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Q: How many bytes does a string take? A char? I'm doing a review of my first semester C++ class, and I think I missing something. How many bytes does a string take up? A char?
The examples we were given are, some being character literals and some being strings:
'n', "n", '\n', "\n", "\\n", ""
I'm particularly confused by the usage of newlines in there.

A: *

*A char, by definition, takes up one byte.

*Literals using ' are char literals; literals using " are string literals.

*A string literal is implicitly null-terminated, so it will take up one more byte than the observable number of characters in the literal.

*\ is the escape character and \n is a newline character.

Put these together and you should be able to figure it out.

A: The following will take x consecutive chars in memory:
'n' - 1 char (type char)
"n" - 2 chars (above plus zero character) (type const char[2])
'\n' - 1 char
"\n" - 2 chars
"\\n" - 3 chars ('\', 'n', and zero)
"" - 1 char

edit: formatting fixed
edit2: I've written something very stupid, thanks Mooing Duck for pointing that out.

A: #include <iostream>

int main()
{
    std::cout << sizeof 'n'   << std::endl;   // 1
    std::cout << sizeof "n"   << std::endl;   // 2
    std::cout << sizeof '\n'  << std::endl;   // 1
    std::cout << sizeof "\n"  << std::endl;   // 2
    std::cout << sizeof "\\n" << std::endl;   // 3
    std::cout << sizeof ""    << std::endl;   // 1
}

*

*Single quotes indicate characters.

*Double quotes indicate C-style strings with an invisible NUL
terminator.

\n (line break) is only a single char and so is \\ (backslash). \\n is just a backslash followed by n.

A: The number of bytes a string takes up is equal to the number of characters in the string plus 1 (the terminator), times the number of bytes per character. The number of bytes per character can vary. It is 1 byte for a regular char type.
All your examples are one character long except for the second to last, which is two, and the last, which is zero. (Some are of type char and only define a single character.)

A: *

*'n': is not a string, is a literal char, one byte, the character code for the letter n.

*"n": string, two bytes, one for n and one for the null character every string has at the end.

*"\n": two bytes as \n stand for "new line" which takes one byte, plus one byte for the null char.

*'\n': same as the first, literal char, not a string, one byte.

*"\\n": three bytes.. one for \, one for newline and one for the null character

*"": one byte, just the null character.

A: 'n'   - 0x6e
"n"   - 0x6e00
'\n'  - 0x0a
"\n"  - 0x0a00
"\\n" - 0x5c6e00
""    - 0x00

A: You appear to be referring to string constants.  And distinguishing them from character constants.
A char is one byte on all architectures.  A character constant uses the single quote delimiter '.
A string is a contiguous sequence of characters with a trailing NUL character to identify the end of string.  A string uses double quote characters '"'.
Also, you introduce the C string constant expression syntax which uses blackslashes to indicate special characters.  \n is one character in a string constant.
So for the examples 'n', "n", '\n', "\n":
'n' is one character
"n" is a string with one character, but it takes two characters of storage (one for the letter n and one for the NUL
'\n' is one character, the newline (ctrl-J on ASCII based systems)
"\n" is one character plus a NUL.
I leave the others to puzzle out based on those.

A: 'n' -> One char.  A char is always 1 byte.  This is not a string.
"n" -> A string literal, containing one n and one terminating NULL char.  So 2 bytes.
'\n' -> One char, A char is always 1 byte.  This is not a string.
"\n" -> A string literal, containing one \n and one terminating NULL char.  So 2 bytes.
"\\n" -> A string literal, containing one \, one '\n', and one terminating NULL char.  So 3 bytes.
"" -> A string literal, containing one terminating NULL char.  So 1 byte.

A: Depends if using UTF8 a char is 1byte if UTF16 a char is 2bytes doesn't matter if the byte is 00000001 or 10000000 a full byte is registered and reserved for the character once declared for initialization and if the char changes this register is updated with the new value.
a strings bytes is equal to the number of char between "".
example: 11111111 is a filled byte,
UTF8 char T = 01010100 (1 byte)
UTF16 char T = 01010100 00000000 (2 bytes)
UTF8 string "coding" = 011000110110111101100100011010010110111001100111 (6 bytes)
UTF16 string "coding" = 011000110000000001101111000000000110010000000000011010010000000001101110000000000110011100000000 (12 bytes)
UTF8 \n = 0101110001101110 (2 bytes)
UTF16 \n = 01011100000000000110111000000000 (4 bytes)
Note: Every space and every character you type takes up 1-2 bytes in the compiler but there is so much space that unless you are typing code for a computer or game console from the early 90s with 4mb or less you shouldn't worry about bytes in regards to strings or char.
Things that are problematic to memory are calling things that require heavy computation with floats, decimals, or doubles and using math random in a loop or update methods. That would better be ran once at runtime or on a fixed time update and averaged over the time span.


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Arts & Entertainment, Politics, TV
Dr Who brought in to search for Rees-Mogg
Date: 20 Aug 2018Author: The Daily Blether 0 Comments
Concerns are growing over the whereabouts and welfare of Conservative backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg, following his absence form the glare of the media spotlight this past week.
Although it is widely agreed by many experts that he's something of an anachronistic oddball, sidelined on the margins of government and seemingly destined only to make ludicrously outdated and toe-curling cringe-worthy comments on moral issues, nevertheless he's great entertainment too.
Westminster-watchers say that after he had been expected to get a Cabinet seat at Mrs May's last reshuffle, when he was hotly tipped to be handed the so-called PG Wodehouse brief (Secretary of State for the Idle Rich) but in the event he got nothing, his political goose was cooked thus leaving his hopes for the highest office in utter ruins.
Speaking to The Times, Reginald Jeeves, valet to socialite Bertie Wooster said: 'If I might advance an opinion. Mr Rees-Mogg simply will not do. He is rather an odd gentleman and in my view not entirely suited to public life. He lacks that "certain something", and all too often is perceived as a figure of fun and ridicule. To promote him to any high office would be a mistake. Especially when one considers Mr Boris Johnson has already had this gift bestowed upon him on several occasions only to make a catastrophic mess of his brief every time.'
Meanwhile it's understood that Mr Rees-Mogg's constituency party has enlisted the services of Time Lord Dr Who, to search for him in Victorian London, as the North East Somerset MP has a fully-booked surgery to conduct on Monday evening.
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Ahead of this weekend's FA Trophy clash between FC Halifax Town and Barrow, we look at some of the news from clubs from around the Vanarama National League.
Leyton Orient have confirmed that James Dayton has suffered a serious knee injury. Dayton has had surgery and will be out of action for the next couple of months.
Gateshead volunteer Les McCourt has been awarded Vanarama National League volunteer of the month. McCourt has been working with Gateshead for over 10 years, and has helped with stewarding, programme distribution, and hospitality.
Eastleigh have announced new signing Jack McKnight from Basingstoke Town. The attacking midfielder had scored 10 goals for Basingstoke, with the 21-year-old winning player of the month for two successive months.
Luke Coulson has joined Bromley from fellow National League side Ebbsfleet United. Coulson made over 70 appearances for the Fleet scoring 13 goals.
Hartlepool United have confirmed Richard Money as new first team manager. Money was able to achieve a runners-up spot in the National League with his first season at Luton Town as well as a League Two title with Walsall.
Chesterfield have signed Doncaster Rovers midfielder Alfie Beestin on a one-month loan. Beestin has made over 30 appearances for Doncaster across two seasons scoring 3 goals.
Dover Athletic have added to their defence with signing Scott Doe. Doe has National League experience having captained Dagenham & Redbridge before a brief spell with National League South side Billericay Town.
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It's been a good year for property investment in Victoria, thanks to the ripple effects of a strong Melbourne market. But as Melbourne edges towards an apartment glut, should investors be eyeing other places regional Victoria?
What did the property market look like in Victoria in 2016?
There are some fast growing suburbs in Melbourne as well as some happy licenced real estate agents.
Real Estate Institute Victoria (REIV) CEO Geoff White says it has been an ideal sellers' market this year, characterised by lower transaction volumes, rising median prices and higher clearance rates.
"The year is set to end strongly for auctions with December shaping up to challenge the all-time record number of auctions for the month and, given the recent clearance rate, is certainly likely to exceed the auction sales record set last year (2,459 auction sales)," he says.
White adds that house prices also increased in regional Victoria over the year, although at a more moderate pace, with the median house price hitting $348,500 in the three months to September 30. This was up from $347,500 in the first quarter of 2016.
What regions of Victoria are popular for investors?
According to SQM Research, Melbourne now leads the nation for growth in asking prices for houses, with a jump of 13.4 per cent to $805,000 and 5.2 per cent for units to $459,800 over the year to November.
This is driven by rising demand on the back of strong population growth as Melbourne's strong economy and high quality of lifestyle continues to attract both interstate and overseas migrants.
Indeed, Australian Bureau of Statistics annual regional population growth figures suggest that Melbourne is enjoying the fastest rate of population expansion in Australia – up 2.1 per cent in the 2014-15 financial year.
Melbourne, known for its culture and good lifestyle, offers a range of different suburbs, such as Fitzroy, Warrandyte and Bentleigh.
There are, however, rising concerns that Melbourne could be heading for a glut of apartments.
SQM Research calculates that greater Melbourne will record a 29 per cent rise in apartment completions with 18,000 new apartments making their debut in 2016. Completions are forecast to fall by 11 per cent in 2017 with 16,000 entering the market and then to grow by 19 per cent in 2018 when 19,000 new apartments will become available.
SQM Research says the greater Melbourne real estate market should be adequately supplied with apartments in 2017, but oversupplied by roughly 3,000 new dwellings in 2018. Docklands and Southbank are expected to be the epicentre of the apartments oversupply.
While listings remain low and clearance rates high, the REIV expects median house prices to increase once again in the December quarter followed by the traditional slowing in January before picking up again by March.
Melbourne's property market boom is spreading outwards and is being felt in Dandenong, a suburb located about 30 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district.
Leigh Hall, a real estate agent from Hall & Partners First National – Dandenong, says the market he services was really strong in 2016, attracting interest from owner occupiers as well as investors - the latter undeterred by the higher interest rates paid to the banks.
"We are finding that after two opens a property is sold. Homes are walking out the door, but not apartments. Prices have risen quite dramatically," he says.
Continued growth in the Melbourne median house price has also added to the allure of other locations close to Melbourne which are well below the Melbourne median price.
The Australian Housing Outlook 2016–2019, prepared by BIS Shrapnel for QBE, suggests that the construction of the Regional Rail Link last year is good news for property investors in Geelong, Ballarat and Bendigo. It has the potential to boost demand for dwellings in these areas, but they also must compete with Melbourne's outer suburbs which offer affordable housing and are located closer to central Melbourne.
The latest REIV price data, as of 30 September, shows that the state's west has led the way with solid home price growth from Horsham to Geelong.
Horsham, located about 300 km north-west of Melbourne, topped the list for median price growth over the year, increasing almost 20 per cent to a median price of $249,975, says White.
The REIV median data reveals that while annual growth across the state has been relatively moderate at 2.3 per cent to $348,500, several locations are showing far greater increases.
Also making the top five list for median price increases, in the west of the state, were Geelong (up 16.9 per cent to $675,000), Torquay (up 14 per cent to $690,000), and St Leonards (up 13.7 per cent to $426,250).
"The latest research shows that buyers were not only drawn to the west, but largely to locations within commuting distance of Melbourne," says White.
White says another trend is the significant growth in coastal locations, from Cowes in the east of Victoria to Anglesea in the west.
"Regional Victoria is increasingly attractive to buyers and investors, offering access to quality amenities combined with a relaxed country lifestyle," he says.
How are property prices in Victoria expected to change in 2017?
Victoria has been Australia's top performing state, with strong population growth helping to support its robust economy. According to BIS Shrapnel, its population increased 1.9 per cent through calendar 2016, easily the fastest rate of all the states and territories, with very high interstate flows and rising international immigration.
But BIS Shrapnel senior economist Richard Robinson expects growth to slow over the next two years.
While the lower A$ continues to boost growth, he says the decline in residential investment (due to oversupply) and the car manufacturing shutdown in late 2017 will dampen the state's economic outlook.
The closure of Hazelwood power station next year and potential shutdown of Portland aluminium smelter, plus significant increases in local gas prices, will also hurt Victoria's manufacturing sector via higher energy prices.
"The saving grace is the current strong momentum in the Victorian economy, Melbourne's competitive edge over Sydney as a business destination and the lower dollar, which has improved the competitiveness of the state's tradeables sectors," says Robinson.
On the property front, White expects buyer demand in Melbourne to remain strong, given the low interest rate environment. "Across Melbourne, the market is likely to remain steady, with solid results in a range of areas across the city," he says.
Further out, the Australian Housing Outlook 2016–2019 forecasts some additional growth in median house prices in Geelong and Ballarat. But without any strong economic drivers, it says Bendigo house prices are forecast to remain flat with the median house price unchanged at $315,000 at June 2019.
Investing in property: where do I start?
Property investment has high barriers to entry, with stamp duty and other costs set to eat into your profits. You can't afford to buy a property that is unattractive to tenants or which may decline in value over time. That's why it's essential to do plenty of research.
There are plenty of useful online resources to help you. It also pays to speak to as many real estate agents in your target area to get a good feel for the market.


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Letter to the Editor - Senator Tony Ross
Written by Tony Ross
Wyoming is consistently ranked one of the best run states in the nation. Wyomingites are never surprised to hear this fact. The Wyoming way of life means getting required tasks done, living within our means and planning for the future. It's how Wyoming families operate and it is the way our state operates. It was with these priorities we set the biennium budget last year, and it was through this lens we appraised the supplemental budget requests this year.
Last year we passed a strong 2015-16 biennium budget that prioritizes Wyoming needs and invests in Wyoming's people, jobs, communities, responsible mineral development and education. We have continued these priorities in a very modest supplemental budget.
The Joint Appropriations Committee spent over three weeks evaluating the Governor's supplemental budget requests, weighing priorities against available funds and making the hard decisions. Striking a balance between saving, investing and spending is imperative to continuing our momentum in Wyoming.
Our revenues are closely tied to the value of minerals. Minerals have kept our taxes low and our services strong. This reliance on minerals has always made our revenues volatile and with the federal war on coal and the unpredicted drop in oil and natural gas prices, the January revenue projections show a $222 million shortfall over October predictions. Thus, it was time to tighten our belts and prioritize where we should spend and where we could save in order to close the budget gap. We kept our commitments on the previous appropriations, we were proactive in finding money, and we were practical in appropriating funds.
To meet the needs of Wyoming citizens, we prioritized funding requests and made the best use of funds available. We placed the highest priority on the citizens who are the most at risk – appropriating funds for nursing homes, DD waivers and preschools. We moved down the list and prioritized one-time expenses, infrastructure improvements and programs that had matching funds available. Finally, we prioritized funds towards different on-going programs, and placed the monies in the appropriate project and investment accounts.
Through this supplemental budget we continue to show our support and stress the importance of investing in education, infrastructure and local communities while advancing projects that will grow the state.
Funds are set up to be paid out in three cycles. This plan helped us to keep Wyoming operating in the black, while closing the $222 million shortfall the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group (CREG) is expecting. The highest priority items will be paid as soon as the bill passes. The next set of priorities will be paid when the state realizes its capital gains on July 1, 2015. And the final set of priorities will receive funding from 2016 capital gains.
By using this unique approach in how we appropriate funding, using currently realized capital gains, we intercept funds scheduled to go into the Legislative Stabilization Reserve Account (LSRA) and redirect those monies for the continuing investment and growth in Wyoming.
The budget bill will now work its way through the legislative process, but we are confident that as a Legislature we will continue to make solid fiscal decisions and live within our means. Balancing the blessings we have from mineral revenues and their volatility with the current needs of the state is of the utmost importance for the future of Wyoming.
Senator Tony Ross
Representative Steve Harshman
Co-chairmen of the Joint Appropriations Committee
Letter to the Editor - Cat Urbigkit
Written by Cat Urbigkit
Editor's Note: This letter will be printed in two parts, due to its length. Look for the second half in the Dec. 27 edition of the Roundup. This letter was originally printed at Pinedale Online! At pinedaleonline.com/news/2014/12/BelieveItKillingWolv.htm.
There is much ado about a paper published recently, with headlines such as "Killing wolves to protect livestock doesn't work in the long run" and "Kill this wolf and more sheep will die."
Even the research host university, Washington State University (WSU), reported, "Researchers have found that it is counter-productive to kill wolves to keep them from preying on livestock. Shooting and trapping lead to more dead sheep and cattle the following year, not fewer."
Similar headlines are repeated in the current news cycle, but it's obvious few reporters read past the press release. I did read the journal article and attempted to examine the data upon which the paper is based – which I could not do fully since some of the data is unavailable, the literature citations are incomplete, the first two references I checked did not say what the paper alleged, and the researchers did not specify which counties in the tri-state research area were included in its numbers for each year.
Regardless, WSU's flawed paper seems to be an exercise in comparing variables to seek out correlations without causation.
The WSU paper is based on the assumption that breeding pairs of wolves "are responsible for most livestock depredations," yet this vital assumption was not examined as part of the research, and the literature citation used to support the statement doesn't support the allegation. While it is known that some breeding pairs are responsible for livestock depredations, no citation indicated that they are "responsible for most livestock depredations," and that type of data for the 25-year time period and region involved in the WSU study has not been produced. Incidentally, when we've had wolves killing our family's sheep, they weren't part of Wyoming's tally for breeding pairs.
The researchers started with the assumption that breeding pairs are the important data set and proceeded from there, using statistical modeling over a very large scale, the tri-state region of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, rather than on a smaller scale, such as regions where wolf packs reside and come into conflict with livestock – areas on a scale where previous research has revealed that lethal control reduced depredations in subsequent years. It's generally accepted that removal of carnivores causes an immediate reduction in livestock depredations for a year or two, but the cycle begins anew when carnivores once again fill the vacancies. That's the way of non-static ecosystems.
The selection of what data was used in the WSU research paper is important and is center to my criticism of the entire paper and its nonsensical final result. Yellowstone National Park's wolf packs and breeding pairs are part of the WSU data set, yet these wolves only come into contact with livestock if they leave the park.
And, of course, the researchers used only cattle and sheep deaths that agency professionals could "confirm" as wolf kills, despite the fact that research has indicated that for every sheep or calf confirmed as killed by wolves, up to seven are killed by wolves and are not confirmed. The researchers also did not include other livestock that were injured by wolves but not killed or livestock kills that were determined by agency personnel to be "probable" wolf kills.
The WSU researchers only included wolves that were killed "by livestock owners or through government control methods" – not wolves killed during legal hunting and trapping seasons in the region or other sources of mortality. This data exclusion seems odd, since the paper begins with the statement, "Predator control and sport hunting are often used to reduce predator populations and livestock depredations ..." Although Yellowstone's wolf numbers are used in WSU data, the number one cause of mortality in the park's wolf population is intraspecific aggression, or wolves killing other wolves, but this was excluded from the study because only wolves killed by "livestock owners or through government control methods" were included in the data set.
In another odd selection of data, the WSU researchers included wolf kills that were made by agency personnel to reduce predation on declining wildlife populations and where there had been no livestock depredations.
The WSU paper did not factor in the number of incidents of livestock depredation, which can be a significant. While the total number of dead livestock is important, the number of incidents is revealing, as well.
For instance, the number of confirmed and probable wolf depredations on sheep increased in Idaho in 2013, including one incident resulting in the death of 176 sheep in Idaho. Interagency reports indicate that a decline in losses would have occurred with the exception of this single incident. A similar incident occurred in Montana in 2009, when 120 adult rams were killed in one incident, a huge increase from the 111 sheep killed in the state the year prior.
This cherry picking of data is concerning, and to prove that point I'll do my own cherry picking from the researcher's data in a moment.
The researchers concluded, "It appears that lethal wolf control to reduce the number of livestock depredated is associated with increased, not decreased, depredations the following year, on a large scale – at least until wolf morality exceeds 25 percent."
Neglected is the fact that once wolves begin preying on a livestock herd, the depredations don't magically stop – the wolves often return, until control action is taken or the livestock are removed. It may be convenient to pretend that the depredations would not increase if the wolves are not removed, but it is not realistic.
Despite the variety of non-lethal measures already in use by livestock producers, wolves still manage to kill livestock, and often the only feasible way to stop the depredations is to kill the wolf or wolves responsible for the depredations. Data from Wyoming in 2012 reveal that 27 percent of Wyoming's wolf packs were involved in more than three livestock depredation events, and that there are some areas where wolf depredations on livestock are chronic – areas where the expanding wolf population moves into high density populations of livestock. In these chronic conflict areas, it's only a matter of time before wolves are killed after the predictable livestock depredations occur. One wolf pack was responsible for 43 percent of Wyoming's cattle depredations in 2012, and three packs were responsible for 70 percent of the sheep depredations.
Some packs that are counted as breeding pairs are not identified as breeding pairs each year, and Wyoming research revealed, "Overall, it appeared that natural factors unrelated to known mortality sources were the primary cause of non-breeding status" for the majority of packs not classified as breeding pairs. Only three packs of 11 breeding pairs from the year prior were downgraded because of mortality from confirmed livestock depredations.
The 25 percent number mentioned above is interesting as well – that's the growth rate of the region's wolf population every year. If control efforts exceed that 25 percent, the wolf population – and number of breeding pairs – begins to decrease – and, lo and behold, results in fewer livestock depredations, according to the WSU researchers. But that doesn't make the headlines.
Cat Urbigkit
Letter to the Editor - John Francis
Written by John Francis
There has been a lot of talk about the Global Roundtable for Sustainable Beef (GRSB). It seems that McDonalds, Wal-Mart, The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Brazil's JBS and others are going to make us volunteer to be sustainable. Sort of reminds me of Bill Clinton's idea of requiring people to volunteer. This group of do-gooders wants to help us stay in business for years to come. Why do I not believe them?
I don't believe them because of the entities involved. Like Wal-Mart. It is my understanding that Wal-Mart likes to chicken-ize their suppliers. It seems they like to make tight contracts and then force their suppliers to be the low-cost producer. Being forced to be the low-cost producer does not sound sustainable to me. What about quality? Does quality come from the lowest cost per unit? And speaking of quality, how about JBS, the Brazilian meat packer? These are the people who want to import their South American, low-priced – and I suspect low-quality – beef at the expense of the U.S. rancher.
McDonalds says that they plan to double the amount of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat foods that they sell. Does that sound like they are supporting the beef industry? If McDonalds wants to help U.S. ranchers to be sustainable, they would buy 100 percent born, raised and processed in the USA beef. And they would brag about it. Wal-Mart would do the same. If they don't, they are not trying to make ranching in the USA sustainable.
GRSB talks about our carbon footprint. I wonder if they consult with any genuine scientists or if they choose to listen to the Hollywood and political big shots. There is a lot of science that is not brought to the table in conversations about carbon. For example, all of the grass growing on the prairies is going to turn into carbon. If that grass is not consumed, it decays. When it decays, it turns into its basic components, which include carbon. Sometimes it decays quickly, as in fire. In that process it turns into its basic components, which include carbon. If cattle, bison, antelope or rabbits eat the vegetation, it turns into carbon. So, fortunately for us, carbon dioxide is made in great quantities on a continual basis. Without CO2, our plants would die and so would we. The flora needs CO2 just as we need oxygen. And the plants use the CO2 to make that oxygen.
What other reasons do I have to not believe that GRSB is here to save us? How about their principles? They talk about using the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. As much as I would like for the entire world to think like I do, it isn't going to happen. I have no interest in what the United Nations thinks that I should do. And I don't expect the people of China or Germany care what I think they should do. The New World Order is not for me.
Although I have not seen it in writing, I suspect that the GRSB would be quite willing to accept EPA's onerous and expensive rules and regulations. For example, we have a diesel-powered pickup that gets about 16 miles per gallon (MPG). That is, until the anti-pollution equipment engages. I don't know the process that is used, but after the re-gen cycle, the total fuel mileage average goes down to about 12 MPG. Consider that we will put 100,000 miles on this pickup during its life with us. At 16 MPG, it would use 6,250 gallons of fuel. At 12 MPG, it would use 8,333 gallons. So to make EPA happy, we use an additional 2,083 gallons of fuel over the lifetime of this vehicle. Does this make any sense? Not to me. Now consider the price of that fuel. At $3.80 per gallon, the EPA will have me paying $7,915 more for fuel than I would need to spend. Is this what sustainable means? Does Brazil have these requirements? We can't compete with the world markets unless we have a level playing field.
My final point is about management of a business. Does anybody at McDonalds know why I don't graze cattle in Section 12 before July 10? Do they know that this specific pasture has larkspur growing in it? Do they know that larkspur is deadly poisonous to cattle? Does Wal-Mart understand that the water source in the lower pasture usually dries up in late June? I strongly suspect that the answers to these questions are no. Yet it looks as if they want to tell me how to best run my ranch for their benefit. And what do you think? Will they buy my high-quality beef when JBS will sell them some South American special at 15 percent less? Or would it be 30 percent less?
The WWF specifically wants to save the prairie dogs. They have a very good reason for this. Prairie dogs are the source of food for the Black-Footed ferret. Unfortunately the prairie dog probably destroys more grassland than any other animal. Having prairie dogs on the place does not make a ranch sustainable.
The word "global" is part of the primary idea behind this movement. I have been going on about the United States cattle rancher. It is not my first goal to save the rancher in Argentina or the poultry house in China. I am much more concerned about the rancher in the USA. Yes, for personal reasons and also for a greater cause. I do not want the USA to become dependent on imported food. I think I will pass on using the United Nations guidelines for making the USA a food dependent nation.
Letter to the Editor - Niels Hansen
Written by Niels Hansen
We are once again at the time of year for the Wyoming Public Land Coalition (WPLC) to renew its membership in the National Public Lands Council (NPLC). NPLC is the only national level group dedicated solely to the preservation of grazing on federal lands, and WPLC is our dedicated group to the national group. Therefore I am urging you to support our Wyoming coalition.
Because Wyoming is always active and engaged when issues come along, we have earned high level of respect in Washington, D.C. The fact that we continue to fight many of the same issues over and over again is a testament to the success of the NPLC. If not for the continued vigilance and work going on in D.C., many of us would have long ago gone the way of the logger. Rest assured your money has not gone to waste. Your representatives have and continue to work for the good of all of us at their own expense. Very little money has been spent to defray travel costs for your representatives. Your money goes to the fight.
When the letter asking for your support comes, please, don't set it aside to look at later. Put in the "must pay" pile, and pay it the next time you sit down to pay bills. It is up to us to continue the fight for the good of the next generation.
Niels Hansen
First Vice President, Wyoming Stock Growers Association
Wyoming Public Lands Rancher
Letter to the Editor - Ross, Nicholas, Brown, Stubson


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The second generation VLTI instrument for precision narrow-angle astrometry and interferometric imaging
GRAVITY is a second generation instrument on the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) and represents a huge step forward for both interferometry and for the Very Large Telescope (VLT). GRAVITY is almost an all-in-one device: is a four-beam combiner, near-infrared, adaptive-optics-assisted, fringe-tracking, astrometric and imaging instrument.
"GRAVITY is born from the desire to observe very small details on faint objects like the centres of galaxies. With its high sensitivity performance, GRAVITY is going to reveal a whole new world of planets, stars and galactic centres that were previously out of reach because they were too faint for the previous instruments," explains Xavier Haubois, ESO instrument fellow of GRAVITY.
The second important feature of GRAVITY is its astrometric capacity, which is its ability to measure distances in the sky to very high accuracy. "Measuring distances so precisely means that we will detect the movements of objects that are very far away in just one night. With GRAVITY, we will see the Universe in motion!" explains Xavier Haubois.
GRAVITY is able to observe the immediate surroundings of SgrA*, the supermassive black hole at the centre of our galaxy. "These observations are extremely difficult because SgrA* is far away and obscured by all the gas and dust there is between Earth and the centre of the Milky Way. Observing SgrA* will allow us to understand the properties of black holes located at the centres of galaxies and how they affect the gas and the formation and evolution of stars orbiting close to it," says Xavier Haubois.
Moreover, observing how light propagates around such a massive object allows us to test Einstein's theory of General Relativity for the first time in the strong gravity regime.
GRAVITY is an interferometer. "It combines the light from four telescopes (the four UTs or the four ATs) and achieves the spatial resolution of an equivalent telescope of up to 100 metres in diameter when looking in certain directions in the sky. But more than that, GRAVITY can be seen as two interferometers in one," says Haubois. One part of GRAVITY makes sure the light is stabilised by observing a bright star. That star can also act as a reference position in the sky, like a beacon for a boat. "Thanks to this stabilisation, the second part of the instrument can observe the object in question with long-exposure times. This is why GRAVITY can observe faint targets," explains Haubois.
In order to measure extremely small angles in the sky, equivalent to picking out a one-euro coin on the surface of the Moon, the distance travelled by the light within GRAVITY must be controlled in real time with extremely high accuracy. This is done using lasers and stretchable optic fibers.
To provide the most accurate measurements, "GRAVITY constantly readjusts itself at many different levels, a bit like a living organism!" concluded Xavier Haubois.
Site: Cerro Paranal
Telescope: Very Large Telescope
Focus: Interferometric
Type: Four-beam combiner, near-infrared, AO-assisted, fringe tracking, astrometric and imaging
Wavelength coverage: 2.0–2.4 micrometres (K-band)
Spatial resolution: Up to 3 milliarcseconds
Spectral resolution: 22, 500, 4500
First light date: 2015
Science goals: Galactic Centre, black holes, Sgr A* flares, X-ray binaries, planet detection and formation in circumstellar discs and evolved stars.
Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (Garching).
Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie (Heidelberg).
I. Physikalisches Institut, Universität zu Köln.
LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, Section de Meudon.
Laboratoire d'Astrophysique, Observatoire de Grenoble.
SIM, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa
ESO:
European Southern Observatory (ESO).


text:
Todd G. Higdon
Tornadoes usually don't occur in January, according to Brian Barjenbrudh, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Springfield.
In fact, it's pretty rare.
"As far as touchdowns, we looked Tuesday and we had four total tornadoes for the month of January since 1950, including this one," he said.
The one confirmed tornado touchdown hit Punkin Center, a trailer park near Purdy in Barry County at 5:18 p.m. Monday.
Adding to the oddity of a tornado in the middle of the winter, the meteorologist stated there was an increase in the number of tornado watches.
"We put out a lot of tornado warnings on Monday," Barjenbrudh said. "Sixty-two were issued in Southwest Missouri. For January, I would say that was a record number of warnings."
A tornado warning indicates either a tornado has been seen or meteorologists have a strong reason to believe that one can occur very shortly.
A tornado watch is issued when conditions are right for the formation of tornadoes during the watch period.
Usually, tornado season begins in March or April.
"This storm system originally moved out of the same system that was associated with all of the snowfall in California," Barjenbrudh said. "But it came out of Texas into Oklahoma and affected Arkansas, but most of the storms came out of Northeast Oklahoma."
Reports of funnel clouds originated out of McDonald County, moving at about 50 mph.
After the tornado hit and leveled the trailer park near Purdy, the weather kept becoming destructive.
"Unfortunately, Purdy was hot and heavy pretty much all night long," added Barjenbrudh.
Storm survey teams were out and about on Tuesday and today.
"We have three teams out. They will actually determine what was a tornado and what were straight line winds."
Barjenbrudh said the classification of the Purdy tornado (ranging from an F0 to an F5) could be determined in the next couple of days.
Neosho Daily News


text:
50MAWSP
Immigration Info
Access to Legal Aid
Patenting Services
Cross Border Trade
Export Info/Licences
Import Licences
Access to Capital
VSLAS (Village Saving & Loan Associations)
Association of Women Lawyers of Burundi - AFJB - Burundi
In Burundi, there is currently no law governing succession to land. Customary law and case law prevail.
Obstacles of a cultural, economic and social nature are not always favorable to the development of women.
However, international laws to which Burundi is a signatory recognize the equal rights and dignity of all human beings.
International reference frameworks and instruments
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights of 12/12/1966 and ratified by Burundi by Decree-Law No. 11/008 of March 14, 1990.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) entered into force on September 3, 1981, ratified on January 8, 1992,
The additional protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights relating to the rights of women in Africa signed on November 13, 2001.
The African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights of 1981, ratified on July 28, 1987.
Access to land in Burundi
In Burundi, the traditional social organization of Burundian society is patriarchal and patrilineal. It is the man who embodies the authority within the household and takes the major decisions. The woman, on the other hand, has the social responsibility for the functioning of domestic life, she does the housework and takes care of the children and other family members.
Several associations for the defense of women's rights in Burundi intervene to plead in favor of women in terms of access to factors of production, including land.
These associations often intervene by providing various services such as access to counsel agents to help aggrieved women gain access to land.
There are several cases of jurisprudence in favor of women which serve as a reference in the pleadings and in the judgments in this matter currently in Burundi. Nevertheless, the acquisition and possession of land through purchase is recognized and land is accessible to any woman who has the capacity and the means.
Land access opportunities
In Burundi, in addition to the possibility of buying to access one's own land, there are opportunities for women to be able to ask the State for large-scale farms in emphyteusis or other forms like all the others. citizens. There is therefore no distinction between men and women in this area.
angle-left Association of Women Lawyers of Burundi - AFJB
Association of Women Lawyers of Burundi - AFJB
The AFJ is an ASBL which often intervenes by providing counsel agents to help injured women in access to land and in other areas. The intervention of the latter is observed everywhere in the country but the problem remains acute inside the country than in Bujumbura. Indeed, in Bujumbura the courts do not distinguish between gender in terms of access to land. There are several cases of jurisprudence in favor of women which serve as a reference in the pleadings and in the judgments in this matter currently in Burundi.
1. Legal assistance or legal clinics by defending cases by making lawyers available to 'patients'
2. Trainings
3. Counseling and Direct Assistance to Victims
4. Consolidation of peace in Burundi
Conditions for benefiting from these services
The assistance services provided by legal counsel are not paid because they are often financed by donors or provided on a voluntary basis . The interventions of the lawyers are financed among others (if not by volunteering) by the Red Cross, KIOS and until very recently by Avocat Sans Frontières. nbsp
Activities/events organized by the Organization
Association of Women Lawyers of Burundi Organizes from time to time training events and
28 Avenue of the United States
Email: afjuristesbu@yahoo.fr
D.R. Congo


text:
Delphi Slings $450 Million to Buy Self-Driving Startup nuTonomy
Ray Prince October 24, 2017
UK-based Delphi, one of the largest automotive suppliers in the world, has announced its intention to buy nuTonomy in a deal valued at $450 million.
Delphi said today the deal for $400 million plus approximately $50 million in earn-outs will accelerate its global commercialization of Autonomous Driving (AD) and Automated Mobility on-Demand (AMoD) tech for automakers and new mobility customers.
nuTonomy, a Boston-based automated driving technology developer, and MIT spin-off is the creator of an automated driving software program that forms the "brain" of vehicles and technology with which it is integrated. Its proprietary nuCore software focuses on mapping, localization, and navigation in urban environments, offering a flexible and modular platform used by different kinds of vehicles, fleet applications, and sensor configurations. Delphi can now sell its platform to automakers with limited progress or resources to develop their own platforms. Similar moves have been made by Waymo and Apple's Project Titan.
With this acquisition, Delphi taps into nuTonomy's technology and brain trust, including a doubling of its research team with nuTonomy's approximately 70 scientists and engineers. Also, it speeds up the planned deployment of 60 self-driving cars in three continents and expands its autonomous driving operations, including its autonomous driving development teams, to new cities such as Boston and Santa Monica, Calif. In today's joint conference call, Delphi cited scale and accelerating its commercial marketplace offerings as major contributing factors in its decision to purchase.
"Our mission has always been to radically improve the safety, efficiency, and accessibility of transportation worldwide," said nuTonomy cofounder and CEO Karl Iagnemma. "Joining forces with Delphi brings us one step closer to achieving our goal with a market-leading partner whose vision directly aligns with ours. Together, we will set the global standard for excellence in autonomous driving technology."
nuTonomy was founded in 2013 by Dr. Karl Iagnemma and Dr. Emilio Frazzoli. In four years, it has progressed its automated driving platform with several research and development partnerships. One includes its collaboration with Lyft to perform research on passenger comfort and safety in self-driving environments. The firm is also conducting road tests of its self-driving electric cars in Singapore, with a goal of launching a self-driving on-demand service there by next year.
Posted in News, Technology
Tagged as delphi, Dr. Emilio Frazzoli, Dr. Karl Iagnemma, nuTonomy
Sam McEachern April 10, 2019
Infiniti's Newest EV Concept: Haven't We Seen This Before?
Yep, that's a car. ...
Matthew Guy March 27, 2019
The 8 Best Green Car Tires to Help Drivers Save on Fuel
If you're looking for the best environmentally friendly tires to help you save on fuel, check ...
Evan Williams November 23, 2018
NY Governor Cuomo Announces Expanded EV Charging Plans
It's all part of Governor Cuomo's plan to reduce state carbon emissions to 40 percent of 1990 ...


A friend of mine named Kim Biondi – one of the nicest, sweetest, kindest most generous people I've ever had violent arguments and debates with on a daily basis had posted a story about a woman who died of breast cancer recently, but before her death, she posthumously published a video and an article – basically her thoughts and feelings about her debilitating condition, about the "pink ribbon" society, and alleged breast cancer "charity" organizations, and it got me thinking about charitable donations, where that money goes, and what is ultimately accomplished.
Promise me, I told my friends and family, that you'll never say that I died after "fighting a courageous battle with breast cancer." This tired, trite line dishonors the dead and the dying by suggesting that we, the victims, are responsible for our deaths or that the fight we were in was ever fair.
Promise me you'll never wear a pink ribbon in my name or drop a dollar into a bucket that goes to breast cancer "awareness" for "early detection for a cure": the mantra of fund-raising juggernaut Susan G. Komen, which has propagated a distorted message about breast cancer and how to "cure" it.
This is where most of your donations go – to something, to a beast, to an entity called "Breast Cancer Awareness". Now, I'm aware of Breast Cancer, are you aware? Well, there you go, see? We save some money there. In fact, I'm pretty sure everybody who lives on my block, possibly in my borough of Queens, everybody in New York City with the exception of very small children are aware of Breast Cancer. See? We saved at least a thousand dollars.


text:
American medical schools see increase in applications amid pandemic
1:32 PM EST, Wed December 16, 2020
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Medical schools across the country are calling it the Fauci Effect.
Some are attributing the increase in medical school applications, up 18 percent in 2020, to students that are inspired by medical workers and public health figures — Like Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Applications to Florida Gulf Coast University's medical programs are up more than 50 percent compared to last year.
Jacqueline Cortes, a FGCU PA School student, said she has been interested in the medical field for years.
"I worked as a medical scribe, from there i worked as an EMT, then from there i worked for neurosurgeons," Cortes said.
It was a no brainer with her love for medicine to head to PA school at FGCU. At the beginning of her final year, she didn't expect to get hit with a pandemic.
"Everyone kind of just started freaking out not really sure if we should see sick people or not, not sure what we can and can't do," she said.
Then, most health centers and clinics across the United States started taking students out of their rotations.
"We were like 'well how long is this going to last? are we going to be able to finish school? and when we graduate are they going to even want us?'," she said.
Although most PA and medical school students were feeling the pressure about graduating in the pandemic, others not yet accepted into medical school were feeling inspired.
"They are making comparisons to after 9/11," Robert Hawkes, Program Director for the Physician Assistant program at FGCU, said. "Where there were people getting into public safety and joining the military. It's almost kind of the same effect we're seeing is people wanting to get in the medical profession to give back."
Dr. Hawkes said he is seeing the increase interest in medical school first hand.
"Currently we are well over 2,000 applications that we've already received," he said. "And last year we were about 13-hundred."
That increase isn't just in Southwest Florida. The Association of American Medical Colleges said the number of applicants across the U.S. is up by 18 percent in 2020.
"They see Dr. Fauci on the national level, but they see the local physician," he said. "People currently living and practicing in the community and saying 'you know I really view that person as a mentor. I really kind of want to give back.'"
The graduating medical school students this year got a crash course experience in living, learning, and working in the middle of a global pandemic.
"I think that's a tremendous impact that is going to lead them on their professional careers," he said.
Students like Cortes said that it's an experience they'll use as they begin their future while still in the health crisis.
"I think it definitely differentiates us from the others," Cortes said.
Cortes said if anything, the pandemic has given her a first hand look at the work she's starting to do.
"I feel ready, I feel excited to start, go out there, and get working and hopefully make a difference in someone's life," she said.
Before the next wave of medical school graduates leave, they are taking on a new title.
"We're the COVID class," she laughed.
A title that's not only earned, but will help change the future of medicine.
Cortes said she hopes to work in Neurology or in the Emergency Room. She was one of 20 other PA students who graduated virtually from FGCU on Thursday, Dec. 10.
First batch of Pfizer vaccine ships out to all 50 states
Virgin Galactic unexpectedly scraps test flight of space plane


text:
Eurovision 2023 shortlist: the event will be held in Glasgow or Liverpool
Glasgow is now one of two cities vying to host the Eurovision Song Contest.
The cities were selected after Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and Manchester were dropped from the list to host the music event in place of Ukraine.
Announcing the shortlist, Phil Harrold, Chairman of the BBC Host City Selection Committee, said: "The Eurovision Song Contest is a very complex event and Liverpool and Glasgow have the strongest overall bid. We will continue our discussions with them to determine the possible host city.
"We are determined to make the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 an event that both reflects Ukraine's winning position and an event in which the whole of the UK can participate."
The decision sparked a wave of enthusiasm from key figures in Glasgow.
City Council Leader Susan Aitken said: "Competition has been very strong, but Glasgow has an unrivaled track record of successfully hosting major world events.
"Between this experience and this expertise; our famous live music scene and one of the world's best entertainment venues in the Ovo Hydro, Glasgow has everything it takes to host a show the whole Eurovision family can be proud of.
Culture Minister Neil Gray added: "We are delighted that Glasgow has made the final selection to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
"The Scottish Government will continue to engage with Glasgow Council as their final offer progresses."
Further discussions will now take place with officials from Glasgow and Liverpool. The host city will be announced "in a few weeks", the BBC said, with the final decision resting with the broadcaster in conjunction with the EBU.
Ukrainian entry Kalush Orchestra triumphed at the 2022 competition in Turin, Italy, but the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which produces the annual event, decided the show could not be safely staged in the country after the Russian invasion.
The UK was lucky enough to host the event for the ninth time – more than any other country in the competition's history – after Sam Ryder finished second in the competition.
In August, a shortlist of 20 UK cities that had initially submitted an "expression of interest" was published by the BBC.
The requirements included "a suitable venue and sufficient space to meet the requirements of the song contest", a necessary commitment to the contest, including financial contribution, and "alignment with the BBC's strategic priorities as a broadcaster of public service".
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon previously expressed support in June for Glasgow to become the home of the competition. The Ovo Hydro arena, which features in the Netflix movie Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, had already been considered a favorite.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said Glasgow had "what it takes to go all the way".
"Famous around the world for its brilliant music and welcoming spirit, with experience in organizing global events, we know our biggest city would put on a fantastic show," he said.
Scottish singer Lulu represented Great Britain in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1969, with the song Boom Bang-A-Bang. She was co-winner that year as she shared the prize with France, the Netherlands and Spain with 18 points each.
Rolls-Royce delivers 1,000th BR725 engine to Gulfstream
This Montana Democrat invests in a company she blames for the housing crisis
Airbnb issues travel scam warning to UK travelers as Britons lose £1.4k on average
Police fear missing aristocrat sleeping rough with newborn in sub-zero temperatures
Inside the absolutely impossible and iconic 'Spice World' bus, 25 years…


To achieve better focus, ask yourself these 10 questions.
It's time to start marketing your business, and stop hesitating and making marketing excuses.
There are many reasons why you're making excuses, but most of the time we can distill the issue of a business being unable to market itself into focus — oftentimes a business hasn't established what it does, how it does it, and whom it does it for.
What would your business health look like with more qualified leads?
Do you have a sustainable way to attract new clients?
Are you struggling to be seen as a credible, authoritative resource on industry trends and tactics?
Is time spent on new business tactics that generate minimal results?
Are you failing to attract clients outside of your city or region?
Are you failing at marketing yourself?
What's the biggest hole in your marketing today?
Don't assume it's more leads. It may be but for many businesses it might be content. Is your content the right type for the right people?
How can you better identify and align your marketing and sales goals?
What are the actual number of leads that you need to get the number of sales that you want ?
How does that tie into your overall financial model?
Doesn't matter what size business you're in; solopreneur to a 1,000 person company. There are alignment tools available that can help you get visibility on the data and better align the answers to these questions.
Remember, you can't be all things to all prospects.
You may need to differentiate yourself, create remarkable content for your target customers, and discover the pain points, wants, and needs of your audience.
What do you do to market your business? How do you track the success of your investment? I'd love to hear your feedback.


text:
Q: Well definedness of square roots of separating Dehn Twists Let $c_1,c_2,c_3,c_4,c_5$ be a five chain of circles on a genus 2 surface (i.e $i(c_k,c_{k+1})=1$ and zero otherwise). Then $(T_{c_1} T_{c_2})^6 = (T_{c_4} T_{c_5})^6 = T_c$ where $c$ is a separating curve that bounds a neighborhood of $c_1$ and $c_2$ (and also bounds a neighborhood of $c_4$ and $c_5$). This follows from the two chain relation. Then we can think of $(T_{c_1} T_{c_2})^3$ and $(T_{c_4} T_{c_5})^3$ as square roots of $T_c$. Are these two equal as mapping classes?

A: They are different.  In fact, they act differently on $H_1(\Sigma_2;\mathbb{Z})$.  Let $V \subset H_1(\Sigma_2;\mathbb{Z})$ be the span of the homology classes of $c_1$ and $c_2$, and let $W \subset H_1(\Sigma_2;\mathbb{Z})$ be the span of the homology classes of $c_4$ and $c_5$.  You can then calculate the $(T_{c_1} T_{c_2})^3$ acts by $-1$ on $V$ while fixing $W$, but $(T_{c_4} T_{c_5})^3$ acts by $-1$ on $W$ while fixing $V$.
There is by now a large literature on what kinds of roots a Dehn twist has, starting with
D. Margalit, S. Schleimer
Dehn twists have roots.
Geom. Topol. 13 (2009), no. 3, 1495-1497.
and continuing with
D. McCullough, Darryl, K. Rajeevsarathy, Kashyap
Roots of Dehn twists.
Geom. Dedicata 151 (2011), 397-409.
and
K. Rajeevsarathy
Roots of Dehn twists about separating curves.
J. Aust. Math. Soc. 95 (2013), no. 2, 266–288.
and
N. Monden
On roots of Dehn twists.
Rocky Mountain J. Math. 44 (2014), no. 3, 987–1001.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


VATICAN CITY, January 16, 2018 (LifeSiteNews) – Concern and controversy were stirred up when leading abortion activist Liliane Ploumen displayed on Dutch television a pontifical honor bestowed on her during a visit to the Vatican in 2017.
Ploumen boasted that she had received a "high distinction from the Vatican, from the Pope," in a video broadcast. Reception into the Order of St. Gregory is known to be given for "meritorious service to the Church," so Ploumen has legitimate boasting rights.
According to a joint report filed by OnePeterFive and The Lepanto Institute, which broke the story, "The SheDecides initiative came in response to the funding gap for "family planning" facilities around the world created after U.S. President Donald Trump reinstated the Mexico City Policy, which blocks American federal funding for NGOs providing abortion services. Within six months, SheDecides — which has the support of 60 countries — had received pledges totaling $300 million (USD).
All this occurred within the months immediately preceding Ploumen's reception of the Vatican Award in June 2017, but somehow, presumably, escaped Vatican vetting.
Catholics around the world, stunned by the news, reached out to the Vatican for an explanation for awarding a politician who strongly supports abortion – and homosexuality – such an honor.
Also on Monday, Holland's Cardinal Wim Eijk, a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, distanced himself from the controversy, saying he had no part in the Vatican's action.
Steve Skojec of OnePeterFive said he reached out to Greg Burke, director of the Holy See Press Office, several days ago for clarification but received no response.
Instead, perhaps galled by the OnePeterFive and The Lepanto Institute report last week, the Vatican felt pressured to make an announcement to calm the choppy waters Ploumen's award had stirred up and finally issued a statement.
Vatican officials are dismissing this as a matter of standard protocol, saying Ploumen received "the ancient papal honor as 'diplomatic practice' for a visiting official head of state delegation to the Vatican," according to a report by the National Catholic Register's Ed Pentin.
"The honor of the Pontifical Order of St. Gregory the Great received by Mrs. Lilianne Ploumen, former Minister of Development, in June 2017 during the visit of the Dutch Royals to the Holy Father, responds to the diplomatic practice of the exchange of honors between delegations on the occasion of official visits by Heads of State or Government in the Vatican.
Why was no vetting process applied to the distribution of these awards?
Why was a 186-year-old papal decoration created to bestow a supreme honor on those who have served the Church well being given out like a commemorative Vatican snow globe or a pope pencil in a VIP visitor goody bag?
Why was there no statement condemning or distancing the Vatican from Ploumen's public comments in which she says she was awarded a "prize" by a Vatican that probably knew what she was about in confirmation of her work?
Why was there no expression of remorse that an award was given to one of the most effective single promoters of abortion in the world today?
Why was the award not recalled?
If the reward could not be recalled without creating a diplomatic crisis, why was there nothing in the statement encouraging Ploumen to voluntarily return it, or at the very least stop using it to mislead people into thinking the pope was rubber stamping her agenda?
Ploumen's activism extends beyond abortion to outrageous promotion of gay rights.


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All intellectual property rights in relation to this website are reserved and owned by B&M Engineers Ltd.


text:
Bukit Batok by-election: Chee calls for tighter immigration policy after ISA detentions
Dr Chee Soon Juan has called for Singapore's immigration policy to be tightened.PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN
Video of Bukit Batok by-election: Chee calls for tighter immigration policy after ISA detentions
May 4, 2016, 2:07 pm SGT
http://str.sg/44Pk
Lim Yan Liang
yanliang@sph.com.sg
SINGAPORE - Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan said Singapore's immigration policy has to be tightened, a day after the Ministry of Home Affairs announced that eight Bangladeshi workers were detained for plotting violent attacks back home.
"We need to pay a lot more attention on people who come into our shores," he said in response to questions from reporters in Bukit Batok on Wednesday (May 4), where he faces People's Action Party (PAP) candidate Murali Pillai in a by-election this Saturday (May 7).
"You let in hundreds of thousands, millions, you've got to be asking yourself, there must be people there who are not properly vetted," he added.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs announced that the eight workers, aged between 26 and 34, called their group the Islamic State in Bangladesh. They had a list of targets, documents on weapons and bombmaking, and raised funds to buy firearms to carry out the attacks back home.
They have been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), which allows for detention without trial for two years in the first instance, and which is a law Dr Chee and the SDP have been outspoken against.
Bukit Batok by-election: Eldercare centre, 'emergency button' service on cards for older residents, says Murali
Bukit Batok by-election: All you need to know
But Dr Chee did not respond directly to questions on whether the ISA was needed and whether he felt it should be abolished, saying the case had "nothing to do" with it and "everything to do with immigration policy".
"Let's get at the root cause of the problem, that is where we need to stop this problem, before something really untoward happens here in Singapore," he said.
"It's really high time you address this problem, and the only way you can do this is when I get into Parliament. We will make sure that we raise this with the Home Affairs Minister, and ask him, give us the lowdown on who's coming into Singapore," he added.
"Yes we will need the talent, but what and how is the vetting process? These are all things that are hugely important, and right now I think we are not addressing it at this stage, and the Home Affairs Minister has a lot to answer for."
Dr Chee, who spent the morning greeting residents on their way to work and also cycling around the estate, also said PAP ministers had not been "challenged intellectually" in Parliament.
And he said he hoped Bukit Batok residents will change that when they vote on May 7.
He noted that both the PAP and SDP have proposed social programmes and pledged to take care of the estate and manage the town council well, but his party's "comparative advantage" was in what it would do in Parliament.
"Whether it's retrenchment insurance, whether it's on CPF, whether it's in the elderly getting more financial assistance, pushing for a bigger Budget to ensure that our elderly are taken care of, these are things that I think we have a tremendous advantage in terms of us going and making sure that some of these issues are pushed," he said.
Dr Chee added that should he be elected, he would make a "qualitative difference" to Parliament, and he would make sure that ministers are able to "justify their positions" on the issues that matter - something that he claimed has not been happening.
"When you begin to chip away at some of these arguments that they have been getting away with for so long - frankly some are very weak arguments - I think we are then going to start making some headway," he said. "I tell you, some of these ministers, they have not been challenged in terms of their arguments, they have not been challenged intellectually."
He cited the progressive wage model, which sets a wage ladder so cleaners and security guards can get higher pay as they upgrade their skills, as something that can be improved.
"You have this monthly wage (but) workers, before they work six to eight hours, and now they are stretched, they work more hours now," he said. "How do you rectify that, how do you address that problem? And if there are complaints, what happens?"
He added that "it doesn't make sense" that the model is not being extended to more industries, and said he would call for an independent "fair-wage commission" if he is elected.
SINGAPORE DEMOCRATIC PARTY
CHEE SOON JUAN
BUKIT BATOK BY-ELECTION


Dhi Qar Governorate (Arabic: ذي قار Dhī Qār) (or Dhi Qar Province) is a governorate in southern Iraq. The provincial capital is Nasiriyah. Prior to 1976 the governorate was known as Muntafiq Governorate. Dhi Qar was the heartland of the ancient Iraqi civilization of Sumer and the ruins of Ur, Eridu, Lagash, Larsa, Girsu, Umma, and Bad-tibira are located here.
In the mid 1990s the governor was Tahir Jalil Habbush al-Tikriti, who later became police chief of the country, and in 1999, director of the Iraqi Intelligence Service.
An Nasiriyah witnessed some of the heaviest fighting and some of the stiffest resistance against invading U.S. forces in 2003.


Baker takes special care to discuss how to promote gender equity in PreK science education environments. Gender equity in PreK requires that students have ample opportunities to engage in science-based activities that nurture their natural curiosities rather than stifling those interests early on. Baker cites research from The National Science Teachers Association (2014), which recommends that young learners be provided with long-term activities that promote exploration and curiosity. Teachers should also be sure to ask open-ended questions, engage with both boys and girls, pay close attention to girls' interests in relation to science, and leverage literature as a way to foster an interest in science across genders.
Baker stresses the importance of fostering competence, confidence, and self-efficacy in all science students. Teachers can contribute to girls' self-efficacy by creating opportunities for girls to engage in challenging tasks successfully and providing positive messages about competence. Science teachers can also boost self-efficacy by bringing science peer role models to the classroom and organizing learning activities that are not perceived as more appropriate or suitable for a specific gender.
Moving beyond gender diversity, Baker also notes that educators should be careful to address the diverse needs of English learners in science class, who may need additional supports in developing strong scientific discourse skills through communicative activities — for which gender dynamics should also be considered.
Baker suggests that educators use design-based activities to encourage students of all genders to experiment with engineering while addressing the Next Generation Science Standards. Hands-on activities in which students actively engage with complex science concepts can contribute to identity development in girls positively associated with STEM careers. Educators can also open windows to STEM careers for girls by actively aligning activities and projects to real-world issues that their female students individually care about.
To read Dr. Baker's paper in full, and to discover more teaching strategies and supporting research around gender equity in science education, see below or click here.


CVLUX caught up recently with Greer Grammer, daughter of Kelsey Grammer & Barrie Buckner. Following in the footsteps of her famous father, Kelsey Grammer, known for playing Dr. Frasier Crane of Frasier, and Greer's half-sister, Spencer Grammer, of ABC's Family's Greek, Greer is starring in the hit MTV series, Awkward. This highly popular show is entering its fifth season. In 2014 Greer graduated from University of Southern California with a degree in Theater Arts and in 2015 the Hollywood Foreign Press announced she was Miss Golden Globe. This Summer's viewers will be able to see Greer on Awkward (MTV), as well as Melissa & Joey (ABC).
CVLUX: So tell me about your first name.
GREER: Well, my Mom loved movies of the 40's & 50's. One of her favorite actresses was Greer Garson of the celebrated movie, Mrs. Miniver and Good Bye Mr. Chips. I was named after her.
CVLUX: Did you always want to be an actress?
GREER: I always wanted to be an actress and to perform. I love watching old movies on Turner Classic Movies, with beautiful actresses whom I admire like Grace Kelley and Audrey Hepburn. I really need to get back to that... I really do love singing and music.
CVLUX: You always look stunning when on the red carpet, or wherever. Do you have a stylist or make up person to help you and do you have a favorite designer you like to be seen wearing?
GREER: I have done my makeup and hair for a long time, but now, yes, I do have professional people who help augment my look. I really like the clothes of Alice + Olivia and Ted Baker.
CVLUX: What's the best advice you can give?
GREER: Don't compare yourself to others. There are so many times when I scroll through my Instagram and look at girls in magazines and think, "I'm not pretty enough; I have this; what's wrong with me; I have that," and that's something that I've really tried to stop. I used to be a very, very insecure teenager, but I feel like you have to get to this place where you're okay with who you are... You don't need to be like everyone else.
CVLUX: Is there one person who had the biggest impact on your life?
GREER: My parents of course had a huge impact on my life, but honestly, I'd say it would probably have to be my friend who was the nicest, kindest, genuinely good person I've ever met and passed away a couple of years ago. It had a huge effect on my life and just really made me realize that I need to live every day, not even to its fullest, but just in a more positive light.
CVLUX: What do you think would make the world a better place?
GREER: I believe the world would be a lot better if people had more tolerance for one another. Everybody is different... but it's about tolerance- understanding that we're all people at the end of the day, and that that's all right.


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International Physicists' Tournament 2016
8th edition | 17th-23rd April 2016, Paris-France
IPT General Infos
News of IPT 2016
Registration – closed
List of problems
Local committee
Click here to download the IPT 2016 Problem list in PDF format.
Release date: June 30, 2015.
Last revision : July 2, 2015.
1. Popsicle stick cobra
What and how do the speed and height of the wave travelling in a popsicle stick bomb depend on?
2. The torque
Why do screws loosen when they are vibrated? Under what conditions is it possible to use vibration to loosen them? Can the screws be made to tighten using vibrations?
3. Cooling Jug
In the old days, a clay pot cooler (also called a zeer or pot-in-pot cooler) was often used for keeping foodstuffs fresh in very hot and dry areas. Water was used to cool the inner pot as it flowed through a porous surface (such as sand) and subsequently evaporated. What is the minimum temperature that can be achieved using such a device and what does this minimum temperature depend upon? Explain what determines the rate of cooling?
4. Ferromagnetic sea
Design a ship which is able to move around on an ocean of a ferromagnetic fluid (ferrofluid) using variable and/or permanent magnets as part of the propulsion system. What is the maximum speed that can be reached by such a ship? In developing your design, you should base the principle of the ship movement on the interaction between the fluid and the field associated with the magnets.
5. Cracks on the glass
When a piece of glass is struck with a hammer, it may not break, but can crack instead. How does the density of the cracks depend on the distance from the point of impact? How does the crack density distribution depend on the impact force and on the parameters associated with the glass plate?
6. The "silencer"
Nobody likes neighbours who love listening to loud music! Propose a design for an electromagnetic cannon that is easy to make at home and which will generate electromagnetic disturbances strong enough to disrupt a neighbour's sound system. Propose your own criterion for the minimum level of noise required assuming that your main goal is to make your neighbor to stop listening to the music. Explain how the answer will change for a PC with an acoustic system. You should assume that the sound system is 5 metres away from you in a neighbouring room and that there is a 0.5 m ferroconcrete wall separating the two rooms. Note that your setup should not be able to injure the neighbour or his family and pets.
7. Greenhouse effect
Greenhouses are used to encourage vegetable growth and to increase the temperature using nothing but solar energy. What is the highest temperature that can be reached in a 1m² greenhouse?
8. Drop-jumping-jack
Build an apparatus that is capable of throwing a water drop on to a still water surface at a controlled angle of incidence. Explain the physics of how the drop can be made to bounce and optimize your design so that the drop bounces on the surface the maximum number of times. How does the average number of bounces depend on the incident angle, velocity and size of the drop? Will your results change qualitatively if you used honey instead of water?
9. Sultry day
If you look along a heated surface the image often appears hazy because of density fluctuations in the heated air above the surface. Can one determine the temperature of the surface using this effect? What is the precision of such a measurement?
10. Water bomb
A balloon filled with water is thrown from a large height. How far will the water splash after the balloon hits the ground? What parameters influence the range of splashing and how?
11. True quantum randomizer
Propose a random number generator with more or less uniform and stable probability distribution which exhibits strongly quantum behaviour. Consider ways to optimize the device in order to achieve the maximal bit rate or minimal response time.
12. Half-empty bottle
If you push a horizontally lying bottle half-full of water, it will roll forward with an oscillating speed. What does the magnitude of the oscillations in speed depend upon and how?
13. Cross-talking metronomes
One hundred metronomes are laid-out on a table and set running at random intervals. After a while their motion will become synchronized. What is the time required for all the metronome oscillations to be in phase? What are the important parameters that influence this phase locking behaviour?
14. Sticky balloon
When a balloon is rubbed on your hair it can often be made to stick to the ceiling. How long can such a balloon hang suspended? How does this time depend on its size, weight and the ambient conditions?
15. Electric fountain
Make a fountain that pumps water continuously using only the energy of two AA batteries. Determine the maximum height that the water pumped by your fountain can reach and compare this to the theoretical maximum height. Determine the key parameters that influence the maximum height.
16. Magnetic cannon
Consider a line of steel balls that are stuck to a strong magnet. If an additional ball collides with the line, the final ball will be ejected at high speed. Determine the maximum speed that the final ball can have. How does this speed depend upon the position of the magnet in the line and other properties of the system?
17. Looking for the signs of civilization
It is difficult to imagine a civilization without war. Propose the least expensive setup that is required to observe the explosion of an atomic bomb of Hiroshima strength in the Alpha Centauri solar system. How will the answer change for a H-bomb (100 Mton TNT equivalent)?
Copyright © 2023 International Physicists' Tournament 2016. All rights reserved.


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Think of the hatred in Israel today
Posted byneaseno May 13, 2021 Posted inUncategorized
Joseph's Saga (3): God's Plan Unfolds
By Julia BlumMay 6, 2021One comment
We are still at the very beginning of Genesis 37, that fateful chapter where Joseph's story begins. I promised to show you how God's plan unfolds – and the very first thing you would notice if you read these verses in Hebrew, is how many times the word "hate" occurs here. Joseph's older brothers hated Joseph, they were so jealous of him that "they could not speak peaceably to him"[1] (literally, the text says that they could not even say "shalom" to him). And yet, even in this situation there had to be some trigger that made them lose control altogether. This trigger was Joseph's dreams.
Let us say a few words about the dreams in the book of Genesis. The various dreams occurring in Genesis can be divided into one of two categories. The first class comprises of those in which God actually addresses man (Genesis 20:3, for example), whilst the second class consists of dreams in the form of parables or pictures, which require interpretation. We will definitely speak more of the dreams when we will get to the second part of Joseph's saga; for now, it is sufficient to say that we have six dreams in this story (two by Joseph, two by prisoners, and two by pharaoh), and that all these dreams belong to the second group: the dreams that need interpretation. In a literary sense, they are like the skeleton of this whole story, holding it all together.
We read that Joseph's brothers lost control when Joseph began to share his dreams with them. In the first dream, he saw himself as an upright sheaf, while the sheaves of his brothers were bowing before him. In another dream, which Joseph told his brothers and his father, he saw the moon and the sun, along with eleven stars, bowing before him. After each dream, the text says that his brothers "hated him even more". And at some point, this hatred became an attempted murder. How? How did Joseph end up in Egypt?
The Father Sent the Son
We read in verse 13 that Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers feeding the flock in Shechem? Come, I will send you to them." People often wonder reading this verse: What was Jacob thinking? Why would he send the 17-years old boy, alone and clearly overdressed, on this dangerous journey to check on his brothers who hated him? He must have known that the brothers were not exactly very fond of Joseph, so, why did he do it? No wonder Joseph suspected that his father, from the very beginning, may have been involved in the plot—Jacob's decision seemed to have no rational explanation.
Last time, I wrote that through this extremely strange and inexplicable decision, God's plan began to unfold. Jacob is called Israel here, and therefore we know that he is acting as an instrument in God's hands. He is not just acting as a loving and worrying father, he is God's instrument here: "So he sent him out of the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.[2]"
A Certain Man Found Him
We read that when Joseph reached Shechem, "a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field."[3] Who was this "certain man"? His namelessness suggests a comparison with the nameless man who wrestled with Jacob at Penuel; we can therefore suppose that it was an angel or some divine being – at least, that is what we read in the Jewish commentaries. The interesting thing, however, is that the angel didn't send him away from his brothers, but sent him to his brothers. Have you ever really thought about it? When Joseph reached Shechem and did not find his brothers, with a clear conscience, he could have returned to Jacob: he did what he had been told to do, he went to Shechem, and it was not his fault that the brothers were not there. Probably, later on, following in the caravan of his new masters, he must have thought a lot about this "man" and of this "fatal" encounter: why was this man there? How did he know where his brothers were? Why did he send him to his brothers? As sad as it sounds, though, this story should be an encouragement for us: when something wrong happens, we tend to ask whether we missed God's guidance; whether we were out of God's will? However, as we see from this story, sometimes God guides us right into the trouble, not away from it. "The man" sent Joseph to Dothan – and if before that, the boy had been "wandering in the field," from now on God's hand firmly led him on the narrow path (even it didn't feel like that at the time).
Here is a description of Dothan from an old book:
"Dothan was beautifully situated, about twelve miles from Samaria. Northwards spread richest pasture-lands; a few swelling hills separated it from the great plain of Esdraelon. From its position, it must have been the key to the passes of Esdraelon, and so, as guarding the entrance from the north, not only of Ephraim but of Palestine itself. On the crest of one of those hills the extensive ruins of Dothan are still pointed out, and at its southern foot still wells up a fine spring of living water. Is this one of the two wells from which Dothan derived its name? From these hills, Gideon afterward descended upon the host of Midian. It was here that Joseph overtook his brethren, and was cast into the dry well. And it was from that height that the sons of Jacob must have seen the Arab caravan slowly winding from Jordan on its way to Egypt, when they sold their brother, in the vain hope of binding the word and arresting the hand of God."[4]
Ishmaelites
Writing from Jerusalem of today, I couldn't help but notice an interesting detail in this narrative. Joseph is Isaac's grandson and Abraham's great-grandson, which means that the story of Joseph happens only two generations after Hagar and Ishmael were sent out from Abraham's camp – but already, the Ishmaelites that pass by the company of Isaac's grandsons seem complete strangers to all of them. When the brothers see a caravan of passing merchants, they identify them as "Ishmaelites" in the same matter-of-fact, detached way that they would recognize any other tribe or nationality: as foreigners and strangers who had nothing to do with them. Isn't that strange? Just two generations after Isaac and Ishmael, and there is no hint of family ties, no trace of any kind of kinship. Nothing! In the lifespan of two generations, Isaac and Ishmael's families have become completely estranged from one another!
This is a very sober and stern lesson for us, living in the conflict-torn modern Israel. How can we expect any feelings of kinship or family between us today if already back then, two generations after the time when Isaac and Ishmael were part of the same family, their descendants were absolute strangers to each other? Obviously, this huge gap between Isaac and Ishmael's descendants goes all the way back to the very moment Ishmael was banished from the family. If we want this gap to be filled, if we want this fracture to be healed, we have to start from the very beginning and go all the way back, as well. The Lord is the only One who can heal these wounds – and it is for this healing process we fervently pray. I believe He wants us to be together in Abraham's family, so we can be together in His plan.
[1] Gen.37:4
[2] Gen. 37:14
[3] Gen 37:15
[4] Alfred Edresheim, Bible History: Old Testament.
Incomprehensible language
Beginnings/Bereshit