text:
The Battalion Artist
The Battalion Artist explores the three years, three months, and three days of Nat Bellantoni's life on the Pacific front in World War II. He had known since childhood that he wanted to be—that he in fact was—an artist. When he packed his seabag and took leave of his family and his sweetheart to go to war, he knew that the best way to manage the narrative of his life and to cope with the ups and downs of his feelings was to create images—visual records that spoke of what he felt, as well as what he saw.
In this stunning book filled with authentic World War II images—many in full color—we see and feel the intensity of wartime life through the eyes of a talented young artist who was also a US Navy Seabee. Natale Bellantoni, a young art student from Boston, sailed across the Pacific in 1943–45 and returned home with a sea chest of art and photographs documenting his experiences in New Caledonia, New Guinea, the Admiralty Islands, and Okinawa. His subject matter was his daily life: endless weeks at sea, harbors and ships, men at work, airstrips, the local countryside, and the view of enemy planes overhead at night from his fox hole. Now collected in a lavishly illustrated volume, his watercolors, sketches, and photographs offer a window onto one of the most significant moments in American history. The Battalion Artist explores the World War II experiences of Nat Bellantoni, but it reflects the story of an entire generation.
Nat Bellantoni was born on December 21, 1920, into a large and loving family of Italian immigrants in Boston's South End. Two decades later, he found his plans to become an artist derailed by the cataclysm of World War II. Instead of finishing Mass College of Art and launching a career as a commercial artist, he found himself in the South Pacific, assigned to the United States Navy's 78th Construction Battalion. Nat lived and worked on several different islands; his longest assignment was in the Admiralties, amidst jungle heat and humidity, bugs and snakes, tropical diseases, monsoon rains, and native volunteers who had all too recently been head hunters.
Always gregarious, with a ready smile and genuine interest in the people and events around him, Nat made it his mission to document his experiences. He sketched. He painted. And he saved the flotsam and jetsam of his sojourn.
Once the war was won, Nat returned home, eager to resume the life he had left behind three years earlier. He married his sweetheart, raised a family, pursued and succeeded in a career as Art Director in a prestigious downtown Boston firm. His boxes of wartime memorabilia were stored away, seemingly forgotten. Until… his children were grown, his mortgage was paid, and he began to reconnect with old friends and old memories. At age 91, Nat dreamed of sharing his wartime story. This book is the fulfillment of that dream.
Janice Blake
Janice Blake set aside her freelance work in order to focus on The Battalion Artist at the request of her friend and former colleague Natale Bellantoni. She has edited books for the Brazelton Institute and the Harvard Business School Press. She has also taught writing at the Harvard Business School.
Nancy Bellantoni
Nancy Bellantoni carefully searched her father's extensive South Pacific collection for visual material that accurately reflect the context in which Natale Bellantoni's wartime art was created. She is co-founder with her husband, Peter Galipault, of Movidea Inc., a design and marketing strategy firm in Boston.
The Battalion Artist: A Navy Seabee's Sketchbook of War in the South Pacific, 1943-1945
More from History
Bookmark: New In Paperback
mentioning Andrew Roberts


Technical Articles – Plast-O-Matic Valves, Inc.
If you aren't familiar with Plast-O-Matic or engineered industrial thermoplastics at all, this is the best place to start.
Specifically, what is a plastic valve?
Downloadable .pdf versions of the Application Bulletins found in our popular "Applications 3-Ring Binder." These are in the same numerical order used in the binder.
Series EBV solves corrosion woes in glycol system at Edna Valley Vineyards.
Water Utility Corrosion Problems Solved in Jacksonville, Florida using Plast-O-Matic solenoid valves, check valves, and gauge guards.
Assessing the ways air can enter a liquid piping system, and how to remove it. Water & Wastes Digest, August 2016.
Overview of valves and valve materials used in ultra high purity DI water systems. Originally published by Robert Sinclair; updated February 2019.
A Plast-O-Matic thermoplastic control valve was compared side by side to a metal control valve and was found to be 80% more accurate than its metal counterpart.
Describes POM's continuing efforts to improve mitigation of particle contamination in PVDF materials, and current test results.
Ultrapure Water Journal, June 2013.
Original findings and report on efforts to improve mitigation of particle contamination in PVDF materials, resulting in the cleanest pressure regulators available.
Ultrapure Water Journal, June 2012.
Polyvinyl chloride. Plast-O-Matic uses Geon® brand Grade 1, Type 1 PVC.
Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride. Plast-O-Matic uses Corzan® and Temprite® CPVC. Temprite is a type of Corzan used for injection molding.
Polyvinylideneflouride. Plast-O-Matic uses various formulas of Kynar® PVDF depending on the application.
Polypropylene. Plast-O-Matic uses Natural, unpigmented homopolymer polypropylene & glass-filled polypropylene.
Polytetrafluoroethylene. A high purity fluoropolymer. Teflon® is a popular brand of fluoropolymers.
Polyphenylene ether blended with polystyrene. Plast-O-Matic uses Noryl GFN1.
Fluoro rubber. Viton® is a popular brand of FKM.
Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer. An olefinic thermoplastic elastomer.
Explains why some valves in Series RVT have "solid" machined bodies and others are fabricated.
Which is better for your application?


Any person, firm or corporation operating a game arcade shall pay an annual license fee of $75.00 for each establishment operated.
No license shall be issued to operate a game arcade without the consent of the city manager or person designated by the city manager given in accordance with the provisions of Section 865-11.
For the purpose of this chapter, "game arcade" shall mean any arcade, room, building or enclosure where six or more coin-operated machines or devices are kept for entertainment of the public for profit.


PRIVACY AND SECLUSION! ... TWO TRACTS OF LAND TOTALING OVER 12 ACRES WITH BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN AND WOODED VIEWS. THERE IS ALSO A SMALL STREAM ON THE PROPERTY. ROUGHED-IN ROAD GRADED TO THE TOP OF PROPERTY WHERE THE SITE FOR A NEW HOME WAS PLANNED. SELLER HAS AN ACTIVE 3 BEDROOM SEPTIC APPROVAL. GREAT LOCATION TO BUILD YOUR TENNESSEE MOUNTAIN HOME AND ENJOY THE PEACE AND SERENITY ALL AROUND YOU. WILDLIFE INCLUDING DEER AND TURKEY ARE OFTEN SEEN ON THE PROPERTY ACCORDING TO OWNER. CAMPER AND TRACTOR ON PROPERTY ARE BEING SOLD SEPARATELY FROM ACREAGE. CONVENIENT LOCATION TO SEYMOUR, SEVIERVILLE, KNOXVILLE AND MARYVILLE.


text:
Global EditionASIA 中文双语Français
China Data
Home / Business / China US trade tensions
China US trade tensions
Tariff hikes not a win-win for China, US
By Liu Zhihua and Zhou Lanxu | China Daily | Updated: 2019-05-23 09:02
Justin Yifu Lin, dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics at Peking University, and the former chief economist of the World Bank. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Retaliatory steps may disrupt global economy, crimp trade, say experts
Tariff hikes are attempts by the US authorities to curb China's rapid growth and would result in steep losses for both sides, besides causing disruptions to the global economy, economists said.
Recent steps taken by Washington show that they (US) want to suppress China's development, and not just seek better trade balance, said Justin Yifu Lin, dean of the Institute of New Structural Economics at Peking University, and the former chief economist of the World Bank.
"If we agree with Washington's claims on trade this time, it will use other excuses to curb China's development," Lin said in an interview to China Central Television on Tuesday.
China's inexpensive goods have helped keep US inflation at relatively low levels and improved the well-being of its consumers. This has happened despite the fuss about the "huge trade deficit" with China, and concerns that the US stands to lose $500 billion every year, an argument used often to criticize China, Lin said.
"Trade is a voluntary and win-win game. The US is free to look elsewhere for the products that it currently sources from China. It buys from China because Chinese products are reasonably priced and of good quality," Lin said. "It is preposterous to believe that the US is suffering because it buys goods from China. Such an argument does not cut ice with those who have a basic knowledge of economics."
Refuting US concerns that China is forcing American enterprises to transfer technologies to Chinese businesses, Lin said such claims are not based on facts and ignore the basic tenets of economics.
US companies have chosen to adopt advanced technologies in their production process in China not because anyone has forced them to do so, but because they want to survive and stand out in market competition, he said.
Commenting on concerns that Sino-US trade friction is a clash of civilizations, Lin said different civilizations can actually coexist and learn from each other. The US is ignoring this positive aspect as it wants to "exclusively dominate the world." Many of the allegations made against China are just excuses for restricting China's development, Lin said.
"China should not compromise its development rights as it is something that every country is entitled to," Lin said.
Liu Shijin, deputy director of the economic committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. [Photo provided to China Daily]
In an interview with Xinhua on Sunday, Liu Shijin, deputy director of the economic committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said it is not tenable to say that tariff hikes will hurt the Chinese economy and spare the US side. "A trade war will lead to losses on both sides and have an impact on the global economy and economic globalization."
China and the US account for about 40 percent of the world economy and bilateral relations between the two sides have developed and formed on the basis of differences in comparative advantages and competitive edges. The existing means of economic cooperation are a result of the trading behaviors of the producers and consumers from the two countries and a process that has been beneficial for both sides, said Liu.
"The Made-in-China process helped lower production costs and prices of products in the US, kept consumer prices stable and brought a wide range of benefits to consumers," he said.
According to Liu, the US is trying to suppress China's growing technology strength by using its state powers to impose curbs on Chinese companies like Huawei. As China's economic strength keeps growing, the contradictions between the two countries are also aggravated, he said.
Liu, a former deputy head of the Development Research Center of the State Council, expects trade friction to have a limited influence on the Chinese economy as its export sector is not that dependent on the US market and is diversified enough to withstand the shocks and challenges.
Xinhua contributed to this story.
China's US ambassador says allegations against Huawei 'groundless'
SCO member countries hit out at protectionism
China's self-sufficiency drive spurred on by tech Cold War: China Daily editorial
Protectionism will damage the world economy: forum
Washington's trade bullying will come home to roost
Cruises along Yangtze a hit during holiday
Night-time economy enlivens Xuanen
Shanghai's enterprise relief to give economy a jolt
City develops ice and snow tourism to boost local economy
Policies fuel impetus for China's high-quality development
Most Viewed in 24 Hours
Quick view: State Council executive meeting on Jan 28
China to boost economic rebound, stabilize foreign trade, investment
Famous roast duck chain joins in spirit of Chinese New Year
Tea makers coping well with market saturation
A look at China's economy in 2022
China's central SOEs report solid revenue, profit growth in Jan-Oct
CCB upgrades small firms app to better serve economy
2023 Winter Davos
Growing in China, our business stories

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: How to draw NSProgressIndicator correctly on Big Sur NSStatusBar?

Before OS X Big Sur it was working fine (screenshots 2 and 3) using this code:
let prog = NSProgressIndicator(frame: NSMakeRect(1, 2, 18, 18))
let statusItem = NSStatusBar.system.statusItem(withLength: NSStatusItem.variableLength)

prog.style = .spinning
prog.isIndeterminate = false
statusItem.button?.addSubview(prog)
statusItem.menu = statusMenu

But after update, it appears with 4 corners and empty inside (first screenshot).
Any idea how to fix?
UPDATE 1:
After following El Tomato suggestions:
prog.controlSize = .small
prog.controlTint = .blueControlTint
prog.appearance = NSAppearance(named: .vibrantLight)

it looks like this:

But how to make it look as in Catalina (Pie chart)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Trade Winds Survives I-44 Expansion
All the work along I-44 has us frantically searching for alternate routes in and out of the Patrick Henry neighborhood. Skelly Drive resembles the Baja 500 and the intersection of 51st and Harvard has been a war zone. But the work is necessary, and long overdue.
The Skelly Bypass, as this stretch of I-44 through Tulsa used to be known, was originally built in 1957. The stretch between Yale and the Arkansas River has been virtually unchanged since then. And it shows. Bridges and underpasses are crumbling, the lanes are narrow and entrance ramps have merge areas that are "Oklahoma City-short."
During this much-needed expansion of the Interstate we have seen many unique buildings razed or molested. Many of them were built when Skelly Drive was new and modern, so they typify that Mid-Century aesthetic. One business that has survived the highway construction is the Trade Winds East. It's hard to tell nowadays, but this Motor Hotel was quite a tiki showplace when it opened in 1959.
There were three Trade Winds hotels along I-44 in Tulsa- West was located at Peoria, Central is west of Harvard and East is just east of Harvard on Skelly Drive. The best known of the three was probably West, where the studios of KAKC radio were located along with the Tiki Nook lounge. Alas, the Tiki Nook closed in the Seventies and the western Trade Winds was demolished many years ago.
Trade Winds Central is the largest of the three, and the least interesting to look at. I worked there one Summer as a maintenance man. I learned the secrets of vinyl mattress covers and adding chlorine to the swimming pool. We were told the owners of the chain were a family from Arkansas who bred race horses. In fact, the name Trade Winds happened to be one of their more successful thoroughbreds. It was during this short stint of employment I discovered two properties- the now demolished Patrick Henry Apartments and the Trade Winds East.
Occasionally I was sent on errands to "East" to pick up a dead air conditioner or deliver pool supplies. This was when I discovered the poolside cabanas and zany roofline of the eastern-most Trade Winds. The complex was like a resort. Compared to its larger sibling across Harvard it was svelte, swingin' and ready to party. Back then I had no idea what Polynesian kitsch was, but I knew I liked it. The iconic sign with its palm trees and Googie shapes so fascinated me that a miniature version followed me home. I still have it more than 30 years later.
Today the tropical stylings of the Trade Winds East are all but obscured with stucco-covered styrofoam. The entrance and main lobby area look perfectly mundane- unless you look closely. Large beams set at a 60 degree angle reveal that something special once happened where the wall meets the ceiling. Look under the latex paint and you'll find lava rock imported from a distant island. More lava rock was recently removed from out front for the highway expansion.
Step out to the pool area and it's easier to see the hep and swinging style this place once oozed. Private cabanas are lined up along the west side of the swimming pool, each with a private patio. Their pyramid hip roofs match the larger points visible above the main building. The modest pool is outlined by a concrete apron that appears to indicate a dramatic downsizing many years ago. Today the pool is mostly quiet.
The good news is the Motor Hotel has survived the highway project, is reasonably intact and still a viable business. Most of the "modernizations" are superficial and could probably be undone with a little effort. Hopefully it will survive long enough for some visionary soul to come strip off the fake stucco, expose its inner kitsch and turn it into a restored retro rest stop. And let's hope they re-create that sign!
Photos courtesy Beryl Ford Collection
By JRB at June 10, 2010
Labels: roadside
Mike Merrill said...
Great report Rex!!


text:
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
News Clips Management System
Select Menu Home Categories Search Feedback
Mindset needs to be changed towards gender-based violence: minister
Published in: Dawn
Islamabad, Capital
ISLAMABAD: Law enforcement and the judiciary need to be sensitised and society's mindset needs to be changed towards gender-based violence, Minister for Human Rights Dr Shireen Mazari said on Thursday.
At a seminar, she said the government is committed to ensuring an equal environment for all and to ending gender-based violence.
She said that in addition to effective implementation of existing laws, new legislation to protect the rights of every citizen – women and children in particular – from domestic violence is on the cards as well.
The minister also claimed the state of human rights in Pakistan is far better than many other countries.
Dr Mazari was speaking at an event titled 'Striving to Protect and Uphold Equal Rights for All: A Public-Private Drive to End Gender Based Violence' organised by the Islamabad police and Rozan.
Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi was also present.
The seminar aimed to generate discourse on action required to end gender-based violence and to share steps taken by the police to deal with the issue.
Dr Mazari told participants that the government is committed to providing all possible support to survivors of violence.
"Besides implementing laws, there is a need to change the society's mindset to end the gender based violence. Our ministry is working on creating awareness about the laws, especially for sensitization of public," she said.
She said gender-based violence in a central issue and needs to be tackled as a priority. She added that increasing violence against marginalised groups requires a sensitised and professional police force, and praised the Islamabad police for professionalism and for their performance.
She said the police perform their duties for the public's safety and security and urged people to respect them.
Dr Mazari said minorities are being given their own personal laws, saying that the Hindu divorce and marriage law already exists and a Christian divorce bill will be presented in parliament soon.
She added that steps are being taken for the welfare of the transgender community and to ensure the implementation of the transgender law.
A separate ward has been set up for transgender patients at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, she said, and they are receiving treatment free of charge and without any inconvenience.
She added that a domestic workers bill has already been approved by cabinet and will be presented in parliament soon.
Published in Dawn, April 12th, 2019
Why austerity does matter
Alvi, ministers anticipating drive for Justice Faez Isa: Unhappy president and dejected ministers
PTM leader Dawar arrested; remanded into CTD custody
Judiciary also has to follow code of conduct: Firdous
Not So Simple
Budgetary allocations: Little has been done for child development, says researchers
KMC official shot dead in Karachi
20 labourers gunned down in Turbat
Policeman shot dead in Charsadda
Extremism: Man convicted of hate speech jailed for 8 years
HR Violation
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has launched an online searchable database (www.hrcparchive.com) (www.hrcparchives.com), which contains newspaper clippings, documents and data pertaining to human rights issues and democratic development in Pakistan. Each year hundreds of students, journalists, writers, civil society activists and researchers from within Pakistan and abroad visit the HRCP's archives at its head office in Lahore. This online archive made it possible to access the required research material in an easier, faster and more efficient way. Researchers could now benefit from this resource from all over the world. The project would strengthen the monitoring, documentation and dissemination of human rights issues in Pakistan. Currently, the electronic archival database contains more than 10,00,000 records covering a period starting from 1 January 2003 to dated. The work is underway to add archival records of the current year. The online digital archive is free for users who could search documents and news on select subjects by entering key words in the search engine of the website. The HRCP archival website is distinct from other popular search-engines like Google as it provides focused results pertaining to particular subjects and events in Pakistan in a chronological order. At the moment, HRCP's database is the only digital archive available on the internet that highlight issues related to Pakistan.
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, © 2014, All rights reserved.
Designed by Smart Soft


text:
class TestChromeLauncherControllerPerBrowser :
    public ChromeLauncherControllerPerBrowser {
 public:
  TestChromeLauncherControllerPerBrowser(
      Profile* profile, ash::LauncherModel* model)
      : ChromeLauncherControllerPerBrowser(profile, model) {}
  virtual bool IsLoggedInAsGuest() OVERRIDE {
    return false;
  }
 private:
  DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(TestChromeLauncherControllerPerBrowser);
};

class LauncherContextMenuTest : public ChromeRenderViewHostTestHarness {
 protected:
  static bool IsItemPresentInMenu(LauncherContextMenu* menu, int command_id) {
    DCHECK(menu);
    return menu->GetIndexOfCommandId(command_id) != -1;
  }

  LauncherContextMenuTest()
      : ChromeRenderViewHostTestHarness(),
        browser_thread_(content::BrowserThread::UI, &message_loop_) {}

  virtual void SetUp() OVERRIDE {
    ChromeRenderViewHostTestHarness::SetUp();
    controller_.reset(
        new TestChromeLauncherControllerPerBrowser(profile(),
                                                   &launcher_model_));
  }

  virtual void TearDown() OVERRIDE {
    controller_.reset(NULL);
    ChromeRenderViewHostTestHarness::TearDown();
  }

  LauncherContextMenu* CreateLauncherContextMenu(
      ash::LauncherItemType launcher_item_type) {
    ash::LauncherItem item;
    item.id = 1;  // dummy id
    item.type = launcher_item_type;
    return new LauncherContextMenu(controller_.get(), &item, root_window());
  }

 private:
  content::TestBrowserThread browser_thread_;
  ash::LauncherModel launcher_model_;
  scoped_ptr<ChromeLauncherController> controller_;

  DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(LauncherContextMenuTest);
};

// Verifies that "New Incognito window" menu item in the launcher context
// menu is disabled when Incognito mode is switched off (by a policy).
TEST_F(LauncherContextMenuTest,
       NewIncognitoWindowMenuIsDisabledWhenIncognitoModeOff) {
  // Initially, "New Incognito window" should be enabled.
  scoped_ptr<LauncherContextMenu> menu(
      CreateLauncherContextMenu(ash::TYPE_BROWSER_SHORTCUT));
  ASSERT_TRUE(IsItemPresentInMenu(
      menu.get(), LauncherContextMenu::MENU_NEW_INCOGNITO_WINDOW));
  EXPECT_TRUE(menu->IsCommandIdEnabled(
      LauncherContextMenu::MENU_NEW_INCOGNITO_WINDOW));

  // Disable Incognito mode.
  IncognitoModePrefs::SetAvailability(profile()->GetPrefs(),
                                      IncognitoModePrefs::DISABLED);
  menu.reset(CreateLauncherContextMenu(ash::TYPE_BROWSER_SHORTCUT));
  // The item should be disabled.
  ASSERT_TRUE(IsItemPresentInMenu(
      menu.get(), LauncherContextMenu::MENU_NEW_INCOGNITO_WINDOW));
  EXPECT_FALSE(menu->IsCommandIdEnabled(
      LauncherContextMenu::MENU_NEW_INCOGNITO_WINDOW));
}

// Verifies that "New window" menu item in the launcher context
// menu is disabled when Incognito mode is forced (by a policy).
TEST_F(LauncherContextMenuTest,
       NewWindowMenuIsDisabledWhenIncognitoModeForced) {
  // Initially, "New window" should be enabled.
  scoped_ptr<LauncherContextMenu> menu(
      CreateLauncherContextMenu(ash::TYPE_BROWSER_SHORTCUT));
  ASSERT_TRUE(IsItemPresentInMenu(
      menu.get(), LauncherContextMenu::MENU_NEW_WINDOW));
  EXPECT_TRUE(menu->IsCommandIdEnabled(LauncherContextMenu::MENU_NEW_WINDOW));

  // Disable Incognito mode.
  IncognitoModePrefs::SetAvailability(profile()->GetPrefs(),
                                      IncognitoModePrefs::FORCED);
  menu.reset(CreateLauncherContextMenu(ash::TYPE_BROWSER_SHORTCUT));
  ASSERT_TRUE(IsItemPresentInMenu(
      menu.get(), LauncherContextMenu::MENU_NEW_WINDOW));
  EXPECT_FALSE(menu->IsCommandIdEnabled(LauncherContextMenu::MENU_NEW_WINDOW));
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


ME50-868 is a 868 MHz wireless module that combines high performance to small dimensions and low cost, providing the system integrator a simple and easy way to add Wireless M-Bus connectivity. It is ideally suited for use in one or two-way data links and metering data collection from gas, heat, water or other meters.
The ME50 family is delivered with an in-house embedded Telit Wireless M-Bus stack that allows the customer to use the modules as a simple, ready-to-use modem, using AT commands over UART.
Modules are CE certified with an LGA xE Form Factor, TTL RS232 interface and operate across the industrial temperature range.


You will be redirected to our prom, pageant and evening wear website, TBC Occasions.
TBC Occasions is located within The Bridal Collection store in South Denver, and stocks the largest collection of prom and pageant dresses in the Denver Metro area.
Our wish is to provide every girl with her dream gown.
We feature top designers such as Sherri Hill, Tony Bowls, Jovani, Madison James, La Femme and Terani.
At our full service boutique, your personal stylist will help you find your perfect gown, shoes and accessories.
Like an engagement announcement, be the first in the know for all the latest news from us.


Maintain number of hives / pounds of honey you want year in year out.
Use tools to move in hive with minimal stress to bees.
Compare walkaway, swarm control, cut-down, shook and Mississippi splits.
Divide hive in to 2 or more sections.
Balance brood, pollen, honey and open space for building up.
Please bring or purchase tools / gear prior to class.
Text Brian @ 503.975.2391 when you arrive for finding us instructions.


text:
Q: OPTICS parallelism I have the following script (optics.py) to estimate clustering with precomuted distances:
from sklearn.cluster import OPTICS
import numpy as np

distances = np.load(r'distances.npy')
clust = OPTICS(metric='precomputed', n_jobs=-1)
clust = clust.fit(distances)

Looking at htop results I can see that only one CPU core is used

despite the fact scikit runs clustering in multiple processes:

Why n_jobs=-1 has not resulted in using all the CPU cores?

A: I'm the primary author of the sklearn OPTICS module. Parallelism is difficult because there is an ordering loop which cannot be run in parallel; that said, the most computationally intensive task is distance calculations, and these can be run in parallel. More specifically, sklearn OPTICS calculates the upper triangle distance matrix one row at a time, starting with 'n' distance lookups, and decreasing to 'n-1, n-2' lookups for a total of n-squared / 2 distance calculations... the problem is that parallelism in sklearn is generally handled by joblib, which uses processes (not threads), which have rather high overhead for creation and destruction when used in a loop. (i.e., you create and destroy the process workers per row as you loop through the data set, and 'n' setup/teardowns of processes has more overhead then the parallelism benefit you get from joblib--this is why njobs is disabled for OPTICS)
The best way to 'force' parallelism in OPTICS is probably to define a custom distance metric that runs in parallel-- see this post for a good example of this:
https://medium.com/aspectum/acceleration-for-the-nearest-neighbor-search-on-earths-surface-using-python-513fc75984aa
One of the example's above actually forces the distance calculation onto a GPU, but still uses sklearn for the algorithm execution.

A: I also face this problem. According to some papers (for example this, see abstract), OPTICS is known as challenging to do it in parallel because of its sequential nature. So, probably, sklearn tries to use all cores when you use n_jobs=-1, but there is nothing to run on extra cores.
Probably you should consider other clustering algorithms, which are more parallelism-friendly, for example @paul-brodersen in comments suggests to use HDBSCAN. But it seems that sklearn does not have such parallel alternative for optics, so you need to use other packages.

A: Both OPTICS and HDBSCAN suffer from a lack of parallelization. They both are sequential in nature and thus can't be passed onto a simple joblib.Parallel like DBSCAN can.
If you're looking to improve speed, one of the benefits with HDBSCAN is the ability to create an inference model that you can use to make predictions without having to run the whole cluster again. That's what I use to avoid having to run a very slow cluster operation every time I need to classify my data.


text:
require 'timeout'
require 'open-uri'
require 'net/http'

# extern libs
require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/static_image_download/images.rb'
require File.dirname(__FILE__) + '/static_image_download/parser.rb'
begin
	require 'curb'
rescue LoadError => e
	p "No curb installed"
end

begin
	require 'hpricot'
rescue LoadError => e
	p "No hpricot installed"
end

begin
	require 'nokogiri'
rescue LoadError => e
	p "No nokogiri installed"
end

# Comment below 2 libraries to reduce total library loading time if you dont need them
# If you have them installed in your system just uncomment above 2 libraries

module StaticImageDownloader

	class Downloader

		attr_accessor :url, :path, :images

		@@DEFAULTPATH = 'images'	# Default path for images

		# This is just for info:
		# user_agent 	   - Parse::DEFAULTUSERAGENT 		= 'Mozilla/5.0'
		# parse_timeout    - Parse::DEFAULTTIMEOUT			= 10
		# parse_option 	   - Parse::DEFAULTPARSEOPTION 		= 'URI_EXTRACT' # also you can use one 'NOKOGIRI' or 'HPRICOT'
		# download_timeout - Image::DEFAULTTIMEOUT			= 120
		# Image::DEFAULTDONWLOADOPTION						= 'CURB_EASY'	# also you can use 'HTTP_GET'
		# allow_dup_files  - dup_file_names					= false 		# don't get file if exists one
		# allow_dup_files  - dup_file_names [DEFAULT option]= true 			# get file if it exists as new one and add numerical prefix (1,2,3, etc.) to it's name

		def initialize(url, path=@@DEFAULTPATH)
			@url = url
			@path = path.nil? ? @@DEFAULTPATH : path
			@images = []
		end

		def self.default_path
			@@DEFAULTPATH
		end

		def parse_images(parse_option='URI_EXTRACT', parse_timeout=10, user_agent='Mozilla/5.0')
			parser = Parser.new(self.url, self.path, parse_option, parse_timeout, user_agent)
			parser.get_content_raw
			parser.parse_images
			self.images = parser.images
		end

		def parallel_download(download_option='CURB_EASY', download_timeout=120, allow_dup_files=true)
			threads = []
			self.images.each do |img|
				threads << Thread.new(img) { |image| image.download(download_option, download_timeout, :dup_file_names => allow_dup_files) }
			end
			threads.each { |aThread|  aThread.join }
			p "Total " + Images::get_successfull_pictures_number + " pictures were got"
		end

		def consequential_download(download_option='CURB_EASY', download_timeout=120, allow_dup_files=true)
			self.images.each { |img| img.download(download_option, download_timeout, :dup_file_names => allow_dup_files) }
			p "Total " + Images::get_successfull_pictures_number + " pictures were got"
		end
	end
end


text:
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Trusts are relatively easy and very tax-efficient way to set aside assets for future beneficiaries outside the inheritance tax thresholds. We can advise on the most suitable type of trust for you, set them up and provide a full range of accounting services for trusts.
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Where appropriate, we can act as trustees or executors.
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Smart TVs were selling like hotcakes (seriously, who eats hotcakes?) during Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Super Bowl sales. Except all of those hot TV events are over — does that mean that if you missed those, you're stuck paying full price until Thanksgiving?
Hell no. Dell has you covered, and this TV deal is one of the lowest we've seen, even with those holiday deals. There's also a free $225 gift card involved, so you should probably keep reading.
Brace yourself: This 55-inch Samsung 4K UHD Smart TV (UN55MU6300F model) is over $220 off right now, priced at just $579.99 — $20 less than the Black Friday price. If you're not a TV junkie and probably wouldn't do well on The Price Is Right, just know that's a massive discount.
4K means a few things: UHD has four times more pixels than regular HD, and the 4K color drive gives such a wide range of color and contrast, you'll feel like you're actually there. Remember watching movies where the scene takes place in the dark and you can barely see? Thanks to Essentials Black Pro, even the pitch black scenes are rich with detail. All of this, plus your streaming accounts and favorite apps all in one place and one click away.
And with each purchase of one of these TVs, Dell is handing out free $225 Dell gift cards. (Isn't that nice of them?) Just think about what that $225 could go towards: You could snag the Nintendo Switch, the PlayStation 4 Pro, or the Xbox One S, which also makes a great Blu-ray player to go with your new TV. (A new desktop, laptop, or pair of Bose headphones are also possibilities.) After taking $225 off of those prices, you'll end up with a brand new entertainment system for a fraction of the regular price. Learn more here.


With so many different businesses opening nowadays there are many things to take into consideration when starting your own company. Starting your own business means having to invest some capital into marketing opportunities. One wants to know that the business you are going to start has the potential to thrive and make you some profit.
Before starting your business you should do as much research as possible to ascertain the need for the product or service that you are going to offer. Many small companies never get off the ground due to insufficient research. The owners do not put in enough effort to determine the demand.
Before doing anything concrete regarding the business, consider how you are going to market it. Without marketing, your company is going to take a long time to get out there and get a name for itself. Marketing plays a vital role in the success of such a venture.
The main thing when consulting with marketing professionals is that you believe in yourself and the success of the business. Professionals are able to most of the ground work for you, but you have to have the fundamentals in place for the business to succeed. The more faith you have that the company will thrive, the better the chances are they it will.
One will find that there are many way in which to market your business. There is no doubt, that in order for your company to get a name for itself you will have to advertise. Remember, that if you are going to advertise your company is the best at something that it actually has to be. Make sure that your business produces the best product in the field and that you keep all your customers and clients happy at all times. Word of mouth is a very strong way of marketing and if you are providing the best product, people will soon start spreading the word.
Another way to advertise your business is to go on line and place an advert. There are thousands of people that browse the internet every day and this is an excellent way to gain exposure. Get the company advertised on the radio. This is a very successful way of spreading your name. It may seem a bit costly as air time is very expensive, but when the business takes off, you will not regret it.
Launch day of the business is vital and it is important that you give this day some special attention. Pull out all the stops and go all the way. Get your staff to wear printed t-shirts advertising the business and let them hand out some flyers and freebies of the product that you are providing.
Place an advert in the local newspaper, if you find such marketing opportunities viable. Hundreds of people read the papers every day and this is a great way to gain some more exposure. After putting this amount of effort into the business, it will soon get a good name and you will soon be enjoying the profits thereof.


It was a time in which "money was becoming more than simply a social convention, a medium of economic exchange. People were beginning to pursue money as a primary goal; and the amount of money one acquired determined one's status in the community."i So author Donald Spoto describes the socio-economic climate at the beginning of the 13th century – but his words could well apply to the age in which we live. For many in the world today, the pursuit of wealth has become the primary goal, and wealth still determines social status, power and influence – just as it did 700 years ago. The gap between those who have wealth and those who do not is growing – in our country and throughout the world.
In an article published in the International Herald Tribune earlier this year (March 29, 2007), Pulitzer prize-winning journalist David Cay Johnston reported that income inequality grew significantly in 2005, the most recent year for which data is available. The top 10% of Americans, he reported, reached a level of income share not seen since the Depression. While total reported income in the United States increased almost 9%, the average income for those in the bottom 90% actually fell. The gains went largely to the top 1%, whose average income rose 14% over the course of that year. The data showed that 300,000 Americans collectively enjoyed as much income as the bottom 150 million Americans, the top group receiving 440 times as much as the average person in the bottom half earned, nearly doubling the gap from 1980.
There is no denying that in today's world the rich are getting richer, and the poor are getting poorer.
And so we should listen carefully when Jesus speaks about wealth and possessions in the gospels, as he does in today's lesson from The Gospel of Luke. It is a subject he returns to often; in the gospels Jesus has more to say about money than about any other topic, including prayer. In this 16th chapter of Luke's gospel, two stories are told, both beginning with the same words: "There was a rich man…" The first story, which we heard today, speaks of the constructive use of money, while the second, the story of the rich man and Lazarus, which we'll hear next week, shows how destructive money can be to the health of the soul. The love of money can be spiritually fatal.
The first of the parables, the one we have before us today, seems an odd choice to illustrate the constructive use of money. Why would Jesus commend a steward who clearly acted dishonestly – in effect, stealing from his master in order to provide for his own security in the future? What is Jesus trying to say by using this example? Does he actually find the dishonest man's actions praiseworthy? A closer examination of the story reveals that Jesus praises the man's foresight, not his dishonest methods. He urges his disciples to exercise the same foresight in their use of material goods, using what money and possessions they have to secure for themselves heaven and the future. He admonishes them to be "shrewd" and "clever" in these things. Elsewhere Jesus warns of the dangers inherent in acquiring wealth, but here he claims that it is possible for us to manage our goods in a way that is appropriate to our lives as citizens of the kingdom of God.
What characterizes a right approach to material things? What can this story teach us about wealth and how it is to be properly managed?
Its first lesson is this: that all things belong to God and that we are stewards of what we have for God's sake. The relationship of a steward to his master in biblical times was clear: the steward's work was to care for whatever the master entrusted to him, and he was to use these things solely for master's benefit and to accomplish what he intended. The things for which the steward was responsible were not his own; they belonged to the master. They were not his to use for his own ends; he served the will of the master.
In the same way, the gospel implies, we are stewards of the gifts that God has given to us. Our heritage, our upbringing, our education, the social and economic and political status that are ours by virtue of our race, ethnicity, and class, our individual gifts and abilities, even our desire and determination to succeed – it all comes from God and belongs to God. We are stewards of God's gifts, not owners.
Now this sort of thinking runs contrary to what many of us believe. We like to believe that the wealth and privilege we enjoy are the fruit of our hard labor, that we are responsible for them and that we deserve what we have. But the truth is that we did not create these things, nor can we rightfully claim them as our own.
"All things come of Thee, O Lord, and of thine own have we given Thee." Everything we are, all that we have, ultimately comes to us from the gracious hand of God. Haven't we received the gifts of intelligence, of healthy bodies and sound minds, of creativity and industriousness and resourcefulness? How can we possibly claim them as ours? Did we decide to be born with healthy bodies and minds? Did we determine the opportunities that would be given to us in life? The truth is that all things come from God, and there is nothing that comes to us that is not, first of all, a gift from God's hands.
We are stewards of these gifts – of our money and material possessions, of our bodies and our minds, of life itself. We are given them for a time so that we might fulfill the loving purpose of the One who has given them to us. They are given to us for a purpose, a purpose that is related to the purposes of God.
The great spiritual leader of India, Mahatma Gandhi, similarly taught his followers that "Those who own money [should] behave like trustees holding their riches on behalf of the poor."iv If this understanding were to really penetrate our thinking – that we are stewards of what we have, trustees who hold these gifts on behalf of others – if we were to meditate on this thought constantly and try to act up to it, then, says Gandhi, "life on earth would be governed far more by love than it is at present."v Charity would replace greed. Generosity and concern for others would replace obsession with our own prosperity and comfort.
Jesus counsels us to use these things in ways that will bring glory to God and that will further the reign of God on the earth. It is that for which we pray daily when we say, "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven." We are agents of God's reign on earth, builders of God's kingdom. If we learn nothing else from this gospel lesson, we must learn to see ourselves as we truly are: as stewards, not owners, of what we have and are. This gospel story teaches us that the choices we make in these matters will have eternal consequences. In gospel language, either we will gain our lives by losing them to become channels of God's love, healing, forgiveness and reconciliation – or we will lose our lives by gathering to ourselves all that has been given us and using it first and foremost for our own ends.
We live in a world in which there is tremendous disparity between those who have wealth and control wealth, and those who are without these resources and without the benefits that come with them. How then shall we live?
Live as stewards of all that has been entrusted to you. Use what you have been given for God's glory and for the coming of God's kingdom on earth. Use it to bless the lives of others, to bring hope where there is despair, to create possibilities where all seems dead and lost. Manage your gifts – all of them – as if you have been entrusted with them and as if you will be held accountable for what you do or do not do with them. Attend carefully to even the smallest things.
Then you will know the joy of finding true life, the life that secures the future. Then will those comforting words be spoken to you: "Well done, good and trustworthy servant; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master" (Mt.25:21).
i Spoto, Donald; Reluctant Saint: The Life of Francis of Assisi; (New York: Penguin Group, Inc., 2002), p.57.
ii Source: Information Please Database, © 2007 Pearson Education, Inc.
iii Weissman, Robert; Multinational Monitor; July 1, 2003.
iv Gandhi, Mahatma; Mahatma, Volume IV (1934).
vi Craddock, Fred; Luke (Interpretation commentary); (Louisville: John Knox Press, 1990); p.192.
In the 60s I watched my Jesus loving parents continuously give away what they had. I was a resentful little girl – especially at Christmas where my parents delighted in providing presents for other families while my brother and I would receive one small present. My dad was a machinist – we were refuge immigrants – a working class family. I learned to admire their lovingkindnesses but thought them poor stewards for not saving for their retirement, especially after my dad lost his pension after a buyout of the company for which he had worked long and hard. But God provided. After my mom passed away at 63 God still provided as my dad housed the homeless, fought for their welfare rights, confounding and astonishing everyone, especially me. He passed over to be with our Lord at 87. Even with this great legacy of love and trust I am still learning and struggle to remind myself God is faithful to provide all we need for every good work. We truly serve best what we love most. Great stewarship is great love in action.
Thank you Brother David for reaching out with your Sermon.
How many of the top 1% are out there reading and thinking about what they can do for others?
The gifts we receive and appreciate, the simpler things in life and the opportunities to help others abound with love. To be thankful for all we have. Family, community and friendship.
Brother David, all you said was so true. We have to be thankful for all we have, so many people have so much less. If we can see & hear all our God has created, that itself is a blessing. Thank you so much.
While I agree with your ends and with your sentiments, I think it is detrimental to our/your cause to make statements that are not borne out by facts.
Both "George" and "Jose Latour" make valuable points.
In my life I try to live in such a way that the hope of the poor is not taken away.
This is an important sermon. While it can be uncomfortable, I'm always thankful to confront what makes me uncomfortable. I've heard some preachers say that their job is not only to comfort the afflicted, but also to afflict the comfortable. We need to hear this message, yet I often feel stuck. For better or worse, we live in a society in which we are expected to prepare financially for life after work/income. One of the other commenters stated being thankful for having accumulated enough to live comfortably. In this society, if we don't prepare for the future, we will end up on the streets and thus become a burden to society and/or our families. There's really no way out of this that I can see. It's similar to being a widow in Jesus' time or even in some countries today. So while we're accumulating that wealth for our own security, is that wise or greedy? Even if along the way we're giving a lot to those who have little, it still doesn't make things equal. It's a band-aid. Another option is to live in communes as the early Christians did and some still do today, and that arrangement doesn't always work well, nor does Communism.
So it's obvious that I struggle with this. Fact is, I struggle deeply with it. I feel that my husband and I live wisely, responsibly, and generously, but even in our generosity, others still suffer. Having said that, I realize the problem is not mine alone to solve. I think about this often and welcome sermons like this, but would appreciate some realistic guidance. It seems like we're all living in scarcity mode. I also feel trapped — and frankly dismayed — by the idea that in this day and age we need to prepare for possibly 30 years of living after work/income. YEESH!
I am trying to live with faith, trust, and Peace about all this, but it does get complicated, at least from my point of view.
Everything belongs to God. Yet, we receive Gods free gifts everyday… air, sun, stars, water, grace and the ability to choose our god. When we choose our life and money over the love of God we choose a poor god. All our efforts to maintain our status, security, health will be for nothing as we turned on the TV this week and viewed how quickly all can be removed. Perhaps the greatest gifts we can give God are the ones God gives to us freely, commitment and love. Because true love always desires to be giving, to be present, to face hardship and find ways to help alleviate pain and suffering with any resources. Even if all we have is one ear to listen and pray. All God asks is for us to be willing to try. God promises to provide what we need, teaching us to trust in his mercies. Even if those mercies appear after our physical death. For there is much more after this life. Which is why Jesus acknowledged that the rich have their consolation now.
This very morning I was worrying about my retirement income…when really I should be on my way to the parish I am currently working with. Thank you Lord for working in a mischievous way! Time to stop just thinking and preaching it and live it out myself…my parishioners will love it when I tell them. Great sermon… the percentages are probably even greater and more troubling ten years since this was preached.
It is interesting that we are so nearsighted that we miss the point of your sermon, that is, that we are stewards of our possessions, not owners. I am nearing the time when I look around at my meager possessions and wonder how they will be disposed of after my death. I dare not hold on to any of it very tightly! I just thank God that we were able to accumulate enough for our comfort while here on earth and share some for His glory. Thanks for this homily. We sometimes resist being hit in such a sensitive spot– our pocketbooks!!
Thank you for this posting. I must admit that I sometimes take my talents and gifts for granted. I am so grateful for this posting. Thank you.
America's wealth gap is growing, as it is worldwide. True Christian charity guiding prudent government policies can make the difference between creating a culture of dependance and creating true opportunities for people to find their marketable and respectable place in our economy. Teach a man (or woman) how to fish if he or she can; if the poverty is that of a child, of the elderly, of the disabled, then charity – both private and public – is the only Christian response.
It is difficult but important to address from a broader perspective. Those who get the short end of the stick in the eyes of the world live under the same gospel message. Everything they have is also a gift of God. And yet they have the same responsibilities to use what they have been given for God's glory to help others.
But what an extra burden so many carry. Who deserves to be sexually abused or profoundly physically challenged? Is it fair that some are born into poverty with severe learning differences? Do the wealthy deserve their fair share? Are "deserve" and "fair" even concepts that can have any meaning in God's world?
We are all at a different point on the spectrum with regard to possessions, health, challenges, opportunities and options. But it seem to me that Jesus teaches the same lesson to everyone of us, notwithstanding our circumstances. The widow with the one coin to donate is in the same place that I am in. It is only a matter of quantity. Her gifts may be limited to the one coin and a smile to a sad person.
It distorts our view of the world God has created to always focus of the wealth divide. Of course it is huge and the worlds resources are and always have been unevenly distributed. The wealthy have this unending burden to share in to material ways to help the disadvantaged in terms of economic security and opportunity.
But we limit this message of Jesus way to much when we read these lessons on the wealthy in this narrow manner. We are all wealthy in God's eyes and we all have the responsibility to share with love what we have been given in love.
Perhaps it helps to add what Gandhi's identifies as social sins and remind ourselves that economic inequalities are the result of our choices!
Over the years I must have read this sermon before. This morning though it made me angry as I wonder how the people at the other end of the financial world see their lot in life: their gifts!
I know of a small group of people who suffer from schizophrenia. Most of them are on a disability income: $1,000.00 a month. Rents in this city probably cost them $6-700.00 a month, so they have the balance to live on for four-five weeks. Their Association, decided in its wisdom, to shut down the local support office – while it continues to enjoy superb offices in Toronto.
I wonder how these suffering people view their gifts of health, quality of life, etc. etc.
And, what do I do about it? Not enough.
As I struggle with the concept of wealth and my own financial management, I appreciate your words. On one hand, we are trained to be consumers or producers, and that only that which can be measured "exists". There may be thousands of words for money, but none can explain the dynamics of my great uncle plotted my father and uncles against another through gifting houses, or the situation a friend of mine is in depleting his retirement savings to pay his rent. I can only look at the breath which Merton describes as a gift and grace, one that is both involuntary yet conscious, as the only real real currency we have.
Timely, still, as we see from the reference to the time of St. Francis. We are so caught up with power, position, and stuff that we clutter our path to God – we struggle to move closer. Thank you for reposting this sermon!
Br. David this is very much about the individual. What about our responsibility as communities as members of nations? Do we continue to collude with what produces these effects or do we protest and make hard choices to live more simply that others might simply live? Why doesn't the church take a corporate stance to this effect and talk about greed not just poverty? Why do we Episcopalians support million dollar mortgages in our NY city head quarters?
you pointed out, a subject which Jesus, by his words, felt was very important.
Joy, joy, joy! So THAT'S what losing one's Life means! Thank you SO much!


text:
Population growth showing projections for later this century.
(See also alternative view of chart).
Demography (from Greek demos, people or population, and grapho, description) is the statistical study of all populations. It can be a very general science that can be applied to any kind of dynamic population, that is, one that changes over time or space (see population dynamics). It encompasses the study of the size, structure and distribution of populations, and spatial and/or temporal changes in them in response to birth, migration, aging and death.
Demographic analysis can be applied to whole societies or to groups defined by criteria such as education, nationality, religion and ethnicity. In academia, demography is often regarded as a branch of either anthropology, economics, or sociology. Formal demography limits its object of study to the measurement of populations processes, while the more broad field of social demography population studies also analyze the relationships between economic, social, cultural and biological processes influencing a population.[1]
The term demographics is often used erroneously for demography, but refers rather to selected population characteristics as used in government, marketing or opinion research, or the demographic profiles used in such research.
1 Etymology
2 Data and methods
3 Important concepts
4 Basic demographic equation
6 The demographic transition
7 The science of population
7.1 Population geography
10 Further reading
11.1 Centers
11.2 Journals
11.3 Other
The term Demography derives from the Greek: δημογϝαφία (dimographia), Etymologically is compound of the words δήμος (dēmos) "people", and γϝαφία (graphia) "write or record"
There are two methods of data collection: direct and indirect. Direct data come from vital statistics registries that track all births and deaths as well as certain changes in legal status such as marriage, divorce, and migration (registration of place of residence). In developed countries with good registration systems (such as the United States and much of Europe), registry statistics are the best method for estimating the number of births and deaths.
The census is the other common direct method of collecting demographic data. A census is usually conducted by a national government and attempts to enumerate every person in a country. However, in contrast to vital statistics data, which are typically collected continuously and summarized on an annual basis, censuses typically occur only every 10 years or so, and thus are not usually the best source of data on births and deaths. Analyses are conducted after a census to estimate how much over or undercounting took place. Censuses do more than just count people. They typically collect information about families or households, as well as about such individual characteristics as age, sex, marital status, literacy/education, employment status and occupation, and geographical location. They may also collect data on migration (or place of birth or of previous residence), language, religion, nationality (or ethnicity or race), and citizenship. In countries in which the vital registration system may be incomplete, the censuses are also used as a direct source of information about fertility and mortality; for example the censuses of the People's Republic of China gather information on births and deaths that occurred in the 18 months immediately preceding the census.
Indirect methods of collecting data are required in countries where full data are not available, such as is the case in much of the developing world. One of these techniques is the sister method, where survey researchers ask women how many of their sisters have died or had children and at what age. With these surveys, researchers can then indirectly estimate birth or death rates for the entire population. Other indirect methods include asking people about siblings, parents, and children.
There are a variety of demographic methods for modeling population processes. They include models of mortality (including the life table, Gompertz models, hazards models, Cox proportional hazards models, multiple decrement life tables, Brass relational logits), fertility (Hernes model, Coale-Trussell models, parity progression ratios), marriage (Singulate Mean at Marriage, Page model), disability (Sullivan's method, multistate life tables), population projections (Lee Carter, the Leslie Matrix), and population momentum (Keyfitz).
Important concepts
A population pyramid is an age/sex distribution diagram.
Important concepts in demography include:
The crude birth rate, the annual number of live births per 1000 people.
The general fertility rate, the annual number of live births per 1000 women of childbearing age (often taken to be from 15 to 49 years old, but sometimes from 15 to 44).
age-specific fertility rates, the annual number of live births per 1000 women in particular age groups (usually age 15-19, 20-24 etc.)
The crude death rate, the annual number of deaths per 1000 people.
The infant mortality rate, the annual number of deaths of children less than 1 year old per 1000 live births.
The expectation of life (or life expectancy), the number of years which an individual at a given age could expect to live at present mortality levels.
The total fertility rate, the number of live births per woman completing her reproductive life, if her childbearing at each age reflected current age-specific fertility rates.
The gross reproduction rate, the number of daughters who would be born to a woman completing her reproductive life at current age-specific fertility rates.
The net reproduction ratio is the expected number of daughters, per newborn prospective mother, who may or may not survive to and through the ages of childbearing.
Note that the crude death rate as defined above and applied to a whole population can give a misleading impression. For example, the number of deaths per 1000 people can be higher for developed nations than in less-developed countries, despite standards of health being better in developed countries. This is because developed countries have relatively more older people, who are more likely to die in a given year, so that the overall mortality rate can be higher even if the mortality rate at any given age is lower. A more complete picture of mortality is given by a life table which summarises mortality separately at each age. A life table is necessary to give a good estimate of life expectancy.
The fertility rates can also give a misleading impression that a population is growing faster than it in fact is, because measurement of fertility rates only involves the reproductive rate of women, and does not adjust for the sex ratio. For example, if a population has a total fertility rate of 4.0 but the sex ratio is 66/34 (twice as many men as women), this population is actually growing at a slower natural increase rate than would a population having a fertility rate of 3.0 and a sex ratio of 50/50. This distortion is greatest in India and Myanmar, and is present in China as well.
Basic demographic equation
Suppose that a country (or other entity) contains Populationt persons at time t. What is the size of the population at time t + 1 ?
Natural increase from time t to t + 1:
Net migration from time t to t + 1:
This basic equation can also be applied to subpopulations. For example, the population size of ethnic groups or nationalities within a given society or country is subject to the same sources of change. However, when dealing with ethnic groups, "net migration" might have to be subdivided into physical migration and ethnic reidentification (assimilation). Individuals who change their ethnic self-labels or whose ethnic classification in government statistics changes over time may be thought of as migrating or moving from one population subcategory to another.[2]
More generally, while the basic demographic equation holds true by definition, in practice the recording and counting of events (births, deaths, immigration, emigration) and the enumeration of the total population size are subject to error. So allowance needs to be made for error in the underlying statistics when any accounting of population size or change is made.
Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406) is regarded as the "father of demography" for his economic analysis of social organization which produced the first scientific and theoretical work on population, development, and group dynamics. His Muqaddimah also laid the groundwork for his observation of the role of state, communication and propaganda in history.[3]
The Natural and Political Observations ... upon the Bills of Mortality (1662) of John Graunt contains a primitive form of life table. Mathematicians, such as Edmond Halley, developed the life table as the basis for life insurance mathematics. Richard Price was credited with the first textbook on life contingencies published in 1771,[4] followed later by Augustus de Morgan, 'On the Application of Probabilities to Life Contingencies', (1838).[5]
At the end of the 18th century, Thomas Malthus concluded that, if unchecked, populations would be subject to exponential growth. He feared that population growth would tend to outstrip growth in food production, leading to ever increasing famine and poverty (see Malthusian catastrophe); he is seen as the intellectual father of ideas of overpopulation and the limits to growth. Later more sophisticated and realistic models were presented by e.g. Benjamin Gompertz and Verhulst.
The period 1860-1910 can be characterized as a period of transition wherein demography emerged from statistics as a separate field of interest. This period included a panoply of international 'great demographers' like Adolphe Quételet (1796-1874), William Farr (1807-1883), Louis-Adolphe Bertillon (1821-1883) and his son Jacques (1851-1922), Joseph Körösi (1844-1906), Anders Nicolas Kaier (1838-1919), Richard Böckh (1824-1907), Wilhelm Lexis (1837-1914) and Luigi Bodio (1840-1920) contributed to the development of demography and to the toolkit of methods and techniques of demographic analysis. [6]
The demographic transition
World population from 500CE to 2150, based on UN 2004 projections[7] (red, orange, green) and US Census Bureau historical estimates[8] (black). Only the section in blue is from reliable counts, not estimates or projections.
Main article: Demographic transition
Contrary to Malthus' predictions and in line with his thoughts on moral restraint, natural population growth in most developed countries has diminished to close to zero, without being held in check by famine or lack of resources, as people in developed nations have shown a tendency to have fewer children. The fall in population growth has occurred despite large rises in life expectancy in these countries. This pattern of population growth, with slow (or no) growth in pre-industrial societies, followed by fast growth as the society develops and industrializes, followed by slow growth again as it becomes more affluent, is known as the demographic transition.
Similar trends are now becoming visible in ever more developing countries, so that far from spiraling out of control, world population growth is expected to slow markedly in the next century, coming to an eventual standstill or even declining. The change is likely to be accompanied by major shifts in the proportion of world population in particular regions. The United Nations Population Division expects the absolute number of infants and toddlers in the world to begin to fall by 2015, and the number of children under 15 by 2025.[7] The figure in this section shows the latest (2004) UN projections of world population out to the year 2150 (red = high, orange = medium, green = low). The UN "medium" projection shows world population reaching an approximate equilibrium at 9 billion by 2075. Working independently, demographers at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Austria expect world population to peak at 9 billion by 2070.[9] Throughout the 21st century, the average age of the population is likely to continue to rise.
The science of population
Populations can change through three processes: fertility, mortality, and migration. Fertility involves the number of children that women have and is to be contrasted with fecundity (a woman's childbearing potential).[10] Mortality is the study of the causes, consequences, and measurement of processes affecting death to members of the population. Demographers most commonly study mortality using the Life Table, a statistical device which provides information about the mortality conditions (most notably the life expectancy) in the population.[11] Migration refers to the movement of persons from an origin place to a destination place across some pre-defined, political boundary. Migration researchers do not designate movements 'migrations' unless they are somewhat permanent. Thus demographers do not consider tourists and travelers to be migrating. While demographers who study migration typically do so through census data on place of residence, indirect sources of data including tax forms and labor force surveys are also important.[12]
Demography is today widely taught in many universities across the world, attracting students with initial training in social sciences, statistics or health studies. Being at the crossroads of several disciplines such as geography, economics, sociology or epidemiology, demography offers tools to approach a large range of population issues by combining a more technical quantitative approach that represents the core of the discipline with many other methods borrowed from social or other sciences. Demographic research is conducted in universities, in research institutes as well as in statistical departments and in several international agencies. Population institutions are part of the Cicred (International Committee for Coordination of Demographic Research) network while most individual scientists engaged in demographic research are members of the International Union for the Scientific Study of Population – IUSSP or, in the United States, in the Population Association of America.
Population geography
Population geography is demography in a geographic frame.[13] It is sometimes interchangeable with the term geodemography, though the former is sometimes identified as the impact from populations on the environment in contrast with the latter meaning the impact of the environment on populations.[14] The lines between demography and population geography are growing more blurred over time.
Since its inception, population geography has taken at least three distinct but related forms, the most recent of which appears increasingly integrated with human geography in general. The earliest and most enduring form of population geography emerged in the 1950s, as part of spatial science. Pioneered by Glenn Trewartha, Wilbur Zelinsky, William A. V. Clark, and others in the United States, as well as Jacqueline Beujeau-Garnier and Pierre George in France, it focused on the systematic study of the distribution of population as a whole and the spatial variation in population characteristics such as fertility and mortality. Population geography defined itself as the systematic study of:
the simple description of the location of population numbers and characteristics
the explanation of the spatial configuration of these numbers and characteristics
the geographic analysis of population phenomena (the inter-relations among real differences in population with those in all or certain other elements within the geographic study area).
Accordingly, it categorized populations as groups synonymous with political jurisdictions representing gender, religion, age, disability, generation, sexuality, and race, variables which go beyond the vital statistics of births, deaths, and marriages. Given the rapidly growing global population as well as the baby boom in affluent countries such as the United States, these geographers studied the relation between demographic growth, displacement, and access to resources at an international scale.
Examples can be shown through population density maps. A few types of maps that show the spatial layout of population are choropleth, isoline, and dot maps. [15]
Besides describing the makeup of a population, Population geography also compares populations to draw conclusions about physical and human geography.
↑ Andrew Hinde Demographic Methods Ch. 1 ISBN 0-340-71892-7
↑ See, for example, Barbara A. Anderson and Brian D. Silver, "Estimating Russification of Ethnic Identity Among Non-Russians in the USSR," Demography, Vol. 20, No. 4 (Nov., 1983): 461-489.
↑ H. Mowlana (2001). "Information in the Arab World", Cooperation South Journal 1.
↑ "Our Yesterdays: the History of the Actuarial Profession in North America, 1809-1979," by E.J. (Jack) Moorhead, FSA, ( 1/23/10 – 2/21/04), published by the Society of Actuaries as part of the profession's centennial celebration in 1989.
↑ The History of Insurance, Vol 3, Edited by David Jenkins and Takau Yoneyama (1 85196 527 0): 8 Volume Set: ( 2000) Availability: Japan: Kinokuniya)
↑ de Gans, Henk and Frans van Poppel (2000) Contributions from the margins. Dutch statisticians, actuaries and medical doctors and the methods of demography in the time of Wilhelm Lexis. Workshop on 'Lexis in Context: German and Eastern& Northern European Contributions to Demography 1860-1910' at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock , August 28 and 29, 2000.
↑ 7.0 7.1 United Nations (2004). "World Population to 2300" (PDF). New York: United Nations. http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/longrange2/WorldPop2300final.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
↑ US Census Bureau. "Historical Estimates of World Population". U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. http://www.census.gov/ipc/www/worldhis.html. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
↑ Lutz, Wolfgang; Sanderson, Warren; Scherbov, Sergei (1997-06-19). "Doubling of world population unlikely" (PDF). Nature 387: 803-805. http://ace1.ma.utexas.edu/users/davis/375/reading/worldbirthrate.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
↑ John Bongaarts. The Fertility-Inhibiting Effects of the Intermediate Fertility Variables. Studies in Family Planning, Vol. 13, No. 6/7. (Jun. - Jul., 1982), pp. 179-189.
↑ N C H S - Life Tables
↑ Donald T. Rowland Demographic Methods and Concepts Ch. 11 ISBN 0-19-875263-6
↑ Castree, N., Kitchin, Rogers. "population geography. In A Dictionary of Human Geography.". http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199599868.001.0001/acref-9780199599868-e-1426.
Demographics of present-day nations and states
Biodemography
Biodemography of human longevity
Linguistic demography
Nurgaliev's law
Religious demography
Gompertz-Makeham law of mortality
Globalization and Health
Important publications in demography
Medieval demography
Social surveys: General Social Survey, ALLBUS, GSOEP, PSID, European Social Survey, World Values Survey, National Longitudinal Survey
Population Reference Bureau
The Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill established in 1966 and currently one of the preeminent population centers, known for its high-quality research and training.
Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan one of the oldest and most active demography research centers in the United States.
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) a non-governmental research institution studying sustainability and the human dimensions of global change for the scientific community, policy makers and the public.
Institut national d'études démographiques French National Institute
Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research The MPIDR began its activities in October 1996, but it has already become one of the largest non-governmental research bodies in demography in the world.
Population Research Institute (Penn State)
Look up demography in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Glad, John. 2008. Future Human Evolution: Eugenics in the Twenty-First Century. Hermitage Publishers, ISBN 1-55779-154-6 [1]
Preston, Samuel, Patrick Heuveline, and Michel Guillot. 2000. Demography: Measuring and Modeling Population Processes. Blackwell Publishing.
Paul R. Ehrlich (1968), The Population Bomb Controversial Neo-Malthusianist pamphlet
Leonid A. Gavrilov & Natalia S. Gavrilova (1991), The Biology of Life Span: A Quantitative Approach. New York: Harwood Academic Publisher, ISBN 3-7186-4983-7
Phillip Longman (2004), The Empty Cradle: how falling birth rates threaten global prosperity and what to do about it
Joe McFalls (2007), Population: A Lively Introduction, Population Reference Bureau [2]
Ben J. Wattenberg (2004), How the New Demography of Depopulation Will Shape Our Future. Chicago: R. Dee, ISBN 1-56663-606-X
Andrey Korotayev, Artemy Malkov, & Daria Khaltourina (2006). Introduction to Social Macrodynamics: Compact Macromodels of the World System Growth. Moscow: URSS, ISBN 5-484-00414-4 [3]
Demographic Winter 52 minute documentary on demography and global underpopulation
Demographic Bomb Part II documentary (to Demographic Winter) on demography and the effects of population control
This article's external links may not follow wiki.gis.com's content policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links.
Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Demography at the University of Southampton
Department of Demography, University of California, Berkeley
Département de démographie, Université de Montréal
Department of Demography, Cedeplar, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
Center for Demography and Ecology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison one of the leading centers of demographic research in the world.
Centre for Population Studies, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the UK's largest research centre focusing on demography and reproductive health.
Committee for International Cooperation in National Research in Demography aims at developing cooperation amongst national population research centres, and encouraging new research
Hopkins Population Center Hopkins Population Center was established in 1971 with a mandate to stimulate and facilitate interdisciplinary population research. It is the only NICHD funded center in a school of public health.
Population and Health graduate program Population and Health Graduate Program in the Dept of Population and Family Health Sciences at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Population Studies Center at the University of Pennsylvania
PAA The Population Association of America is a society of professionals working in the population field. PAA members include demographers, sociologists, economists and public health professionals.
Demography Demography is the official journal of the Population Association of America.
Rivista Italiana di Economia Demografia e Statistica RIEDS, Italian Review of Economics Demography and Statistics, Sieds (in Italian, some articles are in English).
Population Studies a journal of demography.
Online Journal Demographic Research A free, open access, expedited, peer-reviewed journal of the population sciences published regularly on the web.
Demographic mapping and reporting for the UK
Historicalstatistics.org Links to historical demographic and economic statistics
The Population Reference Bureau has two introduction to demography texts on line. "Population Handbook" and "Population: A Lively Introduction".
CensusScope U.S. Social Demography site containing data, charts, and color coded maps for country, state, county, and metropolitan geographies.
PopulationData.net Information and maps about populations around the world. French, with Babelfish translation.
Phillip Longman, New Statesman, 31 May 2004, "Everywhere, even in Africa, the world is running out of children"
Ed Stephan's Timeline of Demography Highlights in the history of demography from 3800 BC to 2000 AD.
United Nations Population Division Homepage (e.g. Population Estimates and Projections Data Online)
UN 2004 population projections
Java Simulation of Population Dynamics.
Social and Spatial Inequalities
Basic Guide to the World: Population changes and trends, 1960 to 2003
Brief review of world basic demographic trends
Retrieved from "http://wiki.gis.com/wiki/index.php?title=Demography&oldid=763059"
Wiki.gis.com external links cleanup


While a number of national monuments and government buildings escaped the Virginia earthquake unscathed, both the Washington Monument and the National Cathedral are likely to remain closed for several days.
After reports of the Washington Monument possibly leaning due to a 5.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Virginia Tuesday, the National Park Services has revealed an inspection found cracks in the stones at the top of the Monument.
The National Park Services also reported damage to three of the four pinnacles atop the main tower of the National Cathedral, and visible cracks in the church's structure. Officials also reported minor cracks, broken glass at 1857 Smithsonian Castle.
The Lincoln and Jefferson memorials were closed for several hours but reopened Tuesday evening.
Tuesday's temblor also prompted precautionary shutdowns of 10 nuclear power plants in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey and the evacuation of the Pentagon and the U.S. Capitol. The White House and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building were also evacuated as a precaution.
The closings follow in the wake of a rare, powerful 5.8-magnitude earthquake that rattled the east coast of the U.S. on Tuesday afternoon, damaging older buildings, shutting down much of the nation's capital. Tremors from the 5.8-magnitude quake centered in Virginia were felt on some parts of Martha's Vineyard on Tuesday, including in Oak Bluffs, where reporters were traveling with President Obama.
How credible are Libya's rebel leaders?


Discussion how i can show thumb of photo user on Who's Online??
do you have the pro version? or the free one?
im afraid im using the 0.8 version of whosonline, maybe you have the 1.3 version, you can just compare the 1.3 version with mine and copy the necessary changes.
@Aolee ok thx.., one more time, why my thumb picture in who's online different with my profile picture?? what's wrong??
I just installed this version but it doesnt match my theme now like the original text version did.
doesn't match your theme? or didn't worked at all?
b. didn't worked at all? => what version do you have? haven't tested on vanilla older than 2.0.18 . sorry dont have time to check on lower version.
Sorry i should of been more clear.
It DID work and worked well, but it didnt match the theme.
My theme has green boxes, but the WHos Online module came up as a light grey box with a black border.
Im going to look at the class file you suggest, but to be honest, i dont understand what im looking at that well.
style="background:none repeat scroll 0 0 #F5F5F5;"
Now it matches. Thank You very much for your help!
oh so i have more recent hacked version of the WhosOnline to display User Image.
is you hack compatible with the latest versions?
@sahotataran do you think it will work with WhosOnline Pro?
i am not sure. i just modified 1.3 and it works fine.
So playing with this, got it working with images. So thats cool.


The UK government has set up right touch regulation of a number of health care professions using a system of Accredited Registers (ARs) through the Professional Standards Authority, www.professionalstandards.org.uk, who oversee the regulation of the statutory health and social care professions.
This new process applies to the United Kingdom and replaces regulation by title through the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC) for those professions that are not already regulated by the HCPC, such as counselling, psychotherapy and play therapy.
PTUK's The Register of Play and Creative Arts Therapists was one of the first batch of three ARs to be approved (April 2013).
PTUK, having indicated that it wished to be in the forefront of regulation, was chosen by the PSA as one of five professional organisations to participate in the pilot programme to develop and test the proposed standards and procedures.
The programme exists to provide assurance that accredited registers are well run and achieve its high standards. The PSA, assures PTUK, who assures its registrants, and the practitioners assure themselves using PTUK's standards.
Parents, commissioners and employers will seek practitioners who are on an accredited register because this assures them that registered practitioners are more likely to be competent and to behave ethically, professionally and compassionately. Children are a particularly vulnerable client group. Choosing a therapeutic practitioner who is not on the PTUK AR is taking an unwarranted risk.
As a trainee you will be taking a big career risk if your course does not meet the requirements of the Register.


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This custody update breaks our hearts. We feel AWFUL that Lyfe Jennings has to go through this.
Matt Stacey
Weekend Contributor
Recently, Lyfe Jennings has been blasting his baby mama for refusing him visitation with his kids. The singer has headed to court pleading with the judge to order he be allowed time with them, while also denying allegations he hurt their mental & emotional health.
The singer and Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta reality star denies all allegations saying he violated the previous court order. Throughout the years, he claims that he has exercised liberal parenting time with his kids, until recently, when Joy Bounds, (the mother to two of his children), began wrongfully refusing to allow him to see them. Lyfe wants the judge to order a visitation schedule so she can't refuse him. He asks that the motion for contempt be denied and that she pay his legal bills.
Joy filed a petition for contempt in a Georgia Court. The two battled it out in court over custody and support years ago, with a final order being entered into their case back in 2009. Per the 2009 court order, Lyfe was ordered to maintain life insurance for his kids and pay the medical expenses.
However, since the order was entered, Joy says Lyfe has made her life hell by refusing to provide proof of life insurance, not paying his kid's medical expenses, along with negatively intervening in the kid's religious beliefs and teachings and has intervened in their emotional and mental health. So, Joy was awarded primary physical AND legal custody of their kids. She was granted the power to make all important life decisions for her sons. The singer was awarded only visitation in the order. He was also ordered to pay $4k a month in support to Joy for their boys.
Yeowch. I know reality stars in general don't bank THAT much money, so $4K a month has got to be a hit to the pocket book. I suspect Lyfe does well, but child support decisions are made at the PEAK of your earning with no adjustable fixed rate. Meaning, if you are pulling down a lot of bread when you get divorced, that settlement amount does NOT change if you subsequently begin to make LESS money in the future.
Bounds also sued, demanding Lyfe be found in contempt of court for violating the 2009 order and wanted the judgeto order him to comply. Also, earlier this year, the singer was hit with a restraining order which required that he stay 200 yards away from Joy and their 2 children.
According to her petition, she accused Lyfe of trying to brainwash their boys (with what? Scientology? Communism?) and even threatened her with violence. The singer was arrested back in 2008 for allegedly kicking down Joy's home door, firing shots, and proceeding to lead police on a high speed chase. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison.
Bounds claimed she feared for her safety after Lyfe made light threats including telling his baby mama she wasn't hard to find and told her after an incident: "I'm gonna remember this."
Lyfe claimed he was a good father and others would back up his claim. Which maybe true, but apparently he's not such a good husband. Whatever Lyfe may have done to this woman, it's clear she has an axe to grind and she's going to grind it between Lyfe's ass.
5 Things That Make Men Look Weak In A Woman's Eyes
Netflix and Chill- 8 'Must See' Black Movies on Netflix


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Home > Galleries > 2018 04 16 Communist protesters damage statue of Harry S. Truman, Athens, Greece > Riot police clash with protesters by the statue of Harry S. Truman in Vassileos Georgiou Street in central Athens, Greece
Pictured: Riot police clash with protesters by the statue of Harry S. Truman in Vassileos Georgiou Street in central Athens, Greece. Monday 16 April 2018
Re: Clashes broke out between protesters and the police when members of the Greek Communist Party (KKE) attempted to vandalise the statue of former US President Harry S. Truman, during a protest against the bombing of Syria by the US and its allies.
athn_160418_anti_usa_protest_4769.jpg
Copyright Athena Picture Agency Ltd
greek, hellenic, harry, truman, riot, police, clashes, fights, protesting, politics, bombing, syria, assad, asad, united, states, of, america


Feminist Camille Paglia ripped modern feminism, Lena Dunham, and "soulless" Hillary Clinton in a recent interview published by Spiked.
Clinton isn't the only woman whom Paglia thinks has co-opted feminism to use as a tool for her own personal gain.
Dunham uses feminism as a platform to project her own personal struggles, particularly her struggles with her own body image, onto the rest of society and find an external outlet to express them, Paglia said.
She lamented that modern feminism has encourage millennials to demand coddling from college administrations in an effort to cocoon themselves.


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OIC resolves to 'promote, protect' common interests of Muslim world
Thu, 24 Mar 2022 9:22 GMT
The two-day summit of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) ended on Wednesday in Pakistan's capital Islamabad with a resolve to "promote and protect" the common interests of the Muslim world, and support the "just" causes of...
The two-day summit of foreign ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) ended on Wednesday in Pakistan's capital Islamabad with a resolve to "promote and protect" the common interests of the Muslim world, and support the "just" causes of Palestine and Kashmir.
In a joint declaration, the participants rejected terrorism in all "forms and manifestations" and attempts to attribute it to any country, religion, nationality, race or civilization.
The 48th OIC summit was attended by foreign ministers and delegates from 57 Islamic countries and observer states.
"The declaration contents are inspired by noble Islamic values and ideals enshrined in the OIC Charter; they are anchored in the principles and purposes of UN Charter," said a statement by the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.
The Declaration, which captures the summit's theme of "Partnering for Unity, Justice and Development," represents the "assessment of the global political, security, humanitarian, economic, and technological issues and our vision and views to address them."
The statement added: "The Declaration articulates the resolve of the OIC member states to support the just causes such as Palestine, Kashmir and others."
It vowed to unify efforts to address the common challenges faced by the Muslim world, and to uphold the "rights and interests" of Muslim minorities in the non-OIC countries.
The OIC, it added, would pursue a "shared vision" for greater social, economic, scientific, and technological development and integration within the Muslim world and beyond.
It reaffirmed a collective desire to promote harmony, tolerance, peaceful co-existence, better standards of life, as well as human dignity and understanding among all people.
The declarations includes a proposal for convening a ministerial meeting later this year or next to evolve solutions and develop mechanisms and tools to prevent conflicts and promote peace.
Islamophobia and Afghanistan
The declaration welcomed the unanimous decision of UN General Assembly to proclaim March 15 as International Day to Combat Islamophobia as well as the Islamabad summit's decision to appoint a special envoy in this regard.
Rejecting terrorism, it reiterated the OIC's strong position against attempts to equate the legitimate struggle of people for self-determination with terrorism.
The declaration welcomed the operationalization of the Afghanistan Humanitarian Trust Fund, which was signed in March 2022 in Islamabad.
It also pointed out the member states' views on the devastating social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the climate change on developing countries, and called for a "series of concrete" actions on coronavirus vaccine equity, debt relief, countering of illicit financial flows and fulfilment of climate financing commitments as well as technology transfer and capacity building.
The declaration also acknowledged the growing role of innovation and emerging technologies in stimulating growth and digital transformation, and expressed shared resolve to promote linkages and partnerships.
Mediation initiative
Meanwhile, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that China is ready to support Islamabad's initiative of mediation between Russia and Ukraine amid war.
In his address to the OIC foreign ministers' summit on Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan suggested that China, together with the OIC, should play a mediatory role to stop the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
"I met with Chinese Foreign Minister (Wang Yi) today and discussed this (proposal). They (China) are ready to throw their weight behind our proposal," Qureshi said while addressing a news conference along with OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha in Islamabad.
"We have discussed this issue with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as well," he said without elaborating on the response of the two Gulf states.
"I will visit China within next few days. We will further discuss this issue there," he added.
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Council of Europe criticizes Denmark for creating room for Paludan's provocations
European countries face continued medicine shortages: Survey
Trudeau appoints Canada's 1st special rep. to combat Islamophobia
At least 20 dead, 96 injured in Pakistan mosque bombing


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Second half defense fuels Hornets in 39-32 win over Bulldogs
By JARED GREENLEAF
sports@cheboygantribune.com
INDIAN RIVER — It's usually a stiff challenge to play two games in two nights.
Don't tell that to the Pellston girls' basketball team.
Fueled by their rock solid defense, the Hornets outscored a shorthanded Inland Lakes team 11-4 in the fourth quarter to help claim their second win in two nights in a 39-32 road victory on Thursday.
While it wasn't pretty by any means, Pellston coach Barbara Ingraham was pleased with her team's ability to stay cool down the stretch.
"I felt really good because we were making some mistakes and had some turnovers," said Ingraham, "but we didn't get down on ourselves and just kept our heads in the game and kept our cool. I called a couple key timeouts when we started getting rattled, settled the girls down, and they wanted this win badly, so it was really exciting."
After falling down 30-28 early in the fourth quarter, the Hornets blitzed the Bulldogs with an 8-0 run, keyed by two layups from Tori Kirsch, and buckets by Abbie Welch and Dana Zulski, making it a 36-30 lead with 2:34 left to play. A layup by Inland Lakes' Sandy Bischoff cut the Hornets' lead to 36-32 with 1:40 left, but the Hornets were able to hang on for the Ski Valley win.
Ingraham credited her team's defense, who held the Bulldogs to just four points in the fourth quarter.
"We switched a couple things to get them off their game and out of their rhythm," Ingraham said. "We slowed the pace down in the fourth quarter so we could hold on to that lead, and they did a nice job of taking care of the ball, which I was really proud of."
"They didn't give up and hung in there when things always didn't go their way."
The Hornets used their tenacious defense to hold Bischoff to just two second half points, while also containing Bulldogs' senior sharpshooter Sarah Kolb, who finished with just eight points on a lethargic shooting night.
"We needed to shut Bischoff down, keep people on her," Ingraham said. "We wanted to know where she was at at all times, so that was the difference for us. The girls stepped up to the plate, we knew we had to cover each other when we got out of position, we had to make some key switches, and they were right on top of that."
The Bulldogs, who were without injured senior starters Caitlin Connelly and Hannah Passino, struggled to find their offensive rhythm all evening.
"A big part of our offense was sitting on the bench injured," Inland Lakes coach Sarah Howard said. "Hannah is our top defender and Caitlin has a major presence in the post, and it showed that we were missing them, because the younger players don't have the experience. It's not that they don't have the skill, they just don't have the experience and the game time that they need to be able to play at the same caliber as some of the other players. They did work hard tonight and they did have a lot of good moments, but there was a lot of other things that we could've done better."
The Hornets also used their size to help wear down the Bulldogs, as senior forwards Emma Dunham and Tori Kirsch both finished with 15 and seven points—many of which came in the paint.
With two wins in two nights—including a 54-30 win over Mancelona on Wednesday—Ingraham believes her team is starting to mesh at the right time.
"I think if we play well like we did the last two nights, and we're in the mood to keep improving, and all the girls are coachable and willing to work at it, I think we're going to pull out more wins this season that might've been losses earlier in the season," she said. "That's our focus right now."
Dana Zulski and Kelly Lewis both chipped in with four points apiece to help out Pellston.
Bischoff finished with a team-high 14 points for the Bulldogs, while Briana Burris and Liz VanAlstine each chipped in with four.
Inland Lakes (4-8) will travel to Forest Area next Tuesday, while Pellston will play on Tuesday against Central Lake.