[PATCH] Implement tool to check sorting of lists, etc.
Subject: [PATCH] Implement tool to check sorting of lists, etc.
1) compile (new file) check-sorting.ly.
2) look at the console output.
3) make changes to files if necessary.
demonstration. It shouldn't be too much trouble to add more.
affected to see how it works.
Also, is there a more preferable way to do it?
+ All elements appear only once.
+ All grob descriptions are pairs.
+ All meta fields are in proper tail position.
+ All grobs are in order.
grobs are not in order.
+ All grob interfaces are in order.
Next by Date: Rewrite the vertical layout of staves/systems.
Next by thread: Rewrite the vertical layout of staves/systems.


text:
Sunday Talk
The are one hundred fifty vajra statements in the Gong Chig. They are called vajra (diamond) statements because they are hard to penetrate. They arise from direct experience and not book knowledge. Just as a diamond cannot be penetrated by other substances, these statement cannot be penetrated by conceptual knowledge. They are also called vajra statements because they are precious and rare. They teach the single viewpoint of the three baskets of teaching and the four classes of tantras. There are four ways to understand the meaning of these statements. The first is through the words of the Buddha. The second is through the pith instructions of a lama. The third is through yogic direct perception. The fourth is through understanding the history of the lineage. I am basing my explanation on the commentary of Sherab Dorje.
All treatises begins with verses of homage and the resolve to complete the composition of the treatise. The verses of homage are to stainless light, which refers to the mind of Jigten Sumgon, unaffected by afflictive emotions. It refers to him as knowing the three times, just as Shakyamuni Buddha did. Next comes the resolve to compose the text. Then there is a statement of humility by the compiler. He continues with verses praising Jigten Sumgon.
The text has seven chapters. The first is a synopsis of the wheel of doctrine and has 30 statements. We will begin with the first statement. Within Indian commentaries there is a short summary followed by a more extensive explanation. Likewise the first vajra statement summarizes the whole text. It says all the 84,000 dharmas of the Buddha's teaching reveal the nature and mode of abiding of all phenomena. This means Buddha's teaching reveals the nature of all phenomena, emptiness, as well as how phenomena appear, cause and effect. Some commentaries state that Buddha is the king of dharma and can make long short and the unvirtuous virtuous. But that is not how it is, the Buddha reveals things how things are. Some scholars have said that the Buddha can make the past present and sorrow joyful, but that is not how it is. Buddha's teaching simply states the nature of things out of his compassion for beings. What is unvirtuous results in suffering and virtue leads to happiness. This cannot be changed and affects both sentient beings and Buddhas. From certain causes rise certain results.
All is dependent arising, whose nature is emptiness. We may find it strange to think things are empty when all phenomena appear clearly. But emptiness means all phenomena arise in dependence. Whoever sees the interdependent nature of things sees the mind of the Buddha. Emptiness is a profound teaching and easy to misunderstand. It is not emptiness in the sense that a cup is empty. Instead it means that when we look at a table we see that the name table is dependent on the parts that compose it. And it is dependent on the causes that gave rise to it. In the same way all phenomena are imputed in dependence on other phenomena. Both the outer world of phenomena and the inner world of mind arise in dependence. Snow flakes arise from the elements of the weather and the water molecules they are made up of. This is why the nature of things is said to be empty. Mind has no form or characteristics. It neither exists or non-exists. It is empty. Yet we experience phenomena even though they are empty. Within emptiness cause and effect appears and cause and effect are also empty. This is the pith of the Buddha's teaching.
But it is mistaken to neglect right and wrong, saying they are empty. No one creates the relation between the virtuous cause and the good result. That's just how things are. They are dependent arisings within emptiness. Nagarjuna says there is nothing that is not dependently arisen. Thus there is nothing that is not empty. You cannot understand this just conceptually. You must give up distractions and meditate like Milarepa in order to understand it. Though we may find it hard go off and meditate like Milarepa to understand emptiness, we can understand cause and effect in our daily life. We can take the lay vows and train in having a good heart and develop the positive qualities that result from practice. And at the time of death we can apply the practices to be reborn in higher realms. But if you want to understand the profound meaning of emptiness you must abandon worldly pursuits, just like Milarepa. So this first vajra statement summarizes the meaning of the entire text. One of Jigten Sumgon's students said of this first verse that receiving it alone made it worthwhile to be his student.
The second statement says that all 84,000 dharma doors are the method for becoming a Buddha. The number 84,000 is just a metaphor. There are innumerable teachings.. But it is said that there are 84,000 afflictive emotions so its said there are 84,000 teachings. Some scholars have said that it is sufficient to practice just one of these teachings to become liberated, just as you can walk through any of the doors of a mansion to get inside. But Jigten Sumgon disagrees. If you miss even one of the 84,000 teachings you have not remedied one of the afflictive emotions and you cannot become a Buddha. In the Guide to Bodhisattva's Way of Life it's said that there is nothing a bodhisattva does not train in. Not a single word of the buddha's teaching should be left out. Just as every drop of molasses will be sweet, so are all of the Buddha's teaching. If someone practices Vinaya but not Mantra, they will be lacking the corresponding qualities of Mantra. And the reverse is also true. So all should be practiced. We might feel discouraged thinking how can we practice this.; But if we can practice the three trainings of disciple, meditation,, and wisdom and the six perfections, these contain all the 84,000 teachings.
Q: Is it possible for a lay person who applies himself to practice to realize emptiness?
A: If you make it a priority and put time and effort into it, yes.
The third vajra statement says that the three baskets and the four classes of tantra are the sequence for becoming a Buddha. All the dharma is within sutra, the vehicle of characteristics and secret mantra, the resultant vehicle. The three basket are the Vinaya, Sutra, and Abhidharma. The Sutras teach bodhicitta. The Vinaya teaches the training in moral discipline. And the Abhidharma teaches emptiness. The new translation schools divide the tantras into four classes. Some scholars think that it is enough to focus on the Vinaya and not practice the other baskets. And the Gelugpa emphasis the practice of conduct. Others say that meditation is the most important and still others that understanding the Abhidharma is all that is needed. Others say you do not need to study tantra, only sutra. And others say you should just study the tantra and not the sutra. But Jigten Sumgon does not agree with this. He says that to become a buddha you need all the three baskets and the four classes of tantra. When someone is disillusioned with samsara they begin to practice the dharma. They see that all conditioned phenomena are impermanent and all the three worlds are suffering and resolve to become liberated. Based on that they uphold the Vinaya.. They take one of the seven classes of vows, at best those of a fully ordained monk or nun. Those with less fortitude take the novice vows or lay vows. And some will take the eight one day precepts. Based on the foundation of discipline one embarks on the bodhisattva path through the sutras and masters the view of emptiness through the Abhidharma. Just as only a clean white cloth can be dyed, so also one can only embark of the bodhisattva path on the foundation of discipline. Buddha said in the Sutra of the Three Trainings, based on pure discipline meditative stabilization will arise. And based on meditative stabilization wisdom will arise. And based on wisdom one will be free of the afflictive emotions. And having these three trainings one can enter the door of secret mantra. The four classes of tantra form a sequence. Action tantra emphasizes actions of the body. Performance tantras emphasize speech. Yoga tantra emphasizes actions of mind. After body, speech, and mind are pure, one enters into Highest Yoga Tantra. What is taught in Highest Yoga Tantra is coemergent wisdom free from constructs, or mahamudra. Based on Highest Yoga Tantra. vajra body, speech, and mind arise, the unity of wisdom and compassion. This is the attainment of the state of Vajradhara. So the different practices are like a ladder that leads to complete Buddhahood. If one wishes to become a Buddha none of these steps can be omitted. If we think about this, you will see you need both sutra and tantra. Jigten Sumgon outwardly your practice should be that of a shravaka, inwardly you should practice mantra. And both should be embraced by bodhicitta. This is how he harmonizes the three classes of vows.
The fourth vajra statement is the three wheels of dharma are distinguished by the realization of their respective audiences. At the beginning the Buddha developed bodhicitta, in the middle he practiced the two accumulations and at the end he attained enlightenment. After he was enlightened he turned the wheel of dharma three times. Some scholars say that he taught the first turning to those fearful of suffering. To those attracted to emptiness, he taught the second turning of signlessness. And for those who could not understand emptiness, he taught the third turning of variegated teachings. Others say he taught the three turnings for three distinctive types of disciples. But Jigten Sumgon explains the three turnings in terms of the stages of understanding of a single disciple. The first turning was taught as the four noble truths to his first five disciples about what it is to be adopted and what is to be avoided. Based on this discipline they became arhats. By sustaining this continuously arhats such as Katyayana developed meditative stabilization. This first turning ripened the minds of disciples. Later he turned the wheel of signlessness, saying everything from form up to omniscience is empty. Based on this they developed special insight. They then recognized that what distinguished themselves from Buddha was bodhicitta. And seeing that the qualities of omniscience could not be obtained without it, they were ready for the third turning of the wheel of ultimate meaning. And through that they became completely and thoroughly ripened. So unlike other scholars, who say the three turnings are for distinct persons, Jigten Sumgon showed that they applied to each and every person.
Q: Is Jigten Sumgon saying that the teachings of buddha nature are higher than those of emptiness?
A: There is a hierarchy within the three turnings. One progresses through the three turnings. So when you practice, you practice them all, but there is a sequence of realization.
Q: Do you need to practice the shamatha and vipashyana of sutra before you practice tantra?
A: it's a more stable path if you practice that way. The sequence of practice begins with refuge and vows and progresses from there.
Q: Is there a correspondence between the three baskets and three turnings?
A: Yes, the first turning corresponds to Vinaya the second to Abhidharma and the third to sutra.
Q: Can we consider that we may have practiced some of these trainings in a previous life?
A: Within the empowerment there are these stages. The empowerment contains refuge and bodhicitta.
Q: If we receive a tantric empowerment and aren't ready for that level of practice yet, how do we handle it?
A: It's difficult to maintain samaya without understanding the foundational practices. Tantra alone is not what gets you to enlightenment. You also need the other practices.
Khenpo Choepel
Next Talk

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


UPDATE 6/12/15: Gene Egdorf, an attorney for the Lanier Law Firm representing the plaintiff, appeared on my radio show on SportsRadio 610 yesterday. He says CSN Houston was a partnership doomed from the very start, and that after misappropriating the bankruptcy process, Comcast on nine separate occasions told the Rockets and Astros the company would be making a bid on the network that would make the teams whole. Those bids never came.
When Comcast Sports Net Houston was launched in October 2012, the hope was that it was the dawning of a new day for sports television in this city. The game coverage of the Houston Rockets and Houston Astros, who were also partial owners of the network, would be supplemented by eye popping pre- and post-game shows, along with detailed local sports news reporting the likes of which this city had never seen before.
Unfortunately, the rousing aesthetic success that was the actual on-air product (CSN Houston won numerous Emmy Awards in its two year existence) was only distributed to 40 percent of the Houston market during its entire existence — not surprisingly, that 40 percent was comprised solely of the homes with Comcast as their cable provider. That existence ended in the fall of 2014 with a sale of CSN Houston to AT&T and DirecTV for pennies on the dollar, and the subsequent conversion of CSN Houston to the far less glitzy ROOT Sports Southwest.
With that sale, finally, just in time for the 2014-2015 NBA season, most of Houston was able to view the Rockets and Astros, but not without the two primary teams involved having to endure two years of public relations nightmares, a sea of red ink and calendars full of bankruptcy proceedings.
CSN Houston was a joint venture between the Rockets (which owned approximately 31 percent), Astros (46 percent), and Comcast (22 percent). The business plan was simple — the Rockets and Astros were the primary content providers for over 250 nights a year, while Comcast would deploy its notable clout in the cable community to secure carriage deals with other cable and satellite providers. The money would flow, and everyone would be happy and rich.
At least, that's how it was drawn up on paper. In reality, things could not have played out more differently.
"On information and belief, by 2013 (and potentially as early as mid-2010), Comcast decided that, instead of working to make the Debtor successful, it would do everything in its power to acquire for itself the Debtor's primary and most valuable assets: the right to telecast programming related to the Houston Astros and Houston Rockets, and the right to receive revenue from affiliation agreements with MVPDs that carry CSN Houston (collectively, the 'Assets')."
In the lawsuit, we get a glimpse into the stressful dynamic that existed virtually from launch, wherein Comcast, whose primary role was to secure distribution agreements with carriers (referred to as "MVPD's" throughout the lawsuit), was either deficient in doing so or arranged deals that were well below financial expectations. We see early on that the Astros, in particular, had major issues with the Comcast's inability to get the network carried on other providers like AT&T, DirecTV, and DISH Network.
The lawsuit maintains that in November of 2012 Comcast's NBCU unit, which was the arm of Comcast responsible for securing affiliates to carry the network, pitched an agreement with a "major MVPD" at rates "significantly below" those in the original business plan, so low that they would have crippled CSN Houston. The Astros in particular took issue with the numbers, and for all intents and purposes, recommended Comcast Services/NBCU go back to the drawing board. This was the first major storm cloud in what became a two year flood.
"Failing to formulate a new business plan was not the only way Comcast sabotaged the Debtor's business. Comcast Services/NBCU had the means and resources to negotiate affiliation agreements at higher rates, but intentionally chose not to do so."
"...In fact, Comcast had indicated to the Debtor that it would use its strength in other markets to get carriage for CSN Houston at financially viable rates. Yet, when negotiating with MVPDs regarding carriage for the Debtor, Comcast Services/NBCU did not leverage this market power as they indicated they would. Comcast did, however, on information and belief, employ this strategy with its other Comcast RSNs. For example, on information and belief, in January 2013, Comcast entered into a global deal with Suddenlink that incorporated every network in Comcast's portfolio except for CSN Houston. Comcast never brought this potential deal to the GP Board. Indeed, the Debtor did not find out about the Suddenlink deal until after it had been entered into.
"Comcast's reason for prioritizing and providing a higher level of service to the other Comcast RSNs than it did for the Debtor is clear: money. On information and belief, Comcast owned most, if not all, of the equity in those other Comcast RSNs, while it only owned 22.5% of the Debtor. Thus, Comcast Services/NBCU (and their affiliates) had a greater financial incentive to promote and obtain distribution for the Comcast RSNs than it did for CSN Houston. But an even greater motivating factor was Comcast's desire to obtain the Debtor's Assets for itself. Comcast knew that the best way to acquire these Assets at a low cost would be to financially cripple the Debtor so that it would have no choice but to sell itself to Comcast. Thus, on information and belief, Comcast Services/NBCU intentionally and willfully failed to negotiate and obtain the best possible carriage rates for the Debtor."
"Unsurprisingly, due to Comcast's actions and omissions, in early to mid-2013, the Debtor experienced liquidity constraints. And just as Comcast had hoped, by April 2013, the Astros and the Rockets had proposed to sell their 77.5% equity interest in the Debtor to NBCU based upon the original implied enterprise value of the Debtor (i.e., $700 million). On information and belief, Comcast did not want to pay that price and instead bided its time, allowing the Debtor to become even more financially distressed, in the hopes that it could get what it wanted at better terms.
By the end of 2013, the bankruptcy court appointed the Astros a second time as lead negotiator to try and secure carriage agreements and/or a buyer for the network. However, the fact that the network was in bankruptcy was an inherent blow to any attempt to salvage a decent asking price because it made the network look unstable to potential buyers.
Comcast's position throughout this matter, beginning with the pleadings it filed for the appointment of a trustee that accompanied the filing of the involuntary petition, has been that it is prepared to make a bid to acquire the Network, thus ensuring that the Network could successfully reorganize in bankruptcy. Although the passage of time and other events have affected the valuation, Comcast Owner remains prepared to make a 'stalking horse' bid for the acquisition of the Network. [emphasis in original].
In the Offer Letter, Pick described that the stalking horse bid would (subject to a reasonable aggregate cap) satisfy in full all prepetition secured, administrative, priority and general unsecured claims, including the amounts necessary to cure existing defaults under the Media Rights Agreements. Notably, in contrast to its prior promises, Comcast was no longer offering to bid an amount that would result in a "material" or "significant" distribution to the Debtor's equity holders.
"As soon as Comcast got what it wanted (i.e. the Order for Relief), it suddenly became very quiet with respect to its proposed acquisition of the Debtor. When the Rockets and the Astros reached out to Comcast to get specifics, Comcast became evasive. It ignored the Rockets' and the Astros' requests for additional information and, as a stall tactic, instructed them that the Debtor would need to hire its own counsel before Comcast could move any further with the deal. The Debtor hired its own bankruptcy counsel on or around February 25, 2014. The Debtor's counsel continued the effort to finalize the deal with Comcast. But Comcast continued to stall. This continued for approximately six weeks".
"Indeed, on information and belief, at the time the Notice was filed, Comcast still had every intention of purchasing the Debtor (or substantially all of its assets), just not at the price it had previously promised. And it did not want to have any competition driving up the price. On information and belief, by filing the Notice publicly, Comcast was intentionally sending a false message to potential third-party purchasers that it was no longer interested in purchasing the Debtor because, in Comcast's view, the Debtor had little to no value. As Comcast was intimately involved with the Debtor, a reasonable potential purchaser would believe that Comcast had superior knowledge regarding the Debtor's value."
Eventually, spring became summer, and any hope of the Rockets and Astros getting a reasonable purchase price from Comcast ended with what the lawsuit calls a "lowball offer" from Comcast in early June 2014 that would not even pay the network's creditors in full, let alone give any return to the equity investors. On top of that, Comcast wanted the two teams to accept deflated media rights fees going forward, adding further value to Comcast and poisoning the relationship further for the Rockets and Astros. Ultimately, the rejection of this deal by the teams sent the network spiraling further into bankruptcy, further into debt. The value of the network itself continued to plummet.
"While Comcast may have failed in its ultimate plan to acquire the Assets for itself, it certainly succeeded in severely damaging the Debtor and its Estate along the way. Comcast's wrongful conduct put the Debtor in a far worse position than it would have been in otherwise. Had Comcast lived up to its repeated promises, the Debtor's prepetition claims and administrative expenses would have been paid in full and its equity holders would have received a significant distribution. But instead, under the DTV/AT&T Deal, the Debtor's unsecured creditors and equity holders received no money on the Effective Date. Additionally, on information and belief, the terms of the DTV/AT&T Deal were significantly less favorable to the Debtor than they would have been if Comcast had not publicly filed the Notice.34 In fact, the DTV/AT&T Deal provided less value to the Debtor's Estate than the Debtor would have received if it had just liquidated (or sold all of its assets) in September 2013. Under either scenario the Debtor would have lost the Assets and ceased to exist. But in September 2013, the Debtor had significantly less debt than it did at the time the Plan of Reorganization was confirmed. Instead, the prolonged bankruptcy proceedings, resulting from Comcast's wrongful conduct, caused the Debtor's Estate to incur a substantial amount of additional debt and increased the exposure of the Debtor's creditors."
h. any and all other relief, in law and in equity, both special and general, to which Plaintiff is entitled.
It's unclear in the suit just how much the plaintiff seeks or could receive with a favorable judgment, and perhaps more importantly to sports fans, it doesn't outline how any damages from a favorable verdict would flow to the teams, if they would at all. This is likely a bigger issue for the Astros than it is the Rockets, as the network was never a "lifeblood" proposition for Les Alexander's team.
Far more, the network was viewed as essential to the financial health of the Astros, in large part because of how baseball's financial pie is allocated. In the NBA, TV revenues are proportionally much higher on the national level (ESPN, ABC, TNT) than the local level. Baseball is the reverse, with local broadcast rights being a vital revenue stream. It's believed this is one reason why Jim Crane always seemed more adamant about needing a favorable per subscriber price from the various MVPD's than the Rockets were.


There are a few times in my cinemagoing life that I've been well and truly wowed by something. Richard Kelly's debut, Donnie Darko, is one of the films to make that list. Being a child of the late eighties and a teenager in the nineties, most of these "wow" moments were connected to technological developments, like CGI. I love Pixar animations, and the effects created by Industrial Light and Magic. Sometimes, though, the story and construction alone were able to make me sit back and take notice, like Christopher Nolan's Memento or Spike Jonze's Adaptation. While ILM and Pixar play with how to present the filmic world, Kelly, Nolan and Jonze play with how we perceive the filmic world.
That 'play' as I've dubbed it, is probably how Richard Kelly began to think when putting fingers to keys to bring teenager Donnie Darko (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his family, sisters Elizabeth (Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jake's real-life sister) and Samantha (Daveigh Chase, who reprises her role in the rather lacklustre Chris Fisher-helmed sequel, S. Darko) and long-suffering parents Rose (Mary McDonnell) and Eddie (Holmes Osbourne) to life. With fire in their bellies, all new directors aspire to achieve something different or, to use a sci-fi colloquialism that Kelly himself may like, to "boldly go, where no man has gone before."
Instead of sending a man on this mission, Kelly sends a boy. Donnie. He's an ordinary teenage boy, average even. Like most kids at seventeen, he's confused. Searching for his identity and place in the world, he lashes out at those around him, and his troubled past has landed him in therapy with Dr. Lillian Thurman (Katherine Ross), medicated to keep his behaviour under control. Something of a repressed free spirit, he's trapped in suburban Middlesex (reputedly doubling for the Virginian city where Kelly grew up), plagued by a sleeping disorder that makes him sleepwalk, with no recollection of where he's been. Everything changes the night Frank the bunny rabbit (James Duval) comes to him in a vision, saving him from a premature death when a jet engine falls from the sky and crashes into the Darko home.
That's not the end of Donnie's troubles. If it were, Donnie Darko would be a very short film indeed. The end, as they say, has a start.
Safely outside his bedroom, the kindly-voiced Frank (a nice touch from Kelly, since from the trailer, I'd expected him to sound rather demonic) imparts that the world will end 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds. If you thought that the jet engine was Donnie's spider bite, then the countdown to world's end is most definitely his kryptonite. The phrase insummountable odds could have been invented for this young man. Over time, Frank returns to him, giving clues and missions to help him find the answers and save who he loves, helped by his therapist and teachers, Karen Pomeroy (Drew Barrymore) and Dr Kenneth Monnitoff (Noah Wyle). Along the way, he crosses swords with Kitty Farmer (Beth Grant), another member of the faculty, who is much enamoured with the teachings of motivational guru Jim Cunningham (Patrick Swayze). Like all good superhero tales, he does get the girl. Sweet-natured Gretchen Ross (Jenna Malone), a new arrival in Middlesex, is the only person he really opens up to and places trust in.
Even that rather fantastical take on events doesn't really cover what unfolds, but, fittingly, this isn't a film which is neat, linear or provides answers in any way, unless, like Donnie, you look for them. This film has to be viewed with the most open of minds, and to unpack it any further than this would severely compromise your experience and enjoyment of it. Simply put, there is no single interpretations of what Donnie Darko means, because it means different things to different people.
How you perceive Donnie the boy greatly affects the way you see Donnie the film.
When discussing the film after seeing it for the first time, a friend of mine was firm in the belief that Donnie was mad or a schizophrenic, so it made it hard to believe what we saw or take anything he sees as truth. Though I've never subscribed to that school of thought – it's a neat catch-all to explain the unexplainable, much like the teaching of Jim Cunningham give the reglious Kitty Farmer something to cling to – it's a useful way to consider the film's style and structure. It does feel fluid and dream-like, and though Frank's first appearance is something of a shock, we, like Donnie come to anticipate and even embrace his presence. I don't feel it's a coincidence, that the closer Donnie gets to that all-ellusive truth, the stranger the information he learns becomes.
I dislike using the word 'clever' in relation to a film because that brings about discussions of elitism, but Donnie Darko is a clever film, one which is complex, multi-layered, intriguing and immensely rewarding. I'll be honest here and state that I still don't fully understand it, and I don't thnk I ever will. Does my lack of knowledge matter? No it doesn't.
Donnie Darko is unique – yes, I mean that – in creating a world that feels authentic and ordinary, whilst embracing, seemlessly, elements of the supernatural. It feels odd to call this a 'period' film but I honestly felt like I was watching a film from that late eighties period. It doesn't just mimic or mildly evokwe it's timeframe, it immerses itself in it – in music choices in particular, Kelly excells – so much so that it felt like watching the fantasy films I grew up on like Jim Henson's Labyrinth, Wolfgang Petersen's Neverending Story and Randal Kleiser's Flight of the Navigator. In my mind at least, Donnie can happily sit with Sarah, Bastien and David and I wouldn't question it. At no time did I think I was watching a film made in post-millennial California. Coincidentally, all those films left my young self "wowed" too.
If you're hankering for my interpretation, here it is: for me, this is a film which presents broad themes – love, fear, life, death, logic and chaos – in a deeply personal way. It's about the fight between those polarities and the balance we can achieve for ourselves. Like all superheroes, Donnie is part angel, part devil, all rebel, and it's his fight which makes this film such a memorable and satisfying experience.
Even the culmination of Donnie's quest leaves things open to debate. Did he succeed or did he fail? In the case of Richard Kelly, few would argue that he did achieve the impossible in creating a debut feature that's genuinely different. Though many try in that endeavour, all too few succeed. Kelly is a rare exception. It's so rare a feat in fact, you could argue that he's never reached the same creative heights since. His second feature, Southland Tales, like Darko, is an acquired taste, much-maligned, oft-misunderstood, while it's follow-up, The Box, left me rather mystified for different reasons – and they weren't the good kind. In many ways, Kelly is a victim of his own success, when you start with something as good as Donnie Darko, there isn't a great margin for error. I still hope that one day, Kelly will rediscover his form, and prove that lightening can strike twice. Until then, he should be satisfied that his debut feature has left such an important, perhaps indelible mark in contemporary cinema history.
Often, when different cuts of a film are made available, preference is always given to the director's cut over its theatrical cousin, because there's greater cachet in liking it, and it's often promoted as definitive. I've always thought it goes back to The Great Man theory, which sees the director's role and vision as paramount, and it's a school of thought that definitely sticks, especially when it comes to marketing.
Interestingly, in the case of Donnie Darko, it really comes down to personal choice. As evidenced in his commentary on disc two (discussed below), even Kelly is reluctant to label the Director's Cut in any significant way, and doesn't once state which one he favours – a rather common trait these days, maybe some directors believe in The Great Man theory too.
The Director's Cut extends the film by twenty minutes (the original runs for one hour and fifty-three minutes, while this clocks in at two-hours, thirteen minutes). On the face of it, twenty minutes sounds like a lot, but in reality, the addition comes from the cumulative weight of small scenes slipped in here and there (some are as small as a few seconds) which extend existing scenes.
I've seen both cuts a numbers of times – admittedly, it's been a few years since I've seen either version – so the differences, for myself at least, have become harder to discern. In many ways, it's like watching your mind play tricks on you, because you're aware that things are different, but you're not quite sure why (especially if you watch the cuts close together, as I have to write this piece). In terms of visual material, the changes Kelly implements are, on the whole, subtle, rather than significant. That said, the extra material does take the pace of the film down a notch, and though this may be indicative of my lack of concentration and patience, I really felt it.
For those with keen ears and good memories, the rest of the changes come in the form of music swaps or other soundtrack alterations. In the case of the former, this is most obvious in the switch during the opening sequence, as Donnie rides his bike home, which trades in Echo and the Bunnymen's 'The Killing Moon' for INXS' 'Never Tear Us Apart' (Kelly notes in his commentary tracks that clearance rights for this song in particular were too expensive at the time of the film's release). For the latter, there are instances where the soundtrack is tweaked to reduce (thus making dialogue clearer) or extend the presence of music (as in scene where Donnie's father drives him to therapy, and the radio plays in the background, which is extended throughout the scene).
In a broader sense, the Director's Cut is, for me, structurally speaking, Darko-by-numbers. Though it retains the fluid, almost dreamlike quality of the Theatrical Cut, each segment of the story is prefaced by an intertitles-turned overlays taken from Roberta Sparrow's The Philosophy of Time, which relates to the events we're about to see. The chapterising is a neat touch, and it does make the film that bit more intelligible, since the correlation between the book and the narrative is that much closer. This not only makes Donnie's actions clearer, but also justifies them, changing him from a confused young man into a prophet/superhero swings the film into science fiction territory – Kelly freely admits he sees the film in that light – which takes away somewhat from Donnie's ordinariness, and the suburban honesty and realism Donnie Darko is steeped in.
Though the longer cut is interesting to watch, overall, I still prefer the Theatrical Cut, since it retains that wonderful, mysterious quality – who wants resolution and neatness, it's rather boring? – I like to be challenged by films, to ponder and destruct, and this cut of the film gives it in spades. Kelly has since described his cut as 'indulgent,' and I think it's a fitting description since, as the director's cut label implies, this is Donnie Darko through his eyes, and in getting a second shot at showing us his creation, he certainly shows off a little bit. Mind you, when it's so good to begin with – before the tinkering – who can blame him?
If you already own the Donnie Darko theatrical cut and director's cut on DVD then this will be your prime reason for upgrading to this new Blu-ray edition. Unfortunately it's also the element of the disc that's most likely to disappoint. My initial suspicion was that the film was actually shot on Super-16 for budgetary reasons, but reaseach confirms that Kodak Vision 800T 5289 35mm was the shooting format, so we've every right to expect a pin-sharp picture with spot-on contrast, but that's not what we get. The results, it has to be said, vary quite a bit. It's not really clear from the caps here, but for much of the time the contrast is lacks punch and the black levels are weak, which is particularly evident in darker scenes and highlighted by the 2.35:1 aspect ratio, which gives you a pair of black borders for constant comparison. At other times, usually daylight or effects sequences, the contrast feels a little cranked up from the norm, losing a little detail at both ends of the range. The sharpness also varies quite dramatically, reaching a low point on the wide shot when Gretchen first enters Miss Pomery's classroom, where the detail is fuzzy enough to render her face as an indistinct pale blob. That said, the variance in contrast and sharpness does intermittently provide the results we'd hope for, notably during Jim Cunningham's horrible school seminar (Donnie's response to which is a film highlight), where sharpness, contrast and colour are all impressive and definitely an improvement on the DVD.
There's a choice between Dolby stereo 2.0 and DTS-HD 5.1 surround tracks, and again the latter doesn't provide the jump up from DVD you might be hoping for. Indeed, I'd go out on a limb and suggest that the track has not been remixed in any way, just re-encoded for DTS – the sound is a little more widely spread, but lacks the clarity, precision and punch of a true HD or even a strong Dolby 5.1 surround track. The music sounds pretty good on both, but once again, it's the Jim Cunningham seminar that fares best here. Maybe he really is the antichrist as Donnie suggests.
This one truly justifies the 'Ultimate Edition' tag, most certainly making use of the extra data capacity Blu-ray affords. In essence, that extra space allows for the supplemental material on the pre-existing theatrical and director's cut DVD releases to be brought together in one package (though not every last extra from these is ported across). There is indeed more here, but aside from some beautifully designed packaging and menu, in-keeping with the trailer used to promote the release and the upscale to Blu-ray, there's little else that's new.
Accessibility wise, the branch-style menu with various subsections e.g. 'behind the scenes' and 'promos' – with a nod to the anatomical drawings in The Philosophy of Time – is a little strange to get to grips with at first, but once you've navigated them a couple of times they get easier, and it is rather fitting given that nothing about this film is pedestrian. That said, Metrodome have treated the film and the marketing of it with an admirable attention to detail, and this latest release is no exception.
Conducted with Kelly and lead actor Jake Gyllenhaal, this track has great potential, which, unfortunately, it doesn't entirely fulfil. Though they work well together, and Gyllenhaal gives some interesting comments in regard to his role and experiences on the shoot, his banter with Kelly tends to make the director lose focus and cause dead spots as he tries to gather his thoughts. There are other instances of quiet when it's clear they're watching the film at the same time, and amusingly, Gyllenhaal apologies at one point for doing just that.
In the case of the former interruption, while it's not the biggest of gripes at first, it does become more frustrating over time, since Kelly spends a fair amount of this track attempting to explain the very complex logic within and mythology surrounding the film, which means there are scene-specific moments, so it's not one for idle listening. As is obvious by now, with a story like Donnie Darko's, this is no easy task, and he doesn't quite manage to succeed. That said, it's great to get Kelly's perspective on the project, and I think it really adds to how the film can be appreciated and interpreted. Having sandwiched this between two viewings of the original cut, I can say that it certainly gave me a lot to think about and added a new level of enjoyment to the film, which, I'd suggest, is the primary reason why these commentaries are recorded in the first place.
This may be greed talking – the more you get on a disc, the more you seem to want – but I would've loved to find a newly-recorded track on this, just to hear Kelly's thoughts on the project in the intervening years since its release. Granted, my request presents various logistical issues, but I can't help thinking it would have added something quite special to this package that would have made it a real draw for fans of the film and the director alike. A bit of a missed opportunity.
This one may win the prize for busiest commentary ever with ten participants all recorded at the same time, so it's like the audio equivalent of a press round table. Director Kelly is joined by producers Sean McKittrick and Nancy Juvonen, and cast members including Drew Barrymore, Mary McDonnell, Jena Malone, Holmes Osborne, Katharine Ross, James Duval and Beth Grant (who introduce themselves by character name, which is an amusing little touch).
As you'd expect, Kelly and Barrymore contribute the most, but everyone does get a chance to talk. This is less scene-specific than the first track, and quite freewheeling. The majority of the discussion centres on character and interpretation of the story as well as some information about shooting the film, which makes for an interesting and engaging listen. Inevitably there are moments where it descends into a mutual appreciation fest, and there are a lot of comments that begin with the words "wonderful" or "I love..." but that's to be expected. In fact, given how many people are present during the recording, if they weren't complimentary about each other I'd find it a little bit suspect.
Simply because there are so many voices on this track, it can get a bit overwhelming, but having listened to a fair few commentaries with less participants that were full of dead air as a result, I know which one I'd rather listen to. It also makes a nice change for a wider spectrum of cast members to be included, since it's often limited to the director and the leading man, as is true of the first commentary in this release.
From the sounds of this, they certainly had a lot of fun, and it's certainly a lively affair.
For aspiring filmmakers and fans everywhere, this edited selection of shooting footage shows that nothing has been left off this release, even something which has limited appeal like this.
Curious in the way that seeing film sets is always somewhat fascinating, they're worth a look for the novelty value of seeing and hearing the cast and crew at work, but not much else. Of all the extras they've chosen to port, this is probably the most questionable inclusion, and I can think of better substitutions. Dare I say this, but it feels like it's there just to fill up the disc and make it look like you're getting more than you actually are.
The menu branch subdivides further here, allowing you to watch the interviews separately or play them all in one go. Shot during production (preceded by another disclaimer regarding footage quality) the contribution list is pretty comprehensive, with everyone from Richard Kelly, executive producers Henry Lowry and Casey La Scala to cast members Drew Barrymore (also an executive producer), Jake Gyllenhaal and Jenna Malone amongst others. Though brief and obviously culled from longer EPK material, they're still an important and early insight into their personal perceptions of, and reflections upon, the film before it's release, which is always interesting to look back on, especially from the perspective of stardom and the subsequent careers of all involved.
Though somewhat redundant given the inclusion of the director's cut on disc two, which restores a fair number of them, it's still nice to have this collection of extra footage included outside of that. Ranging from under twenty seconds in length to over three minutes, they're presented as is, and vary in quality, since as you'd expect at this juncture in the film's life, they weren't graded to match the theatrical cut (a featurette concerned with that very process would have been a welcome addition). There are some great little moments here, especially the scenes with the Donnie, his sister Samantha and his classmates. As is common with additional material like this, most cuts were made for time, but they certainly flesh out areas of the narrative (too much, perhaps) and are fun to watch in their own right.
You can scroll through the list and view each scene on its own or view or all twenty consecutively via the 'play all' feature. In addition, the optional commentary is a nice touch, shedding light on his editing decisions and the film's many and varied referential details circa the initial DVD release.
A short, informal behind-the-scenes type piece, shot on handheld camera (with some neat time-lapse editing) which follows the fourteen UK graffiti artists commissioned by Tom Grievson (then head of marketing at Metrodrome distribution) to create a canvas inspired by the film (in 6 hours, 42 minutes and 12 seconds). Their collected works formed an exhibit at the Dreambagsjaguarshoes bar in London for 28 days. Also included alongside the paintings, were murals and an interactive digital clock, which counted down the days of the exhibition's runtime, and the original rabbit mask belonging to the infamous Frank.
This slideshow depicts the work of the artists shown in the featurette discussed above. There's a real eclectic mix of styles here, and from pure enjoyment, it's intriguing to see how one film can inspire people and with such diverse results.
For those interested, more light on the process of bringing the artists together is shed by Grievson during the They Made Me Do It Too featurette on the second disc, which also shows some footage of the exhibition.
As with the other material shown here, these can be viewed separately or together at once.
These commercials ('Controlling Fear' parts one and two) are full-length versions of the advertisements we see throughout the film, and they're a wonderful parody of those shown on late night television, and a frighteningly accurate one at that. They're so good in fact; they could very well be real. To play with that idea and get a little metareferential, you can watch these with another optional commentary provided by Cunning Visions CEO Linda Connie and informercial director Fabian Van Patten. I love touches like this, and it just goes to show the level of detail that has gone into creating Donnie's world; one that's incredibly easy to get lost in. As with all the best depictions of fantasy, there's a thread of reality running all the way through, and it's taken to a whole other level here, akin to the Lacuna Inc promotion materials for Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, created some three years later. Very clever stuff and a lot of fun.
One for the marketing fiends and completists alike. As the title implies, this shows the American Newmarket distribution TV spots used promote the film at the time of its release. Complete with gravelly-voiced narration, they all tie in nearly to the Halloween-based release date on both sides of the Atlantic (separated by a year and a few days) and the early pitching of it as a teen horror film. The first (0:17) of these focuses solely on the cast and is purely a visual role-call. The second (0:17) uses a neat little series of intertitles: 'dark', 'darker,' 'Darko' to explore aspects of the film. The third runs slightly longer (0:32) and is more like a trailer, giving a broader picture of the film as a whole, though it plays up the fear angle and repeats the 'dark,' 'darker,' Darko,' titling. The fourth (0:32), emphasises the presence of Frank, and Donnie's desire to save those around him. This time, tellingly, the title of the film is enough. The fifth and final spot (0:32), brings back the intertitles between clips, which act as a shorthand for the major themematic strands of the film: 'visions,' 'time travel,' 'sacrifice,' ending with the now iconic image of Frank.
A slower-cut, lengthier piece, which plays up the teen angle with Donnie's quirkiness and the 'dark' elements of the film. Construction wise, it borrows the intertitle sets from the TV spots discussed above, tweaking them slightly to read 'dark,' darkest' 'Darko.' Though it gives a fairly good overview of the film, it's a very basic one. Then again, to depict all the layers of Donnie Darko would take considerably longer than the average trailer's runtime and give too much away. As such, it's clear that the editorial choices were made to combat both issues, and most importantly, appeal to the widest possible audience.
Given that just everything and the kitchen sink have been put into this release, it's unfortunate that the beautifully cut trailer created especially for it, is, inexplicably, absent. For those of you who haven't seen it, click here. Once you've watched it, I think you'll agree that it would have been lovely to see this in Blu-ray resolution.
A fun little thing this, purely here for novelty value, which presents an aged CGI version of Roberta Sparrow's book, in animated form, with readable text excerpts.
I'll be honest, my first reaction to this commentary (since I don't own the Director's Cut release) was "What the hell does Kevin Smith have to do with Donnie Darko?" As it turns out, more than I anticipated, since Kelly and Smith are friends, and it seems he's been recruited to give Kelly someone to bounce off of, in the hope that it'll result in less dead spots. On the whole, Smith's presence does work, but as is expected when people talk for a long period, there's still the odd gap of dead air which opens up from time to time.
For fans of the nuts-and-bolts of filmmaking, then there isn't a great deal, but the two do spend a bit of time talking about their differing styles, which is an interesting little tangent.
Elsewhere, Kelly talks a lot about the Darko phenomenon (a bonus of it being recorded later), and discusses the scenes restored and changes made to music tracks and/or arrangements. Meanwhile Smith is typically humorous and guides the discussion well. In many ways, he fulfils the role of a curious fan who wants to learn more, and we certainly get that, especially during the latter stages of the commentary, in which he fields fan questions and throws in some of his own, which makes for some great moments, and a certainly brings a different dimension to the track, making it distinct enough from the others in the set.
Refreshingly, this isn't a track which disowns the theatrical cut as inferior to its longer cousin. Kelly freely admits that he sees this one as more self-indulgence, but pivotally, never really states which he prefers, but instead considers this one to an extended or alternate version, or in his words "an extended mix" without expressing which one may be considered correct or definitive.
Coming from an academic background, I had high hopes for this, but clearly I've watched far too many BFI Q&A sessions, and I was left feeling rather let down. This featurette should actually be subtitled The UK cult of Donnie Darko instead, since this is created for and discusses the fanbase of the film from a UK perspective. Excerpts from the film are interspersed with discussion covering various topics including interpretations of the film, its style, marketing, and that all-important audience. Where it does excel is in its inclusion of such a wide spectrum of contributors, including Xavier Mendik, director of The Cult Film Archive; Tom Grievson; co-owner of Adventure Records, Paul Conroy; former editor of Empire magazine, Colin Kennedy; director Richard Kelly (via telephone) and Donnie Darko fans. In doing so, this actually gives a reasonably a broad picture of the impact of the film and it's place in film culture, even if it's centricity means that's just a small piece in the global fandom puzzle.
However, when it comes down to it – unsurprisingly – this plays out as a mutual appreciation party, albeit nicely crafted one. You could argue of course, that admirers of Kelly's film (and even Kelly himself) have the right to be rather smug, since Donnie Darko isn't the easiest of films to understand, therefore affection for it implies a certain level of engagement (and maybe intelligence) outside of the norm, and it certainly pats the UK audience on the back for the positive response it garnered during it's theatrical run, and in the years since. In fairness, Donnie Darko is a rare case in modern film history, in that it became cult through the embracement of fans, in the classical sense of the term, rather than being sold as cult by a witty marketing man.
A brief piece made to promote the release of the director's cut of the film in cinemas. This is nicely done, edited at breakneck speed, which makes it very stream-of-consciousness-like. The imagery presented here is so now so iconic, that there's no real need for the hard sell, which is interesting in itself, especially when compared its theatrical cut counterpart on disc one.
Of all the extras presented on this release, I found this the most enjoyable. Viewable with optional commentary by director of photography, Stephen Poster, this is filmed on handheld camera and documents the process of location scouting and the shooting of several scenes, segmented by date, with intertitles that countdown how much of the shoot remains, which is a nice touch given the importance of time and lack thereof it within the film itself. Before the piece starts proper, we get the now obligatory title card informing us about the quality of the footage, which is of course a way to negate gripes about poor picture quality on Blu-rays (since the majority of people expect everything presented on them to be as pin-sharp as the feature, no matter its age) but it's also indicative of their desire to please an educated and exacting fanbase in Darko devotees.
Though this is an interesting extra by itself, Poster's commentary really adds to it, since he elaborates on and rounds out what we see on screen. Discussions of the intricacies of filmmaking can sometimes be quite boring if you aren't all that invested, but this one has a distinctly personal touch. Sometimes, I find that that commentary tracks are created for the sake of making them, because they're such a ubiquitous part of the supplemental features experience, but for once, this is really worth its salt, and well worth listening to.
My only bugbear is that the audio track in the original Diary footage remains at the same volume when Poster's commentary is activated, which makes it slightly cacophonous at times, but it's a minor thing, and over the running time, you learn to tune out the original track and listen to the commentary instead. To combat this, it may be a good idea to view it twice, once without Poster's commentary and once with it to get the best enjoyment out of it.
Unlike so many of its contemporaries, Donnie Darko has stood the test of time and writer-director Richard Kelly's mesmerising and multi-faceted debut certainly withstands the scrutiny of repeated views. In fact, it's the kind of film created for exactly that purpose. Though for the Darko/Kelly diehard, there isn't a great deal extra to warrant another purchase. However, if somehow, the film has passed you by completely, then I'd argue that this set is the best option for a first viewing.


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DeepMind alum want to make an A.I. that can pick stocks and crypto
ArtBox Images | Getty Images
Three former DeepMind employees are trying to train a machine to spot and invest in company stocks and cryptocurrencies before they rise.
Martin Schmid, Rudolf Kadlec and Matej Moravcik left Alphabet-owned DeepMind in January to set up EquiLibre Technologies, relocating from Edmonton in Canada to Prague in the Czech Republic in the process.
The trio all used to work at IBM and in 2017 they developed an AI called DeepStack. It became the first AI capable of beating professional poker players at heads-up no-limit Texas hold'em poker.
Now they're looking to apply some of these concepts to financial markets.
"Our idea is that rather than playing poker, our algorithms will play algorithmic trading," Schmid told CNBC. "We are also looking into crypto."
They intend to use a technique known as reinforcement learning to train an AI system to buy and sell shares and make a profit. Reinforcement learning involves training an AI to achieve a particular goal (be that winning a game of chess or spotting a tumor on a mammogram) by giving it a reward each time.
Schmid said he's not concerned about regulators clamping down on the technology as other companies are already doing similar things. Indeed, EquiLibre Technologies will be competing with the likes of AI algorithmic stock picking products Candlestick and Yuyostox.
"Most of the trading out there is already algorithmic," Schmid said. "We just want to do better algorithms than the ones that are already out there."
In the long run, EquiLibre Technologies hopes to either use the AI it develops to underpin a new hedge fund or sell it to a large institutional bank or another investor.
EquiLibre Technologies' advisory board includes two senior DeepMind staff that are well known in the field of AI.
One is the head of DeepMind's Edmonton office, Michael Bowling, and the other is Richard Sutton, who co-authored DeepMind's controversial "Reward is enough" paper last year. In the paper, the researchers claim that if you keep "rewarding" an algorithm each time it does something you want it to then it will eventually start to show signs of general intelligence.
A number of venture capitalists have already backed EquiLibre Technologies. Schmid said it has raised the largest-ever seed round in the Czech Republic, but refused to disclose the exact figure.
"My understanding is there's always more money than start-ups," he said. "VCs are having a hard time finding the good startups."
Schmid and his co-founders are among a growing number of ex-DeepMind entrepreneurs who are raising money from venture capitalists.
"If you worked at Google, DeepMind and other places, you probably do not suck," Schmid said.
He added that DeepMind staff are also likely to have a good network of tech contacts they could potentially recruit.
Hands-on with Murena One, a privacy-focused $369 Android smartphone, which dumps all Google apps and services with its own custom apps (David Pierce/The Verge)
These Bridgerton Secrets Will Be the Object of All Your Desires


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Modem Router Combo
Laptops For Gaming
Laptops For Hobby
Laptops For Work
Laptops By Hardware
Non Gaming Laptops
What is Cat8 Ethernet Cable? How Does it Work?
January 25, 2023 January 13, 2023 by David
Have you just got a new house and you want to install the latest, fastest, and most reliable internet connection in it? Ethernet has been introduced in different versions, including Cat5, Cat5E, Cat6, Cat7, and Cat8. While selecting the best Ethernet cables, the most important thing is understanding its features and capabilities.
However, Cat8 Ethernet cables are the latest version that provides excellent efficiency and compatibility with other ports. But, the most common question amongst Ethernet users is, "Does Cat8 Ethernet Cable deliver the fastest internet connection than others?"
So, I am here to explain Cat-8 Ethernet cables in depth.
What is Ethernet Cat8 Cable?
Uses of Ethernet Cat8 Cable
Cat8 Ethernet Cable for Gaming – All You Need to Know
Comparison of Cat7 vs. Cat8 Ethernet Cables
Connection Speed and Distance
Pros and Cons of Cat8 Ethernet Cable
Is Cat8 the Fastest Ethernet Cable?
What Does a Cat 8 Ethernet Cable Do?
Are Cat 8 Cables Worth It?
Cat8 is the short form of Category 8 Ethernet Cable that connects from your router to your computer. Cat8 cable is the latest IEEE standard Ethernet copper. It is a significant cable used for internet connection for fast data transfer that beats the speed of the earlier Cat cable. Cat7 Ethernet cable used the GG45 connector that was also compatible with its prior versions. Yet, the Cat8 uses an augmented RJ45 connector to support the high-speed category.
With its extreme speed and high frequency, Cat8 isn't designed for residential use specifically. However, it is also suitable for commercial areas to get the right internet speed. Nevertheless, the best Cat 8 Ethernet cable is fully compatible with other Ethernet cabling versions including Cat6A with a distance of 100m.
Moreover, Cat-8 Ethernet cables are recommended for those places where the internet speed is high and want to transfer a lot of data. Still, Cat6 cable is ideal for most home connections that provide speed up to 1 Gbits/s.
If you've just made your gaming build you might be wondering what's the best ethernet cable for gaming. Although you don't require a Cat8 Ethernet cable for gaming specifically, you can still use previous Ethernet versions for this purpose. Not only for the games, but you can do much in the bandwidth. For instance, you can use the older Cat5e cable for surfing internet browsers, but you may face slow internet speed.
On the other hand, if you are a serious gamer and want to improve your internet connection, you can get the best Ethernet cable for gaming, but it's not crucial to get a Cat8 cable. You can either opt for the cat 6 or cat 7 cables because they are considered ideal for gaming purposes and provide superior internet quality.
Don't you wonder why gamers and other net internet users prefer Cat7 cables? Why are they not recommended? Just take a look at the comparison and you'll get the answer.
Both Cat7 and Cat8 Ethernet cables come in shielded forms that deliver higher performance and excellent internet connection. Notwithstanding, some other factors are also considered while comparing the two cables, including connectors, speed, frequency, cabling length, frequency, and backward compatibility.
The key differences between the two are minor but in several areas.
The maximum length of the Cat7 cable is 100m which provides up to 10 Gbps speed. On the other hand, Cat8 cable provides 25-40 Gbps speed and is only limited to 30m but it means the speed reduces as the cabling distance increases.
Another distinction between Cat7 and Cat8 Ethernet cables is the connector type that helps get the maximum out of the connection. Although both cables come in shielded construction, Cat7 offers immense shielding for better signal strength. It requires a special GG45 connector. But this connector didn't go well. Thus, Cat8 cable adopted the previous RJ45 connectors which are being used in every previous category cable.
The Cat7 transmits data with a frequency of 600 MHz from a distance of 100m. However, the Cat8 has the credibility to transfer data with up to 2000 MHz frequency from 30m distance only. This range is much stronger than the Cat7 Ethernet cables.
So, if you decide to select between the Cat7 and Cat8 cables, keep these differences in mind, especially cabling length, speed, and frequency. However, the internet speed may also depend upon the ISP of your home or office.
With the latest Cat-8 Ethernet cables, you will get plentiful benefits than the previous versions. However, you may find some shortcomings as well.
The fastest copper network than other Ethernet cables. The cat8 cable is pricier than other versions
Provides up to 2000 MHz of frequency. It is not meant for long-distant connections
It delivers the highest speed of the internet.
It can be ideally used for gaming and streaming.
Now you can see that Cat8 cable is relatively superior in all terms. However, if you want to transfer heavy data within seconds and have a 25+ Gbps internet plan, there is no better option than to use Cat-8 Ethernet cables for flawless speed.
In essence, this modern Ethernet cable is designed to provide high-quality internet for an appropriate environment. Nevertheless, based on the features of the Cat8 cable and its comparison with the Cat7 version, you can pick your choice as per your requirements to get the maximum data transfer speed.
Yes! Here are some of the most frequently asked questions I've been getting in my comment section.
Yes! Cat8 is the fastest Ethernet cable that helps in transferring data with a speed of up to 40 Gbps, which is four times faster than Cat7 cable. It supports the bandwidth of up to 2000 MHz and diminishes the poor signal quality.
A Cat8 Ethernet cable can be used in commercial areas or by hardcore gamers. However, it is not recommended to use this cable for home networking as Cat6 cables can do the work for small home connections. Instead, you can use some other best Ethernet cables for streaming and surfing.
The cat8 cable is more expensive than the cat6 and cat7 cables, it provides higher performance. The higher the execution, the higher the price. However, the Cat8 Ethernet cable has a boosted wiring is twisted and shielded form. Besides, you will get a 10-ft cable for just $10.
Categories Guides, Ethernet Cables
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Jessica Alba schools Bill O'Reilly, noted genius, on her My Space page after the blowhard mocked her for saying Sweden was neutral during WWII.
"Last week, Mr. Bill O'Reilly and some really classy sites (i.e.TMZ) insinuated I was dumb by claiming Sweden was a neutral country. I appreciate the fact that he is a news anchor and that gossip sites are inundated with intelligent reporting, but seriously people...it's so sad to me that you think the only neutral country during WWII was Switzerland. Check out: Sweden_during_World_War_II if you want to see what I was referring to. I appreciate the name calling and the accurate reporting. Keep it up!!"
Excellent Jessica! I have a new found respect for you.


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Collection of Instruments
Musikwissenschaftliches Seminar
Musicology in Göttingen
Musicology is the study of music in all its diverse forms and contexts. The Department of Musicology in Göttingen is subdivided into the disciplines of historical musicology and cultural musicology. Both disciplines are represented by own professorships and staff and provide a supplementary access to music. There is therefore a wide spectrum of possibilities for students to choose individual specialisms from the full range of musicological research.
The Department is embedded in the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Göttingen.
Thanks to the Faculty's large number of different departments and individual disciplines, students have a wide and diverse range of options when it comes to combining different areas and fields of study.
In addition, the Department of Musicology also has a close and fruitful cooperation with the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hannover, based on a formal agreement which provides a framework for building on common areas of interest in research and teaching. This agreement lays the foundation for establishing Göttingen/Hanover as a centre of excellence in music research. The agreement also makes it possible for students of each of the two institutions to attend courses at the other.
Office of the Department of Musicology
Department board
Musicology students' group
Regulations of the Department of Musicology
New e-mail distribution list for the Göttingen Musicology
Concerts at the Department of Musicology
Facilities for disabilities
Historical Musicology
Cultural Musicology | Ethnomusicology
Kulturwissenschaftliches Zentrum
Heinrich Düker Weg 14
Tel. +49 (0)551 39-25072
Musikwissenschaft@phil.uni-goettingen.de
Wilhelmsplatz 1
Tel. +49 551 39-0
Study programmes (eCampus)
Organisation (eCampus)


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The Defining Character - The Audience.
When you go to see a stand-up comedian the role of the audience is crucial. Whether the night is good or bad is often completely dependent on the quality of the audience. If they're up for a laugh and energetic, that will help the performer. It's the same for a band. When Counting Crows played Brixton Academy in 2002 they said they 'Blew off the roof' -- the perfect fusion of a band on form, in a great venue with thousands of fans who were full of energy. But you assume a film is just a film, It'll play the same anywhere. But in my experience, that is anything but true.
I remember when I saw 'Superbad' in the cinema - we all thought it was absolutely hilarious, a wonderful comedy that all us twentysomething guys could relate too. But a few months later when I watched it with my girlfriend, that magic wasn't there. It wasn't just that my girlfriend at the time didn't like it, but I didn't either - as I watched it, nothing seemed funny. It was as if I had seen the film performed live for me twice, but the second performance wasn't as strong.
Is a good movie always a good movie? When I first watched 'Funny Ha Ha' and 'Mutual Appreciation' I thought they were works of genius, but when I watched them with someone else they lost all of that magic.
Sometimes the reasons are due to technical things - for example, 'Cloverfield' is going to be a lot better in a cinema packed with eighty people than at home with just you and your DVD player. But more often than not - it seems like the energy of the audience can dictate how the film performs. It's entirely possible the same film never plays twice. A strange concept.
I have noticed this as a Director, too. I have screened my films in many different places -- and I've come to learn that it's not just about demographics and finding the right audience, it's also about how well the film plays. There have been times when I have sat there proudly as my work of art plays on the screen, everyone has been mesmerisesd and completely taken in by my work. The actors look great, the jokes are hilarious, and my writing glistens. But on other occasions, within seconds of the credits starting I have sunk back into my seat just wanting to hide from everyone. The scenes are long and boring, the comedy is predictable and stupid and my writing seems amateur. This is just based on how I feel when watching it, but my fears are usually confirmed afterwards when people tell me what they think. I've never had the same reaction twice.
So I don't know, it's a bit of a weird theory - and I don't want to get all hippy on you with metaphysics and 'energy' -- but I'd be interested to know your thoughts on the subject. Is a film just a film? Does it play the same wherever it goes?
owo 16 March 2009 at 06:10
When I watch a film and feel strongly about it, that doesn't change, whatever the setting. However, I would rather watch them in a quiet place. Theatres irritate me. It's rare for me to go to a movie and watch the whole thing without threatening to bludgeon someone. Yeah...issues.
Sassy Ass 11 January 2011 at 23:36
Yeap, agree! Different settings, different company, the mood of the day...all of them effect how you feel about a movie. That doesn't necessarily take away or add to the merits or demerits of a movie tho. What is there is still there!
Liam Neeson, Actually.
In the Shadows Of Shawshank: Rising From The Mist
The Magic Of Music


We're back from a mini hiatus, breaking down next week's NFL Scouting Combine with PFW Draft Guide author Greg Gabriel. Greg highlights the prospects facing the most crucial medical evaluations in Indianapolis, plus a few players whose measureables he's most intrigued to learn. We spend a little time delving into the quarterbacks — though Greg cautions what a fluid process lies ahead, as teams will learn a lot more about the young passers in private workouts and meetings than the ... See More controlled Combine environment.
We finish with a breakdown of the veteran QB market, where more uncertainty resides, but Greg thinks a potential trade option not named Garoppolo, Romo or Cutler has some allure.


We have many wishes but we don't know the answer to our questions. We don't know what to ask. We keep rotating in the situation round and round. But when you use VK, your question becomes your answer. You may be wondering HOW is it possible. But with VK it is possible. Because VK is the simplest healing tool ever developed. Here, I am going to write few examples where questions became the answers when VK was used.
To which I replied," your question is your answer." you have to request VK, "solve the money issue with perfect ease and my friends live with me for a lifetime." A simple request, just said for three times, again and again, can bring this situation to your life.
There are many situations in life and each and every single situation has its own solution. A person had bought a land and built a house on it 20 years back. Since the house was made they had many problems in their home. After some investigation, they came to know that there was a worship place in that land and needs to be reinstalled. The person and his family made many rituals and spent a lot of money on rituals. They also made a temporary temple with rituals as its history was related to some religious matters. The family was trying to do all the possible rituals but there have been many hindrances in the construction and the work was not getting finished. He had no idea about why things were not in his favor and why things were so stuck up. He came up with the question "what can I do to resolve my situation with VK. How can I smooth my life? How can I remove hindrances of my life?" Again a simple request to VK "remove my hindrances and smooth my life" is a simple answer. VK is a divine tool and the energies in it has their own way to guide a person. The only thing to be done is to keep asking VK again and again in this simple language when you have no solution with you on your own. Check here what is VK?
Now before asking us about a solution to your problem, please recheck your question again, maybe you can find your solution there. Please write down into the comment box below, if you ever found your answer for your problem. We and other VK users get some benefits from your question.
We are waiting for our PRADHAN MANTRI AWAS YOJANA subsidy, its been more than 7 months, no result we got.
How to make request with VK?
It is my suggestion that don't wait for it because PM himself just announced the project but all the responsible govt officers are not much interested for to fulfill this.
My experience with VK has brought me results. I received VK about 15 days ago. And i started working with it right away. There are many issues to be solved in my life. But i do see progress coming through. It is a divine tool as it has given amazing results when i did healing for a few people.
And in my family as well. While energizing the serums onto the bottle of water… i gazed and saw orbs of energy to my surprise.. it has made me more confident in my life.
I am grateful to Sharat sir and his team for introducing VK. It is indeed a boon. It' a blessing and i will always live with my VK.
Many answers found with VK. Many times i have even asked questions to VK and VK makes it happen. My questions have been my request to VK through my mind.
Thank you for VK blessing Sir.
you are happy as you receive the VK and then you step into the manual. Beside the manual there is – happy VK-Users – Rakhi , there was in my first days Payal and I was and still am glad to have this guidance.
and even if you are structured and organized you will at a certain point lose the leasureness to simply change the question or your wishes and turn them into a command.
I absolutly agree that the discussion and presentation in the groups is extremly helpful for all of us "users" if new or here over a longer distance already.
I am very grateful for the support I got from the wonderful team of Sharat Sir and their patience and of course also their precious time sharing with and for the benefit of our use of the VK and us.


Facial recognition systems perform some very challenging tasks such as checking an individual's photo against a database of known or suspected criminals. The task can become nearly impossible when the systems acquire poor facial images—a situation that occurs all too often in real-world environments. Now, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have found that several simple steps can significantly improve the quality of facial images that are acquired at border entry points such as airports and seaports.
Better yet, the NIST recommendations for improving facial images can be implemented relatively easily with existing facial recognition technology.
Travelers entering the United States have their pictures taken and their fingerprints collected digitally as part of the US-VISIT program implemented by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). US-VISIT and NIST work together on an ongoing basis to improve processes and technology. A 2007 NIST study of facial images collected at border entry points, however, found that the captured facial images were not as clear and useful for automated recognition as they could be.
In usability and human factors research performed for US-VISIT as part of a large joint effort to improve facial recognition technology, NIST's Mary Theofanos and her colleagues sought simple ways of obtaining better facial images in often hectic real-world conditions without having to deploy new technology. The NIST researchers first visited and observed a DHS border entry point at Dulles Airport in the Washington, D.C. area to see the facial-image capturing process.
As a result of these observations, the researchers identified and shared with US-VISIT a number of steps to take for acquiring better facial images. For example, the report recommends that operators should adjust camera settings to ensure the subject comes into sharp focus. The report also recommends using a traditional-looking camera in facial-recognition systems so that individuals could clearly recognize the camera and look into it.
Following the Dulles site visit, a study adopted these steps in taking facial images of 300 participants while mimicking the real-world conditions of a border entry point. In these tests, 100 percent of the images fully captured the participant's face; all of the participants faced the camera; and the researchers found additional improvements by using a graphical overlay to the camera display in order to better position the camera.
The researchers believe these steps will improve the performance of facial recognition systems in real-world settings using existing technology. A follow-up study is underway in which the researchers are incorporating the graphical overlay into the workflow of camera operators.


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Home>News>Ludlow Town Council Budget for 2022 / 23
|Your Council|
Ludlow Town Council Budget for 2022 / 23
On 24th January 2022, Ludlow Town Council set an expenditure budget of £983,501.00 for 2022 / 23, and set a precept of £708,607.00, which means the expected income from fees and other sources is £274,894.00.
The annual budget provides local services including community grants, Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross, Ludlow market, grounds maintenance and burial services at Henley Road Cemetery, maintenance of public parks and play areas including, the Linney Riverside Park, Wheeler Road Skate Park and recreation area, Houseman Crescent play area, St John's Garden, Castle Gardens, and the garden of Rest at St Laurence's Churchyard.
The budget also includes provision for repairs to the town wall at St Laurence's Churchyard, at present these figures are estimated based on the final report from the structural engineers. Costs will be reviewed in line with actual costs. The estimated repayments of a 25 year loan are £180,000 per year for a total estimated expenditure of £4million at a fixed 2.29% interest rate.
Mayor of Ludlow, Cllr Robin Pote explained, 'The Town Council wishes to reassure residents that while the estimated annual repayments to cover the repairs to the town walls are considerable, the council has worked hard to keep the impact on residents to a minimum, and the annual increase to band D council tax will be 26p a week, which is an annual increase is £13.49.'


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Me voy para el sur es el cuarto álbum solista del músico argentino JAF, editado en 1992 por RCA/BMG.

Historia
Luego de lograr un éxito masivo con su tercera placa, Salida de emergencia, JAF se dirige a los Estados Unidos, donde registra su cuarta placa como solista.

Composición y grabación
Todos los temas del disco fueron compuestos, letra y música, por JAF, a excepción de "Matándome suavemente", que es una adaptación de "Killing Me softly" de Charles Fox y Norman Gimbel.
El álbum fue grabado en los estudios Old House y Power Station de Nueva York, y para esta ocasión JAF contó con la participación de grandes sesionistas como Steve Ferrone, Graham Hawthome, Frank Centeno, Willy Lee, Mark Fineberg y Daniel Freiberg, quien además se encargó de la dirección artística.
Este álbum alcanzó la certificación de "disco de oro".

La tapa del álbum muestra una foto del artista caminando con su guitarra en la mano, dentro de un recuadro donde aparecen su nombre y el título del álbum.

Lista de canciones
Todas las canciones compuestas por JAF salvo indicación contraria.

Créditos
 JAF: guitarra eléctrica, voz
 Daniel Freiberg:  piano, hammond, sintetizadores y percusión
 Steve Ferrone: batería
 Graham Hawtorne: batería y percusión
 Frank Centeno: bajo
 Will Lee: bajo
 Mark Fineberg: saxos
 Myriam Valle y Kelly Sae: coros
 Chuck Cavanaugh: pandereta

Véase también
 Salida de emergencia
 JAF
 Riff VII

Referencias

Enlaces externos

Álbumes de 1992
Álbumes de rock de Argentina

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia