text:
import sys
reload(sys)
sys.setdefaultencoding( "utf-8" )

import scrapy
from w3lib.html import remove_tags
class BaiduSearchSpider(scrapy.Spider):
    name = "baidu_search"
    allowed_domains = ["baidu.com"]
    start_urls = [
            "https://www.baidu.com/s?wd=机器学习"
    ]

    def parse(self, response):
        hrefs = response.selector.xpath('//div[contains(@class, "c-container")]/h3/a/@href').extract()
        containers = response.selector.xpath('//div[contains(@class, "c-container")]')
        for container in containers:
            href = container.xpath('h3/a/@href').extract()[0]
            title = remove_tags(container.xpath('h3/a').extract()[0])
            c_abstract = container.xpath('div/div/div[contains(@class, "c-abstract")]').extract()
            abstract = ""
            if len(c_abstract) > 0:
                abstract = remove_tags(c_abstract[0])
            request = scrapy.Request(href, callback=self.parse_url)
            request.meta['title'] = title
            request.meta['abstract'] = abstract
            yield request

        # filename = "result.html"
        # with open(filename, 'wb') as f:
        #     f.write(response.body)
        # hrefs = response.selector.xpath('//div[contains(@class, "c-container")]/h3/a/@href').extract()
        # for href in hrefs:
        #     yield scrapy.Request(href, callback=self.parse_url)

    def parse_url(self, response):
        print "url:", response.url
        print "title:", response.meta['title']
        print "abstract:", response.meta['abstract']
        content = remove_tags(response.selector.xpath('//body').extract()[0])
        print "content_len:", len(content)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Phones/Tablets/Mobile Tech
Twitter Bans Political Ads this Month, Contradicts Facebook
Staff Reporter, Tech Times 31 October 2019, 10:10 am
Twitter, Inc. announced recently that it is banning political ads on its platform starting November 22, 2019. The company CEO's, Jack Dorsey, announcement in middle of this week won commendations from Democrats and scorn from the presidential campaign of Donald Trump. Relatively, Dorsey said in a statement that the company officials had decided to prevent all kinds of political advertising on Twitter worldwide.
An article Reuters posted recently stated that analysts are not expecting the ban to reduce the business of Twitter considerably. Its shares fell though, according to the reputable online news site, "in after-hours trading." Social media networks, which include Twitter competitor, Facebook, face increasing pressure to end carrying ads believed to be spreading deceitful information that could steer the polls.
FB Contradicting Twitter's Take on Political Ads
Facebook has sworn to take initiatives in dealing with false information after the appearance of the Russian propaganda on its platform that impacted the results of the 2016 American presidential elections, where Trump, a Republican, won. Despite this pledge, FB decided, though, to not fact-check political ads which draw ire from Democratic candidates who are vying for the highest-ranking position in the 2020 presidential election. Examples of these candidates are Senator Elizabeth Warren and Vice President Joe Biden.
In response to Twitter's move, deputy communications director for the campaign of Biden, Bill Russo, said via an email, "We appreciate that Twitter acknowledges that they should not allow disproven smears," like those from the campaign of Trump, to be in the ads on their platform. Incidentally, Biden has encountered attacks from the current U.S. president, offered without any proof, about the overseas business transactions of his son, Hunter.
Silencing the Conservatives?
Brad Parscale, the person behind the re-election campaign of Trump, said Twitter's move is an effort to silence the conservatives, not to mention a dumb decision of the shareholders of the company. Pascale goes on questioning Twitter if it is also stopping advertisements from one-sided liberal media organizations that will now "run unchecked as they buy obvious political content" intended to attack the republicans. A spokesman for Twitter did not give an immediate reply to the question.
In early October, Mark Zuckerberg, FB CEO, defended the policy of the company saying it did not want to smother political speech. As for Twitter, regarding the issue, Dorsey stated that paying for advertisements forces targeted political-based messages on people with the control that brings remarkable risks to politics. He also said that it was not reliable for Twitter to claim that it was attempting to put a stop to the widespread of untruthful information. More so, political analysts believe that banning political ads won't hurt any presidential campaign. Instead, it hurts the local politics that are reliant on paid ads.
Tags: Twitter Political Ads Social Media Facebook Mark Zuckerberg Jack Dorsey

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We all pretty much consider the 1995 TV version of Pride and Prejudice to be the definitive version of the 1813 novel , not least for the Colin Firth 'wet shirt' visual treat whilst swimming at Pemberley. However it's a completely different experience you have watching it in the theatre.
This particular adaptation relies on comedy timing and performance. Not so much on meaningful closes ups, character analysis or the visual splendour of a fancy Georgian environment; although set designer Max Jones employs a flexible revolving stage to switch between interior and exterior locations with a wrought iron effect to portray a sense of wealth and prosperity. Minimalistic but effective.
The characters were pleasingly portrayed: Matthew Kelly plays his Mr Bennet very dryly understated for the most part, which works well as Mrs Bennet is his over-the-top polar opposite – an excellent performance from Felicity Montagu. One forgets that although the character is portrayed as a 'silly woman' she is also, unlike Mr Bennet, able to see in practical terms how her family of five daughters can survive: and that is only within a 'good' (wealthy) marriage. This fact is underscored by the less silly character of Charlotte Lucas who, in accepting Mr Collins' proposal, sacrifices personal feelings and wishes for one of solid, pragmatic security. So it is women's lot in the Regency era in which the play is set. If we need to see true 'silly' in a female, this is embodied by the character of Lydia. Foolish, selfish and flighty, Mari Izzard's effectively silly and babyish Lydia has scant regard or even complete ignorance to the potential damage she inflicts upon her family by flouting societal decorum.
Tafline Steen's Elizabeth Bennet is not unlike Jennifer Ehle's TV performance in its strength and wit but with more theatrical physical comedy than in the TV adaptation. Dona Croll's Lady Catherine De Bourgh is just as grand and overbearing as you would expect. But it is Steven Meo as the greasily irritating Mr Collins who pretty much steals the show (indicated later when the players bow on stage, receiving a very loud cheer). Overblown? Yes. Almost pantomime in nature? Yes. But he can be completely forgiven: his over the top comedic toadiness was a delight to watch and very funny indeed.
Pride and Prejudice is a pleasing play in that all conflict is resolved despite the rigid world in which it is set. In Shakespearean terms it is very much a denouement of 'all's well that ends well' as eventually Lizzie's and Darcy's feelings of prejudice and pride are resolved by dismissing initial false judgements and discovering each other's true inner feelings and character. Lydia's folly is smoothed over by Darcy's decency and sense of personal responsibility. Likewise Jane and Bingly are reunited by him and it is the unorthodox (not necessarily socially-approved) route to marriage that saves the day and gives us our happy ever after. Decency and responsibility and (eventual) good judgement win the day. There are a LOT of words and proclamations and, frankly, 'Austen speak' – which are ably spoken by all the actors in a light, pleasing, yet unchallenging way that doesn't delve too deeply into the characters or their situation.
Having said that, this theatrical adaptation by Simon Reade incorporates characters' private thoughts into the action: for example we actually hear Mr Bennet ruefully proclaiming his own marriage to have been a mistake of poor judgment and confessing to Elizabeth that his wife's "ignorance and folly greatly contribute to my amusement". Despite such insights, unlike reading the novel, you do miss on the true, meaningful, historical context in which these characters live and breathe and how the expectations and limitations society imposes weigh heavily upon them. However in purely entertainment terms, director Simon Reade has done a great job translating the novel to the theatre: the production looks good and has good comic vigour and timing.


text:
Services, Programs & Events
AA&CC Calendar
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Graduate and Professional School Interviews
It is very common for a graduate or professional school program to invite you for an interview. Many of the kinds of questions you could be asked in a job interview could be asked in a graduate or professional school interview, including why you want to join their department.
Also see the preparation for a formal interview below. This advice is applies to any kind of graduate or professional school interview.
What is the MMI?
The Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) is an increasingly popular screening method used to select candidates for admission to educational programs in the regulated professions, most commonly within the health professions – e.g., medicine, pharmacy, occupational therapy, and others.
The format requires candidates to participate in a series of short, structured interview stations that are used to assess personal qualities, skills and knowledge. Typically there are 8 to 12 stations. Depending on the program and school, the questions may or may not relate to health care topics.
Interview Strategies
Before you begin to answer:
After reviewing the question, try to identify why you are being asked this question. What do you think the interviewer is trying to evaluate?
When entering each station, pause to introduce yourself (unless instructed otherwise), smile, and consider your body language.
Summarize or rephrase the question before responding.
Structure your response so that the interviewer has an idea of what you will be discussing.
When you answer:
Pace yourself.
Articulate your thinking process as it is helpful for the interviewer to hear how you arrived at your conclusion and demonstrate that you fully considered all of the information, stakeholders and implications.
Connect your response to professional codes of conduct when appropriate.
Relate your response to your personal/professional experiences when appropriate.
Conclude by summarizing and highlighting your main points.
What does the MMI interview process entail?
Candidates are given 2 minutes to read the question or scenario posted outside the station door and mentally prepare a response before entering the interview room.
Upon entering the station, the candidate will have 6-8 minutes to respond to the question (you will be timed, so you will know how much time you have).
The candidate will receive a signal (a buzzer may sound) that it is time to move to the next station. Some of the scenarios may involve debating a topic, role playing with an actor or working as part of a team to complete a task.
The following lists some example categories. It is not intended to be a comprehensive list.
Examples of MMI Station Types and Skill Evaluation
Station Types
Candidates are evaluated on their ability to
Communication/ Role Play Your company needs both you and a co-worker (Sara, a colleague from another branch of the company) to attend a critical business meeting in San Diego. You arrive at Sara's office to drive her to the airport. Sara is in the room.
Communication clearly demostrating tact, professionalism, empathy, self-awareness and insight.
Health Care Knowledge Compare the Canadian and US healthcare system addressing advantages and disadvantages of privatized health care.
Demonstrate integrity and respect for diversity.
Critical Thinking Universities strive to balance the educational needs of their students and the costs required to service a large number of individuals. One side argues that smaller classes are more effective, while others argue that it makes no difference, and larger classes should be used to minimize costs. Discuss your opinion.
Demonstrate knowledge of health care related concerns, trends and policies as well as the role of the health professional.
Ethical Decision Making Dr. Smith recommends homeopathic medicines to his patients. However, he does not believe that they work, as there is no scientific evidence to support their usage. He recommends them to patients with their fatigue or headaches because he believes that it will do no harm and provide them reassurance. Discuss the ethical problems that Dr. Smith's behaviour might pose.
Clearly articulate all sides of an issue.
Think critically and solve problems.
Identify all implications and stakeholders.
Writing Write a paragraph about your response/reaction to a quotation.
Demonstrate academic writing and communicate in a professional manner.
Reference: Eva KW, Rosenfeld, J., Reiter HI, Norman GR. (2004). An Admissions OSCE: The Multiple Mini Interview. Medical Education, 38: 314-326
Where can I find more information and resources?
Log into clnx.utoronto.ca and click on Events & Workshops, then UTSC and then AA&CC.
MMI Prep 101 and similar workshops
MMI has become an admission requirement for many professional healthcare programs used to assess an applicant's soft skills.
In Part 1, you will learn how the MMI is different from a regular interview in this interactive workshop and explore strategies for answering interview questions.
In Part 2, we will practice for video interviews, and understand the qualities that admissions committees look for when interviewing applicants.
Meet with a career advisor to practice different types of questions.
Review the professional code of conduct for the appropriate profession by visiting the professional association/regulatory body website (e.g., Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons website).
Read Doing Right: A Practical Guide to Ethics for Medical Trainees and Physicians by Philip C. Hebert, available through the U of T Library.
Visit online student forums such as Premed 101 or the Student Doctor Network to find advice from people recently admitted via a MMI process. Note: We do not endorse the content on these websites.


Conflict is something that most of us tend to avoid, and yet it is an inevitable part of family life, and of life in general. It's too bad that we tend to shy away from conflict so readily, because it can be a powerful messenger – a gateway to understanding both ourselves and another person on a deeper level, and to greater compassion and empathy. If we shifted our perspective about conflict and saw it not as something catastrophic but rather as a potential opening to stronger connection, we might even embrace it.
Emotions tend to run high for just about every mom on a regular basis, for lots of reasons – one primary reason being that there is so much at stake in the responsibility moms feel to raise children who are happy and healthy, who are empathic and kind, who are able to navigate the roller coaster that life can be, and who can both succeed in reaching their goals as well as learn from their challenges with grace. Talk about pressure! So where does that pressure come from? Some of it comes from a self-imposed internal pressure that many moms place on themselves; many of the moms we've met over the twenty years we've been working as parenting professionals hold themselves, and by extension their children, to impossibly high standards that set both parent and child up to feel like there is a benchmark that is nearly impossible to meet.
But a mom's friends and family, the media, and society add their own pressure, too; a mom often feels a kind of collective admonishment from the world that she had better be a "good mother," whatever that means, or else some sort of harm will come to her child, and it will all be her fault.
The implication seems to be that you're either being a good mother or you're not; there's little room for anything in between. But the reality, of course, is far more nuanced; if you yell at your kid for any reason, are you being a bad mom? If you respond immediately to your child's every need, are you being a good mom? Who is the judge who decides guilty or not guilty?
Because a mom is afraid to fail her child in any way, when another parent is making choices that are radically different from the choices she would make she becomes defensive. Some people express defensiveness as judgment.
New moms sometimes judge others because they are evaluating everything about parenting as they try to decide what's best for their child. Being a new parent can sometimes bring up strong feelings about "right" and "wrong" ways to parent as your mama-bear protective instincts kick in.
Sometimes a mom mistakenly assumes that what works for her and her child could or should work for others. For example, a mom who's always rocked her child to sleep and enjoyed peaceful nights may imagine that another parent whose child isn't rocked and doesn't sleep well is doing something wrong.
Feelings of shame can arise when a mom doesn't feel confident about her choices and decisions, or when something from the past is triggering strong emotion (for example, every time your child cries it reminds you of feeling unsupported as a child yourself, and sadness overwhelms you). Unconsciously, some people project that shame outward onto others via judgment and criticism.
A mom may be feeling uncertain about her place in life if there is upheaval of some kind going on – a sick child, couple conflict or a recent divorce, financial strain. Uncertainty creates a climate of fear, and sometimes we lash out in fear instead of asking for what we need (emotional support, help from friends who can watch little people or drop off takeout, a hug).
Whatever the reason, when we judge or criticize we are usually recognizing something about ourselves in the mirror of the other person – our inability to accept our own imperfections, or even our own strengths. In judging another, we are inevitably judging ourselves.
So what's the antidote to judgment? Compassion and kindness, which stem from a feeling of connection. This is where the proverbial "mom village" comes in.
The benefits of having a trusted circle of moms are immense – whether a handful of friends you know you can rely on; family that you stay connected with through visits (if you live near each other) or via phone, email and text; or a mom group run by a trained facilitator. Motherhood is extremely layered, and a mom needs others who can help her take a deeper look at what triggers strong emotions for her and help her uncover what is really at the root of that reactivity. What we've seen in the groups we facilitate is that inevitably, the root of that reactivity is planted in fear: fear of being vulnerable, fear of not knowing what to do as a mom or how to do it, fear that she's the only mom who doesn't have motherhood all figured out, fear of failing herself and her child. Once a mom can acknowledge these fears to at least one other witness, there is almost always a chorus of "me too" – these fears may manifest differently in different people, but the overarching themes of how those fears play out are incredibly common in motherhood. As each mom receives the emotional support she needs, she usually feels a tremendous amount of relief, knowing she is not the only one who feels anxious and worried at times and knowing that she is not alone. Once moms have offloaded the too-heavy burden they've been carrying on their own shoulders, there is usually some laughter in the wake of the stress she's released, and any tears that have been shed. Generally, we tend to feel the best about ourselves and life when we're connecting with others and sharing our stories, without becoming those stories.
Finding the sisterhood in motherhood does not mean that every mom will agree with every other mom's parenting or life choices. But just because a particular choice wouldn't work for you, that doesn't mean that it's wrong for another. No one is standing in anyone else's shoes; no one can know what another person is feeling or experiencing. What's more, at any given moment in life, everyone is fighting some kind of battle.
In motherhood, there can be room for differences of opinion without it getting personal. A mom can agree to disagree with another mom's decisions or path without drawing conclusions about who that mom is or isn't. Learning to disagree with someone without getting emotionally wrapped up in judgment and projection – which requires the willingness to accept and tolerate differences – is a healthy way to move through conflict. Deciding to turn toward judgment or compassion is a choice, and each mom is infinitely more empowered when giving and receiving support and understanding than when criticizing.
Let's be honest: there is no certainty in motherhood, other than knowing that you love your child. And that uncertainty can make a mom feel more than a little unsettled at times. But where that uncertainty takes you – whether to judging yourself or another, or to reaching out for connection or support – is a choice.
Every mom, single or married, can benefit from learning to trust herself more, and in trusting herself more she can open up to trusting others more, too. Motherhood must include both the honesty of, "Holy $*%*# this is so hard, and there are days I'm truly not sure I can do it" and, "At the end of the day, there is definitely more good than bad to this gig, and I'm incredibly blessed to be a mom and to have this opportunity to give and receive so much love." Owning both makes you neither a good mom nor a bad one, but an honest one – and a mom who is in very good company with plenty of other moms who feel exactly the same way.
Why not have a get-together with your own mom friends and keep the conversation going? Here are some questions to get you started. You can also join us each Thursday at 10 am PST on our Facebook page for a virtual mom group where we'll talk about all that's on your mind and in your heart. Join us!
1. Have you found yourself judging another mom or feeling particularly angry at the way she is handling an important situation with her child? Can you connect with anything you, yourself feel frightened of in the things she was saying or the way she was approaching a situation? Is there a particular fear that was triggered in you when you watched the other mom's situation play out?
2. What have you felt judged for as a mom? What is it that you feel others may not understand about your life that is unique to your situation?
3. What has been your experience of offering compassion or support to another mom who is struggling, or of receiving that support? Do you feel more empowered as a mom yourself when judgment is present (whether yours or another's), or when there is compassion and connection?
"There Goes the Motherhood," a docu-series that follows six moms through an eight-week parenting group, airs on Wednesdays at 10/9c on Bravo. For more information, please visit sleepyplanet.com.


ROCKYMEEDSAHOME - Southwest Florida German Shepherd Rescue Inc.
UPDATE WE HAD A FAMILY WHO ADOPTED HIM BUT THERE WASN'T A FIT. HE WAS A BIT MUCH FOR THEM BUT THEY LOVED HIM AND HE LOVED THEM IT WAS JUST A SITUATION WHERE THEY WERE UNPREPARED FOR A DOG WITH THAT ENERGY LEVEL.
WE HAVE UNFORTUNATELY TRANSFERRED ROCKY TO ANOTHER SHELTER IN THE HOPES THEY CAN FIND A HOME FOR HIM AS WE FAILED IN THAT ATTEMPT. ROCKY RACCOON came to us today 6/6/2018. He was dumped by an irresponsible kid who had him for some years and never took him to vet nor kept up on his shots. He claims to have gotten him from another imbecile off Craig's list. It disgusts me to think that these idiots can get dogs and dispose of them like trash. His excuse was he had no time for the dog, he left him outside most of the time, he never cared for him and now that he is moving he just wanted him gone. He also refused to contribute to the animals surrender and left us and dropped him at a shelter. Obviously this makes me sick but now we have him and we will make sure he goes to a quality family.
Rocky is about 7 years old. He is a real doggy companion and loves on you from the get go. He is HW POS which we will treat. He is house broken, dog friendly to most dogs who are non reactive, when introduced appropriately, and very people trusting and friendly. He should be in a one dog home. He does have some separation anxiety and really wants to be with his person. He is crate averse and needs a super strong crate if crated. He is absolutely fine in any home. he is respectful of furniture and lived with a family for 2 weeks and never touched one thing when left out of a crate and unattended. We have seen him in action and we think that training is necessary to stop his anxiety. Rocky has a perfect saddle, great markings and he is about 80 pounds. He is quite calm and extremely strong and seems to really like being exercised. Rocky does have 2 bent ears, but as you can see, they stand up fine. I spent some time with him and he is really sweet. He needs a person who will be with him most of the time and and alpha type who will run off some of his high energy. I like this dog and I really want to find a person who has the right home and life style for this great dog. He is currently housed with My Buddies Kennel as we ran out of foster homes. If you wish to foster or foster to adopt him please call us. If you are interested in Rocky please come see him asap.


Mackinac County Criminal Defense attorney Patrick S. Fragel will help you avoid jail when facing criminal charges. If you are caught-up in a drunk driving charge, theft offense, serious assault or drug charge, our firm will provide a criminal defense strategy to help keep you out of jail or prison.
With 20 years experience, Attorney Fragel knows the Michigan criminal laws effecting people in St Ignace, Engadine, Brevort, Curtis and the surrounding neighborhoods.
Contact Mackinac County Criminal Defense attorney Patrick S. Fragel for a confidential evaluation. With 20 years experience serving the Upper Peninsula, no case is too tough.
A felony is defined as a crime that has a potential prison term as the punishment. Mackinac County Criminal Defense Lawyer Patrick S. Fragel has aggressively defended serious felonies such as negligent homicide, criminal sexual conduct, home invasion, in maintaining a drug house, manufacturing methamphetamine, delivery of morphine, felony drunk driving and assault with a dangerous weapon. Many of these Clients have been spared lengthy prison terms due to our defense strategy.
A misdemeanor is a crime that carries a maximum penalty of a year in the Mackinac County Jail. Such charges include drunk driving, possession of marijuana, use of morphine, shop lifting, NSF Checks, and aggravated assault. While these crimes do not carry prison terms, a conviction can result in up to a year in Jail.
Contact Mackinac County Criminal Defense Lawyer, Patrick S. Fragel for a confidential case evaluation. He has been part of the Upper Peninsula since starting college in 1978.


Take the time to walk down to this spectacular sight. Many a visitor holds a special memory of their visit to the Grotto. Spray from waves can cast a fine mist over the low viewing area; sunshine does the rest filling the air with rainbow delights. The still clear water in the open cave casts reflections in contrast to the dynamic moving water of the ocean directly behind. Located 3 kms east of Peterborough, between Port Campbell and Peterborough.


The 15th running of our CERTIFIED 5K is Friday, April 26, 2019 (6:30 PM start)!
Split-Medal Challenge: Run the 4/26 & the 9/27 races for just $49!
Go to www.valleytrack.org to download a reg. form, or register via Active.com (keywords: Grand Caverns Signature 5K).
Course is FAST & "VIRGINIA" FLAT!!
Races held at the Grand Caverns Park (Grottoes, VA). 100% weather guaranteed!
Email: mike@grandcaverns-5k.com for more details. Checkout our Facebook page!


I've been really looking forward to this release. Ever since I started playing the video game I've had most success playing a Dwarf team over several of the others -- Humans, Orks, Lizardmen, and Dark Elves so far. While they are the slowest movement-wise, they start with a few clutch skills that most other teams will need to (and do) spend Star Player Points (SPP) for. I'm also really digging the sculpts for this team and looking forward to working on them tomorrow during the Super Bowl.


text:
Nominate your favourite bus-driver in the People's Choice Awards
21 Dec Nominate your favourite bus-driver in the People's Choice Awards
Posted at 15:13h in Competitions, Jobs, Roads	by	News 0 Comments
Does your bus driver go the extra mile for passengers? Well now's your chance to say a big thank you to the driver who brings something special to your daily commute.
TransLink has joined forces with the Queensland Bus Industry Council (QBIC) to launch the TransLink People's Choice award, which will be driven by nominations from customers.
The award is open to all bus drivers working on public passenger services in Queensland and will recognise the huge contribution drivers make to ensuring customers travel safely and conveniently.
Transport and Main Road Minister Mark Bailey said the award would celebrate bus drivers who went above and beyond to deliver excellent service to their customers.
"We've heard incredible stories of singing drivers, poets behind the wheel, and even drivers who have helped save people's lives while on the job," Mr Bailey said.
"This is a chance for those drivers to be recognised.
"There are many drivers doing wonderful things every day to improve the travel experiences of our customers and this award allows us to publicly recognise those drivers.
"But we need the public to play a part by identifying and nominating a deserving driver."
Customers can nominate a driver by heading to the TransLink website.
All nominations will be reviewed by a judging panel and assessed against a number of areas, including positive customer impact, excellence in customer care and having a customer-focused attitude.
Videos profiling finalists and their customer-focus will then go to a public vote, with the winning driver winning a trophy and a $1000 cash prize.
Nominations close on 31 January, 2018 and finalists will be announced on April 3.
The award will be presented at the 2018 QBIC Annual Awards in May.
To nominate a deserving driver for the TransLink People's Choice Award, go to translink.com.au and follow the links from the homepage.
TransLink


text:
5.3.6 Maximum Entropy in Restoration
Restoration. Entropy.
Wernecke, S.J., and d'Addario, L.R.,
Maximum Entropy Image Reconstruction,
TC(26), No. 4, April 1977, pp. 351-364. BibRef 7704
Smith, C.B.,
A Dual Method for Maximum Entropy Restoration,
PAMI(1), No. 4, October 1979, 411-414. BibRef 7910
Jaynes, E.T.,
On the Rationale of Maximum Entropy Methods,
PIEEE(70), No. 9, September 1982, pp. 939-952. BibRef 8209
Burch, S.F., Gull, S.F., Skilling, J.,
Image Restoration by a Powerful Maximum Entropy Method,
CVGIP(23), No. 2, August 1983, pp. 113-128.
Sharma, G., Chellappa, R.,
A Model-Based Approach for Estimation of Two Dimensional Maximum Entropy Power Spectra,
IT(31), No. 1, January 1985, pp. 90-99. BibRef 8501
Haralick, R.M., Zhuang, X., and Ostevold, E.,
A Differential Equation Approach to Maximum Entropy Image Reconstruction,
ASSP(35), No. 2, February, 1987, pp. 208-218. BibRef 8702
Haralick, R.M., Zhuang, X., and Zhao, Y.,
TSP(39), No. 6, June, 1991, pp. 1478-1480. BibRef 9106
Haralick, R.M., Rystrom, L.R.[Larry R.], and Katz, P.L.[Philip L.],
Optimal Single-Stage Restoration of Subtractive Noise Corrupted Images by a Morphological Closing,
JEI(4), No. 3, July 1995, pp. 283-297. BibRef 9507
Myrheim, J.[Jan], Rue, H.[Haavard],
New Algorithms for Maximum Entropy Image Restoration,
GMIP(54), No. 3, May 1992, pp. 223-238. BibRef 9205
Byrne, C.L.,
Iterative image reconstruction algorithms based on cross-entropy minimization,
IP(2), No. 1, January 1993, pp. 96-103.
Zervakis, M.E., Katsaggelos, A.K., Kwon, T.M.,
A class of robust entropic functionals for image restoration,
IP(4), No. 6, June 1995, pp. 752-773.
Battle, D.J., Harrison, R.P., Hedley, M.,
Maximum-Entropy Image-Reconstruction from Sparsely Sampled Coherent Field Data,
IP(6), No. 8, August 1997, pp. 1139-1147.
Cao, Y., Eggermont, P.P.B., Terebey, S.,
Cross Burg Entropy Maximization and Its Application to Ringing Suppression in Image Reconstruction,
IP(8), No. 2, February 1999, pp. 286-292.
Bouzouba, K., Radouane, L.,
Image identification and estimation using the maximum entropy principle,
PRL(21), No. 6-7, June 2000, pp. 691-700. 0006
Hong, H., Schonfeld, D.,
Maximum-Entropy Expectation-Maximization Algorithm for Image Reconstruction and Sensor Field Estimation,
IP(17), No. 6, June 2008, pp. 897-907.
Attraction-Repulsion Expectation-Maximization Algorithm for Image Reconstruction and Sensor Field Estimation,
IP(18), No. 9, September 2009, pp. 2004-2011.
Shioya, H.[Hiroyuki], Gohara, K.[Kazutoshi],
Maximum entropy method for diffractive imaging,
JOSA-A(25), No. 11, November 2008, pp. 2846-2850.
Shioya, H.[Hiroyuki], Maehara, Y.[Yosuke], Gohara, K.[Kazutoshi],
Spherical shell structure of distribution of images reconstructed by diffractive imaging,
JOSA-A(27), No. 5, May 2010, pp. 1214-1218.
Zhao, J., Zhang, H.,
Kernel Recursive Generalized Maximum Correntropy,
SPLetters(24), No. 12, December 2017, pp. 1832-1836.
maximum entropy methods, recursive estimation, dynamic recursive weight coefficients, recursive BibRef
Mary, P.D.G.[P.D. Geona], Madathil, B.[Baburaj], George, S.N.[Sudhish N.],
Entropy-Based Reweighted Tensor Completion Technique for Video Recovery,
CirSysVideo(30), No. 2, February 2020, pp. 415-426.
Entropy, Minimization, Matrix decomposition, Random variables, Low rank recovery, sparsity enhancement, tensor completion, entropy minimisation BibRef
Zhu, Y., Chen, Q., Li, Y., Zhang, Y., Zhu, Y.,
Frequency-Domain Entropy-Based Blind Support Recovery from Multiple Measurement Vectors,
SPLetters(27), 2020, pp. 980-984.
Signal processing algorithms, Entropy, Sparse matrices, Matching pursuit algorithms, Frequency-domain analysis, frequency-domain entropy BibRef
Yu, S.J.[Shu-Jian], Giraldo, L.G.S.[Luis Gonzalo Sánchez], Jenssen, R.[Robert], Príncipe, J.C.[José C.],
Multivariate Extension of Matrix-Based Rényi's alpha-Order Entropy Functional,
Entropy, Mutual information, Kernel, Estimation, Probability density function, Machine learning, feature selection BibRef
Fattahi, L.E., Lakhdar, Y., Sbai, E.H.,
Clustering based on density estimation using variable kernel and maximum entropy principle,
Bandwidth, Classification algorithms, Clustering algorithms, Entropy, Estimation, Kernel, Principal component analysis, Maximum Entropy Principle (MEP), clustering, density peak, principal components analysis (PCA), variable, kernel, density BibRef
Willis, M., Jeffs, B., Long, D.,
Maximum Entropy Image Restoration Revisited,
ICIP00(Vol I: 89-92).
Buhmann, J.M., Hofmann, T.,
A maximum entropy approach to pairwise data clustering,
ICPR94(B:207-212).
Taxt, T.,
Maximum entropy restoration of multispectral images using a deterministic quantum field model,
ICPR92(II:376-380).
Zhuang, X., Haralick, R.M.,
A neural net algorithm for maximum entropy image reconstruction,
ICPR90(II: 47-50).
Chapter on Image Processing, Restoration, Enhancement, Filters, Image and Video Coding continues in
Minimum Entropy in Restoration .


A Beautiful Ruckus: All the Fun of a First Birthday!
All the Fun of a First Birthday!
I've been meaning to post some photos from their Family Birthday Party for...oh, about two weeks now. I'm finally getting to it!
We threw the kids a little party the Saturday after their birthday. We wanted to include more people, but had to keep it to immediate family only due to their lack of immune systems. We still think it turned out to be quite a bit of fun!
We needed lots of help juggling everyone, so the grandmas stepped in to help.
Sean's mom had Ellie, Sean had Elijah, I had Abby, and my Mom had Caleb.
I love this photo of our whole family because it is our first decent candid photo. All of our other family photos are posed.
The Big Birthday Cake for our quadruplets! This was so fun to make! It is the first two-layered fondant cake that I've done since the babies were born. I used to do a lot of baking...now I'm a bit distracted. :) Their names wrap around the top layer. You can see "Ellie" and part of "Caleb" in the photo below.
Experiencing all that is cake!
Turns out, it's not too bad!
Thank you for all of the happy birthday wishes that you sent their way! It was such a blessing to get to celebrate a first birthday with all four of them!
LOVED the video of them with their cake. The boys were doing very well but Abby was the best - she really chowed down. The pictures are just too cute. What a great first birthday!
Okay, I have to ask...how do you do it?!?! I see women struggle to take care of one baby; it seems as if you seamlessly take care of 4! You take care of yourself, you look great, you don't seemed stressed, and you always seem so in control! I definitely think the Lord knew what he was doing when he gave you four babies!
Thanks for the kind words, but I really don't have it all together. :) I don't put up the photos of me without make-up in my sweatpants, or the meltdowns that I have on occasion from exhaustion. I'm stressed out a lot, but learning that "my way" is not the only way. It's definitely a stretch for me to do this, and anything that actually gets done is only by the grace of God!


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Q: GeoServer - Layer Groups - Layer properties cross-reference In my Geoserver instance, I've created two layers:

*

*A layer that references a Shapefile that contains the polygons of the cities in Brazil. Each city has a unique id.

*A layer created from a database store via a "SQL View" (a Geoserver one, not a database SQL View) that maps the unique id of each city to an aggregate value (eg the number of registered users in the city).

I need to style the polygons from the first layer according to the values present on the second layer. Is it possible? I know I can import the geometries into my database, but it makes things very very very very slow.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Whether it's turning the sounds of an average refrigerator into music for the ages or just anticipating the helter-skelter welter of modern meaninglessness with electronic noises, Peter Rehberg — whom you may know as Pita — presents the possibility of the human spirit moved by technology in a way that might seem unlikely given the harsh surface of the sounds he makes. Yet somehow, someone once moved some colossal stones and wound up with Stonehenge, so stranger things have happened. For once, you'll be so absorbed by Rehberg's mastery of zeros and ones that you won't start thinking that he's just up there checking his email. Also tonight: Daniel Menche, the Portland noise artiste who has for the past 30 years specialized in a particularly organic kind of sonic brutality best be described as hot sauce for the ears.
Pita performs with Daniel Menche at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 28, at Zebulon.


Did you see the movie, Spartacus? Do you remember the sound of the people, of the war clashing and of blood? Well, here you are again, back in the Sparta of ancient Greece. The symbols featured on the Slots are engaging, same as the soundtrack. Get set for a wonderful gaming experience, as you turn your mobile sideways. Yeah, you read that right -the slot is allowed on Android devices, Smartphones and window enhanced devices. There is nothing unfair in love and war, so does a saying goes. But this time, you have both!
Play Fortunes of Sparta here.
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As you collect a variety of war equipment, you are entitled to winning. So, be on the lookout for them. You can win up to 100X your bet. Lines that feature the gladiators give payouts which can be as high 150x. Landing Spartacus will give an awesome 300X win. If you survived the rhythms of war, you can enter the Coliseum with your bloody face, (yeah, blood tastes like air in Rome!) to fight for a grand 100,000 coins.
Meet the legends: The slot features quite a number of symbols, it is important to know them. The Temple is the Wild. It without stress replaces any other icon on the reels except the Omega icons and the Spartan Streak.
Spartan Streak symbols come aboard only in the middle row. When it lands on reels, there is a great rejoicing, because the Spartan Streak feature is engaged.
Omega is a real VP (valuable player). He is that guy that you would want to take a walk anywhere on the reel. He awards up to 100 free spins. It guarantees a win in a spin where Spartan Streak Wild cohabits.
The bonus symbol triggers the Spartan Spins. Getting 3 symbols yields 6 free spins, getting 10 will yield a 100, that is a mass Spins outbreak.
There is an encouragement to return to play. The return to player (RTP) value goes as high as 97.05%.
• Spartan Streak: A re-spin mode that is activated by the Spartan Streak. It acts as an expanding Wild, taking its position on the reel, covering 3 places. The available winning combinations at his appearance are locked on and brought on for a re-spin. During the spins, if new winnings are present, the feature is retriggered in its/their favour.
Have you ever asked yourself, "Can I fight for love?" Well, somebody thinks love is not just worth fighting for; it is worth war. The quest for the gladiatorial championship is brought to you by Blueprint Gaming!
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Thursday, November 4th 2021 - 09:55 UTC
Argentina's trade balance with Brazil ends up positive for 2nd straight month
Argentina's trade balance with Brazil yielded positive results for the second straight month in October 2021. However, numbers for the first 10 months of the year are still in the red.
Monday, October 18th 2021 - 08:08 UTC
China confirms its position as the main trade partner of Brazil
Trade between Brazil and China surpassed the 2020 record during the first nine months of this year, with overall exchange reaching US$ 100bn. Total 2021 bilateral trade is expected to reach US$ 108bn.
Saturday, October 9th 2021 - 09:03 UTC
Uruguay will trade with the world, President Lacalle announces
Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou Friday told the America Business Forum in Punta del Este that his country was moving forward in trading with the world because it is what needs to be done.
Monday, October 4th 2021 - 09:02 UTC
Argentine exports to Brazil grow, but still in the red despite September's surplus
Argentina has recorded a trade surplus with Brazil in September following a YoY increase in sales of 37% year-on-year, it was reported.
Thursday, September 9th 2021 - 09:55 UTC
Brazil terminates bilateral shipping agreements with Argentina and Uruguay
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro has decided to terminate both bilateral maritime transport agreements with Argentina and Uruguay, it was announced.
Thursday, July 1st 2021 - 09:00 UTC
Brazilian industry and unions request suspension of Mercosur talks on reducing the Common External Tariff
The Brazilian Confederation of Industry, CNI and the IndustriALL-Brasil (which represents industry unions) have officially requested that in the next Mercosur meeting, scheduled for early this month, Brazilian representatives withdraw the proposal for a reduction of block trade tariffs with other countries. However, both institutions also backed the current flexibilization of current trade talks with third countries, such as South Korea.
Wednesday, June 2nd 2021 - 08:57 UTC
Argentina's trade with Brazil at its highest since 2018
A report released Tuesday showed that Argentina's trade with neighbour Brazil has reached its highest level since 2018, exports reaching US $ 4.2 billion until May, 33% better than in the first five months of last year, but 6% lower than the same period of 2019.
Saturday, March 6th 2021 - 09:49 UTC
Maersk forecasts 3% world trade growth; regulations a challenge in Mercosur
The shipping company Maersk expects world trade to grow by 3% or more in 2021. The company sees global trade recovering, but there is still a lot of uncertainty about the size of the impact of Covid-19 on the world economy in 2021. So it is implementing a global strategy that positions it for growth in several countries, including Mercosur members.
Saturday, September 26th 2020 - 08:30 UTC
Thousands of US companies sue the Trump administration over tariffs on trade with China
About 3,500 U.S. companies, including Tesla Inc, Ford Motor Co, Target Corp, Walgreen Co, and Home Depot have sued the Trump administration in the last two weeks over the imposition of tariffs on more than US$300 billion in Chinese-made goods.
Wednesday, August 5th 2020 - 08:17 UTC
Ex Uber engineer sentenced to 18 months in prison for stealing Google trade secrets
A U.S. judge on Tuesday sentenced former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski to 18 months in prison for stealing a trade secret from Google related to self-driving cars months before becoming the head of Uber Technologies Inc's (UBER.N) rival unit.


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2016 30-1 MLB countdown team previews: #13 Pittsburgh Pirates
It is time to hit the home stretch of the yearly preview countdown. For anybody reading for the first time, please feel free to check out my other team previews as sixteen MLB teams are now in the books. One of the hardest things to do is judge what will happen one year to the next with a particular baseball team. Because of this, there really is just six degrees of separation from one team to the next. In other words, a team ranked 20th in the countdown is close to 19 and if they were 19, it would put them close to 18. A team ranked 15 is just a break away from being 16 and if they were 16, it would put them close to 17. As I have discussed before, parity in the game has put many teams within the same parameters and, according to my rankings, 17 teams could finish 2016 with a winning record with an 18th finishing at 81-81.
The Pittsburgh Pirates have become the most frequent participant in the Wild Card Game since its inception in the 2012 postseason. The Pirates have appeared in the game... three times; the only MLB team to appear in the game more than once. 14 teams have appeared in this game with the other 13 being in the game just once. Seven teams have won their only Wild Card Game while the other six have lost their winner take all playoff game. The Pirates have also hosted their Wild Card Game all three seasons, a feat in itself. But that is what makes it sting a little more. The Pirates finished each of the past two seasons with a better record than the other wild card team, losing first to the eventual World Series Champion San Francisco Giants in 2014, then to the 2015 Chicago Cubs- a team that would then defeat the National League Central Division Champion St. Louis Cardinals in the National League Division Series.
Very quietly, the Pirates have had a very busy off season. The Pirates signed free agent right hand pitcher Ryan Vogelsong (9 wins, 11 losses, 4.67 earned run average, 33 games, 22 starts) from the Giants and righty Neftali Felix (3-4, 6.38, 39 Ks in 48 innings- 48 games pitched) from the Detroit Tigers. The Pirates then traded second baseman Neil Walker (.269 batting average, 16 home runs, 71 runs batted in, .756 on base plus slugging) to the New York Mets in exchange for left handed starting pitcher Jonathon Niese (9-10, 4.13, 33 games, 29 starts, 6 postseason relief appearances). The Pirates then signed free agent first baseman? John Jaso (.286, 5, 32, .839) from the Tampa Bay Rays and third baseman David Freese (.257, 14, 56, .743) from the Los Angeles Angels. They also added right hander Juan Nicasio (1-3, 3.86, 65 strikeouts, just over 58 innings pitched) and lefty Kyle Lobstein (3-8, 5.94, 13 games, 11 starts). Nicasio came over as a free agent from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Lobstein was purchased from the Tigers. The additional Pirates losses include first baseman Pedro Alvarez (.243, 27, 77, .787), third baseman Aramis Ramirez (retirement), left handed pitcher JA Happ (11-8, 3.61, 151 Ks, 172 IP), right hander AJ Burnett (retirement), left hander Antonio Bastardo (4-1, 2.98, 64 Ks, just over 57 IP), righty Charlie Morton (9-9, 4.81, 23 starts) and righty Joe Blanton (7-2, 2.84, 79 Ks, 76 IP).
The Pirates are well managed by Clint Hurdle and also possess one of the game's best pitching coaches in Ray Searage. Searage was given a ton of credit for finding a mechanical flaw in Happ's delivery. Happ is expected to have a solid season in Toronto- his new home via free agency. Right hander Gerrit Cole (19-8, 2.60, 202 Ks, 208 IP) leads the staff, followed by veteran Francisco Liriano (12-7, 3.38, 205 Ks, just less than 187 IP). Cole has become the ace and Liriano has blossomed since joining the Pirates. Left handed pitcher Jeff Locke (8-11, 4.49, 30 starts), Niese and Vogelsong will likely fill out the rotation. Lobstein and former San Diego Padres left hander Cory Luebke could also be in the mix, especially if there is an injury. Both will also be in the mix for a left handed reliever spot.
The back of the Pirates bullpen is as good as any in the National League. Closer Mark Melancon (3-2, 2.23, 51 saves, 62 Ks, just less than 77 IP) was solid last season, though his strikeout rate has decreased drastically from where it has been over the past five seasons. Left hander Tony Watson (4-1, 1.91, 62 Ks, just over 75 IP) has experienced a similar lower Ks rate, though his has fluctuated since 2012 (8.9- 2012, 6.8- 2013, 9.4- 2014, 7.4- 2015). Arquimedes Caminero (5-1, 3.62, 73 Ks, just under 75 IP), Blanton and Nicasio are looking to back up their solid 2015 performances and if they do, the Pirates have quite a bit of depth. Feliz is looking to bounce back off a horrible 2015 season which saw him become a free agent mid season with Texas and stink up the joint after joining Detroit.
The Pirates lineup will be led by their outfield. Center fielder Andrew McCutchen (.292, 23, 96, .889) is the team leader and is the one piece of the Pirates that can put the team on his back for a stretch. Left fielder Starling Marte (.287, 19, 81, .780) is on the verge of breaking out to become a star. He can be the difference in the Pirates making a serious push this season or not. Right fielder Gregory Polanco (.256, 9, 52, .701) is on the same path as Marte, but has been exposed at times. Polanco needs to prove he can hit for a higher batting average on a more consistent basis. The Pirates infield will get stronger once Jung Ho Kang (.287, 15, 58, .816) returns from his injury suffered last season on an attempted double play. Freese comes over to play some third and will likely platoon with Jaso at first once Kang returns. Until Kang returns, it will be up to veteran Michael Morse (.231, 5, 19, .649). Morse needs to return to the player he was in 2014 and earlier or he will not have a job for very long. The middle infield will feature Josh Harrison (.287, 4, 28, .717), the longtime utility player and one time All Star who now has an everyday position at second base. Longtime shortstop Jordy Mercer (.244, 3, 34, .613) remains at SS, an option for Kang when he comes back. However, it will be interesting to see if Kang is to take to the position that nearly ended his career last season. Francisco Cervelli (.295, 7, 43, .771) will be the team's everyday catcher once again.
Ticking time bomb Josh Rodriguez (.246, 4, 17, 139 games) highlights the bench because of his versatility. If he can stop looking to get in a fight every game, perhaps he can become as valuable as Harrison has been for the past couple seasons. Joining Freese (when Kang returns) and Morse on the bench should be infielder Pedro Florimon, who will provide some defensive insurance up the middle and allow for the Pirates to pinch hit for Mercer. Providing the second half of the former Yankees catcher duo is Chris Stewart (.289, 0, 15, .659). Matt Joyce is also an option to make the team as an extra outfielder.
Switch hitting first baseman Josh Bell looks to man the position for years to come. Despite hitting just 7 home runs last season, the former second round pick hit well over .300 and managed a total of 40 extra base hits in 131 games last season. Right hander Tyler Glassnow struck out 136 batters in just over 109 innings last season over three minor league levels. The Pirates are hoping that right hander Jameson Tallion can get back on track after missing all of last season due to Tommy John surgery. 2013 ninth overall pick Austin Meadows looks like he is on track to impact the major leagues soon, perhaps to start 2017. Of course, that will impact the Pirates outfield, one of which seems set for years to come.
I like the Pirates, however, I just do not see them winning another 98 games in 2016 and playing in the National League Wild Card Game. They do possess a very deep squad, but I have some concerns over their starting pitching staff, one whom (outside of Cole and Liriano) seems a little weaker than it was a year ago. I also think few have mentioned Melancon and Watson's decreased strikeout rates and the fact that both will be 31 this season. They are well managed and coached, so perhaps this is when that ability comes out. I would not be shocked if the Pirates were good this season, I see the parity of the league kind of biting them this season. Las Vegas puts the Pirates at a solid 87 and I do not think I am that far off. I have Pittsburgh finishing the season at 83-79, second place in the National League Central division.
30-1 MLB countdown previews 2014: #27 Minnesota Twins
I'm happy to be putting together my annual MLB team previews for the 3rd consecutive March. Each of the past seasons, I have learned from my experience that I have to make adjustments to my initial thoughts. My beef has been with all the experts just piggy backing off Baseball Prospectus to rank the teams to prospective finishes. Before the 2012 season, I tried to make a point that they are never completely correct. By doing so, I made some bolder predictions to try to stand out. I also noticed that the know it alls simply like to predict that the same teams that were successful last season will automatically be great the following year. While that is not necessarily true, there is no formula to pick that "sleeper team" for any given season. Doing this for the 3rd season, I've put together a better balance of logic and in the belief of the up and comer. Feel free to comment both on the outlook of each team I preview as well as where I rank them among the 30 in MLB.
The Minnesota Twins have spent the last couple seasons building a strong farm system. The dividends are starting to pay out. Unfortunately, one of the prime prospects to contribute this season, Miguel Sano, had or is having Tommy John surgery and is likely out for the season. Sano is a future star, who would likely have hit 20-30 HR in his rookie campaign. The potential production and that of top overall MLB prospect Byron Buxton were expected to give the team a boost. In fact, that was part of the reason the Twins went out and signed free agent RHPs Ricky Nolasco and Phil Hughes and brought back RHP Mike Pelfrey. The thought was if they could get decent starting pitching, then offensively they can be ok. The loss of Sano hurts and all but eliminates the chances of the Twins being a sleeper team this season.
The Twins traded catcher Ryan Doumit to the Braves in exchange for a minor league pitcher. Joe Mauer moving to 1B should put him up there with the most productive 1B in all of MLB. I am not joking. Having the chance to play 150+ games will allow Mauer to show his hitting prow less; something that he was he held back slightly having to squat down behind the plate for all those seasons.
The starting rotation will consist of returnees Pelfrey (5-13, 5.19 in 29 starts) and Correia (9-13, 4.18, 31 starts). The addition of Nolasco (13-11, 3.70 in 33 starts for Miami and Los Angeles) and Hughes (4-14, 5.19 in 24 starts for Yankees) will provide some leadership and hopefully a dependable 6 innings of work a start. Returning starters Sam Duduno (8-8, 3.18 in 18 starts) and Scott Diamond (6-13, 5.43 in 24 starts) will battle or the 5th spot in the rotation. However, I like the chances of RHP Vance Worley (1-5, 7.21 in 10 starts) and Kyle Gibson (2-4, 6.83 in 10 starts) better since both have higher ceilings than Duduno and Diamond. However it works out, I expect the Twins to have a better starting staff than last season. It could not be much worse. In addition to Gibson, keep an eye on RHPs Alex Meyer, Trevor May and 2013 1st round draft pick Kohl Stewart, all of whom could be at the MLB level by season's end. However, with the veteran pitchers they have signed, the goal is to allow them all to develop down in the minor leagues.
The bullpen should be very good season, led by one of the most underrated closers in all of MLB Glen Perkins. Perkins (2-0, 36 saves, 2.30, 77 Ks in 62 2/3 IP) should have some help getting him the ball led by Jared Burton (2-9, 3.82 in 71 games), Brian Duensing (6-2, 3.98 in 73 games) and Anthony Swarzak (3-2, 2.91 in 48 games).
There are a couple of interesting options for the Twins in their bullpen. First there is RHP Deolis Guerra, a pitcher obtained from the New York Mets in the Johan Santana trade who has yet to pitch in the majors. He is a minor league invitee looking to crack the big club. Also there is Matt Guerrier, a RHP who enjoyed the most success of his young career pitching for the Twins. It would be nice to see one or both of them break camp with the club.
I strongly feel this will be a huge season for Mauer who hit .324, 11, 47 in 103 games last year. The thought of him playing 150 games should increase the level of expected productivity. Buxton coming up sooner than later will make the lineup strong, with Josh Willingham (.208, 14, 48) and 3B Trevor Plouffe (.254, 14, 52) expected to put up better numbers than last year. Projected starting 2B Brian Dozier (.244, 18, 66) had a good season and even SS Pedro Florimon, known for his defense, did alright (.221, 8, 44). The team signed veteran catcher Kurt Suzuki (.232, 5, 32 with Washington and Oakland last season), who along with Chris Herrmann will get a lot of time behind the plate. CF Alex Presley (.283, 1, 11 in 28 games), acquired in the trade that sent Justin Morneau to the Pirates, will be the starting CF until Buxton is ready. Aaron Hicks is expecting to see some time as well. Rounding out the bench will be Chris Collabello, Eduardo Escobar and Oswaldo Arcia.
In on a minor league contract with a big league camp invite is 2B Doug Bernier. Doug was a guest on the Passed Ball Show this year and is 33 years old. It would be nice to see him get a shot and maybe be a Jamey Carroll type of player of the bench.
The Twins finished 2013 with a 66-96 record under manager Ron Gardenhire. I was ready to pick them to do a little better but the Sano injury is making it tough. Las Vegas has their number at 70. I see an improvement but cannot take the over. My prediction is 67-95, last place in the AL Central.
30-1 MLB countdown previews: #28 Twins
Manager Ron Gardenhire had enjoyed one of the better starts to a MLB managerial career with the Minnesota Twins. Through his first 9 seasons, he finished over .500 8 times, winning 6 division titles and winning over 90 games 5 times. What got him credit as being one of the best managers in the game is the fact that he usually won with less, having success with teams that did not have a ton of star power. The last two seasons, however, have been very trying, as the Twins have lost 99 and 96 games, respectively. I do not feel Gardenhire deserves all the blame here, as the Twins' small market approach has fizzled due to a struggling farm system. Due to the fact that the Tigers remain elite, the White Sox took steps in 2012, the Indians made many moves to upgrade their team and the Royals finally going for it, the Twins will find it very tough to contend this season.
The Twins off season started with the trade of two of their starting OFs, Denard Span to the Nationals and Ben Revere to the Twins. Starting SS Alexei Casilla is now with the Baltimore Orioles organization, but other than those moves, the offense should be similar to what it was in 2012, not that bad. The same cannot be said about their pitching staff, which was among the worst in the American League last season. GM Terry Ryan made it a priority to upgrade their starting rotation the best way possible, but there are still a lot of questions.
While the focus of this team will be on the future, there is still some life in the offense. Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Josh Willingham and Ryan Doumit give the team a presence in the middle of the order. Mauer (.319, 10, 85 in 147 games) is the franchise player and is expected to be on the Twins for a long time. The same cannot be said about Morneau (.267, 19, 77 in 134 games) as he is due to be a free agent after this season. The Twins will probably look to move Morneau with the hopes of replenishing their farm system. Willingham (.260, 35, 110) is their biggest power hitter, and I can see the Twins only moving him for a substantial upgrade to the farm system. Doumit (.275, 18, 75) was as good as I expected him to be when the Twins picked him up as a free agent from Pittsburgh. Darin Mastroianni gets the chance to play CF everyday, with Chris Parmalee in RF, Pedro Florimon at SS and veteran Jamey Carroll at 2B. I would set the lineup like this Mastroianni CF, Mauer C, Morneau 1B, Willingham LF, Doumit DH, Trevor Plouffe 3B (.235, 24, 55 in 119 games), Parmalee RF, Florimon SS, Carroll 2B. Brian Dozier will backup both middle infield positions with a chance to be a starter. The lack of depth on the bench is a concern, especially with the uncertainty surrounding Mastroianni, Parmalee and even Plouffe. Injury is always a concern when it comes to Mauer and Morneau. I would expect the Twins to be pursuing some depth in the outfield and on the bench.
The problem this team had last season was its pitching, particularly the starters. Scott Diamond (12-9, 3.54) was their best starter but made just 27 starts. After Diamond's 173 IP, Brian Duensing was next on the team in IP with 109. Duensing pitched in 55 games, 11 as a starter. Only Francisco Liriano (3-10, 5.31 before he was traded to Chicago) joined Diamond and Duensing in pitching 100 or more innings (and he had 100 even). They did a good job bringing in pitchers who should provide innings for them. Vance Worley (6-9, 4.20 in 23 starts) came over in the Revere trade and free agents Kevin Correia (12-11, 4.21, 32 games, 28 starts) and Mike Pelfrey (7-13, 4.74 in 34, 33 during the 2011 season) are expected to provide said innings. Pelfrey is returning from Tommy John surgery and word is, he has been throwing the ball well. Cole De Vries (5-5, 4.11 in 16 starts) was throwing the ball well for the Twins before his season ended prematurely. Liam Hendricks is also battling for a spot in their rotation.
The bullpen is led by LHP Glen Perkins, who had 16 saves for the team last season after replacing the injured Matt Capps. Jared Burton, Alex Burnett and Duensing are the best options to set up. The Twins are hoping to get some help from veterans Rich Harden, NIck Blackburn and Rafael Perez, all in camp on minor league contracts.
As far as the farm system is concerned, expect to see RHP Kyle Gibson contributing at some point this season. Had it not been for an injury, he would already be up here. The Twins like him, Alex Meyer (obtained in the Span trade) and Trevor May (in the Revere trade). They would be happy if those three were staples in the rotation for years to come. OF Byron Buxton, their number 1 draft pick of a year ago, could be on the fast track, but it is unlikely we will see him in the big leagues this season.
It is hard to see the Twins winning a lot of games this season, especially with the talent in the AL Central. Vegas puts their over/ under at 64 1/2, which I think is very fair. I think they will finish below that though, at 62-100, last place in the AL Central. The three acquisitions for the rotation are key; if they can all pitch at their best, the team could be much better. Not playoff better, but maybe they can win 72-77 games. If so, Gardenhire should get a contract extension.


text:
La bataille de Taïpale a opposé la Finlande à l'Union soviétique du 6 au 27 décembre 1939. Au cours de cette bataille, les Soviétiques tentèrent de percer la ligne Mannerheim, en vain.

Prélude
Après que la guerre d'Hiver eut éclaté, le , les troupes finlandaises se déploient afin de protéger la population finlandaise qui fuit l'Isthme de Carélie face à l'avancée de la septième armée soviétique, constituée de 14 divisions et appuyée par  blindées. Au terme de trois jours de combat, les forces avancées finlandaises, réparties en quatre groupes, finissent par battre en retraite sur la ligne Mannerheim. Trois jours plus tard les Soviétiques, retardés autant par de nombreux embouteillages dus au temps que par des embuscades tendues par des unités de reconnaissances finlandaises, atteignent à leur tour la ligne de défense créée par les Finlandais. Le général Meretskov décide alors, contre toute attente, d'attaquer le secteur de Taïpale au nord de l'Isthme.

Les forces en présence
 Du côté finlandais, la défense de ce secteur est assurée par la dixième division d'infanterie, soutenue par plusieurs unités de reconnaissances et neuf batteries d'artillerie.
 Du côté soviétique, quatre divisions d'infanterie seront engagées durant la bataille : la quatrième, la , la  et la . Elles sont appuyées par plusieurs centaines de blindés, 111 batteries d'artilleries et 200 avions.

Plan
Dans le secteur de Taïpale, les défenses de la ligne Mannerheim ont été établies derrière le canal de Suvanto, à l'Ouest, et la rivière Taïpale, à l'Est. Sur leur flanc gauche, les Soviétiques doivent donc traverser des eaux glacées puis plusieurs centaines de mètres de terrain découvert pour atteindre les lignes finlandaises. Sur leur flanc droit, ils doivent traverser la rivière puis parcourir le saillant de Koukunniemi, long de trois kilomètres, pour attaquer. C'est à cet endroit, plus propice pour les attaques de masses, que va se porter le premier effort des Soviétiques.

La bataille

Le 6 décembre 1939, l'artillerie soviétique commence à faire feu sur les positions ennemies. Le barrage d'artillerie dure quatre heures, après quoi l'infanterie passe à l'attaque et parvient à prendre pied sur le saillant de Koukunniemi. Les canons finlandais ripostent alors, et contraignent l'ennemi à battre en retraite, après avoir subi plusieurs centaines de pertes. Dans les jours qui suivent, les batteries soviétiques continuent de pilonner les lignes finlandaises.

Le 14 décembre, au crépuscule, le barrage d'artillerie se fait soudain plus intense. Deux divisions soviétiques traversent alors la rivière Taïpale, cette fois avec l'appui de plusieurs dizaines de tanks, et commencent à progresser à travers le saillant de Koukunniemi. Les troupes finlandaises sont effrayées par les blindés adverses, mais tiennent néanmoins leurs positions et ouvrent le feu sur l'ennemi. L'artillerie finlandaise, aux ressources limitées, commence également à pilonner l'assaillant. L'attaque est stoppée en cinq minutes, et les Soviétiques se replient en désordre. 18 blindés ont été perdus et plus de 400 hommes ont été tués ou blessés. Malgré cet échec, les assauts se poursuivent au cours de la semaine qui suit. Au cours d'un de ces engagements typiques, les Soviétiques perdent  et 27 blindés.

Devant les échecs répétés, Meretskov décide d'attaquer dans un autre secteur du front. Le 23 décembre, les Soviétiques disposent désormais de quatre divisions d'infanterie. Le lendemain soir, ces troupes traversent le canal de Suvanto et établissent deux têtes de pont, à Pähkemikkö et Patoniemi. Les Finlandais contre-attaquent alors, tuant plus de 500 Soviétiques à Patoniemi, tandis qu'à Pähkemikkö les Russes sont taillés en pièces par les mitrailleuses finlandaises déployées à moins de cent mètres du village. Profitant néanmoins du brouillard, un bataillon soviétique parvient à établir une autre tête de pont plus au nord, à Kelja, et perce la ligne Mannerheim. Alors que des renforts doivent rejoindre le bataillon, les Finlandais contre-attaquent avec le peu de réserves dont ils disposent, l'artillerie ouvrant le feu en étant soutenue par d'antiques  utilisés pour l'occasion tandis que les unités non-combattantes montent au front pour soutenir leurs camarades. L'affrontement dure un jour et une nuit. Les dernières unités soviétiques doivent finalement battre en retraite à 9h15 le 27 décembre en abandonnant  de leurs camarades sur le terrain. Cet ultime assaut de trois jours, qui aura coûté la vie à plus de , marque la fin des grandes offensives russes contre Taïpale.

Conséquences

Faute d'avoir pu percer le secteur de Taïpale, les Soviétiques vont consacrer leurs efforts sur le reste de l'Isthme. Des combats sporadiques persistent néanmoins dans le secteur jusqu'en février 1940, mais il n'y aura plus d'assauts massifs. En un mois, la bataille de Taïpale aura coûté la vie à  soviétiques, sans parler des dizaines de milliers de blessés, et plus de 100 blindés ont été détruits. Cette bataille aura montré l'inutilité des charges frontales russes et la nécessité de produire des uniformes adaptés au terrain.
Quant à la dixième division finlandaise, elle déplore  et blessés. Elle continuera à défendre le secteur de Taïpale jusqu'à la fin de la guerre, et subira au total 4000 pertes. Après l'Armistice, elle assura le déplacement de la population finlandaise quittant le territoire occupé par les Soviétiques. La division fut démobilisée à partir d'avril et fut dissoute en juin. Elle fut reformée en 1941, avec le déclenchement de la guerre de Continuation, où elle subit encore de lourdes pertes, notamment au cours de l'offensive soviétique de 1944 contre l'Isthme de Carélie qui fut principalement orientée contre le secteur tenu par la dixième division.

Références

Bataille ou opération de la guerre d'Hiver
Bataille de la Seconde Guerre mondiale impliquant l'Union soviétique
Bataille impliquant la Finlande
Bataille de 1939
Histoire des territoires cédés par la Finlande à l'Union soviétique
1939 en Finlande

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Introduction to the Issue Anni and Josef Albers: Equal and Unequal by Nicholas Fox Weber On Border Lines by Nicolette Reim
Arturo Lindsay Photo: Evelyn Quiñones
Arturo Lindsay
with Opal Moore
Arturo Lindsay, Kalami from the DRC, 2018, 48 x 36 inches
In his seminal collection of essays, Santeria Aesthetics In Contemporary Latin American Art (1996), Dr. Arturo Lindsay showcased an array of critical art voices that together presented a crossroad community of artists of African and Latino roots and influence. Santeria, a religion forged within the crucible of the African diaspora, sat at the intersection of philosophy, spiritual and aesthetic practice for these artist practitioners. Santeria Aesthetics is seminal not only in the study of world art; it is also a key to the art- making and career of this artist.
Over the years, Arturo Lindsay's aesthetic practices and pursuits have variously asserted and explored the four points of the Congo "cosmogram": water (womb, beginnings); earth (material being, the body); fire (death, transition); breath (spirit, afterlife). His spiritual and aesthetic foundations are evident in the evolution of his art practice, which includes painting, photography, art installations, performance art and collaboration, research, teaching and his longtime commitment to scholarly and creative appreciation of Congo art, its history and production.
Lindsay was born in Colon, Panama, a seaport city on the Caribbean coast. Throughout his career he has maintained his connections to the Panamanian artist/scholar community. His work with Taller Portobelo, an artists' workshop in Panama, is an extension of his combined research, teaching, practice and community-building activities. His latest project is a documentary film in progress, "Artists' Journey on the Congo Coast of Panama."
I met Arturo at Spelman College. Over the years we have worked on poetic collaborations and performances. The most extensive is a project titled "Children of Middle Passage," in which we pursued the elements of water, earth and spirit in a contemplation of the lives and transitions of child captives of the infamous middle passage between Africa, the Caribbean and Europe. I recently learned that Arturo had also enjoyed an extended conversation with well-known poet, playwright and novelist, Ntozake Shange. Shange was developing poems in connection with a series of Lindsay's "spirit" paintings. Their project, Smoke Voices: interviews with the spirits in the art of Arturo Lindsay was not yet completed when Shange passed away in October of 2018.
I composed questions for Dr. Lindsay that I hoped would offer a framework for a conversation about his creative vision and his cross-cultural collaborations.
Portraits of Yemaya by Arturo Lindsay
Opal Moore: Arturo, first of all, it's great to talk with you in this way, as we have known each other for such a long time. Thank you for engaging with me, and The Art Section.
My first question is connected to unfinished work—your documentary film "Artists' Journey On the Congo Coast of Panama." Your video description (and pitch) is linked here as part of this dialogue because I wanted to honor the way that scholarship is so intrinsic to the way that you do your work, and the way that you present it to viewers. The art works coming out of the Taller are distinctive. Talk a bit about the aesthetics of the works being produced there. What are the aesthetic links between the [African] Congo and Portobelo, part of the African diaspora?
Arturo Lindsay: The documentary will reveal a lot about the people of Panama, and how Congo art tells their stories. Anthropologist Fernando Ortiz refers to the merging and converging of cultures as transculturation. Congo art is transcultural. Congo art and aesthetics at Taller Portobelo are rooted in African retentions, rediscoveries and aesthetic fusions. The slave trade delivered Africans to the Americas, to Portobelo, with talents in music, art, dance, poetry, and with skills in carpentry, construction and gastronomy. They also came with centuries of sophisticated religious belief systems, philosophies and aesthetic preferences. They came with traditions to honor and ancestors to memorialize. They came whole. They shared their traditions and beliefs with each other resulting in a mestizaje Africana – an African mixture, a virtual fusion of the aesthetic tastes of various African ethnic groups that were enslaved in Panama.
Panama's unique tradition at carnival called el juego de Congo – Congo ritual play—is an example of a fusion of qualities. This improvisational street performance involves music, dance, costuming, a special language, architecture and food. It lasts several days during the carnival season. The dancers role-play what you might call an existential conflict. The players, in masquerade costumes representing good and evil, perform the ritual. The African ancestors are the "good" spirits who have returned to wrestle the devils—diablos— the evil Spaniards who enslaved them. This African-inspired performance ends on Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, with "good" overcoming "evil."
In Congo painting, the subject matter falls into two general categories – narrative and portraiture. Congo artists retell, in their paintings, the stories they've heard from elders in their community, or paint from their lived experiences including the different roles they have played in el juego de Congo. In most of their portrait paintings, Congo artists revere the beauty of the women of Portobelo. I once asked Titto, one of the artists of the Taller, why he painted so many Congo women. He looked at me as if astounded by the absurdity of my question and replied, "Because they are beautiful!"
In a rather Marquezian "magically real" move, the artists of Taller Portobelo break the time barrier allowing their cimarrón – maroon – ancestors to inhabit the same space and time on a canvas with their Congo descendants. I am fond of saying that in order to reconstruct or to construct anew the cultural memory of the African Diaspora, artists must first erase erasure using other ways of seeing. Congo art and aesthetics is completely engaged in this work.
Viaje de artistas en la costa Congo de Panamá by Arturo Lindsay
Santeria Aesthetics In Contemporary Latin American Art (1996),
edited by Dr. Arturo Lindsay
OM: How did the Taller get its start?
AL: Along with Sandra Eleta a brilliant photographer and Yaneca Esquina, a leading member of the Congo community in Portobelo we co-founded the Painting Workshop of Taller Portobelo in the mid-1990s as a joint art training effort in collaboration with my students from the Spelman College Summer Art Colony.
OM: Some of your former students are now highly recognized artists. Would you like to shout them out?
AL: Love to. At various times, those students included Amy Sherald, Fahamu Pecou, Torkwase Dyson and Calida Garcia Rawles. I will also mention Renee Alexander Craft and Oronike Odeleye who were young scholar/artists at that time. Renée's interaction with the Congos— Yaneca Esquina, Ariel Jimenez, Titto Esquina, Gustavo Esquina and Tatú Golden became the basis of her dissertation and later book, When the Devil Knocks. She created Digital Portobelo: Art + Scholarship + Cultural Preservation, which is an interactive on-line collection of ethnographic interviews and other materials. Oronike, an Atlanta art activist, and Renée developed Creative Currents, a non-profit organization that sponsored annual artist retreats in Portobelo and Dakar, Senegal.
Arturo Lindsay, Dear Lord…Why…[Did] Latasha Have to Die, 2019, Acrylic on Canvas with Gold Leaf, 53.25 x 31.5 inches
OM: This is life's work that you are describing.
AL: You could say that. The mission of the Taller is to preserve Congo culture without exploiting the people. We want to establish an income stream for artists in this culturally and historically rich yet, economically disenfranchised community.
Arturo Lindsay, Dear Lord…why…[did] Qa'id have to Die., 2019
Acrylic on Canvas with Red feathers and feathered ju-ju pack, 53.25 x 31.5 inches
OM: Have you always had an affinity for poetry and poetics in connection to your visual art? You were a young artist in New York during the rise of the Black Arts movement, which linked all of the arts—poetry, drama, dance, painting, sculpture, etc. And we are still in mourning for the passing of Miguel Algarín, one of the founders of the powerful Nuyorican Poet's Café. How did poetry become so important to the way that you thought about visual art?
AL: Wow! That is a lot. Let me answer your last question first. You are right, I am still mourning losing Miguel. He was not only a fellow art collaborator, he was a dear friend with a brilliant mind. Miguel was an intellectual. He could speak with authority on various subjects. He loved showing just how smart he was to bigots that had low expectations for a "lowly" Puerto Rican. The Café did a Zoom Memorial last week. It's on their website.
Miguel and I met as collaborators in a Plexus International event. Plexus is a loosely organized group of artists from various countries founded by Sandro Dernini who was in a doctoral program with me at NYU. Miguel and I did art performances in NYC, Rome and Sardinia. Generally, I would set up an installation in which we performed. Our best work was Homenaje a Miky Piñero, a memorial for a co-founder of the Nuyorican Poet's Café.
Prior to engaging with 'Zake [Ntozake Shange] in an art and poetry collaboration, I tried writing poetry influenced by The Last Poets, Gil Scott Heron and the Nuyorican poets. I chose the name Salongo as my nom de plume. According to Wikipedia , "People with the name Salongo tend to be idealistic, highly imaginative, intuitive, and spiritual. They seek after spiritual truth and often find it. They tend to be visionary and may inspire others. If they fail to develop their potential, they may become dreamers, or misuse power." Does that sound like me?
Arturo Lindsay, Celestial Map 7.22.18, 2018, Acrylic on Canvas, 20 x 18 inches
OM: I didn't know about your work with Ntozake until recently—that your history of collaborating with poets did not begin with our Children of Middle Passage project in 2001?
AL: That's right. But my collaborations with you are the most significant—[the Delfina Project] performance art ritual at Spelman College for the children who perished during middle passage. And the performance ritual for the Arab Spring uprisings taking place in Cairo, [Artist Contemplating the Fate of Those Who Speak of Freedom].
OM: You had just returned from Cairo for a project there.
AL: And of course, the summer that you added a bi-lingual poetry component to the Spelman College Summer Art Colony that I directed each year in Portobelo [Panama]. So far, we've worked together in the US, Italy, Panama, and Africa. You've been a great art partner.
OM: Don't forget Germany!
AL: That's right. How could I forget? About my collaborations in art, I should say that I grew up in a culture in which all of the art forms were represented in art events. This is probably most evident during carnival in my hometown of Colon, Panama. I guess carnival became my art norm. The blending of art forms during the Black Arts Movement was simply a continuation of what I thought was normal for art.
Arturo Lindsay, Chrysalis 10, 2017, Acrylic on paper, 30 x 22 inches
OM: In your artist's statement for "Celestial Dreaming," one of the exhibitions of paintings documented on your site, you offer a cosmic question: where does the soul of a murdered black child go? You connect this musing to the murder of Kamau, the son of your godson, Cheo Chandler, in 2013. Kamau was 17? Talk about the longer history of this question of black death in your scholarship and your art.
AL: There really isn't much of a longer story. I simply did not want Kamau's life's story to end as a "victim" on Fulton Street in Brooklyn." This was very personal. As I sit here writing in my study, on my printer next to me, there is a photo of Cheo holding Kamau who was barely a month old. I was part of the village that was raising this child. In return, this brilliant, bright light of a child, by just being Kamau, assured us that there was a bright future on the horizon. The future will be safe for future generations.
And by extension, I did not want the life stories of any more black children to end as victims, dead on the streets of this or any nation, or incarcerated for murdering a black child. They too are our future. So, I turned to entomology to examine the life cycle of a caterpillar transforming from a chrysalis to a beautiful butterfly. And I turned to the "four moments of the sun": birth, adulthood, end of life and a beautiful rebirth, that is exemplified in the Kongo cosmogram.
After six years of work in this series I stopped last year. It was becoming too painful. Even today, every time I hear of another murder of a young black person, regardless of gender I cringe. Making art did not make the pain go away, it only eased it momentarily. That pain will only leave when our children are guaranteed their inalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.
Arturo Lindsay, Ameem Of the Sudan Returns, 2018. Acrylic on canvas,48 x 36 inches
OM: I try to keep to three questions in the dialogue. For you, Arturo, is there a question that you wish I had asked as part of this interview? If so, what is the question and what would you tell me?
AL: Your questions are excellent—provocative and disarming—challenging me to dig deeper into the preconscious soil of my mind where the seeds of art dwell.
I guess good questions might be: "You seem to be transitioning away from painting. Are you? Or, What's next, after you complete Artists' Journey, the documentary?"
To that, I would say that I love to paint. I love the idea of facing a blank canvas and seeing it transform. It is like the chrysalis story. I have, however, felt weary. Just after the pandemic lockdown earlier this year there was a fire in the studio next to mine. Given the lockdown policies, it was difficult for me to get to the studio to truly assess the damage. While no sentient beings were harmed and no work was consumed by the fire, I suffered serious water and soot damage. The fire made me confront the fact that I had a large inventory of unsold paintings, and that I am a poor custodian of my art. Abysmal is a more accurate word. I decided to burn the surviving paintings in a performance art ritual.
OM: I'm glad you didn't do it.
AL: When I made that decision I did not realize, nor did I care to admit that I was suffering from a mild form of depression. This burning of art works, by the way, is not as crazy as it sounds. Over the last four decades I have produced a series entitled The De-Materialization of Art in which I either burned or buried works of art. The first project in this series is Homenaje a Miky Piñero. This project was done in collaboration with Miguel Algarín as an homage to Miky Piñero. Miguel and Miky co-founded the Nuyorican Poets Café in New York City's Lower East Side. Other projects were done in Portobelo, Panama, as well as in Rome and Sardinia, Italy.
I am still planning the ritual. I have given up my studio and asked rEN Dillard, a very fine painter and an equally fine curator, to help me move my work into storage until after the pandemic when we would de-materialize the work. rEN convinced me to mount one last exhibition at the South Fulton Arts Center to allow folks a chance to experience as well as collect some of the work before the performance. I agreed, and titled the exhibition, the Fire this Time – a tongue in cheek reference to the studio fire, James Baldwin's book The Fire Next Time, as well as a reference to the fires sparked by the uprisings following the murder of George Floyd. I also decided to sell the works at bargain basement prices – a "fire sale." I am pleased to say that in spite of the pandemic I did sell many works, but not all. We have yet to set a new date for the final fire but at least the work is in storage and with a better art custodian.
Arturo Lindsay, Portal 4, 2017, Acrylic on Canvas, 48 x 36 inches
Arturo Lindsay is a native of Colon, a seaport city on the Caribbean coast of the Republic of Panama.
At age 12 his family migrated to the United States and settled in Brooklyn, New York. Lindsay is an artist/scholar/educator. His art and scholarly practices are informed by the research he conducts in the African Diaspora. His research interests are the presence of African spiritual and aesthetic retentions, rediscoveries and reinventions grounded in the Cuban anthropologist Fernando Ortiz' concept of transculturation. www.arturolindsay.com
Photo: Evelyn Quiñones
Opal Moore, a native Chicagoan, is a veteran teacher of creative writing and African American women's literature. She is the author of Lot's Daughters, a poetry collection that one reviewer described as "passionate slices of African American womanhood." Her fiction and poetry have appeared in anthologies and journals, including the Boston Review; Furious Flower: Seeding the Future of African American Poetry, the Notre Dame Review, Connecticut Review, Honey, Hush! An Anthology of African American Women's Humor, and Homeplaces: Stories of the South by Women Writers.


It's a Flashback Friday. I had a few questions after yesterday's post about the Indian names. The questions pertained to the blog names that I use for my boys. So to refresh your memory, here is the original post where I named my oldest son, Leonardo, way back on March 31, 2009.
I like to keep some of my personal life private on this blog. I don't name names generally. There are few family secrets that I will reveal. I do respect the privacy of those actually in my real life. They could get really mad if I cross certain boundaries. And there's that whole piece where I still don't fully trust what's out on the web and don't necessarily like to think about some of the folks who might be on the other side of these posts. Most of you are fine...but there are some that we should all be worried about. So in the spirit of privacy protection and personal boundaries, I want to give some nicknames to the people in my life so that when I do need to talk about them, you will have a better but still vague idea of who they are. This post is devoted to my first born.
Let's call him Leonardo. One of his heroes is Leonardo DaVinci. Most of us think of art and the Mona Lisa when we think Da Vinci but really he was an inventor, scientist, mathematician, botanist, and so much more. He was unbelievably ahead of his time. I learned all about him from my Leonardo. My Leonardo is the smartest kid I know. And I am not saying that because I am his mother and I have to. He really is super smart. But not in the conventional, rock the 3rd grade, cruise through school kind of smart. He doesn't fit the mold of a model student who gets the high grades on everything in effortless fashion. He only tolerates school. He does get good grades, but he struggles with alot of it. His teachers don't view him as exceptional (in the positive sense) within the public school framework. But this kid knows so much more about anything scientific than most adults will ever know in their lives. Any topic: dinosaurs, the periodic table, fossils, space, space travel, electricity, you name it. And not just knowledge on the kid level. He can explain to you the chemical difference between water and hydrogen peroxide (now that I know that one, it's easy to remember, but the point is my 8 year old had to tell me). And the best part is...he loves all this stuff. He truly has a gift for scientific knowledge and understanding which I believe will take him very far. Set aside all his struggles in conventional education and he will knock the scientific socks (or thermal foot protectors, as he might say) off all of us one day. I wait patiently to see where Leonardo takes us.
Incredible! I was thinking more of the Leonardo-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Aren't kids amazing?
I hope the public schools will be able to nurture that knowledge! Amazing!


text:
Landmark achievement for nuclear decommissioning project in Slovak Republic
By Anton Usov
Two Soviet-designed nuclear reactor decommissioned at the Bohunice NPP
Unique engineering solutions and experience to be used worldwide
Major decommissioning milestone for the EBRD-managed BIDSF
The decommissioning of Soviet-era reactors at the Bohunice nuclear power plant (BNPP) in the Slovak Republic reached an important landmark. The two pressurised water reactors of the VVER-440 design have now been fully dismantled and their components decontaminated for safe storage and recycling.
The work was carried out by the Slovak Nuclear and Decommissioning Company JAVYS and a consortium led by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation which included a Slovak engineering company VUJE. It was funded through the Bohunice International Decommissioning Support Fund (BIDSF) managed by the EBRD.
This is the first time when reactors of this type were decommissioned and disassembled directly on site. Key to the success of the project was the removal of twelve 160-tonne steam generators from the power plant turbine hall. This allowed the construction of two large, 1250 m3, pools to enable the safe underwater disassembly and sectioning of the two reactors. As a result, around 95 per cent of waste products and metals have already been safely processed, decontaminated and released from the site.
The decommissioning of the two reactors, which commenced in May 2020 and April 2021, took 18 and 11 months respectively. This is a benchmark for nuclear decommissioning activity around the world in terms of both technological solutions and the pace of work.
Two Soviet-era reactors at the Bohunice nuclear power plant in the Slovak Republic have been fully dismantled and the components decontaminated for safe storage or recycling.
Steve White, Associate Director for Nuclear Safety at the EBRD, is responsible for the overall implementation of the BIDSF fund said: "The dismantling of the two VVER nuclear reactors and the processing of the metallic waste in such a short timescale is an impressive achievement. It is hard to overstate the complexity of the completed works - and the enormous engineering challenges we have overcome."
It is expected that work at the site to take apart and process the remaining equipment and systems will be completed by 2025. Civil structures and the BNPP buildings will then be demolished making the area safe for the redevelopment by 2027.
As part of its European Union accession agreement, Slovakia agreed to the early shutdown of Units 1 and 2 at the Bohunice V1 nuclear power plant in 2006 and 2008. The financial and economic burden caused by the plant closure was recognised by the EU, which provided more than €800 million in financial assistance.
The EBRD-managed (BIDSF) was established at the EBRD in 2001. It is supported through contributions by the European Union as well as by Austria, Denmark, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
EBRD AgVenture competition to foster food and ag-tech innovation
€25 million EBRD loan for new tram line in Sarajevo
EBRD, EU and GCF support Egypt's transition to a greener and more inclusive economy
EBRD and British International Investment provide US$ 100 million subordinated loan to Banque du Caire
EBRD loan to support green financing in Türkiye
Ukraine treatment and rehabilitation centre needs your support


text:
Q: Strange behaviour in scipy.optimize.leastsq I've noticed some unusual behavior when trying to fit some noisy data: when I change the length of the array, I get wildly differing fits.
import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
# set up true function and "measured" data
x = np.linspace(0, 6e-2, 500);
A, k, theta = 10, 1.0 / 3e-2, np.pi / 6;
y_true = A * np.sin(2 * np.pi * k * x + theta);
y_meas = y_true + 2*np.random.randn(x.size);
plt.plot(x, y_meas);
plt.plot(x, y_true);
plt.show()

Which gives this image:

I've created some helper functions, and then I do a least squares fit:
# residual function, e_i
def residuals(p, y, x):
    A, k, theta = p;
    err = y - A * np.sin(2 * np.pi * k * x + theta);
    return err;

def peval(x, p):
    return p[0] * np.sin(2 * np.pi * p[1] * x + p[2]);

# starting values of A, k and theta
p0 = [12, 1 / 2.3e-2, np.pi / 3];
print(np.array(p0));

# do least squares fitting
from scipy.optimize import leastsq

plsq = leastsq(residuals, p0, args=(y_meas, x));
print(plsq[0]); print(np.array([A, k, theta]));

Plotting this gives:
plt.plot(x, peval(x, plsq[0]))
plt.plot(x, y_meas,'ro')
plt.plot(x, y_true);
plt.title('Least-squares fit to noisy data');
plt.legend(['Fit', 'Noisy', 'True']);

When I change my set up to:
x = np.linspace(0, 18e-2, 500);
A, k, theta = 10, 1.0 / 3e-2, np.pi / 6;
y_true = A * np.sin(2 * np.pi * k * x + theta);
y_meas = y_true + 2*np.random.randn(x.size);

(i.e. I triple the length of time I measure), and then run the rest of the code, the fit I get becomes:

I've tried stepping through the code, but can't come up with a reason that this example is failing.

A: if you try with initial guess
p0=[12.0, 35.0, 0.39269908169872414]

it will work in both cases. The initial parameters that you have used are giving a residual > 60e3.
Remember that increasing the number of points will change the problem, if you check the non-linear least squares in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Least_squares you can see that there is a sum over the number of points when the minimization is performed, so it is not unusual that a fit doesn't work when more points are added.