Zillow Inc. had an interesting conference call this summer, showing off and taking names.
Zillow (NASDAQ:ZG) has had an interesting summer, highlighted by July's announcement that it would be buying smaller rival Trulia (UNKNOWN:TRLA.DL) in a $3.5 billion deal.
As fate would have it, Zillow hosted its second-quarter earnings call earlier this month, giving it an opportunity to discuss the deal, its recent performance, and the future of real estate portals.
It was another blowout performance, giving Zillow another opportunity to boast. Let's go over a few of the interesting morsels out of Zillow's conference call in early August.
We are executing well on our three strategic priorities of growing our audience, growing our Premier Agent business, and growing our advancing marketplaces.
It's clear that Zillow's rocking in terms of growing its audience. It attracted 81.1 million average monthly unique users during the quarter, 27 million users ahead of the prior year. After the quarter ended, Zillow drew a record 89 million visitors across its site and mobile app in July. Mobile's a big part of Zillow's reach these days accounting for two-thirds of its usage. A whopping 500 million homes were viewed on Zillow from a mobile device last month.
Premier Agent -- the real estate professionals that pay up for greater visibility and enhanced access to the portal's features -- are on the rise. Booking volume during the quarter more than doubled over the past year, up a head-turning 40% sequentially. In fact, Premier Agent revenue growth has accelerated in each of the past three quarters.
The third strategic priority is growing its advancing marketplaces. Its Zillow Mortgages marketplace took a step back, but it actually held up better than the overall mortgage market as loan applications, and particularly refis, have been sliding. The weakness in drumming up mortgage leads was more than offset by growth in Zillow Rentals, HotPads, and StreetEasy.
We have been reinvesting much of the upside into brand advertising. For the full year 2014, we now expect $75 million in advertising spend versus our initial outlook of $65 million, with about half of the $10 million increase yet to be spent in the back half of the year.
This is actually a pretty big admission. Some have argued that the combination of Trulia and Zillow will make it easier for the combined company to relax its marketing budget. It will no longer have to spend big ad dollars to set one apart from the other, often at the other's expense.
The deal won't close until 2015, but it's still odd to see Zillow gearing up to spend more than less when it knows that it has Trulia in its back pocket.
Due to our strong second quarter results and record bookings, we are increasing our total revenue outlook from $306 million to $322 million at the midpoint of the range for 2014 and also increasing our EBITDA outlook from $49 million to $53 million at the midpoint.
Zillow boosting its outlook after yet another blowout quarter isn't a surprise. One thing worth adding to this heartier guidance is that this has nothing to do with July's announcement of the upcoming Trulia acquisition. As pointed out earlier, Zillow doesn't expect that particular deal to close until next year. A strong quarter and a record July are clearly helping.
The increase in ARPA (average revenue per agent) has been almost entirely driven by volume. We went through the numbers with a fine-tooth comb, and it was effectively all volume.
A big driver at Zillow is that real estate pros continue to spend more to get noticed on Zillow. ARPA clocked in at a record $320 for the quarter, 20% ahead of where it was a year earlier. Same agent ARPA for Premier Agents was up an even more impressive 62%.
Zillow isn't charging them more for their leads. It points out that local ad prices have held fairly steady in recent quarters. The difference here is that Zillow's volume of impressions continues to outpace agent growth. Real estate brokers and agents clearly aren't complaining about the extra leads.
I'll do a Twitter question and then back to the call in a moment.
Brian Bolan -- @bbolan1 -- asks, "Are you seeing any real estate areas that are becoming a little bubblicious?"
Zillow became the first publicly traded company to invite analysts and investors to ask conference call questions via Twitter a little over a year ago, and clearly it's still doing exactly that. It still leans mostly on Twitter questions asked by analysts and in this case a former research analyst, but it's great to see this continuing at Zillow. The democratization of Twitter is a neat thing, even if it would be great if more of the questions presented during its latest earnings call came from regular retail investors.
And, just so you're not left hanging on the answer to the actual question, San Francisco and New York City were singled out as two markets that seem to show no signs of cooling down.


The Prince of Wales Hotel in Waterton, Alberta January 7, 2018. Closed for the winter months. It was named the Prince of Wales Hotel to get the then Prince of Wales, later to be known as King Edward VIII, to stay there during a Canadian tour he was on at the time. It did not work. He stayed at a ranch instead. He might have had a better time at the ranch. Waterton can be a very windy place.
Steve at his blog mainly posts about grain elevators and trains. One of his posts was outside the norm for him.
I have went back and read it several times because of what he brings up. I believe everyone at a certain age, time, and place reflects back on life. Steve asks "What will your legacy be?" and takes it a little bit further.
It is a good question. I am not sure if I have much of a legacy if any. I think one way we like to make our mark is to build or create something that will outlast us or leave an impression on others. I am in the process of getting divorced, I am single, and have no children. My wife at the time and I wanted children, it never worked out. I will have no descendents and I have yet to build something of any consequence. The number of people that know me well is kind of small.
Upon review I have nothing of real importance to pass down to someone. I am not bothered that I have no legacy larger than my immediate self that will be noted. When we look back some of us find we do not always accomplish what we thought we would or be where we thought we would end up. On the other hand I have never been on the wrong side of the law, I have tried to help people when they needed it, did my best to improve myself, and tried to have a positive impact and leave my corner of the world a better place. Sometimes that is enough.
On the the other hand the future remains unwritten and I remain optimistic that I may yet create a noteworthy legacy.
Othodox Churches look proud and impressive. I get the feeling that they are built to make the point, this is a monument to God. The building makes a statement.
Near Andrew, Alberta December 31, 2017.
My page views took a serious hit. Maybe another post will help.
Wandering around the countryside on January 14, 2018 because I do not have a life. The first photo is the original. The other ones are where I was playing with a few photo effects.
I gained another follower. I better give this new follower a reason to follow this blog.
I think it is Plainfield School. It is not in its original location. I know that because there is a school marker at the original location and a book on old schools in Alberta says it was moved after it was no longer a school. This is in rural Vulcan County on January 14, 2018. Plainfield School was moved to a farm not far from where it once stood and it seems to fit the bill. In the background you can make out a giant windmill on either side off in the distance. It was snowing steadily with some fog.
It is on private land. I would really like to get access and get a closer look. I suspect it was once used as a residence however there are no buildings around it. This is kind of rare, you do not see many old buildings like this anymore.
Out doing a little exploring west of Nanton, Alberta on January 7, 2018. The sign needs a bit of care. It marks where Muirhead Post Office was from 1912 - 1951. You see quite a few of these style of markers in this part of Alberta. Usually they mark where a one room school once stood. This is the first Post Office marker of this style I have seen. At one time a post office was fairly important. Now I cannot remember the last time I was in one.
Futher down this road a building sits in a farmer's field.
This happens to be what remains of Muirhead School that operated from 1910 - 1948. Nothing is in the area now except for farms.
The school is definitely in rough shape. Glad I got to see it when I did.
Having a few issues with publishing posts.
Not to mention there are a few issues when I am trying to comment on other sites. I read several blogs on a daily basis. I do not always comment and a few times I have been unable to post a comment. Hopefully this sorts itself out.
Part of an abandoned farm. Saw this on January 14, 2018.
I own an iPhone, iPad, and an iPod. I used to love Apple but I will be breaking up with them. It is definitely them, not me. In the past I did not mind overpaying for Apple products because they worked with no problems. Set up was easy and they worked as promised.
The second iPhone 6 that I own seems to be slow and suffers minor random glitches and freezes. The first iPhone 6 that I owned would seize so badly it got returned to Apple which they replaced free of charge. The constant updates that Apple keeps trying to force on me are not making me happy either. In prior updates I have got apps that I did not want.
I have a Blogger App on my iPhone and iPad. You cannot get the app anymore on the Apple App Store as Google pulled it a couple of years ago. Past updates on my iPhone have rendered the Blogger App unusable as it is now incompatible with the updated iPhone operating system. That happened months ago. On my iPad I ceased doing updates ages ago so I could still use the Blogger App. I like transferring photos from my camera to my iPad when I am out and about and then uploading them via the Blogger App to save the post in a draft form. I edit and post drafts later. Now it seems that I can no longer do that on my iPad.
iTunes used to be nice and simple to use. Someone at Apple needs a smack upside the head. They turned a nice simple product into something that is a pain to use. I have a little too much invested in my music library to switch everything to something else.
The iPad needs to be replaced. I dropped it and shattered the screen about seven or eight months ago. It managed to get resurrected and had a few repairs since then. The replacement screen had to have epoxy to hold in and the repair is now not holding up. I will be buying a Windows tablet. The next phone will not be an Apple product. I only use it for calls (no one calls me), texting (more people text me than call me), email, accessing Google Maps, and playing Scrabble. I currently have a Scrabble game with a fellow blogger who seems to have a serious Scrabble addiction. I am likely not helping by enabling it. I digress, there are less expensive and better phone options out there so I do not feel the need to spend what Apple wants to charge.
A little west of Nanton, Alberta on January 8, 2018. This school is not on its original site. I was on a rural road with a friend who was showing me where this was. We were taking photos of it from the road and a farmer pulled up to feed his cows. He let us come onto the property to get a close up look at the school. He told us back in his younger days he attended this school. He was busy so I did not want to bother him much. The cows were not very friendly.
It has been used as a farm building for years and there was nothing of note on the inside. I thanked the guy a few times for letting us get a close look. I never did get his name.
From Longview, Alberta south along Highway 22 is ranching country. One of the big ones is the Waldron Ranch.
You can see a couple of their gates along Highway 22. North buildings.
Access to the south buildings.
Not that long ago the Waldron Ranch got bigger when it acquired the King Ranch. The King Ranch was owned by two lifelong bachelor brothers, Harrold and Maurice King. They lived like hermits in very simple spartan lifestyle and owned land worth millions of dollars. They had about 4,200 acres.
The King brothers started their ranch in 1926. Maurice and Harrold were born in 1897 and 1899. They died in the 1990's. They lived without indoor plumbing or running water. They built a four-room log cabin in a remote valley about forty miles north of Pincher Creek, and that was their home for about the next sixty years. Their small cabin was heated by a woodstove that they also used to cook on. They slept on beds made out of bear hides. The property was sold for about six million dollars when they died.
The brothers were not hermits, they did visit neighbours and attended social events. They were well respected. It was well known that banks would stay open late or open after hours to accommodate their visits when they came to town to pick up supplies and do business.
The Waldron Ranch itself is a grazing cooperative covering 65,000 acres. Besides land to run cattle on for its members it also protects and preserves this part of the prairie in Alberta.
Nice day, temperature is zero degrees Celsius, the sun is trying to shine and the hills might be alive with the sound of music. A good day to get out and see if there is anything worth shooting with the camera.
Except I am off to visit mom for the weekend. Priorities.
Former one room school in very rural Alberta. It looks like it was made out of concrete which makes perfect sense as this part of Alberta gets some absolutely brutal winds. Used as a community centre when it stopped being a school. Not many people in this area now.
Trying to reply to some comments and Blogger is acting up. I do read all of the comments and appreciate that someone takes the time to leave one.
Not that long ago I was on my way to see a client at night at their farm in a rural area east of where I live. When I was writing down the address I transposed two numbers on the location for the township road that this person was on. Instead of driving to number 264131 on the township road I drove to 246131 instead, about twenty miles from where I should have been. Of course it had to be about -30C at the time.
Once I got that straightened out I got to the right place about fifty minutes late. I felt very dumb about doing that especially since when I have the right address I am pretty good at finding a place and I rarely get lost. I really dislike being late and I strive to be on time. Being late for an appointment really bothers me.
I admit to having some infrequent dyslexic moments and sometimes I really have to watch myself. There are times I can look at a set of numbers and I will write them down with two of the numbers reversed and no matter how many times I look at what I incorrectly wrote it looks absolutely right to me. I once had an instructor in a university class tell me I wrote "backwards" as some of my thoughts on paper seemed to be in reverse order compared to how someone would usually write the same thing. I learned to write and rewrite papers then get someone to proofread them. One of the reasons I sometimes do not write a lot on this blog is that I can write something and read through it several times and it will not look "right" to me.
When I was a kid I never told anyone about it simply because I never thought it was an issue. It only caused me occasional minor problems so I never thought about it much. To get better in school and to compensate I just tried to do things to help me get better. My father was one of those "no excuses" types so there was not a lot that I ever brought up to him. I am not blaming him, times were different then. So I tried to improve om my own. I literally read hundreds of books on anything and everything in my younger days. As long as it held my interest I would read it. Biographies and well researched history books are still favourites of mine. A few books I read several times because the first few times they did not make sense to me, the order of what I was reading seemed off. Upon repeated readings they would make sense. I mainly read to see how others wrote and pick up some cues from them and my spelling improved immensely. Reading also expanded my vocabulary and hopefully made me smarter. I was good, sometimes great, academically in school. I was not a very confident student.
Writing is something that I am still not all that comfortable doing even though I like to write some stuff for fun. A former aquaintance who knew about my blog told me a few times that when I did write something here it was badly spelled and poorly written. That slightly wounded me. I actually went back and reviewed a number of posts to see if the person was right. Upon review I could not find anything noteworthy to fix.
Anyway I might try a bit more writing on this blog. We shall see. The problem with writing is finding something to write about.
I am guessing that this is a ranch or farm marker. I think above the year 1898 is the brand. Sometimes you see homestead markers or ranch markers on the prairie. One of those things that is interesting to me and not many others. Found this in a rural part of southern Alberta.
Is it better in black and white or in colour?
If there are no ups or downs in life that means you're dead.
Drove by this with a friend on January 14, 2018 who was nice enough to introduce me to some places in Vulcan County, Alberta. This looks like an abandoned farm. There is what looks like a grain elevator, it is likely a unique one of a kind granary. Behind it through the snow and fog is a windmill. These new windmills are huge and there are a few hundred in this area.
This is intriguing. If the side road was not covered in snow we would have got a closer look.
Abandoned homestead near Cowley, Alberta January 7, 2018.
My sister made covert plans to visit our mother for Christmas. My mother lives about three hours by road north of me. Mom is seventy-six. I think her older sister is eighty. She lives in Edmonton. Her sister lived on a farm for years a little bit north of where my mother lives. She moved off the farm and it was passed down to her son, my cousin who I will refer to as Dave. My aunt's first husband died of a heart attack years ago while working on the farm.
Dave was having a family Christmas get together at his place with his family, his sister and her family, and his mother (my mother's sister) was going to be there. Dave is a couple of years older than me. I had not seen him in about five to ten years.
The plan that my sister made, then sprung on me later, was that she and I would go pay mom a surprise visit on December 24, stay overnight, and take her to see her sister at Dave's place. Mom talks to her sister on the phone just about every day. They do not get to see each other in person that often.
There was only one thing I wanted out of all of this. I wanted turkey. I had made plans to ensure that I was going to get turkey. In fact I guaranteed that I would get turkey. Earlier in December I ordered a turkey from a local caterer and I picked it up fully cooked on December 23. I brought it to my sister's home and my sister, her husband, and her son and I had an early Christmas dinner. The plan from there was that my sister would join me to go north to see mom the next day and her husband and son would visit his family on Christmas Day.
It is a given that I would get shafted somewhere. My sister hurt her back leaving me to go see mom. On the morning of the 24th I had turkey for breakfast, threw my travel bag in the car, and headed north. Snow covered roads, icy sections, bitter cold, and four hours later I arrived and surprised mom. She asked what I was doing there as she obviously was not expecting me. I told her I was visiting for Christmas and that I was taking her to visit her sister on Christmas Day.
Mom told me she was not going. I smiled the kind of smile that you would see on a Bond villian and politely stated that I did not drive close to four hours in temperatures flirting with -30C and having this prearranged for her not to go. I advised her that she would be going if I had to pick her up and stuff her in the car. This would be relatively easy to accomplish since is a not much over one hundred pounds and about five feet two inches in height.
Mom went willingly. She also had a good time, as did I catching up with family, and she thanked me for taking her. Alas there was no turkey at the cousin's place when I was there. The invite was for a Christmas breakfast. When I was taking mom back home, where there was no turkey, she wanted me to take her car out, fill it with gas, and return it. Nevermind this was on Christmas Day. Surprisingly there were four gas station open in a town of eight thousand people. Of course they seriously jacked up the price of gas. I filled it and paid it and put mom's car back. I got back on Boxing Day where I managed to get more turkey.
The moral of the story is that if you want turkey plan ahead.
Thankfully it warmed up. Just a day prior it was -30C.
Yesterday I went through the whole list and I liked most of it. I dropped some money on buying some music. Dennis has a great blog, I enjoy his writing and he loves what he writes about. If you are so inclined go pay a visit to his site.
Since people want me to keep posting that means that I have to come up with some kind of content. Keep in mind some days it might not be great content.
I was out on the last day of the year in -30C weather and became ill with a flu that night. This barn shot might have been worth it.
Still trying to break free from this flu/cold/being podded by the creatures in Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Body Snatchers (1993) is better than Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) mainly because I cannot stand Donald Sutherland.
Also known as the Russo Greek Orthodox Church of St. Peter and St. Paul. Construction started in 1909 and finished in 1912. It sits on top of a hill and is still in use. I could have got a few more photos except it was -30C when I was there on December 31, 2017.
Pincher Creek, Alberta January 7, 2017. A row of windmills are in the background against the Rocky Mountains.
I really like visiting this page just because the author is so crafty.
I wish I spotted this before Christmas. I happened to see this north of Red Deer, Alberta on New Year's Day.
Maybe I should post something . . .
An interesting start to the year. There was some horribly cold weather New Year's weekend here in Alberta. Temperatures -30C and colder are never any fun. It is much nicer now. December 31, 2017 I happened to get hit by the flu and spent the evening experiencing cold sweats. I came into work even though I should have stayed home. Everyone at work is sick as well. On the plus side I have lost weight being sick. A liquid diet will do that.
Being sick plays with your thoughts and dreams. Or it does to me. For some reason I dreamt about the fact that years ago I rented the movie "Into The Night" on three separate occasions and never watched it. I have yet to see it. I woke up in the middle of the night a few nights and could not get back to sleep. I ended up reading articles on the internet on topics ranging from Jimmy Durante to Mr. Wrestling II. The things you do to try to get back to sleep. As an aside, I used to live in a small town in northern British Columbia many years ago. For some reason we got television station TBS out of Atlanta, Georgia that had a lot of dubbed Japanese programming and Georgia Championship Wrestling where I saw Mr. Wrestling II. I never saw Jimmy Durante in anything.
NyQuil is vile but it works for me. I pay no attention to the recommended dosage. I take it until I stop coughing. Of the two flavours, green and red, green is the more palatable. Why you would make a cold/flu medication in the same colour as phlegm escapes me. NyQuil supposedly makes you drowsy. It usually keeps me awake.
Speaking of work the place where I am employed was sold and the new owners took possession on December 28, 2017. There was no change in staff and I am doing the same thing I have done before. I am reserving judgment on this change as I am not sure what to expect. I have not had enough interaction with them to feel if I am comfortable with them or not. I am still trying to figure out what the new owners and management are all about and what they want to accomplish. Details have been a little vague.
A few people have let me know that they want me to keep posting. I likely will, I doubt that I can maintain the past pace of an originaly photo post a day. The other problem is that I upload stuff as a draft post and clean it up and post it later when I am at the office. I may not be able to get away with that in the future. A daily post was starting to get difficult since I was using my material and I am also not that interesting. By the way it was nice to hear from those who said they missed me.
I currently face 2018 with no debt, some money in the bank, my account with my lawyer is in the black, and I have a trial date for my pending divorce later this year. The legal fees should take care of the no debt part in due course. My wife had me served in March of 2014 and never followed up with actually divorcing me. I forced a trial date and I will have this resolved one way or another later this year.
Posts from here on will be when I can post something.
It has been an interesting 2017 and I wish you all a stellar 2018.
This blog may have run its course and it's purpose may have been realized. This may be temporary, it might not. We will see what the morrow brings. Maybe I just need a short break. Too many personal things to clear off the plate.
South of Buck Lake, Alberta July 25, 2017.


High output, geared rotary pump suitable for low viscosity and non-corrosive fluids such as diesel, oil and anti-freeze from 205L drums. 1L of liquid dispensed per handle revolution. Constructed from cast aluminium and plated steel. Packed in two cartons.


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**See also**

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    :members:
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Lower James
Tatanka
To see the world, don't look through the window...
walk around from behind it. - Anonymous
The purpose of the South Central Resource Conservation & Development Council (South Central RC&D) is to address the needs and opportunities of the South Central RC&D area.
South Central RC&D Structure
In 1992 local citizens began discussing the Resource Conservation and Development program. Those in-volved were representatives from the conservation districts, extension offices, county governments, and non-profit organizations throughout the (4) four counties of Todd, Mellette, Jones and Tripp. In August 1992 the first application was submitted to the US Secretary of Agriculture but did not receive assistance. In June 1993 a second application for RC&D planning assistance was submitted and in February 1994 South Central RC&D was authorized by the USDA but there was no funding available for a federal coordinator. At the same time, Badlands RC&D, and Randall RC&D were looking for a new federal coordinator. Under the direction of the SD State Conservationist Dean Fisher, the three councils were able to acquire funding through a memorandum of understanding with NRCS. This would provide the flexibility for the Councils to hire its own staff. In June 2007 a federal coordinator was selected for South Central RC&D In December 1993 South Central RC&D received its designation of a 501c3 non-profit entity from the Internal Revenue Service. In April of 2011 the RC&D program nationally was eliminated from the federal budget. South Central RC&D is operating currently as a 501c3 non-profit organization.
The South Central RC&D council received its non-profit corporate status from the South Dakota Secretary of State in November 1992.
Declaration of the Area of Operation
South Central Resource Conservation and Development Council (South Central RC&D), serves the Counties of Jones, Mellette, Todd, and Tripp. Within the boundaries of Todd County lies the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Indian Reservation. Tribal lands are also located within Tripp and Mellette Counties. The total population of South Central RC&D area from the 2008 estimates is 18,854. The largest county is Todd with a popula-tion of 10,167. The smallest county is Jones with a population of 1,024. Within the area, 53.88% of the population is American Indian. There are several outlying American Indian communities in Mellette and Tripp Counties. Todd County and Rosebud Indian Reservation share the same boundaries. There has been a slow but steady decline in the population of Tripp, Jones, and Mellette Counties. Most of the population growth is shown in Todd County (≈11%). The downward population trend is especially true in smaller towns and in rural communities with the exception of American Indian areas. The persistent economic depression in the area explains the lack of jobs and business opportunities and as a result the population decline. Mellette county remains fairly constant but Todd County has shown some growth. Agriculture is the principal industry in the area and most stable jobs are provided by governments, including school dis-tricts and health care. Other employers are services, retail and tourist trade.
The economy of the area is based on agriculture with livestock and wheat crop as main productions. Live-stock production is the prime source of income with cropland used to produce livestock feed and winter wheat. There is a small number of irrigation systems operated on an individual basis. The native vegeta-tion consists of cool season grasses such as wheatgrass, needle grass and sedges intermixed with warm season grasses of the blue stems, blue grama, side oats grama and buffalo grass. With the exception of the Badlands, most of the area is relatively smooth, rolling prairies cut at intervals by small tributary drain-ages and scattered buttes. The southern portion consists of Nebraska Sand Hills and the western area is the Badlands. The major water resources in the South Central RC&D area are the Little White River and the White River. Ogallala aquifer provides some of the area water for human consumption, livestock, and irrigation. The rural water systems provide water for human and livestock consumption.
South Central RC&D area is located in the south central area of South Dakota. It has a total land base of 3,378,632 acres. The office is located in Murdo (SD) which is 50 miles southwest from the state Capital in Pierre (SD), lying to the west 136 miles is Rapid City (SD) and lying to the east 215 miles is Sioux Falls (SD). Sioux Falls and Rapid City are the largest cities in South Dakota
The mission of the South Central RC&D is to provide technical assistance to facilitate working together for the viability of the area.
The vision of the South Central RC&D is for the area to be viable through the wise use of natural and human resources.
The South Central RC&D Council consists of an appointed representative from each paid sponsor. In fiscal year 2009 there were forty-six sponsors on the council from ten different categories including counties, municipalities, conservation districts, individuals, school districts, volunteer fire departments, emergency care councils, businesses, utility company, and non-profit organizations
Program Assistant:
Jewell Bork
107 West 2nd St
Murdo, SD 57559-0461
southcentralrcd@goldenwest.net
South Central Project Application
Copyright 2014 South Dakota RC&D Association

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
The scepter of the wicked will not remain over the land allotted to the righteous, for then the righteous might use their hands to do evil.
Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, to those who are upright in heart.
But those who turn to crooked ways the LORD will banish with the evildoers. Peace be upon Israel.


Car Paint Protection - What is it?
Your car's paintwork is susceptible to damage from UV rays, traffic film, tree sap, road salts, acid rain and other atmospheric pollutants. All of which causes oxidation which degrades the quality of the paintwork and results in the paintwork fading and losing its original lustre.
Car paint protection is effectively an extra coating that seals the paint work of your car and helps to prevent your car's paint fading as well as protecting against minor degradation marks. However, it is important to remember that car paint protection will not protect your paintwork from scrapes, scratches or stone chips.
Is Paint Protection Worth It?
Many people choose to have car paint protection coating when buying a brand-new vehicle, as they want to keep it looking in the best possible condition. However, car paint protection is also suitable for used cars and is a cost-effective way to increase the longevity of your car's exterior.
Having a car paint protection film professionally applied to your car can ensure you never need to polish your car again.
The process of applying protection is carried out in two stages. The first involves cleansing and filling any pores within the car's paintwork to leave a smooth finish. Next, a high quality protection product is applied and bonds with the products used in stage one to form a protective coating, which has a smooth, high lustre finish.
At Stoneacre we use Diamondbrite paint protection manufactured by Jewelultra, which has been shown in independent tests to be one of the best protection products on the market.
This means you can rest assured that you are getting a great quality product which is made to the highest possible standard. What's more, our technicians are fully trained in the correct application to ensure a high-quality finish on your car.
In addition, Diamondbrite comes with a lifetime of ownership guarantee, meaning the paint protection used is covered for colour fading, as well as damage caused by bird droppings, if you wash the droppings off within seven days.
Want To Know More About Paint Protection?
If you'd like to find out more about paint protection for your car, all you have to do is contact your local Stoneacre dealership. Our friendly staff will be able to help you.
If you're looking for a new or used car, make sure to ask about paint protection whilst you're at the dealership.
You can quickly find your local Stoneacre dealership below.


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Merckx 69 Celebrating the world's greatest cyclist in his finest year
Merckx 69 Celebrating the world's greatest cyclist in his finest year. Jan Maes
Author: Jan Maes
Format: Hardback| 180 pages
Dimension: 290x 330x 22.86mm| 1,703g
Download Link: Merckx 69 Celebrating the world's greatest cyclist in his finest year
Merckx 69:Celebrating the World's Greatest Cyclist in His Finest Year, Hardcover by Stouken, Tommy; Maes, Jan; Merckx, Eddy (FRW), ISBN 1472910648, Cycling great Eddy Merckx hospitalized after bike crash - NBC Sports - Misc. one 11-year-old New Zealander is cycling across Japan for the Rugby World Cup In 1969, the year of the first overall victory of Eddy Merckx, the Tour Eddy started cycling and where he also won his first ever yellow jersey. This year Brussels is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Tour capital to both celebrate cycling and honour its cultural heritage. his very first Yellow Jersey, in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre in 1969, near his family grocery store. This ride celebrates one of the world's most famous cyclists, Eddy Merckx, 50 years ago he won his first grand boucle and got his first Yellow Jersey. the Tour de France, Brussels will welcome the famous cycling race for the 11th time. 1958, which was also the year that the World's Fair was held in Brussels, and the The 2019 Grand Départ celebrates this important moment in cycling history! Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx of the Faema team during the 1969 Tour de France An almost certain winner of the famous Tour De France this year is Belgian rider Standing with champion cyclist Eddy Merckx who is celebrating his 65th Celebrating the World's Greatest Cyclist in His Finest Year Jan Maes. FOREWORD. Merckx 69 is a tribute book with a dual title. On the one hand it refers to the An autographed copy of Merckx 69: Celebrating the world's greatest cyclist in his finest year"signed, of course, by Eddy Merckx;A Clara Merckx 69 Celebrating the world's greatest cyclist in his finest year by Jan Maes. Merckx 69 documents Eddy Merckx in 1969, considered to be the best year of Merckx 69 documents Eddy Merckx in 1969 - considered to be the best year of Maes; Alaotsikko: Celebrating the world's greatest cyclist in his finest year; Kieli: Product Details. Title: Merckx 69: Celebrating the world's greatest cyclist in his finest year. Author(s): Jan Maes. Publisher: Bloomsbury Sport. Publication Date: Booktopia has Merckx 69, Celebrating the World's Greatest Cyclist in His Finest Year by Jan Maes. Buy a discounted Hardcover of Merckx 69 online from
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This first view of the great monuments at the Jordanian site of Petra was made even more famous than it already was among archaeologists by Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
In the real world, but like the movie's 'Alexandretta', after the Crusades, the Nabatean city of Petra was largely forgotten, except by the Bedouin, and only rediscovered by the west as late as 1812, when the Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt was first led through the canyon to the site (22 August 1812).
The Nabateans are something of a mystery themselves. It is likely that they were originally a nomadic people from the north-west of the Arabian Peninsula who took advantage of this spectacular geographical position in southern Jordan–astride a number of major trade routes–to found the city of Raqmu (later Hellenized as 'Petra' or 'rock') after 312 B.C..
They became experts in water management, both in terms of storing water to sustain city life, and diverting potentially catastrophic flash floods, by a system of dams, conduits, and cisterns.
They also became masters of carving structures into the local sandstone cliffs. These had the interesting property of offering a hard exterior which could be intricately carved, and a soft interior which could be relatively easily hollowed out to make large chambers.
Originally approached principally from the eastern plain, the city is far more dramatically approached today by a narrow gorge (the 'siq' or 'shaft'), which opens up at a point along its length to allow this view of the Treasury (in Arabic 'Al Khazneh'). This magnificent rock-cut tomb received its name from a Bedouin legend that the facade hides a vast treasure, and it bears the mark of hundreds of bullet holes where the local people have tried their luck at breaking through the rock.
By 106 A.D., the Nabatean kingdom passed peacefully under the rule of the Roman Empire as part of the province of Arabia Petraea, and Petra became its capital.
Perhaps because of this peaceful transition, the city initially flourished under Roman rule, but about a century later the city ceased producing coinage, and the carving of major tombs stopped.
The reason is unknown, but may have been a result of an incursion by the emergent Sassanid Empire, or a natural catastrophic event. It may also have been simply that the majority of trade moved to sea routes.
Petra appears to have survived as some form of religious center after the city declined, but, in 363 A.D., a major earthquake destroyed many buildings, and finally crippled the water system. The last inhabitants abandoned the city, which had become a significant Byzantine Christian center, about the time the Arabs conquered the region in 663 A.D..
Before finally succumbing to the desert and obscurity, the ruins at Petra remained an occasional curiosity into the Middle Ages–the Mamluk sultan of Egypt, Baybars, visited the site in the second half of the 13th century.
"PETRA The Rose-Colored city half as old as time".
Did you know that Petra's location had been lost to man from around 663 AD (CE) when it was abandoned and became a legend until rediscovered in 1812 AD (CE) around 1150 years later? In other words, just a legend for well over 1000 years.
I have posted about Petra before on Facebook, but this is a greatly revised post that goes much more into my personal visits there. I have visited here twice.
I hope you will enjoy this rather long narrative of one of the most amazing places on earth.
Petra, is in Jordan, it is one of the most wonderful places I have ever been. It certainly deserves the honor of being named one of the "New Seven Wonders of The World".
It has been said, but I have not been able to verify, that at the time from around 200 BC (BCE) to 100 AD (CE) Petra was one of the richest countries in the world. These dates may vary a bit.
The important goods at the time were Gold, Myrrh and Frankincense.
The Nabateans controlled the trade routes from their capital city Petra.
Petra is in the Southern part of Jordan. This is a country that has many places of great interest to tourists. The people of Jordan are super nice and very friendly to those of us from other parts of the world.
I have absolutely enjoyed my two visits to that wonderful country and interacting with the great people of Jordan. The food is quite good as well.
THE SIQ is the entrance to Petra.
The distance is 2km or about 1 1/4 miles from where you enter till you begin to be in the city. It is an easy flat walk in a mostly dry steam bed. This stream bed normally has just a small amount of water on one side.
The first time I was in Petra (Christmas day 1988) this small stream became a torrent as a flash flood hit the area. I will write a little more about that a bit later.
Not to worry though as measures have been taken so that the dangers once posed by these flash flood no longer exists.
Petra was chosen as the capital of the Nabateans in the 6th century BC (BCE). It was taken over by Rome around 106 AD (CE).
Because it is located in a valley surrounded by sandstone mountains. There are only a few ways to get into Petra, but none of them are easy, and if the valleys are sealed, it is almost impossible for anyone to enter.
The main entrance to Petra is called the SIQ; it has sides as high as 200 meters (650 ft.).
Al Khazneh(Arabic: الخزنة popularly known as and meaning "the Treasury") is the name given to this building in Petra where legend had it that great treasure was stored. If fact no such treasure ever existed.
(The Al-Khazneh) was popularized in American culture in the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade".
The Khazneh translates to "The Treasury" It is just one of many very remarkable structures (over 800) in Petra as well as Roman and Byzantine ruins.
In my opinion Al-Khazneh the most elaborate temple in the ancient Arab Nabatean Kingdom city of Petra.
Al-Khazneh is the most famous.
Its name Khazneh means "treasure" and comes from the Bedouin belief that the Pharaoh chasing the Israelites hid his treasure in the urn at the top of the Khazneh.
During the flash flood, I mention below water was coming down on both sides of it from the highlands above like two gigantic waterfalls.
Knowledge of Petra was lost to the Western world until John Lewis Burckhardt, a Swiss explorer, tricked his Bedouin guides into leading him there in 1812.
Long before Petra was rediscovered by Burckhardt in had become a legend to the known world for about 1150 years.
The only ones that knew of the city were the Bedouin tribes that have lived, and still do, in the area for 100's of years.
Burckhardt had disguised himself as a Bedouin and I believe bribed one or more Bedouins to guide him. If he had not, it is likely he would have been killed to keep the location lost to the outside world.
There is a site in Petra, which is said to be the grave of Aaron (brother of Moses).
There are two legends that deal with Petra, which few people have ever heard, but there is a fair amount of evidence for them, although I can't attest to their absolute truth. One that says that where Moses struck the rock and the water came forth was at the entrance to the SIQ. There is no doubt that Moses and his followers did go right past this site.
The second legend deals with Cleopatra. It is said she had a contingency plan to escape to Petra if Mark Anthony was defeated at Antioch by Rome.
Well we all know he was defeated and the ships she would have used to escape were burned. So she chose suicide rather than to be paraded as a spectacle through Rome.
Today the Bedouins are friendly and trade with the tourists. One of them invited me into his cave for mint tea.
That made for an even better experience. That and the flash flood mentioned below made the day a real adventure, and one of my best travel days ever.
Not to worry though this type of danger no longer exists.
My first visit here was Christmas day 1988 and I was caught in a flash flood in this very area. That was quite an adventure. I do have many pictures of this and if I ever get them into digital form I will post some. One of them shows me sitting on a horse with my camera in one hand and an umbrella in the other. The water is up to the horse neck. I did not know it at the time, but some 20 years earlier 20 plus people had drowned in the area in an earlier flash flood. A diversion dam built since that time has cut down some on the danger.
They do not let people into Petra when a flash flood is expected. There had been a little rain all day but this flood was not expected till it hit like nothing you can ever imagine.
I found a couple of Bedouin boys with horses and they got us out of there. I tipped them well.
It was VERY dangerous, but that did not really sink in till later.
Because of the rain, I found some Roman coins that had washed to the surface, and one from the Byzantine era.
All in all, even with the flash flood it was a "great" day. It was certainly an adventure I will never forget. I think I had 10 times more fun than Indiana Jones.
My last visit was about 10 years ago and it is amazing how much more has been excavated since then. Although there is a tremendous amount to see here (one could spend days) only 1% of the city has been excavated after 100 years of excavations.
On my first visit this site was not well known to Western tourists, but that has changed a great deal in the last almost 30 years.
There were not a lot of people visiting than at all. That is quite different now.
One thing I was not particularly happy to see were some make shift souvenir stands in the area which really seemed out of place. On my first visit Petra was much more pristine.
I believe at that time of my first visit they only got less than 30,000 visitors a year. Now I believe it is somewhere (estimated) 500,000 to a million or more visitors a year. I am not 100% certain of those numbers. The numbers are somewhat down right now because of the misconception Jordan is not safe because of some of the problems in the Middle East. As I said this is a total misconception.
Jordan is one of the most tourist friendly places I have ever been.
Here is a bit of Petra's history.
Tomb facades were built from the top down. Scaffolding was built and then grooves were carved into the rock. Into these grooves were inserted pieces of wood, which when made wet, expanded and cracked the rock.
Main Street: It has been estimated as many as 30,000 people may have lived in Petra during the 1st century A.D. It is a misconception that Petra was a city only for the dead. A large earthquake in 363 A.D. destroyed at least half of the city. Petra never really recovered from this destruction.
Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.
Just as a little aside. Lawrence of Arabia spent a lot of time in this area, and most of the movie about him was filmed in Wadi Rum a vast valley a couple hours away from Petra in a South-East direction.
Wadi Rum is somewhat like Monument Valley in the US, but much larger.
Believe me it is well worth a visit as well, and it is very beautiful in a haunting way.
In October, 1917, Lawrence, as part of a general effort to divert Turkish military resources away from the British invasion of North Africa, led a small force of Syrians and Arabians in defending Petra against a much larger combined force of Turks and Germans.
The Bedouin women living in the vicinity of Petra and under the leadership of Sheik Khalil's wife were recruited to fight in the defense of the city. The defenders were able to completely devastate the Turkish/German forces.
If you are ever in that part of the world it is well worth any extra effort to get to these remarkable sites. Both Petra and Wadi Rum.


text:
Q: What would this enum pattern be called? I use this technique frequently but I'm not sure what to call it. I call it associative enums. Is that correct?
Example:
public enum Genders {

    Male("M"), Female("F"), Transgender("T"), Other("O"), Unknown("U");

    private String code;

    Genders(String code) {
        this.code = code;
    }

    public String getCode() {
        return code;
    }

    public static Genders get(String code) {
        for (Genders gender : values()) {
            if (gender.getCode().equalsIgnoreCase(code)) {
                return gender;
            }
        }
        return null;
    }
}

A: I have a set of classes for doing this but I don't have a name for it other than Encodable
interface Encodable<T>{
    T getCode();
}

public class EnumUtils{

      public static <U, T extends Enum<T> & Encodable<U>> T getValueOf(
            @Nonnull Class<T> enumClass,
            @Nullable U code){

            for (T e : enumClass.getEnumConstants()){
               if (Objects.equal(e.getCode(), code))
                  return e;
            }

            throw new IllegalArgumentException("No enum found for " + code);
      }
}

A: I would say that looks a fair bit like the Multiton Pattern.  If you do as  erikb suggests and use a map instead of looping, I would say it's exactly like the Multiton Pattern.

A: I'd say it is a very, very simple parser.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Mahima Chaudury (født 13. september 1973) er en indisk bollywood-skuespiller. Hun debuterede i Subhash Ghais Pardes fra 1997.

Filmografi
 Pardes (1997) som Kusum Ganga
 Tere Naam (2003)

Eksterne henvisninger

Skuespillere fra Indien

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


It's been a while, but I just didn't have the time to keep up to date. The new Gambit comic series has been launched in August. Gambit #1 and #2 have been released already and #3 is due for release on September 26.
So what's new? Mostly new images in the Image Gallery, from the new Gambit comic series.
Also, there's a nice little gift James Asmus left us fans on Twitter. Click on the next icon to view.
← New Gambit comic series!


Stranded thousands of years in the past, Kyria, along with her best friends, Mica and Sartir, continue to search for the one artifact, the Shard of Time, that could possibly return them to where they belong.
With Sartir guiding them on their journey to find the Shard, their path has been difficult and traumatic, but the end is almost in sight. However, before they can reclaim the Shard and go back home, they need to survive the icy peaks of the Mourning Mountains, one of the most inhospitable and deadly places in all of the Seven Kingdoms.
The peaks have been known as Deathtrap, because if one survives the deadly terrain, the inhabitants who call the mountains home would certainly spell their doom. Kyria, Mica, and Sartir must brave the elements, the inhabitants, and more twists and turns than any of them had been prepared for, all, on their quest for the Shard.
The frigid breeze sent shudders right through Kyria, awakening her from a dream by forcing her eyes open in protest. As she sat up, she could not stop her teeth from chattering and her body from shaking. The dream she was awakened from was quickly fleeing from her memory, but she knew enough that in it, she was someplace warm and comfortable. She wished that that were the case now.
Instead, she found herself waking from her sleep on the shoulder of Alem, a giant. Alem was a kind sort, and had been helping Kyria and her friends as a favor to repay a debt to a young boy named Kabilian. Kabilian had been locked up in a prison cell in a city that used to be where Grazlin's temple would one day stand. Kyria had found herself attracted to the rogue boy, and she was sorry to see him leave when Alem arrived to take them the rest of the way to the Mourning Mountains.
Sartir and Mica did not think that Kabilian remaining behind was a bad thing. Kyria disagreed, but she knew that they had their reasons, all valid ones. The most important argument of course, was that Kabilian was from a distant time and place, and any kind of emotions exchanged between him and Kyria would be highly inadvisable, and potentially dangerous. Of course, he was also a thief of enchanted artifacts, and the treasure they were seeking was a very rare mystical artifact that Kabilian would have been far too tempted to steal: the Shard of Time.
Without acquiring the Shard of Time, Kyria and her friends would be trapped in time forever. Their only hope was that they could reach the site where the Shard had been discovered, and somehow use it to get back to where they belong. Kyria and Mica still got headaches whenever Sartir explained how exactly they could get back home and still have the Shard be discovered as it was meant to, but there was nobody she trusted more, so if Sartir was certain that they could do it, that was good enough for her.
As Kyria looked around, she saw that Mica was also shivering, covering herself with Sartir's cloak and snuggling with Pookie. They didn't know what exactly Pookie was, but he had taken to them, and they decided to keep him. Sartir had been reluctant at first, but since he couldn't identify what type of creature that Pookie was, he assumed that Pookie's race was extinct, so taking Pookie with them probably wouldn't harm the timeline too badly.
Kyria wondered if Sartir ever considered the fact that perhaps Pookie's removal from time was what caused his race to go extinct. Even if he did, then the fact that they were extinct, meant that Pookie was destined to come with them, in which case, leaving him behind would change history. These were the types of paradoxes and inconsistencies that Sartir loved to speculate about, causing Kyria and Mica to cringe whenever they were brought up.
Since leaving the Dartian Woods, Sartir was beginning to act more and more like himself. He was no longer somber and depressed, and was enthusiastic and optimistic about returning to their journey and finding the Shard of Time. Even now, when the cold morning air was piercing, Sartir sat defiantly and acted as if even the elements could not keep him from his goal.
Alem had taken them much further than they had expected. When Kabilian had told them about Alem, he had said that the giant would take them to the base of the Mourning Mountains in Falestia. They had reached that well over a week ago, and still the giant helped them with their journey, assuring them that he was bringing them to a specific point. Kyria could tell from his demeanor that he was taking them the extra distance because he felt guilty about not completely protecting them.
It really wasn't Alem's fault, but they had stopped to sleep for the night on the open plains of Falestia, about a day's walk east of the Kreblahn Mountains. While Alem was sleeping, some trolls had snuck into their camp and tried to make off with Kyria and Sartir.
Mica woke Alem up the following morning, and he was exasperated to learn that creatures such as trolls—typically loud and easily detected—had managed to come into their camp and steal two of the children he had sworn to protect. Mica, Alem, and Pookie followed the tracks, but found Kyria and Sartir returning towards the camp, already free. Kyria's mystical powers had been enough to frighten the trolls and send them scurrying, realizing that they had attempted to make a meal of something more powerful than they could handle.
Although Kyria had assured Alem that it wasn't his fault, he had been frantic at first, and then soon remorseful. He felt the guilt and shame of failing in his task, and was determined to make certain that they did not come across any other dangers or hardships.
"Morning," Kyria said as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders and tried to keep herself from shivering. The Mages made magnificent wardrobes, but even these robes and cloaks were unable to keep them warm in the frosty mountain air.
Kyria recalled her first day at the Mage's Council very clearly. The shop owner, Master Varitimas, had given her a pair of boots as well as her laced sandals, and assured her that one day she would need them. Kyria was just glad that she had both listened and thought enough to have brought them with her on this journey. The boots didn't provide much more cover or protection, but they were certainly better than being in open sandals!
"M-m-morning," Mica stammered, her teeth chattering.
"How much longer?" Kyria asked.
"This is where we need to be," Kyria said.
"I don't see any problem wit dat: we're headin' ter the base o' the mountain path," answered Alem.
"The mountain path?" asked Sartir.
Sartir seemed satisfied with the answer and nodded his approval to Kyria.
"How far will the path go?" asked Kyria.
Kyria glanced at Sartir, who nodded again. She knew that he probably had a fairly good idea about what they would potentially meet while ascending the mountain. He would tell them all about it after Alem left and they could take some time to think about how to best proceed.
Kyria strained to see further up the mountain, but the snowy peaks seemed to be hidden by a white mist. The Dartian Woods had been dangerous, but at least she had been there before and knew what to expect. Now, on the final portion of their journey, they would be traversing a land that was deadly itself, without the added assistance of the predators that called it home. From this moment on, they had to watch every step, and study every movement—the slightest misstep could be the end of them.
By nightfall, Alem had brought them to the mountain path that he had promised to bring them to. He seemed very hesitant to leave them alone, and finally decided that they should remain there that night and then go their separate ways in the morning.
Kyria was grateful for the giant's presence, because Alem allowed them to use his bulky body for cover, helping to slightly alleviate the piercing winds. Even with him sleeping beside them though, all three knew that the remainder of their journey would be very hard on them. Somehow, they had to find a way to combat the elements—they had to find a way to keep from freezing to death.
The final night with Alem came and went far too quickly. Kyria, Mica, and Sartir all thanked Alem for bringing them to the mountain path, and wished him well on his return trip. Alem remained hesitant to leave them alone, but they all knew that he was anxious to return home: he had been away from his wife and children for far too long.
Alem wished them well on the remainder of their journey, and tried one last time to caution them on the dangers of the Mourning Mountains, and urge them to return home with him, where he assured them that they would be welcome, even if Sartir were a sabrenoh. Kyria politely thanked him for his gracious invitation, but declined. They too were anxious to be home, and the only way to make that happen was to continue up the Mourning Mountains.
The trio watched Alem vanishing on the horizon, an event that took some time due to his bulky frame, and then returned their focus on their mission. They looked up the Mourning Mountains, and if they were afraid, they hid it well. Instead, they focused on doing one thing that could help save all of their lives: gaining more information.
"Now that we're here, what do we know about this place?" asked Kyria.
"There has to be something," pleaded Mica.
Mica perked up at the comment and fluttered in the air before Sartir, grinning happily.
"What do you suggest?" asked Kyria.
"Or maybe they'll sell us into servitude," said Mica sarcastically.
"The only way to find out is by going," said Sartir.
Kyria held her hand out and beckoned Sartir to lead the way. Sartir bowed politely and then began walking up the mountain path. Kyria bent over and lifted Pookie up, perching him on her shoulder, and following Sartir.
Kyria glanced up the towering mountain again. It might not be today, it might not even be tomorrow, but soon they would be in the snow. Kyria had never even seen snow before. She wondered what it would be like. Soon, she would find out.


text:
Robbie Totten
Associate Professor; Chair; Interim Chief Academic Officer; Interim Dean of the College of Arts & Science;
Politics and Global Studies
rtotten [at] aju.edu
PhD, Political Science, University of California Los Angeles
M.A., Political Science, University of California Los Angeles
B.A., Political Science, Duke University
Dr. Totten is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Politics and Global Studies Department in the College of Arts & Sciences at American Jewish University. He is also serving as the Interim Chief Academic Officer and Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.
He has previously held positions as a Visiting Assistant International Relations Professor at UCSB, a Political Science Lecturer at UCLA, and a pre-doctoral fellow at the Center for Comparative Immigration Studies at UCSD.
He enjoys teaching classes related to American Political Development, International Relations, film and politics, globalization, immigration, terrorism, Security Studies, and U.S. foreign policy. Dr. Totten also likes to teach the Global Studies in the College's core curriculum, and the opportunity to offer a class on United States immigration law and policy. He feels privileged to coach AJU's long-standing and successful undergraduate Model United Nations team at a national competition in San Francisco every spring and a conference in Seattle in the fall. In recent years, students have ably represented countries such as Brazil, Nigeria, Spain, and Sweden at tournaments.
Professor Totten's research has appeared in academic journals and public policy edited volumes, and it has centered on transnational issues, international relations and security, U.S. immigration policy, and the American Founding. In addition to the "publications" tab above, you can see his research at ResearchGate.
"Foreign Policy Interpretive Lenses and State Migration Law: Realism, Isolationism and Liberalism Thought, and U.S. Immigration Policy." UC Davis Journal of International Law & Policy 24 (2018): 135-177.
"Statecraft and Migration: A Research Note on American Strategies to Use Immigration in Foreign Policy from the Founding Era through the Early Twenty-First Century." Diplomacy & Statecraft 28 (2017): 344-370.
"International Relations, Material and Military Power, and United States Immigration Policy: American Strategies to Utilize Foreigners for Geopolitical Strength, 1607 to 2012." Georgetown Immigration Law Journal 29 (Winter 2015): 205-256.
"Epidemics, National Security, and US Immigration Policy." Defense & Security Analysis 31 (Summer 2015): 1-14.
"Security, Two Diplomacies, and the Formation of the U.S. Constitution: Review, Interpretation, and New Directions for the Study of the Early American Period." Diplomatic History 36 (January 2012): 77-117.
"National Security and U.S. Immigration Policy, 1776-1790." Journal of Interdisciplinary History 39 (Summer 2008): 37-64.
Summarized in JSTOR Daily: Where News Meets Its Scholarly Match, Livia Gershon, "Immigration and National Security in George Washington's Day," March 7, 2017.
"The Articles of Confederation State-System, Early American International Systems, and Antebellum Foreign Policy Analytical Frameworks." In A Companion to U.S. Foreign Relations: Colonial Era to Present, ed. Christopher Dietrich (Wiley Blackwell, forthcoming, expected 2019).
"Security and Immigration Policy: An Analytical Framework for Reform." In Undecided Nation: Political Gridlock and the Immigration Crisis, eds. Erika de la Garza and Tony Payan (Springer International Publishing, 2014).
Dictionary/Encyclopedia Entries
"1924 National Origins Act." In Race and Ethnicity in the United States: From Pre-contact to the Present, eds., Russell M. Lawson and Benjamin A. Lawson (ABC-CLIO, forthcoming, 2019-2020?).
"Immigration and Naturalization Service," in Dictionary of American History, Supplement: America in the World, 1776 to the Present, ed., Edward Blum (Scribner's, 2016).
Review for Journal of American Studies, Vol. 48, November 2014, of Robert W.T. Martin, Government by Dissent: Protest, Resistance, and Radical Democratic Thought in the Early American Republic (NYU Press, 2013).
2019 or 2020? "John Witherspoon and the Foundation of American Foreign Policy," In Progress.
2013. "Security and US Immigration Policy: Two American Immigration Security Traditions and an Analytical Framework of National Security and US Immigration Policy," Working Paper in Immigration Reform: A System for the 21st Century, edited by Tony Payan and Erika de la Garza, Rice University Baker Institute for Public Policy, Latin America Initiative.
2012. "Epidemics, National Security, and U.S. Immigration Policy: Historical Policy Responses," UC San Diego Center for Comparative Immigration Studies Working Paper Series, #187


MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) � The mother of a Marine from New Hampshire who was killed in Afghanistan has started a fund to benefit veterans.
Donna Ouellette created the fund to benefit the Veterans Service program of Easter Seals New Hampshire. The program has helped more than 600 veterans and their families and are currently managing more than 200 cases. Services may include setting up counseling and financial assistance.


I visited Bridlington for the first time last year, and with the same purpose: photographing puffins at Bempton Cliffs! It is not the easiest place where you can do that - because the cliffs are quite steep, and provide an excellent place for puffins to hide, usually in the shadows, making photography almost impossible at times. Why do I choose this place, when there are other places, like Farne Islands in Northumberland or Hermaness and Sumburgh Head, Shetland where you could literally go as close as you want to puffins?
I really don't know. I think to me it is also about the way in which I manage to get close to the birds, understanding their behaviour and habits, and, as with human subjects, creating a magic encounter. And this year, I thought, I am more prepared and more confident that I'll get the results I want.
ABOVE: We were so close and looked into each other eyes, with the same wonder, curiosity and respect.
My main concern has been to get closer without disturbing, almost trying to become part of the landscape, giving the birds the respect they deserve for allowing me to step into their personal lives, especially since puffins are known to be pretty shy creatures.
ABOVE: The puffins don't seem bothered by the sea fog. So why should I be? I continued shooting.
There are times when weather is a challenge, too. If it is not rain, then it might be sea fog which engulfs everything around, making focusing difficult, and, indeed, you can't see anything anymore. But I guess I took this as yet another challenge, and did not stop shooting. Although not very clear, I like the photos of the birds in the mist because of the context they offer, and, oh, well, because they are different. I've seen many amazing close-up portraits of puffins, and I took some great ones. Somehow, I still love more the behaviour shots, and I find them also hard to capture.
As with everything, the more you insist, the better the photos. The light changes, and then, for a few moments, you have exactly what you wanted, and the magic happens. I love this photograph because it preserves the warm glow of the sun, and it also shows the puffin caught in 'action'.
ABOVE: Last meal before leaving.
I must admit I would have wanted to do better in photographing the puffins in flight with little fishes in their beaks. It was, however, very problematic, as most of the birds already left, and, there were a few hours when there were no puffins in sight. I must admit I was sad and desperate, at the same time. I knew I should have come weeks before if I wanted to capture the 'buzz' of puffin parents coming back to the nest with food for the little ones. However, I managed to get some shots that I am pleased with.
ABOVE: See you again next year!
For the second time photographing these amazing birds in such a difficult and challenging location, I think I did okay-ish. I am not a bird photographer by any means and, apart from puffins, I don't photograph any other birds - at least not with great intent. I read many articles on bird photography and watched a few tutorials.
But probably the most valuable information I found was through practice - things I needed to know about puffins and about my camera and me. The photos are dear testimonies of a special encounter that I cherish until we'll see again next year.


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text:
Link Prediction on Large Graphs with Variational Autoencoders
Author: Dániel Unyi
Link prediction is to predict whether two components in a network are likely to interact with each other. It's a fundamental task in network science, with a wide variety of real-world applications. Examples include predicting friendship links on social media, identifying hidden communities, or discovering drug-drug interactions in pharmacology. However, current state-of-the-art algorithms are unable to scale efficiently for large graphs. My goal was to work out a scalable, accurate link prediction method by exploiting the modeling power of deep neural networks.
Graph-based deep learning generalizes traditional methods by allowing connectivity between data points [1]. Accordingly, each data point is associated with a feature vector and an adjacency vector. Feature vectors are organized into an N×D feature matrix as usual, and adjacency vectors are organized into an N×N adjacency matrix that represents a graph (N is the number of data points and D is the number of features).
The proposed method is a variational autoencoder (VAE) [2][3] with a few modifications. Two input matrices are fed into the VAE, a feature matrix X and an adjacency matrix A. I use graph convolutional (GC) layers in the encoder to obtain the latent variables Z. I use fully connected (FC) layers in the two decoders to generate two output matrices, X' and A'. The adjacency matrix is modelled as a set of independent Bernoulli variables: an entry represents either a link or a non-link. Predicted links are the ones which are present in A' but not present in A. The latent variables and the feature matrix are both modelled as independent Gaussian variables.
The proposed method is a variational autoencoder, with graph convolutional layers in the encoder part.
GC layers operate in two steps. The first step is equivalent to a fully connected layer. The second step is the actual graph filtering, which can be implemented in multiple ways. The exact implementation has restrictive complexity since it requires the full diagonalization of the graph Laplacian. I applied an approximation based on the Lanczos algorithm [4]. The complexity of one Lanczos iteration is proportional to the number of links in the graph, and in my experiments, 3 iterations provided satisfying results.
Above a certain number of nodes, training in batches becomes inevitable. The basic idea could be cutting the graph into subgraphs, using an efficient clustering algorithm to keep as many links as possible. However, this approach carries two major issues. First, clustering algorithms tend to group similar nodes together, such that the distribution of a batch might be different from the distribution of the whole dataset. Second, some links are inherently removed, and the removed links are excluded from the link prediction process. To avoid these issues, I adopted the multiple stochastic clustering approach [5]. Rather than considering one cluster as a batch, I randomly choose multiple clusters. Then I form a subgraph that includes both within-cluster and between-cluster links. Hence different nodes are incorporated in a batch and there are no inherently removed links.
I tested the proposed method on several real-world networks, two of which were the Reddit dataset and the DisGeNET knowledge platform. In both cases, I removed a random subset of links (15% for Reddit and 30% for DisGeNET) and trained the model on the incomplete adjacency matrix. Validation and test sets were formed from the previously removed links and the same number of randomly sampled non-links.
Dataset statistics.
In the Reddit dataset, nodes represent Reddit posts committed in September 2014. If the same user commented on two posts, a link is drawn between them. Node features are GloVe CommonCrawl word vectors, containing the average embedding of the post's title and all the post's comments.
In the DisGeNET knowledge platform, part of the nodes represent human diseases, and the other part represents gene variants associated with them. If the occurrence of a gene variant causes disease, a link is drawn between them. Node features are node vectors embedded by node2vec.
Link prediction results, with PR-AUC score as metric.
Reddit is one of the largest graph datasets available online. Since other link prediction methods are unable to scale efficiently, the reported result can be considered as a baseline for future work. Cutting the graph into 1500 clusters and using 20 clusters per batch, a model with 2,027,520 parameters requires only 2 GB memory to train.
DisGeNET is one magnitude smaller, so in this case, I had previous baseline results. My method outperforms all of them, including the current state-of-the-art SkipGNN [6] (91.5%). I also hypothesised that some of the newly constructed links are newly discovered disease-gene associations. There's plenty of evidence in the literature that reinforces my hypothesis. For instance, the association between liver cirrhosis and the SOD2 gene is confirmed by [7].
[1] Bronstein, M. M., Bruna, J., LeCun, Y., Szlam, A., & Vandergheynst, P. (2017). Geometric deep learning: going beyond Euclidean data. IEEE Signal Processing Magazine, 34(4), 18–42.
[2] Kingma, D. P., & Welling, M. (2013). Auto-encoding variational Bayes. arXiv preprint arXiv:1312.6114.
[3] Kipf, T. N., & Welling, M. (2016). Variational graph auto-encoders.
arXiv preprint arXiv:1611.07308.
[4] Tremblay, N., Gonçalves, P., & Borgnat, P. (2018). Design of graph filters and filterbanks. In Cooperative and Graph Signal Processing (pp. 299–324). Academic Press.
[5] Chiang, W. L., Liu, X., Si, S., Li, Y., Bengio, S., & Hsieh, C. J. (2019, July). Cluster-GCN: An efficient algorithm for training deep and large graph convolutional networks. In Proceedings of the 25th ACM SIGKDD International Conference on Knowledge Discovery & Data Mining (pp. 257–266).
[6] Huang, K., Xiao, C., Glass, L., Zitnik, M., & Sun, J. (2020). SkipGNN: Predicting Molecular Interactions with Skip-Graph Networks. arXiv preprint arXiv:2004.14949.
[7] Nahon, P. et al. (2009). Myeloperoxidase and superoxide dismutase 2 polymorphisms comodulate the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and death in alcoholic cirrhosis. Hepatology, 50(5), 1484–1493.
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British artists, The Singh Twins, have been commissioned by Royal Collection Trust to create a contemporary response to Splendours of the Subcontinent, which includes Four Centuries of South Asian Paintings and Manuscripts and A Prince's Tour of India 1875–6, which opened to the public at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London on 8th June.
Presented as a tryptic, the Twins' artwork, titled Rule Britannia:Legacies of Exchange, is inspired by and incorporates selected treasures from the exhibitions including South Asian paintings and manuscripts from the Royal Library, and arms and armour, decorative objects, and jewellery gifted to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, by local rulers during his tour of the subcontinent in 1875-6.
which is displayed in the Queen's Gallery Millar Learning Room, provides contexts for interpreting these objects as well as offering insights into their modern day relevance.
As an initial starting point for the commission, The Singh Twins focused on one of the star objects in A Prince's Tour of India 1875–6,: an enamelled, gold and jewell encrusted inkstand in the form of a peacock-shaped boat, which features prominently within the artwork.
The Twins offer diverse interpretations of this object that reflect on the symbolism of the boat and the importance o maritime transportation to the history of British Indian relations: exploring interconnected themes around maritime trade and exploration, cultural exchange, Empire, British colonialism and it's legacies. They also consider how this beautiful object made of precious materials represents India's rich heritage of skilled craftsmanship and the legendary opulence and wealth of its rulers.
The peacock itself (as the national bird of India) is used to symbolise Indian heritage and identity.Other imagery that respond to the Prince of Wales gifts as a whole, represents how public exhibitions of these gifts at the time helped cultivate wider appreciation of Indian aesthetics, which fed into the European 'exotic' orientalist view of India and the development of British markets for both Indian and Indian design-inspired goods.
Whilst further imagery represents the purpose of the Prince's India tour, the places he visited and the significance of the gifts he received. As a triptych, the artwork presents a time line of British trade, rule and cultural relations with India from 1600 to 1947 and represents the important role played by British Royalty (from Tudors, to Stuarts, to Hanovers and Windsors) as promoters of Indo-British trade, trend setters in Indian taste and fashion, and patrons of Indian craftsmanship.
Key elements of the composition draw on a Guildhall invitation card created for the 'Welcome Home' reception for the Prince of Wales in 1876, as well as the Imperial Mughal durbar scenesfrom the Padshanama manuscript in the Royal Collection. Whilst details throughout the work highlight the hidden stories, cross cultural exchange, politics and scientific innovations that marked British connections with India centred on trade in Indian luxury and consumer commodities for over three centuries – from 1600 (when a Royal charter to trade with India was first granted by Elizabeth I to the East India Company) to the end of the British Raj and Partition of India in 1947. The centre panel in the tryptic celebrates the positive legacy of this Indo-British relationship – not least, the contribution of India and the Asian community to Britain. Amongst some of the figures represented,are the Indian Princess suffragette, Sophia Duleep Singh; WWI Ace pilot, Hardit Malik; the Sikharchitect who helped design the Durbar Room at Osbourne House, Bhai Ram Singh; 'Britain's Got Talent' finalists, 'Signature', and the man who gave Britain curry and shampoo, Sake Dean Mahomed.
In highlighting aspects of shared Indo-British history, culture and identity rooted in trade, this new commission continues the Twins' ongoing interest in interconnected themes around Empire,conquest, colonialism and its legacies explored, most recently, in their highly successful solo exhibition 'Slaves of Fashion', which was hosted by the Walker Art Gallery earlier this year. Like their 'Slaves of Fashion' series, the commission represents a new phase in the Twin's artistic development: combining the minutely detailed, hand painted techniques for which they are known (influenced by traditional Indian miniatures), with digitally created imagery, to create mixed medium works on fabric that are presented as large scale, lightbox artworks.
"It's been an immensely enjoyable and rewarding project which has enabled us to push the boundaries of our creative techniques even further. We hope our artwork will encourage visitors to Splendours of the Subcontinent to view the treasures on display not just as objects of beauty that belong to the past, but as embodiments of a collective heritage and identity that remains relevant today".
The Singh Twins' commission is on display at the Millar Learning Room, The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London until 14th October 2018.There will be a unique opportunity to join The Singh Twins as they discuss their work in detail at an'in conversation' ticketed event on Wednesday 26th September . The eveningconcludes with a private view of Splendours of the Subcontinent and special look at their newdigital artwork in the Millar Learning Room.After the close of Splendours of the Subcontinent, the artwork 'Rule Britannia: Legacies ofExchange' will return to The Singh Twins' personal touring collection, as an addition to their 'Slaves of Fashion' series.


Essence beer glass is designed by Alfredo Häberli from Iittala and is a very awaited addition to this exorbitantly popular drinking glass series.
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The most important attribute of all with a good beer glass is, of course, the taste and the thin cup with a volume of 48 cl is specially designed to raise it. With a wide bottom and an edge leaning inwards, the beer's aromas gather and concentrate on the nose as you drink. The shape of the coup also causes the carbonic acid and bubbles to circulate, which makes it form and retain an abundant foam peak. A cold beer has never tasted better than in an Essence beer glass.


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At some point during their forties, it becomes acceptable for people to use a small stick to pick out bits of food in their teeth, and leave them lying around. We know, it's gross. But chances are, your 50-year-old does it. You might as well make it nicer for them with these Scotch infused versions.


text:
Siliguri - The Statesman
Fri, 17 May 19
The Statesman is one of India's oldest English newspapers. It was founded in Kolkata in 1875 and is directly descended from The Friend of India (founded 1818). The Englishman (founded 1821) was merged with The Statesman in 1934. The Delhi edition of The Statesman began publication in 1931. The Statesman Weekly is a compendium of news and views from the Kolkata and Delhi editions. Printed on airmail paper, it is popular with readers outside India. The Statesman (average weekday circulation approximately 180,000) is a leading English newspaper in West Bengal. The Sunday Statesman has a circulation of 230,000.
Siliguri -...
Kolkata - The Statesman Siliguri - The Statesman Bhubaneswar - The Statesman Dainik-Statesman Northern Edition - The Statesman The Statesman - Archives Delhi - The Statesman 8th-Day Evolve Voices Marquee Binodan Bichitra NB-Extra SECTION-2
By The Statesman
About Siliguri - The Statesman Siliguri Edition


text:
The Palm Beach Story (1942)
That's one of the tragedies of this life – that the men who are most in need of a beating up are always enormous.
—John D. Hackensacker III
After back-to-back masterpieces Sullivan's Travels and The Lady Eve, director and screenwriter Preston Sturges pulled off a comedy trifecta in 1942 with The Palm Beach Story. At this time, there was still a tradition, inherited from live theatre, of titles that simply presented a programme, with the director, producer, cast, and crew listed in some appropriate typography on an appropriate background, backed by some appropriate theme music. All very static, all very much what the folks taking their seats expected.
The Palm Beach Story's title sequence is something very different: a fast-paced mystery prologue in pantomime, propelled by a breathless mash-up of the "William Tell Overture" and the "Wedding March". Given the classical theatre convention that comedies end in marriage, this could easily be the finale of a prequel to the film we're about to see – a bride and groom racing separately to the altar in taxis, overcoming perils along the way, the breakneck action punctuated by freeze-frame shots.
As soon as the Paramount logo fades, we are plunged right into the story: a lady's maid, telephone in hand, jabbers at someone off-screen – then shrieks in panic and falls into a ludicrously dramatic faint at the sight of a looming shadow. Over the first freeze frame, of her collapsing backwards onto the floor, we see the names of stars Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea.
After a quick shot of a church filled with guests, the clergyman nervously looking at his watch, we cut to McCrea's character and some groomsmen, all in formal dress, frantically tumbling from the canopied entrance of a tony apartment building into a taxi. As McCrea stabs a finger back at the doorway, shouting, he is frozen mid-gesticulation and the main title appears.
Next, we see the shapely legs and satin undergarments of a woman, apparently Colbert, whose face is mostly hidden by the scarf used to gag her; she is locked in a closet, her hands are tied, and she's frantically trying to kick her way out. Is she even really Colbert? The next shot clearly shows us the star – in a gown and veil that evoke her runaway bride in It Happened One Night – glancing back at that closet door and then freeze-framed as she dashes out of the room, the movie's supporting cast superimposed over a cloud of tulle and orange blossoms. And what a cast it is! Mary Astor (playing a comic twist on her man-eating femme fatale), Rudy Vallee (then a faded teen idol getting a career renaissance with this role), and Sturges stalwarts William Demarest, Franklin Pangborn, Chester Conklin and Roscoe Ates (seriously, they don't name actors like they used to).
Freeze frame of Claudette Colbert hailing a cab in bridal garb
Colbert dashes out of the room – to a lovely flute motif suggesting the delicacy of her lace train as it trails over the prostrate maid – into the street, where she hails a cab in her bridal garb. Her upraised arm is frozen mid-air, and we see more credits; one, appropriately, "Miss Colbert's Gowns by… Irene". In an exquisite touch, when Colbert unfreezes, her movements are sped up momentarily so that her impatient bounces look as if her kitten-heeled pumps are on tiny springs.
By the time McCrea and then Colbert come rushing into the church, shedding a top hat and some flowers in their madcap dash into the camera, we are no clearer about the shadowy figure, the locked-up lady, and the look-alike Colberts than we were before. As the bridal couple kneel before the minister, the title sequence ends with one last superimposed text, in the form of an elaborate doily: "And they lived happily ever after… or did they…?" The film proper begins, but we'll have to wait until literally the last minute to know what its mystery prologue really meant.
One thing's for sure, questions about the wedded state will be a major theme; in fact, the movie's working title, nixed by the censors, was Is Marriage Necessary? – a question which the four-times-wed Sturges certainly must have asked himself.
Elaborate hand lettering on glass
A year before The Palm Beach Story, freeze frames were featured prominently in the hit comedy Hellzapoppin' (one of the most enjoyably wacky movies ever made); in the early 1940s, they were still a novelty, and Sturges' repeated use of them in this title sequence surely struck the film's first audiences as a signifier of zany times ahead. Nowadays audiences have different expectations because they were raised on freeze frames, whether as a trope in 1970s television (look at all the series whose episodes always ended on one, from Rockford Files to Wonder Woman), or in the films of directors like Martin Scorsese. However, in cinema freeze frames are not usually associated with laughs anymore, but with death: think of the finales of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Gallipoli, or Thelma and Louise.
The reason for this shift in the use of effects like freeze frames or speed-ups could be that cinematic comedy today is not, generally speaking, as visually inventive as drama (with notable exceptions, like the work of Edgar Wright). But to be really funny, Sturges is telling us in this wordless opening salvo, a movie should also look fun. And The Palm Beach Story certainly does, cementing its writer-director's enduring reputation as the patron saint of screwball.
Supplementary: The Palm Beach Story end titles
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Supplementary: The Palm Beach Story (1942) trailer
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Music by: Victor Young
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January 27, 2023 ETS
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