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Home Film Film Reviews Gosh Dune It
Gosh Dune It
The new space epic looks great but lacks spice.
Kristian Lin
Timothée Chalamet prepares to fight to protect his family in Dune. Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures
Frank Herbert's epic science-fiction Dune saga was made into a film by David Lynch in 1984, which boasted a superb look but completely failed in storytelling terms. This week comes a highly anticipated new movie version of Dune, which also looks phenomenal and offers a much smoother storytelling experience. I walked away from it wanting more, in both good and bad ways.
The story picks up in the year 10191, when people have settled thousands of planets due to a mysterious commodity called "spice," which allows for interstellar travel and is only available on the desert planet of Arrakis. The Harkonnen family has ruled Arrakis for almost a century and become wealthy off the spice trade, but the emperor suddenly hands over control to the Atreides family, whose duke (Oscar Isaac) vows to rule the natives more humanely than the brutal Harkonnens. When the Harkonnens return with an army to take back what was theirs, the duke's wife Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) and son Paul (Timothée Chalamet) have to flee into the desert, hoping that the locals save them from the elements and the giant sandworms burrowing underneath.
Director Denis Villeneuve and his fellow writers have an elegant solution to the gobs of exposition that this story requires: Paul listens to a series of audio lectures about Arrakis while preparing to go there. The premise of a bunch of foreigners taking charge of a desert environment whose people practice strange customs and religions takes on a resonance that even Herbert couldn't have foreseen. The author's fans should know that the movie's narrative stops well short of the end of the first book, which makes the environment feel more lived-in than it does in Lynch's film but also keeps this from being a satisfying stand-alone experience. Say this for Marvel: They know how to make individual films that please general audiences while also advancing storylines for the diehards.
Still, if you want spectacular vistas on alien planets, Villeneuve gives you buckets full of those. The shots of soldiers lined up in formation recall Leni Riefenstahl's Nazi-glorifying films, which I think is intentional. We have sand hitting rocks like ocean waves amid sandworm attacks, airships with wings that vibrate like dragonfly wings, and Paul stepping into a hologram of a tree, its tendrils drawing lines across his face. Desert's not the easiest landscape to make interesting, but cinematographer Greig Fraser finds sculptural lines in the sand dunes (the film was shot in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates), while Patrice Vermette's sets contrast the outworlders' brutalist interiors with the more natural ones of the Arrakis natives. No wonder the director was upset about Warner Bros. releasing this movie on streaming at the same time. The film needs the largest screen possible, as well as a theater's floorboard-rattling sound during the action sequences. At its best, the movie is sublime in the old sense of making you feel small.
Too bad Villeneuve overdoes it, as every scene seems to underscore the epic quality of this 155-minute film. Whatever intimacy his approach doesn't beat out of the film, Hans Zimmer's music takes care of. Chalamet is handicapped by a character whose journey only truly begins at the film's end. Even Javier Bardem is indistinct as the leader of the natives of Arrakis, and Zendaya spends so much time posing against desert backdrops in Paul's dreams that you wonder whether she was shooting a fragrance commercial. The only actor who makes an impression is a forceful Charlotte Rampling as the high priestess of Lady Jessica's order of psychic seers who seems to know what a hard time Paul's in for.
I do appreciate how the casting here fixes the original film's overwhelming whiteness. (You can't ascribe that to the time Lynch's Dune was made, either: Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Alien, and The Empire Strikes Back all came out before it, and they all had characters of color.) The content here may set up some more satisfying story beats later on. However, I'm obliged to review the film at hand, and, ultimately, this film is like a cleverly conceived and beautifully presented restaurant meal that makes you think about hitting the nearest McDonald's.
Starring Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson. Directed by Denis Villeneuve. Written by Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, and Eric Roth. Rated PG-13.
Oscar nominee
Timothée Chalamet
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I am captivated by the tedium that consumes day-to-day life. The days stretch out endlessly in all directions each one a near mirror image of the last. In the grip of this bland continuum, the significance of individual actions begins to fade. However, with the passing of time every mundane act links to the ones that came before. The moments amass, disguising the individual as a fragment of some complex and incomprehensible whole.
My artistic process stems from the flow of monotony. I begin my process by collecting papers, usually books, maps or envelopes; pages that have been altered by human efforts. The papers are vessels containing the knowledge and experience of many human minds. Each page is cut into strips, disfiguring its imposed message. The strips are rolled woven or wound to further abstract its origin.
Each of my sculptures begins as a single strip of paper. The process is slow, shaping each segment and adding them together one piece at a time until the fragments are lost in the emergence of the new whole. The tedium of creating each work of art parallels the tedium of day-to-day life. Looking back over the expanse of a single existence you will recall each time you brushed your teeth or drove the well traveled path to and from work, you will only see the essence of what those actions amount to.


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Q: how to get nsDictionary element by using for-in NSDictionary *myDict = @{@"one":@"1",@"two":@"2"};

for (NSDictionary* tmp in myDict) {
    NSLog(@"%@",tmp);
}

resut:

my tmpis NSString
I want to get a dictionary with key= one , value = 1

A: You can get all keys from your dic then add the key and value to your new dic like this:
NSDictionary *myDict = @{@"one":@"1",@"two":@"2"};
NSArray *keys = [myDict allKeys];
for (NSString *key in keys) {
    NSDictionary *yourDic = @{key: [myDict valueForKey:key]};
    NSLog(@"%@", yourDic);
}

A: You didn't create it that way. If you wanted to have  a NSDictionary inside another NSDictionary you should write something like this :
NSDictionary *myDict = @{
    @"firstDict" : @{
        @"one":@"1"
    },
    @"secondDict": @{
        @"two":@"2"
    }
};

Above code will create a NSDictionary with two dictionaries at keys @firstDict and @secondDict.
Also, bear in mind, that because dictionaries are key-value pairs, using a for-in loop, actually loops through the keys in that dictionary. So your code is equivalent to:
for(NSString *key in dict.allKeys) { ... }

A: for in for NSDictionary will iterate the keys.
for (NSString * key in myDict) {
    NSLog(@"%@",key);
    NSString * value = [myDict objectForKey:key];
}

If you want to get a dictionary. You have to create a dictionary from these values
for (NSString * key in myDict) {
    NSLog(@"%@",key);
    NSString * value = [myDict objectForKey:key];
    NSDictionary * dict = @{key:value};
}

Or you should init like this:
   NSArray *arrDict = @[{@{"one":@"1"},@{@"two":@"2"}];
   for (NSDictionary* tmp in arrDict) {
      NSLog(@"%@",tmp);
   }

A: I got the solution
NSDictionary *myDict = @{@"one":@"1",@"two":@"2"};
NSMutableArray *arrayObject = [[NSMutableArray alloc]init];
NSMutableArray *arrayKey = [[NSMutableArray alloc]init];
NSMutableArray *arrayObjectKey = [[NSMutableArray alloc]init];
NSMutableDictionary *dict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc]init];
for (NSString *stringValue in myDict.allValues)
{
  [arrayObject addObject:stringValue];
}
for (NSString *stringKey in myDict.allKeys)
{
  [arrayKey addObject:stringKey];
}
for(int i = 0;i<[arrayKey count];i++)
{
    dict = [[NSMutableDictionary alloc]initWithObjectsAndKeys:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",[arrayKey objectAtIndex:i]],@"key",nil];
   [dict setObject:[NSString stringWithFormat:@"%@",[arrayObject objectAtIndex:i]] forKey:@"value"];

   [arrayObjectKey addObject:dict];
}
NSLog(@"The arrayObjectKey is - %@",arrayObjectKey);

The Output is
The arrayObjectKey is -
(
    {
    key = one;
    value = 1;
},
    {
    key = two;
    value = 2;
}
)

A: Create the dictionary:
NSDictionary *myDict = [NSDictionary dictionaryWithObjectsAndKeys:@"1",@"One",@"2","Two",nil];

Get a value out using:(this example tmp will be 1)
NSString *tmp = [myDict objectForKey:@"One"];

Display the output in console:
NSLog(@"%@",tmp);

To display the whole NSDictionary
NSLog (@"contents of myDict: %@",myDict);

A: What you are doing is creating a dictionary with key-value pairs. I think what you want to do is have an array with dictionaries.
NSArray *myArray = @[@{@"one":@"1"}, @{@"two":@"2"}];
for (NSDictionary* tmp in myArray) {
    NSLog(@"%@",tmp);
}

However I don't see a point in doing this. What you could do is:
NSDictionary *myDict = @{@"one":@"1",@"two":@"2"};

for (NSString* key in [myDict allKeys]) {
    NSLog(@"%@ = %@", key, myDict[key]);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two (to date) review
April 14, 2015 flawintheiris
With the imminent arrival of Avengers: Age of Ultron on May 1, I thought it was a good time to revisit the current collection of Marvel Studios movies. You can check out my thoughts on the first six, otherwise known as Phase One, here.
Directed by Shane Black, written by Black and Drew Pearce
When I first saw this movie, I remarked that the darker tone in the script was well balanced by the typical Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) quips.
Seeing Iron Man 3 for a second time, I found it to be more of a bitter pill. It deals in heavy themes of PTSD, violence and terrorism, which is OK, even in a light Marvel superhero yarn—I'll allow room for this style of realism, though it brings in a lot of heaviness we haven't seen in these kinds of movies to date.
But the Extremis procedure, which turns people into human bombs, is grim beyond what I think works for these kinds of movies. There is a sour edge here that left a bad taste in my mouth.
This also is the first time they put Tony's girlfriend, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow), in real danger, where she becomes someone who needs saving, which I was not happy to see at all. The tired trope of the hero's lover kidnapped by the bad guy? Until now Marvel hasn't needed to resort to much of that, and it's one of the reasons I've largely enjoyed what they've done to date.
That's not to say Iron Man 3 is a lost cause. Far from it: I liked how it resolves some of Tony Stark's big issues. Suffering from anxiety attacks following the events of The Avengers, Stark buries himself in his work, building all kinds of new armours sporting new tricks, including the prehensile Mark 47. The armour-building is a distraction from his having to deal with his issues—but it also serves as an interesting narrative way-station to where he's headed: We know he is the one who creates Ultron, the rogue AI in the form of a killer robot. Though Tony seems a healthier, more evolved guy by the movie's conclusion, we know his troubles are really just beginning.
And the movie isn't all explosions and terrorist plots, thankfully. We have Ben Kingsley chewing scenery in his own unique way, there are a few hilarious conversations between Tony and henchmen in the employ of Guy Pearce's villain. And we get to enjoy one particularly impressive set-piece, where Iron Man must figure out a way to save a dozen presidential staffers after the mid-air destruction of Air Force One.
For my money, the best bits are when Tony gets stuck in a small midwestern town, his armour malfunctioning, and takes on a 10-year-old assistant named Harley.
MVP: RDJ, the heart and soul of the entire Marvel movie experiment. He's irreplaceable.
Jump/Fall From A High Place: All those folks who fell out of the president's plane.
After Credit Scene: Tony gets some therapy from his buddy, Bruce.
Directed by Alan Taylor, Written by Christopher Yost, Christopher Markus, and Stephen McFeely, from a story by Don Payne and Robert Rodat
So, just to tally the eight Marvel movies so far: On second (or third or fourth) viewings I liked Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Thor, pretty much as much as I did (or, in the case of Hulk, didn't) the first time around. The Avengers and, surprise, Iron Man 2 improved with multiple viewings, while Iron Man 3 was a bit of a disappointment.
I quite liked Thor: The Dark World when I saw it in theatres. Great to spend more time with these characters, especially Loki, who has turned out to be the most entertaining villain in the Marvel stable, with much credit to Joss Whedon's use of him in The Avengers.
Returning to Asgard in this film was a pleasure, especially getting to know Heimdall (Idris Elba) a little better.
But I'd say the opening act feels just a little undercooked. They have this great opportunity taking Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) to Asgard, doing a reverse of what they did with Thor on earth in the first film—a fish out of water story. I hoped at least we'd get some kind of welcome feast with character moments aplenty. But no, Foster is infected with this Aether stuff (part of the Infinity Gems collection, the Marvel MacGuffins), and the Dark Elves, led by generic baddie Malekith (usually Christopher Eccleston is more charismatic than this).
The biggest problem that revealed itself in this viewing was in the production design. I noticed a heavy debt to The Lord of the Rings in my initial review, but it goes further than that, also borrowing from George Lucas' Star Wars prequels, specifically the look of the planet Naboo. That association is more pronounced given Natalie Portman's presence, but it's mostly in the derivative CGI cityscapes, and the look (and definitely sound) of the Dark Elves and the Asgardian flying machines.
I like these characters, but from the moment Thor brings Jane to Asgard, the Elves attack, and Thor has to break his brother out of prison and get out of town, the world they're in all feels a little generic, and the drama isn't quite intense enough to make much of an impact.
Fortunately, the payoff remains solid. Loki's "sacrifice" on Svartalfheim is well played, as is the way Thor and Foster manage to get back to earth. I also really enjoy the goofy humour Kat Dennings brings to these movies, and the final encounter with Malekith and the Aether in Greenwich was a great balance of quality dimension-jumping FX and superhero, building-smashing battle sequences.
So, I suppose my feelings on this one are a little mixed, but then they were the first time, too. Just about different things.
MVP: Tom Hiddleston, for making us feel things.
Jump/Fall From A High Place: Thor falls off the Gherkin in London, sliding down the glass as he goes.
After Credit Scene: Three! We meet The Collector (Benicio Del Toro), who takes possession of the Aether, Thor returns to Jane in London, and a Frost Hound goes chasing some birds.
Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, Written by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
What a pleasure it is to see this movie again. Next to The Avengers, it's the best thing out of the Marvel stable so far, edging that first Iron Man movie by virtue of its sheer scale and complexity, as well as some genuine A-plus action sequences.
As I observed in my initial review, this is very much a spy thriller underlying the superheroics, but at it's heart is the titular character, a man out of time who is doing is best to live up to values that seem out of step with the kind of world we live in today. I love the conversations between characters—Cap (Chris Evans) disagreeing with Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) about his hawkish attitude to arming the skies (very Ronald Reagan's Star Wars plan), and Alexander Pierce (the legendary Robert Redford) justifying his murderous plot to Fury in the cause of totalitarian order.
But what really lifts the material above the average are the little character moments: Cap meeting Sam Wilson at his PTSD group therapy, Fury telling Cap about his grandfather who liked people but didn't trust them, Cap flashing back to the 1940s with Bucky, training at the New Jersey military base, the Widow and Cap in an Apple store followed up by the mismatched couple discussing Steve's social life, or lack thereof. (There's a terrific blog conversation going on right now on the Marvel movies paralleling this one, where the suggestion has been made that Rogers is a virgin. Go here for more on that.)
The opening sequence with Cap, the Widow, and a squad of SHIELD commandos taking control of a freighter in the Indian Ocean is an action set-piece that may be the best in the entire series, and it slips into the narrative a long standing Captain America villain, Batroc the Leaper, who here is a tough-as-nails mercenary rather than a moustache-twirling French stereotype. It helps that they cast UFC Champion Georges St-Pierre in the role, though his and a number of his henchmen are hilariously much more Quebecois French than Algerian French. Probably not something most American audiences would pick up on, but many of us Canucks will get a chuckle.
MVP: The Russo brothers, for directing the hell out of this thing. A tie in the runners-up position, Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson, doing great work together.
Jump/Fall From A High Place: Cap jumps out of a plane early on, and later the helicarriers fall out of the sky, along with Cap and the Winter Soldier.
After Credit Scene: A look ahead to Avengers: Age of Ultron with a scene in Baron Wolfgang von Strucker's lab, revealing a pair of mutant powered twins. And Bucky steps into the Smithsonian to reacquaint himself with his own past.
The Guardians of the Galaxy
Directed by James Gunn, Written by Gunn and Nicole Perlman
My reaction to this film the first time was reasonably positive. It's a fun, Saturday-morning-matinee-style science fiction adventure, heavily indebted to everything from Flash Gordon to Star Wars to Raiders of the Lost Ark, in both blatant and subtle ways. While the distinct lack of originality for large portions of the running time mean there's no chance of this picture ever being a classic, the wit and a nice mix of characters make for a solid entertainment, and a clever interstellar addition to the Marvel on-screen mythos.
Promoting Chris Pratt from shlubby sitcom actor to action hunk was a clever idea. People like him. Since Guardians was such a hit he's going to be in this summer's Jurassic World and potentially, unfortunately, a new Indiana Jones franchise. I understand his appeal, but he's no Indiana Jones, that's for damn sure. He hasn't any of the edge Harrison Ford brought to the world's favourite archaeologist adventurer, so let's not even go there.
Quill/Star Lord is a fun creation—heroic but self-involved, a not-so-bright man-boy who has the capacity to do great things if he applies himself. He's definitely not Han Solo but he's also a lot less whiny than Luke Skywalker.
I really liked the utopian world of Xandar and its military, the Nova Corps—I enjoyed its multiethnic population, people with bright pink or blue skin all living happily together. Yondu, Quill's adoptive father/abductor, is also a terrific character: there's room in my universe for redneck aliens. I wished we got more details on the reasons behind Quill's abduction from Earth, but seeing it a second time I caught onto the comment from Yondu's subordinate about having been paid by Quill's "angelic" father to retrieve him. Something for the sequel, no doubt. Still, the plot holes do yawn in this film, at times a little too wide for me, while there are a lot of conveniences, too.
Best not to look too closely or pull on loose threads and just enjoy the ride. The CGI space battles are fairly rote, but the CGI characters—Groot and Rocket—are pretty much flawless. And they get the biggest laughs—next to Gamora's remark about Kevin Bacon.
MVP: Bradley Cooper, for bringing a crabby raccoon freebooter to life. A close second: Michael Rooker as Yondu.
Jump/Fall From A High Place: Ronan's ship The Dark Aster plummeting out of the sky to Xandar, along with the Guardians themselves.
After Credit Scene: Adorbs Baby Groot dancing, and the reintroduction of Steve Gerber's famous duck.
MORE MARVEL: One-Shots, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, and Daredevil
It feels like I'm not being completist if I ignore the shorts and TV series set in this new Cinematic Marvel Universe, so let me say a few things about them:
Marvel have released a series of short films, called One-Shots, which can be found on the Blu-Ray releases of the features. Some can even be found online. They're great fun, and offer extra little interstitial moments, almost like an extended post-credit scene, to the cinematic universe. I wouldn't call them essential, but I would call them fun. Here's a list of them to date.
First off, the Agents of SHIELD. It surprises me how the show doesn't get much love from the nerderatti, especially those people for whom it's so definitely aimed, those who grew up with the comics its based on.
This show has the capability of being more like the comics than any of the movies. It's in the rapid serial format; every week a group of highly trained operatives (the international spy agency, the acronym clumsily stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division) keep tabs on the expanding community of super-powered humans, some in their own ranks. Plenty of room for denizens of the Marvel universe to appear, and many have—characters who might not ever show up in the movies or get much of a chance to shine: The Lady Sif, for example. Lorelei. The Absorbing Man. John Garrett. Deathlok.
I won't deny the show got off to a rocky start. Given Joss Whedon's creative input into its origin—and the series was co-created and is run by Joss' brother Jed and Maurissa Tancharoen—expectations were high, but instead we got kind of an 80s action show, not a far cry from The A-Team. I've got a soft spot for that kind of material, but it's a long way from Whedon's televised high points of Buffy The Vampire Slayer or Firefly. Certainly any relation to The Avengers seemed distant and tangential. I liked that it was largely about Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and how he survived being run through by Loki's alien pig-sticker, but it wasn't hugely compelling.
Things improved mightily when the show crossed over with events in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The destruction of SHIELD by Hydra allowed for huge character changes, and all of a sudden the characters in Agents of SHIELD felt totally vital, essential to follow for anyone interested in this universe. For someone looking to dip your toe in, I recommend the pilot, then Episode 8 (which crosses over to Thor: The Dark World) and Episodes 14-22.
The second season has been more consistent, focussing on Skye (Chloe Bennett) and her Kree-given abilities, which have made her an Inhuman—half-alien half-human hybrids with powers. Divisions in SHIELD, and divergent ideas of what the organization is becoming, continue. I'm still enjoying it as a part of the whole story, and recommend it.
Agent Carter was an eight-episode fill-in series that came on in January and February while AoS was on hiatus. It tells the story of Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell), Captain America's sweetheart from the first of his movies, a tough-as-the-guys British broad who can go toe-to-toe with any of her more whiskered military colleagues. Here we catch up with her post-war as she's working for SSR (Strategic Scientific Reserve) in New York, putting up with chauvinist agents who figure she's gotten the job because of her connection to the presumed dead Captain America. Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), Tony's inventor father, plays a big role in this one as someone frames him for selling his tech to foreign nations. We also get to see the Howling Commandos again, and learn more about the program that created The Black Widow in the Soviet Union.
Atwell is terrific, and it's fun to see all the costumes and sets of late 40s New York, even though the budget constraints of TV mean most of the exteriors have that California backlot look about them. Still, it's well worth watching.
The Netflix series Daredevil is the newest edition to the Marvel pantheon and, in its own way, is as much a deviation from the current stable as Guardians of the Galaxy. This is bloody, intense, noirish stuff, sharing little of the more playful tone of any of the other Marvel properties. But there's no doubting this exists in the same world—the Chitauri invasion of New York is referenced here as "The Incident".
Blind lawyer Matt Murdock (Brit Charlie Cox, who I recognized from his lead in the movie Stardust from a few years ago) and partner in law Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson) are just getting started in the rougher part of Manhattan known as Hell's Kitchen—actually an upscale gentrified condo neighbourhood these days, but let's not worry about those details.
Murdock is a guy with a lot of rage, so while he spends his days looking for justice in the courts, he spends his nights on the rooftops, fighting gangsters and bad guys—fewer of them in costumes—thanks to enhanced senses and special training. And he's not averse to beating these gangsters to a pulp. The violence on display is definitely more in line with Marvel's Max adult reader line.
This is a real opportunity, to mix a lawyer drama with a superhero show. But mostly what we're getting is a lot of the moody, grim elements of the comic—those things Frank Miller first introduced to Daredevil back in the 1980s. And I am totally OK with that. The lapsed Catholic, the daddy issues, the problems he has with women, all of that is a big part of what makes Daredevil different from other superhero characters, and it all works here. Nice casting too—especially True Blood veteran Deborah Ann Woll as Karen Page and Vincent D'Onofrio as the Kingpin.
I'm only a few episodes in, but I'm very much on board.
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text:
package org.shaolin.uimaster.page.ajax;

import java.io.Serializable;
import java.util.List;

import org.shaolin.uimaster.page.AjaxContextHelper;
import org.shaolin.uimaster.page.DisposableBfString;
import org.shaolin.uimaster.page.HTMLUtil;
import org.shaolin.uimaster.page.WebConfig;

public class ComboBox extends SingleChoice<ComboBox> implements Serializable
{
    private static final long serialVersionUID = -7820240489728224513L;

    private String cssClass;

    public ComboBox(String uiid)
    {
        this(AjaxContextHelper.getAjaxContext().getEntityPrefix() + uiid, new CellLayout());
        this.setListened(true);
    }

    public ComboBox(String id, Layout layout)
    {
        super(id, layout);
    }

    public ComboBox addAttribute(String name, Object value, boolean update)
    {
        if (name.equals("class"))
        {
            cssClass = (String)value;
            super.addAttribute("cssClass", value, true);
        }
        else if (name.equals("value"))
        {
            // do not check for now to keep compatibility
//            if (value == null || this.optionValues == null)
//            {
//                return;
//            }
            // temporary fix
            if (WebConfig.getHiddenValueMask().equals(value))
            {
                return this;
            }
//            if (!checkValueExist((String)value))
//            {
//                return;
//            }
            super.addAttribute(name, value, update);
        }
        else
        {
            super.addAttribute(name, value, update);
        }

        return this;
    }

    public ComboBox addConstraint(String name, Object[] value, String message)
    {
        if (name != null)
        {
            if (name.toLowerCase().equals("selectvalue"))
            {
                if (message != null)
                {
                    super.addConstraint("selectValueText", "'"+packMessageText(message)+"'", false);
                }
                super.addConstraint("selectValue", joinArray(value));
            }
            else
            {
                super.addConstraint(name, value, message);
            }
        }
        return this;
    }

    public String generateJS()
    {
        StringBuffer js = new StringBuffer(200);
        js.append("defaultname.");
        js.append(getId());
        js.append("=new UIMaster.ui.combobox({");
        js.append("ui:elementList[\"");
        js.append(getId());
        js.append("\"]");
        js.append(super.generateJS());
        js.append("});");
        return js.toString();
    }

    public String generateHTML()
    {
        List displayOptions = getOptionDisplayValues();
        List options = getOptionValues();
        String value = getValue();
        if (displayOptions == null)
        {
            displayOptions = options;
        }

        StringBuilder html = DisposableBfString.getBuffer();
        try {
        generateWidget(html);
        if (displayOptions != null && options != null)
        {
            if (displayOptions.size() == 0)
            {
                displayOptions = options;
            }

            if ( this.isReadOnly() )
            {
                addAttribute("allowBlank", "true", false);
                String cClass;
                if (cssClass != null && !cssClass.trim().equals("null"))
                {
                    cClass = "uimaster_comboBox_readOnly " + cssClass;
                }
                else
                {
                    cClass = "uimaster_comboBox_readOnly";
                }
                if (value == null && displayOptions.size() != 0)
                {
                    html.append("<input type=\"text\" readOnly=\"true\" class=\"" + cClass
                            + "\" value=\"");
                    if (this.isValueMask())
                    {
                        html.append(WebConfig.getHiddenValueMask());
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        html.append(HTMLUtil.formatHtmlValue(displayOptions.get(0) == null ? "_null"
                                : String.valueOf(displayOptions.get(0))));
                    }
                    html.append("\" />");
                    html.append("<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"");
                    html.append(getId());
                    html.append("\"");
                    generateAttributes(html);
                    generateEventListeners(html);
                    html.append(" value=\"");
                    if (this.isValueMask())
                    {
                        html.append(WebConfig.getHiddenValueMask());
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        html.append(HTMLUtil.formatHtmlValue((options.get(0) == null) ? "_null"
                                : String.valueOf(options.get(0))));
                    }
                    html.append("\" />");
                }
                else
                {
                    boolean isMatch = true;
                    for (int i = 0; i < displayOptions.size(); i++)
                    {
                        String optionValue = (options.get(i) == null) ? "_null" : String
                                .valueOf(options.get(i));
                        if (value != null && value.equalsIgnoreCase(optionValue))
                        {
                            html.append("<input type=\"text\" readOnly=\"true\" class=\"" + cClass
                                    + "\" value=\"");
                            if (this.isValueMask())
                            {
                                html.append(WebConfig.getHiddenValueMask());
                            }
                            else
                            {
                                html.append(HTMLUtil
                                        .formatHtmlValue(displayOptions.get(i) == null ? "_null"
                                                : String.valueOf(displayOptions.get(i))));
                            }
                            html.append("\" />");
                            html.append("<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"");
                            html.append(getId());
                            html.append("\"");
                            generateAttributes(html);
                            generateEventListeners(html);
                            html.append(" value=\"");
                            if (this.isValueMask())
                            {
                                html.append(WebConfig.getHiddenValueMask());
                            }
                            else
                            {
                                html.append(HTMLUtil.formatHtmlValue(optionValue));
                            }
                            html.append("\" />");
                            isMatch = true;
                            break;
                        }
                        isMatch = false;
                    }
                    if (!isMatch)
                    {
                        html.append("<input type=\"text\" readOnly=\"true\" class=\"" + cClass
                                + "\" value=\"");
                        if (this.isValueMask())
                        {
                            html.append(WebConfig.getHiddenValueMask());
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            html.append(HTMLUtil
                                    .formatHtmlValue(displayOptions.get(0) == null ? "_null" : String
                                            .valueOf(displayOptions.get(0))));
                        }
                        html.append("\" />");
                        html.append("<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"");
                        html.append(getId());
                        html.append("\"");
                        generateAttributes(html);
                        generateEventListeners(html);
                        html.append(" value=\"");
                        if (this.isValueMask())
                        {
                            html.append(WebConfig.getHiddenValueMask());
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            html.append(HTMLUtil.formatHtmlValue((options.get(0) == null) ? "_null"
                                    : String.valueOf(options.get(0))));
                        }
                        html.append("\" />");
                    }
                }
            }
            else
            {
                html.append("<select name=\"");
                html.append(getId());
                html.append("\" class=\"");
                html.append("uimaster_comboBox ");
                if (cssClass != null && !cssClass.trim().equals("null"))
                {
                    html.append(cssClass);
                }
                html.append("\"");
                generateAttributes(html);
                generateEventListeners(html);
                html.append(">");
                for (int i = 0; i < displayOptions.size(); i++)
                {
                    html.append("<option value=\"");
                    String optionValue = (options.get(i) == null) ? "_null" : String
                            .valueOf(options.get(i));
                    if (this.isValueMask())
                    {
                        html.append(WebConfig.getHiddenValueMask());
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        html.append(HTMLUtil.formatHtmlValue(optionValue));
                    }
                    html.append("\"");
                    if (value != null && value.equalsIgnoreCase(optionValue))
                    {
                        html.append(" selected");
                    }
                    html.append(">");
                    if (this.isValueMask())
                    {
                        html.append(WebConfig.getHiddenValueMask());
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        html.append(HTMLUtil.formatHtmlValue(displayOptions.get(i) == null ? "_null"
                                : String.valueOf(displayOptions.get(i))));
                    }
                    html.append("</option>");
                }
                html.append("</select>");
            }
        }
        else
        {
            if (getReadOnly() != null && getReadOnly().booleanValue())
            {
                addAttribute("allowBlank", "true", false);
                html.append("<input type=\"text\" name=\"");
                html.append(getId());
                html.append("\" readOnly=\"true\" class=\"uimaster_comboBox_readOnly ");
                if (cssClass != null && !cssClass.trim().equals("null"))
                {
                    html.append(cssClass);
                }
                html.append("\"");
                generateAttributes(html);
                generateEventListeners(html);
                html.append(" value=\"\" />");
            }
            else
            {
                html.append("<select name=\"");
                html.append(getId());
                html.append("\" class=\"uimaster_comboBox ");
                if (cssClass != null && !cssClass.trim().equals("null"))
                {
                    html.append(cssClass);
                }
                html.append("\"");
                generateAttributes(html);
                generateEventListeners(html);
                html.append(">");
                html.append("</select>");
            }
        }

        return html.toString();
        } finally {
			DisposableBfString.release(html);
		}
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Review: Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk – A Diamond in the Rough
Game Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk
Developer Gust
Publisher Koei Tecmo
Reviewed on PS Vita
Genres Japanese RPG
Review copy provided by the publisher.
ReviewsPS Vita
February 12, 2015 10:22 AM EST
Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk adds to a string of PlayStation 3 titles ported over to the PlayStation Vita.
The package adds the full original game as well as a DLC dungeon, costumes and dual audio to make for a release that even existing fans would consider revisiting, in addition to one attractive to the presumably JRPG loving Vita audience.
In The Alchemist of Dusk, Ayesha is on a quest to rescue her sister Nio. Initially everyone seems to believe that the worst has already happened to Nio, but a certain event in the beginning of the game puts things in a new perspective.
Ayesha herself is just an apothecary and is thus unable to understand or manipulate the events that lead to her encounter with her sister and so she sets out across the land to gather knowledge and meet allies.
Although the tone of this might sound grim, the game does a fantastic job of remaining upbeat and bright throughout. It can only be called refreshing in a world where the dark fantasy RPG reigns supreme.
This brightness is especially apparent in the game's lovely anime art style. The character models, environments, cinematics and event still are bursting with charm and the vivid hair colors and costumes almost make it seem like a magical girl setup.
Complementing the detailed and beautiful art style is the soundtrack, which is quite enjoyable. The songs are generally softer and less dramatic than what you'll hear in other games in the genre.
The gameplay is surprisingly varied and fun. Since the game revolves around alchemy and the creation of items, you'll rely on the system for everything from progressing the story to defeating enemies and making money with delivery quests.
You can only create items you have recipes for and you can obtain recipes in a number of ways. While some recipes do have specific ingredients, I liked how for the most part you could just use ingredients from a certain group. This way you can substitute higher quality ingredients as they become available and eventually create better items.
Ayesha is the only character that can use the items you create or that generally uses items at all, which shoehorns her into a support role that spices up combat. Use an item to lower an enemy's ice resistance before having the mage girl launch an ice attack, or dock their physical resistance before the swords-wielder uses her special.
Of course, Ayesha can play the middle by dishing real damage with a variety of explosives and toxins, or healing and buffing outright with medicines and food dishes. The freedom and variety offered in this approach is commendable. You can even create equipment for the characters.
Exploring the environments is linear and surprisingly enjoyable. You won't find any labyrinthine maps or dungeons in this title. In most instances you proceed rather straightforwardly from one end of the dungeon to the next, engaging in combat with enemies and gathering materials whenever possible.
As you might expect the game goes whole hog with the fan service and there are scenes with groping, attacks with epic panty shots, dialogue about getting naked and so on and so forth.
The game develops its characters with an absolutely ridiculous amount of dialogue scenes. I have to imagine that even the biggest fans of character development would eventually become overwhelmed with the staggering volume of cutscenes in Atelier Ayesha Plus.
You go to the shop there is a cutscene. You step outside the shop and there is another scene. You get to the world map and you take three steps before being snatched into another scene.
Most of the time this is acceptable, as the scenes can be entertaining and some are significant to the level of adding new quests, but the fact that you can't skip them makes the sheer volume hard to deal with.
Another negative aspect deals with gameplay; while in general its varied, it suffers from how difficult it can be to figure out what you should do towards progressing in the game.
You get a journal, which keeps track of certain tasks and metrics, such as how many of what item you need to deliver and to whom, as well as more important "major" tasks.
The problem is — with the important tasks at least — that very little detail or instruction is given in the way of accomplishing the task. One of the goals was literally as vague as "hit the road for info."
While this could be viewed as a unique, non-linear approach to making progress in this kind of game, it doesn't innovate in the genre enough to forgo clear tasks and objectives.
Many times when I finally saw a scene that put me on what I could be sure was the right path, I felt that it had only been witnessed via chance or luck, rather than the result of me purposely taking actions to try and further the story.
Traveling from place to place on the map and synthesizing items both consume days. Certain major tasks need to be accomplished within a certain in-game time frame or else you'll reach one of the multiple less satisfying endings in the game.
Pair this time limit with large gameplay segments where the player is more or less running around aimlessly with scarce direction trying to figure out what to do and you create a panicked, frustrating situation that is about as far from fun as a video game could possibly be.
Another issue I had with the game was that it seemed almost completely devoid of challenge on the standard normal mode. I used a basic craft item and healing ointment from the time that I started the game until just a few hours before the end.
Although great flexibility was afforded in the crafting and combat systems, it was far from required to get through the game, where spamming some of the weakest items would get you along just fine.
Also, I recall only two boss fights in the entire game: one scripted nigh unwinnable fight towards the beginning of the game and the final boss. I know there are some in the DLC dungeon, but the main game's offerings were hardly significant.
I had played for just over 20 hours and had determined that the fancier ointment was exactly the healing item I needed to outlast the last boss, but the time it took me to synthesize it was the last I had and I was shown an alternative "bad ending."
That was an incredibly unsatisfying situation and would never have happened were I not doomed to spend so much time searching for some sign or clue to help me get on with and actually enjoy the game.
What's strange about Atelier Ayesha Plus is that the issues I have with the game seem more like consciously made development decisions rather than the oversights or omissions that typically make up my complaints. The time limit wouldn't at all be a problem if only you knew what to do half the time.
Although it is still good, I don't feel that The Alchemist of Dusk really reaches its full potential. The wonderful visuals and music, sense of humor, deep crafting and combat systems and relatively diverse gameplay are marred by hours of mandatory cutscenes, awful pacing and one of the most vague, ineffective goals systems I have seen in a game.
I enjoyed lots of things in this game, but the negatives are very significant for me. Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk was almost fantastic but it falls short enough to be only a bit better than average.
New Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk Details Released
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text:
Ethical Leadership in Education: "Accountability is not enough; we have to do good"
Home > News & Events > Blog > Ethical Leadership in Education: "Accountability is not enough; we have to do good"
Author: Carolyn Roberts, Headteacher at Thomas Tallis School
Carolyn Roberts is chair of the Ethical Leadership Commission and Headteacher at Thomas Tallis School in Greenwich.
When we began talking about an ethical leadership commission, we were not universally greeted with hearts and flowers. While most organisations were enthusiastic or at least polite, others responded with disquiet or even reluctance.
Some said – all heads act with moral purpose. You can rely on that and it's insulting to assume otherwise. It's outrageous.
Some said – drawing attention to ethics will undermine the system. People will think that heads can't be trusted to know right from wrong. Leave it alone.
Some said – this is a smokescreen to divert the public's attention from egregious wrongdoing, from pay or fraud. It's not enough.
Some said – I can't balance the budget or meet the accountability measures. My building's falling down and I can't get teachers. It's not important.
These surprised me. 'Moral purpose' is very vague and talking about doing things right doesn't mean that everyone's doing it wrong. We're not surprised that the Law Society has an ethical foundation, nor are we surprised that doctors are expected to sign up to ethical principles. We don't assume that their codes' existence means those professions are characterised by malpractice. We thought that a self-directed profession should hold ourselves to similar standards.
So why was it important to start work on ethical leadership in education?
English institutions develop through custom and practice. We claim a long history so we allow processes to emerge over time, adjusting as needed. We have liked understatement and tacit agreement of assumed values. While our precedents are detailed and specific, they are developmental rather than codified: until proved otherwise we assume that people of good will know what they are doing and why.
I'm not sure this works for schools or has ever worked for children. Education is too important to leave alone and hope for the best. We need skilled professionals, highly educated people of good will to do it right, to balance the right of the state to evaluate provision with the need of the child for a fully-rounded experience of school so they may achieve personally and recognise a model of the good society.
Despite our commitment to education we don't talk about this very much, preferring to discuss the practicalities of structures and outcomes. Important as they are I believe we need a serious debate in England about fundamental purpose of schools. If we knew the answer to the question 'what are schools for?' then we'd be more likely to view development calmly, holistically, clearly and in the long term and less likely to make the kind of mistakes – I characterise for effect and example – that trade children's mental health for school accountability measures. We'd be less likely to end up with meaningless questions and false dichotomies: is a school better if it achieves highly, or if it is happy? If it is inclusive, or if it is exclusive? Because we're not clear about what we value, we end up valuing what we can measure (and measure cheaply). Discourse around schooling becomes unbalanced.
If we could agree, for example, that schools are where society looks after its young until they are old enough to take on the mantle of adult citizenship, then we might also agree that society needs schools to help generate both the knowledge and personal attributes that build up a just and sustainable democracy. We want our children to be well educated, sure – but we also want them to be kind, honest, fair, civil-minded and so on. If we knew what schools are for then we would know more about what we expect of school leaders, their role in society and how they work with young people on all of our behalf.
We could say that in looking after the nations' young, school leaders are the model and the repository of everyone's best hopes for the future. So, as teachers and role models, our professional conduct should be beyond reproach, part of the service we offer society. Bluntly, a parent might not understand the structure of a multi-academy trust or a local authority, or the arcane nature of current achievement measures, but they should feel confident that every leader will run their school to a good standard while teaching and modelling the values of the good society.
The Ethical Leadership Commission, leaving this larger discussion aside, looked closely and specifically at the kind of values and virtues that make up a good society. We sought to devise some language that would make it easier for school leaders to talk about this plainly, normally and without embarrassment. We wanted colleagues bogged down by accountability, achievement, budgets and behaviour to think about the very fundamentals of their work. We wanted them to think about the values and virtues society needs to be alive in all our children so that we may all look forward to a just, honest and kind future.
So what have we achieved?
We felt that the tide of measurability was turning and hoped that our work and proposals would contribute to a more nuanced assessment of the professional skills required for school leadership, a better understanding of the purpose of schooling and the limits of structural reform. In that report we committed ourselves to three actions.
First, that we would promote the use of the Framework's language. This has been magnificently achieved through the Pathfinder programme promoted and managed by the National Governance Association. Over 300 schools and trusts have adopted the framework and have used or adapted the training materials we provide. Feedback has been universally positive, and we have heard from a variety of pathfinders through events such as the Pathfinder Ethics Exchange in July 2019, and at the Ethical Leadership Summit in January 2020. The pathfinder programme – which is time-limited until this summer - has been exceptionally successful in changing the way schools think and in supporting school leaders to reflect on the human principles underpinning their work.
Our second aim was that we would seek to work with government and other organisations to include the framework in training and development. This again has been very successful, from the 50 meetings we have spoken at in the last year to the inclusion of ethics in the review of the Headteacher Standards. We have hopes for the inclusion in NPQs!
Our third aim was to establish an ethics forum where tricky issues could be discussed. This has been harder to achieve. What we have done is to establish an ethics committee as part of the leadership development work of the Chartered College of Teaching. It is to the members of that committee I refer when I say 'we'. They are the speakers and thinkers enabling colleagues to reflect on ethical issues.
Our committee benefits from wide expertise: we have primary, secondary and special school heads and CEOs, representatives of the virtual schools and the independent sector, academics, trainers, business managers, international colleagues (whose curiosity and support have been unwavering) and the unions. We continue to be well-supported by the organisations who gave time so enthusiastically to the original commission.
With no money and no formal administrative support we have continued to disseminate the Framework for Ethical Leadership in Education. The number of school leaders who have found our values and virtues to be a support for their endeavours continues to grow. We have, I think, been instrumental in changing the way that people talk about education. We have demonstrated that the system can work independently and collaboratively to hold itself to account, reflect and improve itself.
School leaders are public intellectuals with advanced interpersonal skills and a liking for children. Despite that remarkable combination we face difficult human dilemmas every day. The Framework for Ethical Leadership in Education helps us to solve them and truly understand that accountability is not enough; we have to do good.
Carolyn delivered this speech as part of the Ethical Leadership Summit in Institite of Education, UCL, London in January 2020. You can read our newstory of the day.
Why we're making governance visible in 2021
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January 1 (1)


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Hewwo dis ish teh FBI, Furry Bulge Inspection agency, coming to awwest u for poswession of an iwwegally big bulgie uwu. Now I will inspwect u.
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to drink tonight or not..
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if sickzii is an anime how is he a cat?
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"Cravings are a part of everyone's daily life. Understanding them is the first step to becoming master of one's self," says Jacob S Paulsen, Director of 12 Books.
(Los Angeles, CA, April 4th, 2013) – Local author Omar Manejwala will personally lead the discussion of his award-winning book, Craving: Why We Can't Seem To Get Enough, as part of the 12 Books Group. The largest online book group in the business genre, 12 Books introduces readers to a business leadership book each month and provides the unique experience of an author-lead discussion forum.
"I'm very honored to be the 12books author for May," says Manejwala.
Members of the 12 Books group will read Craving: Why We Can't Seem To Get Enough during May 2013. n Craving, Omar Manejwala, M.D., translates the neurobiology of this phenomenon into real and accessible terms, explaining where cravings come from and why we crave. He then gives us tools and guidance to find satisfaction without giving in to our cravings.
Members of the book group will have access to an online discussion led by Manejwala, in addition to bonus materials and opportunities to win free signed copies of the book. At the end of the month, members will be invited to a live Q&A discussion with Manejwala.
Membership in the book group is free and anyone can join at any point during the course of the year. Those interested in becoming members of the book group can learn more at 12booksgroup.com.


Neptune, the 8th planet from the Sun and easily the most illusive, as even its discovery was shrouded in confusion. For it was Galileo, who first spotted Neptune, but failing to identify it correctly as a planet and not a fixed star, meant Urbain Le Verrier was to take all the credit.
At the time the planet was simply referred to as 'the planet exterior to Uranus', until Le Verrier decided upon a name for this nebulous body. Although, a little of the deception so frequently associated with Neptune must have already rubbed off on Le Verrier, as on deciding upon the name 'Neptune' he falsely stated that it had already been officially approved by 'The French Bureau des Longitudes'. However Neptune remained, in reference to the Roman God of the Sea, apt due to Neptune ruling the Watery Sign of Pisces.
While those with a strong Neptunium influence in their natal chart can exhibit many of the characteristics generally associated with Pisces. For like the little fishes swimming either way, Neptune has limitless boundaries. Therefore, individuals under Neptune's influence can express great empathy, making great Missionaries and Spiritual Healers, but may struggle defining a cut off point, as the lines are always blurred with Neptune. Therefore their relationship with reality can be tenuous, as Neptune is largely concerned with the dissolving of the Ego. However in everyday reality it is difficult to operate on this level. So a tendency to escape reality exists whether through a dreamlike state or through the imagination; making great Actors, Poets or Musicians, as the planet has much to do with creativity, or excelling individuals to be great visionaries.
However taken to its lowest ebb, Neptune can descend individuals into alcoholism, drug use, and religious fanaticism, ruling the madmen of the asylum or deceitful tricksters. Or alternatively leave individuals open to deceit, as judgement can be clouded. Looking at Neptune's placement in a natal chart can help detect where an individual is susceptible to deception, whether it be from others or just self-delusion. Furthermore aspects to natal Neptune usually aid the discovery of such dishonesty. Even though the process may be laborious, with Neptune spending fourteen years in a Sign, making transits lengthy and effects subtle. However at its best, being a higher octave of Venus, Neptune can truly bring universal love.


text:
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Unreleased Dumbo's Flying Circus Atari 2600 Prototype Surfaces
A prototype of an unreleased Atari 2600 game named Dumbo's Flying Circus has found its way to popular auction site eBay. The sellers are...
Unreleased Xevious Atari 2600 Prototype Surfaces
A prototype of an unreleased Atari 2600 game named Xevious has found its way to popular auction site eBay. The sellers are warpzoneonline and...


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Members on the Road
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND
Marfa, Texas
April 25–April 28, 2017
The name itself evokes images that seem far away from the modern world, a laid-back place to get away from the busy life, a place with none of the things that complicate life. There is an endless expanse of blue sky, stunning views into the Sierra Madre mountains of Mexico and the Chinati mountains of Texas, and the remarkable stucco and white washed architecture of the town. Marfa is also the home of the internationally known contemporary art museum founded by minimalist artist Donald Judd, the Chinati Foundation. If you want to experience this extraordinary place, join us for a four day, three night trip that includes a visit to Fort Davis, star party at McDonald Observatory, Marfa Prada, art galleries and studios, sophisticated restaurants, and the mysterious Marfa Lights.
All inclusive tour price is $1095 per person. (Single supplement is $300.) This fee includes accommodations based on double occupancy, breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily; transportation by luxury motor coach; gratuities for guides and bus drivers; all sightseeing and admission charges; service charges, and taxes.
For reservations please contact Mary Lynn Sloane at 817.989.5063 or email marylynn.sloane@cartermuseum.org. This tour is not ADA accessible.
–April 28, 201704/25/2017 8:00am 04/28/2017 5:00pm Members on the Road Amon Carter Museum America/Chicago public
Invented Worlds of Valton Tyler
Meet at the special exhibition entrance for a guided tour of Invented Worlds of Valton Tyler. For more than forty years, Texas artist Valton Tyler (b. 1944) has depicted unparalleled worlds from his imagination. His captivating artworks feature unique interplays of identifiable, organic, mechanistic, and surreal shapes, which often rise from mountain, desert, or arctic landscapes. One of the only etching series he ever created, along with graphite drawings and large-scale paintings, are brought together for the first time in this rare exhibition of a local talent whose work defies artistic categorization.
04/27/2017 3:00pm 04/27/2017 4:00pm Invented Worlds of Valton Tyler Amon Carter Museum America/Chicago public
Finding Valton Tyler
Gallery Talk
Kevin Vogel, president of Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden and Fine Art Estate, will present a gallery talk in conjunction with the exhibition Invented Worlds of Valton Tyler. Vogel will talk about the Texas artist's life and work, the museum's limited-edition book on the exhibition, and the fascinating story of how the Vogel family nurtured Tyler and his art, saving both from obscurity.
This program on American art, culture, and society is made possible by a generous gift from the late Anne Burnett Tandy.
04/27/2017 6:30pm 04/27/2017 7:30pm Finding Valton Tyler Amon Carter Museum America/Chicago public


Turns out it's a little nontrivial to compile videos by dub. Not only am I unable to tell Portuguese and Spanish apart but there are going to be multiple Spanish dubs too. Luckily Kryptonlogic was able to help me out and categorize the videos.
This post is about the Central and South American Spanish dub, which has been around for about two months. A post on the Brazilian Portuguese dub is forthcoming, and it seems Spain and France are also about to get their own version.
Find the playlist after the break.


102. 48 on the front 9 and was on course to break 100 until I 4 putted from 8 feet on the 14th hole after a lovely drive and 2 flush iron shots. I was so angry with myself and fell apart for the next 3 holes.
I want to start breaking 100 consistently. I have did it once before but im nowhere close to doing it again at the minute.
I broke 99 once a few months ago but now i am back shooting in the 120's.Everything has gone to crap. Been playing since April, i go to the range at least 2 nights a week, go on the course at least once a week and have a lesson once every 2 weeks. I feel i should be better than i am as i have been putting the effort in. The more i play the worse i seem to be getting. So frustrating.


1. Plot the frequency distribution for "Age at Enrollment" by hand or by using SPSS. 2.
How would you characterize the Skewness of the distribution in Question 1—positively skewed, negatively skewed, or approximately normal? Provide a rationale for your answer.
5. How would you characterize the kurtosis of the distribution in Question 4—leptokurtic, mesokur-tic, or platykurtic? Provide a rationale for your answer.
7. What is the kurtosis statistic for "Years of Education"? How would you characterize the magnitude of the kurtosis statistic for "Years of Education"?
10. How would you explain the Skewness statistic for a particular frequency distribution being low and the Shapiro-Wilk statistic still being significant at p < 0.05?


What is Kidney Stone Clear?
Kidney Stone Clear may be taken at the first sign of pain or discomfort, as it works quickly to relieve pain in the flanks or lower back, as well as alleviate the symptoms of sweating, nausea and vomiting. This remedy contains a selection of homeopathic ingredients known to support overall kidney and urinary tract health, without side effects.
Homeopathic Kidney Stone Clear is a great complementary remedy to herbal Kidney Dr., which maintains the health and functioning of the kidneys and entire urinary system. Taken together, this herbal + homeopathic approach can safely and effectively provide the best results in clearing kidney stones for both fast-acting relief and long-term urinary health.
Kidney Stone Clear is taken internally and presented in a convenient, concentrated tincture formula. It is easy to ingest and hassle-free with no artificial colors or preservatives. It is safe for all ages, including pregnant women or those who may be breastfeeding.
Every day the body needs to eliminate toxins and waste products. The kidneys are important organs in this process. They filter blood, urine and waste products as well as regulate vital electrolyte levels. When urine accumulates at the kidneys, it filters through a narrow tube the ureter, into the bladder. When the bladder is full, it empties again this time through a larger tube called the urethra.
Occasionally chemicals can crystallize in the urine starting out the size of a grain of sand, but over time developing into a larger stone or renal calculi. These small stones can form in the urinary tract or the kidneys. If the stone is jammed in the ureter it acts as a plug and urine is unable to pass through to the bladder causing the kidney to swell.
This pressure is what causes pain and discomfort, nausea, sweating and vomiting. When the stone eventually enters the bladder, and the stone is passed out of the body, the symptoms of a kidney stone are resolved.
Kidney stones can come with some acutely painful symptoms, but there are many things that you can do to help your kidneys function naturally. It is important to drink fluids throughout the day to avoid dehydration. Keeping your urine diluted is important to discourage crystals from forming. As a guide, always look at the color of your urine. Clear urine is good, while concentrated (yellow) or dark urine is a sign that you need to take in more fluids.
How do I use Kidney Stone Clear?
Dilute drops in 1/4 cup of water and sip slowly. If preferred, drops may be taken directly in the mouth.
For all ages: Take 0.50 mL up to every 2 hours until symptoms subside and 3 times daily for 3 days thereafter.
For additional kidney and urinary system support, try Kidney Dr. to safely maintain healthy kidney function.
Kidney Stone Clear is a homeopathic remedy and is safe for all ages and during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Caution: Avoid strong mint-flavored candy, as this may reduce effectiveness of the remedy. As acute sudden pain in the lower quadrant of the abdomen may be related to a number of health concerns, it is recommended that a doctor be consulted for a definitive diagnosis.
Kidney Stone Clear gets to work upon the first dose helping to support the kidneys and urinary tract. Kidney Stone Clear contains homeopathic ingredients in a tincture formula that facilitates rapid absorption into the system just when you need it!
One bottle of Kidney Stone Clear will last approximately 40 days. Exactly how long a bottle lasts will depend on the frequency of use.
How has Kidney Stone Clear helped others?
"I was at work when I suddenly doubled over in pain. A colleague rushed me to the doctor, but I was told I had to wait until they passed naturally in my urine. In the future, I will keep a bottle of Kidney Stone Clear in my desk!"
"Kidney Stone Clear was a lifesaver for my wife. She had a bad bout recently and I could see she was in such pain thanks for a product that allowed me to help her!"
"I always suffer with urinary issues and had it bad a month ago – but Kidney Stone Clear did the trick…"


Posted by Richard Perry on May, 25 2017.
The dollar is under pressure this morning after a cautious set of FOMC minutes have just pulled the reins slightly on expectations of a June hike. The committee wants to make sure that the slowdown in Q1 is just transitory and this would suggest it is looking at the data. However the concern would be that the data has been fairly mixed of late, with yesterday's existing home sales another disappointment. This has just hit Treasury yields, with the two year yield back below 1.300% and the 10 year also dropping back. The US dollar dropped across the major pairs and the move also helped to support commodities such as gold and silver. There was also another interesting takeaway from the minutes, which talked about balance sheet reduction for the first time. The Fed will put a cap on the reduction and any amount of bonds maturing above the cap would be reinvested. This is positive for equity markets as it suggests a gradual and controlled wind down of the balance sheet.
Wall Street closed positively last night with the S&P 500 +0.2% at 2404 which was a record close, whilst Asian markets were also higher (Nikkei +0.4%). European indices are also looking supported in early moves. In forex trading the dollar remains under pressure across the majors, however it is interesting to see the yen being the main underperformer. Positive market sentiment is also holding back gold which is all but flat on the day, whilst oil is around a percent higher ahead of today's OPEC meeting amid suggestions that Iran and Iraq both support a nine month extension to the production cuts..
The biannual OPEC meeting in Vienna will take a large degree of focus for traders today, and it will be interesting to see the emphasis that traders put on the cartel which is now less than a third of global supply. Updates will come throughout the day. The announcement of the second estimate of UK Q1 2017 GDP growth at 0930BST. Quarterly growth is expected to remain steady at the prelim reading of +0.3%, however, interestingly the year on year growth is expected to see a mild upward revision to +2.1% (from +2.0%). US weekly jobless claims are at 1330BST and are expected to see an increase to 238,000 (from 232,000 last week). After the Richmond Fed manufacturing index disappointed earlier in the week there will also be focus on the Kansas City Fed composite at 1600BST which fell back to 7 last month. Today is also public holiday in France, Germany and Switzerland.
Silver has rallied strongly in the past couple of weeks as it has rebounded from the May low at $16.01. Since October last year, there has been a key pivot in the price around $17.25 which has been used on numerous occasions. However the market is now showing signs once more of consolidating around this pivot and a crossroads has been reached. On Tuesday, the price rallied to $17.30 prior to dropping back. The day high also came around the 50% Fibonacci retracement of the $18.65/$16.01 sell-off at $17.33. Consolidations around this $17.25 pivot have been frequent in the last eight months, so the market appears to have approached a medium term crossroads once more. For months now the price has broadly ranged between key long term levels $16/$18.50 and this could simply be another consolidation in the recovery towards the range highs again. Momentum indicators are unwinding a negative medium term outlook but continue to improve. The RSI is around 50 whilst the Stochastics have already reached 80 but the MACD are still struggling to unwind. The reaction around this $17.25 mid-range pivot will be key. The hourly chart shows support at $16.85 before $16.43. Closing above $17.31 re-opens the recovery upside with next real resistance at $18.00.
The bulls may have left it late yesterday but they came back in to drive the pair higher in the wake of the Fed minutes to post a positive candle and help to re-establish control. The early gains today also help to support the assertion that corrections continue to be bought into at higher levels. Having previously broken out above the long term pivot at $1.1100, this higher low seems to be forming around $1.1160 now. The momentum indicators are positively configured still and there is little reason not to back the bulls for further gains. The resistance at $1.1267 is now likely to be challenged. An upside break re-opens $1.1300 as the November resistance but the bulls remain on course for the medium term recovery target of $1.1350 in due course. The hourly chart shows positive configuration and any intraday dips will be seen as a chance to buy. An initial support is at $1.1200.
Despite the broadly negative dollar reaction to the Fed minutes, Cable has shown little real reaction. There has only been a minor rally which reflects the near term struggle that sterling continues to have. The rising 21 day moving average (currently $1.2937) has come in once more as a basis of support. The bulls will now be looking to leave another higher low at yesterday's low of $1.2925. The last three daily candles have all had lower day highs, so a push above $1.2999 (yesterday's high) will certainly be seen as re-engaging bull control. The attention will then turn to the resistance of the old pivot at $1.3050 which has held the rally back in the last week or so. Daily momentum remains positively configured without being overly strong, but is also a reflection of the fact that this seems to be a rally with the hand brake still on. The hourly chart shows a market straining to break the run of lower highs. Watch for the hourly RSI consistently above 60 and hourly MACD lines consistently above neutral for a sign of the bulls mounting a challenge.
The corrective candle that completed in the wake of the dollar negative Fed minutes has now muddied the waters of a recovery. However all is not yet lost and if the bulls can sustain a position above the old 111.60 pivot then the outlook will maintain an improving path. The daily momentum indicators are tending to tick higher (RSI and Stochastics) but without significant impetus. However in the past week there has been a move towards higher lows and higher highs that shows a recovery is building. The support at 110.85 is now key to this, however a close back above 111.60 would also help to improve the outlook today. The hourly chart shows the market has unwound to a level where the bulls have regained control this week, with the hourly RSI in the high 30s and MACD lines around neutral. This needs to be where the bulls resume. A loss of yesterday's low at 111.45 would begin to question the appetite to buy however the 110.85 support is key. Key near term resistance is at 112.20 still.
A mixed near term outlook is forming on gold as the market continues to consolidate between the $1240/$1261 pivots. A variety of bull and bear candles have been posted in the past week or so but the market is once more up towards a test of the medium term pivot at $1261. This has been a consistent barrier but is key to the bulls regaining control of gold. A closing breakout would open the April high of $1295. However the momentum indicators are not suggesting the bull momentum is building, more of one of continued consolidation. The RSI is plateaued just above 50, whilst the MACD lines have crept back to neutral and the Stochastics are stalling around 80. This does suggest a mild bullish bias, but whether the buying pressure can drive a breakout is another matter. On the hourly chart the picture is fairly similar, one of a mild positive configuration but without real strength. However the support at $1245 is strengthening and holding above a near term pivot at $1254 today will also help.
The reaction to the bigger than expected EIA crude oil inventory drawdown (-4.4m barrels) was somewhat muted, suggesting that traders are now positioned in preparation of the OPEC meeting today. However, a subdued candle from yesterday has given way to further gains overnight as the bulls continue to push higher. The technicals remain positive with the move through several key levels of overhead supply in front of the meeting. Clearing $51.22 has opened $53.75 and with momentum indicators strongly configured the move looks increasingly possible. However it is difficult to get away from the fact that the OPEC news today will drive the near to medium term outlook in the least. A longer than expected production cut (at least nine months) would be positive for oil. However, a middle of the road 6 months would likely be a touch underwhelming for a market that has rebounded so strongly of late.
Posting a fifth consecutive positive candle, the Dow continues its slowly but surely rally. Having previously closed the gap at 20,933 the resistance between 21,033 and 21,070 is now open to be tested. However, it is also a concern that the market has really struggled to sustain a move above 21,000 in recent weeks, so look for last night's closing breakout to be followed today by another to help confirm the move. The momentum indicators reflect a marginally positive configuration which is helping the bulls. The hourly chart also reflects this with positive momentum which will be needed to break the shackles of the resistance that still lays ahead. Above 21,070 opens the all time high at 21,169. With the old pivot at 20,888 now a basis of support, the area between the old pivots 20,780/20,888 is now becoming a decent buy zone for weakness.


I was more than a little dismayed to read this sentence in an article in the Los Angeles Times: "Who wins [in 2016] will almost certainly depend on which proves more powerful -- the hunger for change or the inexorable demgraphic wave." The thesis of the article is that changes in demographics favor the Democrats in the presidential election, but that some undefined "desire for change" favors the Republicans, as if the nature and direction of that change, in terms of actual policy that affects real peoples' lives, made no difference. The entire thesis is unsupported by any reference to specific evidence, in the form of polling designed to isolate voter attitudes towards actual Right and Left policy change, and it's frankly insulting to the intelligence of readers and voters, with its implicit presumption that people unthinkingly slaver for "change, any change. " Detailed polling published over the last several years in fact shows is that the majority of Americans want very specific changes, which, as it turns out, have not been put in place during the present Democratic administration largely because of obstruction by Republicans in Congress. Perhaps it is actually true that the majority of people are unthinking reactionaries, literally, and will just vote to "throw the bums" out without a care for who or what replaces them, but if that is Mr. Lauter's conclusion, the polling he cites referencing "tolerance" and "preference for a strong leader" is not convincing.


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The Diamond LM/UV roll laminate is a premium grade ultra low-melt roll film formulated for Innové from co-polymer resins for the wide-format digital market. The transparent film which has UV inhibitors and a strong polyester content has a melting temperature of 185 - 210ºF (85 - 100ºC). Diamond LM/UV, with it's low melting temperature allows for adherence to inkjet media without having the colour shifting, a common problem that occurs with higher temperature melt point laminates. Diamond LM/UV is available in Gloss, Satin, Matte, Embossed and Opaque finishes on a 3" core.


As in many Asian countries, Buddhism, Taoism, and Islam are prominent among its residents. However, residents of China may freely choose and express their religious beliefs, and therefore the religious landscape is quite diverse. This includes an active and flourishing Jewish community.
The first members of Beijing's Jewish community arrived in China as early as the 1930s. By the 1990s, it included members from the United States, Canada, Australia, England, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Luxembourg, Poland, and Russia. The community is greatly enriched by its diverse population. Anti-Semitism has no roots in China, and for this reason Jewish immigrants find Beijing to be a place that is truly welcoming.
The Jewish community in Beijing, China is has been in existence since 1979, the year that Deng Xiaoping's Open Door Policy took effect. This same year marked the opening of Kehillat Beijing. Kehillat Beijing holds Shabbat service every Friday night, and most services are accompanied by a Seudah, or festival meal. Kehillat is a liberal setting, where men and women pray together in mixed seating.
2001 brought the arrival of Chabad Lubavitch in Beijing. Rabbi Shimon and Dini Freundlich together with their two daughters, Chaya Mushka and Devorah Freundlich, were sent to establish and run Chabad's office in Beijing. They are now joined by their daughters, Chava and Grunia and their son, Aaron. Chabad's main mission is to reach out to the 1,500 Jews living in China. They also welcome the 3,000 tourists and business people who travel through Beijing every year, and aim to serve all of their Jewish needs as their "home away from home." They offer many services including Hebrew school, Bar and Bat Mitzfah lessons, and holiday services and meals.
While many Jews living in China have no choice but to eat food prepared in their own homes, Beijing does have an excellent kosher restaurant called Dini's, which just recently opened in 2007. Dini's has a beautiful setting for dining, and also offers takeout and delivery. The restaurant is a meat facility and under the kosher supervision of Rabbi Shimon Freundlich – Director Chabad Beijing.
Kosher products are found almost exclusively in Beijing's western-style grocery stores, meaning the stores that cater and serve mainly westerners. There are currently 7 different grocery stores within Beijing, all of which sell a variety of different kosher products. These products have been imported from Australia, the United States, and European countries. Cholov Yisroel Milk is not available in Beijing. (Local milk is not considered Cholov Stam.) The only milk that can be considered Cholov Stam in China is long life imported milk from countries such as Australia and France. Glatt Kosher beef and chicken is available for purchase at the new Kosher Corner located in Dini's restaurant.