text:
A BITNET (acrônimo de "Because It's Time to NETwork" ou "Because It's There NETwork") foi uma rede remota criada em 1981 a partir da ligação entre a Universidade da Cidade de Nova Iorque e a Universidade Yale, que visava proporcionar um meio rápido e barato de comunicação para o meio acadêmico. Era administrada pelo CREN (Corporation for Research and Educational Networking) em Washington D.C., e usada para fornecer serviços de correio eletrônico e de transferência de arquivos entre computadores de grande porte em instituições educacionais e de pesquisa na América do Norte, na América do Sul, Europa e Japão. Chegou a alcançar mais de 2 500 universidades e institutos de pesquisa em todo o mundo.

A BITNET utilizava um software da IBM chamado RSCS (Remote Spooling Communication Subsytem) e o protocolo NJE (Network Job Entry) em vez do TCP/IP, mas podia trocar mensagens de correio eletrônico com a Internet.

Até o início da década de 1990, a BITNET tinha alguma importância na conectividade mundial, mas foi definitivamente suplantada pela maior abrangência da Internet. A principal aplicação da BITNET foi a manutenção de listas de distribuição. A diferença mais visível entre a BITNET e a Internet está nos endereços dos servidores. Os domínios da BITNET eram formados por dois caracteres que identificavam o país, seguidos imediatamente pelo nome do servidor (geralmente a sigla da instituição), sem separadores. Os domínios localizados nos Estados Unidos eram exceção, por não possuirem o código de identificação do país. São exemplos de endereços típicos da BITNET: XXXXX@BRLNCC (Laboratório Nacional de Computação Científica, no Brasil) ou XXXXX@CUNYVM (Universidade da Cidade de Nova Iorque, nos Estados Unidos).

BITNET

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Profesionalni nogometni klub Ludogorec Razgrad (bolgarsko: Професионален футболен клуб Лудогорец Разград) je bolgarski nogometni klub iz mesta Razgrad. Klub je bil ustanovljen 18. junija 2001 kot Nogometni klub Ludogorie. Ime je dobil po enem izmed prvih nogometnih klubov v mestu, ki je nastal leta 1945, a razpadel v letu 2006. Klub trenutno v Parvi Ligi, bolgarski 1. nogometni ligi.

Ludogorec je poleg Levskega in CSKA Sofije še edini klub, ki je osvojil trojček - torej državno prvenstvo, bolgarski pokal in bolgarski superpokal. Bil pa je tudi veliko presenečenje v Evropski ligi v sezoni 2013/14, ko je bil prvi v svoji skupini, uspelo pa mu je priti do osmine finala (tam ga je izločila Valencia). Je pa tudi šele drugi bolgarski klub (po Levskem), ki mu je uspelo priti do skupinskega dela Lige prvakov. To se je zgodilo v sezoni 2014/15, kjer naprej sicer ni napredoval, je pa kot prvi bolgarski klub osvojil točke v modernem sistemu skupinskega dela Lige prvakov, ko je v Sofiji premagal Basel z 1-0.

Domači stadion Ludogorca je Ludogorec Arena, ki sprejme 8.808 gledalcev. Barva dresov je zelena. Nogometaši Ludogorca imajo tudi vzdevek Orli.

Za Ludogorec sta igrala tudi Roman Bezjak in Jure Travner.

Moštvo sezone  2021/22

Bolgarski nogometni klubi
Športna moštva, ustanovljena leta 2001
Razgrad


text:
Immigration 7/17/18
Migrant Children in the Custody of a Federal Contractor Reportedly Bathed Themselves in Sinks
Undocumented children in the care of MVM Inc., a federal contractor tasked with providing "assistance in emergency…
Motel 6 Admits Phoenix Locations Reported Undocumented Guests to ICE
Eleanor Sheehan
Employees at two Motel 6 locations in Phoenix, AZ, called Immigrations and Customs Enforcement on guests they…
Donald Trump is Using the Language of Race War
Katherine Krueger
Welcome to WHAT NOW, a morning round-up of the news/fresh horrors that await you today.
Somebody Is Posting Craigslist Ads Seeking Actors for Trump's Phoenix Rally
David Boddiger
Would Donald Trump's re–election campaign really be so desperate that it would post ads on Craigslist recruiting…
Phoenix Mayor Begs Trump Not to Hold Campaign Rally So Soon After Charlottesville
ICE just deported this single father of 3 celebrating his son's 17th birthday
Juan Carlos Fomperosa García, a 44-year-old construction worker in Phoenix, was planning a birthday party Thursday…
Phoenix activists are showing the rest of the country how to fight deportations in the age of Trump
Jorge Rivas
A 15-hour protest that brought national attention to a mother fighting her deportation in Phoenix may have just set…
The daughter of the Arizona mom who was deported to Mexico gave this heartbreaking speech
An hour after Guadalupe García de Rayos was deported from the United States on Thursday, her 14-year-old girl stood…
This mom of two has lived in the U.S. for 21 years. Last night she was hauled off in a deportation van.
Wilfred Chan
UPDATE, 1:31 pm: Rayos' attorney confirmed to Fusion that Rayos was deported this morning.
Queer Selena wants Sheriff Joe Arpaio bidi bidi gone gone
PHOENIX—The campaign to oust Republican Sheriff Joe Arpaio has a new ally.
Children of the deported are becoming an electoral force to be reckoned with
PHOENIX—The deadly heat wave that hit Arizona last summer didn't stop the voter-registration drive.
The man who shouted 'Jew-S-A' at a Trump rally is now blaming Mexicans for his anti-Semitism
Over the weekend, George Lindell became one of Donald Trump's most famous supporters when he was caught on video…
Black Lives Matter protests (and some clashes with police) continue Friday
Caroline Linton
Thousands of peaceful marches continued throughout the U.S. on Friday night, one day after Micah Xavier Johnson…
The Phoenix City Council is trying to get out of having Satanists deliver opening prayer
Everyone's cool with freedom of religion until the Satanists show up at city hall.
NBA owner says his team stinks because of 'millennial culture'
The youths: they're ruining everything, up to and including the Phoenix Suns, according to, uh, the owner of the…
How a real Phoenix cop ended up as a character in the new Call of Duty game
Andy McDermott's resume is starting to read like something of a superhero. Full-time Phoenix Police Department…
America's youngest job seekers on the difficulties of breaking into the workforce
Evie Carpenter
About 1 in 7 Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 are not in school and don't have a job, according to a study by…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Upcoming events at the Save Sight Institute.
The University of Sydney and the University of Otago are offering a short course in microsurgical skills for ophthalmology. The course is suited to medical residents and ophthalmic registrars and will provide you with the foundational skills necessary to advance your surgical skills in periocular, skin and cataract surgery.
Who: Medical Residents or Ophthalmology registrars interested in advancing their knowledge and skills in microsurgery. Course limited to 20 places.
Note: this course is only open to Medical residents or Ophthalmology registrars.


text:
Make the most of your budget with eBook content from APA. Choose the book content that will best fit your library's collection and benefit from scholarly titles authored by distinguished researchers and master practitioners, delivery of MARC records, access through APA PsycNET, training and support from APA experts, and much more.
To learn more, click here .
New European Library Portal Launched
by Katherine Allen
The European Library is a new discovery service that provides access to the collections of the national libraries of 46 European countries, plus a growing number of research libraries. Content accessible from the new service includes rare books, manuscripts, images, and video. The service allows users to cross-search 200 million records, covering more than 24 million pages of full-text information and more than 7 million digital objects. Users can export records to reference management services such as Mendeley, and from the end of 2012, registered users will be able to download and re-use metadata free of charge. To facilitate further research, links are provided to other websites in the Europeana group.
Plum Analytics Maps Success in Open Access Scholarship
Another trendy term has arrived—altmetrics, a contraction of the phrase "alternative metrics." The term refers to a group of different techniques and technologies all meant to wrestle with the issues of scholarship moving to digital venues. The issues include filtering good/better/best from bad/worse/worst, relieving the "firehose as drinking fountain" challenge of keeping up with digitally borne scholarship, and effectively replacing or reinforcing traditional measures of success in scholarship (e.g., prestigious journals, positive peer review, cite counts, etc.). A new small startup, Plum Analytics, has moved into the altmetrics field. It offers universities and other research institutions a way to track how researchers on staff have fared in the open access (OA) milieu.
Inmagic Announces Presto for DB/Text
Inmagic introduced a new product that will bring advanced web publishing capabilities to DB/TextWorks customers. The new product, Presto for DB/Text, is a limited version of Inmagic Presto that will enable many new web publishing capabilities for DB/Text, while allowing textbases to continue to be created and maintained in DB/TextWorks. Presto for DB/Text will work with both SQL and non-SQL versions of DB/TextWorks.
NoveList Select Gains New Features and Options
NoveList, a division of EBSCO Publishing, is introducing new features to NoveList Select, its catalog enrichment resource. These new features improve the user experience, as well as offer new upgrade options, including book jackets, professional book reviews, sample excerpts, tables of contents, and more, from Content Café—a database offered by Baker & Taylor.
Columbia University and Thomson Reuters Launch Advanced Data Visualization Project
Columbia University and Thomson Reuters announced the launch of the Advanced Data Visualization Project (ADVP) based at Columbia's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation (GSAPP). The initiative, sponsored by Thomson Reuters, will facilitate research into data visualization and its implications for academia and industry in a world increasingly awash with data.
The Challenging Landscape of Ebooks in Libraries
The overall growth in digital content of all kinds, and in particular, the growing importance and acceptance of ebooks, has clearly presented great opportunities for libraries, as well as plenty of challenges. Many libraries are coping with decreasing budgets while at the same time experiencing increased demand for content and services. Challenges include limited availability of ebooks from publishers, increasing demands for tech support with ebook readers and mobile devices, cumbersome borrowing processes, and minimal discoverability of ebook content. Two recent reports shed some light on the current situation, providing interesting statistics and perspectives.


Every opportunity you have to promote your business and increase visibility is valuable.
Without a strong online presence, your inbound traffic is limited more or less to people already familiar with your brand. A solid online presence campaign will increase brand awareness, increase inbound site traffic, improve brand loyalty, and increase opportunities to convert or gain leads. Talk about opportunity!
Social media is often the cheapest way to increase your online presence. Every post you make on a social media platform is an opportunity for a customer to convert. In building a following on social media, you'll have access to new customers, recent customers, and old customers, plus you can interact with all of them. That kind of public back-and-forth on a regular basis is a show of good faith for potential customers. When people want to brag about a product or service, how do they do it? Word of mouth or social media, the latter of which can reach… well, almost everybody. The more people talking about you on social media, the more valuable your brand will seem to new and potential customers.
SEO is a very cost-effective marketing strategy. It targets users who are actively searching for your products and services online. Think about it: When you Google a product or service such as lawn care, what do you type? Most likely something along the lines of "Best lawn care service in [wherever you are]." These are called long tail keywords. They are the thoughts people have when looking for resources, answers to questions, or are looking for a product or service online. These long tail keywords are catalogued by search engines to help people find your content. Building keywords into your content in a tasteful way will help users to find you in their online searches.
Approaching SEO in this way simultaneously helps make your website more navigable for both users and search engines.
Now that you have all this increased traffic to your website, you're in business, right? Not so fast. Is your website built with UX/UI in mind? In terms of design, user experience is as important as visual identity. It doesn't much matter what your website looks like if people don't know how to interact with it. People won't spend the time figuring out a navigation system that isn't intuitive. Before you know it, they have bounced (left your website). If a user leaves your website in this manner they won't return. They could, sure, anything is possible, but they won't.
Good UX/UI design creates easy navigation for the user, is not off-putting, and creates a funnel leading toward a conversion. Good UX/UI design will efficiently get users from A to B without being too pushy. You don't want your website to seem like that ultra pushy salesman.
A strong online presence will inevitably increase your opportunity to gain leads, increase conversions, and grow your business. Take advantage of the opportunity!


There's a disturbing report in circulation in the "deep state" mainstream media, in which it's being alleged that Russia is behind a string of attacks on Diplomats from the United States of America in Cuba and China, respectively.
National Security Analyst Morgan Ortagus said on NBC Tuesday that the evidence points at Russia, without giving any credible information to support such a claim.
"What has happened in Cuba has really taken the harassment to a level that's incredibly scary," Ortagus said.
The report has now appeared on both  Fox News, and NBC News, prompting those who analyze information from the media to believe that this is a propagandist effort.
"This goes back to a pattern of behavior of Russians harassing our diplomats," Ortagus said. "You assume that there are nefarious countries that are going to go after you, that are going to target and collect against you."
One that is designed solely to provoke an "End Times" war of biblical prophecy.
Yes, NBC, the media outlet which oversees the non-stop hatred of President Trump's Administration at MSNBC; now wants you to believe them when they claim Russia is behind attacks on Americans.
They're foaming at the mouth to see this war take place, but it's up to the sovereign nations of the world to prevent an apocalyptic disaster such as this from occurring.
President Trump has repeatedly slapped sanctions on Russia, the latest series of such sanctions as recent as last month.
There is no room for fragility, amidst a growing crisis in Syria, where a war for Israeli interests rages over the Golan Heights.
Russia has made clear that they will stand beside Syria and the Assad regime if they're attacked again.
China's leader Xi Jinping has recently made  public appearances with Vladimir Putin, as Russia seems to be building its own coalition.
This comes after Turkey, yet another alleged participant in "Biblical Armageddon," has purchased new Russian missile systems.
Tensions will continue to rise until those provoking the tensions are brought to justice, and that seems incredibly unlikely with each passing day.
We will stay on this subject as the endless efforts to push a global war to occur continuously, and update with new information as it arrives.
WELL, WHO THE HELL IS BUZZING MY WIRES? RUSSIA? NOTTT. BESIDES THAT , THANK GOD, I HAVE DONE MY RESEARCH, I AM THE ONLY ONE HEARING IT , SO, I HAVE TO HAVE SOME SORT OF CHIP, IMPLANT. IONLY HOPE THAT IT ISNT AFFECTING MY FAMILY, EVEN THOUGH THEY SAY THEY CAN'T HEAR THE BUZZING. I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO ADAPT. THERE ARE MANY BEING DONE THE SAME WAY, THEY SAY, TO THREATEN THEM TO BE QUIET. HMMM, OH , THAT IS CORRECT, THERE WAS THAT NIGHTMARE IN MY LIFE THAT HAPPENED BACK IN 1986-1987. GUESS OLE AL GORE AND HIS THUGS, MUST STILL BE WORRIED, AS THIS BUZZING IS IN ITS THIRD , YEAR. NO NEED TOTRY TOGO TO A DR., HE WOULD ONLY TAG YOU AS CRAZY, ETC. PATRIOT SNOWDEN , WAS RIGHT.
here we go again: the fake news is owned by JEWS. they are angry because Putin stopped their war fun in the mid-east after JEWS rigged The Trade Towers with explosives with the endgame being a "greater israel ".
trump the egomaniac has embraced the DC swamp who demand more war.


Eleven of the 28 bears are now dead – every one of them a victim of the free-drip method of bile extraction, touted as humane by the farmers (and some officials), every one of them suffering indescribable pain for so, so long.
All of these 11 bears were riddled with liver cancer – in some of them the foul tumours were as much as 10 per cent of their total body weight.
Our only consolation is that their pain has ended.
Witnessing the post-mortems as our vets cut out these vile growths and slice through rotten, putrid flesh, I just cannot come to terms with the fact that these animals can live through so much trauma – both mentally and physically. Any other animal would surely have succumbed long ago.
It's also utterly mind-boggling that people willingly consume the putrid bile that drains from these pain-wracked, poisoned bodies.
One person that agrees is a local Chinese pathologist who has been examining the cancers too. Maybe one day this shocking evidence we're collecting will be a turning point and I continue to pray for that day.


text:
Q: What's wrong with this "As a" sentence? I frequently see statements in the form of this one:

As a skilled computer programmer, this new language is crap.

I think that's ungrammatical, but can't explain why. I think it's because the part before the comma doesn't correctly attach to the second part.
I would rewrite it,

As a skilled computer programmer, I find this new language to be crap.

Because I think the first part has to attach to "I" or the verb "find", which is done by the subject "I."
Please educate me and others.

A: The sentence "As a skilled computer programmer, this new language is crap" contains an example of what is often called a dangling modifier. Careful writers avoid such usage because they know that some of their readers will react negatively to it.
An example of an egregious dangling modifier is the following, which is the first sentence in an article in the Guardian newspaper:

Driving past Hampstead Heath pond to chase an interview the car radio
  was tuned in to the 2pm news.

The dangling modifier in the OP's question is As a skilled programmer. The famous prescriptivists Strunk and White offer a similar example:

As a mother of five, and with another on the way, my ironing board is
  always up.

A brief analysis of this sentence can be found in the Wikipedia Dangling Modifier page, which also contains examples of other variations of the same problematic usage.

A: As has been stated, the first example is a classic "dangling modifier." By dangling modifier, I mean that your sentence has an dependent clause (As a skilled programmer ...) that isn't modifying or supporting an independent clause.
So in other words, the meaning of the sentence, "As a skilled computer programmer, this new language is crap," is unclear.
To me, that says,"This new language is crap as a skilled programmer."
The second example fixes the problem by making clear what the clause is modifying, which is clearly you. You are correct in your assessment that the subject of the sentence is unambiguous only in the second sentence. There's no subject at all in your first; or rather, the subject in the first example is "this new language."
At the very least, every sentence must have a bare minimum on one independent clause (i.e. a clause that is by itself a complete sentence). While your sentence does technically contain an independent clause, it's functioning similarly to a dependent one because, logically, the language in and of itself can't possibly do programming, suggesting that the subject was omitted.
This is not a big error in speech among peers, but in formal writing, it would be taboo. I understood it because it's the only logical/possible interpretation. This is an error that I'd avoid in academic/professional writing and is something I would avoid both in speech and in writing in front of a prospective employer. But, in this case, it's more a case of speaking/writing to your audience.
Note that while your example was clear despite not being grammatically correct, there are times when dangling modifiers can make a sentence have multiple meanings.
For example, does "As a skilled programmer, this language is in simple English," mean that the language in question written in simple English? Or does it instead imply that it appears as simple English in the eyes of a skilled programmer?

A: The original sentence implies that the language itself is a computer programmer, a scary idea when you think about it.
I'd suggest: "As a programmer, it's obvious (to me) that the language is crap."
or
As a programmer, the crappiness of the language is obvious (to me)."
or
"The crappiness of the language is obvious to this programmer."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Supermoon 5 May 2012..Biggest full moon of the year
Posted byladymaggic May 5, 2012 Posted inFull Moon, SkyTags:Full Moon, Supermoon
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/supermoon-supermoon-large-full-moon-tonight/story?id=16285195#.T6WR3ejVXs0
Tonight, if the full moon, rising in the East, strikes you as unusually large, you'll be right. It will loom larger than usual. Though it's hardly a scientific term, it will be what's known as a "supermoon."
If the weather is clear where you are, it should be a sight to see. It happens because — despite what our senses tell us — the moon does not orbit us in a perfect circle. It follows a slightly elliptical path every month. At 11:35 p.m. EDT, say astronomers, it will come within 221,802 miles of us — coincidentally about one minute before it's at its fullest.
The "supermoon" of March 19, 2011, seen from England. Ben Birchall/PA/AP Photo.
The result: When the moon is closest to Earth, it appears 14 percent larger and 30 percent brighter than when it's farthest from us. Two weeks from now, on the opposite side of its orbit, it will be about 252,000 miles away.
Remember the numbers. They'll come in handy at the end of this story.
"The full Moon has a reputation for trouble," wrote Tony Phillips, an astronomer who maintains NASA's Science News site. "It raises high tides, it makes dogs howl, it wakes you up in the middle of the night with beams of moonlight stealing through drapes.
"If a moonbeam wakes you up on the night of May 5th, you might want to get out of bed and take a look."
But is there really anything "super" about it, beyond the spectacle? Astronomers say emphatically not. It may increase high tides in places by a few inches, but that's about it.
For all the folklore about full moons and madness ("lunacy"), social scientists have searched in vain for correlations between the moon and crime rates or admissions to psychiatric institutions.
So if the weather cooperates (check our weather page for a forecast), look outside — fearlessly — and drink in the moonlight. Many people say the best time to look is early evening, just as the moon is coming up over the horizon. You'll see the moon, pumpkin-colored, slowly rising in the East — and, boy, will it look large.
It is, in fact, no larger in the sky than when it's overhead, but our minds fool us, perhaps because we have a reference point — something on the horizon — that we lack when it is high among the stars.
"For instance," said Phillips in an email, "when you see the moon in close proximity to a tree, your brain will miscalculate the distance to the moon, mentally bringing it closer (like the tree) and thus making it bigger. It seems so real, but this beautiful illusion is all in our minds."
We said it would be useful to remember the moon's changing distance from Earth, and here's why:
Two weeks from now, on the afternoon of May 20, the moon will be in its new phase, passing between Earth and the sun.
The result will be a solar eclipse — one that will be visible in a strip of the Western United States, stretching southeastward from the Oregon-California border to Lubbock, Texas.
It should be a spectacular sight, visible from Reno, Albuquerque, Zion National Park and parts of the Grand Canyon — but it won't be the kind of eclipse you most often see pictured.
Recall that on Saturday the moon, at perigee, will appear 14 percent larger? On May 20, it will seem 14 percent smaller — in other words, not quite enough to block the sun.
The result will be what's known as an annular eclipse. A blindingly-bright ring of sun ("ring" in Latin is "annulus") will surround the black disc of the moon.
Still worth a trip if you're inclined, but a bit less "super" than other such sights. It's the price we'll pay for a big, bright "supermoon" this weekend
Brisbane The Old Windmill in Wickham Street


text:
Q: Host Unit Testing Framework in our Application? (Nunit, xUnit, MsTest) We are developing and maintaining a legacy winforms application. The application uses a domain model which ist quite separate from the GUI layer, but because of many dependecies, it is hard to unit test. At least we have a build and an installation script which we can use to automatically build and deploy the application.
Now if we could only have some automated system tests...
We came up with the following idea:
First, we could write our tests in script files like this:
public class Test
{
    public void TestSaveACustomer()
    {
        var c = new Customer();
        c.Name="Miller";
        Mapper.Save(c);
        Assert.IsTrue(c.CustomerId >0);
    }
}

Then, after building and deploying the application, we could run the scripts with a script runner that is baked into our application binary. We imagine we could use the following commandline
myapp.exe /runTest c:\myScript.cs

We could start to build our own Testing framework, wouldn't that be cool? ... er... no. It would be much less work if we could use an existing testing framework like nUnit, xUnit or MSTest from our application .
I guess I need to

*

*Start a UnitTestRunner

*Compile the Script

*tell the runner to run the tests in the compiled script assembly.

I have no idea where to start, because I have only used UnitTests from VisualStudio.
Would that be possible with any existing testing framework? Which are the main classes I would use?

A: Here a existing answer how to run NUnit tests by yourself.
Question is, what does you prevent from running the tests regularly?
To get to run myApp.exe c:\test\test.cs you would also need to compile the test, then run it. You still need to compile it against your app?
Can you debug your application from let's say Visual Studio? Right? So, you could add a 'sub project', which points to the main project for the dependencies and your code. Then you add your tests there, using NUnit regularly.
Or what does prevent that?


text:
A brine spring or salt spring is a saltwater spring.

Brine springs are not necessarily associated with halite deposits in the immediate vicinity. They may occur at valley bottoms made of clay and gravel which became soggy with brine seeped downslope from the valley sides.

Historically, brine springs have been early sources of U.S. salt production, as in the case of the salterns in Syracuse, New York and at the Illinois Salines.

See also
Saline seep
Salt lick
Mineral spring

References

Salts
Springs (hydrology)


text:
MICHAEL ALEXANDER PROMOTED TO EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL FOR DEF JAM RECORDINGS, ISLAND RECORDS AND REPUBLIC RECORDS
NEW YORK, DECEMBER 5, 2017 — Republic Records, Def Jam Recordings and Island Records today announced that Michael Alexander has been promoted to Executive Vice President, International.
In this role, Alexander directs artist campaigns outside of the U.S., including marketing, publicity and promotion. He will remain based in Universal Music Group's offices in New York.
"Ever since Mike took on the reins of representing Republic's roster outside of America, our profits and chart share across the globe have grown exponentially," said Monte Lipman, Chairman and CEO of Republic Records. "His promotion and accolades are well deserved."
"Mike is an extraordinary executive who has been an integral part of Island's international success with artists including Shawn Mendes, Demi Lovato, Fall Out Boy, The Killers, Nick Jonas, just to name a few," said David Massey, President of Island Records. "The Island family couldn't be more proud to work alongside Mike and his incredible team."
"In today's expanding global marketplace, hit records can break from anywhere in the world, making this an incredibly exciting time," Alexander said. "It's a privilege to work with the most talented artists and executives in the industry. I would especially like to thank Michele Anthony, Avery Lipman, Monte Lipman, David Massey and Steve Bartels for their continued support."
Alexander and his team played a key role in successful releases from Justin Bieber, Drake, The Weeknd and Ariana Grande, as well as from Alessia Cara, Shawn Mendes and Post Malone.
Alexander has spent his entire career within the Universal Music Group family, having started as an intern in 2003 before becoming an assistant at Island Def Jam in 2005. He then spent the next eight years working in positions of increasing responsibility, including being named Vice President, International in 2012 and Senior Vice President, International in 2013.
About Universal About Universal Music Group


text:
========
Toolbars
========

Display toolbar
---------------

The 'Display' toolbar (:ref:`fig_toolbar_display`) allows to change the way the data is displayed in a very fast way.

- The first three buttons allow to rotate a 3D data stack from XY to XZ to YZ.
- The fourth button allows to exchange the displayed X and Y axis and thereby to tilt the data axes.
- The fifth button changes the data representation from overlaid to side by side.
- The sixth button is to show the different data channels in RGB colors. The first channel will be shown in red, the second in green, and the third in blue. All other channels will not be changed.
- The seventh button shows/hides the information and comment pane on top of the measurement view.
- The eighth button shows information on the data stack dimensions.

.. _fig_toolbar_display:
.. figure:: /images/ui/toolbar_display.png
   :width: 8 cm
   :align: center

   The 'Display' toolbar.

Files toolbar
-------------

- The first button of the 'File' toolbar (:ref:`fig_toolbar_files`) creates a **new measurement** with default imaging parameters (which are given during the installation of the microscope).
- The second button of the file toolbar creates a **new measurement from a template** (containing the imaging parameters).
- The third button of the file toolbar **opens** a measurement from a file. Here as well files from other compatible imaging formats can be opened.
- The fourth button of the file toolbar **saves** a measurement with a given file name (**save as**).
- The fifth button of the file toolbar saves a measurement under the same file name the current measurement is entitled with.
- If the 'overwrite warning' is activated Imspector will ask if the current measurement should be overwritten. Otherwise it saves it with the same file name.
  **An already existing file may be overwritten!**
- The sixth button of the file toolbar creates a **new window** within the current measurement.
- The seventh button of the file toolbar **cuts** out the selected data window. The data is purged to the clipboard.
- The eighth button of the file toolbar **copies** the selected data to the clipboard.
- The ninth button of the file toolbar **pastes** the selected data window to the measurement or graph window.

.. _fig_toolbar_files:
.. figure:: /images/ui/toolbar_files.png
   :width: 9 cm
   :align: center

   The 'Files' toolbar.

Measurement toolbar
-------------------

- The first button of the 'Measurement' toolbar (:ref:`fig_toolbar_measurement`) is the 'REC' button. It starts a measurement with the given parameters.
- The second button of the 'Measurement' toolbar pauses a measurement at the point when it is pressed.
- The third button of the 'Measurement' toolbar clones a measurement including the imaging parameters.
- The fourth button of the 'Measurement' toolbar is labeled 'Auto repetition'. When pressed, the measurement is continued until being stopped.

.. note::
   If the 'overwrite warning' is activated Imspector will ask if the current measurement should be overwritten.
   **An already existing file may be overwritten!**

.. _fig_toolbar_measurement:
.. figure:: /images/ui/toolbar_measurement.png
   :width: 4.5 cm
   :align: center

   The 'Measurement' toolbar.

Zoom toolbar
------------

- The first three buttons of the 'Zoom' toolbar (:ref:`fig_toolbar_zoom`) are similar to the ones known from Windows applications: **zoom to selection, zoom in, zoom out**.
- The fourth button of the 'Zoom' toolbar ('Reset Zoom') zooms the data to a scale where one pixel on the screen equals one pixel in the measurement.
- The fifth button of the 'Zoom' toolbar enlarges the measurement window to the size of the shown data (containing the zoom factor).
- The sixth button of the 'Zoom' toolbar shrinks the measurement window to the size of the shown data (containing the zoom factor).
- The seventh button of the 'Zoom' toolbar locks the dimensions of shown data.

.. _fig_toolbar_zoom:
.. figure:: /images/ui/toolbar_zoom.png
   :width: 7 cm
   :align: center

   The 'Zoom' toolbar.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The FrameNet Project is holding a workshop for developers of NLP applications, researchers in linguistic semantics, and lexicographers. Sponsored in part by the National Science Foundation, the workshop includes lectures and demonstrations on Frame Semantics and FrameNet, as well as the ICSI metaphor project, MetaNet. You will have the opportunity for hands-on practice to develop your NLP application using FrameNet data with a new FrameNet library for NLTK, or to develop frames and annotate data using FrameNet methodology and practices.
The Association for Computational Linguistics has endorsed the workshop.
For more information, contact FNworkshop@icsi.berkeley.edu.
View speaker and session information.
See information about nearby hotels.
Why: Automatic text analysis requires semantically rich information about both typical and rare patterns, as well as relational meaning in language.
Unless otherwise noted, speakers and facilitators are ICSI researchers.
We plan to maintain a balance between industry and academic participants.
Sponsors and registered participants will have access to the recorded sessions and Power Point Presentations shortly after the workshop. Depending on needs and resources, FrameNet will make the materials available later.


text:
GSA celebrates International Women's Day
HomeBlogGSA celebrates International Women's Day
To mark International Women's Day this week we are celebrating the wonderful women fighting schistosomiasis, leading innovation and contributing to global health and equity.
We asked some of our partners and colleagues to share with us what they do and their motivation to stop schistosomiasis.
Dr Victoria Gamba is a Resident of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Nairobi, Kenya. She is a strong advocate for increased awareness and research on Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS) particularly its diagnosis and the impact it has on the health of women and girls in Kenya. To find out more about FGS check out the GSA's Genital Schistosomiasis Collection here.
Dr Obiageli Nebe is the Deputy Director/Programme Manager of the National Schistosomiasis/STH programme of Nigeria. She has long-standing experience in the public health sector, with expertise in the control and elimination of schistosomiasis and soil-transmitted helminthiasis. Dr Nebe is working to substantially reduce the morbidity due to schistosomiasis in Nigeria, inline with the health sector reforms and the new WHO NTD 2030 Roadmap. Read this NTD NGO Network Interview of Dr Nebe on cross-sector collaboration to Beat NTDs.
Dr May Sule has a background in Chemical and Environmental Engineering with degrees from the University of Lagos (BSc), Newcastle University (MSc), and Imperial College London (PhD). Her research focus is on the technical and non-technical (socio-economic) aspects of achieving WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) success in line with the global sustainable development goals agenda. May works on the WISER project and is a member of the GSA Behaviour Change Working Group.
Dr Suzy Campbell is the Associate Director of the Deworm the World Initiative of Evidence Action. Dr Campbell uses her extensive background in epidemiology to support parnter countries design their interventions strategies and collect data to evaluate the impact and success of the deworming programmes. Suzy is a member of the GSA Monitoring and Evaluation Working Group.
Dr Teckla Angelo is a research scientist and head of parasitic diseases research program at the Mwanza Centre of the National Medical Research Institute in Tanzania. Teckla recieved her PhD from the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) Arusha, Tanzania. Teckla works on the Schistosomiasis Consortium for Operational Research and Evaluation, the NIMR-Univeristy of Cambridge project to map urogenital schistosomiasis in Mwanza, Tanzania, and the WISER project.
Dr Fiona Fleming is the Director of Monitoring, Evaluation and Operational Research at the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative Foundation. Fiona supports SCIF partner countries design and implement standardised M&E surveys enabling countries to collect high quality data for informed decision-making, demonstrating health impact and generating evidence for the elimination of schistosomiasis. Fiona is the chair of the GSA Monitoring and Evaluation Working Group.
Dr Pauline Mwinzi works for the WHO African Regional Office on the Expanded Special Project for the Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN). She is the focal point for Schistosomiasis and Soil-Transmitted Helminthes, supporting Member States with their SCH/STH disease intervention programmes.Check out the ESPEN portal here.
Ms Yael Velleman is Director of Policy and Communication at the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative Foundation. Yael has extensive experience working on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and health including working as Senior Policy Analyst for WaterAid and supporting the World Health Organization work on WASH and Neglected Tropical Diseases. Check out the WASH-NTD Toolkit and watch the Yael's HSTalks on WASH and NTDs here (To access this talk you need to create an account with HSTalks, after which the talk is free).
Ms Makia Christine Masong's background is in Sociology and Anthropology. She is a PhD candidate at the Université Catholique d'Afrique Centrale, sponsored by the project MTN - "Lutte contre les maladies tropicales négligées en Afrique Centrale" of the OCEAC (Organisation of Coordination for the Fight against Endemic Diseases in Central Africa). Her research, through projects like COUNTDOWN, is on the perceptions and treatment seeking behaviours linked to symptoms of Female Genital Schistosomiasis (FGS).
We know there are many more women out there doing incredible work to fight schistosomiasis and improve the health and quality of life for all! We celebrate and salute all of you! Together we will Stop Schisto and Beat NTDs, "An equal world is an enabled world."
Female Genital Schistosomiasis


*Brother's Auto Tech is closed on Saturday and Sunday so weekend appointments are not available.
*All appointments must be requested 48 hours in advance. Brother's Auto Tech will call you to confirm the requested date and time.


text:
Schifanelli Law, LLP
Integrity, Dedication
& Competence
Employer Sponsored Immigration
Fiancee Visas and Adjustment of Status
Change or Extend Visa Status
Removing LPR Conditions
FINRA ARBITRATION
FINRA Securities Arbitration
FINRA U-4/U-5 Defamation and Payable Notes
Maryland Worker's Compensation
Handgun Qualification License Litigation
More Representative Successes
Practice Area Contents Page
Permanent Total Disability Resulting from An Injury While Working
Maryland Worker's Compensation Laws cover most employees when they are hurt or injured on the job, as long as the injury "arises out of and in the course of employment." Some workers are so severely injured that they are considered "permanently, totally disabled." In Maryland, workers who suffer workplace injuries that result in the loss or loss of use of both arms, both eyes, both feet, both hands, or both legs are considered to be permanently, totally disabled. This also includes workers who lose the use of a combination of any two of an arm, eye, foot hand or leg. An employer would need to provide proof to the contrary in order to successfully rebut the presumption of permanent, total disability.
Permanent Partial Impairments Resulting from an On the Job Injury or While Working
However, on the job injuries or workplace accidents don't always result in the loss or loss of use of a limb or an eye. One may suffer a temporary loss of use of an arm or leg, for example, but after surgery, hospitalization and/or therapy or "work hardening," the injured worker may be cleared to return to work. In these cases, especially in regards to back and neck "soft tissue" injuries, it's the injured worker who needs to convince the Commission that he has suffered an permanent injury, or a "permanent impairment" of his body part. An "impairment" is a little different than a disability since it refers to the worker's loss of use of the body part in relation to his ability to perform his job. For example, a person who sits and types most of the work day may be rated with a lesser "impairment" for a broken bone in his foot, than he would had he broken a wrist or finger (upon which she arguably relies more in the performance of his job). He may certainly be "disabled" due to his foot complications, but not necessarily severely impaired for worker's compensation purposes.
Independent Medical Evaluations and Impairments
In order to succeed in convincing the Maryland Worker's Compensation Commission that you actually have a permanent partial impairment, you need to have a Medical Doctor who is familiar with work injuries and impairments make the determination. The Doctor will review your med records and then, possibly for the second time, meet with you in his or her office and evaluate you. Of course, the employer/insurer will have another M.D. make his or her determination also, and never shall the two evaluation conclusions meet. In fact, oft times the issue not whether the injured worker suffered a permanent partial impairment, but to what degree is she impaired? The degree of impairment translates into potential money to be awarded by the Commission to the injured worker to compensate for the impairment, i.e. the degree of loss of use.
Ultimately, unless you settle your work injury case with the employer/insurer first, the Commission will hear testimony and receive evidence regarding the "nature and extent" (i.e. degree) of impairment. A Commissioner will review the various Independent Medical evaluations and issue an order, usually several weeks after the hearing. The Insurer will then need to comply with the order by paying the injured worker compensation in the designated amount, or take an administrative appeal to a Maryland Circuit Court if it does not agree with the Commissioner's findings. Of course, the injured worker may appeal also if he's not happy. Sometimes everyone appeals.
If you are hurt in an accident while working, or you develop a physical ailment or condition that you believe is caused by the work that you do, contact a Maryland Worker's Compensation Lawyer in Annapolis who can advise and assist you with getting the help and benefits that you need.
Do I Need A Maryland Work Injury Attorney?
What Worker's Compensation Benefits Are Available To Me?
Hardly Anyone recovers 100% from a Work Injury. This is especially true for older folks, and true with most young workers too, although they may feel like they are fully recovered. For Old or Young, it takes a medical doctor with knowledge about work place injuries to determine if they have a "permanent impairment."
Contact Schifanelli Law, LLP at 410-263-0028 for an initial consultation with a Lawyer in Annapolis.
2450 Riva Road, Suite 201, Annapolis, Maryland 21401.
Serving the Maryland, Anne Arundel, Glen Burnie, Annapolis and Washington D.C. Communities.
If you are injured on the job or injured while working, you will need to file a Maryland Worker's Compensation Claimwith the Maryland Worker's Compensation Commission to secure and preserve any rights you may have to Worker's Compensation benefits, like lost wages due to a "temporary total or partial impairment," hospitalization, medical bills and therapy. Another benefit that you will secure is the possibility of receiving a "permanent partial" or "total impairment."
Integrity, Dedication & Competence
Did You Suffer a Permanent Partial Impairment or Disability as a Result of Your Work Injury?
Copyright © Schifanelli Law, LLP. All rights reserved.


Val Pinkhasov, President of Total Merchant Resources, joins the program to discuss the work that he does helping businesses get access to working capital, and what it was like to be featured on Shark Tank. Val reveals how he works to instill the values of hard work and humility in his children and the importance of self-reliance. He also discusses the importance of experiencing failure along the way to success.


Considering that the hottest day of the summer was on Friday, Hike Leader Ken Moss felt fortunate to have eight people show up to hike on Saturday morning at Albemarle High School. After some discussion concerning the logistics of a car shuttle to and from the trailhead, we headed out in three vehicles for Sherando Lake. Upon arrival we redistributed swim gear into the one car that was to remain parked at the lake, then piled into the other two cars for the ride to the trailhead.
We started at White Rock Gap, descending the White Rock Trail for a short distance before turning left onto the Slacks Trail. We immediately began a challenging, stiff climb...the only sustained climb of the hike. As it was still morning, the temperature was still in the upper 70's at this elevation, but the lack of a breeze and the steady climb made it feel warmer than it was, but still a big improvement over the previous day!
Upon turning onto the Torry Ridge Trail, we had one last taste of uphill climbing before transitioning to an easy, gentle downhill slope that continued for a couple of miles along the ridgeline. Once opposite the lower Sherando Lake, we turned onto the Blue Loop Trail for a steep descent broken only by a pause at a rock outcropping. We considered stopping for lunch with a view here, but with a strong sun and the beach below in view, we opted to continue to our objective.
Upon arriving at Sherando Lake, we first found a shaded picnic table for a restful lunch. Several members commented on the enticing smells of grilled meat which wafted our way from time to time from neighboring picnickers. Following lunch we changed into swim suits and headed to the beach, where Pete and Bev Fink bobbed in the cool water near the beach while Dan Funkhouser, Marian Styles, John Shannon, Dennis Templeton and Ken swam out to the small island located off shore to explore. Helen Reutlinger remained on shore to watch everyone's gear. Everyone was surprised that the water wasn't colder, but it was still a pleasant cool-down following the hike.
After changing back into hiking attire, we shuttled the two cars from the trailhead back down to the Lake and then all headed back toward Charlottesville, but not before stopping for refreshments at Devil's Backbone Brewing Company. Here we sat on the patio enjoying a mix of beverages, onion rings and hummus while watching a thunderstorm roll across the Blue Ridge into the Piedmont. We enjoyed watching the storm develop and were all pleased to have a front row seat for the action before finally heading back to town at the end of a fun and varied day among friends.
July 2nd. White Oak Canyon-Cedar Run.
The hike on the White Oak Canyon-Cedar Run loop was for enjoyment, but without trails, or good trails, it would be impossible or unpleasant. It was interesting noting some changes on the trails. White Oak Canyon is the second most heavily used trail in the park, which means major erosion in spots. Reversing or controlling it will be a major project.
On White Oak Canyon, near the lower falls, a small colony of ailanthus, an invasive junk tree, seems established. Possibly controllable now by someone authorized to apply herbicide, but those people have many projects to tend to. On the fire road, there were a number of water run offs, about 4 feet wide. I wondered if a trail dozer had made them but perhaps it was a Bobcat or similar, with wheels instead of tracks. My fantasy is a trail dozer which would make some trail work much faster, but only a full time business could think of buying one. Cedar Run trail has recent, major treadwork to reverse past erosion and slow future erosion, namely a number of log steps, and some major drain digging. Further down, a scary sight of bittersweet growing in random spots. It might be possible to slow the spread of this tree killer, although the steep slopes make any trail work difficult in this spot.
After tread work on the AT north of Turk Gap with the Flying McLeods, on the way out I stopped at McCormick Gap to tidy up a couple of things. A few weeks earlier, water diversions seemed to need cleaning, but on this day, with the tool and time to clean them, they did not seem to need much cleaning, which I did anyway. The good news is that this steep section of trail does not have an erosion problem. Then on to a patch of bittersweet a little further on where last year I thought I had almost eradicated this invasive plant. The spring growth showed I was still some way from that goal, so I continued to cut and pull bittersweet. The good news is that there is much less than there was a few years ago, and no trees are in imminent danger, and the area has not been taken over by other invasive plants yet.
John Shannon, Marit Gay, Richard Crisci, and Mark Gatewood and the Flying McLeods Trail Crew worked on trail maintenance for the PATC on July 16. They did grading and water bar work on the AT trail from Turk Gap to Crimora Lake overlook. All looks well and the Charlottesville Chapter invites hikers to help on the monthly trail work days.
Hike Leader Michael Seth can always be counted on to pick hikes which are unknown to many of us living on this side of the Blue Ridge, but which he knows well due to his home in the Shenandoah Valley. This Saturday found us on a hike in the Lee Ranger District of George Washington National Forest, just north of Massanutten Resort.
Ken Moss gathered the small flock of 9 hikers meeting at AHS, including first-timers Shari and David Drubin, and headed for the Valley via Swift Run Gap, picking up Marian Styles and Briana Taylor along the way in Ruckersville. At the trailhead at Runkles Gap we linked up with Michael as well as Nancy Hall and Greg Fife.
We then headed up the trail at a leisurely pace, following along Boone Run through an area which underwent a controlled burn several years ago. Boone Run was quite timid with little water flow and easy to cross. At Boone Run Shelter we paused for a short rest and discussion about various oddities in its construction, while Don Davis discovered a small flask of Black Velvet in the rafters.
Following this stop we retraced our steps a few hundred feet before heading south along the Second Mountain Trail. This involved a gradual climb to the ridgeline, from which we had occasional views toward the Page Valley and Blue Ridge to our east and Fourth Mountain to our west. We finally reached the summit of Kaylor Knob, at 2,850 feet, where we paused for lunch and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, while enjoying the view eastward.
The hike back down the mountain was uneventful, and some began to wonder about the advertised swim hole, believing that it would prove to be a myth. Michael Seth kept is in limbo, until just within sight of the cars he indicated a side trail which took us to a nice pool at the base of a small falls. As usual, Marian, Ken, Dan Funkhouser, Greg and Neil McKinney took to the water for a cooling dunk or wading in the shallows, while Rita Kiefer, Helen Reutlinger, and Briana watched from the surrounding rocks. This was a refreshing way to end a hike on a summer day! Afterwards, at least one car load of hikers managed to find their way to Hank's Smokehouse in McGaheysville for some well deserved barbecue to celebrate their day's exploits!
We have become accustomed to the large crowds that gather whenever Iva Gillet leads a hike, and this hike was no exception. Iva's magnetic aura attracted 26 takers this time around by the time we all gathered at the trailhead along the George Washington National Forest boundary. After another hot, stifling week in Central Virginia, the possibility of splashing around in a cool mountain stream proved to be an attraction too hard to pass up for many.
The weather on this day proved to be an improvement over what we experienced during the week, and unexpected cloudiness combined with the natural air flows of cooler air spilling down the canyon from higher elevations resulted in pleasantly cool breezes as we hiked the gradual climb along the Saint Marys River. Following the heavy rains earlier in the week we were relieved to find that the river was not running high due to rain runoff. We crossed back and forth across the stream numerous times as the sometimes rough trail lead us toward our first stop.
The first pool we found was stunning in its crystalline clarity and inviting turquoise depth. The conditions were simply spectacular and too good for our swimmers to pass up. Jackie Willson and Marian Styles were soon found in the pool, to be followed by Dan Funkhouser, Debra Fisher and Ken Moss, among others. After a refreshing pause, we hit the trail again and headed toward our final destination.
After only a short distance we came to the falls along the Saint Marys River and settled in for more swimming and a leisurely lunch. The challenge of a cliff dive into the deep pool at the foot of the falls brought out the daring in Iva, Rob Umbereer and Norman Beilt. John Shannon and Meg Challand were among the expanded list of swimmers at this location. Among those who didn't want to completely immerse themselves, several enjoyed taking off their boots and dangling their feet in the cool water. Bill Holman took in much of the scene while perched on a rock high above the river.
Following the extended stay at the falls we packed up and headed down the trail toward the cars. Afterwards most participants made a beeline for the Stuarts Draft Dairy Queen, which we overwhelmed for a short time as twenty-some people lined up for frozen delights to end a wonderful day. Other participants on this day included: Jolie Huddman, Lindsay Brown, Pete & Bev Fine, Don Davis, Alex Popkin, Rita Keifer, Helen Reutlinger, Steven Cohen, Charlotte Balkenbush, Lyn Swinford, Eve Stahl, Chiora Waters, and Katherine Hamilton.
July 2 provided for a wonderful day of hiking on the White Oak Canyon - Cedar Run Loop. John Shannon and Marit Gay led the hike and seven other hikers joined them including Lindsay Brown, Dan Funkhouser, Karen Rockwell, Liz Lyons, Don Davis, Sue Tansy and Marian Styles.
The weather was hot, but perfect to take advantage of the many pools and waterfalls on the way.
The trek began at the bottom of White Oak Canyon and proceeded up to the Upper Falls for a lunch break. There was a brief swimming time to cool off some of the steamy hikers early on.
After lunch the group made their way towards the Skyline Drive and branched over the White Oak Canyon Fire Road/Horse Trail to eventually meet the Cedar Run Trail. Finally the upward climb was over and then the trail wound down the rocky Cedar Run Trail, continuing along many water falls and pools.
We took the mandatory break to ride the water slide. Don, Marian, John and Marit provided the entertainment while the others rested. We finished the day of 8 miles of hiking around 4 PM. It was enjoyed by all!


Horses may do this as a consequence of their conformation, weakness or lameness. If they are reluctant to flex the hind limb, then the only way to advance it may be to swing it outward. For some horses, this may be their "normal way of going" and they may perform fine while moving this way. But this observation is also commonly made in horses affected by neurologic conditions like "Wobbler Syndrome", and other diseases affecting the spinal cord.
Certain breeds tend to move this way, especially some of the gaited breeds like Tennessee Walking Horses. Shoeing and trimming can also affect the arcs of flight of the feet, contributing to this observation.
If this is associated with severe wobbliness and it seems to have just started.
Consider the situation. Is this a horse you are planning to purchase? Is this something that you only just noticed? Do you notice other apparent problems with the horse, like stumbling or lameness?
Assess the horse's general health using the Whole Horse Exam (WHE), paying special attention to the limbs and any signs of weakness or wobbliness. Compare the travel of the hind limbs to one another. Does this seem more obvious on one side or the other?
Do not ride your horse if it you feel it could be unsafe to do so.
If the problem seems severe or is worsening, your vet will want to perform a physical and neurologic exam, and possibly a lameness exam on the horse. Other diagnostics might be necessary to determine the nature of the underlying problem.
When was the horse last shod or trimmed?
Have you noticed a change or has the horse always seemed to move this way?


text:
The Oxford Martin Programme on
Deep Medicine
Combining expertise in healthcare, epidemiology, computer science and engineering, we are investigating how application of advanced statistics, machine learning and deep learning techniques to large and complex biomedical datasets can lead to better understanding and management of chronic diseases and multimorbidity.
Advances in medicine over the past few decades have led to an unprecedented increase in life expectancy and reduction in major disabilities. More people can expect to live into their 60s and beyond than die prematurely before the age of 60. But this longevity brings with it new problems: a rise in chronic conditions such as diabetes, dementia and heart failure, with many patients suffering from multiple conditions at the same time (multimorbidity), which are poorly understood.
Our limited understanding of complex disease patterns and risks is further compounded by current methods of research, which tend to oversimplify complexity and often underrepresent patients with complicated disease history or concurrent treatments.
The advent of 'Big Data' can offer unprecedented opportunities for extending our knowledge and understanding of complex disease patterns and risk, but harnessing its full potential will require new and innovative methods of analysis.
We are developing scalable methods for analysis of biomedical datasets, aim to generate insights into complex disease patterns, risk trajectories and treatment effects, and provide empirical evidence for the value of applying data mining, modelling and machine learning techniques to biomedical data.
Priority areas include the development and testing of models that make use of the depth and breadth of electronic health records to better represent an individual's medical history. Methods are being developed to assess causal questions and uncertainty of estimations in the context of complex observational data and to contrast them with conventional epidemiological methods, including survival models, Mendelian randomisation and clinical trials.
We seek collaborations with other international partners in both academia and commercial sector for further validation and extension of our work.
Blood pressure drugs could protect against type 2 diabetes
Researchers suggest lowering blood pressure should be added as a strategy for diabetes prevention
News - 11th November 2021
Lowering blood pressure is still beneficial for the heart in old age
Blood pressure medication could lower heart attack and stroke risk even when blood pressure is not substantially raised
News - 27th August 2021
Many more people could benefit from blood pressure lowering medication
The Lancet has published new research showing that blood pressure-lowering medication can prevent serious cardiovascular conditions such as strokes, heart failure and heart attacks even in adults with normal blood pressure.
News - 30th April 2021
Meta-analysis shows no link between blood pressure medications and cancer risk
A meta-analysis involving over 260,000 participants from 33 randomised controlled trials has sought to resolve the long-debated issue about whether using antihypertensive medication heightens the chance of developing cancer.
News - 30th March 2021
Biobank data reveal long-term exposure to traffic noise may impact weight gain in the UK population
Transport noise is a major problem in Europe, with over 100 million people living in areas where road traffic noise exceeds levels greater than 55dB, the health-based threshold set by the EU.
Using the Power of Deep Learning for Clinical Risk Prediction
Blog - 2nd March 2020
BP-lowering drugs reduced major CV events by similar amounts in patients with and without type 2 diabetes
Publications - 6th December 2022
Multi-modality cardiac imaging in the management of diabetic heart disease
Publications - 3rd November 2022
The Global and Regional Prevalence of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms: A Systematic Review and Modelling Analysis
Publications - 30th September 2022
Blood pressure and risk of venous thromboembolism: a cohort analysis of 5.5 million UK adults and Mendelian randomization studies
Publications - 29th August 2022
Kazem Rahimi
Reza Khorshidi
Oxford Martin Senior Fellow
Andrea Vedaldi


text:
@implementation NSString (Bonus)

- (NSString *)clearBadPathSymbols {

    NSCharacterSet* illegalFileNameCharacters = [NSCharacterSet characterSetWithCharactersInString:@"/\\?%*|\"<>"];
    NSString *stringWithoutBadSymbols = [[self componentsSeparatedByCharactersInSet:illegalFileNameCharacters] componentsJoinedByString:@" "];

    NSMutableArray *words = [[stringWithoutBadSymbols componentsSeparatedByCharactersInSet:[NSCharacterSet whitespaceCharacterSet]] mutableCopy];
    [words removeObject:@""];
    NSString *clearedString = [words componentsJoinedByString:@" "];

    return clearedString;

}

- (NSString *)clearBadUrlSymbols {

    NSCharacterSet* illegalFileNameCharacters = [NSCharacterSet characterSetWithCharactersInString:@";/?:@&=+$,/\\?%*|\"<>"];
    NSString *stringWithoutBadSymbols = [[self componentsSeparatedByCharactersInSet:illegalFileNameCharacters] componentsJoinedByString:@" "];

    NSMutableArray *words = [[stringWithoutBadSymbols componentsSeparatedByCharactersInSet:[NSCharacterSet whitespaceCharacterSet]] mutableCopy];
    [words removeObject:@""];
    NSString *clearedString = [words componentsJoinedByString:@" "];

    return clearedString;

}

@end


The Original Cry, Cry, Darling - Early Cajun Recordings [ORIGINAL RECORDINGS REMASTERED] by Newman, Jimmy C. at Silent Rider Music. MPN: CDJAS488. Hurry! Limited time offer. Offer valid only while supplies last. For the first rime, Jasmine preserve the beginnings of Jimmy Newman's long trip through Cajun, Hillbilly and Country music and back home again.
For the first rime, Jasmine preserve the beginnings of Jimmy Newman's long trip through Cajun, Hillbilly and Country music and back home again. Savour his delightfully Louisiana tinged Honky Tonk music and hear the original versions of songs that became better known later but arguably lost some of their laid back charm in the process. Featuring the hits "Cry, Cry, Darling", "Words Can't Explain" and "Again In Your Arms" plus many rarities that are available on CD for the first time including "I'll Have To Burn The Letters" which shows Newman's exceptional vocal range to maximum advantage.
If you have any questions about this product by Newman, Jimmy C., contact us by completing and submitting the form below. If you are looking for a specif part number, please include it with your message.


At first I was only a little worried...it's really tough to see your own blood flushing out like that... So, I asked the nurse if it's the same with blood test. She said.. "It's not really the same, the needle is bigger"
"Huh the needle is bigger?!"
"It must be very painful then?!?"
"Hmmm...... ....... .........not really, it's not TOO hurt..." why did she sound so...sooo...soooooo?!?! Why didn't she say "No it's not, just ant bite!"??
But I was already there, there's no way to walk away and I didn't intend to do so.
I closed my eyes, and I decided to think back the reason to donate blood. I think back the little white kitten...lying on the road kerb. It was last Sunday, I was driving and Kevin was in my car. I stopped at the traffic light nearby my house, just like everyone else, I looked here and there while waiting for the light to turn green. There, I saw a little white thing on the road kerb, about 1-2 meter ahead of my car. At first I thought it's a piece of cloth or something like that. When the light turns red, I drove ahead and....to my surprised, I realized it was a white kitten, lying on the road kerb with her eyes closed.
I felt so hurt inside, I wanted to cry.
I hope all of you start donating blood today!


Steve: "These Players Can Upset The Odds."
The boss also praised the return of the hard working Chris Atkinson, he said: "Jonah is away with Scotland so there was an opportunity there for Chris and he played liked he wanted to be in the team. He worked hard in there against strong opposition and I took him off because he was feeling his hamstring a bit."
"The goals were two moments of quality in a game that needed those moments at times. We had to dig in at times to keep them at bay but I don't think they forced Paul into too many saves. We defended well as a unit and Tatey and Harry used their experienced. They didn't make any mistakes and that is always a good platform for a good performance.
"It wouldn't have mattered if I had been yelling at him to go and keep it into the corner because he does what he wants to do and I like the fact that he has that confidence in his ability. He has that swagger and I wish more of them had that. It was a wonderful shot, it moved a lot and I thought it had a real chance the moment it left his boot.
"Ryan has missed over 15 months of football and has played two 90 minutes since then for the Under-21s. He has been a bit stiff in the week after games but he has played well and has been knocking on the for for the last couple of weeks. We debated putting him on the pitch today because it is still early in his comeback but I just thought he could provide something out of nothing and I'm glad I put him on. He is capable of things like that and having him back is a boost for everyone at the club.
"I am delighted with the two lads who scored as well. Lauri has had a frustrating time since coming back here, he has picked up one or two niggly injuries and it has prevented him from having a run. George Cooper was going to play in that front three but was injured yesterday so Lauri got his chance. We know that he will always give his all, run in behind and if he gets in those positions, like he did today, he can certainly take a goal. He has worked hard and his fitness is there now after his involvement with the 21s.
"The players had to work extremely hard because we know all the quality Sheffield United have but Crewe are renowned for upsetting the odds and I've always said that if we can play anyway near our potential and not make mistakes then we are capable of getting results in this league. We have shown it before and we went for it today. We need points and I am delighted for the supporters and the club because this is a tough place to come and get a result.
Following the 2-1 win, Steve told the club's official web-site: "It was a great win for us and an unexpected one because the odds would have been largely stacked against us. I would imagine a few of our fans have won a few quid if they had backed us on a bet today.


Many Canadians think of the environmental impact when it comes to purchasing products, but how many think of being eco-friendly when it comes to planning a funeral? Although this concept is quite new in Canada, there are now 2 cemeteries (one in Brampton ON, the other in Victoria BC) that offer green burial services. This includes such services as quick interment (which makes embalming unnecessary), as well as caskets that are made from natural wood products, or even cardboard, which allow for a natural breakdown of the elements. Wildflowers are used in lieu of traditional gravestones as well.
• The United Nations estimates that 0.2% of global emissions of dioxins and furans are contributed through worldwide cremation, as well cremation is considered the second largest source of airborne mercury in Europe.
• Ask for donations to your favorite charity (or environmental project) in lieu of flowers.
For more information on green funerals and the association between funerals and the environment, visit the Natural Burial Association.


text:
An Open Letter to Chip and Dan Heath about Second Life
The following is a guest post by Pooky Amsterdam.
Dear Chip and Dan,
I read, with interest, your article at Slate.com titled "Why Second Life Failed." Me? I run a successful media enterprise in Second Life and produce award winning videos using the very cost and time effective 360 degree views of this graphical engine. I meet people from all over the globe, work, converse and laugh with them while doing incredible things. I do not have a blue tail (Though some of my best friends have tails) but I have a Chanel style wardrobe to die for.
I'd like to respond to a number of points that you made in your piece. You wrote:
"You—sitting right there, reading this article—you're an avatar in Second Life. You work a Second Life job, earning Linden dollars. You have blue hair and a serpentine tail, and you're dating an androgynous digital skateboarder named Rikki. Also, you are a ninja. Life is great."
So far so good. Next, you wrote:
"At least, that's the way things were supposed to unfold. In 2006, the future was Second Life. Business Week put Second Life on the cover. American Apparel, Dell, and Reebok, among many others, rushed to build virtual storefronts."
That a company would build a store and not put anyone in it is bad planning. No company in their right mind would build a store in the physical world and leave it unstaffed. Just as in the physical world, this is a space and location. It's virtual yes, but to succeed you still must know where and to whom you are selling. That there are businesses which make over a million dollars in Second Life is a testimony to what happens when you know your customers. Stiletto Moody made over a million USD last year selling virtual shoes.
Did Second Life fail – or did the business fail? There is a difference. Failure of the platform this is not, this is a failure of the business to understand their customers, and therefore their business. It was also a fault of consultants who overcharged and gave an incomplete picture of the business model. For in truth, it is how you handle your business after your location is built, no matter where it is, that determines your success or failure.
Let's say, you went to China, did not speak the language, hired experts who said they would get you a store somewhere and you would make money, but actually no one bought anything (okay you had no Chinese speaking sales help in the store, but these experts said you didn't need anyone there!) The shop is a failure – is it China's fault? Did China just fail your business? Or did you have lousy advice and a translator who didn't really know the language? Oh go ahead and blame China, it will make you feel better.
Knowing your customers and how to service them is critical. Customer support and marketing is the basis of all business.
"Reuters even created a full-time Second Life bureau chief. People rushed to sign up and create their own avatars. Blue hair and Linden dollars were the future."
Yes there was a lot of hype almost 6 years ago – for good reason, the press and a lot of businesses jumped on the bandwagon, and without the necessary depth of either journalism or market research, were left with some egg on their faces. I guess this still hurts because for some reason, reporters writing about Second Life actually go to lists like "Help A Reporter Out" and ask for people's negative reactions only, from Second Life, and then write articles. This actually happened two years ago, because I was on this list, saw the post, and read the subsequent BBC article written by Lauren Hansen.
"Looking back, the future didn't last long. By the end of 2007, Second Life was already losing its fizz. "Businesses are shuttering in Second Life, it seems, because no one is using them," wrote Morgan Clendaniel in a brutal piece in GOOD magazine."
Oh for heavens sake, this article is about how the reporter couldn't find his penis. No wonder the man couldn't take his head out of his pants. Sex! Penis! 2007! and did I say penis??? All adult and x – rated activity has been moved to an Adult age – verified region called Zindra.
"There were never any employees at stores like Dell and Reebok when I visited, nor were there any customers. But that wasn't that shocking because, for the most part, there seems to be no one in Second Life at all."
Is it shocking that the press would feed into a hype cycle?
Below I quote from a January 2007 CNNMONEY.com article written by David Kirkpatrick:
"Linden Lab claimed 2.5 million 'residents,' meaning people who have registered for Second Life. But the service has only around 250,000 active members who still sign in more than 30 days after registering. Nonetheless, that group of active users is currently growing at about 15 percent per month."
Please don't get all excited about the "10% of registered users." 10% is pretty much par for the course for virtual worlds. This is a rule of thumb, not gospel like the (sarcasm alert) milk shake test. In 2007 a quarter of a million people was hardly "no one."
Below is a Linden Lab chart which details information about the Second Life economy.
In 2009 the total size of the Second Life economy grew 65% to US$567 million, about 25% of the entire U.S. virtual goods market. Gross Resident Earnings are $55 million US Dollars in 2009 – 11% growth over 2008.
Second Life provides a brilliant platform for those who take the time (which granted not everyone has, but clearly – which some folk have and benefit greatly from.)
Your purporting of fallacies is self serving, and so I really wonder what is behind this. I am truly surprised most every time I read a reporter or analyst's overview of Second Life. (Exception of note is Vizworld as the reporter spent time in the field at a variety of places, recently) Most reportage is just bad, a retread of 2006/7. The authors are using a voice of authority, when they really are going after a target for easy pickings.
Hookers! Sex! Blue tailed Avatars! 2006!! Read what I'm writing! Buy my free book! Please!
"Today, Second Life limps along. In the first half of 2011, the company reported that an average of about 1 million users logged in every month—which, you have to admit, is about 999,990 more than you expected."
I hope that you didn't have your heart broken in Second Life, for I cannot imagine why you would say something like that. Is part of the milkshake test telling someone they shouldn't like strawberry? Why would you not expect it? Who made you a platform god? Second Life has been around for almost 10 years. That is an achievement. Almost a million visits a month is impressive, so I don't know what you mean by limps along.
The platform continues to enthuse and nourish many. I can give you a few first hand examples of a kind of experience very hard to find elsewhere. At a mixed reality event in 2009, I saw veteran journalists Helen Thomas and Bob Schieffer, in Second Life. They were receiving the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement award. She took questions from the virtual audience and I was able through my avatar, to ask Ms. Thomas a question. She responded with an amazing answer about the press, 9/11 and the Bush administration. I really don't think that is going to happen at IMVU.
When I interviewed Holocaust Survivor Fanny Starr, for the documentary "Why Now?", a Catholic High School many miles away brought her class of 14 – 16 year olds also into Second Girls. In real time, these young girls talked with this 87 year old woman who had survived 6 years in ghettos and concentration camps. They asked and learned what her life was like at their age. These stunning examples of what is happening on the Second Life grid are not going to happen on Facebook.
More? I interviewed a cancer survivor for treet.tv who started Relay For Life in Second Life. This year over $330,000USD was raised. It went directly to the American Cancer Society, and ACS put the live weekend's events from Second Life on their home page while it was running inworld. The commitment and the amount of money raised is phenomenal. Even more importantly, those in our extended virtual community who have experience with this life threatening disease are literally helping to save the lives of others, as they communicate with each other in real time. This isn't going to happen on Twitter.
Under the brand Virtually Speaking, Jay Ackroyd and Widget Whiteberry produce 5 weekly public affairs programs in Second Life and on the web.
One of my favorites is Virtually Speaking Science, hosted by the Meta Institute for Computational Astrophysics (MICA) whose Scientists work at premier institution like CalTech. VS Science hosts are MSNBC.com's Science editor Alan Boyle – author of The Case for Pluto – and Thomas Levenson, who, in addition to being the author of Newton and the Counterfeiter and Einstein in Berlin heads up MIT's Program in Writing and Humanistic Studies and the Graduate Program in Science Writing.
I have been part of the listening, commenting and questioning studio audience for Jay's interviews with Daniel Ellsberg, Gloria Feldt, and Dahlia Lithwick.
This might not be for all, but it is incredible activity by anyone's standards. Nourishing beyond belief, if this is your interest, and indicative of what can be.
This has enabled bright and even brilliant people to keep advancing their intelligence while looking better than they ever have before.
There is, additionally, an incredibly vibrant artistic and powerful performance community who raise their voice every time something like this comes out. I don't have time to list all the incredible artists, musicians, performers, comics (Okay, Lauren Weyland) and others who play nightly to an international audience that assembles very locally – at their computers. Your arrow sorely misses the target. In fact you are wrong to set your sights on Second Life for anything but a remarkable phenomenon, one that people are truly a part of, yes admittedly in ways you have no idea about. Because of the wide variety of activity from advanced topics to just hanging out and listening to some amazing music, it does have something for everyone.
And Will Wright of The Sims, (yes The Will Wright) just joined the board. I would say the future looks incredibly exciting here. Is Second Life a bit of a challenge? Yes, it is, and so it isn't for everyone. It is for a better educated number of people who have disposable income and spend an ARPU greater than other virtual world sites (some estimates, like Nick Yee, have it at almost 10 times other VW ARPU, the population is older as well. It's a great demographic). Virtual goods are a huge and growing market and some estimates reach $12 billion by 2015. The recent introduction on Second Life of building mesh makes for greater graphics (and lower lag). This is a profound platform for virtual asset creation
"But during this same period, Facebook averaged roughly 500 million logins per month."
Please compare ANYTHING to Facebook – I think you would find many businesses, social networks, video companies, traditional media offerings such as Television shows, etc. fall a lot short of Facebook monthly logins. Oh let's use your favorite term – FAIL. What TV show has 500 monthly views? Does the Superbowl even get 500 million people watching it? The Oscars? And these are events judged by viewership. Second Life is certainly a form of social network – but it is really not the same as Facebook. What is?
"How did we misread the future so badly? Mind you, this Second Life hype didn't involve distant, sci-fi predictions about the future. ("Someday we'll all commute to the moon using unisex RocketCrocs!") This was just five years ago. We were just months away from the iPhone."
And don't forget $580 million for MySpace!
"After enduring a lifetime of mega-fads that flame out—Apple Newton and PointCast and the Segway—why are we so quick to extrapolate a few data points into a Dramatic New Future? Well, here's the frustrating part: Sometimes the Dramatic New Future arrives, exactly as promised. The mega-hyped Internet? Yep, worked out OK. Ditto Google and Facebook and iPods and iPhones."
Blue Mars did not really survive. And let's be realistic, though valuation is intense on companies such as Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn, what are the real numbers behind their profitability? How many years did it take YouTube to finally begin to turn a profit? Second Life is profitable for Linden Lab, and for many who understand the platform. It has a clear business model, and does not survive on advertising alone.
And now, let' go to this video – which I think is a good example of hubris, and true irresponsibility because the video while salacious does very little if nothing to prove any point at all.
Second Life Vice Capades: Virtual Hooker (VIDEO)
I can not stop laughing at this video from I think 2007 or 2006 (again?) – it's priceless – Did it take this woman three weeks to fail at becoming a prostitute? She was not able despite her best efforts at tarting herself up and trying her best, to find someone to pay for sex. Despite Second Life's reputation for sex, often presumed, then highlighted, by the media, (sex sells?) it's not easy to find random people for sex. In the entire film there was one place that people went to – yes that happens with people – there is porn on the Internet (it was in fact a driver for The Internet). It depends where you go and what you look for, yes?
Of course she was looking to be a hooker, yet couldn't find a client. She bought into the hype that you could just go and start any kind of a business, anywhere. Even being a successful hooker might entail some business planning.
Also please note the adult region has been separated in an area known as Zindra for over a year. Now a fledgling prostitute would have to go there to ply her trade. The main grid has severe restrictions on X–rated businesses. These exist only in Zindra, in an age-verified region removed from the general population. So this video is quite outdated.
And sex might not be that easy to find, as that people develop relationships in Second Life with like minded people. You find others with common interests. Second Life racks up over a billion voice minutes a month, which is what former CEO Mark Kingdon told Robert Scoble when the Scobleizer interviewed him last year.
Would this woman possibly, if she found an outlet for herself and her creativity find someone who also was interested and interesting, and might they start becoming romantically involved? Possibly yes. She had 3 weeks to turn in a sex tape…… It's very cute though, and not scary, hard-core or really well much of anything. I think she was brave and it was kind of funny. It tried a bit too hard, as did she. And maybe people go to Second Life to look for sex because they are lonely or horny or both, but come out with a whole lot more. I know this is true, and I also know many stories about Marriage 3.0 where Second Life has saved couples.
I will grant that the learning curve is tough, it is. It takes some dedication to master it, believe me I still move like a noob, and it takes that thing we just don't have much of, time. It also takes patience and being able to laugh at yourself, which are not bad qualities to possess. And it takes a kind of humanity to reach out to others in this world, a curiosity. You kind of have to be a special person to really get it. Second Life offers the kind of premier experience you can't get anywhere else. You must be able to understand it though, and when you do, you feel incredibly empowered and connected. Yes, it takes time and is not easy, it is worthwhile. And let me say this again – it isn't for everyone, yet.
I don't like cheeseburgers, but I don't spend my time writing about why no one else should like them. I would never presume to dictate to someone else what to like, or what to do. I can't imagine being Mayor on FourSquare, but obviously others enjoy this. Good on them.
"Christensen asks us to imagine a group of marketers at a fast-food restaurant who want to sell more shakes. As they comb the customer data for insight, they discover something interesting: Most milkshakes are sold to early-morning commuters who buy a single milkshake and nothing else. Why milkshakes?"
That inworld businesses generate millions of dollars, reflects the wealth of the Second Nation. Second Life provides great opportunities for business, virtual enterprise, shopping, social engagement and much more. It is a great platform for prototyping, there are inworld TV stations, there are Film Festivals, and real time discussion amongst groups or individuals who can chose how they wish to present themselves. What can be done on Second Life has only just been scratched. There isn't much that can't be done – except eat – no one has really invented virtual food you can eat yet. Whoever does wins, I'm convinced of this. My money is on the 3D Printer.
"These commuters, according to Christensen, are "hiring" milkshakes to do a job for them: to supply a breakfast that is filling and non-messy and cupholder-compatible. So to sell more milkshakes, the marketers don't need to create a more delicious milkshake. Deliciousness isn't really in the job description"
Second Life is affordable, easy to get to, filled with interesting things to do and people to talk to. It is pretty cool home entertainment.
"So when you evaluate the next big thing, ask the Christensen question: What job is it designed to do? Most successful innovations perform a clear duty. When we craved on-the-go access to our music collections, we hired the iPod. When we needed quick and effective searches, we hired Google."
And it became apparent that there was gold in them there searches, and now we have Bing. That it isn't as big as Google does not mean it is irrelevant. I don't know if it passes your Facebook test of 500 million hits a month. No industry that is successful has zero competition.
"And looking ahead, it's easy to see the job that Square will perform: giving people an easy, inexpensive way to collect money in the offline world."
Square takes a 2.75 percentage of the sale price for its service. At 800,000 merchants, they were wise to drop user limits from $1,000 / week, and should see business grow. That is until someone charges a 2.25% on a similar service, which if it is successful, will happen.
"But what "job" did Second Life perform? It was like a job candidate with a fascinating résumé—fluent in Finnish, with stints in spelunking and trapeze—but no actual labor skills. The same was true with the Segway. No one was interested in employing a $5,000 walk-accelerator. (Though, to be fair, Segway eventually got a part-time job saving tourists from exercise.)"
Actually it is like a job candidate with fluency in all major and most minor world languages, and expertise in everything from Rocket Science to fashion design. In other words, smarter than most employers and here is the rub, also somewhat intimidating. The Labor Skills though have created a platform which is robust and dynamic while turning a profit for it's parent company. Labor also delivered Open Source code which is the basis of new grids forming all the time. Labor is creating right this moment.
Second Life has performed the job of building the most exciting user created content platform in the world. You can make virtually anything, any place, any time, broadcast events, stream productions and find a remarkable wealth of opportunities. I am sorry that you couldn't find the chunky bits in this milkshake – others have.
One complaint is "everyone is beautiful," but do you know what that really means? We are not judged, as we are in the physical world by how we look, and the sometimes shallow reactions that affect our confidence and therefore our abilities. Here, in Second Life, the way you look doesn't matter. There is no better looking member of the family so to speak. What defines you is your character, and what you do inworld, what you say and what you really represent. Again not for everyone….
"What about the Apple Newton, the first widely hyped PDA back in the 1990s? It was clearly applying for the right job—to give us mobile access to our calendars and to-do lists and such. But it was a lousy employee, with notoriously poor handwriting recognition and a limited attention span (from low battery life). PalmPilot got the job a few years later."
What about Prodigy? Prodigy was far ahead of it's time.
Second Life hasn't failed anything as it serves its user base well, and turns a profit for it's parent company. The limitations as I see are that it was so far ahead of the curve. The rest of the universe needs to catch up, and I am confident that it is doing so as I type. Second Life will be here 20 years from now.
"If the Christensen test alone could predict the future, then the two of us (along with Christensen) would be the richest venture capitalists of all time. It's not a perfect predictor. But by our count, Christensen's test calls correctly about a half-dozen of the big technology hype cycles of the last 20 years."
Hmmmm……that is true! However it isn't, but let's just talk about the successful parts of the 6 technologies they called correctly, because it serves your purpose, as your writing similarly picks out the "flaws" of Second Life to support your case. If the Christensen test looked at 10 cases and predicted 6 right that is a huge difference than if 120 or even 1200 technologies were tested. You do not give an adequate frame of reference to judge your proclamation of victory. Any more than you give relevant data in your prediction of failure. ("….which is 999,990 more than you would expect" whoa can I pay you to come up with an analytic like that?)
"At a minimum, it provides some protection against over-optimism. Think of it as a tinfoil hat to insulate you from the nuttiest predictions."
I need tinfoil glasses to protect me from the erroneous and self aggrandizing reportage of those who can't even be bothered to use a video or figures from this decade.
New user logins went to over 20,000 a day this week. This week……November 2011, not 2006. Why must the press bring up the questionable business practices of American Apparel from 2006 every time there is an article on Second Life? Please find something new, it is almost 2012. I beg you, I can't keep stopping everything I'm doing from my incredibly vibrant and productive work inworld, to keep writing these wake up and dress your avatar replies.
For excellent reporting on Second Life, I would suggest Tateru Nino. She has a tremendous grasp of what is happening.
The Author: Pooky Amsterdam
Please feel free to contact Pooky Amsterdam at info@pookymedia.com.
29 Comments	| Second Life	| Tagged: Chip Heath, Clay Christensen, Dan Heath, Facebook, Linden Lab, milkshake test, Pooky Amsterdam, Pooky Media, Second Life, Slate, Twitter, Virtual Worlds	| Permalink
The Future Will See You Now
The following is a guest post by Pooky Amsterdam (@PookyMedia).
It was Joannis Kepleri in 1634 that first wrote of weightlessness in his book Somnium, or Dream. About a hundred years later, Jonathan Swift would write of two moons of Mars (which would take another 150 years to discover) and Laputa, an island where residents have geometric modeling and knowledge engines.
Jules Verne wrote of rockets, propulsion, undersea mining and a raft of creations too numerous to list. Science Fiction writers have contributed to future ideas and innovation since the genre was invented. Writers from HG Wells, whose babel machine presaged television, to Gene Rodenberry, whose Star Trek imagined so much, have infused our minds with imaginary and fantastic invention.
And these ideas are taken further, and form the seeds of reality as it will come to be. Such is the creative process, it must begin somewhere. Paper and pencil allows for anything to be "made," after being seen in the mind's eye. You can use words to create anything, then use paper to draw how it looks in two dimensions. What if you can go right to a 3D world, and build futuristic cities, design outfits for the year 3011, and actually design the people who would wear them?
Today you could make those visions and drawings reality in an expensive CGI kind of way, or you could use a graphic novel kind of approach to tell your story while showing vivid creations. The mind is not now nor has it ever been limited to contemporary tools for story telling or fantastic creations. Words have sufficed to ensnare the imagination, and immerse the audience since the first campfire. Now we are living and socializing around a virtual campfire, but it glows just as brightly when we gaze into it.
The Virtual World
As it has been said that we didn't create the universe, so we can not fully understand it. Yet we have created the virtual world, in which we can create anything imaginable. This is done with what are free building tools, in the 3D world of Second Life. While much is recreated to reflect the outworld reality of the residents' lives, there are opportunities for fantasy, science fiction and historic role-play which are met. Enthusiastically talented, the creators of Second Life's vast and stunning array of virtual goods and content contribute much.
The legacy of science fiction has inspired many people to carve out tracks of the grid for space bases, futuristic cities and to sell everything from starships to transporters. All while wearing the latest 2520 fashion. While books give much for our mind's eye to describe, it is thought out before us. Being able to immerse in a 3D world with other people provides a level of visual storytelling which is unique to us. And that can be unique every day.
A number of traditional media programs have spawned new virtual worlds like the upcoming BattleStar Gallactica, Star Trek, and Star Wars – Clone Wars. What Second Life provides is a way to create a new vision and interpretation, not just re-create and role-play within it. There is a pool of resources within people's minds that can and is crafted into being. That they can also be sold as an incentive and this encourages a new way of manifesting the future. There are designers and builders in Second Life creating assets and adventures which reflect the same design traditions of classic sci-fi, yet made out of prims.
A New Episode
They also provide a great backdrop and wealth for films. The Future will See You Now is the title of a new episode in our ongoing webseries, Time Travelers, for iHelpLoan and SLFC. Films can not be made without sets, costumes, props and all that makes for great visual story-telling. I feel lucky to be part of this kind of creative world which inspires.
Our web site: http://www.pookymediafilms.com/
Our YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RR_xohMrvU
1 Comment	| Virtual Worlds	| Tagged: 3D, CGI, Jules Verne, Pooky Amsterdam, Pooky Media, Second Life, Veronica Butler-Borrer, Virtual Events, Virtual Worlds	| Permalink


Christianity, as local tradition tells, came to Edessa (modern Urfa in South-East Turkey) during the time of the Apostles. This is reported in a number of documents including the Doctrine of Addai, one of the earliest Syriac Christian writings, and Eusebius´s Ecclesiastical History. Eusebius tells that he visited the archives of Edessa and examined a correspondence between the city's king, Abgar Ukomo, and no other than Jesus Himself. At Mid Lent, the Syriac Orthodox Church commemorates King Abgar who, according to this story, was the first king to adopt Christianity, and thus Edessa became the first Christian kingdom.
"Abgar Ukomo, the toparch, to Jesus the good Savior who has appeared in the district of Jerusalem, greetings. I have heard concerning you and your cures, how they are accomplished by you without drugs and herbs … And when I heard of all these things concerning you I decided that it is one of two things, either that you are God and came down from Heaven to do these things, or are the Son of God for doing these things. For this reason I write to beg you to hasten to me and to heal the suffering which I have …"
"Blessed are you who believed in me, not having seen me … Now concerning what you wrote to me, to come to you, I must first complete here all for which I was sent, and after thus completing it be taken up to Him who sent me; and when I have been taken up, I will send to you one of my disciples to heal your suffering and give life to you and those with you."
The story continues telling how one of the Seventy disciples was sent to King Abgar.