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www.dougengelbart.org www.dougengelbart.org
Augmenting Human Intellect: A Conceptual Framework - 1962 (AUGMENT,3906,) - Doug Engelbart Institute
malcolmjmr 10 Dec 2019
in Public
It has been jokingly suggested several times during the course of this study that what we are seeking is an "intelligence amplifier." (The term is attributed originally to W. Ross Ashby[2,3]. At first this term was rejected on the grounds that in our view one's only hope was to make a better match between existing human intelligence and the problems to be tackled, rather than in making man more intelligent. But deriving the concepts brought out in the preceding section has shown us that indeed this term does seem applicable to our objective. 2c2a Accepting the term "intelligence amplification" does not imply any attempt to increase native human intelligence. The term "intelligence amplification" seems applicable to our goal of augmenting the human intellect in that the entity to be produced will exhibit more of what can be called intelligence than an unaided human could; we will have amplified the intelligence of the human by organizing his intellectual capabilities into higher levels of synergistic structuring. What possesses the amplified intelligence is the resulting H-LAM/T system, in which the LAM/T augmentation means represent the amplifier of the human's intelligence.2c2b In amplifying our intelligence, we are applying the principle of synergistic structuring that was followed by natural evolution in developing the basic human capabilities. What we have done in the development of our augmentation means is to construct a superstructure that is a synthetic extension of the natural structure upon which it is built. In a very real sense, as represented by the steady evolution of our augmentation means, the development of "artificial intelligence" has been going on for centuries.
definition intelligence amplification
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www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
This is not a new idea. It is based on the vision expounded by Vannevar Bush in his 1945 essay "As We May Think," which conjured up a "memex" machine that would remember and connect information for us mere mortals. The concept was refined in the early 1960s by the Internet pioneer J. C. R. Licklider, who wrote a paper titled "Man-Computer Symbiosis," and the computer designer Douglas Engelbart, who wrote "Augmenting Human Intellect." They often found themselves in opposition to their colleagues, like Marvin Minsky and John McCarthy, who stressed the goal of pursuing artificial intelligence machines that left humans out of the loop.
Seymour Papert, had an approach that provides a nice synthesis between these two camps, buy leveraging early childhood development to provide insights on the creation of AI.
AI intelligence amplification
Thompson's point is that "artificial intelligence" — defined as machines that can think on their own just like or better than humans — is not yet (and may never be) as powerful as "intelligence amplification," the symbiotic smarts that occur when human cognition is augmented by a close interaction with computers.
Intelligence amplification over artificial intelligence. In reality you can't get to AI until you've mastered IA.
AI human augmentation intelligence amplification
nytimes.com/2013/11/03/books/review/smarter-than-you-think-by-clive-thompson.html
www.mnemotext.com www.mnemotext.com
The Technological Singularity
HarryWasAlreadyTaken 07 Sep 2018
And its very likely that IA is a much easier road to the achievement of superhumanity than pure AI. In humans, the hardest development problems have already been solved. Building up from within ourselves ought to be easier than figuring out what we really are and then building machines that are all of that.
The authors of the text are proposing a radically different approach to the inevitable "singularity" event. They propose the research and development IA, or Intelligence Amplification, is developing computers with a symbiosis with humans. Noting that IA could be easier to develop than AI algorithms, since humanity had to probe what their true weaknesses and strengths are. In turn, developing an IA system that could cover humanities' weaknesses. This would summarily prevent an IA algorithm from getting over itself, which could potentially slow a point when we reach singularity.
Intelligence Amplification Artificial Intelligence Singularity Human-Computer Symbiosis Cyborgs
Human-Computer Symbiosis
Intelligence Amplification
HarryWasAlreadyTaken
mnemotext.com/vinge-vernor/the-technological-singularity
www.ipcc.ch www.ipcc.ch
WG1AR5_Chapter05_FINAL.pdf
ClimateFeedback 24 Nov 2016
Box 5.1, Figure 1 illustrates the polar amplification phenomenon for three different periods of the Earth's climate history using tem-perature reconstructions from natural archives and climate model simulations for: (i) the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO, 54 to 48 Ma) characterised by CO2 concentrations of 1000 to 2000 ppm (Section 5.2.2.2) and the absence of continental ice sheets; (ii) the mid-Pliocene Warm Period (MPWP, 3.3 to 3.0 Ma), characterized by CO2 concentrations in the range of 350 to 450 ppm (Section 5.2.2.2) and reduced Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets compared to today (see Section 5.6.1), (iii) the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 21 to 19 ka), characterized by CO2 concentrations around 200 ppm and large continental ice sheets covering northern Europe and North America.
polar amplification
ClimateFeedback
ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar5/wg1/WG1AR5_Chapter05_FINAL.pdf
rhetoric.eserver.org rhetoric.eserver.org
Index to Book I : Aristotle's Rhetoric
tsjordan 29 Sep 2013
The Epideictic speaker is concerned with virtue and vice, praising the one and censuring the other. The forms of virtue. Which are the greatest virtues? Some rhetoric devices used by the epideictic speaker: "amplification," especially. Amplification is particularly appropriate to epideictic oratory; examples, to political; enthymemes, to forensic.
Examples of Epideictic rhetoric. virtue and vice
3860 virtur vice epideictic amplification
epideictic
virtur
tsjordan
rhetoric.eserver.org/aristotle/oneindex.html
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Click the link below in order to submit a form for reimbursement. Festival chairpeople - please wait until you have ALL of your receipts (office supplies/food/etc.) from your festival before you submit. Thank you!
Please use this Excel form to record checks from your solo festival. When complete, send form & checks to MCSMA Treasurer.
Here are the latest editions of our MCSMA Scoresheets.


Another 5 of my new Learning from Life. I just can't believe I haven't written these for more than one year.
206. Nearly all things take more time than what we think.
207. Other people are always better than what we think.
208. People want respects more than what we think.
209. We have more choices than what we think.
210. We worry more than what we think.


We've also been listening to our Enterprise customers and have produced a new offering targeting their needs.
A full list of differences between the Lite, Premium and Enterprise data sets can be found here.
Existing Premium subscribers wishing to upgrade to Enterprise should contact the accounts team.
May 2014 will be the last month that version 2 formatted device data is released for Lite customers. Premium format device data will be produced in version 2 format until 27th May 2015 after which it will no longer be provided and version 3 will be the only format produced for subscribers. Users of 51Degrees device detection should start planning their upgrade.
Version 3 pattern detection uses a single data format which works equally well with all API technologies. There are no longer separate data file formats for PHP, .NET & Java, C and Python. The trie data file format has been enhanced to support more device combinations and reduce file sizes. Finally the XML format data file has been removed because XML is not an appropriate format for supporting an ever increasing number of device combinations.
Version 3 APIs continue to be licensed under the Mozilla Public Licence 2 allowing free commercial use. Free APIs for PHP, Java, C, Python and .NET are available from all the usual distribution methods. The C APIs are no longer licenced under the Affero General Public License.
Most APIs are interface compatible with version 2 simplifying upgrade. The developer documentation on this web site has been updated to explain the differences and provide information on accessing new features.
Any questions concerning upgrading can be raised via comments on this blog post, using our forums or contact us.


The Messages panel showing a set of DRC violations for the current PCB.
The Messages panel is a centralized listing area for the warnings, errors and status messages that are generated by operations such as compiling a project, running a design rule check, releasing a project, or using any other message-enabled features of the software.
To open the Messages panel, click the Messages button in the System group under the View tab: View | System | .
The Messages panel provides a live stream of relevant message that pertain to the current operation. Where applicable, the lower section of the panel will provide further detail about the offending object(s) associated with the currently selected message.
Messages are automatically cleared (but not necessarily resolved) when a new operation that generates messages is activated.
The panel provides further details for each message class generated by the Compiler.
Primarily, the Messages panel is used to report the results of project compilation, listing any warnings and/or errors that the Compiler may have found whilst interrogating the design for electrical and drafting integrity. In this case, the individual messages in the panel will be directly affected by the error reporting levels and/or connection matrix defined in the Options for Project dialog.
The error reporting levels for message classes is configured in the Error Reporting tab of the Options for.. dialog, opened with the Project Options button in the Content group under the main menu Project tab. This is Project | Content | in the Schematic editor, or Project | Content | in the PCB editor.
The error reporting levels defined in the Options for Project dialog will be reflected in the Message panel content.
See Project Options for more information on defining error messages in the Options for Project dialog.
Document – The source document where the cause of the warning/error/violation resides.
Source – The server or engine that performed the task when the warning/error/violation was encountered (for example, the Compiler).
Message – the actual message itself.
Each message is also date and time stamped and given a specific number within the list of messages that may appear.
Where applicable, a message can be cross-probed to the offending object(s) on the affected document. Cross probing takes the current view directly to the object on the associated document, or indirectly, depending on the particular source of the message. The offending object(s) will be automatically zoomed and centered (where possible) in the design editor window.
To cross probe from a message of interest, such as a Compiler error, right-click on the message and select Cross Probe from the associated context menu. Compiling the source schematic documents of a PCB project may create violation messages with the Source field entry of Compiler. Launching the cross probe command will probe directly to the offending object(s) on the relevant document in the design editor window – in the case shown below, a duplicate designator error.
Cross-probing from a schemtic Compiler error message.
The document will be made active if it is not already, or unhidden and made active if it was previously in hidden mode.
In a similar way, cross-probing from DRC error message in the panel will probe directly to the offending object on the associated document – in the below case, a PCB width rule violation.
Cross-probing from a Clearance rule DRC message.
When cross-probing to a PCB document, ensure that the relative PCB document is the active document in the design editor window – otherwise cross probing will occur, but the view will not jump to the document.
Group By – Group messages together by source, class or document.
Cross Probe – Cross probe from the selected message in the panel to the object responsible for the message in the associated document.
Cross Probe Next Message – Cross probe to the next reported message - navigate using the Ctrl+Shift+F3 keyboard shortcut.
Cross Probe Previous Message – Cross probe to the previous reported message - navigate using the Ctrl+Shift+F4 keyboard shortcut.
Clear All – Clear all messages that are currently displayed in the panel.
Clear Selected – Clear all selected messages from the panel.
Clear Class – Clear all messages from the panel that are of the same class as the currently selected message.
Save – Save the current list of messages in the panel to file. After launching the command, the Save Message List To File dialog appears. Use this dialog to browse to a particular destination in which to save the file and to give the file a new name (if required).
Save Selection – Save selected messages in the panel to file. After launching the command, the Save Message List To File dialog appears. Use this dialog to browse to a particular destination in which to save the file and to give the file a new name (if required).
Copy – Copy the selected messages to the Windows clipboard.
Print – Preview and print a report containing all messages currently listed in the panel.
Not all messages can be cross probed. You can only cross probe from a message if it has a valid (existing) associated document, specified in the Document field of the message.
Clearing messages does not necessarily mean the messages have been resolved. The same unresolved messages will be listed after performing the same command that led to the messages being generated initially. Message clearance is a visual aid when resolving errors in the design, allowing you to manually remove messages as you feel they have been resolved. The instigating command must be launched again to obtain an up-to-date picture of any violations that still exist.


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Must be a Government or Publicly owned Utility, or if a Privately owned Utility presents an audited financial statement satisfactory to the Committee pursuant to the by-laws, Article III, Section 4 and submits a copy of its California Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity or proof of Public Service Agency Certificate as applicable, if required.
Agrees to meet all terms, conditions and obligations contained within the current Agreement.
The ability to demonstrate proof of sufficient insurance, self-insurance, or the financial ability to defend and to respond in damages to the kind of litigation usually incident to a utility business of the size of the applicant.


It's October! Which means the "Today" show gang is gearing up for this year's Halloween costumes. But some of their past costumes have creeped us out for all the wrong reasons.
Like Al Roker getting his candies sniffed as the Gingerbread Man.
Check out the prosthetic chin!
Matt Lauer as Pamela Anderson in "Baywatch"
Matt Lauer as Pat from "SNL"
Even one of the camera crew gets in on the action as a creepy Cat in the Hat.
And cementing the Peanuts year as the creepiest year of them all, Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford as Snoopy and Woodstock. We can only wonder what they will come up with this year.


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UncategorizedVaccines for an aging population
Vaccines for an aging population
By: Contributor
Population aging has stoked fear that the burden on government budgets, health-care systems, and economies will become untenable. But there's something we can do to lighten the load: improve the health of the elderly through vaccination, writes Melvin Sanicas.
The world's population is getting bigger – and older. With the elderly increasingly close to outnumbering their younger counterparts – by 2050, there will be nearly three times more people aged 65 and above than people under four years old – many fear that the burden on government budgets, health-care systems, and economies will become untenable. But there is something we can do to ease that burden: improve the health of the elderly.
As we age, our bodies undergo complex changes that, among other things, progressively weaken our ability to respond to infections and develop immunity (this is called immunosenescence). That is why diseases in older adults tend to be more severe, with a greater impact on quality of life, disability, and mortality, than the same diseases in younger patients.
Put simply, aging adults' immune systems need backup. That is where vaccines come in.
Vaccines are most often discussed with regard to young children, who should receive a series of inoculations against childhood illnesses like measles and polio. Childhood vaccinations are one of the greatest medical success stories of the twentieth century, not least because of so-called herd immunity (the indirect protection of entire communities, including those who cannot be immunized for reasons like illness or age, by vaccinating most of their members).
Nothing prohibits adults from taking advantage of the same science. In fact, they would reap far-reaching benefits – including the protection of their family and neighbors – from doing so. Yet few actually do.
Adults need to understand that some of the more common infections to which they are vulnerable are vaccine-preventable. Consider shingles, an infection that can affect anyone who has had chicken pox in their lifetime (that is, 95 percent of adults worldwide). In the United States, roughly one-third of the population will get shingles at some point in their lives.
A case of shingles may be benign and relatively bearable for someone in his or her thirties. But the disease is far more common among people aged 50 and above – for whom it can be extremely painful. Older adults with shingles may experience chronic discomfort and serious complications that make it difficult to sleep, leave the house, or carry out daily activities. If they have been vaccinated – the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends getting vaccinated at age 60 – they can avoid this painful, sometimes debilitating, condition.
Influenza is another vaccine-preventable disease. While the influenza virus can cause disease in people of all ages, the elderly – those 65 and above – are disproportionately affected, in terms of both death and hospitalization, with the oldest being at the greatest risk.
The problem is that older people are more likely to suffer from one or more underlying health conditions, such as heart disease or diabetes. As a result, they are also more likely to experience more severe influenza-related complications. Systematic analyses among elderly populations found influenza vaccination – which must be delivered annually, to account for constantly emerging new strains – to be not only successful in protecting people from contracting influenza, but also cost-effective.
The list does not end there. Diphtheria, caused by the aerobic gram-positive bacterium Corynebacterium diphtheria, is an acute, toxin-mediated disease that can manifest as an upper respiratory tract infection or a skin infection. Most complications of diphtheria – such as myocarditis (inflammation of the middle layer of the heart) and neuritis (inflammation of a peripheral nerve or nerves) – are attributable to the effects of the toxin. The overall fatality rate is 5-10 percent, with higher death rates among people younger than five and older than 40.
Tetanus, commonly known as "lockjaw," is a bacterial disease that affects the nervous system, causing painful tightening of muscles throughout the body. It does not lead to a very high number of deaths among the elderly; but, given that it is preventable, any number higher than zero is unacceptable.
Then there is pertussis. We do not know precisely the extent to which it affects the elderly, because the disease is badly underdiagnosed and underreported in all age groups. But the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices thinks that the burden of disease is at least 100 times greater than currently reported.
The Tdap vaccine, which protects adults from diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, could reduce this burden considerably. Another vaccine, called Td, protects against tetanus and diphtheria, but not pertussis. A Td booster should be given every ten years.
Finally, there is pneumococcal disease, a bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, which can cause pneumonia, meningitis, or bloodstream infection (sepsis). Depending on which complications occur, symptoms may include cough, abrupt onset of fever, chest pain, chills, shortness of breath, stiff neck, disorientation, and sensitivity to light.
Pneumococcal disease can lead to brain damage, deafness, tissue damage (potentially even requiring the amputation of limbs), and death. In the US alone, pneumococcal pneumonia, bloodstream infections, and meningitis kill tens of thousands of people each year, including 18,000 adults aged 65 years and above. Two main types of pneumococcal vaccine available for older adults – the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) and the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) – could ameliorate the situation.
Thanks to child immunization programs, fewer children die each year from vaccine-preventable diseases. A similar, concentrated effort is now needed to produce similar benefits for adults, especially the elderly. By viewing vaccination as a lifelong priority, we can help people remain active and productive for as long as possible, benefiting them, their communities, and the world.
Ed.'s Note: Melvin Sanicas is Program Officer and Global Health Fellow at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The article was provided to The Reporter by Project Syndicate: the world's pre-eminent source of original op-ed commentaries. Project Syndicate provides incisive perspectives on our changing world by those who are shaping its politics, economics, science, and culture. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of The Reporter.
Counting Africa's invisible workers
A priority for the next WHO chief: A global treaty on the right to health


IBRACE is a Certification body Designated by ANATEL, founded in 2001. IBRACE'S role is to certify products for ANATEL, performing the technical analysis on a precise and fast way, resulting on ANATEL'S homologation, and allowing the commercialization of the product in Brazilian market.
Located in Campinas, São Paulo state, IBRACE is part of a Group where there is also CertLab, ICBr and IPDA. Inside a complex of 3.000m², with the most modern and efficient instalations of the market.
Product homologation makes it safe for consumers to purchase and use telecommunications products as this procedure gives a warranty for such products to follow minimum quality and security standards, and that all technical functions are in compliance with their respective legal regulations.
Know more about the required documents for the certification process, divided by the project stages.
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Asthma prevalence, morbidity and mortality are higher among Latino Americans on the east coast than on the west coast of the U.S. This is in stark contrast to the near geographic uniformity of asthma morbidity and mortality rates among African Americans and Caucasians in the U.S. The differences in asthma prevalence and severity among Latino Americans on the two coasts may reflect differences in the genetic contributions of Ancestral Native American, Spanish and African populations to the Latino population on the east coast (predominantly Puerto Rican) and west coast (predominantly Mexican). To determine whether identifiable genetic factors are associated with asthma and severe asthma among Mexican Americans, the largest U.S. Hispanic group, we will recruit Mexican American asthmatic subjects (probands) and their biologic parents (n=600) from California during a 1 year period. Probands will undergo formal phenotypic characterization. We will assemble a repository of DNA and plasma from the probands and their parents. We will identify novel single nucleotide plymorphisms (SNPs) among candidate genes at loci where there is evidence to suggest linkage to asthma in previous studies of other populations. We will determine whether novel SNPs and SNPs known to be associated with asthma in other populations are associated with asthma in Mexican Americans. We will compare the results generated from this repository to similar ongoing studies in Puerto Rican asthmatic families. The creation of a repository of DNA from well-characterized Mexican American asthmatics will enable future analysis of other genes identified in other studies. The results of this work may have important implications for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of asthma not only in Mexican Americans, but in other populations as well. The proposed research project is one component of a career development plan designed to prepare the applicant to lead an independent program applying novel advances in genomics to improving the diagnosis and treatment of asthma in medically underserved populations. The training component of this application includes oversight from an experienced pulmonary physician-scientist (Dr. Dean Sheppard), with a strong track-record in training successful pulmonary academicians, formal mentoring from a multidisciplinary scientific advisory committee, all collaborators from GALA, and advanced didactic training in clinical research design and genetic association studies. This proposal?s focus is consistent with the goal established by Healthy People 2010, to reduce disparities in health among different populations.


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Citizen Media Law Project Gives Free Legal Help to Online Publishers
by David Ardia
I am delighted to announce the public launch of the Berkman Center's Online Media Legal Network (OMLN), a new pro bono initiative that connects lawyers and law school clinics from across the country with online journalists and digital media creators who need legal help. Lawyers participating in OMLN will provide qualifying online publishers with pro bono and reduced fee legal assistance on a broad range of legal issues, including business formation and governance, copyright licensing and fair use, employment and freelancer agreements, access to government information, pre-publication review of content, and representation in litigation.
The idea for the network came out of CMLP's work over the last 3 years helping online journalists understand their legal rights and responsibilities. During this time period, we've published and updated our legal guide and legal threats database, blogged on topics of interest to online publishers, partnered with like-minded organizations on a variety of educational projects, and filed amicus briefs in cases with significant implications for online speech. While we are proud of the impact we've had and the success of the CMLP website, we also recognize that many online journalists and bloggers need more than generally applicable legal information—they need their own lawyers to tackle their own individualized legal issues.
The new Online Media Legal Network aims to fill this need by making it as easy as possible for online publishers to find legal help. If you know of anyone that could use our help, please direct them to the OMLN website. Conversely, if you are a lawyer and you want to help, please sign up!
More info on the launch is available here.
Tagged: cmlp lawyers legal assistance legal liability omln startup


This article may require cleanup to meet OraFAQ's quality standards.
Please improve this article if you can.
The value of the virtual column is a derived expression.
Let see the describe for the table we just created with virtual column.
I can't see any additional entry for virtual column.
As you noticed that I specify 2 values but table have 3 columns so for that we should explicitly mention the column name because we are not suppose to insert into virtual column.
As Oracle says we can create indexes on virtual columns let try to create one.
Let check whether oracle will use this index or not.
Oh yea Oracle works beautiful with indexes on virtual columns.The MY_IND is mine index name which I created on virtual column ANNUAL_SAL.
Now I'm going to check some other attributes for the virtual column.
Awww I'm unable to drop the column salary because ANNUAL_SAL the virtual column based on this let 1st try to drop virtual column.
Now I'm again going to add salary column and then virtual column on the base of salary column.
Let add another partition to existing table.
Let check the number of rows in each partition.
Oh I should collect statistics on table TEST.
Hope this topic would help you to create virtual columns indexes on virtual columns and partitioning on virtual columns.
This page was last edited on 10 June 2017, at 19:22.


text:
Technograph
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Self-improvement won't help without values
Chantal Vaca
By Joseph Dillier, Columnist
Filed under Columns, Opinions, Opinions Top Stories
College is a transition period between adolescence and adulthood. That means it's inevitably a time when students struggle with existential crises. During this time, college students begin to figure out what kind of person they want to be and start to take the steps to become that person. In this time of immense personal change, they are especially vulnerable to outside influence that misdirects their path to self-improvement.
This is not to say there is anything wrong with the idea of self-improvement generally. Measures like taking personal responsibility, going to the gym and studying more are objectively good things. But, self-improvement often suffers from how hard it is to define. It means different things to different people, and improvement is subjective.
For instance, it is difficult to conceptualize what it means to "be a better person" or "have a good career." Thus people often measure these goals by what other people believe is a successful or good person. The values of society or your parents have already been defined, so it is easier to borrow them than to create your own. It is important to create your values for yourself in order to live authentically.
We've all seen people around us adopt society's values without thinking. For example, I am acquainted with someone whose journey to self-improvement has led him both to rediscover Catholicism while also trying to be more sexually active. From the outside, this seems like an odd combination, but if considered through the lens of societal pressure, it makes sense. Our society is both ostensibly Christian and libertine. Being able to talk about Christ or brag about your sexual prowess are both socially useful and can impress people.
Another person I know who is in a similar situation has career ambitions directed toward business consulting. I remember him telling me about how amazing it would be to work at McKinsey & Company soon after the New York Times released a story revealing that the consulting firm has actively been working to bolster the reputation and efficiency of dictators across the globe. Whether he knew about the story or not I cannot say for sure.
His definition of success is based on prestige. It is hard to define what a "good job" is and so instead of figuring that out for himself, he seems to have borrowed what society says is a good job. He has created a value system which only has one ethic: success. The ends justify the means, and moral considerations go out the window.
Additionally, there are all sorts of people attempting to sell self improvement. Jordan Peterson, psychology professor and writer, has developed a following of mostly young men who want his advice on getting their lives together. While he does seem to provide useful advice to many lost young men, his help is subtly wrapped in a political agenda. Men who only come for the self-advice often leave regurgitating his misconstrued view of postmodernism or eating his bowel-busting beef-only diet.
Peterson is just one example. The explosion of self-help books since the 1990s has created opportunities for many snake oil salesmen to profit from people's desperation.
Be careful about how you change in college. Under the guise of self-improvement it is easy to find yourself becoming less authentic. It is important to spend time conceptualizing what self-improvement actually is instead of giving into conformity. The process of rejecting the value systems around you and creating your own authentic values is scary. It lends itself to being a time of uncertainty bordering on nihilism, but it is essential in order to live a life well examined.
Joseph is a junior in LAS.
'Yesterday' revives creativity in film industry
Life or death: First witnesses called to stand for beginning of penalty phase
Fun things to do in Champaign
DI Social
Remember who we're memorializing on Memorial Day
Children teach valuable life lessons
Learning names kick-starts friendships
Public intellectuals instill false beliefs
9/11 shattered American psyche
'All men are created equal' explained
Humanities majors are worth more than you'd think
Populism wave should be acknowledged, not scorned
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Tommy Taylor Jr. named finalist in 27th Annual 'Mayor's Art Awards' | 9.13.12
Posted by Administrator - August 10, 2012 - Uncategorized
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities has announced that Actor, Comedian, and Producer, Tommy Taylor Jr. has been chosen as a finalist of the 27th Annual Mayor's Arts Awards! The Mayor's Art Awards is "the most prestigious award conferred by the District of Columbia to individual artists, organizations or patrons of the arts." [...]
Watch Tommy Taylor Show on TV
PG, MD
MC, MD
PG County, MD (click for full schedule)
Channel 76 - (Comcast) | Channel 42 - (Fios)
Thursdays @ 11:00PM
Fridays @ 8:00PM
Saturdays @ 7:30PM
Channel 19 - (Comcast, FIOS, RCN)
Fridays @ 10:00PM
Washington, DC (click for full schedule)
Channel 95 (Comcast)
Channel 10 (Verizon FIOS)
Arlington, Va (click for full schedule)
Tommy Taylor Jr
He has created a hilarious brand of clean comedy! And now he has taken his material from the comedy clubs to television, with his half-hour sketch comedy show entitled "THE TOMMY TAYLOR SHOW". Born and raised in Washington, DC ("Souf East") Tommy has a special humor that will bring tears to your eyes! His universal/mainstream appeal has helped him reach audiences from all walks of life all while keeping GOD first!


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Kevin King e Juan-Carlos Spir hanno battuto in finale Alex Llompart e Mateo Nicolas Martinez 7–6(7–5), 6–4.

Teste di serie

  Marcelo Demoliner /  Franko Škugor (primo turno)
  Nicolás Barrientos /  Eduardo Struvay (quarti di finale)

  Riccardo Ghedin /  Alessandro Motti (semifinali)
  James Cerretani /  Carlos Salamanca (primo turno)

Tabellone

Note

Visit Panamá Cup de Chitré 2014

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


We absolutely love that Kate Spade New York features two different generations of style icons — 93-year-old Iris Apfel and 22-year-old Karlie Kloss — in its Spring 2015 campaign. Apfel shows off her quirky, eccentric whimsical style, while Kloss shines in all her chic elegance. This is a great example of when contrasts work together to produce a stunning result.
What campaigns are you loving this season? Comment below!


Nanjing Road features hundreds of shops, ranging from expensive boutiques to cheap gift stores. The Shanghai Museum, located on the People's Square, houses some of the most important ancient Chinese art, including over 100,000 sculptures, furniture, paintings, cons, calligraphy, ceramics and more. Located next to the City God Temple, Yu Garden is a beautiful place for a romantic walk over gorges, caves and cliffs of the Grand Rockery. After exploring the garden, visit the temple and over a hundred shops in the area. Here are the best romantic hotels in Shanghai.
Banyan Tree Shanghai on the Bund is located in the northern Bund area, close to many historic landmarks of old Shanghai and modern commercial centers. The property overlooks HuangPu River and the city skyline, and offers romantic suites with pools and spectacular views. Relax at the three-story spa with a beauty salon, nail bar and Gallery. The 11 treatment rooms reflect the theme of the Five Elements and a contemporary design. Choose from a number of signature spa packages. Guest accommodations offer spectacular city views through huge wall-to-wall windows. Rooms feature modern decor, including a chaise lounge window seat, marble-tiled open bathroom with river views, and a private dressing room.
Room choices include the Riverside Retreat with views of Huangpu River and either a King or a Twin bed. Panorama Riverside Retreat offers a similar configuration. Located on levels 3-7, the Bund Retreat has views of Lujiazui and the Bund. The Panorama Bund Retreat is situated on floors 8 - 12. Designed especially for couples, the Oasis with Romantic Pool has a pool with fabulous river views. Panorama Oasis with Romantic Pool is also a great option. Enjoy 180-degree views of the Huangpu River from the Grand Riverside Retreat. The Grand Bund Retreat measures a spacious 89 square meters and offers a 180-degree view of the Huangpu River. Curl up on the couch next to the window.
If you are planning a honeymoon or romantic getaway, check into the "Oasis with Romantic Pool," a suite designed for couples with a luxurious private dipping pool. The Banyan Suite is the most spacious, spanning two floors with a private pool, timber sundeck, loungers and an outdoor garden and dining area. Measuring from 123 to 128 square meters, the Riverside Suite has spacious living and dining areas. Bund Suite has a one bedroom, separate living and dining areas and sleek interiors. Enjoy 180-degree views of the Huangpu River and contemporary amenities from the Grand Riverside suite. Grand Bund has a grand foyer and a luxurious layout, perfect for a business meeting or an intimate event. Banyan Suite is set on level 12. It features one bedroom, living and dining rooms, timber sundeck, loungers and dining area. Guests enjoy exclusive 24-hour Banyan Tree Host service. Rooms start from RMB 2,100 per night. The Oasis with Romantic Pool is RMB 2,600 per night. VacationIdea.com Tips: Ask about romantic and honeymoon packages.
Mandarin Oriental – Shanghai is a luxury getaway with a dazzling lobby and five star service. The hotel is located beside the Huangpu River in the central financial district. The hotel is very close to the Shanghai World Financial Centre and IFC. It is just 10 minutes away from the historic Bund. You will be able to reach the main attractions in Shanghai easily. The hotel has 44 suites and 318 rooms, decorated in a sophisticated style. Guests can choose from 14 suite and room types. Ask for a room with a view of the river and the harbor to enjoy the best Shanghai vistas on vacation. The suites feature Oriental rugs, hardwood flooring, silk blankets and private wine. The Presidential Suite is the one of the largest in Shanghai. If you are planning a longer stay, book one of the executive apartments.
The hotel has three great restaurants. Fifty 8 Grill serves modern French food in an elegant setting. Yong Yi Ting serves regional food, while Zest serves the finest international and Asian cuisine. Try the dim sums and pastries at the Zest. Don't miss the freshly-baked sourdough breads and wood-fired dry-aged meats at Fifty 8 Grill. There are three bars and lounges at the Mandarin Oriental. Riviera Lounge is for afternoon tea. The Cake Shop serves sumptuous cakes and patisseries, including sumptuous truffles. Qi Bar is an open bar with crystal lighting serving contemporary and classic cocktails. You will also get wines, soft drinks, beers and single malts. The best DJ's of Shanghai play at Qi Bar.
The hotel spa is the place for relaxation and rejuvenation, with luxury facilities such as aroma showers, tepidarium chairs, an ice fountain and sauna. There are suites for couples and VIP rooms for added luxury. The spa has a separate lounge for foot massage, and stations for pedicure and manicure. You will find many holistic therapies and treatments in the spa menu. Room rates start at CNY 2,800 per night (+86 21 2082 9888).
Luxury suites include One Bedroom Suites as well as specialty suites named after countries of the world. The English Suite has fireplaces and Victorian-style decor. The Chinese Suite has a unique Imperial dragon design on the ceiling, red furniture and gold-colored walls. A moon gate separates the living room and the dining room where up to 8 guests can be accommodated for intimate private dinners. ther options include the Italian, French, Japanese, Spanish, Indian and German Suites. Furthermore, the Signature Riverview Suite offers stunning views of Pudong across the Huangpu River. Sassoon Presidential Suite at the hotel is one of the most luxurious suites in Shanghai that occupies the entire 10th floor penthouse.
The hotel spa incorporates modern and traditional Chines healing techniques in an opulent setting. The spa has luxurious single and double treatment suites. Couples can choose from numerous side-by-side treatment options. The spa has special facial skincare suites, a manicure and pedicure lounge, a Spa Relaxation Zone and a boutique. The hotel restaurants and lounges are a popular destination for visitors as well as locals. Celebrate an anniversary, a romantic proposal or have an elegant dinner with friends. For Chinese food, head to Dragon Phoenix which serves Shanghainese and Cantonese cuisine. The restaurant has four private dining rooms for intimate celebrations. The Jazz Bar is reminiscent of the private clubs of the 20s and 30s. The bar serves European and local dishes, as well as an extensive cocktail list. Room rates start at 2,000 CNY per night, Fairmont Gold rooms from 2,800 CNY per night.
The Hongta Hotel in Shanghai provides you with a stylish base for exploring the Bund and Century Park. The hotel has an award-winning Italian restaurant, indoor swimming pool, fitness center and a spa. 24-hour hotel butlers dedicated to attending to their guest's every wish. The hotel offers 328 elegant rooms and suites, accented by exquisite Chinese art and ceramics. Each bedroom has a custom-designed pillow-top bed, downy duvet and soft cotton bedding. For best views of the city, ask for an Executive Deluxe Room which will also give you access to the perks of the Executive Lounge. The hotel offers several luxury suite layouts, from the Grand Luxe Suites and Mandarin Suites to Beijing and Shanghai Suites. The Imperial Suite is the most luxurious and features decor inspired by New York City. The suite has a residential feel and a two-story layout which makes you feel like you are floating above Shanghai.
The Spa offers a varied menu of services and relaxing facilities, including a sauna and steam baths. Enjoy a rejuvenating swim in the heated indoor pool before you head to the spa for a relaxing massage. If you prefer a treatment in the privacy of your room or suite, that is available as well. Danieli's Italian Restaurant offers spectacular views of Shanghai and classic Italian dishes. Saints International Restaurant is an elegant all-day restaurant serving an international buffet as well as a la carte dishes. Mezzanine Lounge offers live music in the evening, as well as afternoon tea, cocktails, cigars and fine wine. Room rates start at CYN 783 per night (86)(21) 5050 4567.
Enjoy spectacular views of the Shanghai skyline from the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai on the Bund. Get pampered at the luxurious hotel spa and have gourmet meals at the restaurants. The hotel offers 240 rooms and suites. Ask for a room with a view of the river. The hotel spa offers a diverse menu of therapies which incorporate contemporary innovative techniques as well as Traditional Chinese Medicine. The spa has eight treatment rooms with a private steam room and rain shower. Book the 1,000 square foot VIP suite for the ultimate indulgence. The VIP suite has ts own couples steam room, thermal Jacuzzi, a fireplace and a large relaxation area.
Grand Brasserie serves dishes from around the world and Champagne Brunch on Sundays. Pelham's offers modern French cuisine. Wei Jing Ge serves authentic Chinese Regional cuisine from Shanghai, Canton and Huai Yang. Long Bar serves classic cocktails, champagne, selections of fine wines and premium whiskeys. Red Velvet Afternoon tea is offered at Salon de Ville. Peacock Alley is an elegant venue serving coffee, tea, cocktails and champagne. Room rates at the hotel start at 2,700 CNY (+86 (0)21 6322 9988).
If you love partying, you have to check of Music Room at the Park Hyatt Shanghai, the highest nightclub in the world. The luxury hotel towers high above the city, located on the floors 79 through 93 of the Shanghai World Financial Center in China. This five star hotel offers all the modern convenience a business or leisure traveler may desire. Water's Edge Spa is a soothing oasis offering a diverse menu of treatments and packages. Try the spa's signature massage to stimulate the nervous system and support healthy circulation. Located on the 85th floor, the spa features an infinity pool, whirlpool spa and steam room. In the morning, practice Tai Chi in the Tai Chi courtyard. Choose from rooms overlooking Huangpu River or the city. Amenities include 24-hour in-room dining and complimentary Internet access. Several specialty suites are available, offering a window deep soaking tub in the bathroom, heated floors and double vanity, plus a separate sitting area with a day bed and flat-screen TV.
Couples will have access to several amazing restaurants and bars. At the 100 Century Avenue Restaurant & Bar, enjoy incredible views from the 91st floor of one of the world's tallest buildings. The restaurant has a show kitchen so you will never be bored, and an extensive wine list of over 500 labels. 100 Century Avenue Bar features a Jazz trio and guest vocalist. Dining Room serves fine European provincial food at Dining Room in an elegant setting with spectacular views. Enjoy contemporary-style casual eatery that serves breakfast, all-day comfort food and a la minute buffet supper at Pantry. Celebrate a special occasion at Chef's Table which offers seating for 12, a designer kitchen, an individual music system, direct access to wine cellar housing 300 international wines.
From a hot nightclub to several bars and lounges, the hotel offers a diverse choice of entertainment. The highest nightclub in the world, the Music Room, serves an extensive collection of specialty drinks, whisky and cocktails. Visitors enjoy music performance, resident DJ, Ladies Night and other special events. Bar Level 87 has a circular layout with spectacular city views. Shanghai Lounge is a 1930's style bar with intimate leather-lines booths and a romantic atmosphere. The Living Room has magnificent views of the bund and serves sophisticated Chinese and Western light dishes. this lounge is famous for its Afternoon Tea and Champagne at sunset.
From luxurious Standard rooms to incredible suites, the hotel offers diverse choices for couples and families. The 55- to 60-sq m standard King room offers Huangpu River or city views. Park Deluxe King measures from 66 to 80 square meters, deluxe rooms have modern interiors and luxuries like a soaking tub for relaxing between sightseeing trips. Enjoy spectacular city views from the spacious master bath tub which is set right next to the window in the spacious 130 square meter Park Suite King suite. If you are planning to host a party, take a look at the luxury 175 to 185 square meter Diplomatic Suite that includes a double-king bedroom and separate living and dining rooms. Views of the city skyline are incredible. The Chairman Suite is the most opulent suite at the hotel, measuring 194 square meters. Panoramic Huangpu River and top-of-the line amenities make this an amazing place to stay. Rooms start at US $320 per night. The hotel often offers deals, such as the "Buy 2 Get 3rd Night Free" promotion which gives you a free night, breakfast and free Tai Chi class (+86 21 6888 1234).
Hyatt on the Bund Shanghai offers incredible views of the Bund and Pudong from its guest rooms, restaurants and bars. The hotel is located at the northern end of the Bund on the banks of the Huang Pu River in Shanghai, China, Asia. Ask for a River View King room for panoramic views of the Huang Pu River or the Bund's colonial buildings. Room amenities include a work desk, flat-screen LCD TV, spacious bath with deep soaking tub and rain shower, and iPod docking station and high-speed Internet access. Luxury suites offer spacious layouts and private balconies with city views. Suites come with executive floor benefits such as breakfast, cocktails and meeting room upon request.
From Vue Restaurant Sunday Champagne Brunch and Afternoon Tea in the Tea Room to restaurants serving dishes from around the world, there is something for every palate. Restaurant Aroma serves Chines, Japanese and European specialties. Vue Restaraunt, located on the 30th floor of the West Tower, serves western cuisine. Vue Bar offers some of the best views of Shanghai. Room rates start at 1,320 CNY per night. You may also like: 16 Coolest Hotel Bath Tub Views.
Perfect for art lovers, The Swatch Art Peace Hotel in Shanghai lets you stay in a luxury suite next to world's leading artists. The hotel was just honored with a membership in the prestigious Leading Hotels of the World. The hotel is both a hotel in a traditional sense and an artist residency where artists live and work. You will be surrounded by an air of creativity when you check into this unique hotel situated in a historic building in Shanghai. In the design phase of the hotel, owned by the Swatch Group, the heritage and historical importance of the building were carefully preserved.
The Shook! Restaurant on the fifth floor serves contemporary Asian and Western cuisines, coupled with fine wines. Outdoor seating lets you enjoy views of the Bund and the lights of Pudong. The terrace is perfect for after-dinner drinks. When it was built in 1908 (then it was known as the Palace Hotel), the 5-story hotel was the tallest building in the city. It had the very first roof terrace in Shanghai. The hotel has seven guest suites and rooms decorated in modern contemporary style. Located on the fourth floor of the hotel, the suites feature one of the following themes: Peace, Happiness, Prosperity or Good Fortune.
The Peace Suite combines the British colonial past with contemporary elements. The walls are white, with the roof and the floor made from Chinese elm. To the left of the entrance is an elevated sleeping area with a king size bed offering scenic views of The Bund. The bathroom is located in the center of the suite. There is a dining table and a living island with a wet bar. The inspiration for The Happiness Suite, the largest of all guest accommodations, are Chinese arts and crafts, with large black shadows imitating Chinese calligraphy. The luxury suite has a sitting room, a bar and entertainment area. The walls in the living room are covered with a paper "garden" made of hundreds of leaves. Rates start at CNY 3,220 per night.


Background. Complex programmes are characterised by multiple components, acting independently and interdependently, at multiple levels, within diverse and dynamic systems. High-quality evaluation of such programmes is imperative for optimising their development, implementation and effectiveness, but is often challenging. There is debate about whether the traditional outcome-focused approaches are feasible or appropriate for evaluations of large-scale, complex programmes as they often fall short of explaining how and why they do or do not work. Theory-driven approaches offer a more appropriate alternative as they attempt to uncover the black-box between the programme's inputs and the resulting complex pattern of outcomes. Aim. This paper illustrates drawing upon a realist evaluation to assess a complex programme to support normal birth. Method. Firstly, the programme theories - the ideas about how the programme would bring about change - were elicited from programme developers and key stakeholders. Secondly, these initial hypotheses were tested out by collecting data on how the programme worked in different contexts, using a multiple case study design. Thirdly, the data were analysed and interpreted to refine the programme theories in light of evidence on how the programme unfolded in practice. Findings. Described in detail are the process of conducting a realist evaluation, methods used, steps in data analyses, challenges encountered and the approach adopted to overcome them. The usefulness of this approach and some limitations are discussed.


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Q: fetch a URL from a string PHP
Possible Duplicate:
PHP if string contains URL isolate it

I would like to use some kind of regex to extract any type of links like www.google.com or http://google.com or https://google.com or just google.com from a string
I have used something like this..but it only detects links with http and https
$regex ="/(https?:\/\/[^\s]+)/";
$string ="is there a link http://google.com in this string?";
preg_match($regex, $string,$matches);
print_r($matches);

The output I get is
Array ( [0] => http://google.com)

I want to detect all types of possible links in a string.
Any help will be appreciated!! :)

A: I replace all URL with hyperlink but you can do whatever you want.
function formatUrlsInText($text)
{

    $reg_exUrl = "%^((http|https|ftp|ftps?://)|(www\.))([a-z0-9-].?)+(:[0-9]+)?(/.*)?$%i";
    preg_match_all($reg_exUrl, $text, $matches);
    $usedPatterns = array();
    foreach($matches[0] as $pattern){
        if(!array_key_exists($pattern, $usedPatterns)){
            $usedPatterns[$pattern]=true;
            $text = str_replace  ($pattern, "{$pattern} ", $text);
        }
    }
    return $text;
}

A: Just make use of alternations to cover the other patterns. Try something like this:
(https?:\/\/[^\s]+|\bwww\.[^\s]+|[^\s]+\.(?:com|org|uk)\b)

See it here online on Regexr
The first part is yours. The second part will match everything that starts with www. and the third part will match everything that ends with something from this list (com|org|uk). You can add any domain you want to match to this list.
I am quite sure this will match a lot of stuff thats not a valid URL, but if you are happy with your Regex, probably the other two patterns are also fine for your need.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Our goal is to facilitate the seamless transfer of materials between our customers and end users.
From the small printer on the corner to the large multi facility printing corporations, Greenforest will provide an individual comprehensive scrap paper recycling program to maximize your revenues.
Keeping your distribution center running at peak efficiency is our priority. To help you meet your recycling goals, our Recycling Done Right audit can easily configure your warehouse and distribution output. Our dedicated team will help you identify the right recycling program to keep your facility running efficiently.
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Greenforest's MRF management system can integrate with any county or city recycling facility. ask us how we can help streamline your operations.
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Our Recycling Consultants walk through your facility and identify your recyclable waste. They will recommend a custom plan based on your waste materials and production to fit your sustainability goals.
Our programs employ our expertise from your first Greenforest Recycling Done Right Waste Audit to program implementation and maintenance.


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'Roses' Mastermind SAINt JHN Announces New Album With Kanye West, Lil Uzi Vert, DaBaby, Future & Plenty More
2 years ago Kaleem Ritter
SAINt JHN made a whole album without even trying to during the quarantine, and now he's gearing up to drop it.
On Friday (October 23), the "Roses" singer revealed the title for his next effort will be While the World Was Burning and it has quite a stacked lineup. Features include Kanye West, Lil Uzi Vert, J.I.D., DaBaby, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Future, 6lack and Kehlani – and there would have been even more if some people didn't turn him down.
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"I had no intention on making this collection," JHN said in a statement on Instagram. "Thank you to all the people that contributed their art. … And thank you to all the people that said no! The struggle is part of the process. We made this While The World Was Burning."
A post shared by DJ Akademiks (@akademiks) on Oct 23, 2020 at 9:05am PDT
The effort will follow 2019's Ghetto Lenny's Love Songs, a 14-track album that featured appearances from Meek Mill, A Boogie, Lenny Kravitz and Lil Baby. The latter appears on JHN's single "Trap," which was certified gold by the Recording Industry of America.
Revisit Ghetto Lenny's Love Songs below and check out the video to "Gorgeous" up top, which will serve as the first release off of While the World Was Burning.
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DIGITAL PROGRAMS & ADVOCACY
Digital News Media Programs and Advocacy
The News Media Alliance is advancing the dialogue on the top digital issues affecting today's news media organizations, including monetization, copyright, advertising and other important issues. We are fighting avidly for publishers, while also working with the tech platforms (Facebook, Google, Twitter, Apple, Amazon, etc.) to encourage better deals for news publishers. Here, we highlight all aspects of these discussions and our related efforts, from calling attention to platform dominance and the need for appropriate monetization by the platforms, to how platforms are working to help local news and sustain journalism.
As the media landscape becomes increasingly digital, it is critical that publishers find ways to monetize digital content and be fairly compensated for use of their digital content, including in search engines and for advertising sold against that content. The Alliance strongly supports safe harbor legislation that would allow news publishers to collectively negotiate with the platforms for this purpose.
Click on the buttons below to view our Digital programs and initiatives. You can also navigate to content by topic using the top menu navigation and drop-down menus at the top of the screen.
Platform News You Can Use Newsletter
View All Antitrust Copyright Digital Dialogue Document Archive International Privacy Tech Platforms
David Chavern / January 8, 2020
CEO Statement: Senate Leader Mitch McConnell is Latest Co-Sponsor of Journalism Competition & Preservation Act
We are very pleased that Senate Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has signed on as the latest co-sponsor and highest ranking official on the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act ... Read More
Staff / December 18, 2019
News Media Alliance Applauds Senator Booker for Co-Sponsoring Journalism Competition & Preservation Act
Today, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) signed on as a co-sponsor of the "Journalism Competition and Preservation Act" (JCPA) with the ardent appreciation of the News Media Alliance. This bill would provide a limited safe harbor for news publishers to collectively negotiate with Facebook and Google for better business arrangements ... Read More
News Media Alliance Applauds Senator Paul for Co-Sponsoring Journalism Competition & Preservation Act
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) on Monday signed on as a co-sponsor of the "Journalism Competition and Preservation Act" (JCPA) with the tremendous appreciation of the News Media Alliance. The bill would provide a limited safe harbor for news publishers to collectively negotiate with Facebook and Google for better business arrangements ... Read More
Johannes Munter / November 14, 2019
Google News Shutdown in Spain Was Not as Bad as Google Would Have You Believe
For years, critics have attempted to make the case for why the EU should not adopt a similar copyright law. And for years, we've heard otherwise from our European colleagues. To better understand the impact of the closure of Google News in Spain, we recently spoke with our European colleagues ... Read More
Staff / October 28, 2019
News Media Alliance SVP & General Counsel Danielle Coffey appeared on "Bloomberg Technology" on Friday, Oct. 25, 2019, where she addressed the launch of Facebook's News Tab and whether it is enough to sustain the news industry ... Read More
David Chavern / October 25, 2019
Statement: Facebook News Tab a Good Start, but Should Be More Comprehensive
We are encouraged by the creation of the Facebook News Tab and that Facebook is prioritizing – and paying for – quality journalism. However, we are concerned that anything less than a fully comprehensive solution could put some publishers at a distinct disadvantage ... Read More


Dusk closed in around me as I plugged home on my bike, aimlessly looking at the ground as I often do when lost in a daydream about fishing or some other outdoor pursuit, when I noticed a small bird pass under my pedal. It was dead, of course, and when I circled back, I discovered it was a screech owl, still as a glacier with no sign as to how it met its fate.
As I stood staring at its oval face, brilliant red-brown coloring and tell-tale ear tufts, I returned to a still spring night last year when the curtain ushering in the day's end fell and the depth of nightfall's silence was revealed. The optimum hearing level of my ears had been beaten down by the artificial sounds of sirens and traffic, but now I quickly tuned in to the natural static that is only found in wild areas. Across the thick blackness wafted the unmistakably eerie call "hoohoo-hoohoo, hoohoo-hoohoo." This continued for some time, though the cadence and frequency of the hoots varied slightly.
That quick flash of remembrance underscored how I, like many people, can be mesmerized by owls, those nocturnal animals that hold a special place among so many cultures. To Apaches, an owl dream signified approaching death. The Dakota Hidatsas saw the burrowing owl as a protective spirit for brave warriors. In English literature, the barn owl carried a sinister reputation, probably because it was a night bird and darkness was always associated with death.
Owls are members of an order of nocturnal birds of prey found throughout the world except in Antarctica. Common barn owls have one of the largest ranges among any living birds. All owls share some similarities, but they're classified in two families: the typical owls, with about 167 species; and the barn owls, with about 14 species.
For owls, eyes and ears are everything. Their large eyes are encapsulated in a circle of bone called the "sclerotic ring," which allows little eye movement. In fact, owls' eyes are so big relative to their body size that if the same proportions were found in humans, our eyes would be nearly as big as grapefruits. Because owls must turn their entire heads to look sideways, they have long and flexible necks that permit the head to rotate through 270 degrees.
Most owls hunt their prey under the cover of darkness, which makes their hearing particularly important. Many owls have asymmetrical skulls, with the ear openings at different levels. The adaptation works like sophisticated sonar, enabling the bird to get a fix on its prey. The ear openings are covered by short, densely webbed feathers that frame the face, turning it into a dish-like reflector for sound, which gives the bird sensitive, directional hearing that enables it to locate prey in total darkness.
Barn owls, which target small ground mammals and must rely on their silent flight and acute hearing to locate prey, have a velvety pile on the feather surface to muffle the sound of their wings. Also, the leading edges of the wing feathers have a fringe or fine comb that deadens the sound of the wing beats. Once barn owls find their quarry, they make short work of it, often swallowing bones and skull whole. The indigestible parts are formed into pellets that are disgorged about the nest.
Overall, owls suffer from habitat loss due to logging and development, but other threats include toxic pollutants, which weaken eggshells. I'm not sure what caused this owl to die, but as the hurried band of cars sped past, I longed for the soulful respite of the deep woods.


text:
Nolina durangensis ist eine Pflanzenart der Gattung Nolina in der Familie der Spargelgewächse (Asparagaceae). Ein englischer Trivialname ist "Creamy-Green Flowers Beargrass".

Beschreibung
Nolina durangensis wächst stammlos und ist rhizomatös. Die variablen, grasähnlichen, grünen bis gelbfarbenen, auf den Boden herabfallenden Laubblätter sind 40 bis 80 cm lang und 7 bis 11 mm breit. Die Blattränder sind gezahnt.

Der Blütenstand wird 0,4 bis 1,4 m hoch mit zahlreichen langen Verzweigungen. Die grünen bis cremefarbenen Blüten sind 1,7 bis 2,5 mm lang und breit. Die Blühperiode liegt im Mai.

Die in der Reife holzigen Kapselfrüchte sind 7 bis 10 mm im Durchmesser. Die kugelförmigen Samen sind 3 mm im Durchmesser.

Verbreitung und Systematik
Nolina durangensis ist in Mexiko im Bundesstaat Durango verbreitet. Sie ist vergesellschaftet mit Dasylirion durangense.

Nolina durangensis, ein weiterer Vertreter der Sektion Microcarpae, ist selten und zurzeit kaum bekannt. Charakteristisch ist der oberhalb der Blätter beginnende Blütenstand mit den langen Verzweigungen.

Die Erstbeschreibung erfolgte 1911 durch William Trelease.

Nachweise

Literatur

Einzelnachweise

Weblinks

Nolina (Gattung)
durangensis


text:
Is Crab Apple Tree Fruit Dangerous?
Peter Mitchell
Based near London, U.K., Peter Mitchell has been a journalist and copywriter for over eight years. Credits include stories for "The Guardian" and the BBC. Mitchell is an experienced player and coach for basketball and soccer teams, and has written articles on nutrition, health and fitness. He has a First Class Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) from Bristol University.
At 1/4 to 2 inches in diameter, crabapples look like miniature versions of regular apples. However, a crabapple has a sour, pithy taste. Despite their unpleasant sharpness, crabapples generally aren't dangerous. Crabapples might give you a sore stomach if you eat a few, but they won't cause poisoning. Like regular apples, their seeds do contain toxins. However, you would have to eat them in huge doses to experience any serious problems.
Crabapples
Crabapples usually aren't grown for their fruit. The little crabapples are so sharp and bitter that most people just spit them right out again. You can use some slightly mellower larger crabapple varieties for jam making. Flowering crabapple trees are attractive in gardens. Like their close cousin, the apple, crabapple trees often bloom in pretty white or purple flowers. This makes them useful as an ornamental species.
Crabapples are essentially the same species as apple trees. The seeds of both of these trees contain a form of cyanide called cyanogenic glycosides. Cyanide is a toxic, potentially fatal poison. However, the average American eats around 16.9 pounds of fresh apples every year and reports no toxic effects. Despite the presence of cyanide in the seeds, most people don't eat the core. Even when apple seeds are ingested, they usually pass through the gut without being broken down. You would have to eat lots of crabapple seeds and grind or chew them up for the cyanide to take effect.
Crabapples may present more danger for pets, such as dogs. Animals that consume a few crabapples may show signs of discomfort, according to experts at the ASPCA. In serious cases, if a pet eats lots of crabapples, including stems, leaves and seeds, they could show signs of cyanide poisoning. Dogs rarely eat enough plant matter for this to cause a real problem. Horses, sheep, cows and other herbivorous animals may eat crabapples in large enough quantities to trigger some toxic effects.
If you're worried that crabapple fruit is dangerous, remove the core, stem, leaves and any seeds from the fruit before use. These are the only parts with the toxic cyanogenic glycosides. The tart flesh of crabapples doesn't contain the poisonous substance. You can use the white flesh alone in your jams, jellies and bitter tarts without exposing yourself to danger. Of course, as with any fruit, avoid rotten or moldy fruit which can cause food poisoning.
Washington University in St. Louis: Beware the Smell of Bitter Almonds
Colorado State University Extension: Flowering Crabapple
ASPCA: Crabapple Tree
University of Illinois Extension: Apples Facts
Apple Seed Toxicity
The Disadvantages of Eating Apples
Vitamin B17 and Apple Seeds
Can You Eat Wild Cherries?
Stomach Pain and Apples
You Accidentally Swallowed a Cherry Pit — Should You Be Worried?


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Yellow-crested Tanager White-shouldered Tanager
Fulvous-crested Tanager Tachyphonus surinamus
Family: Thraupidae
Alonso, J. Á., J. D. Alván, and N. Shany. 2012. Avifauna de la Reserva Nacional Allpahuayo Mishana, Loreto, Perú. Cotinga 34:61–84.
Bird, J.P., J.M. Buchanan, A.C. Lees, R.P. Clay, P.F. Develey, I. Yépez, and S.H.M. Butchart. 2011. Integrating spatially explicit habitat projections into extinction risk assessments: a reassessment of Amazonian avifauna incorporating projected deforestation. Diversity and Distributions 18: 273-281.
BirdLife International. 2009. Species fact sheet: Tachyphonus surinamus. Downloaded from BirdLife International on 8 March 2016.
Bohórquez, C. I. 2003. Mixed-Species bird flocks in a montane cloud forest of Colombia. Ornitología Neotropical 14: 67 – 78.
Borges, S. H., and A. Carvalhaes (2000). Bird species of black water inundation forests in the Jaú National Park (Amazonas state, Brazil): their contribution to regional species richness. Biodiversity & Conservation 9:201–214. doi: 10.1023/A:1008902306499.
Brisson, 1760, Ornithologie, 6, suppl., p. 46, pl. 3, fig 1.
Burns, K. J., A. J. Schultz, P. O. Title, N. A. Mason, F. K. Barker, J. Kilcka, S. M. Lanyon, and I. J. Lovette. 2014. Phylogenetics and diversification of tanagers (Passeriformes Thraupidae), the largest radiation of Neotropical songbirds. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 75: 41-77.
Burns, K. J., and R. A. Racicot. 2009. Molecular phylogenetics of a clade of lowland tanagers: implications for avian participation in the great American interchange. Auk 126: 635-648.
Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
de Juana, A., J. del Hoyo, M. Fernández-Cruz, X. Ferrer, R. Sáez-Royuela, and J. Sargatal. 2012. Nombres en castellano de las aves del mundo recomendados por la Sociedad Española de Ornitología. Ardeola 1: 157-166.
Dickinson, E. C., and L. Christidis. 2014. The Howard and Moore complete checklist of the birds of the world. Fourth edition. Volume 2. Passerines. Aves Press, Eastbourne, United Kingdom.
Dunning, J. B. 2008. CRC Handbook of avian body masses. Second Edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida.
Fjeldsa, J, Alvarez, M.D., Lazcano J.M., Leon, B.. 2005. Illicit crops and armed conflict as constraints on biodiversity conservation in the Andes region. 34: 205-211.
Gotchov, D., Cornejo, F., Ascorra, C., and Jaramillo, M. 1995. Dietary overlap between frugivorous birds and bats in the Peruvian Amazon. 74: 235-250.
Haverschmidt, F. 1968. Birds of Surinam. Oliver and Boyd, London.
Haverschmidt, F. 1994. Birds of Suriname. Second edition. Vaco Uitgeversmaatschappij, Paramaribo, Suriname.
Hellmayr, 1906, Novit. Zool.,13, p. 357
Hellmayr, C.E. 1910. The birds of the Rio Madeira. Novit. Zoo.. 17: 257-428.
Hilty, S. L., and W. L. Brown. 1986. A guide to the birds of Colombia. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey
Hilty, S. L., and Schauensee, R. 2003. Birds of Venezuela. Princeton: Princeton University London.
Hilty, S. L. 2011. Family Thraupidae (Tanagers). Pages 46-329 in J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, and D.A. Christie (editors), Handbook of the birds of the world. Volume 16. Tanagers to New World blackbirds. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
Isler M. L., and P. R. Isler. 1987. The tanagers. Second edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, DC.
Jobling, J. A. 2010. Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. Christopher Helm Publications, London.
De Lafresnaye, F. 1846. Tachyphonus surinamus. Rev. Zool. Paris p. 206.
Lawrence, G.N. 1864. Descriptions of new species of birds of the families Tanagridae, Cuculidae, and Trochilidae. Ann. Lyc. Natural History. 8: 41-46.
Linnaeus, C. 1766. Systema Naturae per Regna Tria Naturae, Secundum Classes, Ordines, Genera, Species, cum Characteribus, Differentiis, Synonymis, Locis. 12th ed, Vol.1. Stockholm
Parker, T. A., III, D. F. Stotz, and J. W. Fitzpatrick. 1996. Ecological and distributional databases. Pages 113-436 in D. F. Stotz, J. W. Fitzpatrick, T. A. Parker III, and D. K. Moskovits, Neotropical birds: ecology and conservation. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois.
Restall, R. L., C. Rodner, and M. R. Lentino. 2007. Birds of northern South America: an identification guide. Yale University Press, New Haven, Connecticut.
Ridgely, R, Tudor, G.. 1989. Field Guide to the songbirds of South America: the passerines. First edition.
Ridgely, R.S. and Greenfield, P.J. (2001) The Birds of Ecuador. Vols. 1–2. Cornell University Press & Christopher Helm, Ithaca & London.
Ryder, T.B., and Wolfe, J.D.. 2009. Ornitologica Neotropical: The current state of knowledge on molt and plumage sequences in selected neotropical families. Vol. 20: 1-18.
Soares-Filho, B.S., Nepstad, D.C., Curran, L.M., Cerqueira G.C., Garcia, R.A., and Ramos, C.A. 2006. Nature: Modelling conservation in the Amazon basin.
Storer, R.W. 1970. Subfamily Thraupinae, Tanagers. Check-list of birds of the world. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Massachusetts. P. 246-408. Vol. 13.
Stotz, D. F., Fitzpatrick, J. W., Parker, T. A., Moskovits, D. K. 1996. Neotropical birds: ecology and conservation. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Tilgar, V, and Moks, K. 2015. Journal of Tropical Ecology. Increased risk of predation increases mobbing intensity in tropical birds of French Guiana.
Fulvous-crested Tanager (Tachyphonus surinamus), In Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. retrieved from Neotropical Birds Online: https://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/fuctan1


Lloyd Cole is in the attic of his home on the north-east coast of the USA, where it's a tad chilly now, "bloody hot" in summer, and the droll-voiced Brit is well over it.
"I can't wait to leave this climate," he says. "I don't know where I'm moving to. My youngest son is about to go to university next year, once that's done we'll start thinking about options."
Given he's touring Australia in January with what he's calling a retrospective tour ("the youngest song in my setlist is 20 years old"), has he considered moving to Tasmania? Half of Sydney will be there after a few more hot, humid summers. Cole is polite, but not so sure.
"Certainly playing golf it would be fantastic but I think I want to live somewhere where people don't speak English for a while. I'm a little tired of hearing people talk."
This is a man for whom words have always been his calling card, with his literary references and witty bon mots as much as the dark brows and jangling guitars of his band The Commotions marking him out from the 1980s pop crowd. So to want nothing more to do with people speaking to him suggests a greater level of fatigue than even his premature world-weariness could have predicted 30 years ago.
"Well," Cole says with a sigh. "It's the thing that one does so it's very difficult to ignore when one sees or hears that elsewhere. It is very difficult to tune it out. I find if someone turns the television on in the room I find it very difficult not to look at it and that's why I quite like to go to bars where they don't have televisions. If I'm at lunch, eating, and I can hear the people at the next table talking, I can't un-hear them."
He considers his answer and cedes ground. "Yes, I probably have got to the point where my belief in humanity is lower than it used to be and I sometimes quite like the idea of silence."
Silence should not be underestimated though, not least for allowing the brain to ratchet down a notch, especially in the USA where the ambient noise this year has been set at peak volume. Even for a 55-year-old man often playing solo in quiet rooms, as his current tour finds him, that can take its toll.
"If there suddenly was to be a plague of muteness it wouldn't be a bad thing at all."
It's not that long ago that Cole wrote an album almost wholly sung from the perspective of a middle aged man in a bar watching passing trade, younger women and time slide by. If he could have silence, would he still want to be that observer?
"I'm sort of torn," he confesses. "For my work I need to be there, but I am weary of observing the world right now. I think I should be thankful that I have two thirds of a lifetime of observations and notebooks to keep me going. I think I've got plenty."
Dialogue is not something that appears frequently in those notebooks or in his songs but he will happily tell you that "the most common phrase that appears in my songs is 'she says'". Still, world weariness notwithstanding, that's not yet turned into "she says I know what it's like to be dead".
"I have not gone there yet but there is still ground to be covered," Cole says jovially. "That's one of the things that makes spending a couple of years primarily as a retro artist feel like something I'm not uncomfortable with. I'm still working towards new material; I just don't work anywhere near as quickly as I once did. I have to tread carefully I feel. I don't want to mess up the body of work. I don't want to mess up the canon."
Does spending a couple of years touring his catalogue, being a "retro artist", have the same effect as a decade ago when he made available online his archive of unreleased material: effectively clearing away foliage to allow fresh shoots to emerge?
"I think there is something liberating in that and I do feel that some time in the next five years I will probably be at that point [of renewal]," Cole says. "I think in the category that I call song ideas [in his sound files] there are maybe 500 ideas and probably half of them have been used in the 250 sketches.
"Every now and again I listen and think I can do something with that. And then I think maybe I'll do something with that next year."
He sighs. "It would be quite nice to be done with them all. Maybe I will throw them all the way at some point."
Lloyd Cole plays the City Recital Hall on January 15, Clarendon Guesthouse, Katoomba on January 19, and Sutherland Arts Centre, on January 20.


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Rockies Mailbag: No rush on deals for Trevor…
Rockies Mailbag: No rush on deals for Trevor Story or Kyle Freeland, Chris Iannetta update and more
Left to right, Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado (28), shortstop Trevor Story (27) and right fielder Charlie Blackmon (19) all warm up before facing Washington Nationals starting pitcher Patrick Corbin (46) in the first inning at Coors Field April 23, 2019.
By Patrick Saunders | psaunders@denverpost.com | The Denver Post
Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders posts his Rockies Mailbag every other week on Tuesdays during the season and once per month during the offseason.
Pose a Rockies — or MLB — related question for the Rockies Mailbag.
Do you see a Trevor Story or Kyle Freeland contract extension coming any time soon? How are the Rockies going to be able to afford both, and why bring back Story if you have Brendan Rodgers coming up and Ryan McMahon as your second baseman of the future?
— Isaac, Commerce City
I imagine your questions were sparked by the Rockies' recent signing of German Marquez to a new, five-year, $43 million deal.
You do ask good, important questions, but I don't have a definitive answer for you.
On the day that Marquez signed, I asked Freeland if he was engaged in contract talks with the Rockies about a new deal of his own. He told me no, not at this time.
I have not heard anything about a deal for Story, either. But keep in mind that over the last 14 months, the Rockies locked up Charlie Blackmon, Nolan Arenado and Marquez to long-term deals. That's a lot of money and a lot of dealing. Plus, there is no rush to get a deal done for either Story or Freeland.
Keep in mind that Story, making $5 million this year, still has two years of arbitration left and isn't eligible to become a free agent until 2022. Freeland, making $565,000 this year, has three years of arbitration left and won't become a free agent until 2023.
If they stay healthy, I believe the Rockies will try hard to retain both Freeland and Story, it's just not feasible right now.
Here is what owner Dick Monfort said on the day of the home opener:
"Next year I know that we're going to have a payroll that is really going to be taxing on us, but I think we'll figure a way around it, but the next year it backs off a little bit. But we want to have a good team, and we'd rather have Trevor Story than go out and get somebody on the free agency market."
Tony Wolters announced as Rockies' recipient of 2019 Heart and Hustle Award
Mark Reynolds became 3rd Rockies position player to pitch. Here are the other two.
Giants sweep: Pitching fails Rockies in Game 1, bats go cold in Game 2
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At Coors Field, where one pitch can cause "a whole riot of hits," the Rockies are adjusting to a new reality in 2019
That's a pretty telling quote.
As for your idea about cutting loose Story because Rodgers is coming up, I think you're crazy! (With all due respect). Story is on the verge of becoming a perennial star who might hit 30 home runs and steal 30 bases. Rodgers is a promising prospect with a lot to prove.
I'm reading that Dallas Keuchel may be amenable to a one-year deal. Is there interest by either the Rockies or Keuchel to get him here?
— David, Estes Park
I have not heard of any interest by either party.
Keuchel, who declined a $17.9 million qualifying from the Astros, is seeking a one-year deal that is a prorated salary above that amount. I don't think the Rockies are willing to pay that kind of money for a guy who would likely be gone at the end of the season. In other words, they would be paying big bucks for a rental player.
Also, keep in mind that there might be a reason why other teams have not yet swooped in to sign Keuchel. There would be no draft compensation if he signs after the MLB draft, which takes place June 3-5, so teams might just wait him out.
Bottom line: Although the Rockies have done well over the last two years developing their own pitchers, Colorado remains a place that's thought of as pitching Purgatory for free agents. They simply don't want to come here.
We have two mailbag questions regarding Rockies catcher Chris Iannetta.
How can we get rid of Ianetta once and for all?
— Thomas Larkin, Lubbock, Texas
Patrick, the start of the season has been full of disappointments but I have really been disappointed with the play of Iannetta. Now that he is on the injured list, are there any internal options on the way up who could possibly replace him or even a few external candidates? With this being the final year of his contract do you see Colorado cutting ties if they are able to locate a possible replacement?
— Aaron Hurt, Omaha, Nebraska
Guys, every team has players that fans love to hate. For some Rockies fans, it's Ian Desmond and Iannetta. I get that. Their production has been poor and they are making big bucks.
Desmond ($15 million salary) has a .173 average with one home run, six doubles and four RBIs and a 31-percent strikeout rate.
Iannetta ($4.1 million) is batting .207 with one home run and two RBIs. He's also made two critical mistakes at home plate.
Both of you want Iannetta gone — now. But I don't know what the alternative is. Drew Butera is doing OK in Iannetta's absence, but I don't think he's a better long-term solution. I also don't see an instant solution down on the farm.
So I believe Iannetta will remain with the team. Will he hit better down the road? Yes, but there is no question he's struggling. I think he's getting beat too often by high-velocity fastballs. However, one of the reasons why Bud Black (and by extension, general manager Jeff Bridich) stick with Iannetta is that they value his game-calling skills. Iannetta knows pitchers and he knows hitters. Those skills don't show up in the box score.
Hey Mr. Saunders, I read your article on April 11 that came after the Rockies' sixth loss in a row. In the subhead you mentioned Jon Gray specifically, pointing out that he (at the time) was 0-3. I follow the box scores and noticed Gray got his first win against the Padres. I'm glad to see him turning it around. Is there anything in particular you've noticed that helped him get the win in that game?
— Jeff, Ward
Jeff, since you submitted your question, Gray has pitched another very good game — he tossed six innings of scoreless, one-hit baseball in the Rockies' 4-1 victory over Philadelphia at Coors Field on Sunday.
Here is part of what I wrote:
The meltdowns that often led to ugly starts last season were nowhere to be found Sunday. When things got tough, Gray remained calm, cool, deliberate and aggressive.
"I'm slowing down, making the pitch and not trying to do too much," he said. "I'm calm, but I'm still in attack mode."
In the fifth inning, for example, he issued back-to-back one-out walks, including a free pass to Phillies starter Jerard Eickhoff. But he escaped the jam by getting Andrew McCutchen to fly out to left and striking out Cesar Hernandez using a nasty slider.
"Jon was under control right from the get-go," manager Bud Black said. "We saw some signs in spring training that things were in a good place. I think these starts are indicative of where he is, physically and mentally."
With the Rockies' offensive struggles continuing from the end of last year into this year, what confidence should fans have that any changes or progress was made to remedy this? Any resemblance of a decent opposing pitcher and the Rockies lose their patience at the plate and strike out too often. The Rockies can't be successful scoring two-three runs a game.
— Ben D., Littleton
Ben, since you submitted your question, the Rockies have improved a little bit, but you're right, the offense is not where it needs to be. Part of the problem has been that some young players who were forced into a lot of playing time because of injuries – I'm thinking specifically about Garrett Hampson and Pat Valaika – have looked overmatched.
Are the Rockies striking out too much? Yes, especially with runners in scoring position where they have a .216 average (26th in the majors). With RISP, their 56 strikeouts are sixth most in the majors. Now, if Colorado was smacking a lot of home runs, as the Mariners (56) and Dodgers (47) are, the Ks wouldn't be that big a deal. But the Rockies' 23 homers rank 25th in the majors.
So you are right, the Rockies need a better approach at the plate. There have been far too many empty at-bats. The impending return of veteran first baseman Daniel Murphy should help, and Charlie Blackmon is finally heating up, so that will help. But unless the offense improves dramatically, Colorado has no shot to beat the Dodgers for the National League West title.
I'm a little worried about Charlie Blackmon, should I be? I know it's early, but something seems off. Also, what can or should the Rockies do with Desmond? He has been in a slump for two years at the plate. Thanks.
— Dave Gestner , Denver
Dave, I was worried about Blackmon, too. His swing looked out of sorts, almost mechanical, and he was struggling in right field. "Chuck Nazty" is a grinder and I was worried that maybe he was grinding too hard.
He's proved both of us wrong over the past week or so. He hit a walk-off homer, two triples and is back to being "Nazty" again. Will Blackmon, now 32, ever match his incredible 2017 season (.331 average, 37 home runs, 104 RBIs)? I doubt it, but he's still a force.
Once again — you, me, the talking heads on radio and tons of fans — jumped to conclusions way too early in the season.
Desmond, however, needs to pick up his game. For every nice game he plays, he has three or four where he's not productive at all. I think his defense in center field has been fine, but he needs to be better at the plate. I'm starting to wonder if he ever will be, and that's a big problem for the Rockies.
I heard the announcer say that very few Rockies players make their home in Colorado. Any more, it seems like they could care less about this being their home. Why should we care about them when evidently Colorado isn't good enough for them?
— Martha Krietemeyer, Fountain
Martha, I strongly disagree with you on this topic. First of all, the Rockies make Colorado their "home" from late March until October. But they are on the road so much they are almost nomads. Most of the players love Colorado and the fans here, but I don't think they have to live here full time for them to earn support.
Many, but not all, of the players make their offseason homes in warm-weather places like Arizona, Florida and Southern California. I understand that completely. Those places allow the players to work on their baseball skills and enjoy golf, which is many players' offseason passion.
It appears to me the Rockies have the same problem as always, no stud pitcher that can step in and stop a losing streak. Until they get a Max Scherzer type pitcher with mental toughness they are going nowhere. They have tried to raise pitching internally but have not been able to provide any consistency. They likely will have a good streak and everyone will pile on the bandwagon, then they will fall flat again. I bleed Rockies purple but I don't see any future until they put together a mentally tough pitching staff that can throw strikes.
— Joe Hague, Broomfield
Joe, you've got to be kidding! German Marquez nearly threw a no-hitter to halt the eight-game losing streak, then Jon Gray and Kyle Freeland followed up with gems of their own. Colorado's starting pitching has been the team's MVP so far this season. There is a real chance that this will be not only the best rotation in Rockies history, but one of the better one-two-three punches in the National League. What the Rockies need to find is a competent fifth starter who will at least keep them in games.
Patrick, who says Murphy will be able to play first base? I don't like this Rockies idea that just anybody can be plugged in at first. I've watched Desmond, McMahon, Hampson and Valaika all make serious fielding mistakes there. In fact Mark Reynolds is the only one who really knows how to play the position. I'd put Murphy back at second, Reynolds at first, McMahon and Hampson in reserve and release Valaika and see how it works.
–Thomas, Thornton (Rox fan from the beginning)
Thomas, I agree with some of what you say. I do think the club has mismanaged the position, and I never thought Desmond was the answer at first. And yes, Reynolds is their best-fielding first baseman, but I don't see him starting four or five times a week.
Plus, Murphy is not a good second baseman, and that's by his own admission. I think it's going to play out like this. The Rockies will start Murphy at first and he'll be OK. McMahon will start at second, and I think he's looked very good there at times. Reynolds will get the occasional start at first and be a bat off the bench. Hampson is the super-utility guy, but he'll be sent down to Triple-A soon if he doesn't start producing. Valaika was sent down to Triple-A today (Tuesday) in a roster move.
Here is my own crazy thought: Would the Rockies ever consider Blackmon at first base? I have no idea if he can play the position, but it's a thought.
Andrew McCutchen
Chris Iannetta
Daniel Murphy
Dick Monfort
Drew Butera
Garrett Hampson
Ian Desmond
Jeff Bridich
Jon Gray
Kyle Freeland
Max Scherzer
More Rockies News
Pat Valaika
Patrick Saunders
Rockies Mailbag
Ryan McMahon
Patrick Saunders covers the Colorado Rockies for The Denver Post.
Follow Patrick Saunders	@psaundersdp
More in Colorado Rockies
A double whammy has the Rockies searching for answers. In the first game of Monday's doubleheader at Coors Field, the Rockies couldn't pitch and they couldn't hit. In the second game, they pitched fine, but couldn't hit.
The award honors players "who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit and traditions of the game."
German Marquez torched for 11 runs in worst outing of his career as Giants embarrass Rockies, 19-2
Marquez finished with 11 earned runs in 2⅔, including a five-run first that had the Giants in control from the opening at-bat. The end result was the largest margin of defeat for Colorado in 2019.
Lost in the carnage and rubble of the Rockies' 19-2 loss to San Francisco Monday afternoon at Coors Field came a lighter moment when veteran first baseman Mark Reyolds pitched the ninth inning in Game 1 of a doubleheader.


This interface will be removed, people will not be able to ship/create their own custom macro engines.
This interface is also flawed and doesn't really allow developers to really create custom macro engines.
This task will remove IMacroEngine, MacroEngineFactory, and other associated files.


text:
class AddVoteIdToMemberVote < ActiveRecord::Migration
  def self.up
    add_column :member_votes, :vote_id, :integer
  end

  def self.down
    remove_column :member_votes, :vote_id
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub