text:
Q: Is it possible to add conditions to a MAX() call in an aggregated query? Background
My typical use case:
# Table

id     category    dataUID
---------------------------
0         A        (NULL)
1         B        (NULL)
2         C        text1
3         C        text1
4         D        text2
5         D        text3

# Query

SELECT MAX(`id`) AS `id` FROM `table`
GROUP BY `category`

This is fine; it will strip out any "duplicate categories" in the recordset that's being worked on, giving me the "highest" ID for each category.
I can then go on use this ID to pull out all the data again:
# Query

SELECT * FROM `table` JOIN (
   SELECT MAX(`id`) AS `id` FROM `table`
   GROUP BY `category`
) _ USING(`id`)

# Result

id     category    dataUID
---------------------------
0         A        (NULL)
1         B        (NULL)
3         C        text1
5         D        text3

Note that this is not the same as:
SELECT MAX(`id`) AS `id`, `category`, `dataUID` FROM `table`
GROUP BY `category`

Per the documentation:

In standard SQL, a query that includes a GROUP BY clause cannot refer
  to nonaggregated columns in the select list that are not named in the
  GROUP BY clause. For example, this query is illegal in standard SQL
  because the name column in the select list does not appear in the
  GROUP BY:
SELECT o.custid, c.name, MAX(o.payment)   FROM orders AS o, customers
AS c   WHERE o.custid = c.custid   GROUP BY o.custid;

For the query to be legal, the name column must be omitted from the
  select list or named in the GROUP BY clause.
MySQL extends the use of GROUP BY so that the select list can refer to
  nonaggregated columns not named in the GROUP BY clause. This means
  that the preceding query is legal in MySQL. You can use this feature
  to get better performance by avoiding unnecessary column sorting and
  grouping. However, this is useful primarily when all values in each
  nonaggregated column not named in the GROUP BY are the same for each
  group.
[..]
This extension assumes that the nongrouped columns will have the same group-wise values. Otherwise, the result is indeterminate.

So I'd get an unspecified value for dataUID — as an example, either text2 or text3 for result with id 5.
This is actually a problem for other fields in my real case; as it happens, for the dataUID column specifically, generally I don't really care which value I get.

Problem
However!
If any of the rows for a given category has a NULL dataUID, and at least one other row has a non-NULL dataUID, I'd like MAX to ignore the NULL ones.
So:
id     category    dataUID
---------------------------
4         D        text2
5         D        (NULL)

At present, since I pick out the row with the maximum ID, I get:
5         D        (NULL)

But, because the dataUID is NULL, instead I want:
4         D        text2

How can I get this? How can I add conditional logic to the use of aggregate MAX?

I thought of maybe handing MAX a tuple and pulling the id out from it afterwards:
GET_SECOND_PART_SOMEHOW(MAX((IF(`dataUID` NOT NULL, 1, 0), `id`))) AS `id`

But I don't think MAX will accept arbitrary expressions like that, let alone tuples, and I don't know how I'd retrieve the second part of the tuple after-the-fact.

A: slight tweak to @ypercube's answer. To get the ids you can use
SELECT COALESCE(MAX(CASE
                      WHEN dataUID IS NOT NULL THEN id
                    END), MAX(id)) AS id
FROM   table
GROUP  BY category

And then plug that into a join

A: This was easier than I thought, in the end, because it turns out MySQL will accept an arbitrary expression inside MAX.
I can get the ordering I want by injecting a leading character into id to serve as an ordering hint:
SUBSTRING(MAX(IF (`dataUID` IS NULL, CONCAT('a',`id`), CONCAT('b',`id`))) FROM 2)

Walk-through:
id     category    dataUID    IF (`dataUID` IS NULL, CONCAT('a',`id`), CONCAT('b',`id`)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
0         A        (NULL)                             a0
1         B        (NULL)                             a1
2         C        text1                              b2
3         C        text1                              b3
4         D        text2                              b4
5         D        (NULL)                             a5

So:
SELECT
   `category`, MAX(IF (`dataUID` IS NULL, CONCAT('a',`id`), CONCAT('b',`id`)) AS `max_id_with_hint`
FROM `table`
GROUP BY `category`

category   max_id_with_hint
------------------------------
A          a0
B          a1
C          b3
D          b4

It's then a simple matter to chop the ordering hint off again.
Thanks in particular to @JlStone for setting me, via COALESCE, on the path to embedding expressions inside the call to MAX and directly manipulating the values supplied to MAX.

A: From what I can remember you can use COALESCE inside of grouping statements. For example.
SELECT MAX(COALESCE(`id`,1)) ...

hm seems I read to quickly the first time. I think maybe you want something like this?
SELECT * FROM `table` JOIN (
   SELECT MAX(`id`) AS `id` FROM `table`
   WHERE `dataUID` IS NOT NULL
   GROUP BY `category`
) _ USING(`id`)

or perhaps
SELECT MAX(`id`) AS `id`,
  COALESCE (`dataUID`, 0) as `dataUID`
FROM `table`
GROUP BY `category`

A: SELECT t.*
FROM table AS t
  JOIN
  ( SELECT DISTINCT category
    FROM table
  ) AS tdc
  ON t.id =
  COALESCE(
    ( SELECT MAX(id) AS id
      FROM table
      WHERE category = tdc.category
        AND dataUID IS NOT NULL
    )
  , ( SELECT MAX(id) AS id
      FROM table
      WHERE category = tdc.category
        AND dataUID IS NULL
    )
  )

A: select *
from t1
join (
  select max(id) as id,
    max(if(dataGUID is NULL, NULL, id)) as fallbackid,
    category
  from t1 group by category) as ids
on if(ids.id = fallbackid or fallbackid is null, id, fallbackid) = t1.id;

A: you need clause OVER
SELECT id, category,dataUID
FROM
 (
    SELECT ROW_NUMBER() OVER (PARTITION BY category ORDER BY id desc, dataUID desc ) rn,
    id, category,dataUID FROM table
 ) q
WHERE rn=1

Consider that sorting by desc moves null values at last.


text:
As Sudanese protesters demand democracy, Catholic bishop pushes for freedom of worship
Sudanese demonstrators rally to demand that a civilian body lead the transition to democracy, outside the army headquarters in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, on April 13, 2019. (AP Photo)
Fredrick Nzwili
NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) — A Roman Catholic bishop in Sudan has charged that the largely Arab and Islamic country's ongoing popular revolution will be hollow if it does not also deliver freedom of worship for non-Muslim faiths.
"A civil society movement has for the first time brought all Sudanese people together, and the church is part of it," said Bishop Yunan Tombe Trille Kuku of the Diocese of El-Obeid in south-central Sudan.
"However, the latest developments may mean nothing for the church … unless the system of treating them as NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) is removed."
Members of Sudan's Christian minority, particularly young people, have taken a prominent role in the massive demonstrations that began in December as protests against cuts in government subsidies for bread and fuel, which eventually led the military to depose President Omar al-Bashir, on April 10. Now the crowds have erected barricades on the streets outside army headquarters, pressing the military's governing council to step aside in favor of civilians.
At least 38 people have died since the start of the protests, although human right groups say the number is higher.
Christian groups have held prayers and services during the protests, with Muslims often joining in the singing of the hymns.
Sudan, red, in northeast Africa. Map courtesy of Creative Commons
Sudan's Constitution guarantees freedom of worship, but Islam has remained the de facto state religion and Shariah, or Islamic law, governs many civic institutions. Preaching by non-Muslims is officially banned. Religious groups are required to register with the government as nonprofit NGOs, and their activities and personnel are closely watched. Church leaders have also been frequently arrested and harassed by the national intelligence service.
In Christian villages in the Nuba Mountains, in the south of the country, hospitals and schools have encountered frequent aerial bombardment, in what church leaders see as government attempts to eradicate Christianity from the region.
The protests have provided all Christian groups the opportunity to demand more freedom.
At a prayer service outside army headquarters on April 14 that was attended by leaders from Sudanese Protestant churches, including Presbyterians, Baptists and the Sudan Church of Christ, Pastor Rafaat Sameer Masaad, the head of the Evangelical Synod in Sudan, told the crowd that 2,000 years after Jesus led a revolution against slavery, injustice, division and hatred, life for his followers in Sudan was still difficult.
"The state treats us as a bunch of foreign spies working to destroy our homeland," Masaad said. "But we thank God for the awakening of our conscience during this revolution."
The protests, he added, were a chance for the people to go beyond religious divisions to build "an inclusive unifying Sudanese national identity."
Kuku said he was hopeful that the young demonstrators' "new mind" would "break the taboo of speaking about Christians and their churches." But he added that after 70 years of restrictions on the church's activities, he wants to see the laws that impede religious freedom change, not just attitudes.
"It is too soon to think those voices would make some difference. I speak from my experience. I've learned to believe half of what I hear and see," he said.
Kuku said he appreciated the power of the demonstrators to rid the country of al-Bashir's dictatorship but feared that if the military council does hand power to a civilian leader who is Muslim, the voices calling for change — including those of Christians — will soon be extinguished.
TagsAfrica coup demonstrators evangelical Christians homepage featured Omar al-Bashir protests religious freedom Roman Catholicism Sudan Sudanese Church of Christ
Aretha Franklin sings sweet sounds, recalls roots in 'Amazing Grace' documentary
Civil rights advocates drop lawsuit against Oklahoma's 'Muslim-free' gun range

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Author Archive:
As Vice President of Sales & Business Development, Paul Izzo's job is never boring.
"In market research, there is a constant need for problem-solving," he says. "Methodologies will evolve and blend more over time."
Paul knows success is not a one-person show. Rather, he takes a three-pronged approach that involves the right team, the right clients, and the right tools. It is also the approach that sets Logit apart from its competitors.
The Team: Setting Ourselves Apart
Paul joined us in early March of 2020, just days before the world went into lockdown. "It was not an ideal onboarding process amidst the pandemic," he admits. However, Paul found himself connecting with the team immediately from his home base in California.
"Project management is outstanding at Logit," Paul recognizes. "Taking ownership and having free reign on communication and the autonomy to fully manage a project shows our total level of competency to clients."
The Clients: Logit Across North America
For Paul, building new relationships with a variety of clients is the goal. His work is always changing, and he is always learning — another secret to keeping market research interesting.
Alongside Chris Connolly, he is helping to broaden Logit's presence across the North American marketplace, and this relationship building is top of mind for Paul.
He is leveraged his medical background to develop regulatory and health work for Logit, as well as oversee new and strategic sales and growth initiatives.
That said, Paul does not compromise the quality of Logit's work for the quantity of work. While he will always listen and try to understand any needs —remaining mindful of the client's resources for the best possible outcome — he is also adamant about knowing when to say no.
"Sometimes that's the best service you can do for a client."
The Tools: Logit's Arsenal of Products and Services
With a good team in place and great clients to work for, the final piece is having the products and services to bring the two together.
From current CATI methods to the future of Mobile360 plus a wide array of online offerings, Logit has an unrivaled ability to retrieve high-quality B2C and B2B data, while incorporating mixed-mode and more interactive research.
And much like the evolution of these tools, Paul has expanded his own skill set and offerings, incorporating Logit's powerful and innovative tools while servicing new and established clients.
Always learning and always growing; as Paul will be the first to tell you, market research is never boring.
To speak to Paul for your next project, contact us today.
2020 was a rollercoaster of a year, and it forced many companies of all sizes to pivot not only in terms of operations, but how they deliver products and services. Digital offerings have become the new norm, and many long-range innovation plans have experienced exponential growth due to increased demand and necessity.
One key takeaway from 2020: the collective need for the market research industry to revolutionize itself, and to bring research execution firmly into the 21st century. Now that 2021 is upon us, we're highlighting 5 tech-driven trends that are poised to dominate the MR space this year:
Continued reliance on Artificial Intelligence
We've been hearing about the impending arrival of AI for years, and how it will change everything in research. Conferences have seminars dedicated to it, and we're inundated with webinars, articles and ads touting its importance. For the most part, it's been more sizzle than steak, but we're finally starting to see more practical applications being put to use.
AI-driven chatbots for qualitative exercises essentially fill the role of a moderator and can prompt respondents for further explanation based on the answers they provide. AI is also being used to mine historical responses and then extrapolate predictions based on past user behaviour. Early indicators point to a future of less reliance on proprietary ad hoc research and more reliance on historic secondary research, re-packaged for subsequent use.
2. The Internet of Things Plays a Central Role
As more and more people consume and integrate smart tech into their homes, the opportunity to leverage its use for practical research applications grows. Smart home assistants like Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa have created an opportunity to engage consumers on a new level, providing an opportunity to subsidize current methodologies such as online and phone.
Smart tech also provides an opportunity to natively study usage behaviour from everything from lightbulbs to appliances. The average U.S. homeowner has 11 connected smart devices in their home; look for this trend to grow throughout 2021, and with it the ability to leverage these IoT devices for key insights.
3. Usage of Tech to Supplement In-Person
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted in-person research and has forever changed the way we design and recruit for qualitative projects.
Historically we've relied on physical locations to test grocery shelf layouts and to conduct shop-alongs, but the adoption of virtual and augmented reality technologies will allow consumers to take part in the equivalent research digitally from their home. This will in turn allow for greater cost savings and open studies to a larger pool of individuals.
4. Blockchain
Blockchain presents far more possibilities to the research space than just the option to pay out participants in cryptocurrency. It offers the opportunity to build a secure global trust network that is verifiable through the creation of transactional transparency. Imagine a world in which panellists and data can be verified through blockchain technology, going far beyond a simplistic hashing system.
Larger companies such as IBM and Mastercard are currently implementing blockchain as a practical application to reduce fraud and security risk, and we expect similar practical usage in the MR space to grow as well.
5. Enhancing User Responses with 3rd Party Data
In addition to purchased syndicated data and social listening, another way to cut costs and time on fielding a study is to ask a core set of 15 to 20 questions, and then fill in the rest of the data using tie-ins from databases that already contain the answers.
As more and more data sources begin offering customized access to their data through APIs (Application Programming Interface), look for supporting data on studies to become more robust and the profiling and segmentation of respondents to become more granular as a result.
For Chris Connolly, our Vice President of Research Services, success is learning what people want, and doing what he needs to do to make it happen.
It seems like a simple concept, but a lot goes into making that concept into a reality; Chris is committed to that followthrough.
Having built strategic international partnerships and been involved with the execution of hundreds of research projects, Chris knows what it takes to become a champion for both his clients and his colleagues. "I like to connect with other people through respect," he explains. "You get what you give."
And Chris has given a lot since joining Logit in May of 2018. Based out of the tech-oriented state of Colorado, he is on top of emerging trends to best serve clients, including bridging gaps by offering clients the best products to achieve their goals.
However, it's not just Logit that recognizes his contributions; the international market research community has as well. In 2019, he was named as a Director-at-Large of the Southwest Chapter of Insights Association and was recently voted in as Vice President. In this new position, Chris is determined to be involved with giving back to the community, which will include developing educational opportunities and more outreach for students to get better informed in the industry.
But for his day-to-day, Chris continues to offer creative solutions by acting as a liaison between Logit and clients; this helps everyone achieve their needs. "We succeed when we succeed as a team," Chris acknowledges, noting that it really does take everyone to make a project work. "I lead, but I also listen."
As a research market firm, Logit are the experts in knowing how to supply information, but ultimately, the client is the one who knows what they need. Chris believes that being client-oriented, allowing their needs to drive the conversation, while he fills in the gaps with Logit tools and his own instincts and ingenuity, makes for a partnership of success.
This needs-driven style of communication allows him to be nimble and reactive, with the ability to steer products and services with the precision of a boat, rather than the generality of a ship.
It's this agility that makes Logit a leader in the market research space. And it's people like Chris who continue to build our offerings to support our clients' needs.
To speak to Chris or anyone at Logit about your next research project, contact us today.
Aref Munshi, Vice President, Sales & Research Services, has been working in market research since the late 1980s and has seen the technological evolution of the industry firsthand.
When Aref began his career in 1989, his work included both qualitative and quantitative research. The majority of this research took place in person, including in-office, in-store and in malls.
This would eventually evolve to include product and home-use testing for consumer goods, as well as face-face medical interviewing. But most of this was still done "offline."
As technology evolved, it changed the way projects were being conducted. One of his challenges was encouraging some traditional clients to adapt to newer ways of collecting data that was equally meaningful. Some of that included changing from "offline" to "online."
There have been a number of positive outcomes to relying on tech-driven methodologies. It is more cost-efficient, allows for quicker turnaround, and adds the ability to review results in real-time.
"If you can consistently deliver quality, actionable data," Aref maintains, "methodological changes shouldn't matter."
He recognizes there are some limitations, too. For example, the touch-and-feel aspects of package testing is difficult to replicate online; body language is still important in face-to-face studies. There are also nuances in understanding what active and non-active group participants are saying and doing.
However, despite these missing pieces, Aref is excited to embrace these evolving changes and looks forward to integrating some of these technological advancements to future research.
Want to learn more about how technology can improve your next study? Contact us to learn more.
A significant number of Canadians are considering purchasing an electric vehicle in the next year, a number which would be boosted by the availability of provincial and federal rebates.
December 3, 2020: The Federal Government's recent fiscal update committed to spend $150 million over three years to build new electric vehicle charging stations. This announcement comes as both BC and Quebec plan to ban the sale of new gas-powered cars and trucks in the coming years (by 2040 and 2035, respectively). In light of this changing context, we sought to understand how interested Canadians are in buying an electric vehicle.
Four in ten Canadians (41%) are considering a new or used vehicle purchase in the next year (including cars, SUVs and trucks), and of those, over half are considering an electric vehicle. Likelihood of considering an electric vehicle is highest in BC and Ontario, and lowest in the Atlantic Provinces.
Demographically, Boomers are the least likely to be considering an electric vehicle (34%), compared with Gen Z (65%), Millennials (59%) or Gen X (60%) Canadians. Interest rises with household income, and is also higher among those employed full time or self-employed.
When told that federal rebates of $5,000 currently exist, and asked if an additional provincial rebate would encourage them to purchase an electric vehicle, it is clear that rebates would have a significant impact on likelihood to consider this type of vehicle. Indeed, over half of those who were less-than-fully interested in an electric vehicle indicated that rebates would make them more likely to consider one. This rebate 'boost' is strongest in Ontario, the Prairie Provinces and BC (60%, 56% and 53%), compared with Quebec or the Atlantic Provinces (47% and 45%). Importantly, the idea of rebates most pique the interest of those who were 'probably' considering an electric vehicle (84% of them said they'd be more interested with a rebate), but a significant minority of those who said initially that they were 'probably not' considering an electric vehicle are converted to interest by the availability of rebates (40%). Even one-in-ten of those who initially said they were 'definitely' not considering an electric vehicle would consider buying electric if rebates were on offer.
"Interest in electric vehicles is growing, and for good reason," says Erin Burbidge, Director of Clean Transportation at Clean Foundation. "They are exciting to drive – quiet, smooth and with impressive power. We are seeing more models and options available at a wider range of prices. Even better, over time the costs to run and maintain an electric vehicle are significantly lower than a gas-powered vehicle. And unlike gas-powered cars that produce greenhouse gases and other pollutants that contribute to climate change, smog, and poor air quality, electric vehicles have no tailpipe emissions, making them better for the healthy environments and communities."
Results shown are from a survey conducted online November 11 – 13, 2020, with 1,231 Canadians 18 years of age or older from the Logit Group's Canadian Omnibus. Fielding every month, the Logit Group's COVID-19 Omnibus surveys Canadians to ask their opinions and behaviours related to topical issues. Clean partnered with Narrative Research on the development of questions. Results were analyzed by Narrative Research. Data was weighted based on the 2016 Census, by gender, age, and region to reflect these population characteristics in each province. As a non-probability sample (i.e., a panel sample where residents have joined a panel to share their opinions), and in accordance with CRIC Public Opinion Research Standards, a margin of error is not applied.
Questions included in this release include the following:
How likely are you to purchase each of the following in the next year? A new or used car; a new or used truck; a new or used SUV?
{If likely to buy} As you think about the vehicle you may buy in the next year, are you considering an electric vehicle?
As you may or may not know, the federal government currently offers up to $5,000 in rebates for the purchase of many types of electric vehicles. Knowing this, would having an additional provincial rebate available, alongside the federal rebate, make you more likely to consider purchasing an electric vehicle?
Margaret Chapman, COO, Narrative Research – 902.222.4048, mchapman@narrativeresearch.ca
Alana Milner, Director External Relations, Clean Foundation – 902.420.3474 ext. 114, amilner@clean.ns.ca
Sam Pisani, Managing Partner, Logit Group – 416.629.4116, sam.pisani@logitgroup.com
Narrative Research (www.narrativeresearch.ca), is a leading public opinion and market research company headquartered in Canada. The company was recently certified as a WBE (Women Business Enterprise). As a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned research company, Narrative Research is dedicated to providing clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services. Follow us on Twitter at @EveryNarrative
A non-profit environmental charity, Clean Foundation (clean.ns.ca), is a trusted and community-based source of information and action on climate change solutions in Atlantic Canada.
Follow us on Twitter at @CleanFoundation
The Logit Group (https://logitgroup.com/) is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies across an array of methodologies, and is independent, experienced and quality-oriented. Follow us on Twitter at @LogitGroup
How important is it for Canadians to watch live sports on TV?
One-half of Canadians are passionate about watching live professional sports on TV, while a third say watching live sports on TV are not important at all.
December 1, 2020: In our most recent survey, we asked Canadians how important is it for them to be able to watch live sports on TV – something that has been important during lockdowns for viewers, but is logistically difficult for many teams and leagues to deliver. Canadians are divided on this topic, one-half of the population indicating it is important, while the other half considers it not important.
Across the country, the importance of being able to watch live professional sports on TV is highest in Ontario (with more than one-half indicating it is important), while it is lowest in Atlantic Canada and Quebec (as only four in ten deem it important).
When looking across demographics, Millennials (25-34 yrs.) and Gen X (35-54 yrs.) are most likely to place importance on watching live sports on TV, while those under the age of 25 express the lowest levels of importance, followed by those over the age of 55+ years. Additionally, males are nearly twice as likely to indicate the importance of this compared to females. Importance also increases with household income, with those earning $100,000 or more to be more likely to mention that watching live professional sports on TV is important.
Results shown are from a survey conducted online November 11 – 13, 2020, with 1,231 Canadians 18 years of age or older from the Logit Group's Canadian Omnibus. Fielding every month, the Logit Group's COVID-19 Omnibus surveys Canadians to ask their opinions and behaviours related to topical issues. Results were analyzed by Narrative Research. Data was weighted based on the 2016 Census, by gender, age, and region to reflect these population characteristics in each province. As a non-probability sample (i.e., a panel sample where residents have joined a panel to share their opinions), and in accordance with CRIC Public Opinion Research Standards, a margin of error is not applied.
Narrative Research (www.narrativeresearch.ca), is a leading public opinion and market research company headquartered in Canada. The company was recently certified as a WBE (Women Business Enterprise). As a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned research company, Narrative Research is dedicated to providing clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services.
The Logit Group (https://logitgroup.com/) is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies across an array of methodologies, and is independent, experienced and quality-oriented. Follow us on Twitter at @EveryNarrative and @LogitGroup
Canada has seen a significant increase in pet owners since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
November 27, 2020: Since the COVID-19 pandemic there has been an increase in pet ownership, with adoption rates rising as people stay home. Results from our research confirm that of current pet owners, a significant portion have obtained a pet since the pandemic started (18%).
Overall, over one-half of Canadians currently have a pet in their household, while just under one-half do not. Perhaps unsurprisingly, cats and dogs are by far the most commonly-owned pets and are essentially tied in popularity. Interestingly, residents living in Quebec and Nova Scotia are less likely to own a dog and more likely to own a cat. Those in BC and the Prairies are more likely to own a dog compared to any other region.
Among Canadian pet owners, 18% report obtaining they obtained a new pet since the start of the pandemic.
When looking across the population, those 18-24 are the most likely to have purchased a pet since the start of the pandemic (38%), with Boomers being the least likely to (9%). Otherwise, results are consistent across demographics.
The Logit Group (https://logitgroup.com/) is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies across an array of methodologies, and is independent, experienced and quality-oriented.
Follow us on Twitter at @EveryNarrative and @LogitGroup
Storyteller Series: Oscar Fernandes shares his insights on international Voice-of-Customer/CSAT projects
We're highlighting the expertise of Oscar Fernandes, VP of Sales & Client Services at Logit. Oscar has been with us for six years and carries over 25 years of experience in Market Research.
Here are his insights on international Voice-of-Customer/CSAT projects:
Depending on the project requirements, while utilizing various methodologies (online, phone, on-site) we are limited to logistical issues, cultural influences and customer databases. Consider regional dialects and languages when using face-to-face in particular.
Overall data collection budget may be an issue when using phone or on-site. Transitioning to online is more cost efficient, assuming a customer list exists with sufficient sample ratio.
Identify restrictions based on region. As with most countries, data privacy is extremely important and compliance protocol must be adhered to. In some cases, data must remain local.
Recognize that not all methodologies or solutions are a good fit. As some clients look to transition from phone to online, it is necessary to fully understand the project scope and cultural nuances, as participation rates vary by country; some are much less likely to respond to an email invitation.
Research execution is critical. Using our global network, Oscar has conducted multiple international projects for financial and wealth management firms in several Asian and African countries.
"Understanding the necessity of meeting the diverse needs of our clients, our team of experts specializes in combining multiple innovative methodologies in order to better add value and insights to our studies."
Canadians express mixed support towards the decriminalization of hard drugs in the Country.
November 26 2020: In light of changes recently made to certain American states' rules around the criminality of possession of certain hard drugs, we asked Canadians in our recent survey whether they would support or oppose such a change to decriminalize hard drugs north of the border. Support is mixed, with just over four in ten Canadians indicating they would be onboard with decriminalization of these substances.
More specifically, two in ten are in complete support of the idea, while one-quarter mostly support such a change. Across the country, support is highest in British Columbia (with more than one-half indicating their support), while it is lowest in Quebec (as only one-third are in support).
When looking across the population, support for this change decreases with age, that is, those under the age of 35 express the highest levels of support. Otherwise, results are fairly consistent across other demographics such as education, income, gender, and employment status.
As background, earlier this month, Oregon voters approved Measure 110 (with a 55.8% vote) that decriminalized hard drugs (like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine), meaning that those found in possession of a small amount of these drugs are no longer facing potential jail time, and instead are offered aid for addiction assistance and other health services.
Canadians are highly supportive of making Daylight Savings Time permanent.
November 24, 2020: There has been ongoing discussion across the country regarding the possible elimination of the bi-annual time changes that are observed in nearly all provinces, and results from our most recent survey show that there would be wide support for making such a change.
Across the country, the vast majority would support making Daylight Savings Time permanent, which would result in an elimination of time changes in the spring and fall, with time staying the same all year round.
One-half or more residents are completely supportive of the idea, while one-third mostly support such a concept. The exception is in Newfoundland and Labrador, where just 38% completely support such a move.
There is very little opposition to such a change, with only 5% overall completely opposing the notion, and a further 10% mostly opposing the elimination of the bi-annual changes.
By age, complete support for the elimination of the changes increases as Canadians get older, with Boomers being the most highly supportive. Otherwise, results are consistent across demographics.


Robert 'Preacherman' Daniels, the former World Boxing Association World Cruiserweight champion, now joins former cruiserweight champion Imamu Mayfield in calling out Roy Jones Jr. Jones, who won the vacant World Boxing Foundation World Cruiserweight championship last weekend by stopping Bobby Gunn, may find his anticipated retirement from the ring premature.
Daniels, 49-10-1 with 41 knockouts, Miami, Florida, wants to fight Jones, 65-9 with 47 knockouts, Pensacola, Florida, and it does not have to do with the fact both are from Florida.
Antonio OrozcoboxingbrizelEducationfighterFloyd MayweatherFrankie GomezJose BenevidezPedro CamparobertRobert Brizel got an educationschoolSpence Jr.TrumpViva Collazo!


Wests Tigers NRL Head Coach Jason Taylor has finalised his side to take on the St. George-Illawarra Dragons this afternoon for their Round 20 clash at ANZ Stadium.
In the only change to the team originally named during the week, Robbie Farah drops off the interchange bench, with Joel Edwards coming into the side in jersey 18.
Aaron Woods and James Tedesco both return for their first match since Origin Game III.
See how Wests Tigers and the Dragons line up for today's game at ANZ Stadium below!


You've only got one spine, take great care of it with supportive chiropractic care. Call to make an appointment today.
Welcome to Spiers Chiropractic Pain & Wellness Center!
Post by Spiers Chiropractic Pain & Wellness Center.
Located in the heart of Hattiesburg, the leading health professionals at Spiers Chiropractic Pain & Wellness Center are dedicated to helping you achieve your wellness objectives -- combining skill and expertise that spans the entire chiropractic wellness spectrum. Dr. Denton Spiers is committed to bringing you better health and a better way of life by teaching and practicing the true principles of chiropractic wellness care.
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If you are new to our website, please feel free to discover and learn about chiropractic wellness. If you are interested in starting your journey towards wellness please subscribe to our award winning newsletter. If you are already a newsletter subscriber, please explore the member wellness section of our website for wellness articles, resources, and health facts---specifically targeted by Dr. Denton Spiers to your wellness needs and interests.
Call us at 601-261-9495 to take advantage of this exclusive offer.
Hi, I'm Dr. Denton Spiers and I would like to personally thank you for considering me for your chiropractic care. I assure you that I am committed to and concerned for your health and wellbeing and will do all that I can to help you reach your health care goals, whatever they may be.
"Polite and attentive staff. Also left feeling much better!"
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"Love Dr Spiers & staff . Have helped me tremendously �"


text:
Q: CheckGenesis use case(s) In today's Substrate Collaborative Learning, the SignedExtension impl for CheckGenesis came up (see this riot conversation for validation-related discussion).
Going back to first principles, what are the use case(s) for CheckGenesis ?

A: When a user submits a transaction to a Substrate-based blockchain, there is extra signed data attached to the transaction to ensure it is applied to the correct chain state that the user intended it for. You can see what kind of additional signed data is attached in the node template
The purpose of CheckGenesis is to ensure that the transaction is submitted to the correct chain instead of a different one. Without CheckGenesis, the following attack would be possible.
Alice pays Bob a few tokens on a chain that they both commonly use.
The transaction goes through as expected and Bob receives the tokens.
Bob notices that Alice re-uses her key on another chain.
So he submits her transaction to that second chain as well.
The transaction also goes through on the second chain, and Bob receives a second payment.
By referring to the chain that the transaction is intended for in the signed data, Alice can prevent that attack.
As cryptographic advice, you should not reuse keys across applications in general. Not all blockchains are based on Substrate, and not all chains include this check.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


DOS Network (CURRENCY:DOS) traded down 2.2% against the dollar during the one day period ending at 13:00 PM E.T. on April 8th. Over the last seven days, DOS Network has traded down 1.8% against the dollar. One DOS Network token can currently be bought for $0.0273 or 0.00000525 BTC on popular exchanges including BitMax and Coinsuper. DOS Network has a market cap of $0.00 and $1.31 million worth of DOS Network was traded on exchanges in the last 24 hours.
XRP (XRP) traded 0% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.36 or 0.00006860 BTC.
Binance Coin (BNB) traded 4.1% lower against the dollar and now trades at $18.21 or 0.00350127 BTC.
Stellar (XLM) traded 2.3% higher against the dollar and now trades at $0.13 or 0.00002509 BTC.
Tether (USDT) traded up 0.8% against the dollar and now trades at $1.01 or 0.00019456 BTC.
TRON (TRX) traded up 8% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0306 or 0.00000589 BTC.
Bitcoin SV (BSV) traded down 2.7% against the dollar and now trades at $82.71 or 0.01590615 BTC.
NEO (NEO) traded 3% lower against the dollar and now trades at $12.49 or 0.00240293 BTC.
VeChain (VET) traded down 1.1% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0074 or 0.00000143 BTC.
Basic Attention Token (BAT) traded down 1.5% against the dollar and now trades at $0.29 or 0.00005664 BTC.
Crypto.com Chain (CRO) traded up 6.5% against the dollar and now trades at $0.0562 or 0.00001082 BTC.
and its Facebook page is accessible here. The Reddit community for DOS Network is /r/DOSNetwork and the currency's Github account can be viewed here.
DOS Network can be purchased on these cryptocurrency exchanges: Coinsuper and BitMax. It is usually not possible to buy alternative cryptocurrencies such as DOS Network directly using US dollars. Investors seeking to acquire DOS Network should first buy Bitcoin or Ethereum using an exchange that deals in US dollars such as Gemini, Changelly or GDAX. Investors can then use their newly-acquired Bitcoin or Ethereum to buy DOS Network using one of the exchanges listed above.
Receive News & Updates for DOS Network Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and updates for DOS Network and related cryptocurrencies with MarketBeat.com's FREE CryptoBeat newsletter.


text:
News Sports Blue Raiders Lifestyles Opinion Obituaries E-Edition Legals
Reports: Rick Barnes to Tennessee
Matt Slovin
Gannett Tennessee
Tennessee is nearing an agreement with former Texas coach Rick Barnes that would make him the Vols' new men's basketball coach, according to multiple reports.
ESPN's Jeff Goodman reported Monday afternoon that Tennessee has offered the job to Barnes just one day after Texas announced it had parted ways with the Longhorns' coach of 17 seasons. CBSSports.com's Gary Parrish wrote that Barnes is Tennessee's priority, though a deal has yet to be finalized.
A plane owned by Knoxville construction company Phillips & Jordan flew from Knoxville to Austin, Texas, on Monday afternoon, according to flightaware.com. It's unclear who was on the flight.
Texas paid Barnes $2,550,000 annually, making him the 11th highest paid coach in the nation, according to USA Today data.
The 60-year-old coach is a native of Hickory, N.C., located three hours east of Knoxville, and a graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne University, also in Hickory.
Prior to coaching Texas, Barnes led the programs at George Mason, Providence and, later, Clemson. He has an all-time record of 604-314 for a career winning percentage of .658.
Barnes reached the NCAA Tournament in 16 of the 17 seasons he spent at Texas. Three times, his teams have made the Elite Eight.
Shortly after news of his departure from Texas broke, Barnes told reporters that he would return to coaching "probably quicker than you think."
The Tennessee job has been open since Friday, when Donnie Tyndall was fired after just one season as the Vols' head coach.
An escalating NCAA investigation led the Tennessee administration to conclude that Tyndall had committed NCAA violations while the head coach of Southern Miss.
Jobs Cars Homes Classifieds Education Reviewed 10Best Reach Local Grateful
© 2021 www.dnj.com. All rights reserved.


text:
Category: sloths
Why The Word Sanctuary is Just a Word
On May 19, 2016 June 21, 2016 By projecticarus2015In animal welfare, conservation, Conservation Journalism, costa rica, egotourism, Facts, Hands Off Conservation, Hands-on Interaction, Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica, sloths, true facts, unethical tourismLeave a comment
The I.C.A.R.U.S. team has posted about the "sloth sanctuary of America" in Oregon and their questionable behavior and pseudo-sanctuary status. Now, it's the Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica's turn to be put under the spotlight. It isn't the first time that the Sloth Sanctuary has had questions raised, but it is the first time that two doctors of veterinary medicine have stepped forward to professionally denounce the "sanctuary" and its deplorable "behind the scenes" treatment of the sloths in its care.
Hopefully this exposure will help set changes in motion, though first it's likely that any of us who dare to post the article or question the "sanctuary" will suffer attacks. After all, this is the first time the "sanctuary" or any of it's associates (who are also not strangers to questionable behavior) have ever been publicly confronted with their failures and misrepresentation.
You can read the article on the Dodo here.
Addicted To The Limelight
On May 3, 2016 May 25, 2016 By projecticarus2015In America's Sloth Sanctuary, animal welfare, Big Cat Public Safety Act, Black Jaguar White Tiger, Bowmanville Zoo, conservation, Hands Off Conservation, Hands-on Interaction, sloths, stewardship, T.I.G.E.R.S, Tiger Safari, tourism, unethical tourismLeave a comment
Justin Bieber made headlines again this weekend after photographs of him posing with an adult tiger on a leash hit the internet. Though the tiger photo caused the biggest stir, there were other exotic animals "rented" for the birthday bash hosted by Bieber's father. Many people ostracized Bieber not only for supporting the exploitation of captive exotic animals, but also for supporting the Bowmanville zoo, from whence the animals for the party were rented.
Here's the thing, though. Bieber doesn't care if people are angry with him, what he cares about is that people are talking about him.
Getting attention from the public is not just something celebrities monopolize, either. It has also become the sole endeavor of those who exploit captive exotic animals on social media. This is one reason that people or groups who post to multiple sites, multiple times a day, end up with tens of thousands, or millions of followers who fawn over them and support everything they do without question. This addiction to the limelight has nothing whatsoever to do with conservation, it has to do with being the center of attention.
Anyone who keeps abreast of the use of social media sites by pseudo-sanctuaries is aware that Black Jaguar White Tiger has cornered the market on both "cute" videos, and "defensive attack" videos. Founder Eduardo Serio's obsession with posting videos and pictures which promote his own interactions with his animals, and his own "amazingness" as well has his petty and often shamefully immature threats to "destroy" or otherwise discredit anyone who speaks out against him has been documented ad nauseam. When Serio isn't talking about how awesome he is, he's badmouthing anyone who dares suggest that he, nor his "work" is quite as awesome as he thinks.
But Serio isn't the only pseudo–not GFAS accredited–sanctuary owner who uses social media to further their own interests, he's just arguably the most obnoxious.
The Bowmanville Zoo, where Bieber's father rented the exotic animals for his birthday party this weekend has an Instagram account, which like many other pseudo-sanctuaries, hosts an array of photos most of which involve humans holding or interacting with captive exotic animals. Now, as far as "successful" social media accounts go, Bowmanville's is lacking, possibly due to the recent animal cruelty charges levied against its owner. Chances are, the Bowmanville Zoo won't be making any kind of comeback on social media anytime soon. That does not, however, negate the fact that they unabashedly exploited their animals in order to gain attention while their accounts were active.
Another zoo that is still very active in the use of social media for the exploitation of captive exotic animals, is Tiger Safari: Oklahoma's Interactive Zoological Park. Read: Big Petting Zoo. Tiger Safari seems to favor Facebook, over Instagram, for its animal exploitation needs. Both accounts have been untended recently, but their Facebook page, in particular, is chock full of photos of guests holding baby big cats, riding tortoises, and cradling kangaroos. The only focus, is the interaction between the public and the animals.
Unlike Tiger Safari, the Zoological Wildlife Conservation Center (you might remember them from this article) is right on top of updating their Facebook page with, you guessed it, people holding and interacting with captive exotic animals!
You might also remember that two Carpathian lynxes were listed for sale by the one of the three entities that share a location with ZWCC.
Despite that they've supposedly stopped allowing the public to directly interact with certain animals, the ZWCC obviously has no problem with directly handling animals themselves, or with posting videos of such interactions on social media.
Safari's Sanctuary Zoo also has a Facebook page filled with questionable human/animal interactions, most of which are available to the public, for a fee. Animals are carted around to various locations and subsequently used as props for photographs and to gain public support for a pseudo-sanctuary which has, like all the others, a slew of violations, accusation and fines in its background.
All four of these "zoological parks" share the fact that they claim to be dedicated to conservation, while they focus on allowing direct interactions between visitors and captive exotic animals. In all four cases, if you removed the direct interaction factor, you would have little if any remaining platform. The zoos simply don't function as anything except as a vector for human/animal interactions. Well, aside from the continued breeding of captive exotic animals, and the sale of them, and any other possible form of exploitation.
Basically, they exist through the means of exploitation, not for the purpose of conservation.
While Facebook serves as the social media platform for some, there is no social media site that lends itself to captive exotic animal exploitation quite like Instagram. Allowing users to upload both videos and photographs, while collecting followers, and comments, Instagram is nearly limitless in its uses for putting oneself "out there". The most exploitive accounts run the gamut from those hosted by pseudo-sanctuaries, to private citizens. But they all share a common thread: using captive exotic animals to get attention.
T.I.G.E.R.S. has some 42,000 followers (paltry in comparison to BJWT's 5 million mindless worshipers) but T.I.G.E.R.S. is steadily gaining a wider, and wider base. With an endless supply of "cutesy" videos like wolf puppies playing with big cat cubs, and mountain lion cubs playing with baby chimpanzees, Doc Antle continues to tap into his formula of "unlikely animal friends" while ignorant followers oooh and awww over the uploads. Then there is the ever popular "babe with a wild cat" angle, something else for which Antle is well known. Just like other pseudo-sanctuaries, these videos are carefully hash-tagged with things like #savejaguars #notpets and #wildlivesmatter. Never mind that the cats in the videos and photos have often been bred just to be exploited, they're being treated exactly like pets, and they have no impact whatsoever on wild animals of the same species, nor does the pseudo-sanctuary posting the photo or video have any actual impact on the plight of wild animals of the highlight species. Other than possibly damaging them.
Above and beyond the use of Instagram by pseudo-sanctuaries in their constant hunt for limelight, it has become a go-to outlet for captive exotic animal breeders and sellers. Accounts like Luxurypetss NjExoticpets and Fabelpetgallery actually use Instagram to sell live animals, with seemingly little regard for state regulations. In the case of Luxurypetss, captive bred big cats feature prominently, including servals, caracals, savannahs, and bengals. Unsurprisingly, a huge percent of comments go something like "I want one!!!" without any sense that the person commenting has a grasp of either how difficult it is to care for such cat, or how the continued breeding of captive big cats can adversely affect wild populations. Or, in the case of breeds like savannahs, which are created by crossing wild and domestic breeds, how inherited defects and diseases can shorten lifespans, and complicate the lives of the cats.
This detached sort of emulation is one reason that the ICARUS team is steadfast in our hands-off conservation policies. Even those who do not allow public interaction with the animals in their care, but do use social media to show themselves interacting with their animals attract not public interest in wild conservation, but rather, interest specifically in also being allowed to interact with captive wild animals. Photos like this one put the focus on interacting with captive exotic animals, not protecting wild animals. And tragically, the comments reveal the actual impact they have on the impressionable public. Instead of asking how to protect existing wild lions, the commenters say things like: "best work experience ever" "I want one too" "dream job""they say thank you!" (in regard to the lion "hugging" the man in the photograph) "I want to be you""Goals" and so on and so forth. All comments associated with the intention and goal of also hugging a lion. It's a situation of monkey see, monkey do. And of hero-worship.
In preparation for this article, I sat down and sorted through the comments of Instagram photos and videos depicting direct interaction between the posters and their animals on accounts maintained by T.I.G.E.R.S., Kevin Richardson, and BJWT. Aside from the various hashtags like #savelions #savejaguars #savetigers, on the photos I examined (and at the time I examined them, because comments continually evolve) precisely 0% of the comments pertained to conservation in any format. Roughly 45%-67% of the comments were nothing but flattering compliments to the owners of the account. Anywhere from 12% up to 25% of the comments conveyed a desire to do exactly what was portrayed in the photo or video.
Clearly, seeing "experts" directly interact with captive exotic animals in no way encourages the public to avoid interacting with captive exotic animals themselves. It only increases interest in it. To make matters worse, there are virtual Instagram "celebrities" who don't even pretend to have interest in conservation. People like humaidalbuqaish and swakll use Instagram as a way to showcase their own private zoos of captive exotic animals. And aside from the occasional naysayer (who often receives brutal abuse for questioning what's going on) by and large, the responses to photos and videos of privately owned captive exotic animals are more along the lines of "can I visit your house?" "living the dream" "can I visit and play with your lions?" and "OMG I WANT ONE TOO".
And so the cycle of limelight addiction continues. Pseudo-conservationists (whose "sanctuaries are not GFAS accredited) continue to post photos and videos of themselves playing with their animals, right alongside private owners posting videos and photos of themselves playing with their animals, and somehow the public is supposed to get the message that owning and playing with captive exotic animals is actually a bad idea. Which, of course, doesn't happen.
What does happen, is a lot of limelight shined on those posting the photos and videos.
Which is exactly what they wanted all along.
What do airplane bathrooms, Donald Trump and Wildlife Conservation have in Common?
On September 16, 2015 By projecticarus2015In afica, animal welfare, asia, caribbean, cohesion, collaboration, europe, ocelots, puerta viejo, sloths, stewardship, travel, wildlife crime1 Comment
I never imagined that the start of our first ICARUS Project journey would find me trapped in an airplane bathroom at a cruising altitude of 35,000 ft. To be fair, I don't think anyone imagines that in any scenario, but there I was clinging to the sink and praying for the travel gods to take mercy on my weak stomach. In that moment I said to myself, "And so it begins".
It's a common problem, creating a viable thesis, students all over the world spend late nights crying over their laptops and wishing for the end of days. Me personally, I just ignored it for as long as possible. No really, I spent the last two years in the field trying to avoid the subject. Luckily, that's how it found me. I knew, in theory, the difficulty in tackling something as broad as wildlife crime. To expose individuals and organizations that traffic, possess, breed and abuse the wildlife that is imperative to keeping our ecosystem balanced. Not only do they keep our planet in check, but keep its human inhabitants grounded and humble. Our animal cohabitants remind us that we do not in fact own everything around us. When it comes to marking territory, it's humans that feel the need to piss on every tree.
So how did I get here, in this cramped, putrid plane toilet? How does a grown woman of 36 find herself with a one way ticket out of America, all her belongings packed in her tired old chevy and headed to Costa Rica, and hoping to save some animals.
In a nutshell, I've got nothing to lose. At the age of thirty I found myself bankrupt and jobless (after losing a job as the manager of a posh horse farm due to a horrific bout of meningitis). I spent two long years shelving videos at Blockbuster (yes, it was THAT long ago) and wondering when my bright future had snuffed out. At some point you put up or shut up, so I emptied my bank account, a whole whopping 500 bucks, rented a Uhaul and headed to NYC to sort it all out.
Long story short, the concrete jungle was not my mecca, but it did lead me to an opportunity through my school to travel abroad to Africa, Namibia to be specific. An opportunity to work with wildlife, specifically big cats, for the first time. Perhaps, Namibia was my mecca and the cheetahs my saviors. There was no turning back after that. I left NY and gave impoverished internship living a shot. From the diversity of the rescues at The Black Beauty Ranch in Texas, to the majesty of the North American wildlife at The Wildlife Center of Virginia and then the ferocity of the Big Cat Rescue residents in balmy Tampa, Florida. I finally found my purpose. Not only did I learn to understand the biology and behavior of the animals that inspired me to live off of peanut butter and toast, but I was exposed to the suffering and neglect that these sentient creatures fell victim to, not only in the countries spotlighted by the media, but also in the pseudo sanctuaries, roadside zoos, canned hunt farms and backyards of America. That's when I found my purpose. That's how ICARUS came to be. No matter how idealistic, I believe this project can effectuate great positive change and my ICARUS cohorts share my crazy mission.
Flash forward to the misery of my airplane bathroom captivity. In the fetal position and my head between my knees, I had no idea this was only the beginning of my nearly 24 hour journey into the jungle. When fellow ICARUS member Sarah and friend Becky picked me up at a bustling and slightly overwhelming San Jose airport we couldn't forsee that we were climbing into a car that would drop its clutch just before the mountain pass, resulting in a 500 dollar garage bill. We would then find ourselves throwing Sarah's credit card into the pot and doing a hail Mary, in the hopes that we would have just enough to rent a car and get us over the pass on a dark and rainy night. Somehow we managed to get back on the road and three women, a ton of luggage and a failed scat dog named Cody, barreled over what is perhaps the shiftiest mountain road my poor stomach has ever encountered. Despite any emotional, mechanical or financial obstacles we arrived at our destination alive and well, thankfully!
So, here we are, in Puerto Viejo. We are currently living in a house (The Love Shack) with a leaking gas cooker, fans that probably started the Ebola epidemic and floors that are slowly becoming holes beneath our feet. This is apparently what happens when you embark on an epic journey with absolutely nothing in your bank account! Within my first 72 hours in Puerto Viejo I found myself advocating against turtle poaching, the sale of endangered animal meat and … wait, cock fighting…really? All of which is apparently occurring right here now. Sadly, this was just with the American residents. I even found myself trapped in a supermarket queue while a preening, peacock of a man preached to a local woman that she needed to look past Donald Trump's inane racist comments to find the true value he has as a presidential candidate. I momentarily questioned if I was indeed in Costa Rica or perhaps trapped in the Twilight Zone. This was right before I evaluated how much time I would spend in a Central American prison if I stapled this man's mouth shut. I decided not to risk it.
So, here it begins. We hope that you will join us as ICARUS embarks on a journey to pool together the greatest minds in animal welfare, to create resources that we can all draw from no matter our race, religion or creed. To gather the good and expose and bring an end to the corrupt. To use global unity to begin to repair global wildlife issues. Human Beings are the root cause of wildlife devastation, but we are also capable of its salvation.


Patna: Rajdev Ranjan,42, senior journalist, was returning to home late evening from his office on Friday, meanwhile unidentified assailants intercepted his motor bike near flyover bridge under town area police station and opened fire at him; Ranjan sustained two bullets injuries; and died on the way to hospital.
Mr Ranjan was working on the post of bureau chief Siwan, Dainik Hindustan. The SP Siwan told that the offenders were motorcycle borne; but their phiz, their numbers are unknown yet. The investigation is going on. The police have taken two men in custody. They are being questioned.
Mr Ranjan was the resident of Mahadeva Mission compound. He had celebrated his marriage anniversary on Thursday.
The BJP targeted Nitish government, the spokesperson Sambit Patra said, " not only jungle rule here; but also the situation worsened here now than before."
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has condemned the killing and directed top police officers to take prompt action in the case.
The IG Bihar Mr Sunil Kumar sent a superintendent of police rank of officer to investigate the matter.
Meanwhile, a US-based media watchdog called for an investigation into the brutal killings of two journalists in Bihar and Jharkhand this week.


text:
Q: RSPEC test fail, app works I am following rails tutorial and would like some help with RSPEC errors.
Errors:
1) UsersController GET 'index' for signed-in users should be successful
     Failure/Error: Factory(:user, :name => Factory.next(:name),
     RuntimeError:
       No such sequence: name
     # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:24
     # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:23:in `times'
     # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:23

 2) UsersController GET 'index' for signed-in users should have an element for each user
 Failure/Error: Factory(:user, :name => Factory.next(:name),
 RuntimeError:
   No such sequence: name
 # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:24
 # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:23:in `times'
 # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:23

  3) UsersController GET 'index' for signed-in users should paginate users
 Failure/Error: Factory(:user, :name => Factory.next(:name),
 RuntimeError:
   No such sequence: name
 # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:24
 # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:23:in `times'
     # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:23

  4) UsersController GET 'index' for signed-in users should have delete links for admins
 Failure/Error: Factory(:user, :name => Factory.next(:name),
 RuntimeError:
   No such sequence: name
 # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:24
 # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:23:in `times'
     # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:23

  5) UsersController GET 'index' for signed-in users should not have delete links for non-admins
 Failure/Error: Factory(:user, :name => Factory.next(:name),
 RuntimeError:
   No such sequence: name
 # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:24
 # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:23:in `times'
     # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:23

*UPDATE: These errors did not go away! *
  6) UsersController DELETE 'destroy' as an admin user should redirect to the users page
 Failure/Error: response.should redirect_to(users_path)
   Expected response to be a redirect to <http://test.host/users> but was a redirect to <http://test.host/users/1>.
     # ./spec/controllers/users_controller_spec.rb:287

  7) User has_password? method should be true if the passwords match
 Failure/Error: @user.has_password?(@attr[:password]).should be_true
 NoMethodError:
   undefined method `has_password?' for nil:NilClass
     # ./spec/models/user_spec.rb:103

  8) User has_password? method should be false if the passwords don't match
 Failure/Error: @user.has_password?("invalid").should be_false
 NoMethodError:
   undefined method `has_password?' for nil:NilClass
     # ./spec/models/user_spec.rb:107

  9) FriendlyForwardings should forward to the requested page after signin
     Failure/Error: response.should render_template('users/edit')
   expecting <"users/edit"> but rendering with <"layouts/_footer, layouts/application,     layouts/_stylesheets, users/show, sessions/new, layouts/_header">
     # ./spec/requests/friendly_forwardings_spec.rb:11

User Controller Spec:
require 'spec_helper'

describe UsersController do
  render_views

  describe "GET 'index'" do

  describe "for non-signed-in users" do
    it "should deny access" do
      get :index
      response.should redirect_to(signin_path)
      flash[:notice].should =~ /sign in/i
    end
  end

  describe "for signed-in users" do

    before(:each) do
            @user = test_sign_in(Factory(:user))
            second = Factory(:user, :name => "Bob", :email => "another@example.com")
            third  = Factory(:user, :name => "Ben", :email => "another@example.net")

            30.times do
              Factory(:user, :name => Factory.next(:name),
                             :email => Factory.next(:email))
      end
    end

    it "should be successful" do
      get :index
      response.should be_success
    end

    it "should have an element for each user" do
      get :index
      User.paginate(:page => 1).each do |user|
        response.should have_selector("li", :content => user.name)
      end
    end

    it "should paginate users" do
      get :index
      response.should have_selector("div.pagination")
      response.should have_selector("span.disabled", :content => "Previous")
      response.should have_selector("a", :href => "/users?page=2",
                                                 :content => "2")
      response.should have_selector("a", :href => "/users?page=2",
                                                 :content => "Next")
    end

    it "should have delete links for admins" do
      @user.toggle!(:admin)
      other_user = User.all.second
      get :index
      response.should have_selector('a', :href => user_path(other_user),
                                        :content => "delete")
    end

    it "should not have delete links for non-admins" do
        other_user = User.all.second
        get :index
        response.should_not have_selector('a', :href => user_path(other_user),
                                                :content => "delete")
    end
  end
  end

  describe "GET 'show'" do

before(:each) do
  @user = Factory(:user)
end

it "should be successful" do
  get :show, :id => @user
  response.should be_success
end

it "should find the right user" do
  get :show, :id => @user
  assigns(:user).should == @user
end

it "should include the user's name" do
     get :show, :id => @user
     response.should have_selector("h1", :content => @user.name)
end

it "should have a profile image" do
    get :show, :id => @user
    response.should have_selector("h1>img", :class => "gravatar")
end
  end

  describe "GET 'new'" do

it "should be successful" do
  get :new
  response.should be_success
end
  end

  describe "POST 'create'" do

describe "failure" do

  before(:each) do
    @attr = { :name => "", :email => "", :password => "", :password_confirmation => "" }
  end

  it "should render the 'new' page" do
    post :create, :user => @attr
    response.should render_template('new')
  end

  it "should not create a user" do
    lambda do
      post :create, :user => @attr
    end.should_not change(User, :count)
  end
end

describe "success" do

  before(:each) do
    @attr = { :name => "New User", :email => "user@example.com", :password => "password", :password_confirmation => "password" }
  end

  it "should create a user" do
    lambda do
      post :create, :user => @attr
    end.should change(User, :count).by(1)
  end

  it "should have a welcome message" do
          post :create, :user => @attr
          flash[:success].should =~ /Welcome to Sample App/i
  end

  it "should sign the user in" do
    post :create, :user => @attr
    controller.should be_signed_in
  end
end
  end

  describe "PUT 'update'" do

before(:each) do
  @user = Factory(:user)
  test_sign_in(@user)
end

describe "failure" do

  before(:each) do
    @attr = { :email => "", :name => "", :password => "", :password_cofirmation => "" }
  end

  it "should render the 'edit' page" do
    put :update, :id => @user, :user => @attr
    response.should render_template('edit')
  end
end

describe "success" do

  before(:each) do
    @attr = { :name => "New Name", :email => "user@example.org", :password => "newpassword", :password_confirmation => "newpassword" }
  end

  it "should change the user's attributes" do
    put :update, :id => @user, :user => @attr
    @user.reload
    @user.name.should == @attr[:name]
    @user.email.should == @attr[:email]
  end

  it "should redirect to the user show page" do
    put :update, :id => @user, :user => @attr
    response.should redirect_to(user_path(@user))
  end

  it "should have a flash message" do
    put :update, :id => @user, :user => @attr
    flash[:success].should =~ /updated/
  end
end
  end

  describe "authentication of edit/update pages" do

before(:each) do
  @user = Factory(:user)
end

describe "for non-signed-in users" do

  it "should deny access to 'edit'" do
    get :edit, :id => @user
    response.should redirect_to(signin_path)
  end

  it "should deny access to 'update'" do
    put :update, :id => @user, :user => {}
    response.should redirect_to(signin_path)
  end
    end

    describe "for signed-in users" do

  before(:each) do
    wrong_user = Factory(:user, :email => "user@example.net")
    test_sign_in(wrong_user)
  end

  it "should require matching users for 'edit'" do
    get :edit, :id => @user
    response.should redirect_to(root_path)
  end

  it "should require matching users for 'update'" do
    put :update, :id => @user, :user => {}
    response.should redirect_to(root_path)
  end
end
  end

  describe "GET 'edit'" do

before(:each) do
  @user = Factory(:user)
  test_sign_in(@user)
end

it "should be successful" do
  get :edit, :id => @user
  response.should be_success
end

it "should have a link to change the Gravatar" do
  get :edit, :id => @user
  gravatar_url = "http://gravatar.com/emails"
  response.should have_selector("a", :href => gravatar_url, :content => "change")
end
  end

  describe "DELETE 'destroy'" do

  before(:each) do
    @user = Factory(:user)
  end

  describe "as a non-signed-in user" do
    it "should deny access" do
      delete :destroy, :id => @user
      response.should redirect_to(signin_path)
    end
  end

  describe "as a non-admin user" do
    it "should protect the page" do
      test_sign_in(@user)
      delete :destroy, :id => @user
      response.should redirect_to(root_path)
    end
      end

      describe "as an admin user" do

    before(:each) do
      admin = Factory(:user, :email => "admin@example.com", :admin => true)
      test_sign_in(admin)
    end

    it "should destroy the user" do
      lambda do
        delete :destroy, :id => @user
      end.should change(User, :count).by(-1)
    end

         it "should redirect to the users page" do
      delete :destroy, :id => @user
      flash[:success].should =~ /destroyed/i
      response.should redirect_to(users_path)
    end
  end
  end
end

User Spec:
require 'spec_helper'

describe User do

  before(:each) do
    @attr = { :name => "Example User", :email => "user@example.com", :password =>     "password", :password_confirmation => "password" }
  end

  it "should create a new instance given valid attribute" do
    User.create!(@attr)
  end

  it "should require a name" do
    no_name_user = User.new(@attr.merge(:name => ""))
    no_name_user.should_not be_valid
  end

  it "should require an email address" do
     no_email_user = User.new(@attr.merge(:email => ""))
     no_email_user.should_not be_valid
  end

  it "should reject names that are too long" do
    long_name = "a" *51
    long_name_user = User.new(@attr.merge(:name => long_name))
    long_name_user.should_not be_valid
  end

  it "should accept valid email addresses" do
    addresses = %w[user@foo.com THE_USER@foo.bar.org first.last@foo.jp]
        addresses.each do |address|
          valid_email_user = User.new(@attr.merge(:email => address))
          valid_email_user.should be_valid
        end
  end

  it "should reject invalid email addresses" do
      addresses = %w[user@foo,com user_at_foo.org example.user@foo.]
       addresses.each do |address|
          invalid_email_user = User.new(@attr.merge(:email => address))
          invalid_email_user.should_not be_valid
      end
  end

  it "should reject duplicate email addresses" do
      # Put a user with given email address into the database.
      User.create!(@attr)
      user_with_duplicate_email = User.new(@attr)
      user_with_duplicate_email.should_not be_valid
  end

  it "should reject email addresses idential up to the case" do
    upcased_email = @attr[:email].upcase
    User.create!(@attr.merge(:email => upcased_email))
    user_with_duplicate_email = User.new(@attr)
    user_with_duplicate_email.should_not be_valid
      end

  describe "password validations" do

it "should require a password" do
  User.new(@attr.merge(:password => "", :password_confirmation => "")).
    should_not be_valid
end

it "should require a matching password confirmation" do
  User.new(@attr.merge(:password_confirmation => "invalid")).
    should_not be_valid
end

it "should reject short passwords" do
  short = "a" * 5
  hash = @attr.merge(:password => short, :password_confirmation => short)
  User.new(hash).should_not be_valid
end

 it "should reject long passwords" do
    long = "a" * 41
    hash = @attr.merge(:password => long, :password_confirmation => long)
    User.new(hash).should_not be_valid
 end
  end

  describe "password encryption" do

before(:each) do
  @user = User.create!(@attr)
end

it "should set the encrypted password attribute" do
  @user.encrypted_password.should_not be_blank
end

it "should have an encrypted password attribute" do
  @user.should respond_to(:encrypted_password)
end
  end

  describe "has_password? method" do

  it "should be true if the passwords match" do
    @user.has_password?(@attr[:password]).should be_true
  end

  it "should be false if the passwords don't match" do
    @user.has_password?("invalid").should be_false
  end
  end

  describe "authenticate method" do

  it "should return nil on email/password mismatch" do
    wrong_password_user = User.authenticate(@attr[:email], "wrongpass")
    wrong_password_user.should be_nil
  end

  it "should return nil for an email address with no user" do
    nonexistent_user = User.authenticate("email@example.com", @attr[:password])
    nonexistent_user.should be_nil
  end

  it "should return the user on email/password match" do
    matching_user = User.authenticate(@attr[:email], @attr[:password])
    matching_user.should == @user
  end
  end

  describe "admin attribute" do

before(:each) do
     @user = User.create!(@attr)
end

it "should respond to admin" do
  @user.should respond_to(:admin)
end

it "should not be an admin by default" do
  @user.should_not be_admin
end

it "should be convertible to an admin" do
  @user.toggle!(:admin)
  @user.should be_admin
end
end
end

Friendly Forwarding Spec:
require 'spec_helper'

describe "FriendlyForwardings" do

  it "should forward to the requested page after signin" do
    user = Factory(:user)
    visit edit_user_path(user)
    fill_in :email,    :with => user.email
    fill_in :password, :with => user.password
    click_button
    response.should render_template('users/edit')
    visit signout_path
    visit signin_path
    fill_in :email,    :with => user.email
    fill_in :password, :with => user.password
    click_button
    response.should render_template('users/show')
  end
end

Factories:
Factory.define :user do |user|
  user.name                  "Michael Hartl"
  user.email                 "mhartl@example.com"
  user.password              "foobar"
  user.password_confirmation "foobar"
end

Factory.sequence :email do |n|
  "person-#{n}@example.com"
end

A: Just add to your factory.rb something like
Factory.sequence :name do |n|
  "person-#{n}"
end


This entry was posted in Fashion Community Activities, Events & Feeds, iheartslFeed, It's Fashion, Second Life and tagged collabor88, elikatira, LeLutKa, Maitreya, mish mish, Pink Fuel, The Secret Store, trompe loiel on June 13, 2016 by Gidge Uriza.
This entry was posted in Fashion Community Activities, Events & Feeds, iheartslFeed, It's Fashion, Life Style, Home and Garden, Second Life, The Arcade and tagged Aria, Ariskea, Blueberry, Cheeky Pea, elikatira, Fashionably Dead, Ispachi, keke, LeLutKa, Maitreya, Pink Fuel, Scarlet Creative, tarte, The Loft, Tres Blah, zerkalo on March 25, 2016 by Gidge Uriza.
This entry was posted in Second Life and tagged breathe, elikatira, League, LeLutKa, Mayfly, Moon Amore, Pretense, Second Life, Slink, yummy on August 8, 2015 by Gidge Uriza.


text:
AndroidPIT editors' highlights from IFA 2017
5 min read 5 min 15 Shares 15 No comments 0
Authored by: Hans-Georg Kluge Sep 7, 2017
Each year, the AndroidPIT team covers the equivalent of many miles at the IFA - a tech trade show in Berlin. Of course, we have held exciting conversations with many interesting people, and every editor sees a an immense scale of innovative technologies and gadgets. So to sum it all up, we hereby present the AndroidPIT editorial team's personal IFA highlights.
The most expensive smartwatches at IFA 2017
How one company is revolutionizing Bluetooth
Hans-Georg: Flexible smartphone from Royole
I have seen a plethora of interesting and exciting products at IFA. However, my highlight is not the LG V30 or VR technology, but rather the flexible smartphone that Royole presented, even though it's only a prototype. Why, you ask? Quite simply because it breathes new life into the smartphone world: "The technology is there!" is what Marketing Chief William Strand told me and this is precisely what's important to me. You often see news about flexible or foldable smartphones that will supposedly be released in half a year, a year or two years – check out the Samsung Galaxy X. But apart from Samsung, no one else has seen it. This is why Royole's prototype makes a difference, in my opinion: the technical problems are solvable or have already been resolved. Now it's time for manufacturers to adapt the smartphone to new shapes. Because in conjunction with upcoming augmented-reality applications and gadgets, it will soon take the lead over the candy bar design of our daily companions.
Prototype of a flexible smartphone by Royole. / © AndroidPIT
Jessica: Voice commands
My highlight was the voice input processes for smart homes. Google and Amazon were not the only ones that brought it to market. Sony, Panasonic, Harman/Kardon and other manufacturers - including startups - have smart speakers with Assistant, Alexa or Cortana up their sleeve. And why is that? Our voice is the most natural way to interact with technology in our daily lives - no matter if it's a car, the living room or our smartphone.
IFA brought us a multitude of smart speakers, and here are a few from JBL. / © AndroidPIT
Pierre: Trade shows are becoming boring, especially the IFA
A few years ago, the IFA was the best place for manufacturers to present their new releases but lately, the IFA has taken place after major holidays and shortly before the Christmas shopping season. Samsung used to present its new Galaxy Notes in Berlin while Huawei in turn presented its Mates. Times have changed. Apart from LG with its V30, there were no major smartphone announcements this year. We have seen a few updated smartphones, VR headsets, smartwatches, a few connected gadgets for household pets, and many mixed-reality headsets...too many, in fact.
IFA: Boring? / © IFA
Shu: LG V30
When it comes to products, the LG V30 is definitely the highlight of IFA 2017 for me. LG has understood that experiments with curved displays, a second display, a modular smartphone and even replaceable batteries are not what the vast majority of smartphone users want. Instead, the V30 is a larger G6 with a display suitable for mass-market use, a full-vision display with P-OLED and camera features that are optimized for videos. At first glance, it looks like a very consistent product. But the question is, has it somehow lost its charm and differentiating factor by adapting itself to the mass market? Before the LG G6, LG was an experimental South Korean manufacturer with its own identity. But if you place the LG V30 next to a Samsung Galaxy S8+ nowadays, there is little that still sets them apart.
LG V30 vs Galaxy Note 8. / © AndroidPIT
Sophia: Wiko View
The latest trend sees displays that take up as much of the front as possible. Manufacturers are also willingly experimenting with the displays' aspect ratio, and it has finally come to low-cost devices. With the View models, Wiko shows us that you don't necessarily have to pay more than $500 to get a nice smartphone. I'm excited about this because many people simply don't want to shell out so much money, and Wiko itself is very present in consumer electronics stores.
The new Wiko View series. / © AndroidPIT
Stefan: Alexa everywhere
What was foreshadowed at CES and MWC continues at IFA 2017: Amazon's voice assistant Alexa is making its way into more and more devices. What may now be a niche will become more important in the future: Voice will soon supersede touch operation or the keyboard and mouse, at least in numerous facets of life, and this is where Amazon is currently better positioned than the competition. Google Assistant, Siri, Cortana, Bixby etc. certainly have some catching up to do in this department. However, I estimate that only Google will truly have a good shot at this.
Steffen: Kirin 970
The new Kirin 970 impressed me the most at the IFA, even if the chip currently exists on paper only. The idea of providing the classic CPU-GPU combo with an additional computing unit for artificial intelligence will prevail—at least if some of the advantages that Huawei CEO Richard Tu presented prove to be true. If Huawei manages to achieve significant benefits, such as in the camera and image processing while simultaneously decreasing power consumption, it will take chip development to a whole new level. Thus, I will be very closely examining the Huawei Mate 10, the first Kirin 970-equipped smartphone slated for release in October.
Kirin 970 leaps past Samsung and Qualcomm. / © AndroidPIT
Have you checked out the IFA? What are your highlights?
Hardware Huawei IFA


I want to know is it possible to break up the hard drive on a virtual machine into multiple partitions?
As far as I know in such cases it is necessary to create the VM from scratch and break partitions of the installation, but do it every time you install?
Can there any funds? I Tried Cloud-init, but as I understand it, he does not know how.


text:
River Ave. Blues » Caught In Between
Caught In Between
May 1, 2016 by Matt Imbrogno Leave a Comment
DotF: Gamel and Judge go deep in Scranton's loss
DotF: Rogers strikes out nine in Tampa's loss
(Jim Rogash/Getty)
In the outfield on a fly ball or line drive, in the infield on a hop, or at the plate anticipating a pitch, being caught in between rarely yields positive results. Sure, you can make a recovery from a bad read, make a diving stop on a grounder, or foul off what you thought was a breaking ball but was really a fastball, but those are the exceptions to the rule; nine times out of ten, the ball will sail over your head, skip over your shoulder, or be strike three, sending you back to the dugout looking just as foolish as if you misplayed a ball or got a bad hop. Being caught in between during the course of a game is bad; being caught in between in the roster-building process is even worse.
Whether on here through the offseason or on Twitter during April's struggles for the Yankees, I've maintained a fairly positive view of the team. And in general, I still hold to that; I think they'll wind up in the wildcard game again, though that's getting harder and harder to justify as the team continues to not score at a prolific pace. But given the way this team is built right now, where they are now–right in between–is just about where they should be.
(Ronald Martinez/Getty)
Is it possible that 2015 was the one out of ten I referred before? Is that season the diving catch? The lucky grab? The desperate foul-off? Since 2013, the Yankees have been attempting a rebuild-while-still-competing thing that has gone better than most teams' attempts at that have, as they've managed to win 80something games each time and generally avoid being a complete embarrassment. That's good enough for mediocrity, but it's not good enough for future strength and it's not good enough for present results.
The rebuild has been caught in between, despite the ostensibly admirable goal of looking to get younger and more flexible. After 2013, the Yankees could've kept to that and their goal of spending less money, but they went out and signed Jacoby Ellsbury, Brian McCann, and Carlos Beltran instead of retaining their own player in Robinson Cano. Not wanting to sign Cano to a ten-year contract is completely defensible and I understand why the Yankees didn't, especially in a post-Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols deals world. But to follow that up with signing three expensive players–one of whom has been borderline disastrous thus far–is the height of cognitive dissonance and a sign of a lack of commitment to a plan. If you're going to spend, spend wisely. If you're not going to spend, just don't spend.
For a team that hasn't made the playoffs in two of the last three years, the Yankees have surprisingly little to show for it. They haven't drafted high. They don't have a stocked farm system with prospects ready to make an impact with a reasonable chance of sustaining that impact, though, in fairness, that stems from their years of legitimate contention between 2009-2012. But at the same time, their Major League team isn't quite good enough to compete for a championship. I'm not saying championship or bust; hat mindset led to a completely barren farm system and a fanbase that's seemingly unwilling to sit through a rebuild. However, what satisfaction is there in being perpetually just good enough to compete for the wildcard?
It's time for the Yankees to move out of being caught in between. Either flex the financial muscle that is so much stronger than any other team's and be that behemoth of the past, or commit to an actual rebuild. No more half measures.
Filed Under: Musings Tagged With: Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, Jacoby Ellsbury, Robinson Cano


Unfortunately I am not taking on any new projects at this time due to personal reasons. But thank you so much for visiting and hopefully we can connect in the future .
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text:
In The Mail: Walking With Jack
Walking with Jack: A Father's Journey to Become His Son's Caddie
Got this one in the mail today. From the publisher's material:
A long-standing promise from a father to his five-year-old son . . .
A poignant diary that chronicles the journey
When Don Snyder was teaching the game of golf to his young son, Jack, they made a pact: if one day Jack became good enough to play on a pro golf tour, Don would walk beside him as his caddie. Years later, Jack had developed into a standout college golfer, and Don, at the age of fifty-eight, left the comfort of his Maine home and moved to St. Andrews, Scotland, to learn from the best caddies in the world. He worked loops on famed courses like the Old Course and Kingsbarns, fought his way onto the rotation as a full-time caddie, and recorded the fascinating stories of golfers from every station in life. All the while, he lived like a monk and sent his earnings back home.
A world away, Jack endured his own arduous trials, rising through the ranks and battling within the college golf system. At times, the question for the teenage athlete wasn't how to continue . . . but whether to continue at all. Finally, Don and Jack approached the moment when they would reunite—and not only tackle an extraordinarily high level of golf competition but also confront the challenges of a father-son relationship that had inevitably changed since the days when their journey began.
Walking with Jack is a truly compelling golf story and a one-of-a-kind narrative that makes you appreciate the lengths to which a father will go to support his son.
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text:
Tag Archives: onthebeach
Chris Rea: On The Beach 30 Years Old Today
Magnet/Geffen Records, released 1st April 1986
Rea has – a little unfairly – never quite been able to escape a slightly dodgy image here in the UK, but, along with George Michael, he was probably the most popular male British singer/songwriter of the late '80s and early '90s.
The breakthrough/breakdown was his 1989 single/album 'The Road To Hell', so close to the Dire Straits sound as to be almost parody. I preferred the more laidback, distinctive Rea of the mid-'80s.
He started out pushing the glossy AOR and light, folky pop, enjoying a huge US hit with 'Fool If You Think It's Over' in 1978 (later claiming that early producer Gus Dudgeon had blunted the 'bluesier' elements of his sound).
His career seemed to be hitting a cul-de-sac in the early '80s, but On The Beach was one of the albums that turned things around, the beginning of his commercial era
It taps into the same kind of jazzy, introspective pop/soul sound that the likes of John Martyn, Joni Mitchell and Van Morrison were flirting with in the same period, helped by an excellent band including Fairport Convention/XTC drummer Dave Mattacks, Martin Ditcham on percussion and Max Middleton on keys.
Rea also plays an impressive array of instruments himself, including fretless bass and synth.
Listening in one sitting to On The Beach again, the first thing that struck me is its almost relentlessly downbeat vibe. But the opening title track, with its lilting Latin-tinged groove and jazz chords, perfectly introduces the album's themes of lost innocence and childhood reminiscences.
The moment when Mattacks lays into his fat snare drum for the first time is one of my favourite '80s drumming moments.
'Little Blonde Plaits' is a vehicle for Middleton's expressive Mini Moog, very redolent of his atmospheric playing on John Martyn's Glorious Fool. There's further ethereal jazziness on 'Just Passing Through', featuring a really lovely vocal performance and tasty solo guitar from Rea.
'It's All Gone' ups the ante with some subtle Donald Fagen-style synths and excellent lyrics, and the groovy extended outro is close enough for jazz/funk with some empathetic Mattacks drums alongside Middleton's fine Fender Rhodes solo.
On The Beach was a decent hit in the UK, reaching 11 in the album chart and selling over 300,000 copies. After this, Rea's music became increasingly rootsy with elements of blues, country and rock'n'roll; he started channelling Dire Straits and ZZ Top rather than John Martyn and consequently enjoyed much more commercial success.
But On The Beach's four or five choice tracks are still my favourite Rea moments of the '80s.
Posted in 1986, Album Reviews, Chris Rea, Pop, Rock / Tagged chrisrea, davemattacks, johnmartyn, martinditcham, maxmiddleton, onthebeach / 4 Comments


Summary A certain Debian patch for OpenSSH before 4.3p2-9etch3 on etch; before 4.6p1-1 on sid and lenny; and on other distributions such as SUSE uses functions that are not async-signal-safe in the signal handler for login timeouts, which allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (connection slot exhaustion) via multiple login attempts. NOTE: this issue exists because of an incorrect fix for CVE-2006-5051.
description Tavis Ormandy discovered that the SSH daemon did not properly handle authentication packets with duplicated blocks. By sending specially crafted packets, a remote attacker could exploit this to cause the ssh daemon to drain all available CPU resources until the login grace time expired. (CVE-2006-4924) Mark Dowd discovered a race condition in the server's signal handling. A remote attacker could exploit this to crash the server. (CVE-2006-5051). Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Ubuntu security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.
description Due to a faulty signal handler repeated login attempts could exhaust the maximum allowed connections and prevent further logins. (CVE-2008-4109) A problem where utmp entries where not deleted when users logged out was also fixed.
description It was discovered that the ForceCommand directive could be bypassed. If a local user created a malicious ~/.ssh/rc file, they could execute arbitrary commands as their user id. This only affected Ubuntu 7.10. (CVE-2008-1657) USN-355-1 fixed vulnerabilities in OpenSSH. It was discovered that the fixes for this issue were incomplete. A remote attacker could attempt multiple logins, filling all available connection slots, leading to a denial of service. This only affected Ubuntu 6.06 and 7.04. (CVE-2008-4109). Note that Tenable Network Security has extracted the preceding description block directly from the Ubuntu security advisory. Tenable has attempted to automatically clean and format it as much as possible without introducing additional issues.
description It has been discovered that the signal handler implementing the login timeout in Debian's version of the OpenSSH server uses functions which are not async-signal-safe, leading to a denial of service vulnerability (CVE-2008-4109 ). The problem was originally corrected in OpenSSH 4.4p1 (CVE-2006-5051 ), but the patch backported to the version released with etch was incorrect. Systems affected by this issue suffer from lots of zombie sshd processes. Processes stuck with a '[net]' process title have also been observed. Over time, a sufficient number of processes may accumulate such that further login attempts are impossible. Presence of these processes does not indicate active exploitation of this vulnerability. It is possible to trigger this denial of service condition by accident.
description Tavis Ormandy of the Google Security Team discovered a Denial of Service vulnerability in the SSH protocol version 1 CRC compensation attack detector. This could allow a remote unauthenticated attacker to trigger excessive CPU utilization by sending a specially crafted SSH message, which would then deny ssh services to other users or processes (CVE-2006-4924, CVE-2006-4925). Please note that Mandriva ships with only SSH protocol version 2 enabled by default. Next, an unsafe signal handler was found by Mark Dowd. This signal handler was vulnerable to a race condition that could be exploited to perform a pre-authentication DoS, and theoretically a pre-authentication remote code execution in the case where some authentication methods like GSSAPI are enabled (CVE-2006-5051). Updated packages have been patched to correct this issue.
statement Not vulnerable. The patch used to fix CVE-2006-5051 in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 2.1, 3, 4, and 5 was complete and does not suffer from this problem.


UNITED THROUGH DANCE, the voices of people across St. Louis's diverse neighborhoods are brought to light for three extraordinary performances. Giving citizens a platform to use their voice, MADCO collaborates with organizations city wide to uncover what people love, fear, and desire for their St. Louis community. Be a part of the conversation and get woven into the cultural fabric of St. Louis.
For the first time EVER, MADCO will present a Thursday evening preview performance including excerpts from The UNITY Movement.
A Sensory Friendly performance of The UNITY Movement includes modifications in light and sound for people with disabilities.