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Essays & PapersStrong Artificial Intelligence: Representations of the Post-Human in Ibm's Watson Computer Essay
Strong Artificial Intelligence: Representations of the Post-Human in Ibm's Watson Computer Essay
A popular topic among post-human conversation is that of artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence is a complex and controversial subject that has received, and is still receiving much attention among scholars. The general premise of artificial intelligence is to simulate or surpass one of the core components of human beings, intelligence. Intelligence is a defining feature that sets human beings apart from other living entities, our ability to use logic and reason far surpasses any other creatures' in the animal kingdom.
Many scientist have experimented with the boundaries of intelligence, and it could be broke down into many sub-divisions.
Strong Artificial Intelligence: Representations of the Post-Human in Ibm's Watson Computer
For the purpose of this essay I will be exploring notions as well as representations of what is known as 'Strong Artificial intelligence'. Strong artificial intelligence refers specifically to the artificial intelligence that is meant to exceed human intelligence and is associated with certain characteristics such as consciousness, self-awareness, sentience, and sapience (Steels 75-110). There is a multitude of possible representations of artificial intelligence in the world of science fiction.
However, I don't have huge repertoire of references for science fictions because my personal preferences don't really tend to that genre. So instead I chose to analyse a representation that I am a little more familiar with, the IBM Watson computer. Watson is a complex artificial intelligence computer system capable of answering virtually any question it is presented. In this essay I would like to explore the philosophical aspects of strong artificial intelligence while addressing the spiritual dimension, inherent values, and controversial aspects of my chosen representation.
In 1997, IBM developed an advance computer system named 'Deep Blue' that was able to defeat the world's best chess player, Garry Kasparov (Sostek). I feel it was at around this time that the general population begun to look at computers systems differently. One question that has stuck in my head since the beginning of this class is, 'Is it possible for an intelligent being, like humans, to create a species more intelligent that its own? ' For IBM, this seems to be one of their main goals. Although Deep Blue was a breakthrough technology that made lots of headlines, IBM produced a system that wasn't very commercially valuable.
The technological accomplishment – playing chess really well didn't translate into a lot of profit for IBM. In the mid-nineties IBM took up a new project with high hopes of changing the way we interact with data. How can they do this? Watson is the world's most advanced deep-question answering system. What this means is that a question can be posed in natural language (everyday human elocution), interpreted (having 'read' a whole bunch of information, data and documents), and answered back (precisely and factually) in natural language.
So in other words, Watson is capable of understanding your question, and will deliver to you what you want in a natural flowing dialog. One thing that I find interesting is that humans rely very heavily on natural language to communicate, and that seems to be a field where computer systems struggle dramatically. David Ferrucci, the lead developer of Watson claims that this piece of technology could be regarded as the 'Holy Grail' of computers because of its seamless ability to converse naturally with human beings, letting us ask it questions instead of typing in keywords (Gunning, Chaudhri, and Welty 11-12).
I would definitely say that using this type of system is more reliable and efficient than using a Google or Yahoo search engine because instead of pointing you a document that might contain the answer you are looking for, Watson extracts the answer for you. Another thing that I find particularly important is that Watson is not connected to the internet; it is filled with legitimate data and documentations. What this means is that not only are the answer reliable, Watson is able to distinguish what it does know from what it doesn't know (Gunning, Chaudhri, and Welty 11-12).
The computer only attempts to answer the question if it is 'confident' enough. When it was first suggest that Watson compete on an episode of Jeopardy! The idea was considered ridiculous, or even impossible. Deep Blues victory in 1997 was faced with a very different type of challenge – chess is a game which is based on logic, with fairly simple rules, that can be translated into mathematics, which a computer should be able to handle easily. Why would Jeopardy! be a lot more complex of a game for a computer based system to understand and play?
What makes language so difficult for computers is that it is composed of connotative and denotative meaning. In other words it is packed with 'intended language' that human beings are able to decode sharply and quickly, through shared experiences (Gunning, Chaudhri, and Welty 11-12). Categories, as well as clues on Jeopardy! often utilizes clever wordplays, allusions and connotations. Even if a computer was able to determine what the underlying question was, its methods of extracting data would inferior and slower than that of a human being (Sostek).
The advantage is given to a competitor who is able to make split-decisions and stitch together obscure pieces of information the fastest. Watson is an artificial intelligence agent that at basic level is composed multiple processors, nearly a hundred servers, a room full of technical gadgetry and has its information sourced from millions of pages from encyclopaedias, thesauruses, dictionaries, books, articles and also uses databases, taxonomies and ontology's (Sostek). Watson could sift through all of this information and extract what it is looking for in a matter of milliseconds.
What is more, Watson's system utilizes Natural language processing programs, reason, and knowledge representation programs to recognize and understand human language, even its most obscure references (Gunning, Chaudhri, and Welty 11-12). In the year 2011, IBM's Watson was deemed ready to compete on an internationally aired episode of Jeopardy! Jeopardy! made history when it aired its famous special edition episode of Man vs Machine Match Up on February 14th-16th. It was a two game, combined point match up where Watson went up against two of Jeopardy's all time, best competitors. Brad Rutter was Jeopardy! op earning contestant with his winnings just short of 3. 4 million dollars, the other contestant was Ken Jennings who won an incredible 74 game winning streak. Watson had some serious competition, no doubt. But can even the smartest people compete with such a powerful computer like Watson? Watson wasn't actually present on set while the show was being filmed, because it massive size it was being operated in a nearby server room while being represented by an avatar on screen. In the end Watson dominated both of the matches, leaving Jennings and Rutter with just a fraction of what it had won.
I feel as if the general public had expected this, we are living in an age that is producing increasingly more intelligent and powerful computers. At the end of both matches Watson had won a total of $112,881 compared to Rutter's $32,000 and Jennings $28,000 (Sostek). Watson had certain advantages and disadvantages compared to the human contestants in this scenario. Although Watson uses some of the most intelligent software on earth it has certain deficiencies when understanding the context of the clue. Because its primary search system is a keyword search, Watson has trouble with clues that contain a small amount of words.
As a result, sometimes Jennings or Rutter had the chance to get to the buzzer first; because Watson system only let it respond if it was confident enough with the answers it came up with. Although Watson comes up with the correct answer most of the time, its systems sometimes misinterpreted the information and occasionally misses an answer, it can get confused. A famous example of this was in the second round, Final Jeopardy, the question category was: "U. S. Cities" ("Its largest airport was named for a World War II hero; its second largest, for a World War II battle") (Gunning, Chaudhri, and Welty 11-12).
Both Jennings and Rutter gave the answer we were looking for, which was Chicago. Watson answered: "Toronto??????? " This seems like a pretty bad answer considering that Toronto isn't even a U. S city. So, what could have happened here? Ferrucci offered some possible explanations for the error observing that the category (U. S Cities) did not appear in the clue, and that Watson may not have considered it, or that he may have retrieved "Toronto" because Toronto has an American League baseball team (Toronto Blue Jays), or that because there are cities named Toronto in the United States (Gunning, Chaudhri, and Welty 11-12).
Eric Nyberg, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and also a member of Watson's development team, stated that "the error occurred because Watson does not possess the comparative knowledge to discard that potential response as not viable. Although not displayed to the audience as with non-Final Jeopardy! questions, Watson's second choice was Chicago. Both Toronto and Chicago were well below Watson's confidence threshold, at 14% and 11% respectively. (This lack of confidence was the reason for the multiple question marks in Watson's response. " (Gunning, Chaudhri, and Welty 11-12) Watson's failure was a disappointment to the IBM Company, but fuelled them to continue on the quest for knowledge, and to build even smarter, better artificial intelligent agents. Is infinite knowledge even possible? And at what point does knowledge cross into a state of consciousness? Was Watson aware that he was competing against other opponents? In turn, does that mean that Watson is aware of itself? These are some of the questions I will be exploring shortly, as well as how Watson reflects on society's value system. To me, Watson is a modern reflection of collective intelligence.
What I mean by this is that Watson uses piece of information that comes from everywhere and everyone, in order to evolve towards higher order of complexity and thought, problem-solving and integration through collaboration and innovation. In society we are seeing constantly seeing new technologies being released to the market claiming to save us time, or make our lives more convenient. Some widely know examples of this include: GPS systems, social networking sites, search engines, even self-parking technologies. I certainly believe that Watson could fall under this category.
Because Watson is a deep question answering system, he would be a good fit for the workplace (***). Currently Watson is being tested in the medical field, assisting doctors making difficult diagnosis. Watson's 'job' is not to replace a doctor, but rather provide a second opinion (***). Other practical uses I could see for Watson are; legal firms, where it could quickly sift through case details and legal citations, or a help-desk worker because Watson could answer promptly, instead of manually searching databases for product information, to give to the agitated costumer on the other end of the line (***).
Watson could possibly even be used to game the stock market, although there may be some ethical issues with that type of function. Earlier I asked the questions: Did Watson know that he was competing against opponents? And is Watson aware of itself? Questions of consciousness have always revolved around the concept of strong artificial intelligence. At what point is an intelligent computer able to think for itself? Have we already reached that point? In the year 1950 Alan Turing published a paper called Computing Machinery and Intelligence which opened with the sentence "I propose to consider the question, 'Can machines think? (Turing 433-460). In this paper he proposed what would become widely known as the Turing Test. The Turing test is designed to test a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behavior that is equivalent to or indistinguishable from, that of an actual human being (Turing 433-460). The original model proposed by Turing consisted of an interrogator that would placed alone in a room, then engage (through typing) in a conversation (in natural language) with another human being (X) and a computer designed to generate a human performance (Y).
The interrogator asks both entities a series of questions, and if the computer is able to fool the interrogator into believing it is a fellow human being, it passes the test. The computer must be able to fool the interrogator at least 30% of the time in order to officially pass a Turing Test. According to Turing if the computer did pass the test, it would indicate that it is working at a human level, suggesting that computer can 'think' for itself (Turing 433-460).
Today there are many existing versions of the Turing Test, and it has been both a widely influential and heavily criticized component of philosophy. Although the Turing Test has been said to not be able to reliably test whether a machine can 'think' or not, it is a simple and appealing test, that even if imperfect, provides us with something that can be measured. It is important to note that The Turing Test does not check the computer's ability to give the correct answer but instead, its ability to give an answer that is similar to the one a human being would give (Steels 75-110).
Watson would not however pass a Turing Test. The interrogator would realize that they are communicating with a super intelligent entity – not a human. John Searle's 1980 paper Minds, Brains, and Programs proposed the "Chinese room" thought experiment and argued that the Turing test could not be used to determine if a machine can think. Searle noted that computer software could pass the Turing Test simply by manipulating symbols of which they had no understanding.
Without understanding, they could not be described as 'thinking' in the same sense people do. Therefore—Searle concludes—the Turing Test cannot prove that a machine can think (Searle 1-19). Searle's hypothesis started off with a scenario; an English speaking man sits alone in a room with a book of rules. Then a page with a paragraph of Chinese characters is slipped under the door. The book then instructs him to manipulate and copy the Chinese symbols onto a new page, forming a reply to the earlier statement written in Chinese and the dialog continues.
The man does not need to understand Chinese in order to continue the conversation. Searle then argues that the same logic can be applied between computers and natural language. He then argues that not only are computers incapable of understanding language, they cannot understand anything, at least not in the same way humans use understanding. "In the literal sense the programmed computer understands what the car and the adding machine understand, namely, exactly nothing" (Searle 1-19).
In other words, to Searle, though a computer may pass the Turing Test it still does not literally understand the meaning of the words, and without understanding there is no way we can say the machine is thinking or that it is conscious. Searle's Chinese Room argument has also been supported but also widely criticized. Ray Kurzweil takes an opposing view, saying that a computer passing the Turing Test would be tremendously important. Kurzweil, and Turing shared the same belief that human language embodies all of human intelligence.
In other words, there are no simple language tricks that would enable a computer to pass a well-designed Turing test. A computer would need to actually master human levels of understanding to pass this threshold. According to Kurzweil, "if it is really a properly designed test it would mean that this Artificial Intelligence is truly operating at human levels. And I for one would then regard it as human. I'm expecting this to happen within two decades, but I also expect that when it does, observers will continue to find things wrong with it" (Kurzweil 76-96).
Kurzweil predicts that a computer will beat the Turing Test by 2029 (Kurzweil 76-96). In 1999 Kurzweil wrote the book The Age of Spiritual Machines, in which he proposed that that "The Law of Accelerating Returns" (Kurzweil 51-65). According to the Law of Accelerating, the rate of change, in a wide variety of evolutionary systems (including technological ones) tend to increase drastically (Kurzweil 76-96). In other words, we are developing new and more complex technologies at a quicker rate, and we show no signs of slowing down.
Boundaries will continue to be pushed, and technology will keep reaching new levels of what seems to be 'humanity'. To answer my earlier questions, I do not believe that Watson has any sort of self-awareness or consciousness, and it most certainly cannot exercise free will. Therefore Watson doesn't qualify as true strong artificial intelligence, but it is the closest thing that currently exists. Watson exceeded its developer's expectations when it defeated the Jeopardy! Champions and made an important step in the direction of strong artificial intelligence.
The possibility of a computer soon passing a Turing Test is becoming increasingly realistic. My personal opinion is that a computer system that is able to pass the Turing Test does not necessarily mean that it posses the same kind of conscious qualities as a human being does, but it will be a significant milestone in the history of artificial intelligence. For me, when a computer system is able to learn and take on intelligence for itself, produce its own algorithms, and make its own decisions would indicate that computers have truly reached a human operating level.
I agree with Kurzweil's prediction that a computer will pass a Turing Test by the year 2029, but I believe the quest for better, more innovative, and more intelligent technology will continue on. Currently IBM is developing a new, more powerful and faster computer system which they are calling project 'Blue Gene'. I actually could not find very much information on what Blue Gene actually does. One article I read said that it was an eco-friendly technology that was able to actually simulate 4. 5% of the human brain.
A Wikipedia search told me that "the project had two main goals: to advance our understanding of the mechanisms behind protein folding via large-scale simulation, and to explore novel ideas in massively parallel machine architecture and software" (Wikipedia). This brings me back to an earlier question; are human beings building a species that is more intelligent than our own? If a technology is eventually able to simulate the defining features of human being (consciousness, self-awareness, sentience and sapience) would we not then regard it as human? For some reason I find the idea of this more frightening than appealing.
Steels, Luc. "The Artificial Life Roots of Artificial Intelligence." Trans. Array Artificial Life. . 2nd ed MIT Press Journals, 1994.
Gunning, David, Vinay K. Chaudhri, and Chris Welty. "Introduction to Special Issues on Question Answering." AI Magazine. 2010: 11-12.
Turing, Alan M. "Computing, Machinery and Intelligence." 1950: 433-460.
Searle, John R. "Minds, Brains, And Programs ." University of California. Berkeley, CA : 1980. Kurzweil, Ray. "Of Mind and Machines: Philosopoical Mind Experiments." Trans. Array The Age of Spiritual Machine. Print.
Sostek, Anya. "Human champs of 'Jeopardy!' vs. Watson the IBM computer: A Close Match." Pittsburg Post-Gazette. post-gazette.com, 09 2012. Web. <http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/business/technology/human-champs-of-jeopardy-vs-watson-the-ibm-computer-a-close-match-284466/>.
Wikipedia contributors. "Watson (computer)." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 18 Nov. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2012.
Wikipedia contributors. "Blue Gene." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 4 Dec. 2012. Web. 1 Dec. 2012.
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Topic: Strong Artificial Intelligence: Representations of the Post-Human in Ibm's Watson Computer Essay


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Elisenda de Montcada o Elisenda de Montcada Pinós(Aitona, 1292 - Barcelona, 1364), reina consorte de la Corona de Aragón. El 25 de diciembre de 1322 se convirtió en la cuarta y última de las esposas del rey Jaime II, tras la muerte de María de Chipre.

Biografía

Juventud y enlace con Jaime II
Elisenda era hija del senescal Pedro II de Montcada, señor de la baronía de Aitona, y de su segunda esposa, Elisenda de Pinós. Pertenecía a una de las familias más nobles de Cataluña, del  linaje de los Montcada, muy cercana a la monarquía. Elisenda tenía dos hermanos: Ot, que fue el padrino de bautizo del futuro Pedro el Ceremonioso, y Gastón, elegido primer obispo de Huesca y después de Gerona. La boda de Elisenda con el rey era conveniente para las relaciones entre el rey y la rama menor del poderoso clan de los Montcada.

Cuando el rey Jaime II quedó viudo de su tercera mujer, María de Chipre, se apresuró a contraer un nuevo matrimonio. Justo al cabo de un mes de la muerte de la reina se dirigió al cardenal Túsculo para que intercediera cerca del papa Juan XXII y obtuviera una dispensa de consanguinidad en tercer o cuarto grado para concertar nuevas nupcias. Curiosamente, el rey no indicaba el nombre de la elegida, pero era Elisenda de Montcada. El monarca parecía muy animado con la idea y se apresuró en los trámites sin disimular que tenía prisa.

El casamiento con Jaime el Justo se efectuó en Tarragona el día de Navidad del año 1322. El rey dotó la novia con las rentas de Berga, Burriana, Tortosa, Morella, Torroella de Montgrí y Pals, y al hermano mayor con las poblaciones de Serós y Mequinenza. Ella tenía 30 años y él, que había enviudado de María de Chipre, unos 55. Se instalaron en el palacio real de Barcelona y tuvieron una vida relativamente tranquila. Ella intervenía en los asuntos de estado dando consejo como habían hecho otras reinas. Fue partidaria del nieto de Jaime II, el futuro Pedro el Ceremonioso, cosa que este le agradeció siempre. La reina era una mujer madura, culta, bella y muy piadosa, lo que hacía que el día a día en la corte real fuera cordial, a pesar de la rigidez y la severidad de Jaime II.

Escribe Jesús Ernest Martínez Ferrando:
La nueva reina, aunque tenía en Tortosa el centro de su dote y que en el castillo de dicha ciudad habían residido largas temporadas sus predecesoras, las reinas Blanca de Nápoles y María de Chipre, eligió Barcelona y su Palacio Mayor como residencia habitual. Allí pasó su vida. Como no tuvieron hijos y el rey pronto enfermó, achacoso, Elisenda le consagró su vida, así como a las prácticas religiosas y el ejercicio de la caridad.

Construcción del monasterio de Pedralbes

El rey en su testamento, que había redactado pocos meses antes de su muerte, ratificaba, entre otras cosas, las donaciones en rentas hechas a su esposa. Además le dejaba la corona de oro que le había comprado en el momento de la boda y muchas otras joyas, telas buenas y paramentos de mesa como una vajilla trabajada en oro y plata.

Cuando Elisenda le expresó su deseo de fundar un monasterio de religiosas de Santa Clara alrededor de Barcelona, el rey se apresuró a complacerla, aunque ya existía en Villafranca del Panadés un monasterio de clarisas fundado por Blanca de Anjou, la primera esposa del monarca. Solo puso una condición: que el monasterio se erigiera en honor de la madre de Dios. Primero se designó para su emplazamiento el lugar de Valldaura, entre Sardañola y Montcada, pero luego se optó por un lugar llamado Pedralbes debido a la cantidad de piedra blanca que se extraía de una cantera allí existente. Las gestiones y las obras avanzaron con celeridad. Tal vez Jaime II presentía su muerte y deseaba que la mística ilusión de su esposa se convirtiera en una realidad lo antes posible. En 1326 Elisenda fundó y dotó el monasterio de monjas clarisas de Pedralbes (Barcelona). El 3 de mayo de 1327 ingresaron catorce monjas en el monasterio y eligieron la primera abadesa, Soberana de Olzet.

Ese mismo año, al quedar viuda Elisenda, se retiró durante 37 años en un palacio inmediato al monasterio, en el que está enterrada. A pesar de no ser nunca monja el acto de la fundación la dotó de amplios poderes sobre el funcionamiento interno del monasterio, promocionando las artes, como por ejemplo con las pinturas de la celda de San Miguel, encargadas por la abadesa Francesca Saportella, sobrina de Elisenda. A pesar de su internamiento, participaba de algunos eventos oficiales, como el traslado de los restos de  Santa Eulalia a la catedral de Barcelona, donde acompañó a María de Navarra, esposa de Pedro el Ceremonioso y  Constanza, esposa de Jaime III de Mallorca. Dictó testamento el 11 de abril de 1364 y murió el 19 de julio del mismo año.

La reina viuda ordenó que se construye un palacete junto al monasterio de Pedralbes, completamente separado de este. Vivió 37 años. Durante estos años su intención fue favorecer al máximo el monasterio para que no se encontrara, una vez muerta ella, en dificultades económicas, algo bastante habitual en los monasterios femeninos. Las donaciones reales casi ahogaron el espíritu franciscano de la vida conventual. Gestionó la construcción del edificio y la ornamentación del mismo. Pintores, como Ferrer Bassa o los hermanos Serra, fueron contratados para embellecer el monasterio.

Muerte y sepultura

Elisenda murió el 19 de julio de 1364. Dejó como heredero al monasterio, excepto algunos bienes destinados a instituciones, familiares o conocidos de ella. Obligó a derribar el palacete donde vivía, lo que se hizo inmediatamente. El inventario de su habitación demuestra la sencillez en que vivía, a pesar de las joyas y las telas buenas que regaló. El sepulcro de la reina está situado junto la pared que separa la iglesia del claustro, de forma que parte del monumento está dentro de la iglesia y parte en el claustro. La tumba es una magnífica obra del gótico catalán, mostrando por el lado de la iglesia a Elisenda vestida de reina y por el lado del claustro como una penitente.

En la parte visible desde de la iglesia la figura yacente de la reina se encuentra revestida de majestad con corona, y por el lado del claustro lleva un austero traje de viuda o monja, lo que indica claramente la doble vida de esta mujer. Tuvo fama de buena persona, amante de la familia, de ser atenta con todos y sobre todo de conocedora de la tierra. Esta era la virtud que más complacía a sus súbditos. Un retrato suyo forma parte de la Galería de Catalanes Ilustres del Ayuntamiento de Barcelona.

Referencias

Bibliografía
Balasch, Ester. Español, Francesca (ed.) (1997), Elisenda de Montcada. Una reina lleidatana i la fundació del monestir de Pedralbes, Lleida: Amics de la Seu Vella Ed. ISBN 84-7935-453-4
Español Bertran, Francesca (1997), "Un cert perfil d'Elisenda de Montcada", dins: Elisenda de Montcada. Una reina lleidatana i la fundació del monestir de Pedralbes, Lleida: Amics de la Seu Vella Ed., ISBN 84-7935-453-4, p. 11-37.

Enlaces externos

Reinas consortes de Aragón del siglo XIV
Condes de Barcelona
Casa de Moncada
Reinas consortes de Aragón (con la casa de Aragón)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


MINNEAPOLIS — When you get home after a disastrous road trip, it's nice to have the worst team in baseball waiting for you.
Jake Odorizzi pitched six scoreless innings and Mitch Garver, Eduardo Escobar and Brian Dozier homered as the Minnesota Twins completed a four-game sweep of the Baltimore Orioles with a 10-1 victory on Sunday.
The Twins went 1-8 on a nine-game swing through Chicago and Milwaukee and had lost six straight after being swept by the Cubs and Brewers. But they took out their frustrations on the hapless Orioles, who lost for the 12th time in 13 games and fell to 24-65 on the season.
The Twins remain 9 1/2 games behind Cleveland in the AL Central, but they picked up 3 1/2 games on the Indians this weekend and have a chance to cut the lead further as series with Kansas City and Tampa Bay round out their last homestand before the All-Star break.
Odorizzi (4-6) turned in his third consecutive strong outing, allowing just five hits and a walk while striking out five. In his last three starts, the Twins' opening day starter has allowed just two earned runs over 17 innings.
Garver's home run broke up a scoreless game in the fifth, and the Twins poured it on with an eight-run sixth to put the game away. After three close wins to start the series, Minnesota enjoyed a rare laugher with its largest margin of victory this season.
However, as promising as the four-game sweep was for the Twins, their manager cautioned them to keep things in perspective.
Garver's home run was aided by the process he went through in his first at-bat of the game. With two on and two out in the second inning, Garver fell behind Cobb 0-2 before working the count full. Then he hit a line drive but was robbed by Manny Machado, who made a diving catch at shortstop to end the inning.
The next time around, after Max Kepler drew a leadoff walk, Garver again worked the count full before slamming a fastball high and deep down the left field line, just inside the foul pole, for his fourth home run of the season.
The Twins took command with their eight-run sixth. Dozier led off with a double and Eduardo Escobar followed with a 426-foot home run onto the plaza in right field for his 14th homer of the season.
Minnesota strung together four singles and an error to score three more runs before Dozier capped the inning with a three-run shot to the second deck in left-center off reliever Ryan Meisinger.
Baltimore's Chris Davis homered off reliever Matt Magill with two outs in the ninth for the Orioles' only run. It was a bit of payback for Davis, who was called out on strikes with two on and two out in the first and sixth innings.
Orioles: Showalter said that RHP Chris Tillman, who has been on the DL since May 11 with a strained lower back, is expected to make a minor-league rehab start on Tuesday at Class A Frederick. . Cobb left the game during Minnesota's eight-run sixth with a blister on his right index finger, but he said after that game that he doesn't think it will affect his next start.
Twins: 1B Joe Mauer got the day off. The 35-year-old had started the last six games, and with the Twins not getting a day off until the All-Star break Molitor said he was looking for a good spot to give Mauer a rest.
Orioles: Baltimore hosts the Yankees for a doubleheader on Monday afternoon. The Orioles have not yet named a starter for the opener, while rookie RHP Yefry Ramirez (0-2, 2.51 ERA) will start the second game.
Twins: Minnesota's homestand continues with a three-game series against the Royals, who have the second-worst record in the majors and have lost nine straight. RHP Jose Berrios (8-7, 3.54) will start the opener for the Twins.


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Livby App Seeks Slice of Millennial Mobile Shopping Market
The recently launched app aims to be a marketplace for brands to reach consumers shopping on their phones via live-streaming sales.
By Kari Hamanaka on January 3, 2017
The Livby app trending screen.
Livby wants to be the go-to intermediary between brands and their consumers via its mobile live-streaming app.
The recently launched platform, which counts real estate firm Ferrado Group U.S. chief executive officer Pepe Tena as an investor, has signed on more than 100 brands mostly in the beauty, accessories and fashion space to sell via the app. Those brands include Smashbox, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Wildfox Couture and a collaboration between For Love and Lemons and Gladys Tamez Millinery.
"It's like TV shopping for the Millennial market," said cofounder and chief marketing officer Brian Rubenstein.
What brands make a good fit to sell on Livby is broad, with Rubenstein describing them as Millennial or contemporary brands. These are companies, he said, that are good storytellers and have credibility among their follower base, along with a strong social media presence.
Companies that do sell on the site put in a request to sell to the app and then have the power of uploading product, including scheduling items to post at a later date, which would allow brands to pre-plan the launch of exclusives or limited-edition items to consumers.
"We really see this as another distribution channel," Rubenstein said. "The demographic for this platform is anyone that likes to obviously shop for fashion and beauty, so it's a very wide range. I wouldn't compare us to a shopping network because that's more of a 40-plus [audience]. We are focused on the Millennial demographic or anyone that's on their cell phone….We think they're going to enjoy these live sales."
Fulfillment is handled by the brands, which also retain all buyer information. Companies are paid within one to two days after a Livby sale ends. Brands looking to test the app are offered their first three sales for free and then Livby takes 10 percent of each sale thereafter.
Executives at Livby, which is based out of Los Angeles and counts about 10 workers, see eventual category expansion for the app into segments such as home.
Up next for the app is international shipping as well as additional functionality including the ability for brands to pull in a caller — perhaps a designer — during their live-stream sale who would have the ability to answer viewer questions. Livby emojis are also in the works, which "obviously the Millennial market is going to eat it up," Rubenstein said.
The company expects to have a presence at the upcoming Project trade show in Las Vegas in February. It's also looking into possibly having private live sales that would facilitate business between brands and retailers who are unable to be at the trade show in person.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Here is the answer to the world's problems today—"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God" and "Thou shalt love thy fellowman." That teaching is not out of date; it is absolutely relevant today. It is the only way in which the problems of the world today can be solved, whether the problems are those of individuals or of nations. If we love God with all our heart, we will have capacity to love our neighbors. True love will find an outlet in service—not merely in singing hymns, attending church, or even in praying—but in trying our utmost to prove our love, by obeying the will of our heavenly Father.
Prayer for the day: True love demands everything I have. Take all the hidden things in my life that keep me from loving You and my neighbor as I should. Let me obey Your will unequivocally, dear Lord.


Today, the drawing sort of took over the paper and went off the edge. It is getting colder, the way I remember it being when I was a kid, so maybe cabin fever is setting in. Actually that doesn't make sense because all I really want to do is keep making my rug in my nice cozy basement studio.
It started with doodles that I hoped would look a bit like quilts made of pen hashes, and then slowly became more organic, with the kite you see here as the result.
Phew! Posting in just under the wire. Lots to do today, and it feels good to be busy! New crochet-ed rag project on hand, though not a rug!
Another piece-work inspired piece. More Vernal, perhaps wishful thinking on my part. I do wish it were a tad warmer!
In this piece I wanted to evoke hopefulness and ascendency. The triangles go upwards and to the right, as if lofted on the wind. Watching kites always gives me hope, and for some reason this morning optimisim has awakened in me.
Having lived in warm(er) climates the past several years, it surprises me how quickly my body has adjusted to weather always being below freezing. I haven't forgotten how to drive in snow, nor am I surprised when the coldest days are bright and sunny.
The feeling of seasonal change is something that I've missed. Having a sense of what happens when and how long the hardships of cold winter will last before the new spring sprouts helps me keep track of time. It also reminds me more concretely of cycles in my own life. That time to lay fallow is healthy, a part of renewal: that soon, despite my fears to the contrary, the feeling of stasis while I re-align and set things in motion anew is coming to fruition.


text:
Q: How to create a new column in a CSV file using existing data and then use it as a key to to print a sorted list For an assignment I need to produce a list of bets in date order from a CSV file. The file is as below (sample):
Aintree, Red Rum,2017,5,12,11.58, won
Aintree, Hurricane Fly,2017,5,12,11.58, won
Aintree, Murder,2017,5,12,5, lost
Ayr, Corbiere,2016,11,3,25, lost

I would like to create a new column for each row combining [2],[3],[4] in format '%d-%b-%y' within the CSV. I then need to use this new column as the key to produce a list of bets [5] in date order.
I have this code below, being new to python I have not had much success and not sure where it is going wrong. It produces this error when run:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "date_bet.py", line 25, in <module>
    get_date()
  File "date_bet.py", line 10, in get_date
    data = list(csv.reader(csvFile))
io.UnsupportedOperation: not readable

Code:
import csv
from datetime import datetime

def get_date():
    with open('results.csv', 'a') as csvFile:
        writer = csv.writer(csvFile)
        reader = csv.reader(csvFile)

        all = []
        data = list(csv.reader(csvFile))
        row = next(csvFile)
        row.append([7])
        all.append(row)

    for row in data:
        row.append((data[4],data[3],data[2]), '%d-%b-%y')
        all.append(row)

    writer.writerows(all)

    date = datetime.date(row[7], '%x')
    print(row[5], key = date)

get_date()

A: Maybe you should consider using pandas to achieve what you want.

I would like to create a new column for each row combining 2,3,[4] in format '%d-%b-%y'

import pandas as pd
df = pd.read_csv(<your_file_name>, header=None)

Add the column using pd.to_datetime function:
df['date'] = pd.to_datetime(dict(year=df[2], month=df[3], day=df[4]), format='%d-%b-%y')
df

    0           1                2      3   4   5       6           date
0   Aintree     Red Rum         2017    5   12  11.58   won     2017-05-12
1   Aintree     Hurricane Fly   2017    5   12  11.58   won     2017-05-12
2   Aintree     Murder          2017    5   12  5.00    lost    2017-05-12
3   Ayr         Corbiere        2016    11  3   25.00   lost    2016-11-03

I then need to use this new column as the key to produce a list of bets [5] in date order.

df.sort_values('date', inplace=True)
print(df[[5, 'date']].reset_index(drop=True)) # reset index so that you don't see the mixedup index.

       5       date
0  25.00 2016-11-03
1  11.58 2017-05-12
2  11.58 2017-05-12
3   5.00 2017-05-12

You can save this to a csv using df.to_csv() method.

A: Using pandas. Adding new column named 'date' and sorting the data by the new column.
import pandas as pd

df = pd.read_csv('55611308.csv', sep=',', names=['name0', 'name1', 'y', 'm', 'd', 'h', 'result'], header=None)
df['date'] = df['y'].astype(str).str.cat(df['m'].astype(str), sep='-').str.cat(df['d'].astype(str), sep='-')
df.sort_values('date',inplace=True)

print(df)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: In Postgresql memory space for some table unreal big I use PostgreSQL 11.8. and after som time on test server I faced with strange behaviour. Simple query executed very slow ~ 1 minute. In locally with the simmilar data in row, becuase it was fill by the same algorithm, I faced with absolulty different result. Maybe because in test server once a day execute up script which update each row but.. count rows not growed, only updated data.
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM products
53 **second**
293617 rows

SELECT COUNT(*) FROM products
sepnt 0.5 second
and 282796 rows

after check memory space
WITH RECURSIVE pg_inherit(inhrelid, inhparent) AS
    (select inhrelid, inhparent
    FROM pg_inherits
    UNION
    SELECT child.inhrelid, parent.inhparent
    FROM pg_inherit child, pg_inherits parent
    WHERE child.inhparent = parent.inhrelid),
pg_inherit_short AS (SELECT * FROM pg_inherit WHERE inhparent NOT IN (SELECT inhrelid FROM pg_inherit))
SELECT table_schema
    , TABLE_NAME
    , row_estimate
    , pg_size_pretty(total_bytes) AS total
    , pg_size_pretty(index_bytes) AS INDEX
    , pg_size_pretty(toast_bytes) AS toast
    , pg_size_pretty(table_bytes) AS TABLE
  FROM (
    SELECT *, total_bytes-index_bytes-COALESCE(toast_bytes,0) AS table_bytes
    FROM (
         SELECT c.oid
              , nspname AS table_schema
              , relname AS TABLE_NAME
              , SUM(c.reltuples) OVER (partition BY parent) AS row_estimate
              , SUM(pg_total_relation_size(c.oid)) OVER (partition BY parent) AS total_bytes
              , SUM(pg_indexes_size(c.oid)) OVER (partition BY parent) AS index_bytes
              , SUM(pg_total_relation_size(reltoastrelid)) OVER (partition BY parent) AS toast_bytes
              , parent
          FROM (
                SELECT pg_class.oid
                    , reltuples
                    , relname
                    , relnamespace
                    , pg_class.reltoastrelid
                    , COALESCE(inhparent, pg_class.oid) parent
                FROM pg_class
                    LEFT JOIN pg_inherit_short ON inhrelid = oid
                WHERE relkind IN ('r', 'p')
             ) c
             LEFT JOIN pg_namespace n ON n.oid = c.relnamespace
  ) a
  WHERE oid = parent
) a
ORDER BY total_bytes DESC;

and faced with strage result on TABLE
locally
public  products    282871  1902 MB 832 MB  96 MB   974 MB

and on the test server
public  products    293771  16 GB   4979 MB 1090 MB 10 GB

why on test server 10GB how it's possible ?
For table products applied trigger
CREATE FUNCTION products_ts_trigger() RETURNS trigger AS $$
begin
  new.common_fts :=
     setweight(to_tsvector('pg_catalog.swedish', coalesce(new.name,'')), 'A') ||
     setweight(to_tsvector('pg_catalog.swedish', coalesce(new.description,'')), 'B') ||
         setweight(to_tsvector('pg_catalog.swedish', coalesce(new.price::text,'')), 'C') ||
         setweight(to_tsvector('pg_catalog.swedish', coalesce(new.brand,'')), 'D');
  return new;
end
$$ LANGUAGE plpgsql

CREATE TRIGGER tsvectorupdate BEFORE INSERT OR UPDATE
    ON products FOR EACH ROW EXECUTE FUNCTION products_ts_trigger();

but I tested it, common_fts not contain some duplictaed data.
I use alpine image with set shm_size and for db set work_mem, max_parallel_workers_per_gather, max_connections
   postgres:
        image: postgres:11-alpine
        command: postgres -c work_mem=5GB -c max_parallel_workers_per_gather=6 -c max_connections=400
        shm_size: 8g
        ports:
            - '5432:5432'
        container_name: 'postgresql_alpine'
        working_dir: /app
        restart: always
        environment:
            POSTGRES_DB: minimoj
            POSTGRES_USER: minimoj
            POSTGRES_PASSWORD: V9CNFPmymvQkCXvT
            LC_COLLATE: 'sv_SE.UTF-8'
            LC_CTYPE: 'sv_SE.UTF-8'
        volumes:
            - ./data/postgresql-dev:/var/lib/postgresql/data
            - ./pg/thesaurus_my_swedish.ths:/usr/local/share/postgresql/tsearch_data/thesaurus_my_swedish.ths
        networks:
            - php

maybe big work_mem did some effect for space and regarding this effect for speed query ...
But after I removed all images from server my disc space increase by Total reclaimed space: 6.023GB.
docker system prune -a --volumes

untagged: alpine:3.10
untagged: alpine@sha256:f0e9534a598e501320957059cb2a23774b4d4072e37c7b2cf7e95b241f019e35
untagged: postgres:11-alpine
untagged: postgres@sha256:fed26d3b33ed6c29437d1afaf483a60bf39c10f878e7ae5662436862e743e3b0
deleted: sha256:a7f73db0b9776fd8742765423f14c7d742440b0012dda2ad869cb8012e668dda
deleted: sha256:d1bdf897cb1b27f4767dee2c8a108128abe41320ccaa433ce7ed889ac29147a5
deleted: sha256:d64b58d01fcc17edb4f7b8f127f7b5caf4712b4dc69bb804bc8921388b2dc16e
deleted: sha256:f1b1ea2f2b9af94d56fa68104c40fac0348ed469838f5960fe7a5f4f8f50705a
deleted: sha256:4e0cd18892610356540afe6100b05d29b7ef8e387d311eff855e90d19742c387
deleted: sha256:39e10d4cad6705650333181aa15eee004b2d9fe9f0ee1676b01e8b60c97d4212
deleted: sha256:a5f1a1b618e561d7c5aae37552d14ea09d2d9886e59aefe50a6ef9e363c4e0b1
deleted: sha256:1546a64abdb698edf6075fc8f49d0fd9a87f4664ee11ef034c878234e39d1c08
deleted: sha256:496ffdcbe16b07bf705464ea386906752a410d72a417e292c6d2f148918e7bf6
....
deleted other images
....
Total reclaimed space: 3.774GB

Main question why after 7 days data base table increase to 10GB and query was very slow, simple count spent 53 seconds, with the same rows in table ?
How it's possible  pg_size_pretty(table_bytes) AS TABLE spent 10GB, but after removed all images freed 6GB?
And another strange behaviour, RAM on test server evrytime full more 50%, from 15 GB always full 13GB..
UPDATE
After I removed and rebuild all images and again executed parsing script I faced with this data on test server
query about space retunr result
                                    index  | toeast|table
public  products    267435  1165 MB 527 MB  61 MB   578 MB

and expected time spetn  for count
SELECT COUNT(*) FROM products
278396
0.3second

Based on this, the conclusion suggests itself that some data duplicated and db table product memory increase and this is not common_fts column with type tsvector


text:
**GeoRate** is a community driven geo-ressource commenting platform with a vast scalabilty for different geo-data-formats. It´s completely written in JavaScript and relies on the MEAN-Stack. The whole system is very easy to set-up because of the use of Vagrant.

The Project is part of the course "Geoinformatic 2" at the Westfalian Wilhelms-University of Münster (Germany) and was developed by B.Sc. students.

The developer-group (Group-5) consits of the following members:

- Marc Dragunski
- Jan van Zadelhoff
- Boris Stöcker
- Fabian Weber
- Daniel Ummelmann

## Live-Demo ##

If you want to see a live-test you can visit this demo-server (only available inside the university-network or vpn) -> http://giv-geosoft2e.uni-muenster.de/

## Installation ##

For instructions how to install **GeoRate**, please look at the GeoRate-Wiki.

## API ##

If you want to program applications, which use GeoRate, you can use our JSON-REST-API. Informations about the API can be found at the GeoRate-Wiki.

## Licence ##

The MIT License (MIT)

Copyright (c) 2015 Group-5

Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to deal
in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the rights
to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:

The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
all copies or substantial portions of the Software.

THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM,
OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS IN
THE SOFTWARE.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Home » All » Apple orders Dr. Brain series from filmmaker Kim Jee-Woon and starring Lee Sun-Kyun
Apple orders Dr. Brain series from filmmaker Kim Jee-Woon and starring Lee Sun-Kyun
Posted by Phil on Mar 4, 2021 in All, drama, News, sci-fi, thriller, TV | 0 comments
Apple TV+ announced an expansion of its sweeping international slate with a series order for Dr. Brain, a new sci-fi thriller based on the widely popular Korean webtoon that will be written and directed by visionary filmmaker Kim Jee-Woon ("A Tale of Two Sisters," "I Saw the Devil"), and star SAG Award-winner Lee Sun-Kyun ("Parasite"). The series marks the first Korean-language project for Apple TV+.
Now in production in South Korea and set to debut later this year, "Dr. Brain" is an emotional journey that follows a brain scientist who is obsessive about figuring out new technologies to access the consciousness and memories of the brain. His life goes sideways when his family falls victim to a mysterious accident, and he uses his skills to access memories from his wife's brain to piece together the mystery of what actually happened to his family and why.
"Dr. Brain" is produced for Apple TV+ by Korea-based studio, Bound Entertainment, along with Kakao Entertainment, Studioplex and Dark Circle Pictures. Kim Jee-Woon serves as executive producer alongside Samuel Yeunju Ha, executive producer of Kim Jee-Woon's "Illang: The Wolf Brigade" and Bong Joon-Ho's "Okja." Ham Jung Yeub and Daniel Han executive produce for Studioplex, and Joy Jinsoo Lee and Min Young Hong serve as executive producers for Kakao Entertainment.
The series will join a growing slate of Apple Original international dramas hailing from global award-winning storytellers, including highly anticipated series "Pachinko," the Korean, Japanese and English-language drama series based on the acclaimed novel, and written and executive produced by Soo Hugh; "Masters of the Air," a new limited drama series from Apple Studios and executive produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television, and Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman's Playtone; "Slow Horses," an international espionage thriller starring Academy Award winner Gary Oldman; "Shantaram," based on Gregory David Robert's best-selling novel and starring Charlie Hunnam; "Echo 3," a new action-thriller set entirely between South America and the US, and written by Academy Award-winning producer and writer Mark Boal; "Acapulco," a new Spanish and English language half-hour comedy series starring and executive produced by Eugenio Derbez; "The Essex Serpent" starring Emmy, Golden Globe and SAG Award winner Claire Danes; and, "Suspicion," a high-paced thriller starring Uma Thurman and based on the award-winning Israeli series "False Flag."


I LOVED this week's Sketch Saturday sketch! It was completely perfect for a card I had in mind for my little girl. Now I appreciate at 19 months old she won't appreciate the effort that went in to it, but hopefully in about 16 or so years she might do!
I've used a Sugar Nellie image, the Lacey Circles Nestabilities die, crochet trim and Prima flowers.
I was going to cut her out and stick her on the circle but I would have lost a lot of the detail so I stamped her directly onto the circle which meant only the star on her wand was missing, so I stamped that again onto another piece of card then decoupaged it onto the circle.
This cluster of flowers was quite tricky. I firstly stuck on the very large poinsettia (which can barely be seen now!) and the punched snowflakes, and then the Prima flowers but there was too much of a size difference so I took them all off again and added the crocheted flowers, then the Prima flowers, then the crochet bow and finally the pins. I swore quite a lot during this process as they all kept moving and wouldn't stay where I wanted them! I got there eventually though and am really pleased with the result!
Finally I had to fit in a sentiment somehow so I printed one on my PC and stuck it to the bottom right corner of the card - it's now on the sketch but my excuse is 'artistic license' and I'm sticking to it!
This week's Sketch Saturday sketch is sponsored by Simon Says Stamp and there is a prize on offer so make sure you head on over and join in!
I love this Niki! It's gorgeous! And your little girl will love it! It'll be interesting to see how card trends will change over the next 16 years lol!


The Toro Power Shovel is a snow removal device, but it's quite unlike regular Toro snow blowers, like the Toro CCR 2450 GTS snow blower or the Toro 1800 Snow Blower. This is a much smaller snow thrower, but it's also a lot more mobile too. Firstly you need to get to grips with the fact that it doesn't remove that much snow compared to regular snow blowers. It removes a reasonable amount for it's size as it can get rid of 136 kg (300 lbs) per minute. This is actually pretty good, considering it's hand held and has a clearing width of just 0.3 m (12 inches). It's cutting depth is also quite heavily reduced compared to other models, the Toro Power Shovel can only cut into a depth of 0.15 m (6 inches) of snow, whereas other Toro snow throwers can deal with a lot deeper depth.
So the Toro Power Shovel is a very small piece of equipment, but it's exactly the type of snow removal device that you might want around hard to reach pathways and patios, instead of big clunky snow blowers. You don't need petrol for the Toro Power Shovel either. It runs on electricity through it's 7.5 amp motor. This means that it starts instantaneously and you don't have to worry about getting the oil mix right.
The motor powers a single 2 blade rotor that gives the entire machine the very low weight of 5.9 kg (13 lbs) which will prevent your arms from tiring if you are using it over long periods of time. You'll also be pleased to know that Toro stand proudly behind their Toro Power Shovel's quality by offering a 2 year warranty on it. The great added bonus of the Power Shovel is that you can change the rotor and use a broom instead, so that when the snow has melted you can use it as an electronic sweeper and broom around the garden. Click here to buy the Toro Power Shovel.


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When impurities in metals are found in higher concentrations in some areas and in lower concentrations in other areas, the difference in electrical potential between the metal atoms and the atoms of the impurities would promote oxidation whenever an electrolyte (salt bridge) is present on the surface of the metal, forming tiny voltaic cells on the surface. These cells can work in series and accelerate the oxidation process even more. If the impurities could be distributed perfectly evenly in the metals, the uniform distribution would minimize the collective effect (voltaic cells working in series) and thereby minimize the rate of oxidation. Because of considerable improvements in the production methods of metals, modern metals (particularly since WWII) are much more homogenous (the impurities are more evenly distributed in the metals) and have fewer impurities. Modern metals will oxidize less quickly than metals made by older production methods. The differences can be seen in antique and modern clocks.
Production methods in antique clocks frequently including pounding, beating, and hammering of the brass to the desired shape and thickness, resulting in hardening of the brass and in stresses. The stresses tend to cause stress cracking in the metal on a microscopic level at the points of highest stress and of greatest weakness in the metal structure. Very serious stress cracking in poorly fabricated metal can sometimes be visible to the eye. The microscopic stress cracking is revealed when the oxide layer is removed. Note that the use of ammonia or even of acid for a few minutes to remove the oxide layer does not cause stress cracking. The use of these chemicals merely reveals pre-existing defects in the metals. Since the amount of metal removed is very small indeed (in brass, perhaps one tenth of one percent), the harm done by the removal is insignificant. A purist, however, would not want to do this to a valuable antique timepiece!
A modern manufacturing technique used to evenly distribute the stresses in brass clock plates can be seen on many Hermle clocks, which have a pattern stamped onto the plates. Brass obtained from large rolls of sheet metal has a tendency to return to its curved shape, giving the plates a tendency to warp: the pattern that is stamped onto the plates stretches the brass and removes the tendency to warp so that the plates remain flat. Combine this technique with modern methods of manufacturing brass, resulting in much lower levels of impurities that are much more evenly distributed throughout the metal, and the end result is a product of extremely consistent quality that the manufacturer can control very precisely.
Tempered steel that has an unequal distribution of temper (in other words, that was not tempered evenly) and that has an uneven distribution of impurities is similarly vulnerable to stress cracking, which is usually what causes mainsprings to break.
A much more serious form of stress cracking could occur if the brass were exposed to an oxidizing agent or an acidic environment with the presence of ammonia or ammonium salts, because they form complex ions with zinc and copper, namely tetraaminezinc [Zn(NH3)4]++ and tetraaminecopper [Cu(NH3)4(H2O)2]++ ions (which gives the acqueous solution a blue colour).
The protective layers of zinc and copper oxides, which protect the metal underneath because they are insoluble in water, become soluble with the formation of the complex ions and are removed from the surface of the metal, exposing fresh metal to be oxidized. The oxidation continues unimpeded until the metal dissolves. If a stress is applied to the brass (such as hanging a weight from a brass hook), the brass will crack at the points of greatest stress when enough metal is oxidized to cause the lattice structure of the metal to fail. For example, if you hang a lamp from a brass hook in a barn (where there is plenty of moist air, carbon dioxide and ammonia produced by the animals), the moist air results in the formation of a layer of electrolyte (weak carbonic acid from carbon dioxide dissolved in water) and the right conditions are created for corrosion to take place, unimpeded by any protective layers of insoluble oxides or hydroxides as the ammonia makes the metal ions soluble. The warmth that rises from the lamp below accelerates the corrosion, the hook cracks and breaks, allowing the lamp to fall. The cracking that takes place here is called "Stress Corrosion Cracking" because this cracking is a direct result of corrosion. This cracking takes place when a stress is applied, but not if a stress is not applied: the brass hook will not crack if the lamp is not hanging from it! The brass hook will corrode, though.
Note, however, that the clock cleaning solution does not have any acidity (hydrogen ions in solution) nor any oxidizing agents because the solution is alkaline and ammonium hydroxide is a reducing agent. Since metals do not oxidize in alkaline solutions, the ammonia present does not dissolve the metal atoms underneath the layer of metal ions that form the metal oxides. The layer of oxide is removed and bare metal is exposed, but no corrosion takes place in the solution. No corrosion takes place until the metal is removed from the solution and exposed to air. There are no applied stresses either (unless you submerge the entire clock movement with the mainsprings wound up: anyone who does this should promptly depart from this profession anyway) since the clock should be disassembled prior to cleaning. The necessary conditions are not met when the brass is submerged in ammoniated clock cleaning solution for stress corrosion cracking to take place, so stress corrosion cracking does not happen here. In the equations above, the zinc and copper oxides become tetraaminezinc acetate and tetraaminecopper acetate.
Commercially-prepared ammoniated solutions for cleaning clocks are more sophisticated. The traditional formula includes ammonium hydroxide solution, oleic acid and acetone. The acetone is a powerful organic solvent that is also soluble in water because the oxygen atom is polarized and forms a weak bond with the hydrogen atoms of water molecules. As an organic solvent, acetone aids in the removal of dirt and old oils from the clock parts and in dissolving the oleic acid. The oleic acid is made from maize (corn) and is basically an alkene with a long carbon chain and a carboxylic acid group at one end.
The oleic acid therefore has two functions: to remove the oxide layer from the metals and to act as a soap to remove the dirt and oils. The cleaning solution has about 90% ammonia solution with about 5% oleic acid and 5% acetone added, thereby leaving plenty of excess ammonia molecules to keep the solution alkaline.
The latest ammoniated cleaning solutions take advantage of detergent technologies. The oleic acid is replaced with detergents because the detergents are not severely affected by hard waters with calcium and magnesium ions.
I include the following quote verbatim from information Matthew Headrick provided me because his choice of words is excellent: "Ammonia, like alcohol and acetone, is also valuable in cleaning solutions because it is highly volatile, so the residual cleaning solution evaporates much faster off the cleaned surface than water alone would, preventing streaking, further oxidation, and other bad things." Therefore, there should be no fear about any ammonia residue being left behind in cast brass, which is porous, ammonia which you might fear would react with the metals after cleaning.
The reason why household ammonia effectively replaced my ammoniated clock cleaning solution that I recycled (see previous essay) is because the reactions are essentially the same. The oleic acid is replaced by several different kinds of detergents (for a wide variety of grease-cutting applications), referred to on the label as anionic and nonionic surfactants. The oxide layer is similarly removed.
If you wanted to polish the brass plates despite the removal of metal atoms you could buy household ammonia from your supermarket. It contains about 5% aqueous ammonia, a weak alkaline, and very effective surfactants. Do not buy any cleaners that do not list the ingredients on the container. You could add a small amount of acetone (about 5% by volume) from the same business where you buy paints for your house. But please: if you do not understand the chemistry outlined here, buy the cleaning solutions provided by your clock parts suppliers. If you do not know what you are doing, you could easily ruin an antique clock!
My recommendation is to clean the clock parts by hand with an organic solvent, such as tetrachloroethylene, but be careful not to inhale the fumes from the solvent, which will make you ill. Do not remove the protective oxide layer from the brass, but do remove the oxide layer off steel parts. If you prefer not to use organic solvents because of the fumes, use the latest cleaners and degreasers with detergents without ammonia and without acids, but these water-based cleaners require that the clock parts be thoroughly rinsed in water and dried immediately to prevent the formation of new oxides. I dry my clock parts with an air compressor at about sixty pounds per square inch (in the tank) very thoroughly and then in a metal box with four light bulbs (60w.) that warm the clock parts for a couple of hours to evaporate any remaining traces of water.
From a theoretical point of view, it would be possible to clean the oxide layer without removing metals atoms from the surfaces if the clock parts had their oxides reduced by electrolysis. If the part were attached to the cathode and immersed into dilute sodium hydroxide solution and a potential difference of 4.5 volts (which should be enough) of direct current were applied for a couple of minutes, the metal oxides would be reduced to the metals and the oxygen ions would float away into the solution. Prolonged electrolysis would result in the gradual disappearance of the carbon anode. In my opinion, electrolysis is a lot of effort to go to only to save a few hundred metal atoms that protected the metal atoms underneath (which are then exposed to oxidation themselves). However, it is interesting to know that the removal of oxides from brass and steel parts can be achieved without the loss of metals: this should make you think of the Hall-Heroult Process, by which aluminium metal is extracted from its ore.
"Structural and Comparative Inorganic Chemistry" by P.R.S Murray and P.R.Dawson. 2nd reprint, 1980. This was one of my A level Chemistry textbooks from Sedbergh School.
"Chemistry" by Dr. Steven Zumdahl, University of Illinois, third edition, 1993.
"Chemistry made Simple" by Dr. Fred Hess, revised edition, 1984.
Allan Headrick, B.S. (Swarthmore, Physics). Teaches chemistry and physics and Austin High School (Austin, Texas). (Allan is my brother). Allan provided most of the information that formed the basis of this essay.
Dr. Steve Herron, B.S. (Heidelberg College, Ohio), Ph.D. (Iowa State University, Organic Chemistry), of Houston, Texas. Steve is the son of Sue Wysong, a local watchmaker. Steve answered my questions in a one-hour telephone conversation. Steve also provided much-needed help with information about complex ions of copper and zinc.


This was the day where we drove to Wilson's Promontory. We were told that a lot of people skip this when they do the drive from Melbourne towards Sydney but we were glad that we included it in our trip because the place was absolutely gorgeous!
We started out with stroll around the board walks surrounding the grounds and central campsites. There were a lot of Rosella birds in the trees which were beautiful.
We then took on a recommendation from the offices at Wilsons Prom and made our way to Squeaky Beach for a little wander. I was surprised to find that the beach is true to its name as the sand squeaks beneath your feet as you walk on it! Naturally, this provided us with a few good minutes of entertainment as we stamped across the sand. Besides the musical entertainment, the beach is beautiful; the sand is white and there are three huge orange rock domes just in front of the sea.
The park is huge and there are a number of different trails that you can walk including various mountain and beach walks. The views in the places that we chose were spectacular!
We spent some more time walking and taking in the views before heading back to our van. In our absence, our van had found a twin. We had a good laugh when we saw it as we hadn't thought that they were that common. Wilsons Prom is quite expensive to camp over night in (around $90 Aus) so if you are looking to visit this area on a budget, I can recommend Toora Tourist Park which is located around 30 minutes away. They have kitchens, a heated pool and all the facilities needed for a very reasonable price.
If you'd like to read a little more about Wilsons Promontory then click here.


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Fan Film Friday – An interview with the "Where's Waldo of Trek fan films" VANCE MAJOR
By Jonathan Lane August 18, 2017 Fan Films
Since he first made his debut as Chief Engineer Minard on the initial episode "Legacy" of the fan series STARSHIP VALIANT back in 12014, VANCE MAJOR has been involved with no less than FIFTEEN different Star Trek fan films and series…in positions both behind and in front of the camera. That's why I like to call Vance the "Where's Waldo of Star Trek fan films!"
Here's a complete list of the films he's either produced, written, directed, or appeared in (or any combination of the above)…in addition to "Legacy":
Starship Valiant – "The Ties That Bind"
"Pen Pals" and "Pen Pals 2"
Melburne – "Storm Front, Part 1"
V'Ger for Women
Melbourne – "First Duty"
V'Ger for Men
Dark Glimmer
Dreadnought Dominion/Starship Valiant crossovers:
"Chain of Command" and "Command and Conquer"
and he worked for a short time on
Starship Republic – "Serpent of Yesterday"
Vance's latest release is, I think, one of his best yet: the 7-minute Minard. The episode provides a series of scattered glimpses into the professional and personal life of Vance's engineering character as Minard advances through Starfleet. There's laughter, excitement, tears, and tragedy…all in just 7 minutes. It's worth checking out before you listen to our audio interview with Vance…
I already did a 2-part print interview with Vance back in April, and I invite you to read it, as well. But I'm following that up with a new AUDIO interview that was only completed just a few short weeks ago. In the brief time since we chatted, the prolific Mr. Major has released not just one but TWO more completed Trek fan films that were still in post production when we spoke: Minard and "Command and Conquer." (This fella is quick!)
Vance is a great guy and really interesting to listen to, but what makes this interview really compelling is that his fan films are so cheaply done…and he doesn't mind that! Many in the fan film community lament the passing of the high-budget mega-projects like Star Trek Continues, New Voyages, Renegades, and Axanar. Barely two years ago, the future of Trek fan films seemed to hold such promise…
And it still does! That's what this interview is all about. Sure, we might not see the hundred-thousand and million-dollar Trek fan films any longer, but the genre is far from dead! Guys like Vance Major are keeping the dream alive and prospering, and he's about to tell you how and why…


Enjoy one of the best inflatable SUPs on the market – Red Paddle Co have got inflatable Stand Up Paddleboarding dialed – featuring the most rigid and durable boards available. The Ride 10'8 is the all-rounder and most popular for heavier paddlers, especially if you've got kids & dogs keen to jump on too!. Pack it away, or keep it inflated, the perfect SUP to travel with.


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Classes for managing Active Directory LDAP via PHP.
The goal is to provide a simple framework which supports
form-based webapplications to manage Active Directory.

## Requirements

* PHP 7


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My Chemical Romance Announces First Tour in Nine Years
The tour follows the band's return to the stage after their reunion show in Los Angeles
After performing a sold-out show at the landmark Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles on December 20, 2019, My Chemical Romance has announced a full U.S. tour beginning on September 9th in Detroit, MI and finishing on October 11th in Las Vegas, NV. The uncompromising rock group previously announced multiple overseas performances for March, including shows in Milton Keynes, England - two of which sold out (65,000 tickets) in under an hour. Their U.S.-based fans, dubbed Killjoys, have been left anxiously waiting - wait no more….
Formed in Newark, NJ, My Chemical Romance made its debut in 2002 with the independently released album I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. The band signed to Reprise Records the following year and made its major label debut with 2004's Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, now 3x certified Platinum. The album contained the Platinum hit "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)," the Gold-certified "Helena," and "The Ghost of You." Rolling Stone hailed their third studio album, The Black Parade (3x Platinum) as one of the top albums of 2006. Lead single "Welcome to the Black Parade" topped both Billboard's Alternative Songs chart and the UK's Official Singles chart and is now 3x Platinum. The band toured extensively behind the album – appearing as characters from The Black Parade – and released the live album The Black Parade is Dead! in 2008. Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys was released in 2010 and topped Billboard's Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums charts. It was followed by a series of singles which as a whole made up the Conventional Weapons release in 2013. My Chemical Romance's songs continue to rack up half a billion global streams each year.
Tickets will go live Friday, January 31 at 12 PM local time – get them HERE.
TOUR DATES HERE:
Sep 9 - Detroit, MI - Little Caesars Arena
Sep 11 - St Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
Sep 12 - Chicago, IL – RIOT FEST
Sep 14 - Toronto, ON - Scotiabank Arena
Sep 15 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
Sep 17 - Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
Sep 18 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
Sep 20 - Atlanta, GA – MUSIC MIDTOWN – PIEDMONT PARK
Sep 22 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
Sep 26 - Sunrise, FL - BB&T Center
Sep 29 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
Sep 30 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Oct 2 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Oct 4 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Dome
Oct 6 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Arena
Oct 8 - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum
Oct 10 - Sacramento, CA - AFTERSHOCK
Oct 11 - Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena
For ALL My Chemical Romance tour dates, click HERE.


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Most of the female writers you know have experienced sexual harassment By Caroline Christie
Most of the female writers you know have experienced sexual harassment
©Larry Towell/Magnum Photos.
Caroline Christie
A survey conducted by Writer's Guild of America West says that sixty-four percent of female writers have experienced sexual harassment at least once in their careers.
Sixty-four percent of female writers have experienced sexual harassment at least once in their careers—nearly six times the number of their male counterparts, with many more men say they've witnessed inappropriate behavior in the workplace.
The figures come out of a survey conducted by the Writer's Guild of America West, that also revealed "a significant amount" of harassing behavior actually occurred in writers' rooms. The stats sent to union members in an open letter from the Guild's directors, acknowledges the scale of the problem faced by female writers: "The reality is that this problem is too difficult, too long-standing, and too deeply rooted to yield a quick fix."
Writer's should be free to talk as openly as possible, but occasionally it becomes a thinly veiled attempt to make others uncomfortable. Going on to reference a unanimous decision by the California Supreme Court in 2006, where seven justices ruled in favor of Warner Bros. Television Productions' writer's anything-goes policy, the WGAW board said the ruling is sometimes "mistakenly used to justify inappropriate behavior in the workplace."
Women in writing rooms help to thrash out plotlines, point out plotholes and flesh out the nuances of character. Exclusively male writing rooms produce films that are more likely to fail the Bechdel test; where a movie has two women talking to each other about something other than a man.
Despite the likes of Ocean's 8 and the revamped Ghost Busters, representation of women in films hasn't been as forward thinking as we all think. According to USC Annenberg School of Journalism's latest annual report examining diversity in the top 900 films of the year, only 13% of writers were women. No wonder the number of female speaking characters has barely changed in the past decade.
#MeTooSexual HarrassmentSocietyWriter's Guild of America West
Barrio Chino: meet the Chinese-Cubans fighting to keep their culture alive
Road-tripping with model and photographer Julia Campbell-Gillies
Meet 5 emerging photographers confronting race, gender, and identity


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Club of the month: Kooringal Golf Club
By Richard Fellner on March 12, 2018
A quick 20 minutes from the Melbourne CBD, Kooringal Golf Club is a picturesque and challenging members club, and a perfect candidate for this month's Club of the Month.
While it may be relatively unknown by many golfers, Kooringal Golf Club has a long and cherished history. Originally established as the "Williamstown Golf Club" in 1947, Kooringal Golf Club celebrated its monumental 70th anniversary last year. Noted Australian touring professionals Richard Green and Todd Sinnott got their start at Kooringal, having played at the club as juniors. It is also home to one of Australia's best ever amateurs, Kevin Hartley, a long-time member at Kooringal who is a 9-times Riversdale Cup winner.
The word "Kooringal" an indigenous/aboriginal term for "by the water"; this is fitting given that the club is a mere 100m from the coastline in Altona (south west of Melbourne). Though, despite being near the coast, Kooringal isn't your typical seaside-links-style layout; on the contrary, it is a tranquil, parkland-style course built on a quality sand base. The large, sandy base makes it an ideal location for a golf course, and when combined with the superb efforts of superintendent Tay Wilson (formerly of Victoria Golf Club) and his team, the end result is an enjoyable and challenging round of golf on a beautifully-conditioned playing surface.
Kooringal Golf Club is a great-quality, fun, members' course. The tree-lined fairways aren't overly wide, and the holes themselves aren't extremely long (the course measures under 6000m), but strategic placement is important on the course, as any wayward shots can lead to trouble, either via the many trees or hazards.
The front nine at Kooringal is your best chance to get ahead of the game – to "make hay while the sun shines"—so take advantage of every opportunity the course presents. The back-nine gets progressively harder, so be sure to bring your A-Game once you make the turn. The run home is particularly challenging: the 15th hole features a tricky, back-to-front sloping green that will punish any approach shot that isn't on target; the 16th is a long (178m) par-3 to well-protected and small green; the 17th presents a medium par-4 guarded ominously by water all along the right, while the 18th offers you a challenging 533m par-5 finish to your round.
The club also operates a half way house which is open for major Comp days – perfect for that refresher as you ready yourself for the back-nine.
During our visit, we were extremely impressed with Kooringal. The greens ran true and quick, with the overall presentation of the course "immaculate". This is a true testament to Superintendent Wilson, who has been at Kooringal since 2016 and keeps the course in fantastic condition. (on an interesting side note, he will be heading to Augusta this year to work on the tournament ground staff for the US Masters.)
Before or after your round, Kooringal has a wonderful Bistro open 7 nights a week (pre bookings are required to get a table – a sign of how busy and popular it is.) The club also offers a large bar for members with a terrace/al-fresco area which overlooks the 18th green. There are also 60 Pokies to keep you busy after your round.
The club is also proud to unveil their recently-finished Clubhouse extension project. The new extension opened in January this year with a new Pro shop space, and three new golf simulators. The simulators are operating as KGC Indoor Golf & Training Centre, and they are a fantastic addition to the club, offering a wide variety of options for golfers of all levels. The simulators can be utilised as a warm-up area prior to your round (simply book for a 15-minute session via the golf centre), a full practise session (book by the half-hour, and even record your shots and data for future reference and improvement), or even a full-blown round of virtual golf (play either 9 or 18 holes at over 40 golf courses in the system—from Pebble Beach, to Royal Melbourne or even Bethpage Black.)
The simulators are also a fantastic option for beginner or social golfers, with the whole system seen as a potential progression for these golfers to eventually progress to the golf course and become club members. The simulators are open until 9pm each night, but will stay open according to demand.
But the improvements don't stop there. The club has plans for a new irrigation and reticulation system, which is designed to water only the fairways (and avoid the rough). The new system has been tested on the 18th hole to amazing results, with the quality of the fairway improving significantly. The club now plans to roll out the system over the 18 holes over next few years.
Kooringal Golf Club was awarded the Community Club' Victoria Award in 2015 and 2016 for "Best Golf Club", which goes to show the quality of the facility and its membership. Kooringal is a private golf club for members and guests (Golf West members can play on non Comp days). The club also features an active community and membership club with great camaraderie. Over 200 members play most Thursdays and Saturdays.
The club features a number of Membership offers, including a junior membership category, 9-hole membership and even a current summer special.
So if you're looking for a high-quality, picturesque and challenging golf course, then head down to Altona and check out Kooringal Golf Club. You'll be glad that you did.
Kooringal Golf Club
Wilga Avenue, Altona, Vic 3018
office@kooringalgolf.com.au
For Function and Event enquiries, contact Jeanette Williams on functions@kooringalgolf.com.au
Club of the Month: Pennant Hills


KEYNOTE: What Makes a Captivating Story?
Stories have been around as long as humans have walked the earth. We use stories to share, connect, and learn. While the technologies used to share stories have advanced over time, the core elements of good storytelling remain fairly constant. But what is good storytelling? In this keynote, we will learn about storytelling from Julie Snyder, the guiding force behind some of the most engaging, successful audio broadcasts in history. We'll explore some of the core elements of captivating storytelling through the examples of This American Life, S-Town, and Serial, the most listened-to podcast in the history of the form. You'll discover some of the secrets that made these podcasts so popular, and how you can incorporate some of their approaches into your own storytelling.


The Wiser Academy offers a range of business skills training courses. The courses on offer aim to improve and develop a number of essential business skills and cover areas such as sales, telephone essentials and negotiation. All of the Wiser Academy business skills training courses can be undertaken at the Wiser Academy or in-house or at another location of your choice. All of the courses are delivered by our highly experienced trainers who have over 30 years of combined relevant experience between all of them.


O' lord of dragons, my rightful king, heed my prayer. For though my blood is thin, and I lack thy strength, I beg of thee. Watch over your sinful child, give me the strength to stand against the tide of darkness. Let my soul shine with your brilliant light, and for a time, let my heart be a dragons!


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Гарри Олегович Рокчинский (26 декабря 1923, урочище Алцын-Хута, Кетченеровский улус, Калмыцкая АО — 1993, Элиста, Калмыкия) — заслуженный деятель Калмыцкой АССР, народный художник РСФСР, заслуженный художник РСФСР, лауреат Государственной премии Калмыцкой АССР имени О. Городовикова, член Союза художников РСФСР. Один из основоположников современного изобразительного искусства Калмыкии.

Биография
Родился в урочище Алцын-Хута Кетченеровского улуса, где провёл своё детство. После окончания девятилетней школы поступил в Астраханский речной техникум и позднее в аэроклуб имени Водопьянова. После начала Великой Отечественной войны он был призван в армию и отправлен в военно-авиационную школу имени Серова, которую не закончил. 16 апреля 1944 года после проведения операции «Улусы» Гарри Рокчинский был отозван из армии и сослан в Широклаг. После окончания Великой Отечественной войны ему было предписано поселиться во Фрунзе, куда он прибыл 18 июня 1945 года.

В 1946 году приехал в Новосибирскую область и начал работать художником в Купинском районном Доме культуры. В 1948 году поступил в Алма-Атинское театрально-художественное училище имени Н. В. Гоголя, которое в 1953 году окончил с отличием. В 1961 году возвратился в Калмыкию.

В 1967 году присвоено звание «Заслуженный деятель искусств Калмыцкой АССР». В 1974 году присвоено звание «Заслуженный художник РСФСР».

Творчество
Во время обучения в Алма-Ате Гарри Рокчинский увлекался импрессионизмом. В это время он создаёт картины и этюды об освоении казахстанской целины. В конце 50-х годов Гарри Рокчинский начинает заниматься живописью. После возвращения в Калмыкию в своём творчестве Гарри Рокчинский уделяет внимание калмыцкой истории, создаёт портреты калмыцкого просветителя Зая-Пандиты, Джангарчи Ээлян Овла, калмыцких писателей Антона Амур-Санана, Героя Социалистического труда Лукшанова и общественных деятелей.

Самые известные работы:
 «Рыбаки Калмыкии», 1957 г.;
 «Герой Отечественной войны 1812 года Цо-Манджи», 1963 г.;
 «Культармейка Цаган», 1967 г.;
 «Мать — земля родная», 1963 г. За эту картину Гарри Рокчинский получил в 1970 году Государственную премию Калмыцкой АССР имени О. Городовикова;
 «Бессмертие», 1975 г.

Память
 Именем Гарри Рокчинского названа улица в Элисте.
 Именем Гарри Рокчинского названа детская художественная школа в г.Элиста.

Источник
 Ковалёв И. Г., Гарри Рокчинский, Элиста, Калмыцкое книжное издательство, 1979 г.

Примечания

Ссылки
 Картина «Мать-Земля родная» из фондов Калмыцкого национального музея
 Рокчинский Гарри Олегович. Книга Памяти Жертв Коммунистического Террора
 Наши прославленные земляки

Художники СССР
Художники Калмыкии
Заслуженные деятели искусств Калмыцкой АССР
Народные художники РСФСР
Выпускники Алматинского колледжа декоративно-прикладного искусства


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Семнадцатый фронт () — группировка сухопутных войск японской императорской армии, находившаяся в Корее в конце Второй мировой войны.

История
22 января 1945 года императорской ставкой в Токио было принято решение о переформировании Корейской армии и приказом ставки от 6 февраля 1945 года Корейская армия была официально преобразована в 17-й фронт со штабом в городе Кэйдзё. 26 февраля 1945 года ставка отдала приказ о проведении мероприятий по обеспечению боевой готовности в метрополии, в соответствии с которым на территории Японии и Кореи предусматривалось увеличение численности войск и создание к сентябрю 1945 года новых армейских частей. Первый этап мобилизации начался в конце февраля 1945 года и прошёл успешно (в конце февраля в Корее сформировали две дивизии береговой обороны и две отдельные смешанные бригады; для руководства этими соединениями в ходе второго этапа мобилизации был создан штаб 58-й армии на острове Чеджудо), второй этап мобилизации закончился в начале апреля 1945 года. 23 мая 1945 года начался третий этап мобилизации, в ходе которого были сформированы дивизия береговой обороны и отдельная смешанная бригада.

Как и в войсках обороны Японских островов, части, входившие во фронт, были укомплектованы слабо подготовленными резервистами, молодыми призывниками либо бойцами территориального ополчения, не имевшими нормального оружия и снаряжения.

9 августа 1945 года началось наступление советских войск в Маньчжурии. В это время 17-й фронт имел семь пехотных дивизий и две смешанные бригады, которые были сведены в 58-ю армию. Войска дислоцировались преимущественно на крайнем юге страны и на острове Чеджудо. С 6 утра 10 августа 1945 года 17-й фронт был оперативно подчинен главнокомандующему Квантунской армии. Одновременно в его состав была введена 34-я армия. После этого в составе 17-го фронта стало девять пехотных дивизий и пять пехотных бригад (общая численность войск 17-го фронта составила 150 тыс. человек).

Войска начали переброску на север, но до капитуляции Японии принять участие в боевых действиях (если не считать попыток отражения советских десантов в корейских портах) не успели. После капитуляции Японии находившиеся южнее 38-й параллели части японских войск в Корее были переданы под оперативное управление армии США для поддержания общественного порядка до прибытия достаточного количества союзных войск.

Список командного состава

Командующие

Начальники штаба

Примечания

Вооружённые силы Японии во Второй мировой войне
История Кореи


James M. Nederlander, who, with mercenary guile and an admittedly plebeian aesthetic, presided for nearly half a century over a theater empire that encompassed as many as 10 houses on Broadway and stretched across the country to California and across the Atlantic to London, died on Monday in Southampton, N.Y. He was 94.
His death was confirmed by Nick Scandalios, executive vice president of the Nederlander Organization.
Mr. Nederlander (pronounced NEE-der-lan-der), chairman of the organization, an entertainment company that presented arena concerts as well as theatrical shows, began with the purchase of a single New York theater, the Palace on Broadway, in 1964, and rose to become a legitimate rival to the powerful Shuberts.


Please let us have as much information as you can: Quantity, number of colours in your print, attach your design if you have it to hand. Garment colour and anything else you need to let us know about.
ENQUIRY RECEIVED by Paul or Jim.
We will then contact you via email with your quote. We won't telephone you unless you specifically ask us to. We have a no hassle approach to sales.
Within normally a few hours you will receive your quote. Please be patient if it takes a little longer, sometimes it's all hands to the print machines.
If your quote is all OK for you, we will then email a proof of your design pictured on the garment with all the specifications for your approval.
Once you have approved your final design we will book your order into our workshop. 'This is our own workshop' we don't send our printing to a third party for completion.
Once your proof has been approved and your order booked in, we will email your invoice to you for payment. We have various payment methods you can choose from: BACS / CHEQUE / PAYPAL, the choice is yours.
Our standard order process takes approximately 7 to 14 days from the date of proof confirmation, however if your in a rush, please do ask.
We use two different shipping companies, TNT & UKmail. Shipping costs will be included on your initial quote.
You receive your goods, JOB DONE!


text:
is a Japanese child actress and tarento. She received a certificate for Guinness World Record on behalf of a fashion show organized by T-ARTS Company Ltd, in which 1,274 participants modelled on a catwalk. She has a younger sister Karin, who was born in 2009.

Filmography

Television
  (TBS) (Ep. 3, 3 May 2009)
  (Fuji TV, 19 June 2009)
  (Fuji TV, 2010)
 {{nihongo|Film Factory'''s series Eigo Rhythm|FILM FACTORY 「えいごリズム」}} (TV Tokyo, 3 — 24 March 2010)
  (Fuji TV, 2011)
  (Fuji TV, 2011)
  (Fuji TV, 2011)
 Full Throttle Girl (or Zenkai Girl) (Fuji TV, 2011)
 Ikemen Desu ne (TBS, 2011) (Ep. 1)
 Renai Neet: Wasureta Koi no Hajimekata (TBS, 2012) (Ep. 1)
  (TBS, 2012)
  (TV Asahi, 2012)
  (Kansai TV) (Ep. 10, 10 December 2013)
  (WOWOW, 2015)
 Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day (Fuji TV, 2015) — Menma (child)

FilmJōkyō Monogatari (2013) — Saki

 Anime films Your Name (2016) — Yotsuha MiyamizuLu over the Wall (2017) — LuWeathering with You (2019) — Yotsuha Miyamizu

DubbingThe Peanuts Movie'' (2015) — Lucy van Pelt

Discography

Singles
Tani and Seiran Kobayashi released two music singles as part of the duo .
 "Toshishita no Otokonoko" (August 2012), cover of the 1975 song by the Candies
 "White Love" (December 2012), cover of the 1997 number-one song by Speed

References

External links
 Kanon Tani profile at Theatre Academy
 Kanon Tani profile on the Oricon website

2004 births
Living people
Japanese child actresses
Japanese voice actresses
Japanese television personalities
Actors from Saitama Prefecture


A special radio play has been made about the creation of Classic FM, which will be broadcast during a week of programmes to mark the station's 25th birthday.
Starring impressionist Jon Culshaw as Classic FM co-founder and launch Programme Director Michael Bukht, the music-based play has been commissioned to air during celebrations to look back at the station's early days in 1992.
"The Pazza Factor: the story of the birth of Classic FM" will go out on Tuesday 5th September 8-10pm. It's been directed by BBC Radio comedy legend Bill Dare, who is the producer of Dead Ringers, The Now Show and many other successful programmes. The play has been written by Sean Grundy and Cara Jennings. As well as Jon Culshaw, it stars Duncan Wisbey as Ralph Bernard and Kate O'Sullivan as Margaret Thatcher.
Elsewhere in the schedule during the first week of September, Classic FM will be broadcasting live from Dumfries House in East Ayrshire on the evening before the station's birthday, with a special recital in the presence of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Charles and Camilla will see performances from Classic FM presenters Aled Jones and Myleene Klass, among others.
On the night of the 25th anniversary itself – Thursday 7th September – Classic FM has a birthday concert with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, which will include the world premiere of a piece by 23 year old Dani Howard, one of seven composers commissioned by the station to write music for the 25th birthday.
Earlier in the day, the station broadcasts from across the country. Breakfast with Tim Lihoreau comes from Global's studios in Glasgow – and he'll be joined by launch presenter Nick Bailey who returns to read the news bulletins. John Suchet on mid mornings is also live from Glasgow, while Anne-Marie Minhall at lunchtime broadcasts from the radio group's Liverpool studios. John Brunning is then live from backstage at the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool from 5pm with build-up to the evening concert.


Charming in every way! This is how you will feel about this almost 100 year old farm house located just minutes from town. This iconic setting is perfect for those who dream of the farmhouse life with no covenants and the right to park what you want as well has have any animals that you want as well. Currently the land is in pasture and has horses and goat on the property but let your imagination go ....because crops like hops, hemp, hay would be great alternative since there are not covenants to keep you from growing and plenty of water to do so. The home has a lovely country kitchen with living space next to it. 4 bedrooms but 2 are non conforming. If you need an extra bathroom there is a perfect room that would fit those needs upstairs just above the existing bathroom. You will love the wood floors up and the wood stairs that have the farmhouse feel. The home has a new heating system (FANG) and hot water storage unit. New windows add to the efficiency of the home as well. Large basement set for storage or fix it projects! One car garage and one car carport are convenient and attached. The large tree out front sets the stage for a tire swing that would add the finishing touches of the property! Corrals and outbuildings are good for chickens or tack room. Come visit this property! You won't want to leave. Welcome to Colorado!


1 0 |a Report on the manufacture of tea |h [electronic resource] : |b and on the extent and produce of the tea plantations in Assam / |c by C.A. Bruce.
|a Edinburgh : |b A, & C. Black, |c 1840.
|a 36 p.,  folded leaf of plates : |b map.
0 |a Tea |z India |z Assam.


heads--notice the sky-blue color of the heads: this is where the epithet coelestinum is derived heads closeup--which kind of flowers are present here? Disk, ray, or both?
leaves--these leaves are opposite. What is the leaf shape? What is the leaf margin? The light green color of the leaves is typical.


The first line of support provides 24-hour monitoring of the availability and condition of the entire infrastructure of the customer or its individual components, which allows to ensure the continuity of the customer's business. This is especially important for transnational corporations that conduct business around the world and in different time zones. All of our employees speak several languages.
For many years, we have accumulated a unique database of metrics and indicators that monitor the state of the systems, which allows us to react proactively and prevent the failure of any of the components of the customer's systems.
We conduct an analysis of all complaints and incidents of the client, identifying and eliminating the root cause of deviations from the norm, thereby excluding the possibility of a repeated failure in the operation of the systems.


Brian Lindsay comes has been immersed in music most his life and comes from one our favorite bands: Countercurrents, he will be joined by David Bartley to sling so crazy fun tunes sure to keep your feet flying.
Dave Bartley plays guitar, mandolin, cittern, and several other stringed instruments. He has played many styles of music over the years and continues to range over several genres. He has performed throughout the US and Canada, and in England, Australia, France and Greece. It is difficult to count the number of bands in which he plays.
Dave has composed over 300 dance tunes. A waltz he wrote and KGB recorded, The Clock Stopped, is used to teach cross-step waltz in much of the US and other parts of the world. A reel he wrote, Vladi on the Trans-Siberian, seems to be popping up at dances and jam sessions all over the place.


Patrick Barayuga, who is entering his final year of study at the Leder School of Business, hopes to own his own business someday – but he'd consider being a stay-at-home dad.
This summer Patrick worked here at King's in the development department. His main tasks included data entry, donor calling and grant research. In addition to these tasks Patrick created a new donor package.
Patrick appreciated his experience in the development department at King's because it introduced him to a new set of skills. Patrick is confident he can apply these newly developed skills to his future in entrepreneurship. As his internship came to an end Patrick reflected on how surprised he was by the importance of teamwork. He continued by saying that even though everyone has their own work space, a business can never reach top optimization without teamwork.