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Following a meeting of the European Council at the end of last week, there appears to be no progress in reforming the Common European Asylum System. Efforts to reform have been on hold for many months. Especially the disagreement on the reform of the 'Dublin System' has remained unsolvable to date. The Dublin System determines which European state is responsible for examining an asylum application. Initially, it was thought that a Relocation mechanism could be included in any reform of the Dublin System, but the eastern European states are blocking this, as they are opposed to receiving more asylum seekers in this way. The European Council meeting last week didn't bring news of any progress towards a solution. In these circumstances it is therefore highly unlikely that there will be a new Relocation Program in the near future.
Instead, European leaders at the European Council meeting focused on taking further steps to fight against smuggling networks and to prevent illegal migration. Plans were made for a new task force which will better monitor and disrupt the online communication of smugglers and smuggling networks. The European Council also urged the European Parliament to examine a proposal to give more power and employees to the European Border and Coast Guard (FRONTEX).


text:
package arrays;

import java.util.Arrays;

//Given an integer array, move all instances of a number 'k' to the left
//(beginning of the array) while maintaining the order of other elements in the array.

public class MovingElementsLeft{
	public static void main(String args[]){

		int a[] = {1,10,20,4,59,63,4,88,4};
		int move = 4;
		move_elements(a,move);
		System.out.println(Arrays.toString(a));

	}

	private static void move_elements(int[] a, int k) {

		int read = a.length - 1;
		int write = a.length - 1;

		while(read >= 0){
			if (a[read] == k){
				read--;
				}
			else if (a[read] != k){
				a[write] = a[read];
				read--;
				write--;
				}
		}

		while(write >= 0){
			a[write] = k;
			write--;
		}

	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Connect with the best nannies in Heflin—today!
I volunteered and worked in a nursery for 8 years here in Shreveport and worked as a childcare provider and personal assistant to a blind family in Ruston.
Hello,im joanne i started babysitting,being a nanny at a very young age.i use to do this when i was about 12 years old.i've done direct care work for over 12 years working with special needs clients.
We have three children, who are 6 years old, 2 years old, and 8 months old. I'm looking to help others with their child/children. I have cared for several children.
Hello, I am a college graduate with current CPR training. I am very interactive and enjoy crafts and baking with kids! I can also help with swimming supervision!


text:
This piece has an attribution mark such as a manufacturer's label, a certificate of authenticity, or a production mark, This piece has been attributed based on archival documentation, such as vintage catalogs, designer records, or other literature sources, This piece is a well-known design that is well documented in general design literature, The style of the design is reminiscent of the designer and/or manufacturer
ROT-385838
Crystal, Glass, Hand-Blown Glass, Mouth-Blown Glass
Holmegaard, originally established in 1825, is Denmark's oldest and largest glass manufacturer. Although much of its early work is thought to be derivative and inconsequential, between the 1930s and 1980s, the designs of Jacob E. Bang, Per Lütken, and Bang's son, Michael are considered to have transformed the company into a powerhouse of Danish design.
The company's origins began when Christian Danneskiold-Samsøe, a Danish count, petitioned the King of Denmark for permission to establish a glass factory. Shortly after the Count's death in 1823, permission was granted to his widow Countess Henriette Danneskiold-Samsøe. In 1825 she established a glass factory in Fensmark. The factory was built in the Holmegaard bog, the peat from which provided enough fuel available to produce the high temperatures required for the glass kiln. In the beginning the factory produced only green bottles, but soon began producing translucent glass tumblers and other tableware in the 1830s, at the Countess' behest believing every Dane should have a beautiful drinking glass.
In 1928, Holmegaard welcomed its first designer, Jacob Eiler Bang (1899-1965). Originally trained as an architect, but due to his work for Holmegaard, became known as Denmark's first industrial designer and the creator of functionalism in Danish glassware. His design mantra, "beautiful, strong, practical, and cheap," formed the basis for Holmegaard's own mission statement: "Every Dane should be given the opportunity to own a Holmegaard glass." In the 1920s, Bang's functionalist designs received significant acclaim at several international exhibitions, which helped Holmegaard emerge from serious financial trouble. During his time at the glass factory, Bang designed countless products that have now become collector's items including the 54-piece Kunstglasservice (1928), the Rosenborg Range (1929), the Gisselfeld Range (1933), the Stjerneborg Range (1937)—which are some of Holmegaard's longest-selling collections, and the Antique Green Range (1965) which was revamped in 2012 and is now known as JEB 65.
From 1942 until 1998, Danish glassmaker Per Lütken (1916-1998) worked at Holmegaard, breathing life into more than 3,000 assorted designs and creating some of the glassworks' most well-known pieces, such as the Provence Bowl (1955), the Selandia Dish (1957), No. 5 Range (1970), Ship's Glass Range (1971), Idéelle Range (1978), and Charlotte Amalie Range (1981). His arrival marked the beginning of a new era for Holmegaard. Known for his perfectionism, Lütken's timeless and intricate pieces were a hallmark of Danish design during the 1960s and '70s. Today, his work is still highly regarded throughout Scandinavia and further afield.
In 1965, Holmegaard merged with the manufacturers Kastrup, Hellerup, and Fyens to become Kastrup og Holmegaards.
Sometime in the 1980s, Bang's son, Michael (1942-2013) joined Holmegaard as a designer. He is known for the MB Range (1981), the Mandarin Lamp (1983), Fontaine Wine Glass (1987), and the Mixed Double Bonbonniere (2003).
Today, Holmegaard is the leading glass producer in Denmark, producing both mouth-blown and machine-blown glass.
Price per set
Only 1 set available
No shipping price available Insured Delivery from United Kingdom to: Australia Austria Bahrain Belgium Brazil Bulgaria Canada Chile China Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hong Kong SAR China Hungary Ireland Israel Italy Japan Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Norway Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Singapore Slovakia South Africa South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay
Rosewood Trolley from Tri-Magic, 1960s
Vintage British Trunk
Vintage Amber Murano Glass Vase from Seguso
Dusk Glass Vase by Nils Landberg for Orrefors, 1953
Sycamore Dresser by Alfred Cox for AC Furniture, 1960s
Etched Glass Vase by Sven Palmqvist for Orrefors, 1960s
Large Vintage YSL Opium Perfume Display Lamp by Pierre Dinand for Yves Saint Laurent
Midnight Blue Glass Vase by Nils Landberg Orrefors, 1960s
Modernist Memphis Ceramic Tea Set from Salins Studio, 1970s
Brass and Smoked Glass Coffee Table by Ib Kofod Larsen for G-Plan, 1960s
Armchairs and Footstool by V B Wilkins for G Plan, 1960s, Set of 3
Italian Neo-Classical Style Marble & Brass Nesting Tables, 1950s
Teak Nesting Tables from G-Plan, 1960s, Set of 3
Tall Teardrop Dusk Glass Vase by Nils Landberg for Orrefors, 1953
Mid-Century Teak Armchairs, Set of 2
Solid Teak Sled Legs Coffee Table by Peter Løvig Nielsen for Dansk Design, 1964
Italian Chrome, Plastic & Steel Serving Bar Cart from Dal Vera, 1960s
Vintage Frosted Glass 2 Tier Chandelier from S.A.L.I.R. Murano
Austrian Cut Glass Crystal Table Clock from F Kisslinger Rattenberg, 1980s
Armchairs and Coffee Table by Karl Heinz Bergmiller for Escriba Brazil, 1959, Set of 3
Britt's Wish List
Britt Zunino, founder of Manhattan interiors firm Studio DB, shares her inspiring wish list for the holiday season
Getting cozy with Danish Design
Carlo Scarpa's Venetian Glass
On view at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Holmegaard Tabletop
Mid-Century Vases
Contemporary Vases
Scandinavian Modern Vases

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
<?php

defined('BASEPATH') OR exit('No direct script access allowed');

class Stantion_model extends CI_Model {

    //Выбираем данные всех компаний//Выбираем данные для одной записи
    function get_all($per_page = '', $offset = '') {
        $this->db->select('sdzp_stantion.*, name_company, name_filial');
        $this->db->where('sdzp_stantion.id_company = sdzp_company.id_company');
        $this->db->where('sdzp_stantion.id_filial = sdzp_filial.id_filial');
        if ($this->uri->segment(1) == 'disp' && $this->uri->segment(2) == 'create') {
            $this->db->where('sdzp_stantion.id_filial', $this->uri->segment(3));
        }
        if ($this->uri->segment(3) && $this->uri->segment(4)) {
            $this->db->where('sdzp_stantion.id_filial', $this->uri->segment(4));
        }
        $this->db->order_by('name_stantion');
        $query = $this->db->get('sdzp_stantion, sdzp_company, sdzp_filial', $per_page, $offset);
        return $query->result_array();
    }

    // Получение всех записей
    function get_all_search()
    {
        $data = $this->input->get();
        if (isset($data['created'])) {
            $data['sdzp_stantion.created'] = $data['created'];
        }
        if (isset($data['created_user_id'])) {
            $data['sdzp_stantion.created_user_id'] = $data['created_user_id'];
        }
        if (isset($data['created_ip'])) {
            $data['sdzp_stantion.created_ip'] = $data['created_ip'];
        }
        if (isset($data['modified'])) {
            $data['sdzp_stantion.modified'] = $data['modified'];
        }
        if (isset($data['modified_user_id'])) {
            $data['sdzp_stantion.modified_user_id'] = $data['modified_user_id'];
        }
        if (isset($data['modified_ip'])) {
            $data['sdzp_stantion.modified_ip'] = $data['modified_ip'];
        }
        if (isset($data['state'])) {
            $data['sdzp_stantion.state'] = $data['state'];
        }
        unset($data['created'], $data['modified'], $data['created_user_id'], $data['modified_user_id'], $data['created_ip'], $data['modified_ip'], $data['state']);
        $this->db->select('sdzp_stantion.*, name_company, name_filial');
        $this->db->like($data);
        $this->db->where('sdzp_stantion.id_company = sdzp_company.id_company');
        $this->db->where('sdzp_stantion.id_filial = sdzp_filial.id_filial');
        $this->db->order_by('name_stantion, name_filial, name_company');
        $query = $this->db->get('sdzp_company, sdzp_filial, sdzp_stantion');
        return $query->result_array();
    }

    //Выбираем данные для одной записи
    function get_id($id) {
        $this->db->select('sdzp_stantion.*, sdzp_company.name_company, sdzp_filial.name_filial');
        $this->db->where('sdzp_stantion.id_company = sdzp_company.id_company');
        $this->db->where('sdzp_stantion.id_filial = sdzp_filial.id_filial');
        $this->db->where('id_stantion', $id);
        $query = $this->db->get('sdzp_stantion, sdzp_company, sdzp_filial');
        return $query->result_array();
    }

    //Добавление данных
    function create($create) {
        $this->db->set('id_company', $this->session->id_company);
        $this->db->set('created', date('Y-m-d  H:i:s'));
        $this->db->set('created_user_id', $_SESSION['id']);
        $this->db->set('created_ip', $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR']);
        $this->db->insert('sdzp_stantion', $create);
    }

    //Редактирование данных
    function update($id, $update) {
        $this->db->set('modified', date('Y-m-d  H:i:s'));
        $this->db->set('modified_user_id', $_SESSION['id']);
        $this->db->set('modified_ip', $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR']);
        $this->db->where('id_stantion', $id);
        $this->db->update('sdzp_stantion', $update);
    }

    //Удаление данных
    function delete($id) {
        $this->db->where('id_stantion', $id);
        $this->db->delete('sdzp_stantion');
    }

    function validation() {
        $this->load->library('form_validation');
        $this->form_validation->set_rules('id_filial', 'Филиал', 'required');
        $this->form_validation->set_rules('name_stantion', 'Имя филиала', 'required|min_length[3]|max_length[40]|strip_tags|trim');
        $this->form_validation->set_rules('state', 'Статус', 'required');
    }

    function fieldsLabelsAll() {
        return
        [
            'id_stantion' => lang('id_stantion') ? lang('id_stantion') : mb_strtoupper('id_stantion_l'),
            'name_company' => lang('name_company') ? lang('name_company') : mb_strtoupper('name_company_l'),
            'name_filial' => lang('name_filial') ? lang('name_filial') : mb_strtoupper('name_filial_l'),
            'name_stantion' => lang('name_stantion') ? lang('name_stantion') : mb_strtoupper('name_stantion_l'),
            'state' => lang('state') ? lang('state') : mb_strtoupper('state_l'),
            'created' => lang('created') ? lang('created') : mb_strtoupper('created_l'),
            'created_user_id' => lang('created_user_id') ? lang('created_user_id') : mb_strtoupper('created_user_id_l'),
            'created_ip' => lang('created_ip') ? lang('created_ip') : mb_strtoupper('created_ip_l'),
            'modified' => lang('modified') ? lang('modified') : mb_strtoupper('modified_l'),
            'modified_user_id' => lang('modified_user_id') ? lang('modified_user_id') : mb_strtoupper('modified_user_id_l'),
            'modified_ip' => lang('modified_ip') ? lang('modified_ip') : mb_strtoupper('modified_ip_l'),
        ];
    }

    function fieldsLabels() {
        return
        [
            // 'id_stantion' => '',
            // 'name_company' => lang('name_company') ? lang('name_company') : mb_strtoupper('name_company_l'),
            'name_filial' => lang('name_filial') ? lang('name_filial') : mb_strtoupper('name_filial_l'),
            'name_stantion' => lang('name_stantion') ? lang('name_stantion') : mb_strtoupper('name_stantion_l'),
            'state' => lang('state') ? lang('state') : mb_strtoupper('state_l'),
            // 'created' => lang('created') ? lang('created') : mb_strtoupper('created_l'),
            // 'created_user_id' => lang('created_user_id') ? lang('created_user_id') : mb_strtoupper('created_user_id_l'),
            // 'created_ip' => lang('created_ip') ? lang('created_ip') : mb_strtoupper('created_ip_l'),
            // 'modified' => lang('modified') ? lang('modified') : mb_strtoupper('modified_l'),
            // 'modified_user_id' => lang('modified_user_id') ? lang('modified_user_id') : mb_strtoupper('modified_user_id_l'),
            // 'modified_ip' => lang('modified_ip') ? lang('modified_ip') : mb_strtoupper('modified_ip_l'),
        ];
    }

    function headersAttributes() {
        return
        [
            'id_stantion' => 'class="h_id_stantion text-center"',
            'name_company' => 'class="h_name_company text-center"',
            'name_filial' => 'class="h_name_filial text-center" style="width:30%"',
            'name_stantion' => 'class="h_name_stantion text-center" style="width:30%"',
            'state' => 'class="h_state text-center" style="width:30%"',
            'created' => 'class="h_created text-center" style="width:15%"',
            'created_user_id' => 'class="h_created_user_id text-center"',
            'created_ip' => 'class="h_created_ip text-center"',
            'modified' => 'class="h_modified text-center" style="width:15%"',
            'modified_user_id' => 'class="h_modified_user_id text-center"',
            'modified_ip' => 'class="h_modified_ip text-center"',
        ];
    }

    function fieldsAttributes() {
        return
        [
            'id_stantion' => 'class="id"',
            'name_company' => 'class="name_company"',
            'name_filial' => 'class="name_filial"',
            'name_stantion' => 'class="name_stantion success"',
            'state' => 'class="state text-center"',
            'created' => 'class="created text-center"',
            'created_user_id' => 'class="created_user_id"',
            'created_ip' => 'class="created_ip"',
            'modified' => 'class="modified text-center"',
            'modified_user_id' => 'class="modified_user_id"',
            'modified_ip' => 'class="modified_ip"',
        ];
    }

}


Rumor: Monta Ellis for Dwight Howard?
The Dwight Howard sweepstakes have begun. Golden State offered Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins and Ekpe Udoh. Unlikely that'll get it done.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Where there's smoke, there's fire.
The Golden State Warriors and Orlando Magic can deny rumors they're considering swapping Monta Ellis for Dwight Howard. The evidence suggests otherwise, though.
New Warriors owner Joe Lacob, when he bought the club, didn't give Ellis a ringing endorsement. While GM Larry Riley would only admit the team isn't shopping their combo guard.
Lacob and rookie coach Mark Jackson want to change the losing culture surrounding the club. Right or wrong, fair or not, they may trade Ellis to achieve this.
Meanwhile, Howard has refused to sign an extension with the Magic. He wants to exercise a player's option next July and become a free agent.
Howard knows Magic GM Otis Smith can't let this occur. Not for a second. Smith, contrary to what he publicly claims, can't risk his franchise face walking and getting nothing back.
So the clock is ticking. Like the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz with Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams, Smith has to cut a deal.
It's no shock the Warriors and Magic have talked trade. Here's the real question: what happens next?
Rumor: Orlando Magic interested in Carlos Boozer?
I've talked to people who believe that Chicago will shop Boozer, but you have to keep in mind that his stock is at an all-time low right now. He disappeared in the playoffs and there's a reason Chicago is talking about moving less than a year after signing him. It'll be tough to move him for anything of substance, especially considering how much he's owed over the next four years. With that said, if he does become available, the Orlando Magic will certainly express some level of interest.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Carlos Boozer wouldn't convince Dwight Howard to forgo free agency and sign a long-term extension with the Orlando Magic.
So the Magic should think carefully about trading for Boozer, and assuming the remaining 4-years and $65 million on his big-ticket contract.
Boozer would be the latest in expensive, overpaid players who couldn't help superstar Dwight Howard achieve his goal of an NBA championship.
There was Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter. This duo were then swapped mid-season for Gilbert Arenas and Hedo Turkoglu in separate trades. All four failed miserably.
A frustrated Howard is now angling for a trade. If he doesn't get it, the five-man will likely leave Orlando as a free agent in two seasons.
Howard would see Boozer for what he is -a talented but injury-prone player, who the Chicago Bulls dumped one season after signing him as a free agent.
It doesn't matter that Howard and Boozer are close, often hanging out together in the summer. Basketball is business. Friendship is personal.
Magic Executive Otis Smith should instead focus on Chris Paul. The New Orleans point guard, who can also become a free agent in July of 2012, is the type of talent that could convince Howard to stay.
Paul and Howard would form a terrific inside-outside duo. They'd attract other free agents, co-stars, and role players. They'd compete for years to come.
Almost every other player, including Boozer, won't be enough for Howard to recommit to Orlando.
Rumor: Howard won't sign extension with Magic, hoping for trade to Lakers?
While touring Italy, Dwight Howard told reporters, again, that he would not sign a contract extension with the Orlando Magic and planned to become a free agent after next season. Lakers, that's your cue. Lakers, do you need to have it dunked on your heads? Trade for Dwight Howard.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Read between the lines.
Dwight Howard claims he wants to stay with the Orlando Magic. He won't, however, ink a long-term extension with the club, preferring to become a free agent in two seasons.
Howard has an explanation for such a mixed-message: he feels a loyalty to the city, but wants to wait to see how management will improve the roster.
Sounds fair, right? Sounds reasonable, right? Well, wrong.
Howard knows what he's doing. He knows GM Otis Smith, despite what he says, can't let him hit free agency. He knows the Los Angeles Lakers are interested. And he knows he's forcing the Magic's hand.
Many think a trade between the Magic and Lakers would be imminent if it weren't for the coming lockout. The new Collective Bargaining Agreement will alter the league's financial landscape.
The new system could have a designated player tag, which would make it possible for the Magic to keep Howard beyond the two years left on his contract.
And the new system could include a hard cap, which would likely make it impossible for the Lakers to shed enough salary to add Howard.
With such uncertainty, the Magic and Lakers are staying put. They have to wait until the new CBA is settled. No matter what Howard says and actually wants.
Fours year ago when Shaq's production started to decline and he couldn't stay healthy the "Shaq is done" and "he wasn't that good" chatter began to commence amongst the haters. And in that four year period more and more people suddenly couldn't wait to see him gone. People that once marveled at his size and power now used those same traits as a reason to discredit him.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Tracy McGrady knows about being a star with 'huge potential'.
Once upon a time, he was a terrific scorer for the Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets; however, he failed to lead either team past the first round of the playoffs.
Now he's past his prime. Injuries have taken its toll. And he's a problem.
For instance, McGrady led a players' revolt in Detroit last year. And the veteran laughed when Coach John Kuester was ejected. Thankfully, his career is winding down.
His call on James is accurate, though. Right now, he can't touch Michael Jordan, the greatest player of all time. One day they may be in the same breath.
McGrady has had a mixed career, but this was one thing he got right.
Wednesday , May , 04 , 2011 J.N.
Word to Dwight Howard – Leave Orlando.
Yes, you read that correctly. Right now, it is time to leave the Orlando Magic organization. I know Mickey Mouse and the Funky Bunch are hurting right now and this one will send them over the edge, but lettuce be cereal. The current roster is terrible. The team regressed after the 2009 Finals. No regrets, no remorse. General Otis Smith had plenty of time to build a quality roster. He actually did that yet somehow messed everything up.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Congratulations to the Atlanta Hawks for handling Jameer Nelson.
They didn't overreact or spout off when the diminutive point guard pulled a Babe Ruth and called his team's shot by telling the Chicago Bulls to prepare for a second round match-up.
They simply outplayed the heavily favoured Orlando Magic, eliminating the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference in six games.
The Hawks would've been forgiven for boasting. After all, Nelson wasn't the only doubter, as many expected Nelson, Dwight Howard, and the Magic to advance to the second round.
The Hawks exposed the Magic's lack of a supporting cast, essentially turning the 2009 Eastern Conference champions into a one-player pony.
Even now they have little to say, though. The Hawks' actions are speaking louder than their words. And leaving Nelson tickets for their second round duel with the Bulls is perfect.
Rumor: Magic to deal Howard this summer?
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Teams who don't learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.
So the Orlando Magic must give serious consideration to trading Dwight Howard or they risk losing another once-in-a-generation-center via free agency.
In the late nineties, Shaquille O'Neal, the Magic's franchise face and the game's most dominating player, left Orlando to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers.
As a Laker, he won three straight championships. The Magic were forced to start over.
Howard, a free agent next summer, is rumored to be looking at bigger markets. He's been linked to those same Lakers. He's also been linked to the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets.
The Magic were in the mix to keep their smiling superstar until they blinked this year and changed their roster mid-season with a pair of questionable trades.
Hedo Turkoglu has been decent; however, GM Otis Smith's gamble on Gilbert Arenas has failed. The Hibachi is out of propane, struggling with shot knees, high expectations that come with a big-ticket contract, and low confidence.
Smith has failed to find Howard a co-star. So Howard, if he wants a championship, will likely find his own co-stars elsewhere.
Smith, despite his denials, will have to be open to a trade. Unless he wants to repeat the past and lose Howard for nothing as a free agent.
Monday , Apr , 04 , 2011 J.N.
This is scary for the Orlando Magic organization. Some diehard Magic fans are already discussing this. Don't write this off by saying, "No. He's not going anywhere." General manager Otis Smith has made bad moves leading the team to regress. This does not look good. The trade at the deadline was desperation, wasn't it? I have to pull a John Lennon and try to imagine a scenario where Howard leaves. As I thought about it, the chances of this actually happening increased. Wow.
With Dwight Howard in the final year of his contract next season, Orlando Magic general manager Otis Smith is fully prepared to receive a host of offers for the All Star center.
"To say it hasn't happened before is crazy, so, yes, I expect it to happen," Smith said Friday. "And the answer will be the same as it always is: No."
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: To quote Nancy Reagan, Otis Smith will just say 'No'.
Of course, the Orlando Magic GM won't be turning down drugs, but trade offers for Dwight Howard, his franchise face and superstar five-man.
Smith has no choice but to say this. And he has no choice but to justify his 'No' with public declarations that Howard, who can become a free agent in July of 2012, will re-sign in Orlando.
This may or may not happen.
Howard may re-sign because he's loyal. Or he's comfortable. Or he likes having his own team. Or the new Collective Bargaining Agreement might have a franchise tag clause, which may mean he has to stay.
The opposite is also true. Howard, for any number of reasons, may leave.
He may desire a change of scenery; he may leave for a bigger market to maximize marketing opportunities; he may leave to join a fellow superstar or two and enhance his chances at winning a championship.
The last scenario would be on Smith. He has tendered several big ticket contracts and swung many blockbuster trades, but has failed to surround Howard with a legit co-superstar.
After all, Smith signed Rashard Lewis to a mammoth pact and then swapped him for Gilbert Arenas, who has a longer contract for more money.
Both players underperformed. Ditto for Vince Carter. Smith acquired 'VC' from the New Jersey Nets before sending him to the Phoenix Suns for Hedo Turkoglu –another expensive, underachieving player.
So Smith has backed himself into a corner. His fate, like the Magic's, hinges on Howard re-signing.
"With Miami at the beginning of the year and New York since the trade, it's like, because so many people are interested in what happens with LeBron (James), (Dwyane) Wade and (Chris) Bosh and now with Carmelo (Anthony), Amar'e (Stoudemire) and Chauncey (Billups) you guys think our overwhelming (concern) is 'what's happening with Miami and New York?' Quite honestly, we don't give a damn," Van Gundy said. "We don't. I don't care. We're just getting ready to play them.
Van Gundy clearly had an issue with the media's obsession with the Heat and Knicks. "It's not all Miami and New York," Van Gundy said. "I know to ESPN it is, but to the rest of us, we actually think some of the rest of the teams matter."
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Sometimes it's not what Coach Stan Van Gundy says, but how he says it.
Take last night's tirade against the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and ESPN. There was no need to bluntly state he doesn't 'care' or give a 'damn' about two of the league's high profile clubs and television partner.
Van Gundy could have instead said there are several strong teams in the NBA, including the Heat and Knicks. We worry about all of them.
This is essentially the same message. Except there's no controversy.
Only Van Gundy can't help himself. He loves headlines. He loves sound bites. He loves taking shots. Most importantly, he loves being the star of the show.
After all, no other coach, player, or league employee would have the stones to compare Commissioner Stern to the tyrants in North Africa and the Middle East.
The timing of such a statement was especially poor. Currently, that entire region is unstable and NATO is involved in a mission in Libya.
Clearly, Van Gundy missed 'Media 101'. Or he doesn't care. Either way, his act is tiresome. The Magic's sideline boss better continue winning because he isn't making friends.
Rumor: Howard for Anthony or Stoudemire?
It wouldn't be shocking at all if the New York Knicks make a play for Dwight Howard next season, perhaps offering either Amare Stoudemire or Carmelo Anthony at trade deadline.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Did you enjoy Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire battling Dwight Howard last night?
According to the Orlando Sentinel, the main characters in yesterday's epic battle between the Knicks and Magic could switch places. Reports indicate the Magic would consider sending Howard to the Knicks for Anthony or Stoudemire.
1) The Howard rumors will continue to fly because he can opt-out of his contract at the end of 2012 and become an unrestricted free agent.
No matter how much Howard tries to defuse rumors, the feeling is he wants to bolt Orlando for a larger market. Like Los Angeles. Or New York.
The Magic have a dilemma. They could try re-signing Howard and risk having their top player as an unrestricted free agent without compensation.
Or the Magic could concede that re-signing Howard would be tough in today's era of super-teams and move him. Cutting their losses would bring back some assets.
2) Anthony and Stoudemire are an awkward pairing. Their partnership doesn't seem natural. Given time, things will improve. The supporting cast will be upgraded; a training camp together will make a difference.
Here's the question for Knick fans: would Howard with Anthony or Stoudemire be superior to Anthony and Stoudemire?
3) The new Collective Bargaining Agreement to be negotiated between players and owners this summer could sideswipe all plans.
Small market owners may try to eliminate the super-team trend that's permeating the NBA. They could gain the ability to keep star players by using an NFL-style franchise tag.
So the Magic could hang onto Howard –whether he likes it or not- by slapping him with the franchise player tag.
Rumor: Nash and Hill to follow Carter out of Phoenix?
Suns coach Alvin Gentry inserted center Marcin Gortat and swingman Jared Dudley into the starting lineup, putting Gortat into the spot of Robin Lopez, who had been groomed as a future franchise center, and Dudley in place of guard Vince Carter, who likely won't be with the Suns next season.
Gortat, 27, has received minutes and produced the numbers as if he were a starter and embraces the idea of a bigger role in the future. Sunday was his first start as a Suns center after receiving one previous start at power forward alongside Lopez.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: How the mighty have fallen.
A decade ago, Vince Carter was supposedly the next Michael Jordan. 'It was over' when he won the Slam Dunk Contest with the Toronto Raptors.
Five years ago, Carter was still a perennial All-Star with the New Jersey Nets, running the break and filling the lane alongside Richard Jefferson and Jason Kidd.
Today, he lost his starting spot to Jared Dudley, a very solid but hardly spectacular player for the Phoenix Suns. Carter probably won't return to the first-five this year.
His timing couldn't be worse.
Carter's $15 million per annum contract isn't guaranteed for 2012, so expect the Suns to exercise the $4 million buyout, making him a not-so desirable free agent.
Heading into training camp, center Robin Lopez was an up-and-comer for the Suns. Coach Alvin Gentry even declared him the team's second most important player behind Steve Nash.
Well, it hasn't worked out.
Lopez has struggled with his game and emotions. He was recently replaced in the starting line-up by the active Marcin Gortat, who was acquired in the same mid-season trade that brought Carter to Phoenix from the Orlando Magic.
Like Carter, Lopez`s demotion isn't a short-term thing. Gortat is the man in the middle. For now, and for the foreseeable future.
Change has hit Phoenix. Unfortunately, Carter may not be the only aging starter jettisoned out of Arizona.
Grant Hill and Nash are in their mid-to-late thirties. Unlike Carter, both can still play; however, Phoenix has to rebuild at some point.
And trading Nash and his considerable salary would provide much-needed relief for owner Robert Sarver's limited resources.
The once mighty Carter and Lopez have fallen. Sadly, the still mighty Hill and Nash could also go this summer.
Shaquille O'Neal had a lot to say in a little time during a recent Q&A. Q: How much do you look forward to the opportunity to go up against guys like Dwight Howard or Andrew Bynum in the playoffs? A: Excuse me? Don't ask me a question like that. Q: But that's what people want to know. Those guys are playing so well and everyone wants to see if you can match up with them one-on-one. A: First of all, they won't dare play me one-on-one, even at the tender age of 39. And you know what? Playin' those teams, it ain't gonna be about the [center] matchup, so I don't really worry about that.
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: His age doesn't matter. Neither do his injuries. Shaquille O'Neal, never lacking in confidence, just called out the game's best centers.
O'Neal, even at 39, thinks he can still hold his own against premier fives like Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard. For one game, he's fine. In a seven game series, he probably doesn't get embarrassed.
O'Neal's wear-and-tear does show during the regular season. He gets nicked up. His lack of fitness and age becomes a problem.
Credit Boston Celtics Coach Glen 'Doc' Rivers for limiting O'Neal's minutes, knowing his size and experience will be needed against, say, Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum in the playoffs.
This brings us back to O'Neal comments. Consider the timing: He's returning from injury and the playoffs are fast approaching.
Clearly, the veteran is anticipating a match-up against Howard's Magic and Bynum's Lakers. He's playing the role of angry mentor, and once again trashing both to the media.
There's a method to his madness. Spouting off to the press has provided O'Neal with a mental advantage in the past, especially when facing Howard.
But Bynum has no reason to take the bait. Not this time around, at least. He's been brilliant since February's All-Star game, helping the two-time defending champion Lakers regain their form.
So O'Neal still talks-the-talk. Can he still walk-the-walk on-court? We'll find out come playoffs.
Howard posts up, shoots 60 percent from the field, blocks 2.43 shots per game, pulls down 14.3 rebounds. Practically perfect, except for occasional problems -- aside from Wednesday night -- at the foul line. "The MVP of the league," said Ewing, the last dominant center around here and an Orlando assistant. "Everybody's talking about Derrick Rose, but they need to start putting Dwight there, too. Without him, who knows where we'd be?"
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Big men often have each other's back. They have to, as they're part of the same fraternity nobody else gets or understands.
Perhaps Patrick Ewing, an Orlando Magic assistant coach and Hall of Fame center with the New York Knicks, is right. Perhaps Dwight Howard, a fellow center and the Magic's superstar, deserves greater consideration for Most Valuable Player.
Howard is averaging an impressive 24 points, 14 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per night. His Magic are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 46-26 record, despite making a pair of blockbuster trades throughout the season.
1) For several reasons, Howard gets overlooked. Orlando is one of the NBA's smaller markets; big, superhero type centers often get taken for granted by MVP voters; dunks aside, Howard's offensive game isn't especially pretty or polished.
2) Sorry Ewing, but Derrick Rose is also having a terrific year. His numbers are on par with Howard, and his Chicago Bulls have won more games than the Magic.
Rose's Bulls are playing together, having fun, and are the feel-good story of the league. Don't overlook how this influences MVP voters.
3) Howard's biggest problem may be on his sideline. Coach Stan Van Gundy is a media hog. Instead of focusing on Howard's accomplishments, reporters are anticipating Van Gundy's next off-the-cuff comment.
Ewing had to stick up for Howard. He works with Howard and is a former member of the big man fraternity. That doesn't means he's right, though.
Rumor: Suns running out of patience with Robin Lopez?
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Robin Lopez, for the most part, has been an enigma for the Phoenix Suns.
He has the skill-set to be a solid player; however, his emotions and lack of confidence continue to hold him back.
Coach Alvin Gentry's recent comments show that the Suns are finally running out of patience. Fortunately, they have a solution on the roster in Marcin Gortat.
The Polish post, acquired from the Orlando Magic in exchange for Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson, does the things Lopez either can't or won't.
Gortat is active, physical, and productive. If this continues, he'll replace Lopez in the Suns' starting line-up.
And it can't be soon enough. After all, the Suns, who sit at 10th in the Western Conference, are on the outside looking in at the playoffs.
So everybody must play their best. The Suns have no time for an enigma.
Johnson on Wednesday stood by a claim he made Tuesday on the radio that there is "no doubt" the team will be able to re-sign point guard Deron Williams when he becomes a free agent. "I have no doubt and I'm really, really confident that we'll be able to re-sign him,"
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: On the one hand, Coach Avery Johnson is right. The New Jersey Nets will have every opportunity to re-sign Deron Williams.
The Nets will soon cross the Hudson River into a shiny new stadium in Brooklyn, New York. Owner Mikhail Phrokorov, also known as Russia's richest man, has no issue spending his rubbles on free agent talent. And there's already Brook Lopez in the middle.
So New Jersey/Brooklyn is about to become a desirable location.
On the other hand, Williams wants to win. And he'll have plenty of offers from other superstars in desirable locations.
For instance, the cross-town New York Knicks with Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire may make a run at Williams. Down south, Dwight Howard's Orlando Magic will have interest in D-Will.
While the Nets are strongly positioned to keep Williams, it's far from a sure thing.
East vs. West; Which Conference Is Better?
It isn't exactly Biggie vs. Tupac but every year people ask the same question; which conference is better East or West?
HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: For Tracy McGrady, it was never about winning or about being the best he could for his team.
Not in Toronto. Not in Orlando. Not in Houston. Not in New York. And not in Detroit, either.
For McGrady, it has always been about one thing: getting his. Minutes, touches, and shots have always taken precedence over wins and losses.
Sadly, McGrady still could have salvaged something from his career this summer. He could have signed on as a reserve with a contender. He could have agreed to play a role; blocking shots, facilitating, and using his length on defense like he did with the Toronto Raptors.
Instead, he's part of the problem with the Detroit Pistons. No matter how much you hate your boss, there's never an excuse for not appearing at practice like McGrady did last week.
Sadly, there was no punishment. After all, the Pistons are in flux; Coach John Kuester is a lame duck; Executive Joe Dumars is on shaky ground; and the roster has underachieved.
Change won't occur until the team is sold, so McGrady got off scotch free for his no-show. Things could be different in a few months, though.
In July, McGrady becomes an unrestricted free agent. Teams will see his numbers: 9 points and 4 assists. Teams will remember his one-day boycott. And they`ll take a pass.
His career will be over with a whimper. Bottom line: the great McGrady will go down as a 'should have'.


text:
The Irishman (15)
Tue 21 January @ 7:30 pm
£7 – £10
« The Irishman (15)
The Hound of the Baskervilles (PG) ★ Romany Revisited ★ »
The Irishman (15) – 2019, USA, 209 mins
Director: Martin Scorsese
Nominated for 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture & Best Director.
Martin Scorsese returns to his classic form in The Irishman with his longtime collaborator Robert de Niro. Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran is a man with a lot on his mind. The former union high official and hitman, learned to kill serving in Italy during the Second World War. He now looks back on his life and the hits that defined his mob career, maintaining connections with the Bufalino crime family. In particular, the part he claims to have played in the disappearance of his life-long friend, Jimmy Hoffa, the former president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who mysteriously vanished in late July 1975 at the age of 62.
Doors open for fine wines and all manner of drinks at 7.00pm. Film at 7.30pm.
Totnes Cinema
Totnes, Devon TQ95NP
www.totnescinema.co.uk
36 available	 The Irishman - Tues 21 Jan £7.00 Student/Young Person
36 available	 The Irishman - Tues 21 Jan £8.00 Member
36 available	 The Irishman - Tues 21 Jan £8.50 Concession (Over 65)
36 available	 The Irishman - Tues 21 Jan £10.00 Standard
Copyright 2017 Totnes Cinema. All rights reserved


text:
Calvin, WV
Summersville Lake, Summersville, WV
Summersville Lake is among the very best places to camp in West Virginia and visitors have two choices for campgrounds: Battle Run and Mountain Lake. And if you like primitive camping, you can pitch…
Summersville Lake is among the very best places to camp in West Virginia and visitors have two…
The 9 Best First Date Locations in West Virginia!
The backdrop for romance in this beautiful part of the Mountain State is Summersville Lake, a 2,700-acre man-made reservoir and the biggest lake in the state. Situated on the Gauley River, there is a…
The backdrop for romance in this beautiful part of the Mountain State is Summersville Lake, a…
The 8 Best Boat Tours in West Virginia!
Sarge's Dive Shop, Summersville, WV
Relax and dive right in to the Little Bahamas of the East, as Summersville Lake is known. For an exciting day on the lake, stop by Sarge's Dive Shop in Summersville, West Virginia and rent a…
Relax and dive right in to the Little Bahamas of the East, as Summersville Lake is known. For an…
The 10 Best Hiking Trails in West Virginia!
Long Point Trail, Summersville, WV
Part of the New River Trail, Long Point Trail is considered an easy hike for most people. Hikers will pass Summersville Lake, a man-made reservoir and the largest in the state. Totally 3.5 miles,…
Part of the New River Trail, Long Point Trail is considered an easy hike for most people. Hikers…
The 7 Best Lunch Spots in West Virginia!
Maloney's Pub, Summersville, WV
Locally owned and operated, Maloney's Pub in Summersville, West Virginia, is a great little local spot where you can sit back, relax, and enjoy lunch in a casual atmosphere. Don't let the…
Locally owned and operated, Maloney's Pub in Summersville, West Virginia, is a great little…
The 8 Best Spots for Wings in West Virginia!
Open for lunch and dinner, Maloney's Pub in Summersville, West Virginia, has the look and feel of a small hometown eatery. If you want some of the best chicken around, cast your vote for…
Open for lunch and dinner, Maloney's Pub in Summersville, West Virginia, has the look and…
Kirkwood Winery, Summersville, WV
Black Satin Blackberry, Moonglow Pear, and Wild Elderberry wine, the state's only produced bourbon, and 90-proof moonshine are just some of the libations that can be sampled at Kirkwood Winery in…
Black Satin Blackberry, Moonglow Pear, and Wild Elderberry wine, the state's only produced bourbon,…
The 8 Best Wedding Destinations in West Virginia!
Mountain Lake Campgrounds and Cabins, Summersville, WV
Imagine the memories you'll make standing at Serenity Point on Mountain Lake, taking your wedding vows with the one you love and surrounded by family and friends as the sun sets in the…
Imagine the memories you'll make standing at Serenity Point on Mountain Lake, taking your…
The 9 Best Spots for French Fries in West Virginia!
Maloney's Sports Pub & Grill, Summersville, WV
Love old-fashioned French fries, but want to try something different? Go to Maloney's Sports Pub & Grill in Summersville, West Virginia, and order the Sriracha cheese fries. These crunchy…
Love old-fashioned French fries, but want to try something different? Go to Maloney's Sports…
The 7 Best Breakfast Places in West Virginia!
Hilltop Diner, Cowen, WV
Great food, friendly service, and free Wi-Fi make this out-of-the-way eatery a welcome for hungry diners. Hilltop Diner in Cowen, West Virginia, is located near the Tea Creek Trail, part of the…
Great food, friendly service, and free Wi-Fi make this out-of-the-way eatery a welcome for hungry…
Best Things In & Around Calvin, WV
Featured in The 9 Best First Date Locations in West Virginia!
The backdrop for romance in this beautiful part of the Mountain State is Summersville Lake, a 2,700-acre man-made reservoir and the biggest lake in the state. Situated on the Gauley River, there is a… Read More
Featured in The 8 Best Boat Tours in West Virginia!
Relax and dive right in to the Little Bahamas of the East, as Summersville Lake is known. For an exciting day on the lake, stop by Sarge's Dive Shop in Summersville, West Virginia and rent a… Read More
Featured in The 10 Best Hiking Trails in West Virginia!
Part of the New River Trail, Long Point Trail is considered an easy hike for most people. Hikers will pass Summersville Lake, a man-made reservoir and the largest in the state. Totally 3.5 miles,… Read More
Park Center Sporting Goods, Rainelle, WV
Helpful and friendly are the words used to describe the staff at Park Center Sporting Goods in Rainelle, West Virginia. The experience and prices at Park Center bring people far and wide for the… Read More
The New River is one of the five oldest rivers in the world, and the overlook of this bridge - which stands about 876 feet over the water -- offers some pretty spectacular views. No wonder the bridge… Read More
Flatwoods Factory Outlet Stores, Sutton, WV
Featured in The 7 Best Shopping Malls and Outlets in West Virginia!
Considered West Virginia's only true outlet by some, Flatwoods Factory Outlet in Sutton offers trusted brand names up to 70 percent off and huge savings from the original retail price.… Read More
Hawk's Nest State Park, Ansted, WV
Located in the southwestern part of the state in Ansted, Hawk's Nest was used as a Native American trail and was also home to ospreys and a variety of hawks until the completion of the… Read More
Featured in The 7 Best Lunch Spots in West Virginia!
Locally owned and operated, Maloney's Pub in Summersville, West Virginia, is a great little local spot where you can sit back, relax, and enjoy lunch in a casual atmosphere. Don't let the… Read More
Featured in The 8 Best Spots for Wings in West Virginia!
Open for lunch and dinner, Maloney's Pub in Summersville, West Virginia, has the look and feel of a small hometown eatery. If you want some of the best chicken around, cast your vote for… Read More
Find it Fast Near Calvin
West Virginia State Wildlife Center
Route 20 S, Rock Cave, WV
History:- In 1923, the Game and Fish Commission purchased property in Upshur County and created the French Creek Game Farm. As its name implies, s... Read More
Mountain Lake Campground and Cabins
1898 Airport Road, Summersville, WV
About:- My husband and I, along with our two children started operating this campground in February of 2005. We had wanted a business to operate a... Read More
Ivy And Stone Council For The Arts
1 Old Wilderness Road, Summersville, WV
Ivy and Stone is a volunteer organization located in Summersville (Nicholas County) West Virginia. Our purpose is to present literary, visual and p... Read More
Summersville Lake
Long Point Area, Summersville, WV
Superb water quality and sheer sandstone cliffs make Summersville Lake a unique place to visit. West Virginia's largest lake; Summersville Lake h... Read More
Cherry River Festival
, Richwood, WV
This year we are "Celebrating Richwood's Blossoming Into The Future." Please come and join us in our celebration. Read More
Landmark Studio For The Arts
402 Main Street, Sutton, WV
OUR MISSION IS...to assure Braxton County and central West Virginia youth the opportunity to pursue arts beyond high school as an avocation or voca... Read More
Mountain Lakes Festival
, Sutton, WV
Rainelle Skatepark
201 Kanawha Avenue, Rainelle, WV
New River Gorge Adventure Center
1 Ames Heights Road, Lansing, WV
About:- Southern West Virginia and the New River Gorge are goldmines of opportunity for the adventurous traveler with a wide variety of attractions... Read More
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Camden on Gauley, WV
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Dille, WV
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text:
Home Technology Space
Exoplanets: Tantalising search for life beyond the solar system
Here is a backgrounder on the search for far-away planets that could support some form of life – though not necessarily as we now understand it.
in Space, Technology
This handout illustration obtained courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech shows the K2-33, one of the youngest exoplanets detected to date. It makes a complete orbit around its star in about five days. AFP Photo, Source NASA/JPL-Caltech
This year's Nobel Prize for Physics honoured Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz, Swiss astronomers who proved the existence of a planet orbiting a star far beyond the Earth's solar system.
Their find set off a series of so-called exoplanet discoveries, often with features that are nothing like the nine planets circling our sun.
What is an exoplanet?
Any planet outside our solar system is considered an exoplanet.
Although their existence had long been theorised in both research labs and in popular culture – think Star Wars – until 1995 no one had been able to prove one existed.
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By setting their telescopic sights on the Sun-like star 51 Pegasi, part of the Pegasus constellation, Mayor and Queloz found it was wobbling – the light it emitted was blue as it moved toward them and red as it moved away.
That proved something was circling the star, even though they couldn't see it directly, being some 50 light years from Earth.
Nonetheless they could confirm the planet was gaseous and as big as Jupiter, yet very close to its star – it had a four-day orbit – and very hot, confounding theories on what types of celestial bodies would revolve where.
"We thought other systems would be similar to our own," Ulf Danielsson of the Nobel Committee for Physics said in presenting the award Tuesday. "We were wrong."
How many are out there?
Today there are 4 057 confirmed exoplanets, according to the NASA Exoplanet Archive, and at least as many likely candidates.
The vast majority are far bigger than those of our solar system: there are more than a thousand so-called ice giants, around 1 000 gas giants, and "super Earths" with masses many times higher than the rock we call home.
There are only around 350 smaller terrestrial planets with Earth-like mass, and of those only a handful in a "temperate" zone that would allow for the presence of liquid water – the key ingredient for life as we know it.
But these are just the planets scientists have detected: several studies have estimated that there could be a trillion exoplanets in our galaxy alone.
Ultimately, there could be as many exoplanets in the universe as there are stars.
How to find them?
There are several ways to find planets that cannot be directly observed, often because the light from their suns is so bright, relatively speaking, that it blocks out smaller objects nearby.
Wobble watching
This involves looking for changes in the colour spectrum emitted by a star due to the gravitational pull of one or more invisible planets.
If these patterns are regular and cyclical, corresponding to a tiny wobble in the star, chances are they are caused by a planet. Nearly 18 percent of exoplanets have been found this way.
Shadow searching
When a planet passes directly between its star and an observer – an astronomer peering through a telescope, or a satellite in space – it dims the star's light by a tiny but measurable amount.
This "transit" method has been the most successful so far – NASA's Kepler spacecraft used it to find thousands of candidate planets from 2009 to 2013, and around 80 percent of all exoplanets have been found this way.
More recently, NASA's TESS satellite was launched in 2018, able to analyse much brighter stars for smaller planets, and the European CHEOPS satellite, which aims to better analyse known exoplanets, is set for launch in the coming weeks.
Picture producing
Snapping a picture of an exoplanet in front of its star is akin to trying to photograph a microscopic speck of dust on a glowing lightbulb.
But by removing the blinding glare of the star, astronomers can capture an image, a method called direct imaging. Only just more than one percent of distant planets have been detected this way.
Beam bending
In this technique, light from a distant star is bent and focused by gravity as an orbiting planet passes between the star and Earth.
Called gravitational micro-lensing, the gravity of the planet and star focus light rays of the distant planet on an observer in the same way that a magnifying glass focuses the sun's light onto a tiny, bright spot. Only a handful of exoplanets have been found using this method.
Which conditions might support life?
Of the exoplanets found to date, only a handful are in a "temperate" zone in relation to their star: not so hot that water evaporates, not so cold that it freezes solid.
Life on Earth is also unimaginable without an atmosphere, containing in our case the oxygen organisms need to survive. An atmosphere also protects animal species in particular from damaging high-energy radiation from a star's ultraviolet and X-rays.
But without a definitive understanding as to how life emerged on Earth, it is possible that living creatures elsewhere in the universe could survive and thrive in gases, chemicals or temperatures that would be lethal for us.
Scientists are now evaluating potential chemical combinations that might indicate alien life – which might be nothing like we know it.
Tags: ckzvxjNASAspace exploration


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text:
package com.javarush.test.level24.lesson14.big01;

/**
 * Базовый класс для всех объектов игры.
 */
public abstract class BaseObject
{
    //координаты
    protected double x;
    protected double y;
    //радиус объекта
    protected double radius;

    protected BaseObject(double x, double y, double radius)
    {
        this.x = x;
        this.y = y;
        this.radius = radius;
    }

    public double getX()
    {
        return x;
    }

    public void setX(double x)
    {
        this.x = x;
    }

    public double getY()
    {
        return y;
    }

    public void setY(double y)
    {
        this.y = y;
    }

    public double getRadius()
    {
        return radius;
    }

    public void setRadius(double radius)
    {
        this.radius = radius;
    }

    /**
     * Метод рисует свой объект на "канвасе".
     */
    public abstract void draw(Canvas canvas);

    /**
     * Двигаем себя на один ход.
     */
    public abstract void move();

    /**
     * Проверяем - не выходит ли (x,y) за границы.
     */
    public void checkBorders(double minx, double maxx, double miny, double maxy)
    {
        if (x < minx) x = minx;
        if (x > maxx) x = maxx;
        if (y < miny) y = miny;
        if (y > maxy) y = maxy;
    }

    /**
     * Проверяем - пересекаются ли переданный(o) и наш(this) объекты.
     */
    public boolean isIntersec(BaseObject o)
    {
        double dx = x - o.x;
        double dy = y - o.y;
        double destination = Math.sqrt(dx * dx + dy * dy);
        double destination2 = Math.max(radius, o.radius);
        return destination <= destination2;
    }
}


text:
Schools are finally reopening, but is it enough?
The reopening of schools is no doubt a step forward that needs to be carried out with caution and adequate risk mitigation, but is also one that can no longer be delayed as we learn to live with the virus and adjust to a new normal.
On Sept 12, the Minister of Education announced the School Operationalization Plan which includes the plan for phased school reopening beginning October 3.
Reopening steps are linked to the phases of the National Recovery Plan.
This announcement is a welcome end to Malaysia's prolonged nationwide school closure.
School closures for 48 weeks in Malaysia have had a devastating impact on children as they have lost the opportunities for cognitive, social and physical development during this formative period of their lives.
For more vulnerable children, schools also provide food subsidies and in some cases, refuge from an abusive or dysfunctional home.
After this prolonged interruption to our children's education, reopening schools is urgent and cannot be delayed any further.
While the plan is a step in the right direction, we believe its implementation needs to be greatly accelerated.
As it stands, many of the more meaningful steps towards reopening are only scheduled to occur in Phase 3 and 4 states, when in fact they can and should be brought forward and implemented on a case-by-case basis for states in Phase 2. Two examples of this are the reopening of preschools (Phase 3) and the reopening of primary schools (Phase 4).
We also call for decentralized decision-making for the phases of school reopening. Instead of blanket decisions on reopening at the state level, some degree of decentralization in decision-making is necessary since community transmission within states can differ widely.
Decisions on school reopening should be made by individual schools and their parent communities in consultation with the district health and education officials.
Schools which are prepared with SOPs, whose teachers and staff have been vaccinated and where community vaccination rates are high should be given permission to reopen immediately.
Other schools which should be given special consideration for immediate reopening include smaller schools (e.g. Sekolah Kurang Murid) and very isolated or remote schools.
While the measure of limiting capacity via the rotational model proposed is a temporary solution, there is an urgent need for a longer term plan.
It is clear by now that remote learning cannot adequately replace in-person interactions, especially for younger children. Furthermore, a large proportion of children in Malaysia still do not have access to a device or a stable Internet connection.
As such, there must be an immediate allocation of funds towards making sure that our schools can safely accommodate the return of all children in physical terms.
Some of the longer term investments might include hiring more teachers, expanding classroom capacity to reduce density, improving ventilation and investing in creative outdoor classroom solutions.
In the same way that budgets can be moved to build hospitals and quarantine centers, and roll out vaccinations, adequate funds need to be allocated to reopening our schools as quickly and safely as possible.
A longer term solution must also include a comprehensive recovery plan to address learning losses caused by prolonged school closures.
If we truly believe that our children's education matters, reopening our schools as safely and as quickly as possible should be the ministry's top priority.
Signatures (in alphabetical order):
1. Joanna Menon Lim, Co-Founder, Buka Sekolah Kami!
2. Dr JoAnn Rajah, Consultant Pediatrician
3. Katyana Azman, Consultant Child Psychologist
4. Dr Khor Swee Kheng, Independent Health Policies Specialist
5. Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE)
6. Dr Rakhee Yadav, Consultant Pediatrician
7. Professor Dr Sanjay Rampal, Public Health Specialist
BN fined RM10k for SOP violation at KL launch
Pay no heed to what politicians say, Khairy
Ministry urged to provide allocations to purchase test kits for students
Philippines 'learning crisis' as kids face second year of remote schooling
100-day KPI for Ministry of Higher Education
Cinema reopening: good ventilation essential, say experts


"Saddened by the suffering of Rohingiya people, which has been added to the suffering of so many other human being during the last few weeks, we, Buddhist and Muslim Leaders, associated with the Elijah Interfaith Institute, as well as leaders of other faith traditions, invoke the timeless aspiration of humankind for compassion and love, and yearning for guidance, succor, and help from supra-human realms so powerfully captured in the two prayers below—one from Buddhist sources and the second from the opening chapter of the Quran. We wish to recall this common teaching and high moral and spiritual yearning of the human soul at this point in time, especially in view of the suffering of the Rohingiya Muslims who are being persecuted and are suffering due to policies of a Buddhist majority state."
nor despise any person whatsoever in any place.
In the name of God -- the infinitely Compassionate and Merciful. Praise belongs to God, the Lord and Sustainer of all worlds, the Loving Nurturer, the All-Compassionate, the Possessor of the Day of Judgment. You alone we serve, and You we beseech: guide us along the path of uprightness, the path of those whom You bless, not the way of those who are overshadowed by anger, nor the path of those who wander without direction.
May whatever political and group-identity needs that may need to be upheld never compromise the virtues of compassion, love and respect for the other; ... "
Click here to read the rest of the prayer.


text:
Book Review: Drug Wars by Neil Woods and JS Rafaeli
by Stephen Bentley | Aug 5, 2018 | Book Reviews | 0 comments
This review is the unedited original review I submitted to Amazon UK. Three edits later, the "review police" at Amazon UK approved a version they deemed suitable. Next thing is Amazon will try to control our thoughts!
If you would like to see the edited version click here.
Drug Wars: The terrifying inside story of Britain's drug trade by Neil Woods
Before I start my review, here is a disclosure: I was given a free hardback copy of this book by the authors and publisher, Ebury Press, in a gesture of gratitude for me agreeing to be interviewed by the authors regarding 'Operation Julie.' They had read my memoirUndercover: Operation Julie – The Inside Story' However, the following review is an honest, freely given opinion.
Overall, 'Drug Wars' is a good well-written book full of cogent arguments why the 'war on drugs' has failed in the UK. I'm in the same camp. There is a drastic need for Parliament to fully debate the status quo. As the authors say, "there must be a better way." I said the same thing in my memoir, adding that the so called 'war' had failed.
This book starts off with a hook: "An observation van is running surveillance on a high-level Bradford gangster. Suddenly the van is surrounded by men in balaclavas and tied shut. Out comes the can of petrol. It is set alight and the two cops inside barely escape with their lives. This incident is never reported. The gangsters clearly have informants inside the police and alerting the public would undermine the force. Everyone shrugs it off – with so much money in the drugs game, corruption is part and parcel of the whole deal."
That is the same hook used in the book description. It's dramatic and intended to be so, but it's misleading. It's misleading because the author Neil Woods knows as well as I do that incident may have happened because the "obs van" was rumbled. It may have had nothing to do with police corruption whatsoever. "High-level gangsters or drug dealers are not stupid. They can smell out such vehicles and often do. It's a method used in the book on a few occasions and it wasn't necessary.
It wasn't necessary because Woods himself experienced gross police corruption and details it in the book. That's the way it should be done not by innuendo or by way of rumour. Yes, the book does that too: "it was reported that a D.C. "was riding around in a seventy-thousand-pound BMW." Reported by whom? Where? When? Please show your source, Messrs. Woods and Rafaeli.
I'm not an apologist for Police corruption and I have never denied it exists. It has existed in small pockets for many years. The chapter dealing with 'Frank Matthews' illustrates where most police corruption is located, and it has always been the case ever since I was a detective (from 1968 to 1980) – the Metropolitan Police. Yes, there have been instances of police corruption in the provinces, but they are the exception to the rule. I have spoken with 'Frank Matthews' and I believe he would agree with me on that point.
One of the reasons I highlight this corruption point is comments made by an earlier reviewer of this book who wrote, "Indeed, the details are so shocking that it's difficult to believe, for if they are even half true, UK policing is rotten to the core." He was referring to the 'Frank Mathews' disclosures. That reviewer is expressing an intelligent thought but there are others with a biased agenda who will use such revelations to tarnish the reputation of every single serving police officer in the UK. That isn't right and that is why I urge both Woods and Rafaeli to be more exact in their use of corruption allegations. They don't need to "over egg" the pudding. It's a technique I learned in my barrister days that followed my detective days – you have made the point, now move on to the next before you annoy the witness (and the judge and jury).
Having spoken to both authors at length as a source of material for the chapter about Operation Julie, I feel confident they will take on board those points.
Before I move on to the Operation Julie chapter (I do know something about that topic), let me say how much I enjoyed reading this book. Enjoyable but at the same time depressing. The heroin problem we were warned about in 1978 happened. And some! The chapters dealing with heroin were sad, and enlightening. The Widnes "experiment" versus Bootle is writing at its best and I applaud the authors for this valuable contribution to the debate. On another personal note, I found it interesting to read about the "crack explosion that never happened." At that time, I had a busy practice as defence counsel with many of my clients Brixton residents. Many were crack addicts and I thought that was normal all over the country. The authors corrected my thinking on that point.
The book deals with the drug issues by decade. Often the drug scene was tied into music. The result is that the book, in addition to the drug issues, reads like a social/cultural history of Britain over several decades. It makes for interesting reading.
The authors righty point out and criticize the media in the way it has peddled fake drug-related stories over the years. If there is to be a change in attitudes to the failed 'war on drugs' policies and legislation, this is as good as any place to start. The media must be way more accurate in its reporting on drug matters. Only then will the "man on the Clapham omnibus" begin to see the cogency of the arguments for scrapping the present system in favour of a return to the "British System."
I was disappointed to note there was no analysis of the Portuguese decriminalization system. I posited in my own book when writing about the 'war on drugs' that maybe the UK should think of adopting the Portuguese system. A system whereby the user is not criminalized but dealt with through the healthcare system. I did wonder in my book what effect that had on trafficking in that country. I wondered because I could find no research on that point. I was hoping Messrs. Woods and Rafaeli would fill in that gap.
Finally, Operation Julie. Overall, I found that chapter was well-covered and fairly represented my interview with the authors of this book. They mention the operation has been possibly over-hyped. I don't think so, but I am biased. It was unique in that it was a de facto national drug squad comprising of 25 detectives drawn from 11 police forces over England and Wales. It lasted about 2 years. It involved many, many hours of covert surveillance both static and moving (foot and vehicles), it successfully uncovered two (not one) LSD laboratories supplying most of the world's LSD, there were undercovers in Wales and Wiltshire, there were 800 police officers involved in the busts all over the UK and France. There was no police corruption.
I agree it was not the 'war on drugs.' It was the BBC that said that not me. It was not a war of any kind. I disagree that all of those convicted were idealistic hippies. That is untrue. Kemp and Bott had Swiss bank accounts as did Henry Todd. Kemp and Solomon threatened to kill the original informant, Gerry Thomas, so giving the lie to the oft-repeated "they were all pacifists." Kemp argued about money with Ronald Stark in Paris. Solomon and Stark were shady, sinister men with connections to even shadier people in the US Brotherhood of Eternal Love. The British LSD distribution network utilized drop boxes, secret codes and money couriers. This was no "airy-fairy" hippie outfit. They were sophisticated drug dealers.
The book fairly represented my interactions with Smiles. That relationship is the key to my memoir. However, I do wish the authors of this book had not repeated what Smiles told them about Princess Margaret and Roddy Llewellyn. I did my best to dispel that rumour in my own book. It simply is not true. More to the point, Smiles says it was Doug Flanagan who told him, and Flanagan told the police to reduce his sentence during the Operation Julie sentencing exercise. All that is nonsense. I interviewed Flanagan. He never mentioned either of those two people to me or any other police officer. Flanagan received 2 years' imprisonment as opposed to Smiles' 8 years because as the judge rightly said, "he (Flanagan) was at the lowest rung of the huge distribution network."
"Never ruin a good story with the facts." – Unknown
As for the reviewer who dismisses Operation Julie with "… Operation Julie – a comical exercise in persecuting harmless hippies, which would be funny if it hadn't ruined lives…"
Many of the users may have been harmless hippies. No one was persecuted. The manufacturers and distributors were properly prosecuted and convicted after a brilliantly conceived and executed police operation lasting nearly two years. Those convicted respected the detectives involved for their dedication and professionalism, as did many of the detectives respect them as individuals. Ruined lives? No one forced a brilliant chemist, Richard Kemp, to produce what was probably the world's finest acid.
The point is there should never have been an Operation Julie, never have been a "war on drugs." Fine detectives such as those involved in Operation Julie would have been far better deployed fighting "real crime" with victims.
Please remember when reading this book, the authors are not experts. However, the book is an essential, and cogent argument against the UK's failed 'war on drugs,' the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, and a return to the 'British System.'


The circus is in town...me like Clowns!
It's all going off right about now (as I write this) at Albert Park Lake for Melbourne's Fosters Australian Grand Prix, and we here at Buttonhole are very much engrossed by all the glitz, glamour, flashing lights and shinny things.
I will be there this weekend getting behind our Aussie Mark Webber as he attempts to drive his Williams Cosworth F1 car to victory or into the wall - Either one.
Now for all you like minded Formula 1 fanatics out there or even just soft core fans, I have come across a spectacular video highlights package that was shown at the official FIA F1 season 2005 awards. It is the real deal and it is awesome.
2005 was a stellar year, and we are set for another as this time we can see the Old Master (Schumacher) fight the youngsters (Alonso & Raikonen) in an even fight, when clearly they have the pace to fight him for the title.
All Aussies please be sure to sign the petition to get F1 qualifying coverage shown on Channel 10. The new format is very entertaining and would be a welcome addition to the already excellent F1 coverage Channel 10 provide.
Disclaimer: Buttonhole.com.au is in no way affiliated or involved with the content viewable on the above link.