The Cross kids are all sleeping over with friends tonight. The Cross parents are staying in. The rest of the weekend is a mix of soccer, dance, gymnastics, and church.
Daughter has ballet in the morning, then we are off to Hilton Head to meet up with the rest of the family.
I have been to Hilton Head a long time ago. I loved it.
Jettin' off to Rio (the plane leaves in 7 minutes) and then catchin' the shuttle to London. After that, we're gonna hit Pyongyang, Beijing, and Moscow. It is indeed a happy weekend.
I'll be eating out on the Vegas strip tomorrow night, then hiking on Sunday.
High school football, going out, NFL, a week of leave where I forget about work and catch up with my school. My weekend is 9 days long suckers.
Drove up to Pensacola for three days to visit friends. Weather sucked but we had a great time.


Getting your website reviewed is like getting a book reviewed by a wide audience. You will need to provide a copy to all your reviewers, every single word of your content ? as well as your code ? may be scrutinized to within an inch of its pixilated life, and not everyone will like what they see and read. Moreover, not all your reviewers will have the time to go through your site, nor will they have the time to even know that a site like yours exists and has to be reviewed. A website review is actually important: if it gets good reviews, it can become more popular because its URL will be posted on an award-giving website?s page; and its credibility can increase because of the stamp of approval given by experts. If a website gets bad reviews, not all things come to an end: most reviewers will give constructive criticism and tips on how to improve the website. A review, therefore, is a chance not only to shine, but to make a website look and feel better. Because getting website reviews can be difficult, some website developers, owners, and designers usually apply for paid reviews. Paid reviews are sometimes looked upon with disdain, and not only in the world of web design: if you pay someone to review your book, product, service, painting, or work of art, you appear as though you are asking someone to say something good about you, or that person will appear as though he or she has no gratitude. The truth is fairly simple in paid website reviews: getting a paid review may allow you to fall into the trap of reviewers singing your praises but not really meaning them, and simply because you filled their wallets. One way you can curb this is to send notes to reviewers to be as honest as possible. The payment, you can tell them, is simply a way to get someone to take the time to look through your site and see the finest details, and make comments on the finest details. If your website reviewers appear compelled to give overly good reviews, ask them to limit their good reviews to a sober minimum, and to avoid making an overbearing review that might grate on your audience should you choose to post your website reviewer?s comments. Remember, even if your website achieves high scores in a review and gets good blurbs, it is ultimately up to your audience to judge whether or not these blurbs and scores have any merit. Moreover, ask your website reviewers to give you their negative responses in private, say through a private conversation, or through confidential email. Some reviewers might find it difficult to say bad things about a website that they are being paid to review, so a private correspondence can be a good way to still get pointers on how your website should appear and feel. There are many traps that you can fall into if you pay people to do a review. However, you can avoid these traps by remembering that you are not perfect, your website is not perfect, and you should not sit on your laurels and pretend that your work is complete. Instead, take the paid reviews as a chance to get people to notice you and do a review, and you might just get good tips on making your website better, along with praises about the things that you already have done.


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News | General
Homeless Project Reveals Social and Cost Benefits
A new program aimed at tackling homelessness among Sydney men has found that access to a range of health, education and social supports can help homeless people improve their well-being, social and economic participation and access to sustainable housing.
Staff Reporter | 17 April 2012 at 10:35 am
The Michael Project, run by Mission Australia but funded by a private donor, is a three year initiative which the Not for Profit says provides homeless men with quick access to a range of supports such as dental and mental health, personal grooming and hygiene in an effort to end their homelessness.
Mission Australia says that while thousands of men participated in the Michael Project, 106 were followed over the course of a year in what it has called the most extensive longitudinal research exercise involving homeless people so far undertaken and published in Australia.
The results of the research, which was led by Professor Paul Flatau of Murdoch University and the Centre for Social Impact and Dr Lucy Burns of the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, showed that when participants entered the Michael Project, almost none were in secure, long-term housing. However, after 12 months, 42 per cent were in sustainable accommodation.
It was also revealed that 97 per cent of participants were in government-funded emergency accommodation at the start of the study. Of those, only 16 per cent remained in the accommodation at the end of the study.
According to the research, over the course of one year, the money spent by government on services such as ambulances, emergency department care, court and police costs decreased on average by $8,446 per person.
Mission Australia's spokesperson, Eleri Morgan-Thomas, said that the Michael Project shows that it costs the public more to leave someone homeless than it does to help them.
"The Michael Project not only provides a new approach to supporting homeless people that should change the way we do things, but thanks to the cost-benefit analysis, we can prove what we've known intuitively for many years – that that the right kind of supports actually save us money," Morgan-Thomas said.
"People who are homeless struggle to access mainstream health services, like GPs, dentists and psychologists, and as a result their complex needs are not met. That's why they tend to finish up in expensive parts of the system like hospital emergency departments.
"If you supply homeless people with the services they need, you not only achieve better outcomes but you save money in the process."
A report into The Michael Project's success – The Michael Project, New Perspectives and Possibilities for Homeless Men was launched today at the Mission Australia Centre in Sydney.
Morgan-Thomas said that Mission Australia has already spoken to Government Ministers around the country about how the Michael Project can be used to improve the lives of thousands of people who are homeless.
"It's only through introducing the lessons learned via initiatives such as the Michael Project that we're going to reach the government's 2020 goals of halving homelessness," Morgan-Thomas said.
Tags : Centre for Social Impact, Dr Lucy Burns, Eleri Morgan-Thomas, Homeless, Homelessness, Mission Australia, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, New South Wales, Professor Paul Flatau, Sydney, The Michael Project,
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Great benefit of the project for the homeless.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Staff Manual
The Viking Press
Red (Taylor's Version) Makes a Classic Even Better
Aditi Iyer, Assistant Editor-in-Chief|November 17, 2021
Pictured is the album cover for Red(Taylor's Version).
On Friday, November 12, 2021, at 12 am, die-hard Swifties restlessly clicked play on Red(Taylor's Version) on Spotify and youtube live streams and devoured her creative maestro for 2 hours as Red bled out to the world.
Ever since Swift announced she was dropping Red (Taylor's Version), reinventing her 2012 classic, anticipation has run high. And the new Red is even bigger, glossier, deeper, and casually crueler. It is the ultimate version of her most gloriously ambitious mega-pop manifesto.
The musical genius has taken back what's hers and made it even better. From the engrossing musical production and lyrics to the featured artists, unreleased pieces, and a complimentary short film, this is beyond an album. It's a comprehensive work of art. The re-recorded songs were like bringing 2012 Taylor back to life and meshing it with the matured version of her.
Red (Taylor's Version) benefits from Swift's sharper vocals and polished use of instruments—just as Fearless (Taylor's Version) did. It all brings an added clarity to her already sublime songs.
Red is the second chapter of Swift's Taylor's Version project, after Fearless. However, Swift is also running a massive risk by redoing her old albums even though she is hitting her fiercest creative peak, dropping two of her biggest albums in 2020. Nothing on this scale has been tried before.
For fans who devoured the original album, Red (Taylor's Version) operates as a profound time-travel machine of sorts, a throwback to their own growing pains. For new listeners, it's a strong introduction to Swift's prolific songwriting abilities. Her recipe is simple: She takes poignant personal anecdotes and connects them with hard-hitting, universal emotions. The album's narrative thread embodies the intensity with which a younger Swift processed relationships, identity, and her place in the world—through her artistry.
However, the most massive highlight of the album was the long-lost, 10-minute original version of "All Too Well", which turned out to be even better than what fans were hoping for. Taylor Swift takes her own masterpiece, tears it all up, breaks it like a promise, shreds her tapestry, and rebuilds it into a new heartbreak epic, twice as long and twice as beautiful.
There has also been heightened anticipation surrounding the "All Too Well" short film, which did not fail to impress as well. The well-timed editing alongside the beautiful and real acting of Sadie Sink and Dylan O'Brien told an extremely honest story that hit every emotional note of Swift's lyrics. One of the most well-created scenes of the short film was an argument that occurred between the couple. As they argue back and forth in a kitchen setting, the camera never cuts. The scene is filmed in one continuous shot that captures the intense and realistic chemistry between the actors as they argue. Simple dialogue and believable chemistry made the scene relatable and heartbreaking.
I would rate Red(Taylor's Version) an unapologetic 15/10 and would recommend it to anyone that wants to watch one of the most acclaimed, beautiful artists of our time reinvent herself in ways no one could ever imagine.
Aditi Iyer, Digital Editor
Aditi Iyer is a junior with a keen interest in the intersection of AI and neuroscience, and this is her third year as an editor on The Viking Press. In...
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Gymnast overcomes injury to return to NCAA regionals
Carly Fristoe
Kierstin Sokolowski competes in her bars routine in a Jan. 15 meet at Hyland Arena.
Photo by Carly Fristoe
For the second time in three years, Lindenwood gymnast Kierstin Sokolowski is heading to NCAA regionals as one of the top individual balance-beam and vault competitors in the country.
On its own, the accomplishment would be noteworthy, but the path that Sokolowski took to return to the regional competition is even more impressive in the eyes of Lindenwood gymnastics head coach Jen Kesler.
In 2016, Sokolowski started out strong for the Lions, leading the team in the vault event in the first four meets of the season. However, she suffered a knee injury in the season's fifth meet and was done for the year.
Kesler called the experience "very humbling for her," especially after the high level of success she had attained during her first year at the school.
According to Kesler, Sokolowski came to Lindenwood in 2015 and became the "most decorated freshman in program history," finishing as the USA Gymnastics individual all-around national champion and a first team All-American. She also finished in the top 15 in the NCAA regional all-around competition.
Following her injury, Kesler said that Sokolowski returned for the 2017 season "on a mission," and said that the adversity she faced has made her noticeably more mentally strong and hungry to gain success than she was before going through her injury.
Because she was not cleared to return to training until November, she only was able to train on the bars at the beginning of the season.
This allowed her to work on perfecting that event, and she added a release move to her arsenal that allowed her to gain more points on the bars this season.
Kesler called this season a great success for Sokolowski considering the circumstances and referred to her as an "incredible workhorse."
This season, Sokolowski won four vault titles and five beam championships, including the conference championship on the beam. Her effort led her to earning NCAA regional bids on both of those events.
"It's very hard to qualify in two events," Kesler said.
In an interview with Lindenwood's athletic department, Sokolowski said that her previous experience at regionals will be an asset for her when she competes on April 1 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
"I think it gives me an inside view of what it's going to be like," Sokolowski said. "I know there are going to be a lot of good teams, and I'll be there alone. It'll be cool to see everyone else and be able to thrive off that energy."
She also added that she was anxious to get back in the competition, especially considering the hard road she has traveled to get back to this point.
"I'm excited," Sokolowski said. "I know what it's like at regionals. It's just so thrilling to watch everyone else compete. It's going to be a great environment."
jen kesler
Lindenwood Gymnastics
sokolowski
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The long boat of the Marjorie W. was floating down the broad Ugambi with ebb tide and current. Her crew were lazily enjoying this respite from the arduous labor of rowing up stream. Three miles below them lay the Marjorie W. herself, quite ready to sail so soon as they should have clambered aboard and swung the long boat to its davits. Presently the attention of every man was drawn from his dreaming or his gossiping to the northern bank of the river. There, screaming at them in a cracked falsetto and with skinny arms outstretched, stood a strange apparition of a man.
"Wot the 'ell?" ejaculated one of the crew.
"A white man!" muttered the mate, and then: "Man the oars, boys, and we'll just pull over an' see what he wants."
When they came close to the shore they saw an emaciated creature with scant white locks tangled and matted. The thin, bent body was naked but for a loin cloth. Tears were rolling down the sunken pock-marked cheeks. The man jabbered at them in a strange tongue.
"Rooshun," hazarded the mate. "Savvy English?" he called to the man.
He did, and in that tongue, brokenly and haltingly, as though it had been many years since he had used it, he begged them to take him with them away from this awful country. Once on board the Marjorie W. the stranger told his rescuers a pitiful tale of privation, hardships, and torture, extending over a period of ten years. How he happened to have come to Africa he did not tell them, leaving them to assume he had forgotten the incidents of his life prior to the frightful ordeals that had wrecked him mentally and physically. He did not even tell them his true name, and so they knew him only as Michael Sabrov, nor was there any resemblance between this sorry wreck and the virile, though unprincipled, Alexis Paulvitch of old.
It had been ten years since the Russian had escaped the fate of his friend, the arch-fiend Rokoff, and not once, but many times during those ten years had Paulvitch cursed the fate that had given to Nicholas Rokoff death and immunity from suffering while it had meted to him the hideous terrors of an existence infinitely worse than the death that persistently refused to claim him.
Paulvitch had taken to the jungle when he had seen the beasts of Tarzan and their savage lord swarm the deck of the Kincaid, and in his terror lest Tarzan pursue and capture him he had stumbled on deep into the jungle, only to fall at last into the hands of one of the savage cannibal tribes that had felt the weight of Rokoff's evil temper and cruel brutality. Some strange whim of the chief of this tribe saved Paulvitch from death only to plunge him into a life of misery and torture. For ten years he had been the butt of the village, beaten and stoned by the women and children, cut and slashed and disfigured by the warriors; a victim of often recurring fevers of the most malignant variety. Yet he did not die. Smallpox laid its hideous clutches upon him; leaving him unspeakably branded with its repulsive marks. Between it and the attentions of the tribe the countenance of Alexis Paulvitch was so altered that his own mother could not have recognized in the pitiful mask he called his face a single familiar feature. A few scraggly, yellow-white locks had supplanted the thick, dark hair that had covered his head. His limbs were bent and twisted, he walked with a shuffling, unsteady gait, his body doubled forward. His teeth were gone--knocked out by his savage masters. Even his mentality was but a sorry mockery of what it once had been.
They took him aboard the Marjorie W., and there they fed and nursed him. He gained a little in strength; but his appearance never altered for the better--a human derelict, battered and wrecked, they had found him; a human derelict, battered and wrecked, he would remain until death claimed him. Though still in his thirties, Alexis Paulvitch could easily have passed for eighty. Inscrutable Nature had demanded of the accomplice a greater penalty than his principal had paid.
In the mind of Alexis Paulvitch there lingered no thoughts of revenge--only a dull hatred of the man whom he and Rokoff had tried to break, and failed. There was hatred, too, of the memory of Rokoff, for Rokoff had led him into the horrors he had undergone. There was hatred of the police of a score of cities from which he had had to flee. There was hatred of law, hatred of order, hatred of everything. Every moment of the man's waking life was filled with morbid thought of hatred--he had become mentally as he was physically in outward appearance, the personification of the blighting emotion of Hate. He had little or nothing to do with the men who had rescued him. He was too weak to work and too morose for company, and so they quickly left him alone to his own devices.
The Marjorie W. had been chartered by a syndicate of wealthy manufacturers, equipped with a laboratory and a staff of scientists, and sent out to search for some natural product which the manufacturers who footed the bills had been importing from South America at an enormous cost. What the product was none on board the Marjorie W. knew except the scientists, nor is it of any moment to us, other than that it led the ship to a certain island off the coast of Africa after Alexis Paulvitch had been taken aboard.
The ship lay at anchor off the coast for several weeks. The monotony of life aboard her became trying for the crew. They went often ashore, and finally Paulvitch asked to accompany them--he too was tiring of the blighting sameness of existence upon the ship.
The island was heavily timbered. Dense jungle ran down almost to the beach. The scientists were far inland, prosecuting their search for the valuable commodity that native rumor upon the mainland had led them to believe might be found here in marketable quantity. The ship's company fished, hunted, and explored. Paulvitch shuffled up and down the beach, or lay in the shade of the great trees that skirted it. One day, as the men were gathered at a little distance inspecting the body of a panther that had fallen to the gun of one of them who had been hunting inland, Paulvitch lay sleeping beneath his tree. He was awakened by the touch of a hand upon his shoulder. With a start he sat up to see a huge, anthropoid ape squatting at his side, inspecting him intently. The Russian was thoroughly frightened. He glanced toward the sailors--they were a couple of hundred yards away. Again the ape plucked at his shoulder, jabbering plaintively. Paulvitch saw no menace in the inquiring gaze, or in the attitude of the beast. He got slowly to his feet. The ape rose at his side.
Half doubled, the man shuffled cautiously away toward the sailors. The ape moved with him, taking one of his arms. They had come almost to the little knot of men before they were seen, and by this time Paulvitch had become assured that the beast meant no harm. The animal evidently was accustomed to the association of human beings. It occurred to the Russian that the ape represented a certain considerable money value, and before they reached the sailors he had decided he should be the one to profit by it.
When the men looked up and saw the oddly paired couple shuffling toward them they were filled with amazement, and started on a run toward the two. The ape showed no sign of fear. Instead he grasped each sailor by the shoulder and peered long and earnestly into his face. Having inspected them all he returned to Paulvitch's side, disappointment written strongly upon his countenance and in his carriage.
The men were delighted with him. They gathered about, asking Paulvitch many questions, and examining his companion. The Russian told them that the ape was his--nothing further would he offer--but kept harping continually upon the same theme, "The ape is mine. The ape is mine." Tiring of Paulvitch, one of the men essayed a pleasantry. Circling about behind the ape he prodded the anthropoid in the back with a pin. Like a flash the beast wheeled upon its tormentor, and, in the briefest instant of turning, the placid, friendly animal was metamorphosed to a frenzied demon of rage. The broad grin that had sat upon the sailor's face as he perpetrated his little joke froze to an expression of terror. He attempted to dodge the long arms that reached for him; but, failing, drew a long knife that hung at his belt. With a single wrench the ape tore the weapon from the man's grasp and flung it to one side, then his yellow fangs were buried in the sailor's shoulder.
With sticks and knives the man's companions fell upon the beast, while Paulvitch danced around the cursing snarling pack mumbling and screaming pleas and threats. He saw his visions of wealth rapidly dissipating before the weapons of the sailors.
The ape, however, proved no easy victim to the superior numbers that seemed fated to overwhelm him. Rising from the sailor who had precipitated the battle he shook his giant shoulders, freeing himself from two of the men that were clinging to his back, and with mighty blows of his open palms felled one after another of his attackers, leaping hither and thither with the agility of a small monkey.
The fight had been witnessed by the captain and mate who were just landing from the Marjorie W., and Paulvitch saw these two now running forward with drawn revolvers while the two sailors who had brought them ashore trailed at their heels. The ape stood looking about him at the havoc he had wrought, but whether he was awaiting a renewal of the attack or was deliberating which of his foes he should exterminate first Paulvitch could not guess. What he could guess, however, was that the moment the two officers came within firing distance of the beast they would put an end to him in short order unless something were done and done quickly to prevent. The ape had made no move to attack the Russian but even so the man was none too sure of what might happen were he to interfere with the savage beast, now thoroughly aroused to bestial rage, and with the smell of new spilled blood fresh in its nostrils. For an instant he hesitated, and then again there rose before him the dreams of affluence which this great anthropoid would doubtless turn to realities once Paulvitch had landed him safely in some great metropolis like London.
The captain was shouting to him now to stand aside that he might have a shot at the animal; but instead Paulvitch shuffled to the ape's side, and though the man's hair quivered at its roots he mastered his fear and laid hold of the ape's arm.
"Come!" he commanded, and tugged to pull the beast from among the sailors, many of whom were now sitting up in wide eyed fright or crawling away from their conqueror upon hands and knees.
Slowly the ape permitted itself to be led to one side, nor did it show the slightest indication of a desire to harm the Russian. The captain came to a halt a few paces from the odd pair.
"Get aside, Sabrov!" he commanded. "I'll put that brute where he won't chew up any more able seamen."
"It wasn't his fault, captain," pleaded Paulvitch. "Please don't shoot him. The men started it--they attacked him first. You see, he's perfectly gentle--and he's mine--he's mine--he's mine! I won't let you kill him," he concluded, as his half-wrecked mentality pictured anew the pleasure that money would buy in London--money that he could not hope to possess without some such windfall as the ape represented.
The captain lowered his weapon. "The men started it, did they?" he repeated. "How about that?" and he turned toward the sailors who had by this time picked themselves from the ground, none of them much the worse for his experience except the fellow who had been the cause of it, and who would doubtless nurse a sore shoulder for a week or so.
"Simpson done it," said one of the men. "He stuck a pin into the monk from behind, and the monk got him--which served him bloomin' well right--an' he got the rest of us, too, for which I can't blame him, since we all jumped him to once."
The captain looked at Simpson, who sheepishly admitted the truth of the allegation, then he stepped over to the ape as though to discover for himself the sort of temper the beast possessed, but it was noticeable that he kept his revolver cocked and leveled as he did so. However, he spoke soothingly to the animal who squatted at the Russian's side looking first at one and then another of the sailors. As the captain approached him the ape half rose and waddled forward to meet him. Upon his countenance was the same strange, searching expression that had marked his scrutiny of each of the sailors he had first encountered. He came quite close to the officer and laid a paw upon one of the man's shoulders, studying his face intently for a long moment, then came the expression of disappointment accompanied by what was almost a human sigh, as he turned away to peer in the same curious fashion into the faces of the mate and the two sailors who had arrived with the officers. In each instance he sighed and passed on, returning at length to Paulvitch's side, where he squatted down once more; thereafter evincing little or no interest in any of the other men, and apparently forgetful of his recent battle with them.
When the party returned aboard the Marjorie W., Paulvitch was accompanied by the ape, who seemed anxious to follow him. The captain interposed no obstacles to the arrangement, and so the great anthropoid was tacitly admitted to membership in the ship's company. Once aboard he examined each new face minutely, evincing the same disappointment in each instance that had marked his scrutiny of the others. The officers and scientists aboard often discussed the beast, but they were unable to account satisfactorily for the strange ceremony with which he greeted each new face. Had he been discovered upon the mainland, or any other place than the almost unknown island that had been his home, they would have concluded that he had formerly been a pet of man; but that theory was not tenable in the face of the isolation of his uninhabited island. He seemed continually to be searching for someone, and during the first days of the return voyage from the island he was often discovered nosing about in various parts of the ship; but after he had seen and examined each face of the ship's company, and explored every corner of the vessel he lapsed into utter indifference of all about him. Even the Russian elicited only casual interest when he brought him food. At other times the ape appeared merely to tolerate him. He never showed affection for him, or for anyone else upon the Marjorie W., nor did he at any time evince any indication of the savage temper that had marked his resentment of the attack of the sailors upon him at the time that he had come among them.
Most of his time was spent in the eye of the ship scanning the horizon ahead, as though he were endowed with sufficient reason to know that the vessel was bound for some port where there would be other human beings to undergo his searching scrutiny. All in all, Ajax, as he had been dubbed, was considered the most remarkable and intelligent ape that any one aboard the Marjorie W. ever had seen. Nor was his intelligence the only remarkable attribute he owned. His stature and physique were, for an ape, awe inspiring. That he was old was quite evident, but if his age had impaired his physical or mental powers in the slightest it was not apparent.
And so at length the Marjorie W. came to England, and there the officers and the scientists, filled with compassion for the pitiful wreck of a man they had rescued from the jungles, furnished Paulvitch with funds and bid him and his Ajax Godspeed.
Upon the dock and all through the journey to London the Russian had his hands full with Ajax. Each new face of the thousands that came within the anthropoid's ken must be carefully scrutinized, much to the horror of many of his victims; but at last, failing, apparently, to discover whom he sought, the great ape relapsed into morbid indifference, only occasionally evincing interest in a passing face.
In London, Paulvitch went directly with his prize to a certain famous animal trainer. This man was much impressed with Ajax with the result that he agreed to train him for a lion's share of the profits of exhibiting him, and in the meantime to provide for the keep of both the ape and his owner.
And so came Ajax to London, and there was forged another link in the chain of strange circumstances that were to affect the lives of many people.


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Smash Your Controller With A Whole New Vibe In The Surge.
Written by Sean Glass| May 22, 2017| Gaming, Microsoft, Opinion, PC, Reviews, Sony
So you wanna git gud?
As the hardcore Action-RPG genre becomes increasingly crowded, The Surge manages to make a place of its own. With their follow-up to 2014's Lords of the Fallen, developers, Deck 13 seek to reenter the popularized "soulsborne" sub-category of gaming. So named after Bloodborne and the Dark Souls series by FromSoftware, soulsborne games are brutal, grinding, and punishingly hard. Occupying this space, The Surge's comparison to the highly similar titles that came before it is unavoidable. Fortunately, Deck 13 learned a great many lessons from their previous IP, creating something completely different, while still remaining faithful to the unwritten tenants of the genre.
It's not a game for children.
The Surge takes place in a future which sees climate change render the Earth increasingly inhospitable. In the hopes of reversing the damage of human intervention, megacorporation CREO launches project Resolve, promising a future that could be handed "to our children and our children's children." CREO uses this hopeful rhetoric to recruit individuals with little in the way of opportunity in this destitute world. The Surge's wheelchair-bound central character, Warren enters the CREO facility as just one such recruit. Warren begins to see beyond his new employer's shiny exterior and realizes CREO may not be what it seems as a "Rig" exoskeleton is surgically grafted to him. Blood and screams pour from Warren until he finally blacks out.
We rejoin Warren as he regains consciousness in a scrap yard, scheduled to be "recycled." CREO has undergone some sort of cataclysm, rendering his Rig only partially functional and thrusting Warren into the single worst new job orientation ever. The player is ushered through an introduction of the basic controls as you are tasked to find a replacement battery for your Rig. Conveniently, even without full functionality, the Rig affords Warren not only the ability to walk once more, but also the strength and speed to fend off his attackers.
Pull no punches-
The Surge's fights are absolutely brutal.
Combat in The Surge focuses primarily on the Rig and its provided capabilities. Its heft makes general traversal sluggish, but allows for momentary bursts of agility. It also offers the necessary protection to shrug off most incoming assaults, as well as the ability to lift massive weapons to return those attacks in kind. This gives brawls in The Surge a pacing unlike others in the soulsborne genre.
Encounters unfold rapidly, revolving around the ability to unleash light and heavy attack chain combos. These combos play out like a Mortal Kombat move set, with each weapon having its own attack patterns to learn. While there are only five classifications of weapons, Deck 13 succeeds in making each armament feel unique. Combat is intensely satisfying, as each encounter is made up of numerous attack chains with visceral results. Surviving these melees requires players to learn their opponents' movement patterns, watching them for an opening to get in and land a flurry of blows before backing off to a safe distance. Any mistake in timing can easily result in a swift and unceremonious death. This is to be expected, however, as you'll watch Warren meet his end time and again as you learn the intricacies of the CREO facility and its inhabitants.
He looks how this game made me feel.
As in other soulsbornes, survival requires players balance offense and defense, expanding passively regenerating stamina with each action. Combat adheres to the genre's framework in its challenging brutality, though The Surge puts a spin on this formula by adding "energy" as an additional player resource. Energy functions inversely to stamina, decaying over a short time and, at a rate dependent upon the weapon used, accumulating with each successive strike against a foe. This resource opens up the game's combat, as energy allows Warren to execute finisher attacks or activate certain abilities. This requires tactical decision-making regarding how and when to accrue energy, as well as how to use it before it depletes. "Mods" also enable Warren to trade energy for health or temporary buffs. This created tension in deciding whether I could survive long enough to generate the energy needed to heal, or if burning one of my few health consumables was the right move. I found the energy to be the most inventive of The Surge's combat mechanics.
Deck 13 further sets itself apart from its peers with the limb targeting system, enabling players to focus on individual parts of their enemies to gain an advantage over them. This is The Surge's primary point of individuality, as most of the game's tactical elements are rooted in this mechanic. Players are forced to choose between striking an unarmored part of a target, resulting in increased damage and a chance to stagger their adversary, or targeting an armored or weaponized portion of their enemy, potentially resulting in a loot drop. Provided enough energy, Warren can deliver a vicious finisher in which time slows as his foe is eviscerated in cinematic fashion. If the player primarily targets a specific geared segment of the enemy prior to this finisher, the odds increase for that particular piece of equipment to drop.
It's… It's not a game for children.
Dress for success-
Acquiring new gear is essential in The Surge, as it is the only available method of player advancement. As in similar games, experience is granted to the player as enemies are slain. This experience is spent not only developing the player character's abilities, but also in crafting or improving equipment. Deck 13 deviates from standard progression systems by removing character stats entirely. Whereas in Dark Souls players are able to invest in increased health pools, higher damage-dealing stats, faster movement speeds, or other similar bonuses upon each level gained, The Surge rewards players with more "Core Energy" as they ascend in level.
Instead of stat increases, The Surge allows players to equip more high-end gear as they level.
Each piece of equipment requires a certain amount of Core Energy, functioning similarly to the weight stat in the Souls series. Core Energy dictates which defensive items Warren can wear at any given time, as well as which mods can be equipped. This allows players to create a focused build, dedicated to a specific play style. Mods can focus on temporary buffs, passive abilities, and also serve as the game's renewable heath consumables. Although this does provide a degree of depth through the flexibility of the mod system, progressing primarily through gear removes a great deal of player agency.
Mods allow for some degree of customization, but they only go so far.
While other soulsborne games deliver a smooth progression curve, gradually letting the player feel stronger as they advance, The Surge feels abrupt in its character development. Moment-to-moment performance changes between Warren's item sets are almost imperceptible, as there isn't the massive disparity in movement speed or dodge distance found between the light and heavy armor sets of the genre at large. However, the damage reduction and change in stamina costs afforded by each of The Surge's gear sets is immediately felt. For fans of the genre, a classic leveling system provides a feeling of true character creation; this feeling is deeply absent from The Surge.
This omission becomes increasingly evident with the lack of any real stylistic choices on the player's part. While you can spec Warren for a combat style focused on energy management, or gear up for an evasive strategy, mixing and matching armor, weapons, and mods to differ the feel of each fight, this only goes so far. There are no spells to cast within the CREO facility's walls and ranged attacks are made by a mildly customizable drone summoned by the player. The completely melee-centric action of The Surge feels incredibly limited. This is most disappointing because The Surge is genuinely fun to play. I can only imagine how engrossing this game might have been were it able to inspire the same sense of adventure its forbearers capture.
A world in CREO's image-
To this end, my primary issue with The Surge is that I want more of it. I want to feel that the story is mine. I want to know I made my character strong enough to survive the rigors of the world set before me. And that I did it my way. Indeed, The Surge's is a world worth surviving. Though the story is sparse, it's engaging. From the moment the first bolt is driven through Warren's flesh, Deck 13 relates the history of a company gnashing its teeth behind a smile. CREO fills its lobbies with massive screens, looping friendly infomercials detailing the benefits of being part of "the CREO family." The vibe of these programs quickly develops from casual corporate jargon to the message of a cult convincing its members they're happy.
Certainly makes the office "hang in there" cat poster seem less tacky.
This narrative continues to darken as Warren moves further into the CREO facility. Environments in The Surge are vivid labyrinths, all distinct from one another. The CREO compound is a multifaceted place, through which the player will explore everything from ruined factories, to near-pristine office buildings, and subterranean laboratories, all of which play host to phenomenal environmental storytelling. This pops up in multiple forms such as the graffiti scrawled various on walls throughout the complex. Most of this seems to be created after the disaster, as the messages left are a mix of personal outcry and advice for potential survivors. The storytelling is further fleshed out by audio logs left by employees before the CREO disaster took place as well as those trying to survive it.
CREO may have been a place of genuine progress before everybody went all murdery.
This environmental world-building persists through each item Warren comes across. The industrial equipment you'll tear from your enemies' corpses was never intended to be used for combat. Everything in the player's inventory has some sort of sales pitch or company history attached to it. The duality of seeing what my weapons once were adds a faded glory to the CREO facility and everything I came upon inside it. It's a clever subtlety that left me whole-heartedly dismayed at the lack of any kind of bestiary.
Much like Warren's improvised gear, all of the game's antagonists held some function prior to The Surge's events. Enemies come in a few forms: some are CREO employees, driven mad by the disaster, others are machines of diverse size and designated function, while some arrive at CREO after the crisis starts. I constantly wanted to know more about the denizens of this forlorn place, or at the very least what to call them. I found myself giving baddies names like "berserker," or "brute," or "hazmat," if only to keep everything straight.
"Three-legged Flying Asshole Monster"
Beyond this, the largest deficiency in the things Deck 13 sent to kill me is the fact that they make sense. Part of what makes the monsters of Dark Souls, Bloodborne, or Nioh so evocative is that they're monsters. They're awe-inspiring, grotesque, unexplainable beings which will never set foot in reality. While the hulking, flame-spewing machines found inside the CREO compound are sufficiently nope-inducing, I can wrap my brain around them. The enemies in The Surge may be intimidating, but they aren't frightening.
Though not as engaging as some of the more imaginative foes from other soulsborne worlds, the skirmishes throughout The Surge were more than enough to keep me grinding through. With its playthrough clocking in at roughly 30 hours, Deck 13 focused heavily on creating encounters that would not grow stale through repetition. Though the AI employed by your adversaries isn't the most robust found among this style of game, the combination of interesting level design, enjoyable weapons and highly distinct enemies shores up this minor weakness.
In spite of some shortcomings, Deck 13 earns a spot in a genre much-loved by a contentious fanbase. The Surge manages to emulate titles which single-handedly defined a genre without ever feeling derivative. At every step of the way, The Surge succeeds in being its own entity. It's not perfect, but it manages to expand on the hardcore Action-RPG sector and offer an experience worth looking into. The Surge is entertaining, challenging, and at times, frustrating. In that, it absolutely does justice to those that paved its way.
+Engaging combat stays fun the whole way through
+Deck 13's storytelling makes the world worth exploring
+The Surge successfully borrows from Dark Souls while maintaining originality
+PS4 Pro enhancements are significant
-No leveling system limits The Surge's depth
-Armor sets don't dramatically affect movement
-The song playing at the respawn location will bore into your skull
Last modified: March 31, 2018
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text:
Q: LaTeX in plot titles using a loop I just learned how to insert (a limited number of) LaTeX expressions into my plot titles with
expression(<LaTeX code>). How can I generate plots containing LaTeX in their titles using a loop? For example, say I have:
par(mfrow = c(2,2))

x <- seq(1,10,0.1)
y <- sin(x)

plot(x, y, main = expression(sigma[1]))
plot(x, y, main = expression(sigma[2]))

This produces the desired output:

How can I achieve the same output, but by replacing the last two lines with a loop? I tried
par(mfrow = c(2,2))
for (i in 1:2){
    plot(x, y, main = expression(sigma[i]))
}

but the i was not interpreted as a variable:

Any solutions for this?

A: We can use bquote instead of expression. This allows partial unquoting, meaning you can substitute the value of i inside the expression by wrapping it like this: .(i)
par(mfrow = c(2,2))

x <- seq(1,10,0.1)
y <- sin(x)

for(i in 1:4) plot(x, y, main = bquote(paste("My plot for ", sigma[.(i)], " :")))

Created on 2022-02-19 by the reprex package (v2.0.1)

A: par(mfrow = c(2,2))
loop.vector <- 1:2

for (i in loop.vector) {
  x <- seq(1,10,0.1)
  y <- sin(x)
  plot(x, y, main = bquote(sigma[.(i)]))
}

A: Another option is substitute
for (i in 1:2){
     plot(x, y, main = substitute(paste("My plot for ", sigma[i]), list(i = i)))
 }

-output

A: For your reference, there is also tikzDevice, which actually generates .tex:
sigma <- 2^(1:4)
x <- seq(0, 2 * pi, 0.01 * pi)

tikzDevice::tikz("sine.tex", standAlone = TRUE)
par(mfrow = c(2L, 2L))
for (i in seq_along(sigma)) {
    y <- sin(sigma[i] * x)
    plot(x, y, type = "o", xlab = "$x$", ylab = "$y$",
         main = sprintf("$y = \\sin(\\sigma_{%d} x)$", i))
}
dev.off()
tools::texi2dvi("sine.tex", pdf = TRUE)
system(paste(getOption("pdfviewer"), "sine.pdf"))

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


"How Do We Know It's Time To Review Our Performance Review System?"
Employees don't need annual performance reviews to know how they stack up against their peers. In fact, it's reported that in the next 3 years, half of the Fortune 1000 companies will drop stack rankings and numeric rankings as a basis for annual performance reviews.
Leading this trend are Accenture, GE, Adobe, Netflix and many other organisations that are killing their annual performance reviews. Why? Their reasons centre on the changing nature of work, the need for timely or frequent feedback, and the fact that their performance goals are more fluid and can change quite rapidly; which gives rise to the need to develop people quickly on the job in the midst of these dynamic changes. A PD@GE app was developed to ensure that employees have near-term goals and managers are expected to have frequent discussions that focus on constant improvement and coaching. Tech companies like Atlassian have managed to automate the evaluation activities that managers elsewhere perform manually. Are these good enough reasons to say goodbye to annual performance reviews?
Before we yank these annual reviews out of the window, let's consider if we have complete understanding of the purpose of the performance management system in the first place. It's a system that captures the type of performers we have in the organisation. It provides us with opportunities to reflect on the organisational effectiveness, which is made up of the % of performers who annually achieve their planned performance goals. In addition, it serves the purposes of performance evaluation, performance development and performance reward and recognition.
So what has changed and what has not changed?
Has the digitisation of performance management not kept to the intentions of performance management? Managers are always encouraged to have regular reviews and keep track of performance goals so that there are no surprises at annual reviews. In this aspect, the importance of development discussions have not changed for reasonably responsible appraisers.
Do we need to yank annual performance reviews out of the window?
Do we need to reinforce and reintegrate the entire ecosystem to support meaningful and memorable performance conversations throughout the year?
Do we need to revisit the intentions of performance reviews?
Perhaps it's as simple as ensuring that organisations get the most impact from performance management, through strong leadership support that executes performance differentiation well and gives consistent and accurate performance messages. In my years of consulting and coaching, what's most intriguing is the numerous organisations that dilute the importance of development after the annual performance reviews - be it career development, talent development or aspiration development. These are treated as exercises to be "checked off" in appraisal forms.
Do we have people managers who embrace accountability and ownership that fairly appraises, with minimal psychometric errors?
Do we have people managers who are able to present brutal facts of their team's performance for a join problem-solving conversation?
Do we embrace timely feedback despite our challenges of time?
We can go on to highlight the importance of the performance management system, but we do have senior leaders who will role model appraisal reviews with genuine intention to give real feedback, supplemented with efforts to provide effective developmental activities?
I would like to end with my personal perspective, which is that there's no good or bad, perfect or imperfect, right or wrong performance management system. The appraisal review provides an objective platform that minimises subjectivity of appraisers, so that every employee is given a fair appraisal.
We would love to hear what other thoughts you have regarding the future of performance management in the workplace. Share them with us at connect@pace-od.com!
THE ESSENTIALS OF REAL LEADERSHIP: How Do You Build Competence as a Real Leader™?


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Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner Officially File for Divorce
Couple cites "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split
Tim Kenneally | April 13, 2017 @ 6:16 PM
Christopher Polk/Getty Images
Dashing the hopes of those who might have been holding out for Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner to reconcile, the celebrity couple has officially filed for divorce, according to court papers obtained by TheWrap.
The papers, filed on Thursday, cite the ever-popular "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the divorce.
The couple is seeking joint custody of their three children — Violet, 11, Seraphina, 8, and Samuel, 5.
Also Read: Ben Affleck's Alan Arkin Impression Is Super-Annoying - to Alan Arkin (Video)
The divorce filing states that the couple has reserved the matter of spousal support "for future determination."
Affleck and Garner, who married in June 2006, announced their split in 2015.
In a joint statement at the time, the couple said, "After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce. We go forward with love and friendship for one another and a commitment to co-parenting our children whose privacy we ask to be respected during this difficult time. This will be our only comment on this private, family matter. Thank you for understanding."
The couple appears to have remained on friendly grounds since the split. In March, while announcing that he had completed treatment for alcohol addiction, Affleck cited Garner's support.
Also Read: Ben Affleck Completes Rehab: 'There Is No Shame In Getting Help When You Need It'
"I'm lucky to have the love of my family and friends, including my co-parent, Jen, who has supported me and cared for our kids as I've done the work I set out to do," Affleck wrote. "This was the first of many steps being taken towards a positive recovery."
Pamela Chelin contributed to this report.
20 Famous New England Patriots Fans, From Ben Affleck to Mark Wahlberg (Photos)
Super Bowl LIII, the big number 53, is upon us, and fans all over the country will tune in to see the New England Patriots take on the Los Angeles Rams. If you're rooting for the Patriots this weekend, here's a rundown of the good, famous company you'll be in when you do. And if you're a Rams fan, here's a quick celebrity enemies list so you can rub it in their faces on Twitter.
It'd be a lot more interesting if the Brazilian supermodel who had also married Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady in fact was not a Patriots fan. Unfortunately, and predictably, she is.
It's crazy obvious, right? Everyone knows about Marky Mark's Boston background. Wahlberg shows up for plenty of games, sitting on the sidelines or hanging out with Patriots owner Robert Kraft. He's also pals with Tom Brady, who appeared on Wahlberg's show "Entourage."
Let's keep right on going with "Famous Massachusetts natives who do that accent in movies." Batfleck, who was born in California but grew up in Cambridge, Mass., somewhat angrily defended Tom Brady over that whole "Deflategate" scandal. He takes the Patriots pretty seriously.
Matt "How do you like them apples" Damon is also a Massachusetts native, and a big-time Patriots guy. He also talked about Deflategate on TV like Affleck, but with a bit more chill. Still, Damon's known to wear Pats gear, hang out at games, and get photographed wearing Super Bowl rings.
Although she's a New Yorker, singer and star of "Scream Queens" and "Glee" Lea Michele has said she's always been a Patriots fan. Tom Brady might have something to do with it, as might the team's many championship wins.
The Olympic gymnast and gold medalist is Boston born and raised. On Jan. 20, Raisman tweeted her support when the Patriots beat the Kansas City Chiefs to make it to the Super Bowl. "Gooooooo Pats!!!! Unbelievable. #BOSTON #GOAT" she wrote.
The Patriots' logo might call up images of the Colonies' revolt against the crown, but England-born Sir Elton doesn't let it keep him from cheering for the Pats. John is friends with owner Robert Kraft, and in 2009 when the Pats played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at London's Wembley Stadium, the Patriots made him honorary team captain.
Another native of Massachusetts, Banks watched her Patriots defeat the Seahawks in Super Bowl 49 from the celebrity box at University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona. You can often track her thoughts on the Patriots on Twitter, where she regularly tweets during games.
WWE star and New Day tag team member Kingston was born in Ghana, but moved to Boston in his youth. He's a big Patriots fan, and he told Patriots.com he gets up to some football-themed trash-talking during the season. That might be a change of pace from the regular trash-talking wrestlers get up to all the time.
Former Los Angeles Clippers forward Pierce started his NBA career with the Boston Celtics. He's still part of the Patriots Nation, and took to Twitter to show off the Patriots gear he was sporting during the AFC Championship game in January 2017.
Aerosmith is a Boston band, and Steven Tyler is a Patriots fan. The singer has performed a couple of national anthems at Patriots games, in 1999 and again at the 2012 AFC Championship game, where he famously wore a sparkly Patriots scarf.
Former "Extra" host Menounos is a well-known Patriots fan. Her dedication sometimes costs, though: She lost a bet on the Pats with "Extra" correspondent AJ Calloway when the New York Giants defeated them in Super Bowl 46. The punishment was appearing on TV in a Giants bikini.
Conan O'Brien
Conan's from Boston, and he attended Harvard. After four Super Bowl wins, Conan finally declared himself a Patriots fan in a video for the NFL in the run up to Super Bowl 49. He's actually a lifelong fan of the team, and before Super Bowl 51 pitted the Falcons against the Pats on his show — playing video games.
Yup, Captain America is, somewhat fittingly at least from a branding standpoint, a Patriots fan. Evans, a Boston native, famously made a bet with fellow Marvel alumnus Chris Pratt when Evans' Patriots took on Pratt's Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 49. Loser had to visit a children's charity in the winner's city dressed in their Marvel universe costume. Evans won, but both visited kids at Boston's Christopher's Haven, a charity for kids battling cancer.
Last year, "The Shield" and "Gotham" actor Chiklis introduced a new member of his family: Tom Brady. That was the name he gave his new pug, just in time for the 2017 Super Bowl.
Though he's from New Jersey, Bon Jovi has grown to become something of a Patriots superfan over the years. He even gave the team permission to use his band's song, "This Is Our House," during games.
Julie Chen Moonves
Though she'd rather watch the games from the comfort of her own home, Chen admits to a personal connection to the Patriots. "I'm a big Tom Brady fan. Robert Kraft is a personal friend of ours -- so there's also that, you know. I have to be honest."
Although Jim Halpert may have been an Eagles fan, this Boston native bleeds red, white and blue. "It's fun to be from a place that has so much and legendary sort of sports stories to tell my daughter one day very soon." He even appeared alongside Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Chris Evans in a Jimmy Kimmel skit lampooning Deflate-gate.
This "Office" and "Mindy Project" alum let her support be known after the Patriots defeated the Jaguars in the AFC Championship. "Very excited people in this household regarding the outcome of the football game @Patriots #SuperBowl."
Cena was bummed that his busy WWE schedule kept him from staying in Houston for Super Bowl LI. "The fact that the Patriots are consistently great, amidst all the controversy...they just always play really well. They're a down-to-business team. Not a lot of flash, not a lot of flare. The Belichick postgame press conference pretty much says it all. I like that, because the rest of the league hates it."
If you want to see what stars will be rooting against the Patriots, check out this gallery of A-list Rams fans.
Batman and Captain America are among those cheering on The Pats this Sunday at Super Bowl LIII


Fight foot funk with Bamboo's natural anti-microbial powers. Slightly thinner than the Arrow Sock for warmer days.
Icebreaker's performance sock for alpine enthusiasts, the Skier+ Lite Socks combine ultralight and light cushion densities for the ultimate in comfort and performance.
Perfect for those needing a high-performance sock, Icebreaker's Skier Lite Socks feature light and medium cushion zones for breathability and support.
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The medium full-cushioned foot and leg in this sock keep you comfy as you rock in the park all day. Specifically designed for a woman's foot.
With a new 4 Degree Elite Fit System and ReliaWool high-density impact zones, SmartWool PhD Ski Ultralight Socks deliver more comfort with an improved fit and greater durability.
Merino Wool keeps you warm and dry while skiing, snowboarding, or building a snowman with the kids.
The first section is the steepest and then the line mellows out. Follow the glacier all the way to the toe. Once done follow a faint climbers trail to the lake below. At the lake a a good trail is on the North side, follow this trail by Helene lake and back to the car.


Baby Poop Not Seedy For Breastfed Baby - A reason To Worry?
Home > Baby Helpline > Baby Poop Questions > Baby Poop Not Seedy For Breastfed Baby – A Reason To Worry?
Baby Poop Not Seedy For Breastfed Baby – A Reason To Worry?
My son is 7 weeks old and only breastfed. My issue is that his poop is not seedy and very infrequent (once a day). It has never been seedy.
This was never the case with my other two children. They were very seedy and very frequent (after each feeding). I'm less worried about the frequency and more about the texture.
My doctor thinks it's normal. I just wanted to know if anyone else's baby was like this or has any thoughts on the issue.
The frequency of your baby's bowel movements is definately normal. At around two months many breastfed babies start pooping much less often, even less than once per day. It can be almost two weeks between bowel movements for breastfed babies at around 3 months old without anything being wrong!
About the texture; you are quite right that seedy poop is the most common. However, if your baby is gaining weight, doesn't have colic and is overall healthy, I'd agree with the doctor – it is simply a normal baby poop variation.
It is amazingly hard to find information on why breast milk poop is seedy. Some say the seeds are small pieces of fat, others say that it is milk protein.
Based on all research I've read found, the seeds are simply milk waste. Breast milk produces very little solid waste, which is why breast milk poop will mainly be more or less liquid with only the smalls "seeds" that are solid.
Formula fed babies may also have seedy milk. AND not all breastfed babies have seedy stools.
So in any case, the seeds are nothing to focus on, regardless of if your baby's poop is full of them or not.
Bring a dirty diaper to the next check-up if you are still uncertain, so that the doctor can evaluate it first hand.
My baby is currently 10 weeks old and poops once per day and when he poops its loose and yellowish green. Pediatrician says its normal. He currently weighs 11lbs and happy so I understand your situation. He went from almost every hour to once per day so it normal and as long as he happy healthy and gaining that weight so I can relate.


Apple release updated iPads and a new Red iPhone 7!
Google's 'Uptime' app allows users to watch You Tube videos together while apart.
Hackers attempt to extort apple after allegedly compromising millions of iCloud accounts, and Jonathan discusses parental control options in the current generation of gaming consoles.
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Maja Adamska
Associate Professor, ARC Future Fellow and Program 3 leader
maja.adamska@anu.edu.au
Maja Adamska studied biology, with special interest in embryology and evolutionary biology, at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. To obtain training in modern developmental biology, she moved to Germany to work with Eva Bober and Thomas Braun on function of homeobox genes in inner ear development, using a variety of vertebrate models from medaka fish to mice in her PhD project. During postdoctoral work at the University of Michigan in Miriam Meisler's laboratory she followed complex crosses of mouse mutants to reveal genetic interactions involved in limb patterning. At this time, she became convinced that origin of complex developmental toolkits and processes is as exciting as their current function, so in the next step she joined Bernie Degnan's group at the University of Queensland to analyze developmental signaling pathways in the first sequenced sponge, Amphimedon queenslandica. This work revealed surprising similarities in patterning of sponge and higher animal embryos.
Maja if the leader of Program 3 in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. From 2007-2015, she was a group leader at the Sars International Centre for Marine Molecular Biology in Bergen, Norway. She is now a Group Leader and Associate Professor in the Research School of Biology, Australian National University. Her group uses calcareous sponges to gain insight into the evolutionary origin of a variety of key developmental processes, including segregation of germ layers and axial patterning of embryos and adults. Maja is also interested in major transitions in animal evolution, such as emergence of multicellularity and morphological complexity, and their relationship to genomic complexity.
Link to researcher's profile


Early identification of disease often makes treatment easier and more successful. In recent years, scientists have developed a wide array of tests that use gene sequencing and other biomarkers to improve early detection of many diseases. These efforts are valuable, but often complex and expensive. Neuropsychologist Rebecca Amariglio has been focusing on a more straightforward and often overlooked strategy: asking patients whether they notice early symptoms of disease.
On April 7, Congress adjourned for a two-week recess, or district work period, without passing legislation to resolve the outstanding Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 appropriations for federal agencies, which continue to operate under a Continuing Resolution (CR). Still, negotiations are occurring with hopes of producing an FY 2017 omnibus spending measure.


text:
Q: What is the number of shortest paths from $A$ to $B$? (IJMO problem) What is the number of shortest paths from $A$ to $B$? We measure by the number of steps (not by length)

Attempt:
Notice that we should just consider 2 types of step: right and down. The longest path clearly required 8 steps. The longest 8-step path uses only short lines. Notice that if we use a long line one time, then it saves one short line (it is either right, right or down, down). Notice also if we use the hypotenuse line, then it is the same as two steps: right,down or down,right.
Now a shortest path consists only of 6 steps. These can be attained when we use 2 shortcuts: either using 2 long lines, or using 1 long line and 1 hypotenuse line.
There is only one shortest path that uses 2 long lines, the path is from $A$ to the top right, then straight to $B$.
There are only 2 shortest paths that use 1 long line and 1 hypotenuse.
So the total number of shortest paths is 3.
Are there better or simpler ways to solve the problem?

A: Let us work backward in this problem : we define an "algorithm" (there's a small issue) that will attach to each vertex, two numbers : the length of the shortest path from that vertex to $B$, along with the number of such shortest paths. For any vertex, we attach a $2$ tuple indicating these parameters.
This is very simple : start with labelling $B$ as $(0,0)$. Next, label all neighbours of $B$ as $(1,1)$. Then , proceeding to their neighbours and so on, do the following at each vertex:

*

*Check the following condition visually(this is the issue : I'd need to know how to algorithmically do this properly, but for a small graph visuals work) : all vertices which are strictly closer to $B$ than it, are labelled. Else, go to another vertex.

*If so, find the minimum of all the first labels of its neighbors, and add $1$ to the minimum : that is the first part of the label of this graph. Next, find how many neighbours attain the minimum : add the second labels of all these vertices, and you have the second label of your vertex.
Here's how my algorithm worked :

Let me explain the algorithm for a few cases.
$B,E,G$ should be obvious. Let us look at $D$. Every vertex of distance smaller than $D$ to $B$ is already labelled. These are $E,G$ whose first labels are $1$. Hence, the minimum is $1$ so the first label of $D$ is $2$. Also, both $E$ and $G$ attain the minimum first label value of $1$, so adding their second labels gives $2$, so $D$ is assigned $(2,2)$.
Now, look at $F$. Note that $D$ is labelled by now. The minimum of the first label is $2$, so the first label of $F$ is $3$. Next, the only label attaining the minimum is of course $D$, so its second label is $2$, which becomes the second label of $F$. So $F$ is assigned $(3,2)$.
Take $M$. By now, both of $Q,L$ will have been labelled. The minimum of their first labels is $4$, so the first label of $M$ is $5$. Next, the minimum is attained by both $Q$ and $L$, so the sum of their second labels is $3$, which we assign as second label to $M$. Thus $M$ is assigned $(5,3)$.
In this manner, if things are done correctly, then $A = (6,5)$, giving five paths. Furthermore, any path is given by a descent from $A \to B$ where the first labels decrease by $1$. In our case :

*

*AWQFDEB

*AWQFDGB

*AMQFDEB

*AMQFDGB

*AMLKJGB
Voila!
As to why the algorithm works, I leave you to see.

EDIT : one can algorithmically configure the "visually" part as follows : doing this with neighbours of $B$, proceed to doing it with "neighbours of neighbours", so in that case when you encounter a vertex, you can be confident that all "closer" vertices have been already labelled. Essentially, this is an induction by distance from $B$, like going from one layer of the onion to the next.

A: Since you knew you must take either the diagonal edge or the right most edge, you can reduce the work significantly by considering paths going only through them.
number of paths from A, distance from A


text:
Q: Run skipped tests by nosetest (no-skip doesn't work) I have a lot of legacy test like this. Tests are skipped with unittest but are run with nosetests.
import unittest
import nose
import time

class BaseTestClass(unittest.TestCase):

    @unittest.skip("Skipped")
    def test_add(self):
        """Test 1"""
        print "Execute test 1"
        time.sleep(5)

    def test_sub(self):
        """Test 2"""
        print "Execute test 2"
        time.sleep(5)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    nose.run(argv=["nose", ".", "--verbosity=2", "--nocapture", '--no-skip'])

I want to run all skipped tests.
Looks like "no-skip" - option not works, become I have output
Execute test 2
Test 1 ... Test 2 ... ok

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ran 2 tests in 5.001s

OK

looks like test is present in output but doesn't execute code inside.
I expected to see:
Test 1 ... ok
Execute test 1
Test 2 ... ok
Execute test 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ran 2 tests in 10 s

OK

A: I got a similar problem, and after some research the issue seems to be that --no-skip does not have anything to do with unittests.skip but with the handling the exception nose.SkipTest.
I ended up with a hacky solution that does the job in my case. Maybe it can help somebody. It consists of using your own custom skip function so that it "piggybacks" the --no-skip flag and reacts accordingly.
import sys
import unittest

no_skip_mode = '--no-skip' in sys.argv

def skip(reason):
    if no_skip_mode:
        # Don't decorate the test function. Just return as is.
        def dummy_wrapper(fn):
            return fn

        return dummy_wrapper

    return unittest.skip(reason)

I guess you could try to monkeypatch unittest.skip.


A century after work began on the first of Cardington's giant hangars, or "sheds," as part of efforts to help Britain counter German airship dominance during World War I, a new-generation lighter-than-air vehicle is being prepared for flight testing inside the cavernous structure.
Occupying the entire eastern half of the 812-ft.-long No. 1 shed, U.K. airship developer Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) has officially launched the "return-to-flight" program for its Airlander 10 vehicle and expects to begin flight tests early in 2016. The Bedfordshire-based company is rebuilding the 302-ft.-long HAV304/Airlander 10 after acquiring it from the U.S. Army following cancelation of the Northrop Grumman-led Long-Endurance Multi-intelligence Vehicle (LEMV) program and sees a bright future for the technology in both government and commercial service.
For the complete story by Guy Norris of Aviation Week, click here.


Research — Karina Vold, Ph.D.
2019 | Extended Mathematical Cognition: External representations with non-derived content. Synthese.
2019 | AI Extenders: The Ethical and Societal Implications of Humans Cognitively Extended by AI. Proceedings of the AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society.
2019 | Reconciling the opposing effects of neurobiological evidence on criminal sentencing judgments. PLoS ONE.
2019 | Motivations and Risks of Machine Ethics, Proceedings of the IEEE.
2018 | Overcoming deadlock: Scientific and ethical reasons to embrace the extended mind. Philosophy & Society.
2018 | The Facets of Artificial Intelligence: A Framework to Track the Evolution of AI. Proceedings of the Twenty-Seventh International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI-18).
2015 | The parity argument for extended consciousness, Journal of Consciousness Studies.
2018 | Assessing the Impact of Machine Intelligence on Human Behaviour: an interdisciplinary endeavour, Proceedings of 1st Human Behaviour and Machine Intelligence (HUMAINT) workshop, edited by the European Commission.


text:
Father: John6 Van Wicklen (25 July 1809 - 9 Aug.1886)
Mother: Phoebe Ann Youngs (29 Apr.1818 - 6 Jan.1907)
Married: 24 Sep.1874 Greenpoint, NY
John Youngs7 Van Wicklen
Birth: 10 Feb.1851 New Lots, Brooklyn, New York
Death: 28 July 1918 344 President St., Brooklyn, New York, of acute sephritis
Henrietta Kate Miller
Birth: 5 Jan.1853 Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY
Death: just bef.16 Aug.1948 (just before)
1. Frederick Miller8 Van WicklenSr. (19 July 1879 - 6 June 1947)
of Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
On headstone at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn John YOUNGS is inscribed John Y. 1851-1918 [Sect. 181, lot 12826 (Miller Plot)].
History: At the time of death of Frederick MILLER Sr. (June 6, 1947), both Henrietta Kate MILLER and Jessie Van WICKLEN (Mrs. Elliott C.DuBois) were living at Shippan point, Stamford Conn [NY Times clipping]. Henrietta had sister Margaret Camilla MILLER (Mrs. John Bell... see also news clipping) b. Jan 21,1850, d. 12 Jan. 1941 (91 on Jan. 21), at home 99 Java Street Brooklyn. [NY Times art. Jan. 13, 1941 obit.].	At time of sons wedding, was living at 424 President St. (Brooklyn)
1880 census ae.29 living 201 Franklin St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn, with dau. Jessie 3 and son Frederick 10 mos., boarding with Henry MILLER, his father-in-law. Died (death certif.) at his home at 344 President St., Bklyn., NY.
Henry Miller, ae.61, head, keeps liquor store, b.Germany, f.b.Germany, m.b.Germany,
Catherine Miller, ae.58, keeps house, b.Germany, f.b.Germany, m.b.Germany,
Henrietta Miller, ae.26, dau., at home, b.NY, f.b.Germany, m.b.Germany,
Emma Miller, ae.24, dau., at home, b.NY, f.b.Germany, m.b.Germany,
Addie Miller, ae.23, dau., at home, b.NY, f.b.Germany, m.b.Germany,
John Van Wicklin, ae.29, border, forman in lumber yard, b.NY, f.b.NY, m.b.NY,
Jessie Van Wicklin, ae.3, F, border, at home, b.NY, f.b.NY, m.b.NY,
Fredrick Van Wicklin, ae.10/12 July, at home, b.NY, f.b.NY, m.b.NY,
Henry Montague, ae.30, border, st..yard, b.NY, f.b.NY, m.b.NY,
1879 resided at 201 Franklin St. 17th Ward, at birth of Frederick Sr. [b.cer. Frederick Sr. #5629/1879].
1897 Directory John Y., lumber, 144 President Street (Brooklyn, NY).
Obituary for John Y. Van Wicklen from [Brooklyn Standard Union 30 July 1918] "John Y. Van Wicklen, a descendent of the early Dutch settlers of Brooklyn, died on Sunday at his home, 344
President Street. He was born in the New Lots section 68 years ago, the son of the late John and Phoebe Ann YOUNGS VAN WICKLEN. He was a cousin of Capt. Dave Van Wicklen of the Old Mill, and his family has been well known in New Lots for the past century. He had been associated for many years with the Watson-Pittinger Lumber Company of South Brooklyn. He was a member of Joppa Lodge, No. 201, F. and A.M., and the St. Nicholas Society of Nassau Island. He is survived by his widow, Henrietta, one son Frederick, a daughter, Mrs. Elliott Clarke Dubois, and four sisters, Mrs. Stephen Ryder and Mrs. Isaac Snedecker, of Jamaica, and Mrs. Fenwick Bergen and Esther Van Wicklen. Funeral services were held this afternoon at his late home. Interment private."
Miller & Van Winkle ? in Brooklyn, from DUMBO Historical
http://www.placeinhistory.org/Projects/Dumbo/DumboChron2.htm
1.+Frederick Miller Van WICKLEN, b.19 Jul 1879 Brooklyn, NY,
2.+Jessie Miller Van WICKLEN, b.1876 Brooklyn, NY, m. Elliott"Guss" Clarke DuBOIS, b.30 July 1878 Brooklyn, NY,
It is found that although John and Henrietta were married in 1874 that in the 1880 NYC census Index, Henrietta is listed as living as part her father's household grouping? The note below indicates that John and family were living with them and the children are listed as "other"? [NYC 1880 census index:]
1880 census ae.29 living 201 Franklin St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn, with dau. Jessie 3 and son Frederick 10 mos., boarding with Henry MILLER, his father-in-law. [Research Notes of \Harry Macy Jr., John6 group sheet]]
On a visit to Green-Wood cemetery, Brooklyn NY [MW] on Nov 6, 1998 looking for McKee's, found in the cemetery computer John Y. Van Wicklen at section 181 lot 12826. When I went to that lot, it turned out to be a MILLER plot. The computer lists John Y. bur. 30 July 1918; Henrietta K. Van Wicklen (MILLER) bur.16 Aug 1948; a F(female) child of Helen N. Van Wicklen bur. 27 Dec 1914, Lois Van Wicklen bur 7 Apr, 1917 (possibly a daughter of John Y.). At another lot #15970 in section 157, is listed a Teresa H. Van Wicklen, but prob not related.
There is a main headstone in lot 12826 which reads (front) "HENRY MILLER, BORN SEPT. 15, 1819, DIED JULY 2, 1896 - KATHERINE MILLER, BORN JAN.11,1822, DIED AUG. 3,1909", probable parents of Henrietta Kate;
on the side of the main headstone "MARTIN MILLER, BORN AUG 12TH 1847, DIED JUNE 10TH 1851", possible sibling to Henrietta; __, MARGARET SAMPSON, BORN DEC. 24th 1824, DIED JUNE 10th 1861"possible Aunt to Katherine orinlaw.
and below "JOHN Y. VAN WICKLEN 1815-1918". To the left front there is a "shield" shaped stone about 12" x 12" in the ground inscribed "HENRY MILLER", possibly Henrietta's father? [must get dates on].
To the front right a small stone inscribed "AT REST" and directly to the right a stone which appears to be the monument base, the stone itself missing. To the rear of the main headstone is a staked medallion of "The Daughters of the American Revolution".
New York Times Mar. 2,1930, p.34: "Notes of Social Activities in New york and Elsewhere... Miss. Roda Dawson gave a luncheon yesterday at Pierre's for Miss. Carolyn Du Bois, having among her other guestsMrs. Ralph Dawson, Mrs. Eliot Clarke Du Bois, Mrs. John Van Wicklen, Mrs. Philip Cuyler Langdon, Mrs. Philip C. Sayres, Mrs. EdwinLee Allen, the Misses Janet and Elain Laidlaw, Elizabeth Quimby and Margery Trull."
The connection is possibly that her dau. Jessie m. Elliott C. DuBois. [MW]
Lived at Shippan Point, Stamford CT with dau. Jessie in 1947, at time of death of Frederick Sr. [New York Times June 8,1947 p.?:]


Any of you fellow BPS users utilizing water pans in your smokes? We got 2 calls at our last comp with it but are BURNING through charcoal FAST. Any insight would be fantastic!
Any water pan in a cooker increases fuel use. Your getting calls so why not keep using the water pan.
What's the percentage of the increase in fuel use when you use a water pan?
I'vent tried it yet but I believe water pan can increase the fuel consumption significantly.
That's a crazy idea. You will get everything ruined if you do so.


text:
<?php
namespace Muffin\Reviews\Test\TestCase\Model\Table;

use Cake\TestSuite\TestCase;

class ReviewsTableTest extends TestCase
{
    public $fixtures = [
        'plugin.Muffin/Reviews.Cakes',
        'plugin.Muffin/Reviews.Reviews',
        'plugin.Muffin/Reviews.Users',
    ];

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub