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Lowest Number of Wildfires in At Least 11 Years
Bill's Blog
Posted: Sep 8, 2019 / 12:45 AM EDT / Updated: Sep 8, 2019 / 12:45 AM EDT
The table above shows the number of wildfires from Jan. 1 – Sept. 6 for the last 10 year and this year. So far this year, we have had the lowest # of wildfires in the 11-year record. It's also the third lowest number of acres burned in the 11-year record.
U.S. Precipitation Departure from Average for Jan. 1 – Sept. 7, 2019
The reason for the low number of wildfires this year is the abundant precipitation that has fallen over much of the country – especially east of the Rockies, in the Florida Peninsula and in California. The driest area has been western Washington (where they had strong thunderstorms overnight) and western Oregon. A significant part of the dry area from Georgia to North Carolina just got a good soaking from Dorian.
Seattle has had 17.22″ of rain (thru Sat. aftn. – they got rain overnight) and that was 3.65″ below average. By contrast, Grand Rapids Mi has had 30.47″ of precipitation so far in 2019 and that's 4.8″ above average. So, Grand Rapids (and all of West Michigan) has been significantly wetter than Seattle this year.
Speaking of water…we did a story on how they are stopping building in a part of Ottawa Co. due to wells going dry. It must be from taking "too much" water from wells, because we've had plenty of rain this year. I wondered why they don't take water out of Lake Michigan (which has more than enough water to spare right now, BTW). We pump water from the lake to Grand Rapids and Kent County thru Allendale. Could they either tap into a current water pipeline or build a new one? Much of the water taken out of Lake Michigan makes it back into the lake and the amount of water taken out is pretty insignificant (for 3 mostly rural townships) compared to the overall precipitation that the lake basin receives. Just wondering…
More Bill's Blog Stories
Satellite Pictures Show Lake-Effect
This satellite picture of Lake Michigan was taken Monday afternoon. It was sunny in Wisconsin with snow on the ground. We had the lake-effect clouds in West Michigan, caused by the cold air coming across Lake Michigan. Farther east, away from Lake Michigan it was mostly sunny in Southeast Michigan.
Note that in Wisconsin, there are two inland lakes that remain unfrozen. That's because these are very deep lakes. The northernmost like (in the dark color) is Green Lake. That lake has an average depth of over 100 feet and a greatest depth of 237 feet, making it deeper than Lake Erie. You can see ice in Green Bay.
The Newfoundland Blizzard
The Blizzard that hit eastern Newfoundland, Canada last Friday was extraordinary. A total of 30" of snow fell in 24 hours. The storm had hurricane force winds, with a peak gust to 81 mph.
The sun came out after the blizzard and the wind slowly diminished. Look at the picture above. There are cars buried here on the street. City crews said they had plowed through drifts that were 15-feet high.
Mid-Point of Winter
Today and Tomorrow (Jan. 20 and 21) mark the mid-point of winter (temperature-wise). The average high and low temperature for Grand Rapids is now 30/18 and that's as low as they go. It'll be a very slow process, but average temperatures will now start to go up. Top pic. from Austin Hamilton.
This pic. from NOAA Coastwatch was just before sunset looking out over Lake Michigan at the Muskegon Channel. You can see two layers of clouds in the distance. There are high level cirrus clouds - the sun will shine through these thin clouds. There are also low clouds where the mid-lake band of snow showers is occurring.
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Firearm-license.co.za
How to get your firearm license
HOW TO GET A FIREARM LICENSE
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Latest Information on COVID-19: https://sacoronavirus.co.za
CONTACT NUMBER FOR ASSISTANCE WITH FIREARM LICENSE APPLICATIONS, RENEWALS, AND APPEALS
MANIE – info@firearm-license.co.za
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Our fees as from 2020-12-01 are R900.00 for the first application and then R750.00 for every consecutive application (self-defense, hunting, and sports shooting). This is the first time since 2016 that we raised our fees.
Our fees include the preparation of all documents for firearm license applications as required by the SAPS (including the application forms for competency and license with attachments as well as the motivation).
Full details of our fees.
It is easy to get started, just complete the form on the left side of this page and we will contact you as soon as possible
You can contact me (Manie Esterhuizen) at
info@firearm-license.co.za
(updated 2021-08-05)
FIREARM LICENSING SERVICES
Need help with any of the following?
A NEW FIREARM LICENSE APPLICATION
AN APPLICATION FOR A COMPETENCY CERTIFICATE
BUSINESS ACCREDITATION
BUSINESS FIREARM LICENSES
RENEWAL OF YOUR FIREARM LICENSE AND COMPETENCY CERTIFICATE
AN APPEAL AGAINST A DECLINED FIREARM LICENSE
EXPUNGEMENT OF A CRIMINAL RECORD
It is easy! Enter your contact details in the quotation form on the left-hand side of the page and I will immediately provide you with a free quotation and information regarding the licensing process.
WHAT YOU GET WHEN MAKING USE OF OUR SERVICE
You will get a complete and fully motivated application with all the needed attachments and required supporting documents, ready for your signature
You don't have to add anything
All you need to do is print it out, provide your signature and hand it in
ABOUT THE FIREARM-LICENSE.CO.ZA WEBSITE
Firearm-license.co.za is a firearm license information website and provides visitors with information and regarding the new South African Firearm Control Act, Act 60 of 2000. Find out how to get a new firearm license or to renew a firearm license, about license renewal dates, how to legally dispose of a gun, licensing deadlines, how to get help with an appeal against the refusal of a license or competency certificate, and what to do about a late application.
Use the extensive list of firearms to lookup for any known rifle, shotgun, pistol, or revolver. Follow the links for full details, info, and specifications. If cartridges are your passion you should have a look at the lists of handgun cartridges and rifle cartridges.
Complete the form on the left if you need information or a quote regarding a new firearm license, a firearm license renewal, or an appeal against the refusal of a license. I will get in touch with you as soon as possible.
2017/08/25 – UPDATE ON RENEWALS AND LATE RENEWALS OF FIREARM LICENSES
SA Hunter's case to the Constitutional Court
A trial date has been set and the appeal will be heard by the Constitutional Court on 2018/02/08.
For more details see – Maroela Media
2017/07/04 – URGENT UPDATE ON RENEWALS AND LATE RENEWALS OF FIREARM LICENSES
Judgment in the SA Hunters case
Today Judge Ronel Tolmay handed down judgment in favor of SA Hunters, declaring that Section 24 read with Section 28 of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000 (FCA) is unconstitutional.
The Judge also ordered the government to amend Section 24 of the FCA within 18 months, and that until the Constitutional Court had confirmed her order, all firearm licenses which are or were about to be renewed in terms of Section 24 shall be deemed to be valid.
How this will impact the current renewal process remains to be seen.
See the following news reports for more detail:
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2017-07-04-regular-gun-licence-renewals-to-stay/
http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/sections-of-firearms-act-unconstitutional-court-rules-10125109
2015/11/12 – URGENT – NEW SAPS INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING LATE RENEWAL OF FIREARM LICENSES
If you are late with the renewal of your license you should contact us urgently to discuss the available options.
Please note any application handed in later than 90 days before the expiry date of the license is a late application.
In terms of Section 24 of the Firearms Control Act (No 60 of 2000), an application for the renewal of a license must be made to the Registrar (by handing in such application at your local DFO) "at least 90 days before the date of expiry of the license"
For quite some time many DFO's accepted late applications and new licenses were issued for such firearms.
However, a new instruction was recently issued by the SAPS Head Office that licenses for which late applications for renewals are received late should be dealt with as prescribed in Section 28 of the Act.
Section 28 prescribes that a firearm license terminates at the expiry date ((Section 28 (1)) and that the Registrar may cancel such license (Section 28 (2)) if the holder of the license did not comply with any provision of the Act. Section 28 (3) requires the holder of the license to be given a notice that he/she may within 30 days submit representations why the license should not be canceled. The Registrar must then consider such representation and either issue a renewal license or refuse the renewal of the license and direct the owner that the firearm must be disposed of in a prescribed manner.
The owner then has 60 days within which the firearm must be disposed of in the way prescribed by the Registrar. If such disposal is not done the firearm must be forfeited to the State and the owner must surrender it as prescribed (Section 28 (5)).
According to the new SAPS instruction the DFO has to do the following when receiving late applications.
Complete the Form SAPS 533 (Request to Cancel a Firearm License)
Hand to the owner or license holder the notice to inform him/her that he/she may in writing provide representation within 30 days why the license should not be canceled
Complete SAP 86 (a) (The SAPS Checklist to be completed with an application)
Submit the completed documentation to the Provincial Office
Some license holders think that if they still have their old green licenses, these are still valid and there is no need to renew the new (white card) licenses. This is incorrect. If you renewed your licenses and were issued with the white card licenses, the old green licenses lapsed and are not valid any longer.
2015/02/14 – Import notice regarding the Renewal of Firearm Licenses
Please note that competency certificates and firearm licenses issued under the Firearm Control Act 60 of 2000 need to be renewed.
Licenses issued for self-defense expires after 5 years and licenses issued for hunting or sports shooting expires after 10 years.
Competency certificates need to be renewed at the same date as the license for which it was issued.
Applications for renewal need to be handed in at the SA Police at least 90 days before the date of expiry that appears on the license.
What you also need to know
Currently, it is still possible to get new licenses for firearms for which licenses were issued under the old firearm act, in other words, the green license cards and the licenses that are in identity documents.
Although these "old" licenses are still valid due to an interim judgment in current legal proceedings in the Northern Gauteng Division of the High Court, we feel that license holders should make use of this opportunity to get their firearms licensed under the new firearm act. Obviously, there is no guarantee in regards to the eventual outcome of the case.
We can assist with all applications for renewals and late renewals of firearm licenses.
IMPORTANT NOTICE – INTERIM INTERDICT AGAINST THE MINISTER OF SAFETY AND SECURITY CONCERNING FIREARM LICENSES
On 26th June 2009, in the court case between The SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association (SAHGCA) and the Minister of Safety and Security, the Northern Gauteng Division of the High Court granted an interim interdict against the Minister of Safety and Security confirming that firearm licenses which were issued in terms of the "Old" Firearms Act (1969) will be deemed to remain valid until the main application has been finalized.
The interim interdict was granted pending the outcome of the main application, which will determine the constitutionality of the transitional provisions contained in the Firearms Control Act (Act 60 of 2000). The Court will have to decide whether the constitutional principles in respect of the protection of private property, the principle against criminal prosecution as well as fair administrative procedures had been complied with.
This interim interdict means that existing old "green licenses" (issued in terms of the Firearms Act of 1969) will remain valid until finalization of the main application, and firearm owners cannot be criminally charged for the illegal possession of their firearms licensed under the "old" firearm act.
Firearm license owners should make use of the opportunity created by the interim interdict and immediately take action regarding firearm licenses that have not been renewed yet.
Please contact me via the contact form on the left-hand side of the page if you need help with your new firearm license, firearm license renewal, or an appeal against the refusal of a license.
Feel free to ask a question here. It will be answered as soon as possible via email.
NEW SOUTH AFRICAN FIREARM LICENSING GUIDE
CURRENTLY NOT FOR SALE – BUSY WITH UPDATE
If you want to do your own license application, but need guidance and examples, this 130-page firearm licensing guide is just what you need! Here is a link to the table of contents. The purpose of this guide is to provide a step by step guide on how to do a successful application for a competency certificate and a new firearm license. The guide also provides all the resources you need to prepare your application.
GET YOUR FIREARM LICENSE, A STEP BY STEP GUIDE
Several examples are included and the guide shows you exactly:
How to complete the forms
How to do the motivation
What information is required in the motivation
The supplementary documents and information that should be added to your application.
Where to get this information
The most common reasons why licenses applications are declined
The relevant sections of the new firearm act
The guide also includes a full resource list and all the relevant official SA Police Competency and Firearm License application forms in .pdf as well as in .doc format.
The DIY Solution @ R 95.00 – Our Firearm Licensing Guide
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The current state of Enterprise Content Management (ECM)
I went to the AIIM Roadshow at Wembley Stadium last Friday (June 5). The main draw was the advertised keynote. Steve Marsh, SharePoint product manager for Microsoft UK, would give a talk entitled
'How SharePoint fits within the ECM spectrum'
I was intrigued by the title, it implies that SharePoint is nestled proudly and comfortably underneath the umbrella of ECM. The reality is that SharePoint 2007 has driven a coach and horses through the ECM market, and we are only just beginning to see the impact of this on vendors, on professional practice and on standards.
My main interest in the product manager's talk was to hear the messages he would give to AIIM. AIIM represents both ECM vendors and individual professionals interested in ECM. It must feel very ambivalent towards SharePoint. Many of the big vendors, particularly those with full blown document and records management systems (EDRMS) that meet TNA 2002 and MoReq2 requirements, are suffering from SharePoint's huge grab of market share.
ECM vendors now have to make their products relevant to the post SharePoint 2007 world. Vast swathes of the document management functionality of their products are duplicated by SharePoint. Their unique selling proposition is now their robust information governance features, including their capacity to hold and apply fileplans and retention rules.
Two very recent developments pose risks for the big ECM vendors:
There are rumours that SharePoint 2010 will have better records management features. This is a risk even if these features do not transpire in any particularly useful form (I am thinking of the much-hyped but hardly-used SharePoint records centre). The mere hint that SharePoint 2010 will make a reasonable hash of applying fileplans and retention rules will lead organisations to postpone buying decisions.
New products are coming onto the market, that are not full blown document management systems, but which simply try to plug the governance gaps in SharePoint 2007. These products claim to be able to apply a fileplan and retention rules in the SharePoint environment. They claim to be able to protect those documents, document libraries and team sites needed as records. It is possible that such products may be offered for a fraction of the price of the big TNA 2002/MoReq 2 compatible ECM systems.
Doug Miles speaks on the changing model of ECM
The first speaker was Doug Miles, head of AIIM Europe. He said you can't speak about ECM without mentioning SharePoint, and rolled out some statistics from AIIM surveys:
only 12% of organisations surveyed have succeeded in implementing ECM systems corporate wide.
50% of organisations surveyed are now using SharePoint and a further 12% have plans to use it.
30% of the organisations implementing SharePoint already have an ECM system in place within their organisation. Doug spoke about the fact that some of these organisations are experiencing conflict and confusion, with the scope of their SharePoint implementation cutting across existing ECM system.
Doug Miles contrasted two alternative models for ECM:
'ECM central' : the old model for ECM involved using one ECM system to hold, govern, classify and apply rules to all your organisation's important content (records, documents, webpages, etc).
'manage in place': the new model for ECM allows organisations to accept the fact that they have many different repostories and systems. They use ECM as a management layer to govern, classify and apply retention rules to records in many different systems, by enabling the ECM to set up connectors to these systems.
Doug said that the key supporting standard for the 'Manage in Place' ECM model will be the CMIS standard, generated by the some of the big ECM players, including Microsoft, EMC, IBM, Open Text and the open source provider Alfresco. The CMIS standard for document management has been agreed but the records management standard has not yet been finalised. CMIS is a technical standard that allows different content repositories to inter-operate with each other. Doug predicted that CMIS will be hugely important over the coming years.
My thoughts on Doug's talk are:
The 'ECM central' model was extremely challenging for organisations to implement (as Doug's stat that only 12% of organisations surveyed by AIIM have managed to implement an enterprise wide ECM system shows).
The rise of SharePoint 2007 will accelerate the move away from the 'ECM central' and toward the 'manage in place' model.
The 'ECM central model' had the backing of standards issued by governments and national archives (TNA 2002, MoReq2 etc.) which offered reassurance to buyers. The big marketing challenge for the 'manage in place' ECM model is that there is no equivalent standard for that space. (CMIS is an enabling technical standard issued by the vendors).
Duncan Williams on SharePoint 2010
After Doug Miles we had an announcement that the Steve Marsh, Microsoft UK's product manager for SharePoint wasn't able to attend. He was replaced by Duncan Williams of DeltaScheme (a Microsoft Gold Partner). He explained that Steve Marsh was busy at work and was getting married shortly. It didn't seem a terribly strong excuse.
In his talk Duncan gave some statistics to demonstrate the massive growth of SharePoint and the huge revenue stream it is giving to Microsoft. He told us that Microsoft no longer allocated a marketing budget for SharePoint, they don't need to market it. They have changed the way they are incentivising their sales staff – they now reward them for increasing the adoption and usage of SharePoint by existing clients rather than for winning new customers.
The reason Steve Marsh didn't speak at the AIIM roadshow was because he doesn't need to. IT departments are buying his product anyway.
I later found out that Steve had told AIIM several weeks before that he was unlikely to be able to attend but it was convenient for AIIM to keep his name on the advertised programme. (I have no complaints about that: Duncan Williams gave a very useful insight into Microsoft's roadmap for SharePoint, he was more candid than a Microsoft speaker would have been, and I very much enjoyed the event. It simply shows how much AIIM and any other event organiser in this space needs to cover SharePoint to draw in the crowds).
Duncan Williams said that Microsoft's strategy is to integrate Outlook, SharePoint and Office together more and more tightly. He thought that Microsoft had missed an opportunity to get the integration between SharePoint 2007 and Office 2007 really tight, but he expected them to get it right with Office 2010 and SharePoint 2010.
Duncan hadn't seen the beta code for SharePoint 2010, but he had heard from Microsoft that it would offer 'better support for hierarchical fileplans'. Duncan pointed out that as SharePoint 2007 provides no support for hierarchical fileplans it is probably better to say that it will provide 'some support' for them. He also expected SharePoint 2010 to have improved social networking features.
What do you do if you have a successful EDRMS, and your IT department starts piloting SharePoint 2007?
When the keynotes were over I had a wonder around the exhibition.
I spoke to the information manager of one of that minority of organistations that has an enterprise wide EDRMS in place. It has been in operation for several years and covers all of the several thousand employees of the organisation. It houses their fileplan, applies their retention rules, and has enabled them to switch off access to shared drives. In other words, an EDRMS success story.
He told me that his IT department has recently bought SharePoint and is now piloting SharePoint team sites.
'Don't tell me' I said 'your IT department says they are only piloting team sites for collaboration, and that people won't keep records in the team sites, even though the team sites contain document libraries with capability for version control and customised metadata'
'Thats right' he said ruefully
We talked about the options open to him: none of them were particularly attractive:
He could chose to do nothing and watch SharePoint team sites get rolled out. This would provide an alternative place for people to store and manage documents, confuse staff, and undermine their EDRMS
He could insist that SharePoint team sites have document libraries removed so that documents have to be saved into the EDRMS. This would neuter the SharePoint team sites and render them far less effective as a collaboration tool
He could integrate his EDRMS into SharePoint, so that SharePoint document libraries are replaced by a web part leading to the EDRMS. Colleagues could save and view documents within the team site, but the documents would be stored and managed within the EDRMS. This option may become less attractive over time, if Microsoft integrate Office and Outlook more and more tightly with future versions of SharePoint.
Posted on June 6, 2009 June 12, 2009 by James Lappin	3
The impact of the web 2.0 world on the Records Management Society
Great quote from Andy Powell, in this blogpost. The quote is about CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) but could equally well be referring to any membership society
Asking "how should CILIP use Web 2.0 to engage with its members?" ignores the more fundamental question, "what is the role of an organisation like CILIP in a Web 2.0 world?". It's a bit like asking an independent high-street bookshop to think about how it uses Web 2.0 to engage with its customers, ignoring that fact that Amazon might well have just trashed its business model entirely!
The business model of the large UK membership societies is that in return for a membership fee they will provide exclusive access to news, information resources and networking opportunities. This was tenable in the days before web 2.0 when news, information resources and networking opportunities were scare resources. But in the web 2.0 world all three are becoming abundant and free.
It is a triple whammy. The web 2.0 world is exposing weaknesses in the business model of membership societies. Their business model is making it hard for membership societies to grasp the opportunities that are open to them in the web 2.0 world. The web 2.0 world makes it possible for professionals to organise themselves in new ways – and is throwing up alternatives to the traditional membership society model.
The time was when the only way that you could keep up with news and opinions from a profession was through the relevent membership society's newsletter/bulletin/journal. Now the fastest and best way of obtaining news is to follow the contributions of fellow professions to blogs, on-line forums, mailing lists, twitter, Linkedin groups, facebook groups etc. Time was when to get your writing published you had to go through your membership society's newsletter/bulletin/journal. Now you can publish yourself.
The web 2.0 world provides opportunities as well as threats to membership societies. The main asset of membership societies is their members. The web 2.0 world offers membership societies the opportunity to become a showcase for the expertise of their members and of the profession as a whole. By facilitating, hosting or aggregating the online contributions of their members, societies will be doing a service for their profession, for their members (whose work is made more visible to the wider world) and for the brand of their society. Membership societies are well placed to do this. CILIP, the Society of Archivists, and the Records Management Society are great brands. They are trusted and liked by their members and the world outside, and each of them has the bulk of UK practitioners in their field within their ranks. None of them has yet grasped the nettle. Their desire to provide exclusive benefits for members has got in the way of their acting as the showcase for their profession on the web.
The publications of membership societies
Most membership Society regard the publications that they produce as member only benefits, to be distributed to members in hard copy and made available (to members only) online. CILP follows this model with its monthly magazine CILP update , as does the Records Management Society with their Records Management bulletin. These are good publications, well edited, well produced, and well worth reading. But there are three big problems with the members-only model for publications:
by channeling their news and features into membership-only publications, these societies are leaving their own websites starved of fresh content.
writing for member-only publications will become less attractive for potential contributors because their writing can not be linked to, blogged about or tweeted about, and hence will not show up in google searchers and will not help them build up their online visibility
the continued increase in the numbers of librarians, archivists and records managers contributing to blogs, twitter, mailing lists and discussion forums provides alternative sources of news. These publications, while still very useful to professionals, are no longer essential
The Society of Archivists makes its monthly publication Arc available to all, members and non-members alike via its website. But they do so in a pdf format, a few weeks after publication. This means that their website gets very little benefit from the good content that the magazine contains, the content is in effect buried. Chris Campbell wrote a thought provoking article on 'big bucket retention theory' in the May 2009 edition of Arc, but I can't link direct to the article, and the links that Chris provides in the article can't be clicked on. Links are the life blood of the world wide web. Links into a web page give the page its ranking on Google and bring new visitors to the site. It would benefit the reader, the writer and the Society if each article from ARC was put up seperatly on the website as and when they became ready.
AIIM (the Enterprise Content Management Association) has gone someway down this line by producing a digital version of its publication 'infonomics' and allowing everyone access to it, member and non-member alike. Individual articles have their own url and identity on the web.
The impact of web 2.0 on events and conferences
The web 2.0 world is changing expectations as to what access people can enjoy to events that they are not attending in person.
Steve Bailey couldn't attend the 2009 Records Management Society Conference, and wanted to follow the event via the tweets and blogposts of people attending. He started a debate on Twitter by expressing his disappointment that there were only a couple of people tweeting it, and no blogposts were produced during the event. He felt that the Society needed to do more to encourage people attending RMS events to tweet and blog about them.
A recent Eduserv Symposium on Identity in the Web 2.0 world ( chaired by Andy Powell whose quote starts off this blogpost) set a new bar for providing people not at the event with the ability to follow it and contribute to it as it happens, and to access the outputs of the event afterwards.
Eduserv streamed high quality live video of the event on the web for anyone to watch. They publicised a twitter hashtag for the conference (#esy09) before the event, and encouraged those tweeting about the event to add the hashtag to their tweets. This enabled them to aggregate the tweets being posted about the event. They set up a chat facility so that people not on twitter could contribute to the debate. When you go to the video archive for the event you will be able to see on one screen:
videos of all the speakers at the event
all the twitter posts tagged with the hashtag for the event
contributions to the chat facility for the event
If you had visited that page on the day of the event you would have seen the event itself, the twitter debate, and the chat facility debate unfold before your eyes. Questions posed to twitter and to the chat facility were posed to speakers at the end of each talk.
What will the impact of this be? It will not affect people's desire to attend events. Football matches are best watched at the stadium. Films are best watched on the cinema. Live television coverage and DVDs have not killed football and cinema attendence. I was glad I could follow the Eduserv event online but I would have benefited far more from attending in person, where I could have given it my full attention, and where I would have had the opportunity to converse face to face with fellow delegates and with speakers.
The economic downturn means that people and businesses are being more careful with their travel, training and sponsorship budgets. More and more people will base their decision on what events to attend/speak at/sponsor by researching the online coverage of the previous years event.
Speakers are going to be attracted to events that generate healthy online discussion and coverage because that gives them wider visibility, and leaves a trace of their talk that is available via Google search.
Delegates will look to the online discussion to check that the kinds of people attending that event are the kinds of people they want to network with.
Sponsors are going to look at the reach that the event has on the web
If we look at recent annual or biennial conferences of the membership societies in the UK information management space there is very little information available for potential delegates, speakers or sponsors to judge the event on:
presentations from the 2008 Society of Archivists conference are available on line for members only
presentations from the 2007 Umbrella CILIP conference (it is a biennial conference) are not available
presentations from the 2009 Records Management Society conference are not publicly available on the RMS web site, neither are presentations from the 2008 RMS conference. Video recordings of the 2008 conference were sent to members on a members-only DVD (disclosure: I organised the 2008 RMS conference)
More and more conferences are providing open web access to the slidepacks and video recordings of speakers at their conferences. More and more speakers are making their own slidepacks available on services like Slideshare or on their blogs. If the event organiser puts a video of a speaker on You Tube they are significantly increasing the chances that someone will blog, tweet or comment about the event. Bloggers can embed the video in their blogpost, people tweeting can link to it, people can leave a comment on the You Tube page itself.
By denying the population of the world wide web access to the outputs of their events, membership societies risk denying themselves the fruits of widespread coverage, publicity and links on the web.
Providing a place to network on-line
A key strength and mission of membership societies is that they make it possible for professionals to meet and network with each other. Professional societies are well placed to facilitate professionals networking online because of their brand and because of their access to most of the professionals in the field.
Lets look at what the societies have done in this area:
CILIP has a Communities facility, powered by Telligent software. Members can maintain a profile, contribute to discussions, and keep a blog. Non-members are able to view some of the forum posts and some of the blogs but can't contribute to discussions and can't maintain a profile. CILIP has to bear the overhead of maintaining a mechanism for authenticating that people seeking to contribute to the forums are current CILIP members. Members complained earlier this year about what CILIP member Tom Roper called 'Byzantine Authentication' procedures for members to sign onto the forum. Restricting CILIP communites to members has the advantage that the forums are untroubled by spam. But it also means that the forums can not benefit from the contributions of people who are not members of CILIP.
AIIM has been the boldest of the membership societies in the information management space. They have set up an online forum called Information Zen that has over 3,000 people signed up for it. Information Zen is a Ning site. AIIM have branded their Ning site and and loosely integrated it with the AIIM website (it appears as a navigation tab on the website, but has a seperate url (www. informtionzen.org). You can view Information Zen, sign up to it, post comments and questions to it, without being a member of AIIM. The site brings AIIM benefits by significantly increasing the exposure that AIIM events, AIIM training courses and AIIM spokespeople enjoy. Using Ning is a relatively, low maintenance option for AIIM, people can sign in with a Ning ID, and AIIM doesn't have to worry about authenticating them.
The Society of Archivists have a set of forums, powered by vbulletin . It does not appear to be members only, but you have to register for the forums and your registration request goes to a moderator, and you have to wait for the moderator to approve your registration request (I have unsuccessfully attempted to register for the forums) .
The Records Management Society has not yet set up any online networking facilities.
Using web 2.0 to dialogue with members, and to speak for the profession
The role of membership societies in acting as the voice of their profession has hindered them in participating in debates on web 2.0 platforms. The knowledge that any false statement by the society would bring the whole profession into disrepute acts as a millstone around their neck. Membership societies are used to taking their time and arriving at a considered position that does not offend any section of their membership. They are used to communicating by making anouncements at annual conferences, writing editorials in newsletters, and issuing press releases. The use of these forms of communication has served to create an artificial distance between the governing bodies of these societies and their membership.
In the web 2.0 world the debate moves faster and may take place on whatever forum members are gathered. Governing bodies can no longer automatically choose where the debate take place.
The nature of the web 2.0 world, with real-time updates in Twitter and Facebook, and the near-immediate updates to blogs, creates expectations on behalf of members that they can:
have an ongoing 'drip feed' of news and information about the society
hear about initiatives while they are still being planned and talked about, rather than having to wait until they are finalised
hear about initiatives in a format where they can respond to, comment on, praise, criticise, or publicise the news.
This switch is proving a real challenge to the membership societies:
the Society of Archivists does not have a national blog, although its Scottish region has a good blog
the Records Management Society started a blog in 2007 but discontinued it in 2008. It doesn't have a prescence on Twitter. A Facebook page has been set up but not used.
Aiim has several blogs including one on its standards work, one written by its president, and a team blog on ECM. Many of its staff are on Twitter including their president and vice-president
CILIP has several blogs, including one from its president, and maintains a directory of blogs from its officers, groups and members. CILIP has no prescence on Twitter.
Learnings from recent debates in CILIP's on their use of Web 2.0
The radical change in expectations that the membership of professional societies have over how their societies communicate with them is illustrated by debates in CILIP over the past six months:
In February there was a debate on twitter in which various CILIP members asked why the society had no presence on Twitter
On 18 February 2009 Bob McKee, the Chief Executive of CILIP wrote a blog post explaining that CILIP was not planning to establish a prescence on Twitter. He said that CILIP could not speak with an official voice in an informal environment such as Twitter.
On 27 February Phil Bradley responded with a scathing blogpost memorably entitled CILIP epic fail.
Phil Bradley's blogpost sparked a huge debate on Twitter, that dominated the Twitter feeds of UK information professionals that day. The debate involved members and non-members. It broadened out from the question of whether or not CILIP should participate in Twitter to cover other percieved failings including Cilip's 'monolithic website' (as summarised by Tom Roper here. )
For a period CILIP were caught like a rabbit in headlights, they couldn't take any part in this debate because they didn't have and didn't want a presence on Twitter. The key to fighting a war is to fight on a battleground of your chosing and this battleground was very much the province of the critics, well connected on Twitter and well used to using it as a medium.
In the end CILP made a very positive and constructive response to the storm, by inviting their most articulate critics, Brian Kelly and Phil Bradley, to an open session of the CILIP Council on April 29 this year, to discuss how CILIP can best use web 2.0. The session was live blogged and attracted a huge conversation on twitter.
What can professional societies do in the Web 2.0 world?
Brian Kelly embedded a copy of the presentation he gave to to the CILIP Council session on Web 2.0 onto his blog
His advice to CILIP was to:
take an experimental approach
think through the risks holisticaly – doing nothing may be even more risky than doing something
suppport and advise local groups and special interest groups to empower and enable them use to make use of web 2.0 in ways that work for them
Recommendations for the Records Management Society (RMS)
Building on Brian Kelly's advice to CILIP, here are some recommendations as to to how the RMS can adapt to, and make use of, the web 2.0 world.
Peter Godwin, who teaches information literacy at the University of Bedfordshire, says that web 2.0 suits people who are prepared to experiment, but frustrates those who want things to be perfect first time. When you set up any type of social networking or discussion site online there is never any guarantee that it will be sustained through time with lively and useful contributions. But experimentation is the only way you build up your own capability and confidence, as an individual or as an organisation, and it is also the only way the RMS can start to build up the on-line relationships and following it needs for its web 2.0 ventures to be succesful.
There has been some experimentation in setting up social networking facilities for records management professionals in the UK, albeit not under the official banner of the RMS. Two closed (invitation only) Ning sites have been set up:
Steve Bailey set up a Ning site for people interested in developing the ideas of records management 2.0 ideas outlined in his book 'Managing the Crowd'
I set up a Ning site for people who attended an RMS London Group meeting in the autumn of 2008 on recent academic research in records management (I am chair of the RMS London Group).
Neither experiment cost any money: if you are prepared to put up with adverts from Ning then having a Ning site is free.
Both Ning sites started well: neither site found any difficulty in attracting people to join. Participants in Steve Bailey's Records Management 2.0 had an online discussion and worked up a manifesto for records management 2.0. In the RMS London Group Ning site there was input from members on what they wanted to see at Group meetings going forward, and there was a fair degree of interaction between people on the site who left messages for each other on their profile pages. But on both sites there has been very little activity in the past few months. Both sites have run out of energy because they are invitation only, which means they get no inbound links, no referrals from Google, no new visitors and few new members.
My conclusions from these experiments is that Ning is a very useful and flexible platform, well suited to regional groups or special interest groups of the RMS or any other membership society. My advice to any regional or special interest group setting up a Ning site would be to configure it so that the Ning site is open to anyone to join it, anyone to view it, and anyone to link to it.
Update: Steve Bailey has now made the Records Management 2.0 Ning site open to all to view and join
The Mashed Library Ning site is a good example of what uses a local group can put Ning to. As far as I can see no money has been spent on this site. It serves a group of information professionals interested in the potential uses of 'mashing up' data from library catalogues with other data sources. The Ning site of the Mashed Library group functions as their blog, their website, their discussion facility and their social networking site.
Be realistic about the risks
Membership societies have been very cautious indeed about going down the web 2.0 route. But the risks are not necessarily great. If you are investing a lot of money in purchasing, installing and supporting an online forum that authenticates people against your membership list then there is financial risk. If you are doing some gentle customisation to a Ning site and publishing it to your domain name, or setting up a discussion group on Linked in or Facebook then the financial risk is negligable. The big risks for the RMS of not doing anything are that:
they don't learn or build up their own capabilities in this area
they are seen to be behind the times
a third party moves into the space and grabs the online attention of their members
Speak with many voices
It is very hard to speak with a corporate voice on the web 2.0 forums. Whether it is Twitter or the blogsphere an individual voice comes out strongest and clearest. You don't need everyone on the RMS Executive to be on twitter or blogging. But if two or three of the Exec are blogging or tweeting about what the Records Management Society is working on and thinking about then they can:
act as conduits between the governing body and the membership
drip feed news to members
engage in open conversations (respondong to twitter replies or blog comments) with members
Empower and support local and specialist groups to establish a lively web 2.0 presence
The regional and special interest groups of membership societies have the real potential in a web 2.0 space. They are already communities who want to interact with each other. The events that they hold act as hooks to have online conversations about, and act as ready sources of content.
The key success critieria for a local/regional group site are that it should be:
interactive (at the very least allowing comments on blogposts, but ideally allowing members to start a discussion and message each other)
public (so that it receives traffic from links from elsewhere on the web and from Google; so that it adds to the web visibility of the RMS, the profession, and individual contributors to the site; and so that it benefits from the contributions of non-RMS members to discussions).
easy for the people who facilitate the local groups to contribute information to and to deal with any spamming
In terms of web 2.0 tools available free of charge, then the options for a local group in any society include setting up:
a Ning site
a Linked in discussion group
a Facebook group
a presence on you tube
Of these options Ning sites and blogs both have the advantage for the RMS that they can be published to an RMS domain name (much like the Information Zen Ning site sits within the AIIM domain).
An open Ning site has the most functionality and flexibility for regional and special interest groups. However groups should take into account their own preferences and make a decision on the environment they and their members feel most comfortable contributing to.
The role of the RMS Executive itself should :
encourage regional and special interest groups to make a considered choice on what type of web 2.0 facility would best support their group
offer regional and special interest groups advice (if they need it) on the practicalities and pros and cons of each option, and facilitate the sharing of advice and experience between regional and special interest groups
make funds available (very small sums are involved) to enable regional and special interest groups to pay for hosted blog or Ning sites (if they chose either of those options) to be published to an RMS domain name and to be advert free.
Posted on June 3, 2009 June 9, 2009 by James Lappin	11


text:
LIVING SPIRITUAL TEACHER RICHARD FOSTER
By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on May 5, 2008 in AM Missives, Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism, Current Issues, Emergent Church, Richard Foster, Southern Baptist Convention
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? (2 Corinthians 6:14-15)
Hammering Out The Golden Buddha Of The Mystic Mush God
It is a sad fact that a postevangelicalism has taken over most of the leadership positions in the American Christian Church. Add to this the further entrenchment of postliberalism and there has now been a successful supplanting of the awesome and majestic one true and living LORD God Almighty. In His place teeters the new golden Buddha of the mythical mush god of mysticism. So now the scene is set for these so-called "Christian" mystics to make their new ecumenical religion work. And with this Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism (CSM), anchored in apostate Roman Catholicism, we are dealing with another religion entirely.
Out goes the objective Truth of the Bible; out goes the Reformation, and now we have replaced the historic orthodox Christian faith which was once for all delivered to the saints with what Living Spiritual Teacher and mystic Matthew Fox calls a new reformation of "deep ecumenicism." So within this reemergence of Gnosticism through the neo-pagan practice of Contemplative/Centering Prayer (CCP), which is really but transcendental meditation for the Christian, we now have yet another fulfillment of Scripture in that this Ecumenical Church of Deceit of postevangelicalism has a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5). But what does the rest of that verse then tell the Christian to do? Should we be inviting these Christ-denying vipers into our churches to teach this profane spiritual adultery of Gnostic mysticism to our unsuspecting young?
God forbid; grow a spiritual backbone won't you — from such turn away. Did you hear that Southern Baptist Convention? Based on Something Not Right with Southern Baptist Convention Crossover '08 and Something Definitely Not Right With New Orleans Seminary the answer is a definite: No. But now that the Devil has established his "deep ecumenical" beachhead of CMS through his ECoD within our Lord's Church they just needed to find themselves a leader who also happens to be an ecumenical contemplative. Ah, this brings us to the Guru of Contemplative Spirituality Richard Foster. Foster, who is a member of the Religious Society of Friends, aka the Quakers, is even touted by the Purpose Driven Pope Rick Warren as a leader within the evangelical church itself as I showed you in Rick Warren Guilty For Endorsing The Cult Of Guru Richard Foster And His Reimagined Gnostic Mysticism.
You may recall one of my previous articles on Foster called Who Is Richard Foster? In it I clearly show that the Quakers are as ecumenical a bunch as can possibly be found, and I further point out that mysticism is a key component of their worship. I'd add apostate as well, but I for one, am not so sure that the Quakers were ever actually in the faith to begin with. So for our purposes here let me just share a couple of interesting highlights from an entry of the Society of Friends (Quakers) in Harper's Encyclopedia of Mystical & Paranormal Experience (HEMPE).
I also happen to find it interesting that this particular book is published by HarperSanfrancisco who just happens to publish Richard Foster. HEMPE informs us that the Quakers were "founded about 1650 in England by George Fox." And that the:
Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, as it is commonly called, stresses a personal, almost mystical knowledge of God and the workings of the Lord's "inner light" within all people… At about age twenty, George Fox,…began suffering religious misgivings and spiritual longings. He consulted with various Anglican and Puritan ministers and priests, but they dismissed him as slightly deranged. Fox felt entirely alone until 1647, when at the age of twenty-three he heard a voice saying, "There is one, even Christ Jesus, that can speak to thy condition" (556, emphasis mine).
This is exactly where George Fox and the Quakers who would follow him jumped track because HEMPE goes on to inform us that "[i]mmediately after, Fox received the first of four insights." It is so-called insight number four that most concerns this work as we are told:
Fox's fourth insight was that faith is based solely on firsthand knowledge of Christ as living, personal reality, not on logic, reasoning, historical reporting, or even Scripture. This empirical proof came to be called the Quaker Way: the idea that worshippers need not consult preachers or the Bible to receive knowledge of the Holy Spirit – the so-called "inner light of Christ" present in every human heart (ibid., emphasis added).
Here we have the agreement in Fox's theology with classic Gnostic mysticism. Gnostics also taught that there was an inner light in man which they referred to as "a divine spark within" every human being. I cover this fallacy further in Understanding the New Spirituality: God Indwells Mankind. If this isn't bad enough it now gets worse as HEMPE points out that in 1652 Fox "prayed at a place called Pendle Hill" and then "he received a vision explaining his mission to show Christ in the Present Tense as a personal Being." Following this vision "Fox met with a group of Seekers who, overcome with his message, converted" (ibid.). And yikes, based on all the negative response at the original Slice of Laodicea website to one of my previous—and quite Biblically sound missives—Take Off The Gloves I would shudder to think what might have happened to Fox if he had been around today.
Enter The Ecumenical Quaker Swami Richard Foster
Seriously however, this previous information is critical for you to understand the highly ecumenical theological background from which Richard Foster himself comes emerging. Now for those who are not aware of the sad saga of Foster being listed in something called Living Spiritual Teachers Project (LSTP) let me quickly tell you that in May of 2006 I was in contact with Mary Ann Brussat who was been kind enough to dialogue with me concerning the inclusion of Richard Foster and Alan Jones among other teachers in the LSTP. Mary Ann, who told me she is a Christian and a sister in Christ, along with husband Frederic is Director of SpiritualityandPractice.com (S&P). These are the people behind the LSTP, which according to their website, "spotlights people from different traditions we think you should meet on your journey." It remains to be seen where we are actually going.
At the S&P website we are also told that "Frederic is a United Church of Christ clergyman with a journalism ministry, and Mary Ann is an interfaith minister, ordained by the One Spirit Interfaith Seminary. The Brussats are members of Judson Memorial Church, a UCC congregation in Greenwich Village, New York City. They are also initiates of the Mevlevi Sufi order that traces its inspiration to Rumi." Unfortunately Christian/Sufi Muslim Mary Ann was not willing to answer the following two questions I asked her in regard to the LSTP:
I wish to know from you 1) Did Richard Foster and Alan Jones contact you to become a part of this project and 2) Do they in fact know that they are part of this project? Please understand that if these men do know and/or are willing participants with your multifaith Living Spiritual Teachers Project it will affect how they are perceived in the larger Christian community. As such it becomes very important that everyone be made aware of these facts. By all means if these men do wish to be part of your Project they have every right to, but the people that they work with in the evangelical community also have a right to know whether they are doing so willingly, that's all.
Although she flatly refused to answer my questions Mary Ann Brussat was gracious enough, however, to grant permission for me to post her response on Apprising Ministries in its entirety and unedited in any way:
Dear Rev. Silva,
I am not going to answer your questions because I do not approve of the use to which I believe you will put my answers. If I answer that Richard Foster and Alan Jones are aware of the Living Spiritual Teachers Project, you, like Deborah Dombrowski, will conclude that if they do not ask to be removed from the Project, then they are "yoked" to unbelievers and heretics. If I answer that they were not aware of the Project, you will demand that they be informed (and you know as well as I do that Deborah contacted Foster's office about this on March 28), and that they be given the opportunity to remove their names and if they don't, you will say they are "yoked" to unbelievers and heretics. This is what I mean by saying you have an agenda, and the agenda is not getting out the truth or clearing anyone's name. Your agenda is branding these fine servants of God as heretics.
My answer to you is very simple. The teachers in our Project are not unbelievers and heretics. They may not have the same beliefs as you do, but they are all respected and authenticated teachers in one of the world's religions. SpiritualityandPractice.com is a multifaith site. We respect all religious traditions and the people who belong to them. We are not trying to create "one world religion" or say all the religions say the same thing. In fact, through our book reviews we point out the distinctions among religions.
For me to answer your questions about Richard Foster and Alan Jones would be for me to imply that there might be something wrong with being in a list with Ram Dass, Thich Nhat Hanh, Pema Chodron, Matthew Fox, Andrew Harvey, and Harold Kushner. I will not insult these teachers by allowing myself to be used by you to support that implication.
Also in Richard Foster and the LSTP I discuss a brief dialogue I had with Lynda Graybeal, who is "Personal Assistant to Richard Foster" at Renovare, back in April of 2006. In an email I told Graybeal that I knew from the April 8, 2006 newsletter from Lighthouse Trails Research, as well as from personal contact with their editor Deborah Dombrowski, Graybeal had been personally informed "that Foster's name may be removed if he so desires." So I asked her why Foster is still there on the LSTP website in violation of 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. Sadly, Graybeal decided to be a bit disingenuous because in her reply she told me she didn't feel she could answer me on such short notice because she would have to consult with Richard himself who was unavailable that day.
But the information I have currently from both Mary Ann Brussat of the LSTP and Deborah Dombrowski of Lighthouse Trails clearly indicates Graybeal was informed of Foster's name being listed on S&P's LSTP at least as early as March 28, 2006—a month prior to my writing her. While I have no reason to doubt that Graybeal wasn't able to reach Foster the day I wrote her, it would seem that since nearly a month had gone by at that point, surely a "Personal Assistant to Richard Foster" could have spoken with him about such an important issue by now. I have tried reaching her again but as of today, two years later, I have yet to receive any statement from Foster, Graybeal or Renovare.
So now I think it's safe to say that we will not have any official response coming to the following two questions that the evangelical community really has a right to have answers to:
1) Did Richard Foster contact the Living Spiritual Teachers Project to become one of them? And 2) Now that Richard knows he is "yoked" with them in violation of 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 is he going to have his name removed?
There is another vital area of concern that actually runs parallel to the issue of Richard Foster remaining listed at LSTP, and one that is most disturbing is: How is it that an ostensibly Christian teacher and spiritual leader within the evangelical community has produced a body of doctrine that is so completely in tune with e.g. teachers of New Age theology and Zen Buddhist masters that he could be so easily integrated and then be listed right along with them as a part of the interspiritualist Living Spiritual Teachers Project in the first place? Even the nearly universally loved Billy Graham, and hardly a bastion of completely sound Christian doctrine considering his romance with the apostate Roman Catholicism, has at least set himself apart enough not to be able to be included at the interfaith LSTP website.
Which begs another critical question: Why then is Richard Foster considered such a reliable source for proper Christian spirituality by "Protestant" SBC seminaries like New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary? Men and women, Foster's discernment is so far out there we can't get a radar fix and his myopic mystic "message" of Contemplative/Centering Prayer, TM lightly sprayed with Christian terminolgy as I pointed out before, is so "seeker friendly" that not only does it appeal to liberal mainline denominations, but it can also easily be incorporated into the "spiritual journey" of "seekers" in any "faith tradition." And you really can't see those flapping flags of the deepest scarlet now waving right in front of you?
In closing for now, personally I do find it interesting that another of these Living Spiritual Teachers is Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. If one does a little research they will quickly find out that Guru Foster is heavily influenced by the mystic monk Thomas Merton. It's also common knowledge that Merton was very close friends with Nhat Hahn and as we said it's no secret how much Foster admires Merton. Well maybe this is our explanation as to why Foster doesn't really seem to mind his being listed at the LSTP website. And I can't help but wonder: Foster greatly respected Thomas Merton, who was himself also closely yoked with Nhat Hahn; so it's entirely possible that Richard Foster himself, in emulation of his spiritual hero Merton, actually wants to be associated in such a way with this Zen Roshi Thich Nhat Hahn as a fellow Living Spiritual Teacher.


text:
Metabolon joins international obesity research consortium
Image: Mateus Campos Felipe
Metabolon has joined a $20 million EU-supported international research consortium.
SOPHIA (Stratification of Obese Phenotypes to Optimize Future Obesity Therapy), which includes 29 private and public research organisations in 12 countries, aims to improve risk assessment of complications of obesity and predict treatment response for people with obesity.
The World Health Organization estimates that obesity currently affects around 650 million people worldwide. There are about 200 known complications associated with obesity but predicting who will develop associated conditions or who will respond to obesity treatments is not yet understood. The SOPHIA consortium will identify, characterize and stratify clinically meaningful subpopulations of patients living with obesity to match the right treatment for the right person at the right time.
"While two individuals may have the same BMI, they will often respond differently to treatments like diet, drugs or surgery," said Greg Michelotti, Scientific Director, Metabolon. "Our global approach to metabolomics will illuminate disease biomarkers, supporting proper stratification and therapeutic decisions to improve future outcomes for obese patients."
Metabolon will perform metabolomics on 2,000 samples as part of the five-year longitudinal study to support greater understanding in patient stratification for the right treatment depending on metabolic profiles.
SOPHIA Project Leader Dr Marianne Ølholm Larsen Grønning of Novo Nordisk, said: "Obesity is a complex, chronic disease and there is still a lot we do not know, both about the biology of the disease itself and how treatment can improve the lives of patients with obesity. SOPHIA is an important step towards understanding obesity better. The collaboration between academia, industry and associations promises strong and unique results."


text:
package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"io/ioutil"
	"log"
	"os"
	"os/exec"
	"path/filepath"
	"regexp"
	"strings"
	"time"
)

// Add more default --test_args as we migrate them
func argFields(args, dump, ipRange string) []string {
	f := strings.Fields(args)
	if dump != "" {
		f = setFieldDefault(f, "--report-dir", dump)
		// Disable logdump within ginkgo as it'll be done in kubetest anyway now.
		f = setFieldDefault(f, "--disable-log-dump", "true")
	}
	if ipRange != "" {
		f = setFieldDefault(f, "--cluster-ip-range", ipRange)
	}
	return f
}

func run(deploy deployer, o options) error {
	if o.checkSkew {
		os.Setenv("KUBECTL", "./cluster/kubectl.sh --match-server-version")
	} else {
		os.Setenv("KUBECTL", "./cluster/kubectl.sh")
	}
	os.Setenv("KUBE_CONFIG_FILE", "config-test.sh")
	os.Setenv("KUBE_RUNTIME_CONFIG", o.runtimeConfig)

	dump := o.dump
	if dump != "" {
		if !filepath.IsAbs(dump) { // Directory may change
			wd, err := os.Getwd()
			if err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("failed to os.Getwd(): %v", err)
			}
			dump = filepath.Join(wd, dump)
		}
	}

	if o.up {
		if o.federation {
			if err := xmlWrap("Federation TearDown Previous", fedDown); err != nil {
				return fmt.Errorf("error tearing down previous federation control plane: %v", err)
			}
		}
		if err := xmlWrap("TearDown Previous", deploy.Down); err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("error tearing down previous cluster: %s", err)
		}
	}

	var err error
	var errs []error

	// Ensures that the cleanup/down action is performed exactly once.
	var (
		downDone           = false
		federationDownDone = false
	)

	var (
		beforeResources []byte
		upResources     []byte
		downResources   []byte
		afterResources  []byte
	)

	if o.checkLeaks {
		errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("listResources Before", func() error {
			beforeResources, err = listResources()
			return err
		}))
	}

	if o.up {
		// If we tried to bring the cluster up, make a courtesy
		// attempt to bring it down so we're not leaving resources around.
		if o.down {
			defer xmlWrap("Deferred TearDown", func() error {
				if !downDone {
					return deploy.Down()
				}
				return nil
			})
			// Deferred statements are executed in last-in-first-out order, so
			// federation down defer must appear after the cluster teardown in
			// order to execute that before cluster teardown.
			if o.federation {
				defer xmlWrap("Deferred Federation TearDown", func() error {
					if !federationDownDone {
						return fedDown()
					}
					return nil
				})
			}
		}
		// Start the cluster using this version.
		if err := xmlWrap("Up", deploy.Up); err != nil {
			if dump != "" {
				xmlWrap("DumpClusterLogs (--up failed)", func() error {
					// This frequently means the cluster does not exist.
					// Thus DumpClusterLogs() typically fails.
					// Therefore always return null for this scenarios.
					// TODO(fejta): report a green E in testgrid if it errors.
					deploy.DumpClusterLogs(dump, o.logexporterGCSPath)
					return nil
				})
			}
			return fmt.Errorf("starting e2e cluster: %s", err)
		}
		if o.federation {
			if err := xmlWrap("Federation Up", fedUp); err != nil {
				xmlWrap("dumpFederationLogs", func() error {
					return dumpFederationLogs(dump)
				})
				return fmt.Errorf("error starting federation: %s", err)
			}
		}

		if !o.nodeTests {
			// Check that the api is reachable before proceeding with further steps.
			errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("Check APIReachability", getKubectlVersion))
			if dump != "" {
				errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("list nodes", func() error {
					return listNodes(dump)
				}))
			}
		}
	}

	if o.checkLeaks {
		errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("listResources Up", func() error {
			upResources, err = listResources()
			return err
		}))
	}

	if o.upgradeArgs != "" {
		if err := xmlWrap("test setup", deploy.TestSetup); err != nil {
			errs = appendError(errs, err)
		} else {
			errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("UpgradeTest", func() error {
				// upgrade tests really only run one spec
				var env []string
				for _, v := range os.Environ() {
					if !strings.HasPrefix(v, "GINKGO_PARALLEL") {
						env = append(env, v)
					}
				}
				return skewTestEnv(env, argFields(o.upgradeArgs, dump, o.clusterIPRange), "upgrade", o.checkSkew)
			}))
		}
	}

	testArgs := argFields(o.testArgs, dump, o.clusterIPRange)
	if o.test {
		if err := xmlWrap("test setup", deploy.TestSetup); err != nil {
			errs = appendError(errs, err)
		} else if o.nodeTests {
			nodeArgs := strings.Fields(o.nodeArgs)
			errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("Node Tests", func() error {
				return nodeTest(nodeArgs, o.testArgs, o.nodeTestArgs, o.gcpProject, o.gcpZone)
			}))
		} else {
			errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("kubectl version", getKubectlVersion))
			if o.skew {
				errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("SkewTest", func() error {
					return skewTest(testArgs, "skew", o.checkSkew)
				}))
			} else {
				if err := xmlWrap("IsUp", deploy.IsUp); err != nil {
					errs = appendError(errs, err)
				} else {
					if o.federation {
						errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("FederationTest", func() error {
							return federationTest(testArgs)
						}))
					} else {
						errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("Test", func() error {
							return test(testArgs)
						}))
					}
				}
			}
		}
	}

	if o.testCmd != "" {
		if err := xmlWrap("test setup", deploy.TestSetup); err != nil {
			errs = appendError(errs, err)
		} else {
			errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap(o.testCmdName, func() error {
				cmdLine := os.ExpandEnv(o.testCmd)
				return finishRunning(exec.Command(cmdLine, o.testCmdArgs...))
			}))
		}
	}

	// TODO(bentheelder): consider remapping charts, etc to testCmd

	if o.kubemark {
		errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("Kubemark Overall", func() error {
			return kubemarkTest(testArgs, dump, o.kubemarkNodes)
		}))
	}

	if o.charts {
		errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("Helm Charts", chartsTest))
	}

	if o.perfTests {
		errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("Perf Tests", perfTest))
	}

	if dump != "" {
		errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("DumpClusterLogs", func() error {
			return deploy.DumpClusterLogs(dump, o.logexporterGCSPath)
		}))
		if o.federation {
			errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("dumpFederationLogs", func() error {
				return dumpFederationLogs(dump)
			}))
		}
	}

	if o.checkLeaks {
		errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("listResources Down", func() error {
			downResources, err = listResources()
			return err
		}))
	}

	if o.down {
		if o.federation {
			errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("Federation TearDown", func() error {
				if !federationDownDone {
					err := fedDown()
					if err != nil {
						return err
					}
					federationDownDone = true
				}
				return nil
			}))
		}
		errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("TearDown", func() error {
			if !downDone {
				err := deploy.Down()
				if err != nil {
					return err
				}
				downDone = true
			}
			return nil
		}))
	}

	// Save the state if we upped a new cluster without downing it
	// or we are turning up federated clusters without turning up
	// the federation control plane.
	if o.save != "" && ((!o.down && o.up) || (!o.federation && o.up && o.deployment != "none")) {
		errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("Save Cluster State", func() error {
			return saveState(o.save)
		}))
	}

	if o.checkLeaks {
		log.Print("Sleeping for 30 seconds...") // Wait for eventually consistent listing
		time.Sleep(30 * time.Second)
		if err := xmlWrap("listResources After", func() error {
			afterResources, err = listResources()
			return err
		}); err != nil {
			errs = append(errs, err)
		} else {
			errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("diffResources", func() error {
				return diffResources(beforeResources, upResources, downResources, afterResources, dump)
			}))
		}
	}
	if len(errs) == 0 {
		if pub, ok := deploy.(publisher); ok {
			errs = appendError(errs, pub.Publish())
		}
	}
	if len(errs) == 0 && o.publish != "" {
		errs = appendError(errs, xmlWrap("Publish version", func() error {
			// Use plaintext version file packaged with kubernetes.tar.gz
			v, err := ioutil.ReadFile("version")
			if err != nil {
				return err
			}
			log.Printf("Set %s version to %s", o.publish, string(v))
			return gcsWrite(o.publish, v)
		}))
	}

	if len(errs) != 0 {
		return fmt.Errorf("encountered %d errors: %v", len(errs), errs)
	}
	return nil
}

func getKubectlVersion() error {
	retries := 5
	for {
		_, err := output(exec.Command("./cluster/kubectl.sh", "--match-server-version=false", "version"))
		if err == nil {
			return nil
		}
		retries--
		if retries == 0 {
			return err
		}
		log.Print("Failed to reach api. Sleeping for 10 seconds before retrying...")
		time.Sleep(10 * time.Second)
	}
}

func listNodes(dump string) error {
	b, err := output(exec.Command("./cluster/kubectl.sh", "--match-server-version=false", "get", "nodes", "-oyaml"))
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}
	return ioutil.WriteFile(filepath.Join(dump, "nodes.yaml"), b, 0644)
}

func diffResources(before, clusterUp, clusterDown, after []byte, location string) error {
	if location == "" {
		var err error
		location, err = ioutil.TempDir("", "e2e-check-resources")
		if err != nil {
			return fmt.Errorf("Could not create e2e-check-resources temp dir: %s", err)
		}
	}

	var mode os.FileMode = 0664
	bp := filepath.Join(location, "gcp-resources-before.txt")
	up := filepath.Join(location, "gcp-resources-cluster-up.txt")
	cdp := filepath.Join(location, "gcp-resources-cluster-down.txt")
	ap := filepath.Join(location, "gcp-resources-after.txt")
	dp := filepath.Join(location, "gcp-resources-diff.txt")

	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(bp, before, mode); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(up, clusterUp, mode); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(cdp, clusterDown, mode); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(ap, after, mode); err != nil {
		return err
	}

	stdout, cerr := output(exec.Command("diff", "-sw", "-U0", "-F^\\[.*\\]$", bp, ap))
	if err := ioutil.WriteFile(dp, stdout, mode); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	if cerr == nil { // No diffs
		return nil
	}
	lines := strings.Split(string(stdout), "\n")
	if len(lines) < 3 { // Ignore the +++ and --- header lines
		return nil
	}
	lines = lines[2:]

	var added, report []string
	resourceTypeRE := regexp.MustCompile(`^@@.+\s(\[\s\S+\s\])$`)
	for _, l := range lines {
		if matches := resourceTypeRE.FindStringSubmatch(l); matches != nil {
			report = append(report, matches[1])
		}
		if strings.HasPrefix(l, "+") && len(strings.TrimPrefix(l, "+")) > 0 {
			added = append(added, l)
			report = append(report, l)
		}
	}
	if len(added) > 0 {
		return fmt.Errorf("Error: %d leaked resources\n%v", len(added), strings.Join(report, "\n"))
	}
	return nil
}

func listResources() ([]byte, error) {
	log.Printf("Listing resources...")
	stdout, err := output(exec.Command("./cluster/gce/list-resources.sh"))
	if err != nil {
		return stdout, fmt.Errorf("Failed to list resources (%s):\n%s", err, string(stdout))
	}
	return stdout, err
}

func clusterSize(deploy deployer) (int, error) {
	if err := deploy.TestSetup(); err != nil {
		return -1, err
	}
	o, err := output(exec.Command("kubectl", "get", "nodes", "--no-headers"))
	if err != nil {
		log.Printf("kubectl get nodes failed: %s\n%s", wrapError(err).Error(), string(o))
		return -1, err
	}
	stdout := strings.TrimSpace(string(o))
	log.Printf("Cluster nodes:\n%s", stdout)
	return len(strings.Split(stdout, "\n")), nil
}

// commandError will provide stderr output (if available) from structured
// exit errors
type commandError struct {
	err error
}

func wrapError(err error) *commandError {
	if err == nil {
		return nil
	}
	return &commandError{err: err}
}

func (e *commandError) Error() string {
	if e == nil {
		return ""
	}
	exitErr, ok := e.err.(*exec.ExitError)
	if !ok {
		return e.err.Error()
	}

	stderr := ""
	if exitErr.Stderr != nil {
		stderr = string(stderr)
	}
	return fmt.Sprintf("%q: %q", exitErr.Error(), stderr)
}

func isUp(d deployer) error {
	n, err := clusterSize(d)
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}
	if n <= 0 {
		return fmt.Errorf("cluster found, but %d nodes reported", n)
	}
	return nil
}

func defaultDumpClusterLogs(localArtifactsDir, logexporterGCSPath string) error {
	logDumpPath := "./cluster/log-dump/log-dump.sh"
	// cluster/log-dump/log-dump.sh only exists in the Kubernetes tree
	// post-1.3. If it doesn't exist, print a debug log but do not report an error.
	if _, err := os.Stat(logDumpPath); err != nil {
		log.Printf("Could not find %s. This is expected if running tests against a Kubernetes 1.3 or older tree.", logDumpPath)
		if cwd, err := os.Getwd(); err == nil {
			log.Printf("CWD: %v", cwd)
		}
		return nil
	}
	var cmd *exec.Cmd
	if logexporterGCSPath != "" {
		log.Printf("Dumping logs from nodes to GCS directly at path: %v", logexporterGCSPath)
		cmd = exec.Command(logDumpPath, localArtifactsDir, logexporterGCSPath)
	} else {
		log.Printf("Dumping logs locally to: %v", localArtifactsDir)
		cmd = exec.Command(logDumpPath, localArtifactsDir)
	}
	return finishRunning(cmd)
}

func dumpFederationLogs(location string) error {
	// TODO(shashidharatd): Remove below logic of choosing the scripts to run from federation
	// repo once the k8s deployment in federation jobs moves to kubernetes-anywhere
	var logDumpPath string
	if useFederationRepo() {
		logDumpPath = "../federation/deploy/cluster/log-dump.sh"
	} else {
		logDumpPath = "./federation/cluster/log-dump.sh"
	}
	// federation/cluster/log-dump.sh only exists in the Kubernetes tree
	// post-1.6. If it doesn't exist, do nothing and do not report an error.
	if _, err := os.Stat(logDumpPath); err == nil {
		log.Printf("Dumping Federation logs to: %v", location)
		return finishRunning(exec.Command(logDumpPath, location))
	}
	log.Printf("Could not find %s. This is expected if running tests against a Kubernetes 1.6 or older tree.", logDumpPath)
	return nil
}

func perfTest() error {
	// Run perf tests
	cmdline := k8s("perf-tests", "clusterloader", "run-e2e.sh")
	if err := finishRunning(exec.Command(cmdline)); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	return nil
}

func chartsTest() error {
	// Run helm tests.
	cmdline := k8s("charts", "test", "helm-test-e2e.sh")
	return finishRunning(exec.Command(cmdline))
}

func nodeTest(nodeArgs []string, testArgs, nodeTestArgs, project, zone string) error {
	// Run node e2e tests.
	// TODO(krzyzacy): remove once nodeTest is stable
	if wd, err := os.Getwd(); err == nil {
		log.Printf("cwd : %s", wd)
	}

	sshKeyPath := os.Getenv("JENKINS_GCE_SSH_PRIVATE_KEY_FILE")
	if _, err := os.Stat(sshKeyPath); err != nil {
		return fmt.Errorf("Cannot find ssh key from: %v, err : %v", sshKeyPath, err)
	}

	// prep node args
	runner := []string{
		"run",
		k8s("kubernetes", "test", "e2e_node", "runner", "remote", "run_remote.go"),
		"--cleanup",
		"--logtostderr",
		"--vmodule=*=4",
		"--ssh-env=gce",
		fmt.Sprintf("--results-dir=%s/_artifacts", os.Getenv("WORKSPACE")),
		fmt.Sprintf("--project=%s", project),
		fmt.Sprintf("--zone=%s", zone),
		fmt.Sprintf("--ssh-user=%s", os.Getenv("USER")),
		fmt.Sprintf("--ssh-key=%s", sshKeyPath),
		fmt.Sprintf("--ginkgo-flags=%s", testArgs),
		fmt.Sprintf("--test_args=%s", nodeTestArgs),
		fmt.Sprintf("--test-timeout=%s", timeout.String()),
	}

	runner = append(runner, nodeArgs...)

	return finishRunning(exec.Command("go", runner...))
}

func kubemarkTest(testArgs []string, dump, numNodes string) error {
	// Stop previously running kubemark cluster (if any).
	if err := xmlWrap("Kubemark TearDown Previous", func() error {
		return finishRunning(exec.Command("./test/kubemark/stop-kubemark.sh"))
	}); err != nil {
		return err
	}
	// If we tried to bring the Kubemark cluster up, make a courtesy
	// attempt to bring it down so we're not leaving resources around.
	//
	// TODO: We should try calling stop-kubemark exactly once. Though to
	// stop the leaking resources for now, we want to be on the safe side
	// and call it explicitly in defer if the other one is not called.
	defer xmlWrap("Kubemark TearDown (Deferred)", func() error {
		return finishRunning(exec.Command("./test/kubemark/stop-kubemark.sh"))
	})

	// Start kubemark cluster.
	if err := xmlWrap("Kubemark Up", func() error {
		return finishRunning(exec.Command("./test/kubemark/start-kubemark.sh"))
	}); err != nil {
		if dump != "" {
			xmlWrap("Kubemark MasterLogDump (--up failed)", func() error {
				return finishRunning(exec.Command("./test/kubemark/master-log-dump.sh", dump))
			})
		}
		return err
	}

	// Run tests on the kubemark cluster.
	if err := xmlWrap("Kubemark Test", func() error {
		testArgs = setFieldDefault(testArgs, "--ginkgo.focus", "starting\\s30\\pods")
		return finishRunning(exec.Command("./test/kubemark/run-e2e-tests.sh", testArgs...))
	}); err != nil {
		if dump != "" {
			xmlWrap("Kubemark MasterLogDump (--test failed)", func() error {
				return finishRunning(exec.Command("./test/kubemark/master-log-dump.sh", dump))
			})
		}
		return err
	}

	// Dump logs from kubemark master.
	xmlWrap("Kubemark MasterLogDump", func() error {
		return finishRunning(exec.Command("./test/kubemark/master-log-dump.sh", dump))
	})

	// Stop the kubemark cluster.
	if err := xmlWrap("Kubemark TearDown", func() error {
		return finishRunning(exec.Command("./test/kubemark/stop-kubemark.sh"))
	}); err != nil {
		return err
	}

	return nil
}

// Runs tests in the kubernetes_skew directory, appending --report-prefix flag to the run
func skewTest(args []string, prefix string, checkSkew bool) error {
	return skewTestEnv(nil, args, prefix, checkSkew)
}

// Runs tests in the kubernetes_skew directory, appending --report-prefix flag to the run
func skewTestEnv(env, args []string, prefix string, checkSkew bool) error {
	// TODO(fejta): run this inside this kubetest process, do not spawn a new one.
	popS, err := pushd("../kubernetes_skew")
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}
	defer popS()
	args = appendField(args, "--report-prefix", prefix)
	cmd := exec.Command(
		"kubetest",
		"--test",
		"--test_args="+strings.Join(args, " "),
		fmt.Sprintf("--v=%t", verbose),
		fmt.Sprintf("--check-version-skew=%t", checkSkew),
	)
	cmd.Env = env
	return finishRunning(cmd)
}

func test(testArgs []string) error {
	return finishRunning(exec.Command("./hack/ginkgo-e2e.sh", testArgs...))
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


"20 YEARS OF SEMINAR ACTIVITIES. COMMENTS". A. P. LEVICH ( ).
S. E. SHNOL ( ). "FACES OF TIME". Each instant has its own look. Time is not identical. What is a phenomenon of macroscopic fluctuations? How can corresponding laboratory experiments change our fundamental ideas of reality?
"20 YEARS OF SEMINAR ACTIVITIES. COMMENTS". A. V. KOGANOV ( ).
"20 YEARS OF SEMINAR ACTIVITIES. COMMENTS". V. M. SARYCHEV ( ).
"20 YEARS OF SEMINAR ACTIVITIES. COMMENTS". I. M. DMITRIEVSKY ( ).
A. D. ARMAND. "DUALISM OF TIME". The time fulfils two functions in our everyday life. It serves for measurement of duration of events and ascertainment of their sequence. The possibility of such use corresponds to a dual nature of the time itself. Time-duration (according to A.Bergson) is complementary to time-sequence. The possible error of detection of the duration decreases, and error of detection of sequence increases proportionally since we enlarge the unit of time measurement (the indistinguishability unit). The "t" symbol has different meanings in classical physical equations and in thermodynamic postulates, or in evolution theory. The property of duration and property of sequence do not exist one without another. The time disappears in extreme positions when the error of duration reaches zero and the error of sequence became equal one or the reverse. Both human activity and objective processes of the material world occur in many "temporal worlds" which differ one from another by their indistinguishability units. While accepting the dual nature of the time we are able to solve some problems and paradoxes of chronosophy, for instance Zeno's aporias.
"A CYCLE". I. N. GANSVIND.
A. P. LEVICH ( ). "A SEARCH FOR LAWS OF VARIABILITY IN THEORETICAL NATURAL SCIENCE". In the report, we will try to answer the following questions. Which field of knowledge is related to creation of fundamental equations of motion, development, evolution?.. Is it science or art? What are ways of generating the fundamental equations (or, in general formulation, laws of variability)? Since equations of motion are description of variability of an object under study with the help of variability of a standard called a clock, it is possible that the equations can be obtained by analysis of ideas concerning the origin and parametrization of variability i.e., ideas concerning the nature and measurement of time. What is the nature of time? Analysis of questions about the nature of time, space, motion, matter interaction, etc., which accompanies the search for the fundamental equations, usually leads to modification of the conceptual basis of science or, in other words, to construction of a new "World picture". Which genre is related to creation of the World picture? Since one of the ways to obtain the laws of variability is formulation of extremum principles, what is extremal for natural or anthropic systems? A quantitative description of objects under study is necessary for formulation and application of extremum principles and for measurement of variability. Since the unique way of the formal description of the World is a selection of suitable mathematical structures, the question "What is quantity?" solved in the theory of sets without a structure arises again for sets with the structure. (See the works of the author in the Library of Electronic Publications of the Institute).
"ON A SUPPORT OF PROJECTS CONCERNING THE CREATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATIONAL, COMPUTATIONAL, AND TELECOMMUNICATIONAL RESOURCES BY THE RUSSIAN FUND OF FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH". O. A. PLECHOVA.
V. A. GOLICHENKOV. "BIOGENETICAL LAW AND MECHANICS OF DEVELOPMENT". The ontogenesis is considered as a "modus vivendi" of multicellular organisms (Metazoa). The main ways of ontogenesis' organization are discussed as 1) mosaic way and 2) regulative way. By consideration of regulative way the special attention is paid to embryonic induction as a basic way of ontogenesis' control. Some features of mosaic are detected while embryonic induction process. It is attempted to understand the balance of regulative way and mosaic one in process of embryonic induction by examples of biodiversity. The mechanics of development can be considered as an approach for understanding the cause of ontogenesis during the preliminary evolution of Eukariota (Protozoa biodiversity). It is can also help to find out some prototypes of mosaic and regulative ways of ontogenesis. The regulative way has it's own prototype in complicated sequence of Volvocidae by palintomical breading and the mosaic one - in the structure organization of some Infusoria. The mosaic and regulative ways of ontogenesis are compared each to other and conclusions about some features of "biological time" in ontogenesis are drawn.
"ON A REPRINT OF THE BOOK "KNOWLEDGE AND FALLACY" BY ERNST MACH". YU. S. VLADIMIROV ( ).
V. V. KASSANDROV ( ). "MULTIVALUED FIELDS, PRIMORDIAL LIGHT AND THE TIME FLOW". An exceptional algebro-geometrical structure leads to complexified eikonal as a fundamental physical field, and to a correspondent congruence of light-like rays. We assume that this flow of primordial light ("preLight") gives rise to the whole physical matter in the World at the points of self-intersection of the rays, i.e. on caustics, and is also responsible for the perception of physical time. Naturally multivalued structure of the complex-valued eikonal field defines then the structure of both the preLight and the Time flows as a superposition of a great number of (locally independent) constituent "subflows", so that the time turns to be locally "multidirectional". Some physical predictions of the theory are considered. (See the works of the author in the Library of Electronic Publications of the Institute).
An announcement of the future report "SUBJECTIVE TIME". I. A. KHASANOV ( ).
M. H. SHULMAN ( ). "TIME AS A PHENOMENON OF THE UNIVERSE EXPANSION". Introduction. Non-stationary cosmological model of Einstein-Friedmann. Is it correct to ignore the static pressure of matter? A new solution of the cosmological equations. The closed Universe. A basic hypothesis of the new time nature. The motion and maximal speed in the new theory. The new theory and Minkowski geometry. On the Einstein's relativity principle. The particle mass, and energy, and momentum. The new theory and General Relativity.
"MARINA TSVETAYEVA AND TIME". ZOYA ZHURAVLYOVA ( ).
A. M. OLOVNIKOV ( ). "A NEW THEORY OF THE AGING AND THE CONTROL OF BIOLOGICAL TIME". Existence of the intranuclear organelles responsible for the monitoring and the control of the flow of intrinsic organismal time in human brain is postulated. (A.M. Olovnikov. The redusomal hypothesis of aging and the control of biological time in individual development. Biochemistry (Moscow), (in English). 2003, V. 68. Issue 1. Pp. 2-33.; A.M. Olovnikov. Redusomal aging: comments. Advances in gerontology (SPb), (in Russian). 2003. V. 12. Pp. 28-45).
An announcement of the future report "A METHOD OF INVESTIGATION OF TIME FLOWS RESPONSIBLE FOR A VALUE OF MACROSCOPIC FLUCTUATIONS OF ENERGY AND A PHENOMENON OF FRACTALITY". V. G. VANYARKHO ( ).
S. M. KOROTAEV ( ). "FORECASTING EFFECT OF MACROSCOPIC NONLOCALITY". The long-term experiments have revealed forecasting effect of macroscopic nonlocality. It manifest as advanced transaction of practically insulated dissipative processes, that confirms early Kozyrev's results. The processes of variations of self-potentials of weakly polarized electrodes in the electrolyte correlates with the solar and geomagnetic activity. Advancement equals about one and half month. Nonlocal character of correlation has confirmed by violation of Bell-type inequality. Forecasting applications are possible. (S.M. Korotaev, V.O. Serdyuk, V.I. Nalivayko, A.V. Novysh, S.P. Gaidash, Yu.V. Gorokhov, S.A. Pulinets, Kh. D. Kanonidi. Experimental estimation of macroscopic nonlocality effect in solar and geomagnetic activity// Physics of Wave Phenomena. 2003. V. 11. N 1. P. 46-54).
An announcement of the future report "GRAVITY AS A PROJECTION OF A COSMOLOGICAL FORCE". I. A. URUSOVSKY ( ).
A. M. ZASLAVSKY ( ). "HYPOTHESIS OF NON-SIMULTANEITY". Our physical ideology is based upon limited set of axioms. These are axioms of thermodynamics, classical and relativistic physics, quantum mechanics and electromagnetism. From them mathematically physical laws of our universe follow. To the question, what the reason of physical laws is, the scientific physicist has the right to answer - the physical axioms. If it were possible to reduce all known physical axioms to one in it, probably, it would be spoken about source of all physics laws. However, the science cannot point to such axiom, nowadays. Nonetheless, there is one such hypothesis, which is implied in any of known physics theories in obvious or implicit form. It is the hypothesis of the simultaneity. According to it our universe, as the system concerning some subsystem of the observer, is submitted by state set of simultaneous of the many observable subsystems. The classical mechanics attributed to simultaneity absolute character. The relativistic physics, considering simultaneity relational, nevertheless, recognizes its status as conceptual base of space concept as receptacles of the simultaneous states of the many observable objects - subsystems. From the mathematical point of view the hypothesis of simultaneity means recognition of non-strict order on the state set. In additional, mutual equivalence of some states concerning the time order of their following, demands introduction in initial axiomatic researched system of the special attitudes. For example, algebraic, geometrical, or others, but distinguished from the attitude determining their order following in time. It initially brings unremovable dualism in axiomatic physics base, resulting to the formulation necessity, at least, two kinds, and axioms are not reduced one to another for an explanation of the physical phenomenon. It is offered to refuse this hypothesis in favour of hypothesis of non-simultaneity alternative to it. According to the alternative hypothesis all system states "our universe" are non-simultaneous and, hence, ordered strictly (linearly). The attitude of the time order, at such approach, remains the only thing in initial definition of system. It, at least, in the conceptual plan eliminates the dualism interfering to the association of physics laws. The task of association all physical principles in connection with refusal of the hypothesis non-simultaneity is methodologically alternative to that way on which there was up-to-date physics in the creation of great association theories. Instead of development of universal mathematical model of physical reality it is offered to remove the reason of logic dissociation physical principles, rooted in our ideas about time. But that there was an interest to such job of scientific community, confirmations of its productivity are necessary at least in some directions. Namely this purpose is pursued by the given report. There are some results received by the author stated in it, in particular: mathematical model of the observer in the world where there is no simultaneity, substantiation of the axiomatic of special and general relativity, generalization of the principle of least action and substantiation of axiomatic calibration fields similar to electromagnetic field. The approach to substantiation of own abstract three-space dynamic system is stated.