Anne Scott and Kate Carnell during the ASBFEO hearings.
Over the past two days executives from the big four banks have been questioned by the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) Kate Carnell on how they treat their small business customers, especially in difficult times. Due to the significant power imbalance, small business owners who feel they have been harshly treated have limited access to justice.
The ASBFEO will now come up with recommendations to the federal government to better protect SMEs from unfair treatment by banks. Here are some of the issues raised with the banks that are likely to feature in Carnell's recommendations.
The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) works well for consumers but not small businesses. Currently larger customers' access to justice is limited to expensive and time consuming legal action and more recently to internal bank customer advocates. But there are concerns about these in-house functions in terms of outcomes and independence. Other than listening to the customer's complaint it is unclear what the advocate can actually do. And while these advocates operate independently of the bankers who have made the decisions, there remains a concern about their independence, bearing in mind that any customer who has an unresolved complaint with the bank is not likely to have a high level of confidence that someone from within that organisation is going to give them a sympathetic hearing.
An independent SME dispute resolution body is needed. It may be that a one-stop shop approach under the auspices of the FOS is the best way to structure this. The biggest concern with establishing an independent formal appeals process is that it would require skilled people capable of delivering quick outcomes. Another concern is ensuring there is clarity around which regime applies to whom.
Businesses pay for these reports and are entitled to see the reports, as well as the instructions upon which the reports are based. They should also have the opportunity of discussing the expert's findings before and after they are finalised and presented to the bank.
Timing about critical dates, such as repayment or expiry dates.
Another concern when it comes to transparency is the perception of a conflict of interest when an IA is subsequently appointed as a receiver and manager to a business. There can be advantages in having a receiver and manager who previously conducted the IA report (time savings being the major one) but there remains an understandable perception that there is a conflict of interest if the firm that conducts the IA report is subsequently appointed as receiver and manager. Whether it is reality or not, this perception can be dealt with by mandating that IA's are unable to be subsequently appointed as receivers and managers.
Banks need to give SMEs reasonable time to make alternative arrangements when the bank decides it wants its money back.
The current Code of Banking Practice is a non-binding piece of self-regulation that Carnell described as "high on principle and low on delivery". The ASBFEO wants to see the Code registered with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, made enforceable and written in plain English.
This review has been conducted in a more collaborative manner than the recent parliamentary inquiry that came across as a contest between politicians looking to score points against defensive and well-scripted chief executives. This forum was noticeably different and credit for this must be given to Kate Carnell and Anne Scott, as well as the bank executives, the majority of which were the heads of the business banking divisions. The last banker to appear was Westpac's David Lindberg and he impressed by opening with five recommendations that Westpac has or is implementing, including the removal of all non-financial covenants for new property-secured loans of less than $1 million.
Most of the issues raised by Carnell and Scott were given support of varying degrees by the bankers although it will be interesting to see their formal responses once the ASBFEO's recommendations have been made public, which is expected within the next few weeks.
Of all the 17 inquiries into the banking sector since 2008 this one has the potential of making some quick and meaningful impact on redressing the power imbalance between banks and their small business customers.


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Culture & Property rights
Fleur Pellerin's communication blunder on DRMs & the resale of video games
By Alexis Bley Published on 19 August 2015 at 16 h 33 min
Fleur Pellerin, Minister of Culture and Communications, has recently demonstrated communication can be a tricky exercise. Responding to a parliamentary question introduced by Deputy Alain Rodet in October 2013, who denounced the widespread use on video games of Digital Rights Management (DRM), a set of access control technologies (including copyright protection technologies) intended to regulate the use of digital content and devices, she appeared far from being up to the job. Rodet criticized particularly the DRM activation systems, which require players to have an Internet connection and to establish a unique account in order to prevent any kind of sharing of their copy, considering the prohibition of selling games on the used market at the disadvantage of the gamers and video game reselling shops. In a broader context, DRM is subject to debate since many years as its efficiency divides those who argue it prevents from illegal copying and piracy and those stating the opposite.
Most recently, on August 11th and thus not earlier than two years later, Minister Pellerin or her cabinet responded to Rodet by confirming Digital Rights Management (DRM) applies to the resale of video games because it prevents illegal copying. Indeed, she claimed unequivocally her opposition to the sale of used games, equating according to her to piracy.
Soon after that, on August 14th, to everyone's surprise, she seemed to back-pedal by publishing a message on Twitter according to which she never intended to prohibit the resale of video games.
Pas d'inquiétude, il n'a jamais été question d'interdire la revente de jeux vidéos d'occasion telle qu'elle se pratique aujourd'hui !!!
— Fleur Pellerin (@fleurpellerin) August 14, 2015
These obviously contradictory statements made one after the other cannot be interpreted otherwise than as a communication mistake, mostly because Minister Pellerin doesn't explain the eventual correlation between DRM and the resale of video games. Why? The answer might be: because imposing DRM as a means of preventing the sale of used video games is illegal.
The Court of Justice of the European Union was given an opportunity in the 2012 UsedSoft v. Oracle case to clarify EU directive 2009/24 and mostly article 4(2) claiming that: "The first sale in the Community of a copy of a program by the right-holder (…) shall exhaust the distribution right within the Community of that copy, with the exception of the right to control further rental of the program or a copy thereof."
The Court ruled in the Oracle case that article 4(2) (…) of Directive 2009/24 must be interpreted as that: "in the event of the resale of a user license entailing the resale of a copy of a computer program downloaded from the copyright holder's website, (…), the second acquirer (…) as well as any subsequent acquirer(…) will be able to rely on the exhaustion of the distribution(…) and hence be regarded as lawful acquirer of a copy of a computer program (…)." The case-law further specifies that the principle of exhaustion of the distribution right applies not only by means of downloading software from the website, but applies also when the software is copied on a material medium like CD-ROM or DVD. In other words, and to be very clear, the Court of Justice specifies that it is fully legal to resell a computer program or video game, by extension on a DVD or CD, which does not mean it is legal to make personal copies of the above-mentioned materials in order to resell them.
In consideration of European case-law, and no matter how much Fleur Pellerin wants to seduce copyright holders, her claims in order to support DRM to prevent the resell of computer games are above everything simply and strictly illegal.
By finally reconsidering her position on this matter she got herself and her cabinet out of illegitimate claims, but she still has not explained how her Ministry is willing to articulate DRM with video game resales and raises a big question mark to every gamer and more widely to the entire industry.
Not acknowledging an eventual communication mistake does not make the ambiguous appear less ambiguous. On the contrary, it is time Fleur Pellerin takes her responsibilities and makes a clear and unequivocal statement on this matter. Until then, if you are concerned about this, I would say: keep calm and enjoy reselling video games.
The Risks of Clout Online
Bill Gates steps down from the Microsoft board, to focus on philanthropy
European Commission will introduce "right to repair" legislation

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Resource Coming out (Sexual orientation) -- Fiction.
13 Items that share the Concept Coming out (Sexual orientation) -- Fiction.
Context of Coming out (Sexual orientation) -- Fiction.
Data Citation of the Concept Coming out (Sexual orientation) -- Fiction.


text:
Q: How to separate Button Click and Fire Click? I have a button that starts the game, it initializes the game when you click it
startButton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, onStartButtonClick);

I also have a firing thing, it's supposed to shoot AFTER you start the game by clicking the start button and THEN shoot when you click.
stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, fire);

However, it fires right when I click the start button. How can I fix this?
This is my code.
public function Game()
    {
        startButton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, onStartButtonClick);
    }

    function onStartButtonClick(event: MouseEvent): void
    {
        addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, loop);
        stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, fire);

        function fire(m: Event)
        {
            //shoot bullet
        }
    }

A: It's caused by event bubbling.
Just modify your onStartButtonClick function to:
function onStartButtonClick(event: MouseEvent): void
{
    event.stopPropagation();
    addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, loop);
    stage.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, fire);

For more information about event bubbling CHECK HERE

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
class Map {

	public :
		std::string plot;

		//constructor and destructor
		Map(int,int);
		virtual ~Map();

		//remove monster from space. update smell. called before smelling so.
		void removeMonster(Coordinate);

		//insert monster at int int. update smell.
		void insertMonster(Life*, Coordinate);

		//removeMonster and free monster.
		void deleteMonster(Coordinate);

		////getter methods for width, height and special mapItem.
		//int getWidth();
		//int getHeight();

		MapItem* getMapItem(Coordinate);
		int getnumberOfVegetal();
		int getnumberOfCI();
		int getnumberOfCII();
		int getAmountFreePosition();
		void print();
#ifdef DEBUG
		void print_detail();
#endif

	private :
		int max_C1;
		int max_C2;
		int max_V;
		int min_C1;
		int min_C2;
		int min_V;
		unsigned int width, height;
		std::string firstLinesToPrint;
		std::string spaceLinesToPrint;
		int amountFreePosition;

		MapItem*** cell;
		void updateEmission(int, int, int);
		void test();
		int numberOfCI, numberOfCII, numberOfVeg;

		void setfirstLinesToPrint();
		std::string printSeparatorS(int, int, char);
#ifdef DEBUG
		void printSeparator(int, int, char);
#endif

};

#endif

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Biography Interview
Amzar Hafizi
Creating future funk
There is something about old Malay pop music from the 1980s that has captured the imagination of this innovative young musician
Article from the Sun daily (posted on 24 Dec 2019)
EVEN in person, Amzar Hafizi stands out from the crowd. His fashion style – which blends a retro look with contemporary sensibilities and futuristic ideas – is as unique as the music he has chosen to champion.
Driven by passion, Amzar, 23, takes inspiration from music before his time and makes them 'new'.
Known in the music scene as Fi7i, he has single-handedly re-introduced thousands of youths worldwide to the golden age of Malay music, and rekindled the spark of nostalgia in thousands more with his brand of future funk.
Tell us how your journey into music began.
"I started making music in 2013. But it all started with my parents; my mum is a fan of Sheila Majid. She used to work in a cassette factory and she was very fond of local artistes. Through her, I grew familiar with Malay music from the 1980s.
"The genre of music I make is called future funk. I take 1980s music and make it sound futuristic, hence the name. I discovered the style on YouTube, on a channel called Artzie Music.
"Most musicians in this genre use Japanese City Pop music, so I thought: 'Why don't I use Malay pop music instead?' I also want to make my country proud."
What attracted you to 1980s Malay pop music?
"The lyrics. One thing I noticed the most when comparing music from today to music from the past was the lyrics. With old music, the words may be simple, but the meaning is profound. Lyrics from most old Malay music were based on poetry.
"But today, musicians would use anything that they think sounds nice. It is especially jarring when I listen to Malay music, and the song turns out to [include lyrics in another language]. I feel they should not do this."
How did you learn to mix music?
"Everything I do in music is self-taught ... with a lot of help and encouragement from my friends too, of course. After I started making music, I went to university. While there, I would tell my friends that I made music ... and I could show them how I produced the music.
"In live shows, I use a DJ deck to mix my song live. It is nice if the organisers can provide me with one but I also have one of my own, a basic mixing gear. When I am on stage, one song that everyone recognises me for, is Sinaran by Sheila Majid."
How do you distribute your music?
"I distribute mainly through Soundcloud and Bandcamp under the name Fi7i. I also do cassettes. I had an album on tape last year for Cassette Store Day.
"I was planning to make another one this year, but I did not manage to make it on time.
The album from last year was called Megahit Memory. The title was inspired by a radio station tagline and the name of a series of compilation albums from back in the day.
"Did you know such cassettes are still being made in Malaysia? It's actually the trend now in the indie scene."
Who produced your cassettes?
"FBFC Editions is a label started by Ero and Azzief. It was their idea to turn my album into a cassette. The graphic was done by my friend, Irfan (@Irfungus).
"The cassette contains some of my older songs and some new songs as well. It took about a month to produce. I handed them the digital version of my music which they turned into a master copy and then made them into cassettes."
What are you studying? "I just graduated from film school, actually."
What are the words you live by? "Anywhere you go, always uphold your heritage."
What modern genre of music do you listen to? "I listen to all music, especially electronica."
Do you play any instrument? "No."
How do people discover you? "Most people find me through social media by searching for Fi7i."
Published in Biographies
Leon Sapphire
Playing beyond the walls
Article from the Sun daily by Mark Mathen Victor (posted on 12 Oct 2019)
WITH an impressive musical resume in the gig economy, 24-year-old Keith Noel is one musician not afraid to take risks. After all, walking away from his Christian music roots, and his church, to pursue his own dreams is certainly something most people would hesitate doing.
"I didn't like (Christian bands such as) Hillsong and Planetshakers. I was more about gospel music; they had groove and were more rhythmic," he explained. "I obviously felt a lot of emotion playing that kind of music, and it did help me musically, but it didn't help me internally."
He also made the bold decision to drop out of his expensive law school, in order to loosen the family finances so that his two younger siblings could pursue their studies without taking any student loans.
Keith once studied in law school before dropping out so in the hopes that his two younger siblings could continue their studies without being burdened by loans.
This allowed Keith to focus completely on creating music full time.
"I'd play for six months and go 'This is going nowhere. Let's go to the next band'," he said.
Having played in a number of bands spanning different genres, either as a temporary player or as a sessionist, Keith has now established himself as the artiste Leon Sapphire, employing unconventional sounds through mood-setting vocals, jazz and R&B.
Speaking to theSun, Keith spoke about what makes him tick as a musician, his background and even his thoughts on the local music industry.
How did Leon Sapphire begin?
"Leon Sapphire is a persona. I didn't want to go by 'Keith'. I would've been like a singer-songwriter, which I didn't want to pull off.
"My favourite artiste is this guy called Justin Vernon, and he has a band called Bon Iver. That band is his persona. It's kind of his persona to be undefined.
"I wouldn't even think of it as my own thing. Everyone that plays for me now, I never tell them what to do or what they should be playing. I grew up in a place where you could express yourself through music and when we're doing it, it's like a group project.
"Leon Sapphire consists of 'Noel' backwards, and I was a big fan of drinking Bombay Sapphire. I didn't come up with the name myself. I was playing with [fusion rock band] TMJB, and my lead singer started calling me that.
"Before I knew it, everyone started calling me Leon Sapphire."
Where do you start when creating your music? The lyricism or the songwriting?
"A good musical idea of where you're coming from is very important, but the lyrics are king for me. [Local] English music has been going on for many years. I've always felt like I have to compete with the best of the best.
"The only music I listen to when I'm in the car is on Lite FM. I get really in touch with the lyrics, how they come up with them, and where they're going.
"When I try to write songs based off the music, it comes off as generic to my ears. So I always try to write lyrics first.
"Music-wise, I'm secretive about where it comes from and the process. It's most things that are undefined and pique my interest."
Much like any 'tormented' songwriter, where do your words come from?
"I don't talk a lot about the problems in my life and this is a good way to express them, especially societal problems that I feel have no answer to them. You can only reflect on it.
"I don't get involved [in] political and racial problems. There's no answer to them, so I have to sing about it. It's the easiest way to champion my ideas.
"I'd say my lyrical themes revolve around the progression of love now compared to many years ago, male suicide rates, Indian people trying to get jobs, and the middle class life."
As a bass player who also uses the bass synth, why did you skew towards with these instruments in telling stories?
"I started playing when I was seven or eight years old. My dad was a musician back in the day, as a guitarist.
"According to him, one day God said his fingers were blessed and he was meant to play the keyboards. From the age of 25 onwards, he picked up the keyboard and now he plays it so well.
"My brother started playing the drums when he was three years old. When I was younger, I used to look up to my brother, and one day my dad asked what I wanted to play.
"I didn't want to play the guitar because everyone played it, and I didn't want to use the keyboard because my dad played it. So I chose the bass.
"It was that or the saxophone. The bass is the easiest to pick up, and the hardest to master."
Do you think you've found your voice or signature style, or is it ever-evolving, much like the intricacies of life?
"I feel like you can find your sound multiple times, especially identity. Right now I'm singing from a very soulful place.
"When I'm singing a song, you might not understand the words sometimes but when you're listening to me, you're coming into my world."
TRIVIA :-
Any other instrument you'd consider/like to start playing: "Drums."
Top 5 most influential records/albums: "Bon Iver's Bon Iver and 22, A Million, Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly, D'Angelo's Brown Sugar, and Thundercat's Drunk."
Top 3 most influential singers/songwriters/instrumentalists: "Justin Vernon, Marvin Gaye and Erykah Badu."
Derrick Siow
A drummer's world
Derrick Siow has played for notable names in the music industry
Article from the Sun daily by Marion Fernando (posted on 14 Mar 2019)
DERRICK Siow got his big break as a drummer back home a year after graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston.
He was living in New York and was back for Chinese New Year break in 2015 when he got the call from acclaimed local producer Aubrey Suwito, asking if he was interested to play for a Siti Nurhaliza concert.
Siow, who has been playing the drums since he was eight, said: "That was my first concert, and a couple of months later I moved back for good. It's kinda crazy how I got that gig.
First contact with the producer came prior when Siow set up a "mini concert" while in Malaysia for summer break.
Suwito was with his family and left before they got the chance to meet, but the 25-year-old's skills with the drumsticks had already made a solid impression.
A Facebook message from Suwito later, and the two were connected.
Still exploring New York as a musician at the time, they kept in touch, leading to Siti Nurhaliza's Unplugged show at Istana Budaya in 2015.
Since then, Siow has gone on to play for numerous notable names in the music industry including Talitha Tan, Jaclyn Victor, Kris Dayanti, and even the 2017 SEA Games closing ceremony.
What is it like being a full-time drummer in Malaysia?
I'm a freelance musician. So I play gigs whenever I'm free, and when people call me to session, then I'll just go play.
I do from a variety from pub gigs, to jazz bars to wedding functions, corporate functions, then to obviously the TV shows, and the big concerts, and whichever artist that calls me.
That is basically it. During the daytime, we're normally occupied with rehearsals, because our gigs are at night.
Our work is mostly at night. So during the daytime, we're busy rehearsing.
Do you have a band that you regularly play with?
Because I am a freelance musician, I can just play whatever I want.
I'm not tied down, but there's an artist that I've been working with quite closely for the past year.
Her name is NJWA, Najwa Mahiaddin.
I work with her quite closely, so if you ask me, what is the band that I am with, I would say her.
I work quite closely with her.
We had a Malaysian tour – Penang, JB, and KL.
And then we went to Japan in November [for] a couple of gigs there.
He has played for the likes of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah,
and even former US President Barack Obama at the 2015 ASEAN Summit.
What are your favourite songs to perform live?
I am really into pop, R&B, hip hop music.
I really like those genres.
I don't have a particular song that I like performing.
Anything that is R&B, pop, hip hop-related, I normally would quite enjoy performing it.
But obviously being a freelance musician, you would have to be able to play different genres of music.
You have to be able to be versatile to get hired, basically.
I mainly play pop, R&B stuff, and obviously do the other stuff like jazz, and Latin too.
Like recently, we did a show in Menara Ken with a band called Tara Kucha.
With Tara Kucha, we play a lot of olden Malaysian songs, like P. Ramlee songs but we make it sound more current.
It's a mixture of Malay and English. Their goal or their aim is to keep the Malaysian song book alive.
You know how a lot of people say they want to pick up an instrument but they end up never doing it?
What is something that you always say you want to do but have not?
You know, being a full-time musician is great and it's a privilege, but I've always wanted to start my own business of some sort.
Non-music related.
I'm really into cars and stuff like that.
That's something that I've always wanted to do but haven't done yet.
Who has inspired you most with what they've accomplished?
I would say, one of the richest man in the world, Warren Buffet. It's because he started with nothing.
He didn't have one business that just blossomed and made him super rich, you know.
I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, but he's somebody who knows what he's doing, knows his business, knows numbers so well that he was able to invest at a young age in so many businesses.
To be able to pull through and stick to [what he's been doing] all this time, it's really inspiring.
It sounds like you have an inclination towards entrepreneurship as well?
I actually do. Like I said, I was very fortunate to do music as a full-time musician, but in the future I would definitely love going out, venturing into entrepreneurship, business, and whatnot.
What is your favourite memory as a professional drummer?
I would have to say the SEA Games closing ceremony in August 2017.
That would have to be like the craziest for me.
There were 20 to 30 different artists that night itself, and we played for all of them because we were the house band for the night.
So that was pretty insane.
I was able to meet and play for practically the Malaysian scene, like the legends, you know.
Amy Search, Man Bai, and Sheila Majid.
What is the coolest thing about being a drummer?
When you do the big concerts, and are able to meet your childhood idols.
I remember when I was in primary school, I was watching Malaysian Idol, and Jaclyn Victor was the winner.
And recently I did a show with her.
So it's crazy, and we became friends, you know.
That is one of the coolest things, to look up to the people you think you'd never meet or never be able to be in contact with, and then being able to be in the scene meeting them, and being friends with them, I think is one of the coolest things.
Pastel Lite
Instant chemistry
Article from the Sun daily by Yee Jie Min (posted on 3 April 2018)
COMBINING subtle harmonic vocals with minimal electronic melodies, Pastel Lite comprises Eff Hakim and Mohd Faliq, two like-minded people who just want to make music that they both enjoy. But the band was not formed without any trials and errors throughout their music journey.
The pair met after a friend introduced them through Facebook and initially Faliq was reluctant to form a band because he wanted to produce Eff as a pop star and felt it wasn't going to work with just the two of them. But the two hit it off after going to Faliq's studio and having a jam session.
"It was instant chemistry. I realised I have never been this comfortable with anyone else," Eff said. "We ended up making a song and I told Faliq we should do something with it."
"I was looking for a female singer and when I met Eff, it was like magic. She was really serious, and we made songs that people love," Faliq added.
Their band name is probably proof of the trials and errors they faced. "We didn't know what was the cool name that would suit our music. Initially we wanted to call ourselves The Orchid Was Dying, but Faliq thought it was too metal and I said that's too avant-garde," Eff said.
"Then what about CatDog? But Faliq said that has nothing to do with our music although we liked the cartoon. I was thinking pop, pastel colours and putting some electronic sounding word in it. So why not go 'lite'? We thought of Pastel Lit at first, but that was too hip hop so we ended up staying with lite."
Their album, Balada was completed after two years amidst personal turmoil including a studio that burned down. During this period, they had thoughts of quitting because of the problems they were going through.
"We pretty much gone through everything, but it wasn't because of these problems that the album took longer than expected. It happened when we decided to take our time to make all these songs that all these personal problems started popping out of nowhere," Eff revealed.
Still, they persevered and their silver lining was landing their first performance at Baybeats 2012 in Singapore after releasing their first demo, being called up to perform at Laneway Festival 2015 in Singapore, and going on a three-day tour at Chongqing, China. But that's not all to their track record, having played in multiple local music festivals to opening for international bands with the most recent being The xx in January.
Who does what in the band?
We both do everything respectively together. It is just a matter of who starts and finishes it. Back when we started I was a novice so Faliq tends to start or he would give me a guideline of the song. As I progressed and learned more, I started things myself.
What I like working with Faliq is he always gives me room to do what I want to do and if he wants to experiment, I wouldn't stop him. I would be like are you sure that would work and then I would put my 100% trust in him. The best thing about making music is working with someone who is willing to experiment with you, and Faliq is just open-minded to everything.
What kept you both together?
I think it was a miracle. There were a bunch of random small miracles with the first one being our previous manager who was nice enough to lend us a space on top his cafe for us to use.
The second miracle was getting the most random call to be opening act for Tame Impala even though we weren't releasing anything. During the show we played four songs from Balada and the response was really good. People were excited about what we were going release and we thought people have forgotten about us.
The third miracle is having a number of music labels calling us up, and we ended up joining Yuna Room Records. That really saved the game.
What's your plan for the future?
We are thinking of penetrating more into the Malay market. In Balada, we released two Malay tracks and it was our first time making Malay songs. We didn't think we were going to have good feedback from the Malay speaking community and we would love to educate them when it comes to independant music, and the only way to do that is by speaking their language.
We think this is a good way to further expose the market to synth pop. We won't be forgetting our English fans; it is just our habit to not stay in the comfort zone.
What can the next generation look up to you with?
Perseverance. I know it is such a boring answer but it is true especially when it is so easy to quit these days. Everything is super fast nowadays that it is very easy to fall out of love with something. Perseverance is about staying with it and letting it grow on you. I think we have it the most because there were so many times we wanted to quit but we thought we should stay; it's been three years, what's another seven or 20 years.
Nur Amira Syahira
Drumming to her beat
Article from the Sun daily by Yee Jie Min (posted on 8 June 2017)
HOLDING a pair of real drumsticks in her hands, all 14-year-old Nur Amira Syahira could think of was, "is this a dream? Is it real?" Sure enough, her dream of owning a set of drums came true after finding an online drumming game and enjoying it so much.
"When I asked my parents for a drum set, my father told me that drums were really expensive and if I don't play it well then it would be quite a waste to get one. Before making a decision, my parents took me to a studio to see if I could play, and I was confident I could do it.
"I tried to play the basics like snare, hi-hat and pedal even though I did not recognise what was a floor tom, second tom, snare or a crash. I proved myself, and my father started saving money and finally bought a second-hand drum set for me," she said, adding that the set of drums has been with her since she started playing at the age of eight.
Fondly referring herself as Mira, she calls YouTube her "sifu" as she has never taken any drum lessons, learning purely from that platform. She said everything she searched would yield detailed information of what she wanted to learn.
"I will take one drum stroke that is difficult and practise every day until I learn it. Professionals could probably learn it in two or three days, but I usually take a week or sometimes two, if it is extremely difficult.
"I am currently learning how to do the swivel foot on the pedal where you are stepping on the pedal but also sliding as you go. Watching others do it, I wonder how it is done but if they can do it, why can't I do too?
"There are many more strokes I need to learn, hence I need a lot of energy to learn them and an active mind to remember what I have learned all this time," Penang-born Mira said.
What is your favourite genre?
I don't like sticking to just one genre. I like all kinds, from classic to rock and even, heavy metal. I take them all in and hold on to them as I believe as a musician, I need to know, learn and play all genres.
What is important for a drummer?
His or her stroke, drumming and tone. Each drummer's tone is different. Even if I can play like other drummers, the tone is never the same. Normally, people wouldn't hear the difference, but drummers can.
I started developing my own tone from jungle-like themes. When I do drum solos on YouTube, I try to make a treble beat and that became my own tone. It became something I could feel, and if I stop and listen again, I can gain more ideas for it.
What are the challenges you face?
My challenge is playing the drums itself. I may be able to hear a song and feel good about playing it but on the drum, I don't know where to start playing. Nonetheless, I keep trying even if that song is difficult.
As a musician, I cannot give up and say I cannot do it. I must know and learn all the hard steps to become a professional drummer.
How do you balance school and drumming?
I follow a schedule set by my mother. When I get back from school and I have homework to do, I will complete that first and study for one to two hours before touching the drums. I practise for two to three hours a day.
With more than 150,000 subscribers on YouTube and 390,000 followers on Facebook, how does it feel to be famous?
I have never intended to play the drums to become famous, but as a hobby. My main reason for starting a YouTube account and uploading my videos is to see where my mistakes are rather than keeping them in the computer.
I uploaded a Zapin song, Usik Mengusik by Senario, and it became viral. This happened around three, four years ago and I was shocked and confused by it.
Perhaps, it was God's way of telling me to play better and take it to a professional level.
Drummers often play in a band, but what is your opinion of this?
I feel more comfortable playing alone than in a band. To me, bands are nonsense. Many say playing in a band is great because you can achieve more, but that is if everyone works as a team and have positive attitudes. I prefer to play solo and when I play alone, I get to have the stage to myself unlike in a band where drummers are usually placed at the back.
The next thing I want to achieve is to have 1,000 videos and one million subscribers on my YouTube channel. I am also looking at producing vlogs (video blogs) and having a road tour in Malaysia.
I would also like to become an entrepreneur, but I literally don't know how to leave my drums and will continue to learn and become more skilled at playing.
Favourite colours: Red, purple and black.
Favourite animals: Cats, owls and tortoises.
Malaysian idols: Drummers Black from Wings and Ujang.
International idols: Meytal Cohen, Christian Coma and Joey Jordinson.
Favourite songs: Nenek ku Pahlawan Ku by Wali and You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift.
Jocelyn Stemilyn
Junk food for her soul
Article from the Sun daily by Peony Chin (posted on 15 November 2016)
JOCELYN TAN, or better known by her stage moniker Jocelyn Stemilyn, may have been around in the local scene for a little over a year but she has always been surrounded by music her entire life. Growing up near a sugar cane plantation in Perlis, Tan's family played multiple instruments.
"My mother sang, and even my then domestic helper played the guitar!" quipped Tan, who also sang, played music and danced in church.
Then, she left for Kuala Lumpur to pursue her theatre studies in University of Malaya. It was here that she joined its music club, Yao Lan Shou Music Composing Unit and started singing and composing music.
She debuted last year with her song Junk Food, produced by Dae Kim, with whom she frequently performs. Tan, who veers towards electronica and ambient music, recently released her new single, Pedicure.
Can you recall the first song you ever wrote?
I was 15 years old when I realised I could write songs. I've forgotten the title, but it was a song of gratitude towards my friend. It was for a very close friend of mine who left the country to study. She was my closest companion in school and I felt very sad. Hence, I had the urge to write a song for her. I recorded and sent it to her.
How did studying theatre in University of Malaya open your eyes to the world of performing arts?
Those three years of my life were interesting. Perhaps we've watched too many Hollywood flicks or Broadway musicals, so we had a certain expectation towards performing arts. But in Malaysia, it's way tougher – it's not always like Broadway.
Sometimes, you have to do really raw, stripped down, and even traditional plays. In a way, it broadened my horizon because I always thought I wanted to be a musical actress, but then I realised that performing is not just about singing and acting. It's a lot of other things – you need to know how to work the props, lighting, and all the technical bits.
How does your background in theatre influence your music today?
It helps in the way I express myself, especially during live performances. People have commented that when I perform, I have a certain persona with one song and a different one with another.
What's your opinion on the local independent music industry, as a newcomer?
More and more people are doing music independently. There's definitely more variety, more shows and it's more interesting; there are new faces all the time. So far, I feel that everyone is very supportive; we usually talk to each other at gigs and have a good time. The circle is still really small and everybody knows everybody. But I'm glad that it's expanding. People are also more open about cross-genre music.
What has been your most memorable performance to date?
When I performed with Dae Kim at Findars' ELECTRIC DREAMS back in August. It was a small event, but the attendees were very relaxed and open-minded. When I jokingly asked everyone to stand up for my song, they actually did! They moved along to my song Pedicure and stuck around chatting with each other after the show. It was a very heart-warming show which we don't get very often, to be honest.
Favourite coffee beans: Kuda Mas.
Musician you look up to: Little Dragon.
A purchase she'd make with her first million: A house by the beach.
Favourite beats per minute (bpm): 120.
Takahara Suiko
No love songs for her
Article from the Sun daily by Jessica Chua (posted on 27 September 2016)
TAKAHARA Suiko aka The Venopian Solitude's first attempt at writing happened when she was griping about her brother on her blog using metaphors. She was only 14 when she learnt how to mask her words. Little did she know, she was paving the way for songwriting.
"It's a horrible way to start writing, but it taught me how to be creative," said the 26-year-old.
Despite her growing interest in music, Takahara took up electronic engineering in Japan to appease her parents. But as she was about to finish her diploma, she concluded that studying engineering became a chore, and she just wasn't cut out for it.
So Takahara returned to Malaysia to focus on creating music – producing a number of EPs along the way, and even released her first full-length album Hikayat Perawan Majnun in 2014. The singer-songwriter dabbles in various sounds and genres, but one thing's for sure: she doesn't write love songs.
"I tried to but I couldn't. It's just too personal. Even if I did, I wouldn't put it out," she said.
Takahara recently hit another milestone as she's the first Malaysian artiste selected – among thousands from over 100 countries – to attend the esteemed Red Bull Music Academy in Montreal this September.
"I'm trying not to let the pressure of being the first Malaysian alumna get to me because it will definitely distract me from learning as much as I can, and to some extent, basking in Montreal while I'm there," she divulged.
Could you recall the beginning of your affair with music?
I started composing music in standard two or three. I wanted to take up piano but my mother didn't allow it. So I started making melodies using my father's phone instead. That was when phones had monotone sounds you can play with. I never had any exposure to musical instruments except for the recorder in school. So it was either that or the phone.
How would you describe your music?
It's really loud and annoying. I say that because I don't know what kind of style it is. It changes from song to song. If you don't agree with that and you happen to like it, then good for you. I scream a lot when I perform live – it's necessary to convey the emotion that was written for that part of the lyrics or song.
What is music to you?
Music is something as natural as breathing and eating. I don't pride myself in doing music because it's like having pride in eating and breathing. Everyone does that. But it comes naturally to me that it doesn't become a thing that I focus on. Like eating and brushing my teeth afterwards, music is something that I have to do, whether I like it or not.
The best piece of advice you've ever received.
There are several but the one that I really remember is by Fynn Jamal. She told me to make my own path, and that I cannot follow other people's paths because I'm different. While everyone else walks down a certain path, it was actually easier for me to make something of my own because the other paths were already crowded. To me, that was a revelation.
What is your main goal?
I would like to experience a black hole. I guess that's the metaphor of my dream; to understand something that I don't understand, and to understand as many things as I can.
Where do you want to see this industry go?
All fields have to collaborate to make every field relevant to each other, which can foster appreciation. People are starting to appreciate some form of art now, like a nice-looking tudung or a locally made T-shirt. To me, that direction will head towards performing arts as well. For example, Yuna incorporated a silat artist and ballerina in her recent music video. But right now, it's too early to say whether or not it'll work. It will take time. But what matters is that we keep doing it.
Favourite time of the day: When she goes to bed.
Childhood ambition: Doctor.
Currently on repeat: Yuna's Unrequited Love.
Where to find her: Takahara Suiko (YouTube), The Venopian Solitude (Bandcamp)
Alena Murang
Better for Borneo
Article from the Sun daily by Rachel Law (posted on 20 September 2016)
ALENA Ose' Murang may not be very good at maths – her elder brother's got that covered – but she's profoundly inspired, and equally inspiring. The 27-year-old is an artist, musician, dancer, strategist and social entrepreneur all rolled into one; armed with a mission to bring about positive changes to society and the environment, and preserve her Borneon heritage.
She was born to a Kelabit father, but it was really her English-Italian mother – an anthropologist – who nurtured Alena's interests and identity in Kelabit culture, traditions, and their way of life. Growing up in Kuching, Alena took ngarang (dance in indigenous lingo) classes; learnt to play the sape (a traditional twostringed lute), weave and make costumes; even studied songs of the Kenyah tribe, and the language of the Penan people.
Although she has a management degree, Alena pursued an arts foundation course at Singapore's Lasalle College of the Arts in 2014. But her dreams of becoming a fine artist were dashed, when her lecturers told her she wouldn't make a happy one.
"They told me, 'Fine artists are selfish and inward-thinking; while your work is all about your community and heritage.' I was quite troubled by that for a few months, but then I started ART4 (i.e. art for) – as a hashtag, initially – promising myself to use art as a medium for social impact.
"Eventually, I started taking commissioned artwork and performances to ART4 (www. alenamurang.com). I also do management consulting, and the revenue I get from those I channel into cultural heritage and environmental impact projects," explained Alena.
This Saturday, the multi-talented lass is hosting a public launch for her debut EP, Flight which was released last month.
Have you explored your English and Italian roots?
I studied in the UK for five years, but I was a bit naive. I didn't like England because I didn't see any culture, which to me, meant colourful traditional garbs, beads, celebrations and dances back then. Only when I was a bit older I realised culture is effervescent.
I've never lived in Italy, but I try to go back every year. I really connect with where my grandma's from, which is Naples in southern Italy. It's rich in history and culture, and in a lot of ways people there are very similar to Malaysians. They love their food, and park on yellow lines. I do want to explore that side more – I just haven't done it yet.
How is storytelling through painting, dancing and playing music different for you?
Honestly, painting is my first love. I feel that I do music more, but I'd rather paint – it's my ultimate form of expression. With the sape, I don't write my own songs so I don't express all of myself through it. I use it as a medium to tell stories of my roots. I do traditional dances to keep the art form, so the only stories I tell are why and when we used to dance.
Which was the most interesting project you've done under ART4?
In January last year, we collaborated with Biji-biji Initiative to upcycle a helipad in Genting Highlands. It wasn't used anymore so they wanted an art on it. We painted a big bird, where one of the wings came out as a 3D sculpture – made using metal parts welded by Bijibiji.
About 80% of everything we upcycled were from Genting. We rummaged through its waste management area, and found old casino chairs, pots and pans; and took apart an old Transformer – it was like a playground for us! But it was taken down early this year, because Genting is going through a transformation programme. Outdoor art is almost always ephemeral.
Tell us about your EP, Flight.
My music is quite traditional, but I want to make it relatable, so that people in the urban setting and people who don't know anything about Sarawak are able to associate with it. In Flight, I play the sape and sing, and it's backed by other instruments such as violin, harp and some percussion.
Spirit animal: Hornbill.
Dessert of choice: "Dark chocolate anything!"
Favourite scents: Freshly ground coffee, or freshly mown grass.
Inspirations: Parents; social entrepreneurs Biji-biji Initiative, and Build for Tomorrow.
Favourite artists: Vincent van Gogh, Piet Mondrian and Cilau Valadez.
Fear factor: Lizards. "I can handle snakes and scorpions – just not lizards."
Najwa Mahiaddin
Songs for the soul
Article from the Sun daily by Joyce Ang (posted on 11 Dec 2015)
FROM learning the piano at the tender age of three to graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, music has always been a prominent part of Najwa Mahiaddin's life.
"Ever since I was little, I have always been intrigued by music. It always makes me feel something; it was a way for me to express myself," said the contemporary writing and production graduate.
Now 29, the songstress has performed on many renowned stages, and received some of the most prestigious awards in the Malaysian music industry.
However, even with all that she's achieved so far, what matters most to her is the impact of her music on people.
How did you get started in this industry?
The very first time I got a gig was actually through Mia Palencia. I was still studying when I attended one of her workshops, where I got to sing one of my originals.
After the performance, she approached me and told me that she liked my performance, and invited me to be featured on one of her projects, the Bedroom Musician series. That was my first show as a singer-songwriter playing my own music.
It was a nice feeling, just me on the keyboard. Then, Reza Salleh, one of the pioneers in the Malaysian singer-songwriter scene, came up to me and offered me another gig.
From there, I was offered more gigs on various stages and at different venues, including No Black Tie.
Describe an event that shaped who you are today.
There was a time when I was going through a lot of things that I was unhappy about, and I was using music to make me feel better.
Ironically, however, I did not write many sad songs at that time. That was when I knew for sure that I wanted to do music badly.
The moment my parents gave me the green light to pursue music was a turning point in my life because music has finally become more than just a hobby. I was enrolled into music school, and it was then that I felt like I was where I was meant to be.
From that day forth, I cannot think of anything else that I would rather be doing. Had that not happened, I would have been really depressed.
Can you share with us some of your accomplishments?
As an artiste, I want to give people a moment away from what they are going through and to give them hope despite everything, as well as to help people heal from past experiences.
For example, every time I perform After The Rain, a lot of people come up to tell me that the song resonated with them. To me, accomplishments are not just about winning awards. To be able to touch lives already makes me feel like a winner.
I hope to travel more. I hope to spread my music to more places, experience different cultures, and to collaborate with people from all around the globe – a privilege I had while I was at Berklee, without all the travelling.
I would also like to bring traditional Malaysian music to other parts of the world, and educate the rest of the world about the music that we have here.
Tell us more about your latest song, "Sama Saja"?
The song is about how we are all different in culture, opinion, et cetera, but essentially the same at the end of the day. It's the first time that people were invited to watch and be part of the video shoot, so I'm very excited about it.
Ultimate comfort food: Mum's cooking.
Favourite festive season: "I'm Malaysian, so it's hard to choose one. I would say all of the festive seasons!"
Favourite musicians: Lalah Hathaway, Emily King, Little Dragon.
Favourite movies: Grease (1978) and Mary Poppins (1964).
Josh Kua
Pulling heartstrings
Article from the Sun daily by Jessica Chua (posted on 4 Nov 2015)
ONE of Josh Kua's earliest memories in violin training involves the Suzuki method – which has nothing to do with the famed motorcycle company, if you're wondering.
"It is a learning method to practise good posture, how to listen and play by ear. I started with an empty cereal box with a ruler taped to it, and a wooden spoon for the bow, to master holding a violin," explained Kua, who grew up in Australia and started training at the age of four.
Most people may assume that trained instrumentalists would further their education in music, but in fear of losing his passion during the studying process, Kua decided against the popular belief. Instead, he obtained double degrees in law and commerce.
His career path took a huge turn when he went on his first mini tour in the Philippines during his third year in university. Since then, his music has gone on to reach audiences around Asia, including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and currently, China.
Speaking of his personal style, the 26-year-old shared that "less is more. I like lyrical music. It is like my singing voice, except I don't sing. I gravitate towards acoustic music, acoustic pop or alternative rock because that is the kind of music I grew up with."
Have you always been confident about your musical talents?
I didn't foresee a career coming out of it. It was something that I did just for fun, but I guess I knew that I was better than average. One of my strengths is improvisation. I usually have a rough plan of what I'm going to do when I perform, but no two performances are ever the same.
Does being a musician give you a different outlook on life?
I would say I'm extremely lucky to be able to travel for my work. It has changed my way of thinking because I've been exposed to different cultures and environments. I think when you are stuck in one place your whole life, your mind gets used to thinking in a certain way. So I've been very lucky to travel and work, and open my mind to different ways of life and thinking.
How would you define music?
Music is definitely a universal language which I experienced while travelling to different countries. It is a way for me to express to the world and for us to understand each other. I find it very fulfilling when I perform and people get touched by the sentiment that I was conveying through my music. It doesn't matter if they interpreted it differently, in fact it makes it better because I have spoken to them in a way that I never thought I would.
What do you want people to hear or see through your music?
I want them to see me. It is important for me to be authentic in my performances; maybe that's why I am more inclined towards stripped-down kind of music.I never like to focus too much on image and I don't like gimmicks. So I like to show who I am – less is more.
If you could impart one lesson to your peers, what would you say?
Practice makes perfect. Whether or not you were born with a gift, anything can be earned as long as you put in effort and work hard for it. Nothing comes easy. So if you're discouraged and you feel like you're not getting anywhere with whatever it may be, just put in work and be smart. Get to know the right people, make them believe in you, and just do your best.
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text:
package lnwire

import (
	"bytes"
	"io"

	"github.com/go-errors/errors"
	"github.com/roasbeef/btcd/btcec"
	"github.com/roasbeef/btcd/chaincfg/chainhash"
)

// ChannelAnnouncement message is used to announce the existence of a channel
// between two peers in the overlay, which is propagated by the discovery
// service over broadcast handler.
type ChannelAnnouncement struct {
	// This signatures are used by nodes in order to create cross
	// references between node's channel and node. Requiring both nodes
	// to sign indicates they are both willing to route other payments via
	// this node.
	FirstNodeSig  *btcec.Signature
	SecondNodeSig *btcec.Signature

	// ChannelID is the unique description of the funding transaction.
	ChannelID ChannelID

	// This signatures are used by nodes in order to create cross
	// references between node's channel and node. Requiring the bitcoin
	// signatures proves they control the channel.
	FirstBitcoinSig  *btcec.Signature
	SecondBitcoinSig *btcec.Signature

	// The public keys of the two nodes who are operating the channel, such
	// that is FirstNodeID the numerically-lesser of the two DER encoded
	// keys (ascending numerical order).
	FirstNodeID  *btcec.PublicKey
	SecondNodeID *btcec.PublicKey

	// Public keys which corresponds to the keys which was declared in
	// multisig funding transaction output.
	FirstBitcoinKey  *btcec.PublicKey
	SecondBitcoinKey *btcec.PublicKey
}

// A compile time check to ensure ChannelAnnouncement implements the
// lnwire.Message interface.
var _ Message = (*ChannelAnnouncement)(nil)

// Validate performs any necessary sanity checks to ensure all fields present
// on the ChannelAnnouncement are valid.
//
// This is part of the lnwire.Message interface.
func (a *ChannelAnnouncement) Validate() error {
	// TODO(roasbeef): move validation to discovery service
	return nil

	var sigHash []byte

	sigHash = chainhash.DoubleHashB(a.FirstNodeID.SerializeCompressed())
	if !a.FirstBitcoinSig.Verify(sigHash, a.FirstBitcoinKey) {
		return errors.New("can't verify first bitcoin signature")
	}

	sigHash = chainhash.DoubleHashB(a.SecondNodeID.SerializeCompressed())
	if !a.SecondBitcoinSig.Verify(sigHash, a.SecondBitcoinKey) {
		return errors.New("can't verify second bitcoin signature")
	}

	data, err := a.DataToSign()
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}
	dataHash := chainhash.DoubleHashB(data)

	if !a.FirstNodeSig.Verify(dataHash, a.FirstNodeID) {
		return errors.New("can't verify data in first node signature")
	}

	if !a.SecondNodeSig.Verify(dataHash, a.SecondNodeID) {
		return errors.New("can't verify data in second node signature")
	}

	return nil
}

// Decode deserializes a serialized ChannelAnnouncement stored in the passed
// io.Reader observing the specified protocol version.
//
// This is part of the lnwire.Message interface.
func (c *ChannelAnnouncement) Decode(r io.Reader, pver uint32) error {
	err := readElements(r,
		&c.FirstNodeSig,
		&c.SecondNodeSig,
		&c.ChannelID,
		&c.FirstBitcoinSig,
		&c.SecondBitcoinSig,
		&c.FirstNodeID,
		&c.SecondNodeID,
		&c.FirstBitcoinKey,
		&c.SecondBitcoinKey,
	)
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}

	return nil
}

// Encode serializes the target ChannelAnnouncement into the passed io.Writer
// observing the protocol version specified.
//
// This is part of the lnwire.Message interface.
func (c *ChannelAnnouncement) Encode(w io.Writer, pver uint32) error {
	err := writeElements(w,
		c.FirstNodeSig,
		c.SecondNodeSig,
		c.ChannelID,
		c.FirstBitcoinSig,
		c.SecondBitcoinSig,
		c.FirstNodeID,
		c.SecondNodeID,
		c.FirstBitcoinKey,
		c.SecondBitcoinKey,
	)
	if err != nil {
		return err
	}

	return nil
}

// Command returns the integer uniquely identifying this message type on the
// wire.
//
// This is part of the lnwire.Message interface.
func (c *ChannelAnnouncement) Command() uint32 {
	return CmdChannelAnnoucmentMessage
}

// MaxPayloadLength returns the maximum allowed payload size for this message
// observing the specified protocol version.
//
// This is part of the lnwire.Message interface.
func (c *ChannelAnnouncement) MaxPayloadLength(pver uint32) uint32 {
	var length uint32

	// FirstNodeSig - 64 bytes
	length += 64

	// SecondNodeSig - 64 bytes
	length += 64

	// ChannelID - 8 bytes
	length += 8

	// FirstBitcoinSig - 64 bytes
	length += 64

	// SecondBitcoinSig - 64 bytes
	length += 64

	// FirstNodeID - 33 bytes
	length += 33

	// SecondNodeID - 33 bytes
	length += 33

	// FirstBitcoinKey - 33 bytes
	length += 33

	// SecondBitcoinKey - 33 bytes
	length += 33

	return length
}

// DataToSign is used to retrieve part of the announcement message which
// should be signed.
func (c *ChannelAnnouncement) DataToSign() ([]byte, error) {
	// We should not include the signatures itself.
	var w bytes.Buffer
	err := writeElements(&w,
		c.ChannelID,
		c.FirstBitcoinSig,
		c.SecondBitcoinSig,
		c.FirstNodeID,
		c.SecondNodeID,
		c.FirstBitcoinKey,
		c.SecondBitcoinKey,
	)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}

	return w.Bytes(), nil
}


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text:
Turkey: Further information on prisoner of conscience: Osman Murat Ulke
20 February 1997 , Index number: EUR 44/012/1997
The trial hearing at the Military Court in Eskisehir on 30 January 1997 was adjourned to 6 March for sentencing. Osman Murat Ulke, who has been transferred to the military prison in Eskisehir, could be sentenced to a maximum of two years' imprisonment. On 18 February 1997 the Military Court of the General Staff in Ankara opened a trial against seven members of the Turkish Human Rights Association and five members, including Osman Murat Ulke, of the banned Izmir War Resisters' Association, on charges of "alienating the public from the institution of military service". This trial was adjourned to 1 April 1997. Amnesty International continues to call for Osman Murat Ulke's immediate and unconditional release as a prisoner of conscience.
Choose a language to view report
Human Rights Defenders and Activists
Uzbekistan: Further information: Nafosat Olloshkurova released


Reading: Continuing the Lynburn Legacy trilogy with Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan.
Watching: I was away for the pst few days, so not watching much right now.
Listening: All weekend, we were rocking The Mixtape channel on Apple Music.
Making: I need to finish the Bingo Make n Takes ahead of Saturday's event. I have them about 40% done.
Feeling: Last weekend's retreat really did allow me to rest a bit. Feeling decent now.
Planning: Our move is just a few weeks away. Trying to get the last minutes tasks listed and accomplished.
Loving: Had to stop at the pie place in Guerneville multiple times over the weekend. I got Green Apple Chili, Peanut Butter Chocolate, Pumpkin, and Peach Blueberry Basil. So good!


Itinerary -Day 1:INDIA - HONGKONGArrive Hong Kong Airport, transfer to hotel. Hotels check in afte..
Itinerary -Day 1:INDIA - HONGKONG - VICTORIA PEAKArrive at the Hong Kong International Airport, tr..
Itinerary -Day 1:WELCOME TO HONG KONG - CITY TOUR Welcome to Hong Kong, the New York of Asia. A..
Itinerary -Day 1:WELCOME TO HONG KONG - CITY TOURWelcome to Hong Kong, the New York of Asia. Arriv..


Zahid Ghadialy, of ExplanoTech, has shared his presentation from the recent Cambridge Wireless event – providing an overview of 5G research directions.
The presentation offers a wide-ranging collection of vendor and industry output and thoughts so far on 5G use cases, spectrum use, timelines and technology. Note the 'conflicting views' on show, as well as the masses of competitors in 'the race to be first' to every aspect of 5G.


text:
Entertainment Bollywood 19 Jan 2018 Sonam's extended cameo in Pad Man
Entertainment, Bollywood
Sonam's extended cameo in Pad Man
Published : Jan 19, 2018, 12:08 am IST
Updated : Jan 19, 2018, 12:08 am IST
More importantly, sources also say that the film is not really a biopic on Arunachalam Muruganatham.
Folks who had a preview of the Akshay Kumar-starrer film Pad Man reveal that while Sonam Kapoor may be a leading face in the film, her role isn't that long.
"Sonam's entry is in the second half — she plays a representative of an international organisation, who helps Akshay Kumar realise his dreams in the film. There is no real love story in that film," says the source. Radhika Apte, who plays Akshay's wife, and Sonam do not have much screen time together, the source adds.
More importantly, sources also say that the film is not really a biopic on Arunachalam Muruganatham. The names and locations of all the characters have changed in the film moving the film from the South to North India. Akshay's character is instead called Lakshmikant Chauhan in the film.
— Sanskriti Media
Tags: akshay kumar, sonam kapoor, pad man
Lata Mangeshkar continues to be under observation: doctor
Actor Siddharth apologises to Saina Nehwal for 'rude' joke
Lata Mangeshkar hospitalised with Covid, family says symptoms are mild
Kabir Khan on 83 box office: Pandemic hit us hard, there was no chance to fight back


text:
Classic Spider-Man Series Restored
Ryan Ball
If the home video release of last summer's box office smash has you once again caught up in "Spider-Mania," you'll be happy to know that Buena Vista International Television (BVI-TV) is polishing up the original 1967 Spider-Man animated series.
The rarely seen Marvel Classic Spider-Man series will be remastered to a high definition format from the original 35mm film negatives. The original English soundtrack, including the memorable title song, will be renovated and a new music & effects track added.
Classic Spider-Man and other Spider-Man animated series from the '70s '80s and '90s are part of the Fox Kids Europe (FKE) and BVS portfolios (formerly known as Saban), of which BVI-TV services the distribution.
No airdate for the restored 52×30 series has been announced.
APC Kids — the children's entertainment branch of co-production and distribution company APC Studios — has...
Character and content company Aurora World is toasting the successful launch of YooHoo to the Rescue...
The Jim Henson Company has announced new top-tier broadcast partners for the latest season of its...
Research conducted into the most popular video content for preschoolers has found it to be severely...
Nickelodeon Orders 'SpongeBob' S13, Anniversary Special Snags 2M Viewers
As Nickelodeon prepares to bring SpongeBob SquarePants' Bikini Bottom to life at Comic-Con International San Diego...
Disney Animation In The Bleachers With ESPN
ADV Films Launches Anime Cable Network


A good cup of English tea.
I will admit up front: I am a coffee addict. I drink an almost shameful amount of the magical liquid on a daily basis, thanks to my Keurig brewer and the abundance of coffee on Virginia Tech's campus. There's a joke in the communication department that "caffeine is necessary to [our] continued health." It's not too far off, at least in my case. And of course, tea is another staple in my diet. I'll take it iced or hot, but preferably iced and sweetened. Nothing beats a tall glass of sweet tea garnished with a lemon slice and a sprig of mint on a warm summer's day.
I like to consider myself a tea and coffee connoisseur, so I was extremely excited about the café scene in London. There are so many options, from chain establishments like Costa and Caffe Nero (and Starbucks, of course), to smaller privately owned cafes on side streets. I have my favorites of each, and enjoy them all for different reasons. Caffe Nero is convenient to where we meet for class, but Costa's mochas are hard to beat. Take a walk around Covent Garden and you're more than likely to find a smaller, non-chain café, like Muffinski's. I'm pretty sure I find a new café every time I go to Covent Garden.
What I love most, though, are the drinks themselves and how they're prepared. Coffee is a work of art here. The simplest caffe mocha is easily turned into caffeinated beauty with the swirl of a spoon against the canvas of white fluffy foam. Aside from its appearance, coffee here even tastes different. It's much stronger, largely because they use real espresso in almost every drink. The chocolate flavor is much more subtle, which I like a lot. I like my coffee sweet, but too much sweetness can take away from the main ingredient. One of my favorite cafes called Notes serves delicious mochas and fantastic, thick-sliced, toasted-to-perfection banana bread with creamy yoghurt and jam. It's a breakfast to die for that I will surely miss when I leave the city.
At home, I drink almost every meal with a glass of sweet tea. If I asked for tea with a meal here, I would get a cup of hot water with a tea bag and sugar cubes, or a pot full of brewing tea. That's not a disappointment by any stretch, but it is different.
I had my first experience with English tea at The Porcupine pub, which I briefly mentioned in my first London Callin' Y'all piece. My full breakfast came with tea or coffee, and since I'd already sampled plenty of coffee, I decided to switch it up and have tea. English Breakfast is one of the most common flavors, so that's what I ordered. It was a perfect hot complement to my delicious breakfast.
Afternoon tea is also necessary in many Londoners' daily routines. It provides a nice break from a busy workday, or, depending on how late in the afternoon you go, adds a nice touch to the end of your day. The traditional afternoon "high tea" includes tea and warm scones, which come with jam and clotted cream. When I went to my first afternoon tea, I'll admit I was not entirely sure what to do with the clotted cream; it looked more like butter than any sort of cream I'd ever seen. But it's meant to be spread on the scones like butter, and it's quite tasty when topped with some strawberry or raspberry jam. My favorite café for a nice tea is called Patisserie Valerie, which offers tea, scones, jam and cream for about 6.50 pounds. It's a calm, affordable treat, especially after long days traversing the city.
Even for a coffee addict like myself, the tea routine is just as sweet and fun to experience. I like my coffee—caffe mochas, to be precise—to get me going in the mornings, but afternoon or evening tea serves as a fantastic cap to busy days in the city.


text:
Trichiotinus parvulus är en skalbaggsart som beskrevs av Thomas Casey 1915. Trichiotinus parvulus ingår i släktet Trichiotinus och familjen Cetoniidae. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Skalbaggar
parvulus

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Hellforces
Action 2004 Windows Buka Entertainment Shooter Shooter action
Standard Doom-style thrills
If hi-octane first-person bullet fests like Painkiller or even good old Doom are your bag, then you might be tempted to check out Hellforces to give you your next fix. Unfortunately, it's far from great and provides only limited old-school shooting thrills that will only keep you happy for a while. Perhaps the most interesting parts are the game's background and story, which tell a dark tale that mixes sci-fi and horror and which takes place in a future where a failed experiment with alternate power sources has unleashed a demonic plague of zombies and demons. Apparently, the only one able to stop this plague is a bartender named Steve (they are known for their undead-slaying skills) and who must then make his way through a series of familiar looking levels, slaying enemies as he goes. The environments are generally quite linear so don't encourage exploration but there are a few interesting ones like temples and labs thrown in amongst the more familiar city street levels and which help to maintain interest. You've got an impressive arsenal of over twenty weapons to help you out, while there's also a few handy gadgets like night vision and movement sensors to even the odds a little. While everything sounds good on paper, Hellforces is let down by a number of flaws. Although the range of guns is great, they all handle extremely poorly, while enemy AI is almost non-existent and level design is for the most part fairly bad, with confusing layouts and uninteresting visuals, which are lacking in detail but which are unattractively coarse. Gameplay is clearly quite simple and despite the large levels, gets repetitive quickly thanks to the lack of depth or any innovations that would have helped the game stand out. Ultimately, it's an undemanding shooter so if you want to just blast away at things, it serves the purpose, but its lack of depth soon becomes apparent.
Games related to Hellforces
Postal 2 (2003)
Doom 2 (1994)
Painkiller (2004)
The Stalin Subway (2005)
Half-Life 2: Lost Coast (2005)
History Channel: Civil War - Great Battles (2003)
Contract J.A.C.K. (2003)
F.E.A.R.: First Encounter Assault Recon (2005)


1998 Town And Country Service And Repair Manual - Dodge Grand Caravan & Chrysler Town & Country 2008-2012 Repair Manual (Haynes Repair Manual) [Haynes] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. With a Haynes manual, you can do it yourselffrom simple maintenance to basic repairs. Haynes writes every book based on a complete teardown of the vehicle. We learn the best ways to do a job and that makes it quicker. TCC Performance is Town and Country Chrysler's performance division. Here at Town and Country Chrysler we are proud to offer classic car sales, exotic car sales, service and customizing options for all makes and models old and new including but not limited to McLaren, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Audi, BMW and pretty much anything you might want.. The Audi A6 (C5 platform) Repair Manual: 1998-2004 is a comprehensive source of service information and technical specifications available for Audi A6 and S6 models build on the C5 platform, including the allroad quattro and the RS6. The aim throughout has been simplicity and clarity, with practical explanations, step-by-step procedures and accurate specifications..
Chrysler group: vehicle restriction program entitled enhanced customer satisfaction (ecs), designs to use both the technical service operation and customer care, to proactively reach out, to customers, and repair the customer's vehicle. Factory service manuals – Up to 60% Off Ford, GM, Chrysler, Dodge, Toyota, Honda, Nissan automobiles. Original shop auto repair books car and truck.. 1997 YAMAHA RT180 Owners Manual RT180J RT 180 Motorcycle Original Factory Dealer × ×.
37 Reviews of Town & Country Ford. Search 479 cars for sale. "The buying process was efficient. Salesman was knowledgeable about the truck. No s. Winch Books Toyota Hilux Repair and Workshop manuals About the Toyota Hilux . The Toyota Hilux could be a a number of compact pickup trucks produced and marketed mainly because of the Toyota Motor Corporation.. Here's how to disable adblocking on our site. Click on the icon for your Adblocker in your browser. A drop down menu will appear. Select the option to run ads for autoblog.com, by clicking either.
Chrysler Town & Country 6 DVD Changer . Part Number: P04685932AA, P04685932AB, P04685932AC, P05094033AA, P05094033AB, P05094033AC, P05094033AD Model Number: Common Problem: No Eject, No Load, No play DVD. Repair Cost: $185.TO $295. Note: If your DVD is stuck inside the unit, do not try to remove the disc. Most of the time the DVD mechanism gets damaged in the process and. recall id#06e022000 - service brakes, hydraulic consequence: loss of brake fluid can lead to a decrease in brake line pressure and an increase in stopping distance, which can result in a vehicle. View and Download Innova 31603 owner's manual online. CarScan+ABS/SRS. 31603 Automobile Accessories pdf manual download..
Subaru Head Gaskets Explained part II. In this article I am going to cover the current trends with the Subaru Head gasket problem focusing only on the phase 2 2.5l SOHC from 1999 to 2011 in the Forester and 2000 to 2009 in the Legacy, Outback and Impreza. Car Questions Get answers to your auto repair and car questions. Ask a mechanic for help and get back on the road..


text:
Q: Change server time on GAE app Is there a way to change server time on a Google App Engine python application? If so how would I do that? (Google have not provided me with useful results)

A: You cannot change the system timezone in GAE, and as noted in the docs:

App Engine clock times are always expressed in coordinated universal time (UTC). This becomes relevant if you use the current date or time (datetime.datetime.now()) as a value...

So to be safe you should stick to this convention yourself and make the conversion to your end-user timezone when needed.


text:
<?php

/**
 * PlatformsSearchQueryParser
 *
 * Import default data from json file into the database.
 *
 * origin: M
 *
 * @package    platforms
 * @subpackage lib
 * @version    SVN: $Id: $
 */
class PlatformsSearchQueryParser
{
  private $context;

  public function __construct(mwContext $context)
  {
    $this->context = $context;
  }

  public function parse($query)
  {
    return array(
      'cats' => $this->translateCategoryNamesToIds($this->parseCategoryNames($query)),
      'term' => $this->parseQueryTerm($query),
      'date_start' => $this->parseFrom($query),
      'date_end' => $this->parseUntil($query),
    );
  }

  public function parseCategoryNames($query)
  {
    $categoryNames = null;
    preg_match_all('/\bcat:([\w\d]+)\b/u', $query, $categoryNames);
    return array_unique($categoryNames[1]);
  }

  public function translateCategoryNamesToIds(array $categoryNames)
  {
    return $this->getDoctrineTable('Category')->translateCategoryNamesToIds($categoryNames);
  }

  public function parseQueryTerm($query)
  {
    $queryTerms = null;
    $query = preg_replace('/\b[\w\d]+:([\w\d]+)\b/u', ' ', $query); // hotfix: remove prefixed terms
    preg_match_all('/\s+([\w\d]+)\b/u', ' '.$query.' ', $queryTerms);
    return join(' ', array_unique($queryTerms[1]));
  }

  /**
   * Convenience method to fetch table class for given model name.
   *
   * @param string $modelName
   * @return Doctrine_Table
   */
  private function getDoctrineTable($modelName)
  {
    return $this->context->getDoctrineTable($modelName);
  }

  public function parseFrom($query)
  {
    $from = null;
    preg_match('/\bfrom:(\d{8})\b/u', $query, $from);
    return isset($from[1]) ? PlatformUtils::isoToDate($from[1]) : null;
  }

  public function parseUntil($query)
  {
    $until = null;
    preg_match('/\buntil:(\d{8})\b/u', $query, $until);
    return isset($until[1]) ? PlatformUtils::isoToDate($until[1]) : null;
  }
}


Welcome to Student Checking* 101! Forget research papers and exams, we are going to make this simple! If you are a student, ages 17 to 24, we've got an account that will be an A+ in your book. Start building smart spending habits with an account designed just for you.
What drew me to Lakeland Bank was the professional and personalized attention I received on all levels. When speaking with customer service representatives and financial consultants, my needs are recognized and treated with importance, which is an experience that differs greatly from my experiences with other banks.
*Proof of enrollment in high school, college or university required. Students under 18 years of age must have a joint owner on their account who is at least 18 years of age. Upon 25th birthday, notification will be sent advising the account will be converted to a Classic Checking account. Account requires enrollment for receiving your monthly statement electronically (eStatement) within 60 days of account opening, and continued receipt of eStatements for the life of the account. Accounts not meeting eStatement requirements will be converted to a Classic Checking account.
1Insurance products and protection benefits are offered through and provided by third parties.
2Overdraft Transfer coverage is an additional service and must be requested and authorized by you at your branch office. You must also have a savings account in your name at Lakeland Bank to be eligible. Once activated, automatic transfers will be made from available funds in the linked savings account to cover overdrawn balances. The fee for Overdraft Transfer is waived for Student Checking accounts.


The Q5's pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The F-Pace doesn't offer pre-crash pretensioners.
For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Audi Q5 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Jaguar F-Pace doesn't offer height-adjustable seat belts.
The Q5 has standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The F-Pace doesn't offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.
Both the Q5 and the F-Pace have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, all-wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.
For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Q5 the rating of "Top Pick" for 2017, a rating granted to only 139 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The F-Pace has not been tested, yet.
The Q5's corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the F-Pace's (12 vs. 6 years).
There are over 81 percent more Audi dealers than there are Jaguar dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Q5's warranty.
The Audi Q5's engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the F-Pace's engines use an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.
A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it's being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Q5's reliability 52 points higher than the F-Pace.
J.D. Power and Associates' 2018 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Audi vehicles are better in initial quality than Jaguar vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Audi 25th in initial quality. With 43 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jaguar is ranked 30th.
J.D. Power and Associates' 2018 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Jaguar vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Audi 13th in reliability, above the industry average. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, Jaguar is ranked 20th.
To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi Q5 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The F-Pace requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.
The Q5 has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the F-Pace Diesel's standard fuel tank (18.5 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.
The Q5 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The F-Pace doesn't offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.
The Q5's launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM's precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The F-Pace doesn't offer launch control.
For greater off-road capability the Q5 has a 2.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the F-Pace SVR (8.2 vs. 5.9 inches), allowing the Q5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Q5's minimum ground clearance is 1.9 inches higher than on the F-Pace (8.2 vs. 6.3 inches).
The Q5 is 7 inches narrower than the F-Pace, making the Q5 easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.
The design of the Audi Q5 amounts to more than styling. The Q5 has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .32 Cd. That is significantly lower than the F-Pace (.36) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Q5 get better fuel mileage.
The Q5 has 3.9 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front legroom, 1.8 inches more rear headroom, .6 inches more rear legroom and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the F-Pace.
J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Jaguar. J.D. Power ranks Audi third in service department satisfaction. With a 30% lower rating, Jaguar is ranked 15th.
The Q5 has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent vandalism, such as sugar in the tank and fuel theft. The F-Pace doesn't offer a locking fuel door.
Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q5 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. Heated windshield washer nozzles cost extra on the F-Pace.
To shield the driver and front passenger's vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Q5 has standard extendable sun visors. The F-Pace doesn't offer extendable visors.
Consumer Reports® recommends the Audi Q5, based on reliability, safety and performance.
The Audi Q5 outsold the Jaguar F-Pace by almost five to one during the 2018 model year.


Mount Pleasant Golf Club in Lower Stondon have raised more than £400 for the Alzheimer's Society at their annual lady captain's day.
The Mary Marshall Trophy competition was held in the morning, with Margaret Budgen winning the prize, narrowly beating Rose Humphries and Di Little in second and third.
The trophy honours Mary Marshall, one of Mount Pleasant's founding members and, club's first lady captain in 1993 and three-time club lady champion.
Margaret picked up her second victory of the day when she won the afternoons nine-team Texas Scramble alongside Rebecca Baxter, Bryan Wappat and Jim McLaren.
Mount Pleasant's ladies team have enjoyed recent success, picking up a win at home against Chalgrave Golf Club and following that up with a draw Beadlow Manor.
The ladies are now looking forward to their annual away day at Brampton Park Golf Club in October.


All publicly traded companies are required to have a process whereby employees can report occupational misconduct—i.e., the whistleblower program. How do you know if your company has an effective program? What do you do to build awareness throughout the company? Which department is best equipped to manage the whistleblower hotline? Does your program leverage social media? What steps can you take to mitigate the fear of retaliation and encourage employees to report misconduct?
Learning Objectives: provide perspective on how leading organizations have successfully integrated the whistleblower hotline into the corporate culture, learn how to retool an existing program, and learn how to address one of the major impediments to effective whistleblower programs, the reluctance of employees to come forward because of the real or perceived fear of retaliation.


text:
Q: JAVA applet- Gold Rush I have this assignment:
Implement
a
small
game
in
which:

*

*There
are
two
islands
in
a
sea.

*A
boat
needs
to
travel
from
one
island
to
another
island
to
gather
as
much
gold
as
possible
and
come
back.

*The
boat
can
be
navigated
using
the
arrow
keys.

*A
boat
cannot
sail
through
an
island.

*There
are
sea
mines
along
the
way
moving
at
random.

*The
mines
do
not
go
through
the
islands
as
they
drift
around.

*If
the
boat
hits
a
mine,
it
is
destroyed.
Each
boat
has
three
lives.

*It
takes
time
for
the
gold
to
be
fully
loaded
into
the
boat.
This
time
is
approximately
three
seconds.
If
a
boat
doesn't
wait
this
long,
it
is
partially
loaded
with
gold.

*The
same
happens
for
unloading.

*The
game
ends
after
you
fully
unload
five
times,
or
your
life
ends.

*There
are
three
difficulties
for
the
game:
Easy,
medium
and
difficult.
An
easy
game
has
fewer
mines
than
a
medium
game,
and
a
medium
game
has
fewer
mines
than
a
difficult
game.

That is what I have till now:
import java.applet.Applet;
import java.awt.*;
import java.awt.event.*;
import java.net.URL;
import javax.swing.ImageIcon;
import javax.swing.JOptionPane;

public class GoldRush extends Applet {

int boatx=125;
int boaty= 270;
int lifes = 3;
int gold1=0;
int gold2=20;
int option;

/**
 * @param args the command line arguments
 */
public void init()
{

        setSize(900, 500);

        Object[] options = {"Easy", "Meduim","Difficult"};
         option = JOptionPane.showOptionDialog(this,"Choose a difficulty ","Gold Rush",JOptionPane.YES_NO_CANCEL_OPTION,JOptionPane.QUESTION_MESSAGE,
                null,options,options[2]);
        addKeyListener(new KeyListener());
        setFocusable(true);

    }

public  void paint(Graphics g) {

  Image back,boat,bomb,gold;

  back = getImage("back.jpg");
  boat = getImage("boat.jpg");
  bomb = getImage("bomb.jpg");
  gold = getImage("gold.jpg");
  g.drawImage(back, 0, 0, null);
  g.setColor(Color.BLACK);
  g.drawString("Lifes: "+ lifes, 10, 20);
  g.drawString("Gold on Your ISland: "+ gold1, 10, 40);
  g.drawString("Gold on the other Island: "+ gold2, 10, 60);

  if(boatx >=125 && boatx <= 640&& boaty >= 2 && boaty <= 450){
      g.drawImage(boat, boatx, boaty, null);
  }else {
      if(boatx<125) boatx=125;
      if(boatx>640) boatx=640;
      if(boaty<2) boaty=2;
      if(boaty>450) boaty=450;
      g.drawImage(boat, boatx, boaty, null);
  }

  if (option == 0){
       g.drawImage(bomb, (int)(145 + (Math.random() * (601 - 145))),(int)(190 + (Math.random() * (700 - 190))) , null);
       g.drawImage(bomb, (int)(145 + (Math.random() * (601 - 145))),(int)(190 + (Math.random() * (700 - 190))) , null);

  }
  else if (option == 1){
       g.drawImage(bomb, (int)(145 + (Math.random() * (601 - 145))),(int)(190 + (Math.random() * (700 - 190))) , null);
       g.drawImage(bomb, (int)(145 + (Math.random() * (601 - 145))),(int)(190 + (Math.random() * (700 - 190))) , null);
       g.drawImage(bomb, (int)(145 + (Math.random() * (601 - 145))),(int)(190 + (Math.random() * (700 - 190))) , null);

  }
  else if (option == 2){
       g.drawImage(bomb, (int)(145 + (Math.random() * (601 - 145))),(int)(190 + (Math.random() * (700 - 190))) , null);
       g.drawImage(bomb, (int)(145 + (Math.random() * (601 - 145))),(int)(190 + (Math.random() * (700 - 190))) , null);
       g.drawImage(bomb, (int)(145 + (Math.random() * (601 - 145))),(int)(190 + (Math.random() * (700 - 190))) , null);
       g.drawImage(bomb, (int)(145 + (Math.random() * (601 - 145))),(int)(190 + (Math.random() * (700 - 190))) , null);
       g.drawImage(bomb, (int)(145 + (Math.random() * (601 - 145))),(int)(190 + (Math.random() * (700 - 190))) , null);

  }

}

public Image getImage(String name){
URL imgUrl = getClass().getClassLoader().getResource("resources/"+name);
ImageIcon icon = new ImageIcon(imgUrl);
return icon.getImage();
}
    public void up(){

        boaty= boaty-5;
        repaint();
}
  public void down(){

        boaty= boaty+5;
        repaint();
}
  public void left(){
    if(boatx >= 125)
        boatx= boatx-5;
        repaint();
}
  public void right(){

        boatx= boatx+5;
        repaint();
}
class KeyListener extends KeyAdapter{
    public KeyListener(){

    }

    @Override
    public void keyPressed(KeyEvent e) {
        // TODO Auto-generated method stub
        super.keyPressed(e);
        switch(e.getKeyCode()){
        case KeyEvent.VK_LEFT : left();break;
    case KeyEvent.VK_RIGHT: right();break;
    case KeyEvent.VK_UP: up();break;
    case KeyEvent.VK_DOWN: down(); break;
        default:
            System.out.println("You pressed: " + e.getKeyCode());
        }
    }
}

}

I don't know how to do number 8, where I check for if the boat stays 3 secs to fully load the gold. Could you please help me with that?
I would appreciate it ;)

A: Your boat has position with a x and y coordinate. If you island is created, you calculate/read out the coordinates which locate the island. Then after every move of the boat, you check if the boat is in the  region of your island ( or close to it). If so, you start a timer which "tranfers" the gold to your boat.


JB&A will help simplify complex broadcast challenges and deliver tailored solutions. We have a dedicated team with years of experience in the broadcast environment. We take pride in working with the best resellers and vendors in the industry – providing an unbeatable team of technology experts.
When we take on a project, we make sure that it's the right solution for today, while ensuring that you have a solution that can meet your needs moving forward into the future. JB&A has worked on thousands of deployments worldwide, and will tailor the right hardware and software for every job.


text:
var test = require("tap").test
    , sinon = require("sinon")
    , map = require("..")

test("map calls iterator with each item", function (t) {
    var item = createItem()
        , iterator = sinon.stub().returnsArg(0)

    var result = map(item, iterator)

    t.ok(iterator.calledThrice, "iterator was not called thrice")
    t.deepEqual(iterator.args[0], ["a1", "a", item],
        "iterator called with wrong arguments")
    t.deepEqual(iterator.args[1], ["b1", "b", item],
        "iterator called with wrong arguments")
    t.deepEqual(iterator.args[2], ["c1", "c", item],
        "iterator called with wrong arguments")
    t.deepEqual(item, result, "result is not the same as item")
    t.notEqual(item, result, "item and result are the same object")

    t.end()
})

test("map calls iterator with correct this value", function (t) {
    var item = createItem()
        , iterator = sinon.spy()
        , thisValue = {}

    map(item, iterator, thisValue)

    t.ok(iterator.calledOn(thisValue), "this value is incorrect")

    t.end()
})

test("map returns array when called on array", function (t) {
    var array = [1, 2, 3]
        , iterator = sinon.stub().returnsArg(0)

    var result = map(array, iterator)

    t.ok(Array.isArray(result), "result is not an array")
    t.deepEqual(result,  array, "result is incorrect")

    t.end()
})

function createItem() {
    return {
        a: "a1"
        , b: "b1"
        , c: "c1"
    }
}


00:00:00 Gummi_Gert [DotA-GC] ... and the wooden PC award goes to *drum roll* ... que2stress with 111 seconds.
00:00:12 Gummi_Gert can i have zeus?
00:00:52 que2stress u want eza?
00:00:55 PeterLars lina u want mid?
00:01:09 s0meb0dy.ee sorz for estonian guys.
00:03:25 s0meb0dy.ee seriously ur talking?
00:12:15 Gummi_Gert helpå me put wards slark?
00:13:56 Gummi_Gert why dont u save me pudge?
00:18:38 JensDenLange how could u die?
00:19:00 JensDenLange calm down eza?!?!?!?!?!?
00:32:00 que2stress how often do u wanna get hooked?
00:33:24 Gummi_Gert please drop items before use !
00:35:38 JensDenLange why cant i hook u?
00:35:48 Gummi_Gert we can lose this u know pudge?
00:40:09 eWeresT slark, do u want me to go vlad ?
00:40:46 tba can we go as a team?
00:46:36 JensDenLange my next item?
00:48:21 WANKmaster why it went over the cliff ..
00:50:27 WANKmaster väga sitt wall ..
00:57:13 que2stress why didnt potm and clock come to us?


text:
Integralne części wsi w Polsce
 Wg TERYT jest ich 3
 Za Groblą – część wsi Leszczanka w woj. lubelskim, w pow. bialskim, w gminie Drelów
 Za Groblą – część wsi Jelonka w woj. podlaskim, w pow. hajnowskim, w gminie Dubicze Cerkiewne
 Za Groblą – część wsi Bazów w woj. świętokrzyskim, w pow. sandomierskim, w gminie Łoniów


Six Athletes with Red River Aquatic Club at the YMCA of Northwest Louisiana; Sarah Holt, Katherine Bush, Ellie Kairschner, John Stewart, Chris Sanders, and Lyle Alford, traveled to Austin, TX last weekend to compete in Sectionals.
RRAC swimmers RACED some of the best swimmers from Texas and Louisiana this past weekend. The confidence they gained competing in the same pool as World and collegiate Champions was so cool to see. The sky is the limit for RRAC.