text:
Changing banks is as easy as....
Well, full marks to the Treasurer for good intentions
As Treasurer Wayne Swan calls on mortgage holders to punish the ANZ, Commonwealth and Westpac banks for outsized rate increases inquiries by the Herald reveal that one year after his much-hyped bank-switching package, moving banks remains difficult.
The ANZ yesterday lifted its variable mortgage rates 0.35 points, the Commonwealth 0.37 points, and the Westpac-owned St George 0.39 points in a partial repudiation of its parent's 0.45 point hike.
With the National Australia Bank lifting rates by only 0.25 percentage points and now offering by far the best deal Mr Swan stepped up his attack the other big banks saying banks that have done the right thing could "expect to be rewarded by their customers and by new customers, while banks like ANZ, Commonwealth and Westpac copped the severe backlash they deserve".
But a survey by the consumer group Choice finds that of the 76 per cent of bank customers unlikely to switch, only half are satisfied...
More than half of the rest won't switch either because "too much effort is required" or because they have several products with the same bank making it "too difficult".
The Treasurer's package had four prongs. One was a listing and switching service that required banks to give their customers accurate information on direct debits to take to the new bank.
The ANZ spokesman said there had not been "a significant take up of the service so far," but added that customers didn't need it in order to switch.
Another was "a single consumer complaints hotline on 1300 300 630, providing a first contact point for all consumer complaints about basic banking products".
The number turns out to be the Australian Securities and Investments Commission switchboard. When The Herald phoned it yesterday a recorded voice asked whether the caller was an ASIC-registered agent, a company director, or wanted information about scams, financial products or services.
The third prog - a website entitled understandingmoney.gov.au - links to a single page of tips about how to switch home loans including "shop around for a better deal" and "calculate the costs of switching".
The forth prong many have achieved the most: an inquiry into mortgage exit fees that led to at least one at least one bank abolishing them for new contracts.
Melbourne Business School professor Joshua Gans said the ideal would be for customers to simply log onto a website and switch, in the same way as they could for mobile phone providers.
"We'll probably never get there, But right now we are so far away," he said. "Westpac would think very hard about higher interest rates in such a world."
Graphic: Easterline
Here's what I wrote in January last year:
Worried about what's happening to your mortgage?
The Treasurer Wayne Swan is working on it. But in the meantime he is offering advice straight out of cloud-cuckoo-land.
It's this: "Vote with your feet."
As Mr Swan sees things: "The banking system in this country is competitive. If one of the major banks wants to increase its interest rates over and above other banks, then customers should take note of that and they should act accordingly."
It sounds as if he's been listening to Smokey Robinson whose 1960 hit song advised young women to "shop around". Or perhaps to Adam Smith, the father of modern economics. Back in the 18th century Smith said that if everyone shopped around and voted with their feet and if the sellers responded, no-one would end up paying more than they had to.
On the face of it "shopping around" is good advice right now...
For the first time in years most of the big five banks are charging different standard variable mortgage rates. There's no longer a single standard rate. The National Australia Bank is charging 8.67 per cent, Westpac 8.72 and (much to the Treasurer's displeasure) the ANZ, the Commonwealth and St George want as much as 8.77 per cent.
As Mr Swan put it last week: "I would be reminding all ANZ customers that there is a competitive market out there, and if they're unhappy they ought to vote with their feet."
But voting with your feet and moving from, say, the ANZ to the NAB is difficult if you already have a mortgage. Mr Swan might like to try it.
First he'll need to prove his identity all over again – it's often a matter of driver's licences, passports and signed statements from people such as church ministers who can certify that they know you. If it's a joint loan his wife will need to do it as well.
And he'll need to provide reams of bank statements demonstrating his spending and saving habits, as well as pay slips or group certificates along with perhaps a letter from his employer confirming that he works there. The bank might also ask for his child support statements and superannuation statements. He'll most probably have to value his house (or agree to pay the new bank to do it) and get a copy of his rates notice as well.
Perhaps he's organised. He might be able to get the package together in a couple of days. Or like many bank customers he might find the whole process daunting.
And he'll face fees. Most banks charge an exit fee of around $700. (Mine would charge me $3,000.) They charge another $300 to release the title to the property and many seem to delay doing it, perhaps in order to hang on to their lucrative customers a little bit longer.
The new bank might want fees as well, perhaps $600 to set up the new account. And then he'll have to switch all the paperwork over, filling out form after from - one for each direct debit. He'll have to let his pay office know, and so on.
And for what?
Perhaps to discover a month or two down the track that the rates on offer have changed. His new bank isn't the cheapest any more.
That's why Australians don't vote with their feet. The banks know this even if the Treasurer does not.
Each bank routinely charges its new customers less than it charges its existing ones, offering them discounts safe in the knowledge that their existing customers are rusted on and won't attempt to get the cheaper rates by changing.
Customers who have become financially stretched or have lost their jobs are unable to change at all. New lenders won't take them.
To his credit the Treasurer recognises that there is a problem. He has asked his department to examine the barriers to switching and report on ways to break them down.
It could do worse than examine the market for mobile phone calls.
These days mortgages, like mobile phone calls, are regarded as homogenous. The product is much the same whichever of the big providers you sign up to. What differs is the branding, service and price.
Until 2001 Australian mobile phone users were more or less stuck with the company they had signed up to, just as are Australian bank customers.
Changing your phone company involved changing your phone number, and in some cases changing your phone as well.
These days phone companies are compelled to provide you with an unlock code to switch your phone over should it be locked and to allow your new provider access to your old number.
As Professor Joshua Gans of the Melbourne Business School puts it: "You don't even have to tell your current provider that you are leaving. Talk about an easy break-up!"
Gans wants it to be just as easy to switch mortgage providers.
He wants you and me to take ownership of our bank account numbers in the same way as we have taken ownership of our mobile phone numbers.
Technologically it should be easy to switch them between providers.
I would also make it easy to switch over identity and income and expenditure documents. Once you had been proved who you were and what you earned to one bank, you shouldn't have to do it for the next.
Abolishing exit and entry fees might be more difficult. Lenders face genuine costs in setting up and closing accounts. But the fees they charge should be limited by the Competition and Consumer Commission to their actual costs.
Then those of us on variable rate mortgages could vote with our feet. (Those of us on fixed rates could not, but that's what you expect when you sign a fixed rate contract.)
We would have real market power and we would terrify the lenders by using it. They could hardly object, it would be the free market at work.
I am looking forward to the Treasury's report.
. Westpac blows it - big time
. Swan's bank-switching package is a useless joke
. Let's terrify our banks!
Labels: Banks, mortgage rates
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text:
1. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #1271, Lynne M. Tracy, of Ohio, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Career Minister, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Russian Federation; confirmed: 93-2.
2. Confirmation of Executive Calendar #780, Agnes Schaefer, of Pennsylvania, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army; confirmed: 68-26.
Passed the following bills:
S.4202, Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act, w/Durbin sub amendment
H.R.1154, Great Dismal Swamp
Calendar #657, S.1541, Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications
Calendar #659, S.3405, Low Power Protection Act
H.R.897, Agua Caliente Land Exchange Fee to Trust Confirmation Act
S.4439, Katimiîn and Ameekyáaraam Sacred Lands Act
H.R.680, Private relief bill
S.4814, ORBITS Act, w/Hickenlooper sub amdt
Adopted the following resolutions:
Cal.#602, S.Res.472 Dominican Republic w/Menendez sub amdt to the resolution
S.Res.876, 50th anniversary of the Coastal Zone Management Act
Agreed to H.Con.Res.82, authorizing printing of "Black Americans in Congress, 1870-1989"
Executive Business
Confirmed the following nominations:
Exec. Cal. #1195 - Richard L. Revesz, of New York, to be Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget
Exec. Cal. #1171 - Alexis Taylor, of Iowa, to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs
Exec. Cal. #1189 - L. Michelle Moore, of Georgia, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2026
Exec. Cal. #1190 - Robert P. Klein, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2026
Exec. Cal. #1191 - William J. Renick, of Mississippi, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2027
Exec. Cal. #1192 - Adam Wade White, of Kentucky, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2027
Exec. Cal. #1193 - Joe H. Ritch, of Alabama, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2025
Exec. Cal. #1200 - Beth Pritchard Geer, of Tennessee, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Valley Authority for a term expiring May 18, 2026
ADVISORY COUNCIL ON HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Exec. Cal. #774 - Sara C. Bronin, of Connecticut, to be Chairman of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation for a term expiring January 19, 2025
Exec. Cal. #995 - Evelyn Wang, of Massachusetts, to be Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy Department of Energy
Exec. Cal. #451 - Howard A. Van Vranken, of California, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Botswana
Exec. Cal. #1258 - Joey R. Hood, of New Hampshire, a Career Member of the Senior Foreign Service, Class of Minister-Counselor, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Tunisia
Exec. Cal. #768 - Jainey Kumar Bavishi, of New York, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere
MARINE MAMMAL COMMISSION
Exec. Cal. #1281 - Sue Ellen Moore, of Washington, to be a Member of the Marine Mammal Commission for a term expiring May 13, 2023
Exec. Cal. #1282 - Andrew J. Read, of North Carolina, to be a Member of the Marine Mammal Commission for a term expiring May 13, 2025
The votes on confirmation of the following nominations will occur at times to be determined by the Majority Leader in consultation with the Republican Leader:
1. Executive Calendar #716, Cathy Ann Harris, of Maryland, to be Chairman of the Merit Systems Protection Board.
2. Executive Calendar #780, Agnes Schaefer, of Pennsylvania, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Army.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
require File.expand_path("../../test_helper", __FILE__)

class BBQueue::NullLoggerTest < MiniTest::Test
  def setup
    @logger = BBQueue::NullLogger.new
  end

  def test_debug
    assert_nothing_raised { @logger.debug "Debug" }
  end

  def test_info
    assert_nothing_raised { @logger.info "Info" }
  end

  def test_warn
    assert_nothing_raised { @logger.warn "Warn" }
  end

  def test_error
    assert_nothing_raised { @logger.error "Error" }
  end

  def test_fatal
    assert_nothing_raised { @logger.fatal "Fatal" }
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
NYU, Johns Hopkins Split Tri Meet with TCNJ
The NYU men and Johns Hopkins women both swept at the in a Division 3 tri meet with The College of New Jersey. Stock photo via NYU Sports Information
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by Spencer Penland 0
November 23rd, 2017 College, NCAA Division III, News, Previews & Recaps
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NYU vs Johns Hopkins vs TCNJ
NYU, New York City, New York
Short course yards
NYU 208, TCNJ 90
Johns Hopkins 186, TCNJ 76
NYU 181, Johns Hopkins 111
Johns Hopkins 146, NYU 116
Event Winners
200 medley relay: Johns Hopkins – 1:46.55
1000 free: Grace Wakabayashi (NYU) – 10:34.75
200 free: Sydney Catron (NYU) – 1:54.76
100 back: May Li (NYU) – 58.15
100 breast: Honore Collins (NYU) – 1:05.90
200 fly: Courtney Cowan (Johns Hopkins) – 2:05.85
50 free: Alison Shapiro (Johns Hopkins) – 24.63
100 free: Anna Wisniewski (Johns Hopkins) – 52.50
200 back: Sydney Catron (NYU) – 2:06.36
200 breast: Gwynnie LaMastra (Johns Hopkins) – 2:24.14
500 free: Courtney Cowan (Johns Hopkins) – 4:58.16
100 fly: Anna Wisniewski (Johns Hopkins) – 56.55
400 IM: Honore Collins (NYU) – 4:34.85
200 free relay: Johns Hopkins – 1:36.75
1 meter diving: Carmen White (NYU) – 302.48
1000 free: Ian Rainey (NYU) – 9:35.00
200 free: Brandon Fabian (Johns Hopkins) – 1:40.99
100 back: Chad Moody (NYU) – 51.19
100 breast: Timothy Kou (NYU) – 56.21
200 fly: Ian Rainey (NYU) – 1:51.18
50 free: Nianzhong Liu (NYU) – 21.21
100 free: Brandon Fabian (Johns Hopkins) – 46.36
200 back: Alexander Skoog (TCNJ) – 1:52.44
200 breast: Timothy Kou (NYU) – 2:05.90
500 free: Kyle Otazu (Johns Hopkins) – 4:41.21
100 fly: Elan Oumarov (NYU) – 51.06
400 IM: Ian Rainey (NYU) – 4:04.89
200 free relay: NYU – 1:23.65
1 meter diving: Connor Brisson (NYU) – 384.30
The Division 3 match-up of NYU, Johns Hopkins, and TCNJ ended in sweeps by the NYU men and Johns Hopkins women, and resulted in 9 new top 10 rankings for Division 3 nationally.
Ian Rainey posted season bests in the men's 1000 free and 200 fly on his way to winning both events, and posted top 10 times in each. Rainey's 1000 time of 9:35.00 comes in at #4 nationally, 10 seconds behind #1, Seth Ritter (Wash U). His 200 fly time of 1:51.18 ranks #6 nationally for D3. Ian Rainey also won the 400 IM, an event where he was already ranked #1 nationally by a huge margin. His time on Saturday of 4:04.89 was 7.51 seconds off his season best, but still would have ranked #4 nationally.
Honore Collins won the women's 100 breast and 400 IM, also posting season bests and national top 10 times in each. Collins' 100 breast time of 1:05.90 sneaked into the rankings at #10, and her 400 IM time of 4:34.85 made it to #9 in the rankings.
Timothy Kau, an NYU breaststroke star, swam a season best time of 56.21 in the men's 100 breast to win the event. That time puts Kau at #4 nationally. Brian Fabian won the men's 500 with a season best of 4:35.08, which is good for #5 nationally.
Courtney Cowan won the women's 200 fly with a season best and #5 ranking 2:05.85. Cowan also won the 500 with a 4:58.16, which would rank #2 nationally, but she already holds the #2 rank with her season best of 4:56.97.
Anna Wisniewski won the 100 fly with a 56.55, which would rank #4, but she already holds the #4 rank with her season best of 56.38.
In the women's 200 medley relay, John Hopkins won went 1:46.55 to shave a little time off their season best of 1:46.61. Their time ranks #4 nationally for Division 3, a rank which they already held. 2nd place NYU (1:46.85) now ranks #5 nationally, right behind Johns Hopkins.
The NYU men's 200 free relay won with a time of 1:23.65, which ranks #5 in a tight field of 200 free relays.
Press Release – NYU Men:
The New York University men's swimming & diving team defeated both Johns Hopkins University (151-111) and The College of New Jersey (208-90) in a tri-meet on Saturday, November 18, at the Palladium Athletic Facility in Manhattan.
The Violets dominated in the pool, taking first place in nine of the 14 events.
Ian Rainey was an individual triple-winner, finishing first in the 400-yard IM event (4:04.89), 1000-yard freestyle (9:35.00) and the 200-yard butterfly (1:51.18). Tim Kou took first place in both the 200-yard breaststroke (2:05.90) and 100-yard breaststroke (56.21). Nianzhong Liu finished first in the men's 50-yard freestyle (21.21), while Elan Oumarov won the 100-yard butterfly (51.06). Chad Moody won the 100-yard backstroke.
NYU also finished first in the 200-yard freestyle relay (1:23.65).
"Overall, I am very happy with our performance today," said Head Coach Trevor Miele. "We have been working really hard over the past six weeks and they are tired, so it was great to see them step up and race two of the nation's top teams."
Connor Brisson took first place in the one-meter dive competition (384.30), finishing ahead of NYU's Max Falb (242.70) in third place. Brisson also took first place in the three-meter competition (397.95).
NYU will be back in action at the MIT Invitational on Friday-Sunday, December 1-3, in Cambridge, MA. The event will begin at 6:30 pm on Friday, and 10:30 am on both Saturday and Sunday.
Press Release – NYU Women:
The New York University women's swimming & diving team defeated The College of New Jersey by a score of 251-44, but was defeated by Johns Hopkins University (146-116) in a tri-meet on Saturday, November 18, at the Palladium Athletic Facility in Manhattan.
The Violets came into the day with 27 consecutive victories in dual meets, dating back to 2013-14. NYU won six of 14 events at the meet on Saturday.
"We have been working really hard," said Head Coach Trevor Miele. "It's great to see them step up and race two of the top teams in the nation. I think we are set up really well to swim in two weeks at the MIT Invite."
Honore Collins earned a victory in the 400-yard IM (4:34.85) and 100-yard breaststroke (1:05.90). Collins also placed second in the 100-yard freestyle (52.50). Sydney Catron won the 200-yard backstroke (2:06.36) and 200-yard freestyle (1:54.76), while Grace Wakabayashi won the 1,000-yard freestyle (10:34.75). May Li also claimed a victory, winning the 100-yard backstroke (58.15).
On the diving boards, Carmen White won both the three-meter (334.13) and one-meter dives (302.48).
Press Release – TCNJ Men:
New York, NY… The College of New Jersey men's swimming and diving team dropped both halves of a tri-meet falling 208-90 to New York University and 186-76 to Johns Hopkins University.
Alex Skoog (Scotch Plains, NJ/Scotch Plains-Fanwood) led the way for the Lions. Skoog won the 200-backstroke in 1:52.44. He then finished less than a second shy of completing the sweep, swimming the 100-back in 51.83 for second place. Skoog also finished fifth in the 50-free with a time of 21.94.
Harrison Yi (Tenafly, NJ/Tenafly) had a solid meet, finishing second in the 200-free, posting a time of 1:42.39. Yi swam the 100-free in 47.61, good for fourth place. Yi swam fourth again in the 500-free in a time of 4:47.04.
Jay Soukup (Mullica Hill, NJ/Clearview Regional) finished second in both the 1- and 3-meter diving events.
TCNJ returns home to host the TCNJ Invitational December 1-3.
Press Release – TCNJ Women:
New York, NY… The College of New Jersey women's swimming and diving team dropped a pair of match-ups as part of a tri-meet, falling 251-44 to New York University and 218-41 to Johns Hopkins University Saturday afternoon.
The Lions got a solid effort in the diving well from Hannah Raymond (Burlington, NJ/Burlington Township). Raymond finished second in the 1-meter with a score of 292.66.
Gabi Denicola (Oradell, NJ/River Dell Regional) swam to a sixth place finish in the 1,000-free posting a time of 11:21.49. She also swam the 500-free in a time of 5:39.17.
Annie Menninger (Plainsboro, NJ/West Windsor Plainsboro South) set a personal record in the 200-free, going 2:02.45.
The Lions will return to the pool December 1-3, when they host the TCNJ Invitational.
Press Release – Johns Hopkins Men:
• Scores: Johns Hopkins-186, TCNJ-76
NYU-151, Johns Hopkins-111
• Records: JHU (2-3) • TCNJ (2-3) • NYU (2-1)
• Location: New York, NY • Palladium Athletic Facility
• The Short Story: The Johns Hopkins men's swim team picked up 15 wins on Saturday and split a double dual meet against TCNJ and host NYU.
Quoting Coach Armstrong
• "After two grueling weeks of practice, it was a big test to go up to New York City and face two top Division III opponents. The team rose to the challenge and while we dropped the meet, the team won many of the smaller races of the meet! The efforts of our middle distance crew came through with big wins in the 100, 200 and 500 Free."
Top Finishers
• Hopkins opened the meet with an overall win in the 200 Medley Relay by junior Emile Kuyl, junior Peter Lazorchak, senior Mark Wilson and sophomore Brandon Fabian in 1:33.22. The team of seniors Jan Hagemeister and Michael Ashmead, freshman Nat Davenport and junior Michael Wohl took second in the race against TCNJ with a time of 1:35.84.
• Junior Erik Bostrom then won the 1000 Free against TCNJ, and took second against NYU, as he finished in 9:50.10. Freshman Riley Mears finished in third against both with a time of 9:55.85.
• Fabian then grabbed the top overall spot in the 200 Free as he beat the field to the wall in 1:40.99. Senior Kyle Otazufollowed in second against NYU and third against TCNJ (1:44.17).
• Senior Peter Conzola then took second in the 100 Back as he clocked in at 52.21, while Kuyl placed third in 52.73 against TCNJ.
• Against the Lions, the Blue Jays swept the top three spots in the 100 Breast. Lazorchak led the way (58.09), followed by freshman Marcelo Lauzurique (59.56) and sophomore Jasper Van Cauwelaert (1:00.69). Lazorchak also took second against the Violets.
• Wilson then won the 200 Fly (1:55.25) against the Lions and second against the Violets. Wohl finished in third place against the Violets as he touched in 1:59.38.
• Davenport grabbed the top spot in the 50 Free in the race against TCNJ and third against NYU with a time of 21.85. Ashmead followed just five-hundredths of a second later for second and fourth, respectively.
• Next, Fabian earned his second double-win as he took the top spot in the 100 Free with a time of 46.36. Wohl finished in third against TCNJ with a time of 48.18.
• In the 200 Back, freshman Matt McGough took second against both opponents with a time of 1:55.05. Conzola meanwhile finished third in the race against NYU with a time of 1:56.64.
• Lauzurique then won the 200 Breast against TCNJ, and finished third against NYU, in 2:10.57. Van Cauwelaert (2:11.67) and freshman Noah Frassrand (2:12.38) followed in second and third.
• Otazu followed with a double-win in the 500 Free as he beat the field in 4:41.21. Bostrom placed second against TCNJ, and third against NYU, as he clocked in at 4:46.08.
• Wilson beat the Lions in the 100 Fly with his time of 51.34, while Hagemeister followed closely in second in 51.47. Wilson placed third in the event against the Violets.
• In the final individual event of the day, Frassrand grabbed first against TCNJ and second against NYU with his time of 4:11.60 in the 400 IM. Otazu took second and third, respectively, in 4:12.72. McGough finished in third against the Violets as he touched in 4:15.52.
• Hopkins ended the night with first and third-place finishes in the 200 Free Relay in the race against TNCJ. They also took second and third against NYU. Kuyl, Wilson, Ashmead and Fabian finished in 1:25.33 while Hagemeister, senior Luke Johnson, Wohl and Davenport finished in 1:27.10.
• Hopkins slips to 1-1 all-time against NYU while improving to 12-4 against TCNJ.
• Hopkins is back in action in two weeks at the Princeton Invitational, December 1-3.
Press Release – Johns Hopkins Women:
Johns Hopkins-146, NYU-116
• The Short Story: The Johns Hopkins women's swim team won a combined 21 events to defeat both TCNJ and host NYU in a double dual meet on Saturday afternoon.
• "After two grueling weeks of training, we challenged the team with a couple of tough opponents in NYU and TCNJ. These women rose to the challenge and came out on top. The highlight for team winning both relays."
• Hopkins opened the day with a win in the 200 Medley Relay (1:46.55) by sophomore Sonia Lin, seniors Gwynnie LaMastraand Anna Wisniewski and freshman Mikayla Bisignani. The team of freshman Carmela Irato, senior Sara Wujciak and sophomores Michelle Wang and Alison Shapiro finished in 1:50.16 to place second against TCNJ and third against NYU.
• Freshman Amy Pearson won the 1000 Free (10:42.97) against TNCJ and took second against NYU. Junior Rabia Syedfinished in second against TCNJ with a time of 11:05.15.
• In the 200 Free against TCNJ, Hopkins swept the top three spots. Freshman Emma McElrath led the way with a time of 1:55.26. Freshman Hanan Bandak followed in 1:56.38 and junior Emily Cheng clocked in at 1:56.88. The trio took second through fourth against the Violets.
• Irato followed with a win in the 100 Back against TNCJ, and second against NYU, as she touched in 59.52. Wang placed second in 1:00.00 and junior Sami Kegel placed third with a time of 1:02.85.
• In the 100 Breast, the Blue Jays claimed first through third versus the Lions, and second through fourth against the Violets. LaMastra clocked in at 1:06.05, followed by Wujciak (1:07.71) and Lin (1:07.87).
• Cowan then grabbed the top spot in the 200 Fly as she beat the field to the wall in 2:05.85, an NCAA provisional cut. Junior Elizabeth Duncan placed second in the race against TCNJ as she finished in 2:14.98. Sophomore Lauren Parker placed third with a time of 2:15.95.
• The 50 Free saw Shapiro and Bisignani go one-two overall with times of 24.63 and 24.17, respectively. Lin finished in third against TCNJ as she touched in 24.90.
• Wisniewski clocked in at 52.50 to grab first place over TCNJ and NYU. Shapiro (53.67) and Bandak (53.79) followed in second and third, respectively versus TCNJ.
• Against TCNJ, McElrath led a trio of Blue Jays to grab the top three spots with a time of 2:07.51. Irato took second in 2:08.99 and Kegel grabbed third in 2:15.02. McElrath also finished in second place against the Violets.
• LaMastra then beat everyone to the wall in the 200 Breast as she clocked in a 2:24.14. The Blue Jays swept the top three spots against the Lions, as Wujciak took second (2:29.35) and sophomore Claire State took third (2:31.97).
• Cowan then did the same in the 500 Free as she posted an NCAA provisional time of 4:58.16. Her time was also the eighth fastest in program history. Pearson took second against TCNJ and third against NYU with a time of 5:13.95. Syed placed third versus the Lions as she finished in 5:21.98.
• Wisniewski and Wang then went one-two overall in the 100 Fly, finishing in 56.55 and 57.82, respectively. Wisniewski's time is also an NCAA provisional time. Duncan followed in third place in the race against TCNJ in 1:00.08.
• Parker then won the 400 IM (4:43.99) in the race against TCNJ, and took second against NYU. Wujciak placed second against the Violets as she touched in 4:49.96.
• Hopkins ended the day with first and second-place finishes in the 200 Free Relay. Wisniewski, Bisignani, Lin and Shapiro grabbed the win in 1:36.75. Taking second were Pearson, LaMastra, Wang and senior Lena Bless.
• Hopkins improves to 1-1 all-time against NYU and snaps the Violets 27 dual-meet win streak. NYU drops a dual meet for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
• Hopkins improves to 7-1 against TCNJ and has won six straight in the series, dating back to January 17, 2004.
« Princeton Women Sweep Ivy League Tri Meet Against Penn and Cornell
Sprinter Charlie Bean Commits to University of South Dakota »
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Can Catholic Homeschools Adopt Waldorf Teaching Methods?
Posted on Tuesday, September 21, 2021 by Susan Brinkmann
JM asks: "Can a Catholic take elements from Waldorf/Steiner/anthroposophy into a Christian home? How dangerous is it to implement some of the New Age elements within the home? This is a big problem with Catholic homeschoolers, but it isn't addressed in other places. To me it's completely obvious it's New Age and stay clear, but I do know there is individual free consciences."
Having a "free conscience" doesn't mean deciding for ourselves what is right or wrong. Our consciences must be properly formed to the Truth as revealed in Scripture and the Catechism.
Having said that, I can now state without a moment's hesitation that Catholic homeschoolers should have nothing to do with Rudolf Steiner, anthroposophy or the Waldorf education system.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Steiner, he was an Austrian mystagogue who died in 1925. This self-proclaimed clairvoyant and occult "scientist" founded a schismatic branch of Theosophy (an occult-based mysticism that has been condemned by the Church) known as Anthroposophy. Calling it a "spiritual science," Steiner defined Anthroposophy as "a path of knowledge leading the Spiritual in the human being to the Spiritual in the universe." Steiner believed people could be trained to allow their higher spiritual self to overcome the material world and come into direct contact with "higher spiritual truths" (the occult). He also believed in reincarnation, karma, gnomes, and a host of other esoteric philosophies.
Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School in Ghent, NY
These beliefs are very much a part of the Waldolf educational approach.
As a former student explains on this site, "The belief system underlying Waldorf schools is an occult religion that involves doctrines of evolution and reincarnation. Human beings evolve upward as they gain "knowledge of higher worlds" — that is, knowledge of the spiritual worlds above the ordinary plane of existence. To gain this knowledge firsthand, people must develop clairvoyance. Preparation for clairvoyance involves such things as heightened imagination and dream consciousness."
The purpose of the schools is to assist children on the path to knowledge of the higher worlds.
"However, they generally do so secretively, believing that they possess 'mystery wisdom' that other people cannot appreciate. According to Steiner, 'outsiders' who should be told as little as possible include the parents of Waldorf students."
Many parents have chosen not to remain in the dark about these schools and are speaking out. For instance, in an article written by Sharon Lombard, whose child was once enrolled in a Waldorf school, Steiner's belief that the human being is comprised of an etheric body, an astral body and an "I" body that supposedly enables us to leave our physical bodies during the day in order to commune with spiritual beings in the cosmos, is the basis for his so-called "child development model." This is why Steiner espouses a delay of first grade reading, supposedly to wait for the etheric body to enter. Intellectual thinking is delayed until after the age of fourteen "when the astral body supposedly incarnates."
Another example are the occult-based theories that underlie his methods for teaching art, such as having children paint a sheet of wet watercolor paper with yellow or blue because it helps "the reincarnating soul connect with the physical body."
However, as the former student revealed, Steiner's occult beliefs are woven into his concepts in insidious ways, such as in his use of a veiled vocabulary that is largely unknown outside of the circle of anthroposophy and Waldorf educators. For example, "imagination" in Steiner's vocabulary means "psychic sight". "Art" means "the art of magic." A "scientist" is actually an "occultist." A "star" is a "pentagram" and "prayer" becomes "verse."
Waldorf classroom in Germany
Apply these new terms to the seemingly innocent scenario of a child coming home from school and saying "teacher encouraged me to use my imagination today" then produces a picture of a star. In Steiner's language, the child was introduced to "psychic sight" through the art of magic which resulted in the drawing of a pentagram.
This subterfuge is only exacerbated by the fact that critical research studies on Anthroposophy and Waldorf in English are very much lacking. Most people have access only to what is being published from within the world of anthroposophy, which has contributed to widespread ignorance about Steiner and what ideas underlie the Waldorf education system.
And (of course) the schools can't be counted upon to enlighten parents. They always present themselves as non-sectarian, leaving many to believe these are wonderful, scientifically-based and multi-cultural schools.
However, not even the secular media fell for that one. This 2014 article appearing in the BBC questions why anyone would think these schools are anything but religious, and cites additional issues with its teachings such as its inherently racist beliefs and the bullying that takes place in the school. Overall, the article gives a negative review of the whole system.
As JM informs, some Catholic homeschoolers are incorporating Waldorf methods into their curriculums and because the Vatican has not explicitly condemned Waldorf (it has condemned the theosophy from which anthroposophy emerged as well as the occultism which underlies Steiner's belief system), these parents believe it's okay to use some of these methods.
The problem with this assumption is that Steiner's occultism informs everything about his Waldorf methods. In addition to its condemnation of theosophy, from which anthroposophy is sourced, the Church also condemns the occult and any association with it (CCC 2116-2117). This includes the use of information gleaned from any non-Christian mystical experience (i.e., Steiner's psychic experiences), which constitutes a use of knowledge obtained by divination.
Thinking we can "pick and choose" parts of Waldorf methods that seem "safe" is a perfect example of the trend among many Catholics to apply subjective reasoning to assumptions about whether or not something is okay (i.e., how they feel about it) rather than on objective realities (Church teaching, science, etc.). This problem has also resulted in many Catholics walking around with improperly-formed consciences even though they claim to "personally feel okay" about violating Church teaching in their personal lives.
Because Steiner's Waldorf methods are based on the occult, it's not possible to "pick and choose" from things that seem "safe" any more than it's possible to use magic for good ends. Magic will always be sorcery no matter how you use it just like Steiner's methods will always be occultic because this is their source.
© All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace® http://www.womenofgrace.com
Posted in: New Age • Occult
Tagged: anthroposophy • occultism • Rudolf Steiner • theosophy • Waldorf Schools


I know it's been awhile. I have been BUSY. I opened a yoga studio and my oh my!
I am seriously in love with it.
Granted, it's not where I saw myself…. at first. If I were being 100% honest, I saw myself starting a healthy-ish food truck. That's where I imagined my love of cooking and all things gourmet would take me. Down a path of yummy, delicious, kitchen mishaps and successes.
Yet, that's not what was in the cards.
I opened a yoga studio and found that the journey is often never as straight forward as one may hope.
I will provide an update on the studio in a future post but for now I want to share a simple pleasure.
My days are hectic and crazy.
One thing that helps keep me sane? Doing laundry.
Okay, I am not crazy about the idea of doing laundry but I love the fact that I can do laundry at home. In my robe. While watching Netflix. And eating spoonfuls of chocolate.
I never owned my own washer and dryer until now. And it makes a BIG difference!
No more driving with baskets of clothes until we can find a non-sketchy looking laundromat.
No more uncomfortable sitting in laundromats while kids scream and we wait for our clothes to dry.
No more waiting on machines to become available.
No more collecting quarters like our life depended on it.
No more wondering if the person who used the washer and dryer before us had bedbugs (something a friend told me should be a concern because her apartment complex had a big outbreak).
I am thankful for laundromats but today as I was doing laundry in the comfort of our home, I made a plan for my evening hot yoga class and the two private yoga sessions I have this afternoon, started reading To Kill a Mockingbird all while listening to The Civil Wars…. I realized how relaxed and thankful I am.
Mr. HungryYogi made a table for us to fold (one thing I took away from laundromats- you want a folding table) and our machines have been a dream. Plus I love the metalic gray color.
The shelves are also pretty awesome for storing supplies (no more lugging washer powder from the car to a laundromat).
Thank you laundromats, but you are one relationship I don't miss.


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As senior project director, Serena Rajabiun has helped lead the MAI SPNS Peer Re-engagement Project, the Center for Outreach Research and Evaluation, and the PEER Center. She is currently the principal investigator for the Evaluation and Technical Assistance Center for the national initiative on Building a Medical Home for Multiply Diagnosed HIV Homeless Populations. Her work is informed by more than two decades of experience in the areas of maternal/child health and HIV/AIDS. She has been part of the Center for Advancing Health Policy and Practice team since 2002.
Serena has been involved in a range of different U.S. and international public health initiatives. Her work at encompasses program evaluation, research, and training on health care services and treatment for adults and youth living with HIV. Previously, as the Maternal/Child Health Specialist for USAID's Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance Project, she partnered with NGOs and governments in Peru and Bolivia to improve health and nutrition programs for mothers and children; Serena led related training and education programs in both English and Spanish.
Tobias C., Rajabiun S., Franks J,, Goldenkranz S.B.,, Fine D.N., Loscher-Hudson B.S., et al. (2010). Peer knowledge and roles in supporting access to care and treatment. Journal of Community Health, Dec 35 (6): 609-67.
Rajabiun, S.,, Rumptz, M., Felizzola, J., Frye, A., Relf, M., Yu, G.and Cunningham, W.E. "The impact of acculturation on Latinos' perceived barriers to HIV primary care." Ethnicity & Disease 18, no. 4 (2008): 403-408.
Selected to present at Boston University's Center for Excellence and Innovation in Teaching conference in 2011.
Has hiked in nine US national parks, and counting.


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Q: Problems with Proof of Jensen's Inequality (Durrett's "Probability Theory and Examples") I have two questions concerning the proof of Jensen's inequality in Durrett's "Probability Theory and Examples" [pp.23-24]. In the following there is the proof, with the questions I have along the text.
[Note that in the following I substitute Durrett's notation for continuity from above $h \downarrow 0$, with $h \to 0^+$]

Theorem 1.5.1. Jensen's inequality.
  Suppose $\phi$ is convex, that is, $\lambda \phi (x) + (1 − \lambda) \phi(y) \geq \phi(\lambda x + (1 − \lambda)y)$
  for all $\lambda \in (0,1)$ and $x,y \in \mathbb{R}$. If $\mu$ is a probability measure, and $f$ and $\phi(f)$ are integrable then
  $$ \phi \bigg( \int f d \mu \bigg) \leq \int \phi(f)d \mu.$$
Proof. Let $c=\int f d \mu$ and let $l(x)=ax+b$ be a linear function that has $l(c)= \phi(c)$ and $\phi(x) \geq l(x)$. To see that such a function exists, recall that convexity implies
  $$lim_{h \to 0^+} \frac{\phi(c)−\phi(c−h)}{h} \leq lim_{h \to 0^+} \frac{\phi(c+h)−\phi(c)}{h}$$
  (The limits exist since the sequences are monotone.)

1. Is there somebody who can clarify what this limit (along with the convexity reference) really mean?

If we let $a$ be any number between the two limits and let $l(x) = a(x − c) + \phi(c)$, then $l$ has the desired properties. With the existence of $l$ established, the rest is easy. From the fact that if $g \leq f$ a.e., then  $\int g d\mu \leq  \int f d\mu$, we have
  $$ \int \phi(f ) d\mu \geq \int (af + b) d\mu = a \int f d\mu + b = l\bigg(\int f d\mu \bigg)= \phi\bigg(\int  f d\mu \bigg)$$ since $c = \int f d \mu$ and $l(c) = φ(c)$.

2. Where does the first inequality $ \int \phi(f ) d\mu \geq \int (af + b) d\mu$ of the last formula come from?
Looking forward to any feedback.
Thank you for your time.

A: 1. The intuitive meaning is that the slope of a convex function $\phi (x)$ is increasing in $x$. More formally, the statement says that the limit of incremental ratio at a point $c$ (from the left) is smaller that the limit of the incremental ratio (from the right).
2. It is assumed that $\phi(x) \ge l(x) = a x+b$. Then replace $f(x)$ for $x$ to obtain
$$\phi (f(x)) \ge l(f(x)) = af(x)+b$$
Integration preserves this inequality.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


EspañolAlejandro Guillier and Sebastián Piñera have passed through the first round of Chile's presidential elections and are preparing to compete in the second round that will take place on December 17.
Though 14,300,000 registered to vote, only 45 percent went to the polls on Sunday, so the candidate who manages to flip those numbers in their favor could be the victor in the next round. Both candidates have already begun to move around their resources and make changes to their campaign strategies in hopes of gaining new supporters.
Alejandro Guillier has made the most radical shift by restructuring his campaign in order to attract voters on the center-left. He's brought in Álvaro Elizalde — President of the Socialist Party — to coordinate his campaign, and relieved Osvaldo Correa of the Radical Party.
The "high command" of his campaign is made up by the deputy and current senator Yasna Provoste; the Radical Party's representative for Antofagasta, Marcela Hernando; the independent senator of the Party for Democracy, Ximena Órdenes, and Roxana Pey, the independent and former Director of the University of Aysén.
Former President Sebastián Piñera also announced changes to his campaign after having obtained 36.6 percent of first-choice votes in Sunday's election, a percentage lower than expected.
Determined to win in the second round, Chile's Vamos candidate reinforced his campaign with the support of three senators elected by a large majority in last Sunday's election.
Felipe Kast, leader of the Evópoli party; Francisco Chahuán, of Renovación Nacional (RN), and Juan Antonio Coloma, from the Independent Democratic Union (UDI), are the the newest additions to the campaign team.
Piñera added former Interior Secretary Rodrigo Ubilla to his team in order to lead a new commission that will seek to improve a mobilization strategy adopted by Lucas Palacios.
Both Guillier and Piñera claim that victory is certain, but their destiny is still in the hands of the voters.
Piñera has tried to rekindle the spirits and hope of his followers, ensuring that, despite not having obtained the results expected by his supporters, it is still possible to win in the second round.
"This result is very similar to that of 2009," the former head of state said.
Sources: La Tercera; 24 horas; TV y Farándula; Cooperativa; Economía y Negocios; T13; La Tercera; El libero; Cooperativa; TVN.


The heat is here! With that, brings a array of new challenges for CFSoHi members. From clothing choices, hydration, and additional reminders; we've compiled a list of our top five summer essentials to get you through the warmest months of the year.
While it's always important to stay properly hydrated, keeping up with your water intake is especially necessary in the heat. Physical activity, sweating (noticeable and unnoticeable), and extreme heat contribute to a much more rapid loss of water. Thus, keep a water bottle at your desk and another in the fridge ready to go throughout the workday so you're ready for the evening class.
Working out in the morning? Make sure to have water before your workout.
Prevent condensation with a double wall water bottle. These are also usually insulated. "Sweat" free, cold water is always a plus in the summer.
Protect your skin this summer with two essentials: quality zinc based sunscreen and mosquito repellent.
There are a couple of considerations to make while choosing these items. It's advised to use 'active' brands that will stay on even while you're sweating. Ideally, it will be a quick-dry application that won't cause any interference with your workout.
It's a sweaty world out there. During the workout and after intense WODs, you're going to need to dry off. A simple cotton towel will do the job, or you can get a performance based towel similar to one's used by divers and swimmers.
You may also want to use this towel (or another one) as a seat cover to protect the interior of your car. It's usually ideal to avoid having your car smell like a gym bag.
It's time to flex those hard-earned muscles. Use your scissor skills to repurpose your t-shirts. There are thousands of options for different styles, you can let your creativity and scissors go crazy. The simple thing to do is simply cut the sleeves off.
Sweat is salty. Sweat in your eyes is still salty. Prevent the burn with a buffer; a headband. You can go simple with a terrycloth sweat band or kick it up with a wicking fabric. Your options are endless!
Gear up, stay cool, and enjoy this summer of training.


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Cairns gay beat and cruise club head Office CBD is proving to be popular this school holidays with Cairns locals and tourists with plenty coming in for a relaxing time. We're seeing plenty of guys in town for the holidays dropping by for the comfort of other guys.
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Nautilus granted court order for creditor protection while restructuring
Home / World News / North America← Back
Business|Copper|Financial|Gold|Mining|Projects|Bearing|Operations
By: Marleny Arnoldi
Creamer Media Online Writer
TSX-listed Nautilus Minerals has obtained an order of the Supreme Court of British Columbia that provides the company protection from its creditors, enabling it to restructure its business and financial affairs.
Prior to the company applying for protection under the Companies Creditors Arrangement Act, Nautlius received a $750 000 loan from Deep Sea Mining Finance, with a credit facility of up to $34-million.
The order by the Supreme Court also authorised Nautilus and two of its subsidiaries to enter into a new interim loan agreement with the lender, to which the lender has agreed to advance the company up to $4-million to fund the company's ongoing operations and restructuring.
Nautlitus said last week it was evaluating a range of alternatives to recapitalise the company so that the reality of its seafloor mining projects could be achieved. The options could include the sale of Nautilus' polymetallic nodule business unit and its seafloor massive sulphide business unit.
Nautilus confirmed that it was not bankrupt and remained in possession and control of its business, while continuing to receive support in the form of loans.
To date, Nautilus has received loans from Deep Sea Mining Finance totalling $18-million, bearing interest at 8% a year and mature on March 8.
Nautilus is the first company to explore the ocean floor for polymetallic seafloor massive sulphide deposits, with a mining lease over a prospect known as Solwara 1, in the territorial waters of Papua New Guinea, where it is aiming to produce copper, gold and silver.


text:
What exactly did the Brexit Party gain in the 2019 EU parliament election?
The UK is leaving the European Union soon and Theresa May failed to deliver the Brexit as promised, mainly because she could not get her deal approved by the UK parliament. Under these circumstances, why is winning the European election important to Brexit Party? By winning this, can they have a significant impact on Brexit? If they do, why didn't UKIP have such an impact on Brexit for last 3 years?
After winning the election, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said the victory sends a strong message to UK politicians. As the UK is leaving the European Union soon and assuming the Brexit party doesn't have a significant impact on the Brexit deal (or no deal) in either the UK Parliament or the European parliament, what is the victory here?
What is going to change between now and October? And what's the strong message this result sends to U.K. politics?
united-kingdom european-union brexit european-parliament brexit-party
Hello WorldHello World
These last two questions are still a bit broad / opinion based. The first part could be a good question, especially when aimed at statements made by the Brexit party.
– JJJ ♦
There are several questions here...
By winning this can they [Brexit Party] have a significant impact on Brexit?
No, in that they're not in power; but also yes, because they won the EU election in the UK. In the process, unhappy Tory voters have sent a rather clear message to their MPs that they'd like them to get on with Brexit and move on to other things. (But see below.)
If they do why UKIP, didn't have such an impact for last 3 years on Brexit?
Farage left UKIP after the Brexit referendum, and the party has become a weird extreme right outfit that lost its soul when it began to accept racists like Tommy Robinson amongst its senior leadership.
After winning the election, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage said the victory sends a strong message to UK politicians.
Except for the fact that, when you combine the votes of clear-cut Remain and Leave parties, and agree with the notion that this was the de facto referendum, well... Remain wins. If you fold Tory votes into Brexit and Labour votes into Remain (a dubious idea in both cases IMO, but it's probably a good enough approximation), the result is even more clearcut: the UK wants to Remain. So the message is very strong indeed. But for Remain.
As the UK is leaving the European Union soon and assuming the Brexit party doesn't have a significant impact on the Brexit deal (or no deal) in either the UK Parliament or the European parliament, what is the victory here?
It's not at all clear that the UK is leaving the EU anytime soon. The victory is that they humiliated the Tories (as in "get on with it", basically) and came in a strong lead in the EU elections.
What is going to change between now and October?
Not much in all likelihood. There's going to be a new PM, and that's the only thing that's certain.
There already are signals by senior Tories that a PM who would pursue a no-deal Brexit will get kicked out of office. And the EU has made it crystal clear that it's this deal, period -- and the UK isn't in a position to renegotiate. So assuming new snap elections don't occur it's going to be about whether a new PM will be able to (finally?) sell the current deal to Parliament and/or the public, or convince the nation as a whole that actually, Brexit isn't going to happen. Or just kick the can down the road.
If snap elections do occur it's really anyone's guess. FWIW mine would be that the UK would end up with an election entirely focused on Brexit and it would turn into a wholesale referendum (again). And I'd stick my neck out and suggest that either Article 50 would end up revoked in such a scenario, or the resulting Brexit deal would be so soft that it would make Brexiters even angrier.
Side note on the latter point: May's deal is the hardest possible Brexit deal based on the redlines she gave the EU and what the EU is willing to accept without putting itself in jeopardy. IMO there is just no way a new PM will get a better deal, and the EU has also made very clear that even in the event of a no-deal Brexit a prerequisite to even beginning to negotiate a future trade relationship is to accept what's in the Brexit deal -- including the controversial backstop.
And what's the strong message this result sends to U.K. politics?
Purportedly the message is that there's a strong block behind a no deal Brexit. But as we've seen above, it's only purportedly. In reality, there's a strong block behind no Brexit. So this is just spin.
Even the idea that unhappy Tory voters have sent a message to Conservative Leaders by voting Farage is potentially inaccurate (curse you secret ballots). A pro Remain alternative analysis here argues most Brexit votes come from 2014 UKIP. Though how many of those were unhappy Tories in the first place...
– Jontia
@Jontia: while I wholeheartedly agree that former UKIP votes went to Farage's new Brexit party, I'd put forward that the real story here is more about Tory voters defecting to the Brexit party (which is a message) than it is about UKIP voters following Farage around (which was a no brainer except for the odd racist).
@HelloWorld: FWIW at this point my view as a continental European is that the the UK should get on with it, take May's deal, and rejoin the EU at the first opportunity. That way, UK Brexiters would get to see and feel how much they've been lied to, and it would hopefully silence anti-EU voices for good..
"If you fold... Labour votes into Remain" Why would you do that? Labour are pro-brexit.
@Richard: Insofar as I've been following, 80% of Labour voters support Remain, and Corbyn announced today that Labour now officially supports a 2nd referendum.
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged united-kingdom european-union brexit european-parliament brexit-party .
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Did the Brexit Party "dominate" EU elections in the UK?
If Parliament were prorogued for a long period, how would the government raise funds?
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According to UK government, Parliament cannot stop a no-deal Brexit: Could this also be used to push through the agreement agreed by Theresa May?
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Would this use of *nobile officium* be a separation of powers violation?
How can the British government both obey the Benn Act and still leave without a Brexit deal?


A transistor is a small electronic device containing a semiconductor and having at least three electrical contacts, used in a circuit as an amplifier, detector, or switch. It is the fundamental component of most active electronic circuits, including digital electronics. The transistor was invented on 1947-12-23 at Bell Labs. There are two kinds, the bipolar transistor (also called the junction transistor), and the field effect transistor (FET). Transistors and other components are interconnected to make complex integrated circuits such as logic gates, microprocessors and memory.
How a FET transistor works?.
The field-effect transistor (FET) controls the current between two points but does so differently than the bipolar transistor. The FET operates by the effects of an electric field on the flow of electrons through a single type of semiconductor material. This is why the FET is sometimes called a unipolar transistor. Unlike bipolar semiconductors that can be arranged in many configurations to provide diodes, transistors, photoelectric devices, temperature sensitive devices and so on, the field effect is usually only used to make transistors, although FETs are also available as special-purpose diodes, for use as constant current sources. .
Current moves within the FET in a channel, from the source connection to the drain connection. A gate terminal generates an electric field that controls the current. The channel is made of either N-type or P-type semiconductor material; an FET is specified as either an N-channel or P-channel device. Majority carriers flow from source to drain. In N-channel devices, electrons flow so the drain potential must be higher than that of the Source (VDS > O)- In P-channel devices, the flow of holes requires that VDS < 0. The majority carriers of the channel, ordinarily positive for P-channel FETs and negative for N-channel FETs, determine the polarity of the electric field that controls current in the channel.


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Home » Europe » Mum who fled with three-year-old son: 'I had no choice'
Mum who fled with three-year-old son: 'I had no choice'
Ellie Yarrow-Sanders, 26, and her son Olly have not been seen since July, when they disappeared in the middle of court proceedings with the boy's father, Patrick Sheridan.
They are believed to have "gone underground" and Mr Sheridan and his lawyers have issued a public plea for his former partner to "see sense" and return with the child.
But Ms Yarrow-Sanders has said she was forced to flee and has said she is acting in her son's best interests.
In a blog published by the Women's Coalition, the mother wrote she loved Olly "more than anything".
"This is the only thing I could do for Olly to have any semblance of a childhood with his mum," she wrote.
"I'm really sorry to leave you all but we have no other choice and I promise we will be ok! I will never let any harm come to Olly."
She addressed the letter – originally published in November but only now coming to light – to her mother and sister so they would "understand why I've had to do what I've done".
Family members and friends of Ms Yarrow-Sanders have set up a crowdfunder for her legal fees and their appeals for help have attracted hundreds of messages of support.
Ms Yarrow-Sanders's disappearance was made public in December when a judge in the Family Division of London's High Court said he was "gravely concerned" and urged anyone with information to come forward.
Family court hearings are generally staged in private and journalists had been barred from identifying anyone involved.
But Mr Justice Williams said he was lifting the order and would allow names and photographs to be published in order to find Ms Yarrow-Sanders and her son, who come from the Basildon area of Essex.
Essex Police are searching and have urged anyone with information to get in touch.
A spokesperson for Irwin Mitchell, the law firm representing Olly's father, said on Thursday that Ms Sheridan "has gone underground since abducting Olly".
"She has not used her bank accounts or mobile phone since she and Olly disappeared in July."
They said Ms Yarrow-Sanders's mother had travelled to Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, at around the time Olly vanished, and may have stayed in the area.
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Q: Developing Cordova Project in Visual Studio 2015 I'm new to developing Cordova project in Visual Studio 2015.  I used the blank Cordova App template to create a project without any content and ran the project under Ripple.  It showed several errors of the following two kinds:
Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 500 (Internal Server Error)
cordova :: Setting the user agent server side failed.
Failed to load resource: the server responded with a status of 404 (Not Found)
cordova :: Initialization Finished (Make it so.)
How do I solve these questions?  Thanks.

A: To get rid of missing ripple.js error and other js-missing file related errors, just add this base meta tag to your head section of index.html:
<base href="/" target="_blank">

Add it before the other tags such as scripts and style declarations.


Author(s): Ben M. Hunt, Ralph W. Aye. Swedish Cancer Institute, 1101 Madison St, Seattle, WA 98104, USA.
Prolonged air leak (PAL) is one of the most common complications after pulmonary resection. PAL is associated with longer hospital stay, increased morbidity, and increased cost. PAL can be defined in various ways, but the most commonly accepted definition is an air leak which prolongs the hospital stay. Patients with decreased lung function and emphysema are at the highest risk for PAL, as are patients with intrapleural adhesions. PAL is also associated with various risk factors for poor wound healing (e.g. steroids and malnutrition). PAL is more common after lobectomy, especially upper lobectomy. Fissureless techniques and VATS surgery have been associated with a decreased risk of PAL, as have buttressed staple lines, chemical sealants, and various measures to reduce the volume of the pleural cavity (such as creation of an apical tent or iatrogenic pneumoperitoneum). These techniques may be used routinely, but are usually employed only in high-risk patients or patients with an intraoperative air leak. Early use of water seal has been consistently demonstrated to reduce the incidence of PAL, except when a patient develops an expanding pneumothorax or worsening symptoms on water seal. Patients with PAL who tolerate water seal drainage can be discharged with a chest tube still in place attached to a one-way valve or portable drainage system. For recalcitrant PAL, sclerosants and endobronchial valves have both shown some success. Reoperation is required for <2% of patients with PAL.
Keywords: Chest tube management, complications, lung resection, morbidity, prolonged air leak, persistent air leak, thoracic surgery, emphysema, intrapleural adhesions, lobectomy.
Affiliation:Swedish Cancer Institute, 1101 Madison St, Seattle, WA 98104, USA.
Keywords:Chest tube management, complications, lung resection, morbidity, prolonged air leak, persistent air leak, thoracic surgery, emphysema, intrapleural adhesions, lobectomy.
Abstract:Prolonged air leak (PAL) is one of the most common complications after pulmonary resection. PAL is associated with longer hospital stay, increased morbidity, and increased cost. PAL can be defined in various ways, but the most commonly accepted definition is an air leak which prolongs the hospital stay. Patients with decreased lung function and emphysema are at the highest risk for PAL, as are patients with intrapleural adhesions. PAL is also associated with various risk factors for poor wound healing (e.g. steroids and malnutrition). PAL is more common after lobectomy, especially upper lobectomy. Fissureless techniques and VATS surgery have been associated with a decreased risk of PAL, as have buttressed staple lines, chemical sealants, and various measures to reduce the volume of the pleural cavity (such as creation of an apical tent or iatrogenic pneumoperitoneum). These techniques may be used routinely, but are usually employed only in high-risk patients or patients with an intraoperative air leak. Early use of water seal has been consistently demonstrated to reduce the incidence of PAL, except when a patient develops an expanding pneumothorax or worsening symptoms on water seal. Patients with PAL who tolerate water seal drainage can be discharged with a chest tube still in place attached to a one-way valve or portable drainage system. For recalcitrant PAL, sclerosants and endobronchial valves have both shown some success. Reoperation is required for <2% of patients with PAL.


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What we've done so far
The Blood Cancer UK Vaccine Research Collaborative's mission is to get as much information as possible about the effectiveness of the vaccines for people with blood cancer.
It was early December 2020 and things were starting to look up for people in the UK. We were the first country in the world to license the Pfizer-BioNTech covid vaccine and in quick succession, the Oxford-AstraZeneca one too. For some time in December, we at Blood Cancer UK were fixated on one thing: how do we get these vaccines in the arms of people with blood cancer as soon as possible and what can we do protect our community the most.
As December went on, we got reports of many of our community, who were over 75, starting to receive the vaccine. We had worked hard to get clear and accurate information out about the safety of the vaccines and so it bought us a lot of joy to see our community starting to receive them.
We knew that vaccines don't typically work as well in people with blood cancer so it was likely that we would see a similar situation in relation to the covid vaccine but we were initially reassured by the Government's commitment to monitor vaccine effectiveness in people with compromised immune systems.
So, we worked hard to untangle this and work out what the government had funded and what they hadn't. Quickly, it became apparent that the extent to which the government were funding this work wouldn't be enough to get answers for people with blood cancer and so we started to pour all our efforts into working out how we could.
This is where the Blood Cancer UK Vaccine Research Collaborative was born.
We brought together a group of the UK's leading haematologists, together with charity partners in the UK and US. Many of the haematologists were already planning studies but were unable to access the funding they needed to get them going. We had weekly meetings with the group and identified that we quickly needed to do two things:
Find a way to raise funds to get these studies going
Coordinate the research in a way that everyone collects data in a similar way so it is comparable and can be built on in the future.
So that's exactly what we did. We worked with the group to identify what research was essential to be done in each disease area to get answers and soon had agreement from the group on the experiments that needed doing, and the time points at which they needed to collect data.
Alongside this work, we pulled in colleagues from fundraising to help us work out how we could get this work funded. This was no easy task as we needed to work out how we could raise a significant amount of money, but we rose to the challenge and started speaking to pharmaceutical companies, charity partners, foundations and our blood cancer community, all while continuing to lobby the Government to release additional funds to get this essential work going.
As of writing, we're at a stage where we're now accepting and reviewing applications from our research community to study vaccine effectiveness in people with blood cancer. Our efforts to fundraise continue, but we are at a stage where we can start funding some work thanks to the generosity of partners from industry, Myeloma UK, Anthony Nolan and the British Society for Haematology. We're committed to turning around applications in two weeks from when they come in to make sure this work gets going as soon as possible.
All these projects will study a specific group of people with blood cancer. There are two key things to look for to understand how much protection someone has received from a vaccine and these are antibody and T cell response. These are both parts of our immune system that are involved in mounting a response to vaccination. Researchers will therefore look at the peak vaccine response 2-4 weeks after the second dose of vaccination by looking at antibody and T cell responses to vaccination and will also repeat this six and 12 months after vaccination to try and understand how long protection lasts.
Blood Cancer UK has built up strong relationships with our research community planning these studies as well as partners abroad to make sure we share information for you, our community, as soon as we can. This information will help us to give clearer advice to people with blood cancer and will ensure that the government support people who are less protected. In addition to this, it will also help us understand how we might use different or additional methods to protect people with blood cancer and we will do everything in our power to fund as much work as we can. If you would like to contribute to this work, you can donate to Blood Cancer UK.
Fund vaccine research
A big thank you to our Vaccine Task Force, Myeloma UK, the British Society for Haematology and Anthony Nolan for helping us navigate this project. We couldn't have done it without you.
The Blood Cancer UK Vaccine Research Collaborative is a collaboration of organisations funding the research to find out how well Covid vaccines work. It is led by Blood Cancer UK, in partnership with Myeloma UK, Anthony Nolan and the British Society for Haematology.
The following companies have provided funding for our research into Covid vaccine efficacy but have had no further input: Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen, Roche, Takeda


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Betty's eBook Bargains for Monday, March 16th – eBookBetty: Free Ebooks – Great Deals on bestselling Kindle books
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March 16, 2015 March 15, 2015 • Betty
by Louise Douglas
When Olivia and Luca fell in love as teenagers and eloped to London, they broke the hearts of those closest to them. Luca's parents run Marinella's restaurant, the colourful hub of life in an otherwise bleak seaside town, and his mother, Angela, has never forgiven Olivia for causing such a rift in her beloved family.
On a freezing January night Olivia's life is shattered when she learns that Luca has been killed in a car accident. Left with nothing, and gripped by an overwhelming grief, Olivia abandons her job and returns home to where Luca has been buried just to be close to him – even though she knows she will not be welcome.
FULL IRISH
by Pete Morin & Susanne O'Leary
A Dublin reporter is on a mission to find the murderer of an honest politician and close friend. A Boston lawyer is hired to dig up dirt on a conniving Irish competitor.
When the two collide at a famous County Kerry castle and discover their mutual interests, the ensuing game plan is more Pink Panther than Hercule Poirot.
Science Fiction-Adventure
THE DINOSAUR FOUR
by Geoff Jones
Ten strangers trapped in time.
A ticking sound fills the air as Tim MacGregor enters The Daily Edition Café to meet his new girlfriend for coffee. Moments later, the café is transported 67 million years back in time, along with everyone inside.
Time is running out as 10 unlikely companions search for a way home, while one member of the group plots to keep them all in the past.
Who will survive?
THE WIZARD'S DAUGHTERS
by Michael Dalton
When down-on-his-luck swordsman Erich von Jülich-Berg accepts a job protecting Walther the Artificer on a trip from his village to Free City of Köln, his only motivation is to replenish his empty purse.
Walther's twin daughters Ariel and Astrid, skilled mages in their own right, are in search of a husband. But marriage for mages carries with it unique challenges, for their mate will be chosen solely by their place in the magical Flow—not their hearts.
Erich soon finds himself caught up in a drama that will return him to a painful and dangerous place in his life that he thought he had long left behind, and pull him into the lives of two unusual women he soon grows to care about—but cannot have.
Romance-Fantasy
WOLD BRIDE
by T.S. Joyce
Kristina Yeaton is running from her past as a working girl at a Chicago brothel. Determined to start fresh in the wilds of Colorado, she answers an advertisement in the paper for a wife. So what if she doesn't fit the description Luke Dawson wants in a woman? She aims to survive the hell that's coming for her, and for that, she'll need a strapping man who isn't afraid to get his hands a little bloody.
Kristina expects a hideous husband with a bad attitude to match. What she finds in Colorado Springs is crude talking, sexy as hell, commitment phobic, Luke. Sure, his eyes are a strange color, and the snarl in his throat can be off-putting, but as she gets to know more about him, she falls head over high-backed heels for the growly stranger. If she can get him to the circuit preacher before he learns her secrets, she just might have a shot at staying alive.
Science Fiction-Cyberpunk
ANGEL CITY BLUES
by Jeff Edwards
Los Angeles: 2065
A wealthy young woman vanishes from her high-security apartment without leaving a single strand of DNA behind. No trace of the victim's disappearance is recorded on any of the building's many cameras or security sensors. Her apartment's memory cores have been destroyed beyond any hope of recovery.
To find the missing woman, Private Detective David Stalin must unravel a crime with no apparent motive, no imaginable means, and no conceivable opportunity. The truth, when he finds it, will blur the lines between pleasure and pain. Between fantasy and reality. Between life and death…
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Songwriters can often work without much idea of how to develop song ideas, complete songs, or write better songs. They may not have many ideas on how to identify in a song what works and is worth saving (for that song, or a future one), and what might be improved by editing / re-writing. Songwriters may not receive feedback on song material – especially work in progress – very often. What feedback they get may be unclear, inaccurate, uninformed, discouraging, or miss key points that need to be addressed. Co-writers want their partnership to work, but they may feel that the way they assess each other's contributions or give feedback to each other is putting their songwriting process or their relationship at risk.
At best, a songwriters learning group can provide opportunities for songwriters to swap experiences and ideas, to support each other, to find co-writers, and to learn from and with each other. In particular, such a group could provide a valuable space for songwriters to learn together how to assess song material and give feedback on it, as well as to benefit from assessments and feedback they receive on their own song material.
However, there are challenges to creating a group feedback process for songwriters. Giving feedback and critique, especially on creative work, can be hard to do well. Unskilled, poorly judged, or ill-timed feedback can be confusing, and can hamper the songwriter's skill development, and do long term damage to a songwriter's confidence. Moreover, copyright and intellectual property are major issues. Participants would be sharing unpublished 'work in progress', which could be, at worst, plagiarised. Participants in a songwriters learning group are not official co-writers – there is no clear 'split sheet' (a written agreement of ownership percentages). But group participants would be giving and receiving creative advice and input on each other's songs. Unclear agreements, or the absence of agreements, on ownership rights on songs or the different elements of songs could lead to interpersonal tensions, or, at worst, to legal disputes.
Given the challenges outlined above, there are two key questions. First, what could be a (psychologically and emotionally) safe and constructive process for helping songwriters learn together how to assess song material, give feedback on it, and use assessments and feedback they receive on their own songs? Second, how might intellectual property questions be resolved before song sharing, assessment or feedback happens? In particular, if participants present their own song material to the group, or participants, presenters or teachers share other copyright material of their own, how might their intellectual property rights be asserted, respected and protected? And if participants provide creative input during a group session to help develop another participant's song what should happen about writing credits, ownership percentages, the distribution of royalties, and the ways in which the song (or its components) should be exploited?
Remind everyone of the SAFE framework on intellectual property.
Facilitate presentation of song material to the group.
Ask participants to write feedback on assessment slips, in response to two questions, using a guiding framework.
Use the completed slips for shared learning.
Facilitate presentation of the song material again.
NB If you leave out any of the steps, sub-steps, or principles in this document, you are not using the SAFE system that I have designed, and put at risk the confidence and motivation of both the songwriter and the songwriting group.
Intellectual property and copyright area major feature of the worlds of songwriting, performance and recording. Participation in this SAFE session implies consent to the SAFE framework on intellectual property. Rights of copyright owners must be upheld, and the intellectual property rights of people offering creative input to songwriters must be waived.
Participants of the songwriters learning group place a mutual expectation on each other to uphold best practice in intellectual property and copyright law, which may mean having to take an active interest in learning about these in their own time. Upholding best practice both trains songwriters to work to high professional and ethical standards, and models these standards for the wider community.
Songwriter participants need to feel empowered to act on advice and creative input from other participants, without the fear or possibility of being challenged at any time by other participants for a share in any royalty split or collaboration agreement. Therefore, it is a condition of attendance at the songwriters learning group that participants agree to forgo claiming writing credits, royalties or collaboration rights for any feedback and suggestions they make on other people's song material (music or lyrics) during a songwriters learning group session.
As a condition of participation in the songwriters learning group, participants waive any claim to writing credit for feedback and advice – especially creative ideas on other people's songs – they give during group learning sessions.
If a participant wants to receive a writing credit or royalty on an idea s/he has in response to hearing or seeing another participant's material, s/he should not share it in the group, with another participant, or with anyone else.
If a participant incorporates or adapts a piece of feedback or a suggestion from another participant into her/his songwriting, s/he, rather than the originator of the feedback or suggestion, is entitled to the full writing credit, and royalty for the feedback or suggestion that is incorporated or adapted.
If a participant gives advice or creative input on another participant's song material outside a songwriters learning group session, those two people must reach their own solution about writing credits and any royalty split or collaboration agreement.
The convenor or facilitator of the group presents song material, or invites a guest presenter, or a participant in the group to present song material.
song material written by a songwriters learning group participant.
ii. The presentation can be a live performance, a playing of a recording, or sharing visual material.
Ideally, the presenter shares a visual representation of the song as well (e.g. lyrics, lyrics with chords, a lead sheet). S/he can also share a visual representation of all or some of the song material (e.g. lyrics, lyrics with chords, a lead sheet), without audio. NB Participants do not have the right to keep handouts from the songwriters; songwriters reserve the right to collect their song material sheets at the end of the session.
If the song is performed, listeners may like to hear it twice. The facilitator, group and songwriter can come to an agreement whether to make this part of the process.
3. Ask participants to write feedback on assessment slips, in response to two questions, using a guiding framework.
Songwriters need to learn the practical skills of analysing what works and doesn't work in a song, and also to understand why it works or doesn't work; they also need to understand what to do to make a song work better. The two questions and guiding framework offer a way to hone assessment skills.
It is a willing act of vulnerability to share song material or work in progress. It is an even deeper act of trust to invite feedback. The two questions and the guiding framework are key to helping assessors make the feedback process emotionally and psychologically safe, and a positive experience, for the person sharing her/his material.
"What could be done differently – not necessarily better, just differently – to open up other possibilities?" This is a useful question if you think the song is great, and you can't think of anything that needs improving. Your answer may help develop your imagination, and the imagination of the songwriter and other group participants.
ii. Participants use a guiding framework to assess the songs, and to word their answers to feed back to the group.
Listen to your emotions. What did you like/enjoy, or not like/enjoy?
Be as specific as possible. Rather than saying, "I loved the song title", try, "I loved the song title because…".
Own your responses and feedback, and word them accordingly in your feedback. These are just your subjective responses, observations and opinions.
Be solution-focussed. It is empowering for the songwriter to emphasise actions and what a songwriter can If you don't have the knowledge, skills – or time! – to offer a clear solution, it may be useful if you can give an idea of what aspect of the song might benefit from closer inspection, but bear in mind the earlier point about the value of being specific.
Be respectful to everyone in the group, and to songwriters and performers who are not present, whoever they are (or were).
Be encouraging to other members of the group.
Songwriter empowerment is a key purpose of SAFE. The two questions and guiding framework focus on what can be of practical use for songwriters, and what will also make the feedback emotionally positive and encouraging. However, it takes practice to be able to assess well, and give feedback well, and participants will complete the slips with different levels of songwriting knowledge, analytical skill, and diplomacy. After the two questions and guiding framework, the facilitator provides a second layer of protection and support for the songwriter. The facilitator selects and makes minor edits to the comments, thereby mediating between the group and the songwriter in the public space. Participating in a SAFE session is implicit consent to the facilitator playing this mediating role.
By hearing feedback from other people, mediated by the facilitator, participants can learn from how others are responding to the song, assessing songs and giving feedback. What people write for private consumption by the songwriter, and how the facilitator handles the comments in the group space has a major impact on the group culture, the level of mutual trust, and the willingness of songwriters to offer their material for a SAFE session in the future.
Receive slips from the participants.
Take a few moments to privately read the comments on the slips.
Decide which comments to share with the group and the songwriter in the 'hot seat', including how to edit or gently re-word assessors' comments to align with the principles of the two questions and guiding framework. Respect assessors' work, and change as little as possible in the comments.
Share out loud what you have selected and edited.
For song material by a participant, invite assessors to give her/him their assessment slips. NB There is no obligation or pressure to do so.
For song material not by a participant, remind assessors that they can choose to keep the assessment slips they have written, give them to someone else, or discard them.
There are limitations to this rapid assessment and feedback process. Analysing and re-writing songs is normally a long, detailed process. The group may well want to discuss and choose together how to deepen their learning, or give a song a longer, and more considered response. The material can be presented a) straight away, b) at a later date after a re-write (if the song material is by a participant), or c) both.
i. Audio material is played or performed again straight after the feedback process, so that people can listen with greater awareness as a result of the group's feedback.
ii. Re-written material (presumably incorporating some of the feedback from the this session) is presented again at a later meeting, for new assessment and feedback.