In 2018, homeowners have more options than ever when it comes to kitchen countertop materials. If it's been at least 15 years since you renovated a kitchen or looked at the newest trends in homes on the market, you might still be thinking your options are fairly limited and that granite is the most popular—and therefore best—material option. Well, it turns out the times have changed. According to Houzz, granite is on a three-year decline in popularity, with fewer and fewer people choosing the classic standby for their newly renovated kitchens.
Granite became such a popular material in the 1980s and '90s for good reason: It's durable, comes in countless colors and patterns, and is fairly middle-of-the-road when it comes to pricing. So what are homeowners opting for if they aren't putting granite in their kitchens? Below, 5 stylish and affordable alternatives to classic granite that are trending in kitchens across the country.
Quartz is an engineered stone, meaning it's manufactured by human beings instead of nature, and as a result, is extremely durable and easy to manipulate when it comes to color and veining in the stone. Like any countertop material, there is a range in price for engineered quartz, but it typically ranges from $60 to $150 per square foot. As this material becomes more popular (it's the most popular material choice of 2018, according to Houzz), we'll likely see more varieties of the stone. While quartz can be appreciated for its consistent pattern and color (no fear about not being able to match two edges), there are now more shades of the stone being created that have abnormal and asymmetrical veins to better mimic natural stone.
Concrete counters lend a modern, industrial feel to your space, but can be <surprisingly versatile with different design styles. In the same way they've become a popular flooring material, concrete countertops can be stained or stamped to create a unique finished look that won't remind you of sidewalks in the least. Concrete isn't the cheapest granite alternative, with costs starting around $75 per square foot, but when sealed properly, it can be a long-lasting, durable material for a heavy-duty kitchen.
Soapstone is another natural stone that comes in essentially only one color family: a dark grey-black with varying amounts of white veining in it. If you're interested in dark countertops, soapstone can be a beautiful alternative to granite. It's a great material for kitchens since it's heat- and stain-resistant, but as a softer stone, can be a bit susceptible to chips.
You may think that marble is an unattainable material for your kitchen, but not every type of marble is priced the same. Some types of carrara marble (a very popular shade that's fairly white with grey veining) start at just $40 per square foot. There are of course higher-priced marbles that are sure to stun. All marble tends to be pretty high maintenance though. If not properly cared for, marble can stain. But if you follow the manufacturer's guidelines, you'll be sure to have your marble countertops for a long time.


Never has there been a greater time for efficient and effective Call Centre training. The degree of regulation placed upon most firms has increased significantly as Regulators continue to raise the bar in the protection and fair treatment of the consumer.
The result its that the requirements placed upon the average contact centre agent now are significant and what perhaps used to be a gentle and easy working environment that anybody who had a pulse and could spin on a chair could do, is now a specialist role that demands highly trained and skilled people that can provide consistently high levels of compliant customer service and sales.
No small wonder that a number of firms have reviewed off-shoring and reached the conclusion that the risks out weigh the possible rewards. That said we see clients who have made off-shoring work and work to a very high standard, but then they use our products to guarantee that every agent no matter where they are domiciled knows and retains what they are trained.
Simply training the agent at induction and hoping that they pick 'up the rest as they go along' is an out-dated strategy that is inevitably going to mean that the organisation in question is unable to substantiate that the workforce has learned and retained the critical knowledge relative to the Act(s) under which the employer trades.
Whilst call center Agent A may well learn from Agent B in the real working contact centre, this is only useful if you can be certain that what Agent B taught A was in fact compliant and correct! This is compounded by the fact that few if any contact centre managers can left to their own devices accurately profile the knowledge of every individual agent.
Call centre training is, I am pleased to say moving on and more and more firms are embracing our Artificially Intelligent APP, Clever Nelly to help them unequivocally establish accurate individual agent knowledge profiles but also to repair knowledge gaps and subsequently delivering guaranteed knowledge retention – all using less than 1 minute 30 seconds of an agents precious time.
Don't just take our word for it http://elephantsdontforget.com/project/1st-central-case-study/ we add a new tier 1 client to our herd every week as more and more contact centre leaders recognise that changing times call for smarter more intelligent solutions.


The Perl Conference - formerly known as YAPC::EU - is the yearly meeting of Perl Mongers in Europe.
The Perl conferences started off as grassroots user meetings, with discussions among Perl Mongers, and has grown from there. The focus is on enjoying the ideas of others, discovering new concepts, and feeling the enthusiasm of fellow programmers in the Perl (5) and Perl 6 programming languages.
The schedule is nearing completion, so we can no longer accept regular talks, but we still welcome lightning talks!
There are more options for buying a ticket. We offer 1-Day tickets and more price ranges for those that want to support the conference in a very generous and apreciated way.
We already have contracted a few large sponsors, but are still in need of contributions of various sizes. Companies, please show our community that you appreciate its existence - that you also benefit from.
Contact sponsors@theperlconference.amsterdam for information about how you can help this Perl conference to be affordable for everyone.
If you want to do the Perl community - and yourself a great favour, then check out the various options we offer. Pick and choose to to match your budget. We are sure you can find a great combination and get the best deals!
With its 40,000 square meters of combined office space, B.Amsterdam is the biggest startup ecosystem in Europe. Vacant office buildings were redeveloped as a creative working space for innovation, education, and growth: affordable space in a dynamic environment.
B.Amsterdam is very close to Schiphol Airport (10 minutes by car) and very close to Amsterdam city center (20 minutes by bike).


All About The Vic Mignogna Controversy!
In light of the recent events that have happened regarding Vic Mignogna I felt that I needed to talk about the events. I did mostly speak about what has been released in more of news sense but at the end of the video I do discuss my opinion on the allegations as well as the anime community as a whole. Also feel free to comment down below with your own opinions and I understand that many people may not agree with me.
Remember I come out with new videos every Monday, Wednesday, & Saturday. Plus be sure to subscribe if you're enjoying my content and click the bell icon so that you're notified when a new video is released.
SacAnime Day 3 & Final Recap!
Alright everyone I'm finally back home from SacAnime and omg the last day was so much fun! I didn't do a whole lot and left kind of early to beat traffic but I still was able to do a few last minute things before I left.
The first thing on the agenda was going to the Video Game Voice Acting Legends Panel. Which had Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, Wally Wingert, Steve Downes, and Jen Taylor!
This panel was so much fun and very funny!!! I definitely had a good time listening to their stories and their experience when it comes to voice acting in video games.
and it was so cool to see some of my childhood favorite rangers all on one stage.
But overall that is what I did today on the last day of the convention. Also thanks so much for seeing and commenting on my posts. I hope you enjoyed them though and please continue to comment!
What Anime Voice Actor(s) Would You Like To Meet?
Like I posted in a previous blog I've only been to one actual convention but I want to go to more. But many of you who commented also talked about the voice actors that you have met.
The reason why I chose these 5 is because they are the voice actors who's panels I watch the most. Also I think they are so good at what they do and in some instances I also look up to them.
But what are your top 5 voice actors toys would love to meet? But if you've met some voice actors before let me know which ones you've met. Comment down below and like always I will answer back!
My Top 5 English Voice Actors!
He voiced Ichigo in Bleach, Vash in Trigun, Lelouch in Code Geass, and he was also a Power Ranger! How cool is that!
She voiced Shin in Shin-Chan, Lust in Full Metal Alchemist and Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, Tohru in Fruits Basket, and Kid Trunks in Dragon Ball Z.
He voiced Ling Yao in Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, Allen Walker in D. Gray-Man, Keroro in Sgt. Frog, and Death the Kid in Soul Eater.
He has voiced Sebastian in Black Butler, Kyoya in Ouran High School Host Club, Dororo in Sgt. Frog, and Scar in Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood.
Those are my top 5 favorite voice actors. Let me know what you think and let me know who your favorite voices actors are. Also I know that I typically will write a review on the newest episode of Kuroko's Basketball but I've decided to just so a full review once the show is finished. But like always comment down below and I will always answer back.


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This game is an Advance Wars clone. I don't use the term lightly; it's not just that the units are almost the same, even the end-of-stage scoring system rates you on Power (% of enemies destroyed), Skill (% of your units that survived), and Speed... even when it doesn't make sense to do so. On stage 4-4, for instance, you have an ally who helps you against your foe- every unit your ally destroys does not count towards your Power score, making it literally impossible to earn top scores.
Now don't get me wrong, Warbits is not a bad game. Its core systems, such as its economy, unit balance and variety, mostly copy Advance Wars, which is a really solid system to copy. The reason I give it three stars is because it's worse in all the areas it cannot directly copy (storyline, aesthetics and visual clarity), and the one area where it tries to innovate and improve upon the old formula with its HQ abilities, it mostly fails. The abilities are poorly balanced, the AI is shamefully poor at using them, and their inclusion harms the game's overall unit balance.
As a result of the above, Warbits is a competent game and if you like the genre, you won't regret playing it. It's also forgettable- it doesn't advance the genre in any way. When the next game of this type comes out, it will still be compared to Advance Wars, not to Warbits.
This is great AW clone. There are few modifications to the base AW game, a unit or two is different and there are different rules on how units carried in a transport behave. The tweaks are good and I miss out on using the Ranger when I go back to AW. All of this makes for great game play!
There is, however, an issue with the game. Multiplayer games suffer from frequent errors "communicating with Game Center". I don't know what this really means, but in practice it means that a player cannot end their turn and must wait 24 hours for their turn to auto-end. I reached out to the developer to report the issue and the response was that I must have a spotty WiFi connection. So...I wasn't very pleased with that response, not sure if they didn't understand the issue or didn't care, but it didn't inspire a lot of faith in the company for me.
The group I play with have put up with this issue for a couple years but it's gotten old and we're about ready to move on to another game so we don't have wait 2-3 days to lay one round (of a 4 player game). Hopefully the issue will be resolved at some point, other than that, Warbits is fantastic!


Our Moulard Ducks are raised on a 200-acre farm in Upstate New York. The Moulard Duck is a cross between a Muscovy male and a Pekin female. They are fed a recipe of an all vegetarian diet made right on the farm. Fossil Farms believes that birds should be able to spread their wings and socialize, that's why our ducks are free roaming. With a great yield, Moulard Duck eats like a steak and has a deep red color. All of our Ducks are 100% naturally raised and are part of the "Never Ever Program", where antibiotics, steroids and hormones are never used.


South of the mountain range made famous by the Faithless Twins lays The Lavender Marshes, home to wasp-women, tar-men, and savages, who all make their homes in the ruins and decay of a once advanced civilization.
A tribe of savages make their home in a network of caves at the base of this mountain range. Their homes are littered with super-technogolgy far beyond their comprehension, which they use as crude tools and furniture.
A small monastry sits on one of the craggy peaks of this mountain range. The monks within worhship an ancient computer, it's terminal blinking waiting for its next comand.
A hermit shaman collect broken technogical artifacts. He(she?) can talk to the machine spirits. Secret tunnels lead to 0101.
These mountains are suspciously filled with round holes and dangerously susceptible to cave-ins. A great hole in the side of one moutains marks the entrance to a burrowing Titan's lair. It collects big, shiny pieces of scrap metal (half-broken ancient tech). It won't bother to hunt anything smaller than a horse, unless it becomes very hungry.
FALSE PYRAMID OF OOL-LENG. Ool-leng is an immobile, giant, pyramid-shaped, intelligent, philosophical ooze. It longs for information about obscure subjects and rewards entities that fulfill quests on its behalf with parts of its own substance, which has various magical properties.
Some shrooms are absorbing the spores of OOL-LENG and are growing in pyramidal grooves. This forest is a melting pot of weirdly shaped slimes and shrooms. Some native hunters know their way around the place. A trail lead to a pool of dreaming ooze.
Roc corpse. Upon inspection, 2d8 bloated spiders burst from its breast. Partially digested gnome in stomach wears ring of x-ray vision.
VESPID. A rock outcrop rises from the surrounding mire. Lodged in its fissures: the bulb-like cement apartments of the wasp-women. A hospitable community, led by an iridescent priestess. Communal creche filled with captive humanoids - paralysed, implanted with larvae.
Slug Wallow. A shallow basin 100' across and filled with stagnant slime and massive bloated slugs 10-12' in length which gorge on the fetid marsh weeds.
Sarria, a wasp-women from VESPID, is searching the mushroom forest for a rare fungus to cure her ailling child. She will gladly accept the aid of any friendly adventurers. Any assistence provided will raise the party's standing in the village.
SYNDER'S OUTPOST: Vaine Synder is a hermit trapper that has built a small permanent outpost on a dry patch of the land, consisting of a couple of log cabins, a well and a field of marsh pumpkins. He is not interested in money, but will gladly trade accomodation for goods, equipment or a helping hand. He is knowlegable about all surrounding hexes, and gives information freely. There's a 1 in 6 chance that 1d3 hunters are currently staying in the outpost.
FAITHLESS TWINS: Two small jagged peaks in the range - the westernmost peak has carved in its east-facing side a bas-relief style effigy of the Torn God, carved ages ago by unknown hands. Around its face are hundreds of unexplored caves speckled across the mountainside. The easternmost peak is spiraled by miles of rough-hewn steps in the stone of the mountain, which lead to an overlook from which to view the Torn God. Over the centuries, hundreds of people have leapt to their death from the overlook.
TRAGEDY TOWER: At first glance, this eerie, forsaken tower seems to be the remnant of a long-dead wizard empire. In fact, the wizard empire never existed. This "tower" is merely the steeple for the CATHEDRAL OF SUNKEN DREAMS, a much grander structure that sank into the bloody bogs eons ago. The FUNGAL MUMMIES of the dead churchmen do their best to conceal the Cathedral's true nature.
THE WILLOW'S COVEN: What appears to be a mere grove of weeping willows is actually the home of a coven of dryad swamp witches and the treants they are bonded to. Although plants, the treants weep tears of cursed blood.
TAR SLOPE MOUNTAIN: A trio of tar men have swum up from the depths of the crater of bubbling tar, seeking curse removal from a surface cleric. In an attempt to communicate, they have crafted four semi-sentient flesh golems from animals caught in the adjacent forest.
Discharges from the TAR SLOPE MOUNTAIN periodically spill down into this TAR FOREST and bury anything inside. Although creatures brachiate through the tar-covered willows above, passage aboard a vessel of the pale, bug-eyed Tar Gnomes allows the safest means of egress through much of the hex. Those who sink into the tarry swamp below are said to never come out alive, a fact many an evildoer have taken advantage of.
Stubby trees atop arcing roots. These quickly grow thick; to walk between them is to lose sight of sun. The northernmost reach of the MANGROVE MAZE. Teeming with poison tree crabs, carnivorous swarm-fish. Tended to by a salt-golem gardeners, enacting a patient conquest of freshwater marshes.
BEHEMOTH'S MAW: Ages ago, this now-dormant volcano belched forth flows of lava that engulfed all the life nearby. However, yesterday's annhilation made the surrounding environs fertile for the fecud (if usually malformed) life that dominates the land today. Today, Behemoth's Maw only spews bands of exiled monsters from below, always warning their coming with the release of toxic miasmas.
This area is infested with bog imps that breed in shallow pools of mud water. They are feared for the often infectious wounds their claws can inflict. An even greater danger are the Tower Traps that sprout here, huge carnivorous plants that grow up to 60' high. They look like huge green trunks crowned by large bladder sacks. They can throw the bladders up to 50' to trap food in the digestive and sticky goo of the bladder. The bladders are big enought to trap human-sized prey and are attached to the trunk by vines that can pull them back up to the top of the plants. The tower traps will happily eat something other than bog imp for a change.
Shallow water changing in depth from just over the foot to slightly more then ankle deep, softly bubbles. Mosquitoes buzz around and bite the PCs as they move through the area. A soft rotten egg smell permeates though the area but it's not so overpowering as to be a distraction. As the player walk through the area roll 1d6: if the number is equal to or less then the number of players 1d2 of them have stepped into the bog. These players begin to slowly sink and are treated as though grappled. A strength check (roll under half strength score) is required for the player to get out. Other players can aid this but you can decide how that will work.
Wild Arachnaurochs Herd. Ancient cousins of the silk producing Holstein Spidercattle, these vicious creatures roam about the forest preying upon unsuspecting herbivores. Their eggs are a prized delicacy, and their nests tend to have the belongings of lost travelers.
Ruins of a Holstein automated spidercattle farm pod, contain ancient skeletons covered in calcified webs. Local mudwalker avoid the place.
BLIGHT RANGER HEADQUARTERS: A fortification rests in a clearing seperated from the surrounding mire by walls made of the region's sturdiest logs. This is the base of the BLIGHT RANGERS, a taskforce of would-be peacekeepers for the Lavender Marshes. Originally organized from the survivors of the spidercattle farm pod disaster in 405, the Blight Rangers have since then gathered membership from all sorts of people touched by the misfortune and degenerative influence of the Marshes. Many of the members therefore bear marked warping of the flesh and sometimes of the mind. Despite the ragtag misfit nature of its membership, the hidden influence of Megol (see 506) upon the Rangers' leadership keep the upper ranks rather organized.
The mountain is naturally the source of an extremely rare fungus that is highly valued by wizards and alchemists as an ingredient in potions. However, the fungus is tended by a colony of giant ants (roughly the size of dogs), which will fiercely defend it if provoked. Warrior ants have a bonus to ambush anyone disturbing the fungus.
SPORE FOREST: A particularly dangerous part of the fungal forests: here it snows deadly spores that infest living creatures with mind-controlling cordiceps. The tops of the shrooms are decorated with the hollowed out corpses of giant ants who had fallen victim to them; from their heads grow valuable fungal branches.
A secret hideaway is buried here among the drooping trees of this area. A chapter of the Corpsebloom Poisoner's Guild lurks here, gathering ingredients and training agents away from prying eyes. Their current project involves the collection of spores from area 502 and developing them into ever more potent biological weapons.
BLIGHT RANGER WATCHTOWERS: To find the encroachment of the Shroom Forest into the Lavendar Marshes (for example, see 505), the BLIGHT RANGERS (see Area 406]) have began the construction of a line of watchtowers in this hex. As of yet, they are unaware of the SECRET ENCLAVE OF THE CORPSEBLOOM GUILD. This ignorance may prove fatal when the Guild strikes preemptively.
WEEPING FOREST: Limp leaves and hanging branches give the impression of a forest on the verge of collapse and the constant drip of water from above creates the sense the that the plants are themselves weeping. The Shroom forest to the East is slowly expanding here, and fungus carpets the undergrowth.
MONOLITHIC SHRINE OF MEGOL, master of automatons.
BLADEWIND PEAKS: Caves under the mountain, made by the worm god Quoolak. A clan of reclusive, worm-worshipping dwarves dwells there. It is devided into two warring factions, the stone-born who live in the caves and the womb-born who live in the carcass of the worm god. Both have gone insane over the centuries and their numbers are dwindling. A wizard king has promised eternal gratitude and unknown riches for those who can steal and bring him the worm god's heart.
HEART OF THE SHROOM-FOREST The shroom dryads have captured the sorcerer Parnea 0604 and drain the energy from his lichen-cocooned body to feed the forest's psycho-hallucigenic veil. After three decades of imprisonment, Parnea has learned to manipulate the veil enough to send out telepathic messages and weaken the bonds of his prison. The dryads are alarmed and might seek outside assistance to contain the sorcerer. Parnea seeks allies of his own to help him escape.
Walking Spore Forest. Quiet except for the multiple mushrooms clones of a lost adventurer, walking around looking for traps and secret stuff. His or her original body holds something precious in his or her arms.
THE OLD GARDEN AKA the Death Garden of Parnea. A ruined manse situated in a malevolent sorcerer's garden grown wild with years of neglect.
A group of broken adventures have recently fled the MONOLITHIC SHRINE OF MEGOL. They lament the treasures they were foced to leave behind. They can provide players with a partial map of the shrine for a small price.
Rusted forest of lost automatons. Willows trees grow over the metal husks, their dryads cry for the broken and discarded automatons. One automaton contain a moss covered prime spark core. The prime spark is damaged.
I am part of the beta for HexKit, and decided to make a small hex map I could use for my Carcosa game. I posted the thing on Google+ and . My people came through. This page is based on work I did for the Hexenbracken. Contributors: Jürgen Mayer (7), Chris P. (7), Cédric Plante (4), Ramanan Sivaranjan (4), Zedeck Siew (2), Wayne Snyder (2), Wayne Rossi (1), Jennifer Erixon (1), Eric Diaz (1), Joel Bethell (1), Reece Carter (1), Cédric Plante (1), Brandon Daggerhart (1), Gus L. (1), Jeremy "frothsof" Smith (1), Michael Prescott (1).
This site was created by Ramanan Sivaranjan. If you like this site, you might also enjoy my D&D blog, Save vs. Total Party Kill.


Join Farmer Kim Aman in the summer camp fun at Moss Haven Farm. Campers will enjoy hands-on, active explorations in nature, science, art and farm to fork fun. Of course our poultry friends will be a highlight as we pamper them with baths, create obstacle courses and enrichment activities to keep the chicks entertained.
Drop-off and pick-up campers in the alley behind Moss Haven Elementary. We do have access to the building, but for the most part, we will be outdoors the whole time. Daily snacks will be provided at each session. At check-in provide a contact number and notify of any allergies.
To camp "all day," you will need to purchase one AM session and one PM session. Childcare is provided from 12pm-1pm.
In the event of bad weather conditions, updates will be sent via email. While rain doesn't necessitate camp cancellation, it can affect the pick-up/drop-off location.
Use promo code EARLYBIRD to receive 10% off when you register before April 15th.


text:
<?php

use Illuminate\Database\Seeder;
use Suitcoda\Model\Command;
use Suitcoda\Model\Scope;

class CommandsTableSeeder extends Seeder
{
    /**
     * Run the database seeds.
     *
     * @return void
     */
    public function run()
    {
        $list = [
            'seo' => 'seoChecker.js',
            'backendSeo' => 'php artisan checker:backend-seo',
            'html' => 'htmlHorseman.js',
            'css' => 'cssHorseman.js',
            'js' => 'jsHorseman.js',
            'socialMedia' => 'socmedChecker.js',
            'gPagespeedDesktop' => 'pagespeedDesktop.js',
            'gPagespeedMobile' => 'pagespeedMobile.js',
            'ySlow' => 'yslowHorseman.js'
        ];
        $scope = new Scope;

        foreach ($list as $name => $commandLine) {
            $scope = $scope::getByName($name);

            factory(Command::class, 'seeder')->create([
                'name' => $name,
                'command_line' => $commandLine,
                'scope_id' => $scope->id
            ]);
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
[ 1 year, 3 months, 3 days, 11 hours, 45 mins, 12 secs ago ]
[ 1 year, 3 months, 4 weeks, 2 days, 1 hour, 37 mins, 17 secs ago ]
[ 1 year, 10 months, 3 weeks, 5 days, 10 hours, 16 mins, 48 secs ago ]
[ 2 years, 9 months, 8 hours, 9 mins, 17 secs ago ]
[ 3 years, 1 month, 1 week, 6 days, 39 mins, 48 secs ago ]

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Tractor drivers from across the north of England are being invited to get in gear and join a spring morning convoy through one of the most beautiful forests in the country.
John McLeod at work in his tractor.
The drive through the Hamsterley Forest in County Durham takes place on Sunday 22 March and is in aid of the spinal cord injuries unit at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.
Organised by John McLeod from Witton Park near Bishop Auckland, the 20-plus mile drive begins from Hamsterley Working Men's Club from around 9am. John is asking for a £10 entry fee, payable on the day and is hoping to attract many other tractor aficionados for this charity drive.
John, 43, who after an accident many years ago left him paraplegic, said: "Having spent so much time in the spinal injuries unit following my accident, I just want to help them raise funds towards a garden for the benefit of the patients.
"I'm also looking for a dozen volunteers to steward, help sell raffle tickets, draw tickets and carry collection buckets. Ideally from 9am to 4pm. That would be fantastic, but if you can only spare a few hours that's fine.
Those wanting to take part in the event are asked to call either John on 07792 764310 or Martin Hodgson on 07812 137999. There will also be a prize raffle draw at the event which should finish off back at Hamsterley Working Men's Club around 2pm.


FAQ: How can a company apply for a Venture Capital Company status?
SARS Home > FAQs > FAQ: How can a company apply for a Venture Capital Company status?
An application (VCC001) form is available on the SARS website.
The form must be completed and submitted to the SARS – Legal Counsel Division together with the required relevant material.


text:
Q: Problem of requests package with Python version When I try to send a request via python3.6 to some urls, it waits until Timeout exception is raised( ConnectionError: HTTPSConnectionPool(host={host}, port=443): Read timed out) . But when I try the same request via python2.7 it is successfully completed with status code: 200. Can you help me?
Version of Requests Package: 2.23.0
Sample Code:
import requests
url = "https://www.khaneyeshoma.ir/"
requests.get(url=url, timeout=10)

Thanks!

A: sometimes problem occurs cuz of using timeout parameter try :
requests.get(url=url,)

A: It think is because of the website you are trying to access. The request is correct, but it may need some extra headers.
If you try the request on other address it will work:
import requests
url = "https://www.google.com"
requests.get(url=url, timeout=10)

Response:
<Response [200]>

A: You can use urllib.request with postman header, and you won't need timeout anymore:
import urllib.request
url = "https://www.khaneyeshoma.ir/"
req = urllib.request.Request(
    url,
    data=None,
    headers={
        'User-Agent':"PostmanRuntime/7.6.0"
    }
)
response = urllib.request.urlopen(req)
html = response.read()
print(html)

A: It is because of a whitespace between the header field-name(access-control-expose-headers) and colon.  RFC 7230:
No whitespace is allowed between the header field-name and colon. In the past,
differences in the handling of such whitespace have led to security vulnerabilities
in request routing and response handling. A server MUST reject any received request
message that contains whitespace between a header field-name and colon with a
response code of 400 (Bad Request). A proxy MUST remove any such whitespace from a
response message before forwarding the message downstream.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
content:tech:serval_mesh_for_iphone [23/02/2015 18:48]
Andrew Bettison Update text considerably, add paragraph about Serval Chat
content:tech:serval_mesh_for_iphone [23/02/2015 18:52] (current)
Andrew Bettison rewording
The [[Mesh Extender]] device was conceived in 2013 as a way to provide Serval to non-Android devices using [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth|Bluetooth]] or [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Direct|Wi-Fi Direct]]. The idea was to develop an iOS app that delegated all Wi-Fi Ad Hoc or long-range communications, [[crypto|encryption]], [[Rhizome]] storage, [[MDP]], and other core Serval services to the Mesh Extender, and simply acted as a rich front-end to these services. To date, such an app has not been developed. The [[Mesh Extender]] device was conceived in 2013 as a way to provide Serval to non-Android devices using [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth|Bluetooth]] or [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Direct|Wi-Fi Direct]]. The idea was to develop an iOS app that delegated all Wi-Fi Ad Hoc or long-range communications, [[crypto|encryption]], [[Rhizome]] storage, [[MDP]], and other core Serval services to the Mesh Extender, and simply acted as a rich front-end to these services. To date, such an app has not been developed.
- [[Serval Chat]] was conceived in 2014, not as a "port" of [[Serval Mesh]] to iOS, but as a completely new app focussed exclusively on secure, resilient text messaging -- both one-to-one and in groups -- with a far simpler and more polished user interface than Serval Mesh. + [[Serval Chat]] was conceived in 2014, not as an "iOS port" of [[Serval Mesh]], but as a completely new app focussed exclusively on secure, resilient text messaging -- both one-to-one and in groups -- with a far simpler and more polished user interface than Serval Mesh.
content/tech/serval_mesh_for_iphone.1424679488.txt.gz · Last modified: 23/02/2015 18:48 by Andrew Bettison


This Photo: "Boat at Sea Sunrise Background" is part of "Sunrise" - Free Art Backgrounds category. The image is high-quality and high-resolution JPEG format and you can free and easily download it from the links below.
Image Resolution: 6868 x 4584 px.


At Eyes of India, we are proud to source and supply a number of Blue Indian and Bohemian Rugs, which cover include Chindi Rugs and Dhurrie Rugs. All of our rugs are sourced from Jaipur, India - where they are handmade and hand dyed by artisans who have learnt their craft from generations. Our blue rugs offer vibrant colours and designs, at an excellent price point.
Widely used across the home, they provide an excellent design feature as well as protection for high traffic areas. They are often used in conjunction with other bohemian goods, including tapestries and wall hangings. If you have any questions about our range of blue rugs - just get in touch and we will be happy to help.


We went to the Los Angeles area last weekend to visit family, enjoy some nicer weather, and see some stuff. Here are few pictures from the trip.
Here's a picture of the iconic Hollywood sign, taken from Griffith Observatory. It's nothing super special, but it did prove the worth of my new 70-20 f/2.8!
Here's one that shows some of the copper Art Deco detail on the observatory building itself.
This dude was busking on Hollywood Blvd. Not only did he look cool, but he sounded pretty good, too.
And here's a 10-panel section of the Berlin Wall on Wilshire Blvd., across the street from the LACMA.


text:
Sufficient Encouragement- Chapter 23
Posted on January 12, 2016 January 11, 2016 by Rose Fairbanks
We left Darcy and Lizzy planning a wedding in two weeks. I hope nothing can interfere! (insert evil authoress laugh here.)
Chapter Twenty-Three
"You are quiet tonight, Caroline," Bingley said as they sat for light supper in the drawing room of Hurst's townhouse.
"Has Uncle Stanley written to you again about the safety of the mills?" she replied.
"He continues to worry."
"And there is nothing you can do?"
"The militia is at the ready and it has the attention of the Crown. If every machine is broken, it would be a financial set back, but we are secure. Which is better than many."
Caroline gave an indignant huff. "I could care less about the money. Did you hear Colonel Fitzwilliam talking with Eliza today?"
"No, I was speaking to Lord Matlock and Mr. Gardiner."
Hurst began to chuckle. "You actually spoke to his lordship?"
Bingley felt heat creep up his neck. "A little."
"What about Eliza's conversation?" Louisa brought their attention back to Caroline.
"He is not resigning his commission after his wedding as planned. He has been asked to stay as his unit may be needed to support the West Riding militia."
The room grew quiet and Caroline fixed her attention on some distant object in the room. "Not only is it impossible for me to even speak with him again while he remains in service, but I worry about his welfare. They only just returned from the Continent…" She trailed off and finished with a shrug. "I still love him."
Bingley's heart broke for his sister. He had not wanted to expose her feelings to Fitzwilliam and so despite his hopes that she may have a second chance with Mr. Truman, the chances of them meeting again were slim while he served as a batman. Perhaps a "chance" meeting could be arranged on his day off, this coming Sunday. The others had fallen silent and finished their meal, allowing him to reflect on how happy he was that he did not quell his feelings for Jane. Not returning to Hertfordshire would have been the biggest mistake of his life and who knew how he would have managed to have a second chance with her. Seeing as her father ended up gambling so much and attempted to force Lizzy to marry Wickham, who knows if they would have been at Longbourn months from now or if Jane would have remained unwed. He would be forever grateful that he saw enough cause for encouragement in Jane's behaviour toward him. Although, if he were truthful, a good deal more of his determination to return to Hertfordshire rested on hope.
The others had gone abed but he sat drinking his coffee in silence. His thoughts were finally interrupted when his butler came in with an express from his Uncle Stanley. He had very strong reason to believe the croppers near their largest mill in Huddersfield would be attacking on the fourteenth. The ___ Militia had been sent for and would be arriving on the thirteenth at the latest but he also intended to hire others to guard the property. Bingley feared the hired guards would be much less well regulated than Colonel Forster's regiment. Violence was inevitable. If he left in the next few days, he might be able to talk sense into his uncle before the encounter. He hastily wrote a note to Darcy, who was a silent partner in the Huddersfield Mill.
The following day, Darcy called after church. Bingley suggested they remove to the library. Hurst never used the room, so it was set up for Bingley's use.
"What is this about Huddersfield?" He paced the room instead of sitting.
"My uncle has information that these so called followers of "General Ludd" will be attacking the mill on Tuesday next. You already know Colonel Forster's regiment is decamping to West Riding. Two platoons will be sent to Huddersfield directly. Uncle is also hiring paid guards to assist. I fear they will be the hot headed sort. I intend to leave tomorrow to convince him to leave the matter to the professionals at the very least."
Darcy nodded his head. "I will come as well."
"You are to be married later that week. It will be impossible to return in time!"
"Thank you, but I hardly need to be reminded," he said grimly. "Are you calling at Gracechurch Street soon?"
"Yes, I intended to leave as soon as we finished."
Darcy then invited Bingley to ride with him as his carriage was ready. They were greeted happily by their ladies. The Gardiners remained at breakfast with their children.
"We did not expect to see you until later," Jane said.
"I regret to say that I must depart tomorrow morning." Bingley hesitated and then looked at Darcy. He had no idea how to explain the situation to the ladies and would not be the one to tell Elizabeth their wedding must wait.
"Has something happened to one of your factories?" Elizabeth asked.
"There is a plot to attack on Tuesday," Darcy supplied.
Elizabeth nodded her head. "You are hoping it can be avoided."
"May I speak with you privately, Elizabeth?" Darcy asked and Elizabeth led him downstairs, likely to the parlor.
He was left alone with Jane, who smiled shyly at him. "I am sorry that you have to leave on such a worrisome errand," she said. "Do you think they will do much damage?"
Bingley sat beside her and took her hands in his. "They have been very successful in their attacks. My uncle wants to prove a point and has requested the Militia be present."
Jane gasped. "How terrible! I know that they are breaking the law and they must be punished, but I cannot help but feel sorry for them."
"Indeed, I am of a like mind. I hope to avoid blood shed."
"There is nothing that will deter them from targeting your mill?"
"I do not think there will be anything that could satisfy the rioters. They have no personal grievances. Their complaint is that the factories take their jobs but neither do they seek employment in them. They can break the machines, but we will rebuild them and continue on. I believe that is the best way to respond to such acts."
"I would hate for my father's tenants to feel the loss of a few pounds a year so extremely that they would risk imprisonment or death."
Bingley sighed at the helpless state of things. "It is very different in the North near these large market towns. Conditions are harsher for everyone."
She squeezed his hands. "I am sure you will be a conscientious landlord."
He smiled and said a silent prayer of thanks. Jane perfectly understood that the easiest way to alleviate this concern was for landlords to lower rents. It would affect their own income, but he would never be able to live with his conscience if he lived in luxury while others feared for money to feed their children. "My dearest Jane, how I love your kind heart," he said before a swift kiss. "I will return as quickly as I can. I do come with good news as well. Everything is arranged with the solicitor and nearly so with your father. I can think of nothing better than to have you as my bride and my Valentine."
Jane blushed red at his reference. They would be wed on February thirteenth and he had every intention of being the first man she saw upon waking on the fourteenth. He indulged in another, much less swift kiss before they went in search of Darcy and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth led Will to the Gardiner sitting room. Before he opened his mouth to speak, she said, "I am coming with you."
Will took a step toward her. "Elizabeth—"
She interrupted him. "No. I will not be parted from you."
"That is impossible for a variety of reasons. Your uncle will never agree and I would not blame him."
"I believe the wife of Mr. Darcy is not beholden to the opinions of other men."
"Yes, well as I am sure you have gathered the wedding must be delayed," he frowned while speaking.
"Or moved ahead," she said steadily while meeting his eyes. Anticipating his argument she held up her hands to cease the words forming on his lips. "I do not require much rest on journeys. We shall travel swiftly. I suppose the moon is no help right now but surely two days is sufficient."
"I was hoping to talk with the local landowners. If they can be convinced to help alleviate the burden their tenants feel, there would be no need for attacks. And the yeoman have to face high prices for goods as much as anyone."
"So your solution would be to spend a week browbeating gentlemen and shopkeepers?" Elizabeth asked with an arch eyebrow.
"Do you have a better suggestion?"
Elizabeth sat and smoothed her skirts. "Do you even know them? Are you even acquainted with them at all? Do you know if they are even at their estates and not in London? Their stewards could not promise to do anything of that sort without approval. How can you work on shopkeepers? They have their own families to feed."
She tugged Will's hand and he sat beside her. Seeing that Will looked unconvinced, she pressed her point again. "The trade components are more complicated than most are considering. The factory owners have to pay for the materials. Due to the war and the American embargo, we rely more on textiles made in England but that will not be true forever. The shop keepers buy the goods and must have a profit. Meanwhile, many of the other goods they sold are now unavailable due to the war. Our entire economy is built on ancient practices and is ready to collapse. Goods now travel around the world instead of remaining in a very local marketplace. Even the centuries old trade of raw materials from America to England and goods to Africa has collapsed because of the Revolution and the abolition of the slave trade. There is something great for the future to be made out of this tangled mess, but we must live in harmony."
Will was quiet during her speech. "Bingley or his uncle would know the principal land owners in the area, but it is possible they would defer to others, even more, influential. Your uncle is a powerful lord with an estate in West Riding and is the Lord Lieutenant. He must know many…" she trailed off. "You already know all of this, of course."
"Yes, I have sent a note to my uncle and will meet with him soon. I do enjoy how passionate you become on subjects you are knowledgeable on, though," he said while lightly caressing her hand.
Resisting the pleasurable feeling, Elizabeth shook her head. "You will not distract me. You must see, then, that there is little for you to do. I know you will go. You cannot shirk your responsibilities and investments, but as you do not know the people on either side of the conflict, your uncle could put you to use just as well in London for a few more days."
Will ceased his movements and looked her directly in the eye for a moment. "It means a great deal to you that I do not leave without you and we wed earlier than planned?"
Elizabeth ducked her head and whispered, "Yes. What if something would happen…" She trailed off, incapable of finishing.
He pulled her into an embrace and she fought back tears. "I would be happy to marry you any day of your choosing," he murmured into her hair. "Although, I would rather not be a means to you avoiding your feelings about your father, or healing from your mistreatment by Wickham."
She sniffled, again willing the tears to hold back. "How would you know so much about it?"
"I have been disappointed in my father and I have seen how long it took Georgiana to recover her spirits over Wickham."
"She had thought she was in love with him and I never did. I only hate that I did not see his true character and seemed so weak compared to him. It is so frustrating to be a woman. How many times have people attempted to take my power of choice away?"
"I know, love," Will said while rubbing her back. "I will abide by your choice now if you are certain you truly desire to wed in a few days' time and then go on this arduous journey with me."
Elizabeth pulled back to meet his eyes. "I have already journeyed to London by my own choice to be with you. What are a few hundred miles more?"
He chuckled. "I wish I could assure you the roads are in good condition, but you will see things run differently in the North. It is not too far from Pemberley, actually. We could return there when our errand is complete before returning for Bingley's wedding—unless you would like to come earlier."
She furrowed her brow. "Will Georgiana wish to go as well?"
"No, she hates Derbyshire in the winter. She may come if you desire it, though…" He trailed off.
She smiled. "No, I believe newlyweds ought to have privacy," she blushed. "I had not wanted to make her feel unwelcome in her own home or abandoned."
"Nonsense. She will stay with the Matlocks and have the company of my aunt, Anne and Lady Belinda. I am certain Mrs. Gardiner and Jane would be welcome additions as well."
"Then I think it is a splendid idea!" She beamed.
Will looked around the room. "Speaking of privacy…" he captured her lips for several minutes until there was a noise in the hall.
Bingley and Jane appeared hand in hand. Bingley announced he was ready to leave and Will agreed. When Elizabeth made her sister and the Gardiners acquainted with her decision, they could hardly contain their surprise. Mrs. Gardiner and Jane declared shopping was necessary and began making lists for the next few days. Before going to bed that night, Lady Matlock had also written stating she welcomed the ladies to her modiste on Bond street in the morning.
It occurred to Elizabeth that marriage to Will truly meant leaving the life of a country squire that seldom came to London and knew no one of the first circles. The wife of Mr. Darcy must be appropriately and fashionably attired. She would never regret marriage to Will, and upon the whole had such a cheerful opinion of the world that she thought London Society would prove tolerable, but she did have a twinge of sadness as she considered leaving the simpleness of her old life behind. A life her father had featured heavily in. His wit and sarcasm, so familiar to her, would now be exchanged for the more deceitful charm and ingratiating behaviour of many. There would be a part of her that would always be Lizzy Bennet, but perhaps the dissatisfaction of Longbourn the last several months gave her the nudge to take on the yoke of Elizabeth Darcy.
Posted in Sufficient EncouragementTagged Charles Bingley, Elizabeth Bennet, Fitzwilliam Darcy, George Wickham, Georgiana Darcy, Jane Austen, Jane Austen Fan Fiction, Jane Bennet, Pride and Prejudice, Sufficient Encouragement3 Comments
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3 thoughts on "Sufficient Encouragement- Chapter 23"
Sheila L. M. says:
I wonder how many women truly understood how each part of the economic structure depended on the others. And then with the affects of war and the loss of trade and smuggling, etc. it took a bit of reading, discussion and thought to truly know what it all meant or to have an opinion about such.
But, I am glad that Elizabeth is happy to move up her wedding date. Thanks you this chapter. Sections of reading like this only remind me of how much more complex today's world it with all the nations and various economies and the weather affecting crops, etc. At least we have science helping us predict weather but it still hurts crops. And we are blessed to live in a "civilized" nation in which we have many charities helping and various parities "watch dogging" the politicians, manufacturers, etc.
Surely Elizabeth Bennet is a prime candidate for thinking about matters and has the added benefit of being removed from the actual politics. I think lay people are often more intelligent than the politicians, no offense to my Lord Matlock and Lord Arlington intended. If a man could understand it, why not a woman who is allowed to read and feels at liberty to express her opinion? No one would think twice if Darcy were intelligent enough to say these passages. Why can't Elizabeth? Then he doesn't have to mansplain.
In my original romance series, one of the books is loosely based on a wealthy family from Wolverhampton that owned a japanning factory. After the 1830s, I believe, the sons were MPs for the area (which even after the Great Reform Act required a lot of money and prestige) but they formed a cooperative flour mill and bread shop for the area at the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Japanning and tinning used hazardous chemicals and I am sure their factories were not any better than the rest of the era, but they seemed to have compassion on the poor having access to food even if they didn't promote better working conditions.
There was certainly the idea of charity, just not on a national level. And you'll see many people of lower ranks, such as Denny, also share the belief that it wasn't just money the Luddites wanted (never mind the fact that the factory laborers were usually leaving their old lives for more opportunities). It was an issue of knowing your place. The idea of innate equality that we believe now was not much in existence. This is how you have Abraham Lincoln wanting to end slavery but not insisting that the freed slaves would deserve equal rights and protection of the Constitution…a philosophy summarized by Rudyard Kipling as "the white man's burden."
Yes, true.


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RSVP for Disability in Hollywood—Showcase of "Best Summer Ever" Musical, July 22, 12 p.m.
Submitted by anoopa on Thu, 07/15/2021 - 16:54
Showcasing newly released "Best Summer Ever" musical featuring Andrew Pilkington, Shannon DeVido, and Rickey Wilson Jr.
Date: Thursday, July 22, 2021
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EDT
Location: Online Event. RSVP for Zoom details.
If you have any questions or concerns or would like to request an accommodation, please email us at communications@IHCDesign.org.
Closed captioning will be provided.
"Best Summer Ever" is a musical film directed by Michael Parks Randa & Lauren Smitelli. The musical starts off with a sweet summer camp love story that unexpectedly intertwines with high school drama, an illegal secret, and a quintessential teen identity crisis.
The appeal of this film is found its intention to challenge the predictable, limiting representations of disability on-screen by entirely excluding disability from the plot. As the majority of the cast and crew have a mental or physical disability, it was important for the creators of the film to showcase an authentic representation of disability.
As Calum Marsh, critic for the New York Times, recalls "The effect of this inclusiveness is a feeling of amazing warmth and camaraderie, at its most compelling during the film's many original musical numbers, which are staged and shot with verve. The cast has wonderful screen presence — particularly DeVido, whose turn as the lovelorn heroine is magnetic. Representation matters. And in "Best Summer Ever," it makes the movie come alive."
As noted in the director statement, this film is "part of a movement to highlight the talents of disabled actors and crew members who deserve a chance to work in the industry. Filmmaking is a crucial medium for raising awareness and promoting cultural enlightenment, and we hope a film like ours can be a stepping stone to continue these important conversations."
Webcast Special Features:
Showing of "Best Summer Ever" trailer
Conversations with DeVido, Wilson, and Pilkington about their experience on set, the significance of this film, and the reach of its impact.
We will be discussing this and more on July 22. If you would like to join the webcast live via Zoom, please RSVP to register and receive Zoom details.
To watch the full movie, "Best Summer Ever" is available on the following platforms: Amazon Prime Video, Youtube Movies, Vudu, Apple TV, and Google Play
Shannon DeVido (Sage) is an accomplished actress, comedian, and singer. She is best known for her roles on Hulu's "Difficult People," Netflix's "Insatiable," Comedy Central's "Delco Proper," "'Law and Order: SVU," and appearances on "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore," and "Sesame Street." She starred in the World Premiere of Teenage Dick at the Public Theater, and Samuel D. Hunter's The Healing. She leads the cast of the film "Best Summer Ever".
Rickey Wilson Jr. (Sage) was born in Fort Worth, TX on Feb 17th. Growing up playing sports, he diverted his attention to acting his senior year of high school, and fell in love. After graduating, he moved to New York to study acting at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Since moving to LA, he has made small appearances on TV shows such as "Modern Family," "This is Us," "Into The Dark" (Hulu), and others. He is proud to be a part of this movie, and to help bring forth the message of inclusion for all in Hollywood. was born in Fort Worth, TX on Feb 17th. Growing up playing sports, he diverted his attention to acting his senior year of high school, and fell in love. After graduating, he moved to New York to study acting at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Since moving to LA, he has made small appearances on TV shows such as "Modern Family," "This is Us," "Into The Dark" (Hulu), and others. He is proud to be a part of this movie, and to help bring forth the message of inclusion for all in Hollywood.
Andrew Pilkington is a producer living in Manhattan. He has worked for award winning directors such as Alex Gibney and Morgan Spurlock. Andrew has produced four feature length films which he also wrote, directed, and edited. He also created a series of videos that explored technology for people with disabilities in collaboration with the Institute of Human Centered Design. Born with cerebral palsy, Andrew takes a nonchalant view of his disability. He is a graduate of the Harrington School of Communication and Media at the University of Rhode Island where he won the Film Excellence Award in 2014.
RSVP on Eventbrite for Zoom Link


A salon scene in an engraving by Antoine-Jean Duclos after a painting by Augustin de St.-Aubin (1774).
CD REVIEW — Today's high esteem for J. S. Bach's music is usually credited to Felix Mendelssohn, who at age 20 "revived" Bach by conducting the St. Matthew Passion in Berlin. Yet recent research by scholar-performer Rebecca Cypess shows that Bach's music had never disappeared. In fact, it was preserved and performed, along with that of his sons, in the private salon of one of Berlin's most important patrons: Sara Levy.
Levy (1761–1854) was born into one of the richest, most influential Jewish families in Prussia. Her father, Daniel Itzig, was one of Frederick the Great's "court Jews" (bankers); as such, she and her 12 siblings received an education befitting their social status. Levy was quite musically inclined, and her father arranged for her to study with Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, under whose watchful eye she excelled. She developed her private salon not only by obtaining or even commissioning new works, such as by Wilhelm's brother Carl Philipp Emanuel, but also by collecting older works in antiquarian fashion. Her collection expanded to include compositions for flute for her husband as well as hundreds of other pieces, ranging from solo keyboard works all the way to keyboard concerti with full orchestra (which could have been comfortably performed in their salon). At least 500 scores stamped with her name, including some later used by Felix, were donated to the Sing-Akademie in Berlin when she retired, but we can assume there were many more.
Posthumously, Levy was overshadowed by the fame of her great-nephew Felix, and also by the hazards of World War II: the Nazis hid her collection, which was then taken by the Soviet Union. A team of musicologists, however, were later able to negotiate its return to the State Library in Berlin, where it now resides. She was also unrepentantly Jewish in an era in which many Jews converted, at least superficially, to Christianity; her role in the "Bach revival" was likely downplayed due to later German disinclination to recognize Jewish contributions to culture.
Levy's contexts are described in precise detail in Cypess's liner notes, which are but one stellar facet of this recording. Every composition here is somehow related to Levy's family or personal collection, and in some cases is known only from Levy's salon. The sheer historical value of the album is immeasurable, but its musical value is certainly no less. The opening quartet by Quantz, for example, introduces the listener to the warmth of the album's acoustics and the vibrant, infectious interplay between the various instruments heard throughout. Steven Zohn's traverso is marvelously rich, especially in its lower registers, marking the Quantz and the J. S. Bach Trio in E-flat major as particular standouts.
The two-keyboard arrangement of the other J. S. Bach trio, though, is simply mesmerizing; the contrasts in timbre between harpsichord and fortepiano highlight startling new depths, and the final C. P. E. Bach Allegro is wrung dry of everything from grandiosity and pathos to flashes of wit and humor. The ensemble treats every piece on this recording with such intimate care that it is easy to imagine the fascination, even joy, Levy might have felt playing this music herself.


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Q: how to compare intercepts from the same regression line Hi I did a Mixed effect model as demonstrated below and I want to compare the intercepts from the summary output.
library (lme4)
seed3<-lmer(logvar~logmean+Gene*Stage+logmean*Stage+(1|Year)+(1|Location), data=data_pod_seed, REML=TRUE)
summary(seed3)
library(car)
Anova(seed3)

As results I got this:

    Fixed effects:
                          Estimate Std. Error t value
(Intercept)                0.70401    0.22749    3.23
logmean                    1.65606    0.01845   84.32
GeneRag1                   0.07302    0.04273    1.71
GeneRag1+Rag2             -0.13085    0.05524   -2.37
StageFLOWER               -0.32120    0.05885   -5.46
StagePOD                  -0.68914    0.07782   -8.86
StageSEED                 -0.83973    0.09092   -9.24
GeneRag1:StageFLOWER       0.12829    0.07173    1.79
GeneRag1+Rag2:StageFLOWER  0.14218    0.08513    1.67
GeneRag1:StagePOD          0.12122    0.06687    1.81
GeneRag1+Rag2:StagePOD     0.24638    0.10207    2.41
GeneRag1:StageSEED         0.11211    0.08852    1.27
GeneRag1+Rag2:StageSEED    0.39355    0.10815    3.64
logmean:StageFLOWER        0.09845    0.03508    2.81
logmean:StagePOD           0.20310    0.03381    6.01
logmean:StageSEED          0.33243    0.04055    8.20

I want to do a Wald test to compare the parameters from the fixed effect to see if they are different from each other.(for example: intercept with StagePOD).  How Can I do that using R?


On the rocky, steep slopes of the Cerro San Cristobal, know as "the Hill" to its residents, shoemaker Francisco de la Cruz has identified a snag in his on-man production line: he needs to get his hands on a sewing machine.
The conclusion may seem simple, but for de la Cruz it is a big step beyond day-to-day survival. Since setting up his home workshop eight years ago, de la Cruz, 43, and his family of nine have stood literally in danger of eating up his working capital.
Over the past decade, Peru's underground economy has exploded as the legitimate economy's growth was stunted by bureaucratic mismanagement, foreign debt restrictions and recessive economic policies. According to government figures, a third of Peru's urban work force has joined the underground economy as street venderos, small producers and odd jobbers.
Hernando de Soto of Liberty and Democracy Institute estimates that more than a third of Peru's gross domestic product is linked to what is euphemistically called the "informal sector."
Many microbusinessmen are mining market niches which are not met by mainstream companies. For instance, de la Cruz sells sturdy, far-from-stylish shoes to provincial markets as far away as Cusco and Arequipa in the south. Others form a vast network of retailers in Lima's shantytowns. What unites them is that they operate outside the law, a permanent moonlighting in broad daylight.
For thousands of workers, the informal economy offers a last resort for employment. Many legitimate companies use the informal economy as an under-the-counter sales outlet or supplier.
The government of President Alan Garcia has decided to try to fit the underground economy into its unorthodox economic program. The Institute for the Development of the Informal Sector (IDESI), a non-profit organization sponsored by the Peruvian government, international development agencies and private enterprise, is making bootstrap credits available to turn tiny businesses into viable enterprises.
In June, last year, de la Cruz and five other shoemakers who live on the Hill formed a "solidarity grou" and signed a contract with the local IDESI office, which guarantees loands for working captial. Should any member of the group be unable to make his monthly payment, the other members must make up the difference. "In absence of capital guarantees, we're giving loans on their work" said Susana Pinillas, executive director of the IDESI program.
In its first year of operations, the program has reached more than 15,000 microbusinesses, awarding about $3 million in loans, making it the fastest-growing program of its kind in the world, international labor consultants say. Having passed the teething phase, it is now setting the ambitious goal of finding 90,000 fresh clients this year.
The loans start out at as little as $35 per person and rise to as much as $300. The standard commercail rate of 4 percent per month is charged.
The system, in which IDESI guarantees lending agencies, credit unions and commercial banks 60 percent of the loan captial, has worked so well that delays in payment have been practically zero, far above the average for the regular banking system, and there has been no default yet, program officials say. These results have attracted the Banco de Credito, the largest commercial bank in Peru, which is putting up its own funds. The bank's management wants to move aggressively into this line of business for up to 145 percent of its loan portfolio, about $60 million. "This is just an extension of our personal banking service," said a bank executive.
"For this program to have long-term success, it has to link up with the comemrcial banking system," said William Tucker, an International Labor Organization consultant. Eventually the IDESI program wants to nurse the microbusinesses into a permanent relationship with the banking system by allowing them to demonstrate their credit-worthiness.
However, the idiosyncrasies of the underground economy mean that the banks and borrowers must learn to adapt to each other. Just entering a bank can be culturally intimidating for many small businessmen, some of who are barely literate.
This month, de la Cruz and his associates paid back puntually a special "pre-investment" loan of $800 each. They are the first participants in the new aggressive stage of the bootstrap program to allow microbusinesses to make a technological step forward. With training courses, technical assistance and some brainstorming behind them, they realized that with just one sewing machine among them, they cannot keep up with the deman. By adding a couple of machines and other equipmenet, they can specialize in the production process, increase their output and diversify their products.
Amid the painted graffit calling for armed revolution that covers the walls of the Hill, de la Cruz said optimistically, "We've just begun to resolve our problems."
IDESI expects to authorize loans of about $2,000 per new job position in this phase. Studies show that an average microbusiness has an average capital of $500 per work position. In the modern economic sector, it takes an average investment of $13,000, according to independent studies, though more advanced manufacturing plants can require up to $40,000 per work position.
In the next five years, the labor market will be swamped by another 1.2 million job seekers. That means that if Peru's traditional business sector carried the load, a minimum $15 billion would have to be invested, close to what Peru's gross domestic product is today. Government economic strategists are hoping that microbusinessmen of the underground economy can provide a cheap, entry-level job market, as well as a healthy boost to private enterprise and income distribution.


I always make place cards for my guests even if we are a small party. I don't know why, just think it's kinda cute. This is a really easy one.
Spools of kitchen string or twine.
Place your flatware in a spool of kitchen string or twine.
Print out or write each name on a piece of paper or cardstock, cut to size and fasten with a pin.