The South African government is concerned by the rand's plunge to its lowest this year and will step up a "defence mechanism", Finance Minister Nhlanhla Nene said, but he fell short of calling the currency's dip a crisis. The rand dropped to 13.2875 against the dollar on Friday, its weakest since Dec. 18, Thomson Reuters data showed, as the country's economy and slowed and global investors shied away from riskier assets. "Call it very challenging times. It then depends when you begin to call it a crisis," Nene told the Sunday Times. "But these are very challenging times, and it's for this reason that we can't be complacent about it. We actually just need to step up our defence mechanism." He did not say what measures South Africa could take.
South Africa's rand suffered last week when data showed the economy shrank by 2.2 percent in the first quarter of 2018, with the most significant falls in agriculture, manufacturing and mining . At the same time, risk appetite among investors has eroded on speculation Europe's massive monetary stimulus is nearing an end, compounded by uncertainty over trade relations before a meeting of G7 leaders. The rand had rallied when Cyril Ramaphosa seemed set to be elected leader of the ruling African National Congress in December. His election as state President in February, days after Jacob Zuma was forced out as leader by the ruling party, gave the currency even further momentum.Ramaphosa pledged to clean up governance, deal with high unemployment and improve basic services, igniting a wave of optimism. But the recent poor economic data has eroded some of the enthusiasm in Africa's most industrialised economy.
U.S. President Donald Trump fired off a volley of tweets on Monday venting anger on NATO allies, the European Union and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in the wake of a divisive G7 meeting over the weekend. Having left the Group of Seven summit in Canada early, Trump's announcement that he was backing out of the joint communique torpedoed what appeared to be a fragile consensus on the trade dispute between Washington and its top allies. "Fair trade is now to be called fool trade if it is not reciprocal," said Trump, who flew from Canada to Singapore for a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un."Sorry, we cannot let our friends, or enemies, take advantage of us on trade anymore. We must put the American worker first!"
The communique, which had appeared to have papered over the cracks that surfaced so uncharacteristically at the G7, said the leaders of the United States, Canada, Britain, France, Italy, Germany and Japan were agreed on the need for "free, fair, and mutually beneficial trade" and the importance of fighting protectionism. "We strive to reduce tariff barriers, non-tariff barriers and subsidies," the statement said, which came despite Washington appearing intent on taking more punitive steps on trade. It is unclear if Trump's focus on getting tough with trade partners, and solving the North Korean nuclear issue will have some influence on voters in the mid-term congressional elections in November.
"Not fair to the people of America! $800 billion trade deficit," he said. "Why should I, as president of the United State, allow countries to continue to make massive trade surpluses, as they have for decades, while our farmers, workers & taxpayers have such a big and unfair price to pay? "The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on why Trump had focused his tweets on Canada and the EU over trade disputes and on NATO partners over defense costs and not on his talks with Kim set for Tuesday.
Asked whether allies had any reason to worry about Trump's commitment to any deal he reaches with North Korea following his abrupt withdrawal from the G7 communique, one U.S. official appeared to brush aside the notion, saying other countries have got used to how the president operates internationally.


text:
package aima.core.search.adversarial;

import java.util.List;

/**
 * Artificial Intelligence A Modern Approach (3rd Edition): page 165.

 *

 * A game can be formally defined as a kind of search problem with the following
 * elements:

 *

 *
S0: The initial state, which specifies how the game is set up at the
 * start.

 *
PLAYER(s): Defines which player has the move in a state.

 *
ACTIONS(s): Returns the set of legal moves in a state.

 *
RESULT(s, a): The transition model, which defines the result of a move.

 *
TERMINAL-TEST(s): A terminal test, which is true when the game is over
 * and false TERMINAL STATES otherwise. States where the game has ended are
 * called terminal states.

 *
UTILITY(s, p): A utility function (also called an objective function or
 * payoff function), defines the final numeric value for a game that ends in
 * terminal state s for a player p. In chess, the outcome is a win, loss, or
 * draw, with values +1, 0, or 1/2 . Some games have a wider variety of possible
 * outcomes; the payoffs in backgammon range from 0 to +192. A zero-sum game is
 * (confusingly) defined as one where the total payoff to all players is the
 * same for every instance of the game. Chess is zero-sum because every game has
 * payoff of either 0 + 1, 1 + 0 or 1/2 + 1/2 . "Constant-sum" would have been a
 * better term, but zero-sum is traditional and makes sense if you imagine each
 * player is charged an entry fee of 1/2.

 *

 *
 * @param <S>  Type which is used for states in the game.
 * @param  Type which is used for actions in the game.
 * @param
 Type which is used for players in the game.
 * @author Ruediger Lunde
 */
public interface Game<S, A, P> {

    S getInitialState();

    P[] getPlayers();

    P getPlayer(S state);

    List getActions(S state);

    S getResult(S state, A action);

    boolean isTerminal(S state);

    double getUtility(S state, P player);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Rebates For Electric Vehicle Charging Are Part Of A $110 Million Plan Approved By Colorado Regulators
By Dan Boyce
A charging station for electric-powered cars outside Denver's City and County Building, May 20, 2020.
The Colorado Public Utilities Commission on Wednesday approved a $110 million dollar proposal from Xcel Energy to increase the state's electric vehicle infrastructure. The move aligns with a state goal to put nearly a million EVs on Colorado's roads by 2030 as part of an overall effort to mitigate the effects of climate change.
"Xcel filed a plan to accelerate Colorado's transition to vehicle electrification," Colorado Energy Office Director Will Toor said in a press release. "With today's decision, the PUC tapped the accelerator. The decision clearly keeps Colorado moving forward toward vehicle electrification by providing important investment in EV infrastructure."
More on electric cars and trucks in Colorado
How A Colorado Startup Could Change The Game For Electric Cars
It's Too Soon To Say If Colorado Will Follow California And Ban New Gas Car Sales (But They Might Not Have To)
Colorado Signs Multi-State Agreement To Boost Electric Truck, Bus And Big Rig Market
In its approval the commission asked Xcel to put an emphasis on programs to benefit low income individuals and communities impacted by vehicle pollution. That includes rebates for low income Coloradans to buy electric cars and for the installation of home-based charging stations.
"We would expect that anyone who is considering installing a charger at their home will be able to use a $500 rebate that was approved within this plan to help support their costs for wiring and the charger itself in their home," said Xcel Environmental Policy Director Jack Ihle.
The utility said the new $110 million program will cost ratepayers an average of 55 additional cents per month, though Xcel anticipates the program could begin to pay for itself within the first year. Critics have suggested the extra cost could hurt low income families already struggling in the recession brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Xcel, Colorado's largest electric utility, has labeled a lack of charging infrastructure as a key barrier to widespread adoption of EVs. The new investment approved by state regulators also provides support for electrifying vehicle fleets, such as school buses.
Xcel had to submit the plan after a bipartisan 2019 state law that posited, "Widespread adoption of electric vehicles is necessary to diversify the transportation fuel mix, improve national security, and protect air quality." The law mandated utilities help the state meet its vehicle electrification goals.
CPR News' Ryan Warner contributed reporting to this story.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


to grow our group we should give reasons why to join us!
In the moment we have the two platforms: Sho's fine web page and this forum. Additional you can find parts at Shapeways and Thingiverse.
Sho's page is a static advertisement page under the control of Sho - I like that to attract people in general to join us!
The forum is a chaotic chance to give all members free mind a way to grow.
What do you think? Should we start a Wiki to store all this or should we use a closed forum part where only we can place stuff?


Bellevue, Wash. – (January 23, 2018) – Overlake Medical Center announced today the opening of its Overlake Medical Clinics (OMC) Urgent Care - Sammamish clinic, complementing OMC's Sammamish primary care clinic, which opened in November 2017. As Overlake's fifth urgent care clinic, skilled providers will treat patients on a walk-in basis for conditions needing immediate attention, such as influenza, orthopedic injuries, burns and allergic reactions, in a location convenient to east King County residents. Offering after-hours services with no appointment necessary, the urgent care clinic will be open Monday through Saturday, from noon – 10 p.m.
The urgent and primary care clinics are centrally located adjacent to Metropolitan Market. Urgent care services available will enhance the comprehensive primary care practice, which includes pre-and post-natal care led by Paige Kasai, M.D., and Jessica McHugh, M.D.
For more information, please contact Hilary Benson at 425.631.6611.


text:
Mark Thompson misses court appearance; court issues warrant
SaltWire Network | Posted: July 16, 2013, midnight | Updated: Sept. 30, 2017, 4:47 a.m. | 1 Min Read
CORNER BROOK A Corner Brook man with numerous charges before the court missed a scheduled appearance in provincial court in Corner Brook on Tuesday.
The charges on the day's docket against 20-year-old Mark Thompson included one count of possessing a controlled drug or substance for the purpose of trafficking and one count of failure to comply with a probation order.
With Thompson's absence, Federal Crown attorney Andrew May requested that an warrant for his arrest be issued.
When the court took a break, staff in the registry office informed May that Thompson had contacted the office to inform them that he had slept in and was on the way. Thompson later turned himself in to sherriff's officers.
His matter was recalled later in the morning and May informed Judge Wayne Gorman that he was content to release Thompson on an undertaking that had only been put in place last Thursday.
Thompson was arrested last Wednesday for his alleged involvement in the spray painting of a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer's private vehicles in Pasadena last July.
He is scheduled to appear in provincial court on Oct. 1 on that matter and May asked to have the two charges called Tuesday set to that day too.


Live in a unique luxurious complex "Grove at Grand Bay". This twisting dancing glass tower with private elevator has 3 bedrooms+ den and 4.5 bathrooms. All apartment has bay views. Amazing balcony with 600 SF with electric grill and refrigerator. Gourmet kitchen with Quartz counter tops and Miele appliances including wine cooler, espresso maker and gas stove. Amenities include rooftop pool, butler and pet services.


text:
Iraqi government blocks social media
The government in Iraq is reportedly blocking access to social media sites amid growing armed conflict in the country.
The move comes after Islamist insurgents used Twitter to post an image of a beheaded man, and to spread propaganda messages, reports the BBC.
Authorities in Turkey imposed a similar ban in the run up to election in March to clamp down on anti-government content.
Psiphon, a system that enables users to bypass internet censorship, reported more than 550,000 users on Sunday compared with just 8,000 before the blocks were imposed in Iraq.
Civil liberties groups have criticised the block, arguing that just like Turkey, the government blocks harm those using social media for legitimate purposes.
"They are cutting off a lifeline for activists and other to the outside world," said Jillian York, director for international freedom of expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
A Facebook spokesperson said: "Limiting access to internet services – essential for communication and commerce for millions of people – is a matter of concern for the global community."
Iraqis were used to internet controls during Saddam Hussein's presidency, but have had open access to the internet in the interim.
This is an example that "any" government can control things when they want to.
Start now to make sure you are staying prepared.
Via: computerweekly
« Microsoft admits running out of IP addresses for Azure
AT&T Blames Vendor for Customer Data Breach »


text:
Lahdenmäki is a Finnish surname that may refer to:

Jarkko Lahdenmäki (born 1991), Finnish football player
Nathalie Lahdenmäki (born 1975), Finnish ceramic artist and designer

References

Finnish-language surnames

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


DQV should be able to meet these requirements.
Do we also need statistics on distributions? This requirement is suggested by the comment submitted by Daniel Pop . Of course it also depends on how we resolve the matter of 'information equivalence' of different distributions.
I think we shouldn't prevent this - as done for other information. The question is how to put this option in the spec.
I'm a bit reluctant to explicitly add properties in class definitions where we don't have real-world use cases and/or implementation evidence. So, this could be included in the "guidance" part of the spec.
About "information equivalence", (again) -1 to it. This ends up to be a matter of the "granularity" of the notion of dataset, which is mainly a data provider choice (possibly also based on the requirements of the intended users).
@dr-shorthair I am not quite sure how you derive a requirement for statistics on datasets? If there is a need for it, maybe we could refer to DQV or Data Cube?
In my mind, Daniel's point (1) could be resolved by modelling the real-time data stream as a dcat:DataService and modelling the CSVs as separate datasets.
The statistic that Daniel mentioned is the frequency or spacing of members in a time series, where various distributions might have fixed spacing that is different (usually coarser) than what is available from the underlying dataset. I was on the point of creating an explicit issue for this aspect alone, but since this is an aspect of dataset statistics I thought it would be best to open the discussion here first.
@makxdekkers I did not derive a new requirement for dataset statistics - this was one of the original requirements taken from UCR.
If I understand correctly, the concept @dr-shorthair is looking for is named temporalResolution in ISO19115-1, and is important for evaluating datasets that have temporal coverage. There is a corresponding spatialResolution property that is equally important if you're evaluating spatial data.
For spatial / temporal resolution, see UC15, which describes the general context and provides the relevant references.
These topics were discussed by the SDW WG, and then with the DWBP WG (in particular, with @aisaac and @riccardoAlbertoni ), which led to a proposal on how to specify it by using DQV.
The proposal is included as an example (focussing on spatial resolution only) in DQV, §6.13 (Express dataset precision and accuracy), which was in turn re-used into SDW's Best Practice 14 (Describe the positional accuracy of spatial data).
We should therefore re-use and consolidate that approach.
About consolidation, I summarised what I see as issues to be addressed in the context of the possible revisions to GeoDCAT-AP ( see SEMICeu/GeoDCAT-AP#3).
Basically, DQV models this information as observations / measurements of a given quality metric (which corresponds to a given type of resolution).
Those corresponding to the different types of resolution (denoting a quality metric).
Those corresponding to each of the different levels of resolution (denoting the measurement of a specific quality metric).
The question is in which space such individuals should be defined [...].
The definition of individuals in the second group is however more problematic, since the level of resolution and unit of measurement are arbitrary (1:1000, 1:100, 1m, 1km, 100m, 10 decimal degrees, etc.).
Define only the individuals corresponding to the types of spatial / temporal resolution, whereas the individuals expressing the actual resolution will be defined at the data level. This solution is not optimal, since it will result in multiple definitions of the same individuals.
Define individuals only for some levels of resolution and units of measurements - e.g., the most common ones. This solution may address the majority of (but not all) the cases.
Set up a URI space supporting arbitrary levels of resolution and units of measurements. This register will dynamically generate the corresponding individuals based on information included in their URI.
I agree that DQV is competent to satisfy the requirement, as shown in the examples.
However, I'm not sure it is optimal for meeting it in the DCAT context.
For example, the examples and the summary above present multiple kinds of 'spatial resolution', which may be important for sophisticated users.
But pushing the basic case into this structure, and then depending on a subsidiary vocabulary for labels like 'SpatialResolutionAsDistance', adds two additional layers for concepts that are widely relevant and can be easily explained (and also note the dependency on SDMX as well ...).
Access to a single summary statistic for each would help a lot in the initial discovery phase.
Interoperability is almost always helped by limiting the options.
@dr-shorthair It would indeed be good if there was a simple way to expose resolutions. There is in any case a need to express both value and unit, so for spatial resolution the range would be (something like) schema:Distance, and for temporal resolution (something like) schema:Duration.
Unfortunately, DCMI only has a class dct:SizeOrDuration, but not separate classes for Size and Duration. Should we define classes dcat:Distance and dcat:Duration?
@dr-shorthair , I also agree that we need to address first the simplest use cases - and actually the reasoning in SEMICeu/GeoDCAT-AP#3 was along those lines (the first example was about the two typical ways of expressing spatial resolution: distance and equivalent scale).
One issue with dqv is that in some engineering situations, resolution and precision are different. Is there a problem with using schema:Distance as the value for SpatialResolutionAsDistance, and schema:Duration for TemporalResolutionAsDuration?
One issue with dqv is that in some engineering situations, resolution and precision are different.
Yes, the wording of the relevant section in DQV does not make this distinction, but the formal definition of the resolution in the examples does not bind the notion of resolution with the one of precision.
Is there a problem with using schema:Distance as the value for SpatialResolutionAsDistance, and schema:Duration for TemporalResolutionAsDuration?
Maybe schema:Duration can work, as it is using a standard syntax encoding, but schema:Distance uses a literal where value and a code for unit of measurement are separated by a space. Besides the problem of ensuring that codes for units of measurement are used consistently, this value is not machine-actionable. E.g., I won't be able to make a query to get the datasets using a spatial resolution with a distance less than 100 m.
Besides this, IMO, re-using Schema.org properties may lead to the issues mentioned in #85 (comment) (in that case in relation to schema:startDate and schema:endDate).
@andrea-perego yes this is a bit of a perma-issue. There are too many representations of 'measure' or 'quantity' already, but none have achieved universal acceptance. Furthermore, most come with a lot of baggage (or at least are just one tiny part of some huge vocabulary, the rest of which we have little interest in in this context. That is the problem with your original DQV proposal: it makes the simple case hard.
@dr-shorthair While I do like the approach to provide a 'simple' solution for 'simple' cases, I do feel a bit uneasy to replicate something that is already there, i.e. the more 'fundamental' solution in DQV. If we promote this 'simple' solution, 'simple' cases -- using the DCAT-specific solution -- are not going to be interoperable with more 'complex' cases using a DQV-based solution. One could argue that by promoting a DCAT-specific approach, we are discouraging people to use a DQV-based approach and thus only cater for 'simple' cases to be handled by DCAT.
Yeah. On the one hand, I'm usually one of the first to advocate strongly for re-use of existing solutions, particularly if they are from the W3C stable and have clearly been designed to integrate.
Of course, all of these spatial and temporal properties (including the classic DCT ones) have non-simple values, so just the complexity re-appears a layer down anyway.
However, I think the mappings to DQV can almost certainly be formally expressed using OWL Restrictions and property-chain-axioms (e.g. see mappings from DCT to PROV here: https://github.com/w3c/dxwg/blob/gh-pages/dcat/rdf/dcat-prov.ttl#L63 ) so I'm not sure the interoperability argument made by @makxdekkers is strictly true.
Following up from @makxdekkers 's and @smrgeoinfo 's comment on schema:Duration, cannot we make dcat:temporalResolution a datatype property, with range xsd:duration?
Unfortunately, the same cannot be done for spatial resolution.
Good point. Temporal resolution was the thing that triggered this discussion, and it is more mainstream - one dimension is so much easier than two or three.
I am not very convinced about the need to mint a new property for dcat:unitOfMeasure.
sdmx-attribute:unitMeasure is widely used, W3C recommendations such as RDF data cube use it, and I am concerned about introducing new patterns when there is one which is more or less well-accepted.
I see pros and cons in having both approaches : DQV/RDF DATA CUBE style and the DCAT properties.
If we go for defining new dcat properties, I guess that we should anyway explicitly refer to SDW best practice which reuses DQV/RDF DATA CUBE for the more general cases.
Mind you, xsd:duration is not an OWL built-in https://www.w3.org/TR/owl2-quick-reference/#Built-in_Datatypes . So I'm thinking perhaps to leave the range open, but recommend use of xsd:duration?
@riccardoAlbertoni I understand, but reluctant to introduce a new namespace (and a big one too!) in order to access just a single element. Your comment about W3C RDF Data Cube is correct, but unsurprising that it uses elements from SDMX since it was explicitly based on SDMX. I'd want to see use of sdmx-attribute:unitMeasure outside the data cube context to be convinced of the proposition that it is 'widely used'.
I did bring up the question of which existing vocabs we should have dependencies to in #111 but the discussion wandered off into PROV vs FOAF.
Once again I wonder about the reluctance "to introduce a new namespace (and a big one too!) in order to access just a single element." Can someone explain why a full namespace must be imported for the use of a single element? This appears to be a processing rather than a vocabulary issue, and I am reluctant to proliferate properties that have the same meaning when some are already available.
Thanks Karen - my concern is that we have our eyes open about the risks and benefits of re-using elements from other vocabularies, and the granularity of re-use. #111 is the place to have a general discussion of this topic.
Alternatively, we could just make it an owl:DatatypeProperty called dcat:spatialResolutionInMetres with a range xsd:decimal. I'm kinda leaning that direction given these other complications.
I wonder whether we could consider adding properties for spatial resolutions not expressed as distance, namely, as equivalent scale - which is the other one most common way for specifying spatial resolution.
I'm reluctant to provide a second option at this level. As soon as you have more than one alternative, you begin to lose interoperability. I understand that '1:50,000' etc is the cartographic tradition, and geographers routinely infer resolution from this ('what is the distance on the ground of the thickness of a pencil line on the map?'). But a length measure is more direct and less ambiguous, and also applies to gridded data.
While more detail and options can be given using the DQV structures shown above, I really think we should add only one option in the DCAT namespace.
@riccardoAlbertoni Your contributions in Chapter 8 show some patterns for use of DQV for quality information.
Are you aware of a 'standard' way to provide basic dataset statistics using DQV or any other RDF vocabulary? e.g. minimum/maximum(/average) values for specified dimensions? I'm not seeing anything obvious in DQV or QB :-( I guess it might be a dqv:Metric but I wonder if you could provide guidance on how this might look?
I was looking for the same thing and the relevant bit that I found is this DQV section on statistics that relies on an extension of VoID and thus too oriented to RDF datasets.
I am not aware of anything except the examples mentioned by @agbeltran for the statistics oriented to RDF datasets, perhaps @makxdekkers knows more ?!?.
Anyway, I guess there is more than one way to do it. For example, using RDF data cube you can define your own qb:DataStructureDefinition.
If you provide statistics as quality indicators you can think of using DQV qualityMeasurement, for example defining a new dqv:dimensioni for each pair of field and operator.
I would also prefer to have one solution that fits all use cases, but we should also recognise that this two ways of expressing spatial resolution (i.e., distance and equivalent scale) are not comparable or convertable. So, IMO, the use of two different properties is more than acceptable.
BTW, my request is based also on an explicit requirement from GeoDCAT-AP - which is defining mappings from ISO 19115:2003, where spatial resolution is expressed either as distance or equivalent scale.
One of the advantages is that it would be easier for people to reuse the main pattern dcat:spatialResolution / "specific property" in case they need to express this information in other ways (e.g., as per ISO 19115-1:2014, which includes also resolution as horizontal ground distance, vertical distance and angular distance).
@andrea-perego - do you see this issue as critical or can this be moved to the backlog?
Partially critical (for the reasons I explained) but it can be moved to the backlog, provided that it will be possible to come back to this after DCAT v1.1 is out and possibly address it in the v1.2 release.


text:
In a Time of Universal Deceit, Telling the Truth is Revolutionary.
Reader Rant
What convinced Obama to finally ask Congress for permission to do something?
Featured, More News & Opinion, News
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. (REUTERS/Mike Theiler)
After putting a decision to launch military strikes on Syria into the hands of Congress, President Barack Obama is doing what his critics have long accused him of failing to do: reaching out, personally and aggressively, to lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
While top lieutenants including Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State John Kerry lobby their former congressional colleagues, Obama is making individual calls himself to members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to press his case for action.
What Obama has not done since he made his announcement on Saturday is appeal to the public, which both Democrats and Republicans say will be crucial as polls show little enthusiasm for U.S. military action anywhere.
The stakes for the president are high – and the arguments being made in support of a 'yes' vote from Congress are making them even higher.
A vote against strikes to punish Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for alleged use of chemical weapons, officials argue, could undermine Obama's standing in the Middle East as his administration seeks to deter Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, broker peace between Israelis and Palestinians and stabilize a region already in turmoil.
"A rejection of this resolution would be catastrophic, not just for him but for the institution of the presidency and the credibility of the United States," Senator John McCain said after meeting with Obama at the White House on Monday.
Mindful of those stakes, the White House has employed a "flood the zone" strategy, according to an administration official, using an American football term for an offensive move where players flood an area of the field to overwhelm the opposing team's defenders.
The evidence of that strategy: an onslaught of briefings, calls and meetings with lawmakers from both political parties.
On Monday National Security adviser Susan Rice, Kerry, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and the top U.S. military officer, Martin Dempsey, held an unclassified briefing call for Democratic House members, and Obama met with McCain and fellow Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.
On Tuesday Obama will meet with the chairs of key national security committees in Congress and Kerry, Dempsey, and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will testify to the Senate foreign relations committee.
"In all calls and briefings, we will be making the same fundamental case: The failure to take action against Assad unravels the deterrent impact of the international norm against chemical weapons use," a senior administration official said.
"It risks emboldening Assad and his key allies – Hezbollah and Iran – who will see that there are no consequences for such a flagrant violation of an international norm. Anyone who is concerned about Iran and its efforts in the region should support this action," he said.
CONSULTATION, AFTER THE FACT
Obama has stepped up his interactions with lawmakers this year, holding dinners and building relationships that critics say he lacked.
But any goodwill he has obtained from that effort is limited, and one Republican aide noted on Monday that Obama had only come to Congress after already articulating a decision that strikes were necessary.
"They're certainly doing more, but it's after the fact. They already made a decision on what they want to do," a senior Senate Republican aide told Reuters.
Running parallel to the White House contacts with Congress are conversations that senior Democratic and Republican senators are holding in an attempt to get a resolution passed in the full Senate.
The aide said the Democratic chairmen of relevant Senate committees were consulting with the highest-ranking Republicans on those panels to try to work out language that could pass the Senate next week.
Passage in the Republican-controlled House remains much more problematic, with lawmakers expressing skepticism about U.S. involvement in another war as well as the effectiveness of the limited strikes that Obama has proposed.
(Additional reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Fred Barbash and Cynthia Osterman)
Copyright © 2013 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2013 Capitol Hill Blue
3 thoughts on "What convinced Obama to finally ask Congress for permission to do something?"
Carl Nemo **==
Regardless of the President's motivation for enlisting our 'dead butt' Congress to excercise it's Constitutional duty for the authorization to go to war, it's a breath of 'fresh air' for "We the People".
Now it's up to citizens to bend the collective ears of their Congressional District reps and Senators as to their druthers. I've done twice since this latest debacle has raised its ugly head in the Middle East.
Citizens need to remember it's their government. Simply sitting at home in silence in front of their HDTV's blaming their leadership for everything gone wrong is the root cause of many of our problems.
My call is not to surgically strike Assad due to the high risk of this nest of vipers lashing out at Israel and its citizens so too destabilizing the price of oil to the free world. We're already being ripped off at the pumps and don't need to give the shadowy players behind the scenes evermore bucks, euros or shekels in their already overstuffed pockets.
It would be best to do an airspace/sea blockade except for humanitarian aid which would include the blocking of Russian military ships to the Syria's port of Tartus and Latakia with the exception of the aforementioend aid. If the Ruskies act up then maybe it's time to jerk them up by the proverbial shorthairs and let them know we mean business, no different than the Cuban Missile crisis; I.E., on a grander scale of confrontation for which they will back down no differently than back then. Nuclear war is truly unthinkable, but I can assure Americans this night that neither Russia or China can prevail in a nuclear exchange and they know so and surely not risking such over Syria. We would be damaged mightily as so too Western Europe, but the world would finally be free of two major evil 'pests'. "We the People" shall prevail. Our tax dollars finally at work. : )
I'm providing a linkl to facilitate the contacting of one's Congressional reps.
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
Wayne K Dolik
As usual McCain the war profiter is wrong. A no on Syria would be a victory for checks and balances. We have had 3 unitary presidents which have usurped the rights of Congress for years. The institution of the Presidency sorely needs to be reined in by the U.S. Congress. A large recent poll on Drudge shows support for a Syria invasion at a 9% approval rating by the public.
It probably wasn't the Constitution, but whatever it was, it is a good thing. The whole point of not having a king in the first place is so one man can't just plunge a nation into war.
© 1994-2021 Capitol Hill Blue


text:
Q: Python 3 null terminated string to list? Python 3 really complicated the whole file reading process, when you have a binary file with some strings in it.
I can do string.decode('ascii') when I'm sure what I read is ascii text, but in my file I have strings with null ('\x00') terminated strings I must read an convert to list of strings.
How would be the new way to do it, without going byte-by-byte and checking if it's a null or not?
mylist = chunkFromFile.split('\x00')

TypeError: Type str doesn't support the buffer API

A: I'm guessing that chunkFromFile is a bytes object. Then you also need to provide a bytes argument to the .split() method:
mylist = chunkFromFile.split(b'\x00')

See:
>>> chunkFromFile = bytes((123,45,0,67,89))
>>> chunkFromFile
b'{-\x00CY'
>>> chunkFromFile.split(b'\x00')
[b'{-', b'CY']
>>> chunkFromFile.split('\x00')
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
TypeError: Type str doesn't support the buffer API

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: Git new orphan branch delete all history reduce size I tried to clean up an old project starting over, but now the .git folder keeps all history files that I don't need.
I explain everything I did:
I started working on an old repository.
After a few months I started over the project. So instead of creating a new repository, I created a new orphan branch and start making commits.
When I had the first version ready, I wanted to clean up old stuff just deleting the branches (develop/master) and renaming the new branch to the same branches (develop/master again)
Everything is fine, the code and git history only have the new code. But I see the .git folder is too big the only way is this big is because is keeping all history. (The project codebase size is only 15MB. And the .git folder size is 800MB).
How can I delete old objects. I see on the internet a lot of git commands related with prune and other names, but no one helped me.
I only want the objects related with my first commit of the starting over project.


ance Passion's Christmas zumba party is being held at Arnot St Marys(next to Tesco's in Walton) on Wednesday 14th December 2011. Come and celebrate with Dance Passion. The night will start with a Zumba class led by all 5 Dance Passion instructors followed by dancing, nibbles and drinks! Donations will be made to Zoe's Place. Festive dress is welcomed! This is going to be a great night. Get your tickets from your Dance Passion Instructo. Get your tickets today!


While press coverage on disinformation has focused on Russian interference in the U.S. elections, the problem of disinformation is global in scale. Disinformation poisons democratic discourse, often making it difficult for citizens to distinguish between truth and fiction, or between genuine and manufactured social media conversations.
The major offensive actions that have been mounted against [democracies] in the past decade have largely come through the militarization of information and the ability to do damage to us and our allies through technology.
The 2017 awardees are organizations leading the charge against this threat all around the world. Rappler in the Philippines, StopFake.org in Ukraine and Oxford Internet Institute's Project on Computational Propaganda in the United Kingdom were chosen because they work every day to protect the integrity of our information, to protect truth itself.
We are journalists and we will not be intimidated. We will shine the light. We will hold the line.


At Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) and Complutense University of Madrid, a study has been made by the researchers, they examined distant objects known as ETNOs "extreme trans Neptunian objects". These objects orbit the Sun at a distance greater than that of Neptune, and till now a total of 21 have been known. These distant objects, before being separate from each other and being start orbiting in their respective orbits, may have made up a dual asteroid in our solar system, by the mysterious Planet Nine millions of years ago.
This is the conclusion of the study, which conducted the first spectroscopic analyses of asteroids 2004VN112 and 2013 RF98 – a pair with nearly same orbits.
Research showed the evidences to support the existence of the hypothetical planet on the edge of our solar system, because asteroids may have a common origin, and recommend that they were produced by an encounter with a much more immense object.
Still, there is much more to know about these objects.
Related to the hypothetical Planet Nine, proposed in 2016, there are still some questions in our minds about its nature, but these queries would be easy to understand by the presence of one or more planets several times more massive than Earth orbiting the sun.
This study could prove as turning point to characterize ENTOs to confirm or disprove the existence of the elusive planet.
The researcher measured the object's magnitudes and recalculated the orbit of the 2013 RF98 using the OSIRIS spectrograph on the Gran Telescopio CANARIAS (GTC), in the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory.
Their orbits, they found, are nearly same, and the poles are divided by just a small angle, proving the presence of a massive body in the outer realm of our solar system.


The thin, ultra light city socks for every day comfort features reinforced Achilles instep areas, plus a frictionless toe seam, which prevents air bubbles.
Care: Wash in the washing machine. Low heat tumble dry, garment inside out. Detailed care instructions, please see label.


Montana is known for a few different things, including agriculture, ranching and its national parks (i.e. Yellowstone, Glacier Park). Gambling, however, is not one of the notable aspects about Big Sky Country.
Though gambling is not a notable point in Montana, they do seem to have a thriving charity gambling industry, with over 290 gaming venues spread throughout the state.
Unfortunately, this same acceptance does not extend to online gaming. In fact, Montana has harsh laws against internet gaming, which we'll discuss below.
As we'll cover below, Montana is one of the few American states that explicitly bans offshore gaming companies.
Technically, this means that potential operators should steer clear of Montana. But do they?
You'd be surprised at how many offshore casinos, sportsbooks and poker sites ignore the state's legislation. Below, you can see exactly what Montana's criminal code says about internet gaming along with the safety of playing there.
No, online gaming operators aren't supposed to offer their services in Montana.
"Internet gambling, by whatever name known, includes but is not limited to the conduct of any legal or illegal gambling enterprise through the use of communications technology that allows a person using money, paper checks, electronic checks, electronic transfers of money, credit cards, debit cards, or any other instrumentality to transmit to a computer information to assist in the placing of a bet or wager and corresponding information related to the display of the game, game outcomes, or other similar information."
Montana makes exceptions for state lottery retailers and licensed simulcast facilities to offer online wagering.
But it's pretty clear from the definition above that offshore operators (i.e. those outside the US) aren't supposed to offer gambling in the state.
Interestingly enough, most major gaming sites ignore section 23-5-112 (21)(a), and continue offering their services in Montana.
Are Daily Fantasy Sports Legal in Montana?
No, the Treasure State also bans daily fantasy sports (DFS) through section23-5-802.
"Fantasy sports leagues authorized. It is lawful to conduct or participate in a fantasy sports league, including a fantasy sports league that is operated under a pari-mutuel system of wagering regulated under Title 23, chapter 4. It is unlawful to wager on a fantasy sports league by telephone or by the internet."
State Rep. Forest Mandeville attempted to legalize DFS in 2005. But House bill 181 never garnered any serious attention, and was grounded in a committee hearing.
Unlike offshore gaming sites, leading DFS companies DraftKings and FanDuel stay out of Montana and other taboo markets to keep from jeopardizing their standings in legal markets.
Can I Get Arrested for Gambling Online in Montana?
This is a complex subject. Let's preface it by saying that Montana has never arrested anybody for gambling online.
Theoretically, they could pursue an online gambler under certain statues.
"All forms of gambling, lotteries and gift enterprises are prohibited unless authorized by acts of the legislature or by the people through initiative or referendum."
"[A] mechanical, electromechanical, or electronic device, machine, slot machine, instrument, apparatus, contrivance, scheme, or system used or intended for use in any gambling activity."
Based on these laws, Montana could create a case against an internet gambler. But we've yet to see any state use vague legal language to harass online gamers.
We can't 100% guarantee that you won't be arrested, but the odds of this happening to you or anybody else are extremely slim.
Should I Trust Offshore Gaming Sites?
This is another subject that doesn't have a concrete answer.
But in most cases, yes, you can trust offshore casinos and sports betting sites.
The majority of gaming sites are reputable businesses - otherwise, they wouldn't draw repeat business. Any site that doesn't fit into this category will quickly find themselves without a customer base.
Of course, you'll find a few bad apples that process withdrawals slowly and/or have terrible customer service. Also remember that you can't be totally confident in offshore sites since they don't have any government oversight.
The key is that you do proper research before depositing, which we'll cover next.
How do I Find the Best Offshore Casinos?
The more reviews you read on an offshore casino, the better you can compile a good opinion on them.
Are customers complaining about a certain issue over and over again?
Does a particular site have a deposit option you can use? Most Montana-friendly offshore sites at least have Bitcoin, which any player can access.
Everybody enjoys good game variety, and your casino should offer this.
Bonuses, promotions and loyalty rewards can improve your chances of winning. This is another aspect that any good offshore casino should offer you.
Many Montana-friendly casinos restrict specific states over laws and/or legal incidents. The Treasure State is normally accepted at most casinos, but keep in mind that it can also be on the restricted list due to its strict laws.
What does the future of gambling look like in Montana?
Montana is unique in that it's only one of four states that can legally offer sports betting.
Along with Delaware, Nevada, and Oregon, they're exempt from the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992, which bans sports wagering on a federal level.
If you're expecting to find Nevada-style sportsbooks in Montana - don't. The only sports betting products they offer include fantasy football and racing. Going further, you choose individual players and racecar drivers, much like a DFS game.
Pro sports leagues have fought vehemently trying to prevent sports wagering in fear of point-shaving scandals. Rather than risking lawsuits by trying to expand their betting activities (like Delaware and Oregon) Montana has kept their sports betting limited.
As mentioned earlier, Big Sky Country has a massive charity gambling industry. And they have a separate set of laws that govern these games.
Countless bars and restaurants around the state offer approved charity gaming, including bingo, casino nights, keno and raffles.
The charity gaming laws have been amended to include a number of card games. These include bridge, cribbage, hearts, pinochle, poker, rummy and whist.
Any organization that runs these games must give 100% of the proceeds to their state charity.
Montana doesn't allow commercial casinos, but they do have a few tribal casinos around the state.
The tribal casinos are approved to offer electronic games like blackjack, roulette and slot machines. The slots are under the Class II category, meaning their results are determined by virtual bingo drawings rather than a random number generator.
One reason to gamble at the tribal casinos over charity establishments is that they have higher limits. Smokers will also appreciate that these venues are exempt from the state's smoking ban.
The Treasure State features a very limited pari-mutuel industry with one active racetrack in Yellowstone Downs. This establishment only offers races in the summer.
Racing enthusiasts can also visit the simulcast facilities located around the state.
While Montana is one of 45 states with a lottery, they also have the lowest lottery revenue in the U.S. They make $60 million per year selling scratch-offs, Mega Millions, Powerball and state lottery tickets.
"The term does not include social card games of bridge, cribbage, hearts, pinochle, pitch, rummy, solo and whist played solely for prizes of minimal value."
This is similar to charity gaming, where nobody from a social gambling function can take a cut of the action.
If you're looking for major casino resorts, then Montana isn't the place. But, like I said earlier, the Treasure State is full of smaller charity establishments and a few tribal casinos.
We counted over 290 bar, lounges and restaurants that offer Class II charity gaming. Many businesses take advantage of legal charity gambling because it's a great way to attract patrons.
Considering that Montana spans 147,040 square miles, it's a good thing that residents have so many different gaming options.
For the sake of time, we won't list everyplace that you can gamble in Montana. But you can see a few venues below.
Because they have the most options and offer higher limits, the best places to gamble in Montana are the tribal casinos. Here's a list of 6 tribal casinos in the Treasure State.
Montana, like many other states, has been slow to embrace gaming.
In the late 1800s, they banned every type of gaming. It wasn't until 1939 that their legislature finally made some headway by allowing counties to offer some forms of gambling.
Things really heated up in the 1990s, when the state government negotiated casino pacts with three different tribes. This paved the way for casino gaming in the state.
Unfortunately, Montana became one of the few places to ban online gaming in 2005. But as we discussed before, the language only covers operators.
Montana's Constitution bans every form of gaming.
Voters reject legislation to allow casino gaming.
Montana Supreme Court rules that slot machines are legal.
Card Game, Bingo, Raffles and Sports Pool Act legalized.
State congress passes Video Poker Machine Act, which allows liquor venues to offer video poker and keno.
State government negotiates casino pact with Crow, Fork Peck, Northern Cheyenne, and Rocky Boy Tribes.
DFS bill fails to advance past committee level.
State senate approves season-long DFS bill.
Pari-mutuel betting begins without being legalized.
Hickey Act allows counties to legalize certain table games.
Voters approve measure to allow both residents and congress to decide gambling matters.
Montana Supreme Court rules that video poker machines are illegal.
The gambling section of Montana's gaming laws is pretty straightforward. The main questions that players have revolves around online gaming, because you'll still find offshore sites operating here.
That said, let's clear up the confusion by discussing some FAQs about Montana's gaming market.
Why do Offshore Gaming Sites Ignore Montana's Laws?
The state has taken legal action against online gaming sites before.
The state has a licensed and regulated legal gaming environment.
If a state doesn't fall into one of these two categories, chances are that an offshore casino will offer services to their residents.
Obviously, Montana's criminal code serves as a deterrent to some companies because it clearly states that internet gaming is illegal. But without any legal action backing the ban, most gaming sites aren't scared to serve Montanans.
Why Hasn't Montana Prosecuted Any Gaming Sites?
It takes resources and manpower to pursue legal action against an offshore gaming company. Most states don't see prosecuting internet gaming sites as a good use of their resources.
In 2011, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York prosecuted some of the world's largest online poker sites, but this was a federal attorney's office acting out of one of America's largest states.
The odds that a state Montana's size (1.04m people) would launch a major online gaming case are slim to none.
Why Hasn't Montana Arrested Any Online Gamblers?
For one thing, there's little precedent for prosecuting online gamers.
In fact, the only case we can find where somebody was arrested solely for internet gaming is Roland Benavides, an Oklahoma City police officer, and this case had just as much to do with Benavides' job performance as it did internet gaming.
Montana doesn't seem too concerned about people gambling online. In fact, they don't specifically address their citizens playing online casino games at any point in the constitution.
As we covered before, there's broader language that could be applied against internet gamers. Chances are extremely low that the state would take such a hardline stance against players.
Will Montana Legalize and Regulate Online Gaming?
The only serious move that Montana has made towards legalizing online gaming includes the HB 81 fantasy sports legislation that drew a vote. Other than this, they've never seriously discussed the matter.
They aren't actively pursuing legal action against online gaming sites.
They're not in serious discussion to launch their own iGaming market.
The first point means that offshore casinos will continue operating in Big Sky Country for the foreseeable future. The second point means that it'll be years before Montana seriously considers their own market.
The Gambling Control Division site is located at the Department of Justice, and they regulate most forms of gaming in the state. The only gaming that the Control Division doesn't regulate includes horse racing and the Montana Lottery. Here, you can find FAQs and other info on the state's land-based forms of gaming.
This site covers the gambling section in Montana's constitution. Specifically, you'll find info on the bingo & raffles, Card Games Act, casino nights, fantasy sports leagues, state lottery and the Video Gaming Machine Control Law.
When it comes to tolerating online gaming, Montana is in the bottom half of American states. They specifically mention that "illegal gambling enterprises" can't offer internet gaming to their residents.
Montana closes any loopholes by discussing how it's illegal for companies to accept any manner of payment for online gaming services.
We're not sure why Montana was so quick to ban iGaming operators in 2005. The unfortunate part is that they aren't even close to offering regulated online gaming in the future.
At the time of this writing, the state senate approved a season-long DFS bill for contest entries under $35, but this is hardly what anybody envisions when they think of regulated iGaming.
The reality is that Montana isn't a very big state, and they don't stand to gain much from legal online gaming. Moreover, the status quo will likely remain for years.
The good news is that numerous offshore sites are still serving Montanans. As long as you do proper research, you should be able to find good offshore casinos and sports betting sites.


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Home » Teams » India
Aravinda de Silva urges BCCI, ICC and SLC to investigate match-fixing allegations in 2011 WC final
Posted On / June 21, 2020 / by Shubro Mukherjee
Aravinda de Silva. (Image Source: Twitter)
Sri Lankan veteran batsman Aravinda de Silva has demanded the ICC, BCCI and SLC for launching a probe looking into the match-fixing allegations regarding the final of the 2011 ODI World Cup. Aravinda was the Chairman of Selection committee at the time of the 2011 World cup in India.
De Silva felt that 'no one should get away telling lies' and making accusations as grave as this. Moreover, Silva reckoned that allegations demean the Indian and Sri Lankan cricketers and management involved in the match.
The Lankan middle-order great, Aravinda, smashed a match-winning ton in the final of the 1996 ODI World Cup, which helped the Islanders win over Australia.
Earlier, the ex-sports minister of Sri Lanka, Mahindananda Aluthgamage demanded an investigation to look at the surprise changes made on the day of the final at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.
The Lions included Chamara Kapugedara in place of Chamara Silva, Thisara Perera in place of injured Angelo Matthews, Suraj Randiv in place of Ajantha Mendis; and Nuwan Kulasekara ahead of Rangana Herath, who played against New Zealand in the semi-finals of the tournament.
"Just like we cherished our World Cup victory, players like Sachin (Tendulkar) cherish these moments for the rest of their lives. I think in the interest of Sachin and the millions of cricket fans across India, the Indian government and their cricket board must initiate an impartial inquiry to see whether they have won a fixed World Cup," De Silva was quoted as saying by The Sunday Times.
"When serious allegations like these are being made, it affects a lot of people. In this case not only us, the selectors, the players and the team management but Indian cricketers who deservingly won the world title. We need to clear this once and for all for the greater good of the game we love," he added.
Lankan batting stalwarts, Mahela Jayawardena and Kumar Sangakkara also took to Twitter, delivering scathing blows to allegations made by the former politician.
"Here is a man who has no reputation or credibility trying to cast wild allegations at all those who were involved with that game. I am ready to face any inquiry. But these liars should not be spared. As I said they are tarnishing our hard-earned reputations," concluded Aravinda.
TAGS: 2011 World Cup Final, Aravinda de Silva, India, INDvsSL, Sri Lanka
CATEGORY: India, News, Sri Lanka


The Seeds of a Nation series examines the fascinating details behind the creation of America's states. Each volume introduces important personalities, events, and ideas that influenced the founding of a state. Original inhabitants, explorers, settlers, and statehood are discussed in simple yet vivid detail. Full-color photographs, an appendix of information about the state today, a glossary, and an annotated bibliography enhance each book.
Kansas Territory played an important part in both the Westward Migration and the battle between pro- and anti-slavery forces prior to the Civil War. This book explores these and other aspects of Kansas's history as it traces the development of the territory from the time it was first occupied by Plains Indians until it achieved statehood in January 1861.


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Realme unveils X50 5G with 120Hz display alongside snazzy Master Edition version
Scott Scrivens
Former Oppo sub-brand Realme is the world's fastest-growing smartphone manufacturer with good reason — its phones offer insane specs for not a lot of money. The company is now getting into the 5G game in its homeland China thanks to Qualcomm's new upper mid-range 5G mobile platform, the Snapdragon 765G. The other standout feature is the bump up to a 120Hz display, something we're sure to see a lot of in premium handsets this year.
Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo collaborate on unified file sharing solution (Update: Now available on select phones)
Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo have announced that they're joining forces to create a new file transfer solution that will work seamlessly across devices made by each of them. The peer-to-peer protocol will be able to transfer files at a speed of up to 20MB/s, likely using Bluetooth for pairing and then WiFi for transfer.
Oppo's new mid-range 5G phones are the Reno 3 and Reno3 Pro
Jules Wang
After showcasing its works-in-progress during the media rodeo known as Innovation Day, Oppo has decided to kick into gear on 5G with two new mid-range phones featuring two completely different chipsets, but with head-to-head spec sheets. The most apparent gap between the Reno3 and Reno3 Pro, though? The price.
TikTok is being investigated by the U.S. government over security and censorship concerns
Corbin Davenport
2019/11/02 12:45pm PDT Nov 2, 2019
TikTok has surged in popularity over the past year, becoming not just a place for music mashups, but also short memes in the spirit of Vine. However, the rise of TikTok has also piqued the interest of federal officials, who are worried that the China-owned social media network could be storing user data improperly or censoring content.
Weekend poll: Do you use two-factor authentication to secure your Google account?
Huawei reaches agreement with TomTom to create Google Maps replacement
All the games on Google Stadia (Update: Cyberpunk 2077 delayed)
Chinese propaganda app unsurprisingly might be spying on its users through purported root backdoor
Manuel Vonau
2019/10/14 4:56am PDT Oct 14, 2019
The Chinese Communist Party published an app called 'Study the Great Nation' earlier this year which it heavily advertises and even mandates many citizens to use. While it looks like a mere propaganda tool at first glance and seems to function as a news and factoid resource on Chinese President Xi Jinping and his party, it appears to be engineered to monitor its users and even sports a superuser backdoor which it could use to gather more data.
Samsung will no longer manufacture phones in China
2019/10/02 5:52pm PDT Oct 2, 2019
Some tech companies have been expanding production to outside of China (at least partially), mostly due to rising labor costs and the country's growing trade war with the United States. For example, Google moved Pixel manufacturing to Vietnam, and Apple reportedly wants to diversify its production. Samsung has now shut down its last remaining factory in China, but mostly because it's having trouble selling phones in the country.
Xiaomi starts MIUI 11 beta, may deploy final version in less than a month
2019/09/24 5:15am PDT Sep 24, 2019
For all of MIUI's troubles, it remains as the default software user interface on every one of Xiaomi's smartphones in China. And given that the company posts timely updates on this platform, it should matter how people experience this default state. Thus, we now see MIUI 11 come into play with a focus on font and sound aesthetics as well as a few new productivity apps and a couple of under-the-hood tweaks.
Xiaomi launches Redmi K20 Pro 'Premium Edition' with SD 855+ and up to 12GB of RAM
2019/09/20 11:25am PDT Sep 20, 2019
Xiaomi's most recent flagship from its Redmi sub-brand, the K20 Pro, was first unveiled in May for the Chinese market before being rebadged as the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro for release in Europe. Much like the OnePlus 7 Pro, it featured a pop-up front camera and triple rear lens setup. An upgraded version is now being introduced that packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
[Update: IFA teaser confirms] Leaked TCL product roadmap signals folding phone coming next year
2019/08/30 11:02am PDT Aug 30, 2019
TCL may be more known for its TVs than its own phones, but it's had opportunities to flex its mobile muscle by gaining ODM contracts — first, Alcatel Mobile, then BlackBerry, later Palm. Well, at this point, things are seemingly at a lull for the Chinese manufacturer, but it supposedly does have plans for itself when it comes to a real TCL phone or two (or even five).
The phones and power packs you buy from China are getting more expensive in 2020
2019/08/29 4:01pm PDT Aug 29, 2019
Let's face it. All the phones, accessories, and other gadgets you see on this site come from one place: China. Actually, considering more than half a trillion dollars in goods came to the United States from there last year, you can count a helluva lot more stuff in that pile. Knowing how trade relations are between these two countries right now, we might be relieved about electronics tariffs that were supposed to come into effect this Sunday being delayed until mid-December. But there's been another autumn deadline we've been hurdling towards that might just make that Chinese import you're planning to take in be it a case, a battery pack, or a burner phone — more expensive starting next year.
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Birches Valley Forest Centre is an excellent starting point for an exhilerating day out on Cannock Chase. From the Midlands best bike trails and woodland walks to adventure play and Go Ape Cannock we've got a great day waiting for you.
Entry is free into the forest but parking charges apply.
Please note our Car Park Pay & Display Machines are COIN ONLY and do not give change. Please make sure you bring the correct change with you.
Alternatively, you can purchase a discovery pass for only £40 for the whole year https://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/INFD-7W5KPN .
The nearest railway station is Rugeley, which is 0 miles away.
Go Ape Cannock Chase, CannockGo Ape is the UK's No.1 Forest Adventure. You can enjoy our Tree Top Adventure and Forest Segways at Cannock Chase.
The Monkey Trail, RugeleyThe Monkey Trail was built and designed in partnership with Chase Trails and features technical rock gardens, boardwalks, jumps and drops.
Follow the Dog Trail, RugeleyA technical singletrack mountain bike trail which includes technical trail features.
Jess Glynne at Forest Live, CannockJess Glynne said "I do hope you can join me in the Summer as part of Forest Live. I am really looking forward to performing in these unique woodland locations around the country".


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No. 1 Ranked Tennis Cruises to Victory
by Alex Moskowitz | Apr 3, 2019 | Sports, Tennis
The No. 1-ranked NCAA Division III Emory women's tennis team came into the weekend undefeated on the season with two matches against DePauw University (Ind.) and No. 22-ranked Washington and Lee University (Va.). The Eagles cruised to 9-0 victories against both teams to improve their record to a perfect 12-0.
During the Eagles' victories, senior Daniela Lopez and freshman Emma Cartledge led the way with a pair of straight-set wins in singles. Lopez won her first singles match against DePauw 6-1, 6-2 before defeating her second singles opponent from Washington and Lee 6-2, 6-0. Cartledge played second singles against DePauw and won 6-2, 6-1 before posting a 6-3, 6-1 win at fourth singles against Washington and Lee. Lopez and Cartledge teamed up during doubles matches; the pair handled their DePauw opponents 8-0 and their Washington and Lee opponents 8-5.
Lopez, as the lone senior, was honored on Senior Day on March 30 for her incredible four-year career with the program. She was also named the University Athletic Association (UAA) Women's Tennis Co-Athlete of the Week for her incredible performances against DePauw and Washington and Lee. This is the fourth time of Lopez's career that she was named UAA Athlete of the Week.
Sophomore Ysabel Gonzalez-Rico also played a big part in the Eagles' victory over Washington and Lee, as she convincingly won her first singles match 6-2, 6-1. For Gonzalez-Rico, this singles victory marked her team-leading 20th singles victory of the year.
Head Coach Amy Bryant commended the team's performances this weekend.
"Overall, we are functioning as a great team unit," Bryant said. "Everyone is stepping up when they need to."
Over the course of the weekend, the Eagles won all six doubles matches and 11 out of 12 singles matches in straight sets.
Emory will travel this coming weekend for matchups against No. 7-ranked Tufts University (Mass.) on April 5 and No. 5-ranked Middlebury College (Vt.) on April 7.
PreviousEmory Baseball Leads UAA After Brandeis Sweep
NextScience Journalist Discusses Antibiotics Usage in Agriculture
Alex Moskowitz
Nosebleeds: Midseason Power Rankings
Track and Field Squads Host Emory Invitational
Young's Late Game Heroics Lead Hawks Past Spurs
Emory Men And Women XC Claim First Place


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(...) sampoorna is really about you and how you're feeling, not about being able to do everything others are doing.
(...) one that can offer you true yogi vibrations, real friendship and the right boost to stay healthier and happier!
My point of view on """Balancing chakra""" session of 11 November 2017:At the end of the session I felt like I was on vacation!
(...) senti comme si j'étais en vacance!


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DiSK - From Board of Intermediate, Telangana State Mobile App
DiSK - From Board of Intermediate, Telangana State App
Lets look at a useful phone app called DiSK - From Board of Intermediate, Telangana State. This app has been released by CloudEdz Private Limited Education. The app description in Google Play read as "DiSK is a Digital Study Kit developed exclusively for Telangana Intermediate Students in association with Board of Intermediate Education, Telangana State. DiSK is available in Android, IOS and Web. It can be accessible on any device. Be it a phone, tablet or PC. Now, you can say its 24/7 AnyWhere AnyTime Learning; Truly"
Once downloaded, works OFFLINE without Internet (except for Video Lessons). DiSK is available for MPC (Maths, Physics, Chemistry), BiPC (Botany, Zoology, Physics, Chemistry), CEC (Commerce, Economics, Civics), MEC (Maths, Economics, Commerce), HEC (History, Economics, Civics) group Students in both Telugu and English Mediums. Along with Board Exams, Students can prepare for Entrance Exams like JEE, EAMCET, NEET and CA-CPT.
DiSK provides access to Text Books, Study Material, Video Lessons, MCQs, Q&A for Intermediate Public Exams. DiSK is loaded with lot of exciting features like ASK, Dashboards, Exam Reviews and more.
Entrance Exams :
DiSK enables the students to practice for all kind of Entrance Exams - JEE, EAMCET, NEET and CA-CPT.
Student can take unlimited mock tests and practice. They can review the test and find the results along with Solution and Explanation.
Test performances can be reviewed in Dash Board - Chapter wise / Topic Wise.
Students can take previous exams real time with full review and analysis.
Text Book & Synopsis :
The app comes with an enormous and elaborate subject material evaluated by the Board of Intermediate Education, Telangana State. The text books are relevant to their syllabus and helps the student to understand the subject in a better and robust way.
The synopsis in turn is clearly rooted with the explanations to make the students understand the subject in a better manner along with the formulae and points to remember.
MCQs, Q&As :
The extensive range of Multiple Choice Questions enable the students to practice the MCQ's for multiple number of times. By doing so, student could assess his/her uency on the topic.
The students understanding can be determined well by the tests that he/she can take from the vast number of questions weighing 2, 4, 7 and 8 marks which are very crucial for the IBE examination to be cleared with a good pass percentile.
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Shopping centres have realised that lower LSM customers tend to cope better with the vicissitudes of tough economic times.
Upmarket shopping malls in which customers browse the aisles and clothing racks in an air-conditioned and exclusive ambiance will no longer only be enjoyed by the rich. Developers are now realising it is lower-income customers who weather tough economic conditions better.
Traditional centres that focus on lower Living Standards Measure LSM customers are being upgraded to offer better shopping experiences, while chic malls catering for the more affluent are starting to include offerings for smaller spenders.
This is the view of Smital Rambhai, portfolio manager at Futuregrowth Asset Management, which has invested in township and rural malls in seven of the country's nine provinces.
"Traditionally in South Africa, developers built shopping centres for different LSM groups. You would often find the quality and design of shopping centres for the lower LSM groups tended to be strip malls in face brick style.
However, Rambhai says there is now a move away from strip malls towards fully enclosed malls, where air-conditioning is installed and ambiance is improved to make the shopping experience "more pleasant".
The group has even seen a trend emerging where shopping centres are designed to focus on low, middle and higher LSM groups under the same roof. This can also be attributed to the integration of residential areas.
An example, he says, is the V&A Waterfront which has integrated the likes of Mr Price to the retail offering as people from all LSM groups frequent the centre.
Because retailers in some township and rural malls focus on convenience and provide basic services and goods, they are not hugely impacted by e-commerce. This is one reason why community and neighbourhood centres, which are predominantly where the fund invests, have been the best performing sectors within the retail shopping category over the past three years.
There has been a fundamental shift in consumers' preference for convenience over distant larger shopping centres because of time constraints, parking costs, distances required to walk in centres and a cutback in discretionary spending.
"Regional and super-regional centres are impacted by e-commerce due to purchase items being largely discretionary items. You won't buy bread online. You are still going to visit a community or neighbourhood centre to feel how fresh the bread is," Rambhai says.
The latest JLL South African Retail Market Report, based on figures from the last quarter of 2017, echoes this, revealing that neighbourhood and community shopping centres continued performing better than bigger centres.
In addition, small regional shopping centres saw a decline in vacancy rates while all other sectors saw an increase from the same period in 2016.
"This may be attributable to renovations and efforts by property owners to improve the shopping experience in smaller centres." JLL also reports that Q3 annualised trading density growth – which indicates sales turnover achieved per square metre and, therefore, profitability – dropped by 5.6% in the super-regional and 0.7% in regional centres, whereas it increased by 0.7% in small regional, 0.1% in community, and 0.9% in neighbourhood centres.


You are your own brand, with your own equity. What are you doing to build and promote it?
One of the first things any salesperson learns when they start their sales career is the first thing they sell is themselves. It's impossible to emphasize this too much, because it drives so much of the sales process including your sales motivation. I'm not advocating to be arrogant about ourselves. What I'm saying, though, is to pay close attention to the image we present. By this I mean the real image, not some fake personality you put on a few hours each day.
It's only when you present yourself as you truly are that you will begin to really see what your "personal brand equity" is all about. Your "personal brand equity" consists of not just your personality, but also your knowledge, your skills, your attitude, and your overall demeanor. People who have a high "personal brand equity" are those who will day in and day out achieve a higher level of success. In doing so, they self-feed their sales motivation.
Two recommendations I would make include: first, spend time each day learning more about your industry and your profession, and second, spend time each day associating with other positive people who have a high "personal brand equity" and high level of sales motivation. You will naturally learn from them ideas you can apply in your own life.
Thanks for all the great information you supply. Your blog,ebooks and podcasts are great tools to keep any salesperson at any level in thier carreer motivated to improve themselfs and develop their own brand within their organization.
Hope you have another motivating year.
Thank you for the information. I enjoyed reading it. You have a very good website.


I have solely been doing homeschooling for 2 years, and yes, i need to admit, generally it could get a bit boring, but i get much more time for my schoolwork and for my household. Now flip work spherical and work into back of starting chain, working 1 dc into next 5 stitches.
Work three rows dc. Next row; dec, dc 1, dec, turn. Row 7: dec, dc 1, inc. I'm currently on the "product testing" stage and it can be a bit daunting at occasions I want to search out bag manufacturers and possibly someone good at graphic design to help with the general "look".
Rd eight: dec to final 2 stitches, dc to end. Do it 3 times and also you invoke the penalty of sending your piece closest to home back to the nest and your flip ends. Many instances I do not suppose mother and father understand the impact of the turmoil on youthful siblings till the older children are finally out of the house.


That's what an old friend of my parents, a perspicacious salesman, used to say when he arrived at our front door for his annual—pre-Christmas cocktails—visit. In retrospect, it was an eerily early act of cultural sensitivity. It was the 1960s, after all! I'm stealing the idea because, as an atheist anthropologist who grew up in an Abrahamic culture I know that almost anything I might want to say to an anonymous reader that refers to a specific year-end holy day could end up being an even longer and unwieldy sentence than the one you've just ploughed through.
So, Season's Greetings, it is!
It's time for shrimp on the barbie for my friends in the Southern Hemisphere, and for putting another log on the fire for residents of northern temperate climes. The only real cross-cultural and pan-geographic reference that one can make is that, for a moment—at precisely 23:03 UTC on Sunday, December 21, 2014—the sun will appear to stand still as it reaches the southernmost point in its annual parade between the Tropics. That instant should be long enough for each one of us to recall friends and loved ones, the quick and the dead, and to say "Thank You" to everyone who's given us a little joy on this journey through life. As for me, I'll be thinking especially of the clicks that brought you and others to The Subversive Archaeologist on more than half a million occasions since October 2011.
Regardless of how you celebrate at this time of year, I wish you joy in abundance, now and forever.
* Many thanks to whomever is responsible for creating this enchanting and evocative image. It's found, uncredited, on numerous sites on the intertubes—but I was unable to locate the original source.


Deontay Wilder may continue to wait for a fight with Anthony Joshua, as Joshua may have to fulfill a WBO mandatory title defense after his September 22nd showdown against Alexander Povetkin.
Joshua may have a litany of options after his fight with the WBA mandatory, but the WBO may open the door for a rematch against fellow Matchroom Boxing fighter, Dillian Whyte.
Whyte is the current WBO international champion and ranked second in the WBO, behind Povetkin. And even with that ranking, the WBO would not confirm if Whyte would be ordered to fight in a final eliminator.
Another of Joshua's belts, the IBF title, has a mandatory eliminator between Kubrat Pulev and Hughie Fury, is set to take place on October 27th in Bulgaria.


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The city of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was motivated by race when it created a traffic plan designed to "suck the fun" out of Black Bike Week
by Insane Throttle December 14, 2020
1 Comment on The city of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was motivated by race when it created a traffic plan designed to "suck the fun" out of Black Bike Week
MICHELLE LIU Associated Press/Report for America
COLUMBIA, S.C. — The city of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was motivated by race when it created a traffic plan designed to "suck the fun" out of Black Bike Week, a federal jury has found. But the same jury sided against the bikers, saying the city probably would have imposed the plan anyway.
Civil rights groups accused the city of racially discriminating against the Black tourists by treating them differently than white bikers who attend Harley Week earlier each May, and who are responsible for many of the same public nuisances, from binge drinking to noise complaints.
The Black bikers have been particularly frustrated by a 23-mile (37-kilometer) one-way no-exit traffic chute that funnels them out of town during the peak nights of Atlantic Beach Bikefest, otherwise known as Black Bike Week. The city also puts up barricades and increases its police presence in ways that don't apply to the mostly white bikers during their event, their attorneys said.
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The jurors – five Black and four white — deliberated for more than three hours before delivering their verdict on Thursday. They agreed that "race was a motivating factor," but they also found that Myrtle Beach "would have made the same decision anyway, even if it had not considered race in its official actions regarding Black Bike Week."
The decision means the city won't have to change its traffic plan for now. The city also won't owe damages to the plaintiffs, which include the local NAACP branch and several festival attendees.
Attorneys for the city had argued that precautions were made in the name of public safety after a spate of shootings and robberies during Memorial Day weekend six years ago, and that "different traffic control strategies" apply to each festival.
"The jury's decision confirmed that the safety plan was the right plan for the event, given the number of people, vehicles and pedestrians and the violence and other safety challenges which arose through the years," Myrtle Beach spokesman Mark Kruea wrote in an emailed statement following the verdict. "The public's safety always has been and will continue to be the city's top priority."
Kristen Clarke of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, told The Associated Press that the plaintiffs are pleased that "the jury agreed race was a factor" and would "look carefully at our options" following the verdict.
During the trial, attorneys for the NAACP presented evidence such as emails from city leadership suggesting the loop could "suck the fun out of the event" and traffic camera footage to show the loop didn't relieve congestion, news outlets reported.
The NAACP has tussled in court with the city, as well as local restaurants and a hotel, over their responses to the Black bikers for nearly two decades. The city eventually settled with the NAACP after a federal judge found that a 5-mile-long (8-kilometer-long) traffic plan established in the mid-2000s for Bike Fest was racially motivated. That settlement expired in 2015, when the new traffic plan was established.
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Tags: angry people vs bikers bandidos mc biker Biker News biker news 1% Black Bike Week cops vs bikers insane throttle mongols mc motivated by race when it created a traffic plan designed to "suck the fun" out of Black Bike Week moto madness motorcycle club motorcycles outlaw motorcycle gang pagans mc
oldskewl says:
Let's see, during "black bike week" hotels have damage like holes in the walls from fists, feet and bullets. They patrons are flat out nasty shitting in front of the businesses because the toilets' have too long of a wait. Fuck that, act like humans and you'll be treated as such.
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Q: How do I get rid of this Anthy toolbar? I toggle between writing in Japanese and English on my computer, usitng Anthy and iBus. I just recently installed Ubuntu 14.04 on two computers, and set up my language input options the same as I have for years, and for the most part it works fine and I have all the functionality I wan
The only problem is that on one of the computers, my laptop, whenever I switch to Anthy to input Japanese, this floating toolbar pops up just under where I'm typing'

I can' find any option for getting rid of this thing. It doesn't show up on my desktop computer, so I know it doesn't have to be there for Anthy to work.
How do I get rid of this toolbar?

A: Go to Setup - IBus-Anthy either via the third button on the bar you want to get rid of, or via Dash > Text Entry > [single click] Japanese Anthy > [click on settings bottom right].
You can choose what parts of the menu should display next to your cursor, when Anthy is active, in the settings's General tab under Menu visibility on Status Icon. Uncheck all boxes (in your case Input mode, Dictionary mode, Preferences - Anthy) and the menu should disappear.

A: If you go to System Settings -> Text Entry and select Anthy, you can click the toolkit icon to reach the Anthy Setup dialog. Possibly (I don't really know) it includes a way to disable it.

A: The currently accepted answer (Earthliŋ's) is not correct - or at least not accurate anymore in 2017.
Whether or not the popup (misleadingly called the "property panel" by IBus) appears is not controlled by IBus-Anthy but IBus itself. The Menu visibility on Status Icon checkboxes in IBus-Anthy only controls what appears on the popup. Unchecking them all creates a zero-width popup, that seems to have the unfortunate side effect of breaking keyboard input conversion (e.g., zenkaku/henkaku) altogether.
The actual solution to OP's problem is simply to open IBus Preferences (right-click on the IBus task bar panel icon), and at Show property panel: to select the Do not show dropdown option.


Before the E30 M3 arrived in U.S. showrooms, it hit the track with Korman Autoworks in the Firestone Firehawk series, where its success against more powerful competition made the car a fan favorite.
In late 1986, just as BMW of North America's McLaren-run racing team had finally taken its maiden IMSA GTP victory with the March 86G prototype, the program was cancelled abruptly at the end of the season. With BMW Motorsport turning its attention back toward road cars, the 900-hp prototypes had no further place in the company's marketing program.
In Europe, the prototypes would be replaced by the new E30 M3, set to debut on road and track in 1987. The car had been developed expressly for Group A racing, and BMW Motorsport would be campaigning it in the World Touring Car Championship as well as several national series that year.
In the U.S., however, the M3 wasn't set to arrive until later in the year, designated as a 1988 model. With nothing on the docket, BMW of North America decided to do a bit of advance publicity for the new M car. What better way to showcase the performance of this homologation special than by taking it to the track? The only difficulty would be finding a series in which the four-cylinder M3 would be competitive.
The next trick would be finding a team to campaign it. The arrangement with McLaren North America had been terminated along with the GTP program, so BMW NA turned to Korman Autoworks. It was an obvious choice: Principal Ray Korman been racing BMWs for two decades, and he'd won the Firehawk series' 1986 driver and manufacturer championships with the E30 325e, taking five class wins and an impressive overall victory at the Watkins Glen 24-hour race.
In addition to support money, BMW NA provided Korman with a pair of E30 M3s and the services of drivers Davy Jones and John Andretti when they were available. The two had paired up in a GTP prototype for BMW NA in 1986, and they were keen to maintain their relationship with BMW.
Wensberg arranged to have two M3s, chassis numbers 001 and 002, shipped to Korman in advance of the racing season.
Both cars were pre-production models, and unlike the E30 M3s raced by BMW Motorsport in Europe, they'd be built into race cars from street cars. The Firehawk series permitted minimal modifications, which turned out to be a blessing.
The M3 was outwardly similar to the E30 325e that Korman had raced in 1986, but it marked a major step up the performance ladder.
With a 2.0-liter four-cylinder S14 under its hood, the E30 M3 had one of the smaller motors in the Firehawk series compared to cars like the Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Nissan 300ZX and Porsche 944. More than the smaller engine, however, the lack of racing-spec brake pads made the 3.5-hour Sebring event a challenge for Korman and Christensen.
In the second round of the season, a 3.0-hour race at the now-defunct Riverside circuit in California, the brakes didn't have time to become an issue. After having engine trouble in the practice sessions, the M3 blew its engine just four laps into the race. The rebuild that followed forced the team to skip the third round at Phoenix.
After Riverside, Korman made a trip to Germany to get racing parts for the M3 and made an important discovery.
Indeed, the engine performed just fine in the next round, a 24-hour race at Watkins Glen on June 13, but a freak occurrence ended the race early for the M3 and drivers Korman, Jones and Andretti. During his stint behind the wheel, Korman heard a worrisome noise coming from underneath the car. It remained a mystery until it was time to refuel: The cap popped off under pressure, and when the team looked for the source they realized that the driveshaft had been spinning against the fuel tank, the friction heating up the fuel.
The driveshaft on Korman's pre-production race cars was larger in diameter than those that would be used on the production cars, and the smaller part was delivered by the next race at Road Atlanta on June 27.
Road Atlanta would also be the first race for M3 #001, the car you see here, and the first for the new 16-inch wheels.
After three hours of racing at Road Atlanta, both cars finished down the order, with the #28 car (chassis #001) the best placed of the two in 14th.
Even with slightly better cooling from the larger wheels, the longevity of the brakes remained a challenge throughout the entire season whether they were fitted with stock pads or the racing pads that became available later in the season.
The floating brake calipers presented a further difficulty, as they had to be unbolted and removed to change brake pads.
Amazingly, the Korman M3s raced on the stock suspension through the fifth round of the season, yet the cars' handling—and braking, at least until the brakes overheated—was still good enough to make them capable of racing well against their faster but heavier competition.
At the sixth round of the season, a 3.0-hour race at Summit Point in West Virginia on July 12, the Korman team was finally able to upgrade the suspension.
"By the time we got to Summit Point, we had Bilstein shocks and swaybars and we could finally start really racing it," says Korman.
The improvement saw a Korman M3 reach the podium for the first time, as Korman and Christensen drove the #28 car (chassis #001) to third place behind two Chevy Camaros; Jones and Andretti finished further back after getting knocked off-course in the #48 car (chassis #002).
After Summit Point, the series traveled to Wisconsin's Road America for a 3.5-hour race on August 15. A long, fast track, Road America favored the higher-horsepower cars over the four-cylinder M3s.
"The issue at Road America was with going up the hills and down the straights," says Korman. "We had to shift in the middle of the long hill on the front straight and the Camaros would just drive by, but we could pass them in the corners.
The short and fast Lime Rock Park circuit has always been a good BMW track, and the Korman M3s followed their strong finish at Summit Point with another podium in the four-hour race in Connecticut on September 15. Christensen and Dorsey Schroeder finished second in the #48 car, while Korman and Willy Lewis came home fourth in the #28 car.
Following the successes at Summit Point and Lime Rock, everything came together for the team in the six-hour race at Watkins Glen on September 26. The M3s were fast from the start, with Jones setting a new lap record in qualifying with the #28 car. Jones posted a 2:17.8 to put the M3 on the pole, though he had to go a bit over the limit to do it.
Although it was long and fast like Road America, Watkins Glen also had plenty of the tighter turns that favor nimble-handling cars like the M3 over their more powerful rivals. And unlike some of the other tracks on the Firestone Firehawk calendar, it's not all that hard on brakes.
Korman co-drove the #28 car with Jones, who set the fastest race lap on the way to the M3's first victory of the year, which became a 1-2 finish when the #48 M3 of Christensen and Andretti crossed the line in second.
Having come off a season racing 900-hp prototypes, Jones and Andretti were used to driving much faster cars, but the two young hotshoes on the Korman team were impressed with the E30 M3 nonetheless.
In addition to great handling, the M3s also had ABS, then a new feature in road cars and not yet in use in the prototypes.
Neither the ABS nor the handling could get the cars through the season finale on the streets of Columbus on October 3. Brake failure forced both cars to DNF the 3.0-hour race.
At the end of the 1987 season, having scored a single win and two second-place finishes, BMW of North America pulled the plug on the E30 M3 in the Firehawk series—and on all racing for several years, in fact. The lull wouldn't end until 1994, when BMW put its support behind the Ed Arnold Racing M5 program that yielded an IMSA driver's championship for David Donahue [see Bimmer #120]. Following that one-year involvement, BMW NA contracted with Prototype Technology Group to race the E36 M3 in the American Le Mans Series starting in 1995.
The E30 M3 hadn't been well suited to the Firehawk series in any case, and BMW probably didn't want to race at a competitive disadvantage. Korman continued to race E30 M3s in the Firehawk series through 1991 nonetheless, though without direct support or development assistance from BMW NA. The M3 remained down on horsepower against the other cars, especially when those that received updates from the manufacturers, but a Korman E30 M3 finished third in the races at West Palm Beach and Lime Rock in 1990, and it won at Portland that year.
Remarkably, the car you see here, chassis #001 M3, changed hands only a few times before it was purchased by current owner Scott Hughes. At the end of the 1991 season, Korman sold it to Walter Swick, who campaigned it in the Firehawk series in 1993 and '94, and in SCCA racing for 1995 and '96 before retiring it from active duty. In December 2004, Swick sold it to Mike Krnc, who used it for HPDE/track days until selling it to Hughes in July 2007.
The car was in great shape and intact when Hughes acquired it, having been well cared for by its previous owners. It had been repainted in German flag colors at some point, but Hughes had a glass-out repaint done to restore the M3's 1987 livery. Hughes also sourced original decals and had others recreated.
Hughes continues to take the M3 to the track on a regular basis and has entered it in SVRA (Sportscar Vintage Racing Association) and HSR (Historic Sportscar Racing) vintage events. The car was also used to give rides to journalists at the U.S. press introduction of the F80/F82 M3 and M4 at Road America in 2014, with Korman himself at the wheel.
More recently, I had a chance to ride with Korman in this M3 on the track at the BMW Performance Center. The car sounded fantastic, and even from the passenger seat I could feel how tossable and responsive it is. They don't make M3s or even BMWs like this any more, nor will they ever again.