text:
5 benefits of solar energy for a Kenyan flower farm
Written by Lynn Hamerlinck on 6 January 2022
A two-hour drive outside the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, you find the lush Nakuru County, located on the shore of Lake Naivasha. The area's primary industry is agriculture, especially floriculture. Together with my colleague Adriaan, I had the opportunity to visit Shalimar Flower Farm, one of Redavia's clients. The farm covers 350 hectares of land and grows roses and vegetables, which are then packed locally and exported to over 35 countries worldwide.
We were accompanied by Ann Karimi, Group Head of Marketing and Sales Support at Redavia Solar, and Victor Senkomo,who is their Senior Application Engineer. While Adriaan and Victor discussed technical challenges, Ann and I exchanged about the reality clients face and the impact Redavia solar farms are creating.
REDAVIA offers solar power plant leasing services and deployed a 428 kWp solar power system at this particular flower farm. That's 1,500 solar panels lined up. A local Redavia specialist manages the installation, operations, and maintenance of the solar farm once the unit is on-site. Shalimar is currently Redavia's biggest solar power plant yet deployed in Kenya and one of the largest solar-powered farms in the region.
Learn more about Redavia in this email interview with Founder and CEO Erwin Spolders.
Operational Manager Julius showed us the impact of the solar energy on the farm
It was the first time for Adriaan and I to visit a solar farm in operation, and we were glad to have Julius, Operational Manager at the Shalimar Flower Farm, to show us around the whole site. "Implementing solar energy has changed the possibilities for growth for the farm and community of Naivasha tremendously," he says.
Here's the impact we saw first-handed during our visit:
1. Reduction on Energy Costs
The high cost of electricity and frequent power outages are one of the major challenges the farming industry in sub-Saharan Africa faces. Redavia tackles both by offering flexible lease agreements for solar units with minimal upfront investment. For the flower farm in particular, the solar units help reduce costs on the energy bill while providing a constant supply of clean energy during daylight hours. The unit also supports existing power structures by supplementing the utility grid or on-site diesel generators. It works for the Shalimar Flower Farm, as they record remarkable savings from their solar generation system which allows the farm to grow sustainably.
Our Kenyan correspondent Charity wrote about electrical power in her country and explains the phenomenons of blackouts and brownouts in this article.
Ann, Adriaan, and Victor at the biggest Redavia solar power plant in Kenya
2. Pumping Water with Solar Energy
A pretty obvious requirement for flowers to grow and blossom is water. On the farm site, there's a huge water reservoir to water the plants and vegetables. Lake Naivasha being only a couple of kilometers away, is the perfect source for the reservoir. Pumping water from the lake used to consume a lot of electricity. Now that the pump runs on solar power from their solar unit, the farm can cut a huge cost off the electrical bill.
3. Cooling Warehouses with Solar Energy
Unlike us, the employees in the warehouses were well-equipped with cold storage suits to protect them from the freezing temperatures inside. While being packed, the freshly picked roses and vegetables are kept cool until their arrival in the respective buyers' countries to ensure they stay fresh longer. Before installing the solar plant, these cold warehouses used to be the most significant energy-consuming areas of the farm.
Fairtrade roses ready for transportation
4. Build Extra Greenhouses
With the money saved by switching to solar energy, the farm was able to invest in extra greenhouses to grow more flowers and vegetables. In one of the newest greenhouses, we met Florence, who was hard at work. This flower magician propagates and harvests different varieties of roses. The plants need two weeks to sprout and another 53 days before being harvested.
Florence: "I always carry my flowers like a baby!"
5. Create Employment
More greenhouses mean more employees. Every greenhouse employs 30 people, and in total, 1,500 people from the Naivasha community work at the farm. There is a good mix of gender farm-wide with a majority of women working in the green- and packhouses and men in the technical departments.
We met Felix while he was taking care of the solar panels. He is 21 years old and has worked at the flower farm for one year now. He met Victor from Redavia when the solar plant was being installed and was assigned to take care of the site under the supervision of Julius. Felix takes care of the solar panels in the mornings by cleaning them and weeding the vegetation below the panels. His passion is to fix things, so when it gets too hot outside around noon, he heads to the garage to help fix cars and machines. "I hope to gain more experience and become the new Julius one day," he said when I asked him about his goals.
Felix: "It's my job to take care of the solar panels."
More solar for larger companies
It was quite impressive to see the impact of a solar plant on this company. Not only does solar energy in this way turn around the environmental impact of a large flower farm, but it also creates a significant social impact as it opens doors to more decent employment in a local community.
To enable further sustainable development in the value chain, REDAVIA is also working with transport companies, mainly for powering their cooling infrastructure near JKIA airport in Nairobi. Cargo logistics, as known, would still benefit greatly from more sustainable options.
Currently, Redavia is working hard to grow its operations in Kenya, and Lendahand is contributing to its success. Ann Karimi says: "Thanks to the crowdfunding of Lendahand, Redavia has been able to support several businesses in Kenya and Ghana, creating jobs and also reducing operational costs for clients. And with that, clients have been able to do a lot of expansion of their businesses. We look forward to more of this support because there is a lot more we can do."
Asante Sana Ann, Victor, and Julius, for your hospitality!
Keep an eye on our projects page, or turn on your email notifications, so you don't miss new projects that impact local communities in emerging markets.


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text:
Q: Can I retrieve the list of all items in an enumeration/type? I was wondering, is it possible to retrieve a list of all items in an enumeration?
For example I defined:
typedef enum YouJustUnlocked {
    Unlocked_A,
    Unlocked_B,
    //etc... many more
    Unlocked_Nothing,
}YouJustUnlocked;

Is there a way to retrieve the list of all "items" (inaccurate word) in the newly defined eumeration type YouJustUnlocked?
Is this supported by Objective-C?
I would like something like:
NSArray * array = [YouJustUnlocked returnAllItemsInWrapperObjectForm];
YouJustUnlocked item = (YouJustUnlocked) [array objectAtIndex:0];
//Assuming that array will contain some sort of wrapper object (like NSInteger)

A: No, that's not possible without using an equivalent list of descriptions:
YourClass.h:
typedef enum YouJustUnlocked {
    Unlocked_A,
    Unlocked_B,
    //etc... many more
    Unlocked_Nothing,
    // Add this:
    Num_Unlocked
}YouJustUnlocked;

YourClass.m:
static NSString *_youJustUnlockedDesc[Num_Unlocked] = {
    @"Unlocked_A",
    @"Unlocked_B",
    //etc... many more
    @"Unlocked_Nothing",
}

@implementation YourClass

+ (NSString *)youHaveUnlockedDesc:(YouJustUnlocked)yju {
    NSAssert(yju < Num_Unlocked, @"Out-of-range");
    return _youJustUnlockedDesc[yju];
}

...

@end

Notes:

*

*The typedef will be in the header file, while the description array will be within the implementation file.

*The Unlocked_Nothing should, conventionally, be the first element of the enum.

A: IF the values of your enum are contiguous, you could perhaps do something like this:
typedef enum {
        eUnlockedNothing = 0,
        eUnlockedA, /* inferred that this is 1 */
        eUnlockedB,
        eUnlockedMax
    } YouJustUnlocked;

NSMutableArray *array = [NSMutableArray array];
for (int i = eUnlockedNothing + 1; i < eUnlockedMax; i++)
{
    [array addObject:@(eUnlockedNothing + i)];
}

YouJustUnlocked item = (YouJustUnlocked) [[array objectAtIndex:0] intValue]; //enums are default ints.

The result is that you have an array of your enum values that you can access by index. This array doesn't include the eUnlockedNothing or eUnlockedMax values.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
STRATEGY HURTING GORDON
ED HINTON ON MOTOR SPORTSSOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL
Second verse, same as the first: What's wrong with Jeff Gordon?
Now there's an answer to the whole song, the one that goes back to last year, when he ran up a 31-race losing streak before winning three races.
It's fairly simple, after all: The racing style that brought Gordon perhaps 50 of his 61 career victories is over the hill.
Not the driving style. That's as aggressive as ever -- witness his two ferocious charges at Bobby Labonte on restarts last Sunday at Atlanta.
And not the man. He has been adamant that his divorce proceedings haven't distracted him at the tracks. And he has proved that, if you've watched him closely in the garages every weekend. The guy is focused.
In his personal life, at 31, he is in many ways younger -- certainly freer -- than he was in 1998, when he won a record-tying 13 races.
It's the racing style, the strategy, that is washed up.
"When I first came into Winston Cup," he said this week, "you could run the first half of the race in sort of a 'save' mode, to save tires and equipment. Then you could start running hard and battling for the win in the second half."
By the end of his sophomore season, 1994, he had earned a virtual Ph.D. in tire conservation under the master crew chief who launched him, Ray Evernham. In '95, Gordon won seven races and the first of four championships and went on to three consecutive seasons of double-digit wins.
And nowhere was the secret more evident than at Darlington Raceway, the site of this Sunday's Carolina Dodge Dealers 400. All you had to do, through the '90s, was listen to Evernham's coaching on the radio: "Nice and easy. Save your tires. ... Nice and smooth. Save your tires."
Gordon became the young master of Darlington, NASCAR's oldest superspeedway. Five of his six wins there would come utilizing his "save mode." It was in the elegant style of David Pearson, the all-time maestro (10 wins) of the warped old track called "The Lady in Black."
Pearson, considered the best NASCAR driver ever by many experts, paid Gordon his ultimate compliment in the '90s: "He reminds me of myself."
Gordon's consistent winning, as typified at Darlington, largely was a matter of pacing.
"You just can't do that anymore," Gordon said.
Times changed in a blur: Tires became harder and no longer needed conservation; engineers and formulas displaced crew chiefs and savvy in the calculation of chassis setups; engines could endure more and higher stresses; young drivers who were too ignorant of mechanics to argue with engineers just sat down, shut up, floored the throttles and won.
The youngsters, thrown into sink-or-swim rides with major teams -- and knowing they could lose those top rides any day -- began treating every lap of every race as the last one.
"You just have to run so hard," Gordon said. "A lot of it is just the downforce and everything these cars have now -- they can withstand that."
All in all, conditions have reversed the roles of Gordon and his protege/teammate, Jimmie Johnson, who won three races last year and barely lost Rookie of the Year honors to Ryan Newman.
Gordon has become the pupil. Johnson? Well, he's not so much the teacher as the open mind who'll try any setup the engineers throw at him.
"I've definitely learned some things from Jimmie," Gordon said. "I was able to look at what he was doing when they [Johnson's branch of the team] were fast. The first half of last year I wasn't really running the same setups because I just wasn't comfortable with them. As the year went on, I got more comfortable with them."
Now it's a matter of Gordon conditioning himself to use the more aggressive setups earlier in the race -- indeed, from start to finish.
Last Sunday at Atlanta, the mind-set change was evident. Starting 30th, Gordon was 19th after 20 laps and continued to pick off a position every couple of laps until he was second on Lap 56.
He led Lap 60 and was a contender the rest of the way. But Labonte simply had the better of their two Chevrolets at the end, and he met Gordon's aggression with aggression, bumping Gordon out of the way to take the lead for keeps with 11 laps left.
Just the other day, it seems, the NASCAR nation was wondering when, not if, Gordon would break the career record for championships (seven) shared by Petty and Earnhardt.
Now Gordon himself feels vulnerable to a whole sport passing him by.
"Absolutely, if you're not willing to learn and put your ego aside," he said. "Everybody always wants to know who is the best driver. I don't think there is such a thing because there's always somebody newer or better or faster or stronger or smarter.
"If you're not willing to accept that and allow yourself to get better and learn from others, whether it's a young guy coming up or a veteran, you're definitely going to be left behind."
Labonte looks strong
Who's looking strongest in Winston Cup racing right now? Sometimes you can't pinpoint these things with statistics or performance charts. Sometimes you just have to eyeball the cars on the tracks, lap in, lap out.
For three weeks running now, on unrestricted, intermediate-sized tracks -- the most prevalent on the tour -- Bobby Labonte has shown the most flashes of muscle.
Before dominating Atlanta all afternoon then strong-arming Gordon at the end, Labonte and his new crew chief, Michael "Fatback" McSwain, had gone into Rockingham and Las Vegas "with the same amount of confidence we had" going into Atlanta, Labonte said.
Labonte's Chevrolet looked like a potential winner early at Rockingham on Feb. 23, but then "a cut-down tire threw us off there, and we couldn't get caught back up ... ," he said.
"In Las Vegas we qualified on the pole, but weren't very spiffy for the first 20 laps. But we were better off after that," finishing fourth.
Darlington is intermediate-sized at 1.366 miles, but its egg shape makes it unusual.
"I've got one win there, and it was lucky," Labonte said. That was in the Southern 500 in 2000, when he stayed out during a late caution and found himself in the lead just as a rainstorm ended the race.
Cart cuts elkhart
Of all CART's road races, none was more rustic nor beloved in its region than the annual garden party at Road America near Elkhart Lake, Wis. It was a highly anticipated midsummer outing for many in Chicago and Milwaukee.
Now it is gone. CART this week "regretfully" canceled this year's Grand Prix of Road America, citing non-payment of sanctioning fees. The race had been scheduled for Aug. 3.
Saying they were "surprised and disappointed," track officials maintained that "Road America has been acting in good faith in its dealings with CART, and we have met all of our financial obligations under our agreement with CART."
On pit row
Sunday's race at Darlington will mark the 500th Winston Cup start for Dale Jarrett and the 700th for Bill Elliott.
Ed Hinton can be reached at ehinton@tribune.com.
Bobby Labonte

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Three saddle up for Eurogroup horse race
Finance officials see ministers from Spain, Ireland, Luxembourg vying to succeed Centeno in key post.
Eurogroup President Mário Centeno will step down next month | Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images
By Bjarke Smith-Meyer and Paul Ames
June 9, 2020 9:15 pm CET
The finance ministers of Spain, Ireland and Luxembourg will likely be in the running for Eurogroup president when incumbent Mário Centeno steps down next month.
Centeno resigned from the Portuguese government on Tuesday and announced he will not run for a second term leading the eurozone's informal club of finance ministers.
The Eurogroup presidency, which carries a term of two and a half years, has no legal status. Yet it became one of Europe's most influential economic posts during the crises of the last dozen years, leading the 19 countries to thrash out bailouts such as those that kept Greece in the euro.
"On Thursday, I will inform my Eurogroup colleagues of my decision not to seek a second mandate, as by 15 June I will step down as finance minister of Portugal," Centeno tweeted. "I will launch the call for candidates and outline the process for the election," which is scheduled for July 9.
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North-South divisions exposed in the debates of recent years have turned the talking shop into a battleground, often pitting ministers in all-night negotiations over proposals such as a eurozone budget. The next Eurogroup chief will have to bridge the chasm and bring fresh impetus to plans for deeper financial integration to protect citizens against future crises — as well as the present turmoil brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
The economic heavyweights don't always hold sway over the consensus-seeking group.
Top treasury officials from across the eurozone expect Spain's Nadia Calviño, Ireland's Paschal Donohoe and Luxembourg's Pierre Gramegna to come forward as candidates once Centeno calls for nominations Thursday.
All three ministers declined to comment on their possible candidacies.
Gramegna, from a liberal political party, retweeted Centeno's departure message with the comment "Congratulations Mario for what you achieved as a President of the #Eurogroup, especially the ambitious financial responses to the challenges of the #Covid19 pandemic. I appreciated our bilateral cooperation & wish you all the best for the future."
Donohoe, a center-right politician, expressed his regret about Centeno's decision, describing the Portuguese in an emailed statement as an "excellent President of the Eurogroup and he is not only a colleague, but also a friend."
The Irishman is still in the throes of helping to form a new government in Dublin following February's general election. "It is hoped this process can be concluded in the near future," a spokesperson said.
Calviño, from Centeno's Socialist political group, thanked the Portuguese on Twitter, saying, "It has been a great pleasure to work closely during these last years and I hope we'll continue to cooperate wherever life takes you."
Such friendly greetings online paper over policy divisions behind the scenes. Support for the candidates likely will depend on whether other governments agree with their positions on proposals for deeper economic integration among the eurozone countries.
Treasury officials expect France and Germany to back Calviño due to her support for ambitious initiatives such as the eurozone budget.
A Calviño presidency would keep the current balance between party groups and regions among the EU's top jobs intact. Like Centeno, she hails from a socialist government in Southern Europe.
However, a Spanish socialist, Josep Borrell, already holds another big EU post — that of foreign policy chief. Having two ex-members of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government in top EU jobs may seem like overkill to other member countries.
And the economic heavyweights don't always hold sway over the consensus-seeking group. The Netherlands, seen as a bell cow for less integrationist Northern countries, sees Gramegna or Donohoe as taking on concerns of Northern as well as Southern policymakers.
Centeno's shuffle
Candidates have been preparing for a race since at least February. Centeno's departure was widely expected in Portugal where he's been linked for months with a move to the governor's office at the Bank of Portugal, which becomes vacant in early July.
Popular and widely respected for overseeing unbroken growth and securing the country's first budget surplus for decades, Centeno has been a star of the Socialist administration that came to office in 2015.
Yet, in recent weeks, tensions have emerged with Prime Minister António Costa over a €850 million state loan to a loss-making bank in May and, last week, the appointment of former oil company executive António Costa Silva to oversee Portugal's post-pandemic recovery plan.
A move to the central bank could also raise some resistance from lawmakers in the center-right Social Democrats (PSD), arguing Centeno wouldn't be independent if he comes straight from the government.
Centeno's resignation came minutes after the government approved his supplementary budget designed to help the country cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to official forecasts, the economy will shrink by 6.9 percent this year and drive unemployment up to 9.6 percent, from 6.5 percent in 2019.
Tensions have emerged between Centeno and Portugal's Prime Minister António Costa over a €850 million state loan | Patricia de Melo Moreira/AFP via Getty Images
Centeno's replacement, João Leão, will present the budget in parliament, where it's expected to be approved June 19.
As state budget secretary for the past five years, Leão, 46, has worked closely with Centeno and is expected to stick to his predecessor's commitment to a return to sound finances after the COVID-19 crisis.
"We're going to get our accounts in order again," Leão, told reporters in a short statement after his appointment was announced.
Like Harvard alumnus Centeno, Leão, is U.S.-educated. He got his doctorate in economics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Portugal is pushing ahead with the reopening of its economy, even as the virus makes a recovery focused on Lisbon suburbs. Tuesday saw 421 new cases nationwide, the highest daily increase in a month.
Ivo Oliveira contributed reporting.
This article is part of POLITICO's premium policy service: Pro Financial Services. From the eurozone, banking union, CMU, and more, our specialized journalists keep you on top of the topics driving the Financial Services policy agenda. Email [email protected] for a complimentary trial.
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Throughout her day, Megan manages the marketing, administrative work and social media branding – her goal is to make KBF by Audi an organically well-known company because she believes everyone will trust and love KBF's precision and expertise. She enjoys socializing and getting to know people so, she finds herself at networking events, learning more about the industry and acclimating herself to the environment of contractors and designers.
Megan is a very family and friend-oriented person who's always up for a new experience or adventure. Her favorite pastimes include yoga, hiking and loving her dog and she's guaranteed to be won over with a good pun or corny joke! Megan also enjoys traveling but especially loves the days where she's back home in Lebanon soaking in her culture first-hand with her family.
Since graduating from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science in Housing Design, Erica has been working as a designer in the Kitchen and Bath Industry. She is a very big people person who enjoys interacting with clients and the gratification of designing and completing a project that she can put her name on be proud of.
When asked why she enjoys working at KBF by Audi, she replied, "I can pursue my passion of designing. I feel as though it is more of a hobby than a job. I also enjoy the family-oriented atmosphere and how welcoming everyone is. We are a great team and it portrays into our work." Long term, Erica aspires to own her own design firm and be an award-winning designer!


This activity took place on a related bill, H.R. 5945 (115th).
H.R. 1350 is a bill in the United States Congress.
Corey Adams Searchlight Act, H.R. 1350, 116th Cong. (2019).
The overall text of the bill decreases its chances of being enacted. Although this bill has a low chance of enactment, there is 1 provision within this bill that the provision-level textual analysis considers likely to be enacted. There are often multiple bills with the same legal provisions within them. The bill's primary sponsor is from the state/territory: WI. The bill is assigned to the House Judiciary committee. The bill's primary subject is Crime and law enforcement.


text:
using FluentNHibernate.Mapping;
using LNF.Impl.Repository.Control;

namespace LNF.Impl.Mappings.Control
{
    internal class BlockConfigMap:ClassMap<BlockConfig>
    {
        internal BlockConfigMap()
        {
            Schema("sselControl.dbo");
            Id(x => x.ConfigID);
            Map(x => x.BlockID);
            Map(x => x.ModTypeID);
            Map(x => x.ModPosition);
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: jQueryUI does not work I'm a relatively inexperienced coder but this relatively 'simple' issue has me stumped. I created a new ASP MVC project in VS 2013 and added jquery and jqueryUI via Nuget. I'm trying to display a simple jquery modal and it will simply not load - the modal div is displayed as part of the parent page. In fact, any jqueryUI element (such as a datepicker) will produce an error such as :
    Uncaught TypeError: $(...).datepicker is not a function
I ran the following code to check whether jquery and jqueryUI are loaded, and both apparently are:
if (window.jQuery) {
alert("jQueryloaded");
}

if (typeof jQuery.ui != 'undefined') {
alert("UI Loaded");
}

Here is my code for a datepicker element:
<link rel="stylesheet" href="//code.jquery.com/ui/1.11.4/themes/smoothness/jquery-ui.css">

Date: <input type="text" id="datepicker">

I tried removing the include jquery and jqueryUI lines to see if the lines are possibly loaded twice, and they are not, as removal produced errors stating that jquery cannot be found.
I also tried referencing the libraries directly form jquery.com but no difference.
Note: MySurvey.js just contains some innocuous knockoutJS code that hasn't given me any issues in the past.


text:
"""
=============================
Create a rotating static plot
=============================

In addition to plotting dynamic timeseries data, the spin feature can be used to
visualize static data in an animated rotating plot.
"""

# Code source: Andrew Heusser
# License: MIT

# import hypertools
import hypertools as hyp

# load the geo
geo = hyp.load('weights_sample')

# plot
geo.plot(fmt='.', animate='spin')


text:
CBN Hikes Capital Requirements For Micro-finance Banks
File: CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has hiked the capital requirements for the operation of micro-finance banks in the country.
This was revealed in a circular by the CBN on Monday where it noted that the move was part of efforts to address inadequate capital base in the sub-sector.
According to the apex bank, the minimum capital requirement for unit and state microfinance banks is now N200m and N1bn in that order.
This is a 900 percent raise from N20m and N100m respective with that of national microfinance banks jumping by 150 percent to N5bn from N2bn.
Also, the bank said the development takes immediate effect for new applications with existing banks following the order with effect from April 1, 2020.
"The CBN has reviewed the state of health of the sub-sector and is of the view that microfinance banks, as presently constituted, would be unable to meet the critical targets set out in the Microfinance Policy, hence the need for specific reforms to strengthen the sub-sector and reposition microfinance banks towards improved performance," the CBN added.
"To meet these requirements, existing microfinance banks are expected to explore the possibility of mergers and acquisitions and/or direct injection of funds.
"The Revised Regulatory and Supervisory Guidelines for Microfinance Banks, Code of Corporate Governance for Microfinance Banks and sector-specific Prudential Guidelines for Microfinance Banks would be issued in due course."
2019 World Cup: Ex-Falcons Coach Laments Team's Qualification Struggles
2019 World Cup: What Super Falcons Coach Said After Controversial Defeat
2019 World Cup: What Happened To Me Against South Korea -Falcons Goalie
US Embassy Reacts To Rumoured Student Visa Ban
Latest Benue State Online News Headlines For Today June 17th
Benue: Ortom Congratulates World Powerlifting Champion Orhii
Increased Opportunities For Girls At The Expense Of Boys; Real Or...
Will Meghan Markle's Mother, Doria, Walk Her Down The Aisle?
Fela Kuti, Afrobeat, Daddy Freeze, Churches & National Development
The Future Of Human Labour And The Automation Of Industrial Processes


With the acquisition of Scott Safety, Detcon, Oldham, Simtronics and GMI, 3M has become one of the largest manufacturers of gas and flame detection products. These global brands bring together more than 100 years of industry experience across a wide range of innovative gas and flame detection solutions that save lives, improve businesses, and protect people where they live and work. Industry-leading products include portable and fixed monitors, gas measurement devices, alarms and controllers, and flame detectors, controllers for commercial and industrial applications.
With an industry-leading portfolio of products, our gas and flame detection solutions provide protection for today and confidence for tomorrow.
Whether you need a thermal imager for tactical purposes or hands-free capability for search and rescue, Scott Safety offers the latest thermal imaging technology for a multitude of applications.
Develop in-house instrumentation specialists with Detection eModules.


text:
Flower Demo is a Japanese social movement to protest sex crimes and sexual violence.

History
In March 2019, criticism against several court rulings in Japan came after the defendants of rape and quasi-rape charges were acquitted. On social media, feminist activist and author Minori Kitahara called for action. Flower Demo's first events were held in Tokyo and Osaka Prefecture on 11 April 2019. Kitahara did not plan to create a movement at that time, but hundreds of people attended these events and asked to tell their stories, which prompted her to call for another event. Since then, the Flower Demo events have been held every month, mostly on the 11th. In about a year, the movement has spread across the country.

At the Flower Demo event, groups of sexual violence victims and their supporters gather in public spaces to "protest against unjust acquittals of sexual crimes and seek changes to the law." Holding flowers as a symbol of solidarity for victims, participants listen to victims speak about their experiences.

On 11 September 2019, journalist Shiori Itō attended one of the Flower Demo events in front of Tokyo Station and delivered a speech. There, she put on the same clothes that she had been wearing at the time she was raped, stating, "I want to raise awareness that regardless of what clothes a person wears, it doesn't mean they have given sexual consent."

On the International Women's Day of 8 March 2020, the Flower Demo events were held in 47 cities of 38 prefectures.

References

External links

Feminism in Japan
Sexual abuse advocacy and support groups

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Delhi hosts Hyderabad in match 16 of IPL 2019.
After a shambolic defeat against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP), Delhi Capitals, formerly Delhi Daredevils, now take on Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League 2019 (IPL 2019) match 16 at Feroz Shah Kotla ground. With two wins from four matches, Delhi are currently placed fifth on the IPL 2019 points table and will be looking for their third win. Meanwhile, if you are looking for DC vs SRH free live streaming online and telecast then scroll below for all the details. Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad Live Cricket Score.
Sunrisers Hyderabad, on the other hand, are placed third on the IPL 2019 points table with two wins from three matches. After losing their opening match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Sunrisers defeated Rajasthan Royals (RR) and recently Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The look in hot form and will be hoping to complete a hat-trick of victories.
The Shreyas Iyer-led Capitals, in their last game, suffered a batting collapse and lost the match despite being in a comfortable situation. Beating Sunrisers won't be an easy job especially after morale shaking defeat against KXIP. DC vs SRH, IPL 2019, Delhi Weather & Pitch Report: Here's How the Weather Will Behave for Indian Premier League 12's Match Between Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The IPL broadcast rights are with Star Sports Network. So, DC vs SRH IPL 2019 match live telecast will be available on Star Sports 1/HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi/HD. Star Sports Select 1/HD will also provide the live telecast of the match. Apart from these, the DC vs SRH match live broadcast will be provided on Star Sports Bangla, Star Sports Kannada, Star Sports Tamil, and Star Sports Telugu TV channels. DC vs SRH, IPL 2019 Match 16, Key Players: David Warner to Colin Ingram to Jonny Bairstow, These Cricketers Are to Watch Out for at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium.
With Star Sports owning the broadcast rights, the live streaming of Delhi Capitals vs Sunrisers Hyderabad IPL 2019 match will be available on Hotstar mobile app and official website. For live score updates DC vs SRH match, fans can follow that here on LatestLY.


text:
Hyannis Fire Department
Kat Szmit
Conditions at the Hyannis Fire Station have been deteriorating for years, to the point of making employees of the department physically sick.
Union puts commissioners on notice
Conditions at the Hyannis Fire Station have been deteriorating for years, to the point of making employees of the department physically sick. Now, the firefighters union local 2172 has put its sentiments in writing via a letter from their attorney, Paul Hynes, requesting line of duty pay for the four members of the department suffering from illnesses believed to have been caused by mold and ventilation issues in the aging building on High School Road.
"We got a letter from the union's lawyer expressing displeasure with the current working conditions in the firehouse," said Peter Cross, commission clerk.
To be answered is whether the illnesses will be considered similar to an on-duty injury or simply illness.
"(The union believes) that it's the living conditions in the bunk room (that are causing the illnesses)," said Commission Chair Paul Sullivan. "They want to know what we're doing about it."
That the firehouse is in rough shape is no secret, but with firefighters falling ill due to the conditions, the pressure is on to find a workable solution, Cross said. That means not only locating temporary living quarters for the men and women who work for the department, but also finding a way of helping voters understand all that is involved in planning the desired new building.
First up is a special meeting to be held April 8 for the purpose of asking voters to approve the use of roughly $825,000 from a stabilization fund for vital repairs at the firehouse, funds Cross emphasized will not impact the tax rate. While repairs are needed immediately, Sullivan said that permission for use of the funds must come first and can be a time-consuming process.
"Things can't happen overnight when you're talking about taxpayer money," Sullivan said.
The question regarding the funds is how best to spend them. Cross said the firehouse roof is a top priority since its leaks are a major source of the water problems that are causing mold growth in the walls of the station. Once the roof is repaired, however, the ensuing problem involves cleaning up the mold, which will require firefighters to bunk in temporary quarters during the process.
"In order to remediate the mold, we're probably looking at having to get the firefighters out of the building for a period of time," said Cross, who added that the estimated cost of modular temporary housing came to about $300,000 for two years. A department-owned building next to the station might be a possibility, but Cross said that, too, has mold issues and will require cleanup.
Union President Mike Dalmau thinks the idea of using the vacant building is a stretch. "There are animals living in it," he said.
Dalmau said of utmost importance to the union is ensuring a healthy working environment for everyone employed by the firehouse, including civilian employees, and properly taking care of the four employees who have been ill going on five months.
"With four people out with the same diagnosis, we felt that it was in our best interest to start a paper trail with our attorney," he said. "It was important for us to get a letter out."
Meanwhile, Cross cautions that the repairs to be done using the $825,000 are not long-term solutions.
"We need permission from voters to spend that money just to do the band-aid approaches until we have the bond vote that's going to get us a new firehouse," he said.
Cross also feels that the commissioners and Chief Harold Brunelle must do a better job of communicating with voters all that is involved in the planning and cost of a new station.
"The commissioners and the chief have a credibility issue with the voters," Cross said. "We're going to have to do a better job at conveying to voters what we need [in order] to have the building go forward. We need to explain the facts and figures. We're not building the Taj Mahal; we're building a building to serve the needs of the Hyannis Fire District."
Sullivan agreed, but also expressed his disappointment with voters.
"What is very disturbing to me is that 10 percent of people are voting on this project," he said. "It is disheartening that 90 percent of people in the district don't seem to care one way or the other. We have to deal with the conditions that are affecting the health of the employees."


text:
Code published for jspm can fall into three main scenarios:

* [Writing a library for consumption in jspm and other environments](#writing-a-library-for-consumption-in-jspm-and-other-environments)
* [Publishing jspm-style packages to npm](#publishing-es6-to-npm)
* [Writing a library or application for usage just with jspm](#writing-a-library-or-application-for-usage-just-with-jspm)

Each of these scenarios has pro's and con's and the one that we feel you should focus most on is the third one.

## Writing a library for consumption in jspm and other environments

This is the common case if you're writing a piece of utility code that you want to be available to as many users as possible.

Currently the best option for this scenario is to write a package in the npm-style with npm-style dependencies and **publish that package to npm**. You can then test against the jspm environment and if necessary add any custom [jspm config properties](https://github.com/jspm/registry/wiki/Configuring-Packages-for-jspm) that may be needed to make it work in jspm, but the primary environment and publishing target is npm.

## Publishing jspm-style packages to npm

> This approach is not recommended, use the [Writing a library or application for usage just with jspm](#writing-a-library-or-application-for-usage-just-with-jspm) scenario instead.

If you really want to use npm for jspm-style code, set the `jspmNodeConversion` property to false in the package.json. This will disable the usual operations that attempt to convert from Node and npm style code into jspm-compatible code:

```json
{
  "jspm": {
    "jspmNodeConversion": false,
    "format": "es6",
    "dependencies": {
    }
  }
}
```

Then you can publish ES6 (or use other formats too) and jspm-style dependencies in your package.json fine on npm. You can choose to wrap the above with a `jspm` property as you wish.

## Writing a library or application for usage just with jspm

In this scenario, you're writing a library or application that is specifically taking advantage of jspm features such as:

* Using jspm plugins
* Supporting multi-format module loading
* Supporting dependencies from multiple registries
* Lazy-loading with `System.import`
* Building on top of jspm API features

For this workflow, it is advisable to publish your code to GitHub, and tagging semver versions for install:

```
  git tag v0.1.0
  git push origin v0.1.0
```

With the above, you can publish ES6 directly (not recommended until uglify supports ES6), or any other module format, and take advantage of all jspm features.

That is all you need to do to make your package installable by anyone with `jspm install github:user/repo@0.1.0`.

> Note that the `v` prefix in the version tag is optional.

It is advisable to ensure the following package.json properties are set when publishing jspm packages to GitHub:

* `format`: The module format you've written your package in - `esm`, `amd`, `cjs` or `global`.
* `directories.lib`: A subdirectory to install your package from, all other directories and files are then ignored and paths are relative to this folder.
* `main`: The main entry point for your package. If using a `directories.lib` the main is relative to this folder.
* `registry`: Typically set this to `jspm` as the registry you have written your package for.
* `jspm.dependencies`: jspm-style dependencies for your project.

Further information about package.json configuration can be [read at the configuration guide](https://github.com/jspm/registry/wiki/Configuring-Packages-for-jspm).

#### Example Publishing Workflow

Say I want to create an ES6 package that uses the CSS and JSX plugins to export a React component:

```
jspm init -y
jspm install css jsx react@0.13.0-beta.1
```

By default the `lib` folder is the folder that is set as `directories.lib` and is what users will be requiring from.

So edit `lib/index.jsx`:

```javascript
import './style.css!';
import React from 'react';
export default class Component extends React.component {
  render() {
    return <div>Hello {this.props.name}</div>;
  }
}
```

We can test this package locally in the browser with `System.import('app/index.jsx!')`.

Then to publish set the package.json `main` to `index.jsx!`, and the package.json `format` to `es6`.

Because this package will only be available for jspm users, we can also write all the properties at the base-level and add a `registry: jspm` property instead. This gives us:

```json
{
  "directories": {
    "lib": "lib"
  },
  "main": "index.jsx!",
  "format": "es6",
  "registry": "jspm",
  "dependencies": {
    "css": "^0.1.0",
    "jsx": "^0.1.1",
    "react": "0.13.0-beta.1"
  }
}
```

Publishing this package under a `v0.1.0` version tag to GitHub then allows users to easily load this component with:

```
  jspm install react-component=github:my/react-component@0.1.0

ok   Installed react-component as github:my/react-component@0.1.0 (0.1.0)
```

```javascript
  import reactComponent from 'react-component';
```

Sub-requires can also be made from inside the package if we wanted other modules in the `lib` folder to be available to users:

```javascript
  import AnotherComponent from 'react-component/another-component.jsx!';
```


It's real and we debated it a long time ago. Are you short of racist topics for the time being and want a re-run of a lost argument? These students are brilliant, their debates were fascinating to watch and if you lack the ability to grasp what is happening culturally then that is your deficiency, something you need to feel some shame over. America has moved beyond chattel slavery some 150 years back; it has moved beyond segregation only in our lifetimes, and it has yet to move beyond a sickening level of racism that shames the USA in the eyes of most of the world. But there are African Americans who have managed (against the odds) to raise their self esteem, to engage their own artistic and creative flair and to produce their own poetry which many people around the globe admire and enjoy. The attempt by people like you to impose a false dualism onto human relationships is all too persuasive - people can indeed latch onto trivial signifiers like skin colour to construct social monstors of hatred and division. However, we do not have to accept that division. You can only call them "black" because you have the delusion that you are "white" and that that signifies something. It signifies nothing - I do not share your culture or your values and I would be classed as "white" - and your cultural contribution - in so far as we encounter it - is less than nothing.
It's real and we debated it a long time ago. Are you short of racist topics for the time being and want a re-run of a lost argument? These students are brilliant, their debates were fascinating to watch and if you lack the ability to grasp what is happening culturally then that is your deficiency, something you need to feel some shame over. America has mov ...[text shortened]... "white" - and your cultural contribution - in so far as we encounter it - is less than nothing.
They didn't debate at all, they just screamed obscenities at each other.
The Great Debaters is a good movie.
Thanks....but that has nothing to do with the hideous moronic garbage mouthed team that won the collegiate debate contest because ...for no other reason...they were black.
Absolutely, on The Great Debaters! On the other hand, I agree with Fishy that this competition stood all rules and conventions on their head. It turned out to be a bad rap competition, not a debate, in any real or traditional sense.
There is little doubt that the young women who participated were gifted and perhaps brilliant, but this is an example of changing the rules in the middle of a contest. In no sense could anyone judge their debating skills, as hardly anyone could even perceive what they were saying.
The problem isn't that their "poetry" isn't inventive or enjoyable to "people around the globe". It isn't debating! When a debating contest becomes who puts on the most innovative show, it has ceased to be a debating contest.
The problem isn't that their "poetry" isn't inventive or enjoyable to "p ...[text shortened]... ng contest becomes who puts on the most innovative show, it has ceased to be a debating contest.
Odd that the organisers disagree with you. Such silly billies. They lack your wisdom it seems. I mean, how much would they know about the rules of debating, what with being the organisers and judges of a national debating competition and all that entails? I suppose the losers could go to court over the rules?
As you well know, altering rules to give unusual contestants a chance to win isn't that unusual. I didn't spend much time watching the video, but it seemed quite unintelligible to me. Even the team they beat, appeared to be more in a rap competition, than a formal debate.
I'm sure that around the world, the Chinese, the Brits, the Germans, and everyone else loved that free style "debating". To me it makes a mockery of what debating really is, a logical presentation of ideas. The movie cited earlier was a great example of that where the winning team had to argue a position that they did not agree with, certainly a significant challenge in a debate competition. Of course their opponents in that contest were faced with an uncomfortable premise as well.
What was the premise the winners were arguing for or against? Can you even tell me?
Nuts is a harsh label.
I prefer the PC term Progressive.


text:
Home Technology Local authorities experience 10,000 attempted cyber attacks every day
Local authorities experience 10,000 attempted cyber attacks every day
admin — September 1, 2022 in Technology • Comments off
Local authorities across the UK are experiencing an average of 10,000 attempted or successful cyber attacks every single day and have seen a 14% year-on-year increase in incidents to over two million so far this year, according to new figures published by Gallagher, a provider of insurance broking and risk management services.
Gallagher lodged Freedom of Information (FoI) requests with every local authority in the country and received information back from 161 of the 333 county councils, district councils and unitary authorities in scope – suggesting the true number of incidents is much, much higher.
The data shows that phishing attacks are by some margin the biggest threat facing local authorities, with 75% of respondents saying these were the most common form of attack – phishing, of course, is generally a precursor to a more impactful incident, such as a ransomware attack. Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, which have the potential to wreak havoc on local public services by disrupting websites and so on, were the second most common attempt type, and ranked as the top threat for 6% of respondents.
"Criminals unfortunately know only too well that cyber attacks can cripple systems, and with many councils increasingly servicing local people's needs digitally, they simply cannot afford to experience downtime," said Johnty Mongan, head of cyber risk management at Gallagher.
The firm also revealed that although most incidents are intercepted and thwarted, local authorities have collectively paid out more than £10m in the past five years, including money lost to hackers, legal costs, and regulatory fines.
Also, about 52% of respondents had hired external experts to help advise on mitigating cyber risk in the past 12 months, and 85% had increased their own security spending, although only 23% had invested in cyber insurance policies.
"It is positive to see that councils are recognising this threat, and looking to employ external experts to help prevent cyber attacks," said Mongan. "Risk management and putting in the right security is absolutely key and external experts are best placed to advise what the most up-to-date measures are."
Tim Devine, managing director for government, housing, education and public sector at Gallagher, added: "It is important to have a plan in place, should the worst happen. With so many attacks happening every day, it only takes one error to cause significant problems.
"The risk in terms of associated costs and reputational damage as a result of cyber threats means that having specialist cyber insurance in place should be a key consideration, but is by no means the only consideration for those wishing to mitigate the risks of an attack."
However, many buyers are finding it increasingly difficult to obtain cyber insurance coverage because of a combination of increasingly costly premiums and stricter clauses on the risk and compliance regimes that organisations need to have to prove eligibility for a policy.
Insurance market Lloyd's of London announced in August that it was clarifying the scope of coverage for its insurance groups' cyber insurance policies, encouraging managing agents to recognise and apply due diligence to the specific complexities around state-sponsored cyber attacks.
According to one recent report, the number of organisations – not just public sector bodies – pushed out of the cyber insurance market for one reason or another looks set to double between now and the end of 2023.


text:
Terry Cummins
Chief Sales Officer - North America
Terry Cummins joined OEC in 2017 and leads the North American Sales teams. He is responsible for driving increased sales through OEMs, automotive dealers and dealer groups in North America.
Since joining OEC, the North American Sales teams have grown significantly and achieved record sales and impressive net promoter score results.
Prior to joining OEC, Mr. Cummins was Vice President, Sales at Dealer-FX Group in Michigan, where he designed and built the US sales force and launched the company's solution suite into Canada. Mr. Cummins also worked previously at Oracle and Reynolds & Reynolds, where he served most recently as Senior Vice President, Sales.
Mr. Cummins holds a Master's of Business Administration from the University of South Dakota and a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University.


text:
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BBC Music's Biggest Weekend
Thu, 5th Apr 2018
The BBC's Big Weekend just got even bigger!
We've all heard of BBC's Big Weekend: the annual music festival occurring across the country during the May bank holiday weekend, usually hosted by Radio 1. Previous line-ups have pushed the boundaries set by the traditional summer festival by encompassing artists and performers from a wide range of genres and eras, attracting audiences from far and wide. This year is no exception, but – if you couldn't already tell by the title – things have got even bigger!
The Big Weekend's most unique feature is the fact that it takes place simultaneously across multiple locations which, this year, includes Belfast, Coventry, Perth and Swansea, giving music fans up and down the country the chance to see their idols live. BBC has described the weekend as a one-off musical experience which promises to bring the nation together for a massive celebration of live music. Organisers ensure that there will be something for everyone, with stages being hosted by BBC Radios 1, 2, 3 and 6.
The Biggest Weekend kicks off on Friday 25th May in two locations, one of which is the Northern Irish capital, Belfast. Headlining in the emerald isle is American all-rounder, Beck, whose set is sure to feature hits from his 2017 album, Colors, which received critical acclaim after being named NME's Album of the Year. Joining Beck as headliners in Belfast will be electronic duo, Orbital, as well as legendary Welsh rock band, Manic Street Preachers. As if all that wasn't enough, Friday in Belfast will also feature performances from alternative rock band, The Breeders, Australian singer/songwriter, Courtney Barnett, art-rock musical group, Public Service Broadcasting, and a very special performance from Father John Misty, also known as J. Tillman, who will be accompanied by the Ulster Orchestra.
Continuing the party at The Biggest Weekend on Saturday 26th in Belfast will be electronic music group, Underworld, whose unique sound has been keeping revellers entertained since 1980! Joining them will be Scottish indie rock legends, Franz Ferdinand, as well as Swedish folk duo, First Aid Kit. Supporting performers include alternative rock band, Ash, musician and DJ, Goldie and electronic music group, Little Dragon. As you can see, Belfast's offering of The Biggest Weekend is shaping up to be pretty spectacular so far, but fear not if Belfast isn't your closest city, because this festival spans the entire country! On to the next…
The city of Perth is located in central Scotland, so it's the perfect location to host the Scottish segment of BBC Music's Biggest Weekend. Friday sees in the weekend with performances from headlining acts including English jazz musician, Nigel Kennedy, lyric soprano, Danielle De Niese and virtuoso percussionist, Evelyn Glennie. Perth is the place to be if jazz is your thing, since further performers include jazz-pop singer/songwriter, Jamie Cullum, and the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, directed by Tommy Smith. Mixing things up slightly by combining the smooth tones of jazz with the more toe-tapping vibes of folk and pop will be Scottish singer/songwriter, Eddi Reader, whose many BRIT award wins make her one of Scotland's finest.
Saturday's offering of stars is just as epic as the day before, with Perth's stages playing host to Oasis legend, Noel Gallagher and his High Flying Birds, who will surely bring along with them a fantastic range of hits from their hot off the press album, Who Built the Moon? Scottish music royalty, Simple Minds, will also be headlining at The Biggest Weekend, and if you're trying to remember where you know that name from, these are the guys who blessed us with the soundtrack anthem of The Breakfast Club, and if that's not your favourite movie then you need to re-evaluate some life choices! Also gracing the Scottish stage will be Emeli Sande, who has been busy producing an album and performing on tour since her comeback in 2016. Other notable performers include British rock band, Squeeze, country duo, The Shires, Scottish singer/songwriter, Amy Macdonald and Birmingham-bred band, The Beat, whose music creatively fuses ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock. What a combo!
Kicking things off in Coventry on Sunday 27th May is none other than Oasis legend, Liam Gallagher, whose newly-released album, As You Were, peaked at number 1 in the UK last year, so his set is sure to include plenty of hits both new and old. Also headlining in the city of Coventry is Welsh rock band, Stereophonics, who also produced a hit album in 2017 – their tenth to be exact – which will surely influence their festival sets this summer. Things get even better with performances from Tears For Fears, UB40, Paloma Faith, Billy Ocean and Snow Patrol, no less!
If Coventry is your nearest city, you'd better get ready to start loving Mondays, because bank holiday Monday at The Biggest Weekend is shaping up to be pretty spectacular! Not only will there be a performance by British musician, Nigel Kennedy, jazz band GoGo Penguin will also be taking to the stage, surely bringing with them hits from their newly-released album, A Humdrum Star. In an effort to keep the hoards entertained in more ways than one, Monday will also feature a performance from BBC's Strictly Come Dancing with their Concert Orchestra, so if you fancy a cha-cha-cha then Coventry is the only place to be! Keeping things musical is none other than Eliza McCarthy and The Wayward Band, whose folk vibes will have your toes tapping for sure, as will the acoustic tones of Miloš, an award-winning classical guitarist. If one thing's for sure, it's that Coventry's Biggest Weekend has something for everyone!
We may be slightly biased in saying that we've left the best till last with this one. The Welsh southern city of Swansea has truly been blessed with an incredible line-up of industry-leading superstars, many of whom are topping the charts as we speak. Getting the party started in Swansea on Saturday 26th May is none other than Sam Smith, whose newly released album, The Thrill Of It All, will surely fill his set with hit after hit. If lads with angelic voices are your cup of tea, then Swansea is the place to be, as also headlining the festival this year is man of the moment, Ed Sheeran. His 2017 album, Divide, shot to stardom while thousands of fans travelled from far and wide to witness his talent in person during his Divide Tour. Tickets sold out pretty fast, so grab this opportunity to see him if you missed out last time!
Accompanying Smith and Sheeran in Swansea is Jess Glynne, who seems to have the magic touch in making any song she features on reach Number 1. Speaking of which, also headlining the Swansea stage is legendary recording artist, Craig David, who is celebrating almost 20 years in the industry since shooting to fame after featuring on Artful Dodger's 1999 hit, Bo Selecta. But it doesn't end there. Saturday in Swansea just keeps on getting better with performances from George Ezra, Wolf Alice, Years & Years, Liam Payne, Mabel and girl of the moment, Sigrid.
Forget what you've heard about Sunday being the day of rest because at BBC Music's Biggest Weekend, that certainly isn't the case! Sunday is just as explosive as Saturday, with a headlining performance from none other than global superstar, Taylor Swift! Who'd have thought it?! Also travelling from across the pond especially for the Biggest Weekend is American rock band, Thirty Seconds to Mars, who have a history of making UK crowds go absolutely wild! Other headline performances include sets from Rita Ora, Niall Horan, Stefflon Don, J Hus, James Bay and Camila Cabello. As you can see, Swansea's offering of the Biggest Weekend is totally show-stopping, with an epic international line up that is frankly unmatched by any other bank holiday festival.
Four sites. Four locations. Four days. BBC Music's Biggest Weekend promises to showcase a diverse range of live music, featuring a line-up of both national and global artists and performers. Tickets are selling fast, so grab yours while you still can, because this is sure to be a weekend to remember! https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e fj3v2
By Elise Harvey
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Strange, Beloved, Local, Endangered: Five Years of the Neighborhood Joint (NY Times)
The Times returns to Fifth Avenue's Jubilat two years on, and notices accelerating neighborhood change that includes the recent sale of Eagle Provisions. There's a nice & well-deserved repeat profile of Jubilat, but also some of that out-of-touch Times observation you can find in their Living In real estate pieces:
For 25 years, New Yorkers of Polish heritage, including residents of working-class enclaves like this stretch south of Park Slope, have come to Jubilat for the flavors of home, speaking in their native tongue while choosing from among the store's many versions of kielbasa. But these days, older Poles share the neighborhood's sidewalks with throngs of Spanish-speaking children. New apartment buildings in the area are attracting a more affluent crowd.
Hmm. These days? Spanish-speaking children have been thronging the sidewalks of the neighborhood for decades, be they of Puerto Rican, Dominican, or, more recently, Mexican, or Central/South American heritage. A 1980 Census of Population and Housing showed census tracts around the area mentioned in the Times article to be 40% - 60% Hispanic. Perhaps it would have been more pertinent for the Times to have indicated how development/affluence is driving out the families of these children.
Still, the Times does get in a cutesy, story-ending quote from a newer resident.
Ms. Volturo's husband, Josh, said he had learned of the place from a cousin who used to live nearby. "You can get the same kind of sausage at Whole Foods for, like, 10 bucks," he said. The couple paid less than half that at Jubilat. "We go and get everything else we need from Whole Foods."
Visiting Tony's Park Barber Shop (Jeremiah's Vanishing New York)
Last weekend's Viking Fest! (Brooklyn Paper)
A No-Brainer: Saks Off Fifth Coming to Sunset Park (Racked)
"It'd be located inside 30,000 square feet of the ground floor of the eight-story Liberty View Industrial Plaza, the same complex that Bed Bath & Beyond signed on for last year. "This site is a no-brainer for any well-researched retailer," Chase Welles of SCG Retail, which is marketing space at the adjacent Industry City, told the publication. "The high density, the solid incomes, the impressive education levels added to some of the highest traffic counts in the country equal a no-brainer."
Posted by onemorefoldedsunset at Sunday, May 24, 2015


As you have noticed throughout my blogs we like to get up and get away, so here is a getaway for those who really need it and where the fishing is just outside the backdoor! Well almost~~~ Ok a few yards!!!! Located in the hills of Lycoming County, Pa nestled in a hollow is the Cedar Run Inn, this is my spousal equivalent's cousin's so I came to find out back in 2001. I had always heard a story that John( my spousal equivalent) fell asleep in a deer stand and his cousin got off the shot and tagged the deer .
It's somewhat ironic that though I've cooked quite a bit since I last wrote, I have little to offer today. We were too busy eating and talking to document, which is something you can never be too sorry about. Plus, as usual, I learned that I wanted to tweak the Moroccan lentil soup a bit, change spices, add salt, smooth it out to make it velvety.
Weekends and rainy days were ideally made for this and I take full advantage whenever and where ever. Oh yes, and then there is this economy thing going on but one still needs to live life and if one cannot experience what is out there then what are we to do? Here are two one tank trips . My last blog featured the Maple Grove Inn located in Alburtis, Pa I hope that no one got lost! Each weekend we find respite in our drives whether near or far we always come across a great find. This blog finds us in a two different places. So we begin in Lancaster, Pa .


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Q: Enneper's minimal surface How to plot the Enneper's minimal surface like this

I tried:
ParametricPlot3D[{u - u^3/3 + u v^2, -v - u^2 v + v^3/3,
u^2 - v^2}, {u, -3, 3}, {v, -3, 3}, PlotTheme -> "Web",
MeshFunctions -> {#3 &}, ColorFunction -> "TemperatureMap",
PlotPoints -> 80, MaxRecursion -> 15,
Epilog -> Inset[Style["Enneper's Surface", 13], {Center, Top},
{Center,Bottom}]]

A: Jason has shown a very good way (here and on Community) to plot the Enneper surface, so let me just show my own take:
(* "jet" colormap *)
jet[u_?NumericQ] :=
        Blend[{{0, RGBColor[0, 0, 9/16]}, {1/9, Blue}, {23/63, Cyan}, {13/21, Yellow},
               {47/63, Orange}, {55/63, Red}, {1, RGBColor[1/2, 0, 0]}}, u] /; 0 <= u <= 1

(* generalized Enneper surface, polar parametrization *)
enneperpolar[n_Integer, r_, θ_] := {r Cos[θ] - r^(2 n - 1)/(2 n - 1) Cos[(2 n - 1) θ],
                                    r Sin[θ] + r^(2 n - 1)/(2 n - 1) Sin[(2 n - 1) θ],
                                    (2 r^n)/n Cos[n θ]}

With[{n = 2, p = 25, q = 15},
     Show[ParametricPlot3D[Table[enneperpolar[n, r, θ], {θ, -π, π, 2 π/p}], {r, 0, 2},
                           ColorFunction -> (jet[#3] &), PlotRange -> All,
                           PlotStyle -> Directive[CapForm[None], JoinForm["Miter"]]],
          ParametricPlot3D[Table[enneperpolar[n, r, θ], {r, 0, 2, 2/q}], {θ, -π, π},
                           ColorFunction -> (jet[#3] &), PlotRange -> All,
                           PlotStyle -> Directive[CapForm[None], JoinForm["Miter"]]],
          Axes -> None, Boxed -> False, Lighting -> "Classic"] /.
     Line[pts_, rest___] :> Tube[pts, 1/20, rest]]

As Shutao notes in a comment, you might want to write a compiled version of enneperpolar[] if you need the speed.

The Enneper-Weierstrass parametrization
In the theory of minimal surfaces, it is often convenient to represent a minimal surface in terms of two complex functions, a Gauss map $G$, and a height differential $\mathrm dh$. Taken together, these comprise the Enneper-Weierstrass parametrization of a minimal surface. Here is a Mathematica routine for generating the parametric equations of a minimal surface from its Enneper-Weierstrass parametrization:
ewparam[{g_, h_}, z_] := Re[Integrate[{(1/g - g), -I (1/g + g), 2} h, z]]

For Enneper's surface, we have $G=z^{n-1}$ and $\mathrm dh=z^{n-1}\mathrm dz$. Thus,
FullSimplify[ComplexExpand[PowerExpand[
             ewparam[{z^(n - 1), z^(n - 1)}, z] /. z -> r Exp[I θ]],
             TargetFunctions -> {Re, Im}], r > 0]
   {r Cos[θ] + (r^(2 n) Cos[θ - 2 n θ])/(r - 2 n r),
    r Sin[θ] + (r^(2 n) Sin[θ - 2 n θ])/(r - 2 n r),
    (2 r^n Cos[n θ])/n}

which can be shown to be the same as the expression for enneperpolar[] given earlier. (Using z -> u + I v yields the parametrization in the OP.)

A: Thanks to Sam Carrettie for pointing this out
Entity["Surface", "EnneperMinimalSurface"][
 EntityProperty["Surface", "Graphics3D"]]

A: The trick here is to use the plotting function to generate the mesh lines, but there is no way to apply a ColorFunction for a MeshStyle - mesh lines need to have a single color.  So we extract the mesh lines, break them up into pieces, and then apply the color function to them.
This could be more efficient if I didn't use Normal but the code would be much longer.  The first line below is used to import the Jet color map from MATLAB that was used in the OP,
<< "http://pastebin.com/raw.php?i=sqYFdrkY";
Normal[ParametricPlot3D[{
    r Cos[th] - r^3/3 Cos[3 th],
    -r/3 (3 Sin[th] + r^2 Sin[3 th]),
    r^2 Cos[2 th]
    }, {r, 0, 2}, {th, -π, π},
   PlotPoints -> {100, 100}, PlotRange -> All,
   Mesh -> {Subdivide[0.01, 1.99, 30],
     Subdivide[-π + .01, π + .01, 50]},
   BoxRatios -> {1.5, 1.5, 1},
   PlotStyle -> None]] /.
 Line[x__] :> ({JetCM[Rescale[#[[1, 3]], {-4.1, 4.1}]], Line[#]} & /@
    Partition[x, 2, 1])

I previously had PlotStyle-> Opacity[0] but noticed that the plot was incredibly slow to move around.  Changing this to None makes it work a lot better, so it's better to draw no surface than an invisible one.
I was really impressed by the 3D plots of minimal surfaces on Paul Nylander's page here.  You can read about the mathematics of minimal surfaces here.
The code on Paul's page was written for version 4.2, so it took a small amount of updating.  I will show the plots before dumping the code.  First I show the surfaces with no mesh,

Click on the image to view at higher resolution. Here are the surfaces with only mesh, mimicking what I assume is a MATLAB plotting style,

The code for these is very long, so I posted it on the Community here.  There are easier ways to do this, but they aren't nearly as fun as this.


At a time when it's still not clear why the Bills decided in the middle of March to get rid of defensive line coach Karl Dunbar, the simple truth could be that coach Rex Ryan parted ways with Dunbar in order to clear a path for his replacement.
Dunbar's replacement is John Blake, a former defensive line coach with the Cowboys of the 1990s who became the head coach at Oklahoma in 1996. One of Blake's employees was Rex Ryan, who worked as the Sooners' defensive coordinator.
In 2010, the NCAA targeted Blake (who at the time was coaching North Carolina's defensive line) for allegations that he steered players to agent Gary Wichard. The NCAA eventually imposed a three-year "show cause" sanction on Blake, essentially freezing him out of college football. Earlier this year, Blake was hired by Lamar University to coach the defensive line there.
Whether it's because Ryan aggressively recruited Blake or Blake decided to return to the NFL, Blake is back — and that could be the best explanation for why Dunbar is gone.
At least he didn't say that he wants to eat Tom Brady's children.
Trying to make sense of anything Rex does is simply a waste of time. There is no rhyme or reason, I honestly think he wings every decision.
Rex was good friends with Dunbar. I bet that had a huge blow up watching film from this past year trying to lay blame on someone for why the D-line was not as good as it should have been, and trying to figure out how to change things going forward.
Blake does not come with a good reputation. He tried to tank the Cowboys along racial lines when he accused Troy Aikman of being a racist, (and Darren Woodson and Charles Haley's vehement defense of their QB should tell you how much validity that had), and he then proceeded to blow up Butch Davis's UNC program by cheating like he was trying to get an SEC job.
Locker room lawyers are not always players…..
Good article by Florio. Straightforward, clear, concise and with no unnecessary speculation or rumor mongering.
Well at least he doesn't have to pay the players under the table now that he's back in the pro's.


Cosmoquest Forum > The Proving Grounds > Against the Mainstream > Memo to X-ray beacon on Jupiter: Look out for Galileo!
View Full Version : Memo to X-ray beacon on Jupiter: Look out for Galileo!
Art Bell picked up on this; especially the terminology "Beacon". If it's ET, then why are we sending Galileo to crash into Jupiter? I've always opposed this and never believed that it would really surely crash into a possibly habitable moon otherwise, & I'm very experienced in orbital mechanics. If we have germs on Galileo they must be dead by now in that radiation environment unless they are the kind that grow like mold and stink up the ISS.
Interesting. Jupiter emitting x-rays. but to answer your question, I believe we are crashing Galileo into Jupiter as we have squuezed as much information from the probe as possible and crashing Galileo might be able to give us a little bit more data in its last glimpses before the gravitational field destroys it. More than likely, since its fuel is almost completely gone, the gravitational pull of Jupiter and its moons might cause it to crash anyway and Nasa is doing a controlled final descent. I highly doubt it is ET in origin but it does show that we really are still just scraping the cusp of the knowledge space has to offer us. Perhaps the next probe out that way will be equipped to check that out.
After Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 crashed into Jupiter, the Weekly World News ran a healdine that read, "Distress call received from Jupiter hours before impact!"
I liked the picture they had of the impact. Or maybe it was on some other magazine. The comet was about 1/3 the diameter of Jupiter.
You guys are all reading WWN for comet info? What's the deal with that? Here's a more credible source about Shoemaker-Levy (http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/sl9/sl9.html) The comet was not a third as big as Jupiter, but the scars were bigger than the Earth. Jupiter doesn't have much of a surface, as we normally think of one. The gas giants are pretty much gas. The average density of Saturn is less than water.
Hey, I put a smiley there...I thought the WWN headline was inspired lunacy...if I were that creative, I would be rich!
I have met David Levy and talked to him about the comet. He still loves sharing the stories of watching the images of Jupiter after the fragments crashed into it.
Unfortunately, I was on a trip to NYC and didn't have access to my telescopes when it was crashing...I would have loved to have watched it!


The Underground Opera Company returns to the Sunshine Castle, Bli Bli, (just a five minute drive from Maroochydore) for their next "Opera in the Castle" concerts. Resonating through the magnificent Banquet Hall, some of Australia's finest voices will perform a selection of pieces from popular operas and musical theatre showstoppers!
This production makes for a wonderful experience and is recommended to anyone who loves music. With complimentary canapes served during interval in the Castle Courtyard and an audience limited to 100, Opera in the Castle will set the standard for an intimate evening of beautiful music and extraordinary voices in a wonderful setting.


Will Amazon Create A Netflix For Books?
Amazon is planning a Netflix-like subscription service for e-books, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal today (available to subscribers only).
Netflix, a movie rental service, currently allows its subscribers to access a library of thousands of movies and TV shows online for a monthly fee.
Amazon, the Seattle-based maker of the Kindle e-reader, already offers streaming access to certain movies and TV shows to paying subscribers of its Amazon Prime service. An article on the website ZDNet speculates that, if a deal can be reached with publishers, that a new e-book subscription service will be offered to Prime subscribers as well.
However, as ZDnet points out, many publishers may not be too excited about the idea. Subscription services currently offer the potential of lower profits to content distributors, which is why movie studies have been involved in a series of increasingly fraught negotiations with Netflix. The report suggests that "there will be release windows" for Amazon's ebook subscription service, which means that, as currently applies to Netflix, several titles will be initially withheld from monthly subscription services, in order to maximize early profits from individual sales.
If today's reports are true, it suggests that the complex relationship between publishers and Amazon could become even more heated. It also shows that the annual service Amazon Prime, originally launched as an unlimited two-day shipping service, is increasingly becoming a core part of Amazon's digital offering.


10 Acres in Rudd, AR Carroll County. Here is your chance to own a piece of the Ozarks at an affordable price. This property is located just off of HWY 103 giving you pavement access to the property. Electricity on site. Views are available for your new home, cabin or camp ground. This property is just a little over an hour from from Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, and Bentonville areas. Easy access. Real Time Interactive Map available upon request. Call Daniel Short at (501) 416-5700 or Email [Email listed above] for more information and your showing of the property.
This 23 acres easy access property is located on Hwy 412 in Osage, 20 minutes from Alpena, AR. If you are looking for a place to build a home or cabin, look no further. This country living property offers rolling hills, scenic views, plenty of trails that can be utilized for ATV or hunting, all the while...still being close to town. Electric and water are close by. To schedule your showing, call James Pratt (870) 404-4188.
.Wooded acreage in Ozark Mountains. 93 acres with great hunting opportunities. Wet weather creek. Views from bluffs. Enjoy the great outdoors just 1 hour from Fayetteville. Property subject to survey. This property could be purchased with additional acreage or less acreage.
.Located in the Ozark Mountains just 1 hour from Fayetteville and Branson MO. This property is perfect for hunting and recreation & just 15 minutes from the Buffalo River. The Area has produced some nice bucks, black bear and turkey (Elk have been viewed on the property)A County road runs through it & long ridges provide awesome views of Possum Trot Creek area and the Osage Valley.
.Recreational property located in the Ozark Mountains. 540 acres m/l of excellent property with roads and 4-wheeler trails. Great place to build a cabin, hunting ranch or development project. City water 3/10 mile away. Views and wildlife are abundant. Property hosts Deer, Turkey and Bear. 1 hour to Fayetteville. Property can be purchased with additional acreage or less acreage.
.Located just a short drive from the Buffalo river this 597.96 acres is perfect for hunting and recreation. Awesome views. Deer, Turkey and Bear abound. Many roads & 4-wheeler trails. Would make great hunting ranch or development. 3/10 mile to city water. Build that dream cabin and ejoy nature. Property could be purchased with less acreage or additional acreage is also available.
VERY PRIVATE Hobby Farm!! 1,920 SF, 3BR-2BA home on 40 acres with year-round SPRING and CREEK, shop, green house, garden room, pasture and more!! This bright, 2 story country home features 2 kitchens, wood stove, some tile and laminate flooring, a large covered porch, walk-in closet, attached 2 car garage and backup propane wall heaters in addition to central heating and air. Walk outside and enjoy the raised bed garden, 24x30 shop, 12x16 garden room perfect for crafting or reading room, flower beds, fruit (peach, pear, and cherry) trees and large shade trees! Plenty of good pasture for horses, cattle or goats plus the year round spring and creek! This is an outdoor enthusiasts dream!
Beautiful Kings River front 2.24 acres. A perfect place to build your dream cabin for those who want to experience riverfront living and not be too far from a few neighbors or the conveniences of living near town. Well already dug and in place. Kayak, swim, and fish a minute's walk from your home. Experience this trophy Smallmouth Bass river up close and personal on this special piece of land. Set your roots deep here. Reasonable covenants are in the MLS attached to the listing.
85.51 acres m/l just 4 miles from hwy 412 and 2.3 miles from hwy 21. Beautiful pasture land with 3 ponds, fenced, Bermuda grass, county road frontage with great access. Plenty of places to build a home or cabin with nice views!
Farm with approx 40 acres mostly pasture with some wooded land and hwy 21 frontage. 2-32x360 approx year built 1984 , 2-40x400 apprx year 87-89 poultry houses inactive at this time. Previous Tyson contract 2013 (broiler). Upgrades needed. 2-500 feet wells that supply water to houses. 2 ponds. 30x30 utility building, stacking shed 40x80 plus 2-12x80 overhangs. Beautiful views from the top of the property. Use houses for storage, upgrade newest ones, build more, and or run cattle on this 40 acres. Just minutes from hwy 412. More land available that is wooded and would be a great home site north of this property. Additional 10 wooded acres making a total of 50 acres for $305,000.00.
3BR-2BA home with 1,730 SF and under ground storm shelter. Features include hardwood floors, 2 car attached garage, master bedroom and bathroom, large back yard, office room and central heat and air. Great home for a family or rental.


Yeah, jackets are really cool too. Leather isn't my favorite, but a nice jacket can really enhance the overall visual appeal of a man.
P.S. It is also hot when a guy owns a cat or multiple cats.
I just love dogs and cats a lot so it'd be cool to have a partner who had either or both.
Men who like animals and care about them are very attractive.
HOWEVER, I do prefer omnivorous fellows.
So sad that you are allergic, Matti.
You would love my cats they are so friendly and cuddlesome.
But yes, I agree with you, Emmy.
I always thought that animals are the best thing that our world could have.
Can somebody pls guide about how to use the spoiler format in the comments section? I checked the faq about the spoiler format and I couldn't understand anything. Pls link me how to use the spoiler tag properly or just guide me how to do it over here.
With spaces removed would end up.
Thank you kind Sir or Madam.
Oh yeah. I remember that you have felines.
You just can't beat a good cat. They have those little faces and feets and beans and THEY PURR.
I really miss being able to interact with a cat.
Having two cats is the best, because they compete for your affection and attention.....They also train each other to be gentle - they teach each other the rules.
I adooooooooore watching cats groom each other or interact in other ways. It's so precious and funny and it really seems like they're operating on a more than animal level sometimes.
Some people say animals don't have souls and I just don't believe that's true.
Animals do not have a soul?
Eh. It's kinda a religious thing. Mankind has dominion over the animal kingdom, and animals are beneath us. We're not supposed to compare ourselves to them or them to us because we were made special by God. That sort of thing.
Mankind has dominion over the animal kingdom, and animals are beneath us.
Merry Christmas everyone. I hope you all got something nice.
Wow... I'm overwhelmed with nostalgia. I've just logged back in here for probably the first time in like...3 or 4 years now. Just wanted to at least pop in here and say "Hi!" to those of you who might remember me (I hope some of you might). I recognize many of you just on this page alone. I may stick around for a while if y'all don't mind.
A belated happy Christmas to all of you as well!
I don't know you bc it was a time before I got here.
Howdy STORM, been awhile. How's life treating ya?
First of all, hey storm!


Screwed is a sculptural data visualisation that explores relationship between time, human impact and the Earth. And yes, we better colonise Mars soon!
I fancy myself as an environmentally conscious individual, and it breaks my heart to see how careless we are when it comes to our big home. Years of mindless development led to deformations so severe that it would take centuries, if not millennia, to overcome. In some areas the damage is so great-it is irreversible.
Screwed is a visualisation of the world in the year 3015 if the humanity was to disappear in 2015. The size of the screw is the time factor determined by the amount of time necessary for the region to recover to its pre-industrial state. Multitude of anthropogenic impacts such as deforestation, urbanization, pollution, ocean desalination, mass-scale monoculture farming, fuel extraction were combined in order to calculate the time needed.
Fun Fact: During the creation process, the globe cracked in several place, unable to sustain the physical impact.