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← Finding Undervalued Pitchers: Walk Rate
The FanGraphs Auction Calculator →
Finding Undervalued Pitchers: SIERA and FIP
Yesterday we ran correlations between various pitching metrics and fantasy baseball profits for pitchers, and found that most of the ways we evaluate pitchers—like strikeouts and ERA—influence a pitcher's cost so much that they don't help us predict profits.
But we did discover that a pitcher's walk rate wasn't fully incorporated into his price, and that pitchers with better walk rates tended to earn more fantasy profits.
We also found that the component ERA estimators, xFIP and SIERA seemed to have some correlation to profits for pitchers with 100-161 inning pitched the previous year (even though they didn't correlate to profits for the more established group of pitchers who qualified for the ERA title the preceding year).
Now, this finding is a tenuous one, for now at least, because I've only run the correlation for 2013 stats leading to 2014 outcomes. This is a group of 55 pitchers, and I'm sure that a cluster of outliers for that year could have affected the results.
But bear with me, because cobbling together another year's worth of correlations will take some time, and a look at the pitchers who bubble up to the top of the SIERA list promises to be way more fun.
But first, let's address what SIERA and FIP are. SIERA is an ERA simulator. The acronym is Skills-interactive Earned Run Average. ERA, as everyone knows, is a measure of how many earned runs a pitchers allow per nine innings. FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) is a simulator that ignores balls in play, while SIERA includes information about the numbers and types of ground balls, fly balls, line drives and other hit types, to fine tune FIP. The end result, it is hoped, better reflects how a pitcher actually pitched, by stripping out some of the random variation that may have occurred. The number is on the same scale as ERA, so a SIERA of less than 3.00 is really good.
In order, the pitchers with 100-161 IP with a SIERA of less than 3.00:
Yusmeiro Petit: Since landing in San Francisco he's added a cutter and suddenly stopped allowing a ridiculous number of home runs. He made 12 starts last year and will not be in the rotation going into this season. His mediocre ERA last year, and his lack of a fantasy-meaningful role this year mean he should come cheap, which is the way you want him. But there is a good chance at a meaningful number of productive innings, with a lot of strikeouts, even if he doesn't crack the rotation the way he did last year.
Carlos Carrasco: His incredibly hot finish last season, after adding a slider and coming back from TJ, have this former top prospect topping sleeper lists, which could be a problem. He deserves to be there, but if his price goes up too much you lose the potential profits. And, of course, success for any pitcher isn't guaranteed.
Masahiro Tanaka: Nobody's idea of a sleeper, he makes this list because of the partially torn UCL he suffered last July. He chose not to have TJ and is throwing this spring without pain. So far so good, but he's a potential time bomb. If he makes it through spring training he's going to attract bidders, but every dollar spent on him is at risk.
Jake Arrieta: Like Carrasco, his profile rose last year because of a fantastic finish. That has the regression police on the prowl, and it should be mentioned that unlike Petit, Carrasco and Tanaka, he walks guys. But far fewer last year than in the past, and it was this that really changed his profile. If fears of regression knock his price down enough he's a fine target.
Yu Darvish: Darvish missed the last two months of the season with elbow inflammation, but wasn't all that effective before that. Like Tanaka, the upside is potentially large, but the prospect of a season-ending injury at any time will remain no matter how good he looks this spring. Plus, his issues with bases on balls are another potential problem for him, even if he manages to stay healthy.
T.J. House: Another guy with a solid second half, good control, and a new pitch, an improved change up, without a lock on a rotation slot. In mixed fantasy leagues he's a potential reserve, but in AL only he should be a sneaky endgame swing man with a lot of potential if a rotation slot opens up. He hasn't show the strikeout punch the other guys on this list have, which is another reason he's likely to go very cheaply.
Collin McHugh: Like Arrieta, he was a surprise top earner last year, and his breaking pitches were impressive enough that his price could soar. In which case, you're probably best advised to stay away.
The next group of pitchers between 100 and 161 IP, ranked by SIERA, has some overlap with the low walk rate list: Hyun-Jin Ryu, Marcus Stroman, Jacob deGrom, Matt Shoemaker, Gerrit Cole, Josh Tomlin, Danny Salazar, Gio Gonzalez, Homer Bailey, and Anibal Sanchez.
Hardly sleepers, most of them, but names to keep an eye on, for sure.
This entry was posted in Data, Math, Prices, Projections. Bookmark the permalink.


The Center for Adaptive Systems (CAS) is an interdisciplinary research and training center whose interests intersect the areas of biology, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and psychology. The Center performs interdisciplinary research aimed at discovering and developing principled theories of brain and behavior, notably concerning how individual humans and animals adapt so well on their own to rapidly changing environments that may include rare, ambiguous, and unexpected events. The Center also develops technological applications that are inspired by its biological models. Research and training are carried out both individually and through close collaborative relationships between faculty, students, and postdoctoral fellows. Research projects encompass a broad range of areas concerning cognitive and neural systems, including vision and image processing; audition, speech and language understanding; adaptive pattern recognition; cognitive information processing; self-organization and development; associative learning and long-term memory; reinforcement and motivation; attention; adaptive sensory-motor planning, control and robotics; navigation and spatial orientation; biological rhythms; consciousness; and the mathematical and computational methods needed to support advanced modeling research and applications. Both normal and abnormal behaviors are analyzed, including Parkinson's disease, attention deficit disorder, schizophrenia, and depression.
These investigations lead to neural network models that clarify the functional architecture of different brain regions. Recent models characterize the functional organization of such brain areas as the visual cortex, auditory cortex, temporal cortex, parietal cortex, motor cortex, prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, cerebellum, superior colliculus, basal ganglia, reticular formation, thalamus, retina, and spinal cord.
General neural designs that realize specialized functional roles in distinct brain regions are clarified through such models. Different levels of organization are analyzed, ranging from neural systems and architectures to neural modules, local circuits, and cellular, biophysical, and biochemical mechanisms. For example, CAS and CNS have led the way in modeling how and why the architecture of all sensory and cognitive neocortex is organized into layered circuits. This research clarifies how "laminar computing" contributes to biological intelligence. Such cortical laminar cortical architectures are under investigation in vision, recognition learning and categorization, short-term memory, cognitive information processing, and sensory-motor planning. A typical example on the module level is opponent processing circuits by on-cells and off-cells. Specialized versions of this module play a key role in vision, biological rhythms, reinforcement learning, motor control, and cognitive information processing. Such a comparative analysis clarifies how a single modular design may be adapted to many different behavioral functions. A typical example on the mechanism level is associative learning, which plays a key role in such varied behaviors as recognition, spatial orientation, and sensory-motor control. Contributions of the specialized electrical and chemical dynamics of individual cells are analyzed in every model. The models also provide explanations and predictions of data that link the several levels of behavior, evoked potentials, neurophysiology, anatomy, biophysics, and biochemistry.
These neural models are typically naturally expressed as nonlinear dynamical systems. Numerical and analytical investigations of these systems lead to new mathematical results and problems, as well as to formal bridges to other biological and physical systems, notably dissipative systems that describe aspects of self-organization and nonequilibrium behavior. These formal investigations suggest new designs for computer vision, adaptive pattern recognition machines, autonomous robots, and massively parallel computers, thereby integrating basic science with the design of novel technologies. Faculty and students also interact with working engineers in companies and government laboratories to implement neural network designs in new hardware for technological applications.
As a part of Boston's large academic community, the Center has facilitated active collaborations among scientists at neighboring universities and research laboratories. In addition, Boston's prime location leads to a steady stream of national and international visitors.


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A Peek At Russia's Response To The G7 Oil Price Cap
By zerohedge
By Tsvetana Paraskova of OilPrice.com
Russian authorities have drafted a decree banning the sale of Russian crude oil to buyers part of the Price Cap Coalition or if the purchase is limited by the G7/EU price cap, as a measure to counter the $60 a barrel price ceiling set by the West, Russian daily Vedomosti reported on Tuesday, quoting a source with knowledge of the draft and government sources.
The EU banned from December 5 maritime transportation services from shipping Russia's crude oil to third countries if the oil is bought above the price cap of $60 per barrel, and imposed an embargo on seaborne imports of Russian oil into the EU.
The draft presidential decree, whose details will be formulated by the Russian government, bans Russian firms from selling crude oil if the contract specifies a member of the Price Cap Coalition as a customer, or if the contract specifies a price cap as a condition for the sale, according to Vedomosti's sources.
The decree is expected to ban such sales from Russia by July 1, 2023, with a possibility of an extension, the sources say.
During a briefing with reporters on Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the decree would be published "in the coming days."
Moscow says the price cap artificially limits prices in a non-market mechanism it will not accept.
By the end of this year, Russia expects to have legislation prepared that will ban Russian companies from selling oil to countries part of the Price Cap Coalition, Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said last week.
Also last week, Kremlin's spokesman Peskov said that Russia was preparing a response to the EU embargo and the price cap.
Moscow claims the price cap will not seriously hit its oil production and economy. Russia's oil production will not fall off a cliff now that the EU-G7 price cap on Russian crude has come into effect, Russia's First Deputy Energy Minister Pavel Sorokin said last week.
"Most markets are available for our oil based on adequate market principles, while any fluctuations in oil production that may occur, are not critical and will not exceed those registered in the spring," Sorokin told reporters in Moscow today, as carried by Russian news agency TASS.
Russian oil output dipped in the spring immediately after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but later stabilized by June. Still, Russia is estimated to have been around 1 million barrels per day (bpd) below its OPEC+ oil production quota since then.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


With the tag, "Eat it here; watch it online," Del Taco tomorrow launches a new advertising campaign that integrates social media with traditional TV and radio advertising – all specifically aimed at hungry people who have an appetite for humor and for great food at a great value.
The creative anchor for the campaign is Del Taco's version of a late-night, variety-style TV show called "The Del Taco Super Special Show." The show will appear in Del Taco's TV and radio ads but also in a series of longer Webisodes on Del Taco's Facebook page. Consumers who view the first Webisode can receive a coupon for a free Classic taco redeemable at their next purchase.
With a nod to sketch comedy, "The Del Taco Super Special Show" celebrates the brand's attitude in funny ways. The show, set at a Del Taco "just up the street" is hosted by the affable Del Taco crew member Wes who introduces sketches, sights gags, and bits around the many activities that can happen - usually late at night at Del Taco. His roommate Barry who just may be Del Taco's number one fan, helps out Wes when he's not eating tacos.
The first TV spot, radio ad, and Webisode, created by Doner and Mekanism, promote the show and feature Del Taco's popular line of tacos including the regular taco and Classic taco, both under a dollar, and the Macho taco. Episode 1 also introduces "Hot Sauce Girls," who demonstrate Del Taco's hot sauce hotness, as well as Timothy Tacohands, Talking Chins, and other characters. The spots conclude with the campaign's tagline "Eat it here; watch it online" and the Facebook page address.
The ads will appear on network and cable TV in Los Angeles during NFL Playoffs, Lakers Basketball games, "Saturday Night Live," The CW's "Family Guy," Fox Sports, and ESPN among others.
"'The Del Taco Super Special Show' has a little something to entertain everyone," Cappasola says. "Most importantly, it represents the passionate and independent spirit that Del Taco shares with its customers."


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Sharing a Secret At Ichiriki
Veg'n Out
'Tis the season for sharing — and that's where Japanese nabe and Ichiriki restaurant come in. Nabe, a Japanese hot pot typically made with fish-based broth and filled with fish, beef, chicken, pork and vegetables, is popular for sharing any time of year.
Vegetarian Nabe ($11.95)
And Ichiriki knows its nabe. "We use fish broth in everything," says co-owner Issei Kazama, when asked if Ichiriki offers any options for those who don't eat meat or fish.
Oh, well, that's that, I fret.
But wait. Kazama pauses, then continues: "We do get the occasional vegan who comes in, and for vegans/vegetarians we use plain water and seaweed, and then give them ponzu sauce on the side for flavor." Yes!
It's not on the menu, so we're happy to share the secret with Dining Out readers.
There's a healthy dose of vegetables in the special vegetarian nabe ($19.95) — won bok, bok choy, gobo, chives, carrots — as well as kuzukiri (arrowroot noodles) and tofu and aburage for protein. And, Kazama notes, "lots of mushrooms," including enoki, shiitake and shimeji. No oil is used in this preparation, so it's light and clean-tasting, allowing the natural flavors to shine through.
Just let your server know you're vegetarian, then share a nice, warm bowlful of goodness with someone special.
Ichiriki
510 Piikoi Street #102
98-150 Kaonohi Street Suite C216
(808) 589-2299 (Piikoi)
(808) 484-2222 (Aiea)
Piikoi
11 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Lunch)
5 p.m. – 11 p.m. Weekdays, 5 p.m. – midnight Fridays and Saturdays (Dinner)
www.ichirikinabe.com
See more articles from: Ichiriki


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Q: Problem extracting code into a Use Case for Clean Architecture I am consuming a message from a queue and I want to be able to perform the same logic from an API request, so I am trying to extract a use case from my OnMessage() method.
public class QueueListener
{
    public void OnMessage(Message message)
    {
        var thing = _apiClient.GetThing(message.Id);
        var stuff = _repository.GetStuff(message.Id);

        stuff.PutAThingInStuff(thing);
        _repository.SaveStuff(stuff);

        _outQueue.SendOutgoingMessage(new Message(message.Id));
        _apiClient.SetThingToComplete(message.Id);
    }
}

However, the order of .SendOutgoingMessage() and marking the .SetThingToComplete() has me second guessing.  Sending to the outgoing queue is only implemented when the use case is called from the queue, not when called from the API.  The API will simply return the result of the use case.  Also, the order is significant, were we don't want to mark the thing complete if didn't successfully post it to the outgoing queue (I'm aware that I can't guarantee there wasn't an error returning the result to the consumer of the API).
I am not sure what the right approach is here, I feel like .SetThingToComplete() belongs in the Use Case because that should happened regardless of where its called.
I thought using a presenter in this case might make sense, however I'm worried that adding a specific order to .Present() and .SetThingToComplete() might add implicit coupling and be a leaky abstraction.
public class UseCase
{
    public void Handle(Request request, IPresenter presenter)
    {
        var thing = _apiClient.GetThing(request.MessageId);
        var stuff = _repository.GetStuff(request.MessageId);

        stuff.PutAThingInStuff(thing);
        _repository.SaveStuff(stuff);

        // does having a specific order here implicitly add coupling?
        presenter.Present(new Result(request.MessageId));
        _apiClient.SetThingToComplete(request.MessageId);
    }
}

public class QueueListener
{
    public void OnMessage(Message message)
    {
        var presenter = _serviceProvider.GetRequiredService<IPresenter>();
        var useCase = _serviceProvider.GetRequiredService<UseCase>();
        useCase.Handle(new Request(message.Id), presenter);
    }

    public class Presenter : IPresenter
    {
        private readonly IOutBoundQueue _outQueue;

        public void Present(Result result)
        {
            _outQueue.SendOutgoingMessage(new Message(result.MessageId));
        }
    }
}

I've thought that they might be two different use cases, however all the code is the same except that one line.  Thought about adding a flag to the Request to send to the queue or not but I don't like to add "configuration" properties to commands that aren't related to business logic.
I've also thought adding an additional EventHandler class for handling the event separate from calling the command itself or using a domain event instead, but the same problems present themselves in both cases.

A: On possibility that you should seriously consider is that you may not yet have enough information to create abstractions that are going to be healthy in the long term

The wrong abstraction is far more damaging than no abstraction at all. Waiting trumps guessing every time. -- Sandi Metz, 2012

One of the benefits you get from waiting is that you discover whether or not the two different places that are using the code actually do change for the same reasons.

But, assuming you have to guess now...
Part of the trick to decoupling is to share as little information as possible.
Passing something is the right idea:
public class QueueListener
{
    public void OnMessage(Message message)
    {
        var verb = this.verb(message.Id);
        var useCase = _serviceProvider.GetRequiredService<UseCase>();
        useCase.Handle(message.Id, verb);
    }

    IVerb verb(Message.Id id)
    {
        return new Verber(this._outQueue, id)
    }

    public class Verber : IVerb
    {
        private readonly IOutBoundQueue _outQueue;
        private readonly Message.Id _id;

        Verber(IOutBoundQueue outQueue, Message.Id id)
        {
            this._outQueue = outQueue
            this._id = id
        }

        public void Verb()
        {
            _outQueue.SendOutgoingMessage(new Message(this._id));
        }
    }
}

public class UseCase
{
    public void Handle(Request request, IVerb verber)
    {
        var thing = _apiClient.GetThing(request.MessageId);
        var stuff = _repository.GetStuff(request.MessageId);

        stuff.PutAThingInStuff(thing);
        _repository.SaveStuff(stuff);

        verber.verb();

        _apiClient.SetThingToComplete(request.MessageId);
    }
}

So we can reduce (some of) the coupling by wrapping information specific to a specialization behind the abstraction, so that other parts of the code don't need to know about it (see Information Hiding in Parnas 1971).

does having a specific order here implicitly add coupling?

Sort of.
Your interfaces are manifestations of a contract, where the contract may include preconditions and postconditions beyond those expressed by the type system.
class UseCase : Contract.UseCase {...}

class QueueListener {
    class Verber : Contract.Verb { ... }
    ...
}

In a sense, the contract defines what it means to be a conforming participant in some interaction; participants that fail to meet their obligations under the contract are broken.
In other words, some of the "implicitness" here is simply a consequence of choosing a design where the contract is not explicit.
One example of an explicit contract that is likely to be familiar: HTTP.  HTTP components aren't tightly coupled to each other, but the are coupled to the protocol and the message semantics that have been standardized.
And for the most part, that's been really successful, because the HTTP contracts have been really stable, and in the places where the contracts have changed, they have been changed in a way that is backwards compatible.
But designing stable contracts is a hard problem, especially when we're exploring our first implementations, and are still in the dark about which kinds of changes we may need in the future.  This is made more challenging when the contracts are implicit; but when requirements are unstable an explicit contract definition is a lot of work to invest in a short lived artifact.

Waiting trumps guessing every time.

A: You are building your QueueListener on top of the API, but they should go side-by-side. They both should run the same use case, but they are two different interface adapters. All code that is related to use case handling is common and should go in the same UseCase and should be adapter agnostic:
public class UseCase
{
    public void Handle(Request request, IPresenter presenter)
    {
        var stuff = _repository.GetStuff(request.MessageId);
        stuff.PutAThingInStuff(thing);
        _repository.SaveStuff(stuff);
        presenter.Present(new Result(request.MessageId));
    }
}

Then have two adapters handle the communication:
public class QueueListener
{
    public void OnMessage(Message message)
    {
        var presenter = _serviceProvider.GetRequiredService<IPresenter>();
        var useCase = _serviceProvider.GetRequiredService<UseCase>();
        useCase.Handle(new Request(message.Id), presenter);
    }

    public class QueuePresenter : IPresenter
    {
        private readonly IOutBoundQueue _outQueue;
        public void Present(Result result)
        {
            _outQueue.SendOutgoingMessage(new Message(result.MessageId));
        }
    }
}

public class ApiController : Controller
{
    [HttpPost]
    public IActionResult OnPost([FromQuery] Message message)
    {
        var presenter = _serviceProvider.GetRequiredService<IPresenter>();
        var useCase = _serviceProvider.GetRequiredService<UseCase>();
        presenter.Controller = this;
        useCase.Handle(new Request(message.Id), presenter);
        return presenter.Result;
    }

    public class ApiPresenter : IPresenter
    {
        public Controller Controller { get; set; }
        public IActionResult Result { get; private set; }
        public void Present(Result result)
        {
            Result = Controller.Ok(result.MessageId);
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Are we ready for SDECs aka self-driving electric-cars? And how are they likely to change the way we live and work? In a word – profoundly!
Culturally, we are experiencing a change no one would have predicted 10 years ago. Large numbers of millennials are not interested in owning a car. Many only value the utilitarian aspects of transportation. They are far more likely to use Uber or a Zipcar and not bother with the overhead of car ownership. In a little over 100 years, the American love affair with the car pinnacled, and now appears to be down shifting to a much lower gear.
Self-driving cars are just over the horizon. Last week, a Tesla travelled in an auto-pilot mode across the entire USA in 57 hours! Self-parking cars have been around for a while, but now they are getting their real autonomous sea-legs. Google and even Uber are in this game full tilt.
Uber is an interesting play. First they disrupted the entire taxi industry. Now they are poised to disrupt yet again, this time replacing their own Uber drivers with self-driving cars. Stealthily, Uber has launched one of the largest self-driving initiatives, and their CEO is determined to make this into a reality. Rumors are that Apple is working furiously on a self-driving project too.
In a world with SDECs do I really need to even own a car?
Many will elect not to do so. Some estimates show that we may have one third less vehicles on the road. Great for global warming, but terrible for car companies. With less cars sold, mega mergers will become more familiar. Get used to a Nissan-Mercedes or even the burial of entire brands just like we saw with the airlines. This will create turmoil in the job market – auto manufacturing employs a lot of people in the world.
The insurance industry is shaking in their boots too. Car insurance is huge. Volvo just announced that if anyone has an accident in a self-driving Volvo, they will pick up the tab! Other car manufacturers will have to follow. So, now this change is going to disrupt the insurance business. And over time, self-driving cars are likely to be far safer. Truck drivers and even airline pilots should be concerned. They are next on the endangered species list. The first self-driving trucks are already on the roads in California.
Our entire road and bridge system is built around gas taxes. With electric cars not needing any gas, how will we pay for these expensive infrastructure costs? Tire taxes? Windshield taxes? Horn Tax? And do we need as many parking garages if cars are not being parked and just sitting idle? I would want my SDEC, if I had one, to drop me to work and then join the Uber self-driving fleet to earn its own living.
And what about the highway patrol? Speeding tickets for whom? Traffic courts will fall into history's dustbin. Traffic lights – who needs them? Self-driving cars don't need to "see" lights.
And the gas stations. Another dying breed. Your car will drive to a charging station, charge itself and drive back to you. It doesn't even need a gallon gulp drink or a day old hot dog at the convenience store.
If you are not driving, what will you be doing in this SDEC? Prepare yourself for new found car productivity. More connectivity, more entertainment, extended office time, a kitchen (?) and more leisure time to do makeup…well, maybe not the last one – we do that already.
And what about the oil states of the world who have made a pretty living from the fossil fuels we pour into our cars right now? With electric cars, oil demand drops. Geopolitics will shift. Entire regions of the world, will no longer be considered "vital to our security". "Drill baby Drill!" and the Keystone pipeline may soon be forgotten.
Yes, indeed, big changes are underway. You don't need a driving license for a SDEC either. Another rite of passage will fall asunder. Unless of course you are one of the dangerous humans still attempting to drive in the high-toll high-insurance "For Human Drivers" lane.
Is critical thinking being outsourced to Google?
Imagine you are on a deserted island with no phone or other internet enabled device. You have never been to NYC. Now, if I asked you how many Thai restaurants are in NYC? How would you try and find that out? What considerations might be important to answer this question?
"So, like, can I call someone who has a computer?" No, remember you don't have a phone.
"Hmm… can I walk to an internet cafe?" There are no cafes here.
"My friend lived in NYC. I could ask her". There is no post office or phone booth here to call her or send her mail from.
Most never reach the point at which they actually begin to solve the problem.They are too busy trying to find out how they can get to someone who might get them to Google!
Critical thinking needs imagination, insight, and even thinking outside the box. What is far more common nowadays, is thinking "in the box" – which in this case, is the "box" in your pocket (your smartphone) or even in your hand (tablet).
The next time you ask a Millennial a difficult question, notice how quickly they reach for their phones. The phone is an extension of their mind. Not tomorrow. Today.
If Google can answer it – why should I know? I don't need to know, because Google knows! That space in the head, and the critical skills which working a problem bring to the fore – may be under some threat. This should concern us. There are some really smart folks in Silicon Valley from this same generation who are inventing remarkable technology, and in turn are making this world a more connected and hence a more informed place – a better place.
But there seems to be a large segment of that same generation which is just as comfortable outsourcing critical thinking to the smart devices which they own.
Another manifestation of the same technology is a seeming lack of focus. Time is now being lived in very small segments as we multitask through a plethora of competing distractions. This is turn makes sustained focus on one issue much more difficult and is bordering on a lost art. We live in a time where everything important needs to be said in 140 characters or less, and then we move on. Some studies have shown that it can take us between 4-8 minutes before we can refocus after a distraction.
More analysis and studies of these phenomenon will need to be done before any long term trends can be identified with any precision.
Was a previous generation just as alarmed when calculators first became ubiquitous? Did they worry that math would become a lost art?


The Princess Archer story is one of my original Once Upon a Time Adventures called The Wonder Tales, it is the story of a Princess called Gwendolyn who is flung by magic to the Land of the Sun and her journey back to her home – the Ninth Kingdom. On this quest she is joined by Kurt the Wolf Boy, cursed by Baba Yaga to be Werewolf, or Wolf, but never a boy, a nervous faire creature Will O'Wisp and their guide Tobisum the Inch High Samurai. You can read their adventures at The Wonder Tales.
The illustration above is a composite drawing of several drawings created separately, and place together in Photoshop. It is quite a common thing to see in the entertainment industry especially on the movie side, it is so they can pull out individual elements for further promotional purposes.
This is Princess Gwendolyn, the Princess Archer. She is lost in the Land of the Sun with only her loyal companions, her bow and her wits to find a way home. Gwendolyn is a pretty big departure from my more normal 'Cuddly' illustrations to a drawing female human. It is important when creating to push yourself outside your comfort zone from time to time… Otherwise you don't learn or grow.
Gwendolyn was a huge push outside my comfort zone, so I went a little stylised with her working the Anime angle into the character, slight larger head, big eyes and gave her simple robes influenced from Medieval Japanese designs. I quite like how she turned out.
Tobisum the Inch High Samurai is the Princess Archer's guide in the Land of the Sun, she first encounters him when he is trying to hide from preying birds under a walnut-shell. Drawing Tobisum was a character I've never drawn before, but always had in my head to look a specific way. The entire design is influenced by Samurai Jack with long robes, rigid straight stance and a new eye style.
I drew Tobisum at full size so I put some detail into the Samurai, the plan was to scale him down in Photoshop once I put together the composite image.
Kurt the Wolf Boy and Will O'Wisp were thrown through the magical portal with Gwendolyn into the Land of the Sun. While Will'O is a very nervous faire creature he has moments of great wisdom, while Kurt the Wolf Boy is a more tragic character trapped in Werewolf or Wolf form, never to be a boy. He is deeply loyal to Gwendolyn risking his life without hesitation time and time again to keep her safe.
These two companions were the easiest of the bunch to draw. Kurt was a really just a shaggy collection of lines in a humanoid shape. I was very scratchy with my ink pen to give him a layered fur effect, and taking a trick from anime I made his eyes larger and more human.
Will O'Wisp is just a flying little dough boy, quite easy to illustrate. However, he wasn't inked rather created using inktense pencils to give him a translucent glow. I lightly penciled his outline, erased lines more and then drew the details in directly with the pencils.
All the illustrations were then scanned in, backgrounds deleted and using Photoshop merged together, placing each character on a separate layer. I have Kurt standing defensively behind Gwendolyn ready to leap into action, a reduced in scale Tobisum and their feet and the nervous Will O' placed to balance out the illustration. Then using the clone tool I gave them all more ground to stand on. It all came together quite nicely.
Thank you for taking time out from your day to read this mini-article. You can check out the Princess Archer Once Upon a Time stories on my Wonder Tales website.
Tagged Adventure, Anime, Archer, art, Faire, Fairy Tale, Illustration, Inch High Samurai, Japanese Folk Lore, Magic, Once Upon a time, Princess, Samurai, The Princess Archer, The Wonder Tales, Were Boy, Werewolf, Will O'Wisp, Wolf. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Kansas' punishment for voter fraud 'a slap on the wrist'
TWICE AS NICE: More than 125,000 Kansans were identified as potentially having voter registrations in multiple states. But even when real fraud is uncovered, prosecution is far from easy.
By Travis Perry │ Kansas Watchdog
OSAWATOMIE, Kan. — For more than a decade now, Sherman County Clerk Janet Rumpel has been hopping mad.
Like all in her position, Rumpel takes the duty of administering fair and accurate elections seriously. So when a local man bragged to poll workers about skirting election law and voting in multiple states, she practically demanded retribution.
But that was way back in 2000, during an election year plagued nationally with the specter of hanging chads and nail-biting recounts.
Sure, law enforcement were alerted. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was even brought in. But despite the man's brazenness, Rumpel said nothing was ever done.
"Every time I see him I think 'how could you do that?'" Rumpel told Kansas Watchdog. "To me, it's a privilege and an honor to be able to vote, and it should have integrity behind it."
Since then, Kansas has helped lead the way in the fight against voter fraud. One of the state's most comprehensive tools, the Interstate Voter Cross Check, was initiated in 2005 and expanded in 2011 under Secretary of State Kris Kobach.
The program compares voter rolls between states, and spotlights multiple registrations for further investigation or correction. At last count, a staggering 125,031 Kansans were flagged for having potential duplicate registrations in one or more states.
While double registrations aren't a sign of implicit fraud, it's at the very least an open invitation. But even with the cross check program comparing voter rolls and looking for fraud in 28 states, prosecuting those who abuse the system is far from easy.
Brad Bryant, deputy of elections and legislative matters
Brad Bryant, deputy of elections and legislative matters for the Kansas secretary of state, confirmed Rumpel's grievances, noting "nothing was actually ever done by the county or the feds."
"When we have referred cases like this to county prosecutors in Kansas, we find that they're busy with what may be considered more serious crimes," Bryant told Kansas Watchdog. "They may have burglaries and murders that are considered more serious and higher priority, and they face limited resources."
In Kansas, double voting is only a misdemeanor. While the crime is punishable by a $250 fine and up to a year in county jail, Bryant said offenders rarely see time behind bars.
"At least half the time, if a sheriff's deputy goes and knocks on someone's door and says we have evidence that you double voted, they admit it," Bryant said. "And if they get a misdemeanor, it kind of ends up like a slap on the wrist. Usually they know it's against the rules, they just didn't know they'd get caught."
Bryant and other like-minded people are pushing for the legislature to up the crime to a level nine non-person felony. Key in that, he said, is that a conviction would strip an individual of their voting rights.
"I think the state of Kansas has very good guidelines, now they have to have voter ID, they're supposed to provide proof of citizenship, so I think we're on the right track," Rumpel said. "But what concerns me is small counties like ours … if it's happening here, how much more of this is happening in the big cities and counties?"
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It is 7AM and I just read my first blog of the day:The New Buyer Conversation, Goodbye Sales, Hello Google". The blogger asserts that no one wants to speak with sales people any more—"those days are over." This may be true for consumers on Amazon or WalMart.com where they compare features and surf for the best deal on widgets or commodity type products, but not so for many other types of purchases.
You see, there are different types of sales: retail, industrial, and consulting for market segments. There are also inside customer service reps, which in some cases are the same as inside sales reps. Then there are those outside reps who travel and work in the trenches. These are the folks who get the best feedback from customers, report to marketing, and allow the company to survive and grow. Then there are those who are in sales as a stepping stone into another position, and those who are career sales people. It would have been more thorough if the blogger would have differentiated the different types of salespeople; the context of the blog seems to be related to sales people who make cold calls, or who solicit prospects via unwelcome phone calling or other contact method.
Even though I offer a store front for my website, I've found that there is still a large segment of buyers who prefer speaking with a human being. Count me as one of those. In fact, I placed 2 orders this week, both for promotional items, but had to speak with inside sales reps/customer service folks to help me place the orders. I was simply running out of time and the websites, as progressive and inviting as they were, were not good enough for me to make the purchases. In the first case, I had to make sure about a print color question, and double check a lead time. She also helped direct me to some helpful options to consider on her web site. In the second case, I had to call to tell them while they were advertising 128 bit security encryption, my browser told me otherwise.
In the business world, buyers typically need to know what they are paying for, and in my case, I offer service with my products. Folks who are investing in long-term software and hardware purchases, or who are evaluating label suppliers for an important project, often prefer human contact to help them better determine who they are dealing with. Email is extremely useful, but not in this case. This probably explains why I prefer the human element when I purchase non-commodity items, and also explains why when people call me with questions, they typically buy from me. My conversion rate for callers, is much higher than emailers—those who call seem more committed, whereas, the emailers tend to be a lot of tire kickers. Of course, receiving unsolicited calls from sales people is not welcomed by most, including me. But in cases where sales people can genuinely help and solve problems, the most successful companies realize that their sales reps are worth their weight in gold.
Web sites have evolved to allow buyers to create their own custom print jobs, offer immediate quotes, and provide rock bottom pricing. They also have harnessed the power of video for tutorials, and sales demos. Some sites will soon offer the ability to upload your body dimensions, create a model of you, and allow you to "try-on" various clothing via the web. Virtual reality is here. But how many will purchase a fine suit or prom dress without trying it on?
These are tools that are not necessarily replacing sales people, but are aiding them. Buying a new car? Sure, shop on-line and find the best price, read product reviews, and compare features. But how many will buy without taking a test drive? What will you do with your old car? Most people value their time, and dealing with certain salespeople often times translates to receiving the best (and quickest) value for our hard earned bucks.
Yes, the non-human element will continue to increase as we move along. The younger generation seems to prefer texting over calling, and they practically live on the web. Even so, sales people have existed for as long as humans have, and my prediction is that as human interaction continues to dissipate, the requirement and desire for buyers to deal with professional sales people, for non-commodity purchases, will increase as well.


text:
How G.J. Gardner Homes is helping the Ararat community
Date Monday, 25 July 2016 4:20 PM
The life of a franchise owner under the G.J. Gardner Homes name has a whole heap of benefits. You get to run your own business, keep in touch with everything going on in the community and be up to speed with your valued local customers.
We recently sat down with Ashley and Sally Heard, franchise owners in the wonderful region of Ararat, to find out about what their day-to-day lives look like, and how they're benefiting the community around them.
Some of the most important parts of the operations happen behind the scenes.
Some of the most important parts of the operations happen behind the scenes, away from the client-facing side of the business, as anyone who runs their own business will understand.
"Our core work varies day to day - one day can be really quiet, going about paying bills and doing administration work, other days we're meeting people and doing colour consultations, going out on site and doing paperwork for clients," commented Sally.
"That's one of the things we enjoy the most. We get to see our clients face to face and get to know them. Dealing with clients and making them happy when they move in is one of the best aspects of the whole job. They're appreciating the quality home they're getting, and it's fulfilling that we're able to provide it for them.
"It's also great interacting with our staff, who make the whole business tick over."
While G.J. Gardner Homes is typically seen as a builder through which you can design your own home, there is a really personal side to how branches are run that many people don't know about. Many of the franchisees are in their positions as business owners because of the community side of the job. When you're a franchise owner, you'll have one foot in the business, and one firmly planted out in the local region, helping people to come together as neighbours.
What does the Ararat branch do for the community?
From designing your home to being there when you walk through the door, your local franchise owner can be there through it all.
A photo posted by G.J. Gardner Homes Australia (@gjgardneraus) on
Jul 17, 2016 at 10:30pm PDT
"Even though we're a volume builder, we still employ local staff and sub-contractors," continued Sally.
"We're trying to drive home the local aspect in every way as far as supporting local community groups. We really put an emphasis on donations, with a major sponsorship in each of the three areas around Ararat. By doing this, we really feel that we can keep connected with what our neighbours need, and what they all want to see more of. That's also helping us to make better decisions for our customers, which is resulting in even happier outcomes."
As Ararat is a regional centre, it can sometimes be difficult for people who want to build a home to find a trusted builder from the local area. G.J. Gardner Homes makes it easy.
"We aren't just a big builder, even though we're in the country," mentioned Sally.
"The big builders come in from the cities, build and then leave. Here at G.J. Gardner Homes, we don't. We actually help out around the region."
"We aren't just a big builder, even though we're in the country."
This can be seen with the G.J. Garden, set up at the local school.
"The G.J. Garden is helping people to come together as a community. A small group in the school called the Earthlings gets together every lunchtime to weed and water, which is giving them an outdoor interest and helping them learn gardening skills."
The difference you'll see with G.J. Gardner Homes
The fantastic service and communication you'll experience when you build with G.J. Gardner Homes can really make the difference between a good experience and a great one.
"We want our clients to be receiving the service they deserve for the money they're spending. We're about quality, not quantity. Our staff deliver first-class customer service, and we strive to uphold those standards for every single person that gets in touch with us."
To see exactly what Sally and Ashley are talking about, contact your local G.J. Gardner Homes office and get started on your own building journey.
[Infographic] What a knock down and rebuild means for you
Read More 15 Aug, 2016 12:37 PM
What are implied warranties?
I'm building a new home: Do I need home indemnity insurance?
When do you need a conveyancer?
7 building contract acronyms you should be familiar with
4 tips for a successful walk-through inspection
Which building contract is right for you?
Read More 9 Jul, 2015 1:22 PM
A quick cheat sheet for understanding council approvals


50,000 eggs will fall from the San Jose sky on April 21st at the San Jose Giants Stadium!
All children through 5th grade are welcome to participate (ages 0-10)! We are also opening this event to children and adults with autism and developmental disabilities (ages 0-22).
Registration is free but suggested donation of at least $3 per child is encouraged! Come and take pics with the Easter bunny and enjoy the start of your Easter experience with your family. A bag will be provided for each child, so you can fill your Easter basket with more goodies! Hope to see you there!
Egg Drop will start immediately after the Easter Service. For more info, click here for FAQ's.


There have been 2 safety recalls for the Thomas Pusher. The most recent recalls are shown below. Table 1 and Table 2 show the historical recalls and the recall statistics by the model year of the Thomas Pusher.


This entry was posted in Property Cleaning Services Twin Cities MN, Residential Cleaning Services and tagged Professional Window Washing MN, regular professional window washing services, Window Cleaners, Window Cleaning Company, Window Washers on May 31, 2016 by Exterior Cleaning Service St. Paul, MN.
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text:
Top schools call for end to unconditional offers
Heads warn universities are damaging A levels as almost one in four students given free passes
Rosemary Bennett, Education Editor
Friday September 28 2018, 12.01am, The Times
The umbrella group for private schools including Eton said that universities risked damaging their reputations
MATTHEW FEARN/PA
The heads of Britain's leading independent schools have urged universities to stop making unconditional offers to pupils amid mounting evidence that they are damaging performance in A levels.
They say that too many pupils are "taking their foot off the gas" when they learn that they do not need to pass their A levels, or even finish their course, to get into university. They are then lumbered with poor grades for the rest of their careers.
The call comes from Mike Buchanan, new executive director of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), the umbrella group for 285 private schools that includes Eton, Marlborough and Westminster.
The number of unconditional offers has risen sharply in recent years, with 23 per cent of pupils now receiving at


text:
 std::vector<std::string> darknessNight::TextParser::StringTools::split(std::string string, char delimiter) {
	std::vector<std::string> array;
	int pos = string.find(delimiter);
	while (pos >= 0) {
		array.push_back(string.substr(0, pos));
		string = string.substr(pos + 1, string.size() - pos);
		pos = string.find(delimiter);
	}
	array.push_back(string);
	return array;
}

 std::array<std::string, 2> darknessNight::TextParser::StringTools::splitOnFirst(std::string string, char delimiter) {
	std::array<std::string, 2> array;
	int pos = string.find(delimiter);
	if (pos >= 0) {
		array[0] = string.substr(0, pos);
		array[1] = string.substr(pos + 1, string.size() - pos);
	} else
		array[0] = string;
	return array;
}

 std::string darknessNight::TextParser::StringTools::trimWhitespace(std::string string) {
	return trimChar(string, { ' ','\t','\n','\r' });
}

 std::string darknessNight::TextParser::StringTools::trimChar(std::string string, std::initializer_list<char> charsToTrim) {
	string = trimCharAtBegin(string, charsToTrim);
	string = trimCharAtEnd(string, charsToTrim);
	return string;
}

 std::string darknessNight::TextParser::StringTools::trimCharAtEnd(std::string& string, std::initializer_list<char> charsToTrim) {
	int i = string.size() - 1;
	while (i >= 0 && isOneFromChars(string[i], charsToTrim))
		i--;
	return string.substr(0, i + 1);
}

 std::string darknessNight::TextParser::StringTools::trimCharAtBegin(std::string& string, std::initializer_list<char> charsToTrim) {
	int i = 0;
	while (string.size() > i && isOneFromChars(string[i], charsToTrim))
		i++;
	return string.substr(i, string.size() - i);
}

 bool darknessNight::TextParser::StringTools::isOneFromChars(const char searchChar, std::initializer_list<char> patternChars) {
	for (auto ch : patternChars)
		if (searchChar == ch)
			return true;
	return false;
}

 std::string darknessNight::TextParser::StringTools::trim(std::string stringToTrim, std::string patternString) {
	stringToTrim = trimStringAtBegin(stringToTrim, patternString);
	stringToTrim = trimStringAtEnd(stringToTrim, patternString);
	return stringToTrim;
}

 std::string darknessNight::TextParser::StringTools::trimStringAtBegin(std::string stringToTrim, std::string patternString) {
	while (isBeginWith(stringToTrim, patternString))
		stringToTrim = stringToTrim.substr(patternString.size(), stringToTrim.size() - patternString.size());
	return stringToTrim;
}

 bool darknessNight::TextParser::StringTools::isBeginWith(std::string string, std::string patternString) {
	return static_cast<int>(string.find(patternString)) == 0;
}

 std::string darknessNight::TextParser::StringTools::trimStringAtEnd(std::string stringToTrim, std::string patternString) {
	while (isEndWith(stringToTrim, patternString))
		stringToTrim = stringToTrim.substr(0, stringToTrim.size() - patternString.size());
	return stringToTrim;
}

 bool darknessNight::TextParser::StringTools::isEndWith(std::string string, std::string patternString) {
	return static_cast<int>(string.find(patternString)) == string.size() - patternString.size();
}

 int darknessNight::TextParser::StringTools::beginWith(std::string string, std::vector<std::string> patternStrings) {
	for (auto i = 0; i < patternStrings.size(); i++)
		if (isBeginWith(string, patternStrings[i]))
			return i;
	return -1;
}

 int darknessNight::TextParser::StringTools::endWith(std::string string, std::vector<std::string> patternStrings) {
	for (auto i = 0; i < patternStrings.size(); i++)
		if (isEndWith(string, patternStrings[i]))
			return i;
	return -1;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Choose from our amazing selection of hundreds of fun coloring pages and books. Beautiful sets of water color pencils and crayons. Coloring is not just for kids but it can certainly make you feel like one again by taking you back to a simpler time. Hang out with your friends and catch up as you color. $6.00 per crafter. Pay up front for your whole group, just send them the link to this page so they can come here and pay individually! Contact us at bettertogatherparties@gmail.com with any questions.


text:
Policing in Israel
Studying Crime Control, Community, and Counterterrorism
Edited ByTal Jonathan-Zamir, David Weisburd, Badi Hasisi
Pub. location Boca Raton
SubjectsPolitics & International Relations, Social Sciences
How Has the Israel National Police Perceived Its Role in Counterterrorism and Potential Outcomes? A Qualitative Analysis of Annual Police Reports
WithTAL JONATHAN-ZAMIR AND GALI AVIV
Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 222 What Are the Potential Outcomes of Policing Terrorism? ................................................... 222 The Study ..................................................................................................................................... 224
Israel as a Research Setting ................................................................................................... 224 Analysis of INP Annual Reports ......................................................................................... 225
Period I: Assignment of the INP with Counterterrorism Responsibilities ......................... 226 "Internal Security" as a Major Reform and Top Priority .................................................. 226 The Civil Guard as an Important Vehicle for Fostering Police-Community Relationships ....................................................................................... 227
Period II: The First Palestinian Intifada .................................................................................. 227 Counterterrorism as a Major Transition and Shift in Priorities (1988-1989), Followed by Reconciliation with the Dual Role (1990-1995) ......................................... 227 The Significance of the Civil Guard to Police-Community Relationships .................... 228
Period III: The Second Palestinian Intifada ............................................................................ 229 Ongoing Reconciliation and Acceptance of the Dual Role .............................................. 229 Lack of Resources .................................................................................................................. 230 Pride and Grief ....................................................................................................................... 230 Positive Impact on Police-Community Relationships ..................................................... 230
Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 231 Conclusions ................................................................................................................................. 233 Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................... 234 References .................................................................................................................................... 234
Since the terror attack of September 11, 2001, police forces in the democratic world have become significantly more aware of potential terrorist threats and increased their involvement in counterterrorism (Bayley and Weisburd 2009; International Association of Chiefs of Police 2005; National Research Council 2004). Counterterrorism was a relatively new role for local police agencies in countries such as the United States and not necessarily perceived as natural (IACP 2005; Weisburd, Jonathan, and Perry 2009), and thus, along with the rise in policing terrorism, police scholars and practitioners have begun to debate, speculate on, and investigate the effects that this unique responsibility may have on the performance of the police, their role in society, and their relationship with the public (e.g., Fishman 2005; Lyons 2002; Murray 2005; Thacher 2005; Weisburd, Feucht, Hakimi, Mock, and Perry 2009; Weisburd, Jonathan, and Perry 2009).


Now, after the Olympics, promoters seek to keep its popularity gliding along.
U.S. speedskating grabs the spotlight for a short time every four years.
With the help of social media, the U.S. Speedskating Association wants to keep the sport alive, even though the Winter Olympics in Vancouver have ended. The association worked with The Flint Group, a network of full-service communication agencies, to use social media plan to share stories, promote athletes and expand the fan base.
"We wanted to get our messages out to the public in a short period of time," says Brad Goskowizc, U.S. Speedskating Association president.
The first three seem self-explanatory, but what's the story behind No. 4?
Well, the association ran into trouble late last year when its major sponsor, DSB Bank in The Netherlands, went bankrupt. The team needed a $300,000 sponsor. Riding to the rescue, Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert and his fans, dubbed Colbert Nation, rallied for the team and donated money for sponsorship.


text:
Cumberland Matters: Answer the call, become a volunteer firefighter
By Jon Soles
Cumberland County's volunteer fire departments depend on the availability and dedication of volunteers to answer the call in the event of emergencies, accidents, fires or natural disasters.
Cumberland County's 18 volunteer fire departments have risen to the occasion when their communities have needed them, especially during Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. However, many volunteer fire departments, especially in rural parts of the county, face a shortage of volunteers.
Cumberland County Fire Chiefs' Association President Freddy Johnson Sr. encourages people who want to make a difference to consider becoming a volunteer firefighter. The time commitment and training are significant, but the rewards are giving back to the community and potentially saving lives.
"Volunteers are critical to what we do in Cumberland County, especially in the unincorporated areas," Johnson said. "Our local system relies on volunteers and people may not realize their local fire department is actively recruiting volunteers."
Johnson, who has been a firefighter since 1973 and is chief of the Stoney Point Fire Department, has seen the role of volunteer fire departments expand well beyond just answering calls for fires.
"All of our volunteer fire departments in Cumberland County are full-service departments, meaning they answer fire, rescue and emergency medical calls," Johnson said. "This also includes emergencies involving hazardous materials, weapons of mass destruction and active shooter situations."
In addition to emergency calls, volunteer firefighters also bring public fire education to civic groups, churches and schools. Although there are full-time staff at most volunteer fire departments, there are still times when only volunteers are available, Johnson said.
"People in unincorporated areas rely on volunteers although most departments have a contingent of full-time people," Johnson said. "On nights and weekends, volunteers are absolutely critical to sustaining the emergency services mission that includes responding to fires, medical emergencies and accidents."
If you want to answer the call, or if you want to learn more, go to www.volunteerFireNC.org or call 1-833-865-6227. Johnson said anyone interested in becoming a firefighter also could visit their local volunteer fire department.
"Volunteers make a difference in emergency situations when their community needs them," Johnson said. "Volunteers make a difference by protecting lives and property."
Institute for Community Leadership
Wednesday is the deadline to sign up for the Institute for Community Leadership's 2019-20 class. The program is free and designed to develop and empower community members, especially those not previously identified, who want to commit to leadership and service roles in addressing important issues in Fayetteville and Cumberland County. Seven monthly training sessions will be held from September through April, excluding December. Apply at leadership4us.org.
Cumberland Update
Saturday: Inviting Birds to Your Backyard. 9 a.m. to noon. Learn tips to attract birds to your property. Registration and $15 fee are due by Wednesday. To register, call 910-321-6405 or email susan_johnson@ncsu.edu.
Jon Soles is the public information specialist for Cumberland County government. You can reach him at jsoles@co.cumberland.nc.us or 910-321-6579.


At the Second General Assembly held in Kingston, Jamaica, among the project activities identified for 2002 was the establishment of an ACEO website; and, arising from the deliberations of the Fourth General Assembly held in Barbados in 2009, the Elections and Boundaries Commission of Trinidad and Tobago agreed to undertake responsibility for the website and for its maintenance. Thus, the website www.theaceo.com was created. It was launched at the Fifth General Assembly held in Trinidad and Tobago over the period 18th-19th November, 2010.


text:
It Would Be Fitting for Ronaldo to Return to Man United
By Eshlin
Editorial, Juventus, Manchester United
Despite being 34 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo remains on top of his game. Ronaldo has proven that he is capable of class wherever he goes. He has won league titles in England, Spain and Italy with Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus respectively, not to mention that he has helped United to win one Champions League title and Madrid four.
Ronaldo finished as the Old Lady of Italian football's top goal scorer last season after having scored 21 goals from 31 games. This is a very impressive tally to have gained in the defensive-minded Italian league. There is not much doubt that Ronaldo is capable of shining in any league that he plays in.
Winning the Champions League with Juve his next target
Despite approaching the latter years of his career, Ronaldo remains as hungry as ever for success and there is no doubt that he will be aiming to lead Juve to Europe's premier club competition, the one major trophy that has eluded Italy's dominant football club. The one major setback which Ronaldo experienced last season was the shock elimination of Juventus from the Champions League during the quarter-final by Ajax. This may just end up costing him the Ballon d'Or award.
Ronaldo's contract with Juve is valid for three years and this means that it will be due to expire at the end of the 2020-21 season, by which time he will be 36. Barring a massive decline in form, it appears unlikely at this stage that Ronaldo will hang up his boots by then; he will surely want to go to the 2022 World Cup with Portugal. United have been a shadow of the club that they once were since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. It would be fitting that CR7 return to the club that helped make him a star and perhaps even end his career there. Perhaps, he can inspire them back to winning ways?
Can He Deal with the Pressure?...
Pepe Shocked By Man United Fan...
Eshlin
Can Juventus Win the UEFA Champions League?


text:
My personal space
United States North America Justice Rehabilitation
Source — The Connecticut Mirror (14/02/2020)
Read country-profile
Published on February 27, 2020 News
USA: proposals to ease post-prison transitions en route to lawmakers this session
Members of a task force studying how people's criminal records negatively impact their lives after prison have produced dozens of recommendations for mitigating this harm, including remedies for housing and employment discrimination.
The council co-chairs, both Democratic lawmakers, will soon meet with the heads of the subcommittees and Republican members of the council to try to turn some of the recommendations into laws during the 2020 legislative session.
"I'm really trying to figure out ways to dismantle the implicit bias, not to even mention the straight-up racism, the blatant discrimination," said Rep. Robyn Porter, D-New Haven, who co-chairs the group, called the Council on the Collateral Consequences of a Criminal Record. "It's deep-rooted."
The only person with a record on the full council, Tiheba Bain, said there are countless barriers people with criminal convictions face after they've done their time.
"There are brick walls and glass ceilings that I come up against every day, being a formerly incarcerated woman," Bain said. "We have so many onslaughts coming at us that it's hard for us sometimes to even breathe."
Advocates on the council echoed the need to hold employers and property owners accountable should the proposals become law. Lorenzo Jones, the co-founder and co-executive director at the Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice, cautioned against making "a bureaucratic list of things that would be great to do," without creating a mechanism for punishing those who continue to discriminate against people with records.
Jones said that if there's no way to punish those who violate any new anti-discrimination laws, "we're moving the chairs around the deck of the Titanic." Without a full understanding of the different barriers the formerly incarcerated face, Jones said, and absent an ability to penalize those who continue to violate the law, discrimination will continue to exist, "and it's a bunch of bureaucrats talking about the the great stuff they would do if they could, but they can't."
Here are some of the central proposals made by the council's subcommittees this week.
One notable proposal made by the research subcommittee would allow people who are incarcerated for felonies, or on parole, to vote. Connecticut is the most restrictive state in New England when it comes to voting rights for people with criminal records In Vermont and Maine, even those convicted of felonies are eligible to vote when they're in prison.
Connecticut's current felony disenfranchisement laws disproportionately impact people of color, as African Americans and Hispanics make up around two-thirds of the state's incarcerated population, and are disproportionately represented among the state's parolees.
That recommendation would also help eligible voters locked up on Election Day to cast a ballot. If full enfranchisement for inmates is not possible, Clark suggested the Department of Correction assist incarcerated people to register as part of the exit process from prison or parole.
Restoring such a power would send a message to the marginalized, Clark said: "We want you to be part of society. We want you to be contributing members, and part of that is being a part of the civic process."
Other research recommendations include:
Ending blanket restrictions on jury service for those with criminal records
Stopping universities from discriminating against formerly incarcerated applicants
Making a list of collateral consequences publicly available and incorporating those factors into plea bargaining, sentencing and defense attorneys' counseling considerations
The employee subcommittee focused much of its work on increasing employer interest in hiring formerly incarcerated people.
"We are in a unique moment in our country where we have a declining unemployment rate," said Marc Pelka, chairman of the employment subcommittee and the governor's undersecretary for criminal justice policy and planning. At the same time, he explained, while more people are working, some employers are still struggling with vacancies. Certain jobs that require more training but offer higher wages have open positions that could be filled by people with criminal records.
"We have open manufacturing positions in our state, we have employers who are speaking in a very compelling way about the advantages they see in hiring people with criminal records," Pelka said. "We have the ability here to reduce stigma. We have the ability to really fasten this into an overall workforce development and economic message."
Pelka suggested holding "second chance hiring forums" to connect business leaders to people with records, and providing access to fidelity insurance bonds to reduce employers' liability in hiring them. He also recommended expanding employers' capacity to recruit workforce talent from inside penitentiaries so they could host job fairs in prisons.
Other proposals – there were 31 in all – include:
Helping incarcerated people considering an apprenticeship to gauge whether they'd be eligible for licensure once they're released, building on past reforms like Ban the Box
Revising the sex offender registry to make it more risk- than offense-based
Automatically clearing certain criminal convictions after a designated waiting period
Increasing employers' awareness of a tax credit they can benefit from by hiring people with felony records
The tiny "yes" box that asks prospective property renters whether they've ever been convicted of a crime single-handedly holds enormous power over people who have, said Richard Cho, who chairs the housing subcommittee. Many don't even bother.
"I think most people with criminal records live in fear of applying for housing," said Cho, CEO of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness.
Cho and his colleagues' goal is to prohibit landlords from denying prospective renters solely on the basis of a criminal record. Their recommendations include:
Still allowing housing owners to conduct a criminal background screening, but they would only be allowed to see convictions that occurred within the past decade
Restricting property owners from asking about criminal records on their applications
Requiring landlords to complete an individualized assessment if they want to deny renting to someone with certain convictions
These changes would apply to all types of state and federally-assisted housing, as well as the majority of private sector housing.
Enforcement would be a key component of the rule change, Cho said. He proposed amending state statute to make people with criminal records a protected class under the state's fair housing law. He acknowledged there was concern among subcommittee members about this change, "because in their mind, that means that they would be protected the same way that somebody would be protected based on race or disability."
But the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities is already taking cases of prospective employees and renters who feel they have been discriminated against because of their criminal records, said Michelle Dumas Keuler, an attorney with the agency.
"We take them as disparate impact cases, based on race, color and national origin because statistically, people who are African American and Hispanic are arrested [and] convicted at higher rates than Caucasians," she said.
Keuler said making people with criminal records a protective class would not mean landlords would be forced to rent to everyone with convictions who apply to live on their property.
"There's always checks that people do, both in employment and in housing, that are related to whether the person's a good employee or a good tenant."
The council's two Republican members, Rep. Craig Fishbein (R-Wallingford) and Sen. Craig Miner (R-Litchfield), released their own report that simultaneously agreed broadly with the goals of the full council and philosophically opposed making "blanket changes to the policies with no consideration of circumstances unique to each instance."
Their position is notable, given that they will play key roles in turning these recommendations into bill proposals this session.
Miner and Fishbein voiced support for a few specific proposals, like ending the barring of people with convictions from serving on a jury, centralizing criminal background checks performed by state government agencies and enhancing prison education programs.
Porter said she planned on hosting public hearings in the future to get broader input as they try turning recommendations into laws.
"The council was to lay a foundation," she said. "This is an ongoing process. The council has ended, but the work still continues."
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Q: What is ths error in Ruby Watir (WIN32OLERuntimeError: unknown property or method `document')? I have this code in Ruby waitr ..
$LOAD_PATH.unshift File.join(File.dirname(__FILE__),'..') if $0 == __FILE__
require 'test/unit'
require 'Watir'
require 'Watir/contrib/enabled_popup'

class TC_Dialog_Test<Test::Unit::TestCase
  $ie=Watir::IE.new
  $ie.bring_to_front()
  $myDir = File.expand_path(File.dirname(__FILE__))

  def setup
    $ie.goto "file://#{$myDir}/aa.html"
  end
  def test_confirm_OK
     sleep(3)
    $ie.button(:id, 'btnConfirm').click_no_wait
    $hwnd = $ie.enable_popup(5)
    if ($hwnd)
      $popup =WinClicker.new
      $popup.makeWindowsActive($hwnd)
      sleep(3)
     # $popup.clickWindowsButton($hwnd,"OK")
      puts "you pressed Comfirm-ok"
      sleep(3)
    end
  end
  end

when runnung this code get this error results ...
test_confirm_OK(TC_Dialog_Test):
WIN32OLERuntimeError: unknown property or method `document'
    HRESULT error code:0x800706b5
      The interface is unknown.
    c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/watir-1.5.3/./watir/ie.rb:417:in `method_missing'
    c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/watir-1.5.3/./watir/ie.rb:417:in `document'
    c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/watir-1.5.3/./watir/container.rb:767:in `ole_inner_elements'
    c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/watir-1.5.3/./watir/container.rb:838:in `locate_input_element'
    c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/watir-1.5.3/./watir/input_elements.rb:10:in `locate'
    c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/watir-1.5.3/./watir/element.rb:47:in `assert_exists'
    c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/watir-1.5.3/./watir/element.rb:278:in `enabled?'
    c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/watir-1.5.3/./watir/element.rb:53:in `assert_enabled'
    c:/ruby/lib/ruby/gems/1.8/gems/watir-1.5.3/./watir/element.rb:214:in `click_no_wait'
    Mo.rb:16:in `test_confirm_OK'

A: You are using Watir 1.5.3, but the current stable is 1.8.1. I suggest you to update your gem to the latest and try again. There is a good chance that the WIN32OLE object for IE has changed it's behavior and old gem is conflicting with it. (Have you updated IE or smth since last successful run?)

A: I got the same error using Watir 1.8.1. I don't know if there is anything wrong with your code, but in my case the tests ran fine on other machines.
I am running my tests in RubyMine 3.1.x. Running RubyMine as Administrator allowed Ruby to have the rights to interact with IE properly and the problem went away.
Edit:
Found the forum post which originally helped me solve the problem.


Turns out William Klein, BEA Systems' vice-president of business planning and development, was sorely mistaken when he said "BEA is worth substantially more to Oracle, to others and, importantly, to our shareholders than the price" Oracle offered for it. Certainly, that's the opinion of Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who says any future Oracle takeover bid for BEA Systems–if there ever is one–will be for less than the $7 billion it offered last month.
That said, Oracle's BEA experience hasn't exactly put Ellison off his feed. "We are now looking at our second favorite stocks and we have found some attractive" ones, he said.


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namespace Machete.HL7.Tests.Segments
{
    public interface PIDSegment :
        HL7Segment
    {
        Value<int> SetId { get; }
        Value<CXComponent> PatientId { get; }
        ValueList<CXComponent> PatientIdentifierList { get; }
    }
}


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Sport Doctor fears Danish star Christian Eriksen may never play again
Doctor fears Danish star Christian Eriksen may never play again
Denmark's Christian Eriksen was taken to hospital after being revived on the pitch in Copenhagen. Photo: EPA
Christian Eriksen may not play again professionally after his cardiac arrest during Denmark's Euro 2020 game against Finland, a leading sports cardiologist says.
Denmark and Inter Milan midfielder Eriksen dropped to the ground at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen shortly before half-time and was treated on the pitch before being taken to hospital.
The Danish Football Federation said on Sunday morning that Eriksen is "stable" and he remains in hospital.
In a statement on Twitter, the Danish FA said: "Latest news: This morning we have spoken to Christian Eriksen, who has sent his greetings to his teammates.
"His condition is stable and he continues to be hospitalised for further examination."
Professor Sanjay Sharma, a professor of sports cardiology at London's St George's University who worked with Eriksen during his time at Tottenham Hotspur, said football bodies would likely to be "very strict" about allowing the 29-year-old to play again.
"Clearly something went terribly wrong," Professor Sharma said.
"But they managed to get him back, the question is what happened? And why did it happen?
"This guy had normal tests all the way up to 2019 so how do you explain this cardiac arrest?"
Denmark team doctor Morten Boesen said Eriksen received life-saving cardiac massage treatment on the pitch but was able to speak before being taken to hospital.
"We were called on to the field when Christian collapsed. He was lying on his side when we approached him and there was respiration and pulse," Boesen said post-match.
"But that picture changed and he then received life-saving cardiac massage. We quickly got help from the stadium doctor and we got Christian back."
Professor Sharma, who chairs the Football Association's expert cardiac consensus group said he was "pleased" by news that Eriksen was awake in hospital.
"The fact he's stable and awake, his outlook is going to be very good," he told the PA news agency.
"I don't know whether he'll ever play football again.
"Without putting it too bluntly, he died today, albeit for a few minutes, but he did die and would the medical professional allow him to die again?
"The answer is no."
Professor Sharma added that it would be up to both the player and his club to assess the risks of continuing to play.
"His cardiac arrest has rocked the entire nation today and that's what happens. It's not just them that it affects, it's the psyche of so many people," he said.
"The good news is he will live. The bad news is he was coming to the end of his career, so would he play another professional football game? That I can't say.
"In the UK he wouldn't play. We'd be very strict about it."
Christian Eriksen Euro 2020
Humble Jana Novotna showed me the way: French Open champ Barbora Krejcikova


Pharmahemp™ CBG Crystal comes in a plastic container. The product contains pure cannabigerol (CBG) from supercritical CO2 extraction of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) which is further processed in high-tech equipment to produce phyto-organic CBG isolate.
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In the first of the series of articles that Wes Dodson will write on Student Government in anticipation of the upcoming election, he tries to conceptualize what SG is in relation to the U.S. branches of government. As you will see, it's not a comfortable fit.
Megan Choy gives us a quick look into the #GetOutTheVote movement here on campus.


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Get AnyDecentMusic on your iOS and Android devices for free
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But with the launch of the Android App we have decided to release it as a completely FREE resource with registered users unlocking the full version of the app. This will also apply to the iOS App.
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At Kaw Valley Hearing, your hearing is what matters most to us. That is why we stay on the leading edge of the newest advancements in hearing aid technology. Our highly trained hearing healthcare providers offer in-depth consultations to outfit our patients with the best hearing aids and hearing aid accessories in Lawrence, Kansas. As leading suppliers of the most advanced digital hearing aids, you can depend on us for trusted hearing loss treatment and audiology services.
At Kaw Valley Hearing, we are proud to be the number one hearing aid provider in the area. We take the time to provide personalized services and a thorough hearing exam in order to offer an accurate diagnosis for each patient. We perform our hearing testing exams using the highest quality technology to ensure the utmost accuracy on every test.
We offer customized hearing protection at our hearing aid center in the form of state of the art hearing aids. You will work one on one with your audiology specialist to select the best hearing aid for your preferences, hearing needs, and budget. You can also count on our hearing healthcare center for hearing aid repair, aural rehabilitation, tinnitus treatment, and more. If tinnitus therapy is needed, your audiologist will help you with the treatment plan best suited to your needs.
Contact Kaw Valley Hearing for more information about our hearing services or to schedule a hearing test by calling us at (785) 856-4200 today.


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