Living and Breathing the Psalms is a raw, praiseful and personal prayer journey.
Here are the Old Covenant prayers, poems and songs to the Lord, reframed through intimacy and relationship with each member of the Trinity. From this perspective the psalms break open in a simple, fresh and dynamic way.
Key life themes lie in these ancient songs of worship at the very heart of Old Covenant experience, belief and ritual. Exploring them, we find them unlocked through an intimate relationship with our Saviour and King, Firstborn Son of our Heavenly Papa God, as revealed to us by Holy Spirit.
Here, unashamedly viewed through faith and trust in Mighty King Jesus, Mashiach, the Anointed One, is pain, hurt and grief, side by side with faith and hope, with fire, passion and love, thanks, praise and worship.
As you put your trust, hope and faith in Him, may you find here your heart's cries to our High King of Heaven and Earth.
I'm happy to say that I found Jim's book to be an insightful and very pleasant reminder about the love of God. The cover, full of sunset-esque hues, sets the tone for the reading of the book. It is not hard to take notice that the author really spent some time on making sure his true thoughts and feelings were evident in each of the Psalms. Psalms, along with Romans, is my favorite book of the Bible and I found Jim's writing style to be fairly clear, (a few parts might be a tad intense for new believers) and encouraging. I love the size of the text because it made for smooth, quick and easy reading and I believe it is a wonderful book for lovers of Jesus everywhere. Overall, 'Living & Breathing the Psalms' earns a 4-star rating from me.
I'm so glad Cierra likes it, though I would love to know what I could improve to gain a full 5 stars. Some of the Psalms may be a little 'intense' but is there more intense literature anywhere than the Psalms? If I've captured something of that intensity of human life and feeling into our contemporary language - then I'm happy.
I'm so glad Cierra likes the large simple font and layout. My intent was to keep it simple and make it easy to read, especially for people who may have sight difficulties - evidently this works.
And similarly the cover which wraps so gloriously around to the back.To many, a sunset is over-used for a book cover, but so many of the Psalms highlight how the sunrise and sunsets mirror our Creator's Glory - I hope this reflects something of His Glory.


Nestling at 1,951 metres a.s.l. against a superb mountain backdrop, Restaurant Alpenblick Arosa offers a magnificent panoramic view of the surrounding mountain peaks. Here Alpine chic meets rustic charm in the cosy dining rooms and on the spacious sun terrace. In winter Alpenblick can be reached directly from the slopes of the Hörnli ski area, or by horse-drawn sleigh from the valley. It's about half an hour's walk from the heart of the village. In summer the restaurant is a popular venue with hikers and sports enthusiasts.
Fine, uncomplicated alpine cuisine awaits you at Alpenblick, with dishes to please young and old. Savour our sumptuous fresh fish and local meat and poultry from the grill. The crowning glory is our exquisite dessert selection. The well-stocked wine cellar has a perfect selection of wines to accompany our traditional cuisine.


text:
Q: Add a descriptive MenuItem to a WPF ContextMenu I am trying to add an item to a WPF-ContextMenu that is only used to "describe" the items below but I am not sure how to add a simple line of text above all the items, where the text is centrally aligned and the text is not selectable like the normal MenuItems.
I tried something like this:
<ContextMenu Grid.Row="0" StaysOpen="False">
    <TextBlock Text="Add New:" IsEnabled="False" HorizontalAlignment="Center"/>
    <MenuItem Header="one"/>
    <MenuItem Header="two (horizontal)"/>
    <MenuItem Header="two (vertical)"/>
    <MenuItem Header="three"/>
    <MenuItem Header="four"/>
    <MenuItem Header="six"/>
</ContextMenu>

but unfortunately the TextBlock is neither aligned centrally, nor is it unselectable.
The problem is that using a MenuItem and setting the IsEnabled-property to false, the text is not normal black anymore and also I can't really align it centrally.
Hopefully, someone can think of a easy solution here, I simply couldn't find anything.

A: I will suggest you to create the SubMenu items for menuitems. In this way menuitems will group all the submenuitems under it.
I had given the answer to create the context menu with menuitem and submenuitems purely using mvvm. Here you can refer to it.
WPF Context Menu with dropdown list showing hyperlinks
OR For the case you mentioned. I tried this:
     <ContextMenu StaysOpen="False">
                        <MenuItem Header="Add New:" IsEnabled="False" HorizontalAlignment="Center">
                            <MenuItem.Style>
                                <Style TargetType="{x:Type MenuItem}">
                                    <Style.Triggers>
                                        <Trigger Property="IsEnabled" Value="False">
                                            <Setter Property="Foreground" Value="Black"/>
                                        </Trigger>
                                    </Style.Triggers>
                                </Style>

                            </MenuItem.Style>
                        </MenuItem>
                        <MenuItem Header="one"/>
                        <MenuItem Header="two (horizontal)"/>
                        <MenuItem Header="two (vertical)"/>
                        <MenuItem Header="three"/>
                        <MenuItem Header="four"/>
                        <MenuItem Header="six"/>
                    </ContextMenu>

and I got menu like

Add New: is non-selectable and also mouse over does not highlight it.
Hope it helps. Thanks

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Symphony No.4 in D minor, Op. 120
Clara Schumann, Robert's widow, later claimed on the first page of the score to the symphony—as published in 1882 as part of her husband's complete works (Robert Schumanns Werke, Herausgegeben von Clara Schumann, published by Breitkopf & Härtel)—that the symphony had merely been sketched in 1841 but was only fully orchestrated ("vollständig instrumentiert") in 1851. However, this was untrue, and Johannes Brahms, who greatly preferred the earlier version of the symphony, published that version in 1891 despite Clara's strenuous objections.
Date of composition 1841 (revised in 1851)
Premiered 1841, December 6th in Leipzig, Germany
First published 1853, Breitkopf und Härtel in Leipzig, Germany
Type Symphony
Tonality D Minor
Catalogue Op. 120
Instruments Orchestra
Robert Schumann: Symphonie n°4 en ré mineur, Op. 120
Robert Schumann: Sinfonia n. 4 in re minore, Op. 120
Robert Schumann: Sinfonie Nr. 4 d-moll, Op. 120
1. Ziemlich langsam - Lebhaft (Fairly slow - Lively)
2. Romanze: Ziemlich langsam (Romance: Fairly slow) (Romance)
3. Scherzo: Lebhaft (lively) (Scherzo)
4. Langsam - Lebhaft (Slowly - Lively)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Quasar Expeditions has partnered with award-winning photographers to lead specialty photography cruises in 2019, 2020 and 2021 aboard its iconic yacht, the M/V Evolution. Whether you are an amateur or a professional photographer, if you have a passion for photography, then these adventures are for you. They will help you develop or master your photography skills, to take those once in a lifetime shots in Galapagos with the guidance and company of our amazing photographers.
Daily excursions include professional tips on simple techniques and lighting.
Start Planning Your Galapagos Photography Cruise!
With a completely new concept for adventure travel, Quasar Expeditions, for over 30 years, has led private adventurous travelers to some of the most astonishing destinations in South America leaving memories that last a lifetime.
I am always excited by new prospects to experience our wild earth and the photographic opportunities they offer to the bold.
Join renowned photographer Harry Skeggs on an epic cruise in the Galapagos with Quasar Expeditions. Visit the best of the Galapagos archipelago on this 8 day adventure, including the wild western Islands of Fernandina and Isabela. Enjoy maximum wildlife encounters with species that include penguins, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, waved albatross, sea lions and more... Our daily program will have us on shore, when the pace of wildlife behavior picks up to a vibrant crescendo, and other tour groups are noticeable by their absence.
Daily excursions include tips on techniques and lighting from Harry Skeggs.
Small workshops will be offered each evening that guests can opt in and out of.
You will be accompanied throughout the cruise by 2 Quasar / National Park Naturalist Guides who are well-versed in photography.
Our pace will be relaxed and sensitive to wildlife activity and the needs of all travelers, with flexible timing to make the very best of each opportunity encountered.
Your participation includes a donation of US$ 200 per person for Galapagos Conservation.
Retail Rates are per person & are valid from January 1-31, 2020.
* All other cabins have 1 Queen bed or 2 Twin beds (see deckplan).
Join renown photographer Tui de Roy on an epic cruise in the Galapagos with Quasar Expeditions. Visit the best of the Galapagos archipelago on this 8 day adventure, including the wild western Islands of Fernandina and Isabela. Enjoy maximum wildlife encounters with species that include penguins, marine iguanas, flightless cormorants, waved albatross, sea lions and more... Our daily program will have us on shore, when the pace of wildlife behavior picks up to a vibrant crescendo, and other tour groups are noticeable by their absence.
The pace of these departures will be relaxed and sensitive to wildlife activity and the needs of all travelers, with flexible timing to make the very best of each opportunity encountered. This will be complimented by the deep insight of Tui's 50 years experience documenting these magic islands, bringing to life daily details of behavior, lighting, composition and more, which are so easily missed during shorter, fast-paced tours.
Retail Rates are per person & are valid from January 1 through December 31, 2020 or 2021.


text:
Home Zust In Avatar Sequel to Be Shoot at 6.8 Miles Under Water
Zust In
Avatar Sequel to Be Shoot at 6.8 Miles Under Water
Aarzu Khan
Avatar was such a great movie any director would love to shoot. Be it technical or non-technical aspect of the film, it was a real example of the excellence. James Cameron was top of the world when technically superior Avatar acclaimed such success and appreciation. Now the same Director wants to go at the bottom of the sea – To shoot the sequel of Avatar.
James Cameron plans to go to 6.8 miles beneath the surface of the ocean to shoot footage for Avatar and win $ 10 million X-Prize at the same time. If he will succeed to do so, he will would be first Director ever who will shoot any video clip at such deep level for his film.
The X-Prize is an award given to pioneers in privately funded science and exploration. It was previously given to the first team to build a privately funded, manned spacecraft and launch it out of Earth's atmosphere. Now a new prize may go to the first private crew to make two manned dives to Challenger Deep, the deepest surveyed point in all of Earth's oceans.
The Daily Mail reports that the sequel to Avatar will be set in the oceans of Pandora, the planet portrayed in the first film, and Cameron will shoot some scenes with the submarine he's building — in 3D of course.
Riding high with the success of Avatar, the most successful film with box office collection of US $ 2 Billion, Cameron stands with such Directors who can propose such wild ideas ( and can execute ) to their financiers upfront. But such act is not going to be a new adventure for Cameron as he shot the acclaimed deep sea documentaries Ghosts of the Abyss and Aliens of the Deep.
From the day when Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh made the journey half a century ago, no one has visited Challenger Deep. The X-Prize was announced to commemorate their voyage. Cameron has done lots of background work and research for sure, before revealing his plan in front of any one.
It seems that Imaginary Director is racing with his own mind in order to produce extraordinary to his fans and followers. From the day people witnessed Avatar, expectation will be very high from his next outcome.
Avatar sequel
under sea


On Thursday mornings you will find a close-knit (pun intended!) group of ladies in the Billiard room. No, they aren't playing billiards; they come together to chat and knit or crochet shawls for local hospice programs, cancer centers and the Salvation Army. They also make shawls to give to residents upon their 100th birthday.
Any given week will find 6-12 ladies plus two very well-behaved dogs enjoying each other's company for an hour or so. These women create their own patterns, choosing yarn of their favorite color. They lovingly knit two purl one or chain three as they work on their shawls. One resident only knits special red, white and blue shawls for hospice patients who are veterans.
When the ladies heard of a need for chemo caps, those were added to the project. Several of the ladies who crochet can create a shawl in as little as a week and make a chemo cap to match. What a thoughtful gift!
The knitters' supplies are financed by the Residents Association. They also receive donations of yarn from people downsizing, moving or just as a generous gift. Even the smallest piece of leftover yarn becomes a Josephine shawl; nothing is wasted.
Since 2006 when the group first started through 2012, the knitters donated 824 shawls. In 2013 they gave a total of 285 items (156 shawls plus 129 chemo caps.) So far in 2014, 124 shawls and 110 chemo caps have been created. For a special project last year they created 39 scarves and shipped them to Newtown School after the tragic shooting as part of the national "Hugs for Newtown" project.
As to the question of why do they meet in the Billiard room? The answer is that it simply has the brightest lighting and the Billiard table is ideal for laying out shawls for measuring, sorting through bins of yarn, and packing up the donations.


text:
Q: Elegant classes loading and updating system In the current state of the project I'm currently working on, I have a classic Android Studio project with a classic app on it.
For some good reasons (it's an embedded app), I would like to include an auto-update feature in the app, which doesn't require to exit it (I must stay inside the app or another app and never show the underlying Android system).
I have two solutions to do this :

*

*Create another "updater" app which updates the app using the package manager command. It requires a rooted device to work, but it would suit my needs : when an update is available, the main app closes itself and opens the updater app which updates the main app and starts it back

*Have the actual code of the application stored to the external storage and turn the APK into a bootstraper which downloads and runs the app

The later solution is the better one since it doesn't require a rooted device.
This is why I would like to write an elegant system to achieve this ; the development of the app should not be crippled by this (e.g. I don't have to upload the new classes at each build, I don't need to do extra voodoo work to add activities or permissions to the manifest...).
I thought of using the build variants of Android Studio :

*

*Debug variant : build the app like usual, don't use the bootstraper

*Release variant : don't include all the classes in the APK, build an external JAR which contains them and use the boostraper in launcher intent

I saw how to load external classes from the external storage, but I couldn't find anything on how to externalize the whole app code, including activities. I have the feeling that we just can't.
Would such a system be possible to develop ?


text:
Liberal group launches ad to get Justice Brett Kavanaugh fired from teaching job
Brett M. Kavanaugh
Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Sept. 27, 2018. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, Pool) ** FILE ** more >
By Alex Swoyer - The Washington Times - Wednesday, April 10, 2019
A liberal advocacy group will launch a digital ad campaign against Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh in an attempt to get him fired from his position as a professor at George Mason University.
The Facebook ad, sponsored by Demand Justice, says it's "unacceptable" the school hired an "accused sexual assaulter" and calls on the university to let him go, according to the Huffington Post.
"We're calling on the university to terminate his contract immediately," the ad states.
Evidence of planned attack on Capitol undercuts Dems' incitement claim
Justice Kavanaugh is expected to teach a Summer course for the school in England.
The ad comes roughly six months after Justice Kavanaugh was confirmed to the high court following a controversial confirmation process where he faced sexual misconduct allegations dating back three decades.
He has denied any wrongdoing.
The university's president acknowledged complaints from some students in a blog post last month, but stood by the decision to bring Justice Kavanaugh on board.
"The law school has determined that the involvement of a U.S. Supreme Court Justice contributes to making our law program uniquely valuable for our students," the statement read.


text:
Bang (2017) – Season 1
Loner Sam's life is transformed when he comes into possession of a gun and starts to break the law. His ambitious policewoman sister Gina is paid to uphold it and makes it her mission to find the owner of the weapon. The family saga plays out against an inquiry into the shooting of a local businessman that raises questions for Sam and Gina about their father's murder when they were young children.
Director: Roger Williams
Actors: Catrin Stewart, Chris Reilly, Gareth Jewell, Jack Parry Jones, Jacob Ifan, Nia Roberts, Sara Lloyd, Suzanne Packer
Networks: BBC One, S4C
Keywords:Bang
Sesame Street – Season 53
On a special inner city street, the inhabitants—human and muppet—teach preschoolers basic educational and social concepts using comedy, cartoons, games, and songs.
Genre: Comedy, Kids
Tom Clancys Jack Ryan – Season 1
When CIA analyst Jack Ryan stumbles upon a suspicious series of bank transfers his search for answers pulls him from the safety of his desk job and catapults him into…
Sherlock – Season 4
A modern update finds the famous sleuth and his doctor partner solving crime in 21st century London.
Cajun Aces – Season 2
TMDb: 7.58
Welcome to a place where being normal is really quite strange. In a remote Texas town no one is who they seem. From vampires and witches to psychics and hit…
Interview with the Vampire – Season 1
Louis de Pointe's epic story of love, blood, and the perils of immortality, as told to the journalist Daniel Molloy. Chafing at the limitations of life as a black man…
One Day at a Time – Season 9
In a reimagining of the TV classic, a newly single Latina mother raises her teen daughter and tween son with the "help" of her old-school mom.
Drug Lords – Season 1
Witness the stories of history's most notorious kingpins, their terrifying enforcers, and the men and women who've sworn to bring them down.
Masters of Sex – Season 3
William Masters and Virginia Johnson are real-life pioneers of the science of human sexuality. Their research touched off the sexual revolution and took them from a midwestern teaching hospital to…
Shake It Up – Season 3
Best pals CeCe and Rocky dream of dancing stardom. And they seem on the verge of realizing that goal when they win places as backup dancers on the local TV…
Genre: Comedy, Family, Kids
Fingersmith – Season 1
A young woman is hired as a maid to an heiress who lives a secluded life on a large countryside estate with her domineering uncle. But, the maid has a…
FC Bayern – Behind The Legend – Season 1
The club from their victory in the 2020 Champions League final to the end of the 2020/21 season, as well as delving into the history of the team.
Country: DE
The Mind Of A Chef- Season 4
Go inside the minds of some of the world's top chefs. Narrated by Executive Producer Anthony Bourdain, The Mind of a Chef is that rare and beautiful thing: an intelligent…


text:
Q: Referenced assemblies getting loaded regardless of the actual code (execution) path? Normally referenced assemblies should not be loaded until a specific type from that assembly is used. But here is a the question:
This is a Winforms application. Although the PresentationFramework.dll & System.Xaml.dll assemblies are referenced, they should not be loaded as below code path never executes;
bool useAutoHandler = false;

if (useAutoHandler) // This is always false so below code is not executed!
{
    var currentApplication = typeof(System.Windows.Application).GetProperty("Current");
    if (currentApplication != null)
    {
        var application = currentApplication.GetValue(this, null) as System.Windows.Application;
        if (application != null)
        {
            application.DispatcherUnhandledException += this.DispatcherUnhandledException;
        }
    }
}

When I query loaded assemblies with AppDomain.CurrentDomain.GetAssemblies(), I see presentation framework core & xaml being loaded. Any ideas as to why this is the case?

A: You are loading the PresentationFramework.dll assembly in this very same line: typeof(System.Windows.Application) because you are statically referencing a type contained withing this assembly.
If you compile this in Release Mode the compiler would probably optimize this code and completely remove this if from the resulting IL. If the body of the if statement is part of the resulting IL at runtime when the moment for the method containing this code to be executed comes, the JIT will need to translate it into machine code and because you have statically referenced a type within this assembly it would need to load the corresponding assembly.

A: Referenced assembly is loading into the process memory before stepping into method where reference is present.
If you change your code into something like this:
private void Foo()
{
  var currentApplication = typeof(System.Windows.Application).GetProperty("Current");
  if (currentApplication != null)
  {
    var application = currentApplication.GetValue(this, null) as    System.Windows.Application;
    if (application != null)
    {
      application.DispatcherUnhandledException += this.DispatcherUnhandledException;
    }
  }
}

public void Bar(bool useAutoHandler)
{
  if (useAutoHandler)
  {
    Foo();
  }
}

then running Bar(false) should not load extra assemblies.


Is China's 'Non-Interference' Here to Stay?
Major General Huang Xing's alleged involvement in supporting Myanmar's Kokang rebels puts China in a tricky position.
SCMP reports that a general accused of corruption was actually ousted for giving assistance to Myanmar's Kokang rebels.


text:
New Battles Without Honour And Humanity: The Complete Trilogy from @arrowfilmsvideo
FromPage2Screen / April 29, 2017
On Dual Format Blu-ray & DVD on 17 July 2017 from Arrow Video
A trilogy of influential yakuza classics from master director Kinji Fukasaku, starring stalwart actor Bunta Sugawara, with three searing standalone stories of ruthless Japanese gangsters, bloody gang wars and lethal assassins, in a must-have box set making its English-language home video debut.
This terrific triple-bill from legendary director Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale) finally arrives on UK home video courtesy of Arrow, in a lavish limited edition box-set that will slake the thirst of the most ardent fan of Japanese action cinema.
In the early 1970s, Fukasaku's five-film Battles Without Honour And Humanity series was a massive hit in Japan, and kicked off a boom in realistic, modern yakuza films. Although Fukasaku had intended to end the series, Toei Studio convinced him to return to the director's chair for this unconnected, follow-up trilogy of films, each starring Battles leading man Bunta Sugawara and telling separate stories about the yakuza in different locations in Japan.
Each of the New Battles Without Honour And Humanity is a top-notch crime action thriller: hard-boiled, entertaining, and distinguished by Fukasaku's versatility and directorial genius, funky musical scores by composer Toshiaki Tsushima, and the onscreen power of Toei's greatest yakuza movie stars.
Along the way Fukasaku takes his series in new, original directions examining the way the poisonous underworld can infect ordinary lives, and how crises of honor and loyalty were rife in postwar Japan. He also includes female characters just as calculating and ruthless as their male counterparts. The trilogy is a thrilling, enthralling and action-packed, set across three decades and delivering hours of superb entertainment.
NEW BATTLES WITHOUT HONOUR AND HUMANITY (1974)
1950. In Kure City in Hiroshima, an ambitious yakuza soldier botches an attempt on the life of a rival boss, and is sent to prison for eight years. When he's released, he must choose between returning to the gangster fold, or life with a beautiful, half-Korean hostess who's fallen for him.
NEW BATTLES WITHOUT HONOUR AND HUMANITY: THE BOSS'S HEAD (1975)
1968. Gang boss Owada takes in wanderer and assassin Shuji Kuroda after he does time for the assassination of a rival boss. Kuroda turns on Owada after he doesn't get the promised payback for his jail time, and lays waste to the local crime elements in order to achieve his financial rewards.
NEW BATTLES WITHOUT HONOUR AND HUMANITY: LAST DAYS OF THE BOSS (1976)
1976. When a top boss is killed during a full-blown gang war, his adopted son, an ordinary laborer, reluctantly joins the criminal world in quest for vengeance for his benefactor's death. Complicating matters are his younger sister and her gangster husband, who are affiliated with the gang responsible for the killing.
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
High Definition digital transfers of all three films
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
Original uncompressed mono audio
New optional English subtitle translation for all three films
Beyond the Films: New Battles Without Honour And Humanity – a new video appreciation by Fukasaku biographer Sadao Yamane
New Stories, New Battles And Closing Stories – two new interviews with screenwriter Koji Takada, about his work on the second and third films in the trilogy
Original theatrical trailers for all three films
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Reinhard Kleist
Illustrated collector's book featuring new writing on the films, the yakuza genre and Fukasaku's career, by Stephen Sarrazin, Tom Mes, Hayley Scanlon, Chris D. and Marc Walkow
April 29, 2017 in Home Release.
Arrow Video bring the month of July up to a whole new level of awesome ( @arrowfilmsvideo )
Arrow Video dishing out some amazing August Releases
Arrow bring us a fantastic June with their release slate of classics! @arrowfilmsvideo
← Spending Time With… Tami Stronach ( @neverendingtami )
Sony ( @sonypictures ) blasts ROGUE WARRIOR : ROBOT FIGHTER to theaters this June →


I have to confess, I only bought this book because the titular story, Cowboys are My Weakness, was assigned reading for a writer's workshop I just attended. I didn't even like it the first time I read it!
But then, after the first couple days of the workshop, when I was alone in my hotel and desperate to read something, ANYTHING, less depressing than One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest I picked the book up again. I wound up finishing it on the plane flight back home.
Houston's style isn't fussy, and moves between first, third, and sometimes even second, person depending on the needs of each essay or story. Her characters are vivid. Her tales of love, lust, dogs and horses are tales that almost any woman will enjoy.
Goes well with a burger, and a cold beer.


text:
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MemoryTropes
Memory Tropes
Create New - Create New - Analysis Characters FanficRecs FanWorks Fridge Haiku Headscratchers ImageLinks Laconic PlayingWith Quotes Recap ReferencedBy Synopsis Timeline Trivia WMG YMMV
Jean Grey deals with memories she gained from her copies.
"I like to remember things my own way."
— Fred Madison, Lost Highway
Memory and amnesia in TV, movies, and video games works a bit differently than in Real Life... Why? Because memory often makes for an interesting storyline involving one or more characters, and can be used to make a powerful argument on questions such as identity, destiny, betrayal and love. The usefulness of this trope is tricky, as memory loss isn't as common in Real Life as it is in fiction. Don't worry about it too much, as Tropes Are Tools.
Compare Stay Ahead of This Index (as our memories are stored there), Mind Manipulation, Psychology Tropes.
Not to be confused with Please Reflect on This Index.
Remember these tropes:
Remember this index:
Memetics in Fiction
Absent-Minded Professor: A scientist who is often lost in thought and a little out of touch with the world around them.
Aesop Amnesia: A character learns an important lesson in one episode, but in subsequent episodes reverts back to their bad behavior as if the lesson they learned somehow didn't stick.
Alternate Identity Amnesia: A character suffers amnesia when changing into another form.
Amnesiac Costume Identity: A characters with amnesia tries to figure out who they are based on the unusual costume or outfit they are wearing.
Amnesia Danger: A character with amnesia is in a situation they would normally be able to handle, but can't because they don't remember how.
Amnesia Episode: An episode where a character develops amnesia.
Amnesia Loop: A person discovers something and gets their memories wiped repeatedly.
Amnesia Missed a Spot: A character tries to induce Laser-Guided Amnesia and it doesn't quite work.
Amnesiac Dissonance: A good or evil person suddenly remembers their past of the opposite alignment.
Amnesiac God: A character with amnesia who is actually a Physical God or something similar.
Amnesiac Hero: The main hero of a story who can't remember anything about themselves.
Amnesiac Liar: A character who lies about who they are only to get amnesia and be told that the things they lied about are who they really are.
Amnesiac Lover: A Love Interest under Laser-Guided Amnesia.
Amnesiac Protagonist Catalyst: The protagonist has forgotten something important about themselves when the story starts. Which is that they were responsible for what's currently wrong in the story.
Amnesiac Resonance: An amnesiac instinctively performs skills they had or felt something wasn't right or knew they could trust someone before losing their memory, without knowledge of how or why they know them.
Amnesiacs are Innocent: People who lose their memory act as innocent as children.
Amnesiac Villain Joins the Heroes: A villain working for the heroes and is on the good side only because they forgot their own identity and their past.
Awesomeness-Induced Amnesia: A character does something awesome, but can't remember how they actually did it or what they even did.
Backstory Invader: A character who is implanted in the memories of other characters who don't really know them.
Bag of Spilling: A character loses all their items and abilities in the sequel.
Brainwash Residue: A person is no longer Brainwashed, but the effects still linger in their body.
Childhood Home Rediscovery: A character rediscovers a place that they lived as a child, but has no recollection of it as an adult.
Congruent Memory: A person learns something in a certain environment or emotional or physical state and can only remember what they learned when in that same state.
Conveniently Unverifiable Cover Story: A fake background, but it can't be disproven.
Crazy Memory: A character remembers an outrageous moment of their lives that may or may not have happened.
Criminal Amnesiac: A character with amnesia is convinced by the villains that they are on their side.
Damn You, Muscle Memory!: Difference in control layouts makes it easy to screw up.
Death Amnesia: A resurrected person has no memory of their death.
Death of Personality: A person is physically alive, but their mind has been erased.
Demoted Memories: A person remembers that they used to be something great, but chooses not to believe that it's real.
Déjà Vu: The odd sensation of already having experienced something that is currently happening.
Easy Amnesia: Developing amnesia through something as simple as being hit on the head.
Eat Brain for Memories: Gaining someone else's memories by consuming their brain.
Elephants Never Forget: Elephants are often depicted as having prodigiously strong and accurate memories.
Eye Recall: A flashback sequence that starts with the camera zooming inside the pupil of the character recalling the memory.
Fake Memories: Remembering something from the past that didn't actually happen.
Faking Amnesia: A character pretends to have amnesia.
Fighting Down Memory Lane: A character uses their opponent's memory as a weapon.
Flashback Fail: A character tries to flashback to something that happened earlier, but that doesn't quite remember what actually happened or what was said.
Flashback-Montage Realization: A montage of previous scenes and lines of dialogue, representing a character remembering all the clues hinting at The Reveal.
The Fog of Ages: A character who has lived for so long that they start to forget common things.
Forgetful Jones: A character who is incapable of remembering anything.
Forgets to Eat: A character who's notorious for ignoring their body's need for nutrition and has to be reminded to eat.
Forgettable Character: A character who is often forgotten by other characters.
Forgotten First Meeting: It's established that two characters actually met before what was believed to be their first meeting, they just didn't remember their real first meeting.
Forgot About His Powers: A character suddenly forgets a certain skill/ability that could easily get them out of a tough spot.
Forgot the Call: A character gets amnesia and forgets that they're an action hero.
Forgot the Disability: Forgetting that the person you're with is disabled.
Forgiven, but Not Forgotten: A character forgives others, but still will not forget what they've done.
Gameplay-Guided Amnesia: A video game character needing reminders of how to do certain things as an excuse for the players to receive exposition and tutorials.
Genetic Memory: An ability to record personal memories/skills into their genes and pass them onto their offspring.
Ghost Amnesia: A character becomes a ghost and has no recollection of their past life or even how they died.
Ghost Memory: A character receives memories or abilities that weren't originally theirs.
Happiness in Mind Control: A victim of Mind Manipulation who does not want to be freed.
House Amnesia: A person orders someone to get out of their house, only to be reminded that it's their house.
Human Notepad: A character who is covered in writing.
Identity Amnesia: A person forgets who they are and thinks they're someone else.
Injury Bookend: A repeat of what caused an injury gets rid of it.
Laser-Guided Amnesia: A person is made to forget very specific things.
Legend Fades to Myth: People having a skewed memory of a previous installment in the sequel.
Living Memory: A memory of a character becomes alive and able to interact with other characters.
Loss of Identity: A character deals with their sense of identity after radical mental, physical or spiritual changes.
Manchurian Agent: A Brainwashed person is awakened by a certain trigger.
Memory Gambit: A character sacrifices their own memories for a tactical advantage.
Memory Jar: An object that is imbued with memories for safekeeping or viewing.
Memory Palace: a character's memories are shown as an organized space where memories can be retrieved.
Memory Wipe Exploitation: Someone exploits character's memory loss for their own gain.
Memory-Wiping Crew: People who wipe the memories of those who might see through the Masquerade.
Mind Virus: An ailment similar to a computer virus that infects minds.
Missing Time: When a character has no memory of what happened between going to work and coming home.
My Art, My Memory: An amnesiac character who incorporates things from their past into their artwork.
My Skull Runneth Over: A characters suddenly obtains so much knowledge that their mind is in danger of overloading.
Neural Implanting: Computer files, images, databases, or abilities are downloaded into a person's brain.
Neuro-Vault: A person subconsciously holding vital data in their minds.
Never-Forgotten Skill: A character learns a special skill and never forgets how to do it.
The Nicknamer: A character who is known for coming up with nicknames for other characters, which could be because they have trouble remembering or can't be bothered to remember their actual names.
No Infantile Amnesia: A person is able to remember experiences from their infancy.
Note to Self: Leaving yourself a message in case you lose your memories.
NPC Amnesia: NPCs won't remember your actions for gameplay purposes.
Paralysis by Analysis: A person does something they're good at, only to suddenly choke from pressure.
Past-Life Memories: A character gains memories from their previous incarnation.
Photographic Memory: A person is able to remember every single detail of something they've only seen, read or heard once.
Protagonist Without a Past: A character with no backstory.
Quest for Identity: A character tries to rediscover who they are.
Remembered Too Late: A character recalls something when it is too late to use said information.
Remembered I Could Fly: A character is in mortal danger until remembering that they have a special skill/ability that can help them.
Remember That You Trust Me: A character has to be reminded that they need to trust their friends.
Reminder Failure: A character's attempt at trying to remind themselves of something ends in failure.
Repeated Rehearsal Failure: A character's attempt at trying to memorize something by repeating it to themselves ends in failure.
Repressed Memories: A person subconsciously chooses to forget something that is too painful to remember.
Ripple Effect-Proof Memory: A character goes back in time and changes history, but they still remember the original timeline.
A Scar to Remember: A villain leaves a wound on the hero's body to make them remember their encounter.
Scatterbrained Senior: An elderly person with memory problems.
Secret Word: A word or phrase that you have to remember.
Selective Memory: When the Player Character has important information the player has no access to.
Self-Serving Memory: A person remembers past events as how they believed them to happen as opposed to how the events really occurred.
String-on-Finger Reminder: Someone ties a piece of string to their finger in an attempt to remind them of something they might forget.
Super Intelligence: Someone having extreme smarts as a superpower.
Transferable Memory: Memories that can be processed like data.
Trauma Button: One character inadvertently triggers another character's repressed traumatic memory.
Trauma-Induced Amnesia: A person develops amnesia as a result of physical or mental trauma.
Trigger Phrase: A phrase that can help someone remember something.
Victory-Guided Amnesia: A character accomplishes something only to lose their memories of it afterwards.
Viewers Are Goldfish: A work of fiction reminds the audience of stuff that just happened shortly before as if the audience can't remember stuff well.
What Did I Do Last Night?: Someone regains consciousness after a night of being high or drunk and begins to panic while trying to remember what they did in their inebriated state.
Wistful Amnesia: A character whose memories are wiped of certain events only to retain the sense that they've lost something.
You Remind Me of X: A character reminds another character of someone they know.
Your Worst Memory: A character relives the worst moment of their life in dreams, flashbacks or worse.
Madness Tropes
Psychology Tropes
Maturity Tropes
Mer Tropes
Characterization Tropes
Morality Tropes
ImageSource/Comic Books
QuoteSource/Live-Action Films
The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra


text:
Alex Lee (born 16 March 1970) is an English musician. He has played guitar and keyboards for Goldfrapp, Massive Attack, Suede, Placebo, Strangelove and The Blue Aeroplanes amongst others. He has also worked as musical director with Florence And The Machine, Marina & The Diamonds and for the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as composing regularly for film and television.

Biography
Lee joined The Blue Aeroplanes in 1989, around the time that they signed to Ensign Records. He played on the 1990 album Swagger and the 1995 album Rough Music.

References

External links

Alex Lee Official Website

English pop musicians
1970 births
Living people
Musicians from Bristol
Placebo (band) members
Suede (band) members
Britpop musicians

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
/ WORLD NEWS
Indonesian volcano spews massive ash cloud
posted March 27, 2020 at 04:40 pm by AFP
Jakarta, Indonesia | AFP | Friday 3/27/2020
Indonesia's most active volcano Mount Merapi erupted Friday, shooting a column of ash some 5,000 metres (16,000 feet) into the air in its second major eruption this month.
This handout picture taken and released on March 27, 2020 by Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) shows Mount Merapi volcano spewing thick volcanic ash as seen from Yogyakarta.
Handout / BNPB / AFP
Ash and sand covered areas several kilometres (miles) away from the peak of the rumbling crater near Indonesia's cultural capital Yogyakarta.
But authorities did not raise Merapi's alert level.
"There has been no reports of damage from the eruption. We urge people to stay calm and not panic," national disaster mitigation agency spokesman Agus Wibowo said.
Merapi erupted earlier this month, shooting a massive ash cloud some 6,000 metres in the air.
That eruption coated Yogyakarta and neighbouring city Solo with grey dust and forced an airport closure.
Mount Merapi's last major eruption in 2010 killed more than 300 people and forced the evacuation of 280,000 residents.
That was Merapi's most powerful eruption since 1930, which killed around 1,300 people, while another explosion in 1994 took about 60 lives.
The Southeast Asian nation -- an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands and islets -- has nearly 130 active volcanoes.
It sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", a vast zone of geological instability where the collision of tectonic plates causes frequent quakes and major volcanic activity
Topics: Mount Merapi , Volcano , Eruption
Mt. Merapi erupts, spews 6-km high ash


Atari has released 8 new screenshots, in addition to the 6 previously released, and here they are for your enjoyment (or, in a few cases, scorn.) – The images focus on showing some new enemies, though from the distance of the gameplay camera, it's hard to make out some of them, but there is a crazy monster that looks to be made up of a junkyard of medical equipment. Given the possessed subway train in previous screens, it looks like animating the inanimate will be a common theme in the game.
The other shots also show off particular proton pack weapon effects, but again without much context. Stay tuned for more!


The cities of Columbia Heights and Minneapolis are working on a 2019 joint resurfacing project of 37th Ave from 5th St to Central Ave. The project consists of milling and overlaying 37th Ave from 5th St to Central Ave, as well as a new sidewalk from 5th St to Quincy Street.
The feasibility of restricting parking on one or both sides of the street, adding bike lanes, and adding a concrete sidewalk or a paved trail on the north side of 37th Ave is also being reviewed by both cities.
An informational meeting was held on Dec 4. A copy of the presentation can be found here. Additional information, such as street layouts and pedestrian connections can be found here. An aerial with the trail location (shown in red) can be found here.
If you would like to provide comments or input on the proposed bike lanes or bike trail, please contact us at publicworks@columbiaheightsmn.gov or 763-706-3700.


2003-12-16 Assigned to ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC. reassignment ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: CHANG, CHI, CLEVELAND, LEE E., FASTOW, RICHARD M.
2010-04-09 Assigned to SPANSION LLC reassignment SPANSION LLC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES, INC.
Accurately programming a memory cell. A voltage is applied to a drain of the memory cell to program the cell. After applying the voltage, the cell is verified as to whether it is programmed to a desired level. The magnitude of the programming voltage is increased and applied to the drain, and the memory cell is re-verified for the desired level. This is repeated until the memory cell is programmed to the desired level. Additional memory cells are programmed in this fashion in order to program multiple memory cells in a narrow distribution around the desired level. The programming can be done one memory cell at a time or many cells can be programmed in parallel. Further a ramped programming voltage can applied to the gate of the memory cell(s), such that the ramped voltage to the gate and the ramped voltage to the drain both program the memory cell.
The present invention generally pertains to the field of memory devices. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention are related to a method for programming cells in a memory device in a narrow programming distribution by applying a ramped programming voltage to drains of the memory cells.
Non-volatile, re-programmable memory devices such as flash memory are highly desirable and have many applications from storing a computer system's BIOS to functioning as a memory for devices such as digital cameras. Typically, such memory devices may be reprogrammed hundreds of thousands of times and may be programmed or erased in blocks of, for example, hundreds or thousands of bits. Such devices may operate by storing a charge in a memory cell. For example, a typical flash memory cell may be programmed to hold a charge in a floating gate region of a transistor.
A flash memory cell can be a field effect transistor (FET) that includes a select gate, a floating gate, a drain, and a source. The select gate will also be referred to throughout this description as "the gate." A memory cell can be read by grounding the source, and applying a voltage to a bitline connected with the drain. By applying a voltage to the wordline connected to the select gate, the cell can be switched on and off.
Programming a memory cell is achieved by trapping excess electrons in the floating gate to increase the threshold voltage. This reduces the current conducted by the memory cell when the select voltage is applied to the select gate. The memory cell is programmed to a desired level if the memory cell current is less than a reference current while the select voltage is applied to the select gate. The memory cell is erased when the memory cell current is greater than the reference current while the select voltage is applied.
Memory cells with only two programmable states contain only a single bit of information, such as a "0" or a "1". A multi-level cell ("MLC") can be programmed with more than one level. For example, a memory cell can be programmed to have one of four different threshold voltages. Each threshold voltage level is mapped to corresponding bits of information. Thus, a multi-level cell is programmed with one of four threshold voltage levels that correspond to binary "00", "01", "10", and "11". Unfortunately, a shift in the threshold voltage after programming can cause a data misread.
Two of the primary causes of threshold voltage shift are the "data retention" effect and the "read disturb" effect. The "data retention" effect is a shift in threshold voltage that results from the normal passage of time. This shift in the threshold voltage toward the erase state (e.g., lowest threshold voltage). The "read disturb" effect is a shift in the threshold voltage that results from reading the memory cell. For the read disturb effect to be appreciable, typically many reads must occur. The read disturb effect is away from the erase state (e.g., increases the threshold voltage). When the threshold voltage level shifts too far in either direction, it will be interpreted as representing the next higher or lower threshold voltage level and thus the data will be misread. To prevent such misreads, the memory cells can be programmed in a narrow distribution, which increases the margin between the states.
Prior art FIG. 1 shows a representation of a four-level multilevel cell program voltage diagram 100. The program voltage distribution ("distribution") of the four levels are shown between lines 102 and 104, 106 and 108, lines 110 and 112, and above line 114, respectively. The programming distribution for the lowest level is about 2.5V, distribution of middle two levels are about 500 mV, and the distribution of the highest level is about IV. A four-level multilevel memory cell can be programmed with any one of these voltage levels. Because the cell can store one of four binary values, it can store two bits of information. The data margin ("margin"), also called a guard band, is the voltage levels between distributions that is not normally used. The margins are shown in prior art FIG. 1 between lines 104 and 106; lines 108 and 110; and lines 112 and 114. For example, the data margin can be about 700 mV to IV.
Prior art FIG. 2 is a graph 200 illustrating the effect of the phenomena called "read disturb." Read disturb occurs after the cell has been read many times without being reprogrammed. The programming distributions are shifted to the right, which represents a positive voltage shift. Distributions 230, 232, 234, and 236 represent the distributions 220, 222, 224, and 226 after they have been affected by the read disturb. Eventually, the read disturb can become so severe that the stored data becomes unreliable.
Prior art FIG. 3 is a graph 300 illustrating the effect of the phenomena called "data retention" on two of the four distributions. Data retention causes the distributions 222 and 224 to be shifted to the left as shown by distributions 322 and 324, which represent a negative voltage shift. Over time if the cell is not reprogrammed, the data retention shift can cause the stored data to become unreliable.
To widen the voltage margins, multi-level flash may operate at higher voltages than other memories. However, higher operating voltages cause other problems, such as oxide breakdown. Thus, alternative means of increasing margins are sought for this and other floating gate memories.
Thus, a need has arisen for a method of programming a multi-level cell memory array in a narrow distribution. An even further need exists for such a method that is efficient.
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method of programming a multi-level cell memory array to a narrow distribution. Embodiments of the present invention are very efficient in this programming. Embodiments of the present invention provide do not require high voltages to be applied in the programming and verifying of the memory cell.
A method for accurately programming a memory cell is disclosed. In one embodiment, a voltage is applied to a drain of the memory cell to program the memory cell. After applying the voltage, the memory cell is verified as to whether it is programmed to a desired level. The magnitude of the programming voltage is increased and applied to the drain, and the memory cell is re-verified for the desired level. This is repeated until the memory cell is programmed to the desired level. Thus, the memory cell is programmed very accurately to the desired level by applying a ramped programming voltage to the drain.
In another embodiment, a ramped programming voltage is applied to the gate of the memory cell, such that the ramped voltage to the gate and the ramped voltage to the drain both program the memory cell. The gate voltage is increased and re-applied to the gate, along with the drain programming voltage, if the verify indicates that the desired programming level is not yet reached.
Another embodiment provides for a method of programming cells on a multi-level cell (MLC) memory array in a narrow distribution. The method applies a first voltage to a drain of a first memory cell. The method determines whether the first memory cell is programmed to a desired level after applying the first voltage. The method increases the first voltage, applies the increased voltage to the drain, and re-determines whether the desired programming level is achieved. The programming voltage is increased and the cell is re-verified until the first memory cell is programmed to the desired level. The method further programs at least one additional memory cell in the memory array in order to program a plurality of memory cells in a narrow distribution around the desired level. The programming can be done one memory cell at a time or many cells can be programmed in parallel.
Still another embodiment of the present invention is a multi-level cell memory device. The device comprises an array of memory cells suitable for multi-level programming. The device has a first circuit that is operable to apply a programming voltage to drains of the memory cells. The device further has a second circuit that is operable to verify whether the memory cells are programmed to a desired level of a plurality of levels. The device also has a third circuit that is operable to increase the programming voltage to the drains if the second circuit determines that the verify fails.
FIG. 1 is a graph illustrating several voltage distributions for a multi-level cell memory device.
FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating a positive voltage shift in the voltage distributions of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating a negative voltage shift in the voltage distributions of FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a graph illustrating a shift in a narrow voltage distribution that does not cause read error, according to embodiments of the present invention produce.
FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B are graphs illustrating exemplary ramped programming voltages, according to embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a process of accurately programming a memory cell, according to embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a process of programming a memory array in a narrow distribution, according to embodiments of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a memory device whose memory cells can be programmed to a narrow distribution, according to embodiments of the present invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the present invention.
Because the voltage levels of the stored data can shift to the left or the right as shown in prior art FIG. 2 and prior art FIG. 3, it is beneficial to have narrower program distributions and thus wider program margins. FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary narrow program distribution of approximately 200 mV, achievable with embodiments of the present invention. If the program distribution 404 is shifted to the right by 100 mV, the data distribution 406 in FIG. 4 will still be read properly at read point 402. The read point 402 at 4.0 volts represents the threshold voltage value that separates the 3.5 volt distribution (curves 404 and 406) from the 4.5 volt distribution 408. That is, if the voltage is above the read point 402 the cell is read as the two bits associated with the 4.5 volt distribution and if the read voltage is below the read point then the cell is read as the two bits associated with the 3.5 volt distribution.
Each time a suitable programming voltage is applied to the memory cell the amount of charge in the floating gate will tend to increase. It is, of course, possible that the programming pulse is not of sufficient magnitude or duration to increase the charge in the floating gate. Applying a very large programming voltage can cause a very large increase in the stored charge, and hence program the memory cell quickly. This is true whether the programming voltage is applied to the gate or to the drain. Conventionally, one or a very few programming pulses, which are high in voltage magnitude, are applied to the gate to achieve fast programming. However, it is easy to overshoot the desired level when using a high magnitude programming voltage. The overshoot is acceptable if a narrow programming distribution is not required. However, a narrow distribution is desired for some applications, such as multi-level cells.
To achieve a desirable narrow range in programming voltage, a series of programming voltages can be applied to the drains of the memory cells, starting with a relatively small voltage magnitude. The voltage magnitude of the pulse can be increased with each pulse. With each pulse, a relatively small amount of charge is added to the floating gate with this technique. Desirably, an individual cell can be programmed very close to the desired level and a group of cells can be programmed to a narrow distribution when using a series of increasing pulses.
Moreover, it is desirable to reduce the time spent programming the memory cells. In order to obtain a narrow distribution, conventional methods apply a programming pulse to the wordline (e.g., the gate) followed by a verify voltage also to the gate. However, the verify voltage needs to be different from the programming voltage with this conventional method. Hence, a certain amount of time is wasted waiting for the voltage to settle down.
Rather than programming the memory cell by applying a voltage to the gate, embodiments of the present invention apply a voltage to the drain to program the memory cell. Furthermore, the magnitude of each programming pulse is greater than the previous pulse. FIGS. 5A and 5B are graphs illustrating two different exemplary ramped programming voltages, according to embodiments of the present invention. The programming voltage starts relatively low and ramps up until the desired level is reached. The programming level of the memory cell is verified between the voltage steps. It is not required that there be a gap along the time axis between steps as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. That is, the voltage may be applied to the drain during the verify. FIG. 5A illustrates a linear ramped programming voltage 510. FIG. 5B illustrates a non-linear ramped programming voltage. Either ramped programming voltage 510, 520 can be applied to the drain or the gate. Moreover, many other shapes to the ramped programming voltages are possible.
The initial programming voltage can be any suitable magnitude that is low enough to not cause overshoot of the desired level. The step size can be any convenient value and does not have to be uniform. In the exemplary linear ramped programming voltage 510, the step size is uniform. However, in the non-linear ramped programming voltage 520, the step size is non-uniform. Because the programming pulse is applied to the drains, the extra amount of additional charge that gets stored in the floating gate as the programming voltage is increased will be highly non-linear. For example, increasing the voltage to the drain causes an increase in the number of charge carriers in the channel region. The amount of voltage on the gate determines how many of the charge carries will be induced into the floating gate region. The relationship between drain voltage and number of channel charge carriers is highly non-linear. Suitable programming voltages can be selected such that a large step size can be used initially without significant risk of overshooting the desire level. The step size is smaller in parts of the non-linear ramped programming voltage 520 in which the creation of charge carriers is more sensitive to changes in drain voltage. In this fashion, the non-linear ramped programming voltage 520 prevents too many additional charge carriers being present in the channel. This keeps the amount of additional charge induced into the floating gate from jumping too fast, and hence prevents overshooting the desired level.
An embodiment of the present invention is a process 600 to accurately program a memory cell. Step 610 is applying a voltage to a drain of the memory cell to program the memory cell. This can be a relatively low voltage, such that the desired level is not likely to be overshot. Step 610 includes applying a suitable voltage to the gate of the cell being programmed, such that charge is induced into the floating gate. This is also a relatively low voltage, such that the desired level is not overshot.
Step 620 is verifying whether the memory cell is programmed to a desired level after applying the voltage. The verifying includes applying a voltage to the gate of the cell being programmed. In one embodiment, the voltage to the gate is kept essentially constant throughout the process 600. Thus, the voltage serves to induce electrons into the floating gate region in step 610 and also serves as the verify voltage to the gate in step 620. In another embodiment, the gate voltage for verifying is different than the one used in the programming stage of step 610. For example, the gate programming voltage can be ramped. In this case, it is likely that, for at least some of the programming process, the verify voltage to the gate will need to be different from the gate programming voltage.
If step 620 determined that the memory cell is not programmed to a sufficient level (e.g., threshold voltage), then step 630 is performed in which the programming voltage to the drain is increased. The voltage to the gate may be increased as well. However, it is not required that the gate programming voltage be ramped. Any suitable step size and duration can be used. Then, the process 600 returns to step 610 and continues until the desired level is reached.
Another embodiment is a process 700 for programming memory cells in a multi-level cell (MLC) memory array in a narrow distribution. The cells can be programmed in parallel or in series. In step 710, a first voltage is applied to a drain of a first memory cell. If parallel programming is being used, the voltage is also applied to the respective drains the other memory cells that are being programmed to this desired level. A suitable programming voltage is applied to the gate(s) to induce charge into the floating gate.
In step 720, the memory cell(s) that were programmed in step 710 are verified to determine if the desired level has been reached after applying the first voltage. The verify voltage applied to the gate(s) may be the same as the gate programming voltage of step 710. In this fashion, this verify step 720 proceeds more rapidly than conventional techniques that apply a different voltage to the gate for verifying than for programming.
If step 720 determined that the desired level has not been reached, then in step 730, the first voltage to the drain(s) is increased and the process 700 returns to step 710 until memory cell(s) are programmed to the desired level. The gate programming voltage may also be increased, if ramped gate programming voltage is desired.
Step 740 is an optional step to cover the serial programming case. For example, if only one memory cell was programmed in steps 710–730, then steps 710 to 730 are repeated for additional memory cells in order to program multiple cells in a narrow programming distribution around the desired level. After programming cells to the first desired level, additional cells can be programmed to a second desired programming level. It will be understood that not all programming distributions have to be narrow. For example, the lowest and highest levels can have wider voltage distributions, while still providing a safe margin.
FIG. 8 illustrates a memory device 800 that is capable to programming its memory cells 810 in a narrow distribution, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The memory device 800 has a cell program/verify unit 820, which is capable or applying a programming voltage to the drains of the memory cells that are to be programmed. The program/verify unit 820 also determines whether the memory cell(s) are programmed to the desired level after the programming voltage is applied. The program/verify unit 820 can also apply a programming voltage to the gates of the memory cells 810.
The memory device 800 also has a voltage level generator 830, which is suitable to generate programming voltages, such as the exemplary ramped programming voltages 510, 520 illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B. The ramped programming voltages are used to program the drains and may also be used to program the gates, but ramping the gate programming voltage is optional. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other configurations for the memory device 800 are possible, such as assigning the various functions to other units.
Therefore, it will be seen that embodiments of the present invention provide a method of programming a multi-level cell memory array in a narrow distribution. Embodiments of the present invention are very efficient at programming the array.
c) increasing the respective magnitudes of said first voltage to said drain and said second voltage to said gate and repeating said a) and b) until said memory cell is programmed to said desired level, wherein said memory cell is programmed accurately to said desired level.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a voltage to said gate of said memory cell to verify whether said memory cell is programmed to said desired level.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said c) comprises increasing said magnitude of said first voltage in a non-linear step size.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said c) comprises increasing said magnitude of said first voltage in a substantially linear step size.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said desired level is one of at least three programming levels.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said desired level is one of at least four programming levels.
d) performing said a)–c) for at least one additional memory cell in said memory array in order to program a plurality of memory cells in a narrow distribution around said desired level.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein said first memory cell is programmed before programming said at least one additional memory cell.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein said first memory cell is programmed in parallel with said at least one additional memory cell.
e) programming a second plurality of cells in said memory array to a second level by performing said a) through said d) until each memory cell of said second plurality of memory cells is programmed to said second level, and wherein said second level is different from the desired level in said b) through said d).
11. The method of claim 7, further comprising applying a substantially constant voltage to a gate of said first memory cell during said a)–c), wherein said voltage applied to said gate is also used in said b) to verify whether said memory cell is programmed to said desired level.
said c) further comprises increasing said voltage to said gate of said first memory cell.
a third circuit that is operable to increase said first programming voltage to said drains and is further operable to increase said second programming voltage to said gates if said verify indicates additional programming is required to reach said desired level.
14. The multi-level cell memory device of claim 13, wherein said third circuit is further operable to increase said first programming voltage to said drains in a non-linear fashion.
15. The multi-level cell memory device of claim 14, wherein said third circuit is further operable to increase said second programming voltage to said gates of said memory cells in a linear fashion.


text:
Heterogeneity in hepatitis C treatment prescribing and uptake in Australia: a geospatial analysis of a year of unrestricted treatment access.
Scott N, Hainsworth SW, Sacks-Davis R, Pedrana A, Doyle J, Wade A, Hellard M
Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia.
Background and aim: Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatments became available for all people living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in Australia in March 2016. We assess variations in treatment rates and prescribing patterns across Australia's 338 Statistical Area 3 (SA3) geographical units. Methods: Geocoded DAA treatment initiation data were analysed for the period 1 March 2016 to 30 June 2017. Regression models tested associations between the population demographics and healthcare service coverage of geographical areas and (a) their treatment rates; and (b) the proportion of prescriptions written by specialists compared to non-specialists. Results: Across the 320 areas (95%) recording treatments, a median 76 (interquartile range [IQR] 35-207, range 4-3834) per 100,000 were initiated, corresponding to an estimated median 7.9% (IQR 2.9-23.6%, range 0-100%) treatment uptake. Major cities, areas of socioeconomic advantage and areas with lower proportions of the population born overseas had the highest per capita treatment rates. Non-specialists prescribed 46% (20,323/44,382) of treatment initiations. Prescriptions were written by non-specialists only in 163 areas (51%), while in other areas a median 40.0% (IQR 21.8-62.5%) of prescriptions were written by non-specialists. Non-specialist prescribing was higher in regional areas, as well as areas that had greater proportions of Indigenous Australians. Conclusions: High national-level treatment uptake of 20% in Australia masks underlying health system limitations; more than half of geographical areas may have treated less than 8% of people living with HCV. Areas of socioeconomic disadvantage and areas with a higher proportion of the population born overseas may need targeting with interventions to improve treatment uptake.
Link to open access full text on Pubmed Central
JD, MH, and the Burnet Institute receive investigator-initiated research funding from Gilead Sciences, AbbVie and BMS. JD's institution has received honoraria from Merck, Gilead and BMS. No pharmaceutical grants were received in the development of this study. AP, JD, MH and RSD are the recipients of National Health and Medical Research Council fellowships. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support provided to the Burnet Institute by the Victorian Government
Journal: Journal of Virus Eradication
Pagination: 108-114
Doctor Amanda Wade
Full Text (464 KB)


Safe: Instances of this class support both reading and writing to a random access file. A random access file behaves like a large array of bytes stored in the file system. There is a kind of cursor, or index into the implied array, called the file pointer; input operations read bytes starting at the file pointer and advance the file pointer past the bytes read. If the random access file is created in read/write mode, then output operations are also available; output operations write bytes starting at the file pointer and advance the file pointer past the bytes written. Output operations that write past the current end of the implied array cause the array to be extended. The file pointer can be read by the getFilePointer method and set by the seek method.
Enabled: Creates a random access file stream to read from, and optionally to write to, the file specified by the File argument.
Suppressed: Creates a random access file stream to read from, and optionally to write to, a file with the specified name.
Enabled: Closes this random access file stream and releases any system resources associated with the stream.
Suppressed: Returns the unique FileChannel object associated with this file.
Suppressed: Returns the opaque file descriptor object associated with this stream.
Enabled: Returns the current offset in this file.
Enabled: Returns the length of this file.
Opens a file and returns the file descriptor.
Enabled: Reads a byte of data from this file.
Enabled: Reads up to b.length bytes of data from this file into an array of bytes.
Enabled: Reads up to len bytes of data from this file into an array of bytes.
Enabled: Reads a boolean from this file.
Enabled: Reads a signed eight-bit value from this file.
Enabled: Reads a Unicode character from this file.
Enabled: Reads a double from this file.
Enabled: Reads a float from this file.
Enabled: Reads b.length bytes from this file into the byte array, starting at the current file pointer.
Enabled: Reads exactly len bytes from this file into the byte array, starting at the current file pointer.
Enabled: Reads a signed 32-bit integer from this file.
Enabled: Reads the next line of text from this file.
Enabled: Reads a signed 64-bit integer from this file.
Enabled: Reads a signed 16-bit number from this file.
Enabled: Reads an unsigned eight-bit number from this file.
Enabled: Reads an unsigned 16-bit number from this file.
Enabled: Reads in a string from this file.
Enabled: Sets the file-pointer offset, measured from the beginning of this file, at which the next read or write occurs.
Enabled: Sets the length of this file.
Enabled: Attempts to skip over n bytes of input discarding the skipped bytes.
Enabled: Writes b.length bytes from the specified byte array to this file, starting at the current file pointer.
Enabled: Writes len bytes from the specified byte array starting at offset off to this file.
Enabled: Writes the specified byte to this file.
Enabled: Writes a boolean to the file as a one-byte value.
Enabled: Writes a byte to the file as a one-byte value.
Writes a sub array as a sequence of bytes.
Enabled: Writes the string to the file as a sequence of bytes.
Enabled: Writes a char to the file as a two-byte value, high byte first.
Enabled: Writes a string to the file as a sequence of characters.
Enabled: Converts the double argument to a long using the doubleToLongBits method in class Double, and then writes that long value to the file as an eight-byte quantity, high byte first.
Enabled: Converts the float argument to an int using the floatToIntBits method in class Float, and then writes that int value to the file as a four-byte quantity, high byte first.
Enabled: Writes an int to the file as four bytes, high byte first.
Enabled: Writes a long to the file as eight bytes, high byte first.
Enabled: Writes a short to the file as two bytes, high byte first.
Enabled: Writes a string to the file using UTF-8 encoding in a machine-independent manner.
Suppressed: Creates a random access file stream to read from, and optionally to write to, a file with the specified name. A new FileDescriptor object is created to represent the connection to the file.
Enabled: Creates a random access file stream to read from, and optionally to write to, the file specified by the File argument. A new FileDescriptor object is created to represent this file connection.
"r" Open for reading only. Invoking any of the write methods of the resulting object will cause an java.io.IOException to be thrown.
The "rws" and "rwd" modes work much like the force(boolean) method of the java.nio.channels.FileChannel class, passing arguments of true and false, respectively, except that they always apply to every I/O operation and are therefore often more efficient. If the file resides on a local storage device then when an invocation of a method of this class returns it is guaranteed that all changes made to the file by that invocation will have been written to that device. This is useful for ensuring that critical information is not lost in the event of a system crash. If the file does not reside on a local device then no such guarantee is made.
Opens a file and returns the file descriptor. The file is opened in read-write mode if writeable is true, else the file is opened as read-only. If the name refers to a directory, an IOException is thrown.
Enabled: Reads a byte of data from this file. The byte is returned as an integer in the range 0 to 255 (0x00-0x0ff). This method blocks if no input is yet available.
Enabled: Reads up to len bytes of data from this file into an array of bytes. This method blocks until at least one byte of input is available.
Although RandomAccessFile is not a subclass of InputStream, this method behaves in the exactly the same way as the InputStream.read(byte, int, int) method of InputStream.
Enabled: Reads up to b.length bytes of data from this file into an array of bytes. This method blocks until at least one byte of input is available.
Although RandomAccessFile is not a subclass of InputStream, this method behaves in the exactly the same way as the InputStream.read(byte) method of InputStream.
Enabled: Reads b.length bytes from this file into the byte array, starting at the current file pointer. This method reads repeatedly from the file until the requested number of bytes are read. This method blocks until the requested number of bytes are read, the end of the stream is detected, or an exception is thrown.
Enabled: Reads exactly len bytes from this file into the byte array, starting at the current file pointer. This method reads repeatedly from the file until the requested number of bytes are read. This method blocks until the requested number of bytes are read, the end of the stream is detected, or an exception is thrown.
Enabled: Writes the specified byte to this file. The write starts at the current file pointer.
Enabled: Sets the file-pointer offset, measured from the beginning of this file, at which the next read or write occurs. The offset may be set beyond the end of the file. Setting the offset beyond the end of the file does not change the file length. The file length will change only by writing after the offset has been set beyond the end of the file.
If the present length of the file as returned by the length method is greater than the newLength argument then the file will be truncated. In this case, if the file offset as returned by the getFilePointer method is greater then newLength then after this method returns the offset will be equal to newLength.
Enabled: Closes this random access file stream and releases any system resources associated with the stream. A closed random access file cannot perform input or output operations and cannot be reopened.
Enabled: Reads a boolean from this file. This method reads a single byte from the file, starting at the current file pointer. A value of 0 represents false. Any other value represents true. This method blocks until the byte is read, the end of the stream is detected, or an exception is thrown.
Enabled: Reads an unsigned eight-bit number from this file. This method reads a byte from this file, starting at the current file pointer, and returns that byte.
Enabled: Reads a float from this file. This method reads an int value, starting at the current file pointer, as if by the readInt method and then converts that int to a float using the intBitsToFloat method in class Float.
Enabled: Reads a double from this file. This method reads a long value, starting at the current file pointer, as if by the readLong method and then converts that long to a double using the longBitsToDouble method in class Double.
Enabled: Reads the next line of text from this file. This method successively reads bytes from the file, starting at the current file pointer, until it reaches a line terminator or the end of the file. Each byte is converted into a character by taking the byte's value for the lower eight bits of the character and setting the high eight bits of the character to zero. This method does not, therefore, support the full Unicode character set.
Enabled: Reads in a string from this file. The string has been encoded using a modified UTF-8 format.
The first two bytes are read, starting from the current file pointer, as if by readUnsignedShort. This value gives the number of following bytes that are in the encoded string, not the length of the resulting string. The following bytes are then interpreted as bytes encoding characters in the UTF-8 format and are converted into characters.
Enabled: Writes a boolean to the file as a one-byte value. The value true is written out as the value (byte)1; the value false is written out as the value (byte)0. The write starts at the current position of the file pointer.
Enabled: Writes a byte to the file as a one-byte value. The write starts at the current position of the file pointer.
Enabled: Writes a short to the file as two bytes, high byte first. The write starts at the current position of the file pointer.
Enabled: Writes a char to the file as a two-byte value, high byte first. The write starts at the current position of the file pointer.
Enabled: Writes an int to the file as four bytes, high byte first. The write starts at the current position of the file pointer.
Enabled: Writes a long to the file as eight bytes, high byte first. The write starts at the current position of the file pointer.
Enabled: Converts the float argument to an int using the floatToIntBits method in class Float, and then writes that int value to the file as a four-byte quantity, high byte first. The write starts at the current position of the file pointer.
Enabled: Converts the double argument to a long using the doubleToLongBits method in class Double, and then writes that long value to the file as an eight-byte quantity, high byte first. The write starts at the current position of the file pointer.
Enabled: Writes the string to the file as a sequence of bytes. Each character in the string is written out, in sequence, by discarding its high eight bits. The write starts at the current position of the file pointer.
Enabled: Writes a string to the file as a sequence of characters. Each character is written to the data output stream as if by the writeChar method. The write starts at the current position of the file pointer.
First, two bytes are written to the file, starting at the current file pointer, as if by the writeShort method giving the number of bytes to follow. This value is the number of bytes actually written out, not the length of the string. Following the length, each character of the string is output, in sequence, using the UTF-8 encoding for each character.


It was in order to part from the old building and celebrate the coming new building metamorphosed into "Steiner Gakuen" that we came here together. Visiting all the rooms of three-storied building one by one, we together performed hallelujah in eurythmy and spoke Steiner's mantra and recited "tanka" of celebration - Japanese ancient short story.
After going around all the rooms, we all jumped out into the school playground all at once. Some jumped up on a swing. Some hung on a tree. Some stretched their arms widely in the air.
At the former school in the center of Tokyo we nearly hit each otherinpassing through the narrow corridor and had to take turns in playing in the school yard from class to class. Now we teachers, free from such a narrow place, enjoyed being happy to breathe greatly in the wide space.
Have you oever been to Tokyo? If you have visited Tokyo once, you'll know the business district that never has a sleep all day, and the buildings standing together in large numbers in the broad area, and the trains, buses, and cars passing incessantly, and the waves of a great number of people moving pushed forward by "time". Even in the heart of Tokyo, however, there are places where with nature still remaining people can breathe freely. In such a place was our school born quietly eighteen years ago. It was the first Waldorf school in Japan and in Asia as well.
For these eighteen years we have been obliged to accept the narrow and insecure school building, and the law of education which remains unchanged as it was, and the severe official requirements for establishment of a school. But the new way appeared before us that our school might be accredited as a private school by taking advantage of the national system called "Tokku". The Government made up the system in which the former laws are loosened in limited areas of Japan in order to promote movements in the economical and cultural fields which meet the needs of the current times. This system drilled a hole through the wall which had utterly prevented school founding. Making an application many times brought us two approvals of the Government: to ease the restriction that a private school should be required to own its land and its school building if it is to be accredited by the Government, and to use the Waldorf curriculum instead of the one authorized by the Ministry of Education and Science. So we began to look for a local government which would help realize our wish. It was in April, 2004 that we met with Fujinocho and acquired acknowledgement of "Tokku". It was in November of the same year that our school was accredited as a private school through examination by the Council of Private Schools.
In Japan schools start in April when cherry blossoms are out all at once. On 11th April 123 pupils of class 2 to 9 came up to the school which was hastily redecorated inside with the walls painted in different colors. Some pupils came in a bus beginning to run from Fujino Station to the school. Many pupils walked along the mountain paths. The mayor of the town said in his speech at the opening ceremony, "Everyone, I went to school by walking along the mountain path for forty minutes. That's why I am still strong physically though I'm old." Some small children came to school with flowers picked up on the road side. Others ate ripe mulberries on their way.
One week later the number of pupils became 147, welcoming 24 children into class 1. There was a cherry blossom tree standing in the playground, from which petals of the cherry blossoms were dancing down. Children were running around the ground, surrounded by the pink veil of petals.
On 15th July, when the first term was finished in peace, a summer festival was held at school. On 7th July, which is Star Festival Day originated in Eastern Asia, people used to grind an ink-cake with water collected from morning dews, and write their wish on a strip of paper, and hang it on a branch of a bamboo tree. We put up nine bamboo trees decorated in that way in every class, which we brought out together in the center of the playground. Around those nine bamboo trees put together, we danced, played the musical instruments, filled our mouth with sweet potatoes grown by class 7 and 9, and finally set the bamboos on fire. The burning fire made a strong and energetic sound like fireworks, and released golden flames, and raised our wishes in spiral into Heaven.
Now we teachers wish that the high school will be also accredited in the near future and its school building will be built. We also wish to have a teacher training course and a eurhythmy hall. Another great wish is that five other Waldorf schools trying to make their way with the same difficulty as we had one year ago will be successful in getting accredited and the movement will expand and be rooted firmly in society.


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The Demise of ESPN Could Benefit This Stock
ESPN has gone from one of the crown jewel of Disney's empire to one of its biggest problems.
ESPN, according to many analysts, pays too much for content and costs too much for consumers. For years, this didn't matter. The cable industry "bundled" channels and customers were forced to pay for it even if they never watched it. Now, as the cable bundle slowly disintegrates, it matters a lot.
Consumers have realized that cable is expensive as alternatives like Netflix popped up. ESPN is one of the reasons cable is expensive. The network charges over $7 a month per subscriber. When you throw in the rest of the ESPN channels, that number approaches $10.
That money allowed the network to pay high prices for content — $1.9 billion a year for one NFL game a week; a 12-year, $7.3 billion contract for the rights to the college football playoffs; $1.4 billion a year to the NBA; Big Ten sports for $2.64 billion over six years. Its annual content costs more than $7 billion.
Cable customers who don't watch sports, and many who do, have chosen to abandon bundles that include ESPN. This has created problems for cable companies.
Winners Always Replace Struggling Companies
New reports indicate a non-sports skinny bundle is about to become a reality. Discovery, Viacom, AMC, A+E, and Scripp Networks are teaming up to offer an entertainment-focused streaming service that will be void of sports programming.
The Wall Street Journal reported the news about the skinny bundle and said that the new service will have a soft launch in the upcoming weeks with subscriptions priced at less than $20 a month. The lineup of channels featured in the bundle aren't all drawn out, but WSJ says that the media companies are expecting all their core channels to be part of it. This includes Discovery's ID, TLC and Animal Planet; Scripps' HGTV and Food Network; and Viacom's roster that includes Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central and BET. AMC and A+E's will be featured as well.
This could benefit the stocks of companies that offer non-sports programming.
AMC Networks (Nasdaq: AMCX) owns and operates entertainment businesses through two operating segments. National Networks includes programming networks, such as AMC, WE tv, BBC AMERICA, IFC, and SundanceTV in the U.S. and AMC, IFC and Sundance Channel in Canada.
The International and Other segment includes AMC Networks International (AMCNI), the company's international programming businesses, IFC Films, the company's independent film distribution business, and AMCNI-DMC, the broadcast solutions unit of certain networks of AMCNI and third party networks.
AMCX Offers Value
AMC Networks Inc.'s earnings have increased from $5.80 to an estimated $6.45 over the past 5 quarters. Earnings have also been accelerating in quarterly growth rates when adjusted for the volatility of earnings, according to Ford Equity Research.
This indicates an improvement in future earnings growth may occur. Ford notes "nearly 40 years of research have shown that the change in the growth of earnings per share is an important factor that drives stock price performance."
The analysts also note, "Earnings forecasts for AMC Networks Inc. have been increasing which indicates an improvement in future earnings growth. The company has also reported higher earnings than those predicted in earlier estimates. This indicates an ability to exceed analysts' expectations and the potential for improving earnings growth in the future."
This favorable outlook is not reflected in the company's stock price. The chart below shows the stock's price to earnings (P/E) ratio since the stock began trading in 2011. For the past year, the stock's P/E ratio has consistently been near 10, well below the market average.
A below average P/E ratio is justified if the company's earnings are declining. That is not the case for AMCX where earnings are rising.
In fact, the projected earnings growth of AMCX of 11.2% a year is slightly above average. The stock's growth places it in the 52nd percentile, with expected growth that is faster than the growth expected of 48% of the companies with earnings estimates.
The stock's current P/E ratio of about 12.2 places it in the bottom 20% of all stocks with P/E ratio. Many value investors consider this to be the area where they find stocks that are attractive. Over the past five years, AMCX has traded with an average P/E ratio of 17.8, slightly above the market average.
This year, analysts expect AMCX to report earnings per share (EPS) of $6.67. To develop a price target, we can use the current P/E ratio and the average ratio over the past five years. This will provide an expected range for the stock.
The earnings history, shown in the next chart, indicates AMCX is likely to maintain its current earnings.
This indicates earnings can be used to estimate the value of the stock. With a P/E ratio of 12.2 and this year's expected earnings, the minimum price target for AMCX is about $81. With the higher P/E ratio of 17.8, the target is about $118.
One reason the stock is undervalued is because of concerns about cord cutting. ESPN's high cost created a problem for the entire cable and satellite television industry. Many consumers cut the cord as they realized a few subscription services could deliver the content they wanted at a lower cost.
AMC is now addressing that problem. AMC also has a library of hit programs including Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead. The networks hits make it a network viewers are willing to pay for and should allow the company to continue growing its earnings.
A Specific Trading Strategy
To benefit from potential gains in AMCX, an investor could buy shares of the company. This requires a significant amount of capital and exposes the investor to standard risks of owning a stock.
To reduce the risks of a trade, an investor could purchase a call option. This allows them to benefit from upside moves in the stock while limiting risk to the amount paid for the options. Although the risk is limited, it is equal to 100% of the amount paid for the option.
To further limit the risks of the trade, an investor could use a bull call spread. This strategy consists of buying one call option and selling another at a higher strike price to help pay for the cost of buying the first call. Potential risks and rewards of this strategy are shown in the diagram below.
This strategy is designed to profit from a gain in the underlying stock's price but has the added benefit of avoiding the large up-front capital outlay and downside risk of outright stock ownership.
Both the potential profit and loss for the bull call spread are very limited and very well defined. The maximum loss is equal to the net premium paid when the trade is opened. The maximum profit is limited to the difference between the strike prices, less the debit paid to put on the position.
For AMCX, the October 20 options can be used. The October 20 $60 call option can be bought for about $2 and the October 20 $65 call could be sold for about $0.55. The difference between the two prices indicates the trade would result in a debit of $1.45. Since each contract covers 100 shares, this trade would cost about $145 to open.
That is the maximum potential loss on the trade.
The potential gain is equal to the difference in the option exercise prices minus the premium paid to open the trade. In this case that is $5 ($65 – $60) less the $1.45 premium, or $3.55. The potential gain of $355 on the trade is equal to about 145% of the amount of capital risked, a favorable reward to risk ratio for many traders.
An Overlooked Segment of the Driverless Car Revolution
Even In a Bear Market, This Stock's Undervalued


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