text:
using System;
using UnityEngine;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using Random = UnityEngine.Random;

namespace CodeStage.AntiCheat.ObscuredTypes
{
	///
	/// Use it instead of regular <c>float</c> for any cheating-sensitive variables.
	///
	/// Regular type is faster and memory wiser comparing to the obscured one!
	[Serializable]
	public struct ObscuredFloat : IEquatable<ObscuredFloat>, IFormattable
	{
		private static int cryptoKey = 230887;

#if UNITY_EDITOR
		// For internal Editor usage only (may be useful for drawers).
		public static int cryptoKeyEditor = cryptoKey;
#endif

		[SerializeField]
		private int currentCryptoKey;

		[SerializeField]
		private byte[] hiddenValue;

		[SerializeField]
		private float fakeValue;

		[SerializeField]
		private bool inited;

		private ObscuredFloat(byte[] value)
		{
			currentCryptoKey = cryptoKey;
			hiddenValue = value;
			fakeValue = 0;
			inited = true;
		}

		///
		/// Allows to change default crypto key of this type instances. All new instances will use specified key.

		/// All current instances will use previous key unless you call ApplyNewCryptoKey() on them explicitly.
		///
		public static void SetNewCryptoKey(int newKey)
		{
			cryptoKey = newKey;
		}

		///
		/// Use this simple encryption method to encrypt any float value, uses default crypto key.
		///
		public static int Encrypt(float value)
		{
			return Encrypt(value, cryptoKey);
		}

		///
		/// Use this simple encryption method to encrypt any float value, uses passed crypto key.
		///
		public static int Encrypt(float value, int key)
		{
			var u = new FloatIntBytesUnion();
			u.f = value;
			u.i = u.i ^ key;

			return u.i;
		}

		private static byte[] InternalEncrypt(float value)
		{
			return InternalEncrypt(value, 0);
		}

		private static byte[] InternalEncrypt(float value, int key)
		{
			int currKey = key;
			if (currKey == 0)
			{
				currKey = cryptoKey;
			}

			var u = new FloatIntBytesUnion();
			u.f = value;
			u.i = u.i ^ currKey;

			return new[] { u.b1, u.b2, u.b3, u.b4 };
		}

		///
		/// Use it to decrypt int you got from Encrypt(float) back to float, uses default crypto key.
		///
		public static float Decrypt(int value)
		{
			return Decrypt(value, cryptoKey);
		}

		///
		/// Use it to decrypt int you got from Encrypt(float) back to float, uses passed crypto key.
		///
		public static float Decrypt(int value, int key)
		{
			var u = new FloatIntBytesUnion();
			u.i = value ^ key;
			return u.f;
		}

		///
		/// Use it after SetNewCryptoKey() to re-encrypt current instance using new crypto key.
		///
		public void ApplyNewCryptoKey()
		{
			if (currentCryptoKey != cryptoKey)
			{
				hiddenValue = InternalEncrypt(InternalDecrypt(), cryptoKey);
				currentCryptoKey = cryptoKey;
			}
		}

		///
		/// Allows to change current crypto key to the new random value and re-encrypt variable using it.
		/// Use it for extra protection against 'unknown value' search.
		/// Just call it sometimes when your variable doesn't change to fool the cheater.
		///
		public void RandomizeCryptoKey()
		{
			float decrypted = InternalDecrypt();

			currentCryptoKey = Random.seed;
			hiddenValue = InternalEncrypt(decrypted, currentCryptoKey);
		}

		///
		/// Allows to pick current obscured value as is.
		///
		/// Use it in conjunction with SetEncrypted().

		/// Useful for saving data in obscured state.
		public int GetEncrypted()
		{
			ApplyNewCryptoKey();

			var union = new FloatIntBytesUnion();
			union.b1 = hiddenValue[0];
			union.b2 = hiddenValue[1];
			union.b3 = hiddenValue[2];
			union.b4 = hiddenValue[3];

			return union.i;
		}

		///
		/// Allows to explicitly set current obscured value.
		///
		/// Use it in conjunction with GetEncrypted().

		/// Useful for loading data stored in obscured state.
		public void SetEncrypted(int encrypted)
		{
			inited = true;
			FloatIntBytesUnion union = new FloatIntBytesUnion();
			union.i = encrypted;

			hiddenValue = new[] { union.b1, union.b2, union.b3, union.b4 };

			if (Detectors.ObscuredCheatingDetector.IsRunning)
			{
				fakeValue = InternalDecrypt();
			}
		}

		private float InternalDecrypt()
		{
			if (!inited)
			{
				currentCryptoKey = cryptoKey;
				hiddenValue = InternalEncrypt(0);
				fakeValue = 0;
				inited = true;
			}

			var union = new FloatIntBytesUnion();
			union.b1 = hiddenValue[0];
			union.b2 = hiddenValue[1];
			union.b3 = hiddenValue[2];
			union.b4 = hiddenValue[3];

			union.i = union.i ^ currentCryptoKey;

			float decrypted = union.f;

			if (Detectors.ObscuredCheatingDetector.IsRunning && fakeValue != 0 && Math.Abs(decrypted - fakeValue) > Detectors.ObscuredCheatingDetector.Instance.floatEpsilon)
			{
				Detectors.ObscuredCheatingDetector.Instance.OnCheatingDetected();
			}

			return decrypted;
		}

		[StructLayout(LayoutKind.Explicit)]
		private struct FloatIntBytesUnion
		{
			[FieldOffset(0)]
			public float f;

			[FieldOffset(0)]
			public int i;

			[FieldOffset(0)]
			public byte b1;

			[FieldOffset(1)]
			public byte b2;

			[FieldOffset(2)]
			public byte b3;

			[FieldOffset(3)]
			public byte b4;
		}
		//! @cond

		#region operators, overrides, interface implementations
		public static implicit operator ObscuredFloat(float value)
		{
			ObscuredFloat obscured = new ObscuredFloat(InternalEncrypt(value));
			if (Detectors.ObscuredCheatingDetector.IsRunning)
			{
				obscured.fakeValue = value;
			}
			return obscured;
		}

		public static implicit operator float(ObscuredFloat value)
		{
			return value.InternalDecrypt();
		}

		public static ObscuredFloat operator ++(ObscuredFloat input)
		{
			float decrypted = input.InternalDecrypt() + 1f;
			input.hiddenValue = InternalEncrypt(decrypted, input.currentCryptoKey);

			if (Detectors.ObscuredCheatingDetector.IsRunning)
			{
				input.fakeValue = decrypted;
			}

			return input;
		}

		public static ObscuredFloat operator --(ObscuredFloat input)
		{
			float decrypted = input.InternalDecrypt() - 1f;
			input.hiddenValue = InternalEncrypt(decrypted, input.currentCryptoKey);

			if (Detectors.ObscuredCheatingDetector.IsRunning)
			{
				input.fakeValue = decrypted;
			}

			return input;
		}

		///
		/// Returns a value indicating whether this instance is equal to a specified object.
		///
		///
		/// <returns>
		/// true if <paramref name="obj"/> is an instance of ObscuredFloat and equals the value of this instance; otherwise, false.
		/// </returns>
		/// <param name="obj">An object to compare with this instance. </param><filterpriority>2</filterpriority>
		public override bool Equals(object obj)
		{
			if (!(obj is ObscuredFloat))
				return false;
			return Equals((ObscuredFloat)obj);
		}

		///
		/// Returns a value indicating whether this instance and a specified ObscuredFloat object represent the same value.
		///
		///
		/// <returns>
		/// true if <paramref name="obj"/> is equal to this instance; otherwise, false.
		/// </returns>
		/// <param name="obj">An ObscuredFloat object to compare to this instance.</param><filterpriority>2</filterpriority>
		public bool Equals(ObscuredFloat obj)
		{
			double dParam = obj.InternalDecrypt();
			double dThis = InternalDecrypt();

			return dParam.Equals(dThis);
		}

		///
		/// Returns the hash code for this instance.
		///
		///
		/// <returns>
		/// A 32-bit signed integer hash code.
		/// </returns>
		/// <filterpriority>2</filterpriority>
		public override int GetHashCode()
		{
			return InternalDecrypt().GetHashCode();
		}

		///
		/// Converts the numeric value of this instance to its equivalent string representation.
		///
		///
		/// <returns>
		/// The string representation of the value of this instance.
		/// </returns>
		/// <filterpriority>1</filterpriority>
		public override string ToString()
		{
			return InternalDecrypt().ToString();
		}

		///
		/// Converts the numeric value of this instance to its equivalent string representation, using the specified format.
		///
		///
		/// <returns>
		/// The string representation of the value of this instance as specified by <paramref name="format"/>.
		/// </returns>
		/// <param name="format">A numeric format string (see Remarks).</param><exception cref="T:System.FormatException"><paramref name="format"/> is invalid. </exception><filterpriority>1</filterpriority>
		public string ToString(string format)
		{
			return InternalDecrypt().ToString(format);
		}

		///
		/// Converts the numeric value of this instance to its equivalent string representation using the specified culture-specific format information.
		///
		///
		/// <returns>
		/// The string representation of the value of this instance as specified by <paramref name="provider"/>.
		/// </returns>
		/// <param name="provider">An <see cref="T:System.IFormatProvider"/> that supplies culture-specific formatting information. </param><filterpriority>1</filterpriority>
		public string ToString(IFormatProvider provider)
		{
			return InternalDecrypt().ToString(provider);
		}

		///
		/// Converts the numeric value of this instance to its equivalent string representation using the specified format and culture-specific format information.
		///
		///
		/// <returns>
		/// The string representation of the value of this instance as specified by <paramref name="format"/> and <paramref name="provider"/>.
		/// </returns>
		/// <param name="format">A numeric format string (see Remarks).</param><param name="provider">An <see cref="T:System.IFormatProvider"/> that supplies culture-specific formatting information. </param><filterpriority>1</filterpriority>
		public string ToString(string format, IFormatProvider provider)
		{
			return InternalDecrypt().ToString(format, provider);
		}

		//! @endcond
		#endregion

	}
}


text:
The Irish Mandolin – a website from Aidan Crossey
Playlist C
If you don't wish to read through the notes below, you can go straight to playlist C on YouTube here.
This is the first of three "solo" playlists which I'm going to feature. I'll create an "A" list, a "C" list and an "M" list – A and C being the first letters of my name and M being the first letter of my middle name…
I've included some biographical / music-related details about my collaborators – so to begin with here are a few details about me. I was brought up in Derrymacash, County Armagh and moved to London in the mid 1980s. Around the mid 1990s I developed an interest in Irish Traditional Music, first as a listener and then, tentatively, as a player of GDAE-tuned fretted instruments – mandolin, octave mandola, banjo and tenor guitar at various points. I've drifted in and out of the music but it's been my pleasure and privilege to play tunes with some great players and great friends at sessions across London including The Blythe Hill Tavern, the short-lived and manic Saturday night sessions at Shillelaghs in Catford, The White Horse session in Bethnal Green… And occasionally others as and when the time was right for a few tunes.
Although I have drifted away from the tunes from time to time, I have rediscovered my passion in the past few years. One of the reasons I started The Irish Mandolin website was to, hopefully, give something back to the music and to provide resources and inspiration to fellow mandoliers who enjoy playing Irish traditional tunes. These playlists will hopefully appeal not just to players of GDAE-tuned instruments but to a much wider audience who love this music…
C is for CHARLIE LENNON. Aidan says: For many years, Charlie Lennon and Irish Traditional Music have been synonymous. Charlie is renowned as a fine fiddler and pianist as well as a prolific composer of some simply beautiful tunes. In this selection, Charlie's talents as both fiddler and composer are showcased as he plays one of his best-loved jigs. Charlie Lennon – A Smile For Sile
C is for CRAN. Aidan says: One of my favourite groups, Cran features the sheer might of Ronan Browne on pipes (and harmony vocals), Desi Wilkinson on flute (and harmony vocals) and the recently-deceased Sean Corcoran RIP on bouzouki and lead vocals. Cran – Na Ceannabhain Bhana/An Rogaire Dubh/Willie Clancy's Secret Jig
C is for CATHAL HAYDEN AND BRIAN MCGRATH. Aidan says: There are few more talented and listenable banjo players than Cathal Hayden and Brian McGrath. So pin back your ears to hear them duetting on a ripping set of jigs before shifting time signature for a reel to close the set… Cathal Hayden & Brian McGrath – Old Joe's/The Cuil Aodha Jig/Roaring Mary
C is for CONCERTINA. Aidan says: Micheal O Raghallaigh's "The Nervous Man" is one of the most spellbinding concertina albums. I've spent a lot of time immersed in the CD and there are tracks which give me goose pimples, even despite the fact that I'm so familiar with them. This selection is one such set! Micheal O Raghallaigh – Sport/The Hawthorn Hedge
C is for CRAOBH RUA. Aidan says: A slow air leads into a reel which I've seen described as "the most beautiful tune in the Irish musical tradition". Hard to argue, to be honest… Craobh Rua – Air/The Ivy Leaf/The Fox On The Town
C is for Catherine McEvoy, CAOIMHIN O RAGHALLAIGH AND MICHEAL O RAGHALLAIGH. Aidan says: Flute, fiddle and 'tina… Lovely! Catherine McEvoy, Caoimhin O Raghallaigh & Micheal O Raghallaigh – The Foxhunter's/Comb You Hair And Curl It
C is for Bobby Casey. Aidan says: Very few fiddlers of his generation have been more influential than County Clare's Bobby Casey. Bobby Casey – The Reel Of Mullinavat/Tie The Ribbons
C is for CHICAGO Aidan says: The Chicago Reel is one of those tunes which lodged itself in my brain when I first started out listening to and playing this music. John Whelan makes a fine fist of it! John Whelan – The Chicago Reel/Toss The Feathers
C is for John Carty. Aidan says: Adept on both fiddle and banjo, John Carty gives us a version of his own composition, Seanamhac Tube Station, on the former instrument. John Carty – Seanamhac Tube Station
C is for John Cradden. Aidan says: A few months ago I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance online of John Cradden, originally from County Antrim and now living in Scotland. John is the creative force behind "The Celtic Mandolin" (see http://thecelticmandolin.co.uk). From time to time John and I have collaborated on a few tunes. His forte is for arranging music for several instruments, with one or tow close harmony parts for mandolin. From time to time John records a set of tunes which showcase his fine playing. This is one such showcase, "The Lockdown Polkas". John Cradden – The Lakes Of Sligo/The £4 Cheque/The Church Street Polka/Sord Cholmcille
Listen to playlist C here.
All playlists on my channel here.
Return to the "A to Z" home page here.
If you'd like to show your appreciation for my work in maintaining this resource, please feel free to make a donation. Wordpress seems to insist on a minimum donation of £1.00 - you may, of course, chip in more if you wish. It will be gratefully received and you'll get a mention in the roll of honour on the homepage!
The Irish Mandolin – a website from Aidan Crossey, Powered by WordPress.com.
The Irish Mandolin - a website from Aidan Crossey

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Tim Barnett: Future MMA World Lightweight Champion
That is what Fruity King believes and we stick to what we believe in!
Time Barnett is definitely going places in the world of Mixed Martial Arts as was proven by his spectacular KO of the then reigning champion Rhys 'Skeletor' McKee in front of the Irishman's home crowd.
The young man from the Wirral fights out of Liverpool MMA Academy and is enjoying an impressive 5-0 winning streak in the BAMMA lightweight division. Barnett was a last-minute stand-in at the BAMMA 28 Belfast event and this exciting finisher defeated McKee in the first round stunning the local crowd.
The local crowd may have been shocked at Tim Barnett's talent but it came as no big surprise to those fans who have been following him on his MMA journey as his propensity to stop opponents quickly and decisively has not gone unnoticed, and indeed has now become somewhat of a trade mark.
Tim Barnett has moved from being the underdog to being the one to beat, and a rematch with McKee has already been scheduled for BAMMA 34 at the SSE Arena Wembley on March 9th 2018. This offers the talented fighter from the Wirral a great chance at the World Lightweight Championship.
McKee is obviously desperate to reclaim his own standing blaming a virus for his comprehensive defeat in the last match with Barnett, but Barnett is going from strength to strength and should be too strong for the Belfast man.
Barnett defies the stereotypical MMA fighter with a calm, almost tranquil demeanour, and to all extents and purposes is actually still a work in progress. But one thing is for sure, Tim Barnett is a must see for UK MMA fans as he is one of the hottest prospects we have seen for quite some time.
Tim Barnett, an undefeated, exciting finisher, and Fruity King is in Tim's corner for his shot at the World LIghtweight title.
*Tickets for BAMMA 34 are on sale now. ITV 4 are also set to screen the fight.
Author JamiePosted on March 6, 2018
Name: Tim Barnett: Future MMA World Lightweight Champion


text:
SC Freiburg extends with Lukas Kübler
Lukas Kübler remains loyal to SC Freiburg! The Breisgauer announced that the right-back has extended his contract - however, the club did not provide any information on the term.
03 January 2023 Tuesday 02:57
It took a little while for Lukas Kübler - who had joined SC Freiburg in 2015 - to fully settle into Breisgau. The native of Bonn was repeatedly slowed down by injuries, so that he could not develop his full potential.
Recently things have been going better and better for the 30-year-old. The past season 21/22, in which the SCF was able to cause a great sensation, was also the best for Kübler - as a regular player he was able to make a significant contribution to the success of his club. This season he was thrown back slightly at the beginning of the season, but in the games before the World Cup break he was able to secure his regular place again.
"Lukas has been injury-free for a long time and has shown impressively what he's capable of during this time. He's worked hard on himself over the years together and has continued to develop. That's why we're very happy that we can continue to use his power, his strength in duels and plan his footballing solutions," emphasized SCF board member Jochen Saier after the extension of the right-back.
Kübler added: "I'm fit, I can throw everything in and I really appreciate this situation. The daily work with the boys is really enjoyable and the competition for a place in the team drives me on. We're on the right track and I have great ambition to continue down this path."
This article was originally published on 90min.com/de as SC Freiburg extended with Lukas Kübler.
1 Voted by "Rolling Stone": Aretha Franklin... 2 TV soaps: This is what happens in the soaps today 3 Energy: First tanker with liquefied natural gas in... 4 American football star Damar Hamlin: "in critical... 5 Ken Block: Rally star dies in snowmobile accident 6 Controversial New Year's Eve video: Who defends... 7 War on Ukraine: Russia's "self-destruction":... 8 Economy : Labor market stable in 2022 - focus on shortage... 9 Bundesliga: Kramer extends in Mönchengladbach until... 10 Accidents: Vietnam: Struggles for ten-year-olds in...
Bundesliga: Return to the "living room": promoted Schalke keeper ferryman
Alpine skiing: National coach brakes World Cup expectations for Dürr: "No pressure"
Bundesliga: Bobic irritated: "If you ask again, you'll get a scrub"
Liverpool FC: Klopp after the Cup: "Steps in the right direction"
Sports policy: Ukraine on IOC: "Promoter of war, murder and destruction"
Voted by "Rolling Stone": Aretha Franklin...


Silver beads bracelet with Swarovski crystals by Otazu. This beautiful designer bracelet features a variety of grey beads, murano gold-leaf hearts, silver heart charms with topaz swarovski crystals and silver beads. Bracelet measures 20cm / 8 " in length and has a gold murano heart charm at the toggle.


text:
Home / Forums / Events / Planning /
[Jul 16, 2011] Anonymous vs Scientology Rally (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Discussion in 'Planning' started by AnonAtomBomb, Jun 1, 2011.
Page 3 of 6 < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next >
We really need a "pre-raid" to get these posters up.
Anonymous, Jun 17, 2011
HellRazor Member
http://www.vanonymous.org/wiki/index.php?title=Fliers_and_Literature
HellRazor, Jun 18, 2011
Durham_Anon1 Member
ok I'm gonna try and touch on everything posted....
yes, QR codes will be added to the last two posters, she already added four on the first one. a pre-raid would be great to get these posters up if anyone's interested or we all just print these out and post when we can, where we can. a craigslist posting is also not a bad idea, i've started a thread on chanology 2.5, any other sites we can advertise ?
Durham_Anon1, Jun 18, 2011
TorontosRoot Member
A pre-raid is not a bad idea, just need a date and time. Tomorrow is recovery, after a week of all-nighters (I'm a night rider, so that explains why), I'm going to be transitioning myself to the day riding for the MMVA's on sunday, a leisurely filming. So it'll have to be next week, or another day.
www.kijiji.ca is another classifieds site.
TorontosRoot, Jun 18, 2011
created a new event for Toronto Pride day
When is pride day again? :S I never seem to keep track of these, I'm non-lgbt, eg. Straight. Lol
the end of june, beginning of july, covers two weekends, the date i chose was for the first weekend
kittypark said: ↑
here are some codes that may be useful
A suggestion: QR code encodes uppercase better, so that if the URL can be done in uppercase, it results in a simpler pattern with larger blocks.
tl;dr: If you SHOUT the url, it can be seen from further away.
DeathHamster, Jun 18, 2011
TorontosRoot said: ↑
event has been kijiji'd
A few years ago, Toronto Anons made a kick-ass LGBT anti-CoS flyer. I'll try to find/upload it, unless someone from the hive beats me to it!
anon_infm5 Member
Just a question...do toronto anons protest just Co$? Im asking because there are a lot of things that we could target (corrupt politicians, government lies, G20 investigation)
Maybe after the Co$ protest we can go after McGuinty for his role in the G20 (http://tinyurl.com/5wmdr5m)
anon_infm5, Jun 18, 2011
Durham_Anon1 said: ↑
Auntie if you're following this, anyway of getting a Van city raid together?
I raided with Vancouver Anons today and pitched the idea of the National protest day, July 16th/2011.
Vancouver Anons all said they were good-to-go with the date. It's on!
Auntie Social said: ↑
This is good news
Very good news! Yes, we could go after McG. He needs some words!
"HellRazor said: ↑
I found it: Toronto Anonymous 2008 Pride Flyer: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IG1ALV8U
View attachment PrideFlyerBack.jpg
ScnTO Member
anon_infm5 said: ↑
Lets skip the Scientology protest...
ScnTO, Jun 18, 2011
There was some early writings that appeared to be "anti-gay", stating that homosexuality was covertly hostile. But one must look at that in the context of the times. In the 1940s - 1950s most people in western countries did consider homosexuality to be a mental or even physical illness.
I do not have any knowledge or evidence of anti-homosexual actions taken by the church at any point, other than the few writings on the subject. It was pretty much left alone for many years.
Then in 1967 Hubbard issued a policy which reads, in part, "It has never been any part of my plans to regulate or to attempt to regulate the private lives of individuals. Whenever this has occurred, it has not resulted in any improved condition... Therefore all former rules, regulations and polices relating to the sexual activities of Scientologists are cancelled."
Hubbard later released a book about ethical behavior that was silent on the subject of homosexuality, and offered a gender-neutral ethical guidelines about being faithful to one's partner and avoiding promiscuity.
The Church of Scientology is a leading proponent for human rights for all people of earth as can be seen by their campaigns with Youth for Human Rights and the Citizens Commission on Human Rights.
In October 2009 a spokesperson of the Church of Scientology International put it this way:
"The church supports civil rights for everybody, regardless of sexual orientation, race, color or creed. We are a minority, too; we understand what it's like to be persecuted, so to the extent that anything prohibits or inhibits on civil rights, we don't agree with it."
Look up: I'M HERE, I'M QUEER, I'M A SCIENTOLOGIST! WE'RE NOT A CULT! Keith Relkin, a gay Scientologist from West Hollywood
Hey ScnTO, here's some recent evidence, from the New Yorker no less. I continue to hope you will find your way through your delusions. Not holding my breath though.
On August 19, 2009, Tommy Davis, the chief spokesperson for the Church of Scientology International, received a letter from the film director and screenwriter Paul Haggis. "For ten months now I have been writing to ask you to make a public statement denouncing the actions of the Church of Scientology of San Diego," Haggis wrote. Before the 2008 elections, a staff member at Scientology's San Diego church had signed its name to an online petition supporting Proposition 8, which asserted that the State of California should sanction marriage only "between a man and a woman." The proposition passed. As Haggis saw it, the San Diego church's "public sponsorship of Proposition 8, which succeeded in taking away the civil rights of gay and lesbian citizens of California—rights that were granted them by the Supreme Court of our state—is a stain on the integrity of our organization and a stain on us personally. Our public association with that hate-filled legislation shames us." Haggis wrote, "Silence is consent, Tommy. I refuse to consent." He concluded, "I hereby resign my membership in the Church of Scientology."
In previous correspondence with Davis, Haggis had demanded that the church publicly renounce Proposition 8. "I feel strongly about this for a number of reasons," he wrote. "You and I both know there has been a hidden anti-gay sentiment in the church for a long time. I have been shocked on too many occasions to hear Scientologists make derogatory remarks about gay people, and then quote L.R.H. in their defense." The initials stand for L. Ron Hubbard, the founder of Scientology, whose extensive writings and lectures form the church's scripture. Haggis related a story about Katy, the youngest of three daughters from his first marriage, who lost the friendship of a fellow-Scientologist after revealing that she was gay. The friend began warning others, "Katy is '1.1.' " The number refers to a sliding Tone Scale of emotional states that Hubbard published in a 1951 book, "The Science of Survival." A person classified "1.1" was, Hubbard said, "Covertly Hostile"—"the most dangerous and wicked level"—and he noted that people in this state engaged in such things as casual sex, sadism, and homosexual activity. Hubbard's Tone Scale, Haggis wrote, equated "homosexuality with being a pervert." (Such remarks don't appear in recent editions of the book.)
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2011/02/14/110214fa_fact_wright
ScnTO said: ↑
Um, NO., we aren't skipping anything.
How about we just completely skip ScnTO?
I would love to see ScnTO try and handle all of us by himself
I'm filled with a joyous bliss when I realize that soon, Lawrence Wright will publish a whole book on the vile cult, following those of Janet Reitman and Hugh B. Urban.
For the cult, it all must be just one, gigantic, cascading shit blizzard of hideous public relations problems. I think the cult has earned it and anonymous has never-ending lulz, and they've earned those too.
There was some early writings that appeared to be "anti-gay", stating that homosexuality was covertly hostile. But one must look at that in the context of the times. In the 1940s - 1950s most people in western countries did consider homosexuality to be a mental or even physical illness.
Context of what times? Didn't Hubbard have a look back and forth along the Whole Track? This guy was supposed to be Buddha 2.0, and yet he's tethered the mindset of the 1930-40s.
(If he didn't look along the track, no wonder he was always getting hit by trains!)
Hopefully we can find some ex-scientologists in toronto that could speak at the raid
anyone seen wiseman lately, I'm sure he'd love to be there
speaking of the G20, I would definitely like to go after the black bloc...who were only there to destroy our city
Get them the same way as the Vancouver hockey rioters (and any rancid policing too).
DeathHamster said: ↑
i was honestly shocked at those van city riots
kittypark Member
win or lose, i knew there would be one. with all the media talking about the 94 riots, and people these days who were not around for it then with it in there minds, helped the mob mentality. what i was shocked about(but not really) was seeing people trying to escape the riots, but only to be chased back into the crowd by the cops. People who were helping injured, and trying to escape also got roughed up and beat down by cops(talking about people who didnt cause shit). I do think the riots were fubar, but from what i saw cops played a big part in keeping the flames lit.
kittypark, Jun 19, 2011
Then the photos and videos of that will surface too.
I wonder what the people who showed up with gasoline, bear spray and similar stuff would have done if the Canucks had won?
Vancouver is plagued with an administration that is incapable of proactive action. It can only react.
The areas where there is some belief in taking a proactive stand is usually misplaced and never considers the potential of unintended consequences.
Case in point, the city has installed bicycle lanes on many of the key thoroughfares in the city.
When fires emerged in the mayhem last Wednesday night, fire fighters were unable to move their equipment swiftly to these fires because the bicycle lanes made it impossible for them to drive to the fires on those thoroughfares.
In looking at some of the other photos of the event, I so wish that all that energy could be focused into something constructive for the city. Like these awesome people in Hamburg, Germany.
So for now, we'll just stick to hacking the city and protesting $cientology.
The aftermath outcome would have been exactly the same. Win or lose the hockey game, the event was planned to happen.
Oh you're so cynical!
According to a CBC Radio program that I was listening to, a large part of the crowds (not bicycle lanes) impeding the passage the fire trucks were there because it was exciting to watch.
Crowd control was another serious problem and it speaks to the mismanagement issues I reported earlier.
The reference in Durham_Anon1's post, about the "black bloc..." is interesting.
There are cells of these groups in Vancouver and Seattle. They organized to produce mayhem during the first weekend of the Winter Olympic celebrations in Vancouver last year.
They are well organized, and they showed up on Wednesday with gas masks, balaclavas, molotov cocktails, and bandanas. Their intent was to cause mayhem and destroy. "Fuck shit up" is their motto.
Given a massive crowd of young, intoxicated citizens, they were able to accomplish their goal with ease and with no need to resort to rent-a-mob tactics.
Hockey mobs have been traditionally explosive, back to the Richard Riot in Montreal in 1955. Older than me, certainly.
During the Toronto G20, "they" Personal Army-ed the peaceful G20 protestors into pressing against the area that the police had to hold at all cost, and while the police were frozen in place, they split stage left and started smashing storefronts and burning police cars. If that was planned, it was tactically brilliant. (But still really stupid.) IMHO, the police missed the boat in flexibility and creative thinking to anticipate that, but I bet that they were bogged down in massive amounts of red tape and layers of command "leadership".
I feel obliged to put this thread back on track.
I am going to work with the poster design for Sparrow in DC that Sponge recently shared with the community.
I am going to have a large-scale colour sign made for the July 16th/2011 Raid in Vancouver.
There will be higher than usual tourist traffic in the city and a large colourful sign such as this is going to attract attention.
i got over 500 pages printed out. a variety of very interesting papers. Better if I can find others for my area, to print some as well
1 vote for "religion is free, scn is neither"
poster no 2 is more reader friendly
"Auntie Social said: ↑
sorry for the derail...started a thread if anyone has any thoughts...


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Florence School
of Banking & Finance
Policy Dialogue
Policy Events
#FBFDiscuss!
Women in Finance
Blended courses
Board Academy
Florence School of Banking & Finance
Course dates : 11 – 29 October 2021
For information contact jan.trevisan@eui.eu
Format and Activities
Safeguarding the stability of the financial system requires more than a sound and thorough supervision of single financial institutions. The Global Financial Crisis has revealed that the mere reliance on microprudential policy tools could lead to looming systemic risks being missed or ignored. The general recognition of this gap in surveillance led to the accelerated development and implementation, throughout the world, of macroprudential policies.
Against this background, this course will first introduce the key objectives and instruments of macroprudential policy in the European context. It will then engage in more details with the implementation and use of selected macroprudential instruments (e.g. the countercyclical capital buffer, systemic risk buffers, instruments for the real estate sector, liquidity instruments). Based on their expertise in the field, the course instructors will lastly expose participants to the lessons learned from the implementation of macroprudential policies and will ask how to apply certain tools in the non-banking financial sector.
Gain an overview of the type, scope and use of macroprudential instruments and related requirements
Become familiar with the institutional framework, objectives and instruments of macroprudential policy in the European Union
Learn to apply certain macro-pru instruments in real-life cases
Understand calibration dilemmas
Become exposed to lessons learned of macroprudential policy
Draw conclusions from past experiences for the non-bank financial sector
Tuomas A. Peltonen is Deputy Head of the European Systemic Risk Board Secretariat. Prior to that he was with the European Central Bank since 2004. Tuomas has worked in various positions in the Financial Stability Surveillance Division in the Directorate General Macroprudential Policy and Financial Stability, in the Directorate General Market Operations and in Directorate General International and European Relations. Tuomas received his BSc and MSc (Econ) degrees from University of Turku in 1998 and 1999. Before completing a PhD (Econ) degree at the European University Institute in 2005, Tuomas worked with the Bank of Finland. His research interests include macroprudential policy and systemic risk analysis.
Thorsten Beck is currently professor of banking and finance at The Business School (formerly Cass) in London. He is also a research fellow of the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) and the CESifo. He was professor of economics from 2008 to 2014 at Tilburg University and the founding chair of the European Banking Center there from 2008 to 2013. Previously he worked many years in the research department of the World Bank and has also worked as consultant for – among others – the European Central Bank, the Bank of England, the BIS, the IMF, the European Commission, and the German Development Corporation. He is also a member of the Advisory Scientific Council of the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) and is co-editor of the Journal of Banking and Finance. His research, academic publications and operational work have focused on two major questions: What is the relationship between finance and economic development? What policies are needed to build a sound and effective financial system? Recently, he has concentrated on access to financial services, including SME finance, as well as on the design of regulatory and bank resolution frameworks. In addition to numerous academic publications in leading economics and finance journals, he has co-authored several policy reports on access to finance, financial systems in Africa and cross-border banking. His country experience, both in operational and research work, includes Albania, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Russia and several countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to presentation at numerous academic conferences, including several keynote addresses, he is invited regularly to policy panels across Europe. He holds a PhD from the University of Virginia and an MA from the University of Tübingen in Germany.
Pierre Schlosser is the Scientific Coordinator of the Florence School of Banking and Finance, an executive education and policy debate programme for financial stability professionals which forms part of the Robert Schuman Centre at the European University Institute. Pierre holds a Ph.D in political and social sciences (European University Institute, Florence, 2016), a postgraduate master degree in EU economic studies (College of Europe, Bruges, 2008) and a master's degree in economic governance (Sciences Po Paris, 2007). His main research interests encompass fiscal surveillance, financial stability and banking regulation, supervision and resolution. Previously, Pierre worked for 5 years for EURELECTRIC, the Brussels-based European energy industry association. Prior to that, he worked as a stagiaire in the European Commission's DG ECFIN. He is the author of Europe's New Fiscal Union (Palgrave Macmillan, 2019).
Eugenia Ralli is a PhD Researcher at the Department of Law of the European University Institute (EUI), under the supervision of Prof. Hans-W. Micklitz, and a Greek lawyer. Her PhD research focuses on shadow banking and the role of law in its creation and growth at EU level. Broadly, her research interests lie in the fields of EU banking, financial and financial criminal law and more broadly in the intersection between law and economy. During her PhD studies, she was a a Legal Trainee at the European Systemic Risk Board (ESRB) Secretariat in Frankfurt and a Visiting PhD Researcher at the Department of Law of the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Before joining the EUI, she worked as a Lawyer in Greece and as a Legal Trainee at the Cabinet of the Judge Lars Bay Larsen at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Luxembourg. she received a Bachelor Degree in Law from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, in Greece, an LL.M. in German Law from the Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich (LMU) and an LL.M. in European Economic and Financial Criminal Law from the University of Luxembourg. A short paper based on her thesis on the relationship between mutual recognition and fundamental rights in the case of the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) was awarded the Young Lawyers Award by the European Law Institute (ELI).
Natalie Kessler is a 4th year PhD candidate in economics at the European University Institute (EUI). In her thesis, she focuses on various issues in financial economics with an overall focus on financial stability enhancing regulations. Working mainly theoretical, she explores both micro- and macro-economic issues. Her main research interests are unconventional monetary policy, financial market structure and bank competition, over-the-counter trading, and banks' optimal capital allocations. Before coming to the EUI, she completed the Master in Advanced Economics and Finance at the Copenhagen Business School.
The materials in this online Academy require approximately 16-17 hours to be completed. The exact duration for participants depends on previous experience and time devoted to each activity, including optional.
During your progression in the course, you will progress in the materials at your own pace. The platform is open 24/7. The only set moments in time are:
Deadlines for submitting the exercises (to be communicated)
Four mandatory live classes (draft schedule):
1st live class: Monday, 11 October, 13:00-14:15 CET
2nd live class: Thursday, 21 October, 13:00-16:00 CET
3rd live class: Thursday, 28 October, 13:00-14:00 CET
4th live class: Friday, 29 October, 13:00-14:15 CET
Over the course of the three course weeks, you will engage in: Video lectures, both recorded and live, providing you with the theoretical background knowledge on the topics of the course. A series of exercises, aimed at applying your knowledge on a set of real-life problems, including:
a case-study on capital-based instruments, an exercise on real-estate related instruments, an exercise on issues related to cross-border capital flows;
Live Q&A sessions, in which you will have the chance to discuss in real time with the course faculty, the other course participants, and the teaching associates;
A live roundtable discussion, discussing the topics of the course with a panel of experts;
A keynote lecture by Professor Richard Portes on the macroprudential lessons from the Covid-19 crisis for the non-bank financial sector.
Objectives, concepts & actors of macroprudential policy
Capital-based macroprudential instruments
Macroprudential instruments for real estate
Impact of macroprudential policies
Liquidity instruments and systemic liquidity
Cross-Border spill-overs of macroprudential policy
The non-banking financial sectors and macroprudential policy beyond banking
Macroprudential stance
Lessons from the COVID-19 crisis for macroprudential policy
1100€ – Public Authorities (e.g. National Competent Authorities, Central Banks and European Institutions).
1200€ – Private Sector.
800€ – Academics (Full-time Professors, full-time PhD Students and full-time Research Associates). Please submit a certificate attesting your status of Professor, PhD Student or Research Associate to fbf@eui.eu before registering. FBF secretariat will provide you with a code to register. *Seats for academics are limited and assigned by the FBF secretariat on a case-by-case basis.
Please note that the payment must be settled two weeks before the start of the course.
A few fee waivers are available to outstanding candidates applying from, and resident in, low-income and lower-middle-income economies (as set by the World Bank) in the Americas, Africa and Asia.
The deadline for applying for a fee waiver is 22 September 2021.
To apply for a scholarship, send your CV and a cover letter to the course secretariat at fbf@eui.eu
In case a course is cancelled, registered participants will receive the full refund.
In case a course is moved to another date, registered participants may request a voucher to attend another FBF course.
Registered participants who have not yet paid the registration fee can cancel their participation until one month before the start of the course.
The registration fee is non-refundable, however it will be possible to transfer registration to another person or request a voucher for another FBF course up to 20 days before the start date of the course.
For more details, please contact fbf@eui.eu
Macroprudential Policy Implementation 2021
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Tuomas Peltonen (ESRB/ECB);
Thorsten Beck (EUI, FBF); Marco Lo Duca (ECB); Barbara Jarmulska (ECB); Katarzyna Budnik (ECB);	Clemens Bonner (DNB)
Stephen G. Cecchetti (ESRB ASC); Stephan Fahr (ECB); Christoph Fricke (ESRB); Christoffer Kok (ECB); Etienne Lepers (OECD); Olaf Weeken (ESRB)
Thorsten Beck (EUI, FBF); Pierre Schlosser (EUI, FBF)
Evgenia Ralli (EUI, FBF); Natalie Kessler (EUI, FBF)
Keynote lecture
Richard Portes (ESRB/ ASC)
Financial Stability and Macroprudential policy
Introductory/Intermediate
EU Officials (ECB, SSM, SRB, ESRB, EBA, ESM), National Supervisory Authorities, financial stability and research department of Central Banks; Ph.D. students; post-doc researchers; assistant professors; private sector economists
FBF Secretariat
Tel: [+39] 055 4685739
Villa Raimondi
Via Boccaccio 121/111
Email: fbf@eui.eu
Terms and Conditions of Use - Data Protection


Letter to Martha Berry from Charles H. Zehnder offering a donation of $25.00 to the schools to help replace the burned dormitory.
Charles H. Zehnder, "Letter to Martha Berry from Charles H. Zehnder." Martha Berry Digital Archive. Eds. Schlitz, Stephanie A., Chelsea Risley, Haley Fortune , et al. Mount Berry: Berry College, 2012. accessed April 25, 2019, https://mbda.berry.edu/items/show/3829.


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Bill Maher shreds Donald Trump over reaction to Hurricane Irma headed to Florida
Bill Maher on Donald Trump, via Twitter
Bill Maher was quick to hit Donald Trump and the GOP over their reaction to Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma headed to Florida.
by Robert Sobel (article) and Zahid Hassan Rana (video)
September 8, 2017 at 10:53 PM Fri 08 Sep 2017 10:53:17 PM EDT
Bill Maher scrap Donald Trump over reaction to Hurricane Irma headed to Florida - Video
After yet another week of drama and controversy in the White House, Donald Trump is facing an onslaught of criticism from many in the media. For liberal comedian Bill Maher, he made sure to rip into the president over a variety of issues.
Maher on Trump
It didn't take long for Donald Trump to make enemies in both the media and in the more liberal-leaning Hollywood. Once the former host of "The Apprentice" labeled illegal immigrants as "rapists" and "murderers," he quickly created a divide and many talk show hosts wasted no time hitting back.
During the 2016 presidential election and since Trump's upset win over Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, Bill Maher has been one of the most outspoken critics of the billionaire real estate mogul. Nearly every Friday night for the past two years, Maher has centered much of his HBO program around Trump and his political agenda, which has only increased since Election Day. In the months that followed the inauguration, Maher has kept his foot on the gas of criticism, and held Trump's metaphorical feet to the fire, never holding back his thoughts.
As seen on the September 8 edition of "Real Time with Bill Maher," the comedian still isn't letting up.
"We are thinking about Florida right now. They are looking at a Category 5 Liberal Hoax." – @BillMaher #RealTime pic.twitter.com/UeUvNDAB5N
— Real Time (@RealTimers) September 9, 2017
Kicking off Friday night's episode of "Real Time," host Bill Maher started with his routine monologue where Donald Trump was the hot topic.
"We are thinking about Florida right now. They are looking at a Category 5 Liberal Hoax," Maher said mocking the Republican position of denying climate change in reference to Hurricane Irma heading to Florida. "The right-wingers are still saying, 'can't blame climate change,'" Maher went on to say, before adding, "My theory is it has something to do with Hillary's emails."
Raw Story: 'An inconvenient truth': Maher mocks Republicans with lavish vacation homes about to suffer Irma's wrath https://t.co/fkurLUPoZV
— Will Smirk 4 Food™ (@WillSmirk4Food) September 9, 2017
Bill Maher then went on to hit Donald Trump over his response to Hurricane Irma.
"I've seen colors on the hurricane maps I've never seen before," he said. "If you see yellow like Trump's hair, take extra care. If you see orange like his face, shelter in place. If you see red like his ties to Russia, just evacuate now," the comedian said.
The right-wingers are still saying, "We can't blame climate change." My theory is it has something to do with Hillary's emails. – @BillMaher pic.twitter.com/yzj6hq97aQ
"The people in Florida can take solace in the fact that they will soon get a visit from Donald Trump," Bill Maher sarcastically pointed out.
"Did you see him in Houston?" Maher asked, while noting that the president brought First Lady Melania Trump with him. "He brought a date to a flood," he stated to the laughter of the audience.
While Bill Maher and other high-profiled names in the media and in Hollywood continue to poke fun and call him out, Donald Trump is facing a laundry list of problems in the White House. From the ongoing scandal surrounding Russia, to the dissension within his own Republican Party, as well as constant push-back from Democrats, Trump's inability to get much done has resulted in just a 35 percent approval rating.
'Y&R' Trane twist no one saw coming, Traci turns Cane down
Robert Sobel
As an avid political junkie and full-time writer, Robert Sobel worked for Examiner.com for 5 years. During that time, Robert received over 15 million pages views, reaching people from all over the world.
Follow Robert on Facebook Follow Robert on Linkedin
Read more on the same topic from Robert Sobel:
Robert De Niro drops F-bomb on Trump at Tony Awards, receives instant praise on Twitter Alec Baldwin mocks Trump, Giuliani 2020 presidential run on Twitter, gets instant praise Trump insults Jeff Flake's poll numbers and Dems on Twitter, faces immediate backlash
Zahid Hassan Rana
Blasting News recommends Donald Trump wanted to add a citizenship question to census, turned down Video US House of Representatives condemns Donald Trump's racist attacks on congresswomen Video North Korea may resume missile tests due to US/South joint military exercises Video NASA plans to land the first woman on the moon by 2024 Video Donald Trump's blocked by Federal Judge Furman from adding citizenship question to census 'General Hospital' rumors: Drew may remember being the real founder of Dawn of Day


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books, doctor, review, Summer
Summer House with Swimming Pool by Herman Koch
18 July, 2014 Murdocal Leave a comment
Another of Huff Po's summer recommendations which, from their description, sounded like a simple and, hopefully, trashy murder thriller. I was desperate to get my hands on this book, particularly the beautiful hardcover, so I tracked down a copy from outside the UK to get it all the sooner. However, thanks to my increasingly short attention span, I finished The Enchanted and bought another huge pile of books that somehow managed to make their way to the top of my 'to read' pile. I seriously cannot be trusted in book stores these days. When I eventually got round to it I was once again halted thanks to my desperate need to criticise the fucking stupid binding that made page-turning a bit of a nightmare. Perhaps patience really is a virtue?
Summer House with Swimming Pool is Dutch writer Herman Koch's follow-up to his critically acclaimed The Dinner (2013) and having not read that I wasn't entirely prepared for the dark and psychosocial nature of this family doctor's tale of revenge. Dr. Marc Schlosser runs a GP's practice out of his home and, thanks to his ability to indulge his patients and liberal medication handouts, has become a favourite of the rich and famous. Narrated from his point of view, it is blatantly obvious that Marc, rather than fawning to their fame, views his patients with a cynical eye. We learn early on that one of the Doctor's patients, famous actor Ralph Meier, ends up dead and through Marc's retelling of the days preceding this tragic event we are set to learn what happened.
Flattered by the attention the famous actor is giving him and drawn to his long-suffering wife, Marc pursues a friendship with the lustful leading man despite his own wife, Caroline's discomfort. Following his hidden sexual desires, Schlosser packs his wife and two daughters off to spend the summer with Ralph, Judith and their sons. Despite getting caught up in the seedy excitement of his blossoming affair and the glamour of Ralph's lifestyle, Marc looks back on this time with regret and tells us from the off that something horrible happened that will haunt him forever. In a similar way to his previous work, The Dinner, the entire plot revolves around this one act of violence with the first half of the novel foreshadowing its arrival and the latter section dealing with its consequences.
The narrative, whilst remaining in an arguably real setting, has a tough time remaining in the plains of believability. Clearly aiming for something artful and inventive, the novel regularly falls back on clichéd and fairly obvious outcomes. Though it is the ending that really lets the whole piece down by feebly tying up certain loose ends but ignoring several important questions and asking a few dozen more pressing ones. Knowing the biggest plot points from the outset means that, for the final chapters at least, Koch and the reader are just along for the ride. It is difficult to care about key revelations in the end and, when they do eventually come, they have much less impact than the previous narrative has prepared you for. Considering the first half of the novel tells us how important and life changing events will be for Marc, they are brushed aside at the close with an annoying nonchalance.
With only two fairly uninspiring mysteries left for the reader to solve, Koch often withholds snippets of information and delays admitting certain truths to the reader. Rather than acting as a clever way to create a sense of tension, the narrative suffers from an infuriating vagueness. I mean we're never fully sure of what country we spend the majority of the time in and it is an evasiveness that adds absolutely nothing to the novel. Although, I can see how this kind of writing can appeal to a certain type of audience and, in the same way that Dan Brown's mini-cliffhangers at the end of every chapter, will get people to keep reading the inner thoughts of such an awful human being.
Whilst I don't argue with the decision to place an abhorrent character at the heart of a novel, I did find Schlosser's narration to become incredibly grating at times. He rambles on about ridiculous tangents in the hopes of getting to grips with human biology and psychology. Rather than astutely getting to the heart of what makes a man, this postulation would often only inflate a rather mundane plot with an overdose of cynicism and pseudo-insightful bullshit. For a lot of it I embraced this dark look into the human psyche of a supposed loving family man but it is a device that Koch relied on far too much. I'm all for narrative detours but only when they remain convincing in their own right: many of Marc's musings often just feel unimpressive.
Well that's when they aren't making your skin crawl, of course. Many of his observations regarding mankind in general but, specifically, his obese and overindulgent patients are grotesquely clinical. There is a great deal of dark humour throughout the first half of the novel that, unfortunately, occasionally spills into the realm of too uncomfortable. I read this before bed for the two nights it took to get through and they were two of the unpleasant sleeps I think I've ever had. This novel, in an ultimate form of car-crash fiction, simultaneously draws you in whilst pushing you away with its incessant detail.
Where Koch succeeds the most is in his moments of satire: with biting examinations of both the cult of celebrity and the modern medical profession. Over the years Marc has become more than a little disillusioned with his position in the grand scheme of things and has accepted his place as a way to prevent more important people suffering undue stress. However, he still views himself above his patients who he comes to view their social standing with a mixture of contempt and slight envy. As an actor Koch is perhaps venting some of his personal opinions as he attacks the fakery and narcissism of the film industry. It is exactly the kind of trash that I was hoping for.
I can see why this novel was recommended for a key summer read because, despite of all of my criticisms, I found myself to be engrossed with this ridiculous tale. It is a thrilling and easy read that will keep you entertained enough with its unstoppable dark comedy and social commentary. Certainly not a novel that feels in keeping with the praise steeped on his previous works but also something that I don't regret reading.
→ The Dinner by Herman Koch
← Half a King by Joe Abercrombie


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A journey along Chile's Route of Parks
Steph Dyson @worldlyadventur
Chile has long lured the intrepid traveller but in 2018 things stepped up a level. The newly created Route of Parks – a string of Patagonian national parks – links up the country's most remote corners, from snow-tipped volcanoes to blue-tinged hanging glaciers. Steph Dyson reports from the road.
Thumb out to the road and sat astride my dusty rucksack, I'm ready to channel my inner Bruce Chatwin. During his visit to Patagonia in the early 1980s – a journey that became the basis for his book In Patagonia – he often thumbed a lift with the locals. If only the Southern Highway had existed back then, I'm sure he would have revelled in the chance to do it here.
It wasn't until 1988 when the 770-mile Carretera Austral, as it's best known, was completed. This ambitious infrastructure project dates back to the Pinochet dictatorship, when 10,000 soldiers carved a line of dust into the wild, unexplored terrain of southern Chile.
Nowadays, the Carretera Austral's up there with the Pan American when it comes to road trips – just wilder and affording an acute sense of venturing beyond the limits of civilisation.
This year, the Carretera Austral's set to become even more appealing to the intrepid.
Back in March 2017, Kris Tompkins, on behalf of Tompkins Conservation and her late husband, Doug Tompkins, made the largest donation of privately-held land in the world. Handing over one million acres to the Chilean government, who matched it with an additional nine million of federal land, overnight Patagonia became home to 85 per cent of the country's protected lands.
The route reflects a growing focus on protecting Patagonia's pristine landscapes, with tourism slotting carefully into this.
This act laid the foundations for the Route of the Parks; superficially, a rebranding of 1700-mile chain of seventeen national parks, from Alerce Andino National Park on the northern tip of the Carretera Austral to Cape Horn National Park at the extreme southern end of Chile. But the route, which will see swathes of private parks transformed into national parks, reflects a growing focus on protecting Patagonia's pristine landscapes, with tourism slotting carefully into this.
Book Your Trip To Chile
As Hernán Mladinic, the Executive Director of Tompkins Conservation in Chile tells me: "tourism is a consequence of good conservation. It is only good conservation that can allow sustainable tourism." He adds "there would be no Route of Parks, if it did not rest on a solid and vibrant national park system."
For those who've visited Patagonia's poster child, Torres del Paine National Park, carefully managing rapidly growing tourism is increasingly important. In 2017, over 260,000 visitors piled onto its narrow trails with many complaining of being unable to secure a camping spot or bed in the refuges, despite seeking to book months in advance. It's no longer the wild, isolated trek that many might imagine before they arrive.
In Cerro Castillo, a three-hour hike brings you to a gleaming, lapis-coloured lake mirroring jagged, snow-tipped spires that recall Torres del Paine further south – just with barely a glimpse of another tourist.
Instead, the Route of the Parks proves there are ample new treasures to discover. From Coyhaique where I start my travels, I'm picked up by a retired couple from Santiago, who trade transport for my offer of GPS-guided navigating skills. It's an hour and a half's drive – lined by thick forests of hardy endemic species of ñirre and lenga, and undergrowth dense with prickly calafate bushes – before we reach Cerro Castillo, the route's newest national park. In Cerro Castillo, a three-hour hike brings you to a gleaming, lapis-coloured lake mirroring jagged, snow-tipped spires that recall Torres del Paine further south – just with barely a glimpse of another tourist.
Another 150 miles and you reach a flagship project of Tompkins Conservation, Patagonia Park, with its six hiking trails, campgrounds and even luxury lodge accommodation, making it one of the most "tourist ready" of all the parks in the region.
But for a truly off-the-beaten-path experience, Patagonia has never felt wilder or more remote than at its southernmost tip.
Tierra del Fuego, an island separated from mainland Chile by the Strait of Magellan, is the epitome of inhospitable terrain, characterised by ragged mountains that slide dramatically into deep valleys lined with rust-coloured peat bogs and glacial lakes. This is where Yendegaia National Park, one of the route's most southern parks, is located.
Nowhere else along the 1700-mile route are you left feeling quite so remote, so close to the ends of the earth.
On its doorstep, after a seven-hour drive down Chilean Tierra del Fuego's only road (the island is neatly divided into Argentine and Chilean territory by the arching backbone of the Andes Mountains), Estancia Lago Fagnano makes a good base from which to absorb the wildness at the end of the Route of the Parks.
German and his wife Marisela offer me tea and freshly-baked bread rolls in their modest cabin on the skirts of Lago Fagnano, while Marisela talks about their journey here, over twenty years ago: "everything we needed to build the first cabin came on horseback all the way from Punta Arenas," she tells me. "It took years before the road followed".
The Route of Parks might have given a name and an identity to a seemingly disjointed squiggle of protected lands on the map, but it's certainly not taken away any of the thrill of journeying to them.
I drive to Caleta Maria, an old harbour on the edge of Admiralty Sound near to where the end of the road currently lies (although the army is continuing to blast their way through the rock to etch a route south to link Tierra del Fuego with Isla Navarino).
This is the closest I'm getting to Cape Horn, the final national park and one that is only accessible by boat.
It's here that I experience what Hernán Mladinic told me about the vision of the Route of the Parks: "it's without a doubt a challenging invitation to live adventures in a mythical territory… but also a place to reconnect with oneself in the solitude of these places."
Nowhere else along the 1700-mile route are you left feeling quite so remote, so close to the ends of the earth. The Route of Parks might have given a name and an identity to a seemingly disjointed squiggle of protected lands on the map, but it's certainly not taken away any of the challenge – or thrill – of journeying to them.
Header image: VGranta/Shutterstock. Image credits top to bottom (left–right): reisegraf.ch/Shutterstock; sunsinger/Shutterstock; byvalet/Shutterstock; Alberto Loyo/Shutterstock; CarGe/Shutterstock; VGranta/Shutterstock; Pola Damonte/Shutterstock.
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Pilot Dan, Pilot Kent, and Pilot Mike host a CFI Roundtable discussion on "Learning to Fly"
CFI & AME Dr. Bruce Chien, M.D.
The two most common questions are how much does it cost and how long does it take?
CFI Joe: The time depends on how much to you put in to it and how you approach it and the cost is related to the time.
CFI Bruce: Once taught a General Surgeon who passed his checkride after 19 sequential days of instruction at a cost today of about $5500. More typically, the cost would be about $7000.
Why is the percentage of students who actually complete the certification, so low?
CFI Joe: Agrees that flying is not for everyone, but also agrees that anyone can learn to fly.
What should a student look for when selecting a CFI?
CFI Bruce: Also recommends flying with several instructors and use your gut feeling to choose the one who could be a mentor. There's a difference between instruction and education. Even an excellent student, though, can learn from a miserable teacher.
CFI Ron: Come to it from the perspective that you are the customer, choosing a service provider. Look for compatibility first, but ask a lot of questions about who the person is, their background, their experience, their capabilities, how they do business, and previous students. You are hiring a person and need to make sure they fill your job requirements.
Which is better, a full-time CFI building hours for an airline job, or a part-time CFI who just enjoys the job?
CFI Bruce: The connection and relationship between the student candidate and the CFI is the most important. Some CFIs just seem to have an ability to easily make that connection.
CFI Ron: Take a close look at the training environment. A new CFI who's working for a structured flight training school is much more desirable than one who is working independently. The less structured the training environment, the more important it is to have an experienced instructor.
CFI Joe: The third option is a full-time CFI who has lots of experience but has no interest other than to stay a CFI.
CFI Ron: Agrees that those CFIs are usually the best choice, but can be difficult to find.
CFI Joe: Those CFIs are not necessarily the best choice, but are just another option. It all comes back to the match between the student and CFI being the most important ingredient.
How should a student candidate handle a less then enthusiastic response when they first contact an FBO about learning to fly?
CFI Ron: It's an old problem that exists because the people that run FBO's are pilots, with little or no experience in business, marketing, and customer relations.
CFI Ron: If you're treated well when you first enter a flight school, and get the impression they are customer oriented, that's a good sign.
What is the most difficult stage of private pilot training?
Are there different tendencies between the young, middle age, and elderly students?
CFI Joe: Younger students tend to immediately accept the different aspects of flying, but an elderly student wants a more comprehensive understanding of the whole picture before he or she will accept them.
CFI Ron: Younger students to to be more motivated and have good hand/eye coordination, but often don't have very good learning skills. Older students tend to be better learners, but lack some motor skills.
CFI Bruce: The teaching has to be appropriate to the student. This is why you need to find a mentor.
Is there a problem with CFIs and flight schools not emphasizing the medical certificate prior to solo?
CFI Ron: Always recommends obtaining the medical early, but sometimes students put it off assuming all will go well. A flight school needs to be up front about everything a student needs to do.
It's important to research any possible medical issues before getting checked. AOPA can help with this.
CFI Bruce: The average pilot age is older than it used to be so they will have more disqualifying conditions. There also seems to be more of a acceptance to take medications that may disqualify you.
CFI Bruce: Find a AME you can honestly discuss any potential issues with, without filling out the actual form.


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How to: Be a successful artist
When we talked to Hal Ketchum, it was hard not to go into shock over all his accomplishments.He has not only sold more than 4 million albums with five Top 5 BMI hits, he has also shown his paintings in a gallery in Santa Fe, acted alongside Mel Gibson in Maverick and Robert Duvall in Lonesome Dove, and performed for 11 years at the shrine of country music: the Grand Ole Opry.On March 9, Hal plays at the Vilar Center in a show that exemplifies artistic appreciation throughout a career that defines success.In an interview with the Vail Trail, he told us about his impressive range of artistic abilities and his consistent inspiration.VT: You are a poet, a songwriter, a musician, a carpenter and a painter an artistic renaissance man. What first drew you to art when you were young?HK: I got very lucky as a kid and I grew up in a household where artistic, eccentric behavior was an accepted behavior.I was always painting, always drawing and building. My mother used to say that I would hum before I could talk. I was always intrigued by sound.I started drums in an R&B band when I was 13. I got to really watch the world go by sitting behind a drum set.VT: When did you start acting?HK: I've been lucky enough to be dropped into some movies but I don't want to take any credit in that. I've seen some real actors and that is a whole different craft.I enjoy it very much. If I really applied myself, I might get acceptable at it.VT: What is your favorite medium right now?HK: I like it all. It differs day to day. I have the luxury of doing it all. I have an art studio and a recording studio in my house. I gravitate through the house and if something strikes me, I pick it up and work on it.I can't push it. I'm more like the convenience store; I'm open 24 hours a day.VT: Your career enabled you to travel through Tennessee and Texas, two country music hotbeds. When did you first travel to these places and how did your music evolve in Austin and Nashville?HK: Texas was like music school for me. I played drums in bands when I moved to Texas. I didn't start writing until I got to Texas. It was a very important place for me.Nashville is like the market place, a great work place; a great music town.VT: What did it mean to you to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in 1994? What does an induction entail?HK: It was an honor. It's proven to be the best thing that ever happened to me. It's an amazing place to perform because 45 artists perform a night and the variety of music is fantastic.I made some great friends at the Opry.I do it whenever I'm in (Nashville). It's basically a radio show and everybody gets half-hour segments. They say your name and you walk out and play a song.It's beautifully bizarre with lots of country stars walking around and new artists who are half scared to death.VT: When is the Country Music Hall of Fame gonna' take you in?HK: I don't know if I'll ever make the Hall of Fame. It's someone else's decision but I have some records hanging in the Hall of Fame.VT: You just finished recording a new album. Can you tell us about it?HK: Right now it's predominately love songs and the tempos vary. That seems to be the theme. I feel like there's enough bad news in this world.VT: Have you played in Vail or Beaver Creek before?HK: I've actually played in (Colorado) a lot. I was just up there a couple of weeks ago. I try to get up in that part of the world once in a while. It's the best of both worlds; I get to perform and mix some pleasure in with my business. I ski and I love to fly fish. VT By Chris Black


Usually measured on a sea level record, it is 1) the absolute value of the difference between a particular peak or trough of the tsunami and the undisturbed sea level at the time, 2) half the difference between an adjacent peak and trough, corrected for the change of tide between that peak and trough. It is intended to represent the true amplitude of the tsunami wave at some point in the ocean. However, it is often an amplitude modified in some way by the tide gauge response.


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When there are several applications installed that can perform a certain action such as watching a video or sending an SMS, Android will ask you which to use and provide a check box which will make that choice the default going forward. If you would like to change the "default application" that opens when you perform an action under Android, just disable the application that is currently the default, and it'll ask you to choose the default the next time. This is especially useful for choose whether Google Voice should be the default SMS application or not.
Select the application that is currently the default.
Find "Launch By Default" setting and clear it with the "clear" button.
what if you checked the box and chose the android system. i did this when changing my ringtone, now i cant change my ringtone to any ive made recently. how do i undo this???
Brittany, I don't completely understand what you need help with. Can you explain more clearly what you need help with?
I came across an application that eases this pain and does the required superbly. The app is called Default App Manager. You can clear you previous defaults as well as set new ones. Probably this could be useful..
where does android system internally handle the "LAUNCH BY DEFAULT" settings? Is there a central palce where such info is stored?
This blog post explains the one spot where these permissions are handled within the system.
what is being asked is how to remove the launch by default for system phone ringtones. i cannot find this 'app' in applications to edit.
I have the same problem, I accidently selected the default for the system phone ringtones and now I can't access any of my downloaded ringtones. Was there ever a resolution for this? I have a few tones from Zedge that I would like to use and can't see them now.
Hanna, have you tried uninstalling and re-installing zedge? Typically when a new candidate for a launch-by-default is available, the system asks the question again.


Thanksgiving is approaching so let the holiday baking begin!!!! No holiday cookie tray would be complete without Pecan Tassies. If you are from the South then you know exactly what a Pecan Tassie is. If you have not been lucky enough to have ever had one grace the inside of you mouth, you just don't know what you are missing. To sum it up Pecan Tassies are just like bite-sized pecan pies. They have a tangy crust made from cream cheese and butter and the filling is just like sweet pecan pie. What a awesome combination. These dandy little treats are a holiday staple in the south. I threw together a batch today so I could get them made and in the freezer before anybody got home and noticed them sitting on the counter. You see I have to start my Thanksgiving baking at the beginning of November if I want to get all my goodies made for my Harvest Baskets for teachers and family members.
Usually I can bake about two to three items a week and toss them in storage freezer bags. Then I place them in the freezer and that is where they will sit until the night before I gather my baskets and get them ready for everyone. Everything taste as fresh as the day I baked it. I will be adding all my homemade canned items, so the baskets will be so pretty I cant wait to get started on them.You really need to make these Pecan Tassies they will be perfect for the holidays trust me. I did not have any helpers today in the kitchen as i said before I was sneaking around today tossing this together before anybody was on to me. I recommend doubling the tart shell recipe, I had to prepare a second batch because I still had plenty of the pecan filling to make more. Of course I had to sneak just a few before i put them in the freezer, I mean it wasn't like anyone was watching me.
These are the ingredients you will need pecans, vanilla extract, brown sugar, butter or margarine, flour, cream cheese and a egg.
add the softened butter and softened cream cheese to a bowl.
Mix with a electric mixer until blended.
add the flour and mix until the dough starts to come together. Form into a ball and chill for at least one hour or overnight.
roll into 1 inch balls and place in a greased mini muffin tin. (you may have to use a bit of flour on your hands while rolling into balls.
Shape into little tart shells.
just like this.... next lets start to prepare the pecan filling.
add egg and vanilla extract to another bowl.
spoon filling into the tart shells and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes watch them carefully. Mine were done in about 20 minutes.
transfer to a cooking rack and cool completely. These tarts freeze very well.
Recipe for tart shells, beat butter and cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Add flour; mix until a soft dough forms. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls of dough into cups in a greased Mini-Muffin Pan. Dip Mini-Tart Shaper in flour; press into dough to form a tart shell. For filling, combine all filling ingredients in a Bowl; mix well. Fill tart shells evenly with filling mixture. Bake 20-25minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from mini-muffin pan to a Cooling Rack. Cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.
Oh we Southerner's know this sweet treat all to well! In the words of Rachel Ray....YUM-O!
I love tassies! They are so delicious, and fun to make.
Thanks for stopping by to visit my site. I love these--my old roommate used to make them and they are so good!
Your kids are so cute!! And those little treats look so good!
Love those, always wanted a recipe, thanks!!!
Baby Pecan Pies. Perfect for my hubby. You are so smart.
They (your babies) are so cute. My dh would love these.
Hi there - I have been going through your blog and all the wonderful recipes and have made a few awesome ones - thank you!!
Michelle K, I replied to your email with a few ideas. I hope it helps.
I am so sorry Vicky, I see what you are talking about. The original recipe stated not to grease the mini muffin tins, I just automatically grease everything so thats how that happend. If is says to un grease I always grease because things still stick. I do hope you will try them again.


PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The Delaware Valley may not see a significant warm up — or even a seasonable day — until AFTER the Super Bowl!
Our current pattern of bitter cold should continue for at least the next two weeks, complemented by a few quick-moving disturbances, or clippers.
In fact, three separate clippers will reinforce the cold over the next five days. They'll also bring more snow potential.
Clipper #1, a weak system, comes Thursday night. As it drags a cold front through our area, it likely has enough uplift to trigger a few scattered snow showers Thursday afternoon/evening. Don't expect more than a coating of snow, and some spots won't even see a flake. However, PM travel Thursday may feature minor issues with poor visibility, slick or slow travel.
Clipper #2 has a little more gusto. It arrives Saturday with more moisture to work with and is expected to leave a modest coating-2″ in more widespread coverage in our region through the daylight hours.
Clipper #3 (Sunday night into Monday) had been showing potential to be the "next big thing" with recent model guidance. However, the very latest information into the Eyewitness Weather Center keeps this system to our north. Though we could still see some light snow showers, it's more of a wind-producing, cold air enforcer. That could change as it's farther out in the forecast, and we'll update you as things evolve.
The bigger story is still the cold. Normal highs in late January would warm into the low 40's, and there's no shot of temperatures climbing that high until the beginning of February. In fact, only 2 of the next 7 days are likely to even break out of the mid 20's.
Stay bundled up, and all aboard the clipper train!


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What high-density, mission critical data centers should look for in a compact UPS - By Ross Peringuey, Commercial Product Manager MCIS EMEA
Data center density and power requirements are going up. As a result, more and better backup power is needed. Many data centers, however, have only limited space available. A very compact and powerful uninterruptible power supply (UPS) can often remedy the situation. To choose the right one, small and medium-sized data centers must consider cooling, redundancy, efficiency, architectures, and more.
New applications such as high-performance computing and artificial intelligence are shaping the design and operation of small and medium-sized data centers. As energy prices rise and budgets tighten, more efficient operation is necessary. One way to reduce costs, save space, and lower energy consumption is to put more IT resources into each rack.
But this creates challenges. Additional UPS requirements can cause floor space constraints unless the density of the deployed UPS keeps pace with the new IT equipment it supports. Data center architecture also influences the capabilities a UPS system should offer. Consequently, choosing a backup power solution for high-density applications requires consideration of the technologies in both the data center and the UPS.
HPC, AI, and density
Big data analytics, machine learning, and AI are forcing data center power infrastructure to adapt. High performance computing (HPC) platforms usually include GPUs and CPUs working in parallel to handle these new workloads. This can mean new racks full of high-end GPUs that excel at floating point calculations for applications such as medical diagnostics. Per-rack density rises dramatically with HPC, up to 20-30 kW and more. Over 50% of respondents in the survey "The Infrastructure Imperative" conducted by 451 Research reported operating high-density HPC data center infrastructure.
Converged infrastructure (CI) and hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) are two further trends we are seeing alongside—and in some cases in combination with—HPC. These architectures do not impact density so much but they have implications for the reliability required of a UPS system.
CI is usually seen as large rack-scale platforms that merge compute, storage, and networking as a complete solution. HCI, on the other hand, is available as 1U or 2U rack units that include a multi-core server and a local storage array. The main architectural difference is that in CI, storage attaches directly to the physical server. HCI, in contrast, shares storage across all virtual machines (VMs).
As much as half of data centers are now using hyperconverged infrastructure. In these virtualized, high-density IT environments, a power outage can have a much wider impact than it would in a non-converged environment. Consequently, the reliability of the UPS and features such as +1 redundancy operation are crucial in these scenarios.
Power as a major cause of downtime
The most frequent cause of data center outages is power—by a considerable margin. A study by the Uptime Institute claims that 37% of outages are caused by power issues, while the next-most-frequent cause (software and IT systems) is only to blame for 22% of such incidents.
One phenomenon that may be contributing to these outages is "creeping criticality": this can occur when infrastructure silently crosses the threshold of criticality due to increasing resiliency needs while power infrastructure remains unchanged. Rising density caused by the gradual implementation of more HPC or HCI can produce this type of situation.
And data center downtime is costly: over 10% of recent incidents resulted in costs of over $1 million. All the more reason to examine UPS requirements closely.
The right type of UPS for mission critical data
The three major types of uninterruptible power systems available today are standby, line interactive, and online. The first two may involve limitations in the way that they correct power quality anomalies from the supply such as long switchover times (25ms) in the event of an outage, which disqualifies them for most mission-critical applications in small and medium-sized data centers.
An online double conversion UPS such as the new 5-20kVA Amplon RT models from Delta, however, has no switchover time at all. These devices take grid power, convert it to DC power to charge their batteries and then convert the power from the DC bus back to AC to power IT loads. The huge advantage here is that power is always already coming from the DC bus; if power from the grid is disrupted, no switchover is required. The batteries also serve to buffer transients and any voltage drops, resulting in very clean power.
A UPS system that offers parallel operation can provide longer run times. Even more crucially, it ensures that power is still available if one of the UPS units or battery strings in the configuration fails. It is often referred to as +1 redundancy when two UPS systems are running in parallel. Multiple UPS systems configured in parallel is known as an N+1 architecture, with N denoting the number of UPS systems required to handle the load and the +1 as backup in the event that one of the N units fails. A parallel UPS setup is highly beneficial for mission-critical applications in fields such as banking, manufacturing, and healthcare, where unexpected downtime can have serious repercussions.
Batteries are an essential component of any online UPS, but they also have a limited life. Battery maintenance and replacement is inevitable at some point. Lithium-ion batteries, however,
require less frequent maintenance, have a higher power density, and can easily provide twice the useful life of lead acid. That translates into needing to replace fewer batteries, which reduces costs — a key benefit for high-density data centers operating within tight cost constraints.
Bypass control lets the UPS be completely removed from the power distribution system. The ability to switch over to grid power and remove the UPS from the picture is critical in two cases: one, the UPS is defective, or two, it requires maintenance. A bypass allows the maintenance to take place with no disruption to the load. Without a bypass, the unfortunate situation can arise in which power from the grid is available, but the data center is offline because the downstream UPS is not functional.
Selecting the right vendor and product for high density
Having a global organization such as Delta Electronics that can deliver and service the required number of UPS systems practically anywhere in the world is a crucial advantage for data center operators. The new Amplon RT Series 5-20kVA from Delta, for instance, is a line of online double-conversion UPS systems that provide a wealth of features for enhanced resiliency and class-leading density thanks to their compact 2U form factor.
This is a very beneficial combination for companies facing increased power requirements due to rising per-rack densities and limited floor space. The unity power factor, high system efficiency, hot-swappable batteries, and parallel configurations the RT series features also help resolve issues arising from higher densities. What's more, the 5-20kVA is the first UPS on the market to offer lithium-ion external battery cabinets as standard. You can even replace a single battery instead of the entire string, while the bypass keeps systems online.
Other applications will benefit from the new RT Series UPS systems as well; edge computing installations, for instance, also have limited space available and serve mission critical applications in the manufacturing and telecommunications industries. Considering the power distribution box and maintenance bypass breaker are integrated into these units, a broad range of small-to-medium-sized facilities stand to benefit from their reliability and high efficiency.
Delta Expands its UPS Product Line with New High-Performance DPS 300 kVA UPS
Delta Named as Winner of China Telecom Global's Excellent Technical & Service Partners Award in EMEA
Identify cables 3 times faster
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OSRAM INTRODUCES SMART CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR MODERN EMERGENCY LIGHTING


Welcome in these hot hot hot new beauties from Anna + Nina! These 'Multi Flame Earrings' will give your look a very fierce add on. Wear this as a pair in one ear or seperate them and wear it solo or in combination.
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Wild Flowers of Rethymno
Rethymno, as the whole Crete, has an amazing variety of flora, which is directly linked to the climate and geomorphology of the place. This can be explained by the geological isolation of the island, which has facilitated the development of local species since ancient times. From an estimated number of 2000 species of plants, 160 are endemic and grow exclusively on the island.
At low altitudes, vineyards, olive groves, and orange groves dominate. As the altitude rises, the low vegetation of aromatic and endemic plants and flowers prevails, some of which are under threat of extinction. Each year, rare species of plants "challenge" botanists from all over the world to study them. Among them, endemic orchids are impressive, while exceptional landscapes with various endemic tulips are created in the White Mountains, Dikti, Gramvousa peninsula, and the small botanical paradise of Yious Kambos in Rethymno. The best time to get to know them is at their peak in springtime. Also, herbs are grown everywhere in the mountains, the cultivated land and the seaside areas. Several of these are endemic and have been known since antiquity for their medical properties.
At the coast, sea lilies (Pancratium Maritmum and Tamarix Cretica) thrive due to the saltiness of the air and the humidity. They are accompanied by Euphorbia paralias, Medicago marina, Otanthus maritimus, Eryngium maritimum, Crithmum maritimum – all names which show their preferences for the shoreline.
Areas near the settlements – particularly those on the plains – are characterized by biotopes which have been strongly influenced by people. Here, among other plants, the field gladiolus (Gladiolus italicus), crown anemone (Anemone coronaria), bunch-flowered narcissus (Narcissus tazetta), and turban buttercup (Ranunculus asiaticus)inundate the olive groves and fields.
In the phrygana, (open dwarf scrub) the scents of phlomis sp., spinybroom (Calicotome villosa), thorny burnet (Sarcopoterium spinosum), summer savory(Satureja thymbra), French lavender (Lavandula stoechas), sages (Salvia sp.) and varieties of cistus pervade the atmosphere. Storax with its elegant, fragrant flowers,heathers (Erica arborea, E. manipuliflora), mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus), turpentine tree (Pistacia terebinthus), bay (Laurus nobilis), Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera),strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo, Arbutus andrachne), and myrtle (Myrtus communis)are the species which predominate in the Mediterranean scrubland.
Further up in the mountainous area aromatic shrubs of the Mediterranean maquis family and magnificent wildflowers enhance the picture of a unique landscape, such as oleander (Nerium oleander), Ligaria (Vitex agnuscastus),camomile (Chamomilla recutita), mint (Mentha spicata), the common poppy (Papaverrhoeas), Ladania (Cistus incanus-creticus), and the Cretan ebony (Ebenus cretica). In the higher, semi-mountainous area the following shrubs dominate: holm-oak (Quercuscoccifera), thyme (Thymus capitatus), crop (Spartium junceum), styrax (Styraxofficinalis) as well as wild flowers such as the Cretan cyclamen (Cyclamen creticum),the iris (Iris unguicularis), the drakontia (Dracunculus vulgaris), the tulip and other bulb flowers (Muscari commosum). In the mountains there are the Cretan sfentami (Acer sempervirens), shrubs and wildflowers such as the yellow violets (Erysimumcreticum), the wild violets (Viola cretica), the crocus (Crocus Oreocreticus) and the Arum idaeun to mention only a few. Some of the localized species are among those that are found in the mountains too. For example, the beautiful wild pink –Dianthus pulviniformis – is endemic to Kedros. Horstrissea dolinikola is a native to Psiloritis. This plant and Petromarula pinnata constitute the two native orchids. In
addition to their distinctive appearance, the orchids constitute an important section of the Cretan flora.
In the prefecture of Rethymno, around 50 species and sub-species of orchids are found; nearly half of them belong to the genus Ophrys. This orchid wealth increases continuously, due to very frequent hybridization. In particular, on the plateau of Yious Kampos, the hybrid between Orchis lactea and Orchis tridentata is found in populations of such density that a new species could be said to have been generated. This plateau constitutes one of the most important biotopes of Rethymno since, apart from orchids, a beautiful red tulip (Tulipa doerfleri) is endemic to the area. The mountains Vouvala, Siderotas, and Xiro, which form a natural barrier towards the Libyan Sea, are of equal importance. All the roads which lead to the southern shores, as well as the dirt roads up to the peaks, pass through areas teeming both with orchids and other species. Rarer, more individual species are native to the gorges. The native Campanula tubulosa and Campanula saxatilis, Greek onosma (Onosma graecum), rock tulip (Tulipa saxatilis) and the two staehelinas (S. arboreal and S. fruticosa) are only a sampling of the species.
Many of the species of wild flora found in Rethymno are protected by the international CITES agreement.
Make sure to visit us in Spring to enjoy the abundance of flora and fauna that Crete offers!


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Q: Create custom UIImage from json data could you please provide me by sample code for creation a UIImage object with specific width and height programmatically in the code then load an Image in it which supposed to fetch from json (it has to be an image URL).
If I use synchronous network request for loading the picture does it block my UI till loading be completed or not? if so what's the solution?
Thanks in Advance

A: Pull out the image URL from your json data, download the image, and then use the image as needed.
NSString *imageURL = url from your json string;
NSURL *url = [NSURL URLWithString:imageURL];
UIImageView *imageView = [UIImageView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0,0,50,75)];
[yourParentView addSubview: imageView];

dispatch_queue_t queue = dispatch_get_global_queue(DISPATCH_QUEUE_PRIORITY_DEFAULT, 0);

dispatch_async(queue, ^{
    UIImage *image = [UIImage imageWithData: [NSData dataWithContentsOfURL:url]];
    dispatch_sync(dispatch_get_main_queue(), ^{
        imageView.image = image;
        CGRect frame = CGRectMake(imageView.origin.x, imageView.origin.y, image.size.width, image.size.height);
        imageView.frame = frame;
    });
});

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