text:
CES Highlights
'Best of CES' Awards
Gadgets You Can Get Now
Trend: 'Rollable' Phones
Trend: Clean Tech
More From CES
Fast Forward Newsletter
Arielle Pardes
04.09.2020 03:36 PM
This Pandemic Is a 'Fork in the Road' for Gig Worker Benefits
As Covid-19 keeps people indoors, delivery and other contract workers are more visible than ever—making this a pivotal time for them to secure basic rights.
Photograph: ANGELA WEISS/Getty Images
Helen hasn't taken a day off in weeks. Since the novel coronavirus crisis began, she's taken countless trips to the grocery store as an Instacart shopper, ferrying bags of food to people for what amounts to a little more than minimum wage. Recently, a group of Instacart shoppers staged a nationwide strike, demanding that the company provide higher wages, along with benefits like hazard pay and sick leave. Helen supports those demands but says she "literally couldn't afford to take the day off." (She asked not to use her last name for fear of retaliation.) It's not just out-of-pocket payments for gas, car insurance, and all the rest. She also has to pay for her own health insurance and dip into her savings to take a sick day. "I'm just saving as much as possible during the feast, because I know it'll be back to famine soon enough."
The gig economy has been like this for years, with some workers scrambling to make ends meet sans traditional benefits. And it's not just gig workers. While on-demand jobs represent a small sliver of the economy, Gallup estimates that as many as one-third of Americans rely on alternative work arrangements, piecing together a paycheck from various clients or customers.
Now, as the Covid-19 crisis worsens, Americans seem to appreciate the value of these workers more than ever—especially couriers like Helen, who have become a lifeline for people stuck at home. Delivery workers have been called "household heroes." Cities on lockdown have classified their work as "essential." That's thrown into stark relief the nature of their work and their lack of protections like health care, sick leave, workers' compensation, and stable pay. Americans are paying unprecedented attention to gig workers. If ever there was a time to secure those benefits, it's now.
"We are absolutely at a fork in the road," says Palak Shah, the founding director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, which has fought to provide comprehensive benefits to domestic workers. "The conversation is at a turning point now, where we're shifting from talking about the 'future of work' to realizing it's not about the future. It has to change right now."
Benefits like unemployment insurance arose in the 1930s in response to the Great Depression. Employer-sponsored health insurance came later, as did federal requirements to give employees time off for family and medical leave. These systems provide a safety net to people who work, but they reflect the needs of a 20th-century workforce, when far more people worked for one employer for most of their career. Today, tens of millions of people with nontraditional work arrangements are left out.
"With the coronavirus crisis, I think we're going to see public opinion change very quickly."
Palak Shah, National Domestic Workers Alliance
Some parts of the workforce have gone without traditional benefits for decades, long before "the gig economy" existed: house cleaners, nannies, plumbers, electricians, tutors, and even real estate agents, many of whom are self-employed or lack a full-time employer who would administer benefits. "There's a lot of commonality between someone who's driving for Uber and someone who's working as a tutor, or a subcontracted worker who's providing cleaning services for Google," says Alastair Fitzpayne, executive director of the Aspen Institute's Future of Work Initiative. "Those workers have slightly different work arrangements, but their inability to access benefits is very similar."
When the economy ground to a halt in 2008, most people without W-2 jobs didn't qualify for unemployment benefits because they couldn't claim an employer who had paid unemployment taxes. Now, legislators have temporarily changed that policy, allowing freelancers and self-employed individuals to claim unemployment benefits for the first time. Fitzpayne believes that's at least partly owing to the recent visibility of gig workers. "It's raised awareness that if you're going to provide unemployment insurance benefits, and you only apply it for people who have traditional employers, you'll leave out tens of millions of people."
Fitzpayne thinks that visibility means the public may finally be tuned-in enough to force even broader regulatory changes. "For the first time since the gig economy has become a household term, around 2009 or so, legislators are thinking very actively that the benefits being provided are not just going to employees but also self-employed individuals and those who are part of the gig economy," he says. "That's an important evolution."
There have been previous attempts at so-called portable benefits, which are tied to individuals rather than the corporations they work for. In 2018 the National Domestic Workers Alliance piloted Alia, a program that pools voluntary contributions from clients that cleaners can then redeem for disability insurance, accident insurance, life insurance, or paid time off. Clients make small, recurring payments—the recommended amount is about $5 per house cleaning—and workers can access their accrued funds in an online dashboard.
Shah says there hasn't been much urgency around providing these benefits until very recently. Now, as more platforms for portable benefits are emerging, it will be important for them to use the momentum to catch on. "With the coronavirus crisis, I think we're going to see public opinion change very quickly," says Shah. "A large part of what we needed was visibility. We have that now."
Legislation has started to emerge that would address some of those needs. Senator Mark Warner (D-Virginia) reintroduced a bill in February that would earmark $20 million for states and nonprofits to offer benefits like workers' comp, disability coverage, and retirement savings to people without traditional employers. "Coronavirus is underscoring how vulnerable some American workers are without access to a safety net," Warner tweeted. "This crisis is demonstrating why we need a portable benefits system for gig workers, independent contractors, and other contingent workers." And in May, Philadelphia will become the first city in the country to pilot its own portable benefits program, which affords domestic workers up to 40 hours of paid time off each year.
And while companies remain unlikely to offer benefits freely, some gig workers find themselves with more leverage than ever. In March, Instacart announced that it would hire 300,000 more shoppers to meet demand. Workers were able to secure better treatment, including the promise of protective supplies like masks and hand sanitizers and a higher raised tip amount. Workers for Shipt, a Target-owned grocery delivery company, followed suit this week with a similar strike.
"It is significant that you're seeing more of that type of activism in this moment than we've seen in the past," says Fitzpayne. "Workers are feeling that they're in a strong enough position to make those types of requests."
Still, even if Instacart met all of the demands of its workers, it wouldn't do much for the millions of other workers with similar types of jobs. "If you're giving them benefits while preserving these illegal business models, then you're allowing employers to get away with not providing protections to workers that are due," says Larry Mishel, a distinguished fellow at the Economic Policy Institute. Some states are pushing for companies to reclassify their workers as employees, not contractors. California recently passed legislation that defines Uber drivers, DoorDash delivery workers, and similar roles as employees; in New York, a court recently ruled that Postmates workers cannot be classified as independent contractors. Those companies are aggressively pushing back.
The coronavirus crisis may divert attention away from those recent regulatory decisions, but Fitzpayne argues that long-term change will ultimately require legislation. "We're seeing temporary solutions, but that invites the broader question," says Fitzpayne. "Are we going to be able, as a country, to take some of these temporary solutions and make them more permanent?"
If that push for more durable solutions doesn't happen now, while public sympathies for gig workers are exceedingly high, then it may never happen at all.
More From WIRED on Covid-19
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New Yorkers, once again at ground zero, in their own words
Un-miracle drugs could help tame the pandemic
WIRED Q&A: We are in the midst of the outbreak. Now what?
Read all of our coronavirus coverage here
Arielle Pardes is a senior writer at WIRED, where she works on stories about our relationship to our technology. Previously she was a senior editor for VICE. She is an alumna of the University of Pennsylvania and lives in San Francisco.
Q&A: What's Next for the Coronavirus Pandemic?
WIRED's Nick Thompson and Adam Rogers discuss the current state of the Covid-19 pandemic, from testing to vaccines to the ways our world is changing.
Topicson-demand economyUbergig economycoronavirusCOVID-19


text:
Job hunt success is all in a name
A call for standardised anonymous application forms.
Alison Booth
PHOTO: floris-oosterveld on flickr
Economics and finance, Social policy, Education | Australia
Australian employers are not giving a fair go to all, writes Alison Booth.
What's in a name when you're applying for a job? Surely it's only the qualifications and experience that matter, not your name or ethnicity. If two job applicants have exactly the same resume, they should have an equal probability of being selected for a job interview, shouldn't they? After all, Australia's immigration policy based on a points system has been admired and adopted by other countries, including New Zealand and Britain; and in Australia we give everyone a fair go, don't we?
Not according to our research published in the Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics in August last year. My co-authors – Andrew Leigh and Elena Varganova – and I carried out a large-scale field experiment to see if there is any labour market discrimination against ethnic minorities in Australia.
We conducted what's termed a correspondence study, in which fictitious individuals, identical in all respects apart from their ethnicity, apply for jobs. After obtaining ethics approval from the Australian National University, we randomly submitted more than 4000 fictional applications for entry-level jobs.
PHOTO: Ben Husmann on flickr.
In terms of number of applications submitted, this was one of the biggest correspondence studies ever conducted. The large size of the study allowed us to look at a range of ethnic groups, where ethnicity was indicated only by the name of the job applicant. The names we used were from five broad ethnicities: Anglo-Saxon, Indigenous, Italian, Chinese and Middle Eastern. We were interested in measuring call-back rates for interviews, and we focused on urban areas alone.
In all cases we applied for entry-level jobs and submitted a resume indicating that the candidate attended high school in Australia. The findings were both startling and robust. In particular we found that ethnic minority candidates would need to apply for more jobs to receive the same number of invitations to interviews. Moreover, these differences vary systematically across ethnic groups.
To get as many interviews as an Anglo applicant with an Anglo-sounding name, an Indigenous person must submit 35 per cent more applications, a Chinese person must submit 68 per cent more applications, an Italian person must submit 12 per cent more applications, and a Middle Eastern person 64 per cent more applications.
This study has implications for the individual job seeker as well as for policy. For the individual, what's the advice? Consider Anglicising your name. This is the counsel given by some immigration lawyers. They sometimes also recommend that you don't put your country of birth on your application and only mention your language skills if they're relevant.
But can policymakers also do something? Yes, and here's one suggestion. Policymakers can implement anonymous job application procedures and can undertake – or commission – a field experiment to evaluate their effects. First, find a few companies or government departments. For these companies, set up two groups – the treatment group and the control.
The control group might be all job applicants for the previous year and the treatment would be all the new applicants for the next year for whom anonymous job applications would be introduced. (Alternatively the control group might be half of all new applicants, and then introduce anonymous job applications for the other half.) Evaluations would (i) consider whether or not this process is cumbersome, and (ii) evaluate its impact on ethnic and gender callbacks for the treatment group, compared with the control group.
Is this possible? Of course it is. In Germany, in November 2010, the Federal Anti-discrimination Agency initiated a field experiment along these lines, with anonymous job applications (no name, no photograph, no ethnicity or gender). The results showed that standardised anonymous application forms were associated with equal chances of applicants of different minorities receiving a job interview. This is just as you'd expect.
Standardised anonymous application forms were also found to be easily implemented. (This evaluation is reported in a paper by Krause, Rinne and Zimmermann, published in December last year as "Anonymous job applications in Europe", IZA Journal of European Labor Studies.)
Can we do this in Australia? Let's see what our policymakers have to say.
Alison Booth is Professor of Economics at The Australian National University (ANU), a Research Fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), London and of the IZA Bonn, and an ANU Public Policy Fellow.
Turn back the clock Alison Booth
Smashing the glass ceiling Alison Booth
Podcast: A high price tag for the Australian Dream BEN PHILLIPS
Turning a blind eye to the battlers JOHN HEWSON
Make an impact with your expertise ASIA & THE PACIFIC POLICY STUDIES JOURNAL
Australia votes, then waits QUENTIN GRAFTON
To achieve gender equality, we need women entrepreneurs SHAMSHAD AKHTAR
Australia could end homelessness ADRIAN PISARSKI

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Dealing with Roundoff Error when writing RREF I'm trying to write a program that solves for the reduced row echelon form when given a matrix. Basically what I'm doing is writing a program that solves systems of equations. However, due to the fact that there are times when I need to do division to result in repeating digits (such as 2/3 which is .66666...) and java rounds off to a certain digit, there are times when a pivot should be 0 (meaning no pivot) is something like .0000001 and it messes up my whole program.
My first question is if I were to have some sort of if statement, what is the best way to write something like "if this number is less than .00001 away from being an integer, then round to that closest integer".
My second question is does anyone have any ideas on more optimal ways of handling this situation rather than just put if statements rounding numbers all over the place.
Thank you very much.

A: You say that you are writing a program that solves systems of equations. This is quite a complicated problem. If you only want to use such a program, you are better off using a library written by somebody else. I will assume that you really want to write the program yourself, for fun and/or education.
You identified the main problem: using floating point numbers leads to rounding and thus to inexact results. There are two solutions for this.
The first solution is not to use floating point numbers. Use only integers and reduce the matrix to row echelon form (not reduced); this can be done without divisions. Since all computations with integers are exact, a pivot that should be 0 will be exactly 0 (actually, there may be a problem with overflow). Of course, this will only work if the matrix you start with consists of integers. You can generalize this approach by working with fractions instead of integers.
The second solution is to use floating point numbers and be very careful. This is a topic of a whole branch of mathematics / computer science called numerical analysis. It is too complicated to explain in an answer here, so you have to get a book on numerical analysis. In simple terms, what you want to do is to say that if Math.abs(pivot) < some small value, then you assume that the pivot should be zero, but that it is something like .0000000001 because of rounding errors, so you just act as if the pivot is zero. The problem is finding out what "some small value" is.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Koo Wee Rup And District Lions Community Opportunity Shop is a traditional community op shop selling clothing, homewares, books and toys.
Located at 290 Rossiter Road, Koo Wee Rup the Lions Community Opportunity Shop commenced business in August 1992 and since that time has provided a great deal of funding to local community organizations.
All Op Shop workers are volunteers and come from the various community groups who benefit from sales. There are a team of permanent volunteers who act as sorting staff under the direction of Lion June Wright who spends more time at the Op Shop than at home. This shop regularly donates approximately $35,000 per year to these community groups.


I love ALL the staff. They are super great and extremely helpful. They have a lot of knowledge on all of their products . Thanks for all the help everyone! Cant wait to do business with you all again!
Chuck was awesome to work with and got me exactly what I wanted. His tile installers are top notch and they executed my vision perfectly. Thank you Chuck!
The entire staff is amazing. They work together to make sure every customer receives the best possible service. It's obvious that everyone, including the installers, are on the same team. I was very happy with the end results! I highly recommend Elkton Tile and Carpet.
The staff at Elkton Carpet and Tile, plus the installers they use are professional and friendly. I remodeled my kitchen using a local designer 2 years ago. They worked with her timeline and put in a new tile floor and then, at a later date, the backsplash. I could not be happier, the tile and the tile work is beautiful. I still get compliments. There have been no issues with the tile or the installation, their work is top notch. They were helpful in picking out coordinating tile to match the cabinets, countertops and paint we chose. I'm about to redo the bath and will be using them again.


What is the good news in LGBTQ philanthropy these days, and where do challenges remain? It turns out that despite the oppressive political climate—or in response to it—there is a lot to be optimistic about in the funding world. Giving for LGBTQ causes increased again in 2017, for the fifth year in a row.
For members of the LGBTQ community, allies, service providers and funders, this is a difficult era, but one in which hope persists, according to Funders for LGBTQ Issues President Ben Francisco Maulbeck and Vice President of Research and Communications Lyle Matthew Kan, who shared insights on their latest funding analysis with Inside Philanthropy.
A few years ago, in the wake of the 2015 marriage equality victory, many advocates feared there would be a falloff in support for LGBTQ communities. That didn't happen. Funders for LGBTQ Issues' 2016 report showed foundation funding on the rise. The 2017 study shows this trend continued, with funding from U.S. foundations reaching a record-breaking $185.7 million in 2017. While LGBTQ issues actually received $202.3 million the year before, the response to the Pulse Nightclub Massacre in Orlando accounted for about $30 million. Because this portion was essentially disaster-relief funding, it is not included in most of the group's funding comparisons.
Kan tells us that while funding has seen a "meaningful" increase, it is still "slightly shy of the $200 million goal," Funders for LGBTQ Issues set in its 2015 strategic plan. With the Pulse giving excluded, funding rose 6 percent in 2017—a similar growth rate to recent years. The top five funders overall were the Arcus and Ford foundations, Gilead Sciences, the Gill Foundation and Open Society Foundations—all long-term supporters of these causes. A very notable jump in the 2017 report was that giving increased the most in the South, an area of historic underinvestment, while the Midwest and Mountain States remain areas of need. This falls in line with a larger recent increase of philanthropic activity in the South.
When he discusses LGBTQ funding, Maulbeck focuses a lot on the South, a region that's been a major focus of the affinity group's work lately. He identifies it as the area of greatest recent funding success and attributes this, in part, to his organization's ongoing Out in the South initiative. In 2012, $4.8 million in foundation funding was devoted to these LGBTQ communities and, by 2016, that number more than tripled, at nearly $18 million. In 2017, the South became the most funded area for the first time since the group began tracking, receiving more than $22 million. The South came in just above the Northeast, where funding actually dropped after 2016. New York and California were once again the top funded states in 2017.
Maulbeck says the growth in the South was due to Out in the South and "a growing number of national and Southern funders recognizing that the South is, and always has been, a site of inspiring resistance and movement-building for social change." Maulbeck mentions the fight against anti-LGBTQ bills as one area of focus in this region.
Meanwhile, the Midwest and Mountain States remain areas of concern. While LGBTQ funding in these regions increased in 2017, they currently have the lowest amount of resources. The Midwest receives the smallest amount of LGBTQ-related funding per LGBTQ adult.
Community foundations have been more embracing of LGBTQ causes over time as progressive, accepting attitudes become more mainstream. In 2017, these foundations saw the greatest increase among funding sectors, nearly doubling 2016 amounts. Funders for LGBTQ Issues reports that significant growth in donor-advised giving is one reason for this jump.
Corporate foundation grantmaking also rose in 2017. Gilead Sciences, ViiV Healthcare, Wells Fargo and Google all notably upped their LGBTQ funding. And funding by U.S. foundations for LGBTQ issues outside the country continues to grow—it set a record for grantmaking for the second year in a row.
Another triumphant stat from the recent report is that giving to U.S. trans communities reached a new high of $22.6 million in 2017. Along with Out in the South, Grantmakers United for Trans Communities (GUTC) is another one of this network's signature programs; they both seem to be having an impact.
Funders for LGBTQ Issues has about 80 members. It's more than doubled its staff and more than tripled its revenue in the last few years, and it recently released a new strategic plan. The 2019 Funding Forward was its ninth annual conference and covered topics including immigration, bisexual health, religious freedom, LGBTQ representation in philanthropy, conversion therapy and Native American Two Spirit communities. It is the second year for the Pride in Philanthropy Awards, and the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice—a top 10 funder in 2017—won the 2019 OUT for Impact Award. Cindy Rizzo of the Arcus Foundation won the Reed Erickson Award for Trailblazing Leadership.
The organization also offers trainings customized for funders' interests and location, and Maulbeck gave us a few examples. "[One] funder with a focus on economic opportunity was astounded by the data we shared on the disproportionate poverty faced by LGBTQ communities." He adds that after the training, the funder awarded its first LGBTQ grant to advance economic opportunity. "[Another] undertook a training specifically on trans issues, and is now in the process of reviewing its internal policies to be more trans-inclusive." He explains that adjusting employee hiring forms to be more intentionally inclusive of different gender identities is one way to do this.
Maulbeck also shares a story of a recent training for the board of a family foundation that was given after a family member came out as transgender. He described the family's love and support for their relative as "palpable and moving." They were disturbed by the lack of funding for trans communities, "but also felt like they had an opportunity for tremendous impact on an issue that means so much to them personally… In a time when the divisiveness in our country can feel overwhelming, seeing a family grow and learn and give together for equality and justice was nothing short of inspiring." Next to all the financial data, policy battles and strategic agendas, zeroing in on unique encounters illuminates the powerful impact philanthropic affinity groups can have.


text:
package ca.eandb.jmist.framework.material;

import org.apache.commons.math3.util.FastMath;

import ca.eandb.jmist.framework.Painter;
import ca.eandb.jmist.framework.ScatteredRay;
import ca.eandb.jmist.framework.SurfacePoint;
import ca.eandb.jmist.framework.color.Color;
import ca.eandb.jmist.framework.color.ColorUtil;
import ca.eandb.jmist.framework.color.Spectrum;
import ca.eandb.jmist.framework.color.WavelengthPacket;
import ca.eandb.jmist.framework.painter.UniformPainter;
import ca.eandb.jmist.framework.random.RandomUtil;
import ca.eandb.jmist.math.Basis3;
import ca.eandb.jmist.math.Optics;
import ca.eandb.jmist.math.Ray3;
import ca.eandb.jmist.math.SphericalCoordinates;
import ca.eandb.jmist.math.Vector3;

/**
 * A Material based on the modified Phong BRDF.  Implementation as
 * described in:
 *
 * E.P. Lafortune and Y.D. Willems, "Using the Modified Phong Reflectance Model
 * for Physically Based Rendering", Technical Report CW 197, Department of
 * Computing Science, K.U. Leuven.  November 1994.
 *
 * @author Brad Kimmel
 */
public final class ModifiedPhongMaterial extends OpaqueMaterial {

  /** Serialization version ID. */
  private static final long serialVersionUID = 3049341531935254708L;

  /** The Painter to use to assign the diffuse reflectance. */
  private final Painter kdPainter;

  /** The Painter to use to assign the specular reflectance. */
  private final Painter ksPainter;

  /** The sharpness of the specular reflectance lobe. */
  private final double n;

  /**
   * Creates a new ModifiedPhongMaterial.
   * @param kd The Painter to use to assign the diffuse
   *     reflectance.
   * @param ks The Painter to use to assign the specular
   *     reflectance.
   * @param n The sharpness of the specular reflectance lobe.
   */
  public ModifiedPhongMaterial(Painter kd, Painter ks, double n) {
    this.kdPainter = kd;
    this.ksPainter = ks;
    this.n = n;
  }

  /**
   * Creates a new ModifiedPhongMaterial.
   * @param kd The diffuse reflectance Spectrum.
   * @param ks The specular reflectance Spectrum.
   * @param n The sharpness of the specular reflectance lobe.
   */
  public ModifiedPhongMaterial(Spectrum kd, Spectrum ks, double n) {
    this(new UniformPainter(kd), new UniformPainter(ks), n);
  }

  @Override
  public Color bsdf(SurfacePoint x, Vector3 in, Vector3 out,
      WavelengthPacket lambda) {
    if ((in.dot(x.getNormal()) < 0.0) == (out.dot(x.getNormal()) > 0.0)) {
      Color kd = kdPainter.getColor(x, lambda);
      Color d = kd.divide(Math.PI);

      Vector3 r = Optics.reflect(in, x.getNormal());
      double rdoto = r.dot(out);
      if (rdoto > 0.0) {
        Color ks = ksPainter.getColor(x, lambda);
        Color s = ks.times(((n + 2.0) / (2.0 * Math.PI)) * Math.pow(rdoto, n));
        return d.plus(s);
      } else {
        return d;
      }
    } else {
      return lambda.getColorModel().getBlack(lambda);
    }
  }

  @Override
  public double getScatteringPDF(SurfacePoint x, Vector3 in, Vector3 out,
      boolean adjoint, WavelengthPacket lambda) {
    double vdotn = -in.dot(x.getNormal());
    double odotn = out.dot(x.getNormal());
    if ((vdotn > 0.0) != (odotn > 0.0)) {
      return 0.0;
    }

    Color kd = kdPainter.getColor(x, lambda);
    Color ks = ksPainter.getColor(x, lambda);
    double kdY = ColorUtil.getMeanChannelValue(kd);
    double rhod = kdY;

    double ksY = ColorUtil.getMeanChannelValue(ks);
    double rhos = Math.min(1.0, ksY * Math.abs(vdotn) * (n + 2.0) / (n + 1.0));

    Vector3 r = Optics.reflect(in, x.getNormal());
    double rdoto = r.dot(out);

    double pdfd = rhod / Math.PI;
    double pdfs = rdoto > 0.0 ? rhos * (Math.pow(rdoto, n) / Math.abs(odotn)) * (n + 1.0) / (2.0 * Math.PI) : 0.0;

    return pdfd + pdfs;
  }

  @Override
  public ScatteredRay scatter(SurfacePoint x, Vector3 v, boolean adjoint,
      WavelengthPacket lambda, double ru, double rv, double rj) {

    double vdotn = -v.dot(x.getNormal());
//    if (vdotn < 0.0) {
//      return null;
//    }

    Color kd = kdPainter.getColor(x, lambda);
    Color ks = ksPainter.getColor(x, lambda);
    double kdY = ColorUtil.getMeanChannelValue(kd);
    double rhod = kdY;

    double ksY = ColorUtil.getMeanChannelValue(ks);
    double rhos = Math.min(1.0, ksY * Math.abs(vdotn) * (n + 2.0) / (n + 1.0));

    if (rj < rhod) {
      Vector3 out = RandomUtil.diffuse(ru, rv).toCartesian(x.getBasis());
      Ray3 ray = new Ray3(x.getPosition(), out);
      return ScatteredRay.diffuse(ray, kd.divide(rhod), getScatteringPDF(x, v, out, adjoint, lambda));
    } else if (rj < rhod + rhos) {
      Vector3 r = Optics.reflect(v, x.getNormal());
      Vector3 out = new SphericalCoordinates(FastMath.acos(Math.pow(ru, 1.0 / (n + 1.0))), 2.0 * Math.PI * rv).toCartesian(Basis3.fromW(r));
      double ndoto = x.getNormal().dot(out);
      Color weight = ks.times(((n + 2.0) / (n + 1.0)) * Math.abs(ndoto) / rhos);
      //double rdoto = r.dot(out);
      double pdf = getScatteringPDF(x, v, out, adjoint, lambda);//rhod / Math.PI + rhos * (Math.pow(rdoto, n) / ndoto) * (n + 1.0) / (2.0 * Math.PI);
      Ray3 ray = new Ray3(x.getPosition(), out);
      return ScatteredRay.glossy(ray, weight, pdf);
    }
    return null;
  }

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Oppositions and Their Purpose in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'The Birthday Party'
September 3, 2019 July 26, 2019 by sampler
Both Harold Pinter and Tennessee Williams depict vivid and intimidating oppositions in their characters Stanley Kowalski and Goldberg and McCann. The oppositions in both A Streetcar Named Desire and The Birthday Party strive to assert their power over their victims, Blanche DuBois and Stanley Webber, through the emergence of their pasts to the present, portrayed in the plays. In a Streetcar Named Desire, an increased knowledge of Blanche's background inflicted on her by Stanley K creates a lucid portrayal of Blanche's intrinsic torment. On the other hand, Pinter gives no greater insight into Stanley W's character from the interrogation of Goldberg and McCann, and instead creates ambiguity as to who Stanley W, and the oppositions, actually are. This confusion in identity, present in both plays, becomes clearer in Streetcar Named Desire through Stanley K's investigation, despite Stanley possessing less and more direct speech in comparison to Blanche, whereas Goldberg and McCann create more uncertainty in their heavy use of speech.
The oppositions in both The Birthday Party and A Streetcar Named Desire represent order, society and justice, oppressing the those who stray from societal progression. Despite this similarity, Williams depicts Stanley K to lead his cause, whereas Goldberg and McCann clearly serve a higher order. When Stanley K first meets Blanche, he asserts his "territory" (p.14), which illustrates him as primal and possessive, unwilling to give way to Blanche, or compromise his power. Williams portrays Stanley's sole leadership as he presents himself as the voice of Justice, representing "the Napoleonic code" (p.18), whereby he gains possession of what is Blanche's or Stella's. This implies that Stanley believes that his way of life is correct, yet this superiority results in the oppression of Blanche. Stella reflects on the consequences that Stanley's power has on Blanche, as she accuses him of having "abused [Blanche], and forced her to change" (p.81).
In A Streetcar Named Desire it is clear that this oppression derives directly from Stanley's own desperation for power and leadership, whereas in The Birthday Party, the abuse of Stanley W appears to be a result of higher orders. This is revealed as Goldberg refers to the interrogation of Stanley W as a "job"(p.29), where Stanley is the "subject"(p.30). This language is more distant and official, suggesting Stanley, the "subject", to be only one of many victims. Pinter depicts the existence of a powerful, oppressive state or group, as McCann states that Stanley "betrayed the organisation"(p.48). The audience also gains greater understanding as to the size and power of this "organisation" as it is referred to by Goldberg as "our breed"(p.52), suggesting it to control potentially the whole of society. This language also implies a superiority, reflecting that of the Nazis, where quality of "breed" is of greatest importance. Those not contributing to this are discriminated against, removed from society.
Both sets of oppositions see their way of life as relevant and correct and anyone who does not contribute to this as useless, to be changed or eradicated. Thus, both Stanley K and Goldberg and McCann reflect the 1950s societies that don't allow for difference, their victims helpless and vulnerable to the change that leaves them behind. By Pinter suggesting that Goldberg and McCann are the hitmen of a greater institution he is potentially expressing hypocrisy in the post-war state that echoes the nazi fascist qualities that Britain fought in the war. Yet Pinter shows attempts to mask this, as the oppressors in The Birthday Party are traditionally the oppressed, Goldberg Jewish and McCann Irish. Perhaps, through this, Pinter in fact alludes to the greater terror of the state that is above Goldberg and McCann, fear forcing the oppressed into violence. On the other hand, as Stanley appears to act alone, and is the epitome of masculinity, racial diversity and realism, Williams instead reflects on the people led power that replaces the tradition that kept Blanche safe.
There is also a contrast between the quality and quantity of language used by the oppositions in both plays. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Stanley K controls the plot with simple, but brutally purposeful speech, even though Blanche possesses many dramatic extended speeches. In comparison to Blanche's exaggerated diatribes, Stanley K speaks with direct aggression, derived from investigation "from the most reliable sources." Williams structures Stanley's assault on Blanche; the clarity in stating "lie number one" gives greater emphasis to the truth that he uses to break down Blanche. Like the effect of the chaotic verbal assault in The Birthday Party, the direct truth behind Blanche's lies that Stanley K expresses reduces Blanche and her speech into only painful exclamations:
"Stanley: As a matter of fact there wasn't no wires at all! Blanche: Oh, oh! Stanley: There isn't no millionaire! And Mitch didn't come back with roses 'cause I know where he is – Blanche: Oh! Stanley: There isn't a goddam thing but imagination! Blanche: Oh!"
In The Birthday Party, on the other hand, Stanley W loses his ability to speak as a consequence of Goldberg and McCann's plentiful and absurd speech. Pinter's oppositions bombard Stanley with completely invented notions about him, these overwhelming Stanley, his speech and ability to process information conquered by confusion. Unlike in A Streetcar Named Desire, where Blanche still attempts to protect herself following Stanley K's interrogation, Stanley W soon becomes completely defeated. His speech is soon lost after this verbal assault of nonsense talk:
"Stanley: What wife? Goldberg: What have you done with your wife? McCann: He's killed his wife! Goldberg: Why did you kill your wife? Stanley: What wife? McCann: How did he kill her? Goldberg: How did you kill her? McCann: He throttled her. Goldberg: With arsenic."
This is similar to the speech between opposition and victim in A Streetcar Named Desire, yet Stanley W is broken down by the absurdity in Goldberg and McCann's assault, rather than the truth which ruins Blanche. Thus, it is clear that each playwright illustrates the power of opposite forces to render their victims helpless. Williams focuses on the cruelty and power of truth in the face of Blanche's imagination and fantasy, whereas Pinter displays the profound despair of not knowing anything in Stanley's confusion and breakdown from the chaotic and absurd questioning of Goldberg and McCann.
The emphasis on the truth of Blanche's past in Stanley K's interrogation causes the reader to perceive a greater understanding of them both intrinsically, but with Goldberg and McCann, despite their vocal presence and pursuit, the audience gains no understanding of who they are. Williams exposes insight into Blanche's character through Stanley's discoveries about her, but also through Blanche's behaviour when with different people. When alone, the audience becomes aware of her childlike innocence, when with Mitch, her past, and why she hides from it, is exposed and when with Stanley K, the audience perceives the façade that she wears for self-protection. Ultimately, as Blanche is further broken down by Stanley K's interrogation over the plot progression, her inner torment is further revealed. In comparison, there is no greater insight into Stanley W's character from Goldberg and McCann's pursuit in The Birthday Party. They only create more confusion as to who Stanley is and what his past contains. Through this, Pinter encourages a more traumatising evaluation of Stanley, the audience's fear heightened as he could have potentially done something horrific or nothing at all. Yet Stanley's sense of fear at the beginning shows his inability to cope with change or in fact suggests that he is indeed running from something: "they won't come. Someone's taking the Michael. It's a false alarm. A false alarm." As a result, Pinter suggests the individual's inability to even trust themselves, along with the sense of threat triggered by anything new or different.
The oppositions also reveal nothing about themselves during the interrogation, even their names are uncertain, Goldberg going by Nat, "Simey" and "Benny". The validity of Goldberg's stereotypically Jewish past is also questionable, as he uses the same description- "'Simey!' My old mum used to shout, 'quick before it gets cold.' And there on the table what would I see? The nicest piece of gefilte fish you could wish to find on a plate"- for his wife, replacing only the food product for a different typically Jewish one. This unrealistic repetition implies a sense of forced character within Goldberg, leaving the audience with no knowledge of who he actually is, let alone ability to trust him.
In A Streetcar Named Desire, the audience does gain understanding of the opposition, Stanley K, through his interrogation of Blanche. This principally is an insecurity about a lack of identity, which is also glimpsed within Goldberg's character briefly. Stanley K struggles with his lack of knowledge about Blanche's past, and also the way that Blanche's presence imbalances his identity as powerful, as he sees her as a threat to his way of life. Consequently, he is depicted to desperately pile together "evidence" to create the Blanche that appears weaker than him, reinforcing his identity as powerful. Pinter also conveys Goldberg to be affected by loss of identity, this becoming apparent as he is portrayed as a victim of his own verbal assault. Within his nonsense talk, lifting phrases from songs, the Bible and WW1 propaganda, he becomes uncertain of who he really is, emerging "(vacant), (desperate), (lost)." Pinter gives the impression that Goldberg has been patching together a personality from all of these fragments of society, but gets lost within them. Perhaps, he is revealing brief disillusionment in being just one of many, serving the state, meaningless individually.
It is within this momentary break down that the audience is able to glimpse a small part of Goldberg's character, and this is him being unsure of who he is. It is through this paradox that Pinter emphasises our lack of ability to know anything. Thus it is clear that as oppositions, both Stanley K and Goldberg have power over other characters but struggle to maintain it over themselves.
This lack of individuality is perhaps also shown within Goldberg's sentimentality. Despite it being uncertain as to whether any of this is true, Goldberg finds comfort in the reminiscing to a time before working as he does now. Through this and both Goldberg and McCann representing stereotypical figures, in religion and origin, that they both embody tradition, contrasting to Stanley K. Stanley is the epitome of change in America, representing the diversity of New Orleans. In comparison to Blanche's traditional way of living as the southern belle, Stanley has "different notions". In his conflict with Blanche, Stanley is fighting against tradition in a plea to progress with his way of life. On the other hand, Goldberg lives through his childhood nostalgia, able to "see it like yesterday". Despite this potentially not being true, he seems comforted to live not only in the present. McCann represents traditional Ireland, expressing the voice of the past in his song. Therefore, despite their identities potentially being false, their embodiment of traditional roles reflects on the emphasis on tradition in the greater "organisation".Thus, the oppositions in The Birthday Party and A Streetcar Named Desire represent opposite forces, Goldberg and McCann oppressing those who don't contribute to the traditional perception of society, and Stanley K, seeing no place for tradition and fantasy within his changing America.
Thus, it is clear that, although the oppositions in A Streetcar Named Desire and The Birthday Party both act successfully to intimidate the victims and remove them from their ways of living, they both do so in opposite ways. In A Streetcar Named Desire, Stanley K uses the truth, simple and direct, to break down Blanche, whereas Goldberg and McCann of The Birthday Party are orchestrated to bombard Stanley W with absurd and chaotic accusations, confusion and fear at the lack of knowledge resulting in his destruction. Stanley K also represents the new, changing America, and, in contrast, Goldberg and McCann embody tradition, working for a greater "organisation" that preserves society, expelling those who do not contribute. Yet both Stanley K and Goldberg and McCann potentially act as opposition in protection of themselves. Stanley oppresses Blanche for fear of identity loss as leader and Goldberg and McCann are perhaps intimidated into violence by a higher power, that turns the oppressed into the oppressors. Lack of identity, despite this being more prominent in The Birthday Party, seems to play a major part in the way that the oppositions act, forced into powerful positions for fear to be something.
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Language and Silence in The Birthday Party
September 3, 2019 January 17, 2019 by sampler
Language in the "Birthday Party" is seen as a major theme of the play, despite its absurd nature. Through the use of language, Pinter creates silences that are monumental to the meaning and overall understanding of the play. With language, Pinter also manages to bridge the gap between his cold silences and the absurd actions of the play. Language is devalued; to the audience its use does not seem correct by our realities social rules and norms. However, it is within this devaluation that Pinter gives language in his play a primary role in bridging silence and action to create a masterpiece of confusion and self-discovery. Silence in the play is one of the most important aspects of language as used by Pinter. As Martin Esslin suggests, "Communication itself between people is so frightening that rather than do that there is continual cross-talk, a continual talking about other things, rather than the root of their relationship." In our everyday reality, people hide behind their meaningless conversations and never get to the "root" of what their mind desires to know. In an absolute fear of the nerve-breaking negative connotation of silence, people ramble in their everyday lives so that they never have to be faced with the awkwardness of silence. In an almost satirical gesture, Pinter makes the audience laugh at the meaningless rambling of the characters in the play, such as Meg's repetitive and pointless questions. "I've finished my cornflakes." Were they nice?" "Very nice." The audience laughs at the absurdity of this rambling where it is actually just an overdramatized reflection of their everyday conversations. The use of silence in the play is therefore given more meaning than these conversations. The pauses fragment the repetitive rambling, as the way of communicating cannot be as explicit as it is used to. The silence also adds to the feeling of absurdity in the play, where it is actually tied to the actions of the characters. Rather than the conventional way of leading to an action, as is usually found through the use of conversation, "The Birthday Party" gives silence this role. Stanley's silence followed by his insane actions gives a more powerful feeling of dread than any normal conversation, leading to that action, would. Since language is used as a buffer between silence and action, it serves to bring the two together on strict terms. It does not act directly as a bridge, but rather as a protective barrier to allow the two to interact in moderation. For the majority of the play, meaningful words are used, but not in a context where they can apply. Understanding and recognition of these words is possible, but no meaning derives from them. However, when the play reaches its most critical point in Act III, words start to lose their meaning completely. Stanley's silence throughout the entire act works as a barrier to shield him against the change that has come to rip him away from his safe haven and to throw him into the world that he has so vigorously avoided for a long time now. Stanley does not utter a word in the entire Act, except towards the event, where through his meager attempts all he can manage is an "Ug-gug…uhgug….eeehhh-gag….caahh…" and not an actual word or sentence. While this may at first seem like Stanley has just gone completely crazy and therefore cannot form a coherent sentence, it is also as if language is keeping him in one piece. If Stanley had actually uttered a sentence while in his unstable state, his body may have not handled the drastic change from save haven to vicious world. With language being the barrier between his silence and his actions it also, in a way, shields him from himself. By talking in his self-defense, the conflict that was playing out in his mind could have been materialized in the form of words, essentially destroying him in the crossfire. In the Theatre of the Absurd, rules and regulations do not exist. The world in which "The Birthday Party" takes place is not bound by social norms. Absurdity reigns supreme within every scene of the play, from the characters movements to their personalities. As language keeps Stanley's mind in one piece, it is also the one solid fabric keeping the world together. Within the use of language, the characters are formed. To its power, they are but mere puppets. Harold Pinter uses language in an almost divine way, making it the cornerstone of every movement that goes on in his world. The actions of the characters are governed by the use of language. Their silence, their actions, their words govern them. They have no thoughts and thus cannot make decisions. It is the absurdity of the world around them that makes them move forward. And language is the solid form of that absurdity, which shows in the aforementioned ridiculousness of their conversations, as well as the ridiculousness of their actions as Stanley shows when "he arrives at her chair, banging the drum, his face and the drumbeat now savage and possessed." So language acts as the shield between total inability to communicate, or silence, and a chaotic array of absurd actions. If language did not exist, then the characters actions would be frantic, destroying the very structure of their existence, and thus forcing them to succumb to a false reality in order to survive, which would essentially force them to become more…human.In conclusion, language not only acts as a bridge to bring the worlds of silence and action together, but also as a shield that keeps the very fabric of Harold Pinter's version of the Theatre of the Absurd intact. Language creates the silences in the play to contrast the ongoing rambling of the audience members' everyday lives, but it also serves to quell and calm the interaction between silence and action, so that the two can balance each other out, and not engage each character in an all-out war to keep their sanity. It, in this way, keeps the Theatre of the Absurd from crumbling down into the disgusting everyday notion we know as our harsh reality.


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The Norwegian Forestry Society (, often shortened to Skogselskapet) is an interest organisation in Norway.

It was established as Det norske Skogselskab in 1898, with Axel Heiberg as its first chairman. Its purpose is to promote forestry interests. It issues the magazine Norsk Skogbruk. Chairman of the board is Johan C. Løken, and the organizational headquarters are in Oslo.

References

External links
Official site
Official site, Norsk Skogbruk

Forestry in Norway
Organizations established in 1898
Organisations based in Oslo
1898 establishments in Norway

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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All Eyes on Virginia TOMORROW!
Monday November 1, 2021
Ever since the radical left flipped the House of Delegates and the State Senate in 2019, Virginia has been hit with wave after wave of the worst gun control legislation you can imagine.
In two years' time Virginia enacted 'Red Flag' laws, a statewide gun registry, a one-gun-a-month policy, local gun control ordinances that supersede state law and much more.
That's why ALL EYES are on Virginia tomorrow, where the Governor's mansion and the House of Delegates are up for grabs (the state has off-year elections) in the first major election cycle since the 2020 presidential showdown.
Make no mistake, what happens in Virginia tomorrow night has implications that extend far outside of the state, as these elections serve as a referendum on Joe Biden and Congressional Democrats.
That's why the American Firearms Association — our national affiliate — has been busy working in Virginia making sure that every gun owner in the state knows what's at stake tomorrow.
As a member of the North Carolina Firearms Coalition, I thought you might enjoy seeing one of AFA's digital ads in this race. Check it out below!
This is the gun-grabbers' goal across America: flip 'red' states 'blue' and pass as much gun control legislation into law as possible, while preserving their majority. The left knows that if they do this, it will embolden gun grabbers across the country!
But if gun owners can take back the House of Delegates OR the Governor's mansion, it will send a message to gun grabbers all over the country that in this environment, voting against the Second Amendment is a great way to lose your re-election.
The American Firearms Association knows what's at stake, and that's why they are leading the charge to expose Communist Terry McAuliffe and the rest of the radical left in Virginia.
There are plenty of national gun groups that all claim to be fighting for gun owners. All of them are raising lots of money from gun owners with Joe Biden in the White House.
But very few of them are actually in the trenches in Virginia — where they are needed most right now -– fighting to hold the line for freedom and the future of this country.
That's why I wanted to make sure you saw the American Firearms Association's ad. AFA is different. They play for keeps at the national level just like the North Carolina Firearms Coalition does here in Raleigh, and we're proud to have them as our national affiliate!
Keep an eye out on what happens in Virginia tomorrow night.
And then redouble your efforts to help the North Carolina Firearms Coalition make sure that the radical left never has a chance to attack our Second Amendment freedoms here in North Carolina!
P.S. Gun owners across the country will be watching what happens in Virginia tomorrow night, as the House of Delegates and the Governor's mansion are up for grabs.
This election will be a referendum on the horrific gun control laws that the General Assembly enacted in the last two years, and on Joe Biden's war against freedom in D.C.
The American Firearms Association is doing everything they can to make gun-grabbers pay a political price in Virginia, because if gun owners flip the General Assembly in Richmond, it will send a loud message to gun grabbers across the country!
<<< Check out AFA's ad here! >>>


Thimbelina: Off to the quilter!
After all the lovely suggestions I recieved I finally decided on making the top and bottom borders a little wider and adding some applique.... what do you think?
I love that it now looks so different from the one I made with the pieced border and that both little girls will have their own special quilt that is uniquely theirs!
Fabric range was "Sent with Love" by Deb Strain (minus the reds) and the pattern is "Stacked Coin Baby Quilt" from the "Moda Bake Shop".
I love the appliqued name on the bottom, very cute.


Little is known about the post-discharge outdoor activities of people who have incurred severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study used a body-worn global positioning system (GPS) device to determine the outdoor activity per day performed by this population. Additionally, this study examined the association that mobility, time since injury and injury severity had with levels of outdoor physical activity.
Seventeen people with TBI and 15 control subjects wore a GPS device for between 3–7 days to monitor their outdoor activity. Based on the individual's location and speed of movement the outdoor physical activity in minutes per day was derived. Assessments of duration of outdoor activity between groups, and the relationship that duration of outdoor activity had with results on the high-level mobility assessment tool, length of post-traumatic amnesia, and time since injury were performed. No significant (p = 0.153, effect size = 0.26) difference in time spent in outdoor physical activity was observed between the TBI (median[IQR] = 19[3–43]mins) and control (median[IQR] = 50[18–65]mins) group. Interestingly, 35% of TBI subjects performed <10 mins of outdoor activity per day compared to 13% of the control group. The TBI group also recorded three of the four highest values for outdoor physical activity. Higher levels of mobility were associated with more outdoor activity (Spearman's rho = 0.443, p = 0.038). No other significant associations were observed.
While preliminary, our results indicate that a sub-group of people with TBI exists who restrict their outdoor activities. GPS has potential as an activity tracking tool, with implications for rehabilitation and exercise prescription.
Following severe TBI people perform less physical activity , and due to functional mobility limitations their opportunities to perform outdoor activity may be reduced. Outdoor activity has numerous established benefits, ranging from obtaining Vitamin D  through to maintaining cardiovascular fitness and reducing depressive symptoms . In people living with a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), participating in outdoor activity is also an important step towards community integration . Self-report assessment of outdoor activity is simple to obtain and valid in many populations [5, 6], however problems associated with memory and recall following severe TBI limit this method of data collection . Measures such as self-selected walking speed are often used to predict functional gait performance and capacity to walk outdoors , however largely due to the difficulties associated with accurate data collection little quantitative evidence of the actual outdoor activity levels of this population exists.
Recent advances in "big brother" technology such as lightweight global positioning systems (GPS) allow for precise tracking of outdoor movement. Wearable GPS systems have also been shown to provide valid information, and are feasible to use in people living with stroke . Despite evidence that many people with a clinical condition report a reduction in their outdoor activity and a more sedentary indoor lifestyle , there is limited research using GPS in these populations [11–13], and none in people following severe TBI.
The aim of this study was to compare the outdoor activity of a TBI population with a matched healthy control group by using GPS tracking, and to examine whether functional mobility levels, injury severity and time since injury were associated with greater outdoor activity in this group. We hypothesised that 1) the TBI cohort would perform less physical activity outdoors, with a large number of participants performing very little outdoor physical activity, and 2) that improved physical function, lesser injury severity and a longer time since injury would be associated with increased outdoor activity.
A convenience sample of 17 independently ambulant people with severe TBI attending an outpatient brain injury physiotherapy department for their mobility restrictions, and 15 control subjects recruited by advertising and word-of-mouth matched for age and pre-injury employment status  provided informed consent to volunteer for this study. All study protocols were approved by Epworth Hospital (HREC No: 43609) and the Australian Catholic University Human Research Ethics Committee (No. V201072).
Participants were asked to wear a Kinetamap GPS Unit (Sparkfun Electronics, U.S.A.) sampling GPS data at 1 Hz for 7 consecutive days. This system uses a 20 Channel EM-408 SiRF III Receiver, with a cold, warm and hot start speed of 42, 38 and 8 seconds respectively. Given that the unit was kept on for the duration of the day, and that satellites are often detected whilst indoors, once the initial GPS signal was detected the typical lag time for outdoor detection was either 8 seconds (hot start time if no indoor satellite detection was available) or near instantaneous (if transitioning from an indoor environment with a satellite fix). To prolong battery life the unit was modified to use a larger 2000mAh lithium polymer battery, providing continuous usage time of ≈ 20 hrs. Overnight recharging was performed via a mains-powered recharger.
A minimum data collection threshold of wearing the unit >8 hrs/day for ≥3 days in the one week period was set, as it is common for people to forget to wear activity monitors during longitudinal studies and this timeframe meets the recommended minimum criteria for pedometer-based activity monitoring . The monitor, which is roughly the size of a mobile phone, was worn in a money belt around the waist from the time the participant woke-up in the morning until they went to bed and was left on constantly.
At completion of the one week period these data were uploaded by a blinded assessor into a custom LabVIEW program (National Instruments, U.S.A.) synchronised with Google Earth, and the custom program was used to distinguish between indoor time, physical activity performed outdoors and non-activity related transport by evaluating the location, velocity of movement and number of satellites with fixes. Specifically, all GPS data was loaded into this program, and segments which were identified as being indoors were removed from the signal. The remaining data constituted being outdoors, and subjective assessment of location and velocity of movement was used to further extract data which was likely to be non-physical activity (such as driving on a highway) . These passive transport data were removed to ensure that our results represented only physical activity performed outdoors. An example of how the program was used to identify outdoor activity is provided in Figure 1.
Example of the raw and analysed GPS data for a participant uploaded into Google Earth. For this trial analysis consisted of removing the indoor data, as evidenced in (A) by the noisy oscillations - indicative of poor indoor GPS signal - about the HOME position marked by the yellow pin. These images were uploaded into Google Earth by a custom software program which was used to trim the files. The velocity and location of movement was assessed in this program using the GPS data, and subjective decisions about the mode of activity (physically active, passive transport) were made based on these data. In this example the velocity of movement never exceeded 5 km/hr, and the location was predominantly on a walking track identified using Google Earth, and therefore it was deemed to be outdoor physical activity (B).
Physical function in the TBI group was assessed using a measure of functional mobility specifically designed for this population, the high level mobility assessment tool (HiMAT). This tool assesses performance on movements ranging from walking to jumping, and the results are reliable . Severity of TBI was quantified by length of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA).
Descriptive statistics for age, post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) duration, time post injury and HiMAT score are reported as median[interquartile range]. Due to the small sample size in each group, statistical analysis consisted of nonparametric one-tailed Mann Whitney U, skewness and kurtosis assessments to compare results between the two groups, and Spearman's correlation analysis within the TBI group to examine associations . Analysis was performed in SPSS V20, with the significance threshold set at p < 0.05.
Descriptive statistics for our TBI group were age = 28[24–38]yrs, PTA duration = 34[16–79]days, time post injury = 437[292–1126]days, HiMAT score = 30[19.5-38.8], males = 11. Nine and two members of the TBI and control groups were not employed/students respectively.
Both groups wore the device for 5 ± 2 days. Per day the TBI group wore the device for 9.0 ± 1.9 hrs, the control group for 9.0 ± 4.8 hrs. The individual subject and median with inter-quartile range results for the time spent in outdoor physical activity per day are provided in Figure 2. No significant (p = 0.153, Z = 1.45, effect size = 0.26) difference in time spent in outdoor physical activity was observed between the TBI (median[IQR] = 19[3–43]mins) and control (median[IQR] = 50[18–65]mins) group. Interestingly, the distribution of the results was markedly different between groups, as evidenced by the distribution of individual subject values in Figure 2 and the skewness (skewness[SE]: TBI = 1.70[0.55], control = 3.45[0.58]) and kurtosis (kurtosis[SE]: TBI = 2.21[1.06], control = 12.69[1.12]) values for each group. The distribution for the TBI group was noticeably peaked in the low levels of activity, with 35% and 71% of TBI subjects performing less than 10 mins and 30 mins of outdoor activity per day respectively. This contrasts poorly with the control group, in which 13% and 40% of participants were under these respective thresholds. Statistically this was offset by the TBI group also having a number of participants performing a high amount of outdoor physical activity, recording three of the four highest scores on this measure.
Individual subject, group median and group inter-quartile range results for time spent in outdoor activity per day. Distributions are plotted in the histograms at the bottom of the graph in 10 minute blocks, and were created using an online histogram plotting tool (http://www.wessa.net/rwasp_histogram.wasp). Note: outlying data for one control subject (value = 441 mins/day) removed from the graph but included in the non-parametric statistical analysis.
A significant, moderate strength correlation (rho = 0.443, p = 0.038) was observed between the HiMAT and time spent in outdoor activity, indicating that people with higher levels of mobility perform more outdoor activity. A trend was observed for an association between time spent in outdoor activity and PTA (rho = -0.384, p = 0.064), with increased duration of amnesia associated with a reduction in outdoor activity levels. A weak, non-significant association was observed between time since injury and time spent in outdoor activity (rho = -0.359, p = 0.157).
This is the first study to quantitatively assess outdoor physical activity levels in a TBI population using GPS. The TBI participants performed less outdoor physical activity than the control subjects; however this did not reach significance and therefore does not fully support our first hypothesis. There was a distinct difference in the pattern of distribution of the results, with the TBI group having a very high proportion of people performing little outdoor activity and a small proportion performing a large amount relative to the control group. This is likely influenced by the ability of the person with TBI to perform physical activity, as indicated by the significant association between functional mobility and time spent in outdoor activity which supports our second hypothesis.
The clustering in the low levels of activity for the TBI group is indicative of a cohort who, despite an increased amount of available "leisure" time due to unemployment (53% not working in any paid capacity), has restricted their outdoor activities. This result supports the previous subjective findings of Eriksson et al. , who reported a 24% reduction in outdoor life by their TBI population. Given the multi-dimensional and cognitive demands for outdoor walking, these findings reinforce that a prescribed outdoor rehabilitation program may need to be considered for this sub-group. In this respect the GPS system could form an invaluable tool for the rehabilitation practitioner, with the ability to prescribe and monitor outdoor activity using specific courses located near the person's home if they are not performing an adequate amount of outdoor activity. For example, an accessible recreational park could be identified near the person's home using Google Earth, and a walking track devised that provides sufficient stimulus to the participant based on their level of mobility. However, the ethical implications of tracking people's activity must be considered.
This study had limitations, including our decision to focus on only outdoor activity. Therefore our study does not take into account indoor exercise, which may constitute a higher proportion of overall physical activity in a clinical population who have restricted mobility. We also focused on physical activity capacity, as measured using the HiMAT, and injury related factors. Consequently, no examinations of other important intrinsic or extrinsic factors such as cognitive status and environmental barriers to physical activity which may have influenced physical activity levels were performed. Additionally, we did not control for or record the days that the participant did not wear the device, and therefore our results may be biased if one group wore the device more on weekends . We also used informed, but subjective, assessment to determine incidences of outdoor physical activity based on location, velocity of movement and the number of satellites fixes. This combination is commonly used in GPS studies of human movement . While this is likely to discriminate between activities such as walking and driving, if participants performed movements such as riding a bicycle at high speeds we may have incorrectly excluded these data. There is also the potential for drop-out when using GPS near large buildings or in dense urban areas . Although we used a relatively high quality GPS receiver, we cannot be certain that some outdoor activity was not incorrectly labelled as occurring indoors. Finally, we had a modest subject number and restricted data capture. This was due in large part to the device being used to assess activity, which at the time of purchase and software design (2010–2011) was a cutting edge activity monitoring tool. However, its size (28 × 63 × 94 mm) meant that it was unwieldy, and many potential research participants refused to wear it. Additionally, it required recharging overnight which may have resulted in missed days of data collection. These issues may be overcome using advances in low-power GPS tracking devices, with great potential for Smartphones to be programmed for monitoring and real-time feedback.
The authors would like to thank the patients for volunteering, and the staff at Epworth and Camberwell Hospitals' for their assistance.
RC created the data collection and analysis system, performed the statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript. NW organised subject recruitment and collected data and provided input into the drafting process. KP supervised the data collection and provided input into the drafting process. ST processed and analysed the data and provided input into the drafting process. GW was the senior researcher overseeing the project, assisted in subject recruitment and retention and provided input into the drafting process. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.


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Gazzola Institute, Piacenza
Check Me Please
The Gazzola Institute is a school of the arts and art museum, located on via Gazzola n°9 in the town of Piacenza, region of Emilia Romagna, Italy.
When Count Felice Gazola or Gazzola, Lieutenant General of the Spanish Army, Commander and Coronel of artillery, and Commendatore of the Order of Calatrava died in 1780, his will left money to native Piacenza to: maintain and dress six youths working in decorative or figure painting, wood or marble sculpture, architecture, surveying, art of jewel making... and if Piacenza lacked persons able to teach painting, sculpture, and architecture, the youths would be sent to either Parma or Bologna. He named as administrators of this institute the heads of eight prominent local families: another Conti Gazola, Grassi da Fareneto, Conti Leoni, Caraccioli, Rocca, Cassola, Portapudia, and the Counselor Antonio Francesco Maggi. These individuals decided to form a more stable institute in 1781, housed in Felice Gazzola's palace and consisting of a school of figure painting and a school of architecture, ornamentation, and perspective (quadratura). A school of Del nudo was later added, expanded in 1834 with schools of practical arithmetics and Geometry descriptive and linear design. They allowed for students to study in Rome.One of the first professors was Carlo Maria Viganoni, then Giuseppe Gherardi , then Lorenzo Toncini. Viganoni donated his collection of stucco models of classic statuary. Among its early pupils were Innocente Micliavacca (engraver), Gaetano Monti (painter); Davide Testi (engraver); Valerio Rivetti (sculptor), Lorenzo Toncini, Quaglia an manuscript illuminator, and Aspetti, a painter. The Institute is still localized in the medieval Palace once belonging to the Fontana family, then later to the monastery of San Sisto, until the Count Giovanni Angelo Gazzola obtained it in 1699. The palace held the Museo Civico of Piacenza from 1903 to 1975, when the museum was moved to the Palazzo Farnese of Piacenza.In 1838 the Institute was endowed with 42 works owned by the Doctor Cesare Martelli, that formed the core of its collections. The collection of armory is now in the Palazzo Farnese. Many works of art are still displayed at the Institute Pinacoteca including: Circumcision attributed to Gian Nicola Manni Nativity by Bonifacio de' Pitati St George and the Dragon by a school of Albrecht Altdorfer Visitation of Mary and Elizabeth by Antonio Campi Garden Feast attributed to H Jeronymus Janssen (il Ballerino) St John the Evangelist and Madonna (1684) by Domenico Piola Flagellation of Christ by Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli (il Morazone) Martyrdom of San Donnino by Gian Mauro della Rovere (il Fiammingo) Portrait of Titian by Pietro Muttoni Jesus and the Centurion by Mattia Preti Il Gregge sull'Appenino by Stefano Bruzzi Flaying of Marysias by Ignazio Stern Old woman by Michael Sweerts Adam and Eve by Carlo Maria Viganoni Hector reproves Paris, Hector and Andromache and Lucretia by Gaspare Landi Supper at Emmaus by Luigi Musi Game (still life) (1708) by Giuseppe Maria Crespi Holy Family (1639) by Luigi Miradori Flower (still life) by Margherita Caffi Adoration of the Shepherds (before 1680) by Bartolomeo Guidobono Portrait of his Mother by Francesco Ghittoni Interior Hall of the Academy of Piacenza with models and students (1830-1839) Carlo Maria Viganoni Yatagan sword 1850 by Froment Meurice
Pigazzano
Gossolengo
Eremo di Santa Maria a Cetrella
A961 road
Check Me Please, Nature
The Ouse
Glimps Holm


Revocable and Irrevocable Trusts. A revocable trust allows an older individual to retain control of his or her property while delegating the responsibility for daily management to others. As an added protection, a revocable trust may remain unfunded as long as the individual is legally competent. Those willing to relinquish ownership of assets altogether may wish to consider establishing an irrevocable trust.
Durable Power of Attorney. An individual can appoint a trusted relative or friend as a representative in legal and financial matters. It remains in effect during disability or incompetence, however, a guardian or conservator could have it revoked in the event of incompetence.
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A little history about myself, I've been around pool since the mid sixty's and all I did then was play and watch the real good players's, hopping I could improve my game. I later got married and left the game until 1991. Then A long time friend of mine, John Carmichael, some of you might have known him, told me that alot of the guy's that I knew from the old days from the Custon & Cue, Yorks and Big Town were playing at a new pool room near Northlake mall area called the "Green Room". This is where I got started back playing pool, and found out that many things had changed, like there were leage's, in house tournaments and a Pro Tour. After I starter playing in the tournaments, pool was good entertainment for me, so my buddy John and I started going to some the bigger week-end tournaments, and later to several Pro tournaments. While going to these tournaments I saw someone doing Cue repair work and I watched and watched because I tought "I can do this", so I started asking questions and getting information and then bought some start up tools. The truth is, cue repair work wasn't as easy as I thought, I had to develop my skills and buy the right tools and as in the beginning ask more questions. Work at first was hard to come by because people just don't let anybody work on their cue, but after several years I got more work and referals, also I do most of the work from Mr. Cue's II. I worked for three years at "The Pool Room" at Gwinnett mall. Now doing the work is rewarding. So thats my story and I'm sticking to it.
Schedule: I'm now available to do your work in Mr. Cue's ll, while you wait.
Shop # 770-491-1119 or Cell # 770-354-8500.


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László Raffinsky (; 23 April 1905 – 31 July 1981) was a Romanian football player of Hungarian ethnicity who was a member of Romanian team which participated at the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay and 1938 FIFA World Cup in France. He holds the record for most goals scored in a Liga I match, scoring ten goals in the match between Juventus București and Dacia Unirea Brăila from 1929–1930 season.

Career

Club career

László Raffinsky begun his football career in 1924, playing for Unirea, a football club from Timișoara. In 1925, Raffinsky moved to CA Timișoara, and then, in 1927, at Chinezul Timișoara, one of the Romania's best clubs at that time. But Raffinsky's new club entered in a financial crisis, and for the first time in seven years, Chinezul lost the Romanian championship. Eventually, Raffinsky leaves Chinezul in 1929, signing with Juventus București. In 1929–1930 season of Liga I, Raffinsky won his first title of champion with Juventus in which he managed to set a Liga I record of goals scored in a single match when he scored 10 goals in the 16–0 victory from the quarter-finals against Dacia Unirea Brăila and he also opened the score in the 3–0 victory against Gloria CFR Arad from the final. In 1931, he returns to Timișoara, playing for another symbol of interwar period Romanian football, Ripensia. He leaves Ripensia in 1933, after winning another Liga I – champion title, leaving Romania for playing in Czechoslovakia, at SK Židenice. He returns in Romania after two years, his come-back to Bucharest, where he previously played at Juventus, being linked with a move to Rapid. He played until 1940 for Rapid, winning for three times the Romanian Cup. In 1939, he was arrested, together with another three players of Rapid, Iuliu Baratky, Ştefan Auer and Ioan Bogdan, because of their win in the final of the Romanian Cup against Venus Bucharest. They were arrested at the order of Gabriel Marinescu, the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Prefect of Bucharest, who was also the chairman of Venus. After a huge scandal initiated by the press, the four players were released from the jail after a few days, and Gabriel Marinescu was arrested and executed in 1940. In 1940, Raffinsky retired from his playing career.

National Team

László Raffinsky won twenty caps for the Romania national football team. His first match for Romania was a defeat, in 1929, against Yugoslavia. At his fourth match for the national team, Raffinsky scored his first and only goal for Romania, against Greece. In 1930, he was called to the Romanian squad which participated at the first FIFA World Cup, in Uruguay. But the chairman of Astra Romana, a company where Raffinsky and his team-mate Emerich Vogl were office workers, interdicted the two players to leave their workplace. At the intervention of Octav Luchide, the two players eventually took the SS Conte Verde ship to Uruguay. In Uruguay, Raffinsky played in both matches for Romania, against Peru and Uruguay. In the match against Peru, he was fouled by Plácido Galindo of Peru, who was dismissed for the foul, being the first player ever to be dismissed at the FIFA World Cup. He was also included in the 1930 FIFA World Cup Best Eleven. Raffinsky was not called up again at the national team until 1932, when he played in a 6–3 victory of Romania against France. After another three consecutive matches against Greece, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia, Raffinsky was not called up until 1937. In 1938, he was called again at a FIFA World Cup, playing for Romania in the two matches against Cuba. These two matches were the last matches at the national team for Raffinsky.

International goals

Manager career

Despite being a successful player, László Rafinsky was not a great manager. He began his managerial career in 1944, coaching Prahova Ploieşti. He was the manager of the team from Ploieşti until 1945. He was the manager of another few Liga II and Liga III clubs, like Mica Brad, Chimica Târnăveni or Aurul Zlatna. In 1962, he moved to Cluj-Napoca, being for two years the manager of Tehnofrig, a small football club of the factory with the same name. In 1964, Ladislau Raffinsky retired from football.

Honours

Player
Juventus București
Liga I (1): 1929–30
Ripensia Timișoara
Liga I (1): 1932–33
Rapid București
Cupa României (4): 1936–37, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40

References and notes

External links

1905 births
1930 FIFA World Cup players
1938 FIFA World Cup players
1981 deaths
Liga I players
CA Timișoara players
Chinezul Timișoara players
FC Rapid București players
FC Petrolul Ploiești players
FC Ripensia Timișoara players
FC Zbrojovka Brno players
Sportspeople from Miskolc
Romanian footballers
Romania international footballers
Romanian sportspeople of Hungarian descent
Association football midfielders


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Life(ish) Version 0.0.4 has been released. It's a bit late, but I think it'll be worth it. More to come soon. The next update will introduce a stock market and will also fine tune some other options. Looking forward to updating the game more. Remember to leave feedback.


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THEATER REVIEW: At Asolo Rep, you will want to 'Take it With You'
/ Saturday, January 5, 2013
There are times when most of us want to just give up the rat race and do the things that make us happiest. It may not be possible, but at least we can dream about it, or spend a few hours with the lively free spirits who populate the delightful production of Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman's "You Can't Take it With You," which opens the Asolo Repertory Theatre's winter season.
It's just an average evening at home in "You Can't Take it With You," with, from left, David S. Howard, Lindsay Tornquist, Eric Hissom and Peggy Roeder. BARBARA BANKS PHOTO/PROVIDED BY ASOLO REP
Anything can happen in the large New York City home that Grandpa Martin Vanderhof shares with his daughter, Penny, her husband, Paul, two daughters and assorted others who stopped by one day for some reason and never left.
It's easy to understand why they stick around. These are people who know how to enjoy life. Penny gave up painting (badly) when a typewriter was accidentally delivered to the house. Now she's a bad playwright. Paul makes fireworks in the basement with Mr. De Pinna, a former ice delivery man. Daughter Essie fancies herself a ballerina, while her open-hearted husband, Ed, prints things. Martin quit his Wall Street job 35 years ago because he was no longer having any fun.
David S. Howard and Peggy Roeder as his daughter in a scene from "You Can't Take it With You." BARBARA BANKS PHOTO/PROVIDED BY ASOLO REP
He also stopped paying income tax, which creates some problems with the Internal Revenue Service and leads to the night's biggest laugh when he questions how his tax money would be spent.
The central conflict comes from Penny's straight-laced daughter, Alice, who hasn't caught on to the free-spirit nature of her family. She's in love with her boss' son, but worries about how the vastly different families might mesh, and we get to witness her worst fears in a great comic picture.
It's an eye-catching production directed and choreographed by Peter Amster, who has a clear affinity for tender romantic comedies with a touch of realism.
Sure, the characters are exaggerated, but they're beautifully played, led by the inspiring David S. Howard as Martin, a man who delights in life's smallest pleasures.
Peggy Roeder, who was so proper as Mrs. Higgins in last season's "My Fair Lady," is an exuberant Penny, with a perpetual smile on her face. David Breitbarth reveals a soft and loving aura as Paul, and Francisco Rodriguez is charming as his assistant.
Brittany Proia and Brendan Ragan play a couple from two vastly different families trying to find a way to be together in "You Can't Take it With You" at the Asolo Repertory Theatre. BARBARA BANKS PHOTO/PROVIDED BY ASOLO REP
The play is populated by most of the third-year class of the FSU/Asolo Conservatory, led by a radiant Brittany Proia as Alice, a role so often overlooked because she's so "normal." This is a young woman clearly in love with the dapper and equally charming Tony Kirby played by Brendan Ragan. Lindsay Tornquist is a daffily sweet Essie and nicely matched by Joseph McGranaghan as Ed.
Kelly Campbell makes quite an impression as a drunken actress, as does Carolyn Michel in her brief but over-the-top role as a Russian grand duchess.
Carolyn Michel as the Grand Duchess Olga Katrina and Eric Hissom as ballet instructor Boris Kolenkhov in "You Can't Take it With You" at Asolo Repertory Theatre. BARBARA BANKS PHOTO/PROVIDED BY ASOLO REP
Douglas Jones and Gail Rastorfer are fun as Tony's stuffed-shirt parents, and Eric Hissom is broadly funny as Essie's dance teacher, and there are fine contributions from Tyla Abercrumbie as the household cook, Reba, and Christopher Wynn as her boyfriend, Donald.
There's barely a wrong note or moment from the oversized cast, which moves with ease across the lovingly detailed set by Jeffrey W. Dean (modified from his 1985 Asolo Rep production). The cast is beautifully costumed by Virgil C. Johnson.
It's a silly story that can give you some ideas of how to make make more of your life. This cast is so natural in their frenzied world that you can just sit back and bask in the joy they create.
By George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. Directed by Peter Amster. Reviewed Jan. 4, Asolo Repertory Theatre, 5555 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Tickets are $20-$72. In repertory through April 20. 351-8000; asolorep.org


Republicans don't see eye-to-eye with most Americans on their view of Russia's relationship with the U.S. While most Americans see Russia as unfriendly or as an enemy, most Republicans think of Russia as either friendly or an ally. This wasn't always the case.
At the turn of this century, Americans had a more favorable view of Russia, generally. In November 2001, eight in 10 Americans said Russia was friendly to the U.S., including one in four who called Russia an ally. Vladimir Putin had been president for just about a year and a half at that point, succeeding Boris Yeltsin. In 2001, Republicans, Democrats, and independents all said Russia was friendly towards the U.S.
By 2014 with Putin's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine, American public opinion had turned against Russia. In March 2014, just over half of Americans– 51 percent - viewed Russia as unfriendly or as an enemy. Positive views of Russia dropped among Republicans, Democrats, and independents alike, but particularly among Republicans. By February 2015, more than six in 10 Republicans said Russia was unfriendly towards the U.S., compared to just over half of Democrats and independents.
The 2016 election saw a drastic partisan realignment in terms of the public's views of Russia. In January 2017 – just days before Donald Trump's inauguration and amid allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 elections – 55 percent of Republicans saw Russia as friendly towards the U.S., while two-thirds of Democrats said Russia was either unfriendly or an enemy. And while most Americans –- particularly Democrats -- believed Russia interfered with the 2016 elections, most Republicans believed there had been no Russian interference.
Today that partisan split when it comes to Russia has only widened. Fifty-nine percent of Republicans now see Russia as friendly to the U.S., while seven in 10 Democrats say Russia is either unfriendly or an enemy. Most Republicans remain comfortable with Donald Trump's handling of Russia, while 77 percent of Democrats think he is too friendly towards Russia - up from 66 percent who said he would be in January 2017. And while most Republicans are not very concerned that Russia will interfere in the upcoming 2018 congressional elections, two-thirds of Democrats are very concerned.