text:
So long, middle class
By Post Staff Report
August 1, 2010 | 4:27am
The 25 statistics below prove that the middle class is being systematically wiped out of existence in America. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer at a staggering rate.
Why? Compared to the rest of the world, American workers are extremely expensive, and the government keeps passing rules, regulations and taxes that make it even more difficult to conduct business here. What has developed is a situation where the people at the top are doing quite well, while the average family barely gets by. Entitlement programs are expanding at unprecedented rates, but it is the people in the middle — who shoulder the costs of these programs, while their salaries stagnate — who are being squeezed in a sea of depressing statistics . . .
1. According to a 2009 poll, 61% of Americans "always or usually" live paycheck to paycheck, which was up from 49% in 2008 and 43% in 2007.
2. 36% of Americans say that they don't contribute anything to retirement savings.
3. A staggering 43% of Americans have less than $10,000 saved up for retirement.
4. 24% of American workers say that they have postponed their planned retirement age in the past year.
5. The number of Americans with incomes below the official poverty line rose by about 15% between 2000 and 2006, and by 2008 over 30 million US workers were earning less than $10 per hour.
6. According to Harvard Magazine, 66% of the income growth between 2001 and 2007 went to the top 1% of all Americans.
7. In New York, the top fifth of earners collect more than 53% of the income; the bottom fifth takes home less than 3%.
8. Over 1.4 million Americans filed for personal bankruptcy in 2009, which represented a 32% increase over 2008.
9. Only the top 5% of households have earned enough additional income to match the rise in housing costs since 1975.
10. For the first time in US history, banks own a greater share of residential housing net worth in the United States than all individual Americans put together.
11. In 1950, the ratio of the average executive's paycheck to the average worker's paycheck was about 30 to 1. Since the year 2000, that ratio has exploded to between 300 to 500 to one.
12. As of 2007, the bottom 80% of American households held about 7% of the liquid financial assets.
13. The bottom 40% of income earners now collectively own less than 1% of the nation's wealth.
14. Average Wall Street bonuses for 2009 were up 17% when compared with 2008.
15. The average income of the top fifth of New York families is 8.7 times greater than that of the bottom fifth. This is the biggest difference of all states.
16. The average income of families in the top 5% in New York was five times greater than the average income of families in the middle 20% of earners. Again this is the biggest difference of all states.
17. The average federal worker now earns about twice as much as the average worker in the private sector.
18. An analysis of income tax data by the Congressional Budget Office found that the top 1% of US households own nearly twice as much of America's corporate wealth as they did just 15 years ago.
19. The average time needed to find a job has risen to a record 35.2 weeks.
20. More than 40% of Americans who are employed now work in often low-paying service jobs.
21. For the first time in US history, more than 40 million Americans are on food stamps, and the US Department of Agriculture projects that number will go up to 43 million Americans in 2011.
22. What American workers compete with: In China a garment worker makes approximately 86 cents an hour, and in Cambodia it's 22 cents an hour.
23. Despite the financial crisis, the number of millionaires in the US rose a whopping 16% to 7.8 million in 2009.
24. About 21% of all children are living below the poverty line in 2010 — the highest rate in 20 years.
25. According to Professor Emmanuel Saez of the University of California at Berkeley, the top 10% percent of Americans now take in approximately 50% of the income.
Michael T. Snyder blogs at theeconomiccollapseblog.com
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What with the weather being super awesome at the moment in the UK, we had a braai with friends last Saturday at our house. I wanted to cook and share some traditional South African braai food. Now those of you who don't know what a braai is - it's a barbeque. Fire and food, chop and dop (booze), chip and dip, beer and boerie (sausage).
I thought of my childhood and what I would consider traditional braai food (side dishes rather than meat) and came up with this list.
So I got to work and cooked the above - apart from the bread as I ran out of time. I marinated my lamb chops using my recipe I have shared on the blog previously. They were so yummy and were also enjoyed the following day cold - I love cold braai food. Nothing beats it.
I thought I would share the Three Bean Salad recipe - it was amazingly delicious and is a healthy salad companion for your lunchbox or supper anyday.
Firstly, add the vinegar, sugar, oil and chopped basil leaves into a bowl and stir. Then empty the beans and the chopped pepper into the mixture, add some salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
Leave in the fridge overnight and serve cold. It may not look like the prettiest salad but trust me - it is certainly the tastiest!!
Do you have a favourite braai/bbq food? The summer weather is set to continue in the UK (YAY!!) so looking forward to a few more braai's, sitting in the garden and just soaking up the sun - with my sunscreen on of course!


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Post Video Type: Montage
Sounds of 'Stranger Things'
The sounds of 'Stranger Things' are extremely powerful and essential for editing cuts.
Tarkovsky and Von Trier Side-by-Side
Comparison of sequences, plans, framing or similar ideas in the Directors Lars Von Trier and Andreï Tarkovsky
To Stanley, Love Steven
Spielberg's 'A.I' homages to Kubrick.
Hitchcock Meets Kubrick
A comparison of cinematic masters.
Six Uses for the Bird's-Eye Shot
Using examples from '300,' 'Oldboy,' 'Inside Man,' 'Kill Bill vol. 1,' 'The Matrix Reloaded,' 'Sin City,' 'Zodiac' and scores more, Swinney presents the spectrum of possibilities the bird's-eye-view shot poses.
'Beauty and the Beast' Visual Comparison (1991 vs 2017)
A comparison between the new live action 'Beauty and the Beast' movie and the 1991 Disney classic.
The Painting as Inspiration
Whether you're a 19th century impressionist or a 21st century filmmaker, your basic aim is the same: to capture and reflect life in a moment or moments.
Toshiro Mifune: How You Like Me Now?
A fun tribute to my favourite actor and the very embodiment of Japan: The legendary Toshiro Mifune.
Dance in Wong Kar-wai's Films
The presence & function of dance in the films of Wong Kar-wai.
Closer, Faster, Brighter: 3 Videos About 'Trainspotting'
A trio of montages focusing on individual elements of Danny Boyle's film.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


If you broadly consider the asset mix of Indian households, it is a telling story. We have roughly $1.3 trillion in bank deposits and FDs. We have another $1 trillion that is locked up in gold; in a variety of forms. But, equity as an asset class constitutes just about $350 billion of household wealth. Unlike gold and FDs, which are well spread out, equities among retail investors is fairly low.
Recent reports are already celebrating the fact that equity mutual funds have seen their 16th consecutive month of positive collections. But what we are ignoring is that for almost 5 years prior to that we have seen outflows from equity funds and retail folios being closed down. But the time may actually be ripe for Indian retail investors to seriously look at equities as an asset class. Here are 3 reasons, why!
For ages Indians accumulated gold in the belief that it was one asset class that will never lose value. A strong dollar has turned that logic on its head. With the dollar likely to continue its hegemony, gold is unlikely to strengthen any time soon. The philosophy that central banks will shift out of reserve currencies into gold is again not entirely valid today. Under these circumstances, it makes a lot more sense for retail investors to reduce their holdings in gold and increase their holdings in equities. Surely a better investment bet!
India has put itself in a tight corner. To attract foreign flows into debt, the RBI has kept its interest rates on the higher side. This has made bank deposits seductively attractive for investors. Probably, no country pays the kind of rates that Indian banks pay on deposits and that is clearly not sustainable. As rates fall and the FDs become less attractive, the question is what now. The answer may lie in equities. It may make a lot more economic sense for Indian households to reduce their bank deposits and increase their stake in equities.
There are quite a few strong justifications for a shift to equities. Firstly, as rates go down the biggest beneficiary could be equities. Secondly, the sharp 18% correction in Indian equities has brought the market closer to average valuations than any time in the recent past. Thirdly, within the universe of equities, there are pockets of value that are emerging. These are stocks that have corrected more than warranted by fundamentals.
Open an account today with Religare Online to get more share market tips and strategies.


type units. It is a direct replacement for the older 12v 6-wire wall stat that had a BEZEL to mount with.
I got this thermstat in today and it works fine. My old one was so old it turned brown so I couldn't keep the old plastic ring on the wall but this one wired up just like the fella on the phone said it would. it got here in 2 days after I ordered it.
Ordered this thermostat after talking to the guy on the phone . Replaced the old one fine but don't fit the old bezel. Works great, runs the ac and the furnace.
If you have an old Coleman 6-wire thermostat you may have one that has a base plate (or a 'bezel' ) around it. That particular style hasn't been made in quite a long time. It's beyond even 'legacy support' stage. You take the old bezel off the wall... take the faceplate off the new thermostat... After you've hooked up the wires on the new t'stat... You fasten the new thermostat directly to the wall with no bezel. There are two places inside the new stat to put screws, with enough adjustment room so that if you didn't get it exactly straight on the wall you can still adjust it and then tighten the screws to the wall so it won't move and it ends up neat and straight like it should be.


Over the course of his thirteen years as president of Duke University, Richard H. Brodhead spoke at numerous university ceremonies, community forums, and faculty meetings, and even appeared on The Colbert Report. Speaking of Duke collects dozens of these speeches, in which Brodhead speaks both to the special character and history of Duke University and to the general state of higher education.
In these essays, Brodhead shows a university thinking its way forward through challenges all institutes of higher education have faced in the twenty-first century, including an expanding global horizon, an economic downturn that has left a diminished sense of opportunity and a shaken faith in the value of liberal arts education, and pressure to think more deeply about issues of equity and inclusion. His audiences range from newly arrived freshmen and new graduates—both facing uncertainty about how to build their future lives—to seasoned faculty members. On other occasions, he makes the case to the general public for the enduring importance of the humanities.
What results is a portrait of Duke University in its modern chapter and the social and political climate that it shapes and is shaped by. While these speeches were given on official occasions, they are not impersonal official pronouncements; they are often quite personal and written with grace, humor, and an unwavering belief in the power of education to shape a changing world for the better.
Brodhead notes that it is an underappreciated fact that a great deal of the exercise of power by a university leader is done through speaking: by articulating the aspirations of the school and the reasons for its choices, and by voicing the shared sense of mission that gives a learning community its reality. Speaking of Duke accomplishes each of those and demonstrates Brodhead's conviction that higher education is more valuable now than ever.
Richard H. Brodhead was the president of Duke University from 2004 to 2017 and served as the William Preston Few Professor of English. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Carnegie Corporation of New York. He previously served as the dean of Yale College from 1993 to 2004 and as the A. Bartlett Giamatti Professor of English at Yale University. He is the recipient of several awards, including four honorary degrees. Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004, he cochaired its national Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences. A scholar of nineteenth-century American literature, Brodhead is the author of several books, including The Good of This Place: Values and Challenges in College Education and Cultures of Letters: Scenes of Reading and Writing in Nineteenth-Century America, and the editor of many others, including The Journals of Charles W. Chesnutt and The Conjure Woman and Other Conjure Tales, both also published by Duke University Press.


text:
Q: Google Apps Script of merging Google Sheet data to Google Doc template is not iterating after the 1st row of data Reference/Test Google Drive folder:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1hPKQk7eRjSdlMDjiZI2BZrHIRhzVtYG5?usp=sharing
I have a folder with 1 Google Sheet and 7 Google Doc templates. The Google Doc templates has placeholders for where data from the "PrintThis" tab/sheet of the Google Sheet will populate. When I run my Google Apps Script, it correctly makes a Google Doc copy of the template in the same drive folder with correct values needed for the 1st row of data found in row 4. The remaining 2 rows are not iterated through and no copy/file for these rows are made. Also I get an error when I run my code Exception: The document is inaccessible. Please try again later. (line 57, file "Code") Line 57 is this line: var body = DocumentApp.openById(documentId).getBody(); For the test folder, I made all the files/folder editable by anyone who has the link, so I dont know why it is giving me an inaccessible error.
Here is my the Google App Script code that I used:
function createDocument() {
  var headers = Sheets.Spreadsheets.Values.get('1xSWskGS8B_3Y35I4ycAjFZQiGbfJo13O3837RKnxnpk', 'PrintThis!A3:J3');
  var tactics = Sheets.Spreadsheets.Values.get('1xSWskGS8B_3Y35I4ycAjFZQiGbfJo13O3837RKnxnpk', 'PrintThis!A4:J5');
  var templateR1Id = '1s6T9CEmvf6VW4X-Df0jC8SrnVflAhSyF';
  var templateR3Id = '1zpeebLSo4F2Csi7K2zRyLdSchZuBhG6H';
  var templateR9Id = '1edgQkTsZSDjswM577S7CEsARnd_5ohLB';
  var templateCO6Id = '1sY8sY_P4NsRpXhrFqmheo4aSXtEbceTk';
  var templateCO9Id = '1l78q9lUEunoS8imcWhqP7Ly91E6SYSVZ';
  var templateCO12Id = '1kuCTdzQkEdtOoWq_1RgD3TYs3pBJUKFn';
  var templateCO13Id = '1yuCqS_aLnphHCNIITflf15IDDZbeV2T7';

  for(var i = 0; i < tactics.values.length; i++){
    var patient = tactics.values[i][1];
    var dueDate = tactics.values[i][2];
    var bereaved = tactics.values[i][4];
    var monthDue = tactics.values[i][3];
    var address = tactics.values[i][5];
    var city = tactics.values[i][6] ;
    var state = tactics.values[i][7];
    var zip = tactics.values[i][8] ;
    var agency = tactics.values[i][9];
    var mrnum = tactics.values[i][0];

    var templatemonth;
    if (monthDue == '6th Mo Due' && agency == 'CO Agency'){
      templatemonth = templateCO6Id}
    else if (monthDue == '9th Mo Due' && agency == 'CO Agency'){
      templatemonth = templateCO9Id}
    else if (monthDue == '12th Mo Due' && agency == 'CO Agency'){
      templatemonth = templateCO12Id}
    else if (monthDue == '13th Mo Due' && agency == 'CO Agency'){
      templatemonth = templateCO13Id}
    else if (monthDue == '1st Mo Due' && (agency == 'R Agency' || agency == 'R2 Agency')){
      templatemonth = templateR1Id}
    else if (monthDue == '3rd Mo Due' && (agency == 'R Agency' || agency == 'R2 Agency')){
      templatemonth = templateR3Id}
    else if (monthDue == '6th Mo Due' && (agency == 'R Agency' || agency == 'R2 Agency')){
      templatemonth = templateR6Id}
    else if (monthDue == '9th Mo Due' && (agency == 'R Agency' || agency == 'R2 Agency')){
      templatemonth = templateR9Id}

    //Make a copy of the template file
    var documentId = DriveApp.getFileById(templatemonth).makeCopy().getId();

    //Rename the copied file
    DriveApp.getFileById(documentId).setName(mrnum + '_' + monthDue);

    //Get the document body as a variable
    var body = DocumentApp.openById(documentId).getBody();

    //Insert the supplier name
    body.replaceText('##Bereaved##', bereaved)
    body.replaceText('##Address##', address)
    body.replaceText('##City##', city)
    body.replaceText('##State##', state)
    body.replaceText('##Zip##', zip)
    body.replaceText('##Letter Due Date##', dueDate)

  }

}

A: var tactics=Sheets.Spreadsheets.Values.get('1xSWskGS8B_3Y35I4ycAjFZQiGbfJo13O3837RKnxnpk', 'PrintThis!A4:J');
We use :J, instead of J6 to include all rows which can be a dynamic amount. Also make sure the templates are in Google Docs format and not Microsoft Word or any other text file.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


This Memorial Day weekend was a great time to hit the Southern California interstate freeways with a test drive of the Mitsubishi Lancer ES 2011. Now, when I think of the word "Lancer", an image from the movie "A Knight's Tale" comes to mind. Heath Leger's character is courageously charging at his opponent on his horse with his lance in hand. Like a knight, the Lancer ES is bold, fearless, and ready to take on its challenger.
Why drive a Mitsubishi Lancer ES 2011?
The Lancer is a great long distance vehicle for the open road. In the city it gets 24 cty/ 33 fwy miles per gallon. Now it is a manual transmission vehicle, so for those of you who don't drive using a clutch, it would be a great time to learn because they are great on gas and light on the roads when driving. It is a great car to get you from point A to point B especially for a consumer who is looking for just that reason. The MSRP for the Lancer ES is $17,155.00.
The engine in the Lancer ES is equipped with 2.0 Liter, 4-cylinder double overhead cam (DOHC) 14 Valve, MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control system). This 5-speed manual transmission gives us 148 horsepower at 6000 rpm (rotation speed) and the torque is 146 ft-lbs at 4200 rpm. While driving this car up the hill, I was able to test out the horsepower and torque on the Lancer and it felt strong and easy to shift, which was definitely a plus. For a light weight muscle car, the engine is mellow and smooth. When I say mellow, I mean its not noisy like most manual transmission vehicles.
On the inside, the Lancer has: air conditioning with micron filter, assist electric power steering, steering wheel mounted cruise control and audio switches, and comes equipped with a multinformation display and AM/FM Radio, CD/MP3 player and an Auxillary input jack to hook your IPOD, IPHONE, or any gadget that works with this feature. Definitely Whatitdo! The audio bump in the Lancer Es is pretty standard but I did enjoy listening to Lupe Fiasco bumping "The Show Goes On." Not bad for a standard system. This 4-door sedan can seat up to 5 passengers or 4 if your family members tend to have a slightly larger stature like mine.
One thing you don't have to worry about is safety! The Mitsubishi Lancer was named a 2011 "Top Safety Pick" by the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety). It has advanced dual front air bags, front seat mounted side air bags and side curtain airbags for your protection. It also comes equipped with a latch system for child rear seats. Passengers whether children or adults are reassured with the safety features loaded in this car. It also comes with a tire pressure monitoring system, engine immobilizer, and anti theft alarm system. Let's not forget that it has an active stability and traction control.
So, when you are looking to buy a vehicle that's cheap, reliable, and has great gas consumption, think Mitsubishi Lancer ES because the answers to your practical needs lie within this particular model.
For more information on the Mitsubishi brand, please follow them on Twitter, or visit their official website.


text:
Video Game Awards 2004
9:06 – Just logged on, fricking laptop took forever to boot up. Anyway, here we are, and watching the opening act made me go YAWN. Let's get to the games.
9:10 – Hmm, Snoop doesn't do it for me. Neither does his co-host. No bother, I'll deal with it. Geez, the writing sucks already. No feeling, just going through the motions. Okay, first award for female in a game. So far, outside of NFSU, the games are lame. Brook Burke. No comment here (in case the ButtonWife reads this)
9:15 – I love those AOL "I want my computer to make the sound of a Yeti" commercials. They make me laugh.
9:17 – Hmmm, this is degenerating more and more to the lowest common denominator. But Bam just came on, I dig Magera. They're announcing the "Viewers Choice" – I'll go out on a limb and predict that they are stacking the deck so Katamari Damacy wins, to appear "hip" and in touch with gamers, but my vote is for Burnout 3.
9:22 – The first non-surprise, Halo 2 wins best FPS. The footage they used wasn't very flattering compared to the other games. I love Ron Perlman and I know he was involved in Halo 2, but let the guys from Bungie talk.
9:30 – OOOOoooh a world premier of a crappy game based on classic movie! From those artists at EA, no less. Gag. Now the award for best driving game.(oops, I'm sorry, "The Pontiac GTO Best Driving Game"). My money's on Burnout 3, that game is some serious fun. But with only three games. Yup.
9:34 – I love Ribisi (when he's Phoebe's brother) but I can't stand Sum 41, I'm gonna go read Video Game Omsbudman's comments and watch some Scrubs. Good stuff there.
9:44 – Best song in a game. Shouldn't that be something like "Def Jam Best Song in an EA game"? < -- I wrote that before they announced the nominees. What a freaking joke, all songs were from EA games, all top-40 pop, Blech. I don't care who wins that one. 9:52 – Best Mass multi-player game? WTH is that? At least the gave the DS the "Best New technology". Most of those awards were weak. 9:57 – Almost an hour into the "Award Show" and I've supressed the gag reflex twice, felt guilty watching at least thrice, pitied myself as I write this, and hope for something redeeming in the next hour. I'm not counting on it, but you never know. 10:01 – No one makes fun of Christopher Walken. That was the lamest bit yet, the "failed audtions". Samuel L. Jackson is a bad dude, though. I don't play PS2 games, but GTA:SA looks fun. 10:11 – I wish Snoop would put that Xbox controller down. Why is he holding it? It's obviously not a wireless controller, it's driving me nuts. On the otherhand, Vin Deisel is a handsome man. 10:16 – Commercial break and then Motley Crue. I'm going to tuck my wife in, I need to get away from the TV before I gouge my eyes out. 10:30 – I'm tired of the musical acts beeing constantly muted while they saying naughty things. Gimme a break. And I forgot to mention earlier – Fable is the RPG of the year? I'll go with that, if RPG means really pathetic game. 10:39 – Oh good, another video game first-look, Fear and Respect. Looks like another game I'll be skipping. But now it's Malcolm in the Middle. He'll be the most believable, I'm sure. Welp, after that line, that went out the door. He'll regret it. Anyway, Viewrs Choice is… Burnout 3 – just as I though. Good for them, I concur. The guy who did the voice for Burnout 3 is single-handledly redeeming the rest of this craptastic award show. 10:48 – Exactly who I associate video games with – Ludacris, Method Man, and Redman. So the moment we've all be waiting for, Game of the Year. My money's on Halo 2, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was GTA:SA (considering the hip-hop slant of the award show) 10:51 – Wow, I was right, it was GTA. I'm actually surprised it wasn't Burnout 3, considering how much of an EA love-fest the show has been. 10:53 – Hey, Spike TV! I want those two hours of my life back. I have no idea what Motley Crue has to do with Video Games and your show was quite possibly the worse way to spend two hours on a weekday night. I think you surpassed the crapiness that was last years show. Motley Crue and Snoop Dogg on the same stage, singing the same song. The Apocalypse is upon us. I'm gonna go play some Halo 2 on Live. I'll check in later.
Update: Thanks to Kotaku for the link on their VGA review post (and all the traffic they've sent my way). If you're coming via Kotaku, welcome! Did you think the Video Game Awards sucked as much as I did? Hopefully you'll take the time to read some of my other ruminations, realize how insightful and witty I am, and you'll come back for more. Or leave in disgust, wondering how someone could be so wrong. Either way, enjoy!
Update 2: Not quite a "slashdot" but I've also been linked via games.slashdot.org. It's quite an honor, I will admit. I've read slashdot for years, but never thought I'd get linked. So welcome slashdotters, too!


Categories: Coffee tables, Made by Artigiani Veneti Riuniti. Tags: glass top coffee table, living room coffee table, rectangular coffee table, white coffee table, wooden coffee table.
Rectangular coffee table of fine workmanship and refined finish.
Its structure is characterized by a particular shape that translates into great usability.
The three comfortable drawers, for example, being double-sided, can be opened both on one side and on the other.
The division of the spaces under the glass top offers the possibility of keeping everything in order.
The top is beautifully displayed thanks to a large solid wood frame.
In one of its lacquered finishes, this table will be a very pleasant presence in the center of your living room.
It is delivered assembled, ready to be placed in the space you wish to enhance.


For the past few months, I've been digging into my new role with a group of Portfolio Architects, looking specifically at integration as the key to omnichannel customer experience.
It's an interesting challenge in that we've been given the mission of creating architectural content based on common customer adoption patterns. That's very different from most of the traditional marketing activities usually associated with generating content for the sole purpose of positioning products for solutions. When you're basing the content on actual execution in solution delivery, you're cutting out the chuff.
It means that it's going to provide you with a way to implement a solution using open source technologies by focusing on the integrations, structures, and interactions that actually have been proven to work.
What's not included is any vendor promises that you'll find in normal marketing content: those promises that, when it gets down to implementation crunch time, might not fully deliver.
Enter the term architectural blueprint.
In this series of articles, let's look at these blueprints, how they are created, and what value they provide for your solution designs.
As part of its strategy to re-imagine the business of travel, Sabre Corporation today announced that it will leverage Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform as the foundation for its Next Generation Platform initiative. OpenShift will be the basis of a modern architecture that includes microservices, development and operations (DevOps), and a multi-faceted cloud strategy to lead an industry evolution in the future of retailing, distribution, and fulfillment through innovative technology. OpenShift, built on containers and Kubernetes, is the the industry's leading enterprise Kubernetes platform for running existing and cloud-native applications in any cloud.


text:
import os
import json
import random
import time
import traceback
import logging

import requests
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd

from . import wells

logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)

PREFIX = r"https://www.waterconnect.sa.gov.au/_layouts/15/dfw.sharepoint.wdd/WDDDMS.ashx/"

IDENTIFY_WELL = {
    'unit_no': r'{prefix}GetUnitNumberSearchData?MAPNUM={unit_no}',
    'permit_no': r'{prefix}GetPermitNumberSearchData?PERMITNO={permit_no}',
    'obswell_no': r'{prefix}GetObswellNumberSearchData?OBSNUMBER={obswell_no}',
}

WELL_DATA = {
    'summary': '{prefix}GetSummaryDetails?DHNO={dh_no}',
    'extra_summary': '{prefix}GetExtraSummaryDetails?DHNO={dh_no}',
    'swl': '{prefix}GetWaterLevelDetails?DHNO={dh_no}',
    'salinity': '{prefix}GetSalinityDetails?DHNO={dh_no}',
    'yield': '{prefix}GetWellYieldDetails?DHNO={dh_no}',
    'chemistry': '{prefix}GetWaterChemistryDetails?DHNO={dh_no}',
    'construction': '{prefix}GetConstructionInformation?DHNO={dh_no}',
    'elevation': '{prefix}GetElevationDetails?DHNO={dh_no}',
    'drillers_log': '{prefix}GetDrillersLogInformation?DHNO={dh_no}',
    'lith_log': '{prefix}GetLithologicalLogInformation?DHNO={dh_no}',
    'hydrostrat_log': '{prefix}GetHydrostratInformation?DHNO={dh_no}',
    'strat_log': '{prefix}GetStratigraphicLogsDetails?DHNO={dh_no}',
}

OTHER_WELL_DATA = {
    'chemistry': '{prefix}GetExtraWaterChemistryAllData?SAMPLE_NO={sample_no}',
    'construction_production_zone': '{prefix}GetProductionZoneSummary?COMPLETION_NO={completion_no}',
    'construction_summary': '{prefix}GetConstructionSummaryInformation?COMPLETION_NO={completion_no}',
    'construction_casing': '{prefix}GetCasingSummary?COMPLETION_NO={completion_no}',
    'construction_drilling': '{prefix}GetDrillingSummary?COMPLETION_NO={completion_no}',
    'construction_water_cut': '{prefix}GetConstructionWaterCut?COMPLETION_NO={completion_no}',
    'drillers_log': '{prefix}GetDrillersLogSummary?LOG_NO={log_no}',
    'hydrostrat_extra': '{prefix}GetExtraHydrostratInformation?HIN={hin}',
}

GRID_SEARCH = '{prefix}GetGridData?Box={y0},{x0},{y1},{x1}'

def get_drillhole_nos(well_ids):
    '''Get drillhole numbers for a set of well IDs.

    Args:
        well_id (dict): key is type of ID, value is the identifier. See
            well.parse_well_identifiers for how to obtain these ID dicts.

    Returns: list of drillhole numbers

    '''
    results = set()
    for well_id in well_ids:
        for idtype, identifier in well_id.items():   # should only be one.
            if idtype == 'dh_no':
                results.add(int(identifier))
            elif idtype == 'unit_no':
                url = IDENTIFY_WELL['unit_no'].format(prefix=PREFIX, unit_no=identifier)
                r = requests.get(url)
                for item in json.loads(r.text):
                    results.add(int(item['DHNO']))
            elif idtype == 'permit_no':
                url = IDENTIFY_WELL['permit_no'].format(prefix=PREFIX, permit_no=identifier)
                r = requests.get(url)
                for item in json.loads(r.text):
                    results.add(int(item['DHNO']))
            elif idtype == 'obswell_no':
                url = IDENTIFY_WELL['obswell_no'].format(prefix=PREFIX, obswell_no=identifier)
                r = requests.get(url)
                for item in json.loads(r.text):
                    results.add(int(item['DHNO']))
    return list(results)

def download_all_well_data(dh_no):
    '''Download all data for the well with drillhole number dh_no.

    Args:
        dh_no (int): drillhole number

    Returns: dict containing all well data.

    '''
    data = {}
    for name, url in WELL_DATA.items():
        r = requests.get(url.format(prefix=PREFIX, dh_no=dh_no))
        rdata = json.loads(r.text)
        data[name] = rdata
    if data['chemistry']:
        for item in data['chemistry']:
            if 'SAMPLE_NO' in item:
                r = requests.get(
                    OTHER_WELL_DATA['chemistry'].format(prefix=PREFIX, sample_no=item['SAMPLE_NO']))
                rdata = json.loads(r.text)
                item['details'] = rdata
    if data['construction']:
        for item in data['construction']:
            if 'COMPLETION_NO' in item:
                for name, url in OTHER_WELL_DATA.items():
                    if name.startswith('construction_'):
                        name = name[13:]
                        r = requests.get(
                            url.format(prefix=PREFIX, completion_no=item['COMPLETION_NO']))
                        rdata = json.loads(r.text)
                        item[name] = rdata
    if data['drillers_log']:
        for item in data['drillers_log']:
            if 'LOG_NO' in item:
                r = requests.get(
                    OTHER_WELL_DATA['drillers_log'].format(prefix=PREFIX, log_no=item['LOG_NO']))
                rdata = json.loads(r.text)
                item['details'] = rdata
    if data['hydrostrat_log']:
        for item in data['hydrostrat_log']:
            if 'HYDRO_INT_NO' in item:
                r = requests.get(
                    OTHER_WELL_DATA['hydrostrat_extra'].format(prefix=PREFIX, hin=item['HYDRO_INT_NO']))
                rdata = json.loads(r.text)
                item['extra'] = rdata
    return data

def get_well_data(well_identifier, id_type=None):
    '''Download all data for a single well e.g. 'YAT117'.'''
    well_ids = wells.parse_well_identifiers(well_identifier)
    assert len(well_ids) == 1
    dh_nos = get_drillhole_nos(well_ids)
    return download_all_well_data(dh_nos[0])

def download_wells(well_ids, path, id_type=None, max_wait_secs=10):
    '''Download all data for a list of wells and write to JSON files.

    Args:
        well_ids (list): list of well IDs. If id_type == "dh_no", these
            will be interpreted as drillhole numbers. Otherwise, each
            item in the list will be sent through parse_well_identifiers().
        path (str): location to write JSON files to.
        id_type (str): see above
        max_wait_secs (float): a polite number of seconds to wait between
            requests (will be randomised up to this number of seconds). The
            server will block you if you set this to zero.

    '''
    max_wait_secs = float(max_wait_secs)
    if id_type != 'dh_no':
        parsed_well_ids = []
        for well_id in well_ids:
            parsed_well_ids += wells.parse_well_identifiers(well_id)
        dh_nos = set()
        for well_id in parsed_well_ids:
            for dh_no in get_drillhole_nos(well_id):
                dh_nos.add(dh_no)
        dh_nos = list(dh_nos)
    else:
        dh_nos = list(well_ids)

    assert os.path.isdir(path)

    n = len(dh_nos)
    for i, dh_no in enumerate(dh_nos):
        fn = os.path.join(path, str(dh_no) + '.json')
        print('%d/%d' % (i + 1, n), end=' ')
        print(dh_no, end=' ')
        if os.path.isfile(fn):
            print('exists, skipping')
        else:
            try:
                data = download_all_well_data(dh_no)
            except IndexError:
                print('not found by WaterConnect')
            else:
                with open(fn, 'w') as fobj:
                    json.dump(data, fobj)
                    print('%s written to %s.json' % (data['summary'][0]['UnitNumber'], dh_no))
            time.sleep(random.randint(10, 100) * max_wait_secs / 100.)

def read_spreadsheet(filename):
    if filename.lower().endswith('csv'):
        return pd.read_csv(filename)
    elif filename.lower().endswith('xlsx') or filename.lower().endswith('xls'):
        return pd.read_excel(filename)
    assert False

def download_wells_script_entry():
    parser = argparse.ArgumentParser()
    parser.add_argument("-c", "--dhno-column", default="DHNO", help="column with drillhole numbers")
    parser.add_argument("-i", "--input-table", help="Input CSV or Excel file")
    parser.add_argument("-o", "--output-path", help="Output path for JSON files")
    parser.add_argument("-m", "--max-wait-secs", default=10)

    args = parser.parse_args(sys.argv[1:])
    assert os.path.isfile(args.input_table)
    assert os.path.isdir(args.output_path)
    input_data = read_spreadsheet(args.input_table)
    output_path = os.path.abspath(args.output_path)

    dhnos = list(set(input_data[args.dhno_column].values))
    download_wells(dhnos, output_path, id_type='dh_no', max_wait_secs=args.max_wait_secs)

def find_wells_in_rect(xlim, ylim, logger_func=None):
    '''Find wells inside box.

    Args:
        xlim (tuple): longitudes as floats (x1, x2)
        ylim (tuple): latitudes as floats (y1, y2)
            (include negative sign for southern hemisphere)

    Returns: list of dicts with well data.

    Note max list size is 10K, so if the list is < 10K the search was
    exhaustive, if list == 10K then you need to request smaller regions within.
    Or use find_wells_in_rect_exhaustive(...), which automates that for you.

    '''
    x0, x1 = xlim
    y0, y1 = ylim
    if not y0 < y1:
        y1, y0 = ylim
    if not x0 < x1:
        x1, x0 = xlim
    if logger_func is None:
        logger_func = logger.info
    url = GRID_SEARCH.format(prefix=PREFIX, x0=x0, x1=x1, y0=y0, y1=y1)
    r = requests.get(url)
    assert r.status_code == 200
    try:
        rdata = json.loads(r.text)
    except:
        if not logger_func is None:
            logger_func(traceback.format_exc().splitlines()[-1])
        return
    logger_func("Found %s records" % (len(rdata), ))
    return rdata

def find_wells_in_rect_exhaustive(xlim, ylim, **kwargs):
    '''Find wells inside box (works for areas with > 10K wells)

    Args:
        xlim (tuple): longitudes as floats (x1, x2)
        ylim (tuple): latitudes as floats (y1, y2)
            (include negative sign for southern hemisphere)

    Returns: list of dicts with well data.

    '''
    x0, x1 = xlim
    y0, y1 = ylim
    if not y0 < y1:
        y1, y0 = ylim
    if not x0 < x1:
        x1, x0 = xlim
    # print("searching x=(%.2f, %.2f) y=(%.2f, %.2f)" % (x0, x1, y0, y1))
    rdata = find_wells_in_rect((x0, x1), (y0, y1), **kwargs)
    N = len(rdata)
    if N == 10000:
        # print("\tfound 10000, subdividing")
        rdata2 = []
        xd = (x1 - x0) / 2
        yd = (y1 - y0) / 2
        for x, xp in ((x0, x0+xd), (x0+xd, x0+2*xd)):
            for y, yp in ((y0, y0+yd), (y0+yd, y0+2*yd)):
                rdata2 += find_wells_in_rect_exhaustive((x, xp), (y, yp), **kwargs)
                # print("\t\tcumulative total: %d" % len(rdata2))
        return rdata2
    else:
        # print("\tfound <10000 (%d), finishing" % N)
        return rdata

def get_obsno(well_record):
    '''Return obswell number from a well record.'''
    return well_record['summary'][0]['OBSWELL_NO']

def get_lon(well_record):
    '''Return longitude from a well record.'''
    return well_record['summary'][0]['LON']

def get_lat(well_record):
    '''Return latitude from a well record.'''
    return well_record['summary'][0]['LAT']

def get_ec_df(well_record):
    '''To be refined...'''
    columns = {
        'anomalous': [],
        'date': [],
        'source': [],
        'uS/cm': [],
        'measured_during': [],
        'sample_type': [],
        'series_type': [],
        'TDS_ppm': []
    }
    for record in d['salinity']:
        columns['anomalous'].append(record.get('ANOMALOUS_IND', False))
        columns['date'].append(record.get('COLLECTED_DATE', None))
        columns['source'].append(record.get('DATA_SOURCE_CODE', None))
        columns['uS/cm'].append(record.get('EC', np.nan))
        columns['measured_during'].append(record.get('MEASURED_DURING', None))
        columns['sample_type'].append(record.get('SAMPLE_TYPE', None))
        columns['series_type'].append(record.get('SERIES_TYPE', None))
        columns['TDS_ppm'].append(record.get('TDS', np.nan))
    df = pd.DataFrame(columns)
    df['timestamp'] = [pd.Timestamp(ds) for ds in df['date']]
    df.set_index('timestamp', inplace=True)
    return df

def get_swl_df(d, ignore_anomalous=False):
    '''To be refined...'''
    columns = {
        'anomalous': [],
        'date': [],
        'source': [],
        'DTW': [],
        'measured_during': [],
        'pumping': [],
        'RSWL': []
    }
    for record in d['swl']:
        columns['anomalous'].append(record.get('ANOMALOUS_IND', False))
        columns['date'].append(record.get('OBS_DATE', None))
        columns['source'].append(record.get('DATA_SOURCE_CODE', None))
        columns['DTW'].append(record.get('STANDING_WATER_LEVEL', np.nan))
        columns['measured_during'].append(record.get('MEASURED_DURING', None))
        columns['pumping'].append(record.get('PUMPING_IND', None))
        columns['RSWL'].append(record.get('RSWL', np.nan))
    df = pd.DataFrame(columns)
    df['timestamp'] = [pd.Timestamp(ds) for ds in df['date']]
    df.set_index('timestamp', inplace=True)
    if ignore_anomalous:
        df = df[df['anomalous'] == 'N']
    return df

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The following is a review of Futurebiotics Hair, Skin, and Nails multi-vitamin review. The manufacturer claims this daily supplement will provide consumers with the necessary nutrition for healthy strong hair, strong nails, and also glowing skin. They are very thorough with what ingredients they use to create their supplement. Continue reading to see if this product will be ideal for your health needs and concerns.
This product does contain an animal source since it has gelatin. Also, it contains soy. Those who are vegetarian or allergic to soy products should avoid this product. There are other ingredients which include: stearic acid, croscarmellose sodium, microcrystalline cellulose, magnesium stearate, silica, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, and polyethylene glycol.
There are 25 servings per bottle. The manufacturer recommends the consumer take 3 tablets with meals or as directed by your doctor or physician.
The manufacturer warns to keep this product out of reach of children to avoid accidental overdose of iron. The product also warns women who are pregnant or currently nursing should not take it.
The retail price for 75 tablets is $13.95. We think that this is very reasonable for a 30 day supply of this supplement. The manufacturer does not offer a discount on this supplement. There is currently no subscription or monthly plan for this item.
The product site makes no mention of a money back guarantee, which can be disconcerting for consumers. There is a link provided for consumers to contact the manufacturer if there are any questions or concerns. While there are generally positive consumer reviews, the reviews are few, which can cause future potential consumers to question whether this is an ideal purchase for them.
Futurebiotics Hair, Skin, and Nails is pretty transparent when it comes to their list of ingredients. With all the listed ingredients, this supplement can replace a consumer's current multi-vitamin and also address his/her concern about the health of their hair, skin, and nails. The listing of the ingredients also allows consumers to make sure this is the right product for them. The supplement itself is very reasonably priced, but since there is no monthly plan or promotional discounts, consumers may find it to be a hassle continually reorder from the product's site. It is also disconcerting that there is no mention of any money back guarantee if the customer is unsatisfied with the product. This is not a supplement that is ideal for those who are allergic to soy or vegetarian and should not be given to children. If you have no allergies and are looking to either replace your current daily multi-vitamin or improve the health and appearance this may be a supplement for you.
John Brownstone	reviewed Futurebiotics Hair, Skin, and Nails	on July 28th	 and gave it a rating of 2.5.


text:
Campo Alegre de Lourdes is een gemeente in de Braziliaanse deelstaat Bahia. De gemeente telt 27.670 inwoners (schatting 2009).

Aangrenzende gemeenten
De gemeente grenst aan Pilão Arcado, Remanso, Caracol (PI), Guaribas (PI), Jurema (PI) en Várzea Branca (PI).

Verkeer en vervoer
De plaats ligt aan de radiale snelweg BR-020 tussen Brasilia en Fortaleza. Daarnaast ligt ze aan de weg BR-235.

Gemeente in Bahia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
"Vamos" () is a song recorded by Mexican singer Jorge Blanco. The song was released by Hollywood Records on May 31, 2019. The accompanying music video was also released on Blanco's YouTube channel on the same day. Blanco announced the song on May 27, 2019, four days prior to its release. The song reached the top 20 in Panama.

Composition and lyrics
The song was written by Blanco, Jakke Erixson, Jimmy Jansson, Leopoldo Méndez and Palle Hammarlund, with production by Erixson. The song's lyrics talks about a love story that exists between a couple and where everything is joy and happiness. It was Blanco's first song featuring both Spanish and English lyrics.

Music video
Blanco first confirmed on April 29, 2019, that he already taped the accompanying music video for the song. It was released a month later, on May 31, 2019 (same day as the single's release).

Commercial performance
"Vamos" became Blanco's first charting single ever in his career. In Panama, the song debuted and peaked at number 17 during the week of August 26, 2019, becoming Blanco's first top 20 single in Panama. Three weeks later, the song re-entered the charts at its peak of number 17 during the week of September 16, 2019, spending two non-consecutive weeks on the chart.

Charts

Release history

References

2019 songs
2019 singles
Spanglish songs
Songs written by Jimmy Jansson
Songs written by Jakke Erixson


text:
Adventures In Historyland
Adventures In The Land of History
Book Review: The King and the Catholics by Antonia Fraser.
'The book is as compulsive, detailed and human as the most stunning political exposés. Not only that but it offers a surprisingly inspiring and positive story to what increasingly seems to be a jaded and angry world. It will keep you gripped to the final dramatic finish'. Continue reading "Book Review: The King and the Catholics by Antonia Fraser."
Book Review: Campaldino 1289 by Kelly DeVries and Niccolò Capponi
Author: Kelly DeVries, Niccolò Capponi
Illustrator: Graham Turner
Short code: CAM 324
https://ospreypublishing.com/campaldino-1289
A classic, yet original Osprey publication on a familiar but important subject, with large spread 3D and 2D maps, decent quality photographic images though startlingly, a few that are rather low in resolution, full colour artwork by medieval master Graham Turner and commentary to go along with them all. Additionally, it should be noted that Osprey now adds as standard, Index and Further reading sections, as well as the familiar chronology and ORBAT etc, in all their books.
Usually battles are remembered best because of the commanders who directed them, Campaldino is famous because the then unknown Dante Alighieri fought in it with the Florentine Militia Cavalry.
This book is subtitled, the battle that made Dante, and argues for the importance of the battle in the poet's legendary 'divine comedy'. For Dante's version of hell might well in reality be based on the the infernal scenes he saw in June of 1289.
If indeed the battle did inform much of the comedy, and the authors give persuasive argument that it did, then Campaldino rightfully deserves a place amongst the great clashes of history, for the work it inspired is widely considered one of masterpieces of western literature.
Having survived the ghastly press, it isn't so hard to believe that Dante's mind might later have wandered to the thousands of lifeless corpses he had seen, and to where all the souls that used to inhabit them went.
Therefore if Campaldino has any right to immortality it is because of its effect on literature. But from a military and political perspective it is no less significant. Heralding as it did the rise of Florence and the cause of the Pope against the Holy Roman Empire. A deeply significant moment then for Italy, the states of which would find themselves facing much the same political enemy as late as 1800.
As a battle it is a remarkable piece of medieval brutality, gloved in the velvet of chivalry. Few other battles can have been started by the charge of a mere 12 men after all. While the dynamics of the action are interesting, as with most medieval fights the tactics are fairly straightforward. Nevertheless the organisation and operations of the armies are fascinating.
Also of note is how different Italy was from the rest of Europe when it came to war. Democracy and feudalism walked hand in hand, from the election of leaders to the vote on battle plans. To the unusual troop types and the various convoluted war aims and rivalries, which are more familiar to general medieval warfare.
The author's are clearly at home with their subject, which is an excellent study for the campaign series and its great to see these medieval Italian battles being written about and placed in their rightful place amongst the great clashes of history.
What is especially exciting about it is that the Military history of Italy doesn't exist in an accessible way beyond the fall of Rome. It's either in Italian or no one writing in English wants to write about it. Medieval Italian warfare is specifically obscure and exists, in English, only because some people like the idea of the Condottieri. If Osprey are going to produce more titles on the Guelph and Ghibelline Wars, or the Sicilian Vespers, dare we hope for the Wars of the Giudicatti? Then this is an excellent start.
For the most part however, the argument is that battle's significance is once more in the aid of western civilisation than any short term politics. One might even go so far as to agree, after reading this book, that as went Campaldino, so went Florence, so Dante and Dade we say it, so went the renaissance?
Book Review: The Etruscans
Author: Raffaele D'Amato, Andrea Salimbeti
Illustrator: Giuseppe Rava
Short code: ELI 223
Publication Date: 20 Sep 2018
As most people who can remember their early history lessons will know; at some point in its early history, Rome was dominated by a people known as the Etruscans. And that there was something about a chap named Horatio and a bridge.
Because of this they rank high amongst Rome's Italian foes as equal to the Samnites, and for Rome to flourish they had to be dealt with, and the struggle to destroy their influence contributed greatly to the founding legend of the city.
In terms of art they left a remarkable legacy, also in archeology, allowing a tentative and at times complete reconstruction of their appearance, their grave goods are as stunning as any unearthed in Italy.
As a legacy, as well, they left their mark on Rome, just as in practically every other acquisition they made the Romans made the Etruscans a part of their identity. And a very visible one at that, some of the most ostentatious parts of their triumphal ceremonies trace back to some Etruscan germ.
Two periods of Etruscan military development are considered in this book. The Villanovian period, which covers the earliest archeological evidence to the Classical Period where written works can be added to the artefacts, up to the fall of the Etruscan confederacy at the hands of their once servile neighbours.
Each section is given over to an overview of the period and a much larger examination of practically every type of weapon and armour that can be associated with the Etruscans, broken into subsections. This is an Elite book, and perhaps should have been a Warrior title, but it goes a long way to forming a picture in the mind of the reader of what an Etruscan warrior looked like. There is a good deal of supposition about tactics and organisation, filling in gaps where no direct evidence exists.
Raphael D'Amato has worked a great deal with Giuseppe Rava in the past, perhaps the best artist currently working with Osprey to illustrate a book about such legendary and epic warriors. His Etruscans ripple with flesh and muscle, bulging veins and sinews spread across trunular arms like tree branches. Skin glows behind battle reddened faces, and Lars Porsenna has perhaps never looked so Imperial as here, standing behind his superbly rendered chariot. Rava's gleaming weapons and quite stunning hammered, bronze shields are marvellous recreations. Then at the end, to reinforce D'Amato's and other scholar's argument that the Roman army was much less uniform and much more culturally integrated than has been supposed, we have Etruscans marching for the Roman Republic.
A very interesting and comprehensive introduction to the arms and armour of the Etruscans.
Book Review: Roman Legionary vs Carthaginian Warrior by David Campbell.
Author: David Campbell
Illustrator: Adam Hook
Short code: CBT 35
https://ospreypublishing.com/roman-legionary-vs-carthaginian-warrior
This book isn't really about the dynamics and techniques of combat in the second Punic war. Although the brief for all Combat books should be a searching examination and analysis of what all those scholarly military phrases like 'driven back', 'charged', 'withdrew in good order' meant for the often faceless and voiceless ordinary soldier in any particular conflict, it actually makes the mistake that a few Combat authors are making in using it as a vehicle to retell the story of the given war, and examine the larger scale tactics of both sides.
This is done with energy and reason by author, David Campbell, however the possibility to really attempt to get under the skin of the battles and soldiering of the Punic Wars is missed. Instead the book focuses on the successes of the generals, Hannibal and Scipio, at Trasimene, Cannae and Ilipa.
Images supplied by Adam Hook give one reconstruction of a Roman Hastatus, and an Iberian Warrior, post Trasimene, which will speak to something I noted below, an exciting battle piece between a phalanx and a legionary Hastati Line and a slightly detached melee between opposing light infantry forces. Maps and commentary accompany each battle section, very helpful in the case of the less studied battle of Ilipa.
Although a breakdown of the opposing forces allows a view of the organisation behind each army, most of the Carthaginian observations are based on Hannibal's personal preferences or educated guesses, which were not a standard model of operating and is essentially uninspired in terms of the Roman side. Whereas the recent campaign book on the Battle of Zama did attempt to introduce new theories to th subject of the Republican fighting system.
That being said the book cuts excellently to the heart of what Hannibal was able to do well, that being to arrange everything before the battle began and essentially give as few orders as possible, while further noting the strength of the Carthaginian army lay in its diversity and allowing each ethnic group to fight the way it fought best.
This title was always going to be difficult, because it is very difficult to identify what a 'Carthaginian Warrior' is. Si Sheppard in his book of that title sensibly decided to focus of the Liby-Phoenician infantry, and treat the mercenaries as separate. But here it is never precisely identified what is meant on the cover by, Carthaginian Warrior. Nor is there much of a discussion about the much debated Carthaginian phalanx. It is even stated that Carthage was oligarchic in its society, which seems to speak to the habit of families managing to hold onto important state offices by inheritance. Nevertheless it is a fairly narrow distinction to attribute to the western Mediterranean's second greatest republic.
Because there is no particular focus on any specific class or type of soldier in either the battles or the opposing forces, we have a fairly straightforward account of one of the best known battles in military history, Cannae, a pleasing account of its little brother, Trasimene which really should have ended the war, and a very enjoyable account of the almost invisible battle of Ilipa, which despite by rather disappointed tone here rescues the title from the clutches of well travelled road. This is in the end a good book, but it doesn't quite do what it says on the tin.
Book Review: Trapdoor Springfield by John Langeller.
Author: John Langellier
Illustrator: Steve Noon, Alan Gilliland
Short code: WPN 62
Publication Date: 28 Jun 2018
https://ospreypublishing.com/the-trapdoor-springfield
This was a weapon of great longevity, if Winchester's and Colt's won the West, then the Springfield policed it. It is no coincidence that in the movies, it is always the Springfield armed cavalry that rides in at the end to save the day.
As usual with the weapon series, the various incarnations of the subject weapon is gone over, including the development of the technology and basic stats. The most important type of trapdoor was what was knows as the Allin, but trapdoor technology was a versatile thing, the significant thing about the trapdoor Springfield is that it's popularity with the army stemmed as much from practicalities as its effectiveness.
With so many surplus weapons left over from the civil war, a way had to be found to make use of them. By applying trapdoor breechloading technology to many percussion Springfield's, a new weapon, musket and carbine, was invented and became the staple weapon of the US army for the rest of the 19th century.
It changed and improved of course, with the 1873 pattern and different experiments that got tried out through the decades leading up to the replacement of the trapdoors with magazine rifles and carbines at the end of the century. And all of this is quite thoroughly covered.
Within this book we are given a run down of, Red Cloud's war, focusing on the Fetterman 'massacre' and the Wagon Box fight. The Great Sioux War, giving interesting insight on Little Bighorn. Specifically that historians have in the past been quick to blame the tools rather than the men. The author here indicating that there is reason to believe that the cavalry might have been rather poor shots. The Red river, Nez Perce, Bannock, Ute and Apache Wars are also included, not to forget the infamous Ghost Dance 'War'.
The survey of the wars in which the weapons were used ends with the Spanish American and Philippine Wars. These sections don't focus terribly on how the weapon was used or its effectiveness in the actions listed, except for Little Bighorn, but do give an idea of how widespread and how long it was used for by the US Army.
When turning to the various ways the weapon was experimented with we find various ingenious and odd things. For instance when it comes to details of Bayonets, the curious trowel bayonet is perhaps one of the more interesting. As improved range and accuracy seemed to indicate the end of hand to hand combat, yet military thinkers were loath to ditch the symbolically powerful bayonet, and so with the rise of entrenched warfare, what better way to resolve the problem than to stick a trowel on the end of the rifle?
An examination of army marksmanship the author once more argues that the weapons were not faulty, the users were. The reason hostile tribes were hard to hit wasn't only that they were expert at concealment and horsemanship, it was the fact the army didn't pay enough attention to good shooting practice. The Little Bighorn accusation of poor tools is directly challenged again, as the oft reported fault of jamming could happen at any battle.
Examining how this weapon originated from the need to utilise surplus, became surplus and ended up as a staple prop in Hollywood westerns, is a pleasing arc for the book.
And so we come to the artwork. Cutaways and photographs of many weapons help explain the text, especially interesting are the period photos, and the image of an American Indian trapdoor rifle. Steve Noon has managed to bring a cinematic presence to his scenes. The Wagon Box fight is full of movement and detail, deeply layered as always. The Little Bighorn painting is masterly in its psychological look at the army skirmish line under Reno hurrying forwards and opening fire on the tribes.
See you again for another adventure in historyland,
Empire of the Sikhs.
'Empire of the Sikh's is a full circle journey, bathed in tones of gouache and gold, that opens a window to the past and brings us to the present'.
Short Review.
The Empire of the Sikhs exhibition at the SOAS, a major exhibition presented by the UK Punjab Heritage Association, will close in a few weeks but I highly recommend you visit before it does, it's free, spectacular and well worth the time. The installation is found in the exhibition rooms of the Brunei Gallery, a straight walk from the gates of the University of London. There is something there for student, art lover, culture junkie and newcomer alike.
I spent just under two hours at the exhibition, at first moving quite slowly, and if you linger as I did at each exhibit, paying close attention and examining them closely, you would probably need three. So if you want to linger at each display, recall there are over 100 artefacts with their descriptions and several large information panels, and the nature of the objects fairly beg you to take your time with them.
The exhibition is expansive in scope but intimate in expanse, I imagine that it could become quite crowded at busy times, should you happen to arrive at such a moment I'd advise being patient. If you can manage it, browse the books, pick a bench outside for a little while, or drop back down Store Street and sit in one of its chic cafes for half an hour.
Instructions are well posted on the door as you come in. If you have a family, don't worry. People were bringing their children in, and a small play area where the kids can colour-in is situated to the right of the entrance door. Additionally the Brunei Gallery has a small but well stocked bookshop in the building and inside the exhibition there is a wonderful selection of illustrated books, many published by the excellent people at Kashi House, being sold in the exhibition, as well as post cards and prints, all very reasonably priced and of good quality.
The Empire of the Sikhs is undoubtedly one of the brightest lights of London's summer exhibition season, and not to be missed.
Opening Date: 12 July 2018: Time: 10:30 AM
Finishes: 23 September 2018: Time: 5:00 PM.
(Late Opening on Thursdays. Closed Mondays and Bank Holidays.)
Venue: Brunei Gallery.
Admission: Free.
Continue reading "Empire of the Sikhs."
Book Review: Cave Canem. Iain Ferris.
'Those looking for another window through which to look onto the society of the Roman people should definitely consider this book'. Continue reading "Book Review: Cave Canem. Iain Ferris."
Book Review: After the Conquest by Teresa Cole.
'The book is written in an accessible and dramatic way, fitting for the subject, retelling a compulsive historical story, and does not release its grip until the end.'
Continue reading "Book Review: After the Conquest by Teresa Cole."
American History.
American Indian History.
The Week in History.
Book Review: The First Anglo Sikh War by David Smith
When Britain Almost Invaded México.
Guest Post: Who were the most powerful people in Ancient Rome?
Book Review. Killing Napoleon by Jonathan North.
Book Review: Richard the Lionheart by W.B. Bartlett.
Battle of Culloden
Battle of iSandlwana
Famous pirates
Golden Age of Piracy
Iroqouis Confederacy
Logwood Cutters
Pirates of the Carbbean
Texas Revolution
The New Silk Roads
The Romanovs
Zulu account of iSandlwana
© Copyright Adventures in Historyland 2012 - 2018


The grapes used in the making of Tisdale Vineyards Pinot Noir are carefully selected for their quality and authentic varietal character. Our experienced winemakers have crafted this Pinot Noir to be medium-bodied with ripe cherry aromas, a hint of brown spice and soft tannins. Black cherry and red plum flavors are prominent with a smooth finish creating a balanced and distinctive wine. We invite you to enjoy and share this exceptional wine paired with your favorite creamy pasta, spicy chicken, or grilled salmon.
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Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad-incubated startup BeAble Health has developed a Gamified Arm Rehabilitation Device for neuro-rehabilitation of stroke victims and motor rehabilitation of victims with the upper motor deficit.
The 'ArmAble' was unveiled by Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog, in the presence of Dr. Renu Swarup, Secretary, Department of Biotechnology, during Seventh Foundation Day celebrations of Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) on 19thMarch 2019 at Delhi.
During the Foundation Day, 'BIRAC TiE WInER Award 2019 for Women' was presented to Akitha Kolloju, Co-founder of HEAMAC Healthcare, which was also incubated by IIT Hyderabad. The founders of both startups graduated from the Fellowship Program offered by the Center for Healthcare Entrepreneurship (CfHE), IIT Hyderabad, which trains individuals from various disciplines towards innovations in Healthcare.
Akitha Kolloju, who co-founded Heamac Healthcare Pvt. Ltd along with Mr. Prasad Muddam, is developing a 'Smart Phototherapy System for Neonatal Jaundice,' which promotes an uninterrupted treatment while breastfeeding and Kangaroo Mother care.
Both the founders of HEAMAC are from the second batch of CfHE Fellows and were involved in lengthy clinical immersions over several months at leading hospitals to assess the unmet needs in the medical fraternity.
As a part of this event, BeAble Health was selected to unveil its product 'ArmAble', which has been supported by BIRAC under the BIG Scheme. The product was unveiled in the presence of Dr. Mohd. Aslam, Managing Director of BIRAC, Dr. Ted Bianco, former Director, Wellcome Trust U.K., Dr. Manish Diwan, Head (SPED), BIRAC, Dr. PKS Sarma, Head (Technical) BIRAC.


Developers code, it is our main focus and we have no idea how much time we use on pressing key button on our keyboard every day.
Especially in a range of months also for specific projects.
More then an year ago I installed Wakatime extension on different editors that I use and created an account for free.
As example for Netbeans (I used a lot in the past years), Vim (It is an year that I am migrating to that) and Kate (I use it for fast changes or also editing on remote servers).
I never checked pretty well how much time I consume in projects because the free plan is only for weekly email reports.
One day in my company we chosen to see how much time I work on stuff to do estimation for the next years.
So I bought the monthly plan for this month to see it and I was a little bit scared of how much time I used on writing on specific projects. Like 80 hours only on writing on the keyboard!
Very scare for me, at least now I have a cool keyboard with mechanical keys and I can enjoy the writing more then before but is scary anyway.
Also because don't consider the time on reading/writing email to customers or support (I am doing support on different customers) but also thinking and testing.
More scary then before after considering also this factor, but is important because can help you to optimize but also do plans and estimation for the future.
So think if you need this feature and integrate it very quickly because require time to track what are you doing with your favourite editor!


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More Crime Stories»
Asked to Leave Tavern, He Returned and Killed 3
3 Cops Face Charges in Shooting of 8-Year-Old Girl
Charges Against Tesla Owner Appear to Be a First
Oklahoma Pays Doctor $15K to Verify Executed Inmate's Death
After Assault, Nurse Dies in Same Hospital She Served
Mass Killer Gives Nazi Salute at Parole Hearing
Judge to Cancer Patient: You Deserve Jail for Your Overgrown Yard
Mob Boss Files $10M Prison Ping-Pong Lawsuit
'Tommy Shots' blames negligence for injury
Posted Feb 7, 2017 3:41 AM CST
Thomas "Tommy Shots" Gioeli is led by FBI agents from Federal Plaza for arraignment, Wednesday, June 4, 2008, in New York. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)
(Newser) – Former mob boss Thomas "Tommy Shots" Gioeli wants $10 million from the federal government over a Ping-Pong injury. Gioeli, once a high-ranking member of the Colombo crime family, is suing over an injury he suffered during a game at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn in 2013, according to court papers seen by the New York Daily News. He says he slipped on a wet floor while playing a game and fractured a kneecap. His suit argues that the prison is negligent because employees ignored complaints about a leaky pipe that led to the slippery conditions in the recreation area. The federal government, however, says that even Ping-Pong comes with risks, and Gioeli chose to take them. Gioeli needed surgery and rehab after the fall.
The 64-year-old is three years into an 18-year sentence on racketeering charges, though he was acquitted of murder charges that included the 1997 slaying of a New York City police officer. At his sentencing in 2014, his attorney argued unsuccessfully for a light sentence because his client suffered from arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease, and thus probably wouldn't live beyond his early 70s, the New York Times reported. The story also noted that Gioeli had become a colorful fan of Twitter, with tweets such as: "The FBI spends it's limited resources on terminal Italian book-makers while terrorist & cartels flourish." So how did Gioeli wind up in prison? His own cousin ratted him out, reported the New York Post. (The late Anthony Colombo had a specific influence on the Godfather films.)


If all of this makes little sense to you, don't stress. To make it easier for you, we've compiled this handy guide, helping you to navigate all of the complex terms involved when it comes to applying for a mortgage. Our friendly team can help you decide which mortgage is best suited to your situation, but you can use this as a starting point.
What is a standard home loan?
This is the home loan that most people tend to take out, and is usually called a 'principal and interest' loan. The 'principal' refers to the amount you borrow from your lender. With these loans, you make repayments that reduce the amount you have borrowed and any interest accrued, often over a period of 25 or 30 years.
With principal and interest loans, you can choose a fixed interest rate, a variable interest rate, or a split option.
To take advantage of a lower rate, you can lock in a fixed interest rate with some home loans. This means that the interest rate remains set in stone for a certain period of time, which changes to a variable rate after this time is up. You can also speak to your lender when this time is up to secure another fixed rate. The benefit of a fixed interest rate is the security of knowing that your payments won't change for the duration that the rate applies. Police Bank's Police Value Home Loan and Premium Home Loan allow you to lock in a fixed interest rate for periods of two, three or five years, before reverting to a variable interest rate.
With variable rate loans, such as Police Bank's Goldrate Home Loan, your interest rate fluctuates according to the official cash rate set out by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) and by interest rate changes made by your provider.
A split loan combines fixed and variable rates. Part of the loan has a fixed interest rate, while the other part is variable. Police Bank offers several loans that enable you to split your home loan into variable and fixed rates.
When you make mortgage repayments on a standard principal and interest home loan, you are paying down the amount that you borrowed in addition to any interest accrued. With interest-only loans, the repayments you make only go towards the interest on your loan – not the principal.
What home loan features can I get?
Most home loans can come with a range of features that offer you flexibility if you need it.
One feature you may see on a home loan is a line of credit. This is something that comes in handy down the track when you've paid off a solid portion of your mortgage, as it allows you to borrow a certain amount against the equity you have. You establish your credit limit when you take out the loan, and can withdraw up to this limit. One drawback is that your interest rate is often higher.
Redraw facilities let you put more money into your loan to reduce your balance (and, by default, the interest that you pay as well). The benefit of having a redraw facility is that the extra money you put in can be taken out later if you need the funds for a big purchase – a car, for example.
An offset account is a feature that reduces the interest that you pay. Essentially, it's a savings account that is linked to your home loan. The balance of this account is deducted from your principal (the amount that you borrowed).
So, let's say that you have about $500,000 to pay off and you decide to put $40,000 into an offset account. The $40,000 gets taken off your principal, meaning that you'll only pay interest on $460,000 – not the full $500,000. Our Police Value Home Loan and Premium Home Loan each have an attached offset account, reducing your loan amount and interest.
Can I take out a loan to build or renovate my home?
You can take out special home loans if you're building a new home or renovating your existing one. With construction loans, you only pay interest on the funds that you use, which you withdraw gradually over time when you need to pay those working on the site (plumbers, electricians, and so on). Police Bank's Premium Home Loan gives you the option of building or renovating a home.
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Home > Dr. Lalith Gunasekera > Education > Environment > feature > Social > Will Katu-Andra - Destroy The Biodiversity Of Bundala Wet Land?
Will Katu-Andra - Destroy The Biodiversity Of Bundala Wet Land?
(December 06, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) During the past decade, there has been increasing attention on invasive plants spreading in Sri Lanka. Of the many exotic invasive plants, katu andara has been considered as a major invasive plant along with salvinia, giant mimosa, waterhyacinth, lantana.
Mesquite ((Prosopis juliflora) is English name for katu- andara originally from Central and South America. Europeans introduced this plant around the world during the past 200 years, as they were seen to be very useful and drought resistant species. It was introduced to Sri Lanka in 1880 by the British. It was introduced to its present highly populated location of Hambantota lagoon in 1950-1955 as a shade and erosion control tree. Coessentially this plant is invading very important ecosystems in Bundala National Park which is one of the important wetland under the RAMSAR convention. Katu-andara is confined to Hambantota district in the southern province and Puttlum district in north central province. In the southern region it has spread towards the sea and in Bundala National Park where the brackish water lagoons are found. In Puttlum district it has colonized a different habitat, about 20 km inland from sea. A few individual plants have been observed in the northern peninsula and on Nagadeepa island.
This plant genus has been planted in different parts of the globe. Currently Australia has over 800000 hectares of infestation and considered as a Weeds of National Significance.
Kalapu andara is a thorny shrub or small tree that usually grows up to 3 metres but can reach to 15 metres. The plant look rather untidy, with zigzag shaped branches. Leaves are fernlike and racy in shape depending on the species. Foliage is usually dark green but can be blue-green. Small greenish, cream lamb's tails flowers grow near ends of branches in whale like spikes. Seed pods are 10-20 cm long with slight constructions between the seeds. Each pod contains 5-20 hard seeds. Spines range in size from 4-75 mm long and contributed to form impenetrable barriers.
Katu-andara possesses characteristics that make it very competitive including rapid germination of seedlings under a wide range of conditions, rapid vertical penetration of taproots and long shallow lateral roots, an ability to respond from dormant stem buds following injury, drought, resistance, spines, rapidly dispersed hard coated seed, long seed dormancy and high fecundity.
The plant generally produces a single crop of seeds per season. Numbers recorded overseas include 63,000 – 98,000 seeds/tree/year but these numbers have not been recorded in Sri Lanka. In the field it is thought that most seeds may not survive longer than 2-3 years due to fungal attack or predation but no accurate studies have been carried out. Seedling recruitment depends on standing densities of reproductive trees. Despite the level of recruitment, seedling mortality was also high, resulting in an average of 836 seedlings per hectare after a year.
Katu-andara pods are high in sugar (16%) and protein (12%) and therefore are sought by herbivorous animals. Of these cattle and monkey's are the most effective dispersal agents due to their high populations in infested areas, movement and high seed germination after passing through the gut. The trial conducted by the scientists from University of Colombo reported that the highest seed germination of katu- andara was observed in seeds present in cow dung (86.7%) than elephants (65%) and gray monkeys (29.3%) dung. Seed pods can also be spread by seawater. Perhaps the most effective dispersal vectors of katu andara are humans, since they have transported the plant across the landscape and across the world for use as an ornamental, shade and fodder tree. Based an experience in the United States, favourable climatic conditions foe katu-andara germination occurs sporadically, possibly once every 20-50 years. In general soil moisture appears to determine its distribution rather than soil type since the plant tends to establish most successful on clay and alluvial soils that have good moisture retention.
• Formation of thickets that out compete ground vegetation through competition for light, water and nutrients and impact of fauna.
• Potentially all river systems and tidal estuaries in the southern and coastal areas of Puttalam are vulnerable to further distribution of infestations.
• Open grasslands and native thorn less woody shrub lands are vulnerable to being changed to thorny shrub lands with potentially large effects on native flora and fauna.
• Increased difficulty and expense of mustering animals.
• Impeded movement and access to water.
• Thorns damage to vehicle tyres, animals and humans.
• Increased water loss form and maintenance cost of watering points.
• Exacerbates and accelerates soil erosion.