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Shaun Hendy #nofly2018 update
by TPM | Sep 3, 2018 | Media, News & Notices, Out and About | 0 Comments
As many of you will be aware, our director Shaun Hendy has been travelling a lot differently this year. Despite being a frequent domestic and international traveller, Shaun decided that for 2018 he would set an example and highlight his concern about climate change by not using air travel for the entire calendar year. The hashtag #nofly2018 was born and, from the first day in January, he has walked the talk – effectively turning his back on flying as a means to get around, favouring instead modes of land transport that emit less carbon.
Various news outlets have covered Shaun's journey over the year, including Radio New Zealand and the New Zealand Herald. So, now that we're into September, how is he getting on? Well, very impressively according to the stats. By mid-September 2017, Shaun had made 10 return flights from Auckland to Wellington, at a cost of 2.66 metric tonnes of CO2 (equivalent)*. So far this year he has been to Wellington and back six times (once by car, three times by train, and twice by bus) at a cost of just 0.458 metric tonnes of CO2 (equivalent)*. What is more he's got more done in Wellington this year: in 2017 his 10 flights gave him 10 business days in Wellington, while in 2018 he has had 21 working days down the capital.
Not flying has its advantages
In addition to reducing his carbon footprint, Shaun says one of the great advantages to taking it slower by road or rail is that you can actually get a lot of work done on the way and plan in more meetings with investigators in one trip. Te Pūnaha Matatini, a national Centre of Research Excellence, has investigators spread across New Zealand.
"Over the last two weeks [for example] I have travelled #nofly2018 style from Auckland to Queenstown and back again," said Shaun. "It was great to catch up with a number of investigators on the way through. I spent a beautiful sunny day at the University of Canterbury, catching up with [Te Pūnaha Matatini investigators] Alex James, Jeanette McLeod, Mike Plank, and Audrey Lustig, as well as dropping by to see Rebecca Turner at Scion. The conversations that day were very timely as I have gotten involved with MPI's Mycoplasma Bovis Eradication Science Advisory Group to help them think about how they can use the various data sets they have at their disposal."
Electric vehicles becoming more feasible
On his most recent trip, Shaun was also sponsored by Yoogo Share, an electric vehicle share company that has 100 electric vehicles based in eight locations in Christchurch.
"They lent me one of their Hyundai IONIQ's for five days," said Shaun. "I had about 1,000km to drive, including the odd hill or two. The IONIQ doesn't yet have the range of a petrol vehicle. Depending on the terrain, you'll get around 100-160 km between charges, although running the heater will shave 10-15% off this. A fast charge takes around 15 minutes and will boost your battery up to about 80% capacity, but if you've got another 10 minutes or so you can charge it up to 95%."
Luckily, there is a growing network of charging stations across New Zealand, which means electric vehicle users can get to most places without too much trouble.
"From Christchurch, I charged up at Geraldine, then Tekapo, followed by a big charge at Twizel to make sure I made it over the Lindis pass, and then a final top up in Cromwell," said Shaun. "The IONIQ was great to drive – I had no problems taking it up over the Crown Range Rd. Definitely give it a go next time you are in Christchurch."
Follow Shaun on Twitter for #nofly2018 updates!
Keep up-to-date with Shaun Hendy's travels on Twitter by following the #nofly2018 hashtag.
Heading back to Christchurch today in the @yoogo_nz Hyundai IONIQ. It's been a great climate-friendly few days #nofly2018 pic.twitter.com/sleS3kUEBI
— Shaun Hendy (@hendysh) August 19, 2018
*Calculated using the Enrivo-Mark Travel Emissions Calculator.
How we make trust judgments when it comes to scientific information
by TPM | Oct 16, 2017 | News & Notices, Out and About | 0 Comments
It is often difficult to find accurate information online, especially when it comes to science-based questions. This is amplified by the fact that scientific findings themselves are revisable or when they are the subject of debate within their respective fields. However, not being able to find concrete answers to scientific questions may lead the public to question and discount the general veracity of science.
Te Pūnaha Matatini invites you to a free lecture by Professor Rainer Bromme, Senior Professor for Educational Psychology, University of Münster, Germany, who will provide an overview of data collected from surveys in multiple countries on the public's trust in science, and also discuss research on peoples' capacities to make trust judgments.
In the best case scenario, such judgments are not based on gullible faith in 'science', but rather rest on informed trust. Such trust judgments are based on a general understanding of both sides of science as: a system of knowledge and methods for understanding the world and as a social institution for the production and distribution of such knowledge.
Event: The ingredients of informed trust: What citizens (need to) know for coping with science experts
Guest Speaker: Professor Rainer Bromme, Senior Professor for Educational Psychology, University of Münster, Germany
Speaker panel:
Professor Shaun Hendy, Department of Physics, University of Auckland (MC)
Associate Professor Nicola Gaston, Department of Physics, University of Auckland
Dr Daniel Hikuroa, Senior Lecturer, Māori Studies, University of Auckland
Dr Cate Macinnes-Ng, Senior Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland
Location: Auckland Museum
Date & time: Wednesday 25th October from 6-8pm
Tickets are free but bookings are essential.
Please email membership@aucklandmuseum.com or register here to book tickets.
Maths Craft Festival arrives in Auckland
by TPM | Sep 4, 2017 | News & Notices, Out and About | 0 Comments
Do you enjoy craft? Then you probably enjoy mathematics too – you just may not know it yet. Don't miss out on Maths Craft Festival 2017 being held this coming Saturday and Sunday, September 9-10, at the Auckland Museum.
Discover the maths behind craft and the craft behind maths. Find out how to tie a mathematical knot, crochet a Möbius strip, fold an origami octahedron, draw an impossible triangle, or colour a Latin square.
Ten craft creation stations will be set up in the museum's event centre, a fully glazed circular room on top of the museum roof. Featuring incredible views of the city and harbour, it also has plenty of natural light – perfect for crafting. And there will be lots of space and seating, so you can stay and craft all day!
Sharing the beauty of maths
Dr Jeanette McLeod and Dr Phil Wilson, senior lecturers at the University of Canterbury's School of Mathematics and Statistics, will lead a team of volunteers and host the two-day festival, part of a nationwide tour to raise interest in maths among New Zealanders.
"By using craft as a medium… we aim to introduce adults and children alike to a new and fun way of engaging with mathematics," says Dr McLeod.
"Through these events, we're keen to show people how maths underpins almost every aspect of today's society. Whether it's used in crafts, technology, business, science, social science or education, maths is vital," she says.
Learn how to make an origami icosahedron (pictured) and many other wonderful creations at this weekend's Maths Craft Festival.
Dr McLeod has crocheted and knitted a variety of mathematical objects – from Möbius strips to intricate coral-like hyperbolic planes – and is passionate about sharing maths as the language of science. Her specialisation is combinatronics, with a particular focus on asymptotic enumeration, graph colouring, random graphs, and Latin squares. She is also an accomplished crafter and crocheter.
Dr Wilson, who usually works in the field of theoretical fluid dynamics and mathematical modelling in biology and industry, says Maths Craft Festival offers something for everyone.
"A lot of our speakers are really good at finding mathematics in ordinary everyday things –from how you tie your shoe laces, tie knots or even how to set a wobbly table straight," says Dr Wilson. "Maths Craft is really for all ages and all backgrounds."
Public talks promise to fascinate
The two-day festival will also include five public talks over the course of the weekend:
Associate Professor Clemency Montelle, University of Canterbury – The (a)symmetry of a sari (September 9, 2.30pm)
Ms Elizabeth Chesney, University of Canterbury – Knuts about knitting knots (September 9, 3.45pm)
Associate Professor Burkard Polster, Monash University – What is the best way to lace your shoes? (September 9, 5.15pm)
Dr Michael Assis, University of Melbourne – The beauty of origami / The beauty of mathematics – connecting folds (September 10, 2.30pm)
Professor Bernd Krauskopf and Professor Hinke Osinga, University of Auckland – Chaos in Crochet and Steel (September 10, 3.45pm)
Maths Craft Festival is being held at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Events Centre on Saturday 9 September and Sunday 10 September. All are welcome and entry is free with a museum ticket. Maths Craft is running a free bus service from South Auckland to the Museum on Sunday 10th September (see www.mathscraftnz.org/events/maths-craft-festival#bus-service for details of how to book your free seat).
Visit the Maths Craft website for more information about upcoming events in Dunedin: www.mathscraftnz.org. Also on Facebook, Ravelry, and Twitter #mathscraftnz
Scholarship established following "Hidden Figures" gala screening
by TPM | Jan 26, 2017 | Out and About | 0 Comments
A fundraising campaign and gala screening of the critically acclaimed film Hidden Figures has raised $13,500 to help establish a scholarship for women to study physical sciences, maths or engineering in 2018.
Te Pūnaha Matatini's Executive Manager Kate Hannah, Deputy Director Dr Siouxsie Wiles and University of Auckland Associate Professor Nicola Gaston from the Department of Physics organised the fundraising campaign to raise the profile of Māori and Pacific female scientists and students.
Listen to an interview with Kate Hannah on Radio Zealand's Morning Report:
In addition to funds raised through the Givealittle campaign, five New Zealand Centres of Research Excellence provided financial contributions toward the scholarship: Te Pūnaha Matatini, the Dodd-Walls Centre for Photonic and Quantum Technologies, the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Technology, the Maurice Wilkins Centre, and Brain Research New Zealand. The University of Auckland Department of Physics also contributed.
The scholarship will be administered by the Association for Women in the Sciences (AWIS).
20th Century Fox, EVENT Cinemas, SOHO Wines and L'Oreal New Zealand provided valued assistance and promotional material for the gala screening of Hidden Figures.
Donate to an ongoing scholarship fund to support women in New Zealand science.
Scientists raise $13k for women to study – Radio New Zealand
Q+A: NZ science's own 'Hidden Figures' – New Zealand Herald
Hidden Figures movie trailer – 20th Century Fox
Te Pūnaha Matatini's commitment to diversity, our sponsorship policy, and event code of conduct.
Analytics to improve health delivery systems
Te Pūnaha Matatini Associate Investigator Dr Michael O'Sullivan discusses analytics to improve health delivery systems.
Michael researches a combination of Operations Research and Analytics and is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Engineering Science and the Precise, and Timely Healthcare Theme Leader at the Precision Driven Health Research Partnership. The latter is a data science research initiative that features collaborations between the University of Auckland and partners in the public, corporate and healthcare sectors.
This presentation was recorded at an Orion Health Seminar on 6th December, 2016.
Reception for Women in Mathematics and their Supporters at NZ Mathematics Colloquium
by TPM | Dec 1, 2016 | Out and About | 0 Comments
After the AGM for the New Zealand Mathematical Society on Monday 5th of December, there will be a reception for women in mathematics and their supporters. Everyone is welcome. The reception is sponsored by Te Pūnaha Matatini and will be chaired by Principal Investigator Dion O'Neale.
The event theme is: Being an ally: what we can all do to improve equity.
Abstract: Advocating for improved equity is a task that often falls to members of under-represented groups. This is problematic for a number of reasons; not least because it means that some of the voices that most need to be heard are least numerous and are, perhaps, undermined by perceptions of self-interest.
This event will begin with some background on what it means to be an ally, the benefits it can bring, and some of the potential pitfalls that can be associated with it. Over drinks, we will discuss the things that we can all do as individuals, both at work and at home, in order to improve equity in our departments and the New Zealand mathematical sciences community.
This event comes with a code of conduct: see http://nzmathsoc.org.nz/downloads/miscellaneous/CodeOfConduct-NZMC-WiM.pdf?t=1479095141.
SciGlow at Silo Park: the art of bioluminescent bacteria
Be wowed by the eerie glow of bioluminescent bacteria as art and science unite for SciGlow at Silo Park Auckland, 3-4 December.
Microbiologist Dr Siouxsie Wiles has teamed up with artists, schoolchildren and bioluminescent bugs to create the unique bacterial paintings in giant petri dishes. View intriguing artworks by professional artists or try your own hand at creating a living, glowing masterpiece.
Proudly sponsored by the Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, Te Pūnaha Matatini and the University of Auckland.
Dates: December 3-4
Where: Silo Park, Auckland
The New Zealand Polymath: Colenso and his contemporaries
by TPM | Nov 11, 2016 | Out and About | 0 Comments
November 16 & 17, Te Pūnaha Matatini's Executive Manager Kate Hannah and Principal Investigator Dr Dion O'Neale are presenting at a conference on William Colenso and his contemporaries.
What: The New Zealand Polymath – Colenso and his contemporaries
When: Conference runs from 16-18 November
Where: National Library of New Zealand, Molesworth Street, Wellington
Opening address: Dabbling Dilettantes and Renaissance Men: colonial polymaths and New Zealand's science culture.
During the opening session, Kate will present "Dabbling Dilettantes and Renaissance Men: colonial polymaths and New Zealand's science culture." The presentation will explore the hero narratives regarding the network of polymath-scholars who established the institutions of New Zealand's scientific culture. Such narratives permeate New Zealand's history and contemporary public discourse, but actively exclude the impact of those participants who are exceptions to the hero narrative, rendering them invisible.
The lecture is free and open to the public. More details>
Panel discussion: Colonial polymaths and New Zealand's science culture
Following the address, Kate will chair a panel discussion that will problematize the impact of centering national identity within a group of 'Renaissance men', exploring those whose scholarly contributions are framed as dabbling distractions, and those others whose labour enabled the expansion and sharing of knowledge that typified colonial New Zealand.
The panellists are:
Nicola Gaston, University of Auckland
Angela Middleton, University of Otago
Linda Tyler, University of Auckland
Daniel Hikuroa, Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, University of Auckland
Presentation: Colenso's correspondence network
Thursday 17 November Dion and Kate present on Colenso's correspondence network.
View the full conference programme>
Healthcare Analytics Workshop
by TPM | Sep 8, 2016 | Out and About | 0 Comments
Te Pūnaha Matatini is sponsoring a Health Analytics Workshop following the 2016 Joint NZSA+ORSNZ Conference.
What: Health Analytics Workshop following the Joint NZSA+ORSNZ Conference
When: Thursday 1 December, 2016 (full day)
Where: AUT City Campus
Registration: Workshop participants, including those not attending the conference, can register for the workshop on the conference registration page.
The aim of the workshop is to bring together practitioners and researchers in healthcare analytics. People with problems meeting people with solutions! Practitioners – please bring along your current "pain point(s)". Researchers – please talk about your success stories with the health sector! We look forward to an exciting, productive workshop. If you have any questions please contact Principal Investigators Ilze Ziedins (i.ziedins@auckland.ac.nz) or Mike O'Sullivan (michael.osullivan@auckland.ac.nz), or Associate Investigator Cameron Walker (cameron.walker@auckland.ac.nz).
10-11:20 Researcher Presentations
11:20-11:40 Morning tea
11:40-1 Industry Presentations
1-2:30 lunch
2:30-4 Facilitated Networking Session
4-5 Drinks
If you wish to give a presentation please contact Ilze Ziedins.
Workshop organisers will post titles of presentations closer to the event at the conference website, along with information about the facilitated networking session.
Māori Knowledge & Development Panel Forum
by TPM | Aug 12, 2016 | News & Notices, Out and About | 0 Comments
He aha te kai a te rangatira? He Kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero. Nō reira, nau mai, haere mai!
You are warmly invited to attend a PBRF forum focused on the Māori Knowledge & Development Panel led by Professor Margaret Mutu and Dr Aroha Harris.
The forum is:
Aimed at clarifying MK&D panel criteria
Offering guidance, tips and suggestions from our Panel experts
Chaired by Dr Melinda Webber (AD PBRF Faculty of Education and Social Work)
Date: Monday, 22 August 2016
Time: 4.00 – 5.30 pm (Drinks and nibbles from 5.00pm)
Venue: Women's Federation Room, Old Government House
Please register your interest by emailing Emma on e.buchanan@auckland.ac.nz by 18 August for catering purposes.
A joint initiative of the University of Auckland's Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Education & Social Work.


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Baby defies death; has double lung transplant
Chasing News
Luca Palmisano is a happy 9-month-old baby boy but it's a miracle that he is even here today. Luca has already had a bilateral lung transplant.
His mom, Ashley Palmisano, says his heart has stopped two times since he was born.
Palmisano says all of her ultrasounds when she was pregnant came back normal and the baby was born in June at 7 pounds and 2 ounces.
But one hour after he was born, his mother, who is a registered nurse, noticed something was wrong.
"He started turning this dusty color. He started having some respiratory distress," Palmisano says. "He was swiftly taken to the nicu."
He was diagnosed with a rare disease called alveolar capillary dysplasia. It can be fatal in less than 30 days. The disease affects one out of 6 million babies.
"It was so devastating. 'Your son will die', they told me," Palmisano said.
But, another baby's death saved Luca. Doctors at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia flew out to harvest the lungs and transplant them into Luca. They had to leave his chest open for five days to let the new lungs settle into place.
He has a long road ahead, but Luca is home now and developing.
For information on how you can help the family cover some of the transplant costs visit:
https://cota.donorpages.com/PatientOnlineDonation/COTAforTeamLucaP/

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: Two CLOB values need to append in DB2 Set ls_total=ls_concat1 || ls_cocat2;

Getting "is too long" error came
Note:ls_concat1,ls_cocat2,ls_total are CLOB datatypes

A: The CLOB data type has length in Db2.
It's obvious, that a variable must have an appropriate length to hold the result value.
There is no error in the example below, but you get it, if you define ls_total as CLOB (9) - with insufficient length.
BEGIN
    DECLARE ls_total CLOB (10);
    --DECLARE ls_total CLOB (9);

    DECLARE ls_concat1, ls_concat2 CLOB (5);

    SET ls_concat1 = 'ABCDE', ls_concat2 = 'ABCDE';
    SET ls_total = ls_concat1 || ls_concat2;
END@

If it doesn't answer your question, then post some reproducible example which returns the error you mentioned.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Dr. Richard Hagstrom and his team are excited to provide meaningful, compassionate dental care to you and your loved ones in the La Mesa area. With over 26 years of experience, Dr. Hagstrom has the skill, knowledge, and technology to serve you and help you experience the healthy, beautiful smile you've always wanted. Patient comfort, understanding, and care is our first priority. Our friendly, outgoing staff will work with you every step of the way to make sure you enjoy your visit to our office.
We believe that good communication is the key to achieving a smile that will last a lifetime. We get to know each of our patients so that we can better serve their needs. We will teach effective prevention techniques that will help our patients practice good dental habits, and this will aid them for the rest of their lives. Cosmetic dentist Dr. Hagstrom strives to provide his patients with a level of oral healthcare that will add to their overall happiness and comfort.
Our sedation dentistry services provide relief for patients who suffer from dental anxiety. We can can put patients at ease before any procedure. Our sedation services promote relaxation and comfort, and patients experience less stress and sensitivity during procedures.
Without CEREC technology, patients may wait days before their crowns are finished. However, at our office, we can create beautiful, crowns for each of our patients in about twenty minutes. CEREC utilizes technology and innovation to craft individually tailored crowns that look beautiful and feel completely comfortable.
Dental implants are the only restorative dentistry procedure for missing teeth that replace the tooth root and the outer tooth. When combined with a beautiful porcelain crown, a dental implant can create a beautiful replacement tooth that looks natural and functions perfectly.
For patients who are missing all or almost all of their teeth, our denture service can help them enjoy a full smile again. We offer two types of dentures for our patients. We can provide traditional dentures, which are custom-made for each patient, or implant-supported dentures, for patients who want dentures that feel more secure and permanent.
To find out more about our dentures, dental implants, and other cosmetic dental services in La Mesa, contact us today. We would be happy to answer any questions you might have or to arrange a consultation with cosmetic dentist Dr. Hagstrom. We are located on La Mesa Blvd and serve the El Cajon and La Mesa, California, areas.
We Will Not Respond to Soliciting!


I have never done this before, but many people have commented that I should try. And so here I am.
I do have an interest in alternative music, so I decided to take a few pictures in this style.
Besides music, I enjoy reading, programming computer games, and Japanese culture.


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Black Friday is a 2021 American horror comedy film written by Andy Greskoviak and directed by Casey Tebo. It stars Devon Sawa, Ivana Baquero, Ryan Lee, Stephen Peck, Michael Jai White, and Bruce Campbell (who serves as producer).

Plot
A parasitic organism attacks All-Mart employee Monty as he prepares the store for its Black Friday sale. Monty mutates into a monster and attacks two coworkers.

Because he has to work on Thanksgiving, Ken Bates drops off his daughters Lyla and Gracie for dinner with their mother and her new husband Grant. Ken then picks up his nebbish coworker Chris Godecki and drives to their late shift at We Love Toys. While anxious shoppers assemble outside, Ken and Chris join coworkers Marnie, Brian, Archie, Ruth, Emmett, Anita, and Bircher as they get ready to open the store for Black Friday. Bircher accidentally locks himself outside the building while smoking a cigarette. Possessed by a parasite, a rabid shopper mauls Bircher, causing him to transform into a creature too.

Store manager Jonathan Wexler has his employees open the doors. Shoppers pour in, but they gradually turn violent as the parasitic mutation spreads. Everyone eventually realizes that the shoppers are transforming into murderous creatures as they are attacked and forced to fight back. Possessed by a parasite, Emmett emits a tentacle that kills Anita. Emmett turns into a creature before fleeing toward the store's Santa's Village display.

Ruth holes up in the office while Archie leads Chris and Brian through a mutant horde to close an exit door before more shoppers get inside. Jonathan and Ken battle a creature in the bathroom. Marnie sneaks into Santa's Village and sees that transformed shoppers are being assimilated into a growing sac. Once the exit door is secured, Jonathan, Ken, Chris, Marnie, Brian, Archie, and Ruth regroup on the store floor. Driven by a possessed officer, a speeding police car crashes through the front window. The car runs over Ruth. Mutating shoppers begin pouring inside again. After he rescues Chris, one of the monsters kills Archie.

Ken, Marnie, Chris, Brian, and Jonathan barricade themselves in the storeroom. While talking about their various tenures at the store, the coworkers bond over sliced turkey meat. However, the group conversation turns confrontational when Ken and Chris argue about their disappointing stations in life and Marnie calls out Ken for not having a real romance with her. A mutant breaches the storeroom. Ken gets bitten in the commotion. Presuming he is now infected and will soon transform, Ken stays behind while Chris, Marnie, Jonathan, and Brian go to the loading dock to obtain a truck for escaping. With Chris unable to start the truck, he and the others fight off another mutant before making their way to the roof. Meanwhile, the building catches fire as the main sac continues growing into a massive monster that soon fills the entire store. Jonathan sacrifices himself to a horde so Chris, Marnie, and Brian can escape back down to the ground.

Brian confesses he bit Ken in the earlier commotion, so Ken is not actually infected. Having assimilated all of the mutated shoppers, the massive monster breaks through the store's roof. Brian tries to confront the creature, but it kills him. Ken rejoins Chris and Marnie outside. Ken acts as a distraction while Chris tricks the monster into swallowing a forklift, which causes the injured creature to collapse into the fire. Ken, Chris, and Marnie escape in Ken's car. However, more massive monsters are seen emerging from other stores in the distance.

Cast

Production
On November 17, 2020, Bruce Campbell, Devon Sawa and Michael Jai White joined the cast. Filming took place between November 16December 16, 2020, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Reception
 Brian Tallerico from RogerEbert.com gave it two stars out of four and wrote, "It's an easy watch in a B-movie marathon but you'll have forgotten it by the time you're done with the Thanksgiving leftovers." Lena Wilson, writing for The New York Times, said "this is exactly the kind of thing horror lovers should watch with like-minded friends as the holidays roll".

Worldwide, Black Friday was the seventh most pirated film online between November 22 and November 28.

References

External links

2021 films
2020s English-language films
2020s science fiction comedy films
American science fiction comedy films
American zombie comedy films
Films about viral outbreaks
2020s American films
Films shot in Boston

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Q: How fast is AppDomain creation? I have just discovered that if generating assemblies via Reflection.Emit, the .NET framework keeps references in a static member that prevents Reflection.Emit classes not to be GC'ed.
I cannot use DynamicMethod due to limitations. I also generate a lot of assemblies  (incremental compiler of IronScheme) over the course of a program (could be 1000+).
Hence, I was thinking to just handle the code generation in a separate domain, and unload it later (have not decided how to handle this).
Does anyone have any experience how expensive this would be?

A: I would benchmark it for your specific case.
If it turns out to be expensive, just pre-create a few of them, use then as needed and recreate new ones in the background to make sure you always have enough unused ones waiting (a bit like a thread pool, but you recreate them every time to free up the memory).

A: As I understand it, it's just a little slower than spawning a thread.

Been doing some research, trying to find a real reference for this.  So far, this is the best I can come up with:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa159887.aspx
About 2/3 of the way down it calls creating AppDomains "expensive", but then you might say the same about threads in certain contexts- it really depends on what the particular thread does at creation.
Again: it's my understanding that an AppDomain is essentially a thread (or multiple threads) within a process — a logical delimiter, if you will — such that the run-time guarantees certain additional protections are in effect that prevent separate AppDomains from interfering with each other.  To create a new AppDomain within an existing process (application) the framework has to do all the work associated with creating a new thread, plus some additional overhead to set it up within the rest of the applicaion (that may also involve loading one or more assemblies into memory).  In the end, an AppDomain lives somewhere between a thread and a process.


Taylor Fire Extinguishers, fire protection equipment supplier, listed under "Fire Protection Equipment Suppliers" category, is located at 245 Main Shawville QC, J0X 2Y0, Canada and can be reached by 8196472891 phone number. Taylor Fire Extinguishers has currently 0 reviews.
Browse all Fire Protection Equipment Suppliers in Shawville QC.


2018 has been a fantastic year for the team at RAY ALLEN. Establishing a presence on all major continents has allowed us to expand into new markets and welcome new team members across the globe. As our organization expands, it presents an opportunity to review and reflect upon our core values and how they have enabled us to operate as a growing global company. Everything that we deliver for our customers is derived from our teams, and that is why we have emphasized our core values a great deal this year. These values define our culture and have driven our success so far, and we want to continue to instill these values in our team members worldwide. We are a growing global company that maintains small company connections.
Mutual Success is the only way to obtain success. A win-win mentality guides our interactions with customers, vendors, and employees on a day to day basis. We operate in the spirit of cooperation and mutual gain, rather than designating winners and losers. Open Collaboration is a priority in our environment and ensures unrestricted communication. In 2018, we have opened new offices in Lisbon and Krakow and welcomed new team members in India, Mexico, and the UK. Our offices reflect our commitment to mutual success through their design, as well as the enthusiasm and spirit of our teams. Open layouts and collaborative meeting spaces encourage employees to evaluate, evolve, and enhance the way they work together and with clients. As we expand into new regions and cultures, we continue to maintain and encourage that RAY ALLEN culture. Our employees' broad and diverse experiences enable us to develop new products and solutions on a regular basis.
Commitment to Progress is a value that applies not only to our teams and business but also our communities. As we evolve in new locations and regions, we are proud to highlight our employee-driven community service initiatives. Our volunteer activities range from working with children in a foster care facility in Mexico City and donating blood in Raleigh, to building houses for the homeless in Wilmington and donating extra construction materials to a local shelter in Krakow. Diverse interests, passions, and knowledge are what set our teams apart as we expand the RAY ALLEN family and culture around the world.
Connection and communication continue to link all levels of the organization together. We have increased our employee engagement to enable more peer recognition of excellent work from our teams around the globe. The adoption of quarterly all-hands meetings gives frontline employees direct access to the leadership team, creating a communication pipeline throughout the company. Our leadership team has also expanded to include one executive in Europe, enabling a new perspective and outlook for the business. Welcoming new team members at any level is an opportunity to pair fresh perspective with tenured experience. As soon as a new team member joins RAY ALLEN, they are paired with a buddy in the organization to help them learn the trade, tools, and teams quickly. Connecting with a buddy gives real-world meaning to the core values covered in new hire orientation. With our many new locations, it also enables them to integrate with the other regions with a more seamless and global perspective from day one. The RAY ALLEN team communicates with clarity and customer focus and we are looking forward to working with more channels, customers, and countries in 2019 and beyond!


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The Black Madonna Get's Digital in GTA V
Matt Moen
Video games have long been a form of escape from our responsibility-laden lives; a free-of-consequence world to live out your wildest fantasies. Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto franchise has been unleashing our id for over two decadesnow and is becoming one of the highest grossing series in video game history. With each subsequent installment Rockstar has sought to add more and more layers of authenticity to the virtual world by previously tapping Frank Ocean, Flying Lotus, and Tangerine Dream to help flesh out the game's musical identity.
Related | Juliette Lewis Plays Virtual DJ in Grand Theft Auto IV
For their latest update, Rockstar has dived deep into the underground DJ scene to bring some of the real world's most exciting and forward-thinking mixers into the night life of Los Santos. The DJs, Rockstar decided to enlist, are more likely to be seen spinning at Berghain than the main stage at Electric Daisy Carnival, the company brought in well-respected names like Dixon, Solomun, Tale of Us, and The Black Madonna to round out the virtual club's roster.
Using motion capture technology to capture every nuanced movement and mannerism, Rockstar weaves the digitized DJs into a new storyline for the game that centers around a brand new night club. "It's uncanny as hell...I am beyond thrilled" The Black Madonna says about her in-game incarnation describing the process of as the "Best experience ever!" All of the DJs are also featured as characters in the game, so it isn't unheard of to see your fav potentially deck a pesky security guard.
Photo Courtesy of Rockstar Games
Rockstar doesn't necessarily hope to replace experience of going to a club, this is just a video game after all. This initiative was more about bringing as much authenticity as they could to the pre-existing game. Instead, with this update, they hope to expose their audience to a whole new world of music that actually exists just outside their door.
Watch The Black Madonna's full DJ set from GTA V below:
Jersey Culture Is For Women, Too
Patrick Starr and Desi Perkins Create Memoji Make-up Tutorial


text:
The vaping crisis has ignited a politically and racially charged push to ban all flavors in electronic cigarettes and tobacco products in New York.
Some lawmakers and civil rights advocates described recent spikes in youth vaping as the tipping point in a generational battle over flavors in addictive nicotine products.
The anti-tobacco saga spanned from menthol-cigarette marketing that targeted African Americans beginning in the 1960s to millions of teenagers today using e-cigarettes that mimic tastes of fruits, candies and desserts.
"This epidemic has been fueled by the tobacco industry pushing flavor products like cotton candy, gummy bears and bubble gums to our kids," Hazel Dukes, president of the NAACP New York State Conference said last week, addressing flavor ban legislation.
"But the truth of the matter is this is nothing new; the device may have evolved but the deceptions have not," Dukes said, adding state lawmakers "must immediately end this immoral, discriminatory practice of targeting kids" by banning all flavored nicotine-delivery products.
The concerns come as New York battles in the courts to ban flavored e-cigarettes, lawmakers want to enact new laws and as deaths associated with vaping are increasing.
On Friday, New York had its third and fourth vaping-related deaths, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
Yet vape shop owners and pro-vaping groups asserted banning flavored e-cigarettes would harm adults who try to quit smoking tobacco by switching to vaping, which involves heating liquids to create an aerosol to inhale.
Instead, some vaping supporters praised federal regulators for banning select flavored vapes this month while allowing vape shops to sell tank-based systems.
The Food and Drug Administration said it targeted products widely used by children while allowing vaping as a "potential off-ramp" for adult smokers.
"Our politicians in Albany are ignoring science and public health in favor of pushing New Yorkers back to smoking," said Cheryl Richter, executive director of New York State Vapor Association, a vape shop group.
State Sen. Brad Hoylman, D-Manhattan, noted Juul Labs, the embattled vaping company with investments from Marlboro-cigarette maker Altria Group, previously vowed to stop selling the mint- and fruit-flavor vape pods now banned by the Food and Drug Administration.
"It turns out that once again Washington is sucking up to big tobacco and Juul, doing their bidding by allowing them to continue to target our children, communities of color, LGBTQ people, just like big tobacco has done for decades with menthol cigarettes," he said.
Amid vaping's rise, lawmakers in several states, including New York and New Jersey, have failed to ban menthol cigarettes under intense industry lobbying.
New Jersey, for instance, passed legislation last week to ban flavors in e-cigarettes only after dropping efforts to include a measure to outlaw menthol cigarettes. Lawmakers in part pulled it due to concerns about reducing tax revenue from cigarettes by up to $231 million.
In New York, there are several bills that address banning flavors in e-cigarettes and tobacco products separately, suggesting the potential for a piecemeal prohibition similar to New Jersey.
To understand the stakes, consider New York's cigarette tax collections and related fees have totaled between $1 billion and $1.5 billion in recent years, state records show. And Altria Group has spent millions of dollars lobbying state and local lawmakers to influence attempted nicotine product bans.
Assemblywoman Rodneyse Bichotte, D-Brooklyn, championed the tobacco flavor ban that includes menthol cigarettes in part by telling a story of losing her father to smoking-related lung and throat cancer.
The legislation "will end the decades of predatory and racial targeting of minority communities by tobacco companies that have historically used menthol cigarettes to addict new generations to their products," she said.
Meanwhile, the e-cigarette flavor ban legislation would include menthol and all other non-tobacco flavors.
Pro-vaping groups, however, contend vape flavors help smokers break the psychological and physical addictions to the tastes and aromas of cigarettes. And hundreds of vape shops would have to close in New York if flavors are banned, they said.
Further, New York last year raised the age to buy tobacco and vaping products to 21 from 18 and imposed a 20% tax on vapor products, which vaping supporters asserted will curtail youth use.
Tony Abboud, executive director of Vapor Technology Association, said in a statement "any continued discussion about banning flavors is based solely on irrational fears and not real solutions."
Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, D-Manhattan, expanded on the reasons for a comprehensive flavor ban, adding she was a menthol cigarette smoker because it offered a less harsh taste than non-flavored tobacco.
She said the prohibition needs to include every nicotine flavor product "meant to line the pockets of companies who don't' care about the effects of their insidious campaigns on the health of youth."
"They just care to make sure that they get rich," Rosenthal added.
Altria Group in October said its investment in Juul was rapidly deteriorating in value in part due to anti-vaping laws and regulations.
Altria recorded a third-quarter write-down of $4.5 billion on its stake in Silicon Valley's Juul. That means Altria's $12.8 billion investment in Juul had lost more than a third of its value.
Altria didn't immediately respond to a request to address comments by Rosenthal and Hoylman, as well as legislation in New York.
Juul officials have said the company is "focused on resetting the vapor category in the U.S. and earning the trust of society by working cooperatively with attorneys general, regulators, public health officials and other stakeholders to combat underage use and convert adult smokers from combustible cigarettes."
Rosenthal noted New York's Assembly first passed a bill seeking to ban e-cigarettes nearly a decade ago, pending further review of the devices by federal regulators.
At the time, the measure stalled in the Senate amid limited knowledge about vaping and industry lobbying, she said.
"The e-cigarette industry has been trying for at least 10 years to creep its way into our society and hook the next generation of nicotine users and they have been very, very successful," she said.
In fact, public health officials have reported roughly one of four high school students in New York and millions of young people across the country are now using e-cigarettes, prompting alerts about addiction and health risks.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is also pursuing a lawsuit against Juul, claiming the San Francisco-based company took a page from big tobacco's playbook to illegally market flavored e-cigarettes to teenagers.
In addition to striking increases in teenage vaping, the urgency driving nicotine flavor bans stemmed from an outbreak of vaping-related illnesses and deaths.
The national epidemic has hospitalized 2,561 and led to 55 deaths. That includes 230 illnesses and four deaths in New York.
While lawmakers warned the vaping illnesses underscored largely unknown e-cigarette health risks, pro-vaping groups noted the lung injuries have been linked to marijuana, revealing a robust and unsafe illicit market for vapes.
"If the New York Legislature decides to wrongly focus on a flavor ban, then it should prepare for a black market where hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers seek out their flavored vapor products from unregulated sources, as opposed to from the well-regulated, professional retailers already licensed by the state to sell tobacco products," Abboud said.
The vaping trade group recently won a court battle to block New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's attempt last year at an emergency ban on flavored e-cigarettes. A judge ruled it was a decision constitutionally reserved to the state Legislature.
Instead of a flavor ban, the trade group's plan to restrict youth access to vapes includes new laws and regulations imposing harsher marketing restrictions, requiring third-party age verification technology at retail and heightened penalties for retailers violating laws.


text:
A Triparty Required Value (RQV) is the value of collateral required by a securities lending lender in exchange for the outstanding loans that they have made to their borrower. An RQV will be satisfied through a combination of collateral types, such as equities, government bonds, convertible bonds, cash, or other products. RQV collateral requirements can be very complicated, involving instrument attributes such as how heavily traded they are, their minimum price, specific indexes, redemption dates, and other fields.

Vendors providing RQV services
 BNY Mellon
 Clearstream
 Euroclear
 JPMorgan Chase
 Pirum
 SIX Swiss Exchange

References

Securities (finance)
Financial markets


With its narrow cobblestone streets and its old medieval buildings Europe can easily been seen as a continent of fairy tales. However, its castles perched high on its hills hide some sinister secrets, the ghosts of which still linger today.
Below are some of the most haunted castles in Europe – and their creepy backstories.
Moosham Castle, Austria – Moosham Castle is also known as The Witches Castle due to the many 'witches' murdered, imprisoned and tortured there during the seventeenth century. Moosham Castle was where the 'Witches' involved in the Salzburg Witch Trials were taken and, unusually for a witch trial, the majority of victims were male.
The youngest to be imprisoned here was 10, the eldest 80 and all but two were beggars. It's believed that many of these murdered there still haunt the castle today, breathing down people's necks and banging doors.
Predjama Castle, Slovenia – Predjama Castle is a spooky looking castle built into the side of the cliffs, above a cave which provided the inhabitants with secret passageways. It was home to the Emperor Erazem Luegar.
Not only did Luegar use his castle to hide away from the enemy, he also used it to torture and kill. Eventually he was betrayed by his servants who murdered him. It's said that his ghost still roams the passageways in the castle and caves below. Walk around them if you dare!
Houska Castle, Czech Republic –This gothic castle, built in 1253, is possibly the creepiest castle on this list! It's known to locals as the gates to hell, as it was said to be built on top of a bottomless pit – or if not bottomless, so deep and dark that nobody has ever seen the bottom. Legend has it that the bottomless pit had half-human, half-animal creatures and black flying animals inhabiting it, so the castle was built to keep the evil in.
Today it is reported that demonic entities still live here; they've been seen in the chapel – which was the room built directly above the pit – and strange moaning and voices have been heard inside. Outside there have been reports of creepy ghostly visions; a large headless horse with blood gushing from his neck has been seen running through the courtyard, a figure of a woman in a white dress has been seen gazing out of a window, and, perhaps the strangest of all, a row of people all chained together, and all with some gruesome injury, have been seen walking around.
Bran Castle, Romania – Possibly the most famous castle on this list. Bran Castle began life as a medieval fortress, commissioned by King Louis I of Anjou in order to intercept the road to Transylvania and keep it safe from enemies.
Bran castle is perhaps most widely known for its connections to Vlad the Impaler and as being the fortress in Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula. However, Bram Stoker never visited Romania, and the links between them all are tenuous and most are not verifiable. Despite this the castle is awash with vampire folklore and paranormal goings on today. There are plenty of guided tours on offer and even opportunities to stay overnight. You might not get much sleep though!
Chillingham Castle, England – Since 1246 Chillingham Castle has been owned by the same family, the Greys, who were responsible for building the beautiful gardens and grounds, as well as the damp, dark dungeons and torture chambers. The torture chamber was practically designed with a sloping floor to drain away the blood and was the last room that many traitors saw.
The castle today is used as a hotel – but it also said to be haunted by the ghosts of all those executed there. It is one of the most haunted castles in Britain. The most documented ghost within the castle resides in the pink room (which is open for guests to book). In here people have reported hearing a loud wailing sound and seeing a blue light or halo above their bed soon after.
Dragsholm Castle, Denmark – Dragsholm castle dates back to the time of the Vikings; drag meant a place to drag ships across to avoid dangerous waters. The castle was originally built to be a place for noble kings and queens to reside but, after the Protestant reform, became a place to keep noble prisoners. Today it's reported that over 100 ghosts live in Dragsholm castle, most of which are noble or people of importance such as The Earl of Bothwell, third husband to Mary Queen of Scots. Visitors have reported seeing him riding through the courtyard on his horse, and have heard the sound of horses' hooves.
One of the female ghosts haunting the castle is that of a daughter of a nobleman, who became pregnant by a commoner. Her father didn't approve of her pregnancy so he imprisoned her within the castle. Now she can be seen wandering around the castle, wearing the white dress she died in, looking for her lover and occasionally moaning in sorrow. Dragsholm castle is now a hotel and restaurant so anyone can go and see these ghosts for themselves.
Frankenstein Castle, Germany: – There's a theory that this hilltop castle gave Mary Shelley the inspiration for her novel 'Frankenstein'. Whether that theory is true or not is unknown but the castle holds a sinister past not dissimilar to the novel.
The castle was home to a scientist called Johann Konrad Dippel who conducted his own gruesome experiments on animals and human body parts. He is the epitome of the stereotypical 'mad-scientist' we know from the literature and films of today; he kept to himself and experimented with everything from reversing the ageing process to soul transference. Allegedly he eventually moved on from experimenting on animals and began on humans. Nowadays the castle welcomes visitors from all over the world looking for a fright at one of Europe's biggest Halloween parties.
Edinburgh Castle, Scotland – An historic fortress on a hill in the centre of Scotland's capital, Edinburgh castle is bursting with history. The castle itself stands on a hill called Castle Rock, which was formed from a volcanic eruption over 340 million years ago. The castle was built in the 12th Century by the son of Saint Margaret of Scotland. Since it was built until the late 18th Century the castle was almost always under siege due to tensions between the English and the Scots. After that the castle was used to house military prisoners – until a mass escape in the early 19th Century proved it wasn't suitable as a prison.
There are many hidden tunnels beneath the castle which are said to be haunted. One of those ghosts who haunts them is the Lonely Piper, who mysteriously disappeared whilst navigating the tunnels. He played his bagpipes whilst walking the tunnels so the people above could track his movements but, half way down, the music stopped. When a rescue team when to look for him, he had vanished. It is said that he still haunts the tunnel today, and his bagpipes can still be heard.
La Roche En Ardenne, Belgium – The castle was once home to a rich nobleman and his only daughter, whose hand in marriage he sold to the winner of a tournament. It appeared to be an already betrothed knight who would win but, at the last moment, a mysterious entrant swooped in, killed the knight and took the daughter, Berthe, to her bedchamber. The next morning the two of them were found dead in the steep, rocky mountains below the castle.
As it turns out, the mysterious winner was Countess Alix De Salm who had made pact with the devil, and disguised herself as a knight, to get revenge on the Count and his daughter. It is said that, to this day, the Countess' ghost haunts the castle.
Have you been to any of these castles on the list? What did you think? Do you dare visit some of them? Let me know in the comments!


text:
void InitializeChannels()
{
    World* world = World::GetPtr();

    WriteLog("Initializing channels");
    world->events.AddCallback("PlayerConnect", std::bind(&Channel::SubscribeChannels, std::placeholders::_1, std::placeholders::_2));
    world->events.AddCallback("PlayerDisconnect", std::bind(&Channel::UnsubscribeChannels, std::placeholders::_1, std::placeholders::_2));

//Register channels here.
    world->AddChannel(new Channel("chat","ch",RANK_PLAYER));
}

CEVENT(Channel, SubscribeChannels)
{
    World* world = World::GetPtr();
    std::list <std::string> names;
    Channel* chan=nullptr;
    Player* mobile=(Player*)caller;

    mobile->events.AddCallback("OptionChanged", std::bind(&Channel::OptionChanged, std::placeholders::_1, std::placeholders::_2));
    world->GetChannelNames(&names);

    for (auto it: names)
        {
            if (GetOptionValue(it, mobile).GetInt() == 1)
                {
                    chan=world->FindChannel(it);
                    if (chan)
                        {
                            chan->AddListener(mobile,true);
                        }
                }
        }
}
CEVENT(Channel, UnsubscribeChannels)
{
    World* world = World::GetPtr();
    std::list <std::string> names;
    Channel* chan=nullptr;
    Player* mobile=(Player*)caller;

    world->GetChannelNames(&names);
    for (auto it: names)
        {
            chan=world->FindChannel(it);
            if (chan)
                {
                    chan->RemoveListener(mobile,true);
                }
        }
}
CEVENT(Channel, OptionChanged)
{
    World* world = World::GetPtr();
    Player* mobile = (Player*)caller;
    OptionChangedArgs* arg = (OptionChangedArgs*)args;
    Option* node = arg->opt;
    Channel* chan = world->FindChannel(node->GetMeta()->GetName());

    if (chan)
        {
            if (node->GetValue().GetInt())
                {
                    chan->AddListener(mobile);
                }
            else
                {
                    chan->RemoveListener(mobile);
                }
        }
}

Channel::Channel(const std::string &name,const std::string &alias,const FLAG access):
    _name(name), _alias(alias), _access(access)
{
    _pattern="[%N]: %P says, \'%M.\'";
}
Channel::~Channel()
{
    for (auto it: _history)
        {
            delete it;
        }
}

void Channel::_AddHistoryEntry(const std::string &message)
{
    HistoryNode* node=nullptr;

    if (message=="")
        {
            return;
        }
    if (_history.size()==MAX_CHAN_HISTORY_LENGTH)
        {
            node=_history.front();
            _history.pop_front();
            delete node;
            node = nullptr;
        }

    node=new HistoryNode();
    node->when=time(NULL);
    node->message=message;
    _history.push_back(node);
}

std::string Channel::_Patternize(const std::string &message,Player* caller)
{
    std::string m=message;
    std::stringstream format;
    std::string::iterator it, itEnd;
    bool emote=false;

    if (m[0]==':')
        {
            emote=true;
            m.erase(m.begin());
        }
    if (emote)
        {
            itEnd = _epattern.end();
        }
    else
        {
            itEnd = _pattern.end();
        }

    for (it=_pattern.begin(); it != itEnd; ++it)
        {
            if (((*it)=='%')&&((it++)!=(emote?_epattern.end():_pattern.end())))
                {
                    switch ((*it))
                        {
                        case 'p':
                            format << caller->GetName();
                            break;
                        case 'P':
                            format << Capitalize(caller->GetName());
                            break;
                        case 'n':
                            format << _name;
                            break;
                        case 'N':
                            format << Capitalize(_name);
                            break;
                        case 'm':
                            format <<m;
                            break;
                        case 'M':
                            format << Capitalize(m);
                            break;
                        case '%':
                            format << "%";
                            break;
                        default:
                            break;
                        }
                }
            else
                {
                    format << (*it);
                }
        }

    return format.str();
}

void Channel::SetName(const std::string &name)
{
    _name=name;
}
std::string Channel::GetName() const
{
    return _name;
}

void Channel::SetAlias(const std::string &alias)
{
    _alias=alias;
}
std::string Channel::GetAlias() const
{
    return _alias;
}

void Channel::SetPattern(const std::string &pattern)
{
    _pattern=pattern;
}
std::string Channel::GetPattern() const
{
    return _pattern;
}

void Channel::SetAccess(const FLAG access)
{
    _access=access;
}
FLAG Channel::GetAccess() const
{
    return _access;
}

std::list <HistoryNode*>* Channel::GetHistory()
{
    return &_history;
}

void Channel::AddListener(Player* subscriber,bool quiet)
{
    if (!subscriber->HasAccess(_access))
        {
            if (!quiet)
                {
                    subscriber->Message(MSG_ERROR,"You don't have seficient permissions to access this channel.");
                }
            return;
        }

    if (HasListener(subscriber))
        {
            if (!quiet)
                {
                    subscriber->Message(MSG_ERROR,"You are already subscribed to that channel.");
                }
            return;
        }

    _listeners.push_back(subscriber);
    if (!quiet)
        {
            subscriber->Message(MSG_INFO,"Tuned in.");
        }
}
void Channel::RemoveListener(Player* subscriber,bool quiet)
{
    if (HasListener(subscriber))
        {
            _listeners.remove(subscriber);
            if (!quiet)
                {
                    subscriber->Message(MSG_INFO,"Tuned out.");
                }
            return;
        }
    else
        {
            if (!quiet)
                {
                    subscriber->Message(MSG_INFO,"You are not tuned into that channel.");
                }
        }
}
bool Channel::HasListener(Player* mobile)
{
    for (auto it: _listeners)
        {
            if (it == mobile)
                {
                    return true;
                }
        }

    return false;
}

bool Channel::CanBroadcastWithoutListening(Player* mobile) const
{
    return false;
}

void Channel::Broadcast(Player* caller,const std::string &message,bool access)
{
    std::string paternized;

    if (!caller->HasAccess(_access))
        {
            caller->Message(MSG_ERROR,"You don't have the access needed to be able to broadcast to this channel.");
            return;
        }
    if (message=="")
        {
            caller->Message(MSG_ERROR,"You must provide a message.");
            return;
        }
    if (BitIsSet(caller->GetPflag(), PF_SILENCE))
        {
            caller->Message(MSG_ERROR, "You can not broadcast to channels while you are silenced.");
            return;
        }
    if (!HasListener(caller))
        {
            if (!CanBroadcastWithoutListening(caller))
                {
                    caller->Message(MSG_ERROR, "You must be tuned into that channel before you can broadcast on it.");
                    return;
                }
        }

    paternized=_Patternize(message,caller);

    for (auto it: _listeners)
        {
            it->Message(MSG_CHANNEL,paternized);
        }

    _AddHistoryEntry(paternized);
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Confucius Scholarship
In order to support the development of Confucius Institutes, facilitate Chinese language promotion and Chinese cultural transmission in the world, cultivate qualified Chinese language teachers and talented students of Chinese language, Hanban/Confucius Institute Headquarters (hereinafter referred to as Hanban) launches the "Confucius Institute Scholarship" program to provide financial aid for students, scholars and Chinese language teachers worldwide to proceed to a Master's degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (MTCSOL) in Chinese universities (hereinafter referred to as "host institutes"), or study in such majors as Chinese Language and Literature, Chinese History and Chinese Philosophy.
I. Scholarship Category and Application Requirement
The category of scholarship of 2012 includes Scholarship for Students of Master's Degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages, Scholarship for One-Academic Year Students and Scholarship for One-Semester Students. Applicants shall be non-Chinese citizens aged between 16 and 35 (Chinese language teachers shall be aged below 45).
1. Scholarship for Students of Master's Degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages
The scholarship is provided to outstanding students of Confucius Institutes (Classrooms), outstanding performers on HSK exams, winners of the "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competitions for Foreign College Students and for Foreign High School Students, Chinese language teachers worldwide, and outstanding graduates of Chinese language across the world for taking the MTCSOL degree. The scholarship winner shall begin the study in autumn 2012, and the grant will cover two academic years. After finishing the study, students will obtain the graduate diploma and be conferred with the Master's degree certificate in MTCSOL. Applicants are required to have bachelor degrees or its equivalent with a score of at least 180 on the new HSK (level 5), and make a written commitment stating that he/she will be engaged in Chinese language teaching for at least 5 years after graduation.
2. Scholarship for One-Academic Year Students
The scholarship is provided to outstanding students of Confucius Institutes (Classrooms), outstanding performers on HSK, winners of the "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competitions for Foreign College Students and for Foreign High School Students, Chinese language teachers worldwide, and outstanding graduates of Chinese language across the world, or those who intend to become Chinese teachers. The scholarship winner may choose to study majors including Chinese Language and Literature, Chinese History and Chinese Philosophy. The time of entrance is autumn 2012 and the grant term is one academic year. Applicants should complete their study at a Confucius Institute for over 120 hours, or achieve a score of at least 180 on the new
HSK (level 3).
3. Scholarship for One-Semester Students
The scholarship is provided to outstanding students of Confucius Institutes (Classrooms), outstanding performers on HSK, winners of the "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competitions for Foreign College Students and for Foreign High School Students, Chinese language teachers worldwide, and outstanding students of Chinese language across the world. The scholarship winner may choose to study majors including Chinese Language and Literature, Chinese History and Chinese Philosophy. The time of entrance is autumn 2012 or Spring 2013 and the grant term is one semester. Applicants should complete their study at a Confucius Institute for over 60 hours, or achieve a score of at least 120 on the new HSK (level 2).
II. Scholarship Coverage and Criteria
Scholarship winners are exempt from registration fees, tuition, fees for basic learning materials, accommodation fees on campus, and are provided with a one-off resettlement subsidy, monthly allowance, outpatient medical service and comprehensive insurance for foreign students studying in China. The one-off resettlement subsidy will not be provided to those who have studied in China for more than half a year before being enrolled.
III. Recruitment Procedures
1. From the issue date of the Procedures, applicants should log on to the Confucius Institute Scholarship website at http://cis.chinese.cn, set up an individual account, read information and introduction of host institutes and majors, complete and submit the Confucius Institute Scholarship Application Form (see instructions to complete and submit the Application Form here) online, print out the Form and submit it to their recommending institution along with other application materials (see Article 4).
2. Confucius Institutes (independently set-up Confucius Classrooms), overseas Chinese test centres, educational and cultural offices (sections) of Chinese embassies (consulates), host institutes and institutions of higher education in those countries with no Confucius Institutes are entrusted by Hanban as the recommending institutions. The recommending institutions shall exam the qualification and application materials of applicants, and recommend outstanding applicants. Recommending institutions shall send the application materials of qualified applicants (e-scanning copy or original copy) to Liaoning Normal University and submit the candidate name list (see Attachment 2) to Hanban for by May 10th 2012.
3. Liaoning Normal University are responsible for reviewing the qualification of applicants and submitting the proposed enrolment name list of qualified candidates (see Attachment 3) to Hanban by June 5th 2012.
4. Hanban will organize an expert panel to make the final selection and publish the name list of successful applicants on the Scholarship website by June 30th 2012, which will be informed to applicants through recommending institutions.
5. Liaoning Normal University will post "Admission Notice", "Enrollment Instructions", "Visa Application Form for Foreigners to Study in China" (JW202 Form) and other related materials to successful applicants through their recommending institutions by July 10th 2012.
IV. Application Documents (all in duplicate):
Applicants shall submit the following documents:
1. Confucius Institute Scholarship Application Form
2. Photocopy of Passport Photo Page
3. Application Statement: stating applicant's Chinese language learning background, study plan and aim in China It shall be written in Chinese and no less than 800 words.
4. Photocopy of New HSK Result Report
5. Diploma and Transcripts. Applicants shall submit notarized highest education diplomas attained or proof of study.
6. Reference Letter and Letter of Commitment. Students attending Chinese language programs of universities in countries with no Confucius Institutes established shall attach a reference letter signed and issued by the university President. The Master's Degree Scholarship applicants are required to submit reference letters provided by two professors or associate professors (in Chinese or English). A written commitment stating that the applicant will be engaged in Chinese language teaching for at least 5 years after graduation (written in Chinese and sign with signature).
7. Applications under the age of 18 shall submit relevant legal documents of entrusted legal guardians in China.
8. Winners of the finals of the "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competitions for Foreign College Students and for Foreign High School Students in China shall submit the duplicate of scholarship certificate and reference letter provided by educational and cultural offices (sections) of Chinese embassies (consulates). Winners of preliminary rounds of the "Chinese Bridge" Proficiency Competitions in their countries shall provide award proof and reference letter provided by the organizers.
9. Chinese language teachers shall submit the proof on number of teaching years and weekly teaching hours provided by institutes they work for.
V. Entrance and Annual Appraisal
1. The scholarship winners shall register at the host institutes before the deadline set by the institutes. Scholarships will not be kept for those who do not register on time without reasonable cause.
2. Scholarships will be cancelled for those who cannot pass the health examination.
3. Students for a Master's degree in Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages (MTCSOL) shall be subject to an annual appraisal organized by the host institutes in the second semester after being enrolled according to the "Annual Appraisal Procedures for Confucius Institute Scholarship". Only the eligible students are entitled to continue to receive the Scholarships in the following year.
VI. Contact Information
Prof. Jin Zhigang: Istituto Confucio dell'Università degli Studi di Milano
Prof. Clara Bulfoni: Università degli Studi di Milano, Dipartimento di Lingue e culture contemporanee. Email: clara.bulfoni@unimi.it
All documents must be submitted to prof. Clara Bulfoni by May 3rd


Paul graduated with a First-Class Honours degree from the University of Southampton and, before joining us in October 2006, received his grounding in the financial services industry at Skandia Life Assurance. He now manages a range of portfolios for private clients and trusts. Paul is a Chartered Wealth Manager and has completed the Masters in Wealth Management.


When it comes to cooling your home during a particularly nasty heat wave, it might seem like more is always better. However, this definitely isn't true in the case of A/C refrigerant because an overcharged system runs inefficiently and runs the risks of breaking down completely or even exploding. Watch out for these six signs a technician added a little too much refrigerant during a routine refill. Call for emergency service immediately if you notice the symptoms.
Proper annual maintenance should make your air conditioner run more efficiently and lower your electricity bills in the months following the visit. If you notice the opposite is happening instead, consider calling out a different technician to double-check the work. A/Cs with too much refrigerant pumped into the lines convert heat at a much higher temperature than the equipment is designed to handle, so it takes a lot of extra power while producing even less cooled air.
Many homeowners discover their air conditioner is running under dangerously high refrigerant pressure while trimming weeds around the outdoor condenser, or as they simply stroll by it. A blast of extremely hot air discharging from the vents indicates the system is producing extra heat inside the unit. This comes from both the overworked motors and the unnecessary heat produced by overpowered condensing lines.
While this excess heat can also come from dirty air filters and clogged blowers, both of those problems are unlikely if you recently had it serviced. Recent maintenance that included refrigerant charging points to an overfilled system instead.
Frost is a complicated A/C problem because it has two completely opposite causes. A frozen condenser might arise from low refrigerant levels, but it's also linked to overcharged levels too. Only an inspection from a professional can reveal which problem is behind the wintry conditions.
Maintaining the right amount of pressure in the air conditioner lines is crucial because the refrigerant is a liquid that is sprayed as a gas through the compressor. When you pump too much liquid into the pressurized lines, the chemical forces through tiny nozzles and spray hoses while still in liquid form. This does serious damage to most of the moving parts in your air conditioner, creating loud and frightening squealing noises as parts stall and break. Once you get to this symptom, your A/C is going to need costly repairs.
Since too much refrigerant does so much damage to the air conditioner, many devices are fitted with safety switches that detect pressure changes and shut the unit off. Your A/C won't switch back on again until a professional has serviced it and manually reset the switch. Even air conditioners without these safety switches can shut down completely when overcharged due to burnt out compressors and other damaged parts.
Few homeowners own the measurement equipment to check the A/C pressure readings themselves, but any HVAC professional can tell you if your system has a serious pressure imbalance in a few minutes of testing. This is the best way to rule out other common problems and pinpoint an overcharged system is interrupting your climate control. Since refrigerant overcharging causes the same symptoms as many other A/C problems and has such a high damage potential, it's best to pay for an inexpensive testing visit instead of trying to troubleshoot the issue yourself.
Don't wait until tomorrow morning if your air conditioning is only blowing warm air or you hear the compressor squealing. Emergency inspection could save you thousands of dollars in repairs and replacement costs, and it only takes the technician a short time to remove excess refrigerant if they detect a problem. To find a technician, contact a company like Elite Heating, Cooling and Plumbing.


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Clear to partly cloudy. Low near 25F. Winds light and variable..
Clear to partly cloudy. Low near 25F. Winds light and variable.
SunTrust agrees to sell 30 branches to First Horizon to win U.S. Justice OK for Truist Financial megadeal
By Richard Craver Winston-Salem Journal
Richard Craver
Nine SunTrust Banks Inc. branches in the Triad will be sold to First Horizon National Corp. to secure U.S. Justice Department regulatory approval of the proposed Truist Financial Corp.
BB&T Corp. and SunTrust must receive approval from Justice, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Federal Reserve to complete the $30.4 billion megadeal they announced in February.
The Justice approval addresses anti-trust concerns.
The Winston-Salem branches affected by the divestiture are at 2006 S. Hawthorne Road, 2801 Reynolda Road, 101 S. Stratford Road, and 4306 N. Liberty St.
The other five branches are: 5361 U.S. 158 in Bermuda Run; 1000 S. Main St. in Kernersville; 880 Yadkinville Road in Mocksville; 2820 Old Hollow Road in Walkertown; and 200 S. State St. in Yadkinville.
With the transaction, First Horizon would go from four to eight branches in Winston-Salem and from six to 11 in Forsyth County.
SunTrust was required by Justice to divest 28 SunTrust branches in North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia that represented a combined $2.3 billion in deposits.
The banks said separately First Horizon is gaining 30 branches and $2.4 billion in deposits from SunTrust.
The divested assets will include all deposits and loans associated with the branches. First Horizon, based in Memphis, Tenn., is expected to take over the branches in early 2020.
"We are committed to working with First Horizon to ensure a smooth transition for these clients following the close of the divestiture," SunTrust spokeswoman Sue Mallino said when asked what those SunTrust branch customers are required to do to remain a SunTrust customer or become one of Truist.
BB&T and SunTrust have said they expect to close on the megadeal and start the integration of Truist by the end of the year, although acknowledging it could take into early 2020.
"This announcement marks another significant and required step" in the formation of Truist, said Kelly King, BB&T's chairman and chief executive, who will have the same titles with Truist.
King told analysts on Oct. 16 that "we believe we are still on track for closing in the fourth quarter, but we can't guarantee that ... because it is out of our control."
The banks gained approval for the merger from the N.C. Commissioner of Banks on July 10 and near unanimous approval from their respective shareholders July 30.
"The next step is approval of our divestment plan by (U.S. Justice Department) and then we believe the remaining regulatory approvals will follow," King told analysts.
BB&T and SunTrust said they had at least 740 branches within a two-mile radius of each other, with the majority likely to be consolidated into one branch or divested as in the First Horizon transaction.
Justice officials said in a statement the divestiture constitutes the largest divestiture in a bank merger in more than a decade — not surprising given the megadeal would be the largest since the Great Recession of 2008-11 and form the sixth-largest U.S. bank at $463.7 billion in total assets.
The other metro markets affected by the SunTrust branch divestiture are in Durham-Chapel Hill, Eastern Shore, Va., Patrick County, Va. Franklin County, Va., Henry County/city of Martinsville, Va., and Lumpkin County, Ga.
"Banks and the financial sector are at the heart of our economy," Makan Delrahim, Justice's assistant attorney general for its antitrust division, said in a statement.
"Today's settlement ensures that banking customers across Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia will continue to have access to competitively priced banking products, including loans to small businesses, while preserving the investments in innovation and technology this merger is expected to generate."
First Horizon plans to keep all SunTrust employees in the branches.
"First Horizon is excited to welcome new employees and customers to our family," Bryan Jordan, First Horizon's chairman and chief executive, said in a statement.
"We look forward to working with BB&T and SunTrust to design a seamless onboarding experience."
Bill Rogers, SunTrust's chairman and chief executive, said the bank "is pleased to have found a buyer that will retain the jobs of talented teammates and continue to foster the strong client relationships we have established in these branches." Rogers would serve as Truist's president at completion of the megadeal.
BB&T shareholders would own 57% of Truist. The combined bank would have its headquarters in Charlotte, with its community-banking division based in Winston-Salem and its wholesale-banking division in Atlanta.
The banks say it could take 12 to 24 months after closing to integrate the operating systems, including branch networks. Truist would have a presence in 17 states, stretching from Pennsylvania and New Jersey to Texas, but foremost in the Southeast.
King said Feb. 7, when the deal was announced, that "if you are a client-facing associate and doing a good job, then your job is assured."
The reality is the Triad will lose several hundred BB&T corporate-headquarters jobs to Charlotte, along with the entire executive-management team moving there as a result of the merger.
Winston-Salem would probably keep thousands of community bank and other affiliated jobs, likely moving similar SunTrust jobs here as BB&T wholesale-banking jobs go to Atlanta.
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rcraver@wsjournal.com
@rcraverWSJ
First Horizon-Iberiabank
The First Horizon acquisitions of 30 SunTrust branches are unrelated to First Horizon's announcement Monday of its plans to spend $3.91 billion in stock to buy Louisiana-based Iberiabank Corp. in a deal that would nearly double its total assets to $75 billion.
First Horizon, based in Memphis, Tenn., would gain a presence in three states in the transaction: Louisiana, Alabama and Arkansas.
In addition, the bank would increase its presence in Georgia and Texas — it currently has just one branch in each state — and it would enter Atlanta for the first time. Iberiabank is based in Lafayette, La.
The banks said they would have branch presence in 15 of the top-20 metropolitan statistical areas in the Southeast, including the Triad, Charlotte and the Triangle.
The banks expect the deal to close in the second quarter of 2020, pending regulatory and shareholder approvals.
Truist
Bb&t Corp.
First Horizon National Corp.
Truist Financial Corp
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Birmingham is notorious for having a really great festival season in the Spring and Summer. These festivals are the perfect opportunity to get to know the city and the many facets of our culture, and, most importantly, they're a lot of fun. With something for everyone and sometimes several in one day, it can be difficult to choose, so we hand-picked some favorites for you to check out. Read on for a few suggestions, and we hope to see you out at some of these events!
Sloss Fest is returning for its sophomore year this year, after a roaring success of a debut last summer. This year's lineup features Ryan Adams, The Flaming Lips, and many many more, plus tons of activities and vendors to check out. We anticipate this to be one of Birmingham's biggest events of the year!
Birmingham is home to tons of really great art festivals, including this awesome 3-day event in the heart of downtown. There's something for everyone at this festival- beautiful art, great food, awesome shopping, and tons of musical performances and activities for the family.
Dog lovers and owners from all over town get together with their pups for this festival, featuring vendors selling pet products, food, drinks, and an all-around great time. Dogs aren't just welcome at this party- they're the guest of honor.
It's no secret that Birmingham is home to some really incredible food, and food trucks are no exception! Each year they all gather for the Food Truck Roundup to give the public a chance to easily sample all of the mobile food options our city has to offer. In addition to the food, there is an art show and great fun for the family to be had!
This weekly market definitely deserves a spot on this list. Every Saturday during their season, the market opens at 7 am and it packed full of gorgeous local food, art, music, and other goods. This is the perfect place to explore and support a wide variety of Birmingham's local businesses.
The Sidewalk Film Festival is now on its 18th year, and has consistently grown bigger and bigger every year since the beginning. Film buffs will definitely not want to miss this- with dozens of independent and award-winning films, panels, and activities in several iconic venues around town, this event is jam-packed with entertainment options for every taste.
Hosted by Slice Pizza & Brew, SliceFest is a music festival with lots of delicious food (including, of course, pizza by Slice) and drinks and plenty of vendors to shop. Take a break at the Brik tent and say hello to the #BrikFam while you're there!
Bringing in acts from all over, including Canada and Europe, the Steel City Jazz Fest boasts itself as one of the nation's hottest jazz festivals. Enjoy great food and drink while relaxing in the park to some of the best jazz artists around!
Secret Stages is a music festival with a unique twist. Hosted in music venues and businesses scattered throughout the downtown Loft District, Secret Stages features lesser-known artists with the intent to support and promote independent musicians from Birmingham and beyond. Wander from stage to stage and grab some of Birmingham's best food and art between sets.


Climate finance is likely the most important issue the delegates of COP22 are working on. The term refers to the local, national, or transnational loans, grants, and other financing put forward to meet climate change goals. Finance may come from public, private, and/or alternative sources. The table below presents current sources of climate finance data.
Because significantly reducing emissions of greenhouse gases — especially in sectors that emit large quantities — requires large-scale investments, climate finance is critical to mitigating climate change. Climate finance is equally important for adaptation: nations must expend significant financial resources to adapt to the adverse effects and reduce the impacts of climate change.
In accordance with the UNFCCC's recently declared principle of common but differentiated responsibility, the developed countries (Annex II Parties) have pledged to provide financial resources to assist developing (Annex I) countries in implementing the overall objectives of the international treaty. The 2016 climate funding snapshot below shows the UNFCCC Secretariat's compilation of these resources for 2016.
Governments and other stakeholders need to understand and assess both the financial needs of developing countries and their available sources. Funding provided to developing countries will have to take into account both the nation's particular vulnerability to climate change and the urgency of its needs.
Governments will also be looking to increase clarity for adaptation finance and for a mechanism to strengthen capacity-building, which helps developing countries build up their internal skills and institutional strengths and form their own clean-energy, sustainable futures.
Ways by which financial resources can be transferred to and accessed by developing countries are also important. Developing countries need to know that financial resources are predictable, adequate, sustainable, and capable of access directly without difficulty. The developed countries must perceive that developing countries can effectively receive and utilize the resources.
Over the long term, as these nations take on more responsibilities and as the impacts of climate change intensify, financial resources required to enable developing countries to mitigate and adapt to climate change will become more and more significant. Full transparency about the ways in which resources are used for mitigation and adaptation is vital.
In this respect, news from Climate Home is discouraging: donor countries as a group are becoming less transparent in reporting their climate finance. The group analyzed climate finance reports from 23 countries and the European Union and compared them with transparency benchmarks set forth by the UNFCCC. The reporting in the 2016 biennial reports scored only 52% of available points, compared with a 58% average for 2014 reports.
Trust among parties to the convention and also external actors depends on effective measurement, reporting, and verification of climate finance.
At COP22, developed countries are presenting the guidelines ("roadmaps") that will mobilize $100 billion dollars pledged in annual support to developing countries by 2020.
Here's a complete overview of UNFCCC's work on climate finance in Marrakesh.
Another effort on the financial front involves COP22 reviewing initiatives that support implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions. These are the actual amounts to which countries committed themselves last year with the Paris Agreement. An NDC describes how each nation will integrate climate action and implement sustainable development and risk management across sectors and ministries. Interactions at COP22 will help each country integrate financial contributions into its sustainable development goals.
Successful fulfillment of the Paris Agreement depends on climate-friendly national policies. This is especially so because the Agreement rests squarely on full implementation of the global set of national climate action plans. In this context, the recent US election may have scuttled plans for about 20% of world emissions.