text:
Scottish Liberal Democrats Put Recovery First
2021 Manifesto
Policy Highlights
Scottish Liberal Club
Results of Past Conferences
Special constables fall by 68% since police centralisation
Posted by Media Team | Updated 2022-01-03
Scottish Liberal Democrat justice spokesperson Liam McArthur MSP has today warned the police's Special Constabulary are a vanishing species after he revealed that their numbers have nosedived since the SNP's police centralisation.
Scottish Liberal Democrat freedom of information requests have revealed there were 1,394 in 2013/14, but this has fallen to just 453 in September 2021, a decrease of 68%.
Special constables operate on a part-time and voluntary basis, exercising similar powers to police officers and helping boost the police's presence in communities.
Mr McArthur commented:
"On the SNP's watch, the special constable is now a vanishing species. At the current rate of decline there will be none left by 2025.
"Special constables perform a valuable role and enhance the police's presence in communities across Scotland. It's a shame to see a role with a proud history being allowed to wither away.
"We all know the pressures on police officers and staff, who we expect to step up in our moment of need. It is also clear from the most recent staff survey that they are struggling with exhaustion, stress and mental health problems. That makes it all the more important therefore to ensure they have the support they need.
"The SNP Government must now repair the damage done by its botched centralisation. That includes protecting the future of the Special Constabulary and giving officers and staff the resources that they need to do their jobs."
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Reporter recounts "heartbreak" of Brazil's Indigenous people affected by COVID-19
By David P. Ball | News | July 10th 2020
#18 of 48 articles from the Special Report: Interviews with Linda Solomon Wood
Journalist Emilee Gilpin is working in Brazil, the second worst-hit coronavirus epicenter in the world. Photo by Maico Bruno Martinez
As Canadians abroad began flocking home in late March, journalist Emilee Gilpin made a decision she doesn't regret.
Living in Brazil since last year, and "sort of adopted" by the neighbourood children in a town of 6,000 near the country's Atlantic coast, Gilpin decided to remain in her adopted country to continue her work as a journalist.
"I came for my sister's wedding and I never left," she said. "I've been here ever since."
Since then, that country has become the second worst-hit coronavirus epicenter in the world.
Municipal leaders of the town of Lençóis, where Gilpin is staying, had managed to keep the coronavirus out for months. There was not a single documented case — until this week.
"Now COVID-19 has reached Lençóis," she said. "There was one case reported on Monday, and that quickly turned into 30 cases in one day. There's just one small hospital clinic here — this is not a city that can hold a big outbreak."
It was the same day that the country's own far-right president, Jair Bolsonaro, tested positive for COVID-19 — a month after he ordered health officials to stop releasing case counts to the public. (He was forced to backtrack by the country's top court.)
Video of COVID-19 and Indigenous communities in Brazil with Emilee Gilpin
Emilee Gilpin, managing director of First Nations Forward special report at Canada's National Observer, speaks with editor-in-chief, Linda Solomon Wood
Despite what she described as "complete disregard" for experts' public health recommendations by Brazil's far-right government, Gilpin revealed she feels "fortunate" to have been welcomed into the lives of her hosts in Chapada Diamantina National Park.
Journalist @emileegilpin shares her first-hand experience living in Brazil, the world's new epicenter of the #COVID19 pandemic devastating Indigenous communities. Her own small town saw its first case this week; within a day, it spread thirty-fold
But she also described "heartbreak" at many stories of Indigenous communities being abandoned by authorities as Brazil suddenly surged in mid-June to become the second-worst hit country in terms of both death toll and total COVID-19 cases.
"Indigenous communities in Brazil — especially those concentrated in the Amazon — have been hit so hard by COVID-19," she explained. "We have over 11,000 confirmed cases in Indigenous communities, and over 430 deaths of elders, chiefs, knowledge keepers and community members.
"It begs the question, 'Why? Why is this happening?'"
Gilpin, a freelance journalist and the managing director of Canada's National Observer First Nations Forward special project, said like other Indigenous Peoples, including in Canada, the pandemic "is really highlighting a lot of social inequities."
Faced with a far-right national government, one repeatedly accused of gross violations of Indigenous Peoples' rights and the environment, the impacts on tribes, particularly in the Amazon, have been brutal, she said. She authored another dispatch from the country, "The Amazon stays, Bolsonaro goes," last fall, that recounted increasing violence against Indigenous Peoples and their traditional lands, and the protest movement rising up to stop it.
"It's devastating to see how human rights violations have really been emphasized during this time," she told Canada's National Observer editor-in-chief Linda Solomon Wood this week. "When we ask, 'Why have Indigenous Peoples been hit so hard?' a whole conversation arises around social inequities and disparities around lack of access to health care."
Her latest dispatch from Brazil, "Already fighting for their lands and lives, Indigenous communities in Brazil slammed by COVID-19," was published on Tuesday. On Wednesday, she joined Solomon Wood for an online conversation about what she has witnessed of health crises, environmental destruction and human rights violations during her time in Brazil — but also the power of family, community and culture.
Weeks after European countries and Canada began to see their infection curves flatten, Brazil and much of Latin America began to see a sudden surge of coronavirus cases over the past month.
As of Thursday, Brazil has seen 1.7 million COVID-19 cases, more than half the staggering toll in the U.S. One in every seven global cases are now in Brazil, despite it being home to only 2.7 per cent of the world's population, according to Johns Hopkins University.
When it comes to death toll per-capita, the country now ranks 12th worst-hit among all the world's major economies, losing nearly 70,000 lives to the devastating virus — or 322 deaths-per-million, 40 per cent worse than Canada's death rate. That's more than double that of hard-hit Iran and Portugal.
Fluent in English, Spanish and Portugese — the official language of Brazil — Gilpin describes herself as a "Michif nomad" of Cree, Métis, Filipina, Irish and Scottish ancestry.
"I am a visitor no matter where I go," she said, "so I try to understand what my responsibilities are — how I can be here in a good way.
"Part of that responsibility is to talk about what's happening here. I am living here, living near water, and have access to these lands that people have cared for. In my teachings, that requires me to … pay attention to what's happening and speak about it."
As Gilpin has previously reported for Canada's National Observer, the issues affecting Indigenous Peoples around the world often have a common root: systemic racism.
First Nations in B.C. are also among the many worldwide devastated by catastrophic pandemics, as Gilpin documented in a previous article, "COVID-19 not the first pandemic Indigenous Peoples have quarantined from" in April. Another of her dispatches from Brazil, "COVID-19 crisis tells world what Indigenous Peoples have been saying for thousands of years," linked the pandemic to climate change, deforestation and Indigenous rights abuses.
Gilpin ended her talk Wednesday with a plea to not avert our eyes. And a key part of that is the power of independent media. She said photographers in Brazil such as Bruno Kelly and digital publications such as The Intercept have offered an essential global window into human rights and environmental abuses during and before the pandemic.
But the organization Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index this year ranked Brazil among the 75 countries with the least-free media for journalists, behind Haiti, Timor-Leste and Lebanon.
"Journalists are at threat of being killed, of being attacked — that's the reality here," Gilpin said. "It's not an easy job to tell the truth when people don't want you to.
"But if we don't see photos of these mass grave sites and of community members embracing each other, things on the ground, we can hear things all day long but really not feel it. So it's not about the numbers, it's about the names, about the stories, about the people, the relatives."
Emilee Gilpin is managing director of the First Nations Forward special report at Canada's National Observer. This interview is part of Conversations with Linda Solomon Wood, sponsored by Canada's National Observer. Conversations features topics around COVID-19, the economy, politics and climate change. If you'd like advanced notice about our fall line-up, subscribe here. To see the entire series of interviews in the Conversations series on video, head over to our YouTube channel.
David P. Ball
@davidpball

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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31. October 2019 10:29 by Rare Spares in // Tags: V8 Supercars, Sandown 500, PeterBrockTrophy, Peter Brock, Aussie Motorsports, Bathurst 1000, Commodore, Craig Lowndes, Falcon, Ford Falcon, Jamie Whincup, Scott McLaughlin // Comments (0)
Records are black, round, and made of a form of plastic. Or they're what is created when a previous level is exceeded. People such as basketballer Michael Jordan, Red Bull balloonist Felix Baumgartner, or movie franchise "The Avengers" have created records. In Australia there are plenty of record makers. In motorsport, especially in our home grown Australian Touring car Championships/V8 Supercars/Supercars. With the 2019 Bathurst 1000 run and done, we thought we'd have a look at a few of the record makers and holders for our top tier motorsport category. [More]
Rare Spares Top Five Bathurst 1000 Races
12. August 2019 10:22 by Rare Spares in General, Rare Spares // Tags: Rare Spares, Bathurst 1000, Bathurst, Supercars, Touring Car Masters, Ford, Holden, Nissan, Peter Brock, Jim Richards, Chaz Mostert, Paul Morris, Shane van Gisbergen, John Bowe, Dick Johnson, Larry Perkins, Mark Winterbottom, Jamie Whincup, Craig Lowndes, Mark Skaife, Bathurst Legend // Comments (0)
Motorsport in Australia, as a topic of conversation, is one that's up there with like/dislike Ricky Gervais, should pineapple be on a pizza, is Peter Helliar actually funny, for dividing people's opinion. Who's the greatest driver, was the 1978 Torana the best car, which was the greatest of the great races at Bathurst? Given the history of the yearly event that is "Bathurst", pinning down a top five most exciting races from over fifty races is always going to be fraught with danger. We don't expect our list to be yours. But we would love to know what you think your top five are. [More]
A brief history of Formula Ford in Australia
23. April 2019 12:08 by Rare Spares in General, Rare Spares // Tags: Formula Ford, Australian Motorsport, Ford, Racing, Larry Perkins, Garth Tander, Jamie Whincup, Cameron McConvillle, Mark Larkham // Comments (0)
Motorsport started a few weeks after the first bunch of cars rolled off the production line. Two blokes looked at each other over a beer at the pub and simultaneously said "I'll race ya!". Bare seconds after they started racing they crashed. Again, they looked at each other and said: " We don't know how to race!" Yes, that statement is essentially a bald faced giggle but you get the idea. That's where categories that are seen as feeders into the big ones, like Formula 1, come into play. Step up, Formula Ford. The cars are "simple". Open wheeler, no wings, a tiny tub for the driver to lever themselves into and out of, and a basic four cylinder engine. Then there's the organic component. It's proven to be an ideal combination and here in Australia many, many, drivers in Formula Ford have gone on to compete in the top tier categories. Formula Ford in Australia celebrates fifty years of the small cars pounding out thousands of kilometres worth of track time this year. The category itself was born in the UK just two years before. It was at Sandown, the famous Melbourne based circuit, that stakes its claim as the first track to see FF cars duke it out. A national series was first put forward to drivers in 1970 but it wasn't until 1993 that the Confederation of Australian Motorsport awarded it their official status to make it known as the Australian Formula Ford Championship. Formula Ford has been raced at a state level too, with the majority of the cars using the "Kent" engine. This is an iron, not alloy, block engine. The origins of this go back to 1959. It's also opened doors for chassis manufacturers. Companies such as Van Dieman, Lola, Elfin, and Mawer have designed cars to fit within the FF guidelines. Along the way, Formula Ford builds into drivers a knowledge of racecraft. There are aspects of engineering that are taught, chassis setup, and the technicalities of tyre pressure for the racing conditions. It's these kind of aspects that teams use to expect feedback from a driver to enhance a car's setup. In 1971 a young chap called Larry won the championship, and would be sent to Europe to race. The Formula Ford Driver to Europe series would see Mr Perkins make his way into V8 Supercars and build his own engineering business. He can see his name alongside Mark Webber as racing in Formula 1 thanks to being involved in Formula Ford. Names such as Mark Larkham, Russell Ingall, and Cameron McConville head to the bright lights, whilst locally Leanne Ferrier, aka Leanne Tander, Garth Tander, and Jamie Whincup would become the big names in this talent driven category. Formula Ford hasn't run without hiccups though. CAMS effectively discontinued their support for Formula Ford in 2013 however the category did run a national series after and continues to do so. Have you ever driven a Formula Ford car? Or do you have any memories of big name drivers racing the tiny open wheelers? Head over to the Rare Spares Facebook page and tell us all about it in the comment section below this article!


text:
Cities near Saint Albans, United Kingdom:
Harpenden, United Kingdom
Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom
Welwyn Garden City, United Kingdom
Borehamwood, United Kingdom
Potters Bar, United Kingdom
Luton, United Kingdom
Dunstable, United Kingdom
Harrow, United Kingdom
Chesham, United Kingdom
Stevenage, United Kingdom
Hertford, United Kingdom
Amersham, United Kingdom
Cheshunt, United Kingdom
Hitchin, United Kingdom
The center of each city listed is within 14 miles of Saint Albans, United Kingdom.
Scroll down the page to find a list of big cities if you're booking a flight between airports.
100 km from Saint Albans, United Kingdom
Map of local cities around Saint Albans, United Kingdom
Major cities near Saint Albans, United Kingdom
This is a list of large cities closest to Saint Albans, United Kingdom. A big city usually has a population of at least 200,000 and you can often fly into a major airport. If you need to book a flight, search for the nearest airport to Saint Albans, United Kingdom. You can also look for cities 4 hours from Saint Albans, United Kingdom (or 3 hours or 2 hours or 1 hour) or just search in general for more cities near Saint Albans, United Kingdom.
19 miles to London, United Kingdom
27 miles to Milton Keynes, United Kingdom
34 miles to Camberley, United Kingdom
36 miles to Reading, United Kingdom
69 miles to Coventry, United Kingdom
70 miles to Leicester, United Kingdom
74 miles to Southampton, United Kingdom
84 miles to Birmingham, United Kingdom
90 miles to Nottingham, United Kingdom
96 miles to Derby, United Kingdom
Hotels near Saint Albans, United Kingdom
Airports near Saint Albans, United Kingdom
Location of Saint Albans, United Kingdom
Airports in the United Kingdom
Cities in the United Kingdom
Saint Albans, United Kingdom
City: Saint Albans
Region: Hertford
Travelmath helps you find cities close to your location. You can use it to look for nearby towns and suburbs if you live in a metropolis area, or you can search for cities near any airport, zip code, or tourist landmark. You'll get a map of the local cities, including the distance and information on each town. This can help in planning a trip or just learning more about a neighboring city so you can discover new places.


Write for MDN – finished the last series in the first half of the year.
Be even more involved in various projects around Mozilla – beside still being a Tech Speaker, well, all the other activities (around games, WebVR and PWAs) kind of ceased to exist recently.
Prepare accordingly and thoroughly for js13kGames – I tried my best, but we still broke all the records, so it wasn't enough, again.
Try to make a few games – not a single one finished in 2018.
Try to launch a few projects – one, which is quite dead at the moment anyway.
Be able to earn decent money out of my work – *sigh*.
Ok, with this out of the way let's list the usual bad/ok/good things that happened last year.
No more writing for MDN, which I'll be missing – I've finished the Core PWA Guides and that's it. I couldn't focus full time on all this because other activities, but still, it was quite important for me over the years. Well, I'll have to live without that from now on.
No games released in 2018, not a single one (if you don't count demos, prototypes and workshop materials). We've built a demo of Body Guard for January's Global Game Jam, but, in contrary to Flood Escape (which was actually finished half a year later), it wasn't touched at all since then.
Spent half a year on js13kGames 2018, like, at least. Seriously. This one is why we (me with the huge help from the community) have to make a total redesign of the submission/acceptance/voting process in 2019.
OpenHTML5Games is still a placeholder for something "coming soon", but with no particular deadline. I'm not sure if I should continue to pay for the domain.
No noticeable client work. I had Scooby-Doo in 2016 and KFC in 2017, but nothing worth mentioning in 2018. Despite the fact that I wouldn't even have the time if something would came up eventually, so I'm not that sad about it after all.
No regular Gamedev.js meetups in Poland, although the brand itself kind of kept living with a few collaborations: a series of WebVR events in Warsaw (three meetups: #1, #2, #3, a workshop and a hackathon), and two meetups organized together with some Meet.js friends (one in Katowice, and the other in Kraków).
The gamedevjs.com site relaunched, but I was able to post some news for a month or two and that's it. Currently, it's kind of dead, but I do have some big plans (he he) for this in 2019.
The Gamedev.js Weekly newsletter is being sent. Every. Single. Week. Since January 2014. The reader base grows very, very slowly, because beside preparing the issues I don't have the time to promote it at all.
I gave 11 talks in 2018 (brand new topic this time was Progressive Web Apps), so it's almost one per month – 5 of them (almost half) were given in Warsaw, and only 3 outside Poland. It's no surprise as I tried to limit my travels because of Kasia, and it was a natural continuation of the same approach from previous year(s).
I'll mention js13kGames again, although it made an appearance in the "bad" section already. It wasn't "ok-ish", it was great and terrible at the same time, and definitely needs improvements, now more than ever. It was a great success another year in a row, and seems my best gamedev creation ever. That's why it needs revolution, because evolution is no longer working given the rapid growth in the last few years.
Nice things that happened in 2018: I was a js1k judge, Edukaton mentor, tech reviewer of the gamedev book, and visited Budapest, Barcelona, San Francisco (GitHub's office, including The Secret Room!), Berlin and Paris. I'm helping BLUR grow as much as I can, too.
Let's keep that as simple as possible, so I won't cry over it next time: code more, finish and release a bunch of games, try to update some of my websites, and organize a few events if time permits. That would be more than enough.


text:
use crate::{graphql_scalar, InputValue, ScalarValue, Value};

#[graphql_scalar(with = object_id, parse_token(String))]
type ObjectId = bson::oid::ObjectId;

mod object_id {
    use super::*;

    pub(super) fn to_output<S: ScalarValue>(v: &ObjectId) -> Value<S> {
        Value::scalar(v.to_hex())
    }

    pub(super) fn from_input<S: ScalarValue>(v: &InputValue<S>) -> Result<ObjectId, String> {
        v.as_string_value()
            .ok_or_else(|| format!("Expected `String`, found: {v}"))
            .and_then(|s| {
                ObjectId::parse_str(s).map_err(|e| format!("Failed to parse `ObjectId`: {e}"))
            })
    }
}

#[graphql_scalar(with = utc_date_time, parse_token(String))]
type UtcDateTime = bson::DateTime;

mod utc_date_time {
    use super::*;

    pub(super) fn to_output<S: ScalarValue>(v: &UtcDateTime) -> Value<S> {
        Value::scalar(
            (*v).try_to_rfc3339_string()
                .unwrap_or_else(|e| panic!("failed to format `UtcDateTime` as RFC3339: {e}")),
        )
    }

    pub(super) fn from_input<S: ScalarValue>(v: &InputValue<S>) -> Result<UtcDateTime, String> {
        v.as_string_value()
            .ok_or_else(|| format!("Expected `String`, found: {v}"))
            .and_then(|s| {
                UtcDateTime::parse_rfc3339_str(s)
                    .map_err(|e| format!("Failed to parse `UtcDateTime`: {e}"))
            })
    }
}

#[cfg(test)]
mod test {
    use bson::{oid::ObjectId, DateTime as UtcDateTime};

    use crate::{graphql_input_value, FromInputValue, InputValue};

    #[test]
    fn objectid_from_input() {
        let raw = "53e37d08776f724e42000000";
        let input: InputValue = graphql_input_value!((raw));

        let parsed: ObjectId = FromInputValue::from_input_value(&input).unwrap();
        let id = ObjectId::parse_str(raw).unwrap();

        assert_eq!(parsed, id);
    }

    #[test]
    fn utcdatetime_from_input() {
        use chrono::{DateTime, Utc};

        let raw = "2020-03-23T17:38:32.446+00:00";
        let input: InputValue = graphql_input_value!((raw));

        let parsed: UtcDateTime = FromInputValue::from_input_value(&input).unwrap();
        let date_time = UtcDateTime::from_chrono(
            DateTime::parse_from_rfc3339(raw)
                .unwrap()
                .with_timezone(&Utc),
        );

        assert_eq!(parsed, date_time);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
LinkedIn Buys Real-Time, Hosted Search Startup IndexTank
Leena Rao	@LeenaRao / 9 years
Professional social network LinkedIn is on a bit of an acquisition spree. In its second purchase in two weeks, LinkedIn has acquired hosted search startup IndexTank. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
IndexTank is a real-time, hosted search engine service that allows developers to quickly build search-based applications without having to worry about hosting their own search software. IndexTank's features include: real-time feed indexing, instantaneous availability of search data, geo search, automatic faceting, range search and instant insights about indexed data from search.
The startup, which has raises $1.6 million in funding, counts Reddit as a customer. Details are still unclear, but it appears that IndexTank's search technology will be integrated into LinkedIn's search. IndexTank says that LinkedIn has agreed to maintain the IndexTank service running for the next six months, and will open source key components of the technology.
Last week LinkedIn bought personal relationship manager Connected.


Channel 146 on Sirius/XM radio. Chaplain Gary Rayburn of Rig Ministries will be joining Tim Each Monday live on the telephone to jump start your week....Chaplain Gary would love to hear from the drivers, and send you some free cd's to listen to as you travel the highways each week. Just contact us with your mailing address and we can mail them to you or listen to our podcast.


incidents made the basis of this suit but who has knowledge of the incidents. . Rule 14(a 1 The nonparty must be served with the third party complaint as well as a summons. This change does not affect established meaning. A motion for summary judgment may be forthcoming prior to answer, and if well taken will eliminate the necessity for an answer. The word generally has been stricken from Rule 41(a 1 ii) in order to avoid confusion and to conform with the elimination of the necessity for special appearances by original Rule 12(b).
Be cautious when answering these questions because they will be later used in depositions of the parties or in trial. The Complaint in this case was brought in Harrison County, West Virginia, which is the proper jurisdiction and venue given that the injury took place in Harrison County, West Virginia. Remember that the Plaintiff is required to prove their case by preponderance of the evidence and that they have the burden in any civil lawsuit. Rule 14(a 3 The original plaintiff may tybalt and Romeo now assert claims against the third-party defendant, as long as they arise out of the transaction or occurrence that is the subject matter of his claim against the third-party plaintiff. Hereafter the correct motion in jury-tried cases will be the motion for a directed verdict. (b) Involuntary Dismissal; Effect. This Complaint provides a lot of detail concerning this fall by the worker from the roof that resulted in these serious injuries.
And remember, dont give away stuff you personally wouldnt want to wear (just toss those stained shirts and holy pants) and any really ratty furniture. Free at the curbside If you simply..
Kinkopf and Keith. By tying the award of Electors to the results in the national popular election, the NPV would replace the current state-by-state competition with an effective national popular election, thereby..
Dyspepsia chemical inflammation in GB action of phospholipases on lecithin CPP. Fluid Mosaic Model, describes the following properties of the cell membrane:. Aeronautics Branch (soon known as the Civil Aeronautics Admin).


The Atomic Horrors and Great Quakes of the late Twentieth Century combined with the Great Pollution Waves of the Early Twenty First produced a tired and dirty world badly in need of a new work-force. Thus were born the genetic up-lifts of the early Twenty-First Century, as species after species was uplifted into sentience to stand alongside Man in his quest for dominance and greed over an already ravaged world. Enter Inspector Henry Flaatphut of InterSpec; a former computer hacker now stuck at what amounts to a desk job, with a 300-pound badger for a boss and a wise-cracking computer named ICy. It would be a drab existence save for his talent at finding trouble of often international implications.
Henry Flaatphut is an Inspector with InterSpec, stuck at a desk job with a 300-pound badger for a boss, a wise-cracking computer named ICy, and a pretty 5-foot feline named Miss Calico for a secretary that he never seems to have time for. A dreadful existence until that one person enters his office who sets him off on a wild search for conspiracies and mayhem on an international scale.
Inspector Flaatphut is back, this time teaming up with Tiffany and a whole group of miscreants to track down a leathal drug, clones, and the world's most deadly assassin. And all because his mother came to visit.


text:
The 31st Annual Razzie Awards - nominations
The Golden Raspberry Award Foundation has announced its nominations for their 31st Annual Razzie Awards, which honour the year's worst in film. Leading the pack with 9 nods each were the two much reviled films The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and The Last Airbender.
Both were nominated for Worst Picture and Worst Director. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse also picked up individual nominations for its three lead actors Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner and Kristen Stewart, as well as for the film's ensemble. Additional nominations for The Last Airbender included Worst Remake, Worst Screenplay, Worst Screen Couple/Ensemble (the entire cast) and the new category Worst Eye-Gouging Mis-Use of 3-D. Jackson Rathbone had the distinction of receiving a Worst Supporting Actor nomination for his work in both films.
The other nominations for Worst Picture went to The Bounty Hunter, Sex and the City 2 and Vampires Suck. The four leads of Sex and the City 2 also received Worst Actress nominations in addition to their joint work for Worst Ensemble.
Jessica Alba was nominated for her work in four of the year's worst films, The Killer Inside Me, Little Fockers, Machete and Valentine's Day.
Nominees were determined by mailing ballots to 637 voters in 46 U.S. states and 17 foreign countries.
The 31st Annual Razzie Awards Ceremony will be held at Hollywood's Barnsdall Gallery Theatre on Saturday, February 26th.
Complete list of the 31st Annual Razzie Award nominations
Worst Picture
The Bounty Hunter (Columbia Pictures/Relativity Media)
The Last Airbender (Paramount/Nickelodeon Movies)
Sex and the City 2 (Warner Bros/New Line/HBO Pictures)
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (Summit Entertainment)
Vampires Suck (20th Century-Fox/Regency Enterprises)
Worst Actor
Jack Black (Gulliver's Travels)
Gerard Butler (The Bounty Hunter)
Ashton Kutcher (Killers and Valentine's Day)
Taylor Lautner (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and Valentine's Day)
Robert Pattinson (Remember Me and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)
Worst Actress
Jennifer Aniston (The Bounty Hunter and The Switch)
Miley Cyrus (The Last Song)
Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Kristen Davis, & Cynthia Nixon (Sex & the City 2)
Megan Fox (Jonah Hex)
Kristen Stewart (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)
Worst Supporting Actress
Jessica Alba (The Killer Inside Me, Little Fockers, Machete, and Valentine's Day)
Cher (Burlesque)
Liza Minnelli (Sex and the City 2)
Nicola Peltz (The Last Airbender)
Barbra Streisand (Little Fockers)
Worst Supporting Actor
Billy Ray Cyrus (The Spy Next Door)
George Lopez (Marmaduke, The Spy Next Door, and Valentine's Day)
Dev Patel (The Last Airbender)
Jackson Rathbone (The Last Airbender and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)
Rob Schneider (Grown Ups)
Worst Eye-Gouging Misuse of 3D
Cats & Dogs 2: Revenge of Kitty Galor
The Nutcracker 3D
Saw 3D
Worst Screen Couple/Ensemble
Jennifer Aniston & Gerard Butler (The Bounty Hunter)
Josh Brolin's Face & Megan Fox's Accent (Jonah Hex)
The Entire Cast of The Last Airbender
The Entire Cast of Sex and the City 2
The Entire Cast of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Worst Director
Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer (Vampires Suck)
Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City 2)
M. Night Shyamalan (The Last Airbender)
David Slade (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse)
Sylvester Stallone (The Expendables)
Worst Screenplay
The Last Airbender - written by M. Night Shyamalan, based on the TV series created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Brian Konietzko
Little Fockers - written by John Hamburg and Larry Stuckey, based on Characters Created by Greg Glenna & Mary Roth Clarke
Sex and the City 2 – written by Michael Patrick King, Based on the TV Series Created by Darren Star
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse – screenplay by Melissa Rosenberg, Based on the Novel by Stephenie Meyer
Vampires Suck – written by Jason Friedberg & Aaron Seltzer
Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-Off, or Sequel
Vampires Suck
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text:
Q: Is the sum of a bounded unimodal function and a bounded concave increasing function still unimodal or concave increasing? Suppose we have a differentiable unimodal function $f(x),x \in R$ and a differentiable bounded concave increasing function $g(x), x \in R$. $f(x)$ is bounded and converges to $c_1$. $g(x)$ is bounded and converges to $c_2$. Is $h(x)=f(x)+g(x)$ still unimodal or convace increasing?

A: Try $f(x) = \frac{1}{\sqrt{2\pi}} \mathrm{e}^{-(x-1)^2/2}$, the PDF of the normal distribution with mean $1$ and variance $1$, which is unimodal, infinitely differentiable, and bounded and $g(x) = \arctan(x)$, which is infinitely differentiable, bounded, concave (on $[0,\infty)$, which seems to be the intention, based on your graph) and increasing.  Their sum is bounded and infinitely differentiable, but is not increasing or concave.  Here $c_1 = 0$ and $c_2 = \pi/2$.

(Put the peak of the unimodal function where the bounded function is still small.)
With more effort than I'm willing to expend, we can find scalars $a,b$ such that $af(x) + bg(x)$ has a local maximum near $x = 3/2$ whose height is the limit $\lim_{x \rightarrow \infty} af(x) + bg(x)$, defeating unimodality.  The above has $a = b =1$.  The below has $a = 2$, $b=1$, so there is an $a$ in $(1,2)$ that produces this outcome with $b = 1$.  ($c_1$ and $c_2$ are unchanged.)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The tiny post office in Valentine is bustling in the days leading up to February 14. Every year around this time the post office receives thousands of Valentine cards from customers around the world requesting the unique "Love Station" hand-stamped postmark.
For the past 30-plus years, the customized postmark cancellations are selected from a design contest among Valentine School students and judged by the Valentine City Council. This year's winning design was created by 8th grader, Jordan Miller, whose family has lived in Valentine for five generations.
"The biggest inspiration for this drawing was my family and my childhood, and to be honest, I wasn't really drawing to win–I was drawing for my family–but winning was super cool," Jordan said.
Postmaster Leslie Williams says requests should be sent as soon as possible after February 1st to make sure your cards receive the special postmark and are delivered by Valentine's Day.
There is no charge to customers for requesting fewer than 50 Valentine postmark cancellations. Customers submitting requests for more than 50 cancellations will be charged five cents each.


text:
Citibank to exit retail banking in 13 markets including Korea
Pedestrians walk past the facade of a Citibank building in New York July 14, 2014. REUTERS-Yonhap
Citigroup said Thursday it will exit consumer banking operations in 13 markets including South Korea as part of its global business reorganization.
The U.S. banking giant opened its first branch in South Korea in 1967 and launched Citibank Korea Inc. in 2004 after acquiring KorAm Bank.
The group announced it will withdraw from consumer franchising in Australia, Bahrain, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam as the company shifts focus to wealth management.
"We will operate our consumer banking franchise in Asia and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) solely from four wealth centers ― Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE and London," CEO Jane Fraser said in a press release.
"While the other 13 markets have excellent businesses, we don't have the scale we need to compete. We believe our capital, investment dollars and other resources are better deployed against higher returning opportunities in wealth management and our institutional businesses in Asia," she said.
The exact timetable for the planned exit has not been finalized, according to Citibank Korea. The Korean unit said that it will come up with "best ways for customers and employees" in close consultation with the board of directors as well as regulators. (Yonhap)


We are seeking to appoint a skilled and enthusiastic teacher for September 2019 (or January 2020). Candidates should be graduates in Mathematics with a proven record of A-level and GCSE/IGCSE teaching success. Experience of teaching Further Mathematics to second year A-Level students is highly desirable. Salary will be in line with qualifications and experience. The College is a member of the Teachers' Pension Scheme.
Cambridge Tutors College is a leading international A-Level and GCSE college, founded in 1958 that occupies a pleasant park side location in South Croydon. Approximately 80% of the 100 students come from overseas countries including China, Latvia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Russia, Singapore and Vietnam. The college has built up a strong reputation for excellence in teaching all subjects with particular emphasis on Science, Mathematics and Economics.
The Department contains six tutors and is the largest in the College. Mathematics and Further Mathematics are offered at A-Level. Mathematics is also available at IGCSE level. Students often choose to study Mathematics alongside the sciences and/or Economics and they achieve outstanding results on a regular basis. As with all subjects at CTC, students are taught in groups with a maximum of nine students and are tested each week under examination conditions. Students take the Edexcel examination for both A-Level and IGCSE. Students are also prepared for AEA, STEP and MAT examinations as well as Maths Challenges and Olympiads.
Please send a completed application form, along with a covering letter to info@ctc.ac.uk by 3rdMay 2019.
Cambridge Tutors College is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
It will be necessary for the successful candidate to undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure Barring Service (DBS).


Every morning as I awaken to a new day, the first thing I see are my window boxes on my balcony, overlooking the front yard. As the old saying goes, a cobbler's child has no shoes, and my plant ambition certainly exceeds my spare time in the summer. But I feel that window boxes are a manageable project that I can maintain and control easily despite my crazy schedule. It is a great comfort to know that I can start my day off with visitations from hummingbirds, squirrels (being forgetful of last autumn's acorns), and a musical concerto of many wild birds from the neighborhood. A quick glance at the window boxes and I am off and running for the day. I have asked several garden professionals on the island for their recommendations and some tips for successful window boxes.
"Use plants that will attract humming birds. "Vermillionaire' is a cuphea hybrid that the birds really love, and "David Verify" is another cuphea hybrid with reddish orange tips that humming birds will instantly gravitate towards. The Strobianthus "Persian Shield, Bideas, Dichondra "Silver Falls, are all nice alternatives to the usual window box choices. Also consider succulents like agave, echiveria, sedums and senicio as they are low maintenance in care Crotons make a great foliage plant. Edible plants are also quite attractive in window boxes, and flashy Trout Back Lettuce and rainbow swiss chard are both colorful and edible. "Mike's advice on plants that get too leggy or overgrown halfway through the season, "Give it a good hair cut; trim the plants down by fifty percent, add some fertlizer, and they will be just like new in no time".
The concept of window boxes and container gardening goes back to the time of ancient Rome and ancient Greece. As far back as 1st century BC, Romans were using Terra Cotta window boxes, and having cottage gardens for food, medicine and religious use. The Greeks cultivated miniature flower gardens that may have been the first gardens to contain potted plants. By contrast, in Asia the Japanese took the art of container gardening in a completely opposite direction with the creation of Bonsai.
To this day, historic European homes embrace the transition of bringing ones garden into the architecture of a living space in this manner. Container gardens and window boxes act as a transitional space, going from the garden onto a porch or balcony or home, and creating another plant plane in the process.
Everyone has time for a window box. It's my greatest delight in watching things grow; most of you would think that would be about just plants but it refers to people as well, including former employees from my long tenture at Donaroma's. Renee Clermont of Second Nature Designs captures creativity and color in unique plant combinations for many business and residential window boxes on the island.
Sue Weyl and I have had the pleasure of seeing Renee as a young designer who worked in the floral department with us years ago, eventually fly the coop to further her horticultural education.
Alluring gardens in a miniature scale; that's the brilliant appeal of window boxes. The majority of us lack the time, money, or energy for that matter, to maintain elaborate flower borders. However, you can still enjoy colorful flowers and foliage in containers that are small enough to replant, easy enough to change out plant material and schemes for all 4 seasons and beautiful enough to give your home some updated curb appeal. But where do you start? There are some things to consider when planning your miniature gardens, like types and sizes of boxes, or combining colors and textures using different types of plants and the sunlight requirements for the selected spot.
Drainage: Proper drainage is crucial for plants to thrive in window boxes. Some come with holes in the bottom to allow excess water to run out and some don't. You'll need to drill holes in the ones that don't.
If that isn't suitable, using pebbles, packaging peanuts or plastic bottles laid horizontally at the base are options too.
Fillers and Spillers. To achieve proper visual balance, use a variety of plant types. Tall flowers or grasses add height and privacy. Low, leafy plants add shape and texture. Flowering species with complementary hues add bold splashes of color. Cascading plants will soften the edges of the boxes. Try using some less common flowers like Fancy leaf Caladiums in your box and fill in with less expensive flowers like petunias or Verbena. I also like to "overplant" my flowers in order to get them to fill in quickly. I can do this when the flowers aren't overly expensive.
Fuchsias, Ferns, Asparagus Sprengeri, various tuberous-rooted Begonias, Impatiens and Torenia are flower varieties that fill out quickly and are great for shade. Petunias work perfectly when you want your window box to shine in the summer sun. Try cascading varieties, as well as multifloras, for all kinds of flowers in different colors. Other sun loving varieties are Lavender, miniature Roses and Dahlias, Sweet Potato Vine, Blue Lobelia, Plumbago, Stobilanthus and Lantana.
Using Gray foliage plants such as, Dusty Miller or Lambs Ear are perfect for alternating different varieties of flowers throughout your window box. Their silvery white leaves will help draw attention to the vibrant colors of the flowers on either side and are very durable.
Maintenance: We all want low maintenance, but as with any living thing, there needs to be some support system in place to prolong the life of the flowers. Window boxes require regular watering, more so in the heat of the summer. Feeding your plants is a sure way of boosting those blooms. Fertilize with a water soluble nutrient such as Miracle Grow or Neptune's Harvest Fish Fertilizer. Keep up on any insects or diseases that may come your way using organic products such as Safers 3 in 1 Garden Spray. Taking a little time to deadhead spent blooms promotes new flowers and will keep your boxes looking fresh.
Get creative! Vines like morning glories and Thumbergia, better known as black eyed Susan vine can make your window box different. You can keep annual vines reined in by cutting their tips often and keeping them branching. You can trellis them up with bamboo stakes or train them to follow strings and make them go all around the whole window. Remember when the store in OB trained the licorice plant, which is also a vine to follow strings all the way up the windows. They grew like 6 ft up.!
I have also seen sweet potato vines grow and cascade way over the sides even in partial shade. There is one less known vine I want to recommend and that is convolvulus sabatius. It has small blue morning glory or campanula like small blue flowers and yes it blooms all summer. It works great in mixed containers.
Some other plants I can recommend for sunny window boxes are lantana, verbenas, evolvulus and brachycome two sweet blue annuals, and of course geraniums work great and they were probably your grandmothers favorite. They will all bloom all summer. I also love heliotrope! It comes in purple and in white. As far as maintenance goes. Let the containers dry out between watering, don't keep them constantly wet. And deadhead whenever possible.... This can't hurt.
For shade I like begonias, impatiens, fuschias and lobelias for flowers and for foliage you can add coleus, , ivy's and vinca. The regular green and white vinca can now be found in yellow and green like Wojo's Gem or a green bicolor called maculata.
For something completely different try abutilons or flowering maples. They are in the hibiscus family, probably the only member of the hibiscus family that can take some shade, they will supply beautiful flowers all season long.
All of us can garden, and most of us have a window, to widen our expanse of bringing nature into our home. Or from the opposite end, peering out from our homes to see an extension of our garden, even if it's in a little box on a ledge. Everyone has enough room for a little garden in a window box.


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Agile project management is concerned with the delivery of change through projects founded on agile preferences, principles and practices. Throughout there is a focus not only on solution development but also on wider aspects such as governance, quality and risk. In many cases these same elements can be scaled up to the programme level permitting hybrid approaches that accommodate both traditional and agile practices or integrated into the agile PMO environments. Read more about agile risk management in our blogs and publications.


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One Droppers: Meet Mary Elizabeth
At One Drop, we don't just talk the talk -- we walk the walk.
In our One Droppers series, we'll be hearing from One Drop team members who live with diabetes every day. They're here to share their stories and explain what working professionally with diabetes means to them. Mary Elizabeth Adams kicks things off below! She's lived longer with diabetes than without, passing that road marker at age 15.
When I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 7, 'career' was a word far beyond my limited 3rd grade vocabulary (outside the occasional Career Day). But who would have ever guessed that one day that diagnosis would lead to a job opportunity? And not just any job opportunity. Rather, one specifically geared to empower and bolster the lives of other people living with diabetes.
This dia-journey began like most.
I had all the classic symptoms (thirst, frequent urination, extreme weight loss, exhaustion), and my sweet mother took quick notice. After learning all the proper needle injection techniques, BG extremes and how to handle them, and what in the world this whole disease thing even meant, my parents and I dove head-first into the world of diabetes. We did every walk, met with every doctor, and hunted down all the latest and greatest organizations we could find and join. The amazing people at JDRF, ADA and UAB gave us (and still do!) hope; Camp Seale Harris gave me newfound friends with diabetes. I didn't realize it at the time, but constantly being around those people — the ever-loud, ever-hopeful community of awe-inspiring movers and shakers — was a huge influence on how I came to see, accept and live with this chronic illness. They allowed me to not only survive, but to also thrive. Fast forward Through college, life in Spain, an exciting stint in the music industry, and voila.
Here we are now.
With a crippling healthcare situation and an upcoming election that had HCPs running for the hills, I started thinking long and hard about my own health. Where was I headed with my own diabetes status? What did all these changes in healthcare mean for me? In doing so, I opened back up that Pandora's Box of the diabetes community. Inside the #DOC, I found what I'd been missing out on for the past ten years. This space is full of loud, unstoppable, will-not-take-no-for-an-answer go-getters; their presence, encouraging and their voice, resilient. I am lucky enough to have found One Drop in my search. Amidst all the amazing blogs out there (shoutout to Coffee & Insulin), I stumbled across One Drop and immediately downloaded the app. I started keeping track with my BGs and food-intake, much more so than I'd done in a long while; it became my accountability partner. After logging and tracking within the app for a few months, I started to realize the company was on to something. Their voice was all about change, all about healthcare disruption. And they were PWDs themselves! And devoted to making a change. With their fervent conversations on selfcare, their emphasis on design, and their upcoming meter and unlimited strips roll out, I had to be a part of this revolution.
Now we're talkin'.
And now, thankfully and gratefully, I am! I am part of this boisterous, fearless group of individuals in a new capacity. I am living and working with diabetes. I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by individuals who wake up and face this disease each and every day (and night, for all those sleepless ones with the nonstop beeping!); who are relentless in their fight to make a change. We've all been told a cure is coming. But until then, we are taking matters into our own hands. We are fighting this extraordinary fight, arm in arm, and we will not go gently. That is why we're here, doing what we're doing; not for the love of the job — the job is diabetes — but for the love of this community; for the love of the people (the millions of us all over the globe) who are being taken by this disease. While we may not have a cure, we have alternatives; at One Drop, we will always continue to fight for better care. Because we are all in this (the raging fight against diabetes), together.
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The National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom), in its annual report, has scaled down the growth projections to 7 per cent for India's information technology and outsourcing industry during 2009-10.
It may take some time for the IT segment to completely come out of trouble as the market has started to show signs of recovery due to improvement in global and domestic demand.
Nasscom Chairman, Pramod Bhasin said, "We predicted double-digit growth, albeit scaled down, in the middle of the slowdown, because we were still delivering for contracts made in previous years."
Country's IT software export stood at $46.3 billion for the financial year 2009, reporting an increase of 14 per cent as compared to financial year 2008. Domestic services and BPO reported revenue at Rs 57,000 crore in 2009 as compared to Rs 47,000 crore in the financial year 2008.
Urging IT companies to explore non-traditional markets, Nasscom president Som Mittal said, "Industry outlook is definitely on the domestic segment and unexplored markets like South America, West Asia, and blocks of Europe."
However, the industrial body did not put light on employment scenario, expected to remain uncertain given to slow recovery of the market.


This exhibition features an artist who has won a Tiffany in photography and who is publishing a book on the films of Antonioni. It features an artist who is on the short list of the next Shanghai Biennial. This artist has already had one person shows in China. It features artists who are also award winners in Hollywood and the commercial arts. It features painters, photographers, filmmakers and video artists. It features the works of an artist who is also a rising star independent curator. It features an artist born in England who is a photographer and videomaker and who is also an institutional curator in Los Angeles. It features a photographer who studied at Yale. All but one artist in the exhibition has an MFA from a prominent Southern California art school or university. That artist studied in New York. It features six African American women artists. It features an award winning artist and designer based in Portland. It features three Art Center College of Design MFAs. The exhibition catalog and zine are in progress. It will feature something I've never seen in Los Angeles, a collection of interviews of artists in the exhibition, almost all of whom are artists of color. The interviews trace each artist's creative life from their first recollections to the present. It features an artist from Lima, Peru. The exhibition catalog will of course document the exhibition, but it will also contain an essay on Photography and Time and a piece on how certain animals and birds perception of time is different than humans. The zine will contain the responses to the artist questionnaire. This too is something I've never seen in a publication of Los Angeles artists. It's something that happened often in Europe and was used by curators in New York as a tool to help understand the artist's work and unnveiled the philosophical positions on how they see their art. The exhibition will have a selection of additional works in an online only show. Up the road I plan on doing more interviews and inviting more artists to answer the questionnaire on photography and a new one I'm developing for art. The opening was well attended and included dealers, collectors and art writers amidst the many art lovers who spent last Sunday afternoon seeing so much new and great photo-based work. The show looks really great. Everyone who wants to see what an older generation of sharp, gifted and talented Los Angeles Artists is up to should come check out this amazing show. Thanks. Vincent Johnson.
Isabelle Lutterodt 19. Meditation on Stillness. 2017 Video.
14. Hello. 2014 C Print.
Exhibiting Artist Kathie Foley-Meyer with her work and Exhibiting Artist Buena Johnson in foreground.
The title of the exhibition alludes to the question of what is the photographic imaginary today.
The overarching theme of the photographic imaginary is essentially photography in its myriad manifestations from ideas of photography to conception and print.
This exhibition will explore several forms of the photographic imaginary, from the real to the unreal, from the dream to what appears to be unaltered and direct photographic truth.
The exhibited works are photo-based, not strictly only photography. There is both assemblage sculpture and video onboard.
The photographic imaginary is also the conscious state of having taken a photograph with the mind or the camera, but the image not yet being in the world in print.
The exhibition does not need or even ask for work of that speaks to any particular subject, as it is each artist's individual contemporary vision is the subject of the exhibition as platform for photographic visions.
The exhibition takes on Matisse's remark "Exactitude is not truth" as a challenge.
The exhibition opens March 12, 2017 at the Nan Rae Gallery at Woodbury University and will be available for viewing from March 10, 2017.
There will be a catalog published by Woodbury University, containing essays by George Porcari on Photography and Time, Glen Wilson on How Time is Perceived and Vincent Johnson on The Photographic Imaginary. The catalog will also contain the transcribed artist's audio interviews and exhibition documentation photography by Glen Wilson and Vincent Johnson. The catalog design and Social Media presence is designed by exhibiting artist Salvatore Reda.
A zine containing the responses to the artist questionnaire will also be published, with the possibility of a distinct one per artist.
A WordPress website will document the exhibition.
Today is March 6, 2017. Installation day.
This page will be updated starting today with documentation of the installation, by the installation crew from Hauser & Wirth gallery, Los Angeles.


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Q: How to let a wpf datagrid generate columns dynamically based on the content of a list? I have a collection of objects and each object contains a property of the type collection. My goal is to generate dynamically the datagrid columns based on the collection content and generate also the columns for the remaining properties, which are base types. It is important that a bool is displayed as a CheckBox.
My problem is: The resulting cell content of the dynamically generated columns would be an object (Trait in my object structure), and I want one of this objects properties to be displayed (Trait.Value). When I change content of a cell, the object behind should update.

*

*I thought of a DataTable, but when I add a row I need the column key and the value. When I set the value to a custom object, I couldn't see any possibility to display and edit a single property of the custom object.

*Second approach would be using dynamic objects, like in the following article:
Auto-Generating DataGrid Columns From DynamicObjects
, but I see the same proplem like DataTable
Additional Information:

*I am using mvvm (when it's necessary I would break this pattern)

*the datagrid should be editable

My object structure:
public class Model
{
    //ItemsSource
    public ObservableCollection<Person> Persons { get; set; }
}

public class Person
{
    public string Name { get; set; }

    //Generate Treats.Count columns
    public ObservableCollection<Treat> Treats { get; set; }
}

public class Treat
{
    //column header name
    public string Name { get; set; }

    //value that should be displayed
    public string Value { get; set; }
}

My ViewModel.cs with sample data:
public class ViewModel
{
    public Model Model { get; set; }

    public ViewModel()
    {
        #region Sample Data
        Model = new Model()
        {
            Persons = new ObservableCollection<Person>()
            {
                new Person()
                {
                    Name = "Peter",
                    Treats = new ObservableCollection<Treat>()
                    {
                        new Treat()
                        {
                            Name = "Look1",
                            Value = "Nice"
                        },
                        new Treat()
                        {
                            Name = "Look2",
                            Value = "Super Nice"
                        }
                    }
                },
                new Person()
                {
                    Name = "Manuel",
                    Treats = new ObservableCollection<Treat>()
                    {
                        new Treat()
                        {
                            Name = "Look1",
                            Value = "Bad"
                        },
                        new Treat()
                        {
                            Name = "Look2",
                            Value = "Super Bad"
                        }
                    }
                }
            }
        };
        #endregion
    }
}

Information to class Model.cs:

*

*property Persons is the binding collection, which should be used as the ItemsSource

*the columns of the datagrid should be generated based on the object Person. One column for the Name and n columns for the collection Treats.

The result based on my sample data is something like this:

A: Since, you have said you are okay to break MVVM pattern, please try the below approach.
OVERVIEW:

*

*Create a IvalueConverter to convert your itemsource to list of expandoobejcts

*In Code behind of the DataGrid (Loaded Event or SourceChanged event), add a code to generate columns manually
CODES:
Create Converter: PART 1  First we need to get the List of all possible columsn that might pop in (since we don't know the collections yet)
        ObservableCollection<Person> inputlist = (ObservableCollection<Person>)value;
        List<string> PossibleColumnList = new List<string>();
        PossibleColumnList.Add(nameof(Person.Name)); //since we need name header first.
        List<string> TempColumnList = new List<string>();
        foreach (Person P in inputlist)
        {
           foreach(Treat T in P.Treats)
            {
                if (TempColumnList.Contains(T.Name) == false) TempColumnList.Add(T.Name);
            }
        }
        TempColumnList.Sort();
        PossibleColumnList.AddRange(TempColumnList); //This way we get Name first and rest of the columns in sorted out manner

Create Converter: PART 2. Now create an IDictionary Object with all available colum headers
 IDictionary<string, object> ColumnHeaderDictionary = new Dictionary<string, object>();
        foreach (string columnheader in PossibleColumnList)
        {
            if (ColumnHeaderDictionary.ContainsKey(columnheader) == false) ColumnHeaderDictionary.Add(columnheader, new object());
        }

Create Converter: PART 3 Now iterate through all persons and create a IDictionary for each person model. Convert idictionary to expando object and store in final list
List<ExpandoObject> FinalList = new List<ExpandoObject>();

        foreach (Person p in inputlist)
        {
            ExpandoObject tempExpando = new ExpandoObject();
            IDictionary<string, object> TempDictionary = tempExpando as IDictionary<string, object>;
            foreach (var kvp in ColumnHeaderDictionary)
            {
                TempDictionary.Add(kvp);
            }
            TempDictionary[nameof(Person.Name)] = p.Name;
            foreach(Treat t in p.Treats)
            {
                TempDictionary[t.Name] = t.Value;
            }

            FinalList.Add(tempExpando);
        }
        return FinalList;

XAML CODE:
 <Window.DataContext>
    <local:ViewModel/>
</Window.DataContext>
<Grid x:Name="grdMain" DataContext="{Binding}">
    <DataGrid x:Name="dgMain" ItemsSource="{Binding ElementName=grdMain,Path=DataContext.Model.Persons,Converter={StaticResource NewConverter}}" Loaded="dgMain_Loaded" />
    </Grid>

CODE BEHIND: TO MANUALLY CREATE COLUMNS
private void dgMain_Loaded(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
    {
        DataGrid workinggrid = sender as DataGrid;
        ExpandoObject SingleExpando = (workinggrid.ItemsSource as List<ExpandoObject>).FirstOrDefault();
        if (workinggrid == null) workinggrid = new DataGrid();

        List<string> ColumHeaders = (SingleExpando as IDictionary<string, object>).ToList().Select(p => p.Key).ToList();

        foreach (string ColumnName in ColumHeaders)
        {
            var newcolumn = new DataGridTextColumn() { Header = ColumnName, Binding = new Binding(ColumnName) };
            workinggrid.Columns.Add(newcolumn);
        }
    }

FINAL OUTPUT:


We recently got the scoop on a fun and bubbly new track from Australian DJ/Producer/Songwriter, Anna Lunoe. Titled "Sip It", the gooey bit of scrumptious electro-pop was commissioned by the Spanish Cava (that's Spanish Champaign, basically) Segura Viudas and marks the beginning of an event partnership between Lunoe and the Segura Viudas peeps that will extend into the next 12 months. So down some bubbly and check out Lunoe's laptop creation.
Also worth a spin, Anna Lunoe's video for "All Out".


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Students of grade 1-12 will be promoted without taking exams: Sindh education minister
Web Desk 10:52 AM | 1 Jun, 2020
KARACHI - Sindh govt on Sunday announced that all the students of grades 1 to 12 will be promoted without having any examinations, including those who have failed their classes.
Education Minister Saeed Ghani said that there will be no special exams this year and students who want to improve any of their subjects will be provided with the opportunity to take exams next year.
"Private schools can open their educational institutions from Monday [today] if they want, but no school can start teaching without the permission of the government," the provincial education minister told a press conference in the port city.
The minister added the provincial government had already announced promoting students of grades 1 to 8 to the next grades due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ghani said that the same decision was later taken to promote students of grades 9 to 12 to the next grades. A sub-committee of the steering committee of the education department was constituted to clarify the matter, he added.
Ghani said the committee had made its recommendations after two to three meetings, and another meeting of the committee would be convened in the next two days.
According to the recommendations, since we have no record of the ninth and 11th graders, they will be promoted to the next grades without any marks, and when these students take their 10th and 12th-grade examinations, the marks obtained in those will be considered as marks for the ninth and 11th-grade exams as well.
He said students of grades 10 and 12 would be promoted to the next grades based on their results of grades 9 and 11, while 3% extra marks will be added to the marks obtained by them.
The education minister added that students who have been failing their classes will be given passing marks, while no special examination will be held this year, so those who want to improve their marks will also be promoted but given the opportunity to get their grades up next year.
Regarding the announcement of private educational institutions' associations about them reopening schools on June 15, the minister said the government has not yet declared the date of reopening schools, as the decision will be taken after reviewing the situation and formulating the education policy in the steering committee's meeting.
In the current situation, I don't think any parent would send their children to school, he added.
PM Shehbaz says Pakistan ready to complete IMF programme without further delay
PM orders inquiry as Energy minister suspects 'possible foreign intervention' behind Pakistan blackout
India invites Pakistan's Chief Justice, Foreign Minister for SCO moots
Cambridge announces whooping hike in exam fees for O and A Level students in Pakistan
Pakistan Finance Minister Ishaq Dar jets off to Qatar to woo investors


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Government bets £400m on bankrupt...
Alexander Gerst / ESA via Getty Images
Government bets £400m on bankrupt satellite company
The government has spent $500m (£400m) on a 45 per cent stake in bankrupt satellite company OneWeb.
The company had been in the process of building a network of 650 satellites positioned 1200km from Earth to transmit broadband and 5G coverage across the globe.
However, it was only able to populate the atmosphere with 75 satellites before the Covid-19 pandemic struck – the fallout of which the company blames for not being able to raise the required amount of funding.
By comparison Starlink, owned by Elon Musk – who also bid for the failed company – has 500 satellites currently in operation and plans to launch another 50 this month.
OneWeb filed for bankruptcy in March, triggering a bidding race for its assets.
The UK has just won the bidding war as part of a consortium with Indian mobile network operator Bharti Global. But it will need to wait until 10 July for confirmation of the deal, when the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York will rule on the sale.
The motivation for the bid is three pronged. The first is the hope that it might be able to replace EU's Galileo sat-nav system, which the UK was cut out of following brexit.
The second is the networks' potential impact on bolstering the UK's commercial space ambitions. Business Secretary Alok Sharma said it would help deliver the "first UK sovereign space capability" and that the deal "underlines the scale of Britain's ambitions on the global stage".
As a "high risk, high pay-off" science project, it has the hallmarks of a Cummings-driven call. Indeed, the FT notes he was instrumental in urging the investment. In his blog, Cummings has proselytised about potential UK space projects, like building a manned base on the moon.
Finally, there is the belief that the satellite network could provide hope for the UK's beleaguered 5G roll-out, which has been marred by prolonged prevaricating over whether to include Huawei in the network or not.
The capability to beam 5G down from the atmosphere could minimise the need to use Huawei equipment on the ground – something that would prove enticing for operators threatened by the prospect of a Huawei ban.
As part of the deal, moving some of the manufacturing to the UK has been discussed.
"The IoT's conquest of space has gained momentum in recent years, with the launch of several high-profile ventures as part of the 'NewSpace' movement, involving the development of the private spaceflight industry," said Sam Lucero, senior principal analyst, IoT at Omdia. "These ventures, including SpaceX's Starlink, Amazon's Project Kuiper, and Softbank-backed OneWeb, are bringing satellite-based broadband Internet access to areas underserved by terrestrial networks, and are helping to build credibility and investment for satellite operators focused on the IoT market opportunity, as well."
The UK's satellite industry has traditionally punched above its weight, with a report from 2016/17 showing that UK space industry accounted for an income of £14.8bn and 41,900 jobs.
UK plan to cultivate Huawei rival is "ludicrous", says analyst
Cisco and UCL to launch AI research centre as part of £77m commitment to UK tech
SpaceX and HPE are about to send a supercomputer into space


Carrauntoohill is Ireland's highest peak, positioned in the middle of the ring of Kerry in south west Ireland. This playground of mountains has a challenge for all mountaineers. Standing at 1,039m/ 3,409 ft tall, it is the central peak of the beautiful Macgillycuddy Reeks Mountain Range. Carrauntoohill is a serious mountain and not to be under estimated. Carrauntoohill's steep terrain present a challenge to all hikers and climbers, with so many routes you will not be disappointed. This inspiring peak has some of Ireland's best scenery even on a bad weather day. We look forward to showing you all of what Ireland's highest peak has to offer. Upcoming trips.
There are two other peaks in this range higher than 1,000m/ 3,281ft Beenkeragh 1,010m/ 3,314 ft and Caher 1,001m/ 3,284 ft. The peak of Carrauntoohill is topped by a large metal cross 5 metres (16 ft) tall. We climb using many different routes, the route will depend on weather and conditions on the mountain. Carrauntoohill is a challenging winter climb and if you can get to Carrauntoohill on a clear day, there is nowhere else you will want to be.
Most of our treks head through the Hags Glen towards two lakes where head right toward the western side of the mountain and the long ascent up to the summit via O'Shea's gully, this is our favorite route with spectacular views and nice scrambling on route.
The Devils ladder route has become more dangerous in recent years due to loose stones and over crowding. No special equipment is needed to climb the mountain, but caution is advised and we highly recommend hiring a guide. Alternatively, we can walk the two other 1,000m/ 3,281 ft peaks in a "horseshoe" trip, starting from the west. The traverse from highest point to the second highest involves a little scrambling but adds to the challenge of climbing in this spectacular mountain region.
We have highly qualified mountain rescue guides available at your service to lead you up and down safely and show you this amazing mountain from all sides. Join one of our groups climbing Carrauntoohill each and every month of the year.
Does this information excite you to take on our Carrauntoohill climb? If so, get in touch today. We pride ourselves on making sure that our clients have every opportunity to succeed on the mountains, including professional training advice, gear lists and video links on how to pack your bag, and much more. We are always available to answer any questions you may have by email, phone or skype, so contact us today!


I have over 26 years of experience in ALL areas of Real Estate. The Currie Group is a part of RE/MAX Agents Realty, and currently has 8 members, one who is specifically working short sales. We are very focused and dependable and are consistently in the top 5 Realtors in our area. Thank you for your business...we will take good care of your referrals!!


The late Deborah Kerr always represented a rare breed of movie actress: a lady first and foremost, who, even when playing women of dubious virtue, exuded an innate sense of class — even nobility.
Born in Scotland to an officer who'd been gassed in the First War, like an astonishing number of professionals, her naturally shy nature was able to transform itself above the footlights and on the set to create an actress of unusual distinction and versatility.
Like most all UK actors of the day, her training was hard-won on the British stage, and that hurdle neatly cleared, it was not long before she appeared in front of a camera — look for her in 1942's "Major Barbara," starring the incomparable Wendy Hiller.
Starring roles in British productions ensued, followed by the siren call of Hollywood. Over the years, she was nominated six times for the Best Actress Oscar, but never won. In 1994, with the effects of Parkinson's disease clearly in evidence, she accepted an honorary Oscar, and her gracious, eloquent acceptance spoke volumes about the special woman she was.
Though effortlessly elegant, she was hardly always "proper," and chafed at this image (as reflected in some of her role choices, like "Tea and Sympathy," where she plays a lonely teacher's wife who becomes involved with one of her students).
Making John Huston's "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison" in 1957, leading man Robert Mitchum was initially concerned about his co-star's supposed primness, until he heard her hurling some well-chosen epithets at director John Huston after a bungled take. Keep in mind Huston intimidated most actors, but not Ms. Kerr. A flabbergasted Mitchum collapsed in laughter, and two remained close friends up until his death (and also worked together once more).
Kerr plays a young Mother Superior attempting to establish a convent in India. Various crises and challenges occur under her watch. Scenic, literate British drama in early Technicolor, from director Michael Powell.
Deborah is memorable as a stifled officer's wife who falls into a passionate affair with a Sergeant (Burt Lancaster) on the eve of Pearl Harbor. This multiple Oscar winner was based on James Jones's novel.
Kerr is an intrepid teacher who travels to Siam to educate the King's many progeny. This glorious film is enhanced by a Rodgers and Hammerstein score, and Yul Brynner's signature performance as the testy monarch.
In this ensemble piece, Deborah plays a spinster who lives with her domineering mother (Gladys Cooper) in a small hotel in Bournemouth. The other guests include Burt Lancaster, Rita Hayworth, and an Oscar-winning David Niven.
Flavorful adventure features Kerr and Robert Mitchum as sheep drovers wandering the Australian Outback in the 1920s. Deborah and their teenage son (Michael Anderson, Jr.) want to settle, while Bob wants to keep moving.
Deborah's a governess who ventures to a remote country home to take charge of two orphaned children. It turns out the place is haunted, and the two kids are communing with the ghosts. Based on a Henry James story.


Is Allagash the best Maine city for your business?
Now you can skip hours of internet research and jump straight to getting answers with our meaningful at-a-glance Demographics Spreadsheet Report. With the most current & most popular demographic data, it's the perfect starting point for your research about Allagash and the rest of Maine.
All Allagash population data above are from the US Census Bureau.
The population data for Allagash are from the Census' American Community Survey 2017 5-year estimates and the Census' 2017 Population Estimates. The demographic data for East Central Penobscot, Mount Chase, Orient, St. Francis, and Webster are the most current, comparable demographics available from the US Census Bureau, are from the American Community Survey 2017 5-year estimates, and were downloaded on 6 December 2018. Check out our FAQ section for more details.
With 217 people, Allagash is the 401st most populated city in the state of Maine out of 523 cities. But watch out, Allagash, because East Central Penobscot with 210 people, Mount Chase with 211 people, and Orient with 210 people are right behind you.
The largest Allagash racial/ethnic groups are White (97.2%) followed by Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More (0.0%).
In 2017, the median household income of Allagash residents was $27,000. Allagash households made slightly more than St. Francis households ($26,932) and Webster households ($26,875) . However, 12.9% of Allagash residents live in poverty.
The median age for Allagash residents is 56.8 years young.
Looking for Allagash, ME Starter Report PDF? Click Here.


Celebrate the 20th anniversary of LEGO© Star Wars™ playsets with this detailed reinterpretation of Boba Fett's classic Slave I. This iconic 75243 LEGO Star Wars starship is the most detailed version to date with features such as a self-leveling cockpit seat and side wings, a carry handle for easy transport and trigger-fired spring-loaded shooters. This amazing LEGO Star Wars collectible construction toy also includes a closing rear hatch to store the Han Solo in Carbonite element and 4 LEGO Star Wars minifigures, plus a bonus Princess Leia minifigure and display stand with 20th anniversary logo to mark this momentous milestone in the history of LEGO Star Wars sets.
• Includes 4 LEGO© Star Wars™ minifigures: Boba Fett, Han Solo, Zuckuss and 4-LOM, plus a bonus 20th anniversary Princess Leia minifigure with display stand.
• Slave I LEGO© Star Wars™ set features a detachable cockpit canopy with space for a minifigure inside, a self-leveling cockpit seat and side wings, a carry handle, separate triggers for the 2 spring-loaded shooters, rotating guns and a closing rear hatch to store the Han Solo in Carbonite element.
• Weapons include 3 blasters, Han Solo's blaster pistol and Princess Leia's original blaster pistol for creative play.
• Princess Leia minifigure is a faithful representation of the original version from 2000 and includes a 20th anniversary logo.
• New-for-April-2019 details include a new molded head for Zuckuss and left/right angled stone 3x3 elements.
• This building toy makes a great LEGO© Star Wars™ gift for builders aged 9 and above.
• Slave I construction toy measures over 5" (13cm) high, 11" (29cm) long and 12" (31cm) wide.


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Home » Investing » Silver and Gold Stocks: Worth Owning in 2023?
Silver and Gold Stocks: Worth Owning in 2023?
The stock market took a breather from bears as inflation slowed. But recession fears still loom. Should you buy gold and silver stocks?
Published January 25, 12:45 pm EST
| More on: ABXGOLD
Warnings of a global recession are everywhere. Europe is already in recession, and the next up is the United States as the Federal Reserve continues to hike interest rates. So far, the stock market has been bullish in 2023 as the inflation rate slowed to 7%. A 7% rate is better than the 9% rate in June 2022, but it's way higher than the average inflation of 2%. High inflation means the purchasing power of paper currency is reducing. When that happens, prices of money alternatives like precious metals rise. But are gold and silver good investment options?
Should you invest in gold and silver?
As we move into the digital age, even paper currency is losing value as governments worldwide are creating their digital currencies. It's all about efficiency. The US dollar replaced gold as an international currency under the Bretton Woods Agreement, as paper currency was easier to carry and transport. In today's world, digital currency is becoming more efficient, since it enables faster transacting across borders and requires no printing cost.
So in a growing economy, precious metals are losing value, and they may not be the best investments if you seek capital appreciation. But they have their importance. Because when everything else fails, you go back to your roots.
Gold prices tend to rise when its substitute (the US dollar) falls. Thus, you should have precious metal stocks in your portfolio to hedge against inflation that reduces paper currency's purchasing power. A similar logic could work in the case of crypto, and gold can also be used as a hedge against a crypto bubble burst.
Nonetheless, you should not invest a significant amount in gold as it tends to underperform in a strong economy. A 3–5% portfolio exposure to precious metal stocks is a good mix. Between gold and silver, I would prefer the yellow metal over silver as the former has a higher value and is used as a reserve to print currency.
When investing in gold, you can opt for physical gold, gold ETFs, or gold mining stocks. The first two options give you a value against the underlying physical gold locked in a safe. It's more like betting on whether the gold price will rise from the point you bought it at. Unsurprisingly, Warren Buffett prefers the last option as mining stocks operate like a company and pay dividends, depending on production costs and inventory value.
A metal stock worth buying in 2023
The best gold mining stock to buy is the one that is a market leader, has little debt, and maintains low production costs. Since macroeconomic scenarios determine gold prices, mining companies can increase their profits by reducing expenses.
The one mining stock that ticks all the above boxes is Barrick Gold (TSX:ABX). Over the years, Barrick Gold has used the gains from gold peak prices to pay off debt and buy back shares. These efforts paid off as the company reported its first net cash reserve of $500 million in the first quarter of 2022. That is when the gold miner decided to share its excess cash with shareholders through performance dividends.
The base quarterly dividend is fixed at $0.10 per share. After every $500 million increase in net cash, the performance dividend increases by $0.5. So if its net cash increases to $1 billion, the performance dividend will increase to $0.10, resulting in a total dividend of $0.20 (base + performance). ABX stock paid a $0.20 dividend in the first two quarters and $0.15 in the third quarter, hinting at a strong balance sheet despite a 20% decline in the gold price from its March 2022 peak.
As the gold price rises amid a recession, Barrick Gold's stock price could double, and so could its dividends. After the dip in early November, ABX stock surged 43% and is now trading above $25. The stock still has the potential to surge to its pandemic high of $38, representing a 48% upside. It could also surge past $38 if the recession deepens.
However, I suggest putting the stock on your watchlist and buying it when it falls below $21. Take the recession as an opportunity to diversify your portfolio into some of the best Canadian stocks.
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Baking is a frequent hobby of junior Morgan Barlin, but while she likes to share her baked goods with others, she seldom eats the treats that she makes due to their high sugar content.
"Sugar for me is in the form of fruits [and] vegetables … so I usually just don't eat any desserts," Barlin said.
Barlin, along with other students, has become increasingly aware of added sugars in recipes and prepackaged foods.
In the interests of her health, senior Ally Rosenbaum said she is very conscious of what foods she eats.
Rosenbaum said she values knowing what ingredients are in prepackaged foods before consuming them. She has memorized many nutrition labels so she can decide if an option is healthy for her to eat.
According to clinical nutritionist Marcy Kirshenbaum, nutrition labels can be beneficial for consumers who want to become cognizant of possible toxins and unnatural additives, such as artificial sugars and sweeteners, that may be in processed products. "Hidden sugars" are often found in processed foods under the guise of chemical labels. These foods are often still advertised as healthy options in stores, claiming to be low-fat or gluten-free.
Kirshenbaum said people can begin to limit sugar intake by removing sweetened drinks from their diets and introducing more fruits, vegetables and proteins from quality sources. As a result, general hunger decreases, leaving less room for processed foods.
As of Aug. 1, 2017, the Cook County Department of Revenue has put in place the Sweetened Beverage Tax, in part to limit sugar consumption from sodas, sports drinks and unnatural juices, according to the Sweetened Beverage Tax ordinance. The tax, stimulated by organizations such as the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association, among others, aims to curb obesity and other serious health concerns. This tax charges sugary beverages at an additional one cent per ounce. Several district council members did not return phone calls seeking comment on the tax.
According to Kirshenbaum, in addition to cutting out sweetened drinks and artificially flavored foods, people should take time to find foods that are produced naturally and are less manufactured, resulting in less added sugar.
By limiting her added sugar intake and favoring natural ingredients, Barlin said she sees a noticeable difference in her mood and behavior.


The police authority in Lagos has reassured residents of its capability to ensure their safety before, during and after the 2019 General Election.
Consequently, a total number of 2,350 police personnel have been deployed on a procession of the nooks and crannies of the state to warn prospective trouble makers of the dire consequence that awaits them.
The Commissioner of Police Lagos Command, Edgal Imohimi gave the reassurance on Saturday when he led sister security agencies on a procession exercise across the state tagged "Operation Show of FORCE".
Addressing journalists at Coker junction Ilupeju during the exercise, Edgal said the show of force is a friendly one to sensitive the public, especially electorates that they are safe before, during and after the election.
"As you can see our effort is a collaborative one. As you can see we have the military, civil defence and the Neighbourhood Safety Corps who are grass root people who know the nooks and crannies of the city.
"The show of force is basically to show that we are fully prepared psychologically and physically for the election".
Edgal, who was in company of the Lagos State Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC), Tajudeen Balogun, Representative of the Nigeria Airforce Squadron Leader A.A Arekekun and other senior police officers assured that the election will not only be peaceful but free from any intimidation, harassment and violence.
He therefore appealed to the electorates to come out during the election to exercise their franchise without fear, assuring that the force is determined to exhibit highest level of professionalism.
"We intend to exhibit highest level of professionalism, Lagosians should not panic because of this exercise. It is to reassure them of the ability of the force to provide adequate security. We appeal to all electorates to come out to exercise their franchise without fear".