text:
ANA LUCA
MEDIA BIO
LOVE DROPS
Ana Luca™ is a multi-dimensional creative artist, businesswoman, and connection artist. As a visual, melodic, and poetic storyteller, she creates emotional experiences which entertain and empower audiences.
Luca has spent decades refining her talents across art, music, and writing through both training and work experiences. She believes that we are each born with unique gifts. Our job is to discover, nurture, and share them back with the world to serve our highest purpose.
Ana Luca's fine art and poetry book can be found on her art gallery, Art by Ana Luca. Her music album, performances, and licensing examples can be found at Music by Ana Luca. Her hand-illustrated leisure clothing collection can be found at Laughs To Self ®. Her 160-piece hearts art collection can be found at Crypto Love Drops.
Fun facts about Ana Luca™ //
from 4 generations of artists
launched businesses
speak 3 languages
earned 4 university degrees
graduated valedictorian
lived in 5 countries + traveled to many more
worked with iconic brands
served as global public speaker for non-profit organization
Ana Luca™ is a European-American musician, composer, and songwriter. She composed, produced, and performed her debut album, Reprise, released December 2021. This electronic-classical album features her performances on violin, piano, and other instruments alongside her experience performing with orchestras. Reprise adapts classical music to modern audiences, offering familiar production elements and melodic storytelling to inspire listeners' imaginations. In fact, she composed many of the songs to pair with her own imagined storylines.
Luca began her musical career as a classically trained violinist, pianist, and singer but eventually grew tired of playing centuries-old "covers" of classical music. Her interest in the cross-over genre of electronic-classical music was sparked by British classical artists like Vanessa Mae and BOND who were early pioneers in the space. Luca taught herself to compose and produce her own instrumental music in harmony with modern production elements. Today, she licenses her instrumental music to enhance the storylines of advertisements, TV, film, and other media. For licensing inquiries and additional artistic background, visit Music By Ana Luca.
Ana Luca™ is the author of the poetry book The People We Meet, published in 2021. This debut poetry collection features 180 poetic stories for transforming your relationship with yourself and with others.
Luca's gift for storytelling stretches across poetry and songwriting, using words to help audiences process their life experiences and elevate their self-concept. Her poems empower audiences with confidence, gratitude, and courage to share their best selves with the world. They also heal and build readers' self-esteems. This enables her readers to enjoy a higher quality of life and to better support their loved ones and communities.
She has also published a stunning hardcover coffee table book featuring 125 of her artworks and the stories behind each piece. This is an affordable means for art enthusiasts to own her entire art collection and support an independent artist.
Visit Books by Ana Luca to purchase The People We Meet and Art by Ana Luca Gallery Book, and browse poetry merchandise. Limited quantity available.
HEART ART
Crypto Love Drops™ is a first-of-its-kind hearts art collection made with love and designed to be gifted. Each of the 160 heart-shaped artworks represents an investment of the heart and commitment to love yourself and others.
The buyer is encouraged to not only purchase a Crypto Love Drop art piece for their personal collection but also to gift to someone they care about. When you gift a Crypto Love Drop, you symbolically give a piece of your heart to that person.
Our Crypto Love Drop community values love, kindness, and generosity. We are givers. We lead with our hearts. We believe in the power that love has to transform lives. And we strive to move the world toward greater unity through kindness.
Read more about the art collection at www.cryptolovedrops.com.
Ana Luca™ is a fine artist, illustrator, and published poet for the art gallery Art by Ana Luca ™. Luca's range of artistic styles span impressionist paintings, graffitied travel photography, and comedic illustrations - offering a variety of options to complement any home décor aesthetic.
She creates imaginative, playful, and moving artwork for inspired daily living. Ana Luca also employs a uniquely modern, eco-conscious approach to creating large canvas artwork using methods that reduce the use of toxic paints, wood canvas frames, and packaging materials for shipment – supporting environmental sustainability. Her innovative fine art is also collapsible for easy transport - something unheard of in the fine art world.
Ana Luca's body of work reflects the beauty, struggles, and humor of the human experience to comfort her audience that they are not alone. Her art helps people feel uplifted, youthful, and connected.
Browse Ana Luca's stunning collection of 125+ limited edition art collector's pieces that will transform your home into a source of entertainment, creative inspiration, and personality expression while building your art investment portfolio. Don't wait to invest in art. Invest in art and then wait.
Live inspired, feel energized, and experience the world through original art by Ana Luca.
Ana Luca™ creates art that's made to be worn, not just hung. Transforming handmade art into fashion enables her art to be accessible, interactive, and affordable for the general public. You can find her unique designs sold on Men's and Women's apparel at Art by Ana Luca ™ and fashion store Laughs To Self ™.
Laughs To Self® is an online art gallery exclusively exhibiting comedic wearable art – reinventing how people think of, interact with, and appreciate art. We inspire smiles, creative expression, and conversations.
Our leisure clothing line was born from a desire to help people feel happy through laughter, to enable young adults to own handmade art by more affordable means, and to offer a creative fashion alternative to premium streetwear brands which promote logos rather than the personality of the wearer. When worn, our apparel often draws comments and interactions with new friends.
Visit our store to shop the most comfortable and unique hoodies, shirts, and sweatshirts. Wear your vibe, attract your tribe.
info@analuca.com
Music Socials
Art Socials
Fashion Socials
Copyright © 2022 by Ana Luca LLC. All rights reserved. View our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
Images, media, or text may not be downloaded, copied, or used without written permission.


Will Netflix Cut Lori Loughlin Ahead of Fuller House's Final Season?
Fuller House might be a small reduction full when it earnings for a fifth and final deteriorate on Netflix. While a uncover was renewed for one final 18-episode season, set to atmosphere in tumble 2019, Lori Loughlin isn't approaching to seem following her purported purpose in a college admissions scam, sources tell TVLine. The array is not now in production. Netflix has no criticism on a report. Loughlin has not responded to Us Weekly's requests for comment.
Loughlin, who portrayed Aunt Becky in deteriorate 2 by 8 of Full House and has been a repeated impression in a initial 4 seasons of Fuller House, was arrested on Wednesday, Mar 13, following accusations that she and father Mossimo Giannuli paid $500,000 in bribes in sequence to have their dual daughters attend a University of Southern California. Olivia Jade, 19, and Bella Giannuli, 20, were allegedly "designated as recruits to a USC organisation group — notwithstanding a fact that they did not attend in organisation — thereby facilitating their admission," according to justice papers performed by ABC News.
On Thursday, Mar 14, Hallmark Channel cut all ties with Loughlin, who has starred in 19 of a network's strange films – including a strike Garage Sale Mysteries authorization – and leads their duration drama, When Calls a Heart.
"We are no longer operative with Lori Loughlin and have stopped growth of all productions that atmosphere on a Crown Media Family Network channels involving Lori Loughlin including Garage Sale Mysteries, an eccentric third celebration production," Crown Media Family Networks pronounced in a matter on Thursday.
Additionally, HP, Sephora and Tresemme have finished their operative relations with Olivia amid a scandal.
On Thursday night, Loughlin's Fuller House costar and onscreen father John Stamos posted a video on Instagram with his 11-month-old son. "For those of us who only need a good grin right now. Xo," a heading wrote.


text:
'use strict';

var _cache = require('./cache');

var _cache2 = _interopRequireDefault(_cache);

var _middlewares = require('./middlewares');

var middlewares = _interopRequireWildcard(_middlewares);

var _index = require('./index');

var _node = require('parse/node');

function _interopRequireWildcard(obj) { if (obj && obj.__esModule) { return obj; } else { var newObj = {}; if (obj != null) { for (var key in obj) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(obj, key)) newObj[key] = obj[key]; } } newObj.default = obj; return newObj; } }

function _interopRequireDefault(obj) { return obj && obj.__esModule ? obj : { default: obj }; }

// testing-routes.js

var express = require('express'),
    cryptoUtils = require('./cryptoUtils');

var router = express.Router();

// creates a unique app in the cache, with a collection prefix
function createApp(req, res) {
  var appId = cryptoUtils.randomHexString(32);

  (0, _index.ParseServer)({
    appId: appId,
    masterKey: 'master',
    serverURL: _node.Parse.serverURL,
    collectionPrefix: appId
  });
  var keys = {
    'application_id': appId,
    'client_key': 'unused',
    'windows_key': 'unused',
    'javascript_key': 'unused',
    'webhook_key': 'unused',
    'rest_api_key': 'unused',
    'master_key': 'master'
  };
  res.status(200).send(keys);
}

// deletes all collections with the collectionPrefix of the app
function clearApp(req, res) {
  if (!req.auth.isMaster) {
    return res.status(401).send({ "error": "unauthorized" });
  }
  return req.config.database.deleteEverything().then(function () {
    res.status(200).send({});
  });
}

// deletes all collections and drops the app from cache
function dropApp(req, res) {
  if (!req.auth.isMaster) {
    return res.status(401).send({ "error": "unauthorized" });
  }
  return req.config.database.deleteEverything().then(function () {
    _cache2.default.apps.remove(req.config.applicationId);
    res.status(200).send({});
  });
}

// Lets just return a success response and see what happens.
function notImplementedYet(req, res) {
  res.status(200).send({});
}

router.post('/rest_clear_app', middlewares.handleParseHeaders, clearApp);
router.post('/rest_block', middlewares.handleParseHeaders, notImplementedYet);
router.post('/rest_mock_v8_client', middlewares.handleParseHeaders, notImplementedYet);
router.post('/rest_unmock_v8_client', middlewares.handleParseHeaders, notImplementedYet);
router.post('/rest_verify_analytics', middlewares.handleParseHeaders, notImplementedYet);
router.post('/rest_create_app', createApp);
router.post('/rest_drop_app', middlewares.handleParseHeaders, dropApp);
router.post('/rest_configure_app', middlewares.handleParseHeaders, notImplementedYet);

module.exports = {
  router: router
};

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Thank you sir I am glad you dig.That movie was insanely good!
I love the super man cape! Who were you thinking about when you came up with the idea?
The idea was entirely subconscious. It's not a physical representation of anyone I know. I suppose it was more about evoking a feeling.
Hi Brandon, I really like your work and hope that this interests you and your readers.
hey man thanks so much for your comment!
ur stuff, i must say, is exactly the stuff i find inspiring when i'm blog surfing. those dinosaurs a few posts down are brilliant! and this mother's day card is just too sweet.
Hmmm. This drawing is missing something that I can't put my...my finger on...it's...it needs....something--OH! You know what you need?! MORE TALENT!
Seriously, I am in constant awe of what you do. Love all of it. Please post more and post more often!


The men in our lives are sometimes the most difficult to shop for during the holidays. Tools and ties, gizmos and gadgets, navigating the mass of items marketed to men can be overwhelming to say the least.
Breathe easy. If you are playing Mrs. Clause for a fashionable guy, or one who could use a little help in the fashion department gifting your guy a tres chic ensemble will ensure that your main man looks and feels great this holiday season, and that you have a dapper don on your arm to boot!
For years I have heard Bahamian men lament about the bevy of boutiques carrying womens-wear compared to the handful of stores men can shop for quality apparel.
In recent times, more menswear boutiques are popping up and I was excited to attend the launch of his fashion two weeks ago, a refreshing men's boutique located in the Old Fort Bay Shopping Plaza offering 'island chic' pieces for men.
Clean and simple merchandising makes the boutique a pleasure to shop and a great selection of top brands makes it far too easy to cross off every guy on your list in no time at all.
I chatted with Etienne and he gave the 411 on his fashion and his top fashion picks for the Holidays and Spring 2013.
What brands do you currently carry in the store? Are there plans to introduce new brands in the coming months?
We launched with the following brands: Tommy Hilfiger, Nautica, Faconnable, Kenneth Cole and Calvin Klein. We carry men's clothing, accessories and footwear from these brands. We also carry fantastic men's gift items. In the New Year, we will be adding styles and accessories from Robert Graham and Daniel Cremieux.
What is the general price point/range of the pieces you carry?
Our t-shirts, in most of the brands, start at just under $40. Our basic polos in Tommy and Nautica sell for about $60. A fashionable dress shirt in most of the brands is about $100. In short, we're very competitive with US prices and we aim to keep it that way. We know that Bahamians want to shop locally to support our economy, especially for their clothing, where feel, touch and fit are so important.
What are your top 3 menswear trends/pieces for winter 2012?
This Fall/Holiday season is all about effortless style, especially in men's clothing. Guys want to look good, but they don't want to have to put too much effort into shopping for their look. Long sleeve plaid and stripe button down shirts are popular this season. Of course, Fall/Holiday is all about denim, which we offer in the latest washes, styles and fits from every brand. No look is complete without accessories and this season we're focusing on stylish scarves, quality leather bags and amazing shoes. his fashion excels at effortless style because you can find chic accessible fashions all under one roof.
What items can we expect to shop for spring?
In spring, we'll be featuring fresh colours and fabrics and great attire for our tropical weather. We'll be offering a strong presentation of linens in all brands and we'll be offering coloured jeans, shorts and trousers. Of course, it will be time to head back to the beach, so we'll have an amazing swimwear presentation. This is the Bahamas, so vibrant colours are always appropriate for the islands.
What is your favorite line/brand out of the ones carried by his fashion?
Honestly, we would be hard pressed to pick one, because the entire idea of the store was to feature brands that each told their own story, so that our customers could find something they like for almost every occasion. Tommy Hilfiger works with amazing colours and quality fabrics and really does day wear well. Nautica is terrific because it's inspired by the sea and is thus ideal for island living. Faconnable exudes a sophisticated elegant chic and its bold, yet subtle, use of colour is inspired by the lifestyle of the French Riviera. Kenneth Cole is moody and dark with hints of purple and a lot of grey, black and white, perfect for a night on the town. Finally, those who are in the know, know that Calvin Klein Underwear is the number one brand of men's underwear in the world.
What have been your main challenges thus far?
Our biggest challenge, thus far, was finding a selection of men's brands that were unique in their own right and could be placed next to one another, yet be clearly different. Basically, we didn't want to have a lot of overlap between the brands, which is difficult to avoid in men's clothing, because it tends to be more commercial. We spent several years researching and many trips to various parts of the world selecting carefully to grow our brand portfolio. We think our team succeeded with the various brands they selected.
The most important thing to remember about fashion, even when it gets serious, is that fashion is fun and its about style and life and love. You have to feel it.


Didi Chuxing, probably the biggest ride-sharing app in China at present; is contemplating weather to accept a proposed $6 billion investment by the SoftBank Group. If accepted, this funding is touted to be a record-breaking, and the biggest one for a Chinese tech start-up; according to a report on Bloomberg. But Didi Chuxing's concern is that this funding may dilute existing shareholders like Apple Inc. and others. But if investors like Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Apple Inc. join the funding on pro-rata basis; they could avoid the dilution of their stakes, as TechCrunch notes.
The Beijing-based ride-sharing company is dominating the ride-sharing market in China at present. Didi Chuxing already surpassed an amount of $10 billion of equivalents during last year; giving cut-throat competition to ride-hailing developers like Uber Technologies and Google's Alphabet. Chuxing also reached the valuation of $34 billion during last year; right after the $120 million investment by Foxconn. As of now the rules and regulations regarding drivers and private cars is an obstacle that could slow down its massive growth.
Moreover, Didi Chuxing has reportedly signed a deal with Uber to buy Uber China, last year; the financial aspects of which are yet to be known. Even though Didi Chuxing is the largest ride-hailing company in China at present; and it is worry-free from competition with Uber China; it still has other competitors in the market, like Yidao, UCAR, among others. Currently, Chuxing boasts of around 300 million users and 15 million drivers in China.
SoftBank is already an investor in Didi Chuxing; which is why it is vague at the moment if the funding round will come from SoftBank itself or its SoftBank Vision Fund which is yet to close in a short time; valued at $100 billion. SoftBank's Chairman, Masayoshi Son is working towards the close of Vision Fund. As per the report on Bloomberg; the $100 billion Vision Fund is backed by investors like Oracle Corp., Apple Inc., Qualcomm Inc., and Mubadala Developement Co.
This is not the first time the Masayoshi Son is gambling on technology in China with a whopping fund round. Previously, he has also invested a huge amount on Alibaba, an e-commerce site of China. It is also noteworthy that SoftBank is among the name of investors for ride-sharing companies like Kuadi Dache in China ($600 million), GrabTaxi in Southeast Asia ($250 million), and Ola in India ($210 million).
SoftBank may be considering the same philosophy for Didi Chuxing; of new emerging market in China that it did while its investment in Alibaba before many years. If the much speculated proposal of $6 billion is accepted by Didi Chuxing; it may turn out to be a major development for the Beijing-based company for its self-driving and autonomous technology segments.


text:
Q: How does one prove the following inequality? I am currently studying Calculus and I have stumbled upon an inequality, which is crucial to one of the proofs in the "Limits of functions", namely the following limit ($ m \in \mathbb{N} $):
$$ \lim_{x \to 0} \dfrac{\sqrt[m]{1+x} - 1}{x} = \dfrac{1}{m} $$
And the inequality I'm talking about is ($|x| > 1$):
$$ 1 - |x| < \sqrt[m]{1+x}  < 1 + |x| $$
The textbook says, that the limit immediately follows from the latter expression, but I can't see how that is even possible, since we put $ |x| > 1 $ but in the limit we head $x$ towards 0. How should I deal with this?

A: $$1+x=q^m$$
$$\begin{align}\lim_{x \to 0} \dfrac{\sqrt[m]{1+x} - 1}{x}
& =\lim_{q \to 1}\frac{q-1}{q^m-1}\\
&=\lim_{q \to 1}\frac{1}{1+q+q^2+\cdots+q^{m-1}}\\
&=\frac 1m.\end{align}$$

A: The inequalities cannot hold for all $|x| > 1$ over all $m \in \mathbb N_+$ because, for example, $1 + x := 1 - 2$ is not part of the natural domain of the real-valued square root function. The inequalities do indeed hold for $0 <|x| < 1$.

*

*For concreteness, the proof of the LH inequality proceeds as follows. Take the $m$-th power of both sides. Consider positive and negative values of $x$ separately.  For positive $x$, the LH inequality is obvious. For negative $x$, use $x = -|x|$ and the fact that $0<a<1$ implies $0 < a^2 < a$, and so on to $0 < a^m <a$. The proof of the RH inequality mirrors.

As for how to use the inequalities for evaluating the limit, it is for applying the squeeze theorem indirectly; the inequalities are not sharp enough for a direct attack. So probably they meant to use the inequalities to prove $\lim\limits_{x\to 0}{\sqrt[m]{1+x}} = 1$. We see $\lim\limits_{x\to 0} \operatorname{numerator}(x) = \lim\limits_{x\to 0} \operatorname{denominator}(x) = 0$, thus it might be possible to apply l'Hôpital's rule (and it turns out it is actually possible if we check).
I would prefer lone student's answer over using l'Hôpital as matter of taste. There one rationalises the numerator after a reasonable change of variables to simplify the algebra.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Scenes From the Kavanaugh Protests in Washington, D.C.
Four-year-old Eve Sweetland-May drove from New Albany, Indiana, last night for the protest.
Today, Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed as the newest Supreme Court Justice. (The tally was 50-48, and all who voted in favor of Kavanaugh were Republicans, except for Democrat Senator Joe Manchin III of West Virginia.) For many Americans, the confirmation of Kavanaugh, who has been credibly accused of sexual assault on multiple occasions, also undermines and disregards all of the women who have come forward to share their stories of survivorship in his wake.
Photographer Justin T. Gellerson headed to Washington to capture all of the demonstrations, documenting everything from the protestors' handmade signs to the thematic costumes they wore while displaying them. (Handmade costumes were a popular choice.) Click through the gallery above to see all of Gellerson's images from the day.


Although not as popular in North America, England's Arena are widely regarded as one of the premier progressive rock bands in existence. Albums such as The Visitor and The Lion's Cage are considered classics in the genre by many. Arena's previous album Contagion, released in 2003, saw a dramatic departure from the pure progressive rock of past albums to a heavier edged and even prog metal flavored sound. An outstanding album, it was met with mixed reaction by their fans. Although many welcomed the newer and harder sound, the purists felt that Arena were becoming just another prog metal band and had lost the uniqueness and character that was such a staple of their music. With 2005 being Arena's 10th anniversary, they decided to do a special album to mark the occasion. Clive Nolan and company have come up with a collection of 7 tales of mystery and imagination using themes ranging from the Sherlock Holmes saga to more Marvel comics flavored stories. Their new album Pepper's Ghost takes it's title from a legendary Victorian era English illusionist who could allegedly "project" a ghostly figure onto the stage during his performances. The whole comic book theme comes full circle with cartoon strips inside the booklet used to help illustrate the story behind each of the songs and once again, all lyrics and stories are penned by keyboard wizard Clive Nolan (Pendragon, Nolan and Wakeman). Musically speaking, Pepper's Ghost still maintains the heavier edge to the guitars and the riffs as heard on the Contagion album but they've taken a step back and incorporated elements of their classic sound of previous albums like The Visitor.
Bedlam Fayre gets things underway with it's big booming riffs and Clive Nolan's keyboards are perfectly blended with the guitars to produce a great thick sound. The guitar riffs and harmonized vocal lines by Rob Sowder really reminds me of the classic Canadian prog band Saga, especially the music on their 70's albums such as Images At Twilight and Silent Knight. Smoke And Mirrors continues with the heavier edge and more prominent guitar in the mix but the track is more mid tempo with big slicing riffs and Clive Nolan provides some nice synthesizer arpeggios. A great atmospheric track, the Saga sound can be heard again especially with the vocals and chorus sections. The Shattered Room is a 9 minute epic that features lots of tempo changes and instrumental passages with some great lead solo breaks by guitarist John Mitchell. The heavy guitar edge is still present but it's more of a "pure" progressive rock song which also features some Fish-era Marillion style vocals over clean guitar arpeggios. The Eyes Of Lara Moon is another solid atmospheric track that mixes quieter with heavier sections and has a more defined chorus than most tracks on the album. Tantalus also mixes quieter and heavier sections and takes on a very Fates Warning like quality with the guitar riffing style. Purgatory Road features a great thick Uriah Heep style of heavy guitar riffs blended with swirling organ sounds that sees many different tempo changes. The album ends with a 13 minute opus entitled Opera Fanatica. The big booming guitar riffs are front and center again and the use of chunky and heavy riffs gives Arena an unusual prog metal flavor and a heaviness that's quite rare for their music. Using quiet reflective interludes and recurring themes, this one pretty much covers all the bases of the Arena sound.


Plasma Grow Lights Guide for 2018 | 6 Best Lamps for Indoor Growing!
1.2.13 A plasma lamp? What is that?
1.7 Check your email and please confirm subscription!
When it comes to lighting up your grow space there are different point of views, each of them having their pros, cons and enthusiast supporters. Passionate debates are often seen among blogs and specialized websites and many comparative studies are available on the subject, everyone looking for the ultimate light source.
Did you know? By using plasma grow lights, you'll be using about 50% as much energy as HID lamps, which are some of the most common in use in most indoor gardens. This translates to a 50% reduction in your energy bill without a huge loss in light output.
Even if common grounds can be found among growers regarding various lamps, nothing divides them more than plasma grow lighting, some of them claiming they are the truly efficient indoor grow light revolution we've all been waiting for, while others consider them as a money waste.
Let's try to get a better insight of what it's all about.
A plasma lamp? What is that?
Invented by the famous engineer Nikola Tesla in the late 1800s, they use induction or electromagnetic fields to transfer power instead of electrodes, and thus are called LEP lamps ( Light Emitting Plasma).
« Plasma » is a generic term referring to different kinds of induction lights. Sulfur and metal halide plasma are the main kinds of plasma grow lights for sale.
As they are fairly new grow lights on the market and quite expensive, very few people use them and there is a lack of feedback information regarding their efficiency.
A very complete light spectrum adapted for vegetative periods (around 5500 Kelvin).
An increased lifespan due to the lack of electrodes. Average run time is around 30,000 to 40,000 hours.
Long-lasting light intensity as opposed to HPS and MH bulbs, resulting in lower maintenance costs and a greener ecological outcome.
Deeper light penetration than CFL bulbs, T5 fluorescent tubes and most LED lamps.
Power savings, as they consume less than HID lights – https://plantsily.com/grow-lights/hps-high-pressure-sodium-bulbs-review/.
Poor light penetration compared to HID lamps, the light won't reach to the lower parts of your plants.
Very high initial cost compared to other lamps, sometimes exceeding the price of last generation LED panels.
High heat is produced by the bulb itself, and a fan is often needed for heat dispersion and to prevent the plants from burning.
Average lower lumen per watt production than HPS / MH lamps, meaning less efficiency for equivalent power-use.
As they are fairly new grow lights on the market and due to their price, very few people use them and there is a lack of feedback information regarding their efficiency. Many information are in fact claims made by manufacturers themselves and shouldn't be necessarily regarded as reliable.
Available for less than $500 this light is produced by Alphalite, which is a leading company in the induction lighting business. It's been designed to have a light-weight, which might be interesting if you use a small grow box unable to hold a heavy lamp.
First model under $700, its 5500K light is ideal for vegetative periods. It has a low heat output, considerably reducing cooling costs and a long lifespan, delivering long-lasting intense light.
Rocket Plasma – The first and only red plasma grow light!
Still very high-priced, but you can find it under $1,000. It's the only model I know specifically designed to produce red light (around 3,000 K) which makes it the right one to use during flowering stages. It seems to produce little heat, and thus being a good solution for grow spaces with a limited ventilation setup.
Solid state horticultural plasma light fixture.
LUXIM STA 41.02 LiFi light-source, rated average life of 30,000 hours.
The glass wide spectrum filter allows for low quantities UVB light to pass while shielding you and your crop from UVC.
The Vega aluminum reflector generates an even square light pattern.
The absence of heat radiation in the light allows you to hang the lamp close to your crop.
Although available at half the price of the previous one, this light is still very expensive, and few information are available concerning its efficiency in marijuana grows. One thing is for sure, this lamps is very heavy and you should take this in consideration if you plan to include it in your setup.
This model is supposed to have a high lumen output, and to be able to replace a 1000 watt HID lamp. However, its price is very high and most average growers won't be able to buy it, ever. There is very little to no reports of people using it.
Plasma lights have undoubtedly raised questions and hopes. Unfortunately their very steep price discourage many potential users and so few experimenting is taking place.
Even if the future of this systems in the indoor growing field is yet to be written, new technologies like plasma led lights are full of promises and will perhaps lead to cheaper, more effective light sources.
Now you have purchased your first grow light and the only thing missing is growing tent (you have several different options and you can checked them here to see what is best for your needs) and marijuana seeds that you can purchase from one of the marijuana seed banks.
If you are completely new to indoor growing visit Plantsily.com and read The Beginners Guide on How to Grow Weed at Home in 10 Easy Steps.


Explore the city in the middle of the world with a local Ecuadorian guide and find out what makes this city so special that it attracts millions of travelers every year!
Explore what is known to be the 'Middle of the World City' located north of the famous city of Quito!
One of the main attractions for visitors of Quito, the 'Middle of the World City' is located about 15 kilometers north of the city.
On this tour you will be able to visit this attraction and you will find the famous monument that is located on both hemispheres! This attraction is located in the Pichinchia Province of Ecuador and continues to be a world curiousity as it is located on Latitude 0′ 0′ 0′!
Come and explore this world wonder in Ecuador with a local guide.


text:
Are climate protests still relevant today?
Sustainable banners. Credit: Cherie Birkner/Unsplash.
November 30 2021 November 30 2021 Diego Evrard-Broquet
The Metropolitan police have arrested hundreds of Insulate Britain protesters who have blocked roads and bridges recently. Some of these protesters have even been jailed for breaching injunctions to prevent road blockades.
What would push people to get arrested as a means of alerting the rest of us on climate change? Is it relevant? To try to understand their side of the story, I interviewed "armchair activist" David Kidd, course director on the MSc in Geographical Information Systems and Science programme – as well as two KU philosophy students who are climate activists.
What can we do when governments fail us?
Credit: Vuk Valcic, SOPA. Shutterstock.
COP 26 was a failure
Why is there a need to protest to start with? The simple answer is the failure of traditional political institutions. This was illustrated by the watered down agreements and pledges at COP26 which most people believe do not go far enough to keep the global temperature rise within 1.5 degrees.
This summer's California fire media coverage made climate change more real for Americans. Credit: Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times/Shutterstock.
There is rising public concern about climate change – what could possibly be the cause of that? Big meetings like COP26? Or could it be because of an increase of climate related extreme weather events, like flooding?
"It definitely impacts the dynamic of climate opinion. People are realising that climate change is not a far-off problem, but that it is already here and now and is only going to get worse if we do not take any action immediately. Extreme events like droughts and fire, impact our archaic infrastructure which is not adapted to climate change," said Kidd.
Climate protests trigger political actions. Credit: Andy Barton, Shutterstock.
'Protests are a lifeblood of democracy'
"An active citizenry that is politically engaged is an important part of the separation of powers," said a KU philosophy student who wished to remain anonymous. This means protests are of the same importance as the executive, the parliament, the judiciary or journalism.
"Protests show individuals that if they come together and aggregate their power they can influence policy"
"Protests also have an important transformative function. Power does not simply reside in the hands of the government," said the philosophy student.
A KU philosophy graduate, who also wishes to remain anonymous, said: "We have got to be organised. We have got to move against powerful corporations. They're only gonna react if we do something about it."
"Protest is more about gradual pressure and keeping fixing the news"
On the same note, Heleen de Coninck, lead author of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a body aimed at producing solid climate science for
governments worldwide, told the Economist: "The pressure that activists place on business and political leaders is indispensable for climate actions.
Is it ok for Insulate Britain protesters to block the roads?
Credit: Jeff Gilbert. Shutterstock
Are climate activists methods appropriate?
"Climate protests are too soft in character given the severity of the crisis. Public opinion is massively in favour of taking large and transformative measures to develop a sustainable and resilient society. We need to demonstrate this commitment more boldly," said the philosophy student.
"You have to disrupt. It is about choosing the right media moment when best to get everyone's attention," said the recent graduate.
"I think protests that engage in targeted disruption are important to indicate the willingness of citizens to support transformative social and economic policies that are able to tackle the severity of the climate crisis," said the philosophy student.
"I think the targeting of fossil fuel infrastructure is a legitimate form of protest. I do not consider this a form of violence. It is not aimed at harming anyone"
"On the contrary, it is aimed at preventing the climate crisis that will inflict upon millions of people if we do not take any political action. I would draw a parallel with Nelson Mandela and the ANC targeting material infrastructure to exert political pressure on the government to end apartheid," added the student.
"It is good to see so many different groups at the same time and place, this gives a feeling of unity," said the fresh graduate.
Credit: Guy Bell, Shutterstock.
Protest is community
Targeted action does not always have to be extreme.
"Guerrilla gardening in extra-suburban areas would also be good examples," said Kidd. This practice refers to gardening on land that the gardeners do not have the legal rights to cultivate, such as abandoned sites, areas that are not being cared for, or private property.
Climate protests are also an occasion to meet people sharing the same values.
Some might argue it is part of the point of protests.
"Protest is about community and internal bonding, local community actions which participate in a necessary decentralisation," said Kidd.
The philosophy graduate added: "It is good to see so many different groups at the same time and place, this gives a feeling of unity."
Diego Evrard-Broquet
Life is a party and I'm the piñata
'I am successful but when I go back home, my place is still dictated'
Five lesser-known activities for you to try this week
It's okay not to be okay
Lecturer's union meets to discuss potential strike
climate change, COP26, insulate britain
Plans for new Kingfisher Leisure Centre unveiled
KU futsal team earn second victory of the season
Veganuary 2022: How to reduce your animal product intake
House plant week: Meet the plants surviving pretty much anything (even a student house)
Where can students buy clothes at budget-friendly prices?
December 8 2021 December 8 2021

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


For a while now, the talk has been about the amateur game not having enough events for youngsters to play in.
With not many tournaments for those talented up and coming prospects, that's all about to change.
Introducing the new SnookerFans branded events!
Last weekend, the team at SnookerFans.co.uk launched their first in a long line designed to revive the amateur scene and spark a new wave of talent in the UK.
The first SnookerFans event started aptly being named Stars of the Future as ten of the best young talents in UK snooker pit their wits against each other on Saturday at one of snooker's up and coming clubs in the new age – Dunstable Snooker Club, run by the humble host Suny Singh.
The event was split into two groups initially with round robins for these ten talents on show and the two winners of the groups qualified for the semi-finals and final.
Allen supported the event and praised the work of SnookerFans and Dunstable for putting it on.
Events like these give youngsters valuable match experience in friendly but competitive settings allowing them to hone their skills and thrive on what will be a tough scene when they get older and compete in mature events as adults.
Who knows, maybe one day the next Ronnie O'Sullivan or Judd Trump may emerge from the shadows?
The winner of the event was Harlow's Alex Clenshaw, who also made an incredible ton – 111 as the high break.
The event was live-streamed on the SnookerFans Facebook page – so that fans across the globe could see emerging talent shining from UK shores.


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Soccer - Football League Offices - Lytham St Annes, Lancashire
The new headquarters of the Football League at Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. Formally the Sandown Hotel in Clifton Drive, the building has been converted as the administrative headquarters of an organisation which handles 92 clubs, more than 3000 professional footballers and several thousand amateurs. The Football League previously had it's headquarters in the Hanley home of it's first secretary Mr Harry Lockett. Since this image the Football League have moved their headquarters back to Preston. (Photo by PA Images via Getty Images)
No commercial uses without permission. Contact your local office.UK OUT, IRELAND OUT
PA Images / Contributor
The Football League - England and Wales


Video updates for parents of premature babies are being trialled at Scotland's largest neo-natal intensive care unit.
The Royal Hospital for Children, part of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, is piloting video technology that allows parents to be remotely updated on their child's health.
A spokeswoman for the health board said that there are "babies from all over" the country at the unit, based in Glasgow, which can make it hard for parents to easily visit and see their babies.
The personalised videos are by vCreate, and two nurses have so far been trained in using the technology.
The trial has been running for six to seven weeks on two babies, the spokeswoman confirmed.
The parents have had a "very positive" response, she said.
Neil Patel, a consultant neonatologist at the hospital, said in a statement that the idea came from the patients, who requested video updates for his baby.
Other parents, "thought video was a brilliant way of keeping them up to date with non-clinically sensitive updates when they were away from the hospital", said Patel.
The new children's hospital opened in 2015 and admits babies from across Scotland. The spokeswoman said that one of the parents in the trial was based in Dundee.
The videos can be accessed on personal devices, and each parent is given a vCreate View License to ensure only videos of their child can be viewed.
Ben Moore, vCreate founder, described the videos as a story "of the child's road to recovery".
The spokeswoman said that the hospital wants to train more nursing staff and involve more parents in the trial.
Once the pilot has been completed, vCreate will be rolled out to consenting parents across the unit.
Jack Weightman, whose daughter was on the trial, said in a statement that "it's great as it keeps the family involved 24 hours a day".
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is the largest health board in the UK, and provides healthcare for 1.2 million people.
Great. Hopefully introduced in Ireland then. Last May our 23 weeker commenced 101 days in hospital. While only 3.5 hours round trip from our home and we were able to spend a lot of time in NICU we had to be at home for our two older children too. Heartbreaking not being with our tiny baby. This new technology would have helped us so much during those times.
NHS Digital has appointed Home Office chief technology officer, Sarah Wilkinson, as its new CEO.


I have this device and love it but the tip broke off after only a few uses. How can I get it replaced?
How does it work? What is the largest size filter it will fit?
Can this be ordered with a 50 ft hose?
will this work with diesel oil filters?


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Ace-Tek UK Ltd has, during the last 12 months, successfully passed an assessment against the CDM Core Criteria (Stage 1), carried out by an SSIP accredited assessment provider.
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text:
ISO/IEC CD 29187-1
Information technology — Identification of privacy protection requirements pertaining to learning, education and training (LET) — Part 1: Framework and reference model
ISO/IEC 29187-1:2013 has been developed to support modelling generic international requirements for identifying and providing privacy protection of personal information throughout any kind of ICT-based learning transaction where the individual has the role of an individual learner. It provides users and designers with a methodology and tools addressing privacy protection and related requirements imposed by applicable jurisdictional domains.
ISO/IEC 29187-1:2013 takes the "learning operational view" (LOV) aspects based on the ISO/IEC 14662 Open-edi Reference Model (a freely available ISO standard) together with applicable ISO standards including ISO/IEC 15944-1 and ISO/IEC 15944‑5 (also available without charge) as well as many other international referenced specifications.
ISO/IEC 29187-1:2013 models the requirements of jurisdictional domains as external constraints upon the creation, use, interchange, and information life cycle management of personal information. ISO/IEC 29187-1:2013 addresses the specified context of public policy requirements of jurisdictional domains controlling the use of personal information (PI). These include regulations for consumer protection, privacy protection, individual accessibility, etc.
ISO/IEC 29187-1:2013 in a LET context identifies and expands upon eleven generic, primitive, international principles that have been associated with privacy protection requirements by international, regional, and UN member states. It models them with respect to the "collaboration space" of a learning transaction and commitment exchange involving an individual acting in the role of an individual learner. In a LET context, it provides principles and rules governing the establishment, management and use of identifiers of that individual, including the use of legally recognized names (LRNs), recognized individual identity (rii), and methods of non-identification, such as the use of anonymization and pseudonymization of personal information.
ISO/IEC 29187-1:2013 also sets out principles governing information lifecycle management (ILCM) as well as the rules and associated coded domains for obtaining informed consent for collection, specifying state changes, records retention, record deletion and related matters in support of privacy protection requirements.


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Braid Cutting
Braids of two minors chopped in Ganderbal, incidents of vigilantism reported from various parts of the Valley
Srinagar: Braids of two minors, aged 10 and 15, were chopped off in Ganderbal district of Kashmir Valley.
Reports say that protests erupted in Kujar area of the district on Monday evening when the braid of a 10-year-old girl was found mysteriously chopped off.
Another braid chopping attack occurred today at 6 am in Arhama area of the district when the braid of a 15-year-old girl was chopped off at her home.
According to local media, unknown persons barged into the girl's house, which also hosts a bakery, and chopped off her hair. The family members of the girl later found her lying unconscious.
The incident resulted in massive protests in the area.
This is the fourth incident of braid chopping in Ganderbal district in the last three days. Earlier on Sunday, braids of two teenage girls were found mysteriously chopped off in Rabitar and Naraianbagh villages.
An incident of braid chopping was reported from Budgam district's Beerwah area on Monday. Reports say the braid of a 15-year-old was found mysteriously chopped off.
Another attack was reported from Raithan village of Khansahab. According to police, a married woman was attacked by an unknown person who pretended to be a beggar and then managed to chop off her braid.
Another braid chopping attack was reported from Ompora area of the district on Sunday evening.
Reports of Vigilantism
Police on Monday rescued four rag-pickers who were mistaken as braid-choppers in Nowgam area of Srinagar.
According to the police, the non-local rag-pickers were surrounded by "a mob of 2000 persons" who started "abusing and heckling them".
The police after rescuing the rag-pickers did a medical examination and no angle of braid-chopping was established.
The police have registered an FIR against the people involved in the mob and have booked "the miscreants under relevant sections for rioting, rumor mongering, assault, use of criminal force, etc."
In another incident of vigilantism, three men, including a mentally challenged man, were thrashed by locals in Pampore area of Pulwama district.
The incident occurred on Monday evening at Khankahbagh, Pampore after the locals alleged the three of being braid-choppers.
According to media reports, the three alleged braid choppers were beaten severely before police reached the spot and rescued them.
The police in their preliminary investigation revealed that of the three men, two were from Srinagar's Bemina area while the third was a 30-year-old man from Surasyar, Budgam. The police added that the Budgam man was found to be mentally challenged.
According to the police, they rescued another man mistaken to be a braid chopper and caught by locals in Balpora area of Budgam district.
Related Items:braid chopping, Budgam, Ganderbal, Kashmir, Nowgam, Pampore, Police, Vigilantism
Fire guts house in central Kashmir
PCI's silence over issues confronting media in Kashmir concerning: KEG
Rohingya boat toll rises to 23 as more bodies found


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Author & Punisher, 2-Headed Whale
Tue, November 27, 2018
On No One Deserves Happiness, The Body's Chip King and Lee Buford set out to make "the grossest pop album of all time." The album themes of despair and isolation are delivered by the unlikely pairing of the Body's signature heaviness and 80s dance tracks. The Body can emote pain like no other band, and their ability to move between the often strict confines of the metal world and the electronic music sphere is on full display throughout No One Deserves Happiness, an album that eludes categorization. More than any of their genre-defying peers, The Body does it without softening their disparate influences towards a middle ground, but instead through a beautiful combining of extremes. No One Deserves Happiness is an album that defies definition and expectations, standing utterly alone.
Buford and King are outliers at their core, observing the world as if apart from it. They strive for music without a category. They embody many contrasts. They are open and playful as well as thoughtful and disciplined. Live, they deliver punishing volume and scale with their spare duo set up, expanding their sound through a complex set of effects on both guitar and drums. For records, they approach things entirely differently and expand their group in the studio to include Seth Manchester and Keith Souza from Machines with Magnets (their long-time studio), as well as Chrissy Wolpert of The Assembly of Light Choir. The list of instruments used on No One Deserves Happiness is an unexpected collection that includes 808 drum machine, a cello and a trombone. The band employs instruments in their unprocessed state for the simple beauty of the sound, and then in equal measure push them to their most extreme (for example, the sounds at the end of "The Fall and the Guilt" are created by a guitar and a cello). Because they create an entirely singular sound, The Body is in high demand for collaborations with artists across the musical spectrum, from The Bug to Full of Hell to The Haxan Cloak and beyond. They build albums that are as lush and dense as a rain forest and as unforgiving.
Building an album as layered as No One Deserves Happiness is a complex process. Striving for harshness, dynamics and detail all at once poses some technical challenges: It requires that tracks are built up, deconstructed, processed and re-built. Manchester explains that as an engineering team for The Body, Machines with Magnets must always consider the mix — they never go in and record the basics and then mix it. In order to get the immersive experience that is No One Deserves Happiness, they must experiment with and constantly re-evaluate every construct. While they do employ an 808 on this album, they use pre-fabricated samples very sparingly. To get the contrast they are looking for, they experiment with a huge variety of their own sound samples and varying levels of distortion. Reprocessing a few samples of a track can often result in a remix to retain the balance and dynamics they are looking for.
Delicate, ethereal vocals, courtesy of Wolpert and Maralie Armstrong (who wrote and sings the lyrics for "Adamah" and contributes vocals at the end of "Shelter Is Illusory") sharply juxtapose King's distinctive, hellish cries. Album opener "Wanderings" is the perfect introduction to No One Deserves Happiness: Wolpert's angelic calls to "go it alone" build until utter despair takes over, her voice drowned in guitar distortion, and as it is swallowed, we hear the desperate cries of Chip King. The Body then completely switches approaches, starting again with bare drums, but this time more processed and more industrial. The march is quickly augmented by electronics and King's distant shrieks — this continues to build to the apex of Wolpert's vocals rising from the oppressiveness and elevating it with her melodies. The contrasting composition and employment of textures on these two songs highlight the Body's songwriting and arrangement skills. Each track is at once melodic and bleak, employing many of the same instruments but never in the same manner.
The band's musical tastes are broad, and that is reflected in the wide variety of inspirations they cite for the tracks on No One Deserves Happiness. "Two Snakes" started with a bass line that was inspired by Beyoncé and went through several mutations as the band remixed and reprocessed core elements, vocal melodies morphing into distorted keys, all carried by the foundational bass line. The core duo of The Body has clear ideas of what they want to achieve, but they are completely open to ideas on the execution. This collaborative, open approach allows for a lot of creative input into the building blocks or sounds of a composition that The Body then meticulously arranges. In the same manner as the music, the lyrics are inspired by a variety of literary reference points, from the spoken word piece on "Prescience," written by Édouard Levé, to the Joan Didion quote inscribed in the album artwork. The Didion passage succinctly sums up an overriding theme of loss and isolation: "A single person is missing for you, and the whole world is empty."
In the past two years alone, The Body has joined forces with the metal bands Thou, Sandworm, and Krieg, recorded with Wrekmeister Harmonies, and collaborated with electronic producer The Haxan Cloak. They are currently working on a collaboration with The Bug and grindcore band Full of Hell. They have toured with Neurosis (playing large venues) and toured with Sandworm (playing house shows). This unexpected list of collaborators and unpredictable touring approach further emphasizes the demand for the band's distinctive sound and their open, exploratory nature.
After leaving a career as mechanical engineer in Boston to focus on art and sculpture, Tristan Shone, the creator and sole artist behind AUTHOR & PUNISHER, moved west to pursue his MFA in Southern California. In the metal and machine shops of University of California, San Diego, Shone forged a relationship with design, sound and fabrication that ultimately yielded AUTHOR & PUNISHER's first music and mapped the journey away from traditional instrumentation towards custom made, precision machinery. Shone used his technical knowledge, along with his artistic background to create what Wired Magazine has hailed as his own "special brand of doom metal."
All aspects of the AUTHOR & PUNISHER sound begin with physical movement, limbs struggling in unison to coordinate a wall of electronic rhythm and oscillation, ultimately conditioned by an organic and loose quality absent of plastic perfection. AUTHOR & PUNISHER performances are a real amalgamation between man and mechanisms. They are direct, physical, heavy experiences that have amassed praise and intrigue from a wide array of audiences. Pitchfork styled him "immediate but mysterious," Stereogum described his "chilling, unrecognizable form," and NPR hails him as "a thrill [who] fires on all cylinders".
2-Headed Whale


text:
Index of Economic Freedom
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The Obama Administration and Congress need to recognize that its "reset" policy with Russia, which requires huge payoffs for small results, is in dire need of a reassessment. The U.S. should pursue its national interests in relations with Moscow instead of chasing a mirage. The U.S. and Russia have mutual interests in opposing Islamic radicalism and terrorism, nonproliferation, counter-narcotics, boosting trade and investment, and expanding tourism, business, and exchanges.
Russia can benefit from access to U.S. science—especially health sciences, technology, and investment—if Moscow improves its foreign and domestic policies. However, Congress and the Administration should not tolerate Russian mischief, either domestic or geopolitical. The U.S. should not shy away from articulating its priorities and values to its Russian partners—and play hardball when necessary.
Reset Regret: U.S. Should Rethink Relations with Russian Leaders
Ariel Cohen, Ph.D.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2011/06/Reset-Regret-US-Should-Rethink-Relations-with-Russian-Leaders
For the past two years, the Obama Administration has touted its Russia "reset policy" as one of its great diplomatic achievements. The President spent an inordinate amount of time cultivating Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and making him his principal diplomatic interlocutor—despite the fact that Medvedev is Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's appointed protégé with no political base of his own.
To uphold the "reset," the Administration agreed to cut U.S. strategic nuclear forces under New START, abandoned missile defense deployment in Poland and the Czech Republic, engaged Russia in missile defense talks, pursued a policy of geopolitical neglect in the former Soviet Union, and toned down criticism of political freedom violations in Russia. However, Putin remains Russia's "national leader" and the real power behind—and on—the throne. Top White House and State Department officials now privately recognize that they bet on the wrong horse, as it is unlikely that Medvedev will wield any real power beyond the spring of 2012. However, the Administration cannot publicly admit that this bet failed, as it would undermine the very notion of this over-personalized "reset."
Yet the reality that Medvedev has a limited capacity to deliver and is unlikely to continue in office means that the U.S. should rethink its strategy for engaging with Russia's leadership.
Reset Regret: Obama's Cold War–Style Arms Control Undermines U.S.–Russian Relations
Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., Baker Spring, and Michaela Bendikova
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2011/06/Cold-War-Style-Arms-Control-Undermines-US-Russian-Relations
The Obama Administration's "reset" policy has been merely a list of concessions to a regime in Moscow that is seeking Soviet-like superpower prestige and status through forced nuclear equality with Washington. This approach has far-reaching negative implications for U.S. security and foreign policy as well as for the security of U.S. allies. The problems associated with Obama's Cold War–style arms control approach are particularly apparent in the areas of strategic arms, missile defense, and short-range nuclear weapons.
Instead of focusing on Cold War–style arms control, the United States and Russia should adopt fundamentally defensive strategic postures based on the "protect and defend" strategy. This defensive posture would employ offensive and defensive forces, both conventional and nuclear, to defeat any strategic attack on the U.S. and its allies. In addition, it would offer opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation based on a realistic assessment of Russia's intentions and capabilities rather than on futile hope and nonexistent change.
Reset Regret: Moral Leadership Needed to Fix U.S.–Russian Relations
Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., and Donald Jensen, Ph.D.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2011/06/Reset-Regret-Moral-Leadership-Needed-to-Fix-US-Russian-Relations
The discussion about democracy, human rights, and the rule of law has careened through at least three phases in U.S. relations with Russia, each one resulting in sometimes jarring shifts in Washington's approach to Moscow.
In order to reaffirm America's interests, when dealing with Russia, the U.S. should concentrate on the values of freedom and justice. The Administration needs to stop its policy of "pleasing Moscow" and instead add pressure on Russia to start a "reset" of its own policies that currently disregard human rights, democracy, and good governance. The U.S. should deny visas to corrupt Russian businessmen, examine their banking practices and acquisitions, and target Russian police and prosecutors who fabricate evidence, and judges who rubber stamp convictions.
It is, thus, in the American national interest to attend to broader international concerns such as freedom and justice when dealing with Russia. The current regime stands squarely against these objectives and, therefore, against U.S. interests.
Reset Regret: Russian "Sphere of Privileged Interests" in Eurasia Undermines U.S. Foreign Policy
Ariel Cohen, Ph.D., and Stephen Blank
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2011/07/Reset-Regret-Russian-Sphere-of-Privileged-Interests-in-Eurasia-Undermines-US-Foreign-Policy
For many years, Russian diplomats have openly proclaimed that the former Soviet republics that make up the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are not truly sovereign states. Russian analysts have stated that Russia regards the Obama Administration's "reset" policy as a U.S. admission that the CIS is within Russia's sphere of influence.
It is clear that Washington needs a new approach to Eurasian foreign policy to prevent an emergence of a Russian sphere of influence or another regional hegemony. The United States should boost its diplomatic support of sovereign states, such as Ukraine and Georgia, and expand a real commitment to the region. Specifically, Washington should provide political support to East–West energy pipelines and uphold sovereignty and territorial integrity under international law—even if this upsets Russia—while at the same time becoming an active mediator in the Transnistria and South Caucasus disputes.
Reset Regret: Russian Global Strategy Undermines American Interests
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2011/08/Reset-Regret-Russian-Global-Strategy-Undermines-US-Interests
According to the Obama Administration, the U.S. is not competing with Russia for global influence. Unfortunately, Moscow has not received the memo. Instead, Russia attempts to extend its influence to constrain U.S. policy. Russian leaders like Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov habitually invoke a "polycentric" or multipolar model of the world, with Russia working with its partners toward a future where U.S. power is so diminished that it cannot act without Moscow's permission.
Moscow has continuously promoted in word and deed the idea that there is or should be a multipolar world order that constrains U.S. foreign policies. Moscow's concept of multipolarity entails an uncontested sphere of Russian influence in the CIS and with key actors in critically important regions: Europe, East Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.
Reset the Reset
A "reset" policy that ignores Russia's global efforts to undermine the U.S. recalls the ill-fated détente of the 1970s. It ran aground on Russian expansionism and wars in the Third World, especially Afghanistan. Despite profound changes since then, Russia's basic anti-American strategic orientation, "reset" rhetoric aside, seems to be the same. In the trying times ahead, when it comes to global challenges, the U.S. should relearn and practice international balance-of-power politics.
COMMENTARY 3 min read
Biden's Hypocrisy Has Gone Global
REPORT 8 min read
The Biden Administration Owes the 118th Congress More Answers on Ukraine
Rishi Sunak Must Do a Maggie and Take On Militant Unions


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Иван Николаевич Сорока (24 июня 1916, с. Красное-2, Воронежская губерния — 1988, Минск) — командир дивизиона 161-го гвардейского отдельного артиллерийского полка 7-й гвардейской армии Степного фронта, гвардии капитан. Герой Советского Союза.

Биография
Родился 11 июня 1916 года в селе Красное-2 (ныне — Алексеевского района Белгородской области) в крестьянской семье. В 1937 году окончил 7 летнюю школу, в 1938 году окончил ветеринарный зоотехникум в городе Россошь Воронежской области. Работал бригадиром на Московской птицефабрике.

В Красной Армии с 15 сентября 1938 года. В 1940 году окончил 1-е Московское артиллерийское училище. Участвует в Великой Отечественной войне с июня 1941 года. С июня по август 1941 года заместитель командира батареи 152-го корпусного тяжелого артиллерийского полка. С августа 1941 по февраль 1942 года командир батареи этого же полка. С февраля по август 1942 помощник начальника штаба 630-го артиллерийского полка. С августа 1942 года по май 1943 года помощник начальника штаба 1111-го пушечного артиллерийского полка РГК. С мая по сентябрь 1943 года командир дивизиона 161-го гвардейского армейского пушечного артиллерийского полка. Член ВКП(б)/КПСС с 1943 года.

Командир дивизиона 161-го гвардейского отдельного артиллерийского полка гвардии капитан Иван Сорока умело организовал 29 сентября 1943 года форсирование реки Днепр в районе села Бородаевка Верхнеднепровского района Днепропетровской области Украины. Вверенный гвардии капитану Сороке артиллерийский дивизион подавил вражеские огневые точки и вместе со стрелковыми подразделениями захватил рубеж. После этого, в течение двадцати дней воины дивизиона гвардии капитана Сороки И. Н. отразили около семидесяти контратак противника, нанеся ему значительный урон в живой силе и технике, чем обеспечили переправу через Днепр других подразделений.

Указом Президиума Верховного Совета СССР от 26 октября 1943 года за образцовое выполнение боевых заданий командования и проявленные при этом мужество и героизм гвардии капитану Сороке Ивану Николаевичу присвоено звание Героя Советского Союза с вручением ордена Ленина и медали «Золотая Звезда».

С сентября 1943 года по апрель 1945 года начальник штаба 161-го гвардейского армейского пушечного артиллерийского полка.
В 1945 году он окончил Высшую офицерскую артиллерийскую школу, после окончания был заместителем командира 85-го гвардейского гаубичного артиллерийского полка по строевой части. В 1954 году окончил Военную академию имени М. В. Фрунзе. С 5 октября 1963 года полковник И. Н. Сорока — в запасе.

Жил в Минске. Работал экспедитором Минского Центрального универсального магазина. Умер в 1988 году.

Награды
 Герой Советского Союза (29.09.1943, медаль «Золотая Звезда» № 1396);
 Орден Ленина (29.09.1943);
 Два ордена Отечественной войны I степени (25.07.1943, 6.04.1985);
 Два ордена Красной Звезды (9.02.1943, 26.10.1955);
 Медаль «За боевые заслуги» (20.06.1949);
 Медаль «За оборону Сталинграда»;
 Медаль «За победу над Германией в Великой Отечественной войне 1941—1945 гг.»;
 другие медали СССР

Примечания

Литература

 Герои-белгородцы. — 2-е изд., доп. — Воронеж, 1972.

Ссылки

Артиллеристы СССР
Артиллеристы Великой Отечественной войны
Командиры дивизионов в Великой Отечественной войне
Выпускники Военной академии имени М. В. Фрунзе
Члены КПСС
Похороненные на Северном кладбище (Минск)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Global power giant Enel will keep its investment promises in Russia, the government breaking a pledge to open up the power market. CEO Fulvio Conti says he's been assured that reforms will come in this year.
Multinationals pledged $30 billion in the privatization of Russia's power network on the promise of a lucrative new wholesale system called the "capacity market." Two and a half years after its rules were published, the government hasn't got it working.
Enel, which vowed to pump $3 billion in 4 years into generator OGK-5, has taken its beef to the top, according to CEO Fulvio Conti.
"I have been speaking to Minister Igor Sechin to confirm that we are committed to the investment programme that we are running, but we still want to see some improvement in the regulatory framework, and I have been reassured of this intention of the government to improve economic conditions on the market for investors.
In 2009 we will be investing in excess of 21 billion Roubles, and this will be growing up to 25 billion Roubles per year in the next couple of years. I do expect during the year 2009, this new capacity payment system to be available, to induce further investments that we would like to promote in this country."
Russian electricity use fell 8% year-on-year in January and another 5% per cent in February. Yet OGK-5 is finding so many efficiency improvements in its Soviet network, Conti revealed it will even trump last year's 11% jump in net profit.
That makes Russia the bright spot in Europe, where Conti predicts electricity use to fall.


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> without the hyphen, I keep wanting to pronounce it "em-ale."
Of the popular alternatives, "e-mail" is the least bad, and this is why.
senses of "computer" are obsolete.
you don't still expect to receive prints in an envelope, do you?
Mail Message, though oddly enough Outlook does have a "Junk E-mail"
Next by Author: Re: websites issues and referral to additional list?


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Service delivery becoming an urgent concern for the CSIR
August 6, 2012 Editor 0
The urgency around immediate service delivery in South Africa has to an extent overtaken government interest in the development of new technologies which could form the basis of new industries to make the country more economically competitive. This is affecting the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
"People [in government] no longer say – who are you? Now they say – can you help us? There is a greater concern for service delivery," explained CSIR CEO Dr Sibusiso Sibisi to Engineering News Online. This applies especially in the areas of health service provision, infrastructure and water reticulation, among other areas. "These are the challenges people are asking us about."
"While we cannot afford to neglect either priority, the fact is that service delivery has become a major focus," he says. Even in the health field the issues today are not solely centred on the development of technologies that will lead to the creation of better drugs, but rather the concern is about a better system of delivering health care services.
Service delivery becomes a major priority for science council
SA radar sector has marked a major milestone in its history
SA and Algeria to develop aeronautical research cooperation
Titanium pilot plant opens at CSIR's Pretoria campus
Titanium pilot plant launched at CSIR
CSIR institute seeks to raise awareness of latest satellite application advances
Tags: concern, csir, service delivery
Africa Analysis: Directing technology transfer from China Harnessing Technology for Peace


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a storyNeuroscientists have found the brain gets bored easilypresentations include demonstrations, video clips, and other speakers. All of theelements are planned and collected well before the slides are created.
*Sixty-four percent of this center pertains to the direct and indirect costs associated with enabling security technologies.Table 1 summarizes the total, average, median, maximum and minimum compliance costs for each of the six activity centers defined in our cost framework in Part IV. Please note that these cost statistics are defined for a 12-month period. Data security represents the largest cost center for the benchmark sample, while policy represents the smallest.
40 "Risk management" is just another term for the cost-benefit tradeoff associated with any security decision.Protecting data according to risk enables organizations to determine their most significantsecurity exposures, target their budgets towards addressing the most critical issues,strengthen their security and compliance profile, and achieve the right balance betweenbusiness needs and security demands. As discussed earlier, a report by the Ponemon Institute, a privacy andinformation management research firm, found that data breach incidents cost $202 per compromisedrecord in 2008, with an average total per-incident costs of $6.65 million.All security spend figures produced by government and private research firms indicate that enterprisescan put strong security into place for about 10% the average cost of a breach. You can find the rightbalance between cost and security by doing a risk analysis.


We are wanting to add 3 x 500 or 600gb drives in a raid 5 array using the same drive cage.
Are drive cages either sata or sas or can you mix drives in them ?
Yes, SATA or SAS drives can be in the same system. The only rule is you cannot mix them in the same array.
So am i correct inthinking the connectors at the back of a hot swap SATA and a SAS SFF drive are the same ?


text:
WHAV (https://whav.net/2015/10/09/lawrence-man-faces-haverhill-home-invasion-charge/)
Lawrence Man Faces Haverhill Home Invasion Charge
By WHAV News Staff | October 9, 2015
(File photograph)
A Lawrence man was to be arraigned in Haverhill District Court Thursday on home invasion and weapon charges following a Haverhill police investigation which lead to his arrest Wednesday evening.
Tomas Fernandez, 21, of Lawrence, was taken into custody at 5:20 p.m., Wednesday, at Haverhill police headquarters, 40 Bailey Boulevard. Under a warrant, he was charged with home invasion and carrying a dangerous weapon. No further details were available by deadline.
In other police news, two people, including a Plaistow, N.H. man, were to appear in court Thursday to face unrelated fugitive from justice charges from Haverhill police, following their separate arrests Wednesday.
Haverhill Police report Andrew Descoteaux, 30, of Plaistow, was arrested at 7:03 p.m., Wednesday, at 183 Monument St. He was additionally charged with possession of a class B drug.
Earlier, at 3:12 p.m., Wednesday, James Zito, 29, address not listed, was taken into custody on Vine Street.


text:
"Miss Bates…had never boasted either beauty or cleverness. Her youth had passed without distinction, and her middle of life was devoted to the care of a failing mother, and the endeavour to make a small income go as far as possible. And yet she was a happy woman…" Emma, Jane Austen
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REVIEW: Lauren Willig's THE OTHER DAUGHTER, Or "You're yourself … Isn't that enough?"
Written by Miss Bates
What happens to your identity when everything you've known about your family is a lie? This is Lauren Willig's premise for The Other Daughter. It opens as a cross between Mary Stewart and Brontë's Jane Eyre. Heroine Rachel Woodley's life has the air of impoverished 19th century governess as she cares for the Comte de Brillac's three daughters in the French countryside. An urgent telegram summons her to England. Rachel, however, is too late: her mother is dead of influenza, the funeral wreaths bought, adorned, and withered. At 25, Rachel is bereft of mother and father and destitute; her only hope, a secretarial course and immediate employment. Troubles come in battalias when their landlord in the obscure village of Netherwell evicts her. As Rachel packs her mother's things, she makes a remarkable discovery – a Tattler photograph of Lady Olivia Standish and her father, the Earl of Ardmore, the man Rachel knew as Edward Woodley, the father she thought dead when she was four. Is the title's "other daughter" Olivia, wealthy, polished, privileged, or Rachel, Ardmore's by-blow? To lose job, mother, home … and discover you're the illegitimate daughter of a man you'd adored and thought dead, alive, well, and callously indifferent to the wife and daughter he deceived and abandoned, what does it do to a girl? Can an author, other than Brontë, deprive her heroine of everything stable and loving and throw her into a surreal sense of dislocated self: Willig certainly has.
Rachel is desperate to uncover the truth of things. She travels to Oxford, to the man she knows as Cousin David, surrogate father. Though Cousin David is regretful, he can't do more than confirm Rachel's claim of Lord Ardmore as the father she thought dead. Cousin David is evasive in the face of Rachel's probing. Disappointed, chagrined, and heart-broken, Rachel leaves Cousin David's rooms to run into the mysterious Simon Montfort. Simon takes her out for a cup of tea and they concoct a wild and unlikely scheme. Simon, the Daily Yell's gossip columnist and man-about-town, so blue-blooded one character quips he bleeds blue when he cuts himself shaving, moves in the circles Rachel needs to enter to approach her father and newly discovered sister. Simon offers to pass Rachel off as his nomadic cousin, Miss Vera Merton and offers her the wardrobe and address (his mother's) that would help her enter the world of the idle, wealthy, and aristocratic. In exchange, his paper will have a close encounter with one of the great scandals of the decade. Just like that, the reader is transported from genteel poverty in our Jane-Eyre-esque heroine to the world of Evelyn Waugh and the "bright young things."
Willig's narrative is whip-lashy in its sudden and abrupt movement from Rachel's gothic romance French setting to drinking, partying, dancing London. At the centre of this is the enigmatic Simon Montfort: beautiful, elegant, jaded, and something dark, dangerous, and tragic in his black, soulful eyes' depths. He and Rachel's intelligence and determination to find the truth of her life, confront betrayal and reclaim a grounded sense of self, kept Miss Bates' interest and sympathy. Miss Bates was grateful Willig committed to and executed a third person narration. If there's one thing Miss Bates abhors, except in masters like Charlotte Brontë or Mary Stewart, it's the self-conscious falsely-tormented voice of romance's first-person narrator. Ugh. Please make it go away, romance muses.
While Miss Bates suggests Willig's The Other Daughter may be identified as romance, she's stretching the truth. There's hardly any romance to Willig's novel; yet, the give-and-take of Simon and Rachel's dialogue, their embroiling in the fast set and with the dysfunctional Ardmore family, offers tantalizing possibilities of love and sex. The novel, however, is devoid of touch and physical attraction: certainly, Rachel notes Simon's beauty and, occasionally, Simon gives Rachel's shoulders a warm and sympathetic squeeze, but that is hardly the stuff of grand passion. When the romance arrives like an unexpected guest on your doorstep, it's contrived and tacked on … but, but, says Miss B., Rachel and Simon are so likable and intriguing apart that the reader can't help but root for their HEA.
If Wilig's The Other Daughter isn't much of a rom, what is it? It's a novel of identity, Rachel's identity and masterfully executed. There are scenes of great pain and disappointment, but of deep self-understanding. And there is always Simon, hinting at murky pools of character and destiny Rachel oughtn't enter, but always letting her carry on her voyage of discovery, map her own route and navigate this alien world. But Simon never leaves Rachel rudderless.
Willig's The Other Daughter beguiles with great turns of phrase. When Rachel embarks on confronting her father and sister, does she seek revenge? Does she want the Earl of Ardmore and Olivia to hurt as she does? She's not sure, but she is, as Willig deftly phrases, "full up with wormwood and gall." All that bitterness and anger; those old-fashioned words, echoing Shakespeare. When Simon plays Henry Higgins to Rachel's Eliza Doolittle, he says, "Chop off your locks and your inhibitions" and "You must learn to stifle these virtuous bourgeois impulses" to her reluctance to accept his sister's handmedown frocks. Miss Bates is a sucker for wit and Rachel and Simon's matching-of-wits is delightful.
Like Stewart and her recent incarnation, Simone St. James, Willig is a good hand at creating the oblique hero. Certainly Simon's lurking inner darkness helps set him up as such:
There was something terribly lulling about Mr. Montfort's calculated rudeness, about the mockery he made of the normal rules of behaviour. Like a court jester, constantly mumming. But she'd be a fool, Rachel thought soberly, to let herself be taken in by that. Beneath the banter lay something else entirely, something dark and dangerous and disconcertingly serious.
Simon's mask is not one he's likely to remove, not even for Rachel, brave, honest, and suddenly part of a subterfuge that leaves her without a sense of who she is. What Simon Montfort is, however, is built on the dark gothic hero, jaded rake, and knight-in-shining-armor, a powerful, compelling combination. Simon's persona as amoral, careless, bored slips and reveals his true self to Rachel: "For a moment, Rachel thought she saw something on his face, something raw and honest. But then he shrugged, saying glibly … " Glibness is Simon Montfort's modus operandi. But his sarcasm also reveals characters in their pomposity and hypocrisy (a vile combination). The self-important politician, Mr. Trevannion, Olivia's earnest, but secretly exploitative, fiancé, says pontifically to Rachel:
Mr. Trevennian pointedly turned his back on Simon. He turned to Rachel, his eyes bright with enthusiasm. ""For centuries, we have grappled with the baser parts of our natures."
"Maybe you do," murmured Simon. "I like to cosset mine and take it out for tea."
Rachel had to disguise her laugh as a cough, hiding her smile behind her hand.
Who can resist Simon's wit and exposing of Mr. Trevennian, whose moral righteousness hides his political expediency, when it is couched in such brilliant diction, "cosset"!!, and Wildean stripping of social pretensions? Miss Bates didn't even try. In the end, Simon's distancing sarcasm reveals a deeply wounded soul, one who thinks his vulnerabilities may hinder the marvelous Rachel. His pain is mundane and all too familiar, but the reader, like Rachel, can't love him less for his final ordinariness.
And Rachel is no less loveable (though Miss Bates wishes she'd seen a bit o' lovin' between Simon and Rachel) and admirable in her stance regarding her father and sister. While Simon's sarcasm points to moral honesty, Rachel's scheme isn't enacted for revenge, but justice and truth. She may be deceiving many people, but she seeks justice for herself and her mother. When her disguise hurts an innocent, her cousin Cece, she owns it. When she witnesses Lady Ardmore bullying Olivia, her jealousy and resentment dissolve and empathy and pity rise up. When her sense of self, moral, bourgeois, and upholding of the old-fashioned verities of truth, hard work, and chaste sobriety in her dealings with others, is compromised by her Miss Vera Merton disguise, she self-questions. What does she want from this farce she and Simon devised? "She didn't want revenge, not really. What she wanted was … Well, she wasn't entirely sure. She wanted to know what happened all those years ago. Why her father had left them. If he had ever thought of them, missed them." Rachel wants to know the truth: she doesn't want revenge, money, or even love from her father. She wants to be seen, acknowledged, recognized. When reconciliation and understanding come, the past is melodramatically explained away. Miss Bates can't really say she embraced Willig's effort, her premise was outlandish; her plot, convoluted and, in the end, rushed and melodramatic; her romance, minimal. But her Rachel and Simon, in their authenticity and honesty, were wonderful. Echoing Miss Austen, Miss Bates says of Willig's The Other Daughter "almost pretty," Northanger Abbey.
Lauren Willig's The Other Daughter, published by St. Martin's Press, was released on July 21st. It's available, in your preferred format, at your favourite vendors. Miss Bates is grateful to St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC, via Netgalley.
September 30, 2015 October 1, 2015 · Posted in Reading, Response, Review · Tagged Bright Young Things, Closed-Bedroom-Door Romance, England-Set, Governess Heroine, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Journalist Hero, Late 1920s, Lauren Willig, Post-Great-War ·
2 thoughts on "REVIEW: Lauren Willig's THE OTHER DAUGHTER, Or "You're yourself … Isn't that enough?""
Clarissa says:
You had me at "a cross between Mary Stewart and Brontë's Jane Eyre." Sounds like my kind of book!
I think you'd find what she does most interesting with your expertise in histfic!
« MINI-REVIEW: Renee Ryan's THE MARRIAGE AGREEMENT, Or Redeeming the "Cycle of Sin"
MINI-REVIEW: Lauri Robinson's THE BOOTLEGGER'S DAUGHTER »


text:
Second computer worm hits Iran
Iran has been hit with new malicious software as part of cyber attacks against the country, a military officer told Mehr news agency on Monday without specifying the target.
25 Apr 2011 • 2 min read
Last updated on 6 Sep 2019 • 2 min read
"Certain characteristics about the 'Stars' virus have been identified, including that it is compatible with the (targeted) system," Gholam Reza Jalali, commander of the Iranian civil defence organisation, told the agency.
"In the initial stage, the damage is low and it is likely to be mistaken for governmental executable files," Jalali said, adding that Iranian experts were still investigating the full scope of the malware's abilities.
He did not say what kind of equipment the virus was targeting or when and how it had been spotted.
Tehran was hit with another computer worm, "Stuxnet," last year, reportedly designed to hurt the Islamic republic's controversial nuclear programme.
Iran has accused arch-foes Washington and Israel of launching Stuxnet, which was publicly identified last June and reportedly mutated and infected at least 30,000 computerised industrial equipment in the following months.
In December, Iran implicitly admitted its uranium enrichment plant in the central city of Natanz, which is regularly inspected by the UN nuclear watchdog, had been the victim of the worm.
Jalali urged the foreign ministry to take appropriate measures amid the ongoing "cyber attacks" against Iran, and said efforts to contain Stuxnet were still ongoing, Mehr reported.
"Confronting the Stuxnet virus does not mean that the threat has been fully removed, since viruses have a certain life span and it is possible that they continue their activity in a different form," he said.
Computer security firm Symantec said in November that Stuxnet might have been designed to disrupt the motors that power gas centrifuges used to enrich uranium — the most controversial work of Tehran's nuclear programme.
Iran's atomic ambitions are at the heart of a conflict between Tehran and the West, which accuses the Islamic republic of seeking to develop a weapons capability under the guise of a civilian nuclear drive.
Tehran vehemently denies the charges.
10 ways to protect Social Profiles from Hackers
List of Linux Distros for Hacking
Android apps collect questionable amount of user info: Research
7 Nov 2012 – 1 min read
World's Smallest Camera
Say hello to the World's tiniest camera. At just 1mm-wide, 1mm long, and 1.5mm tall, it's smaller than a typical match head, and it lives on a single silicon chip
Pankaj 29 Apr 2011 • 1 min read Last updated on 6 Sep 2019 • 1 min read
Sony accepts Officially: PlayStation Network Hacked
When Sony's PlayStation Network was taken offline three days ago, all eyes fell on the Anonymous group, who've taken a dislike to Sony over its treatment of hardware hacker George Hotz.