While Jim Rogers has never had a good opinion of Fed Chairman Ben Bernanake, he seems particularly upset with his latest actions. He thinks that he had no right to bail-out Bear Stearns (BSC) to the tune of $230 Billion of the US taxpayers money. He claims that if BSC had filed bankrupcy,the billions of dollars of bonuses paid out in January would have to be returned. So effectively Bernanke facilitated a bail-out so that his pals on Wall Street could continue to drive their Maseratis! Sounds a bit too conspiracy-theory to me, but in principle I agree with him. It's not fair that the Wall Street guys take huge risks to make huge amounts of money, but when they mis-calculate, instead of being punished by the market (in terms of bankruptcy and financial ruin) the Fed just bails them out.
He also admits that he's been buying agriculture for a while, since its the cheapest commodity and that he's also out of the dollar. He also thinks that gold should be over $2,000, adjusting for inflation. The short term dollar rally isn't fooling him, he's using it to liquidate the rest of his dollars.
← What About LOR-Lazard World Dividend & Income Fund?


Chronic venous disease is undoubtedly a multifactorial disease. No main cause has been demonstrated. It is not possible, therefore, to rank the primary physical or biological changes in order of importance.
Damage to the venous wall seems to be more common than valve damage. The wall becomes thinner at the level of the valve. The vein is dilated and pushes the valve cusps apart, compromising their impermeability. This wall damage may be related to damage to the innermost layer of the vein: the endothelium.
Damage to valves and the venous wall under the influence of one or more of the above factors will lead to impairment of the venous network of the lower limbs. It causes venous hypertension which can lead to a chronic venous disease with tissue decompensation: chronic venous insufficiency.
Paradoxically, we do not know why some people develop microcirculatory and tissue decompensation while others tolerate major venous hypertension very well.
In the supine position, the venous pressure at the ankle is circa 15mmHg and in the sitting position, circa 55mmHg.
In the standing position, the venous pressure at the ankle, which is around 90 mmHg in a healthy individual, can exceed 100 mmHg in an individual suffering from severe CVI (chronic venous insufficiency).
When walking, the dynamic anatomical structures which control venous return are activated and the venous pressure at the ankle falls gradually with each step until it levels out at around 20-25 mmHg for a healthy individual.
In the event of CVD, the venous pressure at the ankle does not fall to such low values due to stagnation of fluid, inducing venous hypertension. In the event of severe CVD, pressure on walking can be significantly higher than normal, reaching a value of 70 mmHg, reflecting marked venous hypertension.
Morphologically, venous hypertension has visible consequences, with the resulting venous dilation causing the phenomenon known clinically as varicose veins.
Haemodynamically, CVD is manifested by stagnation or stasis of fluids leading to an increase in venous pressure (more marked distally than proximally), combined with a reduction in venous wall resistance and dilation of the vein diameter. All this leads to the valve cusps being moved further apart, causing them to become incompetent.
The increase in venous pressure is passed on to the capillaries, causing tissue oedema and extravasation of blood elements, which participate in the release of inflammation mediators.
Oedema, initially reversible, gradually sets in and becomes chronic. Over the years, it becomes more specific, becoming enriched with proteins and forming interstitial fibrosis.
In addition, interstitial flooding creates conditions favourable to the formation of local tissue ischaemia and trophic problems: atrophie blanche, varicose eczema, pigmented purpuric dermatitis, etc.
Gas and nutrient exchanges take place within the blood capillaries, close to the tissues, via filtration and reabsorption phenomena.
Venous hypertension makes reabsorption of interstitial fluid more difficult.
Stasis, leading to tissue flooding, reduces the proximity between the capillaries and tissues.
The series of activities that occur following venous hypertension (stasis, extravasation, interstitial flooding, intoxication and local ischaemia) are self-perpetuating and mutually aggravating.
Without appropriate management, this vicious circle progresses and the CVD becomes increasingly severe.


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text:
Will the UN Demand a Halt to Arabs Moving to Jerusalem?
On December 21, 2020, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) spoke about Israel building houses for Israeli Jews in an area it calls "East Jerusalem," an entity that had a shelf life of just eighteen years (1949-1967) in the city's 4,000+ year history. The stale name recalls the period when Jews were evicted and barred from the eastern half of the city is both non-factual and insulting to Jews.
The insults and hypocrisy continued throughout the discussions.
Nickolay Mladenov, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process stated "that a two-State solution is not only necessary, but still possible. There is no other way to resolve the conflict in a way that is just for both peoples. Israel must preserve its nature as a Jewish State, while 'the Palestinian people will not go anywhere, this is their home.'" But he then went on to call for additional funds to UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, which is caring for 5.7 million Palestinian Arab "refugees" until they move into Israel. How Mladenov squares the circle of encouraging nearly 6 million Arabs to move into Israel while simultaneously wishing for Israel to "preserve its nature as a Jewish State" is beyond comprehension.
Several countries spoke about Israeli "settlement" activity and bemoaned Israel's building homes for Israeli Jews, even in "East Jerusalem." The inanity is despite the fact that the Arab population in Jerusalem was only 26% of the city in 1967 when Israel reunited the city and grew to 36% of the population by 2016. If the 1967 "status quo" is the most important dynamic for the UN, perhaps the UNSC should demand that no new Arab housing be permitted in the city until a peace agreement is signed by the two parties.
Mladenov and several countries also voiced concern that more settlements "undermine the prospect of a two-State solution." It is a curious proposition. If the concern is about territory, the 1949 Armistice Lines/ The Green Line left Israel with a strip of land even more narrow than a new Palestinian state would have if Israel annexed an area called "E1" up to, and including Ma'ale Adumim. If the concern about "viability" is related to the number of Jews living in an Arab State, why do these same UNSC countries continue to fund UNRWA and encourage Arab "refugees" that they will move into Israel which already has 25% non-Jews living in the country? Why is viability of a Palestinian State surrounded by tens of millions of Arabs a greater concern than a small Jewish State?
Further, Mladenov finally began calling out the "indiscriminate launching of rockets and mortars towards Israeli civilian population centres by Hamas [and] Palestinian Islamic Jihad," but the speakers (with the exception of Niger) refused to speak about the attacks. Each country picked up the Mladenov themes about settlements, UNRWA and Gaza, but fell silent on the massive attacks against Israel.
The United Nations continues to show it has no concerns about the security and basic human rights of Israelis. Until it can clearly condemn HAMAS and discuss the rights of Jews to live and pray in Jerusalem, there is no reason for the Jewish State to heed an iota of criticism as the global body has shown it has no interest in the peace or security of Israel.
Sign for the Jewish Quarter in the Old City of Jerusalem. According to the UN, all of the Jews who live in the Jewish Quarter are illegal "settlers" who threaten the viability of peace in the region. (photo: First One Through)
Arabs in Jerusalem
750 Years of Continuous Jewish Jerusalem
The United Nations' Adoption of Palestinians, Enables It to Only Find Fault With Israel
The Green Line Through Jerusalem
Ramat Shlomo, Jerusalem and Joe Biden
"Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem"
The US State Department's Selective Preference of "Status Quos"
Considering Carter's 1978 Letter Claiming Settlements Are Illegal
A "Viable" Palestinian State
Posted in Israel, United Nations | Tagged Jerusalem, Nickolay Mladenov, United Nations | 4 Replies
The expression "the best defense is a good offense" is most often applied in the military and sporting competitions. It is now being used regarding anti-Semitism with greater frequency.
The World Conference Against Racism met from August 31 to September 7, 2001 in Durban, South Africa with a stated noble goal: to rid the world of racism and intolerance while promoting human rights. However, the forum was hijacked by several Muslim and Arab countries who pushed for particular attention on one country, Israel, even as the conference was conceived to address a global phenomenon without delving into any specific country.
Several western countries did their utmost to strip the Israel agenda item from the conference to no avail and were left with the choice of not attending an important event. The United States' compromise was to send a mid-level representative rather than Secretary of State Colin Powell. Ultimately, the conference became so toxic with anti-Israel sentiment that many withdrew. Powell ultimately described the situation as "a throwback to the days of 'Zionism equals racism'" at the United Nations.
The Durban Conference became the playbook for many Muslim and Arab countries as well as far-left progressives to attack Israel under the veil of fighting racism. Each held conferences and promoted peace centers to establish co-existence bona fides while simultaneously trampling human rights in their own countries and promoting a fictitious anti-Israel narrative.
Recent conferences and center openings include:
Opening the King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz (Saudi Arabia) International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID) in Vienna on November 26, 2012
Forum on the Role of Religious Leaders in Preventing Incitement that could Lead to Atrocity Crimes, held in Fez, Morocco, on April 23 and 24, 2015
the International Institute for Tolerance and the Muslim Council of Elders in the United Arab Emirates, in 2017
Doha Conference on Interfaith Dialogue, held in Qatar February 20-21, 2018
the World Tolerance Summit, in Abu Dhabi on November 13-14, 2019
The notion of interreligious dialogue and peaceful coexistence sounds wonderful, but the hypocrisy of the situation doesn't seem to enter the minds of the willing participants.
The KAICIID website states that "Our vision is a world where there is respect, understanding, and cooperation among people, justice, peace and reconciliation, and an end to the abuse of religion to justify oppression, violence, and conflict." Yet this statement comes from an organization founded and named for the leader of Saudi Arabia which denies women basic rights and kills people for converting from Islam.
Apostasy is subject to capital punishment in many of the countries which hosted recent interfaith conferences, and include: Afghanistan; Brunei; Mauritania; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Sudan; the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. In 2013, the Supreme Council of Religious Scholars in Morocco issued a fatwa that Muslims who leave Islam should be sentenced to death.
Additionally, Qatar funds mosques around the world which host imams calling for people to kill Jews.
Yet these countries host conferences and centers promoting coexistence among faiths.
People would never attend a conference on the freedom of the press in Turkey as they comprehend the irrationality of discussing such topic in the country that jails the most journalists every year. They would similarly not attend a forum on Holocaust studies in Iran when its leaders actively deny the Holocaust.
But they show up for interfaith dialogue in countries that deny basic human rights.
When the Jewish Voice for Peace hosted a discussion in December 2020 to discuss anti-Semitism with panelists who want to destroy Israel, it employed that familiar twist of attempting to excuse the accused.
anti-Israel group hosted event about anti-Semitism to absolve people accused of anti-Semitism
Genuine reform to combat bigotry and anti-Semitism is most welcome and should be encouraged but many of today's conferences are only granting absolution to haters and sanctifying them as champions of a just cause. Beware of the Durban Conference coming to a forum near you.
Related First One Through article:
Peter Beinart is an Apologist for Anti-Semites
Bitter Burnt Ends: Talking to a Farrakhan Fan
Rep. Ilhan Omar and The 2001 Durban Racism Conference
The Insidious Jihad in America
Omar and Tlaib's Antisemitic B.D.S.
Jewish Voice for Peace Ignores Dead Jews
Students for Justice in Palestine's Dick Pics
An Easy Boycott: Al Jazeera (Qatar)
Related First One Through video:
Drive, Saudi Arabia (music by The Cars)
Freedom of Speech and BDS (music by Coldplay)
Posted in Jews, Opinion | Tagged anti-Semitism, apostasy, Jewish Voice for Peace, JVP, Saudi Arabia | 10 Replies
The Zionists Brought a Bench!
A century ago in Jerusalem's Old City
the Arabs revealed their conspiracy theory
about the nature of the emboldened Zionists
presenting themselves as irritating pests.
"Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar!
Those Jews brought a bench! The Jews brought a bench!"
The Arabs pushed the British for a Status Quo Agreement
their arguments ahistorical, with voices loud and vehement,
advancing for removal of the "appurtenance of Jewish worship"
which even included allowing elderly Jews to sit.
"Good Greif! Good Grief!
During 1928 Yom Kippur services at the Wailing Wall,
Jews brought screens and siddurs with unmitigated gall.
The Arabs called the British police and expressed their views
to destroy the mechitza and attack the Jews.
To extinguish the common holy site's enflamed embers,
the British issued a White Paper that November.
In the hopes of avoiding another injurious atrocity,
the British declared the Wailing Wall exclusive Moslem property.
"Good Grief! Good Grief!
Soon thereafter, the Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin
erected a minaret next to the Kotel, complete with muzzein
to call for Islamic prayers when Jews would gather
disturbing Jewish prayers with loud incomprehensible blather.
Minaret on left built to disturb Jewish prayers at the Wailing Wall
The Arabs made it clear to the whole world explaining,
that the Jews could only use the western wall for wailing.
Jewish prayers at the site was dangerous incitement
and the entire world should coalesce to present a formal indictment.
In August 1929, Arabs spread a series of vicious rumors
which fed Islamic extremists like cancerous tumors
that Jews were killing Arabs and ascending the al Aqsa Compound
desecrating the holy site and burning the mosques to the ground.
Kill the Jews! Kill the Jews!"
The violence spread in Jerusalem, Hebron and Safed
The Arab riots and butchery left sixty-seven Jews dead.
The British concluded that Hebron should be purely Moslem
And removed all the Jews in hopes of ameliorating the problem.
Expel the Jews! Expel the Jews!"
The denial of Jew's history and human rights is not new;
the last hundred years added an Islamist point of view,
particularly because the Balfour Declaration made the Arabs skittish
who demanded anti-Jewish edicts from the Palestine-ruling British.
Imagine a government outlawing a mench-on-a-bench!
The Jew-hatred involved had a terrible stench.
The Muslim quest for the Promised Land to have Islamic purity
Coopted the western world to consider anti-Semitic policies.
Allahu Akbar and Good Grief. The Jews brought a bench.
Will Israel Also Remove an Umbrella from the Western Wall Plaza?
I Understand Why the Caged Jew Sighs
Ending Apartheid in Jerusalem
The Waqf and the Temple Mount
Tolerance at the Temple Mount
It is Time to Insert "Jewish" into the Names of the Holy Sites
The United Nations and Holy Sites in the Holy Land
Posted in Israel | Tagged British Mandate, Kotel, Wailing Wall, White Paper | 1 Reply
Shtisel, The Poem Without an End, Continues
"Inside the brand-new museum
there's an old synagogue.
Inside the synagogue
is me.
my heart.
Inside my heart
a museum.
Inside the museum
a synagogue,
inside it
me,
my heart,
a museum…"
"Poem Without an End"
Yehuda Amichai (1924 – 2000)
So ends Shtisel's season 2 in 2015. An Ultra Orthodox Jewish artist is seemingly caught between two worlds: a world which dominates his family and community, and the passions which drive him beyond the realms of that world.
It is a classic formula used by authors and poets for generations, the story of forbidden love. While typically written about two secular people pulled together against a repelling backdrop, Shtisel is written about a religious Jew pursuing a banned profession.
The protagonist, Akiva Shtisel, lives in a secluded world in which tradition calls for men to learn Jewish texts and to be married with children. But Akiva cannot fit neatly in that prescribed paradigm. He not only has difficulties in his relationships but is pulled by his talents to pursue his love of art. He gets encouraged by the secular world to pursue his artistic gifts, making his already awkward pursuit of a spouse yet more complicated.
In the season finale, we find Akiva walking in a modern museum past his own exhibition to find the comfort of an exhibit of a reconstructed old synagogue. He sits in the more familiar environment where he is surprised to be joined by a love interest. Akiva's loves are now all contained within one another like nested Russian dolls but the viewer recognizes that the perfect setting does not obviate the conflict.
Unlike a family member who allowed tradition and established roots with a wife to pull him back into the Ultra Orthodox world and forgo his love for singing, Akiva is unmarried and involved with a woman who might entertain Akiva's life in two worlds. That situation is not one of nested dolls but a life of dynamic movement with a troubling feedback loop like an M.C. Escher drawing.
The show was enormously popular, well beyond Israel where it was filmed. Jews and non-Jews in various countries admired the universal message of dueling loves in which passion and commitment are set against each other. The cast was featured in various events around the world over the past few years in which the actors considered why the show had such broad appeal. They negated the notion that viewers wanted a peak into the life of Hassidim and described the universally understood personal/family/community tensions that exist in all cultures.
Shtisel program held at Temple Emanu-El in New York City, June 11, 2019
Shtisel, the short-lived popular show with the perfect poetic ending was called back by its fans for a third season. The competing forces of attraction of the show's actors demanded as much from its viewers.
The Last Sounds of "Son of Saul"
The Right Stuff, Then and Now
The Beautiful and Bad Images in Barcelona
The Last of the Mo'Kichels
Posted in Art and Culture | Tagged Shtisel, TV show, Ultra Orthodox | 4 Replies
Progressive's Coronavirus Contagion
Just today, Israel's special coronavirus cabinet decided to place new restrictions on people coming from the United Kingdom, Denmark and South Africa. Non-Israelis are prohibited from entering Israel while Israelis will be forced to spend two weeks in quarantine.
Israel joined Italy, Netherlands and Belgium in banning entry of people from the UK after a new more contagious strain of COVID-19 was detected in Britain. Israel has thus far been the only country to also add Denmark and South Africa to the banned country list. The 501.V2 mutant variety has been detected in those other countries as well, which seems to be more severe in young adults than the prior strain.
To date, Belgium and Italy have been the worst hit countries, with 1,597 and 1,139 deaths per million people, respectively. The UK and United States are both near the 1,000 deaths per million milestone, while Denmark and Israel are much lower at 178 and 335, respectively.
Israel's "Anglo ban" has not yet produced the vocal outrage from progressives that happened when President Donald Trump placed a ban on China early in the coronavirus pandemic or in the early days of his administration when he blocked entry of people from seven Muslim-majority countries which did not have appropriate safety protocols to monitor terrorists, or in "building a wall" along the southern border to curtail the flow of illegal immigration. Maybe it is because these three countries are perceived to be "White." Whatever the reason, a country that is often in the crosshairs of global condemnation will welcome the pause in criticism as it battles a severe spike in positive infection rates.
Progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez continue to advocate for "open borders" and to "abolish ICE" in their desire to welcome millions of immigrants into the country to add to the physical working class and hopeful union members. Meanwhile, the reality of the need to be able to secure borders for the protection of citizenry has never been more apparent.
If you Only Loved Refugees as Much as you Hate Donald Trump
The Media Finds Religion in Matters of Security. Sometimes.
The CoronavirUS is Not Us Versus Them
"Coastal Liberal Latte-sipping Politically-correct Out-of-touch Folks."
Posted in USA | Tagged border, coronavirus, progressives | 3 Replies
Going Green With Embassies in Jerusalem
The Trump Administration moved the United States embassy to Israel to Jerusalem in 2018 in compliance with the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act. Since that time, the U.S. has encouraged other countries to move their embassies, and Guatemala moved theirs shortly thereafter. Honduras announced plans to have their embassy in Jerusalem by the end of 2020, and Serbia and Malawi announced their intentions to do move their embassies in the near future.
New U.S. embassy in Jerusalem. (Picture: Daniel Estrin/NPR)
A country establishes an embassy in a foreign country to facilitate in person meetings with that government's people. Typically the vast majority are located in that country's capital where most government buildings and offices are located. However, there is no obligation to set up an embassy in the capital city. For example, several countries (like Oman) have opted to not place their foreign dignitaries in Canberra, Australia's capital, because it is a relatively small city in a pretty remote part of the world. There are also several countries (including Andorra, Comoros and Maldives) that locate their embassies to the U.S. in New York City rather than Washington, D.C.
A new Biden administration should continue to push all countries to move their embassies to Jerusalem for very practical and environmental reasons: it would take hundreds of cars off the road every day.
Currently, most countries have their embassies to Israel in Tel Aviv, about 42 miles from Jerusalem. Tel Aviv is is a great city on the Mediterranean Sea with fantastic restaurants and night life (often ranked with Barcelona among the greatest cities in the world) and is close to Israel's major international airport. However, the hour drive to Jerusalem is often snarled in terrible traffic as is the route back. By relocating embassies to Jerusalem, not only will thousands of miles of unnecessary travel and wasted time be saved, but the burning of fossil fuel and amount of pollution will be dramatically reduced.
As there is no obligation to keep an embassy in a capital city, a relocation to Jerusalem is not a formal acknowledgement of the city as Israel's capital, an action which may or may not accompany such relocation. What is without question, is that moving embassies to Jerusalem will improve the quality of life on the planet.
The Remarkable Tel Jerusalem
The Hypocrisy Between An Embassy for Israel in Jerusalem and East Jerusalem, OPT
Western Jerusalem's U.S. Consulate and Embassy
I call BS: You Never Recognized Jerusalem as Israel's Capital
The Battle for Jerusalem
Jerusalem, and a review of the sad state of divided capitals in the world
The Anthem of Israel is Jerusalem
Posted in Israel, Opinion | Tagged Israel, Jerusalem, Jerusalem embassy | 2 Replies
Featured Idiot: NYT's Friedman on Harris as Rural Broadband Czar
On December 16, 2020, The New York Times editorial board elected to give its entire opinion page to long-time journalist Thomas Friedman to discuss a topic he knows nothing about: rural America.
The one-time foreign affairs correspondent presented his bold idea that Vice President-elect Kamala Harris should become the czar of rural America and bring broadband to bridge the "connectivity gap." He wanted this accomplished not so much for the benefit of rural America but to put on a show that Democrats care about these lagging Americans, so those red states might loose a touch of their rosy glow and prevent Democrats from getting trounced in the next election cycle.
What Friedman failed to understand and convey in the editorial was that the Trump administration committed billions of dollars to bring broadband to rural America.
It was just TEN DAYS AGO that the FCC announced the results of Rural Digital Opportunity Fund Auction 904 which awarded $9.2 billion of federal grants to telecom companies to subsidize the buildout of broadband networks in remote parts of the country. This came two years after the Connect America Fund II Auction 903 which granted $1.5 billion to operators to construct broadband networks for rural America.
But don't let facts get in the way.
Friedman further noted that Harris "is a natural bridge builder to a more inclusive America." Maybe Freidman is not aware that non-partisan GovTracks observed that Harris was the least bi-partisan U.S. senator. She also scored as the most extreme leftist in her voting record, even more than proud Democratic-Socialist Bernie Sanders and closeted Democratic-Socialist Elizabeth Warren.
But don't let history get in the way.
The Times will have its urban readers believe that rural Americans are waiting for Democrats to save them, but all Friedman's editorial really showed was his ignorance and contemptible view that non-urban Americans are just pawns for progressive politics.
#NeverGillibrand #NeverSanders #NeverHarris #NeverDeBlasio
CNN and Democratic Politicians Recraft and Redraft MLK'S Mountaintop Speech
Follow the Money: Democrats and the Education Industry
Hispanics for Trump
Progressives Judge Past American Actions and Ignore Today's Foreign Culture
Posted in New York Times, Opinion, USA | Tagged broadband, Kamala Harris, New York Times, rural America | Leave a reply
Brooklyn Chanukah Donut Crawl 2020
With the pandemic in its second full swing, the annual pilgrimage to try the great donuts and sufganiyot (filled donuts) in Brooklyn was not without controversy. Some people refused to join the outing due to fear so we decided to take a different approach:
only two people would make the trek- a parent and a teenager;
we would go in the early morning before the crowds;
only the teenager would enter the store in full hazmat attire;
all donuts would be brought back to base for consumption and ratings
The approach allowed for a wide sampling of bakeries, principally focused on Borough Park and Flatbush. The bakeries are listed in order of our route in case people want to replicate the tour:
Taam Eden Bakery, 4603 13th Ave
Weiss Kosher Bakery, 5011 13th Ave
Sesame – Boro Park, 5024 13th Ave
Gobo's Cafe, 5421 New Utrecht Ave
Shloimy's Bake Shoppe, 4712 16th Ave
Brooklyn Artisan Bakehouse, 1371 Coney Island Ave
Isaac's Bake Shop, 1419 Avenue J
Ostrovitsky Bakery, 1124 Avenue J
Presser's Kosher Bagels and Bakery, 1720 Ave. M
Patis Bakery, 1716 Ave. M
Schreiber's Homestyle Bakery, 3008 Ave. M
Yes, that's eleven bakeries. We're that committed (in a bad mental health way).
We didn't actually buy sufganiyot at the eleven stores. Gobo's, the number one bakery of 2019, was closed both times we drove by, as was Brooklyn Artisan Bakehouse. Patis Bakery still had not received their shipment from New Jersey when we arrived around 10:00am. That still left eight bakeries to review for Chanukah. If one includes the free donut we got from Rachel Berger, the Kosher Dinner Lady (top score on presentation for the cookies and cream), we more than hit our calorie quota.
Taam Eden
In 2019, we got to Taam Eden last and the scores suffered due to our being well-sated and more than a tad over-sugared. We decided to start with that bakery in 2020 and hoped for a fresh assortment of interesting flavors. While they did have many unique flavors like Pina Colada, they weren't always that good and the sugared toppings fell right off at first bite. Overall, they were also pretty flat and not puffy.
Taam Eden donuts. Blue flags denote dairy
Weiss Kosher Bakery
Weiss is an all around favorite bakery in our family. Yoely was nice enough to give us a free donut too. Unfortunately, the shelves were pretty bare when we arrived at 8:40am, so we missed out on their amazing chocolate horns. The chocolate sufganiyot were good but a bit too sweet. The custard was nice, especially for a pareve one.
Thanks Yoely!
Sesame redoes the entire bakery just for Chanukah, and for good reason. The donuts are amazing. Full of rich flavor which is not too sweet with dough which has nice texture and flavor. I cannot believe how good the pistachio ones are. BTW, no masks in sight.
Shloimy's Bake Shop
My teenage son was impressed by what he saw in Shloimy's and came back with lots of choices. The taste varied. The salted caramel was simply not good while the cheese was very tasty and went perfectly with the texture and flavor of the dough.
A hazmat boy in a heimeshe bakery
Isaac's Bake Shop
Isaac's had the benefit of being the only bakery we visited where everything was fresh. We gobbled two onion bagels without any spread as we left the store – delicious. The sufganiyot we ate at home were non-complicated and tasty.
Ostrovitsky Bakery
If you want something a bit more ornate and shall I say… Hungarian? – try Ostrovitsky. The chocolate rosemarie are tops in the pareve category with great flavor. The chocolate mousse is very light – perhaps a bit too much relative to the texture of the dough. The Napolean flavor was also quite good.
Presser's
Presser's has a lot more appetizing in the store than donuts. We picked up a couple anyway which were pretty good.
Schreiber's Homestyle
We always visit Schreiber's to bring home a box of excellent lace cookies; hauling donuts is a plus. Skip the sufganiyot in the boxes in the front of the store and go to the back to select your own. This year we decided to try the dairy donuts – which run about $5 – quite a bit more than the pareve ones at around $2. There's a reason. The dairy cheese and strawberry are remarkable. A must have.
Overall, none of the sufganiyot (other than Isaac's) were fresh when we arrived. It felt like we were getting 6am baking at 9am. Sufganiyot don't age well so we decided to try the other Sesame Bakery location in Flatbush to see if we could try one straight out of the oven. Unfortunately, it was packed at 11am and none of the baked goods were oven-fresh. We grabbed two and hit the road back home.
Below is a rating of the various spots. I would again put Sesame in the top category along with Schreiber's dairy sufganiyot. Ostrovitsky's got mixed reviews but I liked them.
We actually have a GoPro video of each store location. Subscribe to the blog and send a note and we'll let you experience the shopping!
Chanukah Donuts: Brooklyn 2019
Brooklyn's Holiday Donuts
Posted in Art and Culture | Tagged Chanukah | 2 Replies
Shadow-Banned Over The Election
Both the political right and left are coming after the large social media platforms due to their powerful influence over society. The right has complained about the censorship executed by the likes of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for silencing conservative voices while the left has voiced concern about these perceived monopolies destroying competition. The left has mostly been dismissive about the idea that the corporations have a left-leaning disposition, and if they do, they are nonplussed. If corporations are allowed to contribute to election campaigns (see Citizens United v. FEC which the left abhorred), they should similarly be free to share or block content.
As to the question of whether shadow-banning is real, consider this blog of FirstOneThrough which has a right-of-center orientation to American and Israeli politics.
On a typical week, Facebook would account for over 10 times the number of referrals to an article as search engines. That pattern was relatively consistent whether there were few or several posts.
But the pattern broke during the election cycle.
Weeks Ending FB Average Search Average Ratio
Dec 13 672 58 13x
Nov 8 181 56 3
Sep 20 823 60 13
Aug 2 538 48 11
Jun 14 926 71 14
Impact of Facebook Shadow Banning on views of First One Through blog
During the seven week cycle before the 2020 U.S. presidential election, the blog remarkably went from getting roughly 13 times as many views from Facebook than search engines to only 3 times as much. The change was completely the result of a sharp decline in Facebook readership, as the volume produced from search engines remained constant.
That meant that fewer people had a chance to read the analysis of a vocal Libertarian and Zionist leading up to an important election. Once the election passed, Facebook permitted viewership patterns to return to normal (as of the following five weeks).
How and why did this happen?
Did a liberal reader flag the October 1 article "Vote Harvesting," a completely true first-hand account of watching how a local election official can influence who gets to vote? Did Facebook decide on its own that posts from a writer who penned on September 25 "NY Times Tries Hard to Paint Obama/Biden as Pacifists and Trump as Mercenary" is an opinion to be silenced? Did an anti-Israel agitator do their utmost to flag a blogger who wrote on September 27 about the vile anti-Semitic Hamas Charter and how former Democratic U.S. President Jimmy Carter backed the Hamas terrorist group?
Whatever the origin of shadow ban, it clearly happened.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg testifies during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Facebook and Twitter's actions around the closely contested election on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020, in Washington. | Bill Clark/Pool via AP
If Facebook wants to present itself as a biased platform like MSNBC or Fox News, that's fine. A private platform can take whatever form it chooses. While it may be annoying when a media company like The New York Times pretends to be unbiased and not left-leaning, the tilt is well known and consistent. Only people living in a liberal bubble believe it to be a neutral and factual publication.
However, what kind of platform swings alt-left for just moments in time like during an election season? If the analysis presented by a blogger is offensive, then make it clear for that person to take their business and opinions elsewhere. Always.
What was done by social media in this instance was clear election-meddling, and on the grandest of scales due to the enormous power of social media. (\According to Pew research, 43% of Americans got their news from social media in 2018, a number that surely went up by 2020. That growing figure is despite a majority of people (57%) being skeptical of what they read.
In 2008, Barack Obama and his supporters were very effective in using social media, especially relative to John McCain supporters according to Pew Research. Obama voters surpassed McCain voters in posting content online (26% vs. 15%) and engaged politically on social media (25% vs. 16%) to yield a very successful outcome. But now, the social media companies themselves are keeping the gap in favor of Democrats by blocking the distribution of conservative posts.
Shadow banning in social media is very real and can easily tip presidential elections that are decided by less than one percent of voters in a couple of states. It is frightening and appalling that we no longer have to only fear the actions of foreign actors in the conduct of our democracy but the large social media platforms themselves.
Facebook's Censorship is a Problem
Opinions on Facebook
Social Media's "Fake News" and Mainstream Media's Half-Truths
The Wide Scope of Foreign Interference
Posted in Opinion, USA | Tagged elections, Facebook, social media | 3 Replies
NY Times Will Not Write About Arab Pogroms
It is a sad state of affairs when the media ignores the slaughter of innocents and brands such events in the nomenclature of the killers.
Consider the "Second Intifada" which Palestinian Arabs started in September 2000 when they refused to accept 98% of their desires in a peace deal with Israel. Palestinians went on multi-year rampages blowing up buses and pizza parlors full of kids and women. Over 1,000 Israelis were killed until Israel constructed a security barrier to stem the tide of murderers. Rather than call the event a "war" or a "pogrom," the media calls it by the term Palestinians chose, "Intifada," which means "uprising." It's shameful. It should be called the "2 Percent War."
On December 11, 2020, The New York Times didn't just adopt an Arab name to mask Arab sensibilities, it adopted an entire Arab narrative in rewriting history.
In an article about Morocco normalizing relations with Israel, the paper wrote the following:
"Today, Morocco has a Jewish population of about 4,000, said to Samuel L. Kaplan, the U.S. Ambassador to Rabat from 2009 to 2013. That is down from more than 200,000 Jews who lived in Morocco when Israel was established in 1948 but who then began responding to calls to immigrate to Israel."
There were certainly some Jews who felt the Zionist urge to move to Israel but the vast majority fled their homes due to rampant anti-Semitism that overcame the Muslim world when Jews took control of what they deemed to be Muslim land.
After Israel's declaration of independence in May 1948, two pogroms broke out in Morocco, in the towns of Oujda and Djerrada. The attacks killed 47 people, wounded hundreds and lefts hundreds homeless. Not surprisingly, 10% of the country's Jews quickly fled the country.
After Morocco declared independence in 1956, an Arabization of the country commenced, cutting Jews off from parts of society. At the same time, the government prohibited emigration to Israel, which lasted until 1963. In 1961, roughly 90,000 Moroccan Jews had to be ransomed in Operation Yakhnin, bringing Jews to Israel. In the aftermath of the 1967 Six Day War, another 40,000 Jews fled to Israel.
Headline in NY Times in 1956, seemingly forgotten by the paper today
The number of Jews that fled persecution from homes they lived in for centuries in Muslim-majority countries was between 850,000 and 1 million people.
Algeria 140,000
Egypt 75,000
Iraq 135,000
Lebanon 5,000
Libya 38,000
Morocco 265,000
Syria 30,000
Tunisia 105,000
Yemen 55,000
This total of 850,000 Jews does not include the Jews who fled Iran and Afghanistan. It far surpasses the Palestinian Arabs who left Israel in 1948 when they waited for their Arab neighbors to destroy the nascent Jewish State.
The New York Times rewriting history that Arab Muslims are never anti-Semites coincides with its depiction that White Americans are always racist. It is no wonder that White Jews are dropping the paper.
The New York Times Thinks that the Jews from Arab Countries Simply "Immigrated"
Jim Wolfensohn's Invisible Generosity
New York Times Recharacterizes Hamas as a Right-Wing Terrorist Group
For The New York Times, "From the River to the Sea" Is The Chant of Jewish and Christian Zealots
The New York Times All Out Assault on Jewish Jerusalem
Posted in New York Times | Tagged anti-Zionism, Muslim antisemitism, New York Times | 8 Replies

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Crews hoisted steel beams onto the roof of St. Patrick Hospital over the weekend, marking the start of a construction project that will expand the facility's International Heart Institute.
Stacy Rogge, the hospital's director of communications and external affairs, said the $2.7 million project will add 2,800 square feet to the roof of the hospital's third floor.
The addition will include six exam rooms, two procedure rooms, offices and storage.
She expects construction to be completed by the summer.
The International Heart Institute brings together a recognized team of cardiologists, heart surgeons, imaging specialists, nurses and researchers to perform advanced cardiac procedures, and search for new and improved ways to treat heart disease.
With its outreach programs, the institute has clinics located throughout western Montana, including Missoula, Hamilton and Butte.
The services include a full spectrum of cardiac care, including cardiology, and open heart and vascular surgeries. It also offers programs for congestive heart failure, women's heart health and men's heart health.


This Library automatically search for permission in androidmanifests file and request for the same. Also, if request is cancelled it shows a popup window with alert to grant permission. If the app can no longer request permission due to "Don't ask again" on permission it will toast a message to grant permission from settings. All the action performed after grant or deny can be customized by overriding method shown below. Custom permission can be checked instead of all permission in androidmanifests file.
//It Dynamically search for apps permission and request for the same.
//Below code in onCreate function.
//Customized by overriding method shown below.
// Do Customized operation if permission is cancelled without checking "Don't ask again"
// Do Customized operation if permission is cancelled with checking "Don't ask again"


She was suffering the same dilemma we're all facing, making our property stand out. I'll be darned if many of those well-heeled Three Forks customers would not have taken a shine to my place, a three minute walk to Three Forks, Sushi, Thai, and maybe 10 minutes walk to Seven Bridges (figure an extra five minutes on the return trip to compensate for stumbling). In this case, I would suggest a designated crossing buddy for Gate Parkway at Tinseltown. Do the local restaurants like this plan? Ya think? They're even handing out her flyers.


text:
Q: Building JavaFX app in IntelliJ IDEA using maven I've encountered some difficulties trying to build JavaFX app using maven. The app work just fine from IDE. I run maven package task and it creates JAR file. The problem is this file doesn't run. I've checked included manifest and there wasn't entry point. I've added it, but the file still doesn't run. That's how the manifest looks now (the last string was added manually):
Manifest-Version: 1.0
Archiver-Version: Plexus Archiver
Created-By: Apache Maven 3.6.3
Built-By: Комп
Build-Jdk: 15
Main-Class: org.example.App

The pom file
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
  xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
  <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

  <groupId>org.example</groupId>
  <artifactId>Refinement</artifactId>
  <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>

  <properties>
    <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
    <maven.compiler.source>1.7</maven.compiler.source>
    <maven.compiler.target>1.7</maven.compiler.target>
  </properties>

  <dependencies>
    <dependency>
      <groupId>junit</groupId>
      <artifactId>junit</artifactId>
      <version>3.8.1</version>
    </dependency>
    <dependency>
      <groupId>org.openjfx</groupId>
      <artifactId>javafx-controls</artifactId>
      <version>11.0.2</version>
    </dependency>
    <!-- https://mvnrepository.com/artifact/org.openjfx/javafx-maven-plugin -->
    <dependency>
      <groupId>org.openjfx</groupId>
      <artifactId>javafx-maven-plugin</artifactId>
      <version>0.0.4</version>
    </dependency>

  </dependencies>

  <build>
    <plugins>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.openjfx</groupId>
        <artifactId>javafx-maven-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>0.0.4</version>
        <configuration>
          <mainClass>org.example.App</mainClass>
        </configuration>
      </plugin>
    </plugins>
  </build>

</project>

And build log
"C:\Program Files\Java\jdk-15\bin\java.exe" -Dmaven.multiModuleProjectDirectory=C:\Users\Комп\Documents\javaProjects\Refinement "-Dmaven.home=C:\Program Files\JetBrains\IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition 2018.3.3\plugins\maven\lib\maven3" "-Dclassworlds.conf=C:\Program Files\JetBrains\IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition 2018.3.3\plugins\maven\lib\maven3\bin\m2.conf" "-Dmaven.ext.class.path=C:\Program Files\JetBrains\IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition 2018.3.3\plugins\maven\lib\maven-event-listener.jar" "-javaagent:C:\Program Files\JetBrains\IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition 2018.3.3\lib\idea_rt.jar=65494:C:\Program Files\JetBrains\IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition 2018.3.3\bin" -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 -classpath "C:\Program Files\JetBrains\IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition 2018.3.3\plugins\maven\lib\maven3\boot\plexus-classworlds-2.6.0.jar;C:\Program Files\JetBrains\IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition 2018.3.3\plugins\maven\lib\maven3\boot\plexus-classworlds.license" org.codehaus.classworlds.Launcher -Didea.version=2020.2.2 package
[INFO] Scanning for projects...
[INFO]
[INFO] -----------------------< org.example:Refinement >-----------------------
[INFO] Building Refinement 1.0-SNAPSHOT
[INFO] --------------------------------[ jar ]---------------------------------
[INFO]
[INFO] --- maven-resources-plugin:2.6:resources (default-resources) @ Refinement ---
[INFO] Using 'UTF-8' encoding to copy filtered resources.
[INFO] skip non existing resourceDirectory C:\Users\Комп\Documents\javaProjects\Refinement\src\main\resources
[INFO]
[INFO] --- maven-compiler-plugin:3.1:compile (default-compile) @ Refinement ---
[INFO] Nothing to compile - all classes are up to date
[INFO]
[INFO] --- maven-resources-plugin:2.6:testResources (default-testResources) @ Refinement ---
[INFO] Using 'UTF-8' encoding to copy filtered resources.
[INFO] skip non existing resourceDirectory C:\Users\Комп\Documents\javaProjects\Refinement\src\test\resources
[INFO]
[INFO] --- maven-compiler-plugin:3.1:testCompile (default-testCompile) @ Refinement ---
[INFO] Nothing to compile - all classes are up to date
[INFO]
[INFO] --- maven-surefire-plugin:2.12.4:test (default-test) @ Refinement ---
[INFO] Surefire report directory: C:\Users\Комп\Documents\javaProjects\Refinement\target\surefire-reports

-------------------------------------------------------
 T E S T S
-------------------------------------------------------
Running org.example.AppTest
Tests run: 1, Failures: 0, Errors: 0, Skipped: 0, Time elapsed: 0.052 sec

Results :

Tests run: 1, Failures: 0, Errors: 0, Skipped: 0

[INFO]
[INFO] --- maven-jar-plugin:2.4:jar (default-jar) @ Refinement ---
[INFO] Building jar: C:\Users\Комп\Documents\javaProjects\Refinement\target\Refinement-1.0-SNAPSHOT.jar
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] BUILD SUCCESS
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------
[INFO] Total time:  35.456 s
[INFO] Finished at: 2020-10-06T12:04:09+03:00
[INFO] ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Updated
I've tried to launch JAR file from CLI and get the error:
Error: Could not find or load main class org.example.App
Caused by: java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: javafx/application/Application

Maybe I have to include JavaFX classes in the JAR file? I'm not sure if user's machine will have JavaFX installed, and I don't want to rely on this.
Also I've tried to rebuild the pom file as shown in Building a minimal JavaFX 11 application with Maven article. This new version also throws an error:
Exception in thread "main" java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: javafx/application/Application
        at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass1(Native Method)
        at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java:1016)
        at java.base/java.security.SecureClassLoader.defineClass(SecureClassLoader.java:151)
        at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.defineClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:825)
        at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.findClassOnClassPathOrNull(BuiltinClassLoader.java:723)
        at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClassOrNull(BuiltinClassLoader.java:646)
        at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:604)
        at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.ClassLoaders$AppClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoaders.java:168)
        at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:522)
        at org.example.Launcher.main(Launcher.java:5)
Caused by: java.lang.ClassNotFoundException: javafx.application.Application
        at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.BuiltinClassLoader.loadClass(BuiltinClassLoader.java:606)
        at java.base/jdk.internal.loader.ClassLoaders$AppClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoaders.java:168)
        at java.base/java.lang.ClassLoader.loadClass(ClassLoader.java:522)
        ... 10 more

Looks more verbose, but the essence is the same on my mind.
Checked PATH variable, it points to JavaFX lib folder.

A: To start a new JavaFX project, it's a good idea to visit this (brand new) website: https://start.gluon.io/. You will get a ZIP containing all the files and a README to get you started immediately.
For a basic app, deselect all "Gluon Features", "CloudLink" and "Attach".

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Founded under the umbrella of Kibar Group in 2008, Assan Gayrimenkul aims to become one of the key actors in the real estate development, investment, and management industries with the strength and experience it has gained thanks to its corporate structure. Assan Gayrimenkul's main activities include developing the Group's building plots, determining new areas of investment regarding real estate, purchasing real estate, keeping track of regulations and the legal process, developing final projects, and carrying them out.
Assan Gayrimenkul also operates the campuses where the important production facilities of Kibar Group are located, showing maximum effort to provide uninterrupted and efficient operational opportunities for the companies of the Group. Assan Gayrimenkul's mission is to add value to the community and to develop innovative and sustainable projects with functionality and aesthetics that exceed expectations. Embracing steady growth as a principle, Assan Gayrimenkul also continues its feasibility activities for projects that will be carried out in the future.


A Sister In Zion: Conference is COMING, Be Prepared!
Conference is COMING, Be Prepared!
I had a woman on German tour the other day that referred herself. She won't be home for another month but she really wanted to read the Book of Mormon. We could tell she didn't 100% agree with her present faith and she just lite up when we told her about the Book of Mormon.
We followed a prompting to talk to a young man on our way home. Now we are helping him prepare for a mission. He is SO excited to have more direction in his life.
Conference is just around the corner. Conference is like Christmas to me even though I don't get physical gifts I get the questions of my soul answered through a living day prophet, what better gift could you get? I always love to play a game where I take a question to general conference. If the prophet or one of the apostles don't answer it through the spirit than this isn't the true church. It is always answered. I know the Thomas S Monson is a prophet. He speaks in behave of Jesus Christ, who is our Savior and Redeemer. His and the Fathers purpose is for us to be happy here and to return to live with him again. I can't wait to be there with him.
I am also looking forward to the new transfer. So many wonderful sisters leaving including my trainee to CA for her outbound. :( But I can't wait to see the Sisters who are coming back to us, namely Sister Ma so I can hug her, and Sister Steenhock so I can ask her all about DC :) I love my mission, I love what he is making me into, I know he loves you, much more than I could.I hope you all prepare to listen to the prophet in just a few short weeks and have the questions of your soul answered.
In the name of Jesus Christ amen.


text:
Q: can't install ruby iconv gem: Failed to build gem native extension with ruby 2.0, but works with ruby 1.9.3 with the same command using the same line succeeded on ruby 193 but failed on ruby 200.
gem install iconv --platform=ruby -- --with-iconv-lib="C:/iconv/lib" --with-iconv-include="C:/iconv/include"

gets
ERROR: Error installing iconv:
ERROR: Failed to build gem native extension.

Cmd input and output (same line on 193 works, on 200 not):
https://gist.github.com/anonymous/f9cfbb65e5aef043242973f92fcb4f25

mkmf.log:
https://gist.github.com/anonymous/d270011e167dbcc68ec5670aefed269f

C:/iconv file list:
https://gist.github.com/anonymous/b2528168cfdade18815a12c002a64f16

Downloaded iconv from: (Complete package, except sources, version 1.9.2)
http://gnuwin32.sourceforge.net/packages/libiconv.htm

Notes:

*

*Searched the internet before asking, really good.

*looked at the mkmf.log, following the compilation lines, but could not understand the problem.

*I know iconv is deprecated and String encode can be used instead, but the code I'm running is not mine and I'm not allowed to edit it.


Global companies are getting compliance overload, especially when it comes to third party risks. As we have seen over the years, third-party risk management involves significant risks on anti-corruption, AML, fraud, sanctions, human trafficking and a host of other threats to a company's reputational standing.
But that is not all – you have to add cybersecurity to the list of third-party risk management issues. Why?
A global company conducting business with third parties may increase the risk of cybercriminals circumventing cyber protections through the third party. I know it sounds scary but the fact is that third parties could be the proverbial back door into a company resulting in a major cyber-attack and hack of company data.
Take for example the increasing use of the Internet of Things (IoT), the growing network of physical devices, vehicles, home appliances and other devices that contain software, sensors and network connectors to transmit and exchange data. In the absence of building cyber protections in these operations, a small vendor or contractor that deals with a global company may become a target for a cybercriminal. Once launched, the cybercriminal may be able to find his or her way into the global company's network and circumvent existing cybersecurity functions.
Global enterprises continue to interconnect endpoints, objects and platforms and expand the Internet beyond the existing definitions of a "network." Businesses are estimated to connect as many as 3 billion objects to the existing network and expanding past network devices and linking to the Internet to gather data, operate efficiently, automate and monitor business operations. The expansion of the Internet in this way could have a significant impact on overall economic growth and increased productivity.
The risk, however, is significant because IoT devices are generally unsecured and lack basic protections. As a result, IoT devices create substantial vulnerabilities, especially when a third party deploys an IoT device.
A recent Ponemon study found that only one-quarter of responding companies assessed, managed and monitored third-party cyber risks. (See Here for Study).
Global companies will eventually have to impose cybersecurity standards on their third parties, especially small and medium size businesses. Another study found that 55 percent of small businesses had been breached in the year 2016, and few small or mid-size organizations view cybersecurity as a major risk. (See Here for Study).
Small business involved in sensitive technologies and peripherals could be targeted as an easy access point to a financial institution or other major global company's operations – It is easy to imagine a cyberattack initiating through a small vendor's equipment that may provide an important function for a global business thereby circumventing elaborate cybersecurity protections.
Global company due diligence processes will need to address cybersecurity risks as part of initial screening, risk analysis and contracting steps. IoT security issues will need to be identified and third parties will have to meet basic cybersecurity requirements.


The Envato Network is a great marketplace known by huge numbers of people. This December you can grab the December's Free File of the Month which is designed by DeltaForce. The free file includes a stylish and clean set of modern backgrounds. There are 20 super amazing nice abstract backgrounds with high resolution (4000×3000 pixels).
Enjoy and find it useful for your commercial or non-commercial but you may not use the file in multiple projects unless you purchase licenses.
A month ago, I was working on a brand identity project together with Daniel Keller. He is a music producer, blogger & audiogadget lover from Switzerland, who is also the owner of this project :D. I'm so happy that after long brainstorming process, the re-brand of Danielku logo is finally here.
The idea was to bring a simple logo that correlates to Danielku slogan: "Music in Colors". As a start we think of a colorful music note. There were some facts to develop the basic concept into raw sketches: Daniel loves house/electro/dance musics and he produces music with drumpads.
We tried to deliver the design concept with different arrangement of type, slogan text and the illustration part of the logo. Nevertheless, the music note could be very much closer to the basic idea compared to all which had been brought on using raw sketches. So we were focusing more to it.
We made some alternatives for the head, stem and the flag of the music note. Some questions noted, such as: how the color would be shown on the music note's head? Should the music note be better appearing in Y axis or arranged diagonally? Where is to put the music note? The right proportion of it? We were also experimenting with the current logo trends: 'varidots', sequential layer of shapes, and also mosaic technique.
In the next stage, we went back to the main root, and start thinking about another possibility to combine the colored music note idea with the electro music vibes concept. It could be colorful, and playful at the same time. "Tetris" game was the great inspiration as it represents the digital lifestyle. Daniel gave a helpful feedback at this stage, that a colorful pixelated music is a great descriptive concept to develop, simple illustration and we've been hoping this concept can also be flexible to deliver its visual message behind the brand attributes.
This stage was a bit tricky. We tried to use several fonts and the colors for the texts as well. I designed a set of custom vector font for this logo by the way. But for technical reason, we have dropped the design and we decided to use Advent Bold for the main text and Advent Regular for the slogan text.
The refining process didn't take too much time. Because the logo stays simple from the beginning. The important part is to make this logo works good in all kinds of media (web & print) and in black/white version.
If you want to see some more details about the Danielku logo, and with better presentation graphics of course. You can visit my Behance portfolio page.
Recently we've made another version to fit the 'ActiveDen' marketplace environment. We selected two font characters that can symbolized Flash ActionScript, which are 'd' and '<' ~ so both characters create Daniel's initial.
But we are here not only to talk about how energizing to have few cups of coffee in your daily creative activities, because I also wanna share 10 color palettes from COLOURlovers ... and it's Coffee Time!
Hello! I come back again with another Free Design Box files. A set of Folder Menu Tabs in PSD file format.
The set includes 10 different sizes and 10 gradient variations menu tabs. They are sleek, and there's a shading effect layer for each tab.
You will have multi-layered and well arranged menu tab vector shapes based on color choices.
PSD file example (demo) to use the folder-like menu tabs is also available. Therefore you can set a box under the default state of it, along with the shading shape for each tab. I use Arial font for the demo file.
All of Graphic Identity's 'Free Design Box' files are FREE (for personal or commercial use). But please read: Legal Usage to employ Graphic Identity's 'Free Design Box' files before you decide to download the files.
Just few weeks ago, I added a TweetMeme Button to Graphic Identity Blog post. As you know already, that Twitter has became a big community to exchange links about latest news, pictures, blip of songs, and of course a blog post. These exchange is made happened by some ReTweet actions chain.
If you have a particular blog and you are familiar enough with this ReTweet term (or you can make it short as "RT"), then you may want to know about how to add a TweetMeme ReTweet Button to your blog post. It will track the number of RTs made for each blog post.
Actually the instruction to install the TweetMeme Button is clearly stated on Tweetmeme Help page. But I just want to let you know that I've combined several codes all together, so you will know that it is a fully customized TweetMeme RT button.
First of all, let's try to understand some options that make TweetMeme button as a smart RT add on for you blog.
By default the RT button will direct you in the format of "RT [@tweetmeme] [blog post title] [link]". If you want to see different format as if the RT comes after you, just change 'talktweetmeme' with your own Twitter username. This is pretty good because not only your blog post is spread out via RTs chain, but the other Twitter users can check your Twitter profile when someone RT your blog post and probably become your new follower :).
Wordpress CMS users won't find any difficulties with coding to install this add on, because TweetMeme has provided a TweetMeme Button Wordpress plugin.
The last options to complete the customization steps could be the button styling. Some of you may like a compact button. For that you just need to include the code above. Don't include this code if you want more bigger button.
Here is another tutorial, written by AllBlogTools.com to style your TweetMeme button if you are a New Blogger Blogspot user.
If you wanna know where your TweetMeme code is supposed to be added in New Blogger Template? Just visit this Anshul Dudeja's tutorial post to find out.
I hope you will find this tutorial useful and a RT is much appreciated! ;) Have a lovely weekend everyone!
Pen Tool is a powerful tool in Photoshop that every designer should master. It is not difficult to understand how this tool work, but it would challenge most of us in its practical uses. Here are some resources links that may help you to figure out some Pen Tool tricks and its best practices for your creative design.
A simple PDF file cheatsheet that shows how easy Adobe's Pen Tool to be used across Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign (CS2/CS3) .
A very quick tutorial for pathing out a simple object from its background.
A very comprehensive tutorial that has many visual examples, tips, best practices and instructions about Pen Tool. You'll find explanations of functions, keyboard shortcuts, cursors, mouse & keyboard controls and option to use Pen Tool. The tutorial also provides you the downloadable Pen Tool Exercise file so you can follow the guides to create precise paths, using the hints and shortcuts covered in this article.
It is a well explained basic Peen Tool tutorial. The tutorial shows you how to create simple shapes with the help of Grid and snapping in your work canvas.
In the end you'll learn how to cut out an image with the pen tool and then creating custom shapes from the work path.
I've been using "Shiny" theme for months. It is a theme provided in Gmail theme settings, which has glossy Web 2.0 style design in every corner of it. But then I want to see something different, because I always checking my Gmail everytime I'm online, I thought it would be a great idea to create my own Gmail theme in simplified look. I wanted to have custom Gmail theme that has similar color schemes as my Twitter background. A Dark grey-scale theme with soft green color in some parts.
When you hover on some parts of Gmail section boxes with your mouse, you'll see a tiny button in every corner of each box. Click the tiny arrow so you can see the Color pickers in a drop-down tray.
Click on the image to make it larger!
I assume you've registered to Twitter, and please do sign up if you haven't.
Once you're logged in, find the search box on the right sidebar and type your username after the "@" character. For an easy example, I'm gonna use this query: @your_username.
Save the search query by clicking the green button on the top of your tweets updates section.
Twitter will confirm this and you can also check your Saved Searches section at Twiter web sidebar to make sure that you have saved your search query using your own Twitter username.
You can remove this saved search later if you don't need it anymore.
I only just click the "Refresh" link (you see I have 4 new replies right there) and there it goes, Twitter web will show the real-time replies of @graphicidentity.
Keep your window browser active and Twitter will generate numbers of real-time results whenever there are any new updates coming up. Trending Topics seemed having better example to understand how this thing works, as you'll see the number of real-time results keep growing and growing within secs.
I also use Twitter real-time search result to find out how many Twepls who has tweeted my latest blog post. I included my blog post title on my saved searches for this. You can also do the same thing for any search queries to track them just in case you want to get fresh news, trending topics, tweeted conversations, hashtags or to follow your most favorite Twitter mate's latest tweets if you need.
Have fun to explore this new Twitter feature and have a great weekend everyone!


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text:
Q: Pthread runtime errors I'm having trouble debugging the following program I wrote. The idea is to have two seperate threads; one thread executes a 5 second countdown while the other waits for key input from the user. Whichever thread completes first should cancel the sibling thread and exit the program. However, the following code just hangs.
Any help would be appreciated, but I would be most grateful for an explanation as to the problem.
#include <pthread.h>
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>
#include <unistd.h> // For sleep()

#define NUM_THREADS 2

// The stuct to be passed as an argument to the countdown routine
typedef struct countdown_struct {
pthread_t *thread;
signed int num_secs;
} CountdownStruct;

// Struct for passing to the input wait routine
typedef struct wait_struct {
pthread_t *thread;
int *key;
} WaitStruct;

// Countdown routine; simply acts as a timer counting down
void * countdown(void *args)
{
CountdownStruct *cd_str = (CountdownStruct *)args;
signed int secs = cd_str->num_secs;
printf("Will use default setting in %d seconds...", secs);
while (secs >= 0)
{
    sleep(1);
    secs -= 1;
    printf("Will use default setting in %d seconds...", secs);
}

// Cancel the other struct
pthread_cancel(*(cd_str->thread));
return NULL;
}

// Waits for the user to pass input through the tty
void * wait_for_input(void *args)
{
WaitStruct *wait_str = (WaitStruct *) args;
int c = 0;
do {
    c = getchar();
} while (!(c == '1' || c == '2'));
*(wait_str->key) = c;

// Cancel the other thread
pthread_cancel(*(wait_str->thread));
return NULL;
}

int main(int argc, char **argv)
{
pthread_t wait_thread;
pthread_t countdown_thread;
pthread_attr_t attr;
int key=0;
long numMillis=5000;
int rc=0;
int status=0;

// Create the structs to be passe as paramaters to both routines
CountdownStruct *cd_str = (CountdownStruct *) malloc(sizeof(CountdownStruct));
if (cd_str == NULL)
{
    printf("Couldn't create the countdown struct. Aborting...");
    return -1;
}
cd_str->thread = &wait_thread;
cd_str->num_secs = 5;

WaitStruct *wait_str = (WaitStruct *) malloc(sizeof(WaitStruct));
if (wait_str == NULL)
{
    printf("Couldn't create the iput wait struct. Aborting...");
    return -1;
}
wait_str->thread = &countdown_thread;
wait_str->key = &key;

// Create the joinable attribute
pthread_attr_init(&attr);
pthread_attr_setdetachstate(&attr, PTHREAD_CREATE_JOINABLE);

// Create both threads
rc = pthread_create(&countdown_thread, &attr, countdown, (void *) cd_str);
if (rc) { printf("Error with the thread creation!"); exit(-1); }
rc = pthread_create(&wait_thread, &attr, wait_for_input, (void *) wait_str);
if (rc) { printf("Error with the thread creation!"); exit(-1); }

// Destroy the pthread_attribute
pthread_attr_destroy(&attr);

// now join on the threads and wait for main
pthread_join(wait_thread, NULL);
pthread_join(countdown_thread, NULL);

// Call pthread_exit
pthread_exit(NULL);

// Free the function structs
free(cd_str);
free(wait_str);
}

A: Getchar is not required to be a cancellation point.    Select and pselect are.  Even if you want to continue to use a countdown thread you could still provide a cancellation point in the opposing thread by use of select.
I had reasonable behavior with the following modified wait_for_input()
    // Waits for the user to pass input through the tty
    void * wait_for_input(void *args)
    {
      WaitStruct *wait_str = (WaitStruct *) args;
      int c = 0;
      fd_set  readFds;
      int numFds=0;
      FD_ZERO(&readFds);

      do {
        struct timeval timeout={.tv_sec=8,.tv_usec=0};
        /* select here is primarily to serve as a cancellation
         * point.  Though there is a possible race condition
         * still between getchar() getting called right as the
         * the timeout thread calls cancel.().
         * Using the timeout option on select would at least
         * cover that, but not done here while testing.
         *******************************************************/
        FD_ZERO(&readFds);
        FD_SET(STDOUT_FILENO,&readFds);
        numFds=select(STDOUT_FILENO+1,&readFds,NULL,NULL,&timeout);
        if(numFds==0 )
        {
          /* must be timeout if no FD's selected */
          break;
        }
        if(FD_ISSET(STDOUT_FILENO,&readFds))
        {
          printf("Only get here if key pressed\n");
          c = getchar();
        }
      } while (!(c == '1' || c == '2'));
      *(wait_str->key) = c;
      // Cancel the other thread
      pthread_cancel(*(wait_str->thread));
      return NULL;
    }


On the day of Diwali, bodies abode diyas central and alfresco their homes and adjure to Goddess Lakshmi for abundance and prosperity. Before Diwali, the nights are aphotic but on the bristles canicule of this advantageous festival, the aphotic nights accord way to diyas or kandils, authoritative the absolute anniversary memorable. Diwali is basically a bristles canicule acclaimed anniversary which begins from Dhanteras, Naraka Chaturdasi, Padva and ends on Bhai Dooj day. Diwali anniversary signifies the achievement of ablaze over darkness. ALSO READ: Diwali 2016 Date & Significance: When is Diwali? Why is Diwali Celebrated? What is Anniversary of Lights?
Whatsapp reads: Be affectionate and acceptable to everyoneStay adored and accomplish activity worthWish you a Adored Lakshmi PoojanIn your life, may beatitude booty birth.
Whatsapp reads: May goddess Lakshmi ample your lifeWith health, abundance and abandon tooMay this Lakshmi Poojan bringEverything blithe aloof for you.
Whatsapp reads: Wish you a adored Lakshmi PoojanMay accompany and ancestors be consistently nearMaa Lakshmi will booty careOf anniversary botheration and every fear.Have a abundant Lakshmi Poojan.
Whatsapp reads: May maa absolve youWith beatitude all the year through!Wishing you a adored Laxmi Puja.
Whatsapp reads: On this advantageous break of Laxmi PujaI ambition you are adored with abundance and success by Ma Kali.Happy Laxmi Puja.
Whatsapp reads: Maa Lakshmi is sending your wayHappiness and abundance this dayPray, adoration and be with the divineAnd aggregate will, aloof be fine.Happy Lakshmi Poojan.
Whatsapp reads: Good thoughts, candied wordsLakshmi poojan is an advantageous dayToday I ask Goddess LakshmiTo accelerate a bare cheque your way.Happy Lakshi Poojan.
Whatsapp reads: Fortunate is the oneWho has abstruse to admire,But not to envy.Good wishes for a blissful Laxmi Puja,With a affluence of accord and prosperity.
Related Post "The Latest Trend In Crying Eyes Images For Whatsapp Dp"


text:
Q: Use variable to SELECT records in a recordset I am trying to select records from an Access table using a String variable from the result of a ComboBox selection.  I have confirmed the variable (zBEN) contains the correct data when selected.  If I manually enter the data in the WHERE part of the statement it works perfectly.  If I use zBEN it crashes - I get an error if I don't use the single quotes and I get an empty record set if I use the quotes.  The error is 3061, Too few parameters. Expected 1.  This error is usually a data type mismatch or incorrect field name.
Private Sub cmdDisplayMembers_Click()
'this displays a record in the dataset - from button click
Dim dbsContacts As DAO.Database
Dim rcdContacts As DAO.Recordset
Dim conArray As Variant              'this is the record array
Dim intArraySize As Integer         'array size
Dim iCtr As Integer                 'counter
Dim zBEN As Variant
Dim zName, strSQL  As String
zBEN = Me.cbxMembersList

Set dbsContacts = CurrentDb
'this statement works: (and has the combobox value manually entered
strSQL = "SELECT * FROM tblMember_Contact where id_members = '201208FEAR' ORDER BY id_members"
'this statement gives an error 3061, 1:
'strSQL = "SELECT * FROM tblMember_Contact where id_members = zBEN ORDER BY id_members"
'this statement gives an empty record set
'strSQL = "SELECT * FROM tblMember_Contact where id_members = 'zBEN' ORDER BY id_members"

Set rcdContacts = dbsContacts.OpenRecordset(strSQL)
If Not rcdContacts.EOF Then
    rcdContacts.MoveFirst              'start the counter at Row #1
    intArraySize = rcdContacts.RecordCount
    iCtr = 1
    ReDim conArray(10)

    Do Until rcdContacts.EOF
        conArray(iCtr) = rcdContacts.Fields("member_info")
        Debug.Print "Item: "; iCtr & " " & conArray(iCtr)

        iCtr = iCtr + 1
        rcdContacts.MoveNext
    Loop
MsgBox ("Error no records")
End If

If IsObject(rcdContacts) Then Set rcdContacts = Nothing
txtCon1 = conArray(1)
txtCon2 = conArray(2)
MsgBox (zBEN)
End Sub

A: Enclose the criteria in quotes if it's a string. i.e.
strSQL = "SELECT * FROM tblMember_Contact where id_members = '" & zBEN & "' ORDER BY id_members"

A: You can concatenate the variable's value instead of its name into the SQL statement text as Wayne already suggested:
strSQL = "SELECT * FROM tblMember_Contact where id_members = '" & zBEN & "' ORDER BY id_members"

But if you switch to a parameter query approach, you needn't bother about the quotes:
strSQL = "SELECT * FROM tblMember_Contact where id_members = [which_id] ORDER BY id_members"
Dim qdf As DAO.QueryDef
Set qdf = dbsContacts.CreateQueryDef(vbNullString, strSQL )
qdf.Parameters("which_id").Value = Me!cbxMembersList.Value
Set rcdContacts = qdf.OpenRecordset()


The default dashboard acts as the landing page for the new Tenable.io interface. You can set any dashboard as the default dashboard. If you do not set a default dashboard, Tenable.io uses the Tenable-provided Vulnerability Management Overview dashboard as the default.
When you set a dashboard as default, a star appears on the icon in the dashboard name and header.
The dashboard summary plane appears.
In the Actions section, click the button .
Note: You may have to log out and log back in to see the updated default dashboard.
Roll over the name of the dashboard you want to select as the default.
Action buttons appear next to the highlighted dashboard name.
Note: If you delete a dashboard set as default, the Tenable-provided Vulnerability Management Overview dashboard becomes the default. .


Our Headquarters and main consulting venue are located on the "Copley Hill Business Park" which is located on the A1307 south west of Cambridge, between Babraham and Cambridge.
The business park entrance is well signposted in both directions of the A1307. The A1307 is just off the M11 and runs through Cambridge. Please park in the spaces directly opposite the building.
The main entrance to our offices is located at the front of the building and is wheel chair accessible. Our reception is located on the ground floor.
The closest train station is Cambridge Rail Station, take a bus to the Addenbrookes Hospital bus stop, then transfer to a south bound (Haverhill direction) bus. The business park is located just after the Gog Magog Hills on the left hand side. Please note that there is not a dedicated bus stop and you may have to request a stop.
For assistance in planning your public transport journey, you may wish to contact the Cambridge City Council Passenger Transport Service on 0845 045 0675.
Corazon Health is unable to provide information on bus timetables or routes.
Should you require assistance during a visit to our head office in relation to a disability please contact us in advance to receive further information regarding facilities and access routes.


The police believe a seven-year-old girl was a victim of sexual violation and are treating her death as a homicide case.
The girl was admitted at the T.T.M. Moto'otua hospital and on September 9 the police were advised of her death by the hospital.
A post-mortem has been ordered for the deceased, the police said in response to questions from the Samoa Observer.
A statement issued recently by the police media unit indicated that the criminal investigation division in Apia is investigating the crime which occurred in Safa'i on Savai'i.
"It is believed she is a victim of sexual violation and police have applied for coronial enquiries to be undertaken to confirm any criminal acts. Police investigations are continuing," the police said.
The police are also investigating the case of a three-year-old who suffered a bullet wound injury last week. The bullet wound was from a single shot rifle.
According to the police statement, preliminary investigation indicates that a 48-year-old man was shooting chicken when one of the bullets hit concrete and ricocheted hitting the child.


We're big fans of Craig David here at LUKE HQ. So when we got wind of him visiting the Spotify offices to take part in their On The Spot feature, we couldn't wait to get our hands on the video.
For you beady eyed viewers, you might notice Craig wearing our Oak Park camo blazer.


text:
#if GOOGLE_CUDA

#define EIGEN_USE_GPU

#include <algorithm>
#include <array>
#include <limits>
#include <utility>

#include "tensorflow/core/kernels/conv_2d.h"
#include "tensorflow/core/kernels/conv_2d_gpu.h"

namespace tensorflow {

namespace functor {

template struct SwapDimension1And2InTensor3<Eigen::GpuDevice, uint32>;
template struct SwapDimension0And2InTensor3<Eigen::GpuDevice, uint32>;

}  // namespace functor
}  // namespace tensorflow

#endif  // GOOGLE_CUDA

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Users' data should be under the control of the user who authored it. MessageGuard is a tool that allows for ubiquitous encryption of data accross the web. This allows users to share their information safely without worrying that unintended viewers, including the service providers, might see it.
Message Guard is also a framework for exploring what are the best ways to encrypt messages on the web. Researchers can use this framework to test out new systems and find what is best for users.
This repository is maintained by the Internet Security Research Lab. We are open to collaboration with anyone that would like to increase the functionality of Message Guard.
For questions or comments contact Scott Ruoti ruoti@isrl.byu.edu.


text:
domingo, diciembre 21, 2008
Adventurous choral music
Recent weeks have given us a wealth of offbeat choral music with two high points: the revival after decades of negligence of two valuable twentieth-century scores: Arthur Honegger´s "Le Roi David" ("King David") and Benjamin Britten´s "Saint Nicolas".
I have cherished Honegger´s symphonic psalm ever since I first heard it live conducted by Albert Wolff in 1953. In 1956 I bought the version conducted by the composer; since then I obtained Leopold Hager´s excellent CD and heard it twice more in concert; but now it has been absent for almost three decades. It was high time for the audience to renew its acquaintance with this masterpiece written in 1921 when the composer was 29. Based on a drama by René Morax, it was initially conceived as a biblical drama or sacred opera but was soon transformed into an oratorio. There were two versions: the first had an orchestra of 23 player according to Zadoff´s notes, but the composer in his recording says they were 17; the second, a full orchestra. I had always heard the latter, but Néstor Zadoff, the conductor of this revival, chose the former and it was very interesting, although he further reduced the 23 or 17 to only 14, combining winds with percussion, alternated piano and organ and only two strings, cello and bass. The sound was stringent and salutary, providing quite enough support to the big (84-strong) veteran but fine-sounding Grupo Coral Divertimento. I take exception to the cuts Zadoff made, for after so much time we were entitled to hear the whole thing, and anyway it isn´t long; it lasted almost an hour with Zadoff, it lasts 66 minutes with Hager and no less than 79 with the composer conducting! Practical reasons may have led to the elimination of the contralto´s song of the handmaiden, but he also cut the choral Song of Praise and the psalm "In my distress". Nevertheless I hugely enjoyed the occasion, especially in the biggest number, the Dance before the Ark, which builds to a grandiose climax, and the final alleluias of pure "Bachian" beauty.
The choral and orchestral interpretation was very convincing. The Narrator (an innovation) was the excellent Augusto Morales, quite expressive and with perfect French diction. The very correct though not intense enough tenor was Ricardo González Dorrego, and soprano Rebeca Nomberto recovered from a weak start and went on to well-voiced melismas. The Witch of Endor was voiced with raucous, agonic projection by María Rosa Chiaravalloti.
I was present at the premiere of "Saint Nicolas" in our city: it was offered in 1954 by that wonderful institution, the Asociación de Conciertos de Cámara, conducted by Washington Castro. Since then I´ve been hoping for its revival (if there was one I missed it). It is a 50-minute cantata written in 1948 on the life of Saint Nicolas, converted later into Santa Claus, with an adequate text concocted by Eric Crozier. It assembles a mixed choir, a children´s choir and a chamber orchestra reinforced with organ and four-hand piano. Britten´s music is admirably fresh and varied, of course tonal, and it shows again his empathy with the sound of children. Premiered (and recorded) at the Aldeburgh Festival with Peter Pears as Saint Nicolas, it is the recording to have.
There were three performances in diverse venues; I heard the third at the church of Saint Ignatius, the oldest in BA. The subway strike and one of the habitual protests at the nearby Plaza 25 de Mayo led to an unconscionable delay of 70 minutes, but there was also bad planning: the local priest was still saying mass at 8,15 p.m. when the concert was announced at 8 p.m… Nevertheless I enjoyed this reencounter after so many years, for the combined Coro Polifónico Nacional (Roberto Luvini) and Coro Nacional de Niños (Vilma Gorini de Teseo) were quite good (the kids a bit overwhelmed in sound by the adults) and the competent ad-hoc orchestra (18-strong) were all led by Luvini with a clear hand . The weak link was tenor Pablo Travaglino, who doesn´t have the means for such a exposed part, although he read the music accurately.
Now to famous waters with Joseph Haydn´s mighty oratorio "The Creation" ("Die Schöpfung") offered at the Facultad de Derecho by Pedro Calderón leading the Coro Polifónico Nacional (Luvini) and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional, both in fine shape. The three Archangels were sung superbly by Soledad de la Rosa (Gabriel) and quite well by González Dorrego (Uriel) and Marcos Nicastro (Raphael), and in the last part Norberto Marcos was a fine Adam and Silvina Sadoly a well-sung but rather pale Eva. Calderón showed again his versatility and conducted with command.
It was nice meeting Juan Pedro Esnaola´s 1826 Mass for four voices. The score was found by Juan Florentino La Moglie and transcribed by Norberto Broggini and this was the premiere of this pioneer Argentine sacred score written in the Italian style at only 18-years- old. As the Mass is incomplete they added a Benedictus from his still earlier Requiem and in place of the Agnus Dei the motet "Agnus innocens". All the interpreters were good, though soprano Elena López Jáuregui and tenor Carlos Ullán were more sonorous than tenor Pablo Pollitzer and bass Walter Schwarz. La Moglie conducted with professional acumen the Cappella Vocale and the Orchestra "Proyecto Esnaola". The venue was the very full Cathedral.
martes, diciembre 02, 2008
The everlasting magic of Mozartian opera
One of the main trends of the last thirty years has been the steady increase of Mozartian opera. In particular the Da Ponte trilogy and "The Magic Flute" have become quite as popular as "La Boheme" or "La Traviata". I believe this has to do with many factors: the eternal appeal of the composer´s music; his uncanny psychological penetration; the excellence of Da Ponte´s libretti who make for excellent theatre; the high degree of professionalism and training of contemporary singers; the historicist tendencies; the relative lower cost of stagings as compared to full-scale operas.
It doesn´t mean, however, that the world of Mozartian opera is free from the current plague of preposterous productions. The most recent batch, however, has avoided the worst pitfalls, especially the transposition in time to the present or the gross lapses into obscenity.
Buenos Aires Lírica (BAL) has given us "Don Giovanni" and Juventus Lyrica (JL) "The Marriage of Figaro" ("Le nozze di Figaro"), both at the Avenida. There were good points in both, though I incline to the latter for the best all-round effort.
In BAL there was one crucial casting mistake, the Giovanni, and some misguided markings from the Italian producer, Rita De Letteriis, but most of the evening was reasonably satisfying though it never delivered the special Mozartian magic alluded to in the title of this review. De Letteriis had a resonant debut in this city with her quite good Monteverdi "L´incoronazione di Poppea"). Mozart seems to agree less with her. There were an astonishing number of "non sequiturs" where she simply seemed not to have read the libretto and the singing actors seemed too often at sea in their relationships. There was nowhere as much fun as the libretto contains, and in the dramatic side there were ludicrous moments such as the totally unconvincing fall into Hell of Giovanni. On the other hand she kept to the Mozartian period.
In any production the stage and costumes designers follow the producer´s lead and if he/she is wrong, so quite often are they. I found the reticulated backdrop by Santiago Elder quite beautiful, the redeeming element of an otherwise minimalist staging that didn´t evoke the various ambits called for, and the stage props were at times absurd. Eduardo Lerchundi is a talented veteran costume designer and some of them were very attractive, but not Giovanni´s, who never looked like an aristocrat.
I said before that the Giovanni was miscast; indeed, Gustavo Ahualli, an Argentine who´s having a career in the USA, showed a serviceable voice, no more, with little insinuation and beauty, and as an actor was much too vulgar. Hernán Iturralde, usually excellent, seemed constrained by the producer: he sang well but with less humor than he showed in other circumstances, and acted rather stiffly. The outstanding artist was Carlos Ullán, who, although he exaggerated the recitatives, interpreted with sterling quality his two arias. Ricardo Ortale did with stalwart authority the "Commendatore", the stone guest. Gustavo Zahnstecher sang nicely as Masetto.
The best of the ladies was Carla Filipcic Holm as Donna Anna; her voice has grown a lot, and although there was some stridency in "Or sai chi l´onore", she found her stride afterwards. Andrea Nazarre was a late replacement for Gabriela Ceaglio as Donna Elvira, so she was comprehensibly nervous; quite young and with little experience, this tough role is still beyond her but she has good qualities. Ana Laura Menéndez sang correctly as Zerlina, but with little charm and innuendo.
Carlos Vieu showed his accustomed firmness and musicality as the conductor of a good orchestra, and the choir under Juan Casasbellas was correct. I was sorry that Elvira´s "Mi tradì" was cut, I suppose because of the replacement. Naturally the Avenida´s stage doesn´t have space for the three "orchestrinas" at the close of the First act, so the polyrhythms and stereophonies of that fragment went for nothing.
I found producer Ana D´Anna´s approach to "The Marriage of Figaro" quite refreshing. She narrated with ease, kept the story clear even in the intrincate Garden Scene and stuck to the original setting in time and place; I only object an excess of sexual play and slaps. The stage designs by Raúl Bongiorno were excellent, both beautiful, in style and functional, and the costumes by María Jaunarena showed a growing maturity.
Antonio Russo was an impeccable conductor, of perfect tempi and phrasing, and got the best out of the very professional orchestra. Pleasant work from the Chorus (Miguel Pesce). The cast I saw (there were three) had the special interest of the local debut of Chilean soprano Macarena Valenzuela as the Countess; I would call it a triumph, for she has a fine lyrical voice capable of much shade and very well used; also she looks right for the part. The very charming Laura Penchi was a vital, very physical Susanna and sang with much stamina and line, only faulted in the lowest notes. The Cherubino of Cecilia Pastawski was delightful in every way, and also moving. A well-sung Marcellina from Lara Mauro, a coquette Barbarina from Mariana Mederos and agreeable Peasants (Silvana Gómez, Marcela Marina).
Marcelo Otegui gradually became a sparkling Figaro, though the voice is impersonal. Fernando Grassi was a correct Count; I expected more from him. Barely acceptable Leandro Sosa (Don Bartolo), good Santiago Bürgi (Basilio), Sebastián Russo (Curzio) and Claudio Rotella (Antonio).


text:
import numpy as np
from numpy.testing import assert_array_equal
from nose.tools import with_setup

from landlab import RasterModelGrid

def setup_unit_grid():
    globals().update({
        '_RMG': RasterModelGrid(4, 5)
    })

def setup_grid():
    globals().update({
        '_RMG': RasterModelGrid(4, 5, 12.)
    })

@with_setup(setup_unit_grid)
def test_unit_spacing():
    lengths = _RMG._calculate_link_length()
    assert_array_equal(lengths, np.ones(31))

@with_setup(setup_grid)
def test_non_unit_spacing():
    assert_array_equal(_RMG._calculate_link_length(),
                       _RMG.node_spacing * np.ones(31))

@with_setup(setup_grid)
def test_link_length():
    assert_array_equal(_RMG.link_length, 12 * np.ones(31))

@with_setup(setup_grid)
def test_active_link_length():
    assert_array_equal(_RMG.active_link_length, 12 * np.ones(17))


text:
define(['idle-timeout', 'util'], (idleTimeout, util) => {
  function getSettingsAddress() {
    return util.datalabLink("/_usersettings");
  }

  function getSettingKeyAddress(setting) {
    return util.datalabLink("/_usersettings?key=" + setting);
  }

  function init() {
    // Prepare the theme selector radio boxes
    const lightThemeRadioOption = document.getElementById("lightThemeRadioOption");
    const darkThemeRadioOption = document.getElementById("darkThemeRadioOption");

    // Prepare the timeout box
    const idleTimeoutTextBox = document.getElementById("idleTimeoutIntervalTextBox");
    const idleTimeoutUpdateButton = document.getElementById("idleTimeoutUpdateButton");
    const idleTimeoutErrorLabel = document.getElementById("idleTimeoutErrorLabel");

    // By default, check the light theme radio button
    // TODO: When we have support for default settings on server side, remove this
    lightThemeRadioOption.checked = true;
    darkThemeRadioOption.checked = false;

    // Load the actual settings and populate the dialog
    util.xhr(getSettingsAddress(), function() {
      const settings = JSON.parse(this.responseText);
      lightThemeRadioOption.checked = (settings.theme === "light") || !settings.theme;
      darkThemeRadioOption.checked = settings.theme === "dark";
      idleTimeoutTextBox.value = settings.idleTimeoutInterval;
    });

    lightThemeRadioOption.onclick = function() {
      setTheme("light");
      darkThemeRadioOption.checked = false;
    };
    darkThemeRadioOption.onclick = function() {
      setTheme("dark");
      lightThemeRadioOption.checked = false;
    };

    idleTimeoutTextBox.onkeyup = function() {
      const newValue = idleTimeoutTextBox.value;
      const dryRun = true;
      setIdleTimeout(newValue, idleTimeoutUpdateButton, idleTimeoutErrorLabel, dryRun);
    };
    idleTimeoutUpdateButton.onclick = function() {
      const newValue = idleTimeoutTextBox.value;
      const dryRun = false;
      setIdleTimeout(newValue, idleTimeoutUpdateButton, idleTimeoutErrorLabel, dryRun);
    };
  }

  function setTheme(theme) {
    util.xhr(getSettingKeyAddress("theme") + "&value=" + theme, function() {
      // Reload the stylesheet by resetting its address with a random (time) version querystring
      sheetAddress = document.getElementById("themeStylesheet").href + "?v=" + Date.now()
      document.getElementById("themeStylesheet").setAttribute('href', sheetAddress);
    }, {method: 'POST'});
  }

  function setIdleTimeout(interval, button, errorLabel, dryRun) {
    button.disabled = true;   // disable until we know the syntax is OK
    errorLabel.innerText = '';
    const onOk = function() {
      button.disabled = false;
      idleTimeout.updateTimeoutInfo();
      if (!dryRun) {
        errorLabel.innerText = 'Idle timeout updated to ' + interval;
      }
    };
    const onError = function() {
      errorLabel.innerText = this.responseText;
    };
    const xhrUrl = getSettingKeyAddress("idleTimeoutInterval") +
        "&value=" + interval +
        (dryRun? "&dryRun=true" : "");
    const xhrOptions = {
      method: 'POST',
      errorCallback: onError,
    };
    util.xhr(xhrUrl, onOk, xhrOptions);
  }

  return {
    init: init,
  };
});