text:
395 - Payroll
Issuing Office: General Accounting Division
PPM 395-11 Supplement II [pdf format]
FEDERAL & STATE-WITHHOLDING TAXES
REFERENCES AND RELATED POLICIES
Internal Revenue Code
Internal Revenue Service Publication 15, Circular E
Payroll Guide, Volume 1, Section 5
Internal Revenue Service Publication 518, Foreign Scholars and Educational and Cultural Exchange Visitors, 1989 Edition
DE 44, Employer's Tax Guide, State of California
Federal Privacy Act 1974
University of California Accounting Manual
P-196-28
Payroll: Federal Taxation of Citizens
T-182-27
Taxes: Federal Taxation of Aliens
UCSD Policy and Procedure Manual (PPM)
Alien Information
An employer is a person or organization for whom an individual (as opposed to a corporation or other legal entity) performs a service as an employee.
Anyone performing services subject to the will and control of an employer, both as to what shall be done and how it shall be done, is an employee. This applies even if the employer permits the employee considerable discretion and freedom of action, if the employer has the legal right to control both the method and the result of the services.
Taxpayer Identifying Number
In compliance with Federal Income Tax regulations, the University is required to include an identification number on all statements and reports of wages paid and taxes withheld. For payments to individuals, Federal regulations have designated the Federal Social Security number as the taxpayer's identifying number. Therefore, the Federal Social Security number, issued by the Social Security Administration, must be obtained from each person receiving payment(s) from the University.
Federal and State Withholding
The University is required by both Federal and State statutes to withhold appropriate taxes from payments made to individuals. Failure to collect or pay tax withheld will result in the University being liable for the tax due plus penalties. Income tax withholding is based upon information submitted by the employee on a University of California Employee's Federal-State Withholding Allowance Certificate, UC W-4/DE 4, Exhibit A. Marital status and the number of withholding allowances claimed on the UC W-4/DE 4 are taken into account when computing taxes. The law provides that if no UC W-4/DE 4 is submitted, the employer must withhold taxes at the rate for a single person claiming no exemptions. Certain employees may qualify to claim an exemption from tax withholding by completing item #4 on the UC W-4/DE 4, Exemption from Withholding of Federal/State Income Tax, and item #5. These are the only two items that are to be completed when an employee is claiming exempt from tax withholding. To qualify the employee must certify 1) that no income tax liability existed in the prior taxable year, 2) that none is anticipated for the current year, and 3) that if the employee's current yearly income exceeds $500 and includes non-wage income, another person cannot claim the employee as a dependent. Note: Employees claiming exempt from withholding, who are earning in excess of $200 per week and answering ``NO'' to item #5 on the UC W4/DE 4 form will have a copy of the UC W4/DE 4 sent to the Internal Revenue Service.
Social Security is deducted from those employees who are members of the University of California Retirement Plan (UCRP) and who:
Were members of the system prior to April 1, 1976 and elected Social Security coverage, or
Became a member of the system after April 1, 1976.
Social Security is also known as "FICA". The term "FICA" is an acronym for Federal Insurance Contributions Act which is comprised of two components: Medicare Tax and OASDI (Old Age Survivors and Dependents Insurance) Tax.
Generally the only exception to this policy is nonresident aliens admitted to the United States on an F-1 (student admitted to attend a specific school) or J-1 (exchange visitor engaged in a Department of State approved program for study, research, or training) visa.
Defined Contribution Plan/Safe Harbor Plan
The Defined Contribution Plan, also known as the Safe Harbor Plan, is an alternative to Social Security Tax participation. This plan is an employer- sponsored retirement plan which provides for benefits that are generally equal to the pension benefit provided under Social Security. Participation in the plan is open to those employees who do not otherwise qualify for membership in the University of California Retirement Program (UCRP) or another defined benefit retirement plan in which the University participates. Nonimmigrant aliens with F-1 or J-1 visa status and employees who are registered UC students are not eligible to enroll in this plan as they are exempt from paying FICA taxes.
Eligible employees may elect to enroll in the Defined Contribution Plan (DCP) or elect to pay Social Security taxes at the time of the initial appointment. Once an election is made, the election is irrevocable for the duration of the employee's continuous employment with the University.
Eligible employees who were hired on or after 4/1/86 and elect to enroll in the Defined Contribution Plan/Safe Harbor Plan will have a 7.5% pretax DCP deduction taken from his/her salary and will pay the 1.45% Medicare tax.
Eligible employees who were hired before 4/1/86 and elect to enroll in the Defined Contribution Plan/Safe Harbor Plan will also have a 7.5% pretax DCP deduction but will not be required to pay the 1.45% Medicare tax.
Eligible employees who choose not to enroll in the Defined Contribution Plan and elect to pay the OASDI will become subject to the Medicare tax, regardless of the hire date.
Taxpayer Identifying Number (Social Security Number)
The employing department will require each new employee to furnish his/her social security number which is recorded in the appropriate section of the UC W-4/DE 4 Form. The disclosure of the social security number is mandatory pursuant to Federal and State codes and conforms to the Federal Privacy Act of 1974. If the employee indicates that he/she does not have a social security number, the hiring department will instruct the individual to apply for one at a Social Security Office. Until a valid social security number or a receipt for application for a social security number is received, the employee's forms for employment will not be processed. Note: The Social Security Office nearest to UCSD is located at 1940 Garnet Avenue, Suite #207, which is in Pacific Beach. The office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The general information phone number is (619) 483-7646 or 1- 800-234-5772.
United States Citizen
Employees determine the amount of tax withheld from their earnings by filing with the Accounting Office/Payroll Division a University of California Employee's Federal-State Withholding Allowance Certificate, UC W-4/DE 4, indicating the number of exemptions claimed. Based upon the Certificate, the payroll system will calculate and withhold Federal and State taxes from employee's payroll checks. (See Supplement I and II for tables to calculate approximate taxes to be withheld.) If an employee has reduced his/her exemptions to zero to allow for maximum tax to be withheld and their liability is still not satisfied, an additional amount per pay period can be requested by the employee. (See Item #6, Exhibit A, Page 1.) The number of exemptions claimed for withholding purposes need not be the same number of exemptions which may be claimed on the employee's annual tax return. Employees with a sizeable amount of itemized deductions may claim additional withholding exemptions to reduce the amount of tax withheld thereby reducing an anticipated large tax refund at the end of the taxable year. The number of additional exemptions may be determined by completing both sides of the enclosed attached worksheet Form W-4, Exhibit A, Pages 2-3, and Form DE 4, Exhibit A, Pages 4- 6. Those employees indicating in excess of 10 (ten) Federal and/or State exemptions on their UC W4/DE 4 form will have a copy of their form sent to the IRS and/or State of California Franchise Tax Board.
Resident Aliens
Aliens who qualify under the Substantial Presence Test as resident aliens may claim residence for tax purposes. (Refer to PPM 395-13 for qualifying conditions.) Federal and State taxes will be withheld in the same manner as a United States citizen. (See Section B.1. above.)
Non-resident Aliens
Aliens who do not qualify as resident aliens under the Substantial Presence Test are considered as non-resident aliens. The earnings of a non-resident alien are subject to withholding at the same rate as a single United States citizen claiming one exemption regardless of the number of actual exemptions the individual might wish to claim, except for residents of Canada, Mexico, South Korea and Japan. Some non-resident aliens may be eligible for exemption from Federal tax withholding if they qualify according to the terms of a tax treaty between their country of residence and the United States. To determine the eligibility of an alien, departments should contact the Accounting Office/Payroll Division and request a review of the tax treaty. Note: a tax treaty exemption applies only to Federal taxes, and does not exempt an individual from State tax withholding. (Refer to PPM 395-13 for additional alien information.)
Wage and Tax Statement, Form W-2
Forms W-2 are issued to employees on or before January 31st of each year for earnings paid in the preceding taxable year. The information contained on the form is the total earnings and taxes withheld that were reported to both Federal and State Agencies. The statement also includes any additional non-salary payments issued to an employee through the University system. These payments include but are not limited to stipend payments and uniform allowance.
Income Subject to Withholding Under Chapter 3, Internal Revenue Code, Form 1042S
Forms 1042S include salaries and miscellaneous payments made by the University to non-resident aliens who have claimed exemption from Federal tax. These statements are issued on or before March 15th of each year.
Statement for Recipients of Miscellaneous Income, Form 1099
Form 1099 is issued to individuals who are not employees of the University. The statement indicates the total non-payroll payments issued. These non-payroll payments include but are not limited to rents, fees, and payments to independent contractors and consultants. The statement is released on or before January 31st of each year.
WITHHOLDING RATES
MONTHLY RATED EMPLOYEES:
A married employee, earning $4,967 per month, with $50/month tax shelter. Employee has spouse and two children, also claims three allowances for itemized deductions. Spouse not working.
4 Exemptions for family members
3 Allowances for itemized deductions
7 Exemptions on Form UCW-4, Line 3
From the taxable gross (after deducting tax shelter, TSP, retirement) deduct $195.83 for each withholding allowance claimed on line "3" of the Form UCW-4 to obtain the adjusted taxable gross.
$ 4,967.00 Total Gross
( 70.34) Retirement Reduction
( 50.00) Tax Shelter Savings
4,846.66 Taxable Gross
(1,370.81) $195.83 x 7 Exemptions
3,475.85 Adjusted Taxable Gross
Using the appropriate attached table for marital status and pay period, seek the adjusted taxable gross (determined in Step 1) range in the two left columns.
Married Employee, paid monthly, range is
$3,396 - $6,771 ... $431.85 plus 28% of excess over $3,396
Deduct the range minimum in the right column from the adjusted taxable gross and multiply the difference by the percentage indicated.
(3,396.00) Range Minimum
79.85 Excess
X 28% Tax Bracket
22.36 Subtotal
Add the fixed dollar amount (if tax rate is more than 15%) to the amount calculated in Step 3. This is the amount of Federal Tax.
431.85 Fixed Amount
454.21 Federal Tax to Withhold
HOURLY RATED EMPLOYEE:
Use the same procedure as above, except deduct $90.38 for each deduction in Item 1.
SOCIAL SECURITY/UCRS WAGE BASES
The Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1990 provides different wage base caps for the OASDI and Medicare components of the social security tax. Effective with earnings paid on or after January 1, 1991, the OASDI and Medicare wage base will increase. The tax rate percentages remain unchanged.
FICA:
OASDI covered wages
OASDI employee contribution rate
OASDI employer contribution rate
Maximum OASDI employee contribution
Medicare covered wages
Medicare employee contribution rate
Medicare employer contribution rate
Maximum Medicare employee contribution
UCRP:
UCRP wage base
UCRP contribution rate
FICA coordinated within UCRP wage base
FICA coordinated above UCRP wage base
Not coordinated with FICA
SAFE HARBOR:
Safe Harbor wage base
Safe harbor contribution rate
Maximum Safe Harbor contribution
EXEMPTIONS TABLE
Refer to the following table for the federal exemption amount:
Value of One FEDERAL Exemption
Value of One
STATE Exemption
FEDERAL INCOME TAX WITHHOLDING RATES
Biweekly Employee
Single Person – including Head of Household:
Married Persons:
If the amount of wages (after subtracting withholding allowances) is:
The amount of income tax to be withheld shall be:
Not over $97.00...............$0
Not over $238.00…………$0
Over -
But Not Over -
Of Excess Over
__$902
__$97
__$1,567
$120.75 plus 28%
Monthly Employee
Not over $210.00...............$0
$1,376.85 plus 31%
SUPPLEMENT II
INCOME TAX WITHHOLDING RATES
4 Exemptions for family members, Form UCW-4, Line 2A
3 Allowances for itemized deductions, Form UCW-4, Line 2B
7 Exemptions on Form UCW-4, Line 2C
From the taxable gross (after deducting tax shelter, TSP, retirement) deduct $83.00 for each withholding allowance claimed on line "2B" of the Form UCW-4 to obtain the adjusted taxable gross.
$4,467.00 Total Gross
( 581.00) $83.00 x 7 Exemptions
Determine regular exemptions from Form UCW-4, Line "2A".
Form UCW-4, Line 2A = 4 exemptions
Using the appropriate State table for marital status and pay period, seed the adjusted taxable gross range (determined in Step 1 above) in the two left columns.
NUMBER OF WITHHOLDING ALLOWANCES CLAIMED
BUT LESS THAN
In the same table refer to the column for the corresponding regular exemptions (See Step 2) to obtain State Withholding Tax.
4 Withholding Allowances = $80.60
Use the same procedures as above, except deduct $38.00 for each deduction in Item 1.
CALIFORNIA STATE INCOME TAX WITHHOLDING RATES
MONTHLY PAYROLL PERIOD
SINGLE PERSONS
DUAL INCOME MARRIED OR MARRIED WITH MULTIPLE EMPLOYERS
MARRIED PERSONS
MARRIED PERSONS (Cont)
UNMARRIED HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD
BIWEEKLY PAYROLL PERIOD


This paste easily mixes into icings, creams and cake batters. It has a rich strawberry colour and flavour and is ready to use straight from the container.
Use approximately 30g of paste for each 1kg of icing, cream or cake batter.


This study, commissioned from Flamingo and Tapestry took a look at why we watch linear TV and VOD and, increasingly, how we watch it.
This handy nickable deck gives you the headlines from the research and all the charts you might need.
This research revealed how and why viewers choose between watching TV live or on demand (VOD) and why they watch different types of online video. In revealing the attractions of VOD, the study provided valuable insights into why live TV remains so dominant.


This page lists various pieces of legislation proposed/passed in 2011-2014 to address GPS interference concerns related to LightSquared's terrestrial "4G" wireless network.
We publish this page for informational purposes only, as it may be of interest to the GPS community. Except where explicitly noted, the executive branch of the U.S. government does not endorse any pending legislation mentioned on GPS.gov.
The report to accompany the House bill states that LightSquared's 2011 authorization from the FCC has expired, so the appropriations committee did not address the matter in its FY 2015 spending bill for FCC.
The committee previously passed legislation covering FY 2012 through FY 2014 that limited the FCC from approving LightSquared operations (See below).
Section 625 of Division E prohibits the FCC from using FY 2014 funds to remove the conditions in LightSquared's January 2011 authorization, or to otherwise permit commercial LightSquared operations, until the FCC has resolved GPS interference concerns. The FY 2012 omnibus act included the same provision (See below), which was extended to FY 2013.
The FCC received its FY 2013 funding through a continuing resolution (View law). The continuing resolution extended all conditions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012, on the use of FCC funds into FY 2013, including the LightSquared-related provision (see below).
The House appropriations committee's June 26, 2012, report on the above-titled bill includes the following text, which refers to the FCC's pending decision on the LightSquared matter.
The bill went no further than the House committee (View bill info). The Senate version had no related provision.
On December 23, 2011, President Obama signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2012, an omnibus spending measure that includes funding for the FCC.
Section 628 of Division C prohibits the FCC from using FY 2012 funds to remove the conditions in LightSquared's January 2011 authorization, or to otherwise permit commercial LightSquared operations, until the FCC has resolved GPS interference concerns.
This provision remained in effect during FY 2013 under the terms of the continuing resolution for FY 2013. (see above).
The Senate version of the Financial Services bill did not mention GPS.
On December 31, 2011, President Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2012.
Section 911(a) forbids the FCC from approving operations of the LightSquared terrestrial wireless network until the FCC has resolved concerns of widespread harmful interference to military GPS devices. It also requires a public comment period on the spring 2011 report of the LightSquared-GPS Technical Working Group.
Section 911(b) requires DoD to conduct a review every 90 days for the next two years on whether commercial communications services interfere with military GPS receivers, and to notify Congress if such is the case.
On November 18, 2011, President Obama signed the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2012. The signed act includes no provisions related to LightSquared-GPS interference.
The House-Senate conference report to accompany the act includes a reporting requirement concerning the LightSquared-GPS Technical Working Group.
The NTIA reporting requirement originated with the House version of this bill (see above).
The House report to accompany the original agriculture bill notes the criticality of GPS to USDA and to U.S. farmers and ranchers. The language directs USDA to ensure the FCC is aware of the agricultural concerns about LightSquared-GPS interference, and to work with DoD, DOT, and other agencies to address them (View source). The Senate did not include equivalent language.


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Home/News/Keeper Security's Cybersecurity Census Report's scary prediction
Keeper Security's Cybersecurity Census Report's scary prediction
1 week ago News
UK IT and technology firms are prime targets for cybercrime, according to new research by Keeper Security. The IT and Technology Cybersecurity Census Report reveals that, on average, UK IT and tech firms experienced 67 cyberattacks in the last 12 months, equating to more than one attack per week and, concerningly, almost 1 in 5 (18%) experienced over 500 attacks in the past 12 months. These figures are significantly higher than other industries, with the average UK business experiencing 44 cyberattacks in the last year.
The average IT and tech business will see these attempts translate to around three successful cyberattacks each year, with a huge cost to being compromised. As a result of a successful cyberattack, a third (33%) of IT and tech firms experienced disruption to trading, 30% experienced theft of financial information and almost a quarter (23%) suffered theft of corporate information.
The financial losses are equally impactful. More than a fifth (22%) experienced theft of money as a result of a successful cyberattack and, of those that had money stolen, over a half (51%) lost more than £10,000 and nearly a third (30%) lost between £100,000 and £999,999. These financial losses can easily prove fatal to a business, especially as the global economy navigates a looming recession.
Prevention rather than cure
Just one-quarter (26%) of UK IT and tech organisations say their business is 'very well prepared' to defend against cyberattacks and just 14 percent believe that businesses in general are very well prepared.
With threats becoming increasingly difficult to manage, over two-thirds (67%) of UK IT and tech firms report the time taken to identify and respond to a cyberattack has increased in the past 12 months. These findings indicate the increasing sophistication of attacks by cybercriminals, something which is compounded by a skills and solutions gap.
Positively, 91% of IT and tech firms conduct threat assessments within their organisations on at least a monthly basis, with 37% conducting them weekly. Although some level of regular threat evaluation is part of most firms' security infrastructure, only a sliver are protecting themselves with a framework to manage identity security. Just 16% say they offer a highly sophisticated framework to govern access to their systems, which gives them high visibility into usage and a clear framework to make changes as needed.
Concerningly, almost a quarter (23%) of organisations say they leave it to employees to set their own passwords and access is often shared among employees as needed. At present, one-third (33%) don't have a secrets manager to help manage IT secrets such as API keys, database passwords and credentials, although 27% say they lack one but are planning to invest.
The study's findings suggest that organisations are taking steps to secure their future in the face of increasing threats. Over three-quarters (76%) of respondents say they have made investment in cybersecurity personnel within their organisation over the past 12 months, with a further one in five (20%) reporting they have plans to hire a cybersecurity specialist. It seems firms are acknowledging their skills gap and taking steps to close it.
When it comes to changes to cybersecurity tools, the top changes implemented by UK IT and tech firms have been in training and increased spending. More than half (54%) say they have increased cybersecurity training within the organisation over the past 12 months and 46% say they have increased their spend on cybersecurity software.
Increased investment is crucial, but its effect will be limited if firms don't also cultivate an environment of transparency and accountability divorced from fear. Worryingly, 61% of IT decision makers in IT and tech organisations have been aware of a cyberattack and not reported it. This percentage is higher than the average across all industries, with 55% of total respondents keeping a cyberattack to themselves.
IT and tech organisations are committed to a level of regular security training, with 70% training their employees on cybersecurity threats on at least a monthly basis, and a fifth (20%) training them weekly.
Darren Guccione, Keeper Co-founder and CEO commented: "Although UK IT and tech firms recognise the level of threat they're under, our research shows there's a disconnect between concern and effective action. As IT and technology businesses develop their plans for 2023, addressing these discrepancies should take top priority. IT leaders' instincts are good and organisations should work collaboratively to address their concerns and be proactive about finding solutions to create stronger, more resilient and more secure organisations in the coming year."
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
New video shows the staggering size of No Man's Sky
PSX trailer unveils immense universe 'map'
By Sean Murray
Founder, Hello Games
Hello PlayStation Blog! I'm Sean from Hello Games, and I'm having a bit of a crazy weekend here in Vegas!
A year ago today we first revealed our game called No Man's Sky. These 12 months have been life changing for all of us at our little studio. Your response to what we're making has been inspiring, affirming, and only sometimes totally terrifying. But in the best way. :)
We've only shown the game off twice, once at the Spike VGX Awards last year, and then again at E3. Since E3 we've been working incredibly hard, and I know some people are keen to see more of the game.
No Man's Sky is a science fiction game, set in an infinite procedural universe. It's a hard game to summarise sometimes, so I always want us to release direct gameplay, to just capture moments from the game, without lots of cuts. Yesterday at The Gaming Awards we gave a glimpse of more gameplay.
I'm also incredibly excited to announce that 65daysofstatic, probably my favourite band, are going to be writing a new album of music inspired by NMS. Their music has always provided the soundtrack to everything we've shown so far, and we're going to collaborate to create a unique generative soundscape for the game.
The universe you explore in No Man's Sky is limitless… infinite. Today, at PlayStation Experience, we really wanted to show you what that scale looks like for the first time. Something that I hope will give you a sense of the extent of the galaxy, and your place in it.
So here's a new video, taken directly from a playthrough session:
The music from that video is the first track from the new album from 65daysofstatic. Hope you like it.
If all that wasn't enough, we're holding something special tonight for the fans. An event that everyone can experience with us. We're calling it A Night Under No Man's Sky.
If you're here at PlayStation Experience, you can come along to Sands Expo Hall A, or if you're at home you can watch the stream on Twitch.
It's been a lot to pull together for a very small indie team, but we're having a lot of fun. We really hope you enjoy it too. Thanks so much! Find out more here.
06 Dec '14
Stonesthrow 06 December, 2014 @ 20:19
So awesome. There aren't enough games that use good music effectively to add to the atmosphere. Absolute must in an explorative experience.
dark_angel69 06 December, 2014 @ 20:33
I'm already sold on the same long ago! All I need to know is the release date!
TidyAddictdan 06 December, 2014 @ 21:41
Absolutely love the look of this. And a 65dos soundtrack is the best gaming news iv heard in years. Will the soundtrack be bundled with the game?
Rildiz 06 December, 2014 @ 21:51
It's been said before that every game developer who see this is beating themselves for not doing it.
Man I do agree, this is like my childhood dream, my love for gaming coming together in a beautiful crescendo of pure love to gaming.
gamefreak666 06 December, 2014 @ 22:20
I'm already going to be getting this as the concept is superb. What I've not heard much about though is if there is a story mode or if it's purely explorational.
transpondster 07 December, 2014 @ 01:33
Although, the game is beautiful and vast, I hope you have a couple tricks up the sleeve, and it's not exploration only
Shapeshifter_dan 07 December, 2014 @ 21:42
I think there'll be resource gathering, some combat (there'll be pirates, creatures and other stuff) but, yeah, it's MOSTLY exploration. Like, if I had to guess, 70% or more of the game will be just that.
TrueMurton 08 December, 2014 @ 14:22
The videos so far clearly show ammo counters so there's combat too. I'd be interested to know if there's diplomacy and trading as well. Been wanting something to fill in Freelancer for years and don't have the time or inclination to build a PC for Elite or Star Citizen.
Njitram2000 07 December, 2014 @ 08:57
I have been waiting for a game like this for a very long time. When I saw it zoom out for that long, I knew it would finally happen. Sean, I'm a big fan!
Release date?
We've been hearing about this game for over a year now, we definitely don't want this to be something like Watch Dogs or Destiny which was hyped for over two years and fell a little flat or worse, something like DriveClub where it was hyped for years then released broken with half the feature set missing (and still missing months later)
Also, as Hello Games are English, can you please ensure that this game is priced fairly in the UK and Europe without the 60% price difference vs the US that has become customary this gen?
XL-klaudkil 07 December, 2014 @ 11:01
Game looks amazing! such a big project why not also release a physical version of the game?
That's the whole point of an indie. Physical distribution cost a hell of a lot more. Everything needs to be created physically, distributed, there's always extra stock that has not been sold yet, etc. That's where a publisher comes in but the publisher first needs to want to publish it and that usually means them sticking their ugly noses in everything. Playstation gives indies the freedom to publish their own stuff straight to PSN without all those restrictions.
mistervista 07 December, 2014 @ 17:52
"Njitram2000
That's the whole point of an indie. Physical distribution cost a hell of a lot more."
Which begs the question: Why is it that digital downloads on playstation store cost a hell of a lot more than the physical versions?
Depends.
Games that have retail releases need to cost more than retail because if they were the same or more then retailers wouldn't stock the physical ones and the game would bomb. We see this now with PC games and already saw it with PSP Go and to a lesser extent the Vita.
Digital only games however really should be cheaper than they often are, that's just a case of it takes "X" number of sales at price "Y" to break even so charge "Z" to make sure.
What I don't get though is why this protection of retail doesn't exist in the US where games routinely cost less on PSN because PSN doesn't charge tax. Seems to me that our digital prices are covering their shortfall, we are in effect subsidising their prices. Hences rheirbsales are generally 50% or even 75% while ours are generally 10-20%
Phil-O-Mac10 07 December, 2014 @ 19:59
As far as I am concerned this has to be the most perfectly thought out adventure ever. Think about it people the game masters of Hello Games are bringing us and their selves we all "Gamers" an experience that borders no no that is ……… infinite. Think Birderlands weapon creation system and apply it to the universe. That is a real adventure.
So let me be the first to say "Thank You "in advance to Hello Games because not only are you doing something that the so so game developing company's have failed to do the last I don't know how many years but to do it with your best and promise better.
Some of the post here make no sense why would you place a kind of hype on something we are clearly seeing as being everything its says it is type is used for things that are in the shadow when you have little to no information.
What this development team is telling us is you will discover everything …..or as much as can be discovered in the infinite traverses of space. Not even Mass Effect, EVE o...
What this development team is telling us is you will discover everything …..or as much as can be discovered in the infinite traverses of space. Not even Mass Effect, EVE or any game for that matter console or PC deliver this kind of adventure Minecraft comes close but close don't cut building is one thing and even that is finite.
Be glad that gamers careabout gamers or we would never have this masterpiece this jewel this this ………… Infinity Gauntlet.Think about it it has everything the Infinity Gauntlet it has space it has time it has reality it even has power and most of all you can see it has soul so prepare to put it on and just go………….Explorer, fight, record or whatever this is going to be " THE" game people ask for next gen here it is forget destiny forget Skyrim and just cause even Batman those are finite we look towards the Infinite. Phil-O-Mac10
gadis69 08 December, 2014 @ 09:01
I am just wondering… Maybe it is lack of my knowledge but shouldn't landing take MUCH longer? Surely it's a game and it's not realistic, but assuming that atmosphere has about 1000-5000km and velocity cannot be too great because of friction (even neglecting angle of landing!) it should take at least few minutes… Of course it might not be beneficial for gamers to "waste" time this way, but srlsy, few seconds? Or maybe it's sped up?
And what about escape velocity? Creatures walk and probably breathe so the gravity is considerably strong and yet spaceships lift off like it's nothing at all. Few second and they're on another planet?
Anyway, I hope the game will manage to satisfy all of expectations and hype they create ;)
The whole landing and take off thing can be dismissed by repulsor drive technology as used in Star Wars and countless other science fiction stories. Basically an energy field disperses the atmosphere around the ship so that there is effectively no fritction, same applies to escape velocity.
Hello Games have already said that they're explaining planetary gravity having no effect on the player thanks technology built into our suits that effectively adapts to the higher or lower gravity of the planet and compensated accordingly so I imagine whatever lore this universe will have will contain whatever miraculous technology is required to push physics out of the way of fun, which is exactly what a good developer should to.
Actually I think you may miss the point here. Of course there must be some sort of technology such as warp and repulsor engines, it's science fiction after all and I'm not arguing with that, but… If you take Star Wars into consideration, as you did, please notice that spaceships take quite some time before they actually land and take off. It may be skipped in movies and even if it's not skipped entirely they fly for minutes. It's at least 1000 km of atmosphere! How fast would you need to travel to land within few mere seconds? And would you actually stop in time not to crash? What about bigger units? Also if you take a look at SW3 they actually burn in the atmosphere ;).
And what about this neglecting suit… When you leave spaceship and start to walk, there will be no difference at all? No matter whether you land on moon or Jupiter? This is where the whole fun is…
I love space "simulators", but when I think about this particular one, I'm starting to feel a little frightened with such...
I love space "simulators", but when I think about this particular one, I'm starting to feel a little frightened with such "improvements". If they neglect gravity, what about fight physics? Rockets? Blasts? These are strongly connected with gravity, velocity etc ;).
MrGilder 08 December, 2014 @ 15:11
Every video for this whets my appetite even more. Brings back memories of playing Elite for days on end – bring it on!


text:
Q: node.js Https call return undefined. Amazon AWS I am completely new to node.js but have the following code, which I have written mostly with cut & paste. It is running in Amazon AWS, responding to an Alexa call. I am trying to read a thingspeak channel to get the temperature in my pool. The URL returns a json with temperature. The channel is updated by an esp8266 which is measuring the pooltemp and posts it to the channel.
Unfortunately I am only getting undefined pooltemp.  I create the function getCall() to get the temperature from thingspeak. When I use the variable pooltemp in handlerinput it is undefined. Everything else work fine. If I hardcode pooltemp in handlerinput I get the response I want.
It now works like this: First time running the pooltemp is undefined. If run one more time immediately I get pooltemp = 30 (which is the new temp). That at least says that the call to thingspeak is working. If I run it again after a few minutes it is again undefined first time. Seems that AWS keeps the value for a while after the function finish.
/* eslint-disable  func-names */
/* eslint-disable  no-console */

const Alexa = require('ask-sdk');

var https = require('https');
var pooltemp;

  getCall();

//ThingSpeak Data Access

function getCall() {
  var options = {
    protocol: 'https:',
    host: 'api.thingspeak.com',
    path: '/channels/494722/feeds.json?api_key=9HILOGJ9P2HRDPNO&results=1',
    method: 'GET'
  };

  var getReq = https.request(options, function(res) {
    console.log("\nstatus code: ", res.statusCode);
    var jsonData = '';
    res.on('data', function(data) {
        jsonData += data;
    });
    res.on('end', function() {
      console.log('We have all the data');
      var result = JSON.parse(jsonData);
      console.log('data: ', result);
      console.log('Pool temperature: ', result.feeds[0].field1);
      // Save the latest pool temperature.
      pooltemp = result.feeds[0].field1;
    });
  });

  //end the request
  getReq.end();
  getReq.on('error', function(err) {
    console.log("Error: ", err);
  });
}

const GetNewFactHandler = {
  canHandle(handlerInput) {
    const request = handlerInput.requestEnvelope.request;
    return request.type === 'LaunchRequest' ||
      (request.type === 'IntentRequest' &&
        request.intent.name === 'GetNewFactIntent');
  },

  handle(handlerInput) {

    //  var pooltemp = 22;
    var factIndex;
    const factArr = data;
    if (pooltemp <= 15) {
      factIndex = 0;
    }
    if (15 < pooltemp == pooltemp < 20) {
      factIndex = 1;
    }
    if (20 <= pooltemp == pooltemp < 25) {
      factIndex = 2;
    }
    if (pooltemp >= 25) {
      factIndex = 3;
    }

    const randomFact = factArr[factIndex];
    const speechOutput = 'Hold on a second, I will check for you.<break time="1s"/>Today it is ' + pooltemp + ' degrees in the pool. ' + randomFact;
    return handlerInput.responseBuilder
      .speak(speechOutput)
      .withSimpleCard(SKILL_NAME, randomFact)
      .getResponse();

  },
};

const HelpHandler = {
  canHandle(handlerInput) {
    const request = handlerInput.requestEnvelope.request;
    return request.type === 'IntentRequest' &&
      request.intent.name === 'AMAZON.HelpIntent';
  },
  handle(handlerInput) {
    return handlerInput.responseBuilder
      .speak(HELP_MESSAGE)
      .reprompt(HELP_REPROMPT)
      .getResponse();
  },
};

const ExitHandler = {
  canHandle(handlerInput) {
    const request = handlerInput.requestEnvelope.request;
    return request.type === 'IntentRequest' &&
      (request.intent.name === 'AMAZON.CancelIntent' ||
        request.intent.name === 'AMAZON.StopIntent');
  },
  handle(handlerInput) {
    return handlerInput.responseBuilder
      .speak(STOP_MESSAGE)
      .getResponse();
  },
};

const SessionEndedRequestHandler = {
  canHandle(handlerInput) {
    const request = handlerInput.requestEnvelope.request;
    return request.type === 'SessionEndedRequest';
  },
  handle(handlerInput) {
    console.log(`Session ended with reason: ${handlerInput.requestEnvelope.request.reason}`);

    return handlerInput.responseBuilder.getResponse();
  },
};

const ErrorHandler = {
  canHandle() {
    return true;
  },
  handle(handlerInput, error) {
    console.log(`Error handled: ${error.message}`);

    return handlerInput.responseBuilder
      .speak('Sorry, an error occurred.')
      .reprompt('Sorry, an error occurred.')
      .getResponse();
  },
};

const SKILL_NAME = 'Space Facts';
const GET_FACT_MESSAGE = 'Here\'s today temperature: ';
const HELP_MESSAGE = 'You can say tell me a space fact, or, you can say exit... What can I help you with?';
const HELP_REPROMPT = 'What can I help you with?';
const STOP_MESSAGE = 'Goodbye!';

const data = [
  'It is freezing cold. Swimming only for idiots',
  'It is not for wimps, but you may swim. Do you dare go for it?',
  'Which is a nice temperature for a Norwegian.',
  'This is quite comfortable and a swim should be really nice ',

];

const skillBuilder = Alexa.SkillBuilders.standard();

exports.handler = skillBuilder
  .addRequestHandlers(
    GetNewFactHandler,
    HelpHandler,
    ExitHandler,
    SessionEndedRequestHandler
  )
  .addErrorHandlers(ErrorHandler)
  .lambda();

A: I've checked this out and made a few modifications to the getCall() function, it should work now:
function getCall() {
  var options = {
    protocol: 'https:',
    host: 'api.thingspeak.com',
    path: '/channels/494722/feeds.json?api_key=9HILOGJ9P2HRDPNO&results=1',
    method: 'GET'
  }

  var getReq = https.request(options, function(res) {
    console.log("\nstatus code: ", res.statusCode);
    var jsonData = '';
    res.on('data', function(data) {
        jsonData += data;
    });
    res.on('end', function() {
       console.log('We have all the data');
       var result = JSON.parse(jsonData);
       console.log('data: ', result);
       console.log('Pool temperature: ', result.feeds[0].field1);
       // Save the latest pool temperature.
       poolTemp = result.feeds[0].field1;
    });
  });

  //end the request
  getReq.end();
  getReq.on('error', function(err) {
    console.log("Error: ", err);
  });
}

getCall();

You could also try this at the start of your script:
getCall();
setInterval(getCall, 10000);

This would refresh the pool temperature every 10 seconds.

A: Currently you function getCall() is executing asynchronously, So pooltemp is undefined. Because of javascript asynchrouns nature before the successful execution of getCall() function, it moves on to if condition
Here I made a changes in getCall function using javascript callback. Also in GetNewFactHandler handle() method after the successful execution of getCall function remaining conditions will be executed.
/* eslint-disable  func-names */
/* eslint-disable  no-console */
const Alexa = require('ask-sdk');

var https = require('https');

//ThingSpeak Data Access
function getCall(callback) {
  //initialize options values, the value of the method can be changed to POST to make https post calls
  var options = {
    protocol: 'https:',
    host: 'api.thingspeak.com',
    path: '/channels/494722/feeds.json?api_key=9HILOGJ9P2HRDPNO&results=1',
    method: 'GET'
  };

  //making the https get call
  https.request(options, function(res) {
    console.log("\nstatus code: ", res.statusCode);
    let data = ''

    // A chunk of data has been recieved from request stream.
    res.on('data', function(chunk) {
        data += chunk;
    });

    // Once the whole response has been received, return response as callback
    res.on('end', () => {
      console.log('We have all the data');
      var result = JSON.parse(data);
      console.log('data: ', result);
      console.log('Pool temperature: ', result.feeds[0].field1);
      // Save the latest pool temperature.
      const poolTemp = result.feeds[0].field1;
      callback(null, poolTemp);
    });
  })
  .on('error', function(err) {
    callback(err);
  });
}

const GetNewFactHandler = {
  canHandle(handlerInput) {
    const request = handlerInput.requestEnvelope.request;
    return request.type === 'LaunchRequest' ||
      (request.type === 'IntentRequest' &&
        request.intent.name === 'GetNewFactIntent');
  },

  handle(handlerInput) {

    getCall((err, pooltemp) => {
        //Error handling implementation
        if(err) {
            console.log("Error: ", err);
        }
        //Validating condition after successful response from getCall
        //  var pooltemp = 22;
        var factIndex;
        const factArr = data;
        if (pooltemp <= 15) {
          factIndex = 0;
        }
        if (15 < pooltemp == pooltemp < 20) {
          factIndex = 1;
        }
        if (20 <= pooltemp == pooltemp < 25) {
          factIndex = 2;
        }
        if (pooltemp >= 25) {
          factIndex = 3;
        }

        const randomFact = factArr[factIndex];
        const speechOutput = 'Hold on a second, I will check for you.<break time="1s"/>Today it is ' + pooltemp + ' degrees in the pool. ' + randomFact;
        return handlerInput.responseBuilder
          .speak(speechOutput)
          .withSimpleCard(SKILL_NAME, randomFact)
          .getResponse();
    }
  },
};

const HelpHandler = {
  canHandle(handlerInput) {
    const request = handlerInput.requestEnvelope.request;
    return request.type === 'IntentRequest' &&
      request.intent.name === 'AMAZON.HelpIntent';
  },
  handle(handlerInput) {
    return handlerInput.responseBuilder
      .speak(HELP_MESSAGE)
      .reprompt(HELP_REPROMPT)
      .getResponse();
  },
};

const ExitHandler = {
  canHandle(handlerInput) {
    const request = handlerInput.requestEnvelope.request;
    return request.type === 'IntentRequest' &&
      (request.intent.name === 'AMAZON.CancelIntent' ||
        request.intent.name === 'AMAZON.StopIntent');
  },
  handle(handlerInput) {
    return handlerInput.responseBuilder
      .speak(STOP_MESSAGE)
      .getResponse();
  },
};

const SessionEndedRequestHandler = {
  canHandle(handlerInput) {
    const request = handlerInput.requestEnvelope.request;
    return request.type === 'SessionEndedRequest';
  },
  handle(handlerInput) {
    console.log(`Session ended with reason: ${handlerInput.requestEnvelope.request.reason}`);

    return handlerInput.responseBuilder.getResponse();
  },
};

const ErrorHandler = {
  canHandle() {
    return true;
  },
  handle(handlerInput, error) {
    console.log(`Error handled: ${error.message}`);

    return handlerInput.responseBuilder
      .speak('Sorry, an error occurred.')
      .reprompt('Sorry, an error occurred.')
      .getResponse();
  },
};

const SKILL_NAME = 'Space Facts';
const GET_FACT_MESSAGE = 'Here\'s today temperature: ';
const HELP_MESSAGE = 'You can say tell me a space fact, or, you can say exit... What can I help you with?';
const HELP_REPROMPT = 'What can I help you with?';
const STOP_MESSAGE = 'Goodbye!';

const data = [
  'It is freezing cold. Swimming only for idiots',
  'It is not for whimps, but you may swim. Do you dare go for it?',
  'Wich is a nice temperature for a norwegian.',
  'This is quite comfortable and a swim should be really nice ',

];

const skillBuilder = Alexa.SkillBuilders.standard();

exports.handler = skillBuilder
  .addRequestHandlers(
    GetNewFactHandler,
    HelpHandler,
    ExitHandler,
    SessionEndedRequestHandler
  )
  .addErrorHandlers(ErrorHandler)
  .lambda();

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Bolton Wanderers boss gives an update on ex-Sunderland and QPR defender's trial
Bolton still weighing up deal for ex-Sunderland and QPR defender
By Marc Iles MarcIles Chief Football Writer
Joel Lynch is training with Wanderers
WANDERERS will not rush into making an offer to trialist Joel Lynch.
The 33-year-old former Sunderland and QPR defender has been training at Lostock for the last week and has impressed Whites boss Ian Evatt.
But the Bolton boss is happy to bide his time and make sure Lynch is exactly the right fit for his squad before making a contract offer.
Evatt – who has declined to name the player specifically – may leave room for one more player to be registered when the club submit their official list of 22 to the EFL later today.
"We are not going to make the same mistakes as the past and rush into things," he said. "We need to make sure we do due diligence, ensure he can stay on the pitch, be healthy and robust enough to cope with what we are doing.
"We are not in a rush with it. He is still unattached and looking for a club so he has to come and earn it like everyone else.
"He is in that position and has trained well this week, so we will see how we go. There is no timescale on it, we'll see how it develops."
Meanwhile, Evatt is looking forward to blooding his deadline-day signings at Salford this weekend, even if their arrival has naturally raised expectancy levels among the supporters.
The Wanderers boss believes his team has shown some signs of improvement throughout January and is optimistic they will continue to progress in the final 21 games.
"I have always been a person that thrives on pressure," he said. "If you think about any success you have in your lifetime, whether it's sport, your occupation, having children, everything brings with it stress and pressure. Nothing good in life comes without pressure.
"To get to the top and be the best you have to go through those stressful times.
"I am the manager of Bolton and I know the expectancy levels here. But I would rather have that pressure with the squad I have now. I have to put the right parts and pieces together now to get the right results.
"We hadn't been on a great run prior to Leyton Orient but I do believe our performances had been slightly better and so if we can carry on improving, I have said all season I thought we would finish strongly and hopefully our early season form won't cost us when it comes to the big finish. We are still in touch and I do think we have an opportunity."


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Causes of Nausea in Young Men and What to Do About it?
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Until I found how to get rid of morning sickness I used to sit (well lay on the couch) nibbling dry toast whilst my husband enjoyed his curry and a beer. Even the smell of the curry made my stomach turn. Men really do get off too lightly with the whole baby thing! how to get rid of ants in my house Such nausea is more in the morning hours, just after getting up from bed, since the stomach is empty then. The patient may also have some bloating and feel some acidity. The patient may also have some bloating and feel some acidity.
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The other day a pregnant friend of mine asked what does morning sickness feel like and how to fight it. The advice was sought because she wasn�t sure whether she is coming down with something or her body started changing because of pregnancy.
Pregnancy morning sickness is one of the most common complaints, particularly during the first trimester. There are countless women seeking proper help to relieve morning sickness and enjoy this beautiful stage of their life.


If you've ever visited a monument or checked out a famous artwork in a museum, you probably lined up with a bunch of tourists and snapped a photo of it. For his ongoing project Volte-face, photographer Oliver Curtis does almost the same thing—but he's facing what most people would consider to be the wrong way.
Curtis is, as he tells GOOD, interested in the scenery that is "ignored." The project began when he took a trip to Egypt and visited the Great Pyramid of Giza (also known as the Pyramid of Khufu). As with nearly anyone who visits a great monument, Curtis felt upon first encounter that he had seen it before. And, in fact, he had—on postcards and posters, in television documentaries, and so on.
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For Curtis, each location featured in the Volte-face series seems to offer up some type of narrative, theme, or connection with the history of a place. And despite the great distances between monuments, and without any obvious historical connections, Curtis was surprised by how much every landscape had in common.
The most challenging aspect of the process for Curtis was to set aside any preconceived notions he had about a particular place, so that he could be receptive to whatever he found upon arrival. Despite the fact that the photographs are taken from his perspective, Curtis feels that it is important for viewers to make their own personal interpretations of these images. This, he says, will depend on the viewer's personal knowledge of a place and the historical associations he or she might make.
All images courtesy Oliver Curtis. Used with permission.


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text:
Mangal Ram is an Indian politician from the Bharatiya Janata Party and a member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly representing the Kathumar Vidhan Sabha constituency of Rajasthan.

References

1962 births
Living people
Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Rajasthan
Rajasthan MLAs 2013–2018

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
The kultarr (Antechinomys laniger) (also called the "jerboa-marsupial" or marsupial jerboa) is a small insectivorous nocturnal marsupial inhabiting the arid interior of Australia. Preferred habitat includes stony deserts, shrubland, woodland, grassland and open plains. The kultarr has a range of adaptations to help cope with Australia's harsh arid environment including torpor similar to hibernation that helps conserve energy. The species has declined across its former range since European settlement due to changes in land management practices and introduced predators.

Description
The kultarr is a small carnivorous marsupial of the family Dasyuridae with unique morphological features. It is nocturnal, hunting a variety of invertebrates including spiders, crickets and cockroaches. During the day it shelters in a burrows in hollow logs, beneath grass tussocks, at the base of shrubs and trees or cracks in the soil.
Males weigh between 17-30 grams and 80–100 mm in length. Females are slightly smaller between 14–29 grams and 70–95 mm in length. They have a brown or fawn-sandy color, with a white underside. The kultarr has a long tail with a distinctive dark brush-like tip. The muzzle is sharply pointed and the eyes and ears are particularly large; the eyes have dark rings around them. It has distinguishing elongated hind legs having four toes similar to macropodids. The hind legs are designed for a bipedal or hopping style movement, used to evade predators and catch prey such as insects. Kultarrs have been recorded moving at speeds of 13.8 km/h in open country.

Taxonomy
The kultarr is the sole member of the genus Antechinomys of the family Dasyuridae. Originally collected by Sir Thomas Mitchell in New South Wales, it was subsequently described as Phascogale lanigera by John Gould in 1856. It was then moved into its own genus, Antechinomys, by Krefft in 1867 and in 1888 the species was formally named Antechinomys laniger.
In 1906 a second species of Antechinomys was described from specimens collected from an expedition to central Australia, classified as Antechinomys spenceri. Extensive discussion regarding the taxonomy of the genus followed. In 1981 it was proposed that Antechinomys was not distinct enough from Sminthopsis; subsequent isozyme and mitochondrial analysis proved the theory to be incorrect. A. laniger laniger and A. laniger spenceri are now accepted as being subspecies with minor morphological differences, both occurring in different geographic ranges. A. laniger laniger occurs in eastern Australia while A. laniger spenceri is found in western and central Australia. Morphological differences include A. laniger spenceri being paler in colour and heavier compared to A. laniger laniger.

Distribution
The kultarr occurs across a vast area of semi-arid and arid Australia but has since declined from parts of its former range and is now uncommon with populations suffering seasonal fluctuations. The kultarr has disappeared from Victoria and southern New South Wales at the Murray-Darling junction. Populations in south-east South Australia, Cedar Bay in north Queensland and western Queensland have also disappeared.

Populations in the Northern Territory and Western Australia appear to be stable. Kultarr populations around Cobar in western New South Wales continue to persist, being regionally important for conservation of the species. Recent sightings of kultarrs occurred in 2015 at Nombinnie Nature Reserve in Central Western NSW. These sightings are significant as the species has not been sighted in the area for over 20 years.

Ecology and behavior

Life cycle and reproduction
The lifespan of kultarrs in the wild is unknown however in captivity they can live up to 5 years. The kultarr has distinct geographical variations in breeding seasons. Breeding and the onset of estrus occurs in the second half of the year in eastern populations with western populations occurring slightly later. Males are sexually mature at 9–10 months and females at 11–12 months. Female are polyestrous, having the ability to enter estrus multiple times in a breeding season. The kultarr has a crescent shaped pouch consisting of small folds of skin with six to eight teats. The young are carried in the pouch for up to 20 days, after this they hold on to the mother's back whilst she forages or are left in the burrow.

Both subspecies have different numbers of teats with A. laniger laniger having eight and A. laniger spenceri having six. This can be used to differentiate between the two subspecies. Captive breeding and rearing of kultarr is problematic and difficult.

Home range and movement

Kultarrs migrate between different locations throughout the year, meaning local populations numbers can vary depending on seasonal fluctuations. Populations can decline in response to good rain with kultarrs preferring drier seasons. Movements and home ranges of kultarrs vary with movements of up to 1,700 m per night for males and 400 m per night for females. Kultarrs disperse and negotiate a variety of different habitat types to forage from vegetated areas and open bare ground.

Diet
The kultarr is predominantly insectivorous, its diet consisting largely of species including spiders, cockroaches, crickets and beetles. Additionally, kultarrs are also known to prey on other species of dasyurids.

The digestive tract of the kultarr has been described, as have the digestibilities of captive feeding regimes, and the rates of passage of different dietary items through their digestive tracts.

Habitat
The kultarr occupies a range of different habitats preferring sparsely vegetated areas. Habitats include claypans, gibber plains, stony deserts, savannas, hummock  (Triodia sp.) and tussock grasslands, woodlands and shrublands. Regional variation in habitat preference occurs with the western subspecies preferring stony, granite plains dominated by Acacia, Eremophila, and Cassia species. Eastern subspecies prefer sparsely vegetated clay pans in acacia woodlands.

Torpor as an adaptation
The kultarr is an Endotherm having a high metabolic rate, to conserve energy the kultarr enters into a state of torpor where the body temperature is reduced similar to hibernation. The body temperature drops to 11 °C reducing the metabolic rate by 30% conserving energy and reducing water loss. Torpor occurs in the evening-early morning, lasting between 2–16 hours.   Species that enter torpor are referred to as heterothermic endotherms. Other species of Dasyriuds in arid Australia use torpor and is an adaptation to combat limited resource availability.
The benefits of torpor include having an extended lifetime; this is advantageous in the harsh arid environment enabling recovery of populations after stochastic weather events such as flooding or drought. Torpor is also used during the breeding season to ensure breeding success even during poor seasons.

Threats to survival

Habitat degradation

Changes in land management practices since European settlement has resulted in catastrophic declines of terrestrial fauna species throughout arid Australia. Habitat degradation occurs through overgrazing by introduced species such as rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), sheep (Ovis aries), and cattle (Bos taurus). Cattle can trample and destroy vegetation, damaging soil structure and reducing deep cracks that reduces nesting and shelter sites for the kultarr.

Predation by cats and foxes
Kultarrs are threatened by introduced predators such feral cats (Felis catus) and red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). Good rainfall results in ecosystem pulses in arid regions, allowing predators to increase their numbers, therefore predation on kultarrs increases. Kultarrs are also predated by native species such as native owls and snakes. However cats differ from native predators as they are recreational hunters and continue to prey on species even when prey numbers are low. Domesticated cats on cattle stations have also been reported as preying on kultarrs.

Flooding

Populations of kultarrs experience significant decline due to the impacts of flooding, causing the mortality of individuals through drowning and flooding of burrows. The impact is exacerbated if kultarr populations are isolated, hindering re-colonisation. The destruction of kultarr habitat is also a consequence of severe flooding.

Fire
The cessation of indigenous fire-stick farming and the reduction of patch-mosaic burning in arid Australia since European colonisation have caused increased severity of large-scale wildfires. Contributing to the decline of suitable habitat and refuges for the kultarr including tree hollows, fallen logs, Triodia spp. hummocks, shrubs and leaf litter.

Insecticides used to control locusts
Insecticide control of the Australian plague locust has been attributed to possible fatalities of species of Dasyriuds from secondary poisoning. Kultarrs are particularly susceptible because of their high insect diet, high metabolism and small body size. Once locusts are affected by insecticide kultarrs are able to capture and gorge-feed on them easily making them susceptible to poisoning.

Conservation and management

Current status
The kultarr is classified as endangered in New South Wales under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and near threatened in the Northern Territory under the Territory Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2000.
In Queensland it is classified as least concern under the Nature Conservation Act 1992. The kultarr is not classified in South Australia, Victoria or Western Australia. The kultarr is not listed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and listed as least concern on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) 'red list' of threatened species.

Targeted conservation programs

A detailed recovery plan has been developed for the kultarr by the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service under the 'saving our species' program. Objectives include identifying species distributions and habitat requirements, identifying specific threats to the species, implementing direct management strategies to reduce threats as well as public education to increase the profile of the kultarr. At present there aren't any plans to reintroduce kultarrs into the wild.

Direct management strategies that benefit the species include:
  Fox, rabbit and feral cat control programs
  Maintaining patch mosaic burning in the landscape
  Reducing the stocking rates of livestock on properties and excluding cattle from important kultarr habitat
  Retention of understory and groundcover plants as well as other elements such as logs and leaf litter
  Reporting any new sighting of the species.

See also
 Hopping mouse, jerboa, jumping mouse, kangaroo mouse, kangaroo rat and springhare - rodents similar in body plan and locomotion, examples of convergence

References

Dasyuromorphs
Mammals of New South Wales
Mammals of Queensland
Mammals of South Australia
Mammals of the Northern Territory
Mammals of Western Australia
Marsupials of Australia
Mammals described in 1856
Taxa named by John Gould


Firefox 21 was released on May 14, 2013. This article lists key changes that are useful not only for web developers, but also Firefox and Gecko developers as well as add-on developers.
Support for RTCPeerConnection (as MozRTCPeerConnection) is now enabled by default (bug 796463). It can be disabled again if necessary by setting media.peerconnection.enabled to false.
FUEL applications cannot use the Livemarks service anymore (bug 834492). The Livemarks service is deprecated and phased out in favor of the new async interface.
resource:///modules/ and resource://gre/modules/ are no longer identical (bug 755724). This change was made because of work on the metro version of Firefox. If you load modules using resource:///modules/, you should check if you now want to use resource://gre/modules/ instead. Note that some modules also moved from Firefox to Toolkit (bug 840287 and bug 811548 moved NewTabUtils.jsm and the thumbnail modules, respectively).
Added nsIHttpChannel.redirectTo() to enable redirecting HTTP channels without fragile hacks.


Years ago while walking through the mall I was stopped by an enthusiastic kiosk vendor. He had this tiny multi-sided block. Each side performed a different function. One was to file nails, the other to buff and so forth. He proceeded to demonstrate it on one of my fingernails as I watched in amazement while my nail was miraculously transformed into a beautiful shiny, smooth nail. I purchased one of those things and used for a while and it eventually ran its course. I never bothered to replace it. I find the effort it requires is more than I'm willing to expend.
I was recently introduced to the The Micro-Nail by Emjoi, this is by far a better method for achieving those gorgeously buffed nails.
What makes this so wonderful is the fact that it's completely effortless. Turn it on and it spins 360 degrees at an amazing 30 times per second. So it only takes seconds to complete all nails.
Includes two Micro-Smooth rollers, one for smoothing ridges and one for creating beautiful shine. The results are stunning nails free of discolorations, ridges and other imperfections, leaving smooth shiny, polish-optional nails. A great investment for less than forty dollars. Certainly no need to visit a salon and spend big bucks. Think of the money you'll save. Certainly a worthy gift for yourself and a loved one.
Lipton Publicity provided me with sample items, however, I was under no obligation to write about the products mentioned. See full disclosure.


text:
package us_reverse_geo

import "github.com/smartystreets/smartystreets-go-sdk"

// Response structure defined here: https://smartystreets.com/docs/cloud/us-reverse-geo-api#http-response-output
type Response struct {
	Results []Result `json:"results"`
}

type Result struct {
	Coordinate Coordinate `json:"coordinate"`
	Address    Address    `json:"address"`
	Distance   float64    `json:"distance"`
}

type Coordinate struct {
	Latitude  float64               `json:"latitude"`
	Longitude float64               `json:"longitude"`
	Accuracy  string                `json:"accuracy"`
	License   sdk.CoordinateLicense `json:"license"`
}

type Address struct {
	Street            string `json:"street"`
	City              string `json:"city"`
	StateAbbreviation string `json:"state_abbreviation"`
	ZIPCode           string `json:"zipcode"`
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub