Lost amidst the hubbub about Arizona's recent legislation to crack down on illegal immigration, is the simple fact that most baby boomers, approximately one-third of America's labor force, will reach the retirement age of 65 during the next two decades.
Leave aside, for a moment, the arguments about the legitimacy of being a legal citizen and human rights. Our country isn't producing enough new workers to replace those who retire: according to the US Census Bureau there are about 77 million baby boomers and only 46 million people in generation X and generation Y.
Where will the new workers come from? It's immigration, or else a miraculous breakthrough in robotics engineering.
In 2008, the first of the baby boomers hit the age of 62, which is significant because it's the age that the average worker retires. Although baby boomers will likely work longer than predicted because of extended life expectancies and over-extended retirement plans, health conditions and the effects of old age will prevent many from working full-time into their 70s and force others to retire much earlier.
Of course, annual increases in social security, Medicaid, Medicare, and insurance payouts are already steep, and they will steepen even more sharply in the coming years.
Home values may once again decline because many Baby Boomers will need to sell or downsize to cover their retirement expenses.
For the same reason, savings rates are also likely to shrink because Baby Boomers will be cashing out their stocks and IRAs and won't be earning enough new income to continue their current rate of savings.
Accordingly, interest rates would need to rise to encourage more savings. This could trigger a return of runaway inflation.
Taxes are also likely to rise to pay for the needs of an aging population. This could also trigger more inflation.
Employers will need to pay higher salaries as they compete for a dwindling supply of workers, especially for services that cater to seniors, like health care. The added inflationary pressure will likely cause the price of goods and services to rise.
Not at all, according to forecasts from leading political scientists and economists, such as those printed in recent books from George Friedman and Jacques Attali, and from national and state demographers, such as Minnesota State Demographer Tom Gillaspy. In fact, the above scenario might be an understatement. Some observers expect a return to the stagflation that crippled the economy in the late 70s and early 80s, but for a more extended period of time.
One effective response that political scientists, economists, and demographers all agree on is to attract more, more, and more immigrant labor.
Immigrants can provide the specialized skills we need to replace retiring engineers and researchers, executives and managers. They can fill vacant positions for doctors, nurses, and aides in health care facilities and nursing homes. They can also provide the manual labor needed to harvest the fields and operate factories.
Like it or not, within the next 10 years we'll not only be begging immigrants, legal and possibly illegal, to stay, we'll be begging them to live here and help us keep the country's economy afloat.
If we keep passing laws like Arizona's, what kind message will this send?
Could it add up to a record of hostility that causes workers we need from India, from Eastern Europe, from Latin America, and from elsewhere to ignore the call to help us prop up our economy when it begins to sag beneath the sheer number of retiring Baby Boomers a few years from now?
The Great Generational Divide or the Cross-Generational Solution to Work Satisfaction?
I have been in what some people would call a "generational rock and a hard place" for the last few months. I am a young person in the foundation field and one of my passions is helping young people learn how to advance in the philanthropic sector but one of my professional duties at the foundation is managing a project on older adult civic engagement. A big piece of this project is figuring out how to keep baby boomers in my community engaged as they begin to retire or change careers. Talk about competing priorities. On one hand I know how important it is to keep baby boomers engaged, on the other hand I am hearing from young people on a daily basis that they can't advance because baby boomers won't leave the philanthropic sector and make room for young people to advance. I have finally realized that this isn't an "either, or" proposition. Baby boomers at foundations and in the nonprofit sector as a whole have great expertise that they contribute to the field but they have created positions for themselves where they work 80 hours a week and refuse to take vacation (or sick days for that matter), with the idea that "this whole place would fall apart without me". Young people want more responsibility but would also like to have a life outside of their job. There are lots of explanations for why this is but one of the most probable that I have heard is that Gen X was raised as latchkey kids and saw the family sacrifices that their parents had to make to slowly climb the career ladder. They also saw their parents lose their pensions in mass layoff and Enron scandals, so they know that the old paradigm of work hard for the same company for 40 years and retire is no longer realistic.
What if a new way of working was created that still kept baby boomers engaged but allowed them to reduce the number of hours that they work so that they could keep health benefits and stay involved in a career that they love? What if this same new way of work allowed Gen X the flexibility to spend time with their families or take on a second job (to pay down the massive student loan debt that so many have)? If we started thinking of the program officer position (of any other foundation or nonprofit staff member for that matter) as a collection of tasks that can be completed by one or many people depending on the time available for each worker. How much more effective would a foundation be if instead of one program officer, they now had three sharing that same 80 hour a week position? The foundation would now have 3 times as many connections in the community, 3 diverse perspectives on how to solve social problems, and 3 great ambassadors for the foundation's work.
What refinements (or significant changes) do you think are needed to create a foundation workplace that is supportive for multiple generations?


text:
School Learning for Transfer
Gavriel Salomon, David N. Perkins
Most of what is taught in school is expected to affect learning and performance that transcend the mastery of those subjects. Such transfer from A to B is likely to occur when more elements are common to both or when one acquires a general principle that can be transferred to new instances. However, there is a great discrepancy between the expectation for transfer from school learning to the acquisition of new subjects and the handling of daily events where transfer appears more frequently. According to one theory, transfer takes place either through automatic application of well-rehearsed knowledge ("low road") or through mindful processes of abstraction. Often, neither road is taken and thus transfer fails. Recent developments challenge the basic paradigm and conception of transfer, suggesting for example to focus on transfer as "preparation for future learning," or seeing learning as a matter of participation in a community of learners in an active process of knowing-as-construction within a social context of activity. Some suggest a detect-elect-connect model, while others offer a more expansive framing that emphasize the future uses of learned content. Transfer can be facilitated by reflective abstraction (high road), practice to near automaticity (low road), emphasis on significance and potential diverse uses (expansive versus bounded framing), and fostering seeing through the surface to deeper structure.
International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences: Second Edition
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
Detect-elect-connect
Expansive framing
Failure of transfer
Low road
Mindful abstraction
Social context of activity
Surface and deep structure
Transfer as preparation for future learning
Social Sciences (all)
10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.92040-3
Dive into the research topics of 'School Learning for Transfer'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
road Social Sciences 100%
abstraction Social Sciences 60%
paradigm Social Sciences 19%
event Social Sciences 16%
participation Social Sciences 15%
performance Social Sciences 13%
Salomon, G., & Perkins, D. N. (2015). School Learning for Transfer. In International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences: Second Edition (pp. 96-100). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.92040-3
Salomon, Gavriel ; Perkins, David N. / School Learning for Transfer. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences: Second Edition. Elsevier, 2015. pp. 96-100
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Salomon, G & Perkins, DN 2015, School Learning for Transfer. in International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences: Second Edition. Elsevier, pp. 96-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.92040-3
School Learning for Transfer. / Salomon, Gavriel; Perkins, David N.
International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences: Second Edition. Elsevier, 2015. p. 96-100.
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N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2015 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
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AB - Most of what is taught in school is expected to affect learning and performance that transcend the mastery of those subjects. Such transfer from A to B is likely to occur when more elements are common to both or when one acquires a general principle that can be transferred to new instances. However, there is a great discrepancy between the expectation for transfer from school learning to the acquisition of new subjects and the handling of daily events where transfer appears more frequently. According to one theory, transfer takes place either through automatic application of well-rehearsed knowledge ("low road") or through mindful processes of abstraction. Often, neither road is taken and thus transfer fails. Recent developments challenge the basic paradigm and conception of transfer, suggesting for example to focus on transfer as "preparation for future learning," or seeing learning as a matter of participation in a community of learners in an active process of knowing-as-construction within a social context of activity. Some suggest a detect-elect-connect model, while others offer a more expansive framing that emphasize the future uses of learned content. Transfer can be facilitated by reflective abstraction (high road), practice to near automaticity (low road), emphasis on significance and potential diverse uses (expansive versus bounded framing), and fostering seeing through the surface to deeper structure.
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KW - Detect-elect-connect
KW - Expansive framing
KW - Failure of transfer
KW - High road
KW - Low road
KW - Mindful abstraction
KW - Social context of activity
KW - Surface and deep structure
KW - Transfer as preparation for future learning
U2 - 10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.92040-3
DO - 10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.92040-3
BT - International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences: Second Edition
Salomon G, Perkins DN. School Learning for Transfer. In International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences: Second Edition. Elsevier. 2015. p. 96-100 doi: 10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.92040-3

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Alarm settings for infusion pumps are considered important for patient safety, but limits are not created in a standardized manner from actual usage data. We estimated 90th and 95th percentile infusion rates from a national database for potential use as upper limit alarm settings" Bermanm et al (2017).
BACKGROUND: Continuous medication infusions are commonly used during surgical procedures. Alarm settings for infusion pumps are considered important for patient safety, but limits are not created in a standardized manner from actual usage data. We estimated 90th and 95th percentile infusion rates from a national database for potential use as upper limit alarm settings.
METHODS: We extracted infusion rate data from 17 major hospitals using intraoperative records provided by Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group for adult surgery between 2008 and 2014. Seven infusions were selected for study: propofol, remifentanil, dexmedetomidine, norepinephrine, phenylephrine, nitroglycerin, and esmolol. Each dosage entry for an infusion during a procedure was included. We estimated the 50th, 90th, and 95th percentile levels for each infusion across institutions, and performed quantile regression to examine factors that might affect the percentiles rates, such as use in general anesthesia versus sedation.
RESULTS: The median 90th and 95th percentile infusion rates (with interquartile range) for propofol were 150 (140-150) and 170 (150-200) μg/kg/min. Quantile regression demonstrated higher 90th and 95th percentile rates during sedation for gastrointestinal endoscopy than for all surgical procedures performed under general anesthesia. For selected vasoactive medications, the corresponding median 90th and 95th percentile rates (with interquartile range) were norepinephrine 14.0 (9.8-18.1) and 18.3 (12.6-23.9) μg/min, and phenylephrine 60 (55-80) and 80 (75-100) μg/min.
CONCLUSIONS: Alarm settings based on infusion rate percentile limits would be triggered at predictable rates; ie, the 95th percentile would be exceeded and an alarm sounded during 1 in 20 infusion rate entries. As a result, institutions could establish pump alarm settings consistent with desired alarm frequency using their own or externally validated usage data. Further study will be needed to determine the optimal percentile for infusion alarm settings.
Bermanm M,F,, Iyer, N., Freudzon, L., Wang, S., Freundlich, R.E., Housey, M. and Kheterpal, S. (2017) Alarm Limits for Intraoperative Drug Infusions: A Report From the Multicenter Perioperative Outcomes Group. Anesthesia and Analgesia. 125(4), p.1203-1211.


GameZone's Matt Liebl reviews Call of Juarez: The Cartel on Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. The game suffers from boring storylines, lack of character development, and bad textures.
This game is crazy. It's like the future of co-op storytelling embedded in a game that isn't actually very good. So much potential though.
Ouch. I was expecting a little more out of this.
It's funny....i've almost platted it and it's actually a fun and decent story for a game.
it's just technically a poor game...and not in the areas that necessarily affect game play. It's just a bit ugly, focus effect like uncharted - but not nearly as well done. Things like that. Guns feel good, framerate is generally solid...screen tearing isn't terrible...but these days these things shouldn't exist.
But voice work is good, plot keeps things moving and MP is decent enough with hardly any lag to speak of.
I'd give this game a 6.5/10...maybe a 7/10.
I think it's too similar mp to COD & it's game engine is too weak and looks dated....but it's still fun.
I never played any of the other CoJ's, but the change in setting has severely put me off, and I don't even know why. Thanks for the review though, definitely won't be picking this one up.
I was a bit sad to learn this was set in the Modern Day. I love the wild-west setting so once I learned that The Cartel was contemporary Los Angeles I was already a little sketpical. Sad to see it didn't wind up worth the time.


Bengali Actress Juhi Sengupta wiki, biography, height, age, shows, family & bio data.
Juhi Sengupta Wiki & Biography: Juhi is a Bengali actress from Kolkata who works in TV Shows. This pretty bong babe is also someone with brains; she pursued computer science engineering but later on chose acting as her career. She is not just an actress but she is also a model and has also worked in few Tollywood movies. Currently she resides in Australia with her husband Siladitya Dey while making trips to Kolkata for her shooting schedules. She loves travelling and is also a sunglasses freak. She owns around 500 pairs of sunglasses which are pretty rad.


text:
FHSD Board of Education Candidate Filing Opens Dec. 13
Castlio's "Toys for Tots" Raises Money in Honor of Marine Lance Cpl. Phillip Vinnedge
Henderson Continues Tradition of Annual "DisAbilities Awareness Week" with Message of Respect and Understanding
Update Your SchoolMessenger Preferences
Two FHSD Students Shine with Perfect ACT Scores
FHU Students Unite with "Kids Against Hunger" to Feed Hungry Children in Haiti
Central Elementary Adopt-a-Family Program Raises $2,400, Supports Over 100 Students
Student Spotlight – Marquez Rice of FHU
Francis Howell School District Earns Top Marks on Financial Audit
Saeger Provides New Coats and Winter Gear for Local Families in Need
Happy Holidays from FHSD Superintendent Dr. Mary Hendricks-Harris
Access to the Arts for Everyone – Thanks to FHC Drama
Francis Howell School District » News » 2016-17 News Archive » December 2016 News » Two FHSD Students Shine with Perfect ACT Scores
There are only about a thousand students in the United States every year who achieve perfection when taking the ACT test. David Yang from Francis Howell High School (FHHS), and Kayleigh Ammond from Francis Howell Central (FHC), are part of that 0.06% of almost two million students who did what many think is impossible: they received a perfect 36 on the ACT.
David Yang is a sophomore at FHHS, and when looking at his college career resume, a perfect ACT score doesn't come as much of a surprise. With a GPA of 4.67, he ranks first academically in his class. This year he is enrolled in four AP classes, including Calculus BC, which is the highest high school math class available, as well as chemistry, physics, and world history.
In addition, he also has time to be a member of the swimming club and the Scholar Bowl. The perfect ACT score was just another in a long list of honorable achievements. Last May, he won his category in the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) competition, and last year he was the second ranked freshman Scholar Bowl participant in St. Charles County.
FHHS Principal Dr. David Wedlock said he is proud of the outstanding character David exhibits through his thoughtful, generous, and kind interactions with others. "His disposition engenders both positive relationships, and a focus on learning," Wedlock said. "Academically, David possesses a dynamic mind with great interest in solving complex math problems, and we congratulate him on this remarkable achievement."
Kayleigh Ammond at FHC also has many impressive items on her list of achievements. She was recently recognized as a commended scholar by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, she received an AP Scholar award from the Advanced Placement (AP) Program for receiving high scores on her AP exams, and she was named a commended student by the Bright Flight Program. She is interested in biological research, and is also considering the medical field as a possible career choice. She hopes to attend one of her dream schools – Northwestern, Cornell, Washington University or Harvard.
In addition to earning all of these prestigious honors, she also participates in the marching band, the regular band, the Scholar Quiz Bowl, as well as FHC theater, where she was part of the orchestra and a technician during plays.
FHC Principal Dr. Sonny Arnel couldn't stop raving about Kayleigh. "She is truly a unique woman who is caring and dedicated to her education, music, and her friends," Arnel said. "I cannot wait to learn what she accomplishes in her future."
It looks like both David and Kayleigh have the brightest future ahead of them.
Francis Howell North's James Dohrman received a perfect 36 on the ACT last year.


Speaking to tQ in September last year, Leyland Kirby revealed details of how he planned to give his The Caretaker project dementia over the course of six albums to be released over three years.
The first of those was made available six months ago and you can read the interview about that and his intentions for the project here. Now the second of those six albums is available and you can stream it in full above.
A video accompanying the release is promised for next week, but for now you can purchase it here.


Writer's Block: Parlez-vous francais? - Wisdom is the retention of innocence through adversity.
I also know how to speak Washington Ear-Wiggling. This is a complex form of ear wiggling which conveys hidden intentions and arrangements, usually between Congresspersons and lobbyists and oil barons and prostitutes. When one understands this language, you can't look at a regular vote in the house without seeing the whole other universe of bidding and bartering and bickering going on via the wiggling ears of the roomful of old farts, which emanates outwards across the country and into the halls of the Mob, Koch Industries, BP, Bilderbergs, etc. This language has the added benefit of reducing the cost of electric air-conditioning, as everyone is cooled by the pleasant breeze created by constantly wiggling ears, like bees in a beehive. And, like bats and bees, these Congresspersons also exhibit strange maladies such as ink-poisoning from the handling of many dollar bills, or a white dust about the nose resembling cocaine. Washington Ear-Wiggling is the language for me, and I hope to one day to be so good at it to be able to add my own linguistic contributions, furthering the work of Ross Perot and Henry Waxman. I would like to perfect the language so that an entire war in Pakistan can be conducted and concluded via the expert ear wiggles of a handful of Washington Congressional Interns on a bar crawl early into a Sunday morning.
I'd also like to learn Chinese. The Chinese tend to be very bad at Washington Ear-Wiggling, and misunderstandings are bound to ensue. I just want to be ready for the invasion.
adding batting eye-lashes to that? would that work?
that would be good on a balmy day!
the first statement i would like to learn in chinese is "I want my money back!" hahaha! The Chinese will be in a chorus!


Did you know that your stock of footed tights can easily be converted to convertible tights? Using just a few materials, you can cut a circle into the bottom of the tight's feet and make a secure, lasting transition. Read here for an easy explanation of How to Make Convertible Tights.
In a similar regard, here's a tip for making your footless tights footed when you are in a pinch.
These tips are handy for versatility or in an emergency!


text:
He continues, "There is nothing about you biologically or physically that denotes an innate mode of supremacy. For that matter there is also nothing about you psychologically, philosophically, cognitively, academically, socially, architecturally, culturally or even financially that signifies a higher position above any other group. And to be diplomatic there is nothing about you that denotes innate inferiority as well. So what you really are is something in the middle. You are regular. White Regularity is congruent to all other forms of regularity i.e. Black, Brown, Etc etc."
In addition, Fiasco says that the very concept of "white supremacy" can't exist without diversity. "If you wanted to get really ironic and meta about it, White Supremacy has to validate it's own identity based solely on its relationship to other races! I mean now that's what I would call joined at the hip. Without us there is no white supremacy because there would be nothing to be supreme over!"
Click here for the rest of the letter.
Watch BET.com's exclusive What's At Stake Community Reacts to Charleston Massacre in the video below.
(Photo: Mark Nolan/Getty Images for Reden)
Written by Latifah Muhammad


text:
Tepa vanduzeei är en insektsart som beskrevs av Rider 1986. Tepa vanduzeei ingår i släktet Tepa och familjen bärfisar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Bärfisar
vanduzeei

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Casalnuovo di Napoli, comune italiano della città metropolitana di Napoli
Casalnuovo Monterotaro, comune italiano in provincia di Foggia
Casalnuovo a Piro, frazione di Casaluce in provincia di Caserta
Casalnuovo, antico nome medioevale di Manduria in provincia di Taranto
Casalnuovo, nome fino al 1º aprile 1852 di Cittanova in provincia di Reggio Calabria
Casalnuovo, nome fino all'8 novembre 1862 di Villapiana in provincia di Cosenza
Casalnuovo, nome di Casalbuono in provincia di Salerno, sino al 1862
Casalnuovo, altro nome del Casale Nuovo, rione di Nocera Inferiore


text:
Q: Where is my NPC? I'm playing the 3ds version of Terraria, and it says Walter wants to move in. However I don't see him anywhere! I have 2 available houses but it won't let me make him live in those spots! please help.

A: Houses need to meet the NPC's requirements. I honestly think this is where your problem is. NPC's require a hard block to stand on at night, which must be adjacent your house.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Open Text Defies Bottom-Line Pressure, Enterprise Worries
The information management specialist expects its Release 16 to be a game changer.
Dan Caplinger
(TMFGalagan)
Feb 10, 2016 at 9:16AM
Follow @@DanCaplinger
Image source: Open Text.
Information management for enterprises has never been more important, and Open Text (NASDAQ:OTEX) has developed tools that it offers to clients to help them be smarter about using their data. Yet the recent plunge in shares of peer Tableau Software (NYSE:DATA) sent the enterprise cloud computing and big data industry into a tailspin, and coming into Tuesday's fiscal second-quarter financial report, Open Text investors had prepared themselves for a potential drop in earnings and revenue. To their surprise, Open Text was able to grow its earnings and sees plenty of future potential for its Release 16 next-generation platform. Let's take a closer look at how Open Text fared and what's ahead for the company going forward.
Open Text posts unexpected growth
Open Text's fiscal second-quarter results came as a nice surprise for investors. Revenue was down a fraction of a percent to $465.3 million, coming in slightly ahead of the larger reduction in sales that most investors were expecting. But net income jumped 18% to $87.7 million, and adjusted earnings came in at $1.01 per share, topping the consensus forecast by more than a dime per share.
The U.S. dollar once again had a negative impact on Open Text's results. Overall, revenue gains in constant currency terms amounted to more than 6%, and the impact of the dollar cost Open Text $0.07 per share in earnings. The hit was especially large on the licensing revenue front, where even a strong 9% gain in dollar terms would have been 10 percentage points higher on a constant currency basis.
Looking more closely at Open Text's segment results, cloud services and subscription revenue fell 4%, while customer support revenue picked up just under 3%. Professional services was the real sore spot in the report, falling 14%. It was the only segment to report a drop in revenue on a currency-adjusted basis.
Open Text had plenty of good news in the quarter. The company posted 16 transactions worth more than $1 million, five more than in the previous quarter, with seven Open Text Cloud contract signings and nine from on-premises sales. The financial, services, and technology areas saw the highest demand, and successful business during the quarter involved several private entities as well as the Greater Toronto Airports Authority and the Banque de France.
Open Text CEO Mark Barrenechea was pleased with the results. The quarter's strength "shows the potential of digital transformation for our customers and the Open Text business model," Barrenechea said, and he pointed to the huge prospects from Release 16, which he termed the world's first digital platform.
What's ahead for Open Text?
An important element of Open Text's future will come from its acquisition in November of global software and services company Daegis. Open Text believes that the purchase will add to its expertise in information governance and help broaden the company's overall suite of products. By providing experience with data archiving and migration, Daegis should help Open Text customers save money and do the right thing to preserve valuable information.
Still, a lot will depend on demand for Open Text Suite 16 and Open Text Cloud 16. Tableau Software's shocking suggestion that overall enterprise spending on technology came as a blow not just to Tableau shareholders but to the entire industry, and Open Text stock has fallen 12% in the first nine days of February partially as a consequence. That's nothing compared to Tableau Software's 50% plunge, but it still indicates that Open Text sees some challenges similar to what Tableau is dealing with in the industry.
Open Text investors didn't react strongly to the report, sending shares up less than 1% in after-hours trading following the announcement. In order to rebound, Open Text will have to keep demonstrating that it has the staying power to survive in a cutthroat industry that is likely to get even more competitive as 2016 progresses.
Recent Acquisitions by Google, Salesforce, and Intel Seem a Little Desperate
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OTEX
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Open Text Defies Bottom-Line Pressure, Enterprise Worries @themotleyfool #stocks $OTEX $DATA Next Article


When it comes to your forages, chances are you're regularly trying to maximize the outputs. One of the best ways to do this is in the form of baleage and haylage. These are regular staples on many dairies, and for many good reasons. Making haylage or baleage instead of traditional dry bales is a great way to maximize tonnage and increase digestibility, just to name a couple. But as with many things in the dairying, for all its benefits there are several hidden dangers lurking out of sight. It only takes one mistake at the right time for this nutritional cornerstone to turn into a heap of toxins.
Obviously, moisture is key to fermented forages. According to Alabama Cooperative Extension, this must be anywhere from 40-60% moisture (compared to dry hay which sits at >20% moisture). Keeping within this range is absolutely crucial not only to successfully make a high-quality feedstuff, but also for your animals health. Excessive moisture can result from harvesting at the wrong time, improper fermentation or (in the case of baleage) compromised wrapping.
Important to note is that these elements are also crucial to storage stability. When haylages are high in butyric acid and consequently lower in lactic acid, they tend to be less stable when there is exposure to air and mixed in a TMR/PMR diet.
Properly done, most livestock tend to find haylage more palatable than dry hay. However, when acetic acid levels increase, again due to the contents bring overly wet, feed intake tends to significantly decrease.
Nutritional content is also something that can be compromised by improper moisture. Silage leachage is a serious concern. Not only is this a biological and environmental hazard, (remember, too much leachage in the wrong place can be as toxic as a manure spill!) it can also reduce nutritional value. Leachage can runoff important nutrients and carbohydrates, thus reducing nutrient quality.
Like with any forage, a lot of the quality is dependent on the harvesting and handling. These sometimes-fatal consequences have plagued livestock for as long as man has been using fermentation.
The anaerobic bacteria, in the process of converting sugar to lactic acid, lowers the pH of the forage. When at or below the appropriate level, about 4.5, most of the dangerous bacteria cannot grow and thrive in the environment. However, when the pH rises too high it can leave the door wide open for bacterial spoilage to creep in and contaminate what would otherwise be a nutrient-dense forage source.
Certain bacteria, such as the family Clostridia, will gladly make their home here. When the moisture content is too high, approximately 61-70%, Clostridial bacteria are almost guaranteed. Botulism is one such disease that results from this bacterial family. This typically-fatal illness can happen from improper fermentation and/or organic matter (such as dead animals unintentionally harvested) left to decompose in bales.
Listeriosis, or circling disease, is caused by bacteria from the Listeriaceae family which also arise from a higher pH, typical at about 5.4. You can find this happening anywhere there's decaying forages that has been exposed to the air for too long.
And of course, mold is another simple but equally serious issue. Mold allows for the perfect environment for a host of other bacteria and fungus, some of which can cause abortions. If this is just a common thin layer of white on the outside of a bale or around the corners of the silage bunker, it can be removed and safely fed. But a prolific mold problem beyond this may be cause to destroy an entire crop of silage.
As with dry hay, too much moisture can also pose a serious risk for causing fires. If you are wrapping your own hay, be sure to have a high-quality moisture tester on hand and test both before and after harvest. If you are purchasing, be sure that your seller is experienced and wraps appropriately.
Poor quality baleage and/or inappropriate feeding can lead to nutritional issues like any other feedstuff. There are plenty of stories out there of heifers failing to thrive or cows dropping weight because the management thought their forage ration was adequate. It can really pay to have your baleage tested so you are aware of the exact nutritional quality you are feeding.
Baleage and haylage, in spite of their temperamental nature, tend to be one of the most favorable options for many dairymen for their efficiency and quality. Remind all those responsible for feeding and managing forages to stay vigilant and know the telltale signs of poor and contaminated haylages. As with so many other things, a few precautionary steps here will help keep the road ahead clear.


Current photo taken 3/21Welcome, Home to Hope Ranch! This beautiful new construction home features it all. When you walk through the front door you are greeted with a dining room that makes you excited about hosting a dinner party or two. The wainscoting, the paint color, and that dining room light. That light is a real WOW factor. Your master bedroom & bath are not just your normal master bedroom & bath. The size of them will just take your breath away. When you walk in the bathroom I'm sure you are going to say ''Honey you have got to see this.'' The tile the vanities, the storage, and the size. This is the perfect place to hide with your bag of Milano Cookies.


Navajo Sterling Silver Appliqué is a difficult and time consuming technique with a long history in Navajo design. To produce an appliqué piece of jewelry the artist creates individual sterling silver decorations by hand. The individual decorations may be repoussé designs, stamped fans, buttons, flowers, swirls, leaves, beads, feathers or whatever designs the artist might create. The artist solders or "applies" each decoration in place as he builds his design. The sterling silver is then lightly oxidized and the surface is polished to bring out the detail and texture. Sometimes, just a little appliqué is added to a ring or bracelet to add interest and give the piece a Navajo look. Other times, the entire piece of jewelry is encrusted with appliqué. The advanced skills required and the time needed to produce these incredible works of art puts them in a class of their own. Navajo Appliqué jewelry is in high demand worldwide and is considered to be traditional Navajo artistry at its best.


text:
\section{Introduction}

 Finsler metrics, as a natural  extension of Riemannian and Euclidean metrics, becomes more present in mathematical programming. Particularly,
Finsler metrics originated in the study of calculus of variation by P.
Finsler in the first quarter of twentieth century, is more reliable
in optimization theory than other two metrics, see for instance \cite{antonelli2005differential, antonelli2013theory,  antonelli2005finslerian, kielanowski2019functional, kristaly2008optimal}.
In this paper, we restrict
our attention to the Finsler metrics defined on  $I\!\!R^n$ in order to formulate the  problems of nonlinear complementarity problem  (NCP) and traffic equilibrium with geometric  models.

In a general sense, an optimisation problem or a mathematical programming mainly refers to choosing the best (optimal) elements from a set of available alternatives. If the set includes different paths between two fixed points, we may be able to  consider a metric on the set and define the optimised paths as the shortest paths or geodesics of this metric. Definition and  axioms of the geometry of a space  basically depend on the definition of the shortest path in that space.
 For a well-known metric (e.g. Euclidean, Riemannian, or Finslerian metric),  this happens by establishing the relevant geometry to have a better understating of its geometric behaviour. This phenomenon may be called the geometrisation of mathematical programming. Here, we present some examples of  geometrisation of  complementarity problems and traffic equilibriums. This work may serve as the first stage of applying  Finsler metrics in these types of mathematical programming.

The need for measures to reduce congestion and manage traffic demand  in the metropolitan
areas is becoming more serious as the population grows. A
functioning society depends on the mobility provided by the
transportation network to enable its members to participate in
essential activities such as production, consumption, communication,
and recreation. However, it is necessary for society also  to
introduce congestion-relief measures for the quality of life, the
environment, and the safety of the citizens not to deteriorate.

 Any well-founded traffic model recognises the individual network user's
right to decide about when, where, and how to travel  \cite{marcotte2007traffic}. However, there is always a
 conflict of interest in the transportation system: A typical traveller
expected to choose an optimal route, the route that minimises
 the combined travel time and cost,  given the network conditions during the travel time (the Wardrop's  principle). But, society's goal often is to reduce the average travel times and the environment's damage. The aggregate effect of these
decisions is a network flow which does not minimise the total system
costs. The Wardrop conditions are
frequently used in urban traffic planning to predict and analyse
traffic flows. The equilibrium conditions are based on the
assumption of rational route choice behaviour by  individual users
and define a situation where the travellers' routes are
 the shortest paths between the given set of origins and destinations.

 In the design
and management of urban transportation systems, there is a need for
efficient planning tools for analysing and predicting future scenarios. Such tools rely on
the mathematical model of the transportation system, the
users of the system and their aggregate behaviour under different
traffic conditions \cite{bellomo2002modelling}.
 From the mathematical point  of view, it is assumed that the area under study is strongly connected and
there is at least one path between any origin-destination pair. Furthermore,
the transportation system is represented by a network that
describes  transportation possibilities (i.e., roads, transit
lines, etc.) between origin-destination pairs.

The nonlinear complementarity problem (NCP)
 is an important problem in mathematical programming that has many applications in different fields, see
for instance \cite{harker1990finite}. One of the well-known NCP functions is the
Fischer-Burmister function \cite{fischer1997solution} that is used extensively in the solution of nonlinear
complementarity and variational inequality problems \cite{facchinei2007finite}. In
1999, Qi in \cite{qi1999regular} showed that the  and
its several variants, such as the Tseng-Luo NCP function (\cite{luo1997new})
and the Kanzow-Kleinmichel NCP function (\cite{kanzow1998new}) are smooth in the areas away from the origin and are strongly semi-smooth at the origin. The
Fischer-Burmister function and its variants are also irrational. Moreover, Qi proposed  a  class of piecewise rational NCP functions
with the same strongly semi-smooth property, see \cite{qi1999regular}.

Here, we study the traffic equilibrium problem from the Finsler geometrical
point of view and show that the shortest paths of traffic problem
are solutions of a system of nonlinear equations known as geodesics of a Randers metric. Also, we show that for a dynamical transition network, optimised routes  are  minimal of an integration of the Fischer-Burmister function. This leads to a Finsler geometrical model for the  dynamical Wardrop's user equilibrium problem.

The remainder of this paper is structured as follows. In Section~\ref{sec:1}, we briefly define a Finsler metric on $I\!\!R^n$, the NCP and the traffic equilibrium problem. In Section~\ref{Sec:Finsler-Traffic-model} we present a
Finsler geometrical model  for the traffic problem and show that the optimal routs (shortest paths) of traffic problem can be presented as
geodesics of a Randers metric.
In Section~\ref{Sec:Ward}, first we indicate that the Fischer-Burmister function can be considered as a special Randers metric.  Then, we
present a dynamical model for solving NCP. Finally, we propose a mathematical model for solving the dynamical
Wardrop's user equilibrium problem. These
results can apply for different equilibrium problems.

\section{Preliminaries}\label{sec:1}
In this section,  we briefly introduce  Finsler metrics on $I\!\!R^n$, the nonlinear complementarity problem (NCP) and the traffic equilibrium problem. We assume that the reader has no background knowledge of this topic.
\subsection{Finsler metrics on $I\!\!R^n$}

Let $M=I\!\!R^n$ be the real n-dimensional space.  The set of all tangent vectors at the point $x\in M$ is called the tangent space of $M$ and denoted by $T_xM$. The set of all tangent spaces at $x\in M$ is called the tangent bundle of $M$ and denoted by $TM$, i.e. $\displaystyle     TM:=\bigcup_{x\in M} T_xM$.  Each element of $TM$ has the form $(x,y)$ consisting of the point $x\in M$ and the tangent vector $y \in T_xM$ at the point $x$. Let   the natural projection  $\pi:TM\rightarrow M$  be defined as   $\pi(x,y):=x$. The pair $(M,\overline{F})$  is said to be a \emph{Finsler space} where $\overline{F}:TM \rightarrow
[0,\infty )$   is a function with the following properties:
\begin{enumerate}
\item $\overline{F}(x,y)$ is
differentiable on $TM \backslash \{0\} $.
\item $\overline{F}$ is positively
homogeneous of degree one in $y$, i.e. $ \overline{F}(x,\lambda
y)=\lambda \overline{F}(x,y),  \forall\lambda>0$.
\item The Hessian matrix of
$\overline{F}^{2}$,
\begin{equation}
\label{eq:g}
g=(g_{ij}):=\left({1 \over 2} \left[
\frac{\partial^{2}}{\partial y^{i}\partial y^{j}} \overline{F}^2
\right]\right),
 \end{equation}
 is positive-definite on $TM \backslash \{0\}  $ where  $i, j \in 1, \cdots, n$.
\end{enumerate}
The function $\overline{F}$   is called a \emph{Finsler  structure} and $g$ is called its associated  \emph{Finsler metric} on manifold $M$. Here, we  use the notation  $\overline{F}$ for the Finsler structure, rather than the usual notation $F$, to avoid any confusion with the function $F$ in the nonlinear complementarity problem.

  We can define a norm function on the vector space $T_xM$ based on  any Finsler metric $g$ on $M$.
  %
 Let $\{U,(x^i)\}$ or simply $(x^1,...,x^n)=(x^i): U \rightarrow I\!\!R^n$ be a local coordinate system on an open subset $U\subset M$ around the point $x \in M$. The coordinate system $\{U,(x^i)\}$ induces a coordinate basis $\frac{\partial} {\partial x^i}$ on $T_xM$. Hence, we can write each tangent vector in the form $y=y^i \frac{\partial} {\partial x^i}\,$, where we apply  the \emph{Einstein summation convention or Einstein notation}, that is, whenever an index variable appears twice in a single term, once in an upper (superscript) and once in a lower (subscript) position, it implies that we are summing over all of its possible values.

 Let $x$  be a point of $M$ with the local coordinate system $(x^i)$, then it generates  a local coordinate system $(x^i, y^i)$ on $TM$. The pair  $(x^i, y^i)$ consisting of the position  $x\in M$ and the direction  $y\in T_xM$, is known as the line element of $(M,\overline{F})$.
The Finsler structure $\overline{F}(x,y)$ is said to be \emph{Riemannian} if it is independent of the  direction $y$ and by homogeneity of $\overline{F}$ it is equivalent to say that   $\displaystyle\frac{\partial \overline{F}}{\partial y^i}=0$ for $i \in 1, \cdots, n$. The Finsler structure $\overline{F}(x,y)$ is said to be  \emph{Euclidean} if $g_{ij}(x,y)=\delta_{ij}$,  where $g_{ij}$ is defined  by  \eqref{eq:g} and $\delta_{ij}$ is the Kronecker delta.

We denote by $\Gamma(p,q)$ the collection of all piecewise
$C^\infty$ curves $\sigma:[a,b]\subset I\!\!R \longrightarrow M$ on
$(M,\overline{F})$ with $\sigma(a)=p$ and $\sigma(b)=q$. Then the
length of $\sigma$ is defined by
$$
J(\sigma):=\int_a^b\overline{F}(\sigma,\frac{d\sigma}{dt})dt,
$$
where
$\frac{d\sigma}{dt}=\frac{d\sigma^i}{dt}\frac{\partial}{\partial
x^i}\in T_{\sigma(t)}M$. Define the map
$$\begin{array}{clc}
d:M\times M\longrightarrow [0,\infty)\\
d(p,q):=\inf_{\Gamma(p,q)} J(\sigma).
\end{array}
$$
It can be shown that $(M,d)$ satisfies the axioms of a metric space,
expect the symmetry property, see  \cite{antonelli2013theory} and \cite{shen2001lectures}.
In the original sense, a geodesic is a generalization of the notion of a "straight line" in a Euclidean space. However, when the metric is not Euclidean, geodesics are not necessarily straight lines and define as follows. A piecewise $C^\infty$ curve $\sigma:[a,b]\longrightarrow M$ with
$\sigma(a)=p$ and $\sigma(b)=q$ on the space  $M$ with the Finsler structure $\overline{F}$
is said to be a \emph{geodesic } if it is a  minimal curve in $\Gamma(p,q)$,
 with a constant velocity, i.e. $J(\sigma)=d(p,q)$. Hence,  geodesics are defined to be (locally) the shortest path between points in the space.

For any Finsler metric $g$ on  $M$, we can define  an inner product $g(.,.):=<.,.>_g$ on the tangent space $T_xM$ (here, for $M=I\!\!R^n$ we have ,  $T_xM\cong I\!\!R^n$).
In the local coordinate system  $\{U,(x^i)\}$, for all $ y,z \in T_xM$ we have $g(y,z)=g_{ij}y^iz^j$.
Each inner product defines a norm $|| y||_g:=<y,y>_g=g_{ij} y^i y^j$
for a vector $y\in T_xM$ with respect to $g$. Hence,  a vector $y$ on the tangent space $T_xM$ can have different  norms according to different Finsler metrics defined on $M$.
For a Riemannian metric  $g_{ij}(\cdot)$,
$\overline{F}(x^i,y^i)=(g_{ij}y^iy^j)^{\frac{1}{2}} + b_i(x) y^i$,
where $\beta= b_i(x)y^i$ is a  1-form on $M $ with $|| \beta||_g <1$, is a Finsler
structure on $M$ and its associated Finsler metric is called a  \emph{Randers metric}, see \cite{shen2001lectures} for more details.

  \subsection{Nonlinear Complementarity Problem}
 The \textit{nonlinear complementarity problems} (NCPs)  arise from optimisation theory, engineering and
economic applications. The restricted NCP functions which can be
used to reformulate NCPs as
constrained optimisation problems are first introduced by Yamashita
\cite{yamashita1998properties}. Furthermore, the discretisation of infinite-dimensional
variational inequalities leads to linear and nonlinear
complementarity problems with many degrees of freedom. Luo and Tseng
\cite{luo1997new} proposed a class of merit functions for the NCPs and showed that they satisfy several
interesting properties under some assumptions. Kanzow,
Yamashita and Fukushima have used the similar idea and proposed  new merit functions for the NCP in \cite{kanzow1997new}.

 For a given smooth mapping $F:I\!\!R^n
\rightarrow I\!\!R^n$, the NCP consists of
finding a vector $x\in I\!\!R^n$ such that
\begin{equation}\label{3}
x\geq 0, \qquad F(x)\geq 0, \qquad F(x)^T.x=0,
\end{equation}
 where $F(x)^T$ is the transpose of $F(x)$.
 Complementarity problems can be reformulated as systems of
nonlinear equations in several ways. A large number of methods has been developed based
on \textit{Newton method} and its generalisations. In order to overcome some disadvantages of the
class of non-smooth Newton methods and the class of the so-called
smoothing methods, a third class known as \textit{Jacobian smoothing
methods}  developed in \cite{kanzow1996equivalence}.  A Jacobian smoothing method is a mixture of Newton and non-smooth methods and is  based  on solving  the mixed Newton equation: a  combination of the original semi-smooth
function and the Jacobian of the smooth operator of the \textit{Clarke generalised Jacobian}  \cite{clarke1990optimization}.
 There are also several  related algorithms entitled
\textit{Newtonian algorithms}, see  for instance  \cite{ facchinei1997new, jiang1999global, kanzow1996equivalence, qi2000smoothing, yamashita1998properties}. Further,  a solution of NCP with neural networks algorithm was presented in  \cite{liao2001solving}.
Among
these algorithms, the \textit{modified Newton algorithm} is preferred.

The modified Newton algorithm is a reformulation of
 system  of differential equations  \eqref{3} that converts it to a non-modal
optimisation problem which is convergent under some conditions, see Section~8.7~of~\cite{bazaraa2013nonlinear}. This reformulation is given by the system of equations:
\begin{equation}
\label{4}
\phi(x)=\left(\begin{array}{lcl}\phi_1(x)\\ \vdots\\
\phi_n(x)\end{array}\right)=
\left(\begin{array}{lcl}\phi(x_1,F_1(x))\\ \vdots\\
\phi(x_n,F_n(x))\end{array}\right)=0,
\end{equation}
where the NCP-function $\phi$  is the  \textit{Fisher-Burmeister NCP-function} (\cite{fischer1992special, fischer1997solution}) defines as follows,
\begin{equation}\label{5}
\begin{array}{ll}
\phi:I\!\!R^2 \rightarrow I\!\!R, \qquad
\phi(a,b)=\sqrt{a^2+b^2}-(a+b),
\end{array}
\end{equation}
where $\phi(a,b)=0 \Leftrightarrow a\geq 0,\, b\geq0,\, ab=0$.
The resulting system of nonlinear equations (\ref{3}) is
semi-smooth and the NCP has an solution $x$ if and only if $x$ is a solution
for \eqref{4}. Note that the function $\phi$ is locally Lipschitz
and continuous at every point. Thus, the Clarke generalised
Jacobian at every point is defined. In \cite{geiger1996resolution},
the NCP is recast as an unconstrained minimisation problem and
the natural merit function $G:I\!\!R^n \rightarrow I\!\!R$ given by
\begin{equation}\label{7} G(x)=\frac{1}{2}
\sum_{i=1}^{n}\phi(x_i,F_i(x))^2=\frac{1}{2}\|\phi(x)\|^2,
\end{equation}
is considered. Also, it is proved that any stationary point of the above function is a
solution of the NCP if the mapping $F$ involved in  Eq.~\eqref{3} is
continuously differentiable and monotone. Hence, the solution of
the NCP are given by solving
\begin{equation}\label{8}
\min_{x\in I\!\!R^n} G(x).
 \end{equation}
 The NCP mainly applied in solving the \textit{traffic equilibrium problem}
which is studied here, and the \textit{Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) optimality conditions}
 \cite{gordon2012karush}.
\subsection{Traffic equilibrium problem}
Network equilibrium
models  have a variety of applications in urban transportation,
energy distribution, game theory, spatially separated economic
markets, electrical networks, and water resource planning, \cite{aashtiani1981equilibria}.  Although the idea of traffic equilibrium originated as early as
1924 with Frank Knight \cite{knight1924some}, the mathematical description of equilibrium was provided for the first time in 1952 by Wardrop.
The \textit{Wardrop's equilibrium principals} \cite{wardrop1952road} are  related to the idea of \textit{Nash
equilibrium} \cite{li2009existence} in game theory which is  developed separately.
However, analysing the transportation networks with many players involved is more difficult than analysing games with a few  number  of
players. The Wardrop's principals states as follows:
\paragraph{Wardrop's first principle}
The travel times in all routes actually used are equal and less than those which would be experienced by a single vehicle on any unused route. Each user
non-cooperatively seeks to minimise their transportation cost/time. A traffic flow that satisfies this principle is usually named
 \textit{user equilibrium (UE) flow}.

\paragraph{Wardrop's second principle} At equilibrium the
average journey time is minimum. This implies that each user behaves
cooperatively in choosing their route to ensure the minimum cost of the whole system. A traffic flow satisfying
Wardrop's second principle is  generally referred to as \textit{system optimal (SO) flow}.

 %
Wardrop's principles can be presented mathematically as follows.
Assume that $R_{ab}$ denotes the set of simple (loop-free) routes for
the origin-destination pair $(a,b)$, $h_r$ denotes the flow on the route $r\in R_{ab}$, and $c_r$ denotes the travel time on the route $r \in R_{ab}$ as experienced by
an individual user. If the flow does  not
depend on time, i.e. in a static model (against the dynamic
model), the Wardrop's principles are written as
\begin{equation}\label{9}
 h_r^T(c_r(h_r)-\pi_{ab})=0,\quad
   c_r(h_r)-\pi_{ab} \geq 0,\quad h_r=d_r(\pi_{ab}),
 \quad h_r \geq 0, \quad \pi_{ab} \geq 0,
\end{equation}
where $\pi_{ab}$ is the minimal rout time and $d_r$ is the demand function
of the route $r\in R_{ab}$.

In  \cite{aashtiani1981equilibria},  an equilibrium model for
predicting traffic flow on a congested transportation network is proposed  based on
using the Wardrop's first principle
and write it  as an NCP (Eq.~\eqref{3}) in the following form:
\begin{equation}\label{10}
\displaystyle
\begin{array}{cc}
F(x)^T \cdot x=\Big(c_r(h_r)-\pi_{ab} \quad h_r-d_r(\pi_{ab})\Big)\cdot \left(\begin{array}{cc}
h_r\\
\pi_{ab}
\end{array}\right)=0, \\
x=\left(\begin{array}{cc}
h_r\\
\pi_{ab}
\end{array}\right)
\geq 0,\qquad
F(x)=\left(\begin{array}{cc}
c_r(h_r)-\pi_{ab}\\
h_r-d_r(\pi_{ab})\end{array}\right)\geq0,
\end{array}
\end{equation}
where $F:I\!\!R^n \rightarrow I\!\!R^n$ is a continuous function.
For reducing this NCP to an
unconstrained global minimisation problem,
gap function $G$ which is smooth, convex and bounded is applied,  see   \cite{facchinei1997new}:
\begin{equation}\label{11}
 G(x)=\sum^n_{i=1}
\varphi \big(x_i,F(x_i)\big),
\end{equation}
 where   $\varphi=\frac{1}{2}\phi^2$ and  $\phi$ is the
Fischer-Burmeister function given by (\ref{5}). So,  solving
the NCP \eqref{10}   is equivalent to finding a general unconstrained solution for Eq.~(\ref{8}) with $G$ given in \eqref{11}.

\section{A Finsler geometric model of traffic problem}
\label{Sec:Finsler-Traffic-model}
 In this section, we apply geometric methods to provide a mathematical model for the transportation network. Unless stated otherwise we will assume further that
 \begin{enumerate}
 \item[I] All origin-destination pairs are distinct.
 \item[II] The network is strongly connected, that is, at least one route joins each origin-
destination pair.
\item [III] The transport demand is either  a constant number or a function of  travel cost/time.
\item [IV] All travellers have perfect information about their
travel. Therefore, we have a deterministic model, unlike a
stochastic model where travellers choose their paths randomly.
\end{enumerate}

For any given pair of the origin-destination points in the vehicle network, we usually have different route options.
 These routes are made by a string of streets and cross-sections and for each route we have an estimated travel time.
This time depends on some factors such as the capacity of
streets, the number of stops behind cross-sections and the travel demand of that specific route.

Now assume that we have  a  Riemannian metric $g$ on  $I\!\!R^2$ and
 its  corresponding norm-squared  for tangent vectors
$y\in T_x I\!\!R^2$ is  given by $\|y\|_g^2:=g(y,y)$. In traffic modelling, we can interpret it as the time it takes, using
a car with fixed power, to travel from the base point of the
vector $y$ to its tip.

Let $u\in T_x I\!\!R^2$ be a unit vector and denote the
traffic congestion or any external factor that increases the traffic
congestion by a vector $\omega\in T_x I\!\!R^2$ such that $\|\omega\|_g<1$.
Before $\omega$ sets in, a journey from the base to the tip of any
$u$ would take one unit of time. After the  effect of $\omega$, within the
same one unit of time, we traverse not $u$ but
$v=u-\omega$ instead.  This is because  traffic congestion is a vector in
the opposite direction of flow. The measure of this new vector is not
equal to 1 ($\|v\|_g\neq1$). This argument for using vector's length is the key idea of a technique  known as \textit{Okubo's technique} \cite{antonelli2013theory}. In fact, the geometry of movement in the former case
(without considering the external factor) is the  Riemannian
geometry, rather than the Finslerian geometry in the latter case.
 Here, we consider the effect of traffic
congestion (the vector field $\omega$) and introduce a new metric
$\overline{F}$ such that  $v$ be a unit vector with respect to the new norm corresponding to $\overline{F}$.
\begin{theorem}\label{Randers}
Let $g$ be  a Riemannian metric and $\omega$ a vector field
on $I\!\!R^2$ such that $\|\omega\|_g<1$. If $\omega$ indicates the
traffic congestion, then the travel time  for a car with a fixed
power to pass through a vector field $y\in T_x I\!\!R^2$  is measured by
the Randers metric $\overline{F}(x,y)=\frac{\|y\|_g}{1-\|\omega\|_g}$.
\end{theorem}
\begin{proof}
Let $u\in T_x I\!\!R^2$ be a unit vector. After taking the effect of the vector
$\omega$ into account,  we have $v=u-\omega$, where $\|v\|_g=1-\|\omega\|_g$. Now, a  Finsler structure $\overline{F}$ that satisfies $\overline{F}(v)=1$ would be
 $\displaystyle \overline{F}(v)=\frac{\|v\|_g}{1-\|\omega\|_g}$. For an arbitrary vector field $y\in T_x I\!\!R^2$, the corresponding Finsler metric $\overline{F}$ is
$$\overline{F}(x,y)=\frac{\|y\|_g}{1-\|\omega\|_g}.$$
 If we put $\lambda=1-\|\omega\|_g^2$ then $\overline{F}(x,y)$ can be written as
\begin{equation}\label{eq:Randers}
\overline{F}(x,y)=\frac{\|y\|_g}{\lambda}+\frac{\|\omega\|_g\|y\|_g}{\lambda}=\frac{\sqrt{g_{ij}
y^i y^j}}{\lambda}+ \frac{g_{ij}\omega^i y^j}{\lambda},
\end{equation}
which is obviously a Randers metric.
 \end{proof}
 Therefore,  the optimal/shortest route between any
 arbitrary origin-destination pair $(p,q)$ is a  geodesic of the corresponding  Randers metric passing through these points . Equivalently, we need to find
minimums of the following integral
\begin{equation}\label{2}
J_{\overline{F}}(C)=\int_0^1\overline{F}\big(x(t),y(t)\big)dt, \qquad y(t)=\frac{dx}{dt},
\end{equation}
where $\overline{F}$ is given by~\eqref{eq:Randers} and $C:[0,1]\rightarrow I\!\!R$ defined by $t\rightarrow x(t)$  such that $x(0)=p$ and $x(1)=q$.  It can be shown that by assuming
$L=\frac{\overline{F}^2}{2}$, any  minimal point $x(t)$ of the length
integral~\eqref{2} is a solution of the following system
of differential equations, see Chapter 3 of \cite{shen2001lectures}:
\begin{equation}\label{eq:eq}
L_{ij}\frac{d^2x^i}{dt^2}+\frac{\partial L_i}{\partial x^j}\frac{dx^j}{dt}-\frac{\partial L}{\partial x^i}=0,
\end{equation}
where $L_i=\frac{\partial L}{\partial y^i}$,
$L_{ij}=\frac{\partial^2 L}{\partial y^i\partial y^j}$. Therefore,
\begin{corollary}
If we consider the traffic congestion as an external factor  that effects on vehicle transition network, then the differential equation of the shortest route  between any origin-destination pair is given by Eq.~\eqref{eq:eq}.
\end{corollary}

 \section{A Finslerian model for Wardrop's user equilibrium problem}
 \label{Sec:Ward}
 In this section we show that  the Fischer-Burmeister function is a
special Randers metric, and therefore, the equations of its geodesics are equations of the minimal paths. Then, we present a Finsler geometrical model for solving the dynamical Wardrop's user equilibrium problem that may applied in solving different equilibrium problems.
 \subsection{Finsler geometry and traffic equilibrium}
 \label{Sec:Finsler-Traffic-equilib}
 Here, we illustrate that the Fischer-Burmeister function is a special
Randers metric.
 \begin{proposition} \label{Fi_Bu}
  The Fischer-Burmeister function
is a Finsler metric of Randers type  and its geodesics are
the optimised paths in the  NCP.
 \end{proposition}
\begin{proof}
Let $g$ be a Euclidean metric on $I\!\!R^2$ given by
$g(a,b)=\sqrt{a^1b^1+a^2b^2}$, where $a=(a^1,a^2)$ and $b=(b^1,b^2)$
are two arbitrary points on $I\!\!R^2$. The local coordinate system $(x^1,x^2)$ on $I\!\!R^2$  induces the local
 fields of frames $\left(\frac{\partial}{\partial x^1},
\frac{\partial}{\partial x^2}\right)$ and $(dx^1,dx^2)$ on the tangent
space $T_x I\!\!R^2$ and its dual $T^*_x I\!\!R^2$.
Therefore, we have $g\left(\frac{\partial}{\partial x^1},
\frac{\partial}{\partial x^2}\right)=\sqrt{(dx^1)^2+(dx^2)^2}$ and from Eq.
(\ref{5}), the Fischer-Burmeister function on $I\!\!R^2$  is given by:
\begin{equation}\label{eq:FB}
 \phi(dx^1,dx^2)=\sqrt{(dx^1)^2+(dx^2)^2}-(dx^1+dx^2 ).
 \end{equation}
 The first term in the right hand side of \eqref{eq:FB} can be written as $\sqrt{\delta_{ij}dx^idx^j}$, where $\delta_{ij}$ is the
Kronecker symbol and $i, j$ run over the range 1,2. So,  it  is a Euclidean
(or Riemannian) metric on $I\!\!R^2$.
 The second term in \eqref{eq:FB} is a
differential 1-form $\beta=\omega_idx^i$, where $\forall i: \omega_i=-1$. Therefore,
the Fischer-Burmeister function is a Randers metric.
 \end{proof}
 By virtue of the above proposition, solutions of the NCP, i.e. the optimised paths of the Fischer-Burmeister function, are  geodesics of a  Randers
metric given by Eq.~\eqref{eq:eq}.
\subsection{The dynamical transition network}
\label{Sec:dynamic}
The traffic congestion and transport demand in some hours of a day
(peak hours) are   extremely increasing. A typical solution to address this issue,  instead of building additional infrastructure, is introduction of dynamic elements to the road traffic management. This includes for instance using sensors  to measure traffic flows and automatic interconnected guidance systems
(for example traffic signs which open a lane in different directions
depending on the time of day) to manage traffic in peak
hours. Here, we generalise the method of solving the NCP (in
the previous subsection) to dynamic systems.
\begin{theorem}\label{dynamic}
If the traffic flow  and the travel time  are functions of time $t$,
then the solutions of traffic equilibrium problem are minimal of the
following integration
\begin{equation}\label{12}
G(t)=\int^{t_1}_{t_0}\varphi (h(t),c(t)) h'(t) dt,
\end{equation}
 where $\varphi=\frac{1}{2}\phi$ and $\phi$ is the Fischer-Burmeister  function, $h(t)$ is  the traffic flow,
   $c(t)$ is the travel time, $t_0$ is the start of travel time, and $t_1$ is the end of travel time.
\end{theorem}
\begin{proof}
Let the traffic flow  $h(t)$ and the
travel time $c(t)$ (which is in general a function of $h$) be
functions of time and assume that the minimal rout time  $\pi$ in \eqref{9} is zero. Then, using the Fischer-Burmeister  function $\phi$  on $I\!\!R^2$ (Eq. \eqref{eq:FB}),  the Eq. (\ref{7}) can be
written as
$$G(h)=\int^{h_1}_{h_0}\varphi (h,c(h))  dh,$$
 where $\varphi=\frac{1}{2}\phi$. Since
  $dh=h'(t)dt$, this
equation is equivalent to Eq. (\ref{12}). Now  by virtue of a well-known fact in the calculus of variation the minimal of integration
(\ref{12}) are solutions of traffic equilibrium problem or present the shortest route (the route which needs the
shortest time duration to passing through it).
 \end{proof}

 \subsection{The Finsler geometrical model}
 Now,  we can present a  Finsler geometrical model for solving the dynamical Wardrop's user equilibrium
problem:
 \begin{lemma} \label{Finsler}
Any  Finsler  structure $\overline{F}(x,y)$  on $I\!\!R^2$
  can be considered as a gap function in solving the  NCP.
 \end{lemma}
\begin{proof}
Assume that the transit network has all conditions I-IV in Section~\ref{Sec:Finsler-Traffic-model}  and also traffic
flow and the other ingredients in the transit network are functions of
time. Further assume that $\overline{F}(x,y):T I\!\!R^2 \backslash \{0\}\rightarrow I\!\!R^+$
is a Finsler metric on $I\!\!R^2$ and a car with a fixed
power travels from point $a$ to point $b$ trough a smooth curve $r$ on $I\!\!R^2$.  From the calculus of variation the minimal of the following
integration provide the shortest curve between points $a$ and $b$:
\begin{equation}\label{13}
L_{\overline{F}}(r)=\int_a^b\overline{F}(x(t),y(t))dt,
\end{equation}
where $y(t)=\frac{dx}{dt}$. \\
Since $\overline{F}$ is a Finsler
    structure, the following conditions are satisfied (see for instance\cite{antonelli2013theory, shen2001lectures}):

 1. The length of the curve $r$ is independent of the parameter $t$.

 2. The length of the curve $r$  is always a positive number.

 3. If we put
   $(g_{ij}):=\left({1 \over 2} \left[ \frac{\partial^{2}}{\partial y^{i}\partial y^{j}}\overline{F}^2 \right]\right)$,
    then  we have $\det(g_{ij})\neq0$.

    4. $\overline{F}(x,y)$ is a differentiable function.\\
Therefore, $\overline{F}(x,y)$ meets all the conditions of a gap function
in solving the NCP, see \cite{bazaraa2013nonlinear}.
 \end{proof}
\begin{theorem} \label{Optimise}
The optimised routes for the traffic equilibrium problem in a
dynamical transition network are geodesics of a Finsler structure
$\overline{F}(x,y)$ of Randers type, where $x(t)$ denotes the
traffic flow at time $t$ and $y(t)=\dot{x}(t)$ is the velocity of a
car with fixed power at time $t$.
\end{theorem}
\begin{proof}
Let $x(t)$ be the traffic flow and $y(t)=\dot{x}(t)$ the velocity of
a car with fixed power at time $t$. Then, the Wardrop's user
equilibrium principle can be written as
$$\overline{F}(x,y)=0\Leftrightarrow x\geq0,\quad y\geq0,\quad x.y=0.$$
Here, $\overline{F}(x,y)=0$ implies that the traffic congestion is
extremely increased and the car velocity is zero ($y=0$) or the car stops, so we have $x.y=0$. In Section~\ref{Sec:Finsler-Traffic-model}, we
show that the geometrical method of solving the traffic problem
leads to  finding the geodesics of a  Randers metric. On the other hand, Proposition~\ref{Fi_Bu} implies that the common applied mathematical method, i.e. finding the minimums of the Fischer-Burmeister function,  can be seen as a special case of this geometrical method. Thus, if the given Finsler metric in Lemma \ref{Finsler}be a Randers metric, it is a solution  of the NCP.
Therefore, from Theorem \ref{dynamic}, the
equations of optimised routes for the traffic equilibrium problem in
a dynamical transition network are given by the geodesic equations
of a Finsler metric of Randers type.
 \end{proof}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


Post-screening discussion at the Walker Art Center led by Charles Sugnet, associate professor, English department, University of Minnesota, as part of the film series Ousmane Sembene: African Stories.
Film description: A missing body delays a Christian funeral—and launches a satire involving religious conflict and still-controversial objections to dependency on foreign aid. When powerful elites fail, Sembene finds genuine leaders in surprising places: a parish priest, a local cop, and a village imam. "A powerful, pointed, and multilayered political satire" (New York Times). 1992, 35mm, in French and Wolof with English subtitles, 115 minutes.


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text:
Former diplomat and actress Magda Vášáryová: A woman president "would be a very positive signal abroad"
No one knows if Magda Vášáryová will run for president this spring - not even Vášáryová herself. "I'll have to think it over," she said when approached by The Slovak Spectator for an interview on February 4.
A former ambassador and a famous film and theatre actress, Magda Vášáryová was asked by a Slovak civic association in December 1998 to run for president as an independent and non-partisan candidate during elections to be held in May 1999. Since the new year, the Slovak media has been calling her 'the people's choice' and speculating on how she would fare if she entered the race against declared candidates like former president Michal Kováč and ruling coalition nominee Rudolf Schuster.
Vášáryová starred in many Czech and Slovak films.
photo: TASR
Vášáryová served as the Ambassador of the Czechoslovak Federation to Austria from 1991 to 1993. After the split of Czech and Slovak Republics, she returned to Slovakia in 1993 and founded an independent non-government organization - the Slovak Association for Foreign Policy in Bratislava - which she has presided over ever since. She speaks more than seven languages and frequently visits international events of the highest level as an independent political scientist and sociologist.
The Slovak Spectator (TSS): Given the current situation of women in Slovak society, do you believe that people are ready to elect a woman as president?
Magda Vášáryová (MV): People in Slovakia have strong patriarchal opinions, and women are still defined by three words - kids, kitchen and church. But this attitude belongs to the 18th century. If you look at reality, women in Slovakia are employed for most of their lives, and up to 15% of them have higher wages than their husbands. This proves that these patriarchal ideas are outmoded and that society has no basis for maintaining them. But at the same time I think that society does not bar women from obtaining high social and professional positions, including that of president.
Former Czechoslovak Ambassador Magda Vášáryová has not yet decided whether to enter presidential elections.
TSS: What would be the advantages and the disadvantages of having a woman as president?
MV: The disadvantage would be that she wouldn't have a wife to prepare her clothes in the morning, to check whether everything is alright and neat. Every woman has to do this herself.
In general, a woman's advantage would be that she could use her natural tendencies to promote a non-confrontational way of solving problems, that she could employ her qualities of intuition and empathy. Also, as president, she could positively influence the position of women in society.
But above all, a woman president would immediately and dramatically influence Slovakia's image abroad. It would be a very positive signal.
TSS: Slovaks tend to vote for strong leaders and to follow government decisions rather than take responsibility into their own hands. Will this trend determine the outcome of presidential elections in May as well?
MV: If there were ever a time in Slovakia when the majority of the population were able to distinguish between authoritarian behaviour and decisiveness, between macho posturing and natural authority, I think that time is right now.
Last September's elections proved that most people understood that content and form do not always go together. That's why I think these presidential elections will be crucial, because this tendency will be put to the test - will people pick a leader who will be like before, or will they choose someone who will change and modernise Slovak society.
TSS: The coalition agreement signed in October by the four parties of the ruling coalition stipulates that they will jointly support one candidate - Rudolf Schuster [the mayor of the east Slovak town of Košice and chairman of the ruling coalition SOP party]. Is this agreement fair, especially when the president is supposed to be elected in a free and direct vote by the people?
MV: The country's political parties voluntarily gave up their chance to choose a president through parliament when they gave citizens the right to elect their head of state. The fact that these political parties will now try to make people vote for the candidate they chose, and their conviction that they will be able to push their common candidate through, it's even worse than if they elected the president in parliament.
TSS: What will be the main role of the future Slovak president?
MV: The president will have to devote 50% of his or her time to foreign affairs. The president will have to carry Slovakia's new image to the world. He or she will not only be a help in the country's integration efforts towards western alliances, but will also be a guarantor of the interests of foreign investors.
Inside the country, there is also a gap that the president will have to fill, between the so-called democratically thinking and the so-called undemocratically thinking parts of society. We are all still very young democrats, and the president should fill this gap by reminding society that it has other and certainly more important problems than dividing people into pro-Mečiar and anti-Mečiar groups. The president should sweep this phenomenon off the table.
TSS: Which kind of president would be better - one who emerges from parliamentary politics and knows how political life operates, or one who is completely new to the game and non-partisan?
MV: Politics, just like diplomacy, is an art. The main skill needed to practice it well is the ability to solve problems, to achieve compromises and to persuade other parties to make compromises.
Whether the president has a political past is not relevant. I think it's much more important to focus on his role as an integrator on the political scene, as well as in the entire society.
The president should be respected by all parties and should be able to create space for dialogue even between sworn adversaries. The parties in any conflict have to sit at one table and negotiate, and it's very important they know who sets this negotiation table.
15. Feb 1999 at 0:00 | Ivan Remiaš


It was left up to two doubles partnerships to keep the Thai flag flying in the Malaysia Open on Friday after Ratchanok Intanon exited in the quarter-finals.
Inspired by the beauty of plum blossoms in the snow, Sulwhasoo, Korea's leading luxury beauty brand recently launched its new "Bloomstay Vitalising" line to restore healthy vitality and elasticity to skin using the plum blossom's profound antioxidising energy.
BANKS have stocked up on cash to ensure revellers and businesses don't run out during the Songkran festival.
Thailand holds its first election in eight years on Sunday under rules concocted by a junta to keep it in power, but with the appeal of both old foes and the new millennial vote posing an unpredictable challenge.
Chaiyaphum -Thailand holds it first election in eight years on Sunday under rules concocted by a junta to keep it in power, but with the appeal of both old foes and the new millennial vote posing an unpredictable challenge.
A Facebook page is running a campaign called "Challenge for Change" to encourage people to keep their neighbourhoods clean and free of rubbish.
THE State-owned Small and Medium Enterprise Development Bank (SME Bank) has set targets this year to keep its non-performing loan (NPL) rate at below 10 per cent of outstanding loans this year, sell about Bt8 billion of its debt and improve its NPL management.


In an exclusive interview with Arabad, Michael O'Rourke, President New York Festivals World's Best Advertising, shares his take on the effort that goes into selecting the best the world of creativity has to offer.
New York Festivals World's Best Advertising Awards Executive Jury and Grand Jury are forces to be reckoned within the industry. How do you go about recruiting these creative game changers and thought leaders to judge the competition?
A tremendous amount of effort goes into selecting the Executive Jury every year.
Each year, we're provided with the honour of assembling such a talented and respected group of industry thought leaders from countries all over the world, representing every major market and discipline. To accomplish this, we focus on a simple, yet strategic approach: listening and observing. We spend a significant amount of time researching the people who have a profound impact on the industry with respect to innovation and dedication and focus on those who demonstrate a vested interest in improving the industry and the work that drives it. In addition, we also concentrate on developing a well-rounded collection of jury members, representing various disciplines and markets to ensure fairness and integrity when it comes to evaluating each entry.
NYF has a unique two-tiered judging system that brings together two distinguished juries, what was the impetus for creating this two-tiered system?
The two-tiered judging system, by where we assemble the Grand Jury to determine the Shortlist and the Executive Jury to determine the Medals, originated with the intention of creating more time for each group to evaluate the entries. Jury fatigue is often times a source of frustration in any award show, so we wanted to take a unique approach to address this issue. Once the Executive Jury convenes in NYC, we continue the process at a point where the work that advances has already been carefully screened and deemed worthy of advancing towards medal contention. This allows the Executive Jury to then evaluate all entries across all mediums in an environment that provides more time for the discussion and debate of the work itself—something that all participants can appreciate and deserve.
Are there any categories that the juries especially enjoy judging, what aspects of judging are most and least favourable?
I tend to find that the Executive Jury enjoys seeing work from all competitions and categories, as this is an aspect of NYF that jury members appreciate. It presents an opportunity to see what's being done across all verticals of creative communications and within these verticals exist campaigns that are fresh and innovative. So, there's a real appreciation for having the ability to engage in work that embraces great ideas and exemplifies thorough execution. Having said that, the ever trending and in some situations inflated case study video could be the least favourable aspect of judging, regardless of the competition or medium. When done right, it elevates the campaign in so many ways. When done wrong, it has the potential to overshadow the work itself.
What is the motivation for these busy executives to sit together for five days in a dark room judging, can you share any comments you've heard at the judges table or the hotel bar (wink)?
The work, that's the key motivator! The opportunity to evaluate entries in every medium, from all over the globe, created to address wide array of challenges presents a unique platform for every jury member. This platform doesn't exist anywhere else! So to be able to spend five days enthralled in the industry's newest innovations is something the jury members appreciate and enjoy. Of course, it's an added benefit that you get to spend the week in a room with like-minded people who face the same challenges you do, along with a chance to make some great friends. But at the end of the day, it's the work and the discussions that revolve around it that keep people glued to their seats.
What sort of conversations take place in the judging room; have you had a clash of the titan's occur over what creative work should earn trophies?
One of the most inspiring things about the whole process is hearing the perspectives of people from all over the globe, representing different disciplines, cultures, and ways of approaching the work that's in front of them. It creates an environment that encourages people to keep an open mind, to listen and appreciate the point of view that each jury member represents. And it's a chance to learn. However, this doesn't mean that it doesn't get lively! When you put two dozen, highly opinionated people who are deeply rooted in creativity in a room, you're guaranteed to see some heated exchanges along with a lot of laughter. It's a roller coaster of opinions and emotions, and it's extremely exciting to witness. At the end of the day, it's about acknowledging the industry's best, and when it's all said and done, despite the highs and lows, you're left with a group of people who accomplished an incredible task, together.


text:
Educating the Community One Learner at a Time
It makes for quite the depressing motion picture to have to watch over and over again, that of how humanity seems to have stagnated by way of our development. There appears to be a few institutions which we're all working to build and maintain, mostly inadvertently, and those institutions do nothing but turn around and milk us all for their own benefit.
The education system largely seems to be geared towards just maintaining these institutions while all the subjects are pitted against each other when it comes to the developmental issues that matter most. Think about it – there was a time in history when if one community member of a particular village went into town or elsewhere to get an education, whether academic or in the form of learning a new skill, they'd come back to their community and use their knowledge and skills to empower and improve the community.
Nowadays this isn't the case anymore. We've built up a sort of every-man-for-himself culture where we are made to face some of the biggest problems in our lives as individuals, but when it comes to maintaining the institutions which milk us all and only add to the insane wealth they hold, we tend to come together. Perhaps it's better to say that we are brought together, because it's in more of an inadvertent manner that we come together to perpetuate this flow of value into the establishment.
Take something like college debt into account. If the knowledge and skills learned were deployed in the spirit of how positive development as the human race was practiced in the past, the learner who went out to acquire them wouldn't have to suffer under the burden of that college debt alone because they would deploy their knowledge in their community and the yield thereof would be used to pay off the debt in addition to empowering that community.
There is Still Hope
All's not lost though and my intention is never to bash people or to be critical when I simply point things out. There's definitely still hope for the development of humanity to go along in a manner which is fuelled by greater good. I'm not just saying it from a philosophical point of view – you actually see it in everyday scenarios facing the typical man and woman on the street and the typical family, neighbourhood and community structures.
Family law specialists such as Modern Law for example emphasise an approach which seeks to produce a positive outcome for all parties involved when it comes to matters such as divorce. Sure, the marriage didn't work out, whether or not one or both parties are to blame, but in the spirit of producing a positive outcome that builds the community as opposed to destroying it, the idea is for all parties to walk away as amicably as possible.
It's all about the bigger picture and it starts with educating learners as early as possible to always seek to do things with the bigger picture in mind, contributing to the development of their community.


Now in it's second year, the Firecracker Photographic Grant will provide at least £1,000 in funding for a female photographer to aid with the completion of a documentary photographic project. Applications will be welcomed from women photographers born or residing in Europe and submissions judged by a panel of industry specialists from a cross section of disciplines & sectors.
Applications to the Grant are now open, subject to a £10.00 application fee. 100% of the revenue received from submissions will be combined with previously raised funds and invested into the Grant funding. The Grant recipient will be announced in September 2013.
Copyright © 2013 Fire-cracker, All rights reserved.


text:
Ten Notable Books of 2022 | Sarah Boslaugh
By Sarah Boslaugh December 30, 2022 December 25, 2022
Leave a Comment on Ten Notable Books of 2022 | Sarah Boslaugh
So many books, so little time. I wouldn't dare claim these are the best books published in 2022, given that there are so many I haven't read, but every one has something important to add to our cultural conversation.
Arbitrary Lines: How Zoning Broke the American City and How to Fix It by M. Nolan Gray (Island Press). Zoning is one of those things that most people accept as "just how things are," if they notice it at all. But zoning regulations shape our world in many ways, as Gray reveals in this readable history and analysis of zoning and its uses. Local note: zoning is a subject of particular relevance to people living in metropolitan St. Louis, given how effectively it has been used to create and perpetuate racial segregation in the absence of explicit Jim Crow laws.
Brace for Impact: A Memoir by Gabe Montesanti (Dial Press). A lively memoir by a young woman who grew up in a time and a place that had no room for her. So, in best heroine fashion, she found her way to the big city, studying at Washington University and becoming "Joan of Spark" on the Arch Rivals roller derby squad, choices that empowered her to find herself and her place in the world.
Fatty Fatty Boom Boom: A Memoir of Food, Fat, and Family by Rabia Chaudry (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill). You may be familiar with the author for the role she played in getting Adnan Syed freed, but trust me, she contains multitudes. This memoir explores her relationship with food and family, with Pakistani and American culture, and how she found her voice and her life.
The Forerunner: A Story of Pain and Perseverance in America by Cori Bush (Knopf). I knew Cori Bush brought a different background, and thus a different viewpoint, to Washington than did the typical Congressperson, but I didn't appreciate how different until reading her memoir. She holds nothing back as she recounts her life and the many trials she has overcome, from racism to domestic abuse to homelessness, as well as how her experiences have shaped her political ideals.
I Was Better Last Night: A Memoir by Harvey Fierstein (Knopf). Harvey Fierstein has amassed quite a resume by now, from his early days in the experimental downtown theatre scene to four Tony Awards and numerous film and television roles. He spills a whole lot of tea in these pages, making this book an essential resource for anyone interested in the theatre or gay life in New York City. Plus, it's always heartening to learn about the early struggles of people who eventually made it big. Tip: listen to the audiobook if you can, since Harvey reads it himself, and his gravelly voice is one of the most distinctive in show business.
Run Towards the Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory by Sarah Polley (Penguin). The recovery process from a serious concussion in 2015 led actor/director/screenwriter Sarah Polley on a journey of discovery into her own past life, during which she embraced the advice that gave this book its title. I knew she was brave (she told Harvey Weinstein to get stuffed when he started in with his offers to "help" her career), but reading this book makes it clear I didn't know the half of it. This is no simple trauma memoir, however, but a straightforward accounting of the experiences that helped make her the artist, and the person, she is today.
Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World by Karen Armstrong (Knopf). Armstrong, a former nun who became a philosopher of comparative religion, is one of the more interesting voices in that field today. In Sacred Nature she describes how the Western way of separating spirituality from nature differs from the approach taken by most of the rest of the world, and what we can gain by embracing the natural world and placing ourselves within, rather than apart from, it.
A Sentimental Education by Hannah McGregor (Wilfrid Laurier University Press). McGregor wears many hats: she's a professor at Simon Fraser University, host of several pioneering podcasts (Secret Feminist Agenda and Witch, Please among them), co-editor of the hard-hitting collection Refuse: CanLit in Ruins (for which she was sued), and advocate for living a feminist life. These varied interests come together in the essays in A Sentimental Education, which draw on her life and experience, as well has her literary training, to examine questions ranging from how sentimentality and "relatability" are connected to centering whiteness, to what it means to project "authenticity" over social media, to how her response to the This American Life episode "Tell Me I'm Fat" changed over the years.
Slouching Towards Utopia: An Economic History of the Twentieth Century by J. Bradford DeLong (Basic Books). DeLong, an economics professor at UC-Berkeley and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, creates a grand narrative of the long 20th century (1870-2010) to explore a simple yet seldom explored question: since humanity has solved the problem of making enough stuff to go around (and then some), why are so many people still poor and/or miserable? Spoiler alert—worship of the market as the solution to all problems has something to do with it.
Wild: The Life of Peter Beard: Photographer, Adventurer, Lover by Graham Boynton (St. Martin's) A gossipy but eminently readable biography of the photographer, conservationist and international playboy which reveals some of the less lovely aspects of Beard's personality and behavior while also noting his many accomplishments. Beard was a master of self-promotion and created many legends about himself and others, so it's refreshing to hear from someone who has made an effort to separate truth from falsehood. | Sarah Boslaugh
Tags: a sentimental education arbitrary lines best of 2022 Book Profiles & Features brace for impact cori bush fatty fatty boom boom featured gabe moltesanti graham boynton hannah mcgregor harvey fierstein i was better last night j bradford delong karen armstrong m. nolan gray rabia chaudry run toward the danger sacred nature sarah polley slouching toward utopia the forerunner wild the life of peter beard
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