The next version of Android could introduce a built-in feature that empowers wireless carriers to lock customers' phones via SIM cards.
Blame is in ready supply amid the latest wave of SIM-swap attacks targeting bank, social media and in some cases cryptocurrency accounts.
T-Mobile USA is sending SMS alerts to its postpaid customer base, warning of a scam in which bad actors are impersonating legitimate T-Mobile users.
MetTel is touting its single SIM for automatically connecting IoT devices to the strongest signal via the four major U.S. operators and 650 worldwide carriers.


text:
Glaciers Disappear in Namesake Park
on Apr 8, 2010 @ 16:32 PDT
Glacier National Park might soon need a new name. The northern Montana refuge just lost another two of its namesake ice fields to climate change and park officials warn the remaining twenty-five could be gone by the end of the decade.
A glacier needs to be at least ten hectares to qualify for the title and so far one third of glaciers in the park have slipped below that threshold. Of the 12 that have melted away, 11 have done so since 1966. Overall glacier acreage in the park in 2005 has sank 18 percent since that time.
The latest two to drop off the list lost 55% of their area since the mid 1960's and the rest are going fast. "When we're measuring glacier margins, by the time we go home, the glacier is already smaller than what we've measured," said Dan Fagre, an ecologist with the U.S. Geological Survey.
The exodus of ice also threatens a $1 billion tourism industry in the area. Disappearing glaciers and warmer temperatures will lower stream flows, impacting fishing and rafting outfitters.
Local businesses are worried about the big melt. Rhonda Fitzgerald runs the Garden Wall Inn in Whitefish, Montana and knows well what keeps her customers coming. "Visitors come to Montana for its spectacular unspoiled natural beauty."
"Tourism is Montana's number 2 industry, bringing over $3 billion into the state each year, and Glacier National Park is one of the top reasons people visit Montana," she said. Ensuring that the pristine condition of the Crown of the Continent and its intact ecosystem will be maintained is essential to the economic health of Montana's tourism industry."
A recent report by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization and Natural Resources Defence Council showed that Glacier Park was two degrees hotter on average from 2000 to 2009, compared with 1950 to 1979.
Meanwhile on the other side of the country, the Washington Post continues its campaign against rational thought. This week they published an op-ed declaring that climate science is not only dead, but that those pesky green radicals are already plotting the next phony global scare to raise money.
This once august journal of sober thought seems now to be instead enamored with kooky conspiracy theories. If their writers no longer subscribe to science, perhaps they should instead look out the window.
Last march was the wettest month on record in Rhode Island, New York City, and New Jersey. Last winter had the most snow in DC history since records were kept in 1884. More weather records fell this week in the Northeast – The hottest April 7 on record for Boston and New York. Philly has seen the warmest first week of April ever.
Shoring up what we can see with our own eyes is a recent report that showed such freaky weather was becoming more frequent throughout the Northeast.
The study combed through 60 years' worth of National Weather Service rainfall records in nine Northeastern states and found that storms that produce an inch or more of rain in a day are now commonplace. This inconvenient truth may require billions of dollars of upgrades to infrastructure that was designed for "100 year floods" that now come quite a bit more often.
The weather is getting weird whether the well-funded constellation of climate deniers wants to admit it of not.
That a national park might soon have to come up with a new name is only the latest glaring evidence that the world is not in fact flat.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
<?php

return array(

	/*
	|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
	| Application Debug Mode
	|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
	|
	| When your application is in debug mode, detailed error messages with
	| stack traces will be shown on every error that occurs within your
	| application. If disabled, a simple generic error page is shown.
	|
	*/

	'debug' => true,

	/*
	|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
	| Autoloaded Service Providers
	|--------------------------------------------------------------------------
	|
	| The service providers listed here will be automatically loaded on the
	| request to your application. Feel free to add your own services to
	| this array to grant expanded functionality to your applications.
	|
	*/

	'providers' => append_config(array(
		'Way\Generators\GeneratorsServiceProvider',
		'Barryvdh\LaravelIdeHelper\IdeHelperServiceProvider',
	)),

);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Council Cut Backs Caused Fatal Road Accident Says Campaigner
A road safety campaigner from Warwickshire has made a plea for improvements to be made on the roads as soon as possible.
The request comes following a fatal car accident in Leamington in December 2012 which is said to have been precipitated by the council turning off streetlights in a bid to save money.
Paul Kerr said that he felt that someone's death was needed in order for 'people to see the obvious'.
Road Accidents Caused 'Emotional Upset'
Mr Kerr said that above all, road accidents cause a great deal of emotional upset. He said the death in question could have possibly been avoided if the council had considered road safety measures as well as saving money turning out road lights.
Mr Kerr has fought for road safety for many years and played a key role in developing a successful national campaign in 2013. He now
More Road Safety Education
Mr Kerr believes the way forward is through education and that by choosing this channel there will be a reduction in tragic road accidents. He told a local newspaper: "In 2012, there were 1,754 fatalities on the roads, which equates to more than £3 billion being spent on investigating deaths.
He said that if some of the money was used on road safety before accidents happened this would be money better spent. He believes that the government should not pass on responsibilities of road safety to local authorities.
On behalf of the council, a spokesman said that road safety had been looked at and there had been no marked difference in road accident statistics when the lights were switched on and off. He added: "We will continue to work closely with all agencies and monitor the data on road accidents as well as community safety where part-night lighting is in operation."
Claiming Compensation For A Road Accident
If you have been involved in a road accident and have suffered an injury that was not your fault then you could be able to make a valid compensation claim.
First Personal Injury Lawyers is a team of no win no fee solicitors who specialise in car accident claims. If you have been injured in any kind of road accident our experienced team can help you make a successful personal injury claim.
Please get in touch with us by completing an online claim form or calling us on 0800 808 9740.


Cornice was originally developed to provide more or less the same functionality of ACDSee but on Linux. But since it was developed using Python program language - it is now available on virtually any platform - Windows, Mac and of course Linux.
It has a great navigation and a strong thumbnail viewer - and when you find the picture you are looking for you can easily zoom and rotate it. At the same time exif data can be shown if they are stored with the image - this could include information on when exactly a photo was taken.
Among other features Cornice can also be used for slideshows - and it is even able to navigate into your zip files. Bookmarks can be created to quickly find the pictures you are looking for. Cornice is a simple and basic image viewer with which is not filled with useless features.
All users are recommended to fetch the tarball (see Download section of homepage for details) - however, Windows users can fetch the stand-alone executable version (still 0.6.1).


Do you have kids in the phase of writing practice? You need learning media for them? Here it is! You can pick and download tracing letters worksheets for practice! When your kid is about to start learn how to write, firstly you need to teach them how to write a letter. It is important for them to understand the shape of each letter. To make them understand the shape of each letter, this worksheet will provide kid a tracing line. The function of these lines is to easier kids form a letter by following the lines.
Tracing letter worksheets also provide templates for kids to learn the uppercase and lowercase letter. When they try to form a letter, it is important for them to understand the form of uppercase and lowercase letters. These worksheets will help them to find out the different form of each uppercase and lowercase letters from a until z. Besides, this worksheet will provide the implementation of the letter. For example M for monkey or D for Duck so they will understand the use of each letter and it is quite interesting for kids because they love learn with play.
Sometimes, kids are boring to do the same thing continuously because when they practice, need to form a letter repeatedly until they understand. Also, they will easily getting tired of practice so kids tend to reject the parent to continue their practice. To prevent this condition, tracing letters worksheets comes with attractive animation picture to attract them. When they interest on it, they will keep practicing without command from their parents.
These worksheets are available to be downloaded and easily to print. After parents print the worksheets and ask kids to practice, don't forget to keep guiding them. Do not push your kids to practice, but make happy situation and build the good atmosphere so they will have willingness to practice. Happy practice!
Tracing Letters Worksheets for Practice on Kiddo Shelter. This content presented by Miss Clark on 06 May 2018 at 3:04 pm. If you feel this post of Tracing Letters Worksheets for Practice is useful for you, feel free to share this nice Letter Kiddo Shelter content for your kids activities.


Incandescent shades of ivory, bone, teal, turquoise and gold light up a brilliantly-bordered old world design of leaves, blossoms and palmettes for an effect that is utterly entrancing. Expertly made and specially space dyed for mesmerizing depth and dimension, the magnificent Nourison 2020 area rug will impart an air of affluence to any environment.
The Nourison 2020 5'3" X 7'5" Ivory Rectangle Rug by Nourison at Belfort Furniture in the Washington DC, Northern Virginia, Maryland and Fairfax VA area. Product availability may vary. Contact us for the most current availability on this product.


Prospective EU approval for the import of another genetically modified crop has been delayed after member states could not agree on whether to accept or reject the application at their December meeting. The European Commission has proposed approval of products based on Monsanto's stearidonic acid-improved MON87769 soybeans. Now that the EU regulatory committee has returned a "no opinion", the proposal will be referred to an appeal committee for a vote.


1. Can you describe how the concept of JSW Foundation came about?
We at JSW believe that the inclusive growth is not a destination but a journey made possible by all the progressive engagement of all stakeholders in the developmental process. JSW strives to achieve sustainable development through an involvement in education, health and livelihood, women empowerment, promotion of arts and culture, environment protection and sports.
2. What pushed JSW Foundation towards pursuing goals in sustainable and socially responsible practices, as opposed to a strictly profits-based model?
It is our sheer commitment hence we have committed 2% of our profit after tax to build a sustainable India.
We have always cherished people's joy. Our aim is to create a value based empowered society through a purposeful engagement in various spheres of life by involving the community at large.
We endeavor to create long term value for the business and society. We also strive to assess the impact of our operations on local agriculture, bio diversity and health.
5. To what would you credit the success of JSW Foundation practicing socially responsible business?
To spread the culture of giving, this can be so enriching and viable business model. The volunteerism also encourages all employees to contribute to the best of their abilities and gives them the freedom to choose the areas in which they would like to offer their services.
JSW Foundation was founded in 1982 by Sh O P Jindal and currently has locations in India, Mozambique and South Africa. JSW Foundation currently has 44,500 employees across 7 locations. The foundation, in consultation with plant management and CSR teams, finalizes a set of initiatives every year that get incorporated into its business plan. The JSW Foundation believes that this planned approach will lead to a manifold of growth of its humane initiatives involving both employees and communities.


This term I'm in Painting 4 (I jumped over Painting 3, which I'll be taking in September) and am having a great time.
First painting of the term is complete. We voted in class on the theme and it was a mash-up of Space and Ocean, and all the paintings are 24×24″. I did a ghost ship sailing into the blood moon which was inspired by the lunar eclipse a couple of weeks ago. I'm really pleased with it.
All of the paintings from this year two project will be up in a gallery space in the College. Probably most of this calendar year based on how long the current paintings have been up. I will be getting photos of it on display! Hope to be able to get some as we are hanging them too.
This week we start the next project which is a diptych at a minimum. We can do as many canvasses as we want up to 52″ square per canvas. We are stretching our own and the stretcher bars available go from 20″ up to 52″ so we can pick our dimensions.
I've been scribbling down ideas for it and doing some research for images. I think I have a pretty good idea – I'll see what the professor thinks in class on Thursday.
I am really not a fan of painting big canvases – not because they scare me, but I have no where to put them. I could just abandon them at school, like so many past students have, I suppose. But when I put an effort into something I like to know it is being appreciated somewhere! Leaving it behind seems almost like abandoning a child.
I finally finished my big painting started in 2D Art & Design last semester. I went in early on Friday and spent four hours working on it in the studio. I think it is done now. It is based on a photograph I took on my trip to Morocco in 2017. I settled on 20×38″ – that was as big as I wanted to get – I have a place to hang it, I hope. I measured and it should work. I'll have to move some smaller works somewhere else, but that is easy.
I'm not sure if I'm developing a style of my own. I don't feel like I am. But I've always had a hard time seeing it in my own work. People would always comment on my style in face and body painting, which I didn't see. I would ask them to describe it to me! I can look back at my work and see it now, in retrospect, but I don't necessarily see it while I'm actively doing it.
I hope to figure out what my style is by the end of this term. Every time I start a painting that I intend to do in say, impressionist style for example, I suddenly realize while I'm painting that I swerved away from that intent. So, I probably DO have a style I guess. I just don't know what it is yet!
Categories: Art, Shannon Fennell | Tags: Acrylic Painting, Art, Blood Moon Painting, Durham College Fine Arts Program, Ghost Ship Painting, Painting, Painting of Morocco | Permalink.


Moved back to the Wichita area in 2001, where the wife found the perfect out in the sticks, not sure I could ever live in town again.
I came, I went, I graduated.
Kurt Oswald has a birthday today.
Kurt Oswald changed his profile picture.
Kurt Oswald added a photo to his profile gallery.
Kurt Oswald updated his profile. View.
Kurt Oswald changed his "Now" picture.
Kurt Oswald changed his "Then" picture.


text:
Tag: Zionist Organization of America
Critics peek under the Conference umbrella
President Barack Obama meets with leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in the state dining room at the White House on March 1, 2011. (Official White House photo by Pete Souza)
Since the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations voted April 30 to reject the membership application of the self-labeled "pro-Israel, pro-peace" lobby J Street, the umbrella group has come under siege with accusations of not being adequately representative of U.S. Jewry's views and for being controlled by a faction of right-wing members.
Yet a closer look at the Conference's makeup reveals the prevalence of politically centrist or apolitical organizations – particularly among its largest members – such as Jewish National Fund, Hadassah, Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, B'nai B'rith International, Jewish Federations of North America and American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Also included in the Conference are openly liberal groups such as Ameinu and Americans for Peace Now.
"A majority of the groups voting against J Street were secular, centrist groups, not religious or right-wing," Zionist Organization of America national president Morton A. Klein suggested, noting that by his count there are no more than 11 religious or right-wing groups among the Conference's 50 members.
"To say it's not inclusive when you have Peace Now, Ameinu, [American Friends of] Likud and ZOA in the Conference, is an absurd statement," Klein added.
J Street responded to the vote with a letter on its website addressed to Conference of Presidents executive vice-chairman/chief executive officer Malcolm Hoenlein, stating, "Dear Malcolm: Thank you for finally making it clear that the Conference of Presidents is not representative of the voice of the Jewish community. We recognize the need for an open and honest conversation on Israel in the United States. We appreciate you being honest. Now we'll work on the openness."
To gain membership in the Conference, J Street needed the support of two-thirds of the body's members. Forty-two members showed up for the vote, whose final tally was 22 against J Street, 17 in favor and three abstentions.
Read more at jns.org.
Format ImagePosted on May 16, 2014 May 14, 2014 Author Jacob Kamaras JNS.ORGCategories WorldTags American Jewish Committee, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, Anti-Defamation League, B'nai B'rith International, Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, Hadassah, J Street, Jewish Federations of North America, Jewish National Fund, Malcolm Hoenlein, Morton A. Klein, Zionist Organization of America


Quadrant 9EV9 is a 2016 American science fiction action horror feature film produced and directed by David Maga from a screenplay co-written with John Bush. The Subhuman Workshop production stars Dominique Storelli, Michael Huntsman and Jennifer Churchich.
Gilt Edge Media released Quadrant 9EV9 on DVD on 22 May 2017.


"What a mess!" I thought. "What a bloody mess!" I wasn't British cursing–I meant literally bloody.
I had settled into the recliner after getting my infusion going last Friday. Needles in? Check. Pump started? Check. Blanket? Check. Gatorade? Check. Anne with an E? Check and check.
I got caught up in the show, continuously thinking "this didn't happen in the book," and cringing in second-hand embarrassment from Anne's antics. I neglected to check my sites as often as I should have–at all in fact, until I felt a weird trickle running down my left leg. Crap. Crap crap crap. I knew what that meant. I stuck my hand into my sweatpants and felt the left side of my leg where I had placed the needle half an hour before and was greeted by a wet, sticky mess. That confirmed it. My site was leaking.
With a groan, that for once had nothing to do with what Anne was doing on the TV, I got up and went into the kitchen to assess the damage further. Down went the sweatpants. Up went the leg of my bball shorts. Another Mormon curse word or two as I saw that I wasn't just leaking Gammagard, I was also leaking blood. Rather a lot for such a teeny, tiny hole in my leg.
I've done more than 150 sub-q infusions by now. I've had leaking medicine, blood in the tube from hitting a blood vessel, asthma attacks, headaches, chills, extremely painful needle sites that rub too close to the muscle, bent needles, needles falling out mid-infusion, faulty tubing–just about everything. But this was the first time I ever leaked blood.
As always before starting the pump I checked to make sure that my needles hadn't landed in any blood vessels; once the needles are in I pull back on the syringe and if blood comes into the tube, that means trouble–I can't use that site. I had done this on Friday as usual and it was all clear! So I shouldn't have been bleeding… but I was.
I talked to an infusion nurse about it Monday. She said, "that's weird." (If I had a nickel for every time a health care professional has said that to me…) Usually when leaking occurs it's because the needle isn't long enough–it's not getting deep enough into your fat tissue. But based on my weight and height the nurse was pretty sure that wasn't the problem, and we were both reluctant to go up to the next needle size–12 mm (yikes).
Instead she recommended I try using more sites. For a while now I've just been using two, which I know is pushing it. You're really only supposed to have 15-30ml of fluid per site; with just two I'm demanding each take about 50ml. That's a lot.
Friday after I discovered the leak, I had to pinch off the tubing and take the needle out of that side, so my right leg had to take about 80ml of fluid. That was seriously ouchy. I should have taken a picture–it was pretty hilariously swollen–but I didn't. Just imagine an angrily red grapefruit on the side of my leg and you've about got it.
So now I have to use a three needle set.
Which is fine. I actually used a four needle set for the first couple years I did sub-q, then I switched because I liked only having to stick twice per infusion. I've never used the trifurcated sets much because, well, it's silly but the lack of symmetry bothers me; with three needles there's always one side with two and one side with only one. It's weird. But since my skin is done with this 50ml-per-site foolishness I guess my OCD side will just have to deal.
The question is then: how do I decide which side to torture more?… Flip for it? Eeny, meeny, miny, moe? It's a conundrum alright.
A Post-Op, a Follow-Up, an Infection–Isn't Summer Fun?
Today I had my post-op appointment for my gallbladder surgery. Dr. Jones said I'm healing great. He took off the last of my steri-strips and checked to make sure the muscles underneath the incisions are coming together. I'm still not allowed to lift anything over 20 lbs or do strenuous exercise for another two weeks (which includes body weight stuff like yoga- I asked), but after that I'm clear to do as I please. I think that includes life in general–so if you see me robbing a chocolate store on TV or something, don't worry–Dr. Jones said it's ok.
I'm hardly in any pain any more unless I try to use or stretch my ab muscles too much. The most residual soreness is in the area where Mr. Gallbladder used to live–it feels like I've got a stitch/cramp there underneath my ribcage.
My digestion is also still adjusting to the vacancy, but is doing quite well over all. After all the horror stories I read about crazy bad diarrhea post-gb removal, I had a very slight case of the runs for less than a week. I have been able to eat cheese, yogurt, lactose-free ice cream, burgers, potato chips, brownies, whip cream, avacado, and lots of other yummylicious foods that caused gb attacks before the op. I am SO happy I got the surgery. I don't miss the little green fella one bit!
I had a follow-up with my neurologist today. My migraines have improved from daily to 2-3 times per week–much better, but still pretty out of control. Doc L is an awesome neurologist; he listens, talks to me like an equal, and most importantly- hasn't tried to hold my hand, not even once (my neurologist in HS always held my hand, no matter what diversionary tactics I employed to avoid it). But even he admits that total control–zero headaches for months–is likely out of reach in my case. So for now we are shooting for better control, and we'll go from there.
Since my body seems to handle the Prozac well, we are doubling the dose (to a normal adult dose) and hoping it will get me down to 1 or so migraines a week. Unfortunately the jump in dose has brought back my favorite of Prozac's side effects: I can't sleep! Not a wink. Luckily it should pass in a couple weeks. It did the first time.
I have finally accepted it. I have a sinus infection, for the second month in a row. I am frustrated because it's been just over a year since I had sinus and turbinate surgery and I'm wondering if I'm going to need another soon. With my Ig infusions I shouldn't be getting infections this much, but they just keep coming one after another.
My immunologist doesn't have answers for me, but he is trying. When I get an infection I don't even have to go in, I just message him and he sends the antibiotic script to my pharmacy. This time I'm on Amox-Clav for ten days,which is an optimistically short course, but hopefully it'll do the trick.
I'll see Doc C for a follow-up in a couple weeks and we'll talk it over, see what more can be done. It's a constant climb and I'm always just hoping to find a good foot hold or a little ledge where I can catch my breath. But even though it's hard–it's so, so hard sometimes–when I stop to look around, man it's still a beautiful view.
I can't remember the exact date I found out. Isn't that horrible? Until now I have never been able to bring myself to even write about it; I write about everything big in my life, but this one day was too perfect to even try to capture. After four years, I'll finally take a shot at it, but just know there really are no words good enough…some things will inevitably be lost in translation.
It was in May, I know that–towards the rear-end of my senior year. I had been working with Dr. B, an allergist/immunologist, for over a year. We had tried just about everything to find the cause of my unending infections, but just as they had my whole life, everything kept coming back normal. Allergies: negative, except for a couple of foods. Immune globulin count: normal. Vaccine response: normal. Autoimmune markers: negative. But unlike every other doctor before her, Dr. B never gave up. I would come in for an appointment on Monday and she would tell me things she had thought of while researching my case over the weekend. When she was at a loss she consulted with other immunologists. She and her nurse put in hours working with Tri Care to get coverage for super-specialized tests that one of her colleagues did in D.C.
I had to drive up to her Williamsburg office to get the blood drawn and then it was shipped right away to the specialized lab in D.C. Like always I hoped, but after years of disappointment I didn't really believe anything would come of it. A couple weeks later I had a follow-up with Dr. B early in the morning. I was feeling very sick from another sinus infection and I almost didn't go, but my parents insisted that I at least go so she could give me some antibiotics. We drove to the office almost without thinking–we had been there so often it had become a routine, a habit even.
I think I laid down on the bench as we waited for her to come into the room; I was sick, exhausted and in pain. I was focused on getting in and out as fast as possible–the blood test results didn't even cross my mind. When Dr. B walked in she seemed…weird. As I talked to her about the sinus infection she was obviously distracted. She quickly promised me antibiotics and then took a deep breath. Was I crazy or was she fighting a smile?
I emerged from imagining the inner workings of my immune system to find that, oh poop, Dr. B was still talking. Luckily my mom was there to pay attention during my flights of fancy. My favorite doctor in the world went on to explain about Ig infusions–how they would be lifelong, but they could really help by providing my body with some antibodies not produced by teenage-boy B cells. Her smile faltered as she noticed the tears welling up in my eyes. Again mom came to the rescue and explained for me, since my brain had temporarily stopped manufacturing words, that they were tears of joy. I wasn't crying because I'd have to do Ig infusions for the rest of my life–I was crying because I got to.
Super mom helped me out again as we walked out of the room, she said she'd take care of the check-out so I could go sit in the car. The warm car felt good to my fevered body; I shut the door and it seemed to wrap me in its sun-baked embrace. I sat there and I smiled and I cried. The spring sun made the world beautiful and light. I hadn't noticed that before.
About a month later, the day before my eighteenth birthday, I had my very first Ig infusion.
Seeing all the pictures of high school grads on social media has got me nostalgic for my own high school days, in the way that one might be nostalgic about food poisoning or breaking a bone….
I was first introduced to Dante's Inferno my sophomore year of high school, which I thought very fitting as I was just beginning to realize the truth about my educational prison. As much as I disliked being forced to "read" Dante's description of hell, I did allow that it was useful to be able to point out my current location on a map. As I looked at the drawing of hell's many circles I imagined a pin with "you are here" stuck somewhere around the middle. But that was just english class.
Farther down, around circle eight was physics class. It was presided over by one of the hideous, horned demons of Dante's creation. He was a bully and he hated me for the obvious and just reasons that 1) I missed class so much and 2) I wasn't good at physics. He acted annoyed every time I approached him about needing to make up an assignment and he offered very limited after-school hours in which I was expected to do so. The only thing he communicated to me clearly was that he had no interest in helping me. In a subject I was already uncomfortable with, I was left completely on my own to learn weeks worth of material in a matter of hours. When I was there, he had no qualms about showing his dislike for me in front of the entire class and seemed to relish handing back assignments covered in derogatory red. He was hardly the first teacher to be unkind to me because of my health, but he was the worst. His class is the only one I have ever failed.
That was just circle eight though. The deepest depths of my high school hell was the attendance office. Not to be overdramatic, but if I had to choose a Satan from amongst the Tabb High School staff, it would be the attendance lady. I missed over 60 days of school my senior year and for every single absence, every time I came in late or left early, I had to face her. Every. Single. Time. Walking to her office with note in hand was like walking across the frozen lake right into the jaws of Satan himself. I never emerged from that grotesquely orange room without having been thoroughly chewed up and spit out by her gaping, drooling mouth and razor sharp teeth.
A recent photograph of she-who-must-not-be-named. You can see my legs dangling from her mouth.
Boy oh boy did she hate me. To this day I don't understand it–why or how any adult could harbor such antipathy towards an adolescent they hardly knew. She seemed to take it personally every time I was absent. She certainly made it VERY clear that she did not believe I was sick as much as I was. She put extra effort in several times to get me suspended for all my absences, and found any tiny loop hole to rule an absence "unexcused." My parents had to go over her head to the principal to prevent this, but nothing they did could prevent the persecution she heaped on me any time I dared miss school–even if I had a 103 fever and double infection documented by a doctor's note. If she could've, I'm sure she would have printed and distributed posters throughout the school with my face and "UNDESIRABLE #1" stamped on it.
The worst part of all this was that I wasn't even diagnosed yet. I got asked all the time by kids I barely knew "why do you get sick so much?" It drove me crazy that they asked and even crazier that I didn't have an answer. But at least I was only annoyed, not outright bullied by my peers. It was the adults that bullied me. They bullied me because I was sick and didn't have a name for my sickness. They bullied me because they didn't believe a teenager could really be that sick. They bullied me because they didn't understand. They bullied me because I couldn't fight back–because I was a kid and they were adults.
The thought that there are other kids going through the exact same thing right now kills me.
Just in case you're not a teenage girl- Augustus Waters is a fictional creation from John Green's The Fault in Our Stars. It's a somewhat cliché story of two teenagers dying from cancer who fall in love, but I must admit I actually own both the book and the movie. I liked that Green at least made an effort to make it real–some of the thoughts and feelings his young characters express were very, very real to me. I'm not sure why but this morning I was thinking about the one sentence from that book that has stayed with me for the two years since I read it–a three word phrase that Augustus tearfully repeats over and over again when the weight of his illness is simply too much.
"I hate myself I hate myself." He says. He is upset because he wanted to do just one thing for himself and he couldn't. He realizes his illness has taken his independence–has taken over his entire life.
I remember once thinking those exact words. I was in the shower, crying. I'd just had a wonderful day–I got to go on multiple walks in the beautiful spring weather and I'd gotten to eat lots of yummy food. I had done normal people stuff and at the time that still wasn't normal to me. It was a month or two after I had started being able to eat solid food again–I know I haven't really told that story yet, I will sometime–suffice it to say I had been very sick for about a year. At the point I found myself crying in the shower I had been getting better for a couple months. I'd just had a great day and I was miserable. It all still seemed too good to be true–a normal day, the possibility of a normal life again. Every day, every second, I was terrified that it would all disappear–that I would get sick again. I was so angry at myself that I couldn't just enjoy it all, that I was so afraid all the time. I felt so small. I thought those three poisonous little words again and again as I sobbed.
The truth is I don't hate myself. Sometimes I hate being me. Sometimes I'm disappointed that I can't be stronger, braver or more patient. But I don't hate myself.
When people tell me they admire how I handle my illness I shudder inside. I think of all the moments when I have been so small, angrily crying "not fair;" I think of all the times I have looked around at my peers with envy and bitterness that I cannot do what they can do, that I will never be one of them. I try to be positive and do my best with what I have, but I'm human. Sometimes I get so tired; I become a small, weak shadow that the better part of me loathes, but here's the kicker: that's okay.
It's okay to get mad, to break down, to be small.
Moments like those, they always pass. They pass for me and they will pass for you too. Once they do we pick up, we go on. Some days that's the best we've got. Why should we feel bad about not being perfectly strong or patient or whatever? We're all just lost boys and girls, trying to present our best, bravest face as we look around hoping that someone else knows what to do.
I can't be grateful for my illness.
Look at that, I'm no angel. I used to hate myself for it, but what good does that do? Does it help me handle my illness better? No. It makes me feel depressed. It makes me feel like it's all for nothing–all the struggle and pain. Well if it was my choice I wouldn't choose it–life with a body constantly breaking down–but I do know it's not all for nothing.
What's it all for then you may ask? Well geez I'm just a lost kid like the rest of you, how'd you expect me to know? I'm just running on faith–faith in a God who loves me and knows what's best for me–knows what all this is for.
Says every surgeon ever. I've had three surgeries now and while they happily describe cauterizing the bed of my liver or cutting bones from my nose there is one word they noticeably avoid in connection with cutting me up: pain. They speak of "discomfort" and "soreness," and somehow always manage to skirt the "p" word. I guess they're afraid that if they're honest about how surgery makes you feel they'll be out of a job–as if the general population isn't intelligent enough to realize that being cut and cauterized and debrided and stitched and stapled is going to cause pain. Of course once they've actually had the surgery the patient will be very aware of just how far the term "soreness" is stretching it, but that's not really the surgeon's problem anymore right?
I'm being passive aggressive. Maybe I should just tell you the specific reason I am annoyed at my surgeon, and surgeons in general, at the present moment. Of course having had two surgeries in the past I was already aware heading into this one of the surgeon's code–I knew that "discomfort" meant I'd be in significant pain–but really I couldn't have foreseen this particular scenario: I've been having a reaction to the pain medicine my surgeon prescribed me. It makes me itch all over like crazy, even when I take Benadryl. Tuesday I called my surgeon's office and told them this, hoping that I could get a different medicine to help with the pain, but not cause me to scratch myself to death. Their obnoxiously polite response was that I could try taking more Benadryl and if that didn't control the itching I could try taking Ibuprofen instead of the narcotic pain killer. And let's not forget the suggestion that I should really be tapering down my pain meds anyways because "most" people experience the worst pain in the first couple days–essentially "stop being a baby." Needless to say I was unhappy with their insulting and useless advice. Especially when I did try just taking Ibuprofen and discovered that I had not turned the figurative corner I supposedly should have floated around by then–my abdomen still freakin hurt.
and drowsiness that I could handle. Yesterday I think I finally did drag myself around that magical corner and the pain poofed suddenly into soreness (actual soreness not a surgeon's "soreness") that can be mostly managed by Ibuprofen.
Today is one week post-op and I feel a million times better than I did just a couple days ago. I'm eating a moderate amount, although I still feel overly full and a little sick every time I do eat. My stomach has deflated pretty much all the way and I just have a little residual swelling from my insides being poked and prodded. I'm still much more tired than normal, even without pain killers and Benadryl combining against me; if I make it, today will be my first full day without any prescription pain meds whatsoever.
1 week post-op tummy–not too shabby eh?
Close up on belly button incision–can you believe they got my gallbladder out through that little thing?


text:
int main() {
    Solution s;
    vector<string> words;
    words.push_back("Alaska");
    words.push_back("Peace");
    words.push_back("Dad");
    words.push_back("Hello");
    cout << s.findWords(words) << endl;
}


Necro PvP is an MCBE factions/PvP server. We have many gamemodes coming in the future such as Kit PvP, Survival, Prisons, Skyblock etc. Our ranks are cheap and easy to buy using the Leet Copay/Donations Apps. Staff Applications are always open on our Necro PvP website which is necropvp.weebly.com. Join now!


text:
Facebook plans first Asia-Pacific data center in Taiwan: Government official
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Facebook Inc is evaluating the possibility of investing T$10 billion ($300 million) to build its first data center in the Asia-Pacific region in Taiwan, joining Google, an official said on Wednesday.
The center would require 6 acres (2.43 hectares) of land, with the possibility to expand to 20 acres in the future, according to Magistrate Wei Ming-ku of Changhua County in central Taiwan.
"We've made all-out efforts to ensure sufficient supply of water and electricity ... We hope they will come," Wei said.
Google has built a data center in Changhua County, partly in hopes of tapping fast-growing Asian markets.
Facebook, the world's largest online social media network, said no decision had been made.
"As a global company working to connect billions of people around the world, we are always evaluating potential sites for new data centres, but we don't have anything to announce at this time," a Facebook spokeswoman said in an email.
It would be Facebook's first data center in Asia, following four others in the United States and one in Sweden, Taiwanese media reported.
Reporting by Faith Hung; Editing by Stephen Coates


xxxiii, 575, 36, pages : illustrations ; 23 cm.
Originally published as Yankee at the court of King Arthur in 1889 by Charles L. Webster and Company, New York.
Hank Morgan of Hartford, Connecticut, inadvertently travels back in time to sixteenth-century England where he tries to introduce modern technology and political ideas.
Americans -- Great Britain -- Fiction.
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is one of Twain's best-loved tales. A pioneering work of science fiction, it vibrates with slapstick comedy and serious social commentary as well. In this complex and ambitious tour de force, an inventive nineteenth-century resident of Hartford named Hank Morgan travels back in time to sixteenth-century England where he tries to introduce modern technology and political ideas. Along the way he founds the first tabloid, the Camelot Weekly Hosannah and Literary Volcano, organizes a game of baseball between armor-clad knights, and "keeps up a steady fire of flippancies, so frequent that no reader registers all of them on the first go-around," as Louis Budd reminds us in his introduction. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is Twain's most complex and disturbing meditation on technology, as well as a powerful consideration of politics and power. The original illustrations by Dan Beard, chosen by Twain himself to illustrate the book, brilliantly mix buffoonery with sharp social satire in an effective counterpoint to the text. By turns side-splittingly funny and somberly thought-provoking, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is Twain at his finest.


text:
Le canon de  SK L/45 est un canon naval allemand de calibre  utilisé durant la Première et la Seconde Guerre mondiale.

Conception
La conception du canon de  SK L/45 débute en 1901. Il dispose d'une distance de recul de , et les obus perforants ont un poids de . Le canon a une durée de vie de 260 coups à pleine charge.  sont produits; ils sont installés sur les cuirassés de la classe Nassau et sur le croiseur de bataille . L'élévation se règle grâce à un système électrique et mécanique, et les canons d'une même tourelle peuvent être synchronisés. L'opération de chargement s'effectue elle manuellement.

Les tourelles disposent d'un blindage de  à l'avant, de  sur les côtés, de  à l'arrière et de  sur le toit, sauf pour le Von der Tann, qui dispose de 23, 18 et  respectivement. Les tourelles des navires de la classe Nassau ont une élévation maximale de  et une dépression de . Avec un angle de , la portée du canon de  SK L/45 est de , et elle est de  à .

Utilisation
Monté sur les cuirassés , , ,  et sur le croiseur de bataille , le canon de  SK L/45 est l'arme qui permet à ce dernier de couler le  lors de la bataille du Jutland en 1916.

Ces canons seront ensuite démontés pour certains, et serviront d'artillerie côtière durant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.

Notes et références

Bibliographie

Voir aussi

Artillerie navale allemande
Arme de la Première Guerre mondiale
Arme de la Seconde Guerre mondiale
Artillerie de calibre 280 mm
Artillerie côtière

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Kate Middleton in Azure Blue at Olympics Exhibition: Revisiting Duchess' Past Appearances in Royal Blue [SLIDESHOW]
By Sanskrity Sinha
July 20, 2012 10:30 BST
Blue is often described as a royal colour and it is a shade that finds favour with Kate Middleton. The Duchess of Cambridge has often been spotted in an azure blue and was seen in that stunning colour again, on Thursday.
Kate Middleton was in attendance at an Olympics-themed exhibition in London, at the National Portrait Gallery, of which she is a patron. The exhibition - Road to 2012: Aiming High exhibition - showcases photographic portraits of athletes and other individuals, working behind the scenes, to make the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games happen, according to the official Web site of the gallery.
Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, visited the exhibition in a blue crepe dress designed by Stella McCartney, which she teamed with a pair of black Prada heels. The Duchess looked as stunning as ever in her trademark glossy blow-dry hairdo. Kate, who has developed a reputation for minimal accessories, sported a long gold necklace by renowned French jewellery house Cartier. The necklace, bearing five diamond-studded Olympic hoops, is said to be from Kate's personal collection.
Kate's Blue Dresses of the Past
Kate Middleton and the colour blue have a fashionable history; the Duchess has often been seen wearing different shades of royal blue.
One of the earliest such instances was during her first official appearance with Prince William; this was at St James' Palace, in November 2010, soon after their royal engagement. Kate was seen in blue, again, on the morning after her wedding, in April last year, when walking around Buckingham Palace with William.
In addition, Kate Middleton was seen in blue when on her first overseas trip (to Canada), as a member of the British royal family, last July. The Duchess wore blue - a dress by Canadian designer Erdem Moralioglu - with overlaid lace, for her visit to a centre for homeless young people in Quebec City.
Most recently, earlier this year Kate Middleton wore a stunning teal blue outfit to an Olympics concert and a powder blue tweed coat dress to a children's sporting event in Nottingham last month.
Click Start to check out a slideshow with photographs of Kate Middleton in a variety of blue outfits
Related topics : Gold Kate Middleton London


text:
Weekend Sports Round-Up
By drorzel on December 3, 2007.
A handful of sports items of interest to me:
1) My Giants defied expectations, and pulled out a 21-16 win over the Bears on two late touchdown drives, after sucking for most of the game. Well, OK, the defense was good throughout, though they were aided by the Bears not having a quarterback better than Rex Grossman, but the offense was dreadful.
Eli Manning gets most of the blame for that, somewhat unfairly. Some of the blame has to go on injuries-- the second INT he threw wasn't a terrible throw, if Plaxico Burress was healthy-- and some on the coaching staff, who as usual reacted to Manning's early struggles by going into ultra-conservative mode, leading to lots of sputtering drives. The wild swings in the Giants play-calling (Manning completes three passes in a row, suddenly they stop running the ball; he throws an interception, they stop passing the ball) drive me nuts.
2) The college football season limped to its preposterous conclusion, with Ohio State and LSU backing their way into the title game thanks to losses by West Virginia and Missouri. This is lame even in comparison to other lame-ass BCS "championships." Meanwhile, the one undefeated team in the nation, 12-0 Hawaii, barely squeaks into the Top 10 of the BCS standings. Yeah, yeah, yeah, they didn't play anybody all that good. Neither did Ohio State. College football: where every game matters, as long as you're a top team in a power conference.
2) The Dolphins are looking like a credible threat to go 0-16, after making the Jets look good. Now the Patriots need to hold up their end of the bargain, and beat the Ravens tonight so we can have a chance for both 16-0 and 0-16 teams in the same season.
3) Historical note: Prior to the Green Bay at Dallas game on Thursday, much was made of the fact that this was the first meeting of 10-1 teams since the Giants and 49ers in 1990. Green Bay made a good showing, but lost by ten after Brett Favre left with an injured arm.
Not noted in the aftermath was that there's still a 1990 parallel-- the Giants lost that game to the Niners, but came back to beat the Niners in the NFC championship game, en route to beating the heavily favored Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl. Phil Simms got hurt (I can't remember whether it was in that Niners game, or one of the later games), and backup Jeff Hostetler took over and ran the team through the playoffs.
I'm not making a solid prediction of anything, here, but if it gets to be Green Bay versus New England in the Super Bowl, with Aaron Rogers taking snaps for the Packers, well, history says that New England better be nervous...
5) Ummm.... I'm sure something else interesting happened. What was it?
Football Round-Up
So, remember a month or two back when everybody was whining about how Michigan got screwed out of a shot at the Mythical National Championship? They lost to USC last night. USC, you'll recall, demonstrated their inferiority to Michigan by losing to UCLA, which is how they ended up in the Rose Bowl…
Miscellaneous Football Thoughts
A few more detailed comments on the games leading up to the Chateau Steelypips Showdown in two weeks: The Patriots looked a little shaky, but again, I was never that worried that they would actually lose. Their defense isn't as intimidating as it was a few years ago, but they did enough to get the…
It's All About the Offensive Line
Last night's Giants-Cowboys game was not one of the finer displays of football you're ever see-- the score makes it seem like a close game, but the Giants turned the ball over five times and gave up a punt return for a touchdown, basically handing the Cowboys 28 points. Other than that, you know,…
Saturday Football
So, how much does it suck to be David Garrard? He was 22-for-33 for 278 yards, with two touchdowns and only one interception, an excellent performance by any normal standard, but he was the second-best quarterback in the game. Tom Brady was 26-for-28, 262 yards, three TD's, no interceptions. And…
You know what's going to be interesting:
What if LSU beats OSU, and Hawaii beats Georgia? By some accounts, Georgia should be in the championship game, too. Should a 2-loss team be handed the championship while an undefeated team has just triumphed in one of the Big Four bowl games?
By Dave Munger (not verified) on 03 Dec 2007 #permalink
yeah, except according to ESPN, some conferences are awesome because even the good teams in them lose to some of the other teams, while other conferences suck because even the good teams in them lose to some of the other teams
By Steinn Sigurdsson (not verified) on 03 Dec 2007 #permalink
As I understand it, they have to be. The voters in the BCS polls are obligated to vote the winner of the "championship" game #1.
It's a bullshit result, but it's a bullshit system.
By Chad Orzel (not verified) on 03 Dec 2007 #permalink
Yeah, there is some other (sports) news. The US won the Davis Cup - for the first time in 12 years.
The problem with the BCS is a logic problem. If you start with a false hypothesis, then you cannot trust any conclusion drawn from it. Example 1: war in Iraq. Example 2: BCS chanpionship - the false hypothesis - we have to have a #1 in college football. The only reason for this absurdity is for HYPE for the MEDIA. It sells papers and gives the ESPN commentators something to argue about in order to boost their ratings. The NCAA should BAN any discussion or publication or voting for rankings in college football.
By Karl (not verified) on 03 Dec 2007 #permalink
As a college football non-fan, I'm sympathetic to Karl's comment that we don't really *need* a number one college football team. But it's not as though the silly BCS system is the only way to name one. For example, Division II football seems to have a straightforward way to solve the problem...
By Alex R (not verified) on 03 Dec 2007 #permalink
Yeah, and Lou Holtz was all over ESPN claiming Oklahoma is the best team in college football and should be in the championship game. God knows, their schedule was a lot tougher than Ohio State's. But then I *would* think that.
MKK--Oklahoma grad
By Mary Kay (not verified) on 03 Dec 2007 #permalink
Not sure about the gratuitous Rexy bashing (sure, BCS bashing is fun and easy, but let's focus on the important stuff). It was a battle between two draft day busts, for sure, but when the QB throws a 70 yard strike that bounces off the shoulder pads, and repeatedly throws it through or off the receiver's hands, it's hard to justify blaming him for the loss. No doubt, Chicago's O should have done more, but Rex and Eli both played pretty well, I'd say. Has to happen once in a while!
By Paul Orwin (not verified) on 03 Dec 2007 #permalink
Just wanted to toss in an agreement with Karl's point. Why bother naming a #1 team? Things were a lot more fun with the old bowl system.
I think the whole obsession with #1 is commercially driven. The marketing opportunity of a "National Championship Game" is too juicy to pass up. Add to that the needs of ESPN, who prefer to just talk about 'who's #1' rather than the nuances of each team. That combination has convinced everyone that the national champion is more important than it really is.
We already have a national championship, it's called the Super Bowl. And unlike basketball, the two leagues are playing basically the same game, weird overtime rules aside.
Hm, I seem to be pretty cranky this morning. Sorry about that! Now if I can just get those damn kids off my lawn...
By cisko (not verified) on 04 Dec 2007 #permalink
The WAC was 1-15 against BCS conference teams, with the lone win Hawaii's close one at home over Washington. The Big 10 was 5-4 against other BCS conferences (and 4-0 against Notre Dame, which admittedly didn't mean much this year), one of which was Ohio State's solid win over Washington at Washington. The WAC was 17-20 in non-conference play; the Big Ten was 35-9. The Big Ten non-conference schedule may have been weak, but it wasn't any weaker than the WAC's. Hawaii's opponents went 49-92; Ohio State's went 73-71.
In the NFL, any 12-0 or 11-1 team is one of the top teams, regardless of which division they are in. But college football is not the NFL; there is no parity. Ohio State may not have beaten anybody outstanding, but they at least beat many decent teams. Most of Hawaii's wins came over awful teams. I do not think Hawaii would have come close to 11-1 if they had played Ohio State's schedule. Strength of schedule really has to come into play in college football.
BCS teams can get away with playing cupcake non-conference schedules because the conference schedule is not soft. If non-BCS teams want a chance to play for the title, they have to play several BCS teams (including some decent ones) in their non-conference schedule because cleaning up in a cupcake conference is not an indication that you are an elite team.
By CS (not verified) on 04 Dec 2007 #permalink
That's the standard defense, and it always sounds really good, until you think about it for four seconds, and realize that this also requires the BCS teams to be willing to play decent teams from non-BCS leagues. Which they're not, unless Ohio State just couldn't manage to agree on a date to play Hawaii, and had to settle for Youngstown State, which isn't even a Div. I team...
College basketball has slowly been able to push the pwoer conference teams to play some decent out-of-conference games, using the tournament as leverage. The college football system provides absolutely no incentive for teams from the BCS conferences to play anybody good from a non-BCS conference. A team that's going to start the season in the top ten has every reason to load up its schedule with Div I-AA teams and bottom-feeders from weak leagues, and avoid playing anybody good for as long as possible-- as long as you're a power team from a power conference, all you have to do is not lose, and you're all but guaranteed a big payoff come bowl time.
The same holds true for a lot of college basketball teams, too, but they can't duck the smaller conference teams forever, because they have a real championship playoff. That's not true in college football.
There are incentives for good BCS teams to play each other. Look at the Texas-Ohio State matchups the past few years. The winner of that game was basically vaulted to number one in the rankings and the strength of those wins put them above other teams with similar records. I think this year was the exception rather than the rule for Ohio State. They are scheduled to play USC the next two years and Miami the following two. Elite schools (the ones with chances to make the championship) have some incentive to play at least one solid non-conference matchup and often do (some may be by tradition: Michigan-Notre Dame, Florida-Florida State, etc.). It is mostly the rest of the pack who simply want to guarantee bowl eligibility that benefit from avoiding tough non-conference games.
There might be difficulties in Hawaii getting some BCS teams on their schedule, but their current schedule gives no indication that they are doing anything other than what some of those other BCS teams are doing: padding some of their non-conference schedule with cupcake games. I do not for once believe that Hawaii could not have gotten someone better than Charleston Southern, a mediocre IAA team, or Northern Colorado, an attrocious IAA team. Even if the BCS teams are playing hard to get, try to schedule some of the better non-BCS teams like Air Force. Hawaii and other non-BCS teams need to prove themselves to be taken seriously. Scheduling Washington was a start, but Hawaii could be doing a lot better with the other non-conference games before bringing out "but BCS teams won't play them."
I agree with you that there is a problem if teams like Hawaii are not even considered for the championship game based solely upon a weak schedule, but _only_ if they make an honest attempt at strengthening that schedule. I just don't see that to be the case here. Seriously, two IAA teams? At least Michigan knowingly scheduled a _good_ IAA team (and paid the price).
Go On Till You Come to the End; Then Stop
ScienceBlogs is coming to an end. I don't know that there was ever a really official announcement of this, but the bloggers got email a while back letting us know that the site will be closing down. I've been absolutely getting crushed between work and the book-in-progress and getting Charlie the…
Meet Charlie
It's been a couple of years since we lost the Queen of Niskayuna, and we've held off getting a dog until now because we were planning a big home renovation-- adding on to the mud room, creating a new bedroom on the second floor, and gutting and replacing the kitchen. This was quite the undertaking…
Physics Blogging Round-Up: August
Another month, another set of blog posts. This one includes the highest traffic I think I've ever seen for a post, including the one that started me on the path to a book deal: -- The ALPHA Experiment Records Another First In Measuring Antihydrogen: The good folks trapping antimatter at CERN have…
The Age Math Game
I keep falling down on my duty to provide cute-kid content, here; I also keep forgetting to post something about a nerdy bit of our morning routine. So, let's maximize the bird-to-stone ratio, and do them at the same time. The Pip can be a Morning Dude at times, but SteelyKid is never very happy to…
Kid Art Update
Our big home renovation has added a level of chaos to everything that's gotten in the way of my doing more regular cute-kid updates. And even more routine tasks, like photographing the giant pile of kid art that we had to move out of the dining room. Clearing stuff up for the next big stage of the…
The ten greatest steps of the last ten decades (Synopsis)
"Gamow was fantastic in his ideas. He was right, he was wrong. More often wrong than right. Always interesting; … and when his idea was not wrong it was not only right, it was new." -Edward Teller Considering what we know about our Universe today, it's hard to believe that just a century ago, Einstein's General Relativity was very much untested and uncertain, and we hadn't even realized that…
Hubble's Latest Breakthrough Reveals Trillions Of Unknown Galaxies In The Universe (Synopsis)
"Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves." -Carl Sagan How many galaxies are there in the…
Weekend Diversion: Discover the Night Sky for Yourself!
"They will see us waving from such great heights 'Come down now,' they'll say. But everything looks perfect from far away 'Come down now,' but we'll stay." -The Postal Service Whether you're under urban, city skies, where only a few dozen stars are visible on a clear night, or beneath some of the darkest skies on Earth, the Universe is out there, and you can get started discovering it, right now…


George Chiramattel - Is FolkMind better than Google?
Is FolkMind better than Google?
Folk: So George, I have heard that you have coined this new term 'FolkMind'. Tell me more about the idea behind it. I didn't get time to go through the long blog that you have written on this.
Folk: Oh, then that's what it is, another search engine! Haven't you heard about Google!!
George: Well not exactly. A good search engine will help you find information, but it doesn't help you in understanding it. But FolkMind will!
Folk: What do you mean by 'make you understand'?
George: Let's take an example. Say you are searching for something like 'Web 2.0'. Google returns you more than 15 million records.
Folk: Exactly you got the information that you wanted. It was that simple.
George: But that is too much information and like I mentioned in another blog, too much information is no information.
Folk: But the links that you got from Google are sorted based on the relevance. You know they use this algorithm called 'PageRank' which evaluates what the Internet community has to say about the subject being searched for.
George: To handle as huge an information source as the Internet, you require a totally decentralized community driven approach like PageRank. That's obvious! But I still have to go through multiple pages to find out and understand what I was looking for.
Folk: Do you expect to find pages that exclusively contain what you are looking for?
George: Well, I don't expect that! When you ask a question to an Oracle, you expect her to give a single answer instead of 50 different instructions, which you have to club together. Similarly, wouldn't it be nice if the search engine could return you a page that is generated for me based on my query?
Folk: You mean an auto-generated page? Come on George, you must be kidding. I would prefer to read through 10 man-made pages to get what I want, than to go through all the junk returned by a bot.
George: Well, have you seen a newspaper that is made completely using an algorithm? The newspaper is called Google News!
Folk: Yes. I know about it. But news is different you know..
George: How come? As you would already know, Google News allows you to customize the news based on your preferences. So, in a way, it is also a search that you perform and the algorithm generates a page for you.
George: That could be because Google doesn't own the news and hence expects you to visit the original page. Well, coming back to the discussion on search, the result of a query need not be text that reads like a story; instead it could be a diagram that represents the essence of it. That way any bot that generates the result wouldn't have to worry too much about structural stuff like grammar and readability. Think of the benefits – a picture is better for easy and quick comprehension as you would be using both halves of the brain when you 'read' a picture. Also, if you bookmark the picture instead of the text article, you will be able to recollect the matter by just glancing through it instead of reading the whole stuff again.
* 60% of what you read are structure words and not content.
* 80% of the stuff that you read is forgotten within 24 hours.
Folk: What are you trying to say - that I am wasting my time in reading?
George: If your intension is to comprehend as much stuff in the shortest possible time, then reading verbose text is not the way for doing it. Say for example, suppose you were asked to review 50 code files. Would you start by reading from File1, File2 etc. or would you look for a UML diagram and then drill down for more details?
Folk: I would prefer UML diagrams and I agree that pictures are better than normal text for comprehension. But how can you compare structured data like code with text that you find on the Internet: You cannot create 'UML' like diagrams out of free text.
George: Yes. You are right. But if you do not want very precise data, why not represent the text as a MindMap. If you need more detail on any specific data you can always look at the original text by clicking on the appropriate section on the MindMap.
Folk: Hmm.. Sounds interesting. So, I do a Search and the result that I get is a MindMap that is generated by combining the related information from different places on the Web. What is returned is knowledge instead of links to thousands of sites where I can find the data.
George: Also the knowledge is presented in an easy to comprehend manner – as a MindMap.
Folk: But I know of a few other sites that do similar stuff, like Grokker and …what is the other name ...yes, Kartoo. How is FolkMind different?
George: Consider this. When you do a Google Search for say "Microsoft", you get a few hundred million links. Anything beyond the first few pages are not useful for me. The tools that you mentioned above are designed to just solve this very problem. The value addition provided by these tools is that they can better represent the search results graphically. Grokker does a good job of categorizing the results. Kartoo goes one step ahead by also finding out common links between the results. So they are search enhancement tools. But as you see, FolkMind is more focused on retrieving "knowledge".
Folk: Can you explain this better?
George: Sure. What you expect out of a search is not a list of probable links or their graphical representation. What you need is the "knowledge" based on your context.
Folk: Hmm. I agree. This could be the reason behind the current trend of personalized search, search history and so on… so that the search engine knows my interests. So how does FolkMind satisfy this need?
George: To start with, FolkMind is a digitized version of the knowledge that you have. It helps you in extending you current knowledge by utilizing the Internet. The Internet is the biggest source of information and in a way represents the virtual brain of humanity.
Folk: A digitized version of my knowledge – what do you mean?
George: Let me take bookmarks as an example to explain this. When ever you find something interesting on the web you bookmark it. Right?
Folk: Yes – Obviously I won't be able to recollect every thing that I have ever read and bookmarks help in recollecting stuff later on.
George: Precisely. Now assume that instead of bookmaking stuff, you use FolkMind to create a MindMap and store that instead of the bookmark. So when you have to recollect stuff, you can glance through the MindMap and be done with it instead of going through the whole text. Also assume that when adding new maps, FolkMind helps you in cross-linking it with previously stored maps. Over time this store will become a huge collection of interconnected concepts.
Folk: I can imagine. In a way this would resemble the human brain itself. Just like in the brain, we have neurons connecting to other neurons; FolkMind would have concepts connected to other concepts. Now I get what you mean by 'digitized version of ones knowledge'!
George: The value of such a store will increase as the amount of data in it increases.
Folk: But George, that would be a lot of effort to create such a store. Do you think people will be willing to put in that extra effort?
George: Think of it like this. On one hand we have the extra effort to populate the MindMap and on the other hand you have the benefit of recollecting stuff easily. So if you reduce the effort in creating the MindMap store, the benefit could be enough motivation to put in that extra effort.
George: Ha Ha .. I know. That's where the community can help. Take the example of Wikipedia. Only a fraction of the people takes the effort to update the articles. But many people use it.
Folk: How do you propose to reduce the effort for creating the MindMaps and that too using the community? I thought you just said that FolkMind would be a local application!
George: Think of FolkMind like Google Desktop. Yes, It runs locally but it can connect to the FolkMind server to get more data. Let me take an example. Assume FolkMind runs as a browser plug-in, always accessible to you. When you browse to a page, FolkMind can do some 'Natural language processing' on the text and will try to automatically create a MindMap and this is done in the background. Also the resulting MindMap is cached. The similarity with Google Desktop is that the former tries to index what ever you see; FolkMind tries to create a MindMap out of it. You can imagine that this auto generated MindMap would not be perfect. That's where the user can help. If he is really interested in a particular article, he can invoke the plug-in and brings it to foreground. This will result in the MindMap graphically displayed over the article as an overlay. Also it presents tools for the user to quickly make corrections to the MindMap, like add, delete or modify nodes or connection. When a user bookmark this article, the MindMap thus generated is also linked with it.
Folk: Ok, now I understand how Natural Language Processing done by FolkMind can help reduce the effort put in by the user in creating MindMaps. How can the community help here.
George: This is the most important aspect of FolkMind. Any MindMap that is generated by the user is also saved on the server in his profile. The advantage of this is that wherever you connect, your MindMaps are always available to you. Also, FolkMind server can also share this data with other users. So the content that you helped create is used to increase the accuracy of MindMaps generated when someone else looks at the same page. Also you benefit from what others have contributed. This collective value addition is key to increasing the accuracy and relevance of the MindMaps generated. As more and more people use it the content becomes accurate and relevant. Over time more pages get stored and cross-linked.
Folk: WOW that's a very powerful idea. FolkMind server can help create a Concept Map for the whole Internet. This will help change the way we look at the Internet. Instead of considering the Internet as a collection of web pages connected together using hyperlinks, using FolkMind we can visualize the Web as a collection of interlinked concepts. So, instead of navigating through hyperlinks, you can navigate through concepts.
George: This will also change the way you search for stuff. Instead of doing keyword searches you can do concept searches. And since FolkMind already knows about your context or knowledge set based on what you have already stored in your profile, it can retrieve you stuff that is very relevant to you or even suggest new stuff. It is like Amazon suggesting things to you based on what you have looked for before.
Folk: So if my knowledge set already contains stuff like Web 2.0 and AJAX, FolkMind can suggest to me things like Atlas as and when they emerge on the Internet.
George: Precisely. It can help you create new useful connections between existing concepts. In essence it can help you create new ideas!
Folk: Now I am really exited about this. How far have you finished this?
George: FolkMind is still in a very early stage of development. I have created a project on SourceForge. If you are interested you can join in. Also you can help spread the word by digging it here.


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Q: Is there a way to partition data in Azure Data Factories to fill files until max rows value is hit? I'm trying to partition my data into groups that write their data into csv files that prioritize hitting the max number of rows per file, rather than evenly distributing the rows across multiple files.
For example, if I have 5001 records and my max row size per file is 1000, I want 6 partitions, 5 of which have 1000 files and the 6th file having 1 record.
Is this possible in Azure? I've tried doing it manually in my Java code, but it seems like manually partitioning queried data from azure is non-deterministic and comes out with duplicates across files.

A: Yes, you can easily divide the csv file into multiple files with specific maximum rows and remaining rows in the last file.
Please follow the steps below:

*

*Create the Azure Data Factory service using Azure Portal. Follow link.

*You also need to create Storage Account. Follow link. Create two containers, input and output. In input container, upload your CSV file which you will partition in data factory.

*Now go to the data factory studio. Click on the Manage symbol available on left side and then click on +New to create Linked Service to connect with your blob container.
x

*Select on Azure Blob Storage option and click on Continue.

*Now fill the details as shown below. Give Name to this linked service. Select Subscription. Select storage account where your csv is available. Test connection and click on Create. This will be used when we'll create the source dataset.

*Similarly, create another linked service with same details which will be used in sink dataset.

*Now, go to the Pencil symbol (left side). Click on Dataset and select New Dataset from drop down.

*Select Azure Blob Storage => DemilitedText.

*Give Name, select linked service you created in step 5. Select your input csv file and click Ok.

*Repeat steps 7 to 9. Create another Dataset with different name for output Container where your group files will be saved after partition. Simply select output container in File path.

*Follow the below steps to create your pipeline. Pencil symbol -> Pipeline -> New Pipeline. Search for copy data activity and drag and drop in white space. Give any name to your pipeline. In the Source tab, select the Source dataset which you have created in step 9. This dataset will be treated as input for your copy activity.

*In the Sink Tab, select the Sink Dataset you create in step 10. Give the File extension .csv and Max rows per file 1000(or number as per your requirement). This dataset will be treated as sink where your partitioned files will be stored. Click on Publish to save your changes. Wait to changes to published.
Then as final step, click on Add Trigger and select Trigger now option to run your pipeline.

You can check all the partitioned files in your storage account output container. You can observe that all the files except the last one will have max rows which your mentioned above. And the last file will only have remaining rows.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Lots of work has been done on The Incredible Hulk Coaster in the past weeks.
In addition to the removal of themed props from the queue area (you will see that later on in this photo-update), many sections of the coaster's track have been completely removed. As of today, the entire back section of The Incredible Hulk Coaster is missing, but the attraction will soon be back, looking better than ever. Let's take a closer look at it, and then we'll check out the rest of the park.
What about the Coke Freestyle machines that were located next to it?


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Assassin's Creed Odyssey is Canon and Non-Canon At the Same Time, Alexios Doesn't Exist in the Lore But Kassandara Does
By Sarmad Lillah Jun 25, 2018 Jun 26, 2018 Share
Assassin's Creed Odyssey is looking less like an Assassin's Creed game with each passing day. As we know more about it, the more we are getting skeptical of it. According to the latest information, Assassin's Creed Odyssey is canon and non-canon at the same time, thanks to its multiple playable characters.
You will be surprised to know the game male lead, Alexios, doesn't exist in the lore and same should be the case with Kassandra if they are going down this road. However, she does exist in the lore so adding Alexios to Odyssey makes no sense whatsoever. Assassin's Creed Creative Director did an AMA on Reddit and one of the questions asked by the community was regarding a definitive canon story. To this question, he replied by saying:
Yes, there will be a canon represented in the Novel featuring Kassandra and her Journey. But in the game you decide your own path, there is no right or wrong way.
Assassin's Creed is a franchise that had a linear story for over a decade. They have now added a new character who isn't canon at all which means there is no point of adding Alexios as a playable character. If you play as Alexios, the story isn't canon and you will have to read the novel to understand the true outcome of Odyssey. If you wish to re-enact the true outcome, play as Kassandra.
For a long time fan of the series, there is no incentive for playing as Alexios but that isn't even the most ridiculous aspect of Assassin's Creed this year. There is a strong possibility there are no Assassins in the new game.
The story is set 3-400 years prior to the creation of the Assassin's Brotherhood. But as its own game, Assassin's Creed Odyssey looks pretty good. An RPG with a 62% bigger map than Origins of 2017. However, one wonders why this is called an "Assassin's Creed."
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Our Offshore Technical Support department within EON UK in Coventry is looking for a Foundations Engineer on a permanent basis.
Lay the foundations for a sustainable future.
E.ON is a global provider of specialised energy solutions. We work hard to make the best deals possible and provide energy solutions for our customers. Right now, we're looking for an experienced engineer to join our Offshore Technical Support department. Here, your core responsibility will be reviewing and assessing the performance of our existing wind turbine foundation structures and supporting with the implementation of our fleet-wide asset integrity strategy. You'll need to analyse relevant structural monitoring data on a regular basis.
Another key part of the role will be to support the development of new foundation structures for offshore wind turbines. You'll also support the development of cost-effective solutions for larger, deep-water turbines. Crucially, you'll ensure that all lessons learned from our existing fleet are incorporated into our new developments. In the longer term, you'll look for ways to improve the cost performance of our wind farms, often undertaking research and reviewing new developments in technology. It's essential that for all improvements, you take into account the implications for the fabrication, transportation and installation of our wind turbines – particularly bearing in mind our preference for onshore prefabrication.
Finally, you'll also work closely with internal stakeholders and external design houses and fabricators to standardise our overall approach to technical pre-qualification and specification.
This is an excellent opportunity for a talented engineer with experience of offshore wind turbines to take the next step in their career. You'll be able to not only build your career with one of the world's leading energy suppliers, but also play a key role in our hugely exciting sustainable energy operation.
Educated to degree level in civil or structural engineering, or equivalent experience.
Relevant experience of engineering design, plant construction and contract and consultancy management – ideally relating to offshore wind farms.
geotechnical assessments and foundation installation.
Member of a professional engineering body.
Proven experience supporting renewable construction projects.
The drive and motivation to meet time, cost and quality targets.
Demonstrable experience of working effectively in an international business.
Due to the nature of this role a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) will be required.
For information on reasonable adjustments please click here.
E.ON is committed to equal opportunities and actively promotes diversity, equality and flexibility.
E.ON is a privately-owned international energy company. Our 40,000 colleagues in 13 countries work daily towards the improvement of technical innovations and user-friendly customer solutions for the new energy world. We are the first large energy company to focus more heavily upon the energy of the future through our three business areas of energy networks, renewable energies and customer solutions.
E.ON Power Plants Belgium bvba, a subsidiary of E.ON Energy Projects GmbH, is responsible for the sector industrial co-generation for industrial clients in Belgium. The core business encompasses the development, realization and operation of cogeneration plants.
published: 21 September 2018 Please mention EARTHWORKS when responding to this advertisement.


text:
Asked by: Joey Violas
asked in category: General Last Updated: 5th May, 2020
What is a survivor pool?
A survivor pool is a contest in which participants select one NFL team each week to win their respective game without regard to the point spread. If your team loses you are eliminated. There's one more catch – you can never select the same team twice. The last participant standing wins.
Also to know is, how does a survivor pool work?
Each pool member chooses one NFL team each week. Picks are made "straight up", not using a point spread system. If their pick is correct, they survive until the next week. An incorrect pick eliminates the player from the pool for the remainder of the season.
One may also ask, what happens if everyone loses in a Survivor Pool? No, if one week everyone loses (regardless if everyone picked the same team or different teams) then everyone survives and moves on. Your pick must "win" in order claim the pot. For example, if in Week 10, there are 5 people remaining in the pool and everyone's teams lose .
Similarly one may ask, how long do NFL survivor pools last?
In survivor pools , an average of 73.2% of entries survived each NFL week between 2010 and 2018. In other words, on average, 26.8% of survivor entries (a bit more than 1 out of 4) that were alive at the beginning of a given NFL week were eliminated that week.
How do you play NFL pool?
The basics of the game are the following:
Start off with an empty 10 by 10 grid.
Depending on which game you are playing with, simply assign one team to the columns, and one to the rows.
Now, start recruiting people to join your Football Squares pool by letting them choose which squares they want.
What happens in a Survivor Pool tie?
Rules for a Tie Game in a Survivor Pool The object of a survivor pool is to correctly pick a "winning" team each week. Therefore when one of the games ends in a tie, and a participant of the pool picks either one of the teams, that participant is eliminated.
What is a survivor pool in fantasy football?
How do you play fantasy football survival?
It's a simple premise: You pick the winner of one game per week. The catch is that once you select a team, you cannot select them for the rest of the season. * If you choose incorrectly, you are eliminated. At the end of the year, the person in the pool who made it the furthest into the season wins.
How do you play survival football on Yahoo?
Play Survival Football on Yahoo Sports for a chance to win $10K Each week, you'll pick one team and only one team to win. If that team wins, you advance to the next week. You can only pick a team once per season. If you enter our $10K contest, you'll have to pick TWO teams to survive each week from Weeks 13-17.
What does SOS mean in football?
How do Super Bowl pools work?
The members of your respective Super Bowl party can then buy as many squares as they'd like in each quarter. The more squares that are bought, the greater the payout for the winner. The numbers assigned to each row and column are selected at random once every box of the pool has been sold.
How do you win football squares?
A winner is usually determined at the end of the 1st quarter, 2nd quarter, 3rd quarter, and Final Game score. The winner is determined by looking at the last number in each of the teams' score, and then matching those numbers on the grid and seeing which square intersects those two numbers.
How do you play squares with paper?
Steps Make a square or rectangle of dots, as shown in this image. Provide the players with pencils. Each player makes a line joining two dots but tries to prevent the others from making a square. Keep playing. Change turns. Each player places his or her initial in the completed square, so that the score is easily counted.
How do they pick Super Bowl Squares?
Bettors are randomly assigned a square until all the squares are filled (some forms of the game let players choose their square). One axis of the grid represents the last digit of the home team's score, and the other axis represents the last digit of the away team's score.
How do you do Super Bowl Squares?
The setup for Super Bowl squares is simple. Create four 10-by-10 boards (one for each quarter), with zero-to-10 on each axis. The Patriots will take one axis, placing the Rams on the other. Each square should be priced equally—let's say $1 per square.
What is fantasy Survivor?
In Fantasy Survivor Game, players earn points when their drafted Survivors win reward and immunity challenges, and when they correctly guess the Survivor voted out each episode. Join a group and compete with your friends to see who can Outwit, Outplay and Outlast to become the Fantasy Survivor Game sole survivor.
What is a Super Bowl Square?
A standard Super Bowl square is a 10×10 grid. Each team playing in the game is assigned to the x and y axis, in this case, the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. Each corresponding column and row will later be assigned a numerical value of 1-9, selected randomly.
How many points is a touchdown?
Who's hosting the Super Bowl 2020?
Atlanta will host Super Bowl LIII in 2019, while South Florida (Miami) will get the event in 2020 and Los Angeles will host in 2021. The cities chosen each included new or upgraded stadiums in their pitches to the league. Atlanta will be home to the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, opening in 2017.
How much is tax and gratuity?
What is the importance of Meseta?
How do I stop my neighbors from making noise?
What can be recycled at home?
How do you wash handmade quilts?
Why do banks use Aer?
Are banana peels high in potassium?
What age group is most affected by lung cancer?
How long is a Samsung TV warranty?
Why can't I laminate my birth certificate?
What is Shawn Westover's real name?
Should I fill holes before moving?
5th May, 2020


2 by 3 Heroes: With live cultures.
First off - to you that is reading: Thanks. Really. I am sure half the crap I type is grammatically poor, and the rest is just inane ramblings, but thanks for reading. I say that because I wanted to show off a few cards I received from another non-blogger. James, who goes by the name "mrhavercamp" at The Bench (I think that link is valid), emailed me after my mini sorting to snag up some cards he needed for insert sets and a frankenset. He had some minis for my want lists, and offered to throw in a White Sox giveaway set sponsored by yogurt producers Dannon. Talk about your no brainers.
From the logo at the bottom right on the back, my guess is these are from 1996. Simple design. The back is interesting, as it breaks out the players stats by ball park. Check it out.
So thanks James for a great oddball set that's pretty basic in look, but 30 well appreciated cards. Look up James on The Bench and strike up a trade with him. He did include one other card, but that is for a future post.
Wow that family photo pose of the infielders is a classic!


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Q: How to get php database values before the values are loaded using javascript? So i have 3 pages. upload.php, main.php and script.js. Upload.php lists some database entries, and has a button behind each entry for more info on the entry. When you press the button it gives the ID value from the database with POST in the url and so it loads the info in main.php with the given id.
I have a javascript file: script.js which needs those db values that are echoed on main.php. I watched a tutorial on passing a variable from php to js using ajax. But the problem is that the values on main are only posted when you press the button in upload.php. Which means when i run the script it just fetches from main.php which has no values if the button is not pressed on upload.php.
How do i make the javascript get the values from main?
Im very new to js.