I used to crochet but never learned how to knit. Perhaps it's time for a new hobby!
I wonder what people would think if I busted out the knitting needles in the Amazon Room this summer.
Congratulations! As they say, "As ye sew, so shall ye reap". Or something like that.
Congrats, Sis. I'll take a beanie hat.
P.S. How much for a puppy blanket?
Nice to see you back posting and also awesome to see you get a win!!
Please post more!! Miss your thoughts.
Sounds like I need to take up knitting. I have a hard time playing online as well and for the exact same reason.


text:
Unmanned helicopter and ground vehicle team up to explore dangerous terrain
Unmanned helicopter and ground...
The demonstration follows another recent exercise involving a K-MAX unmanned helicopter and unmanned ground vehicle
The ground vehicle autonomously navigating a six-mile (10 km) route
The simulated mission took place back on October 27 at Sikorsky's Development Flight Center
Autonomous aircraft and autonomous ground vehicles can eliminate much of the danger for military personnel working in hazardous areas. But what if they could combine their capabilities to even further remove soldiers from harm's way? Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) together with Sikorsky Aircraft have deployed an autonomous helicopter and all-terrain robot to demonstrate what might be possible when advanced, unmanned vehicles join forces.
The simulated mission took place back on 27 October at Sikorsky's Development Flight Center, involving an autonomous ground vehicle developed at Carnegie called the Land Tamer and Sikorsky's UH-60 MU Black Hawk helicopter. The aircraft's "optional piloting" potential was first tested in a 2014 exercise aimed at furthering the US army's ambitions for autonomous cargo delivery.
In its latest exercise, which was actually announced almost 18 months ago, the Black Hawk carried the Land Tamer in its sling along a 12-mile (19 km) journey, before lowering it to the ground and then setting it free. The ground vehicle took off, autonomously navigating a 6-mile (10 km) route while using onboard chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear sensors to detect simulated chemical, biological, and radiological hazards.
This information was relayed back to the remote ground station, where the researchers were able to take over control of the Land Tamer in order to examine the sites more closely where needed.
The demonstration follows a similar exercise involving a K-MAX unmanned helicopter and Lockheed Martin's Squad Mission Support System unmanned ground vehicle at Fort Benning, Georgia in 2014. Like the latest operation, this one too sought to explore new ways to reduce the danger for military personnel by combining the capabilities of autonomous aircraft and ground vehicles. Both fall under a US Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) initiative called "Extending the Reach of the Warfighter through Robotics."
"The teaming of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and unmanned ground vehicles like what was demonstrated here has enormous potential to bring the future ground commander an adaptable, modular, responsive and smart capability that can evolve as quickly as needed to meet a constantly changing threat," Dr. Paul Rogers, director of TARDEC said of the latest demonstration.
The video below shows the autonomous helicopter and ground vehicle in action.
Source: National Robotics Engineering Center
UGV/UAV Joint Autonomy Demonstration
MilitaryUnmannedAutonomousUS ArmyTARDEC
Stephen N Russell January 22, 2016 01:35 PM
Apps for:
SAR, Rescue, mapping, explorations, Recon, Intelligence, border patrol, harbor security, security.
DARPA program seeks night-vision goggles as light and compact as glasses
Milirem's Type-X robotic armored combat vehicle begins ground testing
British Army trialing "heavy-duty" Bug nano drone
F/A-18 Super Hornet makes first launch from a "ski-jump" ramp

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Why did you become a Geotechnical engineer?
It was the most interesting area of civil engineering.
What aspects of Geotechnics are most interesting to you?
In which country are you currently working?
On what sorts of project would you like to work in the future?
I am open to everything in Europe or America.


text:
SPD Awarded Contract To Supply Electric Plant Control Panel For Seawolf
SPD Technologies, Philadelphia, Pa., has been awarded the contract to produce a special-design electric plant control panel for installation in the first of the U.S. Navy's new Seawolf Class nuclear submarines.
The contract was awarded by the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics, prime contractor for the Seawolf submarine construction program.
The SPD-designed submarine control panel includes a combination of meters, switches, relays and other equipment to receive and display data to control the operating status of the submarine's electrical generation and distribution system.
Scheduled for delivery in June 1991, the control panel will be produced at SPD's switchgear manufacturing plant in Montgomeryville, Pa.
SPD president George M. Gordon said the Seawolf contract was a landmark in that it is the company's first for submarine control panel development, although similar systems have been developed by SPD engineers for surface combatants.
Mr. Gordon noted that SPD's expansion in electric plant control panel design and production is an outgrowth of its 1988 acquisition of the Brown Boveri's naval switchgear division.
He said the company planned additional expansion in fabrication and assembly of advanced electrical distribution equipment, control panels and specialty shipboard consoles for military applications.
SPD Technologies is one of the largest producers of military circuit breakers and a leader in advanced electrical protection equipment designed for harsh operating environments.
Headquartered in Philadelphia, the company has service, repair and overhaul facilities across the U.S.
and serves military markets throughout the world.
For free literature detailing the products and services of SPD, Circle 71 on Reader Service Card
Read SPD Awarded Contract To Supply Electric Plant Control Panel For Seawolf in Pdf, Flash or Html5 edition of May 1989 Maritime Reporter


Episode 8: Secrets Exist. Here's How To Find Them.
In this episode, we make a case that: Secrets exist. Many of them are closer to you than you might think, and by finding them (even small ones), you can materially improve your life. One of the best places to find secrets is by studying, "the story behind the story" of great people and victories. We cover how to get started looking for secrets there, and why this process is hidden and rarely discussed. Most of the media isn't focused on telling you HOW great achievements were won. In fact, 95% of media outlets, non-fiction writing, and news about great achievements and entrepreneurs glosses over, or completely ignores, how great achievements were won. Secrets exist. Subscribe, tune in, and let's figure out where the secrets are in your own life and how you can capitalize on them.


If the red light is flashing on the front panel of the Cloud / Pulse device then that device has been reset to factory, and you will need to re-provision the device.
NOTE: Resetting any Kibosh appliance to factory will not disable content filtering. This cannot be turned off. Resetting to factory would only wipe out any custom settings like net schedule rules, hosts naming, timed filters, etc.
Plug your PC into the LAN port of the Cloud / Pulse device, and reboot.
These are both labeled underneath your device. Enter them in all CAPS.
To turn the WAP off slide the on / off button back which will turn off the red light (red light = WAP is on, no red light = WAP is off).
Related FAQ: How to administer the Kibosh Cloud / Pulse directly (bypass MyFilter).


Always wanted to be in our TV-Show?
Esitämme (we introduce): Matti Sumari. His exhibition "corrupted full of life" started the new exhibition program for 2018 at Schimmel Projects – Art Centre Dresden. At the opening we had a chat with the Helsinki born artist.


This pretty craft is simple for the kids to do, but will take pride of place wherever it is displayed! Perfect for Spring or a Chinese New Year or Japan theme.
Mix the paint with an equal part of water. Dot on the paint, to make your blossom. Paint several different trees around the lantern. When you are happy you have enough blossom leave the paint to dry.
When the paint is dry use the black pen to draw on the branches of the trees.
Alternatively you could draw or paint Chinese calligraphy characters onto your lantern to decorate it.


text:
Home >> News: July 8th, 2019 >> Story
NASA Signs On SpaceX to Launch IXPE
NASA has selected SpaceX to provide launch services for the agency's Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission, which will allow astronomers to discover, for the first time, the hidden details of some of the most exotic astronomical objects in our universe.
The total cost for NASA to launch IXPE is approximately $50.3 million, which includes the launch service and other mission-related costs.
IXPE measures polarized X-rays from objects, such as black holes and neutron stars to better understand these types of cosmic phenomena and extreme environments.
The IXPE mission currently is targeted to launch in April of 2021 on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A in Florida. IXPE will fly three space telescopes with sensitive detectors capable of measuring the polarization of cosmic X-rays, allowing scientists to answer fundamental questions about these turbulent environments where gravitational, electric and magnetic fields are at their limits.
NASA's Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center in Florida will manage the SpaceX launch service. The IXPE project office is located at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama and is managed by the Explorers Program Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
For more information about NASA programs and missions, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov


text:
The first significant step of MADO to becoming a world brand begins with the confectionery "Yashar". The confectionery "Yashar" plays an important role in the comprehensive and highly effective presentation of brand having 150 years of experience all over the world. This place turns into the first place where the nature enables ice cream lovers enjoy the result of human labor and patience.
The ice factory, opened in Kahramanmarash in 1965, becomes important for both the region and MADO. The small shop expands, the production capacity grows. In the same year, due to delivery of "deep freeze" refrigerators in the store, ice cream began to be stored 24 hours a day. These improvement processes have not at all worsened the taste and quality of MADO. The confectionery, which later became a lullaby in the popularization of MADO ice cream, was opened in 1980 on Trabzon street.
After this first encounter with technology, MADO has become a world-class brand that preserved taste, quality and composition.
The aforementioned confectionery house offers whipped ice cream prepared by the means peculiar to the region. In addition, Kahramanmarash is also deals with a culinary exhibition presenting handcraft of cuisine and regional culture. This confectionery house is also valuable as a Museum wherein the walls are hung with photographs of visitors and old objects are exhibited as family memories. This confectionery house, which is an indispensable place for local and foreign tourists wishing to explore the region due to this specificity, keeps the mysterious adventure that popularized MADO ice cream. "Whipping mastership", which brought fame to MADO ice cream all over the world, is presented to visitors of the Confectionery House "Yashar" as a kind of show. Hints about the solid and dense composition of an ice cream are reproduced in the form of folk motifs.
The mission of MADO is to meet all the needs and wishes of its customers and, in principle, to achieve the selected quality standards with the use of modern technology.
MADO Restaurant Chain is an organization that aims to distribute ice cream around the world and popularize on global scale.
View of future
MADO's goal is to pass the 150-year tradition of making ice cream to future generations. The main energy source of MADO is the desire not to lose the enthusiasm and vocation conceived at the beginning of the work. Every new restaurant opened in our network becomes our next success in bringing true taste to every customer. Tradition, the modern concept, dynamics ... MADO always adheres to the chosen principles in order to combine all these three features at the same time.
History of MADO
MADO Tarqovı


Want to run in the Vitality 10K in 2019 and fundraise for us?
Are you, or someone you know, interested in running the Vitality 10,000 in 2019? We are looking for people willing to raise a minimum of £300 for us. We have up to 4 slots available so get in touch if you would like more details.
Closing date for letting us know is 31/12/18 but the sooner you let us know, the better. The places will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. We need to confirm and pay for our places with the organisers.
The run is on Monday the 27th May 2019 and is scheduled to start at 10.00am. The exact route is yet to be confirmed and published but the route in 2018 started on the Mall and passed many of London's famous sights including Admiralty Arch, Nelson's Column, St Paul's Cathedral, Mansion House, the Bank of England, the Old Bailey, Somerset House, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey before reaching the finish line by Buckingham Palace.
For anyone interested please get in touch with us at info@sgkpa.org.uk for more details on expectations and what how we can help you.


Each of our Star Wars wood burners is handmade to order with great attention to detail. Steel made, any of our designs can be personalised for that special touch. Our themed wood burners and fire pits are sure to bring the wow factor to any garden or outdoor space. No room outside, why not enquire about our indoor bio ethanol range.


"The Great Alone" is an award-winning documentary packed with adventure and thrills that follows the inspiring comeback story of four-time Iditarod Champion Lance Mackey and his indestructible love and passion for dog sledding, his family and the infamous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.
The first ever in history to win four consecutive Iditarod races, Lance Mackey faces ongoing battles with his health, his past and his dogs as he tackles the Iditarod for the 12th time. With an endless amount of strength and determinition, Lance continues to make his family, himself and the state of Alaska proud.
This special Blu-ray edition includes behind the scene footage, featurettes and an exclusive Q&A with Lance Mackey at Slamdance. Also includes English Subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired and an alternative family-friendly audio mix.
Top Level Categories for The Great Alone [Blu-ray].


It really was a coincidence that my boyfriend found this minigolf place where you play in a kind of fantasy world only with black light.
It was so difficult to take pictures in this lightning conditions, so the only ones that turned out well (and the ones I liked) were with blue backround.
Cool, wo ist diese Minigold Anlage?


text:
Astro-Graph for February 23, 2013
by Eugenia Last
Astro-Graph | February 23rd, 2013
You might have to shoulder more responsibilities in the year ahead than what you're accustomed to handling, but don't be dismayed -- with enhanced duties come greater rewards.
Trying to patch up a broken romance? The Astro-Graph Matchmaker can help you understand what to do to make the relationship work. Send for your Matchmaker set by mailing $3 to Astro-Graph, P.O. Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092-0167.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- There is a strong chance that you could run into one of your least favorite people at a social gathering. If you allow your dislike to surface, the event is likely to lose its luster.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- A disagreement between you and your mate could turn into something serious if neither one of you shows a willingness to compromise. Be the one who offers the olive branch.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Criticism of someone's work will not necessarily help enhance his or her performance. To encourage this person, your comments must be constructive and positive.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- If you haven't been too good about managing your money lately, you won't have the funds you need to do or buy that something you want. Plan better for the future.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Any restrictions to which you might be subjected are not likely to be the fault of others, but will be a product of your own mismanagement. Be careful where you point the finger of blame.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- If you're too self-involved, your efforts aren't likely to bring you much satisfaction today. This malady can easily be cured, however, by putting the needs of others ahead of your own.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Allowing friends to pressure you into spending more money than necessary could cause you to resent them instead of yourself. You must be the one who has the willpower to abstain.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Because you're likely to do everything the hard way, you may not be able to achieve all of your objectives. Try to use your time wisely.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Guard against a tendency to anticipate negative outcomes. If you think you might fail, you'll make sure to find a way to prove yourself right.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Do not allow yourself to get into a situation that would put you in a bad financial position with another. Don't start borrowing from friends if you'll have trouble paying them back.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Be careful, because your colleagues could have a stronger influence over your doings than you'd like. Their aims might not be in harmony with yours.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- If you have a bad attitude, unplanned developments could become overwhelming. Try to roll with the punches and hope for the best.
Astro-Graph | February 22nd, 2013
In the year ahead, you'll be attracted to strong, progressive thinkers in tune with the times. Most of your closest new friends will be of this sort.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Even though you won't be putting on any pretenses, the persona you present is likely to be more dramatic than usual. Others will be drawn to you for this reason.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- You can't help but succeed in situations where you are motivated to do good things and bring joy to others. All you want to do is help make people happy.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- You're not going to find a better day to promote a cause in which you truly believe. Even those who usually give you a hard time will succumb to your appeal.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- If you're prepared to give in order to get, most of your material affairs should work out to your benefit. Some of your biggest obstacles may be taken out of the picture.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- It isn't likely that you will shy away from any challenges. In fact, you'll welcome situations that are much too trying for others.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You'll get far more out of being helpful than merely feathering your own nest. Good deeds will be appreciated and rewarded.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- There's no reason why you shouldn't be hopeful regarding the outcome of events, because you're presently in a lucky cycle. Being optimistic and positive helps a lot.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- You're not likely to seek out competition, but you'll not duck any either. Should a strong competitor challenge you, you'll be a tough cookie to contend with.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- If you view things from a positive perspective, your faith will work wonders. Events will turn out the way you envision them, if your belief is strong enough.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Joint ventures hold far more promise for you than independent endeavors at this time. However, this is true only if you're teamed up with someone of equal talent who has a similar work ethic.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Moderation is the key to success, so do your best to play everything down the middle. For best results, don't be too aggressive or too passive.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Lounging in a cozy easy chair could have a strong appeal for you, yet if you fail to be at least a tad productive, you're likely to feel guilty for wasting all that valuable time.
Astro-Graph | February 21st, 2013
Your potential for success will be substantially enhanced in the year ahead if you're more assertive. Try not to settle for anything less than first place.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Substantial accomplishments are possible, especially in developments where your compassionate instincts are aroused. You could go after some magnanimous goals, with good results.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Your ability to effectively deal with others could be your best asset. You'll instinctively know how to bring out your colleagues' best qualities and make them feel appreciated.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Focus your efforts and energies on matters that can help your career and/or add to your resources. It's your current strong suit, where you can apply the best that's in you.
CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Instead of fretting about whether or not your ideas will work, put them to the test. If you should fail then try, try again. Remember, action begets action.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Something of true significance that has been subjected to many frustrating delays could break open for you through the work of a considerate ally. It was worth waiting for.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- You'll not be in the mood to get linked up with individuals who tend to drag their feet. Seek to associate with people who are as energetic and active as you are.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- A determination to succeed is likely to be your greatest asset. Once this particular resource is tapped, your every objective will be realized.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Plans that require bold measures are destined to go much smoother for you today than they will tomorrow. Time is not your best ally in activities that require an aggressive approach.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Although you might need a push or a jump-start, you'll be great once you get going. If you can team up with an eager beaver, that should do the trick.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Even though you are a strong independent thinker, your companions are likely to have a strong influence on your attitude. Their input will be constructive, not conflicting.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- This should be an exceptional day in terms of selling something or persuading others. The possibility for gaining strong prospects is high.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Your best qualities will be extremely evident in various areas of your life, from business to social situations. When you get involved, big things begin to happen.
I Don't Measure Up To Other Men. What Should I Do?
Is My Perfect Relationship Turning Toxic?
Should I Change My Standards Or Hold Out For My Dream Girl?
Environmentally Smart Gardening
Gardening by Design
Small but Mighty Bulbs
Your Birthday for February 01, 2023
Your Birthday for January 31, 2023


text:
Q: Elasticsearch: Getting analyzer used for indexing a given field from the client side Is there a way to programmatically getting the analyzer used for indexing a given field by the Elasticsearch server instance via a client (assuming that the analyzer is available on both sides, of course)?
For example, using a mapping such as:
{
    "mappings": {
        "article": {
            "properties": {
                "text": {
                    "type": "string",
                    "index": "analyzed",
                    "analyzer": "spanish"
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

how would it be possible to get org.apache.lucene.analysis.es.SpanishAnalyzer for the field text using the Java client for Elasticsearch, as shown below?
import java.net.InetAddress;
import java.net.UnknownHostException;
import java.util.Collections;

import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchRequestBuilder;
import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchResponse;
import org.elasticsearch.client.Client;
import org.elasticsearch.client.transport.TransportClient;
import org.elasticsearch.common.transport.InetSocketTransportAddress;
import org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilder;
import org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilders;
import org.elasticsearch.search.SearchHit;

public class QueryAnalyzerTest {

    public static void main(final String[] args) throws UnknownHostException {
        final String docTextFieldName = "text";
        Iterable<SearchHit> hits = Collections.emptyList();

        try (final Client client = TransportClient.builder().build()
                .addTransportAddress(new InetSocketTransportAddress(InetAddress.getByName("localhost"), 9300))) {
            final QueryBuilder queryBuilder = QueryBuilders.matchQuery(docTextFieldName, "anuncio");
            final SearchRequestBuilder searchRequestBuilder = client.prepareSearch("news").setQuery(queryBuilder)
                    .setTypes("article");
            final SearchResponse response = searchRequestBuilder.get();
            hits = response.getHits();
        }

        hits.forEach(hit -> {
            final String docText = (String) hit.getSource().get(docTextFieldName);
            // TODO: Tokenize "docText" with the exact same tokenizer used when
            // indexing the field
        });

    }

}

A: You can definitely get the mapping of the text field programmatically using client().admin().indices().prepareGetFieldMappings("indexName"), and you'll be able to retrieve the logical name of the analyzer (i.e. "spanish"), however, you won't get the class name of the analyzer.
For that you need to call AnalysisRegistry.getAnalyzer("spanish"), and you'll get the proper analyzer instance.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Brannigan's Bastards Series
"Fury in the Gulf" Is Coming
We have a cover, and a release date. Brannigan's Bastards #1 – Fury in the Gulf, will be out November 15. Iranian Fanatics, American Hostages…And The Clock Is Ticking! The tiny island kingdom of Khadarkh, strategically placed in the Persian Gulf, has swung back and forth between the Saudi and Iranian orbits for years. But when a mysterious force seizes control of the island, executes the tiny Khadarkhi Army, and takes any Americans they can find hostage, it appears that Khadarkh will be an Iranian puppet for the foreseeable future. The politicians are afraid of risking the hostages. And as the Western powers dither, some people start to look for another solution. They find that solution in John Brannigan. Brannigan already has a rep for pulling off the impossible, through a combination of audacity, ruthlessness, and ferocious loyalty to his men. His military service is over, but now he will pick up a rifle again, putting together a squad of mercenaries to land on Khadarkh and rescue the hostages, in a hail of bullets and swift, sharp violence. Brannigan's Bastards are about to strike. Kevin Granzow, the guy who did the new Kill Yuan cover, is doing the Brannigan's
Peter Nealen October 26, 2017 Brannigan's Bastards, New Book No Comments Read more
The Colonel Has A Plan Part 3
They hadn't gone far when Lewis was tugging on Brannigan's sleeve. "Sir, we just got a message from Team Two," he yelled in the Colonel's ear. "They are mission complete, but are pinned down under fire, and cut off from the beach." Brannigan glanced forward, where the wounded Lance Corporal Clark was lying on the deck. Time was short, but he had a responsibility to those boys down on the ground, too. He started working his way forward, stepping over and past knees, boots, M27s, and two LSATs, carefully moving around Clark's supine form, until he got to the cockpit. "We need to divert to Shilka Position Two," he shouted to the pilot. "Some of my boys are in trouble, and need some support." "This ain't a gunship, sir, and we've got a casualty aboard," the copilot protested. "Don't try to bullshit me, son," Brannigan replied. "We've got a minigun and a 240 mounted for a reason, and it's more than that team on the ground has. Take us in." He stayed where he was, but motioned for Lewis to hand him the handset, cursing the multiple tac frequencies that went along with combined arms warfare. The recon teams were
Peter Nealen October 17, 2017 Brannigan's Bastards, Free Fiction 1 Comment Read more
"Sir? We just got a message from Team One. 'Macallan.'" Corporal Jamie Lewis stopped and listened. It had to be rough, trying to hear the radio over the noise of the Osprey's idling props. "Wait," he said. "There's Team Three. 'Buffalo Trace.'" Brannigan resisted the urge to grin. Leave it to Marines to make all of their brevity codes the names of either alcohol, sports teams, or porn stars. "Any word from Team Two?" "No, sir," Lewis replied, the handset pressed against his ear. "Still nothing." Brannigan nodded, and thought for a moment. Staff Sergeant Holmes would do the job if he could. But the enemy was also undoubtedly alerted now, with two of the Shilkas having gone up in smoke. "Screw it," he decided. He reached forward, tapped the pilot on the shoulder, and gave him a thumbs-up. Then he keyed his own radio, which was on the Battalion Tac channel. "All Kodiak units, this is Kodiak Six," he called. "Crazy Horse. I say again, Crazy Horse." The odds of anyone listening in on a SINCGARS channel, out in the middle of the Red Sea, were minimal, but Brannigan hadn't gotten to where he was by being sloppy. He'd
Peter Nealen October 10, 2017 Brannigan's Bastards, Free Fiction No Comments Read more
Staff Sergeant Elias Martinez had just checked the quick release affixed to the bow of the partially-deflated Zodiac for the third time when something made him look up. There was a towering figure standing at the base of the CH-53's ramp. Martinez instinctively straightened, then yelled for the rest of his team. There might be plenty of big Marines aboard the USS Boxer, but there was no mistaking the silhouette of the MEU Commander. Colonel John Brannigan cut an altogether different figure. There was something about the way he carried himself that set him apart and made him immediately recognizable. What was surprising was the fact that the Colonel, with the squat form of Sergeant Major Santelli beside him, was in full kit. Helmet, NVGs, plate carrier, mags, radio, blowout kit, rifle, the works. He looked like he was ready to climb right on the bird and insert alongside Martinez' Force Recon Team. Which was unheard of, and something that Martinez suddenly found he more than vaguely dreaded. No team leader wants an officer looking over his shoulder on an op, let alone the Colonel. "Bring it in a minute, gents!" Brannigan boomed, managing to make himself heard over the
Peter Nealen October 3, 2017 Brannigan's Bastards, Free Fiction No Comments Read more
Starting tomorrow, I will be serializing the prelude story to Brannigan's Bastards here on the blog. Brannigan's Bastards #0 – The Colonel Has A Plan will be released in three parts over the next three weeks, then put on its own page, accessible from the home page. Stay tuned.
So, the earlier poll (coupled with a mirror version on The Action Thriller Renaissance on Facebook) was pretty definitive. The votes are for the volunteer Advance Review Copy Reader List. So, since the first draft of #1 is past half-finished, as of now, I am putting out the call for volunteers who would like to receive ARCs of the Brannigan's Bastards series. The signup comes with a caveat: continued receipt of ARCs is contingent on an Amazon review during the first week of release. A link to said review can be sent to the Contact form here on the blog, or by PM on Facebook. I've got to put that in there just to be sure that there is a purpose to this list, and I'm not just giving stuff away for free. Also, the list will only include the first 25-30 people who sign up. I've got to cut it off there. It's possible that you might still sign up before I yank the form (since I can't just sit here and watch it), but if you're number 31 or higher, my apologies. Sign up here.
Peter Nealen September 6, 2017 News No Comments Read more


text:
Q: Change field options of an embedded Symfony2 form Is it possible to change an option of a field of an embedded form from the parent form?
To illustrate the problem consider this: I have a parent form type class like this:
class FruitFormType extends AbstractType
{
    public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options)
    {
        $builder
            ->add('name', 'text')
            ->add('apple', new AppleFormType())
        ;
    }

and a child form type class that is in a separate bundle and I would prefer not to edit, like this:
class AppleFormType extends AbstractType
{
    public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options)
    {
        $builder
            ->add('name', 'text')
            ->add('qty', 'integer', array('label' => 'rubbish label')
        ;
    }

and I want to change the label of qty to something else, but I want to do this only in the FruitForm, not everywhere where the AppleForm is used. I had hoped to be able to do something like:
class FruitFormType extends AbstractType
{
    public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options)
    {
        $builder
            ->add('name', 'text')
            ->add('apple', new AppleFormType(), array('qty' => array('label' => 'better label')))
        ;
    }

or:
class FruitFormType extends AbstractType
{
    public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options)
    {
        $builder
            ->add('name', 'text')
            ->add('apple', new AppleFormType())
        ;

        $builder->get('apple')->get('qty')->setOption('label', 'better label');
    }

but neither of these (and a number of other attempts) have all failed me. There does not exist a setOption method that I can see.
Does anyone know of a way of doing this?

A: Try something like this:
class AppleFormType extends AbstractType
{
    public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options)
    {
        $builder
            ->add('name', 'text')
            ->add('qty', 'integer', array('label' => $options['qtyLabel'])
        ;
    }

    public function getDefaultOptions()
    {
        return array(
            'qtyLabel' = 'rubbish label';
        );
    }
}

and:
class FruitFormType extends AbstractType
{
    public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options)
    {
        $builder
            ->add('name', 'text')
            ->add('apple', new AppleFormType(), array('qtyLabel' => 'better label'))
        ;
    }
}

A: I also wanted to change options, the obvious "change the label" case for an existing field from the FOSUserBundle.  I know I could do this in Twig or with translations.
@redbirdo pointed me in the right direction with "it appears that adding a field with the same name will replace it".  Here's the solution:
$field = $builder->get('username');         // get the field
$options = $field->getOptions();            // get the options
$type = $field->getType()->getName();       // get the name of the type
$options['label'] = "Login Name";           // change the label
$builder->add('username', $type, $options); // replace the field

A: I am in a case where I can not access the form builder code but have to override a field options to add a 'required' => true.
Expanding @peter-wooster and @thedamnedrhino reply to a symfony issue on github (https://github.com/symfony/symfony/issues/11188) , I end up with this piece of code.
$field = $form->get('combinaisons');
$options = $field->getConfig()->getOptions();
$type = $field->getConfig()->getType()->getName();
$options['required'] = true;
unset($options['em']);
$form->add('combinaisons', $type, $options);

This works fine with symfony/symfony:2.3.21, doctrine/doctrine-bundle:1.2.0 and doctrine/orm:2.3.6

A: Thanks a lot to @Peter Wooster.
In Symfony 3.0, I had to use something a bit different:
I have a custom Form Type adding fields like so:
public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options)
{
    $builder->add('my_field', ChoiceType::class, [
        // Some options here...
        'multiple' => false,
    ]);
}

And in another custom Form Type I need to extend the Type above and change some options:
public function buildForm(FormBuilderInterface $builder, array $options)
{
    parent::buildForm($builder, $options);

    $myField = $builder->get('my_field');
    $fieldOptions = $myField->getOptions();
    // Retrieve the FormType. That is the part that is different.
    $fieldType = get_class($myField->getType()->getInnerType());
    $fieldOptions['multiple'] = true;
    // I can obviously put the name 'my_field' directly here
    $builder->add($myField->getName(), $fieldType, $fieldOptions);
}

Thanks to the answers above, I hope mine helps!

A: Modifying the view is often a lot easier for this kind of change.
$view->vars['label'] = 'New label';

Typically your view will be a parent form, so it might look like this - change from 'Date' > 'Publication date':
$view = $form->createView(...);
$view->children['date']->vars['label'] = 'Publication date';

If your form is encapsulated in its own type you can use the finishView function:
public function finishView(FormView $view, FormInterface $form, array $options)
{
    $view->children['date']->vars['label'] = 'Publication date';
}

Since most of what is finally passed into the templating engine for rendering is in straight array form, you can mess with quite a lot of stuff at this point.


text:
Tommy jerked his hand out of the water and cradled it in his lap.
He released his invisible friends and stared into the water for a full minute before straightening up.
Guys Day Out
by Ellen Klages
Andrew Clemens had always wanted a son.
A boy to take fishing, share ice cream right out of the carton, play baseball on a Saturday afternoon.
He got Tommy.
Tommy had a sweet smile, spatulate fingers, soft-focus eyes.
"Mongoloid," the doctor said. "Sorry, Andy. But he's mentally retarded. He may never get beyond simple tasks like dressing himself."
Andrew was silent for a minute. "When can I see him?"
"It's not a good idea." The doctor shook his head. "He should be in an institution, and you don't want get attached. They're fine places, really. It's 1960, not the dark ages. But it'll be easier on Helen if she doesn't know, if you sign the papers before she comes out of the anesthetic." He patted Andrew on the shoulder. "Give her a few weeks, let her rest, then try again. It's for the best."
"I want to see my son," Andrew said. "I'll take my family home."
"Are you sure he can handle this?" Helen asked.
"C'mon. He's ten. It's Guys Day Out. He's been excited about it all week. I'm not going to try to teach him to cast or anything. I got him a bamboo pole and a carton of worms."
"What about the hook? He could—"
"Sweetie, he'll be fine." Andrew kissed his wife on the cheek. "I'll put the worm on the hook for him, I'll make sure he keeps his life jacket on the whole time. He's going to have a ball."
"I don't want a ball. I want to see fish." Tommy trudged down the stairs in a striped T-shirt and jeans, his wide moon face in a determined grin under his Detroit Tigers baseball cap. A Boy Scout knapsack, insignia faded, weighed down his left shoulder; his soft, stocky body canted in compensation.
"Hey, Buddy," said Andrew. He reached up and swung the boy off the last two steps. "We're going to see fish, all right. You about ready to go?"
Tommy nodded several times. "I packed my backsack with everything." He bent over and lifted the flap. "I have my toothbrush and a dime and my lib'ary book and three pens and two green socks." He looked at his mother. "My feet could get wet. I don't like that."
"That's very good planning," she said.
"I know. And I have my radio and some Lifesavers and a banana in case of Amy or David get hungry."
Andrew laughed. "And here I thought it was just going to be the two of us. Are all twenty-six of your invisible friends coming along?"
"Daddy." Tommy put his hands on his hips and rolled his eyes. "They won't all fit in there. Just Amy, Cathy, David, Edie, and Frank." He thought for a minute. "And Xner, Yackie, and Zelda, because sometimes they don't get a turn. They're at the end. Brian can not come. He was bad again, so he is locked in his room all day with no food."
"Pretty stiff punishment."
"He was bad." Tommy pushed the flap of the knapsack closed. "Can we go now?"
"As soon as we get our lunch out of the icebox, we're on the road."
"I get baloney with mustard and no—pickles." He stuck out his tongue.
"Absolutely. And Fritos and Hostess cupcakes," his mother said. "Coca-Cola in the green bottles. I know what my fellas like." She lifted up the bill of his cap and kissed his dark hair. "Have a great time, little man. I'll miss you."
"I'm going to see fish." Tommy tugged his cap back into place and picked up his knapsack, slinging it almost over his shoulder. He headed for the garage.
The man at the dock took Andrew's deposit and winched a battered green rowboat down onto the concrete ramp that slanted into the lake.
"I close at six thirty," he said. "It's shallow past the island, on accounta the drought, so don't get stuck."
"I think we can handle that," Andrew said. He put his tackle box, rods, and the plaid thermos cooler into the boat and reached back a hand for Tommy.
"I never rented to one of them before. You ain't gonna let him row, are ya?"
"No. I'm not." Andrew bit his lip against saying anything more and lifted his son into the boat. He tugged on the straps of the orange life jacket, pulling them snug, and rested his knuckles, just for a moment, on the pale, smooth skin of the boy's cheek. "Good to go, Buddy?
Tommy gave him a thumbs-up and grinned. "Let's go see fish."
Andrew pushed off with one oar and sat down, his back to the boat man. He began to row, the rounded haft of the wood rough against his hands until he found his rhythm.
The lake was wide and glass-smooth, the sun glinting on the ripples from the oars. The hum of a distant outboard motor echoed off the trees. Tommy sat with his arms tight at his sides for ten minutes before stretching a tentative hand over the gunwale and letting his fingertips drag through the brown-green water.
"It's cold! I got goose bumps."
"Do fish get goose bumps?"
"I don't think so. Fish are pretty well adapted to living down there."
"That's good," said Tommy. "If they get too cold they swim upside down like the goldfish that died in my class."
Andrew rowed for half an hour until they came to a bank overhung by the roots of a dying oak tree, cicadas buzzing high in the branches. He angled the boat toward the shore. "Let's see how they're biting, okay?"
Tommy jerked his hand out of the water and cradled it in his lap. "I don't want them to bite me."
"No, no, no. Sorry. They don't bite people. Only bugs. That's what they eat."
"I eat bologna." Tommy peered into the water but kept his hands in his lap.
Andrew tied a round red-striped bobber onto the line of the bamboo pole, about three feet above the hook. He opened the white cardboard tub of worms, digging through the moss for a thick red tail.
"Eeeeuuuw," said Tommy. "Slimy worms."
"Yeah, but fish eat 'em up like candy." Andrew twisted the worm into a loose knot and reached for the hook.
"Worm candy. Ick. Ick. Ick." Tommy scrunched his entire face into a grimace of disgust. "I don't want it." He backed away, huddled against the far side of the boat. "I don't want it, Daddy."
"Okay. You don't have to touch it. See?" Andrew dropped the worm back into the carton with a sigh. "You can watch while I set up my gear." He slid his fiberglass rod from its case and snapped the reel onto the shaft, threading a length of monofilament through the guides. He selected a fly from his tackle box and tied it to the loose end.
"That is not a worm," Tommy said. He scooted closer, his face curious.
"Nope. It's a trout fly. A Royal Coachman. I tied it myself, last weekend."
"People can not make flies."
"You are correct, sir. Not real flies. I make these to fool the fish into thinking it's a fly, so they'll try to bite it."
"Can I have one? Instead of a worm?"
"Let me see what else I've got." Andrew inventoried his wet flies. "Ah, here we go. Dragonfly. You'll like this one." He held out his palm and showed Tommy an inch-long creation of green and blue feathers wrapped tightly with teal silk floss.
"It looks like a fairy," Tommy said, his eyes wide. "Maybe I can fool them and catch a real one." His face creased into a wide grin.
Andrew started to shake his head, stopped. "You can try," he smiled. He clipped off the barb of the hook and attached a teardrop-shaped lead sinker to the shaft, tying it a few feet below the bobber. He put the butt of the pole into Tommy's hands.
"Now what?" Tommy grasped the bamboo with a white-knuckle grip.
"Now I throw the bobber into the water." He tossed the plastic sphere with an overhand flick. "Watch. The dragonfl—the fairy—will sink down, but the bobber floats on top."
"I can't see anything. The water is too shiny."
"I forgot." Andrew pulled a pair of sunglasses from the top pocket of his fishing vest. "Polarized, just like mine." He pointed to the green lenses clipped to the frames of his wire-rims. "They let you see what's under the surface."
"They're magic glasses?" Tommy asked, putting his on. They slid down a bit on his small, flat nose.
Andrew thought for a minute before he nodded. "Pretty much." Easier than trying to explain the components of reflected light. He pulled the line up until the dragonfly cleared the water, then let it drop again. The fly was a pale gleam as it sank.
"I can see the fairy swimming!" Tommy shouted. He watched with open-mouthed fascination.
Andrew smiled and picked up his rod. He cast, whipping the line back and forth until the Royal Coachman sailed through the air and touched the water, thirty feet away, with barely a ripple.
He glanced at Tommy between casts. The boy sat unmoving, unwavering, fierce attention focused on the plastic bobber as it drifted gently.
"I need to put down my fishing pole," he said after fifteen minutes.
"Sure. There's a tube on the side of the boat to hold it. You need to stretch, huh?"
"No. Yackie and Zelda want to slide down the string, and I have to have both my hands to get them."
"I didn't know they could swim," Andrew said.
"They can do anything they want because they're b'visible." Tommy set the pole and reached into his knapsack, cupping both hands around a secret cargo, fragile and precious.
"But you can see them."
"Yeah. I'm special. Like special ed, you know." Tommy leaned over the side of the boat and submerged both hands next to the bobber. He released his invisible friends and stared into the water for a full minute before straightening up.
"They got down okay. When they are done, I'll pull them up and give them some banana."
"Done with what? What are they going to do down there?"
"Talk to the fairies."
"Oh. What will they talk about?" Andrew made a long, lazy cast. The fly began to drift back as soon as it touched the water.
"Mommy says that fairies make up dreams for me," Tommy said. "Zelda wants some too."
"Fair enough." Andrew pulled his line in. "Speaking of bananas, I'm about ready for a snack. What about you?"
"I have a light snack at four o'clock."
"Right. Then how about lunch now?"
"Lunch is at twelve noon."
Andrew looked at his watch. "It's eleven thirty,but it's Guys Day Out. No rules. We can eat anytime we want."
"Lunch is at twelve noon," Tommy said.
Andrew sighed.
They ate half an hour later.
When Tommy had finished the last of his cupcake, Andrew wiped the ear-to-ear chocolate smears with a damp paper towel. "It's getting hot," he said. "Pull your line up and we'll head down to the other end, see if we can find a shadier spot for the rest of the afternoon."
"Yackie and Zelda are not back yet."
"Well, tell them the boat is leaving in five minutes."
"Daddy, they're not done with—"
"Five minutes, Thomas."
"But the fairies haven't …," Tommy mumbled, his face closing into a pout. He turned away, and Andrew didn't catch the rest. He glanced at his watch. Four and a half minutes later he heard a deep sigh. The boy reached over the side and rapped his knuckles on the bobber, jiggling it. He cupped his hands below the surface, as if waiting for underwater communion, then brought them up, thumbs tight together. He breathed gently into the hollow.
"They are dry now. Can you open my backsack for me?"
Andrew reached across and lifted the khaki canvas flap. "There you go."
Tommy let his invisible passengers tumble from his hands onto the yellow curve of the banana, then wiped his palms on the legs of his jeans. "I didn't catch a fairy."
"Not this time. The fish weren't biting either. Maybe we'll have better luck at the next spot."
Andrew stowed their gear along the side of the rowboat and unshipped the oars. The lake smelled of damp earth and green plants. They stopped again half a mile down the shore, tying the boat up in a shaded inlet, and pulled sweat-beaded Cokes from the melting ice in the bottom of the cooler. Tommy sank the dragonfly again, and watched the bobber intently until his four o'clock snack. Then he yawned and folded into a fetal curl in the bottom of the boat, his head pillowed on his knapsack, his eyelids drooping into sleep.
Andrew tilted the Tigers cap over the boy's nose, already pink from the sun, covered him with a rain poncho, and stepped out onto the riverbank.
A deep, shadowed pool a few yards away looked promising. He threaded a Green Caddis Fly onto his line and fished for two hours, catching a rainbow trout and two small striped bass on barbless hooks. He released each back into the shallows.
When the sun dipped below the trees, casting long shadows across the water, he climbed back into the boat without waking the boy and rowed silently through the growing dusk. The surface dimpled as fish began to feed on the evening hatch, clouds of tiny insects just visible in the fading light. In the fringes of tall weeds and grasses along the bank, the first fireflies rose, twinkling yellow-green.
Tommy turned over and muttered, half-awake.
"Hey, get up, Buddy. You ought to see this."
"Wha—?" Tommy sat up and pushed his baseball cap off his head, wiping the sleep from the corners of his eyes. He looked around for a moment, his face puckered in confusion, then saw his father and smiled.
"Look over there." Andrew pointed to the flickering lights on the bank. "Lightning bugs."
"Fairies," Tommy said in a matter-of-fact tone. "They have to fly my dreams home before I can go to sleep." He climbed into Andrew's lap and snuggled under his arm. "I had fun. Even if I didn't catch one."
Andrew kissed the top of Tommy's head and rowed back to the dock in awkward joy.
They fished every summer. Helen came along a few times, swaddled in long sleeves and sun hat, but mostly it was Guys Day Out. Winter evenings, in his den, Andrew laid out feathers, fur, and gossamer thread and hand-tied artificial creatures—Leadwings and Caddis for trout, elaborate dragonfly variations for Tommy's fairies.
Tommy's voice cracked and deepened; he began to shave. For six months he struggled, stubble patching his cheeks where he had missed spots, or just forgot. Easier to leave it be. Andrew let his own beard grow, like father, like son, and was startled in the mirror by more salt than pepper.
At twenty-two, Tommy graduated from the County Training Center. In the photo on Andrew's desk, Thomas Matthew Clemens is a soft, beaming fireplug of a man with bashful oriental eyes. His arm is draped across the wheelchair of his best friend, Patrick, whose head lolls to one side, his twisted body held upright by a nylon strap in blue and gold—the school colors.
The county found him a job in a restaurant, washing endless tablecloths and napkins in an industrial machine, for minimum wage. After eighteen months, the restaurant went broke. Tommy went home and watched cartoons and Gilligan's Island until his caseworker assigned him to another job, and then a third.
The year Helen got sick, he went to work at the McDonald's on Archer Avenue, twenty minutes on the bus. His red nametag said TOM in white letters, his grown-up name. He smiled at every customer, filled the ketchup-packet bin, and wiped tables with green disinfectant that smelled like the hospital he was afraid to visit again.
"Just us now, Buddy," Andrew said after the funeral.
Tommy nodded. "Guys Day Out, every day."
But it wasn't. Every day wasn't fishing. It was waiting for the number 20 bus at 8:53 in his red-and-yellow uniform, home on the number 16, in time for Scooby Doo. Every day flowed into every other, until he had been at McDonald's fifteen years, awarded a golden arches to pin beneath his TOM.
Tommy left work one Thursday afternoon and walked to the bus stop. He sat in the shelter, his bus pass in his pocket—Handicapped Adult, Reduced Fare—waiting for the number 16 to come. Number 34. Number 44. No 16. He zipped his windbreaker to his chin when the rain began, and got on the next bus, his white sneakers wet and squeaking on the rubber mats. He rode to the end of the line without seeing his stop, so he rode back again. Nothing looked familiar.
"You gonna get off or what, buddy?" the bus driver growled.
"Only Daddy calls me Buddy," Tommy said.
"Nut case." The driver used his walkie-talkie to call in. The policeman met them at the last stop. He took one look and his face softened. "What's your name, son?"
"Tommy. Tom. Tom Clemens."
"Do you know your phone number, Tom? Is there someone we can call?"
He nodded. "My dad is at my house. It's two-six-nine—" Tommy's face wrinkled in thought. "Two-six-nine—" He closed his eyes. "Two-six-nine—" But he couldn't remember the rest.
"Can't be too many Clemenses at that prefix," the policeman said. "Dispatch can find it." He talked into the radio on his shoulder. Andrew arrived twenty minutes later and took Tommy home.
The next Tuesday, at work, Tommy put mustards in the ketchup bin and went on his lunch break half an hour after he clocked in. Mr. Barnett, his manager, sat him down to have a little chat.
"This isn't like you, Tom. Your one of my most dependable guys. But you're not paying attention. Are you getting enough sleep?"
"I go to bed at ten thirty," Tommy said. "Eleven, if it is Saturday."
"Well, be more careful from now on, okay?"
"Okey-dokey." Tommy gave him a thumbs-up and watched very carefully that afternoon when he mopped the entrance floor and filled the napkin dispensers.
A week later, Marcus, the black teenager who worked the drive-up window, bumped into him accidentally. Tommy dropped his Big Mac; lettuce and secret sauce splashed across the floor.
"Fuck you, you fucking fucker," he shouted. He hurled a stack of supersize drink cups at Marcus. They flew onto the warming racks and spattered into the deep fryer. Everyone at the counter stopped and stared. Tommy stood motionless, his arms rigid at his sides, his mouth open and slack, eyes vacant.
The ringing phone woke Andrew from an afternoon nap. "We've got a problem," Mr. Barnett said. "You'll have to come get Tom."
"Alzheimer's," said Tom's doctor. "I'm sorry, Mr. Clemens. I could run some tests for you, but the symptoms are all there." He ticked them off on his fingers. "Memory loss, confusion, violent outbursts. What we used to call senile dementia."
"I'm seventy-six," Andrew said. "I should worry. But he's only forty-three."
The doctor nodded. "It's unfair. But I'm afraid every Down syndrome adult over forty experiences this sort of premature aging."
Andrew looked at his hands for a long time before he spoke. "So what are the treatment options?"
"There really aren't any. Tom may have four or five years left, but he'll continue to lose function. I can make some calls if you want-facilities with units for the memory-impaired. They're good places. He'll be comfortable."
"No," said Andrew. "I'll take care of my boy. I always have."
"Dinner's ready, Buddy," Andrew stood in the doorway of the living room. "Meatloaf and your favorite—smashed potatoes."
Tommy sat on the rug, watching Finding Nemo for the third time in two days, a thin line of drool silver in the lamplight, a dark stain spreading down the leg of his Dockers.
"Tom? Do you need to take a whizz?"
Tommy looked down at himself. "No. I already did." He turned back to the cartoon.
His father took his hand and led him upstairs. Sponged him off, changed his clothes. After dinner, he drove to the drugstore for a carton of Depends, size extra-large.
Andrew diapered his bearded boy for a week, his tears soaking into the absorbent layers. Tommy lay placid on the bed, 170 pounds of toddler, humming tunelessly to himself.
"Okay, good to go," Andrew said that Friday night. Tommy pulled up his elastic pants and shambled downstairs. A few minutes later the theme song from The Brady Bunch blared from the TV. Andrew went to his den and tied half a dozen dragonflies, surprised he still remembered how. Blue feathers, lead shot, gossamer wings, teal silk thread.
"Hey Buddy," he said, walking into the living room. "Tomorrow's Saturday. Let's go look at fish."
He called the marina at the lake, reserved a dingy with an outboard motor. Just half a day. He made Tommy's favorite lunch—bologna sandwiches, Fritos, cupcakes with fudge-dark icing—and put them in a white foam cooler with a six-pack of Bud Lite.
Mid-afternoon, a blond-haired college boy, State U. sweatshirt cut ragged at the shoulders, drove a trailer down the concrete ramp and slid the boat into the lake.
"There you go, Gramps," he said, handing Andrew the outboard key. "We close at six thirty."
Andrew sat in the stern, hand on the throttle, watching Tommy trail his fingers through the water and eat Fritos from the bag with his other hand. Summer houses crowded the lakeshore now, and it took forty-five minutes before Andrew found an unpopulated inlet.
He anchored the boat and assembled his rod, tied a Royal Coachman on his line. He cast into the shallows for an hour, catching nothing. Tommy sat on the bank, legs sprawled, his back against a willow. He ate three sandwiches, mustard smearing yellow-bright against his beard.
"Uh-oh," he said.
"Brian was bad again," Tommy said. "Brian wet himself."
"I'll be right there."
Andrew's eyes blurred with tears. He took two Bud Lites from the cooler, pulling the pop-tops back. Beer, because Tommy liked the way the bubbles tickled, liked to drink what TV men did. Beer because it would mask the taste of the tablets Andrew dropped in, one by one, all twenty-six.
"Drink up, Buddy," he said, climbing slowly up onto the bank. He handed Tom a can.
In the tall grass around them, fireflies began to rise in the twilight, twinkling yellow-green.
"Look. Fairies." Andrew's voice cracked. "Can you count the fairies for me, Tommy? Can you count out loud?"
At thirty-six, Tommy's head began to droop. At forty-one the empty beer can tumbled to the ground.
"Oh." Tommy eyes opened wide, his face creased into a wide grin. He cupped both hands around a secret, fragile cargo for just a moment, then slid boneless down the willow.
Andrew settled next to him, hugged him tight, and drank the second bitter beer. He kissed his son's cheek one last time and lay the string of dragonflies on Tommy's wrist, bright against the pale, soft flesh.
"Sweet dreams," he whispered, and he closed his eyes.
© 2005 by Ellen Klages and SCIFI.COM


Dr. David Ley, Professor of Urban Geography at UBC, will take us through Vancouver's downtown and inner city districts and will emphasize the changing social values of postmodern culture as these are expressed and reproduced in the urban landscape. He will illustrate various views and challenges of the postmodern city.
You will gain a deeper understanding of how to read cities by their urban landscape, using Vancouver as a model. The concepts of postmodernity and pluralism will be given concrete form as we study the development of various urban spaces, and will enable us to gain insight into the city as a mission field.
The charter bus will begin at Regent College departing at 9:30 am (arrive by 9:00 am) and will travel through Westside neighbourhoods to Downtown, through Gastown, the Downtown Eastside, Chinatown, Granville Island, Fairview Slopes, Shaughnessy, Oakridge, and then return to Regent at 1 pm.
The bus tour is $35.00 per person.
We asked Dr. Ley to answer a few questions about the bus tour.
What can a city's urban landscape tell us about that city's social values?
DL: A city's landscape is like a book. It can be read and interpreted to understand the story (or stories) of important values and groups in the society of the time. The tour aims to teach people to read the landscape, which adds to our enjoyment of urban life.
Vancouver has been blamed for not doing the greatest job of preserving its heritage architecture. The result is a stunning postmodern cityscape, with few historical neighbourhoods. Do you think this is a problem?
DL: In light of weak heritage planning, it is surprising that so much heritage still remains in old neighbourhoods we will see on the tour like the Downtown Eastside (the poorest district) and Shaughnessy (the wealthiest).
One of your current projects is a comparative study of housing market bubbles in five global cities. Do you think we have a housing bubble in Vancouver?
DL: We have high and unstable housing prices in Vancouver—many would regard this as a bubble. The market depends on off-shore wealth to keep up its prices, and many local people have high mortgage debts that would be unsustainable with sudden changes in interest rates.
How can we justify the existence of a struggling neighbourhood like the Downtown Eastside in one of the richest cities in the world?
DL: Poverty in Vancouver is unusually concentrated in the DE. There is as much poverty in other cities but it is more dispersed. Having said this, gentrification is forcing poorer people out of the inner city, and we are seeing poverty areas developing in some suburbs—quite a change to the typical North American view of the suburbs as middle-class.
Do you have a favourite neighbourhood in Vancouver?
DL: Favourite neighbourhood? Not really, as different neighbourhoods offer different points of interest. This tour emphasizes the diversity—and the desire by residents to maintain that difference—of Vancouver neighbourhoods.


text:
News Tesla Has Plans For A Sub Model 3 Car And Responds To...
Tesla Has Plans For A Sub Model 3 Car And Responds To "Unintended Acceleration" Claims
Tesla future compact hatchback?
It seems as though Tesla has plans to enter a new model in the small electric car category.
New Sub-Tesla Model 3 would compete with the Chevy Bolt, VW ID.3 and others.
Apparently, image comes from a Tesla document pertaining to a facility to be built in China.
And, Tesla says there's no such thing as ""unintended acceleration" in their vehicles.
Tesla stories are so constant and numerous that we've come to the point that we need to combine some into one to leave other car manufactures a chance to be heard and read. In this round, it looks as though Tesla is working on a new core model which would sit below that of the Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV.
Carbuzz has reported that the image, or rendering, you see "purportedly comes from an official document released by the company regarding a new design and engineering facility that Tesla recently announced it plans to build in China."
While we've not seen the document, the rendering and the story seem legitimate enough especially when considering that Musk and Tesla know no limits. Now, the "fact" that this image of a small hatchback-like compact car was part of a document slated for a Chinese factory could lead one or many to consider that the car will be reserved for other markets than North America, we think it'll be another world that, should it be built, will find its way here.
Meanwhile, we reported a few days ago that Tesla could be faced with an investigation by the NHTSA into "unintended acceleration" claims following a petition.
To this, Tesla responded in the blog section of its website:
"This petition is completely false and was brought by a Tesla short-seller. We investigate every single incident where the driver alleges to us that their vehicle accelerated contrary to their input, and in every case where we had the vehicle's data, we confirmed that the car operated as designed. In other words, the car accelerates if, and only if, the driver told it to do so, and it slows or stops when the driver applies the brake.
While accidents caused by a mistaken press of the accelerator pedal have been alleged for nearly every make/model of vehicle on the road, the accelerator pedals in Model S, X and 3 vehicles have two independent position sensors, and if there is any error, the system defaults to cut off motor torque. Likewise, applying the brake pedal simultaneously with the accelerator pedal will override the accelerator pedal input and cut off motor torque, and regardless of the torque, sustained braking will stop the car. Unique to Tesla, we also use the Autopilot sensor suite to help distinguish potential pedal misapplications and cut torque to mitigate or prevent accidents when we're confident the driver's input was unintentional. Each system is independent and records data, so we can examine exactly what happened.
We are transparent with NHTSA, and routinely review customer complaints of unintended acceleration with them. Over the past several years, we discussed with NHTSA the majority of the complaints alleged in the petition. In every case we reviewed with them, the data proved the vehicle functioned properly."
We will be keeping track of this one.
Tesla Model Y – Tesla
Tesla Roadster | Photo: Tesla
2019 Tesla Model 3 Performance | Photo: Tesla
Tesla Cybertruck | Photo: Tesla
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text:
Thinkware F100 Review
By James Morris April 4, 2018 10:19 am BST
What is the Thinkware F100?
Thinkware F100
Why buy the Thinkware F100?
Discrete design
Reasonably cheap
GPS and rear-view camera options
Only Full HD resolution
No LCD panel or configuration options
Mediocre image quality
Review Price: £109
2.12MP Sony Exmor CMOS
MP4 recording at 1920 x 1080 and 30fps and 10Mbits/sec
G-sensor to detect accidents
Cable clips included
The F100 is an entry-level dash cam from Thinkware. My experience with Thinkware so far has been at the higher-end, with models such as the F800 Pro. The F100 costs £109, and £149 with the optional rear-view camera. Even so, it records Full HD, and you can add GPS as well to capture your location alongside video footage.
Thinkware F100 – Shooting specification
Thinkware reveals that the F100's CMOS has 2.12-megapixels and is made by Sony. But this is enough for the Full HD resolution that is this dash cam's top mode – and, indeed, its only mode. Footage is recorded in MP4 format at 30fps and 10Mbits/sec, which is a little low for Full HD.
On Amazon, the F100 bundle with rear-view camera also includes a 16GB microSD card. This capacity will be sufficient for 3hrs 33mins of footage from the main camera, although if you have the rear-view camera as well then this duration will be reduced.
Like the F800 Pro, the F100 doesn't have a screen, so it will take a combination of guesswork and trial and error to ensure it's pointing in the right direction.
Thinkware F100 – Mounting options
Thinkware only provides a mount with a 3M adhesive patch in the box, although a second replacement patch is included. There's no suction cup included, since this isn't a dash cam that you're meant to take in and out of your vehicle.
In fact, if you also have the rear-view camera and GPS options (see below), you'll have three cables to unhook; it really isn't practical. Note, however, that the F100 is rather small and discrete, making it less likely to be noticed when installed in your car.
There's a welcome attention to detail with the bundled mounting kit, which also includes three 3M adhesive clips to help you route the cables neatly around your car windscreen.
With the usual lengthy car power adapter cable supplied, these clips are very handy and something most dash cam manufacturers don't bother to include. But the adapter itself is permanently attached to its cable, which will be an issue if you want to use your car's cigarette lighter power plug for a satnav or lighting a cigarette, for example.
Thinkware F100 – Settings and menu
This is going to be a rather short section of the review, because the F100 has only a single button and no menu. There's no Wi-Fi either, so you don't even have the option to use a smartphone to preview video while adjusting the direction of the camera during installation.
This also means that there are no settings or alternative shooting modes. You just plug in the F100; when the car is on and the cable is supplying power, it will record. When you turn off the car, the F100 will stop recording, although you can use the button on the end to start and stop recording manually if needed. And that's it.
Thinkware F100 – Rear-view camera and GPS options
As we've hinted already, there are some upgrade options available for the F100. These include a rear-view camera and external GPS unit, which plug into separate mini-jacks on the end of the cylindrical main unit.
The GPS unit costs around £30 and comes with a small cable, so you'll need to attach it on the windscreen close to the main F100 unit. This is supplied with 3M adhesive tape like the dash cam, so it can be stuck directly to the glass.
Once installed, the GPS works with a ready-installed database of safety camera locations to warn you when you're approaching speed traps. I found this included the average speed zone on the North Circular, which was installed a year or so ago, showing the database is quite current.
The GPS also records your location alongside video. There's software for Windows and Mac included on the device itself, which auto-updates to the latest version once installed. When you view footage with this software, it shows the position on Google Maps as the video plays.
The rear-view camera looks identical to the one included with the F800 Pro and for the F770, but none of these are compatible. This version only records at 720p resolution rather than 1080p, so won't deliver the same quality. It adds £40 to the bundle price, and costs £60 on its own.
The rear-view camera captures video at 6.7Mbits/sec, so with this running alongside the front camera, the 16GB microSD card bundled will last 2hrs 7mins before looping occurs.
There's also a version of the rear-view camera that has infrared LEDs for recording in complete darkness. This adds £50 to the bundle price, and there's also a weatherproof external version for an extra £100. I wasn't supplied with either, however.
Thinkware F100 – Image quality
The F100 doesn't have the data rate of the higher-end F800 Pro, and this is evident in the quality of the footage. There are clear signs of compression artefacts, which makes the text on road signs and number plates hard to read unless viewed up-close and when relatively stationary. Colour and contrast are acceptable, however.
The 720p rear footage suffers even more greatly from compression softness – and, as usual with rear cameras, is also quite dependent on the configuration of the rear window on your car. My car's rear window is quite bulbous, so the image is very distorted at the edges. But a saloon car with a flatter rear window would have fewer problems.
You can watch a sample of footage shot with the Thinkware F100's front camera here.
You can watch a sample of footage shot with the Thinkware F100's rear camera here.
If you add the GPS and rear-view camera, the Thinkware F100 is quite a comprehensive package, despite the lack of an LCD screen. However, the image quality isn't great. There are cheaper options with equal or better performance, such as the Aukey DR-01. However, few alternatives have the ability to add a GPS or rear-view camera, so the F100 does have a few useful tricks up its sleeve.
The Thinkware F100 benefits from optional GPS and rear-view camera add-ons, but image quality is mediocre.
Perfomance 6
Image Sensor 2.12Mpixel Sony Exmor CMOS
Image Sensor Quantity 1
Recording Media SD card
Max Video Res 1920 x 1080
Image Stabilisation No


For both the contacts and the call logs, I see capabilities for doing via AirDroid the things I can do on my phone, but I can't see how to download the contact and call log data to my computer. I imagine I can find that date via "files", but have no idea what files that data is kept in under android.
I'd like to make backup copies of these data from my phone to my computer, as plain text files, but don't see how to use AirDroid to do that. Can you enlighten me?
In the latest Airdroid version, when I've connected successfully via the wifi hotspot provided by my phone provider, and using the local address provided on my phone by Airdroid, I see in the Airdroid window on my computer icons for contacts. When I click that icon, and see the window it opens, I see buttons for "delete", "refresh", "+new contact", together with a "search" entry and an "edit" button at the bottom right, but I see no way (as I do when I'm using the interface for photos, for instance) for "download" or "upload". What I want to do is upload my contacts list data to my computer, as a plain text (ascii) file.
As I indicated in the previous post, I think I should be able to use the "files", instead of "contacts", icon to do this, but don't know where (what file, in what folder) android keeps my phone contacts list.
Does Airdroid have a way to download my contacts to my computer?
Similarly for the "call log". Is there a way to download it to my computer?
Similarly for "messages". Is there a way to download that data to my computer?
But sorry, backing up (downloading) messages, call log and contacts is not supported by current AirDroid version.
Yes, I do need help, then, in identifying where that data is stored in the filesystem -- that I can access via the "files" facility that your app does support. I know it's there, but I just haven't found it yet. It's an awful lot of research that, if each of us that needs it pursues, we'd each have to do separately. It sure would be a big help to have some guidance so that I can apply my own development expertise to solving my problem.
I also remember that, when I used to use BitPim, it had the capability to do exactly what I'm seeking. It's partly why I've been suprised that your app doesn't seem to have that capability. Got an ETA on when you're likely to have it added?
If you failed to backup copies to your computer with AirDroid, you can try other solutions. Some android backup has apk files to download, you can have a try.


Don't worry - be insouciant. Perhaps your mind will rest easier if we explain that English speakers learned "insouciance" from the French in the 1700s (and the adjective "insouciant" has been part of our language since the 1800s). The French word comes from a combination of the negative prefix in- and soucier, meaning "to trouble or disturb." "Soucier" in turn traces to "sollicitus," the Latin word for "anxious." If it seems to you that "sollicitus" looks a lot like some other English words you've seen, you're right. That root also gave us "solicit" (which now means "to entreat" but which was once used to mean "to fill with concern or anxiety"), "solicitude" (meaning "uneasiness of mind"), and "solicitous" ("showing or expressing concern").
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'insouciance.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What made you want to look up insouciance? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).


text:
package com.coutemeier.maven.artifactrules.plugin.configuration;

import java.io.InputStream;
import java.io.IOException;

import java.util.List;

import java.util.logging.Logger;

import com.thoughtworks.xstream.XStream;

import com.thoughtworks.xstream.io.xml.DomDriver;

public enum ConfigurationUtils {
    INSTANCE;

    private static final Logger LOGGER = Logger.getLogger(ConfigurationUtils.class.getName());

    public static List<Configuration> readConfiguration(List<String> filenames) {
        return null;
    }

    public static Environment readEnvironment(String filename) {
        final InputStream is = ConfigurationUtils.class.getResourceAsStream(filename);
        if (is != null) {
            final XStream xstream = new XStream(new DomDriver());
            xstream.processAnnotations(Environment.class);
            try {
                return (Environment) xstream.fromXML(is);

            } finally {
                try {
                    is.close();
                } catch (IOException cause) {}
            }
        } else {
            LOGGER.warning("Archivo no encontrado: " + filename);
        }
        return null;
    }

    public static Configuration readConfiguration(String filename) {
        final InputStream is = ConfigurationUtils.class.getResourceAsStream(filename);
        if (is != null) {
            final XStream xstream = new XStream(new DomDriver());
            xstream.processAnnotations(Configuration.class);
            try {
                return (Configuration) xstream.fromXML(is);

            } finally {
                try {
                    is.close();
                } catch (IOException cause) {
                    cause.printStackTrace();
                }
            }
        } else {
            LOGGER.warning("Archivo no encontrado: " + filename);
        }
        return null;
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


This pair is designed with innovative stretch technology woven into the vertical "warp" threads of the denim. The jeans stretch vertically instead of horizontally, and move in all the ways you do while still keeping their shape. As a result, they offer all-day comfort while maintaining the classic "rigid" look that defines the 501®.


Annual Competitions held for UCMAS students at State, National & International Level.
Young learners take the Speed & Accuracy Challenge of 20 questions with 1 Digit 3 Rows Calculations, and the fastest participant is crowned as the winner. Cash prizes are awarded to winners as well as their training centers along with certificates.
The results of UCMAS students are ranked in WORLD SCORE CHART (WSC) with their names, country of origin and registered UCMAS Center names. WSC is a live score portal which features and ranks the result of participants.
UCMAS students can ask their Course Instructors to see the demo of the competition, know the registration process and other competition details.
For more information, visit www.ucccup.com or contact your respective UCMAS center for more information.


I am a huge proponent of mixing colors because the results can yield unexpected delights, and more often than not I end up with a color not otherwise found in my stash. Such was the case when I decided to mix Tom Ford's Frantic Pink and Wicked.
Frantic Pink (left) (discussed here and here) is a pinky peach shade with warm multicolor pearl, and Wicked (right) (reviewed here) is a mid-tone cool leaning blue-based raspberry pink with multicolor pearl. It is interesting that in the face of the cool-toned Wicked that Frantic Pink ostensibly morphs into Frantic Peach on me!
Left to right: Frantic Pink, Wicked, and the Frantic Pink/Wicked Private Blend (to use the Tom Ford vernacular).
The end result of their union is a breathtakingly gorgeous pink.
The blended shade tempers the boldness of Wicked and the warmth of Frantic Pink.
I love each of the shades individually, but together they create the perfect pink.
This combination definitely hits my pink blush sweet spot!
Reason #37 Lola and BooBooNinja are sisters from another mother. Both girlies enjoy mixing/layering colours.
Hear Hear! Mixing is THE BEST way to expand your color wardrobe, and it is so creative and fun!! We are two peas in a pod!
did you apply frantic first and then layer it wicked over it or vice versa?
I love your blog! Check out mine please at georgia5179.blogspot.com !
What a great idea to mix them! We mix foundations and creams and layer lipsticks, so why not layer blush. Cool!
lola, thanks so much for the great tip! will definitely try your method of mixing & go from there. i love FP & wicked individually, but honestly peachy pink blushes are my weakness. never thought blend the two. i may even mix it up with flush as well! thanks again & btw, awesome blog! it's my daily read!
My pleasure! I'm so glad that you found this post helpful :D I love FP & Wicked individually as well, but the combination is just amazing!! If peachy pink is your weakness- then you will be super happy playing with this combination! Mixing it up with Flush will probably be breathtaking!! Let me know how it turns out, and which combinations work best for you!!
This is a gorgeous mix!! Like kissandmakeup says - we mix foundation & lip products why not blush. I've layered a powdered blush over a cream one if I know it's going to be a really long day but hadn't thought abt mixing powdered ones to come up with a new combo! Will have to see what I can mix up tomorrow!
I'm always happy when my daily Bloglovin' says there's a new post up!!


Sign up now for the Annual CCA Benefit to be held on Monday, May 6, from 5:30 - 8:30 pm at the Lagunitas Brewery, 2607 West 17th Street, Chicago. Tickets are $35 per person or two tickets for $60, and includes food. There will be bucket and cash raffles, and casual dress is suggested. THIS IS A 21-AND OVER EVENT!! Last year, the event sold out 10 days before the event, and although the space is larger this year, we encourage you to purchase tickets early to avoid disappointment. Tickets can be obtained from the CCA website—www.ccaacademy.org We will have a bus from St. Mary's to the event, leaving at 4:45 pm.
Sign up now with Paula Risk, Kate Maurer, or leave your name at the Church Office.


text:
Iowa Writers' Workshop
TIME IN IOWA CITY
#frank-conroy-at-the-iowa-writers-workshop
#frank-conroy-at-the-foxhead
#what-we-learned-from-frank-conroy
Take This Tour
Frank Conroy at the English Philosophy Building
English-Philosophy Building (EPB)
251 W. Iowa Ave
Frank Conroy held classes in the English Philosophy Building (EPB) during his time as faculty at the Iowa Writers' Workshop. The Workshop moved from the EPB to its current home in the Dey House in 1997.
"Dey House." Dey House | Campus Maps & Tours, maps.uiowa.edu/dh.
Frank Conroy at the Foxhead
Dave's Fox Head Tavern
402 E Market St
In a dark wooden booth at the Foxhead one night, the air blue with cigarette smoke and the clatter of pool balls, Frank confided to me that he had just gotten an advance for the novel he was then writing, $250,000. Suddenly I could see that he was no ordinary academic. We sat drinking with Joseph Brodsky another night, the jukebox playing and a bell at the bar being rung every time someone ordered a local beer called Dubuque Star. Brodsky had come to Iowa City to read. He was not the only Nobel laureate to do so. Derek Walcott came and Seamus Heaney, who read to a crowd that overflowed onto half the stage. While it did not rival Stockholm, the invitation to Iowa City was a distinction. Almost every week someone of interest arrived to read, and there were dinners with them beforehand.
Salter, James. "The Writing Teacher." The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 May 2005, www.nytimes.com/2005/05/08/books/review/the-writing-teacher.html.
Frank Conroy at the Iowa Writers' Workshop
Iowa Writers' Workshop (Dey House)
507 North Clinton Street, Iowa City, Iowa
Frank Conroy acted as the director of the Iowa Writers' Workshop for 18 years, from 1987 until 2005. In 1997, Conroy oversaw the Writers' Workshop relocation, from the English-Philosophy building to this nineteenth-century house on Clinton Street. Prior to that, the Workshop occupied many settings, finding its first home in a barracks on the banks of the Iowa River in 1936. The Frank Conroy Reading Room, which was completed in 2006, has vaulted ceilings and a magnificent library.
What We Learned from Frank Conroy
MacBride Hall / Museum of Natural History
17 North Clinton Street
In the first panel, "What we learned from Frank Conroy," the reason for the attendance at the morning session became clear. Conroy, who passed away in 2005, was one of the most beloved faculty members of the Workshop, and as director from 1987-2005, he shaped a lot of what the Workshop has done over the past few decades. Three presenters—Charles D'Ambrosio, Curtis Sittenfeld, and Abraham Verghese—relayed their favorite tales about the man whom Sittenfeld described as "funny, candid, and unflappable." With each speaker, the affection and appreciation for their mentor was apparent. All three shared bits of wisdom they'd gleaned from Conroy on how to read, write, teach, and live. D'Ambrosio spoke of how Conroy's influence on him extended beyond his writing, admitting "I didn't have a model for thinking differently about my life until I met Frank." Verghese noted that Conroy's class gave him as close to dogma of writing as he found anywhere else: "The writer exists as a collaborative venture between writer and reader."
Doyle, Shawn Patrick. "Why Iowa? Because…" Rain Taxi, Fall 2011.
Frank Conroy was the director of the Iowa Writers' Workshop for an impressive eighteen years: 1987 to 2005. He is the author of five books: Stop-Time (1967) a memoir published when Conroy was only twenty-nine, Midair (1985) a collection of short stories, Body and Soul (1993) his only novel, The Dogs Bark, But the Caravan Rolls On (2002) a collection of essays, and Time and Tide (2004) a travelogue of Nantucket Island. In addition of authoring these texts, Conroy edited numerous anthologies, including The Iowa Award: The Best Stories 1991-2000 and The Eleventh Draft: Craft and the Writing LIfe from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Before becoming director of the Writers' Workshop, Conroy was the director of the National Endowment for the Arts from 1982 to 1987. He died in Iowa City in 2005. The Frank Conroy Reading Room is dedicated in his honor.
Library of Congress URI


Dentists Concerned for Dentists (DCD) was formed in the late 1970s by a small group of Minnesota dentists to provide help and support for dentists suffering from alcohol and drug addiction. This group not only functions as a support group and resource, but also serves to provide interventions for dentists in need of help. The primary goal of DCD is to assist dentists in getting the help they need to continue practicing dentistry without receiving sanctions from the State Board of Dentistry.
For more information please contact DJ Enga at 651-275-0313.
Periodically, a story appears in the Northwest Dentistry Journal from one of our DCD members. These stories describe the tremendous fear, sadness, and hopelessness individuals faced in their chemical dependency and how they overcame them. In reading some of these stories, you will learn how, with the help of DCD, lives were dramatically improved in recovery.


text:
Q: UIButton setAttributedTitle auto layout issue I use attributed string for setting title for my button and it won't stretch width of the button based on the text (symbols) length . In case I use normal title [button setTitle:.....] it works perfect and width of the button is equal to the text. So I can see all letters.
I used font awesome to grab image from font and set it as attributed string.
FAKFontAwesome *userIcon = [FAKFontAwesome userIconWithSize:16];
[userIcon addAttribute:NSForegroundColorAttributeName value:[UIColor whiteColor]];

UIFont *font = [PFFont boldFontOfMediumSize];

NSAttributedString *connectString =
[[NSAttributedString alloc]
initWithString:NSLocalizedString(@"Connect", @"")
    attributes:@{NSFontAttributeName:font,
    NSForegroundColorAttributeName:[UIColor whiteColor]}];

NSAttributedString *user = [userIcon attributedString];
NSAttributedString *combined = [NSAttributedString attributedStringWithFormat:@"%@ %@", user, connectString];

[self.button setAttributedTitle:combined forState:UIControlStateNormal];

in this case button want stretch correctly based on given string.
I set constraints programmatically and I don't have any restriction on width, so the width should resize automatically based on content as I suppose and it works for usual string but not for attributed.

A: *

*Select your button in the storyboard.

*Goto Editor

*Select "Size to Fit Content"

A: I add a space to the format string trail, fix the issue. You can try it!
  NSAttributedString *combined = [NSAttributedString attributedStringWithFormat:@"%@ %@ ", user, connectString];
  [self.button setAttributedTitle:combined forState:UIControlStateNormal];


text:
Woman Quit Her Day Job And Now Earns Six Figures A Month Pretending To Be A Dog Online
Jenna Phillips, 21, admits that she has always felt 'like a dog' and used to pretend to be a dog when she was a kid. However, when visiting a convention in Chicago a couple of years ago, she was introduced to the "pet play scene" and things took off from there.
I feel like a dog. I just want to roll around, play fetch, get head scratches, run around and play. All of that. I have always acted like a puppy, but not in a sexual way at first. I really love praise. I love hearing 'good girl'. It makes my heart melt every time.
Looking back on it now, it's kind of always been there. I just didn't know there was a scene, I just thought it was my personality.When it comes to pet play, the majority of girls do kittens, foxes or rabbits and the majority of puppies are men. I thought about it for a long time when I first got into pet play. I feel like a dog [so that's what I decided to be].
While working as a clinical optician, Jenna set up an OnlyFans account to share her kink with others, and she reveals that for the first 18 months she posted more 'vanilla content'.
However, once her OnlyFans page started to take off, Jenna decided to quit her job as an optician and make it her full time job to represent the female 'puppy' community. She began posting more kinky petplay on her page, using the screename 'thatpuppygirl'.
Now, subscribers pay $20 per month to see her uncensored OnlyFans content, where she walks around on a leash, fetches balls, and takes baths (naked)
There has been a big surge in my followers since I moved to doing puppy play content.The majority of the puppy community is for gay men. Whenever I went shopping for the gear, it was only really for men.I thought screw it, why don't I create the market? I know there's a demand for it so why don't I supply it?It's now my full time job. My revenue has increased 100 times since I moved to puppy play content. I'm making six figures monthly.
Jenna supplements her income by making custom videos based on the requests. The most she has made for one video is $1,200, and Jenna says she is 'so grateful' to make a living from something she would be doing regardless.
Although she is willing to fulfill customer's requests, Jenna draws the line on filming with a real dog. Jenna made it clear that there are no animals involved in her shooting and there 'never will be', saying she 'can't say no quickly enough' to customers who ask for that kind of content.


Automatic bead dispenser. Polish bottle holder. Thumb palette. Chances are, these items won't be found in your current kit—but maybe they should be! I scoured product catalogs, walked beauty store aisles (and even watched a few late night infomercials) and discovered 10 uncommon and totally useful tools for techs. From helping careless clients protect their polish to making the job of applying beads quick and easy (really!), each offbeat tool offers up surprising benefits for nail techs.


text:
Catholics Blast Bogus Claims of Religious Liberty in Washington Post Ad and at Faith Rally
As the Supreme Court hears arguments from Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. about the contraceptive coverage benefit in the Affordable Care Act, a full-page advertisement in tomorrow's Washington Post takes on the arguments of those who seek to impose their religious views on everybody else. Asking the all-important question: "What's happening to the separation of church and state?" the ad exposes how the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is manipulating the definition of religious freedom for its own ends.
"Conscience and religious liberty rights belong in the hands of individuals, not institutions," said Sara Hutchinson, domestic program director at Catholics for Choice. "Although the Catholic bishops are one of the loudest voices opposing equity in contraceptive coverage, they clearly do not speak for all Catholics."
Sara Hutchinson will also speak at a faith rally tomorrow morning with members of other faith groups to show their support for the rights of individual conscience, religious liberty and human dignity for all women, no matter where they work.
"The vast majority of Catholics support policies that allow women and men to follow their own consciences when it comes to personal, private decisions about whether and when to have children," said Hutchinson. "In fact, fully 99 percent of sexually active Catholic women have used a birth control method banned by the Vatican. Limiting access for some isn't just. During the faith rally and later outside the Supreme Court, we will represent true religious liberty and stand up to those who seek to undermine it."
The Supreme Court must ultimately decide if the religious liberty of women workers will be respected, or if successful lobbying by ultraconservative religious groups will win the day and enable bosses to trample upon the consciences and lives of their employees.
Catholics for Choice also joined more than 40 members of the Coalition for Liberty & Justice in urging the Supreme Court to reject the challenges to contraceptive coverage.
To speak with Sara Hutchinson, or to learn more about the faith rally tomorrow, please e-mail Claire S. Gould atcgould(at)catholicsforchoice.org or call 202-986-6093.
Catholics for Choice shapes and advances sexual and reproductive ethics that are based on justice, reflect a commitment to a person's well-being and respect and affirm the capacity of all people to make moral decisions about their lives.


"It has been said that each of us is three people: how others see us, how we see ourselves, and who we really are. I don't know if I agree with this entirely, but I do think that when we begin our lives, we are the same person in private as we are in public. But then, at some point-usually around the time we become aware of our sexuality-we begin to keep parts of ourselves hidden behind a front. As adults, we are one person at work, another with family, and yet another when we are alone.
Bill Koeb was born in Los Angeles in 1965; while he was very young, his family relocated to San Jose, CA where he spent most of his childhood. His interest in art began when he discovered comic books and book illustration. He attended the Academy of Art in San Francisco where he studied under Barron Storey, who introduced him to etching, and Bill Shields. While at school Koeb often visited museums and galleries and discovered the works of Richard, Diebenkorn, Robert Rauschenberg, Nathan Oliveira, and several other painters and printmakers. His first exposure to monotypes came when longtime friend and fellow student Tim Bower showed him the process; Koeb liked the freedom and fluidity of the monotypes. Koeb's love for drawing from life and visual journalism can also be seen in his 20 years of personal sketchbooks; a daily documentation of his observations, thoughts, experiences, and the lives of those around him.
Koeb's professional career includes drawing and painting comics and illustrations for magazines, books, and advertising campaigns. In 1995 he created paintings for the sets of the film "The Crow, City of Angels" (the works he created were used as artwork attributed to the character Sarah-a central part of the story.) This experience proved to be a catalyst for Koeb to pursue a focus on his personal art while he continued to work as an illustrator for several more years. Koeb has had numerous exhibitions of his work in the U.S. and currently lives in Chapel Hill, NC with his wife and son where he continues to paint and teach.