text:
/**
* histogram plotting using d3
* Isaak Y Tecle <iyt2@cornell.edu>
*
*/

var solGS = solGS || function solGS () {};

solGS.histogram =  {

    cleanData: function (traitValues) {
        traitValues = traitValues.sort();
        traitValues = traitValues.filter( function(val) {

        return !(val === ""
             || typeof val == "undefined"
             || val === null
             || isNaN(val) == true
            );
        });

        return traitValues;
    },

    countMissingData: function (traitValues) {
       var cnt = 0;
       traitValues.forEach( function(val) {

        if (val === ""
             || typeof val == "undefined"
             || val === null
             || isNaN(val) == true
            ) {
                cnt++;
            }
        });

        return cnt;
    },

    extractValues: function (traitData) {

        var traitValues = traitData.map( function (d) {
            return  parseFloat(d[1]);
        });

        return traitValues;
    },

    getUnique: function (inputArray) {

	var outputArray = [];
	for (var i = 0; i < inputArray.length; i++) {
	    if ((jQuery.inArray(inputArray[i], outputArray)) == -1) {
		outputArray.push(inputArray[i]);
	    }
	}

	return outputArray;
    },

    checkDataVariation: function (traitData) {
        var traitValues = this.extractValues(traitData);
        traitValues = this.cleanData(traitValues);
        var obsCnt = traitValues.length;

        var uniqValues = this.getUnique(traitValues);
        var uniqCnt = uniqValues.length;

        return {
            'obs_count': obsCnt,
            'uniq_count': uniqCnt,
            'uniqValue': uniqValues[0]
        };
    },

    createBinElementsTable: function () {

        var table = '
'
          + '
'
          +  '
'
          +  'Bin elements	'
          +  'Values	'
          +  '
'
          + '
'
          + '
';

        return table;
    },

    binElemsTableSelector: function(canvas, plotId) {

        plotId = this.formatPlotDivId(plotId);
        return `${canvas} ${plotId} .bin_elements_table`;
    },

    formatPlotDivId: function(plotId) {

        plotId = String(plotId);
        if (plotId.match(/\./)) {
            plotId = plotId.replace(/\./g, '-');
        }

        return plotId;
    },

    appendBinElemsTable: function(canvas, plotId) {

        var binElemsTableDiv = this.binElemsTableSelector(canvas, plotId);

        if (!jQuery(binElemsTableDiv).length) {
            plotId = this.formatPlotDivId(plotId);
            var plotDivId = plotId.replace('#', '');
            var plotDiv = `<div id=${plotDivId}></div>`;
            jQuery(canvas).append(plotDiv).show();

            var table = this.createBinElementsTable();
            jQuery(plotId).append(table);
        }
    },

    displayBinElements: function(binValues, namedValues, canvas, plotId) {

       var binElems = [];
       var binMin = d3.min(binValues);
       var binMax = d3.max(binValues);

       namedValues.forEach(function(el, idx) {
          var ek = el[1];
          if ( ek >= binMin && ek <= binMax) {
              binElems.push(el);
          }
       });

        var table = this.binElemsTableSelector(canvas, plotId);
        jQuery(table).show();

        if (jQuery.fn.DataTable.isDataTable(table) ) {
             jQuery(table).DataTable().destroy();
        }

       table = jQuery(table).DataTable({
        'searching' : false,
        'ordering'  : false,
        'processing': true,
        'paging'    : false,
        'info'      : false,
        });

        table.clear().draw();
        table.rows.add(binElems).draw();
    },

//  call plotHistogram with an object with the ff str.
    // histo = {'canvas': 'div element to draw the plot',
    // 'plot_id': 'plot div element',
    // 'x_label': 'label for x axis',
    // 'y_label': 'label for y axis',
    // 'bar_color': 'optional color for bars,
    // 'alt_bar_color': 'optional color for bars for on mouseover',
   // 'values': optional array of values
    // 'namedValues' : an array of arrray of named values}, necessary if you want view bin
        //elements on mouseover;
    //
    plotHistogram: function (histo) {

    	var canvas = histo.canvas || 'histogram_canvas';
    	var plotId = histo.plot_id || 'histogram_plot';
    	var values = histo.values;
        var namedValues = histo.namedValues;

        var barClr = histo.bar_color || '#9A2EFE';
        var altBarClr = histo.alt_bar_color ||  '#C07CFE';
        var caption = histo.caption;

        if (canvas.match(/#/) == null) {canvas = '#' + canvas;}
        if (plotId.match(/#/) == null) {plotId = '#' + plotId;}

        if (!values || !values[0]) {
            values = this.extractValues(namedValues);
        }

        values = this.cleanData(values);

    	var height = 300;
    	var width  = 500;
    	var pad    = {left:20, top:50, right:50, bottom: 50};
    	var totalH = height + pad.top + pad.bottom;
    	var totalW = width + pad.left + pad.right;

    	uniqueValues = this.getUnique(values);

    	var binNum;

    	if ( uniqueValues.length > 9) {
    	    binNum = 10;
    	} else {
    	    binNum = uniqueValues.length;
    	}

    	var xRange;
    	var xMin;
    	var xMax;

    	if (binNum == 1) {
    	    xRange = values[0];
    	    xMin   = 0;
    	    xMax   = d3.max(values);
    	} else {
    	    xRange = d3.max(values) -  d3.min(values);
    	    xMin   = d3.min(values);
    	    xMax   = d3.max(values);
    	}

    	var histogram = d3.layout.histogram()
                .bins(binNum)
            (values);

    	var xAxisScale = d3.scale.linear()
                .domain([xMin, xMax])
                .range([0, width]);

    	var yAxisScale = d3.scale.linear()
                .domain([0, d3.max(histogram, ( function (d) {return d.y;}) )])
                .range([0, height]);

       var tVals = d3.range(xMin, xMax, xRange / binNum);
        tVals.push(xMax)
    	var xAxis = d3.svg.axis()
                .scale(xAxisScale)
                .orient("bottom")
                .tickValues(tVals);

    	var yAxisLabel = d3.scale.linear()
                .domain([0, d3.max(histogram, ( function (d) {return d.y;}) )])
                .range([height, 0]);

    	var yAxis = d3.svg.axis()
                .scale(yAxisLabel)
                .orient("left");

        var xLabel = histo.x_label || 'Values';
    	var yLabel = histo.y_label || 'Frequency';

    	var svg = d3.select(canvas)
                .append("svg")
                .attr("height", totalH)
                .attr("width", totalW);

    	var histogramPlot = svg.append("g")
                .attr("id", plotId)
                .attr("transform", "translate(" +  pad.left + "," + pad.top + ")");

    	var bar = histogramPlot.selectAll(".bar")
                .data(histogram)
                .enter()
                .append("g")
                .attr("class", "bar")
                .attr("transform", function(d) {
    		return "translate(" + xAxisScale(d.x)
                        + "," + height - yAxisScale(d.y) + ")";
                });

        var binElemsTableDiv= this.binElemsTableSelector(canvas, plotId);

    	bar.append("rect")
                .attr("x", function(d) { return 2*pad.left + xAxisScale(d.x); } )
                .attr("y", function(d) {return height - yAxisScale(d.y); })
                .attr("width", function(d) {return width / binNum; })
                .attr("height", function(d) { return yAxisScale(d.y); })
                .style("fill", barClr)
    	        .style('stroke', "#ffffff")
                .on("mouseover", function(d) {
                    d3.select(this).style("fill", altBarClr);
                })
                .on("mouseout", function() {
                    jQuery(binElemsTableDiv).hide();
                    d3.select(this).style("fill", barClr);
                });;

    	bar.append("text")
                .text(function(d) { return d.y; })
                .attr("y", function(d) {return height - (yAxisScale(d.y) + 10); } )
                .attr("x",  function(d) { return 2*pad.left + xAxisScale(d.x) + 0.05*width; } )
                .attr("dy", ".6em")
                .attr("text-anchor", "end")
                .attr("font-family", "sans-serif")
                .attr("font-size", "12px")
                .attr("fill", barClr)
                .attr("class", "histoLabel");

    	histogramPlot.append("g")
                .attr("class", "x axis")
                .attr("transform", "translate(" + (2*pad.left) + "," + height +")")
                .call(xAxis)
                .selectAll("text")
                .attr("y", 0)
                .attr("x", 10)
                .attr("dy", ".1em")
                .attr("transform", "rotate(90)")
                .attr("fill", barClr)
                .style({"text-anchor":"start", "fill": barClr});

    	histogramPlot.append("g")
                .attr("class", "y axis")
                .attr("transform", "translate(" + 2* pad.left +  "," + 0 + ")")
                .call(yAxis)
                .selectAll("text")
                .attr("y", 0)
                .attr("x", -10)
                .attr("fill", barClr)
                .style("fill", barClr);

    	histogramPlot.append("g")
                .attr("transform", "translate(" + (totalW * 0.5) + "," + (height + pad.bottom) + ")")
                .append("text")
                .text(xLabel)
                .attr("fill", barClr)
                .style("fill", barClr);

    	histogramPlot.append("g")
                .attr("transform", "translate(" + 0 + "," + ( totalH*0.5) + ")")
                .append("text")
                .text(yLabel)
                .attr("fill", barClr)
                .style("fill", barClr)
                .attr("transform", "rotate(-90)");

        this.appendBinElemsTable(canvas, plotId);

        bar.on("mouseover", function(d) {
            solGS.histogram.displayBinElements(d, namedValues, canvas, plotId);
        });

        if (caption) {
            jQuery(canvas).append('
' + caption);
        }
    },

}
//////

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Vocabulary word of the day: "Overcollection"
"In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defense of the indefensible."
George Orwell "Politics and the English Language," 1946
Two months ago General Clapper sat before his bosses at the Senate Intelligence Committee to answer questions. They were engaging in a ritual called robust oversight. The ritual has a number of significant acts. First, the generals representing the intelligence community hold their hands in the air and promise not to lie, invoking the Almighty God. Then the representatives of the people ask questions that they think they know the answers to. The General then gives an answer which any of us would call a lie. The Senators then pretend to believe him.
General Clapper, when asked directly if data had been collected on millions of Americans said no. Normal people call this lying. Normal senators send people to prison for it. The Senate Intelligence Committee is not made up of normal senators. It is made up of senators chosen for their loyalty to the intelligence community. This permits the mutual stimulation of egos that takes place. The senators pretend the General is a lawful hero. The General pretends that the senators are in the know, when in reality they only know what he tells them and he only has to lie on rare occasions. The public gets to pretend, if we so choose, that we live in an America that is not post-constitutional.
The way this lying to Congress happens, and is not what non-sociopaths call a crime, is by the re-definition of words. In this case "collection," as in collection of our personal data, means "reading information about a target." If the target is overseas, the acts of reading, storing, analyzing and repackaging information are not collection if the information is not about the target.
Clapper has since admitted that when a senator says collection, and when he thinks collection, two different things are meant. Clapper calls what he said "The least untruthful answer." This is a man who has now admitted his crimes in public. He retains his freedom, his job, his salary, his honors and most importantly his power to keep on collecting.
This week we get to add a new term to our vocabulary: "Overcollection." The secret rules about data collection allow data to be collected not only on its way to and from a target, but also about a target. Thus, if I were to talk to a dissident in Syria about the civil war there, the government could have given itself the right to read my email -- all of it -- in case my hypothetical Syrian source, who has good reason to desire anonymity, is a terrorist. Further, it can scan all available internet traffic for mentions of me. It can store that traffic in case it is needed later. This is not called "collection" if they don't use it.
According to an article by Charles Savage in the New York Times today, this "information-about" collection leads to something called inadvertent "overcollection." Savage's article cites unnamed officials. What is not clear from the article is what is meant by word collection in the word overcollection. Does that mean over-reading? Does that mean over-storing? Over-analyzing? Or does it mean over-targeting?
The un-prosecuted leak to Savage had companion revelations. Reuters revealed in an exclusive this week that the DEA had its own vast data-mining department. This department, the Special Operations Division, or SOD, collected emails, phone records and other data for use investigations of drug crime. It brought together personnel from the DEA, CIA, NSA, IRS, DHS and other agencies.
The information in this separate massive database was then used to initiate arrests by other means. A technique called "parallel construction" is then used to conceal the existence of the SOD. Thus a wiretap in some other investigation leads the SOD to conclude that drugs or money will be in a certain car at a certain time. A convenient police stop is arranged with some excuse for probable cause. The DEA is then called in and investigation commences as normal. The defendant, his or her lawyers, the prosecutor and the judge never know about the wiretap or even about the very existence of the SOD.
A defendant in such a case never has the opportunity to question or challenge the legality of the wiretap. Probable cause never actually existed because the traffic stop never would have happened. Evidence is concealed from prosecutors, and thus defense attorneys, thus violating the constitutional right of a person to confront and challenge evidence and witness in a trial. Wiretap information could have been garnered, for instance, from conversations between an attorney and their client and then used against a third party. In such a case not even the DEA agent assigned to fake the traffic stop would know.
This systematic process is a matter of policy. The federal agents that do it are under orders to do so. Normal people call this suborning perjury. When normal people suborn perjury it is a crime. The Reuters revelations claim that the DEA amasses its own records of phone calls, emails, texts and other data without input from the NSA. Since it is SOD policy to conceal the existence of the SOD, could NSA data be added to the DEA database without the knowledge of Reuter's sources? Did any of the data come to the DEA as a result of overcollection?
The IRS Criminal Enforcement Division also benefited from the DEA's SOD. According to Reuters "A 350-word entry in the Internal Revenue Manual instructed agents of the U.S. tax agency to omit any reference to tips supplied by the DEA's Special Operations Division, especially from affidavits, court proceedings or investigative files." The entry was published and posted online in 2005 and 2006, and was removed in early 2007.
Again the policy is clear. Do it. Don't write about it. Omit it from court testimony. Purge it from the "truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth." This is a policy, written in a manual. Thus the IRS suborns perjury as a matter of policy. An entire agency has been operating outside the law and routinely lying to the courts for a minimum of eight years.
By the time the data that the IRS is lying to the courts about reaches that point, it has been potentially over-collected by the NSA, had its source concealed once by the DEA and then been lied about by the IRS. That's three lies per affidavit about the source of the information. Should that affidavit lead to a wiretap, that information in turn enters the data base and the cycle begins again leading to imprisonment, fines and civil forfeitures that feed the endeavor. Engineers call this a "self-licking ice cream cone." Normal people call it a criminal racket.
During the time that these illegal programs of wiretapping, data-mining, perjury and civil forfeiture were being revealed, President Obama appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno to talk to the nation. The outright lies ensued. "We don't have a domestic spying program," he assured us.
Obama did not lie to the press when he made that claim on Leno. He might have been confused by what is considered to be press after spending so much time amongst the toothless denizens of the beltway interior and mistaken comedian Jay Leno for an actual journalist and an appearance on a comedy-variety show with an actual press interview. Perhaps the definition has changed, and along collection not meaning read, comedian now means journalist, and constitution means bathroom tissue, last viewed by the President in Leno's green room.
http://freepress.org/article/vocabulary-word-day-%25E2%2580%259Covercollection%2...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The bridges' construction is managed by TxDot with the city of Fort Worth as the local partner. They're part of the larger Panther Island project, a flood control effort that will re-channel the river and create an 800-acre island ripe for redevelopment. The project carries a total cost of $1.16 billion with more than $65 million going to the bridges.
The White Settlement Road bridge, furthest along in construction, should be ready for traffic by late summer 2020, Cedillo said. North Main Street will be done in February 2021 and Henderson Road will follow in the spring of 2021, he said.
It's not the first time the bridge construction has been delayed.
The design focuses the aesthetics on the area below the bridge deck — where the riverwalk would be — leaving the top of the structures for automobile use. TxDot offered to build the three bridges just like Fort Worth's West Seventh Street bridge, which features bold, lighted arches. The transportation department pledged to do all the design and construction in-house, get the work done by 2016, but Panther Island partners, including TxDot and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, determined the design wouldn't work with the bypass channel because it relied on too many piers in the water.
In the beginning, bridge construction was delayed several years from at potential 2018 completion date partially because TxDot inspectors wanted to take a closer look at the design of the piers to ensure they would support the bridges' weight, the Star-Telegram reported.
When design cleared, construction began moving at a brisker pace and was once on schedule for a 2020 completion date. But the unique construction of each pier presented further problems.
Construction crews can't just use the same molds or copy the same design to save time, Cedillo said. Instead, each of the 20 piers is constructed separately, and if issues arise, such as pieces that don't fit together properly, the engineer is brought in to make adjustments to the design before construction can move forward.
"If this was a bridge we call 'off the shelf' we could just duplicate it and it'd go a lot faster," Cedillo said.
As construction continues, officials will continue to work with businesses impacted by closed roads, said Scott Cooner, a program manager tasked with communicating with affected businesses.
Two electric signs on White Settlement Road alert traffic about road closures and remind drivers that businesses, like Angelo's Barbecue on White Settlement, are still open. Way-finding signs like those may be repositioned to better alert drivers to detours, he said.
As part of the grander Panther Island, the Army Corps will cut a bypass channel under the bridges, creating Panther Island in the Trinity River. Congress approved nearly $530 million for the project in 2016 but federal dollars haven't been allocated in the last two fiscal years. About $62 million in federal funding has been allocated, with about $9 million left to continue Army Corps projects. Panther Island needs $26 million by 2020 to stay on track; about $322 million in local money has been spent since the project's inception more than 10 years ago.
TxDot officials have said building the bridges over dry land before the channel is dug saves both time and money. The federal portion of the project — digging the channel — cannot be done until the bridges are complete.
In the meantime, the Trinity River Vision Authority, an arm of the Tarrant Regional Water District overseeing the project, has put out requests for proposals from consulting firms to independently review Panther Island's management, budget and construction, among other things. A firm should be selected by March 7 with the review done by June 19. No cost has been set for the review.


Our Animation Degree course at Swansea College of Art UWTSD has been helping students to find career paths in animation for over 15 years. Students learn the art of animation, to bring life to characters, to create stories and visuals. Graduates have key industry positions in many Oscar-winning teams, with credits on the films INTERSTELLAR, JUNGLE BOOK, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA, PROMETHEUS, NARNIA, KUBO, BOXTROLLS, and many more.
We encourage strong conceptual design, pre-production and 2D/3D design. Classes will incorporate a wide variety of animation methods, from 2D classical to 2D digital; from storyboarding effects and sets to considering how to employ character animation and/or capture emotion. Across the course of study, we will help to direct your portfolio better and to create the best showreel of work when you graduate.
(Within the MArts degree you have the opportunity to go beyond the conventional three years of the BA degree; to upgrade to an integrated Masters qualification. The 4 year MArts provides a top-up year - an extended level of study - that is more concentrated upon planning and preparing for a career beyond graduation. Making a decision to do the MArts animation is a commitment that allows for an extended period of creativity and freedom to explore the type of artist-animator-designer you want to be in life. You graduate as a Master of Arts in Computer Animation).
The course has a strong brand identity and continues to attract potential students that want to study and develop 2D and 3D imagery and computer animation through the use of characters, scenes, environments and/or any culmination of these.
The School holds its own long-running animation conference – SAND – where students can gain insights and career guides, to meet and talk with some of the world's leading animators, production companies, games publishers, tv and film luminaries and more.
The openness and range of work/ approach in the classes is often seen as an attractive quality for applicants as students direct their interests to a particular field of 3D and computer animation by the final year.
The course and modules have been specifically designed to provide its graduates with the technical skills and creative abilities relevant to those wishing to work in the 3D, animation and creative industries. Staff in the School have animation, games and film credits and continue to work as practitioners, as well as academics, devising their own designs, 3D work and animations.
The course gives students an understanding of the many production roles in the animation process, taking a multi-skilled approach, together with providing opportunities to specialise.
When you enrol you will be doing conceptual design, modelling and animating on this course. The degree encourages the use of solid artistic and conceptual methods via traditional/ digital drawing techniques. However, as you progress each year, the degree opens out into areas of storytelling and art direction, within visual effects shots and compositing and new technologies (e.g. motion capture/VR). The opportunities for finding your niche with us are varied and will offer a lot of avenues in animation and the creative arts.
The Computer Animation degree here at Swansea is one of the most established in the UK. Since 2003 our graduates have gained key industry experience with world-leading production companies, VFX studios and in games studios, commercials, in tv and many other entertainment fields.
There have been a been a plethora of animation styles and visuals over the years with some final year projects that have been narrative or story-dependant, others that have been purely shot-driven or effects based, often purely 3D-based (i.e. only 3D components) and/or integrating 3D with live action or vice versa. If you want to learn more on how to bring your 2D animation and/or 3D illusions to life, to see them in action on a digital stage, then develop your models and visuals and animations with us. Previous software experience and artistic skills are an advantage – but not essential.
To begin students are introduced to the core skills, theories and techniques, working on a range of group and individual projects, whilst developing their understanding of professional working practices. Via traditional and digital techniques the students will learn the foundations and principles of how to animate, plan/design shots and sequences, produce effective pre-production, animatics and pre-visualisations.
We start with an introduction to a variety of computer/digital animation terms, methods and principles in design, modelling and animation. Subjects in musculoskeletal systems and anatomy provide support in posing and animating models and characters. Students take the preliminary steps in the analysis of motion, computer animation and production methods.
Classes are covered to cater for the art direction and narrative directives in short animated film production. Students will select a form of production to explore further - from the worlds of character & story, visual effects and more.
The compulsory 'Character and Creature Animation' module advances the animation covered in Level 4, raising the quality of visuals and motions directed towards developing better character animation. All students will do this module and also an Entrepreneurship module, that relates to animated film and the digital creative industries.
In the immersive environment of Level 5 students will have opportunities to learn a wider use of methods and how such techniques can be applied to their own study via Creative Practice and Contextual Studies content.
In the third year, students create Major Project work for a portfolio/reel, often informed by relevant festival and industry/ funding opportunities. Throughout the three years of the BA course, theoretical work underpins and invigorates students' practical work, giving a deeper cultural and critical context, challenging preconceptions and providing inspiration. The final year culminates in the production of a major piece of technically innovative 3D computer animation, whether story/narrative in nature, effects-based or derived from their own innovation/reflection. As individuals, they develop their ideas from initial conceptual design to final renders, simulation and sequencing.
This 4th year can provide the final stage in the process with students encouraged to work directly with industry or to form industry facing groups.
Tutorials are held on a regular basis, across all levels, within class or via separate sessions. Work is often discussed to help with the practical and conceptual development, future directions of the student etc. Other tutorials are provided for an opportunity for any issues/concerns and to see staff as regularly as you may require.
These provide an excellent opportunity for students to share and exchange ideas with their peers in a structured manner in addition to valuable input from staff.
Animation is really all about communicating ideas and story plans and shots. Students gain confidence in talking about their work to their peers and staff and it usually forms an integral part of the assessment at the end of each project. Students are given enough practice in pitching and presenting ahead of the more formal presentation(s) that are part of their final year assessment(s) and Degree Show.
A lot of the final year work from animation is exhibited via screenings. Other work use rooms/venues to showcase the process and to highlight the student's own production methods (e.g. storyboards, concept art, animation layout work, mood boards, etc.).
Students that successfully complete the degree will have a lot of strong transferable design, character, modelling and animation skills to help them on their chosen career path(s). We're keen to provide support across a lot of disciplines and to use the software as the tool for creating work with the maximum appeal; to harness what the hardware/software can do – but, importantly – to become the best artists/animators/designers; to use cameras, shots and lights in the right way, to tell their own animated tales.
Graduates have gone on to work in Oscar-winning teams and on the feature films INTERSTELLAR, CAPTAIN AMERICA, JUNGLE BOOK, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, FANTASTIC BEASTS, HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA, THOR, SKYFALL, PROMETHEUS, CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, MAN OF STEEL, IRON MAN 2, KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS, BOXTROLLS, WORLD WAR Z, and many, many more.
"I really liked the practical work during lectures and there is always a diversity of examples and freedom to try out things. It's good to observe real-life movement and I like the animation classes; creating characters and story narratives is key to gaining the understanding of animation industry working methods"
"I went from knowing next to absolutely nothing about 3D Computer animation to feeling quite accomplished in the field. The course let me try my hand at a huge variation of skills such as photography and life drawing, as well as the 3D side of modelling and animating. It is a very interesting and stimulating course and I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it for the past three years."
"Had an awesome experience taking part in some Da Vinci's Demons projects such as set work and motion capture animation - I feel like I learnt a lot during this time and gained an extremely valuable experience."
"The (SAND) event has been fantastic, especially for people like me who haven't had the chance to speak to people who are in the industry. It's something that can be really daunting but SAND has given me more confidence. It's really motivating to know what standard I need to achieve to get to where I want to go. They couldn't have got a better group of people to come and speak to us. There was someone from every profession. It was a real treat to listen to!"


Is Helge the right man for Leon?
Personally, I think it would be a mistake to hire Travis.
Danielle and Gerard had a romantic dinner to celebrate the first anniversary of their being together.
Claude stared out the window.
Caroline has been teaching me how to play the guitar.
Raul is too young to understand.
Theo told me to stay out of his way.
Harv doesn't want to go alone.
What was your relationship with Sonja?
Ramadoss wanted to find some stability for himself.
Marie knew Spike would arrive late.
These pictures were taken by Gary.
I think Jong would like to hear about this.
Elliot took a beer out of the fridge and handed it to Niels.
My girlfriend's name is Betsy.
Helge is the main character.
Find Rolf before he hurts someone.
Vinod doesn't like to lose.
Those says he can't understand how Narendra manages to make so much money working only one day a week.
Don't let Malaclypse follow me.


The Government has pledged almost £13m to save suffering high streets as it is this morning expected to accept the "vast majority" of recommendations made by the Portas Review.
The response comes after self-styled retail guru Mary Portas put forward 28 recommendations to Government in December. She was commissioned last year to help improve failing high streets following the effects of the difficult economy, low consumer confidence and shoppers buying online.
Housing minister Grant Shapps, who was allocated a town centre remit last year, said £12.8m of additional support from the Government - referred to as Portas Plus - will be invested to help turn around high streets to ensure they are "the beating heart of their community once again".
Government will kickstart a High Street Innovation Fund with a £10m pot of money and will encourage local councils and landlords to help raise a further £30m of cash to help reverse vacancy rates on the high street and support new business start-ups.
Local authorities that deliver the most creative and effective schemes to revitalise their high streets will take a share of a £1m Future High Street X-Fund.
A £500,000 fund has also been put in place to invest in Business Improvement Districts.
Government will reveal its full response later this morning, when more details are expected.
Shapps revealed he has committed to helping councils revoke unnecessary bylaws that hinder new markets and businesses and he will also consult on abolishing centrally-set minimum parking charges, enabling councils to lower parking charges.
Shapps said: "Mary Portas's review made crystal clear the stark challenge our high streets face. With Internet shopping and out-of-town centres here to stay, they must offer something new if they are to entice visitors back.
"Her report has provided the catalyst for change that many towns have been craving.
Other plans include drawing more visitors to town centres with a National Markets Day and a National Markets Fortnight, while a second round of Portas Pilots will also launch, offering councils a share of a £1.2m pot to put their ideas in place, after the "massive interest" the current competition has sparked.
Today is the deadline for local authorities to submit bids to become a Portas Pilot in the first round.
Shapps added that he wants hundreds of Town Teams - made up of key community figures - across the UK to ensure their high streets offer more than just retailers, pushing more entertainment venues and leisure facilities alongside housing and local public services.
The Government also hopes to encourage local shops to stay open later, stimulating a "vibrant evening economy", to pull shoppers on to the high street after work rather than relying on online shopping.
Fashion retail space is predicted to reduce by 4,000 stores in the UK by 2015, according to research by Conlumino.
Mary Portas is to front a new show on Channel 4 covering the progress of the Government's town centre improvement pilot schemes.
High streets across the UK are in need of dramatic reforms to business rates and tax systems if they are to survive, a government inquiry has found.