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Zimbabwe's clean slate: What brought Mugabe down, and why he didn't see it coming
A military intervention this week signaled the end of Robert Mugabe's 37-year rule of Zimbabwe. Geoffrey York reports from the streets of Harare on why it happened and whether the change will usher in a new era of hope
Nov. 17: In his first public appearance after being placed in military custody, Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe arrives to preside over a student graduation ceremony at Zimbabwe Open University on the outskirts of Harare. While still nominally Zimbabwe's leader, Mr. Mugabe has seen a swift fall from grace this week after 37 years in power.
BEN CURTIS/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Geoffrey YorkAfrica Bureau Chief
Published November 17, 2017 Updated November 17, 2017
In the end, it was the human weaknesses that proved the undoing of the world's oldest dictator. Arrogance, pride, stubbornness and obsessive family loyalty – a mundane collection of ordinary frailties, but they were enough to bring down a ruler who had dominated Zimbabwe for 37 years.
The signs of a looming military coup must have been obvious to Robert Mugabe. His top generals were against his plan to give a senior government post to his unpopular wife, Grace. The once-petty feud between her and the commanders was growing increasingly bitter, and she was insulting and mocking the military men and their political allies.
Mr. Mugabe controlled a vast security apparatus, including a secret police agency that would have certainly told him of the warning signs from the army.
Yet he didn't even need an intelligence report. By early this week, the likelihood of a military intervention was a secret to nobody. Senior military officers called a press conference, issued a public threat to the Mugabe regime, and announced that they might need to step in. The ruling party responded with nothing more than a haughty verbal reprimand.
Two days later, the army commanders launched their takeover. But even when the armoured vehicles were rolling into Harare, the President did nothing.
Why did the dictator fail to act? At the age of 93, while his health was declining and he needed help to walk to a podium, he was still alert and lucid. But he ignored the alarm bells from the Zimbabwean military and the Zimbabwean people. He was convinced of his popularity, believing in the results of rigged elections, without realizing that his authority was hollow and crumbling.
Zimbabweans who have watched him for decades have little doubt that it was Mr. Mugabe's own imperious egotism that led to his downfall. He saw the danger signs, yet his supreme confidence led him to assume that he could swat away the threats with yet another sacking or another arrest.
"Big people tend to over-reach, and he over-reached himself," says Earnest Mudzengi, a political analyst in Harare.
"His system had collapsed around him. Surely he should have known. It's a sad end for him. He led a guerrilla warfare in the 1970s, the people looked up to him – and now they're chasing him away."
Tendai Biti, a former finance minister who worked with Mr. Mugabe in government from 2009 to 2013, says the autocrat was destroyed by his own pride. "Hubristic arrogance," he told The Globe and Mail. "He was in power so long. He became so comfortable, complacent and over-confident. He's stubborn, and he forgot the nature of the state around him. This is a military state, a state of securocrats. He forgot that he was just a representative of a securocratic state, and it will always dump you if you don't serve it. So they fired him."
Nov. 15: A youth washes a minibus bearing Mr. Mugabe's portrait at a bus terminal in Harare.
PHILIMON BULAWAYO/REUTERS
Nov. 15, 2017: Soldiers stand on the streets in Harare after the military's takeover.
Nov. 15: An image from the Twitter account of Fadzayi Mahere, advocate of the High Court and Supreme Court of Zimbabwe, appears to show officers sitting in a line with troops guarding them in Harare.
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: MAPZEN; OSM;
NATURAL EARTH; WHO'S ON FIRST
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: MAPZEN; OSM; NATURAL EARTH; WHO'S ON FIRST
For decades, Mr. Mugabe had shrewdly balanced the factions around him. He kept his enemies close. He used selective repression to weaken any camp that became too strong. Nobody was allowed to become the heir apparent.
But in recent years this strategy became cruder, less cautious and more impulsive. He decided that Ms. Mugabe must have her future guaranteed, and the only way to safeguard her ambitions was to give her a powerful government post: vice-president or perhaps even the coveted role of his official successor.
And to do that, he disrupted the delicate balance around him. After relying on military support for nearly four decades, he suddenly began to threaten the senior military officers, and they responded in a predictable way: by plotting against him.
For most of their marriage, Grace Mugabe had stayed out of politics. More than 40 years younger than her husband, she was content to go on shopping sprees in Paris and Hong Kong, running several private businesses and enjoying the perks and wealth that flowed from her husband's power.
But everything changed after the 2013 election. It was blatantly rigged. The main opposition party, which had held a number of cabinet posts in a coalition government for the previous four years, was thrown into the political wilderness. With the regime's power now assured, the biggest remaining political question was the post-Mugabe succession within the ruling party itself.
Mr. Mugabe, left, and his wife Grace, shown in 2008.
In 2014, as Mr. Mugabe's health deteriorated, the jostling and political tensions were becoming more visible. It became clear to Ms. Mugabe that she could lose everything if her husband died. She needed to secure her future. She felt the resentment of the older generation of politicians who gained their authority because they were veterans of the liberation war against white minority rule in the 1970s. If this veteran generation controlled the post-Mugabe succession, she could be stripped of her wealth and forced into exile.
Ms. Mugabe, leaping into the political arena, decided to ally herself with a younger generation of politicians, who became known as the G40 faction (Generation 40). Among them were several ambitious cabinet ministers who sought to bypass the war veterans and gain power after Mr. Mugabe's demise.
Grace Mugabe's first major move was to launch a nasty verbal campaign against Vice-President Joice Mujuru, a respected war veteran. Ms. Mugabe held a series of political rallies, whipping up hatred against Ms. Mujuru. It was a successful campaign: the Vice-President was fired at the end of 2014.
Joice Mujuru.
Ms. Mujuru was replaced by another war veteran, Emmerson Mnangagwa, who had been a crucial ally of Mr. Mugabe since the guerrilla war of the 1970s. As the security minister in the Mugabe cabinet, he led a bloody crackdown on dissidents in the Matabeleland region in the 1980s, and continued to play a key role in supporting Mr. Mugabe in other crises, including the 2008 election when the ruling party was on the verge of losing power.
Emmerson Mnangagwa.
JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
It was obvious to Ms. Mugabe that Mr. Mnangagwa posed a serious threat to her ambitions. She turned against him, spearheading another furious campaign of political rallies and crude insults. "The snake must be hit on the head," she declared.
She also attacked his military allies – including the army commander, General Constantino Chiwenga, another liberation war veteran. There were growing reports that Mr. Mugabe would conduct a sweeping purge of the highest levels of the military ranks to ensure that the army was neutralized.
The factional conflict, by now, was becoming so intense that Ms. Mugabe heard scattered jeers from Mr. Mnangagwa's supporters at one of her rallies. She ramped up the pressure on her husband to take action against her foes. The ruling party announced a special congress for December, where Ms. Mugabe and her supporters could be appointed to key positions.
On Nov. 6, the President fired Mr. Mnangagwa for "disloyalty, disrespect, deceitfulness and unreliability." But in a crucial error, Mr. Mugabe's police and security agents failed to prevent Mr. Mnangagwa from slipping out of the country, where he was able to mobilize support and issue a taunting statement.
General Chiwenga, meanwhile, was on an official visit to China. When he returned to Zimbabwe last weekend, there was reportedly an attempt to arrest him – but he had arranged to protect himself with a military unit at the airport, and the police were unable to seize him.
On Monday, he made an extraordinary appearance before the television cameras, backed up by almost every senior military commander in the country. It was a remarkable moment: the top military chief was publicly criticizing the Mugabe government in harsh and bitter words, while openly threatening that the military could intervene. With hindsight, his words were a clear guide to the army's plans to target Ms. Mugabe and the G40 faction – yet Mr. Mugabe failed to take any steps to halt him.
Nov. 13: General Constantino Chiwenga addresses a news conference held at the Zimbabwean Army Headquarters in Harare.
While he did not name Ms. Mugabe or her G40 allies, General Chiwenga was unmistakably referring to them. He painted them as a generation too young to have legitimacy in Zimbabwe. "The history of our revolution cannot be rewritten by those who have not been part of it," he said.
"It is saddening to see our revolution being hijacked…. We must remind those behind the current treacherous shenanigans that when it comes to matters of protecting our revolution, the military will not hesitate to step in."
Mr. Mugabe ruling party, ZANU-PF, issued a brief statement to denounce General Chiwenga's comments, but its rebuke was brushed aside. Two days after the commander's warning, the military did exactly what it said it would do.
Nov. 15: Major-General Sibusiso Moyo reading a statement on television announcing the military takeover.
DEWA MAVHINGADEWA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Armoured vehicles rumbled out of a military base and rolled into Harare, taking control of all key sites. Mr. Mugabe was placed under military guard in his home, permitted to leave only under military escort. Several leading members of the G40 faction, including several cabinet ministers, were arrested and taken to military barracks.
As for Ms. Mugabe herself: She vanished from public view, her whereabouts unknown, although some reports suggested that she was holed up in the presidential residence.
While the details of Mr. Mugabe's exit were still being negotiated on Friday, it was the end of the Mugabe era.
March 4, 1980: Mr. Mugabe raises his fists in triumph at a press conference following his landslide election victory. ALLEN PIZZEY/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
April 16, 1980: Prince Charles, right, speaks with Mr. Mugabe in Harare (then called Salisbury) while British governor Christopher Soames and the Rhodesian cabinet look on. Mr. Mugabe was hailed as a hero in Zimbabwe for helping to bring about the end of British colonialism there. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Invincible no more
There was a time in Zimbabwe when Robert Mugabe was popular. As the leader of the main guerrilla movement that had fought white-minority rule, he swept to power in a landslide victory in the 1980 election. He outmanoeuvred every other politician, eliminating every threat from rival guerrilla leaders such as Joshua Nkomo.
But his economic mismanagement – seizing farmland, imposing state controls, fuelling inflation, destroying the industrial sector – led to widespread poverty and unemployment, which in turn eroded his popularity. Hyperinflation erupted in 2008, and the national GDP collapsed. Only a military crackdown saved him from a looming defeat in the 2008 election.
After a brief recovery under the coalition government from 2009 to 2013, the economy fell into decline again. Sporadic cash shortages and commodity shortages led to panic buying and rising economic anxieties.
In 1980, when Mr. Mugabe won his first election, Zimbabwe's economy was twice as large as that of neighbouring Zambia, and its average incomes were higher than those in most countries in southern Africa. Today its economy is smaller than Zambia's, and its life expectancy is lower than it was in 1980.
Last Monday, in his pre-coup statement, General Chiwenga cited the deteriorating economy as one of the main reasons for his potential intervention. He made it clear that the economy has tumbled into decline since the end of the coalition government in 2013.
"As a result of squabbling within the ranks of ZANU-PF, there has been no meaningful development in the country for the past five years," he said. "The resultant economic impasse has ushered in more challenges to the Zimbabwean populace, such as cash shortages and rising commodity prices."
It is the battered economy, more than anything else, that has created public support for the military coup. Zimbabweans are not enthusiastic supporters of the army, especially after its human-rights abuses in the past, but the army's promises have provided a glimmer of hope. So when the military seized power and put Mr. Mugabe under house arrest, there was no outpouring of support for the elderly leader. Nobody bothered to defend him.
"People have been heartily sick of Mugabe for a long time, and Grace has done him no favours with her rude behaviour," said David Moore, a Canadian scholar and Zimbabwe expert at the University of Johannesburg.
Nov. 16: A man has a shave at a street barber, next to a covered poster of Mr. Mugabe, in the low-income neighbourhood of Mbare in Harare.
Interviews in Harare confirm that the coup was widely supported. Tinaye Gomo, who scrounges a meagre living by selling pirated music discs on the streets of Harare, was quick to welcome the intervention. "Things were very bad," he said this week, a day after the military intervention. "There is nothing at home, so I have to work very late at night. But now things are getting better. We're very happy."
Vivid Gwede, an independent political analyst and human rights activist in Harare, says the Zimbabwean people felt a yearning for any kind of new regime after so many years of Mugabe rule. "People are desperate for change," he says. "For a lot of people here, any kind of change is a good thing. For 37 years, they've been under one leader whose rule was dictatorial, and they've suffered a lot of economic victimization. Elections haven't worked, demonstrations are violently suppressed, and people feel under siege."
Mr. Mugabe's own blunders led to his fall, Mr. Gwede says. "When someone is in power for 37 years, there is the myth of invincibility. And Mugabe himself believed it. He forgot that his rule was based on the security agencies, not the popular will. He showed arrogance, and the military decided that enough was enough. He was aware that something was afoot, but he couldn't stop it."
One of his biggest blunders was to allow his politically inexperienced wife to share his power. "She has an inflated sense of superiority, but she lacks the emotional intelligence to know that you shouldn't insult people in public," Mr. Gwede says. "She seems to revel in the limelight."
Ms. Mugabe and the G40 faction made another political error by pushing for a swift entrenchment of their power at the special ZANU-PF conference next month.
"I think G40 tried to move too fast to get their slate set for the December conference," Mr. Moore says. "They figured they'd have to work fast to get their slate in, but their hubris made them move too fast, and they underestimated the savvy of their enemy. And they have no guns. Without guns they had no chance."
Nov. 16: A man walks past a military tank parked on the side of a Harare street.
In the end, Mr. Mugabe became a victim of his own willingness to encourage the military to intervene in political issues – a pattern that continued from the army massacres in Matabeleland in the 1980s to the blatant military interference in the 2008 election. "He promoted military intervention in civilian affairs, and this was a direct result of that," Mr. Gwede says. "His grip on the army began loosening last year, and then he complained of military intervention in the political succession battle."
The military coup was carefully planned and shrewdly organized, with a minimum of disruption. Mr. Biti, the former finance minister, says the army commanders avoided the three biggest mistakes of most coups: they did not inflict great bloodshed, they did not disrupt the lives of ordinary people, and they did not wreak revenge on their enemies.
As a result, they have retained a significant amount of public support, and they still have a chance to gain legitimacy for their intervention by persuading ZANU-PF to drop Mr. Mugabe as the party's leader – allowing the military to maintain the fiction that this was not a coup.
"The army wants a soft landing for Robert Mugabe, because they respect him," Mr. Mudzengi says. "They are the same guys as him. He made those guys, and they made him."
Mr. Mugabe, true to his character, stubbornly refused to resign when the generals took over. But the military has continued to play the game shrewdly, allowing him to keep his dignity. On Thursday, it permitted him to be photographed at a negotiating session with mediators and military leaders at State House, his presidential headquarters. On Friday, it even allowed him to supervise a university graduation ceremony.
Nov. 16: A screengrab from Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation shows Mr. Mugabe, second from right, with General Constantino Chiwenga, right, and South African envoys in Harare.
ZBC/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
This strategy might avoid bloodshed and pave the way for a peaceful transition to a new government – but it does nothing to restore democracy in a country where autocrats have long ruled.
"A family had captured the state, and now a junta is capturing the state," Mr. Gwede said. "It doesn't change the fundamentals. We're still under a militarized and undemocratic system that doesn't respect human rights. We're seeing how the military has become such a powerful force in our politics. It's hard to see who can run the country in the future without the army, and that's not what we want as human rights defenders and democrats."
He wonders if the military will allow any criticism of the next president – whether it is Mr. Mnangagwa or someone else. "It's as if the military are the commissars of the ruling party. They're not acting as a national army – they are acting as a partisan party. And that's dangerous."
Geoffrey York is The Globe and Mail's Africa correspondent.
MORE FROM THE GLOBE AND MAIL
Editorial: The welcome end of Robert Mugabe's reign From all appearances, the interminable reign of President Robert Mugabe, the only leader Zimbabwe has ever known, has come to an end in a bloodless coup.
Innocent Madawo: Coup or not, there's much at stake in Zimbabwe The crisis in Zimbabwe is all about Grace Mugabe daring to ascend into the leadership of ZANU-PF without liberation credentials, a former Zimbabwean journalist explains.
Follow Geoffrey York on Twitter @geoffreyyork
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Nina Totenberg: What It Was Like To Be the Only Woman In the Newsroom
"It's really simple. They just ignored me"
Adrienne LaFrance
Nina Totenberg's voice is one of the most familiar sounds in public radio. Her work is so well known that NPR even sells a "Nina Totin' Bag," which pays homage to the legal affairs correspondent and pokes fun at public broadcasting for its classic pledge-drive gift.
Totenberg began her career at NPR nearly forty years ago, and she was covering the justice system for The National Observer even before that. When she began reporting about the Supreme Court—long before any woman had been appointed a justice — she was the only woman working in her newsroom.
I caught up with Totenberg to discuss how things used to be and how much they've changed. Here's our conversation, lightly edited and condensed.
Take me back to when your career was just getting started in the early 1970s. What would I have seen if I walked into your newsroom at NPR or at The National Observer? What was different compared with today?
Everything. It was all male except for me. When I started, I was the only woman. On the news desk, there were no other women. I think they came to be relatively fond of me but it was trial by fire for a while. They ignored me. It's really simple. They just ignored me. I was not one of the guys. They didn't invite me to lunch. They just didn't acknowledge me.
I'm sure that motivated you to outwork them but I think it would also hurt my feelings.
I think my feelings were hurt but I was sort of used to it by then. There were so few jobs for women in those days, you just had to be grateful you had one. Every place was male dominated. Congress was almost entirely male. The White House was almost entirely male, and so was the staff. So it's not like there were exceptions.
How did sources treat you differently than your male colleagues?
The bad news was you weren't one of the guys so you didn't chum it up with them and go drinking. The good news was they assumed you were young and stupid. I was young. I wasn't stupid. They would very often say the most incredible things to me because they weren't concentrating on the fact that I was concentrating on them.
I probably scored a number of scoops that way. It's just hilarious. One time I was doing a story about junkets on Capitol Hill. I think Northwest [Airlines] had inaugurated a new line to Japan and Korea. They had taken on their maiden voyage most of the members of the Senate Commerce Committee, which of course controlled regulation of the airline industry.
So I did a bunch of interviews with people who went, and then I asked the people who didn't go why they didn't. I remember [Montana Democrat] Mike Mansfield said something of great integrity. He just said, "Don't do that kind of thing." But there was a senator, [New Hampshire Republican] Norris Cotton, who said, "Oriental food gives me the trots." And that was the subhead in the story! It was just too good.
At one point, President Nixon had been considering naming Senator [Robert] Byrd to the Supreme Court. I asked Byrd to come off the floor and talk to me — it was a lot easier to get people to come off the floor and talk to you in those days. He was very thrilled to be considered and he just told me everything, absolutely everything, completely everything. I don't know what he was thinking, but he probably wouldn't have been quite that candid for a male reporter.
When you look around today, how much better is it for women in journalism now?
I just don't think there's any comparison. I think for the most part women have completely cracked the egg and the glass ceiling. Ten years ago, women were reporters and editors but not executive editors and not network chieftains, so to speak. But that's not true anymore. I think that, really, for all practical purposes, [female journalists] can't complain. Women have no basis for complaint.
There are times — over childcare issues or whatever — where there can come a moment, but for the most part it's just night and day. More women really are equals in the workplace. Well, in the news workplace. That's not true in a lot of other areas of professional life. It's certainly not true in the business world.
I'm curious what it's been like for you to cover an era in which we've gone from having had zero female Supreme Court justices to now having had four.
I guess I somewhat agree with what all the members of the current Supreme Court and Justice [Sandra Day] O'Connor say. Women don't make different decisions per se. But I do think that one's experience does make a difference. And therefore, if you've experienced being discriminated against or not taken seriously or shut out of a discussion — and all women have experienced that, including today — it does change your appreciation for a situation. If you had those experiences, then when those kinds of cases come to you, you have some understanding of it that a male justice might not.
You're friendly with some of the justices. What's something you've come to learn about them that would surprise people?
I think people who meet Justice [Antonin] Scalia are most surprised because he's such a charming and engaging and fun person. He's the kind of person you want to sit next to at dinner. They have this idea of him as a dour conservative. He is a conservative, but he's not dour. He has an interesting mind and he's interested in all kinds of subjects from music to art. And he is very funny. And what surprises people about Justice [Ruth Bader] Ginsburg most is she is this tiny little person and she is such a force to be reckoned with.
Can you imagine a time when the Supreme Court of the United States would have more justices who are women than men? All women even?
I don't think that it'll be all women. I certainly hope not. I thought it was a bad idea when it was all men and I think it would be a bad idea for it to be all women. The Supreme Court of Canada has had a majority of women and I would expect in the future the majority in the United States would be women. But I don't know when.
It's astounding to think how much has already changed in your career.
It's been quite an interesting life to have lived. From a time when I was first looking for a job and people would say to you, "We don't hire women," to a time when that's definitely not the case in our profession.
It's not that sex discrimination is gone from the workplace. It's hardly gone. But it is probably more gone from journalism than it is from a lot of professions. One of the stories I like to tell is when — and this was the late '70s or early '80s—I was thinking of leaving NPR. And I had lunch with a guy I knew well and liked and respected. He was bureau chief at a major newspaper chain. And I would lay odds that he doesn't remember this because he would be ashamed to remember this. So I said I was thinking of leaving NPR, and he said, "But you know we already have our woman." My heart sank on one hand, and on the other I thought, "You're smarter than that! How can you even think that way?"
Well thank you for putting up with all of that B.S. for us — for the women who became journalists after you.
It's a very great thing to have it not be that way any more. I go to talk to high schoolers and I tell them these stories. They look at me like I have three heads. They have just not experienced it at all.
The Only Woman in the Room
What it's like to be outnumbered, and what we can do about it.
Thanks to Katie DeRogatis.
Editor, TheAtlantic.com

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NHL To Honor Willie O'Ree With Special Decal On Helmets
By CBSBoston.com Staff January 11, 2021 at 4:36 pm
Filed Under:Boston Bruins, NHL, Sports News, Willie O'Ree
BOSTON (CBS) — The NHL will honor Willie O'Ree — the first black man to play in the league when he broke the color barrier with the Boston Bruins in 1958 — with a special decal on helmets through January and February.
From Jan. 16 through the end of February, NHL players will sport a helmet decal celebrating the 63rd anniversary of O'Ree becoming the first Black player in the league and to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced the initiative on Monday.
The decals feature an image of O'Ree wearing his trademark fedora along with the words "Celebrating Equality." This year, Martin Luther King Jr. Day coincides with the anniversary of O'Ree's debut with the Bruins, which took place in 1958 in a game against the Canadiens in Montreal.
Commissioner Gary Bettman today announced that the NHL has created a custom helmet decal that pays tribute to Hockey Hall of Famer Willie O'Ree and Martin Luther King, Jr., through the theme of Celebrating Equality. pic.twitter.com/Xkrw57JIoy
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 11, 2021
"When I reminisce back, I say, 'Oh my goodness, 1958. Time flies,'" O'Ree said in a release. "I'm thrilled, overwhelmed about the stickers."
O'Ree played 45 games over two seasons with the Bruins, despite being blind in his right eye. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018 for his off-ice accomplishments as the NHL's Diversity Ambassador.


Mississippi State fans ring their cowbells during game against Northwestern State, Saturday, Sept. 19, 2015 in Starkville, Miss. Mississippi State won 62-13.
STARKVILLE, Miss. — Not only is BYU struggling to figure out how to score points this season, this week it also has been trying to figure out how to match up with a big, fast, physical Southeastern Conference opponent in Mississippi State.
But the Cougars will have to deal with a new and different kind of challenge at Davis Wade Stadium — cowbells.
To prepare the players for this upcoming onslaught on noise, BYU offensive line coach Mike Empey showed up at Tuesday's practice in Provo with a cowbell, which Bulldog fans love clanging during their games.
For this game to be a truly memorable experience, the Cougars would need to spring an improbable upset.
Cowbells are the least of their problems.
BYU, which has lost five straight games, is a big underdog against MSU (3-2) as the two teams meet Saturday (10 a.m., MDT, SEC Network).
The last time the Cougars (1-5) opened a season with a 1-6 record was in 1968.
Mississippi State is the last Power 5 opponent on BYU's schedule.
What is Ghanwoloku looking forward to most Saturday?
It won't be easy for BYU against a Mississippi State team that whipped LSU, 37-7, a month ago. On Sept. 2, LSU throttled the Cougars, 27-0.
"It's going to be a great challenge. I always love going against good opponents like SEC teams and Power 5 teams," said defensive lineman Kesni Tausinga. "It gives us a chance to test our skills. Last year we had a great game with them. That was one of the most memorable games I've ever played in against Mississippi State.
The Cougars are desperate to end their losing streak. They haven't tasted victory in 50 days.
On top of all of the adversity BYU has experienced this season, the Cougars will have to deal with a hostile crowd and a bunch of cowbells Saturday.


Investment in ecommerce will be at the heart of a three-year transformation plan designed to take Mothercare back to "acceptable levels of profitability," the nursery retailer's new chief executive said this week.
The plan, introduced by Simon Calver in his first full-year results presentation to the London Stock Exchange since joining on April 30, includes taking the Mothercare brand multichannel across its international markets.
The news came as Mothercare reported group sales of £812.7m in the year to March 31, up 2.4% on the £793.6m last year, and a pre-tax loss of £102.9m, down from a profit of £8.8m at the same time last year. Before a one-off exceptional charge of £104.4m, group underlying pre-tax profits came in at a "disappointing" £1.6m, down from £28.5m last time.
The company aims to become "one of the leading online players in the UK over the next three years." It launched a new UK website on May 1. "We will be redeveloping and reconfiguring our delivery network, our technology teams and our loyalty and retention tools but we can and will get there," said today's Mothercare statement. It also aims to introduce websites in "all major international markets" over the next three years.
Other elements include introducing lean retail to reduce non-store costs by £20m a year by 2015 while focusing on a portfolio of 200 profitable stores and growing international sales by 20% a year in countries including India, China, Russia and Brazil.
"We have a long way to go, and the plan to bring the UK business back to acceptable levels of profitability will take three years," said Calver.
"We need to invest in ecommerce, be ruthless with our non-store cost base and use our scale and growth worldwide to drive sourcing economies and pass these savings onto the customers to improve our value for money around the world.


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Lokmat Group
Political Journey
Member's Bills
Religious Initiatives
Education Endowment
Cultural Endeavours
Positions Held
Summits & Conferences
Stalwarts Say
"Politics should be the medium to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of every citizen."
– Vijay Darda
Vijay Darda began his active political career in 1998 and served as a Member of the Parliament (Rajya Sabha) for three consecutive terms till 2016. He had to step in to fill the vacuum created after the demise of his father and freedom fighter Jawaharlal Darda (Babuji). He firmly believes that politics is the medium to fulfil the hopes and aspirations of every citizen.
Becoming a Parliamentarian was crucial for Darda's transition from business to social service. He was keen on entering Rajya Sabha on the Indian National Congress' (INC) nomination. Though the party denied him a ticket, he entered the 1998 elections as an independent candidate and won the seat which reflected people's goodwill towards him.
Darda endorses the ideology of the INC which advocates secularism and strives to alleviate the woes of the common man. When other parties lured him to their fold, he resolutely stood his ground and worked as an associate member of the INC in the Parliament. Reciprocating his gesture, the party nominated him for a 2nd and 3rd term in 2004 and 2010 respectively.
Darda carries forward the legacy of his father for steadfastly supporting INC during political upheavals. He diligently worked to dissolve the internal squabbles within the party and united all factions to ensure victory of INC in Maharashtra Assembly election of 2004. Under his aegis, Lokmat Media Group also published 'Lokmat Congress Centenary Special' to commemorate the completion of 100 years of the party.
Darda has perfected a different brand of development-oriented politics in Vidarbha region. For the Wardha-Yavatmal-Nanded rail link project, he relentlessly pursued with several railway ministers for a decade and also convinced the Maharashtra Government to bear 40 percent of the cost. He envisions that it will play an instrumental role in boosting the region's economy.
Similarly, he championed the project of building an airport in his hometown Yavatmal, named 'Jawaharlal Darda Airport', that is incentivizing industrialists to set up businesses in the district. He had facilitated the government's economic relief package for farmers in the region and organised the Shetkari Atmanirbharata Rath Yatra under Lokmat Krishi Manch to motivate the distressed farmers.
Darda also participated as a delegate member at the World Economic Forum, United Nations Security Council meeting and Non-Aligned Movement summit. During his foreign tours as part of official delegations, he exchanged insights on issues ranging from climate change, right to education, poverty eradication, economic development and food security.
Being an articulate communicator, Darda drew the attention of leaders across the political spectrum who heard him with profound interest. His efforts in utilizing the Parliamentary forum to advance his father's principles of fighting for the downtrodden, lending voice to the voiceless and contributing to nation building, has been the hallmark of his political journey.
Contact Legal
Website powered by Sarvashreshtha
Copyright © Vijay Darda 2020 All Rights Reserved.
Website crafted by Capaz Software Labs


Recently I needed to query Azure AD from a web api to retrieve members of an AD group, this was prototyped in a console app – C#.
Declared my constants – I created a new application from within the Azure Management Portal (Active Directory Area), this allowed me to get a client ID and client Secret – required for authentication.
Created a method to instantiate ActiveDirectoryClient – essentially creating a connection to Azure AD.
And wrote another two methods allowing me to get a single user by querying using a UPN, and another method to allow me to retrieve a group and its members based on the group name.


There are a lot of auto auctions out there; to ensure yours is well attended, you need to provide more than just incentives...you need your promotional messaging to be heard. You need to cut through the "noise" coming from competing auctions and ensure that your own messaging stands out above the rest. Email -- which goes to SPAM -- and phone calls -- which aren't answered -- don't suffice. Nor do expensive radio and television ads, which have become perceived as irritations and often end up muted. You need a whole new approach.
You won't find a more effective communications medium than SMS text messaging. It boasts a 99% open rate, with approximately 90% of those messages read within the first three minutes of receipt. When you text your contacts -- with information related to upcoming auctions, incentives to attend, or even available inventory -- you can rest assured that your message will be noticed. You can even use MMS (multimedia messaging) to send images, video, and more -- why not entice your customers and prospects with pictures of available cars? Or incentive prizes? You're limited only by your imagination.
When it comes to your outreach, you need to work smarter, not harder. With SMS text messaging, you're replacing expensive, time consuming, and ultimately ineffective channels of communication with one boasting an unsurpassed rate of engagement...and for a fraction of the cost. Impress your contacts using text, images, audio, or video, and know that your message will be heard.
Most auto auctions rely on traditional channels to promote their events. And those channels are bursting at the seams with competing messaging, all vying to be heard above the others. The result for overwhelmed end-recipients is sheer frustration. Moreover, average open rates for email (22%) and direct mail (2-5%) do not justify the time, energy, and cost that goes into producing them. The number of steps alone -- design, development, testing, approvals, printing -- as well as the skillsets required -- graphic design, web development, etc. -- make these channels inherently high-maintenance, demanding, and cost-ineffective.
You already use text messaging yourself, and you know that your customers do as well. Why not have your business join the conversation? Text messaging -- with its immediacy, simplicity, and clarity -- is valued by consumers, with 64% indicating that companies should use SMS more frequently to interact with their customers, and 70% considering it an effective way to reach them. If you knew there was a tool that would ensure your message is heard -- details concerning upcoming auctions, venue details, inventory teasers, incentives, and more -- wouldn't you use it? SMS messaging is it.
If you have specific types of inventory, assigning a keyword to each type will enable your contacts to learn more about those offerings. Texting in keywords is also a great way to obtain opt-ins for your SMS marketing list. Invite viewers to text in on your website, in your print or online ads, or in your signage. For those contacts that have opted in, creating automated "drip" campaigns that send periodic event reminders and enticements leading up to an auction is a great way to build both interest and enthusiasm. Text messaging reaches your contacts wherever they are, and immediately captures their attention. It's also incredibly simple to use: log in from any device with an Internet connection, select your contacts, compose your message, and send. The entire process takes minutes, and is extraordinarily effective.


CLEVELAND, TN – The city of Cleveland's Public Works Department recently upgraded a bus stop at the intersection 13th and Wilson Street in response to concerned families involved in the Blythe Oldfield Community Association (BOCA).
"I really appreciated BOCA bringing this to the City's attention during a neighborhood meeting. This was just the right idea to not only improve the bus stop but the unique intersection configuration," said Councilman Bill Estes.
"We are striving every day to protect our students and keep them safe," Dawn Robinson, Cleveland City School Board Chairman. "This bus stop is one example of city government and school personnel working together for our youngest citizens. Thank you to all involved in this project!"
Cleveland City School Children using this bus stop, will have a safer spot to wait for the bus.


I solved this challenge some time after the CTF. However I decided to publish a writeup as I did not see other ones using this solution.
For this challenge we have a 32bit armhf binary that we need to reverse. The program is accepting an input from the user and if it passes some checks it gives back the flag. In the binary there are hints regarding KLEE (a symbolic execution engine), so I guess that was the intended solution. During the competition I failed while playing with S2E and an ARM virtual machine, but in fact there was an easier solution!
Here's a fixed compilable code for the challenge. For marking input values as symbolic we substitute the calls to getc() with symbolic chars.
Then we need to mark the point of the code that we are interested in reaching (i.e.: the reading of the flag). So we add a klee_assert(0); there.
Now we can compile the program and get LLVM bitcode and run KLEE on it. KLEE will craft the input, such that all the possible paths in the execution are reached.
Welcome! Find me the path to your flag and you shall get your reward!


Marc Martel, singer of the band Downhere, turns out to be a very talented singer. He can sing both Queen's Somebody to love and Puccini's Nessun Dorma.
Marc has an outstanding talent for producing different sounds.
In this video he tells about the way he managed to sing with a classical vocal technique by imitating great singers like Caruso and Pavarotti. Then he sings Nessun Dorma.
Listen very carefully to his performance because you can hear some techniques that are mentioned on this website.
He starts beautifully with a tilted larynx, Nessun Dorma.
Then there is a breath and he looses his tilt. Instead he pulls the larynx down too much. The low Nessun Dorma now sounds a bit off…that is pretty normal for a singer who hasn't been training this for a long time.
Then when the song continues the tilted larynx is back and it sounds very good!
Sometimes you can hear him using a little sobbing/crying sound to maintain the tilted larynx, as many professionals do as well.
Then at the end of the song you can hear that the 'i' in "vincero" sounds even better than the rest because of the extra 'ring' in the tone. This happens because Marc places the back of his tongue more foreward in the mouth when he sings an 'i'. So if he would manage to maintain this position of his tongue when he sings other vowels he will sound even better!


text:
BHP, Rio Tinto To Collaborate On Tailings Technology
By RTTNews Staff Writer ✉ | Published: 10/30/2022 10:30 PM ET
BHP (BHP.AX,BLT.L,BBL,BHP) and Rio Tinto (RTPPF.PK,RIO.L,RIO,RTNTF.PK) have collaborated to accelerate the development of technology that could significantly increase water recovery from mine tailings, and in turn reduce potential safety risks and environmental footprints associated with tailings storage facilities, the companies said in a statement.
According to the companies, the first project will involve testing the application of an innovative large-volume filter unit at a BHP copper mine in Chile, which would remove up to 80% of the water in the tailings stream before it is deposited in a storage facility.
The companies noted that they will work in collaboration with leading technology and equipment providers, technical experts, research groups and the academic sector.
Manufacture of the filter unit is already underway. The pilot construction is due to begin in early 2023 and operations are scheduled to commence in early 2024. The pilot will test the potential of a large-scale tailings filter unit for scalability and cost-effectiveness across global mining operations.
Removing more water from tailings would reduce potential risks associated with moisture in storage facilities, reduce the footprint required by such facilities, and create opportunities to productively re-use tailings.
The companies stated that the additional water recovered from tailings by filtration could be re-used in processing facilities, reducing overall water consumption.
Integrated energy company Chevron reported Friday that profit for the fourth quarter increased 25 percent from last year, reflecting 17 percent revenue growth amid higher realizations and higher margins on refined product sales. Adjusted earnings per share missed analysts' estimates, while quarterly revenues topped it.
Reno, Nevada-based ZLINE Kitchen and Bath has expanded its recall of gas ranges citing serious risk of injury or death from carbon monoxide poisoning, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced. The recall now includes about 30,000 units of ZLINE gas ranges, including about 28,000 units...
The Food and Drug Administration's independent advisory committee unanimously recommended replacing the current original COVID vaccines used in the U.S. for primary shots with new bivalent omicron shots authorized as boosters, reports said. The committee also considered the proposal for annual COVID vaccination, however, didn't vote on it.
BHP Q2 Total Iron Ore Production Up 1%
BHP Enters Into Scheme Implementation Deed To Buy OZ Minerals In A$9.6 Bln Deal


text:
using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Diagnostics;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Collections.ObjectModel;
using System.Collections.Specialized;

using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Data;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.Windows.Controls;
using System.Windows.Threading;

using Microsoft.Win32;

using FolderBrowserDialog = System.Windows.Forms.FolderBrowserDialog;

namespace SharpVectors.Converters
{
    /// <summary>
    /// Interaction logic for FileListConverterPage.xaml
    /// </summary>
    public partial class FileListConverterPage : Page, IObservable, IObserver
    {
        #region Private Fields

        private delegate void ConvertHandler();

        private bool _isConverting;
        private bool _isConversionError;
        /// <summary>
        /// Only one observer is expected!
        /// </summary>
        private Brush _titleBkDefault;
        private IObserver _observer;
        private ConverterOptions _options;

        private FileList _listItems;

        private FileListConverterOutput _converterOutput;

        private ConverterCommandLines _commandLines;

        private Frame _parentFrame;

        #endregion

        #region Constructors and Destructor

        public FileListConverterPage()
        {
            InitializeComponent();

            // Reset the dimensions...
            this.Width = Double.NaN;
            this.Height = Double.NaN;

            this.Loaded += new RoutedEventHandler(OnPageLoaded);

            if (_titleBkDefault == null &&
                (statusTitle != null && statusTitle.IsInitialized))
            {
                _titleBkDefault = statusTitle.Background;
            }

            _listItems = new FileList();

            lstSourceFile.ItemsSource = _listItems;

            _listItems.CollectionChanged += new NotifyCollectionChangedEventHandler(OnSourceUpdated);
        }

        #endregion

        #region Public Properties

        public ConverterOptions Options
        {
            get
            {
                return _options;
            }
            set
            {
                _options = value;

                if (_options != null)
                {
                    _options.PropertyChanged += new PropertyChangedEventHandler(OnOptionsPropertyChanged);
                }
            }
        }

        public Frame ParentFrame
        {
            get
            {
                return _parentFrame;
            }
            set
            {
                _parentFrame = value;
            }
        }

        #endregion

        #region Protected Methods

        protected override void OnInitialized(EventArgs e)
        {
            base.OnInitialized(e);

            if (_titleBkDefault == null)
            {
                _titleBkDefault = statusTitle.Background;
            }
        }

        #endregion

        #region Private Event Handlers

        private void OnPageLoaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            MainApplication theApp = (MainApplication)Application.Current;
            Debug.Assert(theApp != null);
            if (theApp != null && _commandLines == null)
            {
                _commandLines = theApp.CommandLines;
                if (_commandLines != null && !_commandLines.IsEmpty)
                {
                    IList<string> sourceFiles = _commandLines.SourceFiles;
                    if (sourceFiles != null && sourceFiles.Count != 0)
                    {
                        // this will remove the watermark...
                        lstSourceFile.Focus();

                        for (int i = 0; i < sourceFiles.Count; i++)
                        {
                            _listItems.Add(sourceFiles[i]);
                        }
                    }
                    txtOutputDir.Text = _commandLines.OutputDir;
                    chkContinueOnError.IsChecked = _commandLines.ContinueOnError;
                }
            }

            Debug.Assert(_options != null);

            if (!_isConversionError)
            {
                this.UpdateStatus();
            }
        }

        private void OnDirTextChanged(object sender, TextChangedEventArgs e)
        {
            this.UpdateStatus();
        }

        private void OnSourceFileDrop(object sender, DragEventArgs e)
        {
            if (e.Data is DataObject && ((DataObject)e.Data).ContainsFileDropList())
            {
                foreach (string filePath in ((DataObject)e.Data).GetFileDropList())
                {
                    _listItems.Add(filePath);
                }
            }
        }

        private void OnSourceFilePreviewDragEnter(object sender, DragEventArgs e)
        {
            bool dropPossible = e.Data != null && ((DataObject)e.Data).ContainsFileDropList();
            if (dropPossible)
            {
                e.Effects = DragDropEffects.Copy;
            }
        }

        private void OnSourceFilePreviewDragOver(object sender, DragEventArgs e)
        {
            e.Handled = true;
            // this will remove the watermark...
            lstSourceFile.Focus();
        }

        private void OnSourceAddClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            OpenFileDialog dlg = new OpenFileDialog();
            dlg.Multiselect = true;
            dlg.Filter      = "SVG Files|*.svg;*.svgz"; ;
            dlg.FilterIndex = 1;

            bool? isSelected = dlg.ShowDialog();

            if (isSelected != null && isSelected.Value)
            {
                // this will remove the watermark...
                lstSourceFile.Focus();

                foreach (string filePath in dlg.FileNames)
                {
                    _listItems.Add(filePath);
                }
            }
        }

        private void OnSourceRemoveClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            if (_listItems == null || _listItems.Count == 0)
            {
                return;
            }

            int selIndex = lstSourceFile.SelectedIndex;
            if (selIndex < 0)
            {
                return;
            }

            _listItems.RemoveAt(selIndex);
        }

        private void OnSourceClearClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            if (_listItems == null || _listItems.Count == 0)
            {
                return;
            }

            _listItems.Clear();
        }

        private void OnSourceSelectionChanged(object sender, SelectionChangedEventArgs e)
        {
            if (_listItems != null && _listItems.Count > 0)
            {
                btnClearSourceFile.IsEnabled = true;
                btnRemoveSourceFile.IsEnabled = lstSourceFile.SelectedIndex >= 0;
            }
            else
            {
                btnClearSourceFile.IsEnabled = false;
                btnRemoveSourceFile.IsEnabled = false;
            }
        }

        private void OnSourceUpdated(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            if (_listItems != null && _listItems.Count > 0)
            {
                btnClearSourceFile.IsEnabled = true;
                btnRemoveSourceFile.IsEnabled = lstSourceFile.SelectedIndex >= 0;
            }
            else
            {
                btnClearSourceFile.IsEnabled = false;
                btnRemoveSourceFile.IsEnabled = false;
            }

            txtFileCount.Text = _listItems.Count.ToString();

            this.UpdateStatus();
        }

        private void OnOutputDirClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            FolderBrowserDialog dlg = new FolderBrowserDialog();
            dlg.ShowNewFolderButton = true;
            dlg.Description = "Select the output directory for the converted files.";
            string sourceFile = _listItems.LastDirectory;
            if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(sourceFile) &&
                File.Exists(sourceFile))
            {
                dlg.SelectedPath = Path.GetDirectoryName(sourceFile);
            }
            else
            {
                dlg.SelectedPath = Environment.CurrentDirectory;
            }

            dlg.RootFolder = Environment.SpecialFolder.MyComputer;

            if (dlg.ShowDialog() == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
            {
                // this will remove the watermark...
                txtOutputDir.Focus();
                txtOutputDir.Text = dlg.SelectedPath;
            }
        }

        private void OnConvertClick(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
        {
            Debug.Assert(_parentFrame != null);
            if (_parentFrame == null)
            {
                return;
            }

            _isConverting        = true;
            _isConversionError   = false;
            btnConvert.IsEnabled = false;

            if (_converterOutput == null)
            {
                _converterOutput = new FileListConverterOutput();
            }
            _converterOutput.Options = _options;
            _converterOutput.Subscribe(this);

            if (chkContinueOnError.IsChecked != null)
            {
                _converterOutput.ContinueOnError = chkContinueOnError.IsChecked.Value;
            }
            _converterOutput.SourceFiles = _listItems.FileItems;
            _converterOutput.OutputDir   = txtOutputDir.Text;

            _parentFrame.Content = _converterOutput;

            //_converterOutput.Convert();
            this.Dispatcher.BeginInvoke(DispatcherPriority.Normal,
                new ConvertHandler(_converterOutput.Convert));
        }

        private void OnOptionsPropertyChanged(object sender, PropertyChangedEventArgs e)
        {
            _isConversionError = false;
        }

        #endregion

        #region Private Methods

        private void UpdateStatus()
        {
            if (_isConverting)
            {
                this.UpdateStatus("Converting",
                    "The conversion process is currently running, please wait...", false);
                return;
            }

            bool isValid = false;

            if (_options.IsValid)
            {
                string outputDir = txtOutputDir.Text.Trim();
                bool isReadOnlyOutputDir = _listItems.HasReadOnlyMedia;
                if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(outputDir))
                {
                    try
                    {
                        string rootDir = Path.GetPathRoot(outputDir);
                        if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(rootDir))
                        {
                            DriveInfo drive = new DriveInfo(rootDir);
                            if (!drive.IsReady || drive.DriveType == DriveType.CDRom
                                || drive.DriveType == DriveType.Unknown)
                            {
                                isReadOnlyOutputDir = true;
                            }
                        }
                    }
                    catch
                    {
                    }
                }

                if (_listItems == null || _listItems.Count == 0)
                {
                    this.UpdateStatus("Conversion: Not Ready",
                        "Select the input SVG files for conversion.", false);
                }
                else
                {
                    if (isReadOnlyOutputDir)
                    {
                        this.UpdateStatus("Error: Output Directory",
                            "The output directory is either invalid or read-only. Please select a different output directory.", true);
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        bool isReadOnlySource = false;
                        try
                        {
                            string rootDir = Path.GetPathRoot(outputDir);
                            if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(rootDir))
                            {
                                DriveInfo drive = new DriveInfo(rootDir);
                                if (!drive.IsReady || drive.DriveType == DriveType.CDRom
                                    || drive.DriveType == DriveType.Unknown)
                                {
                                    isReadOnlySource = true;
                                }
                            }
                        }
                        catch
                        {
                        }
                        if (isReadOnlySource && String.IsNullOrEmpty(outputDir))
                        {
                            this.UpdateStatus("Required: Output Directory",
                                "For the read-only source directory, an output directory is required and must be specified.", true);
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            this.UpdateStatus("Conversion: Ready",
                                "Click the Convert button to convert the input files.", false);

                            isValid = true;
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
            else
            {
                this.UpdateStatus("Error: Options", _options.Message, true);
            }

            btnConvert.IsEnabled = isValid;
        }

        private void UpdateStatus(string title, string text, bool isError)
        {
            if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(title) || String.IsNullOrEmpty(text))
            {
                return;
            }

            statusTitle.Background = isError ? Brushes.Red : _titleBkDefault;
            statusTitle.Foreground = isError ? Brushes.White : Brushes.Black;

            statusTitle.Text = title;
            statusText.Text = text;
        }

        #endregion

        #region IObservable Members

        public void Cancel()
        {
            if (_converterOutput != null)
            {
                _converterOutput.Cancel();
            }
        }

        public void Subscribe(IObserver observer)
        {
            _observer = observer;
        }

        #endregion

        #region IObserver Members

        public void OnStarted(IObservable sender)
        {
            _isConverting = true;

            progressBar.Visibility = Visibility.Visible;

            this.UpdateStatus();

            if (_observer != null)
            {
                _observer.OnStarted(this);
            }
        }

        public void OnCompleted(IObservable sender, bool isSuccessful)
        {
            _isConverting = false;

            progressBar.Visibility = Visibility.Hidden;

            this.UpdateStatus();

            if (_observer != null)
            {
                _observer.OnCompleted(this, isSuccessful);
            }

            _isConversionError = isSuccessful ? false : true;

            if (isSuccessful)
            {
                this.UpdateStatus("Conversion: Successful",
                    "The conversion of the specified file is completed successfully.", false);
            }
            else
            {
                this.UpdateStatus("Conversion: Failed",
                    "The conversion of the specified file failed, see the output for further information.", true);
            }
        }

        #endregion

        #region FileList Class

        public sealed class FileList : ObservableCollection<ListBoxItem>
        {
            #region Private Fields

            private List<string> _listItems;

            #endregion

            #region Constructors and Destructor

            public FileList()
                : base()
            {
                _listItems = new List<string>();
            }

            #endregion

            #region Public Properties

            public IList<string> FileItems
            {
                get
                {
                    return _listItems;
                }
            }

            public string LastDirectory
            {
                get
                {
                    if (_listItems.Count != 0)
                    {
                        return Path.GetDirectoryName(
                            _listItems[_listItems.Count - 1]);
                    }

                    return String.Empty;
                }
            }

            public bool HasReadOnlyMedia
            {
                get
                {
                    bool isReadOnlyOutputDir = false;
                    try
                    {
                        for (int i = 0; i < _listItems.Count; i++)
                        {
                            string rootDir = Path.GetPathRoot(_listItems[i]);
                            if (!String.IsNullOrEmpty(rootDir))
                            {
                                DriveInfo drive = new DriveInfo(rootDir);
                                if (!drive.IsReady || drive.DriveType == DriveType.CDRom
                                    || drive.DriveType == DriveType.Unknown)
                                {
                                    isReadOnlyOutputDir = true;
                                    break;
                                }
                            }
                        }
                    }
                    catch
                    {
                    }

                    return isReadOnlyOutputDir;
                }
            }

            #endregion

            #region Public Methods

            public void Add(string filePath)
            {
                if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(filePath))
                {
                    return;
                }
                string fileExt = Path.GetExtension(filePath);
                if (String.IsNullOrEmpty(fileExt))
                {
                    return;
                }
                if (String.Equals(fileExt, ".svg", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)
                    ||String.Equals(fileExt, ".svgz", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
                {
                    ListBoxItem listItem = new ListBoxItem();
                    listItem.Content = filePath;
                    this.Add(listItem);

                    _listItems.Add(filePath);
                }
            }

            #endregion

            #region Protected Methods

            protected override void RemoveItem(int index)
            {
                base.RemoveItem(index);

                _listItems.RemoveAt(index);
            }

            protected override void ClearItems()
            {
                base.ClearItems();

                if (_listItems != null)
                {
                    _listItems.Clear();
                }
            }

            #endregion
        }

        #endregion
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


What do I do if I have received poor professional advice as a result of which I have lost money?
If you have received inadequate advice from a qualified professional person, and have lost out financially as a result, you may be entitled to make a claim for professional negligence. Proving professional negligence can be complicated. The negligence must be more than simply incorrect, misguided or poor advice. The professional must be shown to have acted in a way that is below acceptable standards of professional conduct.
Which professionals might have given you negligent advice?
For you to be successful in any claim against a professional who has advised you negligently, you will need to be able to prove two things. First, you will need to prove that the professional failed to act with "reasonable skill and care", which has a legal meaning based on acceptable standards used within their profession. Secondly, you will need to show that you have lost out financially as a direct result of the advice you have received. If you can prove professional negligence, you may be entitled to compensation.


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text:
Fabrication of Optoelectronic Devices with Two-dimensional Layered Materials and Their Heterostructures
Hui Xue
Centre of Excellence in Quantum Technology, QTF
Department of Electronics and Nanoengineering
Kari Halonen Group
This thesis focuses on the fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) layered materials-based devices for optoelectronic applications, such as graphene-based modulators, WSe2/MoSe2 heterojunction and WSe2/SnSe2 heterojunction-based photodetectors. The thesis is divided into five parts. The first part gives an overview of the potential applications of 2D layered materials and their heterostructures in the field of optoelectronics. The second part introduces the fundamental properties of 2D layered materials, including graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, and their van der Waals heterojunctions. The third part discusses the process methods that have been used for fabrication of optoelectronic devices. For example, mechanical exfoliation and chemical vapor deposition methods are used to obtain 2D layered materials, and electron beam lithography, atomic layer deposition and reactive ion etching are the most important methods during the device processing. The fourth part introduces the characterization methods of the fabricated devices. For example, Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies are used to characterize the 2D layered materials, and Atomic force microscope is used to check the thickness of the exfoliated 2D layered material flakes. The electrical and photocurrent measurements are also presented for characterization of device performance. The fifth part presents the optoelectronic applications of the fabricated devices. First, two different kinds of graphene-based modulators are presented. Then, we demonstrate the WSe2/MoSe2 and WSe2/SnSe2 heterojunctions-based photodetectors with broadband photodetection and high photoresponsivity. Finally, I summarize the whole contents and give the outlook on the applications of the 2D layered materials-based optoelectronics.
Halonen, Kari, Supervising Professor
Sun, Zhipei, Thesis Advisor
two-dimensional layered materials
van der Waals heterojunction
photodetectors
Dive into the research topics of 'Fabrication of Optoelectronic Devices with Two-dimensional Layered Materials and Their Heterostructures'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
optoelectronic devices Physics & Astronomy 100%
heterojunctions Physics & Astronomy 70%
theses Physics & Astronomy 49%
graphene Physics & Astronomy 49%
photometers Physics & Astronomy 35%
flakes Physics & Astronomy 23%
OtaNano
Anna Rissanen (Manager)
Facility/equipment: Facility
Cellulose 100%
Atomic layer deposition 82%
graphene 82%
OtaNano - Nanofab
Päivikki Repo (Manager)
Atomic layer deposition 100%
Nanowires 86%
atomic layer epitaxy 82%
Xue, H. (2020). Fabrication of Optoelectronic Devices with Two-dimensional Layered Materials and Their Heterostructures. Aalto University. http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-60-8895-2
Xue, Hui. / Fabrication of Optoelectronic Devices with Two-dimensional Layered Materials and Their Heterostructures. Aalto University, 2020. 117 p.
@phdthesis{cc2e7c38168d4df8a459cb9bbbb1bdfe,
title = "Fabrication of Optoelectronic Devices with Two-dimensional Layered Materials and Their Heterostructures",
abstract = "This thesis focuses on the fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) layered materials-based devices for optoelectronic applications, such as graphene-based modulators, WSe2/MoSe2 heterojunction and WSe2/SnSe2 heterojunction-based photodetectors. The thesis is divided into five parts. The first part gives an overview of the potential applications of 2D layered materials and their heterostructures in the field of optoelectronics. The second part introduces the fundamental properties of 2D layered materials, including graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, and their van der Waals heterojunctions. The third part discusses the process methods that have been used for fabrication of optoelectronic devices. For example, mechanical exfoliation and chemical vapor deposition methods are used to obtain 2D layered materials, and electron beam lithography, atomic layer deposition and reactive ion etching are the most important methods during the device processing. The fourth part introduces the characterization methods of the fabricated devices. For example, Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies are used to characterize the 2D layered materials, and Atomic force microscope is used to check the thickness of the exfoliated 2D layered material flakes. The electrical and photocurrent measurements are also presented for characterization of device performance. The fifth part presents the optoelectronic applications of the fabricated devices. First, two different kinds of graphene-based modulators are presented. Then, we demonstrate the WSe2/MoSe2 and WSe2/SnSe2 heterojunctions-based photodetectors with broadband photodetection and high photoresponsivity. Finally, I summarize the whole contents and give the outlook on the applications of the 2D layered materials-based optoelectronics.",
keywords = "two-dimensional layered materials, van der Waals heterojunction, photodetectors, modulators, two-dimensional layered materials, van der Waals heterojunction, photodetectors, modulators",
author = "Hui Xue",
series = "Aalto University publication series DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS",
publisher = "Aalto University",
Xue, H 2020, 'Fabrication of Optoelectronic Devices with Two-dimensional Layered Materials and Their Heterostructures', Doctor's degree, Aalto University. <http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-60-8895-2>
Fabrication of Optoelectronic Devices with Two-dimensional Layered Materials and Their Heterostructures. / Xue, Hui.
Aalto University, 2020. 117 p.
T1 - Fabrication of Optoelectronic Devices with Two-dimensional Layered Materials and Their Heterostructures
AU - Xue, Hui
N2 - This thesis focuses on the fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) layered materials-based devices for optoelectronic applications, such as graphene-based modulators, WSe2/MoSe2 heterojunction and WSe2/SnSe2 heterojunction-based photodetectors. The thesis is divided into five parts. The first part gives an overview of the potential applications of 2D layered materials and their heterostructures in the field of optoelectronics. The second part introduces the fundamental properties of 2D layered materials, including graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, and their van der Waals heterojunctions. The third part discusses the process methods that have been used for fabrication of optoelectronic devices. For example, mechanical exfoliation and chemical vapor deposition methods are used to obtain 2D layered materials, and electron beam lithography, atomic layer deposition and reactive ion etching are the most important methods during the device processing. The fourth part introduces the characterization methods of the fabricated devices. For example, Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies are used to characterize the 2D layered materials, and Atomic force microscope is used to check the thickness of the exfoliated 2D layered material flakes. The electrical and photocurrent measurements are also presented for characterization of device performance. The fifth part presents the optoelectronic applications of the fabricated devices. First, two different kinds of graphene-based modulators are presented. Then, we demonstrate the WSe2/MoSe2 and WSe2/SnSe2 heterojunctions-based photodetectors with broadband photodetection and high photoresponsivity. Finally, I summarize the whole contents and give the outlook on the applications of the 2D layered materials-based optoelectronics.
AB - This thesis focuses on the fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) layered materials-based devices for optoelectronic applications, such as graphene-based modulators, WSe2/MoSe2 heterojunction and WSe2/SnSe2 heterojunction-based photodetectors. The thesis is divided into five parts. The first part gives an overview of the potential applications of 2D layered materials and their heterostructures in the field of optoelectronics. The second part introduces the fundamental properties of 2D layered materials, including graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, and their van der Waals heterojunctions. The third part discusses the process methods that have been used for fabrication of optoelectronic devices. For example, mechanical exfoliation and chemical vapor deposition methods are used to obtain 2D layered materials, and electron beam lithography, atomic layer deposition and reactive ion etching are the most important methods during the device processing. The fourth part introduces the characterization methods of the fabricated devices. For example, Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopies are used to characterize the 2D layered materials, and Atomic force microscope is used to check the thickness of the exfoliated 2D layered material flakes. The electrical and photocurrent measurements are also presented for characterization of device performance. The fifth part presents the optoelectronic applications of the fabricated devices. First, two different kinds of graphene-based modulators are presented. Then, we demonstrate the WSe2/MoSe2 and WSe2/SnSe2 heterojunctions-based photodetectors with broadband photodetection and high photoresponsivity. Finally, I summarize the whole contents and give the outlook on the applications of the 2D layered materials-based optoelectronics.
KW - two-dimensional layered materials
KW - van der Waals heterojunction
KW - photodetectors
KW - modulators
T3 - Aalto University publication series DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS
PB - Aalto University
Xue H. Fabrication of Optoelectronic Devices with Two-dimensional Layered Materials and Their Heterostructures. Aalto University, 2020. 117 p. (Aalto University publication series DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS; 1).


This museum is almost as good as a restaurant, even without the food.
Just about the only thing the New York City food scene was missing is a food museum. We're home of trendy ice cream shops, crazy food hybrids, and street food on street food on street food. If you're a NYC foodie, then you know that a food museum may seem like the next logical step.
Here's where MOFAD comes in: The Museum of Food and Drink is the first large-scale food museum in the world and it takes permanent residence in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The museum plans to showcase different exhibits related to the experience and history of—you guessed it—food.
MOFAD opened its trendy warehouse doors on Wednesday, October 28. Sponsored by Infiniti and working in partnership with Eater and Vox Media, MOFAD's founder, David Arnold, has taken his passion for food to the next level.
The current exhibit, Flavor: Making It and Faking It, is all about the mechanics of real and artificial flavor. The museum is totally hands-on between the legendary Smell Synth, edible taste pellets around the showroom and interactive smell machines corresponding with the information from different displays.
Pictured here is the main attraction, the Smell Synth, followed by interactive tastable pellet dispensers and another smaller smell machine featuring information about natural and artificial strawberry flavoring—there are so many other pellets and smell machines in the showroom too.
And when you're done at the museum, Eater even put together a list of 10 Places To Eat On Your Visit To MOFAD Lab In Williamsburg.
You can buy your tickets in advance here, and you should. Flavor will only be going on until February 28, 2016.


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Many kudos, you gals are the best team, I almost call you both the suffragettes of voiceover, you are out there on the front lines, and keeping us informed in this ever changing world of voiceovers.
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This is a really great podcast. I've been bingeing on it!
Thank you Anne Ganguzza & Gabrielle Nistico for having Monique Sacay-Bagwell speak on emotional intelligence.???? It couldn't have come at a better time, as I prepare for my first, live stage play, where I am having to bring in several emotions. Looking forward to picking Monique's brain on this soon!❤ BIG HUGS to you VO B.O.S.S.es!
Website redesign complete! Working like a boss… a #VOBOSS! Binge-listening to @aganguzza and @voiceovervixen and getting things done!
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LOVING The VO Boss podcast with Anne Ganguzza and Gabrielle Nistico. The episode of Time Management was exactly what I needed to hear tonight. Now I'm listening to Elaine Clark…who I LOVE! I use her booth techniques when it comes to script notes and using your gestures. Yay!!!
I listened last night on YouTube. Short and packed w info. Anyone new to #voiceover should check it out. Excellent job, ladies!
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