard on 12 February 2016. On 24 December, the HSF requested the consent of the parties to be admitted as amicus curiae. It was given consent by SALC, but the State refused to give consent. The SCA has admitted the HSF as amicus curiae.
The HSF's submissions address a discrete legal issue regarding the relationship between customary international law and the Constitution. The submissions concern the proper interpretation of the Diplomatic Immunities and Privileges Act, 2001 ('DIPA'), taking into account the Preamble, Chapter 1, Chapter 2 and section 232 of the Constitution.
The HSF submits that section 4(1)(a) of DIPA does not operate as an absolute procedural bar - that is, it does not always afford immunity - to the detention, arrest and prosecution of heads of state who prima facie appear to have committed crimes against humanity, war crimes or genocide; and does not do so in this case. The State has a duty to detain, arrest and/or prosecute such persons. In the absence of immunity, the State cannot justify its failure to conform to this duty when al-Bashir visited South Africa in June 2015. Therefore, it is submitted, the leave to appeal application should be dismissed.
Through the HSF's efforts in securing the independence of an anti-corruption fighting agency the rights of citizens enshrined in the Constitution should be more fully realised. Through the efforts of the HSF to strengthen the criminal justice system by means of intervention in the JSC, Hawks and IPID, the HSF helped ensure that those who seek to undermine the rights of South Africans can be held accountable.
Through the HSF's intervention in the al-Bashir matter, we have sought to not only strengthen the Constitution but to show the world that our Constitution can influence the manner in which states, far removed from our corner of the world, interact with not only their citizens but within the family of nations as a whole.
The HSF will continue to fight in support of constitutional supremacy and institutional independence, a fight that will alone secure the democracy South Africans' deserve.
Chris Pieters (chris@hsf.org.za) is a legal researcher at the Helen Suzman Foundation.
[1] - http://buzzsouthafrica.com/anc-not-ruling-party-south-africa-mboweni/
[2] - http:/www.biznews.com/leadership/2016/02/02/desmond-tutu-goes-360-jacob-zuma-and-anc-worse-than-apartheid-govt/
[3] - http://hsf.org.za/resource-centre/hsf-briefs/the-rise-and-fall-of-uniform-rule-49-11
[4] - http://www.news24.com/MyNews24/Berning-Ntlemeza-A-fit-and-proper-appointment-as-Hawks-boss-20151021
[5] - http://www.bdlive.co.za/national/2015/03/24/ntlemeza-biased-and-dishonest-says-judge
[6] - http://mg.co.za/article/2016-01-29-00-case-against-hawks-boss-ntlemeza-resurfaces
[7] - http://hsf.org.za/resource-centre/justice-symposium-series
[8] - http://hsf.org.za/resource-centre/hsf-briefs/judicial-interference-with-the-executive-or-executive-interference-with-the-judiciary
[9] - http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Zuma-gave-NPA-boss-Nxasana-his-R17m-handshake-with-a-corrupt-intention-20150721
[10] - http://mg.co.za/article/2015-09-03-jiba-job-shows-whose-man-abrahams-is and http://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2016-02-02-npa-willie-hofmeyrs-affidavit-spells-trouble-for-jiba-and-abrahams/#.VrB8crJ96Uk
[11] - http://allafrica.com/stories/201601310166.html
[12] - http://hsf.org.za/resource-centre/hsf-briefs/the-rule-of-law-on-the-african-continent
Photo Courtesy: Law Professors
Southern Hemisphere: Designing and Managing Evaluations for development projects


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How many forms can there be for the word dog? A fennophile translator's views on the Finnish language.
During a recent trip to Shanghai, I met with one of our trusted translators into Chinese, Liu Zhihua 刘志华.
Before Christmas, we had a nice meet&greet with several of our translators based in the Copenhagen area and in the south of Sweden.
Meet the Project Coordinators in Hamburg.
Thanks to our translators for coming and enjoying a cheerful after work mingle at our office in Stockholm.
For trust to exist, consistency must be high on the agenda. Put simply, people need to know that they can expect the same action and response from a person every time. Once this kind of trust is in place, words carry their own weight.
While buyers of translations have different priorities depending on their place in the organisation, the closer you get to the people who will be using the translation, the more likely you are to hear.
Joining forces with experts is arguably one of the most important decisions you can make. Indeed, access to experts often may cost you no more than double what you would pay for entry-level work.
Important information about TMX import and export. Read this carefully when working with TMX files in Agito.
We have defined standard file type settings for Trados Studio and memoQ, which are the two CAT tools that you can choose to work in.
Last week, I visited our Hamburg office and had the pleasure to meet several of our skilled translators for status meetings and also for a relaxed "Meet&Greet" at our new office.
Here you will find a detailed guideline for updating your profile in the best possible manner. Please update your LanguageWire Agito profile regularly.


Kids shouldn't play games where hunting down and killing people is the goal, says one expert.
Kids in both the U.S. and Japan who reported playing lots of violent video games had more aggressive behavior months later than their peers who did not, according to the study, which appears in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics.
The researchers specifically tried to get to the root of the chicken-or-egg problem -- do children become more aggressive after playing video games or are aggressive kids more attracted to violent videos?
It's a murky -- and controversial -- issue. Many studies have linked violence in TV shows and video games to violent behavior. But when states have tried to keep under-18 kids from playing games rated "M" for mature, the proposed restrictions have often been challenged successfully in court.
In the new study, Dr. Craig A. Anderson, Ph.D., of Iowa State University in Ames, and his colleagues looked at how children and teen's video game habits at one time point related to their behavior three to six months later.
The study included three groups of kids: 181 Japanese students ages 12 to 15; 1,050 Japanese students aged 13 to 18; and 364 U.S. kids ages 9 to 12.
The U.S. children listed their three favorite games and how often they played them. In the younger Japanese group, the researchers looked at how often the children played five different violent video game genres (fighting action, shooting, adventure, among others); in the older group they gauged the violence in the kids' favorite game genres and the time they spent playing them each week.
Japanese children rated their own behavior in terms of physical aggression, such as hitting, kicking or getting into fights with other kids; the U.S. children rated themselves too, but the researchers took into account reports from their peers and teachers as well.
In every group, children who were exposed to more video game violence did become more aggressive over time than their peers who had less exposure. This was true even after the researchers took into account how aggressive the children were at the beginning of the study -- a strong predictor of future bad behavior.
The findings are "pretty good evidence" that violent video games do indeed cause aggressive behavior, says Dr. L. Rowell Huesmann, director of the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research in Ann Arbor.
First is imitation; children who watch violence in the media can internalize the message that the world is a hostile place, he explains, and that acting aggressively is an OK way to deal with it.
But Dr. Cheryl K. Olson, co-director of the Center for Mental Health and the Media at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, isn't convinced.
"It's not the violence per se that's the problem, it's the context and goals of the violence," said Olson, citing past research on TV violence and behavior.
There are definitely games kids shouldn't be playing, she said, for example those where hunting down and killing people is the goal. But she argues that the label "violent video games" is too vague. Researchers need to do a better job at defining what is considered a violent video game and what constitutes aggressive behavior, she added.
"I think there may well be problems with some kinds of violent games for some kinds of kids," Olson said. "We may find things we should be worried about, but right now we don't know enough."
Her advice to parents? Move the computer and gaming stuff out of kids' rooms and into public spaces in the home, like the living room, so they can keep an eye on what their child is up to.
Dr. David Walsh, president of the National Institute on Media and the Family, a Minneapolis-based non-profit, argues that the pervasiveness of violence in media has led to a "culture of disrespect" in which children get the message that it's acceptable to treat one another rudely and even aggressively.
"It doesn't necessarily mean that because a kid plays a violent video game they're immediately going to go out and beat somebody up," Walsh says. "The real impact is in shaping norms, shaping attitude. As those gradually shift, the differences start to show up in behavior."


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text:
KNAB has initiated 30 criminal cases in "Riga time" in Riga municipal departments and companies – In Latvia – News
It is significant that the municipal SIA "Rīgas satiksme" and free tickets for many Rigans were one of the reasons that allowed "S Harmonai" to strengthen its popularity and were sunk, when, among all other scandals, Ušakovs was "shaken" in the 270 million euro procurement of Rīgas satiksme. .
In the new term, "S Harmony" has rarely nominated the hitherto known Konstantin Chekushin as the leader, but
more than 10 of the candidates have sat in the old council who have received secret bonuses as consultants to municipal companies;
cases have been initiated against several, including for fraud in the Riga Tourism Development Bureau.
Many scandals shed light on the same key people who helped behind the scenes with a number of dubious deals.
Five years ago, "Nekā personīga" discovered fraud with detergents in "Rīgas satiksme".
The company paid about 800 thousand euros for water, not nano chemistry.
Part of the money was transferred to what the parties to the transaction called "insurers". They have helped to make the purchases of "Rīgas satiksme" favorable for the organizers of the scheme.
According to Vita Baurovska, involved in the scheme, the contact person was Boris Tsarjovs, a close business partner of Ushakov's adviser Erik Teilan. The money was taken to an office at 23 Antonijas Street, where both the Baltic Insurance House (BAN), which is indirectly owned by Taylan, and Carjova's companies are located.
Ushakov called the open scheme "Nothing Personal" a classic example of black PR.
It was the mayor of Riga who posted the confession of Vita Baurovska's video on social networks. She read a statement from a leaflet that what she had previously told journalists about the fraudulent schemes was not true.
The municipal company "Rīgas satiksme" did not report for a long time as a victim of the nano-water scandal, however, Ushakov's allegations about the black PR campaign turned out to be a lie.
The Competition Council imposed a fine of 2.4 million euros on the municipal company for the prohibited agreement during the procurement.
Rīgas satiksme appealed the penalty, but the Regional Administrative Court ruled that it was justified.
In municipal companies, employees and also movable and immovable property are in many cases insured by the company BAN, which is related to Ushakov's advisor Taylan. In recent years, Ushakov has no longer officially called Taylan his fellow.
He also avoids the press, although at first he was ready to even tell about his fleet and how he plans to buy Rolls-Royce,
which, besides him, will be only to the Sultan of Brunei.
In 2018, KNAB initiates criminal proceedings for the purchase of trams, trolleybuses and buses in Rīgas Satiksme.
The total amount of the transaction is huge – 270 million euros, but in bribes, probably 13-19 million.
The management of the municipal company and also a businessman close to politicians Maris Martinsons have been detained in the case. Ushakov does not deny that he is known. In addition, Martinosons was involved in transactions with Eric Taylan, who is close to him. The signatures of the chairman of the council are on the dubious agreements. At the end of January 2019, the KNAB conducted a search of both the Ushakov workplace in the City Council and the rented private house in Mežparks.
In October 2011, the Finance Department of the Riga City Council deposited 10 million lats in Latvijas Krājbanka, but a month later the FCMC suspended the work of Krājbanka. The strange deposit coincided with the time when it was planned to install photo radars in Latvia. Their implementation was ensured by Erik Taylan's company Vitronic Baltica and the project was credited by the same Krājbanka.
Topics: knab, nils ušakovs, Riga City Council, riga traffic
Amadeus and his Sanremo with an audience in the hall: a fake play out of this world | First page
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Only Indonesia Dare To Do This, If The US and China Are Not defeated, ASEAN Needs to Follow RI's Steps


text:
package io.grpc.testing.integration;

import static java.util.Arrays.asList;
import static java.util.Collections.shuffle;
import static java.util.Collections.singletonList;
import static java.util.concurrent.Executors.newFixedThreadPool;
import static java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.SECONDS;

import com.google.common.annotations.VisibleForTesting;
import com.google.common.base.Joiner;
import com.google.common.base.Objects;
import com.google.common.base.Preconditions;
import com.google.common.base.Splitter;
import com.google.common.collect.Iterators;
import com.google.common.util.concurrent.Futures;
import com.google.common.util.concurrent.ListenableFuture;
import com.google.common.util.concurrent.ListeningExecutorService;
import com.google.common.util.concurrent.MoreExecutors;
import io.grpc.ManagedChannel;
import io.grpc.ManagedChannelBuilder;
import io.grpc.Server;
import io.grpc.ServerBuilder;
import io.grpc.Status;
import io.grpc.StatusException;
import io.grpc.internal.testing.TestUtils;
import io.grpc.netty.GrpcSslContexts;
import io.grpc.netty.NegotiationType;
import io.grpc.netty.NettyChannelBuilder;
import io.grpc.stub.StreamObserver;
import io.netty.handler.ssl.SslContext;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.net.InetAddress;
import java.net.InetSocketAddress;
import java.net.URI;
import java.net.URISyntaxException;
import java.net.UnknownHostException;
import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.Iterator;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.Locale;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
import java.util.logging.Level;
import java.util.logging.Logger;

/**
 * A stress test client following the
 *
 * specifications of the gRPC stress testing framework.
 */
public class StressTestClient {

  private static final Logger log = Logger.getLogger(StressTestClient.class.getName());

  /**
   * The main application allowing this client to be launched from the command line.
   */
  public static void main(String... args) throws Exception {
    final StressTestClient client = new StressTestClient();
    client.parseArgs(args);

    // Attempt an orderly shutdown, if the JVM is shutdown via a signal.
    Runtime.getRuntime().addShutdownHook(new Thread() {
      @Override
      public void run() {
        client.shutdown();
      }
    });

    try {
      client.startMetricsService();
      client.runStressTest();
      client.blockUntilStressTestComplete();
    } catch (Exception e) {
      log.log(Level.WARNING, "The stress test client encountered an error!", e);
    } finally {
      client.shutdown();
    }
  }

  private static final int WORKER_GRACE_PERIOD_SECS = 30;

  private List<InetSocketAddress> addresses =
      singletonList(new InetSocketAddress("localhost", 8080));
  private List<TestCaseWeightPair> testCaseWeightPairs = new ArrayList<>();

  private String serverHostOverride;
  private boolean useTls = false;
  private boolean useTestCa = false;
  private int durationSecs = -1;
  private int channelsPerServer = 1;
  private int stubsPerChannel = 1;
  private int metricsPort = 8081;

  private Server metricsServer;
  private final Map<String, Metrics.GaugeResponse> gauges =
      new ConcurrentHashMap<>();

  private volatile boolean shutdown;

  /**
   * List of futures that {@link #blockUntilStressTestComplete()} waits for.
   */
  private final List<ListenableFuture<?>> workerFutures =
      new ArrayList<>();
  private final List<ManagedChannel> channels = new ArrayList<>();
  private ListeningExecutorService threadpool;

  @VisibleForTesting
  void parseArgs(String[] args) {
    boolean usage = false;
    String serverAddresses = "";
    for (String arg : args) {
      if (!arg.startsWith("--")) {
        System.err.println("All arguments must start with '--': " + arg);
        usage = true;
        break;
      }
      String[] parts = arg.substring(2).split("=", 2);
      String key = parts[0];
      if ("help".equals(key)) {
        usage = true;
        break;
      }
      if (parts.length != 2) {
        System.err.println("All arguments must be of the form --arg=value");
        usage = true;
        break;
      }
      String value = parts[1];
      if ("server_addresses".equals(key)) {
        // May need to apply server host overrides to the addresses, so delay processing
        serverAddresses = value;
      } else if ("server_host_override".equals(key)) {
        serverHostOverride = value;
      } else if ("use_tls".equals(key)) {
        useTls = Boolean.parseBoolean(value);
      } else if ("use_test_ca".equals(key)) {
        useTestCa = Boolean.parseBoolean(value);
      } else if ("test_cases".equals(key)) {
        testCaseWeightPairs = parseTestCases(value);
      } else if ("test_duration_secs".equals(key)) {
        durationSecs = Integer.valueOf(value);
      } else if ("num_channels_per_server".equals(key)) {
        channelsPerServer = Integer.valueOf(value);
      } else if ("num_stubs_per_channel".equals(key)) {
        stubsPerChannel = Integer.valueOf(value);
      } else if ("metrics_port".equals(key)) {
        metricsPort = Integer.valueOf(value);
      } else {
        System.err.println("Unknown argument: " + key);
        usage = true;
        break;
      }
    }

    if (!usage && !serverAddresses.isEmpty()) {
      addresses = parseServerAddresses(serverAddresses);
      usage = addresses.isEmpty();
    }

    if (usage) {
      StressTestClient c = new StressTestClient();
      System.err.println(
          "Usage: [ARGS...]"
              + "\n"
              + "\n  --server_host_override=HOST    Claimed identification expected of server."
              + "\n                                 Defaults to server host"
              + "\n  --server_addresses=<name_1>:<port_1>,<name_2>:<port_2>...<name_N>:<port_N>"
              + "\n    Default: " + serverAddressesToString(c.addresses)
              + "\n  --test_cases=<testcase_1:w_1>,<testcase_2:w_2>...<testcase_n:w_n>"
              + "\n    List of <testcase,weight> tuples. Weight is the relative frequency at which"
              + " testcase is run."
              + "\n    Valid Testcases:"
              + validTestCasesHelpText()
              + "\n  --use_tls=true|false           Whether to use TLS. Default: " + c.useTls
              + "\n  --use_test_ca=true|false       Whether to trust our fake CA. Requires"
              + " --use_tls=true"
              + "\n                                 to have effect. Default: " + c.useTestCa
              + "\n  --test_duration_secs=SECONDS   '-1' for no limit. Default: " + c.durationSecs
              + "\n  --num_channels_per_server=INT  Number of connections to each server address."
              + " Default: " + c.channelsPerServer
              + "\n  --num_stubs_per_channel=INT    Default: " + c.stubsPerChannel
              + "\n  --metrics_port=PORT            Listening port of the metrics server."
              + " Default: " + c.metricsPort
      );
      System.exit(1);
    }
  }

  @VisibleForTesting
  void startMetricsService() throws IOException {
    Preconditions.checkState(!shutdown, "client was shutdown.");

    metricsServer = ServerBuilder.forPort(metricsPort)
        .addService(new MetricsServiceImpl())
        .build()
        .start();
  }

  @VisibleForTesting
  void runStressTest() throws Exception {
    Preconditions.checkState(!shutdown, "client was shutdown.");
    if (testCaseWeightPairs.isEmpty()) {
      return;
    }

    int numChannels = addresses.size() * channelsPerServer;
    int numThreads = numChannels * stubsPerChannel;
    threadpool = MoreExecutors.listeningDecorator(newFixedThreadPool(numThreads));
    int serverIdx = -1;
    for (InetSocketAddress address : addresses) {
      serverIdx++;
      for (int i = 0; i < channelsPerServer; i++) {
        ManagedChannel channel = createChannel(address);
        channels.add(channel);
        for (int j = 0; j < stubsPerChannel; j++) {
          String gaugeName = String.format(
              Locale.US, "/stress_test/server_%d/channel_%d/stub_%d/qps", serverIdx, i, j);
          Worker worker =
              new Worker(channel, testCaseWeightPairs, durationSecs, gaugeName);

          workerFutures.add(threadpool.submit(worker));
        }
      }
    }
  }

  @VisibleForTesting
  void blockUntilStressTestComplete() throws Exception {
    Preconditions.checkState(!shutdown, "client was shutdown.");

    ListenableFuture<?> f = Futures.allAsList(workerFutures);
    if (durationSecs == -1) {
      // '-1' indicates that the stress test runs until terminated by the user.
      f.get();
    } else {
      f.get(durationSecs + WORKER_GRACE_PERIOD_SECS, SECONDS);
    }
  }

  @VisibleForTesting
  void shutdown() {
    if (shutdown) {
      return;
    }
    shutdown = true;

    for (ManagedChannel ch : channels) {
      try {
        ch.shutdownNow();
        ch.awaitTermination(1, SECONDS);
      } catch (Throwable t) {
        log.log(Level.WARNING, "Error shutting down channel!", t);
      }
    }

    try {
      metricsServer.shutdownNow();
    } catch (Throwable t) {
      log.log(Level.WARNING, "Error shutting down metrics service!", t);
    }

    try {
      if (threadpool != null) {
        threadpool.shutdownNow();
      }
    } catch (Throwable t) {
      log.log(Level.WARNING, "Error shutting down threadpool.", t);
    }
  }

  @VisibleForTesting
  int getMetricServerPort() {
    return metricsServer.getPort();
  }

  private List<InetSocketAddress> parseServerAddresses(String addressesStr) {
    List<InetSocketAddress> addresses = new ArrayList<>();

    for (List<String> namePort : parseCommaSeparatedTuples(addressesStr)) {
      InetAddress address;
      String name = namePort.get(0);
      int port = Integer.valueOf(namePort.get(1));
      try {
        address = InetAddress.getByName(name);
        if (serverHostOverride != null) {
          // Force the hostname to match the cert the server uses.
          address = InetAddress.getByAddress(serverHostOverride, address.getAddress());
        }
      } catch (UnknownHostException ex) {
        throw new RuntimeException(ex);
      }
      addresses.add(new InetSocketAddress(address, port));
    }

    return addresses;
  }

  private static List<TestCaseWeightPair> parseTestCases(String testCasesStr) {
    List<TestCaseWeightPair> testCaseWeightPairs = new ArrayList<>();

    for (List<String> nameWeight : parseCommaSeparatedTuples(testCasesStr)) {
      TestCases testCase = TestCases.fromString(nameWeight.get(0));
      int weight = Integer.valueOf(nameWeight.get(1));
      testCaseWeightPairs.add(new TestCaseWeightPair(testCase, weight));
    }

    return testCaseWeightPairs;
  }

  private static List<List<String>> parseCommaSeparatedTuples(String str) {
    List<List<String>> tuples = new ArrayList<>();
    for (String tupleStr : Splitter.on(',').split(str)) {
      int splitIdx = tupleStr.lastIndexOf(':');
      if (splitIdx == -1) {
        throw new IllegalArgumentException("Illegal tuple format: '" + tupleStr + "'");
      }
      String part0 = tupleStr.substring(0, splitIdx);
      String part1 = tupleStr.substring(splitIdx + 1);
      tuples.add(asList(part0, part1));
    }
    return tuples;
  }

  private ManagedChannel createChannel(InetSocketAddress address) {
    SslContext sslContext = null;
    if (useTestCa) {
      try {
        sslContext = GrpcSslContexts.forClient().trustManager(
            TestUtils.loadCert("ca.pem")).build();
      } catch (Exception ex) {
        throw new RuntimeException(ex);
      }
    }
    return NettyChannelBuilder.forAddress(address)
        .negotiationType(useTls ? NegotiationType.TLS : NegotiationType.PLAINTEXT)
        .sslContext(sslContext)
        .build();
  }

  private static String serverAddressesToString(List<InetSocketAddress> addresses) {
    List<String> tmp = new ArrayList<>();
    for (InetSocketAddress address : addresses) {
      URI uri;
      try {
        uri = new URI(null, null, address.getHostName(), address.getPort(), null, null, null);
      } catch (URISyntaxException e) {
        throw new RuntimeException(e);
      }
      tmp.add(uri.getAuthority());
    }
    return Joiner.on(',').join(tmp);
  }

  private static String validTestCasesHelpText() {
    StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
    for (TestCases testCase : TestCases.values()) {
      String strTestcase = testCase.name().toLowerCase();
      builder.append("\n      ")
          .append(strTestcase)
          .append(": ")
          .append(testCase.description());
    }
    return builder.toString();
  }

  /**
   * A stress test worker. Every stub has its own stress test worker.
   */
  private class Worker implements Runnable {

    // Interval at which the QPS stats of metrics service are updated.
    private static final long METRICS_COLLECTION_INTERVAL_SECS = 5;

    private final ManagedChannel channel;
    private final List<TestCaseWeightPair> testCaseWeightPairs;
    private final Integer durationSec;
    private final String gaugeName;

    Worker(ManagedChannel channel, List<TestCaseWeightPair> testCaseWeightPairs,
        int durationSec, String gaugeName) {
      Preconditions.checkArgument(durationSec >= -1, "durationSec must be gte -1.");
      this.channel = Preconditions.checkNotNull(channel, "channel");
      this.testCaseWeightPairs =
          Preconditions.checkNotNull(testCaseWeightPairs, "testCaseWeightPairs");
      this.durationSec = durationSec == -1 ? null : durationSec;
      this.gaugeName = Preconditions.checkNotNull(gaugeName, "gaugeName");
    }

    @Override
    public void run() {
      // Simplify debugging if the worker crashes / never terminates.
      Thread.currentThread().setName(gaugeName);

      Tester tester = new Tester();
      tester.setUp();
      WeightedTestCaseSelector testCaseSelector = new WeightedTestCaseSelector(testCaseWeightPairs);
      Long endTime = durationSec == null ? null : System.nanoTime() + SECONDS.toNanos(durationSecs);
      long lastMetricsCollectionTime = initLastMetricsCollectionTime();
      // Number of interop testcases run since the last time metrics have been updated.
      long testCasesSinceLastMetricsCollection = 0;

      while (!Thread.currentThread().isInterrupted() && !shutdown
          && (endTime == null || endTime - System.nanoTime() > 0)) {
        try {
          runTestCase(tester, testCaseSelector.nextTestCase());
        } catch (Exception e) {
          throw new RuntimeException(e);
        }

        testCasesSinceLastMetricsCollection++;

        double durationSecs = computeDurationSecs(lastMetricsCollectionTime);
        if (durationSecs >= METRICS_COLLECTION_INTERVAL_SECS) {
          long qps = (long) Math.ceil(testCasesSinceLastMetricsCollection / durationSecs);

          Metrics.GaugeResponse gauge = Metrics.GaugeResponse
              .newBuilder()
              .setName(gaugeName)
              .setLongValue(qps)
              .build();

          gauges.put(gaugeName, gauge);

          lastMetricsCollectionTime = System.nanoTime();
          testCasesSinceLastMetricsCollection = 0;
        }
      }
    }

    private long initLastMetricsCollectionTime() {
      return System.nanoTime() - SECONDS.toNanos(METRICS_COLLECTION_INTERVAL_SECS);
    }

    private double computeDurationSecs(long lastMetricsCollectionTime) {
      return (System.nanoTime() - lastMetricsCollectionTime) / 1000000000.0;
    }

    private void runTestCase(Tester tester, TestCases testCase) throws Exception {
      // TODO(buchgr): Implement tests requiring auth, once C++ supports it.
      switch (testCase) {
        case EMPTY_UNARY:
          tester.emptyUnary();
          break;

        case LARGE_UNARY:
          tester.largeUnary();
          break;

        case CLIENT_STREAMING:
          tester.clientStreaming();
          break;

        case SERVER_STREAMING:
          tester.serverStreaming();
          break;

        case PING_PONG:
          tester.pingPong();
          break;

        case EMPTY_STREAM:
          tester.emptyStream();
          break;

        case UNIMPLEMENTED_METHOD: {
          tester.unimplementedMethod();
          break;
        }

        case UNIMPLEMENTED_SERVICE: {
          tester.unimplementedService();
          break;
        }

        case CANCEL_AFTER_BEGIN: {
          tester.cancelAfterBegin();
          break;
        }

        case CANCEL_AFTER_FIRST_RESPONSE: {
          tester.cancelAfterFirstResponse();
          break;
        }

        case TIMEOUT_ON_SLEEPING_SERVER: {
          tester.timeoutOnSleepingServer();
          break;
        }

        default:
          throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unknown test case: " + testCase);
      }
    }

    class Tester extends AbstractInteropTest {
      @Override
      protected ManagedChannel createChannel() {
        return Worker.this.channel;
      }

      @Override
      protected ManagedChannelBuilder<?> createChannelBuilder() {
        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
      }

      @Override
      protected int operationTimeoutMillis() {
        // Don't enforce a timeout when using the interop tests for the stress test client.
        // Fixes https://github.com/grpc/grpc-java/issues/1812
        return Integer.MAX_VALUE;
      }

      @Override
      protected boolean metricsExpected() {
        // TODO(zhangkun83): we may want to enable the real google Instrumentation implementation in
        // stress tests.
        return false;
      }
    }

    class WeightedTestCaseSelector {
      /**
       * Randomly shuffled and cyclic sequence that contains each testcase proportionally
       * to its weight.
       */
      final Iterator<TestCases> testCases;

      WeightedTestCaseSelector(List<TestCaseWeightPair> testCaseWeightPairs) {
        Preconditions.checkNotNull(testCaseWeightPairs, "testCaseWeightPairs");
        Preconditions.checkArgument(testCaseWeightPairs.size() > 0);

        List<TestCases> testCases = new ArrayList<>();
        for (TestCaseWeightPair testCaseWeightPair : testCaseWeightPairs) {
          for (int i = 0; i < testCaseWeightPair.weight; i++) {
            testCases.add(testCaseWeightPair.testCase);
          }
        }

        shuffle(testCases);

        this.testCases = Iterators.cycle(testCases);
      }

      TestCases nextTestCase() {
        return testCases.next();
      }
    }
  }

  /**
   * Service that exports the QPS metrics of the stress test.
   */
  private class MetricsServiceImpl extends MetricsServiceGrpc.MetricsServiceImplBase {

    @Override
    public void getAllGauges(Metrics.EmptyMessage request,
        StreamObserver<Metrics.GaugeResponse> responseObserver) {
      for (Metrics.GaugeResponse gauge : gauges.values()) {
        responseObserver.onNext(gauge);
      }
      responseObserver.onCompleted();
    }

    @Override
    public void getGauge(Metrics.GaugeRequest request,
        StreamObserver<Metrics.GaugeResponse> responseObserver) {
      String gaugeName = request.getName();
      Metrics.GaugeResponse gauge = gauges.get(gaugeName);
      if (gauge != null) {
        responseObserver.onNext(gauge);
        responseObserver.onCompleted();
      } else {
        responseObserver.onError(new StatusException(Status.NOT_FOUND));
      }
    }
  }

  @VisibleForTesting
  static class TestCaseWeightPair {
    final TestCases testCase;
    final int weight;

    TestCaseWeightPair(TestCases testCase, int weight) {
      Preconditions.checkArgument(weight >= 0, "weight must be positive.");
      this.testCase = Preconditions.checkNotNull(testCase, "testCase");
      this.weight = weight;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean equals(Object other) {
      if (!(other instanceof TestCaseWeightPair)) {
        return false;
      }
      TestCaseWeightPair that = (TestCaseWeightPair) other;
      return testCase.equals(that.testCase) && weight == that.weight;
    }

    @Override
    public int hashCode() {
      return Objects.hashCode(testCase, weight);
    }
  }

  @VisibleForTesting
  List<InetSocketAddress> addresses() {
    return Collections.unmodifiableList(addresses);
  }

  @VisibleForTesting
  String serverHostOverride() {
    return serverHostOverride;
  }

  @VisibleForTesting
  boolean useTls() {
    return useTls;
  }

  @VisibleForTesting
  boolean useTestCa() {
    return useTestCa;
  }

  @VisibleForTesting
  List<TestCaseWeightPair> testCaseWeightPairs() {
    return testCaseWeightPairs;
  }

  @VisibleForTesting
  int durationSecs() {
    return durationSecs;
  }

  @VisibleForTesting
  int channelsPerServer() {
    return channelsPerServer;
  }

  @VisibleForTesting
  int stubsPerChannel() {
    return stubsPerChannel;
  }

  @VisibleForTesting
  int metricsPort() {
    return metricsPort;
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Nature Retreat Teaches Students the Importance of Service to Community
By Michelle Morgante, UC Merced
UC Merced students in the Leadership & Service Living Learning Community take in the view from atop Mount Tamalpais.
Hiking to the top of Marin County's iconic Mount Tamalpais gave a group of UC Merced students not only a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean, but insight into how they, as individuals, can contribute to their communities' enrichment.
The 19 first-year students are members of the campus's Leadership & Service Living Learning Community (LLC), which allows them to live together to build relationships with one another while developing their leadership and service skills through volunteer efforts in Merced County and California State Parks.
Over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend in January, the students went on a two-day retreat, learning about conservation work at Mount Tamalpais State Park and the region's Watershed Project, and providing volunteer service in nearby Richmond.
The team learned how park leaders have overcome procedural and bureaucratic differences by forming one organization, One Tam, to align the efforts of four federal, state and county agencies that manage Mount Tamalpais.
"Our trip to Mount Tamalpais was a unique experience," said Adrian Buitron Boada, a mechanical engineering student. "I had a chance to learn about the problems that state parks face every year and how creatively they are solved by the leaders who preserve them."
Janet Klein, who directs One Tam conservation science programs at Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, said she was impressed by the students' fortitude in hiking through wind and fog on the mountain.
"I very much enjoyed the collective awe at the unique perspective offered by the top of Mount Tam, with San Francisco to the south and national parks to the north. It is gratifying to see a rising generation of leaders step onto their public lands," she said.
Adrian Buitron Boada, a student in the Leadership & Service Living Learning Community, walks along a wall atop Mount Tamalpais.
On the second day, the students worked at the Richmond Greenway, a stretch of abandoned railroad property that is being transformed into a community open space. They spread mulch around native plants to prevent weeds.
"Going on the retreat, I learned more about how the communities that are close to my home — communities that struggle — can see hope," said Brianna Chavez Mancella, a psychology major. "It is amazing to see them all come together to help protect their environment for the future."
Paula White, community programs manager for The Watershed Project, said the work was appropriate for the holiday's day-of-service theme.
"It's really inspiring to get to work with young people like the students from UC Merced who came to the Richmond Greenway on Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday," she said. "While the students worked to smother the weeds with wheelbarrows full of mulch, they helped create a joyful atmosphere of good will that was infectious. There's something about working outside next to a stranger that creates connections — to nature, to a place, to a new friend. I think this is the kind of service that Martin Luther King Jr. would be proud of."
UC Merced students in the Leadership & Service Living Learning Community gather after completing their community service work with The Watershed Project in Richmond.
The Leadership & Service Living Learning Community, one of 11 LLCs at UC Merced, is the result of a partnership between the Margo F. Souza Student Leadership Center and the university's Community Engagement Center. It is also supported by the Office of Housing & Residence Education.
A grant from the California State Parks Foundation supports the retreat and other projects in the community.
Leaders of the Leadership & Service LLC have announced that it has been selected to pilot a second year in which students who complete their first year in the program will be able to continue the living-learning experience. Those who choose to continue in Fall 2020 will be introduced to a new career-readiness component, supported by UC Merced's Center for Career & Professional Advancement.
"I'm grateful to be a part of the community of scholars that we've built within the Leadership & Service LLC," said Jess Evora, associate director of the Margo F. Souza Student Leadership Center. "These first-years began the Fall 2019 semester as strangers. They have since grown into a family that both supports each other and holds each other accountable to the community expectations we have set for ourselves as an LLC.
"I'm extremely excited because these students have already shown what leadership in action can look like, yet they're only in the beginning stages of their leadership journey here at UC Merced. The best is yet to come for these students."
The Leadership & Service LLC is open to first-year students who are willing to commit themselves to exploring and developing their own leadership skills and style, understanding their personal values, and learning how to ethically and effectively engage with and in the local community.
UC Plans for Fall 2021 In-person Instruction Across Its 10 Campuses
The University of California announced today that it is planning for a return to primarily in-person instruction systemwide starting in fall 2021. The...
'Give to UC Merced' to End 2020 on a High Note
High school and college students' lives have changed in unpredictable ways this year. They've missed out on many of the traditions that mark...


text:
I Have Medicine
For an instant, descriptions like "Autumn mountains and spring trees [1]," "bright like the moon [2]," and "n.o.ble temperament [3]" brushed through Gu Zuo's mind. To add to that, the other person was equally delighted to sign the contract. His impressions of this guy had really shot up. Nowadays, it was easy to make concessions for beautiful people. Even more, he wanted to please him… If at first his guilt to Gongyi Tianheng was seven, then it had soared directly to a ten. He felt that his recent actions were rather reprehensible.
But when this Prince Charming opened his mouth and asked: "So how do we complete this deal?" Gu Zuo was struck dumb.
He'd exhausted all of his courage to execute this plan to capture his patron, and yet, when he finally confronted him, Gu Zuo realized that for the deal's specific content — he completely forgot to think of any!
With a slight smile, this beautiful person sat across from him and politely stated: "Tonight, Gu…"
Gu Zuo promptly said: "You can call me Ah Zuo [4], Xiao Gu, or Xiao Zuo. No worries."
In a relationship, everyone had to draw closer to properly work together!
Naturally, the handsome Tianheng nodded, stood up, and said: "Ah Zuo, allow me to arrange a room for you. I'm afraid that you may be quite tired. As for these matters, rest for now, and we can properly discuss them tomorrow at our leisure."
Gu Zuo was moved. Of course, he quickly agreed and, with an open and naive mind, he followed him to his room.
The ready-made guest room was spotless and was even comparable to the bedroom of the Qi Family's head. For a long time, his heart was weary; finally he could let his guard down. Once he got to bed, he fell asleep.
As expected, after Gu Zuo entered his room, he didn't perceive that behind the beautiful, considerate Tianheng, a black garbed man appeared.
And this man held Tianheng in the highest esteem and his respect was unparalleled.
Observing Gu Zuo's departure, the solemn faced man kneeled: "Young master."
Gongyi Tianheng: "Stand."
He obediently stood: "This subordinate doesn't understand why the young master is taking care of this kid. What is the point of stringing him along?"
Gongyi Tianheng's lip curled a little, but this smile was without warmth: "I ordered an investigation into this matter. The results?"
The man said: "Already compiled. Young master, have a look."
Saying this, he opened a slip of paper and presented it to his master.
Tianheng took it and while he read it, he walked to the other side of the estate — his study.
The other man closely followed behind.
Gongyi Tianheng sat on a soft couch and, without urgency or delay, opened the dossier: "So, this Gu Zuo's original name was Qi Tianyou. He's…adopted from the Qi Family in Yunyang City? Also, he ought to have been a handicap?"
The man respectfully said: "Yes, young master."
Tianheng's tone was indifferent: "If he truly was Qi Tianyou, the boy's differences are too great."
The man's eyebrows furrowed: "This subordinate is also puzzled [5]."
Tianheng seemed to deeply ponder: "After being struck down and having a sudden change in temperament, it'd make sense."
Indeed. In fact, when Gu Zuo came to snoop around the estate on the first day, he was already discovered by Gongyi Tianheng's guards. However, under Tianheng's orders, the guards never took the initiative to capture him. When they first reported that incident, he also ordered them to monitor Gu Zuo.
Consequently, all of Gu Zuo's antics over the past few days had been observed by Gongyi Tianheng.
Gu Zuo was too young to properly regard this world's martial artists. He could escape from the Qi Family only because they didn't have enough concrete information and he didn't have any ability to defend himself. In short, they underestimated him. Could Gongyi Tianheng reside in such an isolated estate unguarded? Where could Gu Zuo have found such an opportunity to enter?
He couldn't find a way to get in. At night, people suddenly attacked the estate and pulled away all the guards. He spent several days searching for dog holes around the perimeter wall and failed to find any, except for a single hole that night. After breaching the courtyard, because the guards didn't want to disturb Gongyi Tianheng's evening, there was no one anywhere near the inner courtyard. Without any guards, that paved the way for Gu Zuo's approach… The inexplicable pile of opportunities and errors was not a coincidence at all.
Simply put, although Gu Zuo had experience dealing with cruel people and developed a certain amount of vigilance, even with his efforts to create a fool-proof plan he still wasn't a deeply shrewd person. If it weren't for Gongyi Tianheng wanting to see Gu Zuo, the guards wouldn't have given him the chance. He couldn't rely on his own strength to "threaten" Tianheng.
After reading the dossier, Gongyi Tianheng gave it back to the man: "Dispose of it."
The man took it and his palm erupted with a red color. The paper instantly caught fire and was consumed in a flash, leaving no ash or smoke.
His eyebrows still wrinkled: "Young master, since he was ruined, why should we leave him be?"
Gongyi Tianheng grinned slightly. He stretched out his hands in front of him and slowly moved his fingers in several bizarre motions. They seemed rather eccentric, but among the movements was a peculiar rhythm.
If Gu Zuo was there, he'd certainly discover that these were the three hand arts he'd been practicing for the past couple of days. Even though Tianheng's motions weren't smooth, there wasn't a single mistake.
After doing a few moves, Tianheng stopped: "These hand arts are strange, but quite brilliant. They ought to belong to a special cultivation method that requires considerable talent. Although I can imitate them, it is only just imitation; furthermore, without his body, it's exceedingly crude."
The man saw this and was awed: "Young master, that you could understand these hand arts to this degree after one time is already very difficult!"
Tianheng raised an eyebrow, and noncommittally said: "Based on this, we can plainly conclude that Gu Zuo should have come across some kind of fortuitous meeting between the Qi Family dropping him and me choosing to be his patron. But the time period is too short, he shouldn't have accomplished this much…"
He recalled the kid's face when he got embarra.s.sed and lightly smiled: "He's still not certain about how to treat my illness."
The man suddenly remembered something, his expression changed: "Young master, was that contract harmful at all?"
Gongyi Tianheng said: "Probably not. After the contract was sealed, in my heart I sensed that I wouldn't be able to harm him at all."
Tianheng saw that the other man still didn't approve. The man groaned: "If he has any tricks up his sleeve, do I have permission to destroy him with my own two hands?"
Every contract required formidable willpower. What kind of dreadful contract could be created from an ordinary person with not a drop of martial strength in his body? What's more, he made no preparations to eliminate that Gu Zuo, and his temperament could be seen through at a glance.
He was naturally timid, but sometimes this little guy was very stubborn and could be clever in a pinch. But his intelligence was not enough to be a threat. Most importantly, he had never taken a life [6]; at least right now, he didn't have the courage to take a life.
The man's expression smoothed and grimly muttered: "My life is the young master's to command!"
Tianheng continued, unimpeded: "As for whether he can cure me… Since he dared to come here and tell me this, naturally he has some confidence. And right now, who could say that he won't be able to succeed?"
The man was about to retort, but hesitated: "For young master, the Clan heads and the other Clan members have tried everything to find a cure."
Tianheng sighed: "Yes, from Cangyun country to even the neighboring countries, each and every talented pharmacist, they've invited them all."
But, to no avail.
No matter who came, they all failed.
The man was silent.
Gongyi Tianheng smiled: "So, maybe this Gu Zuo is my last chance."
His gaze fell on the man, "I'll ask that you leave him be. I am, as you know, a gambler."
The man saw a thin thread of madness flash through Gongyi Tianheng's eyes. He lowered his head and didn't dare look upon them again.
Yes, all members of the Celestial Dragon Guard knew that the young master was a gambler.
From the beginning, when he conducted business, the young master would bet and always come out on top. And so, he raised those enterprises to their current state; even while battling his illness, the young master would still bet everything. Even though he was already —
Gongyi Tianheng was already used to his subordinate's reverence.
He closed his eyes, and his voice carried bemus.e.m.e.nt: "Moreover, even if I bet this once and lose, I have such a curious little thing accompanying me to death's door. It's very exciting… Isn't it?"
After sleeping soundly for the night, Gu Zuo woke up, stretched his body, and felt that his mind was crystal clear.
Indeed, it had been a long time since his sleep was peaceful…
Then he remembered, he already secured his patron.
He was in such a good mood because he had a good night's sleep.
He found that he over-thought things yesterday. For the contract and everything else, he didn't have to worry about it at all! Presently, Gongyi Tianheng couldn't harm him. So long as he could supply him with a sufficient amount of medicinal ingredients, then the other things could be left to the smart people to handle.
For Gu Zuo, besides refining medicine, were there any other important things he had to deal with?
Currently the only thing he needed to do was find his patron and reveal the existence of his system. For some matters, he could ask the smart people to help him figure out.
Gu Zuo didn't laze around; after he got up, he prepared to go wash up.
Once he opened the door, he immediately discovered a neat row of people stationed outside.
He blanked for a bit before he realized that there was a group of ten year old girls [7], each one carrying a tray in their hands. Behind the maids were two strong men carrying a bathtub.
Then Gu Zuo felt a little embarra.s.sed.
That's right, he went directly to sleep yesterday and his body was still dirty. It would be very rude to see his patron as he was now.
The servants of his patron's estate…were considerably attentive.
After the bathtub was settled and the water was warm, Gu Zuo had the people place the trays in the room and drove everyone out — he wasn't accustomed to being waited upon.
Not long after, he immediately took a bath. He came out naked as the day he was born, and took the soft clothes, shaking them open to take a look. They fit his body well. After that, he changed his clothes with satisfaction, quickly cleaned up, and left the room.
"Pardon me, I want to meet young master Gongyi…"
[1] 濯濯如三月柳, a phrase from the novel <花月痕>> by Wei Xiuren.
[2] 皎皎如月, from the poem <短歌行>> by Cao Cao.
[3] 光风霁月, light breeze and clear moon, an idiom for a n.o.ble or benevolent character. I'm not sure where the entire phrase comes from though.
[4] 啊 - A or Ah, a kinship term used to promote familiarity.
[5] 百思不得其解 - Bai si bu de qi jie, to think about something for a long time, but still not understand.
[6] 沾血 - Zhan xue, from what I understand, it would be "stained by blood," or taking a life.
[7] 黄毛丫头 - Huang mao ya tou, silly little girls, though 丫头 can mean servant girl.
T/N: Alert, alert! The golden thigh has a black belly, ah!
Do you think I should keep the name of Tianheng's private guards as the Celestial Dragon Guard, the Tianlong Guard, or some other variation?
Also, I translated the author's explanation for this story's complete ranking system for martial artists and pharmacists. You can find my translation on the .
Please don't forget to support the .


Jean Kennedy and Delwin Billington stand next to the rubbish-strewn garden.
Jean Kennedy, who lives on Millbrook Street, said: "I have been complaining on behalf of the community about a neglected and untidy allotment/garden on Millbrook Street for the whole of 2018 and it's still a mess.
"These gardens were obviously designed for people in the terraced houses who have no gardens.
Ms Kennedy said the person renting the plot left at the end of 2017 and it has lain vacant since then.
The plots on Millbrook Street lie near to the River Darwen Parkway and Higher Croft Woods and are popular with dog walkers.
She added: "Now this plot has been left so long they are saying it's difficult to let.
The post UK: Anger over 'neglected and untidy' garden near River Darwen, Lancashire appeared first on City Farmer News.