text:
Lagos plans new state-of-the-art museum
Ayodele
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos has unveiled plans by his administration to transform some landmark areas in the Marina and Onikan axis of the state into a world class one-stop recreation and tourism centre.
The Governor, who spoke at the Eko Hotels and Suites at the presentation of Museum Possibilities as well as the unveiling of the design for a new world class Museum on Monday, also disclosed that his administration will soon commence the construction of a brand new contemporary Museum as an integral part of its overall strategy to become self-sufficient and secure the future prosperity of the State.
He lamented that despite the fact that Nigeria is blessed with very rich culture and heritage, the culture and traditions upon which the social institutions and interactions are built have been neglected, saying youths do not have a strong appreciation of the nation's history over the years.
He said his administration decided to lead the process that would deliver a new world class Museum that would showcase the priceless treasures of Nigeria, adding that the project will be funded by the State Government and other well-meaning donors, interested organisations and individuals.
He said, "Every society must cherish its historical antecedents because they serve as source of inspiration for succeeding generations to discover, appreciate and take pride in their identity. It has become very imperative that we take a step back and revisit our history. It has become important that we renew efforts to preserve and protect our history and historical artefacts.
"This project will serve generations of Nigerians now and in the future. Our plan is to harness the potentials in our rich cultural heritage to drive tourism in Lagos State."
Aside from the plans for the new museum, the LASG also plans to revive the Museum in Onikan, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture especially the Minister, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
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Explaining the plans to transform the Onikan and Marina axis to a world class tourism and entertainment hub, Governor Ambode said that the Presidential Lodge, Marina which was recently handed over to the State by President Muhammadu Buhari, would be redeveloped into the Lagos Heritage Centre for Leadership.
He said, "In addition, the Lagos House also in Marina will be transformed into the Lagos Historical Centre. The JK Randle Arcade will be remodeled into a world class recreation/tourism centre. The New Museum will complement and be an important part of the structures being planned for this axis. We intend to regenerate this axis and the museum into an iconic structure that will invoke deep sense of pride in all Nigerians.
"This is the new possibility that is being presented to all stakeholders in the tourism sector and all Nigerians. On our part, our commitment is unshaken and we are eager to make this dream a reality within the shortest possible time. Given the mega city status of our State, we believe this is the right way to go in order to optimally harness the State's tourism potentials for wealth creation and sustainable growth."
Also speaking, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed commended the State Government's effort to create an enabling environment for tourism and the creative industry to thrive especially in the areas of security, light infrastructure and transportation.
He said the Federal Government has also set up a Presidential Special Committee of E-Business to improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria, especially in the area of visa issuance, so as to encourage investors, tourists and visitors coming into the country.
Among those who graced the occasion include the Oba of Lagos, HRM Rilwan Akiolu I, Obi f of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, Senator Ben Murray Bruce, Mr. Guy Bruce, veteran art aficionado, Mr. Bruce Onobrakpeya, art collector extraordinaire, Omoba Yemisi Shyllon, stakeholders in the creative industry, members of the diplomatic corp among others.
Ambode


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This project involved the architectural and layout design of an 8 bit RISC microprocessor capable of performing simple arithmetic operations and data transfer instructions. The final design is to fit in a 40 pin pad frame and not take up area greater than 2.5mm X 2.5mm. This project was the culmination of a semester long course in VLSI system design and involved utilizing all the skills and knowledge gained from the course.


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Q: Save rethrowing function as a non-throwing closure As far as I understand, rethrows essentially creates two functions from a single declaration/definition, like so:
func f(_ c: () throws -> Void) rethrows { try c()}

// has the same effect as declaring two seperate functions, with the same name:

func g(_ c: () throws -> Void) throws { try c() }
func g(_ c: () -> Void) { c() }

If I have a rethrowing function, like f, is there way to save it as a closure in it's "non-throwing" form? Hypothetically, like so:
let x: (() -> Void) -> Void = f
// invalid conversion from throwing function of type '(() throws -> Void) throws -> ()' to non-throwing function type '(() -> Void) -> Void'

x{ print("test") } // "try" not necessary, because x can't throw

A: Until someone comes up with a better solution: Use a wrapper
func f(_ c: () throws -> Void) rethrows { try c() }

let x: (() -> Void) -> Void = { f($0) }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Nicole C. Valco
nicole.valco@lw.com
Nicole Valco, a partner in the Complex Commercial Litigation Practice, advises market-leading companies on range of disputes in federal and state courts.
Ms. Valco has experience successfully litigating high-stakes cases through trial to verdict. Her practice covers a broad range of business disputes, including:
Consumer protection and unfair business practices
She has particular experience with clients in several industries, including technology, energy, pharmaceutical, retail, financial, and fitness industries.
Ms. Valco is an active member of the firm's Training and Career Enhancement Committee and serves on the Board of Governors of the Northern California chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers.
Ms. Valco's experience includes representing:
Medivation
Against a university professor who concealed, then sold, a billion-dollar oncology molecule. Obtained unanimous breach of contract jury verdict for this biopharmaceutical company, and the defendant paid all damages plus costs. (S.F. Superior)
In defense of the University of California's patent license lawsuit seeking additional royalties on sales of Medivation's blockbuster oncology drug. (S.F. Superior)
Deloitte & Touche in a putative securities class action and five separate mass actions alleging that Deloitte "participated or materially aided" certain securities sales by Aequitas Capital Management, in violation of the Oregon Securities Laws. (D. Or.)
Canopy Growth, the largest legal cannabis producer in North America, in a trademark infringement suit brought by Cointreau in the Southern District of New York. (S.D.N.Y.)
Marvell Semiconductor in a six-week trade secrets theft jury trial. The jury returned a complete defense verdict, which The Daily Journal recognized as the Top Defense Verdict of the year. (S.J. Superior)
PG&E as defendant in a two-month criminal trial and hundreds of related civil lawsuits. Successfully reduced PG&E's potential fine in the criminal case from US$1.14 billion to US$3 million. No individuals were indicted. (N.D. Cal.)
Apricus Biosciences against Laboratoires Majorelle in an antitrust, breach of contract, and fraud action over a patent license agreement. Obtained dismissal of all claims. (S.D.N.Y.)
Ovation Pharmaceuticals (now Lundbeck) in a merger-to-monopoly case in which the Federal Trade Commission sought divestiture and disgorgement of more than US$100 million. After trial, the district court entered judgment for Ovation on all claims. (D. Minn.) The district court's decision was affirmed by the Eighth Circuit.
A pioneering gene editing company in arbitration over a patent licensing dispute. Obtained favorable resolution.
SS&C, a financial technology company, in the pursuit of trade secret misappropriation claims in Illinois and Connecticut state courts against former employees charged with disseminating trade secrets to a competitor.
JD, Harvard Law School, 2008
AB, Dartmouth College, 2005
summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa
Intellectual Property Litigation /
Litigation & Trial /
Securities Litigation & Professional Liability /
Energy & Infrastructure /
Healthcare & Life Sciences /
December 23, 2020Recognition
For Second Consecutive Year, Latham Honored Among Top Cybersecurity & Privacy Groups
Firm's growing data privacy practice again selected by Law360 for a banner year steering complex litigation and regulatory matters.
Cybersecurity & Privacy Group of the Year: Latham & Watkins
Firm honored for the second consecutive year for its litigation and regulatory prowess, which in 2020 included narrowing a consolidated data breach class action from 16 plaintiffs to one and achieving a no-damages settlement.
October 22, 2018Recognition
GCR Again Ranks Antitrust Practice Among California's Elite
The publication cited peer firms who agreed, Latham is 'number one antitrust practice' in the state.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


CECA offers surfactants that can deliver various functions such as flotation agents for mineral purification.
Various minerals like potash (KCl), silica, phosphates, etc., have to be purified after mining by a direct or reverse flotation process.
Direct flotation helps extract the mineral itself which may be contained in small amounts of rinse water.
Reverse flotation helps extract undesirable impurities present in the ore.
Cationic and anionic surfactants are choice products for this type of process as they react selectively with silica, carbonates and potash, making them incompatible in the aqueous medium so that they may eventually be suitably separated.
With 60 years of experience in surfactants production and formulation, CECA has developed the flotation agent range Noram® and Melioran®.


text:
New York couple drowns in Costa Rica's Central Pacific region six days after their wedding
The Tico Times July 12, 2013 July 12, 2013
A recently married couple from New York drowned while on vacation in Costa Rica at a Central Pacific beach, with authorities blaming rip currents.
Bruce Loev, 55, and Ruth Rowe, 57, had come to Costa Rica to vacation after their wedding on July 4, according to a statement from Rowe's employer. Rowe was a teacher at Pawling Middle School, a town north of New York City, along the Connecticut border.
The Costa Rican Red Cross recovered the two bodies at Playa Linda in Quepos, reporting that witnesses told them rip currents were strong when the couple drowned.
William Ward, the Pawling school superintendent, praised Rowe in his statement.
"Ms. Rowe was known as a caring and dedicated teacher who was highly regarded by parents, students, and colleagues," he said.
Pay It Forward Movement With A Cup of Costa Rica Coffee
Dominicans freak out over Obama's gay ambassador pick


"This is going to sound arrogant, but my presence is charity. Just who I am. Just like Obama's is."
Yeah, it does sound pretty arrogant.
Those are the words that have people buzzing after Jay-Z's two-part, hour-long interview with RapRadar's Elliott Wilson. While Jay touched on everything from fatherhood to Magna Carta, it's his comments on charity that stand out as most telling and memorable.
Hov also said that while he and the rest of America should push Obama to accomplish more, his standing as the nation's first black president is good enough.
Left alone? Yikes. While the comments themselves appear to be fairly innocuous, Jay's insight proves to be dangerous and discouraging. Accepting Obama as a novelty and a precedent without expecting more action in office fosters a political mentality of settling. Not demanding any tangible improvement from Obama and keeping him "left alone" doesn't make him a very good black leader, let alone a good president. Jay's been a vocal proponent of Obama's two-term presidency, but just how much is his support worth if he doesn't challenge Obama or expect him to function the same as prior presidents? Simply taking Obama as a symbol of surface-level change doesn't institute change in places that need it, like Jay's old home in Brooklyn's Marcy Houses.
Those same places that need change apparently need to accept Jay-Z's presence alone as a tool for improvement, rather than, you know, his mammoth bank roll that continues to broach a billion dollars. Should Jay's sale of a million copies of Magna Carta before its physical release inspire disadvantaged youth? Should a broken community take solace in the fact that maybe one day they too can change Billboard's rules for platinum certification?
Jay comes out looking as shallow as his most recent album. We can only hope that these comments spur enough attention and controversy that he ups his charity work or inspire other minority celebrities to compensate for Jay's disappointing view toward social work. After all, Magna Carta is hard to relate to if you don't own a thousand tuxes and have a world-famous wife. Jay's "presence" is perhaps as out of whack as his views on charity are.


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For all your memory needs, you can count on TASSIA to supply you with excellent kit solutions all in one place in one go.
Source: TASSIA AND CO., LTD.


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Seren Cardiff Poetry Festival
Friday 2020
Sunday 2020
Seren-Cornerstone Poetry Festival 2019
The Meic Stephens Lecture: Kieron Smith on John Ormond
Location: Marble Hall
John Ormond's Organic Mosaic: Poetry, Documentary, Nation (Cardiff: University of Wales Press, 2019): In a uniquely dualistic creative career spanning five decades, John Ormond made major contributions to both English-language poetry and documentary filmmaking. Born in Swansea, he learned to 'think in terms of pictures' while working as a journalist in London, where he secured a job at the celebrated photojournalist magazine Picture Post. Employed later by the BBC in Cardiff during the early days of television, Ormond went on to become a pioneer in documentary film. This book is the first in-depth examination of the fascinating correspondences between Ormond's twin creative channels; viewing his work against the backdrop of a changing Wales, it constitutes an important case study in the history of documentary filmmaking, in the history of British television, and in the cultural history of Wales. In this talk, Smith will speak of Ormond's legacy and show short film clips of Ormond's work.
With reception.
£5, or £3 with concession
John Ormond: 1923 – 1990
John Ormond was born at Dunvant, and educated at University College, Swansea. After an early career as a print journalist he became an outstanding documentary film maker at BBC Wales in Cardiff, working with the fledgling news-service. In 1957 he became head of the BBC Welsh Film Unit where in due course he began his first documentaries. The success of Borrowed Pasture (1960), his portrait of two Polish exiles struggling to eke out a living on a derelict farm in Carmarthenshire, immediately established him as a film-maker. It is still regarded as a classic of its time. In 1961, he was appointed as a director and producer of documentary films, which would included studies of Ceri Richards, Kyffin Williams, Dylan Thomas, Alun Lewis and R. S. Thomas.
Ormond 'returned' to poetry in the mid-1960s, publishing in the periodical, Poetry Wales. His first major volume, Requiem and Celebration, was published in 1969. His reputation was enhanced in 1973 by the appearance of Definition of a Waterfall and his inclusion in Penguin Modern Poets. His Collected Poems, edited by Rian Evans, with an Introduction by Patrick McGuinness appeared from Seren in 2015. John Ormond's Organic Mosaic is the new book by scholar Kieron Smith who features in this year's festival.
Meic Stephens: 1938-2018
Meic Stephens was one of the most productive and influential figures in Welsh writing in English. After a few years teaching in Ebbw Vale, and one as a journalist in Cardiff, in 1967 he joined the newly designated  Welsh Arts Council, which he served as literature director for 23 years. He had no background in arts administration, but in the early 1960s, while still teaching, he had established his own publishing imprint, the Triskel Press, and in 1965 launched Poetry Wales magazine.
Under his editorship Poetry Wales was committed to the causes of Welsh nationhood, the Welsh language and building bridges between what were then known as Anglo-Welsh writers and those who wrote in the senior language of Wales. It became the principal vehicle of "the second flowering" of Welsh writing in English (the first having been in the 1930s). Among the new voices it introduced in the late 1960s and 70s were Gillian Clarke and Robert Minhinnick; it also resuscitated lapsed talents such as those of John Ormond, Leslie Norris and Harri Webb, bringing them to impressive maturity.
Kieron Smith
Dr Kieron Smith completed his PhD on the poetry and films of John Ormond at CREW (Centre for Research into the English Literature and Language of Wales), Swansea University. This research was adapted into a monograph, titled John Ormond's Organic Mosaic: Poetry, Documentary, Nation (University of Wales Press, 2019).
Following his PhD, he worked on the Literary Atlas project at Cardiff University, which created an innovative website mapping English-language novels in Wales (www.literaryatlas.wales).
He has published widely on the findings of this project. He has recently, in collaboration with Dr Rhian Barfoot, edited a new collection of essays on Dylan Thomas, titled New Theoretical Perspectives on Dylan Thomas: 'a writer of words, and nothing else'? (University of Wales Press, 2020). He currently holds an Honorary Research Fellowship at Swansea University.
Sponsors and Support
This lecture is part sponsored by the Rhys Davies Trust in honor of Meic Stephens (1938-2018), a considerable figure in 20 and 21st century Welsh letters.Supported by Llenyddiaeth Cymru / Literature Wales
Supported by the Learned Society of Wales.
Supported by University of Wales Press.
Seren Cornerstone Poetry FestivalFebruary 14th, 2020
Kind Edwards VII Avenue
Cathays Park
CF10 3AP
57 Nolton Street
CF31 3AE
seren@serenbooks.com


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The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: Helicopter Spies Movie Poster
MGM, 1968
Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Leo G. Carroll, Carol Lynley, Bradford Dillman, John Dehner, John Carradine, Julie London
German A1
A1: 23.3x33.5 (59x85 cm)
Country of Poster:
Lutz Rohrbach
Restoration Detail:
Condition Detail:
Additional Description:
Vintage poster of the theatrical release of two episodes of the cult TV series starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum
All Items Subject to Availability. All Our Posters Are Original and Authentic -- We Do Not Sell Reproductions! Posters Usually Ship Within 10 - 14 Days. All prices are listed in U.S. Dollars. International Orders May Take Longer To Arrive. Please see our shipping policies. We recommend using Archival materials and Acrylic UV Plexiglass when framing your items to protect and preserve your vintage movie posters.
Other Work by This Artist
The Cape Town Affair
Ring Around The World
The Golden Claws of the Cat Girl
Kiss The Girls And Make Them Die
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.: The Karate Killers
The Naked Runner
Billion Dollar Brain
Battle for the Planet of the Apes
Robinson Crusoe on Mars
Kiss the Other Sheik
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The Man from U.N.C.L.E.: Helicopter Spies
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text:
RENEW Wisconsin Gears up for Middleton Bicycle Tour
by jboullion | Aug 23, 2017 | Uncategorized
"Ride with RENEW" will highlight area renewable energy projects
Madison, WI – August 23, 2017; Contact Tyler Huebner, Executive Director, 608-255-4044 ext 1.
On Sunday, October 1st, RENEW Wisconsin, with presenting sponsor SunPeak, will host its 5th annual "Ride with RENEW" bicycle tour of renewable energy projects, with this year's ride taking place in Middleton, WI. All event proceeds support RENEW Wisconsin's ongoing work to advance renewable energy in Wisconsin.
Riders will travel approximately 22 miles on paved roads and bike paths to visit innovative wind, solar and biogas energy generation facilities in scenic northwest Dane County.
2015 Ride with RENEW – Lake Geneva
The total tour time will be approximately 6 hours (including stops at renewable energy sites) and actual riding time will be 2 to 3 hours. Seasoned cyclists will have an optional longer route of about 40 miles to travel at their own pace.
Participants will get an inside look at some of the area's leading renewable energy projects and will enjoy breakfast, lunch, and beverages along the way. They will visit with installers and workers who are advancing renewable energy every day, and hear from customers about why clean energy works for their pocketbooks and their businesses.
The stops and start and end schedule is as follows:
∞ Gather at BMO Harris Bank parking Lot in Middleton for a 9:30 a.m. departure.
∞ Sustainable Engineering Group's net-zero solar powered office in downtown Middleton.
∞ Gundersen Health Systems & Dane County Biodigester. This project converts manure to make enough electricity to power approximately 2,500 homes while keeping manure out of the watershed.
∞ Madison Gas & Electric's Middleton Shared Solar project, a large 500 kilowatt solar project on the roof of the Middleton Operations Center. Subscribers to this pilot shared solar program receive the benefits of locally generated solar power from a centralized solar project.
∞ Epic's "Galactic" Wind Farm, featuring six turbines — each with three 135-foot blades – which rise hundreds of feet above the rolling hills northwest of Madison and generate enough electricity to help Epic offset much of its energy needs.
∞ PDQ in downtown Middleton. Presenting sponsor SunPeak installed solar panels on this store which showcases the market advances of solar alongside traditional fuels.
2016 Ride with RENEW – Sisters of St. Agnes Solar Array in
The ride will conclude at Capital Brewery, also powered by a set of solar panels, for refreshments around 4:00 p.m.
Registration for the ride is open through September 29th. The cost is $30 for members of RENEW Wisconsin, $40 for non-members, and $60 to both register for the ride and become a member of the organization for one year. All donations to RENEW Wisconsin for this charity bike ride are matched up to $15,000 by generous donors John & Mary Frantz of Madison!
Individuals and businesses can donate to RENEW Wisconsin or in support of a rider, sign on as an event sponsor, or volunteer on ride day.
"We are very excited to tour some of the Middleton area's great renewable energy projects on Sunday, October 1st," said Tyler Huebner, Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin. "This tour allows us to showcase a variety of ways to produce homegrown, clean energy right here in Wisconsin including wind, solar, and even cow manure. This is a really fun event where you can meet great people, help a good cause, and learn together about clean energy in Wisconsin."
Sponsors of the Event include SunPeak (presenting sponsor), Capital Brewery, City of Middleton, H&H Solar, Summit Credit Union, Wegner CPAs, Full Spectrum Solar, One Energy Renewables, Midwest Solar Power, Madison Solar Consulting, Open Circle UUF, and Willy Street Co-op. There is still time to sponsor if your business or organization wishes to do so.
About RENEW Wisconsin
RENEW Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization which promotes renewable energy in Wisconsin. We work on policies and programs that support solar power, wind power, biogas, local hydropower, and geothermal energy. More information on RENEW's website: www.renewwisconsin.org.
SC Johnson receives Gold Medal in Corporate Sustainability Leadership
by jboullion | May 27, 2015 | Uncategorized
by Tyler Huebner, Executive Director
On May 14th, Racine, WI-based SC Johnson was honored by the World
Environment Center as the recipient of the 2015 Gold Medal for International
Corporate Achievement in Sustainable Development.
This is a major award amongst large multi-national
companies, and only one company is recognized each year. SC Johnson became the second company to win
the award twice, after first receiving the award in 1994. Recipients from
recent years include Volkswagon Group, Unilever, IBM, and Wal-Mart Stores.
SC Johnson's global renewable energy initiatives poster
With financial support from SC Johnson, I attended the event
in Washington, DC to help honor the company.
RENEW's relationship with SC Johnson started about four years ago, when our
Program and Policy Director Michael Vickerman advised the company as it was
pursuing the installation of two wind turbines to help power Waxdale, one of
its major factories in Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin, near Racine.
CEO Fisk Johnson proudly supporting clean energy
Fisk Johnson, the 5th generation CEO of the family-owned
company, was on hand to receive the award.
"Reaching for that ideal of trust and goodwill is what motivates us at
SC Johnson, and it's where we find our best answers and greatest
successes. This recognition today, which
I accept with great pride on behalf of all of the people in our company,
inspires us on even more."
U.S. Representative Paul Ryan presented the award to Fisk
Johnson, and he highlighted their investment in renewable energy resources
including landfill gas and wind turbines. Ryan said, "If you drive by Waxdale,
you see a capped landfill with the methane running into the generators, along
with the two windmills, making sure that they are purely 100% sustainable for
their factory producing these wonderful products. That just shows you how committed this family
is, and this company is, to this mission.
It's really impressive."
To view (most of) Paul Ryan's remarks, check out this video:
According to SC
Johnson, Waxdale produces an average of 100 percent of its electrical energy
onsite each year. Glade®,
Windex®, Pledge®, Scrubbing Bubbles®, Shout®, Raid® and OFF!®
are all among the trusted household products made at Waxdale.
Solar Groups Appeal Public Service Commission Decision to Impose Unwarranted Fees on Wisconsinites
by jboullion | Jan 22, 2015 | Uncategorized
The Alliance for Solar Choice and RENEW Wisconsin ask courts to rule on the legality of controversial rate case decision
Amy Heart Tyler Huebner
The Alliance for Solar Choice RENEW Wisconsin
414-510-8965 (m) 608-575-2201 (m)
MADISON, WI – January 22, 2015 – The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC) and RENEW Wisconsin today filed an appeal of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission's December decision to impose discriminatory charges against solar customers in We Energies territory. The appeal challenges 1) the total lack of support in the public record for the charges and 2) the discrimination against solar and low usage customers.
"The Public Service Commission's own staff expert testified that there was not enough evidence in the record to approve the discriminatory solar charges," said Amy Heart, spokesperson for The Alliance for Solar Choice. "That will be difficult to deny in the courts."
Over 500 Wisconsin residents attended a public hearing in October to oppose We Energies' proposal, and their outcry garnered national media attention.
"The Public Service Commission has essentially permitted a private company, We Energies, to institute a new tax on some of its customers," said Tyler Huebner, Executive Director of RENEW Wisconsin. "The record doesn't support this decision, and we look forward to an impartial review of the facts behind this case."
"We Energies commissioned a confidential internal study of solar in Wisconsin and found that solar customers provide a net financial benefit to all ratepayers," said Heart. "That will be difficult for the Commission to deny in the courts."
About The Alliance for Solar Choice: The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC) leads the rooftop solar advocacy across the country. Founded by the largest rooftop companies in the nation, TASC represents the vast majority of the market. Its members include: Demeter Power, Silevo, SolarCity, Solar Universe, Sunrun, Verengo, ZEP.
About RENEW Wisconsin: RENEW Wisconsin leads and accelerates the transformation to Wisconsin's renewable energy future through advocacy, education, and collaboration. RENEW represents over 50 companies in the Wisconsin renewable energy industry.
New Berkeley Lab Study Finds No Statistical Evidence of Residential Property Value Impacts Near U.S. Wind Power Projects
the study released yesterday, Berkeley
Lab analyzed more than 50,000 home sales near 67 wind
facilities in 27 counties
across nine U.S. states. In
summary, the
research did not find any statistically identifiable impacts
of wind facilities
to nearby home property values. Read the full 2013 report, the previously published 2009 report, and yesterday's press release below for more information.
Immediate release — Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) analyzed more than
50,000 home
sales near 67 wind facilities in 27 counties across nine U.S.
states, yet was
unable to uncover any impacts to nearby home property values.
is the second of two major studies we have conducted on this
topic [the first
was published in 2009 –
see below], and
in both studies [using two different datasets] we find no
statistical evidence
that operating wind turbines have had any measureable impact on
prices," says Ben Hoen, the lead author of the new report.
Hoen
is a researcher in the Environmental Energy Technologies
Division of Berkeley
new study used a number of sophisticated techniques to control
for other
potential impacts on home prices, including collecting data that
spanned well
before the wind facilities' development was announced to after
they were
constructed and operating. This allowed the researchers to
control for any
pre-existing differences in home sales prices across their
sample and any
changes that occurred due to the housing bubble.
study, the most comprehensive to-date, builds on both the
previous Berkeley Lab
study as well a number of other academic and published U.S.
studies, which also
generally find no measureable impacts near operating turbines.
there have been claims of significant property value impacts
near operating wind
turbines that regularly surface in the press or in local
communities, strong evidence
to support those claims has failed to materialize in all of the
major U.S.
studies conducted thus far", says Hoen.
"Moreover, our findings comport with the large set of
studies that have
investigated other potentially similar disamenities, such as
transmission lines, land fills, and noisy roads, which suggest
that widespread impacts
from wind turbines would be either relatively small or
non-existent."
report was authored by Ben Hoen (Berkeley Lab), Jason P. Brown
(formerly USDA
now Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City), Thomas Jackson (Texas
A & M and
Real Property Analytics), Ryan Wiser (Berkeley Lab), Mark Thayer
(San Diego State University)
and Peter Cappers (Berkeley Lab). The research was supported by
Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent
challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human
health, creating
new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the
universe. Founded in
1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized
with 13 Nobel
prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for
Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit www.lbl.gov.
contact: Allan Chen (510) 486-4210, a_chen@lbl.gov
contact: Ben Hoen (845) 758-1896, bhoen@lbl.gov
The nocebo effect, and why it's much more dangerous than wind turbines
David Perry's article for the Renew Economy blog addresses health concerns surrounding the infrasound produced by wind turbines and concludes that they are just another unfounded claim by antiwind energy campaigners.True, wind turbines produce infrasound, but at levels far below what is necessary to cause harm. In countering these unfounded assertions, Perry relies on research by Prof. Geoff Leventhal on infrasound effects and finds that self reported health impacts are nothing more than textbook examples of the nocebo effect: If you believe something bad is going to happen, then chances are your brain will make it happen.
By David Perry
Anti-wind
energy activists have shifted the goal posts over the years, with
aesthetic, birdlife, carbon abatement and even economic issues getting a
run. But by far the most cutting attack has been around noise, and the
supposed health impacts that result.
There is no question that wind turbines create sound, and
that in some circumstances this sound can be heard at nearby residences.
Rigorous noise standards are designed to give a reasonable level of
protection against sleep disturbance, taking into account the location
of turbines, the model, and existing background noise. This approach is
not unusual, and similar standards are applied to a range of man-made
noise sources, from pubs to freeways.
While this is good enough for most people, some still find
the residual noise levels annoying. At this point, noise level alone
isn't a good predictor of annoyance — personality and existing attitudes
tend to dominate. Those residents with a clear view of the turbines
tend to find them more annoying,
while those receiving an economic benefit are more tolerant .
Compounding this, residents with negative-oriented personality traits
tend to perceive turbine noise as being louder.
At the extreme, I'm aware of at least two wind farms where complaints
have been received about excruciating, intolerable levels of noise, only
for the resident to be told that the wind farm was shut down at the
Just because these factors cannot be quantified with a
sound logger does not mean nothing can be done. Community engagement,
face-to-face discussion and education go a long way, as does ensuring a
lasting community benefit. In some cases landscaping or improved sound
insulation can solve the problem. While this undoubtedly affects indoor
sound levels in many cases, it also empowers residents with a sense of
control over the situation, improving their outlook more
generally. Developers are now keenly aware that listening to the local
community and sharing the financial benefits is pivotal in getting a
wind farm built, and keeping neighbors happy.
That should be the end of the story.
Alas, all manner of health issues (216, at last count)
have been attributed to wind farms, even when the wind farm is
completely inaudible, located tens of kilometers away, or, as mentioned,
not even operating. These physics-defying claims are largely a result
of fear mongering around infrasound.


text:
Andrea Mantegna and the Italian Renaissance
Author : Joseph Manca
Publisher : Parkstone International
Download Andrea Mantegna and the Italian Renaissance PDF Full Free by Joseph Manca and published by Parkstone International. This book was released on 2012-05-08 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mantegna; humanist, geometrist, archaeologist, of great scholastic and imaginative intelligence, dominated the whole of northern Italy by virtue of his imperious personality. Aiming at optical illusion, he mastered perspective. He trained in painting at the Padua School where Donatello and Paolo Uccello had previously attended. Even at a young age commissions for Andrea's work flooded in, for example the frescos of the Ovetari Chapel of Padua. In a short space of time Mantegna found his niche as a modernist due to his highly original ideas and the use of perspective in his works. His marriage with Nicolosia Bellini, the sister of Giovanni, paved the way for his entree into Venice. Mantegna reached an artistic maturity with his Pala San Zeno. He remained in Mantova and became the artist for one of the most prestigious courts in Italy – the Court of Gonzaga. Classical art was born. Despite his links with Bellini and Leonardo da Vinci, Mantegna refused to adopt their innovative use of colour or leave behind his own technique of engraving.
A Tale Blazed Through Heaven
Author : Oliver J. Noble-Wood
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Download A Tale Blazed Through Heaven PDF Full Free by Oliver J. Noble-Wood and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2014-10-16 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Tale Blazed Through Heaven examines developments in the representation of the classical tale of Mars, Venus, and Vulcan in the literature and painting of the Golden Age of Spain (c.1526-1681). Anchored in close analysis of individual primary texts, the five chapters that comprise this study assess how poets and painters breathed new life into the tale inherited from Homer, Ovid, and others, examining some of the ways in which the story of Mars, Venus, and Vulcan was disguised, developed, expanded, mocked, combined with or played off against different subjects, or otherwise modified in order to pique the interest of successive generations of readers and viewers. Each chapter discusses what particular changes and shifts in emphasis reveal about the tale itself, specific renderings, the aims and intentions of individual poets and painters, and the wider context of the literary and visual culture of Early Modern Spain. Discussing a range of poems by both canonical (Garcilaso de la Vega, Luis de Góngora, Lope de Vega, etc.) and less well-known writers (Juan de la Cueva, Alonso de Castillo Solórzano, Salvador Jacinto Polo de Medina, etc.), and culminating in detailed examination of select mythological works by Philip IV's court painter, Diego Velázquez, this book sheds light on questions relating to aspects of classical reception in the Renaissance, the rise of specific poetic styles (epic, mock-epic, burlesque, etc.), the interplay between the sister arts of poetry and painting, and the continual process of imitation and invention that was one of the defining features of the Spanish Golden Age.
The Practice of Palmistry for Professional Purposes
Author : C. de Saint-Germain
ISBN 10 : HARVARD:32044005548474
Download The Practice of Palmistry for Professional Purposes PDF Full Free by C. de Saint-Germain and published by . This book was released on 1897 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
The Queens of Innis Lear
Author : Tessa Gratton
Publisher : Tor Books
Download The Queens of Innis Lear PDF Full Free by Tessa Gratton and published by Tor Books. This book was released on 2018-03-27 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dynasties battle for the crown in Tessa Gratton's debut adult epic fantasy, The Queens of Innis Lear. Three Queens. One crown. All out war. Gaela. Ruthless Commander. I am the rightful heir of Innis Lear. No more will I wait in the shadows and watch my mother's murderer bleed my island dry. The King's hold on the crown must end—willingly or at the edge of my sword. Regan. Master Manipulator. To secure my place on the throne, I must produce an heir. Countless times I have fed the island's forests my blood. Yet, my ambition is cursed. No matter what or whom I must destroy, I will wield the magic of Innis Lear. Elia. Star-blessed Priest. My sisters hide in the shadows like serpents, waiting to strike our ailing king. I must protect my father, even if it means marrying a stranger. We all have to make sacrifices. Love and freedom will be mine. "Amazing. Just Amazing."--Robin McKinley At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Rise of the Phoenix
Author : Cynthia Diane Thornton
Download Rise of the Phoenix PDF Full Free by Cynthia Diane Thornton and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2013-10-29 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After a massive, identity-altering, physical transformation, Keshari Mitchell is back as 'Darian Boudreaux' and aims to take the film industry by storm. She is now the founder and executive producer of Phoenix Films, which has acquired a controversial movie script from an anonymous source. It is about to make a major name for itself with the biopic of the mysterious Keshari Mitchell's life, including details regarding her affiliation with organised crime. Will returning to the US after faking her death turn out to be the biggest mistake of her life?
Mars And Venus In Love
Author : Gray
Publisher : Random House
Download Mars And Venus In Love PDF Full Free by Gray and published by Random House. This book was released on 2012-03-31 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Gray has become a publishing phenomenon. His first book, MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS is still a No 1 New York Times bestseller after 3 years, and is in the UK Top 100 too. He is renowned as THE international relationships guru. John Gray has brought a powerful message to millions of people across the world. He explains how better communication and the recognition of men and women's different emotional needs leads to greater intimacy. In MARS AND VENUS IN LOVE, all those who embraced his ideas will see them in action in first-person stories told by people who, using his advice and counsel, have created fulfilling, healthy and loving relationships. After the incredible response to his work, Dr Gray thought the success of some couples might inspire others like them. Readers will find hope, encouragement and humour in this collection of experiences, which everyone who has ever had difficulty communicating with the opposite sex will find something to identify with.
Barcelona 2004 - Edges of Experience: Memory and Emergence
Author : Lyn Cowan
Publisher : Daimon
Download Barcelona 2004 - Edges of Experience: Memory and Emergence PDF Full Free by Lyn Cowan and published by Daimon. This book was released on 2006 with total page 1380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The stimulating program featured clinical, artistic, historical and other interests and concerns of Jungian Psychology today, with wide-ranging presentations and events. From the Contents: Cultural Complexes in the Group and the Individual Psyche by Thomas Singer, Sam Kimbles Descent and Emergence Symbolized in Four Alchemical Paintings by Dyane Sherwood An Archetypal Approach to Drugs and AIDS: A Brazilian Perspective by Dartiu Xavier da Silveira Frida Kahlo by Mathy Hemsari Cassab Images from ARAS: Healing our Sense of Exile from Nature by Ami Ronnberg Trauma and Individuation by Ursula Wirtz Human Being Human: Subjectivity and the Individuation of Culture by Christopher Hauke Studies of Analytical Long-Term Therapy by Wolfram Keller, Rainer Dilg & Seth Isaiah Rubin Analysis in the Shadow of Terror by Henry Abramovitch Ethics in the IAAP – A New Resource by Luigi Zoja, Liliana Wahba & Hester Solomon Hope Abandoned and Recovered in the Psychoanalytic Situation by Donald Kalsched In the Footsteps of Eranos by P. Kugler, H. Kawai, D. Miller, G. Quispel & R. Hinshaw The Self, the Symbolic and Synchronicity by George Hogenson Memory and Emergence by John Dourley Bild, Metapher & Symbol: An der Grenze der kommunizierbaren Erfahrung by M. Krapp Broken Vessels – Living in two Worlds: Some Aspects of Working with Clients with a Physical Disability by Kathrin Asper & Elizabeth Martigny
So Bright the Stars
Author : Cidney Swanson
Publisher : Williams Press
Download So Bright the Stars PDF Full Free by Cidney Swanson and published by Williams Press. This book was released on 2020-09-27 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Penny Wanjiru learns that the red planet is no idyllic paradise when the colony's first serious crime investigation gets underway on the day she arrives. Penny immediately finds herself the target of anti-tourism sentiment, but it gets worse when a letter to her grandmother is intercepted and misinterpreted. Now Penny has to figure out who is framing her for a crime she didn't commit. The Shadow of Mars series explores the origins of Mars colonization as found in Cidney Swanson's six-book companion series, SAVING MARS, a Sci-Fi action adventure series.
The Swedenborg Concordance
Author : John Faulkner Potts
ISBN 10 : NYPL:33433082244215
Download The Swedenborg Concordance PDF Full Free by John Faulkner Potts and published by . This book was released on 1895 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Practical Astrology
Author : Alan Leo
Publisher : Health Research Books
Download Practical Astrology PDF Full Free by Alan Leo and published by Health Research Books. This book was released on 1996-09 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a simple method of instruction in the science of astrology. Leo sets forth astrology in as simple and as plain understanding as possible for those who may never before have heard of planetary influence. His desire was to place the science of astrology before the world in its true light as science and religion, and not as a jumble of fortune telling trash.
Simulacrum
Author : Montsho Shelby
Publisher : Lulu Publishing Services
Download Simulacrum PDF Full Free by Montsho Shelby and published by Lulu Publishing Services. This book was released on 2018-10-04 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Nocturn Mason sleeps yet he wakes in the body of another. He dreams but his dreams are of lives heÕs never led. What is this power? How can he use it? He battles his better angels to know if it is his right to take what he wants or his duty to do no harm. Simulacrum Creatures that live in 2 bodies, one is plant the other a stolen human shell. Their fight is an ancient a battle that has kept humanity from extinction. Reynolds brood combats a rival brood over the lost of a member. While Kenneth discovers the monsters amongst humanity and goes on a crusade to destroy them all.
The Greek Anthology
Download The Greek Anthology PDF Full Free by and published by . This book was released on 1889 with total page 518 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
The Greek Anthology, as Selected for the Use of Westminster, Eton, and Other Public Schools
Download The Greek Anthology, as Selected for the Use of Westminster, Eton, and Other Public Schools PDF Full Free by and published by . This book was released on 1881 with total page 564 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Inventing the Renaissance Putto
Author : Charles Dempsey
Publisher : UNC Press Books
Download Inventing the Renaissance Putto PDF Full Free by Charles Dempsey and published by UNC Press Books. This book was released on 2001 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The figure of the putto (often portrayed as a mischievous baby) made frequent appearances in the art and literature of Renaissance Italy. Commonly called spiritelli, or sprites, putti embodied a minor species of demon, in their nature neither good
Asphodels and Pansies
Author : Amanda Elizabeth Dennis
ISBN 10 : UVA:X030749401
Download Asphodels and Pansies PDF Full Free by Amanda Elizabeth Dennis and published by . This book was released on 1888 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Comedies: The merchant of Venice. Love's labour's lost. As you like it. The taming of the shrew. All's well that end's well. Twelfth night: or, What you will. The winter's tale
Author : William Shakespeare
ISBN 10 : OXFORD:400445912
Download Comedies: The merchant of Venice. Love's labour's lost. As you like it. The taming of the shrew. All's well that end's well. Twelfth night: or, What you will. The winter's tale PDF Full Free by William Shakespeare and published by . This book was released on 1745 with total page 612 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
NASA Mars Mission for Kids
Author : Woo! Jr. Kids Activities
Download NASA Mars Mission for Kids PDF Full Free by Woo! Jr. Kids Activities and published by . This book was released on 2020-04-26 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn about the Mars 2020 NASA launch with this incredible activity book for kids! Excited about the future of space travel? This book is packed with Mars Rover history and engaging content about both upcoming, and previous missions to the Red Planet. Written for kids ages 7-12+, there are plenty of fun activities such as word puzzles, hidden pictures, STEM/STEAM coloring pages, and fun step-by-step drawing tutorials. Travel through the solar system and learn incredible NASA facts, Mars trivia, and uncover the ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian history behind the early discovery of our closest planetary neighbor. With the next mission to Mars scheduled to launch in the summer of 2020, children and students can use this book to travel through space and time!
Once I Was a Plum Tree
Covenant with the Vampire (The Diaries of the Family Dracul, #1)
Ride Steady (Chaos, #3)
In the Heart of the Young
Damaged (Damaged, #1)
The Invisible Ring (The Black Jewels, #4)
The Carrie Diaries (The Carrie Diaries, #1)
The Last Telegram
In Shadows of Magic
The Secret Zoo (The Secret Zoo, #1)
Memórias de Agripina
Unleashed (Mikah, #2)
Gods and Warriors (Gods and Warriors, #1)
Valediction (Spenser, #11)
Into the Wilderness (Wilderness, #1)
Joshua Then and Now
The Blinding Knife (Lightbringer, #2)
Stealth Moves
If Tomorrow Comes (Tracy Whitney, #1)
Dragons of Spring Dawning (Dragonlance: Chronicles #3)
Bend, Don't Break (Irrevocable, #2)
Meet Cécile (American Girls: Marie-Grace and Cécile, #2)
More than Meets the Ink (Bowen Boys, #1)
Crossroads (Crossroads Academy, #1)
UnEnchanted (An Unfortunate Fairy Tale, #1)
The Sandman: Book of Dreams
The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Long Way Home (Season 8, Volume 1)
Earthly Powers
Dreaming the Eagle (Boudica, #1)
No Journey Too Far
Fifteen Postcards
Ghosts of the Soon Departed
The Turn: The Hollows Begins with Death (The Hollows #0.1)
The Story of B (Ishmael, #2)


text:
Current: Fake News
"You haven't heard of a Uruguayan penalty?" scoffs Rodgers
Suárez's dive against Villa so clever it's been approached by Countdown about appearing in its dictionary corner.
Dive… Clever (Image: Jayaseerlourdhuraj)
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is amused yet incredulous to hear that you've never come across a Uruguayan penalty before, especially in your capacity of whatever it is that you do.
The Reds boss, proud and true, was reacting to the latest 'diving' furore surrounding his star false 9 Luis Suárez, whose judicious tumble to claim a penalty in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Aston Villa has been described/excused/fêted as "clever".
Speaking exclusively to Football Burp, Rodgers explained that what Suárez had done was win a "Uruguayan penalty", just as Raheem Sterling won a "Spanish penalty" in last week's 5-3 win at Stoke City.
He grumbled: "You've never heard of a Uruguayan penalty? Oh, come on.
"How could you not have done? It happens all the time in Uruguay – the goalkeeper rushes out and his left arm clips some particles of air, causing a domino effect that sends the false 9 crashing ingeniously to the turf.
"It really is spectacularly clever, big too. After all, Luis is a big part of the group, okay, a real warrior of spirit who leaves no stone unturned in his relentless quest for gaining advantages.
"It's part of the geem, and it got us back in the geem, so it's fair geem."
Meanwhile, Suárez's dive against Villa has been approached by Channel 4 staple Countdown about appearing as a guest in its dictionary corner.
A Channel 4 spokesperson said: "It's just so clever, isn't it?
"The Stephen Fry of soft penalties, that's how clever it is."
EXCLUSIVE: 43% of people look a bit like Pochettino


text:
At UN, India says it will continue to act firmly and decisively against cross-border terrorism
S Venturi 17 November 2021 African Scouts
India will continue to act firmly and decisively against cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan, a senior diplomatic official told the United States Security Council on Tuesday.
Kajal Bhat, counsellor in the country's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, made the statement during an open debate on "peace and security through preventive diplomacy".
"India desires normal neighbourly relations with all countries, including Pakistan, and is committed to addressing outstanding issues, if any, bilaterally and peacefully in accordance with the Simla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration," the Indian representative said.
However, Bhat added that any meaningful dialogue can only take place in an atmosphere free of terror, hostility and violence. "The onus is on Pakistan to create such a conducive atmosphere," she said. "Till then, India will continue to take firm and decisive steps to respond to cross-border terrorism."
#IndiainUNSC
Open Debate on 'Peace and security through preventive diplomacy'
➡Statement by Dr. Kajal Bhat, Counsellor
📺Watch⤵ pic.twitter.com/8J3k1BzN0p
— India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) November 16, 2021
The Indian representative was responding to remarks made by Munir Akram, Pakistan's Ambassador to the United Nations, earlier in the debate. Akram had said that it should be a high priority for the Security Council and the United Nations Secretary General to promote a "fair and peaceful resolution of the Kashmir dispute" and to end…
Post At UN, India says it will continue to act firmly and decisively against cross-border terrorism published by S Venturi Read and subscribe us on email at sailfishsportfishingcr.com@gmail.com (or re-send)
Watch Dharmendra lip-sync in car to the song 'Chhalkaye Jaam' from his film 'Mere Hamdam Mere Dost'
DU PG first merit list 2021 released; here's direct link


text:
The Political Economy of Shadow Finance in West Bengal
Subhanil Chowdhury
Sudipto Sen, the chairman of the Saradha group of companies, was arrested in Kashmir on April 23, 2013, for allegedly defrauding lakhs of depositors who had invested in various schemes floated by his companies.
After the Saradha group went bust, Mamta Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal callously told the duped investors, "let go whatever has gone". However after two days, she announced a Rs 500 crore relief package for the hapless investors. In light of the unfolding events, this article attempts to analyse the political economy of the dubious shadow finance organisations in West Bengal.
The Modus Operandi
Let us take a look at the modus operandi of the Saradha Group of companies. The group collected money from the investors, through agents, promising them either land or a flat, or an option for a refund with a rate of return ranging between 12-24 per cent approximately, as per the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) notice.1 The agents in turn were assured of a commission ranging from 15 to 20 per cent on the funds mobilised by them, according to local media reports. In some schemes, the group promised that on a deposit of Rs 1 lakh an investor will get Rs 10 lakhs after 14 years. If the same amount of money was kept in a fixed deposit in a bank for the same period, the amount accrued would be Rs 4 lakh. In other words, the rate of return promised by the group was more than double of that promised by commercial banks. According to some media estimates, the number of agents employed by Saradha group may run into thousands or even in lakhs, while the total amount of money mobilised by the group can run into thousands of crores. The huge collection of money from the agents was deposited with the main company which loated 160 companies (according to the letter submitted by Sudipto Sen to the CBI), including a large number of newspapers in various languages and TV channels in Bengali. Read More
Coourtesy: Economic & Political Weekly
Disclaimer: The views expressed here are the author's personal views, and do not necessarily represent the views of Newsclick
Sudipto Sen
Saradha
Finance Ministry
Pratidin
Sakalbela
Madan Mitra
Sadhan Kumar Chattopadhyay
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Nirmala Sitharaman's First Budget Lets Women Down
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Economic Survey: Increase in GDP Growth and Fiscal Deficit
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Jai Shri Ram vs Jai Maa Kali Only Makes TMC the B-Team of Hindutva, Not a BJP Rival
When the Lok Sabha met after the 2019 elections, members of Parliament (MPs) from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) created a ruckus with chants of
Jalan Panel Submits Report, Favours Transfer of RBI Surplus Funds to Govt in Tranches
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Newsclick Team
Bengal: No Stranger to Communalism
In this episode of Present, Past and the Future, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay and Prof Partha S Ghosh explore the causes of communalisation in Bengal.


text:
A Theory of Fun Reviewed
by Nick Montfort · , 12:48 pm
A Review of A Theory of Fun for Game Design
written and illustrated by Raph Koster
Paraglyph Press
In an illustrated essay that is somewhere between a meditation and a manifesto, Raph Koster works to justify games to a general audience by characterizing them as learning experiences that can be tuned to challenge us in new ways. The book, based on a 2003 talk at the Austin Game Conference, is, unfortunately, short on real argument; Koster has thought out his positions in the book, but he usually neither backs up the claims he makes with much discussion nor follows through to investigate their implications. It's interesting, though, that Koster has tried to make A Theory of Fun for Game Design itself a playful learning system, by juxtaposing text with diagrammatic or cartoon sorts of discussion, for example, and by providing copious endnotes with digressive comments and references. On the recto there are some gems: a nice chart showing the evolution of the 2-D shooter, drawings of game patterns for some of those shooters, and amusing cartoons in which teens brag about, among other things, beating the last level of Ulysses.
Despite the Ulysses reference, this book isn't an academic book or thesis – and, unless you judge a book only by its title, you'd have trouble confusing it with one. Koster's style and the frequent appearance of Alligator and Gratuitous Penguin don't really suggest that you should shelve this alongside Wittgenstein's Tractatus. As with the slides from his 2003 talk, A Theory of Fun doesn't make the sort of contribution that Rules of Play, "Half-Real," or "Videogames of the Oppressed" have made. As a primary, stand-alone introduction to game studies or game design, it is really only suitable for young readers. It does have some value to scholars of computer games, though. As mentioned above, the book's style and format sketch a more ludic way to pursue "serious" exploration of video games, one that has some advantages. Also, the book serves to represent Koster's own views on video game design, circa 2003-2004. Those studying Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided (of which Koster was creative director) should certainly know about his perspective; it will also be of interest to general students of the MMORPG and those who deal with Koster's other (and future) game design work.
Koster's basic premise is that game play is puzzle solving, and that games teach us mastery. He explains at length that to do so, they should be neither too easy nor too hard, which probably does not count as a remarkable insight. But there is some more interesting discussion. Koster distinguishes particular types of challenges in existing games, such as the speed-based challenge to complete the level as rapidly as possible and the thoroughness-based challenge to get to all the secret areas. And, ultimately, he is interested in how challenges could be varied by designers to address different sorts of mastery, both to better appeal to those who are currently non-gamers and to help teach current gamers different sorts of things than they already are being taught.
Ah, yes – the terms at the core of the book, such as teaching and mastery, do seem more educational than ludic. This doesn't trouble me; I've found the riddle, which is a sort of teacher that conveys a new perspective on the world, to be a good figure for a different sort of game. According to Koster, fun itself is "the act of mastering a problem mentally," (p. 90) and is distinct from aesthetic appreciation, physical effort and mastery, and social actions. As Koster said here on Grand Text Auto, he does indeed fit a footrace into his theory, explaining in an endnote that there is some cognitive challenge there, but mainly using it as an example of what his theory isn't about (the physical dimension of a game). His book's take on games is relevant to the other examples I mentioned, too: A roulette-like game is also discussed – it's treated as a repeated game that teaches us about probability in the long run. Rhythm/music games are cognitive challenges, too, in that they teach patterns. While this cognitive challenge may not be all there is to fun in the usual sense, and may not be the only or main sort of fun that we need to consider for all games, it is certainly an important part of computer game design, and it's an aspect of games we can focus on and try to improve. Koster's theory of Koster's sort of fun is quite lively and interesting, a broad exploration that points to many implications of this formal and cognitive aspect of gaming. Koster goes on to discuss the juncture of the fun of games and the aesthetic (and fictional) qualities of them a bit, for instance, and to write about social and political issues ranging from game ratings to the demographics of gamers.
The abundant endnotes offer URLs and mentions of several useful books for follow-up reading, and will prove useful to some. They are a bit heavy on glossing terms whose use is fairly clear from context, but that bit of the book at least points out to the wider world of scholarship and writing. (There are a few mistakes in there, though, as might be expected: For instance, Exidy's Death Race was not "the first instance of a game being adapted to a movie," (p. 236). The 1976 game was "based," pretty vaugely, on the 1975 movie Deathrace 2000.) While the cartoons carry much of the humor, I found plenty of little things to like in bits of the main text as well: Koster's description of his lengthy bouts with Laser Blast – a game that has no obvious reason to fun, but which I also played obsessively – his nod to Floyd in Planetfall, for example.
But, I want to turn this review to the "dark side" for a moment, and discuss one particular paragraph I found problematic, because I think it captures of a few of the ways in which the book let me down as a reader – as an academic reader, anyway. You can blame me for misusing the book, if you like.
As preface, I'll note that Koster usually offers tentative characterizations of the most important concepts he deals with – "fun" being an exception, and even that is not really defined until page 90. After skipping through a few other designers' more detailed definitions of "game," he writes that games are "puzzles to solve, just like everything else in life," but he goes on to distinguish games from everything else by explaining that "the stakes are lower with games." (p. 34)
Koster describes at the beginning of a paragraph on page 38 that we don't think we can drive a car just because we know the rules of the road and what the controls do. (Of course, driving a car is not low-stakes, so it isn't a game, but let's continue.) Board games, on the other hand, "have fairly few variables, and so you can often extrapolate out from the known rule set." He goes on to offer what he calls an important insight for game designers: "the more formally constructed your game is, the more limited it will be." (Emphasis in original.) This is a claim, offered without real argument or even an explanation of what it means, that just seems immediately either wrong or meaningless. Chess is just about completely formalized, yet it has provided centuries of not-very-limited novelty and play. Salen and Zimmerman's lucid and thoroughly argued concept of games is that their formal systems provide the only possibilities that are there in the game at all. And, what does it even mean to have one game be more formally constructed than another? Should such a game have more rules? That wouldn't make it more formal, of course, that would just make it more intricate. To make a game less formal, we'd have to somehow have "informal rules."
There's also not much of a hint about what Koster means by "limited" by the middle of the paragraph, but the following sentences provides a clue about that term and also about "formally constructed": "To make games more long-lasting, they need to integrate more variables (and less predictable ones) such as human psychology, physics, and so on. These are elements that arise from outside the game's rules…" So a less limited game would be one that is longer-lasting, and less predictable. A few problems, though: (1) Creating such a game involves things that come from outside the game's rules – these are exactly the things that the game designer doesn't control. (2) Well, wait: actually, physics is "designed in" to computer sports games, and Jesper Juul, in his dissertation, makes a strong case that real-world physics should be considered part of the rule set of real-world sports, albeit an inflexible part. This means physics isn't really outside the rules, it's just something we chose to include by designing a sport instead of, for instance, some verbal game. (3) What does it mean to "incorporate human psychology?" How can any game played by a human not do this? How does a board game such as Risk not incorporate human psychology? Or is Koster referring to some other sort of board game, even though the rules of Risk are simple and one might be able to extrapolate Australia strategies and such from them?
Now, it's possible that Koster's quoted insight means something – it's even possible that it's truly insightful, and maybe his audience in Austin grokked that during his original talk. But the meaningful sense of it really isn't clear in A Theory of Fun, and that characterizes many of the arguments (or the things that should be arguments) in the book.
For this reason, while I did find things to like about A Theory of Fun, it frustrated me as an academic reader. If Koster's claims were really meaningless, I wouldn't be so troubled. The frustrating thing is that I sense (from the book and from Koster's discussion on here) that these claims do mean something. Perhaps the casual format and the (successful) attempt to make the book fun took their toll on the precision and clarity of the discussion. Or, maybe Koster went too far along the path of explaining gender differences and social reactions to game violence, important topics where he does investigate the implications of his ways of thinking about games. It just happens that some of the arguments, examples, explanations, and implications that would have made the book valuable to me as a scholar are, unfortunately, lacking.
That said, A Theory of Fun certainly can be read as a fun book (in my sense of fun). It's definitely a better book than I could make out of one my talks. And, it's a welcome contribution from an experienced MMPORPG designer and director, one which might play a different role in the industry and with general readers. As Will Wright says in the foreword, the book is an attempt to build bridges between academics and industry, and to probe how we can usefully talk about games. I'm certainly grateful for that. I'll hope, though, that Alligator and Gratuitous Penguin will return for a sequel, and that Koster will be willing to take the thoroughness challenge next time.
9 Responses to "A Theory of Fun Reviewed"
Walter Says:
I'm working on my own review right now, and agree that it's difficult to get a handle on what he really means sometimes. Given the intended accessibility of the book, some explanation of what "formal abstract systems" and mechanics are would be nice. Are these just the coded rules? Do formal abstract systems always equate to mechanics?
I also have some problems with the theory of fun, but I will say this: I think his discussion on responsible game design is some fantastic stuff, and pretty much makes Theory of Fun required reading for just about anyone involved in game development, journalism and criticism. Not just for its content, but the way it's written and presented.
Jason Dyer Says:
Knowing Mr. Koster's bent towards "sandbox" style games (like Ultima Online) rather than "theme park" style games (like World of Warcraft), my guess is the statement
the more formally constructed your game is, the more limited it will be.
refers to formal structure on the "activities" of the players — the specific hoops that need to be jumped through to make "progress" or at least cause something new to occur.
This doesn't refer to rules — in chess you have pieces restricted by specific rules and a specific goal, but the method to get to checkmate is wide-open and not predetermined by structure.
I also get the impression he thinks limiting is a bad thing, and wants to disparage the World of Warcraft method of handing off quests on a silver platter. On the other hand, the players seem to *like* this more direct approach.
Part of the perception here is that because there is inflexibility in *direction of approach*, the structure itself is inflexible. This ignores the possibility of flexibility of *technique*.
Let me shift to second person here and take the Thief and Splinter Cell series as examples.
In Thief, you are not a fighter. You are limited in some areas in that you *must* be sneaky. However, you generally get many different methods of direction, of approach, so perhaps you are sneaky by entering the second story window or perhaps you are sneaky by dodging the guards up front.
In Splinter Cell, you can sneak or fight. You have more flexibility of technique than in Thief. The world structure itself, however, is highly linear, and you aren't going to be able to vary which encounter you come across next.
I have heard people disparage Thief and praise Splinter Cell because they focused on technique. I have heard people disparage Splinter Cell and praise Thief because of their approaches to linearity.
I don't suppose it's too controversial to suggest that both methods of allowing player freedom are useful, even if particular personality types seem to prefer one over another?
Terra Nova Says:
January 30th, 2005 at 6:32 pm The Theory of Fun (The Art of War)
There are a number of good reviews and ongoing
Raph Says:
The statement has zero to do with World of Warcraft, trust me. :P Nor was it referencing sandbox versus themepark style worlds. It wasn't about online games at all.
Rather, Nick's on the right track when he cites Jesper's treatment of physics. Many games do NOT design physics into their ruleset. (In fact, most sports games will design in only a fraction of actual physics). You can have also games that simulate a broad array of physical activities without simulating physics.
Physics has a lot of rules. We might like to conveniently label all of them under one word, but the fact is that physics is complex, really. It also permits all sorts of interesting behaviors, if fully implemented. Were sports games to REALLY include phsyics, you could set fire to other players. But they don't, and you can't.
We can think of physics as being an "included ruleset" similar to an included file in programming. (That is exactly how commercial physics engines work in games, after all). They provide a wide array of behaviors in a "blackbox" fashion–we only know the API, the interface to reach the behaviors. I consider them "outside the game rules" because they are never explicitly codified.
From a game design point of view, a game which makes actual use of physics is "including" a vast array of rules into its game without explicitly defining them. There is an assumption that a common frame of reference is shared, and that therefore everyone will know what's up.
Physics is just one example of the sort of "imported ruleset" that games frequently use. All head-to-head games import human psychology as an additional ruleset defining how opponents make decisions. If you can communicate with the other player in any way (such as by seeing their face), a whole host of new and poorly defined game rules come into play. These generally complexify the game experience, without really complicating it since we are used to dealing with things like facial expressions.
An example of this at work would be bluffing in poker. The difference between a bluff done by a computer based on an algorithm and a bluff done by a human you cannot see, versus a bluff done by a human you cannot see and a human you can, is quite impressive. Poker played against humans (versus poker played against a computer) is a far richer game.
In the book I reference game design atoms briefly. In the list of core elements of a game mechanic I cite "a challenge to overcome." Formally constructed games tend to have defined all the challenges in advance. Less formally constructed games have more variables. Games which import rulesets which are full of ambiguity have a lot of highly unpredictable variables.
The easiest way to do this is to make another person the source of the challenges. The way to limit the ambiguity is to formally limit the possible challenges they can offer; to expand it, reduce the formal strictures on the challenges presented.
Hence the statements in the book.
I am beginning to think that I either needed to write a simpler book or a considerably more in-depth one. :) Certainly most of the reviewers seem to be asking for more in-depth.
February 5th, 2005 at 12:26 am
Slashdot, lagging behind us as usual, has a review.
Really? I've heard a bit about adaptive algorithms in poker playing recently which make some interesting variations, while I've heard a lot of coworkers discussing online poker as basically a way to make money statistically. I don't play poker myself, but from what I've heard it sounded like the two sides' playing styles could blur when the algorithms are interesting enough, and the players are strong enough at their math.
Anyway, that wasn't your point. And maybe you were thinking of no-limit poker. ;)
raphkoster.com » Discussions on GTxA, elsewhere Says:
[…] to pop up all over the place. An interesting one is Nick Montfort's review over at Grand Text Auto. Generally speaking, I think arguing with rev […]
Raph's Website » Sorts of fun, sorts of kfun? Says:
November 1st, 2005 at 2:32 pm
[…] uage yet again). This very much echoes a similar discussion on Grand Text Auto here and here (and my response to their review is here), and discussions I have had w […]
Dennis G. Jerz Says:
My two cents… I used this book as a starter text in my "Video Game Culture and Theory" course, and followed it up with Brenda Laurel's Utopian Entrepreneur and finsihed with Jesper Juul's Half Real. It was a lower-level English class designed without any prerequisites. I filled in with a few other stand-alone articles, and had students write game reviews, a "close playing" and a researched term paper.
I knew I had to start at a pretty basic level. I started out asking them to look at War Games and Tron and a few other games-related movies, and I had them watch/play the famous Strongbad on classic video games. We also had a unit on new games journalism as a bridge between game reviews (the only kind of writing about games I expected the students to be familiar with) and games criticism. The "culture" came before the "theory" in this class. It was a three-week January course. A few students dropped the course when they saw the workload, and the ones who stuck it out said they would have enjoyed it much better if it were a regular full-term class. (I would have been able to assign more reading then, and also perhaps spent some time as a class in EverQuest.)
In retrospect, I think I should have had them buy an Atari Classics CD as a required text, since some of the students Googled for the titles of classic games, ended up finding and playing Flash or Java emulations that weren't terribly faithful to the original, and played them without a sense of what the emulations were missing.
I do teach some upper-level new media courses. I would definitely use Koster's book again for the lower-level course, but I would problably just put the library's copy on reserve if I were to use it again for an upper-level course. It's a good introduction, but it's not written for an academic audience.


It's not uncommon that when we get aches and pains we reach out for some paracetamol or other 'over the counter; available medication to ease our discomfort. The same will go for heartburn, nausea, food poisoning, dehydration, allergies, irritation in eyes and so many other things. We are quick to self-medicate our minor problems and try and fix them ourselves.
Most of the times this is quite ok. You are able to deal with a minor problem, and sometimes even a little advice from the pharmacist helps without having to go to the doctor. For me, I draw the line here very quickly because taking medication without knowing how much to take, when to take it and for how long is not something I want to read from the little enclosed leaflet and nor do I want to Google my symptoms (which, incidentally I have done many times and each time have been convinced it's my last day on Earth) to find out what's wrong and what medication I need.
There was a time I was severally convinced that I have deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and that I would get the clot travelling from my calf all the way to my lungs and getting entangled in there somewhere, killing me instantly. I had visions of a red blob travelling upward in my complicated bodily network of various veins and arteries, this shapeless dark red thing about the size of a 50 cent coin, suddenly getting lodged in my lungs. That's what Googling symptoms can do to you.
Turns out, my sciatic nerve had flared up after a grueling session on the treadmill. Actually I'm lying when I say grueling but how else was I going to justify the sciatic nerve suddenly flaring up? I went to the doctor who I think suppressed his grin as I told him about my DVT and the horrendous pain I was in and how I just had to be admitted straight away to hospital. I left his office with a print out on exercises I was meant to do to ease the pain and a request form to see a physiotherapist. I felt cheated. The only medication I was told I could have was a simple pain killer and only if it hurt a lot.
Having said that, and having convinced you I'm a hypochondriac, I must say I'd rather go to a doctor and be diagnosed properly than self-diagnose and self-medicate. This is a terrible thing to do especially where children are concerned. I've never gone running to the pediatrician with my kids at the slightest sniffle but I have been sensible enough not to pump their bodies with medication without proper advice. If an over the counter pain killer works for us adults, don't think the same will work with kids. They could have kidney failure or something! No I'm not a doctor but this is common sense and it's also written on the inserted leaflets in case you've been inclined to take the time out to read those.
Go see a doctor if you aren't well and only self-medicate if you know your medication properly. Pharmacists always dispense advice as well as medication so do ask them too if you need help.
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text:
Tranarp är en ort i Åstorps kommun i Skåne län, belägen vid Rönne å i nordvästra Skåne.

Vid Tranarp ligger Tranarpsbron, som fått sitt namn efter orten. Där inträffade i januari 2013 en av de värsta seriekrockarna i Sveriges historia.

Orter i Klippans kommun

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Air Pollution & Alzheimer's Disease | Natural Health Blog
Written by: Beth Levine
health-blog
Air Pollution and Alzheimer's Disease
In certain places, it may be dangerous to simply breathe the air. Air pollution levels can be high enough to impact your respiratory system, your cardiovascular system, and, as we will discuss today, even your brain. In cities where air pollution is a bad problem, it has been linked to cognitive decline. And potentially even more frighteningly, new research suggests that heavy air pollution might begin doing damage to the brain in early childhood.
The study, which was conducted by a team of scientists from several institutions in the United States and Mexico, found that certain biomarkers commonly associated with Alzheimer's disease were present in children, teenagers, and young adults living in an area with heavily polluted air.1 Calderon-Garciduenas, Lilian; et al. "Non-Phosphorylated Tau in Cerebrospinal Fluid is a Marker of Alzheimer's Disease Continuum in Young Urbanites Exposed to Air Pollution." Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 12 December 2018. Accessed 2 January 2019. https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad180853 These results are based on an investigation focused on Metropolitan Mexico City, a region known to have air pollution problems significant enough for government officials to issue warnings recommending inhabitants remain indoors.
The subjects were 507 young residents of Metropolitan Mexico City, with an average age of just under 13 years old, as well as others in the same age range residing in cities with low air pollution levels to serve as a control population. Cerebrospinal fluid samples were taken from all of the participants and analyzed for the presence of Non-P-Tau antibodies, which are a biomarker of Alzheimer's disease, and damage to the axons, which are nerve fibers responsible for transmissions between the brain and nervous system.
Levels of Non-P-Tau were shown to markedly increase with age in the volunteers living in Mexico City compared to their peers in other cities. This is extremely concerning since the presence of Non-P-Tau is typically indicative of early damage to the nerves of the brain as well as to the development of Alzheimer's disease over time.
Metropolitan Mexico City was likely selected as the focal point of this study because it is well known to have extremely high levels of air pollution. In fact, children raised in the area have lifetime exposure rates to concentrations of air pollutants that exceed what is deemed acceptable in the United States. That being said, there are also millions of people throughout the U.S. who reside in places—such as Los Angeles and Lancaster, Pennsylvania—where they are regularly exposed to air pollutants that exceed what is considered a safe level. And keep in mind that air quality has improved markedly over the last 20 years.
These pollutants include ozone, which is produced when gases emitted by cars, chemical plants, refineries, and the like react with sunlight; and fine particulate matter, which are tiny, inhalable particles that come from a variety of sources including construction sites, smokestacks, wildfires, and cars. And we know that air pollution from sources such as these can have negative effects on the brain. A 2018 study at the Yale School of Public Health in New Haven, Connecticut showed that living in an area with high air pollution is connected to significant cognitive decline, and the effect increases with age.2 Zhang, Xin; et al. "The impact of exposure to air pollution on cognitive performance." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 27 August 2018. Accessed 3 January 2019. https://www.pnas.org/content/115/37/9193
So, what do you do if you've been living for years in a city with bad air pollution? Moving to a cleaner environment would be the obvious answer, but probably not a realistic solution for most people. There are, however, ways to improve your situation and remain in your current location.
Invest in a good air filtration system that can remove many of the harmful particles from your home. Limit the amount of time you spend outdoors, especially when air quality reports are particularly bad. Get your exercise indoors at home or at a gym. And don't be shy about wearing a face mask if you need to be outside for an extended period of time.
It's also important to take a few steps to bolster your brain health. Listening to classical music, developing new skills, and completing crossword puzzles have all been found to help prevent cognitive decline. Do regular heavy metal detoxing to rid your body of some of the toxins in the air you breathe, and use a full spectrum antioxidant supplement to diminish the damage done by the polluted air. And finally, consider using an L-carnosine based supplement to help protect against cell damage caused by beta-amyloid (AKA amyloid-beta, amyloid ß-protein, and Aß), one of the prime suspected protein risk factors for Alzheimer's. The presence of beta-amyloid leads to damage of the nerves and arteries of the brain. Carnosine blocks and inactivates beta-amyloid.3 Preston, J.E., A.R. Hipkiss, D.T. Himsworth, et al. "Toxic Effects of Beta-amyloid(25-35) on Immortalised Rat Brain Endothelial Cell: Protection by Carnosine, Homocarnosine and Beta-alanine." Neurosci Lett 242:2 (February 1998): 105–108. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9533405
1. ↑ Calderon-Garciduenas, Lilian; et al. "Non-Phosphorylated Tau in Cerebrospinal Fluid is a Marker of Alzheimer's Disease Continuum in Young Urbanites Exposed to Air Pollution." Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. 12 December 2018. Accessed 2 January 2019. https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad180853
2. ↑ Zhang, Xin; et al. "The impact of exposure to air pollution on cognitive performance." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 27 August 2018. Accessed 3 January 2019. https://www.pnas.org/content/115/37/9193
3. ↑ Preston, J.E., A.R. Hipkiss, D.T. Himsworth, et al. "Toxic Effects of Beta-amyloid(25-35) on Immortalised Rat Brain Endothelial Cell: Protection by Carnosine, Homocarnosine and Beta-alanine." Neurosci Lett 242:2 (February 1998): 105–108. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9533405
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Q: Google App Engine instance being restarted I have a java app deployed to GCP App Engine with a jar. I tested with a load testing framework to generate steady state 100 QPS of traffic. I have also set the maximum instance count to 1. I am following the automatic scaling.
When I go to "instances" page, it says "This instance is being restarted" all the time. But all requests are succeeding.

*

*Why is the instance being restarted while serving requests?

*How do I know the cause for this restart?


Talos is disclosing a pair of vulnerabilities in Foxit PDF Reader. Foxit PDF Reader is a popular free program for viewing, creating, and editing PDF documents. It is commonly used as an alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader and has a widely used browser plugin available.


text:
The other 'taper' that could hit Treasurys
Published Thu, Nov 21 20136:40 AM EST Updated Thu, Nov 21 20137:33 AM EST
Matt Clinch@mattclinch81
Chris Hondros | Staff | Getty Images
Fixed-income investors remain transfixed on Treasury yields, trying to second guess when the Federal Reserve might look to rein in its bond-buying program. But strategists have told CNBC there may be another threat on the horizon with China starting to fall out of love with U.S. debt.
Yi Gang, a deputy governor at the People's Bank of China (PBoC), said in a speech at Tsinghua University on Wednesday that it's no longer in China's favor to accumulate foreign-exchange reserves, according to reports by both Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal.
"The appreciation of the yuan since 2005 has been primarily driven by market forces and overall this has helped improve the welfare of the Chinese people," he said, but gave no time frame for the change in strategy.
(Read More: Debt deal done, but dollar's demise deep-rooted)
Analysts see this as the PBoC hinting that it will let its currency fluctuate, without intervention, thus negating the need for holding large reserves of the dollar. And if the dollar is no longer needed, then it could look to curb its purchases of dollar-denominated assets like U.S. Treasurys.
"If they are looking to reduce these purchases going forward then, yes, you'd have to look at who the marginal buyer would be," Richard McGuire, a senior rate strategist at Rabobank told CNBC in an interview.
"Together, with the Federal Reserve tapering its bond purchases, it has the potential to add to the bearish long-term outlook on U.S. Treasurys."
China is by far the largest foreign creditor to the U.S., holding just under $1.3 trillion in U.S Treasurys, according to Reuters, and a total of $3.66 trillion held in foreign exchange reserves.
(Read More: Is the Dollar Dying? Why US Currency Is in Danger)
Twenty years ago China would have kept nearly all its reserves in mostly short-dated government bonds, according to Kit Juckes, global head of foreign exchange strategy at Societe Generale. Despite recent diversification, the Chinese still hold a large slice, he added, and has probably kept U.S. Treasury yields lower by 40 basis points in recent years.
Tapering is 'a good thing': Pro
Worldwide Exchange
If China does rein in its bond purchases, "yields won't 'shoot up', the curve's too steep for that," Juckes told CNBC via email. "But the chances of seeing 3 percent 10 year yields by Christmas have increased."
Analysts may believe that China could "taper" but they don't foresee the country selling what it already owns. It's not in their interest to see Treasury prices decline as they would lose a lot of money, McGuire iterated.
(Read More: Emerging market currencies Fed tapering can't touch)
Neil Mellor, a currency strategist at Bank of New York Mellon told CNBC that China would be very cautious with any decision to taper as "self-interest" would apply and the United States has made progress with its deficit reduction.
"It is entirely possible that Congress may have to cooperate a little more closely and that by the time China is fully ready to taper, the Treasury market is in better shape," he said via email.
"They may of course decide to taper without due heed to any of these issues - perhaps hoping that the threat will be enough to force the U.S.' hand; but I think they're both in it together and must cooperate to some extent. We shall see."
By CNBC.com's Matt Clinch. Follow him on Twitter @mattclinch81


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