Ways to Save Money on Car Repairs - JB Tool Sales Inc.
As any seasoned driver knows, car repairs can quickly drain your bank account. According to the CarMD® Vehicle Health Index, the average cost of automotive repair to fix a check engine light-related problem was $305.56 in the United States. Of course, some problems are much more expensive, such as blown head gaskets and transmission rebuilds, both of which typically cost $1,000 plus. So what steps can you take to save on car repairs?
Try to get into the habit of performing all regularly scheduled maintenance as recommended by your car's manufacturer. Far too many drivers neglect basic maintenance like transmission fluid changes, spark plug replacements, timing belt changes and coolant flushes. In doing so, they increase wear and tear on their car; thus, leading to bigger problems later down the road.
When choosing a mechanic or auto shop to perform a repair, look online for reviews from past customers. Were customers happy with the mechanic's work? How did customers feel about the price? Thanks to review sites like Yelp, Angie's List and the BBB, it's easier than ever to find a reputable mechanic. And choosing a trustworthy, reputable mechanic will ultimately save you money in the long run.
It's always a good idea to see the problem in person before agreeing to let a mechanic fix it. If your mechanic tells you have a blown radiator, ask to see the damaged/blown section of the radiator. Otherwise, you could end up paying for a new radiator when the real problem is nothing more than a cracked or faulty coolant hose.
When performing repairs, a typical mechanic or auto shop typically charges for two different things: labor and parts. You can save money on parts by ordering them online. If you know what's wrong with your car and what needs to be replaced, go ahead and order it online.
Of course, you can always save money on repairs by doing the repairs yourself. Unless you're experienced with DIY automotive maintenance and repairs, you may feel hesitant to work on your car. But there are small repairs that ever first-timers can perform with relative ease. Some of these tasks include replacing headlights, replacing spark plugs, flushing coolant, installing new batteries, etc. Look in your owner's manual for more information, or you can search for a how-to video on YouTube.


text:
Q: How can I make sure a string is clean for insertion into javascript Alert('error message') I am trying to display an error to the user of a web page using a javascript alert popup, I currently have the following code to clean the error string:
errorMessage.Replace("'", "\'")

But this is not sufficient as some illegal characters are not being removed, is there a static method somewhere in the framework that will format my string for clean insertion into html?
Update: my initial question was slightly ambiguous.
the string needs to be valid as in alert('this is some 'illegal text' that will not popup');
I will try Server.HtmlEncode, hopefully it will do the trick.

A: If you have a look at the AntiXSS module in the Web Protection Library, you'll find that it has a JavaScriptEncode(string) method for just this sort of thing.

A: There's a simple solution...use the DataContractJsonSerializer and "serialize" the string value. By serializing the string to JSON, you're by definition ensuring that it'll work nicely inside an alert statement.

A: You want to avoid XSS vulnerabilities, which is good. The following cheat sheet should assist you (and also contains a reference to code for escaping the string):
http://www.owasp.org/index.php/XSS_(Cross_Site_Scripting)_Prevention_Cheat_Sheet

A: To escape a string for clean insertion into html you can use HttpUtility.HtmlEncode method. I'm not sure it this helps you with the javascript.
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/73z22y6h.aspx

A: If you are using ASP.NET 4 you can use the new <%: %> syntax to HtmlEncode the generated string AND replace the default encoder with AntiXSS, or any other library you may prefer. Phil Haack explains how to do this in Using AntiXss as the default encoder for ASP.NET
This way you can write an alert like this:
alert('<%: this.ErrorMessage %>');

In previous versions you can use what others have suggested, either HtmlEncode or AntiXss like this:
alert('<%= HttpUtility.HtmlEncode(this.ErrorMessage) %>');

or
alert('<%= AntiXss.HtmlEncode(this.ErrorMessage) %>');

A: HttpUtility.HtmlEncode will not encode a single quote (') and is not suitable for encoding a string to be used as an alert message.  Personally I do it like this:
public static string EscapeAlertMessage(string value)
{
    value = value.Replace("\\", "\\\\");
    value = value.Replace("'", "\\'");
    value = value.Replace("\"", "\\\"");
    return value;
}

If your message contains multiple lines, you can replace them by "\n" - e.g. if the lines are separated by Environment.NewLine:
value = value.Replace(Environment.NewLine, "\\n");

Or if you don't know what the separators are (\r\n, \n or \r only) you could use:
value = value.Replace("\r", "\\r");
value = value.Replace("\n", "\\n");

A: Thanks for the help but none of the answers presented gave me the complete solution.
Joe's answer was closest but it did not account for \r\n newline. I could not find a way to translate c# newline into a javascript equivalient.
public static string EscapeAlertMessage(string value)
{
  value = value.Replace("\\", "\\\\");
  value = value.Replace("'", "\\'");
  value = value.Replace("\"", "\\\"");
  value = value.Replace(Environment.NewLine, "--");

  return value;
}

A: I use the following function in my projects. It escpaes all possible characters for Javascript:
    /// <summary>
    /// Encodes a string to be represented as a string literal. The format
    /// is essentially a JSON string.
    ///
    /// Example Output: Hello \"Rick\"!\r\nRock on
    /// </summary>
    /// <param name="s"></param>
    /// <returns></returns>
    public static string EncodeJsString(string s)
    {
        StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder();
        foreach (char c in s)
        {
            switch (c)
            {
                case '\"':
                    sb.Append("\\\"");
                    break;
                case '\\':
                    sb.Append("\\\\");
                    break;
                case '\b':
                    sb.Append("\\b");
                    break;
                case '\f':
                    sb.Append("\\f");
                    break;
                case '\n':
                    sb.Append("\\n");
                    break;
                case '\r':
                    sb.Append("\\r");
                    break;
                case '\t':
                    sb.Append("\\t");
                    break;
                case '\'':
                    sb.Append("\\'");
                    break;
                default:
                    int i = (int)c;
                    if (i < 32 || i > 127)
                    {
                        sb.AppendFormat("\\u{0:X04}", i);
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        sb.Append(c);
                    }
                    break;
            }
        }

        return sb.ToString();
    }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Featured Authors & Autographed Editions
Phoenix Book Club
Onion River Press
Bill Schubart: Lila and Theron
Thursday, June 22, 2017 - 6:30pm
Join Bill Schubart for a talk on his new novel, Lila and Theron.
Gift with purchase: Attendees who purchase Lila and Theron at the event will get a complimentary CD of Bill Schubart reading five of his favorite picks from Lamoille Stories! The genesis story of Lila and Theron, "Lila's Bucket" is on the CD. (Some exceptions apply.)
ABOUT THE BOOK: Set in rural America and spanning much of the 20th century, Lila & Theron captures the spirit of the American rural experience, as it relates to their personal stories of love and sacrifice. Award winning author and public radio commentator, Bill Schubart, first introduced us to Lila & Theron characters in his 2008 short story collection, The Lamoille Stories. After being influenced by William Faulkner's acceptance speech on winning the Nobel Prize, he returns seven years later to finish their stories.
"I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance. The poet's, the writer's, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past."
Lila and Theron plumbs the depth and triumphs of the human spirit in a way now lost in today's obsessions with consumerism and celebrity culture, immersing us in a receding world where neighbors and nature are the gifts and love is often comes with great hardship.
"In a time all too rich with bombast and noise, Bill Schubart gives us a quiet tale of love, commitment, and utterly human interdependence—at once hard and graceful, plainspoken and eloquent. This is a romance that sidesteps shopworn clichés for sometimes painful truths and leaves the reader moved, thoughtful, and mourning the rarity of such honesty."
— Archer Mayor, bestselling author of Presumption of Guilt (Joe Gunther series)
"I have long considered Bill Schubart to be the wisest columnist in America. That same wisdom, deep life experience, and empathy come shining through on every page of his new novel, Lila & Theron. Full of joy, sadness, humor, and insight, Lila & Theron is a clear-eyed celebration of our almost boundless capacity, despite all our human frailties, to love both one another and the place we call home. Over the years I have known many true and good country people like Lila and Theron whom I have been proud and honored to call my friends. This is a beautiful book."
— Howard Frank Mosher, bestselling author of Marie Blythe and Walking to Gatlinburg
"Through the eyes of Lila and Theron, Schubart manages to not only give us a great love story, but also an homage to an icy hardscrabble Vermont, and a portrait of an evolving rural America in the 20th century. This book is both heartbreaking, tender and as real as a winter day. I loved it."
— Thomas Christopher Greene, bestselling author of The Headmaster's Wife
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Bill Schubart is an award-winning novelist and political and cultural commentator heard weekly on Vermont Public Radio (210,000 listeners) and a frequent public speaker on writing and entrepreneurship. Bill grew up in a small town in Lamoille County in Northern Vermont. In his largely French Canadian family, he heard countless stories.
DATE: Thursday, June 22nd at 6:30pm
LOCATION: Phoenix Books Rutland
ADMISSION: Free and open to all.
2 Center Street
Lila & Theron (Hardcover)
By Bill Schubart
Published: Charles Michael Publishing - June 6th, 2017
Purchase Gift Cards Online
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Shares in Volkswagen closed almost two percent higher to 176.60 euros ahead of the closely-watched board meeting, outperforming the Dax index of leading shares that was up almost one percent.
Diess' predecessor Mueller had already steered the mammoth carmaker into a massive restructuring, aiming to offer electric versions of many of its models and streamline operations over the coming decade. VW has also had to pay out billions of euros in fines following its 2015 emissions cheating scandal.
Herbert Diess - the Austrian 59-year-old head of the VW Group's flagship Volkswagen brand - was appointed late Thursday to take over from Matthias Mueller as CEO of the world's largest automaker by sales. The new auto brands will be Volume, Premium and Super Premium. As well as his role as the Chairman of the Board of Management, Diess will also be responsible for Group Development and Research, Rupert Stadler, current Audi CEO, will oversee Group Sales, while Oliver Blume, Porsche CEO, will take responsibility for Group Production.
Upon being asked what could happen to MAN Diesel and Renk, Diess said the company has assets which will be subject to a review.
As the names suggest, the brands will be divided according to product value, with the likes of Volkswagen, Skoda and SEAT found in the Volume category, while Lamborghini, Porsche and Bentley will make up the Super Premium segment of the business. However, the company intends to find a manager for the combined unit in due course and told Automotive Logistics it would be fleshing out the details of the new structure in the weeks and months ahead.
He was installed after Mueller's attempts to reshape the automotive group foundered amid labour opposition, including his plans to sell motorbike brand Ducati.
"We believe we can not control and manage this century, but our group activities will be co-ordinated and our political relationships will be well maintained", said Diess, when asked how the company plans to stay ahead of a constantly evolving vehicle industry. Excessive spending and poor budget discipline were eroding profit margins even before the carmaker's diesel-emissions scandal erupted in September 2015.
Diess appeared to be on his way out at VW after a public clash with Osterloh who then accused him publicly of breaking promises and unduly pushing cost cuts. The last resigned after "diesel scandal". "But, as is well known, that issue was laid to rest a long time ago".


text:
Research Article | August 2010
Chromatic variations suppress suprathreshold brightness variations
Frederick A. A. Kingdom; Jason Bell; Elena Gheorghiu; Gokhan Malkoc
Frederick A. A. Kingdom
Department of Ophthalmology, McGill Vision Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canadahttp://mvr.mcgill.ca/Fred/fkingdom_home.htmlfred.kingdom@mcgill.ca
Jason Bell
Department of Ophthalmology, McGill Vision Research, Montreal, Quebec, Canadahttp://mvr.mcgill.ca/Jason/jason.bell@mail.mcgill.ca
Elena Gheorghiu
Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, University of Leuven, Tiensestraat, Leuven, Belgiumhttp://mvr.mcgill.ca/Elena/elena.gheorghiu@mail.mcgill.ca
Gokhan Malkoc
Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Dogus University, Acıbadem, Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkeyhttp://www.dogus.edu.tr/unv/cv/tr_main.aspx?perid=gmalkocgmalkoc@gmail.com
Journal of Vision August 2010, Vol.10, 13. doi:10.1167/10.10.13
Frederick A. A. Kingdom, Jason Bell, Elena Gheorghiu, Gokhan Malkoc; Chromatic variations suppress suprathreshold brightness variations. Journal of Vision 2010;10(10):13. doi: 10.1167/10.10.13.
Most objects in natural scenes are suprathreshold in both color (chromatic) and luminance contrast. How salient is each dimension? We have developed a novel method employing a stimulus similar to that used by B. C. Regan and J. D. Mollon (1997) who studied the relative saliencies of the two chromatic cardinal directions. Our stimuli consist of left- and right-oblique modulations of color and/or luminance defined within a lattice of circles. In the "separated" condition, the two modulations were presented separately as forced-choice pairs, and the task was to indicate which was more salient. In the "combined" condition, the two orthogonal-in-orientation modulations were added, and the task was to indicate the more salient orientation. The ratio of color to luminance contrast at the PSE was calculated for both conditions. Across color directions, 48% more luminance contrast relative to color contrast was required to achieve a PSE in the "combined" compared to the "separated" condition. A second experiment showed that the PSE difference was due to the luminance being masked by the color, rather than due to superior color grouping. We conclude that suprathreshold brightness variations are masked by suprathreshold color variations.
Most objects in the natural visual world are defined by suprathreshold differences in both color (chromatic) and luminance contrast. Although much is known about how these dimensions interact when one of them is at threshold (see below), little is known about how color and luminance saliencies interact when both are suprathreshold.
Previous studies relevant to this issue are of two types. One type of study has considered how the color of a light determines its brightness and whether the brightnesses of different colored lights linearly add when combined (e.g., Booker, 1981; Burns, Smith, Pokorny, & Elsner, 1982; Kaiser & Wyszecki, 1978). These studies have shown that saturated lights tend to appear brighter than equiluminant white lights and that the brightnesses of different colored lights tend not to add linearly when combined. However, the lights used in these studies were equiluminant, and so it is difficult to glean from these studies exactly how the perceived contrasts of suprathreshold luminance variations are affected by the addition of suprathreshold color variations and vice versa.
More germane to the issue are studies that have considered how suprathreshold color and luminance contrasts interact to determine the visibility of edges (Frome, Buck, & Boynton, 1981), and how suprathreshold color and luminance masks, or "pedestals" affect the detection of targets of the other contrast dimension (e.g., Chaparro, Stromeyer, Kroneauer, & Eskew, 1994; Chen, Foley, & Brainard, 2000a, 2000b; Cole, Stromeyer, & Kronauer, 1990; Gur & Akri, 1992; Mullen & Losada, 1994; Switkes, Bradley, & De Valois, 1988). Frome et al. (1981) found that color and luminance contrasts contributed independently to determine the visibility of a border (border visibility was defined as the reciprocal of the time taken for the border to fade with fixation). Two findings have emerged from the masking of target studies. First, the majority of the studies have shown that when the mask is low contrast, the detection of the other dimension test is unaffected, and this has been interpreted as showing that color and luminance detection mechanisms are independent at threshold. Second, when the mask is of high contrast, other dimension target detection thresholds are elevated, but not equally. Chen et al. (2000a, 2000b) and Switkes et al. (1988) found that high-contrast color masks elevated thresholds for luminance targets more than high-contrast luminance masks elevated thresholds for color targets. Chen et al. (2000b) modeled this anisotropy in terms of a difference in the strength of the divisive inhibition exerted by the color and luminance masks.
Paradoxically, the masking of luminance by high-contrast color, as revealed in the studies of Chen et al. (2000a, 2000b) and Switkes et al. (1988), does not inevitably result in elevated luminance detection thresholds. Kingdom and Kasrai (2006) found that for a luminance target placed on a larger Mondrian-like luminance background, target detection improved when color variations were added to the background. Kingdom and Kasrai (2006) suggested that the color variations suppressed the background luminance variations, thus reducing the background luminance noise that limited the detection of the luminance target. They interpreted this result in terms of the wider functional role of color vision in natural scenes. Color variations are more reliable indicators of material changes than are luminance variations; whereas most color variations arise from changes in material, luminance variations arise either from changes in material or from changes in local illumination such as from shadows (Johnson, Kingdom, & Baker, 2005; Kingdom, 2003, 2008; Olmos & Kingdom, 2004; Rubin & Richards, 1982; Shevell & Kingdom, 2008). Kingdom and Kasrai argued that it would make sense for the visual system to suppress luminance variations that are aligned with color variations, in order to facilitate the segregation of the scene into its material and illumination components.
As yet however, there is no direct evidence that color variations mask the saliencies of suprathreshold luminance variations, as Kingdom and Kasrai (2006) suggested they do, and which the masking studies of Chen et al. (2000a, 2000b) and Switkes et al. (1988) could be taken to imply. It does not follow however from the finding that color variations mask the detection of luminance targets that the apparent contrast of a suprathreshold luminance target will be similarly masked. Thresholds are determined by other factors besides divisive inhibition, such as levels of internal noise, and internal noise levels are unlikely to influence the magnitudes of perceived contrast.
Intuitively, one might consider "hetero-chromatic brightness-contrast matching" to be the best method to examine whether suprathreshold color variations mask suprathreshold luminance variations. For example, subjects could adjust the contrast of a luminance grating to match the perceived contrast of a test luminance grating to which a color grating had been added, and the difference in contrast between the test and match luminance gratings at the point of subjective equality, or PSE, obtained. However, it is widely recognized that hetero-chromatic brightness matching with patches is a difficult task, and our own observations with grating stimuli confirms that hetero-chromatic contrast matching is also difficult. Therefore, we have developed an alternative method for determining the relative saliencies of suprathreshold color and luminance contrasts when the two are combined. Our method involves a stimulus similar to that employed by Regan and Mollon (1997), who compared the saliencies of the two chromatic cardinal axes of MacLeod and Boynton's (1979) color space (see also Mollon, 1999).
The stimuli are illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. Each pattern comprises an array of circular patches filled with color/luminances to form left-oblique, right-oblique, or both left- and right-oblique modulations of color and/or luminance contrast. The patterns are either modulations of color or luminance contrast, termed "component" modulations, or modulations of color and luminance contrast, termed "combined" modulations. Sample component modulations are shown in the top of Figure 1 and in Figure 2, while a single sample of a combined modulation is shown at the bottom of Figure 1. The novel aspect of our method is that we not only measure equate the relative saliencies of the color and luminance modulations when combined (i.e., as did Regan & Mollon, 1997 for color-versus-color modulations), but also when presented individually as components. Thus there are two conditions. In the "separated" condition, the color and luminance components, for example the red–cyan (color) and black–white (luminance) patterns in the upper panel of Figure 1, are presented as forced-choice pairs with various ratios of color-to-luminance contrast, and the subject decides on each trial which pattern is more "salient", meaning having the higher perceived contrast. A point of subjective equality (PSE) is estimated from the resulting psychometric function. In the second "combined" condition, the color and luminance components are made orthogonal in orientation and combined to form a single pattern, as shown in the lower panel of Figure 1. With the combined stimulus, the subject's task is to decide on each trial whether the dominant perceptual organization is left- or right-oblique. The same set of contrasts is used in the combined as in the separated conditions, and the PSE (defined this time as the relative color-to-luminance contrast at which the left- and right-oblique orientations are equally salient) is again measured.
Sample (a) red–cyan and (b) black–white component patterns, whose modulations are opposite in orientation, and (c) the two combined.
Sample component patterns: (a) violet–chartreuse, (b) purple–green, and (d) blue–orange. (c) The isoluminant plane of the modified version of the MacLeod–Boynton (MB) color space, showing the positions of the axes from which the red–cyan component color in Figure 1 and the others shown here were selected. The cardinal axes "S" and "L–M" are shown as continuous lines and respectively define the colors for the red–cyan and violet–chartreuse components. The intermediate axes are shown as dashed lines and define the colors in the purple–green and blue–orange components. The LUM (luminance) axis of the MB space is not shown but is orthogonal to the S and L–M plane in the three-dimensional representation. Note that because of the limitations of reproduction the hues in (a), (b), and (d) may be different from how they appear on the display.
Subjects appear to find both these tasks easy. One might have expected the separated condition to be difficult, given that subjects are comparing the saliencies of two different dimensions—color and luminance contrast. However, Switkes (2008) and Switkes and Crognale (1999) have already shown that subjects are able to reliably and lawfully match the saliencies of suprathreshold gratings defined along very different directions of color space, so the ease with which our subjects find the task should not be surprising.
The question we ask is whether the PSEs are different for the "separated" and "combined" conditions. If they are, this indicates that there must be an imbalance in the saliencies of suprathreshold color and luminance contrasts when the two are combined.
Six subjects participated. FK, JB, and EG were authors, while SM, AM, and LC were volunteers who were naive as to the purpose of the experiment. All observers had normal or corrected-to-normal visual acuity and normal color vision.
Stimuli—generation and display
The stimuli were generated by a VISAGE graphics card (Cambridge Research Systems) and displayed on a Sony Trinitron F500 flat-screen monitor. The R (red), G (green), and B (blue) gun outputs of the monitor were gamma-corrected after calibration with an Optical photometer (Cambridge Research Systems). The spectral emission functions of the R, G, and B phosphors were measured using a PR 640 spectral radiometer (Photo Research), with the monitor screen filled with red, green, or blue at maximum luminance. The CIE coordinates of the monitors' phosphors were R: x = 0.624, y = 0.341; G: x = 0.293, y = 0.609; B: x = 0.148, y = 0.075.
In both the "separated" and "combined" conditions (see below), the two component patterns were generated on separate pages of the VISAGE's video memory, along with their own look-up tables (LUTs). During stimulus presentation, the two video pages (and corresponding LUTs) were alternated at the monitor frame rate of 120 Hz, resulting in a stimulus refresh rate of 60 Hz. For the "separated" condition, each component frame alternated with a blank screen, whereas in the "combined" condition the two component frames alternated with each other. This method of display ensured that in the "combined" condition there were no within-frame interactions between the components, and that any measured interactions were of perceptual origin. The method of frame alternation meant that the contrasts of the components in both "separated" and "combined" conditions were half of that specified in the stimulus generation program and are reported as such below.
Stimuli—lattice pattern
Sample stimuli are shown in Figures 1 and 2. The diameter of the pattern was 3.7 deg at the viewing distance of 110 cm. There were 11 circles along the oblique diameter and 9 circles along the horizontal and vertical diameters. The circles were arranged such that their nearest neighbors lay along the oblique axes. Each circle had a diameter of 0.197 deg. The separation between circles was 0.347 deg along either oblique axis, and 0.49 deg along the horizontal and vertical axes. All circles were ringed by a 1-pixel-wide black line. The ring helped remove any impressions of transparency in the combined condition and mask any chromatic aberrations at the edges of the circles in the color conditions.
Stimuli—colors
Each component pattern comprised two colors defined as points straddling the midpoint of an axis in a modified version of the MacLeod–Boynton (MB) color space (MacLeod & Boynton, 1979). The isoluminant plane of the MB color space is illustrated in Figure 2c and shows the two major, or "cardinal", as well as intermediate chromatic axes. The luminance axis, which is orthogonal to the isoluminant plane, is not shown. In this version of the MB color space, points are defined by combinations of long-wavelength-sensitive (L), middle-wavelength-sensitive (M), and short-wavelength-sensitive (S) cone contrasts. The three cone contrasts are defined as: L c = ΔL/L b, M c = ΔM/M b, and S c = ΔS/S b (Cole, Hine, & McIlhagga, 1993; Norlander & Koenderink, 1983; Sankeralli & Mullen, 1997; Stromeyer, Cole, & Kronauer, 1985). The denominator in each cone contrast term refers to the cone excitation produced by the background, which was a mid-gray color with CIE chromaticity of x = 0.282 and y = 0.311 and luminance of 40 cd/m2. The numerator in each cone contrast term represents the difference in cone excitation between the circle test color and the background. The LMS cone excitations assigned to each circle and background were converted to RGB phosphor intensities using the cone spectral sensitivity functions provided by Smith and Pokorny (1975) and the measured RGB spectral functions of the monitor.
Three of the five types of component patterns are defined along the three cardinal axes, termed here "S", "L–M" (Figure 2c), and "LUM" (not shown), which stands for luminance. The term "cardinal" implies that the colors uniquely stimulate one of the three post-receptoral mechanisms (Cole et al., 1993; Derrington, Krauskopf, & Lennie, 1984; Krauskopf, Williams, & Heeley, 1982; Norlander & Koenderink, 1983; Sankeralli & Mullen, 1997; Stromeyer et al., 1985). The relative cone contrast inputs to the three post-receptoral mechanisms have been estimated to be as follows: kL c + M c for the luminance mechanism, L c − M c for the mechanism that differences L and M cone contrasts, and S c − (L c + M c)/2 for the mechanism that differences S from the sum of L and M cone contrasts (Cole et al., 1993; Sankeralli & Mullen, 1997; Stromeyer et al., 1985). The parameter k determines the relative weightings of the L and M cone contrast inputs to the luminance mechanism, varies between observers, and was established for each subject (see below). In order to isolate the three cardinal mechanisms from each other, the stimuli must be constructed such that the L–M stimulus does not activate either the LUM or the S mechanism, the S stimulus neither the LUM nor L–M mechanism, and the LUM stimulus neither the S nor L–M mechanism. Kingdom, Rangwala, and Hammamji (2005) used the following combinations of L c, M c, and S c to achieve this:
' L  U  M ' = L c + M c + S c ,
(1a)
' L – M ' = L c − k M c + S c ( 1 − k ) / 2 ,
' S ' = S c .
(1c)
In addition to the LUM, L–M, and S color pairs, we also constructed patterns defined by pairs of colors along the axes intermediate to the chromatic cardinal axes, which we term "S + (L–M)" and "S − (L–M)". To assist the reader, we refer to the five types of component patterns also by their (approximate) hues: "red–cyan" for L–M, "violet–chartreuse" for S, "purple–green" for S + (L + M), "blue–orange" for S − (L–M), and "black–white" for LUM (see Figures 1 and 2).
The measures of contrast reported in Table 1 were calculated as follows: for LUM, the contrast assigned to each of the three cones (i.e., L c = M c = S c); for L–M, the difference between L c and M c; for S, simply S c. For the intermediate S + (L–M) (purple green) and S − (L–M) (blue–orange) colors, the S contrast is given in Table 1, and the L–M contrasts are calculated by multiplying the S contrast by a factor m that equated the perceived S and L–M contrasts and was determined for each subject from the results of the "separated" S and L–M color direction conditions. The value of m, which equates the perceived contrasts of the S and L–M contrasts in the purple–green and blue–orange color stimuli, was determined for each observer to be JB = 0.198, SM = 0.189, and FK = 0.222.
Contrast range R and geometric mean contrast μ for all conditions. For the purple–green and blue–orange contrasts, the range R is given for the S cone contrast, and for the L–M contrast, the range is given by m * S and the mean by m * 0.35. Sub. = subject; cont. = contrast.
Sub.
Violet–chartreuse S
Red–cyan L–M
Purple–green S + (L–M)
Blue–orange S − (L–M)
Black–white LUM
High cont.
Low cont.
JB 0.125 0.025 0.0125 0.1 0.1 0.025 0.015
FK – 0.217 – 0.043 – 0.022 – 0.17 – 0.17 – 0.043 – 0.026
SM 0.375 0.075 0.0375 0.3 0.3 0.075 0.045
EG 0.025 0.025
LC – 0.043 – 0.043
AM 0.0125 0.025
– 0.028 – 0.056
0.0625 0.125
Note that for the L–M and LUM contrasts there is an additional low contrast condition. This was to test for the generality of any result across contrast. Note also that whereas data for all color directions and contrasts was gathered for subjects JB, FK, and SM, only data for the red–cyan color direction were obtained for AM (a naive subject) and EG (an author). Subjects AM and EG were tested on only one condition to test the generality across subjects of the main finding of the study.
Procedure—measurement of isoluminance
Because of inter-subject variation in the relative weightings of the L and M cones that feed the luminance mechanism, it was necessary to ensure that the colors combining L and M cone modulations were isoluminant (S cones have a negligible input to the luminance mechanism; Eskew, McLellan, & Giulianini, 1999). We used the criterion of minimum perceived motion. A 0.025 contrast, 0.5 cpd L–M (red–cyan) sinusoidal grating was set to drift at about 1.0 Hz. Subjects pressed a key to add or subtract luminance contrast to the grating until the perceived motion was at a minimum. Each subject made between 20 and 30 settings. The average amount of luminance contrast added (or subtracted) was used to calculate the parameter k in Equation 1b, which is the ratio of L c to M c in the putative luminance mechanism. For the six subjects, k was determined to be: JB = 0.87, SM = 0.74, FK = 1.7, AM = 1.2, EG = 1.63, and LC = 1.75.
Procedure—"separated" condition
In this condition, the two components were presented separately to the observer on each trial using a two-interval forced-choice (2IFC) procedure. A sample pair of components is shown in the top of Figure 1. The task for the subject was to indicate by a key press the interval containing the more salient stimulus. It was explained to the subject that "more salient" was synonymous with "higher perceived contrast". Each stimulus was presented for 500 ms with an inter-stimulus interval of 500 ms. Trials were initiated by the previous key press, with an interval of 500 ms before the onset of the first stimulus. During each session, 8 ratios of the contrasts of the two components were presented in random order, with 20 trials per ratio, making a total of 160 trials per session. The contrast of each component was selected from 8 logarithmically spaced values with a given range and geometric mean. The contrast ratios between component pairs were chosen such that the geometric mean contrast ratio of the two components was a constant. Thus if the contrasts were indexed a1 to a8 for one component and b1 to b8 for the other, the pairings would be a1 and b8; a2 and b7; a3 and b6; a4 and b5; a5 and b4; a6 and b3; a7 and b2; a8 and b1. The contrasts of each component were selected on the basis of pilot data to ensure that the proportion of responses ranged approximately from "0" to "1". Full details of the ranges and geometric means of the contrasts for all conditions are provided in Table 1.
Procedure—"combined" condition
In the "combined" condition, the two components were added together. The same set of contrasts and contrast ratios were employed as in the "separated" condition. On each trial, the stimulus was presented for 500 ms and a single key press indicated the orientation, left- or right-oblique, that was more salient. After the response, there was a 500-ms inter-trial interval before the next stimulus was presented. As with the separated condition, there were 160 trials per session.
Psychometric functions were fitted and analyzed using the Palamedes toolbox (Prins & Kingdom, 2009). The data were fitted with the Logistic function
F L ( x ; α , β ) = 1 1 + exp ( − β ( x − α ) ) ,
where x is the log (logarithm) ratio of component contrasts, α is the PSE defined as the ratio producing a proportion of 0.5 responses, and β is the slope of the function. The fitting procedure used a maximum likelihood criterion and the errors on the PSE and slope parameters were estimated by parametric bootstrap analysis. Any differences in the PSE and slope estimates between the "separated" and "combined" data were tested for statistical significance using the likelihood ratio test in Palamedes (for an explanation of this test, see Kingdom & Prins, 2010).
Figure 3 shows the complete set of psychometric functions for subject SM, who was naive as to the purpose of the experiment. Each graph plots the proportion of times one component was chosen as more salient than the other as a function of the log (logarithm) contrast ratio of the two components. The green and indigo lines are best fits for the "separated" and "combined" conditions, respectively. PSEs are calculated as the log contrast ratio on the abscissa at the 0.5 level on the ordinate. Note that for the red–cyan versus black–white condition results for two contrast levels are presented (see Table 1 for details). In all graphs, the "combined" psychometric function falls to the left of the "separated" psychometric, and the difference in PSE estimates between the two functions is in all cases highly significant (p < 0.001). The direction of the shift reveals that more luminance contrast relative to color contrast is needed to achieve the PSE in the "combined" compared to "separated" condition.
Psychometric functions for observer SM, who was naive to the purpose of the experiment. The ordinate on each graph gives the proportion of times the color pattern was selected as more salient than the luminance pattern. The abscissa gives the logarithm of the ratio of color to luminance contrast. Continuous lines are fitted logistic functions, green for the "separated", indigo for the "combined" condition. All except the top middle graph show data for the high-contrast conditions detailed in Table 1; the top middle graph shows data for the red–cyan low-contrast condition.
Figure 4 shows the PSE estimates for all subjects and all conditions. Raw rather than log contrast ratios are shown on the ordinates, albeit spaced logarithmically. As can be seen, for all subjects and all color directions, PSEs are higher for the "separated" compared to "combined" conditions, and the difference is in every case highly significant (p < 0.001). The data therefore show throughout that more luminance contrast relative to color contrast is needed to achieve the PSE in the "combined" compared to "separated" conditions. Red–cyan data for three additional subjects (AM, EG, and LC) are shown to test for between-subject reliability in the main result.
PSEs for all subjects and color directions. The ordinate plots the ratio of color to luminance contrast at the PSE. Note that the ordinate values are logarithmically spaced. Green bars are for the "separated" and indigo bars are for the "combined" conditions. Error bars are standard errors derived by bootstrap analysis. The top middle graph shows data for the red–cyan low-contrast condition; all other graphs show data for the high-contrast conditions detailed in Table 1. The red–cyan versus black–white graph shows data for three additional subjects who were tested for between-subject reliability. The differences between the separated and combined PSEs are all significant (p < 0.001) except for LC's red–cyan versus black–white condition.
To compare results across different color directions and contrast, we first calculated the difference in PSE between separated and combined conditions for the three subjects who performed all conditions: JB, FK, and SM. A within-subjects one-way ANOVA (analysis of variance) with Color Direction as a factor revealed no significant difference between color directions at the p < 0.05 level [F(3, 6) = 0.741; p = 0.57]. To test for any differences between the cardinal and intermediate color directions, we combined the data for the two cardinal and for the two intermediate directions and conducted a within-subjects t-test but found no significant difference [t(2) = 1.07; p = 0.4]. Finally, we found no significant difference between the high and low contrast conditions in the red–cyan versus black–white condition [t(2) = 0.46; p = 0.69].
Masking or grouping?
Two possible explanations for the PSE difference spring to mind. The first is that in the combined condition the color modulations mask the luminance modulations. The second is that in the combined condition a competitive grouping process occurs that favors the color modulations and renders them more salient. How might one test between the two explanations? If masking is the reason for the PSE difference, it presumably occurs because the color and luminance contrasts are added together within each circle of the lattice. Therefore, one way to test between the two above explanations is to use a stimulus in which the color and luminance modulations are not added to the same circles but put into different circles. Figure 5 shows how this can be achieved. In the red–cyan component, a random selection of half of the circles is filled with colors, and in the black–white component, the other circles are filled. Thus when the two components are combined, all the circles are filled, but no circle contains both color and luminance contrasts. We refer to the stimuli in Figure 5 collectively as the "segregated" conditions, in contrast to the "non-segregated" conditions used in the previous experiments. The question is whether the same PSE difference is found with the segregated as with the non-segregated conditions. If it is, this would show that the PSE difference is not contingent on the color and luminance components being together within each circle, and that it is therefore not due to masking but to some other process such as grouping. On the other hand, if the PSE difference disappears in the segregated condition, this would suggest that the results of the main experiment are due to masking not grouping.
Stimuli used in segregated condition experiment. In the red–cyan component pattern, only half the circles are filled with color, and in the black–white component, the other half are filled. When the components are combined, all circles are filled, but the color and luminance contrasts remain segregated.
We therefore repeated the experiment using the segregated stimuli illustrated in Figure 5. On each trial, a random selection of 50% of circles in one of the components was filled with red–cyan, and the other 50% of circles in the other component were filled with black–white. Data were gathered for the same six subjects that performed the red–cyan versus black–white condition in the main experiment, and the results are shown in Figure 6. The direction of the PSE difference is completely reversed in 5 out of the 6 subjects (compare with the upper left graph in Figure 4). The (reversed) PSE difference is highly significant (p < 0.001) in all subjects except the one not showing a reversal, for which the difference was not significant. This means that with the segregated stimuli, more color relative to luminance is required to balance the modulation saliencies in the combined compared to the separated condition. This suggests that the PSE difference in the main experiment is contingent upon the color and luminance modulations being together within the circles of the lattice, and therefore that masking not grouping is its cause.
Results for the segregated condition. PSEs are plotted for each subject. The direction of the PSE shift is now reversed (compare to upper left graph in Figure 4), for all subjects except AM.
Averaging the results of the main experiment across subjects and color direction, the difference in PSE between the "separated" and "combined" conditions is −0.17 log units, corresponding to a 48% difference. The direction of the PSE difference shows that more luminance contrast relative to color contrast is needed to balance the two modulations in the "combined" compared to "separated" conditions. In terms of the magnitude of this PSE difference, we found no significant differences between different color directions, between cardinal and intermediate color directions, and between low and high contrasts. This suggests that the effect generalizes across color direction and contrast.
In and of itself, the finding does not tell us whether color contrast masks luminance contrast, luminance contrast enhances color contrast, both luminance and color contrasts are masked but the former more than the latter, or both luminance and color contrasts are enhanced but the latter more than the former. However, a brief scrutiny of the "combined" stimuli suggests that neither of the enhancement scenarios is the case: as one might expect, the colors appear less saturated in the combined compared to separated conditions. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that in the main experiment color contrast has a greater masking effect on brightness contrast than does luminance contrast on color contrast, and the discussion that follows starts from this premise.
It might be supposed that the reason why color contrast dominates over luminance contrast in the combined condition is because the background is gray, i.e., achromatic like the black–white component. Perhaps the black–white component pattern blends into the background more than does the color component pattern, and that therefore more black–white contrast is needed to balance the color pattern. The problem with this argument is that it predicts the opposite of what was found; one would expect the black–white component to maximally blend into the background when presented on its own rather than when combined with the color pattern, resulting in relatively more black–white contrast to balance the color contrast in the "separated" compared to "combined" condition.
A second experiment showed that the masking effects of color occurred only when the color and luminance contrasts were added within each circle of the lattice. When the color and luminance contrasts were segregated into different circles, the direction of the PSE difference reversed in 5 out of 6 subjects. In other words with the segregated conditions, less luminance contrast was needed to balance the components in the combined compared to separated patterns. This suggests three things. First, the direction of the PSE difference in the main experiment is a result of masking rather than grouping; second, there is a competitive grouping process operating in the combined conditions, but it favors luminance over color; third, the size of the masking effect observed in the main experiment may, if anything, be an underestimate. This third conclusion follows the argument that if the competitive grouping process revealed in the segregated condition also occurs in the main experiment, it will tend to reduce the masking effect of the color because it operates in the opposite direction.
The results from this experiment that lend themselves most directly to comparison with those from previous studies are the results from the separated condition. Switkes and Crognale (1999; and see also Switkes, 2008) matched the saliencies of gratings defined along the LUM, L–M, and S cardinal axes. From a visual inspection of their Figure 3, it appears that the mean contrast matching ratios were approximately 0.6 for L–M matched with LUM and 4.2 for S matched with LUM. If we recalculate the contrasts of our stimuli in terms of the measure used by Switkes and Crognale (1999), who defined contrast as the square root of the sums of squares of the L, M, and S cone contrasts, the mean contrast matching ratios in our "separated" condition are approximately 0.7 for L–M with LUM and 3.0 for S with LUM. Given the difference in the stimuli between the two studies, the measures are surprisingly similar.
The results of the present study are consistent with an oft-noted observation that luminance contrasts are perceptually "dampened" by spatially aligned color contrasts (e.g., Kingdom & Kasrai, 2006). Moreover, as was noted in the Introduction section, Chen et al. (2000a) and Switkes et al. (1988) found that high-contrast color masks elevate thresholds for luminance targets more than high-contrast luminance masks elevate thresholds for color targets, which is consistent with our findings. However, as we stressed in the Introduction section, performance-based threshold measurements and appearance-based salience measurements do not necessarily tap into the same set of visual mechanisms.
There are two important caveats to our assertion that suprathreshold color variations mask suprathreshold luminance variations. Our results were obtained using a particular stimulus, one in which the dominant orientations of the color and luminance components were orthogonal. We do not know therefore whether similar results would be obtained if the color and luminance components were spatially aligned, although it seems reasonable to suppose that they would. The stimulus/task we have employed in this study does not lend itself easily to testing for interactions between spatially aligned suprathreshold color and luminance contrasts, so the effects of spatial alignment must await a different experimental approach.
Our results are congruent with the idea that one of the functional roles of color vision is to signal material changes rather than non-uniform illumination. If those luminance variations that are aligned with color variations are masked by the color variations, as suggested here, this might facilitate the segmentation of the image into its material and non-uniform illumination layers (Kingdom & Kasrai, 2006).
As a final note, one arguable shortcoming of the present study is that we have not explored in detail the interaction between color and luminance contrasts across the full range of color and luminance contrast levels. Although we found no significant difference between the two contrast levels we tested in the red–cyan versus black–white condition, it is possible that significant differences would have emerged had we independently manipulated color and luminance contrasts across the full range of their contrasts. We hope to use the present method to explore in greater detail the contrast dependence of color suppression of brightness in a future study.
The research was supported by Canadian Institute of Health Research Grant 11554 awarded to FK.
Commercial relationships: none.
Corresponding author: Frederick A. A. Kingdom.
Email: fred.kingdom@mcgill.ca.
Address: Department of Ophthalmology, McGill Vision Research, 687 Pine Av. W. Rm. H4-14, Montreal, Quebec, H3A 1A1, Canada.
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text:
Pete and Zeena and the Secret Code
16 กรกฎาคม 2022 16 กรกฎาคม 2022 พามิลา เพชรอ่วม ไม่มีหมวดหมู่
The traveling family in the original film is complex. Goulding's direction features ensemble acting, which better fits the theatrical settings of the tent carnies. The first half of the film takes place in a world of live entertainment, and the actors dance off each other.
Both Mike Mazurki in the original film, and Ron Perlman in the remake, allow the strongman Bruno to bear the brunt of not being able to hold the family together, and arranging the shotgun marriage which tears it apart. Their roles are similar, and they bring an earthy class to both films.
Their relationships are shaded and tangled, but loving and protective
Del Toro focuses squarely on Cooper. It is his film. The other characters are brushed off into more isolated scenes to keep Carlisle in the spotlight. We are rooting for him as he and his wife Molly (Rooney Mara) run off to do nightclubs as a headlining spiritualist act. We worry when he promises wealthy clientele he can communicate with the dead, knowing spook shows are treacherous.
Power isn't even always center stage in the framing of the original film. Stanton is figuratively relegated to the archetypal femme fatale of the era, climbing the ladder of success one woman at a time. Even as the original Stan is promising to make Molly (Coleen Gray) happy, he's only got eyes for the future. He doesn't see her. He only sees the money they'll make.
The 1947 film adaptation was forced to limit Stanton and Zeena's affair to a few arm kisses, a caress, and a visual distraction. The remake's Zeena, an alleged medium and seer, is played by Toni Colette as more up front. She declares Stan is "easy on the eyes," has a kind of panache, and one-tenth of a dollar only gets so much soft soap. She's a little more wary of the new hire's ambition than Blondell's fortune teller, but cuts him some slack, mainly from the bottom of the deck.
Mazurki was a Hungarian wrestler before he became a reliable character actor, and Perlman is as likable and intimidating as his predecessor
The science of tarot reading is far more detailed and revered in the 1947 film. Blondell's Zeena gives a full rundown on the cards, their placement, relation, and the significant variations on whether they are pulled by hand or land by fortuitous accident. The novel is laid out as a tarot spread, each chapter is named for a card in the Major Arcana. The ease with which these cards repeatedly foretell downfall in both films is a little too Hollywood, where the death card is always literal. Both Collette and Blondell's Zeena genuinely believe in the power of the cards. The sideshow soothsayer may be a fake in everything else, but pentacles, swords, aces, and wands are a language to her.
In the original film, Zeena admits she's "about as reliable as a two-dollar coronet," but her belief in the tarot is so committed, no one questions her predictions until Stan accuses her of stacking the deck to con him. Nonetheless, the card gets under Stan's skin, whether the deal is real or underhanded. He is powerless against its venerated status. Stan knows the cards will always tell the truth. He's been trained to respect them. In the updated version, Stan dismissively flips the reversed Hanged Man over. AnastasiaDate citas "There, I fixed it," he sneers.
In the 1947 film, Pete (Ian Keith), a one-time headliner now a broken drunk, is protective of his mentalist secrets, especially "The Code," the system of words and correlative numbers he and Zeena use to read minds while blindfolded. The film follows noir fatalism, sees class as predetermined, and booze as the great leveler. Zeena and Pete made the big time but got kicked back down to the life of a traveling carnival, where they belong.
Needless to say, we need to establish a formula to search for the opposite gender


Maximize your calorie burn with these exercises. That's because steps are designed to be short so that you need to interact additional muscles, like your glutes, quads, and calves, to carry your physique up. Take your cardio to the following degree, er, step by doing this HIIT StairMaster exercise , working your means from a comfortable, average tempo to all-out effort.
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Trailblazing Women: Creators That Made A Difference features 25 influential films—and the women behind them—from the silent era through today. Actress, producer and director Illeana Douglas hosts the month-long event, with a bevy of successful female screenwriters, directors and producers co-hosting.
The series kicks off October 2 with the 1925 silent epic Ben-Hur, written by Bess Meredyth. A different era—and set of "trailblazers"— is examined each Monday through October. Expand your cinematic knowledge by watching classics like Cabaret, Bonnie and Clyde, Hannah and Her Sisters and more. Check out the full schedule here.
Now in its third and final year, Trailblazing Women is a partnership between Women in Film Los Angeles and TCM to raise awareness about women's historical contributions to the movie industry.
Learn more about Trailblazing Women: Creators That Made A Difference.


centrotherm international AG, Blaubeuren, (ISIN: DE000A1TNMM9 and DE000A1TNMN7) reports EUR 175.5 million of new order intake in the 2017 financial year, its highest level of the past four years. This intake especially included large-scale projects for production solutions for PERC solar cells and CIGS thin film modules for photovoltaic industry customers. The latter will be recognized as revenue mainly in the 2018 financial year. The order book position of EUR 175.3 million as of December 31, 2017 was equally at a high level.
Management Board member Gunter Fauth adds: "Based on our core competences in thermal and vacuum coating processes, we have also developed processes for existing industrial applications in other sectors and we worked on new mass production systems. We are thereby consistently pursuing our diversification strategy, and anticipate sales potential over the coming years within our corporate group. We have also further progressed strategic projects such as lean operations and global sourcing in order to enhance our production output and cut manufacturing costs."
The Group generated revenue of around EUR 102 million in the 2017 financial year. In particular, as customer acceptances had not yet occurred as of the 2017 year-end due to longer project durations, the revenue target of between EUR 120 million and EUR 160 million was not attained. The Group's total operating performance of EUR 149.8 million clearly reflects its high production capacity utilization over the past year.
The centrotherm Group reports earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization of around EUR 18.6 million, which derives mainly from the deconsolidation of subsidiaries, offset, however, by losses incurred on the deconsolidated companies' activities during the 2017 financial year, as well as provisions connected with the for-mer large-scale project in Algeria.
The Management Board regards the centrotherm Group as technologically well-prepared to meet market demands in the photovoltaic, semiconductor and microelectronics industries. Leading Asian solar cell and module manufacturers are investing in establishing new production capacities for highly efficient solar cell concepts such as PERC, in order to further expand their market shares. PERC solar cells will reach a market share of more than 40% by 2020, according to recent market studies (ITRPV Roadmap). The Management Board expects an expansion of PERC production capacities at many customers in Asia over the coming 18 to 24 months, and sees good market opportunities in the region for centrotherm's PERC solution.
In the semiconductor industry, too, technology-provider centrotherm anticipates rising demand in connection with production solutions for 300 mm wafers as well as for new applications in silicon carbide technology. The same applies to the microelectronics industry and other growth areas such as optics and storage systems, for which the centrotherm Group is offering innovative production solutions.
Against this background, the Management Board expects revenue between EUR 110 million and EUR 150 million for the 2018 financial year. Despite the difficult market environment in the photovoltaic sector and the high level of pricing and compet-itive pressure, the Group aims for a breakeven result at the EBITDA level.
Note: The full report for the financial year 2017 is available in German for downloading from our website under the Investor Relations heading.
We jointly confront the daily challenges of setting new trends, maximizing the efficiency of producing, for example, solar cells and semiconductors, and securing investments, coupled with our long machine lifetimes. In this way, we generate valuable competitive advantages for our customers through targeted process innovations and production solutions.


This DIY video of How To Prepare a Surface for Painting. It is easy to follow so beginners can easily learn the step-by-step procedures in preparing a surface for painting. Watch this video before getting started and observe the right way on how to prepare a surface for painting.
If you are planning to buy a home, unit or investment property, make sure you have one of our building and pest inspections first. If you're living in Brisbane and in Gold Coast, call Aegis Safe. The leading expert in building inspections and pest inspections as well as pool safety inspections. We service the Gold Coast and Brisbane. Book now your pre-purchase building inspections.


This organization chart sample was created on the base of the figure from the website of New York State Education Department (NYSED).
"The New York State Education Department is part of the University of the State of New York (USNY), one of the most complete, interconnected systems of educational services in the United States."
"The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is a cabinet-level department of the U.S. federal government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics; many U.S. states also have such departments. The department is headed by the U.S. Secretary of Labor.


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Lipizzan Horse Origin and Characteristics
The Lipizzan horse, or the Lipizzaner, is a breed that is associated with a Spanish riding school in Vienna, Austria. This breed is known for its movement and ability to perform classical dressage haute ecole, with a particular movement that creates "airs above ground." For several centuries, this breed has been taught dressage with traditional methods at the same school.
Airs Above Ground is a movement where the horse raises both front legs to stand at a 30-degree angle with control. Some can perform the pesade, which is a 45-degree angle. Then the horse transitions to the courbette, which requires jumping on the hind legs while elevated. A transition to the capriole follows, which is a leap into the air as the forelegs are tucked underneath, followed by kicking out the hind legs while at the peak of the jump.
Lipizzans have been an endangered breed throughout much of their existence. Every time war sweeps through Europe, this breed tends to take the brunt of the punishment. By the end of the second global war, the Lipizzans were almost completely extinct. A rescue of a small herd by Allied troops during the war helped to preserve the breed.
Even so, there are just 8 stallions that are recognized as being foundation horses for the modern breed. All current Lipizzans can trace their lineage to one of these eight stallions and their names are reflective of that lineage.
With a population of more than 10,000 in nearly 20 countries, the Lipizzan no longer faces the same threats it once did. By knowing what this breed faced in the past, however, we can hopefully prevent history from repeating itself once again.
Spanische Hofreitschule Wien , Vienna < Austria #Lipizzan #horse #lipizzanerhorses #whitehorses #Wien #Vienna #Austria pic.twitter.com/Dk5HUM4zG2
— Magdalena (@MagdalenaHSB) August 2, 2017
What Is the History of the Lipizzan Horse?
The Lipizzan as a breed began in the 16th century. The Habsburg nobility were looking to create a specific breed with unique traits, so they financially supported early stud farms around the Italian village of Lipica. That is how the breed got its name.
The ancestry of the breed, however, can be traced to the 7th century. The Moors brought Barb horses into Spain as they settled into the Iberian Peninsula in the generations after the fall of the Roman Empire. These Barb horses were mixed with the local Spanish stock, creating several new horse breeds, including the Andalusian.
When the Habsburgs ruled Austria and Spain, they desired to have a horse that was powerful, fashionable, and agile. They needed the horse to have a temperament that allowed it to serve during times of war, yet be reflective of royalty for everyday purposes. Beginning in 1562, studs were established to cross Arabian, Barb, and Spanish horses. The offspring from these horses were then crossed with the Neapolitan and other Baroque horse breeds.
One stud farm was located in Kladrub, while the other was in Lipica. After the second crossing in the breeding program, the stock was exchanged between the two stud farms. This provided the Lipizzan horse with a solid genetic profile that has helped it to remain a relevant and healthy breed, despite its flirtation with extinction over the past century.
There are 6 classical dynasties that are recognized within the Lipizzan breed.
Conversano. He was a black Neapolitan stallion that was foaled in 1767.
Favory. He was a dun stallion, coming from the Kladrub farm, and was foaled in 1779.
Maestoso. He was a gray stallion, also from Kladrub, who was foaled in 1773. This lineage is also traced to Maestoso X, who was foaled in 1819.
Neapolitano. He was a bay Neapolitan stallion, who was foaled in 1790.
Pluto. He was a gray Spanish stallion foaled in 1765.
Siglavy. He was a gray Arabian stallion, foaled in Syria in 1810.
The breed associations for the Lipizzan Horse recognize two additional stallion lines. They are found in the US, Croatia, Hungary, and Eastern Europe.
Incitato is the first, who was a stallion with a Spanish ancestry. Foaled in 1802, he was sold to a Hungarian stud farm after being raised in Transylvania.
Tulipan is the second. He was a black stallion with a Spanish pedigree who was foaled around the turn of the 19th century in Croata.
Breed registries require a specific naming pattern for all Lipizzan horses. Stallions are given two names: one for the sire line and one for the dam line. There are up to 35 recognized mare lines in addition to the 8 stallion lines that are currently recognized.
Lipizzan horses 🐎#horses #horse #nature #naturephotography #nautrelovers #horseslove #field #white #whitehorse pic.twitter.com/AdmWAEtfsG
— Sabina Durini (@sabinadurini) September 4, 2016
What Are the Characteristics of the Lipizzan Horse?
The average Lipizzan will stand between 14.2-15.2 hands high. Some can be taller than 16 hands, especially if the breeder is focusing on carriage-type characteristics for the horse.
This breed has a head that is noticeably long when compared to other breeds, supported by a neck that is arched and sturdy. The profile is typically straight, but some have one that is just a bit convex. The jaw should be deep, while the ears are smaller than average. A Lipizzan should have expressive eyes, flared nostrils, and a carriage that is proud, tall, and well-set.
Withers for the Lipizzan are broad, muscular, and low.
The remainder of the profile is similar to what one would find on any other Baroque-style horse. It should have a chest that is deep and wide, with a muscular shoulder and a broader croup than other breeds. The feet tend to be smaller than average, but still quite tough. Legs are well-muscled, strong, and supported by strong joints.
The Habsburg family had a preference for gray horses, so that color was emphasized in breeding programs. It is still the dominant gene in the modern breed as well. Many foals are born a darker color, often black or bay, and their coat transitions to a light color as they age.
Until the 18th century, however, other coat colors were quite common, including black, chestnut, dun, and bay. Skewbald and piebald coats were possible as well. These other coat colors are still possible, though rare. The Spanish riding school has a tradition of keeping at least one bay Lipizzan stallion and that tradition continues today.
Lipizzans are also known for maturing slower than other breeds, but this makes them a long-lived breed. The complete process to reach maturity can be up to 10 years for some of the horses.
In Conclusion About the Lipizzan Horse
Lipizzan horses have starred in numerous films and television shows because of their distinctive appearance. They have competed at the highest levels in dressage and other show events. Numerous books and poems have been written about this breed, giving it an air of romanticism.
The Lipizzan may have been ordered by royalty and bred to meet specific preferences, but its agility, temperament, and willingness to learn make it an attractive horse for everyone today.


Prefer a ticket to the World of Birds & 70 other attractions?
Step into Africa's largest bird sanctuary and one of the few large bird parks in the world at World of Birds. Visitors can get up close and personal with birds indigenous to South Africa, including ostriches, cormorants, pelicans, penguins, parrots and others. Avery guides are available to explain these fascinating feathered creatures and their various behaviours. World of Birds also hosts a Monkey Jungle, where visitors can interact with the inquisitive resident squirrel monkeys. It's a fun-filled and informative day out for the whole family, and a real paradise for nature lovers, photographers and kids.
The World of Birds is set in the beachside town of Hout Bay at the foot of Table Mountain. The wooded valley was named by the Dutch, and translates to 'wood bay'. Set amongst the trees, World of Birds Wildlife has over 3,000 birds of 400 different species stretched over four hectares of land. There are more than 100 walk-through aviaries, and birdlife including falcons, eagles, owls, flamingos and buzzards. There are also mammals at the park, with baboons, meerkats and porcupines, as well as a few small reptiles on show.


No Problem. I know lots of people just stick the LED strip on the side of the trailer underneath the awning which is probably better than nothing, but I can't imagine it being as effective a light source with the LEDs facing out vs. LEDs facing down.
The adhesive backing on the one I posted is not exactly stellar. Ended up stapling the strip to an exposed wood beam in my pass through storage. Just a heads up.


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Tag Archives: cis tarrant
Fiscal conservatives seek more state budget cuts
By Chuck Lindell
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 9:36 p.m. Tuesday, March 20, 2012
An improving economy may be lifting some pressure from a strained state budget, but an influential coalition of fiscal conservatives gathered Tuesday at the Capitol to press for additional cuts to government spending.
Much of the $15 billion in budget cuts implemented during last year's contentious legislative session were one-time accounting gimmicks that are no longer available and merely delayed costs until the next budget fight begins in the 2013 session, said Talmadge Heflin, a former state representative and fiscal policy director for the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Legislators must begin working now, he said, to form a smaller government that requires no new tax money or other revenue.
"We've been looking at writing the budget, at funding state government, as a math issue. And now is the time when we have to start looking at it as a governance issue," Heflin said.
The coalition, Texans for a Conservative Budget, worked during last year's budget debate to fight tax increases and keep the state's rainy day fund intact amid a massive budget shortfall due largely to the economic recession.
This time around, the coalition is recommending that state agencies, colleges and universities cut at least 3 percent from their 2013 budgets, estimated to save $1.1 billion, and 7 percent from their 2014-15 budgets for savings of $8 billion to $10 billion.
Some recommendations were broad: cut overregulation, reduce social-welfare spending, shift transportation money from rail to other congestion-relieving projects.
Specific cuts were suggested as well, such as eliminating funding for eight agencies, offices or boards, including the Commission on the Arts and Texas Historical Commission, with essential services shifted to other agencies.
The coalition also suggested eliminating two economic-development funds prized by Gov. Rick Perry: the Texas Enterprise Fund and Emerging Technology Fund.
Budget writers must examine every state agency with only one question in mind, said Julie Drenner with the Heartland Institute, another coalition member: "Do I reform it, or do I eliminate it?"
Dick Lavine, senior fiscal analyst for the Center for Public Policy Priorities, which advocates for low-income Texans, said the coalition is proposing cuts that ignore the needs of a fast-growing population.
"They're trying to starve the future," Lavine said. "We need to focus on things like investments in education that are going to pay off big-time for us — if we are willing to make the investments now. We will make back that investment many times over in terms of a more prosperous state and a more skilled workforce."
Texans for a Conservative Budget was successful last year in persuading legislators to pass a two-year state budget that did not raise taxes or tap the rainy day fund to meet shortfalls in the 2012-13 budget.
Expecting the budget fight to be even more intense in the 2013 legislative session that begins in January, the coalition re-formed this spring to offer Tuesday's broad outline of budget priorities, with more specific recommendations expected in the coming months, said Arlene Wohlgemuth, executive director of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Michael Quinn Sullivan with Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, another coalition member, said failing to heed the call for cuts could jeopardize legislators' election hopes. "Raising taxes and seeking new revenue sources is off the table for Texas taxpayers and voters, and so it needs to be also for lawmakers," he said.
The coalition also includes American Majority, Americans for Prosperity and Americans for Tax Reform.
Contact Chuck Lindell at 912-2569
Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: blog, budget cuts, cis, cis tarrant, communities in schools, communities in schools of greater tarrant county, dfw, drop out prevention, dropout prevention, education, fort worth, integrated student services, news, nonprofit, running with scissors blog, social work, texas, tx, update | Permalink.
by CIS Tarrant	1 Comment
Texas High School Graduation Rates Rising
Report: Texas high school graduation rates rising
WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press
Updated 12:12 a.m., Monday, March 19, 2012
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas' graduation rate for high school students increased 1.9 percent since 2002 to just below the national average, according to a new report by a coalition of education groups.
The report found that high school graduation rates rose from 73.5 percent to 75.4 percent between 2002 and 2009— and pulled almost even with the 2009 average nationwide of 75.5 percent.
The national graduation rate, though, increased faster than the state's, climbing 2.9 percent over the same 7-year period. The biggest gains nationwide came in Tennessee, where rates jumped 17.8 percent, and New York, which increased 13 percent, between 2002 and 2009.
The report did not provide a state-by-state ranking, but comparing results showed that Texas and Colorado are tied for 28th, just behind Oregon and just ahead of Michigan, Rhode Island and Hawaii. Wisconsin led the nation with a graduation rate of 90.7, while Nevada was last with 56.3 percent.
The report will be presented Monday in Washington at the Building a Grad Nation summit sponsored by America's Promise Alliance, a children's advocacy organization founded by former Secretary of State Colin Powell. It was authored by John Bridgeland and Mary Bruce of Civic Enterprises, a public policy firm focused on social change, and Robert Balfanz and Joanna Fox of the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University.
The authors used the Averaged Freshman Graduation Rate, which tracks first-year students through all their years in high school, since they said it was the best and most-recent data available nationwide.
More good news for Texas came in the state's percentage of 4th graders testing at or above proficient in reading, which increased a single percentage point to 28 percent between 2003 and last year. The percentage of 8th graders testing at or above proficient in math also jumped from 25 percent to 40 percent over the same period.
Texas is in the first year of implementing a new standardized testing system, and some districts have drawn criticism for spending more time preparing kids for statewide exams than they do on actual classroom instruction. But Robert Scott, appointed by Gov. Rick Perry as head of the Texas Education Agency, has maintained that students statewide are improving in reading, math and science — and that their high school graduation rates have increased — despite more-strenuous standardized testing.
Categories: Education, Updates & News | Tags: blog, cis, cis tarrant, communities in schools, communities in schools of greater tarrant county, drop out prevention, dropout prevention, education, increase graduation, integrated student services, national graduation rate, news, nonprofit, social work, texas, texas education agency, texas high school graduation rates rising | Permalink.
Fond Memories
I have been employed with CIS for the past 4 years & I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience with CIS.
I was first introduced to CIS shortly after I moved to Texas upon graduating from Western Carolina University. I was furiously job hunting & knew very little about Texas or the social work job opportunities here. While scouring the internet for social work jobs, I came across the CIS website. I knew the moment I stumbled upon the CIS website that this job was for me. I enjoy working with children and their families and thought CIS would be the perfect fit. So, I decided to apply for the Project Manager position.
A couple of weeks later, I received a call for an interview. I was so excited and anxious throughout the interview. I really hoped to get this job.
After a second interview, I shortly received a call from Myra letting me know I got the job. I was so excited I did not know what to do. Little did I know the exciting and wonderful journey I would begin by accepting a position with CIS.
My time with CIS has been an exciting. I have gotten to work with and help many families. I feel that I have been able to make a difference in their lives. I am not going to say it has always been an easy journey, but it has been an enjoyable one.
Although it has been challenging at times balancing the many roles and responsibilities a CIS social worker takes on, I am happy I had the opportunity to have this unique social work experience. It is not often that people can say they love what they do, but I honestly do and would not trade my experience with CIS for anything.
I will truly miss my Azle Elementary and my CIS family when I leave Texas this summer to go back home to North Carolina. I will cherish the fond memories I have made.
-Staci Ward
Categories: CIS Staff Posts | Tags: blog, cis, cis social work, cis tarrant, communities in schools, communities in schools of greater tarrant county, dallas, dfw, dropout prevention, education, education blog, fort worth, integrated student services, nonprofit, running with scissors, social work, social workers, texas, texas education, tx | Permalink.
For more information, please contact Alejandra Morado at alejandra.morado@cistarrant.org or (817) 446-5454.
Categories: Fundraisers | Tags: blog, celebrating 20 years, celebration, cis, cis celebration luncheon, cis tarrant, communities in schools, communities in schools of greater tarrant county, deborah ferguson, dfw, drop out prevention, dropout prevention, education, fort worth, integrated student services, nonprofit, nonprofit blog, reunited and it feels so good, running with scissors blog, social work, texas, tx | Permalink.
New Addition to Our CIS Family
I recently joined Communities In Schools as Vice President and Chief Development Officer. I joined CIS because they make a difference. Cliché, right?
Not when you have the results to prove it.
Since the earliest days of organized altruism, people support charitable organizations because they want to "make a difference," to "strengthen the community," to "change lives," etc. These sentiments, while noble, lead to a key question that many organizations struggle to answer with concrete evidence. And it is a pertinent question that funders are now demanding an answer to: You say you are making a difference. Can you prove it?
I joined Communities In Schools because they CAN prove it.
Last year, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) funded an independent, national research project led by Texas A&M University (WHOOP!) that included every drop-out program in the nation. This study concluded that Communities In Schools is the only program in America that can prove both reduced dropout rates and improved graduation rates. 97% of the at-risk children served by CIS remain in school.
Our dedicated staff work intensely with children facing a wide range of challenges which, if left unaddressed, will have a devastating effect. Every day our staff see children who face hunger, gangs, lack of shelter, pregnancy, and the list goes on.
You know the story of the man who takes a walk on the beach and sees hundreds of starfish washed up on the shore? In the story, the man sees a stranger picking up one starfish at a time and tossing it back in the ocean. When the man asks the stranger why he bothers (because he can't possibly save them all), the stranger replies, "no, but I saved that one." This story, while heartwarming, is little comfort to a social worker who goes to bed on Friday night wondering if one of the children at their school will have enough food to sustain them over the weekend, for it is not the hundreds of success stories that stick with this social worker. It's the face of the child who desperately needs someone to reach out to them, someone to help them navigate and obtain the resources available in the community, someone to empower them. And there are many in need.
The CIS program works, and it is my goal to support this amazing organization by raising needed resources to ensure the program is available to children who need it, and to the school principals who demand it. Yes, you heard that right. Principals in nearly every district in Tarrant County have heard of the success of the CIS program and have expressed desire to bring it to their school because, at the end of the day, they know the CIS social workers will provide their at-risk students with resources and services the school can't. Even while school budgets are being slashed, our program, since 1992, has grown from serving 2 schools to serving 38. And the demand is growing.
As Communities In Schools celebrates 20 years of helping children succeed in school and in life, we are thankful to our supporters in the community who have made our services possible, and we look ahead to the next decade of demonstrating that CIS is the proven dropout prevention program.
Lindsey Garner
Categories: CIS Staff Posts | Tags: blog, cis, cis tarrant, communities in schools, communities in schools of greater tarrant county, dallas, dfw, drop out prevention, dropout prevention, education, fort worth, integrated student services, lindsey garner, nonprofit, results, running with scissors blog, social work, social workers, TEA, teachers education agency, texas, tx | Permalink.
Breaking News from Austin
COMMISSIONER SCOTT TELLS EDUCATORS THE SYSTEM HAS BECOME A PERVERSION OF ORIGINAL INTENT
"I cannot and will not certify the ban on social promotions unless there are resources to provide interventions to students who need to pass the test."
Robert Scott, in a speech before superintendents and school board trustees this afternoon, pulled the biggest gun out of the education commissioner's arsenal to guarantee lawmakers will start sending new money to schools next session.
Scott's speech to the Texas Association of School Administrators' Midwinter Conference was probably the best speech ever has given to the group during his years as interim and permanent commissioner. In it, he included an apology for the recent $4 billion in education funding cuts, plus the $1.4 billion carved out of the state education agency, much of which went to raising student achievement.
Too much has been loaded onto the state's current accountability system, Scott said, a system which is dominated by a growing number of high-stakes tests that Scott generally supports. That includes a new requirement that high school students pass 12 end-of-course tests in order to graduate, starting with the Class of 2015.
"I believe that testing is good for some things, but the system that we created has become a perversion of its original intent," Scott said, to thunderous applause from the school officials. "The intent to improve teaching and learning has gone too far afield, and I look forward to reeling it back in."
So how does the education commissioner do that, when the power to broaden graduation requirements is given to the Legislature, and the power to set standards and curriculum is shared with the State Board of Education? In this case, Scott is going to turn to a provision in law added by Democrat Sen. Royce West when the accountability system recently was overhauled and new requirements added.
"As we move into implementation of end-of-course exams and STAAR, I believe that additional resources will be needed in the future," Scott said. "And I will tell you that the legislative appropriations request that the agency makes to the next Legislature will reflect that, and I will say this as well, and this is going to get me in trouble when I tell you but the law says it anyway, I cannot and will not certify the ban on social promotions unless there are resources to provide interventions to students who need to pass the test. That is the law. And I cannot and will not do so unless those resources are appropriated by the next legislature."
That's one long complicated quote, right? And it's hard to know, on its surface, exactly what it means without putting in a call from West, who has a clear understanding what such a decision might mean.
"When we passed the legislation several years ago – the legislation with all the social promotion consequences when kids failed to pass high-stakes testing – the state agreed that it would provide the resources necessary in order to make certain all students could pass the test," West said. "I made the point that if the state doesn't live up to its part of this partnership, then the children shouldn't be held accountable for the passage of those tests. That's what's meant by certifying."
So this is how it would go down: Scott would carry an appropriations request to the Legislature. The Legislature would choose to either fund or partially fund that request. If Scott's not sufficiently confident that the funding will cover the cost of higher standards in classrooms around the state, then he can choose not to certify and render the state's entire testing system null and void.
How that would play out is hard to imagine and possibly a huge headache for lawmakers, many of whom are not enamored of the current testing system. Would tests count for school ratings but not for student performance? If that section of law is voided, even temporarily, how will students graduate?
"I wouldn't say that takes the accountability system off the table, but if we're not providing the resources, the kids shouldn't be responsible for passing the tests," West said. "We need to have the revenue necessary to provide the resources."
How Scott, possibly in conjunction with higher education commissioner Raymund Paredes, would determine the magic number that constitutes sufficient funding is still an open question. West's amendment was silent on that issue, possibly giving Scott broad latitude to decide sufficient funding levels.
For his part, West, who fought for additional education funding last session, is happy to hear Scott's commitment to funding.
"I applaud the commissioner for recognizing and taking this responsibility seriously," West said. "He needs to make certain that the state does its part to get the resources to the classroom for this high-stakes testing that we're doing in Texas."
By Kimberly Reeves
Copyright January 31, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved
Categories: Education, Updates & News | Tags: austin, blog, cis, cis tarrant, communities in schools, communities in schools of greater tarrant county, dallas, dfw, education, fort worth, nonprofit, running with scissors blog, school, social work, texas, tx | Permalink.
The key is to work together
It always amazes me to hear the arguments when it comes to school reform. Most pundits propose simple answers: better teachers, better accountability, no more testing, more fine arts, more early education, more charter schools, better post high school options … many are viable and yet, all of these work on only a part of the problem.
Communities in Schools works to keep kids in school because research shows that in the end, it is best for all parties involved. The model consists of placing a social worker in schools that want one. These social workers serve as a resource aggregator for teachers and administrators to get what the student needs to be successful. Sometimes it is as simple as a new pair of eye glasses. Oftentimes it is much more complicated. But ours is one part of the solution. Instead of battling it out over the "best" solution, why don't we look at the problem like it is … a really tough, complex and important problem to fix. We have been talking about reform for more than 50 years … don't you think it is time to work together to make it happen? I found this from a local media outlet from the fall outlining a program to prevent drop outs. Working together, we can make a difference.
http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2011/09/09/city-leaders-knocking-on-doors-to-find-school-dropouts/
Stacy Landreth Grau
Community in Schools Tarrant County Board Member
Categories: CIS Staff Posts | Tags: blog, cis, cis tarrant, communities in schools, communities in schools of greater tarrant county, dallas, dfw, education, fort worth, integrated student services, nonprofit, running with scissors blog, school reform, social work, social workers, texas, tx | Permalink.