text:
Q: Why does the following SQL query work, despite the syntax looking wrong? I have written a lengthy SQL UPDATE query, joined across multiple tables, for the purpose of redacting/anonymizing old customer data.
As part of this process i want to keep the first segment of any UK postcodes found, so I have this query ( in the SET clause of an UPDATE query):
    oh.postcode = IF(oh.country = 'United Kingdom',
        IF(@cPos:=LOCATE(' ', TRIM(oh.postcode) > 0),
            SUBSTRING(UPPER(TRIM(oh.postcode)),
                0,
                @cPos - 1),
            TRIM(REVERSE(SUBSTRING(REVERSE(UPPER(TRIM(oh.postcode))),
                    4)))),
        LEFT(LTRIM(oh.postcode), 2)),

('oh' is just a table alias)
the question is, why does this work? I draw your attention to the second line, which I would expect to be;
IF(@cPos:=LOCATE(' ', TRIM(oh.postcode)) > 0,

since the second argument to LOCATE() ought not to be a boolean expression...
or even
IF( ( @cPos:=LOCATE(' ', TRIM(oh.postcode)) ) > 0,

extra brackets around assignment to ensure the string offset is assigned, and not the result of the boolean expression???
It seems that something odd is going on here, or i don't fully understand the syntax and associativity rules here... can anyone explain what is going on?
I am not looking for a rewrite here, though if anyone know a better way to do this i would be happy to learn something, what i'm after is a deeper understanding of why the original query works, when it doesn't look like it should.
EDIT: Correctly Answered by Damien_The_Unbeliever, it appears that the split on space part of this query never runs, and it alway just chops the 3 chars off the end, of course i did not notice this to begin with as the end result looks the same...
I realise it's not part of the original question, but i would welcome any suggestions on the proper way to achieve this...
EDIT2
This works:
SET @pc = ' W1s 3NW';
SELECT
    IF(@cPos:=LOCATE(' ', TRIM(@pc)),
        SUBSTRING(UPPER(TRIM(@pc)),
            1,
            @cPos - 1),
        TRIM(REVERSE(SUBSTRING(REVERSE(UPPER(TRIM(@pc))),
                4))));

i think i forgot about mysql strings having a 1-based index...

A: So far as I can see, we first work with this expression:
TRIM(oh.postcode) > 0

On the left, we have a string. On the right, we have a number. By MySQL's logic2, that means we should convert both to floats and do that comparison.
Since most1 UK postcodes don't start with any numeric digits, the conversion to float will produce a 02. And 0 is not greater than 0. This expression will always (absent a really screwed up attempt at a UK postcode) be false. But even if that was true, we now come to:
LOCATE(' ', <boolean>)

Well, that's no good. LOCATE wants a string, but we have a boolean. That's okay though. By MySQL logic2, we'll convert false (not sure if it goes via a numeric conversion or direct) to the string 0, and we'll convert true to 1.
Since neither 0 nor 1 ever contain a space, LOCATE(' ',<'0' or '1'>) is always going to return 0, so that's what's always assigned to @cPos, and since that assignment is then used as the truth value for the inner IF, we never use the expression in the second parameter and always use the third, which is just using the simple "chop" heuristic rather than trying to work with a space.

I think that you would get the correct-ish behaviour just by removing the > 0 comparison entirely and just leave the TRIM result as the second parameter to LOCATE.

1I am also based in the UK :-)
2You may be able to infer from my tone. I am not a fan of MySQL's logic. I'd far rather have a honking error stuck in my face that I can fix in seconds by adding an explicit type conversion if that's what I really intended rather than all of the conversions that MySQL will assume.


text:
Ex UN-CLAIRE EDWARDS - THE COVID-19 GENOCIDE OF 2020
Bitchute - CLAIRE-EDWARDS - Published at 08:46 UTC on May 6th, 2021.
In this video, former UN staff member Claire Edwards reads the paper entitled 'The COVID-19 Genocide of 2020'. This message might be hard for some people to believe because the truth is being suppressed as demonstrated by the fact that this video and many others like it are not allowed on YouTube or other major social media sites. While the facts are being suppressed, the public is being indoctrinated with lies from the mainstream news media to deceive us on the fake Covid-19 plandemic.
This video is for all the disbelievers in the supposed Conspiracy Theory that they're out to depopulate the world. The truth always comes out in the end. Covid-19 shots are not vaccines, but deadly bioweapons designed to kill human beings. The Covid-19 hoax is a long planned agenda that has been put in place and orchestrated by the psychopathic Governments around the world, to destroy our lives, take away our freedoms and control us forever. If people don't wake up now and refuse to take these vaccines, it could be what really ends up destroying civilization all together, which is exactly what Governments want to happen..
Covid-19 does not exist, there is no scientific proof or the existence of the Covid19 virus, as it has NEVER been isolated, purified in a laboratory using Kochs Postulates or demonstrated under an electron microscope. PCR test shows only an RNA sequence COMPUTER model of the virus, not a real virus. No one has seen how this "virus" looks in reality. The problem is what they are showing in "positive" PCR tests is our body's own harmless exosomes which look exactly like Covid-19. The scientist who invented the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test Kary B. Mullis.
According to Mullis himself, PCR should never be used as a tool in "the diagnosis of infectious diseases." These tests do not detect viruses or infectious diseases, but RNA which we all have. Anyone who takes a test, will test positive for Covid-19 because of harmless exosomes and something called amplification. They increase amplification for more positive cases and decrease it for more negative cases. They can have as many or as little cases they like to push the Covid-19 agenda. And that is how they pull of the great Covid-19 plandemic hoax. Its all smoke, mirrors, deceptions and lies!!!.
The Covid vaccine injects strange nano-particles into our bloodstream.
THE COVID VACCINE CONTAINS METAL!! **
Have you been marked and chipped when you took the vaccines? A magnet sticks to the injection point right after the vaccine is injected.
Covid-19 vaccination INCREASED the death rate. (world statistics)
Former Pfizer VP: 'Your government is lying to you about Covid in a way that could lead to your death
Vaccine impact covers the real truth regarding vaccine safety, side effects and the impact vaccines have on individual and families.
The Covid-19 PCR swabs are sterilized with cancer causing agent Ethylene Oxide
MODERNA, PFIZER VACCINES CAUSE BLOOD CLOTS, BRAIN INFLAMMATION AND HEART ATTACKS
THE mRNA CORONAVIRUS VACCINES WILL LIKELY CAUSE IMMUNE CELLS TO ATTACK PLACENTA CELLS, CAUSING FEMALE INFERTILITY(STERALIZATION), MISCARRIAGE OR BIRTH DEFECTS
CANADIAN PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE NO RECORD OF SARS-COV-2 ISOLATION/PURIFICATION PERFORMED ANYWHERE. EVER
10 REASONS THAT SARS-CoV-2 IS AN IMAGINARY AND THEORETICAL VIRUS
CLININCAL LAB SCIENTIST PROVES COVID-19 IS FAKE, THERE IS NO VIRUS
THE DECEPTION OF VIROLOGY & VACINES WHY CORONAVIRUS IS NOT CONTAGIOUS
The COVID-19 RT-PCR Test: How to Mislead All Humanity. Using a "Test" not testing for the virus but RNA we all have
COVID-19 HAS NEVER BEEN ISOLATED IN A LAB OR PROVEN TO EXIST THROUGH A KOCHS POSTULATES
CORONAVIRUS: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE PCR TEST KIT FROM THE INVENTOR
FACE MASKS CAUSE BRAIN DAMAGE THAT CAN NOT BE REVERESED
DR ANDREW KAUFMAN AND THE EXOSOMES (CORONAVIRUS TRUTH)
METALLIC NANOPARTICLES USED IN VACCINES **
Metallic nanoparticles have fascinated scientist for over a century and are now heavily utilized in biomedical sciences and engineering. They are a focus of interest because of their huge potential in nanotechnology.
Today these materials can be synthesized and modified with various chemical functional groups which allow them to be conjugated with antibodies, ligands, and drugs of interest and thus opening a wide range of potential applications in biotechnology, magnetic separation, and preconcentration of target analytes, targeted drug delivery, and vehicles for gene and drug delivery and more importantly diagnostic imaging.
Moreover, various imaging modalities have been developed over the period of time such as MRI, CT, PET, ultrasound, SERS, and optical imaging as an aid to image various disease states.
In general, nanoparticles used in the field of biotechnology range in particle size between 10 and 500 nm, seldom exceeding 700 nm. The nanosize of these particles allows various communications with biomolecules on the cell surfaces and within the cells in way that can be decoded and designated to various biochemical and physiochemical properties of these cells.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Today mining practices for rock are far more efficient, allowing production expenses to be reduced as well as positioning natural stone flooring within the grasp of almost anyone.
Leaves Are Higher than Entries: All this implies is that you reached concentrate on where you go out a profession, as opposed to where you enter it. Individuals think that if a currency is affordable, it's a bargain as well as they need to get. This isn't really true. The revenue comes from offering it. Consider this like flipping houses. You might discover a residence for $120k that is a deal, but purchasing it is completely pointless if you cannot market it for more.
Financing adjustment has come to be popular in the recent years. A great deal of property investor also occur to be home loan brokers, or even property representatives who offer lending adjustment services on the portion.
Outside lights installations are commonly a disregarded part of advanced real estate education. Individuals do not even discover outside illumination, much less take into consideration transforming it. That could make it a simple project that will certainly provide a huge increase to your home's curb charm or to your backyard setting. Maybe that the lights outside of your residence are still the initial versions from when your home was built. They are way overdue for substitute.
This unit is excellent for transporting not just tools, yet sporting goods as well as outdoor camping devices also. Customer evaluations offer it "2 thumbs up" and also state that it is "simple to utilize as well as simply the appropriate dimension". It was likewise assessed as "quite flexible" and also "sensible". So, if you are searching for a lug that could be used for more compared to simply tools, the 25 inch model might be a good fit for your requirements.
Just what we have actually discovered is so amazing due to the fact that you could go from someone with absolutely no real estate education to a person with a profile of realty, a long listing of investors and service providers and also trustworthy lenders in situations where it is needed.
Nevertheless the question is exactly how can any person attempt this? There is definitely a team of rules that they adhere to, and also people are the basics of flipping a house. Turning is completed when you buy a residence that's in really want of repair works for a worth that is considerably below the market price so about sell it once you had renovated it. This would more than likely make a case for why several ugly houses seem selling like warm pies. By flipping homes, you'll be able to easily bring them to the market standards, which might generate a high well worth upon the resale. Yet turning houses isn't really as uncomplicated due to the fact that it might seem, and it's most definitely not therefore for every person.


Tasnim– The spokesman for Iraq's al-Nujaba Movement, a major Shia resistance group, announced that the movement has formed a special brigade to liberate Golan Heights from the Zionist regime of Israel.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Tasnim News Agency central office on Wednesday, Seyed Hashem al-Moussavi highlighted the involvement of al-Nujaba forces in the Syrian government's military campaign against foreign-backed terrorists and said they will not leave Syria until "the last terrorist" leaves the Arab country.
"After recent victories (in Syria), we have established the Golan Liberation Brigade," he said, adding that the forces are well-trained.
"If the Syrian government requests, we are ready to take actions to liberate Golan," the spokesman underlined.
He went on to say that the Golan Liberation Brigade is comprised of highly-equipped special forces, who have not left a region unless they ended a conflict there.
The al-Nujaba Movement is an offshoot of Iraqi voluntary forces, also known as the Popular Mobilization Units or Hashid al-Shaabi, which is active both in Iraq and Syria.
The Daesh terrorist group claims as an independent state the territory of Iraq and Syria, with implied future claims intended over more of the Levant, including Lebanon, occupied Palestine, Jordan, Cyprus, and Southern Turkey.


The meat itself looks appetizing. However, the sauce/baste is gloppy/splotchy and takes away from the overall appeal. Also, I really try to not take greenery in to play unless it's actually covering the meat, and so is this case. Too much covering the meat.
I have to agree with the comment from Hance, "Sauce/baste is gloppy/splotchy and takes away from the overall appeal." Also Dan and Hance are both right about the garnish problem here.
I can't stress enough to cooks that if you do not want GARNISH to interfere in the process of judging your MEAT - keep the garnish out of your meat so we can see it.
My recommendation is to KEEP IT SIMPLE - use a tight bed of parsley as a base in every box so your meat stays above the garnish.
Can't see the forest for the trees. Too much garnish. It appears most of the uniform color of the meat may have come from sauce or glaze. I'm also not sure about the appearance of the meat's texture although this could simply be due to seeing a photo as opposed to looking closely at the real thing.
Have to agree with previous comments. If I did not see the garnish it would get an 8 from me.


Students protest the bombing of Libya in April of 1986.
Left to right Neal Hines '93, Dorje Garung '93, [unknown student], and Tom Meglioraya '92 sailing on a GORP rock climbing trip at Devil's Lake, WI, April 12-13, 1992.
Two female students sit at desks and take notes. Tony Keely.
Three students watch the Grinnell Relays in 1976. Middle student has a rabbit on her lap.


Ted Underwood, working with Michael Simeone, developed strategies for visualizing topic models. Most methods for computing topic models have ontologically fuzzy boundaries, and so focusing on a single topic is risky. Underwood produced a correlation matrix of the topics and connected topics in this graph that are strongly correlated with each other. Size is logarithmically proportional to to the number of tokens. Even this kind of network model, however, suggests visual structure that isn't necessarily there. Underwood goes further to suggest the use of PCA to visualize the relationship between topics.


text:
Q: Submit Release APK built using Android Studio Canary I have just watched the Android Dev Conference videos and see there are some cool new features in Android Studio 4 (Motion Layout, Compose etc) that I would like to take advantage of.
My question is, if I build an app with a version of Android Studio that is in Canary (or Beta) am I likely to face issues being able to publish it on the store? I fully understand that the features may not be 100% complete or stable at this point. What I really want to know is a submission likely to be rejected or subject to other blockers?

A: I don't think there will be any issue. I have done it in past. Work like charm

A: If there is any possiblity about publishing the apps on crashing you need to be sure about Google does not release that version. Because the thing, the real aim, the main goal is publishing. They're wanting the increase that developer community, make happy them and the result is going to be effect the Google Play quality.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The Learning Objective for this lesson is for children to understand and describe the key features of a healthy balanced diet; and to recognise the role of grains within it.
Food provenance activity session for children to grow their own wheat plants; to help them gain a deeper understanding of where their food comes from.
Activity sheet and checklist to support your young students to think of different breads and fillings to make a sandwich.
Lesson plan to make cheese scones with children, including information on fibre and healthy eating.
Letter template to send home to find out whether any of your students have any food allergies. Useful before tasting discovery session or practical cookery lessons.
Classroom experiment to explore the role of flour and gelatinisation when making different kinds of sauces.


Heat half the oil in a large, lidded frying pan. Carefully slip the fish into the sizzling oil and cook for 4-5 mins until starting to brown. Flip over and scatter the garlic around the fish. Sizzle for 1 min more, then add the chilli and scatter over the tomatoes. Pour over the wine and let it bubble for 1 min, then pour over 100ml water and season generously with sea salt and pepper.
Put on the lid, turn up the heat and simmer for 15 mins until the fish is cooked through – you can tell when the eyes turn bright white and the flesh feels softer.
Lift each fish out the pan onto a serving plate and put the pan back on the heat. Add the capers and parsley, and boil hard for 1 min. You can now serve the fish and the sauce separately or slip them back into the pan, spoon some of the sauce over and bring the pan to the table. Drizzle with a little more oil just before serving.
Great, didnt have enough tomatoes so added green beans. Didnt have white wine, so used same qty white wine vinegar, which was a bit too much.
This recipe was delicious. I've marked it down a star because the only thing I would change is to add some lemon juice at the end. It was just missing a bit of a tang in the taste, but otherwise a lovely recipe.
Could I make this with sea bass fillets?
Thanks for your question. This recipe is designed for whole bream or whole sea bass as the cooking time will be too long for fillets. You could adapt the recipe for fillets, removing the fish as soon as it is cooked in step 1, then continuing as above to ensure the sauce is cooked. The sauce won't be exactly the same as it won't have had the whole fish cooked in it for 15 mins.


Muscular Dystrophy Canada (MDC) has selected the recipients of 2017/18's Seed Grant competition. MDC was thrilled to receive a total of 9 submissions, making this the most successful call for submissions to date, and will fully fund 6 of the research projects. Thanks to the support of the Starratt Family Foundation, MDC was able to invest an additional $50,000 into the Seed Grant Program, increasing this year's available spending allocation to $300,000.
The Seed Grant recipients are researchers and scientists who are investigating various topics related to neuromuscular disorders across Canada. The full list of recipients and the topic of their research is available below. "A significant part of our new three-year strategy is to increase our investment in our mission work – specifically research. In working with like-minded organizations, like the Starratt Family Foundation, we are able to have a greater impact.", said Muscular Dystrophy Canada CEO Barbara Stead-Coyle.
Muscular Dystrophy Canada is able to support some of Canada's leading researchers in their search for cures for the more than 150 types of neuromuscular disorders that MDC supports. Investing in cutting-edge research is a vital component of the MDC mission, while working towards a vision of a world free of muscular dystrophy.
160 different kinds of neuromuscular disorders by continually working to provide ongoing support and resources. MDC's investment in research is vital to providing better treatments and therapies today, as the search for a cure continues.
Muscular Dystrophy Canada is honoured to support some of Canada's leading researchers as they continue the search for more effective treatments, and ultimately a cure, for neuromuscular disorders.


The sky an epiphany in blue, the back of my scalp is rested and given form by wirily-summered meadow. I am bathed in foetus warmth.
Way above us, our gaze is lost amid an unfolding story of the clouds. I am in wonder, I am four or perhaps five years old....and now you lie beside me.
Who would believe us now, when we recount the fluid sense that was there, that instant, speaking to us?
Youthful momentum rebounds from rock to rock, I go careering down the hillside. With each bound I am flying, I am part of all and electron libre.
Freedom, you can see me now.
Mid-way down the slope, I am in flow, joy, exhilaration. The summer sun is ecstatic, the mountain laughs but lets me live.
I inspire the sheep bleating echoes from the valley.
You are far behind me, less carefree, more calculating perhaps, but witness to grace.
One breathless leap...you are there.
It was mine. It was my friend, the tree in the garden. We enjoyed so many adventures together. Even felled, he lives on in these leaves.
Seeing as you're here, I shall let you share my branch, just this instant. Shh.. make no noise for fear that the giants break our hide.
Tread carefully, the passage over the wall was my secret.
Not even my brother knew about it...before you came.
If you dare, you can follow me, your foot there, your hand here.
Let yourself slip. Noone can see you, now.
That my friend is the secret tunnel away from the wall.
Don't worry, I've been here loads of times.
I can't swear, I don't have permission. I am way too young now.
Thank goodness you are there.
The monster, the wolf is here in the shadows.
Making meaning, making terrible meaning the breeze from the window ajar.
if it weren't for your presence, downstairs in the kitchen.
The wolf is kept at bay by cutlery clattering in the sink.
My grief is standing on a slope.
His frame is boxed rudely. The weight is taken by Dickensian extras dressed for typhoid victims.
Death is so bloody unmodern.
The weight of the earth was stacked up around the rectangular drop, disguised for the occasion by red velveted carpet.
Wind-swept rain pricks and veils my tears, standing lopsidely on a shallow slope.
This is how it happens, to those one loves.
No denying the brutal melodrama of an absurd separation.
Unable to bare the enormity of the scene, I look around, across to the Tor anchored away on the levels.
Defiantly a child-drawn rainbow appears.
It gives me closure and hope.
He lives with me now. He is not gone, his gouache is etched in my soul.
I shall bear grief with joy.
We don't end my friend, we become particles for a child's studious science.
If we are lucky, we can all have a lamb as a spirit animal even though it all ends the same way. I hope when I die I leap away in my heart like a lamb in Spring.
Yes, death is so bloody unmodern. Serres insists that we need not look to the past for archaisms—they are here with us now, enfolded in us. Thanks, Simon.


iPhone developers – still counting on making money from your apps?
Game is over, for most of the new individul iPhone developers. Creating a "cool" app and waiting for the money to coming? It is not going to happen, unless: you developed a extraordinary app, and you knew markeing extremely well. There are too many app in the store right now. It become a very clouded market. This was one of the biggest dream which lured lots of people to become iPhone developers.
On the other hand, the job market for iPhone developers from corporation, startups are increasing. So if you cannot release a top iPhone app, go ahead find yourself a good job.
I do not agree. I think that the cream always rises to the top no matter who much "muck" is in the pot. Its about vision and execution.


text:
Links & Recommendations
Equus Hire
Equus Productions - meet the team
Who try to create Theatre without the Drama
We are a local amateur dramatics company, but we like to think we are that little bit different. Unlike most societies, we are not based in a particular place and very much enjoy taking our productions to different venues. To date we have performed in village halls including, Hastoe, Long Martson, Pitstone, Little Gaddesden, Chesham, Great Missenden and Lacey Green; a 200 seat theatre in Tring, a 400 seater in King's Langley, an Arts Centre in Berkhamsted and two outside venues in Wendover.
Our auditions are open to all and whilst we have a number of people who appear with us regularly (hopefully because they enjoy it) membership is not necessary and nor do you have to live in a particular area, be a particular age, have specific experience or "prove yourself" in any way. A love of theatre, an enthusiastic approach and the willingness to go with our sometimes crazy plans and join us on our adventures is all we ask.
If you are interested in performing, working backstage, on costumes, props, lighting, sound or welcoming our audiences front-of-house or at the bar we would love to hear from you.
If taking part isn't your thing, but you enjoy a good night out watching what we hope is a high level of theatre, please come along and see for yourself, details of our shows are on our current production page.
We are a non-profit making society governed by constitution and this is not how we make our living. Although many of us have worked professionally in the Performing Arts in various guises over the years, or are planning to move into the business professionally in the future, for now, this is a hobby!
Sometimes, profits are made more than we need to stage the next production or we raise money specifically for charities and causes. Over the years we have donated toLindengate Mental Health Charity, #letsgetlynnestanding and the Pepper Foundation. If you would like us to consider supporting your charity or cause in the future through our performances, do get in touch with us.
Not only do Fiona, Adrian and Mickey support each other (and the rest of the team) fully in all aspects of the company, they are very close friends and whatever role they have in a production, they work together and support each other in everything they do.
Equus Productions was founded by Fiona Quilter-Wood in 2014, the first show with Equus was Tim Firth's fabulous comedy, "The Flint Street Nativity" which was staged at the Vyne Centre in December 2014. Personal commitments took over and Equus took a back seat for a while. In October 2017, Equus was relaunched with a fabulous drinks' evening and Fiona has now been joined by a highly talented and multi-skilled management team and the company is going from strength to strength. Fiona's aim with Equus Productions was to create a company that produces quality theatre without any of the associated dramas! Equus very much enjoy performing in widespread and varied locations and venues. The team very much hope that you will become part of Equus Productions as a performer, member of one of their crews or as a member of their audience.
Who Create Theatre without the Drama
Fiona Quilter-Wood
Fiona trained as a dancer and actor at the Arts Educational School in Tring. Her first appearance on a professional stage was as a 4 year old milkmaid in Oliver at the Bristol Hippodrome. She danced with London Festival Ballet, and appeared in several TV shows and documentaries. Fiona was the Head of Drama and Dance in Schools for 18 years and continues to teach Drama privately. She has produced, directed and choreographed countless shows over the years and has a particular passion for musicals. Her favourite roles to date have been Nancy in Oliver, Celia in Calendar Girls and Eliza in Pygmalion, she has loved directing so many shows, but her particular favourites would be "Me & My Girl" and "Made in Dagenham". Her alter ego is as a florist and she has a flower and gift shop in Wendover.
Adrian Burroughs
Adrian, a Tring resident, got the Amdram bug soon after he moved to the area and after being given a role with a dozen lines and died in the second scene! He has since appeared in murder mysteries and musicals for various local groups and in July 2017 landed his first solo singing role in Gilbert & Sullivan's Trial by Jury and the audience didn't leave! When not juggling his acting and treasurer roles- he is treasurer for Chiltern Community Opera, he can either be seen on the archery field or shouting at the tv when watching his other passion, Tottenham Hotspur football club, which his two cats are not sure about". He has appeared in many Equus Productions and made his directorial debut with the Graduate in 2018.
Mickey Gomm
A former professional roadie, Mickey has been involved with local theatre for many years, since his son Jack appeared in production of The Wiz . He soon became a part of the backstage and set building crew for many shows. Previously he has stage managed for TFC's Stepping Out, 9 to 5, Made In Dagenham and Hot Mikado. He designed lighting for several MASH shows and has helped with sound for Tringe. Perhaps his biggest challenge to date was designing and building the hydraulic cross for Jesus Christ Superstar. Mickey has stage managed all of Equus' performances and provides valuable technical knowledge to all that we do. He only works if provided with plenty of coffee and a big jar of sweets though!
Grace Hardy
Casting Advisor
A professional actor and director, Grace has run many of our audition panels, to give that "unbiased" opinion. She really puts our auditionees through their paces and is vital in ensuring that characters are challenged and interaction between cast members is authentic. She has plans to direct for us soon although the recent arrival of baby number 2 may have delayed that for a while! Grace lives with her husband Matt and their beautiful sons and has been involved with theatre all of her life.
Georgie Quilter-Wood
Charity & Community Liaison
Having been involved with Equus right from the start; painting sets, running front of house, helping with box office and marketing, we are delighted that, having finished her full-time studies, Georgie has joined us to become our charities and community liaison officer. She has been vital in securing links and relationships with our local community and in researching causes that might require our support.
All this alongside a full-time legal career just shows how focused this young lady is!
Rosalind White
Rosalind is a fabulous local photographer who also has a passion for local theatre. She was the assistant producer for our first production and has been a great supporter ever since. She takes our head shots, poster images and often documents our rehearsals for us. Ros does like appearing on stage from time to time herself and we hope to encourage her back from behind her camera very soon. Ros lives with her fiance, Colin and is a full-time brand and wedding photographer.
Peter Child
Peter has become Mickey's right hand man! He studied theatre technology and has been responsible for running lighting and sound desks for many of our shows. His sense of fun and willingness to help bring a welcome and safe pair of hands back-stage. Peter has been involved with local theatre for most of his life and we are delighted to have him with us - we even persuaded him to appear onstage briefly - not sure he will let us do it again, though!
Equus Productions is an amateur theatre company producing plays and musicals throughout the year in a variety of venues in Herts and Bucks for both children and adults.


text:
Waterboro woman found dead hours after booking into York County Jail
Kimberly Pierce, 35, who began serving a 60-day sentence Monday evening, was found unresponsive in her cell Tuesday morning.
By Matt ByrneStaff Writer
A 35-year-old woman from Waterboro died less than 12 hours after she was booked into the York County Jail to serve a 60-day sentence, York County Sheriff William L. King Jr. said Tuesday.
Kimberly Pierce. in her booking photo from Monday evening. York County Jail
Sheriff King said Kimberly Pierce was booked into the jail at 5:30 p.m. Monday after she was ordered in York County Superior Court to serve two months of a 2.5-year sentence for numerous driving-related charges, including two operating under the influence convictions and driving to endanger.
Pierce was found unresponsive Tuesday at 5:12 a.m., King said. EMTs from Alfred Rescue declared Pierce dead at the jail.
Detectives from the Maine State Police major crimes unit were notified and have taken over the investigation. State police investigate all deaths that occur in the state's prison system, said Steve McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Sheriff King said he expects the Medical Examiner's Office in Augusta to conduct an autopsy and toxicology tests to determine the cause of Pierce's death.
King said Pierce was being held in the intake area of the jail, where most prisoners spend several hours or a night before they are placed in a jail pod for the duration of their sentence.
King said there was no shortage of intake staff Monday night, and Pierce was the only person in the cell where she died.
"The desk is right there, and there is someone always walking around," King said. "We have the video footage and we can take a look at that."
Kimberly Pierce, in a photo posted on Facebook by her cousin. Photo courtesy Robin Pierce
Pierce's family took to social media in an effort to present a different side of her life.
"She will be missed greatly," a cousin, Robin Pierce of Lyman, said Tuesday night after being contacted by phone.
She posted photographs of her cousin on her Facebook page that show her standing with a horse she rescued a few years ago.
Pierce grew up on a farm and loved horses, her cousin said. She leaves two children, a 12-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, according to her cousin.
In a Facebook message to the Portland Press Herald, Kimberly Pierce's younger sister, Sarah Pierce, described her sister "as a beautiful person" who loved animals. She took college level courses toward becoming a veterinary technician and worked for a couple of veterinarians in York County.
"Yes, she recently got charged with an oui, but Kim through the years went through so much and was hurting. It affected her mental health," Pierce wrote in the message.
Sarah Pierce said her sister struggled with mental health issues over the years, including severe depression. Because of those problems, she said, her sister "begged" the judge and district attorney not to put her in jail.
Pierce had a long criminal record dating to 2009, when she was charged with operating under the influence, according to records obtained through the Maine State Bureau of Identification. She has also faced aggravated drug trafficking and other charges, state records show.
Pierce's is the first death in the York County Jail since January 2014, when a Saco man died of suicide after he tore out a shunt used for kidney dialysis.
Staff Writer Dennis Hoey contributed to this story.
Portland moves forward with plans to build temporary waterfront park
Maine ACA insurer argues for reimbursements before U.S. Supreme Court
York County Sheriff's Office
The Evening Express
Get a little bit of everything you need to know, delivered straight to your inbox each evening. Sign up below:
.evexpress .button{
background-color: #008dde;
border: 2px solid #008dde;
font-size: 12px!important;
letter-spacing: 3px;
-webkit-transition-duration: .25s;
transition-duration: .25s;
Maine will double its rebate on certain heat pumps for homeowners
Longtime WGME news anchor Kim Block signing off
Wex to build $50 million operations center at The Downs in Scarborough
Skunk goes on spraying spree through Portland home
Cora fired by Red Sox amid MLB investigation into sign stealing


We know every woman is unique and her health care needs change over time. From routine physicals to menopause care, Prevea Women's Care is here for women of all ages.
Prevea Women's Care provides women genuine medical care that is tailored to your individual needs – providing you with care that inspires, empowers and encourages.
Prevea Women's Care has a board certified urogynecologist, offering you expert medical care for bladder and pelvic concerns.
Less invasive surgery methods, including laparoscopic and robotic surgery, help women to feel like themselves again sooner after surgery, with less pain, less scarring and faster recovery.


text:
Q: Do I have to removeObserver in KVO manually I have read the apple document about KVO, and it said:

Note: The key-value observing addObserver:forKeyPath:options:context:
  method does not maintain strong references to the observing object,
  the observed objects, or the context. You should ensure that you
  maintain strong references to the observing, and observed, objects,
  and the context as necessary.

The observer object not have a strong references to the observered object.
Does this man I can not call removeObserver:forKeyPath: in the dealloc method? Can it remove the observer automatically?

A: removeObserver:forKeyPath: has nothing to do with memory management or maintaining references. It just tells the runtime that your object no longer needs to be informed of changes to the object at that keyPath.

A: You must call -removeObserver:forKeyPath: manaully. iOS will not do it automatically.
Apple said does not maintain strong references to the observing object. I think it means, if you want to removeObserver for a temp var out off the temp var's scope, you should make the temp var as ivar, so you maintain the ivar's strong references.
If you do not call -removeObserver:forKeyPath:. You will make : 1) Something leak
such as you code like this :
[self addObserver:a forKeyPath:@"name" options:NSKeyValueObservingOptionNew context:nil];

if you do not call -removeObserver:forKeyPath:. It will console that :

An instance 0x756a1d0 of class MyClass was deallocated while key value observers were still registered with it. Observation info was

leaked, and may even become mistakenly attached to some other object.
  Set a breakpoint on NSKVODeallocateBreak to stop here in the debugger.
  Here's the current observation info:
      [NSKeyValueObservationInfo 0x7574f60] (
      [NSKeyValueObservance 0x7574f20: Observer: 0x7568280, Key path: pageCount, Options: [New: YES, Old: NO, Prior: NO] Context: 0x0,
  Property: 0x7574fa0]
      )

When you debug it, you will find : The self and the a are not leaking. The leaking thing is the NSKeyValueObservationInfo object
If you do not call -removeObserver:forKeyPath:. You will make : 2) Intermediate class never destroy && Infinity notification
As the Apple document about KVO says:

When an observer is registered for an attribute of an object the isa
  pointer of the observed object is modified, pointing to an
  intermediate class rather than at the true class.

When you removeObserver, if no observer is registered, the intermediate class will destroy. And If you not call removeObserver, the intermediate class will never destroy and when you change the property, the setter method of intermediate class will continue to send notifications.

A: No, you must call -removerObserver:forKeyPath: when it is no longer needed, else the KVO system will have some dangling pointers that may leak or become attached to another object that doesn't expect it.

A: no, you have to call it.
not strong is NOT always weak
but in this case it means unsafe_unretained.
If you don't remove the observer you get an error message: "the object XY was deallocated while there was still a observer"
AND it might crash


text:
Part 2: The Devil Wears Prada and Karoshi
Stockholm Syndrome does transcend "front page" and "breaking news" hostage situations. A version in the corporate world is naturally called Corporate Stockholm Syndrome. In this psychological phenomenon, the "hostages" are the workers themselves, who identify with and sympathize with — perhaps even defend — their "captor" who may be a supervisor, the Big Boss or even the organizational culture. Never mind that they have been abused, mistreated, victimized, underpaid or overworked. Though not necessarily a film about Corporate Stockholm Syndrome, the 2006 comedy-drama "The Devil Wears Prada" (with Meryl Streep as the bossy fashion magazine editor Miranda Priestly and Anne Hathaway as her co-assistant) illustrates the Corporate Stockholm Syndrome very well.
For the hostages, liberating themselves from this hostage situation — i.e. quitting or finding another job — is easier said than done. The reason is obvious. The "captor" practically controls the life line of the "hostages": much-needed paychecks to meet living expenses (food, mortgage/rent payments, health insurance, tuition, etc.). The stakes are high as the captor has the power to play the punishment/reward game as a leverage. Put up with the boss, and a worker may be rewarded with a raise or promotion. Otherwise, well, we all know the story. Job security plays another factor in this captor/hostage dynamic, because so much of our self-worth in this day and age is defined by our career and occupation. What we do is an integral part of who we are, and there is a strong instinct to preserve it. Hence for the sake of regular paychecks and self esteem, hostages in Corporate Stockholm Syndrome often have to put up with mistreatment, poor working conditions, verbal abuse, office bullying, even sexual harassment.
Instead of fighting for their release, hostages in Corporate Stockholm Syndrome typically display a tendency to become emotionally attached to the captor/company/employer by sacrificing their own emotional well-being, if not conscience. They may even rationalize that the employer's poor treatment of them is necessary for the overall interest of the company in the long term. They may even angrily defend their employer's actions when such actions are questioned by outsiders or third parties. Indeed the irrational bonding with the captors is basically a hostage's very strategy for survival. Shrewd employers are known to use sophisticated mind control techniques in the workplace — for example, social proof or herd instinct or peer pressure, and groupthink — to force workers' submission which, in turn, sustains Corporate Stockholm Syndrome.
Among the most extreme cases of Corporate Stockholm Syndrome is known in Japan as karoshi (back-translated from Japanese it means "death from overwork"). A document prepared by the International Labour Organization (ILO) contains the case of a snack food processing worker who once worked up to 110 hours a week — and there are only 168 hours per week! — and died at 34 from a heart attack. A bus driver logged more than 3,000 hours a year and did not have a day off in the last 15 days of his life, before dying at 37 from a stroke. A worker in a large printing company in Tokyo worked for 4,320 hours a year including overtime and died at 58 from a stroke. Even a healthcare professional is not immune: a 22-year-old nurse, died from a heart attack after 34 hours of continuous duty that she did five times within a month.
To their credit, a number of Japanese companies have been trying to improve work-life balance for their employees. Toyota, for example, now limits overtime to 360 hours per year (an average of 30 hours per month). At some offices, Toyota issues hourly appeals through the PA system after 7 p.m. pointing out "the importance of rest" and urging workers to go home. Nissan offers the option to telecommute for office workers to facilitate caring for children or elderly parents. Dozens of large corporations have also imposed "no overtime days", which require employees to get the heck out of the office promptly at 5:30 p.m. Company policy is one thing, however; workers' stubbornness and vulnerability to Corporate Stockholm Syndrome is another. Some workers opt to stay in the office with the lights off or simply take their work home by performing hidden overtime. Obviously the Japanese Corporate Stockholm Syndrome is more than just irrational bonding and sympathy towards the captor. It underlines the bizarre fact that hostages may even conspire with their captor!
In fact, Japanese workers who commit themselves to karoshi often blame themselves for the brutal working conditions they commit themselves to. They justify karoshi by attributing excessive overwork to their own (1) lack of skills, (2) lack of familiarity with the work, (3) lack of training as causes for their inability to complete work in a more timely fashion. Indeed in the Japanese culture, overtime is accepted as an integral part of work, and objection against it is rare, due to concern for negative reaction of co-workers, superiors, even family and friends. In the Japanese culture that stresses the importance of harmony and consensus, nothing is more important than how others perceive ourselves. This is another example when herd instinct, peer pressure and groupthink sustain Stockholm Syndrome.
Part 1: The Black Hole of Stockholm Syndrome
The term "Stockholm Syndrome" for a case study had been translated into Indonesian by an in-house translator. However the client had an issue, because in post-presentation group discussions, the instructor got the impression that participants did not quite understand, or misunderstood, the Indonesian term (Sindrom Stockholm). The client then approached another Translation Company (TC) to improve it, and this TC asked for my advice. Upon reviewing both the source and target documents, I told this TC that I would have translated the term into Indonesian the same way. If it can solve the problem, however, then I would be more than happy to provide a one-sentence Indonesian definition of the Stockholm Syndrome term in parentheses (to be inserted in the text), or even a one-paragraph Indonesian description (to be used as a footnote). This definition and/or description should be sufficient to enlighten class participants for the next seminar. "Excellent," replied the excited Project Manager, "just do both, and let the client decide!" That was initially how I was sucked into the Black Hole of Stockholm Syndrome…
On 23 August 1973, Jan-Erik Olsson, on leave from prison, went into Kreditbanken at Norrmalmstorg, central Stockholm and attempted to rob the bank. During the crime, several bank employees were held hostage in a bank vault from August 23 to 28, 1973, while their captors negotiated with police. During this standoff, the victims became emotionally attached to their captors, rejected assistance from government officials at one point, and even defended their captors after they were freed from their six-day ordeal. Criminologist and psychiatrist Nils Bejerot, who was hired as a consultant psychiatrist to Stockholm police, called this phenomenon "Norrmalmstorgssyndromet" (Swedish), which means The Norrmalmstorg Syndrome (English). Perhaps to prevent serious tongue-twisting accidents outside Sweden, it was later simply known as Stockholm Syndrome.
Stockholm Syndrome is described as a psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy, sympathy, loyalty, or affection (even sexual attraction) and have positive feelings toward their captors, sometimes to the point of defending and identifying with the captors. These feelings are generally considered irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the hostages, who essentially mistake a lack of abuse from their captors for an act of kindness. As illustrated in Malcolm in the Middle (an American sitcom created by Linwood Boomer for Fox between 2000 and 2006):
Malcolm: Don't you know about Stockholm Syndrome? You're starting to identify with your captors.
Reese: My captors?! These guys saved my life, man!
Malcolm: Only because they decided not to kill you!
Reese: Same thing.
-Malcolm in the Middle
In essence, Stockholm Syndrome is an irrational and counterproductive bonding between hostage(s) and captor(s) that develops and complicates a hostage situation and works against the well-being and release of the hostage(s). According to the Wikipedia website, the FBI's Hostage Barricade Database System shows that roughly 8% of victims show evidence of Stockholm Syndrome.
Therefore, thankfully, the majority of us will never suffer from Stockholm Syndrome because, duh, most of us — knock on wood, God willing, deo volente, hopefully, Insha Allah, ojala que, espero que — will never be captured and kept as hostages.
Or, really? Are we that sure?
At that time, I did not quite understand why I got so depressed except for the irrefutable fact that the crime itself is a horrendous one. Only later did I realize that my depression derived from the fact that — at least from what I could glean from X's diary entries — he seemed to be just like a regular guy, like myself. A husband, a father, a churchgoer (that was then, now I'm an agnostic). What could have been so terribly wrong with this guy? Considering the blessed life that he had — a wonderful family, living in a two-story mansion in a wealthy neighborhood of the Los Angeles metro area, a member of the local Community Church — what is the point to commit an uxoricide, a triple filicide, and a homicide only for insurance payout? How do we reconcile the picture of a seemingly normal family man and devoted father figure with such horrendous crime?
The significance of a diary cannot be overstated, and the conventional wisdom is that a diary is a fascinating "window" to a person's soul. Since most personal texts have a frank, intimate and transparent tone — in contrast to the self-conceptualized and self-protective language of more "official" resumes — they play very well into Homo sapiens' appetite for emotional voyeurism. That's probably the reason why the "Diary of Anne Frank" is the most translated Dutch book of all time. Since first published in 1947, it has been translated into 73 languages, and published in over 60 countries. More than 30 million copies of Anne's diary have been sold. Canadian poet Leonard Cohen hyperbolically stated that a diary is "greater than the Bible and the Conference of the Birds and the Upanishads all put together; more severe than the Scriptures and Hammurabi's Code; more dangerous than Luther's paper nailed to the Cathedral door; sweeter than the Song of Songs; mightier by far than the Epic of Gilgamesh; braver than the Sagas of Iceland; more sublime than any Sacred Text; holier than the Bill of Rights; and more intense."
However can we always "trust" the truthfulness of a diary, or its author for that matter? What about people who suffer from "split personality" mental condition that is referred in psychiatry as dissociative identity disorder, where within the same person exists two distinct personalities: often the good guy and the bad guy? I cannot resist myself from drawing a parallel to the "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" novel by Robert Louis Stevenson which Indonesian translation I read about 50 years ago when I was an 8th grader. Isn't it possible that while X's diary pages portrays him as the good Dr. Jekyll, under the radar he was operating as the evil Mr. Hyde, plotting and planning his uxoricide, triple filicide, and homicide?
Enter American writer, filmmaker, and political activist Susan Sontag (1933–2004), who offered the other side of the coin. In "On Keeping a Journal" she wrote: "(It's) superficial to understand the journal as just a receptacle for one's private, secret thoughts — like a confidante who is deaf, dumb and illiterate. In the journal I do not just express myself more openly than I could to any person; I create myself. The journal is a vehicle for my sense of selfhood. It represents me as emotionally and spiritually independent. Therefore (alas) it does not simply record my actual, daily life but rather — in many cases — offers an alternative to it" (emphasis added). There you have it; a diary can also be a reconstruction of reality. According to Sontag, a journal (or diary) is not necessarily just a receptacle for one's private, secret thoughts. Instead, it's a medium to create its author, as an alternative to the existing one in daily life. "Confessions, I mean sincere confessions of course," Sontag even added, "can be more shallow than actions."
It took me just two days to translate X's diary. Little did I know that it would take me almost 20 years to finally understand — to a certain extent — the disconnect between X's "innocent" diary pages and his inexplicable horrendous act. Sontag's reference to the discrepancy between "shallow confessions" and "actions" surely speaks volumes. The possibility (I'm not a psychiatrist!) of a "split personality" mental disorder, where X hosted both the good personality of Dr. Jekyll and the alternative Mr. Hyde cannot be ruled out. Still, the understanding is incomplete: Why the paradox and contradiction? What is the underlying root cause? Even now I'm still struggling to understand it, as I was then.
[This is the end of a 3-part blog post.]


text:
Tag: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
Thursday, December 12th 2019 - 10:25 UTC
Bolivia's Interim Government rejects the IACHR report on violence after elections
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) published a report that describes the violence that was generated in Bolivia after the general elections as a "massacre". For the interim government in charge of Senator Jeanine Áñez, the report is "totally biased" and "does not reflect reality."
Saturday, June 16th 2018 - 10:02 UTC
Collapse of Nicaragua's health system condemned by World Medical Association
The collapse of the public health care system in Nicaragua and the breakdown of medical ethics and human rights in the country have been condemned by the World Medical Association. Referring to the rapidly deteriorating situation in the country, WMA President Dr. Yoshitake Yokokura said that attacks on health workers, medical vehicles and hospitals were unacceptable.
Monday, May 21st 2018 - 08:42 UTC
Nicaraguan truce on the cliff after claims police attacked and shot students
Nicaraguans were back on the streets in their thousands on Sunday to protest what they called a government breach of a two-day truce agreed during Church-mediated peace talks. Students at a university in northeastern Managua claim police attacked them during a demonstration outside the campus on Saturday night in which four students were shot and injured.
Thursday, May 14th 2015 - 08:45 UTC
Malvinas war veterans appeal abuses case to Inter American Human Rights Commission
Malvinas war veterans have taken their Human rights abuse case against Argentine officers to the Inter American Human Rights Commission, IHRC, following on Argentina's Supreme Court decision rejecting the case because of time limit.
Saturday, February 21st 2015 - 05:05 UTC
Mistrusted Nisman's ex-wife meets with Supreme Court president Lorenzetti
Argentine President of the Supreme Court of Justice Ricardo Lorenzetti met with Federal Judge Sandra Arroyo Salgado, the ex wife of late prosecutor Alberto Nisman, sources quoted by the Argentine state-run news agency Telam said.
Saturday, August 10th 2013 - 02:10 UTC
Indigenous peoples in Argentina: "we don't want to be considered strangers in our own country"
"We want to live as human beings. We don't want to be considered as strangers in our own country, poor or useless. We want to live without discrimination. We don't want blood shed, we just want to reclaim our community," said to Amnesty International Félix Díaz, leader of the Qom indigenous community of Potae Napocna Navogoh (La Primavera), in Argentina's northern province of Formosa.
Tuesday, September 25th 2012 - 15:01 UTC
Human Rights Court tells Peru to annul ruling favouring ex-president Fujimori
Inter-American Court of Human Rights told Peru on Monday to annul a ruling by its Supreme Court that could have paved the way for an early release of jailed former President Alberto Fujimori.
Monday, August 6th 2012 - 21:30 UTC
Abuse of Chilean indigenous peoples questioned by human rights organizations
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) spoke out against human rights violations in the Araucanía region in south-central Chile on Thursday, calling on the government to investigate the chain of events last week resulting in the injuries of two minors by police bullets.
Thursday, November 3rd 2011 - 15:01 UTC
Human Rights Commission denounces Chilean Carabineros for 'disproportionate use of force'
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has denounced Chile's Carabineros over the "disproportionate" repression of student protesters, which in some cases it described as "incompatible" with a functioning democracy.
Saturday, April 30th 2011 - 22:34 UTC
Brazil furious with Human Rights Commission decision cuts all relations
Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff decided to cut all relations with the Inter American Human Rights Court following on the CIDH decision to request that the construction of a huge dam in the Amazon be suspended, following an appeal from indigenous groups.


For New Years Eve dinner we decided to make 'yosenabe', a simmered dish containing many different ingredients. It was a first so I was a little worried how it would turn out. But overall I'm very happy with the result. Real wholesome winter food!
Today, November 11th, is Pocky Day. And it's even more special because the year is 2011.
Pocky is a kind of candy. It's a stick-shaped biscuit, traditionally covered in chocolate. But these days there are many different kinds of Pocky. One of the most popular kinds is the vividly pink-coloured strawberry taste Pocky.
The reason that today is Pocky day, is of course because the repeated number 1 in the date resembles Pocky sticks.
Actually Pocky exists in Belgium too but there it is called 'Mikado'.
It is named after the game 'mikado'. In this game you scatter a bunch of sticks in disarray. The players of the game then take turns removing the sticks from the pile one by one, without moving any of the other sticks. The person who is able to remove the most sticks wins.


text:
Graduates participate in parade at elementary schools
Senior Maddy Wheless walks the halls of Meeker Elementary June 17 after graduation practice. This process was repeated at other elementary schools throughout the district.
Coyer
PHS grad bikes across America
PHS graduate Logan Fitzgerald, set off on June 17, on a biking trip across the country, for the whole story visit the link below. http://www.thenew...
Facilities explained
Yadder crowned Mr. Puyallup
Blood drive serves community
Alumni provide tips on life after high school
Everyone experiences hardships in their transition from high school to college Alumni Matthew Voss and Celeste Grinnell, both of whom are in colleg...
Noble Peace Prize Winner isn't Who Many Thought
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2019 to Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali for his efforts to achiev...
When the new school board is elected Nov.5, current president Chris Ihrig will serve out his last term. Ihrig had three child...
UK makes plans to vote on Brexit
Over 30 million people in the United Kingdom voted June 23, 2016 on whether the country should leave the European Union; the motion to leave the EU wo...
Pierce County Stormwater Pond
Pierce County started construction on a new stormwater pond in April and it's scheduled to be finished next month. The pond is intended to ...
Gender Neutral Barbies
The toy company Mattel released a new line of dolls Sept. 25 aimed at making all children feel represented during play time. For 18 months the toy com...
Sparks to Get New Look
School participates in lahar drill May 23
Harriet Tubman to be on $20 bill in 2020
Thr3E closure raises questions


text:
Home Arminian Heritage Arminius the Gadfly
Arminius the Gadfly
November 23, 2015 , posted by
A gadfly is a "persistent irritating critic; a nuisance." (link) The late Anglican priest John R.W. Stott comments that the Church needs gadflies to "sting and harry us into action for change," even though gadflies are difficult to live with, and they tend to have difficulties with the so-called watchdogs within Christian ranks.1 Too often, he confesses, the gadflies sting the watchdogs while the watchdogs attempt to consume and eradicate the gadflies. This is certainly the case within the post-Reformed church of John Calvin's (1509-1564) successor Theodore Beza (1519-1605) in Geneva — even more so with Francis Gomarus (1563-1641) in Holland, and those who oppose his supralapsarian Calvinism.
The Reformed mantra semper reformanda — i.e., the Church is always reforming, coined in 1674 by Dutch Calvinist Jodocus van Lodenstein (1620-1677) — is lost on Calvinists, whether we consider the Calvinists of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, or those of today. Once Protestants are reformed from the Roman Catholic tradition, and once confessions and catechisms are constructed outlining Calvinistic dogma, semper reformanda becomes a concept of a by-gone era. This is especially true after the Synod of Dordt debacle.
But even prior to this kangaroo court, composed of and convened by Calvinists whose sole agenda is to eradicate semper reformanda and any doctrine(s) not of their own credo, including those of non-Calvinistic Lutherans — those who actually inaugurated the Reformation — the collective mindset among Calvinists becomes, "We shall reform to this point and no farther." (Admittedly, however, I empahtize with Calvinists on this matter. See my conclusion.) An excellent example for support of this thesis is the following quote from the pen of Johannes Bogerman (1576-1637), Moderator of the Synod of Dordt (1618-19), complaining about Arminius' request, in 1607 at the Hague, that ministers be freedfrom having to devote themselves to the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism and strictly to the Word of God (all emphases original except where noted):
But it appeared to us a most absurd project. We confessed, indeed, that sentence was to be pronounced according to the word of God; but that, since it is unbecoming both in a Christian and in a Minister to be without faith [emphasis added], it is impossible without it to enter into any investigation or to form a right judgment. We consider that to be the true doctrine of faith which those writings [the Catechism and Confession] have delivered from the word of God. Since a believer therefore is never liberated from the word of God, he is never free from the doctrine delivered in it, whichwe believe to be contained in those writings.2
Note the admission that I emphasized, "to be without faith," maintains explicit reference to "the word of God," stated prior. This is more clearly shown by the original emphases: for the Calvinists of Arminius' day, as well as our own, the "true doctrine of [the Christian] faith" is contained within the Calvinistic confessions. Therefore to question these writings is to question the word of God. In case the immediate problem is unclear: Calvinists equate their doctrines with the authority and inspiration of the very Word of God, thus rendering their writings and theology ipso facto inspired of God, a conclusion we find not only deceptive (self-deceptive) but also idolatrous. Enter Jacob Arminius.
Arminius is Beza's sharp and bright student, a young man in his prime whom Beza praises, with the hope of him becoming a brilliant Reformed theologian. When the Rev. Martin Lydius (1539-1601), of the Old Reformed Church of Amsterdam, decides to inquire of Arminius, he turns to Beza, who explains that Arminius' learning and manner of life is "so approved by us that we form the highest hopes respecting him if he proceed in the same course as that which he is now pursuing, and in which, we think, by the favour of God, he will continue." Beza recognizes that the Lord "has conferred on him, among other endowments, a happy genius for clearly perceiving the nature of things and forming a correct judgment upon them, which, if it be hereafter brought under the governance of piety, of which he shows himself most studious, will undoubtedly cause his powerful genius, after it has been matured by years and confirmed by his acquaintance with things, to produce a rich and most abundant harvest."3 The date is 3 June 1583.
The vote from the presbytery is unanimous and Arminius, upon completing his doctoral studies at Geneva, is called to the Old Reformed Church of Amsterdam — Presbyterian: yes, Arminius is a Presbyterian — as one of its pastors 5 October 1587, though he does not begin his pastoral duties until 7 February 1588, as he settles business throughout the months of November, December, and January.4 Three years into his pastorate he encounters his first crisis when he is asked to defend his mentor Beza from the writings in a pamphlet by two infralapsarians: Corneliszoon and Donteklok.
Arminius, when assessing the pamphlet, decides ultimately that he cannot defend his mentor's supralapsarian Calvinism, yet cannot adopt wholesale the arguments presented by the authors, and thus concludes with a via media approach — he espouses the position maintained by Martin Luther's (1483-1546) Reformed successor Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560) and the Danish Lutheran theologian Nicholas Hemingius (1513-1600).5 Arminius concludes, in a letter to Johannes Jacobus Grynaeus (1540-1617), "I believe that our salvation rests on Christ alone and that we obtain faith for the forgiveness of sins and the renewing of life only through the grace of the Holy spirit." This position is not semi-Pelagian, not supralapsarian Calvinism, but neither is it infralapsarian Calvinism.6 Bangs writes: "The mood of the letter is one of surprise that such subtleties should be raised and that one or another position should be upheld as the one true doctrine."7
From this moment, until his death, Arminius becomes the gadfly of not only mainline (infralapsarian) Calvinism but also high (supralapsarian) Calvinism — the thorn in the side of the Calvinist watchdogs whose perceptual spiritual gift appears to be the hunt for and eradication of those they conceptualize as heretics. The sting of Arminius' constant attempts at reforming Calvinistic dogma is visualized by Calvinists as a threat that must be stopped and eradicated at all costs, including not only the option and rhetorical avenue of calumny, but also overt lies8 regarding Arminius' Reformed theology. Stott, above, is right: Too often the gadflies sting the watchdogs while the watchdogs attempt to consume and eradicate the gadflies. In the following post we discover the motive for Arminius' theology.
But let me add this confession of empathy for Calvinists in conclusion. I applaud the Calvinists of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries for standing their theological ground and fighting the Arminians tenaciously for the doctrines they deem to be biblical. We should, each one of us, mimic their faithfulness to the Word of God as well as their love for the Word of God. I applaud modern-day Calvinists for the same. I, too, am no fan of those who vie for "reforming" the Arminian (and Anglican) theology I deem as biblical. Calvinists have every right to establish what constitutes being Calvinist, not Reformed, but Calvinist.
The only exception I add is this: While we are right to confront and challenge doctrines we suppose are in error, we are not right to insist that our doctrines are, in any unqualified sense, on par with the authority and inspiration of God's Word. In doing so, we betray humility, and commit idolatry. As strongly as we believe our doctrines to be based on Scripture, we cannot assume a purely objective stance, and demand that our doctrines in fact are the nonpartisan doctrines of God's Word and the Christian faith. From all I have read, from the history of Arminius and the Remonstrants, this view I espouse is the historic theological Arminian view. In essence, no matter our dogma, we must be willing to admit that we could be wrong on some of the non-essential matters of our Faith.
1 John Stott, Balanced Christianity, expanded edition (Downers Grove: IVP Books, 2014), 37.
2 "A Brief Account of the Synod of Dort, Taken Out of the Letters of Mr. Hales and Mr. Balcanqual, Written from Dort, to the Rt. Hon. Sir D. Carleton, Lord Ambassador Then at the Hague," in The Works of Arminius, the London edition, three volumes, trans. James and William Nichols (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996), 1:564.
3 Works, 1:25.
4 Carl Bangs, Arminius: A Study in the Dutch Reformation (Eugene: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1998), 110-12.
5 Ibid., 138-39.
6 Ibid., 140.
Posted in Arminian Heritage, Arminianism, Arminius, General, Solus Arminius.
Roger Olson, "My Response to 'An Assemblies of God Response to Reformed Theology'"
This Week in Arminianism


This copy shows the entry on 22-Apr-2019 at 16:58:32.
21.9.76 II C18. Plastered. Hipped pantile roof. Two storeys. Four widely-spaced windows. Two-light casements. Two simple plank doors. Brick chimney stack. Later brick lean-to at each end.


Those who enjoy motorcycles off-road motorsports will enjoy owning the Suzuki V-Strom 1000 (2014+) which has an aluminum twin spar frame and a six-speed transmission. Its compact design gives riders greater freedom and the ability to navigate narrow paths that run through flat or steep paved or dirt roads, mountains, rocks, water, and other terrains. When Suzuki designed this model, it was aiming for a lighter and more manageable version of its earlier model, the previous Suzuki V-Strom 1000 that was introduced in 2002. This newer model weighs 503 pounds with a 5.3-gallon tank of gas.
This is a great bike for someone who likes to ride long distances. The rider can adjust the height of the padded seat while staying in a comfortable upright position due to the tall, steel handlebars and a taller sixth gear that makes for a more steady and safer ride. This model has a longer swingarm to help the rider take quick turns comfortably and expertly.
The Suzuki V-Strom 1000 has many safety features, including TC lights, traction control, an easy switch to change from TC 1 to TC2 to make riding in wet weather. This powerful V-Strom can go up to 130-mph and can do up to 49 miles per gallon making it 16 percent more fuel efficient than the original 2002 model. This bike is Euro 3 compliant, meaning that its O2 sensor helps decrease O2 emissions, therefore, reducing air pollution during the ride.
More about power, the Suzuki V-Strom has a four-stroke, 90-degree V-twin engine that is liquid-cooled and has four valves per cylinder. The compression ratio is 11.3:1. The electronic ignition and Suzuki dual throttle valve fuel injection make it user-friendly to the average tourer. The dual front and single rear brakes have a ABS system you can remove with the front brake having four-piston monobloc calipers and the rear brake having single-piston calipers. The front and rear tires are Bridgestone. It costs less than $12,700 and comes with a 12-month warranty. Available color options include Glass Desert Khaki, Glass Sparkle Black, and Candy Daring Red.


10m Angled 3.5mm Stereo Jack to Jack Audio Cable.
3.5mm stereo jack plug to stereo jack plug.
Suitable for use with phones, tablets, laptops, PCs, ipods, portable audio devices and any other device with a 3.5mm audio output.
Profigold PROA4803 3m Digital Coax Audio Cable. Profigold PROA4803 Skyline, high performance digital coax audio cable. RCA phono to RCA phono plug. 99.9996% Oxygen Free Copper ensures reduced signal loss and crystal clear sound. Multiple shielding gives maximum protection against Radio (RFI) and Electromagnetic (EMI) interference. 24k Hard Gold plated contacts for excellent corrosion protection. Pearlised chrome plated metal connector with metal inner case for enhanced RFI/EMI noise rejection. Colour coded connector headshells with silver soldering for easy installation and maximum signal transmission. Limited lifetime warranty. Connects from the SPDIF coaxial output on your dvd, blu ray dvd etc to your amplifier or surround sound system. Length 3m.
A high quality cable with a scart connector one end and 6 phono connectors on the other, designed for video and stereo audio connections, in and out of the scart connector. Gold plated contacts All metal phono plugs. Shielded cable. Ideal for connecting video and stereo audio to/from a scart connector.
iphone, ipod, MP3 FM Transmitter, connect your phone/ipod to any FM radio or car stereo Connects any audio device with a 3.5mm socket wirelessly to your FM radio or car stereo. Frequency range 87.6 to 107.9 MHz. 6 station presets. Powered by a single AAA battery (not supplied) approx 30 hours battery life. Also supplied with cigarette lighter power chord. OFCOM approved for use in the UK (unlike most cheap units).


Home / Google Android / Next Generation Galaxy Nexus announced! No more Nexus Prime? Andriod 4.0 and Galaxy Nexus info here!
1080p30 video recording and playback, a newfangled panorama mode, a 3.5mm headphone jack and Bluetooth 3.0. Ice Cream Sandwich for a tick, Android 4.0.
Now the announcement event in Hong Kong is ongoing! lets see what's up over there!
The camera is 5 mega pixel, but… isn't that a bit backward compared to iphone 4s? it supports full HD capture. and it is coming in November! A bit late but it will neer be late for andriod fans!
Next Article » Thinking between iPhone 4S (Apple) vs Galaxy Nexus (Samsung Google)? Some comparison and suggestions in terms of tech specs!


text:
Tag: career
In his recent article about the importance of mentorship, Yujin Kim, Chief Technology Officer at WorkMarket (an ADP company) talks about what he learned from his mentors and how they helped shape his career and life.
Yujin and I worked together for four years at Conde Nast and then for another four years at The New York Times. We have been friends and colleagues for twelve years. I witnessed Yujin grow from an engineering lead to CTO of WorkMarket. Yujin is an excellent engineering leader, a meticulous manager, and a caring collaborator.
I am honored that Yujin mentioned me in his article (and I feel lucky that my name happened to appear first, even though his other mentors are more accomplished than I am.)
Follow this link to read his article on mentorship.
Posted on March 4, 2019 November 21, 2019
Dear Family and Friends, I'm moving into an exciting new job at News Corp, the parent company of my current employer, The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones. Below are the announcements from Matt Murray, Editor-In-Chief of The Wall Street Journal & Dow Jones Newswires; and from Ramin Beheshti, Group Chief Product & Technology Officer of Dow Jones. The announcement from Matt was reported on earlier at other sites and the announcement from Ramin is shared here with permission.
Announcement from Matt Murray, Editor-In-Chief of The Wall Street Journal & Dow Jones Newswires
Colleagues:
Most of you will have seen by now the exciting news that Rajiv Pant has been promoted to a new role as Deputy Chief Technology Officer at News Corp. This is great news for him and for the newsroom; I expect he will continue to be actively involved with us going forward and will help facilitate the next stages of tech development. In just two years as our CTO, Rajiv has been a transformative presence, bringing in a great many new talents and helping our products and technical capabilities march forward on many fronts. Thanks to him, product, design and engineering have been ever more central to the newsroom–as they must be for our continued success.
Rajiv will be with us for several more weeks before moving upstairs to his fancy new digs, and we'll soon share plans on how we will advance the work he has undertaken. In the meantime, please join me in congratulating him and thanking him for all he's accomplished here.
Announcement from Ramin Beheshti, Group Chief Product & Technology Officer, Dow Jones
As you may have read earlier today in Marc Frons' announcement, Rajiv Pant has been promoted to the Deputy Chief Technology Officer of News Corp, reporting to Marc.
Over the last two years, Rajiv has helped transform WSJ Technology. He reimagined what it means to be a team, by bringing together the Product, Design and Engineering groups. He also evolved how we measure our successes by promoting OKRs across the department and built a stronger, more open relationship between the Newsroom and Technology.
While he is going upstairs, he won't be out of reach. In his new role, Rajiv will help drive global digital product and technology initiatives, and continue to work closely with many of us across the department. He will also focus on developing innovation and culture, sharing many of the great ideas from his time at Dow Jones with the rest of the News Corp family. I'm excited to see what he accomplishes in this new role.
Rajiv will officially transition to his new role over the coming weeks. Please join me in thanking him for all his contributions to Dow Jones and WSJ Technology. He has truly been a valued member of my Technology Leadership Team and I am delighted to have another strong partner at News Corp.
GROUP CHIEF PRODUCT & TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
© 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.
In follow-up to earlier work on a) versions one and two of these technical and related career tracks, b) pathways for career development in product engineering, c) job titles, and d) employee evaluation & career development, here is an updated version three of the career growth tracks.
This version 3 includes software engineering & architecture, quality assurance & test engineering, data science & engineering, infrastructure & systems engineering, product & product management, and design & user experience. This version moves "chief" and "head of" type titles to the discretionary column, keeping only four main levels (contributor, manager, director, and vice president) with three sub-levels designating seniority within each.
This is presented in a Google Sheet embedded below with tabs containing areas like engineering and product. I'm also providing a direct link to to the Google Sheet you can copy and edit for use in your own organization.
As always, I'd love your feedback. Thank you.
Posted on February 1, 2017 August 5, 2019
This isn't something I thought I'd be writing – if you read my recent piece on Thrive Journal, you'd know how excited I was to join Thrive Global. I'd long admired Arianna, and when we met it was immediately clear that we share so much: mission, values, a dedication to science-based approaches – along with a lot of common friends and even our foreign accents. And I wrote about the twist of fate – several twists, in fact, that it took to bring me to Thrive.
And now life has thrown me another twist, which is that I've just accepted a job as Chief Product & Technology Officer at The Wall Street Journal. It was an emotionally difficult decision – when I joined Thrive I felt then, and still do, that living my life by the Thrive principles and helping others do the same was my calling.
Working with the team at Thrive has been everything I thought it would be, and has only deepened my passion for the mission. And personally, it's been especially rewarding working with Arianna. We hit it off right away and that's only continued since. I've learned so much from her that I'll take with me in my life ahead. Most of all, her incredible ability to connect warmly and authentically with everybody around her — not just about their work, but about their lives away from the office. You don't just join the team, you become part of a family. And that's why this was such an emotional decision.
But this role at The Wall Street Journal is no ordinary opportunity, and I certainly wouldn't be leaving if it were. There were several considerations: this is a newly created position and represents the culmination of what I've been working towards my entire career. It's also a chance to reunite with several former co-workers who have remained dear friends. In the end, after a lot of persuasion, and an opportunity too good to refuse, I decided to make the move.
I'm excited, but also sad to leave. I'm incredibly proud of what we've built at Thrive Global. In three months we launched a media platform, a behavior change platform, an e-learning site, an e-commerce site and a number of specialty apps, including for Android, iOS, Amazon Alexa, and Chrome.
I am incredibly grateful not only for what I've learned but also for the friendships I've built and that I know will continue. And I'm especially grateful to Arianna for bringing me into Thrive and into her extended family. If I've learned one thing from this experience it's that we never know what twists of fate the future may bring, but what I do know is that incorporating our Thrive principles into my daily life and my work at The Wall Street Journal will make both me and my colleagues healthier, happier and more productive.
Why I Joined Thrive Global
Sometimes in life, we reach a new starting line where we sense that everything we have experienced and done so far has been preparing us for this next step. When I met Arianna Huffington and we talked about her new venture, Thrive Global, I immediately knew I wanted Thrive to be the next chapter in my life. Before I tell you why, let me give you some background.
I have had the honor to work as a CTO at great companies with exceptionally talented and effective people including some of the best software developers in the world.
Since I left The New York Times, I've been through a learning journey in my professional and personal life. I joined a promising startup full-time pledging 20% of my equity to charity. When the venture funding I had hoped for didn't materialize, I transitioned to an advisory role and continue to root for their success. I co-founded a consulting business which led to a client asking me to join full-time to build their team in New York City. In a twist of fate, soon after I joined and hired some exceptional talent, the company had a change in ownership and asked us all to move to Los Angeles. While the relocation offer was compelling, I couldn't bear the thought of being so far away from Fitz Raj, my 4-year-old son. My (now former) wife Julie and I had recently separated. If you think persuading your spouse to move the family across the country is hard, imagine trying to convince your ex-spouse. Yes, I tried because LA offers great opportunities in her line of work. No, she politely declined.
If you think persuading your spouse to move the family across the country is hard, imagine trying to convince your ex-spouse.
So, I decided to return to my consulting practice in NYC. While I was consulting, two well-known, highly-respected companies asked me to join them full-time. While I was mulling over whether to join one of them as CTO & chief product officer or to continue building my consulting business, I was invited to a party. It was there I met Arianna for the first time and we talked about Thrive. It was the professional equivalent of love at first sight.
We found numerous connections we had in common: mission, shared values, the scientific evidence based approach, former colleagues, friends, and foreign accents. Arianna had even spent some time studying at Santiniketan Visva-Bharati University in India, where my grandmother Jayanti Devi Pant had studied for her advanced degrees under Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. (My grandma was reasonably fluent in eleven languages, a family record I can only surpass if I count programming languages.)
Meeting Arianna and discussing Thrive was the professional equivalent of love at first sight.
What makes a great match? Why do we work?
When you seek to join an organization, you should look for three things:
Do you support the organization's mission?
Do you have the skills, experience, and knowledge to help the organization succeed?
Do you fit into the organization's and your team's culture?
They are three dimensions to help determine the location where you should be. In Thrive Global, my answer to all these is a strong yes, and I also found spiritual connections that transcend them.
Even before I learned about the company Thrive Global, I have passionately believed in the practical wisdom that Arianna's works present, practice and teach. Having had my own wake up calls, I've worked to incorporate some of these lessons in my life and work, and I've championed them to colleagues, friends, and family.
Intentional Serendipity
In her book, Arianna describes coincidences as "life's secret door to wonder". The philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer referred to coincidences as "wonderful pre-established harmony."
Soon after I decided I will not move to LA, my friend and coworker Melanie sent me a Business Insider article about Thrive Global followed by the text: (quote) "Your new job?!"
(published with permission from Melanie)
Two months later, I received another message from Melanie: "Hi Rajiv! So great to see you last week! I read again about [Arianna Huffington's] new venture and thought of you. Looks so interesting and I'm sure she can use your help!" This time she included a link to an NYTimes article about Thrive.
A few days later, an invite to a speakeasy-themed party showed up in my Inbox. What caught my cybersecurity-enthusiast brain's attention was it said you needed a password to get in.
During our interviews at Arianna's home, I also had conversations with her coworkers, family, and friends. She greatly values a personal connection in additional to professional experience. After all, as a CEO, she needs people she can rely on.
Like most CEOs, Arianna looks for competence, skills, experience, knowledge, and cultural fit when interviewing candidates. However, I found that for critical roles, she also looks for a spiritual kind of personal connection: Someone who shares her values, but also brings complementary traits; Someone she can trust, but who also has the courage to disagree with her. Someone who is kind at heart, but one you don't want to mess with. I fit right in.
Working with her for four months has upheld what I had initially felt about Arianna's leadership style. She sets a high bar, demands excellence, and does not hesitate to be direct and tough but she respects, empowers, and supports teammates who earn her trust. She respects and defers to others' expertise. As a fellow human being and as a friend, she genuinely cares about the well-being of other people. Despite being a well-respected and well-liked celebrity CEO with power, I've experienced firsthand that she has both the humbleness and courage to apologize to someone in her team.
I met Arianna on a Thursday evening. Following intense conversations about work and life and reference checks over the next three days, I started full-time at Thrive the following Monday before either side had signed any papers. Genuine trust beats legal contracts any day of the week, twice on a Sunday. Yes, my longtime employment attorney couldn't believe it either.
I met Arianna for the first time on a Thursday evening and started as CTO at Thrive the following Monday.
I feel that I serendipitously found the job that is my calling. After all, the party where I met Arianna required the password 'Intentional Serendipity' to get in.
Genuine trust beats legal contracts any day of the week, twice on a Sunday.
It seemed the ancient Greek and Hindu Gods had rigged the decision in both Thrive's and my favor. Which reminds of something Arianna said to me quoting the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi. "Live life as if everything is rigged in your favor."
"Live life as if everything is rigged in your favor." – Rumi
Besides serendipity, there are rational reasons why I feel Thrive is my calling.
5 Reasons why Thrive Global connects with me
Feel – I've felt passionate about this mission since long before I had heard of Thrive. My family, friends, and I personally experience the problems in this world that Thrive aims to solve. I've always wanted to work in a job where we aim to help anyone and everyone, not a select demographic. Thrive fits the bill.
Improve – During the past year, I faced tough challenges in my personal and professional life. Thrive principles are the way for me to improve using behavior change science. Continuous personal development is necessary to be able to thrive in life and work. Application of behavioral, social, and cognitive science is necessary to bridge the knowing-doing gap.
Learn directly from Arianna. She accomplished multiple great successes while facing life's challenges and imperfections.
Evangelize – Be a public face and spokesperson for something I deeply care about: Thrive Global's concepts and the science supporting them.
Grow professionally in and beyond product, technology, and design. Master organizational culture, well-being, and productivity. Gain the most effective, science-backed skills to manage organizations, teams, and myself.
Application of behavioral, social, and cognitive science is necessary to bridge the knowing-doing gap.
As an engineer, I have a strong preference for data, and Thrive's scientific approach with evidence based learning resonates with me.
As a technologist, I am concerned that we are more worried about recharging our devices, than recharging ourselves.
That brings me to what organizations should do to succeed. There must be a clear, well-known, and good primary reason behind every product, service, and project.
3 'M's: Why we do projects at Thrive Global
Mission: Thrive Global's mission is to end the epidemic of stress and burnout by offering companies and individuals sustainable, science-based solutions to enhance both well-being and performance.
Money: To be successful in its mission, Thrive needs to make substantial and recurring revenues and be profitable.
Marketing: To achieve the first two, Thrive needs to continuously become increasingly well-known, widely-respected, and highly influential.
All work should primarily support one of the 3 'M's: mission, money, or marketing.
Where we go from here
Practicing what one preaches is often hard. I have a long way to go in my own journey and won't pretend I have already incorporated the practice of most of the Thrive principles in my own life. If it were that simple, you wouldn't need Thrive Global as a company. Everyone could just buy Arianna's book and need nothing more.
There are no shortcuts to success, but there are microsteps.
In the book, Arianna writes "The second truth is that we're all going to veer away from that place [of being centered] again and again. That's the nature of life. […] The question is how quickly we can get back to that centered place of wisdom, harmony, and strength."
As Confucius said, "Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."
Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr. Chairman & Publisher, The New York Times
Arthur O. Sulzberger, Jr.
The New York Times Company
[phone and email redacted]
Mr. Rajiv Pant
[address redacted]
Dear Rajiv:
I am writing to extend to you my congratulations on your position at Some Spider and to thank you for the excellent job you did at The New York Times over your four years with us.
Your insight and expertise were enormously valuable as we built the technology needed to launch and grow our digital business. And, your eye for talent helped us to fill our ranks with top developers and technologists. The spirit of collaboration and enthusiasm you brought to your work will surely live on.
I thank you again and wish you continued success.
A career is like a garden (farewell memo to nytimes colleagues)
The following is the farewell memo I wrote to my colleagues at The New York Times.
Subject: A career is like a garden
As you may know, I have accepted an offer to join a startup on June 1st, and therefore have made the difficult decision to leave The New York Times, an organization I have loved being part of for the past four years, and a brand I have admired all my life. I will continue to be a loyal reader, vocal supporter and paying subscriber.
I care deeply about The New York Times. Let me know any way I can be helpful. I remain personally invested in your continued success.
Working with you has been an honor, a pleasure, and a learning experience for me. I would love to stay in touch. You can connect with me on social networks and find my contact info via rajiv.com.
Over the past four years, many of you have become close friends to me. The Times building has felt like my second home. I will leave with fond memories of being part of this wonderful institution.
Paraphrasing Leonard Nimoy's farewell Tweet:
A career is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory.
On Mon, May 4, 2015 at 12:21 PM, Marc Frons wrote:
I am writing to let you know that our CTO Rajiv Pant is leaving The Times to join a startup focusing on community, commerce and content, where he will be heading up technology, product and design. Rajiv told me he has long wanted to be an entrepreneur, and this new position gives him the opportunity to roll up his sleeves and help a startup he co-owns become a successful business.
In his four years at The Times, Rajiv has made an invaluable contribution to the company. He has played a leading role in building and managing the technology behind the growth of our digital business, and the expansion of our mobile and data science teams. Always a magnet for top talent, Rajiv's proteges can be found in every area of the technology department. Most of all, he has been an unflagging champion of the culture of technology innovation at The Times, and a model of collaboration and good cheer.
Rajiv has agreed to stay on for the next two to four weeks to aid in the transition and help in the search for his successor. Although we are sad to see him go, we wish him every success with this new venture. Regards,
Posted on December 17, 2012 June 30, 2017
This second version of the diagram illustrating technical career tracks reflects the following updates since version one:
A product management track is now included. (Future updates may include other tracks like design, editorial and marketing.)
There is no longer a contributor-level position on the people-management track. This is because most organizations do not have an entry-level position whose main job is to manage people yet is below the manager level.
The number of levels is still 5, but we have merged the two contributor levels below manager into one. We have added the C-level (as in CEO, CTO, CFO, …) band above the VP levels.
The director-level position in the technology track is now called principal architect or simply principal.
In the people management track, we suggest that a manager directly supervise at least 3 contributors and that a director supervise at least 3 managers. Exceptions can be made to this guideline when it is well-justified, but these are suggested as the default requirement to hold these titles.
(Thanks to Brian Murphy and Brad Kagawa for their contributions to this system.)
Some Pathways for Career Development in a Product Engineering Organization
The diagram below illustrates some pathways for career development in an engineering-focussed product development organization. It shows an organization where software engineering is a major discipline. The pathways shown here map out career paths that we have seen work well in a number of organizations. (There are also other pathways that work well that are not shown here, for example from VP Engineering to VP Product.)
Shorter paths (fewer arrows along the way) do not indicate a quicker career growth path. To the contrary, often gaining experience in multiple areas helps develop as a well-rounded executive prepared for senior leadership roles.
Certain roles are not listed explicitly but are combined into other roles in this illustration. For example, the roles of Security are merged into Systems in this view. Also, roles like Senior Engineer and Lead Engineer are not shown separately, but covered by Engineer and Engineering Manager. Similarly, Senior Manager and Senior Director are also not shown separately. Incorporating that level of detail would have significantly increased the complexity and decreased the readability of the diagram.


text:
In this 1983 photograph taken at Curator Joan Harrison's wedding to Michael E. Ach, (SVPA
alumni, #205); Frank Olt (alumni, SVPA faculty #86) converses with Ray Johnson while Joan
Harrison (alumni, SVPA faculty #17) talks with SVPA Dean Emeritus, Lynn Croton (#157).
The photograph was taken by Lorraine Darconte (SVPA Alumni #1), former classmate and
best friend of Curator, LuAnn Pagano Palazzo (SVPA Alumni #9).
Ray Johnson was all about creative connection. Today, fifteen years after his death, the bonds of his creative legacy and the bonds of friendship here at C. W. Post are still strong and defined by a sense of shared creative history and purpose. The evidence is plain to see through this exhibition.
Many of the artists taking part in this exhibition knew Ray Johnson personally or were correspon-
dents of his, while others are alumni, faculty and students of the university. Even more are part of a creative global network who have been inspired by Ray's work and moved by the universal theme to answer the call to communicate.
We would like to thank Matthew Rose, the father of the original ABAD Project in 2009, and all those at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University who helped make this exhibition possible. Our special thanks go to Dean Benjamin Moore of the School of Visual and Performing Arts, who, when approached with the idea said simply, "Do it!"
Most of all, we feel deeply grateful to our international roster of contributing artists for sharing their vision, their thoughts, their humor and their remembrances of loved ones lost. The outpouring of love and dedication to this project, and to this show in particular, has been quite literally overwhelming.
Art is a celebration of life lived to its fullest and to quote poet W. H Auden, "Art is our chief means of breaking bread with the dead."
Labels: Curator's Statement, Joan Harrison, LuAnn T. Palazzo
MATTHEW ROSE October 29, 2010 at 6:59 AM
Call Ray Johnson!
http://abookaboutdeatharchive.blogspot.com/2010/10/call-ray-johnson-116.html
Coffee Messiah October 30, 2010 at 1:22 PM
Very cool photo and great project.
Wish we could be there to see it ; (
Cheers and Best to ya'll!
PS: Thanks too for posting the RJ calls here!