text:
January 10, 2021 ~ sting606
Awards season is upon us, even as slow as it is (and as paltry and weak as the contenders look to be) this year. So I find it tough to get as excited as I used to be with this time of the filmgoing year, but I am usually quite a fan of the season and the Academy Awards like a pleb. It is no less an opportunity to perform ones tastes, gamify the conversation, and make predictions and observations on how the filmgoing atmosphere has been (the latter probably adds to my lack of anticipation for the Oscars). I mean, just as much a perk to experiencing a work of art is the ability to have it rattle around in conversation with others and if the Oscars are not at all a conversation (which they aren't), they are at least a launch-pad to that conversation whether in favor or disfavor of the results.
So, as something of an off-shoot to my massive 2010s lists project (and there may be a couple more in the future), I had it in my mind to pick the 22 times in the 2010s that I felt the Oscars and I truly aligned. And by "Got It Right" in the headline, I mean Got. It. Right. The Academy somehow picked the exact same choice as me for the best of the year, not that it was a win that I was very happy to see it or even that they picked my favorite of the nominees. They picked my number one pick in the category for the whole year.
Aaron Sorkin winning Best Adapted Screenplay for The Social Network (83rd Academy Awards, 2011)
The past year's Oscarbait The Trial of the Chicago 7 has illustrated to us many of the worst flaws with Sorkin as a writer (as well as as a director) and a lot of those flaws were already visible before that stood as his worst work. But The Social Network hasn't lost one bit of its freshness, its rhythm, its sense of humor and Sorkin transmitting his sense of character language over to personalities while still avoid the sense that Joss Whedon trap of giving everybody a one-size-fits-all voice is a miracle in itself before we take a step back and watch it form into one of the decade's best character studies. I'm too fond of certain seasons of The West Wing to call it his best work, but it did pop up as a possibility in my mind.
Gore Verbinski winning Best Animated Feature for Rango (84th Academy Awards, 2012)
It's always a good time when Disney loses this category to an underdog (there's going to be another Best Animated Feature win later in this post for an EVEN better movie!) but Rango's gung-ho revolving door of genre types, Roger Deakins-involved photorealistic landscapes, and idiosyncratic animated animal designs that refuse to be even a little bit cuddly makes it so obviously a more challenging animated film than anything else of that year (or that Disney has made since Lilo & Stitch) that this win had me leaping for joy.
Mark Coulier & J. Roy Helland winning Best Makeup for The Iron Lady (84th Academy Awards, 2012)
Y'all think Meryl Streep has girl power? Do you think she has girl power while playing the decrepit version of a woman who sent paramilitary death squads into Northern Ireland? Listen, there are so many areas in which I really fucking hate this movie. But the one place where they earned every bit of acclaim they deserved was that makeup, which I regret I could not find a decent clip of (though perhaps the best examples of Coulier and Helland's craft may have turned out to be spoilers, but who cares about biopic spoilers?). Suffice it to say that a phenomenal job is shown having Thatcher's body grow more and more wrinkled and cracked as the years of the longest run as Prime Minister pass by. It's probably responsible for more transformation within the performance than Streep herself, if I can be bold.
Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik-Jan de Boer, & Donald R. Elliott winning Best Visual Effects for Life of Pi (85th Academy Awards, 2013)
First of all, what a fucking disrespectful disaster of an Oscar moment (especially with that joke at the beginning about skipping past their deserved respect). How dare the Academy cut off the VFX artist's speeches because they're trying to appeal to an industry that needs them? The VFX industry is very famously one that is the most exploited by Hollywood for nearly no pay where studios that put their passion into this labor of love end up closing down because of high demands and low pay (especially given that the studio in question Rhythm & Hues shut down shortly after). The fact that the Oscar win clip, like the telecast, infamously cuts to black in the middle of the speech still pisses me the fuck off.
Now if I can take a moment to get off my soapbox and admire the work before us: Richard Parker! What an absolutely amazing creation of a character simply out of the visuals and if Life of Pi didn't represent the bleeding edge of effects work in 2012, it would still earn that trophy based on the weight and presence and personality of that tiger. But of course, it wouldn't be an Ang Lee movie if it wasn't playing with the new toys of the cinema.
Cate Blanchett winning Best Actress for Blue Jasmine (86th Academy Awards, 2014)
A performance for which I can't say anything that hasn't already been said before: Blanchett stealing the entire movie from right under Woody Allen's nose, which is not a tall order given how limp his directing has been over the past 9 years and how she's been the best actor alive since… forever? But he did give her a role that is like a glove for all the cold and brittle presence that Blanchett brings at her best and just stepped back for her to fire on all cylinders with this one.
John Ridley winning Best Adapted Screenplay for 12 Years a Slave (86th Academy Awards, 2014)
Steve McQueen is evidently not happy that Ridley won that award, but that is besides me. The fact is that the script at the center of their fight was a masterpiece of containing an overwhelming real-life experience into something truly fractured and exhausting with the weight such a sum of time would bring with it, turning what could have just remained a straightforward message biopic into experiential misery. And that's on top of how Ridley found a way to map within the episodic structure Solomon's anti-character arc as we watch him get more and more set on survival whatever he has to cut out of his soul to get it.
Skip Livesey, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead, & Chris Munro winning Best Sound Mixing for Gravity (86th Academy Awards, 2014)
Speaking of a movie that is wholly experience based released in 2013, Gravity owes that accomplishment to so many of its elements. Among those elements is the way the sound – even in the vaccuum of space – is arranged to give us that sense of transporting within the hollow abyss.
Tim Webber, Chris Lawrence, Dave Shirk, & Neil Corbould winning Best Visual Effects for Gravity (86th Academy Awards, 2014)
I realized I already used "bleeding edge" when discussing Life of Pi's Visual Effects win up above, but we may as well face the fact that a lot of these some more of these wins are going to be about reaching the pinnacle that visual effects were capable of at the end of the year. And this team is responsible for translating all of Alfonso Cuarón and Emmanuel Lubezki*'s cinematic vocabulary into a fully CGI 3D world. You can't sit into a world like the sound makes us do without that world being built and these four names are the men who built the world of Gravity.
Adam Stockhausen & Anna Pinnock winning Best Production Design for The Grand Budapest Hotel (87th Academy Awards, 2015)
At the risk of giving away the spoilers, this and the next two entries are all going to be The Grand Budapest Hotel and that makes it possible that I will just repeat myself when describing the winning elements but I'll try to avoid it. This is without a doubt the fussiest film out of the fussiest filmmaker alive and the artificial look of it all is a big part of what I love about it (and I expect what holds some viewers at a distance). Can you possibly blame me with the way that wide establishing shot of the ground has that funicular as a moving piece or the manner that the titular hotel has such a wonderfully cake-like look? And that's without bringing in the element of decay so that this ostensibly wacky place slowly dies before our eyes so that even as a hazy dream, it feels real in a very sad way.
Milena Canonero winning Best Costume Design for The Grand Budapest Hotel (87th Academy Awards, 2015)
And then there's the way this world is inhabited by purple figures (or even pink and white in the prison sequences) matching Stockhausen and Pinnock's own fussy indulgence, where the blackest black is applied to the villains as color coding and in the end they allow a link between these weirdly human characters to the cartoon world they're sucked into.
Alexandre Desplat winning Best Score for The Grand Budapest Hotel (87th Academy Awards, 2015)
And then a cartoon movie absolutely needs a cartoon score and Desplat's zany music box arrangement of tempos for the characters' movements through this world is not just the perfect fit for what kind of experience The Grand Budapest Hotel is going for, it's also my favorite work of his entire career thus far. Plus this win was actually the biggest surprise of the night for me, probably the biggest surprise of this entire list and goshdarn it when the Oscars pull the rug out from under me like that, it is phenomenal to watch.
Margaret Sixel winning Best Film Editing for Mad Max: Fury Road (88th Academy Awards, 2016)
I think I've been clear round these parts that Sixel's work on Mad Max: Fury Road is my single favorite piece of work in all the movies I've seen from the 2010s so y'all can't possibly hold it against me for wanting to high five the Oscars for recognizing the highest piece of the form. One of a kind action-editing that is able to accomplish clarity and frenzy all the way and between this and Jennifer Lame's work on Tenet and Elísabet Ronaldsdóttir's work on Atomic Blonde bringing their own individual sense of momentum and impact… maybe women are just better action movie directors than men?
Mark Mangini & David White winning Best Sound Editing for Mad Max: Fury Road (88th Academy Awards, 2016)
Glad as I am to see all the Fury Road technical sweep of that year's ceremony (as well as how most of the recipients looked like Fury Road characters including Jenny Beaven's awesome fucking outfit when she won Costume Design), none of them were really my pick for THE best of the year outside of Sixel and this accomplishment in Fury Road putting that fucking fury in every gunshot, melee blow, crash, and engine roar. Even the crack of that tree falling in the clip I selected has that phenomenal violent edge that reminds us of the perils these characters are in for.
Casey Affleck winning Best Actor for Manchester by the Sea (89th Academy Awards, 2017)
In which we learn that "getting it right" does not necessarily mean "Getting It Right" for there is nothing right about a man who abused his power in an industry as Affleck did still making movies or being celebrated on a night with everybody applauding him and being handed an award by Brie Larson (and the Academy damn well knew it, hence why they had to arrange the following year for Affleck to not present an award to Frances McDormand of all fucking people). Luckily, I have zero pull as an influence unlike the Oscars (anybody who gives my opinion any value should reconsider where they are in life) and thereby can admit without fear of rewarding Affleck on such a scale that… yes, it was in fact the Best Lead Performance by a Male Actor that I had seen all year (and possibly even the year before and after).
It's so heavy, the way that Affleck's visible sorrow is lugged around and around the entire movie so that it's clear that Lee's on existence is a great pain to him and since he can't even be bothered to look for the exit anymore, he may as well just move through life with the minimum effort possible. A portrayal of depression and guilt that speaks to me in ways that I did not expect to be spoken to and yet Affleck is not even the best performance of the film (he's not even the best performance in the clip I used) let alone of the entire year…
Viola Davis winning Best Supporting Actress for Fences (89th Academy Awards, 2017)
The one performance I wanted to be Mulligan in Manchester by the Sea, which together with Davis in Fences make for a pair of top ten performances of the 2010s. Davis, though, the game was already set in here favor with material she had spent long years being intimate with and thereby allowing her revisit Rose's continuous reserves of quiet frustration in her domesticity before letting it all explode in a climax you can't even resent for being so showy in it acting. It's deeply grounded, emotionally exhausting, and impressively modulated as film acting rather than theatrical acting. Between this and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, it's very evident that giving Davis August Wilson material means you have to step the fuck back because she owns the show.
Viola also happens to have my favorite Oscar speech and dress out of this whole list, for those who care about these sort of things as much as I do.
Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones, & Dan Lemmon winning Best Visual Effects for The Jungle Book (89th Academy Awards, 2017)
Hey, Disney money gets you that Disney resources. It is evident that The Lion King remake was able to enhance all the technical accomplishments that The Jungle Book remake pulled but The Jungle Book accomplishes not looking like the horror show the later movie was because it allows color to be an element of its photorealistic environments and because somehow it is less concerned with having its animals function a anything but animals. Talking animals, still, but less Lovecraftian in their mouth movements than The Lion King. Plus the full-constructed CGI world has at least one on-camera human presence as reference for the designers and feels more immersive as an experience than anything Disney made since TRON: Legacy (especially in 3D).
Mark Bridges winning Best Costume Design for Phantom Thread (90th Academy Awards, 2018)
I should not have to explain why Phantom Thread of all movies deserved Best Costume Design. If the movie works on any level for the viewer, it's because of the wonderful arrangements of all that fabric and just how erotic it can be to watch, arrange, and create that fabric. If the costumes were on any level than less than the best ever, then I'd have to concede Phantom Thread's weakness but I love it so evidently…
Richard King & Alex Gibson winning Best Sound Editing for Dunkirk (90th Academy Awards, 2018)
If I may dare to shock y'all, I deeply believe the sound does more to sharpen the structure of this movie than Lee Smith's film editing. It's specifically because of the way the sounds are filtered in terms of how they echo in relation to the ocean water that I think we are able to effortlessly shift between the three perspectives with no trouble and I think that added dimension to the fact that war movies always demand great sound to work is how I end up loving Dunkirk as a movie probably more than I should.
Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Phil Lord, & Christopher Miller winning Best Animated Feature for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (91st Academy Awards, 2019)
It's the best superhero and comic book movie ever made and I would have been very upset to have seen it walk away empty handed. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the sort of creative storytelling and animation that we need more of if Hollywood's gonna keep taking our money, the sort of movie that makes one feel truly like they can fly.
Alfonso Cuarón winning Best Cinematography for Roma (91st Academy Awards, 2019)
The center of a credit-based controversy back in Mexico that for some reason did not catch the slightest wind up in the States for some weird reason** and thereby giving me a bit of pause in congratulating Cuarón for winning this without Galo Olivares up on stage with his own trophy. Regardless of whoever is responsible for one of the most beautiful films of the 2010s, the fact is that Roma IS one of the most beautiful films of the 2010s and it is entirely worthwhile to appreciate its sense of care and awareness regarding the multiple shades of gray so that calling it a black and white movie seems like missing the real treat of it all and taking all the right lessons from Cuarón's career long collaboration with camera movements and long takes. The result is something that has the sense of a dreamy panorama and while I'm often tempted to break open my Criterion blu-ray of this movie eventually, nothing can beat actually seeing it in the big screen when it was first released (except maybe seeing it in 70mm, please help me see it in 70mm in the future).
Paul Lambert, Ian Hunter, Tristan Myles, & J.D. Schwalm winning Best Visual Effects for First Man (91st Academy Awards, 2019)
Hey, I guess between this and Gravity, I just really love space movies. We've continuously watched movies throughout this decade crafting a tangible world beyond the atmosphere (since we can include Interstellar, The Martian, and Ad Astra) and I wonder if the story of a man sinking himself more and more to his mission for the sake of burying his grief doesn't feel the most appropriate area for that. Plus there's only more scrutiny that the visuals could receive when shot in 70mm and First Man totally deserves it.
Matthew A. Cherry & Karen Rupert Tolivar winning Best Animated Short Film for Hair Love (92nd Academy Awards, 2020)
I am not generally someone who gets too into the short films largely because my sample of them is so small that I feel even less confident in my declarations than the other obviously subjective claims of me knowing the Best Editing of 2015 or the Best Performance of 2016 or what have you. More often, it's because my pick in this category almost never wins and that I have chosen Hair Love's win amongst the rest of this list is specifically because it's an instance where my favorite film not only in the animated category but out of all of the shorts nominated and that I have seen in 2019 got the gold. The makers of this film have put out a short of such effortless short-form storytelling and simple designs with a stress on the texture (all the better to communicate that central hair as a presence). Implies that Sony Pictures Animation may have learned every single right lesson from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
*While Lubezki was not my favorite of the three years he won (Gravity and Birdman are close though and he WAS my favorite of 2011 with The Tree of Life), it was still absolutely phenomenal to see him get three Oscars in a row after a whole decade in the 2000s of not getting his due.
**Especially weird given the history of credit-based controversies attached to the wins of Dalton Trumbo, Natalie Portman, and John Ridley and the nominations of Linda Blair.
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8 million, home to Barcelona and medical on Tuesday, Mateu Alemany closes Gamper signing
It has not been this afternoon in the Camp Nou, for little. And it is that in the next few hours the Barca will announce its sixth signing, Marc AlonsoAfter concluding a definitive agreement with the chelsea. The signature will close for an amount close to 8 million euros and the left-back will sign a 2-year deal with an optional third.
Rumors that the signing was about to drop were fired this Saturday by himself Thomas Tuchel, the Chelsea coach, who after leaving Marcos Alonso out of the team, announced the bomb at a press conference. "He asked to leave, he wants to and the club accepted him, that's why it didn't make sense for him to be on the pitch today," the coach said, leaving hearing it was Chelsea's decision, not his. .
Marcos Alonso, celebrating a goal with Chelsea / Photo: Europa Press
Tuchel accepts the departure of Marcos Alonso
The signing of Marcos Alonso comes a few days later the other Barça target who plays at Chelsea, César Azpilicueta, decided not to force the situation any longer and to sign the renewal. The right-back wanted to play at Camp Nou but Chelsea and Tuchel's reluctance to let him go ended up convincing him to renew. Marcos Alonso, on the other hand, remained firm, because after a whole career away from the Spanish La Liga, he wants to try it, in addition to the fact that he also wanted to return for personal reasons.
Tuchel was in favor of closing the door to him, since he has a contract, but the insistence of the player, with the addition of the permanence of Azpilicueta, ended up convincing Chelsea, who gave in, demanding, yes, 8 million euros. With Jordi Alba as the only pure left-back, Xavi Hernández needed a replacement, as Balde is still untapped, so signing Marcos Alonso was a necessity.
Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea manager / Photo: Europa Press
A life outside La Liga
From the Real Madrid youth academy, son of Marcos Alonso, Barça player in the 1980s, and grandson of Marquitos, legend of the real Madrid champion of the first 5 European Cups, Marcos Alonso only played one game in the first division, because when it looked like he was going to make the jump to the Real Madrid first team, he decided to pack your bags and go to Wanderers of Bolton. At just 20, it looked like Alonso wouldn't last long outside of La Liga, but little by little he made his mark, until he caught the eye of the club. Fiorentina.
Marcos Alonso suffered to adapt to the soccerwho was even loaned for a season to Sunderland, but from there it managed to explode. He signed two incredible years at Fiorentina and in the summer of 2016 Chelsea put 25 million on the table to bring him back to England. In 6 seasons at Stamford Bridge, Marcos Alonso accumulated 212 games and won 1 Champions League, 1 Europa League, 1 Club World Cup, 1 European Super Cup, 1 Premier League and 1 FA Cup.
In Linux 5.20/6.0, it provides a mechanism to check kernel correctness
They find a relationship between red meat consumption, gut microbiome and cardiovascular disease in older adults

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


After years of legal proceedings and blocks by former President Obama and former Attorney General Eric Holder, documents related to Operation Fast and Furious are finally being released.
The Justice Department announced it would be handing over the documents to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform which had previously been unable to secure them due to Obama and Holder's refusal, The Daily Caller reported.
Holder, who headed the Obama Justice Department from 2009 to 2015, was the only cabinet member in U.S. history to be held in contempt of Congress for refusing to release the documents to the House Oversight Committee just hours after Obama invoked executive privilege to prevent their release.
Fast and Furious was a secret operation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives which allowed weapons from the U.S. to pass into the hands of Mexican cartels. ATF lost track of nearly 2,000 firearms during the course of the operation which began in late 2009.
The operation ended in 2010 and details have been covered up for years as to what transpired, including the discovery of missing guns at the scene of the murder of Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry.
The Oversight Committee "seeks all relevant facts so we can learn from the mistakes made by the Justice Department," Amanda Gonzalez, communications director for Oversight Chairman Trey Gowdy, told The Daily Caller.
"We have a responsibility to uncover why they worked so hard to hide this information from the Committee, the family of Brian Terry, and the American people," she said.
Kent Terry, brother of the slain Border Patrol agent, urged President Trump in a tweet last week to re-open the investigation into the gun scandal.
He reached out to Trump again during an interview on "Fox & Friends" on Tuesday.


After reading a recent Forbes post 10 Reasons Diversity is Good for the Boardroom, RIISE considered the importance of diverse representation among board members at independent schools, and began to seek out board members of color to share their voices.
We start with Terri Austin – Board Member at Riverdale Country School!
The ADS Workshop – Yep, that would be Anna Deavere Smith, at Chapin!
Curriculum Blog Series – STEMatters! Three Reasons Why it Really Matters – Joy Lawson Davis, Ed. D.


Training classes are a great way to get to know your new boxer and observe how your boxer does with other people and dogs. Group classes are also a good way to help with the adjustment process after adoption and catch any concerns before they become problems. Most trainers also provide one-to-one assessment and intervention to address problematic behavior. We recommend the following trainers, who use only no-force, positive reinforcement methods and techniques. If you need further assistance with finding a trainer, please email us.
The Whole Dog Journal, a monthly guide to natural dog care and training.
The Bark, a magazine for dog lovers. Insightful articles, timely tips, stirring essays.
Click for Joy! by Melissa Alexander. Good basic book about clicker training.
Dog-Friendly Dog Training by Andrea Arden. Humane, user-friendly and dog-friendly training methods.
Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller. Learn how you can reward your dog to obtain and reinforce the behaviors you could only dream about achieving!
Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog by Pat Miller. How can bad behavior be easily transformed into good behavior? Why does management work better than force?
The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson. Understand the role of conditioning on a dog's intelligence & morality; predatory & social behavior; socialization, conflict resolution, fear & aggression; behavior problems & solutions.
Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor. Outlines 8 methods for putting an end to all kinds of undesirable behavior without yelling, threats, force, punishment, guilt trips – or shooting the dog.
On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas, a noted expert on canine body language. In this book, Turid identifies what she calls calming signals: "signals used by dogs to prevent things from happening, from avoiding threats from people and dogs to calming down nervousness and fear." She explains how dogs use calming signals, and how we, as dog owners, can use them as well with our own dogs.
Mine by Jean Donaldson – the seminal book on resource guarding. Learn how to assess the severity of resource guarding and get in-depth information on what is necessary to alter resource guarding behavior.
Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs by Malena DeMartini-Price. This book provides insight into one of the most difficult problems to address in a dog – separation anxiety. It gives hope to resolving this problem no matter how severe the manifestation.
Living with Kids and Dogs…Without Losing Your Mind by Colleen Pelar. Simple, realistic advice for busy parents to help ensure that the relationship between their kids and their dog is safe and enjoyable for all.


The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama is seeking to appoint a dynamic theatre practitioner and educator to the role of Lecturer in Performance, principally based on the Performance Arts course of the Contemporary Performance Practice (CPP) programme. You will work with an established team across specialist areas of Performance Arts, Applied Theatre and Writing for Performance and will have interest and skill in experimental performance practice as it manifests in theatre, performance and art spaces. With shared responsibility for maintenance and enhancement of the curriculum, you will help ensure the ongoing currency of CPP and its fit in the changing environment of the twenty-first century culture industries.


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\section{Introduction}

We consider the bivariate series $\theta (q,z):=\sum _{j=0}^{\infty}q^{j(j+1)/2}z^j$
for $q\in (0,1)$, $z\in \mathbb{C}$. We regard $q$ as a parameter and $z$ as a
variable. This series is convergent and defines an entire function called
{\em partial theta function}. The terminology is explained by the resemblance
of this formula with the one for the function

$$\Theta ^*(q,z):=\sum _{j=-\infty}^{\infty}q^{j(j+1)/2}z^j~,$$
because the latter is connected with the {\em Jacobi theta function}

$$\Theta (q,z):=\sum _{j=-\infty}^{\infty}q^{j^2}z^j$$
by the formula $\Theta ^*(q,z)=\Theta (q^{1/2},q^{1/2}z)$. The
word ``partial'' reminds that in the formula for $\theta$ the summation is
performed from $0$ to $\infty$, not from $-\infty$ to $\infty$.

Studying the function $\theta$ is motivated by its applications in several
domains the most recent of which concerns section-hyperbolic polynomials, i.e.
real univariate polynomials of degree $\geq 2$ with all roots real
and such that when
their highest-degree monomial is deleted this gives again a polynomial having
only real roots. The relationship between $\theta$ and such polynomials
is explained in \cite{KoSh}. Previous research on section-hyperbolic
polynomials was performed in \cite{KaLoVi} and \cite{Ost} which in turn was
based on classical results of Hardy, Petrovitch and Hutchinson
(see \cite{Ha}, \cite{Pe} and \cite{Hu}). Other domains in which
the partial theta function is used are statistical physics
and combinatorics (see \cite{So}), asymptotic analysis (see \cite{BeKi}),
Ramanujan-type $q$-series
(see \cite{Wa}) and the theory
of (mock) modular forms (see \cite{BrFoRh}); see also~\cite{AnBe}.

In the present paper we prove the following theorem:

\begin{tm}\label{TM}
(1) For {\rm Re}\,$z\geq 0$ the function $\theta (q,.)$
has no zeros outside the closed half-disk
$\{ ${\rm Re}\,$z\geq 0, |z|\leq 18\}$,
for any $q\in (0,1)$.

(2) For {\rm Re}\,$z<0$ and for any $q\in (0,1)$ the function $\theta (q,.)$
has no zeros outside the half-strip
$\{ ${\rm Re}\,$z<0, |${\rm Im}\,$z|\leq 132\}$.
\end{tm}

In order to explain the importance of this theorem we recall in
Section~\ref{secproperties} certain facts about the zeros of $\theta$. Then
we give an example of a value of $q\in (0,1)$ for which $\theta (q,.)$
has a complex conjugate pair of zeros in the right half-plane.
The proof of the theorem is given in Section~\ref{secprooftm}.

\section{Properties of the function $\theta$
\protect\label{secproperties}}

In the present section we recall some results concerning the function
$\theta$.  We denote by $\Gamma$ the
{\em spectrum} of $\theta$, i.e. the set of values of $q$ for which
$\theta (q,.)$ has a multiple zero (the notion has been introduced by
B.~Z.~Shapiro in \cite{KoSh}). The following results are proved in~\cite{Ko1}:

\begin{tm}
(1) The spectrum $\Gamma$ consists of countably-many values of $q$ denoted by
$0<\tilde{q}_1<\tilde{q}_2<\cdots <\tilde{q}_N<\cdots <1$ with
$\lim _{j\rightarrow \infty}\tilde{q}_j=1^-$.

(2) For $\tilde{q}_N\in \Gamma$ the function $\theta (\tilde{q}_N,.)$
has exactly one multiple real zero $y_N$ which is negative, of multiplicity
$2$ and is the rightmost of its real zeros.

(3) For $q\in (\tilde{q}_N,\tilde{q}_{N+1}]$ (we set $\tilde{q}_0:=0$)
the function $\theta$ has exactly
$N$ complex conjugate pairs of zeros
(counted with multiplicity). All its other zeros are real negative.
\end{tm}

\begin{rems}\label{remsasympt}
{\rm (1) It is proved in \cite{KoSh} that $\tilde{q}_1=0.3092\ldots$. Up to
$6$ decimals the first $12$ spectral numbers equal (see~\cite{KoSh})

$$\begin{array}{llllll}
0.309249,&0.516959,&0.630628,&0.701265,&0.749269,&0.783984,\\ \\
0.810251,&0.830816,&0.847353,&0.860942,&0.872305,&0.881949~.\end{array}$$

(2) It is shown in \cite{Ko1} that for $q\in (0,\tilde{q}_1)$ all zeros of
$\theta$ are real, negative and distinct. For all $q\in (0,1)$ it is true that
as $q$ increases, the values of the local minima of $\theta$ between two
negative zeros increase and the values of its maxima between two negative
zeros decrease. It is always the rightmost two negative zeros with a minimum
of $\theta$ between them that coalesce to form a double zero of $\theta$ for
$q=\tilde{q}_N$ and then a complex conjugate pair for $q={\tilde{q}_N}^+$. For
any $q\in (0,1)$ the function $\theta (q,.)$ has infinitely-many negative zeros
and no positive ones; $\theta (q,.)$ is increasing for $x>0$ and tends to
$\infty$ as $x\rightarrow \infty$; there is no finite accumulation point for
the zeros of~$\theta (q,.)$.

(3) In \cite{Ko2} the following asymptotic expansions of $\tilde{q}_N$ and
$y_N$ are given:}

\begin{equation}\label{eqasympt}
\begin{array}{ccll}\tilde{q}_N&=&1-(\pi /2N)+(\log N)/8N^2+O(1/N^2)&,\\ \\
y_N&=&-e^{\pi}e^{-(\log N)/4N+O(1/N)}&.\end{array}\end{equation}
\end{rems}

The importance of Theorem~\ref{TM} lies in the fact that while the real zeros
of $\theta$ remain all negative for any $q\in (0,1)$, no information was known
about its complex conjugate pairs. It would be interesting to know whether all
complex conjugate pairs remain (for all $q\in (\tilde{q}_1,1)$) within
some compact domain in $\mathbb{C}$ (independent of~$q$).

\begin{lm}\label{lm073}
The function $\theta (0.73,.)$ has exactly one complex conjugate pair of zeros
inside the open half-disk $\tilde{D}:=\{ |z|<3$, {\rm Re}\,$z>0\}$.
\end{lm}

\begin{proof}
Consider the truncation of $\theta (0.73,.)$ of degree $20$ w.r.t. $x$,
i.e. the
polynomial $\theta _{20}:=\sum _{j=0}^{20}0.73^{j(j+1)/2}x^j$. One checks numerically
(say, using MAPLE) that $\theta _{20}$ has zeros
$0.03356612894\ldots \pm 2.885381139\ldots i$. These are the only zeros of
$\theta _{20}$ in the closure of $\tilde{D}$.
Numerical check shows that the modulus of the restriction of $\theta _{20}$
to the border of $\tilde{D}$ is everywhere larger than $0.016$. On the other
hand the
sum $\sum _{j=21}^{\infty}|0.73^{j(j+1)/2}x^j|$ is
$\leq \sum _{j=21}^{\infty}0.73^{j(j+1)/2}3^j<3\times 10^{-22}$. By the Rouch\'e
theorem the functions $\theta (0.73,.)$ and $\theta _{20}$ have
one and the same number of zeros inside the half-disk $\tilde{D}$.
\end{proof}

\section{Proof of Theorem~\protect\ref{TM}
\protect\label{secprooftm}}

As for $q\in (0,\tilde{q}_1]$ all zeros of $\theta (q,.)$ are negative (see
Remarks~\ref{remsasympt}), we prove Theorem~\ref{TM} only for
$q\in (\tilde{q}_1,1)$.

\subsection{The Jacobi theta function}

In the proof of Theorem~\ref{TM} we use the Jacobi theta function
$\Theta (q,z):=\sum _{j=-\infty}^{\infty}q^{j^2}z^j$. By the
{\em Jacobi triple product}
one has

$$\Theta (q,z^2)=\prod _{m=1}^{\infty}(1-q^{2m})(1+z^2q^{2m-1})
(1+z^{-2}q^{2m-1})$$
from which for the function
$\Theta ^*(q,z):=\Theta (q^{1/2},q^{1/2}z)=
\sum _{j=-\infty}^{\infty}q^{j(j+1)/2}z^j$ one deduces the formula

\begin{equation}\label{eqTheta}
\Theta ^*(q,z)=\prod _{m=1}^{\infty}(1-q^m)(1+zq^m)(1+q^{m-1}/z)~.
\end{equation}

\begin{nota}\label{NOTA}
{\rm We set

$$\begin{array}{lclclc}
s_m:=1+q^{m-1}/z&,&t_m:=1+zq^m&,&Q:=\prod _{m=1}^{\infty}(1-q^m)&,\\ \\
P:=\prod _{m=1}^{\infty}t_m&&{\rm and}&&
R:=\prod _{m=1}^{\infty}s_m&.\end{array}$$
Thus $\Theta ^*=QPR$.}
\end{nota}

\subsection{Proof of part (1)}

We begin with the observation that
for any factor $s_m$ (see (\ref{eqTheta}) and Notation~\ref{NOTA})
one has

$$s_m=1+\bar{z}q^{m-1}/|z|^2~~~\, \, {\rm hence}~~~\, \,
|s_m|\geq {\rm Re}\, s_m\geq 1~~~\, \, {\rm for}~~~\, \, {\rm Re}\, z\geq 0~.$$
Clearly, for any factor $t_m$ it is true that $|t_m|\geq$~Re\,$t_m\geq 1$
and $|t_m|\geq |zq^m|$ for Re~$z\geq 0$.

Further in the proof of
Theorem~\ref{TM} we subdivide the interval $(0,1)$ to which $q$ belongs into
intervals of the form

\begin{equation}\label{eqqn}
\begin{array}{lccccc}
q\in (1-1/(n-1)~,~1-1/n]&,&n\in \mathbb{N}&,&n\geq 3&{\rm and}\\ \\
q\in (\tilde{q}_1~,~1/2]&.&&&&\end{array}
\end{equation}

\begin{nota}\label{notathetaG}
{\rm We set $\theta :=\Theta ^*-G$, where $G:=\sum _{j=-\infty}^{-1}q^{j(j+1)/2}z^j$,
and $u:=2e^{(\pi ^2/6)}=10.36133664\ldots$.}
\end{nota}

\begin{rem}\label{remthetaG}
{\rm Clearly, for $|z|>1$ one has $|G|\leq \sum _{j=1}^{\infty}1/|z|^j=1/(|z|-1)$.
In particular, for $|z|\geq 18$ (resp. for $|z|\geq u$) one has
$|G|\leq 1/17$ (resp. $|G|\leq 1/(u-1)$).}
\end{rem}

Suppose first that $q\in (1/2,1)$.
We show that for $|z|\geq u$, Re\, $z\geq 0$ one has
$|\Theta ^*|>|G|$ from which part (1) of the theorem
follows.

\begin{lm}\label{lmQ}
For $q\leq 1-1/n$, $n\in \mathbb{N}$, $n\geq 2$, one has
$Q\geq e^{(\pi ^2/6)(1-n)}$.
\end{lm}

The lemma is a particular case of Lemma~4 in \cite{Ko3}.

Consider the product
$P_0:=\prod _{m=1}^nt_m$. It follows from
$|t_m|\geq |zq^m|$ that $|P_0|\geq |z|^nq^{n(n+1)/2}$. The first line of
conditions (\ref{eqqn}) implies

\begin{equation}\label{eqP0}
\begin{array}{cclcl}
|P_0|&\geq&|z|^n(1-1/(n-1))^{n(n+1)/2}&=&|z|^n(1-1/(n-1))^{(n-1)(n+2)/2+1}\\ \\
&\geq&|z|^n4^{-(n+2)/2}(1-1/(n-1))&\geq&|z|^n4^{-(n+3)/2}~~~=~~~|z|^n2^{-(n+3)}~;
\end{array}
\end{equation}
we use the
inequalities
\begin{equation}\label{eq4}
(1-1/(n-1))^{n-1}\geq 1/4
\end{equation}
and $1-1/(n-1)\geq 1/2$ which hold true for $n\geq 3$.

Set $P_1:=\prod _{m=n+1}^{\infty}t_m$.
Hence we have $|P_1|\geq 1$, $|R|\geq 1$ and

$$\begin{array}{cclcl}
|\Theta ^*|&=&Q|P_0||P_1||R|&\geq&e^{(\pi ^2/6)(1-n)}|z|^n2^{-(n+3)}\\ \\
&=&(e^{(\pi ^2/6)}/2^3)(|z|/2e^{(\pi ^2/6)})^n&.&\end{array}$$
Obviously, for $|z|\geq u$
one has $|z|/2e^{(\pi ^2/6)}\geq 1$. As $e^{(\pi ^2/6)}/2^3=0.64\ldots >1(u-1)$, one
obtains the inequalities $|\Theta ^*|>1/(u-1)\geq |G|$
which proves part~(1) of the theorem
for $q\in (1/2,1)$ (because $u<18$).

Suppose that $q\in (\tilde{q}_1,1/2]$.
In this case for $|z|\geq 18$ and
Re\,$z\geq 0$
one has $|t_1|\geq 18\tilde{q}_1$, $|t_m|\geq 1$, $|s_m|\geq 1$ for
$m\in \mathbb{N}$ and (by Lemma~\ref{lmQ} with $n=2$)
$Q\geq e^{-\pi ^2/6}$, so
$|\Theta ^*|\geq e^{-\pi ^2/6}18\tilde{q}_1>1>1/(|z|-1)\geq |G|$.

\subsection{Proof of part (2)}

The proof of part (2) is also based on formula (\ref{eqTheta}). We aim to show
that for Re$z<0$ and $|$Im\,$z|\geq 132$ one has $|\Theta ^*|>|G|$.
The following
technical result is necessary for the estimations and for the understanding of
Figure~\ref{figab}:

\begin{lm}\label{lmtechnical}
For $x\in [0,0.683]$ one has $\ln (1-x)\geq -x-x^2$
with equality only for $x=0$.
\end{lm}

\begin{proof}
We set
$\zeta (x):=\ln (1-x)+x+x^2$, so $\zeta (0)=0$.
As $\zeta '=-1/(1-x)+1+2x=x(1-2x)/(1-x)$ which is
nonnegative on $[0,1/2]$ and positive on $(0,1/2)$, one has
$\zeta (x)>0$ for $x\in (0,1/2]$. On $(1/2,1)$ one has $\zeta '<0$, so $\zeta$
is decreasing. As $\lim _{x\rightarrow 1^-}\zeta =-\infty$, $\zeta$ has a single
zero on $[1/2,1)$. Numerical computation shows that this zero is
$>0.683$ which proves the lemma.
\end{proof}

To estimate the factor $R$ we use the following lemma:

\begin{lm}\label{lmestimR}
For $q\in (1-1/(n-1),1-1/n]$, $n\geq 2$, and
$|${\rm Im\, }$z|\geq b\geq 1.5$ one has
$|R|\geq e^{-n(b+1)/b^2}$.
\end{lm}

\begin{proof}
Indeed, the condition $b\geq 1.5$ implies $1/|z|<0.683$, so one can apply
Lemma~\ref{lmtechnical}:

$$\begin{array}{ccccl}
\ln |R|&=&
\sum _{m=1}^{\infty}\ln |s_m|&\geq&
\sum _{m=1}^{\infty}\ln (1-q^{m-1}/|z|)\\ \\ &\geq&
-\sum _{m=1}^{\infty}(q^{m-1}/|z|+q^{2m-2}/|z|^2)&=&
-1/(1-q)|z|-1/(1-q^2)|z|^2\\ \\
&>&
-(|z|+1)/(1-q)|z|^2&&\end{array}$$
which for $q\leq 1-1/n$ is $\geq -n(|z|+1)/|z|^2\geq -n(b+1)/b^2$.
\end{proof}

\begin{figure}[htbp]
\centerline{\hbox{\includegraphics[scale=0.7]{ab.eps}}}
    \caption{The points $1+q^mz$.}
\label{figab}
\end{figure}

We identify the complex numbers and the points in $\mathbb{R}^2$ representing
them. On Fig.~\ref{figab} we represent the points

$$\begin{array}{lcll}z=-a+bi~~~\, (a>0)&,&
t_0:=1+z=1-a+bi&,\\ \\
t_1:=1+qz=1-qa+qbi&~~~{\rm and}~~~&t_2:=1+q^2z=1-q^2a+q^2bi&.\end{array}$$
The last three of them are
situated on the straight line $\mathcal{L}$
passing through $1+z$ and $(1,0)$.

In what follows we assume that $b\geq 0$. The set of zeros of $\theta$ being
symmetric w.r.t. the real axis this leads to no loss of generality.

The point $A\in \mathcal{L}$ is such that
the segment $OA$ is orthogonal to $\mathcal{L}$. An easy computation shows that
$A=(b^2/(a^2+b^2),ab/(a^2+b^2))$ (one has to use the fact that the vector
$(-a,b)$ is collinear with $\mathcal{L}$). The points $B$ and $C$ belong to
$\mathcal{L}$. The unit circumference intersects the line $\mathcal{L}$
at $(1,0)$ and $D$. Denote by $\tilde{\Delta}$ the length
$\| [A,(1,0)]\|$ of the segment
$[A,(1,0)]$. The points $B$ and $C$ are defined such that

\begin{equation}\label{eqsegments}
\| [A,B]\| =\| [A,C]\| =0.317\, \tilde{\Delta}~~~\, {\rm and}\, ~~~
\| [C,(1,0)]\| =\| [D,B]\| =0.683\, \tilde{\Delta}~.
\end{equation}
The line $\mathcal{L}'$ is parallel to $\mathcal{L}$. It passes through
the points $z$ and $O:=(0,0)$. The points $B'$, $A'$, $C'$ and $D'$ belong to
$\mathcal{L}'$. The lines $BB'$, $AA'$, $CC'$ and $DD'$ are parallel
to the $x$-axis. Hence the segments $[D,B]$, $[C,(1,0)]$, $[D',B']$
and $[C',O]$
are of length $0.683\, \tilde{\Delta}$ while $[B,A]$,
$[A,C]$, $[B',A']$ and
$[A',C']$ are of length $0.317\, \tilde{\Delta}$.

Our aim is to estimate the product
$|P|:=\prod _{m=1}^{\infty}|t_m|=\prod _{m=1}^{\infty}|1+q^mz|$.

\begin{nota}\label{NOTA1}
{\rm (1) We set}

\begin{equation}\label{eqPPPP}
|P|:=\tilde{P}P^{\ddagger}P^{\sharp}P^{\dagger}~,
\end{equation}
{\rm where $\tilde{P}$, $P^{\ddagger}$, $P^{\sharp}$ and $P^{\dagger}$
are the products of the moduli
$|t_m|$ for which the point
$t_m$ belongs to the segment $[1+z,D]$, $[D,B]$, $[B,C]$ and
$[C,(1,0)]$ respectively.

(2) We denote by $t_{m_0}$, $t_{m_0+1}$, $\ldots$ the points $t_m$
belonging to
the segment $[C,(1,0)]$ and we set $c_{m_0}:=C$, $c_{m_0+k}:=1+(C-1)q^k$. Hence
$|t_{m_0+k}|\geq |c_{m_0+k}|$ with equality only if $t_{m_0}=C$.}
\end{nota}

\begin{lm}\label{lmPddagger}
For $q\in (1-1/(n-1),1-1/n]$, $n\geq 2$, one has
$P^{\dagger}\geq e^{-1.149489n}$ and $P^{\ddagger}\geq e^{-1.149489n}$ (where
$1.149489=0.683+0.683^2$).
\end{lm}

\begin{proof}
We notice first that the segment $[C,(1,0)]$ is
of length $<0.683$. Hence $|t_{m_0+k}|\geq |c_{m_0+k}|\geq (1-0.683q^k)$, $k=0$,
$1$, $\ldots$, so we can use Lemma~\ref{lmtechnical} to get

$$\begin{array}{cclcl}
\ln P^{\dagger}&\geq&\ln (|c_{m_0}||c_{m_0+1}|\cdots )&\geq&
\ln(\prod _{m=1}^{\infty}(1-0.683q^{m-1}))\\ \\
&\geq&-\sum _{m=1}^{\infty}(0.683q^{m-1}+0.683^2q^{2m-2})&&\\ \\
&=&-0.683/(1-q)-0.683^2/(1-q^2)
&>&-1.149489/(1-q)~.\end{array}$$
Thus $P^{\dagger}\geq e^{-1.149489n}$.
Next, the distance between any two consecutive points $1+q^mz$ and
$1+q^{m+1}z$ belonging to $[B,D]$ is greater than the distance between any two
such points belonging to $[C,(1,0)]$. Denote by $U_1$, $U_2$, $\ldots$, $U_r$
the points $t_m$ belonging to the segment $[B,D]$, where $U_1$
(resp. $U_r$) is closest to
$B$ (resp. to $D$). Then $|U_1|\geq |c_{m_0}|$, $|U_2|\geq |c_{m_0+1}|$,
$\ldots$, $|U_r|\geq |c_{m_0+r-1}|$. As $|c_m|\leq |t_m|<1$ for
$m\geq m_0$, one has
$P^{\ddagger}\geq |c_{m_0}||c_{m_0+1}|\cdots |c_{m_0+r-1}|>
|c_{m_0}||c_{m_0+1}|\cdots \geq e^{-1.149489n}$.
\end{proof}

\begin{lm}\label{lmPsharp}
There are $\leq \mu _1$ factors $|t_m|$
in $P^{\sharp}$, where
$$\begin{array}{cclc}
\mu _1&:=&\ln \lambda _1/\ln (1/q)+1&{\rm and}\\ \\
\lambda _1&:=&(0.634+0.683)/0.683=1.928\ldots&\end{array}$$
with $\ln \lambda _1=0.6566\ldots$. Hence
$$P^{\sharp}\geq (b^2/(a^2+b^2))^{\mu _1/2}=(1/(\beta ^2+1))^{\mu _1/2}~~~,~~~
\beta :=a/b~.$$
\end{lm}

\begin{proof}
Consider the points $C'$, $A'$ and $B'$ and the numbers $zq^{m_1}\in [B',A']$
and $zq^{m_2}\in [A',C']$ closest to $B'$ and $C'$ respectively. The lengths
of
the segments $[B',A']$, $[A',C']$ and $[C',O]$ (see (\ref{eqsegments}))
imply $|zq^{m_1}|/|zq^{m_2}|\leq \lambda _1$, i.e.
$m_2-m_1\leq \lambda _1/\ln (1/q)$. The number of factors $|t_m|$
in $P^{\sharp}$ equals $m_2-m_1+1$ from which one deduces the first
claim of the lemma.
All factors $|t_m|$ in $P^{\sharp}$ are $<1$ and
$\geq \| [O,A]\| =b/(a^2+b^2)^{1/2}$ from which the second claim of the lemma
follows.
\end{proof}

\begin{rem}\label{rrem}
{\rm When $q\in (1/2,1)$ and (\ref{eqqn}) holds true,
then $n/(n-1)\leq 1/q<(n-1)/(n-2)$. As
for $x\in (0,1)$ one has $x-x^2/2<\ln (1+x)<x$ (by the Leibniz criterium for
alternating series), one obtains the inequalities}

\begin{equation}\label{mu10}
\begin{array}{ll}
(2n-3)/2(n-1)^2~=~1/(n-1)-1/2(n-1)^2~<~\ln (1/q)<1/(n-2)&{\rm hence}\\ \\
(\ln \lambda _1)(n-2)+1~<~\mu _1~\leq ~
\mu _1^0~:=~(\ln \lambda _1)(2(n-1)^2/(2n-3))+1&.\end{array}
\end{equation}
\end{rem}

\begin{lm}\label{lmL}
For $q\in (\tilde{q}_1,1)$ and $b\geq \max (a,132)$ one has
$|\Theta ^*|>|G|$.

\end{lm}

\begin{proof}
Prove first the lemma for $q\in (1/2,1)$,
see the first line of (\ref{eqqn}). Set again $P_0:=\prod_{m=1}^nt_m$. Hence

$$|t_m|\geq \, {\rm Im}\, t_m~~~\,
{\rm and}~~~\, |P_0|\geq
\prod _{m=1}^nbq^m=b^nq^{n(n+1)/2}\geq b^n2^{-(n+3)}~,$$
see (\ref{eqP0}) and (\ref{eq4}).
With $Q$, $P^{\dagger}$, $P^{\ddagger}$
and
$P^{\sharp}$ defined in Notations~\ref{NOTA} and \ref{NOTA1} one has

\begin{equation}\label{eqQQQ}
|\Theta ^*|\geq Q|P_0|P^{\ddagger}
P^{\sharp}P^{\dagger}R~.
\end{equation}
Indeed, if $b\geq 132$ and if $q$ satisfies the first line of
conditions (\ref{eqqn}), then

\begin{equation}\label{qm}
q^m\geq q^n\geq (1-1/(n-1))^{n-1}(1-1/(n-1))\geq (1/4)(1-1/(n-1))\geq 1/8
\end{equation}
and $|bq^m|\geq |bq^n|\geq 132/8>1$. This means that all factors
$|t_m|$ in $|P_0|$ are
$>1$. Moreover,
some factors $|t_m|$ with $|t_m|>1$ which are present in $|\Theta ^*|$
(i.e. in $\tilde{P}$, see (\ref{eqPPPP})) might
be missing in the right-hand side of (\ref{eqQQQ}).
Recall that each of the factors $P^{\dagger}$ and
$P^{\ddagger}$ is minorized by $e^{-1.149489n}$ and that $|R|\geq e^{-(b+1)n/b^2}$,
see Lemmas~\ref{lmPddagger} and
\ref{lmestimR}.
Recall also that by Lemma~\ref{lmPsharp},

$$
P^{\sharp}\geq (1/(\beta ^2+1))^{\mu _1/2}\geq 2^{-\mu _1/2}~~~
{\rm (because~~~}\beta =a/b\leq 1~{\rm )}$$
and that $\mu _1\leq \mu _1^0$, see (\ref{mu10}).
Hence the right-hand side of (\ref{eqQQQ}) is
$$\begin{array}{cccl}
\geq&H&:=&e^{(\pi ^2/6)(1-n)}b^n2^{-(n+3)}e^{2(-1.149489n)}\\ \\
&&&\times e^{-(\ln 2)((\ln \lambda _1)2(n-1)^2/(2n-3)+1)/2}e^{-(b+1)n/b^2}~.\end{array}$$
Taking into account that

\begin{equation}\label{eq2n}
2(n-1)^2/(2n-3)=n-1/2+1/2(2n-3)~,
\end{equation}
we represent the expression $H$ in the form $e^{K_1n+K_0}$, where

$$\begin{array}{ccl}K_1&:=&-\pi ^2/6+
\ln b-\ln 2-2.298978-(\ln 2)(\ln \lambda _1)/2-(b+1)/b^2~~~,\\ \\
K_0&:=&\pi ^2/6-3\ln 2+(\ln 2)(\ln \lambda _1)/4-(\ln 2)/2-
(\ln 2)(\ln \lambda _1)/4(2n-3)~.\end{array}$$
Recall that $n\geq 3$, see the first line of (\ref{eqqn}).
The sum $K_0$ is minimal for $n=3$.
For $b\geq 132$ one has $K_1>0$ and $K_0|_{n=3}>0>-\ln (b-1)$
which implies the inequalities

$$|\Theta ^*|\geq Q|P_0|P^{\ddagger}P^{\sharp}P^{\dagger}R>
1/(b-1)\geq 1/(|z|-1)\geq |G|~.$$

Prove the lemma for $q\in (\tilde{q}_1,1/2]$. One has $Q\geq e^{-\pi ^2/6}$
(Lemma~\ref{lmQ} with $n=2$), $R\geq e^{-2(b+1)/b^2}\geq e^{-2\times 133/132^2}$
(Lemma~\ref{lmestimR}
with $n=2$) and $P^{\dagger}\geq e^{-2.298978}$
(Lemma~\ref{lmPddagger}
with $n=2$).

\begin{lm}\label{lmtwofactors}
For $q\in (\tilde{q}_1,1/2]$ the product $P^{\ddagger}P^{\sharp}$
contains at most two factors.
\end{lm}

\begin{proof}
Indeed, consider the line $\mathcal{L}'$, see Fig.~\ref{figab}. One has
$\| [O,C']\| =0.683\, \tilde{\Delta}$ and
$\| [O,D']\| <4\times 0.683\, \tilde{\Delta}$, see (\ref{eqsegments}) and the
lines that follow.
Hence if the point $zq^m$
belongs to the segment $[D',C']$, then this is not the case of the point
$zq^{m-2}$, because for $q\in (\tilde{q}_1,1/2]$ one has $q^{-2}\geq 4$ (but
one could possibly have $zq^{m-1}\in [D',C']$).
\end{proof}

All factors $|t_m|$ of the product
$P^{\ddagger}P^{\sharp}$ belong to $[b/(a^2+b^2)^{1/2},1)$, therefore
by Lemma~\ref{lmtwofactors},
$P^{\ddagger}P^{\sharp}\geq b^2/(a^2+b^2)$ which for $a\leq b$ is~$\geq 1/2$.

On the other hand, the moduli of the first three factors $|t_m|$
in $\tilde{P}$ are not less than respectively

$$132\, \tilde{q_1}-1>39.814~~~\, ,~~~\, 132\, \tilde{q_1}^2-1>11.619~~~\,
{\rm and}~~~\,
132\, \tilde{q_1}^3-1>2.902$$
and the moduli of all other factors $|t_m|$ in $\tilde{P}$
(if any) are $\geq 1$, so for $b\geq 132$

$$\begin{array}{ccl}
|\Theta ^*|&\geq&e^{-\pi ^2/6}\times (39.814\times 11.619\times 2.902)\times
(1/2)\times e^{-2.298978}\times e^{-2\times 133/132^2}\\ \\ &>&12.8~~>~~|G|~.
\end{array}$$
\end{proof}

\begin{lm}\label{lmLL}
For $a\geq b\geq 132$ one has $|\Theta ^*|>|G|$.
\end{lm}

\begin{proof}
Suppose first that $q\in (1/2,1)$. We define $n\geq 3$ from conditions
(\ref{eqqn}). Recall that the number $\mu _1$ was defined in
Lemma~\ref{lmPsharp} and that inequalities (\ref{mu10}) hold true. For
$n\geq 3$ equality (\ref{eq2n}) implies

\begin{equation}\label{eqmun}
\begin{array}{cclcl}
\mu _1&\leq&(\ln \lambda _1)2(n-1)^2/(2n-3)+1&&\\ \\
&=&(\ln \lambda _1)(n-1/2+1/2(2n-3))+1&<&(\ln \lambda _1)n+0.782~,
\end{array}
\end{equation}
because $1/2(2n-3)\leq 1/6$ and $(\ln \lambda _1)(-1/2+1/6)+1=0.7811\ldots$.

Consider a factor $t_m$ from $P_0:=\prod _{m=1}^nt_m$. One has

\begin{equation}\label{a2b2}
|t_m|^2=(aq^m-1)^2+b^2q^{2m}\geq 0.9(a^2+b^2)q^{2m}~~;
\end{equation}
this follows from

\begin{equation}\label{a2b2bis}
(a^2+b^2)q^{2m}/10-2aq^m+1=(aq^m-10)^2/10+(b^2q^{2m}-90)/10\geq 0~~;
\end{equation}
the last inequality results from $b\geq 132$ and (\ref{qm})
(remember that if
$q$ satisfies conditions (\ref{eqqn}) with $n\geq 3$, then the
inequality (\ref{eq4}) holds true), so $b^2q^{2m}\geq (132/8)^2>90$.
Set $A:=(a^2+b^2)^{(n-\mu _1)/2}$. Hence

$$\begin{array}{ccccc}
|P_0|&\geq&(a^2+b^2)^{n/2}q^{n(n+1)/2}(0.9)^{n/2}&\geq&
(a^2+b^2)^{n/2}2^{-(n+3)}(0.9)^{n/2}\\
{\rm and}&&&&\\
P^{\sharp}&\geq&b^{\mu _1}/(a^2+b^2)^{\mu _1/2}&,&\\{\rm so}&&&&\\
|P_0|P^{\sharp}&\geq&Ab^{(\ln \lambda _1)(n-2)+1}2^{-(n+3)}(0.9)^{n/2}&.&\end{array}$$
(we use inequalities
(\ref{mu10})). As $(a^2+b^2)^{1/2}\geq 132\sqrt{2}$ and as
$n-\mu _1>\omega _1n-0.782$, $\omega _1:=1-(\ln \lambda _1)$,
see (\ref{eqmun}),
one obtains the minoration $|P_0|P^{\sharp}\geq e^M$, where

$$\begin{array}{ccl}
M&:=&(\omega _1n-0.782)\ln (132\sqrt{2})+(\ln b)((\ln \lambda _1)(n-2)+1)\\ \\
&&-(n+3)\ln 2+(n/2)\ln 0.9~.\end{array}$$
To estimate $P^{\dagger}$ and
$P^{\ddagger}$ we use Lemma~\ref{lmPddagger}.
As in the proof of Lemma~\ref{lmL} one can minorize the right-hand
side of (\ref{eqQQQ}) by

$$e^{(\pi ^2/6)(1-n)}e^Me^{2(-1.149489n)}e^{-(b+1)n/b^2}~.$$
This expression is of the form $e^{L_1n+L_0}$ with

$$\begin{array}{ccl}
L_1&=&-\pi ^2/6+\omega _1\ln (132\sqrt{2})
+(\ln b)(\ln \lambda _1)\\ \\ &&-\ln 2+(\ln 0.9)/2-2.298978-(b+1)/b^2~,\\ \\
L_0&=&\pi ^2/6-0.782\ln (132\sqrt{2})+(\ln b)(-2\ln \lambda _1+1)-3\ln 2~.
\end{array}$$
For $a\geq b=132$ one has $|z|\geq 132\sqrt{2}$, also
$L_1>0.3044>0$ and
$L_0=-6.0491\ldots$. For $a\geq b=132$, $n\geq 3$ one has

$$L_1n+L_0\geq -5.136\ldots>-5.224\ldots =
-\ln (132\sqrt{2}-1)~,$$
i.e. $|\Theta ^*|>1/(|z|-1)\geq |G|$. The functions $L_1n+L_0$ and $e^{L_1n+L_0}$
when considered as functions in $b$ (for $n\geq 3$ fixed) are increasing
while the functions $-\ln (b-1)$ and $1/(b-1)$ are decreasing. Therefore
one has $|\Theta ^*|>1/(|z|-1)\geq |G|$ for $a\geq b\geq 132$, $n\geq 3$
from which for $q\in (1/2,1)$
the lemma follows.

Suppose that $q\in (\tilde{q}_1,1/2]$. One deduces from
Lemma~\ref{lmtwofactors} (as in the proof of Lemma~\ref{lmL})
that $P^{\ddagger}P^{\sharp}\geq b^2/(a^2+b^2)$. On the other hand, consider the
factors $t_1$ and $t_2$. One can apply to them inequality (\ref{a2b2})
with $m=1$ and $2$. Hence $|t_1|>1$, $|t_2|>1$,

$$\tilde{P}\geq |t_1||t_2|>0.9(a^2+b^2)\tilde{q}_1^3~~~\, {\rm and}~~~\,
\tilde{P}P^{\ddagger}P^{\sharp}>0.9b^2\tilde{q}_1^3>463~.$$
As in the proof of Lemma~\ref{lmL} we show that $R\geq e^{-2\times 133/132^2}$
and $P^{\dagger}\geq e^{-2.298978}$, so finally

$$|\Theta ^*|=\tilde{P}P^{\ddagger}P^{\sharp}QP^{\dagger}R>
463e^{-\pi ^2/6}e^{-2.298978}e^{-2\times 133/132^2}>8.8>|G|~.$$
\end{proof}

Lemmas~\ref{lmL} and \ref{lmLL} together imply that for $q\in (0,1)$ and
$z=-a+bi$, $b>132$,
$a>0$, the function $\theta (q,.)$ has no zeros. Theorem~\ref{TM} is proved.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


text:
El golfo de Esmirna () está situado en el mar Egeo, con un brazo entre la península de Karaburun y la zona de tierra firme de la ciudad de Foça. Tiene una longitud de 32 km y 16 km de anchura, siendo un excelente fondeadero. La ciudad de Esmirna, un importante puerto turco, está emplazada al fondo del golfo.

Notas

Referencias
Este artículo incorpora texto en el dominio público de la edición de 1907 de The Nuttall Encyclopaedia.

Enlaces externos

 El Golfo de Esmirna desde el espacio (en inglés)

Esmirna
Provincia de Esmirna
Geografía de la región del Egeo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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text:
Day family recalls Nixon
By Monica Rodriguez | morodriguez@scng.com | Daily Bulletin
POMONA – Roy O. Day could spot a political winner.
Day, a Pomona native and businessman, ran numerous political campaigns, but there was one politician he helped whose career would lead to the White House: Richard M. Nixon.
Day's children, residents of the Inland Valley, recalled this week their family's interaction with Nixon and his family.
In 1945, Day was chairman of what was called the Fact Finding Committee of the One Hundred, which was established to find a suitable Republican candidate for what was then the 12th Congressional District.
The incumbent at the time was Democratic Rep. Jerry Voorhis, who had held the seat for 10 years.
The group interviewed several people until a Whittier bank executive suggested the group consider a young Navy officer.
"I knew then he was highly salable merchandise," Day said in a 1968 newspaper account. "Pat (Nixon) wore the wrong-color nail polish. Dick tended toward flamboyant ties. But we knew we had a winner."
The newspaper clip is part of a collection of news stories, letters and other documents the Day children donated to the Richard Nixon Library in 1999.
Three of the four Day children said this week that their father supported Nixon for the same reason he backed other candidates – he considered them upstanding citizens who were interested in doing what was best for the city, the state or the nation.
Among the things that impressed Day was that Nixon "was local, he was serving in the (Navy). He had a child or two and was well- rounded," recalled Roy Day Jr., Day's youngest child, of Upland.
Nixon "was very bright and was a very good speaker," said Linda Day Baker of Fontana, Day's oldest child.
"He could field questions better than everyone else."
Early on, Day saw potential in Nixon and thought he could one day become president.
Day became Nixon's first campaign manager, a detail Nixon never forgot, and played a role in Nixon's Senate campaign, all of Nixon's campaigns having been launched in Pomona, Day Baker said.
Day Baker recalls Nixon visiting with her father when she was a little girl.
"I sat on his lap, and he had this deep, deep voice," she said.
Day Baker said her father would often organize gatherings at the family's Pomona home that were attended by members of the House and Senate.
Nixon was often among the guests.
Day and Nixon would meet at the Day residence periodically. It was a place where Nixon knew he could talk about anything on his mind, knowing it would never be repeated anywhere, Day Baker said.
"This was sort of a little haven for (Nixon)," she said. "He knew that he could trust Daddy."
During those chats, Day would give Nixon advice, she said.
Day Baker said that as a young woman in her 20s, after years without seeing Nixon, she saw him and his wife, Pat, in Oklahoma, where she was living at the time.
The Nixons were on the campaign trail for the Eisenhower-Nixon ticket. Day, his wife, Florine, and Day Baker were at a campaign event and part of a long line waiting to see the Nixons.
When the Days got to the couple, Nixon and his wife greeted them warmly, she said.
"They spent time reminiscing about the good old days," Day Baker said.
Day was with Nixon one day while he was running for the vice presidency when a woman came up to him and gave him some rosary beads and then left.
Nixon then turned to Day and asked him to get the woman's name and address for him so he could send her a thank-you note.
Day Jr. said he can recall how his parents made sure he had a solid grasp of phone etiquette from an early age. The skill was critical, since it wasn't uncommon for calls to come from Nixon's assistant, Rose Mary Woods.
Day Jr. said that when he would answer such calls, he would answer as courteously as possible. After putting down the phone, "I'd run off and say, `Dad, Dad, the president is on the phone!"'
"I always wanted to say something back, but I didn't know what to say," Day Jr. said.
Patricia Day Hayes, who lives in the family home in Pomona and was named after Nixon's wife, is the youngest of Day's three daughters.
While Nixon was president, she became the liaison between the family and the White House and continued in that role after Nixon left office.
"I could pick up the phone, and my calls always got through," she said.
Nixon never forgot the Days, always taking the time to send a note on special occasions, Day Hayes said.
When the Watergate scandal surfaced, Day became concerned. Nixon had distanced himself from Day by then, and Day was uncomfortable with the people he saw around the president, Day Baker said.
Her father questioned the ethics of some of those people, she said.
Still, during that period, Day gave interviews and spoke in defense of Nixon.
When Nixon resigned and left the White House, "it was like a funeral to us," Day Hayes said. "We grieved. We mourned."
The Nixons returned to California. It was in the late 1970s when the Days had an opportunity to visit the Nixons in their San Clemente home.
Day Hayes made the arrangements and handled security matters, but in the end it was just two families getting together to share some time, the Day siblings said.
Monica Rodriguez
Monica Rodriguez covers Pomona for the Daily Bulletin.
Follow Monica Rodriguez	@PomonaNow


text:
Reutin (mundartlich: Reitin oder Roitin) ist ein Stadtteil der Großen Kreisstadt Lindau (Bodensee) im gleichnamigen Landkreis im bayerischen Regierungsbezirk Schwaben.

Geographie

Lage
 Im Süden ist Reutin durch das Bodenseeufer begrenzt. Inmitten der Reutiner Bucht liegt die Galgeninsel. Westlich davon liegt die winzige Insel Hoy. Beide gehören zum Stadtteil Reutin.
 Im Südosten liegen die Lindauer Stadtteil Rickenbach und Zech. Sie gehörten früher ebenfalls zur Gemeinde Reutin.
 Im Nordosten liegt der Stadtteil Rickenbach.
 Im Norden und Westen liegen die Lindauer Stadtteile Hochbuch und Aeschach (beide Gemarkung und frühere Gemeinde Aeschach) sowie die Lindauer Ach.

Ortsgliederung
Östlich neben der Kemptener Straße – von der Insel aus gesehen – zieht sich Reutin ostwärts entlang der Köchlinstraße den Hang zur Steig und zum Lugeck hoch. Die abzweigende Straße nach Motzach erschließt Oberreutin. Westlich neben der Bundesstraße 12 in Richtung Kempten liegen seit etwa 2000 die Siedlungsgebiete Senftenau und Bleichenwiese Nord. Das Köchlin ist ein Wiesengebiet entlang der Ach. Hier entstanden erste Industrieansiedlungen. Eine andere Entwicklungslinie in der Bebauung folgt vom Berliner Platz quasi auf Seeniveau der Rickenbacher Straße, bis sich diese mit der Steigstraße als Fortsetzung der Köchlinstraße trifft. Südlich davon zieht sich am See das Gelände des Bahnhofs Lindau-Reutin hin. An dieses Gebiet schließen sich das Strandbad Eichwald und weitere Uferzonen an, die mit zu den Naherholungsgebieten Lindaus zählen. Die ehemalige Hauptverbindung Bregenzer Straße wurde zurückgebaut. Wichtige bebaute Bereiche sind noch das Wannental, die Robert-Bosch-Straße (Gewerbe und Industrie) und Rickenbach. Hier folgt der Stadtteil Zech. Nach Westen trennen die Ach und die Hügel beidseits des Bachs Reutin von Aeschach. Nach Norden sind es die Hügelketten hinter Heimesreutin (Aeschach), den Weilern Motzach und Streitelsfingen, die als natürliche Grenzen zum Umland hin wirken.

Geschichte
Im Bereich der Reutiner Bucht befand sich eine vorgeschichtliche Seeufersiedlung. 1275/1278 wird der Name erstmals urkundlich als Rûti erwähnt. Reutin bedeutet gerodetes Land und verweist darauf, dass ein Großteil des Lindauer Umlandes während des Hochmittelalters urbar gemacht wurde. Damals war von einer St.-Verenen-Kirche zu Reutin die Rede. Die Kirchengemeinde wurde bereits 1528 evangelisch. In den Jahren 1870/1871 wurde die evangelische Kirche St. Verena  neu erbaut. Mit der Eröffnung der Bahnstrecke Lindau–Bludenz 1872 erhielt Reutin einen Rangierbahnhof der ab 1876 auch dem Personenverkehr diente. 1936 wurde die katholische Pfarrkirche St. Josef erbaut. Mit dem Projekt Lindau 21 wurde im Jahr 2020 der Bahnhof Lindau-Reutin im Personenverkehr reaktiviert, nach dem er einige Jahre lang nur dem Güterverkehr diente.

1818 verlor die Stadt Lindau ihr Landgebiet und Reutin wurde zur selbstständigen Gemeinde. Am 1. Februar 1922 kam es zur erneuten Eingliederung in die Stadt Lindau (Bodensee).

Kultur und Sehenswürdigkeiten

Baudenkmäler
Siehe: Liste der Baudenkmäler in Reutin

Villa Leuchtenberg
Die Villa Leuchtenberg am Seeufer wurde von 1853 bis 1855 im sogenannten "Maximilian-Stil" für Prinzessin Théodelinde von Württemberg (1814–1857; Prinzessin von Leuchtenberg) errichtet. Nach ihrem frühen Tod ging die Residenz an den Kennelbacher Textilfabrikanten Cosmus Schindler, dessen Bruder, der österreichische Elektropionier Friedrich Wilhelm Schindler die Villa als erstem Gebäude Süddeutschlands mit einer Elektrizitätsversorgung ausstattete.
 Reutiner Bucht
Dieses Gebiet ist heute als Naturschutzgebiet "Reutiner Bucht" ausgewiesen. Inmitten der Bucht liegt die Galgeninsel und westlich davon liegt die winzige Insel Hoy.
 Montfort Schlössle
 Gasthof Köchlin
Dieser Gasthof  war über Jahrhunderte die Post- und Zollstation in Richtung München.
 Rathaus und Feuerwehrhaus
Mischstil mit Jugendstilelementen

 Bauernhaus
Mitten im Ortskern (Köchlinstraße 23) befindet sich noch ein altes Bauernhaus mit einem sehenswerten Bauerngarten, das von einem Verein betrieben wird.

 Städt. Stadion Lindau
Am 14. Juni 1934 wurde das neue städtische Stadion mit zwei Rasenspielfeldern und einer umgebenden Leichtathletikanlage eingeweiht. Es ist die Heimstätte der SpVgg Lindau.

Regelmäßige Veranstaltungen
 Lokaler Teil des Lindauer Kinderfests an der Schulstraße bei der Grundschule und Mittelschule Reutin

Wirtschaft
In Reutin befindet sich am Berliner Platz das Einkaufszentrum Lindaupark. Im Bereich des Strandbads Eichwald wurde im Jahr 2021 eine Therme eröffnet. Im östlichen Bereich des Stadtteil befindet sich ein Gewerbegebiet.

Infrastruktur

Einrichtungen
In Reutin befindet sich das Hauptgebäude des Landratsamts für den Landkreis Lindau. Des Weiteren sind die Hauptfeuerwache, die Grundschule Lindau-Reutin, der Bauhof und die Stadtwerke der Stadt Lindau ansässig.

Verkehr
Durch Reutin verläuft die Bundesstraße 12.

Der Bahnhof Lindau-Reutin ist seit Dezember 2020 für Fernzüge zwischen München und Zürich in Betrieb und wird auch vom Nahverkehr in Richtung Bregenz und Kempten–Augsburg bedient. Des Weiteren ist der Stadtteil durch den Stadtbus Lindau erschlossen.

Persönlichkeiten
 Christine Charlotte Riedl (1801–1873), Kochbuchautorin
 Wilhelm van Calker (1869–1937), Rechtswissenschaftler
 Gustav Weng (1869–1945), Schriftsteller, Dramatiker und Lyriker

Literatur
 Lucrezia Hartmann: Die Villa Leuchtenberg in Lindau. Zur Geschichte des Hauses und seiner Bewohner. In: Schriften des Vereins für Geschichte des Bodensees und seiner Umgebung, 128. Jg. 2010, S. 139–168. (Digitalisat)
 Markus Traub, Christoph Hölz (Hrsg.): Weite Blicke – Landhäuser und Gärten am bayerischen Bodenseeufer. Deutscher Kunstverlag, Berlin/München 2009, ISBN 978-3-422-06800-1. (Nennt Eduard Rüber & Anton Harrer als Architekten der Villa Leuchtenberg.)

Weblinks

Einzelnachweise

Ort im Landkreis Lindau (Bodensee)
Reutin
Ort in Oberschwaben
Ehemalige Gemeinde (Landkreis Lindau (Bodensee))
Ersterwähnung 1275
Gemeindeauflösung 1922


GAO-15-20: Published: Dec 4, 2014. Publicly Released: Dec 19, 2014.
The departments that coordinate federal emergency support functions (ESF), in preparation for national disaster response, carry out their responsibilities in various ways, but the Secretary of Homeland Security's ability to assess ESF preparedness could be enhanced. ESF coordinators conduct a range of coordination, planning, and capability assessment activities. All 10 ESF coordinators across the five departments in GAO's review reported coordinating with stakeholders and developing at least one ESF planning document. However, the ESF Leadership Group and the group's chair, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)—a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)—have not worked with other federal departments to issue supplemental guidance detailing expectations for the minimum standards for activities and product deliverables necessary to demonstrate ESF preparedness. In the absence of such guidance, GAO found that ESF coordinators are inconsistently carrying out their emergency response preparedness activities. DHS and FEMA have responsibility for assessing federal emergency preparedness. Issuing supplemental guidance detailing expectations for ESF coordinators would better enable DHS and FEMA to assess the status of ESF response preparedness.
First, federal departments are responsible for implementing their own recommended corrective actions from national-level exercises and real-world disasters, such as Hurricane Sandy, but the status of federal interagency implementation of these actions is not comprehensively collected by or reported to DHS or FEMA. As a result, DHS's and FEMA's ability to assess and report on the nation's overall preparedness is hampered.
Second, FEMA leads interagency efforts to identify and propose actions to address capability gaps in the nation's preparedness to respond to improvised nuclear device (IND) attacks, but its implementation plan lacks key program management details. Specifically, FEMA's March 2012 IND Implementation Plan proposed over 300 recommended actions to help close gaps identified in the April 2010 DHS IND Strategy. The September 2013 annual revision to the plan contained summary information on the status of some of the recommended actions, but did not contain detailed program management information—such as specific timeframes, milestones, and estimated resources required to close any given capability gap—which is needed to better enable ongoing management oversight of gap closure efforts.
Regular reporting on the status of corrective actions identified in national-level exercises and real-world major disasters, as well as detailed program management information for management oversight of the status of recommended actions in the IND Implementation Plan, would enhance interagency accountability for closing identified capability gaps and better enable DHS and FEMA to assess the status of federal interagency preparedness efforts.
No-notice catastrophic disasters pose one of the greatest challenges to national emergency preparedness. ESFs are federal interagency coordinating structures that group capabilities into functional areas most frequently needed in a national response. GAO was asked to review federal preparedness to respond to no-notice catastrophic disasters, such as IND attacks and major earthquakes. This report assesses the extent to which opportunities exist to enhance (1) assessment of ESF preparedness and (2) management oversight of the closure of federal capability gaps identified in selected exercises, real-world incidents, and other assessments. GAO reviewed relevant laws, directives, strategies, and plans; analyzed recommended corrective actions from national-level exercises and other interagency assessments; reviewed documents and interviewed officials from five federal departments key to disaster response (Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and Justice); and compared current processes against internal control standards and leading program management practices.
GAO recommends that FEMA—in collaboration with other federal agencies—(1) issue supplemental guidance to ESF coordinators detailing minimum standards for activities and product deliverables necessary to demonstrate ESF preparedness, (2) regularly report on the status of corrective actions identified through prior national-level exercises and real-world disasters, and (3) develop and issue detailed program management information to better enable management oversight of the DHS IND Strategy' s recommended actions . DHS concurred with the recommendations and identified related actions the department is taking to address them.
For more information, contact Chris P. Currie at (404) 679-1875 or curriec@gao.gov.
Comments: FEMA issued guidance for Emergency Support Function (ESF) coordinators in June 2015 that details minimum standards for activities and product deliverables necessary to demonstrate ESF preparedness. The ESF Leadership Group (ESFLG) established a set of preparedness performance metrics to guide ESF coordination, planning, and capabilities assessment. According to the FEMA officials, the established metrics set standardized performance targets and preparedness actions across the ESFs. Further, the metrics and reporting on these metrics provides an opportunity to better measure preparedness efforts by assessing if ESF coordination and planning is sufficient and whether required ESF capabilities are available for disaster response. The following are the metrics that were developed and approved by the ESFLG. Coordination Metrics: (1) Each ESF coordinator organizes one routine national meeting with participation of all ESF primary and support agencies. ESF participation may be in-person or virtual, and ESF coordinators are responsible for follow-up outreach to all ESF stakeholders who are unable to provide representatives to the annual meeting. (2) ESF coordinators maintain and update an ESF contact list for all primary and support agencies. Updates should be made on an ongoing basis or as required when contact information for primary and support agencies changes. (3) ESF primary and support agencies engage in monthly coordination activities organized around specific roles and responsibilities, as required and prioritized by the ESF coordinator. Such activities include but are not limited to teleconferences, meetings, exercises, working groups, etc. Planning Metrics: (1) Each ESF coordinator routinely updates ESF-level planning products (e.g., Concept of Operations, Operational Plans, Standard Operating Procedures, Manuals, Guides) with relevant lessons learned and corrective actions. Planning products should be reviewed biennially and updated as required, but no less often than every five years upon revision of the Federal Interagency Operational Plan for Response (FIOP-Response). (2) Each ESF maintains an inventory of all planning products, including a description and date of most recent changes. The inventory should be validated on a biennial basis. Capabilities Assessment Metrics: (1) Each ESF coordinator maintains a resource list and capabilities inventory for the ESF. Both products will be updated as necessary, such as after ESF activation for a disaster. Inventories retained by ESF coordinators will inform, as appropriate, FEMA's Federal Resource Capability Inventory (FRCI). The FRCI will provide a general overview of the capabilities for each resource that is searchable by ESF, core capability, or Department/Agency. (2) ESFs, or individual ESF agencies, will maintain a list of corrective actions from exercises, real world incidents, and other assessments for tracking and implementation. In the absence of an interagency corrective action system, these lists will be submitted to the ESFLG Secretariat for consolidation and submission to FEMA's National Preparedness Assessment Division for inclusion in their corrective action tracking and monitoring system. With regards to reporting, the ESFLG Secretariat will combine reporting on the ESF performance metrics with annual data calls coordinated by FEMA for the National Preparedness Report (NPR). By responding to and completing the data call, ESF coordinators will report on their annual progress towards meeting the performance metrics while simultaneously providing input for the annual NPR. Issuance of these ESF performance metrics and related data calls addresses the spirit of our recommendation and we therefore consider the recommendation to be implemented by these actions.
Recommendation: To enhance DHS's and FEMA's ability to assess ESF preparedness, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Administrator of FEMA--in coordination and collaboration with other federal departments and agencies through the ESF Leadership Group--to issue supplemental guidance to ESF coordinators that details minimum standards for activities and product deliverables necessary to demonstrate ESF preparedness. This guidance should include minimum expectations on how ESF coordinators are to demonstrate (1) that coordination with ESF primary and support agencies is sufficient, (2) that planning and preparedness activities are appropriate, and (3) whether required capabilities are available to effectively and efficiently respond to a disaster.
Comments: In December 2014, we reported on the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) federal preparedness coordination for responding to no-notice catastrophic disasters. Among other things, we found that FEMA does not monitor federal interagency implementation status for corrective actions, identified through prior national-level exercises and following real world incidents. We recommended that the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Administrator of FEMA, in coordination and collaboration with the National Security Council staff and other federal departments and agencies, to collect information on and regularly report to the Secretary the status of these corrective actions. In response to our recommendation, FEMA established a process for reviewing interagency actions for emergency preparedness. Specifically, in February 2018, FEMA established standard operating procedures for a component to its Emergency Support Function Leadership Group (ESFLG). Chaired by FEMA's Assistant Administrator for Response or a designee, the ESFLG is FEMA's senior level entity for coordinating responsibilities and resolving preparedness issues in support of the National Response Framework. The component, the Preparedness Evaluation/Corrective Action Working Group (PECAWG), coordinates tracking and monitoring of corrective actions identified from national level exercises and real-world incidents with departments and agencies that have federal implications. PECAWG members representing federal agencies brief the wider group about their status of tracked corrective actions, typically on a monthly basis. According to PECAWG's Corrective Action Resolution Plan, as of May 2018, PECAWG had tracked 19 corrective actions, largely identified from After Action Reports from real-word incidents such as the 2017 hurricane season. In addition, ESFLG meeting minutes show that as of May 2018, the group had completed three Corrective Action Resolution Recommendations addressing five corrective actions. As a result, the Secretary of Homeland Security will be better able to assess national preparedness and provide management oversight of federal interagency efforts to close previously identified capability gaps.
Recommendation: To enhance the Secretary of Homeland Security's ability to assess national preparedness and provide management oversight of federal interagency efforts to close previously identified capability gaps, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Administrator of FEMA--in coordination and collaboration with the National Security Council Staff and other federal departments and agencies--to collect information on and regularly report to the Secretary the status of federal interagency implementation of corrective actions identified (1) through prior national-level exercises and (2) following real-world incidents, specifically major disasters.
Comments: In April 2015, FEMA reported that FEMA's Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) Office implemented our recommendation to develop a detailed program management plan for its improvised nuclear device (IND) attack response and recovery efforts. Specifically, FEMA revised and updated its existing Improvised Nuclear Device Implementation Plan to development its replacement, the Improvised Nuclear Device Response and Recovery (INDRR) Program Plan for FY 2015-2018 (IND Program Plan). The FEMA CBRNE Office reviewed and analyzed existing capability gaps identified in the DHS Strategy for Improving the National Response and Recovery from an IND Attack, ongoing INDRR working group initiatives, and separate program projects. This culminated in the production of the detailed program plan, which included a quantitative analysis of current efforts and addressed existing capability gaps. To monitor, track and report on this effort's progress, milestones, funding, and resource requirements, the FEMA CBRNE office created a project management tracking system that will be directly linked to the IND Program Plan. This tracking system assigns each INDRR working group initiative and program project with a specific tracking number as a tracking mechanism. The INDRR working group initiatives and program projects are linked to FEMA's INDRR program objectives, capability requirements, and capability gaps, among other things. Within the IND Program Plan there is a summary of each INDRR working group initiative and program project. Each project and sub-project that is addressed includes the following information: (1) Overall project tracking number, (2) current sub-project(s), (3) federal lead(s) for overall and sub-projects, (4) capability gap(s) addressed by overall and sub-projects, (4) sub-project tracking number(s), (5) sub-project name(s), (6) sub-project objective(s), (7) sub-project duration(s), (8) sub-project required resources & funding, (9) related federal policy and guidelines, and (10) timeframes and key milestones. According to FEMA officials, to keep the IND Program Plan current, relevant projects will be reviewed, revised, and updated on an annual basis to address the progress and strategic intent of the INDRR program and FEMA's CBRNE Office. In addition, in FY2016, the FEMA CBRNE Office intends to conduct a quantitative and qualitative analysis to address achievements made to date in the INDRR program, to validate capability gaps for prioritization, and to provide an updated assessment of priority areas for future improvement. Issuance by the FEMA CBRNE Office of the revised IND Program Plan and its planned future analyses address the spirit of our recommendation and we therefore consider the recommendation to be implemented by these actions.
Recommendation: To better enable the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that capability gaps identified in the DHS Strategy for Improving the National Response and Recovery from an IND Attack (DHS IND Strategy) are addressed in an effective and efficient manner, the Secretary of Homeland Security should direct the Administrator of FEMA--in coordination and collaboration with other federal departments and agencies--to develop detailed program management information, consistent with leading practices discussed in this report, for federal interagency closure of the capability gaps identified in the DHS IND Strategy. This information should include, among other things, detailed estimates of completion dates for initiated activities, interim timeframes and milestones for monitoring and tracking progress, and necessary funding and resource requirements.


Have you noticed that once your hair turns grey and you have passed that 50 years hurdle that there is a change in some people's attitude towards you? We call it discrimination and we enjoy changing this attitude.
How do we do this? We find ways to show people how we are ageing in a healthy way through social and intellectual activities. We use the skills and talents that we have developed in past decades and keep an eye out for what is new on the horizon.
Wyong OWN's first meeting took place on March 1st 1996 in Margaret Street, Wyong. Val Brigden was elected as the coordinator. Later, June Goss took on being the coordinator. An early activity was a day at "Rose Cottage" Women's Health Centre with some of the OWN NSW Theatre Group.
Issues raised at this workshop were transport, politicians, hospital care and housing. Quickly OWN Wyong settled into its pattern of meeting the first and third Monday of the month. By February 1998 we found a permanent meeting place thanks to the help and cooperation of Rose Cottage.
We meet on the 1st Monday of the month at 1pm for discussion and guest speakers. This takes place at "Rose Cottage", 7 Rose Street, Wyong. We also meet on the 3rd Monday of the month at different times and venues for various social activities.
Some activities are now held with other groups such as Newcastle, Gosford and Sydney. Some members attend Sydney conferences, courses and marches such as IWD.
Wyong OWN endeavours to provide an opportunity for older women to voice concerns and opinions and be heard. We pass on local community news and raise awareness of worldwide women's issues. Friendship and acceptance of women are important. Our meetings have seen many informative speakers with topics ranging from home protection, Alzheimer's disease, dementia, euthanasia, falls prevention, to local transport and women's histories.
On our outing on the third Monday, we often attend galleries, exhibitions and museums. Exploring the beauty and attractions in our large Wyong Shire and assisting other women in participation are some of our aims. We have made donations to Indian orphans and now help support an orphanage for street children in Nepal which is run by a Central Coast woman.
We look forward to new members joining, continued learning and the formation of new friendships.


PGH Bricks hosted two extraordinary launch events for its new luxury range of bricks, held at Sydney and Melbourne's Tesla Showrooms.
The new range of PGH Bricks, the Lang Mursten collection, deserved an appropriate celebration. The collection of extra-long format, water-struck clay bricks, exclusively imported from Denmark, was launched at two exclusive designer party events, one at Sydney's Tesla showroom and one at Melbourne's Tesla showroom.
Attended by a veritable 'who's who' of Australia's architecture and design industry, the launch party for the unusually designed bricks was mirrored in its theme – 'anything but ordinary'. Guests were treated to an extraordinary Tesla experience before being enticed by delicious Danish-inspired canapés and a six-course degustation tasting menu with paired wines. Both events included an extraordinary dining experience that was specially curated by superstar chef Nelly Robinson of nel. Restaurant.
The Lang Mursten collection will be available in Australia exclusively through PGH Bricks from Wednesday 5 December.


text:
'Sakina's Restaurant' Is the Immigrant Experience, Not the 'American Dream'
Aysha Qamar
[Photo Source: Facebook / Audible Theater]
Twenty years after its Off-Broadway review, Aasif Mandvi's "Sakina's Restaurant" returned to the Minetta Lane Theatre in New York this October.
The former Daily Show correspondent's return to the stage in "Sakina's Restaurant," his Obie Award-winning one-person show, features the actor playing six different Indian immigrants, both male and female, living in New York City in the 1990s.
Mandvi said in a statement:
"Despite 20 years having passed since I first performed it at the American Place Theater, the themes I was grappling with then, those of an immigrant family, struggling with the joys, heartbreaks and sacrifice of what it means to leave one's home and create a new American life, seem as relevant today as they ever did."
"Sakina's Restaurant" begins with Mandvi introducing himself as Azgi, an Indian immigrant arriving in New York City to pursue the American Dream. Azgi plans to work in a family friend's restaurant as a waiter and is portrayed as a narrator throughout the play introducing the restaurant owner, Mr. Hakim, and his family.
Mandvi brings the different characters of "Sakina's Restaurant" to life with a minimum of costume changes or props, such as a mere scarf for Farida, Mr.Hakim's wife. He uses physical gestures and mannerisms to transform from one character to the next with a recognizably new persona.
While not political upfront, the play's portrayal of immigrants as they adjust to a new life and struggle with cultural identity and acceptance connects to the current political climate. On social media, Mandvi related the revival to "an act of political resistance against an administration that is at war with immigrants."
.@aasif returns to the stage tonight in the Obie Award-winning #SakinasRestaurant! Happy first preview to the entire company. #AudibleTheater pic.twitter.com/mo7PNP4Azn
— AudibleTheater (@AudibleTheater) October 5, 2018
Walking into the theater to see Sakina's Restaurant, I was skeptical. Being the only brown skinned audience member in a room full of old white people, I hoped the play did not cater to a white audience emphasizing stereotypes of the South Asian immigrant.
While the script is not as powerful and dramatic as Mandvi's performance, certain sequences of it were both relatable and emotional to the South Asian, Muslim immigrant experience.
The struggles Mr. Hakim's family faces in adopting American culture but continuing to identify as Indian Muslims is all too relatable. Mandavi portrays two very different perspectives, one being Mr. Hakim and his wife Farida and the other of their children Sakina and Samir.
[Photo Source: Twitter / Audible Theater]
Mr. Hakim and Farida are shown to have left everything to begin a new life in hopes to pursue the American dream and provide more opportunities to their children. We hear conversations between Mr. Hakim and his wife, as a newly married couple, struggling to make both end's meat and happiness.
Farida reflecting on her life prior to the United States is an immigrant story we hear all too often. Her monologue describes her life in India to be carefree and happy, one where she would always be dancing and socializing, but now in the United States, she doesn't have time to do either.
Mandvi says in Farida's monologue,
"Where have you brought me? Where have we come? To this cold country where nobody talks to anybody."
The Hakim children Sakina and Samir depict the struggle between accepting your roots and adopting the American lifestyle and experience. Sakina is portrayed as a teenager struggling with her identity as both Indian and American, while Samir is depicted as fully identifying as American. The two face different challenges including the dilemma children of immigrants often face, the fear of disappointing their parents.
Mr. Hakim's monologue involves his fear and disappointment of Sakina's appearance referring to a "cheap" dress she wears going on to say how "Indian girls make their parents proud" and how Sakina will "never be an American girl."
Hakim wants to talk to you about "real" American women. Please turn your SOUND ON to enjoy. #SakinasRestaurant #AudibleTheater pic.twitter.com/BAzv2THrrQ
— AudibleTheater (@AudibleTheater) October 31, 2018
The line that most aligns with the current political climate is when Mr. Hakim emphasizes that her friends may see her as American and one of their own but as soon as she does one disproving action, such as liking one of their own, she will be reminded of her outsideness. The feelings in this monologue were raw and real, it showed the audience the struggle that many teenagers face in efforts to fit in being seen as drifts away from the culture.
Samir's monologue consisted of whining and complaining about going to India instead of Disney World. He described the country as smelly and poor, a place where he had to give his things to his relatives. Samir's monologue depicting a conversation with his father reminds me of the stereotype many South Asians within the diaspora have of American born children of immigrants. He seems to be "fully American" and disassociated with his Indian roots uncaring of his father's feelings until he realizes he has hurt his father by not respecting his grieving during the death of his mother, Samir's dadi.
While the script was not always the most appealing aspect of the play, Mandvi's acting made the play compelling as a whole. His portrayal of different personas, ages and gender were so raw, there were both insightful and entertaining moments during the performance.
"Sakina's Restaurant" is not the American dream, but the immigrant experience. It may not be as relatable for new immigrants but depicts what many millennial children of immigrants have experienced in terms of adapting to American culture while accepting and appreciating their roots.
[Read Related: Lead Actress Shazi Raja of 'India Pale Ale' says we Need to 'be Vocal About our Truth']
Written and performed by Mandvi, "Sakina's Restaurant" was originally directed and developed by Kimberly Hughes. The play's limited run is being presented by Audible, who will release the show in audio form next year.
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Aysha Qamar is a Pakistani-American feminist and self proclaimed chef, born and raised in New Jersey. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Political Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Journalism Media Studies and Political Science from Rutgers University. As a poet and freelance writer, Aysha has been published in various publications including: Brown Girl Magazine, Blue Minaret, the Huffington Post, The Muslim Observer and the New York Post's Decider. In her free time, Aysha likes to binge watch movies and read Superhero comics.
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I spent most of my December making 4 quilts for my neighbor. She wanted a photo of all her children in the quilt and my husband suggested we add names as well. I designed the pattern I wanted to use in November and the fabrics were delivered right before I left to go out of town for Thanksgiving. So I had a little less than a month to get all 4 quilts cut, sewn, basted, quilted, and bound in time for Christmas.
I cut out all the fabric for all four quilts at once and started assembly line sewing pinwheels, but then I decided to work on one quilt and get it finished so my neighbor would have time to mail it out. I finished that first one on the night of December 15th. Since it was dark outside, Hubby held the quilt for me while I took an inside photo.


London: Embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya, wanted in India on alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to an estimated Rs 9,000 crores, has filed his application in the UK High Court, seeking permission to appeal against an extradition order signed by the British Home Secretary.
A judge on papers decision will involve a High Court judge determining the merits of the application and if it is accepted, the case will proceed to a substantive hearing in the next few months' time.
In the event that Mallya's application is rejected at this stage, he will have the option to submit a renewal form.
The renewal process will lead to a 30-minute oral hearing during which Mallya's legal team and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) – on behalf of the Indian government – will renew their respective claims for and against an appeal for a judge to determine if it can proceed to a full hearing.
The former boss of the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines took to Twitter again this week to call on Prime Minister Modi to accept his settlement offer in relation to the airline's loan default.