"The best way to escape every day reality is to see cartoons," says Palestinian journalist Mohammed Omer. But cartoonists in the Middle East don't just entertain. At times, their work is the only way to openly express dissent, in a region where press freedoms remain endangered . Using symbols and allegory to make their point, sometimes cartoonists are the only ones whose message can pass through the censorship.
Ferzat had been drawing cartoons since college, working even for state-run publications, never crossing the lines of state censorship. His work was favorably received by then-president Hafez Al Assad, and later by his son Bashar Al Assad, in part because he never depicted anyone in the Syrian government literally. Instead, he used symbols, such as a chair, to depict power.
But last year's Arab uprisings sparked a change in Ferzat's work. His message became more direct. In April last year, for example, Ferzat took the bold step of drawing Assad for the first time, showing him fretting over the demonstrations, giving speeches with audiences who were instructed when to applaud. And then, a few days before he was assaulted, Ferzat drew a picture of Assad hitching a ride with Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was in the midst of his country's civil war.
A cartoon Ferzat published in April 2011 showing Assad hitching a ride with Muammar Gaddafi, three days before his hands were broken by unidentified attackers. Photo courtesy of Torsten Adair of comicsbeat.com.
While the cartoonist's attackers sought to intimidate him into downing his pen, Ferzat – who is now recovering in Kuwait – has expressed his determination to return to Syria and continue his work. Since the attack, hundreds of cartoonists have shown their solidarity with Ferzat, drawing images of Assad being attacked by pens – or images of Ferzat continuing to draw Assad, even with his broken, bandaged fingers.
Ferzat exemplifies the dangerous precipice on which political cartoonists in the Middle East dangle every time they publish. At times, they are able to express dissent more freely, by using symbolism and indirect references to challenge authority. But, when the cartoonist crosses a line, the punishment can be swift and harsh, as Ferzat learned.
"Cartoons are particularly significant because of the political repression in Middle Eastern societies where the circulation of knowledge and information is restricted," said Göçek. And cartoons are able to reach a wider audience than text in societies that may still have high illiteracy rates.
Political cartoonists in countries where free expression is repressed may be slightly less vulnerable to reprisals than traditional journalists in those same countries, said Dr. Fayeq Oweiss, an Arab-American artist and linguist.
Göçek agreed that even in politically repressive countries, cartoonists often enjoy a bit more flexibility than traditional journalists.
An example of how Ferzat used symbolism to make a point, thus allowing his work to fly under the radar of censors. Published in a Syrian satirical weekly Al Domari in 2001, it shows an unidentified authority figure spouting floral language while really representing violence with a gun. Photo: From Ali Ferzat's Facebook page.
But that doesn't mean the cartoonists aren't censored. Censorship may increase during wartime or an election period, when governments are particularly sensitive about criticism. Fear of intimidation by the government, religious authorities, or extremist groups has driven many Middle Eastern cartoonists into exile – where some continue their work, using the Internet to try to reach audiences back home.
The threat to cartoonists' freedom of expression has not gone unnoticed. Several organizations have been set up to protect journalists and political cartoonists.
Iranian cartoonist Mana Neyestani's work and journey has been supported by International Cities of Refuge Network, which offers "persecuted writers a safe haven where they can live and work without fear of being censored or silenced," according to its website, which includes cartoonists among those it protects.
Cartoonists Rights Network International, a nonprofit group, connects a network of over 600 editorial and social cartoonists throughout the world who agree to assist each other in free speech campaigns.
Iran is one of the countries in the Middle East where political comics and cartoons have flourished as part of Persian society for centuries. However, as the current regime increasingly tightens its grip on free expression, it has become more and more difficult for Iranian cartoonists to work within their own country, leading many of them to work in exile and use the Internet to share their cartoons back home.
But the 2005 election of President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad led to new restrictions on media – including a ban on cartoon format publications, such as the magazine Golaghah. Under Ahmedinejad, cartoonists having been arrested, jailed for indefinite periods of time, and even received death threats, forcing many into exile.
One of the exiles is cartoonist Nik Kowsar, who was jailed repeatedly and received death threats for drawing satirical cartoons of clerics and their attitudes towards free speech. Kowsar and his family now live in exile in Toronto.
Kowsar is determined to continue publishing his work, which he does on his own website, displaying his . cartoons in both Farsi and English.
"With the Internet they have found a much freer place to express things that they would not be able to do in traditional media," says Dr. Oweiss.
Hopes that last year's Arab uprisings would give rise to greater democracy and freedom of expression in the region have begun to fade. Tunisia was the starting point of the Arab Spring and is one of the success stories of the revolution. With popular unrest leading to then President of Tunisia, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali being ousted, it launched a wave of inspiration for the revolts that would sweep the Middle East.
But on April 5, Tunisia sentenced two cartoonists, Jabeur Mejri and Ghazi Beji, to seven years in prison for posting cartoons showing a naked Prophet Mohammad on a Facebook site. Even in the freer atmosphere of Tunisia, there are still red lines, and some worry that new Islamist rulers will curb free speech as sharply as the dictators deposed last year.
Dissident Kacem El Ghazzali, a board member of a leading coalition of Moroccan bloggers, said both Ghazi and Beji have always been outspoken about breaking down the taboo of religious representations in Islamic societies. The two cartoonists have published many inflammatory and provocative cartoons on the Internet, including one of a pig sleeping on the Kaaba, an Islamic shrine in the city of Mecca.
The Tunisian Justice Ministry called this cartoon a "violation of morality and disturbing public order" as the images have inflamed people with strong Muslim values. Religion remains a sensitive issue for cartoonies; even after the political revolutions of the past year, Arab countries are still grappling with the role religion and religious leadership should take in the post-revolution era.
What needs to be addressed, Göçek argues, is the fact that the Prophet Muhammad was a religious figure, not a political one.
Regardless of where this debate goes, what remains clear is that political cartoonists in the Middle East will not be silenced. In fact, there are signs that some, like Ali Ferzat, are growing in influence. The horrific beating of Ferzat drew such attention to him that TIME magazine's list of 100 most influential people in world recently included him.
Video by Erinn Cawthon. Story by Yumna Mohamed and Purvi Thacker.


This figure has been provided by HobbyLink Japan (Hlj.com).
Within practically every Super Robot Wars game and its spinoffs are original characters and machines known collectively as the Original Generation or OG. They are very much the glue that holds the well funded fanfiction that is the Super Robot Wars franchise together. Having received their very own Game Boy Advanced and Playstation 2 games, OG has become its own little series with several anime adaptations (of varying quality) and its own merchandise.
Super Robot Chogokin is by design a kind of "budget gokin" line of action figures. While not as feature laden as the more deluxe lines such as Soul of Chogokin or Soul Spec (may it rest in peace), Super Robot Chogokin gives collectors high-quality figures on the same level as Bandai's Robot Damashii or SH Figuarts lines with a decent helping of diecast thrown into the mix.
So it goes without saying that the two most recognizable mecha from Super Robot Wars would get their own entries in Super Robot Chogokin. Never mind that both of these mecha are actually classified Real Robots within the series but in the end only us dirty gaijin care about such silly categories of robots. One of these robots is the Weissritter (White Knight in German). The pilot of Weissritter, a bodacious babe named Excellen Browning, affectionately calls her machine "Weissy" (or "W-Chan" in Japanese). Weissy is well known for its long-range firepower and aerial maneuverability.
And so we get the Super Robot Chogokin Weissritter. The toy itself is billed as being a 140mm tall action figure filled with character and a small helping of diecast metal parts. The most visible pieces of diecast would be the calves with are solid gokin. Other diecast pieces include the hips, ankles, and parts of the shoulder armor. Now astute OG fans will notice that this particular rendering of Weissy is much more svelte than the original artwork. I guess they figured a woman's robot should look a little more womanly.
Like any good Bandai product, Weissy has tons of crisp paint apps for all the little details of the figure. While there are a few small imperfections common to mass produced toys, everything is generally well done. The paint on the face is especially nice although the sculpt has made Weissy's forehead piece obscure the eyes from most angles. Also the default head fins are made of rigid ABS plastic. I would recommend switching these to the included flexible PVC fins as moving the head will make the fins bump into the backpack. During the photo shoot I found a nasty bend on the ABS fins just from posing so beware.
As befitting a flying machine, Weissy has a nifty array of verniers on its Tesla Drive backpack on its calves.
All five wings on the Tesla Drive can move. Also Weissy's multi-segment pauldrons can be splayed out.
The pauldrons are also hinged so they can move up completely. Both elbows feature a pull-out double joint for extra bicep curl. I've found the pull-out joints to be difficult to extend and trying to do so may pop the forearm off the bicep like I do in the video. The forearm will just reattach with no problem though.
Weissy has some fantastic legs. The fully articulated skirt armor and free-ranging hip joints allow for some really wide legged poses.
Weissy's accessories include several different pairs of hands such as splayed hands. These pop on and off the wrists with no trouble. Now again, astute OG fans will notice that Bandai has redesigned Weissy's wrist beam cannons so that now they appear to retract. The cannons are now positioned around the hand rather than slightly above it.
Because of this change, Bandai has included an alternate wrist cuff with the beam cannons extended. Unfortunately because of the revised position of the cannons, the right hand becomes pretty useless with the extended barrels surrounding it. It's no means a deal breaker but it is an odd design choice in comparison to say the Kotobukiya Weissritter kit which follows the original artwork. The whole wrist cuff simply clips on and off. The left arm also features a removable wrist cuff so you can clip the guns to that arm as well.
As far as weapons go, Weissy comes with her signature Oxtongue Rifle. This massive gun features the same kind of crisp paintwork as Weissy herself.
Weissy can hold the Oxtongue with two hands for extra stability. Also note the extending knee joint on the left leg. This allows for a little more bend for poses.
Like every good Real Robot, Weissy comes with a beam sa... er Plasma Cutter for close combat. She has a pair of hands specifically for holding the Plasma Cutter.
Weissy looks especially good next to her chunky husband, the Alteisen. You gotta get both so you can get your Rampage Ghost on.
Overall the Super Robot Chogokin Weissritter is another real winner. My only real objections are with some of the changes to the design and even then it's not that big a deal because really this is the Weissritter toy we've been waiting for. Practically everything about the toy is solidly engineered. Even though it is marketed as budget gokin, there is nothing budget about it. Definitely pick this one up if you love Weissy.
The design is based on the recent OG anime ("The Inspector"). Newly released Composite ver.Ka Cybaster is also using design from that anime.
I was looking forward to getting Weissritter, coupled with Alteisen it really makes an awesome display piece and then there's also that gigantic rifle... just a shame my money ended. At least, I expect it to last long before discontinuation hehehe. Thanks for the review!
This little lady remains one of my all time favorites, and it's hard to explain why. This is one of those figures that just pops in the hand or on the shelf. The colors. The design. It grabs the eyes and attention. And it's a fun figure to mess with if you can avoid bloodletting. I do recommend investing in a stand for her, just because she is a figure that really does look better in posed flight.


text:
Home News Industry
Canadian publishers call for Canadian government to tackle Google/Facebook monopoly
No Government Funds or Consumer Taxes Needed
Address Monopolistic Dominance of Web Giants
Levelling the Digital Playing Field, Report Recommendation
Adopt Australian Model as a Policy Fix
Canada's news media publishers today called on all political parties in Parliament to support the adoption of Australia's approach to combat the monopolistic practices of Google and Facebook.
In Canada, as in democracies around the world, the two American web giants control the lion's share of online advertising dollars and distribute newspaper content without compensation. The model being implemented in Australia counters these monopolistic practices and levels the digital playing field – at no cost to taxpayers and without the need for user fees or other charges.
The recommendation that Canada adopt the Australian model is contained in Levelling the Digital Playing Field, a report commissioned by News Media Canada which provides an in-depth analysis of actions taken in democracies around the world to address the same challenge.
News Media Canada represents more than 90% of news media readership in Canada representing daily, regional, community, and ethnocultural news publications.
"A strong, diverse and independent news media is valued by Canadians and crucial to our democracy," said Jamie Irving, vice-president of Brunswick News Publishing company BNI and Chair of News Media Canada's working group.
"Publishing real news costs money, and Google and Facebook – two of the biggest companies in the world – cannot continue to be allowed to free-ride on the backs of Canadian news media publishers who produce news content, without fair compensation. We have heard the global web giants' hollow commitment to journalism and to token compensation. The time to tackle the global web giants, as the federal government indicated in September, is now."
Key elements of the Australian model include:
An effective approach that requires no new government funding, consumer taxes, or user fees.
Publishers, with the approval of government, form a collective bargaining unit to negotiate compensation for the use of their content and intellectual property. It is only through this collective approach that the immense monopoly power of the web giants can be countered, and the digital playing field levelled.
A code-of-conduct to ensure that the web monopolies do not use new algorithms and other proprietary technology to expand their market domination and entrench unfair competitive practices.
Enforcement with teeth. Under the Australia model, the web giants are subject to fines in the hundreds of millions of dollars for a single infraction. Penalties of this scale are the only effective ways to rein in companies of this unprecedented size and power.
Comparable context. Both Canada and Australia publishers are facing significant challenges from the web giants. Canada and Australia share strong regional identities, and similar parliamentary and legal systems.
In Canada, Google and Facebook control 80% of all online advertising revenues. They use their monopoly control not just to divert advertising from news media publishers, but also to divert millions in advertising revenue that they place on news media sites. Even when advertisers pay specifically to advertise on news media sites, Google and Facebook keep most of that revenue, while gathering and using data on news media site readers and advertisers for their own purposes.
"The unchecked power and market domination of Google and Facebook has impacted news media around the world and Canada faces the same challenge," said Jamie Irving. "This is above and beyond concerns about their abuse of the privacy of citizens and their role in the spread of disinformation. Canada has a responsibility to demonstrate leadership on these important issues."
The Government of Canada announced in its Speech from the Throne of September 23rd that, "The government will act to ensure their revenue is shared more fairly with our creators and media, and will also require them to contribute to the creation, production, and distribution of our stories, on screen, in lyrics, in music, and in writing."
News Media Canada is calling on the government to tackle the web giants and adopt the Australian model in Canada.
The CEO members of the following companies are leading the discussions with the government of Canada including Glacier Media, Black Press, Torstar, Postmedia, Globe and Mail, La Presse, Québecor and Brunswick News.
Media Contact for interviews, please email: bjolly@newsmediacanada.ca
An overview document is also available by clicking here.
Industry Campaign
Levelling the Digital Playing Field
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Spending to meet the needs of children: wishful thinking?
I'm trying to make sense of the news articles, and social media reaction to those articles, about fostercare over the last two days. I know that there are some foster carers who are treated poorly by their agencies. We've collectively allowed that to happen over the years and should all take some responsibility. Where foster carers are treated poorly, we should acknowledge this, not sweep it under the carpet, and work to address it. My members, independent and voluntary sector fostering providers, have Ofsted judgements that are 90% good or outstanding with less than 1% inadequate. So, they're a long way on with addressing these issues.
But how does it help children in foster care and foster carers, to have foster care hammered in the news again? To have those of us with a commitment to foster care arguing and in-fighting on social media? If we want to look like a sector in chaos, we're going about it the right way. Of course, I know that bad news sells and good news doesn't. 'Everything is terrible!' gets the headlines. But let's not pander to that kind of media agenda just to get column inches (or web pixels!).
And, yes, the sector has suffered from successive Westminster governments who thought that adoption was more important. And the focus on Brexit is slowing down our chances of implementing some of the good recommendations from the Narey/Owers review of foster care. But I'm not letting government off the hook, I'm there, pestering, cajoling, persuading, presenting what we know.
As I said above, we shouldn't hide our problems. But let's get a balanced, informed picture of foster care out there for the public to try and make sense of. The overwhelming majority of people in the sector are trying to do the right things, most of the time, in very challenging circumstances. Because foster care is also amazing. The hardest thing you might do, but also the most rewarding. If we're going to attract new foster carers and hang on to the ones we've got, we should be shouting that from the rooftops.


text:
Ecnomiohyla miliaria est une espèce d'amphibiens de la famille des Hylidae.

Répartition
Cette espèce se rencontre entre 20 et  d'altitude au Honduras, au Nicaragua, au Costa Rica et au Panama.

Publication originale
 Cope, 1886 : Thirteenth Contribution to the Herpetology of Tropical America. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, , ,  (texte intégral).

Liens externes

Notes et références

Anoure (nom scientifique)
Hylinae

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


2015 is a huge, but compact, year for new motorhome chassis design! Don Amott have got their hands on a wide range of brand new vehicles from Auto-Trail Bailey and many more.
Head down to the newly refurbished Don Amott showground to view our selection of new 2015 caravans and motorhomes for yourself.


This is my one of favorite Disney movies and one of my favorite books too! I love every adaptation of the story.
Alice is my all-time favorite Disney heroine. She's so charming and adorable, and Kathryn Beaumont portrayed her perfectly. Also, her bloomers (long frilly underwear) are very cute, and I just love the way her dress poofs up like a parachute. I love the part where she flips over as she waves goodbye to Dinah. And "In a World of My Own" is a very beautiful song I could listen to all day.


Looking up free Christmas resources I realized that vectors are not the only astonishing resources you can get your hands on, without paying anything. Wonderful holiday scenes are not only beautiful but also necessary for the business. In presentations, flyers, newsletters and social media posts, getting your message across has never been so creative!
The next images are free Christmas scenes that will inspire you to create engaging copies and vivid stories related to the best time of the year. Your public will join the story and immerse themselves in the magic of the holidays a lot easier.
Let's face it: it hasn't been the best year. These dreamy photos will spread a bit of optimism dust over a rough, tumultuous year of ups and downs. Mostly downs, regardless where you are in the world.
I tried not to focus too much on flat lay photos because there will be a dedicated post to that kind of perspective. The images are mainly close ups, details of iconic Christmas object, such as cookies, pine trees, hot cocoa cups and Christmas decorations. I did not include absolutely everything I liked, because this post wouldn't have had an end otherwise. But you can check the source site and go to the homepage for even more holiday magic.


Some charities have found that combining the two departments has improved their effectiveness. Susannah Birkwood asks experts about the pros and cons, in this article, published August 5th on Third Sector.
A board member tells you something in confidence that you know your president would benefit from knowing. Do you share that comment with the president? Why or why not?
Instagram, Vine, Pinterest, YouTube, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook… with all the social media platforms available and with new outlets constantly popping up, it's hard to know which – if any — is right for your development department.


Gorillas are large apes that live in the jungles of Africa. There are two species of gorillas, western gorillas and eastern gorillas. They are the largest of the great apes, and they are largest primates alive today. The IUCN lists both the Western Gorilla and the Eastern Gorilla species as Critically Endangered. Poaching and habitat loss are the primary dangers to gorillas. Read on to learn about the gorilla.
Gorillas are quite large, and adult males can measure nearly 6 ft. tall. Their armspan is an impressive 7 – 8 ft. across. Males weigh between 300 and 430 lbs., while females weigh between 150 and 250 lbs.
They have thick black fur across their bodies, save for their faces, the palms of their hands, and the bottoms of their feet. The subspecies that live in mountainous regions have even thicker fur than their counterparts.
These intelligent apes have intrigued us for centuries. Sadly, warfare within the countries in which these apes live is directly impacting them. Learn more about what makes these unique creatures worth protecting below.
Locomotion – While gorillas can move about on their hind legs when necessary, they usually travel by knuckle-walking. They close their fists, and place their hands knuckle-down on the ground to walk on all fours. Chimpanzees also knuckle-walk, but they walk on their rear legs more frequently than do gorillas. Oddly enough, anteaters also walk on their knuckles!
Silverback – Adult male gorillas develop silver-grey hair on their backs. Because of this trait, many people call them "silverbacks." This coloration runs from the back to the hips of adult males.
One of a Kind – If a gorilla committed a crime, we could discover who did it by using some of the same techniques that we use for humans! This is because gorillas not only have fingerprints, but every fingerprint is different, just like in humans. However, gorillas are generally peaceful when left alone, and tend to avoid a life of crime.
Nesting – Just like orangutans, gorillas build nests. Unlike orangutans, gorillas usually sleep in nests on the ground instead of in the trees. The nests are around two feet and five feet across, and each gorilla builds its own nest. Once baby gorillas reach three years of age, they build their own nests close to their mothers.
Different species and subspecies of gorillas prefer different habitats. Some species or subspecies live in dense forests, others in swamps. Many species live in mountainous regions, and some even live up to 13,000 ft. above sea level.
Some of their preferred habitats are bamboo forests, lowland swamps, mountain forests, lowland forests, and more. Though they live in forests, and can climb well, gorillas spend much of their time on the ground.
The different species and subspecies of gorillas have different ranges. The Congo River splits two species. The western gorilla lives in the forests of western Africa, and is more widespread than the eastern gorilla.
Western gorillas live primarily in Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Congo, and Cameroon. Eastern gorillas live in a small range in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
Gorillas are primarily herbivores, which means that they eat plants. The vast majority of their diet contains leaves, shoots, stems, and other plant parts. They do eat fruit, but it does not make up a large portion of their diet.
The exact plants eaten vary by season, species, and region. Outside plants, gorillas also occasionally eat ants, termites, and some other insects. The plants they eat contain lots of moisture, so they rarely drink water.
Early in the morning on June 19, 2018, Koko the gorilla passed away peacefully in her sleep at the age of 46. Koko was a groundbreaking gorilla, and she participated in hundreds of behavioral studies. She helped scientists understand so much more about gorilla intelligence and behavior than they had before.
Koko understood American Sign Language, and knew over 1,000 different signs. She used sign language to communicate with her handlers in ways more complex than anyone could have imagined. She even had a number of kittens as pets, which she named herself, and she met numerous celebrities.
Human activity heavily impacts all species and subspecies of gorillas. The IUCN lists both species as Critically Endangered because of human impact. War in the area increases the amount of weapons available to poachers, and the demand for bushmeat increases because the war drains resources. Poaching is the primary cause of decline, followed by habitat destruction.
There are a number of different conservation projects for gorillas, as well as captive breeding programs in zoos. Some conservation projects include the Great Apes Survival Partnership, the Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and Their Habitats, and more.
Humans have not domesticated gorillas in any way.
No, gorillas do not make good pets. They are large apes, and would definitely not fit in your home or apartment as a house pet! Furthermore, gorillas are critically endangered, and every individual is important for the survival of the species. It is illegal to harm or molest them in any way.
Zoos selectively breed gorillas for the most diverse genetics. A species survival program keeps a record of all the animals in zoos, and selects the best pairs to keep future generations healthy. Gorilla habitats have a variety of hiding places, climbing opportunities, and other physical structures.
In addition to permanent structures in the enclosure, zookeepers provide the gorillas with a variety of environmental enrichment like toys, puzzles, hidden food, positive reinforcement training, and more. Some zoos even have iPads for their gorillas to use!
These apes live in groups called "troops." Most troops have a single adult male, several females, and their offspring. As the males reach adulthood, they set off to create troops of their own, but some males remain in their family group for longer periods.
These males remain subordinate, and their father is the dominant male who can mate with the females. Subordinate males do not have the characteristic silver hair that dominant males do. The troops spend half their time searching for food, and half their time traveling to new areas.
Female gorillas reproduce for the first time when they are 10 – 12 years old. After mating, the female's gestation period is 8.5 months long. The interval between babies is usually around 4 years. The females care for the babies on their own, but the males interact and socialize with the babies.
The babies are in constant contact with their mothers for the first 5 months of life, and do not venture far from her until they are a year old. They remain closely associated with their mothers until they are around 3 years old, but slowly spend more time on their own.
Male: 300 – 430 lbs.
Female: 150 – 250 lbs.
Forests, swamps, mountain forests, etc.


text:
Q: Difference between curator-cli and curator action files I'm stuck on a similar problem seen on this post, but can't find a solution : https://github.com/elastic/curator/issues/1513
To snapshot my Elasticsearch cluster (7.7.1), I use curator (5.8) to daily snapshot all indices.
I realised today that only my indices starting with "." are being snapshoted by Curator.
If I use the curator-cli, all indices are indeed seen by curator and snapshoted.
I tried to remove all filters in my action file, replaced them by :
filters:
  - filtertype: none

Nothing seems to work, my dry-runs always end up listing all indices beggining with a dot.
This is my action file :

---
actions:
  1:
    action: snapshot
    description: >-
      Snapshot all indices
    options:
      repository: backup
      name: testbackup6
      ignore_unavailable: False
      include_global_state: True
      partial: False
      wait_for_completion: True
      skip_repo_fs_check: False
      disable_action: False
    filters:
    - filtertype: none

Curator logs (I have anonymized some results)
2021-01-08 18:34:44,021 INFO      DRY-RUN: snapshot: testbackup6 in repository backup with arguments: {'ignore_unavailable': False, 'include_global_state': True, 'partial': False, 'indices': '.apm-XXX,.apm-customXXX,.async-sXXX,.kibana_1,.kibana_task_manager_1,.monitoring-alerts-7,.monitoring-es-7-2021.01.02,.monitoring-es-7-2021.01.03,.monitoring-es-7-2021.01.04
...
,.triggered_watches,.watches'}

I went to see the DEBUG logs, and the indices lifecycle seems to be a problem.
Here are some accepted/rejected indices :
2021-01-08 19:54:07,925 DEBUG          curator.indexlist       __not_actionable:39   Index XXXX_supervision-server_logs-2020.12.31-000014 is not actionable, removing from list.

2021-01-08 19:54:07,925 DEBUG          curator.indexlist            __excludify:58   **Removed** from actionable list: XXX_supervision-server_logs-2020.12.31-000014 has index.lifecycle.name XXX_supervision-server_logs-policy

2021-01-08 19:54:07,925 DEBUG          curator.indexlist           __actionable:35   Index .monitoring-es-7-2021.01.05 is actionable and remains in the list.

2021-01-08 19:54:07,925 DEBUG          curator.indexlist            __excludify:58   **Remains** in actionable list: index.lifecycle.name is not set for index .monitoring-es-7-2021.01.05

2021-01-08 19:54:07,925 DEBUG          curator.indexlist       __not_actionable:39   Index XXX_logs-2021.01.05-000019 is not actionable, removing from list.

Has anyone experienced this ?
I can't see the link between indices having ILM policies and curator not matching them.
I can't find a workaround with regex to help me match all my indices. With the same "filtertype: none" on curator-cli, everything is OK.
Thanks a lot

A: I just found it ><
"allow_ilm_indices: True" must be added in the action file in order to show all indices...
The curator_cli has this option on True by default, which is not the case of curator itself.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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text:
Home › Models › Military models › Edition 1:87 › MARDER 1A2 infantry combat vehicle, camouflaged 1:87
The Marder armoured personnel carrier is an armoured fully tracked vehicle and the main weapon system of the mechanised infantry. The Marder has a fixed crew of three soldiers. 6 other soldiers can be transported in the rear combat compartment, who are deployed for infantry combat. The weapons system consists of a 20mm on-board automatic cannon, a coaxial machine gun and the Milan anti-tank missile system. The special effectiveness of the mechanised infantry manifests itself in the ability to quickly switch between fighting on and off the vehicle. The Marder has a 600 BHP MTU diesel engine and reaches speeds of up to 65 kilometres per hour with a range of 200 kilometres overland and up to 500 kilometres on the road. Schuco is going to produce a miniature model of this Marder 1A2 to a scale of 1:87. Military models come with a metal body and chassis. As is expected of Schuco models, a number of key features have been reproduced exactly with the greatest attention to detail.
Model brand: Marder
MARDER 1A2 infantry combat vehicle, camouflaged 1:87
Serval ISAF "KSK", camouflage, 1:87 Fennek scout car "Bundeswehr", camouflaged 1:87 Puma infantry combar vehicle "Bundeswehr", camouflaged, 1:87


text:
Russ pleased for the players and staff after maiden win
Dons boss happy with result and performance in Leasing.com Trophy success...
Sign in to iFollow MK Dons
Russell Martin was pleased to see his players' efforts finally rewarded with a victory in Tuesday's Leasing.com Trophy tie with Coventry City.
Second-half goals from Kieran Agard and Joe Mason saw MK Dons progress through to Round 3 of the Leasing.com Trophy as well as secure their first win since mid-October, and their first under the management of Martin.
"It feels good," the Dons boss said in his post-match press conference. "We've been on the wrong end of some unfortunate results in recent weeks so I'm really pleased with tonight's result.
"I'm delighted for the players more than myself because they deserved that, after the work they've put in over the last few weeks.
"The second half pleased me the most. We didn't get going in the first half. We had some passages of really good play but we gave them too many chances, too easily.
"We made a couple of tweaks at half-time which worked really well. We could have easily come out for the second half with our heads down, moaning that it wasn't working, but the players showed real courage to stick with it and keep believing in themselves.
"We had control in that second half. That started with Lee. He was so composed in possession and was the spare man more often than not. It's stuff we've worked on in the last few weeks so it's a credit to the boys for sticking with it and believing in it."
He continued: "It's something to build on. We've needed a result to kick-start us and hopefully tonight gives us that.
"We'll keep building and improving. There is loads we need to touch on, as well as loads of positives, and we'll move forward with that."
Russell Martin and MK Dons return to Sky Bet League One action this Saturday when they take on Doncaster Rovers at the Keepmoat Stadium.
Tickets are priced at £21 adutls, £17 seniors/under-25s, £13 under-22s and £8 under-18s while under-12s tickets are priced at just £5.
To buy tickets click HERE, visit the Box Office at Stadium MK or call 0333 200 5343. Tickets will be available to buy from the Club's Box Office until 5pm on Friday.
Can't make the game? Supporters can watch/listen to the match on iFollow MK Dons* - click HERE to purchase an Audio or Video Match Pass!
*Only supporters outside the UK and Ireland can watch Saturday's match due to broadcasting restrictions.
MK Dons vs Coventry City on 03 Dec 19
Russell Martin
Russ' Dons set for Stadium MK return
Russell Martin is looking forward to being back at Stadium MK tonight, after 24 days away from their own patch.
Press conference: Russell Martin's Fleetwood preview
Russ: Business not done
Russell Martin insists MK Dons are not done in the transfer market, despite their three deals so far this window.
Post-match interview: Russell Martin's Peterborough reaction
Watch tonight's clash with Fleetwood Town on iFollow MK Dons - buy your Video Match Pass here!
Supporters can watch tonight's Sky Bet League One clash with Fleewood Town LIVE courtesy of iFollow MK Dons.
Bittersweet debut for Jack Davies
Despite Jack Davies' Sky Bet League One debut coming in defeat, Jack Davies says he's proud to have chalked off another milestone for the club he's spent over eight years with.


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I conducted my first tests with earth electrode antenna in the nineties with the use of hot water installation. While drilling a well on my piece of land in the countryside I thought this could be just the right moment to explore this idea a bit more. A test drill for 5 meters provided a hole where I put an electrode. However, the soil in the hole was utterly dry and the electrode was not covered with it – it was just a two meters long aluminium L-beam. High resistance of this connection apparently influenced the antenna's efficiency. A steel beam with 'L' cross section immersed in the water on the shore of a small lake served as the other electrode. The distance between the two electrodes was ca. 150 meters.


Most people know what marijuana looks like. It most often appears as a dry, shredded mix of flowers and leaves from a cannabis plant. The substance may be green or brown, or occasionally gray, have seeds in it, and sometimes appear to be soaked with oil. Hashish IS that oil. Most often, marijuana is smoked in a joint, a hand-rolled cigarette. It is also frequently smoked in a tall glass pipe called a bong, or any pipe. As discussed earlier, it can be added to foods or made into a tea.
A person using marijuana may leave behind rolling papers, small ends of burnt joints that can be smoked in a pipe or reassembled into a new joint, or glass or ceramic pipes coated with resin.
Some people partially hollow out a cigar and fill it with weed. They may feel they can smoke this cigar in public and not be detected. A marijuana-tobacco cigar is called a 'blunt,' said to be because Phillies Blunt cigars were originally used. Swisher Sweets brand of small cigars is often used to make blunts, along with Garcia y Vega and White Owl cigars. This practice may have started being popular among the rap music crowd but it has spread much farther today.
A marijuana smoker acts lethargic and may suffer lung irritation and bronchitis. The heart rate increases while blood vessels dilate, leading to lowered blood pressure. Continuous use may suppress the immune system, resulting in more frequent illnesses.
Marijuana is generally less physically damaging than some other drugs, but it is very common for a person who starts abusing marijuana to progress on to the use of other drugs. Marijuana, alcohol, tobacco or prescription drugs, particularly pain relievers, are the first drugs used by most young people.
For physical effects of heavy use of high potency marijuana, please see next page.
Marijuana creates its most damaging and dangerous effects on the mind.
During immediate use, marijuana relaxes inhibitions and causes an artificial sense of well-being that is completely unrelated to one's surroundings or situation. A person may feel that he has a more vivid sense of taste, sight, smell, and hearing. He will probably be less in control of his own concentration or ability to form complete thoughts or express his ideas. He will be less able to absorb or retain information, which impedes his ability to learn, of course.
For the longer-term mental effects of heavy use of high potency marijuana, please see next page.
A marijuana user's perceptions of time and space are distorted, which can make a stoned person a dangerous driver. He will have difficulty solving problems such as those required by changes in traffic. He will lose some of his coordination. A heavy user may suffer a greater loss in his ability to focus his attention or shift his attention when required by changes in the environment, and in registering and using the information he receives such as a change in traffic lights. Reaction and decision times are lengthened and the stoned driver is normally less vigilant. These losses are the greatest in the few hours after marijuana use but residual effects are noted up to 24 hours later.
A stoned driver may be able to pull himself together for a short period but he is unlikely to be able to maintain this greater focus. Monotonous and prolonged driving will be the most greatly impacted by marijuana abuse.


text:
B. Smith's husband doubles down, insisting wife told him to 'go on' after Alzheimer's diagnosis
Cydney Henderson
Dan Gasby, the husband to restaurateur and lifestyle guru B. Smith, continues to defend his decision to date another woman as his wife battles Alzheimer's disease.
Gasby, 64, sparked outrage and a heated debate last week after acknowledging his relationship with Alex Lerner, 53, as he serves as his wife's caregiver. He even revealed that Lerner has a room in the house he shares with Smith.
While appearing on "The View" Thursday, Gasby said his wife of nearly three decades encouraged him to move on with his life after she learned of her crushing diagnosis.
Related: B. Smith's husband says he's received 'death threats' after revealing new girlfriend
"When we got the diagnosis at Mount Sinai … she stopped me, put her hand on my arm and … she said to me, 'I want you to go on,'" Gasby said. "I'm not doing anything we didn't discuss."
"View" co-host Sunny Hostin, who is friends with Smith and Gasby, acknowledged the difficulty of caring for someone with Alzheimer's, but criticized his decision to have Lerner in their home when Smith doesn't have the mental capacity to consent. Earlier, Gasby said Smith "is 69 years old … but she's a toddler."
"I could have easily placed her into a facility and I would not do that," Gasby said. "This notion of vows, I'm keeping my vows. … Vows are to protect, to care for."
Fellow co-host Meghan McCain interjected, "Also in sickness and in health."
Related: B. Smith shares a life story and a call to action on Alzheimer's
Gasby has been married to Smith since 1992. Smith revealed her diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer's disease in 2014, saying that in the years before she was diagnosed she noticed she was repeating herself and forgetting things.
He first revealed his romance with Lerner on the Facebook page he shares with Smith back in December, as well as in a profile published in The Washington Post on Jan. 28. The news was met with backlash from fans.
"Every kind of bad thing you can possibly imagine I was accused of," Gasby said. "The other side of that coin was also because the person that I am now involved with is white, the racial innuendo is devastating."
Smith came to fame as a model, becoming one of the first black women to land the cover of Mademoiselle. She later entered the food space, becoming a restaurateur and opening multiple eponymous restaurants in New York and Washington while also launching her own home collection and magazine, along with having a regular "Today" show gig.
Contributing: Anika Reed


text:
layout: post
title: Prawn Mee
category: nom
image: /assets/prawn.png
---

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This came out of a bottle.


text:
Welcome the September Equinox
Today is the September Equinox (22 September 2016 14:21 UTC); the equinox arrives on 23 September in places at least 10 hours ahead of Greenwich. The day marks the start of autumn in northern countries and spring in southern ones.
Labels: Astronomy, Calendars, Environment
Secrets, Scandals and Higher Truths: The Bahamas Papers
The quote of the day comes from a commenter at Data Lounge, where people are speculating wildly on the Brangelina divorce and the Hollywood pedophiles who abused 80s' Canadian actor, Corey Haim:
"I think if people really knew what went on in Hollywood, Politics, and Wall Street, they'd go crazy."
Rarely has the establishment, regardless of politics, appeared to be so compromised. WikiLeaks has released information which damages Clinton's presidential campaign - if you believe WikiLeaks.
ANNOUNCE: WikiLeaks has decided to issue a US$20k reward for information leading to conviction for the murder of DNC staffer Seth Rich.
Conspiracy theorists and whistle blowers make it look as though you cannot succeed in any quarter of society - anywhere in the world - without being ruthless, heartless, exploitative, and willing to do anything while hypocritically declaring yourself to be a defender of law, order, virtue, and the common good. The ugliest American election campaign in history concentrates on sex slave islands, million dollar pay-offs, and six-week body counts.
These 'higher truths' are dangerous, because they have huge online momentum and can change the outcome of elections, or destroy the lives of falsely accused individuals. At the same time, some revelations do confirm genuine exploitation, falsehoods, kleptocracies and plunder. We need higher truths, but on the Internet, any higher truth can be manufactured.
Trump-Clinton probablity of winning lines touch again. Will this lead to another "bounce back" as the status quo rallies its resources? pic.twitter.com/pL7kwVZq5Q
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) September 21, 2016
Today's online convulsions produced the Bahamas Papers (Twitter: #bahamasleaks), which you can read here; they concern 175,000 offshore companies registered in the Bahamas. From the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists:
"A cache of leaked documents provides names of politicians and others linked to more than 175,000 Bahamian companies registered between 1990 and 2016. ...
The new information reveals previously unknown or little-reported connections to companies owned or run by current or former politicians from the Americas, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. ...
The data released today involve the basic building blocks of offshore companies: a company's name, its date of creation, the physical and mailing address in the Bahamas and, in some cases, the company's directors. At a basic level, this information is crucial to day-to-day commerce. In other cases, police, detectives and fraud investigators use registries as starting points on the trail of wrongdoing.
'Corporate registries are incredibly important,' said Debra LaPrevotte, a former U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation special agent whose work included tracing billions of dollars in bribes and corruption proceeds hidden in tax havens for politicians from Ukraine, Nigeria and Bangladesh. 'Offshore companies are often used as intermediaries to facilitate money laundering and, frequently, the companies are only used to open bank accounts, thus the corporate registry documents, which might identify the beneficial owners, are part of the evidence.' ...
Unlike the Panama Papers, 11.5 million often-detailed emails, contracts, audio recordings and other documents from one law firm, the information listed in the new Bahamian documents is plainer — if still fundamental — in content. The new data does not make it clear, for example, whether directors named in connection with a Bahamian firm truly control the company or act as nominees, employees-for-hire who serve as the face of the company but have no involvement in its operations.
When paired with the Panama Papers, the Bahamas data provide fresh insights into the offshore dealings of politicians, criminals and executives as well as the bankers and lawyers who help move money."
Labels: Conspiracy Theories, Disinformation, Dystopias, Informatics, Politics, Tech Revolution, Virtual Reality, Wikileaks, World Trade
Time Lapses: Antibiotic Resistance
"A time-lapsed video reveals how bacteria develop resistance to increasingly higher doses of antibiotics in a matter of days." Video Source: Youtube. (Hat tip: Hugo Reinert.)
This morning, the Guardian reported that the UN named antibiotic resistance, "the biggest threat to modern medicine." On 8 September 2016, Harvard Medical School issued a time lapse video in which bacteria evolve and become antibiotic resistant:
"In a creative stroke inspired by Hollywood wizardry, scientists from Harvard Medical School and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology have designed a simple way to observe how bacteria move as they become impervious to drugs.
The experiments, described in the Sept. 9 issue of Science, are thought to provide the first large-scale glimpse of the maneuvers of bacteria as they encounter increasingly higher doses of antibiotics and adapt to survive—and thrive—in them."
The research team found that the strongest mutant bacteria hang back and let others die for them:
"'What we saw suggests that evolution is not always led by the most resistant mutants,' Baym said. 'Sometimes it favors the first to get there. The strongest mutants are, in fact, often moving behind more vulnerable strains. Who gets there first may be predicated on proximity rather than mutation strength.'"
Drug-resistant bacteria promise to take us back to the pre-antibiotic period in medicine, which for many people is hard to imagine. The post-antibiotic era has grabbed the attention of doom-sayers, who may have a point: first we had Peak Oil, then the Peak Middle Class, now Peak Antibiotics.
Image Source: Collapse of Industrial Civilization.
2014 talk from Robert Wallace on evolving pathogens and agroeconomics at the Institute for Global Studies, University of Minnesota. Video Source: University of Minnesota via Collapse of Industrial Civilization.
Joseph Gottfried, Harvard Law School (17 April 2005): History Repeating? Avoiding a Return to the Pre-Antibiotic Age
CDC (January 2011): Ceftriaxone-Resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Japan
Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (July 2011): Is Neisseria gonorrhoeae Initiating a Future Era of Untreatable Gonorrhea?: Detailed Characterization of the First Strain with High-Level Resistance to Ceftriaxone
WHO (2014): Antimicrobial Resistance: Global Report on Surveillance
Bloomberg (30 April 2014): Everyday Infections May Kill as Antibiotics Lose Potency
Bloomberg (2 May 2014): Remember Life Before Antibiotics? No? Wait, It'll Come to You
WHO (25 July 2014): Pre-Antibiotic era looming large - The world is almost out of time
Journal of Infectious Diseases and Preventative Medicine (July 2015): Infection in a Pre-Antibiotic Era
The Tribune (14 September 2015): Pre-antibiotic era may return, warns WHO
ESOF (26 July 2016): Regression to the pre-antibiotic era: time to panic?
"CDC staff show two plates growing bacteria in the presence of discs containing various antibiotics. The isolate on the left plate is susceptible to the antibiotics on the discs and is therefore unable to grow around the discs. The one on the right has a CRE that is resistant to all of the antibiotics tested and is able to grow near the disks." Click to enlarge. Image Source: CDC.
In the pre-antibiotic era, people who could afford it took to sanatoriums with chronic infections which never really healed. Image Source: Herd Effect.
Labels: Environment, Evolution, Metatime, Tech Revolution, Time Capsules, Time Travel, Time Warps
Secrets, Scandals and Higher Truths: The Bahamas P...


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package org.jetbrains.plugins.scala.lang.resolve2

/**
 * Pavel.Fatin, 02.02.2010
 */

class ImportSourceTest extends ResolveTestBase {
  override def folderPath: String = {
    super.folderPath + "import/source/"
  }

  //TODO caseclass
//  def testCaseClass = doTest
  def testClass() = doTest()
  def testObject() = doTest()
  def testPackage() = doTest()
  //TODO packageobject
//  def testPackageObject = doTest
  //TODO packageobject
//  def testPackageWithObject = doTest
  def testPackageNested() = doTest()
  def testTrait() = doTest()
  def testFunction() = doTest()
  def testValue() = doTest()
  def testVariable() = doTest()
}


Bot-led fake trades account for nearly half of crypto trading. Can more bots thwart them?
The Blockchain Transparency Institute has some alarming news: of the $13bn-worth of daily cryptocurrency trading volume, a whopping $6bn is fake. Bots, deployed by scammers, simultaneously buy and sell large volumes of cryptocurrency. This burst of activity creates the illusion of high demand, ramping up purchase prices unexpectedly for innocent buyers.
Sometimes, the purchase doesn't even have to be made in the first place. "Spoofy," a mysterious bot lurking on the bitcoin network, regularly manipulates prices by placing tens of millions of dollars worth of prospective orders, only to sharply revoke them. As the price subsequently spikes, Spoofy performs a bait-and-switch, selling a wad of bitcoin for the higher mark-up.
The problem is that traders, when assessing the liquidity of an asset, cannot distinguish between real trades and robo-trades. All they have to go on is the asset's nominal "trade volume," which, as we've seen, can be easily tampered with. The exchanges themselves have little incentive to provide better transparency—the illusion of high liquidity raises commission fees and brings in revenue.
Bancor, the developer of the eponymous Bancor Protocol, wrote a blog post on Thursday claiming the solution is to introduce an array of "Smart Tokens" that create liquidity through a fixed algorithm, giving traders an accurate sense of demand. The Smart Token, Bancor says, facilitates "fair, stable and low-cost trading." Of course, Bancor would say that, given that it invented the damn thing. Still, it's pause for thought.
In essence, Smart Tokens (a misnomer, they're more like Smart Contracts) create fully-automated markets that maintain currencies against "reserves" of themselves. A market with ten dogecoin and ten shitcoin, for instance, will have ten more of each token lying in reserve.
As regular trading takes place, the protocol adjusts these reserves so that they accurately reflect the demand of the tokens they represent. Buy three dogecoin with three shitcoin, and its reserve will decrease to seven to account for the main supply's jump to thirteen. Simultaneously, the reserve for the shitcoin you just blew on the dogecoin purchase will grow, to account for the loss in its own main supply. In this way, the market makes itself , continually re-calibrating and adjusting price according to each trade.
Thus, Bancor rids us of human fallibility and creates a self-sustained liquidity that's far harder to game.
But why should we trust Bancor's bots over malevolent bots like Spoofy? "Bancor is not asking people to trust its algorithm, we're asking people to trust on-chain math," says Nate Hindman, Bancor's communications director. That is, the calculations take place on the blockchain itself, not in the heads of human, fallible interlocutors. Moreover, Bancor is a foundation, so takes no profit.
This method could pick up, and fast. According to Hindman, there have already been "$1.5bn" in cumulative trades on Bancor's platform since it launched last year, a figure that we've yet been able to corroborate. Yet if the figures hold true, the bots should soon be battling it out among themselves. Not quite the clash of chrome and steel we were hoping for, but it's a start.


I am being sued by Kohn Law Firm for a debt from the Cash Store, I received the summons last week and have to appear June 6, I am not sure what to do. Do I write a response? Do I call to settle? And if we agree on a settlement- how do I know they withdrew the lawsuit? Thanks for any advice. I am scared to death!
If you have received summons from the court, then you should give a reply to it. You need to give the reply within 20 days. Yes, you can try to settle the debt out of court. When you are negotiating a settlement with law firm, you should request them to withdraw the case from the court. Otherwise, there is no point in settling the debt.
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Q: Scale the values of two images I need to scale the values of two images (imgA and imgB). This gets me into trouble.
Both images are the same size. When the value of imgA is 0, the value of imgB equals 0.8. The scalar (imgB) rises parabolically to 1 when imgA equals 20, then falls to 0.8, when imgA equals 40.
In brief:
imgA   imgB
0      0.8
20     1
40     0.8

So what I'd like to know is how to write the code to accomplish this in Matlab?

A: Given your example values, the function that seems to describe the relation between imgA and imgB is
 B = 1 - 0.2 * ( A/20 - 1 ) ^ 2

You can apply this to your matrices quite directly. To find the desired values for imgB:
imgB = 1 - 0.2 * ( imgA/20 - 1) .^ 2;


Copywriting for SEO essentially means that web content can be read by humans and is also optimized for search engines. Search engine optimized content includes all the keywords being targeted which are added to the content in such a way that the text flows naturally and the sentence's meaning is not compromised. Your keywords will then be picked up by search engine spiders to be used to display your site in search results. A lot of people end up being disappointed with the SEO copywriting methods because many times it is not done the right way and keywords are poorly inserted into content, which spoils the whole meaning of the content. Skilled SEO copywriting, on the other hand, leads to readable content because the keywords are added as a natural part of the text. In this article we will be talking about various tips on what makes SEO copywriting effective and how to do it the right way.
The very first rule when it comes to SEO copywriting is you must develop high quality content that readers connect with. Content has always been king and will always dominate the other areas of your website. Always keep in mind that the major search engines, such as Google, value useful content that is well written and structured. If your readers find high value in your content, they will not only link to it but also tell others about it, spreading it by word of mouth. Get Google to see lots of backlinks to your page and you will rank higher and get even more exposure. One of the most important factors that you need to keep in mind while writing good content is that you should use different variations of words and at the same time keep them relevant to the title. If you want your content to be seen by the search engines as informative, make sure you don't use repetitive keywords. What you want is for Google and the other search engines to see your page as authoritative by offering a wide range of vocabulary words while also staying on topic. Google uses a technology called LSI or Latent Semantic Indexing for determining how valuable a piece of content actually is. This is why it makes sense to use synonyms of your keywords a long with the keywords you're aiming for. The text on your homepage should be sufficient enough to get you the top rankings with all the major search engines. Besides your homepage, the important sections of your site should also be descriptive with a good deal of text. Search engines ideally require 400-500 words of relevant text on a web page so they can figure the keyword relevance. In the beginning of the page, have text containing all the main keywords, since some of the search engines won't really go too far on your page. That's why you'll want to provide them with your keywords in the initial text itself.
Readers usually don't notice captions, which are used to describe images on webpages. Do keep in mind, though, that Google does understand images and know how they are utilized.
Therefore, adding captions is vital and they must begin with the keywords you are targeting to help Google make sense of what you are trying to achieve.
SEO Writing – How SEO Writing Can Improve Your SEO Results?


Julie Hochgesang, G-'07 & PhD '14, Department of Linguistics associate professor, was invited to join a plenary panel titled: "Diversifying Linguistics: Working Towards a More Inclusive Field" at Georgetown Roundtable (GURT) 2019, on March 30, 2019. She presented about "The Inclusion of Deaf Linguists and Signed Languages in Linguistics". You can see the full presentation available here, as well as view a bilingual tweet by Hochgesang on the event here.


A selection of deep sea sticky notes in a variety of sizes and shapes. Over 300 sticky notes in a hardback cover. Measures 8.5 x 11 x 1.5cm.
This t-shirt features vintage 19th century illustrations of gelatinous zooplankton, by biologist and naturalist Ernst Haeckel. 100% cotton.White t-shirt with distressed, softened screen-print.
A gorgeous little hand-blown glass bowl inspired by Echinoidea. Measurements: 5 cm x 7 cm.Made from blown glass.
A huge range of sea creatures, from swordfish to coral, via octopus and crab. The perfect apron for any seafood (or marine biology) enthusiast. 100% cotton. Wash before use Machine washable – please refer to care label. Wash dark colours separately.
A gorgeous hand-blown glass bowl inspired by Echinoidea. Measurements: 5 cm x10 cm.Made from blown Glass.
A beautiful collection of ten-legged sea creatures - the crabs, lobsters, shrimps and their allies - from Haeckel's fascinating Kunstformen der Natur (1904). 100% cotton.Burgundy t-shirt printed in white. Care: Machine wash cool. Tumble dry low.
A capacious wash bag or makeup bag, and also a handy chart of common sea fish. Exactly what you never knew you needed! Wipe clean with a damp cloth. PVC.
Two bookends inspired by the Scleractinia, the stony corals. The perfect gift for any book lover. Measures: 15 x 11 x 9 cm. Steel laser cut bookends.


I played 'Déraciné' and it's still creepy AF.
Titles by FromSoftware, like Dark Souls, Bloodborne (and most probably the incoming Sekiro) are exhausting games to play. Incredible and rewarding, yes, but harrowing too. Perhaps Déraciné is as much a break for FromSoftware's staff as it is for players. The new PlayStation VR game reunites Japan Studio, FromSoftware and director Hidetaka Miyazaki, and centers around gentle environmental puzzle-solving. No swords, no violence and no pride-damaging difficulty -- just some head scratching. Intrigued?
Déraciné means "someone who has been or feels displaced," and would be an accurate description of any VR experience, but this Déraciné separates the player from time and, it seems, all the other characters you come across.
You act as a ghostly presence that the children apparently believe exists to help them with fetch quests and inane busy work. The game appears to be set in the early 20th century in some kind of cavernous boarding school. No adults, it seems, just many pale children and the occasional cat and dog. The trailer's plummy English voiceover was creepy. This first impression of Desiree was accurate -- and I'm British myself.
Navigating the haunted house is done through spot-teleportation, the de facto movement method for most PSVR games. Major interactive spots, usually involving one of the kids, have special 'lock-on' spots that aided my investigations. The ghostly player has a stopwatch that feeds you clues to help figure out what to do.
My demo, early into the game, involved seeking out five sets of cooking herbs from several places around the house. It serves as an introduction to how you, "the fairy" can interact with your environment. Everything's frozen in time until your childlike hands grasp at it. I used Move controllers, which makes sense in VR, but had difficulties finding the main buttons needed to navigate around scenes and open the occasional submenu. This would be easier with a DualShock controller, from sheer muscle memory.
According to the director himself, Miyazaki wanted to see if he could recreate a "classic adventure game with its relaxed pace in virtual reality." He added: "Déraciné has a warm, peculiar feel to it that is completely different from anything we have done before."


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What could be the role of complexity theory in TGD?
Chaotic (or actually extremely complex and only apparently chaotic) systems seem to be the diametrical opposite of completely integrable systems about which TGD is a possible example. There is however also something common: in completely integrable classical systems all orbits are cyclic and in chaotic systems they form a dense set in the space of orbits. Furthermore, in chaotic systems the approach to chaos occurs via steps as a control parameter is changed. Same would take place in adelic TGD fusing the descriptions of matter and cognition.
In TGD Universe the hierarchy of extensions of rationals inducing finite-dimensional extension of p-adic number fields defines a hierarchy of adelic physics and provides a natural correlate for evolution. Galois groups and ramified primes appear as characterizers of the extensions. The sequences of Galois groups could characterize an evolution by phase transitions increasing the dimension of the extension associated with the coordinates of "world of classical worlds" (WCW) in turn inducing the extension used at space-time and Hilbert space level. WCW decomposes to sectors characterized by Galois groups G3 of extensions associated with the 3-surfaces at the ends of space-time surface at boundaries of causal diamond (CD) and G4 characterizing the space-time surface itself. G3 (G4) acts on the discretization and induces a covering structure of the 3-surface (space-time surface). If the state function reduction to the opposite boundary of CD involves localization into a sector with fixed G3, evolution is indeed mapped to a sequence of G3s.
Also the cognitive representation defined by the intersection of real and p-adic surfaces with coordinates of points in an extension of rationals evolve. The number of points in this representation becomes increasingly complex during evolution. Fermions at partonic 2-surfaces connected by fermionic strings define a tensor network, which also evolves since the number of fermions can change.
The points of space-time surface invariant under non-trivial subgroup of Galois group define singularities of the covering, and the positions of fermions at partonic surfaces could correspond to these singularities - maybe even the maximal ones, in which case the singular points would be rational. There is a temptation to interpret the p-adic prime characterizing elementary particle as a ramified prime of extension having a decomposition similar to that of singularity so that category theoretic view suggests itself.
One also ends up to ask how the number theoretic evolution could select preferred p-adic primes satisfying the p-adic length scale hypothesis as a survivors in number theoretic evolution, and ends up to a vision bringing strongly in mind the notion of conserved genes as analogy for conservation of ramified primes in extensions of extension. heff/h=n has natural interpretation as the order of Galois group of extension. The generalization of hbargr= GMm/v0=hbareff hypothesis to other interactions is discussed in terms of number theoretic evolution as increase of G3, and one ends up to surprisingly concrete vision for what might happen in the transition from prokaryotes to eukaryotes.
For details see the chapter Unified Number Theoretic Vision or the article What could be the role of complexity theory in TGD? of the article What could be the role of complexity theory in TGD?.


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Sheria last edited by Sheria
Xenosaga: Episode 1
Seems I'm the only one who ever votes for this series here. It's truly one of the most stand out series during that generation for me and while it may not have entirely seen its vision through I still think it stood out with its ambition as just a trilogy of games, well worthy of the word 'saga' in the title. Episode I, as with III, never came out here in the UK so I played it a little later than 2003 but it was everything I expected and wanted when I finally got the chance to sit down with it.
Final Fantasy X-2
I know it's always been a divisive game but I have always loved every aspect of Final Fantasy X-2, so much so that I actually prefer it to its predecessor. The gameplay/combat system often gets commented on so I wont delve much into that but when it comes to the story I think it's quite often given too much of a bad rap. Obviously the drastic change in tone is quite the shocker when you fist start playing the game but I think they did a great job using it as a way to highlight just how big an impact putting an end to the cycle of Sin had on Spira and its inhabitants; the shift in tone and behaviour really hammers down just how much of a weight had been been lifted for these people.
I think Yuna was also really well done in this sequel. On the surface it seems that she too has drastically changed along with everyone else, but the more you play, the more you see that this is mostly just a mask she is putting on and underneath it all she is clearly really hurting still. Some of the moments she spends alone just with her own thoughts are actually quite moving . I also found the Shyuin and Lenne story really touching, especially at its conclusion but I wont spoil it for anyone who hasn't played it yet.
#7: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time - 11 points
#1: 1 (Sentinel Beach)
#2: 1 (Crepe)
HM: 2 (JDINCINERATOR, Phbz)
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Genre: Action-adventure, platform
Platform(s): Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, GameCube, Xbox, PC, Mobile
The game's in my all time Top 5. I wrote about it in our first own Hall of Greats here. Just an unforgettable story delivered in a wonderful way, I love it.
#9: WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain
HCTP is one of my all time favourite games and by far my favourite wrestling game. These animations hold up as fantastic by today's standards. The little details add up to a pretty bonkers authentic experience.
It's hard not to compare a game like this against "modern gaming" where everything is unfinished and half assed. This game has a huge roster of then current superstars and older "Legends". There was an entire story mode with branching decisions and character XP to make the superstar you want.
It had TONS of modes and match types. It was extremely current too with Elimination Chamber being mind blowing at the time.
They just don't make em like this anymore. WWE games are so bullshit nowadays by comparison. This was packed to the brim with quality features.
#8: The Simpsons: Hit & Run
This game is absolutely fantastic. Every element of this game is really fun. It's probably the best adaptation of the source material until South Park: The Stick of Truth came out years later. The developers made not only a fun game, but a great The Simpsons game. You want to be in Springfield and just soak it all in.
#7: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
My memory here is hazy but I know this was an amazing game when I played it. I actually think I own it on GC and I do intend on replaying it sometime shortly. Shout out to the GBA version that I recall a bit better. It was hard and I never finished it, but I had fun with it. It plays a lot like the older PoP games.
Damn... that is a killer string of three games in a row there!
My lone exposure to Prince of Persia: Sands of Time was @Sentinel-Beach's great presentation in the first iteration of our Hall of Greats, of which I recommend taking a look at here
Beyond that and the follow up cross examination, I have not experienced it but to Sentinel's credit, I loved seeing the passion for it and that presentation does and says more than I could, so that's why I wanted to spend this entry's comment highlight both the presentation and our HoG as well.
#6: Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire - 12 points
#2: 1 (bruno_saurus)
#4: 1 (Brannox)
HM: 1 (DIPSET)
Release date: NA: March 19, AU: April 3, EU: July 25
Developer: Game Freak
Publisher: Nintendo, The Pokémon Company
Genre: Role-playing
Platform(s): Game Boy Advance
The last Pokemon anything I cared about before kinda growing up and out of kids cartoons.
Still unsure whether I just grew up or whether Pokemon pushed me out because I can distinctly say that this is the last time I enjoyed any sort of aesthetic coming out of the Pokemon universe. The art direction was still really solid here. It might've been right around when Pokemon turned into full blown vector art or right before it, but when the pixel art (video game) / hand drawn (anime) aesthetic went away, I was D-O-N-E.
I'll never forget how badly I wanted a GameBoy Advanced SP. I never really cared about the Advanced cause I thought it looked weird and my friends didn't really have any games that impressed me. But once I saw Ruby, I asked for an Advanced SP for Christmas and got it.
I remember laying in bed thinking the night before Christmas "GameBoy Advanced SP! GameBoy Advanced SP!" then when I got it the next morning, I yelled "GAMEBOY ADVANCED SP!"
I was a happy camper.
Brannox last edited by Brannox
The third generation of Pokemon is the last gen of Pokemon I care anything for. As indicated above, it's 4th in the 11 games from 2003 I've played, in addition to being 83rd of my top 100 list (as of writing). I've discussed how Diamond/Pearl permanently soured me on the IP with the directions the franchise has gone, so in retrospect, it made me really appreciate this gen of the games all the more.
While I'll always hold the pixel-art of the first two gens in higher regard, I think the art design for the Hoenn region is pretty solid to look at, with many interesting Pokemon designs and typing. Of the three starter choices of the first three gens, for me, this is the most well rounded choice (however, I have my permanent main, more on that at the end). I loved how from the jump, you know your dad is the Gym Leader of the nearby town, but you must train and adventure for a bit before coming back and challenging him. While Team Rocket is always the true villains of Pokemon, I like the dichotomy of Teams Magma and Aqua (even if their MO is pretty stupid). I also think it's a solid idea of having two rivals, with the professor's kid and Wally.
All that said, once you raid the respective team's hideout, the pacing takes a nosedive, and HARD. Yes, the meme of "Too much Water" is run into the ground and back, but it's a salient point: There's way too much focus on Water Pokemon more than any other type, and having a third of the map (and the last quarter of the adventure) have you surfing and diving endlessly and aimlessly (for first playthroughs) is a massive stain.
Also, to briefly touch on it even though I never utilize it, I like the concept of the Secret Base, but there's no in-game incentive to make one (though the spot in the furthest North West spot in the world where it's only accessible by surfing AND has trainers AND a small grass patch with a unique catch spot for I think Swellow and another Normal Type (can't remember which) are all neat little additions to make the place a legitimate SECRET.
However, getting past all of that, this gen has some really interesting side quests, mostly for SEVERAL Legendary Pokemon, from the Dragons and the Regi-s, and of course the story path cover Pokemon. On the point of the Regi-s, having to crack the Braille code, have specific Pokemon using specific moves and in specific spots of your team while you do specific actions all culminate in a reward of not one, not two, but THREE extremely hard to catch but incredibly powerful Pokemon.
Another neat spot is the Trick Master; Every time you get a Gym Badge, you should return to his house because each visit is a mini-puzzle box with three trainers and most challenges focusing on a particular HM.
Like all Pokemon entries in these countdowns, I gotta leave my team of choice when I go through them: The three that are permanents, no matter what, are Blaziken, Metagross, and Salamence (I trade in the latter two from a previous playthrough). Then, the final three are Legendries in Kyrogre/Groudon, if possible, one of the two Dragons Latios/Latias, and finally Rayquaza. But, since those Legendries are late game additions, I'll carry Raichu, Skarmory, and Crawdaunt and switch them out once I obtain the appropriate replacement.
To close, as always, a massive shout-out to all my fellow voters @DIPSET, @bruno_saurus, and @Shoulderguy
Ruby and Sapphire are not talked about much when people bring up the best games in the series but I felt like Pokémon Ruby was an improvement over the GBC games in nearly every way. It's impossible for any new game to compete with the original 151 Pokémon. Even so, the 3rd Gen Pokémon sit almost as close to my heart as the first Gen.
#5: Tony Hawk's Underground - 12 points
#2: 1 (Oscillator)
Developer: Neversoft
Platform(s): Game Boy Advance, GameCube, PlayStation 2, Xbox, Mobile, PC
The urban appeal of Tony Hawk's Underground is fantastic and the ways it freshens up series by bringing new features in like getting off your skateboard is bold and welcome. A terrific Tony Hawk's game with an attitudinal bent that fits seamlessly into the year 2003.
I'm surprised how few games from my top 8 made the list. Only 1 so far and I didn't vote for Wind Waker.
Oscillator last edited by
The first Tony Hawk with a story, which really helped liven up the large, semi-open world areas that the series started using in the previous game, THPS 4.
While I still feel the "Caveman" technique (getting off your board) took away from the arcadey purity of Tony Hawk, it did make the level design more interesting at the same time. Several of the levels are quite memorable (Hawaii is the standout for me), while I can only recall bits and pieces of a few from THPS 4.
Also the last soundtrack of the series that really flowed well, IMO:
Hey! Another game from our first iteration of our Hall of Greats! (And it takes me until right now to realize how we had multiple submissions from the same year). What I said for Prince of Persia applies to THUG, and like Sentinel_Beach, the most exposure I've had was to @DIPSET's presentation, to which I also strongly recommend checking out.
#4: Jak II - 14 points
#1: 1 (NeoCweeny)
HM: 2 (bam541, Capnbobamous)
Release date: NA: October 14, AU: October 15, EU: October 17
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Genre: Platform, third-person shooter, action-adventure
I've watched the first Jak & Daxter courtesy of Brad's full playthrough some time back (of which I really enjoyed), but I don't have any other exposure to the series beyond I hear Jak II is "GTA-like" and is often derided. Because I haven't experienced it, I can neither agree or argue this point, but I DO say it is a deterrent from me trying it out.
Oh baby, that's a good number. I love the Jak trilogy, it was and still is my favourite ouf of the PS2 era's three trilogies: Jak/Ratchet/Sly. This second game in the series is the hardest of the bunch, goddamn there were difficult missions in there! Like for instance trying to escape the Haven City's guards from the water slums with all the shacks and catwalks etc. That mission is burned into my memory as something diabolical.
But in a larger sense, this is the game when Naughty Dog started to write good stories and characters. This is when it started. I remember back then when I sometimes just watched all the cutscenes (and there were a lot of them!) from the main menu after finishing the game because it was simply like a really good animated movie.
lol I legitimately didn't think it would be this high. Probably my least favorite Jak game, might be on the lower end of Naughty Dog games too for me. The more edgy story tone felt jarring to me mostly because of how sudden it is (I played this right after the first game on the HD remaster). I honestly remember nothing from any of the Jak games' stories so I can't say much more than that. I don't think the open world is as fun to navigate in Jak 3, mostly because Jak 3's exploration felt a bit more active and there's not much to see and do in Jak II's open world. But it's still a cool game to play, mostly to compare it to ND's recent open level attempts.
Unbelievably happy that Tony Hawk's Underground made the Top 5!
THUG is probably P4P my favourite video game of all time. It is also the best Tony Hawk game in my opinion. People talk about "Caveman" being the biggest development in THUG, but really, it was building upon the open world mission structure from THPS4.
By eliminating the 2 minute timer, the missions got really advanced and varied in THUG. The combo system mastered in THPS3 is utilized to the fullest in THUG because the missions require you to combo huge lines across maps. Overall, the challenges require you to use the tools the game gives you moreso than challenges from past games like "Grind the levers" or "Kickflip 5 pumpkins" or "Find SKATE"
And the maps are so fucking great too. By far the best in the series with Hawaii, Moscow, Manhattan, and Vancouver being overall top tier.
This was also just a magical time for skateboarding overall. In 2000-2007, there were so many insane legendary videos out, each pushing boundaries and cementing their status as some of the best skate videos ever made. In 2002-2003 when THUG released, there were a good handful of all time great skate videos: Girl Skateboards — "Yeah Right", Flip — "Sorry", Emerica – "This is Skateboarding", Zero – "Dying to Live"
In THUG, you actually get to choose a sponsor and ride for these teams. As you play through the game, you unlock footage from these videos.
There was just so much actual authentic skateboarding packing into one game. It was a magical time in history tbh. Glad I lived through it/
#3: Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando - 20 points
#2: 2 (Brannox, bam541)
#3: 2 (Sentinel Beach, NeoCweeny)
HM: 1 (Capnbobamous)
Release date: NA: November 11, PAL: November 21
Developer: Insomniac Games
Genre: Platformer


I have searched but unsuccessfully for recent comments on British schools in Dubai...preferably up towards DBX end. Are there any opinions out there please for an 8yr old and 5 yr old (primary school).
Place to rent will be dependent on location to school to ease the pain of school run!
Just curious, where is the DBX end??
I concur with reddiva, JPS is the way to go in those environs.
If you want to be close to the airport there are a couple in Mirdif, another GEMS one and there will be a few around healthcare city too I think.
We shall see what happens with the job!