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Home » Models » 7 Series » Breaking: 2011 BMW ALPINA B7 Sedan returns to U.S
Breaking: 2011 BMW ALPINA B7 Sedan returns to U.S
7 Series | January 8th, 2010 by Horatiu Boeriu	19
BMW of North America announced today that the 2011 BMW ALPINA B7 sedan will join BMW's North American product range as the most dynamic 7 Series model. The BMW ALPINA B7 represents the second generation of ALPINA automobiles based on the BMW 7 Series to be offered in the US. The first BMW ALPINA B7 was offered as a limited edition for the 2007 and 2008 model years. Newly interpreted and based on the current BMW 7 Series platform, the B7 will again set the benchmark in terms of performance, refinement, technology, luxury and exclusivity.
Yielding exquisite levels of power and torque from the twin-turbocharged 4.4 liter V8, and in conjunction with the electronically-adjustable suspension with active roll stabilization, the new B7 promises to offer a spectrum of driving experiences so broad as to be unheard of in this class of automobiles. The evolution of the traditional 20-spoke 21″ ALPINA CLASSIC wheels underline the fresh design language found throughout the B7 and impart it a distinctive appearance and powerful stance.
The two companies, both at home in the German state of Bavaria, have a long history of working together to produce special BMW automobiles. Burkard Bovensiepen, son of the founder of ALPINA Business Machines and an enthusastic racing driver/engineer, began his automotive career path in 1961 by developing a dual-carburetor setup for the just-introduced BMW 1500 sedan. It was a predictive beginning: to take an already fine-performing BMW (which also just happened to be a practical sedan) and making it perform even better.
By 1964, BMW had officially recognized ALPINA's contribution to BMW performance. Not long thereafter, Burkard Bovensiepen founded the ALPINA company – ALPINA Burkard Bovensiepen KG – that continues today, creating special versions of BMW automobiles that offer a particular brand of performance for discriminating auto enthusiasts. Yet outside the circle of dedicated BMW enthusiasts, ALPINA has kept a low profile in North America. In addition to racing versions of BMWs, ALPINA has developed a progression of BMW-based cars based on 3, 5, 6, 8, Z4 and Z8 models and offered them on a limited-production basis. ALPINA is located in the small Bavarian city of Buchloe, some 50 miles southwest of Munich, BMW's headquarters city and the capital of Bavaria.
The B7 is the newest manifestation of the unique BMW-ALPINA synergy – once again based on the BMW 7 Series luxury sedan. Currently, BMW offers ultra-performance models of its 3, 5, 6, X5 and X6 Series developed by BMW M, BMW's own performance subsidiary. For an ultra-performance version of the 7 Series – a vehicle defined by luxury and generous interior space – something other than "M" performance character was called for.
In recent models, ALPINA has concentrated on delivering very high levels of performance with moderate rpm ranges and automatic transmission. Most appropriately, the new BMW ALPINA B7 applies this philosophy to the newest 7 Series to produce a luxury sedan of stunning performance. "A 7 Series Beyond," one might say.
The B7 sedan is equipped with BMW's twin-turbocharged 4.4 liter, all-aluminum, High Precision Direct Injection V-8 engine which has been enhanced by ALPINA and is capable of producing 500 (373kW) horsepower and 516 lb-ft (700Nm) of torque. This rear-wheel drive performance/luxury Sedan achieves 0-60 mph in 4.5 sec. With maximum torque available across an unusually broad engine range, from 3,000 to 4,750 rpm, the B7 accelerates effortlessly from virtually any speed.
The two turbochargers operate in parallel, with generously-dimensioned turbine vanes measuring 44mm in diameter. Thorough exploitation of the engine's potential was achieved by means of optimizing the indirect intercooler (air-water/water-air) with its short intake paths and flow-optimized intercooler tracts. All three intercoolers, the low-temperature intercooler integrated into the radiator package, as well as the two near-engine intercoolers are enlarged by approximately 35%, ensuring very high thermodynamic efficiency. High-performance pistons have been specified to withstand the thermodynamic forces created by a 9.2:1 compression and a maximum turbo boost of 1.0 bar. The result is a formidable specific output of 115hp (85kW) per liter, with a maximum average compression of 20.1 bar, a benchmark even amongst established sports cars.
This wide power band coupled with the six-speed sport automatic transmission gives the driver remarkably high levels of power and capability in every driving situation. The ALPINA SWITCH-TRONIC transmission control offers tailored shift characteristics for every driver and situation thanks to its Sport and Manual modes. To manually select the gears of the automatic transmission, the driver may use buttons found on the back of the ALPINA-tailored steering wheel. This results in shifts which take place in a few hundred milliseconds with minimal power interruption.
Ending in two polished double-tailpipes, the stainless-steel ALPINA exhaust system offers up that deep and sonorous yet not intrusive V8 sound that enthusiasts have come to expect from ALPINA.
The BMW ALPINA B7 builds on the state-of-the-art adaptive suspension technologies of the 7 Series, including tuned Dynamic Damping Control and Active Roll Stabilization, to the demanding requirements of a high performance sedan. Long gone are the days when a purely "hard and sporty" ride was a sought-after attribute of suspension set-ups. Striving for truly neutral handling continues to be the goal, yielding the best of what is technologically feasible. In pursuit of this goal, shorter and uniquely calibrated springs reduce front and rear ride height by 15mm and 10mm respectively. Dynamic Damping Control and Active Roll Stabilization enable the driver to select from three distinct suspension set-ups: Comfort, Normal and Sport. These are intentionally calibrated to provide noticeably different set-ups, influencing the characteristic of the dampers, the Active Roll Stabilization as well as the parameters of the power steering assist, throttle response algorithms and load-reversal damping. The Sport-Plus mode automatically shifts the Dynamic Stability Control system into Dynamic Traction Control (DTC). This allows noticeably more slip at the driven wheels and delayed intervention by the traction control system.
Together with the 21″ wheel and tire combination, the suspension is at once sensitive to inputs and direct in its feel, yet free from the harshness of a purely sports-oriented suspension. The light-weight 21″ wheels, with their new interpretation of the ALPINA CLASSIC wheel design, are shod with a specially selected staggered MICHELIN PS2 tire set-up: 245/35 R21 front and 285/30 R21 rear.
The result is that the BMW ALPINA B7 captures an agility associated with much smaller sedans, while preserving the ride quality associated with the BMW 7 Series.
The B7 sedan is finished with ALPINA aerodynamic developments, including front and rear spoilers which not only enhance the appearance but also improve stability and performance at high speeds. In true "form-follows-function" fashion, the ALPINA front integrates the fresh-air requirements of the transmission and engine oil coolers, which are separated out of the main cooler module for improved efficiency. The spoilers reduce lift at the front by 30% and rear by15%. The exhaust system's two double tailpipes are seamlessly integrated into the rear bumper. The newest evolution of the traditional 20-spoke ALPINA CLASSIC wheels gives the B7 a distinctive appearance and powerful stance.
The interior of the B7 sedan features ALPINA blue illuminated door sill trims, the SWITCH-TRONIC steering wheel in hand-stitched LAVALINA leather, and the Black-Panel LCD screen instrument cluster branded with ALPINA. Exclusive interior luxury wood trim in the form of Myrtle Burl, a knotted burl of the Laurel only found on the Pacific Coast of the United States, provides a warm and traditional ambience. Optional ALPINA Piano Lacquer interior trim with its silver diagonal rhombs, offers a modern alternative.
The full complement of BMW 7 Series exterior colors remains available, in addition to the signature ALPINA Blue metallic paint.
Discreet metal ALPINA emblems adorn the upper seatbacks of the standard leather Comfort seats and are inlayed in the wood trim. An additional ALPINA plaque indentifying the car is mounted on the inner roof panel just ahead of the sunroof. Even the engine bay carries a subtle signature by tidily presenting itself with a newly-designed ALPINA engine cover.
[Source: BMW ]
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Business Coronavirus News The NorthSider
Black clergy take questions to Parson
April 18, 2020 at 8:00 pm 0
JEFFERSON CITY – Black clergy leaders from around Missouri spoke with Gov. Mike Parson on Friday via conference call to discuss the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus on African-Americans.
The call from members of the St. Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition was organized by longtime pastor and activist the Rev. Darryl Gray, who said in a press release that in light of the devastating effect that the pandemic has had on black Missourians, they wanted to know specifics about his office's initiatives and resources to address the problem.
Parson has held weekly conference calls with faith leaders, but most of the discussions have been general, with few details.
Gray's group asked Parson about a coordinated effort for contact tracing; designation of service industry workers as essential personnel, with personal protection equipment; and collection and public release of data according to racial demographics.
The clergy pushed for more testing, especially for people in lower-income jobs that tend to involve close contact with the public. Parson plans to start allowing many businesses to reopen as of May 3, but that stirred concern for those vulnerable workers.
"What is your justification for opening up the state when we don't have testing?" he was asked.
Parson responded, "I know we're going to be able to do more testing. I firmly believe that that's going to happen, and we are doing that as I speak."
He said that different areas of the state would reopen at different times and that urban areas would probably have to keep their stay-at-home orders longer.
They want Parson to provide resources to civic and faith groups to help them help people in need. And they want him to commit to listen to advice from black leaders.
They also want Parson to put together a plan for mail-in voting for the 2020 elections ahead.
"It is often said that 'When America catches a cold, Black America catches pneumonia,'" Gray said in his statement. "That adage has rung true during this pandemic, especially in the St. Louis region."
He added, "We felt that we needed to heard directly from the governor about these and other issues."
Trump consults faith leaders on phased-in reopening
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump held a call with faith leaders on Friday that included discussion about a phased-in return to broader in-person worship after weeks of religious services largely shifting online in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump's call with faith leaders came one day after the White House included houses of worship among "large venues" that could be able to reopen while observing "strict physical distancing protocols" in the first stage of a three-part plan to reopen a U.S. economy that's been frozen by the toll of the highly contagious virus.
The call included representatives of multiple Christian denominations as well as Jewish and Islamic leaders, according to a statement distributed by the White House.
Participants in the call with faith leaders said it featured discussion about how restarting in-person worship could work, without any conclusion reached, and underscored their commitment to not imperiling the health of the faithful. Indeed, Trump has said that governors would be empowered to spearhead their states' paces of economic reopening.
The faith leaders' conversation with Trump is not the only sign that religious leaders are beginning to explore how to resume in-person worship services. The Christian executive search firm Vanderbloemen has launched ReopeningChurch.com and ReopeningSchool.com websites to start a conversation on that process.
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Tags coronavirus covid-19 darryl gray Mike Parson st. louis metropolitan clergy coalition
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President Ramaphosa says some businesses will resume on the 1st of May | Cigarette sales will be allowed
President Ramaphosa addressed South Africans on Thursday night.
The president started addressing South Africans by saying many people do not even know they have the disease.
There are people who have severe symptoms and need to be hospitalized the president said.
These are usually older people and those with underlying disease. For some, Covid-19 is deadly. In SA, at least 75 people lost their lives.
Since I declared the virus as a national disaster on March 15, the goal was to avoid an uncontrollable need for medical treatment in hospitals.
By slowing down the spread of the virus, we were able to prepare our health facilities and obtain the necessary medical supplies in the hope of saving thousands of lives the president said.
There is clear evidence that the state of restriction works. This has slowed the progress of the pandemic in the country.
The World Health Organization has our faith for our speedy action based on scientific facts.
According to the President, the restriction cannot be sustained indefinitely. We need to eat and work, businesses have to start doing business again.
Here's how it's going to work:
Level 5 – hard lockdown
Level 4 – some activity
Level 3 – easing of some restrictions
Level 2 – further easing of restrictions with the maintenance of distancing and restrictions on socialising
Level 1 – Almost back to normal but not quite
— Ferial Haffajee (@ferialhaffajee) April 23, 2020
To ensure that we remain focused on combating the virus, there will be a national, provincial and local response plan. We are currently at level 5 the president said.
When South Africa move to level 4 on May 1, our borders will remain closed for international travel except for the repatriation of citizens the president said.
All events except funerals will still be prohibited. Older people and those with underlying illnesses must stay home and take additional measures.
The sale of cigarettes will be allowed. It is important to note that various restrictions will be in effect as long as the risk of the virus is present.
Bars and so on will remain closed. Concerts, sporting events and religious events will not be allowed until it is safe.
If people do not travel or move around, the virus does not travel. We know that one funeral in Port St. Johns and one church service in Bloemfontein led to large numbers of infections in their respective provinces. Most cases are found in just six subways. These are Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Cape Town, Buffallo City, Ethekwini and Mangaung.
This is why we still limit people as strictly as possible and ask people to avoid contact with each other. Ultimately, it is our own actions as individuals that will determine how quickly the virus spreads. If we adhere to the guidelines, we can keep it under control the president said.
The President says as we ease the restriction on May 1, we ask citizens to wear face masks at all times when they leave their homes. The extraordinary measures we have put in place are accompanied by the extraordinary actions of our medical and other essential workers who are at the forefront in our fight against the virus. We made sure they got everything they needed.
As we slowly ease the restriction, we are increasing our public campaign against the virus as our screening and testing campaigns nationwide.
We are led by the WHO and join other African countries as we increase the virus.
See the full address below:
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Ask PSC
Article VII Transmission Facilities
Utilities We Regulate
Cable TV Companies
Q: How will electric competition affect me?
Q: Do I have to choose a new electricity supplier?
Q: What are energy service companies (ESCOs)?
Q: Who will come if I have a problem with my electricity?
Q: Will different companies need to put up power lines in my neighborhood?
Q: Who will read and maintain the meters at my home or business?
Q: Is there a chance I will lose power when I switch companies?
Q: How will I be billed for service?
Q: Can I switch companies more than once?
A: Yes. You can switch from one company to another, or you can return to your current utility company for your electricity supply at any time. You should consider the terms and conditions of the ESCO agreement before you decide to switch.
Q: Will I be protected from being switched from one power supplier to another without my knowledge or approval?
A: Yes. To minimize the potential for the unauthorized switching of providers of electric service, a practice known as "slamming," the PSC requires ESCOs to disclose in writing - before a customer receives service - their terms and conditions for obtaining, maintaining and stopping service from that ESCO. These provisions, copies of which are filed with the PSC, include a ban against the transfer of a customer to another provider without the customer's permission. Preventive measures have been taken by the PSC. ESCOs, which "slam", must pay all costs and fees incurred by the customer and the utility arising from the unauthorized switch in providers, as well as switching the customer back. In addition, ESCOs will be subject to penalties imposed by the PSC.
Q: Can an ESCO shut off my power?
Q: What if I have a complaint with my electricity supplier?
Q: What if I have a complaint with my local utility that delivers my electricity?
A: Because the local utility that transmits and delivers your electricity will continue to be regulated by the PSC, you may continue to register complaints with the Commission's staff. Staff can assist you in resolving the complaints against the regulated transmission and distribution company. If you wish to register a complaint, call 1-800-342-3377.
Q: Do I have to choose a new gas supplier?
A: No. However, you may wish to compare prices and services offered by ESCOs. Your gas supplier will continue to provide your gas if you prefer not to change suppliers.
Q: Who do I call if I smell a gas odor?
Q: Is there a chance my gas supply will be interrupted when I switch companies?
Q: Who will read and maintain the meters at my business?
A: You gas supplier will continue for now to be responsible for reading and maintaining meters.
A: Yes. However, you should consider the terms and conditions of the ESCO's gas supply contract before you decide to switch.
Q: Can an ESCO shut off my gas?
Q: What if I have a complaint with my gas supplier?
Q: What if my service gets switched without me asking?
Q: Can I choose more than one company for different telephone services?
Q: Do I have to pick a long distance company?
Q: How can I make long-distance calls?
A: To make long distance calls from most homes or businesses, you can use your chosen long distance company. You can also use a calling card (prepaid or from a company that bills you), one of the advertised "10-10" ("dial around") services, or a toll-free telephone number that connects you to a specific long-distance company.
Q: Will I still be able to find the phone numbers of people or businesses that have a different local phone company?
Q: Are there different sources for directory assistance?
Q: What company do I call for repairs if more than one company provides my telephone services?
Q: How will I be billed?
Q: Can I lose my basic local telephone service if I do not pay other charges, such as long distance charges?
Q: What is "slamming?"
Q: What is "cramming?"
Q: What do I do if I've been slammed or crammed?
Q: What should I consider if I want to use a wireless phone instead of traditional telephone service?
Q: Is a landlord required to allow a cable television company access to a building for the purposes of installing equipment...
Q: Is a landlord required to allow a cable television company access to a building for the purposes of installing equipment to serve customers residing in other buildings?
A: Yes. New York Public Service Law �228 states that no landlord may interfere with the installation of cable television company equipment in or on his or her building. This includes equipment installed to provide service for cable television company customers in the landlord's building and in other buildings. A landlord is also required to allow a cable television company access to his or her building for the purpose of conducting a survey of the site or making other preparations for cable television company installations. Cable television companies are required to provide a notice of the request for entry, including a proposed date.
Q: Is compensation provided for allowing a cable television company to install cables, switches, and other equipment in a bu...
Q: What are my rights with respect to a cable company's access to my property?
Q: What is an Order of Entry?
Q: What happens if cable television company personnel damage any property during an installation?
A: The cable television company is required to reimburse a landlord for any damage related to an installation on or within the property.
See other web pages in the category: Other
Your Rights & Consumer Protections
Lifeline Discount Telephone Service
How to shop for Utility Service
Power to Choose
Utility Service Interruptions
- What you should do
NY's Green Power Program
Frequently Asked Questions updated: 03/11/2019 10:03:43 AM
DPS Home Page
DPS - Long Island Home Page
Freedom of Information Law (FOIL)
Website / Help
FREE LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE: 1-800-342-3377


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College students take ADHD drugs for better grades
By Aaron Cooper, CNN
Updated 7:52 AM ET, Thu September 1, 2011
For some students, the use of study drugs is so common they don't see it as a problem.
Researcher finds 30% of students have illegally used ADHD drugs Adderall or Ritalin
"I'm more driven. I don't focus on anything else," user says
Expert says drugs like Adderall can produce jitters, headaches, stomach problems
Jared Gabay is like many other college students. When he has a big test coming up, he turns to what's called a "study drug" for a little extra boost.
"I'm more driven. I don't focus on anything else," the Auburn University senior says about taking the drugs. "If I have a paper, that's all I'm doing. No distractions, no socializing, just on with it. "
Gabay takes the prescription drug Adderall, designed to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. He doesn't have ADHD or a prescription, but the drug is not hard for him to get. "It's easy -- not sketchy or perceived in a bad way," he says. "Maybe a simple text or a phone call. 'Hey mind if I get some Adderall? I've got a long night ahead of me.'" After taking the pill he hits the books in his fraternity house room, pulling an all-nighter studying.
It's a scene that is playing out at college campuses across the United States.
Alan DeSantis, a professor and researcher at the University of Kentucky, has tracked study drug use there. "It's abused more than marijuana and easier to get," he says. DeSantis' research found that 30% of students at the university have illegally used a stimulant, like the ADHD drugs Adderall or Ritalin. The numbers increase with upperclassmen. Half of all juniors and seniors have used the drugs, the study found, and 80% of upperclassmen in fraternities and sororities have taken them.
Adderall is an amphetamine and can be habit forming. The federal government lists it as a schedule II drug. Drugs in that category have, according to U.S. law "the highest abuse potential and dependence profile of all drugs that have medical utility."
Dr. Raymond Kotwicki, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Emory University's school of medicine in Atlanta, says he worries about students who might take these drugs. "They might produce euphoria, they might temporarily make it easier... but in the long run there are significant problems both in terms of thinking, mood problems, maybe even functionality."
Kotwicki, who also is the medical director at the Skyland Trail mental health treatment facility in Atlanta, says drugs like Adderall can produce jitters, headaches, stomach problems or even eventually lead to psychosis, a mental disorder that includes the loss of contact with reality. Additionally, he worries about pressure on students to be perfect, saying, "If you're a student and you feel you are not good enough to be able to do things without the aid of external help, that's an idea that gets reinforced that can lead to a whole bunch of different problems."
Students apparently don't see it that way. Another telling statistic from DeSantis' research at the University of Kentucky is how dangerous the students think these cognitive enhancing stimulants are. They say they see Adderall as slightly more dangerous than the soft drink Mountain Dew and nowhere near as dangerous as drinking beer and smoking.
Taking drugs without a prescription or buying the controlled substances is illegal and students who use the drugs could face prosecution.
But for students like Gabay, use of study drugs is so common they don't see it as a problem. "I would see how the law is there," he says. "I consider it kind of an unwritten rule. It's accepted. ... It's OK if you're just getting it for one thing. If you're consistently using it and not prescribed that's crossing the line."
Some scientists say cognitive enhancement drugs should be carefully legalized and made available for this kind of use. In the journal Nature in 2008, a commentary by five researchers said, "We should welcome new methods of improving our brain function." They added, "Safe and effective cognitive enhancers will benefit both the individual and society."
Gabay says the drug works for him. "I'm just in a really good mood right now," he says, leaving a university building. "I just did great on the test. I can still feel some of the effects, but they are starting to wear off."
He aced the test and got an A in the class. It's something Gabay has seen happen over and over since he started taking study drugs. He says he used to get Cs, but now with the help of Adderall, it's B's and A's.


Campaign financial records show South Dakota Republican governor candidate Kristi Noem raised more than a half million dollars from an event featuring President Donald Trump.
RAPID CITY — Campaign financial records show South Dakota Republican governor candidate Kristi Noem raised more than a half million dollars from an event featuring President Donald Trump.
A federal finance report filed Monday shows the September fundraiser brought in $518,780.
The Rapid City Journal reports the bulk of the money raised went to Noem-related committees, including more than $193,000 to her campaign and almost $59,000 to her running mate.
Noem is facing Democrat Billie Sutton. His campaign has accused Noem of violating her own campaign pledge by establishing a joint fundraising committee, which let donors write one check for up to $23,000 despite state law capping contributions at a lower amount.
Legally, Noem's campaign committee could've received the money the joint fundraising committee transferred to the other groups, but Noem says she believes in maintaining contribution limits.


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Q: What to do if my LSTM model doesn't learn I have taken text input then converted to a sequence of values and fed it to LSTM model where my loss is not reducing and accuracy is abnormal.

The above image is about training and validation accuracy. Here I have taken 10 epochs but even for 100 epochs or 1000 epochs the graph is similar.

The above image is about training and validation loss, there is no change in it. No reduction in loss.
How can I make my model learn.
The considered learning rate is 0.05
Model Architecture is
model = tf.keras.Sequential([tf.keras.layers.Embedding(vocab_size, embedding_dim),tf.keras.layers.Bidirectional(tf.keras.layers.LSTM(embedding_dim,dropout=0.3)),tf.keras.layers.Dense(embedding_dim, activation='relu'), tf.keras.layers.Dense(2, activation='softmax')])

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Cable modem hackers conquer the co-ax
Uncap in hand
Kevin Poulsen
Thu 5 Feb 2004 // 22:33 UTC
A small and diverse band of hobbyists steeped in the obscure languages of embedded systems has released its own custom firmware for a popular brand of cable modem, along with a technique for loading it -- a development that's already made life easier for uncappers and service squatters, and threatens to topple long-held assumptions about the privacy of cable modem communications.
The program, called Sigma, was released in its final version last month, and has reportedly been downloaded 350 to 400 times a day ever since. It's designed to be flashed into the non-volatile memory of certain models of Motorola's Surfboard line, where it runs in parallel with the device's normal functionality. It gives users almost complete control of their cable modem -- a privilege previously reserved for the service provider.
The project is the work of a gang of coders called TCNiSO. With about ten active members worldwide, the group is supported by contributions from the uncapping community -- speed-hungry Internet users who rely on TCNiSO's research and free hackware to surmount the bandwidth caps imposed by service providers, usually in violation of their service agreement, if not the law. To them, Sigma is a delight, because it makes it simple to change the modem's configuration file -- the key to uncapping, and, on some systems, to getting free anonymous service using "unregistered" modems. "I've known TCNiSO for two years now and I've done a lot of things with their techniques," wrote a Canadian uncapper in an e-mail interview. "Sigma is the greatest one I've seen."
To make Sigma work, uncappers most commonly use a hardware hack developed by TCNiSO that tricks the Surfboard into accepting the custom code. Under an industry standard called DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification), cable modems only permit changes to their internal programming that are sent down the pipe by the service provider -- users are prevented, Xbox-style, from running unapproved code, even on a modem they own.
But TCNiSO discovered that the Surfboard modem contains an undocumented vestigial console port, through which the boot process can be controlled. The group published a detailed tutorial for tapping into the serial port, which involves opening the modem and connecting two wires at particular points on the circuit board, then routing them through an inexpensive chip that converts the signal to RS-232 levels-- allowing the user to plug in a PC running a terminal program. Users less handy with a soldering iron can purchase a special conversion cable from TCNiSO's website to simplify the process.
From there, the user simply reboots the modem. A stream of text comes down the port describing the boot process, which the user can interrupt with a keystroke, then redirect by typing in a new boot string. The modem can be told to boot from any FTP server -- in this case, one running on the user's own PC, and serving up Sigma. Once the new firmware is loaded, it becomes part of the modem, and the process need not be repeated.
With Sigma installed, the cable modem lays exposed for what it really is: a versatile computer in its own right. Built on a powerful MIPS processor, the modem's native operating system is VxWorks, the same OS used by the Mars rovers. Sigma unlocks that hidden capability -- users can "rlogin" to the modem and interact with a VxWorks shell, or browse to a custom Web interface that sports easy-to-use and form fields for executing commands, or changing parameters normally controlled remotely by the service provider.
Eavesdropping Risks
While it's a boon to uncappers, the security implications of firmware hacking go beyond mere bandwidth-boosting and theft-of-service. The topography of cable modem networks typically puts between 500 and 1,000 homes in a neighborhood on the same circuit, their Internet traffic all mingled on the same co-ax cable. Subscribers are prevented from eavesdropping on their neighbors' traffic by their own modem, which is programmed to only pass packets destined for them. By building on TCNiSO's hacking technique, a malefactor could write custom code to forward all the raw network traffic to their PC.
Outside security experts have generally dismissed any eavesdropping threat on modern cable systems based on a belief that cable companies are encrypting customer traffic, a capability built into all DOCSIS-certified modems since 1999. But while encryption would indeed thwart any eavesdropping attempt, in the most commonly-deployed version of the DOCSIS standard, version 1.0, the encryption option is just that -- an option, and one that's turned off by default. "The security has to be there" in the modem, says Oscar Marcia, chief security architect at for CableLabs, the industry group responsible for DOCSIS. "But the [service provider] can decide when to turn it on."
And turning it on they are, Marcia says, but slowly, and in bits and pieces, even five years after the option became available. "It's kind of a gradual process... They want to make sure that they have all the kinks worked out of their system." He adds that he expects the process to accelerate as cable companies migrate to newer versions of the DOCSIS specifications, where encryption is "on" by default, instead of off.
SecurityFocus asked four U.S. cable modem service providers if they protected their customers with the encryption option. Comcast, Adelphia, and CableVision's Optimum Online declined comment; a spokesman for Time Warner's Road Runner service didn't return repeated phone calls on the question. Comcast's terms of service, however, acknowledges a risk of eavesdropping by "other subscribers," and Optimum Online's bluntly admits the company doesn't utilize encryption: "All Subscriber's ethernet traffic ... will be reflected by the cable Modem in an unencrypted form onto the cable network and be subject to eavesdropping."
The architecture of cable modem networks likely prevents eavesdropping of upstream traffic, liked typed passwords and credit card numbers, and websites using SSL would be immune from passive monitoring. "But downstream traffic is certainly visible to lots of people if crypto isn't used," said AT&T security researcher Steve Bellovin, in an e-mail interview.
The potential for spying and other mischief based on TCNiSO's research is not lost on "DerEngel" -- the 23-year-old unemployed programmer who heads the group. In an effort to be responsible, the group programmed Sigma to block execution of the VxWorks functions that change the modem's MAC address, a capability that could otherwise wreak havoc on a network in the wrong hands. And on the group's website, DerEngel offers to provide cable companies with a tool to detect Sigma in use. "If you're going to make the crack, might as well sell the glue," he says. So far, no one's taken him up on the offer.
DerEngel says he and a friend began hacking cable modems three years ago. Since then, the number of coders and researchers working on TCNiSO projects has grown to ten, each with specialized skill sets, hand-picked by DerEngel with the care of the roguish ringleader in a caper movie assembling a team for a big score. He has a C coder and a Windows programmer in Australia, a programmable memory expert in the U.K., testers in Europe and Canada, and an assembly language coder in Kentucky.
The latter is "Isabella," a 31-year-old programmer who coded Sigma from her home near Louisville. Isabella scratches out a living doing odd software and hardware jobs, like designing an electronic light toy, or writing the embedded code that operates the ghosts and goblins in a local haunted house attraction every Halloween. DerEngel approached her online last year, after hearing she was good with an assembler and might be interested in helping.
Underemployed and intrigued by the possibilities, Isabella wrote Sigma in three months of days-long spurts of creativity. She doesn't have cable modem service. "Everybody, it seems like, messes with PC-based stuff, but nobody that I know does the embedded thing," she says, explaining her interest in the project. "And Der is really nice. Some people think he's kind of crazy, but I figured out how to deal with it."
How crazy? When Isabella mentioned to DerEngel that she was looking for a better MIPS assembler for the job, she expected him to suggest one of the free programs already available. Instead, he wrote a new one from scratch, filling it with features particularly useful to firmware hacking. "He wrote a good assembler," she says. "Der was determined to do it."
Indeed, the accumulated talent of the group's members has begun to dwarf their raison d'être, and the coders seem to know it. DerEngel is barely interested in discussing uncapping, and speaks instead of the possibilities of writing plug-ins for Sigma -- extensible by design -- that would transform the capabilities of the Surfboard, turning it into a NAT box and a firewall. Isabella thinks they can program the modem to tune to the channels used by the cable companies' digital music feeds, which -- like TV programming -- share the co-ax with the cable modem service. The hack might let the modem send music to the user's PC, where it could be streamed in real time.
Ultimately, DerEngel and Isabella would even like to go legit, and turn the group into a research shop for cable system providers, or at least make a deal that allows TCNiSO to test their techniques in a sanctioned laboratory setting. But after three-years as the preeminent underground think tank for cable modem uncappers, DerEngel is realistic about the future. "In this industry you can't be the good guy and the bad guy," he says. "So I guess we have to hide for now, for that reason, because everyone will perceive us as the bad guys... I think they look at us as hacking something that we shouldn't, instead of just interested in electronics and trying to get better at what we do."
Of course, the cable industry has it's own impossible dreams, which include preventing smart coders with lots of time and restless passion from hacking the next generation of cable modems. "What you're talking about only affects the DOCSIS 1.0 modems," says CableLabs' Marcia of the Surfboard hack. The DOCSIS 1.1 and 2.0 specifications only accept firmware that's been digitally signed by the cable company. "Once you move to a DOCSIS 1.1, and we already have some cable operators deploying 1.1, this hack is not a viable hack any more.... One mistake, and it turns the modem into a brick."
But DerEngel doesn't believe any cable modem is going to be immune from customization, and he says his team is ready to prove it. "If you have to, you can just change the [programmable memory chip] -- desolder it, put it back on there," he says. "As long as the customer has the actual hardware in their hands, the customer will always be able to change what he has."


She'd been dead for two hours when she smiled at me. Her teeth reflected the yellow arc-sodium light streaming in through the windshield. No pleasure in the smile—something almost predatory lingered in the curve of teeth—and I had to look away.
My driver-side window was partway down, and I could smell wet asphalt and blood. Insects tap-tap-tapped against the grimy, warped plastic that enclosed the light on the motel wall. Tap. Tap. Tap-tap. Relentless. Driven. Mindless.


3.7L DOHC 24-valve V6 engine.
6-speed automatic transmission w/OD & sport shift.
Active torque split all-wheel drive.
Independent front MacPherson strut suspension.
Engine speed sensing pwr rack & pinion steering.
Pwr ventilated front/rear disc brakes w/twin piston front calipers.
20" x 7.5" aluminum wheels.
Xenon (HID) headlights w/auto on/off & manual leveling.
Body-color pwr heated mirrors w/side markers.
Variable intermittent rain-sensing windshield wipers.
Variable intermittent rear wiper w/washer.
AM/FM audio system w/CD/MP3 player, (6) speakers, aux input jack.
160-watt AM/FM stereo w/CD player -inc: (6) speakers, MP3/WMA playback, auxiliary input jack, USB interface, radio data system (RDS), speed-sensitive volume control (SVC).
Leather trimmed front/2nd row seats.
Heated front reclining bucket seats w/8-way pwr adjustable driver seat, 4-way pwr adjustable passenger seat, pwr driver lumbar support, driver 3-position memory, high/low adjustable heating.
60/40 split fold-flat 2nd row reclining seats w/tilt & slide rear-access mechanism.
Front center console w/(2) cup holders.
Front leather-wrapped center console armrest w/storage.
2nd row center armrest w/storage, (2) cup holders.
(4) 3rd row cup holders.
1st/2nd/3rd row carpeted floor mats.
Leather-wrapped tilt/telescopic steering wheel w/mounted audio controls.
Instrumentation-inc: tachometer, (2) trip odometers, trip computer, coolant temp/fuel gauges, outside temp display, digital clock.
Pwr windows w/driver & passenger one-touch up/down & anti-pinch.
Pwr door locks w/speed-sensitive auto locking.
Keyless entry system w/Mazda advanced keyless entry system & start system.
(3) auxiliary 12-volt pwr outlets.
Front/rear door storage pockets w/bottle holders.
Auto dimming rearview mirror w/rain sensor cover.
Lighting-inc: front door/cargo courtesy lamps, ignition, map lamps, glove box.
Dual sun visors w/illuminated vanity mirrors, extenders, cloth covers.
Front driver-side seatback map pocket.
Leather-trimmed heated front bucket seats -inc: 10-way pwr driver seat, driver pwr lumbar, active head restraints.
Driver & front passenger airbags -inc: passenger weight sensor.
Front/2nd row/3rd row side impact air curtains w/rollover protection.
3-point seat belts for all seating positions.
Front belts w/pretensioners & force limiters.
2nd row child seat lower anchors & tethers (LATCH system).
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin March 7, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 0717A..
Mazda North American Operations (Mazda) is recalling certain model year 2007-2014 CX-9 vehicles manufactured October 24, 2006, to December 28, 2013. The affected vehicles have front suspension ball joints that may corrode from water leaking into the fitting..
Over time, the ball joint corrosion may result in the front lower control arm separating from the ball joint, causing a loss of steering control and increasing the risk of a crash..
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace both the left and right lower control arms, free of charge. In early September 2015, owners will be mailed an interim notification informing them of recall. When remedy parts are available, owners will be mailed a second notification. The recall will begin with model year 2007-2009 vehicles registered in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The second phase will be for model year 2010-2014 vehicles in the same states. Finally, all remaining vehicles will be remedied. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 8515G..
Mazda will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger side air bag inflator with an alternate inflator, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin August 15, 2017. Owners may contact Mazda customer service at 1-800-222-5500. Mazda's number for this recall is 1317F. Note: This recall supersedes recall 17V-012..


text:
The helicopter is an integral part of aviation history. Today helicopters are essential for deer hunting, conservation and aerial topdressing. In East Timor, RNZAF Iroquois helicopters were vital to the NZ Battalion's peace enforcement and border security role.
When the familiar thock thock thock of an Iroquois helicopter resounds over the crowd at Whittaker's Wings over Wairarapa, it will bring back more than 30 years of memories. Thanks to the Vietnam War and countless movies and TV shows, the Iroquois has come to symbolise the modern helicopter and its role in supporting troops or undertaking Search and Rescue. The RNZAF Iroquois on display first entered service in 1966 and since then these versatile helicopters have flown in the Antarctic, from ships and throughout New Zealand, as well as in Malaysia, East Timor and the Pacific islands.
Attempts to fly helicopters were made as early as 1908, but it was Igor Sikorsky, a Russian aviation pioneer who migrated to the United States, who first solved the problems of controlling the rotors and achieving stable vertical flight. The rotor is in essence two rotating 'wings' which create lift by moving through the air in the manner of a conventional wing. However the secret of control and forward flight is to control the whole 'disc' formed by the rotating blades, to allow forward flight. This means the helicopter pilot has to operate a 'collective' control as well as the conventional joystick.
The Korean War proved the battlefield value of helicopters then the Vietnam War confirmed the helicopter's place in modern conflict. The Bell UH-1 Iroquois, or 'Huey' as it became known within the military, was designed and developed in the late 1950s. The larger UH-1H version came off the production lines in 1966 – the RNZAF was the first foreign customer for this version of the Iroquois.
While the RNZAF operates some of the oldest Iroquois in the world, they also have the brand-new Seasprite helicopters for operation from our frigates. It is anticipated that one Seasprite will also be on display, showing its power, manouverability and its weapon load. Maritime helicopters are integral to modern naval operations and this month, one Seasprite is deployed on operational service in the Arabian Sea aboard HMNZS Te Kaha.


text:
package org.apache.calcite.sql;

import org.apache.calcite.sql.fun.SqlStdOperatorTable;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.parser.SqlParserPos;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.type.ReturnTypes;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.util.SqlBasicVisitor;
import org.apache.calcite.sql.util.SqlVisitor;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

/**
 * An operator describing a query. (Not a query itself.)
 *
 *
Operands are:

 *
 *

 *
0: distinct ({@link SqlLiteral})

 *
1: selectClause ({@link SqlNodeList})

 *
2: fromClause ({@link SqlCall} to "join" operator)

 *
3: whereClause ({@link SqlNode})

 *
4: havingClause ({@link SqlNode})

 *
5: qualifyClause ({@link SqlNode})

 *
6: groupClause ({@link SqlNode})

 *
7: windowClause ({@link SqlNodeList})

 *
8: orderClause ({@link SqlNode})

 *

 */
public class SqlSelectOperator extends SqlOperator {
  public static final SqlSelectOperator INSTANCE =
      new SqlSelectOperator();

  //~ Constructors -----------------------------------------------------------

  private SqlSelectOperator() {
    super("SELECT", SqlKind.SELECT, 2, true, ReturnTypes.SCOPE, null, null);
  }

  //~ Methods ----------------------------------------------------------------

  public SqlSyntax getSyntax() {
    return SqlSyntax.SPECIAL;
  }

  public SqlCall createCall(
      SqlLiteral functionQualifier,
      SqlParserPos pos,
      SqlNode... operands) {
    assert functionQualifier == null;
    return new SqlSelect(pos,
        /*keywordList=*/ (SqlNodeList) operands[0],
        /*selectList=*/ (SqlNodeList) operands[1],
        /* from= */ operands[2],
        /* where= */ operands[3],
        /*groupBy=*/ (SqlNodeList) operands[4],
        /*having=*/ operands[5],
        /*qualify=*/ operands[6],
        /*windowDecls=*/ (SqlNodeList) operands[7],
        /*orderBy=*/ (SqlNodeList) operands[8],
        /*offset=*/ operands[9],
        /*fetch=*/ operands[10],
        /*hints=*/ (SqlNodeList) operands[11]);
  }

  /**
   * Creates a call to the SELECT operator.
   *
   * @param keywordList List of keywords such DISTINCT and ALL, or null
   * @param selectList  The SELECT clause, or null if empty
   * @param fromClause  The FROM clause
   * @param whereClause The WHERE clause, or null if not present
   * @param groupBy     The GROUP BY clause, or null if not present
   * @param having      The HAVING clause, or null if not present
   * @param qualify     The QUALIFY clause, or null if not present
   * @param windowDecls The WINDOW clause, or null if not present
   * @param orderBy     The ORDER BY clause, or null if not present
   * @param offset      Expression for number of rows to discard before
   *                    returning first row
   * @param fetch       Expression for number of rows to fetch
   * @param pos         The parser position, or
   *                    {@link org.apache.calcite.sql.parser.SqlParserPos#ZERO}
   *                    if not specified; must not be null.
   * @return A {@link SqlSelect}, never null
   */
  public SqlSelect createCall(
      SqlNodeList keywordList,
      SqlNodeList selectList,
      SqlNode fromClause,
      SqlNode whereClause,
      SqlNodeList groupBy,
      SqlNode having,
      SqlNode qualify,
      SqlNodeList windowDecls,
      SqlNodeList orderBy,
      SqlNode offset,
      SqlNode fetch,
      SqlNodeList hints,
      SqlParserPos pos) {
    return new SqlSelect(
        pos,
        keywordList,
        selectList,
        fromClause,
        whereClause,
        groupBy,
        having,
        qualify,
        windowDecls,
        orderBy,
        offset,
        fetch,
        hints);
  }

  public <R> void acceptCall(
      SqlVisitor<R> visitor,
      SqlCall call,
      boolean onlyExpressions,
      SqlBasicVisitor.ArgHandler<R> argHandler) {
    if (!onlyExpressions) {
      // None of the arguments to the SELECT operator are expressions.
      super.acceptCall(visitor, call, onlyExpressions, argHandler);
    }
  }

  @SuppressWarnings("deprecation")
  public void unparse(
      SqlWriter writer,
      SqlCall call,
      int leftPrec,
      int rightPrec) {
    SqlSelect select = (SqlSelect) call;
    final SqlWriter.Frame selectFrame =
        writer.startList(SqlWriter.FrameTypeEnum.SELECT);
    writer.sep("SELECT");

    if (select.hasHints()) {
      writer.sep("/*+");
      select.hints.unparse(writer, 0, 0);
      writer.print("*/");
      writer.newlineAndIndent();
    }

    for (int i = 0; i < select.keywordList.size(); i++) {
      final SqlNode keyword = select.keywordList.get(i);
      keyword.unparse(writer, 0, 0);
    }
    if (select.topN != null) {
      writer.topN(select.topN);
    } else {
      writer.fetchAsTopN(select.fetch, select.offset);
    }
    final SqlNodeList selectClause =
        select.selectList != null
            ? select.selectList
            : SqlNodeList.of(SqlIdentifier.star(SqlParserPos.ZERO));
    writer.list(SqlWriter.FrameTypeEnum.SELECT_LIST, SqlWriter.COMMA,
        selectClause);
    if (select.from != null) {
      // Calcite SQL requires FROM but MySQL does not.
      writer.sep("FROM");

      // for FROM clause, use precedence just below join operator to make
      // sure that an un-joined nested select will be properly
      // parenthesized
      final SqlWriter.Frame fromFrame =
          writer.startList(SqlWriter.FrameTypeEnum.FROM_LIST);
      select.from.unparse(
          writer,
          SqlJoin.OPERATOR.getLeftPrec() - 1,
          SqlJoin.OPERATOR.getRightPrec() - 1);
      writer.endList(fromFrame);
    }

    if (select.where != null) {
      writer.sep("WHERE");

      if (!writer.isAlwaysUseParentheses()) {
        SqlNode node = select.where;

        // decide whether to split on ORs or ANDs
        SqlBinaryOperator whereSep = SqlStdOperatorTable.AND;
        if ((node instanceof SqlCall)
            && node.getKind() == SqlKind.OR) {
          whereSep = SqlStdOperatorTable.OR;
        }

        // unroll whereClause
        final List<SqlNode> list = new ArrayList<>(0);
        while (node.getKind() == whereSep.kind) {
          assert node instanceof SqlCall;
          final SqlCall call1 = (SqlCall) node;
          list.add(0, call1.operand(1));
          node = call1.operand(0);
        }
        list.add(0, node);

        // unparse in a WHERE_LIST frame
        writer.list(SqlWriter.FrameTypeEnum.WHERE_LIST, whereSep,
            new SqlNodeList(list, select.where.getParserPosition()));
      } else {
        select.where.unparse(writer, 0, 0);
      }
    }
    if (select.groupBy != null) {
      writer.sep("GROUP BY");
      final SqlNodeList groupBy =
          select.groupBy.size() == 0 ? SqlNodeList.SINGLETON_EMPTY
              : select.groupBy;
      writer.list(SqlWriter.FrameTypeEnum.GROUP_BY_LIST, SqlWriter.COMMA,
          groupBy);
    }
    if (select.having != null) {
      writer.sep("HAVING");
      select.having.unparse(writer, 0, 0);
    }
    if (select.getQualify() != null) {
      writer.sep("QUALIFY");
      select.getQualify().unparse(writer, 0, 0);
    }
    if (select.windowDecls.size() > 0) {
      writer.sep("WINDOW");
      writer.list(SqlWriter.FrameTypeEnum.WINDOW_DECL_LIST, SqlWriter.COMMA,
          select.windowDecls);
    }
    if (select.orderBy != null && select.orderBy.size() > 0) {
      writer.sep("ORDER BY");
      writer.list(SqlWriter.FrameTypeEnum.ORDER_BY_LIST, SqlWriter.COMMA,
          select.orderBy);
    }
    writer.fetchOffset(select.fetch, select.offset);
    writer.endList(selectFrame);
  }

  public boolean argumentMustBeScalar(int ordinal) {
    return ordinal == SqlSelect.WHERE_OPERAND;
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Mountain Home, AR
John Boozman
17.4% 1-year increase
In 2020, Mountain Home, AR had a population of 12.5k people with a median age of 46.4 and a median household income of $40,351. Between 2019 and 2020 the population of Mountain Home, AR grew from 12,393 to 12,463, a 0.565% increase and its median household income declined from $40,408 to $40,351, a −0.141% decrease.
The 5 largest ethnic groups in Mountain Home, AR are White (Non-Hispanic) (92.8%), White (Hispanic) (2.82%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.56%), American Indian & Alaska Native (Non-Hispanic) (0.618%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (0.57%).
None of the households in Mountain Home, AR reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.
99.8% of the residents in Mountain Home, AR are U.S. citizens.
The largest universities in Mountain Home, AR are Arkansas State University-Mountain Home (505 degrees awarded in 2020).
In 2020, the median property value in Mountain Home, AR was $129,300, and the homeownership rate was 60%.
Most people in Mountain Home, AR drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 10.4 minutes. The average car ownership in Mountain Home, AR was 2 cars per household.
Mountain Home, AR is home to a population of 12.5k people, from which 99.8% are citizens. As of 2020, 1.51% of Mountain Home, AR residents were born outside of the country (188 people).
In 2020, there were 33 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (11.6k people) in Mountain Home, AR than any other race or ethnicity. There were 351 White (Hispanic) and 319 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.
As of 2020, 99.8% of Mountain Home, AR residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2019, the percentage of US citizens in Mountain Home, AR was 99.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.
The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Mountain Home, AR compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.
The 3 largest ethnic groups in Mountain Home, AR
11.6k ± 312
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
3.19% of the people in Mountain Home, AR are hispanic (398 people).
The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Mountain Home, AR as a share of the total population.
The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Arkansas.
In 2020, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Arkansas was Mexico, the natal country of 62,610 Arkansas residents, followed by El Salvador with 14,219 and India with 8,923.
As of 2020, 1.51% of Mountain Home, AR residents (188 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.5%. In 2019, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Mountain Home, AR was 2.28%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.
The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Mountain Home, AR compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.
Mountain Home, AR has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.7 times greater than any other conflict.
The economy of Mountain Home, AR employs 5.06k people. The largest industries in Mountain Home, AR are Health Care & Social Assistance (966 people), Retail Trade (920 people), and Manufacturing (913 people), and the highest paying industries are Finance & Insurance ($92,167), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($90,500), and Administrative & Support & Waste Management Services ($42,063).
Males in Arkansas have an average income that is 1.35 times higher than the average income of females, which is $43,744. The income inequality in Arkansas (measured using the Gini index) is 0.45, which is lower than than the national average.
± 612
From 2019 to 2020, employment in Mountain Home, AR declined at a rate of −4.01%, from 5.27k employees to 5.06k employees.
The most common job groups, by number of people living in Mountain Home, AR, are Production Occupations (692 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (559 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (546 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Mountain Home, AR.
Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Arkansas.
This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Arkansas (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.
The most common employment sectors for those who live in Mountain Home, AR, are Health Care & Social Assistance (966 people), Retail Trade (920 people), and Manufacturing (913 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Mountain Home, AR, though some of these residents may live in Mountain Home, AR and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.
The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2020 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($101,071), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($63,125), and Public Administration ($45,795).
The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2020 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($37,813), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($30,703), and Manufacturing ($30,119).
As of May 2021, there are 145M people employed in Arkansas. This represents a 8.45% increase in employment when compared to May 2020.
The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Arkansas.
Domestic production and consumption consists of products and services shipped from Arkansas to other states, or from other states to Arkansas.
Meat/seafood
Coal-n.e.c.
In 2020, the top outbound Arkansas product (by dollars) was Mixed freight with $14.2B, followed by Meat/seafood ($13.7B) and Coal-n.e.c. ($9.55B).
The following chart shows the share of these products in relation to all outbound Arkansas products.
Showing data for Arkansas.
2020 Value in Arkansas
Projected 2050 Value in Arkansas
In 2020, total outbound Arkansas trade was $144B. This is expected to increase 87.8% to $271B by 2050.
The following chart shows how the domestic outbound Arkansas trade is projected to change in comparison to its neighboring states.
Interstate trade consists of products and services shipped from Arkansas to other states, or from other states to Arkansas.
In 2020, the top outbound Arkansas domestic partner for goods and services (by dollars) was Texas with $11.8B, followed by Mississippi with $6.92B and Oklahoma and $5.91B.
The following map shows the amount of trade that Arkansas shares with each state (excluding itself).
John Boozman and Tom Cotton are the senators currently representing the state of Arkansas. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.
Arkansas is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.
US Senators from Arkansas
Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Arkansas.
Senator from Arkansas3
John Boozman and Tom Cotton are the senators currently representing Arkansas.
The following chart shows elected senators in Arkansas over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.
US Representatives from Arkansas
Arkansas is currently represented by 4 members in the U.S. house.
Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Arkansas have changed over time starting in 2008.
In 2020, universities in Mountain Home, AR awarded 505 degrees. The student population of Mountain Home, AR in 2020 is skewed towards women, with 503 male students and 768 female students.
Most students graduating from Universities in Mountain Home, AR are White (459 and 90.9%), followed by Two or More Races (19 and 3.76%), Hispanic or Latino (16 and 3.17%), and Black or African American (3 and 0.594%).
The largest universities in Mountain Home, AR by number of degrees awarded are Arkansas State University-Mountain Home (505 and 100%).
The most popular majors in Mountain Home, AR are Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (62 and 12.3%), Liberal Arts & Sciences (55 and 10.9%), and Welding Technology (44 and 8.71%).
In 2020 there were 1,271 students enrolled in Mountain Home, AR, 39.6% men and 60.4% women.
By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,158 records, of which 59.6% were women and 40.4% men.
55 degree-majors awarded
In 2020, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Mountain Home, AR was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 55 degrees awarded.
This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in Mountain Home, AR according to their major.
Arkansas State University-Mountain Home
In 2020, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Arkansas State University-Mountain Home with 505 degrees awarded.
In 2020, 207 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Mountain Home, AR, which is 0.695 times less than the 298 female students who received degrees in the same year.
In 2020 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 459 degrees mean that there were 24.2 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Two or More Races, with 19 degrees awarded.
In 2020, 0.79% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.729% of women were in the same situation.
The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2020 were High School or Equivalent (800k), Some college (553k), and Secondary Education (375k).
The median property value in Mountain Home, AR was $129,300 in 2020, which is 0.563 times smaller than the national average of $229,800. Between 2019 and 2020 the median property value increased from $126,100 to $129,300, a 2.54% increase. The homeownership rate in Mountain Home, AR is 60%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 64.4%.
People in Mountain Home, AR have an average commute time of 10.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Mountain Home, AR is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.
Median household income in Mountain Home, AR is $40,351. In 2020, the place with the highest median household income in Mountain Home, AR was Census Tract 9502 with a value of $51,250, followed by Census Tract 9507 and Census Tract 9503, with respective values of $44,664 and $42,175.
±$456
The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Mountain Home, AR the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.
The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Mountain Home, AR compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.
In 2020, 60% of the housing units in Mountain Home, AR were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 60.5%.
This chart shows the percentage of owner in Mountain Home, AR compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.
Race/Ethnicity TotalWhiteTwo Or MoreWhite Non-HispanicHispanic
Census Tract 9502
In 2020, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Mountain Home, AR was Census Tract 9502 with a value of $51,250, followed by Census Tract 9507 and Census Tract 9503, with respective values of $44,664 and $42,175.
The following map shows all of the places in Mountain Home, AR colored by their Median Household Income (Total).
In 2020, the median household income of the 5.96k households in Mountain Home, AR declined from $40,351 from the previous year's value of $40,408.
The following chart displays the households in Mountain Home, AR distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $10k - $15k range.
The closest comparable wage GINI for Mountain Home, AR is from Arkansas.
2020 Wage GINI in Arkansas
In 2020, the income inequality in Arkansas was 0.45 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.101% decline from 2019 to 2020, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Arkansas was lower than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Arkansas in comparison to the national average.
This chart shows the number of workers in Arkansas across various wage buckets compared to the national average.
Worked At Home (4.48%)
In 2020, 79.1% of workers in Mountain Home, AR drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (11.8%) and those who worked at home (4.48%).
Using averages, employees in Mountain Home, AR have a shorter commute time (10.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.9 minutes). Additionally, 0% of the workforce in Mountain Home, AR have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.
The chart below shows how the median household income in Mountain Home, AR compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.
The following chart displays the households in Mountain Home, AR distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Mountain Home, AR have 2 cars.
12% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Mountain Home, AR (1.45k out of 12.1k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.8%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Males 6 - 11.
The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Mountain Home, AR is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.
94.9% of the population of Mountain Home, AR has health coverage, with 37.4% on employee plans, 17.2% on Medicaid, 20.8% on Medicare, 17.7% on non-group plans, and 1.78% on military or VA plans.
Per capita personal health care spending in Arkansas was $7,408 in 2014. This is a 6.91% increase from the previous year ($6,929).
Primary care physicians in Baxter County, AR see 1343 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.675% increase from the previous year (1334 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1906 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 361 patients per year.
Showing data at the state level for Arkansas. Hospitalization data for some states may be delayed or not reported.
This chart shows the number of COVID-19 daily new cases by date in Arkansas, as a 7-day rolling average, compared with the four states with the most similar number of confirmed cases.
Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Baxter County, AR.
Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Baxter County, AR
Primary care physicians in Baxter County, AR see an average of 1,343 patients per year. This represents a 0.675% increase from the previous year (1,334 patients).
The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Baxter County, AR in comparison to its neighboring geographies.
This chart presents movement trends over time in the state of Arkansas across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.
In 2020, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 18% under 18 years, 22.4% between 18 and 34 years, 31.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 28.3% over 64 years.
By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 46% were men and 54% were women.
Between 2019 and 2020, the percent of uninsured citizens in Mountain Home, AR grew by 9.01% from 4.64% to 5.05%.
The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Mountain Home, AR changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.
Baxter County, AR


text:
Q: Can a non-symmetric projection matrix exist? Can a non-symmetric projection matrix exist? I am currently using the matrix $M = I - wi^T$ where $i$ is a vector of ones and $w$ is a vector of weights so $w^T i = 1$. Is $M$ a projection matrix? Is it possible for non-symmetric projection matrices  to exist (as I believe this matrix to be)? Thanks in advance.

A: Yes and yes.
If by projection matrix you mean that $P^2=P$, then e.g. $$\begin{pmatrix}1&1\\0&0\end{pmatrix}$$ satisfies this.
Your matrix $P=I-wi^T$, when expanded out in components, reads $P_{jk}=\delta_{jk}-w_j i_k$ (using $i$ as a vector is a somewhat unfortunate notation). Then you can check that $\left(P^2\right)_{jk}=P_{jl}P_{lk}=P_{jk}$ indeed holds, by virtue of your condition $w_j i_j=1$.
Update:
Your matrix $P$ acts in the following way:
It annihilates $w$, since $$Pw=\left(I-w i^T\right) w=w-w (i^Tw)=0\,.$$ On the other hand, it projects onto the space orthogonal to $i$, since for any $v$
$$i^T \, Pv=i^T \left(I-w i^T\right) v=i^T v - (i^T w) (i^T v)=0\,.$$
That means it does not project orthogonally, since $Pv\neq P\cdot(v+\lambda i)$ -- rather, it projects 'along $w$', i.e. $Pv=P\cdot(v+\lambda w)$. This bring us back to your first question: $P$ is generically not symmetric,
$$P^T=\left(I-w i^T\right)^T=I- i w^T \neq P\,,$$
unless $w=\lambda i$. (The factor lambda is fixed by the normalisation $i^Tw=1$.) That is, excactly when $w$ and $i$ are proportional, $P$ is symmetric and projects orthogonally.

A: If $P$ is a square matrix such that $P^2=P$ ($P$ is idempotent), then it represents the projection onto $C(P)$ (column space of $P$) along $C(I-P)$ ($I$ the identity matrix), that is,
$$
v=Pv+(I-P)v
$$
is the unique way to write $v$ as the sum of a vector in $C(P)$ with a vector in $C(I-P)$. Indeed, if
$$
v=x+y
$$
with $x\in C(P)$ and $y\in C(I-P)$, then $x=Px'$ and $y=(I-P)y'$ for some $x'$ and $y'$, so
$$
Pv=P(Px'+(I-P)y')=P^2x'+(P-P^2)y'=Px'+0=x
$$
and, similarly, $(I-P)v=y$.
Consequently, $C(P)\cap C(I-P)=\{0\}$.
Conversely, if $U$ is any subspace of $\mathbb{R}^n$ and $\{v_1,v_2,\dots,v_k\}$ is a basis for $U$, if you complete the basis to a basis $\{v_1,\dots,v_k,v_{k+1},\dots,v_n\}$ of $\mathbb{R}^n$, the map
$$
v=\alpha_1v_1+\dots+\alpha_kv_k+\alpha_{k+1}v_{k+1}+\dots+\alpha_nv_n
\mapsto
\alpha_1v_1+\dots+\alpha_kv_k
$$
is linear and its matrix $P$ has the property that $P^2=P$.
On the other hand, if you add the assumption that $C(I-P)$ is the orthogonal complement to $C(P)$, then the matrix $P$ is symmetric (where the inner product is the standard one).
Indeed, we must have $\langle (I-P)v,Pw\rangle=0$, for every $v,w$, which translates to
$$
((I-P)v)^TPw=0
$$
that is
$$
vPw=vP^TPw
$$
for all $v,w$, and so $P=P^TP$, which implies $P^T$ is symmetric.
In your case with $P=I-wi^T$, symmetry reads
$$
I-iw^T=I-wi^T
$$
that is, $iw^T=wi^T$; multiplying by $i$ on the right,
$$
iw^Ti=wi^Ti
$$
so
$$
w=\frac{\langle w,i\rangle}{\langle i,i\rangle}i
$$
and $w$ is a scalar multiple of $i$. Conversely, if $w=\alpha i$, then $I-wi^T=I-\alpha ii^T$ is clearly symmetric.
Hence $I-wi^T$ is symmetric if and only if $w$ is a scalar multiple of $i$. But it is idempotent as soon as $\langle i,w\rangle=1$:
$$
(I-wi^T)(I-wi^T)=I-wi^T-wi^T+wi^Twi^T=
I-wi^T-wi^T+\langle i,w\rangle wi^T
$$


text:
A mix of clouds and sun. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High near 95F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..
A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible early. Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low 71F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Orange County's Bradley Hanner reported to Fort Myers, Fla., just a few days after he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins. He was chosen during the 21st round as the 629th overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft on June 5. He is currently playing in the Gulf Coast League.
Mike Marones/Free Lance-Star
Minnesota Twins draft Orange County High School ace pitcher
By HILARY HOLLADAY ORANGE COUNTY REVIEW
There are fun summers, busy summers and then there's the exciting, strenuous summer Bradley Hanner is having in Fort Myers, Florida. The 2017 Orange County High School graduate is playing rookie ball for the Minnesota Twins, and he calls it "a dream come true."
Hanner, 20, got the call from a Twins scout on June 5, the third and final day of the Major League Baseball draft. He was driving in Fredericksburg with his brother, Austin Shifflett, 15, beside him. He pulled off the road and spent the next hour responding to calls and texts from family and friends who'd heard the nationally publicized news around the same time he did.
Speaking from training camp, the ace pitcher said he knew a couple of other teams were interested him, but "finally, the Twins took a chance. It's a great organization and they're playing good baseball, and I'm excited to be a part of it."
Hanner is right-handed, six feet, four inches tall and weighs 210 pounds. He said he can throw pitches in the 90 mph range and has reached 96 mph a couple of times.
He reported to Fort Myers just a few days after he was drafted in the 21st round as the 629th overall pick. Along with many other hopeful young players in the Gulf Coast League (GCL), he is running, conditioning and playing lots of ball.
His rookie season began Monday when the GCL Twins lost 4-3 to the GCL Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton, Fla.
By the end of the summer, he will get word on where he heads next. Typically, rookies are assigned to minor league teams allowing them time to raise their game and boost their confidence. The best of the best move up the ranks to the major league.
His mother, Tonya Shifflett of Rapidan, was at work listening to the Major League Baseball draft announcements on a phone app when things suddenly got very interesting.
"It was the most overwhelming feeling as a mother just to hear his name," Shifflett said, recalling how she laughed and cried, hardly able to put words to everything she felt.
She said his father, Todd Hanner, and paternal grandfather played sports with Bradley when he was growing up, and everyone noticed his unusual athletic ability. "We just saw the talent, especially with baseball."
Hanner played baseball at Prospect Heights Middle School and quickly became a standout player in high school. Shifflett said she's grateful to all the good coaches he's had over the years, most recently at Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville.
At OCHS, Hanner helped his team win the district championship in 2017. He finished that season with an 8-2 record, 0.79 earned run average and 114 strikeouts in 68 innings pitched.
He was generally on the field to pitch but also played shortstop. In his senior year he hit .360 and drove in 20 runs.
Dave Rabe, Hanner's varsity baseball coach at OCHS, was impressed from the beginning. Even as a ninth-grader, Hanner stood out.
"He had as much potential as anybody I've seen. His raw ability was head and shoulders above others," Rabe said.
Rabe has watched his former player mature from a happy-go-lucky kid with a strong arm to a focused young man who knows "when to turn it on and be professional and get the job done."
Rabe was in regular contact with Hanner for the two years he played ball for Patrick Henry Community College. Although he was well aware of Hanner's major-league ambitions, he made a point of asking about his college classes and other interests, in hopes of keeping him "well-rounded."
"He'll talk to me a lot about fishing. Most of the time when we talk, it's about fishing or family," Rabe said. "I try to talk to him about things outside baseball."
Adam Utz also got to know Hanner at OCHS. Now varsity baseball coach, he was the junior varsity coach and assistant varsity coach during Hanner's time.
He commends Hanner for his work ethic: "Minor league baseball is grueling. I think that's exactly up Bradley's alley. He wants to succeed."
Utz said Hanner has a "live arm" capable of pitching hard and fast.
"Bradley had really good velocity even in high school, mid- to upper 80s [mph], probably touching the 90s," he said.
Hanner's staying power is a key strength, Utz noted. He said Hanner can throw more pitches than many of his peers and is capable of "throwing harder at the end of games than at the beginning."
Utz added, "When he throws a baseball, it almost looks effortless. It comes out so naturally."
The pitcher is the key player on the field, the coach remarked. "They control the pace of the game; they control every aspect of the game."
With that in mind, he believes Hanner has the mental toughness to go far. "You have to be fierce. When I see Bradley step up on the mound, he is fierce. You could see it in his eyes [in high school games]. He always thought he was better than the guys at the plate."
Like Rabe, Utz remembers Hanner's playful side. In high school, he said, "He was just a pure goofball. He would make practices fun. He was constantly trying to find fun in the game."
Now that the Orange County star is playing rookie ball, Utz believes that fun-loving spirit will serve him well: "Bradley has always been able to find joy in baseball. That alone, plus his athletic ability, will drive him."
Bradley Hanner
Adam Utz
Dave Rabe
Austin Shifflett


text:
New England Public Media airs and publishes commentaries from local people during Morning Edition and All Things Considered. We look for contributors in the region whose views will be of continuing interest and value to New England Public Media's listeners — from the Berkshires to Worcester, Hartford to Brattleboro, and all points between.
Experts in a particular field who have an informed perspective on events in the news — whether local, national or international — are wanted. We also seek people with knowledge of local civics, culture and history, with an eye on little-known but fascinating elements of the regional experience. And we seek non-experts who by virtue of their thoughtfulness broaden or deepen our understanding of the world we live in.
Please email submissions to our commentary editor at commentaries@nepm.org.
Nan Parati
Courtesy of the author
Ashfield resident sticks with what's passed the test of time
No more newfangled gadgets for commentator Nan Parati.
Annaliese Griffin
Breaking out of a consumer mindset that demands we constantly buy new things
At the holidays, commentator Annaliese Griffin and her husband set themselves a challenge: Find secondhand gifts for each other. Given where they live, that's not such a tall order.
200MoreMontrealStencils
When abundance means having less
In this time of harvest, I remember the weekend I came home from divinity school to the words of a fourth century monk on my parents' refrigerator.I…
The rejections keep coming and this author keeps writing
In the last year, I've been rejected about four dozen times. An amalgam of agents, literary magazines and contests said no — and that's not counting the…
As Election Day comes around again, lessons learned by a first-time voter
Measuring success in The Game of Life
Skimming Stones And Finding An Elusive 'Now' Moment
Grateful For The Reprieve From Making Music Alone At Home
Wally Funk's Dream Of Space Flight
The Pandemic May Have Presented An Opportunity For Churches
It's Time To Make Reparations To The Victims Of Slavery And Their Descendants
Reparations are systems of redress for state-sponsored injustices. They're meant to repair past harms and have been implemented for various injured…
Finding New Life In Ghosty Sites
Updated at 9:06 a.m. on April 28 During this pandemic, some cities have been said to be turning into ghost towns. I wonder if they — and we — are instead…
Creating At-Home Rituals To Help Deal With The Pandemic's Uncertainties
Lauren Ostberg
I have been living with the pandemic for about a year, and the tempered hope of a vaccine for a few months. I'm extremely low-priority in the vaccine…
Choosing The Devil She Knows By Getting The Second Dose Of The COVID-19 Vaccine
Updated at 4:44 p.m. on April 8 I am not an anti-vaxxer by any means, but to deny that I don't have my reservations about taking the COVID-19 vaccine…
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Last June, Vice President Mike Pence wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, "There Isn't A Coronavirus Second Wave." The day it was published, 779…


text:
Puelche är en kulle i Antarktis. Den ligger i Sydshetlandsöarna. Argentina, Chile och Storbritannien gör anspråk på området.

Terrängen runt Puelche är huvudsakligen platt, men söderut är den kuperad. Havet är nära Puelche norrut. Den högsta punkten i närheten är  meter över havet,  kilometer söder om Puelche. Trakten är obefolkad. Det finns inga samhällen i närheten.

Kommentarer

Källor

Kullar på Sydshetlandsöarna
Storbritanniens anspråk i Antarktis
Chiles anspråk i Antarktis
Argentinas anspråk i Antarktis
Kontrollbehov inkommande wikilänkar

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
01) The Aftermath of Elizabeth Warren's Mess: Mike's Closing Thoughts on the Bernie-Warren Debacle
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sanders-wife-shuts-down-discussions-over-warren-dispute_n_5e1f762dc5b63211760d506f
http://progressivesunite2020.com/"
01) Panel: Bernie Up, Warren down in post debate polls
"Team Rising looks at the post-Iowa debate polls."
01) Krystal Ball: Warren helps Biden, betrays her own past with white feminist attack on Bernie
"Krystal Ball calls out Elizabeth Warren's 'white woman feminism'."
01) Bernie Raises MILLIONS After Debate
"Bernie Sanders' campaign is only getting stronger and stronger. Ana Kasparian and John Iadarola, hosts of The Young Turks, break it down.
https://twitter.com/IlhanMN/status/1217507213968920576"
01) Sanders Press Secretary Reacts LIVE To Warren Attack
"Sanders' surrogate lauds debate performance, 'He's on the right side of history.'"
01) Iowa Debate Moderators Attack Bernie
"Cenk Uygur, Ana Kasparian, John Iadarola, and Aida Rodriguez discuss the Iowa Democratic Debate moderators and their attacks on Bernie Sanders on The Young Turks."
01) Morning Joe Panel Defends Bernie With Shocking Clarity
https://www.currentaffairs.org/2020/01/the-credibility-gap
https://twitter.com/spittingback/status/1217069283362013184?s=21
https://twitter.com/_mattboswell/status/1217426348312027138?s=21"
01) Krystal Ball: Warren lies again. Dismantling her vicious attack
"Krystal Ball calls out Elizabeth Warren's sexism smear of Bernie Sanders."
01) Devin Nunes IN BIG TROUBLE! Suddenly Recalls Phone Call With Lev Parnas
""Congressman Devin Nunes (R-CA) seemed to suddenly remember his phone conversations with Lev Parnas, just in time to intercept Rudy Giuliani's indicted affiliate before his interviews with multiple news outlets.
Weeks ago, Nunes' phone records were released as part of the impeachment report on President Donald Trump, and they showed the House Intelligence committee ranking Republican having multiple calls with Parnas and Giuliani in the midst of the Ukraine scandal. The release prompted questions about whether Nunes is connected to the scandal, and he has responded to the allegations against him by offering shifting, wishy-washy explanations for whether he knew Parnas, whether they were in contact with each other, and why.
https://www.mediaite.com/tv/watch-devin-nunes-suddenly-recall-phone-call-with-lev-parnas-i-just-didnt-know-the-name/"
01) Sexting study shows kids starting before they even turn 13
"Nearly 40 percent of children have either received and/or sent a "sext" by the age of 13, the study conducted by parenting app Jiminy found.
"Sexting is quickly becoming a normative form of sexual exploration among preteens and teens," the study read…
Not only does sexting start early, the study found that it is also fairly common. As early as 8 years old, more than one in 10 kids with smartphones will become exposed to sexting, the study found. By 13, more than a third of children who have a smartphone will be exposed.
However, the study found that sexting starts earlier for girls. Over 15 percent of 8-year-old girls were exposed to sexting while only 5.9 percent of 8-year-old boys were exposed.
By 16, 44.4 percent of girls were participating in sexting compared to 36.8 percent of boys.
Part of these explicit chats include sending explicit pictures or videos otherwise known as "nudes." These types of requests are common in mid-adolescence for both genders, with one in three children, according to the study. By 13 years old, 24 percent of children were asked to send nudes or requested them.
Overall, the numbers indicated that the practice of sexting is mostly mutual. The study found nearly 60 percent of sexting was willingly sent by both parties for children between 10 and 17 years old.
https://blog.jiminy.me/2019/12/17/children-and-sexting-a-jiminy-report/"
Wanting to see others naked, and sometimes even be seen naked, is actually rather normal…if taboo.
There are tons of young kids who've been in major movies, entirely stark naked…
Honestly…I don't see what people are losing their minds over…It's normal behavior to be naked…It's normal to be seen, while naked…
It's normal to be curious, about others naked bodies.
I'd love to know how many eight, nine and ten year old boys are sexting…I'll bet it's quite a large group.
This entry was posted in Child Porn Memoirs, Wordpress Archive on January 15, 2020 by eqfoundation.


LIVEStudent radio station for the University of Bath.
URB 963 burst onto the airwaves in bath on 16th of May 1973, It was launched by Annie Nightingale & Pete Murray from radio 1. The Station Broadcast from a cupboard in the Electrical Engineering Department for a year, before moving to our current home in Norwood House. Back in 1973 the Studios consisted of Reel-to-Reel tape recorders and vinyl record decks.
In 1987 Three URB presenters Graham Hutkins, Ben Ramsden & Andrew Wiseman broadcast a record 24-hour show, raising hundreds of pounds for local charities.
The station used to be carried by induction loops which were placed strategically around campus and reached all of the campus residences until about 1995, when renovations to the road by Westwood severed the wires leading to the Westwood block. This meant that URB could only broadcast to Eastwood and Norwood. By 2001 it was becoming impossible to hear URB 963, and after much planning and persuasion 1449AM URB went live, broadcasting across the campus from our 10 metre radio mast behind Westwood.
On 8th February, 2001 at 14:49 URB launched live from the Plug bar on campus. The Relaunch party was a free event that packed out the Plug bar and Venue until 1am.
URB's not been without its famous personalities over the years. Neil Fox, better known as Dr Fox, is the most famous person to have started his career at URB. Richard Evans, of Radio 1 Newsbeat fame, also took his first stumbling steps in the radio industry at URB.
URB has also won many awards over the years. In 2002, Ben Vane won Best Male Presenter, URB came second in the Best Marketing category, and URB also came THIRD in Best Station!! That was followed in 2003 with a second place in the Best Speech Based Non-Factual category, courtesy of the one-hour comedy special Because Fish Are Funny, this was however topped in 2004 by �Component Parts� which scooped Gareth Gwynn a Gold in the Best Comedy & Drama Category. In 2005 URB scooped a silver award for our Station Sound, and a silver award for Chris Day as Best Male Presenter.
In 2006 URB was granted over �5000 from the University�s alumni fund to completely re-vamp the Norwood Studios. We now believe we have one of the most professional student radio facilities in the UK, and hope to be broadcasting from here in Norwood for many years to come!


Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) are considered among the most promising methods for the efficient and environmentally friendly production of energy. They convert chemical energy, generated from a combination of fuel (e.g. H2, natural gas) and oxidant (e.g. air) gases across an oxygen ion conducting ceramic, into electrical energy and heat. Due to harsh conditions that the SOFC operate in, such as high operating temperatures (about 600°C to 900°C) and aggressive environments within the cells (fuel, oxidant and humidity), all the materials used for this application must be carefully selected to ensure a safe, reliable and continuous operation of the SOFC. With a wide portfolio of glass and glass-ceramics with unique properties, SCHOTT Electronic Packaging has the ideal products for this demanding application.
For generating power on a large scale, multiple solid oxide fuel cells are combined into high-performance cell stacks. The planar SOFC configuration, commonly used in stacks, provides a simple manufacturing process and high current densities. However, to prevent fuel-oxidant mixing, it also requires hermetic sealing of the metallic layers, serving as interconnects between the individual cells.
SCHOTT offers specially formulated glasses and glass-ceramics as sealing materials that are capable of withstanding the harsh environments and high operating temperatures of solid oxide fuel cells. They are from the system MO (M=Mg, Ca)-Al2O3-BaO-SiO2-B2O3.
Glass-ceramics and glass-ceramic composites with a stable structure and a residual amorphous phase providing them with self-healing properties.
SCHOTT provides a wide variety of glasses and glass ceramics for SOFC stack sealants of metallic and ceramic interconnects. The fields of application for SOFC are multiple. The high operating temperature allows SOFC to reform hydrocarbons internally, thus enabling the use of natural gas or reformed diesel as fuel. Therefore, SOFC are suitable candidates for application with heat engine energy recovery- devices or combined heat and power systems.
Large market potentials have been forecast for auxiliary power units (APUs) in long-haul trucks and buses for supplying air conditioning and other electrical services using the already available diesel fuel. Moreover, SOFC can serve as fuel-saving alternative in remote area power supplies (RAPS).
SCHOTT sealing glasses are made of special glass powders. For more information about our glass powder technology, please click. In addition, SCHOTT has accumulated more than 50 years of experience in the field of glass-to-metal-sealing (GTMS) technology. This technology page provides detailed information.
Please refer to the table below for the physical properties of SCHOTT sealing materials.
All materials are available as finely ground powders and as dispensable pastes. Please contact us if you have special requests concerning supply and packaging.
Our glass and glass ceramic SOFC stack sealants are manufactured in our ISO 9001/14001 certified plant. Please refer to our quality and testing pages for more information.


Mumbai: Englishman Jos Buttler laid the platform with a rampaging 89 while Shreyas Gopal held his nerve at the death to power Rajasthan Royals to a four-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League encounter here Saturday.
This was Royals' second victory of the season in seven games after losing a last ball thriller to CSK less than 48 hours back. Put into bat, Mumbai Indians rode on a aggressive 81 by South African Quinton De Kock to post an imposing 187/5, but Buttler's 43-ball knock studded with eight fours and seven sixes set the tone before Royals survived a scare to finish the game in 19.3 overs.
The match was a forgettable one for young West Indies pacer Alzarri Joseph (0/53 in 3 overs), who was hammered for eight fours and three sixes and then was injured trying to save a boundary. The 13th over changed the game's complexion as Buttler smashed two sixes and four fours off Joseph to bring down the equation to a manageable run-a-ball.
Buttler first conjured a 60-run opening stand with skipper Ajinkya Rahane (37 off 21 balls, 6x 4; 1×6) to lay the foundation and then added 87 runs for the second wicket with Sanju Samson (31 off 26 balls; 2×4, 1×6).
Mumbai Indians: 187 for 5 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 81; Jofra Archer 3/39). Rajastha Royals : 188 for 6 in 19.3 overs (Jos Buttler 89; Krunal Pandya 3/34).


We must share this photograph of a casket spray originally published on the British Good Funeral Guide website.
The deceased woman being buried loved to knit, so the clever floral designer worked balls of yarn and knitting needles into the colorful arrangement.
Lesson learned: It's okay to offer ideas to florists, then ask them to think.


text:
Patiriella calcarata är en sjöstjärneart som först beskrevs av Perrier 1869.  Patiriella calcarata ingår i släktet Patiriella och familjen Asterinidae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

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