text:
Breaking the chain (or novus actus interveniens, literally new intervening act) refers in English law to the idea that causal connections are deemed to finish. Even if the defendant can be shown to have acted negligently, there will be no liability if some new intervening act breaks the chain of causation between that negligence and the loss or damage sustained by the claimant.

Discussion
Where there is only a single operative cause for the loss and damage suffered by the claimant, it is a relatively simple matter to determine whether that cause was a breach of the duty of care owed to the claimant by the defendant. But where the sequence of events leading to the loss and damage comprises more than one cause, the process of separating and attributing potential or actual liability is more complicated.

Act of God and other natural events as contributing causes
Where there are several potential causes of harm, some of which are tortious and some of which are natural, the basic rule is that the claimant can succeed only if he or she proves on the balance of probabilities that the loss and damage is attributable to the tort. In The Oropesa, a collision occurred in heavy seas between the Oropesa and the Manchester Regiment which was so seriously damaged that the captain sent fifty of the crew to the Oropesa. An hour later, he set off with sixteen of the crew to go to the Oropesa in another lifeboat. This lifeboat capsized in the heavy seas and nine of the crew drowned. The Manchester Regiment later sank. Relatives of the drowned seamen sued. The question was whether the action of the captain in leaving the Manchester Regiment broke the chain. It was held that the captain's action was the natural consequence of the emergency in which he was placed by the negligence of the Oropesa and, therefore, the deaths of the seamen were a direct consequence of the negligent act of the Oropesa. The question was not whether there was new negligence, but whether there was a new cause of action. To break the chain of causation there must be something "...unwarrantable, a new cause which disturbs the sequence of events, something which can be described as either unreasonable or extraneous or extrinsic."

But, when negligence is followed by a natural event of such magnitude that it erases the physical effects of the original negligence, the defendant's liability ceases at the moment in time when the supervening condition occurs. In Carslogie Steamship Co v. Royal Norwegian Government, the Carslogie collided with the Heimgar and admitted liability. Temporary repairs were effected with permanent repairs to be carried out later in the United States. After the collision but before crossing the Atlantic, the Heimgar was given a certificate of seaworthiness, authorising her to be continued in her present class without fresh record of survey, subject to permanent repairs at the owner's convenience. She was held fit to carry dry and perishable cargoes. While crossing the Atlantic, the Heimgar encountered heavy weather and sustained such serious damage as to become unseaworthy and to require immediate dry docking. Thus, prior to encountering the rough weather, the Heimgar was a seaworthy vessel, capable of earning profits for her owners. Repairs due to the collision and to the heavy weather, as well as the owner's repairs were all carried out at the same time. Ten of the fifty days in dry dock were allocated to the repair of the collision damage and the question for the House of Lords was whether the owners of the Carslogie were liable for that ten-day loss of earning capacity. The claim was for damages because a working ship is "a profit-earning machine". If she ceases to earn a profit, it is essential to consider what caused the detention in dry dock at that time. In this case, the Heimgar was a profit-earning vessel before suffering the heavy weather damage. Thus, the loss of earnings at that time was not caused by the collision. Hence, The Oropesa demonstrates that where there are two successive causes of harm, the court may regard the first event as the cause of all the harm, or hold that the second supervening event reduces or eliminates the effect of the initial negligence as in Carslogie Steamship Co v. Royal Norwegian Government.

Sequential causes
Decisions are not always clear-cut where the loss or damage flowing from an initial tort is overwhelmed by a more serious injury caused by:
(a) a second tort, or
(b) a supervening illness or natural event.
In Baker v. Willoughby the defendant negligently injured the claimant's leg in a car accident. The claimant was later an innocent victim when shot in the same leg by some robbers and the leg was amputated. The House of Lords held that the defendant was liable to pay full compensation for the injury he had caused, based on the claimant's losses beyond the time when his leg was amputated. Since the claimant's disability would have been permanent, damages were assessed as if the second event had not occurred. If the chain had been treated as broken and the defendant had had no liability in respect of the period after the claimant's leg had been amputated, the claimant would have fallen between two sets of defendants (the robbers were not available as defendants to pay their share of full compensation). This decision was criticised in Jobling v. Associated Dairies where the claimant's employer negligently caused a slipped disk which reduced his earning capacity by half. Four years later, the claimant was found to have a pre-existing spinal disease unrelated to the accident which gradually rendered him unable to work. The employer liability was limited to four years' loss of earnings because, whatever had happened, this illness would have caused the disability and was a "vicissitude of life". The Lords considered that Baker should be regarded as an exception to the general "but-for" test, which was justified on its facts but not representing a general precedent.

Measurement and apportionment of damages
In Heil v. Rankin a specially constituted Court of Appeal resolved eight test cases by creating a formula for increasing the measure of damages for pain, suffering and loss of amenity. In this respect, the case only affects a small number of personal injury claims which involve serious injury; and secondly, even in the most extreme of these cases, it increases damages by only modest amounts of up to one third. Lewis and others have long argued that a no-fault approach to compensation would be more appropriate. The Heil case simply reinforces the tort system for the award of damages (in January 1996 the Law Commission had published a Consultation Paper (No. 140) Damages for Personal Injury: Non-Pecuniary Loss, followed by Commission Report No. 257).

Heil was a police officer who was involved in a traumatic shooting incident in 1987. He was involved in a second incident in 1993. The cumulative effect of both incidents left him suffering from post traumatic stress disorder which ultimately became a permanent disability. Each incident produced its own stress with the first being the more serious cause which exacerbated the reaction to the second event. The defendant in the second incident argued that he did not cause Heil to suffer from PTSD because he already had that condition. All that the second incident did was to cause a temporary exacerbation of a pre-existing condition. Only a "moderate" award of damages was therefore considered appropriate. This apportions liability for underlying cause and exacerbating cause in a way that was not possible in the Baker case. The rule may be stated as:
"if no additional damage is caused by the second tort, only the first defendant will be liable to compensate for all the loss and damage flowing from the first tort"; but
"if additional damage is caused by the second tort, the liability to pay for the cumulative loss and damage is shared between the parties on a pro rata basis. The first defendant remains liable to pay for the loss and damage directly flowing from the breach of the duty, ignoring the second tort. The second defendant pays only for the additional loss and damage flowing from the second tort. The claimant therefore receives full compensation but divided between the defendants in the proportions that the court assesses."

Multiple possible causes
If there are several possible explanations for the cause of the loss or damage, the burden of proof is on the claimant to prove whichever causes are alleged as the cause of action. The claimant is not obliged to sue the defendant whose breach of duty is alleged to be the main cause of the damage. The only requirement is that, whoever is sued must have made a material contribution to the loss or damage suffered (see Bonnington Castings Ltd v. Wardlaw). But in McGhee v. National Coal Board, the claimant worked in brick kilns and contracted dermatitis. He alleged that the failure to provide showers had caused or contributed to the disease. The problem was to prove that he would not have contracted the disease "but for" the absence of showers. The Lords held that a breach of duty that materially increases the risk of injury proves negligence. This was a fairly radical departure from the usual test of causation. Indeed, Lord Wilberforce was also radical in a minority judgment by reversing the normal burden of proof once a prima facie case of increased risk was made out, i.e. it was then for the employer to show that the failure to provide showers did not cause the disease. In due course, the Lords retreated from this decision.

In Wilsher v. Essex Area Health Authority there were some six possible causes for the blindness resulting in the claimant infant. Lord Bridge expressly disapproved the reversal of the burden of proof and claimed that McGhee did not represent new law. Thus, albeit by strained logic, the law was asserted to be that the claimant has the burden of proof to show that the alleged breach of duty materially increased the risk of injury. Now, Fairchild v Glenhaven Funeral Services Ltd seems to reinstate the majority McGhee test by allowing a claimant to succeed against more than one employer by proving that any one might have increased the risk of disease without actually proving exactly when or where the exposure took place. The case involved mesothelioma, a form of cancer contracted by the inhalation of asbestos dust. This is a public policy decision to overrule Wilsher and to allow asbestos claims. Albeit that it was expressly stated as a limited exception to the general rule of causation, it could have real impact in all cases of industrial disease.

Medical negligence and Fairchild causation
The case of Chester v. Afshar suggested that the Fairchild ratio could be extended to beyond industrial disease cases. Chester is a case of 'simple facts and complex causation'. Miss Chester suffered from back pain for which she sought the advice of the eminent neurosurgeon Mr. Afshar. A procedure was required to ameliorate the condition, but one that carried a 1-2% risk of paralysis by 'cauda equina syndrome'. Mr. Afshar failed to inform Miss Chester as to this risk involved. The surgery was performed without negligence. However the risk was eventuated and Miss Chester was left paralysed. Miss Chester won, not because Mr. Afshar had caused the harm to her but through not informing her (direct causation - which could not be proved as Mr. Afshar's advice had not increased the risk), but on a policy decision (like Fairchild) that she deserved compensation.

However, the case of Gregg v Scott (2005) (and an attempt to claim the same loose application of causation in a housing case Peter Paul Davidson (company) v White (2005)) has proved the difficulty of extending this ratio. So it remains to be seen if cases that 'break the chain' can be successful.

See also
 Damages
R v Holland
Scott v Shepherd (1773) 96 ER 525

Notes

References
Cane, Peter. (1999). Atiyah's Accidents, Compensation and the Law. Sixth edition, Chapter 5. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Deakin, Simon; Johnston, Angus & Markesinis, B. S. (2003). Markesinis and Deakin's Tort Law. pp. 174–201. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Hart, H. L. A. & Honore, A. M. (1985). Causation in the Law. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
The Law Commission (1999). Damages for Personal Injury: Non-Pecuniary Loss. Report No. 257.
Lewis, Richard. "Increasing The Price Of Pain: Damages: The Law Commission And Heil v Rankin".
Rogers, W. V. H. Winfield and Jolowicz on Tort, pp. 195–231. London: Sweet & Maxwell.
Weir, Tony. (2002). Tort Law. Chapters 4 & 5. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

External links
 Worldlii links to resources on the subject of damages

English tort law


Killafornia Dreaming: True Crime Tales from the Golden State is a podcast that delves into the darker side of California. There are so many people, places and things to love about this beautiful state. But just like any other picturesque locale, not everything is postcard perfect. This is a show that brings you stories from the not-so-golden state. The tales are endless as you begin this journey with me while I take you on a detour into the noir…and I promise this experience will forever change the way you think about California and California Dreams….
This is certainly one of the good ones.
Just started and now I'm bingeing. Loving it!!!
The story telling style is like no other!
I have learned so much about crimes that I already thought I knew everything about. Thank you to the host for the in depth telling.


text:
https://employment.niu.edu/postings/6039...
Associate Director of Donor Relations - University Advancement (4767) (EXTENDED SEARCH)
Date Posted Nov. 24, 2021
Title Associate Director of Donor Relations - University Advancement (4767) (EXTENDED SEARCH)
University Northern Illinois University
DeKalb, IL, United States
Department Development Operations
Apply Online Here https://employment.niu.edu/postings/6039...
Academic Fields	 Alumni Relations
Development/Institutional Advancement
Department, University, and Community description:The Division of University Advancement houses the Northern Illinois University Foundation, which is also an independent 501c3 fundraising organization. We have a dynamic, deeply engaged, thoughtful and fun team who are devoted to ensuring successful fundraising to benefit Northern Illinois University, and to create sustainable revenue streams ensuring the continued success of the Foundation. At Northern Illinois University Foundation, our vision is to develop, support and encourage a culture of giving throughout the NIU community that will allow it to flourish and accomplish NIU's goal of becoming the most student-centered public research university in the Midwest. NIU is a university that has diversity, equity, and inclusion as one its primary core values. We seek and are strengthened by the diverse perspectives and experiences of our university community members, and we appreciate and respect every member of our community. Being a part of the NIU Huskie family means being an advocate for diversity and embracing inclusive principles.
Primary Function:
The Division of University Advancement is responsible for all friend-raising and fund-raising at Northern Illinois University. Within the division is the Office of Donor Relations, which fosters lasting relationships between donors and the University through stewardship programs that demonstrate appreciation and reinforce the impact of donor generosity to the university. The acknowledgment, stewardship, engagement and recognition programs within Donor Relations, in addition to efforts to support philanthropic campaigns and programming, are essential in retaining donors who will continue to support the university.
Assistant/Associate Director Research Administration
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dean, Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
Posted Oct. 7, 2021

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Super is the often forgotten and ever-growing lump sum behind all working Australians – and it can now be leveraged as your entrance to the property market.
We're pretty well versed on how tough it is to get a leg on the property ladder –especially in Australia's capital cities, and particularly if you're a young, aspiring first-homebuyer.
One organisation, Superestate, is aiming to level the playing field and revolutionise how Australians engage with their super.
"We have torn down the barriers and made property investment easy and possible for everyone, no matter how small your super balance," says Grant Brits, a former investment banker and Superestate's CEO.
In a nutshell, Superstate allows you to invest your super in residential property and understand where your super is actually going (the company displays its property investments on their website).
Superestate – founded by Brits, with input from property expert Dr Andrew Wilson and auctioneer Damien Cooley – is currently the only super fund focused on investing in residential property.
"We saw many friends and family struggling to get onto the property ladder, so we wanted to help find a new way for them to do it. Whether you're looking for a home or to invest – it's extremely challenging, especially for younger Australians," says Brits.
One of the biggest obstacles in property investment is not having enough money or savings to start off with, Brits says.
"We wanted to make sure that we built a product that would allow everyone to have access, no matter their current financial position. This is what lead us to super,' he says.
Where does your super go?
Traditionally, superannuation funds are invested in a broad range of assets including: cash, fixed interest, Australian or international shares and infrastructure.
Superstate also spreads its investment, but their asset mix uniquely includes residential property too.
When other super funds say they invest in property, this typically means through property trusts investing in office and commercial property, which financially, performs differently to residential property.
"Most people don't even realise and are normally pretty shocked when they learn how much of their super is being invested in the stock market," says Brits.
"If we look at the long-term historical performance of residential property, all of our super might have performed even better had the traditional super funds invested in residential property.
The company looks to invest in high-quality properties in high-demand areas with limited supply (i.e. houses with land near the CBD), as they will likely do very well over the long term.
"When we consider specific suburbs we take into account location, demographics, resilience and growth drivers. This typically means we're focusing on properties in our inner-city markets close to our major CBDs," said Brits.
We're pretty well versed on how tough it is to get a leg on the property ladder – especially in Australia's capital cities, and particularly if you're a young, aspiring first-homebuyer.


Looking for online personal training software for personalized (with my options, my programs, my brand, etc.)?
Great blog on why gym's succeed and what you can do to make sure yours does also.
What is the best way to start offering an online training component for clients?
We do it here at work and people get so in to it.
If you guy's have any question/concerns about the webinar or how to register feel free to ask!


text:
More Frisky Weather Girls Who Don't Like Each Other
EYE ROLL alert. You can only hold a fake smile for so long, and you just hope that...
By Chris Partlow On Jul 3, 2013 3
Top Ten Sports Media Stories of 2023
What are the top 5 potential NFL head-coaching job openings?


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Home / Game & Tournament Reports / Gold Standard: Bears finally scale Southwest mountain
Gold Standard: Bears finally scale Southwest mountain
Updated: March 5, 2013
Baylor keeper Reed Marchman denies a shot from Texas chaser Sarah Holub in the Regional final. Credit: Lauren Carter
No, Southwest regionals was not a huge tournament. And yes, the majority of the teams who attended walked away with World Cup bids. But, after an entire season of notable absences from the top teams – Texas missed Breakfast Taco, LSU missed Diamond Cup, Texas A&M and Baylor both missed Mardi Gras Cup – the tournament also served as our first chance to see the region's elite up against each other.
From the outside, there's very much a "Haters gon hate" vibe about the Southwest. Thanks to great performance at the last world cup and excellent membership signups, teams were getting geared up for a 16 team tournament to distribute 10 spots. But then, it dropped even further, down to 15, a week before the tournament. Even with the low attrition rate, there was plenty of blood shed for the final spots, as well as the regional title.
The bracket on day two sent LSU out in a quarterfinals loss to A&M, their second of the weekend, and left semifinals of the University of Texas against Texas State University and Baylor University against Texas A&M. On one side of the bracket, the Longhorns rolled, while on the other side, A&M couldn't find a way to put away the Bears. They attempted to pull away, but Baylor's held tough, and a pull forced overtime, where a second pull gave Baylor a famous win.
In the finals, the Bears kept rolling, bringing the confidence of an early season win over Texas with them. The Longhorns threatened to pull away with an early 40-10 lead, but Baylor got its bearings, and by the time the snitch arrived, the play and score were fairly level. Once again, it was the Bears making the grab, giving them not only their first regional title, but also their first major tournament title of any kind.
Pool 1: Texas State University, Austin Quidditch, University of Northern Colorado, Denver Dementors
Even at first glance, there's plenty to glean about the teams in this pool. Half are from deep in the heart of Texas, while the other hails from the edge of the region in Colorado. Although Texas State and Austin Quidditch have not yet made it to the highest tier of Southwest teams, neither was invited to Bottom of the Bracket and anyone in that upper tier always has to fight through at least one of them on the way to SW semis and finals. The University of Northern Colorado and Denver Dementors, however, came in all but unknown to the rest of the region. Aside from UNC's appearance at WxSW, these two have an entirely Western resume.
The only real question mark in this pool was how Texas State would show up. This is a team who gave two very different performances in October that were polar opposites, then played one obscure tournament in November and was done.
The mystery paid off for them, however, as they took down Austin Quidditch, 90*-30, in a match that decided the pool. Denver brought up the bottom, but UNC put up a fight, remaining tied with Austin before a grab by the Texas side gave them a 70*-40 win. They saw each other again in the first round of bracket play, with a World Cup bid on the line, but this time Austin had all of the right answers, winning 170*-90
UNC had a second shot at qualification after the loss when they took on Roadrunner Quidditch. But their defense continued to struggle, and they couldn't quite close the gap to snitch range. Eventually, they went out, 180*-110. However, they undoubtedly still made waves.
Pool 2: Texas A&M, LSU, Sam Houston State University
There's always a lot of talk about which is the pool of death for a tournament, and never has the answer been so immediately, and ultimately, tragically, clear. After Hendrix dropped out, this pool featured the so-far undefeated Texas A&M, Bottom of the Bracket champion Sam Houston State University, and LSU, who despite not having the best season placed first or second at all but Collegiate Cup, where they lost to A&M in the semis.
Texas A&M against LSU has been a familiar story at every tournament since 2009. The only times it hasn't happened have been world cups IV and V, and as if to make up for it, this time it happened twice. Both times, A&M remained cool and collected while a more erratic LSU failed to come together at the necessary level. In pool play, the result was a 100-50* result for the favorite.
The real heartbreak of the tournament was Sam Houston. Losing to A&M and LSU by significant margins on day one left SHSU with a 1-2 record going into the bracket. Sunday morning, they faced a confident Silver Phoenix team, and though the managed to get within snitch range, the grab didn't go their way. After defeating UNT in the consolation bracket, they faced off against OSU for a second chance at the last world cup spot. Although SHSU was heavily favored, they missed a few too many scoring opportunities, which proved crucial once the snitch returned to the field rather quickly. All too soon, OSU had yet another stroke of luck when SHSU thought play was stopped and OSU's seeker caught the snitch, denying the most deserving unqualified team a world cup slot.
Pool 3: University of Texas-Austin, University of Arkansas, Loyola University, Roadrunner Quidditch
In a surprise to no one, the University of Texas trampled over Arkansas, Loyola, and Roadrunner Quidditch to claim the spot on top of the pool. The real news here concerns the other three teams.
Arkansas, like every other team outside of Texas and Louisiana, was relatively unknown coming into this tournament. As their only SW experience aside from Oklahoma State was the rare game against a top team, they were not expected to perform nearly as well as their ranking gave them credit for. However, their chasing excelled on offense with some powerful drives and their beating locked down defense at the hoops. They qualified for the World Cup through the upper bracket, crushing OSU, 200*-40, and then gave Texas State a run for their money before losing, 90*-30, in the quarterfinals.
Although Loyola's beating suffered from the absence of Gina Salacki, their chasing game impressed, and the Wolfpack held strong. When they caught the snitch from behind to defeat RRQ, 100*-80, in the last game slot of the day, it was enough to throw bracket predictions for a loop. When Loyola faced off against state rivals LSU in the first round of the bracket for a world cup spot, the 140*-30 score doesn't tell the whole story. Loyola scored the first goal and their chasing game remained on point throughout, with few missed catches, receivers always in the right place, and keeper Etefia Umana back in action to drive to the hoops.
Roadrunner Quidditch has gotten a lot of hype in their first season, and it's possible it's finally caught up to them. During pool play, although they continued to put up quaffle points, their beating game had trouble holding it together, letting by too many points and allowing opposing seekers too close to the snitch. After getting the 13 seed thanks to their low median point differential, RRQ was able to turn it up on day two. Losing to A&M in the first round landed them in the consolation bracket, where they matched up against pool mates Loyola. They torched them, 150*-70, before doing just enough to hold off UNC and earn a World Cup bid.
Pool 4: Baylor University, Silver Phoenix, Oklahoma State University, University of North Texas
This was a sneaky pool. Baylor was able to just barely out-tiebreaker Texas, earning themselves the top overall seed and becoming the only team to qualify for world cup on day one. Baylor continued to use their fantastic chaser corps to carry them through the tournament, taking advantage of their long reach for a passing offense and blocking defense.
Silver Phoenix had a magnificent tournament aside from losing to Baylor in pool play and Texas in bracket play. Their chasers found each other and connected at just the right moments. Going into their first round game against Sam Houston for a first chance at qualification, they were the underdog, having lost, albeit closely, to SHSU a few weeks previously. In the time since then, Sam Houston played at another tournament, while Silver stayed home and practiced. This time, it looks like the work paid off, as a more put together Silver took the victory and world cup spot, 90*-30
Oklahoma State University was an extremely unlikely world cup candidate going into this tournament, and their day one result did little to dissuade this idea. However, this team, more than any other, had luck on their side. In addition to being able to edge out SHSU, OSU held on much longer than expected in the consolation final due to the snitch often ending up on their turf.
Although the University of North Texas came out last in the seeding, this is a team who continues to come out and play at every possible tournament, and continues to get better for it. Their progress has not been as explosive as many of the more prominent teams out there, but their enthusiasm for the sport and continuous efforts to move forward are clear.
There's a very clear trend here, in that all of the top players come from either Texas A&M or Baylor. However, these are players that it is impossible to pretend were not the best at their positions over the weekend. There were excellent team efforts all around, but these seven individuals shone out beyond the rest.
Paul Williard, Chaser, Baylor University: The C on his chest is probably the last way you'll figure out Paul is a captain on the field. Don't get me wrong – Baylor is full of talented chasers always ready to make the smartest play. However, Paul's ability to orchestrate his team and not only see the correct option, but carry it out successfully, always shines through. Unlike many players with clear offensive or defensive leans, Paul is effective on both sides of the quaffle, and doesn't lag in transition.
Drew Wasikowski, Chaser, Texas A&M: Another tall, smart player like Williard, Wasikowski is also able to surprise with his speed. Again, Drew has proved himself a powerful force on both offense and defense. His ability to cover large areas of the field allow him to get by opponents, who are unable to get by him, and his skill at giving and taking hits only enhances his other strengths.
Kifer Gregoire, Chaser, Texas A&M: A defensive powerhouse with speed on his side, Kifer routinely racks up more tackles than anyone else. Although TAMU got knocked out of the semis by a pair of Baylor snitch catches, setting Kifer at point kept opposing chasers from breaking through and scoring many quaffle points. Offensive quaffle plays usually get the highlights and viewers, but it's very difficult not to enjoy watching Kifer play lights out defense.
Beissy Sandoval, Chaser, Baylor University: Although the importance of being in the right place at the right time is undeniable, there are few people who can actually do it so consistently. Beissy is a perfect component of the passing machine that is Baylor. If she needs to be behind the hoops in the typical "girl" spot, sure, she can go there. But it's not a mindless route she invariably runs every time. She'll pop up at any other area of the field just as often, always where you need her most. Although she's a small girl, she's deceptively difficult to cover, with her skills at plucking the ball out of the air.
Mathieu Gregoire, Beater, Texas A&M: The 1.0 to Kifer's 2.0, it must be mighty difficult to steal anything in the Gregoire household. While Kifer takes down ball carriers with tackles, Mathieu shoots them down hard and fast with bludgers. Mathieu is also a master of bludger control, and his ability to swiftly regain possession reduces any qualms about throwing his ball on what for most beaters would be a sacrifice play.
Rachel Harrison, Beater, Texas A&M: One of the best bludger throwing arms in the region grows out of Rachel's shoulder, and that isn't even her greatest asset. Rachel is almost as threatening without a ball as with one, as she catches anything thrown at her and fiercely scrambles for loose balls.
Monty Turner-Little, Seeker, Baylor University: Monty is not strictly a seeker, and spends plenty of time wearing a beater headband on the field. However, when he comes in to seek, you had best set your own beaters on him. Monty had a few key grabs this weekend, including the tournament winner itself, and proved beyond a doubt that he will do whatever he needs to get that snitch.
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text:
#include "search/downloader_search_callback.hpp"

#include "search/result.hpp"

#include "storage/country_info_getter.hpp"
#include "storage/storage.hpp"

#include "indexer/index.hpp"

#include "base/logging.hpp"
#include "base/string_utils.hpp"

#include <set>
#include <string>

namespace
{
bool GetGroupCountryIdFromFeature(storage::Storage const & storage, FeatureType const & ft,
                                  std::string & name)
{
  int8_t const langIndices[] = {StringUtf8Multilang::kEnglishCode,
                                StringUtf8Multilang::kDefaultCode,
                                StringUtf8Multilang::kInternationalCode};

  for (auto const langIndex : langIndices)
  {
    if (!ft.GetName(langIndex, name))
      continue;
    if (storage.IsInnerNode(name))
      return true;
  }
  return false;
}
}  // namespace

namespace search
{
DownloaderSearchCallback::DownloaderSearchCallback(Delegate & delegate, Index const & index,
                                                   storage::CountryInfoGetter const & infoGetter,
                                                   storage::Storage const & storage,
                                                   storage::DownloaderSearchParams params)
  : m_delegate(delegate)
  , m_index(index)
  , m_infoGetter(infoGetter)
  , m_storage(storage)
  , m_params(move(params))
{
}

void DownloaderSearchCallback::operator()(search::Results const & results)
{
  storage::DownloaderSearchResults downloaderSearchResults;
  std::set<storage::DownloaderSearchResult> uniqueResults;

  for (auto const & result : results)
  {
    if (!result.HasPoint())
      continue;

    if (result.GetResultType() != search::Result::Type::LatLon)
    {
      FeatureID const & fid = result.GetFeatureID();
      Index::FeaturesLoaderGuard loader(m_index, fid.m_mwmId);
      FeatureType ft;
      if (!loader.GetFeatureByIndex(fid.m_index, ft))
      {
        LOG(LERROR, ("Feature can't be loaded:", fid));
        continue;
      }

      ftypes::Type const type = ftypes::IsLocalityChecker::Instance().GetType(ft);

      if (type == ftypes::COUNTRY || type == ftypes::STATE)
      {
        std::string groupFeatureName;
        if (GetGroupCountryIdFromFeature(m_storage, ft, groupFeatureName))
        {
          storage::DownloaderSearchResult downloaderResult(groupFeatureName,
                                                           result.GetString() /* m_matchedName */);
          if (uniqueResults.find(downloaderResult) == uniqueResults.end())
          {
            uniqueResults.insert(downloaderResult);
            downloaderSearchResults.m_results.push_back(downloaderResult);
          }
          continue;
        }
      }
    }
    auto const & mercator = result.GetFeatureCenter();
    storage::TCountryId const & countryId = m_infoGetter.GetRegionCountryId(mercator);
    if (countryId == storage::kInvalidCountryId)
      continue;

    storage::DownloaderSearchResult downloaderResult(countryId,
                                                     result.GetString() /* m_matchedName */);
    if (uniqueResults.find(downloaderResult) == uniqueResults.end())
    {
      uniqueResults.insert(downloaderResult);
      downloaderSearchResults.m_results.push_back(downloaderResult);
    }
  }

  downloaderSearchResults.m_query = m_params.m_query;
  downloaderSearchResults.m_endMarker = results.IsEndMarker();

  if (m_params.m_onResults)
  {
    auto onResults = m_params.m_onResults;
    m_delegate.RunUITask(
        [onResults, downloaderSearchResults]() { onResults(downloaderSearchResults); });
  }
}
}  // namespace search

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


The Controller sat in his private study. He had been given an estimate of the numbers of potential psychics in the population, and the numbers appalled him – everyone who engaged in creative activity – music, art, literature. Any imaginative activity. And children, the most imaginative of all.
The Muslims had a point after all! His respect for the historical Middle Eastern despots soared. Centuries ago they had identified resources among the people who might threaten their power and eliminated them via religion.
His remit was to nip the problem in the bud. Stop the next generation of mystics from reaching adulthood or realising their powers.
Already Controllers engineered environments to wreck potential psychics minds in childhood – family abuse, sibling abuse, sexual abuse, wrecking families, taking children into care, bullying in schools, abduction and killing. It was a huge investment requiring a lot of resources targeted at individuals. But it was not possible – yet – to create an abusive environment for every child. Nor could his controlled psychics identify every child with talent.
What he needed was a trap. And bait. Something to lure as many children as possible with psychic talent to their deaths.
Perhaps a story about a child wizard, and/or a mystical warrior but based on a real person. Tamper with the real person, turn them into a death trap.
The most psychically gifted children astral travel. Much of the time not realising what they were doing – just taking a journey in their imagination.
What if they could be induced to seek out a mind which would trap them? From which they would not be able to leave?
What could the Controllers do to to turn the real person into a death trap? Some kind of psychic attack?
The Controller scribbled notes. Attack the psychic on all sides so he uses every resource available to protect himself. If possible damage his intelligence and do everything possible to induce him to make mistakes. The Controller knew from experiments carried out on his own psychics how mistakes could easily result in fatalities.
Most people are unaware of intrusion into their minds. To force the psychic to retaliate make the invasion of his mind obvious to him. Perhaps he would institute some self-protective mechanism which would kill intruders, such as preventing them from leaving. Perhaps.
If the death trap could be successfully arranged, the next stage was to create the bait to lure the children to their deaths. A magical hero in a magical fantasy land which the children would want to visit.
This entry was posted in Fiction - tales of unwise paths and tagged bait, death trap, psychic crime, psychic spies, psychic warfare on June 11, 2015 by conartistocracy.


Pattern modules are generative; they generate patterns or values according to their control inputs.
Produces a non repeating random floating point number from 0 to 1. Random number patterns, while non repeating by default, can be set to repeat their pattern by selecting "Random Numbers repeat after Reset" in the System module properties or from Patch Options, in the Main Menu. For a highly controlled repeating random number sequence, use a Sequencer module initialized with a random pattern.
This module has a user settable number of outputs, with a separate RNG for each output. To change the number of outputs, click on the blue-label property button on the upper right of the module, and click on the "More" or "Fewer" button on the Outputs tab. You have the option to set custom input labels and tool tips if you like.
You also have the option, by checking the box at the bottom of the property dialog, of setting the module to produce a new value on Change instead of Strobe.
Out N: Random decimal fraction between 0 and 1.
Strb (Chng): Strobe (change) produces new random values.
Produces a non repeating random floating point number with range multiplier and offset. Random number patterns, while non repeating by default, can be set to repeat their pattern by selecting "Random Numbers repeat after Reset" in the System module properties or from Patch Options, in the Main Menu. For a highly controlled repeating random number sequence, use a Sequencer module initialized with a random pattern.
This module is especially useful when you need several random numbers set to the same range. Each random value produced is multiplied by the Mul input, then the Ofst input is added, finally it is multiplied by -1 if the Neg input is non zero.
Out N: Random value multiplied by Mul, with Ofst added, and negated if Neg is NZ.
Mul: Multiply output(s) by the value in this input.
Ofst: Offset added to output(s) after Multiply.
Neg: Negate output(s) if non zero, effectivly multiplying each by -1.
Produces a non repeating random integer from 0 to Range (+ offset). Random number patterns, while non repeating by default, can be set to repeat their pattern by selecting "Random Numbers repeat after Reset" in the System module properties or from Patch Options, in the Main Menu. For a highly controlled repeating random number sequence, use a Sequencer module initialized with a random pattern.
Out N: Random integer from 0 to Range (+ offset).
Range: Upper limit of random integer.
Ofst: Offset added to random integer.
Produces a random walk ("1/f") pattern, with each step, while random, determined by the preceding steps. The delta, or step range, can be adjusted, as well as the low frequency, "wander" component, along with the propensity to wander up or down.
Out N: Random integer from 0 to Range (+ offset), and within +/- Delta of previous value, with probability that it will continue in the same direction set by the relative Up & Down inputs.
Strb (Chng): Strobe (change) produces new values.
Delta: Maximum change per step.
Range: Upper limit of generated value.
Ofst: Offset added to generated value.
Up: Bias to favor upward motion (0.0 to 1.0).
Down: Bias to favor downward motion (0.0 to 1.0).
Produces a repeating random integer from 0 to Range. This is like shuffling a deck of cards, where there is a random arrangement of the cards, but no card repeats until all are used. Can be set to repeat the same pattern, to repeat the pattern backwards, or to reshuffle at the end of each pattern. When set to reshuffle (Patrn input = 2), it tests to disallow the last integer in the previous sequence to be the same as the first in the new sequence, so individual integers never repeat, even on a new shuffle.
This module provides a quick and simple shuffle function. For more advanced shuffle functions, and for sharing the sequence among other modules, you can set up a sequence or array module to read a shuffled count. To do this, use the array or sequencer module Properties pop up to create a a count, the click on the Scatter button to randomize the values.
Out: Random integer from 0 to Range.
Strb: Strobe (NZ after 0) produces new random value.
Chng: Any change produces new random value.
Range: Upper limit of random integer range 0-n.
Patrn: 0 = repeat pattern, 1=reverse repeat, 2=shuffle at end of pattern.
Produces a probability distribution, according to the slider settings in the Property dialog, available by clicking on the blue-label property button on the upper right of the module.
For each step the module will output an index value according to the probability table set by the sliders in the Property dialog. Slider values set to 0 have zero probability and are ignored, all other values have a probability that is the normalized ratio of all non zero values. As you change the slider positions the probability in percent is displayed on the labels just under the sliders.
An important concept in using the Probability module, is that the values it returns are indexes of the sliders number, not the slider values you set. This means, for example, if the table is set to all zeros except for index 7 which is set to 3, the output will always be 7, which is the index of the only value in the table that is not zero. If you also set index 20 to 6, then 33% (1/3) of the time the output will be 7 (the index set to 3) and 67% (2/3) of the time the output will be 20 (the index set to 6). The math: 6+3=9; 3/9 is 1/3; 6/9 is 2/3.
You can use this module in many different ways. For example, you can make it produce specific pitch (or whatever) values in probability ratios you specify by setting the indexes to the relative probability you want, and then using the output directly. For example, produce a root, 3rd, 5th, and octave by setting index 0 (root), 4 (3rd), 7 (5th), and 12 (octave) to whatever values you like. All other values in the table should be 0. The module will produce the index values of 0, 4, 7, and 12 according to the relative "weights" of these indexes in the table.
You can also map, or translate, the indexes produced by the Probability module to more meaningful values by connecting the output of the Probability module to the input of a PitchMap module and adjusting the corresponding PitchMap values to whatever you want as the "real" output. This works equally well with Sequencer or Array modules for non pitch values.
The Probability module uses an internal table of 128 elements (sliders), with a range of 0-100. You can dynamically update that table by copying an ArtWonk array to the module. To do this, give the Ary# input the array handle, and send a strobe to the aStrb input. Your array values should be in the 0-100 range used by the Probability module. Array values lower than 0 will be set to 0, higher than 100 set to 100. Arrays can be any length. If importing it will use as many elements as available up to 128. If exporting it will resize the array to 128 elements.
This module has a user settable number of outputs, with a separate probability run for each output. To change the number of outputs, use the Up/Down control labeled #Outs.
Out N: Index (slider number) of probability hit.
Strb (Chng): Strobe (change) produces new probability output.
Produces a controlled degradation of the original Value parameter input stream calculated by adding to, or substituting with, an offset (Ofst) according to the (Prob) probability input.
The idea for the module comes from an article on using information theory in algorithmic music originally published in the Leonardo Music Journal by algorithmic composer Laurie Spiegel, titled: An Information Theory Based Compositional Model.
This module has a user settable number of outputs. To change the number of outputs, click on the blue-label property button on the upper right of the module, and click on the "More" or "Fewer" button on the Outputs tab. You have the option to set custom input labels and tool tips if you like.
Out N: Corrupted version of Value input.
Strb (Chng): Strobe (change) produces new corruption output.
Value: Input stream to be corrupted.
Prob: Probability (0 - 100) that input will be corrupted. Use a probability value of 0 (never) to 100 (always), to select the likelihood that the original input will be changed. The source for this value might be a simple sequence parallel to the input sequence, or perhaps some calculation based on the input such as inverse MIDI Velocity to degrade the quieter values more than the louder ones.
Ofst: Value added or substituted on corruption hit. Offset values would be chosen according to the intended use of the output. For example, if the output was to be used for pitch, the values might be set up as intervals going from harmonic to dissonant; if the output was program change, the values could be moving increasingly away from the original instrument's tonal color.
Subst: NZ to substitute Ofst for Value, 0 to add to Value.
Additive feedback from input+output to output.
Incr: Amount to add to output.
Wrap: 0 = stop when limits reached; >0 = wrap around; <0 = oscillate.
Start: Start value, sent to output on Reset.
Reset: NZ = reset to Start value.
Chng: A changing positive value or static negative value to process next step. If a negative value is given, processing occurs at maximum loop speed.
Sample and repeat; values from input stream are repeated with offset(s). Passes input directly to output except on Strb input, where the previous input is repeated for the number of times set by the Rpt input. The Ofst input is added to the original value; if an Ary# is given in Ofst the array sequence is added to the original value.
Ofst: Offset added to repeated sample value; if => 100 uses Ary# for multiple offsets. Arrays from widget modules NumGrid and ASliders work well here.
Genetic Algorithm with dynamic goal setting. Uses sequences in standard ArtWonk arrays. as the "chromosomes." Since ArtWonk itself is cyclical, this GA implementation uses a floating Goal value that can be from 0 (reverse goal) to the array max value (full goal). By setting the goal somewhere between these two extremes, Evolve can be made to balance and produce evolving variations on a theme rather than just max out and go static, as GA is inclined to do.
Evolve uses 4 arrays, which will be set to the same size if they are not already. These arrays are given in the inputs Pg1# to Pg4# (Progeny 1-4), and after the generation is processed the same array numbers are sent to the outputs PgA# to PgD# in grade order according to the Rule that was selected to run on them. The top two, PgA# and PgB# become the parents for the next generation, the other two simply die out.
For each of the 4 arrays, the algorithm proceeds down the two parent arrays in chunk sizes given by the Chunk input, one at a time if Chunk is 1; 4 at a time if Chunk is set to 4; and so on. For each chunk, a random number is thrown, and there is a 50:50 chance that the progeny array will inherit from either parent. This is done on each chunk up to the last chunk that fits in the array. If any elements are in the last partial chunk overflow, they are left.
After the new progeny chromosome (array) is created, it is treated on an element by element basis for mutations. For each element in each array, a random number is thrown and if the number is within the range given at the mFreq (mutation frequency) input the element is either replaced by or offset by a random number between 0 and the value given mValue input. Whether this replaces the original element value or is added or subtracted from it, is set by the mSub (substitute) input. Whether the value is added or subtracted is randomly (50:50) selected.
After the 4 arrays are processed, one of the 15 rules is selected to "grade" each of the progeny. They (their array number) is then posted in the output in grade order, A-D. The A and B students go on to become parents to the next generation.
There are also options to quantize according to harmonic table, or note values, or an arbitrary table of values. You can quantize just the mutations, or the whole array after processing.
To pick the sorting Rule, the post process quantizing, initial settings and much more, use the properties pop up, accessible from the upper right of the module.
Although pitch is an obvious subject for GA treatment, the Evolve module has been designed to work with arbitrary values. Color, brightness, note values, program change and other MIDI control values, you name it. In particular, the Test Values and the rules that use them, in the properties pop up, are for non specific, generalized use.
Note that ArtWonk array operations always check the Ary#, so using the shifting array number outputs of the Evolve module works. Also, while each of the 4 arrays would normally be used for one specific thing, not packed as most GA algorithms do, you can and should use multiple Evolve modules, one for each characteristic you are interested in. For example, one for pitch, another for note values, a third for volume, etc. While the 4 arrays within an Evolve module will always be set to the same size (given by the Size input), when using multiple Evolve modules you need not set them all to the same size.
Dr. Warren Burt, Dr. Igor Karaca, and Prof. Jamy Sheridan assisted in the design of this module.
Max: Max address for chromosomes (size -1).
PgA# - PgD# : Array# of progeny for current gen, highest score first; first two become parents for the next generation. These are the same Ary#s given in the Pg1# - Pg4# inputs below, but sorted according to the selected Rule.
Strb: Strobe to create next generation.
Chunk: Chunk size to inherit (1 = single elements, 2=double elements, etc.).
mSub: NZ to substitute mutation for element, 0 to add to element.
MaxV: Maximum value allowed (minimum value is always 0).
Rule: Evolution rule to apply (see properties pop up).
Goal: Floating Goal value for some rules. 0 for minimum, or anti-goal; array max (Max output) for maximum goal seaking. The idea is that a rule is run on each element of the array, so you get a score of hits that can be from 0 to the max elements in the array. The score is then subtracted from the goal to give a value that indicates how close to the Goal value it is, with 0 being exactly on. This (the absolute of the difference) is then reversed so that more is better. This makes it go toward the middle instead of maxing (or bottoming) out, and for best results this value should be changed dynamically, like waving a saussage before a dog.
Valu: Harmonic Table for rule #0 & #1; match value for rule #3; Ary# for rule #5.
Harm: Harmonic table to apply to progeny after processing.
Init: Initialize to 1st generation; sets arrays to given size, populates according to Init Rules in property pop up.
Ini#: Array number for initialization values. This array does not need to be the same size as the progeny arrays. It will cycle if smaller; if larger it will continue through each array, cycling if and when it reaches its end.
Size: Size of progny chromosome arrays. This may be changed without initialization. If changed the existing arrays will be resized, preserving their contents.
Pg1# - Pg4# : Array numbers for progeny chromosomes. These will all be set to the same size (Size input), and after processing will appear at the 4 PgA-D outputs sorted according to how well they met the selected Rule and Goal.
Generate points for Sine, 2x Cosine, Triangle, Sawtooth waveforms. Emulates a LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator).
Chng: Any change to process next step.
Func: 0=Sine, 1=2Cos, 2=Tri, 3=Ramp, 4=Saw.
MaxX: Maximum X for full cycle.
MaxY: Maximum Y for full range.
Rot90: NZ=Rotate 90 degrees (swaps X and Y outputs).
Int: NZ = Force outputs to integers.
Reset: NZ = Reset to start of cycle & hold.
Generate Lissajous X,Y oscilloscope patterns.
Out X: Lissajous X Output.
Out Y: Lissajous Y Output.
LisX: Lissajous fold value X.
LisY: Lissajous fold value Y.
Steps: Steps for a complete Lissajous cycle.
Generate Spirograph points. Use with Line or LineTo modules to create Spirograph imags; outputs can be used for interesting and largely unexplored sound patterns.
This greatly expanded set of Spirograph algorithms goes far beyond the typical 2-circle Spirograph plot. It was contributed by William Flis, who wrote the original "Spiro" program in Fortran over 25 years ago as a test for flat bed plotters.
X1: Spiro X1 plot value.
Y1: Spiro Y1 plot value.
X2: Spiro X2 plot value. Note that for most plots X2, Y2 is simply the previous step X1, Y1. Thus, you have the option of using LineTo graphics to create the plots, ignoring X2, Y2. Only Shape #9 and #30 use different values, and will not draw properly with LineTo.
Step: Current Spiro step address.
Steps: Number of steps for a complete Spiro cycle.
End: NZ (1) at end of cycle (connect to Reset for continuous run).
Width: Image width, X range.
Height: Image height, Y range.
Shape: Spiro shape type algorithm (0-33).
Sym: Spiro symmetry type (0-7). Selects number of loops, lobes, etc. in the generating curve.
Pass: Passes per set type (0-7). Selects number of lines to be drawn in one circuit of the generating curve.
Dens: Density Scale (0-3). Selects the number of passes or circuits to complete the figure.


text:
Q: Is it possible to use a metric (distance) unit in igraph cutoff argument? Newbie igraph user here.  I'm trying to calculate betweenness values for every segment (edge) in a street network. I would ideally like to restrict the calculations so that only paths of less than X metres be considered.  The igraph::edge.betweenness.estimate function  has a cutoff argument which restricts this for steps (turns) but I would like to know if it is possible to use a metric distance instead.
So far the closest question I have been able to find is http://lists.nongnu.org/archive/html/igraph-help/2012-11/msg00083.html on the igraph help, and this suggests that it might not be possible.
I have been using my network aspatially, as a simple graph, but have an attribute of street segment length - LnkLength.  From reading other StackOverflow posts it is possible to use spatial networks with igraph (with the help of spatial packages).  If LnkLength could be used as a weight for the network would this solve my problem?
If anyone has any ideas I'd be very grateful to hear them.
data <- data.frame(
Node1 = as.factor(c(AA, AB, AC, AD, AE, AF, AG, AH, AI, AJ)),
Node2 = as.factor(c(BA, BB, BC, AA, AB, AC, BA, BB, BC, AA)),
LnkLength =as.numeric(c(23.05, 42.81, 77.08, 39.63, 147.87, 56.46, 13.43, 25.53, 197.19, 34.9)))

data.graph <- graph.data.frame(data, directed=FALSE, vertices=NULL)

# attempt to limit the betweeness estimates on 800m
btw.trunc <- edge.betweenness.estimate(d.graph, e=E(d.graph), directed = FALSE, cutoff=20,  weights = NULL)

A: I'm assuming you are computing geodesic betweenness scores (e.g. counts of the number of times a shortest path uses a given edge) as opposed to, say current-flow betweenness (which would treat the graph like a network of electrical reisistors).
I think one solution would be to first use the 'distances' function to obtain the matrix of all pairwise distances
e.g.
distMat=distances(g,weights=g$LnkLength)

Now assuming you have a cutoff dCut, you can then sparsify the matrix
distMat[which(distMat>dCut)]=0
distMat=as(distMat,'sparseMatrix')

This would allow you to select which pairs of points to consider...
fromInds=row(distMat)[which(!distMat==0)]
toInds=col(distMat)[which(!distMat==0)]

Assuming there are no one way streets and the LnkLength is not a directed property, then you would only have to consider either the upper or lower triangular portion of the matrix. Since the 'toInds' array will automatically be listed in ascending order, you can accomplish this by taking only the first half of the fromInds and toInds respectively
fromInds=fromInds[c(1:(length(fromInds)/2)]
toInds=toInds[c(1:length(toInds)/2)]

If your graph is directed (e.g. LnkLength is not the same in both directions or there are one way streets) then you would just leave fromInds and toInds as is.
You would now be ready to start assigning betweenness scores iteratively by looping over the index list and computing shortest_path and using the returned path to increment the betweenness scores of the appropriate edges
E(g)$betweenness=0
for(iPair in c(1:length(fromInds)){
 vpath=as.numeric(
        shortest_paths(g,weights=g$LnkLength,output="vpath")$vpath[[1]])
 #need to convert the list of path vertices into a list of edge indices
 pathlist=c(1:(2*length(vpath)-1))
 pathlist[c(1:length(vpath)-1))*2]=vpath[c(2:length(vpath)))]
 pathlist[c(1:length(vpath)-1))*2-1]=vpath[c(1:(length(vpath)-1))]
 eList=get.edge.ids(g,pathlist)
 #increment betweenness scores of edges in eList
 E(g)$betweenness[eList]=E(g)$betweenness+1
}

your graph should now have the property 'betweenness' assigned to its edges using a geodesic betweenness metric computed over the subset of paths with a distance of less than 'dCut'
If your graph is quite large, it may be worth while to port the above for loop over to Rcpp, since it could take quite a long time otherwise. But that is a whole new can of worms...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


How fast does a year fly by. Very fast.
A year ago I was on an all expense paid trip to London.
This is a favorite shot from that trip that I never posted previously.
Seems so many good things have happened in that time.
I can only expect the best for this year.


CD Book offers a visual approach to fitting. A moulage/sloper/basic pattern that has been fitted or drafted to your personal measurements is duplicated in clear plastic with the necessary reference points (dart placement, waistline. apex, etc.). This "tool" can be placed on the commercial pattern to aid in pattern alteration. The necessary changes are clearly visible. This book guides you through the process from pattern alteration to fitting a muslin "test" garment.
Shipping is included for international mail.


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text:
The Weekend Write-In
Season 3: Episode 4 In Memorandum
This episode is a tribute to a long-time contributor to the Weekend Write-In, Christine Larsen. Christine passed away in June from lung cancer. In this episode we share some of our favourite stories by Christine, highlighting her family, her sense of humour and her life in Southern Australia. She will be missed by people all over the world.
--- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sovn-drake/message
More episodes from The Weekend Write-In
Episode 3: Celebrating Tevun-Krus Magazine's 100th Issue
Wattpad's sci-fi ezine, Tevun-Krus, has published its 100th issue this month. We here at the Weekend Write-In Podcast are excited to share five of the stories featured in this landmark issue as read by the authors themselves. So zip up that space suit and buckle up we are about to blast off into orbit! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sovn-drake/message
Season 3, Episode 2: Live reading
What are the best toppings for a hot dog? What is the history of concrete shoes? What do you call a fake noodle? The answers to these questions and several stories about April fools recorded live await you in this episode. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sovn-drake/message
Episode 1c: Rebooted
The Weekend Write-In Podcast presents part 'C' of three parts of the first episode of season three. Three stories and a critique by the peanut gallery await you. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/sovn-drake/message


Alan receives a varying number of Artist's Proofs from the publisher. These represent a small "edition extension" (usually 10%) of the regular edition issue number. A/Ps are distributed amongst the artist, publisher, and any co-signees. Alan always gets AP#1, and the lowest AP numbers available.
As such, a small number of A/Ps are sometimes available of prints which have long since sold out of the regular edition. They are available at a premium price, because they come from the personal collection of the artist, are the lowest numbers and because they are A/Ps, sometimes are otherwise sold out, and there is a certain prestige in owning an A/P.
Alan has 25 years worth of these, and they're starting to take over the house. He'll be sending us only a few titles at a time, so as not to cause US a storage problem.
You should call us at 800-727-6682 (+1-520-888-2424 Int'l) if you're interested. Some of these will go fast.
Alan has different numbers left of different prints. He may have only ONE A/P left of a given print. He always kept A/P #1 for himself, but he's selling many of those, at a premium.


text:
$7B for 16 fighter jets: Why it looks like Canada is overpaying for its new F-35s
Breadcrumb Trail Links
The price for the initial set of F-35s works out to about $450M per plane, which is about four times more than the publicly reported cost of the aircraft
Published Dec 21, 2022 • 4 minute read
A Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jet takes part in an airshow in Farnborough, England in July 2022. Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images
OTTAWA — Experts are warning against drawing conclusions on whether Canada is getting a good deal for the F-35, given the large startup costs associated with buying and fielding a new fighter jet, which include much-needed upgrades to the Air Force's physical and digital infrastructure.
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While a formal announcement has not been made, The Canadian Press reported on Tuesday that the Department of National Defence has received authorization to spend $7 billion on an initial set of 16 F-35s and associated gear.
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While that works out to about $450 million per plane, which is about four times more than the publicly reported cost of the aircraft, the total includes weapons and spare parts, new facilities to house and maintain the fighter jets and upgrades to the military's computer networks.
Experts say those infrastructure and network upgrades are necessary given the state of the Air Force's current facilities and the advanced nature of the F-35 compared to the CF-18s, and they almost certainly account for most of the $7 billion.
"What's occurred here is they basically front-loaded every single cost that wasn't related to the acquisition of the aircraft," said F-35 expert Richard Shimooka of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. "Hangars, labs and support equipment. They'll probably buy all of the terminals and support equipment right off the bat."
The Liberal government has repeatedly promised to buy a total of 88 new fighters to replace Canada's aging CF-18s, which sources say will occur in batches.
The government has previously pegged the cost of buying the fleet at $19 billion. But Defence Minister Anita Anand confirmed earlier this year that figure was being "refined," and it has not been clear what that figure does — and does not — include.
Defence Department gets green light to spend $7B on 16 F-35s, sources say
Seven years after vowing not to purchase F-35 jets, the Liberals are now buying them
Many of the questions about the cost of Canada's plan have revolved around an announcement last week that Germany has inked a US$8.4-billion deal to buy 35 F-35s and associated weapons, spare parts and support services from the United States. That works out to about C$11.4 billion, or $325 million per plane.
"The reported cost of this purchase, for only 16 jets, is outrageous," NDP defence critic Lindsay Mathyssen said in a statement on Wednesday.
"Earlier this year, the government intended to purchase 88 fighter jets for $18 billion. Clearly today's news suggests the government is not interested in getting the best value and is leaving Canadians on the hook to pay for their bad decisions."
But Shimooka said Canada will end up paying less per plane than Germany, because it is one of eight partner countries that have been paying for the F-35's development costs since 1997. Germany is not a partner country and is purchasing the plane from the U.S. through a different mechanism.
"So Germany's not a great comparison," he said.
Rather, he suspected that Canada, as a partner, will pay the same amount per plane as the United States. While that figure bounces around from year to year as Washington negotiates future production schedules with F-35 maker Lockheed Martin, the current fly-away cost is about $105 million per plane.
A report published by the Defence Department in August 2013 laid out the anticipated costs associated with replacing Canada's CF-18s with F-35s. These included simulators, ground support equipment, repair facilities, a reprogramming lab and upgrades to various bases and airfields across the country.
Carleton University professor Philippe Lagasse, who previously served on an independent panel charged with assessing military procurements, said it is clear the $7 billion includes more than simply 16 F-35s.
"So you can't just divide 16 by $7 billion," he said. "We already know that involves infrastructure and involves upgrades, involves weapons systems. So there's a lot bundling. And until we get the details, nobody can comment on what this involves in terms of per-unit cost."
Retired lieutenant-general Andre Deschamps, who previously served as commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force, said the government would need to spend money to upgrade the country's fighter jet bases in Cold Lake, Alta., and Bagotville, Que., no matter what aircraft it ended up buying.
"These are 1950s hangars that we built in Cold Lake and we built in Bagotville," said Deschamps, who now works for Ottawa-based CFN Consultants, a lobbying firm whose customers include Lockheed Martin. "So there's a major investment required no matter what fleet we buy."
The Defence Department had started planning to upgrade its fighter bases by awarding two contracts in 2020 to begin design work on new hangars. However, because the government had not yet committed to the F-35, that work was very generalized.
Deschamps said the requirements for the F-35 will be especially advanced given the nature of the aircraft. It will mean not only improving the physical facilities in Cold Lake, Bagotville and other places where they will operate, but also upgrading the military's information systems.
"There's a lot of costs in physical and digital infrastructure," he said. "So that's billions of dollars to do all the bases, forward-operating locations, deployed operating locations. Anywhere these fighters go, you're going to have to have an improved footprint so they can operate from those locations."
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8 Comments – on 7 Day Healthy Meal Plan (Jan 29-Feb 5) – Skinnytaste


— development of self-reliance and social capital and other support to meet needs identified over time.
The term of support for each family is for 5 years from arrival, with per capita funding tapering over that term.
Lot 1 Provision of Integration Casework in Wider Devon — this contract will be delivered by a single organisation or consortium which will deliver the Service across the administrative boundary of East Devon District Council, Exeter City Council, Mid Devon District Council, North Devon Council, South Hams District Council, Teignbridge District Council, Torridge District Council and West Devon Borough Council where Jobcentre and mainstream ESOL facilities are available within the council area or in Exeter.
Lot 2 Provision of Integration Casework in Devon within Plymouth Job Centre Boundary — this contract will be delivered by a single organisation or consortium which will deliver the Service across the administrative boundary of South Hams and West Devon where the nearest accessible Jobcentre and mainstream ESOL facilities are in Plymouth.
Lot 3 Provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) in Wider Devon — this contract will be delivered by a single organisation or consortium which will deliver the Service across the administrative boundary of East Devon District Council, Exeter City Council, Mid Devon District Council, North Devon Council, South Hams District Council, Teignbridge District Council, Torridge District Council and West Devon Borough Council where Jobcentre and mainstream ESOL facilities are available within the council area or in Exeter.
Lot 4 Provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) within Plymouth Job Centre Boundary — this contract will be delivered by a single organisation or consortium which will deliver the Service across the administrative boundary of South Hams and West Devon where the nearest accessible Jobcentre and mainstream ESOL facilities are in Plymouth.


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Mrs Heywood's Words Lent 6
Weekly Words from Mr Richards
We were all delighted this week by the amazing talents of our pupils' magical and mesmerising performance at the Dance Show. Everything from the incredible toe-tapping musical and tear jerking performances!
We would like to thank the pupils for all their hard work over the last couple of months, our comperes - Annabelle Ruinet, Lana Wallis, all the staff behind the scenes, and particularly the hardworking Sports Department: Miss Cox, Miss Hudson and the rest of the PE Department for lighting the spark and getting them dancing.
G10 and G11 GCSE Drama students enjoyed the opportunity to watch a witty comedy about love and passion at the Theatre Royal Windsor at the weekend. Set on a luxury ocean liner steaming its way across the Atlantic, Turai and Gal try frantically to finish their play in time for the New York opening. The stylish deco set allowed for first-rate performances and add a lifeboat into the mix, with a tipsy steward and other storms at sea for this fast-moving screwball farce.
Our PTA committee remain active behind the scenes discussing future events and preparing clothes for the up and coming Nearly New Sale to be held on the afternoon of Tuesday 12 March under the covered area on the playground.
Good news from the library! We have a brand new Word Millionaire in G7, Imogen Edwards, and two new girls who have achieved their Bronze Accelerated Reading Book Point Star, Amber Landamore G7, and Betsy Saunders G8.
On return after half term, on Tuesday 26 February subject staff are looking forward to seeing the G11 pupils and parents. This gives us the perfect opportunity to discuss how we can work together to ensure the pupils get the best possible outcomes in the summer - how they can manage their workload, revision strategies and making use of the GCSE clinics available throughout the week.
Congratulations to Amelie Helm G8 and Eleanor Dries G9 who performed extremely well in the ISA Cross Country Competition and were great ambassador for the school.
Thank you for all of your help and support throughout this half-term and we wish you a wonderful break with your family.
"Nobody cares if you can't dance well, just get up and dance, great dancers are great because of their passion." Martha Graham
Many join our successful and popular co-educational Sixth Form from our own Senior Girls and Boys. With only two years to get the best from this stage in your education, it helps working within an environment and team that you are familiar with. Alongside those that join us from other schools, students and parents recognise the value of the individual support we offer as well as the variety of programmes and extra-curricular opportunities.
Stephanie Rogers Head of Sixth Form
1 College Avenue, Maidenhead, Berkshire, SL6 6AW


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Wal-Mart Subsidies in Princess Anne, MD
City Princess Anne
State MD
Address Highway 13
County Somerset
Type of Facility distribution center
Year Opened undetermined
Value of Subsidies Up to $12.5 million
This distribution center will be eligible for the state's One Maryland Tax Credit program but is receiving no incentives from the county. Under the state program, Wal-Mart could receive up to $5 million in income tax credits. An article in The Baltimore Sun on November 24, 2004, reported that, in addition to income tax credits, the state has promised Wal-Mart $225,000 for work force training and $800,000 toward the purchase price. In the same article, the Sun also reported that Somerset County will get $6 million in federal grants and loans along with $500,000 from the state for infrastructure improvements related to the project. Local officials would not confirm any of the incentive costs for us. There have been many delays with this project and Wal-Mart has not yet bought the land on which the distribution center would be built.


Despite all the great recipes I post on this blog; I sometimes run out of idea. So once a week, when I go to the office, I ask my coworkers for some inspiration. This Cucumber Salad idea was given to me by a coworker, and it's really good. My family loved it!
If you have a garden with lots of cucumbers, or are just looking for a great new side dish; you have to give this recipe a try. I will certainly make it again and again.
1 to 2 cucumbers depending on the size, pealed and sliced. I use 1 English cucumber or 2 cucumbers from my garden.
Place your cucumbers in a medium size bowl.
Cover the cucumbers with vinegar and add the coarse salt.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
Drain the vinegar, add the remaining ingredients to the cucumbers. Stir and serve, or keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Hope you enjoy this delicious and fresh cucumber salad. Makes a great summer side dish.
I'll have to try it with sweet onions. Must be really good!
It is! A great change for the summer!
My family loves cucumbers. I can't wait to try this perfect summer dish!
Congrats on your feature in the #ThisIsHowWeRoll Link Party on Organized 31! Pinning now.


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Tehran on 'smog holiday' as dirty air keeps hold – Jordan Times
Posted by Editor on Tuesday, December 14th 2010
By Ali Akbar Dareini
TEHRAN – In Tehran's northern suburbs, 24-year-old Sepehr Shaygan is nursing a stubborn headache he blames on the smog. His mother puts on a surgical mask to do the shopping for a barbecue on the roof.
The family then peered out into a soup of yellow haze instead of the vista of cityscape and distant mountains when the weather is clear.
"Unbreathable" is how Shaygan described the air quality in Iran's smog-shrouded capital these days. He'll get no argument from worried city officials.
For the third workday in two weeks, Tehran was effectively shut down Thursday because of "unhealthy" pollution levels. Government offices, schools, banks, factories and many other sites were ordered closed to try keep the eye-stinging cloud from growing any worse.
A spell of bad air is nothing new for Tehran, home to more than 12 million people and seemingly round-the-clock traffic jams of more than 3 million cars and buses. One of the urban landmarks in central Tehran is a giant air quality gauge.
But the current cloak is more noxious and lingering longer than most others.
Iran's health ministry has issued a warning for people with respiratory and heart ailments to stay at home. The same goes for the elderly and children. The health advisory also recommended surgical masks for taxi drivers and others who must be outside.
Some residents are making a break for the country. Nima Jam, a 31-year-old chemical technician, said he was "going for some air" near the Caspian Sea coast on the other side of the towering Alborz Mountains that ring Tehran's northern edge and provide a stunningly beautiful backdrop in nice weather.
But the mountains are also one of the chief reasons for the pollution's chronic choke-hold on Tehran. The steep slopes act like a thermal catch basin, trapping the smog and blocking winds – much like the atmospherics in other pollution-prone places such as Los Angeles and Mexico City.
There's also a financial hit to the dirty air. Each "smog holiday" is estimated to bring $130 million in financial losses in a country already gasping under a stumbling economy and international sanctions.
There's no shortage of pollution-busting plans, though. They run from the obvious – such as expanding public transportation and encouraging natural gas heating systems – to the much more exotic.
The head of Iran's environmental protection agency said government researchers are studying ways to try to shake up the atmosphere to bring rain. Or perhaps create manmade wind corridors to blow away the smog.
Such ideas, however, have come in LA over the decades but lose steam because of the costs and dubious benefits.
"We have many plans," promised environment chief, Mohammad-Javad Mohammadizadeh, told the semiofficial Mashregh news agency.
One of them, in fact, calls for a mass migration from Tehran – which, ironically, was selected as the capital for Iran's rulers more than two centuries ago because of its healthy climate.
Last year, the ruling clerics revived discussions of actually moving to a new purpose-built capital in the coming generations.
The idea to find a more hospitable hub – away from the pollution and the earthquake fault lines near Tehran – has been widely viewed as nothing more than a fantasy.
But President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is encouraging some baby steps. His government has backed an ambitious effort to shift many ministries and agencies to other cities.
So far just a few have relocated, but he's vowed to press on.
He's also set up a panel to study the health fallout on Tehran's air pollution, said deputy health minister Alireza Mesdaghi Nia at a news conference Thursday.
The team can start its work right away, he said, because the weather conditions causing the smog dome is expected to last until sometime next week, he was quoted by the semiofficial news agency Mehrnews.
"If we need more days off because of the pollution, then we will call them," he said.
http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=32317
« Now can we talk about climate change? Haaretz
Environmental campaigns aim to clean up Syria – Syria Today »


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Time is running out to get influencer marketing right
Philip Ellis on 14 June, 2017
Despite the continuous hype that has surrounded influencer marketing over the last few years, it remains largely unexplored and unproven. According to new research from Traackr, 43 per cent of companies are still only in the early "experimental" stages of influencer marketing, and in the companies that are implementing it, there is widespread uncertainty as to who exactly owns it.
Then there are the brands who will come along with a product and want an influencer to talk about it in a post, even going so far as to try to control the exact language used, demonstrating a total lack of understanding as to why influencers are different from traditional celebs and brand ambassadors. And the relative immaturity of influencer marketing means there is no such thing as a standard cost for anything, further heightening confusion.
"Pricing influencer posts is part art, part science," says Hypr's Henry Langer. In fact, pricing remains such an inscrutable alchemy to many that Digiday recently published its own breakdown of current influencer pricing, which categorises the cost by platform, follower count, and number of post views.
The development of new measurement and analytics tools should help make a case for why brands stand to benefit from forging relationships with influencers. Marketing platform Ahalogy has partnered with Moat to track user activity and engagement, essentially offering up solid ROI figures on influence. "The fact is, we're competing against crap," says Bob Gilbreath, CEO of Pinterest marketing platform Ahalogy. "We just want a level playing field to compete on."
Meanwhile, content marketing firm WhoSay are working to make metrics in this area cohesive. "There's a race to standardisation in influencer marketing," says WhoSay's Rob Gregory. "The moment has arrived where it is an acknowledged thing that is crying out for rules and regulations." Of course, with more accurate measurement comes the chance that some brands will see their influencer campaigns have been less effective than they thought, and that they've splashed out on a PewDiePie or Zoella for insubstantial returns.
The original selling point of influencer marketing was authenticity. These young creators had masses of fans who trusted them implicitly, and they connected with them in a very real and immediate way. But now there's a growing sense that consumer trust in influencer marketing is already flagging, that the transparency of #ad content (or in some cases, the inability to spot what is sponsored) is no longer passing the group BS-meter.
The big bucks of influencer marketing have been undercut somewhat by the rise of micro-influencers; people with a smaller following and a smaller price-tag. In a recent Glossy interview, an anonymous marketer described micro-influencer marketing as a "big scam", cooked up by unscrupulous influencer platforms who will pair brands up with bloggers who'll "do anything for a $100 gift card." It's possible that these small-time deals, while delivering easy wins in the short-term, won't necessarily do influencer marketing any favours when it comes to credibility and that all-important authenticity.
"To effect change influencers rely on trust and authority and that's the nub of the issue: without trust, influencers lose power," says PR director Kate Mathews. "Authenticity can't be bought; it isn't about the size of an influencer's following or how many zeros are in a budget."
Mark Henshall, head of content at Qube Media, cites the Fyre Festival disaster earlier this year as a prime example of how influencer culture has the tendency to value hype over delivery. "For influencer marketing the current situation is unsustainable. The thinking is often woolly, the practice misleading and the measurement inconsistent," he writes in a blog post for TravelMole.
"There will always be unfortunate outliers in any marketing discipline who don't do the rest of their group any favours, but influencer marketing seems more fundamentally flawed, presently, through a lack of rigour," he continues. "More brands need to adopt mutually agreed expectations, guidelines and contracts with influencers to enforce penalties and fines where duty of care is breached. Campaigns need more clarity to address public levels of understanding of what constitutes a paid ad and what's acceptable. Lastly, measurement of influencer marketing ROI needs to be more effective — we need to move past the idea 'digital is different' and report results accurately."
All of that said, there are still categories where influencers are very much worth the investment. New figures from HelloSociety reveal that luxury influencer posts on Instagram generate up to 30 per cent more engagement than regular campaigns, while luxury campaigns on Pinterest enjoy a boost of 17 per cent. Luxury brands were among the most reluctant to embrace influencers, due to their stricter control on messaging and public image.
Digital transformation expert Brian Solis writes: "While paid endorsements and one-off initiatives may offer short term benefit, Influence 2.0 (the next stage of influencer marketing) offers the capacity to become part of the customer journey." Instead of starting with a brand, or a product, or an influencer, it looks like the answer to influencer marketing is to do what good businesses have always done: begin with the customer, and work outward from there.
5 Common SEO mistakes and how to avoid them
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The GEL-PTG sneakers are based on the iconic basketball shoes from the '80s, renowned as one of Japan's most popular basketball shoes ever designed. A perforated vamp makes it a breathable choice for all-day wear, while a rubber out-sole provides much-needed grip and pivot points on the out-sole allow quick movements. Classic ASICS stripes round it off with a stylish edge, perfect for weekend looks.


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Republicans Need To Have a Plan for Student Loan Forgiveness
Alex Wong / Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump (Alex Wong / Getty Images)
By Josh Wagoner
Published July 26, 2019 at 7:53am
Unpopular opinion: the GOP should propose a higher-education reform plan that includes partial student loan forgiveness in order to grow the economy and address the crisis of federally-insured student loans.
Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are a few of the latest examples by the left to advocate student loan forgiveness, and while it's typically a safe bet for Republicans to take the antithetical position of Warren or Sanders, the left has created a false dichotomy and the GOP is taking the bait.
While 44.2 million student loan borrowers listen in, they hear Democrats saying, "We want to forgive your loans," to which the GOP responds, "these entitled kids want us to pay for their bad decisions."
It's critically important to recognize the antagonist here is not the student loan borrowers — it's the Democrats who created this disastrous mess in the first place.
As long as the GOP plays in the Democrat's rhetorical sandbox, the left gets to act as the protagonist, saving 44.2 million Americans from a problem they created. Meanwhile, the GOP fights tooth and nail against the borrowers — not the economic mess bad policy has created.
Don't take the bait.
Should borrowers pay back their loans? Yes. Can a significant amount of them pay back their loans? No. So where do we go from here?
If you think the student loan issue is just a small pocket of Americans trying to rid themselves of a "poor life choice" and not a massive economic crisis in the making, you are in for a big surprise.
There are 44.2 million Americans currently holding 1.5 trillion in debt — a figure that has tripled since 2005 and is estimated to balloon to over 2 trillion in the next three years. And that's not all.
Nearly 9 of 10 student loan borrowers polled said they are struggling to make payments, according to a national research study. Over 25 percent of borrowers are either delinquent or in default of their minimum payments — a figure that is expected to reach 40 percent by 2023 according to the Brookings Institute.
Borrowers who are in default take significant hits on their credit, which prevent them from obtaining a home loan, vehicle loan, or make other financial purchases that help drive our economy.
Here's where it started.
In 1958, the National Defense Education Act created financial aid programs for students majoring in STEM-related studies, such as foreign languages and teaching. The program was expanded in 1965 with President Lyndon B. Johnson and later in 1993, when the federal government began directly funding student loans and established unsubsidized Stafford loans.
Finally, President Obama signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 that opened the floodgates, requiring all federal loans to be direct loans.
RELATED: How To End Socialism in America's Schools
How did universities respond? They increased tuition costs and fees by 1,120 percent since 1978. Universities were given a strong incentive to do this. After all, the loans were federally-insured and available to most students.
Similar to the origins of the 2008 housing crash, D.C. bureaucrats removed a critical element from the free-market equation. For higher education, it was price competition.
But here's the kicker: unlike a traditional home loan, student loans cannot be canceled through bankruptcy — unless you obtain a formal ruling from a judge that your student debt is an undue hardship — which is wildly impractical and thus rarely occurs.
If loan access was dialed back, universities would be forced to lower costs or face massive enrollment shortfalls. But until then…"Good news! Loans are available."
While the student loan crisis has been primed for disaster by Democrats, the GOP should hold them accountable and lead the charge for meaningful reform.
There is a huge economic return for doing this. Currently, 1 in 3 student loan borrowers are putting off buying a home, a vehicle, starting a family, or other life decisions that contribute to economic growth because of their student loan debt.
The answer is not free education — it's to seal off the leak of federal intervention into higher education and clean up the mess by proposing a fiscally viable solution to address the current student loan debt.
Then, allow the free markets to reduce the cost through price competition and create a diversified network of cost-effective avenues for obtaining a degree.
While this is easier said than done, tuition costs will continue to rise as long as they are enabled do to so by their loyal companion, the federally-insured student loan program.
The GOP cannot afford to alienate the millions of younger American borrowers. Millennials and Gen Z voters will make up 37 percent of the 2020 electorate.
Address the crisis and propose a solution — stop attacking the borrowers.
We can bite the bullet now and give millions of Americans a path to grow our economy, or we can risk the very real scenario of a sustained recession caused by the compounding effect of unsustainable debt on current and future student loan borrowers.
The GOP has a huge opportunity to identify the real culprit, Democratic federal intervention, and lead a big reform effort.
But first, we must reject the rhetorical bait and shift the conversation. We must show the 44.2 million loan borrowers we are working to help them get out of debt and end this crisis for future students.
We are a big tent party with big solutions, so let's go big.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website.
Josh Wagoner
Josh Wagoner is a contributor for The Daily Caller and co-founder of Tomahawk Strategies, a national political consulting firm founded by former members of President Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
Tags: 2020 election, Colleges and Universities, millennials, National Debt, student
Commentary Fox 10 Phoenix / YouTube screen shots; Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images Trump Legal Team Hammers Jerry Nadler at Impeachment Trial: 'You're Not In Charge Here'
Mark Wilson / Getty Images Bernie's Iowa Team on Lockdown After Embarrassing Video Goes Viral


To find novel measurement guidelines correlating with known tear size on two sagittal oblique views (en-face view and Y-view).
From a series of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair cases between 2012 and 2015, 50 patients were randomly selected from each of six subscapularis tear classifications. Due to rarity of type IV lesions, 272 shoulders were included. En-face view and Y-view in sagittal plane MRI were selected. Image evaluation was retrospectively performed by two researchers independently. In en-face view, anatomical line connecting the coracoid tip to the glenoid base designated as the base-to-tip line was used for thickness measurement and classification. Grading according to base-to-tip line, overlapped segment of base-to-tip line, thickness of subscapularis, and fluid accumulation were measured. In Y-view, a tangent line was drawn through the scapular spine and the coracoid. Parallel lines were then made. Grading according to tangent line, vertical length, cephalic width, caudal width, and fluid accumulation was measured.
In en-face view, grading according to base-to-tip line and overlapped segment of base-to-tip line showed differences in subscapularis tendon tear types IIB, III, and IV compared to the normal group. Thickness of subscapularis showed differences in types III and IV. No significant difference was observed in fluid accumulation. In Y-view, grading according to tangent line, vertical length, cephalic width, and fluid accumulation showed significant differences in types III and IV. Caudal width in Y-view was significantly different only in type IV.
Several measurement parameters in two additional views in sagittal–oblique MRI (en-face view and Y-view) showed different degrees of subscapularis tendon tears. Grading of base-to-tip line is easy to use and helps diagnose partial subscapularis tear.


We at Ree-Cycle like a challenge and we love vintage. Its what we are! So when our Twitter friends and Sheffield Greengrocers Nethergreens enquired if we could do source a Butcher's Bike for them we jumped at the chance.
We acquired this little classic and set about to some serious resto work on it. It is getting the full Ree-Cycle treatment and has just been primed ready for a respray in the client's chosen colour scheme. We will keep updated with progress and pix and cant wait to show the finished product.