Ecoliving Domes or eco domes are nature's perfect structure and have been built all around the world in different climatic conditions. Domes are the most efficient human shelter known to man, offering a unique alternative housing environment.
The geometric principles used in construction of ecoliving domes guarantees an inherent ability to withstand the extreme forces of nature, such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes, and any climate condition. The geodesic dome shelter is the design genius of R. Buckminster Fuller, whose lifetime pursuit was to make the world work for 100% of humanity.
'Bucky' Fuller's geodesic dome closely mimicked natural design akin to a spider's web, which can survive a hurricane because of its high strength-to-weight ratio. The same subtle blueprint of creation found everywhere in nature is visible in the many varied geometrical patterns and frequencies of dome design.
Honeybees love hexagons! Have we been studying the wrong master plan by trying to make a living on this planet in ways that will ultimately deplete us all?
Whether constructing a simple eco dome tent or a more complex ecoliving dome house, utilizing the subtle blueprint of creation, we can build a home that truly supports the soul and its development. These dome dwellings nourish and recalibrate our natural environments, allowing us to experience natural states of harmony in our daily lives.
There's a new vision for human settlements as we awaken to our interconnected lives on this planet, walking in balance with nature. We can begin to live collectively as responsible stewards of the planet we call home.
Following the U.S. housing crash of 2006, many innovative Americans have discovered non-traditional living spaces. Alternative shelters – such as the eco dome – have fueled the tiny house movement towards sustainable ecoliving domes.
In the wide range of alternative shelters, eco domes offer unique ecoliving spaces allowing us to reconnect to our natural environments, offering respite for many of us who spend a lot our lives surrounded by disruptive high-tech devices.
Our ancestors had a connection with nature that we've lost as modern city dwellers. Our ancestors built round buildings for good reason.
You will find round architecture and dome dwellings throughout all cultures, including ancient Vedic architecture. Ecoliving domes are more comfortable, energy efficient and safer than traditional rectangular homes with sharp corners.
Perhaps the popularity of eco-glamping (glamorous camping) can be traced to an inner longing to remember our deep connection with the Earth. Glamping in ecoliving domes brings us full circle to our biological roots in nature!
Pacific Domes is an early pioneer of portable prefab geodesic domes and has been manufacturing domes in Ashland, Oregon since 1980. Our geo-engineered domes are built to withstand earthquakes, hurricanes, snow and climate extremes.
The geodesic dome was Buckminster Fuller's contribution to solving humanity's need for environmentally efficient shelter. Following 'Bucky' Fuller's legacy of geodesic design, Pacific Domes USA, has pioneered ecoliving shelters since 1980.
Browsing Pacific Domes gallery of ecoliving shelter domes for purchase or for rent is your first step towards exploring the benefits and versatility of geo-engineered domes as the strongest, portable structure known to man.


text:
Rainwater Harvesting > Story
CASES ON PROTECTION OF LAKES
Sola beel
See: Background | The case | Chronology of action
Sola beel, one of the notable wetlands of Guwahati city, is situated near Paltan Bazaar. It has been identified as a large water storage beel (lake). The beel once provided a habitat for a large number of flora and fauna and receives rainwater from nearest hills and plains. Sola beel consists of the Barsola and the Sarusola. The misfortune of this beel (the composite) started when the Revenue Department initiated the process of issuing land documents to the people who started residing on its banks. While issuing such land documents, the importance of this wetland as a storm water reservoir was not taken into consideration. Encroachment started on the lake and as a result, the size of the beel started shrinking rapidly.
The Sarusola beel serves the Chandmari, Gandhibasti, Solapar, Ulubari, Manipuribasti, Fancybazar, Panbazar, Paltanbazar, Lakhtokia, Tokobari, AT Road (near the Police Reserve), Satribari and Athgoan etc areas as a storm water reservoir. Due to encroachment, the beel has been blocked at present which has resulted in inundation of large areas at a slight downpour. The blockage of the beel is creating artificial floods in Lakhtokia, Krishnagar, Chatribari etc. The Barsola beel, the largest lake in the city of Guwahati, is also under similar threat.
The government allowed construction in the Sola beel disregarding the resolution of high-level committee on wetland conservation conducted in July 18, 1995. According to the resolution no more settlement would be allowed in and around the beel area. The resolution also called for steps by the Revenue Department to cancel all the allotments made earlier in and around the wetland area. Following the decision of the meeting, the Revenue Department had cancelled allotment on about 30 bighas of the wetland area through a letter (No RSS 286/94/12 dated the July 19, 1995). Disregarding the fact the government allowed extension of K C Das College, construction of eye hospital and allotted lands to businessmen. Barsola beel on the other hand was given away to the tourism department and also private organizations and business men. For tourism department, the central part of the wetland was allotted.
The Sola beel Unnayan Samiti filed PILs against the State Revenue department for two times once in 2000 and other in 2006 to save this wetland from encroachment. In response to the first PIL, the High Court of Guwahati ordered the state government to take care of all the wetlands of the state. In spite of the direction by the court, the Revenue department allotted lake bed for construction. The Samiti moved the High Court against the administration with a contempt of court case. In response to the next PIL, a stay order was directed by the court.
The first PIL (Misc Case No 3125/2006) has been settled in the HC of Guwahati. The second PIL is still under the consideration of HC of Guwahati.
The followings are some of the highlights of court directions and government and public actions:
The state government had, for the first time, mooted a proposal to save the beel from extinction. But barring the construction of a boundary wall along a section of the beel, nothing much has been done to protect it.
A resolution of the high-level committee was taken on the conservation of the beel on July 18, 1995 stating that no more settlement should be given in and around the beel area. The resolution also called for steps by the Revenue Department to cancel all the allotments made earlier in and around the wetland area. Following the decision of the meeting, the Revenue Department had cancelled allotment on about 30 bighas of the wetland area through a letter.
Deepar beel Management Authority was formed by the State Government to oversee the conservation and development of Deepar beel . It remains effectively non-functional till date.
Sola beel Unnayan Samiti, have been drawing the attention of the administration to keep the beel free from the clutches of the land hungry people. The Samiti also moved the Guwahati High Court.
January hearing-The Guwahati High Court ordered the state government to take steps to protect the Sarusola beel and other wetlands around the State capital city.
In May the Ministry Of Environment and Forest (MOEF) directed the Assam government to ensure completion of operations against encroachments by September 30, 2002.
In August, the district administration declared both Borsola and Sarusola beels to be reserve wetlands.
Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) started to dump waste in Paschim Boragaon closer to the water body.
In January, following the High Court's directive, the district administration initiated steps to remove encroachments on Sola beel.
Deepar beel finalized the venue for the 33rd National rowing competitions.
Assam Science, Technology, and Environment Council started a massive desilting and digging project at Deepar with an objective of increasing water storage and deterring further encroachment into the wetland.
Dispur launched a grandiose project to develop the Borsola beel into a tourism-cum-recreation hub. In December the Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GDMA) took up a project under the 11th Finance Commission award. The first phase of the project entailed cleaning water hyacinth from the beel, removal of sludge and development of infrastructure such as connecting roads, sluice gates, plantations and landscaping.
Creation of recreational facilities such as boating, restaurants and shopping arcades were included in the second phase of the project. The aim was to convert the water body into a "hot spot" tourist destination. The GMDA awarded the contract to a Pune-based firm, Arieff De Tox Incineration Limited, at an estimated cost of Rs 5.46 crore.
Arieff De Tox Incineration Limited had constructed an 800-metre stretch of a jogger's track. A part of it collapsed. The firm is did not take up desiltation and construction of peripheral roads. Even the sewerage treatment plant was left in a half-finished state.
The Greater Guwahati Wetland Preservation Committee plans to undertake a survey to prepare a status report on the wetlands.
The dead line of work by the Arieff De Tox Incineration Limited was extended till March 31.
In January, the Revenue Department had allotted a plot of six bighas of Barsola beel to the Tourism Development Corporation for construction of a tourist lodge.
The revenue department allotted land inside a part of Sarusola beel to a college, an eye hospital and some businessmen, the people residing in its fringe areas also extended the areas under their possession by encroaching upon the beel land. Some localities also had emerged on the areas illegally extracted from this wetland. The 76-bigha area of the beel was mostly under encroachment.
In September, the Solabeel Unnayan Samiti moved the High Court against the administration with a contempt of court case.
A two-member bench of the Guwahati High Court issued a stay order on September 21 on the building project in response to a petition (Misc Case No 3125/2006) filed by the Unnayan Samiti secretary Biplabananda Choudhury.
The Save Guwahati Build Guwahati (SGBG) urged the State Government and the district administration to take immediate steps to clear all encroachments on wetlands and natural drainage channels to rid the city of its perennial water logging problem.
Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has invited sealed proposal for detailed project report from interested consultants for the restoration and development of the water body.
Guwahati Water bodies (Preservation and Conservation) Act 2008 came into action. The new act aims to preserve, protect, conserve, regulate and maintain the water bodies. It proposes to reduce the problem of artificial flooding by developing the water bodies into natural water reservoirs and converting them into eco-tourism centres.
The Brihattar Chatribari Unnayan Samiti submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, Kamrup (Metro) demanding immediate steps to restore Sarusola beel in compliance with the directive of the Guwahati High Court.
Tags: Lakes, CSE, CSE Study, Indian Lakes, Lakes and Waterbodies, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE),

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Best Beaches in Mexico – Mexico, which is famous for its unique culture, turns out to have a range of natural tourist destinations that are worth visiting. One of them is the beach.
The atmosphere of the beach with white sand, the view of the vast ocean and the crashing of the waves often become hunted travelers. Here are some of the best beaches in Mexico and can be a reference when you visit Mexico.
The first best beaches in Mexico is Tulum Playa. This beach is one of the best beaches in Mexico, also known as Playa Paraiso. Beautiful white sand beach and surrounded by rows of palm trees along the beach. This place has a nice beach club offering several facilities and activities such as snorkeling with a guide or just swimming.
You can explore the history of this beach by exploring some of the preserved Mayan ruins against the backdrop of the sea-blue waters of the Caribbean Lau. Tulum Beach can be reached by driving south of Cancun for 90 minutes.
The second best beaches in Mexico is Playa del Carmen. It has a beautiful beach and is also one of the trendy and stylish beaches. You can also play volleyball and soccer activities on the beach or just relax while enjoying a cocktail in the lounge provided. The beach is also equipped with Avenida Quinta with a row of cafes, restaurants, souvenir shops, restaurants, clubs that pedestrians can enjoy at night.
The third best beaches in Mexico is Isla Mejeres. It is one of the child-friendly beaches, because this beach has shallow water with little flow. In the summer of this beach there is usually a breeze that makes this beach more crowded. To reach this beach you can take a short ferry from Cancun.
The fourth best beaches in Mexico is Zihuatanejo. It is one of the beaches that offers a lot of experience for snorkelers. Especially for beginners who are learning to snorkel, but those of you who are experts are still able. You can enjoy it to Playa Las Gatas by boat or speedboat from Pier in Zihutanejo.
The fifth best beaches in Mexico is Sayulita. It is one of the fantastic and fun beaches for you surfing enthusiasts. This place is also a place to learn surfing because it has relaxing waves. The beach is also equipped with restaurants and some cool bars.
The sixth best beaches in Mexico is Cancun. This Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Mexico. This beach is also famous for its wide sand and clear blue waters. If visiting the beach don't miss a beautiful sunset.
The seventh best beaches in Mexico is Todos Santos. This beach is located between the Sierra de la Laguna mountains and the Pacific Ocean. This beach attracts visitors to surf in top-north, the local artistic community and Pueblo Magico. You can also try swimming or seeing a whale or can also collect seashells in Playa Los Cerritos.
The last 8 best beaches in Mexico is Manzatlan. This beach does not have white sand like in Cancun, but this beach offers a beautiful golden coastline. So many tourists visit this place to enjoy the sun. You can also enjoy Centro Histórico and museums and theaters that were recently restored.
The great factor concerning the Mexican outline is that it offers differing types of beaches. Expect to search out secluded spots enclosed by jungles and ancient ruins, sandy shores with calm waters that square measure good for swimming, and beaches ideal for surfboarding.


9310 also possesses solid ductility , weldability, datasheet case hardened components, , machinability properties, , is an excellent metal for use in heavy- duty datasheet machinery gears. AMS 6260 6260 6265 6267. Database of all EMS- GRIVORY products. Some of the values displayed above may have been converted from their original units / rounded in order to display the information in a consistant format. Advanced Search X. A gear cylindrical in form with straight teeth on the. Chemical Composition.
9310 ams - Alloy Round Bar Vacuum Melt. AISI 6150 steel is chromium vanadium type spring steel. AISI 9310; AMS 6260 6265 6267. HarbisonWalker International is the United States' largest producer of refractory products a leader in alumina- silica basic refractory products. Order B& B SmartWorx, Inc. In the US aerospace standards there is AMS 6260 which is " aircraft quality" single vacuum datasheet melt 9310 there is AMS 6265 which is " premium aircraft quality" double vacuum melt 9310 ams ( VIM- VAR). Aircraft Steel AISI 9310 ( AMS 6260 / AMS 6265 / AMS 6267) Suppliers of aircraft steel AISI 9310 in rod and bar ( AMS 6260 / AMS 6265 ams Vac Melt / AMSAlloy Round Bar Vacuum Melt - Online Metal Store. It' s a similar alloy steel to 5150 steel with ams small vanadium addition, but effective to import greater hardness.
Other designations datasheet that are equivalent to AISI E9310 alloy steel include: AMS 6260. 9310 Alloy Round Bar/ Rod Vacuum Melt offers high internal hardness and very high fatigue ams strength. References for this datasheet. ASTM A 29 A519, A 331 A 646. For most applications AMS 6260 is probably adequate and will cost less than AMS 6265. Ams 6260 datasheet.
Ams 6260 assn standard single material response. Directory of Suppliers Product Directory Datasheet Directory Technical Articles Webinar Calendar HOME PRODUCTS & SERVICES DATASHEETS datasheet EXTENSION SPRINGS ASSOCIATED SPRING- RAYMOND MUSIC WIRE EXTENSION SPRING - - T31090. Users requiring more precise data for scientific or engineering calculations can click on the property ams value to ams see the original value as well as raw. 9310 alloy steel ( also known as AISI 9310 steel) is a low alloy ams carburizing steel based primarily in nickel chromium datasheet , known for its ams hardenability strength. They are designated by AISI four- digit numbers. Check stock view product specifications, , pricing order online. The SAE 6150 steel grade is suitable for oil hardening and tempering.
Ams 6260 datasheet. 440C AMS 5618 many others including bearing customer specifications ams 9310 VAC ARC AMS 6265, Bell, MIL- S- 7393 , PWA datasheet 723, many bearing customer specifications 440N- DUR™ datasheet EMS 385 ( air melt) 521, EMS 56280, QQS- 763, AMS 6267, AMS 6260 MIL- S- 83030 Click here to view all the property values for this datasheet as they were. Uses: Automotive applications structural components, rods, gears heat- treatable shafts. ams 6265 data sheet Suppliers of aircraft steel AISI 9310 in rod and bar ( AMS datasheet 6260 / AMS 6265 Vac Melt / AMS 6267). The datasheet given below provides more details ams about AISI E9310 alloy steel. AISI steel 6150 has low distortion properties and is easily heat treated. The first two digits represent the main alloying elements the last datasheet two digits represent the carbon content present in the alloy in hundredth of a percent. ADAM- 6260- AE ( ADAM- 6260- AE- ND) at DigiKey. Alloy steels contain different kinds of steels ams exceeding the composition limits of Mn Ni, Va, , Si, C, Mo B set for the carbon steels. Technical Datasheets data tables comparisons. The Pratt & Whitney ( P& W) " Specification Revision List" ( SRL) documents the latest revision status of P& W specifications and Materials.
Stainless Steel Type 302 - ASTM- A313 or AMS 5688 spring tempered ( chemical & physical only). click on the " View Entire Datasheet" button. View Entire Datasheet. 9310 steel is available for order in AMS 6265 - Vac Melt and AMS 6260. Additionally, 9310 Alloy Steel is available in Round Bar. For properties check site.
Alloy steels can be subjected to unique melting and deoxidization processes for specific kind of applications. AISI 9310 alloy steel is a low alloy steel containing molybdenum, nickel and chromium.
The following datasheet provides an overview of AISI 9310 alloy steel.


C R MacDonald Ltd are pleased to announce the achievement of accreditation to the National Highway Sector Scheme (NHSS). We have been certified under Sector Scheme 7, 16 and 30. This has been the culmination of lots of hard work and training for our operatives. We believe this accomplishment re-enforces the dedication we have as a company to continually improve and move forward with our processes, safety and training.
The Accreditation covers us for the following scope.
Application of Road Markings – manually applied, permanent and temporary, thermoplastic, paint and tape systems; and application of road studs – manually applied, permanent and temporary, inset, anchored and surface mounted systems.
Laying of Asphalt Mixes in the following categories – Machine and Hand Laying.


Through your support, the Chapter is in the best financial position in decades and the Alumni Boards are actively building upon the growing momentum to ensure a stronger, lasting Sigma Nu at the University of Washington. These reoccurring donations help define the future of our chapter as well as allow for a more fulfilling alumni experience. The Chapter does not formally charge alumni dues, but instead asks that alumni participate in these monthly donations to support recruitment, improvements to the chapter house, and to host alumni events. We should all be compelled to pass forward the rewarding experience we shared at Sigma Nu to the future generations of young men attending the University of Washington.
Donations to the Chapter are securely facilitated through PayPal via the button below.
Start by selecting your donation amount and click "Subscribe" above to be taken to the PayPal checkout page.
Click the "credit or debit card" hyperlink (shown in the screenshot below.) If you already have a PayPal account, click "Log In" instead.
Fill in the required fields (Credit Card info, Billing Address, and Contact Information) and create a password. Your email address will be your PayPal log-in .
You can cancel your donations at anytime by logging into your PayPal account and selecting your most recent donation. Once that transaction is expanded, select "Manage Sigma Nu Gamma Chi payments" as shown in the screenshot below to take you to the Subscription Details. In that screen, you'll have the option to cancel.
To change the amount of your monthly donation, sign up for a new donation using the "Subscribe" button above with the new amount and then cancel your previous donation using the instructions above.
If you have any questions or need any assistance, please email uwsigmanu.donations@gmail.com.


text:
<?php

/**
 * APC storage engine for cache
 *
 * @package       Cake.Cache.Engine
 */
class ApcEngine extends CacheEngine {

/**
 * Contains the compiled group names
 * (prefixed with the global configuration prefix)
 *
 * @var array
 */
	protected $_compiledGroupNames = array();

/**
 * Initialize the Cache Engine
 *
 * Called automatically by the cache frontend
 * To reinitialize the settings call Cache::engine('EngineName', [optional] settings = array());
 *
 * @param array $settings array of setting for the engine
 * @return boolean True if the engine has been successfully initialized, false if not
 * @see CacheEngine::__defaults
 */
	public function init($settings = array()) {
		if (!isset($settings['prefix'])) {
			$settings['prefix'] = Inflector::slug(APP_DIR) . '_';
		}
		$settings += array('engine' => 'Apc');
		parent::init($settings);
		return function_exists('apc_dec');
	}

/**
 * Write data for key into cache
 *
 * @param string $key Identifier for the data
 * @param mixed $value Data to be cached
 * @param integer $duration How long to cache the data, in seconds
 * @return boolean True if the data was successfully cached, false on failure
 */
	public function write($key, $value, $duration) {
		$expires = 0;
		if ($duration) {
			$expires = time() + $duration;
		}
		apc_store($key . '_expires', $expires, $duration);
		return apc_store($key, $value, $duration);
	}

/**
 * Read a key from the cache
 *
 * @param string $key Identifier for the data
 * @return mixed The cached data, or false if the data doesn't exist, has expired, or if there was an error fetching it
 */
	public function read($key) {
		$time = time();
		$cachetime = intval(apc_fetch($key . '_expires'));
		if ($cachetime !== 0 && ($cachetime < $time || ($time + $this->settings['duration']) < $cachetime)) {
			return false;
		}
		return apc_fetch($key);
	}

/**
 * Increments the value of an integer cached key
 *
 * @param string $key Identifier for the data
 * @param integer $offset How much to increment
 * @return New incremented value, false otherwise
 */
	public function increment($key, $offset = 1) {
		return apc_inc($key, $offset);
	}

/**
 * Decrements the value of an integer cached key
 *
 * @param string $key Identifier for the data
 * @param integer $offset How much to subtract
 * @return New decremented value, false otherwise
 */
	public function decrement($key, $offset = 1) {
		return apc_dec($key, $offset);
	}

/**
 * Delete a key from the cache
 *
 * @param string $key Identifier for the data
 * @return boolean True if the value was successfully deleted, false if it didn't exist or couldn't be removed
 */
	public function delete($key) {
		return apc_delete($key);
	}

/**
 * Delete all keys from the cache. This will clear every cache config using APC.
 *
 * @param boolean $check If true, nothing will be cleared, as entries are removed
 *    from APC as they expired. This flag is really only used by FileEngine.
 * @return boolean True Returns true.
 */
	public function clear($check) {
		if ($check) {
			return true;
		}
		$info = apc_cache_info('user');
		$cacheKeys = $info['cache_list'];
		unset($info);
		foreach ($cacheKeys as $key) {
			if (strpos($key['info'], $this->settings['prefix']) === 0) {
				apc_delete($key['info']);
			}
		}
		return true;
	}

/**
 * Returns the `group value` for each of the configured groups
 * If the group initial value was not found, then it initializes
 * the group accordingly.
 *
 * @return array
 */
	public function groups() {
		if (empty($this->_compiledGroupNames)) {
			foreach ($this->settings['groups'] as $group) {
				$this->_compiledGroupNames[] = $this->settings['prefix'] . $group;
			}
		}

		$groups = apc_fetch($this->_compiledGroupNames);
		if (count($groups) !== count($this->settings['groups'])) {
			foreach ($this->_compiledGroupNames as $group) {
				if (!isset($groups[$group])) {
					apc_store($group, 1);
					$groups[$group] = 1;
				}
			}
			ksort($groups);
		}

		$result = array();
		$groups = array_values($groups);
		foreach ($this->settings['groups'] as $i => $group) {
			$result[] = $group . $groups[$i];
		}
		return $result;
	}

/**
 * Increments the group value to simulate deletion of all keys under a group
 * old values will remain in storage until they expire.
 *
 * @return boolean success
 */
	public function clearGroup($group) {
		apc_inc($this->settings['prefix'] . $group, 1, $success);
		return $success;
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Don't Hard Code WP-Content Directory!
Plugin development tip of the day!
DO NOT HARD CODE wp-content Directory!
I made this mistake not realizing how many people change that directory as a security precaution.
The best alternative is probably the WP_CONTENT_DIR in my opinion. You can also use WP_CONTENT_URL, depending if you want a relative path or a full url.
The EDD Instant Updater WordPress plugin is a plugin I created while working with a custom WordPress plugin that needed to have instant update notifications while using Easy Digital Downloads(EDD). EDD comes with it's own updater class, but it uses the default WP standards which means you have to wait up to 12 hours after you push an update to get the notice in the WordPress dashboard! With the EDD Instant Updater plugin, you no longer have to wait, the plugin update notices come to you instantly! No more delays!
Interested? Contact Ian L of Jafty.com by email at linian11@yahoo.com for more information.


These modest and elegant shorts are double-sided for a unique feel both on the outside and in contact with the skin. They feature subtle details: a panel on the back, two slanted pockets, two patch pockets on the legs with press-stud flaps, a fake fly and a waistband in 1×1 ribbing with drawstring inside. This essential item is adorned with the Coq d'Or patch which successfully combines a smart and sporty style. Available in dark grey and black.


text:
Q: How to stop ("skip") a client waiting for a response from server using basic Java Sockets I am having a slight issue with getting my simple multiplayer game to work, and it has largely to do with clients waiting for a response from the server indefinitely. The game is mostly real-time, which is why this issue has arisen. It's a bit late in the project to change it to a turn-based solution (which is going to be my last resort). I am using a timer to handle the real-time aspects of the game. Everything works perfectly in single-player, so it's quite literally just this one issue holding me up. Basically, the timer checks for any messages from the server before updating all of the usual game logic updates. This is done in the handleServerResponses() function. Here is the code for the timer:
timer.addActionListener(new ActionListener(){
        @Override
        public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent arg0) {
            if(!gamePanel.getGameOver()){
                handleServerResponses();
                gamePanel.updateZombieAI();
                if(Math.floor(Math.random()*100)<(10+Math.ceil(gamePanel.getPlayer1Score()/10))){
                    gamePanel.spawnZombie();
                }
            }
            else{
                timer.stop();
                sendMessage("TERMINATE");
            }

        }

    });

And here is part of the code for the handleServerResponses method:
public void handleServerResponses(){
    try {
        String message=inStream.readLine();<---Here is where it gets stuck

As you can see, the program gets stuck waiting for the server to send a response, but it will never send a response as neither player can move or send messages. The inStream variable is just a BufferedReader using the server's input stream. I am just passing text between client and server. Is there any way to skip waiting for the response? Meaning, if there isn't anything sent through from the server, can the program just ignore it for that timer tick and update the game logic as normal? I searched for an answer for the past hour, but nothing came up.
Thanks!

A: Two solutions are available here: the correct one, and the (maybe) easy fix.
The correct solution is to do as Hovercarft Full Of Eels commented and have a separate thread processing your network data.  In this model you would have your response handler reading data and adding it to a queue, and your game thread reading data from this queue when / if it is available.  In this model your game thread is never waiting for network data as that is the domain of the IO threads.
If for some reason that solution is daunting or impossible for you to implement, then the quick fix may be to simply call inStream.ready() before trying to read from it.  This is in no way a guarantee since calling ready() does not ensure that an entire line is available to be read, but if your server only responds with whole lines then it may be just enough to unblock you.
For the record, I would strongly recommend the first solution using a separate IO thread that is uncoupled from your game thread as it will be more robust.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Women's Squad Tops Field of Eleven at UW–Whitewater
Third-year Temisan Osowa gets out to a quick start in the 2015 Windy City Invitational.
Courtesy of University of Chicago Athletics
By Michael Cheiken
When the Chicago men and women showed up at UW–Whitewater this past weekend, they knew it would be their toughest test yet. The men entered the meet alongside six teams ranking in the top 10 nationally. The women's event was not quite as loaded as the men's: the No. 8 Maroons were joined by the No. 4 Titans of UW–Oshkosh. When the Maroons set foot on the purple track at Kachel Fieldhouse on Friday, they knew they would need to be at the top of their game.
Up against such stiff competition, second-year Nathan Downey understood the challenge. However, he noted that this level of adversity aligns perfectly with his own unselfish philosophy: "Go every time so others may every time." He delivered, placing fifth in the 400-meter dash with a personal record of 50.08 seconds, and paved the way for a good Maroon showing.
Third-year Tima Karginov was a bright spot for the Maroon men who are still "putting the pieces of the puzzle back together…before [they] take another shot at a UAA title." Karginov said, "racing at Whitewater is always a fun experience." Every time Chicago races there, he "warms up outside: it's 20 degrees, pitch black, the ground is covered in snow, and no one is braving the weather other than [himself] and [his teammates] preparing for the race." During his victory in the 5K race, the serenity of his preparation and the atmosphere stayed with him. Karginov explained, "I felt calm and composed throughout and ran even splits right to the end." The support from his teammates followed him through every lap and helped urge him on, but Tima admitted that at the end of the day he and his fellow runners are "really doing this for CHall." CHall refers to the team's head coach, Chris Hall.
The women must have felt similarly about the atmosphere, as they were the real story of the day, taking first place in the meet over UW–Oshkosh by half a point. The podium looks ever so sweet from its apex, and the Maroons got there with a handful of remarkable performances. Third-year Michelle Dobbs ran a sensational 800-meter, finishing in 2:14.27 and beating the next runner by more than five seconds. This was the fifth best time posted all season in DIII. In the mile, fourth-year Brianna Hickey was able to edge out Emily Paull of Aurora University for the top spot, and second-year Cassidy McPherson followed not too far behind to take fifth place. Neither of those races held a candle to the 5k, though. The 5K was instrumental in the Maroons' clinching the top spot. Second-year Khia Kurtenbach (17:45.48), fourth-year Minnie Horvath (18:19.63), and second-year Claire Costelloe (18:36.23) took first, second, and fourth place, respectively. This single race garnered the Maroons 23 of 109.5 points and set the Maroon women up to shock the Midwest in the 4x400.
Coming into the 4x400-meter relay, the women of Chicago needed a first-place finish to take the meet from the seemingly firm grasp of UW–Oshkosh. Not only did the Maroons deliver, but the team of first-year Emma Koether, fourth-year Mikaela Hammel, first-year Nicole Vacaguzman, and third-year Michelle Dobbs ran an absurdly fast 3:56.12. That tie was good for the third best 4x400-meter this year. Their average split would have taken first place in the 400-meter dash earlier that day.
The starting runner for the 4x400, Koether joined high jumper Alex Thompson as a first-year standout for the meet. In addition to her participation in the blistering 4x400-meter relay, Koether also placed fourth in the 200-meter dash in a very quick 26.40 seconds. Thompson made a splash, winning the high jump with a clearance height of 1.65 meters (5 feet and 5 inches). If the two continue to develop and grow, they could make invaluable contributions this season and be Maroon mainstays for a long time to come.
Reflecting on the meet, 4x400-meter anchor and 800-meter champion Dobbs said, "Winning a high-caliber meet like this, especially over the fourth-ranked team in the country, we are definitely showing potential to shock the nation and earn a spot on the podium in March."
Next up for the steamrolling Maroons is the Windy City Invitational, held here in Chicago. The meet begins at 11:30 a.m. at Henry Crown Field House.
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Home > Archive > Archive > O'Hanrahan's stuns Na Fianna in Leinster
O'Hanrahan's stuns Na Fianna in Leinster
By Mark Jones
O'Hanrahan's (Carlow) 1-7
Na Fianna (Dublin) 1-5
An intermediate club just three years ago, O'Hanrahan's made history with a first-ever Leinster club football title by overcoming hot favorites Na Fianna in Portlaoise last Sunday. With the likes of All-Star Kieran McGeeney, Dessie Farrell, Mick Galvin and Jason Sherlock in their ranks, few had bet against Na Fianna defending their crown. However, the Dublin side couldn't cope with the winners' blend of hard work and skill.
O'Hanrahan's even had to cope without the services of the suspended Mark Carpenter as they faced into the wind in the first half, but when Na Fianna turned around with just a 2- point lead, the chances of an upset had increased massively. The underdogs duly hit 1-5 without reply in the third quarter and their supporters in the 4,500 crowd were already celebrating before the final whistle.
"People who weren't familiar with O'Hanrahan's assumed we wouldn't win," said manager Michael Dempsey. "But the mood in the dressing room was very different. The confidence levels were high and I had no doubts that provided the occasion didn't get to the lads, we would win."
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Following a superb defensive performance in the opening half, O'Hanrahan's quickly pegged back Na Fianna's 2-point lead with scores from David Birmingham and Pa Kavanagh. Another Birmingham point and two frees from Kavanagh kept up the pressure and then Brian Walker struck for the game's vital goal. Once a labored Na Fianna passing movement broke down, Walker was quick to make ground before unleashing a perfect shot.
By now, the advantage was 5 points, and there was a nervous moment for O'Hanrahan's when Aaron Shearer got through for a goal, but the winners' defense held firm in the closing minutes.
The Carlow side now meet either Nemo Rangers or British champions Tir Chonaill Gaels in the All-Ireland semifinal round next year.
Nemo Rangers (Cork) 0-11
Glenflesk (Kerry) 0-7
For the first time in 2000, Seamus Moynihan had nothing to celebrate. Kerry's All-Ireland-winning captain, an All-Star and the undisputed Footballer of the Year, Moynihan was on the losing side as Glenflesk's brave challenge came unstuck in the Munster club football final at the Limerick Gaelic Grounds.
Yet it was never easy for Nemo Rangers, who had to rely on all their experience to see off their unheralded opponents. Level at 0-5 at the interval, Nemo took control in the second half as Colin Corkery picked off the scores and Steven O'Brien cut off the supply of possession to Glenflesk's main threat, Johnny Crowley.
Corkery kicked six points, including four from frees, but it was Martin Cronin, Moynihan's direct marker, who stole with show. Cronin was inspirational at midfield, where he outplayed Moynihan and contributed two valuable points from play. Crowley, meanwhile, was on target with three scores for Glenflesk.
Mayo 1-17, Derry 1-7
Mayo cruised past Derry in a rescheduled National Football League Div. 1B game at Charlestown at the weekend. While the winners retained their 100 percent record, Derry traveled with a shadow team, which was a clear indication of how intent they are on defending their title.
In hurling, there was an expected success for Athenry of Galway in the Connacht club hurling final when they were too strong for Roscommon's Four Roads on a scoreline of 2-16 to 1-7. Eugene Cloonan and David Donohue had goals for the winners, while Donal Moran hit seven points.
Sixmilebridge of Clare advanced to the All-Ireland club semifinal with a comfortable 2-11 to 0-6 victory over Fr. Murphy's of London at Ruislip, while Kilkenny rounded off a good year by defeating Galway in the Oireachtas final by 4-6 to 0-12.


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Vonage says Shaw breaching net neutrality
Mark Els
A shift from broader bandwidth to higher quality of service for voice over the Internet is being watched closely by the Canadian telecom industry, with most analysts expressing concern that the move may jeopardize advances in technology.
Calgary-based Shaw Communications Inc. recommends its high-speed Internet users pay an additional $10 monthly fee to ensure voice packets travel first-class on its network, giving priority to VoIP software ahead of other Web-enabled applications.
Vonage Canada has asked for a full investigation by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), calling the fee a VoIP tax and accusing the telco of limiting net neutrality.
Shaw says the fee will pay for network multimedia management technology — traffic shaping tools such as PacketCable 2.0, DOCSIS and Ellacoya's IP Service Control — that will ensure quality of service for common VoIP software such as Skype, Vonage and MSN Messenger.
Asking for a QoS enhancement fee is one way of changing the model from offering faster and faster speeds, says Brian Sharwood, a principal analyst at SeaBoard Group Inc. in Toronto. "I'm not sure there's anything particularly inherently wrong with that," he says.
Sharwood says market forces in Western Canada allow Shaw to operate off a different model for quality of service on its Internet network. Toronto-based Rogers Communications Inc., for example, has gone the other way, he says.
"Rogers feels it's important that Vonage works on its Internet connections at an acceptable quality level. But the market dynamics are different: Rogers has 50 per cent of the high-speed market and want to win more, whereas Shaw has about 80 per cent of the market out West."
Sharwood stresses the Internet should not be prioritized for the owner of the pipe and says Shaw's QoS fee does present some questions. "The customer is buying something that's quite ethereal. There's no visibility and there's no way the end-user can measure QoS."
Shaw's concerns about voice quality are quite valid, but a lot depends on how the company implements the services associated with the $10 fee, says George Goodall, a research analyst with London, Ont.-based Info-Tech Research Group Inc.
Goodall says Shaw is justified in levelling the QoS fee. "These are genuine concerns around prioritization for voice packets, and it makes a lot of sense because they're looking at differentiating network traffic. On a commercial level, these issues are top of mind and businesses pay extra in hardware and service to ensure voice quality," he says.
But Goodall cautions: "We haven't yet seen what this fee involves in terms of the technology and service levels."
Shaw perceives that too many entities, such as Vonage, Skype and other peer-to-peer programs, are getting a free ride on its network, says Lawrence Surtees, vice-president and principal analyst, communications research at IDC Canada Ltd. And Shaw is now saying it needs to have people pay for what they're doing, he adds.
"But the high-speed Internet user is already paying for access to that service," says Surtees, who agrees Shaw's enhancement fee is a tax. "We learn as kids that if you don't ask, you don't get. Well, phone companies seem to have learned that if you don't take, you don't get," he says.
Surtees says he's seen a lot of this type of behaviour in the history of Canadian telecom. "Whenever there's some disruptive change, [the telcos] dig in their heels and use their clout, or their tolls, in these kinds of ways.
"They'll develop something draconian and there'll be a regulatory or legal issue and the companies will be told what they're doing is unreasonable, but in the meantime they've pocketed all this money."
Having transport-related charges in an Internet world is counterproductive, says Roberta Fox, a senior partner with Mount Albert, Ont.-based Fox Group. "It could be detrimental to VoIP technologies and it's not good for competition," she says.
According to Vonage, Shaw is looking for a way to regain some of the costs incurred to make sure its network is built to handle the reality of an evolving Internet.
"Shaw needs to explain [its QoS enhancement fee] better because we think they're violating the trust they've built up in their customer base, and the public in general," says Joe Parent, vice-president of marketing for Mississauga, Ont.-based Vonage Canada.
Shaw's challenge is to minimize traffic contention and one way of ensuring quality is subscribing to a different tier of service, says Peter Bissonnette, president of Shaw Communications.
PacketCable 2.0 and IP Multimedia Service, for example, give higher quality of service to VoIP users than to somebody who just wants to browse the Internet. "It's similar to the difference between T1 and OC192. There are different levels of service for different types of applications," he says. "So if somebody wanted that greater assurance, we're able to provide it with DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) and some RF tailoring, as well as PacketCable 2.0 in the future."
Bissonnette says Shaw can also manage Internet traffic with technology from Ellacoya Networks, Inc. "We can only manage the network as far as we control the network. Peer-to-peer can consume the whole pipe if you let it, but Ellacoya allows us to manage BitTorrent-type traffic. There's a host of things we can do and they all cost money."
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The Lost Men, France is the third installation of South African artist Paul Emmanuel's ongoing memorial The Lost Men Project. The Lost Men project is a series of site-specific, temporary, outdoor installations which aim to engage with memory, memorials and public grief. Each selected site has a relevance steeped in its own histories as well as engaging the thematic content of Emmanuel's imagery. The first public exhibition of The Lost Men project took place in Grahamstown, South Africa in 2004 and was installed on Monument Hill. The second phase implemented in , Maputo Mozambique in 2007 , with the ephemeral artwork installed on the Catembe Ferry Jetty. Now in 2014 the third artwork of Emmanuel's public counter memorial project will be installed adjacent to the Thiepval Memorial on the extension of rue de l'Ancre Rue, in France.
The installation is comprised of five, 5m x 5m silk banners. These banners will hang along rue de'l Ancre; a public road which runs from the Thiepval Memorial towards the Lonsdale Cemetery, where the crosses mark the graves of soldiers who died in WWI. The banners will be left in this landscape to the wind and the elements; possibly to disintegrate over time. The silk banners bear photographs of Emmanuel's body with the names of French, German, South African and Allied servicemen who fell on the Western Front. The names were pressed into Emmanuel's skin, without reference to rank, nationality or ethnicity. The Lost Men artwork also questions the exclusion of Black South African servicemen's names from the walls of the Thiepval Memorial. The installation is not a permanent construction; rather it portrays a marked male body as something fragile and vulnerable. It is a non-partisan, 'counter-memorial' that reflects on impermanence and forgetting. The Lost Men, France does not glorify war but poses questions about masculinity and vulnerability. It questions the exclusion of people in traditional memorials – in particular black South African servicemen.
The Lost Men, France launched on 1 July on this site where thousands of soldiers from England, France and their colonies, Germany, Russia to mention some of the countries involved and including South African servicemen died during the terrible battles of World War I (WWI). The 1st of July is a significant date not only in respect of Emmanuel's project but also to the town of Thiepval. It is the day that commemorates the commencement of the Battle of the Somme in 1916; one of the most significant battles of the Great War and also the date on which thousands of South African servicemen landed in France.
This contemporary art project is the artist's personal expression which he created for this specific arena. It is intended to stimulate conversations about memory and memorialisation.
Remembrance services will be held at the Thiepval Memorial to remember and commemorate the thousands of lives lost. French, British and other dignitaries are expected to attend the services.
The project has been selected by the Government of France as an official exhibit of the World War One Centennial. Emmanuel has also received support from Institut Francais, La Mission du Centenaire de la Premiere Guerre Mondiale, the French Institute and the National Arts Council, South Africa amongst others.
Paul Emmanuel states he is "..as many are, affected by these terrible historic battles. A was has a lasting psychological effects that are passed from generation to generation; we lose humanity, gentleness and vulnerability, feeling, empathy and sensitivity. We lose dignity, treasured relationships, potentiality, hope and the future. We become defined by ideologies that can confine and define our world view. As the Thiepval Memorial bears witness. It is a non-partisan artwork that aims to stimulate contemplation about all of this."
Walkabouts were conducted by the artist at the installation site on Tuesday 1 July 2014 at 11 am, Wednesday 2 July 2014 at 11 am, Thursday 3 July 2014 at 11 am, Friday 4 July 2014 at 11 am and Saturday 5 July 2014 at 11 am.


In her short but eventful life of 28 years, Amrita Sher-Gil soaked in a gamut of experiences, which she then suffused her canvas with. From her early years in Hungary, her family's move to Shimla when she was eight, her training in art in Paris, and her return to India, each phase of her life left its impression on her oeuvre. A rare solo show of Sher-Gil's artworks in the city now stitches together these chapters of her life with her brush strokes.
Amrita Sher-Gil — Perhaps it will fly away if I get up, which opens next Tuesday, kicks off the 10th-anniversary celebrations of Akara Art, founded by art dealer and consultant Puneet Shah. "We wanted to enter our 10th year with a spectacular show. Given the sheer stature of the artist and her contribution to modern Indian art, it was an obvious choice," says Shah, who has dealt in Sher-Gil's works for many years.
The exhibition, titled after a poem she wrote in 1934, features an essay by Skye Arundhati Thomas, who has also written the wall text. Conceived of and curated in-house, the show includes a self-portrait in oil, seven watercolours, and six works in charcoal.
"The idea was to show a large range and body of her work, and how versatile she was in different media," informs Shah. During the curatorial process, the gallery also discovered a picture of Sher-Gil at a young age in her study in Shimla, sketching a model. That drawing in charcoal is part of the show.
"With Amrita, the context gets reinvented every time her work is shown," Shah shares. "Her story will keep evolving because the character is so strong."


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May | 2018 | R.M.
I arrived in Paris during the last week of April after spending an unhappy few days in Tuscany fighting crowds, being grateful I know that the underground gateway to the beauty of those ancient hills can be easily found in winter, when most people sensibly head to warm beaches for holiday. Even the Uffizi Galleries fade when swarmed by the selfi-obsessed.
The arrival was, as it is more and more, a homecoming more than a visit. Stepping out in the 10th that evening to the noisy blend of drunken Parisian hipsters (they are the same, in case you wonder, as those in the U.S.) and stoned West African immigrants closing up their odd storefronts of cheap clothes, nail salons, and discount travel agencies, my body relaxed as a body only can when sensing some primordial Return.
Consider: the French verb for "to become" is venir.
the French verb for "to return" is revenir.
How resonant this root: one must return to the most basic, raw Self (whatever that may be – an illusion, a wish, an invention, or a mosaic of all three) in order to find, or create, an authentic life. Returning, becoming, returning, becoming: it is rather like the Ujjayi breath of Ashtanga Yoga. Exhale, return to the home, the midline of the heart and core of the Self. Inhale, expand and become, reach into space with the outer lobes and limbs, only to find they are all the same: world, midline, Self, Other.
For whatever reason, I experience home, both the essence of return and becoming, only in this city. Even when my three children, who at birth took my heart and placed it in theirs, like a helix, are many thousands of miles away, I feel the truth of home here, in France, in Paris. It has been true for me since the silly and tender age of 12, when I made the decision that the day after graduation from high school I would travel to France. I kept that promise to myself, and I loved the country as much as I intuited I would.
After experiencing a long, brutal assault in far Northwestern China when I was 18, it was to Paris, and then Antibes, I traveled. I was ashamed to go to Denver, Colorado. But more than that I knew, like an animal, that I would be safe, embraced among strangers who did not feel like strangers to me. Or perhaps, as out of body as I was, it was the singular Light of the sea that drew me.
~ Why I did not pursue a professional career in dance, when my heart, gifts, and body were so obviously meant for the dedication to this Art.
~ Why I did not become an academic.
~ Why I did not move to France when I could.
The former two at this point are navel-gazing; I'm done with those regrets.
Where and how one lives, however, particularly for those who are acutely sensitive to culture, beauty, environment: for us living in a place that does not feel like The Place forms a wound that is akin to a sickness, an absence, a death.
The rather grotesque differences between where I live and where I feel I need to live in order to Live is almost comedic, and reveals to me the uncomfortable truth that most of my existence has been ruled by fantasy and fear, which often are the same thing.
One afternoon after a long but awakening Ashtanga class with Kia Naddermier, an otherworldly teacher and woman who serves more and more to me as a beacon of practice, I wandered for many illuminated hours throughout the city. I walked slowly, like a flaneur, all the way from the 11th to the tourist choked Rue St. Honore, through the brilliantly green Tuileries, over Pont des Arts and into the 6th, stopping only to take photos and stare. Particularly along the river, the city is too beautiful: no amount of looking will take it in. It is never enough. For the wide skies above the Seine I am insatiable.
It was in Paris I realized my marriage was over. It was in Paris I grieved my marriage, missed my children, and realized I would have to create a life in a city I loathe living by myself in a culture (tech, fitness addicts, bros, hipsters, Mommy-Land) utterly alien to me. It was in Paris I met the astonishing woman whom I knew on sight would be my next teacher, and it was in her shala I sensed an instant thread of profound, unfamiliar yet somehow comfortable connection with fellow practitioners.
My root teacher, Richard Freeman, speaks often of the Jeweled Net of Indra: an invisible but palpable web that ties us together, even when thinking we are most apart. In Paris I see more clearly the Net, and in joy want to stay for all my remaining days of existence in this incarnation.
I cannot pick up with my three little children and move to Paris. And so there is a fixed tension in my heart: my home is where my children are. My home is not where my children live.
It is not here, in dry, colorless, over-developed Denver, Colorado where I will ever experience a sense, existential or spiritual, of returning: this is not a place that aids in lowering my soul into the depths. The becoming, however, is up to me.
And is this not Practice? Is this not Yoga? The understanding that it is not location, or beauty, or Place, or preference that creates faith and Unity with the selfless Self. Nothing in the Yamas or Niyamas of the 8-Limbed Path dictate one must live in harmonized beauty in order to evolve.
There is no evolution without tension. Tension – of desire, of the wants of the ego, the great but illusory needs of the Heart – is a tool that, if used with skill, helps to sculpt and shape a spiritual practice. Discomfort is part of the dance. Karma is too: we live with our choices, and all those many years ago I made a choice to turn away from what felt like home.
I've been an exile all my life.
Perhaps it is the life of the exile that will help to guide my children toward wholeness.
And that is worth an infinite Paris springs.
when you were conceived on a bright spring day many years ago, this body, my body, already knew you and your History and your Present and your Future.
It takes a long time to learn that you are only Infinity.
You must humble yourself to storm clouds, bow to poisoned lakes, and honor the fish who live there as your brother, your sister, even as you might slaughter them.
Wholeness comes from Wholeness, and the attempt to disassemble a piece (of Soul, of Flesh, of Story, of Family) will not disrupt the Whole.
And it also takes a long time to learn that language is an affront to Infinity.
Let us sit with it.


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Peace, security, prosperity in the Middle East? Unthinkable.
Danny Sims
Columnist's note: This post is not about the tragedy facing women and anyone who won't serve the Taliban in Afghanistan, nor the unnecessary egregious mistakes of the Biden pullout debacle, nor the certain death friends of the U.S. military left behind in Kabul and across the nation will face.
When distressing over Afghanistan and the U.S. track record in the Middle East, I'd like to point to something hopeful. Something you might have forgotten.
The U.S.-backed Abraham Accords are recent agreements between Israel and several Arab states (Morocco, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Sudan). Once unthinkable, Israel and Arabs formally agreed to pursue a vision of peace, security and prosperity in the Middle East and around the world.
That exact wording is lifted right out of the Abraham Accords.
Peace, security, prosperity in the Middle East and the world. Sounds nice, huh?
We hardly noticed the first official anniversary of the Abraham Accords as the Taliban ran over Afghanistan's government this month. And why would we?
The scenes from Kabul are opposite of peaceful, secure and prosperous. Plus, there's always politics. The Biden administration would not want to celebrate any deals, even historic ones, brokered by the Trump administration. And it would be the other way around, I'm sure.
Afghanistan never has been mistaken for a stable centralized government interested in peace accords. Instead, Afghanistan has been the world's top breeding ground for terrorism. And get ready for round two of that. They are not alone. Iran isn't signing anything with Israel. Palestine and Israel have conflicts that not only predate the Abraham Accords, but their conflict goes all the way back to Abraham himself.
I'm sure Tehran and Gaza are happy to see the Taliban back and already have double dates with Hezbollah and Hamas.
However, there is a difference this time.
Afghanistan is collapsing back into chaos as Morocco, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and Sudan have standing agreements with Israel, agreements specifically pledging mutual efforts for security, peace and prosperity.
When other Arab states seek those exact same things, do they realistically think the Taliban, Iran and Palestine will provide it? Might more Arab nations agree to shake hands with Israel?
Unthinkable, right?
Maybe other Arab governments will see a new signal coming from Kabul: they should not rely on the United States to protect them. The cynic might say they cannot rely on the United States. But let's be honest. Many American voters have been insisting the U.S., become less of a police force around the world, specifically in Afghanistan.
Who might Arab governments seeking security turn to? Even 19 years ago, no one would have thought anything close to the Abraham Accords was a possibility. But as that sage geopolitical observer Bob Dylan famously said, the times they are a-changing.
I hope we see more Abraham Accord-like deals. They might not even be for moral or ideological reasons. Future accords will have existential and practical motivations. Peace, security and prosperity come to mind.


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The debut CD from Broadway and International vocalist, Kevin Odekirk, showcases several of musical theaters' all time greatest composers, in never-before-heard songs from their unpublished catalogues.
Buy this CD to hear brand new or very rare songs from, Stephen Sondheim, Stephen Schwartz, Jason Robert Brown and many more!
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The provincial park of Caribou-Munroes Island is the perfect place to unwind after a busy morning of sightseeing in Pictou or as you wait for the ferry to Prince Edward Island.
There's warm swimming in the Northumberland Strait and a two-kilometer walk along the sand will bring you to Munroes Island. It was once independent of the mainland but sand drifted in to fill the channel once it stopped being used by local lobster fishermen.
On Munroes Island, you can stroll through forests of beech, white spruce and maple and watch for seals basking on the shore. You might also spot a red fox darting between the trees or see a bald eagle soaring overhead.
One type of wildlife you won't care to see will be jellyfish. Keep an eye out for them when you're swimming, although even if you are stung the worst that should happen is a little stinging and redness on the skin.
If you want to spend the night, there are 95 campsites in the provincial park as well as bathrooms and showers.
Directions: The park is about 6km north of Pictou. To get there, take Exit 22 off Highway 104 and then follow Highway 106 to Pictou. The park is 4km east of the terminal for ferries to Prince Edward Island.
Open: From mid-June to mid-October.


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Wagon weighing system for rapid installation
USA: Schenck Process has obtained US legal-for-trade status for its MultiTrain LegalWeight in-motion wagon weighing system. This uses instrumented concrete sleepers with high-precision load cells to measure the vertical force applied through the rail with an accuracy of 0·2%.
It requires 50 m of straight and level track, works in temperatures between -30˚C and 50˚C, and can weigh vehicles running at up to 22 km/h. Passing trains can run over the track at line speed.
The use of a ballast-supported design instead of traditional concrete foundations means it can be installed in less than a day, minimising interruption to revenue services. The supplier says the cost of installation is also 25% to 33% lower than for traditional pit scales.
As an option, it can provide unbalanced load detection for both front-to-back and side-to-side loading.


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Home | Blogs| NAMI Blog| May 2016 | Leader of Landmark Gene Research on Schizophrenia to Speak at NAMI Convention
Leader of Landmark Gene Research on Schizophrenia to Speak at NAMI Convention
By Marcy Baer
Dr. Steven McCarroll, who led the research team responsible for a study that examines the gene that may be a risk factor for schizophrenia, will speak at this year's NAMI National Convention, July 6–9 in Denver. Dr. McCarroll is an assistant professor in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and the Director of Genetics at the Broad Institute of MIT's and Harvard's Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research.
The research findings revealed in Dr. McCarroll's analysis were published in the Feb. 11 issue of the journal Nature. Titled "Schizophrenia: From genetics to physiology at last," the article reviewed how the study identifies "a set of genetic variations that are strongly associated with the risk of developing schizophrenia" and "provides insights into the neurobiology of this destructive disease."
The basis of the research is a worldwide collection of DNA from more than 100,000 people to find genetic clues to mental illness. Called C4, the gene isolated by Dr. McCarroll and his team is known to work in the body's immune system tagging viruses for destruction. Until now, the gene had no known role in the brain. A highly complex gene, C4 is difficult to identify because it takes various forms and structures in different people. Many researchers believe there is a strong relationship between the immune system and schizophrenia, so much of the work focused on finding that connection.
Research and collaboration among neurobiologists, immunologists and other genetic experts confirmed that C4 damages the brain because it accelerates a process called synaptic pruning. According to Dr. Bruce Cuthbert, acting director of the National Institute of Mental Health, in many cases synaptic pruning can help the brain. "It's like clearing away the underbrush so your brain can function more efficiently," he explains. "But in people with this overactive version of the gene," Dr. Cuthbert continues, "it may be like having an over-energetic gardener who prunes back so much that the bushes die off because they don't have enough branches." Dr. Cuthbert views this study as a "genetic breakthrough," and "a crucial turning point in the fight against mental illness."
Dr. Eric Lander, a professor of biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and founding director of the Broad Institute, believes this research may provide a new understanding of what causes schizophrenia in terms of brain biology. "For the first time," Lander says, "we're opening the 'black box,' looking inside, and seeing how the disease really arises. In my opinion, this study is the most important paper in schizophrenia since the disease itself was defined more than a century ago."
While such science may take years to translate into treatments, Dr. McCarroll is optimistic. "The finding connects all these dots, all these disconnected observations about schizophrenia, and makes them make sense," he says.
You can hear Dr. McCarroll's presentation as part of the NAMI Convention's Research Plenary on Saturday, July 9, from 8:45 to 10:30 a.m. For more information and to register for the NAMI National Convention, go to NAMI.org/convention.
Marcy Baer is a communications and marketing professional who volunteers for NAMI.


Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House's press secretary, was told by restaurant owner to leave because of her connection to President Donald Trump.
British judges heard Wednesday from the parents of a terminally ill 23-month old boy, who want to take the child to Italy for potentially live-saving treatment.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee resigned from the Board of the Country Music Association Thursday after only one day due to controversy over his appointment.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz has joined the Fox News Channel, the network announced Wednesday -- perhaps as a means for the Utah representative to earn a better living.
Conventional wisdom suggests that any "generic" Republican would easily beat Hillary Clinton in November — and any other Democrat would destroy Donald Trump.
Mike Huckabee has paid $25,000 for copyright infringement after using the song "Eye of the Tiger" during a campaign rally with Kim Davis.
The next GOP debate will not feature an under card event, which leaves Carly Fiorina off the prime-time stage -- a move she's not taking sitting down.
On the eve of the first primary votes of the 2016 presidential election, campaign finances might already be pointing to winners and losers.
Trump comes through on promise to boycott debate, throws counter event for veterans' groups.
The four bottom-tier candidates in the GOP field faced off in what could be their last debate.
ABC announced changes to the rules for the next Republican presidential debate that could limit the number of candidates on stage to six.
Michael Dale "Mike" Huckabee (born August 24, 1955) was the 44th Governor of Arkansas, serving from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won (behind both John McCain and Mitt Romney). He won the Iowa Republican caucuses. Huckabee exited the race as McCain became the presumptive Republican nominee after winning the delegate winner-take-all states of Florida, California, and New York State.
Huckabee is the author of several best selling books, an ordained Southern Baptist minister, musician and a public speaker. He is also an ABC Radio political commentator. He and his wife, Janet, have been married for 36 years and have three grown children: John Mark, David, and Sarah. Janet Huckabee was an unsuccessful candidate for Arkansas Secretary of State in 2002.
Huckabee currently hosts the Fox News Channel talk show Huckabee.
It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Mike Huckabee."


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Home AI Trends Insider on Autonomy Apologetic AI Is A Somewhat Sorry Trend, Especially For Autonomous Cars
Apologetic AI Is A Somewhat Sorry Trend, Especially For Autonomous Cars
AI developers are beginning to enable self-driving cars to apologize to passengers after driving mishaps, causing Lance Eliot to consider the implications. (Credit: Getty Images)
By Lance Eliot, the AI Trends Insider
AI is starting to apologize.
That's the latest trend for AI that directly interacts with people. The notion seems to be that if the AI has to deliver unfavorable news or appears to have made a potential mistake, it ought to be civil about the matter and emit an apology. AI developers are either opting to include the apology-generating capacity or they are being pressed by system designers and managers to infuse the "sorry about that" capability.
This might seem at first glance as a marvelous addition to an AI system and would presumably be valuable to construct. Sorry to say that the AI being apologetic has both upsides and downsides.
Let's begin by considering a context that will help to reveal the pros and cons of AI-powered apologies. Imagine that you apply online for a car loan and the AI system determines that you are not worthy, as it were, and promptly turns you down. The belief is that this would be an ideal moment for the AI to offer you a "heartfelt" apology.
It might go something like this: Dear loan applicant, it is with great sorrow that I must inform you of the unfortunate news that your request to borrow funds to buy a car is hereby denied. Please know that you are not alone in having been spurned and accept this apology for any discomfort that might arise from this outcome. Sincerely, the AI system that reluctantly rebuffed your request.
Do you think this apology will make the person feel any better about the AI-powered decision?
Well, I doubt it would for most people, nonetheless, there is an emerging trend of having AI systems produce these kinds of messages.
We can mull over and debate the tradeoffs involved in having AI that provides these kinds of apologies. There are claimed benefits of having the AI appear to be deferential, while there are criticisms that this is a mockery of humanity and diminishes the potency of apologies all told. Before getting to the overall set of tradeoffs, imagine the myriad of areas that AI is being applied, beyond just adjudicating car loan candidates, and envision how those varied instances might opt to leverage a purposely apologizing AI system.
Here's an intriguing aspect: Will the advent of AI-based true self-driving cars necessitate the AI being apologetic from time-to-time, and do we really want or expect apologies to be issued by AI driving systems?
Let's unpack the matter and see.
For my framework about AI autonomous cars, see the link here: https://aitrends.com/ai-insider/framework-ai-self-driving-driverless-cars-big-picture/
Why this is a moonshot effort, see my explanation here: https://aitrends.com/ai-insider/self-driving-car-mother-ai-projects-moonshot/
For more about the levels as a type of Richter scale, see my discussion here: https://aitrends.com/ai-insider/richter-scale-levels-self-driving-cars/
For the argument about bifurcating the levels, see my explanation here: https://aitrends.com/ai-insider/reframing-ai-levels-for-self-driving-cars-bifurcation-of-autonomy/
Understanding The Levels Of Self-Driving Cars
As a clarification, true self-driving cars are ones where the AI drives the car entirely on its own and there isn't any human assistance during the driving task. These driverless vehicles are considered a Level 4 and Level, while a car that requires a human driver to co-share the driving effort is usually considered at a Level 2 or Level 3. The cars that co-share the driving task are described as being semi-autonomous, and typically contain a variety of automated add-on's that are referred to as ADAS (Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems).
There is not yet a true self-driving car at Level 5, which we don't yet even know if this will be possible to achieve, and nor how long it will take to get there.
Meanwhile, the Level 4 efforts are gradually trying to get some traction by undergoing very narrow and selective public roadway trials, though there is controversy over whether this testing should be allowed per se (we are all life-or-death guinea pigs in an experiment taking place on our highways and byways, some contend).
Since semi-autonomous cars require a human driver, the adoption of those types of cars won't be markedly different than driving conventional vehicles, so there's not much new per se to cover about them on this topic (though, as you'll see in a moment, the points next made are generally applicable).
For semi-autonomous cars, it is important that the public needs to be forewarned about a disturbing aspect that's been arising lately, namely that despite those human drivers that keep posting videos of themselves falling asleep at the wheel of a Level 2 or Level 3 car, we all need to avoid being misled into believing that the driver can take away their attention from the driving task while driving a semi-autonomous car.
You are the responsible party for the driving actions of the vehicle, regardless of how much automation might be tossed into a Level 2 or Level 3.
For why remote piloting or operating of self-driving cars is generally eschewed, see my explanation here: https://aitrends.com/ai-insider/remote-piloting-is-a-self-driving-car-crutch/
To be wary of fake news about self-driving cars, see my tips here: https://aitrends.com/ai-insider/ai-fake-news-about-self-driving-cars/
The ethical implications of AI driving systems are significant, see my indication here: https://aitrends.com/selfdrivingcars/ethically-ambiguous-self-driving-cars/
Be aware of the pitfalls of normalization of deviance when it comes to self-driving cars, here's my call to arms: https://aitrends.com/ai-insider/normalization-of-deviance-endangers-ai-self-driving-cars/
Self-Driving Cars And Offering of Apologies
For Level 4 and Level 5 true self-driving vehicles, there won't be a human driver involved in the driving task. All occupants will be passengers; the AI is doing the driving.
Some assert that it makes sense for the AI to render an apology when the situation warrants doing so.
You might be initially baffled that there would ever be any basis for the AI driving system to issue an apology to the passengers of a self-driving car. We certainly do not expect human drivers to particularly offer apologies, and thus there is no well-established tradition of drivers making such utterances. Sure, on a rare occasion a ride-sharing driver might apologize that their car reeks of tuna salad because they just managed to wolf down their lunch on the way to pick you up, but otherwise the number of apologies we receive while riding in cars has got to be pretty low, nearly zero it so seems.
Well, take a step back and ponder the following scenario.
You are nestled in a self-driving car and enjoying some quiet time on the way to work. The seats can fully recline since there aren't any driving controls inside the vehicle (the steering wheel and pedals for true self-driving cars are expected to be excised from the interior and no longer accessible by humans since the AI is doing all the driving).
The AI is dutifully watching the roadway and attempting to provide you with a safe journey from your home to the office. Thankfully, the AI is coping with the darned traffic on the freeways and the equally exasperating jammed traffic on the busy city streets. You can daydream and meanwhile, the AI is observing the surroundings like an alert hawk.
All of a sudden, the AI detects via its sensors, such as by using cameras, radar, LIDAR, and so on, that a pedestrian is weaving erratically on the sidewalk and appears to be nearing the curb of the street. It is hard to discern whether the person is going to actually come into the street. Maybe they will turn back toward the buildings at the last moment and avoid coming into the roadway. Or, in a worst-case possibility, the person might opt to pop into the street, right in front of where the self-driving car is headed.
What to do? What would you do? What should the AI do?
For human drivers, we confront these kinds of driving situations all the time. You have to make split-second judgment choices about whether a pedestrian is going to foolishly wander directly into the path of your moving car, and thus calculate in your mind whether to slow down, speed-up, swerve or take no action. Any of those options might be right. Of course, any of those options might be wrong too.
In the case of AI driving systems, to-date the approach has involved setting up the AI to be extraordinarily cautious, more so than perhaps most human drivers might be. If there is even an inkling of an upcoming car crash or similar incident, the AI is going to try and avert the chances by taking the "safest" course of action (more on this in a moment).
Assume that the AI hits the brakes of the self-driving car, doing so to be at a complete stop before reaching where the pedestrian might end-up being. By calculating the intersecting points at which the self-driving car and the pedestrian might have arrived, the AI calculated the stopping distance and figured out that an emergency stop could likely ensure that the self-driving car and the meanderer would not come in contact with each other.
The pedestrian is saved.
Suppose though that the person did not come into the street, and at the last moment veered back onto the sidewalk. This means that the self-driving car needlessly came to a halt. You could presumably give the AI some thankful credit for having avoided a potential accident, but the accident never materialized and so you could equally criticize the AI for being an overly reactive scaredy-cat driver.
Meanwhile, remember that there is a passenger inside the self-driving car (we're still pretending it was you). There you were, comfortably reclining and blissfully inattentive to the roadway conditions, rightfully so, reliant upon the AI to tackle the driving and make the proper decisions thereof.
Upon the sharp braking action utilized by the AI driving system, you are tossed around like a sack of potatoes. Maybe a tad bit of whiplash involved.
What the heck happened, you would likely be wondering, having no clue why the AI made the unexpected and utterly unannounced stop.
At this juncture, at least as a minimum, you would be expecting the AI to explain what occurred. If the AI does not indicate why the roughshod driving action was undertaken, you are beset with doubts and would feel uneasy that the AI can adequately drive the self-driving car. Perhaps the AI has gone nuts, or an electronic power surge made its bits go bad.
We are now at the million-dollar question. Should the AI apologize to you?
Try this: Dear rider, you undoubtedly sensed that the self-driving car came to a sudden halt, which please accept my apologies for having done so. This was done out of an abundance of caution and potentially might have saved the life of an errant pedestrian. As a driving transgression, it is not what I aspire to do while driving, but hopefully, you understand that such moments have merit and your forgiveness on this matter is welcomed. Sincerely, the AI driving the self-driving car.
Notice that this is a twofer, consisting of an explanation and simultaneously an inserted apology. The explanation would tend to ease your concerns about the AI having gone off the deep end. Does the apology also make you feel better?
Let's turn our attention to AI that issues apologies and those earlier alluded to tradeoffs involved in having the AI do so.
For more details about ODDs, see my indication at this link here: https://www.aitrends.com/ai-insider/amalgamating-of-operational-design-domains-odds-for-ai-self-driving-cars/
On the topic of off-road self-driving cars, here's my details elicitation: https://www.aitrends.com/ai-insider/off-roading-as-a-challenging-use-case-for-ai-autonomous-cars/
I've urged that there must be a Chief Safety Officer at self-driving car makers, here's the scoop: https://www.aitrends.com/ai-insider/chief-safety-officers-needed-in-ai-the-case-of-ai-self-driving-cars/
Expect that lawsuits are going to gradually become a significant part of the self-driving car industry, see my explanatory details here: https://aitrends.com/selfdrivingcars/self-driving-car-lawsuits-bonanza-ahead/
AI Apologizing and The Merits Or Demerits
Some insist that any apology by an AI system is completely, unabashedly, a fraudulent and hollow act.
The AI is not sentient. For those of you that might be tricked by the barrage of media postings that suggest that AI is sentient or near-to, do not fall for this hogwash. There isn't any AI today that can be construed as sentient and there is nothing on the horizon that implies or purports to show that sentience can be reached in the near future.
Hence, the point is that the AI generating an apology is not the same as a human that proffers an apology. The AI cannot from-the-heart provide you or anyone with a heartfelt apology. This does not compute. In that overall sense, it can be argued that an apology by AI is nothing but fakery.
Worse still is the notion that by providing an apology there is an insidious insinuation that the AI is indeed sentient. In more formal parlance, this is tantamount to anthropomorphizing the AI. When the AI as a computer-based machine is made to seem like it is human, real humans will begin to think that the machine is a human or an equivalent.
That's a dangerous slippery slope.
People that believe the AI can think and act as a human can are going to become reliant upon the AI to do things that the AI cannot achieve. For example, humans have common-sense reasoning (I realize some might chuckle and note that they know humans that are not able to exercise common-sense, but put that cynicism to the side for the moment), but there aren't AI systems yet that have anything of the same. Thus, the AI is not going to apply common-sense to any instructions you might share with it, and nor should you expect the AI to employ common-sense when performing a task for you.
Speaking of cynics, some people are less heated-up about these AI apologies and claim that any human with a modicum of intelligence knows that the apology emitted by AI is merely a made-up artifact by the humans that programmed the AI. In this viewpoint, there is a hardened belief that everyone already should realize that the AI is just a computer and like any computer that spits out a report or displays a message, the whole thing is just a bunch of 1's and 0's being shoveled to-and-fro.
And, it could be argued that getting an apology, albeit from something that does not "know" what an apology is, provides a nice touch of humanity for the circumstances at hand.
The developers of the AI at least realized that sometimes the AI might go afoul. That alone is important and perhaps a shocker since many times an AI system will make a mistake or a misstep, and it doesn't realize what has transpired. Thank goodness that there is an apology, acting as a canary in the cage, showing the light that the AI has been embedded with some kind of error detection and response capabilities.
The words, too, of an apology can be soothing. Despite the AI not being human or anything akin, the words alone are being spoken and received.
Returning to reclining in a self-driving car that has come to a jolting halt, perhaps the apology can be the icing on the cake, wherein the cake was the explanation and the delightful icing is the supplemental apologetic words.
How far might this go?
There are stratified levels of apologies being cooked into some AI systems. There is a mild apology that is used when the incident or activity was only modestly disturbing for the human. Waiting to be used is the medium level apology that lays out a lengthier indication of what the AI is sorry about. Then there's the heightened apology, profusely seeking to offer a sorrowfulness befitting a Shakespearean play.
The passenger in a self-driving car that got jostled by the sudden halt might get a mild apology if the stopping action was not especially severe. On the other hand, if the stop was the kind that makes your teeth rattle right out of your skull, the heightened version of the apology would likely be issued.
Skeptics have an entirely different viewpoint on these AI-based apologies.
Give me reparations or something tangible to make me whole and soothed, the skeptics exhort, rather than a bunch of gooey words of an apology.
In the case of a self-driving car, the AI ought to inform you that you will be getting a ten percent discount on the driving fare for the ride, or maybe waive the bill entirely. If there is a loyalty program associated with using the self-driving car, perhaps the AI can add some padded miles into your account, doing so to try and appease your dismay at the sudden stopping action. Etc.
In short, there are the where's the beef critics that eschew the apologies if there isn't a bona fide payoff associated with the words themselves. In this view, any apology from either AI or a human is essentially worthless unless it is backed up by money in their pocket or some other form of compensation that deals with the matter underlying the incident that precipitated the apology, to begin with.
Another concern by some about apologies by AI is that it might open a veritable Pandora's box. The act of the AI apologizing could be construed as an acknowledgment that the AI did something wrong. This admission can be then utilized for any legal action against the company that made or fielded the AI system.
For the self-driving car, potentially the automaker or self-driving tech maker is shooting their own foot, one might say, due to admitting to being at fault.
The next thing you know, there are zillions of lawsuits launched by people that have received AI-based apologies, and they are all going to use as concrete evidence that the AI apologized, which certainly must mean that the AI was in the wrong and that the maker of the AI knew or could have known that the AI was going to bungle things.
Returning to the skeptics, potentially the AI offering an apology is almost like dollars in their pockets, given that the AI is handing them on a silver platter that the AI was at fault and presumably some compensation should be forthcoming accordingly, perhaps by legal court proceedings.
On a final note, there are also the perfectionists that have something to say about AI-based apologies. In their opinion, there should never be any instance of an apology being necessary, namely, the AI ought to be working perfectly all the time. If the AI is being built with apologies included, this means that the AI is not being built to achieve perfection. This is obviously then a mistake at the get-go because the AI should not be anywhere in the real world until it is perfected and won't ever need to use an apology.
How do you like those apples?
Realists would laugh at this kind of sentiment and likely say that the perfectionists are idealistic, plus the common line these days is that striving for perfection is allegedly the enemy of the good (ostensibly borrowed from Voltaire, and a variant of the so-called golden mean ascribed by philosophers such as Confucius and Aristotle).
No apologies, no regrets, goes the famous line too.
Now that you know about AI-powered apologies, it might sweeten those human uttered apologies that you get from time-to-time.
Of course, human-generated apologies are not necessarily always genuine and whole, which come to think of it, even once AI does become sentient, perhaps we won't know if the AI is just trying to offer hollow platitudes to appease us versus sincerely expressing a deep felt sorrow.
That seems like a good juncture to wrap things up on this topic and offer this sage quote by the Bard: "Parting is such sweet sorrow that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow."
Copyright 2021 Dr. Lance Eliot; This content is originally posted on AI Trends.
[Ed. Note: For reader's interested in Dr. Eliot's ongoing business analyses about the advent of self-driving cars, see his online Forbes column: https://forbes.com/sites/lanceeliot/]
http://ai-selfdriving-cars.libsyn.com/website
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Dr. Lance Eliot
Dr. Lance B. Eliot is a renowned global expert on AI, he is Chief AI Scientist at Techbrium Inc. and currently an invited Stanford Fellow at Stanford University, previously was a professor at USC, headed a pioneering AI Research Lab, was a top exec at a major VC, and serves as a longstanding regular contributor for AI Trends. His AI writings have amassed over 3.8+ million views, his podcasts exceed over 150,000 downloads, and he is the author of numerous top ranked books on AI.
Follow Lance on Twitter @LanceEliot
Dr. Eliot can be reached at ai.selfdriving.cars@gmail.com
Future of Driverless Cars Books by Dr. Eliot
Extra-Scenery Perception (ESP2) for Self-Driving Cars: Beyond the Norm
How Railroad Crossings Can Perilously Stump AI Autonomous Cars


Three nuclear physics research projects involving Michigan State University researchers have won grants from the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE-SC).
The five-year awards are part of the Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC4) program supported by the DOE-SC Offices of Nuclear Physics and Advanced Scientific Computing Research. Each of these SciDAC projects is a collaboration between scientists and computational experts at multiple national laboratories and universities, who combine their talents in science and computing to address a selected set of high-priority problems at the leading edge of research in nuclear physics, using the very powerful Leadership Class High Performance Computing (HPC) facilities available now and anticipated in the near future.
Two of the grants will support forefront research in nuclear science at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB), under construction now at MSU.
The goal of the NUCLEI (NUclear Computational Low-Energy Initiative) project is to use advanced applied mathematics, computer science, and physics to accurately describe the atomic nucleus in its entirety, one of FRIB's key research areas. The principal investigator on the NUCLEI project is Joseph Carlson from Los Alamos National Laboratory.
"The NUCLEI project builds on recent successes in large-scale computations of atomic nuclei to provide results critical to nuclear science and astrophysics, and to nuclear applications in energy and national security," said Nazarewicz.
Other MSU researchers involved in the NUCLEI project are Scott Bogner and Heiko Hergert of the FRIB Laboratory; and H. Metin Aktulga, of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
A second grant will fund the Towards Exascale Astrophysics of Mergers and Supernovae (TEAMS) research project. Improved simulations of supernovae and neutron star mergers carried out by TEAMS researchers will advance our understanding of the creation of the heaviest elements, like gold, silver, and many others, a second key research area of FRIB. How the heavy elements formed following the Big Bang is a longstanding mystery in astrophysics and cosmology. The principal investigator on the TEAMS project is William Raphael Hix from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Other MSU researchers involved in the TEAMS project are Luke Roberts from the FRIB Laboratory, and Andrew Christlieb, of CMSE.
The third grant was awarded to the Computing the Properties of Matter with Leadership Computing Resources project. Alexei Bazavov, of CMSE and the Department of Physics and Astronomy, is an investigator on the project from MSU. The principal investigator is Robert Edwards from the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility.


"It was you who by deception doomed the disobedient and freedom-loving people of Karabakh, Syunik, and Vayots Dzor to robbery and massacres. Along with social devastation, you ungodly campaigned to decapitate the people inhabiting this mountainous region.
You, consciously ignoring the most minimal requirements of revolutionary ethics, became the allies of the completely reactionary, inhuman, and Armenian-hating forces of the East, turning yesterday's republican Armenia into Kemalist Armenia.
Instead of the promised "paradise", there is hell, and instead of a thousand material goods are hunger, syphilis, blood, tears, slaughter, Mustafa Kemal, and Kemalists. This is what you brought upon the hardworking Armenian.
So you came, deceived, robbed, brought the people to revolt, but you were defeated. You lost because you had to lose: this is a decision of history, it is what humanity wants.


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