Yaap, a joint venture from CaixaBank, Banco Santader, and Telefonica, has launched a new mobile commerce platform that is designed to give consumers direct access to merchant offers. Using the platform, which is called Yaap Shopping, consumers will be able to automatically redeem special offers when purchasing products from their mobile device. This is meant to bring more convenience to the mobile shopping realm, which may make the platform more attractive to consumers.
Convenience is in high demand among mobile consumers. People want to be able to easily use their smartphones and tablets to purchase products online. Convenient services are often rewarded with long lasting consumer support, while those that are difficult and cumbersome to use are typically forgotten within a matter of weeks. Mobile commerce is an incredibly competitive sector, so businesses are constantly working to introduce platforms that take convenience into account when engaging consumers.
Yaap Shopping aims to unify tens of thousands of businesses throughout Spain. The platform is designed to make these businesses immediately accessible to consumers and supports any Visa and MasterCard card that is linked to the platform itself. The offers that are accessible through the platform are direct discounts being offered by merchants and product offers that promote specific brands and the merchandise they are responsible for.
Yaap has incorporated its mobile payments technology into every point-of-sale system coming from Banco Santader and CaixaBank throughout the country. These systems are now making use of Yaap's cloud-based engine that is responsible for accessing consumer financial information. This technology also keeps track of consumer shopping behavior, making it easier for the Yaap Shopping platform to provide consumers with special deals that are being offered by the merchants that they favor. The system is designed to apply discounts automatically at the time of purchase.


QEnergySpa, BEFE Home q36 - Q the Experience, Future Life Science.
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Experiment focuses on asking questions and searching for answers, something both young children and scientists do. At its core is Wonder Wheels, our vehicle of science. The interior houses a variety of laboratory-style experiments, where children can ask questions and test their own theories in simple lab activities. Children can experiment with role-playing at the vehicle front, where three steering wheels, bench seating, materials, tools and costumes, allow them to take the wheel and take part in some cooperative pretend-play. Outside the vehicle caregivers and their children can explore self-directed 'Wonder Boxes' or participate in staff-led activities.
When your child is playing in the EXPERIMENT area….
Children and their parents can work together on a variety of tabletop activities, experiments, and projects in the Wonder Bus. Scientists and young children share similar curiosities about the world, and often question what they observe. In the Science Lab space in the Wonder Bus, children can use age-appropriate scientific tools and participate in rotating activities. When they explore the Wonder Boxes, children can ask and answer their own questions by making observations and simple measurements in an array of self-guided activities.
Parents can learn more about their child's development in the Parent Resources area, and gain a better understanding of the research methods used and questions addressed in developmental studies. This area is designed to help parents learn that their own attitudes about science affect the way they engage their children in science.
A science-positive atmosphere is a fundamental component of children's continued science education success. In fact, children are more confident in science-based activities when they practice science concepts with their parents at home.
Parents tend to interpret science exhibits more for sons than for daughters when visiting science centers, suggesting that parents' implicit gendered attitudes about science may be promoting a gender gap in children's later scientific pursuits.
Children are curious and explore their environments to gather more information much like scientists do. They create and test "theories in action." In fact, child-driven exploration can be more beneficial to learning and discovery than adult-guided instruction, especially when playing with new toys that have hidden functions. Explicit instructions limit children's exploration with new toys.
Play is learning. High-quality pretend play can influence the development of perspective-taking and problem-solving abilities in children, and it has also been associated with increased linguistic ability as well as higher-level cognitive skills.


Welcome to Home Style Saturdays, where we bring together posts relating to styling your home, DIYs, room updates and more!
Seems like today we are all gearing up towards Easter here at Home Style Saturdays. I'm sharing an older post that I thought you might like to see if you have a sweet tooth and either young children or grands! I'm up first in the line, so be sure to check that out. We have another guest host this week and if you scroll to the bottom you'll meet the super clever Jenn and her creative terrarium. I hope that you enjoy the weekend and if you happen to be over on Instagram I'm sharing some fun posts over there. Follow me on INSTAGRAM here!


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Entries in 'The Cribs' (14)
Charts analysis: Beyoncé lands fourth No.1 solo album
Beyoncé's first new studio album in more than six years, Renaissance makes its anticipated debut atop the chart, with first week consumption of 31,064 units – more than the rest ...
Charts analysis: Michael Ball and Alfie Boe hold off BTS in albums battle
Consistent as ever, the pairing of Michael Ball and Alfie Boe proves once more to be seasonal sales gold. Together At Christmas is their fourth collaborative album, arriving after Together ...
Music Week Playlist: August 31, 2020
Dua Lipa leads this week's playlist with Mark Ronson's remix of Physical... Dua Lipa (Feat. Gwen Stefani)Physical (Mark Ronson remix) (Warner Records)Already a gold-plated massive pop moment for ...
The Aftershow: Johnny Marr
One of finest guitarists ever to come out of the UK, Johnny Marr is back with third solo LP Call The Comet. Here, The Smiths great, who has been part ...
Foo Fighters 'curate inspiring, female support bill' for stadium shows
Foo Fighters have announced they aimed to showcase a host of "strong female artists" when they put together the bills for their UK stadium tour. Dave Grohl's band play Manchester's ...
I'm with the band: Johnny Marr on his greatest partnerships
Electronic"At the risk of getting too cosmic, it was always on the cards that Bernard Sumner and myself were going to be friends. We're very different people from very ...
'I've been through almost everything': Johnny Marr on surviving 35 years of music biz upheaval
Leaving a seminal band to go it alone is a legend almost as old as rock'n'roll itself, but what sets the Johnny Marr story apart is the 26 years in ...
Inside the Brudenell Social Club's mission to protect the grassroots circuit
There's a scene in one of the peerless early series of The Simpsons where Homer's boss, the devilish Mr Burns, is musing over what to call his new casino. "It's ...
The long and short of it: Why the album needs more events like the Hyundai Mercury Prize
Streaming continues to turn the music market upside down in many ways, but its impact is most obvious on the way the singles and albums charts have traded places. Who ...
James Sandom: The Big Interview
James Sandom is contemplating how things have changed since he took up the dark arts of artist management back in the late '90s. "When I started in this business, there ...
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: i want to join two datasets with rdd in spark scala and save results to file. It was executing in all nodes but the last task running forever Here is my code::
val trg = sqlContext.read.format("com.databricks.spark.csv").options(Map("path"-> {path+"/test/phonesort.csv"}, "header" -> "true")).load().toDF().repartition(1000) //10 million data

val src = sqlContext.read.format("com.databricks.spark.csv").options(Map("path"-> {path+"/test/bajaj_src.csv"}, "header" -> "true")).load().toDF().sort("PHONE1").repartition(10) //1,00,000 data

val srcrdd = src.rdd.map(row => { (row(1),row)}).persist()
val brd = sc.broadcast(srcrdd) //BROADCASTING SAMLL DATASET
 val trgrdd = trg.rdd.map ( row => {
   (row(1),row)
})
val res = trgrdd.join(brd.value) map{ case (x,(y,z)) => y.mkString("\"","\",\"","\"")+","+z.mkString("\"","\",\"" , "\"") }
 res.saveAsTextFile(path+"/test/1.csv")

The problem is when i am trying to execute in 3 node cluster the last task going into infinite loop (forever not completing the task).
here i am sharing screenshots of my job running status with marked::
Request someone's help here.. Thanks

A: This happens when your keys aren't well distributed.
Join calls a cogroup which puts all the data with the same key into the same partition/task.
In this case u have 44259072 records with the same key so they are all being processed by a single CPU in a single thread.
Look at your data to find this value and decide whether you actually want to join on it. I expect you don't since every case I've seen this its actually a dummy value.
If you do then I'm not sure how to proceed. You'd get even more records out since joining several values on the same key effectively does a cartesian join.
EDIT:
Reading your code further if I understand you are broadcasting an RDD?
You shouldn't do this. You should do something like the following:
val smallRDD: RDD[(K, V)] = ???
val largeRDD: RDD[(K, V)] = ???
val bcRDD: Broadcast[Map[K, V]] = sc.broadcast(smallRDD.collectAsMap())
val joined = largeRDD.map{case (k, v) => (k, (v, bcRDD(k)) }

If the above doesn't apply and I'm reading your code wrong it is possible you data is evenly distributed but they end up on the same partiton. This could happen when the hashcode of the keys modded by the number of partitions equals the same value. In which case you will want to look into writing your own partitioner.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Home > Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences > Student Publications > 1295
Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Student Publications
CDP/cut is the DNA-binding subunit of histone gene transcription factor HiNF-D: a mechanism for gene regulation at the G1/S phase cell cycle transition point independent of transcription factor E2F
Andre J. Van Wijnen, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolFollow
Maria F. van Gurp, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Marleen C. De Ridder, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Cristina Tufarelli
Thomas J. Last, University of Massachusetts Medical School
Mark J. Birnbaum
Patricia S. Vaughan
Antonio Giordano
Krek Wilhelm
Ellis J. Neufeld
Janet L. Stein, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolFollow
Gary S. Stein, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolFollow
Biochemistry & Molecular Pharmacology
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences; Department of Cell Biology
Life Sciences | Medicine and Health Sciences
Transcription of the genes for the human histone proteins H4, H3, H2A, H2B, and H1 is activated at the G1/S phase transition of the cell cycle. We have previously shown that the promoter complex HiNF-D, which interacts with cell cycle control elements in multiple histone genes, contains the key cell cycle factors cyclin A, CDC2, and a retinoblastoma (pRB) protein-related protein. However, an intrinsic DNA-binding subunit for HiNF-D was not identified. Many genes that are up-regulated at the G1/S phase boundary are controlled by E2F, a transcription factor that associates with cyclin-, cyclin-dependent kinase-, and pRB-related proteins. Using gel-shift immunoassays, DNase I protection, and oligonucleotide competition analyses, we show that the homeodomain protein CDP/cut, not E2F, is the DNA-binding subunit of the HiNF-D complex. The HiNF-D (CDP/cut) complex with the H4 promoter is immunoreactive with antibodies against CDP/cut and pRB but not p107, whereas the CDP/cut complex with a nonhistone promoter (gp91-phox) reacts only with CDP and p107 antibodies. Thus, CDP/cut complexes at different gene promoters can associate with distinct pRB-related proteins. Transient coexpression assays show that CDP/cut modulates H4 promoter activity via the HiNF-D-binding site. Hence, DNA replication-dependent histone H4 genes are regulated by an E2F-independent mechanism involving a complex of CDP/cut with cyclin A/CDC2/ RB-related proteins.
10.1073/pnas.93.21.11516
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996 Oct 15;93(21):11516-21.
Van Wijnen AJ, van Gurp MF, De Ridder MC, Tufarelli C, Last TJ, Birnbaum MJ, Vaughan PS, Giordano A, Wilhelm K, Neufeld EJ, Stein JL, Stein GS. (1996). CDP/cut is the DNA-binding subunit of histone gene transcription factor HiNF-D: a mechanism for gene regulation at the G1/S phase cell cycle transition point independent of transcription factor E2F. Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Student Publications. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.93.21.11516. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/gsbs_sp/1295


Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami that devastated the coast of India in 2004. Resulting from the 9.1 magnitude earthquake with its epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, the tsunami killed about 230,000 people in 14 countries and caused widespread loss of property and livelihoods in the coastal parts of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand, among others.
In India alone, nearly 11,000 people were killed and at least 2,750,000 affected. The south-eastern coastline of the country, including Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman and Nicobar islands were the hardest hit. Rescue and relief operations started immediately after the disaster. While grassroots and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the affected areas were the first to reach the victims, the government, too, was quick to facilitate rescue and relief work—the Centre released Rs 700 crore to the affected states and Union Territories through the National Calamity Contingency Fund.
Although relief work by NGOs and government agencies continued for two years until 2006-07, rehabilitation efforts since that have been sluggish. According to Ram Subramaniam, coordinator of the NGO Tamil Nadu Tsunami Relief Initiative, there are only one or two agencies still left in the coastal belt of the state providing rehabilitation, while in 2004 there were over 400 NGOs. Most long-term rehabilitation efforts were supposed to have concentrated on better mitigation plans, rebuilding of infrastructure, vulnerability mapping, relocating and rehabilitating displaced families and restoring the coastal ecology. "The government of Tamil Nadu has not wrapped up its long-term rehabilitation projects, even though its relief efforts were commendable. A lot of work is still required in terms of housing, land reclamation and disaster preparedness," he says.
The state government claims otherwise. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an official from the Tsunami Rehabilitation Programme, a post-2004 initiative of the state, says that necessary rehabilitation initiatives are complete. These projects have received funds worth Rs 5,280 crore from external funding agencies like the World Bank, the Central government as well as states.
But the ground reality, as pointed out by Subramaniam, is different. Even 10 years later, people from several coastal towns in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu are waiting to be rehabilitated into new homes. "What was a natural disaster that lasted for a few seconds has now evolved into a man-made disaster. All the fishing hamlets along the East Coast road in Tamil Nadu have disappeared, having been taken over by commercial enterprises like resorts. The government as well as commercial buyers have exploited the trauma of the fishing community in these regions," says Subramaniam.
Subhashini Sridhar, programme coordinator at the Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems that works with farmers in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, says that most of the land reclamation was done by the farmers themselves. "I don't think the government managed to achieve its long-term objectives. No effort was made to strengthen the coast through natural formations like mangroves or sand dunes. We are still unprepared for a disaster. Every time there is one, it will be followed by funds and work for six months or a year, but two years later we will forget it," she adds.


As industry leaders in automotive direct mail marketing, we want to educate car dealerships, service managers and anyone with an interest in selling more cars and services about what goes into making a successful direct mail marketing campaign. Just as important as what works, is what to avoid.
maximize every marketing dollar you spend EFFECTIVELY.
Direct mail is hands-down one of the most effective ways to get more qualified and motivated buyers into your dealership… when it's done correctly. The problem is direct mail, more often than not, is done haphazardly and can become ineffective.
THERE'S NO NEED TO REINVENT THE WHEEL WHEN SOMETHING HAS A SOLID TRACK RECORD.
When consulting with a new client, It only pays to show campaigns that have a proven track-record of producing results for their marketing needs. Many direct mail programs have copy, artwork and hooks that compliment each other to effectively engage your potential customers in a way that nudges them to respond. It can be psychological words, color schemes or maybe even just the flow of the copy, or layout of the mail piece.
YOUR SALESPEOPLE AREN'T MARKETING PROFESSIONALS. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT WORKS. LEAVE THE MARKETING TO US.
We realize that getting your staffs' "buy-in" is important. If everyone is on board with the campaign, then it increases the chances of the leads being handled effectively by them. However, basing your decision on whether or not your salespeople "like" it, needs to stop. It doesn't matter if they like or dislike the artwork – or even if YOU like it for that matter – We show artwork and copy for campaigns that consistently produce results – across markets and across brands.
Those results being increased traffic, which result in exactly what you want – VEHICLE SALES, and SERVICE RETENTION. Trust us, when you don't do well, we don't get re-hired.
PRICE IS ONLY WHAT YOU PAY FOR SOMETHING – VALUE IS WHAT YOU SHOULD BE BUYING.
This mistake goes hand in hand with the last two. You should be basing your decisions purely on what program is going to be the most effective for your dealership. The old adage "you get what you pay for" couldn't possibly be more applicable. Quality also matters in direct mail. Quality of lists, quality of the message, unique components that further engage your customers – we utilize custom video messages on each mail piece & smartphone integration – and the quality of trackable results.
IF CUSTOMERS WERE GOING TO COME IN ANYWAY, THEN ALL YOUR MARKETING DOLLARS ARE A WASTE.
More often than not, the only answer a manager can give you as to the success of a campaign was, "We had a busy weekend." This just doesn't cut it. You need to know exactly what a campaign has done for you. Did 29 people from your list buy on that busy weekend? Or did 2 people buy from that list on a coincidentally busy weekend? If you aren't properly tracking, you don't know. If you don't know, you could be wasting money on a bad program because of your generalized assumptions.
Direct marketing gives you the power to directly match the people you mailed to with your sales for the month. Be sure to include the co-signers name also when doing this.
Also- don't fool yourself, you may have already been working a few of those deals, but not ALL of those people were going to come and buy from you anyway. Are we looking for evidence that it worked, or evidence that it didn't?
MAKE SURE EVERYONE KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT CAMPAIGNS ARE GOING ON EXACTLY WHAT TO DO.
Sometimes a prospect will take a while to act on the mail they received. Many salespeople make the massive mistake of turning away customers simply by saying, "That's a mailing from last month" or "I don't know what this is…" In what world does it make sense to turn away business because a motivated buyer didn't act by some arbitrary date, or because a salesperson missed the meeting and had no clue about it?
I know what you're thinking, "My salesmen would never turn anyone away." Wrong, yours too. It happens more than you think. You wouldn't believe how many callbacks our call center gets from customers that were turned away once they arrived at the dealership. I wouldn't care if a customer came in with a Dairy Queen coupon, I'd show them a car. Make sure your staff & management understand this concept thoroughly.
A GOOD COMPANY ANALYZES THE DATA AND LEARNS FROM IT. JUMPING FROM COMPANY TO COMPANY KILLS THIS.
As you become more and more familiar with your customer, you understand their needs and wants more clearly, which allows you to do a better job at matching them with the car that best suits them, correct? Sticking with a good direct mail company works the same way. This allows them to better understand your dealership as well as your market, and eventually allows them to see opportunities that you may be missing – and give creative suggestions.
It also goes without saying that good marketing is something that changes over time. Tweaks can be made with each campaign leading to the development of the most effective campaigns possible. By jumping around and looking for the next best thing, you're shortchanging yourself of these benefits – and these benefits are in fact – some of the most profitable for a dealership.
"Successful people make decisions quickly and change their minds slowly.
IMAGINE ALL THE OTHER THINGS YOU'LL BE ABLE TO FOCUS ENERGY ON WHEN YOU PLAN AHEAD.
Let's face it, there probably isn't a more "reactive" industry than the car business. Just imagine the success you could leverage if you were proactive. Sure, you're busy with your day to day, but what happens when you stop planning your marketing for the future? Business will taper off. Then you go into all out marketing panic mode to get more business. This doesn't leave you with much time or a clear head to vet out a company or campaign. The cycle then repeats the very next month. Stop doing that to yourself.
Using a proven and professional marketing company, takes the planning and execution off your plate. At Pulse, we make it a breeze and put an end to the stress and emotional roller coaster.
Since there aren't enough hours in the day for you to field all the sales calls, pitches, and telemarketers – having a go-to that you know and trust makes planning for the future easy – and priceless.
POSTAL RECEIPTS ARE PROVIDED TO THE THE PRINT HOUSE FROM THE POST OFFICE SOON AFTER MAILING.
Once your direct mail campaign has dropped, it behooves you to request postage receipts. Your not going to like this, but if these receipts aren't produced immediately (48 hours max) upon request, it's likely that something suspicious is going on. Unfortunately, now that most postals are online and purely digital, they are even easier to forge.
easy to write it off as a "failed campaign." Make sure to do your part and demand postage receipts.
NOT TOO MANY WANT TO BE ON CAMERA, SO IF SOMEONE TAKES THE TIME TO FILM A TESTIMONIAL, IT'S LEGIT.
There are a lot of wannabes and charlatans out there that want nothing more than to take your money and run. Many are full of slick-pitches and empty promises. They also know the industry well enough to know that you are most likely going to be too busy to check back up to see if they delivered what they said. These types don't care about you, your long term growth or business success. But you can easily separate the sheep from the wolves, if you make the time.
MANY TIMES, INDECISION IS THE WORST DECISION.
You've probably been there hundreds of times – you see a really great marketing program, it has great art, compelling copy & consistent trackable results. It has everything you want – yet, you end up not pulling the trigger.
You may not even know why you didn't. Indecision is a business growth-killer. Even though something excites them, many get cold feet at the point of making a decision. Some of it is not wanting to be "closed" and some of it is fear of missing out on something better. You've conditioned yourself to say "no" or "I need to think about it," even though you really love it. Then life and business happen at a fast & furious pace and focus goes to other things.
Many times that program is but a memory when the pressure to make a move is on. A snap decision is made on something that has been researched far less, or worse not at all. I bet there were times you forget to implement something you learned from a Dealer 20 group because things were hectic when you got back.
If you like something, check references and take just a few minutes to research it. If it checks out, do it. I promise you, dealers that are running their markets, take action on the things they've researched – and take action often.
With so much competition in the marketing world, Automotive Direct Mail companies are often times looked at as nothing more than a commodity. To some, Direct Mail is even a "bad word". Frequent calls filled with empty promises, has facilitated wasted money and thus bad blood. We are, however, not all the same.
Mail Ninjas has over 20 years of combined automotive-specific marketing experience. We use the freshest laser-targeted lists to connect to the right customer, unique packaging, sharp graphics and creative to get our mail noticed. Psychological copywriting for the message moves customers into action. Our proprietary technology creates greater response, ROI and tracks all of our campaigns in real-time, to show the success of our programs. Our use of data & technology to sharpen the campaigns for our clients has dubbed us "Mail Ninjas".
Besides consistent results and 90+% retention with our clients, what really sets us apart is PassChecks®. Many of our programs now utilize PassChecks to seamlessly integrate with your customers smartphone. Geo-location and automatic push notifications, keep your message fresh on the customers mind long after you've connected with them, stretching your marketing dollars much farther than other companies.


THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME is about Taylor, a perfectionist overachiever whom everyone dubs as 'The Ice Queen', who spends her whole life studying and trying her best to get into Columbia to be a lawyer like her dad. But after getting drunk and waking up in bed next to notorious womanizing surfer boy, Evan McKinley, her reputation gets flushed down the toilet as she's bombarded with taunts and spite. Desperate to make things right again, Taylor convinces Evan to pretend they're in a serious romantic relationship.
I've always been a fan of romantic comedies and Asian dramas. Especially Korean dramas. The drama, the laughter, the swoony bits. I love them all. One day as I was watching a kdrama, the idea of two completely opposite characters who were forced to pretend to be in a relationship just popped in my head. And from there, Evan and Taylor were born.
I can't take credit for the cover at all as I had NO idea how I wanted the cover to look. That was all the work of the brilliant people at Swoon Reads. In fact, the cover designers made five cover concepts and the winning cover was chosen in a vote by the public.
This is definitely up my alley as one of the first things I do with every story is work on character bios. Usually this includes a brief history of each character along with personality characteristics, relationships, and character photos. It's one of my favorite part of plotting. Sometimes I never even finish a novel, but I have their bios all set out.
This is a stand alone novel, but the characters in THE WAY TO GAME THE WALK OF SHAME will definitely make cameo appearances in future books.
I'm not sure exactly why I chose Wilmington, North Carolina. I knew it needed to be close to beaches, but not exactly a beach town. But it also needed to get cold sometimes. I just did some research and the pictures of Wilmington just stuck out to me. I've never actually been there, but I would love to visit someday. Especially now!
I've always loved romance in general, but I'm a huge sucker for young love. Where something as simple as handholding could cause everyone to swoon. When things are so simple yet so complicated all at the same time.
I think it was my love for books. Growing up, I was always known as a bookworm. I spent recesses helping out in the library. Partly because of the air conditioning. New Orleans weather can be very brutal sometimes. But the books were a huge part of it. In high school, I tried my hand at writing fan fiction, mainly Harry Potter, and soon that grew to creating original storylines with my own characters.
After I have my character bios planned out, I usually go to baby naming sites and just start skimming the names until I find something that fits. Sometimes I end up changing it later on, but I usually find something. I also tend to be drawn to simpler names. Especially for the guys.
The struggle to come up with book titles is very very real. Especially for me. I usually try to come up with a working title when I'm plotting just so I would have something to call the story. Sometimes it's something like WHATEVER IT TAKES or RIGHT PLACE, WRONG TIME. And other times its something really generic like CRUISE SHIP. Can you guess where that story takes place? Lol Like I said, I'm not very good with book titles, but I know it's something that can (and probably will) change in the future.
Name one of your all-time favorite books?
One? That's like trying to pick your favorite child.
But if I had to, then I think my favorite book would be Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I love the entire Harry Potter series book, but the third book was the one that made me go 'Whoa, things just got kind of real'. And the worldbuilding in there is just amazing. Plus I love the marauders.
Inspiration can come from anywhere. Most of my inspiration comes from things I watch or see because I'm a very visual person. Whether it's an idea that hits me when I'm watching a drama or a tv show or even something on YouTube. The current story I'm working on was based off of a The Voice blind audition I saw years ago.
When I write at night, then I usually just cozy up in bed with my laptop. If it's during the day, then I find it's better to go to a coffee shop or Barnes and Nobles. The library is good, too, but only if I have earphones with me because the complete silence becomes too distracting.
I actually haven't read this graphic novel, but I loved the movie Stardust. It's an adventure fantasy movie came out in 2007 and it has everything. Romance, sword fights, magic, witches, pirates, you name it! With a heavy dose of comedy. If you haven't seen it, then I definitely think you should check it out.
Name two of your favorite authors.
J.K Rowling and Stephanie Perkins. Stephanie because her books are sweet, funny real romances. And they never fail to bring a smile to my face. I can only hope that my books will be as loved as hers someday. And J.K Rowling…well, do you even need to ask? She's J.K ROWLING. Enough said.
I love to eat. Especially trying new things. Once I was on a cruise and saw that they had escargot on the menu. I wasn't sure exactly what it was at the time and started to ask the waiter, but before he could answer, I told him "Never mind and just bring me two dishes of it". I don't remember how it tasted now, but I don't think it was bad.
There are so many interesting things about New Orleans and I am blanking a bit right now. I do know that New Orleans is the birthplace of voodoo and is known to be the most haunted city in the U.S. Which is why I always get new furniture and knickknacks even though there are so many cool stuff at the flea markets and antique shops. I'll browse the stores, but that's it. I'd rather not have a vengeful spirit come home with me in a mirror or jewelry box, thank you very much.
I plan to write as much as I can for as long as I can. I don't know if I'll end up publishing two books or a dozen, but I do hope to make a career out of writing! It's a dream of mine to be published and I don't plan to stop now. I'm currently in the process of editing one story and working on the first draft of another.
Getting published was on there, but I suppose that's something I can cross off June 7th! ☺ Something else I've always wanted to do is that I've always wanted to visit South Korea. Maybe it has to do with my obsession with Korean dramas, but I definitely want to go there someday. The food is delicious, too, so that's a huge plus!
Growing up, I've always wanted to write even though there weren't many Asian writers at the time. Especially writing YA romances. I certainly didn't know any. Young adult was barely a thing when I was a kid. Being an author was something that I wanted to do, but never thought would actually happen. As I got older, I became more of a realist and tried to set my goals to something more attainable. I majored in pre-pharmacy for a while before realizing that there was a reason science was always my worse subject. I then turned to business and that was okay, but writing was never far from my mind. Finally, I decided to give it shot. It still took over eight years for me to get published, but I'm finally here!
Jenn Nguyen fell in love with books in third grade and spent the rest of her school years reading through lunchtime and giving up recess to organize the school library. She has a degree in business administration from the University of New Orleans and still lives in the city with her husband. Jenn spends her days reading, dreaming up YA romances, and binge watching Korean dramas all in the name of 'research'. The Way to Game the Walk of Shame is her debut novel.


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The global financial crisis: Behind us but far from over
Ten years ago this month, Lehman Brothers, the fourth-largest US investment bank, filed for bankruptcy protection.
It was a seminal event in what has come to be known as the global financial crisis (GFC). Even a decade on, the massive damage it inflicted across the world continues to shape both the global economy and investor behaviour.
Just how bad was it?
The epicenter of the crisis was a wave of US subprime mortgage failures that hit the housing and financial sectors and then spilled over into the broader economy and far beyond the United States. It created a synchronised global recession. For a number of countries, including Greece, Italy, and Spain, recovery from this recession to pre-crisis GDP levels has taken even longer than it had from the Great Depression. Other countries still aren't there yet.
Although numbers alone can't capture the full impact of what happened, below are some indicators for the United States that at least give a sense of the scale of the crisis.
Sources: Vanguard, Financial Crisis Inquiry Report: Final Report of the National Commission on the Causes of the Financial and Economic Crisis in the United States, and "The 2007–2009 Financial Crisis: An Erosion of Ethics: A Case Study" in Journal of Business Ethics, December 2017, Volume 146, Issue 4, pp. 805–830.
Some healing from the GFC and some enduring scars
"Obviously, we're in a much better place right now than we were a decade ago," said Roger Aliaga-Díaz, Vanguard chief economist for the Americas. "The global economy has been expanding—the US is in its ninth year of expansion, which is the second-longest on record, and most developed economies are at or near full employment. And inflation remains modest despite unprecedented monetary stimulus.
"But on the other hand," he noted, "the GFC set in motion or accelerated some deep shifts in the global economy that leave us still short of 'pre-crisis normal,' according to some key metrics. I'd point specifically to wages, global growth, international trade, and interest rates as prime examples of that."
Slower global growth, less international trade. The financial meltdown put a brake on the debt-fueled consumption boom in the developed world and, with it, the main growth driver for export-oriented emerging markets. The US, for example, began buying less abroad, causing its trade deficit to drop from close to 6% of GDP in 2006 to about 2.5% post-crisis, while China's trade surplus shrank from 10% of GDP to around 2%. (They are still at roughly those levels today.) The abrupt drop-off in international trade accelerated the drive of some emerging markets like China to rebalance their economies from export-oriented manufacturing production toward domestic-oriented services. Other emerging markets, especially commodity exporters, have struggled to reorient their economies. As a result, emerging markets are not the engines of global growth they once were. Growth in China has slowed from an annual average of about 10% for the two decades prior to the GFC to about 6.5% since then. Overall emerging-market growth has fallen from about 7% to about 4% over the same time frame.
Persistently low interest rates. Global demand for "safe assets," such as high-quality government bonds, had been increasing well before the GFC. One reason was the burgeoning retirement savings of aging populations transitioning toward more conservative portfolios. A second reason was a buildup of reserves by emerging-market central banks in response to their traumatic currency crises of the 1980s and 1990s, and more recently by their attempts to offset the effect of quantitative-easing policies of the last decade on their currencies. The GFC caused a collapse in the availability of those assets, effectively shrinking the pool of what constituted "safe." Before the crisis, many investors felt that financial assets, such as synthetically engineered AAA-rated securities, securitised mortgages, and related derivatives in the US, as well as euro-backed peripheral government bonds in Europe, were all valid alternatives to Treasuries. After the US housing and European debt crises, investors learned that that was not the case.
The deteriorating global supply/demand imbalance resulted in a massive shortage of high-quality, risk-free assets around the world. This had the effect of pushing the prices of the few safe assets left—mainly US Treasuries, British gilts, and German bunds—to extreme highs. Since bond prices and yields move in opposite directions, bond yields and interest rates have reached historical lows.
This global shortage of safe assets is likely to persist and long-term interest rates could well remain at current levels for some time.
Stagnating wages. In a typical economic recovery, companies have to raise wages in order to attract and retain increasingly scarce workers. However, there hasn't been as strong a demand for more workers in this recovery because global growth has been slower.
Demographic trends across developed markets are an important part of the explanation. In the US, the main reason for the fall in the unemployment rate has been the retirement of baby boomers, a trend that the recession probably accelerated and that is likely to continue for decades. The US labour force participation rate has shrunk by almost 4%, or more than 9 million workers, since the GFC. And because the retiring boomers have been replaced by younger and cheaper workers, the usual post-recession surge in wages, after adjusting for inflation, hasn't materialised.
And yet the financial markets have been surprisingly robust
"The contrast between the economy and the markets couldn't be starker," observed Vanguard Chief Investment Officer Greg Davis. "While most economic variables showed subpar performance, stocks have delivered solid returns."
The US market has delivered an outstanding annualised average return of 19% since March 2009 (the crisis-era low) following a meltdown of –47% in the six months prior to that. Those returns put the average annual return for the full ten-year period at 11%, or slightly better than the comparable return of 9% for two decades prior to the crisis.
The performance of bonds was also decent given the low-interest-rate environment—the average annual return for US bonds was 3.5% for the decade. Given the demand for safe assets, neither the extended period of economic expansion nor the unprecedented quantitative easing across much of the developed world has lifted rates very high.
*Data for Hong Kong bond returns were not available.
Note: The periods cover the global financial crisis (September 2008 through February 2009) and the post-crisis period (March 2009 through August 2018).
Sources: Vanguard calculations of stock returns, using data for MSCI Total Return Indices, and Vanguard calculations of bond returns, using Bloomberg Barclays indices.
Lessons for investors
There's no better illustration of the importance of staying the course through good markets and bad than the US equity market's impressive turnaround since the GFC. Investors with a broadly diversified portfolio of 50% stocks and 50% bonds who didn't hit the panic button saw an average annual return of 7% from the pre-crisis market peak in 2007 through June of this year.
Notes: Stocks are represented by the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. Bonds are represented by the Bloomberg Barclays US Aggregate Bond Index. The 50% stock/50% bond portfolio was rebalanced monthly. Data are provided by FactSet and cover the period from 9 October 2007, through 29 June 2018. Past performance is no guarantee of future returns. The performance of an index is not an exact representation of any particular investment, as you cannot invest directly in an index.
Source: Vanguard calculations using data provided by FactSet, as at 29 June 2018.
As would be expected, more risk-tolerant investors with larger portions of their portfolios in stocks would have done better. It's worth noting, however, that a 100% stock portfolio would have been under water for the first four years after the market peaked in 2007.
Maybe the GFC's most enduring effect on investor behaviour is greater fear of loss. Millennials who started investing with Vanguard after the GFC were twice as likely to hold zero-stock portfolios as those who started investing before it occurred. For them, market risk seems to be more salient than potential return.
"Bond returns are likely to remain modest and US equities also face some headwinds due to high valuation levels," said Mr. Davis, "which translate into subdued return expectations for the next decade. For all the contrast between the performance of the economy and market returns over the past ten years, we may be heading into a period of lower portfolio returns over the next ten years. A global balanced portfolio may return between 3% and 5% after accounting for inflation, compared with a historical return of around 7%."
One of Vanguard's main goals in providing forecasts about capital markets is to arm investors with realistic expectations about portfolio returns so they can calibrate an appropriate level of savings in order to ensure they reach their investment goals.
Timeless advice
The global economy is in a very different place a decade after the GFC and some investors remain risk-shy (especially those who didn't participate in the great stock bull market that ran from 1982 through 2000). But Mr. Davis said Vanguard's investment approach hasn't changed: "Think about how much risk you can take on and still sleep at night, diversify your portfolio across the globe among stock and bonds, and make sure to rebalance from time to time—those steps should still offer you the best chance for investment success."
Roger Aliaga-Diaz
Chief Economist for the Americas


text:
int main(){
	char *listID = (char*) malloc((MAX_ID_LENGTH + 1) * sizeof(char));
	char *url = (char *) malloc(strlen(PREFIX) + 1 * sizeof(char));
	strcpy(url, PREFIX);
	printf("%s", "Enter the listID (64 chars max): ");
	scanf("%64s", listID);
	url = construct_url(url, listID);
	send_playlist_request(url);

	free(url);
	url = NULL;
	free(listID);
	listID = NULL;
	printf("All downloads completed!\n");
}

char* construct_url(char *url, char listID[]){
	url = (char*) realloc(url, strlen(PREFIX) + strlen(listID) + 1 * sizeof(char));
	strcat(url, listID);
	url = (char*) realloc(url, strlen(PREFIX) + strlen(listID) + strlen(SUFFIX) + 1 * sizeof(char));
	strcat(url, SUFFIX);
	return url;
}

void send_playlist_request(char *url){
	CURL *curl;
	CURLcode res;
	xml_buffer buffer;
	char *xml_doc = NULL;
	video_info *links;

	init_buffer(&buffer);
	curl = curl_easy_init();

	if(curl) {
		curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_URL, url);
		curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_WRITEFUNCTION, &write_to_buffer);
		curl_easy_setopt(curl, CURLOPT_WRITEDATA, &buffer);
		res = curl_easy_perform(curl);

		//Check for errors
		if(res != CURLE_OK) {
			fprintf(stderr, "curl_easy_perform() failed: %s\n", curl_easy_strerror(res));
		} else {
			xml_doc = concat_buffer(&buffer, xml_doc);
			links = parse_xml(xml_doc);
			download_files(links);

			free_video_info(links);
			free(xml_doc);
			xml_doc = NULL;
		}

		//Cleanup curl
		curl_easy_cleanup(curl);
	}
}

void download_files(video_info *v_info){
	unsigned int i;

	for (i = 0; i < v_info->amount; i++){
		generate_file(v_info, i);
	}
}

void generate_file(video_info *v_info, unsigned int i){
	char *rest = "\\Documents\\%(title)s.%(ext)s";
	char *opt = " -o \"";
	int env_len = strlen(getenv("USERPROFILE"));
	char opt_len = strlen(opt);
	int rest_len = strlen(rest);
	//1 extra for the "
	char *file = (char*) malloc((env_len + opt_len + rest_len + 2) * sizeof(char));

	file[0] = '\0';
	strcat(file, opt);
	file[opt_len] = '\0';
	strcat(file, getenv("USERPROFILE"));
	file[env_len + opt_len] = '\0';
	strcat(file, rest);
	file[env_len + rest_len + opt_len] = '\"';
	file[env_len + rest_len + opt_len + 1] = '\0';
	printf("Downloading \"%s\"...\n", v_info->titles[i]);
	_spawnl(P_WAIT, "youtube-dl.exe", file, v_info->id[i], NULL);
	free(file);
	file = NULL;
	printf("Download completed.\n");
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
package com.blogspot.toomuchcoding.topFeaturesYouNeedToKnowAbout.service.cleaning;

/**
 * User: mgrzejszczak
 * Date: 28.05.13
 * Time: 23:16
 */
public interface CleaningServiceFactory {
    CleaningService getMeACleaningService(TypeOfCleaningService typeOfCleaningService);
}


Research has shown that reading stimulates white matter growth, improves memory, and in general makes you smarter. If you think any of those things are good for you, visit Project Gutenburg, a collection of thousands of free e-books.
Disclaimer: reading is not intended to cure any disease. Consult your physician before engaging in excessive reading. Side effects include nerdiness, myopia, and know-it-all syndrome.
Older PostExtra extra!!! Storm brewing in espresso shot!


When you arrive at Scott Lake Rehabilitation Center in Lakeland for your medical rehabilitation, your visit will feel less like a stay at a medical facility and more like a stay at a four-star resort. Their 77,600 square-foot, 120-bed skilled nursing facility provides personable medical care through state-of-the-art technology and luxurious accommodations and amenities.
Separated into four distinct "neighborhoods", each with their own bistro, the facility includes 30 private and 45 semi-private rooms, a 3,900 square foot therapy gym with the latest state-of-the-art equipment, several outdoor courtyards including a therapy trail, and various other inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services.
Whether you arrive for short-term rehabilitation or long-term care, your stay will have staff attend carefully to your personal individual needs, ensuring that you enjoy the best stay and an even better recovery.
The new medical facility recently celebrated its grand opening and dedication through a ribbon-cutting ceremony hosted by the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce. After witnessing the ribbon cutting, attendees could take a personal tour of the facility and its amenities, and later enjoy a complimentary buffet with food and beverages served from their bistro.
Melissa Nieves, Administrator for the Scott Lake Rehabilitation Center, prides her modern facility for offering personable rehabilitation and medical services through state-of-the-art equipment, a skilled nursing staff, and long-term care. Their biggest challenge is being able to offer such quality care, yet she is more confident that her modern facility is able to do so by focusing on the individual needs of their patients, she said.
Matt Clark, Chair Elect for the Lakeland Chamber, mentioned how his organization was more than willing to see this new facility become yet another local success story, and how they were able to provide whatever resources they can in order for it to do so.
Mayor Bill Mutz, who cut the ribbon during the ceremony, mentioned how awe-inspiring it was to walk into such a high-quality modern facility, and how much such a facility meant to the local community.


Traveling is a wonderful joy for many people. The tips that follow will help you get it all parts of the traveling process just a little more.
Making travel arrangements far in advance can help you save money. Despite the many, many different things you can spend money on when you travel, the cheaper they are. You can save more money by planning properly.
If your travels will take you to a port of call prior to your cruise, always find a hotel that offers free parking and arrive the night before. Ask the hotel's staff about any parking deals if there aren't any published.
Sometimes you wind up at a poor hotel.Bring a rubber doorstop for safety.You can use this under your door overnight in conjunction with the chain and lock.
Research currency rates prior to your expenditures. You must know how much you can start planning what you're going to be able to spend and even save money. This trick will help you max out on your trip.
Pack some travel candles for your hotel stay. This can make the scent of your room smell a bit better. The smells can be relaxing, and it may help you sleep better.
When you take a cruise, try talking with other passengers at formal dinners. Many times you at a large table with people you are unfamiliar with. Have a positive attitude and talk with different people. You are traveling with these individuals, and you could learn something new about your ship.
Think about various ways to travel. Buses have a long way. You might find package deals from some bus lines that will make your planning simple.
Try to avoid exchanging currency when you visit a different country. There is an easier options to procure foreign currency. You can simply get foreign currency through a bank ATM. These usually have the best exchange rate available.
Tip generously to anyone who deserve it. Give the steward a $20 tip when you first board the ship.You will probably have the same folks waiting on your party for the rest of the cruise, so generosity will likely ensure better care and service.
You do not to bring luggage when you travel by air. This saves you time and stress during your travels. You can have your belongings sent to your travel destination via FedEx or FedEx. This will be worth it over the long run even though it may cost you some more money but it is valuable.
Just like you have learned in this article, lots of people love traveling. Generally, many do not enjoy the planning part of a trip. Apply the advice in this piece to have an easier planning experience.


text:
Essential Home is a proactive home assistant that focuses on privacy (but still watches you)
Ben Schoon
- May. 30th 2017 5:40 am PT
@NexusBen
Today the Essential Phone we've been seeing teasers about finally went official, bringing us one of the most beautiful bezel-less smartphones we've seen to date, all within a fairly reasonable price and with some crazy features and specifications. Along with that, however, Essential has another product to debut — the Essential Home.
This new home assistant, like Google Home or Amazon's Echo family, is designed to listen to your queries and commands and provide the relevant information, but this product sets itself apart in four major ways. First, its design. The Essential Home is a cylinder with a slope which actually reminds me a bit of Google Home's shape if it were shorter and wider. However, this design also includes a large round display. The company says that it is focused on bring a home assistant that "you'll actually be proud to display in your home. No boxes, tubes or strange lights."
The second way Essential Home sets itself apart from the competition is the way it handles data. Rather than sending information off to servers, Essential Home attempts to handle most of the data it processes locally on the device. That's a refreshing change from Google and Amazon's approach, but how it works in practice is going to be interesting, to say the least.
Along with that, Essential Home does more than just responding to you, sometimes it will take the initiative. Using its custom Ambient OS, Home is able to mimic Google Now to an extent, providing information such as traffic times and calendar events when you need it along with other contextually relevant information. How it pulls this information is a little unclear, but it tells me that there may be some level of Google account integration in this device.
Lastly, Essential Home is more than just an always listening cylindrical tablet you ask questions to, it also apparently watches you. Essential hasn't provided any details on how this works, but on its site it says that you can "ask, tap, or even glance to activate" the device. Presumably, the Home has a camera or sensor of some sort that looks for people in the vicinity and activates when it detects that you're looking at it.
We still don't know a lot about the Essential Home, like pricing, but Wired reports that the device will be going on sale this Summer and that the company has already built an impressive smart home control system. Apparently, it can already interact with major platforms such as Nest, Samsung SmartThings, and even Apple's HomeKit, as well as integrating with Google Assistant, Siri, and Alexa, somehow. Hopefully, we'll get a lot more details in the coming weeks.
Essential is Andy Rubin's latest startup working to create new hardware and a smart home ecosystem
Ben is a writer and video producer for 9to5Google.
Find him on Twitter @NexusBen. Send tips to schoon@9to5g.com or encrypted to benschoon@protonmail.com.
Ben Schoon's favorite gear
Fossil Gen 5 Smartwatch
Best Android Smartwatches


Images forplastic pools in trinidad Remove images Google's policy & process for requesting removal of an image can be found here.
Great for pools and the beach, the INTEX Dolphin Ride-On is sure to catch some eyes! This impressive raft features heavy duty handles and a uniquely large design.
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For any Bristol students who read our recent guide to the best takeaway and delivery food in Nottingham with interest and were sat there salivating at the prospect of such high calibre cuisine, we have some fantastic news indeed.
No sooner had we finished scouring Nottingham for the very best takeaway food the city had to offer, that we started performing the very same analysis for Bristol.
So, we are now delighted to bring you the best luxury takeaway and delivery food in Bristol.
Finding the finest gourmet food, all available for delivery to your home or halls of residence was quite challenge due to the diverse range of foods available in the South Western city, from an array of different cultures and backgrounds but as ever, we are confident that our guide contains all you need to know when looking for the perfect dish.
Now hamburgers may not be what you immediately associate with luxury food, but they have definitely undergone somewhat of a makeover in recent years. A far cry from the dry and droll affairs originally thought up by our American cousins, the gentrification of many British cities has seen the burger become a serious dish and one that can really hit the spot when you are looking for a luxuriously satisfying takeaway in Bristol.
YoYo Burger have an incredible reputation in Bristol due to the fact that they specialise in delivery and have become masters at ensuring every ounce of this quality is maintained during transit to your living room.
You can read their Twitter page to find out their recipes and inventions and their menu is ever changing, meaning there is rarely a dull moment when ordering from these luxury takeaway aficionados.
Our quest to find the best luxury takeaway and delivery food in Bristol then took us to a Lebanese outfit by the name of Afendi Restaurant & Café. Afendi is actually the highest rated restaurant on Just Eat in the whole of Bristol when it comes to takeaway food and is hugely popular due to the authenticity of its dishes.
Lebanese may be unfamiliar to some but it is a fantastic mix of North African and Mediterranean flavours and despite being really healthy, is also packed with serious flavour. If you love dishes such as hummus, olives and sambousa then this luxury takeaway could well be for you.
Afendi offer discounts for parties, 10% off all deliveries and even a free desert for anyone spending £20 or more, which is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth. So, if you are looking for a luxury delivery service that will provide a vast range of flavours and tastes and take you on a journey through middle eastern culture, we highly recommend Afendi Restaurant & Café.
When it comes to a gourmet takeaway that delivers serious flavour, then most of us look to an Indian takeaway however these are usually the delivery services which need to be approached with the most caution. Few things are tastier than a great curry but get one that is below par and you could regret it for some time.
Thankfully, the Almero Student Mansions team have found you the best luxury Indian takeaway in the entire city of Bristol. The Raj is right in the upper echelons of all the restaurants in the city, nestled nicely in the top 20 places to eat Bristol-wide and their delivery service makes them a versatile choice when looking for one of the best eateries in the area.
Some of the top comments about the Raj include positive reviews regarding the freshness of their seafood, the lack of oil found in their dishes and the fresh flavours that can be found in every mouthful. You can read more of these reviews for yourself, but we can most definitely give this takeaway the Almero thumbs up when it comes to premium quality takeaways in Bristol.
Last but certainly not least in our list of the best luxury takeaway and delivery food in Bristol is our favourite Chinese restaurant. Cathay Rendezvous is situated on the city's popular King Street and the building actually dates back to the 1600's. The restaurant is extremely elegant and this is complemented beautifully by the quality and freshness of their Asian flavours; thankfully this is very much the case with their delivery service as well.
This Chinese takeaway fares very well on the review sites such as TripAdvisor, with over a hundred five star comments. We can recommend the soups if you opt for Chinese when ordering your takeaway in Bristol. It's not just us who recommends them, as they get the majority of the rave reviews. The portion sizes and authentic ingredients make this restaurant a winner whether it comes to a sit down meal or a takeaway delivered right to your door.
Overall, Bristol really does have an eclectic range of takeaways to choose from when ordering from the higher end of the restaurants available and putting this guide together was quite tricky, in that we inevitably had to leave out some outstanding food vendors.
Although the above establishments are definitely our top picks, we recommend having a good look around the likes of Just Eat and Hungry House and sorting by average rating. These will be the more expensive restaurants which will deliver the quality and flavour you are looking for as refined "foodies".
Remember you can get in touch with the Almero Student Mansions team to discuss any aspect of enjoying the finer things in life when studying in Bristol. Our accommodation is pure luxury and we also have all sorts of other resources just like this one in our ever popular blog.


text:
Home Blog 2014 Rhode Island Standard of Need
2014 Rhode Island Standard of Need
Our Rhode Island Standard of Need shows what it costs to live and raise a family in Rhode Island and how work supports help families meet basic needs.
Rhode Island is a beautiful state with sandy beaches, world class restaurants, and a vibrant arts and culture scene. Yet many workers in our state struggle just to pay for the basics, making it all but impossible for them to enjoy all that our state has to offer. In fact, many workers would not be able to get by if not for government funded work and income supports that close the gap between low wages and high costs.
The Economic Progress Institute publishes the Rhode Island Standard of Need (RISN) to answer two fundamental questions:
What is the cost of meeting basic needs for families and individuals in Rhode Island?
How do state and federal work and income supports help households meet the cost of basic needs?
The RISN calculates a no-frills budget for families and single adults that includes the costs of housing, food, transportation, health care, child care and other necessities. The RISN also demonstrates how work supports like tax credits, food assistance and child care and health care subsidies help close the gap between income and expenses. By taking all of these factors into account, the RISN provides a more realistic measure of the economic security of Rhode Islanders than the federal poverty level.
Read Previous Reports
• 2012 Rhode Island Standard of Need


text:
Q: MySQL inserta en un campo integer como "0" al poner "null" necesito insertar "null" en un campo integer y al dar la orden me lo guarda como 0. Alguien me puede explicar qué ocurre?
INSERT INTO tabla (id, campo) VALUES (1, null)

He probado con y sin comillas, con undefined y vacío y nada. Siempre me sale 0.
Un saludo.


With a hugely successful EKKA done and dusted, and the Gold Coast Show over, with a swag of Supreme Champion and Champion & Reserve Champion ribbons for Cortez, Wilga Park Jacobinia, Wilga Park Madagascar and Wilga Park Lisianthus, it is time to settle in to the fun season of the year ... foaling season!
Cortez Supreme Champion Dilute and Supreme Champion Morgan Exhibit Wilga Park Jacobinia Champion Morgan Gelding Wilga Park Madagascar, Reserve Champion Morgan gelding and Wilga Park Lisianthus, Champion Morgan Mare with owner Lisa Wong Wendy Brown rode Cortez to first place in both the Dilute and the Morgan ridden classes. Greg was very proud of them.
Foaling season can be so very rewarding, but it can also be very heartbreaking, when a foal is lost. We have had our share of losses this year, as well as last. However, we are enjoying the two babies that have arrived, and looking forward to two more.
Two foals were born just an hour apart on Friday night 18 October. The first was to the big, gentle standardbred surrogate mare, Gracious, who was carrying a baby for Eagleview Skybeau (Calypso). A beautiful, leggy, elegant, superbly proportioned smokey black colt arrived at 7.45pm. The only white is a few white hairs on his forehead. He is 'to die for' in looks and temperament. His name is Wilga Park Silver Sabre.
At 9.00pm Wilga Park Malaynee (Calypso's daughter) delivered her Cortez filly. This little golden buckskin girl popped out with Attitude to burn. She was vocal and on her feet in no time at all and telling her Mum not to bother trying to position her correctly to get her first drink, as she was quite capable of doing it herself, thank you very much! :) - accompanied with a couple of kicks to her Mum's foreleg from her tiny little hind leg. She is an absolute delight and makes us smile every time we watch her. She is a Calypso grand daughter, but I think she has a double dose of her Mum, Malaynee's, independent spirit. The name Wilga Park Boquila (pronounced Boqueela as it is Spanish) is perfect for her.
We have enjoyed the company of some great people and our Morgans have provided a young girl some fun times. We so appreciate our Morgan boys when we see them give so much enjoyment to others. Greg's Bridge and Trail paddock are already being used for much fun and enjoyment.
Julie and Bruce Cornelius from Mollydooka Morgans in Tasmania dropped in to visit and to meet Cortez. Bruce and Julie decided Cortez was their stallion of choice for their mares in 2013. It was wonderful to spend time with them and talk about our favourite subject for a number of hours.
The Morgan horse has widened our circle of friends and we feel the people who have purchased our Wilga Park kids are extended family, so it is always wonderful to receive photos and news of how they are going and what they are doing. Some recent news from Wilga Park Kids.
Wilga Park Lisianthus, rising 4 years - The Wong family of Eaton's Hill Stud love her for her steady, safe temperament. Wilga Park Tibouchina, also rising 4 years - with owner Michelle, at her very first Dressage competition ... a very commendable 5th place on her first outing.
Wilga Park Serjania (aka Jack) at Adult Riding Club with his owner, Jan. Jack is Silver Sabre's older full sibling.
Cortez has sired two gorgeous part morgans this season. Both foals have inherited lovely traits from both parents - temperament being high on the list. Both are lovely, lovely foals.


text:
Mars Volta Members Unite With Flea For New Project, Antemasque
Nastassia Baroni Apr. 09, 2014
While its not The Mars Volta reunion fans may have been hoping for, former members Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala have today announced an exciting new project, which sees the prolific musicians team up with Chili Peppers bassist Flea for a supergroup dubbed Antemasque.
Omar Rodriguez-Lopez broke the news via his Twitter account, posting a thirteen second trailer, featuring himself and his former Mars Volta bandmate, with edited sound from a recording session. That was accompanied by a longer rehearsal video posted on ESPN's X-Games' site, which also features long-time Mars Volta collaborator Flea and drummer Dave Elitch.
The band have also set up an official Facebook page. The Mars Volta officially split in 2013 when Bixler announced on Twitter that he was no longer a member of the band he and Rodriguez-Lopez started in 2001 after the break up of At the Drive-In.
"I tried my hardest to keep it going…I can't sit here and pretend any more. I no longer am a member of Mars Volta," Bixler tweeted on January 30th, 2013. "I honestly thank all of you for buying our records and coming to our shows. You guys were a blast to play in front of."
The two seemed to be on rocky terms for a while, but hints at a possible mending of wounds
came in early March when Bixler's wife, Chrissie Bixler, posted a picture on Instagram of her husband and Rodriguez-Lopez holding Bixler's twin boys at a California beach. The caption reads, "And these four guys!"
Stay tuned here for anymore news about Antemasque releases, albums and tours.
UPDATE 10:58am AEST: Antemasque have dropped their first track, and it's great in unexpected ways…
Watch: Antemasque trailer
http://youtu.be/AEcQjnQ1Gvg
Watch: Antemasque in the studio
B.B. King Heckled By Fans During Erratic Concert
Rapper And Drug Kingpin Brought Down By Littering Charge
AntemasqueFleaThe Mars Volta


text:
Otagoa chathamensis är en spindelart som beskrevs av Forster 1970. Otagoa chathamensis ingår i släktet Otagoa och familjen Desidae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Spindlar
chathamensis

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Some background might be helpful.
Who doesn't want to know more about the N.J. Electrified Railroad, 1906-1931?
"The Legacy of the Johns Committee" — "Charley Johns didn't have anything against the University of Florida as such, he wasn't trying to hurt the University. He was on a mission by gosh that he heard there were homosexuals on the faculty and he was going to get rid of them." – J. Wayne Reitz, Former University of Florida President.
Haddon Hall was one of two Quaker Hotels on North Carolina Ave. and the Boardwalk built soon after the Civil War. Both structures underwent extensive renovations over the years. Haddon Hall is currently Resorts Casino Hotel. The other, the Chalfonte, was demolished in 1980. More information here. Photos from Atlantic City Boardwalk on my Pinterest.
December, 1921, Haddon Hall under construction.
Resorts Casino Hotel, Atlantic City, formerly Haddon Hall, my photo, 2015.
Window detail, Resorts Casino, my photo. 2015.
See SJRAIL.com for more information.
An overview of suburbanization in the United States, 1830 to 1960, U.S. National Park Service, Department of the Interior.
Henry Flagler built two grand hotels in the late 1880s. Both are still in use. The Ponce de Leon Hotel is home to Flagler College; the Alcazar Hotel is now the Lightner Museum.
People playing golf by Fort Marion – Saint Augustine, Florida. 1902. Black & white photoprint, 6 x 8 in. State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory.
A view from the tower at the Ponce showing the Alcazar and to its left, the Annex, now Casa Monica Resort & Spa, Florida Memory.
The former Casino Pool, the largest indoor pool in the world at the time, is now the site of the Alcazar Cafe.
Sign at the Lightner Museum.
Sculpture beside steps at former Ponce de Leon Hotel Ladies Entrance, now Flagler College. Photo by me.
Entrance to Flagler College, formerly know as The Ponce. My photo.


text:
Disagreement with AGM resolutions
MattHodges
Postby MattHodges » 4 Aug 2020, 11:01pm
Apart from the proposed membership changes other resolutions are very detrimental to the nature of our club.
Resolution 5 is also disconcerting increasing as it will the power of the trustees to ignore the membership. As it says - the the effect of part 1 of the resolution is to remove the requirement to have a proper AGM. Another part increases the power of the trustees to co-opt more trustees. When taken together with the requirement for anyone standing as an elected trustee to be approved by the nominations committee this further concentrates power in the hands of the trustees and reduces members ability to scrutinise their actions.
Resolution 6. Stopping promotion of cycling holidays that involve flying (yes the wording says reduce and ultimately stop) Effectively this means they are trying to stop cyclists touring in far off countries. Many members have toured in India or Australia. Could they have done that without flying there and back? How can cyclists tour in Australia, New Zealand or the Americas without flying? Ultimately this resolution will stop CTC Holidays from running tours in far away places - and stop companies who do run such tours advertising in the magazine. This is an attack on the very basis of our Cyclists' Touring Club. I have only ever had two holidays involving flying and they weren't cycling holidays but to try and stop cyclists touring in this way is an attack on the history and purpose of the club and its members.
Sadly CTC rebranded as Cycling UK is no longer a club for members who enjoy cycling it is a political campaigning vehicle for a bunch of trustees who use members to support their own agenda. Is this why you and other members joined CTC? It's certainly not the CTC I joined.
Of course it is up to each individual member to decide how to vote but it is certainly appropriate to encourage members to read the resolutions very carefully and to point out the problems with them and to encourage members to then vote and not to allow the chair of the meeting to choose how to cast their vote. In this time of limited meeting with other members I also think local member groups should help circulate members views on the forthcoming national AGM. I will be t
trying to encourage the members of my member group to check the resolutions and to VOTE.
Re: Disagreement with AGM resolutions
Postby Graham » 5 Aug 2020, 8:33am
MattHodges wrote: Resolution 6. Stopping promotion of cycling holidays that involve flying (yes the wording says reduce and ultimately stop)
Thank for bringing that to my attention.
It's great to see Cycling UK taking a principled stand on this.
Surely, people must understand that burning massive amounts of fossil-fuels to fulfil our every whim is environmentally unsustainable ( and inexcusable ).
One might expect that folks who tour around on bicycles would be very aware of their (low) environmental impact and would likely seek to minimise their use of fuel-burning motors to assist their experiences.
Paulatic
Joined: 2 Feb 2014, 1:03pm
Location: 24 Hours from Lands End
Postby Paulatic » 5 Aug 2020, 8:52am
Graham wrote:
At last a resolution I agree with and not before time.
One of my biggest disappointments was when CTC used to allow a member's' 'anti windmill' propaganda a large display area at the Birthday Rides. I was told at the time he was a large financial benefactor to the club and wasn't to be upset.
Whatever I am, wherever I am, this is me. This is my life
https://stcleve.wordpress.com/category/lejog/
E2E info
Paulatic wrote: One of my biggest disappointments was when CTC used to allow a member's' 'anti windmill' propaganda a large display area at the Birthday Rides. I was told at the time he was a large financial benefactor to the club and wasn't to be upset.
That's a classic
Joe Punter says :-
"I demand electrical power at all times BUT there's no way I'll accept any of the consequential disbenefits - by sight, sound, smell, etc."
"Hide/ignore the bad stuff : out-of-sight : abroad : near the poor people : whatever . . . . and let the future generation sort it out ( if any left )".
Philip Benstead
Location: Victoria , London
Postby Philip Benstead » 5 Aug 2020, 9:32am
Should members take a stand against the use of motor vehicles in CUK events then?
Philip Benstead | Life Member Former CTC Councillor/Trustee
Organizing events and representing cyclist in southeast since 1988
Bikeability Instructor/Mechanic
JohnW
Postby JohnW » 5 Aug 2020, 10:07am
Philip Benstead wrote: Should members take a stand against the use of motor vehicles in CUK events then?
..................or in any circumstances.
Postby Graham » 5 Aug 2020, 11:05am
Dissuading the use cars is a lot more difficult :-
- Travel by flying is mainly a choice : a whim : avoidable : part of the mass-tourism frenzy with associate bragging rights.
- Travel by motor vehicle is now so deeply embedded in the way we live that it will probably take a generation or two to change peoples thinking/planning and the way we live i.e. (motorised personal travel as my right and ignore the disbenefits ) OR ( I have to do it, because I live here and work there ). . . .
One part of the overall problem is that travel is hugely energy intensive. Where will all the energy come from to replace fossil-fuel ?
( . . . . particularly if we follow this trend of driving ever larger&heavier vehicles [ more bragging rights ] )
Bonefishblues
Joined: 7 Jul 2014, 9:45pm
Location: Near Bicester Oxon
Postby Bonefishblues » 5 Aug 2020, 11:41am
JohnW wrote:
Or imported bicycles?
al_yrpal
Joined: 25 Jul 2007, 9:47pm
Location: Think Cheddar and Cider
Contact al_yrpal
Postby al_yrpal » 5 Aug 2020, 12:01pm
Poor old CTC, disappearing over the horizon now to please the whims of folk who occasionally venture out on BSOs when its fashionable. Adventure and personal freedom now take the back seat. Glad I left and am no longer subsidising its sucessor.
Tell the 'no fly' mantra to the business community and the ' must go to Spain every summer' brigade, it will have many thousands times the effects. The handful of us that fly abroad to cycle in distant lands do very little damage to the environment especially while we are there.
What has been inflicted on the CTC by the thought police makes me weep.
Touring on a bicycle is a great way to explore and appreciate the countryside and towns you pass through. Make a difference...
profpointy
Joined: 9 Jun 2011, 10:34pm
Postby profpointy » 5 Aug 2020, 12:41pm
I allowed my membership to lapse a few years back. I'd been a member for a reasonable number of years primarily to support the organisation as I'd only done one ride with the local group. (Just to be clear they were a lovely lot, and it was an enjoyable day out, but it just didn't quite fit in with other commitments)
I strongly got the impression that the charity transformation was effectively a takeover of what had been a legit mbers' club. Many of the trustees seemed to have little or no background in cycling but were career trustees as it were. They got rid of the "technical expert" role in head office who contributed the most interesting parts of the magazine, which soon went down hill to the extent I'd only bother to unwrap it to stick it straight in the recylcing - I'd previously read it avidly. The latest mentioned by the OP seems to suggest the members are not really part of the organisation anymore, whixh is sad
Postby thirdcrank » 5 Aug 2020, 6:08pm
Several current threads comment on the role of trustees in relation to the interests of members.
I think it's important to understand that trustees have personal duties which lie elsewhere. In particular, they must carry out the aims of the charity for the public good.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... d-to-do#s4
IIRC, during the now long-gone, ancient history charity discussion before the irreversible decision to convert was taken, somebody (simonL6 ?) from the anti conversion group, unearthed correspondence from the Charity Commission in which it was made clear to the CTC leadership that the proposed rules subjecting trustees to a similar level of membership oversight as the old CTC Council would not be acceptable for a charity. Also, IIRC, the CTC leadership asked if it would be ok to keep this under wraps until after the conversion as it might not go down well. (All in my words)
Found it. Here's SimonL6 For anybody who didn't believe what he was saying in 2012 or who didn't think it mattered enough to read, it has only historical interest now, but it shows how we got here
A lot to read but the second item covers the bit where the leadership thought the information might jeopardize things.
Cyril Haearn
Joined: 30 Nov 2013, 11:26am
Location: Railway Cuttings East, Leafy Suburbia
Postby Cyril Haearn » 5 Aug 2020, 9:11pm
Graham wrote: Dissuading the use cars is a lot more difficult :-
- Travel by motor vehicle is now so deeply embedded in the way we live that it will probably take a generation or two to change peoples thinking/planning
Plenty of people can do without a motor, plusplus
Me for example, I just retired and chose to live somewhere on the edge of town with lots of shops nearby
Entertainer, juvenile, curmudgeon, PoB, 30120
Cycling-of course, but it is far better on a Gillott
We love safety cameras, we hate bullies
Joined: 11 May 2008, 5:10pm
Postby quack » 6 Aug 2020, 1:04pm
Surely the decision of whether to fly or not for a cycling holiday is for individual members to take?
I have taken a bike abroad by air both within Europe and to North America. Where possible, according to the circumstances, I have travelled by ferry and train. In the past I have found information about taking a bike by plane in our magazine and online to be helpful and useful. Does this mean that this will no longer be acceptable content?
Is the use of motor vehicles to transport bikes also viewed as unacceptable?
Is Cycling UK now standing in judgement about the morality of its members' activities ?
Motion 6 needs to be rethought.
Postby AndyK » 8 Aug 2020, 4:43pm
quack wrote: Surely the decision of whether to fly or not for a cycling holiday is for individual members to take?
Can I suggest that you try actually reading motion 6?
The motion (which is a members' motion, incidentally, though the Board accepts its points) calls on Cycling UK to " adopts a progressive strategy to reduce, and ultimately stop, promotion of cycling holidays that involve flying." [my emphasis]
Nowhere does it call on CUK to prevent members from choosing to fly somewhere. Nor does it call on them to stop using cars.
It's even very specific about the type of promotion it wants to see reduced: "CTC branded holidays, which involve flying; articles in the magazine; and the adverts in the magazine selling holidays involving flying." Half the comments here seem to be about a completely different motion that exists only in the heads of the commenters.
I have indeed read the motion.
It proposes that CUK should "stop the promotion of holidays that involve flying."
Included in the ways in which, it is said, CUK currently supports flying is via articles in the magazine.
The proposal is to reduce and stop CTC branded holidays with any air travel, but also magazine articles and advertising from third parties


text:
Uncategorized USD 456 talks energy savings, improvements
USD 456 talks energy savings, improvements
By OCHC
MELVERN—At a special meeting Wednesday evening, the USD 456 Board of Education met with Energy 360 representative Joe Hurla to discuss observations made by the energy audit company on areas for potential energy savings in both the high school and elementary school buildings.
Beginning with the elementary school, Hurla said the main facility is heated by a 50 year-old hot water boiler, and even though it's relatively well maintained, the average working life of that equipment is 25-30 years.
"If that failed tonight, what would be your vision of replacement time?" asked Robert Bailey, board member.
"If it were to fail and you needed to replace it entirely, you could probably have it up and functional in three weeks," said Hurla.
Hurla said that time would depend on how long it takes to obtain the equipment needed for replacement.
"The reality is, if it were to fail now, maybe you would have heat up and running again this year," he said.
Energy 360 recommended being proactive by installing new heating and cooling systems. Packaged Rooftop Units was the recommended system to replace the current heating and cooling system.
"The initial cost of putting in those units is significantly less," said Hurla. "And over time, it's also significantly less expensive than other options."
The heating and cooling system installed at the high school includes a boiler and new cooling units installed in 2005. Hurla said while it may not be ideal, it probably has more shelf life left in the equipment than what's at the elementary building.
The group also made recommendations based on lighting of the schools.
Hurla said that while the facilities were in pretty good shape, lit by standard efficiency T8 lighting, 20 percent of the elementary school is still the antiquated T12 lighting, whereas T8 lighting became standard in 1996.
"Our recommendation would be the LED's, and the reason is while the payback is slightly better by going to the more efficient T8's, when you look at it over a longer period of time, your life cycle cost is actually lower by the LED's," said Hurla.
Plumbing upgrades were also discussed, including the recommendation of sink aerators, replacing urinal flush valves with lower flow flush valves and replacing the high water usage tank-type toilets with newer toilets that use less water to flush.
A walkway between the elementary school and the new addition to the elementary school, to keep people out of the weather, was also discussed. Superintendent Darrel Finch stated that the estimate on that was $15,000 to $20,000.
"Trying to address, really, both the high school and elementary school simultaneously… that leads to a significant cost," admitted Hurla.
He said the anticipated compressive cost of the work is between $2.4 and $2.8 million. The cost would include the design, construction, materials, labor, and so forth.
"One reason that's worth knowing is, as you guys are thinking, not just about, 'okay, what do we do this summer?' but also 'where do we need to be in the next five years?'" said Hurla.
After considering possible financial scenarios, Hurla said the most critical item is elementary heating and cooling.
"The other items, because they actually have those attractive paybacks, help to really fund getting the elementary heating and cooling done," he said. "Those items help make your net payment less to implement the heating and cooling system."
The overall goals established by the Energy 360 Group are to find the best way to take care of the heating and cooling at the elementary school and to modernize that proactively.
"While financially it's not the easiest project to bear, I think it does fit within the limitations of the district at this point and is certainly a solid first step," said Hurla.
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