text:
The "Outstanding Six" -- Can the Caps Join the Party?
As we understand the workings of "The Plan" as it applies to the Washington Capitals, it includes three pieces – the same three pieces any other team might use, albeit in ways not employed by all teams (cough…"Lightning") – draft, trades, and free agents.
The draft is the core of the exercise. You draft well, you draft deep, you draft the players around whom you want to build your team. They are "The Core." For the Capitals, that would include Alex Ovechkin, Mike Green, Nicklas Backstrom, and Alexander Semin, for starters (you may quibble on the margins for additional players).
Trades and free agents are similar in that you're acquiring components from other "brands." Trades are generally cheaper than comparably skilled free agents (salary-wise), who can be obtained to fill any number of roles (scorer, checking forward, defensive defenseman) and can be high-end skill players or tightly defined role players. They are the "mortar" to be used around the "bricks" of the core that was drafted.
In focusing on the draft as the core of the enterprise, the object is not just to be competitive, but to sustain a competitive level of play. Some teams (cough…"Lightning") appear to want to write checks to buy competitiveness in the short term, but in looking at the longer term prospects for such a team, they are iffy. They will have salary issues, and the league has a history of teams failing to achieve the expected level of success through the "acquisition" route (particularly with respect to free agents).
We took a look at each of the six divisions since the 1990-1991 season and selected one team from each that enjoyed some lean times before achieving success. There are some patterns to be found in them.
Atlantic Division – New Jersey Devils
"They're putting a Mickey-Mouse operation on the ice. It's ruining hockey."
-- Wayne Gretzky, after the Oilers clubbed the Devils 13-4, November 19, 1983.
And so they were – a "Mickey Mouse operation," that is. Although they would reach the playoffs in five of the next ten seasons, they would not so much as reach 90 points in doing it. Their high water mark was 87 points reached in both the 1991-1992 and 1992-1993 seasons. In those two seasons, though, there was something brewing. They had a couple of mid-20-something forwards in Claude Lemieux and Stephane Richer, a 20-year old rookie (in the second of those seasons) in Bill Guerin, a mid-20's defenseman of some skill by the name of "Stevens" (in his first two years in New Jersey), another defenseman in the early stages of his career by the name of "Niedermayer," and a goalie who played only four games in that 1991-1992 season, but who would play a lot more later – Martin Brodeur.
In 1993-1994, the Devils took a big leap. They went 47-25-12, their 106 points being a 19-point improvement on the previous year – and went all the way to the Eastern Conference finals before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers. The Devils won it all the following year, with a club that had added a young Bobby Holik (obtained from Hartford), a young Brian Rolston, and veterans Neal Broten (from Minnesota) and Bob Carpenter (from Washington).
Since then, the Devils have averaged 102 points per season and have finished with less than 95 only once. They have been able to sustain their success through the personnel skills of GM Lou Lamoriello, who has plugged holes and changed parts adroitly. If there has been a "core" (as we defined it) for the Devils over the past dozen seasons since they first won a Stanley Cup, it might include Patrik Elias (drafted in 1994), Brodeur (drafted in 1990), Scott Niedermayer (drafted in 1991, left after the 2003-2004 season), and Sergei Brylin (drafted in 1992). Added to that later, there might be included such players as John Madden (undrafted free agent who has been with the club since 1998), Jay Pandolfo (drafted in 1993, still with the club), Brian Rafalski (another undrafted free agent who was with the Devils from 1999-2000 through 2007-2007), and Scott Gomez (drafted in 1998 and left after the 2006-2007 season).
The Devils managed to pick up in trade or via free agency a number of players to fill roles for shorter periods of time – an Alexander Mogilny or a Joe Nieuwendyk, a Viktor Kozlov or a Richard Matvichuk, for example, to play a year or two at a time.
The Devils might not announce a "build from within" philosophy, but they have employed one of sorts, with an eye toward filling the missing pieces via trade or free agency. Of course, it helps to have that Lamoriello guy in the front office, too.
Northeast Division – Ottawa Senators
Once upon a time, this team was bad. No…really, really bad. Ten wins and 24 points bad…in an 84-game season in 1992-1993 (the Caps had an 8-67-5 season…21 points in 80 games in 1973-1974). As late as 1996-1997, they were only a 77-point team, although they did make the playoffs in that year.
The following year – 1997-1998 – one could now see the good team they would become, even if they had only 83 points in that year. They made the playoffs (losing to Washington in the second round), and did it with a youthful core – Daniel Alfredsson (drafted in 1994, still with the club), Wade Redden (drafted by the Islanders in 1995, but never playing a game in that organization), Chris Phillips (drafted in 1996), Magnus Arvedson (drafted in 1997).
After the Senators dipped their toes into the water in the 1996-1997 and 1997-1998 seasons, they would reel off nine seasons over which they averaged 103 points a year and never achieved fewer than 94 points in any of them. They did it largely with that core (Arvedson left the Senators after the 2002-2003 season), but managed to add a Marian Hossa (drafted in 1997), a Martin Havlat (drafted in 1999, left after the 2005-2006 season), a Jason Spezza (drafted in 2001), a Chris Neil (drafted in 1998), a Mike Fisher (drafted in 1998), and an Anton Volchenkov (drafted in 2000).
To that, the Senators added their own pieces of the puzzle from other organizations…a Vaclav Varada, a Zdeno Chara, a Todd White, or a Dany Heatley.
Ottawa has been more dependent (or successful, if you prefer) than most clubs, even the Devils, with respect to the draft. But it has allowed them to build and keep a core group of players. They haven't had to dip into trades or free agency a lot, but they have engaged in the practice with some success. However, it hasn't allowed them to get that franchise goalie that they always seem to lack (ok, they had Dominik Hasek for a year).
Southeast Division – Tampa Bay Lightning
The history of teams in this division since Y2K won't make the histories of NHL legendary teams. Tampa Bay is probably the best of the lot over the past half-dozen years, and their tale is instructive.
In their first ten seasons, the Lightning peeked above the 75-point level only once (88 points in 1995-1996, when they made their only playoff appearance in their first decade). But between 2001-2002 and 2002-2003, when they leaped from 69 to 93 points, the light went on. That 2001-2002 team had its own core of precocious home-grown under-25 kids – Brad Richards (drafted in 1998), Pavel Kubina (drafted in 1996), and Vincent Lecavalier (drafted in 1998). They'd already added players such as Fredrik Modin (from Toronto), Vaclav Prospal (from Florida), Dave Andreychuk (from Buffalo), and goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin (from Phoenix after he spent an entire year in the IHL in a contract dispute), and would add defenseman Dan Boyle (from Florida) midway through that 2001-2002 season. Martin St. Louis had already come over from Calgary in 2000-2001.
By the following season, they could make use of veterans added to their young core and make the leap to 93 points. A year after that they dipped into the veteran pool once more, adding Cory Stillman (from St. Louis) and Darryl Sydor (from Columbus). The pieces were sufficiently positioned to earn the Lightning a Stanley Cup.
The Lightning were not able to sustain their success as had New Jersey or Ottawa, in part because of contract deals that paid Lecavalier, Richards, and St. Louis handsomely, but left the club with little else to fill out a competitive roster. The house came crashing down last year when the Lightning sank to 71 points and 30th place in the league. But for four years, at least, the Lightning averaged 96 points and were a formidable squad, largely a product of the home-grown Lecavalier and Richards, and the pieces they added later (most notably Boyle, Prospal, and Khabibulin).
Central Division – Detroit Red Wings
These days, the defending Stanley Cup champion is looked at as the platinum standard for talent and management in the NHL. Such has not always been the case. In 1990-1991, the Wings were a 76-point team that ended a 17-year period in which they exceeded 80 points just once.
However, that 1990-1991 team had two home-grown players who would be essential to the Red Wings' ascent to the highest tier of teams through the rest of the 1990's and beyond – Steve Yzerman (drafted in 1983, but still only 25 years old that season) and Sergei Fedorov (drafted in 1989). They were the leading scorers on that team, with 108 and 79 points, respectively.
The following year, the Wings added two more players essential to their core – Nicklas Lidstrom and Vladimir Konstantinov on the blue line – both of whom were drafted in 1989 (that 1989 draft ranks as one of the great ones in terms of nailing the amateur evaluations for the Wings – five players played at least 630 NHL games, and Konstantinov certainly would have played far in excess of that had his career not been cut short after an auto accident). The Wings also added Vyacheslav Kozlov (drafted in 1990) for a cup of coffee with the club that year, and he would be a large player in future Wings' success down the road.
For the Wings, the core was in place so that when it came to 1996-1997 (the year they would win their first Stanley Cup in 42 years), they could add a Brendan Shanhan (from Hartford early that season), Tomas Sandstrom (from Pittsburgh later that year), and Larry Murphy (from Toronto late in the year). It made for a formidable group and cemented the Wings as a perennial contender.
They would add pieces to their core in years to follow – a Tomas Holmstron (drafted in 1994), a Pavel Datsyuk (drafted in 1998), a Henrik Zetterberg (drafted in 1999). But they also would add players intelligently from other organizations to supplement that core – a Chris Chelios (from Chicago in 1998-1999), a Brett Hull (from Dallas in 2001-2002), Luc Robitaille (from Los Angeles, also in 2001-2002), a Robert Lang (from Washington in 2003-2004). It has made Detroit the embodiment of the phrase, "we don't rebuild, we reload."
Northwest Division – Colorado Avalanche
Maybe it's the snow. It snows in Quebec; it snows in Denver. But while the Quebec Nordiques suffered some truly miserable seasons – in their last nine seasons in Canada, the Nordiques cleared 80 points just once -- they were rejuvenated in Denver, even though the seeds of success had already been planted.
That last team in Quebec in the 1994-1995 season included Joe Sakic up front (drafted in 1987) and Adam Foote on the blue line (drafted in 1989). There was Peter Forsberg (drafted by Philadelphia, but having never played a game in that organization, he being part of the consolation prize to Quebec when Eric Lindros was traded after declaring he would never play for the club that drafted him – Quebec). There was Adam Deadmarsh (drafted in 1993).
The following year, the now "Colorado Avalanche" were in a position to compete as the young guys had another year of experience. It didn't hurt that there was a goaltender in Montreal with a festering relationship with his coach, one that would explode when he was left in to watch nine pucks fly by him before being pulled in a 12-1 loss in December 1995. Patrick Roy, who declared while leaving the bench in that game that he had played his last game in Montreal, became an Avalanche three days later.
But Roy, while the pivotal addition to the Avalanche from outside, wasn't the only one to contribute. Mike Keane, who went with Roy to the Avalanche, was an important role player. Sandis Ozolinsh was added (from San Jose).
More players that would represent a core group were coming through the Colorado pipeline – Milan Hejduk (drafted in 1994), Chris Drury (also drafted in 1994), Alex Tanguay (drafted in 1998). But the Avalanche would add pieces to this puzzle as well that would culminate in a championship in 2001 – Rob Blake and Steve Reinprecht (from Los Angeles), and Ray Bourque (obtained in 1999-2000 from Boston).
Colorado has continued the theme, adding players fro within such as John-Michael Liles (drafted in 2000), Wojtek Wolski (drafted in 2004), and Paul Stastny (drafted in 2005). They've also added players from the outside to complement them, such as Ian Laperriere (from Los Angeles), Andrew Brunette (from Minnesota), and Ryan Smyth (from the Islanders).
The Avalanche has built and rebuilt a core, around which they have added veterans (for the most part) to keep themselves competitive.
Pacific Division – Dallas Stars
In their previous incarnation as the Minnesota North Stars, this franchise limped along on a path of mediocrity over their last decade in Minnesota, never better than 88 points, never worse than 51. The term "also ran" fit pretty well. But the last team in Minnesota had a glimmer of hope attached it in a couple of youngsters just cutting their teeth – 20-year old Derian Hatcher (drafted in 1990) and 22-year old Mike Modano (drafted in 1988). Modano would celebrate the move to Dallas the following year with a 50-goal season (still his career high) in leading the Stars (just "Stars") to a 97-point season.
Trouble is, they hadn't really "arrived" yet. They struggled for the next two seasons (with 42 points in the abbreviated 1994-1995 season, and 66 points the year after). But they were adding important pieces from within – Jamie Langenbrunner (drafted in 1993) and Jere Lehtinen (drafted in 1992), of greatest importance.
The Stars then also started to add other pieces, too, like Darryl Sydor (from Los Angeles) and Joe Nieuwendyk (from Calgary).
Adding a new coach – Ken Hitchcock – allowed the parts to work well as a whole, as the Stars improved by 38 points from 1995-1996 (66 points) to 1996-1997 (104 points). It started an 11-year (and counting) streak in which the Stars have averaged 104 points a season and have been below 97 points only once.
Dallas has not been quite as dependent on a "core," perhaps, as the other teams mentioned here, but they have added assets from within over the years – Marty Turco (drafted in 1994), Brenden Morrow (drafted in 1997), Steve Ott (drafted in 2000), Jussi Jokinen (drafted in 2001), and Antti Miettinen (drafted in 2000).
Dallas has been successful in adding players – Philippe Boucher (from Los Angeles in 2002), Jason Arnott (from New Jersey in 2001, through 2006), Bill Guerin (from Boston in 2002, though 2006), and Stu Barnes (from Buffalo in 2002), for example.
All of these teams are perennial contenders. In the 60 seasons of hockey comprising the last ten seasons for each team, they have a combined 52 playoff teams (of the eight non-playoff teams, Tampa Bay has six of them). Five of the teams have won a total of eight Stanley Cups. The other – Ottawa – has appeared in a final.
There is the "Original Six," and there is the "Outstanding Six" described here. It is the level of sustained competitiveness to which the Capitals aspire and are building a club for the long run. What one sees here is the outline of a pattern. A core of players is drafted, developed, and brought to the parent club. It is only after that when serious additions from outside are made, and generally to complement – not to replace – the roles that the core players occupy.
It is interesting to note as well that the big leap these clubs took in points that started them on the road to sustained competitiveness was often accompanied by a coaching change – Jacques Lemaire in New Jersey (when the Devils improved from 87 to 106 points from the 1992-1993 to the 1993-1994 season), John Tortorella (when Tampa Bay made a 34-point jump after two seasons under him), Bryan Murray (a 28 point leap in his first two years in Detroit), Ken Hitchcock (38 points in his first year in Dallas), Marc Crawford (a 28-point jump over his first two seasons with the Nordiques/Avalanche). There might be a "chicken and the egg" issue here – perhaps the ingredients were in place for the coach, perhaps the coach was needed to get the maximum from the ingredients – but there seems is a pattern in how these clubs got to where they are.
This has implications for the Capitals, who look to be a team wanting to operate in the same fashion. A core was built – Ovechkin, Green, Backstrom, and Semin. It is a group that struggled – not so much with their own play, but under the burdens of a team that did not enjoy much success in recent years. To this group, parts were added – Viktor Kozlov, Tom Poti, Michael Nylander. Other parts of what might constitute a growing core were added as well – Jeff Schultz, Tomas Fleischmann. Others might yet be on the way -- an Eric Fehr or a Karl Alzner. A coaching change was made, perhaps not heralded as salvation at the time, but ultimately a very successful one. As that success built upon itself, more pieces were added – Sergei Fedorov, Matt Cooke, Cristobal Huet – to fill distinct roles.
More success followed, and although the Caps could not manage to improve upon a first-round playoff appearance, they have the look of the Lightning of 2003 (without, one hopes, the contract problems), the Stars of 1997, or – be still our beating hearts – the Red Wings of 1992. All were teams on the rise with Stanley Cups in their futures; in the case of the Lightning and the Stars, the very near future – each won the Cup within two years after their first big leap in standings points.
This could, as they say, be the start of something big.
Posted by The Peerless at 2:40 PM 1 comment:
Labels: Avalanche, Devils, Lightning, red wings, Senators, Stars
Set...Hut-One...Hut-Two...Oink!
This is not a "Bill Veeck" moment in sports marketing. For you young folk out there, Bill Veeck was perhaps the greatest genius in the history of marketing a sports franchise. The man behind the exploding scoreboard, names on the backs of jerseys, fan appreciation nights (he was the first to employ all of these) is a legend in baseball for his imaginative approach to marketing his teams.
Enter the AHL's Iowa Chops (formerly, "Stars"). Having recently changed their team name, colors, and mascot to 'illustrate Iowa's agricultural heritage while also playing into the definition of 'chops', having nerve, resilience and staying power," the Chops have turned down another road…
…signing Brett Favre.
That's right, Chops' President Steve Nitzel announced that the team "contacted and will be sending a contract to Brett Favre's agent…in hopes that the quarterback will consider signing with the Iowa Chops."
We don't know if Favre can skate or if he knows a hockey puck from a cement truck. Perhaps having once played for a club whose history is rooted in the meat packing industry (hence the name, "Packers"), Favre is a natural fit for a team with a porcine theme.
Perhaps Favre, who is the all-time NFL leader in pass attempts (8,758, for those who are interested) will make people forget Sidney Crosby as the best passer in professional hockey.
He has the NFL record for most consecutive games with touchdown passes (47), more than twice as long as the NHL record for consecutive games with an assist (23, Wayne Gretzky).
Then again, this seems like one of those "what the $#@&" moments…Favre – born in Gulfport, Mississippi, and who played most of his legendary career in Wisconsin, has no obvious tie to Iowa, hockey, or pigs for that matter (excuse me, "vicious boars," according to the press release announcing the name change).
Since Favre has spent his athletic life hunched over behind a center, the Chops might think about someone to play that position, too…
…we hear Mats Sundin is still unsigned.
Labels: favre, iowa chops
The "Outstanding Six" -- Can the Caps Join the Par...


text:
Exploring Consciousness
Audio version read by Rev. Steven Lane Taylor, B.Msc.
The exploration of consciousness is the final frontier in the exploration of life and the mysteries of existence—its origin and its on-going presence—as well as for answering questions that intellectual analysis cannot answer because it is based on the speculations of the five senses.
Indeed, to find the truths of life, a person must go beyond the limitations of the five senses. The outer senses can only perceive on a limited scale. Even with the help of scientific instruments piercing minute information through the lenses of a microscope or exploring the vastness of outer space with a telescope or an exploratory landing craft, there remains a limitation to some answers.
Did the Universe originate by chance? Is a person simply a matter of some cosmic coincidence? Nothing in the scientific arsenal of five-sense, empirical evidence can form any conclusions without entering the province of speculation. The Eternal Perspective of Universal Consciousness alone—where all that is, has been, and will be exists—has the answers to life's mysteries, and most importantly for every single person, the answers as to how and why. All of this Truth exists in the unconscious of every person, though all but a very few would even begin to suspect it's there, and even those few tend to view it philosophically. Fewer still have probed it to the fullest.
Socrates observed, "The unexamined life is not worth living." Considering this thought further, however, it could be said that all life is worth living, because eventually, whether in this lifetime or another, life itself will finally bring about self-examination. That examination must be real and complete to go beyond the appearances of five-sense perception or beyond the basis of empirical, scientific evidence of such perception, for only in the unconscious of a human being and other forms of life can Life reveal Itself and Its mysteries. Only upon such revelation can one have a realistic perspective on life, and more specifically, on one's own life—prompting such questions as:
Is there a life after death?
If there is life after death, what kind of life?
Do souls reincarnate? If so, why, where, when?
What are the underpinnings of health and healing?
What effects do the experiences of higher perception have on a person's life, and are they life altering?
What is the potential of consciousness in human life or other expressions of life?
What is the soul's purpose in this physical lifetime and beyond?
How and why did life come to be?
Above all, is there a Universal Consciousness—God—in Whose Consciousness "We live, move and have our being?"
Only through the exploration of consciousness hidden in the unconscious can such questions be answered. We live in Eternity, and there is so-called time enough for every soul to begin to question and enter into extensive self-examination and exploring inner consciousness.
There are those who are ready for such exploration, and in comparison to the world's population, those few are still a sufficient number to have a spiritual awakening, whether channeled through the arts, commerce, science, leadership, athletics, or religion.
Anyone having any interest in these Mystical Insights is at least on the outer perimeters of consciousness exploration; for the curiosity does not come from personal ego inquisitiveness, but from the stirrings of the soul. These stirrings originate from the Originator of the soul—Universal Consciousness or God. Follow your spiritual heartbeat, for it is Universal Consciousness or God calling you to know and to be ONE with the Eternal.
This I have expressed with Love to the few who are ready to explore and to all who will be.
Dr. Paul Leon Masters
Text taken from Dr. Paul Leon Masters' Book, "Mystical Insights: Knowing the Unknown," Pgs. 12-16.
Copyright © 2016 by the International Metaphysical Ministry.
If you would like to purchase Dr. Paul Leon Masters' Book, Click Here.
Intro and ending music © "Night Radiance" by Maxim Kornyshev
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Filed Under: Founder, Dr. Masters' Weekly Mystical Insights

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Algorithms: Transformation without rotation Is there a name for 2D transformation having the following parameters:

*

*shift_x,

*shift_y,

*scale.

Transformation does not use any rotation... Thanks for your help.

A: Shift_x and Shift_y count as a translation. I don't know that there is a specific term for a transformation that involves both a translation and scaling at the same time... particularly since the order in which these transformations are carried out can affect the result (depending on how the scaling is done, this might not be true).

A: Both of the other answers are correct.  I am going to add a terminological difference.
Scaling, shift, and rotation are the three transformations that are the most frequent cases of affine transformation of data.  Reflection, shearing, and others are seen, but not as commonly mentioned.
These three may go by several names independently or in conjunction:

*

*Scaling: Scaling, re-scaling, normalization, dilation

*Shift: Shift, centering, re-centering

*Scaling + shift: Normalization

*Rotation: Rotation, projection

*Scaling + shift + rotation: steps seen in PCA, SVD, or called "whitening" or "sphering" in some contexts.

Unfortunately, these may be interpreted more or less loosely in different contexts.  For instance, I generally interpret normalization to address centering and scaling (usually leading to "z-scores"), others may assume it is just scaling.  I prefer to never use "sphering" or "whitening" as terms, because these are imprecise and not used in more than a few disciplines.
In statistics, shift or translation may occur when one "centers" data to have a mean of 0.  Scaling occurs when one desires, say, unit variance (or a standard deviation of 1), for the sample.  Rotation often occurs in order to project onto orthogonal dimensions.  Because of the scaling and centering, this often utilizes orthonormal projections.
Update 1: The OP asked only about 2 dimensions, but one should note that these transformations are all allowed to be in many dimensions.  There are no restrictions to 1, 2, or any number of other dimensions, nor any special terms for small #s of dimensions.

A: You're looking for one particular Affine transformation :
in french (sorry I cannot find the name in english) "une affinité" (it should be affinity in english) is the affine transformation made of one translation + one homotethy ?
"les affinités" include :

*

*Id

*homotethy

*scaling

*symetry

*projections

(no rotations)

EDIT
All this transformations are made of one homotethy in one direction and the identity in the complementary.
let f be an "affinité"
Let E be a vectorial space, and F and G such that :
if   then

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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A12 crash: Everything we know about the fatal collision which saw pedestrian hit by lorry
Chelmsford roads were brought to a standstill following the crash
Hannah Kane
21:43, 23 JUL 2018
Updated 08:26, 25 JUL 2018
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Traffic has returned to normal six hours after a fatal crash which saw a pedestrian struck by a lorry on the A12.
The carriageway was closed in both directions between junction 18 for Sandon and junction 19 for the Boreham Interchange shortly before 3pm to allow an air ambulance today (Monday, July 23).
Police blocked access to the A12 at the southbound slip road at the Boreham Interchange, causing severe delays to traffic on surrounding roads.
Live A12 traffic updates as serious crash closes carriageway in both directions near Chelmsford and air ambulance lands
Sadly, a man died after being hit by a lorry.
Drivers were left stuck in standstill traffic while emergency crews worked at the scene.
Some were pictured getting out of their cars and standing on the carriageway while others reportedly attempted to turn their vehicles around.
The road was reopened at around 4.30pm, however one lane remained closed on the southbound carriageway for several hours.
Here is everything we know so far following the serious crash:
Where did it happen?
A closure of more than two miles was put in place
The collision occurred between junctions 18 (Sandon) and 19 (Boreham Interchange) on the southbound carriageway.
Police were stationed at either end blocking traffic in both directions from accessing the carriageway.
A12 traffic leaves Chelmsford gridlocked as long delays hit most major routes
An air ambulance landed on the carriageway (Image: Will Mason)
A pedestrian was involved in a collision with a lorry on the southbound carriageway.
All traffic was held in both directions while an air ambulance landed on the road.
This evening, Essex Police confirmed that a male pedestrian died.
A force spokesman said: "A man has died following a collision between a lorry and pedestrian on the A12 between the A130/A414 at 2.55pm today.
"We have informed the man's family and have since re-opened both carriageways.
"Thank you for your patience and co-operation as we dealt with this incident."
A12 at a standstill
Drivers got out of their cars
Due to the closure that was in place for a number of hours, traffic began to build as drivers were brought to a halt.
Traffic on the A12 northbound spanned as far back as junction 16 at Galleywood.
Drivers got out of their cars and stood on the carriageway while emergency crews worked at the scene.
The road reopened shortly before 5pm, however the southbound carriageway remained partially closed until the early evening.
Chelmsford traffic congested as two-car collision adds to A12 crash delays
Chelmsford traffic brought to a halt
All of Chelmsford's main roads were affected by the closure, and this was worsened by rush hour traffic.
Springfield Road, Victoria Road, the Army and Navy roundabout, Parkway and Chelmer Valley Road were all at a completely standstill as motorists were forced to divert through the city.
A crash on the roundabout by the Chelmer Village Retail Park also added to delays.
Potential prosecutions
Police received reports of drivers turning their vehicles around and driving the wrong way up slip roads.
An Essex Police spokesman has since stated that action will be taken against anyone caught doing this.


Most people will tell you that moving to New York City is an impossible task–after all, NYC apartment horror stories are infamous and rent prices are sky high in most of the city, and you never know which broker's you can trust–you've already proven you're made for the city that never sleeps by choosing Bedly.
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Create a chore wheel. The biggest hindrance to any healthy roommate relationship is when one person feels like they're doing more to maintain the space than the other roommates. And while some people may actually enjoy cleaning up the space, they also should never feel taken advantage of in their own apartments. So we suggest, when you're sitting down to make that roommate agreement, you go through the various big ticket cleaning tasks in the apartment and set up an easy to follow rotation for everyone. Some tasks to consider are taking out the trash, cleaning up the bathroom and living space areas, and putting away the dishes. Every apartment is different, so every chore wheel will be different as well, but it's a great place to start.
Invest in cleaning products. Use some of that money Bedly saved you in providing furniture to get a vacuum, a broom, a mop, some windex, and some tile and toilet cleaner for the bathroom. These might seem a little expensive if you do it all in one go, but the great news is that they'll last a while, and if all your roommates chip in it's totally manageable. Pick a drawer or a cabinet area where all the supplies can go so you easily access it whenever you need.
Pick a deep clean day. Once a week, every week, whether it's every Sunday, Tuesday, or Thursday, have a day for deep cleaning. This is where the gloves come off and everyone pitches in cleaning the communal spaces. Time will fly by if you're all working together, and it will inspire you to get your room in the shape you want for your upcoming week. Not only is this simply good hygiene, it will give you and your roommates a shared sense of responsibility for the space and it can even be a ton of fun! Pull up some of your favorite hit songs and dance around the living room with your duster in hand. As an added bonus, make a brunch reservation with your roommates for the time you want to be finished cleaning. This will give everyone extra motivation and make sure you're finishing in a timely manner.
Do small tidying daily. Sometimes, at the end of a long day at work or a night out drinking, the very last thing you want to do is clean the oily pasta bowl you used for dinner, or picking up some of the stray hairs that fell prey to your straightener. But honestly, it will take an extra 3 minutes (max!) and will keep major dust and dirt from piling up every day. Then your Deep Clean day will seem all the less daunting–and you'll have formed a habit over time that will make your parents very proud.
Make sure everything has its place. Make sure you're taking full advantage of the fully furnished apartment that you're in and ensure that everything you and your roommates own–whether it's your spring wardrobe that's in storage or your favorite set of earrings, has a clear place where it belongs. Clutter often comes from your belongings not having a clear and easily accessible home within your space. This will definitely be a work in progress at first, especially if you're just now moving into the space. So be patient with yourself, but this is a key step in making sure that your apartment feels both clean and organized.
In addition, Bedly offers complimentary cleanings every month so that's one less deep cleaning you have to worry about. There you have it! Bedly's top 5 tips on keeping your apartment tidy. It's the perfect way to make sure you're never surprised when a date goes well and they want to see your apartment because it's spotlessly clean. Plus, there's something about a neat apartment that feels extra grown up–kind of like finding your way into the perfect apartment in the big apple.
If you haven't checked out Bedly for your housing needs, what are you waiting for? It's housing, simplified. Check out our most updated listings here!


The Rocket Assembling Machine is a block that takes power in the form of RF to either scan or build a rocket on a multiblock launch pad structure.
The base of the construction pads is made from Launch Pad Blocks. It can be any size between 3x3 and 16x16. The base does not have be a square, rectangular shapes work too. The height of the structure is defined by the Structure Tower Blocks and can be anywhere between 4 and 64 blocks tall. If multiple structure towers exist in the structure, then the height of the tallest tower is used. The base of the tower must be at the same level as the rocket pad. The base of the tower also has to be touching the pad on one of the four faces and cannot be placed diagonally.
The Rocket Assembling machine must be one block above the pad with the back of the machine facing the pad for the Strcuture to form. Larger construction pads require more time to scan and build the rocket!
Weight: Essentially how many blocks are in the rocket. Each blocks is expected to weight one Kilogram (F=ma), however blocks with inventories can increase weight by more than one kilogram.
Fuel: How fast fuel is consumed in milibuckets per second. The bar indicates how much fuel you expect to have left over after reaching orbit. The white line indicates the amount of fuel needed to reach orbit.
The Scan button will command the Rocket Assembling Machine to start scanning the rocket built on the launch pad but will NOT assemble the rocket. This is useful when testing to see if a design is capable of reaching orbit.
The Build function performs the same function as the scan function, but if the rocket is capable of reaching orbit then the blocks on the launch pad will be assembled into a completed rocket.
The status panel displays error messages from the Rocket Assembling Machine. The messages are be self-explainatory.
The machine status panel contains two bars, the progress bar, which is marked with a hammer, displays the machine's progress with either the scan or build function. The bar marked with the battery icon displays the amount of power stored in the assembling machine.


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Category: Cars Science Hobbies Technology Travel Internet Business Education Food Beauty Language Miscellaneous Industry Anatomy Health Crafts Home Finance Medicine Fashion Fitness Art United States Environment History People World Law
What Is a 150cc ATV?
Jeremy Laukkonen
A 150cc all-terrain vehicle (ATV) is a three- or four-wheeled, single occupant vehicle with an engine displacement of 150 cubic centimeters (about 9 cubic inches). These vehicles have seats that can be straddled like a motorcycle or dirt bike, and they are primarily used for recreational purposes. ATV engine displacements can range anywhere between 49 and 1,000 cubic centimeters (about 3 to 61 cubic inches), so a 150cc ATV is at the low end. These ATVs are typically too large and powerful for young children, though they can provide adequate power for older teens and many full grown adults. A 150cc ATV can be used to ride trails, though the relatively small engine displacement means they can slow down when climbing hills.
Woman holding a book
All-terrain vehicles, which are also called by names such as three- and four-wheelers, quads and quadbikes outside the United States, come in a wide variety of sizes. Smaller engine displacements are typically better suited for small adults or older children, while the larger vehicles can actually be licensed and driven like cars in some areas. The minimum engine displacement for this use is typically about 250cc (15ci), so 150cc ATVs are usually limited to recreational usage.
In some areas, there are age restrictions tied directly to engine displacement. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and manufacturers reached an agreement in the United States that requires ATVs with engine displacements larger than 90cc (about 5.5ci) to have labels stating they are unsuitable for children younger than 12 years of age. Some areas also have laws that enforce similar policies, so a 150cc ATV is typically considered unsuitable for young riders.
The relatively small engine displacement of a 150cc ATV can make these vehicles well-suited to older teens who are not yet ready for bigger machines. These ATVs tend to be smaller and lighter weight than others with larger engine displacements, so they can also be ridden by full grown adults. An average size adult can typically expect to achieve speeds of about 30 mph (48 kph) on flat terrain, which is typically enough for recreational purposes.
It is also possible to use a 150cc ATV to ride trails, which is one of the major activities that ATV users participate in. The performance of an ATV with this engine displacement size can vary depending on the terrain, type of transmission and the configuration of the air filter. Unlike the relatively fast speeds experienced on flat terrain, a 150cc ATV may slow down to 10 mph (about 16 kph) or less when climbing steep hills.
Cars Science Hobbies Technology Travel Internet Business Education Food Beauty Language Miscellaneous Industry Anatomy Health Crafts Home Finance Medicine Fashion Fitness Art United States Environment History People World Law
What Is a Street Legal ATV?


Barnesville-Bradfield Airport is the most important airport of Barnesville, Ohio, United_States. It is modern and one of the largest airport of the North America. Barnesville-Bradfield Airport is important for people and goverment of United States.


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Triplet Lwa – mała grupa galaktyk w konstelacji Lwa

Miejscowości w USA:
 Triplett – miasto w stanie Missouri, w hrabstwie Chariton
Gminy w USA:
 Triplett (ang. Triplett Township) – gmina w stanie Missouri, w hrabstwie Chariton

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Tag: Plan
Gote Road Flood Defence Drawings and Notes
[singlepic id=12 w=320 h=240 float=center]
Click on the image above to see the drawing full size.
NOTES APPERTAINING TO DIAGRAMMATIC DRAWING OF GOTE ROAD FLOOD PROTECTION
Geographically the Gote area is probably the lowest lying area in Cockermouth, adjacent to the rivers Cocker and Derwent and has been prone to flooding for many years. Detailed maps of the area dated 1860 show many watercourses in the area of the present allotments, with a structure known as Blackfriars Bridge crossing these streams in a position where the green is presently visible outside 61 Gote Road, other stories tell of a large pond in this area where drovers use to let the cattle drink before entering Cockermouth market, as it is the lowest downstream point on the River Derwent it is not surprising that all water discharges aim for this location, with one fundamental flaw, when the river is in flood many of the discharge pipes cease to work.
It was fairly obvious from the outset that the river was probably the major cause of flooding, (ignoring November 2009 as a one off) for many years the river has come over at this point but in the last 6 years we have had 3 floods, so why all of a sudden is this occurring more frequently, is it?
Poor river management
Alterations in pipework associated with the UU pumping station
Blocked storm water drains
Bigger demand on the drainage system
Increase development in the Cockermouth area.
Poor upper level river management.
All these questions needed addressing before deciding on an action plan, it did however become quickly apparent there were three sources of water creating the problems;
Surface water flooding
Rising ground water flooding
HOW TO ADDRESS THESE PROBLEMS
RIVER FLOODING; various ideas were looked at including digging a swale through Broomlands thereby taking the pressure off the Pump House corner of the river, but this would not give a 1:100 year defence; heavy rock armour defence on the river embankment, but this brought up all sorts of environmental and aesthetic issues, so it was narrowed down to what is called a retracted linear defence (an earth embankment and concrete wall in parts) from Gote Bridge to Waterside Cottage, giving a 1.100 year defence with a 300mm freeboard, this is calculated by using previous flood height records and then adding 300mm as a safety buffer.
SURFACE WATER FLOODING; early on in the appraisals it was becoming apparent that the sole issue of flooding was not down to the river alone, to better understand the highway drainage layout drawings were requested from Cumbria County Council, we were informed none were in existence, but Andidrain were in a position to conduct a complete and detailed survey and 3-4 days would be allocated for this project, nearly 2 weeks later the survey was completed, highlighting many totally blocked main drains and much of the trunk sewers network collapsed or broken through old age.
Also highway inspectors thought that the said sewers ran into the adjacent United Utilities pumping chamber and then pumped away, this theory was flawed and it was discovered that the storm water sewers ran directly into the river, that is when the river is low enough to accept the water; in a flood situation the water backs up the pipes and eventually floods the Gote area.
GROUNDWATER, no matter how water enters your house, flooding is flooding after all, residents told stories of water bubbling up through the floors when the river was high. So, we started taking daily readings from Peizometers left in the ground by the Environment Agency, a Peizometer is a small diameter tube set into ground in some cases 10 -15 meters deep to establish the geology and hydrology of the ground, over a period of 6 months it was clearly established that the readings taken exactly matched that of river flow heights, varying from ground level to 1.8 metre below ground level, so therefore when the river was in flood the water was at ground level and started percolating through the floor slab and into the houses. How do we deal with that? the only ground engineering solution was to place French drains (gravel filled trenches with perforated pipes) around the most prone areas i.e to the rear of the defence and in the allotments. The drain down the centre of the road is already acting as a massive land drain, but designs are being worked upon to place a more permanent scheme in Gote Road itself when funds permit.
To add to all the problems each source of water was handled by different organisation; RIVER water by the Environment Agency, SURFACE WATER by Cumbria County Council Highways and GROUNDWATER by a combination of Cumbria County Council and Allerdale Borough Council.
And to add further complications, a new law was passed in the spring called the Flood and Water Management act 2010, which defined who was responsible for what and how they should go about identifying responsibilities, this threw some of the authorities as they had not fully prepared themselves for the introduction of this act.
To construct a substantial earth bund complete with compacted clay core to a predetermined level and stone faced concrete retaining wall within the grounds of Waterside Cottage.
The drawing indicates the various techniques used to overcome all of these problems, the most complex being the construction of a major pumping station, working on the principles that under normal rainfall and river levels the entire Gote Road drainage scheme will work under gravity, only when the river rises to a flood situation and the flap valves situated on the end of each pipeline automatically close, will the piped water build up, fill the overflow chamber which in turn discharges into the pumping chamber; at a pre determined level the twin pumps will activate and discharge the water over the embankment and back into the river.
Many people have said yes but what if there is a major flood in Gote Road, all the water will be trapped by the embankment, not so, as a major draw down structure has been constructed, complete with Penstock Valve one end (a penstock valve in this case is a large gate raised by winding a spindle similar to that found on canal lock gate) at the other end is a large flap valve restricting the river water from entering Gote Road.
ARE WE STILL AT RISK?
Hopefully not, the works have been designed on a 1:100 flood which means the residents should be able to get insurance cover, but once again let's make it quite clear no defences in the world would have stopped the November 2009 flood, even if the National Grid or local sub station fails, we still have the capacity to couple up a generator and keep the pumps working.
In my opinion the works have been well thought through and have covered all eventualities, with further proposed works scheduled for the town this summer, together with improved highway drainage in Gote Road, the Gote area will no longer be at risk.
Mike Apperley (Civil Engineering Advisor to the Group) tel 01900 825889 dated January 2011


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The Mysterious, Murky Story Behind Soy-Sauce Packets
How Chinese takeout, a Jewish businessman from the Bronx, and NASA-approved packaging have shaped the 50-year reign of a well-loved American condiment
By Tanya Basu
Right now, whether you're at work or at home, in a drawer somewhere near you is probably a packet of soy sauce—a squishy, likely clear pouch of transclucent saltiness left over from a late-night Chinese-takeout binge or a hurried workday lunch. These packets are remarkably common: In terms of sales, soy sauce is the third-most-popular condiment in the U.S., behind only mayonnaise and ketchup.
But as ubiquitous as soy-sauce packets are, no one knows where they first came from. The major players in the to-go soy-sauce industry today—KariOut and W Y Industries—don't claim to have created the packet. Some have attributed the design to Ben Eisenstadt—the founder of the sugar-substitute manufacturer Sweet'N Low and the designer of his company's trademark bubblegum-pink packets—but that connection remains unconfirmed.
The first sign of a soy-sauce packet that resembles the one popular today is a 1955 patent, filed by two men named Harold M. Ross and Yale Kaplan, that outlines a "dispensing container for liquids." The packet would hold "a single serving" of "sauce or syrup," which could be extracted with a squeeze.
Ross and Kaplan's 1955 patent for a
"dispensing container for liquids" (United
States Patent and Trademark Office)
But a key feature of Ross and Kaplan's design that differs from soy sauce packets today is that "the flow of fluid will stop and any possible leakage will be prevented" as soon as the pressure is released. As anyone who has stained his or her shirt with errant soy sauce can attest, the brown, salty liquid isn't nearly viscous enough for this to hold true; Ross and Kaplan's brainchild was much better suited to ketchup.
From this vantage, soy-sauce packets appear not to be optimized for the substance they contain—a substance that, it should be noted, isn't even technically soy sauce. Packaged soy sauce is often a cocktail of processed ingredients that resemble the real thing: water, salt, food coloring, corn syrup, MSG, and preservatives. But soy sauce, strictly defined, refers to a fermented combination of soybeans and wheat whose earliest direct predecessor was first mentioned in writing in the year 160. (Less-direct ancestors of modern-day soy sauce existed in China as far back as about 3,000 years ago.)
In the millennia since, arguments have brewed over what exactly constituted soy sauce. William Shurtleff and Akiko Aoyagi trace these disputes in their book History of Soy Sauce (160 CE to 2012). The manufacturers of traditional fermented soybean paste at one point banded together and, through a proposal authorized by the Japanese government, contested the right of companies such as La Choy and Kari-Out to call their products soy sauce. These old-school outfits outlined an elaborate classification system for varieties of the product. In the end, it was too hopeful, and the proposal was withdrawn in 2005.
Even though the soy-sauce packet's origin is an unsolved mystery, the story of how it became popular is not. That's the story of Howard Epstein, who, as the founder of the dominant soy-sauce brand Kari-Out, is seen as the ambassador of packaged American soy sauce.
Epstein became interested in food packaging because his father manufactured the long, flimsy plastic packaging for freezer pops. Epstein's first venture into his father's trade was a popcorn-packaging business, which he bought for $5,000 over 50 years ago.
That business failed to gain traction, and Epstein, now 81, was looking for a change when one of his father's salesmen, who sold tea bags, suggested he consider the soy-sauce-packaging business. In 1964, Epstein founded Kari-Out, and he says he arrived to the industry right as it was becoming commercially viable. He ran his new business out of the popcorn factory he owned.
At first, Epstein was regarded with suspicion, primarily because he, a Jew from the Bronx, was different from most people in the industry. "No one trusted me because it was the old times. The Chinese ran the business," Epstein says. His attempts to sell his packets to wholesalers were met with apathy and even cold-shouldered silence. "I had one potential customer," he says. "I went in and asked him if he would be interested in selling my soy sauce. He didn't speak. He never talked to me."
But Epstein persisted, and his familiarity with freezer-pop packaging proved helpful in solving the problems with soy-sauce packets at the time: They leaked and they were too flimsy. "The only difference is a freezer pop has a much longer bag," Epstein says.
Post-recession, many Americans continue to eat at home, but now seek out high-end condiments to replicate the restaurant experience.
Epstein's break came in the form of affordable air travel, which went mainstream in the 1970s. To serve the newly airborne hordes of families and businessmen, airlines began offering prepared foods onboard. Epstein found his first major foothold as the primary provider of soy sauce for these in-flight meals.
Cheap airfare also allowed Epstein to travel the country in search of new customers. He was scouting at a time when Chinese takeout joints were becoming as commonplace as nail salons and convenience stores in strip malls around the country. "Chinese business was growing at this time because China was not as business-friendly," he says. "People were leaving China and coming into the United States to open a restaurant and cook. The industry was booming."
He soon built up a widespread network of customers, and Kari-Out's products appeared in the Chinese restaurants across the country. Now, he estimates that Kari-Out has a 50 percent market share. The company's soy-sauce packets remain ubiquitous—Epstein recalls finding Kari-Out packets at a concession stand in rural Iceland a couple years ago. "We've survived 50 years," Epstein says. "I never get sick of Chinese food or soy sauce."
But has the American public gotten sick of soy sauce packets? Sometimes they squirt their contents in unintended directions, and they're fairly wasteful, often dispensing too much sauce, or not enough. But in the more than 50 years that they've been around, little has been done to change their design.
Reinventing a condiment package with decades of cultural inertia is difficult, but it has been done before. H.J. Heinz Company upgraded its traditional ketchup packets—the tear-at-the-corner annoyances that invariably produce messes and yield too little sauce—by hiring an industrial design firm to think about alternate sauce-delivery mechanisms. They came up with the Dip & Squeeze, a small plastic tub that can be opened fully from the side and dipped in, or opened partially from the top and squeezed out cleanly.
Can soy-sauce packets be made better too? Gary Murphy thinks so. Murphy, the founder and CEO of Little Soya, is an unlikely soy-sauce pioneer with a loud laugh. A Texan, he has built up a business reselling Chinese furniture in America and once owned a legal courier company in Houston. Even when Murphy started working as a food-services consultant, soy sauce was plain and ignorable—just another nuisance to deal with when eating late-night Chinese takeout on the road.
Now, there's gluten-free soy sauce—which is quite a departure from the fermented wheat paste of yore.
His perspective changed when, in 2008, he was approached by Jeffrey Frederick, who helps oversee the food and beverages served at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Frederick wasn't satisfied with the soy sauce being served at the casino's buffets—he deemed it too salty, too metallic-tasting, and lacking in the rich, savory dimension of flavor known as umami—and its disposable packaging bothered him as well. When Murphy, at Frederick's request, sought out a more natural, authentic, and sustainable alternative, he found nothing. So he set out to make his own.
On top of his packed work schedule, Murphy went to grocery stores near and far, buying bottles of soy sauce to taste, sniff, and swish about. He'd prowl aisles for hours—"People would get suspicious of me," he says—and study the products' packaging and ingredients.
What Murphy found was that the market was concentrated among a few Japanese brands, such as Kikkoman, which all produced a similar brown liquid that has come to symbolize soy sauce in the U.S. Murphy says that American soy sauce is sweeter than Asian soy sauces, which leads to the metallic taste that many complain about. He says his sauce corrects this, and is gluten-free to boot. (While this fact may play into American food trends, it's worth noting just how far a departure gluten-free soy sauce is from the fermented wheat paste of yore.)
But the most interesting feature of Murphy's work for Little Soya is the packaging that Frederick requested—the first meaningful improvement on the classic disposable soy-sauce packet. Where the soy-sauce packet is straightforward and defined by right angles, Little Soya's packaging, which was modeled on existing packaging from other parts of the world, is quirky, rounded, and efficient. It is a small translucent plastic fish whose mouth puckers into a bright green cap, which can be screwed back on to save any unused sauce for later.
Little Soya
The fish is not just a cute brand differentiator but also a means of avoiding waste. Its top screws back on to save soy sauce for later—a solution that Murphy noticed had already caught on in Korea, China, Vietnam, Thailand, and Norway. Little Soya and its fish have seen a growth in popularity as the company has negotiated deals with gourmet home-delivery services, such as Plated and HelloFresh, which place a higher premium on aesthetics than the average Chinese restaurant.
The market presence of Little Soya's upscale, diet-trend-friendly sauce plays into an industry-wide rise in production of premium condiments. A report put out by the market-research firm Euromonitor International last November stated that even as the economy has recovered, many Americans still elect to eat at home, but now seek out high-end sauces and condiments to replicate the experience of eating at a restaurant. Sales of high-priced barbecue sauce, salad dressing, and soy sauce are seeing large gains as a result; Little Soya, while still small, now brings in about $1 million in revenue per year.
The cap proved useful in another, more unexpected context, too. After hearing that astronauts complained about the messiness of using traditional soy-sauce packets in space, Murphy provided NASA with some of Little Soya's fish. While the fish might be the long-awaited soy-sauce solution here on earth, mainstream soy sauce still isn't fully optimized for interstellar travel—Murphy had to boost the flavors in the NASA batch because space turns people into less-sensitive tasters.


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English Literature » Notes » The Sun Also Rises: Significance of Bull Fighting
The Sun Also Rises: Significance of Bull Fighting
Notes / Words: 650 / November 19, 2018 November 19, 2018
Bull fighting is a typical Spanish institution governed by ritual performance, and integrity of matador at one hand and bravery of bull on the other hand. From railway station bulls are left on the road and are directed towards corral. Those who have courage enough of running in front of bulls, run and those who do not have courage enough to run, stand by the roadside. Hence, bulls are brought into corral. In bull fighting, three matadors kill six bulls. Each matador kills two bulls.
In fact, "The Sun Also Rises" is a tragedy through ritual performance because it is a fight between good and bad. Bull fighting has aspects of tragedy, action, suspense, horror or terror, catharsis and tragic end. In bull fighting a matador fights two bulls. Bulls are led into bull ring where matador is ready to fight against bulls. The atmosphere is full of suspense when the wild bull attacks the matador. As soon as bull or matador is wounded, the whole atmosphere fills with horror, when bull or matador is killed our sentiments reach its peak and relieved latter. Hence, we can observe that "The Sun Also Rises" has requisites of tragedy.
Hemingway despite of the cruelty of bull fighting sees certain definite actions giving feeling of life and death. He presents these codes through bull fighting.
Man struggle against evil.
Winner takes nothing in the world.
Pain does not matter to a man.
In "The Sun Also Rises" bull fighting symbolically shows man's struggle against evil in life, for bull is a symbol of evil and corral is a symbol of life. Group of expatriates does not have courage to fight against evil and Romero sets an example for them by instructing that they can find meanings of life by fighting against evils in life and that they should not be a victim of evils any more if they want to find meanings of life. Hence by fighting against bulls, Pedro Romero shows struggle against evils.
The theme of Hemingway's novels, that winner takes nothing in the world, has also been conveyed through bull fighting. Pedro Romero, nineteen years old bull fighter, fights against bull, endangers his life for in fighting either bull or matador is killed. He can't go out of bull ring as it is a coward and disgraceful action for a man. He fights against bulls, kills them but what he gets as a reward is applause of the spectators and two ears of bull which he gives to Brett Ashley. So, it a crystal clear that winner takes nothing in the world.
Hemingway coveys another theme that pain does not matter to man. Pedro Romero despite being hurt by Robert Cohn, manly fights against bull. Though he feels pain, yet his code demands that he has to fight and kill the bull and he does so not caring for his wounds and pain.
On the other hand, Belmounte, the other matador also fights against bulls. He is comparatively old and experienced man; he is expected to perform better than him. On not showing superior performance he becomes victim of contemptuous of crowd, they make insulting remarks, throw tomatoes and bottles on him. Belmounte is feeling pain, on the one hand, for his injured hand and on the other hand for insult. But his code demands that he must go through the performance steadfastly. Public may be indifferent to one's action but it does not matter because only one's conscience justifies one's action.
This is the code that Hemingway has enunciated and his latter heroes will form. The code also implies that only in the face of death one realizes oneself and knows one's potentialities.
Hence we can justly say that bull fighting is symbolically depicted. On the one hand it is a ritual performance indicating fight against good and evil and on the other hand it depicts certain Hemingway's code.
Compare and Contrast Plato and Aristotle Political Philosophy
Significance of the title of "A Farewell to Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
Macbeth: Summary
Jane Eyre: Chapter Summary
Much Ado About Nothing: Elements of Shakespearean Comedy
Amy Tan's Mother Tongue: Summary


– One large dance studio of 200 square meters with wooden floor. The space is covered from sun and rain and has open sides with blinds that can be pulled down for further protection from wind, rain or sun.
We are surrounded by 2 hectares of land with Olive groves, fig trees, wild herbs (thyme, capers, oregano), almond trees and an organic garden which you can use for relaxation, research and creation.
*some limitations on use of sound and certain delicate areas apply, please see our 'Essential information' section and talk to us before using outdoor spaces.
We recently built a Geodesic dome 7 meters in diameter for open air activities. The wooden structure is comprised of complex network of triangles, hexagons and pentagons and is particularly suitable for energy work and meditations.


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On November 20, 2022, US President Joe Biden turned 80, the oldest person ever to serve in that office. Although he has not made his candidacy official, Biden routinely offers, when asked, that it is his "intention" to run for reelection in 2024, just shy of 82, which would make him 86 when he hands off to the next president in January of 2029. We'll see.
In the meantime, there's another year of challenges and crises to navigate, and a more complicated political landscape to deal with in Washington. Democrats have managed to maintain control of the Senate in the aftermath of the midterm elections, but Republicans flipped the House by a very narrow margin. Much of Biden's legislative agenda will be stalled, subsumed in a series of GOP investigations of the administration, its allies, and Biden's family, with a probable impeachment battle looming.
How will the year go? We can gain some insights from a look at Joe Biden's 2022 Solar Return, which occurs at 5:20 PM EST on November 19, 2022 in Washington DC ( a Solar Return chart, as the name implies, is cast for the moment the Sun returns to its natal degree and minute; this may vary from the birthdate by as much as a day in either direction). 7 Gemini on the Ascendant indicates a year where communication will be extremely important. Messaging is paramount, with Biden needing to focus on the positive effects of legislation already passed in the first two years, which will just begin to impact Americans' lives (such as the $35 cap on monthly insulin copays for Medicare recipients, going into effect in 2023), since he's unlikely to accomplish much in the next two years, with a stonewalling Republican House, more intent on making mischief than crafting legislation.
Joe Biden spent his birthday week kibbitzing with foreign leaders at the G20 conference, including China's Xi Jinping; with Jupiter in trine to his SR Sun, and domestic legislation blocked by a GOP-controlled House, it may be time to look to foreign policy for a win
The obstacle to additional progress is on display as asteroid House, for the US House of Representatives, which at 8 Sagittarius conjoins the 7 Sag Descendant, giving that lower chamber angular power and force, a major player in the president's upcoming year. The conflict between the administration and the House is seen in a close square from asteroid Whitehouse at 9 Pisces to House, depicting the tension in that relationship.
Also here with House is an exact Mercury/Venus pairing at 4 Sagittarius; traditionally, that would be an admonishment to "talk (Mercury) nice (Venus)" with House leaders, but no amount of honeyed rhetoric will sway most of the GOP caucus. Best bet here is for Biden to flip the script and focus on clearly stating (Mercury) his values (Venus), contrasting them with those of the Republicans. This becomes even more important with Mercury and Venus' wide conjunction with the 27 Scorpio Sun: Biden needs to dig deep and express himself in a conciliatory (Venus) but authentic (Sun) way, devising a plan (Mercury) to cooperate (Venus) with his opposition whenever possible, but always drawing that bright line between their views.
Also with the Sun is asteroid Washingtonia at 24 Scorpio, so, no surprise, the capital will be a major focus of the year for Biden. But things may get a little sticky, with Damocles in square from 25 Aquarius, suggesting a looming threat or a doom about to descend. Saturn is widely squared the Sun as well, from 19 Aquarius, so there's some adversity or hardship to be overcome. Saturn's placement conjoined the 14 Aquarius MC puts it in the Tenth House of career, so it's at work where Biden experiences most of the delays and setbacks. Reinforcing the sense that things are about to become much more difficult is Saturn's exact square to asteroid Old Joe at 19 Taurus, a point which becomes increasingly useful as a marker for Biden as he enters his 80s. Saturn's angular placement and exact square to a Biden referent indicates choppy waters ahead, resistance and limitation.
Nancy Pelosi's surprise retirement from a leadership position in the Democratic Party after losing the Speakership could deprive Biden of a powerful ally on the Hill, and render moot the close connection between asteroids Nancy and Josefa
A T-Square is formed with additional squares from the Sun to a cluster of asteroids Josefa and Nancy at 25 Leo, and Senator at 28 Leo. Josefa is another PNA (Personal-Named Asteroid) which represents Joe Biden, while Nancy likely refers to outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who will not retain a formal leadership role in the Democratic minority, though it's still possible that these two will be working hand-in-glove to try to limit Republican excesses in the House.
Senator's presence here is unexpected; with that looming threat of Damocles in opposition on Election Day, the possibility of Republicans gaining control, now beaten back by a Dem win in Nevada, it would seem that danger has passed, and the Senate should be a comfort zone for the President. But there's one race still to be called, in the Georgia Senate runoff; if Herschel Walker should defeat the incumbent Raphael Warnock, then the balance would remain at 50/50. This would give the Republicans an outside chance to regain the majority, if they can woo the conservative Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia to switch parties and join them, creating a 51/49 split in their favor. That's pure speculation, but it would satisfy the stressful aspect from Senator to Biden's Sun.
Biden's scandal-plagued son Hunter could become a political liability this year, with a GOP-controlled House just itching to investigate, as demonstrated by Damocles, the looming threat, squared asteroid Hunt; Hunt's conjunction to Biden's SR Sun could pull the President personally into the investigation
There's another connection to Damocles for this year, one that is virtually certain to manifest, should Republicans take control of the House, and the subpoena power that goes with it. Investigations of the President's son, Hunter Biden, whose business dealings with China and Ukraine have long been a conservative obsession, are likely to ensue, and could reflect poorly on Joe Biden personally. This is seen in asteroid Hunt, for Hunt, which at 26 Scorpio conjoins the Sun/Washingtonia pairing and squares Damocles, that doom hanging overhead.
Asteroid Bida, our celestial referent for Biden, appears at 10 Libra, conjoined asteroid America at 7 Libra and the Moon at 6 Libra, and opposed asteroid NOT at 6 Aries, in a T-Square with asteroid Jose (Spanish for Joseph) at 7 Capricorn. The American (America) people (Moon) are largely behind Biden (Josefa, Bida), even if they sometimes disapprove of his performance (NOT). A square from Moon/America to TNO Chaos at 0 Cancer reflects the ongoing unsettled mood of the electorate, which seems to fear an imminent breakdown of conditions (Chaos). If such occurs, they're likely to blame Joe Biden (Josefa, Bida).
With the SR Moon exactly opposed asteroid NOT, and TNO Chaos on the fulcrum of a T-Square, it may not be all smiles and sunny walks for the Bidens on the domestic front this year
Incoming House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (left) and continuing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are the twin thorns in Biden's side for the next two years; asteroid Kevin conjunct Eris and squared Pluto suggests a fractious, divisive powerplay from McCarthy, while asteroid McConnell opposed Saturn indicates his ability to act as a roadblock
Current House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy seems about to enjoy a considerable increase in personal power, with asteroid Kevin at 26 Aries exactly squared powerbroker Pluto at 26 Capricorn, which would occur if in fact the GOP takes control and he is elevated to House Speaker. But it's not all a bed of roses – Kevin also conjoins fractious, divisive TNO Eris at 24 Aries, and McCarthy will have to wrangle a very thin, divided majority, where virtually any member can deflect or derail his goals. The MAGA election denier caucus has increased after the midterms, and they aren't happy with McCarthy to begin with: his assumption of the Speaker's gavel is not a done deal, by any means. (The possibility that McCarthy may be forced, willingly or no, to turn the House's focus toward Hunter Biden investigations can be seen in an opposition from Kevin to asteroid Huntress, another referent for Hunter, at 21 Libra, with Pluto on the fulcrum of a T-Square, representing criminality and scandal.)
Consider also that with such a narrow majority, the balance of power could easily shift, mid-session. In every Congress there are members who don't make it through their term, due to illness, death or indictment (there were five empty seats at the last election). Depending upon the outcome of the final two uncalled races, if just two or three Republicans leave office, for whatever reason, control would flip back to the Democrats. A likely time for this could be as early as April 2023, when a Solar Eclipse at 29 Aries conjoins asteroid Kevin, perhaps limiting his authority.
As well, asteroid McCarthy at 11 Virgo lies at the fulcrum of a T-Square with House at 8 Sagittarius and asteroid Achilles at 16 Gemini. Achilles indicates weakness or vulnerability, an inherent flaw which threatens to destroy the individual; so, yes, McCarthy may be Speaker (House), but a weak one (Achilles) who may not be able to control his caucus.
Another T-Square, from Bida at 10 Libra opposing asteroid Mitchella at 16 Aries, with asteroid Harris on the fulcrum at 16 Capricorn, suggests the tension (opposition) between Biden (Bida) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Mitchella), mediated by VP Kamala Harris (Harris) as President of the Senate, and the tiebreaking vote, should Walker win in Georgia and regain that 50/50 split. McConnell's pivotal importance in the next year is shown by asteroid McConnell at 11 Leo, conjoined the 14 Leo IC, giving him angular force. A T-Square with Saturn at 19 Aquarius and Uranus at 16 Taurus on the fulcrum suggests McConnell may be a roadblock to progress (Saturn) and have more than a few surprises (Uranus) up his sleeve.
2023 may be a tougher row to hoe, but Biden is still President, with the power of the bully pulpit and a proven ability to connect with the American people; a Gemini Ascendant in the Solar Return indicates the importance of communication in the year ahead
Joe Biden made it through the series of aspects and eclipses that could have proven fatal in 2021 and 2022, but at age 80, anything is possible. One potential indicator of mortality in Joe Biden's 2022 Solar Return is asteroid Giuseppina (Italian feminine for Joseph), which at 24 Capricorn conjoins Pluto, modern lord of death, at 26 Capricorn. Pluto also opposes asteroid Josephina, another feminine Joseph referent, at 28 Cancer, doubling down on the possibility that Joe Biden doesn't finish his term.
Regardless, this polarity is T-Squared by TNO Eris at 24 Aries – there is a lot of stress, strife and discord for Biden personally with this configuration, and there's no telling what toll that may take. A Solar Eclipse next October at 21 Libra makes this a Grand Cross, and could prove a pivotal trigger for whatever Pluto and Eris have in store.
For now, Joe Biden embarks on the second half of his first term in a better political position than many of his predecessors, though it's hardly an enviable one. Time will tell how he manages.
Filed Under: Alex Miller, Asteroid Files Tagged With: Joe Biden, solar return, presidency, Biden Administration, 2022, Biden solar return
olga says
May God help the US and the world!!!
Susan Pomeroy says


This is an abbreviated view of sample design "Carson City Test." To view this sample design in full you need to be logged in AND a Colleague of the Owner, Rebecca Scully .
The details of this Sample Design, including all the parameters used to generate it, are included below. Sample designs must belong to a Study Design.


SharePoint administrators, end users, architects, developers, and other professionals that work with Microsoft SharePoint Technologies will meet for the 3rd SharePoint Saturday Barcelona on October 28th 2017 at the IQS.
The registration is live at https://spsbcn2017.eventbrite.com!
Transformacion digital: vale, me voy al cloud, ¿y ahora qué?
Que listo es mi SharePoint!!!!
SharePoint Framework (spfx) Reciclaje de desarrolladores de SP "clásicos"
SP, PowerApps, Flow and PowerBI, oh my!


text:
Village evacuated as wildfire burns near Athens
Updated / Monday, 14 Aug 2017 15:39
Fire crews work to tackle the flames
Firefighters are battling to contain a wildfire near Athens after it spread overnight to three towns 45km northeast of the Greek capital and damaged dozens of homes.
The blaze broke out around yesterday afternoon in Kalamos, a coastal holiday spot northeast of Athens and quickly spread, fanned by strong and changing winds.
A state of emergency was declared in the area as the blaze burned pine forest and thick smoke billowed above.
By this afternoon, the fire's perimeter had expanded to "dozens of kilometres" authorities said, and the smell of smoke hovered over central Athens.
More than 200 firefighters with five dozen fire engines, four water-dropping helicopters and one plane tackled the blaze, but a rugged terrain dispersed with small communities is making the fire-fighting task difficult, the fire brigade said this afternoon.
Authorities have ordered a precautionary evacuation of two youth camps and homes in the area, and evacuated a monastery fter flames briefly reached its fence this morning.
Hundreds of residents fled the area of Kalamos, heading to the beach to spend the night.
"It was a terrible mess, that's what it was. You could see homes on fire, people running, people desperate, it was chaos and the fire was very big," a resident told Reuters TV.
Andreas Theodorou, a local councillor, said the blaze had damaged "several dozens of homes".
More than 90 forest fires have been recorded in the past 24 hours across the country, with the most serious fronts near Athens, in the Peloponnese and on the Ionian islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia in western Greece.
"It's arson according to an organised plan," Justice Minister Stavros Kontonis, who is also the MP for Zakythnos, told state TV when asked to comment on the dozen fires burning on the island in the past two days.
"There is no doubt about it."
The cause of the wildfires is not known but summer blazes are common in Greece.
More than 70 died in 2007 during the worst fires in decades.