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Response to PACAC on the Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission
Posted on the 14th December 2020
Download as PDF (114.1KB pdf)
The Electoral Reform Society (ERS) welcomes the opportunity to respond to this call for evidence on the government's proposed Constitution, Democracy and Rights Commission. We welcome the government's commitment to looking at issues affecting our constitution, as stated in their 2019 manifesto. Too often, constitutional issues are not given the importance they merit.
About the Electoral Reform Society
The Electoral Reform Society is the UK's leading voice for democratic reform. We work with everyone – from political parties, civil society groups and academics to our own members and supporters and the wider public – to campaign for a better democracy in the UK.
Our vision is of a democracy fit for the 21st century, where every voice is heard, every vote is valued equally, and every citizen is empowered to take part. We make the case for lasting political reforms, we seek to embed democracy into the heart of public debate, and we foster the democratic spaces which encourage active citizenship.
What form should the Commission take?
a. How should it be composed?
b. Should the Commission engage the public, and if so how?
c. How should the Commission proceed in its work? Over what timescale?
If the government wants the Commission to be a meaningful exercise in exploring how our constitution and democracy operate, it is crucial that the public are engaged in the process in a substantive way. This cannot be the work of politicians and academics alone. Ultimately, our constitution and system of democracy exist to serve the citizens of the UK, so if substantial changes are being considered, it is vital that there is some mechanism for involving the public in these deliberations.
An ideal way of proceeding would be to set up a citizens' assembly. These are an increasingly popular way of ensuring citizens' input into the policy making process. For example, the Citizens' Assembly of Scotland is currently concluding its deliberations into the question of what kind of country Scotland should be.[1] There are a number of key aspects of citizens' assemblies which makes them particularly suited to addressing complex issues in a comprehensive way: participants are randomly selected to reflect the demographic and geographic make-up of the country and in most cases other attitudinal characteristics (such as party affiliation or position on certain issues); they hear from a variety of experts and advocates of different viewpoints; and participants engage in detailed deliberation with each other over weeks and months, ensuring in-depth consideration of the issues.
The process would happen in stages. Firstly, cross-party parliamentarians and academic experts would be selected to serve on the Commission. The Commission would then draw up a broad remit and questions to be addressed. The Commission would be responsible for setting up a citizens' assembly that would consider these questions, as well as having the opportunity to address other constitutional questions if so desired. After this point, the operation of the citizens' assembly would be independent of the Commission. The citizens' assembly's conclusions and recommendations would be delivered to the Commission which would then produce its own report, addressing the citizens' assembly's recommendations. While the Commission would be under no obligation to accept recommendations of the assembly, there would be a very strong presumption that the Commission would engage seriously with all recommendations. Final say over the implementation of any Commission recommendations would be in the hands of parliament.
What should be the main purpose and output of the commission?
a. How should the Commission report its findings?
As described above, the citizens' assembly process would conclude with a report containing conclusions and recommendations that would be delivered to the Commission. The Commission would produce its own report in response to the citizens' assembly's recommendations. While the Commission would be under no obligation to accept recommendations of the assembly, there would be a very strong presumption that the Commission would engage seriously with all recommendations. Final say over the implementation of any Commission proposals would be in the hands of parliament. Consideration could also be given as to whether a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament should be established to consider and report on any Commission recommendations, before the proposals go before parliament as a whole. This would follow the example of Ireland, where a Joint Committee of the Oireachtas produced a report on the recommendations of the Citizens' Assembly on the Eighth Amendment, with their report being delivered to both Houses of the Oireachtas.[2]
Given the remit of the Commission to look at "the broader aspects of our constitution" and "come up with proposals to restore trust in our institutions and in how our democracy operates" are there issues not on the Government's list that need to be examined?
Any serious exploration of how democracy in the UK operates must consider the electoral system used for elections to Westminster. We are one of very few democratic countries still using the First Past The Post (FPTP) electoral system. This system means that how people vote is not properly reflected via representation in the House of Commons and vast swathes of the population can be ignored by politicians because they live in 'safe' seats, which are unlikely to change hands. For example, at the 2019 general election, over half the constituencies in Great Britain were so safe that the outcome in these seats could be predicted before a single vote was cast.[3] A staggering number of voters saw their vote count for nothing at the last general election. Of the 32 million votes cast, only 9.4 million votes (29.2% of the total) were 'decisive' in securing a candidate's election (i.e. were needed to elect the winning candidate). Across the UK, 14.5 million people (45.3% of all voters) cast their vote for a non-elected candidate, while 8.1 million votes (25.2%) were 'surplus', i.e. they were cast for the elected candidate but did nothing to contribute to their election. Over 22.6 million votes (70.8%) did not contribute to electing an MP.[4]
FPTP is no longer just an anomaly in the wider world, it has become one in the UK itself. Systems of proportional representation are used to elect representatives to the Northern Ireland Assembly, the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Senedd and the London Assembly. Scottish local authorities are also elected via a system of proportional representation, the Single Transferable Vote (STV), and legislation is proceeding through the Senedd that will allow Welsh local authorities to choose STV for their elections.
Every devolved parliament and assembly that has been created in the UK in the last 20 years uses a system of proportional representation to elect its representatives. Any serious exploration of the state of democracy in the UK must include the question of whether FPTP is the right system to elect representatives to the House of Commons.
What areas should be a priority for the Commission and why?
There are two key priorities that the ERS would like to see considered.
Whether FPTP is the best system to use to elect MPs to the House of Commons or whether we should move to a proportional system, in line with the vast majority of democratic countries and also in line with the other parliaments and assemblies created in the UK over the last 20 years. This question goes to the heart of our democracy and people's right to have their vote count.
The composition and role of the House of Lords: Westminster's second chamber is currently made up of approximately 800 peers, who find themselves there via a variety of routes – because they have been appointed by a Prime Minister; because they are a bishop; because of a hereditary title. No members of the House of Lords are accountable to the public and they are unrepresentative of the UK, in terms of gender, ethnicity, region and professional background. Given that the House of Lords plays a key role in scrutinising and passing legislation, it is vital that this state of affairs is considered by the Commission and the citizens' assembly. Reforming our second chamber can improve the health of our democracy by allowing for the fair and equal representation of the UK's nations and localities. A second chamber elected on a territorial basis, via proportional representation, could serve as a forum in which the four nations (including English localities, depending on how they choose to be represented at the national level) can work together.[5]
If this Commission is to be effective and timely, the government must soon set out its proposals for the make-up and remit of the Commission and a timeline for its work. The government should also allow for a period of consultation on its proposals for how the Commission will operate.
[1] https://www.citizensassembly.scot/
[2] https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/committees/32/eighth-amendment-constitution/
[3] https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/latest-news-and-research/media-centre/press-releases/electoral-reform-society-predict-the-election-result-in-half-of-seats-in-britain/
[4] Electoral Reform Society (2020). Voters Left Voiceless:The 2019 General Election. https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/latest-news-and-research/publications/the-2019-general-election-voters-left-voiceless/
[5] Electoral Reform Society (2019). Westminster Beyond Brexit: Ending the Politics of Division. https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Westminster-beyond-Brexit-Ending-the-politics-of-Division.pdf.
Response to the PACAC Inquiry into the Evolution of English Devolution
Download as PDF (214.3KB pdf) The Electoral Reform Society welcomes the opportunity to contribute to this timely inquiry. Devolution within England has invariably been described as 'unfinished business' and the 'gaping hole in the devolution...
Response to the PACAC Inquiry into the work of the Electoral Commission
Download as PDF (213.6KB pdf) The Electoral Reform Society welcomes the opportunity to respond to this inquiry into the work of the Electoral Commission. It is almost exactly 20 years since the Political Parties, Elections...


Dear friends in Christ, grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father, and His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
I must confess; I re-wrote the opening of this sermon yesterday morning at a local coffee shop; doesn't surprise most of you, I know! Most of my writing happens in a coffee shop! But this sermon opening comes with a story; because, while I was sitting in the corner of Fresh Fields, near their book shelf, a tow-headed two year old, wandered toward me. I notice those things now, you know. I'm going to be a grandpa in December, so two year old tow-heads have arrived on my radar screen!
When I was in youth ministry, I learned a phrase that aptly describes adolescents; "Teen-agers" I was told, "are like small children in a candy store; they don't know what they want, but they know what they like." And that's not a rap on teen-agers, because I have discovered that adults are exactly the same. We pick our way through life, in restaurants, in furniture stores, on car lots, and even among churches, not sure what we're looking for, but certain that we will know it when we see it.
The people of Israel didn't know what they wanted, but they knew what they liked; and they didn't like John very much, and they didn't like Jesus at all. It's because John and Jesus called the people to a life of discipleship. Jesus called them, not to follow a list of 612 picky rules about how to dress, and what to eat, and how to wash their hands, and when to pray. Rather, Jesus called them to a life of loving God and serving people. And when he said "The journey won't be easy, and the lifestyle won't always be comfortable," people distanced themselves from Jesus in the same way my little friend Jordan discarded books; dismissed Jesus because they preferred their rules to God's roadmap.
The Jews were looking for something or someone who would fulfill their need for a Messiah. They thought it would be a mighty king, or a powerful warrior, or deeply religious person who observed every law in the rabbinical code. In truth, they were too pompous, and too proud to recognize that the Savior was right in their midst. He was hidden from their self-righteous eyes. He was too common, too simple, and certainly not religious enough to be THEIR messiah. I have always thought that Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale about "The Emperor's New Clothes" is the perfect allegory for those first-century Jews. The proud ones didn't see what was in plain sight…but the children did.
"These things" that Jesus was referring to was Jesus himself. The "wise and intelligent ones" were the leaders of the synagogue, and the righteous Pharisees, and the pompous men who followed all the rules and condemned those who did not. And the infants of whom Jesus spoke? They were not necessarily children; rather, they were the sinners who knew that they didn't belong; the ones who realized that they had broken every one of the 612 Jewish laws. They liked what they saw in Jesus, because he spoke of forgiveness, and offered them a second chance; a life jacket in the midst of a stormy sea. Isn't it interesting, that common sinful folk knew a secret that was unknown by the brightest, holiest and proudest people in the community? That everybody is a sinner, and that Jesus came to love sinners, and to offer them a second chance.
The Christian Church in the 21st century does not see itself as beggars telling other beggars where to find food. Rather, I fear that we see ourselves as being right. We have the right theology, so that makes the others wrong. We have the right liturgy, or the right political opinions, or our members act in the right way. We're not beggars! We're not even sinners! We used to be, but not anymore. And that sort of attitude is not only a myth, but it repels the people whom Jesus wants us to reach out to…the ones who know the secret; that Jesus' primary purpose in coming to the world was not to tell us to straighten up and fly right. It was to tell us that we were beggars, and he was the food.
Today, I would that we would see ourselves as beggars. With empty hands, we come forward to this altar and confess to God that we're not righteous and proud, we are sinful and messed up. And the gift we are handed here is proof that God hears the simple prayers of the sinful, and he gives us a second chance. It's not a secret anymore; it's the truth. You come. Thanks be to God. Amen.
— Copyright 2005, Steven Molin. Used by permission.


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Éducation et sociétés est une revue de sociologie de l'éducation à comité de lecture. Elle est semestrielle et paraît depuis 1998.

Présentation
La revue est créée par le groupe d'études sociologiques de l'INRP, sous la responsabilité de Jean-Louis Derouet, et co-publiée par l'institut et l'éditeur De Boeck. Le premier numéro paraît au second semestre 1998. Son comité scientifique comprend des représentants de la recherche en sciences de l'éducation belge, française, québécoise et suisse.

La revue propose en version électronique sur le portail cairn.info les numéros à partir de 2001. La revue est gratuite trois ans après la parution des numéros. Elle figure sur la liste de revues de sciences de l'éducation de l'AECSE, sur celle de l'AERES et sur la base ERIH.

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Revue de sociologie
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Developing Apps for Apple TV
by Sally Shepard
This talk was delivered live in October 2015 at MBLTdev. The video was transcribed by Realm and is published here with the permission of the conference organizers.
What is the Apple TV? What frameworks are available? What design differences should you think about? Sally's talk from MBLTDev in Moscow covers making a tvOS client-server app, porting an iOS app to tvOS, and managing dependencies, the focus engine, on-demand resources, parallax images, and universal purchases.
I'm Sally Shepherd (@mostgood on Twitter), and I'm mainly an iOS developer. I also do some side projects working on fitness trackers for cats. It's not very related, but very fun! I've wanted to talk about Apple TV forever, and I'm so excited that they finally brought it out for developers.
The Apple TV (0:33)
What is the Apple TV? The fourth generation was announced in September 2015, but this is the first time we've actually had access to writing software for it directly.
What kind of stuff can this little box do? It's a 64-bit A8 processor with 2 GB of RAM, Ethernet, WiFi, Bluetooth, all the fun stuff. You can get it in 32 or 64 GB, and it's about 10 cm², so it's very little. It also comes with a fancy remote with a glass touch screen. It's not as souped up as some video game consoles, but it's capable of doing some pretty awesome stuff.
Its OS is called "tvOS", and it provides access to a lot of different frameworks. If you've done iOS or Mac, you're probably familiar with most of them already. You can write in Objective-C or Swift, and they've also added some special frameworks just for tvOS in JavaScript. There's also a markup language so you can make lightweight template-driven apps.
Basics of Interaction (2:30)
Apple has pioneered a lot in the way of touch interfaces, and they carry that over to the TV with a cool remote. You've got the glass touch surface, which actually recognizes gestures; you can swipe, tap, and press on it. The Menu button usually serves two functions: either it will take you back to the previous screen in a navigation hierarchy, or, if it's in a game, it will generally pause the game and then give you some contextual options. The Home button takes you home, the Siri button will activate Siri (in countries that support it), and then you've got the Play and Pause button.
It sounds lame, but one of my favorite features is the Volume Up and Down buttons. The Apple TV supports HDMI-CEC, so it can control the volume on your TV. It's amazing to only need one remote. If your television doesn't support HDMI-CEC, you can also pair it via infrared, so you can still use it. Finally, the remote also has an accelerometer and a gyroscope which you can leverage.
There are also third party controllers you can get, including the very popular SteelSeries Nimbus Controller, which is great for gaming. There is a special Apple TV version of Guitar Hero coming, and Disney Infinity is launching something as well.
When you are developing apps for the Apple TV, you'll probably end up using the Simulator at one point in time, because it's a lot faster than trying to build onto hardware every time. There is a software version of the Apple TV Remote and you use it kind of in combination with the keyboard as well. If you want to navigate through the items on the screen, you can use the arrow keys on your keyboard, and if you hold down the Option key, you can kind of mimic swiping and tapping and all sorts of fun things.
Basics of Design (5:15)
If your background is solely on mobile devices where interaction is driven through touch screens, you'll probably have to modify some of the ways that you approach design. The biggest difference is how people experience TV.
On mobile and web, we pretty much design things to be a very exclusive kind of single-user experience. We only worry about what that one person wants to do. They are very much in control of what's happening, and in these situations, we show them information that's particular and personal to them. However, if you're in a room with with lots of other people, you need to be careful about what to show. For example, bank details may not be great to broadcast to everyone in a room, and you probably don't want your text messages showing up on the TV either. It's important to think about the context, and to consider that other people are probably going to be around.
Another important difference is distance. People can be anywhere from 1-4 meters away from their TV, so don't use impossibly small text. TV is a cinematic, dynamic experience, and you should try to play that up in your apps. However, don't needlessly fill the screen with millions of elements. You should provide clear, concise layouts with shallow navigation hierarchies.
With web, we tend to put lots on the screen because users can use a cursor, so precision is fine. When we go to mobile, we simplify it; we have to make elements bigger, we have to put space around them so that users still have that precision, even on a touch screen. On the TV, we simplify it even another level. We create a grid layout, grouping things to speed up navigation.
Another thing to test is the color. When you build your app, especially on your computer, the color will probably look great. Then, you run it on a TV and it might look a bit scary. It is important to test it on different TVs, and try to test it in different color profiles as well, if your TV supports it. They've also opened up TestFlight distribution, so you can get beta testers for your Apple TV apps. Make sure that it doesn't look weird on other people's TVs.
Something to watch out for is overscan. This is a legacy from old CRT displays, where it would trim the edges of the picture and scale it up. Some modern TVs still support this so that old content doesn't look bad. As you're designing, make sure you always have some padding on the edge to account for this. Don't put anything too important on the sides or the bottom.
I'm not going to go through everything about design because there is a lot, but if you are interested in it, or if you are going to do an Apple TV app, please read the Human Interface Guidelines for tvOS. It's a really well written document, and it will save you lots of time.
Starting From Scratch (8:45)
Let's look at what's available for making a tvOS app. There are two main ways to approach it: the Client-Server approach and the Traditional approach.
tvOS provides two ways that Apple have called the TVML, or Television Markup Language, and the TVJS classes to show content from network resources. TVMLKit calls to a server-based JavaScript file which provides content in the TVML, and then this file includes Data, Assets, Media, and anything else that it needs on the server. The return files are rendered through templates, and all the user interaction is handled through the JavaScript file. You can add UIKit code or anything else you want. If you want to pursue it more, there is some great sample code called "TVML Catalog", and it shows you all the different templates and what it can do.
For the more traditional approach, you can use UIKit, which is probably what most people are using on iOS. You can use things like Metal and OpenGLES, or if you want to do 2D gaming, SpriteKit, or for 3D games, SceneKit.
However, not everything is quite available on tvOS yet. A lot of frameworks are available, but several are not. The missing one that everybody seems to want is WebKit. You can't show web views on the TV, but this is great, because you don't get all these annoying pop-up ads while you are playing games. It's important to note that these frameworks are tvOS-specific versions, so they are not necessarily as full-featured as their equivalents on iOS or Mac. Check the documentation to see what might be missing.
Porting an iOS App (11:12)
What if you had an existing iOS app, and you wanted to port it onto the TV?
There are two ways you could approach this: you can start with a new, tvOS-specific project, or you can just add a new target to your existing project.
When you do a new project and select tvOS, you get to choose between a Game, a Single View Application, or a Tabbed Application. You get the same three options if you add a new target. Which one you choose totally depends on your project itself, but if the TV one is going to be very, very different from the iOS one, it might be worth doing a separate project. If they are quite tightly linked, a new target is probably a better way to go.
I've been working on porting a game called "Qiktionary" to the TV. Qiktionary is a little word game where you have to guess what the four letter word is and then it unlocks a fact. You guess a word, and it tells you if any of the letters are correct. If you're wrong, you have to guess another word and eventually, through the process of elimination, you figure out which word is right.
When we started porting it, we decided to add a new target. The first step was to make it compile, which was a long step. For any Apple-provided frameworks or third party frameworks, it all has to be built for tvOS. This means if you added a new target, you'll have basically two copies of the framework, because one will be for iPhone and one will be for TV.
We were using CocoaPods to manage dependencies, and although CocoaPods supports tvOS, it's still down to whoever writes those libraries and frameworks to add tvOS support. None of the libraries that we were using had added support for this, so we changed everything over to get sub-modules to give ourselves more flexibility on being able to change the code and keep track of that.
Then, we had to do things like enable Bitcode, which is an intermediate representation of a compiled program. By including Bitcode, it allows Apple to re-optimize your app binary without the need to submit a new version of your app.
After about a day of getting all of our dependencies up and running on tvOS, we had to wrap a lot of code to make sure it was only compiled under iOS, and some other modifications that only ran under TV. We finally got it to run, which was so exciting, but on first launch, it was SO small on the TV. The main problem we had was you couldn't actually interact with anything on the screen, which is a big problem for a game. You couldn't focus on anything, swiping did nothing, and pressing the button did nothing. So we decided to spend some more time and make it a bit more native.
Make It Native (15:21)
tvOS has this thing called the "Focus Engine" that handles, manages and controls the focus on the screen. It listens for any incoming focus movements from your Remote or Control, and when an event comes in, it automatically determines where the focus should update, and notifies your app.
Programmatically, you can ask for focus updates, but you can't set focus or move focus in a certain direction. UIKit items such as Buttons and Controls, SeachBars, TableViews, and CollectionViews will work automatically because they have canBecomeFocused. For example, a UIButton will focus by default but a UILabel won't, but you can make it focus just by overriding canBecomeFocused.
By default, all classes in UIView and UIViewcontroller that directly or indirectly control the viewer's screen conform to the UIFocus environment protocol. If you are doing anything custom, it's important to implement the protocol to handle the focus for these things too: preferredFocusView, setNeedsFocusUpdate, updateFocusIfNeeded, and shouldUpdateFocusInContext. You can also do didUpdateFocusInContext:withAnimationCoordinator to have nice animations happen.
Then, Focus Engine + SpriteKit = 🙁. It's just not supported at the moment. Even if they did support it, I don't know quite how it would work. It's a little complicated. We basically had to write our own way of handling these events.
To start, we looked at the keyboard for Qiktionary, which we based off some sample code from Apple. If you imagine the keyboard, and each key is a KeyNode, basically, in the "keyboard" class, we create an object to store for each key, which keys are Up, Left, Right and Down from it. Then in the KeyNode class, we add a variable to track whether or not it's focused, and some behavior on how it should look if it is focused, and if isn't focused, and when the "keyboard" class launches, we make sure that we set the focus to the top key.
Then, we create a class that sits on top of the responder chain, and this captures any input device events and forwards them on to the currently focused KeyNode. When the user inputs a touch event on the remote, Apple TV captures the input into the UIResponder chain, forwards it on to the currently focused KeyNode, and the KeyNode then asks its parent, "What's the thing to the right of this?" It returns the key that's to the right, and then performs the update of the state. It works pretty well!
If you are having any problems where focus isn't working, there is this whyIsThisViewNotFocusable for debugging, and it will actually tell you why it isn't focused. In this case, it was returning NO from canBecomeFocused (although returning YES doesn't actually fix it).
Storage and Other Concerns (19:20)
Another challenge is that the app bundle itself is limited to 200 MB. You can only read items from your bundle, you can't actually write to them. To write data, you need to either write to the tmp directory or the cache directory, or store something in NSUserDefaults. The tmp directory's contents are only actually alive until somebody presses the Home button, so it's not very persistent. The cache folder basically will be there until the system decides it needs to clear it out. NSUserDefaults is great, but it's only 500 KB. Apple recommends strongly to use something like iCloud or some other syncing service. You can also use on-demand resources for an additional 20 GB of data.
With iCloud syncing, there are three options: the Key Value Store, which can hold up to 2 MB and 1024 keys; CloudKit, private and public, so up to to 10 TB in public and private; and you can also store documents, but that depends on how much the user is paying for.
On-demand resources are a relatively new thing, where basically the resources are hosted on the App Store, and are separate from the app bundle that you download. The app can request sets of these on-demand resources and the operating system manages the downloading and storage of them. In Xcode, you basically create some tags and attach them to the resources, and then when your app requests the resources associated with the tag, it just downloads those assets.
We didn't find too many things that we were personally missing from the frameworks, but I've worked with a lot of other people who have missed them. MultipeerConnectivity doesn't exist yet for tvOS, for example, and a simple solution to that is to drop down to a lower level API and use something like NSNetService. For other things, you can use a third party REST API. It's important to file a radar if there is something missing and you can't find a way around it. That's the only way that Apple will fix things.
We also have parallax images, where there are multiple layers to the image, and as you move around, they move at slightly different rates to create the effect. It gives us great sense of depth and vitality that helps emphasize what's focused on the screen.
There is also the "Top Shelf" feature. Basically, users can put up to five apps in the Top Shelf, and when the app is focused, it shows related content. You get to define what these things are that it shows, and it's surprisingly easy. Not that many people are doing it yet. Basically, you add a Top Shelf extension and it creates a class that conforms to the TVTopShelfProvider Protocol, and there are two things that you specify: the topShelfItemStyle and topShelfItems.
Finally, there's "Universal Purchase", which is quite cool. If you have an app on iOS you can bundle it with the TV app. If a customer bought it on iOS, they also get it for free on TV. To do this, all you need to do is make sure it has the same Bundle ID. It's easy to do on iTunes Connect, but once have enabled this, there is no way to disable it, so make sure you made the right decision.
Lessons Learned (25:29)
We've only worked on porting Qiktionary for the past couple weeks, but to wrap up, I wanted to go through a few of the things that we've learned so far.
Architecture Choices
We definitely need to make things a lot more modular. Especially when you're just doing iOS, it seems harmless to just say, "Yeah, we'll just do this and fix it later, because we'll totally have time." By doing that, you end up with messy code.
If there's too much of a separation between what you're doing on tvOS vs. iOS, your class becomes thousands of lines long. Qiktionary wasn't written so that the keyboard and the gameboard were all in the same class. The keyboard has its own thing, and we tried to make everything as reusable as possible so it's easier if you need to swap it out for TV. Once you start porting, you'll see all the bad ideas in your code. After this experience, writing iOS apps has given me a better perspective on how to approach things.
Strict Code Dependencies
I like CocoaPods, but I do worry about how people have all these dependencies that they don't know about. We got rid of quite a few, and we've now decided to only use ones that support tvOS and iOS. If you make any frameworks for iOS, make sure that you add support for tvOS.
Design Changes
One thing we've learned is that keyboard layout is not very fun to play with. Keyboards on the Apple TV are generally not very fun, so we've been working on ways to improve the experience around that.
Ultimately, this is just the beginning. Despite the name "tvOS 9", it is still just the beginning. More frameworks will be added, but please file radars if anything is broken or missing. And don't make any more fireplace apps; there are already too many! Go make something awesome, because although it's still a relatively quiet platform, people are spending a lot of money on it. 💰
Resources (28:47)
If you want to get started with tvOS, the App Programming Guide for tvOS is excellent, in addition to the previously mentioned Human Interface Guidelines.
The DemoBots sample code is great too. It's a cross-platform game that runs on Mac, iOS and tvOS, so it shows how to handle a lot of that.
There is also the TVML sample code as well as a UIKit sample code that catalogs everything.
Q: I'm not sure if you app is already available in the store, but do you see any impact on your user base, or users integrated to your OS or not?
Sally: It's not in the store, we are still trying to make it better. But I have friends who've done tvOS versions of their apps and have seen huge increases in downloads.
Q: How much time do you spend to prepare tvOS version of your app?
Sally: We spent about a day just making it compile on its lowest level, and then we've spent probably another few days just trying to get the design bits to work. The Focus Engine stuff took about a day as well. It's been a few weeks. I think we probably have another few weeks to go before we are ready to test, then another few weeks to submit.
Q: Have you had a chance to test it on a real device, and if so, how did you organize that?
Sally: Yep. Apple was really awesome and actually sent out developer hardware. I got an Apple TV for £1, which is great value. It's great value at it's normal price, but it's tremendously good value at £1. It connects via a USB-C to your computer, and you can basically just select that as a device and run it straight from your computer.
Sally Shepard
Sally is an iOS developer, consultant & speaker. She loves working on accessibility, which led her to successfully kickstart Inclusive Tools. She likes to spend her free time working on cat wearables with her pet/tester, Pavlo.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


No challenge is too tough for PADNOS.
As your scrap and recycling partner, no challenge is too tough for PADNOS. We can provide more efficient equipment and smart, effective programs and services, along with customized solutions that integrate seamlessly into your processes. Just tell us what you need and we'll get to work.


No services in either direction / Inter Terminal services in operation.
No services in either direction due to a problem with the overhead lines.
Please use Piccadilly Line services for travel to and from London and between Heathrow terminals.
An Inter-terminal service between Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5 is in operation.
Apparently its not just the Heathrow Express thats affected. According to sky news there are no trains in or out of Paddington, currently.
One of new Hitachi trains caused the overhead line damage.
It's the same train type which, while being tested, has caused signalling issues on a section of the ECML. This train is branded Azuma by VTEC/LNER.
"…The incident was blamed on one of the new generation of high-speed trains being built by Hitachi as a long-term replacement for trains used on the Great Western routes.
The train, a bi-mode class 802, designed for the Great Western route to Devon and Cornwall, was being tested on the line when it is believed to have caused damage to overhead cables near Ealing, west London.


French producer Terence N'guyen aka Darius, has just teased us with a new single titled "Espoir," which is taken from his forthcoming "Romance" EP, out on February 24 via Roche Musique – pre-order on iTunes. Darius, who's also known for being half of the collaborative group Cherokee alongside Co-Conspirator Dorian Miche, has been delivering nothing but excellent music over the past years. It's quite impressive the amount of winners we've been gifted from that side of world, where the excellence of disco seems to be last bulwark of this specific electronic movement. It's definitely our duty to dedicate some words to someone that refuses to follow any kind of trend. It's more than fair to say that Darius, himself, has become a reference for young producers. Far, far away are those days when French House was being treated like never seen before. But, like everything in life, there's always someone that will remain forever as being one of the greatest, a reference. A master of his game! After listening to "Espoir" two times in a row, we instantly fell in love by the piece. It starts with a simple piano line together with an interesting and addictive crispy work synth, which keeps growing and floating around our minds, when finally it ends up gently falling into a magnificent and heartbreaking drop. The second part of the piece has probably already conquered your heart, especially because its the climax, where all elements get together and makes us wish for more. A true masterpiece.


MOSUL, Iraq, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi government forces battling Islamic State (IS) militants retook control of more areas in the old city center of western Mosul, while an international airstrike on IS positions killed six leaders of the extremist group in the city, the Iraqi military said on Sunday.
The commandos of the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) fought heavy clashes against IS militants during the day and freed the neighborhood of Nablus in west of the old city center and raised the Iraqi flags over some of its buildings, Abdul-Amir Yarallah from the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement.
The elite CTS special forces are also fighting IS militants in several nearby neighborhoods, as they have been advancing closer to the western edge of Mosul's densely populated old city center, where hundreds of thousands of civilians are believed to still be trapped under IS rule.
Meanwhile, the progress by the federal police and Rapid Response brigades, the elite Interior Ministry units, was slowed by bad weather and fierce resistance of IS militants in the newly-freed Bab al-Toub neighborhood and adjacent areas.
Also in the day, the U.S.-led international coalition conducted an airstrike and killed six IS leaders in Souq al-Shaareen area in the IS-held city center in western Mosul, locally known as the right bank of the Tigris River, which bisects Mosul, the JOC statement said.
Intelligence reports said the six killed IS leaders are Abdul Kreem al-Roosy (Russian), Salih al-Ahmed (French of Syrian origin), Abu Duaa al-Magribi (Moroccan), Yousif Uwni (Turkish), Abdulla Humoud (Moroccan) and Milad Seiro (British of Algerian origin), the statement added.
Near Mosul, the army's 9th armored Division recaptured al-Mulawtha area and a village in north of the town of Badush, some 10 km northwest of Mosul, after defeating IS militants, leaving many of them killed, according to the statement.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, announced the start of an offensive on February 19 to drive extremist militants out of the western side of Mosul.


text:
<?php
sleep(1);
$texasCitiesJSON = file_get_contents('texas_cities.json');
$texasCities = json_decode($texasCitiesJSON, true);

// only work for our demo
if ($_GET['state'] !== 'TX' || $_GET['includeCommon'] !== 'false') {
  echo '[]';
  die;
}

$search = strtolower($_GET['q']);
$searchLen = strlen($search);
$commonCities = array('Austin','Dallas','El Paso','Houston','San Antonio');

$texasCities2 = array();
foreach ($texasCities as $city) {
  // skip common cities
  if (in_array($city, $commonCities) === true) continue;

  // front-match
  if (substr(strtolower($city), 0, $searchLen) !== $search) continue;

  array_push($texasCities2, $city);
}

echo json_encode($texasCities2);
die;
?>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Golden County Foods workers may be terminated, rehired
PLOVER – Golden County Foods will likely have to terminate all 432 full-time employees as part of an ongoing bankruptcy process, but most of those workers are expected to be immediately rehired by a new owner.
Golden County Foods, based in Plover, reached a preliminary agreement May 22 for the sale of its assets to Monogram Appetizers, according to a letter released Monday from Golden County Foods to the state Department of Workforce Development.
As a condition of the sale, Golden County Foods will be forced to terminate all of its full-time employees immediately before the closing of the sale, the letter says.
"Because Monogram will be buying the company's business as a going concern, we expect it will continue operating the company's business after the sale and that employees will be immediately rehired by the buyer with no interruption in their employment," the letter says.
The sale of Golden County Foods will have to be approved by a bankruptcy court, which means the company can't be sure who the new owner will be or what decisions the new owner will make regarding employees, according to the letter. The sale to Monogram Appetizers could also be affected if Golden County Foods gets higher bids.
"We believe that the proposed sale will result in the preservation of all employees' jobs, but are giving this notice to provide employees with as much information as possible," the letter says.
Golden County Foods, founded in 1991, produces cheese-based and breaded frozen appetizers and snacks. The company, along with its parent company, GCF Holdings II, filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the bankruptcy code in Delaware on May 15.
Under state law, employers with 50 or more workers may be required to give 60 days notice before a mass layoff or closing, according to the state Department of Workforce Development.
Chris Mueller can be reached at 715-345-2251. Follow him on Twitter as @AtChrisMueller.


I ordered a Memorial Bracelet earlier this year with the name of Matt Maupin engraved on it. I wear it proudly every day. I ordered the bracelet with Sgt. Maupins name because he is a military man who has been missing since 2004 and he is from the Cincinnati area. I have always wanted to wear this type of bracelet but I couldn't decide who's name should be on the bracelet. In checking the internet I found a number of military men missing since Vietnam from Kentucky. In checking your web site I found that I could get one inscribed with Sgt. Maupins name and I felt he was the one I wanted to honor. I want you to know I have received a number of complements about the bracelet and will continue wearing it until Sgt. Maupin comes home.


text:
« Arizona makes bid for Maryland's Liberto | Main | Great moments in British rock 'n' roll that remain obscure in the U.S.: Family, "Winter," 1968 »
Justice Ginsburg is a philosopher, and other great moments in the Dunning-Kruger Effect
A propos this (and especially this), it was recently brought to my attention that philosopher Sandra LaPointe (McMaster), opined as follows on Twitter:
Professor Lapointe doesn't indicate what Justice Ginsburg's contributions to philosophy were (because there aren't any, of course), although they presumably weren't to Professor Lapointe's narrow silo of history of philosophy of logic, language, and mind. Indeed, those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones about "silos" at scholars who actually work in two different disciplines, and whose interests and publications are far broader than theirs. Given, however, Professor Lapointe's track record, I'm not surprised.
Posted by Brian Leiter on April 16, 2022 at 06:33 AM in "The less they know, the less they know it", Philosophy in the News, Sandra Lapointe, What is Philosophy? | Permalink


Sure, Eugenie's Great at Tennis, But Who Is She Dating?
Last night, tennis fans sat riveted in front of their TV screens, watching 19-year-old Canadian, Eugenie Bouchard, beat former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic and triumphantly reach the semifinals of the Australian Open. And after that exhilarating and shocking victory, what did the on-court interviewer ask this dedicated and amazing athlete? Who's the man of your dreams, Eugenie? Who are you crushing on, girl? Because, being a woman, what else could she possibly be interested in? Entrenched sexism needs to be pointed out, ridiculed, and eradicated.
Last night, tennis fans sat riveted in front of their TV screens, watching 19-year-old Canadian, Eugenie Bouchard, beat former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic and triumphantly reach the semifinals of the Australian Open.
Bouchard, currently 31 in the world rankings, is the first Canadian since Carling Bassett-Seguso at the 1984 U.S. Open to reach the last four of a grand slam. With no Canadian having ever reached a grand slam final, last night was potentially history in the making.
And after that exhilarating and shocking victory, what did the on-court interviewer ask this dedicated and amazing athlete? How did she feel? What were her expectations for her next match? What did this mean for Canadian tennis? How proud was she of her killer tennis skills? Nope, nope, and nope.
Instead, she was coyly asked: "Whom would you date?"
That's right. Who's the man of your dreams, Eugenie? Who are you crushing on, girl?
An accomplished athlete just reached the semifinals of the Australian Open in a shocking upset, making tennis history, and all the interviewer (who's female, by the way) could think of to ask, were her dating preferences. Because, being a woman, what else could she possibly be interested in?
I remember Eugenie's happy enthusiasm and pride when we interviewed the Montreal native in 2012 for the Westmount Examiner, after she became the first Canadian to win a Grand Slam in singles after her win at Wimbledon as a junior.
This is the highest ranking women's singles player in Canada and a real up and comer in the international women's tennis scene. There should have been no shortage of questions to be asked about her game, her emotions, her future.
Instead, her hard-earned, history-making victory was brushed aside and she was treated like a giggling, boy-crazy teenager who doodles hearts with Justin Bieber's name on her notebooks.
And maybe she does, but you know what? No one would have even thought of asking that question to Federer or Djokovic. Because...duh! They're guys.
While I saw a fair amount of people on Twitter last night question the question asked, calling it stupid, dumb, and ignorant, most people didn't see it for what it was: blatantly sexist.
The truth is, watching a young female athlete, who's been training for a moment like this since she was five years old, be subjected to such inane interviews is nothing new. It's, in fact, the norm.
Not only are women athletes and sports teams routinely devalued -- they are very often suppressed, degraded, or non-existent. And when female athletes are shown the spotlight, they are often infantilized (as was the case here) or sexualized.
And if female athletes can't be infantilized or sexualized, they will be ruthlessly scrutinized. Case in point, Serena and Venus Williams, whose strong, muscular bodies have been described as intimidating, non-proportional and -- I can't even believe it -- "savage."
And if your body can't be sexualized, it will be criticized for being fat. It's a losing battle, any way you look at it.
A few years back, a poster announcing the Rogers Cup (Canadian Tennis Open) was plastered around Toronto.
The poster said, and I cringe as I write this: "Come for the ladies. Stay for the legends."
The legends were the men in the poster. The ladies were apparently not athletes, but Southern belles sipping mint juleps, who might, at any minute, experience a fainting spell.
The term "lady" in sports reeks of "meek," "quiet," and "gentle." Sports are about action, aggression, competition (if not with someone else than at least with yourself or the clock.) Sports are about taking control of your body and pushing your limits. Instead, what we women get are advertising and media executives who, when they're not ignoring us and our athletic achievements, continue to sexualize us and belittle our accomplishments.
There's no denying we continue to live in a world that systematically undervalues women's participation in sports, and deems it unworthy of equal attention, funding and support, but to see it displayed that blatantly and in such a nonchalant way irked me.
In 1992, while Sports Illustrated devoted most of its coverage to Andre Agassi, the few paragraphs touching on the women's championship focused not on the games themselves but on the grunting of player Monica Seles.
So, 20 years later, what's changed? Nothing. We're spending as much time (if not more) talking about Serena's choice of tennis attire, than we do her backhand. Sports Illustrated hardly ever runs a cover with a female athlete, yet it never fails to run a swimsuit issue. Because, after all, nothing says female athletic accomplishment like a bunch of anorexic models in bikinis!
"On the playing surface of the NBA and the NFL, women have been institutionalized as trinkets and accoutrements to the main show of brawn and the triumph of the muscle. The relationship between a touchdown and a shot of sculptured pom-pom girls [...] is part of the environment." (Rhodes, New York Times).
The message? Enjoy the ladies, but focus on the real athletes. Come for the opening act, but stay for the real deal.
Rita Friedman in her book Beauty Bound touches upon this. "Cheerleaders provide an entertaining foreground for the serious business taking place on the playing field beyond. They are a colourful and anonymous chorus line [...] conveying the underlining message that women have a useful decorative place just outside of center court, cheering males on to victory." We've been relegated to supporting roles.
A friend of mine (who once played varsity soccer, is still in excellent physical shape and currently plays in a co-ed soccer league) had one male player say to her: "If a girl is forced to play the entire game, she might get tired and then hurt herself." A woman is biologically built to pop out babies, but a 90-minute soccer game might finish her off?
Make no mistake -- sexism today may be more subtle (we refer to it as "gender bias" if we want to be more polite), but it's just as pernicious. In some ways, popular myths and preconceptions of femininity and how they relate (or usually don't) to the athletic arena, continue to do more damage to women's potential in sports than any piece of legislation or lack of funding could ever possibly do.
As someone who has played sports her entire life, and who knows the importance of positive female sports role models in a young girl's perception of herself and her capabilities, it's both disappointing and infuriating to watch elite female athletes be treated in such a dismissive manner. Entrenched sexism needs to be pointed out, ridiculed, and eradicated.
In the meantime, if we're lucky and Eugenie Bouchard wins her semi-final match, we can all find out what she loves to bake in her spare time and who she thinks The Bachelor will choose this season. Those are the questions they'll be asking, right?


Bill is busy doing the cooking as Tim and Graeme arrive home famished (with Graeme commenting "Oh dear, it's hard work being a Goodie!" as he does a mini-Snooze routine with automated giant slippers, drink, pipe and newspaper appearing while he is comfortably seated in his chair.) Bill has prepared a healthy balanced meal of completely natural fresh foodstuffs ("You can tell that (it's healthy) because it's all brown!") from the recipes in the edible Natural Health Cookbook, (which includes brown milk and lettuce, much to the disgust of the others.) Bill's main course consists of one-third of a nutritious sultana each and seaweed salad (complete with live crab that latches onto Tim's finger) and Graeme's declaration that "This is hopeless. We can't eat this muck!" forces Bill to bring out "the ultimate in basic food" - a pot of soil (with watercress garnish!) for each of them. Tim wants some sugar to go with it but Bill refuses and instead offers Tim honey (a bee in a matchbox!); while he also gives Graeme a glass of plankton to wash his soil down with. Graeme finally rebels ("That does it, you've obviously gone loony!") and decides to go out for some fine British cuisine instead. Tim quickly follows him and Bill's pleas for them to eat all of the food that he has cooked soon changes to "... and I'm coming with you, yeah!" as the yuckiness of his menu hits home.
The Goodies arrive at Ye Olde Shepherd's Cottage Restaurant by trandem (riding right into the dining area, though the waiter calmly offers to take their bike for them) and peruse the menu after an impatient Bill has loudly demanded one. Ye Olde Shepherd's Cottage supposedly serves the finest British farm produce, but Graeme reads a notice on the bottom of the menu that the restaurant uses "the latest techniques of food production ... tinned, frozen, preserved, coloured and flavoured by experts". The Goodies notice another diner being served soup straight from a can and Graeme's pork chop consists of a massive bone with only a tiny bit of meat on it (which the waiter has to point out to him and gives him a tiny cutlery set to eat it with); a result of the latest agricultural production techniques. The waiter outlines various other disgustingly tasteless canned, frozen and processed menu items which prompt Tim to suggest that the Goodies should go to visit his Uncle Tom's farm for some proper fresh farm food.
The Goodies cycle out into the countryside dressed in frocks and hats like simple country folk, much to the bemusement of the regularly-attired Uncle Tom when he eventually meets them (though a starving Bill rationalises this by saying "Everyone dresses like this in the country, especially for eating in!"). Much to their own surprise though, the Goodies find that Uncle Tom's 'farm' is essentially a laboratory filled with computers, with chores such as feeding, milking and shearing done automatically by pushing a button on the main control panel. The animals are all kept in battery pens and various experiments are being carried out to produce mutations such as cheese-and-onion-flavoured product, square eggs (for ease of packing, though Uncle Tom remarks "Stuff the hens!" when Graeme protests about the difficulty of the laying process) and boneless chickens. Tim's notion of farms being about "the sheep in the meadow, the cows in the corn" is dismissed as "sentimental claptrap" by Uncle Tom and the Goodies are given a list of chores to do on the actual farm itself.
The Goodies work hard on the farm (as they blow up the mains hens, milk butter from the cows, turn pigs into sausages and herd duck pies among other chores) and after more than four days they are absolutely starving, but are too revolted to eat any of Uncle Tom's awful farm produce. Graeme sacrifices a good piece of steak by letting his 'yummy meter' computer eat it just to prove his bleedingly obvious scientific theory that the farm food is no good; which in turn causes Bill to flip his wig and attempt to sink his teeth into a horrid-tasting chicken in desperation for a feed! Tim comments that "Anything bred on this place of evil is bound to be horrible", while Graeme theorises that "An unhappy chicken does not make good eating" and nastily tells Bill that "(the animals) aren't fit for people to eat, let alone you!"
When Uncle Tom reveals to the Goodies that he sells most of his produce to Ye Olde Shepherd's Cottage, the Goodies decide to put an end to his foul food by stopping the demand for it and soon get their chance when the restaurant requires some extra waiters. After changing the wiring at the farm to feed gunpowder to the hens, concrete to the cows and rubber to the bullocks, they serve up food at Ye Olde Shepherd's Cottage which either explodes, runs around on the plate, is impossible to carve or stretches to the size of a tablecloth. The customers all either faint or leave in disgust and both the Ye Olde Shepherd's Cottage and Uncle Tom's battery farm are soon put out of business.
Tim feels somewhat sorry that his uncle's life work has been destroyed, but is pleased that it is "no longer a farm of shame". After ten days of famine, Bill is ready to sacrifice the first happy naturally grown chicken, but is stopped by Uncle Tom who has seen the light (and actually seen his animals for the first time) after having kept them locked up in cages for the past 25 years. He had always wanted to be a zookeeper but had been told by his father at the age of two that he would have to carry on the family's farming tradition and so he had never been able to look an animal in the face again since then. Now he wants to hear "the hens mooing and the cows crowing" and to look after 'Esmerelda' and his other animals by playing them music and feeding them fresh country produce, much to the horror of the ravenous Goodies. To placate their demands for food, Uncle Tom puts the Goodies in the battery enclosures and feeds them grain; then they each make loud clucking noises and three big eggs slide out the chutes below.
* Tim: (horrified at Bill's cooking): "I am not eating plankton!"
Bill: "Why not? Whales do."
Tim (objecting): "I am not a whale!"
Bill (cheekily) "That's 'cos you don't eat your plankton!"
* Waiter: "We at Ye Olde Shepherds Cottage do guarantee that the food we serve is prepared by experts."
* Tim: "Are you sure it's wild duck?"
Waiter: "Absolutely certain, Sir. Prime Aylesbury duckling hung upside-down by one leg in a plastic box until thoroughly wild ..."
* Tim: "Come on, we're leaving"
Waiter (preparing Tim's dessert): "But, your sweet Sir..."
* Uncle Tom (regarding the jobs as waiters): "You'll get four quid a day and your meals thrown in."
Tim (disgusted): "You mean thrown up!"
* Their stint as waiters at the restaurant after they have sabotaged feeding operations at the farm (to the excellent backing music of 'Down on the Farm'), with an egg blowing up and knocking a diner off his chair (after which he angrily shakes his fist and storms off) and further eggs detonating in front of a family dining out. A cake served up to an elderly gent blows up in his face; a duck pie starts walking around on the plate (causing an old lady to collapse with shock) and sausages start flying around the heads of perturbed diners. A rock-hard pot roast requires a sledgehammer to break it, a plateload of dumplings are bounced around like tennis balls by a young boy (lobbing in the Goodies' mouths while they are chuckling away at the mayhem that they have caused) and a steak is eventually stretched by various means (including tug-o-war and a heavy roller) to the size of a tablecloth; then draped over the shoulders of the irate diner like a cape before he stalks off in a huff.
A difficult episode to rate as the visual sequences from the farm and the restaurant are wonderfully inventive and funny (the series of disasters at Ye Olde Shepherd's after the Goodies have changed the feed mixtures is actually one of my all-time favourite Goodies scenes) but much of the dialogue has a rather flat feel to it. John Le Mesurier and Frank Thornton play their guest roles to perfection, but both characters are straight-laced with rather subtle humour which, when coupled with the slow opening sequence of Bill's healthy meal, makes the episode drag a bit until the visuals eventually kick in.
The waiter after dealing with Tim!
Oh dear, the pie is still alive!
Don't play with your food, Sonny!
The Goodies about to lay an egg!


text:
Canberra Records 1,020 New COVID-19 Cases, Booster Vaccination Rate Reaches 26.8% | Canberra weather
The ACT reported 1,020 new cases of COVID-19 within 24 hours to 8 p.m. Wednesday. The new cases bring the active total to 5,004. There are 24 people hospitalized with COVID, including three in intensive care and two in ventilation. It comes as NSW and Victoria recorded a total death toll of 47, a grim milestone for both states. In December, ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said health officials expected before Christmas the hospitalization rate to be higher by the new year. She said projections always take into account the potential impact of COVID-19 cases in the surrounding area of NSW. There were 3,739 negative tests received within 24 hours at 9 a.m. Thursday. The percentage of Canberrans aged 18 and over who received booster shots reached 26.8 percent. Indigenous immunization rates still lag behind in ACT. Federal data suggests that only 88 percent of the 5,582 Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders estimated in the ACT received two doses, while 90.7 percent received one dose. In the Queanbeyan-Palerang region, 90.3% of Aboriginal people are completely exhausted. About 90.2% of First Nations people in the Yass Valley are fully immune. Just over one in 10 Canberranes between the ages of 5 and 11 have received a dose of the vaccine. According to data from the Ministry of Health, 4,391 of 38,789 young people in this age group were gibbed. IN OTHER NEWS: NSW recorded 92,264 cases and 22 deaths, up from 21 deaths the day before. The number includes 61,387 positive RAT results spanning the period since January 1, including 50,729 in the past seven days, as well as 30,877 PCR tests. There are 2383 hospitalized patients, including 182 in intensive care. In addition, residents of NSW are now required to report any positive results they receive for rapid COVID-19 antigen testing. Victoria has recorded 25 more deaths from COVID-19 and 37,169 new cases. The number of people hospitalized rose to 953, including 111 in intensive care and 29 requiring ventilation. Tasmania has registered 1,100 new cases of COVID. There are 10 people treated in the hospital, and none are in intensive care. 13 other people are hospitalized for unrelated health problems. The new cases, consisting of 847 self-reported positive rapid antigen tests and 253 PCR tests, bring the number of active infections to 7,969. MORE COVID-19 NEWS: Our coverage of the health and safety aspects of this COVID outbreak- 19 in the ACT is free to access for everyone. However, we depend on subscription revenues to support our journalism. If you can, subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. You can also subscribe to our newsletters for regular updates. Our reporters work hard to provide local and up-to-date news to the community. Here's how you can continue to access our trusted content:
/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/156151628/8a112701-3c49-4391-8e94-3bbd845c99f1.jpg/r3_256_4998_3078_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg
January 13, 2022 – 1:40 p.m.
ACT registers 1,020 new cases of COVID-19
There are 24 people hospitalized with COVID, including three in intensive care.
2022-01-13T13: 40: 00 + 11: 00
The ACT reported 1,020 new cases of COVID-19 within 24 hours to 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The new cases bring the active total to 5,004.
There are 24 people hospitalized with COVID, including three in intensive care and two in ventilation.
It comes as NSW and Victoria recorded a total death toll of 47, a grim milestone for both states.
In December, ACT Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said health officials expected before Christmas the hospitalization rate to be higher by the new year. She said projections always take into account the potential impact of COVID-19 cases in the surrounding area of NSW.
There were 3,739 negative tests received within 24 hours at 9 a.m. Thursday.
The percentage of Canberrans aged 18 and over who received booster shots reached 26.8 percent.
Indigenous immunization rates still lag behind in ACT. Federal data suggests that only 88 percent of the 5,582 Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders estimated in the ACT received two doses, while 90.7 percent received one dose.
In the Queanbeyan-Palerang region, 90.3% of Aboriginal people are completely exhausted. About 90.2% of First Nations people in the Yass Valley are fully immune.
Just over one in 10 Canberranes between the ages of 5 and 11 have received a dose of the vaccine. According to data from the Ministry of Health, 4,391 of 38,789 young people in this age group were gibbed.
The number includes 61,387 positive RAT results spanning the period since January 1, including 50,729 in the past seven days, as well as 30,877 PCR tests.
There are 2383 hospitalized patients, including 182 in intensive care.
The number of people hospitalized rose to 953, including 111 in intensive care and 29 requiring ventilation.
Tasmania has registered 1,100 new cases of COVID.
There are 10 people treated in the hospital, and none are in intensive care. 13 other people are hospitalized for unrelated health problems.
The new cases, consisting of 847 self-reported positive rapid antigen tests and 253 PCR tests, bring the number of active infections to 7,969.
Our coverage of the health and safety aspects of this COVID-19 outbreak in the ACT is free to everyone. However, we depend on subscription revenues to support our journalism. If you are able, please register here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support. You can also Subscribe to our newsletter for regular updates.
The ACT recorded 1,020 new cases of COVID-19 within 24 hours to 8 p.m. yesterday.
Our reporters work hard to provide local and up-to-date news to the community. Here's how you can continue to access our trusted content:
St. Paul transitions four schools to virtual learning for three days – Twin Cities
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DROPS circular and double pointed needles size 2.5 and 5 mm, or size needed to get 17 sts x 23 rows in pattern on needle size 5 mm / US 8 = 4'' x 4'' (10 x 10 cm).
DROPS small circular needle size 2.5 mm / US 1.5 for neckline and armhole edge.
Body piece: Worked in the round on circular needle. Cast on 164-176 sts on needle size 2.5 mm / US 1.5 and work 5 cm / 2'' rib. Change to needle size 5 mm / US 8 and continue in M.1. After M.1 complete piece in M.2. Remember your knitting gauge. When piece measures 24-25 cm / 9 3/8"-9 ¾" bind off 4 sts each side for armhole and complete front and back pieces separately.
Front piece: = 78-84 sts. Bind off for armhole each side: 2 sts 1 time, 1 st 12-13 times on every * 3rd and 4th * row alternately. At the same time when piece measures 35-37 cm / 13 ¾"-14 ½" bind off the middle 6 sts for split and complete each side separately. When piece measures 40-42 cm / 15 ¾"-16 ½" bind off to shape the neckline at the beg of every row from mid front: 9-11 sts 1 time, 2 sts 2 times, 1 st 2 times. Bind off remaining sts on shoulder when piece measures 48-50 cm / 18 7/8"-19 5/8".
Back piece: = 78-84 sts. Bind off for armhole as described for front piece. When piece measures 43-45 cm / 16 7/8"-17 5/8" bind off the middle 26-30 sts for neck and complete each side separately. Bind off to shape the neckline on every other row: 2 sts 2 times, 1 st 1 time. Bind off remaining sts on shoulder when piece measures 48-50 cm / 18 7/8"-19 5/8".
Pick up approx 70 sts round neckline on circular needle size 2.5 mm / US 1.5 and work 4 cm / 1½'' rib, bind off. Pick up 14 sts on the left side of split on needle size 2.5 mm / US 1.5 and work 4 cm / 1½'' rib, bind off. Repeat along the right side of split, but after 2 cm / 3/4'' make 2 buttonholes evenly distributed. 1 buttonhole = bind off 2 sts and cast on 2 new sts on return row. Bind off when rib measures 4 cm / 1½''. Place right rib over left rib at bottom of split and fasten.
Pick up approx 75 sts round each armhole on circular needle size 2.5 mm / US 1.5 and work 1.5 cm/½" rib, bind off.


Fuel Ministry has launched our new website. We hope you enjoy the new look and feel.
All the same instructors and administrators you are use to are still involved.
More features and event registration to come very soon so check back with us often and while you are here why not join our newsletter.


It doesn't happen but we often observe that a idea or train of thought makes a company or business more productive and brings benefits for everyone – both employees and employers. However, telecommuting has it's way of benefiting both an employer and his employees and boosts productivity.
Everyone will choose a flexible working option if they could. Although some jobs require that you must be present at all times. In a scenario where everyone cannot be present at the same time, telecommuting ensures that every voice is heard.
People who are allowed to telecommute can easily take advantage of their flexible working option to get more things done. This level of flexibility enables parents to continue to work effectively while making best efforts to raise their kids. It takes away the stress of moving from place to place for one task and it gives everyone – both employees end employers – more time to spend with their families or to do other things. This simple change in how they work will make them happier and more committed to their work. And it allows people to work in environments that are more conducive for them where they can be more effective.
Even as telecommuting enhances productivity, remote jobs helps companies and businesses to recruit and hire good talent irrespective of their geographical location. It also helps them to retain their top employees.
Below are specific benefits of telecommuting and why they're a win/win.
Scientific research and anecdotal evidence support that people who have work flexibility experience a boost in their productivity. They are also known to be happier than their work counterparts who don't have their work flexibility.
Having to train new employees to replace your former employees can be expensive. Companies are always looking for ways to improve how they recruit and keep those they hire. Flexibility, mobility, and telecommuting will significantly help both the worker and the company. It enables a company to expand and explore a larger talent pool. This applies to millennials especially as they mainly fit a lot of job descriptions today. With flexibility, a company can generate good word of mouth internally and externally which helps their recruitment and retention of workers.
Without having to travel distances just to get to work or to attend meetings, you can effectively help the environment by reducing carbon footprint when you telecommute. It saves time and cuts down pollution at the same. It also requires less electronics and equipment packed into one place.
As you already know by now, flexibility leads to improvements in the relationship between employees and employers. It saves cost when hiring or recruiting new workers. It saves cost for companies that embrace telecommuting when they hire fewer onsite workers.
It's clear that the benefits of telecommuting and other flexible work options extend to both businesses and workers. And when companies embrace these options, life gets better for everyone.


text:
package cmd

import (
	"io/ioutil"
	"os"
	"path/filepath"
	"testing"
)

func TestGetTestYamlFiles(t *testing.T) {
	cases := []struct {
		name      string
		targets   []string
		benchmark string
		succeed   bool
		expCount  int
	}{
		{
			name:      "Specify two targets",
			targets:   []string{"one", "two"},
			benchmark: "benchmark",
			succeed:   true,
			expCount:  2,
		},
		{
			name:      "Specify a target that doesn't exist",
			targets:   []string{"one", "missing"},
			benchmark: "benchmark",
			succeed:   false,
		},
		{
			name:      "No targets specified - should return everything except config.yaml",
			targets:   []string{},
			benchmark: "benchmark",
			succeed:   true,
			expCount:  3,
		},
		{
			name:      "Specify benchmark that doesn't exist",
			targets:   []string{"one"},
			benchmark: "missing",
			succeed:   false,
		},
	}

	// Set up temp config directory
	var err error
	cfgDir, err = ioutil.TempDir("", "kube-bench-test")
	if err != nil {
		t.Fatalf("Failed to create temp directory")
	}
	defer os.RemoveAll(cfgDir)

	d := filepath.Join(cfgDir, "benchmark")
	err = os.Mkdir(d, 0766)
	if err != nil {
		t.Fatalf("Failed to create temp dir")
	}

	// We never expect config.yaml to be returned
	for _, filename := range []string{"one.yaml", "two.yaml", "three.yaml", "config.yaml"} {
		err = ioutil.WriteFile(filepath.Join(d, filename), []byte("hello world"), 0666)
		if err != nil {
			t.Fatalf("error writing temp file %s: %v", filename, err)
		}
	}

	for _, c := range cases {
		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
			yamlFiles, err := getTestYamlFiles(c.targets, c.benchmark)
			if err != nil && c.succeed {
				t.Fatalf("Error %v", err)
			}

			if err == nil && !c.succeed {
				t.Fatalf("Expected failure")
			}

			if len(yamlFiles) != c.expCount {
				t.Fatalf("Expected %d, got %d", c.expCount, len(yamlFiles))
			}
		})
	}
}

func TestTranslate(t *testing.T) {
	cases := []struct {
		name     string
		original string
		expected string
	}{
		{
			name:     "keep",
			original: "controlplane",
			expected: "controlplane",
		},
		{
			name:     "translate",
			original: "worker",
			expected: "node",
		},
		{
			name:     "translateLower",
			original: "Worker",
			expected: "node",
		},
		{
			name:     "Lower",
			original: "ETCD",
			expected: "etcd",
		},
	}

	for _, c := range cases {
		t.Run(c.name, func(t *testing.T) {
			ret := translate(c.original)
			if ret != c.expected {
				t.Fatalf("Expected %q, got %q", c.expected, ret)
			}
		})
	}
}


Ready for a wild adventure?
Location: St. Paul Lutheran Church, 2302 S. Presa St.
PandaMania fun begins at:6:30 p.m.
PandaMania fun ends at: 8:30 p.m.
REGISTER: Here, or at the church, or by calling the church office at 532-7341.
Sunday, June 12, is "PENTECOST"... sometimes called the "birthday" of the Christian Church. It is the day we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus' followers, as Jesus had promised, enabling them to be involved in the Lord's mission to the world around them. It is that same Holy Spirit who also enables us at St. Paul to be Christ's people together and to make a difference in the lives of people around us! It is a fitting time to also celebrate the CONFIRMATION of a number of youth from among us as they profess their faith in the Lord and their commitment to live for him.
On Saturday, May 14, beginning at 9:00 a.m., St. Paul will host a community rummage sale. Over 40 vendors will be on site. Spaces available for $10. Call the church at 532-7341 to reserve a space or for more information. Tacos & drinks available. Free entry!


text:
The county of Norfolk
is divided into 9 parliamentary constituencies
- 2 borough constituencies
and 7 county constituencies.

Constituencies

2010 boundary changes
In the Fifth Review the Boundary Commission for England recommended that Norfolk's representation be increased to 9 MPs, with the creation of the constituency of Broadland, based on the District of Broadland wards which had previously comprised a majority of Mid Norfolk, as well as Drayton and Taversham, transferred back from Norwich North. It also included Fakenham and surrounding areas, transferred once again from North Norfolk. Mid Norfolk now comprised the District of Breckland wards in the previous version of the constituency with additional wards, including Watton and Attleborough, transferred from South West Norfolk. Six District of South Norfolk wards, including Wymondham, were transferred from the constituency of South Norfolk. Cringleford and Colney (but not New Costessey) were transferred back from Norwich South to South Norfolk and a small area in the south-west of the constituency of North West Norfolk was transferred to South West Norfolk.

Proposed boundary changes
See 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies for further details.

Following the abandonment of the Sixth Periodic Review (the 2018 review), the Boundary Commission for England formally launched the 2023 Review on 5 January 2021. Initial proposals were published on 8 June 2021 and, following two periods of public consultation, revised proposals were published on 8 November 2022. Final proposals will be published by 1 July 2023.

The commission has proposed that Norfolk be combined with Suffolk as a sub-region of the Eastern Region, with the creation of the cross-county boundary constituency of Waveney Valley. Broadland would be renamed Broadland and Fakenham. The following constituencies are proposed:

Containing electoral wards from Breckland

 Mid Norfolk (part)
 South West Norfolk (part)

Containing electoral wards from Broadland

 Broadland and Fakenham (part)
 Norwich North (part)

Containing electoral wards in Great Yarmouth

 Great Yarmouth

Containing electoral wards in King's Lynn and West Norfolk

 North West Norfolk
 South West Norfolk (part)

Containing electoral wards in North Norfolk

 Broadland and Fakenham (part)
 North Norfolk

Containing electoral wards in Norwich

 Norwich North (part)
 Norwich South (part)

Containing electoral wards in South Norfolk

 Mid Norfolk (part)
 Norwich South (part)
 South Norfolk
 Waveney Valley (parts also in East Suffolk and Mid Suffolk)

Results history
Primary data source: House of Commons research briefing - General election results from 1918 to 2019

2019
The number of votes cast for each political party who fielded candidates in constituencies comprising Norfolk in the 2019 general election were as follows:

Percentage votes

1Includes National Liberal Party up to 1966

21950-1979 - Liberal; 1983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

* Included in Other

Seats

1Includes National Liberal Party up to 1966

21950-1979 - Liberal; 1983 & 1987 - SDP-Liberal Alliance

Maps

Timeline
Green represents former constituencies, pink represents current ones.

Historical representation by party
A cell marked → (with a different colour background to the preceding cell) indicates that the previous MP continued to sit under a new party name.

1885 to 1918

1918 to 1950

1950 to 1983

1983 to present

See also
List of parliamentary constituencies in the East of England (region)
History of parliamentary constituencies and boundaries in Norfolk

Notes

References

Norfolk
Norfolk

Parliamentary constituencies


text:
The Madhya Pradesh football team is an Indian football team representing Madhya Pradesh in Indian state football competitions including the Santosh Trophy.

They have failed to qualify for the most of final rounds.

References

Santosh Trophy teams
Football in Madhya Pradesh


Most people will use the phrase of NAT to describe sharing a service through a firewall, but Microsoft calls it Destination Network Address Translation (DNAT) in their documentation, but a NAT rule in the Azure Portal; I will just use the regularly employed NAT term.
External interface: The interface on the firewall that the rule is being associated with.
External port number: The port that the rule will be associated with. Note that there is a 1:1 association between a rule and a port on a single interface. External ports cannot be shared.
Internal address: This is the address that the firewall will send the traffic to; this is the internal address of the shared service, such as an internal load balancer for a web service.
Internal port number: This is the port that the connection is being translated to. For example, an application might be shared to the Internet with TCP 8080 as the external port number, but the web service might be running on the server(s) on TCP 443.
Using different external port numbers allows an internal port number to be used across many services. For example, TCP 3389 on Server1 might be shared as TCP 50001 on the firewall, and Server2 might be shared as TCP 50002. The remote desktop client will connect to TCP 50002 on the firewall's external address to connect to Server2.
Name: This is a human-friendly label for the rule.
Protocol: The rule can listen for TCP or UDP traffic.
Source Addresses: You can specify one or more (comma separated) addresses in the form of wildcard (*) for every possible source, an IP address or a CIDR block.
Destination Addresses: This is the external IP address of the firewall. If dealing with the Internet, then you should copy/note the IPv4 address of the firewall's public IP address before creating rules.
Destination Ports: This is the port that the firewall will listen to on the external interface.
Translated Address: Here you can specify a single IP address that resides behind the firewall and hosts the service that you are creating a NAT rule for.
Translated Port: This will be the port that the service is listening to behind the firewall.
NAT rules are grouped into NAT rule collections; even a single NAT rule must reside in NAT rule collection. I have not seen any best practices from Microsoft on this part of the design, but I would suggest placing similar rules together in a single NAT rule collection.
Name: A human-friendly label that should indicate the purpose of the contained NAT rules.
Priority: A way to order NAT rule collections, using 100 to 65000.
Priority allows you to list collections in order from high priority (specific rules) to low priority (general rules). A typical good practice is to stagger the priorities, such as 100, 200, 300, so you can drop in a rule with a priority of 150 without having to renumber existing rule collections.
You can create NAT rules in the Azure Portal; start by opening the Public IP Address (PIP) resource of the Azure Firewall and noting it's address – you will need this to create the NAT Rules.
Open your Azure Firewall resource and browse to Rules. Open NAT Rule Collection (the default location in Rules) and click + Add NAT Rule Collection.
Enter the properties of the NAT Rule Collection, specifying its name and priority versus other NAT Rule Collections.
Then add a rule for each NAT rule that you require. In the below example, I am publishing two services to the Internet. I am only allowing connections from a specific range of IPv4 addresses (the CIDR block of my on-premises firewall). RDP (TCP 3389) will be listened to on TCP 50001 of the firewall's PIP, and SSH (TCP 22) will be listened to on TCP 50002 on the firewall's PIP. Both connections will be forwarded to different "jump box" virtual machines.
When traffic is coming into your firewall and a matching NAT rule is found, an implicit network rule is created to allow the traffic. If you wish, you can create Network Rules (in Network Rules Collections) to allow this traffic or to create very granular deny rules.


To celebrate the 25th episode of the W.E.D.nesday Show! a special edition of the Head to Head Trivia Challenge takes place putting three viewers of the show into the hot seat. Afterwards, Brent gives an in depth look at the 25th Disney animated film, The Black Cauldron.
A closer look at the history of the Epcot attraction, Journey Into Imagination. Afterwards, Brent gives viewers a walk through of his website, www.fromscreentotheme.com.
Brent is joined by two guests as they give a closer look at Disney's newest promotion, Give a Day, Get a Disney Day. Following the segment, DizFanatic (of www.dizfanatic.com) joins Brent for Top Treasures, a segment where the two debate over which is better: Illuminations or Wishes?
This week we take a closer look at the Contemporary Resort with Annie and have another installment of the Head to Head Trivia Challenge.
This week we talk about the evolution of Disney comics and the ever popular television show, DuckTales.
This week we take a look back at Disney's 2009 and a look forward into 2010 with DizFanatic (of www.dizfanatic.com) followed by an edition of Brent Dodge's Mail Room.
The first ever W.E.D.nesday Show! Awards Ceremony!
This week we talk about Mickey's Christmas Carol and announce the nominations for next week's awards show!
Head to Head Trivia Challenge, Remembering Roy E. Disney, and D23's Magic and Merriment.
This week we talk about the Disney College Program with some guests, and make an announcement for some future plans for the show, and of course have lots of fun in the process.
This week we talk about Disney's Wilderness Lodge, have the first segment of Mr. Brent's Story Time, and of course have lots of fun in the process.
This week we talk about the Space Mountain Refurbishment over at Walt Disney World, play the second edition of the Head to Head Trivia Challenge, and finally share the back story for the Disney's Hollywood Studios store, Mickey's of Hollywood.
Sneak Peek of Brent's book.
Brent's Tour of the Walt Disney Studios and Archives in Burbank.
In depth look at Haunted Mansion (Part 2) plus the Head to Head Trivia Challenge.
In depth look at the Haunted Mansion (Part 1).
We talk about free things you can get at Walt Disney World and Jaime joins us to talk about Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party.
We take a look at the Herbie films and get to meet my car, Herbie!
Heidi from www.singleworkingmama.com talks about traveling to Disney with children.
A trip report that consists of Expedition Everest Challenge, a trip to The Adventurer's Club, and several stories along the way. This also features our first official guest, Kyle!
Unfortunately, this episode is not archived.
This episode Brent talks about his trip to the first D23 Expo.
Unfortunately, these episodes are not archived.


Black Sabbath - Def Leppard and Rockstar Photographs We update almost daily. please do not take any of these photographs or else they will be removed.
Black Sabbath when they first started out in 1969, had Ozzy Osbourne, Toni Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. Over the years, Black Sabbath has had 25 other members including Ronnie James Dio, and Ian Gillian.


When looking for that perfect 2000 Wine and Port we can provide advice to ensure that the Wine and Port you select from 2000 is the very best vintage Wine and Port for your needs.
You can browse our selection of 2000 Wine and Ports at our site 2000 wine, or take a look at our description here of the 2000 vintage to learn about the Wine and Port characteristics from 2000's season. Also check out our selection of 2000's highly recommended Wine and Ports from our online vintage Wine and Port portfolio.
Our 2000 Wine and Ports can be delivered direct anywhere in the UK. For a small additional charge, the Wine and Port can be packaged in a beautiful, silk-lined wooden presentation box with tasting notes and a personalised message.
2000 was one of the finest post-war vintages for Piedmont wines. The wines are still tannic and youthful, and will last for many years to come.
The fabled millennium vintage produced wines that are of true greatness and longevity. They are characterised as being powerful and concentrated, with high tannins. The quality is due to ideal weather from the end of September; this allowed the grapes to develop thick skins from lack of moisture. For the first time in many years there was little rain in the harvest season allowing the skins to thicken further. This served to further concentrate the wines. These have evolved slowly and will continue to do so for decades to come, making them an excellent idea for a 19 year old wine gift for a birthday or anniversary whether to drink now or keep for future drinking.


Spring has sprung! As our children enjoy spring break, I hope all of the adults in their lives get a chance to share in their exuberance and hope. In the past few weeks, we've seen the power of children who have creative confidence to tell their stories. They have exercised their voices to articulate their hopes and fears — and caring adults have listened.
At the Children's Creativity Museum, we have seen evidence that our work is meaningful, and that our mission to nurture creativity and collaboration in all children and families is relevant. When young people find ways to express themselves, they learn that their ideas have value and that they can shape the future.
When I go to our Sketch Town exhibition and see how children have designed our virtual city, I know we are in good hands. That is a world I want for my children and yours.


Our mission at Origins is to create high-performance natural skincare that is powered by nature and proven by science. We used potent plants, organic ingredients and 100% natural essential oils. And our long-standing commitment to protect the planet, it resources and all those who populate it is reaffirmed by our earth and animal friendly practices.
Come in today to experience what everyone is talking about. Stop by the store & experience a free mini-facial. Learn, see, and feel what our natural, amazing products can do. From best-selling Plantscription serum to the soothing Dr. Andrew Weil line, we have the correct solution for all types of skin.
Stop in or call ahead for an appointment time to experience a mini-facial!


text:
Tag: Chip
Bain Again Appears to Be Toshiba's Choice for Its $22 Billion Chip Unit
Japan's embattled Toshiba (tosbf) has selected a group led by U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital to buy its prized memory chip unit, three people with knowledge of the talks said on Wednesday, a last-minute dramatic twist to a highly contentious auction.
But it's unclear whether the decision by Toshiba's board will mean the sale will now proceed smoothly, as rival suitor Western Digital (wdc) has initiated legal action, arguing no deal can be done without its consent due to its position as Toshiba's joint venture chip partner.
The Bain-led offer for the world's No. 2 producer of NAND semiconductors is worth some $ 22 billion, sources have said.
It has partnered with South Korea's SK Hynix (hxscl) and brought in U.S. buyers of Toshiba chips such as Apple and Dell to bolster its bid. Kingston Technology and Seagate Technology are also part of the group.
The make-up of the consortium could spell trouble ahead, said Hideki Yasuda, an analyst at Ace Research Institute.
"The large number of stakeholders could complicate decision-making and slow down key investment decisions," he said, adding that the participation of Toshiba clients would also sap the ability of the chips business to negotiate competitively on pricing.
Bain's win, first reported by Reuters, has been hard fought as wrangling went down to the wire and late on Tuesday the Western Digital-backed consortium, which includes KKR & Co (kkr), appeared to be in the lead, sources said.
But the California-based firm would not agree to limits to any future stake in the chip business that had been demanded by Toshiba, said one person briefed on the matter.
Sources declined to be identified as they were not authorized to speak about discussions on the sale.
Toshiba declined to comment. A representative for Bain was not immediately available for comment while SK Hynix declined to comment.
After a slew of revised bids and changing alliances among suitors, an agreement comes not a moment too soon for Toshiba. It has has been under pressure from its lenders to clinch a deal this month to ensure enough time for regulatory reviews so that it can finish the sale by the end of the financial year.
If it doesn't, it won't have the billions of dollars it needs to plug a huge hole in its finances caused by its now bankrupt U.S. nuclear unit Westinghouse, and could be delisted.
Even without that problem staring it in the face, the semiconductor business requires huge amounts of investment and Toshiba's chip unit runs the danger of losing its competitive ability as rivals roll out big capital spending plans.
A representative for Western Digital was not immediately available for comment.
The U.S. firm has already taken the dispute to the International Court of Arbitration to prevent the sale and a source with knowledge of the matter has previously said it is prepared to seek an immediate court injunction should the deal not go its way.
The Bain-led group had at one stage been chosen as preferred bidder but those talks lapsed as Japan government investors who had been part of that consortium told Toshiba they were reluctant to close a deal in the face of legal challenges posed by Western Digital.
The Bain consortium has since revised the offer, aiming to get around that problem by inviting the state-backed investors—the Innovation Network Corp of Japan (INCJ) and the Development Bank of Japan—to invest in the business only after any arbitration with Western Digital is settled.
But sources familiar with the talks have said it remains unclear if INCJ will commit to joining the consortium even when the legal dispute is resolved, casting uncertainty over the whether Japanese government will be able to prevail in its desire to have the chip business mainly under domestic control.
Author James LongPosted on September 20, 2017 September 20, 2017 Categories Cloud ComputingTags again, Appears, Bain, Billion, Chip, Choice, Toshiba's, Unit


As part of my divestiture from GoDaddy hosting for boyet.com, I had to move my old static site as well as this blog. The static site moved to secondboyet.com (being the second wave of blogging I did for boyet) and the third current wave is still on boyet.com (but now resides on Microsoft Azure). Because that second wave served up static pages (there ain't no blog engine there) and because Amazon's AWS is dirt cheap in those circumstances (plus it can serve it up securely via HTTPS and SSL), that's where I moved it. I added a bit of code to boyet.com's web.config to redirect requests and all was good.
You see, although the site worked just dandily, it turned out that many links from Google results would point to the lowercase version of URLs rather than the mixed case I'd set up the site with originally. For example, the page I have there on the plays I've been involved with (either as actor or director) is at https://secondboyet.com/Articles/GeneralBook/Acting.html. Fair enough, however I was seeing requests to https://secondboyet.com/articles/generalbook/acting.html instead and they were failing. My 404 page for secondboyet was being triggered quite a bit.
You see, AWS – or rather S3, the cloud storage from Amazon where the pages are stored – is case-sensitive. To AWS/S3, those two URLs are completely different. To one who's been dragged up through the whole DOS/Windows/Azure world where file names are case-insensitive – uppercase, lowercase, who cares? – it was a bit of a shock.
I pondered about what to do. Googling some terms to try and see some reasoning behind the resulting links didn't reveal anything. Sometimes they were in uppercase (as I'd originally written them), sometimes not. I considered writing some kind of URL rewriting code to always convert to lowercase before allowing the request to proceed, and then converting all the filenames in my S3 bucket to lowercase. Yuk, these are 10-year-old posts, the number of times they come up in results is really small by now, so doing a lot of coding effort to try and get around this corner case just didn't sound attractive.
And that suddenly made me smack myself upside the head. Since S3 is case-sensitive, I can just replicate the whole folder structure with lowercase names. Some people will get content via the case-insensitive filename, and some via the lowercase filename. They won't know, but it'll suddenly work again.
So, that's what I did. The extra storage cost is virtually zero, and since I don't change the site, I'll have no further work to do. Yay!