text:
Q: How to plot a variable over time with time as rownames I am trying to plot a time series in ggplot2. Assume I am using the following data structure (2500 x 20 matrix):
set.seed(21)

n <- 2500
x <- matrix(replicate(20,cumsum(sample(c(-1, 1), n, TRUE))),nrow = 2500,ncol=20)

aa <- x

rnames <- seq(as.Date("2010-01-01"), length=dim(aa)[1], by="1 month") - 1
rownames(aa) <- format(as.POSIXlt(rnames, format = "%Y-%m-%d"), format = "%d.%m.%Y")
colnames(aa) <- paste0("aa",1:k)

library("ggplot2")
library("reshape2")
library("scales")

aa <- melt(aa, id.vars = rownames(aa))
names(aa) <- c("time","id","value")

Now the following command to plot the time series produces a weird looking x axis:
ggplot(aa, aes(x=time,y=value,colour=id,group=id)) +
  geom_line()

What I found out is that I can change the format to date:
aa$time <- as.Date(aa$time, "%d.%m.%Y")
ggplot(aa, aes(x=time,y=value,colour=id,group=id)) +
  geom_line()

This looks better, but still not a good graph. My question is especially how to control the formatting of the x axis.
Does it have to be in Date format? How can I control the amount of breaks (i.e. years) shown in either case? It seems to be mandatory if Date is not used; otherwise ggplot2 uses some kind of useful default for the breaks I believe.
For example the following command does not work:
aa$time <- as.Date(aa$time, "%d.%m.%Y")
ggplot(aa, aes(x=time,y=value,colour=id,group=id)) +
  geom_line() +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks=pretty_breaks(n=10))

Also if you got any hints how to improve the overall look of the graph feel free to add (e.g. the lines look a bit inprecise imho).

A: You can format dates with scale_x_date as @Gopala mentioned. Here's an example using a shortened version of your data for illustration.
library(dplyr)

# Dates need to be in date format
aa$time <- as.Date(aa$time, "%d.%m.%Y")

# Shorten data to speed rendering
aa = aa %>% group_by(id) %>% slice(1:200)

In the code below, we get date breaks every six months with date_breaks="6 months". That's probably more breaks than you want in this case and is just for illustration. If you want to determine which months get the breaks (e.g., Jan/July, Feb/Aug, etc.) then you also need to use coord_cartesian and set the start date with xlim and expand=FALSE so that ggplot won't pad the start date. But when you set expand=FALSE you also don't get any padding on the y-axis, so you need to add the padding manually with scale_y_continuous (I'd prefer to be able to set expand separately for the x and y axes, but AFAIK it's not possible). Because the breaks are packed tightly, we use a theme statement to rotate the labels by 90 degrees.
ggplot(aa, aes(x=time,y=value,colour=id,group=id)) +
  geom_line(show.legend=FALSE) +
  scale_y_continuous(limits=c(min(aa$value) - 2, max(aa$value) + 1)) +
  scale_x_date(date_breaks="6 months",
               labels=function(d) format(d, "%b %Y")) +
  coord_cartesian(xlim=c(as.Date("2009-07-01"), max(aa$time) + 182),
                  expand=FALSE) +
  theme_bw() +
  theme(axis.text.x=element_text(angle=-90, vjust=0.5))


Home » Kids: Get Your Sleep!! Lack of Sleep Could Lead to Diabetes!
"These findings suggest increasing sleep duration could offer a simple, cost-effective approach to reducing levels of body fat and type 2 diabetes risk early in life," senior study author Christopher Owen of St. George's, University of London, said by email.
Kids 6 to 12 years old should get 9 to 12 hours of sleep a night, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Children who got less sleep in the study were more likely to have a risk factor for diabetes known as insulin resistance, when the body doesn't respond normally to the hormone . They were also more likely to be extremely overweight or obese and have more body fat, the study also found.
"When kids are going to bed very late or sleeping on an irregular schedule, they may also be skipping meals, eating at irregular times, or be less likely to exercise during the day," according to Stacey Simon, a pediatric sleep psychologist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Children's Hospital Colorado.
Insufficient sleep can affect levels of hormones that control appetite, making kids hungrier and increasing cravings for sweet and salty snacks, said James Gangwisch, a psychiatry researcher at Columbia University in New York who wasn't involved in the study."Getting enough sleep helps keep our appetite in check and is protective against insulin resistance," Gangwisch added.


text:
package com.acmeair.customer.templates;

import br.com.six2six.fixturefactory.Fixture;
import br.com.six2six.fixturefactory.Rule;
import br.com.six2six.fixturefactory.loader.TemplateLoader;
import com.acmeair.entities.Customer;
import com.acmeair.morphia.entities.CustomerAddressImpl;
import com.acmeair.morphia.entities.CustomerImpl;
import com.acmeair.morphia.entities.CustomerSessionImpl;

import java.text.SimpleDateFormat;

import static com.seanyinx.github.unit.scaffolding.Randomness.nextId;
import static com.seanyinx.github.unit.scaffolding.Randomness.uniquify;

public class CustomerTemplateLoader implements TemplateLoader {
    @Override
    public void load() {
        Fixture.of(CustomerAddressImpl.class).addTemplate("valid", new Rule() {{
            add("streetAddress1", uniquify("broad way ave "));
            add("streetAddress2", uniquify("white plain street "));
            add("city", random(String.class, "Beijing", "NYC", "Chicago", "White Plains", "Boston"));
            add("stateProvince", random(String.class, "NY", "TX", "TK"));
            add("country", random(String.class, "USA", "China", "Canada"));
            add("postalCode", uniquify("60"));
        }});

        Fixture.of(CustomerImpl.class).addTemplate("valid", new Rule() {{
            add("_id", String.valueOf(nextId()));
            add("password", uniquify("password"));
            add("status", random(Customer.MemberShipStatus.class));
            add("total_miles", random(Integer.class, range(1, 100000)));
            add("miles_ytd", random(Integer.class, range(1, 100000)));
            add("address", one(CustomerAddressImpl.class, "valid"));
            add("phoneNumber", random(String.class, uniquify("086"), uniquify("065")));
            add("phoneNumberType", random(Customer.PhoneType.class));
        }});

        Fixture.of(CustomerSessionImpl.class).addTemplate("base", new Rule() {{
            add("_id", uniquify("session-id"));
            add("customerid", uniquify("customer-id"));
            add("lastAccessedTime", instant("now"));
        }});

        Fixture.of(CustomerSessionImpl.class).addTemplate("valid").inherits("base", new Rule() {{
            add("timeoutTime", afterDate("2099-01-01", new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd")));
        }});

        Fixture.of(CustomerSessionImpl.class).addTemplate("expired").inherits("base", new Rule() {{
            add("timeoutTime", beforeDate("2009-01-01", new SimpleDateFormat("yyyy-MM-dd")));
        }});
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Visitors to the store can choose to view all items, or only those compatible with their phone. The necessary software client is available in English, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish. There is support for operator billing in Australia, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Russia, Singapore, Spain and the U.K.. In the rest of the world users pay using credit cards.
U.S. mobile operator AT&T will offer integrated support for the Ovi store later this year, Nokia said.
The opening of the store is a step in the right direction for Nokia, allowing it to compete with Apple's iPhone App Store and Research In Motion's BlackBerry App World, Wood said.
The first days of business at the store may turn out to be shaky. The Ovi Store site crashed during its first hours of business, according to Wood, who wonders if it's just a temporary glitch or if Nokia has underestimated the complexity of launching an application store.


text:
Big Data Renews Fight Over the Origin of Animals
A new study is the latest in the long-running dispute over which lineage—sponges or comb jellies—is the ancestor to all animals
By Amy Maxmen, Nature on March 25, 2017
The debate over which lineage came first — sponges (pictured) or comb jellies — is far from settled. Credit: icelight Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Evolutionary biologists have battled for years over which animal lineage came first — sponges or comb jellies. The answer could transform how scientists understand the evolution of the human nervous system, digestive system and other complex traits.
A study published on March 16 in Current Biology, sides with the sponges, using an unprecedented array of genetic data to deduce that they were the first to branch off from the animal tree of life1. Sponges are simple creatures that lack a head, nerves and guts, so the conclusion makes intuitive sense. But big data doesn't necessarily lead to better answers, some researchers warn.
"They've got a large data set, but almost certainly this is not the final word," says David Hillis, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Texas at Austin who was not involved with the project. "This is just such a tough problem to solve."
Peering back through 600 million years of transformation is hard. It seems that every animal descends from ancestors on one of five branches near the base of the tree. But these five groups look very different from one another today. There are sponges, comb jellies, cnidarians (including sea anenomes, corals and jellyfish), bilaterally symmetrical animals (such as humans and clams) and obscure, microscopic worms called placozoans.
Battle of the branches
For the better part of the past century, zoologists arranged these branches according to their judgements of what was simple and what was complex. Sponges fell to the bottom branch, and bilaterally symmetrical animals resided higher up. But in 2008, a genetic analysis published in Nature put comb jellies, rather than sponges, near the root of the evolutionary tree2.
This arrangement rattled evolutionary biologists because it upended the idea that animal complexity increased over time. It implied that nerves and other characteristics evolved independently in different lineages, and were subsequently lost in sponges. Since then, studies have supported or contradicted the rearrangement, but all have been plagued by problems.
In the most recent study1, the authors attempt to resolve one of the biggest challenges in building evolutionary trees based on DNA comparisons. Some genomes evolve faster than others, and fast-evolving genomes from unrelated animals can converge on a similar sequence. "By chance, lineages accumulate genetic similarities not due to a shared history but due to random change," explains Michaël Manuel, an evolutionary biologist at the Institute of Biology Paris-Seine, and the study's senior author.
This problem is called long-branch attraction, because mathematical models depict genetic changes as additional lengths on the branches of the diagrams they produce. Long branches can cluster together on a tree as a result of these convergences, or because their genetic sequences are so unlike others in the tree. Either way, the clustering suggests that two lineages are related when they're not. Manuel suspects that the long branches of non-animals such as fungi attract the comb-jelly lineage because, for unknown reasons, comb-jelly genomes have accumulated an unusual number of changes over time.
Flip-flopper
To skirt such long-branch attraction, Manuel and his colleagues analyzed 1,719 genes from an unparalleled range of species. It took computing power from Canada, Germany, Belgium and France to crunch the numbers. The team also tested several mathematical models that accounted for biological phenomena, including the fact that certain genetic changes are more likely than others. They chose a model called CAT, partly because of how well it reproduced sections of the animal tree that have already been confirmed.
The results from the CAT model placed sponges on the earliest branch of the animal family tree. Some other models that the team used had put comb jellies at the base. "The fact that the results flip-flop with different models is a bad sign," says Hillis, who was not involved with the work.
Casey Dunn, an evolutionary biologist at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island who also was not involved in the study, agrees. "Unfortunately, this is telling us that adding more species data isn't moving the needle on the problem."
In the future, Hillis suggests, biologists should explore genomic data that are less prone to long-branch attraction, because the chance of random convergence is lower. For instance, genes rarely insert themselves into other genes, but it happens. Hillis concedes that finding a solution will not be easy. "But this tree really matters," he says. "It changes how we understand major things that happened in evolution."
This article is reproduced with permission and was first published on March 24, 2017.
Amy Maxmen
Amy Maxmen [www.amymaxmen.com] is a Brooklyn-based science journalist whose work appears in Nature, The Smithsonian, Nova/PBS and other outlets.
What a Joe Biden Presidency Would Mean For Science
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Watch Out for These Science Events in 2020
Artificial Intelligence Nails Predictions of Earthquake Aftershocks
Corals in a Hurricane: Deep Reefs under Threat
Animal vision evolved 700 million years ago
November 20, 2012 — Lucas Brouwers
The Surprising Origins of Evolutionary Complexity
August 1, 2013 — Carl Zimmer
Genome Reveals Comb Jellies' Ancient Origin
January 9, 2013 — Amy Maxmen and Nature magazine

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The FTC today announced a $25 million settlement with the marketers of the Ab Circle Pro, an exercise machine that promises you can lose weight and get ripped abs in "just 3 minutes a day;" meanwhile, a federal judge has also approved a $478 million settlement in the FTC's case against a "get rich quick" infomercial king. A good day for consumers.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Bumbo, maker of a baby seat linked to at least 21 skull fractures, have announced a repair recall to install a free safety belt. U.S. PIRG and other consumer groups had pressured them to act.


text:
<?php

namespace App\Utils;

use Illuminate\Database\Migrations\Migration;
use DB;
use Exception;

abstract class RawMigration extends Migration
{
    /**
     * Get the RAW SQL to use for migrating the database
     *
     * @return string
     */
    abstract function getRawSqlMigration();

    /**
     * Execute a database migration
     */
    public function up()
    {
        DB::unprepared($this->getRawSqlMigration());
    }

    /**
     * Roll back a database migration: Not supported for raw SQL migrations
     *
     * @throws Exception
     */
    public function down()
    {
        throw new Exception("Rollback of migrations is not supported!");
    }
}


Welcome to Beards Hill Liquors Rebate Mall. This is your destination for huge savings on the products you love. Scroll below to check out the rebates available in store and online.
Jim Beam, Pinnacle, and Others.


RxMedsListNoRx.com provides Prescription - Free online access to DDAVP, FDA-approved drug. If you are looking for a way to buy DDAVP, RxMedsListNoRx.com is right for you. Purchase DDAVP and thousands of other prescription drugs at our Online Pharmacy. Prescription is not required to buy DDAVP online at our website - you can buy prescription drugs without prescription.
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East Vanity Parlour is a full service hair salon in East Vancouver BC. We provide free consultations, cuts, colour, full hair styling, wedding packages, and makeup.
1hr $50. 45min $40. 30min $30. 15min $15.
1hr $55. 45min $45. 30min $35. 15min $15.
1hr $60. 45min $50. 30min $40. 15min $20.
1hr $65. 45min $55. 30min $45. 15min $20.
1hr $70. 45min $60. 30min $50. 15min $25.
1hr $75. 45min $65. 30min $55. 15min $25.
IN HOUSE CONSULTATIONS ARE FREE. All stylists at EVP charge $100 an hour for extension application. BYOB (bring your own bundle) or have us order your hair for you. 2-3 business days are required after your consultation to have your extensions ready for install. Custom colours are available by request.
We do kids cuts at EVP….
over 15 is regular hourly rate.
Most add-on services will add about $20-$30 to your service.
a $100 PER HOUR IS general idea of what your colour will cost (service TIME +product COST).
When charging for colour at EVP it's important to us that we can personalize your experience. Having a basic, roots, full color and highlights menu doesn't serve us the way it used to. There are so many new styles and techniques out there now that we find its best to put our heads together and come up with a plan that suits your needs, goals, budget and dreams. On top of our hourly rate we charge for the product that we use to give you your desired look. In most situations the bill works out to be $100 per hour.
We do a ton of wild colour at EVP and our experience is a huge advantage when it comes to getting you to your desired shade efficiently. We do strongly suggest that you consider stocking up on proper after care products at the shop to maintain your hair until your next appointment, so don't forget to set aside a budget for at home care. It really is the only way we can guarantee our services.
If you are interested in a job that you suspect may be a BIG undertaking or an all day event, then just remember that our quotes and consultations are always free. Anything over 3 hours requires a 50% deposit due when you book your appointment.
We love doing weddings!!! Our hourly rate applies to makeup, hair, travel time and trials The only extra costs would be for extensions, hair pieces, lashes or makeup kit fees.
We often have full wedding parties in the shop and we do our best to accommodate wedding parties that need us to come onsite.
Our hourly rates apply to makeup applications, and makeup kit fees range from $5-$30. We have a large selection of lashes available at EVP that can be purchased any ol' day or can be added into your kit fee on the day of your service.


Boston, Massachusetts, has its place in American history and continues to be an important location for both leisure and business travel. While researching Boston, we interviewed Cynthia Page, a corporate flight attendant with over 15 years of experience.
Boston is a major city in the New England region of the United States. Boston is home to a growing technology sector, financial institutes, and world-famous sports teams. While it can be expected to be busy almost year-round with conferences, sports, technology, and banking industry events, the peak travel seasons for Boston are summer and fall.


text:
Wilderness Leadership School
Patrons & Ambassadors
WWC
Harnessing Nature's Power
Royal Family Support Conservation
China to host 11th WWC
Katherine Jenkins Performs for Rhino
Wilderness Foundation Global (WFG) is an international alliance of action-oriented, like-minded organizations which know that wilderness areas have local meaning and global significance, with direct importance to human health, well-being and inspiration. Founding members are Wilderness Foundation Africa, Wilderness Foundation UK, and the WILD Foundation (USA), with the Wilderness Leadership School (KwaZulu Natal, South Africa) as a patron partner.
In addition to the global reach of the programmes of each member, WFG has four main areas of global impact that we founded and directly facilitate:
The World Wilderness Congress , established in 1977, convenes every four years in a global, public process that produces practical and inspiring conservation results through the collaboration of diverse leaders and experts of all ages in science, policy, business, media & communications, traditional communities and lifeways, the arts & humanities, and civil society.
The Wilderness Conservation Fund expands protected areas and their effective management by the private and public sectors, and by local communities. Special emphasis is given to the establishment of new wilderness protected areas and ecological corridors in global biodiversity hotspots and areas of community and cultural significance.
The Wilderness Specialist Group of the World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN) assures the best global wilderness policy and legislation that systematically address the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, safeguards the irreplaceable life support services of wild nature, and provides direct cultural and social benefits to human communities.
The Survival Revolution is the global campaign for Nature Needs Half! Protecting intact wilderness is the most important, cost-effective, and immediate action we can take to directly address the three biggest threats facing us: climate breakdown, pandemics, and mass extinction of species. Saving wilderness saves massive economic losses, strengthens human health, and increases the strength and resilience of nature to protect and support us. Protecting wilderness is a major public health priority.
WFG is also a founding member of and an active proponent for Nature Needs Half, a science-based, culturally relevant, open-structure public movement to protect and interconnect at least half of the earth's lands and seas for the well-being of all life.
Forever Wild Rhino
The Mali Elephant Project
Forest, Culture, Future -- Yawanawa Leadership to protect the rainforest
Agad-treun (Scotland)
Wildlife Operations Group
World Wilderness Congress
Nature Needs Half
Umzi Wethu
Wilderness Foundation UK
Trinity House, 2 Whitbreads BC, Chelmsford, Essex
T: +44 207 183 0689 I Email Us
CEO | Jo Roberts
WILD Foundation
717 Poplar Avenue, Boulder, CO 80304
T: +1 303 442 8811 I Email Us
President | Vance Martin
Wilderness Foundation Africa & Wilderness Foundation Global Executive Office
11 Newington Str, Richmond Hill, PE
T: +27 41 373 0293 I Email Us
CEO | Andrew Muir
© Wilderness Foundation. Website design by Perfect Circle and SimonSays.


Alright, so I know Apple is trying to sell us iPads with this commercial. That's fair enough. But I've watched this over and over again and I am more floored by the amazing life of Cherie King, the star of the video, than anything else. Cherie King is in fact a travel blogger. She's not just any travel blogger. She's a journalist that travels the world and takes in the beauty of our planet with only four senses. Cherie King is deaf. Yet, this has not stopped her for one moment in her travels and ambitions. She has been to nearly ever corner of this earth and has captured amazing moments with her camera and her ability to craft a story in a most inviting way. And as you see in the Apple commercial below, the Apple iPad has helped her significantly along the way.
So, for those of you taken with the commercial, I thought it only right to tell you where you could learn more. Follow Cherie King's blog - Flight of The Travel Bee - as she continues to travel the world and share her adventures.


text:
Sandown v. Timberlane, Doc. No. 218-2015-CV-706 (Rockingham Super. Ct., August 7, 2015) (Schulman, J.)
Rockingham, ss.
TOWN OF SANDOWN, et al.
TIMBERLANE REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
218-2015-CV-00706
Before the court is a motion for a preliminary injunction filed by the plaintiffs, the towns of Sanborn and Danville, against the defendant Timberlane Regional School District ("Timberlane" or "the School District"). The towns seek to prevent the School District from using the Sandown Central Elementary School facility as an elementary school.
The court believes that neither town has standing to maintain this action, and that the court lacks subject matter jurisdiction and constitutional authority to hear this case. However, because the towns have not had a reasonable opportunity to brief this issue, the court INVITES SUPPLEMENTAL MEMORANDA from all parties on the issue of standing within thirty days of the clerk's notice of this order. If supplemental memoranda are not filed, the case will be dismissed for lack of standing by means of a final order.
Even assuming, dubitante, that one or both of the towns might have standing, the court finds that they would not be entitled to preliminary relief. Therefore, the motion for a preliminary injunction is DENIED.
[2] Overview
Timberlane is a cooperative school district comprised of four towns including Sanborn and Danville. See generally, RSA 195. Two of Timberlane's school facilities are located in Sanborn:
-Sandown Central Elementary School ("Sandown Central") was used through June, 2015 as the elementary school for Sandown students in grades four and five.
-Sandown North Elementary School ("Sandown North") was used through June, 2015 for Sandown students in grades K through 3,
Prior to Timberlane's 2015 annual meeting, there had been some debate in the district over whether Sandown really needed two elementary schools. Some individuals advocated combining all six grades at Sandown North in order to reduce cost redundancies. Others advocated preserving the status quo, even if it would be more costly.
At the annual meeting in March 2015, voters approved the District's general operating budget, as proposed by the district (known as Article 2), but rejected two special warrant articles concerning the elementary schools in Sandown, i.e.,
-Article 4, proposed by the School Board, which sought to appropriate $1,160,544 to Sandown Central for both capital and operating expenses; and
-Article 11, proposed by citizen petition, which sought to appropriate $602,528 for operating expenses for Sandown Central if article 4 failed to pass.
Pet. Ex. B at 2-3.
Because the voters rejected Articles 4 and 11, Timberlane began plans to consolidate Sandown Central with Sandown North. In July 2015, the School Board [3] approved a plan to (a) move Sandown fourth and fifth graders from Sandown Central to Sandown North, (b) move Sandown preschool and kindergarten student from Sandown North to Sandown Central and (c) use Sandown Central for special education programs for preschool and kindergarteners from several, if not all of the towns within the District. Id. Ex. F at 4.
Thus, if the District's plan is implemented, Sandown Central School would be repurposed from a school solely for Sandown's fourth and fifth graders to a school for Sandown's preschoolers and kindergarteners and the District's youngest special education students.
The towns of Sandown and Danville brought this action to stop this from becoming reality. They seek to have the Sandown Central School building mothballed, or at least used for some purpose other than elementary school instruction. They argue that by virtue of RSA 32:10,I(e) (the so-called "no means no" law), the voters' disapproval of Articles 4 and 11 bars the School Board from using any funds from its general operating budget to run elementary school programs in the building. Timberlane responds that the RSA 32:10,I(e) does not apply because the School Board is only using funds approved in the general operating budget and properly allocable to the elementary school operations in general.
Separately, the towns argue that Timberlane's superintendent, Dr. Earl Metzler, violated New Hampshire's right-to-know law by convening and operating a non-public advisory committee, whose mission was to study the consolidation of Sandown Central and Sandown North. The towns claim that their remedy for these non-public meetings [4] is judicial invalidation of the School Board vote adopting the Superintendent's committee's recommendation.
On July 24, 2015, the court held a hearing on the towns' request for a preliminary injunction.
Additional Facts
Timberlane is a so-called "SB 2 District," meaning that it has adopted the provisions of RSA 40:13 relative to its annual meeting. In SB2 districts, the annual meeting where the district budget is approved takes place over the course of two sessions that are held on different dates. The first session is a deliberative session during which the voters discuss and consider amendments to warrant articles proposed by the School Board and/or citizen petition. RSA 40:13, IV. At the second session the voters cast ballots to approve or disapprove the warrant articles to the extent they may have been amended. RSA 40:13, VI and VII. If the voters reject the proposed operating budget, and if a special meeting is not later convened, a default budget equal to the previous year's operating budget, with certain increases and decreases is deemed to be adopted. RSA 40:13, IX and X.
The line items for the proposed operating budget and other budgetary warrant articles are posted for the public on a form devised by the Department of Revenue Administration. See, RSA 32:5. In Timberlane's case, the DRA form is known as an "MS 27."
In January 2015, the Timberlane School Board held public meetings to discuss and determine the budgetary proposals that would be placed on the District's warrant for the upcoming annual meeting. Those proposals included warrant Articles 2 (the [5] Board's proposed operating budget), 4 (the Board's proposal for capital and operating funds for Sandown Central) and 11 (a citizen petition for operating funds for Sandown Central).
At a January 15 hearing, Dr. Metzler related that the District's counsel had opined that "if both articles [4 and 11] regarding the operating costs for Sandown Central fail to pass, then the School Board is not legally allowed to spend any funds to keep Sandown Central open in 2015-2016." Id. Ex. G at 2. The School Board nonetheless adopted and proposed the following wording for Article 4:
Sandown Central Elementary School Kitchen Renovation and Operational Costs: Shall the voters of the Timberlane Regional School District raise and appropriate up to $1,160,544, with $744,299 to be used for the operational costs of Sandown Central Elementary School and $416,245 to renovate the kitchen at Sandown Central Elementary School and to further authorized the District to withdraw the said $416,245 from the existing School Building Construction, Reconstruction, Capital Improvements and Land Purchase Capital Reserve Fund? (Only $744,299 shall be raised by taxation.)
Id. Ex. B at 2. This language was presented to the voters at the District's deliberative session.
Article 11 was added to the School District warrant by citizen petition and was presented to the voters at the deliberative session as follows:
Continue Operation of Sandown Central: Shall the voters of the Timberlane Regional School District raise and appropriate up to $602,528 for the continuing operation of Sandown Elementary School as an elementary school?
Id. Ex. B at 3.
During the course of the deliberative session, Timberlane's legal counsel was asked whether Sandown Central could remain open if Articles 4 and 11 were both [6] defeated. He answered, "by law it could not." Id. Ex. N at 11. Articles 2, 4 and 11 were then approved at the deliberative session without any amendments or alterations.1
The MS-27 form prepared by Timberlane's budget committee and posted for the voter's consideration set forth both (a) the appropriations proposed in the general operating budget and (b) those proposed in Articles 4 and 11. See, Supplemental Exs. Ex. K at 2. The proposed general operating budget shows an overall increase of $388,425 from the prior year's budget. See, Id. Ex. K at 3.
The line items on the MS-27 relating to the proposed operating budget (Article 2) are not broken down by school, grade or town. Nonetheless, neither party suggests that the proposed operating budget failed to include funds for faculty, staff, administration, supplies, non-capital equipment and non-capital expenses related to physical accommodations for the education of the Town of Sandown's K through 6 students. Indeed, the School District was required to appropriate such funds through either its operating budget or a default budget. See, RSA 189:1 ("It shall be the duty of the school board to provide at district expense elementary and secondary education to all pupils who reside in the district . . .").
Nonetheless, Article 4 and 11 also proposed operating funds for "Sandown Central Elementary School." The line items on the MS-27 for these two warrant articles included additional funds under the same headings as those listed for operating budget. The School District now argues that Articles 4 and 11 proposed extra operating funds for an elementary school in the Sandown Central building. The towns argue that [7] Articles 4 and 11 were the only articles that proposed any funds that could be used for elementary school operations within the building.
As noted above, the general operating budget was ultimately approved, while Articles 4 and 11 were rejected. Subsequent to the vote, Dr. Metzler formed a committee to make recommendations with respect to the consolidation of Sandown Central with Sandown North. Committee members included the district's assistant superintendent, local residents, teachers, directors of various departments in the district, a school board member, a budget committee member, and the principals of Sandown Central and Sandown North. See Pet. Ex. C at 3. The committee's purpose was limited to "offering recommendations to the Superintendent ...." Id. Ex. C at 6. Members of the public were not permitted to attend the committee's meetings.
The committee's report was completed on May 19, 2015 and submitted to the school board for consideration at a May 21 public hearing. The committee recommended using Sandown North for Sandown students in grades 1 through 5, while using Sandown Central for (a) Sandown students in preschool and kindergarten and (b) special education for preschool and kindergarten for some or all towns within the district. Id. Ex. F at 4. Consistent with these recommendations, the school board voted to consolidate the schools and move preschool, kindergarten, and special education classes to Sandown Central. Id.
I. Standing
A party's standing to sue is a question of subject matter jurisdiction, which may be addressed at any time. Eby v. State, 166 N.H. 321, 334 (2014); Libertarian Party of [8] New Hampshire v. Secretary of State, 158 N.H. 194, 195 (2008); Hughes v. N.H. Div. of Aeronautics, 152 N.H. 30, 35 (2005). Indeed, as the New Hampshire Supreme Court recently held in Duncan v. State, 166 N.H. 630, 643 (2014), a plaintiff's standing is a constitutional prerequisite to the exercise of judicial power under Part II, Article 74 of the State Constitution. In Duncan, the Supreme Court struck down an amendment to the declaratory judgment statute, RSA 491:22, that purported to grant standing to all taxpayers in a taxing district to challenge government actions. In doing so, the Court construed Part 2, Article 74 to include the same standing requirements as Article III of the Federal Constitution requires for federal judicial action. See also, Libertarian Party, 158 N.H. at 195-96 (noting "the constitutional principle that the judicial power ordinarily does not include the power to issue advisory opinions."); Asmussen v. Commissioner N.H. Dep't of Safety, 145 N.H. 578, 588 (2000) (same).
To have standing a plaintiff must "have personal legal or equitable rights that are capable of being redressed by the court." Duncan, 166 N.H. 643. Put another way, "[i]n evaluating whether a party has standing to sue, we focus on whether the party suffered a legal injury against which the law was designed to protect." Libertarian Party, 158 N.H. at 195-196, (quoting Asmussen, 145 N.H. at 587). This requirement that the plaintiff have skin in the game "tends to assure that the legal questions presented to the court will be resolved, not in the rarified atmosphere of a debating society, but in a concrete factual context conducive to a realistic appreciation of the consequences of judicial action." Duncan, 166 N.H. at 643.
In this case the plaintiffs are the governments of two towns. They are not students or parents. Although they object to the use of School District dollars, the town [9] governments do not pay School District taxes. They do not claim that their town coffers have or will be harmed. They do not claim that any of their operations have or will be affected. Although the towns complain about the School District's policies, town governments are not charged with developing, overseeing or auditing such polices. Nor are town governments granted ombudsman-like authority to inspect, correct and litigate a school district's adherence to state budgetary statutes.
The towns have no responsibility for any operations at the Sandown Central Elementary School building and grounds. If somebody slips and falls on the school grounds, the town would not ordinarily be liable (absent, of course, some specific action on the town's part). If a teacher is wrongfully discharged, the town would have no responsibility either before the Human Rights Commission or the courts. If the roof caves in during a heavy snow storm, the town and its carrier would be spared the cost. Although the Town may have to expend resources in connection with motor vehicle traffic and other activities incidental to the operation of a school facility, these concerns would have been addressed, and fully resolved, as part of the school siting process long ago.
The government of the Town of Sandown claims that it has standing because if, in the future, the Sandown School District withdraws from Timberlane, the Sandown Central Elementary School building and grounds will be transferred to the Sandown School District (subject to payments for capital additions and improvements made by Timberlane). See, RSA 195:28. There are two flaws with this argument:
First, although the geographic boundaries of the Sandown School District are the same as those of the Town of Sandown, see RSA 194:1, the Town government does [10] not represent the School District. A school district is a separate and distinct municipal corporation, see, RSA 194:2, that is governed by a separately elected school board. See, RSA 671:4. When-as is likely the case here-there is no school board because the school district has joined a cooperative school district, there is a statutory procedure for the appointment of agents to represent the dormant school district's interests. RSA 195:16-C provides that:
If there shall arise any occasion which shall require the doing of any act or thing by or in behalf of a pre-existing district which has ceased to exist by reason of its inclusion in a cooperative school district, the superior court shall have the power, upon application of 3 registered voters domiciled in the territory of the pre-existing school district, to appoint an agent who, subject to the approval of the superior court, shall have the power on behalf of and in the name of the pre-existing school district to do any act or thing that may be just under the circumstances.
There is no statutory or other authority that permits a town government to stand in the shoes of a dormant school district as a sort of guardian or next friend. Thus, the government of the Town of Sandown has no claim in any capacity to a legal, equitable, possessory, remainder, reversionary or residual interest in the Sandown Central Elementary School building and grounds.
Second, the dormant Sandown School District's interest in the property is far too contingent and remote to confer standing on either the school district or its agents. It is true that Timberlane is presently conducting a feasibility study regarding Sandown's possible withdrawal from the cooperative school district. However, any actual withdrawal is years away and will require the approval of the District's voters. To the extent that the Sandown School District may have a remainder or residual interest in Timberlane's property within its boundaries, it might have standing to prevent waste or encumbrances. However, in this case Timberlane proposes to do nothing that would [11] either result in a wasteful diminution of the value of the property or a legal encumbrance of the property. The dormant Sandown School District cannot possibly be harmed by the presence of preschoolers and kindergarteners in a building that it might (or might not) "inherit" years down the road.
Finally, the towns argue that they have standing because they collect both the town and school district taxes. However, this is a purely ministerial function and the tax collector's job responsibilities will not change depending on what use is made of the Sandown Central Elementary School facilities.
For all of these reasons, the court believes that neither plaintiff has standing. However, the court is cognizant that the issue of standing has not been fully briefed by the parties. The question of the towns' standing was first broached by the court sua sponte during the hearing on the towns' motion for preliminary relief. See e.g., Duncan, 166 N.H. at 639-640 (holding that the court may raise the issue of standing sua sponte because it is a component of subject matter jurisdiction); Eby, 166 N.H. at 335 (2014) (same); Hughes, 152 N.H. at 35 (same). At the time, the court questioned the Town of Danville's standing but opined that the Town of Sandown had standing based on its claim of an equitable, remainder or reversionary interest in the Sandown Central Elementary School building and underlying real estate. Therefore, counsel for the towns may not have seen a reason to research and brief the question of whether at least one plaintiff has standing.
Fundamental fairness requires a meaningful opportunity to be heard on this jurisdictional and constitutional issue. Therefore, the court will forbear from making a formal ruling of law at this time. Instead, the court invites all parties to file supplemental [12] memoranda, if they wish, within thirty days. If supplemental memoranda are not filed, the court will dismiss the Complaint for lack of standing. If memoranda are filed, the court will give counsel's arguments thoughtful consideration before proceeding.
II. Preliminary Relief
Although the issue of standing may prove to be dispositive, the court also makes the following findings and rulings.
A. Preliminary Injunction Standard
A preliminary injunction is a provisional remedy that preserves the status quo pending a final determination of the case on the merits. New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services v. Mottolo, 155 N.H. 57, 63 (2007); Kukene v. Genualdo, 145 N.H. 1, 4 (2000). It is an "extraordinary remedy" and one that cannot be granted unless the movant establishes (a) a likelihood of success on the merits, (b) a risk of immediate and irreparable harm and (c) the lack of an adequate remedy at law. ATV Watch v. New Hampshire Department of Resources & Economic Development, 155 N.H. 434, 437 (2007); Murphy v. McQuade Realty, Inc., 122 N.H. 314, 316 (1982); Mottolo, 155 N.H. at 63; Kukene, 145 N.H. at 4. Additionally a court should refrain from issuing a preliminary injunction if either the balance of equities and hardships tilts in favor of the non-movant, Thurston Enterprises Inc. v. Baldi, 128 N.H. 760, 766 (1986), or the issuance of the injunction would be adverse to the public interest. Wiebusch, Civil Practice and Procedure, Fourth Edition § 19.11 (Matthew Bender 2014), citing Unifirst Corporation v. City of Nashua, 130 N.H. 11 (1987)).
[13] B. Likelihood Of Success
"The sine qua non of this...inquiry is likelihood of success on the merits: If the moving party cannot demonstrate that he is likely to succeed in his quest, the remaining factors become matters of idle curiosity." New Comm Wireless Services Inc. v. SprintCom, Inc., 287 F.3d 1, 9 (1st Cir. 2002). Thus, the towns must prove that they are likely to prevail on either (a) their claim under the "No Means No" law, RSA 32:10, I(e) or (b) their claim for invalidation under the Right To Know Law, RSA 91-A:8, III.
(i) "No Means No" Law
Introduction: Timberlane's budget process is governed by the municipal budget law set forth in RSA 32. See, RSA 195:12. Among other things, RSA 32 provides school boards with the discretion to appropriate unexpended funds for other purposes. See, RSA 32:10, I. There is one significant limitation on this discretion, which has been referred to as the "No Means No" law. RSA 32:10, I(e) provides,
The town or district meeting may vote separately on individual purposes of appropriation contained within any warrant article or budget, but such a separate vote shall not affect the governing body's legal authority to transfer appropriations, provided, however, that if the meeting deletes a purpose, or reduces the amount appropriated for that purpose to zero or does not approve an appropriation contained in a separate article, that purpose or article shall be deemed one for which no appropriation is made, and no amount shall be transferred to or expended for such purpose.
Id. (emphasis added). A "purpose" is "a goal or aim to be accomplished through the expenditure of public funds," and, as used in subsection (e), means "a line on the budget form posted with the warrant, or form submitted to the department of revenue administration, or an appropriation contained in a special warrant article ...." RSA 32:3, V.
[14] The "No Means No" law was apparently a response to Ashley v. Rye School District, 111 N.H. 54 (1971). In Ashley, the Supreme Court permitted a school board to use unexpended funds to rehire a teacher aide despite the voters' rejection of a program to hire four teacher aides at that year's annual meeting. Id. at 55. The court found this action appropriate based on the municipal budget law then-enacted; "When the school board paid the salary of the teacher aide ... it expended no money not authorized by the school district vote.... [T]here was, strictly speaking, no transfer of one appropriation to another, but merely a transfer within the same appropriation which the district voted for school purposes." Id. at 55-56. Today, RSA 32:10, I(e) could very well prevent such a transfer.
The Parties' Positions: The towns claim that the rejection of Articles 4 and 11 bars Timberlane from operating Sandown Central in any capacity. They allege as follows: (a) That Timberlane first deleted all line items related to Sandown Central's operation from the proposed general operating budget proposed in Article 2; and then (b) After "zeroing out" all such expenditures in Article 2, Timberlane proposed Article 4, which requested both capital and operating funds for Sandown Central; and separately (c) a citizen petition led to Article 11, which requested operating funds for Sandown Central. Thus, the towns allege that after Articles 2 and 11 failed, Sandown Central's operating budget was zero. Thus, in the towns' opinion, Timberlane's attempt to appropriate funds to operate classes at Sandown Central violates the "No Means No" law because Timberlane cannot transfer funds to "an appropriation contained in a special warrant article" which has been rejected by voters. See, RSA 32:3, V.
[15] Timberlane disagrees. Timberlane relies on the fact that Articles 2, 4 and 11 all proposed appropriating funds for the same line items. Therefore, Timberlane argues that the voters never "zeroed out" funding for the Sandown Central Elementary School. Thus, Timberlane claims that it can expend district funds for those line items, even though the total amount of available funds would have been greater had Articles 4 and 11 passed. However, Timberlane previously represented at two public hearings that passage of either Article 4 or 11 was necessary to keep Sandown Central open.
Was The Budget For Sandown Central "Zeroed Out"? The School District appears to have the better argument with respect to whether the voters "zeroed out" the Sandown Central Elementary School Budget. The MS-27 form, which shows all of the appropriations for the budget year, indicates that Timberlane's 2015-2016 budget totals $67,723,927, a slight increase from the previous budget. One would expect that if Tlmberlane had reduced all operating expenses for Sandown Central, from personnel to utilities, that reduction would be apparent in the budget. Instead, one can reasonably infer from the fact that appropriations stayed relatively level from the last year to the upcoming year that Sandown Central's operating costs have been accounted for in the 2015-2016 budget.
The only other documents provided by the towns to prove their assertion that the budget for Sandown Central was "zeroed out," are two highly edited excerpts from a draft 2015-2016 budget and the finalized budget. See, Pet. Ex. I. The first document contains excerpted portions of the draft budget, with the towns' commentary about the exhibit superimposed over the excerpts. Id. Ex. I at 1. The second page is a grainy copy of a few budget columns, purportedly from the final budget. Id. Ex. I at 2. The [16] towns have inserted bubbles and circles to direct the court's attention to certain line items. But because the towns have not provided the full documents, the court has little context from which it can understand the excerpts' significance. Accordingly, this evidence is of little probative value and does not prove the towns' assertion that the general operating budget contains no appropriations for Sandown Central's operation.
Regardless Of Whether Its Budget Was "Zeroed Out," The Institution Of The Sandown Central Elementary School No Longer Exists: Even assuming that the "No Means No" statute precludes the use of district funds to operate the Sandown Central Elementary School, as it was constituted at the time of the 2015 annual meeting, this does not mean that Timberlane had to allow the building to sit fallow. The voters did not mandate any specific use for the building. They certainly did not require the School District to mothball the building, or to use it as a warehouse, or as administrative space or to dispose of the building by lease, sale or transfer. Likewise, the voters cannot be presumed to have prohibited the School District from heating the building (lest the pipes explode) or from maintaining the building and grounds once it is repurposed.
The School Board then voted to re-purpose the building. The proposed use includes district-wide special education for preschool and kindergarten. Neither party disputes that the operating budget includes funds for faculty, staff, equipment, supplies, and suitable shelter and space for such a purpose. The rejection of Articles 4 and 11 does not prohibit the school district from turning on the lights, sweeping the floors, plowing the parking lot, etc. in connection with the use of the building for district wide special education classes.
[17] The School Board then placed all Sandown students in grades 1 through 4 in the Sandown North building. Thus, every grade, class, curriculum and activity that had been housed at Sandown Central is now consolidated at Sandown North. Although the building remains, the platonic ideal of Sandown Central as it existed at the time of the 2015 annual meeting is no more.
The Board next moved Sandown's pre-K and K students from Sandown North to their new home at Sandown Central. This was a completely new use for the building. The parties do not dispute that the district's operating budget provided funds for Sandown's pre-K and K faculty, staff, equipment and supplies. They likely cannot dispute that there may be some cost savings by placing more children of the same age (i.e. Sandown students and district-wide special education students) with many of the same needs in the same building. While it is fair to assume that some additional custodial and maintenance costs will be incurred as a result of housing Sandown's pre-K and K students with the district-wide special education students, the court cannot conclude that the voters prohibited this expense.
Finally, the parties have not presented any evidence from which the court can conclude that either:
A. There is presently a single Sandown elementary school, known as the Sandown North Elementary School, with two campuses, one of which houses pre-K and K students; or
B. There are presently two separate Sandown elementary schools, with separate administrations and redundant expenses.
[18] Certainly, there was no warrant article that prohibited the Sandown North Elementary School from using the Sandown Central Elementary School building and grounds.
In short, the towns have failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success on the merits of their "No Means No" law claim.
(ii) Right to Know
The towns maintain that Timberlane violated RSA 91-A:2 when the superintendent's advisory committee conducted non-public meetings. Pet. ¶ 30. As a remedy for this alleged violation the Town seeks to invalidate the School Board's decision to repurpose the Sandown Elementary School building in the manner described above. See, RSA 91-A:8.
Timberlane claims that the Superintendents' committee is not a public body subject to RSA 91-A:2 and that, even if it is, invalidation of the School Board's action would be an inappropriate remedy. See, Obj. Mot. Prelim. Inj. at 17.
The court need not decide whether the Superintendent's advisory committee is a public body within the meaning of RSA 91-A:1-a, I and VI, and, therefore, subject to the open meeting requirements of RSA 91-A:2. Even if this were the case, invalidation of the School Board's vote would be unwarranted. The pertinent statutory provision, RSA 91-A:8, III provides as follows:
The court may invalidate an action of a public body or public agency taken at a meeting held in violation of the provisions of this chapter, if the circumstances justify such invalidation.
In Lambert v. Belknap County Convention, 157 N.H. 375, 381 (2008), the Supreme Court explained that invalidation is a discretionary, rather than a mandatory remedy. [19] Thus, the court must consider whether the present circumstances justify the discretionary invalidation of the School Board's actions.
The court finds that invalidation would be grossly inappropriate. The School Board made its decision at a properly noticed public meeting. Although it certainly considered the report of the Superintendent's advisory committee, it also had the benefit of public input and it made its decision in public and on the record. To punish a bunch of four and five year old children and their parents, by upending the Board's decision to house certain pre-K and K classes in a particular school building would be most inappropriate.
Therefore, the towns have failed to prove a likelihood of success on their claim for invalidation under RSA 91-A:8, III.
C. Other Elements Necessary For Preliminary Injunctive Relief
The towns have failed to demonstrate they will suffer irreparable harm if a preliminary injunction is denied and, for much the same reason, they have failed to prove that the balance of the equities favors the issuance of a preliminary injunction. Neither Town has explained how it will harmed by allowing pre-K and K classes to take place at a school district facility. At best, the Town of Sandown claims some theoretical injury to a contingent remainder interest that it believes it has in the building. Yet the School District will not be causing waste to the building, or encumbering it or in any way burdening the Town.
In contrast, the School District will be greatly harmed by the issuance of a preliminary injunction that forces the District to make new arrangements, within two [20] weeks of the start of the new school year for housing (a) Sandown's pre-K and K students and (b) district-wide pre-K and K special education classes.
For the same reasons, the issuance of a preliminary injunction would be adverse to the public interest.
D. Conclusion
For the reasons discussed above, the towns' request for a preliminary injunction is DENIED. The parties have thirty days from the date of the clerk's notice to submit supplemental memoranda on the issue of standing.
August 7, 2015 /s/
Andrew R. Schulman
1 The record is not 100% clear as to whether the proposed operation budget (Article 2) was amended at the deliberative session. However, there were certainly no amendments that are pertinent to this dispute.


Sultry and glamorous this floor length design has plunging V neckline front and back. Cold shoulders cutout. Sleeve has crystal buttons. Concealed back zipper. Fully lined. 100% Rayon Mat Jersey. Made in the USA.


"The Squirt and the Monkey" is a Nero Wolfe mystery novella by Rex Stout, first published as "See No Evil" in the August 1951 issue of The American Magazine. It first appeared in book form in the short-story collection Triple Jeopardy, published by the Viking Press in 1952.
2.1 "The Squirt and the Monkey"
Archie Goodwin takes an unusual assignment to help cartoonist Harry Koven recover a gun that has been stolen from a desk drawer in his home office. Harry, creator of the popular Dazzle Dan comic strip, intends to have Archie place his own gun—the same model as the stolen one—in the drawer, then open the drawer in the presence of the five people he suspects of the theft and watch their reactions. These five are Harry's wife Marcelle, his friend Adrian Getz (nicknamed "Squirt" by Harry), his agent/manager Patricia Lowell, and strip artists Pete Jordan and Byram Hildebrand.
Arriving at the Kovens' house, Archie is escorted to a room with a blazing fireplace; the heat is for the benefit of Rookaloo, a pet monkey kept in a cage in this room. After Archie puts his own (unloaded) gun in Harry's desk drawer, Harry becomes indecisive about his plan and asks for time to gather his courage, during which Archie meets the other five and learns of various tensions between them. Several hours later, once Harry is ready to proceed, he and Archie re-check the drawer only to find that Archie's gun has been switched for Harry's. Archie subsequently finds Getz lying dead in Rookaloo's room, shot in the head, and Rookaloo is holding Archie's gun (now loaded) and shivering in a draft from a now-open window.
When the police arrive, Archie makes a full statement and is then arrested by Inspector Cramer for violating the Sullivan Act, since he had been carrying Harry's gun at the time and did not have a permit for it. Cramer's decision is based on Harry's untruthful account of the day's events, in which he claims that he only invited Archie to discuss the idea of introducing a detective storyline into Dazzle Dan. Wolfe's detective license is suspended; he secures Archie's release on bail the next day—for both the weapons charge and a material witness warrant that has been sworn out against him—and files a $1 million slander lawsuit against Harry for damaging his reputation.
Wolfe has the past three years' worth of Gazette issues delivered to the office, and Lon Cohen briefs Archie on various grudges that Harry and the others have against Getz, who turns out to be the owner of the Kovens' house. Later that day, Wolfe and Archie have a hidden tape recorder installed in the office, with controls in the kitchen. Wolfe searches through the Dazzle Dan strips in the Gazette and takes interest in two characters, Aggie Ghool and Haggie Krool, who have a severely lopsided business relationship that favors Aggie. When Patricia stops by the office, Wolfe questions her about portrayals of a monkey in the strip—first depicted maliciously, then suddenly made to appear sympathetic. Patricia admits that Jordan and Hildebrand have very different opinions about Rookaloo, explaining the shift, and also says that she gave it to Getz, who in turn left it in Marcelle's care without asking her. Patricia denies Wolfe's statement of a rumor that the idea for Dazzle Dan originally came from Getz.
That night, Wolfe gathers the principals in his office and allows Cramer to attend as well, on the condition that he remain silent and observe through the office peephole for the first half-hour of the meeting. Wolfe secretly records a portion of the conversation, then plays it back in order to leverage information out of the group. The Aggie/Haggie characters represent the uneven split between Getz and Harry, as indicated by their initials (A.G. and H.K.); Getz, the strip's actual creator, took a 90% share of the strip's revenues and allowed Harry only 10%. Marcelle reveals that she had tried to persuade Harry to stand up to Getz and denounces him for never having the courage to do so. She tries to blame Harry for the murder, but Wolfe points out that her disdain for Rookaloo led her to open the window in the hope that the draft would kill it—a mistake that proves her guilt. Cramer places Marcelle under arrest, with Wolfe's admonishment that he would have been able to close the case much sooner if he had believed Archie's statement.
Contents include "Home to Roost", "The Cop-Killer" and "The Squirt and the Monkey".
In April 2006, Firsts: The Book Collector's Magazine estimated that the first edition of Triple Jeopardy had a value of between $300 and $500.
"The Squirt and the Monkey" was adapted as the 10th episode of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's 13-part radio series Nero Wolfe (1982), starring Mavor Moore as Nero Wolfe, Don Francks as Archie Goodwin, and Cec Linder as Inspector Cramer. Written and directed by Toronto actor and producer Ron Hartmann, the hour-long adaptation aired on CBC Stereo March 20, 1982.
^ a b Penzler, Otto, Collecting Mystery Fiction #9, Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe Part I. New York: The Mysterious Bookshop, 2001. Limited edition of 250 copies.
^ Smiley, Robin H., "Rex Stout: A Checklist of Primary First Editions." Firsts: The Book Collector's Magazine (Volume 16, Number 4), April 2006, p. 34. The first edition "states 'First published…' on the copyright page."
Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Squirt and the Monkey.


text:
Lionesses end losing streak but Neville is clear that there is room for improvement
England drew with the USA en route to winning the SheBelieves Cup. Photo: joshjdss @ Flickr.
Written on 15th November 2019 . Posted in Sport
England Women secured just their second win from six friendlies , as Leah Williamson netted with four minutes left on the clock against the Czech Republic. England fell behind after just fifteen minutes, but secured a quick turnaround through goals from Beth England and Beth Mead, going 2-1 up by twenty minutes.
7 minutes later, Slavia Prague forward Tereza Szewieczkova completed her brace to level the game inside an action-packed opening half hour. However, England took control in the second half, and were eventually rewarded thanks to Leah Williamson's scrappy winner.
The Lionesses had been looking to recover from a frustrating 2-1 reverse to Germany, in front of a record 77,768 crowd at Wembley. Klara Bühl's 90th minute goal settled a hard-fought contest between the two teams, handing England their fourth consecutive defeat. Nikita Parris also missed her third straight penalty in the match, with Phil Neville insisting that she would remain the priority taker if she felt confident.
Phil Neville's side have been playing in a series of international friendlies following their world cup exit at the semi-final stage. As hosts of Euro 2021, England are already guaranteed a place in the tournament, therefore automatically avoiding the qualification process.
Since exiting the world at the hands of eventual winners the United States back at the start of July, England have lost 4 of their 7 games, including a third place play-off against Sweden in Nice. After securing a late 3-3 draw against 18th seeds Belgium thanks to Nikita Parris's 75th minute penalty, the team slipped to three defeats in four, managing a 1-0 away win against Portugal back on October 8th.
Fans were left disappointed by defeats to Norway and Brazil, 6 and 7 places below England in the rankings respectively.
It has been a mixed year for the Lionesses, who have proved their record in knockout football, with an impressive world cup record, having won the SheBelieves Cup in the states.
However, the team have struggled with non-competitive matches, raising questions over consistency and strength in depth. Much has also been made of the side's over-reliance on star player Ellen White, who finished the World Cup campaign with 5 goals to her name.
Speaking to the BBC, Neville has been clear that despite England ending their losing streak, they must improve dramatically.
"We should be beating Czech Republic by more than 3-2. We dominated the second half but we were careless in possession and with the final ball or cross.
"Now the hard work starts for after Christmas, getting back to the level they and I know we can achieve. I'm looking forward now to the hard work and getting back to the level I know we can."
Sam Honey
Disappointment for the Lionesses
FA WSL: Tough start for the red half of Manchester
Manchester City Women cruise past Liverpool to close gap on WSL leaders
Tags: Czech Republic, Ellen White, England Women, germany, Leah Williamson, Lionesses, Nikita Parris, Portugal, Sweden


It's Paris Fashion Week and I'm getting major French girl beauty and makeup inspo. Seriously, is it just me or do French girls look effortlessly flawless 24/7? From their perfectly tousled, just-rolled-out-of-bed hair, to their glowing skin and barely-there makeup, you can say I'm très obsessed! I love their natural, minimal approach to getting ready and have decided to break down how to get that Parisian je ne sais quoi look.
It's no secret that French girls know how to take care of their skin. They're all about embracing their own beauty. That means taking their makeup prep very seriously. To get that French glow, always make sure your skin is properly cleansed before applying your makeup. I love using this very popular French micellar water from Bioderma (it's also a great gentle makeup remover!) Next, it's a good idea to hydrate your skin with a face oil like this one from Herbivore.
When it comes to achieving the fuss-free, no makeup look, French girls love nourishing, cream-based products over powders. To get a natural-looking base and to even out my skin tone, I applied the Erborian CC créme with my fingers (see my review here!). It's very light and perfect for faking a bare face. Then, I applied a small amount of Kiko Milano cream bronzer to play up my bone structure.
But first, BROWS. French girls keep their brows full, boyish and never overly filled in. To achieve this look, Glossier's Boy Brow is my go-to affordable pick. The subtle black tint adds the perfect amount of color and keeps the brows tamed. When it comes to copying the envied French girl eye makeup, less is truly more. Rather than spend 30 minutes in the morning trying to get perfectly even liner, the typical Parisian is probably going to skip the eyeliner and use her fingers to dab some color on her eyes. The Caviar Stick by Laura Mercier is a great option for quick application and a natural color on the lids. Top it off with a lengthening mascara like this one from Lancôme and voilà!
Probably the most "French" thing about me is my obsession with tinted lip balms. They're great because they keep your lips super moisturized and are perfect for everyday wear. I love the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in the color punch for a subtle and French girl-approved tint.
The famous French girl tousled hair…Seriously, do they wake up like that?? Well, for all of us who don't wake up like that, we can totally fake it. All you need is a thick barrel curling iron or wand (this is my favorite) and a generous amount of texturizing spray or cream. The trick is to only wrap your hair around the barrel for a few seconds and to run your hands through your hair once it cools. Plus, after sleeping on your hair, your hair will look even more French!
So, are you ready to say bonjour to this easy, everyday French makeup routine? Let me know below!
So beautiful and I love anything that has to do woh France! What color is that Laura Mercier caviar stick in?
Hey Jessica! The Laura Mercier color is in Amethyst.
Hey babe, I don't worry, I love my full coverage too! The natural brows will be such a cute, Parisian addition to the natural look. Can't wait to hear how you rock this!
I been wanting to try the caviar sticks but wasn't sure which colors are worth getting (they are all so beautiful), but I love the way this looks on you, looks like I might need to make a trip to Sephora lol..any other colors you would recommend for everyday/Parisian wear?! Thank you!
Yes, you are absolutely right on the makeup, we do like to wear a naturelle makeup look, as light as possible with the colours, but wear it with style and attitude. ???? love your products mentioned to achieved such a look!
That cream contour kit looks so good!
Yes babe, you've got it down. Powder on top of cream is the best way to go!
So glad that you love this look!
This has literally been my routine even though I didn't know it was French of doing it..?
I wanted a natural everyday look and since it's winter I've been using all cream products instead of powder which most of the times end up clinging to my dry patches.? I'm glad to know it's French beauty routine as well.. ?
Lol, you are French and you had no idea!
And, not to mention, you're ahead of the game.
Your hair is #goals. I'm so lacking in the hair department, I never do anything to it. I want to curl it but I have so much and it's very thick. I feel daunted at the thought, lol. I have a shadow stick from Kiko that is a knockoff for the Caviar sticks and I love it!
I have a lot of hair too, but what I love about curling is that you can wear it like this for a few days without washing it. Let me know if you ever try it!
Another amazing tips from you dear. I love when you help us with those tips. Love natural looks especially right now with two kids I barely have time to do makeup from step 1 to the end hehe. Thank you ??
Yes!!!! Love the effortless makeup that almost keeps you guessing if it's there or not. Great post. I'll be incorporating these tips.
Thank you so much babe, let me know what tip you end up trying first!
Totally agree with you Sona!! Skincare is the most important part for a perfect effortless makeup!
Great tips for natural beauty. I feel French already!
Wow. You've made it so simple and effortless. ❤? I was looking at the pictures and thinking that it'll be very difficult to achieve a French kinda look. But girl you blown me away. Can't wait to look a French lady. ?
Natural brows looks so amazing. I'm loving Dua lips brows a lot these days.
I have never understood why people think French girls are known for their skin. I have gone to France every year of my life (almost 35 years old). When I think of girls that take care of their skin it is Korean or Japanese girls. Most French women look older than their age because they smoke (highest percentage of women smokers besides Belgium).
You're always unique love ?
This is great. I'm all about embracing natural beauty!!
Yasmin, you're so sweet! Thanks for following along, hope you loved this post babe.
This comment made my day babe! So happy that you look forward to my posts, love ya!
Wow it's so easy peasy. I thought they spend enormous time to get their look where it seems it's really a effortless way to get the look. Thank you love for the tips, would definitely try them.
Looking so cute. It's always a big yes from me for minimal makeup looks. By doing do we look pretty and classy at the same time rather than putting tons of makeup.
Cream products blends so well in the skin that no one tell you've out any product on. BB cream is best for daily natural foundation look. I haven't tried CC cream yet. I'm thinking to give it a try.
Hey babe, try that CC Cream and tell me what you think. Can't wait to hear!
your posts are always with something new tip!! I love it!
Hey love, curling with a bigger curling iron has been my go-to.
Once you get one, you'll never go back!
Love everything about this! This just may turn into my new everyday beauty routine! Thanks as always, Sona!
That's amazing love, let me know which of these tips you're going to try first!
Oh my gosh this blog was well written, love the French girl look ?
Hey love, it's definitely nice to have a natural, effortless look for the day to day!
Hi love, you're always so kind on my socials. I appreciate your love and support, means the world to me!
Let me know how you like the Erborian!
what moisturizer from the drugstore do you suggest? I have oily combination skin where the rest of my face is normal to dry and my T-zone (especially my nose) is soooooo oily. I only use concealer to cover my undereye darkness and i feel like it ages me coz my undereyes are so dry as well. it's so hard to get that glow without looking a greaseball.
I recommend either the Neutrogena Oil-Free Moisturizer or the Aveeno Clear Complexion Moisturizer for using multiple times a day.
They are both amazing drugstore options and are super hydrating for dry skin! Hope this helps babe.
I am OBSESSED with French beauty. In the US we have such a 'more is better' attitude and honestly I'm just over it! This is so refreshing. Thank you!
You've got this look down babe! I'm sure you rock it.
So glad you loved this post!
Thanks for the tips, definitely need to start doing some of these things before summer starts so I can get use to the routine.


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Pauline Gray, our trusted friend.
It is with unspeakable sadness that Westie Rescue Ireland has lost one of our most treasured and trusted friends, Pauline Gray (nee McKeever), who died too young on March 12th 2011.
Pauline first volunteered to help me with home visits and transport about 5 years ago, and since then I've lost count of the number of times Pauline played these vital roles in the process of rehoming Westies. Pauline was a skillful home visitor, and was prepared to drive for many miles to help a Westie in need. Indeed, only a matter of days before she suddenly fell gravely ill, Pauline was carrying out home visits for Westie Rescue.
Pauline became one of our small core group of very deeply trusted regular volunteers, and we were mad about her. She was extraordinarily kind, gentle, compassionate, selfless, with a devilish sense of humour which caused many a laugh over the years. Pauline was a rock for Westie Rescue, and we're forever indebted to her.
Pauline gave so much of her time voluntarily, not just to Westie Rescue, but also to a number of other dog and cat rescue groups around the country: but Pauline was not one to shout about her work. Indeed, the extent to which Pauline had helped lots of rescues only became clear when she died, when many who Pauline had helped voiced their sadness at losing such a great volunteer so suddenly. That was Pauline for you: just get on with it, without any fireworks!
Quite honestly, I don't know what I'm going to do without Pauline. I will deeply miss her humour and goodness.
Indeed, the support Pauline gave Westie Rescue goes on. I am proud and deeply humbled that Pauline's husband and family have made a contribution to Westie Rescue in memory of Pauline. At a time when funds have never been tighter, Pauline has once again come to the rescue of Westie Rescue, and it is testament to the kindness of Pauline and her nearest and dearest that they'd donate to an animal rescue in hard economic times. I know Pauline would have been tickled pink to know that dogs benefitted from such generosity.
So, to Pauline's husband Paul, and her lovely parents and family, a heartfelt but sad thank you for your extraordinary generosity on Pauline's behalf. We will always remember Pauline here, and be forever in her debt for all of her selfless deeds on our behalf.
Rest in Peace Pauline, our trusted friend.


text:
Careers in Sociology and Anthropology
What They Do
Training, Other Qualifications & Advancement
Social scientists held about 259,000 jobs in 1994. Over half of all social scientists are psychologists. Almost one-third of all social scientists--overwhelmingly psychologists--are self-employed, involved in counseling, consulting or research.
Salaried social scientists worked as researchers, administrators and counselors for a wide range of employers, including Federal, State and local governments, educational institutions, hospitals, research and testing services and management and public relations firms. Other employers include social service agencies, international organizations, associations, museums, historical societies, computer and data processing firms and business firms.
In addition, many persons with training in a social science discipline teach in colleges and universities and in secondary and elementary schools. The proportion of social scientists who teach varies by occupation; for example, the academic world generally is a more important source of jobs for graduates in sociology than for graduates in psychology.


Limitation of liability. Any homeowner choosing to use the vacation log understands and agrees that the intended use of the vacation log does not include private security or home monitoring by Augusta Ranch Community Master Association or its board of directors, contractors, or affiliates ("Association"). Under no circumstances shall the Association be liable (whether under the law of contract, the law of torts or otherwise) for any direct, indirect, special, incidental, consequential or exemplary damages arising out of or in connection with a homeowner's access or use of the vacation log, whether or not the damages were foreseeable and whether or not the Association was advised of the possibility of such damages.
People or service (Landscape, pool etc…) that will be at your house when you are gone…list them.


World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan reports that the number of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) cases are rapidly declining. However, the United Nations-affiliated agency says the world community must not become complacent in efforts to contain and eliminate the disease.
This claim and others have given hope that the worse outbreak of the dreaded disease may be coming under control. Most cases have occurred in the West African countries of Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia. In the region, Nigeria, Mali and Senegal rapidly responded to a limited number of cases, halting the outbreaks there. Recently Senegal reopened its border with neighboring Guinea because of its "significant efforts" in fighting the Ebola outbreak; now people and goods are moving freely by land between the two countries.
In a WHO report dated Jan. 26, Dr. Chan discussed social conditions in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, which led to the disease's rapid spread. She mentioned the decade-long civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone during the 1990s and early 2000s, which created tremendous dislocation and the breakdown of national institutions and public infrastructure. Also, political instability and unrest in Guinea have not created a favorable atmosphere for internal public infrastructure development. There have been numerous military coups over the last three decades in the mineral-rich former French colony.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that more than 8,675 people have died from this virulent strain of Viral Hemorrhagic Fever, and it is estimated that 21,797 have been infected in this outbreak. The epidemic has created economic and social challenges due to dislocation in the agricultural and transport sectors of the most impacted states.
Food deficits and shortages of consumer goods have resulted from the high number of cases affecting farm workers, drivers, health care and educational personnel. Delays in bringing products to local markets have prompted humanitarian organizations to call for assistance.
Yet, attempts to mobilize resources in response to the epidemic have been lacking. The United States and Britain have taken more of a militarized posture toward the crisis as opposed to addressing the problems associated with shortages of medical treatment facilities, medicines and protective gear.
The social impact will remain for years due to the increasing number of children orphaned by the pandemic. A Nigerian-based TV news station reports that in many cases relatives cannot be located to re-integrate the youth back into their family structures.
Some 300 doses of an Ebola vaccine produced by GlaxoSmithKline were sent to Liberia on Jan. 23 for a clinical trial. The corporation said it will send 30,000 doses of the vaccine to the nation to use in clinical trial testing for those at risk of catching the disease — including health care workers, others close to people with Ebola and burial workers.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government announced that the EVD vaccine trial would begin by early February. The National Institutes of Health assisted in developing two vaccines that are slated to be tested.
Developing effective vaccines is crucial in preventing another epidemic, say many health experts and humanitarian organizations.
However, regarding prospects for improving the health care infrastructures in these most severely impacted West African states, a different approach to governing must come into being. Relying on the former colonial and current neocolonial states in Europe and North America will only result in future outbreaks of EVD and other infectious diseases, such as polio, measles, cholera and malaria.
In the West, concern around the EVD outbreak relates, in part, to the threat the pandemic posed to the U.S. and other Western countries. Cases of the disease in the U.S., including one fatality, led to the politicization of the disease and focus on its victims. After two nurses in Dallas recovered from Ebola, the debate about how to handle the outbreak has largely receded.
Until the disease is tackled, controlled and eliminated, there will always be a danger to Africa and the international community.


"Pin the Tail on the Donkey" is a party game where one guest is blindfolded, spun around three times and then sent off in the direction of the picture of a donkey. He must attach the tail to the donkey in the correct spot. The person who gets the tail closest to the donkey's backside is the winner. You can play variations of these games that are tailored to different types of parties. This allows the game to coincide with the theme of the party.
As Easter approaches, thoughts of chocolate eggs, coloured hard-boiled eggs and the Easter bunny start to arrive. If you are hosting an Easter party, or perhaps need an activity to play with your children on Easter, play Pin the Tail on the Easter bunny. You can print out a template online or purchase the game from your local party store. The game is played in the same traditional manner as the other "Pin the tail ..." Games, where the player is blindfolded, spun around three times and pointed in the direction of the picture hanging on the wall. To extend the game, cut out the ears, and have a second round where the children try and pin the ears on the bunny as well.
If you are hosting a Christmas party, then you can help get everyone in the holiday spirit by playing "Pin the Sack on Santa." Print out an image of Santa from the Internet that is at least the size of a standard piece of 8.5-inch by 11-inch paper. If you have a Santa decoration you usually hang in your home, you can use that as well. On construction paper, cut out tear-dropped-shaped sacks that your guests can use to try and pin on Santa. The guest who places the sack closest to the backside of Santa's shoulders is the winner.
This game can be played at birthday parties or any party that has not adopted a specific theme. As your guests arrive, ask each to write his name on a piece of poster board. Ask that each guest write his name at about the same size as the previous guest. Then hang the poster board on the wall. Blindfold your contestants and hand them each a star. Each person places a star on the board and the person who has the most stars touching his name is the winner.
If you are hosting a soccer theme party, you can adjust the game to "Pin the Soccer Ball in the Goal." When drawing or printing your goal, do not make it too large. You do not want too many balls to end up in the goal. You can adjust this game for any goal sport, such as field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse or even basketball.


text:
Double Standards in Blue
David Ramos
There is a question I have been asking myself and I think everyone needs to ask themselves. The question is: at what point do we stop giving the police the benefit of all doubts in every situation? Police kill an unarmed individual (usually black) during a questionable encounter and/or arrest and somehow get acquitted of all charges. It is as if we are stuck in the movie Groundhog Day. And yes, I understand policing is a tough job and most officers are good people who do a difficult job with professionalism and respect. But that does not mean they are all upstanding individuals with a keen moral sense. How can we expect justice if society automatically gives police a pass in cases of blatant police brutality?
Philando Castile is a prime example of a brother who did everything "right" according to police apologists. He was not committing a crime, he was respectful to the police officer and he complied to the cop's orders. Mr. Castile was a respected member of his community and his friends, family and former students at the school where he worked all vouched for his respectable character. There is footage of the incident and any open-minded individual can see a trigger-happy and paranoid man execute another person in cold-blood. Yet, he was acquitted.
Now, let's discuss Laquan McDonald. Mr. McDonald was a troubled youth born to a teenage mother and diagnosed with learning disabilities and mental health problems, including PTSD. On October 20th, 2014 police were called because he was holding a knife and acting erratically. Mr. McDonald did not obey the commands of the officers to drop the knife but did not pose a threat as his back was to the police and he was walking away. Officer Jason Van Dyke, who had at least 18 citizen complaints filed against him, shot Mr. McDonald 16 times while being on the scene less than 30 seconds. He began shooting 6 seconds after he exited his car and one of the other officers fired their weapons. Afterwards, police issued the initial report which falsely stated Mr. McDonald lunged at them. Also, there was footage from a nearby Burger King which may have captured the shooting. However, there is a gap of 86 minutes during the time of the shooting. The manager of the restaurant claims five uniformed Chicago police officers gained access to the video and before the Independent Police Review Authority could see the footage, the video was erased. Officer McDonald was charged with murder a full year after the incident and that was only because a judge ordered the videotape to be released. On June 27, 2017, three Chicago officers were indicted on charges of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and official misconduct. These charges allege the officers attempted to cover-up the incident. Most likely, they will be acquitted of all charged or receive a plea deal with no jail time. Officer McDonald has yet to begin his trial, but it is extremely likely he will either be acquitted or have a mistrial.
Let's also take into consideration the story of Marcus Jeter. In 2012, police were called due to a domestic-related incident involving Mr. Jeter and his girlfriend. Jeter left the residence shortly after police arrived and was later pulled over by policemen with their guns drawn. They broke the driver's side window and forcibly removed Jeter from the vehicle. Two officers, Orlando Trinidad and his partner Sean Courter, claimed on their police reports that Jeter tried to grab Courter's gun and struck Trinidad. Jeter was subsequently charged with eluding, attempting to disarm an officer, resisting arrest and aggravated assault. After reviewing the dashboard cam of Trinidad, prosecutors dismissed all charges against Jeter and charged Trinidad and Courter with official misconduct and other charges after the video proved the officers lied on their police report. Trinidad and Courter were found guilty and were sentenced to five years in prison. The question I ask is: What if there was no videotape? This poor man would have been sitting in prison for a crime he did not commit and these two "officers" would be free to continue to wreak havoc on the community.
These are just three instances of police either lying on police reports or engaging in down-right shady behavior. Please do not fall into the trap and think these are only a few isolated incidents. I could mention Michael Ackerman. Or Sasha Cordoba and Kevin Desormeau. Or William Pruente. The list goes on and on. In fact, it is probably as long as the people who blindly defend cops just because they believe a badge automatically makes you an honorable individual with the highest content of moral fiber.
This is not a hit-piece on police officers. They provide a vital service to the community and most of them are professionals who do a terribly tough job well. But, the same can be said of most people on this planet. Most people are good with a few evil-doers sprinkled in here and there. The difference is, however, when regular citizens get accused of crimes, they are not afforded every benefit of every doubt. Police officers should be the cream of the crop and held to a higher regard. They hold lives in the palm of their hand and we depend on them to be truthful. But when it is shown they are not truthful, they must be punished to the fullest extent of the law. When officers are given preferential treatment, it erodes the confidence and trust in the justice system and only helps fuel the resentment against police and the government. There is a fine line between law and order and tyranny, and protecting corrupt cops does not prove beneficial to anyone except those cops and their unions.
© 2017 David Ramos
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INDEED, WE LIVE IN THE 4TH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION TODAY. Many changes will occur in the way we do things because of technology.
Artificial Intelligence and Automation now combine to produce drones. They are flying machines controlled by radio gadgets from below which can be used by hobbyists, the military and for commercial purposes.
For hobbyists – the most popular use is to have aerial shots of one's group taken or take a panoramic view of the terrain one is in like mountains, valleys, and seas like one had his own camera plane. Lazada sells them from as low as P700 to a high of P27, 000 for the more complicated ones.
They are not allowed for use during night time, near populated areas like schools and marketplace, not to be flown above 400 feet and must be10 kilometers away from airports. If one uses them for commercial purposes, one must get permission from the CAAP (civil aeronautics).
Worldwide, its popularity had gone to 3 million users in 2017 and by 2021 -we are soon to have "air traffic" with the projected usage of 30 million drones in the world.
Time Magazine had a special issue on "The age of the Drones" and cited their many uses.
Military, the USA has used drones (since the time of Obama) to scout and target high-value enemies in Afghanistan while the ISIS had dropped crude bombs on allied troops in Iraq and Syria using drones.
The drone war has escalated -since it achieves military objectives with no human casualty on the offensive side much like sending Robocop to wage battle in the fields. It is this reason that the Pentagon is set to spend US$400-M in research for counter-drone mechanisms.
Drones can also be used for bad ends like one convicted kidnapper Jimmy Causey of South Carolina whose allies sent a drone to drop two wire-cutters into the prison compound and allowed him to escape prison- at least temporarily.
But there are far more good beneficial uses for drones than bad.
For instance, when Hurricane Maria cut off all communications in Puerto Rico, AT a T sent off a giant Flying COW- a drone in the sky that set off mobile data signal 40 miles in all directions- negating the need for the damaged land-based mobile towers.
In wild Africa, a man badly needing an O+ blood type got his package in 6 minutes dropped from a drone via a small parachute – in what would have taken 6 hours by a land trip. Operation Zipline in Rwanda did its first commercial drone flight carrying medical supplies and blood to far-flung areas.
Amazon is actively developing drones to deliver time-sensitive items within minutes and escape the horrendous land traffic and risks traveling down there.
It is very helpful in the field of movie-making- where the best aerial shots can be achieved at the least cost. Drones were extensively used to shot on camera scenes from James Bond's "Skyfall", "Jurassic Park" and the sci-fi film "Black Mirror".
Using the traditional helicopters would have cost Hollywood from $20-40,000 per 10 hours shot. Drones can be had for as low as $4,000 to $13,000 for a whole day shooting.
And with no risk to pilots and crew as in helicopters.
Even in the Philippines, inventors are riding on the worldwide craze to innovate. For instance, a former dancer and camera operator Kynz Mendiola, using "multicopter" technology"- has invented what she calls as a "flying sports car" drone.
The air drone can seat one person (up to 220 pounds including the drone and accessories) can fly over 20 feet at 67 kilometers per hour speed powered by six lithium batteries with portable radio frequency controller.
Star8 , Australia's technology company, is eager to perfect the prototype with Mendoza as this will revolutionize travel in the Manila where traffic is crazy and can navigate for that one passenger in 5 minutes from one point to another what would have taken an hour. Wow.
Yes, guys, this is the New World coming at your doorsteps in incredible speed. And guess who controls the drone global trade?
It is a Chinese company based in Shenzen which controls 75% of the drone technology production in the world. This is not a wonder.
A recent article indicated that it has become a national policy of China to appoint engineers and scientists to key government posts- to better take advantage of the trends in this 4th Industrial Revolution.
For a start, Chinese President Xi Jimping is an engineer. Brings out a negative case for the Philippines- where Philippine democracy has produced more than its just share of lawyers as presidents.
We should read better the handwriting on the wall.


text:
Q: Muxing multiple JPEG into a JXL animation Using ffmpeg I can mux multiple JPEG into a M-JPEG container without any loss since it is a just a plain bitstream copy:
ffmpeg -framerate 30 -i input%03d.jpg -codec copy output.mjpeg

Recently linux distributions started to offer JPEG-XL command line tools. I can now recode (lossless recompression) of JPEG into JXL:
% file input.jpg
input.jpg: JPEG image data, JFIF standard 1.01, aspect ratio, density 1x1, segment length 16, baseline, precision 8, 1016x708, components 3
% cjxl input.jpg output.jxl
% djxl output.jxl output.jpg
% md5sum input.jpg output.jpg
bea9e9c74e3580f6196ba9ac21509652  input.jpg
bea9e9c74e3580f6196ba9ac21509652  output.jpg

However I fail to understand how to create a JXL animation (more than one JPEG) ?
Eg:
% ffmpeg -framerate 30 -i input%03d.jpg -codec copy output.jxl
[...]
[image2 @ 0x55c22e680040] The specified filename 'output.jxl' does not contain an image sequence pattern or a pattern is invalid.
[image2 @ 0x55c22e680040] Use a pattern such as %03d for an image sequence or use the -update option (with -frames:v 1 if needed) to write a single image.
[image2 @ 0x55c22e680040] Cannot write more than one file with the same name. Are you missing the -update option or a sequence pattern?
av_interleaved_write_frame(): Invalid argument
frame=    2 fps=0.0 q=-1.0 Lsize=N/A time=00:00:00.06 bitrate=N/A speed= 223x
video:224kB audio:0kB subtitle:0kB other streams:0kB global headers:0kB muxing overhead: unknown
Conversion failed!

Or:
% cjxl input*.jpg output.jxl
Unknown argument: input002.jpg
Use 'cjxl -h' for more information

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