I feel like the recent government shut down proves my theory! I have this theory that in the future there will no longer be a United States like we know it because people will get tired of the shenanigans happening on the federal level. So slowly, states will slowly start to become their own countries, like Northern Colorado and Texas.
Even though I have no research or evidence to thoroughly support my theory, I just foresee states not feeling equally represented at the federal level, because let's be honest, the goals of Georgia are vastly different than New York, Colorado, and Oregon. So slowly, states will separate and become their own countries. I'm not saying this will happen anytime in the near future, but the 51st State Initiative here in Colorado, sort of proves my theory but on a much smaller scale. I think the United States will turn into the European Union of America; it will be an over-arching form of government that will continue to keep things in balance, but the countries (states) still have their own rule and say at the end of the day.
So as WordPress as my witness, this is my theory that will slowly pan out over the next few centuries. (Since I have to think of a dissertation topic, maybe I will look into this more in depth….) Again, I think the government shut down is just furthering the fact that Americans are unhappy with the federal government and these events will continue to prove that point.
You know it's time to quit your job when…..
The last few months I've lost my drive to go to work and do what I do. Granted being a server is one of the worst jobs in the world, but that's a whole separate rant! I've put off leaving to go to work until the very last moment and can't get out of work fast enough. Even though I still have bills to pay I've been getting rid of shifts and overall spending less time at work.
It's more than just being sick of the job, it's that I want to move on to my career. My job offers me more flexibility than a career would to do the things I want to do in life, like travel and relax and spend time with my family and friends, but it's not enough anymore. I want my career to start so I can start making a difference!
I want to love going to work and I want to want to go to work, and I know that will come once I find a career that I love and that feels like i'm doing something worthwhile with my life. As a server, I basically help people get fat…. That's not something to look forward to. I want to help save the planet – that is something definitely worthwhile and enjoyable.
So now what? Well i'm already going to graduate school to further my dream of being able to make a difference. I'm constantly meeting new people and creating contacts that will hopefully be people I can reach out to in the future or can help me meet other people. Networking is so crucial these days!
I've also been constantly applying for careers for at least the last 3 months and I will continue to do so. It is hard to continue applying though when I haven't even gotten a single call back, yikes! So I updated my resume and have done some research into creating a phenomenal cover letter (because I absolutely hate writing cover letters!) So hopefully changing these two components will make a difference.
As for my job, I'll continue to go because bills do need to be paid. But I need to find a way to be happy at work because my job is draining the life out of me and that's just not good.


text:
Updated June, 2020
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We may occasionally hire other companies to provide services on our behalf, including but not limited to handling customer support enquiries, processing transactions or customer freight shipping. Those companies will be permitted to obtain only the personal information they need to deliver the service. Pepito's Marrickville takes reasonable steps to ensure that these organisations are bound by confidentiality and privacy obligations in relation to the protection of your personal information.
USE OF YOU PERSONAL INFORMATION
Pepito's Marrickville reserves the right to make amendments to this Privacy Policy at any time. If you have objections to the Privacy Policy, you should not access or use the Site.
You have a right to access your personal information, subject to exceptions allowed by law. If you would like to do so, please let us know. You may be required to put your request in writing for security reasons. Pepito's Marrickville reserves the right to charge a fee for searching for, and providing access to, your information on a per request basis.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


i have been informed this is my anniversary weekend...you can take me off the list for the bus...i may be going but if i do I wil be driving up myself...not sure if I can swing this anymore...sorry.
Last edited by meandrake on Tue Sep 07, 2010 3:15 am, edited 2 times in total.
That's not really a Barca problem. When you lost your connection - Barca had not completely downloaded the image, so it's still looking for it on the server. However, the server apparently deleted the image because it marked the message with the image as downloaded.
At least I think that is what happened. Anyway, its an oddball incident that was caused by a dropped connection - not Barca.
As to your original problem, Forward as attachment should retain all the original images.
COD wrote: As to your original problem, Forward as attachment should retain all the original images.
Well at least got that sorted out. Didnt get this suggestion when I posted it earlier.


text:
"Да изядеш ябълката" е български игрален филм (трилър, драма) от 1976 година на режисьора Никола Рударов, по сценарий на Свобода Бъчварова. Оператор е Пламен Вагенщайн. Музиката във филма е композирана от Кирил Цибулка.

Актьорски състав
Роли във филма изпълняват актьорите:
 Асен Кисимов – Следователят Урумов
 Стефан Илиев – Джерикаров
 Цветана Манева – Мария
 Антон Карастоянов
 Светозар Неделчев – Полковник Ахрабов
 Стоян Гъдев
 Георги Русев – гражданин
 Александър Лилов
 Антон Радичев
 Леда Тасева
 Иван Янчев

Външни препратки

Български филми
Български филми от 1976 година
Филми на Никола Рударов

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


I recently read an article from Chip Filson about the merger of Progressive Credit Union, a 16-year CU*Answers client, and PenFed, and it got me thinking. To some the merger may have come as a surprise, but for those aware of what made Progressive so successful for many years, the taxi medallion industry, it did not come as a shock. Rather, Progressive was caught up in the tides of an industry being swept away by Uber and other rideshare services. But instead of serving as a cautionary tale, I think Progressive's legacy will be one to inspire others looking for that next big thing.
There's no doubt that Progressive was a long-term leader in leveraging a marketplace for its members and the members of many other credit unions—they positively worked by proxy for us all. Robert Familant and his team creatively encouraged community lending (participation lending) and its evolution to aggregate capabilities to reach more people than they could otherwise have done alone.
And Progressive did leverage the medallion economy to great success, seeing their assets rise with the bubbling medallion prices, which climbed from an average of roughly $200K in 2002 to $1M in 2014, and have since crashed back down to 2002 levels. As new entries into the market disrupted the medallion industry, Progressive, among many others, was part of the wave requiring everyone to adjust to new norms.
No insurance company puts any credence to the idea of working things out, whether it be living through a portfolio of loans, or working through lawsuits, or trying to defend taking on hard roads ahead. They put so much weight on removing the topic from the to do list, that they weight their models for only their goals. While I think that the credit union might have been able to work it out over the long term, the NCUA would never have allowed them to continue riding the roller coaster of adjustment. They doomed the credit union for convenience and a sense of calm—get Progressive and medallions out of the news.
The taxi medallion business was a great business and the lifetime earnings of those who were good at it cannot be denied as anything but positive. It had its phases of wins and losses, but on the balance did very well for Progressive and its members. Its time has run out and so has Progressive's. Not being flippant here, far from it, I respect Robert, Progressive, and all of the CUs that helped their members through the years based on the economies created by medallions and credit union hard work.
Every generation must learn this evolution of economies and the wins and losses that come with it. To 1) see the constant need to search for opportunities; 2) constantly consider how those situations might be disrupted; 3) avoid the impatience of disconnected regulatory oversight; and 4) see the long-lasting triumph of those who lead into the future without regret instead of clinging to the injustice of what was. There are lessons to be learned, adjustments to be made in the next cycle, and joy over the fact that it worked for Progressive for as long as it did.


text:
Nostalgia and Music
Geezer Music Club
About the GMC
DVD REVIEW: Glen Campbell – Good Times Again
September 22, 2007 May 16, 2019 by BG, posted in Boomers, Country, DVD, Easy Listening, Music, Nostalgia, Retirement, Review, Seniors
Glen Travis Campbell, Apr 22, 1936 — Aug 8, 2017
Although Glen Campbell has a well-known history as a big country music star, with mega-hits on songs such as "By The Time I Get To Phoenix," and "Wichita Lineman," a lot of today's music fans might not realize that he started in pop music. They also might be surprised to learn that he's a talented songwriter, and a serious guitarist who was so dedicated that he even studied the work of jazz pioneers like Django Reinhardt.
Those were the kind of thoughts that were going through my mind while watching a new music DVD from Time-Life, Glen Campbell : Good Times Again, a 60 minute disc that combines a lot of excerpts from his hit TV show. Although it's mostly filled with his duets with a number of well-known guest stars (more later about those), it was the talents of Glen himself that often caught my attention.
In the early days of his career he was mostly involved in the pop music side of things, and played with a variety of performers that included the Monkees, the Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, and even Elvis Presley. But the formula for his own success was built around a lush, pop-oriented country sound that took full advantage of his talent, and that's on full display in this DVD.
Glen provides an introduction to every performance on the disc, reminiscing a little but keeping it brief. There is something to be said for just allowing the performances to spin along without interruption, especially if you're interested in immersing yourself into a nostalgic exercise, but I suppose the producers are doing it the right way by having him do that. And if Glenn's weathered current face is a little jarring to the mood the first time or two he shows up, a comfort level is soon reached.
As with many DVD's of TV shows from the 1960's or 1970's, the roster of guest stars is fascinating for a number of reasons, including the opportunity to see many superstars in their early years, almost as if you're watching them on live TV. (Keep an eye open for Willie Nelson — you'll hardly recognize him.)
Some of those performers are no longer around, and the chance to see someone like Rick Nelson in his prime, teaming up with Glenn on "Louisiana Man," or Ray Charles performing "Cryin' Time," is not to be missed. Also of note, Johnny Cash and Glen doing Johnny's big hit, "Folsom Prison Blues."
Other highlights include Glen and Linda Ronstadt performing "Carolina On My Mind," and another duet with a female mega-star, Cher, on "All I Really Want To Do." Also of interest, Glen teams up with Bobbie Gentry and spotlights an album they did together.
There are some performances you could predict. Glen teaming up with B.J. Thomas on his trademark "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head," was nice, but unexceptional. Others were a nice surprise. The composer of "Gentle On My Mind," banjoist John Hartford, sits down with Glenn on the hit song and we hear it in a different way. Good stuff.
A nice DVD for both content and quality – sound is good, colors sharp and true – and recommended for anyone who would like to experience a snapshot of the era's pop music.
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text:
Raiders Awarded Four Compensatory NFL Draft Picks
By Scott Bair
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Scott Bair
The Raiders have been awarded four compensatory picks in this year's NFL Draft, the league announced on Friday. All of them will come in the sixth round, bringing the Raiders selection total to 11.
Compensatory picks are given out by the league based on a formula of free agency gains versus losses from the previous offseason, based largest on contract value and playing time during the 2017 season. Teams that lose more than they get in terms of free-agent performance are given selections from rounds 3-7.
The Raiders were relatively quiet during last year's free-agent signing period, with Jared Cook and Cordarrelle Patterson considered marquee acquisitions despite relatively affordable deals. A great number left in free agency, including linebacker Malcolm Smith, tackle Menelik Watson, defensive tackle Stacy McGee and running back Latavius Murray.
The Raiders now own the Nos. 210, 212, 216 and 217 overall selections in the upcoming draft.
The 49ers and Raiders are deadlocked in terms of draft priority will flip a coin at the NFL scouting combine to determine which team will select No. 9 and No. 10. That will reportedly happen on Friday.
The teams will alternate higher selections in subsequent rounds.
Copyright CSN BAY


text:
Quiet Warriors Off Season is Beautiful, Peaceful, and Deserving
Jun 19, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors hold the trophy during the Golden State Warriors 2015 championship celebration at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
By: Yama Hazheer
The Warriors have been mum this offseason and they have every reason to be. Other than Justin Holiday signing with the Hawks and an inevitable David Lee trade, the Warriors have relaxed this summer.
-== 8 Moves That Paved Way for Warriors' NBA Title ==-
The San Antonio Spurs confidently added a disgruntled LaMarcus Aldridge to their squad, the Oklahoma City Thunder are nearing full health, and the Dallas Mavericks have been loud in their pursuit of free agents until DeAndre Jordan single-handedly destroyed their momentum.
Despite the ruckus amongst the league, fans, and media, there is no question that the Warriors are still the team to beat.
The Warriors ended 2014-15 with the third most wins ever in a single NBA season (postseason included). Steve Kerr became the first rookie head coach to win an NBA title since Pat Riley. Steph Curry was the Most Valuable Player and Andre Iguodala lived up to every penny of his hefty contract with his admirable Finals MVP performance.
The Warriors were able to bring back the high scoring Mo Speights and the veteran Leandro Barbosa for next year and the team couldn't be happier. Kevon Looney was also an interesting pick for the defending champs after the Boston Celtics selected RJ Hunter. Hip problems make the pick somewhat questionable, but that's one of the benefits of winning an NBA title: you can take those risks.
Bob Myers now has a proven track record. He assembled one of the greatest NBA teams ever. He stayed true to his word and re-signed Draymond Green before other teams could even talk to him.
One of the biggest flaws Golden State had prior to last season was their lack of depth at the point guard position. Steve Blake, Jordan Crawford, and Toney Douglas were all failures. Myers went out to sign Shaun Livingston and he became a valuable asset to the champs.
The team was young, and Myers was able to help bring in some experience with Barbosa. His ties with Steve Kerr in Phoenix made the transaction sweeter. The Warriors also were weak in terms of bench scoring, Speights was brought in despite his shaky past, and brought an edge to the bench the Warriors haven't had in years.
And when everyone wanted to destroy the Warriors' management for firing Mark Jackson in favor of Kerr, in under a year he made the naysayers turn into the biggest believers. Kevin Love was rejected in favor of Klay Thompson. Although people still questioned the management, an NBA record 37 points in a quarter combined with stellar health all season and lockdown defense in the playoffs had doubters wrong once again.
Joe Lacob is already cutting into the luxury tax and sometimes, that's just what you have to do in order to assemble the best team you possibly can. The Warriors were phenomenal. They were the best offensive and defensive team all season long and defeated their opponents by an average of double digits.
The Dubs never lost more than two games in a row, had only four home losses all year, and were led by a team of players who were willing to give up their own personal agendas for the sake of the team.
That's what winning the title is all about.
Other teams are trying to do what they can to top the Warriors, not the other way around. The Warriors are on top of the basketball world until someone knocks them down. They have changed the game, as small ball will be a concept that we should expect to see a lot more of next season.
Larry (O'Brien) is the sweetest offseason addition and something we could potentially get used to seeing in the Bay Area if the Warriors continue to excel like they just did.
Golden State WarriorsKlay ThompsonStephen Curry
Warriors News: Press Conference Set For Draymond Green
How The Warriors Improve This Offseason | Warriors Huddle
Durant Surpasses Curry as Likely Finals MVP
Reflections on Warriors Game 1 Victory over Rockets
Keys to a Sweep for the Warriors in Games 3 and 4 in New Orleans
Keys to a Sweep for the Warriors in Games 3 and 4 in San Antonio
Tech Mall July 9, 2015
Beautiful Peaceful Deserving?
-Jim k Smith
http://youtu.be/xnrq4XHp20E
fb on LeBron James to the Bay Area: Why?
Zach Henderson on 2016 Stephen Curry Returns in Memphis Blowout
fb on 2016 Stephen Curry Returns in Memphis Blowout
Zach Henderson on The Warriors Killer B Team | Warriors Huddle Podcast
Zach Henderson on Defense Reigns in Warriors-Rockets Shootout
Fan Tools
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text:
Sept. 8, 2014 / 5:48 PM
'God Loves Gays' billboard goes up near Westboro Baptist Church
Remember when "God" said he wanted to plaster a pro-tolerance message on a billboard in the back yard of the Westboro Baptist Church?
Gabrielle Levy
The "God Loves Gays" billboard goes up in Topeka, Kan. (Equality House)
TOPEKA, Kan., Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Remember when "God" said he wanted to plaster a pro-tolerance message on a billboard in the back yard of the Westboro Baptist Church?
Well, thanks to the donations of more than 3,700 funders, God -- or at least the mysterious person running God's Facebook page -- has raised more than $80,0000 in support of a "God Loves Gays" billboard in Topeka, Kan.
Back in August, the mysterious creator announced it had successfully reached its goal of $50,000 and planned to tweak the anti-gay WBC, which has been classified as a hate group by the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center. The billboard (pictured) is about three miles from WBC headquarters.
Once the original goal was met -- with $25,000 aimed for a year of billboard space, $10,000 for campaign rewards and $5,000 for charity -- the Indigogo campaign introduced stretch goals that would allow for a $10,000 donation to the Trevor Project, $5,000 to the Equality House and another $10,000 to bus ads in Topeka.
RELATED Group tweaks Westboro Baptist Church with 'God Loves Gays' campaign
"For far too long, nasty humans have made God sound like a bigoted jerk," God told Mashable, who confirmed his ownership of the social media accounts. "When really, nothing could be further from the truth. I'm super loving!"
WBC, for its part, has taken the new signage in relative stride.
"Thank God for that lying billboard! Every soul that sees it will either rejoice for the lie and the vain hope of afflicting the servants of God at WBC," said Shirley Phelps-Roper, a spokeswoman for WBC, in an email. "Or, they will sigh and mourn for that awful sin and all the parts of it, knowing that every single soul that weighed in with money or words, in favor of that lying billboard, will stand before God in the Judgment, so very ashamed. Knowing also, that when they stand before God in the judgment, it will be TOO LATE for repentance, and eternal torment will follow."
RELATED Alan Cumming backs Scotland independence at rally
God says the billboard company, Lamar Advertising, was hesitant to allow God to purchase a full year of ad space.
"Thus far, they have only let Me purchase the billboard through March of 2015. I wanted to purchase the full year," God said. "I also wanted to investigate other bigger billboards around town. But before they'll do that the billboard company wants to see if the community accepts it and likes it first."
RELATED Trump Entertainment files for bankruptcy again ahead of Taj Mahal closing
RELATED Lois Lerner aide's emails lost, IRS admits
RELATED Morgan Freeman lands plane after multiple malfunctions
Shirley Phelps-Roper


T-Rex NeoComp: Studio-quality compression for guitar, bass or even vocals, right from the convenience of your pedal board.
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This recipe for Chocolate Fondants could be dangerous. The total time it makes from start to finish is 30 minutes!
All you need is butter, dark chocolate, eggs, raw sugar and plain flour. They're all pretty much staples in any kitchen.
It was my first time actually making fondants. I think I always thought it was more complicated than what it actually is.
You can serve them with ice cream or cream, or just on their own. Sometimes simplicity is best.
You can find the recipe in the new Everyday Cooking for Thermomix Families TM5 cookbook and recipe chip.
Contact your consultant or buy your copy online here.
The sticky date pudding recipe in the Basic Cookbook is the perfect treat to make on these cold winter nights.
It's so quick and easy to make with your Thermomix and one of the tips is to make individual steamed puddings instead of baking in a loaf tin.
When making individual steamed puddings make sure you use silicone cupcake moulds and only fill them up half way as they will rise.


text:
Are you the creator? Claim your page here
Arthur Krakower
Atherton, CA
PaintingsArt
"Arthur J. Krakower (1921-2009) is an Atherton resident who found success as a painter late in life.
Mr. Krakower had a life-long interest in painting, and after retiring for the second time, he went back to school and earned a bachelor's degree in fine art from San Jose State University in 1999. At the age of 80, he became the oldest graduate of the California College of Arts and Crafts (now called California College of the Arts), where he earned his master's degree in 2001.
Many of his evocative paintings and monotypes drew upon memories of his childhood in New York City in the 1930s. Successful solo shows at City Picture Frame Gallery in San Francisco drew art collectors by the bus-full. The gallery manager, Andra Norris, praised the innocence and enthusiasm evident in his work. Mr. Krakower was invited to make monotypes at Smith-Andersen Editions in Palo Alto, and etchings at Crown Point Press in San Francisco. He also was invited to artists' residencies in Otranto, Italy, and San Gregorio Ranch.
Two of his monotypes are part of the Smith-Andersen permanent collection at the deSassiet Museum at Santa Clara University. He once said that one of proudest accomplishments was when one of his paintings won a coveted spot on the wall in his own house.
"I kept doing things while I was working until finally, I decided I had to learn more, had to do more. I wanted to see how far I could go," he told The Almanac in 2003. Family and friends said they will remember him for always living life to the fullest, and for his energy and good humor."
Arthur Krakower took pride in creating evocative paintings and monotypes that depict the memories of his childhood in Ne ...
Inflower 1, 2 and 5
byArthur Krakower
atLoring PlaceNew York, NY


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Just what are the related prices? What is the reliability aspect of the ISPS you are looking at? Is actually a lasting contract demanded with your Internet carrier?


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by: Keri McKee
photos: Tyrone McKee & ?
Keri & Ty have spent many months exploring Asia. They are always keen to take the paths less travelled. Here is an "excerpt" from Keri's journal.
From Bali we headed north to Kalimantan.
Kalimantan was the highlight of our trip through Indonesia. It was always a secret dream of mine to see the orang-utans in the jungle, and Ty was just as keen. The local people were wonderful and we soon arranged to hire a long boat
to take us up the Sekonyer River
to where the orangs were in Tan Jung Puting National Park, southern Kalimantan.
So off we set, sitting on two chairs on the back of the long boat, feeling every bit like Lord Jim and the Queen of Sheba! The trip was beyond our wildest expectations
as we wound our way through the thick jungle either side of a very narrow river estuary, often having to stop and pole our way through. There was so much to see on the way-orangs, proboscis monkeys, macaques, long tail monkeys, deer, boar, crocodiles, snakes, dragon fish, exotic birds and butterflies-rave, rave, rave! It was every bit like watching a David Attenborough documentary unfolding before your very eyes. Nightfall brought with it fireflies dancing in the dark, and a myriad of monkeys settling in for the night in the trees above us, squabbling madly and throwing the occasional twig or nut at us!
With a few of the cheeky natives...
We were so tired by the time we reached the first ranger station about 10pm, that we gladly curled up on our meagre mattresses on
the deck of the longboat and fell fast asleep. About 5am I was awakened by something touching my hair. The mind boggled! I turned around to find a young orang sitting by me, SMILING! I think I must have called out, "holy mother of ducks!", or something
to that effect, because very soon the whole crew was on deck laughing. They quickly told me that it was only Gistok ("the cheeky one"), coming to say hello. With that, Gistok grabbed my cigarettes and was off. Ty finally coaxed him back with a mango and made a quick exchange. We had so much fun playing with Gistok. He was a never ending source of amusement. He had been owned by a wealthy Indonesian until he was about 2 (he was now 7), and the rangers were trying to re-introduce him into the wild.
Nevertheless, Gistok had never lost his preference for chocolates, champagne, etc… He wouldn't even eat the same bananas as the other orangs, and never really knew he was an orang. The funniest sight was watching the rangers trying to teach him to climb trees. Gistok was highly amused!
Even cheekier native and new friend.
Soon after, one of the rangers came running down very excitedly to tell us that "King" had ventured back to the station after a months absence, and to come quickly if we wanted to catch a glimpse. As I hurried after Ty and the rangers, Gistok caught up with me and took me by the hand. He had decided he wanted me to stop by and play, and when an orang decides anything, that's exactly what you do! A bit like the old joke": What does a gorilla/orang do?....Anything he wants to do!" Even at 7 years old, they are incredibly strong, and weigh about 60 kilos. We couldn't extricate his long, leathery hand from mine, so there I sat. I wasn't quite prepared for his next move!
Suddenly, he puckered up and planted a big, wet, sloppy kiss on my lips! Being kissed by and orang wasn't exactly my idea of romance! The boys thought it was hilarious (bless their cotton sox).
To make a long story longer, the crew finally distracted him and I broke free. I ran through the jungle trying to catch up with the boys, followed closely by the amorous orang. Thank goodness they can't move very fast on the ground. A little further up the track, the rangers froze in their tracks. Ty and I caught up with them and we soon realised why they had stopped. Coming toward them down the track was the one they nicknamed, "King". His real name is "Corsiska". 230 kilos of sheer muscle! He was the dominant male orang in the area, and even the rangers gave him a wide berth.
By this time we had reached one of the ranger's huts. King was
only feet away from us, and even though he had rarely shown aggression to anyone, he was still
A powerful, wild animal. My Instincts said, "RUN!", but we were all mesmerised by the sheer proximity of him. Besides, the ranger's house was just behind me. Suddenly, he backed up to the door and tried to open it. My worst nightmare. It was locked, and the ranger with the key was on the other side of "the beastie"! I suddenly realised I was praying (and it wasn't even Gold Lotto night)! Thank goodness a little cat distracted King, and he set off after it. He probably felt like having his evening entrée! All the same, he was a most magnificent animal.
It was awesome just being in his presence.
Only in Indonesia could you see these animals at such close quarters. Every other country would have them behind bars. We were so privileged to see him, as he rarely comes near people. The rangers agreed that the end of the dry season had brought him to the station looking for food (now they tell me!), as the fruits in the jungle were becoming scarce, especially with all the fires they were having.
It was a fascinating two day trip. I could rave on for hours!


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Social Media: A good witch or a bad witch?
There's a scene from one of my all-time favourite movies, "The Wizard of Oz" where Dorothy has newly crash landed in/on Munchkin Land and meets the village's go-to ambassador Glenda "The Good Witch" for the first time, who asks her the iconic question, "Are you a good witch or a bad witch?"
How many times have you read articles online or had conversations with your friends trying to determine whether Social Media platforms help or hinder human progress? In short, how many times have you tried to determine whether Social Media (in its entirety or as specific platforms) is a good witch or a bad witch?
Like in most Hollywood feature films, we are quite quick to want to determine whether something is good or bad – usually without having tried it out ourselves or having given the person or product enough time to prove or redeem itself. Therefore, in the interest of giving Social Media the benefit of the doubt my response to the question"Is Social Media a good witch or a bad witch?", usually culminates with me saying, "It depends."
At its early stages, in the early millennium, it was anyone's guess what influence Social Media was going to have on the human race and our ability to communicate, spread ideas and engage. However, 15 years later Social Media has now morphed into a teenager – which is to say we don't know what to make of it 50% of the time, know it's very cool (if sometimes awkward) and honestly hope it eventually mutates into a semi decent grown-up.
This week something happened in the Social Media realm that had me all misty-eyed and internally screaming, "Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas, that's how you do the darn thing!" when it comes to using Social Media.
Exactly one week ago Brandon Stanton, the founder and creator of Humans of New York (HONY), was going about his business which entails photographing NYC residents whilst capturing their touching, honest stories that he posts up on his Instagram & Facebook pages. Last week Brandon posted the story and picture of a young man called Vidal who cited his principle Ms Lopez as his biggest influence as she had chosen to empower the young adults that attend his school to believe believe in themselves, despite the difficulties of their backgrounds and circumstances. Ms Lopez reminded her pupils everyday, that they matter.
I remember reading that post and thinking what an amazing and progressive educator Ms Lopez if this one pupil, Vidal, was a testament to the kind of young people she was influencing and teaching.
That's when things got exciting.
Listen, if you haven't followed or heard the story head on over to the HONY Instagram & Facebook pages to find out how Social Media can be a good witch by reigniting, supporting and empowering an entire community…
The Bad Witch
Nevertheless, when Social Media gets it wrong…it's one hot mess. How does it go wrong? Let me count the many, many ways:
When it is used to spread negativity and lies.
When it is used to discredit and disenfranchise the innocent.
When it is used to exclude and alienate individuals or groups.
When it is used as a weapon of mass destruction.
When it is used to spread ignorance and applaud it.
There's a reason why I've taken a hiatus from what used to be my go-to Social Media channel, "Twitter". I still believe that it's a great tool to share and express ideas, create communities and engage in all sorts of riveting discussions all by using a mere 140 characters. However, after 4 years of hanging out there (in my personal capacity) I realised that it had started taking on all the unsettling characteristics I just listed above.
There's something about anonymity and way too much time that seems to have given some individuals the permission to spew forth their negativity and toxic vibes. That's when Social Media is "The Bad Witch".
At this moment in time (30 January 2015), if I had to sort the current popular Social Media platforms into the "good witch or bad witch" categories, based solely on my experience and interactions on them, these would be my ratings:
Good Witches: Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn & YouTube
Bad Witch: Twitter
Witch on probation: Facebook
Witches I still need to figure out: Tumblr & Snapchat
Witches I can't be bothered to figure out: Google+ & MySpace 2.0
For this week, positive vibes and fuzzy feelings reign across the Social Media realm thanks to the Human's of New York Instagram & Facebook accounts. May it last as long as it can…before someone tries to break the Internet with some foolery *sips on some Rooibos tea*
Holla in the comments which Social Media platforms you think are Good Witches & Bad Witches and why!
* First Image Source
This entry was posted in: Social Media
Tagged with: Brandon Stanton, Facebook, Google+, Humans of New York, Instagram, LinkedIn, MySpace, Pinterest, SnapChat, Social Media, Tumblr, Twitter, YouTube
The only platform I'd actually say is safe from any foolery is Pinterest – because you actually choose what shows up on your home page, what you feel like Pinning – you're in control.
Twitter will always be good to me because I still make connections of people we feature on Chaud, interactions on other projects that we'll be working on and that block button works wonders on muting out the negative folks
YouTube – great content creators, even crazier commenters and sometimes leading to content creators being affected and responding which has also led me to unsubscribe to some for that reason.
Facebook – Twitter's rather slow cousin which also is full of folks who are uplifting each other and also some who are spewing venom on each other.
So what I've learnt is the art of choice and how I have power in that. I choose what will affect my 'zen' and what will not get me down especially on Social Media, because like in real life, it's not going to be full of happy scented roses, there are turds too, but it's what I choose to take from each social media platform that really matters.
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I love werewolves. Have since I was a little kid, still do. I've been on a wolf/werewolf kick lately, and this one was recommended, so I gave it a try.
Plot was pretty generic (when a man was a little kid, his family was killed by werewolves, so he grew up to be a werewolf hunter, only to have werewolves kill his wife and almost kill his kid while he was out hunting. Raises kid to be a werewolf hunter, too). Writing was fine. Story was fine. Just didn't really hook me or interest me.
Abandoned a third into it.
I heard good things about this book. Dark scifi. However, his writing was a poor match for me (I think he swallowed a thesaurus), plus even though it was only published in 1989, it felt oddly dated.
Abandoned after the first chapter.
Now and then, I let a cool cover influence me more than I should. This was one of those times. I probably would have picked up the book anyway (set on another planet, it follows a retired military man settling into his life as a fur trapper out in the wilds), but the cover sealed the deal.
The story and the writing weren't bad, but I suspected things would go bad soon. The ex-military man was too cool for school and rather perfect at living out in the wilds alone, including facing down bears and driving them off with his voice alone, then peeing on trees to mark his land as his own. Add on top of that that he had two "pets," creatures that were basically giant wolves with deadly cougar-like paws. No one else was brave enough to keep them as pets other than him... I think I dodged a bullet by abandoning this one.


The Queen Elizabeth Coronation Necklace. This necklace has been inspired by a Present from her husband King George VI to commemorate their Coronation in May 1937.
Made by Garrard the Crown Jeweller, the original comprises of forty brilliant cut diamonds. Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) wore this necklace along with the Queen Victoria Collet Necklace on her Coronation Day and subsequently throughout her long life.
Silver Plated with Swarovski elements.


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» Sensing for Defence
Sensing for Defence
Machine Learning to Enable Cost-Effective Detectors at Borders
Nations need to protect their citizens from the threat of nuclear terrorism. Nuclear security deters and detects the smuggling of unique nuclear materials -- highly enriched uranium, weapons-grade plutonium or materials that produce a lot of radiation -- across national borders.
The researchers developed an algorithm capable of identifying weak radiation signals, such as might be seen from plutonium encased materials that absorb radiation. It works even in the presence of a high radiation background, including everyday sources such as cosmic rays from space and radon from the rock underfoot.
Based on the research results, our algorithm could improve the ability of radiation portal monitors at national borders to tell the difference between potential smuggling activity and benign radiation sources. For instance, naturally occurring radioactive materials such as ceramics and fertilizers, or radionuclides in recently treated nuclear medicine patients, can set off "nuisance" alarms at radiation scanning facilities.
"There's also the concern that somebody might want to mask a radioactive source, or special nuclear material, by using naturally occurring radioactive materials such as granite or even kitty litter."
As vehicles or boxes are scanned, the data from the detector can be put through these algorithms that unmix the different sources. The algorithms can quickly identify whether special nuclear materials are present.
The team turned to specialists in machine learning, who could use data collected by the team to "train" algorithms to look for the signatures of materials that have the potential to make a nuclear bomb.
The University Defence Research Collaboration (UDRC), led by the University of Edinburgh, develops unprecedented research in signal processing with application to the defence industry, shares knowledge, and promotes communications, guidance, and training.
By bringing together researchers from different aspects of signal processing, this project addresses the research challenges of operating in a networked battlespace. This collaborative centre of excellence for signal processing embraces academia, Research and Technology Organisations, defence manufacturing industries and the Defence Technology Centres.
This collaboration has developed cutting edge signal and data processing capability in the defence industry. In addition to traditional physics-based sensors (such as radar, sonar, and electro-optic, 'human sensors', e.g. from phones), our research will provide valuable signals and information that could advance situational awareness, information superiority, and autonomy. Persistent real-time, multi-sensor, multi-modal surveillance capabilities will be at the core of the future operating environment for the Ministry of Defence and core technology in modern society.
New signal processing techniques are required in a future where a large-scale deployment of multi-modal, multi-source sensors are used across various environments. The UDRC research considers the fundamental questions of scalability, adaptability, and resource management of multi-source data. This research focuses on high-volume, high-velocity data from non-traditional sources and high uncertainty. We also use powerful machine learning techniques, including deep learning, to enable a faster and more robust understanding of new tasks, anomalies, threats, and opportunities relevant to operational security.
The UDRC Phase 3 project, Signal Processing in an Information Age, is an ambitious initiative that brings together internationally leading experts from 5 leading centres for signal processing, data science and machine learning with ten industry partners.
Institute of Digital Communications, University of Edinburgh
School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
Queen's University Belfast.
The consortium works in defence signal processing research through the MOD's Centre for Defence Enterprise and the US Office of Naval Research. The team have significant experience in technology transfer, including tracking and surveillance (Dstl), advanced radar processing (Leonardo, SEA); broadband beamforming (Thales); automotive Lidar and radar systems (ST Microelectronics, Jaguar Land Rover), and deep learning face recognition for security (AnyVision).


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PCHR Condemns Murder of Palestinian in Cold Blood by Israeli Occupation Forces in Ramallah
Ref: 7/2023
Time: 10:20 GMT
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns Israeli Occupation Forces' (IOF) cold-blooded murder of a Palestinian yesterday morning after they directly opened fire at him in an operation that amounts to an extrajudicial execution near Silwad village, east of Ramallah in the West Bank. This murder is part of IOF's ongoing assassination policy and unjustified killing due to the lenient shooting standards and the protection given to soldiers by the political and military echelons in Israel.
According to PCHR's investigations, on Sunday, 15 January 2023, IOF established a checkpoint on Yabrud Bridge between 'Ein Yabrud and Silwad villages in Ramallah, blocking traffic and forcing vehicles to wait in long lines to be allowed to cross. At approximately 08:50, some drivers started horning in protest against delaying them due to the Israeli measures. Thus, IOF fired stun grenades in the area; one of which hit the second Hyundai Tucson vehicle waiting at the checkpoint and carrying Ahmed Hasan Kahlah (45) and his son Qusai (20). Afterwards, the soldiers stepped towards the vehicle, pepper sprayed Ahmed and his son and forced them to get out of the vehicle. After that, a verbal altercation erupted and then developed to a fight with the soldiers after the latter assaulted Ahmed who tried to flee. Meanwhile, one of the soldiers fired two live bullets at point-blank range at Ahmed Kahlah, though he posed no threat to the soldiers' lives. As a result, Ahmed was wounded in his neck and fell on the ground. Few minutes later, Palestinian paramedics arrived at the scene after IOF allowed them to provide aid to Ahmed. It turned out that he was wounded with two live bullets in his neck and the paramedics examined him, but he gave no response. The ambulance crew tried to provide aid to Qusai, who was in a mental breakdown and suffered from the pepper spray; however, the soldiers prevented them from approaching him and told the paramedics that he was under arrest, allowing them to take Ahmed only to Palestine Medical Complex, where he was officially pronounced dead. Later, IOF released Qusai.
IOF claimed that a Palestinian got out of a car wielding a knife and started approaching the soldiers. They claimed that he tried to snatch the weapon out of the soldiers' hands before opening fire at him. [1]
PCHR's investigations, eyewitnesses' testimonies and a footage documenting the incident have refuted the Israeli claims. The footage showed Ahmed quarreling with three Israeli soldiers who threw a stun grenade at his vehicle, pepper sprayed him and his son and then beating him before they opened fire at him at point-blank range although the soldiers could have controlled him, proofing that shooting at him was unjustified.
Since the beginning of 2023, IOF's attacks have killed 13 Palestinians, including 6 civilians: 2 of them were children, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including a child and a young man killed by an Israeli settler allegedly for carrying out a stabbing attack in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
PCHR reiterates its call upon the international community to take immediate action to end Israeli occupation's crimes and double standards when it comes to international law. PCHR urges the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention fulfil their obligations as per Common Article 1 of the Convention, "undertake to respect and to ensure respect for the present Convention in all circumstances," and their obligations under Article 146 of the same Conventions, i.e., to hold accountable persons accused of committing grave breaches of the Convention.
[1] https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sk6hnm11so


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Recreation promotes healthy lifestyles and contributes to people being more active. Recreational programming and activities for ages 6 and up are provided throughout the year. Activities include Baseball, swimming and swimming lessons, soccer, hockey and exercise nights. Afterschool activities are also offered such as arts and crafts, board games, Mica Creek fishing, field trips. Special events are hosted for Halloween, Christmas, Canada Day, Spring Break Mother and Father's Day and family fishing at Jackfish and Tatla Mun Lake.


The rest of the world knew her as Melody, the beautiful young siren who rose to the top of the music scene just before a volcano blew and wiped out most of civilization. For the past three years, nineteen year-old "Imogen" has been living under the protection of a small town pastor, and no one else in this increasingly righteous parish knows her infamous history. The whole persona of Melody was a corporate fabrication, and Imogen would like to forget that part of her past.


Welcome to OVLG's Michigan laws and legal information center. Know state laws, legal information, court information, links to state government websites, and much more.
Debt consolidation is a typical debt relief plan, in which several debt obligations are accumulated into one single monthly obligation. Apart from this, a debt consolidation program also consists of interest rate negotiation in order to help the debtor avail a lower monthly payment. On the other hand, a debt settlement program helps you negotiate your total outstanding balance so that you may end up paying much less than the original amount accrued.
As of a system of the federal law, Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy filings are identical in most of the US states, including Michigan. However, before you file for bankruptcy within Michigan, it's mandatory to complete credit counseling with an agency approved by the US Trustee's Office.
In Michigan, Equipment, inventory, farm products and motor vehicle used in business of debtor or dependent exempted up to the extent of $ 1,000.
Household goods, appliances, books and necessary utensils are exempted up to the extent of $ 1,000.
In Michigan, incorporating a corporation can be done by filing the needed documents and fees with the Secretary of State. However, apart from just filing documents with the Secretary of State, there are some additional filing provisions that you need to know.
What are the basic requirements to file a will?
What are the purposes of a will?
How to change or revoke wills?
What probate and estate taxes are all about?
Who are the parties to a trust deed?
What is a "living trust"?
Disclaimer: The aforesaid attorney is licensed to practice law within the state of Michigan only.


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West Virginia Hive To Play Pivotal Role in Creating Economically Diverse Jobs as Part of ACT Now Coalition Grant
West Virginia Hive receives $2.4 million for entrepreneurship support in the Community and Business Resilience Project to help communities, small businesses, and entrepreneurs get ready for new green jobs.
Beckley, W.Va. (Sept. 7, 2022) – The West Virginia Hive is poised to play a pivotal role in creating hundreds of economically diverse jobs as part of the recently-announced $62.8 million award to the Appalachian Climate Technologies(ACT) Now Coalition, led by the Coalfield Development Corporation to boost 21 coal-impacted counties in southern West Virginia.
"This is by far one of the largest economic and community development grants in the history of southern West Virginia, and those of us at the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority (NRGRDA) and West Virginia Hive know how many benefits can be derived in our service area," said Judy Moore deputy director of the NRGRDA and executive director of the WV Hive.
"Our organization is responsible for entrepreneurial priorities as part of the Community and Business Resilience initiative serving 13 of the 21 focus counties," said Moore. This is one of four major objectives of the ACT NOW Coalition proposal being carried out with federal, foundation, and university support."
Moore said the successful and ongoing WV Hive's CO.STARTERS program, and the green business practices curriculum and training materials being developed by Alternative Fueled Vehicles (AFV) Educate are central tools to create and sustain more climate technology jobs and will help concentrate on technical assistance to women and minority startups and entrepreneurs.
"This multi-faceted project allows me the opportunity to marry two of my greatest loves –entrepreneurship and alternative energy," continued Moore. "Before joining NRGRDA, I spent a number of years working at the National Alternative Fuels Training Consortium (NAFTC) at West Virginia University. At the NAFTC, I promoted nationwide alternative energy fuels and vehicles, and I have always believed there was tremendous potential for the Mountain State to be a leader in this area."
The Community and Business Resilience project, led by the WV Community Development Hub, will receive more than $7 million in EDA grant funding leveraged with $2.2 million in matching funds support from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, and multiple other sources to help communities, small businesses, and entrepreneurs get ready for these new green jobs and economic development.
The WV Hive is the entrepreneurship program of the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority and the administrator of the Country Roads Angel Network. More information about the Hive can be found at https://wvhive.com/ and more details about CRAN are at https://www.wvcran.com/.
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Chloe Appeal Winter Wonderland Ball, Stansfield Arms, Apperley Bridge, Leeds.
Guests raised £10,000 at the Chloe Appeal Winter Wonderland Ball at the Stansfield Arms, Apperley Bridge, Leeds.
Guests raised 10,000 at the Chloe Appeal Winter Wonderland Ball at the Stansfield Arms, Apperley Bridge, Leeds. The money will support the work of Leeds General Infirmary Childrens Assessment and Treatment Unit/Ward 41 and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children where Chloe Monte has been treated for a segmental facial haemangioma a type of tumour of the blood vessels in her face - since she was born, one of twins, last March. But her mother Sarah said she was doing well although there was still a long road of recovery ahead.


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\section{Introduction}

Approximate computing exploits the fact that there are many \emph{error-resilient} applications (such as image recognition, video processing and data mining) in which \emph{quality of service} can be traded for performance or power consumption.
Adopting the principles of approximate computing thus enables to significantly improve energy efficiency of complex computer applications.
In order to obtain an approximate implementation, a common practice is to replace selected components of the original (exact) implementation by their approximate versions. For this purpose, approximate components based on various approximation principles have been introduced (for example, see a recent survey of approximate adders and multipliers~\cite{Jiang:2017}). Even open circuit libraries nowadays provide various sorts of approximate circuits~\cite{Shafique:DAC2015,Mrazek:date17}. However, it is important to emphasize that these circuits have (almost always) been optimized with respect to general-purpose error metrics and evaluated under the assumption of uniformly distributed input values. Applying these prefabricated approximate circuits can bring some improvements in power consumption or performance, but much better trade-offs are always obtained if the approximate circuit is deliberately developed and optimized for a given application and if it exploits some knowledge about the application, for example, a particular (non-uniform) distribution of input vectors.

These application-specific approximate circuits (ASACs) can, in principle, be obtained using automated circuit approximation methods such as ABACUS~\cite{ABACUS:DATE14}, SALSA~\cite{SALSA}, CGP~\cite{Mrazek:iccad16,Mrazek:date17} etc. if a suitable error metric is provided.
Contrasted to the manual approximation approach (represented by, e.g., ~\cite{Jiang:2017}) these methods automatically generate and evaluate candidate designs until the implementation showing acceptable trade-offs between design objectives is obtained. Let us consider an example in which the objective is to create highly efficient approximate multipliers for an image classifier based on a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN).  Papers~\cite{Mrazek:iccad16,Sarwar:date16} already shown that employing approximate multipliers optimized with respect to a given CNN can reduce (in comparison with a common truncation) the overall power consumption with a negligible impact on the accuracy. When automated approximate circuit design techniques are applied in this context, the key question is how to define the error metric for the approximation procedure working at the level of components (multipliers). It is evident that the error metrics cannot be based on the classification accuracy (i.e. at the CNN level) as obtaining this parameter requires to perform a very time consuming evaluation for each CNN containing a new candidate approximate multiplier. This approach enables to explore only a very limited number of candidate designs (within the available time) and obtain a low quality solution. On the other hand, if a common error metric
is applied at the level of multipliers, the approximation algorithm has no way to exploit the particular data distribution observed in a given CNN.

In general, we are looking for an easy-to-calculate error metric applicable at the level of components, but providing highly correlated outputs with the quality measure used in the application containing these components. This application-tailored, but component-level error metric is then used in the circuit approximation method.

This paper deals with an automated design of ASACs using Cartesian Genetic Programming (CGP).
In the context of CGP-based approximations, we propose a new error metric -- a \emph{weighted mean error distance} (WMED) -- for steering the circuit approximation process. WMED introduces a set of weights (derived from the data distribution measured on a selected signal in a given application) determining the importance of each input vector for the approximation process. The principle is to allow more aggressive approximations for less important inputs (lower weights are assigned to them) and gentle approximations for highly important inputs (higher weights are assigned to them).

The proposed method is evaluated using (1) synthetic benchmark problems and (2) two instances of neural image classifiers. In the case of synthetic benchmark problems, the objective is to design an approximate multiplier $\widetilde{M}(x,y)$  showing high-quality trade-offs between WMED and power consumption.
The weights used in WMED reflect the importance of particular input vectors on $x$ input which is modeled using a probability mass function $D$. In other words, $\widetilde{M}$  is designed, optimized and approximated for a user-given $D$. This is highly relevant for applications in which one operand of the multiplier is an arbitrary input value and the importance of the second operand (roughly) follows $D$. For example, in image filters, signal filters, or artificial neurons there is always an input multiplied by a certain value (i.e. a filter coefficient or a synaptic weight) which can be statistically characterized for a given application. At the same time it is required that all multipliers have to be identical in these applications in order to obtain uniform circuit structures suitable for hardware implementation.

In the case of neural image classifiers, application-specific approximate MAC (multiply-and-accumulate) units are designed to provide the best trade-offs between the classification accuracy and power consumption. The definition of WMED is based on the distribution of weights across all NN layers.

\section{Related work}

This paper deals with \emph{functional approximation} which is a technology-independent circuit approximation method. Its purpose is to modify the implementation (function) of a given circuit in such a way that the quality of service is kept at desired level while power consumption is reduced (or performance is increased) with respect to the original implementation.

\subsection{Functional approximation}

Approximations have been introduced to circuits described at the transistor, gate~\cite{SALSA, Mrazek:iccad16}, register-transfer and behavioral~\cite{ABACUS:DATE14} levels. Many authors have introduced approximate operations directly at the level of abstract circuit representations such as binary decision diagrams and and-invert graphs~\cite{approx-ICCAD'16}. Basic functional approximation principles are: (i) truncation, which is based on reducing bit widths of registers and all operations of the data path; (ii) pruning, which lies in removing some parts of the circuit; (iii) component replacement, in which exact components are replaced with approximate components available in a library of approximate components; (iv) re-synthesis, in which the original logic function is replaced by a cheaper implementation; (v) other techniques such as table lookup etc.

The automated approximation methods are often constructed as iterative methods in which many candidate approximate circuits have to be generated and evaluated.
This is, in fact, a multi-objective search process. Examples of elementary circuit modifications (i.e. steps in the search space) are replacing a gate by another one, reconnecting an internal signal or reconnecting a circuit output. It has been shown that this kind of search can effectively be performed by means of Cartesian genetic programming~\cite{miller:cgp:book,Mrazek:date17,Mrazek:iccad16}. Details on CGP will be given in Section~\ref{sec:method}.

\subsection{Approximate CNNs}

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence methods based on deep CNNs, a lot of attention has been focused on efficient hardware implementations of neural networks~\cite{sze:pieee17}. CNNs employ multiple layers of computational elements performing the convolution operation, pooling (selection/subsampling), non-linear transformations and the final classification based on a common multi-layer perceptron (MLP).

One of the key challenges in this area is to provide fast and energy efficient \emph{inference phase} (i.e. the application of an already trained network). The reason is that trained CNNs are employed in embedded systems and have to process enormous volumes of data in a real-time scenario. As CNNs are highly error resilient, a good strategy is to reduce the bit width for all involved operations and storage elements. This approach has been taken by the Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), where only 8-bit operations are implemented in MAC units. The highly parallel processing enabled by TPU exploits a systolic array composed of 65,536 8-bit MAC units~\cite{Jouppi:2017}.

Approximation techniques developed for circuit implementations of NNs were surveyed in~\cite{Panda:dnn16}. In the case of approximate multipliers for NNs, they are implemented either as multiplier-less multipliers~\cite{Sarwar:date16}, truncated multipliers~\cite{Jouppi:2017} or application-specific multipliers~\cite{Mrazek:iccad16}. For example, Mrazek et al. developed approximate multipliers that perform exact multiplication by zero (which is important as many weights are zero and no error is thus distributed to subsequent processing layers) and deep approximations are allowed for all the remaining operand values~\cite{Mrazek:iccad16}. On two benchmark problems, this strategy provided better trade-offs (energy vs. accuracy) than the multiplier-less multipliers~\cite{Sarwar:date16,Mrazek:iccad16}.

\section{Design of application-specific approximate circuits}
\label{sec:method}

The proposed design method based on CGP is developed for combinational circuits. For the sake of simplicity, we will focus on approximate multipliers in this section.

\subsection{Weighted mean error distance}
We propose WMED as an extension of the conventional \emph{mean error distance} (MED).
Let $I$ and $J$ be discrete random variables representing data at the inputs of a multiplier $M$.
Let $D$ be a probability mass function of $I$ defined as $D(x)=Pr(I=x)$.
Given $D$ and a signed approximate $w$-bit multiplier $\widetilde{M}$, WMED is defined as
$$
\mathrm{WMED_{D}(\widetilde{M})} = {\frac{1}{2^{2w}}} \sum_{i=-2^{w-1}}^{2^{w-1} - 1} \sum_{j=-2^{w-1}}^{2^{w-1} - 1} \alpha_{i,j} \cdot | i\cdot j - \widetilde{M}(i,j)|
$$ where $\widetilde{M}(i,j)$ is the output of a signed approximate multiplier for inputs $i$  and $j$, and  $0 \leq \alpha_{i,j} \leq 1$ is the weight determined by the probability mass function $D$. In our case $\alpha_{i,j} = D(i)$ ($\sum D(i) = 1$), but a different approach can be chosen in general.
The WMED for an unsigned approximate multiplier is constructed accordingly.
Note that $0 \leq \mathrm{WMED_{D}} \leq 1$.

\subsection{Circuit representation in CGP}

In CGP~\cite{miller:cgp:book}, a combinational circuit is modeled as a two-dimensional grid of nodes (see the example in Fig.~\ref{fig:cgp}), where the type of nodes depends on the level of abstraction used in modeling (the gates are used in our case). The circuit utilizes $n_i$ primary inputs and $n_o$ primary outputs. A unique address is assigned to all primary inputs (0 -- 4 in Fig.~\ref{fig:cgp}) and to the outputs of all nodes (5 -- 16 in Fig.~\ref{fig:cgp}) to define an addressing system enabling circuit topologies to be specified. As no feedback connections are allowed in the basic version of CGP, only combinational circuits can be created.
Each candidate circuit is represented using $S = r \times c \times (n_a + 1) + n_o$ integers, where $c$ is the number of columns, $r$ is the number of rows and $n_a$ is the maximum arity of node functions. All supported node functions are defined in the function set $\Gamma$. In this representation, the $n_a+1$ integers specify one programmable node in such a way that $n_a$ integers specify source addresses for its inputs and one integer determines the function of the node.
This circuit representation can be seen as a netlist in which redundant components are allowed.

\begin{figure}[h]
\centering\includegraphics[width=.8\columnwidth]{cgp.png}
\caption{Combinational circuit represented in CGP with parameters: $n_i$ = 5, $n_o$ = 2, $c$ = 4, $r$ = 3, $n_a$ = 2, $\Gamma$ = \{xor (encoded with 0), and (1), or (2), nor (3), not\_1 (4)\}. Nodes 9, 13, 15 and 16 are inactive.}\label{fig:cgp}
\end{figure}

\subsection{Search algorithm and fitness function}

Having a candidate circuit represented as a string of integers, new candidate circuits are created by a random modification of this string -- the so-called \emph{mutation}.
It is important to ensure that all randomly created numbers are within a legal interval, i.e. a valid candidate circuit is always produced.

CGP employs a simple search algorithm denoted $(1 + \lambda)$ which operates with a set of $1 + \lambda$ candidate circuits (the so-called population)~\cite{miller:cgp:book}. Starting with the original circuit (the so-called parent), a new population is created by applying the mutation operator on the original circuit and creating $\lambda$ offspring circuits. The mutation operator randomly modifies up to $h$ randomly selected integers of the string. These offspring are evaluated in terms of functionality and electrical parameters  and the so-called fitness score is assigned to them. The best performing individual is taken as a new parent. These steps are repeated until the time available for the evolution is exhausted.

The goal of the design process is to find an approximate circuit minimizing the area on a chip and keeping WMED below a predefined threshold. The area parameter is chosen because it is highly correlated with power consumption and can quickly be estimated using the technology library (see the methodology proposed in~\cite{Mrazek:iccad16}). The design process is repeated for several target approximation errors $E_i$ in order to construct Pareto front (the error vs. the area). The fitness value $\mathbf{F}$ of a candidate approximate multiplier $\widetilde{M}$ is defined as
\begin{equation}
\mathbf{F}(\widetilde{M}) =
\begin{cases}
A_{\widetilde{M}} & \text{if WMED}_{D}(\widetilde{M}) \le E_i  \\
\infty & \text{otherwise,} \\
\end{cases}
\label{eq:fitness}
\end{equation}
where $A_{\widetilde{M}}$ is estimated area of ${\widetilde{M}}$ and the objective is to minimize $\mathbf{F}$.

\section{Case Study 1: Data distribution driven approximate multipliers}
\label{sec:mult_wmed}

The objective of this section is to show that better trade-offs (between key parameters of multipliers) can be obtained in comparison with the conventional approximation methods (which are assuming uniformly distributed input data) if a non-uniform data distribution is used in the WMED definition.
Figure~\ref{fig:distributions} shows the data distributions used in our experiments. $D_1$ and $D_2$ are arbitrarily chosen normal and half-normal distributions. The uniform distribution ($D_u$) will serve as a reference in all experiments.

\begin{figure}[h]
\centering\includegraphics[width=0.95\columnwidth]{distributions2.pdf}
\caption{Probability mass function $D_1$ and $D_2$}\label{fig:distributions}
\end{figure}

\begin{figure*}[t]
\centering\includegraphics[width=0.99\textwidth]{mae2.pdf}\vspace{-1em}
\caption{Parameters of approximate multipliers that were evolved according to selected distributions ($\mathrm{WMED}_{D_1}$, $\mathrm{WMED}_{D_2}$ and $\mathrm{WMED}_{D_u}$) and conventional approximate multipliers (truncated array multiplier~\cite{Jiang:2017}, broken-array multiplier~\cite{Mahdiani:TCSI2009}).}
\label{fig:mult_wmed_pareto}\vspace{-10pt}%
\end{figure*}

Approximate 8-bit multipliers are evolved using CGP which utilizes standard parameter setting as recommended in the literature~\cite{miller:cgp:book,Mrazek:iccad16}: $n_i$ = 16 (two 8-bit inputs), $n_o$ = 16, $c$ = 320 ... 490 depending on the initial multiplier, $r$ = 1, $n_a$ = 2, $\Gamma$ = \{all standard two-input gates\}, $h=5$ mutations/individual, $\lambda$ = 4.
The initial population of CGP is seeded with
different conventional implementations of exact multipliers. The fitness function is defined according to Eq.~\ref{eq:fitness}. For all 14 target WMED values, we repeated the CGP-based design ten times (one CGP run took  1 hour). The best evolved circuits were re-synthesized with Synopsys Design Compiler (45 nm process; $V_{dd}=$1V) to obtain their power consumption and other parameters (Fig.~\ref{fig:mult_wmed_pareto}).
In order to investigate the impact of selected distributions $D$ on properties of resulting multipliers, each multiplier is also evaluated using the remaining WMEDs that were not considered during the design.
For both $D_1$ and $D_2$ we confirmed that CGP can evolve approximate multipliers showing better trade-offs than the approximate multipliers evolved for $D_u$ and top-quality approximate multipliers available in~\cite{Jiang:2017}.

The heat maps on Fig.~\ref{fig:heat_x} show for selected multipliers (see the highlighted points in Fig.~\ref{fig:mult_wmed_pareto}) how the resulting approximation error is reflecting the data distribution applied in the approximation process. In the case of $D_1$, if the operand is around 127 the product shows a low error, but higher errors are visible for operands near to 0 and 255. In the case of $D_2$, low errors are visible for $x < 127$. In the case of $D_u$, the error is spread more uniformly.

\begin{figure}[h]\vspace{-10pt}%
\centering%
\includegraphics[width=0.99\columnwidth]{heat_err_sel.pdf}\vspace{-1em}
\caption{Approximation errors for all combinations of input vectors of selected approximate multipliers. Note that these selected multipliers are very similar in terms of power consumption and WMED.}\label{fig:heat_x}
\end{figure}

Intuitively, approximate multipliers optimized for error distribution $D_2$ should provide better trade-offs than other multipliers when used in the image filter which is constructed to eliminate Gaussian noise. The reason is that Gaussian filters employ a $k \times k$-pixel filtering window with many close-to-zero  coefficients whose sum has to be less than 256.
\begin{figure}[b]\vspace{-10pt}
\centering%
\includegraphics[width=0.99\columnwidth]{psnr2.pdf}\vspace{-1em}
\caption{Average PSNR obtained using approximate Gaussian image filters employing various implementations of approximate multipliers.}\label{fig:psnr}
\end{figure}
If results of approximate multiplication by these coefficients are almost exact (the error can be arbitrarily high for non-coefficients) then the quality of filtering is higher than if the filter contains approximate multipliers showing uniformly distributed errors. Hence, we compared the impact of various approximate multipliers on the quality of filtering conducted with the approximate Gaussian filter. We used a standard Gaussian filter implementation in which $3\times3$ pixels are multiplied by nine constants.
Figure~\ref{fig:psnr} clearly shows that Gaussian filters employing approximate multipliers (which were evolved according to distribution $D_2$) show better trade-offs between Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) and power consumption (given for the complete image filter implementation) than other implementations. PSNR is calculated as the mean value from 25 images. Please note that we have not designed any specialized approximate multipliers for this task; we just applied the approximate multipliers presented in Fig.~\ref{fig:mult_wmed_pareto}.

\section{Case Study 2: Approximate MAC units for CNNs}

When applying automated approximate circuit design techniques in the context of neural network based image classifiers, the key question is how to define an easy-to-calculate error metric for the approximation procedure working at the level of components (such as MACs and multipliers) because obtaining the classification accuracy of the whole NN is very time consuming. We will apply the CGP-based circuit approximation utilizing WMED to evolve approximate multipliers tailored for a particular trained NN.

\subsection{Image classification benchmarks}
Our method will be evaluated in the task of image classification (digits 0 -- 9). Two NN architectures -- a popular Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) applied on the MNIST benchmark and CNN LeNet-5~\cite{Lecun} applied on the more challenging Google's SVHN benchmark -- will be addressed. This setup will allow us to compare our results with~\cite{Mrazek:iccad16}.
We used the MLP network with $28 \times 28$ input neurons, 300 neurons in the hidden layer and 10 output neurons whose outputs are interpreted as the probability of each of 10 target classes. We modified LeNet-5 to be able to process $32 \times 32$ pixel images stored in SVHN. The LeNet-5 consists of five layers -- three convolution layers, two pooling layers used for data subsampling and one fully connected layer. The latter layer consists of 120 neurons outputting 10 values that are interpreted as the probability of each of 10 target classes. In LeNet-5, more than 278 thousand multiplication operations have to be executed to classify a single input image. A common MLP implementation shows 98\,\% accuracy on the MNIST data set. In the case of LeNet-5, 90.8 -- 92.7\,\% accuracy is typically reported on SVHN~\cite{Mrazek:iccad16}.

\subsection{Reference implementation}

Common implementations of neural networks typically use a 32-bit floating-point representation of real numbers for data storage and manipulation. For both considered neural networks, we firstly apply a quantization process with Ristretto tool, which performs a fully automated trimming analysis of a given network~\cite{Ristretto}. The analysis using different bit-widths revealed that 8-bit fixed point signed values provide sufficient classification accuracy (only a 0.01\,\% resp. 0.1\,\% accuracy drop for MNIST, resp.  SVHN reported). At the end of this process, we obtained models that can be accelerated in HW using a systolic array of processing elements. Each processing element consists of an 8-bit MAC unit and $n$-bit register (such as in~\cite{Jouppi:2017}). Each MAC includes an 8-bit signed multiplier and $n$-bit adder, where $n = 8 + \mathrm{log}_2 d$ and $d$ is the maximum number of products that have to be summed up. In the case of fully connected layers and MLP, $d$ equals to the maximum number of weights that can be connected to a neuron. In the case of convolution layers, $d$ is the number of items in a kernel.

\begin{table*}[t]
\caption{Relation between WMED of best approximate multipliers and classification accuracy of approximate neural networks before and after fine-tuning. \protect\footnotemark \textup{The accuracy as well as other parameters are expressed relatively to the original NN (negative value = degradation, positive value = improvement, 0\,\% = equal to the parameters of NN when exact multipliers employed). \protect\footnotemark The design parameters are reported for the MAC units.}}
\label{tab:results}
\renewcommand\theadalign{bc}\renewcommand\theadfont{\bfseries}%
\centerin
\begin{tabular}{c rrrrrrrrrr}
\toprule
\multirow{2}{*}{\thead{MAC\\WMED\\level (\%)}} &	\multicolumn{5}{c}{\bf SVHN data set} & \multicolumn{5}{c}{\bf MNIST data set} \\
\cmidrule(r){2-6}\cmidrule(l){7-11}
&	\thead{Initial accuracy} & 	\thead{After finetuning}	& \thead{PDP} & \thead{Power} &  \thead{Area}
&	\thead{Initial accuracy} & 	\thead{After finetuning}	& \thead{PDP} & \thead{Power} &  \thead{Area} \\
\midrule
0	&	0.00\,\% 	&	0.24\,\% 	&	0\,\% 	&	0\,\% 	&	0\,\% 	&	0.00\,\% 	&	0.09\,\% 	&	0\,\% 	&	0\,\% 	&	0\,\%   \\
0.005	&	0.02\,\%	&	0.36\,\%	&	-4\,\%	&	-8\,\%	&	-3\,\%	&	0.00\,\%	&	0.09\,\%	&	-1\,\%	&	-12\,\%	&	-3\,\%  \\
0.01	&	0.00\,\%	&	0.44\,\%	&	-4\,\%	&	-14\,\%	&	-5\,\%	&	0.00\,\%	&	0.10\,\%	&	-14\,\%	&	-16\,\%	&	-6\,\%  \\
0.05	&	0.00\,\%	&	0.51\,\%	&	-26\,\%	&	-26\,\%	&	-16\,\%	&	0.03\,\%	&	0.14\,\%	&	-28\,\%	&	-27\,\%	&	-11\,\%  \\
0.1	&	0.07\,\%	&	0.41\,\%	&	-29\,\%	&	-37\,\%	&	-27\,\%	&	0.05\,\%	&	0.10\,\%	&	-35\,\%	&	-32\,\%	&	-13\,\%  \\
0.5	&	0.08\,\%	&	0.31\,\%	&	-55\,\%	&	-57\,\%	&	-38\,\%	&	-0.01\,\%	&	0.10\,\%	&	-60\,\%	&	-65\,\%	&	-45\,\%  \\
1	&	0.13\,\%	&	0.20\,\%	&	-60\,\%	&	-65\,\%	&	-45\,\%	&	-0.42\,\%	&	0.12\,\%	&	-70\,\%	&	-71\,\%	&	-49\,\%  \\
2	&	-0.82\,\%	&	-0.41\,\%	&	-70\,\%	&	-71\,\%	&	-49\,\%	&	-4.79\,\%	&	-0.02\,\%	&	-79\,\%	&	-75\,\%	&	-53\,\%  \\
5	&	-18.56\,\%	&	-1.85\,\%	&	-90\,\%	&	-86\,\%	&	-70\,\%	&	-3.70\,\%	&	-0.30\,\%	&	-85\,\%	&	-83\,\%	&	-66\,\%  \\
10	&	-62.99\,\%	&	-5.04\,\%	&	-89\,\%	&	-87\,\%	&	-66\,\%	&	-61.14\,\%	&	-1.24\,\%	&	-91\,\%	&	-89\,\%	&	-70\,\% \\
\bottomrule
\end{tabular}
\end{table*}

\subsection{Applying available approximate circuits}

We replaced the exact multipliers with top-quality approximate 8-bit multipliers that have been proposed in literature. In particular, we considered broken-array multipliers~\cite{Mahdiani:TCSI2009} and EvoApprox8b library~\cite{Mrazek:date17}. We also utilized the approximate multipliers in which the exact multiplication by zero is guaranteed~\cite{Mrazek:iccad16}. Then we evaluated the accuracy of the neural network containing these multipliers on test data sets. Results are presented in Fig.~\ref{fig:comparison}.

\subsection{Evolutionary design of approximate multipliers}

We employed CGP to evolve application-tailored 8-bit approximate multipliers with the WMED error metric reflecting the properties of our target neural networks and data sets. In order to establish WMED, we analyzed the distribution of weights across all convolutional CNN layers / MLP neurons in fully trained NNs. The resulting distributions are shown in Fig.~\ref{fig:weights} (Top). In the case of SVHN, the distribution of weights is close to the normal distribution with zero mean, but MNIST has 92\,\% the most frequent values within the interval (-0.08 ... 0.08).

\begin{figure}[h]
\includegraphics[width=\columnwidth]{tot.png}
\caption{Top: Weight distribution in neural networks trained with SVHN (left) and MNIST (right). Bottom: Relative power-delay-products of multipliers obtained from 25 independent CGP runs for a given WMED.}\label{fig:weights}
\end{figure}

CGP was used with the following parameters: $n_i$ = 16 (two 8-bit inputs), $n_o$ = 16, $c$ = 320 ... 490 depending on the initial multiplier, $r$ = 1, $n_a$ = 2, $\Gamma$ = \{all standard two-input gates\}, $h=5$ mutations/individual, $\lambda$ = 4, $10^6$ iterations/run. The fitness function is defined as proposed in Section~\ref{sec:method}.

The best discovered multipliers were integrated into MAC units and relevant design parameters were obtained with Synopsys Design Compiler (45 nm process). Fig.~\ref{fig:weights} (Bottom) shows Power Delay Product (PDP) by means of box plot graphs for resulting approximate multipliers evolved for desired WMED. Each box plot was constructed from 25 independent CGP runs. For example, if WMED is constrained to 0.2\%, PDP can be reduced by 50\,\% in the case of LeNet-5 on SVHN.

\begin{figure*}[t]
\center\includegraphics[width=0.7\textwidth]{succmac_edit2.pdf}
\caption{Classification accuracy of CNN on SVHN (left) and MLP on MNIST (right) and relative power consumption when different approximate multipliers (EvoApprox8b~\cite{Mrazek:date17,Mrazek:iccad16}, broken-array multipliers~\cite{Mahdiani:TCSI2009}) are employed in MAC units. The NN accuracy is expressed relatively to the quantized model employing 8-bit accurate multiplication.
}\label{fig:comparison}
\end{figure*}

\subsection{Integration of approximate MACs to CNNs}

The best non-dominated MACs were integrated to both neural network architectures whose classification accuracy was then calculated using test sets (Table 1). We can observe that CNN accuracy remains practically unchanged for WMED~$\leq$~0.5\%. However, corresponding PDP of MAC units was reduced by 55\,\%. If a deeper approximation is allowed (WMED = 2\%), a 70\,\% reduction of PDP is reported.

The fine-tuning of the NN weights can, in principle, improve the accuracy drop introduced by quantization. During this fine-tuning, the network learns how to classify images with approximate multipliers. Table~\ref{tab:results} shows that the effect of fine-tuning (10 iterations employed) is enormous especially in the case of 5\,\% and 10\,\% error. For 10\,\% error, for example, the accuracy was improved from $-62.99$\,\% to $-5.04$\,\% for SVHN and from $-61.14$\,\% to $-1.24$\,\% for MNIST. As it is acceptable to tolerate a 1\,\% accuracy drop in practice, we can achieve more than 70\,\% power and PDP reduction for SVHN (WMED = 2\%) and 85\,\% reduction for MNIST (WMED = 5\%). Fig.~\ref{fig:comparison} compares the classification accuracy (obtained by LeNet-5 on SVHN and MLP on MNIST) and relative power consumption when different approximate multipliers are employed in MAC units. Solutions obtained with the proposed method are clearly dominating.

\section{Conclusions}

By means of the proposed error metric -- WMED -- we demonstrated how an application-level error metric can be translated to a component level and exploited in searching for high quality application-specific approximate circuits. The method has been evaluated in the design of approximate multipliers in which the importance of one of the operands is determined using a probability mass function. Under this scenario we evolved approximate multipliers showing better trade-offs than (i) approximate multipliers evolved with a common error metric and (ii) high-quality conventionally designed approximate multipliers. The impact of the method was demonstrated in the approximate implementation of Gaussian image filters. We also showed that when evolved MAC units are used in NN-based classifiers, 65\,\% power consumption reduction is obtained (in the MAC units), with a negligible impact on the accuracy of classification.

\vspace{3pt}
\emph{This work was supported by Czech Science Foundation project 19-10137S.}

\bibliographystyle{IEEEtran}

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Matthew Godwin 0
Progressive Caucus for Peace
Matthew Godwin 0 Comments
We are social democrats, progressives and in many cases, members of the New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP). We live in many different parts of Canada and hail from diverse milieus. We are friends of Israel who believe in social justice, democracy, peace and the rule of law, both in Canada and in Israel.
We support the official NDP policy on Middle East peace, which states that the NDP will:
Work with partners for peace and justice in Israel and Palestine, within a framework of respect for UN resolutions and international law. This means recognition of the right of both Israelis and Palestinians to live in peaceful co-existence in viable, independent states with negotiated, agreed-upon borders; no settlements remaining in the Palestinian state; an end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian land; an end to loss of life of innocent civilians; and an international peacekeeping presence.
We believe that the NDP's official position on the Middle East is pragmatic and just.
We believe in the two-State solution based on the June 1967 borders – two states for two peoples– with Israel as the national home of the Jewish people and Palestine as the nation state of the Palestinian people. We share this belief with the vast majority of Israelis and Palestinians.
We believe that the situation in the Middle East is NOT a zero-sum game. We believe that Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace side by side.
We believe that one can be both a strong supporter of the Jewish State of Israel AND of the Palestinians and their desire to live in an independent, viable and democratic state.
We believe that radical elements of Canada's progressive movement have recently taken extremist positions on the conflict in the Middle East, which has led to an unbalanced dialogue. These elements have led to a virulent anti-Israel sentiment in Canada's progressive movement, to the detriment of it being a viable force for peace. As a result, the NDP's Middle East policy has been polluted, and its credibility on the issue has been diminished.
We are asking all NDP members, friends, supporters, and progressives to join us in bringing balance back to the debate on the Middle East. Our voices have been marginalized for decades and we are calling on all members and supporters of the NDP to join us, to ensure that the NDP stay relevant in this debate in Canada, and to make the important voice of the Canadian Left trustworthy to every stakeholder in the pursuit of peace between Jews and Arabs in the Middle East.
Matthew Godwin Sam Konig