Don't you just love a glut, when a fruit or vegetable is at it's bursting-with-flavour best, begging to be bought in absurdly large quantities, chaining you to the kitchen until you've captured its essence in a hundred different ways? Reading that back it strikes me I may be in a minority with this!
I've only just recovered from the embarassment of plums in Kullu Valley this summer and now the pumpkin is demanding attention – all over Old Delhi yesterday the grapefruit-sized variety were literally bursting out of their skins to reveal soft creamy flesh inside. Aren't they beautiful, hinting at rustling leaves and toasted teacakes? But we're a bit early (it's still 35 degrees and God knows what humidity!) for wintery risottos, hearty stew, Halloween, and Thanksgiving pies. I'll admit my pumpkin repertoire is limited, so I need help from you. I'd particularly like some Indian recipes – I had a delicious Sweet and Sour Pumpkin at Gunpowder restaurant recently which I could happily eat every day for the rest of the year – but I'll try anything you send and report back. I'm going back to Old Delhi today to buy a ton of pumpkins in anticipation of a deluge of recipes!
Try Kumror Chakka – pumpkin and potato curry. I have a recipe here. It's one of my fave things to do with pumpkin esp since it's savory!
see the indian pumpkin recipes…i have more in the drafts…will post them soon n link them here.
Thanks Sangeeta – that should keep me going for a while!
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text:
Templated deposition of porous fullerene-C60 in the interior of siliceous sponge spicules as a biogenic microvessel
Arcan F. Dericioglu, Panče Naumov, Yoshihisa Tanaka
The unique set of mechanical properties found in rigid biological tissues, which combine high strength and stiffness with superior toughness, offer inspiration for the design of advanced functional structural materials with outstanding performance. This paper reports on the first utilization of one such biogenic material-siliceous sponge spicules, the skeletal elements of sponges (Poriphera)-as a unique naturally nanostructured template for vacuum deposition, while also reporting on the effects of the required chemical and thermal treatments for template preparation on the material's microstructure and mechanical properties. The confined space within the central channel of spicules from the sponge Euplectella acts simultaneously as a nanotemplate and as a biogenic, optically transparent, glassy microchamber for the preparation of micrometer-sized clusters of fullerene-C60 through vacuum deposition onto the nanostructured surface. This biological material allows an unprecedented and unique microporous morphology of C60 particles to be obtained. ©
Journal of Materials Research
https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2012.300
biomimetics
fullerene-C60 deposition
microstructures
sponge spicule
structure-property relationships
10.1557/jmr.2012.300
Dive into the research topics of 'Templated deposition of porous fullerene-C60 in the interior of siliceous sponge spicules as a biogenic microvessel'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Vacuum deposition Engineering & Materials Science 100%
Fullerenes Engineering & Materials Science 91%
spicules Physics & Astronomy 89%
C60 Fullerene Chemical Compounds 67%
fullerenes Physics & Astronomy 61%
vacuum deposition Physics & Astronomy 49%
Vacuum Chemical Compounds 46%
Functional materials Engineering & Materials Science 41%
Dericioglu, A. F., Naumov, P., & Tanaka, Y. (2012). Templated deposition of porous fullerene-C60 in the interior of siliceous sponge spicules as a biogenic microvessel. Journal of Materials Research, 27(22), 2851-2857. https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2012.300
Templated deposition of porous fullerene-C60 in the interior of siliceous sponge spicules as a biogenic microvessel. / Dericioglu, Arcan F.; Naumov, Panče; Tanaka, Yoshihisa.
In: Journal of Materials Research, Vol. 27, No. 22, 28.11.2012, p. 2851-2857.
Dericioglu, AF, Naumov, P & Tanaka, Y 2012, 'Templated deposition of porous fullerene-C60 in the interior of siliceous sponge spicules as a biogenic microvessel', Journal of Materials Research, vol. 27, no. 22, pp. 2851-2857. https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2012.300
Dericioglu AF, Naumov P, Tanaka Y. Templated deposition of porous fullerene-C60 in the interior of siliceous sponge spicules as a biogenic microvessel. Journal of Materials Research. 2012 Nov 28;27(22):2851-2857. https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2012.300
Dericioglu, Arcan F. ; Naumov, Panče ; Tanaka, Yoshihisa. / Templated deposition of porous fullerene-C60 in the interior of siliceous sponge spicules as a biogenic microvessel. In: Journal of Materials Research. 2012 ; Vol. 27, No. 22. pp. 2851-2857.
@article{ed30bb3f6e1e4da9903e24daea06a968,
title = "Templated deposition of porous fullerene-C60 in the interior of siliceous sponge spicules as a biogenic microvessel",
abstract = "The unique set of mechanical properties found in rigid biological tissues, which combine high strength and stiffness with superior toughness, offer inspiration for the design of advanced functional structural materials with outstanding performance. This paper reports on the first utilization of one such biogenic material-siliceous sponge spicules, the skeletal elements of sponges (Poriphera)-as a unique naturally nanostructured template for vacuum deposition, while also reporting on the effects of the required chemical and thermal treatments for template preparation on the material's microstructure and mechanical properties. The confined space within the central channel of spicules from the sponge Euplectella acts simultaneously as a nanotemplate and as a biogenic, optically transparent, glassy microchamber for the preparation of micrometer-sized clusters of fullerene-C60 through vacuum deposition onto the nanostructured surface. This biological material allows an unprecedented and unique microporous morphology of C60 particles to be obtained. {\textcopyright}",
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journal = "Journal of Materials Research",
T1 - Templated deposition of porous fullerene-C60 in the interior of siliceous sponge spicules as a biogenic microvessel
AU - Dericioglu, Arcan F.
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AU - Tanaka, Yoshihisa
N2 - The unique set of mechanical properties found in rigid biological tissues, which combine high strength and stiffness with superior toughness, offer inspiration for the design of advanced functional structural materials with outstanding performance. This paper reports on the first utilization of one such biogenic material-siliceous sponge spicules, the skeletal elements of sponges (Poriphera)-as a unique naturally nanostructured template for vacuum deposition, while also reporting on the effects of the required chemical and thermal treatments for template preparation on the material's microstructure and mechanical properties. The confined space within the central channel of spicules from the sponge Euplectella acts simultaneously as a nanotemplate and as a biogenic, optically transparent, glassy microchamber for the preparation of micrometer-sized clusters of fullerene-C60 through vacuum deposition onto the nanostructured surface. This biological material allows an unprecedented and unique microporous morphology of C60 particles to be obtained. ©
AB - The unique set of mechanical properties found in rigid biological tissues, which combine high strength and stiffness with superior toughness, offer inspiration for the design of advanced functional structural materials with outstanding performance. This paper reports on the first utilization of one such biogenic material-siliceous sponge spicules, the skeletal elements of sponges (Poriphera)-as a unique naturally nanostructured template for vacuum deposition, while also reporting on the effects of the required chemical and thermal treatments for template preparation on the material's microstructure and mechanical properties. The confined space within the central channel of spicules from the sponge Euplectella acts simultaneously as a nanotemplate and as a biogenic, optically transparent, glassy microchamber for the preparation of micrometer-sized clusters of fullerene-C60 through vacuum deposition onto the nanostructured surface. This biological material allows an unprecedented and unique microporous morphology of C60 particles to be obtained. ©
KW - biomimetics
KW - fullerene-C60 deposition
KW - microstructures
KW - sponge spicule
KW - structure-property relationships
U2 - 10.1557/jmr.2012.300
DO - 10.1557/jmr.2012.300
JO - Journal of Materials Research
JF - Journal of Materials Research

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Optos P200Dx Provides optometrists which facilitate the early detection, management, and treatment of disorders and diseases evidenced in the retina such as retinal detachments and tears, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and AMD.
Optos P200Dx are captured in an automated is from the far periphery of the retina without scleral depression or contact with the cornea.
P200Dx fast to operate and suitable for the majority of patients and come with UWF imaging to helps detect more pathology than traditional techniques alone.


text:
The Tatel Telescope
Constructed in 1958 this telescope was the first radio telescope located at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia. Astronomers used this telescope to examine large radio objects in space, including other solar systems. Following the construction of two of 85-foot radio telescopes at the observatory, the Tatel telescope would become a part of the Green Bank Interferometer, from 1978 to 2000. Despite the Tatel Telescope only expected to function for 20 years it remained active for over 40 years. Operations by the Tatel telescope stopped on October 6, 2000, while the other two 85-foot telescopes continued their contracted work on different projects.
The Tatel Telescope, NRAO. It is called 85-1 because it was the first 85-foot telescope constructed at Green Bank.
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory established a site at Green Bank, West Virginia without a radio telescope. The kit needed to construct their first radio telescope arrived in summer of 1958 and finished construction in early 1959. Named after Howard Tatel, who worked for the Carnegie Institute Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, creating the initial design of the telescope, making it both more precise and cheaper to build. Tatel did not see the finished telescope because of his death in 1957, while the first telescope was still under construction. Green Bank's 85-1 telescope would be named in his memory on October 16, 1958, during its dedication. The Tatel Telescope gave astronomer brighter and more accurate information on radio objects in space previously available. Including objects located within the solar system, such as the surface temperature of the moon and studies of Jupiter's radiation belt. The telescope was only expected to work for twenty years, despite this, the telescope continued to function and remained in use until October 2000.
February 13, 1959, the Tatel Telescope began its 24-hour examination of the universe, examining the brightest known radio objects, including supernovas and galaxies. Astronomer Frank Drank used this telescope to create a detailed map of the Milky Way galaxy. Discovering a never seen complexity of radio waves coming from the galaxy's core. In 1960 for two months Drake turned the telescope towards two nearby sun-like stars, Tau Ceti and Epsilon Eridani, searching for possible signals from an alien civilization. The project used a 21-cm line of hydrogen, "the most common radio signal in the universe" to search for radio transmissions with minimal interference. They did not find any evidence of alien life near either star, but during research, they received a false signal caused by airplanes. After the construction of two additional 85-foot telescopes using the same design as the Tatel Telescope, these three telescopes combined to become the Green Bank Interferometer, using multiple telescopes to gain a better perception of the target. From 1978 to 1996 the GBI was used to study the Earth's rotation and a variety of radio signals. Then from 1996 to 2000, its focus shifted to studying gamma and x-rays of stars with partial funding from NASA. The GBI would continue its work until October 6, 2000, but the individual telescopes remained in operation focusing on other projects they were contracted to perform.
"Tatel Telescope", The National Radio Astronomy Observatory, last modified June 2000, accessed July 15, 2018, http://www.gb.nrao.edu/fgdocs/tatel/tatel.html
"Tatel", The National Radio Astronomy Observatory, accessed July 15, 2018, https://public.nrao.edu/telescopes/tatel/
"Green Bank Interferometer", The National Radio Astronomy Observatory, accessed July 15, 2018, https://public.nrao.edu/telescopes/green-bank-interferometer/
Observatories and Telescopes of Modern Times
155 Observatory Road
Green Bank, WV 24944
Created by Kyle McKnight on July 17th 2018, 11:29:12 pm.
Last updated by Kyle McKnight on August 3rd 2018, 11:50:31 am.
Virtual Tour of Green Bank Observatory
This short Clio tour guides visitors through the Green Bank observatory of West Virginia. The tour is unique in the fact that it can only be used at a distance as Green Bank is a no-cellphone area owing to the needs of the observatory.


text:
Q: Multiclass classification: probabilities and calibration I'm working on a multiclass classification problem with different classifiers, working with Python and scikit-learn. I want to use the predicted probabilities, basically to compare the predicted probabilities of the different classifiers for a specific case.
I started reading about "calibration", for example at scikit-learn and a publication, and I became confused.
For what I understood: a well-calibrated probability means that that a probability also reflects the fraction of a certain class.

*

*Does this imply that if I have 10 equally distributed classes, the calibrated probabilities would ideally be around 0.1 for every class?

*Can I interpret the probabilities of predict_proba (without calibration) as "how certain is the classifier about this being the correct class"?
Hopefully, someone can clarify this for me! :)

A: I understand that you are having a multiclass classification problem using this definition. "All classifiers in scikit-learn do multiclass classification out-of-the-box."
In this case, as mentioned,

CalibratedClassifierCV can calibrate probabilities in a multiclass setting if the base estimator supports multiclass predictions. [Which is always the case.]
The classifier is calibrated first for each class separately in a one-vs-rest fashion. When predicting probabilities, the calibrated probabilities for each class are predicted separately. As those probabilities do not necessarily sum to one, a postprocessing is performed to normalize them.

I hope this answers your first question.
To answer your second question: Yes, this is the idea, before and after calibration for predict_proba. However, after calibration the results of predict_proba are actually right, while before they are just so-so correct.

Afterthough:
To be precise, I did not try to answer your first question at face value.
There you asked regarding probability for each class. However, since we are talking about calibration, you have to consider that predict_proba is giving an output per sample, not per class. I think you mean per sample, otherwise you should specify: Do you mean the average probability over all samples?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Being a physician or not, you've already experienced doppler effect: when in the street, an emergency vehicule (firemen, ambulance) drives with a loud siren, you'll hear this latter differently wether it comes towards you or it leaves you. In first case, the frequency you hear is higher (more acute) than in the second case. This is due to relative speed between emmetor and receiver.
GPS devices apply this phenomenon to satellite. Since each satellite emmits a steady frequency from a steady place, the different frequency "heard" by the gps are due to the motion of this latter. Observing several satellites, the GPS is hence able to determine it's instant speed (direction and value). This value seems to be very accurate according to brands' documentation, up to 0.1 km/h. It seems to be verified in "real world", since you get a very steady value when driving a car, and since you get a very accurate 0.0 km/H speed when you're standing steadily on the ground.
This doppler computed speed is the one used by GPS to provide instant speed, i.e. the value one can read on the device's screen, and for the max speed (as the max of all instant speeds). Note that at time this is written (mid 2005 year), no personal device provide a recording of the instant values. As soon as printed on screen are they lost for ever, except for the best one... Hence, this is not the one we can rely on to do thorough performance analysis.
The other way to get speed measurements from GPS devices is to correlate position data and time to compute speeds. It is as simple as: Speed = Distance / Time. In other words, average speed over a period is the distance travelled within this period by the time it took. For instance, if you travel 10 kilometers in 20 minutes, your (average) speed over that period of time is 10/(1/3)=30 km/h (since 20 minutes = 1/3 hours).
Since GPS provides geographical position at very precise moments, we can compute average speeds on these intervals. Note that all this computation is made by a computer software (such as GpsActionReplay), not by the GPS.
The accuracy of this speed is lesser than doppler one's. Indeed, it entirely depends on the positionning accuracy, which is known to vary from a few meters to 30 meters in most cases. What have to be understood here is that this accuracy will vary with the time period considered: the bigger the time period, the better the accuracy. Indeed, the bigger the time period, the most distance travelled, hence the lesser the relative positionning incertitude.
As a consequence, time periods considered have to be chosen according to the needed accuracy.
Hence, for each segment between two trackpoints, the software can calculate an average speed over this time period. We cannot say anything else, since no instant speed information is provided.
What kind of speed measurements can be done?
Well, above we wrote that "speed is distance by time". Everything is simple for time, as it is non-ambiguous, but things are more difficult as far as distance is concerned. What is this distance being considered through time?
We will call linear distance the length travelled, that is to say the length of the curve virtually printed by the gps when moving.
We will call straigth distance the distance from start point to finish point of the considered path, whatever the course.
we will call respectively linear speed and straight speed the associated speeds.
So, what speed is the most relevant for speed measurements purpose? Not any is better than the other. In fact, they don't measure the same thing. In one case, the linear speed measures the average of all the instant speeds, whatever the course. In the other case, the straight speed depends on the time it took to go from a given point A to a given point B.
The non-gps speed measurements always provide a straight speed, since the rely on the time elapsed from a starting line to a finish line, using a video system.
VirtualRun: measurements as in "real world"
GpsActionReplay provides a special feature for people who want to organise a GPS competition that will behave almost exactly as an official competition with video on a start line and on a finish line. The idea is to delimitate a "virtual run" providing two points (start and finish), and a width. This sets a rectangle which is called "virtualRun".
Then, the software is able to find automatically all runs within this virtualRun, and, for each of them, to compute the exact speed over the run's length. Usually, the run will be set to 500 meters long, to fit the usual requirements, but can be set to any other value to fit the local spot.
This virtualRun is a particular case of straight distance where we want that the riders' performances are all measured on a same and predefined course.
It's very simple to use. On the first picture below, a track has been loaded. Then, on second picture, a virtual run is defined, either entering positions via the mouse, or loading the waypoints from a file or from a gps. The Third picture shows the track being split automatically by GpsActionReplay when we require it, just clicking a button. The fourth picture is in fact a movie picture that shows an animation with all the runs began simultaneously so that we can observe and compare.
Remark: it is possible to set the benning and ending time of the event so that only the runs made within this period are considered.
How accurate is it really?
This question has been debate for long on several forums for months or even years.
Doppler based speed seems to be very accurate most of the time, and we may beleive the 0.1 knots accuracy announced by the manufacturers. But when the satellite signals are lost, it can give a fully erronate value. The problem is that there is no way to know wether it is true or not besides our own conviction... It's a very interesting data when sailing, but not one we can really rely on.
Software based speed is less accurate, as we've seen, but we can check the data it is based on. Indeed, if a value is huge compared to the others, we can have a look to the regularity of the data, and in most of the cases we can see easily that some trackpoints are wrong. So, at the moment, it's the only way to make speed measurements seriously.
To evalute thorougly the accuracy of software based measurement, we've used GPS tracks of riders participating to an official speed event (with video), and in particular the 46.82 first Finian Maynard allover world record, and other runs from Martin Van Meurs.
People from the gps-speedsurfing.com crew have set a virtualRun in GpsActionReplay with exact start and finish line of the run, launched it and compared the results to the official ones. The results are in general about 1% accuracy, which means in general less than 0.4 knots for 45 knots speeds over 500 meters. This accuracy can be optimized if we take into account several runs rather than one. For instance, doing an average of the 5 best runs gives statistically a better than 0.1 knot accuracy. Not that bad!
What you should remember from this is that if you consider 500 meter runs, you'll get a 0.3 knots accuray in general, for speeds within the 30-35 knots range.


Rick Bastasch worked with the Oregon Water Resources Department for over a decade, specializing in river basin planning, intergovernmental coordination, public information, and legislative analysis. He has also led recent efforts to conserve and restore the Willamette River. A lifelong Oregonian, Bastasch lives near Salem, where he works on water and environmental issues.


text:
Q: Passar valor com desconto para PagSeguro Estou desenvolvendo um carrinho de compra que ao valor atingir determinada faixa ele calcula um desconto para o cliente, calculo o frete e o valor do frete é somado  corretamente ao valor com desconto, mas percebi que ao finalizar o pedido e passar os valores para o PagSeguro o valor vai sem os descontos, passo para eles o que me é solicitado, dessa forma:

if ($TPFrete == 3){
    $peso = 0;
    $paymentRequest->addItem($cod_prod, $nome_prod, $quantidade_prod, $vlr, $peso);
} else {
    $paymentRequest->addItem($cod_prod, $nome_prod, $quantidade_prod, $vlr, $peso, $VLRFrete);
}

Creio que na página do PagSeguro ele calcula a quantidade x valor e ai o desconto não aparece, existe alguma forma de passar o valor desse desconto ao PagSeguro?
Vi que tem uma opção na documentação que possibilita calcular desconto, isso aqui:
$paymentRequest->setExtraAmount

Mas já estou com o valor calculado antes de passar para eles, existe alguma dica?
O atendimento do PagSeguro não me retornou as minhas perguntas, por isso esse post aqui, creio ser até mais rápido.

A: Use o método:
setExtraAmount()

passando um valor negativo no parâmetro.
Exemplo:
$boleto->setExtraAmount(-10.00);

Desta forma ele acrescentará automaticamente o desconto ao total do carrinho do valor que ele envia para o pagseguro.
Caso já tenha o valor calculado, apenas multiplique por (-1) antes de passá-lo no parâmetro.
$desconto = 10.00;
$desconto_n = $desconto*(-1);
$boleto->setExtraAmount($desconto_n);

A: Veja na documentação do PAGSEGURO,
Você pode definir percentuais de descontos a serem oferecidos com base no meio de pagamento escolhido pelo seu cliente, durante o checkout, no ambiente do PagSeguro.
$paymentRequest->addPaymentMethodConfig('CREDIT_CARD', 1.00, 'DISCOUNT_PERCENT');
$paymentRequest->addPaymentMethodConfig('EFT', 2.90, 'DISCOUNT_PERCENT');
$paymentRequest->addPaymentMethodConfig('BOLETO', 10.00, 'DISCOUNT_PERCENT');
$paymentRequest->addPaymentMethodConfig('DEPOSIT', 3.45, 'DISCOUNT_PERCENT');
$paymentRequest->addPaymentMethodConfig('BALANCE', 0.01, 'DISCOUNT_PERCENT');


text:
Q: How can I change the source of a Data Source View and the Report Models based on it to a different database? I have a number of reports deployed to a SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services server. They were all developed using the same Report Model (SDML) that references the same Data Source View (DSV) that points to a test database filled with mostly dummy data. Now, I would like to make those reports pull data from the live database with our real data instead. The two databases have exactly the same structure.
It seems to me, that if I could just change the Data Source being referenced in the Data Source View, then I could redeploy the report model, and all the reports based on it would also reference the correct data. I can see in Business Intelligence Development Studio 2005 that there's an option in the Data Source View property list in Design mode to change the Data Source. So I changed the Data Source, thinking that would work. However, when I try to redeploy the report model after changing the Data Source in the Data Source View, I get a number of error messages like this one:
Error   1   The Table property of the Entity 'Address' refers to the Table 'dbo_address', which is not in the primary data source.  Events.smdl 0   0
Is there something else I need to be doing here? Something in the Report Model or Data Source View that should be updated? Is there another way to do what I need to?
Edit 1:
I tried changing the datasource of the report model on the server after the reports were deployed, and that seemed to work pretty well. It's not exactly what I wanted to do, but it works. Thanks everyone.

A: The strategy that has worked best for me is to deploy the "test" shared datasource to the server then edit it via the Report Manager interface to point to the "production" database (changing the connection string). Making sure of course Overwrite Datasources is set to false on deploy.
Also, your database schema must be the same in test as it is in production.

A: I don't have as much experience with the report models but generally SSRS doesn't like it when you make changes to the datasource and asks you to refresh all the datasets that you have if you do.
Alternatively, just change the datasource definition on the report server itself.

A: It sounds like you're changing the data source that the dsv references. Instead, why don't you try to change connection string of the data source. Internally the DSV uses GUIDs to identify the various tables and fields, I suspect that by creating a new data source the GUIDs will change and that is why you're seeing these error messages (as the error message is mapping the internally used GUID to it's "friendly name").

A: The setup I use has an identically named Data Source (.rds) file for each environment, in the same folder the reports are deployed to.  It's just a connection string...
My experience has been the same as zalzaw's - if you change the Data Source, you have to refresh all the datasets associated with the report while pointing at the new environment based on the data source changes.  It's very tedious - you go to the Data tab for the report in Business Intelligence Development Studio 2005:

*

*Select a Dataset from the dropdown menu

*Click the Refresh button (2nd to the right of the Dataset dropdown, icon looks like recycle)

Repeat steps until all datasets have been refreshed.
Make sure that the database(s) (and stored procedures) are in sync.  It's all for naught if a table exists in Dev but not in Test or Prod...


text:
Pence on New Religious Freedom Initiatives
An Iraqi Christian who lives in Lebanon holds a placard during a sit-in, in front of the United Nations. (File)
Many believers of different faiths have suffered grievously at the hands of ISIS, including Muslims, Christians, Druze, and others, said Vice President Mike Pence at the Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom.
But perhaps no faith community has been so systematically and cruelly targeted by ISIS as the Yazidis. Four years ago, ISIS entered the Sinjar region of Iraq, killing or kidnapping many Yazidi men, women, and children. Nadia Murad, who spoke at the Ministerial, said that in her village, ISIS slaughtered more than 600 Yazidi men and boys, including six of Nadia's brothers and stepbrothers.
Then they kidnapped Nadia and all the young women, and subjugated them to the most degrading form of human slavery. She was only able to escape because her captor left a door unlocked, and a neighboring family hid her until she could be smuggled to safety.
Many Yazidi girls weren't so lucky. Thousands remain missing to this day or remain in ISIS captivity. The suffering of the Yazidi people has sickened the American people and mobilized the United States to action.
Ensuring that ISIS is defeated remains an urgent priority for the Trump Administration, and the U.S.-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS will not stop until this enemy has been eliminated. Thanks to these efforts, ISIS' so-called caliphates in Iraq and Syria have collapsed, and "we will not rest or relent until ISIS is driven from the face of the Earth," declared Vice President Pence.
Retaking territory is only half the battle. That's why the United States has already devoted more than $110 million to support persecuted religious communities across the Middle East.
Vice President Pence announced the United States will establish the Genocide Recovery and Persecution Response Program. Under this new program, the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development will closely partner with local faith and community leaders to deliver aid to persecuted communities, beginning in Iraq.
The United States is also launching a new International Religious Freedom Fund that will leverage our resources, together with funds from other nations, to support those who fight for religious freedom and suffer from religious persecution.
"Together," said Vice President Pence, "we will champion the cause of liberty as never before, and I believe that our combined leadership will make a difference for freedom of faith, for generations to come."


Insulating natural rubber gloves, cut edges. Large number of sizes available, from 6 to 12 depending on the class. The ergonomic shape of the glove and its slightly powdered interior makes it easy the donning and doffing. The natural rubber provides dielectric properties, while our technique and expertise allow us to make gloves as thin as possible in order to offer the maximum level of the dexterity to the users.


The last steel mag produced by the Soviets is referred to by collectors as the "Izhmash Side-Stamped." It is basically a Late Izhmash Spine Stamped mag with one very noticeable difference. On the mags left side, the middle outward facing vertical rib stops well before the other two, leaving a blank area at the bottom of the mag where the Izhmash factory mark is prominently stamped. These mags carry a black enamel finish, and as the name implies, were only made by Izhmash.
In early 2007 another type of polymer 30-round mag was imported that is usually referred to as the "Bulgarian Bullet Mag." The name comes from the rough image of seven 7.62x39mm cartridges molded into each side. The mag also has "Cal. 7.62x39" molded into the bottom of the left side, as well as three small stars molded into the bottom right side. The manufacturer, ISD Bulgaria, Ltd., placed no arsenal marking on these mags to indicate that they made them. The polymer body is reinforced with thin sheets of steel, and the floorplate remains a steel stamping. The follower and keeper are made from polymer but, more importantly, so are the front and rear lugs. Unfortunately, the rocking motion used to insert an AK mag in a rifle will eventually wear out plastic lugs, and one should expect only a fraction of the lifespan of a military steel mag.
Large scale production of Finland's version of the AK-47, the M62, began at both the Valmet and Sako factories in 1965. The Finnish produced 30-round steel mags are of the First European Ribbed Type, and have a blued finish. While at first glance they may look similar to any number of mags, they have several unique features that make them easy to pick out. First is a folding rectangular steel ring welded to the floorplate. This ring's purpose has been variously described as a means of securing the mag to the soldier's web gear or for attaching a lanyard ring; but a Finnish veteran informed me that it is simply to give a soldier something to grab onto when removing it from a magazine pouch. Secondly, they have both a 10-round and a 30-round witness hole in the back. All other European 30-round ribbed mags have just a 30-round witness hole. An examination of the right side of the rear lug will most often show a "T" proof mark, which reportedly comes from the Finnish word "Taisteluväline" or War Material. Much less common are commercial mags marked with an "S" instead - believed to represent either Sako or Sporter.
Poland also manufactured a 30-round black polymer mag; apparently during the late 1990s. The body, follower, and takedown plate were made from polymer while the floorplate remained a steel stamping. The front and rear lugs on the mag were steel embedded within the polymer body. "7.62x39" was molded into the mag's body on the upper left side. All the mags I have observed had a mold number of "1" or "2" on the lower left side. Unfortunately, cracked feed lips have been a serious problem with these Polish Polymer Mags.
A third type of Chinese mag was revealed during the Vietnam War that is called the "Chinese Spineless" by collectors. The mags two halves simply interlock, and are then spot welded together - thus eliminating the normal spine. The ribbing pattern stamped into the sides remains the same as the earlier Chinese Spine-Back Transitional. I believe this design is slightly less expensive to make and offers a slight weight savings over previous steel types; both important considerations when you're planning on making the millions of mags that the Chinese have. Add in that they are actually easier to remove from webbing, grasp, and insert in a rifle, and you have an AK mag that has probably been seen in every post 1970 conflict featuring an AK. These mags, however, are sometimes criticized because it is felt that the lack of a spine running down the back somehow weakens them, but in reality they have proved themselves more than durable. Some of these mags made during the early 1990s, specifically for export to the US, will be found with "Made in China" stamped on the floorplate. Other examples will be found with unique stamped rear lugs instead of the normal milled type.
The Chinese Norinco Corporation also attempted to make a more politically correct semi-auto AK for the US market called the NHM91. They put a rivet in the rifle's receiver, just behind the magazine well, that would only allow the insertion of a special 5-round mag with a milled cutout in its rear catch. This rivet was not required by any US import restriction or law, and most rifle owners simply ground it down so any AK mag would fit.
The NHM91 5 Round is an easy mag to pick out. It has just three vertical ribs, has the rectangular milled cutout on top of the rear catch, lacks a spine, is blued, and has the Chinese stepped follower. Interestingly; none of these that I have examined have "China" stamped on the floorplate.
In the early 1960s the Chinese developed a select fire carbine that combined features of both the AK and SKS, and was adopted by their military as the Type 63. Although little known in the West, it was made in large quantities by several factories. It was fed by a detachable 20-round mag clearly developed from the AK's mag, but featured a special projection at the rear of the follower. This projection travels within a channel built into the rear of the mag, and activates the Type 63's bolt hold open mechanism when the mag is empty. For some reason, probably due to the BHO mechanism, the stepped follower is reversed on a Type 63 mag - the depression from which the last round is fed is on the left side. Because of this, the witness holes, indicating when 10 and 20-rounds are loaded into a Type 63 mag, are also reversed to the rear left side. These Type 63 mags were not designed for use in full-auto AKs as they lack a milled clearance for the AK's disconnector on the upper right side feed lip reinforcement plate. However, these mags work just fine in semi-auto AKs, but will block the bolt from closing after the last round is fired.
An impressive little collection can be made up solely of Type 63 mags. At least five steel versions, and one black plastic version have been identified. The steel mags are centered around three basic body stamping types - two vertical ribs with one horizontal rib at bottom (2+1), two vertical ribs with two horizontal ribs at bottom (2+2), and a very large star interrupting two vertical ribs with two horizontal ribs at the bottom. All three body types were made with the normal feed lip re-enforcement plates (as on a traditional AK mag), but the last two types were also made with just ribs stamped to reinforce the feed lips (similar to the Chinese All-Stamped mag).
North Korea began manufacturing the AK-47 during the late 1950s as the Type 58. Little is known about their mags as they have never been directly imported to this country. The few 30-round mags that have made it here are clearly copies of the Chinese Sino-Soviet mag right down to the finish applied to them, and I have little doubt that they were manufactured with Chinese tooling and assistance. These can be identified by the North Korean arsenal's mark of a five-pointed star within a circle stamped on the mags spine.
Yugoslavia's first AK, the M64, had a couple of unique features. They were built with a grenade launcher, and a last shot bolt hold open (BHO) mechanism. A notch cut into the upper left side of the M64 mag activated the rifle's BHO mechanism with its follower, and a button on the left side of the receiver would release the bolt after a fresh mag was inserted. While the M64 corrected the AKs often criticized lack of a BHO feature; it also created a greater problem in that normal AK mags could not be used in it. This limited foreign sales, and created possible internal supply issues.
The Yugoslavian M70 AK solved these issues in a simple way by making the mag the BHO mechanism by itself. The Yugoslavian's just omitted two small bumps on the inside of the mag that stops the follower from traveling all the way up. In an empty M70 mag the follower is only stopped by the feed lips. A bolt returning, after the last round has been fired, will be stopped by the specially designed and strengthened follower that now blocks it. Using a Yugoslavian M70 mag in any other AK will also cause the action to remain open after the last round is fired. I believe that earlier M64 mags were upgraded to this latter pattern by simply replacing the follower with the newer type.
The Yugoslavian M64/M70 mag is easily distinguished from all other AK mags. Their blued bodies lacks the short horizontal ribs that wrap around the bottom rear of the magazine, as found on all ribbed mags but some Chinese, and the two remaining long horizontal ribs stop well short of the magazine's front (unlike on the Chinese mag). The M64 mag will also have its unique notch on the upper left side.
Examination of Yugo M70 mags coming out of the former Yugoslavia shows two distinct variants. The two mags are quickly differentiated by the shape of the witness hole in their back - round or triangular. Very notable differences in the follower and front catch will also be seen as well as less distinctive differences in just about every other part. The general better condition of the Triangular Witness-Hole M70 Mags, along with the fact that the earlier M64 mags have round holes, has led to the probable conclusion that they are of newer manufacture. The lack of any transitional mags, between the two types, would also seem to indicate production at two different factories.
There has been some speculation that the triangular witness-hole M70 mags were made in Iraq, and provided as aid to the Muslim forces of Bosnia. However; I have yet to hear of a triangular witness-hole mag being found in Iraq. Most likely the triangular M70 mags were simply made at a second plant in Yugoslavia set up to meet the demands of the Yugoslavian civil wars.
No short 5-round sporting type mags were produced by the Yugoslavian factory for commercial sales in the US. Post '89 Ban rifles, sold by Mitchell Arms, came with full size 30-round mags that were simply blocked to accept only 5 rounds.
In 2006, in a large shipment of AK mags from the now dissolved country of Yugoslavia, came two newly discovered, but clearly related, 30-round mags produced in what is now Bosnia. These mags were made so that the bolt would be blocked by the follower after the last round is fired and were probably made under less than desirable conditions for the cutoff Bosnian forces. They are crudely stamped and welded, and poorly finished with what appears to be gray phosphate. Quality control clearly suffered on these as a few of my mags are too wide to insert into my Chinese made AKs. Disassembly of one will also show that the plant making them relied on bent flat-springs instead of the traditional coil spring. These mags show both the ingenuity of the manufacturer, and the desperation to arm the fledgling Bosnian forces.
The so called "Bosnian Two-Rib" steel mag was also unknown in the US until the above 2006 shipment. However, there is still some very reasonable speculation that these may actually be of Croatian origin. They appear to be what they are claimed to be: a rushed expedient mag manufactured for an army cutoff from outside supply. Most have a hastily applied blued finish, but a few also appear to have an equally poor phosphate finish. These mags generally have rather poorly made followers, floorplates, and keepers. There are two types of followers, unique to this mag, that are often poorly welded; one of which appears too short in length. The floorplates generally are poorly fitted and will often wobble side-to-side on the magazine. The keepers often are over-sized thus making disassembly of the mag difficult. Many of these also have a letter (W, X, etc.) and a number (2, 3, 5, 6, etc.) stamped on the bottom rear of the mag.
There has been some speculation that the Bosnian Two-Rib was designed as a bolt hold-open mag because it lacks the normal dimples on its inside that prevent a follower from traveling all the way up. Pulling an AK's bolt backwards and releasing it on an empty mag will usually result in the bolt being stopped by the follower. However, when firing the last round in a mag, the greater returning force of the bolt invariably pushes the follower down so that the action will close. The traditional rounded end of the follower's bulge allows this to happen and also generally results in damage to the follower over time. The reasons for making a mag in such a way, other than to simplify production, escapes me.
In order to convert an imported rifle to a banned configuration, or build such a rifle from an imported parts kit, a certain number of U.S. made parts must be used. A U.S. made mag is an easy way to provide three such compliance parts - the mag body, the follower, and the floorplate. This fact has spurred the U.S. development and production of AK mags.
A US manufacturer, National Magazine, has been producing metal AK mags since the ban was lifted. Taking the Chinese All-Stamped as a model, they stamp out the tops separately and then weld mag bodies of various lengths to these. Using this production model, they are able to produce mags in an incredible variety of capacities. They produce mags in 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 75, and even 100-round capacities. As mentioned earlier; the end product strongly resembles a Chinese All-Stamped mag, but the use of a green plastic follower and the welded joining of the upper and lower halves clearly differentiates them. No markings are found on these mags and they carry a glossy black enamel finish. Unfortunately, my experiences with these mags have not been good and I can not recommend them.
When Pro-Mag first introduced its U.S. made polymer AK mags, they only made a 30-round black version. These early mags had thin gauged 19 coil mag springs that were noticeable shorter than a Russian AG4 mag's 22 coil mag spring. Failure to feed properly was a common problem with these early mags. Pro-Mag increased the gauge and length of latter springs, still with just 19 coil springs, on latter production mags and this has apparently solved feeding problems. These mags are also sometimes found too long to fit in AKs, but the careful removal of a little material from the rear lug will solve this problem. Construction is entirely of polymer except for the steel spring.
Pro-Mag significantly increased their offerings in 2007. They now make Black, Coyote Tan, and O.D. Green mags with capacities of 5, 10, 20, and 30 rounds. They also make clear and smoke colored transparent mags with a 30-round capacity. "PRO MAG" is prominently molded into the bottom left side of the mag as well as the floorplate. In a sign of the times, the company's internet address is also molded into the floorplate.
An unexpected black synthetic 30-round mag from Thermold Design & Development showed up on the market in 2007. These Thermold Mags are marked "Master Molder" on both the right side and floorplate, and carry the "Law & Gov't Use Only" warning on the left side from the high capacity mag ban period. They are made from a durable Nylon resin called Zytel and have three large horizontal ribs wrapping around both the sides and front of the mag. A very prominent and strong floorplate sticks out on the bottom. I would not consider them an "attractive" mag. Thermold's web site shows that it also offers a 10-round version of its Zytel mag, but I have been unable to find any distributors with them.
A quick examination reveals that they lack an anti-tilt follower. Disassembly will show they use a spring not interchangeable with those from military AK mags. On the plus side, the Zytel lugs look better designed, and more substantial, then those of a Pro Mag. I have had no problem inserting these in any of my rifles, and so far functioning has been 100%.
Tapco introduced a U.S. made polymer 30-round mag in the fall of 2008. These mags have a very distinctive ribbed pattern and an unusual flared-out bottom. "Tapco USA" is molded into the top left side of the mag, and the follower. The steel floorplate, the only steel in the mag other than the spring, is also stamped "Tapco USA". "7.62x39mm" will be found molded into the upper right side. Interestingly; a small date code, and a cage code number, are also molded into the mag. They produce these colored in either black, dark earth, or olive drab.
I had no trouble inserting these Tapco mags into any of my AKs. The lugs, although Polymer, appear strong and the follower is of an anti-tilt design. It uses standard AK type springs, which actually appear to be stronger and longer then those found in many military mags. Limited function testing showed 100% reliability. These mags would appear to be an excellent choice for the shooter needing U.S. made mags.
What is left out there to be discovered? Obviously there are some still unidentified types. Hopefully, we will see some of the distinctive Rumanian 20-round mags carried by the dreaded "Securitate" in their compact AKMs from the 1989 Rumanian revolution. Albania and Iran are reportedly making copies of the Chinese Spineless mag. Iraq probably made a version of the Yugo M70 BHO mag, and some cut down 20-round mags. Cuba is probably making mags that follow Russian patterns. North Korea almost certainly has made changes to its 30-round AK mag over the years and its soldiers have clearly been seen with 20-round mags. There is also no doubt that there are several other countries that are making, or have made, mags as well.
What are the best mags for the shooter? It is hard to go wrong with any of the European Ribbed or Chinese steel types. The Bulgarian Waffle and Soviet AG4 mags are excellent choices for those looking for military quality synthetic mags - but will cost you more. I would also suggest finding some 20-round Hungarian or Chinese mags for shooting from a benchrest. The shooter needing US made mags also has several good choices.


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Q: Creating a new object of the same class as a given object So I have something like the following:
abstract class Animal { }

class Dog extends Animal { }

class Cat extends Animal { }

I want to make a function makeABaby(Animal parent) which will call either the Cat() or Dog() constructor depending on which type was actually passed into the function, and return the new object.
I could do something like if(parent is Cat) { return Cat(); } etc. in the function, but that's hard to maintain as the number of animal species grows, so I'm looking for something a bit more dynamic. Ideally I'd like to do something like
Animal makeABaby(Animal parent) {
  return parent.getConstructor().apply();
}

but I'm not sure how I can make that work in Dart, or if it's something that can be done without having to resort to reflection. Is there anything in the language that I can leverage for this?

A: You can use reflection in a package dart:mirrors.
import 'dart:mirrors';

abstract class Animal {
  static Animal makeABaby(Animal parent) {
    ClassMirror cm = reflectClass(parent.runtimeType);
    InstanceMirror im = cm.newInstance(const Symbol(''), []);

    var baby = im.reflectee;

    return baby;
  }
}

class Dog extends Animal {}
class Cat extends Animal {}

void main() {
  var a = Dog();
  var b = Cat();

  print(Animal.makeABaby(a));
  print(Animal.makeABaby(b));
}

Output:
Instance of 'Dog'
Instance of 'Cat'


Upon learning of Quark's plan to feature her in a lascivious holoscenario, Kira Nerys enlisted Odo's help in making a small change to the program. The client got far more than he paid for.
Suspends play to exchange your personnel in play with any other personnel from your hand.
Image Source: Deep Space Nine: "Meridian"


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Hamas reportedly frees Jaish al Ummah leader in Gaza
By David Barnett | December 10th, 2012 | [email protected] |
On Sunday, Hamas reportedly freed Abu Hafs al Maqdisi, the leader of a Salafi jihadist group known as Jaish al Ummah (Army of the Nation).
While press reports suggest that al Maqdisi had been detained by Hamas since late July, the Gaza NGO Safety Office reported in early September that he had been released. Nonetheless, in early October, Jaish al Ummah accused Hamas of arresting and torturing al Maqdisi along with five other members of the group.
"The charges against him are jihad for the sake of God, and his links to the firing of rockets at Jewish settlements, as well as a campaign in Gaza warning about Shiites and their beliefs," the group said.
Jaish al Ummah
The Jaish al Ummah group is one of a number of Salafi jihadist groups operating in the Gaza Strip. The group has warned about the creeping influence of Iran and its proxy, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, in the coastal enclave. In addition, the group has claimed responsibility for numerous rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel and was recently praised by a leading Salafi jihadist official for its activities during Israel's Operation Pillar of Defense.
In 2009, the group said that "[o]ur struggle is aimed against Israeli occupation only, and we will not be dragged towards inter-Palestinian rivalry which only serves our Israeli enemies." In addition, the aforementioned al Maqdisi has said that "Palestine is not our sole goal; our goal is to spread Islam around the globe."
Following the deaths of Abu al Walid al Maqdisi and Ashraf al Sabah, two leaders of the Mujahideen Shura Council in the Environs of Jerusalem (MSC), on Oct. 13, Jaish al Ummah released a statement in support of the MSC.
Tags: Hamas, Jaish al Ummah
mike merlo says:
I wonder how closely related this is to Khaled Mashal's showing up in Gaza?


A Federal judge dealt a setback today to the Lockheed Martin Corporation's proposed $12 billion acquisition of the Northrop Grumman Corporation, delaying the trial in the Government's challenge to the transaction until Sept. 8.
Judge Emmet Sullivan of United States District Court said the timetable meant he probably would not rule until about Christmas. Lawyers for the companies had pushed for a trial during the summer and a decision by early October.
Shares of Northrop fell $1.3125, to $106.8125. Lockheed rose $1.50, to $113.3125.
''It doesn't help, and it's obviously disappointing to have it drag on for another six weeks, but I don't think it's so disappointing that they have to throw in the towel,'' said Wolfgang Demisch, an analyst at BT Alex. Brown.
Although Northrop has said it may not survive without the deal, it reported stronger-than-expected first-quarter earnings today -- up 25 percent before a $180 million pretax charge related to the acquisition. The company, based in Los Angeles, said profit before the charge rose to $105 million, or $1.52 a diluted share, from $84 million, or $1.25 a share, in the quarter a year earlier. The company said it expected 1998 earnings before charges to exceed the $6.99-a-share average estimate of analysts surveyed by the First Call Corporation, which tracks earnings.
As the Government prepares its case, the Justice Department said on Tuesday that Lockheed and Northrop had filed court documents that undercut the companies' argument that they were blindsided by the Government, which sued to block the acquisition in March. The Justice Department contends the combination would create monopolies and near-monopolies in numerous military-related areas, including missile countermeasures and radar.
In the documents, filed in Federal court on Friday, the companies said they had submitted a 200-page memorandum to Government antitrust lawyers on Feb. 13 that ''addressed the principal substantive issues raised by the Justice Department'' against their combination. The memorandum was submitted before stockholders from the two companies approved the combination on Feb. 26 and before the Government filed its antitrust suit on March 23.
Whether the companies were surprised by the lawsuit is not part of their legal defense. Still, by portraying themselves as caught off guard, the companies could gain sympathy for their plans, something the Government is taking pains to avoid.
The Justice Department's antitrust chief, Joel Klein, in an unusual appearance at today's pretrial hearing, argued the Government needed additional time to prepare its case.
''They've tried from the beginning to define the contours of this case,'' Mr. Klein said. ''There is nothing in these two months that are going to be outcome-determining.
Judge Sullivan must address two other important issues: whether to admit a divestiture plan, which would let the companies narrow the focus of the case, and whether Pentagon officials can invoke executive privilege to avoid testifying about why the agency decided a Lockheed-Northrop union would be anticompetitive. He scheduled a May 6 hearing to hear arguments on those matters.


With winter now over New York State hands out over $100 million in funding to resurface roads damaged by the severe weather. According to Governor Cuomo's Office, Otsego County gets $1.4 million for work on Routes 7 and 28 while Delaware County will receive nearly $5 million to resurface parts of Route 10, Route 28 and Route 97. Chenango County gets over $2.4 million for Routes 32 and 41. Governor Cuomo's office says this funding is in addition to $300 million previously committed for repairs to 1,600 lane-miles of state highways.


❶It is perfect because we both have our own sinks, and multiple drawers to stock up on our toiletries. A home is a place where you can feel comfortable and safe.
A large arch way opens up to the wine colored kitchen area, which is my favorite place in my house. The grayish granite marble tops blend very well with the wine colored walls the dark brown cabinets.
Off to the side of the kitchen, large windows surrounded the kitchen table displaying the backyard. The five step application process of the walls in the tall, two story foyer has the various colors of copper, gold, beige, purple, and cream. The staircase leading to the second floor consists of 15 stairs, and a beautiful brown banister.
The second floor of my home includes four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a laundry room. Walking down the long wide hallway, the walls are covered with oil painting made by artistic step mother. The third room on the right is my sanctuary, also known as my bedroom. My pretty and pink bedroom is filled with warmth and peace. My queen size bed is heaven to me because it is so comfortable and it is full of decretive pillows that I have collected over several years.
Above my bed hangs a dream catcher and a tie-dye tapestry, which I handcrafted myself. I have many posters of my favorite music that take up my pink walls. I chose to paint my walls pink to match my blush down filled comforter. My bathroom is shared with my step sister, which leads to her room on the other side.
It is perfect because we both have our own sinks, and multiple drawers to stock up on our toiletries. The third floor is one of my favorite rooms in the whole house. When I was a little girl it was known as our play room, but now it is more of a party room. They are my father, mother, grand-father, grand-mother, my sister and myself. I am the second and the youngest child of my parents. So, being the youngest member, I enjoy love and affection of all. My father is an advocate.
My mother is a teacher. She works in the Primary School in our village. My sister is a student. My grand-mother and grand-father love my parents.
I am their favourite grand son. We live in a thatched house. The house indicates the simplicity of our family. It has mud walls. There are four rooms excluding the drawing room and the kitchen. My parents share the room adjoining the kitchen.
My grand-mother and grand-father share the room near the drawing room. Another room is used as the store room. There is a spacious courtyard.
There is a small patch of land behind the house which is used fo r cultivation of vegetables and for dumping of scraps and useless articles of the house. As the area is inhabited by senior government servants, the houses here have posh surroundings, high security wall, lively gardens and huge front gates. Being very close to one of the nerve-centres of the city, we are fortunate to have all the facilities such as, markets, schools, hospitals, banks etc. I have a brother and a sister.
My sister studies in St. My father is an under secretary and works in the Govt. Secretariat at Dispur while my mother is a senior lecturer in a Commerce college in the city. My home is a happy home. We the children love our parents and they in turn do all they can to make our life cheerful, enjoyable and least burdensome.
Essay On: My Home Homes offer security and feel affection for human life and it is one of the most important things. "An East or West home is the best" is the saying and it is true according to my home, because my home is the best place for me in the world. My House atheneumyg.tk on My House for kids of Class 1,2,3. English essay on the topic of My Home for school students Short atheneumyg.tk sweet Home for kids.


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Hey, Look Over There!
Musings on musicky matters
Musings »
Why tribute albums (usually) suck
The rock tribute album is one of those daggy trends in music and marketing that just won't die, despite the fact that we've been bombarded with thousands of truly, offensively awful ones, and the rest are generally pretty average at best.
The idea seems good in theory: a diverse collection of acts come together to perform their versions of songs by a legendary artist or band that has in some way inspired and influenced their sound or identity. The listener gets to indulge in an albums-worth of fawning nostalgia shared between themselves and the contributing artists, while hearing their favourite songs in a refreshing new light. Sounds fun.
So why is it that when I first heard about the new Talk Talk tribute album (entitled The Spirit of Talk Talk, due out in September) my immediate reaction was mild excitement, followed by a bout of uncontrollable shuddering and gagging?
There are an uncountable number of bargain bin tribute albums out there, and most of them fall into the 'out to make a quick buck' category. Cheap, nasty and haphazardly flung together by a bunch of bands you've never heard of in an unapologetic bid to cash in on the name of the original artist. And then there are your 'Gregorian Monks Sing The Misfits' style tribute albums, which are so devoid of any semblance of taste, dignity or compliance with anti-torture laws that the fact that people actually buy them is irreconcilably disturbing.
But there are plenty of tribute albums that do have artistic merit, and many with genuinely good intentions behind them too. But even these 'decent' tribute albums usually end up being kinda disappointing.
Tribute albums are really only of interest to people who are slavish fans of the artist being paid tribute. You already know every song on there and you know exactly how it should sound. The contributing artist isn't just doing a cover. It's a tribute. To a band you really fucking love. Living up to your unreasonable fangirl expectations is a tall order. It's already a rare thing for a band to play a cover like they own it, but the idea of a tribute raises the bar even higher.
If you hear an artist do a cover song on their own album, it serves as a nod to their influences, something that the listener can appreciate simply as a means of putting elements of that band's sound in context. But on a tribute album, where every song is a cover song, the listener is much more inclined to draw strongly considered comparisons between the original and the tribute. A tribute version might actually be a really decent cover, but because those niggling comparisons are always there, within the context of a tribute album, it rarely ever feels completely satisfying, when you know you could just go back and listen to the original instead.
Plus, when you've got so many artists with varying levels of committment on the one record, it's pretty difficult to end up with entire album of consistently decent tracks, and the not-so-good ones are far more jarring than they should be, like nasty little surprises that undermine your attempts at unbiased enjoyment.
All that aside though, the biggest problem with tribute albums is that the very idea of them is tainted. There are just so many terrible ones and ones that should have been good but weren't, that it's hard to be enthusiastic about the arrival of a new one.
A tribute to the greatest experimental rock band of the late 80s and early 90s
So, I'm not particularly excited by the Talk Talk tribute album, (although anyone who steps up to the plate to appropriate any song from their later albums is pretty damn ballsy in my book) but like any sort of nostalgia driven release, it'll at least be a reason to go back and rediscover what made the original songs so great. Which I suppose is the utlimate intention of a tribute album in any case. So in one way at least, the rock tribute album does have its place.
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Home Tags Robert Nisbet
Tag: Robert Nisbet
The Practice of Attachment and A Comprehensive Social Order
Brian Jones - March 14, 2018
Shortly after Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election, Columbia University professor Mark Lilla took to the pages of the New York Times to offer...
Conservatism: What's Wrong with it and How Can We Make it...
Mark T. Mitchell - September 18, 2013
This is my contribution to ISI's symposium, Conservatism: What's Wrong with it and How Can We Make it Right? In one sense, there is...
Mark T. Mitchell - May 7, 2012
My review of Robert Nisbet's classic The Quest for Community was just published at the On-Line Library of Law and Liberty, whose stated purpose...
Are You Free?
Mark T. Mitchell - March 7, 2011
What would Sam Adams, Patrick Henry, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson say if they were transported to our day?
John Willson - May 9, 2010
I sense a gap on FPR between NoNamers and most of the rest.
Out of the Fissure, Real Energy: A Response to God's Economy
Allan Carlson - April 2, 2010
Perhaps out of these fissures and the current populist turmoil, someone might be able to craft a new, more coherent, and more promising Christian and Democratic coalition.
Lew Daly - March 29, 2010
Bush's strong effort to restore the freedom of the church took the political side of this freedom for the whole meaning of the tradition. At the same time, his supply-side policies benefiting the wealthiest Americans could not have been more antithetical to the social-pluralist vision that inspired his faith-based initiative.
Caleb Stegall - May 29, 2009
JEFFERSON COUNTY, KANSAS. "Community" is a recurring word and theme on this stoop, but it's invocation can come in many undesirable forms: as a talisman against perceived...
Causes and Lessons of the Current Economic Crisis
Michael Federici - April 28, 2009
ERIE, PA. As a new contributor to the Front Porch Republic, I would like to thank Mark Mitchell for his invitation to participate in...


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What's the Best Way to Do Good? Effective Altruism Explained
Where will your money, time and energy really have the most positive impact? Effective altruism is an attempt to provide an answer.
 Jakob Owens
When it comes to making a charity donation, how do you choose where your money goes? How do you find out where you can make the wisest investment? In a world facing so many different ecological and social challenges, and with countless projects and initiatives trying to help, it's no easy task. Often you go with your gut: because of some connection to your own life and experiences, or a personal belief about what issue you feel is the most urgent.
But some people believe there's another way to pick the "best" charity or cause - by analysing as much data as possible and using it to work out which projects have the biggest positive impact. The movement behind this way of thinking is called "effective altruism" (EA) and here "effectiveness" means one thing: stopping as much suffering as possible. It's been receiving more and more attention over the past few years: platforms and research institutes have been set up to look at it more closely and its followers meet at EA conferences.
But what is effective altruism exactly?
What is Effective Altruism (EA)?
Altruistic people are those who are concerned with the well-being of others and of society as a whole. People who commit selfless acts for the public good, like chefs who work at a soup kitchen in the evenings or students who volunteers to help schoolkids with their homework.
Effective altruists however, aren't satisfied with "just" doing good deeds. They want to maximise the effect of their altruistic acts. From the view of an effective altruist, the volunteer students mentioned above would have been far more effective in their efforts if they'd placed all of their focus on their studies so that they could graduate as soon as possible, find a well-paid job and donate a part of their generous wage packet to organisations that allow kids to take part in free afterschool tutoring. That would help more kids gain access to a good education than individual volunteering could ever do.
So what is EA all about? Effective altruism is both a philosophy and a social movement at the same time. It was founded in the early 2010s and aims to optimise the use of time and money in order to improve quality of life for as many people as possible.
The key question at the centre of it all: Where can monetary donations help the largest possible number of people to a comprehensive improvement in their quality of life?
The answer to the question lies in empirical evidence and rational, scientific reasoning.
In order to explore the effectiveness of different projects, effective altruists try to find out ways of calculating what impact a certain sum of money actually has. Collecting the data that they base this on - such as Big Data, experimental field research and scientific control procedures - is the job of others, like for example MIT in Boston and other research institutions.
The data collected demonstrates the cost-effectiveness of aid organisations, e.g. how much good each unit of money can do, how many lives were saved or improved. Alongside the number of saved lives and the transparency of an organisation, one important category is "room for more funding", or in other words, how effectively any additional donations can be used.
An index like this makes it possible to compare projects and initiatives with completely varying aims and evaluate them in terms of their effectiveness.
 ungwoo Hong
EA: Comparing Apples and Oranges
The non-profit charity assessment organisation GiveWell was set up by former hedge fund employees with the belief that doing good can be expressed in numbers. They've evaluated and compared various different projects, for example an initiative in New York that helps get people back into work, and various different projects in Africa. Getting one person in the USA back into work costs an estimated 40,000 USD. The same amount of money could save the lives of hundreds of people in Africa, by, for example, something as simple as distributing mosquito nets, which protect people from malaria.
At first glance these projects have completely different goals. It feels like comparing apples and oranges. But starting out with the basic assumption that all human beings have equal worth, it's clear to the founders of GiveWell what cause they would want their money to go to.
 Pixabay Is comparing the value of different altruistic acts a little like comparing apples and oranges?
Another example comes from William MacAskill, British philosopher at Oxford University, founder of several organisations within the field of effective altruism and a leading figure of the movement. It costs 50,000 USD to train a guide dog in the United States, which then goes on to help one individual improve their quality of life. In a country in the Global South, the same amount of money could be used to carry out many simple operations that could cure hundreds of people's blindness.
In his book "Doing Good Better"" MacAskill describes another example from Kenya. In order to improve school education, one organisation gave pupils new books and employed more teachers, but their grades hardly showed any improvement. They tried another approach - giving the kids deworming medicine. The surprising result: after receiving the medication the kids were much less likely to miss school, and not only did their attendance rate go up, but they were better able to follow lessons, got better marks and at the end of it all, better jobs. The discovery of this link has wide-reaching consequences, because schistosomiasis (a disease caused by parasitic flatworms) is one of the most widespread diseases in the world. Around 1.5 billion people are infected and the parasites can make children so weak that they're unable to take part in lessons. It's no surprise then that the "Deworm the World Initiative" has a place on GiveWell's list of top charities.
These examples are a great illustration of the key assumptions of EA: it's about relieving as much suffering as possible using the limited resources that we have at our disposal. And because EA judges all human life to be of equal worth, doing an effective altruistic act isn't a question of morals or gut feeling, it's a decision based on cold, hard data.
EA hardliners don't care too much about where the money comes from, as MacAskill's article To Save the World Don't Get a Job at a Charity, Go Work on Wall Street, shows. Followers of EA have come to the conclusion that it's better to earn a lot of money (in any profession) and subsequently donate as much as possible of it to the most cost-effective charities (a path he calls "earning to give") rather than trying to find a "worthwhile job" which lets you help others directly.
 Pexels EA's "earning to give" approach says having a high-paying career is a way for some people to do a lot of good.
The concept behind it is simple: If I don't take on the job as a stockbroker (or insert other well-paid job here), someone else will do it. But unlike me, that other person won't donate a large part of it. And the more money I earn, the more I can donate. Another initiative founded by MacAskill, called "80,000 hours" (based on the idea that this is how many hours each person has on average in their careers) gives students advice on how best to make a difference through their work life.
Is It Possible to Rationalise Charity Giving?
Some people see Effective Altruism as a revelation, a way of organising good deeds into a clear framework and replacing moral questions with verifiable figures. In a world that seems to be full of crises, wars and catastrophes, organisations like Giving What We Can and GiveWell give clear answers to those who want to help but don't know where to start. And EA also gets rid of the "none of this will change anything anyway" attitude, by finding the best possible proof for the effectiveness of projects and giving clear recommendations.
But the movement has come in for criticism too, of course. Critics have accused it of being a feel-good philosophy (told by individualists who are doing nothing more than sharing consumption tips) of being completely unpolitical, and for not tackling the real reasons for people's suffering – like capitalism, post-colonialism, climate change etc.
And we shouldn't forget one important thing: effective altruism isn't able to give us any absolute numbers - we can only take a thorough look at the issues that have adequate data available and we can only ever have answers to questions that we are able to clearly formulate.
 Tom Parsons To what extent are altruistic acts quantifiable? And does proving their impact encourage us to avoid the real issues?
More than a few might feel uncomfortable with the idea that an altruistic act, an act of charity and brotherly (or sisterly) love, can ever really be measurable and quantifiable. And yes, the logic of effective altruism tells us that art and culture should only really be supported by donations when the evils of the world - whether they be poverty, hunger, under-development or epidemics - have all been eliminated. The same is true for sports clubs, local community groups and any other organisations that make the world a nicer, more interesting or more likeable place for individuals or for a group of people, but not objectively better for everyone.
Peter Singer, an Australian philosopher and ethicist, who specialises in approaching ethical issues from a utilitarian perspective, and is one of the fathers of effective altruism, has a pretty clear opinion about that: "In a world free from poverty, I'd have no problem with people making donations to the arts. But as long as six million children are dying every year from the consequences of poverty, then we should focus our attentions on other tasks." Effective altruism is about humanity as a collective, not individual humans - an attitude that, for most of us, takes a little getting used to.
MacAskill has a slightly less radical attitude. For him, EA is just one of many instruments that can help us change the world. His book "Doing Good Better" has one clear point to make: living a good life means helping the world's most vulnerable people.
What Can We Conclude From All This?
The EA movement can teach us a few valuable lessons without us having to agree completely with all that it says. Like for example, that it's important to make sure that any organisations we donate to are doing truly useful work. And organisations themselves should concentrate on making sure that each individual aid programme has real impact. So it's always a good idea for them to put as much effort as possible into planning and weighing up each aid effort, considering alternatives and checking the effectiveness of each.
And we should always ask ourselves what "effective" actually means. A project with high administrative costs can still be very effective. The "worm medication" example can teach us a lot here. While many people choose charities that keep admin costs low, because they feel like that means more money will "end up with the people that it's going to help", that's not actually always a failsafe way of choosing a project: less money for administrative costs doesn't necessarily mean that a project has more impact.
On the other hand, we shouldn't forget that good deeds and projects that aren't measurable in terms of effectiveness aren't necessarily ineffective or lacking in impact. Effective Altruism doesn't give us any absolute numbers, because we're only able to do a detailed analysis of things that are backed up by good data and we can only ever find answers to questions that we are able to formulate. And projects that (still) operate on a small scale shouldn't necessarily instantly be ruled out. At the end of the day it's up to each individual to decide how much influence an Effective Altruism approach will have on their next attempt at doing good.
Author: Sarah-Indra Jungblut / RESET Editorial (2018)
Translated by: Marisa Pettit
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The payday loan market has started to improve its reputation in recent years and one way in which it has done so is through the provision of responsible lending from companies within the industry. Change has been possible through stricter regulations and government intervention in order to support the consumer and prevent sky-high interest loans and large late payment fees, but it has also been possible due to the hard work and diligence of responsible payday loan lenders with an eye on building strong, long-term relationships with customers.
Responsible lending is an ethos that is possible within short-term credit financial services. One way to do so is through the implementation of a strong customer charter that explicitly sets out standards of good practice for the entire company to follow. This begins from the moment a customer visits the website of a payday loan company. Before committing to any loan agreement you should be fully aware of what you can expect to receive, and what is expected from you in return.
If asked, a responsible payday loan lender should be in a position to offer you clear information relating to how the loan process works in full. How much you will pay in total on your loan (including the price per £100 borrowed when taking into account the APR, and any potential charges that could appear in the form of missed or late payments and default).
The application process should be explained, with a transparency to the risk assessment process undertaken for all new applicants in order to decide whether a person can afford to take out a loan. Communication is key in any financial relationship and your responsible payday loan lender should make it clear exactly how they intend to communicate with you, and provide all relevant contact information should you need to get in touch during the repayment period. This could be in order to discuss paying off a loan early, or if you are in further financial difficulty and require assistance in working out a solution that works for both parties without endangering the borrower with further, unmanageable debt.
It is with this last section that responsible lending has taken a drastic turn for the better in recent years. Continuous payment authority is no longer used with customers that appear to be in financial difficulty and customers of responsible lenders will understand exactly who to call in order to put a stop to continuous payment should they be in trouble. It is also beneficial that there are now flexible services, where an existing loan can be extended or deferred in certain circumstances. This is in stark contrast to the not so distant past, whereby customers of short-term financial services were left to deal with the consequences should they hit a further sticky patch financially and miss payments on existing loans. It is here that consumers would find mounting debts and the negative associations with this predicament. If a loan is extended a responsible lender will carry out further checks to ensure the borrower will be in a position in future to restart payments.
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Ebola survivor Nina Pham: I believe in the power of prayer
Washington D.C., Oct 24, 2014 / 12:08 pm (CNA/EWTN News) - Nina Pham, a Dallas nurse who has been battling Ebola after treating a patient in Texas, has now been declared free of the disease, and gave thanks to God and all those who have prayed for her in recent weeks.
"I feel fortunate and blessed to be standing here today," Pham said in a press conference Oct. 24. "I would first and foremost like to thank God, my family and friends. Throughout this ordeal, I have put my trust in God and my medical team."
Pham thanked everyone who had been involved in her care, both in Texas and Maryland. She offered special gratitude to Ebola survivor Dr. Kent Brantly for donating plasma, calling it a "selfless act."
"I believe in the power of prayer because I know so many people all over the world have been praying for me," she continued. "I join you in prayer now for the recovery of others."
The 26-year-old nurse, described by friends as a devout Catholic, is believed to have contracted Ebola while caring for a Thomas Eric Duncan, a patient at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. Duncan passed away from Ebola Oct. 8.
Pham was transferred to the National Institutes of Health in Maryland on Oct. 16. Numerous tests have now shown her to be Ebola free, and she will return to Texas to continue regaining strength.
Ebola continues to devastate parts of West Africa. The World Health Organization said that nearly 5,000 deaths had been reported as of Oct. 19, but the true numbers could be as high as 15,000.
Pham's fellow nurse, Amber Vinson, had also contracted Ebola after caring for Duncan. Vinson is currently being treated. Her family said Oct. 22 that she had tested free of the disease.


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Rimae Gerard – grupa rowów  na powierzchni Księżyca o średnicy około 100 km. Znajduje się po zachodniej stronie Oceanus Procellarum na współrzędnych selenograficznych . Nazwa tego systemu kanałów została nadana w 1985 roku przez Międzynarodową Unię Astronomiczną i pochodzi od pobliskiego krateru Gerard.

Zobacz też
 Lista kanałów księżycowych

Linki zewnętrzne
 Zdjęcie obszaru krateru Gerard
 Położenie na mapie topograficznej Księżyca

Gerard

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Here is how we found cookies that are better than moms!
On our trip to Boston, we would enter the city through Boston Commons. We would adventure off to find little hidden gems of stores or history. But we kept on missing the biggest gem of them all or in my mind the best damn cookies known to man.
We were debating about heading back to our AirBnB when we decided to walk through the park.
Peter got some water ice (aka shaved ice or Italian ice) and I was on the quest for these cookies that everyone was eating. We walked along the path, checked out a few artists who were in the area and petted some cute dogs (don't worry Maggie didn't know). Until behold… there was this food truck parked in the middle of the park.
At the time of our visit, I didn't think about taking photos of these delicious cookies, I also wasn't sure if I would actually write a blog about our travels either. Lesson learned… take pictures of the damn cookies!
The Cookie Monstah is a food truck that travels to different locations throughout the week offering up delicious cookies and other treats to the public. The cookies melted in your mouth, smelled as though they just came out of the oven and were perfectly crisp on the edges. We tried the Chocolate Chip and Double Chocolate cookies. The selection towards the end of the day wasn't big, but at the rate of deliciousness, I'm sure any of the options would have ultimately been worth it.
They also offer a selection of ice cream and ice cream/cookie sandwiches which look like a dream come true. If you are in Boston or passing through Boston Commons while they are there have a taste & see for yourself.
You can find their schedule on their website of where the truck will be during your stay or you can head over to their Bake Shop.


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Spinal Cord Injury Medical Expert Interviews
How is sexual function in men affected by spinal cord injury?
Spinal Cord Injury Basics
Preventing Bedsores (Pressure Ulcers)
Transition from Hospital to Home
Adapting to a New Spinal Cord Injury
Sex and Fertility After Spinal Cord Injury
How Family Life Changes After Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Basics
Adjusting to Social Life in a Wheelchair
Physical Therapy After Spinal Cord Injury
Taking Control of Your Life After Spinal Cord Injury
Mental Health After Spinal Cord Injury
Peer Counseling After a Spinal Cord Injury
Transcript More videos by Diane M. Rowles
So let start first with the anatomy, and I think that will help. In the spinal cord, there's two areas that control sexual function. One is from T11, and some books will say T10, to L2. The other is S2 to S4. T11 to L2 for men controls what we call psychogenic erections, erections where the stimulus is in the brain—seeing somebody naked, looking at a magazine, dreaming where the stimulus starts in the brain. That stimulus goes down the spinal cord; the T11-L2 center flips it out and stimulates a psychogenic erection. The S2 to S4 center is a reflexic center, and what I mean by reflexes is that the message doesn't have to go to the brain for a reflex to work. A reflex, the message goes into the spinal cord, loops around and comes back out. So people who have injuries high up in the cervical level, the high thoracic level, if their injury is complete, meaning no messages are getting through, then they're likely not to have psychogenic erections. But all of the damage to their spine, all of the swelling is high up in the spine. The bottom part of their spine, that S2-S4 part of their spine, is intact and working, it's just not connected to the brain. So the reflexes can go through that part of the spine, it's actually called the sacral arc reflex, and there's many reflexes that go through that area. But the reflex erections, so reflex erections are erections stimulated by rubbing the inside of a thigh, masturbating, playing with public hair, catheterization anything that's external, the message goes into the spine, loops around and comes back out and stimulates an erection. So like I said, people who have higher injuries have more reflex erections, less psychogenic, if their injury is complete. Okay, now people who have low injuries, below L2, the very low paras, the damage and the swelling is at the bottom of the spine, more likely to interfere with the reflexes. They're not as likely to have spasms and other reflexes. But, that T11-L2 center is still connected to the brain, so they get psychogenic erections. So for men after spinal cord injury, most men after spinal cord injury get some kind of an erection, whether it's psychogenic , whether reflexogenic. There are a handful of men, and usually it's right in that T11-L2 center, that may not get any erection at all, but that's not the majority of people. So we have psychogenic and reflexogenic. The other thing about reflexogenic erections is that most people will say that they can get an erection, but they can't always get it when they want it, it doesn't always get hard enough, or it doesn't always stay long enough. That's the vast majority. Other people say they can get it every time they want it, it gets hard enough, it lasts long enough and they're fine. Other people say they don't get any.