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Long ago, I allowed Patreons who pledged at a certain tier to choose any game they wanted for me to review (I have since removed this tier and am thankful that only a couple folks took me up on it). One of my patrons chose Bastion. They've waited patiently for me to purchase the game, play it to completion, and review it, hopefully to their satisfaction. Yes, by posting it here I'm breaking the Chronological and Gameological Bylaws of Sega Does, in that, it is a game that has nothing to do with Sega and its inclusion does not adhere to the blog's chronological nature. For the sake of you law abiding readers out there, I hope you can forgive me.
DEVELOPER: Supergiant Games
GENRE: Action/RPG
FORMAT: PC
At first, Bastion left me detached. Every moment is narrated by a calm, gravelly voice. Just when you're about to have a silent, emotional response to what's happening on-screen, the narrator pipes in and tells you how to feel. The world is draped in gorgeous watercolors, but after a few levels, the prettiness feels like needless ornamentation to hide otherwise empty landscapes. The isometric perspective allows you to see more of the action as it occurs, but also puts you at a pronounced distance from the protagonist.
Time to wake up.
After a couple hours in the game's world, my initial misgivings fell away. The narrator who wouldn't stop talking became a comfortable friend. I grew to enjoy the world for what it was rather than what I wanted it to be. As combat became more intense, I appreciated being able to see more of my surroundings, even if it kept me from connecting more with the protagonist. The more I played, the more Bastion came alive.
Welcome to the Bastion.
The white-haired protagonist known as The Kid is a warrior and a workhorse, always doing other people's bidding, including the narrator named Rucks. Rucks is the real main character. He's the one who guides the Kid through the remains of Caelondia, a world struck by a devastating event known as the Great Calamity. He's the one who ushers the Kid to the Bastion, a safe hub where the Kid can gather himself and prepare for the next fight. For most of the game, Rucks is the only one that speaks, because he's the only one that remembers anything.
Rucks is quite the dapper old gent.
For as much as Rucks likes to talk, he's tight-lipped on background details. A Great Calamity occurred and hardly anyone survived. Rucks found safety on the Bastion, but the place still needs some fixing up. He assigns the Kid to wander through what's left of Caelondia and find some Cores. Cores will not only help restore the Bastion, but they'll allow the place to become a thriving area. For about half the game, this is all we know.
Even in its tattered form, Caelondia's a beautiful sight. Crumbling ruins hide once-prosperous cities. The people may be gone (or frozen in their ashy remains), but the colors are bright and vibrant, like there's still life waiting to be discovered. Admittedly, Caelondia's pretty bare. There's not much to do here other than find the Cores and any other items that look worthwhile; maybe fight off a few angry creatures. Nevertheless, you understand why people made this their home.
Every route is the scenic route.
There are more than just Cores lying around Caelondia. Enemies like the Scumbag, a rotting blue blob that secretes damaging ooze as he slides around, still roam the streets. Fragments are blue pieces of the old world, used to purchase goods in the new. Occasionally, you'll come across pieces of Something Shiny or Something Sharp, which allow you to upgrade your weapons. Other items like a Gramophone or a Ragged Hood don't do much, but they're interesting trinkets from the past. If nothing else, Rucks usually has something to say about them.
That old boy ain't your friend.
You have a special attack, two types of weapons – a long-range and a melee – and a shield with which to dispense justice to Caelondia's remaining denizens. New weapons are found every couple areas, and while it's nice to trade up for something new every once in awhile, not all weapons are created equal. My two favorite melee weapons are the War Machete and the Brusher's Pike. They're strong, have great range, and allow you to attack quickly. The Dueling Pistols are my favorite long-range weapon. They're not too powerful, but they are fast and allow you to accurately attack from long distances. Special attacks encompass everything from decoys to hand grenades, but they can only be performed if you have black potions in your inventory.
What a time to die.
The enemies aren't so much hard as they are sly. They've survived the Calamity, so like the Kid, they've learned to take care of themselves. Because of the weapon variety, there are many different ways to defeat them. I liked to let enemies run into my shield, attack them, run into my shield again, and attack them again until they eventually wore themselves out… to death. When you're in one of the occasional all-out brawls, surrounded by Scumbags and Turrets and Gasfellas and other hilariously named foes, you do the best you can. Hopefully you have some explosives on hand.
Holy creole…
The Bastion starts to look up as the Kid restores the Cores. Places pop up that weren't there before. The Distillery lets you equip spirits for every level you gain. These spirits provide extra bonuses or powers that are always active. The Arsenal lets you assign any weapon you like to the three attack slots. You want to burn what remains of Caelondia down with three melee weapons? You have at it. The Forge lets you upgrade your weapons, provided you have the right pieces in your inventory. In the Lost-and-Found, you can purchase different spirits, upgrade materials, among other things. The Memorial honors the past and allows you to complete vigils in exchange for Fragments; in-game achievements, in other words. The Shrine lets you activate different gods, which will effect your enemies and provide XP/weapon bonuses.
Drink up. It's a hard road.
The Kid eventually finds two other folks while he's out and about, Zulf and Zia. They're not like the Kid or Rucks. They're members of the Ura race, a people that once went to war with Caelondia. A small batch of Ura, Zia and Zulf among 'em, lived in Caelondia, underground where they couldn't bother anybody. Zia's father, Venn, worked for the Caelondians, while Zulf was the Ura ambassador. In one of the Kid's outings, he finds Venn's Journal. Zulf takes it, reads it, and finds the truth about why the Calamity happened. He's furious and leaves the Bastion in ruins. Rucks doesn't give a reason for Zulf's anger, but he knows.
Zulf ain't your friend.
A Kid's work is never done. In the second half of the game, Rucks sends him to the Wild to find purple shards that will once again restore power to the Bastion. The Wild is everything Caelondia isn't: brutal, ruthless, unwelcoming. Sure, the lush forests look appealing, but that's just a distraction. Birds known as Peckers unleash needles as sharp as daggers. Stinkeyes explode on impact if they touch you, leaving you in a sea of noxious fumes. The Stinkweed make you sick, unable to see clearly. There are no other options, though. Gotta find the shards and make the Bastion decent again.
In the Wild, better keep those guns blazin'.
Even a strong-willed guy like the Kid grows tired of running an old man's errands. If you want to test your mettle and let off some steam, step foot in the Proving Grounds. These are areas scattered all over Caelondia where you can train with all the different weapons you find. The better you become with each weapon, the better the prize waiting for you at the end. If nothing else, they're a nice diversion.
But maybe you've already proved yourself. In that case, take a hit of Zulf's pipe, and step into a surreal arena known as Who Knows Where. Here, the Kid takes on waves of enemies while Rucks unveils his backstory. These are more fulfilling than the Proving Grounds. You gain experience, fragments, and a greater understanding of the Kid.
Reflect this, suckers.
Eventually, the Kid heads into the heart of the Ura headquarters. You understand why Zulf went ballistic. You learn about what happened with the Calamity and who's to blame. You learn the real purpose of the Bastion. It all makes sense. The Kid's too strong for anyone to touch him now, but he's not looking to hurt anyone. Same can't be said for the Ura, though. They want him dead, so he has to fight his way out, like usual.
By the time the Kid reaches the end, he has a couple hard choices to make. Rucks is still in the background, but there's little fatherly guidance from him. The decisions are the Kid's and his alone…
Not exactly a fond farewell.
Bastion's story keeps you interested, but even with Rucks' constant narration, I didn't feel much one way or the other for the characters or their desires. And that's ok. As much as the game tries to draw you in with its warm narrator and comforting music (which was good, but not as life-changing as it's purported to be), Bastion isn't about the story or the soundtrack. The reason to go back into its world and start a New Game+ is the rewarding combat and the immersive atmosphere.
Once you find the right weapon mix that works for you, Bastion's combat shifts from frustrating to amazing. You'll actively engage enemies rather than pull away from them. You'll wonder how much abuse you can take. You'll shift effortlessly from your long-range weapon to your shield to your melee without missing a step or losing much life. You'll feel like a badass.
Embrace the pain.
I said I didn't care much for the world initially, and that's true. I was expecting more from it. I thought it should contain more life before I realized… the emptiness is the point. Caelondia is dead, save for the enemies who seem pissed that they're alive. The fact that the world is as beautiful as it is, despite the Calamity, is a miracle. It's in tatters, sure, but the Cores and the Shards point to a new world. By walking Caelondia's barren streets, you're forced to confront the mistakes of the past, while searching for a potential future.
The world of Bastion isn't much different than our own. Our past might contain beautiful moments, snapshots of a more idyllic time perhaps, but it's also riddled with moments we would take back, "what if"s that will never be answered. Can't dwell on that. Our lives are in the present and the future. If we want those to have the meaning they deserve, you can bet that, like the Kid, we'll have to fight for them.
*Screenshots taken from Wikipedia, Giant Bomb, Supergiant Games, Learning Works for Kids, MoarPowah!, App Saga, Hardcore Gamer, Moby Games, Refined Geek, Youtube, Eric's Binary World, Games-Tec, True Trophies, and Johnny Appleshy. Thanks to all of you.
Dylan Cornelius June 7, 2017 November 30, 2018
Category: GamesTagged: BastionIndiePatreonpatronPCSupergiantWarner Bros.
Dylan Cornelius
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0 thoughts on "Bastion"
The Daytime Renegade says:
Bastion! I enjoyed it when I downloaded it on my iPad a few years ago, only to have it crash at the exact same spot near the end, preventing me from completing it. Might have to go try it again.
And what a beautiful review, Dylan. The denouement at the end…wow.
Dylan Cornelius says:
Thanks for the kind words, Alex!
Rom says:
Nice review. I played Bastion shortly after it came out and I hadn't heard much about it beyond "it's great". My impressions then were much the same as yours now, except that I instantly appreciated the way the world re/decomposed around you, and I LOVE the soundtrack. It still gets regular rotation when I want to listen to something without vocals. Pale Watchers is a favourite track.
Bastion has inspired some fantastic Lego creations, by the way.
Thanks Rom! I really wanted to enjoy the soundtrack more, but outside of a couple tracks that were excellent, I just thought it was good, not great. And I can imagine some pretty sweet Bastion Lego sets…
If you haven't played it yet, check out Owlboy. It looks and plays like some lost Monster World game (particularly MW4), but feels like it had creative input from Hideo Miyazaki, and the soundtrack is sublime.
Ori and the Blind Forest is another similar Metroidy game that looks, sounds and plays amazing(ly).
Thanks for the recs! I'll have to check 'em out when I have some time.
James Taylor says:
Nice review Dylan; you write like I wish I could! Have you played Bioshock Infinite? My take on both games are the same, and a bit different than yours. I found the mechanics uninteresting, but the art and worlds superb. I stopped playing both at one point, and came back to finish them both in large part due to their vocal tracks. Odd for me, as I don't really listen to music, but I still listen to these on occasion. I won't bother trying to rate the quality of the music, but I think they got the pairing of song and world crafting spot on for both of these games. Anyways, great review as always!
Thanks for the kind words, James! I've played the first couple hours of Bioshock Infinite and enjoyed what I played. Similarly, I didn't care much for the combat in that game, but I liked how it felt like I was on an amusement park ride.
Didn't play Infinite long enough to hear enough of the music, but my fav track in Bastion is the one the girl sings. Don't know the name of it, but it's pretty great. Reminds me of a Silent Hill track in some ways.
Ghee Buttersnaps (@MetalFRO) says:
Good review! This is a game I need to play at some point, but as an old-school curmudgeon collector type, I know it's digital-only on PC and PS3, so I haven't pulled the trigger yet. However, the music in the game is one of the draws, as I've heard some of the soundtrack via an online game music station I listen to at the office here and there, and I really like what I've heard. I'll get there. Also, the music track you're referring to in Bastion is called "Build That Wall", and it's one of the great tracks I've heard that really drew me in. That, along with "Setting Sail, Coming Home" which has male and female voices.
I hear ya. I still prefer physical copies for when I buy games, but if a developer chooses not to release their game that way, I'll roll with digital. Gotta play it somehow!
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Jue Sae-yang, a newborn, comes from a tribal family in Laos and was born with cleft lip and palate. His parents are farmers. They earn the living by growing corn and rice and raising pigs. Their average income about 30,000 Baht a year (approximately $950 CAD) and they live with their large extended family.
The family took two days and a border crossing to reach the hospital where our project is located in Thailand. Upon his first visit, he was given vaccinations for polio, diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus. Our nurse coordinator provided the mother with more information about how to properly breastfeed and with other information about cleft lip and palate. Jue Sae-yang's cleft surgery was scheduled for July.
Find out more about our work in Thailand here.


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Special Exhibit: Mushrooms
The Art of Nature
Investigation Stations
Events and Public Programs
Naturalist Night Lectures
Walks and Workshops
Nature Explorers Camps
Ohlone (Grades K-4)
Our Animal Neighbors (Grades K-2)
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Collections Close-Up
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Planned Giving: The Lightkeeper Society
Business and Foundation Supporters
Faces of the Museum
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May 2018: Protecting Endangered Species
When we talk about engaging in stewardship of the natural world, we might be tempted to think of nature as it exists today. But the one sure thing about nature is that it is always changing—adapting to its own forces as well as those contributed by human factors. For many, the defining motivation behind stewardship is the desire to act in the present to positively impact the future—thinking about how actions we take now can improve conditions in nature.
As our natural resources respond—positively and negatively—to our actions, we must wonder what "nature" will look like to future generations who have never had the chance to see the Great Barrier Reef, an old-growth redwood forest, or a flock of snowy plovers. Will we be able to preserve critical species and habitats, and with what tools and resources? What role can we play individually to preserve something that is meaningful to us?
On May 17, the Museum will host the next installment of our bi-annual Rio Theatre Speaker Series with a panel discussing "Tales from the Brink: Recovering Endangered Species in California." Moderated by California's Secretary of Natural Resources John Laird, the presentation will feature status updates by three scientific experts on the California Condor, Southern Sea Otter and Salmonids—all currently listed under the Endangered Species Act.
The panel will explore how everyone from policymakers, researchers and individual community scientists on the Central Coast has a part in pulling these populations back from the brink of extinction. Secretary Laird, a former Assemblymember and Santa Cruz mayor, will provide a larger context about the status of species protection in California. I hope you will join us for what promises to be an engaging, informative program.
In addition to the Rio Theatre talk, I also hope you will visit us at the Museum for one or more of our other upcoming events, including our May 4 First Friday free science illustration demonstrations featuring exhibitors from The Art of Nature and our May 12 workshop "Seeds of Knowledge" highlighting strategies for habitat plant restoration and field sketching.
As always, we look forward to seeing you at the Museum, and appreciate your support.
Heather Moffat McCoy
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We really enjoyed living at Hilltop Gardens. We needed storage space/garage and a yard, otherwise we would have stayed. Any time we needed anything it was right there.
Hilltop Garden Apartments are located on Hilltop Drive overlooking the city of Redding. Surrounded by mountain scenes, you will enjoy the serene tranquility we offer our residents. Well-maintained landscaping and responsive property management are an added bonus to living on the hill! Fishing, boating, water skiing, hiking and shopping are just minutes away.
I'm interested in Hilltop Garden - Redding California. Please send me current availability and additional details.


Pelosi And The Democrats: Walls Are Immoral, But Abortion Isn't?
Note: ADB has committed over $1 billion in loans to the Mindanao region for development of towns, bridges, roads, and other infrastructure through the year 2021.
Note: Philippines scored 36; Mexico scored 28; Russia scored 28; China scored 39; the United States scored 71. Most corrupt is scored 0, most clean 100.


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Q: SSL Termination at F5 or ZUUl/Eureka/Services? We have a few services running in our environment with Spring Cloud Netflix, Eureka and Zuul. Also, we use Spring Boot for developing the services.
We also F5 as the hardware load balancer which receives the external requests and routes them to one of ZUUL instances based on the configured rule.
As of now, we use HTTP for communication between the services. We now want to secure all communications via HTTPS.
All the services including ZUUL and Eureka are scaled up with 2 instances in separate machines for failover.
My question is should I setup and enable HTTPS for each of the services including Eureka,ZUUL ad other downstream services (OR) Is it possible to only use HTTPS only for the F5. and leave the other instances in HTTP itself.
I heard of a feature called SSL Termination/off-loading which is provided by most load balancers. I am not sure F5 support it. If it supports would it make sense to only use it for HTTPS and leave the rest in HTTP.
I feel this can reduce the complexity in setting up SSL for each of the instances(which can change in the future based on the load) and also reduce the slowness which will be inherent with SSL decryption and encryption.
Should I secure every instance including eureka/zuul and downstream services or just do ssl-termination at F5 alone.

A: If the back end endpoints are HTTPS then the load balancers need to load balance at TCP layer, as they cannot inspect the content. If the load balancer endpoints are HTTPS themselves, then there is usually little point of encrypting the internal traffic, and the load balancer can inspect the traffic and do smart decisions where to route the traffic (eg. sticky session). If the application endpoint needs to know that the original request is HTTPS (which is often the case) then a HTTP header is added to the internal leg to advertise this, the de-facto convention being the X-FORWARDED-PROTO header.
If you choose to let the LB-to-app leg on clear, then you need to make sure that the segment is trustworthy and your app endpoints are not reachable directly, bypassing the LB.

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An immediate survival focus : linking substance abuse, fight, flight, and prosocial behavior.
In the United States substance abuse takes a toll that is costly in both economic and human terms. In 2005 we paid 467.7 billion dollars to address the consequences of substance abuse, and each year we have lost an estimated 537,000 of our fellows to substance abuse related causes. It is important that we identify and intervene upon the mechanisms translating risk factors for substance abuse into the related behaviors. This study synthesized life history theory and dual process models of cognition to produce an adaptive and cognitive framework for explaining substance abuse. An immediate survival focus was proposed as a construct representing reliance on implicit cognitive processing for the purpose of quick evaluation and short-term strategy use in dangerous or unpredictable environments. This immediate survival focus was suggested as contributing to false positives in the detection of resources and threats critical to survival (i.e., irrational beliefs), and thus vulnerability to substance abuse. This study tested for an immediate survival focus and produced results consistent with the existence of the construct. A factor theorized to represent the ISF was extracted from constructs known to rely on implicit cognitive processing, and this factor was positively associated with both substance abuse and neighborhood danger, as predicted by the adaptive and cognitive framework advanced. In addition, this construct was negatively associated with prosocial behavior, which is known to operate to the relative exclusion of implicit cognitive processes. The strength of the relationships between the ISF and the study's constructs was substantial for both sexes, though its relative importance to substance abuse was less for females. For the sample as a whole, the ISF accounted for 38% of the variance in substance abuse, therefore representing an important construct in efforts to learn about, treat, and prevent substance abuse.
Richardson, George B., "An immediate survival focus : linking substance abuse, fight, flight, and prosocial behavior." (2011). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1202.


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Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy (Ministerie van Economische Zaken en Klimaat, EZK) promotes the Netherlands as a country for business owners looking for a solid, sustainable and competitive base in an international market. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy is committed to creating an optimal business climate in the Netherlands, providing the right conditions, and giving business owners room to innovate and grow.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy pays particular attention to environmental matters and it also encourages cooperation between research institutes and businesses. The ministry invests in an economically stable and sustainable country and bolsters the Netherlands' leading position in key sectors: agriculture, horticulture, life sciences and health, chemicals, water, hightech, logistics, energy, water and the creative industry.
Programmes for startups
More and more start-ups are flourishing in the Netherlands. The Dutch government has introduced several programmes to make the Netherlands an even more attractive proposition for innovative, foreign start-ups, and to encourage Dutch businesses to go international. Among others:
Early-stage financing
StartupDelta2020
New regulations allowing ambitious entrepreneurs to apply for a Dutch residence permit
Please contact the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, EZK
Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Room for Enterprise


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Recent Sports Events
September 2022: Hockey Blitz
June 2022: Soccer Friendlies
St. Laurences v St. Kevin's N.S.
The month of June provided a very welcome return to soccer action for the fifth and sixth class students of St. Laurence's. On Thursday the 2nd we travelled to face local opposition in the form of St. Kevin's. The girls team kicked off the action and played some lovely intricate football moving the ball nicely between the lines. They took the lead with a well worked goal before adding to it just before the half time whistle. Kevin's grew into the game and got their reward with a goal early in the second half. The Kevin's goalkeeper made a string of good saves before two flowing moves from St. Laurence's saw them add to their tally and finish the game with a 4-1 victory.
The boys team kicked off their game shortly after, in what was a very intense affair. Both teams started a bit anxiously, but grew into the game and produced some great football. The battle in midfield was one to be admired as the challenges were strong but very fair. Kevin's had a chance to take the lead from the penalty spot but their effort was saved brilliantly by the St. Laurence's keeper. As the game became stretched with both teams looking for a winner St. Kevin's capitalised. A wonder cross into the box that was swept home at the back post to make it 1-0 to the hosts. St. Laurence's rallied valiantly to try and find an equaliser but unfortunately neither time or luck was on their side on the day and St. Kevin's took the victory.
St. Laurence's v Kilcoole N.S.
Kilcoole N.S. were the next opposition to be faced and this was done over two separate days. On the 9th of June the boys team took on the challenge. The game started at a rapid pace with an abundance of the action on the wings. St. Laurence's settled into the game and tried to work the ball out from the back. Midway through the first half Kilcoole got their break through and doubled their lead soon after. It could have been worse for the Greystones men only for a great double save from the St. Laurence's goalkeeper to keep the score at 2-0. The lads came out battling for everything in the second half. A long-range effort from Kilcoole saw them increase their lead but the heads never dropped on the Laurence's side and they got their reward with a goal from a brilliant header. As time ticked on they created chance after chance but were just unable to find that finishing touch. A fantastic game which ended with a score line of 3-1 to the hosts.
It was then over to the girls and they made the short journey out to face Kilcoole on the 15th of June and this game did not disappoint. It saw the Greystone's girls come firing out of the blocks and they quickly took a 2-0 lead. Kilcoole grew into the game and their confidence was further boosted after they found a way to break down the Laurence's defence and put themselves on the scoresheet. From that moment on any attack from either side could have resulted in a goal. An end to end game that was played at a heart pumping velocity. The Kilcoole goalkeeper found herself in inspired form on the day making a huge number of stops. This was to prove to be the difference on the day as Kilcoole came out victorious on a 7-5 score line.
Over the course of the four friendlies 84 students represented their school. They all played brilliantly and wore the jersey with pride. Hopefully, it has given our departing sixth class students some memories to cherish and the fifth class a taste of what is to come next year. Well done to all involved.
30 May 2022: Tag Rugby
26 May 2022: GAA Camogie Blitz
20 May 2022: St. Laurence's Golf Classic
19 May 2022: Wicklow Athletics
On Thursday, 19th May nearly 80 children from 3rd to 6th class participated in the Wicklow Primary Schools Track and Field Event. Our wonderful athletes put on a fantastic display and medals galore were won. Well done to all involved!
16 May 2022: Delgany Schools' Cup
Congratulations to the 6th class pupils who represented the school in the Delgany Schools' Cup in Delgany Golf Club on Monday, 16th May.
April & May 2022: Cumann na mBunscol Participation Days
On 28th April and 12th May a number of the 5th and 6th class children represented the school in the Cumann na mBunscol Participation Days held in Bray Emmets GAA Club. Well done to all involved!
March 2022: GAA Blitz
On the 16th March the 5th and 6th class children participated in a football blitz in Éire Óg.


Hip-hop duo Madcon reaches new heights with smash single Beggin, currently in Top Ten on radio, TV and sales charts.
Last week saw hip-hop outfit Madcon's top selling single Beggin entering the UK Radio Airplay Chart's top ten after their track had been played 987 times, earning the duo a no. 9 spot on the charts. For eight consecutive weeks, Madcon have steadily climbed the UK radio charts.
Last week also saw Beggin climing from seventh to fifth on the TV Airplay Chart after the single's video had been broadcast 360 times on UK TV.
On the UK sales charts, Beggin peaked a while ago with a no. 5 spot, and the release is still performing well as it is currently no. 8 in its fifth week in the Official UK singles Chart. Beggin has remained in Top Ten since its release five weeks ago.


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Ida Vos (maiden name Gudema) (Groningen, December 13, 1931 – Amstelveen, April 3, 2006) was a Dutch author. She wrote books for adults and children. In most of her books, Vos wrote about her experiences as a Jewish girl during the Second World War. Her best-known book was Wie niet weg is wordt gezien (published in English as Hide and Seek), which was awarded with a Dutch literature prize for children's books in 1982.

From 1936, Vos and her family lived in Rotterdam. In Rotterdam, she experienced the German bombardment of the city in May 1940, after which her family moved to Rijswijk (near The Hague). In 1943 the Gudema family went into hiding. Vos and her sister Elly were separated from their parents during this period (relating to her book Hide and Seek).

After the war Vos became a kindergarten teacher. She married in 1956, and had three children. During the 1970s she was admitted to a hospital due to her war traumas. This led to writing about her experiences, first as poems, but soon in the shape of stories and - eventually - children's books. Central in her work was the infringement on her freedom by the Nazi occupiers and the time she spent in hiding.

Vos died on April 3, 2006 in Amstelveen at 74.

Works
 35 Tranen (35 Tears - 1975)
 Schiereiland (Peninsula - 1979)
 Miniaturen (Miniatures - 1980)
 Wie niet weg is wordt gezien (Hide and Seek - 1981)
 Anne is er nog (Anna is still here - 1986)
 Dansen op de brug van Avignon (Dancing on the Bridge of Avignon - 1989)
 Witte zwanen, zwarte zwanen (White Swans, Black Swans - 1992)
 De sleutel is gebroken (The Key is Lost- 1996)
 De lachende engel (The Laughing Angel - 2000)
 Hide and Seek

External links
 Ida Vos at Dutch Wikipedia
 Idavos.nl

1931 births
2006 deaths
Dutch children's writers
Dutch women children's writers
Dutch women novelists
Dutch women poets
Jewish Dutch writers
People from Groningen (city)
20th-century Dutch poets
20th-century Dutch novelists
20th-century women writers
20th-century Dutch women

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Cosmetic dentistry would do a lot of damage to his existing tooth structure leaving this patient with the same face but a better smile. When you are dealing with the aging process, it is all about the shape to the face not just your smile.
This patient has better facial support and a bite that was built to augment his facial structure. He looks more professional and he feels healthier because the treatment improved his health by optimizing the bite and jaw position.
Most patients already have a dentist but want to find one that can handle a more advanced level of care. This patient had good teeth, nothing hurt and he is chewing fine but his teeth are worn down, yellow and crooked. Additionally, he had another crown break that his existing dentist completed and he knew a change was necessary. He began his search for the best cosmetic and health care dentist possible. He found a unique treatment approach that reverses the effects of the aging process that is actually good for his health. The treatment was completed over 8 years ago without one single problem. He feels his best, he looks his best and everyone he meets gets a positive impression.
He had a good dentist most of his life but with the porcelain crowns breaking and his appearance aging, he decided to look into a better level of dental care. His teeth were looking quite worn down and were yellow. He thought his bite was changing over the years and his lower teeth could be seen much more today that 20 years ago.
He did not like how the crooked lower teeth looked as food and tartar accumulated easily around crooked teeth. He heard about Face Lift Dentistry® during a conversation and decided to consider the highest level of dental health care possible.
Why do dental crowns break? Most of the time it is because of the bite. The bite wears down as the years go by and the crown has a different wear rate than natural teeth. Something has to give and generally if the crown is made of porcelain the porcelain crown will break.
All of the photos in this site are unaltered and untouched. This patient did not have to have any of his healthy tooth structure ground down. Treatment was faster with less pain. He did not have to wear braces, his lower teeth look straight without years of treatment that could relapse.
When teeth wear down the entire face gets shorter and shorter. As the years go by, the shape of our faces shorten as the teeth continue to wear. Most people do not realize the huge impact the bite can have on a face. Dr. Muslin trademarked Face Lift Dentistry ® method developed the technique of rebuilding (optimizing) the patient's bite and permanently lengthening their entire face. The teeth can also support the lips, the face and help with speaking more clearly. The speech gets a little slurry when the teeth get too short and most older people don't recognize that they are compromised.
His treatment consisted of lifting (optimizing) his bite, making his crooked teeth look perfectly straight, making his teeth permanently whiter and replacing all of his old dental work with new biologically compatible porcelain crowns and VENLAY® restorations . His overall body health was improved with the replacement of all of his old dental work and his optimized bite. The most difficult type of dentistry is maximizing the bite to the patients facial features which is why he developed the Face Lift Dentistry® method.
Dr. Muslin personally works on the patient's porcelain personally. He shapes his own crowns and veneers with his ceramist and uses computer technology to develop the balanced natural looking smile makeover. The patient really liked the idea of achieving maximum dental health and Dr. Muslin sincerely thanks him for letting him show the results of his treatment.
This is not just perfect smile dentistry or anti-aging dentistry or a full mouth reconstruction, this is about optimization of every aspect of your TMJ, facial features, lips, your profile, jaw position, chin size and facial support. This method corrects overbites and under bites and even bites that other dentists say are "perfect" in a very short period of time using a highly non-invasive method that is safe and has much less risk than any other treatment available today in Dr. Muslin's opinion.


text:
namespace google {
namespace cloud {
namespace tasks_internal {
GOOGLE_CLOUD_CPP_INLINE_NAMESPACE_BEGIN

/// Define the gRPC status code semantics for retrying requests.
struct CloudTasksRetryTraits {
  static inline bool IsPermanentFailure(google::cloud::Status const& status) {
    return status.code() != StatusCode::kOk &&
           status.code() != StatusCode::kInternal &&
           status.code() != StatusCode::kUnavailable;
  }
};

GOOGLE_CLOUD_CPP_INLINE_NAMESPACE_END
}  // namespace tasks_internal
}  // namespace cloud
}  // namespace google

#endif  // GOOGLE_CLOUD_CPP_GOOGLE_CLOUD_TASKS_INTERNAL_CLOUD_TASKS_RETRY_TRAITS_H

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
5th Foundation Day of Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (HRIDC) celebrated
Haryana (India), August 31: The 5th Foundation Day of Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation was celebrated at PWD Rest House, Panchkula on 27th August 2022. The event was attended by the Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana, Shri Dushyant Chautala.
Hon'ble Deputy Chief Minister of Haryana, Shri Dushyant Chautala said that the foundation of this corporation has laid a strong foundation for the development of railways in Haryana.
Time has more value than money, and when it is invested wisely and prudently, it can produce huge returns in the form of developmental progress, This statement from Deputy Chief Minister Shri Dushyant Chautala, captures the importance of project deadlines.
The completion of project on time can bring huge development to state and increase public trust in government and attract investment.
He also unveiled the new logo, website, Magazine, PMIS (Project Management Information System) of the HRIDC and wished them luck for their future endeavours.
Shri Sanjeev Kaushal, Chief Secretary of Haryana cum Chairman, HRIDC remembers the time when Ministry of Railways comes with proposition to form Joint Venture with state government. He said that this is a great opportunity for the state to bring development and prosperity to the state. The proposal was accepted by the State Government of Haryana and in entire northern state, Haryana is the only state which has joint venture with Ministry of Railways.
Haryana is one of India's most rapidly developing states in terms of infrastructure and industrialization. The State Government has been working closely with Ministry of Railways for infrastructure development in the State.
Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, MD, HRIDC, while addressing the gathering on this occasion profusely recognised the dynamic leadership and continuous support of the Government of Haryana and the Ministry of Railways. He also assured that team HRIDC will work hard to complete the project on time.


Fleetwood Mac has fired longtime member Lindsey Buckingham and will replace him with Neil Finn and Hearbreakers' Mike Campbell on tour.
Mick Fleetwood added, "Fleetwood Mac has always been about an amazing collection of songs that are performed with a unique blend of talents ... We jammed with Mike and Neil and the chemistry really worked and let the band realize that this is the right combination to go forward with in Fleetwood Mac style. We know we have something new, yet it's got the unmistakable Mac sound."
Buckingham joined Fleetwood Mac in 1974 along with Stevie Nicks. He wrote and sang many of their most memorable songs, including "Go Your Own Way," "Tusk" and "Second Hand News." He left in 1987 shortly before the Tango On The Night tour (where he was replaced by Billy Burnette) and rejoined in 1996 for The Dance reunion tour. He remained active on the road with them for the next two decades. They last played full sets at Classic East and Classics West in July of last year, through they did play a brief set in January at the pre-Grammy MusiCares concert in their honor. The set ended, fittingly enough, with "Go Your Own Way."
In August of last year, Mick Fleetwood spoke to Rolling Stoneabout the band's next tour. "I was in Italy recently and met Stevie out there," he said. "She said to me, 'Let's sit down and really listen to some stuff that sort of almost got forgotten.' So I know she's already thinking she wants to do some things we haven't done in years. I always think that Stevie and Lindsey should do a Buckingham Nicks song in the set. And have Christine do a blues song. I hope it certainly won't be the same show as we did before. We always played nearly three hours, and we cut it back a little bit for the wear and tear, but we do over two hours. And when you got three singers, which is, like, three bands, really, to get that perfect set, it's a trip."


text:
Recent car burglaries drive concerns for New Roads residents
5 years 9 months 4 weeks ago Wednesday, March 29 2017 Mar 29, 2017 March 29, 2017 9:53 PM March 29, 2017 in News
By: Danielle Jackson
NEW ROADS - Residents are asking police to crack down on car burglars, but officials say they are having a hard time keeping them locked up when they are caught.
One resident told WBRZ her car was broken into in the Fairfield subdivision one week ago. She said she "noticed that both of the car doors, were opened and the glove box had been taken out and left of the seat of the car."
Another resident in that same subdivision, Frieda Whitney, said times are changing, and residents need to be careful.
"We never used to have to lock our vehicles," Whitney said. "Some people didn't even lock the doors to their homes, but now we're having to start doing that because of the rumors that you're hearing. You don't know how far they are going to go."
New Roads Police Chief Kevin McDonald said juveniles have been breaking into unlocked cars in two New Roads subdivisions. Residents say more needs to be done, since there is no juvenile detention center in the parish.
"We utilize an ankle bracelet upon making contact with them again," McDonald said. "We bring them back in, and sometimes by then they've committed another crime. So it's just like a revolving door."
That revolving door is what frustrates residents like Steven Smith. He plans on discussing the issue with the judicial system.
"Neighbors have told me they've had guns stolen," Smith said. "They've had money stolen, people leave money in their cars."
Smith said he's afraid if something is not done, someone could be seriously hurt.
"We're very limited, and I think they've learned that, and that's why they're continuing to do this, because any youngster that can get away with something, they will."


Ziva is a 7 month old Spaniel x Husky who arrived with us with her sibling, who has since found a home, when their owner fell ill.
Due to their owners ill health the dogs have not had a lot of life experiences such as meeting children or cats, one should note that Ziva has LOTS of energy!
They were not used to meeting other dogs but have enjoyed meeting new dogs here at the kennels. Ziva is not house-trained and will need her own secure garden while she learns, she is crate-trained but will need further assistance with basic training so an experienced dog owner would be preferable.
All dogs are rehomed at the discretion of the kennel staff, abuse to staff will not be tolerated.
This entry was posted in Found a Home and tagged Rescue Dog.
Thank you, Mr & Mrs Adamson!


text:
The Gap of Dunloe & Killarney Lakes Rail Tour From Dublin
Travel back in time on a Jaunting Car Tour!
Details FAQ Reviews
Starts at 7:00 am
Dublin Heuston Station
EUR €159
Child (5-16): EUR €134
Child (0-5): EUR €15
Return Rail Travel
Reserved Seats on the train
Railtours Ireland Host throughout
Boat journey across the Lakes of Killarney
Jaunting Car Tour
Travel Southwest by Train
Travel back in time and experience a traditional mode of transport on a jaunting car tour through the breath-taking Gap of Dunloe. Travel from Dublin to Killarney, transfer to Ross Castle where we board our open boat for a leisurely journey across the lakes of Killarney. Arriving at Lord Brandon's Cottage and then traveling by jaunting car through the depths of the Kerry mountains through the Gap of Dunloe.
Check-in Dublin Heuston Station for 07.00hrs depart of InterCity train to Killarney. On arrival in Killarney at 10.15hrs, transfer from Killarney to Ross Castle. From here the tour begins by traditional open boat on Lough Leane. Passing Innisfallen, Ross Island and under the Bricin Bridge towards the Meeting of the Waters at the old Weir Bridge. The tour continues along the Long Range towards Eagles Nest Mountain and onto the Upper Lake. A stopover here for a light snack and refreshments at Lord Brandan's cottage (not included). Then travel by pony and trap through the Black Valley and Gap of Dunloe finishing up at Kate Kearney's cottage. At "Kate's" Traditional Irish Pub you will enjoy the tradition of hospitality and is the perfect finish to a day of memorable sightseeing. Transfer from here at 16.15hrs (4.15 pm) to Killarney Railway Station, arrival at 16.35hrs. Dublin train departs at 17.37 hrs (5.37pm) so there is normally time for a quick flavour of Killarney town centre which is close to the station. Arriving at Dublin Heuston Station 21.00hrs (9.00pm)
Guests need to be prepared for varying weather conditions and rain gear is essential to enjoy this tour. Regretfully this tour is not suitable for guests with physical disabilities.
Can I leave the tour before it returns to Dublin?
Yes. For example, if you wish to leave one of our tours in Galway, you are free to do so. However, please advise your Railtours host on the day, otherwise, they will be worried about you! Please note that there is no refund for any unused portions of the tour.
If you wish to extend your tour and spend an overnight in Cork, Killarney, Galway, and Belfast we can arrange accommodation, subject to availability.
https://www.backpackerdeals.com/ireland/dublin-2/gap-of-dunloe-tour-from-dublin#deal-faq-5081
Do you use first class on the train?
We do not use first class on the train as first-class rail transport is extremely limited and available only on certain trains on three routes in Ireland. For operational reasons, all Railtours Ireland customers sit together in a specially reserved car or portion of a car with their host.
I want to go on one of your extended tours – what about luggage?
There are luggage facilities onboard trains & coaches and we try to keep luggage transfers between the trains and coaches to a minimum.
It is recommended that large excess amounts of luggage be stored, perhaps, at your Dublin hotel for the duration of your rail tour. We advise that you only bring what you are comfortable lifting on/off trains & coaches. However, there is no luggage restriction.
How do I get to Ireland?
Getting to Ireland is easy. While we do not offer flights, we recommend Aer Lingus for the widest selection of routes and best value from North America, the UK, Europe, and Australia.
Remember, if you are returning to the USA from Ireland you can take advantage of pre-clearance, which is unique to Ireland, and arrive home as a domestic passenger avoiding the queues at immigration.
You can also take the ferry from The United Kingdom to Ireland.
What sort of people travel on your tours?
Railtours Ireland First Class is what's known in the travel/tourism industry as a FIT tour product. This means that it attracts "Free Independent Travellers" of all ages and nationalities. What these travellers have in common is a desire to have a unique touring experience in Ireland, one in which they are free to explore Ireland's towns, cities, countryside and attractions at their own pace, while also availing of a wonderfully constructed itinerary and knowledgeable hosts.
Our tours also offer a comfortable and eco-conscious way to explore the island of Ireland without having to drive.
What language are your tours conducted in?
Our tours are conducted in English only. However, we can provide detailed itineraries in all major European languages if we are informed of your requirements in advance. Also, at key visitor attractions in Ireland, multiple language literature is generally available.
Are your tours wheelchair friendly?
As long as you have some mobility, our tours would be suitable for you.
The trains are wheelchair friendly in Ireland however, most coaches are not wheelchair accessible so you would be required to get on and off the coach unaided by Railtours Ireland staff.
If you need extra walking assistance, you may bring a light-weight foldable wheelchair that can be stowed in the luggage compartment. It is with regret that we cannot accommodate mobility scooters on our tours.
Please ensure that you advise us when booking a tour, that you will be using a wheelchair or other medical equipment so that we can make the necessary arrangements in the train stations ahead of time.
Tours visiting Northern Ireland - Any special requirements for tours visiting Belfast, Giants Causeway & Game of Thrones?
On any tour to Belfast or the Giant's Causeway and Game of Thrones, you will be leaving the Republic of Ireland and entering the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland.
Please ensure that your visa requirements are in order, and it is essential that you carry your passport.
We are dedicated to providing a professional and personalized service. It is our intention to operate all tours as advertised. However, due to operational reasons, it may, on occasion, be necessary to alter certain itineraries. We cannot be held liable in the event of an attraction being closed.
We cannot be held responsible for customers not having the correct visa documentation to enter Ireland or Northern Ireland.
We do reserves the right to cancel tours if industrial or other action affects any of the components which make up our tour or if there is insufficient demand. However, all tours that include accommodation are guaranteed departures (unless under very exceptional circumstances).
For any tours that include a flight to the Aran Islands ( Tour - DH11 / DH11AN) the following condition applies: Should weather conditions be such as to curtail flights or ferries, you will be taken on an alternative tour to Connemara and refunded the difference. No further refund available should you decide not to go to Connemara for any reason. Please note that all tours that include a flight to The Aran Islands are subject to availability.
Please note that all guests on extended tours (all tours that include accommodation) are taken to and from Inis Mór by ferry.
We cannot be held responsible for any damage, loss, accident, delay, irregularity, injury to person or property whatsoever or howsoever caused arising out of or in connection with excursion, tour or transfer. Passengers travel at their own risk and our liability for any claim whatsoever is limited only to the price of the tour.
DAY TOURS: 24 hours' notice prior to the tour departure time must be given in order to get a refund on any day tour.
EXTENDED TOURS: 48 hours' notice prior to the tour departure time, if the tour includes accommodation (Except for The Emerald Isle Express Tour where 60 days' notice is required).
GROUP TOURS: 60 days' notice is required for the cancellation of tours for groups of 10 or more.
ALTERATIONS: Once reservations are confirmed by RTIFC, and after a grace period of 72 Hours (3 days), any alterations to the reservation of extended tours (any tours with accommodation) including but not limited to, change of date, tour change, etc. will be subject to a fee of EURO 49.00 per booking.
"If you miss the train, you miss the tour"
All refunds are subject to a 10% administration charge. We reserve the right to refuse admission to any tour and to terminate a tour if circumstances demand.
EUR € 159
The Aran Islands Railtour from Dublin
from EUR €159
The Ring of Kerry Rail Tour From Dublin
The Giant's Causeway and the Glens of Antrim Rail Tour From Dublin
Cork, Blarney Castle, Cobh and Titanic Story Rail Tour From Dublin


text:
Category: NBA Owners
NBA Board of Governors approves instant replay rule changes
The NBA Board of Governors today approved changes to the league's instant replay rules on a one-year trial basis for the 2021-22 season.
NBA Board of Governors approves Play-In Tournament for 2021-22 season
The NBA Board of Governors today approved a proposal to continue the Play-In Tournament for the 2021-22 season.
NBA Board of Governors approves sale of Utah Jazz to ownership group led by Ryan Smith
The NBA Board of Governors has unanimously approved the sale of the Utah Jazz to an ownership group led by Ryan Smith, founder and executive chairman of Qualtrics.
NBA Board of Governors launches first-ever NBA Foundation in partnership with NBPA to support Black communities and drive generational change
The NBA Board of Governors announced today that it will contribute $300 million in initial funding to establish the first-ever NBA Foundation dedicated to creating greater economic empowerment in the Black community.
NBA Board of Governors approves changes to Draft Lottery system
The NBA Board of Governors today approved changes to the NBA Draft Lottery system that will reduce the odds so that the teams with the three worst records will share the same chance of receiving the No. 1 overall draft pick.
Raptors' Larry Tanenbaum unanimously elected Chairman of the NBA Board of Governors
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced today that Toronto Raptors Governor Larry Tanenbaum has been unanimously elected Chairman of the NBA Board of Governors.
NBA Board of Governors approves relocation of Pistons to downtown Detroit
The NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved the Pistons' relocation from The Palace of Auburn Hills to Little Caesars Arena in downtown Detroit. The team will begin playing this upcoming season at Little Caesars Arena.
NBA Board of Governors approves rules changes to improve game flow
The NBA Board of Governors unanimously approved rules changes pertaining to timeout format and procedures for administrating free throws and halftime.
NBA players and Board of Governors ratify new Collective Bargaining Agreement
The new Collective Bargaining Agreement was ratified this week by the NBA players and NBA Board of Governors.
NBA expands use of Replay Center for 2016-17 season
The NBA announced today that it will expand use of the Replay Center beginning with the 2016-17 regular season.


A credit card in combination with a credit-card-branded gift card.
Once you submit your order, it cannot be changed or canceled. We process orders very quickly, and once an order begins the fulfillment process we are unable to modify it. (Backorders that have not yet entered the fulfillment process may be canceled by visiting your order history.) We apologize for any inconvenience, and we hope that in the majority of cases our faster processing times work to your advantage. If you have questions about your order, contact us.
Your card is usually charged when you place your order. If your order contains backordered items, the backordered portion will not be charged to your account until the item(s) become available. Some exceptions apply for items that require freight delivery or items that are sent directly from our vendors.
We collect sales tax on orders shipping to any state where L.L.Bean has a physical presence, or is otherwise required to collect tax by law. We will automatically add the appropriate state and local taxes if your delivery location is in any of the following states: AL, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MS, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY.
Important information regarding use taxes: L.L.Bean is not required to and does not collect sales or use tax in states or US territories other than those in which L.L.Bean has a physical presence, or is otherwise required to collect tax by law. Purchasing over the internet does not exempt your order from the use tax in the state or US territory where you reside. States (except for Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon) require residents to pay use tax on their purchase to the state or US territory tax authorities. For more information and the appropriate forms and instructions, visit your state's or US territory's website.
Sales tax refunds on returns for Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island: In accordance with state sales tax regulations, customers returning items without a receipt will not receive a sales tax credit. A return within 90 days of original purchase date is required for a refund of Connecticut and Massachusetts sales tax, or within 120 days for Rhode Island sales tax. For more information, visit your state's website.
Sales tax-exempt customers: Customers who are exempt from state sales tax must preregister with L.L.Bean to make tax-exempt purchases. To qualify, send a valid tax-exempt certificate for the state(s) where the merchandise will be shipped or the store where the merchandise will be purchased to the contact information listed below. After registering, we will send you an L.L.Bean tax-exempt customer ID card for future purchases at L.L.Bean.
If you were charged sales tax and have a valid tax exemption certificate(s), please send a copy of your sales receipt and certificate(s) to the contact information listed below. Within 7-10 business days after processing the certificate(s), we will mail a refund check for the sales tax paid, along with an L.L.Bean tax-exempt ID card for future tax-exempt purchases.
Sales tax on watercraft purchased by non-Maine residents: Watercraft purchased in Maine by non-Maine residents for use in another state may be eligible for a full or partial exemption from Maine sales tax. Download the Affidavit of Exemption at maine.gov(PDF). Please send a copy of your sales receipt and the completed affidavit to the contact information below. We will issue a refund check for the sales tax paid within 7-10 business days.
At L.L.Bean, your satisfaction is important to us. We hope you will understand that, despite our best efforts, we do make occasional errors. L.L.Bean is not obligated to honor pricing errors that may occur from time to time.
L.L.Bean does not match third-party or competitor pricing.
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Fill in and review your information and then click the "Reserve Item" button.
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Please note Items may be reserved only at our retail stores. Sorry, we cannot reserve items at our outlets.
If you wish to place an order by fax or mail, we encourage you to use an order form so that we may complete your order more quickly. You may download and print the appropriate order form from the list below.
Fax your order to 207-552-3080 (international users, be sure to use your international access code).
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Most in-stock items can be shipped free to the L.L.Bean Retail Store near you, where you can pick them up at your convenience – usually in about seven days.
1. In your Shopping Bag, click the "Shipping to" dropdown below your first item and select "Ship to Store" to choose a store pickup location. If this option does not appear, that item is not eligible for in-store pickup.
Please note If your preferred store is shown in gray text and cannot be selected, Ship to Store is temporarily unavailable at that location.
2. Continue with additional items, then check out as usual. Estimated delivery time, including any additional time for services such as monogramming or gift boxing, will be shown during checkout. We recommend printing out the "Thank You" page to take with you when you pick up your order.
3. When your order is ready for pickup, you will receive an email to inform you that your package has arrived in the store. You can pick up your order anytime during regular store hours, starting at 4:30 p.m. the day you receive the email.
Orders will be held at the store for seven days. After this time, we will contact you about issuing a credit and returning the item(s) to our warehouse.
4. When you arrive to pick up your order, take a printout of your "Thank You" page or order confirmation email to any register. (You can also use your mobile phone or tablet instead of printing it; simply show a phone display at checkout.) You will need to bring a photo ID that matches the name on the credit card you used to make your purchase. For your security, orders will be released only to the purchaser with valid ID.
Backordered items, as well as some items that require special handling (such as furniture, boats, bikes and gift cards), cannot be shipped to a store. Please note that Ship-to-Store is for L.L.Bean Retail Stores only; we are unable to ship items to L.L.Bean Outlets.


Hull City Council has promoted city planning manager Alex Codd to a new city economic development and regeneration manager role.
Codd has spent the past 10 years leading the council's planning team.
According to the council, the new role role "has been designed to strengthen the relationship between planning and economic development and unlock the development of key sites across the city".
Sign up for our weekly Planning People email bulletin here.


Townhome nestled between Buckhead & Midtown by Atlanta's popular Beltline Path. Hardwood floors on main and all stairs, stainless steel BOSCH & GE appliances, master suite w/vaulted ceilings & jetted garden tub. Boston Acoustic upgraded surround system, granite countertops w/stainless sinks in bathrooms, dual headed tile glass shower in one bath, Nest thermostats and Ring doorbell. One of the largest floor plans in the community. 1 Car attached garage w/storage room & room for a vehicle in driveway. FHA Approved w/ tennis & dog run area!


text:
Q: how to calculated the complex number $(-1)^{3i}$ how to calculated $(-1)^{3i}$. Well I did the following:
$z=(-1)^{3i}$ implies $\log z = 3i\log -1 = 3i(0+i\pi) = -3\pi$
then
$z=e^{-3\pi}$, I am fine? I will appreciate any help
Thank you so much!!!

A: You have to pay attention about the logarithm! The logarithm has infinitely many branches in the complex number so you have to take the $\log$ with caution!
However, if you replace $-1$ with $e^{\pi i}$ you get
$$
z=(-1)^{3i} = e^{\pi i \cdot 3i} = e^{-3\pi}
$$
You see, that the result is the same as taking the logarithm, however your approach is mathematically spoken not fully correct as you need to make clear that you're using the main branch of the logarithm. You potentially could use any other branch of the logarithm which would add $2\pi i$ to the result and change everything up, so you would end up with a different result, in general:
$$
\log z =3i \log (-1) = 3i (i\pi + 2ki\pi)=-3\pi-6k\pi \Leftrightarrow z = e^{-3\pi(2k+1)}
$$
for $k\in\mathbb{Z}$ arbitrary.

A: Since $-1=e^{i\pi (2n+1)},$ we have $(-1)^{3i}=e^{-3\pi(2n+1)},$ where $n\in\mathbb{Z}.$


text:
package acmi.l2.clientmod.io;

import java.io.IOException;
import java.nio.charset.Charset;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.Collection;
import java.util.List;
import java.util.stream.Collectors;

import static acmi.l2.clientmod.util.CollectionsMethods.indexIf;

public interface UnrealPackageReadOnly {
    Charset getCharset();

    int getVersion();

    int getLicensee();

    int getFlags();

    List<? extends NameEntry> getNameTable();

    List<? extends ExportEntry> getExportTable();

    List<? extends ImportEntry> getImportTable();

    default int nameReference(String name) {
        return indexIf(getNameTable(), e -> e.getName().equalsIgnoreCase(name));
    }

    default String nameReference(int ref) {
        return getNameTable().get(ref).getName();
    }

    default Entry objectReference(int ref) {
        if (ref > 0)
            return getExportTable().get(ref - 1);
        else if (ref < 0)
            return getImportTable().get(-ref - 1);
        else
            return null;
    }

    interface NameEntry {
        String getName();

        int getFlags();
    }

    interface Entry {
        UnrealPackageReadOnly getUnrealPackage();

        int getObjectReference();

        Entry getObjectPackage();

        NameEntry getObjectName();

        default String getObjectFullName() {
            return getObjectInnerFullName();
        }

        String getObjectInnerFullName();
    }

    interface ImportEntry extends Entry {
        UnrealPackageReadOnly getUnrealPackage();

        NameEntry getClassPackage();

        NameEntry getClassName();
    }

    interface ExportEntry extends Entry {
        Entry getObjectClass();

        Entry getObjectSuperClass();

        int getObjectFlags();

        int getSize();

        int getOffset();

        byte[] getObjectRawDataExternally() throws IOException;
    }

    enum ObjectFlag {
        /**
         * Object is transactional.
         */
        Transactional,
        /**
         * Object is not reachable on the object graph.
         */
        Unreachable,
        /**
         * Object is visible outside its package.
         */
        Public,
        /**
         * Temporary import tag in load/save.
         */
        TagImp,
        /**
         * Temporary export tag in load/save.
         */
        TagExp,
        /**
         * Modified relative to source files.
         */
        SourceModified,
        /**
         * Check during garbage collection.
         */
        TagGarbage,
        Flag7,
        Flag8,
        /**
         * During load, indicates object needs loading.
         */
        NeedLoad,
        /**
         * A hardcoded name which should be syntaxhighlighted.
         */
        HighlightedName,
        /**
         * In a singular function.
         */
        InSingularFunc,
        /**
         * Suppressed log name.
         */
        Suppress,
        /**
         * Within an EndState call.
         */
        InEndState,
        /**
         * Don't save object.
         */
        Transient,
        /**
         * Data is being preloaded from file.
         */
        PreLoading,
        /**
         * In-file load for client.
         */
        LoadForClient,
        /**
         * In-file load for client.
         */
        LoadForServer,
        /**
         * In-file load for client.
         */
        LoadForEdit,
        /**
         * Keep object around for editing even if unreferenced.
         */
        Standalone,
        /**
         * Don't load this object for the game client.
         */
        NotForClient,
        /**
         * Don't load this object for the game server.
         */
        NotForServer,
        /**
         * Don't load this object for the editor.
         */
        NotForEdit,
        /**
         * Object Destroy has already been called.
         */
        Destroyed,
        /**
         * Object needs to be postloaded.
         */
        NeedPostLoad,
        /**
         * Has execution stack.
         */
        HasStack,
        /**
         * Native (UClass only).
         */
        Native,
        /**
         * Marked (for debugging).
         */
        Marked,
        /**
         * ShutdownAfterError called.
         */
        ErrorShutdown,
        /**
         * For debugging Serialize calls.
         */
        DebugPostLoad,
        /**
         * For debugging Serialize calls.
         */
        DebugSerialize,
        /**
         * For debugging Destroy calls.
         */
        DebugDestroy;

        private int mask;

        ObjectFlag() {
            this.mask = 1 << ordinal();
        }

        public int getMask() {
            return mask;
        }

        @Override
        public String toString() {
            return "RF_" + name();
        }

        public static Collection<ObjectFlag> getFlags(int flags) {
            return Arrays.stream(values())
                    .filter(e -> (e.getMask() & flags) != 0)
                    .collect(Collectors.toList());
        }

        public static int getFlags(ObjectFlag... flags) {
            int v = 0;
            for (ObjectFlag flag : flags)
                v |= flag.getMask();
            return v;
        }
    }

    int PACKAGE_FLAGS = ObjectFlag.getFlags(
            ObjectFlag.Public,
            ObjectFlag.LoadForClient,
            ObjectFlag.LoadForServer,
            ObjectFlag.LoadForEdit);

    enum PackageFlag {
        /**
         * Allow downloading package
         */
        AllowDownload(0),
        /**
         * Purely optional for clients
         */
        ClientOptional(1),
        /**
         * Only needed on the server side
         */
        ServerSideOnly(2),
        /**
         * Loaded from linker with broken import links
         */
        BrokenLinks(3),
        /**
         * Not trusted
         */
        Unsecure(4),
        /**
         * Client needs to download this package
         */
        Need(15);

        private int mask;

        PackageFlag(int bit) {
            this.mask = 1 << bit;
        }

        public int getMask() {
            return mask;
        }

        @Override
        public String toString() {
            return "PKG_" + name();
        }

        public static Collection<PackageFlag> getFlags(int flags) {
            return Arrays.stream(values())
                    .filter(e -> (e.getMask() & flags) != 0)
                    .collect(Collectors.toList());
        }

        public static int getFlags(PackageFlag... flags) {
            int v = 0;
            for (PackageFlag flag : flags)
                v |= flag.getMask();
            return v;
        }
    }
}


The setup instructions reflect CEC_KIT_PC.
CEC_KIT_LITE_PC (LITE version) does not include a joystick. The controller provides pedaling feedback (forward only). Use a secondary mouse or keyboard to steer your character in the game.
Move forward: pedal forward. Depending on your pedaling speed your character will walk or run. Run button is activated when pedaling at the top speed.
Using the setup utility configure Cyber ExerCycle to KEYBOARD and MOUSE MODE (follow the link for more details).
Using the setup utility configure Cyber ExerCycle LITE to KEYBOARD MODE (follow the link for more details).
When starting the game for the first time, please follow ingame Entropia Universe tutorials. After few minutes of gameplay you will be able to leave the initial area and start you play using Cyber ExerCylcle. You need to do this only once. You can customize keyboard controls when you leave the initial area.
When playing, press Q key within the game to togle into the running mode. Also press left ALT to toggle into Aim Mode to allow you direct the movement with the joystick.
To play, run around and enjoy the rich environment of the Entropia Universe.
Depending on your computer, you can improve the visual effects by adjusting quality and speed settings (see preferences, graphics options).
Universal Timer Ltd is not responsible for content of the games. Please contact respective game manufacturer for game support.


Canon PIXUS i560 i850S Service Manual; Qmanual ONLINE! This Service Manual has easy- to- read text sections with top quality diagrams and instructions as well as step- by- step instructions for repairing your Canon machine. How to repair/ fix Canon PIXUS i560 i850S Printer?
Product maintenance, operating principles. Votre Service Client Trouve la Solution à Votre Demande 7j/ j - 24h/ 24.
Also for: Pixus 80i. Découvrez- en plus sur CPS ( Canon Professional Services), y compris les avantages et la manière d' y adhérer. This is the Canon service tool required for performing service mode operations on. Canon i850s service manual.
Availability: In stock. I80 Printer pdf manual download.
Be the first to review this product. Canon i850s service manual. Entretien, amélioration et réparation Drivers.
SKU: CA- i560- SM. Vous trouverez ici les réponses aux questions les plus posées sur CPS ( Canon Professional Services). Color Bubble Jet Printers. View and Download Canon I80 reference manual online.
Protect against unforeseen accidents* excessive downtime enjoy peace of mind for years to come knowing your new equipment is covered. Copieurs couleur au meilleur prix.
It makes it easy for you to learn technical theory troubleshooting, assembly , installation, disassembly, maintenance repair of Canon products. Quantity: - OR- Add to Wishlist | Add to Compare; Quick Overview. A service plan can provide additional years of service and support from the date you purchased your Canon product. This is not a service manual, but I think it should be posted here. Nous contacter Drivers. I850 Printer pdf manual download.
Here' s list of our CANON manuals starting with E-. Faites appel à nos services d' experts pour maintenir votre matériel. View and Download Canon I850 service manual online.
Canon i850s service manual. Contactez le Service Client Canon dès maintenant par téléphone! Trouvez le point de contact approprié pour chaque pays et contactez des experts qui pourront vous aider.
Canon PIXUS i560 i850S Service Manual. Service client 7/ 7 24/ 24. Besoin de parler à un conseiller? Find model of Your device by choosing its prefix.
Email to a Friend. CANON Printer / Copier / MFP / Fax / Scanners / Cameras / Video Service Manuals To facillitate ease of locating your model, you can use the drop down menus below to navigate our current inventory of Canon service manuals.
Unit now repaired with Partmaster part. Spécialiste Du Copieur Canon.
Découvrez notre offre de copieurs. N& B au meilleur prix. Découvrez notre large gamme de.
copieurs couleur au meilleur ntactez le SAV Canon dès maintenant par téléphone!


DGM Group presented medical equipment and consumables at XXI world exhibition «Zdravoohranenie» in Kazakhstan.
DGM Group participated in XXI world exhibition «Zdravoohranenie - KIHE 2014» during 14-16, May in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
«Zdravoohranenie - KIHE» is the largest and the most important exhibition in the field of medical care of Kazakhstan and of the whole Central Asia region. More than 200 companies from 20 countries had booths there.
Each visitor had the unique possibility to see all the new product and to get full information about it.
One of the distinctive advantages of DGM Group is comprehensive approach to infection control treatment in medical organizations.We provide a wide range of medical equipment for disinfection, sterilization, medical waste treatment, supplemental equipment (like heat sealers, softeners, technical equipment, furniture etc.), consumables and full range of service.
«Zdravoohranenie - KIHE» highlighted dramatic growth of DGM Group positions at Kazakhstan market.


Tizen Store now has more choices to download your favorite apps on the device. I just sort out some good quality camera apps to use on your Tizen smartphones. These apps are best from the camera apps category and best to use with the phone camera. Newly launched smartphone Samsung Z4 is well known for its front camera and its quality. It has front flash to take quality selfies in low light visibility and its 5MP lense is able to capture beautiful moments. Now these top 11 Best Camera apps will help you to tweak more with your images so you could share them on social media networks. Let me clear none of the apps will give you high quality images with the same sensors. These are only for editing purposes and to make it as per your photography.
These all listed apps are available on Samsung Z2, Samsung Z3 and Samsung Z1 devices. Some are not available on new Samsung Z4 Smartphone, but I think they will come soon in near future. The top 11 camera apps are below. After the ACL loss PIP camera is no longer available in Tizen Store. Remaining are working fine on all smartphones. The first one HDR Camera will provide all basic tools to get perfect shots.
The Selfeboom, Sweetz Camera, Instatags & Candy Camera tools are good to take your selfies with more options, which is better to share on Facebook, WhatsApp & Instagram apps. Pixxa – The Image Editor, Night Vision & Photo Filter tools are best editing apps to make wonderful pictures. Almost all apps have essential tools to change ordinary images into memorable albums so use them with your default camera.
Right now in the Tizen Store these are the trending camera apps, heading into the top free list. I personally used some apps on Tizen smartphone and their results are great in overall quality. To check availability of these apps on your smartphone go to the Tizen Store and search them. Now download them on Samsung Z4, Samsung Z2, Samsung Z3 and Samsung Z1 smartphones.


Baltic Airport Transfers specialise in fast and efficient private transfers from a range of airports to all the major Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian destinations. By only offering private transfers we guarantee that there will be no waiting for other passengers either at the airport or on the route, enabling us to transport you door to door in the shortest time possible. Far from being an expensive company, our competitively priced private transfers can be as economical as a shared transfer, especially if you are travelling in a larger group.
All Baltic Transfers vehicles are driven by one of our professional and friendly drivers who take great pride in their work and in their vehicles. On arrival at the airport, your Baltic Transfers driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall with a board displaying your name, please be sure to check each sign carefully! Our office is operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so in the event of a flight delay, please call us on +371 29722770 and we will inform your driver and make any necessary changes.
Transfers form Ferry terminals and Bus stations.
We also provide transfers from any Ferry, Bus or Train station in Baltics. Most popular stations in Estonia are Tallinn Ferry Terminal, Balti jaam and Tallinn Bus Station. In Latvia - Riga Ferry Terminal, Ventspils Ferry Terminal, Liepaja Ferry Terminal, Riga Central Station and Riga Coach Terminal. In Lithuania - Klaipeda Ferry Terminal, Vilnius Railway Station, Kaunas Railway Station, Vilnius Bus Station and Kaunas Bus Station.
If you can not find destination you are interested in, please contact us now for a free, no obligation quote.


text:
import * as React from 'react';
import { shallow } from 'enzyme';

import { Radio } from './../../../src/elements/Form/Radio';

describe('Radio', () => {
    it('should render a label.radio with input[type="radio"]', () => {
        const component = shallow(<Radio>My Radio</Radio>);
        expect(component.contains(
            <label className='radio'>
                <input type='radio'/>My Radio
            </label>
        )).toBe(true);
    });

    it('should render a label.radio with input[type="radio"] and custom classNames', () => {
        const component = shallow(<Radio className='custom' />);
        expect(component.hasClass('radio')).toBe(true);
        expect(component.hasClass('custom')).toBe(true);
    });
});


"I wanted to take the time to thank you an your whole team for the support you have been giving to us, most recently exhibited in how you handled the trouble we had with our MEM's supplier. You have been very ready to work with us, support us, and help resolve the issues as quickly as possible. In the last year or so you have passed an on-site Audit for one of our critical customers, adjusted to varying schedules due to market conditions, worked through quality issues due to mutual suppliers and expedited new designs to get our new products to market as quickly as possible."
"We would like to say what a pleasure it is to work with MPL INC. Your company is very professional in their work ethics and very customer oriented. Communication is the key to a good business relationship and MPL certainly communicates well. Our boards are made according to our specifications and if there are any issues you call us right away. MPL does whatever they can to meet our delivery dates even when we pull our orders in sooner than planned. The boards are packed correctly and they arrive to us safe and sound. "
"Thank you for your outstanding support to us over the last five years. In my three or so years in the Purchasing position, you have been one of my few bright spots in the difficult world of electronics vendors. In a crowded industry where it's difficult to find a good combination of service, quality, and price, I've found MPL has continued to be an outstanding solution for our needs. You've always been extremely accommodating in our flexible delivery schedules, and in with a position reacting to sales figures within windows as short as two weeks, you've always been supportive wherever possible."
"I wanted to thank you and your staff at MPL for a spectacular job on our boards that you have been working so diligently to get to us this month. You have exceeded our expectations and covered us for some other supplier slippages we had. My hat is off to you and your team for an outstanding job! I only have a couple more boards to go to hit our numbers. Again our many thanks for a job well done!!"


text:
'Justice League vs. The Fatal Five' Features Diane Guerrero as Green Lantern Jessica Cruz
Posted in: Animated
The story centers on the Justice League battling a group of time-traveling villains who are in search of budding Green Lantern Jessica Cruz. No release date has been announced but check the jump for the movie's description.
Click here to read the full article.
LEGO DC Super Heroes – Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis Announced
The next LEGO DC Super Heroes straight-to-video animated film will be Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis.
A trailer has been released for the next LEGO DC Super Heroes animated movie coming this Summer on July 31st, Aquaman: Rage of Atlantis. Ahead of the release of the live action Aquaman movie, the character will be front and centre in this new straight-to-home-release LEGO flick. Check out the trailer below and some shots of Green Lantern Jessica Cruz and Red Lantern Atrocitus.
Justice League Action Premieres on Cartoon Network with a Four-Part Special Event
The world's greatest DC Super Heroes are heading to Cartoon Network in the premiere of Justice League Action, an all-new animated series that will kick off with "Shazam Slam," a four-part special event debuting, Friday, Dec. 16 at 6:00 p.m. (ET/PT). Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and based on iconic DC characters, Justice League Action will premiere new episodes Saturday mornings on Cartoon Network, beginning Dec. 24.
New JUSTICE LEAGUE Animated Series Confirmed by Cartoon Network…Canada
You read that headline right? Well, that's all you need to know! Get excited, because Justice League: Action is coming. Full report below via WF.


Whoopie pies/cakes are a dessert I have enjoyed since I was a child. A soft cake texture mixed with cream in the middle. It's similar to an Oreo, but the outside is made out of cake and is bigger than an Oreo. It's one of the best desserts out there for a cake lover. I remember enjoying them while getting cake stuck to my fingers and having to lick it off my hands, which was the best part. I always enjoyed how soft it was and how you got some filling in each bite.
Who doesn't like a classic strawberry shortcake? This recipe is a healthier version of the cake that has the same tastiness of regular shortcake cake mixed with the sweetness of some fruit. It's probably one of the healthiest cakes out there considering it still involves cake.
Strawberries have many benefits towards your health. They help with your eyes, boost your immunity, treat arthritis and gout, prevent cancer, boost brain function, reduce hypertension, improve heart function, promote weight loss, prevent birth defects, and reduce inflammations.
Ever since I developed my food sensitivity to rapeseed, which is in canola oil and soy lecithin, Oreos, which have both canola oil and soy lecithin in them, has been one of the food items I can no longer eat. There are many different alternatives for Oreos such as Gluten-Free Oreos or Organic Oreos, but every alternative I have found still has soy lecithin in them, therefore, I still can't eat them. I decided to look for a homemade version of Oreos that are still quite similar to Oreos, but slightly different in ingredients so I can enjoy them.
I could eat hummus every day. Chickpeas, the main ingredient in hummus, are a great source of protein, and may even have cancer-fighting properties. Plus, it's so simple to make.
Although most of the time I just make a traditional garlic and lemon recipe, this week I had some extra sweet potatoes lying around and I thought I'd try something new. I roasted the sweet potatoes to bring out their sweetness, and added them in with a little garam masala, an Indian spice blend with coriander, cumin, and cinnamon.
Scoop it some up with broccoli florets or homemade pita.
With November right around the corner, I'm already starting to plan my Thanksgiving meal. With a holiday so focused on decadent food and overindulgence, it's hard to find healthy options. Sweet potatoes are doused in marshmallows, everything is slathered in butter…and then there's dessert. But it doesn't have to be that way! Sweet potatoes go perfectly with the season, and are one of the healthiest foods for you. Here are a few options that would be great on a Thanksgiving table.
A few weeks ago I posted a recipe for sweet potato and white bean burgers, and after that I got into a little meatless burger kick. What I've found is I really like adding a sweet potato, which does the double duty of being delicious and nutritious but also helps bind the patty. Instead of adding beans, it's also fun to add a grain like quinoa.
Cleaning up is quite possibly the worst part of baking. After the desserts are plated and the plates licked clean, the kitchen is a disaster zone of leftover ingredients and utensils dirtied in the name of a fancy production. More often than not, people overlook the simple desserts–delicious treats that require very little time, energy, and clean up.


text:
Q: How to create my own preprocessing layer in Tensorflow in python? I have a specific sequential model for preprocessing data as follows:
data_transformation = tf.keras.Sequential([layers.experimental.preprocessing.RandomContrast(factor=(0.7,0.9)),layers.GaussianNoise(stddev=tf.random.uniform(shape=(),minval=0, maxval=1)), layers.experimental.preprocessing.RandomRotation(factor=0.1, fill_mode='reflect', interpolation='bilinear', seed=None, name=None, fill_value=0.0), layers.experimental.preprocessing.RandomZoom(height_factor=(0.1,0.2), width_factor=(0.1,0.2), fill_mode='reflect', interpolation='bilinear', seed=None, name=None, fill_value=0.0),])

However, I would like to add my own preprocessing layer, that is defined by the Python function below:
import tensorflow as tf
import random

def my_random_contrast(image_to_be_transformed, contrast_factor):

    #build the contrast factor
    selected_contrast_factor=random.uniform(1-contrast_factor, 1+contrast_factor)

    selected_contrast_factor_c1=selected_contrast_factor
    selected_contrast_factor_c2=selected_contrast_factor-0.01
    selected_contrast_factor_c3=selected_contrast_factor-0.02

    image_to_be_transformed=image_to_be_transformed.numpy()
    image_to_be_transformed[0,:,:]=((image_to_be_transformed[0,:,:]-tf.reduce_mean(image_to_be_transformed[0,:,:]))*selected_contrast_factor_c1)+tf.reduce_mean(image_to_be_transformed[0,:,:])
    image_to_be_transformed[1,:,:]=((image_to_be_transformed[1,:,:]-tf.reduce_mean(image_to_be_transformed[1,:,:]))*selected_contrast_factor_c2)+tf.reduce_mean(image_to_be_transformed[1,:,:])
    image_to_be_transformed[2,:,:]=((image_to_be_transformed[2,:,:]-tf.reduce_mean(image_to_be_transformed[2,:,:]))*selected_contrast_factor_c3)+tf.reduce_mean(image_to_be_transformed[2,:,:])

    image_to_be_transformed=tf.convert_to_tensor(image_to_be_transformed)
    return image_to_be_transformed

x=tf.random.uniform(shape=[3,224,224], minval=0, maxval=1, dtype=tf.float32)
y=my_random_contrast(x, 0.5)

How can I do that with TensorFlow? as a new preprocessing layer that will receive inputs and outputs from other layers, should I have to guarantee that the input and outputs are of a given type?

A: You need to create a custom layer by subclass the Layer class, an example can be found here Making new Layers and Models via subclassing. Many examples can be found on the web.

A: You need to make sure that your method works with a batch dimension if you plan to preprocess more than one image at a time. Also, it should be able to work without any numpy operations in order to run in graph mode. Then, you can write your own custom layer or a simple lambda layer:
import tensorflow as tf
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import pathlib

dataset_url = "https://storage.googleapis.com/download.tensorflow.org/example_images/flower_photos.tgz"
data_dir = tf.keras.utils.get_file('flower_photos', origin=dataset_url, untar=True)
data_dir = pathlib.Path(data_dir)

ds = tf.keras.utils.image_dataset_from_directory(
  data_dir,
  image_size=(180, 180),
  batch_size=32, shuffle=False)

def my_random_contrast(image_to_be_transformed, contrast_factor):

    #build the contrast factor
    selected_contrast_factor=tf.random.uniform((), minval=1 - contrast_factor, maxval=1 + contrast_factor)

    selected_contrast_factor_c1=selected_contrast_factor
    selected_contrast_factor_c2=selected_contrast_factor-0.01
    selected_contrast_factor_c3=selected_contrast_factor-0.02

    c0 = ((image_to_be_transformed[:,:,:, 0]-tf.reduce_mean(image_to_be_transformed[:,:,:, 0]))*selected_contrast_factor_c1)+tf.reduce_mean(image_to_be_transformed[:,:,:, 0])
    c1 = ((image_to_be_transformed[:,:,:, 1]-tf.reduce_mean(image_to_be_transformed[:,:,:, 1]))*selected_contrast_factor_c2)+tf.reduce_mean(image_to_be_transformed[:,:,:, 1])
    c2 = ((image_to_be_transformed[:,:,:, 2]-tf.reduce_mean(image_to_be_transformed[:,:,:, 2]))*selected_contrast_factor_c3)+tf.reduce_mean(image_to_be_transformed[:,:,:, 2])

    image_to_be_transformed = tf.concat([c0[..., tf.newaxis], image_to_be_transformed[:,:,:, 1:]], axis=-1)
    image_to_be_transformed = tf.concat([image_to_be_transformed[:,:,:, 0][..., tf.newaxis], c1[..., tf.newaxis], image_to_be_transformed[:,:,:, 2][..., tf.newaxis]], axis=-1)
    image_to_be_transformed = tf.concat([image_to_be_transformed[:,:,:, :2], c2[..., tf.newaxis]], axis=-1)

    return image_to_be_transformed

images, _ = next(iter(ds.take(1)))
image = images[2]
plt.figure()
f, axarr = plt.subplots(1,2)
axarr[0].imshow(image / 255)

# After preprocessing dataset:
images, _ = next(iter(ds.map(lambda x, y: (my_random_contrast(x, 0.8), y)).take(1)))
image = images[2]
axarr[1].imshow(image / 255)

Example usage:
model = tf.keras.Sequential()
model.add(tf.keras.layers.Lambda(lambda x: my_random_contrast(x, 0.8)))
model.add(tf.keras.layers.Flatten())
model.add(tf.keras.layers.Dense(1))
model.compile(optimizer='adam', loss='mse')
model.fit(tf.random.normal((50, 64, 64, 3)), tf.random.normal((50, 1)))


I have a 4 years' old Compaq PC with OEM CD-Rom, and have recently got a DVD/CD-RW combo drive. So far, no problem.
I have been burning Sony CD-Rs through Nero (mostly data back-ups, and some music), and can access the files either from the old CD-Rom or from the new combo drive. Even other CDs (e.g., third party music, or from books) open in either drive.
I have just bought Sprint CD-Rs, and after burning data files find the CD is opening in the combo drive, but not in the old CD-Rom. In fact, the old CD-Rom is not recognising this CD.
What can be wrong please?
You might post this in the Tech Q&A section for better info.
1) that you are not useing CDRW or some other format. 2) try on a friend's CDROM. May be the CD quality.


Whether it's your hands and arms, back and shoulders, head and neck, or legs and feet, these parts are all interrelated. If you injure one part of your body, the rest of it must pick up the slack, so to speak. This new accommodation puts additional strain on your body.
As you can imagine, then, if your feet are unsupported or injured, your spine and the rest of your body will be negatively impacted. After all, you'll have to overcompensate with the way you walk, which puts more pressure on your already hard-working spine.
By seeing an Indianapolis chiropractor for orthotics and foot levelers, you can change that.
What Are Orthotics and Foot Levelers?
If you're overweight, injured, or otherwise putting extra pressure and weight on your feet, the rest of your body will feel it, as mentioned. Orthotics offer better support so you can walk without continuous body pain. You can even get these customized to your exact feet measurements.
500 Tons a Day…what is this number? It is the amount of weight a person will carry a day if they are about 170lbs and walk an average of 7.5 miles a day. 250,000 is the average amount of miles a person walks in their lifetime. Think about all the weight and what your feet must go through to keep you in an upright position. Feet are an amazing piece of engineering, made for propelling forward and shock absorbing on contact. Feet take a tremendous amount of stress and walking starts a kinetic chain of motion in the body. This kinetic chain puts other parts of the body at risk for injury and pain if the feet are not supported and moving correctly.
When the foot and ankle do not move correctly, the wrong muscles contract or they contract out of their proper sequence. Your muscles and tendons eventually tire and break down suffering microscopic tears. These tears trigger inflammation leading to swelling, pain, and scarring in these tissues. As well, other joints will suffer excess wear and tear leading to inflammation and possibly degeneration. Because of this, pain and dysfunction may occur in your feet, ankles, legs, knees, thighs, hips, low back, and anywhere else in the kinetic chain of bones.
So if you suffer from pain in the lower body "chain", orthotics may help in solving some of the associated problems. Here at Hull Chiropractic, Dr. Hull can provide a custom computerized scan of your feet and explain to you if orthotics can benefit you. They can be ordered, paid for and picked up right here in our office.
Foot levelers are a type of orthotic. These shoe inserts provide better balance.
Functional orthotics can treat tendinitis, shin splints, lower back pain and a number of other conditions. These are designed out of graphite and plastic to control foot motion. By controlling the motion of your feet, the rest of your body can benefit from the changes. To learn more about how custom functional orthotics work and their variety of applications, visit the Footlevelers Website.
If you find you're still in pain after using orthotics for a few weeks or months, schedule an appointment with your chiropractor. Through chiropractic care, such as spinal manipulations, adjustments, and compressions, you should notice a significant difference in your pain levels.
Need a chiropractic clinic in Indianapolis for orthotics and foot levelers? Come see us at Hull Chiropractor. As your chiropractor in Indianapolis, we also specialize in massages, electrotherapy, trigger point therapy, physical therapy, car accident injury treatment, and chiropractic care like spinal decompressions, manipulations, and adjustments.
Interested in scheduling an appointment? Contact us today at 317-243-2392. You can also come see us at Hull Chiropractic on 101 North Girls School Road.