Scientists charged with predicting the sun's activity for the next 11-year solar cycle say that it's likely to be weak, much like the current one. The current solar cycle, Cycle 24, is declining and predicted to reach solar minimum—the period when the sun is least active—late in 2019 or 2020.
"We expect Solar Cycle 25 will be very similar to Cycle 24: another fairly weak cycle, preceded by a long, deep minimum," said panel co-chair Lisa Upton, Ph.D., solar physicist with Space Systems Research Corp. "The expectation that Cycle 25 will be comparable in size to Cycle 24 means that the steady decline in solar cycle amplitude, seen from cycles 21-24, has come to an end and that there is no indication that we are currently approaching a Maunder-type minimum in solar activity."
Solar Cycle 24 reached its maximum—the period when the sun is most active—in April 2014 with a peak average of 82 sunspots. The sun's Northern Hemisphere led the sunspot cycle, peaking over two years ahead of the Southern Hemisphere sunspot peak.
"While we are not predicting a particularly active Solar Cycle 25, violent eruptions from the sun can occur at any time," said Doug Biesecker, Ph.D., panel co-chair and a solar physicist at NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center.
An example of this occurred on July 23, 2012 when a powerful coronal mass ejection (CME) eruption missed the Earth but enveloped NASA's STEREO-A satellite. A 2013 study estimated that the U.S. would have suffered between $600 billion and $2.6 trillion in damages, particularly to electrical infrastructure, such as power grid, if this CME had been directed toward Earth. The strength of the 2012 eruption was comparable to the famous 1859 Carrington event that caused widespread damage to telegraph stations around the world and produced aurora displays as far south as the Caribbean.
Upside, a decadal-ish 'Solar Cycle', actually half a 22-ish year full-cycle, is short enough that we should see a significant trend fairly soon.
And temperatures will continue to fall, AGW was short lived to say the least.
And the prolific AGWoowoo mobs will find a way to keep AGW in the public's face, even if Earth turns cold.
GOP? Do you mean the American Republican Party? But we thought you were Australian, RC. And here you are vilifying the Republicans. Do you also dislike Trump?
Please stick to tenable/reasonable facts in reality and eschew being a troll for the Russian/GOP/Fossil 'mafia' exploiting you as one of their 'weaponised stupids' which have been helping dividing America and delaying urgent climate change action. Good luck to us all.
History tells it was GOP (and their donors/mates in the fossil fuel/mining industries), that made CO2 science into a 'political football' for cynical political motives; and to delay climate change action, to protect 'dirty profits' at expense of polluting/poisoning and damaging future sustainability/climate. So it's not a question of 'dislike', but a point of historical facts; and reasons for exposing/deploring their character and the lies/crimes they have been perpetrating against ALL...US and Global community (like Big Tobacco did).


A decade or so ago, Greta Moon started to scratch around for a piece of land away from the Big Smoke; but her search, being for more than a mere tree-change, took in some specifics. Affordable and an easy drive would be on anyone's list of course, but Greta also had a vision of growing grape vines organically; she "didn't want to do a whole lot of tractor work", so she hoped that low rainfall would help ease the pressure of diseases. Then again, she could see that some access to water would be a definite plus.
Her choices were therefore limited, but here her coping skills – being able to go with the flow – would come in handy. After searching around, Nagambie seemed to offer the best options. "It's on the north side of the dividing range, so it's a little drier, and is on the Goulburn River, so it's got year-round water there," she says. What she found was "just a paddock", but 13 years later Greta's Goulburn Terrace vineyard and winery has become a full-time job for her and partner Mike Boudry.
First things first, she planted some vines in 1993 – but says she never went into the venture with the full intention of making wine, or at least not at the outset. Wine was one of those "one day" ideas, and to get by in the meantime Greta contracted to Mitchelton to supply them with some fruit. "They wanted cabernet and chardonnay, so that's what I started with," Greta says. "I had wanted to grow shiraz, but they weren't interested." But having that initial financial back-up was essential at this stage of the venture. "To be self-funding at the outset, I did need to have the security of the contract … that's just how it was," she says.
Knowing what to do with the cards you are dealt is a life-skill more of us could learn – but it is the way you play these cards that can make the difference. So half way through this period – growing the vines and getting them established – she launched into a Bachelor of Applied Science correspondence course in wine science at Charles Sturt University. The intervening years were spent in more planting and establishing her earlier vines, but with the winemaking know-how under her belt Greta was able to get on with the next stage, and she turned her attention to the serious business of making great wine. Of course, had she gone with her first choice of which vines to plant, it would have proved to be a good one as her "paddock" is very well suited to the varieties she would have preferred.
Doing her own thing allowed Greta to grow the varieties she had originally intended – shiraz and marsanne – and a lot of her time at present is spent grafting her vines over to these. In a sort of passive vindication of her initial plan, Mitchelton is now also more focused on these varieties. "So now we're grafting some vines over. Tahbilk has been very kind and let us use some of their old vines, and some of them are more than 80 years old. So that is a big help," Greta says, "and really adds to the diversity of the genetic material that is available in the modern clonal selection." And embracing this diversity has added to Goulburn Terrace's potential.
But realising the potential of their property is one quality has been evident from the start, although Greta and Mike more modestly call their approach "realistic". "The difference is that we try to be realistic about everything. We try to know our limitations and just present our wines accordingly," she says. The Goulburn Terrace cellar door offers food, but Greta says, "I'm no chef. It's more home-style food. Everything we do, we do just as we are … we understand our limitations." But one person's perceived limitation is another person's attribute – in a palpable way, a vineyard can condense many of nature's lessons. The now-accepted value of terroir is one of winemaking's more salient examples.
The vineyard covers 18 acres, and output is only around 1000 cases all up every year, so the operation is very boutique. But as Greta says, the output can vary greatly. "Parts of it we crop very differently. If we're growing for a bigger concern, we'll do, say, four tonnes to the acre. But if we're doing it for ourselves we'll aim at about two tonnes to the acre." The level of cropping can be determined to a great degree at pruning time, and although four tonnes to the acre is not high, it is adequate for a contract grower. As Greta concedes, the two tonnes to the acre level to make her own wine is not terribly viable in an economic sense. But again, doing things your own way means not being tied to the ledger book.
The place where intervention does make sense, where nature is given a helping hand, is with the health of the soil. "We use a lot of organic compost, and try to improve the under-vine area by not using any herbicides for weeds." Some shallow cultivation around the vines deals with the stronger pests.
Still, the results any winemaker gets is determined by a greater law than humankind has any say over – terroir at work, and an undeniable influence it is. Being in the area they are, shiraz is obviously a big variety to have. The winery produces two differently styled shiraz wines, determined by the different soils they grow on – one gravelly, one more clay – which influences the wines respectively into a more inky, savoury wine, and a chocolatey plum style.


Need the perfect small gift for your party, wedding etc? These custom enamel pins will add the perfect personalised touch to your event!
Please message me with how many enamel pins you would like, and a rough idea of the design you are after.
DO NOT ORDER WITHOUT MESSAGING AS PRICES VARY FOR ALL CUSTOMS ORDERS DEPENDING ON SIZE, AMOUNT AND DESIGN.
-A CUSTOM ORDER WILL BE MADE.
-PLEASE ALLOW ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE SURE YOUR ORDER CAN BE MADE IN TIME.


text:
package org.apache.orc.impl;

import static junit.framework.Assert.assertEquals;

import java.nio.ByteBuffer;

import org.apache.orc.CompressionCodec;
import org.junit.Test;

public class TestBitFieldReader {

  public void runSeekTest(CompressionCodec codec) throws Exception {
    TestInStream.OutputCollector collect = new TestInStream.OutputCollector();
    final int COUNT = 16384;
    BitFieldWriter out = new BitFieldWriter(
        new OutStream("test", 500, codec, collect), 1);
    TestInStream.PositionCollector[] positions =
        new TestInStream.PositionCollector[COUNT];
    for(int i=0; i < COUNT; ++i) {
      positions[i] = new TestInStream.PositionCollector();
      out.getPosition(positions[i]);
      // test runs, non-runs
      if (i < COUNT / 2) {
        out.write(i & 1);
      } else {
        out.write((i/3) & 1);
      }
    }
    out.flush();
    ByteBuffer inBuf = ByteBuffer.allocate(collect.buffer.size());
    collect.buffer.setByteBuffer(inBuf, 0, collect.buffer.size());
    inBuf.flip();
    BitFieldReader in = new BitFieldReader(InStream.create("test",
        new ByteBuffer[]{inBuf}, new long[]{0}, inBuf.remaining(),
        codec, 500), 1);
    for(int i=0; i < COUNT; ++i) {
      int x = in.next();
      if (i < COUNT / 2) {
        assertEquals(i & 1, x);
      } else {
        assertEquals((i/3) & 1, x);
      }
    }
    for(int i=COUNT-1; i >= 0; --i) {
      in.seek(positions[i]);
      int x = in.next();
      if (i < COUNT / 2) {
        assertEquals(i & 1, x);
      } else {
        assertEquals((i/3) & 1, x);
      }
    }
  }

  @Test
  public void testUncompressedSeek() throws Exception {
    runSeekTest(null);
  }

  @Test
  public void testCompressedSeek() throws Exception {
    runSeekTest(new ZlibCodec());
  }

  @Test
  public void testBiggerItems() throws Exception {
    TestInStream.OutputCollector collect = new TestInStream.OutputCollector();
    final int COUNT = 16384;
    BitFieldWriter out = new BitFieldWriter(
        new OutStream("test", 500, null, collect), 3);
    for(int i=0; i < COUNT; ++i) {
      // test runs, non-runs
      if (i < COUNT / 2) {
        out.write(i & 7);
      } else {
        out.write((i/3) & 7);
      }
    }
    out.flush();
    ByteBuffer inBuf = ByteBuffer.allocate(collect.buffer.size());
    collect.buffer.setByteBuffer(inBuf, 0, collect.buffer.size());
    inBuf.flip();
    BitFieldReader in = new BitFieldReader(InStream.create("test",
        new ByteBuffer[]{inBuf}, new long[]{0}, inBuf.remaining(),
        null, 500), 3);
    for(int i=0; i < COUNT; ++i) {
      int x = in.next();
      if (i < COUNT / 2) {
        assertEquals(i & 7, x);
      } else {
        assertEquals((i/3) & 7, x);
      }
    }
  }

  @Test
  public void testSkips() throws Exception {
    TestInStream.OutputCollector collect = new TestInStream.OutputCollector();
    BitFieldWriter out = new BitFieldWriter(
        new OutStream("test", 100, null, collect), 1);
    final int COUNT = 16384;
    for(int i=0; i < COUNT; ++i) {
      if (i < COUNT/2) {
        out.write(i & 1);
      } else {
        out.write((i/3) & 1);
      }
    }
    out.flush();
    ByteBuffer inBuf = ByteBuffer.allocate(collect.buffer.size());
    collect.buffer.setByteBuffer(inBuf, 0, collect.buffer.size());
    inBuf.flip();
    BitFieldReader in = new BitFieldReader(InStream.create("test", new ByteBuffer[]{inBuf},
        new long[]{0}, inBuf.remaining(), null, 100), 1);
    for(int i=0; i < COUNT; i += 5) {
      int x = (int) in.next();
      if (i < COUNT/2) {
        assertEquals(i & 1, x);
      } else {
        assertEquals((i/3) & 1, x);
      }
      if (i < COUNT - 5) {
        in.skip(4);
      }
      in.skip(0);
    }
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
using System;
using System.Collections;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Collections.Immutable;
using System.Linq;
using Microsoft.CodeAnalysis;
using Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Diagnostics;
using Microsoft.CodeAnalysis.Internal.Log;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Language.Intellisense;
using Microsoft.VisualStudio.Shell;

namespace Microsoft.VisualStudio.LanguageServices.Implementation.SolutionExplorer
{
    internal partial class DiagnosticItemSource : IAttachedCollectionSource
    {
        private static readonly DiagnosticDescriptorComparer s_comparer = new DiagnosticDescriptorComparer();

        private AnalyzerItem _item;
        private BulkObservableCollection<DiagnosticItem> _diagnosticItems;
        private Workspace _workspace;
        private ProjectId _projectId;
        private ReportDiagnostic _generalDiagnosticOption;
        private ImmutableDictionary<string, ReportDiagnostic> _specificDiagnosticOptions;

        public DiagnosticItemSource(AnalyzerItem item)
        {
            _item = item;
        }

        public object SourceItem
        {
            get
            {
                return _item;
            }
        }

        public bool HasItems
        {
            get
            {
                _workspace = _item.AnalyzersFolder.Workspace;
                _projectId = _item.AnalyzersFolder.ProjectId;

                var project = _workspace.CurrentSolution.GetProject(_projectId);
                return _item.AnalyzerReference.GetAnalyzers(project.Language).Length > 0;
            }
        }

        public IEnumerable Items
        {
            get
            {
                if (_diagnosticItems == null)
                {
                    _workspace = _item.AnalyzersFolder.Workspace;
                    _projectId = _item.AnalyzersFolder.ProjectId;

                    var project = _workspace.CurrentSolution.GetProject(_projectId);
                    _generalDiagnosticOption = project.CompilationOptions.GeneralDiagnosticOption;
                    _specificDiagnosticOptions = project.CompilationOptions.SpecificDiagnosticOptions;

                    _diagnosticItems = new BulkObservableCollection<DiagnosticItem>();
                    _diagnosticItems.AddRange(GetDiagnosticItems(project.Language));

                    _workspace.WorkspaceChanged += Workspace_WorkspaceChanged;
                }

                Logger.Log(
                    FunctionId.SolutionExplorer_DiagnosticItemSource_GetItems,
                    KeyValueLogMessage.Create(m => m["Count"] = _diagnosticItems.Count));

                return _diagnosticItems;
            }
        }

        private IEnumerable<DiagnosticItem> GetDiagnosticItems(string language)
        {
            // Within an analyzer assembly, an individual analyzer may report multiple different diagnostics
            // with the same ID. Or, multiple analyzers may report diagnostics with the same ID. Or a
            // combination of the two may occur.
            // We only want to show one node in Solution Explorer for a given ID. So we pick one, but we need
            // to be consistent in which one we pick. Diagnostics with the same ID may have different
            // descriptions or messages, and it would be strange if the node's name changed from one run of
            // VS to another. So we group the diagnostics by ID, sort them within a group, and take the first
            // one.

            return _item.AnalyzerReference.GetAnalyzers(language)
                .SelectMany(a => a.SupportedDiagnostics)
                .GroupBy(d => d.Id)
                .OrderBy(g => g.Key, StringComparer.CurrentCulture)
                .Select(g =>
                {
                    var selectedDiagnostic = g.OrderBy(d => d, s_comparer).First();
                    return new DiagnosticItem(_item, selectedDiagnostic, GetEffectiveSeverity(selectedDiagnostic.Id, _specificDiagnosticOptions, _generalDiagnosticOption, selectedDiagnostic.DefaultSeverity, selectedDiagnostic.IsEnabledByDefault));
                });
        }

        private void Workspace_WorkspaceChanged(object sender, WorkspaceChangeEventArgs e)
        {
            if (e.Kind == WorkspaceChangeKind.SolutionCleared ||
                e.Kind == WorkspaceChangeKind.SolutionReloaded ||
                e.Kind == WorkspaceChangeKind.SolutionRemoved)
            {
                _workspace.WorkspaceChanged -= Workspace_WorkspaceChanged;
            }
            else if (e.ProjectId == _projectId)
            {
                if (e.Kind == WorkspaceChangeKind.ProjectRemoved)
                {
                    _workspace.WorkspaceChanged -= Workspace_WorkspaceChanged;
                }
                else if (e.Kind == WorkspaceChangeKind.ProjectChanged)
                {
                    var project = e.NewSolution.GetProject(_projectId);
                    var newGeneralDiagnosticOption = project.CompilationOptions.GeneralDiagnosticOption;
                    var newSpecificDiagnosticOptions = project.CompilationOptions.SpecificDiagnosticOptions;

                    if (newGeneralDiagnosticOption != _generalDiagnosticOption ||
                        !object.ReferenceEquals(newSpecificDiagnosticOptions, _specificDiagnosticOptions))
                    {
                        _generalDiagnosticOption = newGeneralDiagnosticOption;
                        _specificDiagnosticOptions = newSpecificDiagnosticOptions;

                        foreach (var item in _diagnosticItems)
                        {
                            item.UpdateEffectiveSeverity(GetEffectiveSeverity(item.Descriptor.Id, _specificDiagnosticOptions, _generalDiagnosticOption, item.Descriptor.DefaultSeverity, item.Descriptor.IsEnabledByDefault));
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        }

        // If you update this method, also consider making updates to CSharpDiagnosticFilter.GetDiagnosticReport and
        // VisualBasicDiagnosticFilter.GetDiagnosticReport.
        internal static ReportDiagnostic GetEffectiveSeverity(string ruleId, IDictionary<string, ReportDiagnostic> specificOptions, ReportDiagnostic generalOption, DiagnosticSeverity defaultSeverity, bool enabledByDefault)
        {
            ReportDiagnostic report = ReportDiagnostic.Default;
            var isSpecified = specificOptions.TryGetValue(ruleId, out report);
            if (!isSpecified)
            {
                report = enabledByDefault ? ReportDiagnostic.Default : ReportDiagnostic.Suppress;
            }

            if (report == ReportDiagnostic.Default)
            {
                switch (generalOption)
                {
                    case ReportDiagnostic.Error:
                        if (defaultSeverity == DiagnosticSeverity.Warning)
                        {
                            if (!isSpecified)
                            {
                                return ReportDiagnostic.Error;
                            }
                        }

                        break;
                    case ReportDiagnostic.Suppress:
                        if (defaultSeverity == DiagnosticSeverity.Warning || defaultSeverity == DiagnosticSeverity.Info)
                        {
                            return ReportDiagnostic.Suppress;
                        }

                        break;
                    default:
                        break;
                }

                return MapSeverityToReport(defaultSeverity);
            }

            return report;
        }

        private static ReportDiagnostic MapSeverityToReport(DiagnosticSeverity defaultSeverity)
        {
            switch (defaultSeverity)
            {
                case DiagnosticSeverity.Hidden:
                    return ReportDiagnostic.Hidden;
                case DiagnosticSeverity.Info:
                    return ReportDiagnostic.Info;
                case DiagnosticSeverity.Warning:
                    return ReportDiagnostic.Warn;
                case DiagnosticSeverity.Error:
                    return ReportDiagnostic.Error;
                default:
                    throw new ArgumentException("Unhandled DiagnosticSeverity: " + defaultSeverity, "defaultSeverity");
            }
        }
    }
}


text:
package repositorycreate

import _ "github.com/bufbuild/buf/private/usage"


The Horsford campaign and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee say together they're spending a million dollars on TV time.
The Horsford campaign and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee say together they're spending a million dollars on TV time.
In his first television advertisement, scheduled to begin airing Wednesday, Steven Horsford unloads on congressional Republicans for giving tax breaks to "billionaires and big corporations" at the expense of everyone else.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and Horsford's campaign is planning to pour nearly $1 million into the television campaign between now and Election Day in the hope of defeating Cresent Hardy.
Horsford lost his re-election for the 4th Congressional District in 2014 to Hardy — Hardy lost his re-election to Rep. Ruben Kihuen in 2016.
In the first 15 seconds of the ad, Horsford rebukes republicans for giving "huge tax breaks to billionaires" and wanting to cut Medicare and social security in order to balance the budget. "Republicans in Washington are making it more difficult for families in Nevada to get ahead," he says.
The last half focuses on his commitment to better invest in vocational training and affordable college.
Hardy hasn't released any TV ads yet, but in July he revitalized his rural strategy to focus on areas within the district that helped him win in 2014. During the tour, Hardy also questioned the commitment to help Nevadans. But his rebuke was aimed at Horsford.
"While people like Mr. Horsford look at our state as a temporary destination — a stepping stone to something else — many of us have chosen to lay down roots, raise families, and work here," said Ross Hemminger, Hardy's campaign manager in a statement earlier this summer.
Meantime, in Nevada's other competitive congressional race, the Nevada Independent reported last month that the National Republican Congressional Committee is abandoning CD3 candidate Danny Tarkanian in order to focus on CD4.


text:
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A History of the United States: From the Discovery of the American ..., 第 1 卷
作者:George Bancroft
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Google Play 圖書
ePub 版
AN INDIAN WAR.
them to strong feelings of compassionate interest; CHAP. the purchase of Virginia was endeared by the sacrifice of so much life; and the blood of the victims 1622. became the seed of the plantation. New supplies and assistance were promptly despatched; even King James, for a moment, affected a sentiment of
generosity, and, like the churl, gave from the tower of London presents of arms, which had been thrown by as good for nothing in Europe. They might be useful, thought the monarch, against the Indians ! He also made good promises, which were never fulfilled. The city of London contributed to repair the losses of the Virginians; and many private persons displayed an honorable liberality. Smith volunteered his services to protect the planters, overawe the savages, and make discoveries; the company had
; no funds, and his proposition was never made a matter of public discussion or record; but some of the members, with ludicrous cupidity, proposed, he should have leave to go at his own expense, if he would
grant the corporation one half of the pillage.* There were in the colony much loss and much sorrow; but never any serious apprehensions of discomfiture from the Indians. The midnight surprise, the ambuscade by day, might be feared; the Indians promptly fled on the least indications of watchfulness and resistance. There were not wanting men, who now advocated an entire subjection of those, whom leniency could not win; and the example of Spanish
1 Stith, p. 233.
2 Burk, v. i. p. 248, 249.
3 Stith, 232, 233.
4 Smith, v. ii. p.79—81; Stith, p. 234; Burk, v. i. p. 249, 250; Belknap's Am. Biog. v. i. p. 314, 315.
CHAP. cruelties was cited with applause. Besides, a natu
ral instinct had led the Indians to select for their 1622. villages the pleasantest places, along the purest
streams, and near the soil that was most easily cultivated. Their rights of property were no longer much respected; their open fields and villages were now appropriated by the colonists, who could plead the laws of war in defence of their covetousness." Treachery also was employed. The tangled woods, the fastnesses of nature, were the bulwarks to which the savages retreated. Pursuit would have been vajn ; they could not be destroyed except as they
were lulled into security and induced to return to 1623. their old homes. In July of the following year, the
inhabitants of the several settlements, in parties, under commissioned officers, fell upon the adjoining savages ;4 and a law of the general assembly com
manded, that in July of 1624, the attack should be 1630. repeated. Six years later, the colonial statute book
proves that schemes of ruthless vengeance were still meditated; for it was sternly insisted, that no peace should be concluded with the Indians, a law, which
remained in force till a treaty in the administration 1632. of Harvey.?
Meantime, a change was preparing in the relations of the colony with the parent state. A corporation, whether commercial or proprietary, is, perhaps, the worst of sovereigns. Gain is the object, which leads
1 Stith, p. 233, is unjust upon Smith, v. ii. p. 71, 72.
2 Smith, v. č. p. 71, 72.
4 Burk, v. i. p. 275.
5 Hening, v. i. p. 123, Act, No.32.
6 Ibid, v. i. p. 153.
7 Burk, v. ii. p. 37.
KING JAMES AND THE LONDON COMPANY.
to the formation of those companies, and which con- CHAP. stitutes the interest, most likely to be fostered. If such a company be wisely administered, its colonists 1623. are made subservient to commercial avarice. If, on the other hand, the interests of the company are sacrificed, the colonists, not less than the proprietors, are pillaged for the benefit of faithless agents. Where an individual is the sovereign, there is room for an appeal to magnanimity, to benevolence, to the love of glory; where the privilege of self-government is enjoyed, a permanent interest is sure to gain the ultimate ascendancy; but corporate ambition is deaf to mercy, and insensible to shame.
The Virginia colony had been unsuccessful. A permanent settlement had been made; but only after a vast expenditure of money, and a great sacrifice of human life. Angry factions distract unsuccessful institutions; and the London company was now rent by two parties, which were growing more and more embittered. As the shares in the unproductive stock were of little value, the contests were chiefly for power; and were not so much the wranglings of disappointed merchants, as the struggle of political parties. The meetings of the company, which now consisted of a thousand adventurers, of whom two hundred or more usually appeared at the quarter courts,' were the scenes for freedom of debate, where the party, which in parliament advocated the cause of liberty, triumphed in its opposition to the decrees of the privy council on subjects, connected with the
1 Stith, p. 282–286.
CHAP. rights of Virginia. The unsuccessful party in the
no company naturally found an ally in the king; it could 1623. hope for success only by establishing the supremacy
of his prerogative; and the monarch, dissatisfied at having entrusted to others the control of the colony, now desired to recover the influence, of which he was deprived by a charter of his own concession, Besides, he disliked the freedom of debate.. "The Virginia courts," said Gondemar, the Spanish envoy, to King James, "are but a seminary to a seditious parliament." Yet the people of England,
1 regarding only the failure of their extravagant hopes in the American plantations, took little interest in the progress of the controversy, which now grew up
between the monarch and the corporation; and the inhabitants of the colony were still more indifferent spectators of the strife, which related, not to their liberties, but to their immediate sovereign. Besides, there was something of retributive justice in the royal proceedings. The present proprietors enjoyed their privileges in consequence of a wrong done to the original patentees, and now suffered no greater injury, than had been before inflicted for their benefit.3
At the meeting for the choice of officers, in 1622, King James once more attempted to control the elections, by sending a message, nominating four candidates, out of whom they were to choose their treasurer. The advice of the king was disregarded,
1 A New Description of Vir- 2 Jefferson's Notes on Virginia, ginia, ii
. Mass. Hist. Collections, v. p. 152, 153. ix. p. 113.
3 Smith, v. ii. p. 107.
and a great majority re-elected the earl of Southamp- CHAP. ton. Unable to get the control of the company by overawing their assemblies, the monarch now resolved upon the sequestration of the patent; and raised no other question, than how the unjust design could most plausibly be accomplished, and the law of England be made the successful instrument of tyranny. The allegation of grievances, set forth by the court faction in a petition to the king, was fully refuted by the company, and the whole ground of May discontent was answered by an explanatory declaration. Yet commissioners were appointed to engage in a general investigation of the concerns of the corporation ; the records were seized; the deputytreasurer imprisoned; and private letters from Virginia intercepted for inspection. Smith was particularly examined; his honest answers plainly exposed the defective arrangements of previous years, and favored the cancelling of the charter as an act of benevolence to the colony."
The result surprised every one; the king, by an order in council, made known, that the disasters of Virginia were a consequence of the ill government of the company; that he had resolved, by a new charter, to reserve to himself the appointment of the officers in England; a negative on appointments in Virginia ; and the supreme control of all colonial affairs. Private interests were to be sacredly pre
1 Burk,
v. i. p. 257.
3 Stith, p. 298; Burk, v. i. p.
2 The Declaration is in Burk, 268; Smith, v. ii. p. 108; Rymer,
v. i. p. 316_330. See Stith, p. v. xvii. p. 490–493.
276, 277, and
p. 291–297.
4 Smith, v. ii. p. 103-108. VOL. I.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Polygon Generator I'm trying to generate a polygon with circles inside (JS canvas). Here's a sample expected output:
It's basically a 4-sided polygon (square) with circles next to the vertices. Here is what I tried:
However, I don't get the expected outcome.
Note: I want this to work for any sized polygon and not just a square. Also, stopping the draw() function to execute gives me a proper square. I believe there's a problem in the draw() function. Any help is appreciated :)

function draw(x, y, ctx){
    ctx.arc(x, y, 4, 0, Math.PI * 2);
    ctx.fillStyle = "#283149";
    ctx.fill(); // create circle
}
function createPolygon(n){
    const canvas = document.getElementById("canvas");
    const ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
    ctx.reset();
    var size = 60, Xcenter = 80, Ycenter = 80;
    ctx.beginPath();
    ctx.moveTo (Xcenter +  size * Math.cos(0), Ycenter +  size *  Math.sin(0));

    for (var i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
        ctx.lineTo (Xcenter + size * Math.cos(i * 2 * Math.PI / n), Ycenter + size * Math.sin(i * 2 * Math.PI / n));
        draw(Xcenter + Math.cos(i * 2 * Math.PI / n), Ycenter +  Math.sin(i * 2 * Math.PI / n), ctx);
    }
    ctx.fillStyle = "#00818A"
    ctx.fill();
}
<button onclick="createPolygon(4)">Create 4</button>
<canvas id="canvas"></canvas>

A: Focus on drawing the polygon first. Then you can add the circles relative to the points of the polygon.

const main = () => {
  const ctx = document.getElementById('poly').getContext('2d');
  Object.assign(ctx.canvas, { width: 350, height: 150 });
  Object.assign(ctx, { strokeStyle: 'red', lineWidth: 1 });
  drawPolygon(ctx, 60, 75, 6, 50, {
    nodeSize: 5,
    nodeInset: 10
  });
  drawPolygon(ctx, 180, 75, 4, 50, {
    nodeInset: 25,
    nodeSize: 10,
    rotation: Math.PI / 4
  });
  drawPolygon(ctx, 290, 75, 3, 50, {
    nodeSize: 4,
    rotation: Math.PI / 3
  });
};

const defaultPolygonOptions = {
  nodeInset: 0,
  nodeSize: 0,
  rotation: 0,
};

/**
 * @param {CanvasRenderingContext2D} ctx - Canvas 2D context
 * @param {Number} x - origin x-position
 * @param {Number} y - origin y-position
 * @param {Number} n - number of points
 * @param {Number} radius - radius of polygon
 * @param {Object} [options] - configuration options
 * @param {Number} [options.nodeInset] - insets for nodes
 * @param {Number} [options.nodeSize] - size of node
 * @param {Number} [options.rotation] - polygon rotation
 */
const drawPolygon = (ctx, x, y, n, radius, options = {}) => {
  const opts = { ...defaultPolygonOptions, ...options };
  ctx.beginPath();
  ctx.moveTo(
    x + radius * Math.cos(opts.rotation),
    y + radius * Math.sin(opts.rotation)
  );
  for (let i = 1; i <= n; i += 1) {
    const angle = (i * (2 * Math.PI / n)) + opts.rotation;
    ctx.lineTo(
      x + radius * Math.cos(angle),
      y + radius * Math.sin(angle)
    );
  }
  ctx.stroke();

  if (!opts.nodeSize) return;
  const dist = radius - opts.nodeInset;
  for (let i = 1; i <= n; i += 1) {
    const angle = (i * (2 * Math.PI / n)) + opts.rotation;
    ctx.beginPath();
    ctx.arc(
      x + dist * Math.cos(angle),
      y + dist * Math.sin(angle),
      opts.nodeSize,
      0,
      2 * Math.PI
    );
    ctx.stroke();
  }
};

main();
canvas { background: #FF0; }
<canvas id="poly"></canvas>

Inspired by: How to draw polygons on an HTML5 canvas?
Animation
Here is a basic animation that is FPS throttled.

const ctx = document.getElementById('poly').getContext('2d');
let state = {
  magnitude: 1,
  origin: { x: 0, y: 0 },
  points: 4,
  radius: 60,
  rotation: Math.PI / 4,
  nodeInset: 16,
  nodeSize: 8,
  nodeRotation: Math.PI / 4,
};

const main = () => {
  init();
  requestAnimationFrame(update);
};

const init = () => {
  Object.assign(ctx.canvas, { width: 160, height: 160 });
  Object.assign(ctx, { strokeStyle: 'green', lineWidth: 1 });
  Object.assign(state, {
    origin: {
      x: ctx.canvas.width / 2,
      y: ctx.canvas.height / 2
    }
  });
};

// https://stackoverflow.com/a/65829199/1762224
const FPS = 30;
let lastTimestamp = 0;

const update = (timestamp) => {
  let inset = state.nodeInset + state.magnitude;
  if (inset > state.radius) {
    inset = state.radius;
    state.magnitude *= -1;
  } else if (inset < state.nodeSize) {
    inset = state.nodeSize;
    state.magnitude *= -1;
  }
  state.nodeInset = inset;
  state.nodeRotation += (Math.PI / 36);

  requestAnimationFrame(update);
  if (timestamp - lastTimestamp < 1000 / FPS) return;

  redraw();
  lastTimestamp = timestamp;
};

const redraw = () => {
  ctx.clearRect(0, 0, ctx.canvas.width, ctx.canvas.height);
  drawPolygon(ctx, state.origin.x, state.origin.y, state.points, state.radius, {
    nodeInset: state.nodeInset,
    nodeSize: state.nodeSize,
    nodeRotation: state.nodeRotation,
    rotation: state.rotation
  });
}

const defaultPolygonOptions = {
  nodeInset: 0,
  nodeSize: 0,
  rotation: 0,
};

/**
 * @param {CanvasRenderingContext2D} ctx - Canvas 2D context
 * @param {Number} x - origin x-position
 * @param {Number} y - origin y-position
 * @param {Number} n - number of points
 * @param {Number} radius - radius of polygon
 * @param {Object} [options] - configuration options
 * @param {Number} [options.nodeInset] - insets for nodes
 * @param {Number} [options.nodeSize] - size of node
 * @param {Number} [options.nodeRotation] - rotation of nodes
 * @param {Number} [options.rotation] - polygon rotation
 */
const drawPolygon = (ctx, x, y, n, radius, options = {}) => {
  const opts = { ...defaultPolygonOptions, ...options };
  ctx.beginPath();
  ctx.moveTo(
    x + radius * Math.cos(opts.rotation),
    y + radius * Math.sin(opts.rotation)
  );
  for (let i = 1; i <= n; i += 1) {
    const angle = (i * (2 * Math.PI / n)) + opts.rotation;
    ctx.lineTo(
      x + radius * Math.cos(angle),
      y + radius * Math.sin(angle)
    );
  }
  ctx.stroke();

  if (!opts.nodeSize) return;
  const dist = radius - opts.nodeInset;
  for (let i = 1; i <= n; i += 1) {
    const angle = (i * (2 * Math.PI / n)) + opts.nodeRotation;
    ctx.beginPath();
    ctx.arc(
      x + dist * Math.cos(angle),
      y + dist * Math.sin(angle),
      opts.nodeSize,
      0,
      2 * Math.PI
    );
    ctx.stroke();
  }
};

main();
canvas { background: #222; }
<canvas id="poly"></canvas>

A: You have to close paths, so you have to use two loops

function draw(x, y, ctx) {
  ctx.beginPath();
  ctx.arc(x, y, 4, 0, Math.PI * 2);
  ctx.fillStyle = "#283149";
  ctx.fill(); // create circle
  ctx.closePath()
}

function createPolygon(n) {
  const canvas = document.getElementById("canvas");
  const ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
  ctx.reset();
  var size = 60,
    Xcenter = 80,
    Ycenter = 80;

  ctx.beginPath();
  ctx.moveTo(Xcenter + size * Math.cos(0), Ycenter + size * Math.sin(0));

  for (let i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
    ctx.lineTo(Xcenter + size * Math.cos(i * 2 * Math.PI / n), Ycenter + size * Math.sin(i * 2 * Math.PI / n));
  }

  ctx.fillStyle = "#00818A"
  ctx.fill();
  ctx.closePath()

  for (let i = 1; i <= n; i++) {
    draw(Xcenter + Math.cos(i * 2 * Math.PI / n), Ycenter + Math.sin(i * 2 * Math.PI / n), ctx);
  }
}
<button onclick="createPolygon(4)">Create 4</button>
<canvas id="canvas"></canvas>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


It is the delight of vulgar talent to dazzle and to bind the beholder. But true genius seeks to defend us from itself. True geniuswill not impoverish, but will liberate, and add new sense. If a wise man should appear in our village, he would create, in those who conversed with him, a new consciousness of wealth, by opening their eyes to unobserved advantages; he would establish a sense of immovable equality, calm us with assurances that we could not be cheated; as every one would discern the checks and guarantees of condition.


We'd love to have you join us! The worship service is an easy place to begin if you'd like to see who we are. We have a lot of friendly people, and we're used to people coming to our service, so you shouldn't feel awkward.
Our goal is to have every part of the service compliment the Scripture we are studying; we believe all parts of the service should focus our hearts and minds on the message of the passage so we can be open to God's leading and teaching in our lives.
Because of this, different aspects of the service will vary from week to week. Some weeks, we will have a balance of responsive worship songs and music; other weeks, we might have more of one or the other.
We strive to arrange many different kinds of songs and activities in whatever way best moves us to respond to God's call each week. Our time of music reflects today's culture of music in a variety of styles. We use modern worship songs and hymns, as well as a number of older hymns with new arrangements.


text:
NEW RELEASE: Richelle Mead's THE IMMORTAL CROWN
Title: THE IMMORTAL CROWN
Series: Age of X (Book 2)
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Dutton Adult
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Vampire Academy and Bloodline series returns with the second installment in her acclaimed Age of X series.
Gameboard of the Gods introduced religious investigator Justin March and Mae Koskinen, the beautiful supersoldier assigned to protect him. Together they have been charged with investigating reports of the supernatural and the return of the gods, both inside the Republic of United North America and out. With this highly classified knowledge comes a shocking revelation: Not only are the gods vying for human control, but the elect—special humans marked by the divine—are turning against one another in bloody fashion.
Their mission takes a new twist when they are assigned to a diplomatic delegation headed by Lucian Darling, Justin's old friend and rival, going into Arcadia, the RUNA's dangerous neighboring country.
Here, in a society where women are commodities and religion is intertwined with government, Justin discovers powerful forces at work, even as he struggles to come to terms with his own reluctantly acquired deity.
Meanwhile, Mae—grudgingly posing as Justin's concubine—has a secret mission of her own: finding the illegitimate niece her family smuggled away years ago. But with Justin and Mae resisting the resurgence of the gods in Arcadia, a reporter's connection with someone close to Justin back home threatens to expose their mission—and with it the divine forces the government is determined to keep secret.
What I'm Most Looking Forward To
As much as I love Richelle Mead's YA books, I think that her really gift is in her adult novels. Her's Succubus book are some of my all time favorite. GAME BOARD OF THE GODS set up very unique for the reads. I can't wait to immerse myself deeper in Mae Koskinen's world of the RUNA.
Purchase THE IMMORTAL CROWN
Audiobook - Audible.com
eBook - Amazon.com
Hardcover - Amazon.com
Labels: richelle mead
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Maya Cross LOCKED (The Alpha Group Trilogy #1)
Title: LOCKED
Series: The Alpha Group Trilogy #1
Author: Maya Cross
Narrator: Carmen Rose
Listening Length: 3 hours & 37 minutes
Version: Unabridged Audiobook
Release Date: 02/04/14
Download LOCKED from Tantor.com
Plot: 4.5/5
Heat Level: 5/5
Narration: 5/5
Overall: 41.5/50 = 83%
The bar Sophia Pearce is in doesn't look like much. The wine is bad and the decor worse. But when a sudden attack of curiosity leads her to sneak past security and into the back room, she discovers something unimaginable. The most lavish party she's ever laid eyes on, in the most unlikely of places.
But that's nothing compared to what comes next, to the man she meets back there. Sebastian Lock. Gorgeous, commanding, and radiating charm, he is exactly the sort of silver-tongued rake Sophia has sworn to avoid. Unfortunately, he doesn't care much for her promises.
Every instinct tells her to run, but the chemistry between them is as inescapable as gravity. Soon, he's opening her eyes to a whole new world of pleasures, pleasures she never thought she'd enjoy.
There's just one problem. Sebastian is more than he seems. Between the famous company he keeps and the almost paranoid secrecy of his employers, he's a puzzle Sophia can't quite solve, and his insistence on keeping things casual forces her to confront the demons of her past.
Can she learn to trust again? Or will Sebastian's privacy tear them apart?
When Sophia Pearce went bar hopping with her best friends, I really doubt she knew what she was getting herself into. You know that curiosity killed the cat? Sophia bite off a little more then she bargained for when, she followed a sexy actor behind the velvet ropes. This club isn't your standard Cristal popping, paparazzi snapping affair. Forbidden secrets hide behind every locked door. The biggest secret is, who is Sebastian and what does he want with Sophia?
Sophia is a fantastic characters. Unlike most of the current erotic heroines, she's a strong, independent women. I constantly want to cheer for her. She stands up for herself, and doesn't let people walk all over her. Sebastian, on the other hand, is just this constant unknown. He keeps you guessing constantly. He's dark, sexy, and mysterious. But I think we've only begun to see who he is, and what lies beneath.
I wanna say I have a sort of love, hate relationship with this book. I absolutely love characters and the story line. My issues is with the length of the story. This novella only allows the listener to briefly glimpse into what could have been an amazing series. I wasn't able to really dive into this story and wrap it around me like a blanket. Just as soon as I started really getting into the storyline, it just ended. It think that this series should have been one full book, or a full length triliogy.
Possibly my favorite part of LOCKED was it amazing narrator, Carmen Rose. From this day forward, I now believe that all erotic novels should be read with and Australian accents. She really made this story catch fire for me. The story came to life through her voice! Her array of voices were totally on point. She was able to convey all of the emotions this book has to offer. I'm always grateful to find a new narrator to fall absolutely in love with.
This series is promising. It has the structure of a great series. I just wished that the author had taken it just a bit further or dug a little deeper. I really want to hang on for the long hall, when it comes to this trilogy. I wanna jump right into LOCKED OUT, and see where these characters go from here.
Labels: Maya Cross
AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Maya Cross LOCKED (The Alpha Gro...


In attaining my undergrad English degree, I had to take a certain amount of classes: World literature, English, literature, American literature, creative writing, grammar/syntax, history of the English language, etc. In my final semester before graduation, I realized I had not yet taken a 300-level or above American lit class. I had taken my 200-level intro class, but nothing since. There was a reason for this. Generally speaking, I dislike American literature. I know, I'm a terrible person. So in my panic, I talked with my adviser, and he recommended New Modernist Studies, a 500-level class that fulfilled my advanced American lit requirement. Of course, given my indifference to American Lit, I had no idea what New Modernist literature was. But I felt confident that I was up for it, no matter what was thrown my way. Oh, if only I had known.
-- she, only this -- an infinitely long table and plates and knives. At the far end, was her husband, sitting down, all in a heap, frowning.
What at? She did not know. She did not mind. She could not understand how she had ever felt any emotion or affection for him.
to happen. But this is not a thing, she thought, ladling out soup, that one says.
Does that look like fun to anyone? Yeah, me neither. Now let me show you what my most recent editing job looks like.
The overarching theme of this paper is the under-utilization of the black man's superior physical and intellectual prowess in modern times. At least I think it is. I have been reading my whole life, studying writing and literature for most of my adult life, and yet I have almost no comprehension of stream of consciousness writing.
Does that mean my reading skills are below those who enjoy stream of consciousness? Or does it mean that my own "stream of consciousness" is just more coherent? I just never "got it" and passed my New Modernist Studies class by comparing gender construction in A Farewell to Arms (Faulkner) and Orlando (Woolfe).
What are your experiences with stream of consciousness? Do you enjoy it? In what contexts to you think it is most appropriate/enjoyable? Somehow I feel as though I am missing out on something that could be great, so recommendations are welcome.
1. I have no intention of rewriting this.
2. I have no intention of editing this.
3. I have no intention of organizing this.
It's called a FIRST DRAFT.
This reminds me of an editing job I had a few years ago. A young man from Ethiopia wandered into my church looking for someone to edit a book he had written (yes, churches are good places to find editors, right?). One of the ministers took pity on him and paid me to edit his mss. I was excited to work on it because it was argument for Ethiopians and Eritreans to put aside their differences and work together.
However, the mss rambled, was incoherent, and repeated itself.
I'm willing to work with people who have a limited grasp of English, so long as they're willing to be worked with. But he thought it was already brilliant and couldn't understand why I suggested he rewrite it.
I must have gotten through to him because he called me a few weeks later and asked if I would edit his new version. As last time, however, he had no way to pay for it, so I told him I was teaching and would not be available until the end of the semester. I never heard from him again.
Though he didn't intentionally write in "stream of consciousness," he typifies the attitude I think that genre generally conveys: Because I wrote it, it's brilliant.


text:
Films And Mental Health-What films have taught you about mental health
on March 14, 2015 March 16, 2015 by END YOUR ILLNESSLeave a comment
by Vikram Sheel Kumar
At their cinematic best, Hollywood films have created characters that personify some common mental disorders. Read about the lead characters in the Oscar nominated or awarded films below, and pick which of the following mental disorders they had. At their cinematic best, Hollywood films have created characters that personify some common mental disorders. Read about the lead characters in the Oscar nominated or awarded films below, and pick which of the following mental disorders they had.
At their cinematic best, Hollywood films have created characters that personify some common mental disorders. Read about the lead characters in the Oscar nominated or awarded films below, and pick which of the following mental disorders they had.
a– narcisistic personality disorder b– autism c– schizophrenia d– obsessive compulsive disorder e– borderline personality disorder f– anti-social personality disorder I'd bet that you will do better than you expect! (1) A Beautiful Mind – Russell Crowe plays the mathematician John Nash. He suffers from an illness that gives him auditory hallucinations, delusions and disordered thought. His disease is understood to be triggered by genetic and environmental conditions, especially involving substance abuse. Anti-psychotic medicines are the first line therapy. (2) The Aviator – Howard Hughes, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, dedicates his life to airplanes. He buys stake in Trans World Airlines and develops aircrafts for the armed forces. His illness makes him excessively anxious and outright bizarre. He starts buying every hotel chain in Texas as he becomes fixated on his home state, and watches certain films continuously. Psychotherapy and medications including anti-depressants form initial treatment. (3) Rain Man – Kim Peek was born special—he had no separation between the two hemispheres of his brain. Probably due to unusual neural connections in his brain, Peek was able to retain an unusual amount of information and recite obscure details such as the day of the week on which any date occurred. There is no cure per se for this condition, though reducing stressors and providing behavioural therapy can help manage daily living. (4) The Black Swan – The protagonist in this film, played by Natalie Portman, performs both the innocent and dark roles in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. She has a personality disorder that leads her to have extreme reactions to other members of the cast, and even to harm herself. This is a challenge to treat, and psychotherapy is the mainstay. (5) The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo – Nominated for five Academy Awards including Rooney Mara as best actress; Mara repeatedly breaks the law, deceives others and lives dangerously. She has a disorder that is found often in prisoners, and for which there is no effective treatment. (6) Wall Street – Michael Douglas won an Academy Award for his legendary role as Gordon Gekko. Gekko is consumed by his ego and desire for greater power and prestige. People rarely will seek treatment for this problem and theories include overindulgence by parents and excessive admiration as causes of this. Sounds like some people you know?
Read more: http://forbesindia.com/article/health/films-and-mental-health/32278/1?utm=slidebox#ixzz3UKoZ5Yxn
Tagged: Dr Puneet Chandna mental health
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Provisions in this section should require demonstration that the applicant is capable technically and financially to trade in development minerals on an economically sustainable basis.
It is not anticipated that an environmental permit or authorisation would be necessary in order to engage in the business of trading development mineral products. However, a licenced trader should be subject to environmental regulations applicable to the storage and handling of traded development mineral commodities.
(c) reference to all Authorised Trader/Dealer licences previously granted to the applicant.
(1) Within [_] days of the submission of an application, the regulating entity may grant an Authorised Trader/Dealer licence, or request additional information from the applicant, or reject the application and provide reasons for the rejection.
(3) An Authorised Trader/Dealer licence shall be granted when the applicant demonstrates to the reasonable satisfaction of the regulating entity that the applicant is capable technically and financially to trade in development minerals on an economically sustainable basis.
(1) An Authorised Trader/Dealer licence shall be granted for a term of [_] years, renewable for a like term without limitation.
(2) The licence shall authorise trading or dealing in development minerals in accordance with the terms of this [Act][Code][Law] and the related regulations within the jurisdiction that issues the licence.
(1) The mining right licence holder may surrender the Authorised Trader/Dealer licence at any time.
The first section in the example sets forth the application requirements for a trading licence which includes all the information necessary for the regulating entity to make the determination contemplated by the second section.
No environmental compliance requirements with respect to a trading licence. However, depending on the jurisdiction the applicant might need to obtain a warehousing permit.
The second section further provides for the possibility of a supplemental filing if the application is deficient or to an appeal where it has been rejected. The appeal procedures will be set forth in another section of the Act.
A trading licence should be valid for a term which is sufficient to enable the holder to recover his investment and make a reasonable profit but short enough to assure proper oversight and to motivate the licence holder to comply with the obligations and conditions of the licence. The licence should be renewable as long as the licence holder is in compliance with the licence obligations and conditions and remains eligible.


text:
Evangelist Released for the Sixth Time This Year
Source(s): ChinaAid
Chen Wensheng
Photo: ChinaAid
Chen Wensheng has gained a reputation as a "Gospel Warrior" for his evangelistic work. After this former drug addict came to faith in Christ, he zealously desired to spread the wonderful news of the miraculous freedom he had experienced. Following examples of the disciples in the Bible, he travelled to many towns and cities preaching the Gospel and holding crosses with thought-provoking slogans such as "Glorious Saviour," "Repent," "Believe" and "Saved."
As a result of his ongoing efforts, Chen became well known to Chinese Communist Party officials. In June, the enthusiastic evangelist was approached by a national security agent who confronted Chen about his proclamation of the Gospel to more than 1,000 people. The agent then showed him a news report from a foreign organization about his evangelistic work. Convinced that there was a support team behind Chen, the agent further questioned him. In response, the Christian worker quoted the words of Luke 21:15: "...for I (the Lord) will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict."
So far, throughout 2021, Chen has been detained six times. On September 26th, officers took him to the police station to prevent him from attending a Sunday service. They hoped he would give up spreading the Gospel, but instead he shared the message with the officers. As a result, he was detained for a duration of 15 days. Upon his release on October 11th, he posted the following social media message: "Hallelujah! Thank You, God, for Your grace and presence. Thank you (friends) for your prayers.... Now I can go out to spread the Gospel again."
Praise God for Chen's dedicated ministry service and his heart of compassion towards the spiritually lost, as he willingly risks his life and freedom in order to reach others with the "Good News" of Jesus Christ. In addition to thanking the Lord that Chen has been freed again, please pray that this servant's impassioned outreach, heart of love for others, and other characteristics of the "fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-23), will continue to serve as a strong witness of God's life-transforming power.


Unarguably, the dominant perspective about heroism in Nigeria today is that of a land where that species is endangered. Aside the political exploits of the Obafemi Awolowos, Nnamdi Azikiwes, Ahmadu Bellos, on the economic spheres, the Da Rochas, Aminu Dantatas, Louis Phillip Odumegwu Ojukwu; public service, the Babatunde Ajoses; literature, Amos Tutuolas, Chinua Achebes; education, Adekunle Ajasins, Chike Obis; the musical turf, the Hubert Ogundes, Dan Maraya of Jos, Rex Lawsons etc., whose unifying thread of heroism in their works was patriotism and excellence, the pantheon of that class and creed is becoming an anachronism in Nigeria today. This has been attributed basically to the maximal character and texture of capital in the Nigerian society, the abandonment of societal values of communalism for individualism, leading to survival-of-the-fittest and its subsequent derivative of elimination-of-the-weakest and ultimately, an erosion of values. The latter was effectively prosecuted by a combine of successive governments and the abetment of that vice by even the governed themselves.
At an analytic level, if you could find ten of that rare breed of nature's creation per thousand of surveyed Nigerians in the 1960's, even up to the 1970's, you could barely encounter one per thousand of that same sum in the Nigeria of today. Indeed, it is running against the mill to be heroic in Nigeria of today. While basic components of living were relatively easy to access in the former times, securing them is war today. Jealous and seeking to curtail rivals in its vicinity, heroism does not approve of friendship with Nigerians' current maximalist search for capital. In other words, it is almost impossible that heroes could be found in the same trenches where people are pursuing wealth and survival.
Some people have posited that it was easy to discover heroes in the 60's and 70's Nigeria because the environment was conducive to heroism. Broken into basics, they said that the Awolowos, the Azikiwes, Bellos could pursue societal good because their personal and individual good was a given. It is more complex for emerging youth and children of today. The environment is hostile to heroism and indeed, like the cobra whose offspring murder it at procreation, as the Yoruba saying goes, any attempt to be a hero in Nigeria today is smothered at infancy by an environment where heroes are almost treated like pariahs.
Recently, Olaopa seems to have submitted that that same rare species is witnessing an explosion. In a recently authored book entitled The Labour of Our Heroes published by Ibadan-based Bookcraft, Olaopa painstakingly, in an eleven-chaptered book, outlined paths to the Nigerian project, the national question, education and the human capital dynamics, the Nigerian predicament, Nigeria's position in the continent, civil society and national integration, civil servants and entrepreneurs, among other classifications.
In the same vein, Olaopa churned out of his intellectual smithy another book, published by same Bookcraft, which he entitled Civil Service and the Imperative of Nation Building which, on the whole, places a telescope to the Nigerian civil service of the past and the present, looking into the dark contours of its dysfunctions, failings, successes, progress and future possibilities, from theoretical and practical perspectives. He submits that the Nigerian civil service "stands at the critical nexus between grand infrastructural and service delivery efficiency and effectiveness and the trans-ethnic and trans-religious loyalty which is necessary to promote and sustain the civic bond of unity that will truly transform Nigeria into a nation." Coming from a man reputed to be one of the most fecund-minded civil servants in recent times, this proffer would definitely need to be taken seriously by a Nigeria seeking ways out of the bind of drudgery and lethargy that are associated with the civil service.
Ofeimun thereafter went into a characterization or profiling of the Olaopa heroes and how they passed through the acid test of his search. He said the book is "a commingling of legendary entrepreneurs like Dantata, da Rocha, Ojukwu the elder, Dangote, Omolayole and an Onosode with maverick social consciences and educationist like atheistic Tai Solarin and lawyer-activist, human rights crusader Gani Fawehinmi, Pentecostal pastors like Enoch Adejare Adeboye, and Oyedepo, all in the same feast of herohood with Bishop Hassan Mathew Kukah, a catholic priest pursuing an ecumenical programme of dialogue between diverse creeds, on the same counterpane with Wande Abimbola, a virtual Babalawo, who is toasted for removing the libel and rudeness of the bad sciences that once consigned traditional religion, and specifically Yoruba Ifa divination system, to a zone of fetish, if not barbarism.
However, Ofeimun wondered why, in spite of the long heroic clientele that Olaopa gathered, the assemblage which he ascribed to the author's "admirable gumption in letting objectivity and balance be his measurement through which he hewed out their outstanding display of honour and uncommon pedigree and elan", Nigeria is still grappling with teething issues of development and is deemed a failed state in virtually all respects.
In Civil Service and the Imperative of Nation Building, Mabogunje, who referred to the book as a "very opportune publication" said that the Nigerian Civil Service, especially at the Federal level, has had a very chequered history. His analysis was largely historical, pontificating on the certainty for a rosier future for the civil service if it collapses the virtues of the past with the challenges of today, an amalgam he opined would ooze out a promising future.
"Coming with the confidence to advise on policy decisions and the secured tenure of the Colonial Civil Service in the early years of our political independence, the Service was soon forced to confront the profound national crisis that led to the military intervention in the administration of our nation in 1966. Those years of crisis and military rule leading to the Civil War of 1967-70 saw the Civil Service virtually operating effectively at both the political and the bureaucratic levels of governance. A subsequent military regime re-acted against this conflation of responsibilities and almost literally "decapitated" the top echelon of the Service by forced retirements, leaving the Service bruised, disorientated and no longer possessed of its earlier confidence and sense of security," Magobunje said.
He concurred with the author on the need to stress the fact that democratic progress all over the world responds more to the consistent reformulation of the operational dynamics of the Civil Service System which is the recognized engine room of national development and progress.
––Dr. Adedayo is on the editorial board of the Tribune.


text:
HTM ComDoc 9
1 Medical devices that may benefit from PM from a business/ economics viewpoint
1.1 9.1 Introduction
1.2 9.2 Three additional risk criteria based on economic considerations
1.3 9.3 Quantifying the economic risks associated with "light maintenance" (zero or user-only PM)
1.4 9.4 Potentially-lost revenues that can be saved by performing traditional preventive maintenance
1.5 9.5 Repair costs that can be avoided by performing preventive maintenance
1.6 9.6 Costs associated with a deterioration of the facility's reputation
1.7 9.7 Which types of devices would benefit the most from PM - from a business economics viewpoint?
Medical devices that may benefit from PM from a business/ economics viewpoint
(This document was last revised on 10-1-18)
Back to the Main Page, Explanatory articles supporting the Tables, HTM ComDoc 8 or on to HTM ComDoc 10
While the primary focus of the regulatory and inspecting agencies with respect to maintenance is on keeping medical equipment safe, healthcare providers will also want to pay close attention to the possible adverse economic impact that over-maintaining or under-maintaining their equipment might have on their cost of doing business.
Until very recently - presumably because of concerns about safety - requirements in the Medicare Conditions of Participation have dictated that hospitals must follow the manufacturer's recommendations with respect to preventive maintenance. However, a relaxation permitting use of an alternative risk-based approach, recently arranged by The Joint Commission has prompted several authors to advocate some new risk-based or evidence-based guidelines (HTM ComRef 3, HTM ComRef 4).
In HTM ComDoc 3 and HTM ComDoc 4) we gave exclusive consideration to the safety implications of planned maintenance (PM) which consists of traditional preventive maintenance (TPM) supplemented by safety verification testing (SVT). This document extends the analysis to possible business and economic benefits from giving priority to performing planned maintenance for some device types, and eliminating PM for others that can be shown to be non-productive and therefore not cost-effective.
9.2 Three additional risk criteria based on economic considerations
There are three ways in which the failure of certain medical devices can affect the equipment-related operating costs of a healthcare facility.
Lower failure rates and less downtime will reduce the disruption of revenue streams associated with prime revenue-generating equipment
Lower failure rates will reduce the amount spent on equipment repairs.
Lower failure rates can reduce interference with the facility's ability to fulfill an important part of its mission thus avoiding possible damage to its reputation
Based on this observation we are proposing to add three business-related risk criteria (see A, B and C below) to the two safety-related risk criteria described in HTM ComDoc 3.
A. Potential increased revenue benefit. Can reducing the loss of use of this type of device have a significant positive effect on the facility's ability to generate the expected level of revenue for the services provided by this particular type of device?
If the answer to this question is Yes, then a short description of how the failure creates a potentially significant adverse outcome should be captured for use in the analysis (see the third column of Table 6) together with an additional judgment in the fourth column of the potential level of the economic impact.
Certain types of device, such as CT and MRI scanners, generate significant amounts of revenue for virtually all hospitals, and when these devices fail – particularly if they are not brought back into service quickly - the level of patient use and the associated revenues may be lost, at least for the current billing period. We characterize devices with the potential to have this kind of adverse economic impact as revenue-generation-critical devices. We provide some examples in Table 6 of a number of devices that we have classified as critical with respect to revenue generation. In this category, devices with higher billing rates and higher utilization rates are potentially the most critical. However, the actual severity of the potentially economic loss will depend on the extent to which there is historical evidence of PM-preventable downtime. The three levels of potential outcome severity (adverse economic impact) used in this analysis are determined primarily by:
The perceived criticality of the equipment-dependent service
The billing and utilization rates, and
The likelihood that the facility will have one or more back-up devices available.
The three levels of severity are:
Level 3. Major economic impact - on the facility's cost of doing business
Level 2. Significant economic impact - on the facility's cost of doing business
Level 1. Relatively minor economic impact. - on the facility's cost of doing business
The analyses reflected in Tables 6, 7 and 8 represent our own initial judgments at this time and they are provided here primarily to illustrate the concept. Each facility should use the judgments of its own staff to address this first question along with the two following questions (labeled B and C below) which are also about equipment-related economic and business risks. The brief notes under the columns headed "Potential Adverse Outcome" and "Potential Mitigating Factors" are offered as placeholder comments and they can be accepted as-is or changed to better represent the judgment of the facility's staff. Similarly, the three levels of potential outcome severity can be changed if it is determined that a particular type of device should be moved into a different economic risk category.
Although, as we have noted previously, there are between 750 and 1500 different kinds of medical equipment in modern hospitals, the tables address only about 10% of this total. The 71 items listed in the tables represent a subset of those devices that we consider to be the most likely to create a threat to revenue generation if their failure rate should increase because they are not provided with an adequate amount of PM. With respect to the first question, we have judged only 10 device types to have the potential to have a major economic impact on the facility's revenue-generation capability. Twenty-one of the remaining 61 types of device in the subset are judged to have worst-case failure modes that are capable of having a significant but not major economic impact. We have tried to be conservative in assuming the worst possible outcomes in these initial judgments.
B. Potential reduction in repair costs. Can some of the failures of this type of device be prevented by performing timely preventive maintenance on their non-durable parts thus reducing the total cost of repairing these types of device?
If the answer to this question is Yes, then a short description of the adverse economic result of not doing PM should be captured for use in the analysis (see the third column of Table 7) together with an additional judgment in the fourth column of the potential magnitude of the adverse cost impact.
Some devices have non-durable parts that can be critical in the sense that if they are not replaced or restored before they deteriorate, their deterioration may trigger the premature failure of other components that will then need to be repaired or replaced before they would otherwise. In addition to the resulting increase in the device's repair rate and the associated downtime, these components may also be particularly expensive to repair or replace. We characterize devices with the potential to have this kind of adverse economic impact as repair-cost-critical devices. One example of a type of device that needs to be given timely preventive maintenance for this reason is a linear accelerator. If the cooling system in most linear accelerators is allowed to deteriorate and the system overheats, this can damage heat-sensitive components that are usually quite expensive to replace. Table 7 shows some other examples of devices that we have judged to be potentially repair-cost-critical. Twelve device types are judged to be the most vulnerable to generating high-cost repairs if they are not given timely preventive maintenance, with another 15 judged capable of potentially seriously increases in their repair costs if they are not subjected to timely PMs. Devices that are dependent on mechanical cooling and that have potentially expensive heat-sensitive parts such as glassware or elaborate circuit boards are the most likely to be considered repair-cost-critical. Again, the actual severity of the potentially adverse outcome will depend on the extent to which there is historical evidence of PM-preventable downtime.
C. Potential to adversely affect the facility's reputation. Can the complete loss of use of all items of this type of device in the facility's inventory have an adverse effect on the facility's reputation?
If the answer to this question is Yes, then a short description of how the complete loss of use of this type of device would affect the facility should be captured for use in the analysis (see the third column of Table 8) together with an additional judgment in the fourth column of the magnitude of the potential economic impact.
If a facility provides a particular service that is a vital part of its basic mission, and that service is dependent on the availability of one, or a small number of devices, and that device fails (or all of the small number of devices are in a failed state simultaneously) then there is a risk that this will have an adverse effect on the reputation of the facility within the local medical community. Care should be taken to keep this potential adverse consequence to a minimum. We characterize devices with the potential to do harm to the mission and, therefore the business of the healthcare facility in this way as reputation-critical devices. In the extreme case when the availability of the device is very important, a reputation for having particularly unreliable equipment can become a significant threat to the business. For example; certain emergency rooms are required to have access to a CT scanner and are required to stop accepting emergency cases when access to that scanner becomes unavailable. For a hospital with a busy ER Department the adverse publicity associated with having to frequently divert emergency patients could be considered to be a serious failure on the part of the facility to fulfill an important part of its basic mission. There are a number of critical services – some clinical and some support services – that are device-dependent; and the extent to which these devices will become mission-critical will depend largely on the extent to which the facility has a back-up device or other back-up capability available. Table 8 shows some more examples of device types that we have classified as potentially reputation-critical.
9.3 Quantifying the economic risks associated with "light maintenance" (zero or user-only PM)
While the decision on whether or not to perform preventive maintenance on various types of the facility's medical equipment is likely to be driven primarily by the anticipated effect that this would have on the safety of the devices, it will be helpful for healthcare organizations to also be in a position to evaluate the more straightforward question of whether or not the cost of performing PM on their medical equipment is likely to be offset by:
The preservation of revenues that would have been lost because of a lower level of uptime if PM had not been provided, and/ or
A lower level of repair costs. In order to create a process addressing this question, we first need to develop some guidelines for estimating the dollar value of the presumed amount of potentially-lost revenue that might be saved and the level of repair costs that might be avoided.
9.4 Potentially-lost revenues that can be saved by performing traditional preventive maintenance
If the type of device in question has non-durable parts that are required to be periodically refurbished or replaced, failing to perform periodic preventive maintenance will presumably result in an increase in the device's failure rate, accompanied by the associated device down-time. The magnitude of this effect on the failure rate can be measured directly if the Repair Call Cause Coding system (described in paragraph 4.5 of HTM ComDoc 4.) is in use. If we also make an estimate of the revenue generation potential of this type of device, either from the facility's own billing records or from some other industry knowledge base, we can make a reasonable projection of the annualized amount of lost revenues that would be saved (LRS) by performing the manufacturer-recommended preventive maintenance.
LRS = B x D x F (dollars)/ yr.
B = the estimated average value of the hourly billing rate when this device is in use;
D = the average hours of downtime experienced by this type of device when it fails;
F = the projected incremental increase in the device's annualized failure rate if preventive maintenance is not performed
The classifications shown in Table 6 are based on which devices typically have the highest billing and utilization rates. They are subject to re-allocation and re-ranking based on the facility's own evidence of PM-preventable downtime.
9.5 Repair costs that can be avoided by performing preventive maintenance
The (presumably) higher failure rate resulting from the periodic deterioration or complete failure of the non-durable parts of the type of device in question can be easily identified if the Repair Call Cause Coding system described in Section 1.4 of HTM ComDoc 1 is in use. If this information is available, the costs of the repair calls attributed to inadequate PM can be readily identified and used to calculate the annualized value of these additional repair costs (ARC).
ARC = S x 12/M (dollars)/ yr.
S = the sum of the cost of all repairs classified as "due to inadequate restoration of a non-durable part" (Category 7) - over a period of M months
The classification shown in Table 7 is based on which devices are typically considered to have expensive heat-sensitive components such as glassware and elaborate circuit boards that are vulnerable to failed cooling systems.
The sum of the lost revenue saved (LRS) and the avoided repair costs (ARC) represents a reasonable estimate of the economic benefit of performing preventive maintenance on each particular type of device. The extent to which this total annualized amount (LRS+ARC) exceeds the cost of providing the PM is then an excellent direct indicator of whether or not choosing to perform PM on this type of device would be a sound business decision.
9.6 Costs associated with a deterioration of the facility's reputation
Concern about the reliability of the facility's equipment, as it might be highlighted in publicized reports of excessive failure rates of critical devices - such as a CT scanner supporting the facility's trauma center or emergency room - is more difficult to quantify. The development of this kind of adverse reputation among the local medical community could certainly have an adverse impact on the facility's business. However, it seems unlikely that the actual increase in the failure rate of, say, a typical CT scanner that would result from simply not performing timely preventive maintenance could make a significant change to its total failure rate.
The classification shown in Table 8 is based on consensus generalizations on which devices are most likely to contribute to the facility gaining a reputation for having unreliable equipment. As mentioned above, a potentially pivotal variable here is the extent to which the facility has provided potentially critical equipment with an appropriate reserve or back-up capability.
9.7 Which types of devices would benefit the most from PM - from a business economics viewpoint?
In contrast to the two safety-related criteria described in HTM ComDoc 3 the results of applying the three business/ economics-related criteria described above are additive, in the sense that the estimated economic benefits in each of the three areas from performing PM can simply be added together to create a total benefit in terms of a total annualized dollar amount. This estimated amount is then the figure that must be compared against the annualized cost of performing the preventive maintenance; and the bigger the net positive amount, the greater the justification for performing PM - and vice versa.
In the economically-critical rankings shown in Table 9 there are 6 device types that are judged to be potentially economically-critical at the highest severity level (i.e. with the potential to have a major impact on the facility's business) in all three categories. These are;
Cath Labs,
CT units,
linear accelerators
MRI units, and
PET & PET/CT & PET/MRI units
Special procedures rooms
Four other device types are judged to be potentially economically-critical at the highest level in two of the three classifications. These are;
gamma cameras
surgical guidance units
surgical robots, and
brachytherapy units
Being judged as economically-critical at severity Level 1 (the potential to have a major impact on the facility's business) with respect to multiple criteria obviously enhances the likelihood that there will be a positive economic justification for deciding to perform PM on these particular device types. However, the rankings in these tables are generalizations and somewhat subjective. It will be much more interesting to see how the rankings might change once they are based on numerical values for the "LRS" and "ARC" variables, calculated as described above using as evidence actual data from real-world experiences.
Back to the Main Page, HTM ComDoc 8 or on to HTM ComDoc 10, (old page archived at HTM ComDoc 9.)
Retrieved from "http://htmcommunitydb.org/wiki/index.php?title=HTM_ComDoc_9"
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The term "ripping" sounds a bit scary—like you're tearing something apart. However, in audio, "ripping" is the process of copying music files from a CD to your hard drive or flash drive in a format that can be played by a computer audio player. When you start getting into computer audio, you'll want to play your digital music from a hard drive somewhere in your system. Most audiophiles start their computer audio journey with a collection of CDs, and need to copy some or all of their CD collection to the hard drive used by their music player or server. Once an album is on your music player, you can play it back by selecting it and then adding it to a playlist. Usually, that just means you can see your collection of ripped CDs and downloaded albums on a smartphone or tablet computer, choose what you want to play, and have your music player play your selection off your hard drive. You don't have to find the CD, clean it, place it in your CD player, start the player, and then, when the music stops, retrieve the CD and replace it on your shelf. Ripping is also how you transfer music from CDs onto your smart phone or portable player, or to a USB flash drive to play in your car.
As for SACDs, most have two layers, a high-resolution layer and a CD layer. Such SACDs are called hybrid SACDs and will play on both SACD players and CD players. You can rip the CD layer, but the SACD layer is copy-protected. The Digital Rights Management Act makes it illegal to copy the copy-protected layer, although it's a bit ambiguous in that area.
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You have to download dBpoweramp CD Ripper at www.dbpoweramp.com/cd-ripper.htm and install it on your computer. It's designed to work under the Windows operating system, or on a Mac computer running Windows. A version for Mac computers is in development but isn't ready yet. For a single PC, dBpoweramp CD Ripper costs $38; for two to five PCs, $56. Upgrades to newer versions of the program are less expensive. You can try dBpoweramp CD Ripper free for 21 days.
5. Go to the folder where you store downloaded files. In Windows 7, you click on the start button and then the Downloads folder. You should see the file named "dMC-R14.4-Ref-Trial.exe" listed among the downloaded files. Double-click on the file name and the installation process should start. This installs the trial version of dBpoweramp CD Ripper on your hard drive.
6. Follow the instructions on the screen. After the program is installed, you should see the icon on your desktop.
Go to the Ripping guide section below for instructions on using the program.
There are several file formats popular with computer audiophiles. A very early, if not the first, format was Wave, which has filenames ending in a .wav extension. So a song recorded in Wave format might have a filename that looks like "Stardust.wav." An AIFF file has the file extension .aif, so a filename would look like "Stardust.aif." The advantage of the AIFF format, which was developed by Apple Computer, is that it can store more metadata about a song or album. Metadata includes useful information like copies of the album cover art and other data about an album or song.
Both the Wave file and AIFF file are uncompressed formats, so files using those formats take up lots of space on your hard drive. It's possible to compress files to reduce the amount of disc space needed to store them, without losing any information. Such files are described as lossless compressed files, meaning no information is lost when stored in one of these formats. The two most popular lossless compressed file formats are the Free Lossless Audio Codec, or FLAC file; and the Apple Lossless Audio Codec, or ALAC file. As you'd guess, the ALAC file format was developed by Apple Computer. FLAC files have file extensions of .flac ("Stardust.flac") while ALAC files have file extensions of .m4a ("Stardust.m4a"). After you uncompress a FLAC of ALAC file, you have a WAV file or an AIFF file. Compressed files may be up to 40% smaller than uncompressed files.
Because storage is so cheap these days, there's no reason to resort to sonically compromised lossy coding formats such as MP3. These formats intentionally discard information that can never be recovered. The information that was discarded to reduce file size cannot be recovered, and consequently sound is compromised. Examples of lossy file formats are the MPEG Layer III Audio, or MP3 format ("Stardust.mp3"), and the Advanced Audio Coding, or AAC formats ("Stardust.aac"). The AAC format was designed to supersede the MP3 format, but the latter is still far more popular.
So given all this background, which file format should you use when you rip CDs? There's not really a right answer; WAV files sound great but may not have the metadata you need, AIFF files sound great and have better metadata support, FLAC files take less space and have good metadata support, and ALAC files are similar to FLAC files but used mostly in the Apple world. Most downloaded files will be in the FLAC format. Some people claim uncompressed files sound better than compressed files, but I think that depends on the server. A server program like JRiver Media Center converts compressed files to uncompressed and stores them in computer memory before sending them to your DAC, so there should be no computer overhead involved in sending bitstreams to your DAC. If you have a hardware server, verify what file formats it will play before choosing a format for ripping.
Note that dBpoweramp CD Ripper can't rip to DSD formats. A program called AudioGate will convert stored files to DSD formats.
I recommend cleaning the CD thoroughly so the CD or DVD drive in your computer can read it as accurately as possible. Although it's possible to have your ripping software attempt to correct any errors encountered when it reads a CD, such error corrections are just educated guesses. It's better if your drive reads the data on the CD correctly, so a clean CD is essential. My preferred cleaning solution is called Essence of Music; it always maximizes the readability of the CD, and sounds great, too. Feel free to use your favorite cleaning product, but it's important to clean any CD, even a brand new one, before ripping it. And remember; unlike when you play a CD, when you play a ripped file, you don't have to clean it again.
1. Click on the dBpoweramp CD Ripper icon to start the program. You'll see a blank screen with no CD data.
2. Insert the CD you want to rip in your drive. dBpoweramp CD Ripper will read the CD and display information about it. You should see the track names, cover art, metadata, and information about the format dBpoweramp CD Ripper is set to rip to.
3. Select the format you want to rip to. Click on the drop-down arrow and select the format from the list. You should only have to do this once unless you change formats. Check the format information section and choose how you want the format to operate, if necessary.
4. Specify where you want the ripped files to go on your hard drive. Click the Set button and browse to the location where you want the files to be stored. Normally, that will be in the My Music folder, but you can choose other locations. dBpoweramp CD Ripper remembers this location and uses it for future CD rips, so you should only have to do this once.
5. Check the Album Art section at the bottom of the screen. Normally the preferred cover art is already displayed, but if you click the Choose Art button, you may see other choices for cover art. If you prefer one of the alternate choices, click on it to select it.
6. Now you're ready to rip the CD. Click on the Rip button near the top left side of the screen, and dBpoweramp CD Ripper will begin ripping the CD. In the center of the screen, the program shows its progress as it rips each track, together with a report on whether the ripped file matched the one in Accuraterip. If dBpoweramp CD Ripper has trouble reading a track, it may reread it several times.
7. After the CD has been ripped, dBpoweramp CD Ripper will eject the CD and produce a report on how each track was ripped. If the CD is not in the Accuraterip database, dBpoweramp CD Ripper may ask if it can send the track data to the Accuraterip database to help with future rips. No personal data will be included with the track data.
8. If necessary, copy the newly ripped CD files to your server's hard drive.
9. Listen to your newly ripped music!
Illustrate, dBpoweramp's creator, maintains a forum for registered users. If you ask a question on the forum, you'll probably get several expert answers. The forum is located at http://forum.dbpoweramp.com.


I'm sharing #lobsterworthy moments in my life as part of a Red Lobster sponsored series for Socialstars™. All opinions are my own.
There are many holidays, birthdays, and big events we celebrate each year. We gather with friends, family and loved ones for these special occasions. No matter what the reason is that brings us together, good food is always involved.
This month has been unexpectedly hectic. It started with my four year old son awkwardly falling at the park and fracturing his arm in 3 spots. It sent everything into a whole whirlwind of change with a hard cast covering his entire left arm. We had to quickly change our daily routines and activities. It wasn't easy for him (or me) at first.
Then a few days later I had to register my middle son for Kindergarten. How is it time for this already? The next few days definitely weren't our usual routine.
My oldest is in 1st grade, so this is the second year where most days are just the younger two and I. It quickly sank in that my endless days with these two are quickly coming to an end. I realized with everything going on we just needed to step back and celebrate our precious weekdays we still have together; Celebrate registering for school; Celebrate making it a couple weeks in a cast; Just celebrate us.
I decided to randomly surprise them with a special lunch date out of the house. We headed to Red Lobster, just the three of us. It was an easy pick for me, because I like to squeeze in as many seafood meals as I can for myself.
The boys always enjoy getting their own menu to pick out their entree and draw while waiting for the food.
One thing I love about going on lunch dates with them is that it gives us time to sit down with little distractions. From the Cheddar Bay Biscuits to the entrees to desserts, we have a full meal where we relax and enjoy each other.
We can just sit, chatting about the little things we are celebrating, what else we can plan before the next school year starts, and laughing at the random silliness they create.
Red Lobster has a $7.99 Lunch Menu (M-F from 11am-3pm) perfect for me when we go out on weekdays. Shrimp Wood-Grilled Tacos with wild rice pilaf was my choice this time.
Celebrating our full days together and making it through the first half of a crazy March was definitely a lobster-worthy moment. No moment is too small to celebrate. On the way out, the boys requested smoothies to go, and how could I say no in the midst of our little celebration?
You can share their own lobster-worthy moments on social using the hashtag #lobsterworthycontest to be entered to win some pretty cool prizes throughout Red Lobster's Lobsterfest campaign!
What is your lobster-worthy moment? What will you celebrate?