Why taking a selfie while brushing your teeth could be good for you!
Teeth have been big news lately. First, there was the issue of whether flossing really helps lower the risk for tooth decay and gingivitis. And now, questions about how often we really need to get dental X-rayshave made the news. The bottom line is that, clinically, these are complex issues that can't easily be reduced to a simple soundbite.
Maybe it's time to take a step back and talk about something we can all agree on – toothbrushing.
As a dentist, educator and clinical researcher (an academic dentist sounds so, well, dismissive), I was involved in a very small study, conducted in India, that examined whether taking a smart phone video selfie might help people learn to brush their teeth in a more effective manner. Well, can it help? Short answer: Maybe. Longer answer: It's complicated, too.
Our recent study was conducted by three dentists from India, another researcher from the United States and me. We examined the feasibility of using smart phone video "selfies" to help improve toothbrushing technique.
We conducted a small proof-of-concept study, to determine whether toothbrushing with selfie-taking is worth studying further. As part of the study, Indian dental students were given a one-time toothbrushing training session. Then over two weeks, they recorded – on their phones in the privacy of their own home – five toothbrushing selfies.
Later, the dentist researchers from India reviewed and characterized the selfies. With further analyses from my US colleague, we found some changes and variation over time in the quality and accuracy of toothbrushing.
These changes may suggest that participants were trying to create a new habit, trying to change their behavior, almost as if, while taking the selfie, someone was watching them.
The thought was that by using selfies, participants were more self-conscious about changing their ingrained toothbrushing approach and so may have been better able to "override" their habitual way of brushing. Also, the participants may have had more fun or been more curious about doing a sometimes mundane task.
Habits are hard to change. One needs to overcome "muscle memory" to establish a new behavior. So relearning or retraining, just as with any sports-related skill, may be a gradual process, one prone to trial, error, forgetting and relapse. Some of our data might generally support this. But, based on our pilot study, it seems like adding the selfie to the mix could help people learn, well, new tricks.
Why bother brushing our teeth? Oral health is a significant part of overall health. Oral hygiene such as tooth-brushing and flossing, physically cleaning between teeth, can help prevent gum disease and, to a degree, perhaps tooth decay. Cavities can occur between your teeth, where food particles and bacterial debris can linger because a toothbrush often can't reach into these areas. Your dentist takes X-rays, also known as bite wings, in part to look for tooth decay in these areas. Tooth loss, especially of ones seen when smiling and talking, can lead to a lowered self-esteem and feeling self-conscious in social situations.
Tooth loss can also lead to poor physical health. For example, it can encourage a "softer" diet with fewer fruits, nuts and vegetables. Such food intake can promote a host of diseases and conditions, including weight gain, diabetes and heart disease. And of course, there's tooth pain, which can be exquisite.
Effective toothbrushing can remove bacteria and organic debris known as dental plaque. Brushing with toothpaste also helps deliver topical fluoride to the teeth, which helps arrest and even reverse early forms of tooth decay.
Persons with risk factors for tooth decay, such as those who consume high levels of processed sugars, do not drink fluoridated water, have infrequent dental visits and have poor toothbrushing habits (lower skill level and less frequent brushing), may benefit from learning more effective oral hygiene techniques.
Having a lower income is associated with many of these risk factors, but most people – regardless of income – can probably improve their oral hygiene skills. And, over the long haul, this could help people keep more teeth and have better oral health.
It's most important to brush your teeth at night, when your salivary flow goes down. Salivary flow helps buffer the acidic content in your mouth. If you have food particles in your mouth, then certain bacteria use these sugars (almost any carbohydrate) to grow and then give off a form of acid as a byproduct. And it's this acid that causes tooth decay.
The same goes for kids. Ideally, brush their teeth after breakfast and at night before bed. Most kids can't brush well until around the age where they can tie their shoes, so an adult will usually do a better job up to that point.
How should you brush? Sometimes people hear different advice from different dentists or hygienists. There is really no "one size fits all" approach, but there are key themes to effective tooth-brushing.
With a soft toothbrush, use gentle, small, circular motions on each tooth, and (using a two-finger "pencil grip" – not too much force) aim the bristles gently at a 45-degree angle where the tooth meets the gum tissue. Pay attention to all tooth surfaces, including the cheek side, the tongue side and the biting surface of each tooth.
Share your selfie – with your dentist or hygienist.
While ours is very a preliminary study, it opens a door.
But keep in mind, it's not just the taking of the selfie alone. You will need to review it with your dentist or dental hygienist to get tips on how to improve and on the most important things to work on. Over time, this new, more effective brushing style could become your default habit. But then, you may need another selfie every so often, to make sure that you're not slipping back into old habits.
An application of the toothbrushing selfie is that technology could be used to evaluate, monitor and permit providers to give real-time, convenient oral hygiene feedback to people across periods of time. This can help put a greater emphasis on prevention, which, at a minimum, should promote good dental checkups and could help keep costs down.
Another application is to remotely screen any number of children in rural areas. A five-second selfie of all the teeth, when reviewed by a dentist, could help identify those who need more immediate or even urgent dental intervention.
Future studies could allow individuals to review their own toothbrushing and critique themselves, and providers could "chime in" with positive comments and suggestions at regular intervals. This could help us understand how behavior change works and what approaches work best for whom.
There are a number of possible applications. The caveat, however, is that confidentiality and legal concerns would have to be ironed out first.
But, again, this was just an initial study, a first step. We established that people could take selfies at home and that we could and later analyze how well they brushed.
That gives us dentists something to smile about.
Could an undetected infection at the root of a tooth be putting you at risk of heart disease? A Finnish study suggests it may.
Infection of the root of a tooth is most often caused by tooth decay.
The study included 508 Finnish patients with a mean age of 62 who were experiencing heart symptoms at the time of the study.
The coronary arteries of the patients were examined using angiography, and 36 percent of them were found to be suffering from stable coronary artery disease, 33 percent were undergoing acute coronary syndrome, and 31 percent did not suffer from coronary artery disease to a significant degree.
Their teeth were examined using panoramic tomography of the teeth and jaws. As many as 58 percent were found to be suffering from one or more inflammatory lesions.
The researchers also discovered that dental root tip infections were connected with a high level of serum antibodies related to the bacteria that cause such infections. This shows that oral infections affect other parts of the body as well.
Gum disease, such as periodontitis, is regarded as an independent risk factor for coronary artery disease and diabetes. Infections of root tips have been studied relatively little in this context, even though they appear to be connected with low-grade inflammation as well.
Cardiovascular diseases cause more than 30 percent of deaths globally. They can be prevented by a healthy diet, weight control, exercise and not smoking. With regard to the health of the heart, measures should be taken to prevent or treat oral infections, as they are very common and often asymptomatic. Root canal treatment of an infected tooth may reduce the risk of heart disease, but the researchers note that more research is needed.
August 5, 2016 — Sealants may reduce carious lesions on the occlusal surfaces of permanent molars by up to 80%, according to a study jointly published by the ADA and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD).
The authors of the review, hailing from multiple dental schools, organizations, and institutes, sought to summarize the available evidence regarding the effectiveness of dental sealants for preventing pit-and-fissure occlusal caries in primary and permanent molars on children, adolescents, and adults to develop a joint evidence-based clinical practice guideline (Journal of the American Dental Association, August 2016, Vol. 147:8, pp. 631-645).
In the U.S., nearly a quarter of children and more than half of adolescents have caries in their permanent teeth, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2012. Pits and fissures on occlusal surfaces, especially those on permanent molars, increase the risk of these patients developing carious lesions, the authors noted.
The researchers started with more than 2,800 published studies from 1976 through 2016 for their systemic review and reduced the number to 24, including only parallel and split-mouth randomized controlled trials with at least two years of follow-up. They included studies whose authors reported sealant-effectiveness data compared with a control without sealants, fluoride varnishes, or other head-to-head comparisons.
In comparing sealant use versus nonuse, the researchers reviewed nine studies with a total of 3,542 participants. They found that those who received sealants reduced their risk of developing new carious lesions by 76% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.19-0.30; p < 0.00001) compared with participants who did not receive sealants.
The researchers also compared sealant use versus fluoride varnishes by reviewing three studies with a total of 1,715 participants. They found that those who received sealants had a 73% reduction in the risk of developing new carious lesions (95% CI: 0.11-0.69; p = 0.006) compared with participants who received fluoride varnishes.
The authors acknowledged several limitations with the review, including an inability to contact primary authors of the studies if there were issues related to risk of bias, as some of the trials were more than 20 years old. They also noted an inability to assess publication bias by means of using a funnel plot owing to the limited number of included studies per outcome.
More research is needed to provide more data about the merits of the different types of sealant materials, the authors noted.
"Available evidence suggests that sealants are effective and safe to prevent or arrest the progression of noncavitated carious lesions compared with a control without sealants or fluoride varnishes," they concluded.
The number of pregnant women in the U.S. going to the dentist has increased 5.5 percent over the last year, according to survey data released in May from Delta Dental Plans Association.
In 2015, 57.5 percent of mothers in the United States reported they visited the dentist during their pregnancy, Delta Dental Plans Association said. The 2016 survey results show that number has increased to 63 percent.
"This is positive news and we're glad expectant mothers are increasingly visiting the dentist. Oral health issues have a heightened risk of occurring during pregnancy, so being aware and on top of these is crucial," said Dr. Bill Kohn, Delta Dental Plans Association's vice president of dental science and policy, in a news release.
Most women who reported seeing a dentist during pregnancy — 37 percent — said it was a routine checkup, while 13 percent said they wanted to address a particular oral health issue and six percent said they wanted to discuss what to expect when it came to oral health while pregnant.
The survey was conducted between Dec. 16, 2015, and Jan. 14, 2016, among a nationally representative group of 1,307 parents of children ages 6-12.
Dental professionals can use ADA's consumer website, MouthHealthy.org, to help inform patients about what's safe and healthy for them during pregnancy.
For more information, visit MouthHealthy.org/pregnancy.
In 2015, The Journal of the American Dental Association published research that showed it's safe for pregnant women to undergo dental treatment with local anesthetics.
The researchers compared the pregnancy outcomes between a group of women exposed to dental treatment with anesthetics and a control group that did not have treatment. The study showed that exposure to dental care and local anesthetics during pregnancy is not associated with increased risk for major medical problems in newborns.
Mouth microbes may be connected to a variety of illnesses, more and more studies are showing.
Dental care has been disconnected from general health care for many years now, but the more you start to think about it, the stranger it seems. After all, you don't really separate any other branch of medicine so… why teeth? It all started in the 19th century, following conflicts between surgeons and dentists in England. The conflict was carried on in the United States, after medicine became linked to employer insurance and Medicare. The fissure between medicine and dentistry widened, until it was irreparable. Medicine was split into dental care and all the rest… and has remained so to this day. But is it really fair to exclude dental care from the rest of health care?
When Salomon Amar, a periodontal specialist at Boston University, began exploring links between oral bacteria and heart disease in animal studies in the late 1990s, reactions were unfriendly. Skepticism, in all its forms, was the general response – why would a dentist become involved in heart disease studies? But Amar was't alone. Wenche Borgnakke, a dental researcher at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, has been making the same case for years, pointing to several published studies. Especially, a study published last year in the journal Medicine highlights that patients on dialysis who received periodontal treatment had an almost 30 percent lower risk of pneumonia and hospitalization from infections. Furthermore, a recent study found that gum problems is associated with a 10% higher mortality.
Plaque seems to one of the main culprits, and that makes a lot of sense – after all, it's a thick layer of bacteria inside your mouth.
"If you do not brush your teeth, it will sit there and accumulate. As that plaque gets thicker and thicker, there is less and less oxygen in the deepest layers," Borgnakke says. Safely sheltered, the innermost plaque starts to favor anaerobic bacteria, which, when they escape into the blood, can survive in the oxygen-starved nooks and crannies deep inside the body.
While many questions still remain, and the relationship between gum health and overall health remains an open question, there is growing evidence that you gums can open the body to a swarm of infections. The science is not yet clear on it, but in the mean time, it's better to be safe and sorry. Clean your gums, you may be helping your entire body.
Moms, busy professionals, students and many other people are so busy throughout the day that they sometimes forget to take care of their mouths.
You're so busy throughout the day that you might sometimes forget to take care of your mouth. While this is understandable, the fact that you're busy shouldn't mean that you neglect your oral health. When you forget or pass on brushing and flossing, you open to door to bacteria that can lead to bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. In order to stay healthy, take care of your mouth even when you may not have the time to do so.
People who lead busy lives should remember the following things to help them keep their mouths clean.
Travel-sized oral health products can really come in handy. Many are small enough to easily keep in your car, purse or backpack so that you have them when you need them. If nothing else, try to keep some floss and a small bottle of alcohol-free mouthwash handy. That way, if you have a meal where you get something lodged in your teeth or feel that your breath may have taken a turn for the worse, you can try to take care of it while still out and about. In addition to those two things, you can also carry a travel toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste. Travel toothbrushes are compact and often have a small case or cover that allows you to carry and use them without any mess.
Drinking lots of water will help you wash away any food particles and bacteria that collect in your mouth. This will help keep your breath fresh, and because most water in the U.S. is fluoridated, you'll even be strengthening your teeth. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fluoride added into water helps remineralize teeth and prevent cavities. For this reason, it has been added to water supplies for over 70 years. By drinking lots of water and carrying a refillable water bottle, you'll be able to help keep your teeth healthy.
Sugary foods and drinks should be avoided. When sugary foods are eaten, bacteria in the mouth interact with the sugar and leave behind an acid that can attack your teeth. This leads to cavities and tooth decay. Starchy foods high in refined carbohydrates, such as fried foods or snacks like potato chips, are no friend to your teeth and can lead to the same result as sugary foods. If you do end up eating these foods, you should make sure to clean your mouth after doing so.
Chewing gum or sucking on a mint can help clean your teeth. Gum and mints increase the amount of saliva in your mouth, which will wash away any leftover food or plaque that has collected on your teeth. While any gum or mint will increase the amount of saliva, sugar-fee gum or mints are much better and will help your oral health much more. Try to use products that contain xylitol instead of sugar as this natural alternative to sugar actually fights off the bacteria that cause bad breath and tooth decay.
If you find that you simply cannot start your day without a caffeine fix, but can't stand the aftertaste of coffee, this toothpaste is just the thing for you. Invented by American entrepreneur Dan Meropol, Power Energy Toothpaste is the world's first caffeinated toothpaste, designed to give people that much needed morning boost as well as keep their teeth squeaky clean.
Meropol, a Brown University graduate, said he was disturbed to learn that only fifty percent of Americans floss daily, and fifty percent brush only once a day. So he was trying to come up with ways to inspire people to take better care of their teeth, when his friend Ian suggested a caffeinated toothpaste.
At first, Meropol figured that a caffeinated toothpaste must already exist, but he was shocked to learn that no one had ever thought of it before. So he decided to run with the idea and started formulating a special blend of his own. He eventually came up with Power Toothpaste, which provides an instant hit of caffeine that's absorbed through the gums and mouth.
This is supposedly faster than the traditional coffee-through-the-stomach method, taking effect even before you've finished brushing. But this also means that the 'high' won't last very long. "I was sleepy again less than an hour after brushing with Power Toothpaste," wrote Motherboard contributor Rachel Pick, who tried the product first hand.
That's because the caffeine fix is instant, and it isn't being absorbed over time like with a cup of coffee. "Power Toothpaste is only meant as a quick jolt to take you out of your morning fog, and in that regard, it works well," Pick wrote. Which is exactly what Meropol is aiming for – he just wants people to improve their dental care habits, and if a temporary caffeine high will do the trick, so be it. "Too many people aren't taking care of their teeth, even when they know they should," he said.
Pick also noted that Power Toothpaste doesn't contain fluoride, so it technically classifies a cosmetic product rather than a drug. Dentists are apparently okay with this, but they do recommend following it up with a mouthwash that does contain fluoride.
Meropol first shared the toothpaste with his family and friends, and is now ready to bring it to the masses. He started an Indiegogo campaign on January 19, and he's already raised over $15,000, completing 35 percent of his goal in just three days. Looks like a lot of people are interested in getting a rush while they brush.
January 5, 2016 — Both continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and mandibular advancement devices (MADs) reduce blood pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, according to a new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The meta-analysis found no significant difference between the blood pressure outcomes associated with the two therapies, but CPAP had a considerably higher probability of reducing systolic blood pressure, concluded lead study author Daniel Bratton, PhD, and colleagues (JAMA, December 1, 2015, Vol. 314:21, pp. 2280-2293).
Obstructive sleep apnea occurs in about 2% to 4% of the population in Western countries according to a 2002 study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (May 2002, Vol. 165:9, pp. 1217-1239); however, the study authors noted that the prevalence of the condition is on the rise because of increasing obesity in these populations. The condition is associated with oxygen loss and wakefulness from sleep, which can lead to increases in blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a 2010 study in Nature Reviews Cardiology(December 2010, Vol. 7:12, pp. 677-685).
Continuous positive airway pressure devices have been shown to be an effective treatment for improving symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, such as daytime sleepiness. The authors of the current study cited multiple studies that show the device also lowers blood pressure. For patients who are unable to tolerate CPAP, an alternative treatment often used is the mandibular advancement device, which works by protruding the mandible and tongue to keep the airway open during sleep.
In this study, the researchers from the University of Zurich in Switzerland compared CPAP and MAD to see what changes the devices had in the blood pressure of patients with obstructive sleep apnea. The meta-analysis included 51 studies from the databases of Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to the end of August 2015 and included 4,888 patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
The researchers found that both CPAP and MADs were associated with similar reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared with an inactive treatment.
More than 75% of pregnant women experience an oral health problem, according to a new Cigna survey of pregnant women and new mothers. The survey also found that almost half of the surveyed women did not visit the dentist during pregnancy despite having dental problems.
The researchers cited cost as one of the main reasons why pregnant women do not visit the dentist, and they found that women without insurance were twice as likely as those with insurance to not visit the dentist during pregnancy. However, healthcare professionals may be able to increase the amount of women who prioritize oral health by simply talking to women about the importance of visiting the dentist.
"The dental professional community should continue to advise and emphasize to expectant mothers the importance of practicing good oral hygiene habits at home before and during pregnancy and the need for regular dental checkups," stated Miles Hall, DDS, Cigna's chief clinical dental director, in an email interview with DrBicuspid.com.
It is important for pregnant women to visit the dentist because all infections, including ones in the oral cavity, may impact the health of their baby. In addition, according to the Cigna study, hormonal changes throughout pregnancy can increase the risk for periodontal disease.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that all women, including pregnant women, should be counseled about the importance of oral health.
To see if pregnant women and new mothers knew about the importance of oral health during pregnancy and if they followed through with visiting a dentist, Cigna conducted a survey through M/A/R/C Research. The online survey went out to pregnant women and also women who had babies within the past 12 months.
200 new mothers without dental insurance.
The survey found that although 76% of pregnant women reported having an oral health problem, including bleeding gums, toothache, and increased tooth sensitivity, only 57% actually visited a dentist during their pregnancy. To help remedy this, the survey authors recommended that healthcare providers, including dentists and hygienists, explain how pregnancy can affect the oral cavity.
The study also found that pregnant women who did not have dental insurance were twice as likely to not visit the dentists as those with dental insurance, and 33% of the women skipped a dental visit during pregnancy because of the cost.


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Q: How to make group_by and lm fast? This is a sample.
df <- tibble(
      subject = rep(letters[1:7], c(5, 6, 7, 5, 2, 5, 2)),
      day = c(3:7, 2:7, 1:7, 3:7, 6:7, 3:7, 6:7),
      x1 = runif(32), x2 = rpois(32, 3), x3 = rnorm(32), x4 = rnorm(32, 1, 5))

df %>%
  group_by(subject) %>%
  summarise(
    coef_x1 = lm(x1 ~ day)$coefficients[2],
    coef_x2 = lm(x2 ~ day)$coefficients[2],
    coef_x3 = lm(x3 ~ day)$coefficients[2],
    coef_x4 = lm(x4 ~ day)$coefficients[2])

This data is small, so performance is not problem.
But my data is so large, approximately 1,000,000 rows and 200,000 subjects, and this code is very slow.
I think the cause is not lm's speed but a lot of subject and subsetting.

A: In theory
Firstly, you can fit a linear model with multiple LHS.
Secondly, explicit data splitting is not the only way (or a recommended way) for group-by regression. See R regression analysis: analyzing data for a certain ethnicity and R: build separate models for each category. So build your model as cbind(x1, x2, x3, x4) ~ day * subject where subject is a factor variable.
Finally, since you have many factor levels and work with a large dataset, lm is infeasible. Consider using speedglm::speedlm with sparse = TRUE, or MatrixModels::glm4 with sparse = TRUE.

In reality
Neither speedlm nor glm4 is under active development. Their functionality is (in my view) primitive.
Neither speedlm nor glm4 supports multiple LHS as lm. So you need do 4 separate models x1 ~ day * subject to x4 ~ day * subject instead.
These two packages have different logic behind sparse = TRUE.

*

*speedlm first constructs a dense design matrix using the standard model.matrix.default, then uses is.sparse to survey whether it is sparse or not. If TRUE, subsequent computations can use sparse methods.

*glm4 uses model.Matrix to construct a design matrix, and a sparse one can be built directly.

So, it is not surprising that speedlm is as bad as lm in this sparsity issue, and glm4 is the one we really want to use.
glm4 does not have a full, useful set of generic functions for analyzing fitted models. You can extract coefficients, fitted values and residuals by coef, fitted and residuals, but have to compute all statistics (standard error, t-statistic, F-statistic, etc) all by yourself. This is not a big deal for people who know regression theory well, but it is still rather inconvenient.
glm4 still expects you to use the best model formula so that the sparsest matrix can be constructed. The conventional ~ day * subject is really not a good one. I should probably set up a Q & A on this issue later. Basically, if your formula has intercept and factors are contrasted, you loose sparsity. This is the one we should use: ~ 0 + subject + day:subject.

A test with glm4
## use chinsoon12's data in his answer
set.seed(0L)
nSubj <- 200e3
nr <- 1e6
DF <- data.frame(subject = gl(nSubj, 5),
                 day = 3:7,
                 y1 = runif(nr),
                 y2 = rpois(nr, 3),
                 y3 = rnorm(nr),
                 y4 = rnorm(nr, 1, 5))

library(MatrixModels)
fit <- glm4(y1 ~ 0 + subject + day:subject, data = DF, sparse = TRUE)

It takes about 6 ~ 7 seconds on my 1.1GHz Sandy Bridge laptop. Let's extract its coefficients:
b <- coef(fit)

head(b)
#  subject1   subject2   subject3   subject4   subject5   subject6
# 0.4378952  0.3582956 -0.2597528  0.8141229  1.3337102 -0.2168463

tail(b)
#subject199995:day subject199996:day subject199997:day subject199998:day
#      -0.09916175       -0.15653402       -0.05435883       -0.02553316
#subject199999:day subject200000:day
#       0.02322640       -0.09451542

You can do B <- matrix(b, ncol = 2), so that the 1st column is intercept and the 2nd is slope.

My thoughts: We probably need better packages for large regression
Using glm4 here does not give attractive advantage over chinsoon12's data.table solution since it also basically just tells you the regression coefficient. It is also a bit slower than data.table method, because it computes fitted values and residuals.
Analysis of simple regression does not require a proper model fitting routine. I have a few answers on how to do fancy stuff on this kind of regression, like Fast pairwise simple linear regression between all variables in a data frame where details on how to compute all statistics are also given. But as I wrote this answer, I was thinking about something in general regarding large regression problem. We might need better packages otherwise there is no end doing case-to-case coding.

In reply to OP

speedglm::speedlm(x1 ~ 0 + subject + day:subject, data = df, sparse = TRUE) gives Error: cannot allocate vector of size 74.5 Gb

yeah, because it has a bad sparse logic.

MatrixModels::glm4(x1 ~ day * subject, data = df, sparse = TRUE) gives Error in Cholesky(crossprod(from), LDL = FALSE) : internal_chm_factor: Cholesky factorization failed

This is because you have only one datum for some subject. You need at least two data to fit a line. Here is an example (in dense settings):
dat <- data.frame(t = c(1:5, 1:9, 1),
                  f = rep(gl(3,1,labels = letters[1:3]), c(5, 9, 1)),
                  y = rnorm(15))

Level "c" of f only has one datum / row.
X <- model.matrix(~ 0 + f + t:f, dat)
XtX <- crossprod(X)
chol(XtX)
#Error in chol.default(XtX) :
#  the leading minor of order 6 is not positive definite

Cholesky factorization is unable to resolve rank-deficient model. If we use lm's QR factorization, we will see an NA coefficient.
lm(y ~ 0 + f + t:f, dat)
#Coefficients:
#      fa        fb        fc      fa:t      fb:t      fc:t
# 0.49893   0.52066  -1.90779  -0.09415  -0.03512        NA

We can only estimate an intercept for level "c", not a slope.
Note that if you use the data.table solution, you end up with 0 / 0 when computing slope of this level, and the final result is NaN.

Update: fast solution now available
Check out Fast group-by simple linear regression and general paired simple linear regression.

A: Since OP appears to be looking only for beta, here is an approach using data.table package to calculate only beta. See reference for the formula.
dt[, sumx := sum(day), by=.(subject)][,
    denom := sum(day^2) - sumx^2 / .N, by=.(subject)]

dt[, lapply(.SD, function(y) (sum(day*y) - (sumx[1L] * sum(y))/.N) / denom[1L]),
    by=.(subject),
    .SDcols = paste0("y", 1:4)]

data:
library(data.table)

set.seed(0L)
nSubj <- 200e3
nr <- 1e6
dt <- data.table(
    subject = rep(1:nSubj, each=5),
    day = 3:7,
    y1 = runif(nr),
    y2 = rpois(nr, 3),
    y3 = rnorm(nr),
    y4 = rnorm(nr, 1, 5))
dt2 <- copy(dt)

reference:
Inference in Linear Regression
In terms of intellectual understanding of linear regression, Lee Zheyuan's solution is the best (+1)

add some timings:
 system.time({
      dt[, lapply(.SD, function(y) cov(x,y) / var(x) ),
          by=.(subject),
          .SDcols=paste0("y", 1:4)]
  })
   user  system elapsed
  73.96    0.00   74.15

  system.time({
      dt2[, sumx := sum(day), by=.(subject)][,
          denom := sum(day^2) - sumx^2 / .N, by=.(subject)]

      dt2[, lapply(.SD, function(y) (sum(day*y) - (sumx[1L] * sum(y))/.N) / denom[1L]),
          by=.(subject),
          .SDcols = paste0("y", 1:4)]
  })
   user  system elapsed
   2.14    0.00    2.14

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


"I extend my warm greetings to all of you. Soon we will be celebrating Id and then Dussehra and Diwali. So my best wishes to all of you for the coming season of festivals.
I am always delighted to be with members of the Indian community and the Indian American community. Your achievements fill my heart with pride. Your success in diverse spheres of human endeavour is a living proof that given a proper enabling environment, the people of Indian origin are second to none.My wife and I feel happy and proud to be here today.
Over three years ago, when I addressed the U.S. Congress, I said that some bilateral relations are based on principles and some are based on pragmatism. What is truly remarkable about the India-US relationship today is that it is based on the twin pillars of both principles and pragmatism.
We are both open societies and open economies. We are both multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-lingual nations. Both our countries respect the rule of law and guarantee fundamental human rights.
This pluralism makes us both "argumentative societies" – to use my friend Amartya Sen's term. As an "argumentative" people we are bound to have our differences and to voice them. That is what makes our relationship a lively one. The arguments that we have are arguments between friends, between equals, and not adversaries.
The historic agreement on cooperation in the development of civil nuclear energy in India that President George Bush and I embarked upon is nearing fruition.
It is in no small measure due to the very supportive role the Indian American community and the friends of India in the US have played. I thank you all for this.
Thanks to the leadership of President Bush and the friendship of the people of the United States we are on the verge of securing a new status in the global nuclear order. India will be liberated from the constraints of technology denial of 34 years. It will add an important strategic pillar to our bilateral partnership. We will widen our clean energy options.
As we strengthen the economic side of our partnership with the United States, it is inevitable that industry and business in both countries will seek cooperation in new areas such as biotechnology, nanotechnology, health care, space applications, etc. With the launch of the Chandrayaan Moon Mission, with two American instruments aboard, next month, we will cross another milestone.
The knowledge economy and the fields of education and business have been the life-blood of our bilateral relationship. We have decided to expand the opportunities for educational exchange between our two countries. We have jointly invested in doubling the funding for the U.S. – India Educational Foundation, which will now offer the Fulbright – Jawaharlal Nehru Scholarships and Grants to Indian and American students, teachers and scholars.
The India-US partnership is also a result of a convergence of shared interests and common concerns. It is, therefore, not surprising that support for a strong India-US relationship cuts across party lines in both India and the US. The overall sentiment that emerges from our respective domestic debates is a strong positive endorsement of our strategic partnership.
We face common threats and challenges – of terrorism, energy security, proliferation, drugs, maritime security, climate change and environmental degradation.
We stand together in safeguarding our pluralistic and democratic polities from attacks that seek to destroy our cohesiveness and our prosperity.
The Indian American community inspires people of Indian origin around the world with its leadership, its enterprise and creativity. You have among you Nobel Prize winners and Abel Prize winners; great writers and artists; business leaders and scientists. We are all inspired by the life and achievement of Sunita Williams and Kalpana Chawla; of Indira Nooyi and Vikram Pandit; of Jhumpa Lahiri and Mira Nair; of Srinivasa Varadhan and Sabeer Bhatia.
You have become the "brain bank" of the country of your adoption. I hope that you will also become the "brain bridge" between our two countries in frontier areas of technology as well as in trade and investment.
Our Government has created new opportunities to tap this vast reservoir of talent. We created a new Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and launched the Overseas Citizens of India scheme. I know that many of you want to see further improvement in the OCI scheme. We are working on it.
We are aware how fervently you choose to retain your Indian identity, your Indian connections and your Indian heritage, even as you integrate in societies where you live and contribute as good citizens of America.
We have decided to open two additional consulates in Atlanta and Seattle by 2009. This will enhance our consular and cultural outreach.
We have travelled a long distance to reach where we have reached today. We have moved forward as a dynamic and creative nation regaining our rightful place in the global community. The rise of India is a force of peace, development and stability in the world. However, we still have many hurdles to cross. I am confident that our country has the will and the ability to meet the challenge of change.
India's emergence as a major democratic power and an open economy has been made possible by the creativity, the enterprise, the energy and the talent of its free people. A people who now live on every continent of our planet. A people on whom the sun never sets!


Kirschstrudel, Round 2: in the bag!
The 1$ Pastry/ flour sack towel investment: a godsend. Rolling Viennese pastry is now a synch!
Efforts to mitigate bursting by slicing the top failed. Round 3, expect larger slit(s) in the central region. Ensuring the pre-bake butter wash reaches the underside may provide additional insurance by fortifying the dough the a micro-shell of fatty bonds.
Minced carrot, celery, & horseradish plus a dollop of creamy curry dip occupied the leftover dough, baking alongside the cherry strudel. Made for a savory breakfast paired with sunny egg & English muffin cooked in the remaining butter melted butter. A little Earl Grey brought everything full circle.


text:
Q: Qt - Scroll bar contrast - can it be increased? I am asking about the text editor. I am not talking about programming a scroll bar. I've searched online and found millions of help about programming scroll bars and text areas, but I want to change the color of the scroll bars in the Qt Creator text editor itself. I found the font and background color scheme amendment but could not find anything about the coloration of the scroll bars. I don't know whether any body else has the same problem but my scroll bar tablet (the thing you slide up and down) is white and the area above and below it is mainly white (very slightly off-white). But you can't really see any contrast, and I often can't see where the tablet is. If anybody knows if it can be amended – please help. Or is it just a fixture of Qt 5.2.0 that is difficult and annoying?

A: Create file with styles
//qtcreator.css
QMainWindow,
     QScrollBar {
        background: #32CC99;
    }

Next run QtCreator in the following way:
qtcreator.exe -stylesheet path/to/your/style/qtcreator.css

Also check the link:
Qt Creator styling

A: Thanks, yes adding a -stylesheet option to the command line that brings up Qt Creator is the way to do it.
qtcreator -stylesheet /path/to/your/style/qtcreator.css
I shall experiment with different options in the stylesheet.
Thanks to mhcuervo and Kamil.

A: Unfortunately if I even hint at a stylesheet the drop-list bars at the top go white.  Even if I refer to a stylesheet and don't mention visual items in it.  See here what it looks like [title bar partly gone white]  billionmessages.com/clivesmart/gone_white.png
As you can see, some of the title bars - especially the one that allows the selection of Projects, Open documents, File system, etc - have gone white, unlike the dark gray ones that is the normal color of them.  Is this some inconsistency in how Creator is written?  In my attached pic I have ringed round the offending bars in red.
I've found I can add .css to change the vertical scroll bar as desired, but this other fault is not a scroll bar, so shouldn't be affected.
I've even given a stylesheet as an empty file, and still Creator mucks up the titles, at least with "Vim (dark)" as the Color Scheme.  Try it yourself.  Let me know it you get the same hassle.

A: Exercise caution when applying styles, as overriding the existing styling may make some items difficult to see. Also, setting a stylesheet may affect the text editor color scheme and the styling of the integrated Qt Designer.
For example:
QScrollBar:vertical {
     border: 2px  ;
     width: 15px;
     margin: 22px 0 22px 0;
 }
 QScrollBar::handle:vertical {
     background: black;
     min-height: 20px;
 }

It will also require a change and
QAbstractScrollArea {
     background: #050505;
}


Fixed an issue with Marquis's level 2 Mutation, Eyes Everywhere.
Fixed an issue where Marquis's ultimate Bindleblast damage was not tracked properly after taking level 10 Right Helix Augment, exe.
Reduced Bindlebane sniper base damage by 15%.
Reduced base health by 12%.


The 2015 Night in the Tropics' Latin theme provided a night of spicy entertainment, delicious food and plenty of cool drinks for the 1,200 people who flocked to the National Aviary's annual fundraiser. The event raised more than $195,000 to support the National Aviary's birds, conservation work, and education programs!
In addition to dancing to the beats of Noël Quintana & The Latin Crew, mingling with flamingos, and learning to salsa with DJ Loyal and Salsa412, guests voted for the favorite restaurants in the 2015 Taste Awards.
New this year, three of Pittsburgh's top food writers and experts also provided their expertise in naming the Taste Award winners.
Muchas gracias to all of the 2015 Night in the Tropics' sponsors, event supporters, restaurants, and party guests!


text:
Saudi Business Gauge Falls to Record Low as Economy Hit by VAT
A measure of business activity in Saudi Arabia's non-oil economy dropped sharply to a record low in January, as the implementation of a new value-added tax hit output and purchasing.
The Emirates NBD Purchasing Managers' Index fell from 57.3 in December to 53, the lowest reading in the survey's history, as production and new orders slowed. Companies had boosted output and purchasing at the end of last year, ahead of the new tax, meaning the slowdown "is likely to be transitory," Khatija Haque, head of Middle East and North Africa research at Emirates NBD, wrote in the report. A reading above 50 indicates that the economy is still expanding.
Saudi Arabia is entering a crucial year for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's plan to remake the oil-dependent economy as officials try to raise government revenue without snuffing out economic growth. It introduced the 5 percent value-added tax on Jan. 1 alongside higher fees for foreign workers and subsidy cuts that drove up fuel and electricity prices.
Even with the changes, businesses are more optimistic about their prospects than they have been since April 2017 due to higher oil prices and the government's announcement of an expansionary budget this year, Haque said. Employment increased last month at the fastest rate since August 2016, with firms reporting hiring ahead of new projects.
The seasonally adjusted PMI is compiled from monthly replies to questionnaires sent to firms in manufacturing, services, construction and other non-oil sectors.
Read full article by Vivian Nereim on Bloomberg, February 5, 2018.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
The decision of the authorities to terminate the power supply to the separatist-held territories of Ukraine is purely political in nature
Thursday, May 4, 2017 7:00:00 AM
Author: Dmytro Snegiryov, Head of Prava Sprava public initiative.
On the evening of April 25th, the National Power Company, Ukrenergo, halted the power supply to the Luhansk region. "Tonight the power supply to the temporarily uncontrolled territories of the Luhansk region was completely stopped," the head of the company, Vsevolod Kovalchuk, said.
The suspension of electric service to the separatist-held territories of the Luhansk region was confirmed on Channel 5 by the head of the Luhansk regional military and civil administration, Yuriy Garbuz. "Indeed, at 00:00 the power supply to the temporarily uncontrolled territories of the Luhansk region was cut due to a debt of nearly 5.6 billion hryvnia (211 million USD)."
As a result of Cabinet's Resolution №263 and №368, the Luhansk Energy Association has been forced to use the money paid by consumers that reside in the Ukraine-controlled Luhansk region to provide free electricity to the separatist-held territories (about 300 million hryvnia (11 million USD) per month), leading to the company's debt to the Energorynok State Enterprise. According to the press service of the Luhansk Energy Association, consumers in general owe the company around 5.5 billion hryvnia (207 million USD), of which 4.9 billion hryvnia (184 million USD) is from consumers in the uncontrolled territories.
Since 2015, the General Director of the Luhansk Energy Association, Volodymyr Gritsay, has repeatedly raised the issue of terminating or limiting power to the uncontrolled areas based on the level of payments. In December 2016, as a result of the mounting debt, the company temporarily stopped electric service to the Popasnjansky district water utility which supplies water to some areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that are temporarily beyond the control of the Ukrainian government. As of December 2nd the amount owed by the water utility company to the Luhansk Energy Association was about 124 million hryvnia (4.7 million USD).
Notably, according to the power generating company, Donbasenergo, in 2016, the average tariff for thermal power plants (TPP) in the temporarily uncontrolled territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions was 958.94 hryvnia (36 USD) per MWh, which is 22.8% lower than the average rate of TPP across the national power grid of Ukraine (1 242.29 hryvnia (46.7 USD) / MWh), however the level of payments to the energy generating company on the separatist-held territories was only 2.2% of this total.
It should be noted that in December 2016 the temporarily uncontrolled territories of the Luhansk region received power worth 275 million hryvnia (10.3 million USD), in January 2017 about 275 million hryvnia, in February, 225 million hryvnia (8.5 million USD), and in March (according to latest data) it is nearly 210 million hryvnia (7.9 million USD).
However, the reasons behind the disconnection by the Luhansk Energy Association are not only economic, but also political.
In particular, the analytical department of the Prava Sprava public initiative raised the question in the media as to why supposedly "nationalized" enterprises in the uncontrolled territories, which, according to President Poroshenko and their owners, are under full control of the separatists government continue to be supplied by Ukrainian electricity, water, and gas.
On March 15th, President Petro Poroshenko announced the economic blockade of the uncontrolled territories as Ukrainian companies there were allegedly being seized by the separatists and fell under their full control.
After the decision on the economic blockade of the temporarily uncontrolled territories was made at the state level, statements were repeatedly made by government officials as well as the owners of the "nationalized" enterprises that they are monitoring the situation and further, will act as the initiators of targeted economic sanctions against businesses and individuals that support an economic relationship with these companies.
"Cooperation with the unrecognized republics and any individuals connected or controlled by them and their enterprises is a violation of the international economic sanctions policy. Regarding companies that cooperate with those included in the "black" lists, there will be penalties, including criminal liability of officials, and sanctions in the form of asset seizures and restrictions on economic activity," the message from the Metinvest Group read.
However, surprisingly, despite the so-called "nationalization" and loss of control over Ukrainian enterprises situated on the separatist-held territories, Ukraine continued to supply power to the uncontrolled territories. In addition, gas and water were also provided. Then the logical question arose, what kind of control over enterprises and the economic blockade is there if the Ukrainian government actually continues to support their production.
The value of just power supplied to the "nationalized" companies in the so-called LPR amounts to about 300 million hryvnia (11.2 million USD) per month. The fact that the electric supply was not decreased was evidenced by data from the Luhansk Energy Association itself. There was a small decrease, which proves that it is a seasonal one, that the population's use of heating appliances declined with the end of heating season.
A clear indication that the government is not going to change the rules of the game regarding the free supply of power to the uncontrolled territories, despite the announcement of the blockade by the government itself is the decision made on April 5, 2017, by the National Commission for State Regulation of Energy and Public Utilities (NKREKU) which rejected the issuance of a new license for the Luhansk Energy Association to operate only in the part of the Luhansk region that is controlled by Ukraine. The Luhansk Energy Association is currently licensed to operate in the uncontrolled areas as well, payments from which the company does not receive. "Yesterday it was reported that our appeal was rejected by the NKREKU. Supplies to the uncontrolled territories will continue, and the debt is growing, why we are continuing to supply them is unclear," the General Director of Luhansk Energy Association, Gritsay, said, commenting on the decision of NKREKU.
It should be noted that only after criticisms by the analytical department of Prava Sprava, which pushed the authorities against the wall with the facts showing the ongoing free power supply, did they make the decision to terminate the delivery of the electricity to the separatist-held territories. It is noteworthy that this decision was made under pressure from the public, and not based on any rational considerations.
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of UAWire. The article has been published with the permission of the author.
Ukraine, Luhansk region, LPR, Donbas


I grew up in a small town in Minnesota. I saw life through cornfields, lakes, rolling hills, and movies of the 80's and 90's. When I picked up my first video camera, my friend and I started making sci-fi movies in the snow. While acting in each film, we also incorporated unique camera angles, sound design, miniatures for the space sequences, and state-of-the-art VHS editing. I was 7 years old. Little did I know I would pursue this as my life's passion: catching light.
Flash forward to the 21st century and you'll find me in Los Angeles as a cinematographer and director working on commercial and narrative content. My passion lies where compelling stories and beautiful imagery meet. My goal is not merely to entertain. I want to capture images that are visceral and complex.
I'm drawn to stories of overcoming. To characters who are faced with impossible odds, yet chose to reach deep within themselves to transcend their circumstances and reach their objective. This is what inspired me to make movies in the sub-zero blizzards of Minnesota without knowing it. Thus, it's important to me now that every project I work on is not only visually striking, but also true to the human experience. I want to move the audience to feel what they see.


As we know, the energy sector today is subject to dynamic changes. In many parts of the world we are now witness to what might be called 'the dawn of the renewables era'. But there are also strong indications that fossil fuels will remain the dominant part of the energy mix for years to come.
EDI has seen this change reflected in our portfolio of 2017. Our portfolio continues to be subject to change as we have to serve the changing market demands, but also stay true to ourselves as in the past 15 years we have built a respectable and international reputation. How we managed to do this can be read in our annual report of 2017.
If you would like to know more about this, then please click below to download the PDF file..
For the Russian version, please click here.


Ursula M. Staudinger is a lifespan psychologist and aging researcher with a deeply interdisciplinary orientation. Her research focuses on the modifiability or plasticity of the aging process and its implications for population aging. In light of a society of longer lives, Ursula M. Staudinger explores the potentials of demographic aging and studies the interplay between productivity and aging as well as the development of life insight, life management and wisdom over the lifespan.
Ursula M. Staudinger is Professor of Sociomedical Sciences and Professor of Psychology at the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center at Columbia University in New York. Between 2013 and 2017 she was the Founding Director of the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center and the President of the affiliated International Longevity Center USA (ILC-USA). Prior to moving to the USA, Ursula M. Staudinger was Vice President of Jacobs University Bremen (Germany) and the Founding Dean of the Jacobs Center on Lifelong Learning and Institutional Development (JCLL).
Earlier in her career, she was a group leader at the Max-Planck-Institute for Human Development and had her first Professorship in Lifespan Psychology at the Technical University Dresden. Ursula M. Staudinger studied psychology at Friedrich-Alexander-University in Erlangen (Germany) and Clark University in Massachusetts. She received her PhD in 1988 and her Habilitation in 1997 from the Free University Berlin (in conjunction with the Max Planck Institute for Human Development).
Since 2012, Ursula M. Staudinger has been Chairwoman of the Board of Trustees of the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB). She has been a member of the Academy of Europe since 2014 and of the German National Academy of Sciences since 2002, for which she acted as Vice President and Foreign Secretary between 2007 and 2017. Moreover, she is Member of the Advisory Board of the current "Wunderbar Togehter" campaign (The Year of German-American Friendship), highlighting the importance of transatlantic relations. She was awarded with the "Braunschweig Research Prize 2014" and the "Seneca Medal for Aging Research 2017" for her outstanding research on the plasticity of aging.
Ursula M. Staudinger in Wikipedia.


Going to contradict myself this week…making this disclaimer now before I get any of those "Hey, but that's not what you said…" emails. Save your hands from carpal tunnel, I'm aware of my hypocrisy!
1. Am truly not a huge fan of the day. Either have been unfortunate enough to be boyfriend-less on the V-day in the past, or have been soured by more than a few sub-par occasions. Either way, 97% of them have been at least moderately disappointing in one way or another, leading to an air of nonchalance that I at least attempt to portray.
3. Long week. Brain dead.
Any combination of the three could be at cause here, but in doing some investigating for my article, I came upon some interesting facts.
Mainly, guys want to forget this day. They want US to forget this day. They want it to go away.
When asked about what they would want for Valentine's Day, besides a few unmentionable x-rated requests (funny, the majority of them were identical!) they wanted to get out of celebrating this day. Claiming it as a made-up holiday (true, actually…) they were less-than-enthused about the seemingly obligatory role they were to play in this year's festivities.
These were single guys, committed guys, married guys…all just truly couldn't care less, and looked to this as a burden rather than an anticipated event.
So what does this lead us to? Girls wasting their money on guys? Boys being hostile and bitter about shelling out a hundred bucks for some flowers that will be dead by the weekend? Somehow, it doesn't seem all that fun anymore.
Valentine's Day used to be about making homemade mailboxes, covering a shoebox with construction paper hearts, doilies, and markers. (After your cousin stopped eating all the paste, that is…) You would go around the classroom, dropping your He-Man or My Little Pony-branded Valentines in everyone else's box. Even the teacher had one pre-made in your pack of 20+1 SUPER COLOR VALENTINES for only $2.99! I bought myself a box of these this year, trying to get myself back into that elementary-school feeling. I'll let you know how it goes.
But I digress. Is this "holiday," whether a true or conceived-by-Hallmark-for-revenue one, worth it? I don't even want to think about how many arguments are caused by less-than-desirable presents (who ever heard of a Dust Devil as a romantic gift!?) It could, and should, be so much simpler.
Happy end-of-January, and it's never too early (or too late!) to do your Valentine's shopping!!


For all the social media influencers out there, the opportunity of a lifetime beckons as the prestigious Lifestyle Influencer Awards 2017 from Better Homes & Gardens, in association with Social Samosa, anoint the topmost Influencers of India.
As the industry bigwigs and fellow influencers gather in one place, there is no dearth of reasons to not be a part of The Lifestyle Influencer Awards 2017, which is being presented by Better Homes & Gardens, one of the world's leading lifestyle magazines, digitally partnered by Social Samosa, one of the principal social media thought leaders in the Indian industry.
If you are a social media influencer who has tirelessly built a reputation, an audience and a following all on their own, and find yourself hesitating to be part of The Lifestyle Influencer Awards 2017, here are 5 reasons why you should not miss this chance to celebrate your work!
The illustrious list of jury members constitutes some of the most influential leaders in their respective industry and fraternity, with the likes of Maria Goretti, Anaggh Desai, Adarsh Gill, Raseel Gujral Ansal, Sabyasachi Gorai and Vidya Tikari.
The Lifestyle Influencer Awards is your chance to interact and quite possibly be awarded by this panel of elite judges.
Better Homes & Gardens, a popular international lifestyle magazine offers one of the largest platforms for Influencers to grace and leverage their work. Being a part of The Lifestyle Influencer Awards is an honour, and to share it with the hardworking innovators is an honour for us too.
Not only do you have a chance to have your work recognized by our eminent jury, a vast community of industry professionals, guests and other personalities are expected to be present at the Lifestyle Influencer Awards 2017.
The chance to enhance your appeal and audience is on offer by Better Homes & Gardens and Social Samosa.
The backbone of a social media influencer is their follower base that comes only with perseverance and sustained excellence. Reconnect with your fans and followers, and reinforce your superior social media presence by urging them to vote for you, thus reaching the shortlist of nominees.
With the who's who of the social media influencer community congregating under one roof, you have the chance to network and rub shoulders with your idols, your peers and your admirers at the Lifestyle Influencer Awards 2017.


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text:
def install(job):
    """
    Scality is already available in the sandbox, no need to install or copy files.
    Instead, we will reconfigure it to use the provided storage and meta paths.
    """
    service = job.service

    prefab = service.executor.prefab
    prefab.core.dir_ensure(service.model.data.storageData)
    prefab.core.dir_ensure(service.model.data.storageMeta)

    env = {
        'S3DATAPATH': service.model.data.storageData,
        'S3METADATAPATH': service.model.data.storageMeta,
    }

    app_path = '/opt/jumpscale8/apps/S3'
    config_path = j.sal.fs.joinPaths(app_path, 'config.json')
    config_str = prefab.core.file_read(config_path)
    config = j.data.serializer.json.loads(config_str)
    config['regions'] = {
        'us-east-1': [service.model.data.domain]
    }

    prefab.core.file_write(
        config_path,
        j.data.serializer.json.dumps(config, indent=2)
    )

    accessKey = service.model.data.keyAccess
    secretKey = service.model.data.keySecret

    PASSWD = '0123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ'
    if accessKey == "":
        #generate new access and secret
        accessKey =  j.data.idgenerator.generatePasswd(12, al=PASSWD)
        secretKey =  j.data.idgenerator.generatePasswd(12, al=PASSWD)

        service.model.data.keyAccess = accessKey
        service.model.data.keySecret = secretKey
        service.saveAll()

    #setup user auth
    config_path = j.sal.fs.joinPaths(app_path, 'conf', 'authdata.json')
    config_str = prefab.core.file_read(config_path)
    config = j.data.serializer.json.loads(config_str)
    default_account = config['accounts'][0]
    default_account['name'] = 'ays'
    default_account['keys'] = [
        {
            'access': accessKey,
            'secret': secretKey,
        }
    ]
    default_account.pop('users', None)

    config['accounts'] = [default_account]
    prefab.core.file_write(
        config_path,
        j.data.serializer.json.dumps(config, indent=2)
    )

    pm = prefab.system.processmanager.get()
    pm.ensure(
        name='scalityS3',
        cmd='npm start',
        env=env,
        path=app_path
    )

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


c1915 Frederick George Ellis opens a Picture House and two shops on a mortgage at a total cost of £5,000. The site had previously been the depot and stables of the horse tram service that ran between the Hove boundary and Shoreham until it closed in June 1913.
1924 March 24 Nonetheless, Sheffield is granted a cinematograph licence.
1924 April Cinema is leased to Alfred Barnett, who assigns the property to a Mr Stadelmann, against whom a receiving order is eventually made.
1925 March 23 The cinematograph licence is renewed by Alfred Barnett.
1926 March 22 Licensed to F J Freeman, who operates the Scala at Burgess Hill; 340 seats.
1928 Now called the Plaza. Freeman is also granted a theatrical licence and includes variety acts along with the films. During the year the cinema is run by P V Reynolds, proprietor of the Picturedrome in Portslade.
1930 December 15 Fire destroys the stage, much of the seating and the Panatrope equipment (the twin-deck gramophone unit that replaced live musicians in poorer cinemas that did not yet show talkies). The damage, estimated at £1,000, results in the cinema being rebuilt.
1931 April 6 Re-opens as the New Kinema with replacement seating and a British Thompson-Houston sound system. Prices 4d-1s; 461 seats.
1932 Reynolds, now re-building the Picturedrome in Portslade to turn it into the Pavilion Cinema, sells the New Kinema to J E Greaves.
1946 Fire again causes damage to the projection booth, consuming all the film but barely affecting the auditorium. The cinema is closed for four weeks.
1948 March 24 For the third time fire breaks out, this time completely gutting the cinema.
• The site, to the west of the junction of Albion Street and Station Road, is now part of a development of council flats in landscaped grassland.


text:
Israel fears rapprochement between US, Iran
Ben Caspit February 19, 2015
Some officials in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Israel fear that the United States aspires to replace its traditional Middle East alliance with a moderate Iran.
REUTERS/Larry Downing
US President Barack Obama and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu walk away after a news conference at the prime minister's residence in Jerusalem, March 20, 2013.
The public confrontation between the Barack Obama administration and the Benjamin Netanyahu government, which includes also a personal conflict between Obama and Netanyahu, has two sides: a revealed facet and a hidden facet.
The revealed, publicized side is constantly in our face. Hardly a day goes by in which a new red line is not crossed. On Feb. 18, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a media briefing that his country still confers with Israel regarding the Iran nuclear talks but is concerned that leaked information could undermine the chances for success of the talks. He said, "There's no question that some of the things that the Israelis have said in characterizing our negotiating position have not been accurate." Earnest added that the United States would like to guarantee that information discussed in the talks will not be taken out of context or distorted.
Nothing like this has happened here before in the new era. "The only incident I can remember that bears similarity to this is the Pollard affair," I was told this week by a high-ranking Israeli security source. "But then they had caught a spy from Israel in their holy of holies, so there was justification for the ruckus. Now, at such a sensitive juncture, they are openly showing that they don't trust Israel. In fact, they are removing Israel from their deluxe guest suite in which it resided as a guest of honor for generations, and doing this in front of the cameras. Astonishing doesn't begin to describe it."
Behind the scenes, another more clandestine confrontation is raging. The United States is facing off against what were called (until very recently) "America's allies in the Middle East," namely Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other countries. This confrontation is quiet, restrained and perhaps only implicit, but its roots are combustible and contain potential for explosion. Many sources in the countries listed above feel that the United States is gearing up for a process of replacing its allies in the Middle East. No more Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Israel. Instead, Iran is supposed to replace them.
According to this conspiracy theory, Obama dreams about a nuclear arrangement with Iran that will lead to a booming, historic, geopolitical change in the entire region. Iran will shed its earlier identity and turn westward.
According to this theory (which is also popular in Middle East intelligence organizations), the Americans hope to make use of Iran to stabilize the great conflagration that has taken hold of the Middle East in recent years. The theory goes like this: Only Iran is capable of crushing the Islamic State (IS) within a short time period. Only Iran can rein in Hezbollah, can calm the waters in Yemen, can restore order to the entire region. A historic agreement with Iran (according to this theory) would be the first stage in a comprehensive regional process in which Iran would morph from an ostracized, pariah (and terror) state, into the great axis of stability.
The Saudis, the Egyptians and some of the Israelis say that Obama wants to bring Iran back to center stage. He wants to usher it into the guest suite — that same suite from which the Israelis were ejected.
The Americans dismiss this outright. A high-placed American official I spoke to this week tried not to burst out in laughter at this conspiracy theory. "The truth is that we hear this from many Israeli sources," he admitted. "It is completely unfounded, totally imaginary. What is serious here is the atmosphere that allows veteran allies like Israel and Saudi to even conceive of being replaced by Iran. No doubt about it, the Middle East is going crazy."
Another American source close to the administration, whom I spoke to last week behind closed doors, reported a discussion held a few weeks ago by National Security Adviser Susan Rice. The Iran question came up for discussion, and participants considered the question "how will Iran behave if and when a nuclear agreement is reached with the West." One of the attendees went on imagining and estimating that such an agreement could considerably moderate Iran and transform it from a terror-disseminating, subversive element to a strengthening, stabilizing one.
However, that speaker remained a tiny minority in the room. Most of the participants were united in the view that "a nuclear agreement with Iran is only likely to radicalize it and make it even more belligerent." The explanation is as follows: A nuclear agreement would suspend the nuclear dreams of the ayatollahs, and along with it the decisive regional hegemony Iran was aspiring to achieve. Under such circumstances, Iran would be forced to preserve its status as a regional power by doing what it has been doing for the last 30 years: strengthening Hezbollah, continuing to try to take control of power centers, keeping the heat on the Sunnis, building terror footholds and continuing the siege on Israel.
According to the same American source, at the summary stage of the discussion, even Rice herself joined those who felt that a nuclear agreement between the powers and Iran is not likely to moderate Iran, but do just the opposite.
So who is right? Where is the truth? Like in any conspiracy theory, the truth is in the middle. The Americans aren't trying to replace Saudi Arabia with Iran. The Americans are not trying to throw Israel under the bus, but they would be very happy if Netanyahu would disappear quickly from the public stage and remain as far away from them as possible.
The Americans are trying to carry out a three-stage process: first, to reach a nuclear deal that would freeze the existing situation and leave Iran one year away from the bomb. According to the Americans, this was what was decided in advance with Israel, and Israel is now flagrantly violating the understandings, manipulating the data and distorting reality.
In the second stage, after the immediate nuclear danger passes, the Americans hope to use Iran to calm and stabilize the region as much as possible. They know that this may be somewhat naive, but they hope that the dissipation of the great tension formed between the various sides of the nuclear conundrum will allow the Iranians to descend from the various trees they have climbed. That is the reason they continue to insist on gradual removal of sanctions. They want to encourage the Iranians to improve their behavior in additional dimensions, beyond the nuclear issue.
The third stage is far-flung, utopian and dependent on numerous variables. That is the stage when the Iranian nation is supposed to replace at some point the rule of the ayatollahs and return to the bosom of the modern world. Without ayatollahs, there will be no nuclear problem.
By the way, there are quite a few security officials even in Israel who feel that the problem in Iran is not nuclearization but Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the gang of several dozen fanatics surrounding him. When they are gone, they say, everything will work out. Well, meanwhile, they are still here.
Found in: nuclear negotiations, israel, iran, benjamin netanyahu, barack obama, alliance
Ben Caspit is a columnist for Al-Monitor's Israel Pulse. He is also a senior columnist and political analyst for Israeli newspapers and has a daily radio show and regular TV shows on politics and Israel. On Twitter: @BenCaspit
Unification of Arab parties bad news for Netanyahu


The upcoming Avengers: Infinity War is set to be the cinematic event of the decade, with its first teaser trailer breaking the record for single-day views. Since Iron Man first hit screens in 2008, Marvel has introduced dozens of heroes, villains, and events, all of which will finally culminate when Thanos finally sets foot on Earth. People aren't just fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: they feel like they're a part of it.
One of the biggest tools that Marvel has used to build its brand has been the use of post-credit scenes, stingers, and teases. Ever Marvel Studios movie to date has had a post-credit scene, with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's five scenes currently holding the record. The content contained within these scenes has varied tremendously. Sometimes it's a tease for a future movie, sometimes a full sequence, and sometimes just a joke. Whatever it is, any true Marvel fan knows to wait until the credits stop rolling before they leave their seats.
As we prepare for the arrival of the superhero movie to end all superhero movies, it's a perfect time to look back on all of the post-credit scenes that Marvel is famous for.
Here is Every Marvel Post-Credit Scene, Ranked Worst To Best.
Though the recent release of the highly acclaimed Thor: Ragnarok has turned the Norse God into the biggest superhero of the moment, the same adoration wasn't given to his second movie. Thor: The Dark World is generally regarded as being the weakest Marvel Studios movie to date, and it also has the least successful post-credits scene so far.
While it's cool to see Benicio Del Toro's Collector interacting with Sif and Volstagg, the content of the scene is bizarre. Why would the Asgardians ever trust an Infinity Stone with a shady figure like the Collector? While Volstagg does make the point that keeping two of these all-powerful stones in one place probably isn't a good idea, there are probably a thousand better places they could have hid the Aether, instead of giving it to this clearly untrustworthy guy. It just doesn't make a lot of sense.
The sheer fact that Guardians of the Galaxy was even made was a testament to Marvel's success. Nobody would've ever thought that a gang of superheroes including a talking tree and a macho raccoon would ever succeed, but the movie blew open the gates for all of Marvel's cosmic characters to come rushing in. Then, in this post-credit scene, one of Marvel's most bizarre figures of all time entered the stage: Howard the Duck.
In this scene, Howard both looked and sounded exactly like his comic counterpart. The issue with this scene? Nothing came of it. Though he came back for a cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we're still anxiously waiting for this drinking, wisecracking fowl to really strut his stuff on the big screen. Marvel isn't making any moves in that direction, though, which makes this something of a wasted post-credits scene.
In this post-credit scene for Thor: The Dark World, the God of Thunder returns to Earth in a flurry of electricity, to reunite with his beloved Jane Foster. The scene works, but given the importance of the Jane/Thor romance in the first two Thor movies, it's hard not to feel like this scene should have been in the movie itself, instead of after the credits. Further complicating the matter is that the movies stopped using Jane after this point, meaning this was probably Natalie Portman's last appearance in the MCU.
Of course, right after the two of them passionately embrace, we then see that the rampaging Jotunheim Beast from earlier in the film is still stomping on rooftops and terrorizing birds. We can only hope Thor took care of this problem shortly afterward.
In all fairness, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 had so many post-credit scenes that not all of them could knock it out of the park. In one of these scenes, the character of Kraglin practices his whistling technique to control Yondu's famous arrow. It doesn't quite work, and he ends up hitting Drax with it. Oops. Ticking off a guy who calls himself the "Destroyer" usually isn't a great idea, so Kraglin backs away slowly.
This scene isn't bad, and it definitely fits the tone of the movie. However, it doesn't serve a huge narrative purpose, unless Kraglin using Yondu's arrow ends up being a plot point later on. However, that's okay, because this movie had five separate post-credit scenes, so James Gunn could afford to have fun with a few of them.
...until this post-credits scene, where the character emerges seemingly unscathed, only to have to face to citizens he held captive. Seeing that he's at a disadvantage, Grandmaster commends his former citizens for their efforts, and declares the revolution a tie. Needless to say, we wouldn't expect to see him again anytime soon, if ever.
The after-credit stinger placed at the end of Ant-Man is simply a scene from Captain America: Civil War, but it was nonetheless a pivotal tease of what was to come in the MCU's future. Here, we see that Cap and Falcon have managed to track down Bucky, and are holding him for questioning. Why? How? Those answers would have to wait until Civil War. What mattered here was the Falcon's assertion that he knew "a guy" who could lend them a helping hand.
Of course, that guy ends up being Scott Lang, the super-shrinking hero who Falcon had a weird and unexpected altercation with in Ant-Man. Given the amusing history between these two very-different superheroes, it will be fun to see if they get to interact again at any point during Infinity War.
24 Avengers: Age of Ultron - Thanos: "Fine, I'll do it myself!"
Though Thanos is the MCU's big bad, and he's predicted to be the "main character" of Infinity War, his background and motivations have largely been mysterious up until this point. Other than a scene in Guardians of the Galaxy, Thanos has mostly stayed in the shadows, making others do his work for him. That's what makes this scene at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron so important.
When Thanos seizes the Infinity Gauntlet, he's also launching Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which will come to a close when he invades Earth.
The only reason that this scene doesn't rank higher is that it probably should have showed a little more. At this point, we'd already seen the Infinity Gauntlet and Thanos' face, so fans were eager to get a whiff of the Mad Titan's motivations — or perhaps another reference to his beloved lady, "Death."
This scene is one of the ultimate examples of just how much Guardians of the Galaxy mastermind James Gunn loves both the comics and the fans. From an outsider perspective, the scene isn't particularly noteworthy: it simply shows the Ravagers gathering together, at Stakar's call, to go "steal some s---." Fun, but not so important.
However, die-hard comic fans know that what makes this scene special is that it shows the original Guardians of the Galaxy team from the comics gathered together - a sight that no one ever could have predicted even a mere decade ago. In the comics, these guys actually came from the year 3000. We wouldn't expect to see that back story in the movies, but getting to see the old team rally, if only for a moment, was an unexpected gift.
Though the tragic fate of Janet van Dyne— AKA the Wasp— was shown in the flashback sequences of Ant-Man, the character's absence was definitely felt throughout the film. The Wasp is one of the major Avengers in the comics, at one point even leading the team, but the character has been missing from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
We still haven't seen her yet, but this post-credit scene made it clear that a new Wasp was on the way: Hope van Dyne, daughter of the original shrinking heroes. While Ant-Man & The Wasp won't be coming out until 2018, this scene set the stage for what was to come, and current reports are indicating that this upcoming movie might have a way bigger impact on the MCU than previously foreseen.
By the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the entire landscape of the Marvel Universe has changed forever. The movie's shocking revelations about HYDRA have spurred Cap, Black Widow, and Falcon to take down S.H.I.E.L.D. itself, and Bucky has disappeared. From there, it was hard to imagine where Marvel could be going next, but they gave a lot of clues in this post-credit sequence which introduces three major Marvel characters: Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker and those mutated twins, the Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver.
Though Strucker's role in the MCU ended up being cut short far sooner than fans would've hoped, he at least got to appear in this dark, moody sequence, saying a memorable line that still pops up today: "This is the Age of Miracles, doctor. There is nothing more horrifying... than a miracle."
Back in the early days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the post-credit scenes were simpler, but no less effective. At the end of Captain America: The First Avenger, Steve Rogers' life has transformed a second time, when he wakes up in the future world and walks into Times Square. The film swiftly cuts to black, but in this post-credit sequence — which is actually just a scene taken straight from The Avengers — we get a brief glimpse at the frustration that Rogers certainly must feel at having his life ripped away from him, and trying to move on in a strange new world.
The scene shows Cap beats the living hell out of a punching bag, but the tension and anger inside him is clear. Then Nick Fury appears to relay a message, setting Cap up for the big show that would soon occur.
This is a scene that perfectly demonstrates the excellence of Marvel's recipe: in a few minutes, it both ties up loose ends from the movie we just saw, and sets up multiple threads for what it is to come. In the scene, we see that T'Challa has granted asylum to the now-outlawed Cap and Bucky, and that the monarch has agreed to help keep Bucky safe until a cure is found for his mental programming. It's a great character moment for T'Challa, and it perfectly sets up both Cap and Bucky for Infinity War.
However, the best thing about this scene is the ending. In response to worries about people invading Wakanda to get to Bucky, T'Challa simply replies, "Let them try." And when we see a brief glimpse at Wakanda itself, complete with a giant panther statue, we understand T'Challa's confidence. The sneak peek is small, but unforgettable, and it gets the audience's heart pounding in anticipation for Black Panther, which will finally hit theaters in 2018.
Thor: Ragnarok is one of the last MCU movies before Infinity War rolls around, so in this mid-credits scene, it leave us with a foreboding glimpse of the darkness still to come. At this point in the film, Thor and the Asgardians are piloting their ship to Earth. Loki visits Thor in his quarters to ask him if going to Earth is necessarily a great idea. Before they can discuss it further, a huge shadow falls over them... from a giant ship that has moved to block their path.
This could be anything, but what makes the scene so ominous is that we know what it probably is: Thanos, the Mad Titan, who has come to retrieve the Tesseract from Loki. While we won't know the full details until Infinity War, a run-in with Thanos probably has tragic implications for the future of Asgard.
Towards the end of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, after Cap makes the horrifying discovery that the government's prized assassin is his brainwashed, presumed-dead best friend, he goes to great lengths to try to bring Bucky from the dark side. He doesn't seem to get through to him, but there are enough moments of lingering doubt to give Steve hope.
In this final scene, we get the biggest sign of all that Bucky might be remembering his past, when he goes to visit the Captain America memorial seen earlier in the film. The scene is both creepy and touching — the idea that Bucky is looking at himself, but can't remember himself, is pretty scary — but it sets up the next stage in Bucky's journey quite effectively.
Throughout Iron Man 3, we hear Tony Stark doing a voice over, recounting his battle against the "Mandarin" and the frequent panic attacks he suffered as a result of The Avengers. As an audience, we never consider that this voice over might actually be Stark talking to someone, such as a therapist. However, in the post-credits scene, it's revealed that Stark has been venting to his best buddy, Bruce Banner, who has evidently slept through the entire story.
Of course, it's not without irony that the guy Stark is venting to is someone whose anger management problems are so bad that he transforms into a giant green monster. Banner tries to explain that he isn't the best person to vent to about these sorts of things, but Stark continues doing so anyway.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 does so many little references to the cosmic side of the Marvel Universe that a book could be written about them. Perhaps the biggest Easter egg of them all, which could have major implications for future movies, is this post-credits, which foreshadows the character of Adam Warlock.
Sure, Adam himself doesn't actually appear - just his little cocoon, but Ayesha's new breed of warrior seems destined to face off against the Guardians of the Galaxy at some point soon... or join them, or and maybe feature in his own movie. Regardless, Adam Warlock is coming, and he's sure to make a splash. We'll have to wait and see what the future holds. Either way, it's sure to be exciting.
Michael Keaton's Vulture ended up being one of the fan-favorite Marvel villains so far. This mid-credits tag let viewers see a glimpse of what happens to him after going to prison, and gives us an inkling of what might still be in store. In the scene, the imprisoned Toomes is approached by Mac Gargan.
Gargan suggests that he and a few of his friends are thinking about banding together to take down Spider-Man, and Gargan's heard that Toomes might know who he is. Toomes replies that if he did, the wall crawler would already be dead... and then walks away smiling.
This scene is great for two reasons: one, it's a great character moment for Toomes. Two, comic fans know that Gargan will someday become the Scorpion, and his mention of ganging together with others is a clear setup for the Sinister Six. Who else will join the ranks? We'll have to wait for the next Spider-Man movie to find out.
13 Doctor Strange - "Too many sorcerers"
One of the central relationships of the Doctor Strange movie is between Strange and Mordo, the former disciple of the Ancient One who finds himself disagreeing with Strange's methods. Though the two work together throughout the movie, Mordo leaves in a huff, proclaiming that what Strange is doing is wrong.
In this after-credits tag, we get a forewarning of what Mordo will be up to in the future, when he visits Jonathan Pangborn, rips away the magic that cured his paraplegia, and proclaims that the problem with the world is that there are "too many sorcerers." When Doctor Strange 2 finally rolls around at some point, it's almost a sure bet that Strange and Mordo will cross paths once again... but this time, probably not as friends.
The Incredible Hulk was only the second movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Looking back, it's hard to remember how fragile the whole thing was, or how surreal it all seemed. That's the reason that this scene — though it's often forgotten today — was so important. In the sequence, we see General Ross drowning his sorrows in a bar, when he's approached by Tony Stark, who wants to discuss some Avengers business with him. Nothing of any particular importance is said, the scene is short, and it doesn't necessarily line up with what actually happened in The Avengers.
But back at the time, this was one of the biggest signs that the MCU was really happening. Nick Fury's Iron Man cameo was one thing, but this scene showed a major superhero from one movie crossing over into another hero's movie in an unprecedented fashion. It was a big deal, and it deserves to be remembered.
While the Mordo scene effectively set up Stephen Strange's next adversary, Doctor Strange also featured this coda, wherein Strange interacts with Thor. The scene is full of clever, amusing touches, such as Strange continually refilling Thor's glass, and it shows a Strange who has grown more comfortable in his magical abilities.
Perhaps the coolest thing, though, was that the scene made it clear that Strange would be appearing in Thor: Ragnarok, as the scene itself is actually just a lift from that movie. This exciting development heralded Strange's arrival into the proper Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he's sure to play a key role when Infinity War rolls around. It's a fun scene, but also an important one, as it shows just how integrated the MCU has become.
If there was one character that people were most excited about after Captain America: Civil War, it was the new Spider-Man played by Tom Holland. Luckily, fans who stayed until the end of the credits got a little glimpse of what awaited them in Spider-Man: Homecoming. In the scene, Peter returns home to his low-income apartment, where he's clearly beat up and has to explain his injuries to Aunt May; basically, he just blames his condition on a guy he calls "Steve from Brooklyn," which isn't really a lie.
After May leaves the room, Peter plays around with his new webshooter, and discovers that Tony Stark left him a little message: the spider-signal, a Stan Lee-era bit of gear that no one ever expected to see in the movies.
Once again, it's funny to look back on the early Marvel post-credit tags to see how simple they were in comparison to the ones now. Since the MCU was still in its earliest stages, very little groundwork was needed.
In Iron Man 2, there are repeated references to some insane stuff going on in New Mexico, which S.H.I.E.L.D. is somehow involved in. The movie doesn't elaborate too much, but after the credits, we see Agent Coulson embarking to what looks like a UFO crash site... where Thor's mighty hammer has fallen to the earth, and is immovable.
Sure, it seems like a little thing, these days. But back then, this was the first sign that the grounded world of the MCU was about to get a lot more cosmic.
Meanwhile, by the time the actual Thor movie came out, Marvel had all of its gears in place, and it was moving full steam ahead to The Avengers. This scene shows the character of Dr. Erik Selvig, a major figure in Thor, being led to an underground S.H.I.E.L.D. facility. There, he meets Nick Fury. The man with the eye-patch enlists Selvig to research the weird cosmic cube called the Tesseract, and Selvig agrees. However, at the end, we see that Selvig's mind has been taken over by Loki, so sabotage is afoot.
This scene acts as a bridge between Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, setting up The Avengers, and explaining how Loki was going to get involved. It is less than two minutes long, but it accomplishes a lot in that time frame.
Before his death, Groot was the warm, beating heart at the center of the Guardians of the Galaxy. He was kind, compassionate, and sacrificed himself so that his friends could live. Baby Groot, as seen in the second movie, is a bit different: he's childish, young, and a bit rebellious, like any walking, talking baby tree would be.
However, at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we get a hilarious glimpse at the next stage of Groot: Teen (or "tween") Groot, an adolescent version of the hero who keeps his room messy, plays games all day, and says his "I am Groot" with a lot more attitude. It's one of the funniest scenes in the MCU to date, and it'll be great to see Teen Groot again soon.
Speaking of hilarious, this scene knocks it out of the park. Throughout Spider-Man: Homecoming, we see that Peter's high school often shows the students cheesy PSA videos with Captain America giving them advice on how to be upstanding citizens. It's a great touch that adds texture to the MCU.
Then, at the end of the credits, Marvel goes meta. Marvel has trained audiences to stay until after the credits, so it knows the fans are watching, waiting, ready for a tease of Infinity War... and instead, the movie ends with Captain America giving another corny PSA, lecturing the audience on the value of patience, and on how to deal with "why you waited so long, for something so disappointing." It's a fantastic conclusion to a fantastic movie.
By the time the credits had finished rolling for The Avengers, we knew Marvel had already blown the doors off of the superhero movie genre. The whole team was assembled, had taken out an alien invasion, and New York was safe. Shortly after saving the day, Tony mentions wanting to try eating shawarma at the Shawarma Palace, but this seem like it's just a throwaway joke.
Then, at the end of the credits, we see the entire team gathered to eat shawarma together. Everyone is silent, clearly exhausted from the big battle, and the restaurant itself is damaged. But the scene is very real, very human, and it feels like something that would genuinely would take place, and that's what makes it so great.
Okay, so for context, Stan Lee has appeared in just about every Marvel movie to date. And why wouldn't he? He was the co-creator of the Marvel Universe, so it makes sense. For years, fans always looked out for every Stan Lee cameo.
By the time the MCU became an established thing, a major fan theory emerged that Stan Lee could be one of the Watchers, a race of aliens who monitor everything that happens in the universe. This theory explained why Stan Lee could pop up everywhere from New York City to distant worlds.
Finally, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 answered the prayers of fans, and made this theory into a legitimate part of the MCU. However, it was with a twist: Stan Lee wasn't quite a Watcher himself, but rather, an Informant for the Watchers. This revelation happens during the movie itself, but in the post-credits scene, we get to spend a little extra time with the "real" Informant, before he goes back to popping up in the other Marvel movies.
Let's face it, you knew this little guy was going to be near the top. The original Groot's sacrifice at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy was a big surprise, and left a major hole in the group dynamic. But then, at the end of the credits, we got a sign of hope: Groot's spawn, "Baby Groot," was alive, and loved to dance.
Baby Groot's debut is unbelievably adorable, and the fact that it works so well goes to show what a great job James Gunn did in establishing the humorous tone of the movie. By the time we got to actually meet Baby Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, we already loved him just as much as the original guy.
2 The Avengers - "To Challenge Them is to Court... Death."
This was it. Right here. The introduction of Thanos, the Mad Titan, who will finally make his way to Earth to "court Death" in Avengers: Infinity War. One of the biggest, most important moments in MCU history, snuck into the end credits of The Avengers.
We remember this scene so well that it's easy to forget what a major effect it first had, but consider: at the time, The Avengers was the biggest event in superhero movie history. It was a movie so massive in scale that it would seem impossible to ever top it. So, what did Marvel do? They made it clear, by showing a tiny glimmer of Thanos in the credits, that things were about to get a lot, lot bigger. It won't be until Infinity War where the mysteries surrounding Thanos are finally fleshed out, but let's face it, nothing might ever top the impact of his first scene.
Back when Iron Man came out in 2008, there was no such thing as the "MCU." Iron Man was just another superhero origin movie, albeit a special one. That all changed after the credits rolled, when a man wearing an eye-patch emerged from the shadows and assured Tony Stark that he wasn't the only superhero in the world.
When it comes to picking the #1 spot, it's hard to choose between this and the Thanos scene in The Avengers. Overall, though, the Nick Fury scene is impossible to top. When Samuel Jackson uttered the words "Avengers Initiative," it forever changed the cinematic landscape as we know it. Though Marvel will probably have many more post-credits scenes in the future, nothing will ever be able to top this one.
What's your favorite Marvel post-credits scene? Let us know in the comments!