Well the summer has been good. A little crazy at times but totally wonderful with our wonder pup aka "the white way"
I will be leaving our little white husky for 3 weeks while I travel back to Canada to spend time with my family. Luckily Kaya's daddy aka my boyfriend will be taking care of her while I'm away.. Although thinking about being away from her for three weeks does not sound like much fun. The longest time I've spent away from her in a year and a bit is 2 days.. Madness. And after witnessing how hard it was for her when my boyfriend was away for 5 weeks this spring I am already feeling guilty about leaving.
We've had a lot of fun so far this summer, swimming, hiking, walking, running, playing, and meeting so many new dogs a long the way. She's been a bit stressy this past two weeks since we moved to a bigger place but she is adjusting very well to our new house. She has already claimed a spot on the balcony as her own and we think she will claim the spare bedroom as soon as the boxes are cleared. It's cool and dark in there, and there's a bed she can claim as her own..
Here is Kaya Leaping through the air into the river after her Aqua toy, (her most favorite toy ever, she sleeps with it if it's not wet.


text:
require_relative "../../aws_refresher_spec_common"
require_relative "../../aws_refresher_spec_counts"

describe ManageIQ::Providers::Amazon::CloudManager::Refresher do
  include AwsRefresherSpecCommon
  include AwsRefresherSpecCounts

  before(:each) do
    @ems = FactoryGirl.create(:ems_amazon_with_vcr_authentication, :provider_region => "us-west-1")
  end

  AwsRefresherSpecCommon::ALL_OLD_REFRESH_SETTINGS.each do |settings|
    context "with settings #{settings}" do
      before(:each) do
        stub_refresh_settings(settings)
      end

      it "will perform a full refresh on another region" do
        2.times do # Run twice to verify that a second run with existing data does not change anything
          @ems.reload

          VCR.use_cassette("#{described_class.name.underscore}_other_region") do
            EmsRefresh.refresh(@ems)
            EmsRefresh.refresh(@ems.network_manager)
            EmsRefresh.refresh(@ems.ebs_storage_manager)

            @ems.reload
            assert_counts(table_counts_from_api)
          end

          assert_specific_flavor
          assert_specific_az
          assert_specific_floating_ip
          assert_specific_key_pair
          assert_specific_security_group
          assert_specific_template
          assert_specific_vm_powered_on
          assert_specific_vm_in_other_region
          assert_relationship_tree
          assert_subnet_required
        end
      end
    end
  end

  def assert_specific_flavor
    @flavor = ManageIQ::Providers::Amazon::CloudManager::Flavor.where(:name => "t1.micro").first
    expect(@flavor).to have_attributes(
      :name                 => "t1.micro",
      :description          => "T1 Micro",
      :enabled              => true,
      :cpus                 => 1,
      :cpu_cores            => 1,
      :memory               => 0.613.gigabytes.to_i,
      :supports_32_bit      => true,
      :supports_64_bit      => true,
      :supports_hvm         => false,
      :supports_paravirtual => true
    )

    expect(@flavor.ext_management_system).to eq(@ems)
  end

  def assert_specific_az
    @az = ManageIQ::Providers::Amazon::CloudManager::AvailabilityZone.where(:name => "us-west-1a").first
    expect(@az).to have_attributes(
      :name => "us-west-1a",
    )
  end

  def assert_specific_floating_ip
    ip = ManageIQ::Providers::Amazon::NetworkManager::FloatingIp.where(:address => "54.215.0.230").first
    expect(ip).to have_attributes(
      :address            => "54.215.0.230",
      :ems_ref            => "54.215.0.230",
      :cloud_network_only => false
    )

    @ip = ManageIQ::Providers::Amazon::NetworkManager::FloatingIp.where(:address => "204.236.137.154").first
    expect(@ip).to have_attributes(
      :address            => "204.236.137.154",
      :ems_ref            => "204.236.137.154",
      :fixed_ip_address   => "10.191.129.95",
      :cloud_network_only => false
    )
  end

  def assert_specific_key_pair
    @kp = ManageIQ::Providers::Amazon::CloudManager::AuthKeyPair.where(:name => "EmsRefreshSpec-KeyPair-OtherRegion").first
    expect(@kp).to have_attributes(
      :name        => "EmsRefreshSpec-KeyPair-OtherRegion",
      :fingerprint => "fc:53:30:aa:d2:23:c7:8d:e2:e8:05:95:a0:d2:90:fb:15:30:a2:51"
    )
  end

  def assert_specific_security_group
    @sg = ManageIQ::Providers::Amazon::NetworkManager::SecurityGroup.where(:name => "EmsRefreshSpec-SecurityGroup-OtherRegion").first
    expect(@sg).to have_attributes(
      :name        => "EmsRefreshSpec-SecurityGroup-OtherRegion",
      :description => "EmsRefreshSpec-SecurityGroup-OtherRegion",
      :ems_ref     => "sg-2b87746f"
    )

    expect(@sg.firewall_rules.size).to eq(1)
    expect(@sg.firewall_rules.first).to have_attributes(
      :host_protocol            => "TCP",
      :direction                => "inbound",
      :port                     => 0,
      :end_port                 => 65535,
      :source_security_group_id => nil,
      :source_ip_range          => "0.0.0.0/0"
    )
  end

  def assert_specific_template
    @template = ManageIQ::Providers::Amazon::CloudManager::Template.where(:name => "EmsRefreshSpec-Image-OtherRegion").first
    expect(@template).to have_attributes(
      :template              => true,
      :ems_ref               => "ami-183e175d",
      :ems_ref_obj           => nil,
      :uid_ems               => "ami-183e175d",
      :vendor                => "amazon",
      :power_state           => "never",
      :location              => "200278856672/EmsRefreshSpec-Image-OtherRegion",
      :tools_status          => nil,
      :boot_time             => nil,
      :standby_action        => nil,
      :connection_state      => nil,
      :cpu_affinity          => nil,
      :memory_reserve        => nil,
      :memory_reserve_expand => nil,
      :memory_limit          => nil,
      :memory_shares         => nil,
      :memory_shares_level   => nil,
      :cpu_reserve           => nil,
      :cpu_reserve_expand    => nil,
      :cpu_limit             => nil,
      :cpu_shares            => nil,
      :cpu_shares_level      => nil
    )

    expect(@template.ext_management_system).to eq(@ems)
    expect(@template.operating_system).to       be_nil # TODO: This should probably not be nil
    expect(@template.custom_attributes.size).to eq(0)
    expect(@template.snapshots.size).to eq(0)

    expect(@template.hardware).to have_attributes(
      :guest_os           => "linux",
      :guest_os_full_name => nil,
      :bios               => nil,
      :annotation         => nil,
      :cpu_sockets        => 1, # wtf
      :memory_mb          => nil,
      :disk_capacity      => nil,
      :bitness            => 64
    )

    expect(@template.hardware.disks.size).to eq(0)
    expect(@template.hardware.guest_devices.size).to eq(0)
    expect(@template.hardware.nics.size).to eq(0)
    expect(@template.hardware.networks.size).to eq(0)
  end

  def assert_specific_vm_powered_on
    v = ManageIQ::Providers::Amazon::CloudManager::Vm.where(:name => "EmsRefreshSpec-PoweredOn-OtherRegion", :raw_power_state => "running").first
    expect(v).to have_attributes(
      :template              => false,
      :ems_ref               => "i-dc1ee486",
      :ems_ref_obj           => nil,
      :uid_ems               => "i-dc1ee486",
      :vendor                => "amazon",
      :power_state           => "on",
      :location              => "ec2-204-236-137-154.us-west-1.compute.amazonaws.com",
      :tools_status          => nil,
      :boot_time             => "2013-08-31T00:12:43.000",
      :standby_action        => nil,
      :connection_state      => nil,
      :cpu_affinity          => nil,
      :memory_reserve        => nil,
      :memory_reserve_expand => nil,
      :memory_limit          => nil,
      :memory_shares         => nil,
      :memory_shares_level   => nil,
      :cpu_reserve           => nil,
      :cpu_reserve_expand    => nil,
      :cpu_limit             => nil,
      :cpu_shares            => nil,
      :cpu_shares_level      => nil
    )

    expect(v.ext_management_system).to eq(@ems)
    expect(v.availability_zone).to eq(@az)
    expect(v.floating_ip).to eq(@ip)
    expect(v.flavor).to eq(@flavor)
    expect(v.cloud_network).to          be_nil
    expect(v.cloud_subnet).to           be_nil
    expect(v.security_groups).to eq([@sg])
    expect(v.key_pairs).to eq([@kp])
    expect(v.operating_system).to       be_nil # TODO: This should probably not be nil
    expect(v.custom_attributes.size).to eq(1)
    expect(v.snapshots.size).to eq(0)

    expect(v.hardware).to have_attributes(
      :guest_os           => "linux",
      :guest_os_full_name => nil,
      :bios               => nil,
      :annotation         => nil,
      :cpu_sockets        => 1,
      :memory_mb          => 627,
      :disk_capacity      => 0, # TODO: Change to a flavor that has disks
      :bitness            => 64
    )

    expect(v.hardware.disks.size).to eq(1) # TODO: Change to a flavor that has disks
    expect(v.hardware.guest_devices.size).to eq(0)
    expect(v.hardware.nics.size).to eq(0)

    expect(v.hardware.networks.size).to eq(2)
    network = v.hardware.networks.where(:description => "public").first
    expect(network).to have_attributes(
      :description => "public",
      :ipaddress   => "204.236.137.154",
      :hostname    => "ec2-204-236-137-154.us-west-1.compute.amazonaws.com"
    )
    network = v.hardware.networks.where(:description => "private").first
    expect(network).to have_attributes(
      :description => "private",
      :ipaddress   => "10.191.129.95",
      :hostname    => "ip-10-191-129-95.us-west-1.compute.internal"
    )

    v.with_relationship_type("genealogy") do
      expect(v.parent).to eq(@template)
    end
  end

  def assert_specific_vm_in_other_region
    v = ManageIQ::Providers::Amazon::CloudManager::Vm.where(:name => "EmsRefreshSpec-PoweredOn-Basic").first
    expect(v).to be_nil
  end

  def assert_relationship_tree
    expect(@ems.descendants_arranged).to match_relationship_tree({})
  end

  def assert_subnet_required
    @flavor = ManageIQ::Providers::Amazon::CloudManager::Flavor.where(:name => "t2.small").first
    expect(@flavor).to have_attributes(:cloud_subnet_required => true)
  end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Teaching English in a Foreign Land: Best place to learn, and teach, English in Sevilla!
Best place to learn, and teach, English in Sevilla!
Not many English language schools around the world have the class to make their own television advertisement. With the growing economic recession in Spain sometimes it's necessary to appeal to new audiences and create extra publicity to keep the flow of students coming in. That's why I'm proud to work for ELI in Sevilla, we are constantly trying new things to appeal to a wider range of customers. Check out this video titled "No solo los niños aprenden de los padres" "Not only children learn from their parents."
The man responsible for this excellent ad is Colm Farry, a freelance videographer based in Sevilla, have a look at his blog: Colm Farry.
It's a great ad because it shows how the world is changing and that more and more people are depending on English to improve their lives. It also shows that anything is possible if you really put your mind to it. So if you are looking for English classes in Sevilla get in touch now.
Do you own a language school? What are you doing to attract more students in these trying times? Have you got your own TV ad?


text:
Damned Lies
America is a nation of builders. We built the Empire State Building in just one year. Isn't it a disgrace that it can now take ten years just to get a minor permit approved for the building of a simple road?
-- US President Donald J. Trump, State of the Union speech, 1/30/2018
America is a nation of builders.
We built the Empire State Building in just one year.
Isn't it a disgrace that it can now take ten years – ten years! – just to get a minor permit for a simple road?
If I had to pick one line from Trump's State of the Union speech, one line that summarizes today everything wrong with America, that would be the line. That one right there: America is a nation of builders. We built the Empire State Building in just one year. Isn't it a disgrace that it can now take ten years just to get a minor permit approved for the building of a simple road?
Begin at the beginning: America is a nation of builders.
No. I'm serious. What does that mean?
"Builders" implies building things. What things? Houses? Skyscrapers? Bridges? Roads? That's the context, isn't it? That's what Trump was talking about. Infrastructure. It sounds good, but what does it mean? All nations build those things. What identifies us as a "nation of builders" different from other nations who build things?
And I strongly suspect that those nations, such as Iraq, who have been on the receiving end of our artillery and missiles for the last decade and a half would argue this boast. For them, we are destroyers not builders. But I digress.
What does he mean, a nation of builders?
This is not a rhetorical question. Trump routinely makes statements of fact, that upon examination are anything but. This was supposed to be a Constitutionally mandated report on the state of the union, a summary of fact. So, who's doing the building? When he says, "a nation of builders," what exactly is he talking about? Public projects funded by the government? Commercial construction financed by business and industry? Private homes? What? I mean, there's a big damned difference indeed between the new 400 million dollar Pensacola Bay Bridge currently being built between Pensacola and Gulf Breeze by the State of Florida and the new Trump Hotel currently building in Cleveland, Mississippi, under Trump's Scion brand managed by Eric and Donald Trump Jr.
That's the very crux of this part: We built the Empire State Building in just one year.
We who?
The Empire State Building was constructed beginning in 1930 by a group of wealthy investors, known as Empire State Inc. These people were accountable only to themselves and their investors. They intended to build a building on a two-acre plot in Manhattan, a city made of buildings and an area specifically zoned for buildings. Unsurprisingly, there was little resistance from the city or much need for public input. And in fact, the city and the public, in the grip of the Great Depression, were quite enthusiastic about building a big building on a site zoned for buildings in a city full of buildings using private money. So it didn't take very long to get the permits needed to begin construction.
Now, compare that to similar public works of that time.
Public works such as the Hoover Dam. Construction of the dam began in 1931, but it took more than 30 years of speculation, design, review, regulation, planning, public meetings, litigation, acquisition of land via purchase and Eminent Domain, and legislation to get there. Construction would create thousands of jobs, but if the dam failed, hundreds of thousands of lives would be at risk. Billions of taxpayer dollars would be lost. Environmental damage would be catastrophic and would likely alter the very geography of the region permanently. The dam would change the political balance of the Southwest and determine both electrical power and water rights (and thus everything else from industrialization to agriculture to raising up entire cities to things as prosaic as golf courses) for the next thousand years. In the face of that, 30 years of development doesn't seem all that unreasonable.
It took six years to build the dam, two years less than originally planned, in harsh remote terrain far from any support.
The Hoover Dam went into operation in 1936. That same year, the Empire State Building was losing more than $1 million dollars per year and there was no public elevator service above the 45th floor because the building was empty between the 41st floor and 81st. As a matter of fact, the Empire State Building didn't even start to break even, profit wise, until the mid-1950s. And that's fine, when it's private investor money they're losing. It's a whole different ballgame when it's a public facility funded by tax dollars.
Isn't it a disgrace that it can now take ten years just to get a minor permit approved for the building of a simple road.
No. It's not.
And it's utterly disingenuous, not to mention a logical fallacy, to compare construction of a private building to the permitting process for public works, especially across the span of a century.
Moreover, a "simple road" doesn't typically take anywhere near a decade to get approved. And "simple roads" are rarely constructed by the federal government, those are usually state and local projects. For example, here in my area – the small Florida Panhandle town of Milton – a developer purchased several acres of land along my morning bike path and began the construction of a dozen houses. That developer got permits to build what will become public road through the housing development, connecting to existing roads. Now, obviously, a study needed to be done. Basic things: who would pay for maintenance and upkeep of the new road? The city? The state? How? Via new tax dollars from the new houses? A millage? How often will it have to be paved? Will this new road need lights, signals, signs, culverts, etc. You can't just add new roads without some sort of planning, not if you expect the city and state to maintain the infrastructure. Not if you expect taxpayers to foot the bill. Not if you expect the city and state planners to be able to put together a budget. Not if you expect the police to patrol it. And the postal service to deliver mail. And the electrical co-op and Water & Sewage to run utilities. And so on. I looked it up, from the time the developer began purchasing the land to the time ground was broken for the first house was less than six months, including permits for that "simple road." Hardly "ten years."
This is true in large part all across the country.
But we're not really talking about "simple roads," are we? And neither was Trump.
We're talking about major projects, public works. Like the Pensacola Bay Bridge mentioned up above.
That bridge, when completed, will replace the current bridge which is 60 years old. It will be more than three miles long and will carry more than 60,000 vehicles per day, in addition to bicycle and foot traffic. It will have to stand up to Category 5 hurricanes – and it is the major evacuation route for hundreds of thousands of people. It will have to last more than 50 years and it will have to support a growing population, not to mention vehicles and traffic we can't even envision yet. If it fails, it will be catastrophic. If it damages the environment, it will be a disaster for the local tourist and fishing industries. If it can't meet the needs of the future, it will be a chokehold on business, on populations, and on development. If it's poorly designed, if it can't stand up to the environment, it will be an endless drain on public money. And it has to be built around the existing bridge without impacting traffic, business, emergency evacuation routes, or sea traffic on the inland waterway.
Now, I submit to you that might take some study.
It requires extensive planning, design, public input, permitting, and review. And that may take years.
If Trump's hotel goes bust, or burns down, or stays empty because he planned poorly, he can go bankrupt and stick it to his investors.
But perhaps a decade isn't really all that long for development when you're talking about a public project that costs $400,000,000, impacts the lives of 60,000 drivers per day not to mention the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands in the surrounding communities, and is going to be with us for most of the next century.
Let me give you an example of what happens when you don't do due diligence, when you rush things.
A few years before construction started on the Hoover Dam, there was another dam.
You might, or might not, have heard of it.
It was a large concrete gravity dam, about 40 miles north of Los Angeles, built in 1926 by a guy named William Mulholland, a self-taught engineer, for the Los Angeles Bureau of Water Works and Supply.
Now, in 1926, at the height of the roaring 20s, the economy was booming. The stock market was at an all time high. The city of Los Angeles was likewise booming, the population nearly doubling from 1910. The city had planned to build a dam in Big Tujunga Canyon, but Mulholland was incensed by the prices owners in that area were demanding for their land. He considered it robbery, extortion, and an attempt to derail progress, and said so, loudly.
This period was also known as the California Water Wars, with cities and ranchers fighting armed battles over water rights and land – much like today's conservative libertarians fighting the federal government over use of federal properties.
Rather than accede to the land owners' demands, Mulholland chose the San Francisquito Canyon in the Sierra Pelona Mountains and named his project The St. Francis Dam.
Construction began quietly, so as not to attract public notice. Despite some rather troublesome problems with the local geology, the dam was completed quickly and ahead of schedule and began to fill on March 12th, 1926.
Problems began almost immediately. Leaks. Cracks. Armed ranchers.
Over the next two years, the dam slowly filled, until it was at capacity, 38,000 acre feet of water, rising nearly 180 feet above the valley floor.
Cracks kept appearing at an increasing rate and the soil around the dam became saturated with water. Mulholland and his engineers were called repeatedly by the dam keeper for each new problem, but they dismissed the concerns and ordered various drains and patches.
On March 12, 1928, exactly two years from the day the reservoir began to fill, the St Francis Dam failed. Catastrophically. No witnesses survived the actual event. The dam failed so completely and so suddenly that the entire reservoir, 38,000 acre feet – that's something in the neighborhood of 12 billion gallons – emptied in less than 70 minutes. A flood 140 feet high killed the dam keeper's family a mile below the dam. Five minutes later, the deluge, still 120 feet high, destroyed the power stations and killed the electricians and their families who lived in a small town nearby. The flood roared downstream, wiping out ranches and electrical workers and the towns of Fillmore, Bardsdale, and Santa Paula, before pouring into the Pacific Ocean. Bodies were found as far away as Mexico. 431 people died. Tens of thousands were displaced. The environmental damage was catastrophic, as was the damage to property and infrastructure. The monetary loss was in the billions, in 1928 dollars.
Now, before you tell me that engineering has advanced greatly since then, try to remember that the Hoover Dam was built only 4 years later. And in fact, many of the nation's great works stem from that time, dams, highways, bridges, and etc.
That said, you don't have to do much digging to find similar catastrophes, dam failures, bridge collapses, and so on. Hell, there are cable TV programs nightly showing an endless parade of engineering disasters.
One of the reasons permitting takes longer these days is because we, supposedly, have learned from our mistakes, learned from the past. For example: If you were paying attention up above, you saw where I wrote "self-taught engineer" after William Mulholland's name. We don't allow that any more either, engineers in every state must meet the requirements and accreditation set forth by their state board of engineers. In California, licensing of engineers began specifically because of Mulholland's spectacular failure.
Yes, we are a nation of builders.
But nowadays, our buildings, our bridges, our roads, must carry a volume greater than any previous. More, they must anticipate what is to come. And now we must design skyscrapers to withstand the deliberate impact of a jetliner full of fuel, something our ancestors never had to worry about.
Still, our buildings, dams, bridges, and roads are safer than any project built in previous decades. And while jobs are a nice side effect of such works, they aren't the reason for them. These projects are designed to serve the public, to benefit the nation, to advance future generations. And if they are to withstand the test of ages, then we must not only take the time to build them right, but take the time to ensure they best serve not only the current public interest and that of future generations as well.
Every major media outlet in the world has spent thousands of hours over the last two days analyzing Trump's State of the Union Speech. I'm not going to repeat their work.
It's just wasted motion.
There is no point in analyzing every statement from Trump's State of the Union address.
Every point, every single one, is the same as this, empty statements wrapped around logical fallacies that say essentially nothing upon examination. Each point of Trump's address serves only to demonstrate Trump's profound ignorance of history and the basic functions of both civilization and good government.
More, it demonstrates the shallow mindless unthinking patriotism of those who would cheer him.
And in that regard, ironically, Trump's address is indeed a testament to the sorry state of our union.
Labels: things about politics
Marie R February 1, 2018 at 5:17 PM
expert/expect in paragraph Moreover
Left Coast Girl February 2, 2018 at 2:26 PM
There IS another more recent example of when there is insufficient oversight... in California even... it's callled the Lake Oroville Dam and its problems have massively started causing problems as of last year... and this was NOT supposed to happen. In California. Supposedly one of the "most" "overly regulated" states in the Union.... hmmmmm.....
We are all saddled with feelings of inferiority. It manifests itself in different forms. The need to correct grammar and spelling are just a couple. My pointing this out just happens to be fueled by mine. Because I have always been slow, I feel the need to show how well I can think. To the point of analyzing everything including myself, and it is not always pretty.:)
Wolfcookie February 1, 2018 at 5:19 PM
Typo...."Not if you expert " should be expect.
Jim Wright February 1, 2018 at 5:21 PM
Fixed // Jim
Tony Deen February 1, 2018 at 6:35 PM
Jim, two instances of "expert" still appear. Also, spend s/b spent.
Thank you for your essay.
Got room for one more? "has spend thousands of hours".
Childish Democrat February 1, 2018 at 7:09 PM
You have a minor typo. I expect you meant expect here :) "Not if you expert the city and state planners to be able to put together a budget."
Still another one. "Not if you expert taxpayers"
Dan February 1, 2018 at 8:43 PM
Enjoyed your piece. I'm not concerned about a few typos when your meaning is obvious. It's to bad some people are so enamored with his words they fail to grasp their meaning or lack thereof.
Jim crowdsources copyediting, Dan.
In the middle of the line 'around the existing bridge' I believe the word 'be' was left out.
Has to 'be' built around the existing bridge.Thanks.
Great article, as always. It looks like auto-correct got you in a couple of places:
"That same year, the Empire State Building was loosing more than $1 million dollars per year..."
"You can't just add new roads without some sort of planning, not if you expert the city and state to maintain the infrastructure. Not if you expert taxpayers to foot the bill. Not if you expert the city and state planners to be able to put together a budget."
As one who worked as a code enforcement official for a large city, I am always boggled by those who gripe about permits and regulations. They are by and large, minimum standards. They are the least you can safely do.
I can never remember who said it but "codes were written to offend the least amount of people as possible while giving the appearance of safety."
I'm a life safety tech, and run into customers regularly that barely do the minimum.
John, it's the same people that gripe about health inspectors. Ignorant of facts, they attack the process.
The original owners of our house did some really cool upgrades, without pulling permits. Things like knocking out part of an exterior wall to put in a door. When we bought the house, we had no idea that it wasn't original (although there were a few flags). A couple of years later, we had some leaking around the door and massive cracks in the stucco, so we brought in a contractor, and discovered that they hadn't put in a header over the door. This is why we need permits. So dumb-farks don't eff things up with their stupidity. Lesson learned.
I understand you appreciate quick grammar notes. "The Hoover Dam went into operation in 1936. That same year, the Empire State Building was loosing more than $1 million dollars per year..." should be "lose" not "loose."
Jim, you always bring a sense of calm to what is becoming a daily clusterf--k in Washington. Thanks.
Also, loosing s/b losing, expert s/b expect in about 3 places around "...not if you expeCt the city..."
Lastly, I wonder how many of our past Presidents' SOTU speeches, were more factual but equally vacuous. Time to start reading.
Invisible and Disrepected February 1, 2018 at 5:22 PM
One of the primary reasons I read your work is because I always learn truth, with details. This essay is no different. Thanks for the history lesson.
Loosing/losing is fixed // Jim
I will be away from my keyboard for the next several hours.
Comments will have to wait in the moderation queue until I get back.
Apologies for the delay // Jim
Thanks for another eye-opener.
LaDawn February 1, 2018 at 5:26 PM
"Not if you *expert taxpayers to foot the bill. Not if you *expert the city and state planners to be able to put together a budget. Not if you expect the police to patrol it. " *Expect?
Read above; he already fixed it.
R. Anthony Steele February 1, 2018 at 5:28 PM
"Trump's Scion brand managed by Eric and Donald Trump Jr." This is how the money laundering gets done. Seen it many times. You pad the costs to subs, or pay subs for work that never actually occurs. He's a fraudster, not a builder.
From the son of a city planner, thank you
All good points. Trump seems to assume he can wave his hands and infrastructure projects will roar to life like dragons or something.
My father, under the WPA project, supervised the re-planting of trees around Hoover Dam back in the 1930s. He was a young man born and raised on a farm in West Virginia and the government transported him and others by bus across the country to Arizona at no cost and paid them a decent wage, much of which was mailed back to family.
Apparently the warm, dry air of Arizona appealed to him because 60 years later our family pulled up deep roots in New England and moved there. BTW, part of the way we traveled on roads built as part of the interstate highway system that our government created as well.
Government may be the "slow way" of building stuff in America but what the government creates lasts a heck of a lot longer than those created by the private sector. Thanks for making that clear Jim.
Lindy February 1, 2018 at 5:32 PM
Thank you for that. You've let another "loose loose" in the paragraph about the Hoover Dam: "That same year, the Empire State Building was loosing..."
Michael Van Pelt February 1, 2018 at 5:33 PM
America was Great in the 20's and 30's. Dams built quickly by amateur engineers failed in the 20's and 30's. Therefore, shoddy building practices that funnel money to Trump-style developers will Make America Great Again.
Maria H. February 1, 2018 at 5:34 PM
Behind every regulation is a body count.
Nadine M February 1, 2018 at 7:17 PM
As an aircraft technician with over 20 years experience , I agree . Every FAA standard and regulation has an incident or accident in the background.
John Fremont
Bill F February 3, 2018 at 7:47 AM
That's true of all the OSHA regulations too.
Bill Flarsheim
In the fire service, we refer to it as "Tombstone Legislation."
Kathy C February 10, 2018 at 5:48 PM
Stealing this. Succinct, factual,repeatable .
Drumpf prefers the days when someone with a wad of money and a few 'hired hands' could forcibly remove anyone standing in the way of 'progress' with the backing of the U.S. government (railroads, etc.). Roy Cohen lives on through the Trump family...
Heart Sutra February 1, 2018 at 5:40 PM
Bret Harris February 1, 2018 at 5:51 PM
About the speech: imagine someone close to you lied to you daily. Lied about big things. Lied about petty things. Lies that were intended to boost that person's self image. Lies intended to deflect blame. Lies that were utterly inconsequential.
Every day, day in and day out, more lies.
Then this person said: "I'm going to say something important and you need to come listen to me. I'll make a big important speech and I expect everyone to come and listen."
What would be your reaction? What should have been the nation's reaction? The press?
Anything but a "no thanks, some other time when I can trust you to say some thing truthful" would be morally wrong.
Nits:
"new Trump Hotel currently building in Cleveland, Mississippi," - "under construction" maybe?
" It's a whole different ballgame when it's a public facility funding by tax dollars." - "funded"?
Really love the way you take phrases we let pass by thinking we know what they mean and ask: what does this mean?
Larry B February 1, 2018 at 6:01 PM
Props as ever Jim. It is our sad failure to be soo quick to swallow empty words and simplistic notions unquestioned.
Your tale reminds me of the penny stock flim flam artist who used to fly around the Hoover Dam and pretend it wasn't a federal project.
*What*was*his*name*?
Momma Bear February 1, 2018 at 6:05 PM
I'm sure some one has already told you but there's a typo...
Not if you (expert) taxpayers to foot the bill. Not if you (expert) the city and state planners to be able to put together a budget
Joan Schneller Bullock February 1, 2018 at 6:06 PM
Thanks again for more ammo in the fight against Trumpisms
Susan February 1, 2018 at 6:10 PM
And to tie into other issues, many of the workers on these projects were immigrants.
couple of spellcheck glitches 6 paragraphs up from bottom. Brilliant essay, as usual.
Jamie Hymas Warren February 1, 2018 at 6:13 PM
You make me think with every single essay. Thank you.
You make me think after every single essay. Thank you.
Jim Thompson February 1, 2018 at 6:23 PM
The Hoover dam had much repair work done underneath it. Water was saturating under it and the drilled holes (deep) and filled with grout. Many, many years of this. Bad initial work on the footings.
Notwithstanding it is still standing.
PhiDeck February 1, 2018 at 6:27 PM
The same Mulholland for whom Mulholland Drive is named, or a relative?
Emperor Lew February 2, 2018 at 1:52 PM
Yes, it is the same Mulholland. Despite the dam failure, Mulholland was instrumental in bringing water to Los Angeles .
Sisyphus February 2, 2018 at 4:45 PM
The very same... If you are interested, "Cadillac Desert" by Mark Reiser is a real eye-opener.
Byron February 3, 2018 at 9:44 AM
I believe the California Water Wars was the inspiration for the film "Chinatown" which revolved around the murder of fictional L.A. Water Commissioner Hollis "Mulwray".
peppergrass February 1, 2018 at 6:31 PM
I used to work for a contract archaeology company in Tucson, Arizona. They were often hired to survey for city- or state-funded construction of roads, housing projects, parking lots, etc. Seemed like they couldn't install a stop sign without uncovering significant archaeological remains. It is vitally important to do extensive research, surveying, and planning before undertaking any kind of project, private or public. The fact that 45 doesn't understand this is very telling, although unsurprising. I wish more people understood this. Great article.
The Müsey Blog February 1, 2018 at 6:31 PM
A Truism: "every word of these policies and procedures has been written in blood."
As you said, there's a reason we have these laws and regulations. To flout them is to spit on the people that have died due to the lack of those very rules and regulations.
People forget that there is often a reason for why we do the things we do. Its so no more innocent blood be spilled because someone wants to make a quick buck.
MaryLou February 1, 2018 at 6:38 PM
Thanks for holding the standard against the storm. I fear we as a nation have lost the patience and the will for thoughtful consideration of anything. I've been thoughtfully considering how we get that back but I have my doubts.
ethiessen1 February 1, 2018 at 6:46 PM
Trump's spin is also a dig at those rotten liberals. who under Obama, have gummed up the permit process with their worries about safety and liability and not damaging the planet to the point where it takes ten years to get a minor permit for a simple road... because it's always Obama and the liberals' fault isn't it?
Of course he's also speaking to those wealthy folks who could make even more $$ if they didn't have to adhere to these strict permits and safety requirements - he's on their side don't forget as he is one of them... or at least has been since he stopped being a Clinton supporting Democrat as few years back. I'm surprised he didn't segue into wall and pipeline building from there.
Given the opportunity, I suspect a considerable number of businesses would brush aside safety and labor rights/concerns under the threat of 'if you don't like it, go somewhere else'. Lest we forget that the child labor, at which we know recoil in horror, was pervasive in this country (and viscously fought to protect) not even 100 years ago. History provides some sobering context upon closer examination.
William Petersen February 1, 2018 at 6:47 PM
I appreciate your articles regardless of the presence of typos. I read them to be informed and to see your perspective and in this essay I must agree with it wholeheartedly. I listened to the SOTU address because it was the only thing I could get while traveling. I spent 100 miles yelling at my radio. How can so many be taken in by this buffoon?
boomer49 February 1, 2018 at 6:51 PM
You rocked it.....well done....please, PLEASE keep up the good work.
Ayerishgrl February 1, 2018 at 6:56 PM
The Trumpkims HATE the government having their hands all over these things yet they don't realize the government is actually protecting them from potential lethal hazards! All they can think about is profit vs. "unnecessary constraint". They truly are deplorables and dolts and I sincerely wish we COULD put them all in a basket and get rid of them.
elle February 1, 2018 at 6:56 PM
An exceptionally well-done essay (as per usual). I so appreciate your ability to deconstruct statements in such clear-headed fashion and to (gasp!) refer to actual historical and other data when refuting others' claims. Everyone should be required to take a basic critical thinking/logic class so they could see for themselves how much some people (e.g., DT) enjoy pulling the wool over the eyes of the gullible.
"It's a whole different ballgame when it's a public facility funding by tax dollars." - funded?
Thanks for the example of the Mulholland dam/n mistake. Trump's speech was full of his vague sound bites, as usual, which his speech writers have deliberately cooked up to please an uncritical audience. They hear what they want to. They will smile at the $5 more in the paycheck this month, and think he's their champion. I don't think his base want to look too closely, or think too hard about what he is, or says. They just want to Believe.
Janelle February 1, 2018 at 7:23 PM
Trump is the gift that keeps on giving to corrupt developers and their bought and paid for politicians. A quick study in investor owned private water companies (see Aqua America) and how they operate throughout the United States should scare the holy hell out of anyone who believes an affordable, clean water supply will always be available. Great work once again, Jim.
Jim Wright you're my hero.
Craig February 1, 2018 at 7:30 PM
Who knew building could be complicated?
Pat MacEwen February 1, 2018 at 7:44 PM
I'm not a fan of Mulholland, but to be fair, there was in fact a fault zone under that dam that could not be detected with the equipment they had at the time. It was only found in the last 10 years or so. Everything else, I would certainly lay at his feet.
Matthew Randles February 1, 2018 at 8:11 PM
As always, a cogent analysis.
But it strikes me that the present inhabitant of the Oval Office has turned the meaning of the acronym POTUS into "Pefectly Oblivious Tower of Unmitigated Stupidity." That is, when he isn't being a "Piece of Totally Unmitigated Shit."
We will survive the Trump presidency, but I suspect it will take decades to repair the damage he will be able to inflict on this nation in 4 years. And may all the gods in all the pantheons help us if it turns out to be 8 years.
Bob T February 1, 2018 at 8:19 PM
Here's what you get with no regulation:
J Buday February 1, 2018 at 8:42 PM
There is one thing we build at least as well as any other nation and/or people.
Mythologies.
We build big beautiful myths. Shiny, iron clad and staring off into the distance. Myths of origin, myths of founders, heroes.
Myths of who, what and how we are.
And then we defend those myths. We attack those who suggest reality more prosaic, or less than admirable, or ugly.
We tell stories and make them truth. About how we are the best the greatest the strongest the wisest the luckiest. We tell stories and believe them until the stories own us.
We have to believe. We haven't left room for anything else.
Incognitoboy February 2, 2018 at 8:22 AM
Well said. This could almost be one of those myths you describe unto itself!
The last paragraph summed it up perfectly and echoes what I have said all along about him. My mom worked in government for over 20 years and it still amazes her how people think government can be run like a business and can't grasp why it can't. They don't understand that it's the PEOPLE'S money and they have to be accountable for how it's used and in what manner and how it will impact the people. Your essay perfectly explained why. Awesome job!
Charles February 1, 2018 at 8:54 PM
Oddly, Iraq had more electrical production under the US than it ever did under SH.
Cell system? Ditto. Even in the middle of a war.
Even though we fought an insurgency/civil war in the middle of urban Iraq, the death rate went DOWN once the US took over. There are literally millions of people alive in Iraq today who would not have been of we'd followed your prescriptions.
This is a complete load of shit.
Go troll somewhere else, you're done here // Jim
First off is your amazing take on a what if scenario that never happened and will never happen.
"There are literally millions of people alive in Iraq today who would not have been of we'd followed your prescriptions."
Well that didn't happen, but what DID happen is the Invasion of Iraq. There was literally millions of civilians who were KILLED and are still getting killed because of that.
THAT'S confirmed reality.
Next is how America has "made Iraq a place SO much better than it was before. Cell system, electricity and....instability apparently.
The one thing that Trumpians completely wish to deny is the fact that Bush and his American invasion are what brought ISIS into being through destabilizing the country.
So yeah, throw that one in for the before and after comparison on how America has made Iraq SO much better!
Apologies. I was up against the clock tonight and didn't have time to do a complete proof read. All typos noted to this point have been fixed.
//Jim
Lucas M February 1, 2018 at 9:23 PM
It was kind of fun seeing some of them. I suspected that you'd get to them soon, hit refresh, and watched them disappear.
Thanks again for the well-researched essay. Always amazing how the public expects stable, safe, servicable projects, but is so willing to show disrespect & disdain for the essential processes that insure their safety. Shalllow, unthinking patriotism, indeed.
I love your summary. Thanks for another good one, Jim.
As I started reading your post, I immediately thought "I wonder if Jim's read "Cadillac Desert" by Marc Reisner.
When I got to the part in your essay about William Mulholland and the St. Francis Dam, I thought maybe you had.
Well written and argued as usual. Bravo, sir - bravo.
Leah J February 1, 2018 at 10:23 PM
Perhaps the only possible addition to your great piece of work could be a side note highlighting the number of immigrants involved in building the projects cited above ... (I didn't see any typos)
Matt hayden February 2, 2018 at 12:43 AM
Thanks for another well-researched and well-written column.
Bill Rockenbach February 2, 2018 at 3:07 AM
Thank you for sharing your excellent essay, which I found on a friend's feed. One tiny typo, I think:
Now: Tens of thousand were displaced.
Should be: ... thousands ...
Toon Moene February 2, 2018 at 4:32 AM
"Hell, there are cable TV programs nightly showing an endless parade of engineering disasters."
The Tacoma Narrows bridge collapse (1940 - also known as "Galloping Gertie" was required viewing for us physics students in the mid-70s:
https://www.google.nl/search?q=galloping+gertie&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b&gfe_rd=cr&dcr=0&ei=BT10WtDnMILZ8AfL8oCYBQ
jjwalters February 2, 2018 at 5:37 AM
I think that to understand anything about "Trump Talk' is to realize it's always about how it effects him personally, his three main criteria are, and will always be . . . I-ME-MY . . . that's what makes him appear to be playing the clown. . . I am a retired builder . . . I actually built stuff with tools and sweat and pride . . . Trump builds stuff too . . . and what a pile of bullshit it is. . . If he weren't the president he would just be another blowhard business man in a country filled with blowhards . . . but as it is, as an environmentalist, he scares me more than stumbling into an ambush while trying to navigate through pitch black jungle.
Rynn February 2, 2018 at 7:37 AM
This part of the speech was a (very) thinly veiled plea for his wall. Just build it! After all, we build stuff in America don't we? Well here's something to build! Regulations- shmegulations.
In my tiny town in Massachusetts, where none of our buildings are more than 2 stories, a developer waltzed in and tried to force thru a 178 unit condo complex on a postage stamp sized area of non-wetlands surrounded by unbuildable area. Our little towns planning board chairman carved them a new bunghole for coming in with Trump-like promises of "amenities" for the abbuters to enjoy, like access to the tennis courts (never mind most of them are elderly folks). They had vague plans submitted, came in under prepared and were handed their hats and shown the door. How did this happen? Massive turnout of the residents to each meeting.
I can only imagine how little regulations will be followed when construction starts on his pet project.
Leroy February 3, 2018 at 11:21 AM
Rynn, I agree that Trump's statement was in reference to the wall. But apparently there are plenty of people who live in the areas that would be adversely affected that are up in arms about the project. While I think the whole idea was always just nasty rhetoric from Trump meant to feed the rubes, you make an excellent point about the power of local residents to affect outcomes.
Great as always, Jim! But you know what? I think you should put quotation marks around "patriotism" in your next to last paragraph. These folks cheering him aren't patriots, they're cult followers.
Pk Schmidt February 2, 2018 at 8:43 AM
Excellent piece. I am constantly amazed at the ignorance of the public when it comes to infrastructure and planning. I attend zoning and planning commission meetings for multiple municipalities for a small weekly newspaper and the average citizen is not even aware of the very basics.
Liam Bean February 2, 2018 at 9:01 AM
Absolutely spot-on Jim. A perfect response to "nation of builders."
I live in a state with little regulation and, even as a non-engineer, I can see future problems as they are building projects: raised highway--with no drainage--built with sharp curves in a state with a lot of torrential rain couldn't possibly cause accidents? pushing 8 feet worth of dirt over tree roots to build a path couldn't possibly kill them? building a "luxury" apartment complex (900 units total) right next to wetland couldn't possibly cause flooding and drainage issues, esp in an area that already has problems. It boggles my mind.
As has been pointed out by many who are studying the after effects of the Houston hurricane-caused flooding, most of it was directly due to the City's lack of protection of its wetlands, thus forcing floodwaters to be channeled into totally inadequate drainage systems. The floodwaters then reestablished those wetlands, which were, unfortunately, converted to housing, etc. Blame in on greed, poor planning, or stupidity, but mostly greed. County Commissioners where I live recently green-lighted a housing development on a relatively steep mountainside with solid granite just a few feet below the surface, no provable water supply, and no acceptable leach field areas. This, in spite of their own planning board recommending against it, and dozens of people from the area showing up to testify against it. Their reasoning: "Well, it's their property and we can't stop them from doing it."
As usual: WELL DONE. I read for content, not to critique. And I learned a great deal. Again, thank you for your diligent work, your research and your gift with words.
CanadaHolly February 2, 2018 at 9:35 AM
People who don't build, only see the endpoint or surface appearances of the thing being built. There's no such thing as a "simple road." A road looks simple, of course — a flat stretch of concrete, surely that's not rocket science? But a modern road is a meter or two deep, supporting a moving and varying load from zero to many thousands of tons, so it can be expected to need to flex, even if that flex isn't visible to the eye. The separation from one slab to the next has to be a certain distance, to minimize the chance of building up harmonics as the wheels of vehicles hit them over and over. The curves are subtly sloped so that vehicles of various sizes don't just zip right off them when following the curve. Also, they are sloped such that rain will drain quickly. Roads are complex.
But not as complex as buildings. We studied building waterproofing, (roofing, sheathing, etc) and what struck me was how easy it would be to screw up this most essential but invisible of construction elements. All other aspects of a building are at least as complex.
But then, Trump wouldn't know that. He's almost certainly never built anything bigger than a sandwich, or even supervised plans of any of the buildings he proudly tries to plaster with his name. "Building codes" are just meaningless rules that unfairly siphon money out of his pockets.
Karen February 2, 2018 at 9:47 AM
What we DON'T need is a self-taught president. Even Abe Lincoln had natural smarts and some practice before taking that job. 45 has neither.
BB February 2, 2018 at 9:50 AM
Another huge lie along the same lines that jumped out of the SOTU was Trump's inane, irresponsible and totally ignorant use of the term "Clean Coal". Which is an utter, idiotic fantasy, and a visciously dangerous one at that. The man will say any fucking thing at all.
Jennifer Edwards February 2, 2018 at 10:06 AM
Other studies have to be performed before road construction can start. I work for an archaeological CRM program. We do all of the archaeological surveys for my states DOT. Not just us, but a geological survey, and a natural history (environmental) survey also have to be performed. We usually get our survey limits and road plans about a year before construction and do our best to complete it in a timely manner, however if an archaeologically significant site is found, it slows things down considerably. There is so much more involved in building a road than just laying down pavement.
Mary Ann Gisburne February 2, 2018 at 10:49 AM
When I heard Trump talk about the Empire State building, I immediately thought that it was another justification for getting rid of regulations. He was talking about buildings, but I could see him thinking about pipelines and oil rigs and all of those irritating environmental regulations
Eric Hammer February 2, 2018 at 10:58 AM
I think your problem, Mr Wright, is that you don't speak Trump. I can proffer a translation:
"America is a country of grifters, and it is just terrible how hard the marks make it for us to con them."
-- EMH
Jim O February 2, 2018 at 11:04 AM
Excellent as always, and very informative. You cut right to the core of the issue. Thanks!
I am a licensed Professional Engineer. This essay is the best defence of my profession that I have seen in a long time.
I am sure that Trump mentioned building as a dog whistle to degrade those awful environmental regulations. I have designed many jobs where environmental regulations impacted my work. It usually took some thinking, but I've always been able to address environmental concerns and get my projects built. The environmental review process can be a slow, painful process. However, it always improves the overall project and more-times-than-not it doesn't increase construction costs. It's almost like the President doesn't know what he's talking about. But, we all know that would be ridiculous.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/17/opinion/build-a-new-hudson-river-tunnel.html Chris Christie's political interests killed the project.
Whatever happened to civic pride.
Cordillera Cowboy February 2, 2018 at 9:34 PM
This has been building for a while. I saw it play out in microcosm during the Republican takeover some 20 odd years ago. I had just retired from the Army and moved into a place near an Army post. the county had been shifting from a rural, farm based economy to a suburban bedroom community for several years prior.
the District Supervisor in our part of the county was a political independent, with s slow growth policy. He was defeated by a Republican with a "Build!
Build! Build!" policy. Big, overcrowded subdivisions full of overpriced crackerbox houses immediately sprang up. Every single bit of open land sprouted a sign that said "zoning amendment pending".
The pet project of the previous Supervisor was a mixed use area of single family units, townhouses, and apartments built within walking distance of shops, restaurants, and the county library. It was going along smoothly, although slowly.
Once the new guy took over, a bunch of the crackerbox houses sprung up in the area. But the worst was a building that was supposed to be a row of shops, with residential space above them. The same thing had been built successfully under the old system. But this new one fell down twice during the construction. The second time, it killed a worker. After that it laid there, incomplete for years.
That got me looking at the makeup of our board of supervisors. Every one of them except the independent, was a realtor or real estate developer by profession.
The current situation has been building up on us for years.
Tommy D February 3, 2018 at 11:24 AM
Hi Jim. Been awhile since I commented on your site, and I appreciate the opportunity you offer for reasonable dialog. Thank you. I wish this column could be mainlined into the brains of every American. Not that Trump's base or Fox watchers could comprehend or concentrate for more than a couple sentences or understand > two syllable words.
When I try to escape current events I listen to Michael Anniss' superb 'Space Rocket History' podcast (currently ep 241, Apollo 12 launch). His US centric episodes start with JFK's 1962 declaration "...We choose to go to the Moon in this decade..." Kennedy was a politician, he had no idea if the US could land Americans on the Moon and return them safely. (Most engineers said "WTF???") But he wanted to energize the country toward a goal to touch something every American could see in the night sky. And beat the Soviets while we were at it. He also did not know he would be dead the next year, or that Viet Nam would explode or civil rights would sunder the nation on racial lines he thought were on the way to being buried. In a sense "We choose to go the moon...." was JFK's "build the wall" or "Lock her up". A near throw away line for an unlikely outcome, but it sounded good. And despite technological, budget and political challenges, the US did land on the Moon within the decade.
In the end the moon missions may not have actually been of overwhelming and lasting benefit. The tech would have been developed anyway for near Earth activities and satellite operations. But it was exciting and unifying for a nation seriously in need to a common cause. And we spanked the Russians, hard. That was largely the point. And we pulled it off in half the time it takes to deploy new airplanes and space missions now days. So yeah, we used to build it whether its necessary or not.
Unlike Hoover Dam or the Apollo program landings, today we cannot gather the required unified sense of purpose needed to repair and renew those facilities that benefit communities or even all Americans. Texas pols deny funding to recover from Hurricane Sandy but beg for help after Hurricane Harvey. The mainland US forgets (or never learned) that Puerto Ricans are Americans. Bridges fail in one state blocking commerce in the next, but not one cent will be approved because one is Red and the other Blue.
This is not new. But under Trump, and the GOP with Obama it has metastasized into a cancer on the nation where words, plans, pledges and promises mean nothing except to profit the few at the expense of the many. There will be no Mexican wall or infrastructure plan or national prestige projects, only billions of tax dollars handed to the owner class by their investment properties in Congress and state leg's. Builders my ass.
Semper Fi - Tommy D
I am a professional environmental scientist and I get my clients permits for roadways and bridges. There is no such thing as a "minor permit". Well said, Jim.
Leroy February 3, 2018 at 12:07 PM
What do I like about this site? One thing is that there are almost always – if not always – interesting historical facts in your postings that bear upon your chosen topic, things that put the "now" in perspective. Just what the study of history is supposed to do.
And you cleared up a movie mystery for me. In "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?", the protagonists are saved from certain doom by a sudden wall of water. The shot of a bloodhound, languidly floating by underwater, was unforgettable. I never did get it, until now. Only problem is, the story took place in Mississippi, so maybe I'm wrong about the reference. But it sure seems to fit. Now I wonder if there were any catastrophic dam failures there, so I'll check it out. What the hell.
You cherry-picked one little statement from that abysmal speech, and made it into a thought-provoking essay. Thanks.
Green Eagle February 3, 2018 at 7:07 PM
I think you missed the significance of this remark. Trump is a real estate developer, and has often referred to himself as a "builder." His comment was just one more in his endless habit of making it all about him. Americans are "builders," and as a builder of highrises and golf courses, he is a far more important American than everyone else. As usual, he was thinking of nobody but himself.
Elizabeth Varadan, Author February 4, 2018 at 11:14 AM
Excellent and informative post. Thank you!
I am one of the mindless people who cheer him. I will say I didn't mind all the typos because it shows even you make mistakes. I appreciate that you have an opinion opposite of republicans or maybe just anti Trump but you have to admit that things were not perfect before. I for one am thankful for the health care penalties being dropped and will enjoy an extra 1000 dollars a year. Those are not crumbs at my house those are groceries that feed mny wife and 2 daughters.
I never claimed to be perfect, unlike Trump. And unlike Trump, I freely admit my mistakes and take action to correct them when pointed out by competent authority. That's what adults do. That's what leader do. Trump is neither, try to remember that next time you're cheering.
I never, ever, not once, claimed that things were perfect before.
As to the rest of it, eat well. And hope to hell your kids don't get sick.
Ed Darrell February 4, 2018 at 2:50 PM
This is so good, I wish I'd written it. Curious about how you learned of the doomed California dam.
Other dam disasters should not be forgotten, but I'm sure they will be, including the dam at the rich guys' shooting club above Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and the Teton Valley Dam in Idaho. http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/state/idaho/article81898907.html
Which disasters am I leaving out? There's the rub.
Sullivan February 6, 2018 at 6:37 AM
Mulholland's water projects, including not just the damn failure but also the desolation of the Owens Valley, was well documented in a PBS program called "Cadillac Desert". You can find it on YouTube.
Peter Pan February 4, 2018 at 4:02 PM
Trump was referring in part to the building of a superpower. The State of the Union address is in some ways a State of the Empire speech. Keeping America strong is mostly about military spending. Domestic issues are not as important as ensuring that America can protect its economic interests across the globe. MAGA is really about imperialism, with China and Russia playing their roles as America's rivals. Can't let these upstarts dismantle what America has built.
Trump pretended to be a populist to get elected. An isolationist America, focused on rebuilding itself at home, will have to wait. The fight against corruption - the rot from within - is being lost. But lessons have been drawn from the 2016 election. Populism and nationalism are on the rise. The left and the preservers of the status quo are on the ropes. Who will be the builders of the next mass movements?
Or it is just a pendulum. The saddest part of which is if a pendulum swings wildly enough; it will eventually destroy the whole thing. Forget mass movements; because that maybe the end of this whole experiment.
Mesabi Conelrad February 5, 2018 at 4:39 AM
As I was reading your typically excellent essay, I was thinking "Wouldn't it be great if he could do this for the whole SOTU speech? & if everybody would read it?" But you anticipated this & said, at the end, 'wasted motion'. Damn, when are people going to WAKE UP?
StevoR February 5, 2018 at 5:55 AM
Incidentally, minor point but when I checked wikipedia, it notes that it took "thirteen and a half" months to actually build the Empire State building - March 17, 1930 to May 1, 1931 - which admittedly includes the interior work so okay maybe close enough not counting that but still? Still seems predictably Trump got that "fact" wrong too. Amazingly quick I'll grant you and most impressive but a bit longer than just a year.
Like many major construction projects, Hoover Dam resulted in a number of deaths. IIRC from my visit under a full moon years ago, there were 112 construction deaths; most of the corpses are trapped in the concrete. Another 40 or so people who worked in the tunnels died of so-called pneumonia, although it was likely carbon monoxide poisoning from fuel burnt within.
The stunning goddesses above the doors of the Bonwit Teller Building (originally a different department store) were sacrificed to the ego of Donald Trump. They were promised to the Metropolitan Museum of Art because they were spectacularly beautiful. Trump had his illegal Polish immigrant workers destroy them in the dark of night. Where Bonwit Teller once stood is a gaudy gold tower called trump.
Would like the Author of this piece to look at the number of people who died during the building of many of these projects. Yes, let's go back to that kind of "work ethic." Come, dear author, be my tool partner....
Absolute Unique Visitor February 25, 2018 at 6:28 PM
Really late to this, but this entire essay kind of is emblematic of the problems we face as a nation.
Being selfish and self-centered is easy.
Being empathetic and inclusive is hard.
To wit: "America is a nation of builders. We built the Empire State Building in just one year. Isn't it a disgrace that it can now take ten years just to get a minor permit approved for the building of a simple road?"
That's 41 words. Clean, clear argument that makes a compelling case, i.e., 'something' has made easy things more difficult, what could it be? Mamby-pamby unnecessary regulations and egg-head tree huggers, that's what. Case closed. Mic drop. A selfish desire to not have to answer to anything or anybody (community standards, individual suffering, future complications) is suddenly flipped on it's head as a bunch of do-nothing losers standing in the way of glory and progress.
What's the response? In this case, several hundred - maybe even more than a thousand - words, with history and science and context and---snzzzzzzz. I don't want to have to think! I want pithy bumper sticker! Plus, in its numerous details lie a thousand "Well, actually..." bad faith counterarguments that can bog it down even further.
Its a wonder we can ever get anything positive done.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Локалидад син Номбре, Рамон Данзон П. () насеље је у Мексику у савезној држави Чијапас у општини Виљафлорес. Насеље се налази на надморској висини од 703 м.

Становништво

Према подацима из 2005. године у насељу је живело 61 становника.

Хронологија

Попис

Види још
 Савезне државе Мексика

Референце

Спољашње везе

 Мексичка насеља

Насеља у општини Виљафлорес (Чијапас)
Википројект географија/Насеља у Мексику

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Draganić és un poble i municipi de Croàcia situat al comtat de Karlovac, al nord del país.

Referències

Municipis de Karlovac


text:
Q: JavaFXPorts and NetBeans Gluon Plugin I'm getting following exception while building Javafx Application into Android.
error: Error: No resource found that matches the given name (at 'icon' with value '@mipmap/ic_launcher').

:processAndroidDebugResources FAILED

FAILURE: Build failed with an exception.

* What went wrong:
Execution failed for task ':processAndroidDebugResources'.
> Process 'command 'E:\Android\android-sdk\build-tools\23.0.1\aapt.exe'' finished with non-zero exit value 1

* Try:
Run with --stacktrace option to get the stack trace. Run with --info or --debug option to get more log output.

BUILD FAILED

Total time: 1 mins 24.005 secs

Build failure (see the Notifications window for stacktrace): gradle :android

and I'm had installed android sdk and pointed to ANDROID_HOME. this my build script in build.gradle.
buildscript {
    repositories {
        jcenter()
    }
    dependencies {
        classpath 'org.javafxports:jfxmobile-plugin:1.0.0-b4'
    }
}

apply plugin: 'org.javafxports.jfxmobile'

repositories {
    jcenter()
}

mainClassName = 'com.javafxport.JavaFXPort'

jfxmobile {
    android {
        manifest = 'src/android/AndroidManifest.xml'
    }
    ios {
        infoPList = file('src/ios/Default-Info.plist')
    }
}

I'm trying to install very simple javafx application into my android device. please help me with advance.

A: First of all, check that your Gluon plugin for NetBeans is updated. Currently you can use version 1.0.2, that will provide you with a more updated version of the plugin:
dependencies {
    classpath 'org.javafxports:jfxmobile-plugin:1.0.0-b9'
}

Actually, according to this, you can update that manually to:
dependencies {
    classpath 'org.javafxports:jfxmobile-plugin:1.0.1'
}

Now check on Android SDK, using SDK Manager, that you have installed sdks version 22, and building tools version 22, but not version 23, which is for the new Android M, not supported yet by JavaFXPorts.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


TUBA is pleased to announce their latest release from Moldy. His latest 12inch, is dropping mid-March, 2013 worldwide.
Regenerate (Death of Brostep) leads the record as a stark, deep, and compelling minimal manifesto. Moldy soundly rejects the noise-oriented approach that so many producers are taking. With serious bass weight and a less-is-more-aesthetic, Regenerate (Death of Brostep) encourages discussion about the direction dubstep is taking.
Bad Habits (Brixton VIP) on the flip comes correct as a great contrast to the A side. The track runs with deep sub bass and deft Amen style breaks with great effect, ominous and dark.
(brothers as well) puts the original in a less linear context, with a deep dancefloor in mind.
Supported by Mary Anne Hobbs, DJG, Distal, and others.
A1 Big Room Tech House Dj Tool - TIP!


text:
WiK Writing Competition Winners
March 21, 2016 By Michael Lambe
Here's some news from John Dougill, and Writers in Kyoto (WiK):
The judges of the first WiK Writing Competition are delighted to announce the winners, as listed below. The competition was on the theme of Kyoto, with a maximum of 300 words. Each of the three prize winners will receive a small gift from the Kyoto Convention and Visitors Bureau, in addition to which the First Prize will feature in the forthcoming Writers in Kyoto Anthology. The Local Prize Winner will receive a gourmet meal for two at Tadg's Irish Bar and Restaurant in Kiyamachi, Kyoto.
* First Prize "Kimono Memories"
Name: Peter Jonathan Mallett
* Second Prize "Nippon"
Name: Jesse Efron
* Third Prize "To live in Kyoto"
Name: Richard Steiner
* Local Prize Winner "In the spring. summer, autumn and winter – Colors in Kyoto"
Name: Mayumi Kawaharada
The judges wish to express their appreciation to all those who entered, and the high quality of submissions made the final decision difficult. Indeed, each of the judges chose a different piece as their favourite! In the end though consensus was reached as to the outstanding pieces. (It should be noted that the judging process was done on a completely anonymous basis throughout.)
The entries came from a surprisingly wide range of places. Nearly half were submitted from different parts of Japan, not just within Kyoto but such areas as Miyazaki and Fukuoka. Others came Malaysia, Kathmandu, Philippines and Montreal. As it happened, however, the winners are all resident in Japan – two in Kyoto, one in Kyotango, and one in Kobe.
In form the entries ranged from a single haiku to essays, pieces of fiction, poems, conversations and personal impressions. By and large, the prose was more successful; some of the poetry was too slight, some too obscure. The best pieces were those that got under the skin of Kyoto life, and this was the case with the overall winner which used the Nishijin connection with kimono to reveal something of the secrets that lie behind the courtesies of Kyoto manners.
The one surprise was that some applicants thought a single haiku would carry enough weight to win a prize. Unless you're a Basho or a Buson, this seems improbable. However, one of the prizewinners did string a series of haiku together to convey images of Kyoto throughout the year, and this amounted to a substantial and impressive portrayal of seasonal changes. An alternative approach, which no one attempted, would be to write a poetic essay-cum-haiku in a genre known as haibun.
Our thanks to the sponsors, the Kyoto Convention and Visitors Bureau, Tadg's Irish Bar and Restaurant, and for the backing from the International Community Center (kokoka). I'd also like to publicly thank Karen Tawarayama in particular for facilitating the whole process, as well as Tadg McLoughlin and Shigenori Shibata for acting as judges. Finally, thanks to all those who took the time to enter the competition. Your entries made the whole thing worthwhile, and each one was appreciated.
We are eager to build on this year and make next year's competition even better, so if you have any suggestions or feel you could contribute in any way, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me, John Dougill, at dougill<at mark>mbox.kyoto-inet.or.jp.
Peter Mallett of Kobe, whose 'Kimono Memories' took first prize
Filed Under: Literature Tagged With: Writers in Kyoto


text:
Tag: Von Miller
Jarvis Landry shines in Pro Bowl, possibly his final game as a Dolphin
Jarvis Landry's run with the Dolphins might be over. (Andres Leiva/The Post)
ORLANDO—Even with the rain drenching him throughout the game and uncertainty about his future with the Dolphins brewing, this was far too fantastic of a day for Jarvis Landry to let any of that ruin his mood at the Pro Bowl.
The adrenaline kept pulsing through Landry as he ran off the field following the AFC's 24-23 comeback victory and he couldn't stop talking about how much he enjoyed the afternoon at Camping World Stadium.
"Man, this is probably the most fun Pro Bowl I've ever been a part of, especially the way it came down to the end," he said. "I can't say enough about getting to play with these teammates. You got a chance at the end to see greatness by Delanie Walker, who's elite, and then Von Miller on the next series doing what he does best, man."
Landry walked toward the locker room holding his Dolphins helmet in his right hand knowing it might be the last time he wears it. If Miami doesn't reach a new deal with him or use a tag to retain him for next season, he will hit the open market in March.
"I ain't worried about that today," he said.
What Landry preferred to discuss was being on the field in the final minutes when Oakland's Derek Carr hit Walker for the go-ahead touchdown pass. He was also jumping around the sideline when Miller ended the game with a strip-sack of Jared Goff.
It went a lot better for Landry than last year's game, when he didn't have any catches. This time, he caught five for 78 yards.
His best play was a 49-yard catch down the right sideline off the arm of Alex Smith. The guy who supposedly can't throw the deep ball connected with the guy who supposedly isn't a deep threat. Ask Minnesota cornerback Xavier Rhodes if he believes those perceptions after getting burnt by the Smith-Landry duo for the longest play of the game.
Just as he is with the Dolphins, Landry was a favorite among the AFC quarterbacks all week. That was partly because he refused to treat this like an exhibition game.
"He's super competitive, and him and I are similar in that way," Carr said. "We love to compete. He's somebody that takes football seriously all the time. If we would've lost this game, that would've hurt him. Jarvis is my guy. I love him. I love playing with him."
Miami safety Reshad Jones noticed Landry going hard, too, and grinned knowingly as he said, "That's all he knows. He goes 100 percent all the time. That's just him."
Jones and Landry were the only Dolphins selected to the Pro Bowl this year, with Jones being voted a starter and Landry making it as an injury replacement. This is their second and third appearance, respectfully.
As they stood together on the platform for pre-game introductions, there was a shared respect for what each man had done to reach this point. Landry praised Jones for fighting back from rotator cuff surgery, and Jones said he knew his teammate would get here because he's seen him "working his butt off throughout the year."
It's possible, of course, this will end being their final time working together. Jones is on a long-term deal, but there's a lot to be determined when it comes to Landry's situation.
"I think it'll work out in his favor," Jones said. "He's a baller no matter what happens. If he's with Miami or somewhere else, everything will work out for him."
[Dolphins WR Jarvis Landry happy as could be as he heads toward free agency]
[Jarvis Landry believes Dolphins coach Adam Gase wants him back]
[Dolphins legend Don Shula asks for patience for coach Adam Gase]
Check out The Palm Beach Post's Miami Dolphins page on Facebook
Author Jason LieserPosted on January 28, 2018 Categories 2018 offseason, Jason LieserTags dailydolphin, Delanie Walker, Derek Carr, Jarvis Landry, Miami Dolphins, Pro Bowl, Reshad Jones, sports, sportsfront, Von Miller5 Comments on Jarvis Landry shines in Pro Bowl, possibly his final game as a Dolphin
2017 Pro Bowl: Von Miller wowed by Dolphins DE Cameron Wake's comeback
Von Miller's a big Cam Wake fan. (Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA—Several AFC players have marveled at Dolphins defensive end this week for making it back to the Pro Bowl after tearing his Achilles tendon the year before.
Denver linebacker Von Miller, arguably the best pass rusher in the game, was excited to see him back.
Continue reading "2017 Pro Bowl: Von Miller wowed by Dolphins DE Cameron Wake's comeback"
Author Jason LieserPosted on January 28, 2017 Categories 2017 offseason, Injuries, Jason LieserTags Cameron Wake, dailydolphin, Miami Dolphins, Pro Bowl, sports, sportsfront, Von Miller8 Comments on 2017 Pro Bowl: Von Miller wowed by Dolphins DE Cameron Wake's comeback
Von Miller wants football players to consider opponent safety; Can they?
Von Miller wants safer, more considerate football. Is that possible, or is he nuts? (Getty Images)
DAVIE—It'd be great if there was a safe way to play football, but that doesn't seem possible. For every bone-cracking hit that becomes a viral video, there are 10 others that hurt almost as much.
However, Broncos star Von Miller envisions a more civil NFL. He said this week he'd like to see players "take care of each other" by avoiding unnecessarily dangerous plays. He compared it to how NBA players are conscious of not taking someone out when they go to the rim.
"You know, guys can go up for a huge dunk, and you see a guy coming in and trying to defend the shot or the dunk, and he eases up a little bit," Miller told Sports Illustrated. "He takes care of his opponent."
The question is whether that's even possible in a sport that's naturally violent.
Continue reading "Von Miller wants football players to consider opponent safety; Can they?"
Author Jason LieserPosted on December 14, 2016 Categories 2016 Regular Season, Jason LieserTags Byron Maxwell, dailydolphin, Miami Dolphins, Mike Hull, Sam Young, sports, sportsfront, Von MillerLeave a comment on Von Miller wants football players to consider opponent safety; Can they?
Report: Peyton Manning to meet with Broncos, Cardinals, Dolphins, and hopes to decide by Tuesday
Peyton Manning has reportedly narrowed down his list to three finalists.
According to Mike Klis of the Denver Post, Manning is en route to Denver to meet with the Broncos later tonight. Also on Manning's itinerary are visits with the Cardinals and Dolphins. According to the report, Manning would like to make his decision by Tuesday, the same day that free agency begins.
Continue reading "Report: Peyton Manning to meet with Broncos, Cardinals, Dolphins, and hopes to decide by Tuesday"
Author Sara E. SkinnerPosted on March 9, 2012 Categories 2015 OffseasonTags Adam Schefter, Arizona Cardinals, Brandon Marshall, Demaryius Thomas, Denver Broncos, Jake Long, Larry Fitzgerald, Peyton Manning, Reggie Bush, Tim Tebow, Von Miller15 Comments on Report: Peyton Manning to meet with Broncos, Cardinals, Dolphins, and hopes to decide by Tuesday
Miami Dolphins Friday notebook: Randy Starks takes to kickboxing, and Edmond Gates puts on a uniform
Dolphins defensive lineman Randy Starks is fighting to keep his weight down this offseason – literally.
Getting kicked in the face by this guy probably wouldn't be fun / AP
Starks, coming off his first Pro Bowl appearance in his seven-year career, has been training two to three days a week this spring with Brazilian kickboxing champion Vitor Miranda in Boca Raton.
Starks is learning Miranda's techniques to improve his speed, footwork and coordination, while Miranda, the K-1 Brazil 2005 and K-1 Turkey 2007 Super Heavyweight tournament champion, is using Starks to prepare for a fight this September in Las Vegas.
"A lot of what we do is about leverage, reacting, just like kickboxing," Starks said Tuesday at Florida Atlantic University, where he worked out with teammates and AFC East rivals with their trainers at TEST Football Academy. "I just want to get my cardio up and keep my weight down. It's just something to do to stay in shape."
Starks, who had 30 tackles and three sacks last year as he transitioned from defensive end to nose tackle, said he needs the intense training to stay in shape during the lockout. As it is, he currently weighs about 320 pounds, about 15 pounds heavier than his playing weight.
Continue reading "Miami Dolphins Friday notebook: Randy Starks takes to kickboxing, and Edmond Gates puts on a uniform"
Author Sara E. SkinnerPosted on May 27, 2011 Categories 2015 OffseasonTags Blaine Gabbert, Cam Newton, Edmond Gates, Randy Starks, Roberto Wallace, Vitor Miranda, Von Miller66 Comments on Miami Dolphins Friday notebook: Randy Starks takes to kickboxing, and Edmond Gates puts on a uniform
Chicago Bears WR Devin Hester calls NFL's new kickoff rule 'foolish,' and 10 other things we learned at Anquan Boldin's Q-Fest
Anquan Boldin (left) and Darrelle Revis sign autographs at Q-Fest
Had a great time last night at Q-Fest, the seventh annual charity basketball game held by Baltimore Ravens star and Pahokee native Anquan Boldin. About 20 NFL stars came out to Pahokee High to sign autographs and play some hoops in front of about 2,000 fans.
You can read my recap of the evening by Clicking Here, and check out some great photos from the event by Clicking Here.
But there were a few items, mostly football-related, that didn't make it into today's newspaper.
Among them….
1) Bears receiver Devin Hester, who has four career kickoff return touchdowns and took five of his 12 returns back 40-plus yards in 2010, is not at all pleased with the NFL's new kickoff rule, which will move the ball up 5 yards to the 35 and increase the number of touchbacks.
"I think it's just a foolish rule," said Hester, a native of Riviera Beach. "It's like they don't have nothing better to do than come up with a rule like that. There's 1,000 rules they could've come up with before that rule."
Continue reading "Chicago Bears WR Devin Hester calls NFL's new kickoff rule 'foolish,' and 10 other things we learned at Anquan Boldin's Q-Fest"
Author Sara E. SkinnerPosted on April 16, 2011 Categories 2015 OffseasonTags Alphonso Smith, Andre Johnson, Anquan Boldin, Blaine Gabbert, Brandon Marshall, Chris Johnson, Darius Butler, Darrelle Revis, Devin Hester, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Edgerrin James, Joe Flacco, Larry Fitzgerald, Pierre Garcon, Ray Rice, Rickey Jackson, Robert Quinn, Santonio Holmes, Tim Tebow, Von Miller, Vontae Davis22 Comments on Chicago Bears WR Devin Hester calls NFL's new kickoff rule 'foolish,' and 10 other things we learned at Anquan Boldin's Q-Fest
NFL, players union engage in PR war, but decertification and lockout does not mean Doomsday is here
The NFL and NFLPA have gone to war.
That's the only way to explain the events of Friday's labor negotiations between the two sides. The owners challenged the players to decertify the union, the players called their bluff, the owners instituted a lockout, and both sides flooded my inbox with statements, proposals that were left on the table and explanations why the negotiations fell apart, and how the other side is to blame.
We'll get to the highlights of all the statements and proposals in a minute. But first, know this:
This is not Doomsday.
The lockout and union decertification in early March does not at all mean that we won't have football in 2011. The owners even issued a statement declaring as much:
"Our message to the fans is this: We know that you are not interested in any disruption to your enjoyment of the NFL. We know that you want football. You will have football. This will be resolved."
Continue reading "NFL, players union engage in PR war, but decertification and lockout does not mean Doomsday is here"
Author Sara E. SkinnerPosted on March 12, 2011 Categories 2015 OffseasonTags Drew Brees, Jeffrey Pash, John Mara, NFL Lockout, NFLPA, Roger Goodell, Tom Brady, Von Miller15 Comments on NFL, players union engage in PR war, but decertification and lockout does not mean Doomsday is here
29 things we learned about the Dolphins and the rest of the NFL at the Senior Bowl
We're back from Alabama, after spending four long days scouting prospects, networking like crazy and stuffing our face with seafood.
So now it's time to empty out the notebook. After speaking with several league sources — coaches, scouts, agents and financial advisers — here are 29 things we learned at the Senior Bowl:
1. A team source admitted that the Dolphins' constant roster churning at the beginning of the 2010 season had a lot to do with the team's poor performance on special teams. The Dolphins, who allowed two blocked punts, a tipped punt, two blocked field goals, a 101-yard kickoff return touchdown and 94-yard punt return touchdown this season, led the league in roster transactions in the first month of the season (16), almost four times the league average at that point in the year.
2. The Dolphins were really impressed by Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick, the only QB in NCAA history to throw for 10,000 yards and rush for 4,000. At 6-4, 225 pounds, he is like a bigger, more polished version of Pat White. Kaepernick also displayed a strong, accurate arm and was the best quarterback of the week, far out-performing Washington's Jake Locker. He may have worked his way into the second round of the draft.
Continue reading "29 things we learned about the Dolphins and the rest of the NFL at the Senior Bowl"
Author Sara E. SkinnerPosted on January 28, 2011 Categories Draft, Front officeTags Ahmad Black, Bill Parcells, Buffalo Bills, Chad Henne, Chad Pennington, Christian Ponder, Chuck Bullough, Colin Kaepernick, DeMarco Murray, Dwayne Harris, Jake Locker, Jeff Ireland, Jerry Jones, Jim Harbaugh, Kendall Hunter, Kory Sheets, Lex Hilliard, Mark Ingram, Mikel LeShoure, Nick Fairley, Pat White, Patrick Cobbs, Ricky Williams, Ronnie Brown, Roy Helu, Ryan Williams, Senior Bowl, Stephen Paea, Ted Ginn Jr., Titus Young, Todd Bowles, Tony Sparano, Tyler Thigpen, Von Miller36 Comments on 29 things we learned about the Dolphins and the rest of the NFL at the Senior Bowl


Notice and Call of Special Meeting of the Personnel Commission.
Regular Meeting of the Personnel Commission has been CANCELED.
Regular Meeting of the Personnel Commission *AMENDED"
Special Meeting Cancelled. Meeting will take place Tuesday, 6/29/2010 at Personnel Commission.


text:
Marirhynchus longasaeta är en plattmaskart som beskrevs av Schilke 1970. Marirhynchus longasaeta ingår i släktet Marirhynchus och familjen Koinocystididae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Virvelmaskar
longasaeta


text:
Q: Bug in Infix calculator based on linked lists I'm writing an Infix calculator that performs operations like 5*(2+1). I have a bug in the code I cannot identify. I've written out a minimal code showing off the problem:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

struct x{
    double value;
    char op;
    struct x *next;
};

void add_item(struct x **ptr, double data);
void multiply (struct x *head, struct x *end);
void add (struct x *head, struct x *end);
void calculate (struct x *head, struct x *end);
void del(struct x *head);

int main()
{
    struct x *head = NULL;
    struct x **end;

    add_item(&head, 5);
    head->op = '*';

    end = &head; /*I keep track of the node after which parenthesis are entered*/

    add_item(&head, 2);

    head->op = '+';

    add_item(&head, 1);

    calculate(head, *end); /*calculate operations within parenthesis: 2+1*/
    calculate(head, NULL); /* calculate the remaining operations 5*3 */

    printf("%lf", head->value); /*This should print the overall result 15 instead of 3*/
    free(head);

    return 0;
}

void add_item(struct x **ptr, double data)
{
        struct x *item = malloc(sizeof *item);

        item->value = data;
        item->next = *ptr;
        item->op = '?';
        *ptr = item;
}

void calculate (struct x *head, struct x *end)
{
    multiply(head, end);
    add(head, end);
}

void multiply (struct x *head, struct x *end)
{
    double result;

    if (head == end)
        return;

    if (head->next != end) {
        if ((head->next)->op == '*') {
            result = (head->next)->value * head->value;
            head->value = result;
            del(head);
            multiply(head, end);
        }

        else
            add(head->next, end);
    }
}

void add (struct x *head, struct x *end)
{

    double result;

    if (head == end)
        return;

    if (head->next != end) {
        if ((head->next)->op == '+') {
            result = (head->next)->value + head->value;
            head->value = result;
            del(head);
            add(head, end);
        }

        else
            add(head->next, end);
    }
}

void del (struct x *before_del)
{
    struct x *temp;
    temp = before_del->next;
    before_del->next = temp->next;
    free(temp);
}

The code generates a linked list like this: 1->2->5->NULL
With the first call calculate(head, *end); the program can perform correctly the operation within parenthesis and get 3 as result. The list at this point should be 3->5->NULL.
 But calculate(head, NULL); that should perform 5*3 fails.
The end pointer to pointer acts as an indicator to the node after which parenthesis are located. In this example the node containing the vale 5.
If I have the expression 1+1+2*(5*3) then end should point to the node containing the value 2.

A: By writing end = &head, end always points to the top of the stack.  You meant to do end = head (with appropriate re-declaration of end.  Here's a few edits that seems to work: (I say "seems to", because although this printf 15, I really question the logic of that end pointer.  Making add and multiply recursive seems unlikely to work)
#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

struct x {
        double value;
        void (*op)(struct x *,struct x *);
        struct x *next;
};

void add_item(struct x **ptr, double data);
void multiply (struct x *head, struct x *end);
void add (struct x *head, struct x *end);
void del(struct x *head);

int
main(void)
{
        struct x *head = NULL;
        struct x *end;

        add_item(&head, 5);
        head->op = multiply;

        end = head;
        add_item(&head, 2);

        head->op = add;
        add_item(&head, 1);

        head->next->op(head, end); /*calculate operations within parenthesis: 2+1*/
        head->next->op(head, NULL); /* calculate the remaining operations 5*3 */

        printf("%lf\n", head->value); /*This should print the overall result 15 instead of 3*/
        free(head);

        return 0;
}

void add_item(struct x **ptr, double data)
{
        struct x *item = malloc(sizeof *item);

        item->value = data;
        item->next = *ptr;
        *ptr = item;
}

void multiply (struct x *head, struct x *end)
{
        double result;

        if (head == end)
                return;

        if (head->next != end) {
                result = (head->next)->value * head->value;
                head->value = result;
                del(head);
                multiply(head, end);
        }
}

void add (struct x *head, struct x *end)
{

        if (head == end)
                return;

        if (head->next != end) {
                head->value = (head->next)->value + head->value;
                del(head);
                add(head, end);
        }
}

void del (struct x *before_del)
{
        struct x *temp;
        temp = before_del->next;
        before_del->next = temp->next;
        free(temp);
}


text:
Q: Why does glmnet.py throw a TypeError at cvglmnet when I provide floats, if glmnet does require floats? I am trying to run a glm for logistic regression using Glmnet package for python following Glmnet Vignette and I am having problems with the type of my response variable 'y'.
I want to perform both the glmnet function and the cvglmnet function. The vignette says that "For binomial logistic regression, the response variable y should be either a factor with two levels, or a two-column matrix of counts or proportions.".
I got my y values from one column of a pandas dataframe. Similarly my input matrix x is from several columns of a pandas dataframe. So my y.values is a numpy.ndarray of shape (290,) made of 1's and 2's, so an array of integers.
To check my types, if I do:
isinstance(y.values,scipy.ndarray)
True
isinstance(y.values,np.ndarray)
True
isinstance(y.values,int)
False
type(y.values[1])
numpy.int64
isinstance(y.values, float)
False

If I run
fit = glmnet(x = fold1_sp.copy(), y = y.values, family = 'binomial')

I get an error
ValueError: y input must be a scipy float64 ndarray

I found in https://github.com/bbalasub1/glmnet_python/issues/15 that they tried to address this issue mentioning that any search for scipy float 64 ndarrays returns numpy float ndarray results because they are basically the same object type, so I convert to numpy float:
fit = glmnet(x = fold1_sp.copy(), y = np.float64(y.values), family = 'binomial')

and it runs just fine.
But this way my y array is made of floats 1.'s and 2.'s
If I now try using the cvglmnet function, it complains it needs an integer
cvfit = cvglmnet(x = fold1_sp.copy(), y = np.float64(y.values), family = 'binomial', ptype = 'class')

throwing the following error:
TypeError: 'numpy.float64' object cannot be interpreted as an integer

which is strange at least to me since it asked for a float before, and if I use my y as integers using the original y.values, then it complains again it needs scipy float64.
So how can I overcome this TypeError problem?.
Thanks ever so much

A: Does this work?
cvglmnet(x = fold1_sp.copy(), y = np.int64(y.values), family = 'binomial', ptype = 'class')