Congratulations on your upcoming appointment as a Director's Visitor. This page contains resources to help you prepare for your stay, and to help us get all of the information we need from you to ensure you have full access to campus resources upon your arrival.
Please provide all information needed to finalize the details of your stay (i.e. housing, insurance, etc.) using Update Me.
Please submit materials to complete your profile in the Institute's Faculty and Members Publication and Scholar Webpages using this Form.
For questions regarding your immigration status while at IAS, contact Jennifer Hansen at hansen@itg.ias.edu.
Consider pre-purchasing household items (such as linens) for your Institute housing unit from Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Past visitors have told us how much they would have liked to see our campus before arriving at the Institute for the first time. In response to that request, we created a short, simple video.
A list of Institute contacts is available HERE.
FAQs for incoming Director's Visitors are available HERE.
FAQs of interest to all of our visiting scholars are available HERE.
For any additional questions about the Director's Visitor Program, please contact Josie Faass (jfaass@ias.edu).


text:
Meet Jeff, a Designer Who Uses Cloud Accounting to Effectively Track Time and Boost His Productivity
Jeff Kisko shares how FreshBooks is his go-to tool to track time on the job.
Company: Jeff Kisko
Industry: Design
Location: London, ON, Canada
Too much billable time spent on admin
FreshBooks Time Tracking and Invoices
Saves 10–12 hours/week on admin
For the past 18 years, Jeff built a career in design, creating conceptual—and oftentimes elaborate—visualizations for events and trade shows. Working in-house for most of his career, he later ventured into self-employment to create work-life balance and gain more control over his craft.
Jeff experienced a rather smooth transition as a business owner, taking advantage of opportunities from previous clients and employers. He eventually learned how to build a sales identity, collaborate with global firms and was in constant pursuit of new challenges.
But there was one challenge that Jeff says he didn't quite consider in the beginning: Administrative work and accounting.
The Old Way of Managing Time
In one word Jeff calls his old process "eclectic." For time tracking, some clients requested hourly reports, while others wanted them by project completion.
To keep track of it all and ensure nothing fell through the cracks, Jeff recorded his time in an app on his mobile device and kept separate spreadsheets for invoices and expenses.
"In effect, every client of mine had a custom method of tracking and invoicing which all took time," he says. "I could be spending as much as 10–12 hours a week on this process, which was time away from my billable time.
I knew there had to be a better choice."
"I felt as if I was creating time since I regained so much that had been lost to inefficient systems." —Jeff Kisko, Designer
Searching for an All-in-One Solution
Before Jeff discovered cloud accounting, he kept his business organized in a Dropbox—the place that would house all of his important spreadsheets and business documents.
Curious there was something better out there, he began his search for an all-around solution that he could easily access from his mobile device, as he often worked on the go.
"It had to be completely mobile as I routinely travel with my work and switch between devices," he explains."
But the options at the start weren't favorable.
"I tried a few demos but kept on getting frustrated," he says. "I would find this really great invoicing app that would work across platforms, but then would find a limitation somewhere. I had a time tracker, but it wasn't specific to the activity during this time."
At a certain point, Jeff says he was convinced there wasn't a tool out there built for him.
"I felt that most of these packages would work really great for someone in a different field or someone who was selling a specific item or service, but I needed something that was more flexible and responsive to my work."
Then Jeff discovered FreshBooks. After a couple of trials, he fell in love with the platform.
Achieving Organization at Last with FreshBooks
"I felt as if I was creating time since I regained so much that had been lost to inefficient systems," he explains.
After taking FreshBooks for a test drive, Jeff finally signed up to receive the service for good. And for three years, he can confirm he hasn't looked back.
"All the features were carefully considered and presented in a user-friendly format. With the level of accounting that I needed for my business, this had all the answers."
Time Tracking That Actually Saves Time
"The vast majority of my work is billable by the hour, and I can so easily switch between projects and record my time," he says. "I have all the tools I need to make sure that my timing is consistent with where it should be, describe what I am actively doing while working, and then turn it into an invoice without forgetting anything. This is invaluable to me and my income."
Reliable Customer Service As a Bonus
"I have been fortunate not to have many issues at all, but I do know that whenever I have had a question, the customer service and response has been so quick that I've come to expect that from every other company out there!"
Less Hours Tracking Time, More Hours Being Productive
As a result of transitioning to the cloud to help manage his business, Jeff says he is now able to reclaim his productive work time to FreshBooks.
"On a daily basis I can easily record all of my work," he explains. "I can produce effective invoices without having to reference daily time notes and spreadsheets and, come tax time, I already have my income and expenses pulled together."
For Jeff, he says automation in FreshBooks has proved to be a huge advantage.
"By keeping everything together and automated when possible, I'm saving as many as 10–12 hours a week which I can either invest into active projects, education or gain back that time that would have been taken away from my family," he says. "Often my accounting needs were filled in 'off-hours' which meant longer and longer work days."
Investing in Cloud Accounting: Is It Worth It?
Jeff says he often wondered in the beginning if the extra monthly expense was really necessary. After all, he was getting all the tasks that he needed to done. Plus the costs of his previous solution were more a pain on his productivity than his wallet. But then he took a closer look at its worth.
"When I took a look at all the things that I wanted to improve on, it dawned on me that those were all investments to make my work life more efficient and less of a burden," Jeff says. "I believe now that it is essential to continually invest in yourself and your business to ensure that you can be a top producer in your field."
He encourages other business owners to invest in cloud accounting and discover the possibilities of newly regained time.
"You need to invest in accounting software so that you can focus on your business. With any other platform, you run the risk of time-consuming processes, errors and inefficiencies. If you could fix all of that, what would you do with the time you saved?"
How Time Tracking Can Kickstart Your Business Growth
Mastering the Art of Productivity [Free eBook]
Manual Tracking vs. Cloud Accounting: How Much Time You Actually Save
How Media Suite Automated Its Admin to Grow Faster with FreshBooks
Marc Made Over $100K the Year After Switching to FreshBooks
Ana Wanted to Be a Writer, Not an Accountant. Here's How FreshBooks Helped

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We partner with Fed Square to present the Leempeeyt Weeyn' Campfire and Solstice Program in The Light in Winter. Gathering on the lands of the Kulin nation, join our Elders, communities and artists for a diverse array of warming mid-winter evenings celebrating contemporary Melbourne arts and culture.
Directed by arts luminary Robyn Archer AO, The Light in Winter brings together local and international artists for free events, performances and exhibitions. The Light in Winter is a celebration of art, music and performance in the heart of Melbourne city.
Leempeeyt Weeyn' was created by Vicki Couzens for the very first The Light in Winter in 2007. Burning continuously from 2 June to 17 July, the campfire will be hosted by Elder in Residence Uncle Larry Walsh and Artist in Residence Rob Bundle who will introduce audiences to performances by exceptional artists who represent the contemporary face of the arts in Melbourne.
Key events include: Launch featuring Mission Songs with Archie Roach, Jessie Lloyd, Monica Weightman and Robert Champion; Solstice Celebration featuring Foreign Brothers CoreTet and SK Simeon; Leempeeyt Weeyen' Campfire program every Thursday* throughout June and July.
FCAC is a Primary Creative Partner of The Light in Winter Festival presented by Federation Square.


text:
Philips gives update on its Accelerate! program that continues to make good progress
Additional EUR 300 million identified cost savings will further remove duplication and reduce complexity
London, UK – At a meeting with investors and financial analysts today in London, UK, Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) will update the financial markets on the developments in the Lighting and Consumer Lifestyle sectors.
As part of his company update, Philips Chief Executive Officer Frans van Houten will discuss the progress of the Accelerate! transformation program to drive innovation and customer centricity, while improving operational performance, enabling Philips to deliver on its 2013 targets. As the deployment of the Accelerate! program deepens, the company has identified additional opportunities, among others in the Healthcare and Lighting sectors, to further decrease inefficiency and complexity. These additional structural saving opportunities of EUR 300 million will bring the overall savings program from EUR 800 million to EUR 1.1 billion, to be completed by 2014, and will impact approximately 2,200 additional positions globally.
"We continue to focus on improving the performance of our company, and we are making good progress. The identified additional overhead cost reduction measures will help us mitigate the effects of macro-economic headwinds and changes in pension cost accounting, while making us a more agile innovation company serving our customers effectively across the world." said Philips Chief Executive Officer Frans van Houten. "The additional savings will lead to job losses, which is regrettable. At the same time, we continue to invest in innovation and the customer value chain to speed up the introduction of meaningful innovations to our customers in local markets, making Philips more competitive."
After the company update, Mr. Van Houten and Chief Financial Officer Ron Wirahadiraksa will take part in a question-and-answer session with the investors and analysts present in London.
At the event, Eric Rondolat, Chief Executive Officer of Philips Lighting and his executive team will inform the audience on the potential and transformation of the Lighting business to become the leading LED lighting solutions company. Subsequently, Pieter Nota, Chief Executive Officer of Philips Consumer Lifestyle and his executive team will elaborate on the progress the Consumer Lifestyle sector is making to become a high performance consumer health and well-being technology company.
Presentations in London will begin at 08:00 AM GMT (9:00 AM CET) and can also be followed via webcast.
Steve Klink
Philips Corporate Communications
E-mail: steve.klink@signify.com
About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people's lives through meaningful innovation in the areas of Healthcare, Consumer Lifestyle and Lighting. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips posted 2011 sales of EUR 22.6 billion and employs approximately 122,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries. The company is a leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as male shaving and grooming, home and portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter..
This release may contain certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Philips and certain of the plans and objectives of Philips with respect to these items. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.


text:
'use strict'

const tap = require('tap')
const Camlock = require('../lib/Camlock')

tap.test('can get and release a lock', function (t) {
  const myLock = new Camlock()
  const lockname = 'zzxxyy'
  const lockToken = myLock.get(lockname)
  myLock.release(lockname, lockToken)
  t.end()
})

tap.test('can get and release multiple different locks', function (t) {
  const myLock = new Camlock()
  const locknames = [
        {},
    555,
    'fluff'
  ]

  const lockTokens = locknames.map(function (lname) {
    return myLock.get(lname)
  })

  lockTokens.forEach(function (token, idx) {
    myLock.release(locknames[idx], token)
  })
  t.end()
})

tap.test('locking same lock twice throws', function (t) {
  const myLock = new Camlock()
  myLock.get('dingle')
  t.throws(function () {
    myLock.get('dingle')
  }, Error('Lock already enagaged for dingle'))

  t.end()
})

tap.test('calling release with no token throws', function (t) {
  const myLock = new Camlock()
  myLock.get('something')
  t.throws(function () {
    myLock.release('something')
  }, TypeError('invalid token supplied'))
  t.end()
})

tap.test('releasing a lock without getting it throws', function (t) {
  const myLock = new Camlock()
  t.throws(function () {
    myLock.release('spongebob', {counter: 1})
  }, Error('Lock not currently enagaged for spongebob'))
  t.end()
})

tap.test('releasing a lock with the wrong token throws', function (t) {
  const myLock = new Camlock()
  const ruffleslockToken = myLock.get('ruffles')
  const pantipsLockToken = myLock.get('pantip') // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
  t.throws(function () {
    myLock.release('pantip', ruffleslockToken)
  }, Error('wrong token supplied for lock release'))
  t.end()
})

tap.test('can check for the existence of locks', function (t) {
  const myLock = new Camlock()
  t.false(myLock.has('something'))
  myLock.get('something')
  t.true(myLock.has('something'))
  t.end()
})
/**
 * WRITE A TEST FOR VALIDATE
 */
tap.test('can validate valid locks', function (t) {
  const myLock = new Camlock()
  const timslockToken = myLock.get('tim')
  const sarshsLockToken = myLock.get('sarah')
  t.false(myLock.validate('tim', sarshsLockToken))
  t.true(myLock.validate('tim', timslockToken))
  myLock.release('tim', timslockToken)
  t.false(myLock.validate('tim', timslockToken))
  t.end()
})

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
All The Police Gifts & Collectibles Movies & TV DVDs Blu-ray VHS Music CDs Vinyl Artists Song Titles Books Magazines Electronics
The Police Greatest Hits
Get email alerts for The Police
You Save: $1.01 (8% Off)
Currently Out of Stock: We'll get more as soon as possible
sku: ZENG 00302
FAST 'N CHEAP
Shipping starting at $3.49
91% recommend us!
4,554 Customer Reviews
Label: Polygram Uk
1.Roxanne
2.Can't Stand Losing You
3.So Lonely
4.Message in a Bottle
5.Walking on the Moon
6.The Bed's Too Big Without You
7.Don't Stand So Close to Me
8.De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da
9.Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
10.Invisible Sun
11.Spirits in the Material World
12.Synchronicity II
13.Every Breath You Take
14.King of Pain
15.Wrapped Around Your Finger
16.Tea in the Sahara
CD contains 3 bonus tracks.
Be My Baby: The Very Best of the Ronettes (CD)
Top of The Pop Hits - The 70s, Volume 2 (6-CD Box Set /...
Greatest Hits: 50 Original Hit Recordings (2-CD)
Complete Greatest Hits (CD)
At the Drags (CD)
Power Ballads: 100 Ultimate Anthems (5-CD)
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap
Super Hits (CD)
Moon Martin
The Very Best of Moon Martin (CD)
$15 CD Sale
Americana (CD)
Zenyatta Mondatta [Import]
Urgh! A Music War
Can't Stand Losing You: Surviving The Police
Sting / The Police
The Very Best of Sting & the Police [2002]
Zenyatta Mondatta (Remastered)
The Police (2-CD)
Reggatta de Blanc
Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... - Season 1 (Blu-ray)
Outlandos d'Amour
Greatest Hits TOP 100 Bestseller
Billy Fury
Halfway to Paradise: 16 Greatest Hits TOP 25 Bestselling CD
99¢ CD Sale
America's Greatest Hits: 1960 (4-CD)
All-Time Greatest Hits
Greatest Hits [Sony]


Hungarian filmmaker György Pálfi (Hukkle, Taxidermia) spent three years cutting together clips from over 450 classics of world cinema to create the ultimate found footage romance, Final Cut – Ladies & Gentlemen. With clips lasting no more than a few seconds, the film charts the standard projection of relationships as portrayed in the movies time and time again: boy meets girl, they date, marry, argue, settle down, have children. Movie fans will have a ball identifying the hundreds of films that clips were pulled from (Paths of Glory, Pierrot le fou, and Look Who's Talking? to name just a few), familiar faces include: Charlie Chaplin, Greta Garbo, Jeanne Moreau, Marcello Mastroianni, Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jackie Chan, Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Shah Rukh Khan. A rarely screened treat that remains unavailable online or on DVD.


text:
Crisis Demands New CFO Skills
Rather suddenly, companies aren't any longer looking to make accountants into finance chiefs. In their fight for survival, they need a different br...
David McCannOctober 17, 2008
5 Habits of Top CFOs
Download our whitepaper to discover the technical and behavioral skills needed to lead your business forward.
The preferred skill set for CFOs is shifting quickly in the heat of the economic turmoil and the credit crisis. For many companies seeking finance leaders, the accounting and financial reporting acumen deemed so crucial in the early years of the Sarbanes-Oxley era has slid down the wish list over the past 12 months — and especially recently, executive recruiters told CFO.com.
That realignment was gradually taking hold anyway, with many companies having gotten their hands around Sarbox compliance. Now, with events dictating a faster pace of change, what they're looking for instead in CFO candidates depends on how the crisis is affecting them.
Those for which raising capital is an urgent priority want someone with proven skill at managing a balance sheet and who understands the capital markets. Those that need to restructure flagging businesses are going for people with operating backgrounds. For many financial services firms, adeptness at valuing assets is everything right now.
How Startup CFO Grew Food Company 50% YoY
This case study of JonnyPops' success highlights the unusual financial and operational strategies that enabled rapid expansion into a crowded and highly competitive frozen treat market.
Get the case study
These demands may be contributing significantly to the continuing high rate of CFO turnover. It's common these days for a CFO who was the perfect person for the job last year to fall victim to this year's circumstances. Holding onto the job often demands nimbleness.
"I feel sorry for the CFOs. They need to be chameleons," said Chuck Eldridge, managing director of the financial-officers practice at Korn/Ferry International. "One day they're focused on growing the business, the next day on the credit crisis or on how to turn around the company."
It may be that the most valuable trait a CFO can possess today is flexibility and responsiveness to significant swings in the dynamics of the market. "A lot of them will tell you that right now it's all about being calm and measured," Eldridge said.
A marked shift in companies' CFO preferences began to take shape in late 2007 and early 2008, he noted, away from the certified public accountant and controller background. Depending on the company, in greater demand now are MBAs, with their broader education and finance perspective, and people with treasury or financial analysis backgrounds.
Several headhunters told CFO.com that capital-markets skills are emerging as perhaps the most commonly pursued capability. "It's not as easy today as calling in some bankers and having them pitch the business — you actually have to go out and make things happen," said Tom Kolder, president of Crist|Kolder Associates. In kicking off recent CFO searches, he noted, CEOs have made a point of saying they need somebody who can "come in and be creative about getting funding for growth opportunities."
Kolder continued, "The pendulum swung to the controllership skill set with Sarbanes-Oxley, and now it may be that treasurers are going to have their day in the spotlight."
The focus on capital skills represents a return to basics, according to Steve Scroggins, a managing director at Russell Reynolds who does much of his recruiting work in the financial services sector.
"Not long ago, the cost of capital was so low that you didn't worry about the structure of your balance sheet," he said. "Now, the assets that were created by that low cost of capital don't have the value everybody thought. So it's back to basics: What is your capital structure? What is the true risk-adjusted return on that capital? How do you value the assets you're creating with it? We're seeing a demand for CFOs who can manage a balance sheet, who know the debt markets and are strong on valuing assets, as opposed to accounting and financial reporting."
Scroggins said he recently completed a CFO search for a highly leveraged company that had structured a large amount of high-yield debt a few months ago. The new hire's first priority, he told Scroggins, was to make sure that compliance with all the debt covenants was "absolutely nailed down and locked, because there is no way I'm going back and renegotiating that debt structure."
Another recruiter, Gregory Carrott of Chicago-based Cavoure LLP, said one client recently winnowed its CFO search down to two candidates, one with a controllership and accounting background, the other a capital-markets history. The client had entered the search not sure what it was looking for, but gained clarity in the course of making the final selection.
"When they saw these people in the flesh and began to work it through and understand the implications of hiring them, they came to grips with what their real issues were, and capital markets won the day," Carrott said.
Such a choice is increasingly common these days, he noted. "Even in companies where the treasury function historically has not been viewed as strategic, we see capital markets experience weighing more heavily in CFO selection," he said.
The priority on fund-raising may not be long-lived, though. "Clearly it's an accommodation to a market situation and people will get back to an equilibrium where they realize they need a more broadly developed skill set," Carrott said.
In many cases companies are opting to hire CFOs with heavy experience in operations. So many companies have undergone such dramatic changes in the past year, they're looking for people who can manage a restructuring and cut costs. "There's a real operational focus for the CFOs we're being asked to find right now," said Michele Heid, co-managing partner of the finance practice at Heidrick & Struggles.
Operations backgrounds will become even more coveted to the extent the financial-markets turmoil lengthens and deepens, according to Korn/Ferry's Eldridge. In that scenario, companies will be pressed to make dramatic moves just to survive.
"If you have a CFO who, for instance, came in to take you public, and doesn't have the experience or appetite to divest businesses, cut staff, and turn the business around, you'll make a switch," Eldridge said.
But it's not just knowing how to push the operational buttons that's important. There's also having the vision to make a link between operations and strategy. "Financial executives who can not only drive cost reduction, but also provide broader insights on opportunities to improve margins, manage capital more efficiently, and identify business opportunities that result from changing economic conditions, will be in demand," Carrott said.
Indeed, if a company is de-emphasizing accounting in its mix of desired CFO traits, it's likely to want someone who can be a strategic force. It is not known how long the financial mess will last, but companies surely will look to their CFOs to be on the forefront of assessing the potential impacts on the company, and driving and implementing the strategies that follow, according to Carrott. In other words, companies want CFOs who can be leaders.
And not to be overlooked is the invariably high priority being placed on international experience — a trend that has been gaining force in recent years and shows no signs of abating. The headhunters said few CFO searches today come without that requirement.
There is a rather imposing caveat to this topic, however. Companies' wish lists for CFOs, taken in their entirety, sound about as fanciful as those posted on dating sites by singles seeking the perfect mate. Finding someone who fits all the criteria is not easy, and in some cases not possible.
Exacerbating that problem greatly is the lessened emphasis on financial reporting and accounting backgrounds, which until recently were a chief feeder of CFO candidates.
"Many CFOs and controllers are so much in the weeds with all the Sarbanes-Oxley, compliance, and risk requirements that in many cases they don't have an opportunity to demonstrate strategic abilities," said Christine Rivers, a vice president of Hay Group, a talent and leadership management consulting firm. "Some of them become very successful, but usually only if they've had developmental experiences that have allowed them to be at the table doing strategy formulation and helping to use financial data to make business decisions."
More in People
CFOs On the Move: Week Ending January 27
Campbell Soup Company, Western Union, Extreme Networks, Splunk, Fortune Brands, Stanley Black & Decker, Vince, Jacobs, Metagenics
By Lauren Muskett | January 27, 2023
The 6 a.m. CFO: How McHenry County's Kevin Bueso Starts His Day
Bueso reflects on his childhood in Honduras when work gets stressful, and what it means to be a fan of FC Barcelona.
By CFO Editorial Staff | January 26, 2023
Authentic Brands, Payoneer, Evercore, Tenet Healthcare, nCino, Employ, Capsida Biotherapeutics, Everlaw, Kingstone


text:
Graun im Vinschgau, IT
Church of Graun
From the church of Graun, built in 1355, only the Romanesque tower remains. The village was sunk in 1950 to create a reservoir. The tower, now a historical monument, is called "Kirchturm im Reschensee" in German, and "Campanile nel Lago di Resia" in Italian.
Reschensee
39027 , Graun im Vinschgau
St. George's Church
The Reformed Church of Scuol, dedicated to St. George, was first mentioned in 1178. This first Carolingian church burned down in 1258. A Romanesque church was then built on the site of the former church and was transformed into a Gothic church in the 16th century. In the same century, around the year 1530, Scuol joined the Reformation and St. George's Church became Protestant.
Wikimedia Commons/Monika Dittrich
Church of St. Nicholas of Myra
This church, dedicated to St. Nicholas of Myra, has been documented since the 15th century. It was altered in the middle of the 17th century and was largely rebuilt in 1755-57 and consecrated again in 1758. The church was renovated in 1930 and in the 1970s.
Mathon Expositurkirche
The Mathon Expositurkirche was built between 1674 and 1682 and enlarged in 1763. The church was renovated in 1881 and consecrated in 1894. The neo-Romanesque style of the church dates from this renovation.


Enrich your knowledge of Latin American countries. Each session, trivia questions will focus on the history, customs, and traditions of a specific Latin American country. One group will be crowned Trivia at the Latinx American Cultural Center (LACC) Champion on the last day.
Trivia questions and answers will be posted on LACC's Facebook page after each session.


text:
Neshaminy students, others help make Disney dream come true
Chris English @courierc
Working with the Sunshine Foundation, the Neshaminy High School Interact Club and a Lower Southampton medical practice combined to raise $5,000 that will make the trip possible for the boy and his family.
Rakim Phillips loves Disney characters and can't wait to get big hugs from Goofy and Mickey Mouse.
The 4-year-old boy who has Cerebral Palsy and Hydrocephalus will get that chance in a few months after the Neshaminy High School Interact Club and a Lower Southampton medical practice — working with the nonprofit Sunshine Foundation — combined to raise $5,000 that will send Rakim and his family on a two-week dream vacation to Disney World in April.
Representatives from the three groups held a special Reveal Picnic at the Middletown high school Thursday, where they treated the Philadelphia boy and his family to hot dogs, hamburgers and other treats and congratulated them on their upcoming trip.
Rakim will make the journey with his mother Kim Whaley, father Ray Phillips and sister, Briana Moore. The Disney World excursion will be a bright spot in what has been a hard life for Rakim, his mother said.
The boy has had Cerebral Palsy and Hydrocephalus since birth, Whaley said. Cerebral Palsy is a disorder that affects muscle tone, movement and motor skills usually caused by brain damage that happens before or during birth, according to kidshealth.org. Hydrocephalus is a buildup of too much cerebrospinal fluid on the brain, according to medlineplus.gov.
"Rakim will have a ball at Disney World," Whaley said. "He loves Mickey Mouse, Goofy, the water and being as active as possible. I'm so grateful to the people who made this happen."
It's the second straight year the Interact Club, Innovative Implant and Oral Surgery of Lower Southampton and the Sunshine Foundation have joined forces to send an area youth to Disney World, foundation President Kate Sample said. The nonprofit works to fulfill the dreams of children severely affected by a chronic illness or physical disability whose families meet certain income guidelines, she added.
"We have limited income so we rely heavily on making connections with groups like the Interact Club and Innovative Implant," Sample said. "It's all about coming together to make dreams come true."
Danielle Lapierre, who graduated from Neshaminy last month, said she and other members of the Interact Club — with help from the high school's dance team — worked since September to raise money for Rakim's dream vacation.
"We were so happy to know it was going to happen before myself and other seniors in the club graduated," Danielle said. "This family has been through a lot. They deserve it."
Dr. Michael Salin of Innovative Implant and Oral Surgery said the practice has a strong belief in helping out its surrounding community.
"This gave us an opportunity to give back in two ways, supporting Rakim and helping make this trip possible for him and his family, and also supporting our local high school," he said.


text:
A reporter's notebook: Sentencing Dr. Thompson
VeloNews.com
Reporter Patrick Brady covered Dr. Christopher Thompson's road-rage trial for VeloNews and was in the courtroom for a long-anticipated sentencing hearing.
Christopher Thomas Thompson, the Los Angeles-area emergency room doctor convicted of assaulting two cyclists with his car in 2008, was sentenced to five years in prison on Friday. Reporter Patrick Brady, who covered Thompson's trial for VeloNews, was in the courtroom for a long-anticipated sentencing hearing. – Editor.
It was a gaunt and emotional Christopher Thompson who was led into the courtroom of Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Scott T. Millington, on Friday, shackled and wearing blue prison scrubs. Thompson appeared to have lost weight since he was remanded to Los Angeles County jail upon his conviction on a misdemeanor and six felony charges in November.
The felony charges stemmed from a July 4, 2008, incident in which Thompson abruptly stopped his car in front of two riders – Ron Peterson and Christian Stoehr – descending Mandeville Canyon road, near Los Angeles. Thompson was also convicted of a misdemeanor charge from a similar incident that occurred months earlier, but did not result in injuries to riders Patrick Watson and Josh Crosby.
With the courtroom filled to capacity, reporters were seated in the jury box. The majority of the audience was made up of Thompson's friends and family. Another two dozen stood outside. The mood in the court was tense.
Millington's first order of business was to consider defense attorney Peter Swarth's motion for a new trial. Swarth cited what he characterized as prosecutorial misconduct and several improper decisions by the judge as justification for Thompson's conviction to be overturned. Millington, however, noted that he had already addressed Swarth's objections during trial and rejected the motion.
Underscoring the attention the case has received, Millington noted he had received more than 270 letters and e-mails from cyclists from California and around the world. The judge, however, added that he couldn't — and didn't — consider them in determining a fair sentence for Thompson.
While Millington declined to weigh public input in reaching a determination, the sentencing hearing does allow for victims, the defendant and others to testify ahead of the court's final decision.
Testimony from three victims
Three of the four riders involved in the two incidents chose to attend Friday's hearing and offer testimony. The fourth, Stoehr, did not.
Forced off the road in March of 2008, Watson took the stand and was clearly still angry about the encounter and the later, more violent attack in July.
"Mr. Thompson tried to kill us," he said, "and actions have consequences."
Watson also pointed out that since the attack on July 4, 2008, Thompson "never showed remorse. Clearly, he thought he was above the law. I urge the court to look beyond his excuses."
Watson's riding partner, Crosby, echoed those sentiments.
"Simply put, this was not an accident," Crosby said. "It was a deliberate action. Dr. Thompson has never acknowledged any remorse or taken responsibility for his actions. Dr. Thompson, your actions led to this day; you put us here."
"I'm sorry for all the cyclists involved in this, but mostly I'm sorry for you, Dr. Thompson," Crosby said. "I'm sorry that after doing grave harm unto others you show no remorse. I'm sorry that as a man, you take no responsibility for those actions."
But it was Peterson, the most severely injured of the four riders, who offered the most compelling testimony about the impact the encounter had on his life.
"These past 18 months have been difficult, to say the least," he told the court. "Being the victim of multiple felonies is not a pleasant experience, one which is made even more difficult by the constant court date postponements, stress of being cross-examined, recounting the event again and again, and then finally, the constant worry that in the end the truth will not be heard and justice will not be served. To my great relief the truth has been heard and Dr. Thompson has been found guilty on all counts. Now the question finally arises: Will justice be served?"
Directly addressing his injuries, Peterson — whose nose was nearly severed when he crashed into the rear window of Thompson's car — said that he is forced to relive the moment every day of his life.
"I've had plastic surgery and my face cleaned up fine due to the skill of my surgeons," he said. "But your honor, the scars are still there as reminders of the incident. I see them every day. I see them every time I look in a mirror, every time I shave or wash my hands.
"Now I'm an active guy; I have plenty of scars. Scars on my arms, scars on my legs. These are active scars; a kind of proof that I have lived my life and enjoyed doing so. They are almost badges of honor. The scars on my face are not that kind of scar. The scars on my face remind me of the pain and trauma I went through because Dr. Thompson didn't like cyclists riding on his road."
Peterson went on to recount how the encounter has affected his life in ways that transcended his well-documented injuries.
"Mentally, this incident has been stressful as well," he said. "That Fourth of July, or after that … I was having a hard time coping with what had happened. I had difficulty sleeping, and when I did I was plagued by recurring nightmares. They were of brake lights, and slamming. When awake, despite myself, I was constantly replaying the event again and again. Now, I've crashed before, and never had nightmares due to these accidents.
"I have nightmares because this pain was caused by an intentional act. That fact, in addition to the incident's violent nature was extremely hard to deal with. Eventually I sought help from a psychologist and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. I was in therapy for a year, and still go back every month or so."
Peterson urged the judge to consider Thompson's violation of his own ethical principles when weighing an appropriate sentence.
"I also understand you will also be taking into consideration Dr. Thompson's professional history," Peterson said. "He's been practicing emergency room medicine for 30 years. I believe Dr. Thompson's medical training and experience make these crimes all the more heinous. Very few people have a greater understanding of just what happens to someone when they strike a solid object at 30 mph."
"If Dr. Thompson is not punished for his crimes, the message will be sent that it is okay to intentionally harm another person, merely because you don't like what they said, that they dressed differently, or they slowed you down on your street."
In defense of Thompson
Swarth then offered testimony from three witnesses who urged the court to exercise compassion when considering a sentence: C. Thomas Thompson, the defendant's father; Tom Freeman, president of the Upper Mandeville Canyon Homeowners' Association; and Lillian Ferguson, an RN who worked with Thompson for more than 16 years.
Thompson's father said it was important for the court to consider his son's role as an emergency medicine educator and his contributions to the city of Los Angeles as a physician.
The older Thompson also said that the court should seriously consider his son's health when handing down a sentence. Thompson said his son suffers from a 50 percent obstruction of his coronary artery, a condition often referred to as a "widow-maker."
"Widow-makers are very serious business," the elder Thompson said. "He has a 50-percent obstruction he's' also hypertensive, he has hyperlipidemia … or increased cholesterol. If you add those two things to a 50-percent obstruction, you're looking at a man of 60 years of age in prison under stress that … really doesn't have a happy chance for survival in that kind of situation."
Finally, Thompson urged the court to consider how much his son has already suffered since that July 4th encounter.
"Chris Thompson left Los Angeles humiliated," he said. "He was under almost constant harassment and threat, not just to him but to his wife, his colleagues, his professional people, because the threats were numerous, they were recorded; I've heard some of them. And he came to Tulsa, Oklahoma. One of the great humiliations of his life was to have to move in with his father and mother.
That was not an easy time, the elder Thompson said.
"We talked about remorse; when you talk about remorse almost every day, I talked with Chris Thompson; I talked not just remorse, unbelievability of how he could have caused harm to another human being. So when we talk remorse and responsibility, let me assure you, that every day this was repeated to me, many times with tears."
Thompson urged the court to consider that his son's life has to be defined by more than that single moment.
"Look at his whole life story. It's been shattered. In a sense, in an unthinking moment, in a moment, the blink of an eye, his whole life has come crashing down around him, around his wife, around his family, to the point that I think, 'What more punishment could be given?'"
Freeman, the head of the local homeowners' group, said that Thompson had always been an upstanding member of the community, pointing to Thompson's role in writing articles for the association newsletter about snake bites, advising the homeowner's association not to purchase defibrillation kits for homeowners who suffer coronary events.
Freeman also noted that the association had worked with local cycling groups to address each side's concerns about the use of the "long and steep incline of Mandeville Canyon and the limitations of Mandeville Canyon Road, which is a narrow, winding, pot-holed road, which has no sidewalks."
"We in the canyon are working to reduce the hostilities and educate the community just as bicycle groups are doing," Freeman said, "but we are concerned that Chris has now become a symbol and a target of escalating anger and hostility, not just locally, but nationwide."
"We know Chris to be a kind, generous and caring man and neighbor and we urge you to consider that and sentence Chris to the minimum term available under the law."
Ferguson, who worked as a nurse with Thompson, told of the doctor's relationship with her daughter since she was a young girl, teaching her piano in his home. When her daughter was killed in an auto accident, at the age of 18, Ferguson said that Thompson and another colleague paid for the funeral, adding that in the 14 years since Thompson has had fresh flowers placed on the daughter's grave every week.
"It pains me so much to hear … him portray(ed) as a monster," she said.
Thompson takes the stand
Finally, Swarth called Thompson to the stand. He was required to be shackled to his chair throughout his testimony.
"I wanted to address personally and directly Mr. Stoehr and Mr. Peterson," Thompson said, looking at the cyclists in the courtroom. "I violated the most sacred rules of medicine and also in my personal life, and that is to do no harm. That should not only govern our profession but me and us all as beings, human beings. I did violate it."
Thompson said that he was, despite the riders' testimony, truly remorseful for the encounter.
"I only hope and pray that the recovery from the mental anguish my actions have created is as short as possible for you and your families, because I also this affects other people, not just you. And I apologize to your family as well. The physical and mental scars are my fault."
Thomson acknowledged that he has become something of a symbol in the continuing tensions between cyclists and drivers.
"Both sides — the cyclists as well as the community — are at a crossroads," he said. "The Bible teaches us that we have two choices: revenge and retaliation, or resolution and reconciliation. If my incident shows us anything it's that confrontation only leads to escalation of hostility and not resolution, and that's on both sides. I strongly urge both parties to embrace resolution through reconciliation."
Specifically addressing Watson and Crosby, Thompson appeared somewhat less contrite.
"If I offended you and I scared you, you scared me back as well as Mr. Fitts (the passenger in the car at the time of the incident) and I think that we both could use a little talk, a little dialog," he said.
Passing sentence
With testimony from both sides complete, Millington offered a brief statement before reading his verdict.
"The first thing I want to state is that this case illustrates to me the incredible tension between cyclists and motorists on Los Angeles streets, and honestly should be a wakeup call to everyone," he said. "Government must become aware of the dangerous conditions existing on our city streets and the threat of injury to cyclists and should provide safe and accessible bike lanes to cyclists.
"Cyclists and motorists should be respectful of each others rights to use the common roadways for all."
After sentencing Thompson to five years in California state prison, Millington issued a lifetime revocation of the defendant's drivers license and ordered him to pay restitution to the victims as well.
No happiness
Outside court, Peterson was asked if he was satisfied with the outcome of the hearing.
"There's no happiness involved," he said. "No good comes of this. So you ask if there's satisfaction: Not really. It's relief that justice was served but there's no winner no net gain from this. Everybody involved has lost. It's sad, across the board. The only good that can come of this is if drivers and cyclists look at this as a wakeup call and respect each other; that's the one minute bit of good."
Court rejects appeal in Los Angeles road rage conviction
Good news and bad news from the courts
L.A. road rage doctor gets five years


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Joe, Charlie Lee
Kernersville November 7, 1973 - June 7, 2016 Mr. Charlie Lee Joe Jr., 42, of Charlotte, NC and 215 Christi Lane, Kernersville, NC transitioned to his heavenly home on June 7, 2016 at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte NC. He was a 1992 graduate of North Forsyth High School, Winston-Salem and a 1997 graduate of NC A&T University, Greensboro. He was employed by Interplast Group of Charlotte, NC. Mr. Joe was a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, under the pastorate of the late Rev. Seal E. Tyndall, where he received the teachings of Jesus; personally accepted Jesus Christ as Savior; was baptized and served as an usher and participated in youth missions in his early years. Charlie is loved by his family and friends and is survived by his devoted friend, Ms. Kesha Harris, of Charlotte; mother , Mrs. Ether S. Joe of Kernersville; his sister, Mrs. Erica J. Baker; jis brother-in-law, Jimmy Baker; his nieces, Jada S. and Iyon M. Baker; and his nephew, Saven T. Baker all of Winston-Salem. He is also survived by a host of uncles, aunts,cousins, and friends. Funeral services will be conducted Tuesday, June 14, 2016 at 12:00 noon from Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, with Dr. Lester Boyd, Jr. officiating and interment will follow in Evergreen Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 11:30 a.m. until 12:00 noon at the church. The remains may be viewed today from 2 until 6pm at Douthit's. Arrangements are in the care of Douthit Funeral Services.
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Håkan Wilson is me name who runs Wilson Whistle. Has been involved in herding for about 30 years, so I know how important it is with a sheepdog whistle that works optimally in all conditions. All pipes that I sell here are tested and have good audibility at long range.
Wilson whistle has now been in existence since 2002 and has become very popular among herding handlers around the world. First came Wilson whistle in stainless steel and then supplemented the range with aluminum whistle which has also become very popular. In the winter of 2016/2017 some new models to be produced by me. We will post them on the page as soon as they are completed and tested.


"I became a complete C-7 quad on November 9, 1991 as the result of a car accident," said Chris Malcom, founder of the iPush Foundation, a lifestyle resource and source of encouragement for anyone who uses a wheelchair. "I was a sophomore in college at the time. I'm not proud of it but I was drinking and driving when I flipped my car four times. I thank God that I was alone and did not hurt anyone other than myself."
"After the wreck, I was rushed to the hospital and admitted into ICU. When I woke up, I knew immediately I was paralyzed. I wasn't able to move my hands and had no idea or understanding of what I was going to do."
"I can honestly say that I was surrounded the best family and friends that anyone could have asked for. I was lucky that nothing really changed with my friendships. The people that were, and are, my good close friends remain my good close friends and the people that were just acquaintances remain acquaintances."
Chris with iPush Foundation's first wheelchair recipient, 9-year-old Alexis, and her mom.
Chris' advice to the newly injured is simple—surround yourself with the people that are always helping you and visiting you when you're in the hospital.
"My friends were constantly there for me when I wanted them the least and needed them the most. That's how I realized how good of friends they were, and still remain."
The Million Dollar Question: Dating?
"I met my wife at a cookout at my roommate's house. My wife's sister was an occupational therapist at the Shepherd Center. She brought one of her newly injured patients to our cookout and just happened to bring her sister (who is now my wife, Andee) with her. I really liked Andee but I was dating someone else at the time."
"A couple of months later, after my girlfriend and I broke up, I called Andee and asked her out. We hit it off immediately."
"One day, I got a brand new wheelchair that I thought was really cool. That night Andee and I went on a date and she didn't say anything about my cool new chair so I was kind of bummed," he recalled. "When I asked her why she didn't say anything about my new chair, her response was, 'I don't think about you being in a wheelchair, so I didn't notice.' A month later, I asked her to marry me."
"One big misconception that a lot people have is just because you're in a wheelchair, you can't have kids. That couldn't be further from the truth. Having kids isn't as easy as it is for an able-bodied person but it is definitely a possibility. There are several procedures that allow people with SCI to have children."
"My daughter is the best!" said the proud papa about his daughter, Madison. "I try to show her that where there's a will, there's a way. She was probably three or four years old when she realized that not everyone's dad is in a wheelchair."
"She thinks the wheelchair is cool because she likes to ride in my lap. She's at an age now that she has learned how to push it herself."
"Don't let your disability define you. Where there's a will, there's a way and even though life with a spinal cord injury may be different, it doesn't mean life is over."
Read the rest of Chris' story, including how he uses his disability to help his daughter fight Juvenile Diabetes, in the Wheel:Life book entitled Reconnecting: Relationship Advice from Wheelchair Users. This free publication features the real life stories of people who use wheelchairs, along with their unique perspectives on friends, family and relationships including dating, marriage and parenting. Request a free copy at: http://wheel-life.org/book-request-form/free-book-series/reconnecting-book-form/.
Lisa Wells has helped create several online social communities (Wheel:Life, Life After Spinal Cord Injury & iPush Foundation) to assist wheelchair users in discovering new relationships, lifestyle resources and web-based support groups.
Lisa also leads Get Social Consulting, a consulting practice that guides healthcare providers in creating online communication resources for people who have disabilities. An acclaimed speaker and guest columnist, you will find her presenting at healthcare conferences nationwide. Follow her articles at www.wheel-life.org.


text:
PSVR 2 Advanced Accessibility Feature Shown in New Patent
Oct 7, 2022 Carley Garcia
The virtual space will soon become more inclusive.
Audiences got their first look at the PSVR 2 back in January of this year during Sony's conference at CES. Its list of upgrades when compared to the original VR headset was staggering, including an HDR OLED display with 2000 x 2040 pixels per eye, allowing players to enjoy a field-of-view of 110 degrees. Setting up a camera at just the right angle will no longer be necessary, as the new hardware will feature four cameras on the headset itself that will track a user's space without an external device. Of course, the headsets will also track a player's eye movements.
Most interesting to prospective buyers was the promise of haptic feedback. According to Sony, players would soon be able to "feel a character's elevated pulse during tense moments, the rush of objects passing close to the character's head, or the thrust of a vehicle as the character speeds forward." If that wasn't impressive enough, a new patent filed by Sony implies that those with physical disabilities or a limited range of motion won't be left behind when the new hardware launches sometime in early 2023.
Rather than asking players to provide information themselves, the PSVR 2 will allegedly track a user's movements to make the needed alterations to the headset's settings. To put it simply, the system will keep track of the objects a player interacts with inside the virtual world. By doing so, it will understand the player's range of motion and how easily they can navigate the digital environment.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Sony expressed the belief that the PSVR 2 would prove to be much more popular than the original PSVR. Those in the loop have claimed that the company would have 2 million units produced by March 2023. Production of the units is said to have begun in September, with the current supply chain issues seemingly not causing any major hiccups.
The original PSVR was released in October 2016. The hardware sold 2 million units in just under 14 months, which proves that Sony has much more faith in this updated release. No price for the PSVR 2 has been announced just yet. The new headset will not be compatible with original PSVR games, though it will launch with over 20 first-party and third-party titles ready to be played. This includes a number of indie games and the highly-anticipated Horizon VR: Call of the Mountain. Created by Guerrilla and Firesprite Games, the title will put players into the world of the beloved franchise.
Previously confirmed titles include Firmament, Samurai Slaughter House, and the popular deduction game Among Us. Several studios are also confirmed to be working on as-yet-unannounced titles, from nDreams and Coatsink Software to Fast Travel Games and First Contact Entertainment.


Yogurtz is an locally owned family run business based in Sarnia Ontario since 2011 . We are not a franchise and take great pride in the uniqueness of our product and toppings. We consider our frozen Yogurt to be the best in Lambton County for quality, most creamy and best in flavour.
Yogurtz is mobile and able to attend all of your events at your own chosen location. We have many options that can be served out of the Yogurtz Mobile Food Truck including frozen yogurt in many different flavours, Hawaiian Shaved Ice served in a large flower cup with your choice of flavoured syrups drizzled on top with the rainbow flavouring being the favourite.
We also serve ballpark franks and sausages, nachos with cheese sauce, popcorn, deep fried oreos and beverages.
Other events as requested...call us!
Lambton this summer and fall. Look for us at your local event and enjoy some of our delicious frozen yogurt.
Visit our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/yogurtzcanada/ for details on where you can find us.
Find our Yogurtz truck at local events in Lambton County and enjoy some of our delicious yogurt.


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Kenya Celebrates President-elect Obama as Native Son
Barack Obama's election victory was greeted with particular enthusiasm in Kenya, where he is viewed by many as a native son. Crowds celebrated in the western village where his grandmother and other relatives live, and the president even announced a national holiday to celebrate the event. For VOA, Derek Kilner has more from Nairobi.
Barack Obama's election victory has been celebrated around the world, but perhaps nowhere as much as in Kenya, where President Mwai Kibaki announced that Thursday will be a national holiday.
"Because of his roots here in Kenya, as a country we are full of pride for his success. I therefore wish to announce that tomorrow, Thursday the sixth of November the year 2008 be observed as a public holiday to enable all Kenyans to celebrate this historic achievement for President-elect Obama," said President Kibaki.
In the village of Kogelo in western Kenya, where Mr. Obama's grandmother and other relatives live, crowds danced in celebration as the news of the Obama victory was announced shortly after dawn. Mr. Obama's uncle, Sa'id Obama, spoke to VOA from the village.
"People are so happy, so excited. People are dancing. People are in a festive mood," he said. "And we are also slaughtering cows, goats, sheep, I mean people are going to feast literally to celebrate Barack's win."
In the nearby city of Kisumu that is dominated by the Luo group, to which Obama's family and Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga belong, Obama mania is at its most intense. The celebrations spilled out into the streets.
There is also a large Luo community in Nairobi's biggest slum, Kibera, and there too, raucous festivities greeted the news of Obama's win. But in Nairobi, Kenyans from different backgrounds packed into the city's bars and restaurants to watch Obama's speech.
Stephen Dunga, whose family is from the country's Eastern Province, watched the speech in the downtown restaurant where he works.
"I have been watching CNN since morning. Each community supports Obama, they are praying for him to win," said Dunga. "I think the celebration is country wide. Not from one province or the other."
At the American ambassador's residence, students, officials and members of civil society, both Kenyan and American, cheered the results.
"This is a big lesson," said Njeri Kabeberi, director of Kenya's Center for Multi-party Politics. "We had our own problems in January, February after we messed up with our own electoral process and messed up with our own tallying and counting process of the elections. So this is a big lesson that you do not have to steal votes, you do not have to discriminate against other communities, because we did discriminate against other communities. So what is most important is for the leadership that is going to provide that particular country what that country needs. And in this case, it is change they can believe in, and for Kenya we better actually start believing in some change in our leadership style."
Back on the streets of Nairobi, music shops throughout the city are playing Jamaican reggae star Cocoa Tea's hit song celebrating Mr. Obama.
A shopkeeper says it is the hottest selling CD in town. Bernard has just walked in to purchase the disk after hearing it playing in the street.
"I think Kenyan people have got a lot to learn from the American election. It has shown true democracy, it does not matter how you look like, it does not matter where you come from," he said. "It is about what policies you have for the people, so I think in Kenya next time we make a decision about our leaders we will know what to look for."
The election results arrived early Wednesday, catching many people as they headed to work. But with a holiday declared for Thursday, the celebrations could be even stronger.
Obama Wins Historic Election
Barack Obama has been elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African-American elected to the office. Mike O'Sullivan reports, the Democratic senator from Illinois promised to unify the country when he takes office, January 20, 2009.In Grant Park in Chicago, hundreds of thousands of supporters reacted with screams of joy as American television networks projected Barack Obama as the next U.S. president.In Phoenix, Arizona,…
Africa Stays Up All Night to Hear US Election Results
Millions of Africans are exhausted after staying up all night watching expectantly to see whether a man of African descent will elected to the America's highest office. VOA's Peter Heinlein attended an all-night party of journalists and political enthusiasts in Addis Ababa where everybody was talking about being American for a day to share in this historic election.It's a long night here in front of the television at this upscale Ethiopian home. Half a…
Southern Africans Embrace Obama Election
Barack Obama's victory in U.S. elections is being widely hailed in Southern Africa. As VOA's Delia Robertson reports from our southern Africa bureau in Johannesburg, like others across the continent, southern Africans seem uniformly delighted Senator Obama will soon occupy the White House.From South Africa's elder statesman Nelson Mandela to ordinary workers going about their business, southern Africans have embraced Mr. Obama's election victory…
Palestinians Welcome Obama Election, Israelis Skeptical
Many Palestinians in the West Bank are praising Barack Obama's election as the next U.S. president, saying he brings new hope for the stalled peace process. Israelis, on the other hand, received the news with disappointment, expressing concerns that Mr. Obama may pressure Israel to concede too much in the peace negotiations. VOA's Luis Ramirez reports from Jerusalem.A Palestinian woman says she woke up to the news that Barack Obama had been…


text:
Manuela (Alex) O. Vasilescu
News and Tweets
Causality in a Tensor Framework
TensorTextures
Human Motion Signatures
Listening in 3D
Adaptive Meshes
M. Alex O. Vasilescu received her education at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Toronto. She was a senior fellow at UCLA's Institute of Pure and Applied Math (IPAM) in 2021 and held positions at the MIT Media Lab from 2005–07, at New York University's Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences from 2001–05.
In the early 2000s, Vasilescu pioneered the tensor algebraic framework for computer vision, computer graphics, and machine learning. She addressed causal inference questions by framing computer graphics and computer vision problems as multilinear tensor problems, and demonstrated how the causal factors of data formation could be algorithmically disentangled. Causal inference in a tensor framework facilitates the analysis, recognition, synthesis, and interpretability of sensory data. The development of the tensor framework has been spearheaded with premier papers, such as: Human Motion Signatures (2001), TensorFaces (2002), Multilinear Independent Component Analysis (2005), TensorTextures (2004), and Multilinear Projection for Recognition (2007, 2011).
Vasilescu's work was featured on the cover of Computer World Canada (currently, IT World Canada), and in articles in the New York Times, Washington Times, etc. MIT's Technology Review named her as TR100 honoree, and the National Academy of Science co-awarded the KeckFutures Initiative Grant.
all four initials@cs.ucla.edu
Webpages:
Graphics and Vision Lab
UCLA 48hr-Startup
Quora Profile
Old MIT Media Lab Page
Dissertation:
A MULTILINEAR (TENSOR) ALGEBRAIC FRAMEWORK FOR COMPUTER GRAPHICS, COMPUTER VISION, AND MACHINE LEARNING
Bibtex:
@phdthesis{Vasilescu09,
author = "Vasilescu, M. Alex O.",
title = "{A} {M}ultilinear ({T}ensor {A}lgebraic {F}ramework for {C}omputer
{G}raphics, {C}omputer {V}ision, and
{M}achine {L}earning",
school = "University of Toronto",
address = "Toronto, Canada",
Academic genealogy:
Professor Extreme Show-and-Tell:
Sir Giles Brindley, MD, FRCP, FRS
May 3, 2021. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for Biological and Computational Learning Cambridge, MA "Forward and Inverse Causal Inference in a Tensor Framework".
Apr. 16, 2021. UC Riverside, Department of Computer Science and Engineering Colloquium, Riverside, CA "Forward and Inverse Causal Inference in a Tensor Framework".
March 16, 2021: Speaking at UCLA IPAM Tensor Methods and Emerging Applications to the Physical and Data Sciences
"Generalized Block Multilinear Factor Analysis: Representing Parts and Wholes "
"Forward and Inverse Causal Inference with Multilinear Factor Analysis"
March 8 - June 11, 2021: Senior Fellow of the UCLA's Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics, and participant in the Tensor Methods and Emerging Applications to the Physical and Data Sciences
Jan 12, 2021: "CausalX: Causal eXplanations and Block Multilinear Factor Analysis", M.A.O. Vasilescu, E. Kim, X. S. Zeng In the Proceedings of the 2020 25th International Conference on Pattern Recognition (ICPR 2020), Milan, Italy, January 2021, 10736-10743,
Jan 10, 2021: ICPR 2020 Tutorial: Cause-and-Effect in a Tensor Framework
Aug 26, 2020: 2020 SIGGRAPH Berthouzoz Women in Research Pannel
Aug 25, 2020: SIGGRAPH Thesis Fast Forward Co-Chair, with Eftychios Sifakis
Apr 16, 2020: UCSD/HDSI Intertrack Seminar: "Cause-and-Effect in a Tensor Framework"
Feb 26, 2020: CS Colloquium at the Pennsylvania State University: "Representing Cause-and-Effect in a Tensor Framework"
Dec 3, 2019: CS Colloquium at the Courant Institute, New York University: "Representing Cause-and-Effect in a Tensor Framework"
Nov 11-14 2019: Keynote Lecture - 2019 IEEE Global Conference on Signal and Information Processing (IEEE GlobalSIP 2019) Symposium on Tensor Methods for Signal Processing and Machine Learning, in Ottawa, Canada.
Sep. 16 - 20, 2019: Lecture at SSIMA-International Summer School on Imaging for Medical Applications
Aug 5, 2019: "Compositional Hierarchical Tensor Factorization: Representing Hierarchical Intrinsic and Extrinsic Causal Factors ", M.A.O. Vasilescu, E. Kim, In The 25th ACM SIGKDD Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD'19): Tensor Methods for Emerging Data Science Challenges, August 04-08, 2019, Anchorage, AK. ACM, New York, NY, USA
Jul 28-Aug 1,2019: Co-Chairing, SIGGRAPH 2019 Thesis Fast Forward with Eftychios Sifakis
Jun 17, 2019: CVPR 2019 Tutorial:
"Representing Cause-and-Effect in a Tensor Framework"
Organizers: Lieven De Lathauwer, Jean Kossaifi, Alex Vasilescu
Jun 16-21, 2019: Co-chairing, CVPR 2019 Tutorials with Ali Farhadi
May 30, 2019: AI Distinguished Lecture Series: "Cause-and-Effect in a Tensor Framework" at MILA, Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute and Microsoft Research Quebec.
May 29, 2019: Seminar in the Center for Intelligent Machines at McGill University
Aug 12-16, 2018: Co-chairing, SIGGRAPH 2018 Thesis Fast-Forward with Eftychios Sifakis
Mar 1, 2018: Guest Lecture, ECE 211A: Digital Image Processing
Nov 10, 2017: Distinguished Lecture, SCI, University of Utah, Salt Lake City
Jul 26, 2017: Keynote Speaker, CVPR: Tensor Methods in Computer Vision, Honolulu, HI
Jun 22-23, 2017: Reviewer: Washington, DC, National Institute of Health (NIH) proposal reviewing session
Mar 4-5, 2017: Judge at CNSI, UCL A Inventathon
March 11, 2021 Looking forward to collaborating with participants of the Tensor Methods and Emerging Applications to the Physical and Data Sciences as a Senior Fellow of the UCLA's Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics.
Feb 14, 2020 Co-chairing SIGGRAPH 2020 Thesis Fast Forward with Eftychios Sifakis this summer
Feb 4, 2020: Panelist: SIGGRAPH 2020 Berthouzoz Women in Research with Mirela Ben-Chen and Olga Sorkine-Hornung.
Organized by Adriana Schultz and Anh Truong.
Sep 6, 2019 Looking forward to an exciting CVPR 2020: Challenges and Promises of Inferring Emotion from Image and Video program
Jun 24, 2019: Looking forward to giving a Keynote Lecture at the 2019 IEEE Global Conference on Signal and Information Processing (IEEE GlobalSIP 2019) Symposium on Tensor Methods for Signal Processing and Machine Learning, in Ottawa, Canada.
Jun 15, 2019: To appear Aug. 5, "Compositional Hierarchical Tensor Factorization: Representing Hierarchical Intrinsic and Extrinsic Causal Factors", M.A.O. Vasilescu, E. Kim, In The 25th ACM SIGKDD Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (KDD'19): Tensor Methods for Emerging Data Science Challenges, August 04-08, 2019, Anchorage, AK. ACM, New York, NY, USA.
Jun 5, 2019: Filed US Patent Application No. 62/857,795 "Method, system, storage medium, and data structure for Compositional Hierarchical Tensor Factorization".
May 2019: CVPR 2019 Ethics Co-chair (PoC) with Derek Hoiem
Feb 2019: CVPR tutorial on
was accepted by CVPR 2019. Co-organized with Jean Kossaifi and Lieven De Lathauwer
Aug 2018: Eftychios Sifakis and I will be co-chairing the
2019 SIGGRAPH Thesis Fast Forward Competition.
Jun 18, 2019: My non-technical interview with CVPR Daily new


Set across from the original Lisboa Casino, this 40-story building is the reincarnation of the original Lisboa's magic. The building is shaped like a bright yellow lotus leaf set upon an eight-story sphere-shaped podium. The podium houses the casino and restaurants while the lotus leaf contains the 650 hotel rooms. The building is one of the tallest buildings in Macau.
1. Initial Buy-in required is HK $100,000 or above.
2. There is no ceiling on the Buy-in.
3. Buy-in to be in cash only.
NOTE: Complimentary Allowance can be exchanged for Promotional Chips at 50% value of the balance.
1. Reward rates shown above are based on Initial Buy-in and are not accumulative.
2. Promotional Chips must be converted to Cash Chips in order to achieve incentive payment.
3. Total of Promotional Chips received at Initial Buy-in must be played to qualify for incentive Payment and is subject to management approval.
4. Reward payment will only be made upon settlement of the offer through the Casino.
5. Complimentary Allowance up to a level equivalent to 0.1%of net Buy-in is awarded as shown above.
* Discretionary based on rated play.
Membership not applicable to slots and table games.


text:
The Simpsons: 2x2
Simpson and Delilah
Homer uses his medical insurance to buy Dimoxinil, a miracle hair-growth formula. After growing luxurious locks, he's given a promotion which allows him to hire a secretary named Karl and makes grand promises to his family at home.
Bart Gets an F Oct. 11, 1990
Simpson and Delilah Oct. 18, 1990
Treehouse of Horror Oct. 25, 1990
Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish Nov. 01, 1990
Dancin' Homer Nov. 08, 1990
Dead Putting Society Nov. 15, 1990
Bart vs. Thanksgiving Nov. 22, 1990
Bart the Daredevil Dec. 06, 1990
Itchy & Scratchy & Marge Dec. 20, 1990
Bart Gets Hit by a Car Jan. 10, 1991
One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish Jan. 24, 1991
The Way We Was Jan. 31, 1991
Homer vs. Lisa and the 8th Commandment Feb. 07, 1991
Principal Charming Feb. 14, 1991
Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? Feb. 21, 1991
Bart's Dog Gets an F Mar. 07, 1991
Old Money Mar. 28, 1991
Brush with Greatness Apr. 11, 1991
Lisa's Substitute Apr. 25, 1991
The War of the Simpsons May. 02, 1991
Three Men and a Comic Book May. 09, 1991
Blood Feud Jul. 11, 1991


Oh Silvia!!!! this is amazing....what a clever idea....to create candy sushi and those cookie burgers....amazing.....I love these....and welcome to Sweet Saturdays....thank you for sharing these with everyone....I can see how these were a huge hit!!!
Oh looks great!! I love the cookie burgers. Thanks for sharing.
Both are so cute and clever and look yummy!
looks tasty! I'm already thinking of making some.
this is so creative, wow!
Yummy, creative and oh, so sweet!


text:
Ant Financial Launches Blockchain-based Money Transfers Between Hong Kong and the Philippines
Jun 25 2018 · 18:18 UTC | Updated Sep 25 2020 · 15:00
by Alexandra Sayapina · 3 min read
Photo: Ant Financial
Billionaire Jack Ma believes that blockchain can revolutionize the world and moves from words to action: the affiliate of his Alibaba Group Holding has announced the new remittance service that will be free from transaction fees during the three month trial period.
The labor migration from the Philippines to Hong Kong has created the world's third largest remittance market with the inflow of $33 billion in 2017. This money flow has become a significant source of income for the traditional remittance services. But the situation may change as Ant Financial, the payment affiliate of the world known e-commerce platform Alibaba, has just announced the launch of the blockchain-based money transfers between Hong Kong and the Philippines.
The new cross-border settlement service will integrate Ant Financial's AlipayHK with its Philippine-based analogue GCash. The banking partner of the project is Standard Chartered. Ant Financial has chosen reliable partners: GCash is owned by Globe Telecom, the leading provider of telecommunication services in the Philippines; Standard Chartered already has experience in the blockchain sphere as it is a part of a cross-border payments pilot alongside Thai banks.
Jack Ma, the founder and chairman of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., has high expectations of the blockchain-based payment service. During the press conference on the new cross-border settlement service he said "Blockchain technology could change our world more than people imagine." The Chinese business magnate believes that the usage of the distributed ledger technology can change the existing model of traditional financial institutions. Nevertheless, Jack Ma lacks trust in the most popular product of the blockchain – bitcoin. Among other things, he said that "Bitcoin however could be a bubble."
Ant Financial is no stranger to money transfers: it has already partnered with Indonesian media company Elang Mahkota Teknologi on providing mobile payment services. The affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding is also involved in similar collaborations with companies from Thailand and Philippines. This expansion outside China was expected to continue with the MoneyGram merge. However, that scenario has not materialized due to the reject from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. That deal got broken – but it did not stop Ant Financial. On the contrary, it stimulated the development of the new financial service that solves the problem of over-charging for cross-border payments.
"At the time we wanted to [buy] MoneyGram and overhaul it to help people all over the world solve this issue. Due to reasons from the US our deal with MoneyGram did not succeed, so I said, 'Let's make one better [than MoneyGram]' that uses the most advanced technology'," Ma said.
The new solution by Ant Financial has all the chances to gain incredible popularity as the initial three-month trial period will be free from transaction fees. It may be seen as an unprecedented fit of generosity, but Ant Financial has just announced that it raised $14 billion in Series C round funding. The blockchain-based money transfers service is not likely to become the most profitable project of Ant Financial, but it has all the chances to change the industry.
"Traditional financial institutions serve 20 percent of people and make 80 percent of profits. New financial institutions should service 80 percent of people, and make 20 percent of profit," explained his position Ma. The new service of Ant Financial is definitely a representative of a new blockchain-based financial model.
next Blockchain News, News
Author Alexandra Sayapina
Alexandra is a software engineer who specializes in core banking systems development for financial and IT spheres. Taking strong interest in blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and IoT, Alexandra got deep understanding of the emerging techs believing in their potential to drive the future.
By Benjamin Godfrey February 2nd, 2023
Altcoin News, Blockchain News, Cryptocurrency news, News Reliance Retail Adds Support for India's CBDC – Digital Rupee
The RBI is yet to announce when and whether the Digital Rupee will be launched for general use.
By Ibukun Ogundare January 27th, 2023
Business News, Market News, News Fidelity Investments Trims Ant Group's Valuation by Another 9%
Apart from Fidelity, another investment management company Blackrock also lowered its estimates for Ant in 2022.
By Benjamin Godfrey January 16th, 2023
Business News, Market News, News, Stocks Tencent Shares Hit Multi-Month Highs Atop Regulatory Ease
With the easing of pressure from authorities, Tencent shares may still see additional upshoots when compared to the level it is currently at this time.


TODAY I PRETENDED I WAS A BEE!
We have hardy kiwi vines. A whole row of them. Now its time for them to flower. When in bloom they look magnificent totally festooned with flowers and the scent is intoxicating.
We don't have any male vines!
When we put in the row I purchased two females and one male. We put them in, marked which was which and watched them grow. I pruned them and waited for them to flower. That takes three years at least from planting.
Ours took five years because the frost hit them the first two and killed all the flowers off.
Next year they bloomed wonderfully and we were delighted. Then sad since we got no fruit.
Next year I looked more closely at the flowers when they arrived and discovered to my horror that we had all females! The idiot who sold us the vines (who will remain nameless) sold us all females NOT a male.
It was too late to order males for that year but they went in the ground first thing the next spring. The trouble is they will take three years to flower too. We had already waited six years with no fruit now we had to wait another three!
Then I attended a session on hardy kiwis at a farm conference and the speaker told us that you could buy male kiwi pollen! Wonderful. It's not at all cheap, which is no surprise but you can get it. So we bought some pollen.
Then I had to go out and pollinate all the flowers by hand.
So for two days I was the bee. Armed with a little bottle of pollen on a strap around my neck and a paint brush I painstakingly worked my way up the row of vines trying to pollinate as many of the hundreds and hundreds of flowers that I could.
It really makes you appreciate bees after a day pretending to be one.
The really sad thing was that in the whole time I was working on the vines I saw only two bees. One bumble bee and one honey bee. I hope it was from my hive it was so fat with female pollen from the vines it could hardly fly. But it never brought its buddies back to reap the harvest. I have no idea where my bees are going but they are not working my field this year. There were no native bees, and no bumble bees. These all got devastated by a neighboring farmer in the last couple of years when they insist on spraying those toxic chemicals that kill all the insects good and bad. This killed off the large populations of pollinators that we had so carefully encouraged and cultivated on our farm.
There are a number of vegetables farms around us and they must all be having the same problem. No bees so fruits no peppers, peas, beans no anything much except salad greens.
Save the bees and save our food.
Author Janice Hazeldine PhDPosted on June 5, 2018 Categories Farm work thru the yearTags appreciating bees, growing kiwis, hardy kiwis, kiwi vines, pollinating kiwisLeave a comment on TODAY I PRETENDED I WAS A BEE!


text:
Q: Splitting a dataset in to datatables I have a software system that I am 'trying' to maintain and upgrade.  I have had no formal c# training and only 1 class of sql.  Most of my limited experience is with Java, C++.  We are using MSSQL 2005.
I have a query run in c# that gets a dataset with 1 table and 15 or so columns.  The number of rows returned is different each time it is ran.  The first column is the storeid.  I need to separate records by storeid in to their own datatable.  Once I have that there is an existing method for sending it out to a CSV file.
So far I have found Datatable.Select, order it by storeid.
One option would be pulling all the unique storeid's from the dataset and putting them into an array.  Then I could query based on existing storeid's and copy or move those rows to a new datatable using a foreach.
If someone could just point me in the right direction it would be much appreciated.
Mark

A: if you know number of tables you can use this methode..

            DataSet ds = new DataSet();
            DataTable dt1 = new DataTable();
            DataTable dt2 = new DataTable();
                dt1 = ds.Tables[0];
                dt2 = ds.Tables[1];

A: Order your query by storeid and then loop the datatable in code and create a new table every time the storeid changes. You can also use LINQ to get copy it over or just do so manually.

A: Certainly a few ways to do this, but something like this should work:
        DataSet dsMain = GetMyMainDataSet();
        DataSet dsTablesById = new DataSet();

        foreach (DataRow row in dsMain.Tables[0].Rows)
        {
            string storeId = row["storeid"].ToString();
            if (!dsTablesById.Tables.Contains(storeId))
            {
                dsTablesById.Tables.Add(storeId);
                foreach (DataColumn col in dsMain.Tables[0].Columns)
                {
                    dsTablesById.Tables[storeId].Columns.Add(col.ColumnName, col.DataType);
                }
            }
            dsTablesById.Tables[storeId].Rows.Add(row.ItemArray);
            dsTablesById.Tables[storeId].AcceptChanges();
        }

dsTablesById would contain all of your datatables, each named by your distinct values of storeid.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: How to wait for async angularJS call to complete if concurrent call requested the data being still loaded? I have an angular service/resource combo that does async call to server to get User Preferences. It is called UserPreferencesService and got a method load:
 /// UserPreferencesService.load method
 CommonService.asyncCall(UserPreferencesResource.getAll, {username: userName}).then(
            function (data) {
                userPreferenceData = data;
  }

where asyncCall stands for trivial angular async server call that returns deferred.promise. It is called at some point.
Same UserPreferencesService also has method getCurrentProject() to return these preferences to controllers that are interested in, with calling code:
var myControllerInit = function()
 {
        var prj = UserPreferencesService.getCurrentProject();
 }

I have a situation that some controller (that displays "current project" on screen) calls "getCurrentProject" WHILE "load" async call is in progress, so getCurrentProject does not return neeeded data, as these are not fully loaded yet.
How I can make it so that UserPreferencesService.getCurrentProject() will "wait" till the request resolves, if it is underway, and only then return the value? I suppose I can try to use promises, and I would like to have elegant, angular-style solution to the problem.

A: Disclaimer: I'm not familiar with Angular and the way it handles promises and asynchronicity.

In JavaScript, you can't block until a promise is resolved; you can only make code that relies on a promise return its own promise, chained to the original one. In other words: you can't have synchronous code that relies on async code.
If I understand correctly, you want to defer any action on the PreferencesService until it is loaded. You can't do this synchronously, but you can make each of its other methods return a promise that depends on its async loading.
If this is what you want, you should guard each of the service's methods with .then on the original loading promise. This promise should be resolved once, when the service is loaded. Further invocations of other methods will be resolved immediately.
Example:
function UserPreferenceService() {
  var loadedPromise = null;
  var userPreferenceData = null;

  this.load = function() {
    if (loadedPromise == null)
      loadedPromise = CommonService.asyncCall(UserPreferencesResource.getAll, {userName: userName})
        .then(function(data) { userPreferenceData = data; });

    return loadedPromise;
  };

  this.getCurrentProject = function() {
    return this.load().then(function() {
      return doSomethingWith(userPreferenceData);
    });
  }
}