Because studying is easier on a full stomach, we have made it our business to ensure that a wide range of good value meals and drinks are available to all students. In line with the saying "the customer comes first", the Studierendenwerk offers a range of food and drink which takes different cultures and eating habits into account, and is of the best quality possible within the limits of our capabilities, costs and circumstances.
Hard-working, well-trained staff make sure this happens by only using good quality products and by using resources conscientiously.
The Studierendenwerk currently runs eight refectories / cafes at three locations.
We also run other outlets, in Building GW 1 in Grazer Straße, at Speicher XI and in Dechanatstraße.
Nice to know: Students' children below the age of six may eat free of charge in all of our refectories. To do this you simply need a permit card, which you may obtain by presenting the child's birth certificate and your matriculation certificate.
If you have any queries or suggestions in relation to our catering, or if you want any information about our catering services, or if you want information about the MENSACARD or University Card, our staff in the various outlets and our university catering management staff will be happy to help you.


Not everyone who wishes to tweak their appearance is an appropriate candidate for a surgical procedure. If you are unhappy with your facial appearance — whether it be crow's feet, bags under your eyes or dry, dull skin — Newport Beach plastic surgeon Dr. Richard Lee offers several quick and simple non-surgical procedures for effective and noticeable results. Read on to learn about some of the procedures he offers at his Newport Beach plastic surgery practice.
Dysport is a great option for individuals who wish to instantly look younger without surgery or downtime. The injectable filler works by temporarily relaxing the facial muscles, smoothing out the lines on the overlying skin. Dysport can be used to treat crow's feet, frown lines and the vertical lines that form between the eyebrows. Results typically last four to six months.
Like Dysport, Restylane is an injectable product that addresses pesky lines and wrinkles on the facial skin. Made of hyaluronic acid, Restylane has a firm consistency, making it ideal for smoothing out wrinkles and lines. Restylane can also be used to lessen the appearance of dark circles and bags under the eyes. Results with Restylane typically last six months.
Dr. Lee offers several exfoliative facial peels designed to address various skin problems and imperfections. The I-PEEL Signature Four Layer Lift is a revolutionary treatment that uses vitamin C and glycolic acid to gently exfoliate the skin and speed up cellular turnover. The result is a younger-looking, glowing complexion.
Using the right at-home beauty regimen and skin products can make all the difference in your appearance. The Obagi Nu-Derm System is an easy-to-use, physician-prescribed skin care line that addresses common signs of sun damage and aging including uneven skin tone, wrinkles and age spots. Using medical-grade ingredients, the Obagi Nu-Derm System speeds up cellular turnover for healthier, radiant skin.
To learn more about the treatment options listed here or the other treatments offered by Dr. Lee, please schedule a one-on-one consultation by calling (949) 548-9312 today.


Years ago already, I saw the idea on Pinterest to wrap a children's book up each day to unwrap and read as part of the count-down to Christmas. The order doesn't matter of the books because they are all focused on Christmas. I loved this idea of an Advent calendar with picture books! I knew that when we had children, I wanted to make this part of our Christmas traditions.
Last year, Nathan was still too small but this year, I am going to make it happen! I'm a former preschool and elementary school teacher who loves to read so I have a lot of books. I've been collecting Christmas books for years! I started going through all my Christmas books and deciding which ones made the cut. Lots did but I'm adding some new ones to my collection this year as well.
I had a simple criteria for my picture book Christmas count-down. I wanted all the books to be Christ-centered to help us stay focused on the true meaning of the season. I'm including a couple books that aren't specifically Christ centered are focused on the Christmas season without too much fluff (ie the Nutracker and the 12 Days of Christmas). All these books have slightly different perspectives but stay true to the Biblical account of Jesus' birth.
Of the list that I am sharing, I have read every single one of these books. I own most of them. Several, I checked out from the library to see if they met my approval and added them to my Christmas wish list. I'm sharing this list and project now (in November) so that if you want to start this tradition with me, you have time to track down the books you want to use before December 1st is upon us.
Your Christmas count-down will probably look different than mine – and that's okay! I'm sharing this list to give you ideas of quality, Christian children's literature focused on Christ this Christmas. Start with the books that you already own and check out some from the library. See what sales or used copies you can track down on Amazon. Add some to your Christmas wish list. Maybe you will decide to surprise your children with a new Christmas book each year under the tree. This list can help with that as well!
Maybe you've had hopes to do something similar but were overwhelmed with all the choices! I understand completely. I read a lot of Christmas books to chose ones of quality for my children – and for yours! I've included a list of the titles I will be using, as well as a short description of each. However you decide to use this list, I hope it will be helpful to you and your family!
Here is my list of 25 Christ-centered Christmas books that we will be unwrapping and reading each day this Advent season.
Who is Coming to Our House? by Joseph Slate tells of animals in the barn wondering who is coming to their house / stable.
A Child Was Born: A First Nativity Book by Grace Maccarone is a very simple first nativity book telling of the first Christmas.
The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg tells how the candy cane can be used to teach about Jesus birth, life and resurrection.
The Legend of the Christmas Cookie by Dandi Daley Mackall tells how European Christmas cookies began as another way to share the story of Jesus' birth. This newer version appears to be the same as the Gift of the Christmas Cookie by the same author but with different illustrations.
The Legend of the Christmas Tree by Pat Matuszak & Rick Osborne tells how the evergreen tree symbolizes Christmas and can tell others about Jesus.
The Pine Tree Parable by Liz Curtis Higgs is a simpler Christmas tree story that tells of the sacrifices of Christmas. Each page includes a Bible verse that adds to the story.
The Legend of the Poinsettia by Tomie dePaola is a Mexican legend of how the poinsettia came to be when a girl gave her unselfish gift to baby Jesus.
The Story of the Nutcracker Ballet by Deborah Hautzig (while not about Jesus' birthday) is a December classic with adorable illustrations in this version. There are countless other versions of the Nutcracker Ballet, too.
Saint Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend by Julie Stiegemeyer tells the true story of real life Christian Bishop Nicholas, whose generosity inspired others to give – all as a response to God's gifts to us.
The Manger Where Jesus Lay by Martha Larchar uses simple pictures and repetition to tell the Christmas story.
The Newborn King by Cindy Robertson is the most Biblical accurate board book I have found that introduces young children to the true story of the first Christmas.
Mortimer's Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson is the story of a mouse who makes his home in the family's nativity scene until he hears the story of whose home it really is.
The Christmas Star by Moira Butterfield uses felt figure pictures to tell the Christmas story. This book continues all the way through the wise coming to little boy Jesus, which is rare to find in a Christmas children's book!
The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado tells of a crippled lamb, Joshua, and reveals how God has a special plan for him – and us!
God Gave Us Christmas by Lisa Tawn Bergren tells of a baby bear asking his mother who invented his Christmas. Mama bear leads him on an expedition to answer his questions and find God – who gave us the first Christmas.
Itsy Bitsy Christmas by Max Lucado is written from the perspective of two tiny mice who wonder why a king would come to itsy bitsy Bethlehem for little ones like themselves.
The First Christmas (The Birth of Jesus) by Mary Manz Simon is an early reader that clearly tells the Christmas story from Luke 2.
Stable in Bethlehem: A Christmas Counting Book by Joy Hulme counts down from 12 drowsy doves to 7 soft sheep to 1 baby Savior to tell the Christmas story.
Peek and Find Christmas Story by Allia Zobel-Nolan and Steve Cox has hidden pictures and cut-outs for your child to find as you read the Christmas story.
Asleep in the Stable by Will Hillenbrand uses a baby Owl asking questions of his Mama to tell the Christmas story. I love how this book talks about both Jesus' earthly father and his Heavenly Father.
The Twelve Days of Christmas by Jan Brett is the traditional song of Christmas (even though it is really intended for the 12 days of Epiphany after Christmas). Like the Nutcracker, there are countless versions of this classic so find the one with pictures that you like most.
Tonight You Are My Baby: Mary's Christmas Gift by Jeannine Norris tells of Mary's lullaby to Jesus on the night he is born, foreshadowing all he will do.
The Very First Christmas by Paul Maier focuses on a detailed retelling of Luke 2.
The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey by Susan Wojciechowski tells of a grumpy woodcarver who is changed by carving a new nativity for a widow and her son. This is a longer book that is perfect for older children.
Mary's First Christmas by Walter Wangerin, Jr. is a gorgeous story of Mary telling young boy Jesus the story of his birth. Again, it is a longer book that is perfect for a bit older children and adults alike. This is one of my all-time favorite Christmas books!
There you have it! These are 25 of the Christ-centered Christmas books I will be reading with Nathan this Christmas. What Christmas books will you be reading with your children? I'd love to hear some of your favorites, as I'm sure this list will change and evolve over the years as we discover new favorites!
Many of these are our family favorites that we try to read every year. #1 was our all time favorite book when they were toddlers. It was very sad for me to admit that they were all too old to read it a couple of years ago. I packed it away for my grandchildren. I highly recommend taking a break and reading together as a family during the busy days of December. You can also read together for the 12 days of Christmas from Christmas to Epiphany. We have so many books that we want to read that we can't fit them all in before Christmas. I would also add a version of Twas the Night Before Christmas-I think it is a classic that children should hear every year even though it is not Christian. After reading #9 we like that this poem calls him St. Nicholas.
I'm glad you are saving your favorites for grandbabies! That's a great idea to continue reading through, Epiphany! There are so many wonderful Christmas books, but it's fun to know that some on my list match up with yours!
Thanks for sharing these! We always read The Littlest Shepherd and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever at Christmas. I'm going to add a few of these to our wishlist for Layla!
You're welcome, Kate! I actually added a couple of this to our wishlist for Nathan, too! I have others, but these books were my absolute favorites after I read through dozens and dozens.
Thank you for these great suggestions! I do a new Christmas book for the girls each year (their "something to read" with our gifts of want, need, wear, read) so I will definitely be consulting this list in the future!
You're so welcome, Lisa! I actually don't own all of these yet (although I've read all of them) so Nathan will be getting some of these over the next couple years. I love giving a special book each year, too!


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New York Times Manga Best Sellers 2010 Complete List Page 1
There are 165 books in the New York Times Manga Best Sellers 2010 list. Here are the 30 books ranked from 1 to 30.
Complete List of New York Times Manga Best Sellers 2010
1. Black Butler, Vol. 1
by: Yana Toboso
Sebastian is a loyal butler who moves easily from dinner parties to the underworld. Is he too good to be true? Is he even human?
2. Naruto, Vol. 47
by: Masashi Kishimoto
Naurto learns more secrets from his past and moves closer to discovering the identity of his nemesis, Pain.
The origins and true nature of Pain, Naruto"s arch nemesis, are revealed.
5. Vampire Knight, Vol. 10
by: Matsuri Hino
The battle for Cross Academy continues, as Headmaster Cross enters the fray.
6. Maximum Ride, Vol. 3
by: James Patterson , NaRae Lee
Isn't being a kid hard enough? For this group, who are also part bird, nothing comes easy. An F.B.I. agent steps in to help, but the evil "erasers" lurk around the corner.
7. Hetalia Axis Powers, Vol. 1
by: Hidekaz Himaruya
From the publisher: "Get ready to brush up on world history with these handsome and hysterical personifications of the Axis Powers as they meet, become friends and form one of the most powerful alliances the world has ever seen."
8. Vampire Knight, Vol. 9
Cross Academy has day and evening students, but the latter have a secret: they are vampires.
9. Alice In The Country Of Hearts: The Clockmaker's Story
by: Quinrose , Soumei Hoshino
Alice wanders into a very different part of Wonderland in this interpretation of the classic tale.
In this new area of the fantasy land, every man is in love with Alice… and firearms.
10. Naruto, Vol. 49
Poor Naruto: he must cope with a ninja summit and a target on the back of his good friend, Sasuke.
11. Soul Eater, Vol. 2
by: Atsushi Ohkubo
Maka, an arms expert, wants to turn the Soul Eater, her living scythe, into the ultimate weapon for Death.
12. Naruto 46
Naruto's friends are threatened, the mysteries of Pain deepen and Naruto must fight to protect his village.
13. Bakuman, Vol. 1
by: Tsugumi Ohba , Takeshi Obata
This manga series is about Moritaka Mashiro, who enjoys drawing and Akito Takagi, a would-be writer, who team up to create a manga series. Will they survive the world of publishing?
14. Black Bird, Vol. 6
by: Kanoko Sakurakoji
Misao Harada can see into a magical realm where she is the bride demon of prophecy. How will she survive the pursuit of demons who want the power in her blood?
16. Maximum Ride, Vol. 1
Shouldn't having wings be fun? That's not the case for 14-year-old Maximum Ride and her friends who are hunted by a organization called "The School."
17. The Yu-Gi-Oh! Gx 4, Vol. 4
by: Naoyuki Kageyama , Kazuki Takahashi
The next generation of Yu-Gi-Oh battle it out at the Duel Academy. But what evil plans are afoot?
18. Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 22
by: Hiromu Arakawa
Two brothers harmed in a ritual that was half magic/half science seek the legendary Philosopher's Stone to make things right. But others seek the weapon of alchemy for their own nefarious means.
19. Rosario Vampire: Season Ii, Vol. 1
by: Akihisa Ikeda
Tsukune Aono's new school is filled with vampires and werewolves. And the girl he is interested seems to have eyes for him, but is it his blood she's after?
20. Bleach, Vol. 32
by: Tite Kubo
Ichigo Kurosaki sees dead people and must help usher them safely into the afterlife.
21. Black Butler, Vol. 3
Who knew having wings would be such a problem? Max and her gang travel to New York in search of answers about their past.
23. Vampire Knight, Vol. 8
25. Rosario + Vampire: Season Ii, Vol. 2
27. Alice In The Country Of Hearts, Vol. 4
by: Quinrose , Hoshino Soumei
Alice wanders into a very different part of Wonderland in this interpretation of the classic tale. In this new area of the fantasy land, every man is in love with Alice… and firearms.
29. Yotsuba&!, Vol. 8
by: Kiyohiko Azuma
Yotsuba goes to a festival and learns about the magic of cake!
Ichigo and his companions press on in their mission to rescue Orihime, but two arrancars and Espada Ulquiorra stand in their way.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Marguerite Clemence d' Macon
Marguerite Clemence d' was born about 1100 in Ivrea, Piedmont, Italy. Marguerite Clemence d''s father was Stephen (Etienne) "Tete Hardi" Comte de Macon and her mother was Beatrice de Lorraine. Her paternal grandparents were William I "The Great" Count of Macon & Burgundy and Stephanie (Etiennette) de Longwy. She had two brothers named William III Count of Macon & and Raynald III Count de. She was the youngest of the three children. She died in Abbey of Ayes, France.
William I "The Great" Count of Macon & Burgundy
- b.1024 in Macon, Saone-et-Loire, Bourgogne, France d.11 Nov 1087
Stephen (Etienne) "Tete Hardi" Comte de Macon
- b.~ 1050 in Macon, Saone-et-Loire, Bourgogne, France d.1102 in Murdered at Askalon, France
Stephanie (Etiennette) de Longwy
- b.~ 1035 in Longwy, Duchy of Bar, Lorraine, France d.> 1088
- b.~ 1100 in Ivrea, Piedmont, Italy d.8 FEB 1163/64 in Abbey of Ayes, France
Beatrice de Lorraine
- b.~ 1059 in Lorraine, France
Marguerite Clemence d''s family with Guigues VII Dauphine d' Albon


One of the easiest ways to understand dreams is to see your dreams as a story. Learning to "read" your dreams the same way you read books can provide a lot of insight into what the dream might be about.
If you paid attention in literature classes in school, you are probably already very familiar with the different parts of a story. There is a plot, a setting, and characters. Through the events of the story, you are able to identify central themes and lessons.
Your dreams are exactly the same way. Each and every night it is like watching a movie or a play of a very interesting and sometimes unpredictable story. These stories are important, and can help us better understand ourselves.
After you write down and record your dreams, read it back to yourself as if you were reading a story.
There are 6 main key elements that make up part of the story your dream tells. Being able to identify these elements will make it easier for you to interpret the dream.
Setting: This is where the dream takes place. You may have one setting or several settings based on the dream.
Characters: The people in your dreams. People in our dreams can represent many things, so be sure to take notice of how they interact with one another and any characteristics about the characters you may notice. Don't forget to include yourself as a character!
Plot/Conflict: The events and actions within that dream that take place.
Symbols: Parts of a dream that represent something deeper.
Theme: What you believe the dream to be about - usually a 1-2 sentence that describes the storyline and meaning.
Mood/Tone: Describes the emotion and feeling in the dream. Think of it like this: Was your dream a drama or a comedy?
Where did the dream take place?
What details do I remember about the setting of the dream?
What characters/people were in the dream?
What objects stand out to you that may be symbolic?
What do you think the theme or summary of this dream is?
How did the dream make you feel? What emotion did it convey?
Answering these questions will improve your ability to identify and be aware of dream elements. This makes it easier for you to put the story together and understand the type of dream and how it may relate to waking life.
Does thinking of dreams as a story or a movie help you understand what they might mean? Share your thoughts or ask any questions you might have in the comments section below!


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U.S. Olympic Team
Diaper Line Rides Again
Storied Line Reunites As One Of Their Own Enters Hall Of Fame
Lou Vairo, head coach of the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team, is surrounded by members of the Diaper Line, including Ed Olczyk (right), Pat Lafontaine (bottom right), David A. Jensen (bottom left) and...
Thursday, October 18, 2012 - 13:40
Tags: David A. Jensen, Eddie Olczyk, Lou Vairo, Pat LaFontaine, U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, U.S. Olympic Team, Online Bonus Content
Langenbrunner Named Captain of U.S. Olympic Team
Brown, Parise, Rafalski and Suter Tabbed As Alternate Captains
Jamie Langenbrunner (Cloquet, Minn./New Jersey Devils) has been named captain of the 2010 U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey Team, as announced today by USA Hockey. Langenbrunner, who is in his third...
Monday, January 11, 2010 - 14:14
Tags: U.S. Men's Olympic Team, U.S. Olympic Team, Online Bonus Content
Images Of Bye-Dietz Inspire More Than Just Hockey
During her team's rise to the top in Nagano, Bye-Dietz led the team with five goals and tied for third overall scorer at the games
Karyn Bye-DietzA tour of USA Hockey headquarters in Colorado Springs takes hockey enthusiasts through a history of the American involvement in the sport...
Tags: 1972 Olympic Winter Games, Karyn Bye-Dietz, Tom Mellor, U.S. Olympic Team, U.S. Women's Team, History and Heroes
Len Ceglarski,1960 Olympic Winter Games, Mike Ramsey
Ceglarski Was More Than A Hockey...
Tags: 1980 U.S. Olympic Team, Boston College, Clarkson College, ECAC, Len Ceglarski, NHL, U.S. Olympic Team, History and Heroes
Senior Moment
Former Hockey Star Finds Local Support Still Strong At U.S. Senior Open
It would be a miracle shot even for Tiger Woods. But for an amateur golfer who barely qualified for a spot at the 2008 U.S. Senior Open, it would be one in a million...
Tags: Colorado College, Dave Delich, Golf, U.S. Olympic Team, Feature
Harvard Grad Commands Record Books
Mark Fusco put his NHL dreams on hold to play for Team USA at the 1984 Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia...
Tags: Bryan Trottier, Harvard, Hockey Hall of Fame, Mark Fusco, Stu Irving, U.S. Olympic Team, History and Heroes
Driveway Drills
With Katie King, three-time U.S. Olympian
When you're away from the rink there are plenty of ways to keep working on your skills. Whether it's in your basement, driveway, local tennis court or parking lot, the only thing...
Monday, June 8, 2009 - 13:35
Tags: Driveway Drills, Hockey tips, Katie King, U.S. Olympic Team, Women's Hockey, Tips from the Stars
Fourth-Place Bodes Well For Future
Encouraged by what he saw from his young charges, U.S. National and Olympic Team head coach Ron Wilson found a silver lining to his team's performance at the 2009 IIHF World Championship, even...
Tags: 2010 Vancouver, Coach of the Month, Coaches, IIHF, New Jersey, Ron Wilson, U.S. Olympic Team, U.S. Women's Under 18 Team, Teams
Hockey's Roots Run Deep For Dougherty
The 1956 Olympic Team with Dick Dougherty, second from left back row, and head coach John Mariucci, upper right...
Friday, May 29, 2009 - 14:45
Tags: Dick Dougherty, Hockey Hall of Fame, John Blue, John Mariucci, U.S. Olympic Team, History and Heroes
Generating Foot Speed
With Bill Guerin of the Dallas Stars and U.S. Olympic Team
Quickness and foot speed are two major criteria that truly separate the better players from the rest of the pack when it comes to skating. The players who possess quickness and foot speed outshine...
Thursday, March 5, 2009 - 10:08
Tags: Bill Guerin, Dallas Stars, Foot speed, Hockey tips, Skating, U.S. Olympic Team, Tips from the Stars


The TcmServiceHost calls the resolver when a user clicks on the 'Show Items to publish' button in the 'Publish' popup.
The TcmPublisher calls the resolver when the item is actually published.
So, after adding the configuration for our custom resolver to the Tridion.ContentManager.config file I hooked up the debugger to the TcmPublisher and clicked 'Publish': no configuration values were found. Which makes perfect sense, since the TcmPublisher.exe uses the TcmPublisher.exe.config as its configuration source. The same is true for the TcmServiceHost: it uses the TcmServiceHost.exe.config as its configuration source.
How to solve this configuration issue?
The type of the ConfigurationSection is 'AppSettingsSection'. This is different from the documentation, but that doesn't matter.


If the financial statements are not designed to provide assurances to pensioners regarding the fund's ability to pay benefits, then what are the financial statements designed to do?
If you're a participant in the fund, a taxpayer contributing to the fund, or an investor in City of Tampa municipal bonds for that matter, in my opinion, you need to know how the $1.6 billion pension is being managed. Your money is at risk.
The accountant for the Tampa pension is the local firm of Nobles, Decker, Lenker & Cardoso. Why would a $1.6 billion municipal pension contract with a local accounting firm to provide a mere "compilation" and financial statements that are "not designed" to inform participants, as opposed to using a nationally recognized firm to do a true audit consistent with generally accepted accounting principles– audited financials that would be comprehensible to all? (According to guidelines applicable to CPAs, "compilations" are often prepared for privately-held entities that do not need a higher level of assurance expressed by the accountant. That hardly describes a $1.6 billion public pension.) I don't know the answer to even that question but it gets worse.
In the 30 years I have been involved with public funds, I have never seen financial statements of a public fund wherein the accountants admit, "We are not independent with respect to Tampa Firefighters & Police Officers Pension Fund." If the accounting firm is not independent, i.e., it is conflicted for some reason and is not actually auditing the fund, then what is the value, or indeed purpose, of the financial statements it has prepared? I believe stakeholders in the pension deserve an explanation as to why the accountants to the fund are not considered independent so they may assess whether that lack of independence is fatal. Further, why, out of all the accounting firms in the world, did the pension choose an accountant that was not independent?
There are more red flags here. 100% of the assets of the $1.6 billion pension are now and have for the past 39 years been managed by a single investment advisor, Bowen, Hanes & Company, based in Atlanta, Georgia. According to the firm's SEC registration, Bowen, Hanes & Company manages a total of approximately $2 billion. That is, a single client, the Tampa pension, represents approximately 80% of the money management firm's assets under advisory. So much for diversification of manager risk.
In my decades of professional experience, I have never seen a public pension fund with investment guidelines that would permit it to invest more than a limited amount of its assets, say 10%, with a single money manager. Further, the investment guidelines of public funds generally limit the percentage of a manager's assets the fund's assets may represent. Both of these investment restrictions are prudent.
In my experience, if a money manager has impressive investment performance, he will be able to attract additional clients—especially when a large public pension invests with him. It is a red flag, in my opinion, when a manager seemingly fails to attract additional clients over decades and remains dependent upon a single public pension.
So how have the Tampa pension's investments performed over time? No one can know the answer to that question for two reasons. First, as mentioned earlier, there are no audited financials of the fund to rely upon. Second, the limited performance summary and investment history provided by Bowen, Hanes & Company on the fund's website, in my opinion, raises at least as many questions as it answers. A forensic review is required to determine with certainty just how the fund's investments have fared.
Tampa firefighters and police officers deserve better than abundant red flags and a paucity of reliable financial information related to their retirement savings plan.
$1.6 billion Tampa Firefighters and Police Pension expects to dramatically out-perform legendary investor Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway pension plan.
Last week I wrote about the many red flags I had spotted relating to the $1.6 billion Tampa Firefighters and Police Pension and the need for a forensic investigation. Among other issues I identified concerning the management and performance of the fund, I indicated that the pension displayed on its website financial statements that were unaudited– mere "compilations" prepared by a local accounting firm that was not independent of the fund.
Why a public pension would present to the public on its website unaudited financials omitting "substantially all of the disclosures required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America"—financial statements that are "not designed to inform" pension participants about such matters when audited financials existed, is hard enough to understand and should, in my opinion, be investigated. However, the audited and so-called audited financial statements presented on the website raise far more troubling questions about the management of the billion-plus public pension.
Take a look at the September 30, 2004 so-called audited financial statements posted on the fund's website. Look like audited financials to you? They're not. In the upper-left corner is typed DRAFT 5/14/2004. You'll find no auditor named in, or signing, the draft. Looks to me like the pension either didn't get audited that year, or misplaced the audit. Either way, be concerned. It's scary when a billion-plus pension is so sloppy.
In the past ten years, the Tampa Firefighters and Police Pension has changed auditors from Ernst & Young in 2001-2002, to no-named auditor of a draft in 2002-2003, to KPMG for a few years, then back to Ernst & Young for a spell and, most recently, to the firm of Moore Stephens Lovelace, P.A. What does that tell you?
When companies change auditors frequently, or without explanation, it is considered a major red flag by investors and regulators alike. I've never seen a pension whip through auditors as quickly as this one. This public pension fund is exceptional both in having zero turnover of investment advisors, using a single money manager to oversee 100% of its assets for the past 40 years, and in changing auditors every couple of years.
Auditor changes have been a growing concern as regulators scrutinize the reasons behind such changes and what they might portend about a company's financial well-being. A change in auditors can result from either a dismissal by the client, or the auditor's resignation. Auditor resignations often occur when a company is in real financial trouble, and the resignation can be accompanied by a significant drop in the price of the company's stock. For such reasons, the SEC must be notified when a public company changes auditors.
Investors and regulators view auditor resignations and dismissals differently. Resignations are more common when litigation is in the wind and dismissals more frequently result from disagreements about issues such as internal control weaknesses and the reliability of financial reporting.
I don't know the reasons behind the Tampa Firefighters and Police Pension frequent change in auditors, e.g. whether the changes result from resignations, or dismissals. I do note that the most recent auditors do not express an opinion on the effectiveness of the fund's internal control over financial reporting.
But there are more red flags here.
The 10% assumed rate of return on investments disclosed in the pension's financials is absurdly high. It's bad enough that most public pensions today assume an unrealistic rate of return around 7.5%– in excess of the rate deemed achievable by legendary investor Warren Buffett . Berkshire Hathaway's pension projects a paltry 7.1% overall return.
According to the performance summary and investment history of the pension, the longstanding investment manager's stock picks have nearly tripled the S&P 500. Why other public pensions haven't retained this Buffett of Atlanta to manage 100% of their assets remains a mystery.
As I said before, if you're a participant in the fund, a taxpayer contributing to the fund, or an investor in City of Tampa municipal bonds for that matter, in my opinion, you need to know how the $1.6 billion pension is being managed. Your money is at risk.
Let me blunt, I question any investment manager whose assets basically comprise the entire assets of a single public pension fund from Tampa. If Mr. Bowen is that great, how come I and many others I asked have never heard of the "Buffett from Atlanta"? Is there collusion? Are there bribes and kickbacks going on here between Mr. Bowen and Mr. Griner? Sure looks shady.
Below, a report from last summer on how the Tampa police department's DUI squad is under fire. I think the FBI should get involved and start digging deeper into the red flags raised above and investigate any possible fraud or crime involving the Tampa firefighters and police officers pension fund. There is definitely something shady going on there and it really stinks.


The last blog post 'Understanding depression: From The Beginning,' was dedicated to discuss the origins of depression and to a certain extent how to deal with it by allowing it, rather than try to resist it. To understand something we have to explore it until it makes sense. Trying to ignore depression equals to pretending that our bills don't have to be paid if we ignore the letters we receive. It does not make sense.
Years ago I was involved in a car accident resulting in a fractured leg. However traumatic and painful the experience was at the time, it was a fracture easy to heal in theory, although medical negligence made me live with a fractured leg for three years. Two weeks after the accident I decided to stop taking pain killers, as the medication was taking the life out of me. Instead I dedicated my time to write and finish the academic year in university.
The pin inserted in my leg didn't allow the bones to come together and join, hence the healing process did not begin until 3 years after. During the first 6 months I didn't sleep more than two hours per night. As a norm I only sleep four hours and at least one night per week I don't sleep at all, but reducing the hours of rest to half finally took a toll on me and had a breakdown. The next five days were spent in a clinic where they were supposed to help me recover. I cannot say that I was exactly the happiest man to be around before the breakdown, but I was functioning very well. Five days at the clinic at 20 pills a day took my will to live away. Seeing the effect that the medication was having on me, I released myself from the clinic.
At the time I was sharing a house with friends. It was only when I saw their faces the moment the looked at me that I realised in what shape I was. The next day I went to university as usual. I am not someone easy to stop when I'm determined to do something. My lecturer and tutor had a different opinion and sent me home. He wouldn't allow me in. For two months I lay in bed doing nothing. I remember the excruciating pain that I went through the first few weeks. Every minute of the day I wanted the feeling to stop. Being awake twenty hours a day didn't make it easier.
I was not so concerned with my state of mind, but with the fact that my health condition was so debilitating that I couldn't do all the activities I was used to. I enjoyed going to university, writing and meeting with friends. I also had a job. The only reason I wanted to come out of it was not happiness per se, but to be able to continue with my life as it was. At that stage I was refusing to stop and this was a mistake. Depression wouldn't allow me to do anything. In my mind I was still the same person and capable of doing everything and more with ease. My body told differently.
It took a few weeks before I surrendered to reality. I do remember that moment as if I was there now. I was lying down in bed smoking, staring at the sealing. And my thought was, oh well! I give in. If I have to stay in this bed for the rest of my life, so be it. I don't care. I don't have the energy to fight it. And this moment was what made the difference to what happened next.
The essential element which influenced change and helped to restore my health was feeling. I felt the emotions that came along with the thought. By allowing feeling to go through my body I somehow gave a new direction to my life. Writing, university or work were of no importance. For the next few weeks I continued lying in bed, smoking and staring at the sealing, but I no longer felt inclined to push the minutes forward against a future that never seemed to come. I was comfortable in my situation, as I accepted that that was my reality and resigned myself to perhaps being in the state for the rest of my life.
Two months after, I woke up one morning and depression was gone. I was in bliss; feeling the happiest man alive. The other element which helped me to deal with this episode I just described, as well as with everything else in life was shamelessness. I am neither afraid, nor ashamed of who I am. As a norm, people want to feel good about themselves. In order to achieve such feeling and to make it permanent, we always look for the positives about to ourselves. Nothing wrong with this, but by doing so we neglect to connect with an integral part of ourselves.
To achieve a sense of wholeness and to feel the essence of what and who we really are, we must also integrate all those parts we try to avoid. There is no light without darkness. If depression is in this case what afflicts us at the moment, we must accept and embrace this it and do it shamelessly. There is nothing we have to be ashamed of. If you think that depression is something that affects you only, you can think again. Depression affects almost everyone at some point in their lives.
We cannot understand what we don't allow. Trying to resist depression is no different from trying to resist happiness. Only that of course no one wants to resists happiness. Embrace who you are, every part of you regardless of how dark it seems to you. By resisting parts of who we are, we are only making it stronger and lasting. Shame makes us even more depressed and I do understand that when one is suffering from depression it is very difficult to feel proud about anything. There is no need to broadcast our depression to world, but let's integrate this part in who we are. Depression is not what you really are, although to realise who you are, first you have to go through what you're not.
If you are currently suffering from depression, surrender to it and see what happens next. To surrender does not mean that you are only depression, it means that this is where you are right now. The key to a happy life is to accept what we have now. It is the moment we stop fighting that we can win. And sometimes the best thing to do to find a solution, as it was my case, is to do nothing at all.


text:
Q: How to call (open) a new TableView by tapping a row of an existing(actual) tableview I have been trying to implement different methods to open a new window with a tableview when I tap in a row of another table view, but nothing works and all the results on the web are for iOS or Swift.
I'm working in objective-c, for desktop (OS X, el capitan) with xcode (7.2).

A: *

*Add a transparent NSButton on top of the NSTableCellView you're using.

*Create a new NSWindowController subclass and add the second NSTableView inside it with its NSTableViewDelegate/DataSource.

*Connect the IBAction to the overlay button in (1) and have it instantiate the window controller created in (2). Call showWindow:nil and [controller.window makeKeyAndOrderFront:] to display the window controller. Don't forget to create a strong reference to the controller.
Example:
- (IBAction)didPressOverlayButton:(id)sender {
    CustomWindowController *controller = [[CustomWindowController alloc] init];
    [controller showWindow:nil];
    [controller.window makeKeyAndOrderFront:nil];
    _newController = controller;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Norman George Bowery
International Union of Pharmacology. XXXIII. Mammalian gamma-aminobutyric acid(B) receptors: structure and function.
Norman George Bowery, Bernhard Bettler, +5 authors Sam J Enna
Pharmacological reviews
The gamma-aminobutyric acid(B) (GABA(B)) receptor was first demonstrated on presynaptic terminals where it serves as an autoreceptor and also as a heteroreceptor to influence transmitter release by… (More)
GABAB receptor pharmacology.
Annual review of pharmacology and toxicology
In conclusion, GABAB receptors appear to be of major importance in synaptic processing within the brain and are present at both post- and presynaptic sites. Their activation can hyperpolarize… (More)
GABAA and GABAB receptor site distribution in the rat central nervous system
Norman George Bowery, A. L. Hudson, Gary W. Price
An autoradiographic procedure has been used to determine the quantitative distributions of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABAA and GABAB) receptor subtypes in rat brain. Although the concentrations of… (More)
View on Elsevier
(–)Baclofen decreases neurotransmitter release in the mammalian CNS by an action at a novel GABA receptor
Norman George Bowery, David Robert Hill, +4 authors Michael W. Turnbull
The existence of a receptor for γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on neurones of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) is now firmly established1–3. It is generally accepted that bicuculline (and its… (More)
International Union of Pharmacology. XXXIII. Mammalian γ-Aminobutyric AcidB Receptors: Structure and Function
3H-baclofen and 3H-GABA bind to bicuculline-insensitive GABAB sites in rat brain
David Robert Hill, Norman George Bowery
The presence of a novel receptor for the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on peripheral autononric nerve terminals and in mammalian brain slices has been described recently1–4. This… (More)
Cortical-area specific block of genetically determined absence seizures by ethosuximide
J-P. A Manning, Douglas Alexander Richards, Nathalie Leresche, Vincenzo Crunelli, Norman George Bowery
Absence epilepsy is characterised by a paroxysmal loss of consciousness, of abrupt onset and termination, and is associated with a bilateral synchronous spike and wave discharge (SWD) on the… (More)
GABA and glycine as neurotransmitters: a brief history.
Norman George Bowery, Trevor G Smart
British journal of pharmacology
gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) emerged as a potentially important brain chemical just over 50 years ago, but its significance as a neurotransmitter was not fully realized until over 16 years later.… (More)
GABAB receptor: a site of therapeutic benefit.
Current opinion in pharmacology
Although the presence of functional GABAB receptors in mammalian brain has been known for more than 20 years, there is still only one therapeutic agent in use, baclofen, which mediates its effects… (More)
GABA and its receptors in the spinal cord.
Marzia Malcangio, Norman George Bowery
Trends in pharmacological sciences
The importance of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, GABA, within higher centres of the mammalian brain is unquestionable. However, its role within the spinal cord is of equal significance. There have… (More)


It is a good idea to generate backups of your website on a regular basis. We provide daily backups with all of our hosting plans. However, it is a MUST to create a backup when performing changes on your website. This way, if something goes wrong with your website, you will have a working point that you can restore from immediately and get yout website up and running again.
The first step of the process is to generate a backup of your PHPFox Neutron files. To complete that, first locate the directory, where you have installed PHPFox. This is usually the public_html/ directory of your account, but it can also be a different location if you are accessing your website via a subdomain or subfolder.
To create a backup of the MySQL database used on your PHPFox website, you need to log into your cPanel account, locate the Database section and click on the phpMyAdmin service.
If you are not aware of the database name on your PHPFox installation, you can check that information by reviewing our tutorial on how to locate the main PHPFox configuration file.


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Exporters seek new markets for growth
During the first half, China's exports to emerging markets such as Russia and Brazil grew by 46.1 percent and 41.3 percent respectively, year-on-year, while the figure was 16.9 percent for the US and EU, according to customs data.
Economy on track for gradual slowdown
China's government is currently trying to balance the need for healthy growth with attempts to control inflation.
Ice city aims for 'Cloud Valley'
Harbin has attracted the attention of global IT companies who are seeking to turn the city into a base for cloud computing.
China inflation nears peak
Inflation in China is reaching its peak and the situation in the second half of the year will improve.
China CNR signs subway contract with MTR
China CNR Corporation Limited said its subsidiary, Changchun Railway Vehicles, had signed a deal worth HK$1.401 billion ($180 million) to sell subway trains to Hong Kong's MTR Corporation.
Ex-China Mobile official gets suspended death sentence
A court in North China's Hebei province on Friday sentenced Zhang Chunjiang, former deputy general manager of China Mobile, to death with a two-year reprieve, after he was found of taking bribes.
Railway cuts bullet trains from schedule
China's railway authority is about to suspend two pairs of bullet trains on part of the Beijing-Shanghai high-speed railway because of their low occupancy rate.
Chinese equities on the rise on Greece's bailout
Stocks on the Chinese mainland advanced, paring a weekly loss by the benchmark index, as a new aid plan for Greece eased concern Europe's debt crisis will spread.
Greek rescue prevents global havoc
The action is in the most determined effort yet to stabilize the euro and avoid default contagion to the zone's other debt-ridden nations
Automobile ownership to exceed 100m by year's end: CMIF
Despite a slowdown in automobile sales during the first half of the year, the number of vehicles in China is expected to exceed 100 million, climbing by 18 percent from a year earlier, experts said on Friday.
China's textile sector rises 30% in H1
China's textile industry posted a 30-percent growth year-on-year in output in the first half of this year in spite of a raft of challenges, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said.
Da Vinci admits some products mislabeled
The scandal-hit furniture dealer Da Vinci admitted failing to properly label the country of origin of some products and adequately train the sales staff.


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Category Archives: cartoons
Men are People, Women are…Not
I've been getting a lot of comments on my post about The Women of DBZ as well my post on rape culture in Teen Titans Go!
Mainly, commenters tell me that I am over reacting. These are cartoons and anime, after all! What does it matter? Why do I care, especially when this media is out for ratings, not appeal to feminists.
And though I've replied with my own comments and counter arguments (because yes, DBZ and Teen Titans Go! are two of many examples of sexism and misogyny in animated programming) I have yet to formulate a cohesive rebuttal. Until now.
Critiquing sexism in animated programs (or any media) is necessary because this criticism challenges the idea that men are people and everyone else are not.
When we tell stories about men, make male centered narratives the only stories, consume media that features almost exclusively straight, white, cis, male protagonists, we create a culture where men are the only ones who matter. Men are human and we can connect with them and their struggles and triumphs.
Male characters have a backstory, dreams and a life beyond the constraints of plot. We know Goku since he was a child, we age with him as he develops into an adult and we believe his actions come from a deep rooted place of emotional honesty. He's an alien, but we believe he is complex enough to be human. We can see ourselves in Goku, regardless of our gender.
Female characters in mainstream media, however, exist for a male hero. She is his lover, his mother, his friend, his ex. Whether explicitly or implicitly, he owns her, the same way male viewers own her. She is created for male pleasure because she only exists on the page or the screen only so long as the male hero exists. Her conversations (and relationships to other women–if there are other women in the narrative– revolve around men, (so much so that we can test this with the Bechdel Test). She has no real struggles or triumphs of her own. We do not believe she is alive.
By extension, it is such a small, dangerous step, but so simple to believe women are not alive. This is one facet of rape culture: dehumanization.
The media representations of women are flat, sexual beings who exist only for the male hero. The real life women who jog down the street, bag your groceries, practice medicine, sleep in on Saturdays, drown their cereal in skim milk, drink their coffee black, become flat sexual beings. We have no responsibility for them because they are the shadows and cardboard cut-outs on the periphery of our lives. They are not human. They are receptacles for violence.
This is why when even well-intentioned people fight rape culture, they can resort to the argument: "This could be your sister. Your daughter. Your mother. Your aunt." It's a tempting argument, one I've considered using with my own brother. It's a tempting argument, but a flawed argument. Just like the media we consume, we are then saying that women only matter when they are placed in relation to a man.
I am a sister, a daughter, a niece, but I am a human being! A human being in my own right. Women exist, even if a man isn't watching. And if media, especially media geared toward young people, refuses to acknowledge female autonomy then I will continue my criticisms. Because with the media we consume being so male-centered, there is no way in hell I am going back for a second helping.
Posted in cartoons, Dragon Ball Z, Feminism in Fiction, our bodies
Tagged DBZ, goku, media representations of women, ott, rape culture, Teen Titans Go!, the Bechdel Test, women of dragon ball z
How Superheroes Can Demonize People of Color
I went to an anti-police brutality rally protesting the death of Mike Brown recently. But it wasn't just about Mike Brown. It was Trayvon Martin. It was the woman down the street. It was for everyone who ever suffered under a racist police system.
Anti-police brutality rally, Feb. 2013.
And as I stood in the crowd and chanted and yelled with my voice ringing with a myriad of voices around me, I thought about superheroes. I thought about the Justice League coffee mug I own and how out of all the superheroes depicted everyone is white.
The mug features head shots of Robin, Batman, Superman, The Flash, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) and Wonder Woman. Everyone is white. What this means is that the heroes are white. The good guys are white. The guys who win, the guys who have the power, the moral righteousness that lets them make difficult choices. These heroes are white (and overwhelmingly male). I know not all police officers are white. I know you can be a person of color and still be racist both against your own race and against others. But I also know the message DC sends to its fans when it produces merchandise like this.
Cyborg is now on the Justice League and I'm thrilled that DC has taken this step, but it's not enough. We need to show comic book readers of all colors that your race has nothing to do with your morals. We need to show casual fans that in a world where racist police exist, at least in fiction it doesn't have to. That's the joy of fiction: it can illuminate the world's problems and it can also offer solutions to them. And sometimes the solution is depicting a world where it has already been overcome.
Posted in cartoons, comic books/movies, Feminism in Fiction, our bodies, politics, Racism
Tagged activism, America, anti-police brutality, batman, Batman and Robin, comic book readers, comic books, current-events, cyborg, DC, Detective Comics, green lantern, heroes, human-rights, justice league, Justice League of America, Mike Brown, police, police brutality, politics, race, racism, Robin, superheroes, superman, the flash, Trayvon Martin, wonderwoman
Teen Titans Go! Go and Learn Consent
I am a huge Teen Titans fan. It was one of my first introductions to the superhero genre and what I loved the most was that I didn't get into the show until I was sixteen, but the plots were dark and complicated enough that I was wholeheartedly invested. For anyone who has seen the monstrosity that is Teen Titans Go! (TTG) however, I don't think I need to make it clearer that this funny take on the original cartoon is an awful desecration of the original genius.
From L to Right: Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy, Terra, Raven, Starfire
No,Teen Titans didn't always take itself seriously, but when it did it handled everything from abusive relationships to racism to family issues. A majority of the time it balanced humor and darker plots. It has been an inspiration for me to write children's cartoons that can appeal to a wider audience and say something worthwhile.
I don't care that they brought back the old voice actors for TTG. This new show is a minefield and I wanted nothing to do with it.
Then the creators brought Terra into the show in the episode "Terra-Ized". If it wasn't apparent from my previous post about how much I love Terra, she is my favorite fictional female character. I had to watch that episode. So I gritted my teeth and sat down with one of my friends and continued to grit my teeth and by the end of the episode I'm surprised I still had teeth left to grit.
The basic premise of the show is that the Teen Titans had never met Terra before and Beast Boy brings her back to Titans Tower. He gives her all sorts of access codes and secret information thinking she's in love with him. She (like in the original series) is spying on the team, which TTG makes obvious and derives most of their humor from the blatancy of her "spying".
I can forgive TTG! that they ruined all continuity by having no one know who Terra is. I can forgive them for completely ruining a fantastic female character who had deep emotional issues and a legitimate story arc over the course of Season 2 in the original Teen Titans. I can forgive them for making her a character who openly hates the team as opposed to a covert spy and traitor.
What I can't forgive is that this show perpetuates rape culture by blatantly ignoring consent. Watch this clip of the episode and focus specifically on the pictures Beast Boy has of him and Terra at the end of the clip.
It is not funny when a character who clearly says "no" to another character's advances is brushed aside as a joke. What's worse is that this is a major and recurring joke throughout the episode. Terra continuously rebuffs Beast Boy's advances and the writers rebuff her complaints. She's just a female character, after all. She doesn't have autonomy over her own body or anything. No one wants to see the boat rocked by addressing issues of consent. It's not as if consent is a real issue men and women have to deal with in real life or anything!
It's a kids show yes, but before anyone tells me I'm over reacting, where do kids learn their behaviors if not from the media they're exposed to? If no one questions this blatant disregard of Terra's voice ignoring the woman becomes another piece of ordinary life to be glossed over as natural.
When Terra rejects Beast Boy's advances, he has no right to continue to pursue her and Cyborg has no right to advise Beast Boy to press after her. It is even worse when Cyborg gets involved because that normalizes the behavior even more. Beast Boy can no longer be viewed as anomaly who acts in a way we are not supposed to approve of. No, his choices are validated by Cyborg's advice. It is the men of the series conferring over and rejecting a woman's decision. This suddenly doesn't sound like a kid's show, but rather a sexist insertion driving the plot as a running joke.
The episode relied on sexism and misogyny to make children laugh. This is wrong. This is wrong on every level because children won't see the systems of oppression that make these jokes possible. But we who see them need to speak out because no one else will.
I don't want young children to be indoctrinated into believing that "no" is a joke to be laughed off. "No" is definitive. It is always taken seriously. And Teen Titans Go! needs to learn about consent.
Posted in cartoons, comic books/movies, Feminism in Fiction, our bodies, sexuality
Tagged activism, Beast Boy, being a woman, feminism, feminist, fiction, fictional women, morality, rape culture, sexism, superheroes, teen titans, TTG, women, women's bodies, women's rights
Terra: Radical Rocker of Teen Titans
I've noticed a trend in my favorite fictional characters: at least 90% of them are male. What surprised me the most about this realization was that I have way more female friends than male friends. There was no way I couldn't brush aside this point and say that maybe I just "don't connect with women".
I have heard women talk about how women are annoying, petty, and more difficult to be around because of their tendency to be overly emotional. This seems to be less about how women actually are and far more about how they are portrayed in fiction, especially in relationship to how their male counterparts are portrayed. In short, the men (even men who are evil) are almost guaranteed to be people in their own right and therefore more likeable. Rarely are male characters designed to benefit a female character. Chances are it's the other way around.
Now, when I first began to be interested in superheroes I fell in love with the Cartoon Network series Teen Titans. While I do have a few complaints about the female characters in the show I was floored by one character. I fell in love with Terra.
She was the first female character I had a genuine connection with. She was a young girl trying to be a hero with her powers of earth manipulation, but because she could not control these powers she would inevitably cause more harm than good. When she is introduced in Season 2 she was a live-life-to-the-fullest go-getter hiding her massive insecurities about her powers, her past, and her ability to have normal relationships. Her backstory is never fully explained in the cartoon, but watching the series and seeing how she interacts with main cast of Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Raven, it is easy to see she is a rounded character.
Terra reacts out of fear, love and pain, just to name a few of the emotions she goes through. Her character arc is treated with respect and even though she is paired with Beast Boy she was not created to be his love interest. She is her own person no matter that her arc is bound up with the male characters of the series, Robin, Beastboy and Slade.
I feel the most interesting thing about Terra though, is that she is not a feminist character. For all that I could rave about her being a rounded character, that does not mean that she is a feminist or that the creators of the show wanted her to be one. And that's alright.
I love her because I connect with her on the basis that I could meet someone like her on the street. She doesn't fit into the women-are-either-angels-or-monsters paradigm.
The irony to all this is that her comic book version created in the 1980s (read "Terra Incognito" and "The Judas Contract" for her comic book arc) was designed for her to be a loud mouthed jack ass who hates the Teen Titans for no other reason than that they are good. She is sexually involved with Slade Wilson, a man at least 40 years her elder and it is only to prove that she is psychotic. She is a "monster" in the comics, but the cartoon made a different call. The cartoon wanted a female character who was well developed and wasn't created to further the story of the male heroes. Although she isn't a feminist character this doesn't mean she doesn't do radical things for how female characters are perceived and written.
Posted in cartoons, comic books/movies, Feminism in Fiction
Tagged Cartoon Network, cartoons, comic books, Deathstroke the Terminator, Detective Comics, feminism, fiction, fictional women, Slade Wilson, superheroes, teen titans, women


Last Friday was a milestone for me.
After nearly five years of playing the Village Inn Lounge here in Saint Helens — and nearly a year playing there with the Hendrix Happening — we've got auditory evidence. Kevin Elmore brought his recording equipment up and captured the whole show. It looks like we'll do some kind of live album potentially ahead of going in the studio. Here's a small taste.


Play Ball! It's the early 1960's and fifth-grader Scotty Smalls (Tom Guiry) has just moved into town with his folks (Karen Allen and Denis Leary). Kids call him a dork --- he can't even throw a baseball! But that changes when the leader of the neighborhood gang recruits him to play on the nearby sandlot field. It's the beginning of a magical summer of baseball, wild adventures, first kisses and fearsome confrontations with the dreaded beast and its owner (James Earl Jones) who live behind the left field fence. Soon nine boys have become best friends, Scotty is part of a team, and their leader has become a local legend in this hilarious and warmhearted comedy.
Fans will not want to miss the 25th Anniversary celebration that includes a sneak peek of a documentary on the making of The Sandlot!
©1993 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
Moves to Los Angeles in 1961 and spends his first summer trying to fit in with the kids of his new neighborhood. Taken under the wing of Benny, he finds a new passion for baseball.
The one all of the Sandlot kids looks up to. Known for his speed, Benny has to outrun The Beast to get Smalls' ball back.
Is not afraid to hurl insults. He frequently tires of Smalls' naivete and lack of knowledge in certain things, like s'mores and Babe Ruth.
Looks like a nerd but a good baseball player and storyteller. He also has a major crush on an older local girl, Wendy Peffercorn.


Picture this, your group of girlfriends have finally found a date in the calendar where you are all free from commitments, work and the kids after months of suggestions in the group chat. Now, where to go? One girlfriend is trying a new vegan diet, another is gluten free - suddenly you see your dining options disappearing before your eyes. We have all been there, but fear not! Here we have some options for all dietary restrictions at Westfield Woden.
Find Grill'd on level 1, near Hoyts - the perfect place to stop and grab a bit to eat before a movie, with something for everyone! Grill'd have recently introduced two new plant based burgers to their menu including the vegetarian 'Hemp Therapea' and the new 'Amazing Vegan Cheeseburger'. This really is a better way to eat your greens.
Our Corinna Street Dining precinct is home to a world of choice! For Pescatarian's we recommended indulging at Chinese Kitchen Dumpling House and treating yourself to their Sizzling King Prawns in Black Pepper and Garlic Sauce.
Located on the Corinna Street Dining precinct, Au Lac Royal Vegetarian Cuisine is every vegan's dream, featuring traditional vegetarian dishes as well as plant based meat alternatives. For those who are new to vegan cuisine, don't go past the soy dock wraps and eggplant claypot!
San Churro is the perfect after dinner treat! They have recently launched a vegan menu packed full of delicious chocolatey delights. Try 'The Happy Vegan', the ultimate guilt-free treat! San Churro is located on Bradley Street, near Hoyts.
Chong Co Thai is one of our favourite choices for meeting everyone's dietary needs. With a separate gluten free listing on the menu, there is no need to decipher cryptic key's to find out what you can eat! Book now and try the beef massaman curry. Located at the Corinna Street Dining Precinct.


text:
Farmer Sutra (R)
R rated jokes
A farmer in Arkansas and his wife were lying in bed one evening, she was knitting, he was reading the latest issue of Animal Husbandry. He looks up from the page and says to her, "Did you know that humans are the only species in which the female achieves orgasm?"
She looks at him wistfully, smiles, and replies, "Oh yeah? Prove it."
He frowns for a moment, then says, "O.K." He then gets up and walks out, leaving his wife with a confused look on her face.
About half an hour later he returns all tired and sweaty and says, "Well, I'm sure the cow and sheep didn't, but the way that pig squealed, it's hard to tell."


Housed in an adorable metal tin, the I Want Kandee Eyeshadow Palette features 15 eyeshadow shades with 12 weighing at 1g and three weighing at 2g. When you first open the tin, the cocoa and vanilla scented shadows are shielded with a sheet of translucent vellum paper. When you lift it up, it actually feels like you are opening up a box of fancy chocolates. The color selection is surprisingly neutral and easy-to-wear; nine are mattes and six are shimmers. I usually do a breakdown of all the individual shades but this palette is perfectly formulated through and through.
Every color including the mattes are soft, creamy, easy-to-blend, and beautifully pigmented. Additionally, the shadows are divided into three clusters, each consisting of five complimentary shades that work perfectly together to create a full eye makeup look. Below you will find a look I created using the shades Pastry, Butterscotched, Banana Cream Pie, and Hot Chocolate.
This is a pearly mauve, candy-scented highlighter stick housed in a pink and gold metal tube. The packaging is twist-up and retractable and you get a generous 9g of product. Formulation-wise, Candy Glow Luminizer is super slick and creamy. The shimmer-level is off the charts and the texture blends beautifully!
I'm usually not a fan of cream highlighters because the shimmers tend to slide and slip on the skin but the Candy Glow Luminizer sets to a weightless, powder-dry finish so it has a much better wear. As you can see in the swatches below, the shimmers are quite intense. Once blended, you get a nice natural sheen but there are also noticeable flecks of micro-glitter. Depending on the kind of highlighter you prefer, this one may be a bit too sparkly. Nevertheless, the formulation is great and color is very flattering on most skin tones.
This is a translucent setting powder with a creamy ivory color embedded with flecks of lavender, pink, teal, and bright yellow. The formulation is supposed to have a banana scent but I only pick up a sweet vanilla fragrance. Too Faced usually has great packaging for all their products and although I am liking the shiny gold compact, the paper sticker label on the lid just doesn't do justice to the beautifully pressed powder inside.
As mentioned, this is a translucent powder so although it looks like a soft banana yellow when swatched, it provides little pigmentation when actually blended on the face. The formulation is lightweight, creamy, silky, and soft but not powdery. It provides no coverage but it softly blurs and mattifies. Whether you are using this over a liquid foundation or directly on top of moisturized skin, your complexion will look more brightened and refined.
Lastly, we have a liquid eyeliner featuring a special applicator. With a chiseled shape that's tapered on both sides and slanted at the tip, the felt applicator is designed to create a "goof-proof application". Unfortunately, I had a lot of trouble working with this applicator. The felt tip is overly stiff so you can't apply the liner in a smooth stroke. Instead, you have to work with a press, lift, and repeat method that just doesn't feel very precise or efficient. You can probably master the perfect winged liner with some practice but I've been well-acquainted with regular felt or brush applicators for so long that I really don't see the point of getting used to this one.
Additionally, the formulation is also not the best. The ink is quite runny and wet so it takes a long time to dry. And once it's set, it's prone to creasing and flaking. All in all, this is not a liner I would personally recommend. However, if you've previously experienced challenges with the traditional brush tip or tapered felt tip, this may be worth a try.
The Too Faced I Want Kandee Collection is available in stores exclusively at Ulta and online at Ulta and Too Faced, both of which offer Canadian shipping.


I've always believed that a great bonding should always be accompanied with booze.
We don't drink just because we want to party. There's actually a long list why drinking alcohol is great.
2. Because you had a good day.
3. Because you had a bad day.
5. It's a social lubricant for a reason. Drinking makes you friends.
6. Many doctors recommend a glass of red wine a night to lower the risk of heart disease.
7. What better way is there to bond with new roommates?
9. Because without wine, your cheese gets lonely.
12. Because your ex posted engagement pictures on Facebook.
13. Did we mention whisky?
Ypu see, I woll be celbrayoing my birthday next monj--- no, I'm not tipsy as I write this post-- lol. In preparation for a small party I'm planning to throw to my friends, I decided to scout for a nice bottle-o and discovered a liquor haven- The Booze Shop. Wines, spirits, beer- name it, they have it! And all of them are imported brands. How cool is that?
It's a small shop located along Jupiter Street in Makati but I love how neatly the bottles in the shelves are arranged.
I imagine getting a bigger beer belly just by looking at their tempting selection- that's the only bad thing I can share about it. The good: 1. The Booze Shop has a great selection of drinks. 2. The staff are very friendly- they even recommended me labels that I can consider. 3. Lotsa single bottle beer. 4. There's Tanqueray! Oh I love Tanqueray!
The Booze Shop is definitely my new go-to shop in finding a great selection of wines and liquors. I dont claim to be a wine expert, but I guess we can all agree that a nice drink always brings good times.
The very accommodating staff of The Booze Shop.
Some of the bottles I got.
Whether you just want to have a sip, flushed, be away with the fairies, bladdered or arsehold-- The Booze Shop had you covered.


Sinewave Power Amplifier // EN54-‐16 // AB-‐Class 2x120W/100V-‐230/24V-‐ 19''/2U.
Basic Power Amplifier // EN54-‐16 // AB-‐CLass 2x480W/100V-‐230/24V-‐ 19''/2U.
Console device. EN54-16. Wall mounted cabinet remote paging console for IDA8. Colour touch screen security paging console. 14 pages with 12 buttons, RS485. User programmable. Incl. Firemen microphone.
Console device. EN54-16. Wall	mounted cabinet remote paging console for DIVA8. Colour touch screen security paging console. 14 pages with 12 buttons, RS485. User programmable. Incl. firemen microphone.
Console device. EN54-16. Wall mounted cabinet remote paging console for IDA8. 16 zones+all call+PTT, RS485. Incl. Firemen microphone.
Console device. EN54-16. Wall mounted cabinet remote paging console for DIVA8. 16 zones+all call+PTT, RS485. Incl. Firemen microphone.
Console device. EN54-16. Wall mounted cabinet remote paging console for IDA8/8 zones+all call+PTT, RS485. Incl. Firemen microphone.
Console device. EN54-16. Wall mounted cabinet remote paging console for DIVA8. 8 zones+all call+PTT, RS485. Incl. Firemen microphone.
Digital Noise Sensing Microphone for AGC on IDA8, LAP, UAP, ECS over RS485.
Networked Echo Cancellation System. 8x audio IN, 4x audio OUT, 4x AEC-‐channels. Adaptive line & acoustic echo cancellation unit.


text:
Gertrude de Hohenberg, née vers 1225 à Deilingen et morte le  à Vienne, fut reine de Germanie et duchesse d'Autriche en tant que première épouse du roi Rodolphe  de Habsbourg. Elle règne à partir de 1273 sous le nom de Anna de Habsbourg et est considéré comme l'aïeule de la dynastie.

Biographie
Gertrude est la fille aînée du comte Bouchard V de Hohenberg (mort en 1253) et de son épouse Mathilde de Tübingen. Les comtes de Hohenberg en Souabe, mentionnés pour la première fois dans un acte de l'empereur Frédéric Barberousse en 1170, sont apparentés à la maison de Hohenzollern, descendants du comte Frédéric  de Zollern (mort en 1125). En se mariant à Mathilde, une héritière des comtes palatins de Tübingen, le père de Gertrude a pu accroître ses domaines.

Selon une thèse du historien Aegidius Tschudi (1505-1572), référant aux chroniques de l'abbaye de Muri, Gertrude provient de la famille de Frobourg ; néanmoins, cette supposition est réfutée à une large échelle.

Gertrude épouse vers 1245 le comte Rodolphe IV de Habsbourg (1218-1291), fils du comte Albert IV le Sage et de son épouse Edwige, comtesse de Kybourg. De ce mariage naissent dix enfants :
 Albert I (1248-1308), co-duc d'Autriche en 1282, roi des Romains en 1298,
 Mathilde (1251-1304), mariée en 1273 au duc Louis II de Bavière (1229-1294),
 Catherine (1256-1282), mariée en 1279 avec Othon III de Bavière, roi de Hongrie de 1305 à 1308,
 Agnès (vers 1257-1322), mariée en 1273 au duc Albert II de Saxe,
 Hedwige (morte en 1303), mariée en 1279 au margrave Othon IV de Brandebourg,
 Clémence de Habsbourg (vers 1262-1301), mariée en 1281 avec Charles Martel d'Anjou, duc de Calabre et roi titulaire de Hongrie ,
 Hartmann (1263-1281),
 Rodolphe II (1270-1290), co-duc d'Autriche en 1282
 Judith (1271-1297), mariée en 1285 au roi Venceslas II de Bohême,
 Charles (1276-1276)

Le  à Francfort, son mari est élu roi des Romains et fit se couronner couronner à la cathédrale d'Aix-la-Chapelle (n'étant pas allé se faire couronner à Rome, il ne porte pas le titre d'empereur du Saint-Empire). Gertrude devient désormais la reine Anna de Habsbourg. Le nouveau roi commença par récupérer les fiefs tombés dans d'autres mains, notamment les duchés d'Autriche et de Styrie en possession du roi Ottokar II de Bohême. Un conflit armé s'impose dans lequel Ottokar a été décisivement vaincu et tué à la bataille de Marchfeld le  ; ses États impériaux revinrent comme fiefs accomplis à Rodolphe .

Après des dizaines d'années de mariage, Gertrude meurt en 1281 à Vienne. Conformément aux dispositions de Rodolphe, son corps est ramené à Bâle, ville  à laquelle elle était particulièrement attachée et où reposait l'un de ses fils, Charles (né et mort en 1276). Son monument funéraire à la cathédrale, de style gothique, daté des premières années de la décennie 1280, présente, d'un point de vue typologique, des particularités remarquables: monument élevé pour une femme, monument double et monument mère-enfant.

Après trois années de veuvage, Rodolphe I se remarie en 1284 avec Isabelle de Bourgogne (1270-1323), fille du duc Hugues IV.

Notes et références

Liens externes

Reine de Germanie du XIIIe siècle
Gertrude
Gertrude
Naissance en 1225
Décès en 1281
Décès à Vienne (Autriche)
Décès dans le duché d'Autriche
Duchesse d'Autriche du XIIIe siècle

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Phase-Segregation and Photothermal Remixing of Mixed-Halide Lead Perovskites
2019-12-20T13:02:27Z (GMT) by Juvinch R. Vicente Jixin Chen
Mixed-halide lead perovskites (MHPs) are promising materials for photovoltaics and optoelectronics due to their highly tunable bandgaps. However, they phase-segregate under continuous illumination and/or electric field, whose mechanism is still under debate. Herein, we systematically measure the phase-segregation behavior of CH3NH3Pb(BrxI1-x)3 MHPs as a function of excitation intensity and nominal halide ratio by in situ photoluminescence micro-spectroscopy. We encapsulate the MHPs with a layer of polystyrene polymer film to isolate them from the effects of the immediate atmosphere. Under this passivated condition, the phase segregation of the MHPs is very different from those without polymer passivation reported in the literature. The initial phase segregation to I-rich and Br-rich phase is observed followed by the formation of a new mixed-halide phase within several seconds that has not been reported before. We observe that the photothermal effect is amplified at the small-size I-rich domains which significantly changes the local phase segregation in the otherwise uniform film as early as milliseconds after illumination.
Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Materials
Mixed Halide Perovskite


Formula-fed infants generally don't need supplements until they are about 6 months old and start taking more solids and less formula. At that point a liquid or powdered multivitamin is a good idea to help fill in the gaps in the diet. Make sure your baby's formula contains DHA to help brain development. Formula should be made with filtered tap water so baby gets fluoride for healthy teeth. Make sure your filter removes lead and volatile organic compounds like pesticides. These are often found in tap water and are NOT good for development. Filtering is much less expensive than buying bottled water and keeps all those empty bottles out of the landfills.
Breastfed babies depend on mom's diet for their nutrition. Breastfeeding moms should be sure to take a multivitamin with iron and a fish oil supplement with DHA (check the women-before-menopause page). After six months a breastfed infant should take vitamin D for sure and also can use a liquid or powdered multivitamin to fill in gaps in the diet.
You also should consider what products you put on your baby's outside. Tear-free shampoos aren't less caustic than others, they just have an anesthetic in them so baby doesn't feel the irritation of soap in the eyes. Instead why not choose something naturally gentle? Also check and make sure botanicals in your baby's soap and lotion are organic to avoid pesticides.


Salalah is the capital city of Oman's southern Zufar and Dhofar region. It is often considered to be the "second city" of the Sultanate, although some of this designation is probably due to its distinction as Sultan Qaboos' birthplace.
The region is famous for its khareef (monsoon), and the Khareef Festival is an annual event here Salalah and Dhofar are historically famous for the frankincense trade. The region has tended to be rather independent over history, although this has changed since Qaboos' ascension to the throne.
It is possible to drive from Muscat to Salalah. The trip takes roughly 12 hours (although there are numerous places worth a detour en route). From the starting point sure its a cheerful trip where you can enjoy the wild beauty. Rusayl, Nizwa, Haima, Thumrait and next is the most beautiful Salalah.Watch out for renegade dunes on the way! When you get hungry, thirsty or tired, you should take the next opportunity to stop - there might not be another one for dozens of miles.
Salalah is quite a small city in tourist terms, as most places of interest are close to each other. During warmer times of year, though, walking may not be the best idea. The usual unmetered Omani taxis operate here.
The average taxi fare to travel within the city is 500 baiza.
Welcome to Magical Dhofar-Beauty has an address...!!!
land of Bountiful, as described in the Book of Mormon.
Bountiful- Substantial new evidence identifies a lush area in the western corner of Oman as the possible location where Nephi built the ship that carried Lehi's family to the promised land.
copyright@stanlydcunha. Travel theme. Theme images by Nikada. Powered by Blogger.


text:
Q: Kotlin: Launching activity with companion using startActivityForResult I am building a countdown activity that needs to pass back the remaining time to the calling activity (when the countdown was only partially used.).
class CountDownActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
companion object{
    const val REQUEST_START_COUNTDOWN: Int = 2

    fun CountDownIntent(iToDoRecord: iToDoRecord): Intent {
        return Intent(maincontext, CountDownActivity::class.java).apply {
            putExtra(MainActivity.INTENT_COUNTDOWN_TASK, iToDoRecord.itaskname)
            putExtra(MainActivity.INTENT_CALLING_DATE, MainActivity.currentDate)
            putExtra(MainActivity.INTENT_COUNTDOWN_TIME, iToDoRecord.itaskduration.toLong())
            putExtra(MainActivity.INTENT_COUNTDOWN_TASKID, iToDoRecord.itaskid)
            putExtra(MainActivity.INTENT_COUNTDOWN_TASKMILLI, iToDoRecord.itaskmilliremaining.toLong())
        }
    }
}.....

}
And then I call it from my reclyclerview like this:
 val intentitd = Intent(holder.textViewID.getContext(), CountDownActivity.CountDownIntent(currentiToDo)::class.java)
        //intentitd.putExtra(MainActivity.INTENT_CALLING_DATE, currentdate)
        startActivityForResult(CountDownActivity,CountDownActivity.CountDownIntent(currentiToDo),CountDownActivity.REQUEST_START_COUNTDOWN)

Compiler give me the following error:
"Type mismatch: inferred type is CountDownActivity.Companion but Activity was expected"
What am I doing wrong?

A: You can try calling the activity as:
val intent =  CountDownActivity.CountDownIntent(currentiToDo)

startActivityForResult(intent,CountDownActivity.REQUEST_START_COUNTDOWN)


The Belcroft is a unique community of all double (side-by-side) garage townhomes – no narrow tandem homes, so you won't feel crammed in the complex – a rare offering today. View this end unit, duplex-style home that truly feels like a house with a proper front yard, front porch, and front door. Great layout with master bedroom on the main level, lovely his and hers ensuite, and large walk-in closet. Three well-appointed bedrooms on the upper level, plus a bonus flex/loft area – perfect for office, play area, or reading nook. Our favourite feature: soaring high ceilings. Large rec room complete with a bar, bedroom, and full bath (nanny/in-law suite?) in the basement. Across from Southridge Private School – one of the highest ranked schools in BC, and a very short walk to the shops and restaurants at Morgan Crossing Village.


My name is Kusuma and I am work as a Manager in the Private Sector. I have completed my B.Com.. I have been raised up in a Middle Class, Nuclear Family with Moderate Values.
My name is Rashmi and I am working as a Manager in the Private sector. I have completed my MBA. I grew up in a Middle Class class, Nuclear family with Traditional values.
My name is Shruthi and I am work as a Manager in the Private Sector. I have completed my Master Degree in Arts / Science / Commerce. I have been raised up in a Middle Class, Nuclear Family with Moderate Values.
we are searching a match for Sumalatha and she is working as a Manager in the Private sector. she as completed her B.Ed.. and grew up in a Middle Class class, Nuclear family with Moderate values.
Hello, I am making this profile for my sister in law's, Kavya Hegde. She is working as a Manager in the Private sector. She has completed her MCom. she grew up in a Upper Middle Class class, Nuclear family with Traditional values. basically from Sringeri, seeking caring person.
My relative is a manager with a Bachelor's degree currently working in private sector in Bangalore. She comes from a middle class, nuclear family background with orthodox values.
I have a Bachelor's degree and I am employed in Private Sector as a Manager currently based in Bangalore. I belong to a Middle class, Nuclear family with Traditional values.
My relative is a Manager with a Master's degree currently working in Private sector in Bangalore. She belongs to an Upper middle class, Nuclear family with Traditional values.
I am a manager with a Bachelor's degree currently working in private sector in Bangalore. I come from a middle class, joint family background with traditional values.
My name is Mahesh Gowda Mn and I am working in one of the MNC as a Pharmacuetical professional in the Private sector in Bangalore. I have completed my MBA. We Belongs to Vokkaliga Hosadevru Community, and I grew up in a Nuclear family with Traditional values.
Hi, thanks for visiting my profile. I have completed my Masters. I like to live life to the fullest. I am looking for a Girl to marry who would understand me, Simple & Good Human.
My son is a software professional with a bachelor's degree currently working in private sector in Bangalore. We belong to an upper middle class, nuclear family with moderate values. People describe him as simple, gentle, knowledgeable and adaptable.
My name is RAJANEESH K T and I am working as a Manager in the Private sector. I have completed my MBA (Hotel Management/Tourism & Hospitality). I grew up in a Middle class, Nuclear family with Traditional values.
Hi...i am harsha down to earth confident person belonging to a well respected family. I believe in living in the present, but with an eye on the future and believe in enjoying every moment of life.
Software Professional Matrimony	Engineer - Non IT Matrimony	Executive Matrimony	Supervisor Matrimony	Professor / Lecturer Matrimony	Officer Matrimony	Agriculture & Farming Professiona..


Made up of two separate parks, Tsavo East National Park and Tsavo West National Park, Tsavo is the largest national park in Kenya, and one of the largest animal sanctuaries in the world. The slightly larger and wilder Tsavo East is generally flat, with dry plains and is famous for its large herds of buffalo and elephants, while Tsavo West is a rolling, rocky landscape where the Big Five, hippos, and a range of birdlife may be spotted. The two parks are divided by a railway which infamously began construction in the late 1800's, and where workers were reportedly terrorized by two maneless, man-eating lions who were subsequently killed, and their bodies sold to the Field Museum in Chicago. Today's Tsavo lions are notable for the males' distinctive short, thin manes, or no manes at all.


What do the human brain, the 3 billion base-pair human genome and a tiny cube of 216 atoms have in common?
All of them, from the tiny cube to the 3-pound human brain, create incredibly complex computing challenges for University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers, and aggressive investments in UAB's IT infrastructure have opened new possibilities in innovation, discovery and patient care.
For example, Kristina Visscher, Ph.D., assistant professor of neurobiology, UAB School of Medicine, uses fMRI images from several hundred human brains to learn how the brain adapts after long-term changes in visual input, such as macular degeneration. Frank Skidmore, M.D., an assistant professor of neurology in the School of Medicine, studies hundreds of brain MRI images to see if they can predict Parkinson's disease.
David Crossman, Ph.D., bioinformatics director in UAB's Heflin Center for Genomic Science, deciphers the sequences of human genomes for patients seeking a diagnosis in UAB's Undiagnosed Diseases Program, and he processes DNA sequencing for UAB researchers who need last-minute data for their research grant applications.
Ryoichi Kawai, Ph.D., an associate professor of physics in the UAB College of Arts and Sciences, is laying the groundwork for a better infrared laser by calculating the electronic structure for a cube made up of just 216 atoms of zinc sulfide doped with chromium or iron.
Each researcher faces a mountain range of computational challenges. Those mountains are now easier to scale with UAB's new supercomputer—the most advanced in Alabama for speed and memory.
Using 1,000 cores, it would take two to three months of continuous computing to solve the structure, Kawai says. Both the increased number of cores and faster processing nodes in the new computer cluster will speed up that task so much that Kawai's graduate student Kyle Bentley can investigate more different cases.
In their research, both Skidmore and Visscher have to compare brains with other brains. Because each brain differs somewhat in size, shape and surface folds, every brain has to be mapped onto a template to allow comparisons.
To look at the adult brain's plasticity—the ability to change function and structure through new synaptic connections—Visscher studies visual processing.
Crossman deciphers the sequences of human genomes for patients seeking a diagnosis, and he processes DNA sequencing for UAB researchers. Providing excellent customer service to his clients is vital, Crossman says, and it takes computer power to crunch genome sequencing data for those researchers, physicians and patients.
The data floodgates of genomics burst open about a dozen years ago with the arrival of next-generation, high-throughput sequencing, says Elliot Lefkowitz, Ph.D., director of Informatics for the UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science. Lefkowitz has been serving the bioinformatics needs of the UAB Center for AIDS Research for 25 years, and now also handles bioinformatics for the UAB Microbiome Facility. His team has grown to five bioinformaticians and several programmers.
Changes like that mean ever-increasing computer demands.


(Gloomy Sunday, not long until evening.
In dark shadow, my loneliness grieving.
Eyes closed, and before me you go.
But you sleep, and I wait for morrow.
Tell the angel to leave room for me.
So many Sundays, alone in the shadows.
I will go now with night, wherever it goes.
Eyes glisten as candles burn bright.
Weep not, friends, my burden is light.
With a last breath I return to my home.
Safe in the land of shadows I roam.
這篇文章發表 於 星期二, 十二月 11th, 2012 1:15 上午	在 邁向現代 Road to Modernity. 你可以回應這篇文章透過 RSS 2.0 feed. 你可以 留下回覆, 或 引用 從你的個人網站.


Welcome to the wide world Spinuzzi and genre tracing. This text was a great deal more straightforward than I thought a text would be with a title like Tracing Genres through Organizations (it surprised me as much as how easy it was to understand Susan Popham's article on medical forms as genre boundaries). The analogy of the heroes, tyrants, and victims made me laugh, but it also highlighted the stereotypical roles designers, systems, and users are believed to play in the workflow of organizations. Spinuzzi's aim for the book is to break down the traditional idea that workers are victims of the information design set in the workplace and that the system designers are heroic as they swoop down to save the day, even when the workers themselves have come up with innovative "workarounds" or solutions to localized problems. Instead, Spinuzzi offers up the idea (and the methods, methodology, and case studies to back up his claims) that through genre tracing in organizations, workers will be able to reclaim their sense of agency within the organizations they work as designers, researchers, and other scholars will come to recognize that the workers have been "saving themselves" with their localized solutions.
"Superman Handbook" for the common man, superpowers not included. Image hosted on i09.
Spinuzzi does seem quite taken with the analogy he puts forth, and it is not hard to see how the analogy works so well. I have heard more than enough people (myself included) complain about information systems we have to work with that we believe are too complicated, archaic, simplistic, etc for us to be able to do our jobs well. Instead, we come up with ways to work around the technology, sometimes to complement the system, and other times to just get away from having to use the system altogether. If we look to Spinuzzi's text to explain our tendencies to come up with alternatives to the official system, we are, in effect, rescuing ourselves from "victimhood." But, I am talking in the abstract here. One example in his book that I really liked was that of the police officer Barbara who, as he describes in the Introduction's epigraph, was using her own, more informal, system of data collection "for locating and analyzing traffic accidents in a particular area" (1). While it seems outdated to use a physical map to mark out locations where accidents can happen (especially since the book was written in 2003 and technology has come a long way, though online maps can also be cumbersome), it does seem that Barbara's method of using Post-It Notes to alleviate her dependence on an unwieldy map was rather ingenious. His tracing of the evolution of accident data collection in "Chapter 3: Tracing Genres across Developmental Eras" was very interesting as it looked at how the information design altered and modified to adapt to new technologies, even if Post-It Notes could still end up being an efficient way to manage information.
Macroscopic, also known as the organization or contextual layer — "Kuutti and Bannon prefer to call this layer the 'contextual' layer because it reaches beyond organizations to the cultural-historical activity in which those organizations are involved. It involves ways workers, work communities, cultures, and societies understand, structure, collaborate on, and execute their evolving cooperative enterprises" (Spinuzzi 31-32).
Mesoscopic — "is that of goal-oriented action – the tasks in which people are consciously engaged. Actions fulfill certain goals or localized objects as part of the general activity…Leont'ev concludes that these actions constitute human activity – 'human activity does not exist except in the form of action or a chain of actions' (p. 64)-but at the same time these individual actions are not explicable except in the context of the activity. Field studies that focus on the mesoscopic level of action tend to examine how individuals or small groups execute routine tasks with specific tools" (Spinuzzi 33). Another interesting quote that helped me to understand this new word came at the end of his section on mesoscopic: "A field study that functions at the mesoscopic level, such as Muller's, focuses not on the work activity but on the local goals that users set for themselves and the tools and actions they use to accomplish those goals within a cultural-historical context. These goals, tools, and actions are often seen as the crux of usability problem" (34).
Microscopic – it is the level "of moment-by-moment operations…which are the minute practices, reflexes, and habits on which workers draw as they carry out their labor. These operations respond to conditions –that is, specific configurations of the work environment. An operation is the mode of performing an act: an unconscious step in carrying out an action within certain conditions" (Spinuzzi 34).
"Three levels of scope." Chart taken from Clay Spinuzzi's book Tracing Genres through Organizations.
After reading chapter two and sorting out how the three levels work (independently and in relation to one another), it took some time to process, but the idea that what happens on one level affects the others made sense, even though Spinuzzi points out that designers are constantly addressing local problems by designing universal solutions and that they "do not examine how to relate these macroscopic and microscopic levels" (Spinuzzi 29). His choice of a sociocultural approach through genre tracing made more sense after he pointed out that "sociocultural theorists and researchers argue that relationships among activities, actions and operations coconstitute each other…work activities constitute goal-directed actions, which in turn constitute habitual operations — but operations can reciprocally structure goals and actions and shape activities" (28-29). There seems to be a ripple effect from each level, where the structure, or even an element, of one cannot be changed without the others being impacted.
Everyone should have a "Heroine Handbook" when taking down their own tyrannically designed information system. Image hosted on i09.
Spinuzzi, Clay. Tracing Genres through Organizations: A Sociocultural Approach to Information Design. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2003. Print.