text:
"""
material.py
-------------

Store visual materials as objects.
"""
import abc
import copy
import numpy as np

from . import color
from .. import util
from .. import grouping
from .. import exceptions

# epsilon for comparing floating point
_eps = 1e-5

class Material(util.ABC):
    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
        raise NotImplementedError('must be subclassed!')

    def __hash__(self):
        return id(self)

    @abc.abstractproperty
    def main_color(self):
        """
        The "average" color of this material.

        Returns
        ---------
        color : (4,) uint8
          Average color of this material.
        """

    @property
    def name(self):
        if hasattr(self, '_name'):
            return self._name
        return 'material_0'

    @name.setter
    def name(self, value):
        self._name = value

    def copy(self):
        return copy.deepcopy(self)

class SimpleMaterial(Material):
    """
    Hold a single image texture.
    """

    def __init__(self,
                 image=None,
                 diffuse=None,
                 ambient=None,
                 specular=None,
                 glossiness=None,
                 **kwargs):

        # save image
        self.image = image

        # save material colors as RGBA
        self.ambient = color.to_rgba(ambient)
        self.diffuse = color.to_rgba(diffuse)
        self.specular = color.to_rgba(specular)

        # save Ns
        self.glossiness = glossiness

        # save other keyword arguments
        self.kwargs = kwargs

    def to_color(self, uv):
        return color.uv_to_color(uv, self.image)

    def to_obj(self, mtl_name=None):
        """
        Convert the current material to an OBJ format
        material.

        Parameters
        -----------
        name : str or None
          Name to apply to the material

        Returns
        -----------
        tex_name : str
          Name of material
        mtl_name : str
          Name of mtl file in files
        files : dict
          Data as {file name : bytes}
        """
        # material parameters as 0.0-1.0 RGB
        Ka = color.to_float(self.ambient)[:3]
        Kd = color.to_float(self.diffuse)[:3]
        Ks = color.to_float(self.specular)[:3]

        # get the name of this material
        tex_name = self.name
        if mtl_name is None:
            mtl_name = '{}.mtl'.format(tex_name)

        # create an MTL file
        mtl = ['# https://github.com/mikedh/trimesh',
               'newmtl {}'.format(tex_name),
               'Ka {:0.8f} {:0.8f} {:0.8f}'.format(*Ka),
               'Kd {:0.8f} {:0.8f} {:0.8f}'.format(*Kd),
               'Ks {:0.8f} {:0.8f} {:0.8f}'.format(*Ks),
               'Ns {:0.8f}'.format(self.glossiness)]

        # collect the OBJ data into files
        data = {}

        if self.image is not None:
            image_type = self.image.format
            # what is the name of the export image to save
            if image_type is None:
                image_type = 'png'
            image_name = '{}.{}'.format(tex_name, image_type.lower())
            # save the reference to the image
            mtl.append('map_Kd {}'.format(image_name))

            # save the image texture as bytes in the original format
            f_obj = util.BytesIO()
            self.image.save(fp=f_obj, format=image_type)
            f_obj.seek(0)
            data[image_name] = f_obj.read()

        data[mtl_name] = '\n'.join(mtl).encode('utf-8')

        return data, tex_name, mtl_name

    def __hash__(self):
        """
        Provide a hash of the material so we can detect
        duplicates.

        Returns
        ------------
        hash : int
          Hash of image and parameters
        """
        if hasattr(self.image, 'tobytes'):
            # start with hash of raw image bytes
            hashed = hash(self.image.tobytes())
        else:
            # otherwise start with zero
            hashed = 0
        # we will add additional parameters with
        # an in-place xor of the additional value
        # if stored as numpy arrays add parameters
        if hasattr(self.ambient, 'tobytes'):
            hashed ^= hash(self.ambient.tobytes())
        if hasattr(self.diffuse, 'tobytes'):
            hashed ^= hash(self.diffuse.tobytes())
        if hasattr(self.specular, 'tobytes'):
            hashed ^= hash(self.specular.tobytes())
        if isinstance(self.glossiness, float):
            hashed ^= hash(int(self.glossiness * 1000))
        return hashed

    @property
    def main_color(self):
        """
        Return the most prominent color.
        """
        return self.diffuse

    @property
    def glossiness(self):
        if hasattr(self, '_glossiness'):
            return self._glossiness
        return 1.0

    @glossiness.setter
    def glossiness(self, value):
        if value is None:
            return
        self._glossiness = float(value)

    def to_pbr(self):
        """
        Convert the current simple material to a
        PBR material.

        Returns
        ------------
        pbr : PBRMaterial
          Contains material information in PBR format.
        """
        # convert specular exponent to roughness
        roughness = (2 / (self.glossiness + 2)) ** (1.0 / 4.0)

        return PBRMaterial(roughnessFactor=roughness,
                           baseColorTexture=self.image,
                           baseColorFactor=self.diffuse)

class MultiMaterial(Material):
    def __init__(self, materials=None, **kwargs):
        """
        Wrapper for a list of Materials.

        Parameters
        ----------
        materials : Optional[List[Material]]
            List of materials with which the container to be initialized.
        """
        if materials is None:
            self.materials = []
        else:
            self.materials = materials

    def to_pbr(self):
        """
        TODO : IMPLEMENT
        """
        pbr = [m for m in self.materials
               if isinstance(m, PBRMaterial)]
        if len(pbr) == 0:
            return PBRMaterial()
        return pbr[0]

    def __hash__(self):
        """
        Provide a hash of the multi material so we can detect
        duplicates.

        Returns
        ------------
        hash : int
          Xor hash of the contained materials.
        """
        hashed = int(np.bitwise_xor.reduce(
            [hash(m) for m in self.materials]))

        return hashed

    def __iter__(self):
        return iter(self.materials)

    def __next__(self):
        return next(self.materials)

    def __len__(self):
        return len(self.materials)

    @property
    def main_color(self):
        """
        The "average" color of this material.

        Returns
        ---------
        color : (4,) uint8
          Average color of this material.
        """

    def add(self, material):
        """
        Adds new material to the container.

        Parameters
        ----------
        material : Material
            The material to be added.
        """
        self.materials.append(material)

    def get(self, idx):
        """
        Get material by index.

        Parameters
        ----------
        idx : int
            Index of the material to be retrieved.

        Returns
        -------
            The material on the given index.
        """
        return self.materials[idx]

class PBRMaterial(Material):
    """
    Create a material for physically based rendering as
    specified by GLTF 2.0:
    https://git.io/fhkPZ

    Parameters with `Texture` in them must be PIL.Image objects
    """

    def __init__(self,
                 name=None,
                 emissiveFactor=None,
                 emissiveTexture=None,
                 baseColorFactor=None,
                 metallicFactor=None,
                 roughnessFactor=None,
                 normalTexture=None,
                 occlusionTexture=None,
                 baseColorTexture=None,
                 metallicRoughnessTexture=None,
                 doubleSided=False,
                 alphaMode=None,
                 alphaCutoff=None,
                 **kwargs):

        # store values in an internal dict
        self._data = {}

        # (3,) float
        self.emissiveFactor = emissiveFactor
        # (3,) or (4,) float with RGBA colors
        self.baseColorFactor = baseColorFactor

        # float
        self.metallicFactor = metallicFactor
        self.roughnessFactor = roughnessFactor
        self.alphaCutoff = alphaCutoff

        # PIL image
        self.normalTexture = normalTexture
        self.emissiveTexture = emissiveTexture
        self.occlusionTexture = occlusionTexture
        self.baseColorTexture = baseColorTexture
        self.metallicRoughnessTexture = metallicRoughnessTexture

        # bool
        self.doubleSided = doubleSided

        # str
        self.name = name
        self.alphaMode = alphaMode

        if len(kwargs) > 0:
            util.log.debug(
                'unsupported material keys: {}'.format(
                    ', '.join(kwargs.keys())))

    @property
    def emissiveFactor(self):
        """
        The factors for the emissive color of the material.
        This value defines linear multipliers for the sampled
        texels of the emissive texture.

        Returns
        -----------
        emissiveFactor : (3,) float
           Ech element in the array MUST be greater than
           or equal to 0 and less than or equal to 1.
        """
        return self._data.get('emissiveFactor')

    @emissiveFactor.setter
    def emissiveFactor(self, value):
        if value is None:
            # passing none effectively removes value
            self._data.pop('emissiveFactor', None)
        else:
            # non-None values must be a floating point
            emissive = np.array(value, dtype=np.float64).reshape(3)
            if emissive.min() < -_eps or emissive.max() > (1 + _eps):
                raise ValueError('all factors must be between 0.0-1.0')
            self._data['emissiveFactor'] = emissive

    @property
    def alphaMode(self):
        """
        The material alpha rendering mode enumeration
        specifying the interpretation of the alpha value of
        the base color.

        Returns
        -----------
        alphaMode : str
          One of 'OPAQUE', 'MASK', 'BLEND'
        """
        return self._data.get('alphaMode')

    @alphaMode.setter
    def alphaMode(self, value):
        if value is None:
            # passing none effectively removes value
            self._data.pop('alphaMode', None)
        else:
            # non-None values must be one of three values
            value = str(value).upper().strip()
            if value not in ['OPAQUE', 'MASK', 'BLEND']:
                raise ValueError('incorrect alphaMode: %s', value)
            self._data['alphaMode'] = value

    @property
    def alphaCutoff(self):
        """
        Specifies the cutoff threshold when in MASK alpha mode.
        If the alpha value is greater than or equal to this value
        then it is rendered as fully opaque, otherwise, it is rendered
        as fully transparent. A value greater than 1.0 will render
        the entire material as fully transparent. This value MUST be
        ignored for other alpha modes. When alphaMode is not defined,
        this value MUST NOT be defined.

        Returns
        -----------
        alphaCutoff : float
          Value of cutoff.
        """
        return self._data.get('alphaCutoff')

    @alphaCutoff.setter
    def alphaCutoff(self, value):
        if value is None:
            # passing none effectively removes value
            self._data.pop('alphaCutoff', None)
        else:
            self._data['alphaCutoff'] = float(value)

    @property
    def doubleSided(self):
        """
Specifies whether the material is double sided.

        Returns
        -----------
        doubleSided : bool
          Specifies whether the material is double sided.
        """
        return self._data.get('doubleSided')

    @doubleSided.setter
    def doubleSided(self, value):
        if value is None:
            # passing none effectively removes value
            self._data.pop('doubleSided', None)
        else:
            self._data['doubleSided'] = bool(value)

    @property
    def metallicFactor(self):
        """
        The factor for the metalness of the material. This value
        defines a linear multiplier for the sampled metalness values
        of the metallic-roughness texture.

        Returns
        -----------
        metallicFactor : float
          How metally is the material
        """
        return self._data.get('metallicFactor')

    @metallicFactor.setter
    def metallicFactor(self, value):
        if value is None:
            # passing none effectively removes value
            self._data.pop('metallicFactor', None)
        else:
            self._data['metallicFactor'] = float(value)

    @property
    def roughnessFactor(self):
        """
        The factor for the roughness of the material. This value
        defines a linear multiplier for the sampled roughness values
        of the metallic-roughness texture.

        Returns
        -----------
        roughnessFactor : float
          Roughness of material.
        """
        return self._data.get('roughnessFactor')

    @roughnessFactor.setter
    def roughnessFactor(self, value):
        if value is None:
            # passing none effectively removes value
            self._data.pop('roughnessFactor', None)
        else:
            self._data['roughnessFactor'] = float(value)

    @property
    def baseColorFactor(self):
        """
        The factors for the base color of the material. This
        value defines linear multipliers for the sampled texels
        of the base color texture.

        Returns
        ---------
        color : (4,) uint8
          RGBA color
        """
        return self._data.get('baseColorFactor')

    @baseColorFactor.setter
    def baseColorFactor(self, value):
        if value is None:
            # passing none effectively removes value
            self._data.pop('baseColorFactor', None)
        else:
            # non-None values must be RGBA color
            self._data['baseColorFactor'] = color.to_rgba(value)

    @property
    def baseColorTexture(self):
        """
        The base color texture image.

        Returns
        ----------
        image : PIL.Image
          Color texture.
        """
        return self._data.get('baseColorTexture')

    @baseColorTexture.setter
    def baseColorTexture(self, value):
        if value is None:
            # passing none effectively removes value
            self._data.pop('baseColorTexture', None)
        else:
            # non-None values must be RGBA color
            self._data['baseColorTexture'] = value

    def copy(self):
        # doing a straight deepcopy fails due to PIL images
        kwargs = {}
        # collect stored values as kwargs
        for k, v in self._data.items():
            if v is None:
                continue
            if hasattr(v, 'copy'):
                # use an objects explicit copy if available
                kwargs[k] = v.copy()
            else:
                # otherwise just hope deepcopy does something
                kwargs[k] = copy.deepcopy(v)
        return PBRMaterial(**kwargs)

    def to_color(self, uv):
        """
        Get the rough color at a list of specified UV
        coordinates.

        Parameters
        -------------
        uv : (n, 2) float
          UV coordinates on the material

        Returns
        -------------
        colors :
        """
        colors = color.uv_to_color(
            uv=uv, image=self.baseColorTexture)
        if colors is None and self.baseColorFactor is not None:
            colors = self.baseColorFactor.copy()
        return colors

    def to_simple(self):
        """
        Get a copy of the current PBR material as
        a simple material.

        Returns
        ------------
        simple : SimpleMaterial
          Contains material information in a simple manner
        """

        return SimpleMaterial(image=self.baseColorTexture,
                              diffuse=self.baseColorFactor)

    @property
    def main_color(self):
        # will return default color if None
        result = color.to_rgba(self.baseColorFactor)
        return result

    def __hash__(self):
        """
        Provide a hash of the material so we can detect
        duplicate materials.

        Returns
        ------------
        hash : int
          Hash of image and parameters
        """
        return hash(bytes().join(
            np.asanyarray(v).tobytes()
            for v in self._data.values() if v is not None))

def empty_material(color=None):
    """
    Return an empty material set to a single color

    Parameters
    -----------
    color : None or (3,) uint8
      RGB color

    Returns
    -------------
    material : SimpleMaterial
      Image is a a one pixel RGB
    """
    try:
        from PIL import Image
    except BaseException as E:
        return exceptions.ExceptionModule(E)

    if color is None or np.shape(color) not in ((3,), (4,)):
        color = np.array([255, 255, 255], dtype=np.uint8)
    else:
        color = np.array(color, dtype=np.uint8)[:3]
    # create a one pixel RGB image
    image = Image.fromarray(
        np.tile(color, (4, 1)).reshape((2, 2, 3)))
    return SimpleMaterial(image=image)

def from_color(vertex_colors):
    """
    Convert vertex colors into UV coordinates and materials.

    TODO : pack colors

    Parameters
    ------------
    vertex_colors : (n, 3) float
      Array of vertex colors

    Returns
    ------------
    material : SimpleMaterial
      Material containing color information
    uvs : (n, 2) float
      UV coordinates
    """
    unique, inverse = grouping.unique_rows(vertex_colors)
    # TODO : tile colors nicely
    material = empty_material(color=vertex_colors[unique[0]])
    uvs = np.zeros((len(vertex_colors), 2)) + 0.5

    return material, uvs

def pack(materials, uvs, deduplicate=True):
    """
    Pack multiple materials with texture into a single material.

    Parameters
    -----------
    materials : (n,) Material
      List of multiple materials
    uvs : (n, m, 2) float
      Original UV coordinates

    Returns
    ------------
    material : Material
      Combined material
    uv : (p, 2) float
      Combined UV coordinates
    """

    from PIL import Image
    from ..path import packing
    import collections

    if deduplicate:
        # start by collecting a list of indexes for each material hash
        unique_idx = collections.defaultdict(list)
        [unique_idx[hash(m)].append(i)
         for i, m in enumerate(materials)]
        # now we only need the indexes and don't care about the hashes
        mat_idx = list(unique_idx.values())
    else:
        # otherwise just use all the indexes
        mat_idx = np.arange(len(materials)).reshape((-1, 1))

    # store the images to combine later
    images = []
    # first collect the images from the materials
    for idx in mat_idx:
        # get the first material from the group
        m = materials[idx[0]]
        # extract an image for each material
        if isinstance(m, PBRMaterial):
            if m.baseColorTexture is not None:
                img = m.baseColorTexture
            elif m.baseColorFactor is not None:
                img = Image.fromarray(m.baseColorFactor[:3].reshape((1, 1, 3)))
            else:
                img = Image.new(mode='RGB', size=(1, 1))
        elif hasattr(m, 'image'):
            img = m.image
        else:
            raise ValueError('no image to pack!')
        images.append(img)

    # pack the multiple images into a single large image
    final, offsets = packing.images(images, power_resize=True)

    # the size of the final texture image
    final_size = np.array(final.size, dtype=np.float64)
    # collect scaled new UV coordinates
    new_uv = []

    for idxs, img, off in zip(mat_idx, images, offsets):
        # how big was the original image
        scale = img.size / final_size
        # what is the offset in fractions of final image
        xy_off = off / final_size
        # scale and translate each of the new UV coordinates
        # [new_uv.append((uvs[i] * scale) + uv_off) for i in idxs]
        # TODO : figure out why this is broken sometimes...

        def transform_uvs(uv, scale, xy_off):
            xy = np.stack([uv[:, 0], 1 - uv[:, 1]], axis=-1)
            xy = (xy * scale) + xy_off
            return np.stack([xy[:, 0], 1 - xy[:, 1]], axis=-1)

        [new_uv.append(transform_uvs(uvs[i], scale, xy_off)) for i in idxs]

    # stack UV coordinates into single (n, 2) array
    stacked = np.vstack(new_uv)

    return SimpleMaterial(image=final), stacked


text:
Reverend Barbara Sexton (who adorably refers to herself alternatively as Reverend Barb and "The Biblical Biochemist") was kind enough to point out that there is an upcoming H1N1 vaccine walk-in clinic in downtown Stamford.
The clinic will be on December 7, 2009 from 1-4pm at the Stamford campus of the University of Connecticut (corner of Washington Boulevard and Broad Street). There are some important limitations on who is eligible for the vaccine. The following is cut and paste from the City of Stamford website - which you should check out for additional information on the walk-in clinic:
The H1N1 intranasal spray vaccine will be available to:
• Healthy children ages 24 months (2 years) through 24 years
• Healthy household contacts and caregivers of infants less than 6 months of age
The H1N1 injectable vaccine will be available to:
• Pregnant Women
• Children and adults from 3 years to 64 years of age with underlying medical conditions (examples: asthma, other lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, etc)
• Persons who live with or provide care for infants less than 6 months of age who are not eligible for the H1N1 intranasal spray vaccine
(photo from Môsieur J. [version 3.0a], flickr.com)
This vaccine is an important one, even for those of us who have gotten sick with this virus. The people who know are concerned that this acts too much like the 1918 pandemic which hit the same age group as this one and made its second debut, a very chilling one.
(it was surmised that the 1918 flu hit mildly first, but came back the second time around killing millions).
Vaccinate!
It seems like the vaccine has finally made its way into doctors' hands. My boys got the nasal mist at Firefly Pediatrics recently. While the Stamford clinics may be free, Firefly has the nasal mist (great for needle phobes) and $15 per dose is a small price for our two-career family to pay for the convenience of a 6:30 pm appointment.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
What's not to like about Winnie the Pooh?
BEIJING (AsiaNews): Wang Xiaochuan, the chief executive of the web search engine Sogou, posted a seemingly innocent image of Winnie the Pooh on his Weibo account on July 15, but it attracted a lot of surprised attention, as the image has been banned in China since 2013.
The loveable bear from the stories by A. A. Milne and the animated movies from Disney Studios is regarded as an offensive character by Chinese censors because of its physical resemblance to the president, Xi Jinping.
Winnie first became an offensive little bear when his picture was juxtaposed with the portly Xi standing alongside the tall and willowy president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, who was parodied as Winnie's good mate, his lanky friend, Tigger, in 2013.
The image was censored on the Internet in China, so it stuck fast, causing surprise when it reappeared.
Even a visit from the prime minster of Japan, Shinzo Abe, did not escape the cartoonists' attention, featuring Eeyore the Sad Donkey alongside the corpulent Winnie the Pooh.
People are now wondering what sin poor old Winnie has committed and if it is the lovability of the Pooh bear or his portly build that the censors find offensive.
Previous: Liu's death has lessons for the Vatican
Next: Is Christianity a blight on the religious ecology of China?


Progress Reports – Progress reports will be available this Friday, April 12 after 1:15 pm on the Gecko portal. Students will not receive a paper copy but they will have access to the reports on Friday during advisory time. You can access the progress report by logging into the Gecko portal or, if you would like a printed copy, you can ask your child to print the report during their advisory time. **Please bring an electronic or paper copy of your child's Progress Report the the Student-Involved Conferences.
Gecko Portal Log In – If you already know your password for the Gecko Portal you can continue to use it. If you need help logging into the Gecko portal you can visit this site for tutorials. Once you have logged in successfully you can follow these instructions to change your password.
Student-Involved Conferences on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday April 15-17 – Student-Involved Conferences will be held on April 15 (3:45-5:45 pm), April 16 all day (no classes for students), and April 17 (3:45-5:45 pm). These conferences are an opportunity for parents, together with their child, to meet with teachers. It is important that your child attend the conference with you. We ask parents to sign up for one 2-hour time block for each of your children to meet with all of their child's teachers. (If you have more than one child you must sign up for more than one time block.) All of the teachers will be stationed on the first and second floors at Bayside. Parents will be free to move around and meet with teachers for up to 10 minutes. If you need to meet longer, you can schedule a time to come in another day and continue your conversation. We require parents to sign up ahead of time for these conferences. Parent numbers are limited in each session. We will honour the time of those who signed up so no "drop ins" are allowed.
Monday, April 15: Mr. Williams, Ms. Jenkin, and Mr. Jenkin will be traveling with our MS MUN delegation. They will be available on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Wednesday, April 17: Mr. Galvez, Ms. Moffatt, and Mr. Lill as they will be traveling with our HS Soccer teams. They will be available on Monday and Tuesday.
Students Attend Conferences – There are no classes for students on Tuesday, April 16 but we still expect students to accompany their parents to the conferences. Classes resume on Wednesday, April 17.
Book Sale – from the PSA: PSA is happy to invite you to the Bayside Book sale which will be open during Parent/ Teacher conferences from Monday, April 15- Wednesday, April 17th at Bayside. Come visit us on the first floor to find great books for your kids and yourself! We'll have best sellers, panda award books, cookbooks, novels, self- help books and much more! See you there!
UC Berkeley and University of Hong Kong Presentation to SIS Parents and Students – Wednesday, April 17, 5:00-6:00 pm in the Bayside Library. Representatives from UC Berkeley and HKU will be at SIS to share admissions information with the SIS community. We hope to see many of you here for this informative presentation.
HS ACAMIS Badminton – Our badminton team departs for Beijing on Wednesday, April 10. They will be competing with 27 other international school teams in the ACAMIS badminton tournament hosted by Keystone Academy.
MS Model United Nations – 23 MS MUN ambassadors and 4 HS ambassadors will depart for MYMUN in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, April 11 where they will participate in the MYMUN conference hosted by Mont Kiara International School.
MS Basketball – Our MS basketball teams will play against the teams from Basis on Thursday, April 11 at 4:00 pm in the SIS gym. Go Geckos!
MS/HS Track and Field – Our SIS track and field athletes will compete in the SISAC (Shenzhen International Schools Activities Conference) Track Meet @ Green Oasis School all day on Friday, April 12. Go Geckos!
MS Basketball – This Saturday our MS basketball teams will be playing games against other PRC (Pearl River Conference) schools. These friendly games take place in Guangzhou and Macau. Girls @ GISGZ, Boys @ TIS. Go Geckos!
HS Soccer – On Saturday SIS is hosting the PRC HS Soccer Tournament at a complex in Xili. Go Geckos!


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News & More Dr Peter Friedmann New Chief Research Officer
New Chief Research Officer, Dr. Peter Friedmann, plans to grow research at Baystate Health
Peter Friedmann, MD, MPH is joining Baystate Health as its first Chief Research Officer on October 1, 2015. He plans to promote clinical and health services research and demonstrate the value-added of research to providers, patients and community.
He answers a few questions about getting started in his new role and settling into western Massachusetts.
What is your vision for research at Baystate Health?
My vision is to grow and strengthen Baystate's research programs to improve population health and reduce disparities in Western Massachusetts.
Baystate's size, community orientation and clinical excellence put it in an excellent position to perform clinical, translational and health services research.
In doing so, our patients will get improved access to rigorous studies of cutting-edge treatments, and we will better understand which existing treatments and services work best for which patients, when and how inequities in service delivery and outcomes occur and how to reduce them, and how to provide the greatest healthcare value to our patients, community, payers and other stakeholders.
What are your goals over the next 3 - 5 years?
I would like to see research viewed as part-and-parcel of what we do everyday at Baystate.
For example, every patient at a Baystate affiliate who is potentially eligible and appropriate to enter a clinical trial should be offered the opportunity to do so.
Our integrated health systems and electronic health record should be structured to allow us readily to study which treatments work best for which patients. We should engage local and regional partners to help us develop and perform research that is relevant and useful to our patients and communities.
I believe we can make considerable progress toward these goals over the next half decade.
What attracted you to accept this newly created position here?
Given my affinity for developing research programs, I was attracted by the opportunity to lead a well-functioning health system in its planned expansion of clinical and health services research.
In terms of my own research and clinical work, I saw an opportunity to help to address the substantial burden of addictive disorders in Western Massachusetts.
Do you have a memento that you'll bring to your new office?
I have a photo in my office of myself with colleagues I started out with at University of Chicago.
This photo reminds me of the joys and challenges I experienced as a young investigator, and the importance of supportive colleagues—Marshall Chin (now the Parillo Family Professor at U. Chicago and President of the Society of General Internal Medicine); Nicholas Christakis (now the Sol Goldman Family Professor and Master of Silliman College at Yale); David Meltzer (now Professor and Chief of the Section of Hospital Medicine and Director of the Center for Health and the Social Sciences at U. Chicago); and our then Division Chief Wendy Levinson (now the Eaton Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine at University of Toronto).
What will be your biggest adjustment to living in western Massachusetts?
My family already has a home in the Berkshires about 45 minutes from Baystate and that's where I will be living. In Providence (Rhode Island) I could ride my bicycle to work. The biggest adjustment will be a longer commute to work, especially in winter.
What do you like to do in your down time?
I enjoy traveling with my wife Dr. Amy Gottlieb and our daughter. I am also an avid tennis player and jazz saxophonist.
Department of Healthcare Delivery and Population Sciences Established to Advance Health Equity
The Department of Healthcare Delivery and Population Sciences has been established at UMass Chan Medical School-Baystate under the leadership of Dr. Peter Lindenauer with the aim of promoting health equity in western Massachusetts.
Pediatric Mental Health Boarding Crisis in Emergency Departments
Marcella Jewell, medical student in the Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health track, is conducting research on the true cost of caring for behavioral health patients in Baystate's pediatric emergency department.
What are clinical trials, and why are they important?
Clinical trials are the safest and fastest way to find new ways to address health problems, or improve the health of the people in our communities.
PURCH Student Kendall Burdick Awarded Grant to Study Disparities in Access to Pediatric Trama Care
UMass Med News: Kendall Burdick, Class of 2023, was awarded a one-year $5,000 Medical Student Research Grant for her study of the effect of geographic and racial factors on access to pediatric trauma care.
Med Student Marcella Jewell First-authors Article on Antibiotic Misuse in Pediatric Asthma
Marcella Jewell, a first-year MD/PhD student in the Population-based Urban and Rural Community Health program at UMass Medical School–Baystate and a Research Associate in the Institute for Healthcare Delivery and Population Science, is first author on a paper in BMJ Quality & Safety reporting unnecessary antibiotic prescribing in children hospitalized for asthma exacerbation.
COVID-19: Baystate Responds with Resilience and Innovation
The COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on healthcare systems worldwide. Here's how Baystate's clinicians, researchers, faculty, innovators, and community partners are stepping up to meet these challenges.
Clinical trial studying tocilizumab, a treatment for COVID-19 related pneumonia
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the medication tocilizumab for adult patients with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.
How is the MIGHTY program working for Springfield kids?
Does Baystate's MIGHTY weight management program improve confidence? A Baystate doctor and a University of Hartford researcher are partnering to find out.
Facing the opioid crisis means culture change for hospitals
In 2018, more than 2,000 people in Massachusetts lost their lives to opioid use disorder (OUD). Learn how Baystate's ED is tackling the crisis.
Opioid forum held at UMass Amherst
22News WWLP: On Friday, September 6th, The Massachusetts Health Policy Forum hosted "Addressing the Opioid Crisis in Small and Rural Communities in Western Massachusetts."
View All News in this Category


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Ukrainian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Big Concert Recording Studio
Festivals & Artistic Projects
Meetings on Easter
Tenoratorio
Artistic Projects
Association «Music»
«On Air – Music Universe»
«Golos Ukrainy» («The Voice of Ukraine»),16 July 2010
Musical evening was held in the Big Concert Recording Stodio of National Radio Company of Ukraine, as a part of a cycle of live broadcasts "Radio "Cultura" presents...". Here is an interview, given by artistic director and chief conductor of Ukrainian Radio Symphonic Orchestra Vladimir Sheiko after the broadcast:
"It's a great honor for our Orchestra to take part in the project "Radio "Cultura" presents..." By the way, we are far ahead of the same Russian project. They have a big union of collectives that are mainly engaged in recording. But I never heard about their live broadcasts with interactive communication..."
Does the level of performance is affected by relationships in the collective? And how musicians are chosen for your Orchestra?
"The quality of the performance, teamwork of music ensembles are tightly connected to interpersonal relationships. One of the keys to high results of our collective is a normal social climate. Ukrainian Radio Symphonic Orchestra over the five years of our joint work has changed greatly, a lot of new people came. For the abroad tour we can even invite musicians from other town. If artist accomplishes test by challenging conditions of a tour, we take him on a permanent job.
For the last few years we toured in 10 countries all over the world, every tour lasting for 30-40 days. We played at the best music venues from Luxemburg to Seoul, and it is very important, because that's the way the orchestra is formed. But the main direction of our activity is still music records in favor of the Fund of Ukrainian Radio.
Recently we've issued the first CD from a series "Music Universe". And it is only the beginning. Concert performance and studio work are very different. For example, now we are recording "Golgotha" by the American composer Gerald Gable, who we played live at Kiev festival "Premiers of the season". And our performance was successful! We heard thanks from the author and an audience. However, in the studio with supersensitive equipment it's twice harder, because you can make no mistake…"


Table Mountain is Cape Town's very own natural wonder. Its flat top and gorgeous rocky faces stand watch over the Mother City in elegant silence, beckoning explorers to experience the beauty of the Western Cape from new heights. For an opportunity to be part of the magic of Table Mountain, challenge yourself to take on the Platteklip Gorge trail.
This trail takes between two and three hours to complete, and is demanding. But, the views are breath-taking and well worth the grind. Once you reach the top of Table Mountain, more than 1 000 metres above sea level, the City Bowl, beaches and ocean are nothing short of spectacular. Hikers can see and photograph Signal Hill, Lion's Head and Devil's Peak. On a clear day, this view extends far further; to include Hout Bay, the City Bowl, Robben Island, part of the Cape Winelands and the Cape of Good Hope.
For these reasons, the Platteklip Gorge trail remains one of the most popular amongst locals and visitors that want to experience the untainted loveliness of the Cape's outdoors.
Table Mountain has a number of restaurants and shops at the top, as well as easy walking trails. The little rock hyraxes scuttle around freely, and the endemic fynbos and other vegetation makes for a really pretty place to spend a day.
In addition, the modern revolving cable car takes passengers up and down the mountain faces for a less strenuous experience. A guided Table Mountain hike includes a ticket for the cableway, though. So, hikers that have reached their summit can look forward to a restful ride back down to the collection point.
Hikers should wear comfortable clothing and shoes, apply plenty of sunscreen, and bring along an ample supply of drinking water. The best time to tackle this trail is early in the morning or late in the afternoon, when there is less chance of high winds and cloud cover.
WhenIt is preferable to hike with an experienced guide.


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Hakai Institute
Science at Hakai
Technology at Hakai
Locations and Webcams
Quadra Island Ecological Observatory
Victoria Offices and Laboratory
UBC Hakai Node
Calvert Island Ecological Observatory
Weather conditions on Quadra and Clavert Island
Locations & Webcams
Map of Hakai Locations
Our docks, facilities, and access trails on Calvert Island are closed to visitors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This closure extends to the shorelines of Pruth Bay, West Beach, and North Beach.
A New International Partnership - Hakai Institute
A New International Partnership
Hakai Institute joins the Critical Zone Exploration Network.
Published January 13, 2016, By Josh Silberg
A long process starts when rain falls on the soils of the Central Coast of British Columbia. The water trickles through the soil, collecting vast amounts of organic matter along the way. The water then carries dissolved organic matter (DOM) through streams into the ocean where it enters the food chain and the carbon cycle of the coastal ocean.
"There's a huge amount of [carbon] coming off the land in this region," says Ian Giesbrecht, an ecologist who manages Hakai's Kwakshua Watersheds program.
A conceptual model of the land-sea connections on Calvert Island, British Columbia.
Giesbrecht says that conditions on the BC Central Coast inspired Hakai scientists to explore these land-sea linkages in greater detail.
This innovative research, which began on Calvert Island in 2013, has led to a new partnership between the Hakai Institute and a global scientific network.
The Hakai Critical Zone Observatory at the Calvert Field Station in relation to other registered Critical Zone Exploration Network sites in North America.
The Earth's Critical Zone. After Chorover et al, Catalina-Jemez CZO.
Hakai's Calvert Island Field Station has become a registered observatory within the Critical Zone Exploration Network (CZEN). The network—a collaboration of 1,700 scientists at dozens of research stations—is trying to better understand how rock, water, and life affect processes on the Earth's surface.
The network's research focuses on the "Critical Zone"—the permeable layer of the Earth's crust where the atmosphere, water, soils, and organisms interact.
Existing Hakai research programs and scientific infrastructure are a natural fit for the US-based network. Hakai programs that will contribute to the Critical Zone Exploration Network include:
This emerging partnership allows Hakai researchers to compare findings to CZEN sites across a broad range of ecosystems. Other CZEN scientists can also compare their local findings with Calvert Island, which fills a geographical gap in observatories on the Pacific coast of North America.
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You may have heard of the term "job crafting." You may even have done it without realizing. Job crafting is a technique used by employees to redesign their own specific roles to foster greater job satisfaction. It's a mind trick that turns a bad job into a tolerable one, or a good job into a great job.
The techniques employed in job crafting can also be used in an interview situation, putting you in the driver's seat and making you a star interviewee. It's called cognitive crafting and it can work wonders.
The simplest way to describe it is a paradigm shift; you are looking at the exact same information or scenario, but in a different way. One example of this is the infamous rabbit and duck illusion, described by philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein as "seeing that" versus "seeing as." You may look at the image and see a rabbit. You may see a duck. The shift happens when you go from one to the other, opening your eyes to a new view without anything changing other than your own opinion.
Another example of this comes from a story about a man on a train, sitting solemnly as his two children cause havoc. They're jumping on the seats, running around, shouting, and he is doing nothing. A bystander says, "What a terrible parent, he should do something about his kids." Then, someone tells the bystander, "I was just with him at his wife's funeral." Suddenly, the bystander has a complete shift in perspective. Nothing has changed. The kids are still running around, the man is still sitting in silence, but now the feeling felt is one of empathy, not anger.
Perhaps the simplest piece of cognitive crafting you can use is to turn the tables on the whole situation. As soon as you are asked to go in for an interview, start telling yourself that you will be interviewing the company to see if they are a good fit for you. In fact, go one step further, and tell yourself that they have to prove they're good enough to have you as an employee.
Give yourself a genuine self-appraisal before your interview, and use performance appraisal language while you do so. If you're unfamiliar with this type of phrasing, you can look up hundreds of examples online. The goal is to find different ways to talk about yourself and your achievements without sounding repetitive or dull.
You're not just there to fill a vacant role. You're coming in as a trouble shooter; someone that will see the problems, know the solutions, and have ideas that will make the company grow and prosper.
It doesn't matter if the company is as successful as Amazon, or one that's known to be in trouble. You are there to take things to the next level. Do your homework, look at potential weaknesses that can be fixed, or find ways to boost impact and revenue. Take these ideas with you, and offer them up enthusiastically. If you're seen to already be actively interested in the success of the company, you will be seen as a much more valuable asset.
This may actually be true, but whether you're first through the door or last in line, assume the hiring manager has been doing this for nine hours straight with very few breaks. They're tired. They're cranky. They're smiling through gritted teeth. They have heard everyone answer the same questions the same way. They've heard people recite long passages from their resumes when they asked them, "Tell me your strengths and weaknesses."
When politicians are being interviewed, they know exactly what they want to talk about, even if the interviewer is asking different questions. At its worst, it's obstructionist and annoying, usually because the politician refuses to answer the actual question. You don't want to do that. Answer the question the best way you can.
It's a cognitive crafting technique that almost everyone knows about, and it's supposed to help you shake your jitters and feel superior. It doesn't work. At best, it distracts you from thinking about something that really matters. More often than not, you could start smirking or even stumble over your words in an attempt to cover your mind game.
Instead, if you're having confidence issues, there are a number of exercises you can do beforehand to put yourself at ease. First, record yourself being interviewed by a friend or relative, and play it back. Listen to the number of times you repeat a phrase or say, "Umm." Then, do it again, and again, until you are happy with the result. Practice like this is invaluable. Study some body language techniques that make you feel bigger and more confident. And study the company and the position thoroughly so that you feel sure you can answer any question.


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International Ambassadors
"Freedom cannot be achieved unless the women have been emancipated from all forms of oppression."
~ Nelson Mandela
Rape Crisis
Established in 1976, Rape Crisis is the most experienced organisation in South Africa working in the area of adult rape and sexual violence. Rape Crisis's roots are as a volunteer run feminist women's collective, but they were compelled by the changing fundraising climate of the early 1990s to develop into a professionally staffed organisation. They obtained NPO registration in 1997 and maintained their focus on the empowerment of women. They have a national reputation for unique and innovative best practices models and their work consists of a range of projects that include direct services to survivors of rape and sexual violence, popular education and advocacy as essential components of a well-developed theory of change.
Rape Crisis's relationship with government, particularly at the provincial level, is collaborative (they share spaces at courts and health facilities with government service providers) but also challenging because they observe that government does not always serve the best interests of rape survivors. Rape Crisis close connection with the communities for social mobilisation and their strong network of partners in civil society gives them support for lobbying influential role players at both the national and provincial levels of government.
With the support of the communities they serve, their partners, and by utilising well researched information, they develop strategies to address flaws in the criminal justice system in order to ensure better support for complainants. Rape Crisis offices in Khayelitsha, Athlone and Observatory reflect the diverse demographics of the clients and communities they serve.
24-hour Helpline by Rape Crisis: 021 447 9762
Donate directly to Rape Crisis
TEARS Foundation
Tears Foundation provides access to crisis intervention, advocacy, counselling, and prevention education services for those impacted by domestic violence, sexual assault and child sexual abuse. Confidential services are provided to all victims at no charge.
About TEARS Foundation
TEARS Foundation, founded in 2012, is a registered NPO and PBO who uses technology innovatively to assist victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse.
Last year, with the help of Avon, They received 31 286 hits on their service from people using *134*7355# to get assistance.
They launched their Help At Your Fingertips emergency service, supported by Namola, on the 24th of November 2017, a new mobile smartphone application that allows the user to alert their nearest police officers when in need of assistance. This partnership will allow the user to opt to have a trained counselor call him/ her back for immediate assistance in a life-threatening situations.
Help at your fingertips!
Helpline – DIAL: *134*7355#
Donate directly to TEARS Foundation
The Safe House
The Safe House is driven by a single goal; to do their part in making the world a better place for all. They strive to build productive relationships and make a positive impact with all their pursuits. They break the silence on abuse by empowering Survivors and Supporting Communities by Providing Abused Women and Children with a safe place to heal, rebuild and reconnect.
The Safe House offers:
– Offering temporary safe care facilities to abused women and children
– Providing a Sexual Assault Referral Centre
– Providing all aspects of Professional Care, including Counselling, Therapy and Psychological Support.
– Educating Survivors about their Rights
– Facilitating Skills Development Programmes to Alleviate Poverty
– Monitoring effective Aftercare within their Communities
Donate directly to The Safe House


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Deutsche Kriegsausstellung ist der Oberbegriff für verschiedene Ausstellungen, die insbesondere zur Zeit des Kaiserreichs Deutschland ab dem Ersten Weltkrieg in mehreren deutschen Städten gezeigt wurden. Als Instrument der Propaganda und zur Einstimmung der Bevölkerung auf den – nicht nur von Adolf Hitler gewünschten – Zweiten Weltkrieg wurden den Ersten Weltkrieg glorifizierende Kriegsausstellungen auch noch zur Zeit des Nationalsozialismus präsentiert.

Liste deutscher Kriegsausstellungen
 1916:
 Deutsche Kriegsausstellung (Berlin)
 Deutsche Kriegsausstellung (Darmstadt)
 Deutsche Kriegsausstellung (Dortmund)
 Deutsche Kriegsausstellung (Hamburg) Für die Ausstellung in Hamburg ist der Katalog als Digitalisat verfügbar: https://www.europeana.eu/de/item/2020601/https___1914_1918_europeana_eu_contributions_19870
 Deutsche Kriegsausstellung (Karlsruhe)
 Deutsche Kriegsausstellung (Lübeck)
 Deutsche Kriegsausstellung für die Nordmark (Flensburg)
 1916 bis 1917:
 Deutsche Kriegsausstellung (Hannover)

Siehe auch
 Weltkriegssammlung

Literatur (Auswahl)
 Deutsche Kriegsausstellungen 1916. Im Einverständnis und mit Unterstützung des Königlich Preußischen Kriegsministeriums / veranstaltet vom Zentralkomitee der Deutschen Vereine vom Roten Kreuz. Klasing, Berlin 1916.
 Band 1 [Hauptwerk]: Deutsche Kriegsausstellungen 1916.
 Band 2 [Beilage]: Rundgang durch die Kriegsausstellung Frankfurt am Main.
 Christine Beil: Der ausgestellte Krieg. Präsentationen des Ersten Weltkriegs 1914–1939 (= Untersuchungen des Ludwig-Uhland-Instituts der Universität Tübingen. Band 97). Dissertation. Tübinger Vereinigung für Volkskunde, Tübingen 2004, ISBN 3-932512-27-8.
 Buchvorstellung und Rezension von Nadine Rossol von der University of Limerick von 2004; zuletzt abgerufen am 3. August 2014.
 Britta Lange: Einen Krieg Ausstellen. Die "Deutsche Kriegsausstellung" 1916 in Berlin. Verbrecher Verlag, Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-935843-20-8.
 Buchvorstellung und mit einer Rezension der Frankfurter Rundschau, zuletzt abgerufen am 3. August 2014.
 Rezension von Stefan Goebel vom Centre for Metropolitan History, Institute of Historical Research London, auf der Seite H-Net – Humanities and Social Sciences Online, zuletzt abgerufen am 3. August 2014.

Weblinks

 Deutsche Kriegsausstellung im Katalog der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek

Einzelnachweise

Sammlung
Deutschland im Ersten Weltkrieg
Literatur (20. Jahrhundert)
Historische Ausstellung
Propaganda im Ersten Weltkrieg

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Q: XML Tools Plugin for Notepad++ 7.4 I am having a hard time getting the XML Tools Plugin for Notepad++ running.
I have the newest Notepad++ (v7.4) and the newest XML Tools Plugin (v2.4.9.2 from Sourceforge) both as 64 bit version on Windows 7 (64bit).
First I closed all instances of Notepad++. Then, I copied the XMLTools.dll to the plugins folder of my Notepad++ installation and the dependencies (libs) alongside the notepad++.exe as described in the install.txt.
When I start Notepad++ I get the following error message:

%1 is not a valid Win32 application. XMLTools.dll is not compatible with the current version Notepad++

Error Message after "installing" the XML Tools Plugin to Notepad++ v7.4:

An hour of googling and trying different versions of XML Tools and even Notepad++ v7.3.1 didn't get me any further. Can anyone help me with this?
Here is my Notepad++ debug info:
Notepad++ v7.4   (64-bit)
Build time : May 14 2017 - 21:02:35
Path : D:\Program Files\Notepad++\notepad++.exe
Admin mode : OFF
Local Conf mode : OFF
OS : Windows 7 (64-bit)
Plugins : mimeTools.dll NppConverter.dll

A: First.
You must have correct plugins. To Notepad++ 64-bit you must download XML Tools for 64-bit. Simple.
Second.
The main folder for plugins in Windows 10 64-bit is in "C:\Users{win_user}\AppData\Local\Notepad++"
Third.
In Notepad++ 7.6 or later versions, plugins must have additional subfolder.
For Exapmple: "{main_notepad_folder}/plugins/XMLTools/XMLTools.dll" and dependencies are in main folder.

A: I got the 2.4.9.2 version of the XML tools to work with Notepad++ version 7.4.1 on Windows 10 64-bit by doing the following.
Make sure you have the 64-bit version of the tools. (My first mistake)
Copy the XMLTools.dll file to the plugins directory.
In the download there should be a dependencies folder.  Copy all the files in there (I believe there were 6) into the Notepad++ working folder (where the exe file is)
Restart Notepad++

A: Did you follow the installation instructions in 'install.txt'?
Important is you also copy external dll's:

*copy new external dll either into npp main folder (same folder than    "notepad++.exe") or in %appdata%\Notepad++ folder:

*

*libcurl.dll

*libiconv-2.dll

*libwinpthread1-dll

*libxml2-2.dll

*libxslt-1.dll

*zlib1.dll

A: I have just had the same problem. It seems to be a bug for this application. I have solved doing the next steps:

*

*Install Notepad++ version 7.3.3.

*Install the xmlTools plugin (v2.4.9 currently).

Now, the plugin works succesfully. The most important thing, you can now upload the Notepad++ version to the latest (currently, version 7.5.6). The plugin still working succesfully.

A: The XML Tools need the Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Runtimes 2015.
Please install https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/download/details.aspx?id=53840
see SF.net Bugreport
Update
the problem seems to be more caused by libcurl.dll
this references to VCRUNTIME140.DLL which comes with vc++ 2015
Internal version numbering

A: With 7.3.3 the plugin works

, so newer versions broke the plugin because of API change.
Report it to the developers of the plugin so that they can react to the change. We can't fix this for you. so stay at 7.3.3 until a new version of the plugin is available.

A: It seems the Windows installation was somehow broken or there was a registry problem or whatever, we will never know.
Anyway, I have a new Laptop now with a fresh Windows installation an everything is working fine now.
No broken API or anything like that either.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Western Conference, franska: Conférence de l'Ouest, är en av två konferenser i National Hockey League (NHL) och består av 16 medlemslag i två divisioner, Central och Pacific.

Det lag som vinner konferensfinalen i Stanley Cup-slutspelet, får trofén Clarence S. Campbell Bowl som belöning.

Nuvarande lag
Från och med säsongen 2021–2022 spelar lagen i följande divisioner.

Historik
Konferensen bildades inför säsongen 1993–1994 för att ersätta Clarence Campbell Conference. De gamla divisionerna Patrick Division och Smythe Division blev istället Central Division och Pacific Division. Inför säsongen 1998–1999 tillkom även Northwest Division till konferensen. År 2013 meddelade NHL att man skulle göra om divisionerna och Northwest avvecklades. För säsongen 2020–2021 var konferensen inaktiv på grund av Coronaviruspandemin 2019–2021.

Divisioner
De divisioner som används eller använts inom konferensen.

Lag
De lag som spelar eller har spelat inom konferensen.

Konferensmästare
De lag som spelar eller spelade och vann konferensen (Clarence S.  Campbell Bowl) för varje spelad säsong.

Presidents' Trophy-vinnare
De lag som spelar eller spelade inom Western Conference och vann Presidents' Trophy.

Stanley Cup-mästare
De lag som spelar eller spelade i Western Conference och vann Stanley Cup.

Se även
 Eastern Conference

Referenser

Återkommande sportevenemang med premiär 1993
Konferenser inom National Hockey League


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But first, we must fix our democracy
The Declaration for American Democracy, a broad coalition of 100 national advocacy groups, officially launched last week to kick off its work to respond to the public's calls for a democracy in which everyone can participate and every voice is heard. The new coalition's efforts will focus on passing voting rights, ethics, and money- in- politics reforms that voters have been calling for throughout the 2018 midterm election cycle.
This new coalition expands past the organizations that have historically focused on money-in-politics and voting rights issues to include groups like National Security Action, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), NARAL Pro- Choice America, The National LGBTQ Task Force, the National Immigrant Justice Center, and Planned Parenthood. It's clear why these groups have joined the campaign: the outsize influence of "big money" campaign spenders impacts Congress' ability to make progress on most issues like safe access to abortion, LGBTQ+ equality, labor rights, immigration reform, health care, climate justice, and gun violence prevention reform.
Americans are witnessing the devastating effects of a presidential administration staffed almost exclusively by corporate insiders. The actions of Trump's administration are the culmination of the president's belief that corporations do not need to play by the same rules as regular Americans. If a regular American donates over $200 to a candidate, that information is available on the Federal Election Commission's website for anyone to find. However, since the Supreme Court's 2010 decision in Citizens United v. FEC corporations can secretly funnel large amounts of money through groups that don't disclose their donors without their shareholders, customers, or the public ever knowing.
One reason spending large sums on elections is appealing to wealthy special interests is that it is a way to get their foot in the door with future lawmakers. By supporting a candidate's run for office these donors are more likely to build a relationship that leads to better lobbying access down the road. Since regular citizens can't come close to matching the large donations of corporate interests or super wealthy individuals this leads to lawmakers giving preference to big businesses and the richest "one- percent," often at the expense of what is best for the voters.
The problem of money in politics is just getting worse. The 2018 midterms are on track to be the most expensive midterm election in history, with more than $1 billion coming from outside sources– meaning entities that are not directly coordinated with the candidates running for office. A particularly problematic subset of these outside spenders are organizations, mostly political nonprofits, that can receive unlimited corporate contributions, spend that money to influence the outcome of the election, while not being required to disclose their donors. Among the reforms being pushed by the Declaration for American Democracy are measures that would shine light on this secret money that is flooding our politics and require corporations to be honest about the money they spend to rig our democracy in their favor.
Playing in politics and policy making—particularly secretly—is not without its consequences for corporations. For example, AT&T came under public scrutiny after it was revealed that the company paid Trump's attorney Michael Cohen, who has since pleaded guilty to multiple counts of fraud, $600,000 to consult on policy matters without disclosing that information to shareholders. Another example of a company facing public outcry for its political activity was when gun violence prevention advocates from Parkland, Florida staged "die- in" protests at two Publix supermarkets following reports that the company had made political contributions to Florida gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam, who is an outspoken supporter of the National Rifle Association. Publix released a statement and halted its donations to Putnam following the protests. Although this activity was fully disclosed by Publix, this example illustrates the challenge companies currently face to ensure that their political engagement lines up with their stated corporate values and customer expectations.
The revelation of AT&T's payments to Michael Cohen followed 5 years of calls from its shareholders to disclose the full extent of the company's lobbying activity including payments for direct and indirect lobbying and oversight policies. And, shareholders have been calling on other major companies to disclose their political activity for years as well. Shareholder proposals about corporate political activity are one of the most frequently filed proposals every year, with 80 filed in 2018. In response to calls from their shareholders to be more transparent, many companies are voluntarily adopting accountability and transparency policies. Currently, more than half of the S&P 100 companies are disclosing some or all of their election- related contributions with corporate money. If a company chooses to engage in the policy making process for the sake of their business there should be no reason why they would want to hide that critical information from their shareholders and customers. However, these voluntary steps are not enough, these disclosures must be mandatory so that investors can understand potential risks to the company down the road—something called for by the Declaration for American Democracy.
Starting tomorrow, the coalition will begin a new campaign to ensure that Congress prioritizes democracy reforms in 2019. Increasing transparency around corporate engagement in politics is just one part of the Declaration's plan to restore the balance to our democracy, which will also include protecting the right to vote, empowering small dollar campaign donors, and reducing the influence of wealthy special interests in our elections. While Americans are calling for policies that create an economy that is built for working people, address the impacts of climate change, establish affordable healthcare, and rebuild our infrastructure and schools, the "big money" campaign donor grip on our democracy stymies progress on all of these issues. Therefore, before we can solve the most pressing challenges facing the nation, we must ensure that our democracy works for all.
You can support the work of the Declaration for American Democracy by following it on Facebook and Twitter or check out the campaign website for all the latest updates.
Congress: our democracy needs more transparency, not less The Corporate Reform Coalition Remembers Jack Bogle


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Tags: Icahn | Chesapeake | Stake | Governance
Icahn's Chesapeake Stake Puts Governance Before Value: Energy
Tuesday, 29 May 2012 09:46 AM
In 2009, investor Jeffrey Bronchick told directors of Chesapeake Energy Corp. that he was disgusted with their leadership.
"I have never seen a more shameful document than the Chesapeake proxy statement," he wrote in an April 23, 2009, letter to the board after it paid Chief Executive Officer Aubrey McClendon $100 million in a year when the company's shares plunged 59 percent. The proxy is "a near perfect illustration of the complete collapse of appropriate corporate governance."
Three years later, Oklahoma City-based Chesapeake is embroiled in a new controversy over directors' close ties to McClendon, insider deals and off-the-books loans. Bronchick, however, sees things differently. The natural-gas producer is a good value investment, and the problems with the board no longer bother him, he said in an interview.
"Chesapeake's board doesn't engender confidence, but the problem isn't governance, it's $2 gas prices," said Bronchick, head of El Segundo, California-based Cove Street Capital, which held 306,088 Chesapeake shares at March 31. "I would have thought that after what McClendon went through in 2009, he would have adopted stricter governance, tightened capital spending and stopped having to be the biggest guy in the room. Still, he can pull it off once gas hits $3 or $4" per million British thermal units. Gas ended last week at about $2.50.
New Chairman
The tension investors sometimes see between appropriate corporate governance and possible rewards from value have rarely been more apparent than in the case of Chesapeake. The board is drawing increased attention because billionaire investor Carl Icahn, known for pushing for change at the companies in which he invests, last week announced he bought a 7.65 percent stake and demanded four directors be replaced.
The board was already searching for a new chairman to replace McClendon, who will remain CEO and a director of the company he co-founded 23 years ago. That search began after revelations last month about McClendon's borrowing from firms that do business with the company. The stock dropped 29 percent this year through May 25 because of questions about McClendon's leadership and low prices for natural gas.
The company responded to Icahn with a statement on May 25 saying that "after an independent chairman is named, the board's nominating committee will consult with shareholders and carefully review Mr. Icahn's request for board representation."
Previous to that Chesapeake had said it was confident of the board's independence, according to a May 20 statement by Michael Kehs, a company spokesman. Chesapeake is handling all requests for comment from directors, Kehs has said.
"Each of Chesapeake's directors has built a superb reputation based on impeccable credentials, independent judgment and unwavering integrity," he said.
Under Siege
The highly compensated board has been under siege for more than three years. New York City Comptroller John Liu, who controls pension funds that own 1.9 million Chesapeake shares, said the company's "root problem" is "the directors themselves and their failure to protect long-term shareowner value." Two of the nine directors face re-election at the annual meeting June 8, and Liu said he would withhold votes from them.
It's largely a symbolic gesture. There are no opposing candidates and, under Chesapeake's rules, a board member doesn't need a majority of votes cast to win re-election.
In 2009, by 78.7 percent of votes cast, shareholders approved a majority-vote measure. The board ignored that advisory vote. Shareholders also approved a measure to have all board members elected every year, not one-third of them every three years. This makes boards more accountable, according to corporate-governance experts.
Advice Ignored
The company also ignored that advice. A year later, Oklahoma passed a law prohibiting annual elections of entire boards for large, publicly traded companies registered in the state and requiring staggered terms for directors.
In response to the Oklahoma law, shareholders such as New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli are backing a resolution at the annual meeting to force Chesapeake to re-incorporate in Delaware. The company opposes the measure.
After Chesapeake directors were criticized this year, the company announced that board members cut their own pay. They'll still receive 34 percent more than the average $260,752 in compensation received last year by board members at 15 other exploration and production companies on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, according to Bloomberg calculations.
The company also said it now supports a majority rule, which is the practice at about three-quarters of public companies. Under Chesapeake's proposal, which will be considered at the annual meeting, any director nominee who doesn't receive a majority vote must submit a resignation. The board can reject the resignation, however.
Paid $343 Million
"The board retains the ultimate authority," Glass Lewis & Co., the proxy advisory firm, wrote in a report to clients. "This policy does not take the majority vote standard far enough."
Michael Gardner, governance expert for the New York City comptroller, said none of this was sufficient because the board is too close to McClendon. Lead director Merrill A. "Pete" Miller is CEO of National Oilwell Varco Inc., a drilling equipment maker that has been paid more than $343 million by Chesapeake since 2009, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission. Board member V. Burns Hargis is president of the Oklahoma State University system, which has received more than $10 million in Chesapeake funding, according to filings and university publications.
"Over and over this is a board that gives crumbs when it's under siege," Gardner said in an interview. "This board is rife with conflicts of interest and egregious pay. There's a disconnect between what they think they need to do to restore shareholder confidence and what shareholders think they should do."
Still, Chesapeake may be a cheap way to buy into the U.S. shale revolution, according to Fadel Gheit and Robert du Boff, two Oppenheimer & Co. analysts who rate the stock outperform, saying the shares are worth "several times the current price."
The company is the largest U.S. holder of onshore drilling leases, with 15.6 million acres under its control and proved reserves equivalent to 3.13 billion barrels of oil.
Natural gas futures for June delivery closed down 6.3 percent last week at $2.48 per million Btus. That erased some of their 37 percent rally since April 19 and still left the commodity about 75 percent below its mid-2008 high. Despite the current glut of gas from new wells in shale formations from Texas to Pennsylvania, an incipient gas rally portends well for Chesapeake. It holds reserves vast enough to satisfy four years of U.S. household demand.
Chesapeake shares "have plummeted in recent weeks on relentless attacks by the media, deserved and undeserved, for excessive compensation of its CEO and board, lack of transparency and complex financial structure," Gheit and du Boff said in a May 22 report to clients. "Although some changes have been made, more are needed."


There is nothing that bothers me more than how long it's been. I miss writing and I miss the confidence it gave me, I miss waking up everyday and getting to live and breathe the craft. I'll be back soon. I feel it coming.