text:
Coronavirus | Ventilators from firms failed in trial : The Hindu
August 26, 2020 कलम की कड़क धार 0 Comments
2 companies that got ₹22 cr. advance in May later dropped from Ministry list.
By Priscilla Jebaraj , Via https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/coronavirus-ventilators-from-firms-funded-by-pm-cares-fail-trials/article32416810.ece
Two firms given purchase orders for indigenously manufactured ventilators for COVID-19 treatment funded by PM-CARES have failed a clinical evaluation by the Health Ministry's technical committee, according to information accessed through the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
The firms — Jyoti CNC Automation and Andhra Pradesh MedTech Zone (AMTZ) — had already received ₹22.5 crore in advance payment in May, when the PM CARES allocation was made. However, by July, they were dropped from the list, according to the Ministry's response to an RTI request filed by activist Anjali Bhardwaj.
Jyoti CNC is a Gujarat-based firm whose ventilators were slammed as inadequate for critical COVID-19 patients by the Ahmedabad civil hospital.
AMTZ is run by the Andhra Pradesh government. Although its ventilators were not included in the list of recommended suppliers post clinical evaluation, according to the Health Ministry's July 20 response, the AMTZ orders were mentioned during an August 4 press briefing by Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.
Falling numbers
The reduction in the list of manufacturers post-clinical evaluation has cut down the PM CARES order for "Made in India" ventilators from the planned 58,850 units to 40,000, with price tags ranging widely from ₹1.6 lakh to ₹ 8.6 lakh per unit. Less than 18,000 units have so far been delivered for installation in hospitals.
As of August 3, only 0.27% active COVID-19 cases were on ventilator support across the country, said Mr. Bhushan, adding that at no time were there more than 1% of cases which needed ventilator support. This means that, cumulatively, there have been less than 30,000 COVID-19 patients who have required ventilator support since the beginning of the pandemic.
Recognising that the domestic demand for ventilators may not be as acute as earlier projected, the Centre lifted its export ban on August 1, allowing domestic manufacturers to start taking their products to the global market.
The situation was very different a year ago. In 2019, the annual supply of ventilators in India was only about 8,500 units, with 75% of the market share held by imported equipment, according to Mr. Bhushan.
The pandemic led to a global spike in demand for ventilators, with several producing countries imposing export restrictions, and the cost of imported ventilators shooting up to ₹10-20 lakh each. The Centre then calculated a projected domestic demand for 60,000 units and called for domestic manufacturers to step up production.
The PM CARES fund announced its first allocations on May 13, including a sum of ₹2,000 crore for the purchase 50,000 "Made in India" ventilators "for augmenting the infrastructure to tackle COVID-19 cases across the country". These ventilators would be provided to government-run COVID hospitals in all States and Union Territories for better treatment of the critical cases, said an official statement.
On May 18, advisor to Prime Minister Bhaskar Khulbe wrote to then-Health Secretary Preeti Sudan asking for a detailed proposal for the purchase.
With GPS tracking
"I would request you to ensure that the manufacturers of these 50,000 ventilators are informed that the ventilators bear a distinct identity to show that the supply has been supported through PM CARES Fund. Further, all these ventilators must have an embedded GPS device so as to track their placement and operation," said the letter, accessed through Ms. Bhardwaj's RTI request.
On May 20, Ms. Sudan responded, promising to ensure the PM CARES logo and GPS chips on the devices, and noting that the Ministry had already placed orders for 58,850 ventilators at a total cost of ₹ 2,332 crore. This included 30,000 units from state-run defence manufacturer Bharat Electronics Limited at an order value of ₹1,513.9 crore, with ₹205.5 crore paid as an advance.
Ms Sudan's letter also said that Health Ministry PSU Hindustan Lifecare Ltd (HLL) was tasked with procuring the remaining ventilators. On March 27, it had already placed a purchase order with AgVa Healthcare for 10,000 ventilators at an order value of ₹166 crore with an advance payment of more than ₹20 crore.
Other companies which received purchase orders by May 20 included Allied Medical (350 units at ₹30 crore, no advance), AMTZ for both basic and high end ventilators (13,500 units at ₹ 500 crore, ₹ 14.5 cr advance) and Jyoti CNC Automation (5,000 units at ₹121 crore, ₹8 crore advance).
The Ministry's July 20 RTI response included the same list of purchase orders. Then it added, "However, the technical committee constituted under DGHS [Directorate General of Health Services], after successful clinical evaluation, so far recommended the following ventilators for installation in various States." The subsequent list does not include AMTZ or Jyoti CNC.
On May 15, Ahmedabad civil hospital superintendent J.V. Modi had written to the State government's medical services provider, saying that the Dhaman-1 ventilators manufactured by Jyoti CNC were "not able to bring desired results" according to the head of the anesthesia department. He asked the State provider to immediately acquire high end ICU ventilators instead. The opposition Congress party in the State has called for an inquiry.
With regard to AgVa Healthcare, the online publication HuffPost has reported that the government's clinical evaluation committee report dated June 1 said AgVa machines "should not be considered as a replacement for high-end ventilators in tertiary care ICUs", adding that "There should be a provision for backup ventilator in the facility where these ventilators are used." However, they stayed on the list of vendors, according to the RTI response.
An investigation by The Hindu group's Frontline magazine found that Allied Medical is the only manufacturer on the list with the required certification, accreditation and prior experience in making and supplying high-end ventilators. As of the first week of July, only Allied Medical had completed delivery of its order. Frontline cited clinical equipment industry experts who said that AgVa and AMTZ had no prior experience in manufacturing high-end ventilators, which is time consuming.
(with inputs from Mahesh Langa in Gujarat)
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Nestled inside the Universal Windows Application Development Tools for Visual Studio 2015 that was released last week are a few improvements that will make network and cloud connectivity much smoother.
Lucian Wischik, a Microsoft program manager with the Managed Languages team, recently blogged extensively on the release of the Universal Windows Application Development Tools for Visual Studio 2015 last week. It's a timely release, since it supports development of Windows 10-based apps on a myriad number of devices upon which Windows 10 now runs.
Developers using Visual Studio 2015 Community Edition get the most recent version of the tools by default, and you can get it immediately by clicking the link on Wischik's blog, and even so, users of the Community edition should check for the most recent updates, as there have been a number of new features with the release of Windows 10. Those using Professional or Advanced need to download it explicitly, and it's available at VisualStudio.com.
System.Net.Sockets -- for asynchronous socket communication, it has "been significantly changed to eliminate dependencies on APIs that are not part of .NET Core, as well as to use the same underlying threading APIs as other WinRT APIs."
System.Net.Http -- Not new, but enhanced to support HTTP/2, a version of HTTP that is supposed to provide much lower latency from Web apps. Also, with HTTP/2 support, a version of HTTPclient has been replaced by a "lightweight wrapper on top of native Windows OS HTTP components such asWindows.Web.Http, which is based on WinINet," with the benefit of improving memory consumption of .NET apps on Windows 10.
For the most part, Nabar writes that these APIs appear similar, but it's "the underlying implementation for some of these APIs has undergone a significant change as we move from the .NET Framework to .NET Core."
As well, he writes that libraries related to System.Net.HttpWebRequest and System.Net.HttpWebResponse have been "provided purely for backward compatibility and to unblock usage of .NET libraries that use these older APIs."


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Q: What does a Ruby case expression mean without an expression to inspect? Take this example Ruby expression:
case
  when 3 then "foo"
  when 4 then "bar"
end

I was surprised to learn that this is not a syntax error. Instead, it evaluates to "foo"!
Why? What are the syntax and evaluation rules being applied here?

A: In this form of the case expression, the then clause associated with the lexically first when clause that evaluates to a truthy value is evaluated.
See clause b) 2) of §11.5.2.2.4 Semantics of the ISO Ruby Language Specification (bold emphasis mine):

Semantics
A case-expression is evaluated as follows:

*

*a) […]

*b. The meaning of the phrase "O is matching" in Step c) is defined as follows:

*

*[…]

*If the case-expression is a case-expression-without-expression, O is matching if and only if O is a trueish object.

*c) Take the following steps:

*

*Search the when-clauses in the order they appear in the program text for a matching when-clause as follows:

*

*i) If the operator-expression-list of the when-argument is present:

*I) For each of its operator-expressions, evaluate it and test if the resulting value is matching.

*II) If a matching value is found, other operator-expressions, if any, are not evaluated.

*ii) If no matching value is found, and the splatting-argument (see 11.3.2) is present:

*I) Construct a list of values from it as described in 11.3.2. For each element of the resulting list, in the same order in the list, test if it is matching.

*II) If a matching value is found, other values, if any, are not evaluated.

*iii) A when-clause is considered to be matching if and only if a matching value is found in its when-argument. Later when-clauses, if any, are not tested in this case.

*If one of the when-clauses is matching, evaluate the compound-statement of the then-clause of this when-clause. The value of the case-expression is the resulting value.

*If none of the when-clauses is matching, and if there is an else-clause, then evaluate the compound-statement of the else-clause. The value of the case-expression is the resulting value.

*Otherwise, the value of the case-expression is nil.

The RDoc documentation, while much less precise, also states that truthiness is the selection criteria, when the condition is omitted; and lexical ordering determines the order in which when clauses are checked (bold emphasis mine):

case
The case statement operator. Case statements consist of an optional condition, which is in the position of an argument to case, and zero or more when clauses. The first when clause to match the condition (or to evaluate to Boolean truth, if the condition is null) "wins", and its code stanza is executed. The value of the case statement is the value of the successful when clause, or nil if there is no such clause.

A: It is by design that case statement without a value to match against behaves as an if statement.
It is actually the same as writing:
if 3
  'foo'
elsif 4
  'bar'
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Blake Griffin: Warriors-Clippers is Not a Rivalry
by Marcel Mutoni November 20, 2015
Incredibly, the Golden State Warriors-LA Clippers tilt Thursday night surpassed its considerable pre-game hype, and left everyone—with the possible exception of the Clips themselves—thirsting for the next battle between these two bitter rivals.
Blake Griffin, for one, says there's no true rivalry here; the Clippers clearly have a ton of ground to make up in order to catch up with the defending NBA champs.
Blake Griffin "I wouldn't really say this is a rivalry. We're trying to get where they are"
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) November 20, 2015
For what it's worth, Clippers head coach and team president Doc Rivers thinks his team isn't too far away.
Per the AP and OC Register:
"Obviously, you don't get a trophy for it, but it's just a nice story line and a nice way to start the season," (Stephen) Curry said. "We want to enjoy this." […] Klay Thompson added 25 points, Harrison Barnes had 21 and Draymond Green 19 for the Warriors, one of four teams in NBA history to open 13-0. The defending champs improved to 6-0 on the road while completing the biggest comeback in the league this season.
The Warriors were 11 of 15 from the field in the fourth, when they made nine of 10 free throws and outrebounded the Clippers 11-6. […] "Those numbers are insane," said Clippers star Blake Griffin, who had 27 points but was limited to one free throw and three shots in the fourth. "They're the better team. We're trying to get to where they're at."
"We know we're close," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "But close isn't good enough." […] Just as in the teams' first meeting, the Clippers held a sizable fourth-quarter lead – this time nine. And just as in the last meeting, it wasn't enough.
Blake Griffin Golden State Warriors LA Clippers
Stephen Curry Is Playing With A Chip On His Shoulder This Season
Heat Check 2020-21: Los Angeles Clippers
Heat Check 2020-21: Golden State Warriors
Damian Lillard Thinks There Is No Rivalry Between Clippers and Trail Blazers
Marquese Chriss Out For Season With Broken Leg

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Central Kitsap Schools » News & Events » News » District News » Congratulations Carla Yenko!
We're not the only ones who think our most recent Classified Employee of the Year is terrific. Now the whole region agrees!
With an impressive engineering background, Carla supports OHS students in math at all levels.
This is Carla's fourth year at Olympic High School. What a difference she has made! Carla started a math tutoring program that now serves hundreds of students each week.
Carla is loved by students and colleagues alike for her passion and sunny disposition. She has been with our district for more than 15 years, and we are grateful for her many contributions.
Classified employees work behind the scenes to help make our schools better for our students. The classified employee of the year program honors their often-unsung work.
As a regional finalist, Carla is now a nominee for State Classified Employee of the Year. We are proud to congratulate Carla Yenko and wish her luck in the state-level competition!


text:
({
    selector: {
        moduleCmpWithAuraClass: 'moduletest-button.moduleTestAuraClassTest'
    },

    testAuraClassIsSetOnModuleComponent: {
        test: [
            function(cmp) {
                $A.test.assertNotNull(
                    document.querySelector(this.selector.moduleCmpWithAuraClass),
                    "Aura class not applied to module component, cannot find element '" + this.selector.moduleCmpWithAuraClass + "'"
                );
            }
        ]
    }
})

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Calgary Macleod Trail Travelodge Hotel Macleod Trail Travelodge Hotel is located in the city of Calgary. The Big Four Building, Calgary Exhibition and Stampede and the Calgary Olympic Plaza are within a radius of 9 kilometres. Guests can visit the Aerospace Museum and Calaway Park that are 15 kilometres away.
The hotel offers comfortable guestrooms that are well equipped with a host of in room amenities including a coffee maker, ironing board and others. Guests can dine at the onsite restaurant and bar that offers a range of menu. A refreshing swimming pool and spa is also available onsite.


text:
Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson healthy on Day 1 of camp
On their first day of training camp, the Texans practiced with a fully healthy Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson for the first time in almost 10 months on Saturday morning at the Methodist Training Center.
Johnson, who had arthroscopic knee surgery in May, and Schaub, who had a season-ending Lisfranc injury last November, were both unable to participate in OTAs (organized team activities) in the spring. They hadn't gone through a full practice together since Sept. 30, the week leading up to the Texans' game against the Pittsburgh Steelers last season.
"It was good," Texans head coach Gary Kubiak said of having his two Pro Bowlers on the field. "Early in practice, I thought they both looked very sharp. You've got to remember, Matt hadn't been in the huddle in eight months… He's got a lot of work to do at this camp. Obviously, those guys are big pieces of our puzzle, and with some of the young offensive movement we've got going on here, those guys have to remind constant and they need to have a great camp."
Schaub wasted little time catching up with Johnson, completing passes to his star wideout on the first two plays of 9-on-7 drills. The first was on a 10-yard comeback route to the left side. Johnson made a diving grab on the right sideline for the second one, drawing a massive cheer from the 5,012 fans in attendance.
"It was like riding a bike because we've been doing it for so long together now and working all summer," Schaub said. "It's what we've been doing. But yeah, it was good to get him the ball early and get it his way and get everyone going. It was nice to be out there."
Johnson said he "didn't have any problems" with his left knee. He said he was especially looking forward to this year's training camp after missing so much time last season with injuries.
"To be honest, I really couldn't sleep last night," Johnson said. "I was just so antsy to get back out here and just be with my teammates… It was exciting to just be back out here in front of the fans. Driving up to the stadium this morning, you could see how many fans were out here. Everybody is anticipating the season and having big expectations, but we have to get the work done out here first."
Schaub also reported no pain in his surgically-repaired right foot. He is practicing with no restrictions on the field.
"Everything feels really good, really strong," he said after practice. "I feel as good as I did before I had the injury.
"I wish we were still out here for another hour-and-a-half, two hours. It's just great to be out here. Everyone's so excited. The anticipation of camp, the countdown started in May for me, anyway. I was probably here at 6:30 (Saturday morning), taped and ready to go, looking in my locker wondering where everyone was. It was exciting to get back out, get back in the huddle with my guys."
Twitter.com/NickScurfield
J.J. Watt named 2017 Walter Payton Man of the Year | Moments That Make You Smile Champion
Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt was named the 2017 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.
Breakfast: Jadeveon Clowney No. 32 on Top 100
Jadeveon Clowney makes his second consecutive appearance on the NFL Top 100 Players list.
Week Slant: Lessons in rap and graduations
It was a busy week of graduations and a rap beef broke out in the middle of it.
Breakfast: The birth of Madden
On June 1, 1988, exactly thirty years ago today, an icon was born.
O'Brien: Kevin Johnson playing with more patience
Kevin Johnson has quietly been working this offseason to get back to being the best version of himself.
Texans OTAs: Week 2 Notes and Quotes
The Texans took OTAs inside for Wednesday's session and here are some notes and quotes from the Week 2.
Jadeveon Clowney out for OTAs
Jadeveon Clowney will not be practicing during OTAs, according to head coach Bill O'Brien.
Breakfast: Mercilus feels better than ever
After the first week of OTAs, Whitney Mercilus did not hesitate when asked how he felt in his return to the football field.
Breakfast: Breaking down the NFL Top 100
The NFL Network show The Top 100 Players of 2018 is my favorite show on television.
Pop Warner awards Texans as Team of the Year
The Houston Texans will be presented with the NFL Team of the Year award at the 58th Annual All-American Scholars Banquet this Saturday, May 26.
Bob, Janice McNair help students pay for college
Bob and his wife Janice McNair awarded over $1.1 million to graduating seniors in Rutherford County, North Carolina.
Breakfast: Watt ranked on ESPN World Fame 100
DE J.J. Watt was ranked 72nd on ESPN's World Fame 100 list.


This pass lies 12km to the NE of Lydenburg on a private nature rerseve. Translated it means Gold Fields Pass. It is a gravel pass but is generally maintained to a reasonable level and will be suitable for most vehicles in dry weather. Like all gravel roads, they can quickly deteriorate in rainy weather and become slippery, muddy, corrugated and potholed. The pass traverses a narrow valley bisected by the Spekboomrivier, which boasts two classically designed high arched, stone bridges along it's course - the downstream bridge is the old road bridge and the one about 2 km further upstream is the rail bridge, but the rail bridge is not visible from the R36. The valley opens up progressively towards the south-east. This is a dead end road and lies on private property and is only accessible to guests staying at one of the lodges in the Mount Anderson Reserve.
A straightforward, easy tarred pass suitable for all vehicles, on the N11 between Volksrust and Amersfoort, that clears a neck on the eastern side of the aptly named Graskop mountain [2203m] which is completely covered in grass, about 16 km north of Volksrust. It's a pass with an average gradient of 1:38 over a distance of 4,37 km with the steepest parts being at 1:10. This pass should not be confused with the much bigger and more majestic Grasnek Pass in the Baviaanskloof, in the Eastern Cape.
A tricky, high-altitude gravel pass a few kilometres north-east of Dullstroom with lots of stones, deep ruts and steep inclines. It offers lovely scenery and challenging driving, with the road reaching a maximum altitude of 2102m ASL. At 12,5 km it's much longer than the national average and although the average gradient is a pleasant 1:28 the steepest section occurs at the 6 km mark and it has gradients as steep as 1:6. If it's raining, take extra precautions here and moderate your speed to suit the conditions. The road is not suitable for vehicles with low clearance and even 4x4's will have issues here in wet weather. We issue a cautionary for bikers.
Hennings Pass is an off the beaten track gravel road, becoming a jeep-track that is only suitable for 4WD vehicles. It lies near the Verloren Valei and runs in a southerly direction along the banks of the Crocodile River. It is roughly 20km SE of Dullstroom and 18 km NW of Machodorp (as the crow flies). For those wanting to drive this route, please note that is slow going and it is an out and back route, so allow plenty of time.
As far as passes go this is really not much of a pass with a moderate altitude variance of 52m and only short sections even vaguely resembling a true mountain pass, but it is an official pass and is recorded as such on the official government 1:50,000 maps.
So why drive it? This road is remote and you will more than likely be the only vehicle there. So if you enjoy being away from the crowds and in the bush, then by all means go and drive this one. The road is a dead-end and ends at a farm, so the entire route has to be backtracked when you are done.
Mpumalanga is rich in natural beauty and what better way to experience this than driving some of the fabulous passes the province has to offer. Rich in forests with fast flowing rivers and multiple waterfalls and major attractions like the Blyde River Canyon, Bourkes Luck Potholes, Pilgrims Rest and the many game reserves, it's no wonder local and foreign tourists alike flock to this region. Often the real gems are the smaller passes tucked away in the backwaters where few people get to. Jaap se Hoogte is one of those passes.


Quiz: Quiz: What can the EITC do for you?
Quiz: What can the EITC do for you?
In 2010, nearly 27 million Americans claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for a total of $59.5 billion. Could you use some of that cash? Then take our quiz to find out if you qualify and how to claim your money.
The EITC is an income tax credit designed to help which of the following segments of American taxpayers?
Which of the following is considered the most successful anti-poverty program enacted by the U.S. federal government?
How many Americans were kept out of poverty in 2010 by the money they received through the EITC?
If you are a single adult, head of household or widow(er) with no children, what is the maximum amount of money you can earn in a year and still qualify for the EITC?
What is the maximum amount of money you can earn as a married couple with three or more children and still qualify to receive the EITC?
Which of the following annual income levels results in the largest possible EITC for married couples with one or more children?
True or False: You don't need to earn any money to qualify for the EITC.
Which of the following is NOT a requirement to qualify for the EITC?
Which of the following filing methods is NOT accepted when claiming the EITC?
To claim an EITC with children, your children need to "qualify" under IRS rules. Which of the following children would NOT qualify under those rules?
If your child is a full-time student, how old can that kid be and still count as a "qualifying child" for EITC purposes?
If you're claiming the EITC without any children, can you claim the credit after the age of 65?
Which of the following does NOT count as earned income under the EITC rules?
True or false: You can still qualify for the EITC even if you have a small amount of foreign earned income.
What is the maximum amount of money you can earn in investment income and still receive an EITC?
In what year was the EITC created?
The EITC is a "refundable" tax credit, meaning it can lower your tax burden below zero, resulting in a refund. Which of the following tax credits are also refundable?
How many families that are eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit fail to claim it each tax year?
What is the maximum EITC dollar amount that you can possibly receive for tax year 2011?
How much money does the IRS wrongfully pay out in EITC claims each year based on incorrect earnings calculations?


text:
Majors/
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations/
Animal Science/
Overall Most Popular/
Related Majors
Major Navigation >
Top Online
Popular Online
in this report
Best by Location
2021 Most Popular Animal Science Schools in Pennsylvania
These Are The Most Well Attended Colleges for Animal Science in Pennsylvania
Animal Science falls under the Agriculture & Agriculture Operations field. 6,896 Animal Science students graduate each year from Agriculture & Agriculture Operations programs. Animal Science is the 75th most popular major within the U.S.
Pennsylvania Schools Offering Animal Science Listed in Order of Popularity
For additional details about how the most popular Animal Science colleges were picked below, review the ranking overview.
Showing college(s) sorted by Most PopularTop RankedBest ValueHighest PaidTop OnlineFocusedPopular OnlineVeteransNon-Traditional Students
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School Name Location Show Colleges From:Anyplace in The USA Cancel
It's difficult to beat Pennsylvania State University - University Park if you want to study Animal Science. University Park, Pennsylvania is the best setting for students who appreciate the active urban lifestyle.
Merely 5.2% of Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus graduates have defaulted on their student loans. That is striking, when the default average is 7.0%. Freshman students are not required to live on-campus at Pennsylvania State University - Main Campus. Find each of the essential details on Penn State by viewing their scorecard.
Delaware Valley University is a good decision for students pursuing an Animal Science degree. We have determined that the Animal Science degree program at DelVal is very focused. This school is located in the suburban region of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, near to shops and other amusement.
Over 92.0% of Delaware Valley University students get some kind of financial assistance. Even if you're not from Pennsylvania, you won't feel like the odd one out at this school. Around 47.7% of undergrads are from out-of-state. Want to know more details on Delaware Valley University's campus? Have a virtual tour.
Harcum College is one of the best schools in the United States for Animal Science. The campus of is in , .
This school also has grad degree programs for students who want to carry on after earning a bachelor's degree. This school does not require first-year students to live on-campus. Obtain each of the vital specifics on by viewing their scorecard.
Pennsylvania State University - York
Pennsylvania State University - York is a great choice for students pursuing an Animal Science degree. The specific location of York, Pennsylvania, is great for individuals who opt for a less busy, suburban spot.
This institution knows a lot about handling the unique needs of international students, since 14.0% of its undergraduate population is from outside the United States. Around 82.0% of freshmen return to Pennsylvania State University - Penn State York for their following year of school. A virtual tour could be a great way to learn more about Pennsylvania State University - Penn State York.
Related Rankings


text:
Joshua Bassett Net Worth: How Much Fortune Does He Make in His Early Career?
As of 2022, American actor and singer Joshua Bassett's net worth of $1 million US; became well-known after he played the vital part of Ricky Bowen in the popular TV show High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. After being on this show, he became very well-known in the movie and drama business.
He is a multitalented star who became well-known in both movies and music. Besides film, Joshua Bassett has also put out several singles and extended plays during his career.
Joshua has almost 3 million followers on Instagram, showing his social media popularity. So, let's quickly talk about Joshua Bassett's total Net Worth, including his income, earnings, assets, car collections, luxury lifestyle, career, biography, personal investments, and more.
Joshua Bassett's Net Worth
Sites say that Joshua Bassett's net worth will be around $1 million US dollars by 2022. He has been in several shows and is one of the best up-and-coming actors in the United States. Joshua Bassett brings in more than $15,000 a month. He just started his career, but it looks like Joshua will be one of the best American actors in a few years.
READ MORE: Kate Grace Net Worth: How Much Worth Does She Make in 2022?
He makes a good amount of money from TV shows, short films, and web series. Joshua Bassett makes more than $100,000 a year. Aside from acting, he also makes money from singing and promoting brands. The actor has almost 500,000 people who follow him on YouTube.
Joshua Taylor Bassett was born in Oceanside, California, in the United States, on December 22, 2000. Joshua's five sisters are Alison, Claire, Ashley, Winter, and Hannah Bassett. Taylor Bassett, his father, is an experienced pianist and drummer, and Laura Bassett, his mother, is a real estate agent.
He went to school at home and then to college at Palomar College in San Marcos, California. Joshua's dream since childhood was to be an actor and singer.
READ MORE: T-pain Net Worth: Take a Look at His Ca Collection!
At seven, he was able to act in a musical theatre show. Since then, Joshua has been in more than 30 musical theatre shows and a few TV commercials.
Joshua Bassett's big break came in 2019 when he played Ricky Bowen in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, which was the leading role. Before that show, Joshua played his characters in Lethal Weapon (2017), Game Shakers (2018), and Dirty John (2017). (2018).
The same year, he played Aidan Peters on the Disney Channel TV show "Stuck in the Middle." This was his first significant role. Joshua Bassett also did movies, but he signed a deal with "Warner Records," and in 2020, his first single, "Common Sense," came out.
READ MORE: Shep Rose Net Worth: What is His Marital Status?
Even with all the five of them trying to make acting their care career the same year, he released his second single, "Anyone Else," which got almost 5 million YouTube views. Joshua Bassett's self-titled first EP came out on March 12, 2021. The lead single was "Lie Lie Lie." Over 13 million people have watched the song's official music video on YouTube. Joshua released three new songs in December 2021. They were called "Set Me Free," "Crisis," and "Secret."
In 2019, Joshua Bassett started dating Olivia Rodrigo, a well-known actress. They got to know each other on the set of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Many of their social media posts showed them together, but they broke up at the end of 2020.
Reports and rumors say that Joshua started dating the American singer Sabrina Carpenter in 2022.
Joshua Basset, one of Hollywood's up-and-coming actors, has been in many TV commercials. He is putting his name behind products like the Google Nest Video Doorbell, the Hyundai Sonata, and many more.
What is the Middle Name of Joshua Bassett?
Joshua T. Bassett
Olivia or Joshua Broke Up First?
My boyfriend finally gave in to my January request a week before Olivia Rodrigo's first album, SOUR, came out. He broke up with me a day before Olivia's song "good 4 u," which is all about breaking up, came out. I was lucky: my wish came true, and I could fully understand Olivia's pain.
Did Olivia Date Joshua?
It is said that Olivia Rodrigo and Joshua Bassett started dating.
Fans are sure they were dating and broke up in 2020, even though they have never said they were.
Hey, everyone! This is the end of the section where we discussed Joshua Bassett's net worth and life story. We enjoy reading your comments and thoughts, and we'll give you a piece of the report. Then, share this helpful article with your friends and on social media with anyone who likes to see how their favorite young celebrities live and how much money they have. Thanks.
Categories: Net Worth


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You are here: Home / Home / Carousel / 'Lifesaving, life-sustaining and life-restoring': Repairers of the Breach celebrates 30 years of serving homeless residents
'Lifesaving, life-sustaining and life-restoring': Repairers of the Breach celebrates 30 years of serving homeless residents
December 29, 2021 by PrincessSafiya Byers Leave a Comment
Tommy Kirk, pictured with board president Rebecca North, has been with Repairers of the Breach for a year and enjoys connecting people to what they need. (Photo by PrincessSafiya Byers)
The Rev James West, the executive director of Repairers of the Breach, spent three months trying to lose 30 pounds — a pound for every year the nonprofit that serves Milwaukee's homeless residents has been open.
He knew he needed to start a weight loss journey and was motivated by the idea that it could help Repairers of the Breach, 1335 W. Vliet St., raise money to expand its reach.
So Repairers of the Breach launched the 30 for 30 campaign, which allowed people to pledge money for every pound West lost.
West ultimately lost 17 pounds and raised $1,500. He said the experience helped him find a new way of looking at how his organization serves the community.
"Lifestyle changes are hard and that made me think about the people we serve," West said. "If that one lifestyle change was that hard for me, and I have the means to do it, imagine how difficult they are for the people we serve."
'Lifesaving, life-sustaining and life-restoring'
The nonprofit opened in 1991 and focused on advocating for and with people facing homelessness. Three years later, it became Milwaukee's first daytime homeless resource center.
Since then, it has continued to grow. Repairers of the Breach operates on a $1.17 million budget and serves about 80 people daily, West said.
"Our goal is lifesaving, life-sustaining and life-restoring," he said. "To celebrate 30 years, we want to dig into that life-restoring piece."
He said Repairers of the Breach hopes to raise enough money to give at least five people the opportunity "not to worry" for six months to a year.
"It'll be kind of a pilot program," West said. "If we take care of their housing, food, basic needs and therapy if they need it for at least six months, we allow them not to worry and to be able to that restoring that we want."
Tommy Kirk, center manager for Repairers of the Breach, said the nonprofit focuses on ways to better serve residents.
In addition to being an emergency warming center anytime it's under 20 degrees, Repairers of the Breach also houses a day sanctuary for people to get out of the cold, a resting room for people who work second or third shift, an emergency clothing center and programs such as art therapy.
"The part that is near and dear to my heart is being able to check in on what they need," Kirk said. "Unfortunately, our members won't always tell us what they need so being able to have those conversations and provide them with what they might need is amazing."
West said Repairers of the Breach, which employs 12 people, is primarily staffed by volunteers. "Everyone else is just here because they believe in our mission," he said.
Carol Ryan, for example, retired from Froedtert Hospital over 10 years ago and now spends her free time volunteering in the Repairers of the Breach free emergency clinic.
"I wouldn't know what to do if I couldn't do this," Ryan said. "I love being able to provide medical care, a hot meal and a kind word."
Repairers of the Breach is always looking for donations and volunteers.
"If you don't have money or time to give," West said. "Reach out. There is always something you can do to help."
Click here to find ways you can assist Repairers of the Breach.
Filed Under: Carousel, Home, Housing, Neighborhoods, News
About PrincessSafiya Byers
Facebook | More stories from PrincessSafiya
Princess Safiya Byers was born and raised in Milwaukee, and is a 2020 graduate of Marquette University, majoring in Journalism and Africana Studies. Her commitment to her community has led her to nonprofit work with local youth and families. She's also interned with the Milwaukee Community Journal and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and joins Milwaukee NNS as a Report for America Staff Reporter looking to serve democracy by covering issues important to the community.


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New records reportedly show Homeland Security buying smartphone data to track you
New records obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) reveal how the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its various divisions may be spying on people using smartphone location data.
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The ACLU got over 6,000 pages of records through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit, which you can read in its entirety on the organization's website (opens in new tab). The documents show how the DHS was able to sidestep US civil rights by purchasing with taxpayer money user data obtained through smartphone apps. According to the ACLU (opens in new tab), this data collection was all done without a single warrant being issued.
Large scale tracking
The DHS was able to bypass the law by purchasing information from two data brokers: Venntel and Babel Street. According to one highlighted document (opens in new tab), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), a division of Homeland Security, once spent over $2 million to obtain location data from Babel Street. The ACLU also published a Venntel marketing brochure (opens in new tab) that details how the company collects data and it's pretty insidious.
Venntel states it collects and analyzes "billions of commercially-available location signals to provide…" information on a smartphone's whereabouts and a person's movement. The brochure goes on to say that law enforcement will be able to find smartphones at "places of interest" and later "identify repeat visitors, frequented locations, pinpoint known associates, and discover [a] pattern of life." It paints a very detailed picture of what a person does in their day-to-day life.
In total, the ACLU found that the DHS has around 336,000 location points in its possession. In fact, over the course of a three-day period in 2018, the DHS got about 113,654 location points from a single area in the Southwest United States. The ACLU worries about people living along the southern US border as it claims location data can be used to discriminate against people living in those areas as CBP searches for illegal immigrants.
Throughout the document were several instances of Homeland Security trying to justify the department's actions after employees raised concerns. The collected data was characterized as nothing more than "digital exhaust (opens in new tab)", that it's all excess information. But digital exhaust can actually reveal a lot about a person's internet behavior like what websites they frequent or services they use.
Another government document tries to assert that people willingly share location data and collecting this information is done with user consent. The ACLU rebukes this, stating most people aren't aware how many apps are collecting location data and many don't expect the government to buy this data either.
We reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Babel Street and asked if they'd like to make a statement about the ACLU documents. We'll update this story if we hear back from them.
Fighting for protection
We probably haven't heard the last of this. The ACLU revealed that Homeland Security still owes it more information, so there may be another round of documents. The organization also points to a bipartisan bill currently in Congress designed to protect the Fourth Amendment.
It's called the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act (opens in new tab) and is being co-sponsored by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). The bill would require law enforcement to get a court order before accessing citizens' data and that includes buying information from data brokers. It was first introduced in 2021 (opens in new tab) and is still waiting to be looked over by the Senate.
If you're worried about Homeland Security snooping around, we recommend checking out our list of the best secure smartphones for 2022.
Tags: BuyingdataHomelandrecordsreportedlysecuritySHOWsmartphoneTrack
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Here's Why Does Triss Merigold Look So Different in The Witcher Season 2
Were you as shocked as me when you saw Triss Merigold in the season 2 of The Witcher? You're at the right place.
Even though the actress who plays the role, Anna Shaffer has not been replaced, Triss's character in season 2 of The Witcher looked absolutely different from what we saw her in season 1. There are two probable reasons for this change in my opinion.
Triss Merigold's hairstyle was most likely changed in season 2 of The Witcher as a reference to her hair being burned down in the Battle of Sodden Hill, as mentioned in the books and hinted in the show. Red hair is also a defining feature of Triss in the video games.
So if you're familiar with the video game based on The Witcher, then the new Triss probably seems more familiar to you that the old one. Here's everything you need to know about Triss Merigold's sudden change in appearance in The Witcher season 2!
Who is Triss Merigold?
How and Why Does Triss Look Different in Season 2?
About The Witcher
Before we go into why Triss's character was changed so drastically in terms of appearance, let's get to know Triss a little bit.
As we see in the series, Triss Merigold is a Temerian sorceress who met Geralt in the past timeline of The Witcher season 1. Together, they had solved the case of King Foltest's illegitimate daughter after which we saw Triss return to the Battle of Sodden Hill.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-v_PbayYko
Video can't be loaded because JavaScript is disabled: Triss Merigold wants Geralt | The Witcher – Season 2 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-v_PbayYko)
Triss Merigold wants Geralt | The Witcher – Season 2
It is in Sodden Hill that Triss was brutally injured and burned by the Nilfgaardian army. In season 2, we meet a Triss who is still physically and mentally traumatized by the events of Sodden Hill. After she joins the Witchers at Kaer Morhen, she begins helping with Ciri's training.
READ: Does Ciri (Finally) Become a Witcher in Season 2?
In the books written by Andrzej Sapkowski, Triss goes through the same fate. The books mention that Triss's hair was entirely burned off in the Battle of Sodden Hill.
The most significant change we can notice in Triss in season 2 of The Witcher is her hair. Throughout season 1, she had curled auburn locks. In season 2, Triss can be seen in red hair towards the straighter side.
The reason for the change in hairstyle is most likely the Battle of Sodden Hill and Triss's hair being burnt down in the battle. As per the books, Triss lost her hair in the Battle of Sodden Hill because it was burned off.
Triss Merigold's appearance in both seasons | Source: IMDb
The change in her hairstyle season 2 is most likely an allusion to her traumatic experience in the Battle of Sodden Hill. In episode 3 titled "What is Lost", in one scene Yennefer tells Triss that she looks different.
Triss replies back, saying "So do you." In other words, Triss does not explicitly mention much about her trauma. She was also reluctant in sharing the pool with other witches, which hint at her probable physical injuries or traumatic experiences she might have wanted to keep to herself.
There is no clear mention of Triss's hair being burnt down at Sodden Hill in the show like it is mentioned in the books. But I don't see any other reason which can fit in this sudden change into the storyline.
Triss suddenly did not go to a parlour for a hair makeover. Considering the depth and development that her character got in season 2 (compared to season 1), I don't think the change was for mere aesthetic reasons either. So all things considered, it is most likely a reference to Triss's trauma.
Another significant reason for such a change could be to bring the character closer to the video game version of the same character. After the first season of The Witcher was released, many fans raised questions regarding the authenticity of the physical appearance of the characters.
Triss (Video Game Version) | Source: Fandom
Triss's auburn locks was one of the details which met with criticism because it did not resemble the red-haired Triss from the video game world. It is probably because of such feedback that the makers decided to give Triss an appearance closer to the source material.
However, the game Triss is not similar to the Triss from the books. Triss is not a redhead in the books. She is described to have chestnut hair to be precise.
I guess the Triss from the games has already created an image of the character which fans associate with Triss, so the makers of the series decided to make her a redhead to satisfy their demands.
READ: The Witcher S2 Ending: Everything You Need To Know
Watch The Witcher on:
The Witcher is a fantasy drama on Netflix which revolves around Geralt of Rivia, a semi-mortal monster-hunter, Yennefer of Vengerberg, a powerful sorceress, and Princess Ciri, whose destiny is tied to Geralt. Their different lives converge in the finale of the first season.
The series is based on Andrezj Sapkowski's book series of the same name. Henry Cavill, Anya Chalotra, Freya Allan star in the show.
Season 2 follows Geralt of Rivia, who is convinced that Yennefer died at the Battle of Sodden. Geralt brings Princess Cirilla to Kaer Morhen to keep her safe. With the Continent's kings, elves, humans, and demons battling for supremacy outside its walls, he must protect Ciri from her own mysterious powers inside.
Categories Categories: Blog,	Netflix,	The Witcher,	TV Series
Tags Andrzej Sapkowski, Netflix, Sodden Hill, The Witcher, Triss Merigold
Does Ciri (Finally) Become a Witcher in Season 2?
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Is The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf Related to The Witcher Series?
The Witcher S2 Ending: Everything You Need To Know
Geralt & Ciri Arrive At Kaer Morhen In The Witcher Season 2 Teaser
Witcher S2 Sees Yennefer, Geralt, Ciri & Others Join Hands For The Coming Doom
Ciri's Training Hardcore to be Witcher in New Season 2 Clip
A Leshen Traps Geralt at Kaer Morhen in New Clip for The Witcher S2


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Mesier Homestead and Museum
Enlarge Photo (1/3) Enlarge Photo (1/3) Enlarge Photo (1/3)
2 Spring Street
Hudson Valley Region
An official Path Through History Site! Part of the Wappingers Falls Historical District, built 1741 by two Dutchmen, Adolphus and Nicholas Brouwer, who settled here and built this Homestead plus several mills along the Wappingers Creek. Nicholas and his sons were active Patriots, supplying wheat, corn and more, without compensation, to Washington's Army. The Homestead was later sold to Peter Mesier, a Tory loyalist merchant from New York City. Beautiful Victorian details disguise the 18th c. fieldstone core of the historic Brouwer-Mesier Homestead, which sits on a village green that has been a public park since 1891. Volunteer-led tours cover the early history of the Homestead and the Village of Wappingers Falls and tell the story of Peter Mesier, his store and the Wappingers Tea Party of 1777. Explore Victorian-era styled rooms and their displays of local antiquities. The Wappingers Historical Society maintains the Brouwer-Mesier Homestead and Museum. Part of the tour also features portion of their large collection of Native American artifacts. The Mesier Homestead is open for free tours year-round, generally on the 2nd Sunday of the month, from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm. Last tour is at 3:30 pm. Special student and group tours for other days can be arranged by calling 845-632-1281.
Historic Sites:
Path Through History:
1741 Mesier Homestead Virtual Tour
Hudson Valley, Wappingers Falls
Now Through Mar 31, 2021


British designer Tom Dixon has opened his first standalone store in South East Asia.
The shop is located on Hollywood Road in Central Hong Kong, and features the brand's latest furniture, lighting and home accessories collections.
On the ground floor of the store, shoppers are invited to explore the collections in more depth by using a plug and play lighting track and a designer's tool box which demonstrates different finishes, colours and fabric options.
The store also features a café operated by Nodi.


This is The Triumphs' tribute to the work of famed record producer Joe Meek. Joe recorded many styles of music and 'Meek and Wild' offers a 'jukebox' full of great sounds, both vocal (15 tracks) and instrumental.(9 tracks).
In addition to popular chart toppers like Telstar and Have I The Right, the spotlight also falls on rarities such as Ray Dexter's The Coalman's Lament and, from the Tea Chest tapes, Geoff Goddard's Here Come The Good Times. There are five original tracks, all inspired by the work of Joe Meek.
The Triumphs (Rob Bradford, Trev Faull, Ken Ledran and Ray Liffen) have as their special guest Dave Kaye, who recorded with Joe Meek. One of Dave's tracks is He'll Only Hurt You, a powerful ballad which he recorded with Joe, but which was never released at that time. Now you can hear it in a brand new arrangement with Dave backed by The Triumphs.
The album's 12-page booklet includes descriptions of all the tracks and pictures of the band with many of the original Joe Meek artists that they have had the privilege of working with, including Clem Cattini, Dave Kaye, Malcolm Lenny (The Packabeats), Ray Dexter, Bobby Rio and Danny Rivers.


Good day all, New to the forum, Forum looks great. Quick question, I just received a really nice Let Creuset cookware set and I am wondering if they are safe to put in the Oven. My dutch oven has a hard plastic black handle and I am wondering if there is a melting concern? New to this, thanks. all.
Lucky duck! Your Le Creuset is perfect for the oven, no worries about the handle!
Thanks princessFiona.... Funny, we are watching Shrek Forever After at this time and here you are. LOL. Thanks for the quick reply. I cant wait to make French Daube and or Coq au Vin in these babies.
Oh yeah! We made that movie a bit ago, haven't watched it, yet! Even ogres stay home for Christmas! That's the next movie we will be watching, but Shrek is in a food coma and napping. I'm about ready to crash myself for about 30 minutes!
Be very careful when washing it. Check the manual for washing instructions. You don't ever want steel wool or anything harsh.
At my house the steel wool is nowhere near the kitchen. There have been oopses in the past by "helpful" guests.
Yes Rocklobster, they are awsome.I am so glad my wife got me those. I am a wanna be cook, so i like to experiment with different foods.
They braise in the oven beautifully!
Yes, very true. I dont keep many abrasive pads in the kitchen. I use an organic loofah and mild soap to wash them. I hear that using Bar Keepers Friend to clean them is also good. Have yet to try it. Great Site by the way.Thanks for your help.
I've had my Le Creuset for 32 years. My mother bought it for me when I got my first apartment. My only complaint (after all these years) is that when I use the lasagna pan, it is really heavy to lift out of the oven (in my dream kitchen, I want a built in oven...it's coming, slowly but surely). I refresh the "seasoning" regularly. I had an accident with my 8-qt pot recently...the beets boiled dry. I tried baking soda, it helped but didn't get rid of the stain. I went on line, and learned that one can pour bleach in the pan, bring to a low boil, let it sit overnight. It worked beautifully. It is in the oven reseasoning as I write this.
My brother also has a set of Le Creuset. I saw a "blurb" on TV recently that Le Creuset is the "sexist" cookware.
When my mother gave it to me (she added extra pans that weren't part of the set), she told me that it would last me my lifetime. She was right--it has made many moves with me and I wouldn't dream of replacing it. The only reason I'd stop using it is if I get too feeble to lift the pans.


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Collections: Classics
Cleary, Vincent J.
Vincent J. Cleary Papers
Vincent J. Cleary is a retired Professor of Classics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he taught until 1997. With a particular interest in Latin poetry, Cleary is both a journalist and writer. Most of his writings reflect his love for the Pioneer Valley; Cleary was most commonly published in the Hampshire Gazette, although he also submitted articles to larger magazines and newspapers.
The Cleary Papers are comprised of articles that Cleary wrote for magazines and newspapers such as Hampshire Life, and narratives relating to the town of Amherst for his book Amherst, Massachusetts 01002: One of the Best Small Towns in America. A bound copy of the book is included with the collection, as well as narratives and Cleary's research materials. The collection contains complete newspapers and magazines and copies of Cleary's articles (his earlier work is centered around Virgil's The Aeneid). Also included among the papers are unpublished writings and an array of VHS and cassette tapes with copies of his lectures and class presentations.
Amherst (Mass.)--Social life and customsUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst--Students
Cleary, Vincent J
Related collections: Massachusetts (West), UMass (1947- ), UMass faculty
Phinney, Edward
Edward Phinney Papers
Classics professor Edward Phinney spent his formative years in Colombia, South America. A product of America's Great Depression, Phinney hailed from a middle-class Texan family that placed a high value on education. After receiving his PhD from the University of California Berkeley (1963), he joined the Classics department at UMass in 1969, where he became an important advocate for educational technology and distance learning. At various times, he served as faculty director of the Foreign Language Resource Center and as chair of the Department of Classics (1981-1992). A popular lecturer who was considered "extraordinarily generous with his time," Phinney's Greek mythology course typically drew 500-600 students. He remained devoted to the Classics — even participating in skits in Pompeii — until his death in 1996.
The Phinney collection includes a copy of Phinney's dissertation, "Apollonius Rhodius," his diplomas and numerous awards, and selected notes for teaching and research, particularly for his popular course on mythology. Also included are two books of poetry translated by Phinney as well as his translations of Modern Greek poetry written by family friend George Samuel.
Gift of Mary Catherine Phinney, May 2008
University of Massachusetts Amherst--FacultyUniversity of Massachusetts Amherst. Department of Classics
Phinney, Ed
Related collections: Literature & language, UMass (1947- ), UMass faculty


Bobby Love revealed to his wife of 30 years that he escaped from prison and changed his identity before meeting her in the 1980s.
An escaped convict turned family man has been freed from prison after his double life caught up to him last year, The New York Daily News reports.
Bobby Love, born Walter Miller, was released from prison on Jan. 5 after his true identity was revealed to his wife of 30 years and their four children. In 1977, Love escaped from prison in North Carolina, where he was serving a 10-year sentence for a bank robbery.
After his escape, he took on the name Bobby Love and began living a law-abiding life in New York City. A few years later, while working at the Baptist Medical Center in Brooklyn, he met his future wife, Cheryl Love.
Love said there was something about her husband that kept them slightly distant, but she could never figure it out until police showed up at their door on Jan. 22, 2015. Neither Cheryl nor her children were aware of his crime or the life he lived before becoming Bobby Love. After his arrest, Love was extradited back to North Carolina, where his escape offense was handled through a disciplinary process, leaving him to complete under a year in jail.
His wife said she was shocked by the revelation, but never thought about leaving his side.
Since his Jan. 5 return, he's been to Coney Island with his grandson, 2, the child of his oldest daughter, and has been welcomed back by members of his family's church. Their 30th wedding anniversary was March 30 when Love was behind bars.
"My father was determined to change his life, and for 40 years or so he did just that," said his daughter Jessica, 28, told The News last year upon his arrest.
Love is now back with his family and helping his teenage sons with college applications. The 65-year-old said he feels as though a "big burden" was finally lifted from his shoulders.


allowing the perfect system for any application to be designed. Rapid deployability and intuitive handling are what characterise our components.
In addition to the OktoLED 33x floodlights and the OktoCam 4k cameras, Oktopus also offers the power supply. If you want to connect floodlights and cameras for triggering at the same time, you can chose the model with a connector.
With the OktoCam, Oktopus offers an autonomous camera with up to 4k (120 fps) resolution and WLAN control capability. Comprising a camera and bolted-on battery container, this camera is perfectly suited to autonomous deployment. Using WLAN. a preview can be viewed on deck on a smartphone and all parameters such as recording mode and resolution be specified. The photographs and videos can also be downloaded without opening the housing. The battery protection circuit is integrated in the housing. Additional accessories (e.g. telemetry or OktoAcc battery) and suitable floodlights, for example the OktoLED 33x, are also available.) and compatible floodlights (see our new in particular) are available upon request.
In addition to the OktoLED 33x floodlights and the OktoCam 4k cameras Oktopus also offers an end cap for connecting to other components.
In addition to the OktoLED 33x floodlights and the OktoCam 4k cameras, Oktopus also offers a time- and/or depth-dependent (pressure) activation delay module.
With the OktoStarterKit including floodlight Oktopus offers a perfect starter set for autonomous documentation with video or images.


Tired of tapas? Dim sum is the original small plate with big appeal, and these days it's enjoying a resurgence in popularity – although, as these top Toronto spots prove, it never really went away.
Lai Wah Heen in the Metropolitan Hotel features chef Terrence Chan's innovative creations. Try smoked sturgeon and steamed squash dumpling or abalone and shrimp mousse on Taiwanese vermicelli – or, a traditional trio of steamed pork buns. Not for the budget conscious. 108 Chestnut St., 416-977-9899.
Also on the high end, this Yorkville destination offers paper lists instead of roving carts. The menu features plenty of vegetarian morsels like taro dumplings and grilled turnip paté. 131 Bloor St. W. 416-923-3323.
This huge yellow building in the centre of Chinatown seats over 450 people, but it's still rammed during its weekday happy hour. Seafood is the specialty, but with almost 100 dishes to choose from, there's ample variety. 346-348 Spadina Ave., 416-979-3988.
This small chain now has six locations throughout the GTA, but the original spot on Dundas still serves up Northern-style dim sum (heartier than standard Cantonese) in an environment that shuns sterility for charming fusion décor. 418 Dundas St. W., 416-977-3909.
It's no secret that the most authentic Chinese cuisine is now found in the suburbs. This is a gem in Markham, the new hub of Chinese culture (and food) in the GTA. You can even call ahead to pre-order. 8362 Kennedy Road, 905-415-1666.
Image courtesy of Marco Veringa.


Harrisonville Christian School presented the musical, "We Three Spies" on December 7th, 2018 under the direction of Mrs. Jenny Wagoner. Preschool – 8th grade students all participated. Mrs. Jane Hicklin led the Beginning Band and Cadet Band in several musical selections as well. It was a fantastic way to usher in the Christmas season for our HCS families.


This entry was posted in Book Crushes, Book Recommendation, Exclusive, Favorite Authors, Love Letters, Paranormal Romance, Sylvain Reynard, The Prince, The Raven, The Shadow, Valentines and tagged Book Crushes, Book Recommendation, Exclusive, favorite authors, love letters, paranormal romance, Sylvain Reynard, The Prince, The Raven, The Shadow, Valentines.
Words of ethereal beauty…SIGH. I just finished #TheShadow last night and seeing this in my inbox today is a special treat. Thank you, Bookish Temptations and Sylvain Reynard for sharing this gift. SR, you are a master and I cannot wait for the next book.
Enough said! 🙂 you took the words right out of my mouth. I too just read The Shadow last night.
I love this book TheShadow.great book.Can't wait for the next book.


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// Aldebaran includes.
#include <alproxies/alvideodeviceproxy.h>
#include <alvision/alimage.h>
#include <alvision/alvisiondefinitions.h>
#include <alerror/alerror.h>
// Opencv includes.
#include <opencv2/core/core.hpp>
#include <opencv2/highgui/highgui.hpp>

#include <iostream>
#include <string>
// RAPP API includes
#include <rapp/cloud/service_controller.hpp>
#include <rapp/cloud/vision_detection.hpp>
#include <rapp/objects/picture.hpp>
//Boost
#include <boost/date_time/posix_time/posix_time.hpp>
#include <boost/thread/thread.hpp>
#include <boost/chrono.hpp>

/**
* \brief Shows images retrieved from the robot.
*
* \param robotIp the IP adress of the robot
*/
void showImages(const std::string& robotIp, cv::Mat& rapp_image)
{
    /** Create a proxy to ALVideoDevice on the robot.*/
    AL::ALVideoDeviceProxy camProxy(robotIp, 9559);

    /** Subscribe a client image requiring 320*240 and BGR colorspace.*/
    const std::string clientName = camProxy.subscribe("test", AL::kQVGA, AL::kBGRColorSpace, 30);

    /** Create an cv::Mat header to wrap into an opencv image.*/
    cv::Mat imgHeader = cv::Mat(cv::Size(320, 240), CV_8UC3);

    /** Retrieve an image from the camera.
    * The image is returned in the form of a container object, with the
    * following fields:
    * 0 = width
    * 1 = height
    * 2 = number of layers
    * 3 = colors space index (see alvisiondefinitions.h)
    * 4 = time stamp (seconds)
    * 5 = time stamp (micro seconds)
    * 6 = image buffer (size of width * height * number of layers)
    */
    AL::ALValue img = camProxy.getImageRemote(clientName);

    /** Access the image buffer (6th field) and assign it to the opencv image
    * container. */
    imgHeader.data = (uchar*) img[6].GetBinary();
    imgHeader.copyTo(rapp_image);

    /** Tells to ALVideoDevice that it can give back the image buffer to the
    * driver. Optional after a getImageRemote but MANDATORY after a getImageLocal.*/
    camProxy.releaseImage(clientName);

    /** Cleanup.*/
    camProxy.unsubscribe(clientName);
}

/*
 * \brief Example of detecting faces with NAO camera
 */
int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
    if (argc < 2)
    {
        std::cerr << "Usage 'getimages robotIp'" << std::endl;
        return 1;
    }

    const std::string robotIp(argv[1]);
    cv::Mat frame;

    /*
     * Construct the platform info setting the hostname/IP, port and authentication token
     * Then proceed to create a cloud controller.
     * We'll use this object to create cloud calls to the platform.
     */
    rapp::cloud::platform info = {"155.207.19.229", "9001", "rapp_token"};
    rapp::cloud::service_controller ctrl(info);

    /*
     * Construct a lambda, std::function or bind your own functor.
     * In this example we'll pass an inline lambda as the callback.
     * All it does is to show how many faces have been found and
     * show a rectangle in the picture where is that face.
     */
    auto callback = [&](std::vector<rapp::object::face> faces) {
        std::cout << "Found: " << faces.size() << " faces" << std::endl;
        for(auto each_face : faces) {
            cv::rectangle(frame,
            cv::Point(each_face.get_left_x(), each_face.get_left_y()),
            cv::Point(each_face.get_right_x(), each_face.get_right_x()),
            cv::Scalar(255,0,0),
            1, 8, 0);
            cv::imwrite("Face.png",frame);
        }
    };

    /*
     * We create a variable chrono to count the time.
     * It's going to be used for making the call every
     * 500 ms. If we don't do it, we could block the platform.
     * Other way, if you don't use the windows interface, it's to
     * make the call like the `loop.cpp` example.
     */
	auto before = boost::chrono::system_clock::now();

    /*
     * Infinite loop
     * All it does is every 500 ms is going to read the picture
     * from the camera of NAO and create a picture object with this
     * image. After that we make the call to do the face detection
     */
    for (;;) {
		auto now = boost::chrono::system_clock::now();
        auto elapsed = boost::chrono::duration_cast<boost::chrono::milliseconds>(now - before).count();

		if (elapsed > 500) {
            try
            {
               showImages(robotIp, frame);
            }
            catch (const AL::ALError& e)
            {
                std::cerr << "Caught exception " << e.what() << std::endl;
            }

            if(!frame.empty()) {
                std::vector<int> param = {{ CV_IMWRITE_PNG_COMPRESSION, 3 }};
                cv::vector<uchar> buf;
                cv::imencode(".png", frame, buf, param);
                std::vector<rapp::types::byte> bytes(buf.begin(), buf.end());
                rapp::object::picture pic(bytes);

                before = now;
                ctrl.make_call<rapp::cloud::face_detection>(pic, true, callback);
            }
	    }
    }

    return 0;
}


Cited in . . .
Yes, I think this title says it all. My thesis just seems to motor along. I'm not sure anymore if I'm the one controlling it, or if it is whispering paths I should take. As I look upon my schedule and my proposal, however, it is pretty much going as planned with a few minor hiccups along the way.
Although I had planned to do much of the writing in 2012, it turns out that I did large portions of the methodology chapter and literature review at the end of 2011. Analysis, which I had planned for the beginning of 2012 is on target. As I look back, why did I do so much writing when I did? Two reasons: 1) conferences, and 2) it intuitively made sense. And, having already put much thought into my proposal, I was able to take some liberties.
One of the speakers at a PhD student workshop at the Networked Learning Conference in Aalborg, Denmark back in 2010 had suggested that many doctoral students leave data collection too late. I heeded this advice. Collecting data early allows some analysis and consideration earlier in the process. Hopefully, if the project was untenable, I could shift gears before becoming too invested in one particular path. To prepare for an early data-collection, I decided to focus on the methodology chapter. In retrospect, I found this to be very helpful. A solid grounding in the methodology and methods along with consideration of issues of trustworthiness and philosophical commensurability guided the structure and performance on the interviews. I was also able to pull-together a symposium on phenomenography for the up-coming Networked Learning Conference in Maastrict, 2012.
After interviewing the participants and transcribing their comments, I shifted my attention to the literature review. At first, I considered doing some analysis prior to the literature review in hopes that the literature review would not influence my observations. But, as my supervisor pointed out, I am not doing grounded theory. In any case, I have found that the transcripts speak to me very separately from the ideas collated in the literature review. In some ways, the literature review helped to open my mind to new possibilities. It also helped me to consider my philosophical position and theoretical framework in much greater detail. And, again, I was able to submit an abstract to another conference, this one on threshold concepts in Dublin.
What I have found surprising is how many ideas have fallen into place. In my spare time—that is, when I take breaks from coding—I read some of the seminal works that I have earmarked as requiring attention. My latest discovery is Bakhtin. I can see how his work might be affiliated with social constructionist philosophy. His work resonates with me and is helping fill in some gaps in my framework. Slowly, I hope to work my way through the stack of books and journal article piled high around me.
Although this process seems in control, I do not entirely feel like I am controlling it. It's as if something is guiding me along and presenting options–interspersed with moments of inspiration that change the course of my work subtly and continuously.
I recently went on vacation. The thought of leaving my library behind was creating stress. I knew that I needed to take a break, but the compulsion to make sure I had some reading just in case the mood would strike was compelling. So, I decided to purchase an e-reader and load my entire electronic library. It took me one, full day to complete this task.
read journal articles and e-books from libraries, purchased, etc.
Enlisting the help of my e-reader-owning friends and my husband, I searched the Internet for the "perfect" e-reader. Then, I went to local shops and tried them out. I was seduced by the very small, 5-inch Sony Reader. But, I found that the screen was just a touch too small for the kind of interaction that I wanted to have with the device. It felt like I was moving towards the tiny real estate of a smart phone. I tried the Kobo, the Alurateck Libre, and some others. One last effort took me to a nearby Sony Store. They only had one kind of reader in stock, but, it seemed to match my needs. This model (PRS-T1) had just arrived in the store two weeks prior to my arrival. And, it had wifi which was not on my list, but could be a nice addition.
I can read it incredibly well in bright sunlight.
I can create "searchable" PDF documents or sections of books on university photocopiers and upload them to the e-Reader. These PDFs are somewhat like OCR documents allowing highlighting and searching.
I can purchase e-books as well as some newspapers and magazines through the desktop interface very easily.
I can quickly and easily download a variety of open access books directly on the device using the wifi (quick and easy).
I can surf the web using the device. The browser, although limited is surprisingly good.
I can read in Spanish and French. With the click of a button, I can locate definitions for unfamiliar words. This is lovely.
No root-kits that I know of are loaded onto your computer.
The notes are hugely important to me. I highlight entire paragraphs at times. But, when I export the notes, they are truncated. So, I have to manually fix them all through a copy-paste method. Admittedly, it is still faster that typing out the highlighted sections, but I would like Sony to update their software so that notes are exported in their entirety.
I was disappointed that the Sony e-readers no longer support MS Word. I had to convert all my word documents into PDF. That's why it took me an entire day to transfer all my journal articles and notes.
Some journal articles already in PDF format do not render nicely especially when the font size is increased.
The "Reader for PC" interface on my desktop is clunky and slow as it connects to the reader and demands my sign-on to the online Sony systems. I would like the interface to be streamlined.
I really am starting to like reading this way. And, I cannot emphasize how much I love being able to carry around my PhD-study library. I will add more pros and cons as I think of them.
I am in the midst of a brief pilot for my PhD research. I am conducting my first two interviews with the intention of ironing out some kinks before fully engaging in data collection. Here are some recommendations and discoveries for anyone else at this stage.
Do a pilot prior to the pilot. Yes, a pilot of a pilot. Thanks to a colleague who is on a similar course at another university here in Alberta, I was able to test the entire process right from the email script, letter of information and consent, to the participant selection survey, and finally through a mock interview. I was careful not to record the mock interview as I wanted to ensure that this process did not fall outside the research ethics guidelines stipulated by both university research ethics committees. (Yes, my project went through two ethics committees.) From this, I was able to test some questions, adjust letters and scripts, correct problems in the survey, etc. The feedback from my colleague was invaluable.
Two recording devices at once: essential. Obviously if one fails, the other one can save the day. But, there are other benefits. Your recording devices will often use different file formats. For my first pilot interview, I used both Adobe Connect and my LiveScribe pen. In the end, I found the mp4 file format from the LiveScribe pen was the most versatile. However . . .
You may need to convert file formats. I was unable to import the mp4 format into my transcription program. So, I had to convert it. I downloaded Audacity. However, Audacity could not play the mp4. So, I had to locate an add-on for Audacity: FFmpeg. Once installed, I was able to convert the mp4 into a number of different formats. I converted the mp4 into a WAV file and imported it easily into my transcription software.
So, what kind of transcription software did I find? It's a bit of a long story. In the past, when conducting interviews with Elluminate, well, it was awful. I had to constantly remove my hands from the keyboard to the mouse play and rewind. It was incredibly slow. So, I have ordered an Infinity foot pedal to increase my transcription speed. I am still awaiting its arrival. Since I did not want to wait any longer to start transcribing, I went searching for alternative tools. Audacity did not seem to have a built in window for transcribing while playing the recording, so it would mean manually shifting between windows—and that means mouse movement. Other tools were necessary.
Logically, I know that I eventually want to use nVivo or Atlas-TI for the actual analysis. I settled upon Atlas-TI because they have an incredible offer for students: $99 USD for a single student license. The documentation suggests that it is possible upload and transcribe audio and video files directly. However, it seemed to require certain file types. Sigh. Reading the documentation further, I found that they recommend using free transcription software from audiotranscription.de. It's free and works like a charm. Using the hot-keys to play, stop, and rewind, I'm wondering if I even need the foot pedal that I've ordered. However, their site still recommends using a foot pedal as it should increase transcription speed up to three times. I will see how true that is when my foot pedal arrives.
Now, how to do the actual transcription? Firstly, one must consider the methodology and the requirements of the study. For example, conversation analysis will likely require very detailed transcriptions of pauses, breaths, intonations, and other indicators of linguistic behaviours. Other studies in discourse analysis, phenomenology, and phenomenography for example, might require less linguistic detail. I have decided to learn Jeffersonian transcription notation. Although my study does not require a high degree of detail, I would like to follow standard conventions. So, Jeffersonian it is.
Wow. I thought I should add a little more information here. I loaded the RTF document produce by the from audiotranscription.de software. Atlas-TI works with it seamlessly. I can highlight parts of the transcript and Atlas-TI plays it from the externally linked files. Since there is no additional work here to learn how to link the files, I think I will go out for a while and enjoy the day.
I am exploring the use of discourse analysis (DA) alongside the constructionistt phenomenographic methodology that I will be using on my PhD thesis. So, I have started with what has turned out to be a nicely written introductory text by James Paul Gee.
Before I outline how I will use DA to support my phenomenographic research, I will first post my notes on the main concepts of Gee's book. But, that is for tomorrow.
I consider myself fortunate in that I appreciate reading the "old" authors in my field and adjacently related fields. I am delighted when I read something written many years ago (such as from the late 1800s or early 1900s) and discover that it is still useful or somehow applicable—or somehow provides a different view on a current issue.
But, how should a student balance the sources in the literature review? I have heard that some students are criticized because they have cited nothing older than 10 years. To an extent, I agree with such criticism because it suggests that the student may not understand the origins of the philosophical or methodological ideas upon which they draw. On the other hand, too much reliance upon the classics in the field might leave little room for more current research.
Chiong, W. (2011). The self: From philosophy to cognitive neuroscience. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13554794.2010.532808.
Gergen, K. J. (2009). An Invitation to Social Construction (p. 200). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/1412923018/ref=oss_product.
I'll start at the end of Gergen's comments: ". . . while fascinating in its implications, and deeply social in its perspective, this is scarcely an acceptable alternative to individualism" (p. 91). What is so disturbing about Goffman's dramaturgical approach to identity, you ask?
Gergen correctly summarizes that "Goffman's approach . . . paints a picture of social life as a stage, where we all perform for each other, knowing at the same time that what we seem is never quite who we are" (p. 91). But, I'm not in complete agreement when he writes "Goffman's analysis suggests that we are much like con artists, trying to con others into believing we are who we present ourselves to be . . . sincerity itself is just like another con . . ." (p. 91).
"A status, a position, a social place is not a material thing, to be possessed and then displayed; it is a pattern of appropriate conduct, coherent, embellished, and well articulated. Performed with ease or clumsiness, awareness or not, guile or good faith, it is nonetheless something that must be enacted and portrayed, something that must be realized" (Goffman, 1959, p. 75).
Performance takes energy: "The problem of dramatizing one's work involves more than merely making invisible costs visible. The work that must be done by those who will fill certain statuses is often so poorly designed as an expression of a desired meaning, that if the incumbent would dramatize the character of his role, he must divert an appreciable amount of his energy to do so" (Goffman, 1959, p. 32 ).
An example: "'The attentive pupil who wishes to be attentive, his eyes riveted on the teacher, his ears open wide, so exhausts himself in playing the attentive role that he ends up by no longer hearing anything.' And so individuals often find themselves with the dilemma of expression versus action" (Goffman, 1959, p. 33 ).
This quote is particularly poignant in expressing the seriousness of presentation mistakes: "When an individual appears before others, he knowingly and unwittingly projects a definition of the situation, of which a conception of himself is an important part. When an event occurs which is expressively incompatible with this fostered impression, significant consequences are simultaneously felt in three levels of social reality [personality, interaction, and society], each of which involves a different point of reference and a different order of fact" (Goffman, 1959, p. 242 ).
". . . a successful staging of either of these types of false figures involves the use of real techniques— the same techniques by which everyday persons sustain their real social situations. Those who conduct face to face interaction on a theater stage must meet the key requirements of real situations; they must expressively sustain a definition of the situation: but this they do in circumstances that have facilitated their developing an apt terminology for the interactional tasks that all of us share" (Goffman, 1959, p. 255).
I interpret this last sentence in the above quote to imply that even falsehood is based upon some premise of social "reality" (pardon the use of the word reality). So, the question is to what degree is a misleading performance an untrue performance? Is this not just another element of relationship?
Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. Garden City, NY: Doubleday Anchor Books.
I'm not going to spend too much time on this. I am just finding it interesting to see someone else's take on Mead's work—someone more knowledgeable on these subjects than I.
"As Mead proposed, there is no thinking, or indeed any sense of being a self, that is independent of social process" (p. 89).
"Language becomes possible when people share a common set of mental symbols" (p. 89).
The generalized other: "a composite of others' reactions to me across situations" (p. 89).
"In spite of the relational emphasis, symbolic interactionism retains a strong element of individualism" (p. 90).
"Symbolic interactionism leaves us without any way to explain how it is that a person is able to grasp others' states of mind from gestures" (p. 90).
"Finally, there is a strong flavor of social determinism in symbolic interactionism" (p. 90).
My first observation is that points 1 and 3 are somewhat contradictory: there is a strong element of individualism, yet it is highly socially determinant. This sounds to me like the two aspects are balanced. So, I'm not too sure where to go with these two points.
In the introduction, Charles Morris writes: "Philosophically the position is here an objective relativism; qualities of the object may yet be relative to a conditioning organism. A certain portion of the world, as experienced, is private; but a portion is social or common . . ." (p. xix).
"The individual has, as it were, gotten outside of his limited world by taking the roles of others, being assured through communication empirically grounded and tested that in all these cases the world presents the same appearance. Where this is attained, experience is social, common, shared; it is only against this common world that the individual distinguishes his own private experience" (Morris, intro to Mead, 1934 p. xxix).
In Mead's words: "It is not essential that the individuals should give an identical meaning to the particular stimulus in order that each may properly respond. People get into a crowd and move this way, and that way; they adjust themselves to the people coming toward them, as we say, unconsciously. They move in an intelligent fashion with reference to each other, and perhaps all of them think of something entirely different, but they do find in the gestures in which there is a co-operative activity without any symbol that means the same thing to all" (p. 55).
In this last quote, this seems akin to Gergen's contention that "meaning is achieved through coordinated action. Thus we may say that we understand each other when we effectively coordinate our actions—drawing from traditions in ways that are mutually satisfactory" (p. 111).
At this point in my reading, I see the foundations of Mead's work and social constructionism more commensurable than suggested by Gergen.
Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, self & society: From the standpoint of a social behaviorist. (C. W. Morris, Ed.) (Vol. 13). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Do social constructionists take a relativist stance? Yes. Do they argue that there is no underlying or foundational reality? No. According to Gergen, our relationships allow us to make sense of our world(s). "Relationships stand prior to all that is intelligible" (p. 6). There is a reality. But, it is through our cultural and linguistic traditions that we perceive and interpret it. The exact nature of the reality or Truth is not what is sought (or possible to discover).
Atomic physicist: The desk is not solid.
Psychologist: The desk has no colour as colour is merely our interpretation of light waves on our retinas.
Rocket scientist: The weight of the desk depends on the gravitational field.
Biologist: To a dog, the desk is likely a cornucopia of scent.
All of these hypothetical individuals come to these views by virtue of their traditions—that is, their relationships within their socio-linguistic cultures: "Understandings of the world are achieved through coordinations among persons—negotiations, agreements, comparing views and so on" (p. 6).
Gergen appears to agree with Hacking in that our understandings of the world may be expressed in many different ways. (Hacking refers to this as contingency (1999, p. 72)). There are multiple options. We need not call a quark a "quark". We may have chosen a different word or taken a different approach to describing the quark-phenomenon. There are or could be equally viable alternatives: ". . . no particular language is privileged in terms of its picturing the world for what it is; innumerable accounts are possible" (p. 22).
Our relationships affect how we perceive the world because they influence what we look for and what we consider possible. Gergen mentions Berger and Luckmann's phrase "plausibility structures" which lead us to view some things as "natural, taken for granted reality" (p. 23).
Gergen also broaches the issue of Cartesian dualism: internal vs. external, mind vs. body, individual vs. collective, etc. In the dualist way of thinking, the mind (subjective) is separate from the world (objective). Along this line, our mind (as we express it through language) mirrors the experience of the external world (p. 42). This way of viewing the world has become accepted in much of the Western tradition as the common sense way to approach the world and guides what we take for granted.
Common-sense categorizations presumably capture the basic essence or "intrinsic qualities" of sets of individuals or aspects of our reality (p. 52). In our day-to-day, practical experience, these categories can be very useful and allow us to interact quickly and without thinking. But, they can also be constraining and imprisoning, locking us into certain modes of behaviour. Consider, for example, what happens to people who are labeled mentally-ill. Social constructionists seek to examine taken-for-granted concepts. When they do, they often cause discomfort. As anti-essentialists, they open up to scrutiny to categorizations of people and the world.
Gergen also indirectly alludes to Hacking's looping effect: "if informed of a research hypothesis in the human sciences, people can typically choose not to confirm it" (p. 60). Hacking would say that people are of an "interactive kind" (1999, p. 32)—that is, they are aware of what is said about them and react to that knowledge.
See also: My previous notes on Hacking.
Although written by a philosopher, this book is fairly accessible for non-philosophers such as myself. (No offense to philosophers.) To my own joy and appreciation, the book is sprinkled with some good-natured humour in its pokes at other thinkers, both past and present.
To some, this quote might indicate a lack of commitment to the social constructionist project. I would prefer to think of it as demonstrative of the complexity and ongoing misunderstanding of this philosophical approach. Further, as Hacking points out that constructionists are not always clear on what is being constructed: objects, ideas, types of people?
Hacking argues that much of social constructionism (SC) is focused on the local rather than the universal.
Raises awareness of an issue, label, and category within a given context. Local claims can be independent of one another and may be related to an overarching claim (p. 6). Examples of local claims discussed in the book include gender, child abuse, schizophrenia, women refugees.
Extreme view: Our world and all our conceptions of it and knowledge about it are [all] socially constructed (p. 6).
Many local claims are predicated upon the rationale that the claim, X, is not inevitable. That is, the current state of things is not the result of an essential underlying nature of the thing being brought into focus. Rather, this state has been shaped by "social events, forces, history, all of which could have been different" (p. 7).
To progress to some of the most significant aspects of this book, it seems necessary to acknowledge some of Hacking's definitions.
In our local matrices, objects are often ontologically subjective. Hacking provides the example of rent. Rent is a concept that has come into existence through human interaction and institutions. But, it is epistemologically objective in that you must pay your rent: you pay a specific sum at a certain, expected time (p. 22).
My Oxford-Canadian Dictionary (2 nd ed.) defines objective as "concerned with outward things or events; dealing with or stressing what is external to the mind". Subjective is defined as "proceeding from or belonging to the individual consciousness or perception; partial, misconceived, or distorted". These definitions, with regard to internal/external, might come in handy a little further down.
According to Hacking, ideas refer to "conceptions, concepts, beliefs, [and] attitudes to theories" (p. 22). A note I wrote in the margins: Are ideas epistemologically subjective? Are they ontologically objective? I'd like to consider these questions in more depth.
Ontologically subjective – depend on human rules and institutions (p. 30).
"Not self-evidently ontologically subjective." The phenomenon that we refer to as a quark is scientifically independent of human rules and institutions (p. 30).
What I am presenting here is a summary. Hacking does spend some time explaining his selection of these classifications/titles to express the kinds.
Self-aware: "aware of what is said about them, thought about them, done to them" (p. 31). Aware of their classification.
Not self-aware in the same way as people. Do not know of their classification.
Objects do not modify their behaviour in reaction to awareness of their classification.
There is no "looping effect" (p. 59).
Stability comes from factors external to overt representations ("external to the preferred content of science" (p. 92)) such as social factors, interests, networks, etc.
The way of the world is not inevitable. Other choices could have been made. Example, physics did not have to develop in a "quarky way" (must find page). Note how our conceptions have been changed by the theoretical work of Einstein.
There is an underlying structure to the world and the objects within it.
Stability comes from evidence within / supported by science itself: internal (i.e., not dependent upon social factors, interests, and networks outside of the scientific experiment/observations).
It is inevitable that the world is the way it is.
"Social constructionists teach that items we had thought were inevitable are social products" (p. 47).
Constructionism: ". . . various sociological, historical, and philosophical projects that aim at displaying or analyzing actual, historically situated, social interactions or causal routes that led to, or were involved in, the coming into being or establishing of some present entity or fact" (p. 48).
I struggled initially with the apparent emphasis on the stance of social constructionists to change society through the unmasking of concepts. As I conduct my own research into identity in networked learning, I had to ask myself what my stance is. My intent is not to be rebellious, revolutionary, nor ironic. My interest is to understand how we form and manage our identities online. More importantly, I wish to understand how such self-conceptualization affects how we learn. I suppose that effecting change is still my end goal: to reform teaching practices by demonstrating the importance of personal identity management in networked learning. Therefore, I would contend that our online identity/ies is/are not inevitable; we can construct it/them as active learners directing our own future.
As indicated in the title for this blog posting, this was just a start. More to come . . .
At least 7 feet of snow piled up against the garage.


The Binghamton Bearcats men's basketball team opens its "second season" Saturday afternoon with a home game against the New Hampshire Wildcats at 2:00 P.M. After a heartbreaking loss at the buzzer to Columbia at the Events Center on Wednesday night BU basically wipes the slate clean and starts over. Now it becomes all about earning a conference playoff spot and jockeying for the highest possible seed. The top four regular season finishers get a first round home playoff game.
New Hampshire and Binghamton have both struggled for wins in their conference slate. The Wildcats are 2-11 while the Bearcats are 4-11. The Wildcats may have lost more to graduation than any other America East team. One of the key losses was standout forward Tanner Leissner who was a potent weapon offensively and stellar defender as well. Iba Camara, New Hampshire's all-time rebound leader, also graduated as did forward Jacoby Armstrong who scored 1,000 points in his career. The Wildcats hold a 19-17 advantage in the series.
The Bearcats have lost nine straight games to the Wildcats. Most games have been close with the last six games decided by nine points or less.
Binghamton is led by standout freshman Sam Sessoms averaging 17.5 points per game. He had an amazing second half to lead the comeback effort against Columbia. Sessoms scored 21 of his 25 points hitting seven three-point baskets to bring Binghamton back from a 16-point deficit.
Saturday's game will be broadcast on News Radio 1290 WNBF. Airtime is set for 1:45 P.M.


text:
Start Over You searched for: Titles 1842. Adulteration of candy. U. S. v. Charles O. McAfee and Joe B. Hill (McAfee Candy Co. and Liberty Candy Co.). Pleas of nolo contendere. Defendants placed on probation for 1 year. ✖Remove constraint Titles: 1842. Adulteration of candy. U. S. v. Charles O. McAfee and Joe B. Hill (McAfee Candy Co. and Liberty Candy Co.). Pleas of nolo contendere. Defendants placed on probation for 1 year. Defendants Charles O. McAfee and Joe B. Hill, copartners ✖Remove constraint Defendants: Charles O. McAfee and Joe B. Hill, copartners Adjudicating Courts Middle District of Georgia ✖Remove constraint Adjudicating Courts: Middle District of Georgia
1. 1842. Adulteration of candy. U. S. v. Charles O. McAfee and Joe B. Hill (McAfee Candy Co. and Liberty Candy Co.). Pleas of nolo contendere. Defendants placed on probation for 1 year.
Charles O. McAfee and Joe B. Hill, copartners
1842. Adulteration of candy. U. S. v. Charles O. McAfee and Joe B. Hill (McAfee Candy Co. and Liberty Candy Co.). Pleas of nolo contendere. Defendants placed on probation for 1 year.✖[remove]1
Charles O. McAfee and Joe B. Hill, copartners✖[remove]1
Middle District of Georgia✖[remove]1