text:
News Regulation
New Zealand to vote on cannabis legalisation in 2020
New Zealand looks set to become the next country to legalise cannabis on a national level with the public voting in a referendum next year.
The referendum will take place at the same time as New Zealand's general election, with a simple 'yes' and 'no' option being given to citizens.
If more than 50% of voters opt for legalisation cannabis will be allowed to be consumed across the country apart from in public spaces. Citizens will be allowed to carry 14 grams of dried cannabis in a public space, which is anywhere between 14 and 42 joints.
Breaking this rule will result in a fine of between $200 and $500, while illegal sellers of cannabis will also be punished. As it stands only licensed stores will be able to distribute cannabis and there will be a blanket ban on all marketing and advertising of cannabis products.
The draft also states that cannabis cannot be sold on the same premises as alcohol or tobacco, and that there will be limitations on its potency.
There will also be a set limit on purchasing amounts, where users will only be permitted to buy a maximum of 14 grams per day.
"It's important that voters go into the 2020 General Election informed about the referendums. The Government is committed to a well-informed, impartial referendum process," said Justice Minister Andrew Little.
Argue for change
"My aim is to have the final draft Bill available by early next year, so there is time to argue for change."
The new bill also includes proposals such as a minimum age of 20 to purchase and use cannabis, as well as limits on the sale of cannabis to specifically licensed physical stores and the establishment of state licensing in which all stages of cannabis growth and supply chains are controlled by the government.
Selling cannabis online will be prohibited in order to safeguard against underage individuals getting around the minimum age limit for purchasing.
Early polls have indicated that 48 percent of New Zealanders would vote for yes, while 39 percent would vote against it.
The surge in optimism surrounding the potential legalisation in New Zealand comes after successful changes in legislation in both Canada and the United States, both of which have seen a huge rise in tax revenue.
Although it seems that the legislation will most likely be approved, some authority figures disagree with the stipulations and would like to make amends, such as lowering the 14 gram possession threshold.
The National Deputy leader Paula Bennett started out in the yes camp but after learning more about the subject she has made a dramatic u-turn and stands firmly in the no category as she is afraid of the 'unknown' surrounding the industry.
Unclear
Bennett pointed out that Canada had only recently legalised cannabis for recreational use and still has issues or firm facts remain unclear on the effects of increased usage among young people and other potential results of full legalisation.
Bennett would prefer New Zealand to wait and see if any research and evaluation in the future can demonstrate a clearer picture of what exactly the benefits and negatives of cannabis legalisation are.
Alternatively, a report from the Helen Clark Foundation – a public policy think tank in New Zealand – has come out in support of voting 'yes' in the referendum next year as it claims that the criminalisation of cannabis has caused social inequity and has been a burden on police resources. The report also suggests that New Zealand should look to treat cannabis as a public health and social issues as opposed to a criminal one and expunge prior non-violent or minor cannabis offences from individuals' records.
Former prime minister and patron of the think tank, Helen Clark has suggested that New Zealand should look to Portugal's drug model of decriminalisation and has coined it the 'gold standard' whilst detailing that the current policies in New Zealand are evidently not working.
Clark reiterated Canada's forward-thinking approach to opiate addiction and how they provide safe consumption spaces where opiate users can have their drugs tested and use in a safe environment. She compared this to New Zealand's innovative needle exchange scheme to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and she believes New Zealand would do well to follow Canada's lead on the subject of cannabis as well.
The rules outlined in the bill are not the final rules to be voted on, they are part of the first draft which will be put forward for submissions from the public and interested associations.
New Zealanders' outlook on legalising cannabis has wavered in the past year, going from a high of 60 percent in January to just 39 percent in August when support for the referendum appeared to be failing. However, the support appears to be increasing once more with the new November 2019 poll showing 48 percent are in favour of voting yes.
Support for medical cannabis has remained high, with influences stemming from people such as former trade unionist Helen Kelly, who sadly passed away from lung cancer after campaigning during her illness for the right to use medicinal cannabis and being open about using cannabis oil throughout her battle.
Currently more than 500,000 people in New Zealand regularly use cannabis and around 80 percent of citizens have tried cannabis at least once.
New Zealand has a population of just 4.7 million, but a change in legislation on cannabis still needs to be carefully considered and regulated as the United States has faced a series of teething problems within the industry.
Harmful contaminants in cannabis and incorrect labelling has seen the industry suffer in North America despite the best efforts of the FDA, who have been clamping down on a number of companies in recent months.
What's critical is that the cannabis grown needs to be balanced in both THC and CBD, as an imbalance has the potential to cause issues to a user's mental health. Strains that are high in THC with a low percentage of CBD can bring mental illnesses that may have not been prevalent before.
New Zealand ready to legalise cannabis in 2020
Cannabis user told cops scales were for measuring sugar for his tea


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Q: Android: simple format input number I'm learning Android. I have a edittext to input money, and if I enter input number as 1000, the result must be 1.000, and if I enter input as 1000000, the result must be 1.000.000.
while i'm typing, every 3 characters from the last to beginning must have a ".".

A: You can use InputFilter
public class CurrencyFormat implements InputFilter {

    Pattern mPattern = Pattern.compile("(0|[1-9]+[0-9]*)?(\\.[0-9]{0,2})?");

    @Override
    public CharSequence filter(CharSequence source, int start, int end,
            Spanned dest, int dstart, int dend) {

        String result =
                dest.subSequence(0, dstart)
                + source.toString()
                + dest.subSequence(dend, dest.length());

        Matcher matcher = mPattern.matcher(result);

        if (!matcher.matches()) return dest.subSequence(dstart, dend);

        return null;
    }
}

You can set filters like:
editText.setFilters(new InputFilter[] {new CurrencyFormat()});

Accept it, if you find this useful.

A: like this
    public class CurrencyFormatInputFilter implements InputFilter {

    Pattern mPattern = Pattern.compile("(0|[1-9]+[0-9]*)?(\\.[0-9]{0,2})?");

    @Override
    public CharSequence filter(
            CharSequence source,
            int start,
            int end,
            Spanned dest,
            int dstart,
            int dend) {

        String result =
                dest.subSequence(0, dstart)
                + source.toString()
                + dest.subSequence(dend, dest.length());

        Matcher matcher = mPattern.matcher(result);

        if (!matcher.matches()) return dest.subSequence(dstart, dend);

        return null;
    }

}

A: String.format("%,d",currencyInteger);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Niel () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Niel proper. In 2021, Niel had a total population of 10.493. The total area is 5.27 km².

History
Niel used to belong to the Lordship of Mechelen. In 1462, it became part of the Duchy of Brabant. Niel became an independent parish in the 14th century. During most of its history, it was an agricultural community along the Rupel river. In the 19th century, Niel became an industrial town with brickworks, cement factories and shoe factories.

Sports
Niel is home for Niel Jaarmarkt Cyclo-cross, a cyclo-cross race held in and around the town. The race is part of the Cyclo-cross Gazet van Antwerpen.

Notable people
 Jan Decleir, actor, leading actor in the Academy Award winner Karakter was born in Niel

Gallery

References

External links

  Official website

Municipalities of Antwerp Province
Populated places in Antwerp Province

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


A mere fourteen years after the first film we finally get the sequel we've all been craving, Karl Urban's Dredd!
No? Never mind, I suppose that was only six years ago, it just feels like longer.
Anyway, we've been anticipating the return of the Incredibles since a teaser trailer was dropped in November, one of Pixar's most beloved properties that has been praised for it's family-oriented approach to superheroism, how family dynamics can be altered and reflected by the addition of superpowers, and for the villain's profound philosophical standpoint. In other words, Disney found a way to make Fantastic 4 without ever making Fantastic 4, and effortlessly outdid every effort by 20th Century Fox.


Dr L.L. (Barrie) deVeber, the founding President of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC).
He authored and co-authored many research papers that remain important today.
The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is selling the book: Barrie for $25 (includes postage). Bulk prices and orders are available upon request.
Dr. L.L. "Barrie" deVeber is internationally recognized as a pioneer in pediatric palliative care.
His innovative work with children with cancer, pregnant woman and the Rh factor, and hemophilia patients, has affected the lives of many. His medical career has taken him around the globe, from Canada to England to the USA, to Saudi Arabia to Africa.
Dr. deVeber is a founding member of various organizations including Camp Trillium, the Sunshine Foundation, the Montessori School of London ON, the Ronald McDonald House in London ON and the London and Area Right to Life. He is the founding President of the deVeber Institute for Bioethics and Social Research and the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.
Dr. deVeber spent a career challenging the status quo. He has made countless presentations to government and local communities on the importance of respecting all human life.
Dr. deVeber is a man who has truly lived: his caring and compassion has touched the lives of thousands of people and his Irish charm has made him a friend of many.
Marvellous! So thankful for support of LIFE!
Truly a remarkable man. He will be missed by all.


text:
Insomniac Magazine Interviews
Soundhunters Is Breaking Down Social and Cultural Barriers Through Music
Aug 10, 2015	Chris Alker
American musician Roy Ayers once said: "The true beauty of music is that it connects people. It carries a message, and we, the musicians, are the messengers." What if we could expand the number of messengers? More messengers would mean more music and more connectedness. This is the premise behind the Soundhunters project.
Curated by Arte, the Franco-German TV network known for promoting programming in the areas of culture and the arts, the Soundhunters project is a multimedia platform focusing on the use of music as the ultimate cross-cultural unifier. The genius, however, lies in the use of French composer and theoretician Pierre Schaeffer's concept of musique concrete in lieu of a more traditional platform requiring classically trained musicians.
According to Schaeffer, "Instead of notating musical ideas on paper with the symbols of solfege and entrusting their realization to well-known instruments, the question was to collect concrete sounds, wherever they came from, and to abstract the musical values they were potentially containing." In other words, the unifying music is crafted by musicians who source the essence of their work by recording sounds from the ever-present audio world around us. These musicians are better known as "soundhunters." While many soundhunters have classical training, it is not a requirement for generating musique concrete.
This is the key: democratization. Where the point of entry is made accessible to a wider audience, and primitive tools for music creation given, the only thing required is participation. And what better reason to participate than a desire to break down social and cultural barriers for the greater good?
At the heart of this ambitious endeavor is the Soundhunters website. Herein lies a series of digital films, access to a smartphone application, and custom looping software, all to encourage and facilitate the construction of music.
As a source of inspiration and/or direction, the platform includes four short documentary films, each cataloging the interaction between a known soundhunter and an ethnic minority group and their culture. The current films include UK producer Luke Vibert in New York City, capturing sounds from various immigrant poets, Ethiopian producer Mikael Seifu capturing the sounds of street speak Pidgen English, American artist Simonne Jones listening to the struggle of the native Guarani Indians in São Paulo, and L.A.-based musician Daedelus entering the world of Tarik, a young Turkish boxer in Berlin coming of age in a city strong with the mixed cultural influences of an Arab, Turkish and German population.
Each artist spends time investigating their respective urban environment and capturing regional sound bites for use in their own track, after which each film is named. Not only is the artist exposed to a new culture, but the music he or she creates is something that any culture can experience, even without proper knowledge of the place or language. Key sound samples taken by each artist serve as the base library for the Create portion of the platform. These are cleverly identified in the play bar of each movie as clickable widgets and accessed through the Soundhunters smartphone app.
A downloadable app allows you to capture sounds using the mic on your smartphone. You can then cut up, filter, tag and upload the sounds you capture to an online library that is accessible through the Create section of the website.
This section allows you to wade through the sound sample library for use in the creation of a song. Since most people have limited knowledge of using a digital audio workstation (DAW) like Ableton or ProTools, they have included a simplified "flow generator" to help you quickly generate a composition. Each sample you choose will be plugged into one of a number of prescribed algorithms that relies on looping as the skeleton for the song's structure. You can then adjust the algorithm and/or samples as you see fit to affect the resulting music.
By giving anyone with an internet connection and a smartphone the tools to record and manipulate sound into unifying music, the potential for growth here is exponential and the opportunity for success unlimited. They key is engagement—participation. Without it, the Soundhunters project is a virtual paperweight. British orchestral conductor Charles Hazlewood reminds us that "music is communication, a two-way street."
ArteSoundhunters

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Circulation. 2016 Jul 5;134(1):24-36. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.116.022361.
Impact of Renal Function on Outcomes With Edoxaban in the ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 Trial.
Bohula EA1, Giugliano RP2, Ruff CT2, Kuder JF2, Murphy SA2, Antman EM2, Braunwald E2.
From the TIMI Study Group, Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. ebohula@partners.org.
From the TIMI Study Group, Cardiovascular Division, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
Edoxaban, an oral factor Xa inhibitor with 50% renal clearance, was noninferior to well-managed warfarin for stroke or systemic embolism (S/SE) prevention and reduced bleeding in patients with atrial fibrillation. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of edoxaban versus warfarin across the range of baseline creatinine clearance (CrCl) in the ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 trial (Effective Anticoagulation With Factor Xa Next Generation in Atrial Fibrillation-Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction Study 48) with a focus on the higher-dose edoxaban regimen (HDER) and the upper range of CrCl.
A total of 14 071 patients with atrial fibrillation at moderate to high risk for stroke were randomized to warfarin or HDER (60 mg daily or a 50% dose reduction to 30 mg daily for CrCl 30-50 mL/min, body weight of ≤60 kg, or use of a potent phosphorylated glycoprotein inhibitor). CrCl <30 mL/min was exclusionary. End points of S/SE, International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis major bleeding, and the net clinical outcome of S/SE/major bleeding or death were evaluated by intention-to-treat analysis using the prespecified CrCl cut point of 50 mL/min and additional exploratory cut points with the Cockcroft-Gault formula. A sensitivity analysis was performed with the CKD-EPI (Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration) formula for estimating renal function.
The relative risk of S/SE with HDER versus warfarin in patients with CrCl >50 mL/min (hazard ratio [HR], 0.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72-1.04) was similar to that in patients with CrCl ≤50 mL/min (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.65-1.18; P for interaction=0.94). Several exploratory analyses suggested lower relative efficacy for the prevention of S/SE with HDER compared with warfarin at higher levels of CrCl (CrCl ≤50 mL/min: HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.65-1.18; CrCl >50-95 mL/min: HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.64-0.96; CrCl >95 mL/min: HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 0.88-2.10; P for interaction=0.08). Bleeding rates were lower at all levels of CrCl with HDER (P for interaction=0.11). Because of the preserved effect on bleeding, the net clinical outcome was more favorable with HDER across the range of CrCl (P for interaction=0.73). Similar findings were observed in the sensitivity analysis using the CKD-EPI formula.
Although there was an apparent decrease in relative efficacy to prevent arterial thromboembolism in the upper range of CrCl, the safety and net clinical benefit of HDER compared with warfarin are consistent across the range of renal function.
URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00781391.


Many people are so overwhelmed by the prospect of creating an estate plan that they never begin the task. In some cases, they might not even know where to start. However, several tips can help those who need to stop procrastinating and begin putting together their estate plan.
An initial and basic step is the preparation of a will which helps to ensure that heirs and designated individuals receive the appropriate property. A will names an executor who oversees the distribution of assets and takes care of financial matters. If someone dies without a will, their property is subject to the intestacy laws of the state where they live. In many cases, that means that a spouse and lineal descendants (if any) divide the person's property.
In some cases, a person might draw up a revocable living trust which avoids what could be a long and drawn-out process of probate. However, if the person has minor children, a will may still be necessary in order to designate a guardian. A trust can also protect any assets that might be passed on to minor children and can be managed and overseen by an adult trustee. Not all assets are distributed through a will as they pass outside of probate. Examples can include bank and retirement accounts with beneficiary designations, or real property owned in joint tenancy with survivorship rights.
Estate valuation can come into play when determining whether any estate tax is due. The current federal estate and gift tax exclusion is $5.25 million and is tied to inflation. Some states have separate estate taxes with far smaller exclusions and exemptions.


text:
Julie Zahle and Finn Collin (eds.)
Rethinking the Individualism-Holism Debate: Essays in the Philosophy of Social Science
Julie Zahle and Finn Collin (eds.), Rethinking the Individualism-Holism Debate: Essays in the Philosophy of Social Science, Springer, 2014, 255pp., $129.00 (hbk), ISBN 9783319053431.
Reviewed by Phillip Honenberger, Philadelphia Area Center for History of Science
Are social phenomena better explained in terms of the characteristics of individual human beings, or in terms of the characteristics of groups or collectives? Are all social-level entities and events identical to some set of individual-level entities and events, or are social-level entities and events ever "more than the sum" of their individual-level parts? Traditionally, those who opt for the first of these options are called "individualists," while those who opt for the second are called "holists." The present collection of essays by contemporary philosophers of social science provides a state-of-the-art introduction to recent moves in the long-standing debate between adherents of these positions, as well as recent thinking about related questions, such as the definition of and distinction between the individual and the social; the meaning and validity of the idea of higher and lower levels of composition; the understanding of individual agency, including discussion of rational choice and game theory, as well as new pragmatist and ecological models; whether and in what sense groups can be agents; and how explanation in the social sciences ought to be understood and evaluated. The volume includes essays both from veteran philosophers of social science (Daniel Little, Philip Pettit, Harold Kincaid, and Mark Risjord) and early and mid-career contributors to the field (Julie Zahle, Finn Collin, Brian Epstein, Dave Elder-Vass, András Szigeti, Petri Ylikoski, Jeroen Van Bouwel, Mathew McCubbins, and Mark Turner).
The modern holism-individualism debate has its origins in the formative development of modern social science itself, in the work (for instance) of G. W. F. Hegel, Karl Marx, Auguste Comte, and Herbert Spencer. The tension played out in an especially influential way in two widely publicized controversies: the debate between Émile Durkheim and Gabriel Tarde regarding "social facts," and F. A. Hayek's and Karl Popper's attacks on the "holism" of various mid-20th-century social science traditions (Lukes 1968, 1973; Zahle 2007). Following upon these debates, discussion of the issue appeared in a number of academic journals in philosophy and sociology. This literature fed into the professional canon of Anglophone "philosophy of social science," a field coming close to its contemporary shape in the 1950s-1980s. This era saw the emergence of debates about the reducibility of the social to the individual, as well as about the putative need for mechanism-based explanations of social phenomena, in the social sciences (see Zahle 2007 for review). It is the later, professionalized phases of the debate to which the new volume seeks to make a contribution.
Probably the most advanced discussion of its theme on the academic market today, this collection also provides an excellent introduction to many themes in contemporary analytic philosophy of social science in general. Nonetheless, the book displays some weaknesses. In what follows I first recount and discuss the contents of the essays individually, then briefly discuss one weakness of the volume as a whole.
The editors organize the papers into two groups: those focused on the ontology of individuals and societies, and those focused on questions of social science methodology (especially theories of explanation). In accordance with this breakdown, they summarize the main questions of the volume as follows: "[1] What is the ontological status of social phenomena and, as part of this, their relationship to individuals? [2] To what extent may, and should, social scientific explanations focus on individuals and social phenomena respectively?" (1-2). While this is a perfectly reasonable way of organizing the papers, I will discuss the papers in a slightly different order here, to suggest another way of thinking about them.
Two useful observations that emerge from a number of papers in the volume are, first, that what counts as an "individualist" or "holist" account is itself a contested matter; and, second, that some self-ascribed "holist" accounts take forms very similar or even consistent with what other authors describe as "individual" accounts, and vice versa. These observations motivate efforts to carefully distinguish among the positions that have been called "individualist" or "holist," so as to effectively track the actual theoretical consequences of, and arguments for and against, one or another position within this variety.
Though the precise distinctions are often drawn slightly differently from one essay to the next, a few of the more common and important distinctions are those between
(a) the question of whether or not individuals are socially constituted
(b) the question of whether or not individuals are socially constrained
(c) the question of whether or not social-level entities and events are reducible to
individual-level entities and events
(d) the question of whether or not social entities (groups, etc.) can be agents
(e) ontological vs. methodological formulations of the distinction
Some individualists have given a "yes" answer to (a), while giving a "no" answer to (b) and/or (c). (See Pettit, Little, and discussion by Zahle.) Methodological holists, however, often suppose that a "yes" answer to (a) is itself a concession to holism (Elder-Vass). This disagreement is partly merely terminological, but also potentially substantive. Another disagreement concerns whether a "yes" answer to (d) entails a "yes" answer to (b), with Pettit arguing that it does not, and Szigeti arguing that it does.
Epstein's essay articulates and defends a variety of individualism that does not hold social phenomena to be "built" out of individuals (as individualist accounts usually do), but rather to be "anchored" in beliefs or practices common to individuals in the group. Epstein offers David Hume's "conventions" and John Searle's "institutional facts" as examples. Epstein's analysis of the structure of various possible anchoring relations, and their implications for the individualism-holism debate, deserves more attention than I can give it here. The essay leaves me wondering, however, when and how individual beliefs or practices become common enough to count as "social" on an anchor individualist account; how the identity of social facts is to be determined under conditions of change or breakdown in these facts; and what justifies the correlation between individual facts and social facts that one or another anchor individualist answer to these questions would (seemingly) have to draw.
As an alternative to familiar "levels-based" views of micro-macro relations, Ylikoski suggests a "scale-based" view wherein we address micro-macro distinctions (including the distinction between individuals and social wholes) in terms of the size of the entities appealed to within an account or explanation. Human individuals are physically smaller than groups and societies, for instance. Two interesting consequences of the shift that Ylikoski recommends are (i) a reconstrual of the micro-macro relation as context-relative (thus eliding problems regarding the specification of a "lowest level") and (ii) recognition of cases wherein relatively small ("micro") events can have effects on relatively large ("macro") systems, and vice versa: the mosquito that initiates an outbreak of yellow fever, for instance, or the effect of U.S. tax policy on the investment decisions of an individual taxpayer. Ylikoski's analysis is elegant and brilliant. Because "levels-based" thinking is (admittedly confusingly) also associated with other distinctions, however -- such as the greater or lesser generality of claims made at different levels -- I suggest that levels-based discourse ought not be thrown out too callously.
Pettit's essay provides a usefully condensed recapitulation of arguments he has presented elsewhere in more detail. Pettit distinguishes three different controversial positions relevant to the "individualism-holism" question: "individualism," the view that social phenomena do not compromise individual agency; "atomism," the view that social properties are not part of the constitution of individual agents; and "singularism," the view that only single individuals, and not groups or collectives, can be agents. Pettit argues for individualism, anti-atomism, and anti-singularism.
Szigeti takes issue with Pettit's view, arguing that individualism and anti-singularism are incompatible (113-114). In brief, Szigeti's argument is as follows: Theories of group agency must be causal or non-causal. Causal construals have the result that either (a) group-agency reduces to individual agency, or (b) group agency constrains individual agency. Non-causal construals of group agency, on the other hand, are hard to read as attributions of agency at all (since agency presumably involves the ability to have effects). While Szigeti's subtle arguments deserve fuller discussion, I suspect they rely on questionable assumptions about the uniformity of the structure of causality in different kinds of systems or processes (or, in different contexts of explanation).
Another major theme of the book concerns the relation between ontological and methodological conceptions of the individualism-holism debate, with some authors drawing methodological conclusions from ontological premises, and others arguing for a wholesale shift of the debate away from ontology and towards methodology.
Elder-Vass argues in favor of holism over individualism on the basis of a relatively straightforward two-step argument: (1) an account of the ontology of individuals and social phenomena, and (2) an argument that certain relations of individuals can and will produce social phenomena that are not reducible to the features of those individuals and their relations. In (1), Elder-Vass takes care to argue that no features ascribed to "individuals" can be due to relations with other individuals, since, if they were, these "individuals" would have been already admitted to be socially constituted (and, hence, the methodological individualists would have lost from the outset). In (2), Elder-Vass argues that there are obviously social phenomena that cannot be articulated solely in terms of the so-delimited features of individuals. Hence, methodological individualism is a failure. Elder-Vass also introduces the notion of "norm circles" (which he has employed in more detail elsewhere) and gives an account of their (non-individualistically-reducible) causal powers.
Zahle takes issue with Elder-Vass's argument, claiming that step (1) need not convince individualists. In particular, they will see no compelling reason to deny themselves a definition of "individuals" that holds them to be socially constituted (as noted above, this is a move made by several contemporary individualists: for instance, Little and Pettit). Zahle recommends an alternative to Elder-Vass's "ontological" criterion for evaluating the individualism-holism distinction, which she calls a "pragmatic" criterion, and formulates it as follows:
a good reason in support of a particular distinction between individualist and holist explanations . . . is a reason which shows, in an acceptable manner, that the distinction, drawn in the same manner in all contexts, is useful from the perspective of explaining the social world. (192)
I'm suspicious of the requirement that the distinction be "drawn in the same manner in all contexts." On what grounds should we insist on this? Maybe there are a variety of different distinctions that are conflated within traditional "holism-individualism" distinctions, but nonetheless each has independent validity. I'm also unsure about the terms "acceptable" and "useful," at least so far as they've been clarified and argued for here.
Kincaid argues that some of the issues classified under the "individualism-holism" debate are dead (no longer interesting or fruitful), while others are live (interesting and fruitful). The former category includes (i) the question of the reducibility of social-level phenomena to individual-level phenomena, (ii) the question of whether appeal to individual-level mechanisms is necessary in order to adequately explain social-level phenomena (the so-called "micro-foundations" debate), and (iii) the question of whether or not society is a fiction. The live issues are focused on the question, "how holist or individualist can or must we be?" (147), in regard to puzzles that arise within one or another project of empirical social scientific research.
Van Bouwel articulates and defends a model of explanation in the social sciences that is amenable to explanatory pluralism, and then argues for a move from ontological and monist construals of the individualism-holism debate, to a position that advances "explanatory pluralism" (161).
Another theme that runs through the volume in a strong way is the question of which models of individual agency would be sufficient or insufficient, illuminating or unilluminating, within social scientific inquiry. Nuanced discussions of pragmatist (Little), practice-theoretic (Risjord), ecological (Risjord), actor-network (Collin), and game-theoretic (Little, Risjord, McCubbins and Turner) models of individual agency provide a surprising and refreshing subsidiary theme of the volume.
Little seeks to supplement his earlier work on individualism and micro-foundations by developing a sufficiently robust account of the agents making up the "individual level" in social explanations. To this end he provides a critical review of pragmatist models of agency and their sociological application -- in particular, work by John Dewey, G. H. Mead, Neil Gross, Andrew Abbott, Mark Granovetter, and Hans Joas. These models are contrasted with Aristotelian and rational-choice models. From this comparative perspective, the novelties and advantages of the various pragmatist options come into relief very nicely, but the limited scope of the contrast class may be partly responsible for the attractiveness and apparent novelty of the pragmatist positions.
Collin reconstructs Bruno Latour's intellectual trajectory through the lens of the individualism-holism debate, including Latour's early-career ethnographies of science, his mid-career articulation of a metaphysics of "actants," and his late-career methodological reflections on actor-network-theory as a framework for social scientific research. Collin's main aim is to say to what extent and in what ways Latour has been a methodological individualist or holist at different points in his career, and what lessons we can draw, regarding this opposition, from his contributions and difficulties. Of course, this strategy involves reading Latour in terms of problems and questions he might not himself recognize as the central ones, but Collin mostly handles the risks associated with this procedure very effectively.
Risjord provides an argument for a new "ecological" model of agency, wherein "to be an agent requires treating others as agents and responding to the joint possibilities for action provided by the environment" (219). Risjord begins with an analysis of the behavior of musicians in a jazz ensemble. He then argues that two common accounts of agency -- rational actor and practice-theoretic (the latter represented by Pierre Bourdieu and Anthony Giddens) -- cannot make sense of this behavior. Finally, he proposes an alternative model of agency that recognizes the characteristically human capacities of (a) recognizing environmental affordances in one's own case, (b) recognizing the affordances of other agents with whom one is in interaction, (c) thus being able to imaginatively trade roles with them and share a common "attunement" to a shared environment, and (d) being able to "meta-cognitively" reflect on "prior plans, explicit beliefs about the environment, knowledge of explicit rules, and interpretations" (234). This model's advantage over Bourdieu's and Giddens's accounts is that it is able to explain the possibility of change, including breakdowns and subsequent recoveries, of the coordinated action of groups of individuals. Its advantage over rational actor models is in sufficiently recognizing the role of the environment (broadly construed), rather than solely the representational states of the agents involved, in coordinated group action.
McCubbins and Turner provide an experimentally-based argument against a variant on traditional game theory known as "behavioral game theory." As the behavioral expectations of traditional game theory have regularly been disconfirmed, behavioral game theory seeks to develop empirically-based qualifications of game-theoretic predictions and models. McCubbins and Turner point out that behavioral game theory's strategy relies on the assumption that individual preferences can be generalized from one context to others; they then report on new experiments supporting the conclusion that such preferences do not generalize.
Despite its many strengths, the book manifests some weaknesses. I will discuss just one of these here.
The traditional opposition between social wholes and individuals rings a bit hollow to contemporary ears, not only because the poles of the opposition are only vaguely or ambiguously conceived, nor solely because one suspects that they are hardly mutually exclusive, but also because this opposition doesn't include, within the scope of potentially relevant factors it considers, those that are non-human or sub-personal (such as, for instance, human biology, ecology, and artifacts and technology). What happens in human affairs is very plausibly constrained, enabled, and affected by a combination of factors classifiable as ecological, biological, and technological, in addition to "individual" and "social." Since the first three kinds of factors operate in ways that cross-cut the individual-social distinction, and (on some conceptions of the individual or the social) are not included within the framework of that distinction at all, the inherited individualism-holism opposition, and the traditional question of the reducibility or non-reducibility of the social to the individual, are problematic in a way that most contributors to the volume never address. (A common pattern in the volume is to mention such factors as possibly relevant, but not to discuss them in any detail: for instance, regarding artifacts, pp. 58, 121-122, 143, 145-146, 212; regarding sub-personal factors, p. 150.) To some extent, Risjord's and Collin's essays, and a few paragraphs of McCubbins and Turner's (240), are a refreshing exception to this general criticism.
For examples of alternative approaches to the relation between the individual and the social, which do not pass quietly over such sub-personal and non-human factors, see John Protevi's analysis of the relation between somatic, technological, and social processes "below," "alongside," and "above" the subject (respectively), in Protevi 2009 and 2013; Lenny Moss and Vida Pavesich's analysis of differential access to embodied skill-formation in Moss and Pavesich 2011; and Moss's critique of methodological individualism on the basis of a reconstruction of human evolutionary history (Moss 2014), which also points to the role of sub-personal social processes in the constitution of human individuality.
Lukes, Steven. 1968. "Methodological Individualism Reconsidered." The British Journal of Sociology, Vol. 19 (2): 119-129.
Lukes, Steven. 1973. Émile Durkheim, his Life and Work: A Historical and Critical Study. London, UK: Penguin.
Moss, Lenny, and Pavesich, Vida. 2011. "Science, Normativity, and Skill: Reviewing and Renewing the Anthropological Basis of Critical Theory." Philosophy and Social Criticism 37 (2): 139-165.
Moss, Lenny. 2014. "Detachment and Compensation: Groundwork for a Metaphysics of 'Biosocial Becoming'." Philosophy and Social Criticism, 40 (1): 91-105.
Protevi, John. 2009. Political Affect: Connecting the Social and the Somatic. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Protevi, John. 2013. Life, War, Earth: Deleuze and the Sciences. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
Zahle, Julie. 2007. "Holism and Supervenience." In Stephen P. Turner and Mark Risjord (eds.), Philosophy of Anthropology and Sociology. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier, pp. 311-341.


Taco Bell has long been known as the premiere fast food joint for two people. Students who are almost always scraping for cash and people who partake in the ganja. Primarily, these two types of people are one in the same, but one high school senior breaks the mold of both.
Buzzfeed shared a fun article about Brittany Creech who decided she wanted to avert from the norm of what senior pictures looks like. You know those fake-looking glamour shots of a girl all dolled up in make-up and a pretty dress that usually don't do much except for sit in someone's closet for years before she digs them out to reminisce about the good ole days, but in reality she just ends up crying about what she used to look like? Yeah, those.
Creech told he friends and family that she wasn't going to go through that mundane task. She wanted to have fun with her pictures and what better way to have fun than to take them at one of your favorite restaurants: Taco Bell.
She tweeted out some of the photos and tagged Taco Bell in them. They saw them and were really impressed.


text:
Morning Glory Ranch 5k Mud Run (Waller, next on 5 Apr 2014)
Glowing the Distance to Prevent Child Abuse (Waller, next on 5 Apr 2014)
SRPH 5K Fun Run/3K Walk (Texas A&M, next on 5 Apr 2014)
Montgomery Madness 5K Mud Run (Montgomery, next on 12 Apr 2014)
Blue Bell Fun Run (Brenham, next on 12 Apr 2014)
Theta's "Rock the CASA" 5K (College Station, next on 12 Apr 2014)
Texas 10 Huntsville (Huntsville, next on 13 Apr 2014)
Redneck Run (College Station, next on 19 Apr 2014)
Gamma Phive K (College Station, next on 26 Apr 2014)
Dye Happy 5K Color Run (Magnolia, next on 3 May 2014)
Night Trail Run 5K/10K/15K (Caldwell, next on 3 May 2014)
Hog's Hunt Trail Run (Huntsville, next on 10 May 2014)
Run For Remembrance 5K (College Station, next on 10 May 2014)
Firecracker 5K (TBA, next on 4 Jul 2014)
Blues Capital of Texas 5K & 1-Mile Kids Fitness Challenge (Navasota, last on 10 Aug 2013)
Hole Opener Off Road 4 Mile Mud Run (Huntsville, last on 10 Aug 2013)
Hightail'n It For Heifers Scholarship Fun Run (Bryan, last on 7 Sep 2013)
Jesus Fed The 5K Fun Run (College Station, next on 20 Sep 2014)
Miles for Malaria 5K (College Station, last on 28 Sep 2013)
Brain Power Five & Dime 5K/10K (Giddings, last on 28 Sep 2013)
Buffalo Stampede Half-Marathon & 5K Race (Bryan, next on 4 Oct 2014)
BCS 5K+10K @ Texas A&M (Texas A&M, next on 4 Oct 2014)
The Graffiti Run (College Station, last on 20 Oct 2013)
Rocky Raccoon 50K/25K/10K Trail Run (Huntsville State Park, last on 2 Nov 2013)
CASA for Kids Superhero 5K and Fun Run (Brenham, last on 2 Nov 2013)
Scholar's Cup for the benefit of St. Michael's Episcopal School 5K/10K (Bryan, last on 3 Nov 2013)
Place of Hope "Run for LIFE" 5K - Diaper Dash (Rockville, last on 16 Dec 2013)
Diabetes Awareness 5K/10K (Giddings, last on 16 Nov 2013)
Brazos Running Company Turkey Trot (College Station, next on 27 Nov 2014)
Christmas In The Pines 5K (SHSU/Huntsville, last on 7 Dec 2013)
Texas Trail Runs (Huntsville, last on 7 Dec 2013)
BCS Marathon and Half Marathon (Bryan/College Station/Texas A&M, next on 14 Dec 2014)
Texas10 College Station (College Station, last on 2 Feb 2014)
The Graffiti Run (College Station, last on 8 Feb 2014)
Love.Run.Marathon (Huntsville State Park, last on 15 Feb 2014)
Eagle Run (College Station, last on 22 Feb 2014)
The Rebel Run 5K/5-mi Obstacle Race (Millican, last on 22 Feb 2014)
Eco Lonsestar XTERRA Trail Run (Sam Houston National Forest, last on 9 Mar 2014)
Battle at the Brazos Mud Run (Bellville, last on 22 Mar 2014)
Hero Rush Central Texas (Rockdale, last on 29 Mar 2014)
Running of the Bears (Montgomery, last on 29 Mar 2014)
Messina Hof Winery & Resort Half Marathon & Vintage 5K (Bryan, last on 30 Mar 2014)


Every once in a while, good things happen to people who truly deserve them.
Such was the case over the Christmas holiday, when Brad and Jessica Witters from Yakima's Westside Car Care caught wind of Rose Evangelista's story.
Rose, who has a background of substance abuse and criminal activity, has been rebuilding her life lately.
Since her August release from prison, she's been a live-in volunteer at the Union Gospel Mission. She's worked in a number of capacities at the mission, focusing on helping others get their lives back on track.
So when Westside Car Care -- which was looking for a recipient for their annual car giveaway -- asked the mission for suggestions, UGM's family shelter director, Janet Kerns, mentioned Rose.


text:
@interface H5ThirthViewController : UIViewController

@property (nonatomic,retain) NSMutableArray *imageArray;

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


FAQ Alert » What is a short sale?
In the world of finance, a short sale can have several meanings. It either involves real estate or some type of security.
A real estate short sale is when a lender accepts less for a property than the amount that was originally loaned to the borrower. In these types of transactions, the bank or mortgage company only accepts this action because it is the most economical solution. Foreclosure or continued non payments will actually cost the bank more in the long run, so they accept this less than desirable transaction and outcome.
A security short sale, however, involves the sale of a security that the investor does not own. If an individual believes that the price of a security will decrease, they will typically set up a short sale (borrow the stock and sell it) to benefit from the decline. If the price of the security falls, the investor buys it back at the lower price and collects the difference.


text:
Bobište is the municipality of Leskovac, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, municipality has a population of 1782 people.

Archeological findings of 1400-800 BC Brnjica culture pottery have been unearthed at the Sastanci site.

References

Populated places in Jablanica District


text:
AIDS Marathon Training Pace Group
Marathon Intro.
Sponsor Premiums
My Training Info.
My Pace Group
My Sponsors
At the first group run, each person ran/walked three miles at a pace that would not cause them to be huffing and puffing at the end. The AIDS Marathon Training staff timed the run so the minutes per mile pace could be determined. Each person was then placed in a pace group that would train at a pace one minute per mile slower than the first run. Jeff Galloway says that first-time marathoners should have "completion" as their only goal, rather than being time-oriented. This is great advice and almost guarantees success.
Each pace group is named after a famous marathon runner. One of the reasons the pace groups are named is so that every single run site (there are 6) has the same group/pace options. A visitor should fit right in no matter which site they attend as long as they find their designated pace group. That means that Khalid Khannouchi's should never go faster than 16:30 minutes per mile.
But What Does "Pace" Have To Do With Training?
EVERYTHING! The way that the AIDS Marathon Training Program successfully takes us from 3 to 26.2 miles in six months is to make sure we do our weekend runs at a "training pace." Adding at least 2 minutes to the pace at which we could "race" the mileage is the only safe and effective way for us to train the distance, to recover in time for the next weekend, and to make sure we arrive on Marathon Day injury free. Hopefully the AIDS Marathon Training Program's 98% success rate proves that! (Much higher than the average for people who train on their own.) Our pace groups are structured so that every member within the group feels comfortable and at the end of the run, feels as though they could even run another mile or two!
Pace Group Basics
The effectiveness of a pace group is only as good as its members. Each pace group has one person who has volunteered to be a Pace Group Leader for the six months training program. It is best not to alternate this position but rather to have one permanent person. This leader should have the Timex 100-lap Ironman watch and beyond keeping track of the run and walk breaks, the mile splits, and when it is time to hydrate and eat. They will be a valuable source of support and encouragement when it is need most. Each week the Pace Group Leader will ask a different person to volunteer as "Designated Driver." This person will agree to stay back with anyone who may be having that rare bad run or just needs an extra walk break or two. The Designated Driver should be very aware of how everybody is doing with their run and may want to run towards the back of the group so that it's clear when someone may need him or her to stay back. What goes around, comes around in the AIDS Marathon. If you stay back for someone one week, they might be doing it for you the very next week.
The Joan Benoit Samulson Pace Group at Chevy Chase
We are the "Joan Benoit Samulson" pace group at the Chevy Chase training site. Our training coach is Julie Young-Sturans. We have chosen a nickname of "The Fast Turtles" because our pace time is 13 minutes/mile which is in the middle of the range of pace groups but much slower than the fastest group (8:30 minutes/mile or less). We have about 20 members in our pace group and our pace group leader is Wayne Beyer. The group includes: Wayne Beyer, Jennifer Bowser, Tamika Burrus, Tara Cichewicz, Dolly, Sandy Ewing, Clinton Frost, Dionne Frost, Claudia Jones, Scott Lange, Ann Lee, Ellen McGovern, Miriam, Matt Neuman, Sabastian Niles, Rashika Padmakumara, Kim Pogue, Alethea Schmall, Stephen Schreurs, Paul Schwartz, Stacy Tucker, Kathryn Winsberg, and Lisa Younger. We have created a photo gallary if you would like to see us in our various activities. The following table shows the estimated times for each of our training runs. As we actually perform the training runs, the run time will be recorded in the table.
1 3 Miles May 6 39 Min. 34:21 Min.
2 4 Miles May 13 52 Min. 50:19 Min.
3 5 Miles May 20 65 Min. 64 Min.
5 7 Miles June 3 91 Min. 90:30 Min.
6 8 Miles June 10 1:44 Hr. 1:44:33 Hr.
7 10 Miles June 17 2:10 Hr. 2:07:28 Hr.
8 12 Miles June 24 2:36 Hr. 2:37 Hr.
9 6 Miles July 1 78 Min. 77 Min.
10 14 Miles July 8 3:02 Hr. 3:17 Hr.
11 7 Miles July 15 91 Min. 1:30:17 Hr.
12 16 Miles July 22 3:28 Hr. 3:40:10 Hr.
13 8 Miles July 29 1:44 Hr. 1:42:55 Hr.
14 18 Miles August 5 3:54 Hr. 4:20:26 Hr.
15 9 Miles August 12 1:57 Hr. 2:00:56 Hr.
16 20 Miles August 19 4:20 Hr. 4:59 Hr.
18 10 Miles September 2 2:10 Hr. 2:12:34 Hr.
20 8 Miles September 16 1:44 Hr. 1:43:46 Hr.
21 10 Miles September 23 2:10 Hr. 2:08:31 Hr.
23 8 Miles October 7 1:44 Hr. 1:41:24 Hr.
24 8 Miles October 14 1:44 Hr. 1:44 Hr.
25 8 Miles October 21 1:44 Hr. Hr.
26 Marathon Day October 28/29 5:41 Hr. Hr.
Fast Turtle products can be purchased at CafePress


LET'S BE FITNESS BABES TOGETHER!!!
I really need this to be a group effort, because I MAJORLY FELL OFF. Ya girl has not worked out in a month and a half.
Something about me: when I don't workout for extended periods of time, it doesn't just "not feel good" in the typical 27-year old way. I feel like my body is legit breaking down. My back starts to hurt, hips hurt, everything hurtsssss when I don't have a nice strong set of muscles to support my body.
Does this scare me? Abso-frickin-lutely. I'm terrified.
BUTTTTT for now, the best I can do is accept my pre-elderly ways and keep myself in the best shape possible. And this last month, I have done quite the opposite. Zero. Workouts.
hahaha well, we're here now and I shared my top 3 tips on how to get back in shape!
Make sure you give the video a 'thumbs up' on youtube if you liked it!


SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE–(Marketwire – February 28, 2013) – 8 To Infinity Pte Ltd, one of Asia's longest-established Internet hosting companies, today announced it is launching virtualized hosting for its worldwide customers of web hosting, colocation, dedicated servers, and managed services. Customers will enjoy faster speeds, greater reliability, more flexibility, and higher security.
Virtual servers can be more quickly provisioned and optimized than individual physical servers, permitting faster and more flexible hardware deployment and replacement. By isolating virtual networks from each other, virtualization enhances stability and security. In addition, 8 To Infinity's virtualized hosting provides faster and more flexible back up, giving customers greater peace of mind. 8 To Infinity is using Microsoft Hyper-V Server 2012.
The project began rollout this month and is to be completed in March. The last major upgrade of 8 To Infinity's infrastructure, announced on November 26, 2012, included high-performance connectivity to China and increased capacity to Equinix, a global interconnection platform and data center.
8 To Infinity, founded in 1997, is one of Asia's longest-established hosting companies. It has been a trusted provider to large industry and government customers, as well as gaming and e-commerce companies and solo entrepreneurs. 8 To Infinity provides premier dedicated hosting, colocation, data hosting and CDN services using state-of-the-art technology that allows clients to concentrate on their own core business operations. To learn more about the company, please visit: http://www.8.to.
XBT Holding Ltd. is a privately-owned global hosting, network solutions and web development provider founded in 2005, with offices in eight countries. Worldwide enterprise and SMB customers rely on XBT's international expertise and comprehensive service portfolio, including managed dedicated hosting, colocation, shared and VPS hosting, high-performance network, cloud, web and application development services. The company operates a worldwide proprietary network through five carrier-neutral data centers and 12 points of presence in the United States, Europe and Asia, with more than 12,000 servers throughout eight subsidiaries. XBT Holding partners with most major Tier 1 networks to ensure high-speed international connectivity up to 1,300 Gbps. XBT is now one of the fastest-growing companies in the Internet infrastructure industry. Visit XBT online at http://www.xbt.com.


text:
import { element, by, ElementFinder} from 'protractor';

interface PersonalInformationInterface {
    firstName: string,
    lastName: string,
    sex: string,
    experience: number,
    profession: string[],
    tools: string[],
    continent: string,
    commands: string[]
 }

export class PersonalInformationPage {

 private get firstNameField(): ElementFinder {
   return element(by.name('firstname'));
 }

 private get lastnameField(): ElementFinder {
    return element(by.name('lastname'));
 }

 private  sexRadio(sexName: string): ElementFinder {
    return element(by.css(`[name="sex"][value="${sexName}"]`));
 }

 private experienceRadio(year: number): ElementFinder {
    return element(by.css(`[name="exp"][value="${year}"]`));
 }

 private professionCheck(profession: string): ElementFinder {
    return element(by.css(`[name="profession"][value="${profession}"]`));
 }

 private toolsCheck(tool: string): ElementFinder {
    return element(by.css(`[name="tool"][value="${tool}"]`));
 }

 private continentOption(continent: string): ElementFinder {
    return element(by.id('continents')).element(by.cssContainingText('option', continent));
 }

 private commandsOption(command: string): ElementFinder {
    return element(by.id('selenium_commands')).element(by.cssContainingText('option', command));
 }

 private get submitButton(): ElementFinder {
    return element(by.id('submit'));
 }

 private get contentLabel(): ElementFinder {
  return element(by.id('content')).element(by.tagName('h1'));
 }

 public async getPageTitle(): Promise<string> {
    return this.contentLabel.getText();
 }

 public async fillForm(personalInformation:PersonalInformationInterface): Promise<void> {
    await this.firstNameField.sendKeys(personalInformation.firstName);
    await this.lastnameField.sendKeys(personalInformation.lastName);
    await this.sexRadio(personalInformation.sex).click();
    await this.experienceRadio(personalInformation.experience).click()
    for (const profession of personalInformation.profession) {
        await this.professionCheck(profession).click();
    }
    for (const tool of personalInformation.tools) {
        await this.toolsCheck(tool).click();
    }
    await this.continentOption(personalInformation.continent).click();
    for (const command of personalInformation.commands) {
        await this.commandsOption(command).click();
    }
    await this.submitButton.click();
 }
}


text:
Related topics: Performing, Media
comedycom‧e‧dy /ˈkɒmədi $ ˈkɑː-/ ●●● W3 noun (plural comedies) 1 [uncountable] entertainment that is intended to make people laughcomedy writer/series/show/actor etc a career in stand-up comedy (=telling jokes in front of people as a job)► see thesaurus at funny2 [countable]APAM a play, film, or television programme that is intended to make people laugh a highly successful TV comedy► see thesaurus at movie3 [uncountable]FUNNY the quality in something such as a book or play that makes people laugh SYN humour, → tragedy Can't you see the comedy of the situation? → black comedy, situation comedyCOLLOCATIONS – Meaning 1: entertainment that is intended to make people laughcomedy + NOUNa comedy series (=a regular TV programme about the same characters)I used to like the comedy series 'Friends'.a comedy show (=a performance)She has her own comedy show on TV.a comedy writerHe is best known as a comedy writer for radio and television.a comedy actor/actressHe was voted the top TV comedy actor.a comedy star (=a very famous comedy actor or actress)The main role in the film is played by comedy star Whoopi Goldberg.a comedy filmThey were the most successful comedy films of all time.a comedy routine (=the jokes that form a comedy show)He always has a brilliant comedy routine.a comedy duo (=two people who perform together regularly)the legendary comedy duo Laurel and Hardythe comedy circuit/scene (=all the people, places etc involved in providing comedy)She became a major star on the international comedy circuit.ADJECTIVES/NOUN + comedy stand-up comedy (=performances with one person telling jokes alone)He developed a stand-up comedy act.slapstick comedy (=in which the performers do silly things like falling over, getting dirty etc)The tradition of slapstick comedy goes back to the early days of cinema.high comedy (=intelligent and with very funny conversations and situations)The director wanted actors who could play high comedy.low comedy (=about very silly situations etc)He's a popular actor who excels at low comedy.light comedy (=about subjects that are not very serious)He is clearly talented at light comedy.black/dark comedy (=about subjects that are usually sad or serious, especially death)The plot contains plenty of black comedy.alternative comedy (=that is different from traditional types of comedy)He's making a name for himself on the alternative comedy scene. COLLOCATIONS – Meaning 2: a play, film, or television programme that is intended to make people laughadjectivesa romantic comedy'Four weddings and a Funeral' is a well-known romantic comedy.a black comedy (=about serious subjects, especially death)There are several murders in this black comedy set in Florida.a musical comedy (=with music and singing)As far as musical comedies go, this is one of the most successful.a sentimental comedy (=about emotions such as love and sadness)The film is one of those tearful sentimental comedies.a situation comedy (=a regular comedy TV programme about the same characters)She starred in a situation comedy about a family with teenage kids, that ran for ten years. a TV comedyThe actor played the character Baldrick in the TV comedy 'Blackadder'.
comedy• This one, obviously, is not a comedy.• a comedy show on Channel 4• It was a brilliant play - full of drama, and both sadness and comedy.• So is the prejudice against mixing tragedy and comedy.• The movie's a black comedy about a pair of junkie musicians who are trying to kick the drug habit.• The movie swings from broad comedy to moving drama in a single scene.• The aggressive style of mainland cabaret comedy is only now reaching Northern Ireland.• Bill started acting in musical comedy.• 'One Fine Day' was a romantic comedy with George Clooney and Michelle Pfeiffer.• In general, the violations of the unities in sentimental comedy are slight.• The tribute includes a 1960s episode of Coronation Street and the comedy Nearest and Dearest.• But the comedy is smart and funny, and Michael Douglas and Annette Bening are charming.• Much of the comedy in Pratchett's books comes from the clever way he plays around with words and ideas.stand-up comedy• And if you want the best stand-up comedy available for a dollar, try a speaker meeting on skid row.• Throughout the first decade of television, the dominant influence was what would now be called stand-up comedy.• Capurro has been doing stand-up comedy for about a year.• I had a girlfriend, Lisa DeLarios, who went to New York, and was doing great stand-up comedy.• Or a president of the Board of Supervisors whose real job is stand-up comedy.• Other tales that make up the show are obviously fictional: the stuff of stand-up comedy.• His starting point was stand-up comedy the thing he still does best, in 15-minute monologues at the start of every show.Origin comedy (1300-1400) French comédie, from Latin, from Greek komoidia, from komos "having fun, partying" + aeidein "to sing"


The Ensemble Fund returned 5.00% for the fiscal period ending October 31, 2016. This marked the close of our first fiscal year, which began on the Fund's inception date of November 2, 2015. For comparative purposes, the S&P 500® Index, which is the Fund's benchmark, had a total return of 3.27% over the same time period.
Both the absolute and relative return of the Fund was a tale of two halves. The Fund declined a total of 16.10% through February 11, 2016, at which point it was trailing the S&P 500's decline of 12.47%. From February 11, 2016 through the end of the fiscal year, the Fund returned 25.15%, while the S&P 500® Index rallied 17.99%.
Throughout the year, we found that stocks trading at a discount to what we believe is their intrinsic value could be most readily found in economically sensitive sectors, such as industrials, technology, and consumer discretionary. From our perspective, stocks in less cyclical sectors, such as utilities and consumer staples, generally offered much less value and appeared to be trading at steep valuations.
The bifurcated nature of the market during the period covered by the report and our choice to invest primarily in more economically sensitive companies caused the Fund to underperform during the first few months of the period. During this period, we believe market participants were worried about the slowing of the Chinese economy, the plunge in oil prices and the potential for the U.S. economy to contract. During the second part of the period covered by the report, when the Fund outperformed, market participants became more optimistic about the economic outlook as the Chinese economy showed signs of stabilization, oil prices began to rebound and it became apparent that the U.S. economy was continuing its multiyear trend of producing slow, but consistent growth.
During the period, we owned 24 different companies of which 20 generated a positive net returns for the Fund.
Sensata Technologies: Sensata makes sensors for global auto companies. These sensors are integral to helping automakers reach their goals of reducing emissions, increasing fuel economy, and improving safety. Once their sensors are included in a vehicle platform design, the company typically enjoys the opportunity to sell the part for a decade or more as production is completed. The stock performed poorly during the period as worries about global auto production rates crimped the valuation assigned to the stock by market participants.
Advisory Board Company: Health care spending is the largest driver of U.S. government debt levels. Advisory Board acts as a consultant and software provider to hospitals and other health care related organizations. Their services focus on helping providers reduce the cost of care while improving patient outcomes. During the period, sales growth disappointed as hospital demand for their services was reduced due to what we believe are transitory industry factors related to rapid changes in the health care industry, not a permanent decline in the need for Advisory Board's offerings.
Discovery Communications: A global provider of non-fiction video content, Discovery's share price performance during the period was hurt by market concerns about content producers' business models as the industry transitions from traditional cable television to internet-based streaming technology. In addition, strength in the U.S. dollar put significant pressure on the company's financial results as they generate over half of their revenue from outside the United States while their expenses are primarily denominated in dollars.
TransDigm Group: One of our largest positions during the period, TransDigm sells parts to airlines. Most of what they sell are proprietary designs for which they are the sole source provider. Regulators require airlines to replace these parts on a set schedule and once TransDigm parts are designed into an airplane, they can sell replacement parts for decades. The stock did well during the period as aftermarket sales to airlines rebounded from cyclically low growth rates.
Now, Inc: This company is one of two leading distributors in the U.S. to oil and gas drilling and production companies. As the U.S. rig count began to rebound from record lows in February, Now, Inc's stock rose sharply. The company went into the downturn with no debt and a strategic plan to acquire other companies. While the oil bust hurt their near term financial results, it also gave them an opportunity to execute on their acquisition strategy during a period of greatly reduced prices for target companies.
MasterCard: Along with Visa, MasterCard is part of an effective duopoly in the global payment processing industry. The company tends to generate very consistent financial results and generally did during the period. However, we were able to purchase shares during bouts of economic pessimism in January and February as well as in July after the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union. The stock finished our fiscal year trading at all-time highs.
The Ensemble Fund does not have a mandate to focus on economically sensitive sectors of the stock market. We strive instead to seek out the most attractively priced, high quality companies that exhibit significant competitive advantages. While many companies in less economically sensitive industries, particularly those in the consumer staples sector, meet our criteria for potential investment, we believe that investors are currently assigning excessively high valuations to companies that offer non-cyclical business models.
With the U.S. stock market trading near all-time highs, it is counterintuitive to note that investors are overpaying for stability and avoiding risk. But with long-term bonds and non-cyclical equity sectors trading at historically extreme valuations while cyclical sectors trade at valuations below their long-term average, we think that risk aversion is creating numerous investment opportunities for investors willing to build a portfolio of more economically sensitive companies.
Over the longer-term, we do not expect the Fund to have such a strong tilt towards economically sensitive sectors or exhibit the level of pro-cyclical volatility that we saw during this fiscal year. The Fund's beta, or its volatility relative to the S&P 500® Index, was 1.06 during the period. Over the longer term, we seek to build a portfolio which we think will outperform, while being less volatile than the market. But in today's market, we think risk-adjusted outperformance can be best achieved by accepting the cyclical economic risk that other investors are avoiding while refusing to overpay for companies that offer more stable fundamental outlooks.
Fund Fees: No loads; 1% gross expense ratio, 2% redemption fee on shares held 90 days or less. Distributed by Rafferty Capital Markets, LLC Garden City, NY 11530.


text:
Isolation of the nonprotein nitrogen fraction from human milk by gel-filtration chromatography and its separation by fast protein liquid chromatography
S. M. Donovan, B. Lonnerdal
Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism
Human milk (HM) is unique compared with the milk of other species in that nonprotein nitrogen (NPN) constitutes 20-25% of the total N. the NPN fraction consists of a diverse group of compounds with molecular masses < 10 000 Da (in the picogram to microgram per milliliter range), which have only been partially characterized. We have developed a methodology to separate and concentrate the NPN fraction for further analysis. NPN was initially separated from other milk components by Sephadex® G-25 gel filtration. Further isolation and separation was carried out by fast protein liquid chromatography gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. Molecular masses of unknown peaks were determined by using known molecular mass markers and standards. The methodologies developed lead to the discrete separation of NPN from other milk compounds and can be particularly valuable for isolating peptides in HM.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
nonprotein nitrogen
Human Milk
milk composition
Donovan, S. M., & Lonnerdal, B. (1989). Isolation of the nonprotein nitrogen fraction from human milk by gel-filtration chromatography and its separation by fast protein liquid chromatography. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 50(1), 53-57.
Isolation of the nonprotein nitrogen fraction from human milk by gel-filtration chromatography and its separation by fast protein liquid chromatography. / Donovan, S. M.; Lonnerdal, B.
In: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 50, No. 1, 1989, p. 53-57.
Donovan, SM & Lonnerdal, B 1989, 'Isolation of the nonprotein nitrogen fraction from human milk by gel-filtration chromatography and its separation by fast protein liquid chromatography', American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, vol. 50, no. 1, pp. 53-57.
Donovan SM, Lonnerdal B. Isolation of the nonprotein nitrogen fraction from human milk by gel-filtration chromatography and its separation by fast protein liquid chromatography. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1989;50(1):53-57.
Donovan, S. M. ; Lonnerdal, B. / Isolation of the nonprotein nitrogen fraction from human milk by gel-filtration chromatography and its separation by fast protein liquid chromatography. In: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1989 ; Vol. 50, No. 1. pp. 53-57.
@article{9895bc4839ed4c5298eef8bd7a5c1994,
title = "Isolation of the nonprotein nitrogen fraction from human milk by gel-filtration chromatography and its separation by fast protein liquid chromatography",
abstract = "Human milk (HM) is unique compared with the milk of other species in that nonprotein nitrogen (NPN) constitutes 20-25{\%} of the total N. the NPN fraction consists of a diverse group of compounds with molecular masses < 10 000 Da (in the picogram to microgram per milliliter range), which have only been partially characterized. We have developed a methodology to separate and concentrate the NPN fraction for further analysis. NPN was initially separated from other milk components by Sephadex{\circledR} G-25 gel filtration. Further isolation and separation was carried out by fast protein liquid chromatography gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. Molecular masses of unknown peaks were determined by using known molecular mass markers and standards. The methodologies developed lead to the discrete separation of NPN from other milk compounds and can be particularly valuable for isolating peptides in HM.",
author = "Donovan, {S. M.} and B. Lonnerdal",
journal = "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition",
publisher = "American Society for Nutrition",
T1 - Isolation of the nonprotein nitrogen fraction from human milk by gel-filtration chromatography and its separation by fast protein liquid chromatography
AU - Donovan, S. M.
AU - Lonnerdal, B.
N2 - Human milk (HM) is unique compared with the milk of other species in that nonprotein nitrogen (NPN) constitutes 20-25% of the total N. the NPN fraction consists of a diverse group of compounds with molecular masses < 10 000 Da (in the picogram to microgram per milliliter range), which have only been partially characterized. We have developed a methodology to separate and concentrate the NPN fraction for further analysis. NPN was initially separated from other milk components by Sephadex® G-25 gel filtration. Further isolation and separation was carried out by fast protein liquid chromatography gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. Molecular masses of unknown peaks were determined by using known molecular mass markers and standards. The methodologies developed lead to the discrete separation of NPN from other milk compounds and can be particularly valuable for isolating peptides in HM.
AB - Human milk (HM) is unique compared with the milk of other species in that nonprotein nitrogen (NPN) constitutes 20-25% of the total N. the NPN fraction consists of a diverse group of compounds with molecular masses < 10 000 Da (in the picogram to microgram per milliliter range), which have only been partially characterized. We have developed a methodology to separate and concentrate the NPN fraction for further analysis. NPN was initially separated from other milk components by Sephadex® G-25 gel filtration. Further isolation and separation was carried out by fast protein liquid chromatography gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. Molecular masses of unknown peaks were determined by using known molecular mass markers and standards. The methodologies developed lead to the discrete separation of NPN from other milk compounds and can be particularly valuable for isolating peptides in HM.
JO - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
JF - American Journal of Clinical Nutrition


text:
Maryam Rajavi calls on West to make contingent their relations with the mullahs' regime to the issue of human rights
In the conference of Iran, Regime Change, Provision of Security for Camp Liberty Residents
In his 10-month dossier, Rouhani has shown that he is part and parcel of the mullahs' regime with no mission other than to preserve the regime
Call for urgent action by international community to release seven Ashraf hostages, provide security of Camp Liberty, and transfer refugees to U.S. and Europe
On Saturday, April 12, Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, President-elect of the Iranian Resistance, called on the international community, especially the Western governments, to make contingent their relations with the mullahs' regime to the human rights situation in Iran, especially the abolishment of executions, cessation of torture and suppression, and respect for freedom of expression by this regime.
Mrs. Rajavi was the keynote speaker to the conference, held in Paris in presence of delegations from Iranian youth associations from across the world. She asserted, "End the policy of appeasement and making concessions to the regime. On the pretext of nuclear talks, do not turn a blind eye on the crimes committed by this regime against the Iranian people and the regime's role in the genocide in Syria, and its deadly occupation of Iraq."
Speaking on regime's reaction to European Parliament's recent resolution on the violation of human rights in Iran Rajavi said: "Their deep fear of human rights is not without cause since the slightest gap in this respect will open the way to torrents of uprisings and the unraveling of the chain of oppression."
Representatives from close to 50 Iranian youth associations from various countries attended this gathering.
Mrs. Rajavi called the extensive presence of the representatives of Iranian youth associations in this rally as a clear message to the Iranians and the international community and said: "The message is that the Iranian youth are resolute in bringing down the religious dictatorship and establishing freedom and democracy." Addressing the youth she added, "You, the youth who have risen today in resistance and uprising, are Iran's future."
In their speeches and through issuing a resolution, the representatives of the Iranian democratic youth associations reminded: "As Mrs. Rajavi accentuated in the European Parliament last week, human rights is the Achilles heel of this regime." They stipulated that ten months after the mullahs' regime presidential elections masquerade, Rouhani has shown that he is part and parcel of the religious fascism rule with no mission but to preserve the regime. During this period, the number of executions has exceeded 700, and the execution of people who were minors at the time of arrest has spiked. The institutionalized discrimination against women and ethnic and religious minorities has deepened and broadened. Censorship and restrictions on cyberspace have augmented and more than ever, the youth are deprived from free exchange of information and exercising freedom of expression on the internet.
According to the resolution, "Although the Iranian regime has been compelled to retreat one single step due to the sanctions and the crises it is engulfed in, it however is poised to realize its ominous project. The sole remedy is to force this regime to accept the Additional Protocol and to implement the Security Council resolutions."
They emphasized, "We consider a change of the regime as the sole path for Iran to thwart its present crisis and we therefore declare our support for the 10-point platform of Mrs. Rajavi."
Pointing to the destructive effects of the regime's warmongering and export of terrorism in the Middle-East, the resolution declares, "This regime must be banished from the international community and the seat of Iran at the United Nations should be given to the Iranian Resistance which is the democratic alternative to this anti-human regime. It is the duty of the international community to stand with the Iranian people and their legitimate demand to topple this regime rather than to be silent and on the sidelines in face of this medieval regime."
The meeting moderated by MC Jean-Pierre Spitzer. In addition to the representatives of the Iranian youth associations and French and Norwegian youth associations, a number of political dignitaries delivered speeches to the meeting, including Rudi Giuliani, Mayor of New York City (1994-2001); Howard Dean, former Chair of the Democratic National Committee; Michael Mukasey, U.S. Attorney General (2007-2009); Louis Freeh, Director of FBI (1993-2001); Alan Dershowitz, most prominent American lawyer in criminal cases; Robert Torricelli, U.S. Senator (1997-2003), from the United states and lawmakers Erick Skutle and Charlotte Spurkeland from Norway.
The meeting was held on the 3rd anniversary of the April 8 massacre of Camp Ashraf residents where 36 PMOI members lost their lives.
In her speech, Mrs. Rajavi pointed to the multiple massacres in Ashraf and the repeated attacks on Camp Liberty and stated: "We want the UN Secretary-General to explicitly and decisively terminate the cases of collusion and ignorance of crimes against humanity and to ordain an impartial investigation into the mass executions and hostage-taking in Ashraf based on a specific timetable."
She also criticized the United Nations and the United States for their "terrible inaction" toward the repeated missile attacks against Camp Liberty residents and asked them to compel the Iraqi government to uphold its commitments to provide safety and security to the residents, including the installation of T-walls and the annulment of the anti-human medical siege. "We demand the release of the Ashraf hostages and the transfer of all PMOI members in Camp Liberty, especially the sick and the wounded, to Europe and the United States", Rajavi added.
Secretariat of the National Council of Resistance of Iran
Camp AshrafCamp LibertyfeaturedHuman RightsIranIraqnewstop storiesworld
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600 UK will have a significant presence on four separate stands at MACH 2014. Alongside fellow 600 Group company Electrox, this will total over 150m2 at the Birmingham NEC show from 7 to 11 April 2014.
On the 600 UK stand (5659 in Hall 5), the industry leading machines on show will include the new range of Tornado advanced CNC turning centres, Alpha XS series manual/CNC 'teach' lathes, Colchester and Harrison manual centre lathes, Pratt Burnerd advanced workholding and Gamet Bearings' high precision bearing products.
The new, highly accurate modular built Tornado CNC turning centre will be exhibited alongside the hugely popular Alpha XS manual/CNC lathe, with models that can accommodate spindle bores up to 380mm and component lengths of 6 metres with C-axis capability to handle larger, more complex, components. Colchester and Harrison's industry standard, superior specification conventional lathe range will complete the line-up of lathes at MACH 2014.
Also showing in its first official UK launch will be the increasingly popular new 'Gripfast' Combination Power Chuck from Pratt Burnerd International that was launched successfully at EMO Hannover and is quickly becoming a huge time saver for many customers. The Gripfast Chuck provides CNC lathe customers with a chuck, a collet chuck and a mandrel chuck combined into one unit, and features both the 'Setrite' and auto-compensation features as standard, thus increasing productivity and minimising non-machining time through instant set-up changes for medium to small batch production runs.
Furthermore, 600 UK in partnership with Southern UK distributor, RK International have space in the Education and Training Zone (stand 4766 in Hall 4), where the world's best selling manual centre lathe, the Colchester Student will appear alongside the Europa Milltech turret mill range.
Both products are hugely popular with customers from industry and educational establishments and the Europa Mill is the first new machine of its type to be fitted with a high level Heidenhain TNC320 control system, giving manual and CNC control over 3 axes. Both these machines are ideally suited to exhibit in the Education & Training Zone in Hall 4 (stand 4766).
RK International will themselves, be showing a ROBBI 600R T6 semi-automatic universal grinding machine along with presentations on other machines from its portfolio, which includes technologies such as super finishing, turning, machining centres and honing on stand 5960.
Another 600 UK partner, John Walton Machine Tools will also be exhibiting a wide range of workholding products, including Pratt Burnerd chucks and collet chucks on their stand 5013.
600 UK Sales Director, Howard Bamforth said '600 UK are proud to be part of MACH 2014 where customers will be able to see our latest UK manufactured products, direct from our Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire factory on all of our stands'.
Machine Tools – the business has a strong reputation in the market for metal turning machines. Products range from small conventional machines for education markets, CNC workshop machines and CNC production machines. The manufacturing footprint is supported by selected outsourcing partners and machines are marketed through the Group's wholly owned international sales organisation.
Precision Engineered Components – machine spares are distributed to customers globally to help maintain the installed base of group machines which number in excess of 100,000. Additionally work holding products and taper roller bearings are sold via specialist distributors to OEMs including other machine builders.
Laser Marking – laser marking is a technologically superior alternative to inkjet marking. It requires no consumables and can operate on a continuous high speed basis when integrated into customers' production lines. The business has its own technology and proprietary software. Customer applications are diverse and range from telecommunications to pharmaceuticals. The requirement for increased product and component traceability is one of the market drivers.


text:
Poverty, Intra-Household Distribution and Gender Relations in Bangladesh: Evidence and Policy Implications
Mohammad A. Razzaque
Bazlul H. Khondker
Selim Raihan
Policies, Budget and PRSP: Are They Promoting Women's Rights in Bangladesh?
The Budget and the Poor (2nd Impression)
While assessing poverty incidence, it is a regular practice to consider the household as a single entity. This ignores intra-household distributional aspects, implicitly assuming that individual members face identical consequences in the event of the household's coming to terms with changing economic circumstances. As a result, poverty measures will be misleading if household resource allocation mechanisms tend to favors some members at the cost of others.
Administration and public policy
Rokeya Kabir
Violence and injustice against women are common phenomena in Bangladesh due to the traditional patriarchal socioeconomic structure and mindset. Bangladesh has significant constitutional provision and statutory laws guaranteeing human and fundamental rights and women's equal rights. However, poor quality of governance and non-implementation of these national policies have undermined the constitutional pledges.
The Fifty Percent: Women in Development and Policy in Bangladesh (2nd Impression)
Salma Khan
The Elusive Agenda: Mainstreaming Women in Development
The varieties, complexities and pervasiveness of development problems in an agrarian and poverty stricken country like Bangladesh are most acutely felt in the life of women, Due to the special nature of the economy and socio-cultural pattern, their participation is not visible, contribution not recognized and critical needs and issues are overlooked. The present study reviews women in development and policy in Bangladesh and reveals the existence of an undesirable but persistent pattern of exclusion of women from development activities.
Why Women Count - Essays on Women in Development in Bangladesh
Shamim Hamid
Different Perspectives: Women Writing in Bangladesh
One of the most densely populated countries in the world, Bangladeshs 25 years of existence has been peppered with violent political upheavals, natural disasters of gargantuan proportions, and an increase in the absolute number of people living in poverty. Against this background Why Women Count assesses the social and economic situation of women in Bangladesh. The foundation is laid by the first essay Non-market work and the system of national accounts which emphasizes the importance of accurately accounting in the GDP the work done by women both in and outside the home.
Women at the Center - Grameen Bank Borrowers After One Decade
Helen Todd
Bangladesh Microfinance Statistics
Microfinance Regulations for Development: Global Experiences
Readings in Microfinance: Reach and Impact
Challenges for Second Generation Microfinance: Regulation, Supervision and Resource Mobilization
For two decades, the Grameen Bank of Bangladesh has successfully administered a unique program that lends small sums to poor women for income generation. This is the first empirical study to examine the long-term influence of these loans on the borrowers, and it demonstrates that credit alone can fundamentally change the lives of poor women-even in the absence of other aid programs and in an environment distinctly hostile to women's autonomy. Helen Todd spent a year in two villages in Bangladesh following the lives of women who have been borrowing from the Grameen Bank for a decade.
Globalisation and Gender - Changing Patterns of Women's Employment in Bangladesh
Nasreen Khundker
The volume contains a set of papers which summarise the findings of a research study undertaken by the Centre for Policy Dialogue in collaboration with the United Nations Research Institute on Social Development. It complements the work in other countries such as Viet Nam, Uganda, Morocco and Jamaica. The main issues addressed are the implications of globalisation and changes in the macro-economic context in Bangladesh.
Rounaq Jahan
The growth of the International women's movement over the past two decades has challenged the international community to respond to its vision of social transformation. This book examines the response of one set of key players-the international donor agencies. It compares the donors priorities with those of their development partners and argues that, although significant achievements have been made, the fundamental goals of the women's movement-transforming social and gender relations and creating a more equitable world- still elude us. Why has this progress been so elusive?
Stagnation, Agrarian Structure and Credit (Daniel Thorner Memorial Lecture Series)
Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, Dhaka
Ashok Mitra
Agricultural Development Possibilities in Bangladesh
Managing Extension Services
Managing Food Price Inflation in South Asia
What have been the true achievements of the much discussed green revolutions in the Indian sub-continent? What coalition of political forces came to choose the advice of the technologists over those urging structural reforms as the solution to India's agrarian transformation? What have been the costs of a development strategy which has ignored the agrarian masses in favour of securing the political allegiance of a landed minority? With a rare clarity of vision, Prof.
Out of the Periphery - Development of Coastal Chars in Southeastern Bangladesh
Environmental Studies and Disaster Management
Jagatpur 1977-97 - Poverty and Social Change in Rural Bangladesh
Rural-Urban Migration in Bangladesh: Causes, Consequences, and Challenges
Destination Dhaka- Urban Migration: Expectations and Reality
A range of vulnerabilities and an unfulfilled potential for development are the main features of the coastal belt in the southeastern part of Bangladesh. On a day-to-day basis the people living on the coastal belt have to address vulnerabilities as diverse in nature as drainage congestion and the salinity of the soil constraining agricultural yields, cyclones and storms that pose risks to lives and property. Additionally, a heterogeneous social environment with undue influence of well positioned land grabbers can make life and living difficult.
Options for Self-reliant Resurgence CPD's Rapid Assessment of Flood 2004
Living with Floods: An Exercise in Alternatives
Geo-spatial Tools for Analysis of Floodplian Resources
Can Bangladesh be Protected from Floods?
The 2004 Flood in Bangladesh will be remembered because of the rapidity with which it struck and the severity of the damages that it inflicted upon the people and the economy of the country. Addressing the negative fallouts of Flood 2004 continues to remain a concern at the household level in the affected areas as well as for the policy makers and development practitioners. As the flood water was receding in August 2004, the Centre of Policy Dialogue (CPD) launched a Rapid Assessment of Flood 2004.


text:
package org.ppwcode.value_III.legacy;

import javax.faces.component.UIComponent;
import javax.faces.context.FacesContext;
import javax.faces.convert.Converter;
import javax.faces.convert.ConverterException;

import org.ppwcode.vernacular.value_III.PropertyException;

/**
 * Converter for {@link RSZNumber}. The {@link #getAsObject(FacesContext, UIComponent, String)}
 * method is very lenient: separators can be left out, or any of the characters
 * <var>space</var>-/|*:.
 *
 * The value must be the string representation of the class.
 *
 * To activate this converter, the following entry has to appear in faces-config.xml:
 *

 * <converter>
 *   <converter-for-class>be.peopleware.value_II.RSZNumber</converter-for-class>
 *   <converter-class>be.peopleware.value_II.RSZNumberConverter</converter-class>
 * </converter>
 *

 *
 * @author nsmeets
 * @author Jan Dockx
 * @author Peopleware n.v.
 */
public class RSZNumberConverter implements Converter {

  /**
   * Convert the specified string value, which is associated with the
   * specified UIComponent, into a model data object that is appropriate for
   * being stored during the Apply Request Values phase of the request
   * processing lifecycle.
   *
   * @result  value == null || value.length == 0
   *            ==> result == null;
   * @result  result == a new RSZ number created using the given string;
   * @throws  ConverterException
   *          The RSZ number could not be created from the given string.
   * @todo  formal comment
   */
  public Object getAsObject(final FacesContext context, final UIComponent component,
      final String value) throws ConverterException {
    if ((value == null) || (value.length() == 0)) {
      return null;
    }
    else {
      try {
        return new RSZNumber(value);
      }
      catch (PropertyException e) {
        throw new ConverterException("RSZ number " + value + "could not be created", e);
      }
    }
  }

  /**
   * The empty string.
   *
   * = ""
   */
  public static final String EMPTY = "";

  /**
   * Convert the specified model object value, which is associated with the
   * specified UIComponent, into a String that is suitable for being included
   * in the response generated during the Render Response phase of the request
   * processing lifecycle.
   *
   * @result  value == null
   *            ==> result == EMPTY;
   * @result  value != null && value instanceof RSZNumber
   *            ==> result == ((RSZNumber)value).toString();
   * @throws  ConverterException
   *          value != null && !(value instanceof RSZNumber)
   */
  public String getAsString(final FacesContext context, final UIComponent component,
      final Object value) throws ConverterException {
    if (value == null) {
      return EMPTY;
    }
    if (!(value instanceof RSZNumber)) {
      throw new ConverterException("value is not a RSZNumber");
    }
    return ((RSZNumber)value).toString();
  }
}