Dr. Reagan's healthcare consulting practice currently focuses primarily on healthcare-associated infection (HAI) issues. She serves on the New Mexico Healthcare-Associated Infections Committee and the Nevada Safe Injection Practices Coalition. She was also a member of an expert working group that advised the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the development of an HAI Policy Toolkit presenting state policy options to prevent and eliminate HAIs.
She currently lives near Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Dr. Reagan's website "HAI Focus" provides news and information about healthcare-associated infections as well as general information about infection prevention and control.


My family and I love a fun day out, and if there are animals – even better. At the beginning of the Easter break, we visited Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire to check out the animals and to see the new penguin exhibit. The biggest kid of our family, Husband, is crazy for penguins, and was especially excited for our visit. We were even blessed with a warm and sunny day.
Our first stop were the big cats. We were impressed that we found white lions, tigers, leopards and cheetahs. And most of them were lazing about, sleeping in the sun. What a tough life. In fact, many of the animals we encountered were napping. I don't blame them. It is tough staying awake when you're sunbathing.
There are more than just big cats at Paradise Wildlife Park. There are lemurs, maras, meerkats, monkeys, tamarins, marmosets, gibbons, zebras, tapirs, tropical birds, owls, tortoises and snakes. And more. And if you have a child who claims she 'hates animals', there is also a fab play area. My two had a great time climbing and sliding and swinging. And they also enjoyed posing with animal statues.
We had lunch at the cafe by the play area (Safari Sam's Diner). Moozles and Dubz had cheeseburgers, which they enjoyed. I had the kids' cheese pizza, which was fine. Husband had the cheeseburger, which he really disliked. If we went back, I think we would bring a picnic or try a different cafe. There is a soft play, with a cafe, but it was too nice a day to spend indoors. After lunch, it was nice for more playing and more animals.
Penguin Falls is the newest exhibit, opened on the 1st April 2017. It houses endangered African penguins in an area based on their homeland. It is one of only two such habitats in the UK recommended for breeding of African penguins. Hooray for more penguins.
Friends often laugh at how far we are willing to drive for a family day out. But many people forget how busy attractions are in south west London and Surrey. By driving 1 1/2 hours, you encounter less crowds. Paradise Wildlife Park opens at 9.30am, we got there at 10.30am and there was still plenty of room in the car park. We spent about four hours there, including lunch. And had a great day. Tickets for a family of four will cost about £65. Have a look at my vlog below to see how much fun we had.
We were invited to visit the park for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.


This will be the 2nd Annual DareDevils SpringFest! Save the date for April 20th as we will host a day of Community, fellowship and good eating!!
We are now taking $5 Pre-Sales for the event!
Plates will be $8 on the day of the Event!


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The Oral History Of AUM Fidelity: Steven Joerg's DIY Avant-Garde Label Celebrates Its 15th Anniversary
by Brad Cohan
A selection of AUM Fidelity releases. AUM Fidelity
In an interview with the Voice last year, AUM Fidelity head Steven Joerg made his mantra crystal clear: "Giants walk among us now, and you've got to fucking pay attention." For the last fifteen years, the proprietor and sole employee of the Brooklyn-based jazz and avant-soul label has been documenting those giants, producing and releasing a pioneering cache of singular music while remaining true to his DIY ethos.
Joerg honed his do-it-yourself chops in the early '90s at indie powerhouse Homestead Records. As manager, it was there that he hatched the then-unheard concept of integrating free jazz on a predominantly indie rock label, positioning drummer William Hooker and David S. Ware on the same label where Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr and Big Black recorded seminal records. Ultimately, Joerg left Homestead and—taking inspiration from Charles Mingus' legendary album Ah Um—launched AUM Fidelity in 1996. The following year ('97) saw AUM's inaugural release, David S. Ware Quartet's groundbreaking firestorm Wisdom of Uncertainty, a record that included a jaw-dropping group of purveyors (Ware, Matthew Shipp, William Parker and Susie Ibarra) who subsequently helped shape the New York avant-garde scene and beyond.
Now, the preeminent avant-garde jazz artists Joerg has championed over the years are giving the AUM boss his props. Read on for a slew of glowing, heartfelt testimonials from a few of the giants he's worked with.
Matthew Shipp: I was around at the beginning of AUM. I had met Joerg when he was at Homestead Records and talked him into signing [saxophonist David S.] Ware. It was exciting when he made the transition to working for an indie rock label but signing jazz artists to starting his own "jazz label," which still had the same gritty vibe of indie rock. What made [the David S. Ware Quartet's 2002 album] Freedom Suite so exciting was that it was a Sonny Rollins piece which, when Rollins recorded it, had no piano. So I had freedom to invent a role for myself on this CD, and also because of Ware's close friendship with Rollins. We had his blessing, and in fact, I am told he loved what we did with it and when he was put in the Jazz Hall of Fame at Jazz at Lincoln Center, he requested that the Ware Quartet play a movement from Freedom Suite—which we did. It was surreal playing up at Jazz at Lincoln Center—and I don't mean that in a good way.
William Parker: Steven Joerg was open to recording the music that we were making when no one else was interested, without interfering with the style or content. The artists were given complete freedom to do the music they wanted to do. Unlike other labels—I won't mention any names—AUM Fidelity gave out royalty statements and royalties. It is a joy to work with someone you can trust who believes in the artist and music all the way down, from the beginning to the end. As time moves on, the label and its concepts become more and more rare.
Eri Yamamoto: I first met Steven while playing piano on William Parker's Raining on the Moon. I've since made four CDs for AUM Fidelity as a leader. The most recent is my trio recording, The Next Page. When I work with Steven, it always feels like we're the home team. He loves the music and the musicians, and gives me complete artistic freedom. It is a New York-based label, and if I want to talk with him about an idea, we can meet face-to-face and have a nice drink or two. He is an artist himself, and instinctively understands what I'm thinking when we produce CDs together. Before recording The Next Page, my trio had a gig at Cornelia Street Cafe, and Steven came to listen to the music that we'd be recording. He said, "Great, good to go!" At the studio, he was a great presence in the control room, and had a handle on all aspects of the recording. So I felt free to play the piano and not to worry about anything.
Joe Morris: All of the CDs I've made for AUM Fidelity are different, and each is special to me. They're also all special in terms of how they were made and the process of making them, so it's hard to pick one in particular. But the one that might be the most unusual one is Singularity, my solo acoustic guitar CD. I recorded it myself in my house. I recorded two and a half hours of music, but I didn't like the sound, so I recorded for another two and a half hours. Out of that I selected about forty-five minutes of music for the CD, and it's the best example of the deepest and most unique part of my music. I worked for years to get that right and it is still growing.
The other CD worth mentioning is [the forthcoming] Altitude, which is a trio with William Parker on bass, Gerald Cleaver on drums. I'm playing electric guitar on it. Steven Joerg and I first spoke about making a trio cd with William on bass 15 years ago. We kept talking about it. Finally the time seemed right. AUM had two weeks at the Stone last June, so we arranged the gig and had it recorded. In some ways, it's the completion of a big circle or a couple of circles. My first recording—Wrapround, released in 1983—was a live trio, and my first AUM Fidelity CD, Antenna, was also a trio. Altitude is a long-form collective improvisation. I am extremely influenced by Jimmy Lyons, Albert Ayler, late Coltrane and all the free jazz saxophonists—and that includes [AUM artist] David S. Ware, so having Altitude on AUM Fidelity makes sense.
Cooper-Moore. Clare O'Dea
Cooper-Moore: Triptych Myth was me directly working with [Steven]. I found that he was very thorough, a very confident person and very particular about all the details of the recording: the [album] covers, sound, the notes. The thing I remember most that I keep in my mind about Steven was, that I think in '07, I was going to do a solo tour all over America and because I don't drive anymore, I was gonna do it on a Greyhound bus and Amtrak. I sent a letter out to lots of people and I got back two important responses: one from Adam Lore, dear friend, and then the other from Steven.
Well, Steven did two things: he and Adam got together and said "Look, Cooper-Moore. Why don't we, so you have product to sell out on the road, put out a CD of your box set that Adam had produced and then you have something to sell?" Not only that, but Steven and Adam put out a mailing all across the country that I was gonna do that. So, I sent out a letter on a Friday or Saturday. By Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday. I had pretty much booked the whole tour—this was a two-month tour. There were other bookings that came later, but pretty much I had all the spots where I was gonna be touring. I found that was very impressive that he [Steven] got on the phone, got on email and people responded within three or four days and [because of that] I booked the whole tour. That to me is something that stays in my mind. He personally got in touch with people on the west coast who put me up. That's what I remember about him: someone who really cared about the music and people.
When Steven first asked me to record, I was hesitant because I didn't know him, really. So I called up William Parker and I ask him and just great words from William. I called up David [S. Ware] and got great words from David. So I said "yes" to Steven [to record].
Gerald Cleaver: I first met Steven maybe in 1999 or 2000, and Joe Morris invited me to play in his band with Chris Lightcap and Mat Maneri and the very first gig we did was in Steven's old place on 9th Street [in Park Slope]. I just remember Steven being incredibly positive, such an amazingly idealistic kind of fellow but not in an unrealistic way—lots of positive energy there and that always struck me and always stayed with me. I remember AUM was just maybe getting off the ground around that time. I remember stacks of boxes in this little room there. That stuck with me, because coming from Detroit, where it's lately more about keeping your head above water, there wasn't too much self-determination to make stuff happen. Seeing that, it really struck a chord with me and seeing somebody that age doing exactly what he wanted to do.
Steven is really hands-off [producing records] and we've been in situations where he's been there and he's just a kind of supporter. The way it feels in the various things I've dealt with him is he's like our number one fan. It's not like he's "producing" the product but you're making a heartfelt performance that just happens to be getting recorded and he's enjoying every bit of it. That part of it is nice.
I remember the very first Farmers by Nature record that I mixed with Steven. It went back and forth, and at that point I really appreciated his ears as well because he's a very astute listener. He listens like a musician, but he has the heart a fan. I guess he wouldn't have a record label if he weren't like that. Steven's doing everything right, as far as I'm concerned.
Darius Jones: The first meeting I had with Steven Joerg was for Man'ish Boy (A Raw and Beautiful Thing). What struck me first is that he was very polite and accommodating. He patiently listened to my ideas and diligently took notes throughout our conversation, and when we got to the moment when I proposed how much I wanted to be paid for the project, Steven poignantly said, "Let me get another drink." After he sipped on his beer, we came to a compromise and, from that moment, I began to learn from this great man. He has never pulled any punches; he's always given me the facts, whether they were ugly or dramatically beautiful. Steven is a man of integrity.
When we recorded Book of Mæ'bul (Another Kind of Sunrise), I was very nervous at the beginning of the session. Steven told me later that he sensed this at the time but wanted to allow me to work through it. He didn't get in the way of me tapping into the vulnerability and character of the Mæ'bul music. He knew that I would get it together. He was calm and patient and encouraging, making sure that I had everything that I needed to manifest my vision for this record. This is what makes Steven a great producer and what makes AUM Fidelity a great label to be on.
Ches Smith: [Working with Steven on Book of Mæ'bul (Another Kind of Sunrise)] was really straightforward. He just made it really easy and it's always nice having another set of ears in the control room listening to what we're doing because honestly, after I'm done with the take and it's just me but I don't know what was good or bad or anything. I really just need someone to tell me. I can listen back and tell but it's great to be in there and then do another take if you need to without having to stop and listen. I know he's put out a lot of records and he's a big fan of music so it's just nice having someone there that knew Darius's playing. When Steven was listening and excited, that felt good to me. [laughs]
Mike Pride: Before I got to know Steven, I was worried about it because I remember when Darius [Jones] was the first person who brought it up to me if I'd be interested in doing a From Bacteria to Boys record with AUM Fidelity. I was like "Yeah, you know, maybe? Do I have any say on how my record looks? Do I have any say on how my record is marketed?" Darius was like "I don't know. That's between you and him." I did many meetings. Me and Steven met three or four time over the course of two months before there was actually a contract presented, which wasn't a drag for me. It wasn't just like he was feeling me out; I was feeling him out. I put out like fifteen of my own records prior to that with little to no or more success than none—it varied all the time. So I wasn't necessarily super-psyched to be on a label unless I felt like I could still do almost anything I wanted. Steven let me do that. We disagreed after making the record on a few things and I argued my case and in every case he heard me out and ended up agreeing with my request, as far as what changed or what needed to be cut. I've dealt with a lot of belligerent bandleaders, musicians and label people and Steven was certainly not that. He heard me out in every thing and fortunately for me, while preparing mentally for me for what I wanted to say, and he was totally cool. So it was great.
It was the first time I had somebody pay for a record of mine from beginning to end, including payment for the band, which is exceedingly rare nowadays and then to have him see it all the way through. [Betweenwhile] doesn't look like the other AUM Fidelity records, it doesn't sound like the other AUM Fidelity records—not that they all sound the same, but there's certainly an image that comes to mind to me and the fans before I was on the label of what AUM Fidelity records are.
Steven has been a pleasure to work with and he's been generous with his opinions, which is cool—I like people with strong opinions and I like people who critique my own work, whether they like it or hate it. I'm kinda into that.
Matthew Shipp: Working on [Freedom Suite] was an exciting adventure of remaking a jazz iconic piece—and it is extremely different than any other remake of it, just like Joerg's label is unlike any other jazz label in history, it was interesting to bring a indie-rock sensibility to promoting a jazz staple like this, and Joerg's "special zany personality" always added to the surprising unfolding of the perception of the CD or any CD he put out. Joerg and I spent countless hours back then coming up with alternative ways of promoting the music through different channels—it was an exciting time, and Joerg is a pilgrim. He is still in the ballgame, giving it 100 percent. He is completely dedicated and loyal to the artists he works with—an amazing story.
Cooper-Moore: It's all about the musicians: the musicians let you know who people are. We can read the words of critics and writers and reviewers but it's the musicians who really know who the people are in this business. Every January all the musicians get an accounting. I don't know about other record companies but every musician that records for him [Steven] gets an accounting of every track that has sold that year, the red and the black. Every CD that's gone out, every CD that's come back that didn't sell, everything that's downloaded—every penny is accounted for and the fact that the business of it is that after cost the musicians split—the deals are different—but my deal with him was after costs, profits were split 50/50. And that is not the regular music business.
I've pretty much shied away from all of [the record labels]. My business has been to make music. I don't sell it; I just make it. I've been very thankful that Steven's been on the spot and taking care of the business.
AUM Fidelity celebrates its 15th anniversary Tuesday, June 12, at Roulette with performances by Eri Yamamoto, Farmers by Nature, Darius Jones Quartet and William Parker's In Order to Survive.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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There are 7,000 languages in the world, and we're interested in studying all of them. Linguistics is the scientific study of language—we develop techniques to explore patterns that all human languages have in common and investigate the ways in which each is unique. Our explorations yield insights not only about languages, but also about the nature of the human mind.
Linguistics at Swarthmore
Students learn linguistics at Swarthmore through interacting with the information and each other. Coursework and problem sets challenge students to develop their own insights and construct arguments supporting their claims. Professors guide the process, ultimately leading to a fuller understanding of linguistic theory than one could attain by absorbing theories presented in classes and texts.
The community of learning is enhanced and expanded by the Linguistics Department's strong ties to Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges. Swarthmore Linguistics professors teach courses on all three campuses (though the vast majority are at Swarthmore), and linguistics courses regularly include students from all three schools.
Why study Linguistics?
The relevance of linguistics to the fields of anthropology, cognitive science, language study, philosophy, psychology, and sociology has been recognized for a long time. Linguistics crosslists courses from ten departments, reflecting the diversity of fields with strong relevance to our field. The interdisciplinary nature of the field, and our program, further encourages students to broaden their horizons and interact with a wide variety of students, scholars, and ideas.
Because the very nature of modern linguistic inquiry is to build arguments for particular analyses, the study of linguistics gives the student finely honed argumentation skills, which stand in good stead in careers in law, business, and any other profession where such skills are crucial.
Linguistics Department Pages
Pearson Hall
Swarthmore PA 19081
Email: linguistics department
Tri-College Class of 2020
All Tri-College majors are required to write a thesis in the fall of their senior year. This year we have 32 seniors writing theses, including Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges. Check them out.
Linguistics Alum.....where are they now? Check out Sam Gray '17
I'm interested primarily in language processing, cognitive science, and the phonology-morphology interface, though I do tend to dabble. Recent work has included a paper on how elements of sign language prosody correlate with the gender and age of the signer; my most current research involves artificial dialect decoding and vowel perception. I received my BA with honors from Swarthmore College, where I worked on reduplication in the Munda language family and the verbal morphology of Navajo. Other academic and non-academic interests include machine learning, constructed languages, and scuba diving (which doesn't lend itself to linguistic research; fish aren't the best conversationalists).
Linguist David Harrison Continues to Grow a Repository for the World's Endangered Languages
"Swarthmore has unwittingly become a repository for the world's endangered languages — but a living repository, not somebody stored some data away somewhere under lock and key," Harrison says. "We put the data, publicly facing, on a free platform that supports indigenous rights and indigenous languages.
"I'd like the College to get credit for this," he adds, "because it has great global impact. And it's doing something to advance and support cultural diversity and language diversity — which are the same thing.
David Harrison works with Anselon Seru on Futuna Island, Vanuatu.
Photo by R. Sean Thackurdeen '12.
Linguistics Professor Ted Fernald leads the NSF/REU Navajo Linguistics Field School in NM
The research site was hosted by Navajo Technical University (NTU), Crownpoint, NM. All students had a strong background with speaking Navajo prior to the program. For two of them, Navajo is their first language. The others have had at least two years in college of classroom instruction in Navajo.
Six undergraduate researchers from the Navajo Technical University (Bernadine Cody, Wallace Dale, Dana Desiderio, Natalie Desiderio, Lester Kinsel and Tyler Tinhorn) worked on several projects, each of which required background training.
The team recorded and annotated 266 example sentences that contain postpositional phrases or postpositional enclitic phrases. Here's the link to the talking dictionary:
Linguist K. David Harrison Continues to Grow a Repository for the World's Endangered Languages
Category: Global Impact
Students Share Summer Research, Make Connections
Category: Community of Scholars
Faculty Share Experiences at 12@25 Symposium
Three Swarthmore Students, Five Alumni Receive Fulbright Grants
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Seniors of 2019
French & Francophone Studies
Interpretation Theory
Latin American & Latino Studies
Modern Languages & Literatures
Peace & Conflict Studies
Design Your Own Major


MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — February 12, 2019 – NeuroPace, Inc., a Silicon Valley-based medical technology company, today announced that the American Medical Association (AMA) has issued a new Category I Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) code for electrocorticography from an implanted brain neurostimulator. The new code is applicable to services that physicians perform with the company's RNS® System, a first-of-its-kind technology for the treatment of patients with refractory epilepsy.
Beginning January 1, 2019, providers are able to report the new CPT code for the review and interpretation of electrocorticograms (measurements of brain activity) captured and stored by the RNS System. CPT codes are widely recognized by public and private health insurance payers in the United States to describe healthcare services and procedures to facilitate reimbursement. The CPT code application was submitted by the American Academy of Neurology, American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, and the National Association of Epilepsy Centers.
Neural data from the RNS System provides information that helps clinicians better understand the location, frequency, and triggers of an individual patient's seizures, allowing them to personalize care and empowering patients to better manage their condition. Using artificial intelligence and machine learning, NeuroPace scientists are analyzing millions of electrocorticographic recordings to develop algorithms designed to optimize and individualize patient care.
Of the roughly 3.4 million adults in the U.S. with epilepsy, as many as one-third have seizures that are not controlled by existing therapies. As the only FDA-approved medical device that utilizes brain-computer interface technology for epilepsy, the RNS System offers an advanced treatment option for patients with refractory focal seizures.
The RNS System is the world's first and only closed-loop brain-responsive neurostimulation system designed to prevent epileptic seizures at their source. The RNS System is composed of a neurostimulator, leads that are placed at the seizure foci, a remote monitor used by patients to upload their data, and a RNS Tablet and Patient Data Management System (PDMS) used by physicians. Physicians can view their patient's electrographic data on a secure website and program the device to personalize therapy for each individual. Unlike anti-epileptic drugs or resective surgery, brain-responsive neuromodulation outcomes typically improve with time and do not cause the cognitive side effects that can be associated with those alternatives. The RNS System is now available at nearly all comprehensive epilepsy centers in the United States and is widely covered by private and government insurance.
1 Nair et al., presented at AES 2018.


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Citizenship and Immigration
How to Apply for Citizenship in Singapore
1 Becoming a Permanent Resident
2 Applying for Citizenship
Last Updated: June 29, 2021 References
Singaporean citizenship comes with a lot of benefits worth considering: a Singaporean passport carries excellent visa-free travel around the world and the country has an alluring economy for investors and entrepreneurs. However, applying for citizenship in Singapore isn't an easy or fast process. To become a Singaporean citizen, you have to become a permanent resident (PR), live in Singapore for 2 years, then submit your application and renounce your former nationality.
Becoming a Permanent Resident Download Article
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Apply under the Scheme for Professional/Technical Personnel/Skilled Workers. The most common way to become a PR is to apply as a foreign professional working in Singapore. Under this scheme, a person lives and works in Singapore for 2 years and then applies for PR status based on their employment history.[1] X Research source
You'll need to already be living and working in Singapore before you can apply for PR status through this scheme. It's recommended that you wait at least a year after you've started working in Singapore before submitting your PR application.
Note that you'll need to be working a job that pays a minimum annual salary of S$3300 and that your professional skills and education, as evidenced by the industry you work in, the pedigree of your employer, and the reputation of the academic institution you've graduated from, will also factor into your application for PR status.
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Become a PR through the Scheme for Entrepreneurs. The Scheme for Entrepreneurs, otherwise known as the Global Investor Programme, aims to encourage investors who can invest large sums of money in the Singaporean economy to apply for PR status. If you're an investor or successful entrepreneur, apply for PR status through this scheme.[2] X Research source
Applicants for PR status through this scheme must deposit S$1.5 million with the Singaporean government to be considered.
Although there are no educational or vocational requirements for applying for PR status under this scheme, you'll need to provide records of the most recent 3 years of your entrepreneurial or business experience.
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Apply for PR status as a foreign artist if possible. There is a third scheme for applying for PR status called the Foreign Artistic Scheme. If you have formal training, education, and experience in the visual arts, performance arts, or literary arts, consider applying for PR status through this scheme.
Note that this scheme is intended for acclaimed artists in various fields and is the most difficult means of obtaining PR status in Singapore for most people.
Attend school in Singapore and pass at least 1 national exam. If you're still a student, you can also apply for PR status by studying in Singapore for 2 years and passing at least 1 national exam.[3] X Research source
The national exams you have to take before applying for PR status are the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) or the Singapore-Cambridge GCE for high school students.
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Marry a Singaporean citizen or permanent resident. Perhaps the quickest way to become eligible to apply for PR status is to marry a citizen or permanent resident of Singapore. If you have children younger than 21 with your spouse, they can also apply for PR status through this scheme.[4] X Research source
You don't have to have to lived in Singapore for 2 years to apply for citizenship this way. You only need to submit your PR application and wait until it is processed, which can take as little as 4 weeks.
Note that you will need to provide an official marriage certificate when submitting your application for PR status.
Although this isn't guaranteed, your application may be stronger if you apply along for PR status along with your children, as the Singaporean government looks favorably on applicants maintaining close family ties in Singapore.
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Submit your application once you're eligible for PR status. Once you've met the requirements for PR status for your particular scheme, use the government's online portal to submit your application for PR status.[5] X Research source
You must submit your application using the Singaporean government's e-service: https://erep.ica.gov.sg/epr/index.xhtml. Applications for each scheme are submitted through this online portal.
As of August 2018, there is a S$100 fee for each application for PR status.
Make sure you assemble all the supplemental documents required by the Singaporean government for the particular scheme you're applying through, such as your official marriage certificate, valid Immigration Pass, Work Pass, and your highest educational certificates.
The turn-around for PR applications is roughly 4 to 6 months.
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Be prepared to perform mandatory service. Under Singaporean law, all male citizens and Permanent Residents must register for the National Service and perform mandatory service once they reach the age of 18. This is carried out for 2 years and can be served either in the armed forces or in the police force. Singaporean men are subject to this law until the age of 40.[6] X Research source
Note that if you apply for PR status as a student, you have to register for the NS when you reach the age of 16.5.
Defaulting on your mandatory service may result in a substantial fine or as much as 3 years in prison.
As of August 2018, women do not need to perform mandatory service in the Singaporean National Service.
Applying for Citizenship Download Article
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License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>

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Gather up supporting documents for yourself and your family. Once you've been a permanent resident for 2 years, you're eligible to apply for Singaporean citizenship. Before you begin your application, make sure to gather and complete the necessary supplemental documents.[7] X Research source
For most applicants, these documents include a Singapore Citizenship Registration Application form (SCRA Form), an Annex A form, and a Singapore Citizenship Registration on behalf of a Minor form (SCRM Form). These forms can be found on the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority website: https://www.ica.gov.sg/apply/citizenship/apply_citizenship_who.
If you're married, you'll also need to provide supporting documents for your spouse, even if they're not applying for citizenship.
Submit your application materials online or in person at the ICA. Like with the PR status application, the application for citizenship can also be submitted online. If you prefer, you can also hand in your materials in person at the Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) office.
If you want to submit your application in person, you'll have to make an appointment first at the ICA. Appointments can be made online through the ICA's website.
Note that citizenship applications can not be submitted by mail.
The turn-around for citizenship applications is roughly 6 to 12 months. As of August 2018, there is a S$100 processing fee for each application.
{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/1\/14\/Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-10.jpg\/v4-460px-Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-10.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/1\/14\/Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-10.jpg\/aid10257170-v4-728px-Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-10.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>

\n<\/p><\/div>"}
Conduct an interview with an ICA officer. Once your application has been submitted and processed, you'll need to sit down to an interview with an ICA officer. The officer will question you against the information on your application and you'll have to make a statement that all the material on your application is true.
If you're applying for citizenship as the spouse of a Singaporean citizen, your spouse will also have to be present for this interview.
If your application for citizenship is also on behalf of a child, then that child may also need to appear during the interview.
{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/7\/7b\/Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-11.jpg\/v4-460px-Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-11.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/7\/7b\/Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-11.jpg\/aid10257170-v4-728px-Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-11.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>

\n<\/p><\/div>"}
Renounce your former foreign citizenship at the relevant embassy. As part of the process of becoming a Singaporean citizen, you'll need to renounce any other national citizenship. Once you receive notice that your citizenship application has been accepted, head to the relevant embassy in Singapore and renounce your former citizenship ties.
You'll need to bring your former nation's passport with you to the embassy. There, you'll sign an oath of renunciation in the presence of a consular officer and hand over your passport.
This process can also be carried out at the High Commission in Singapore.
Note that you may have to pay a fee to renounce your citizenship, depending on your nationality. Consult with the consular officers of your nation's embassy to determine whether you need to pay a fee as part of your renunciation.
{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/f\/f1\/Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-12.jpg\/v4-460px-Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-12.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/f\/f1\/Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-12.jpg\/aid10257170-v4-728px-Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-12.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>

\n<\/p><\/div>"}
Submit your final registration documents and take your loyalty oath. Bring your letter of renunciation from your former embassy and letter stating the surrender of your passport to the Citizen Services Centre in Singapore. There, you'll pay a fee, complete your citizenship registration, receive your passport, and swear an oath of allegiance.
As of August 2018, you'll need to pay a S$70 fee for your registration, S$10 for your identity card, and $80 for your passport.
The oath you'll swear is the "Oath of Renunciation, Allegiance and Loyalty" and it must be sworn in front of the Commissioner of Oaths.
{"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e3\/Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-13.jpg\/v4-460px-Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-13.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e3\/Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-13.jpg\/aid10257170-v4-728px-Apply-for-Citizenship-in-Singapore-Step-13.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"

License: Creative Commons<\/a>
\n<\/p>

\n<\/p><\/div>"}
Attend the National Citizenship Ceremony to receive your certificate and ID card. The final step in the process is to attend a citizenship ceremony at a later date. You'll be given your identity card and citizenship certificate at the ceremony and be officially recognized as a Singaporean citizen.
The National Citizenship Ceremony is held in August of each year.
Note that you're required to attend this ceremony, although children under the age of 6 are exempt.
Some extraneous factors, like your age and record of charitable giving, also play a role in determining how successful your application for Singaporean citizenship is. Volunteer for a long time and apply for citizenship when you're young to improve your odds!
Singapore doesn't allow its citizens to hold dual citizenship. Be sure you're willing to renounce your current citizenship before going through with applying for Singaporean citizenship.
Note that if you're a man, you'll also be required to perform mandatory service in the military once you become a Singaporean citizen.
Say Hello in Pakistan
Greet People in Indonesia
Say Hello in Balinese
Visit South Korea
Travel to North Korea
Go to Tagaytay
Apply for a Philippines Visa
Travel Around Taiwan
Travel from Turkey to Armenia
Be Polite in Taiwan
Go to the Maldives
Go to Chinatown in Bangkok
Travel to Bhutan
Get to China
↑ https://www.ica.gov.sg/reside/PR/apply
↑ https://www.mfa.gov.sg/content/mfa/overseasmission/canberra/consular_services/applicaton_for_permanent_residency.html
↑ https://www.ica.gov.sg/cms/files/forms/Explanatory%20Notes%20and%20Document%20List%20(for%20foreign%20students).pdf
↑ https://www.ica.gov.sg/apply/PR/apply_PR_who
↑ https://www.ica.gov.sg/apply/citizenship/apply_citizenship_who
Categories: Citizenship and Immigration | Asia Travel


text:
KQV steht als Abkürzung für:

 KarstadtQuelle Versicherungen, am 15. Februar 2010 umbenannt in ERGO Direkt Versicherungen
 Das Computerspiel King's Quest V

KQV

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Spec-Savers Pretoria CBD offers friendly and affordable optometry services in the Pretoria area. We opened our doors in 1993 and have been going strong ever since. We were actually the 6th Spec-Savers store to open.
We have loyal patients that come from far just for the smiles on the fronliners friendly faces. We are a family here, and treat our patients like family as well. Everyone is always helpful and do not mind going the extra mile. Our motto in-store is: "We will make a plan".


This is our total Bath & Body home Spa kit. It is a perfect do it yourself full body spa kit. This includes all 10 items listed separately in one kit for a 25% discount. Please look at the individual items for a complete description and instructions for use.


The Room may be turning 15 years old, but right now — it's bigger than ever. Thanks to The Disaster Artist — James Franco's critically acclaimed film about the making of the best-worst movie — the 2003 film and its enigmatic writer, director, producer, financier, and star, Tommy Wiseau, are finally the stars they set out to be nearly two decades ago.
Based on The Room co-star Greg Sestero's book of the same name, The Disaster Artist follows aspiring filmmaker Tommy Wiseau as he pursues the passion project of a lifetime — and sinks a reported $6 million of his own money into the project.
While The Room was an immediate flop after its release, it developed a cult status as "the Citizen Kane of bad movies" and continues to be shown all over the world. There's even audience participation at screenings — in which attendees dress up like their favorite characters, throw footballs and spoons, and recite lines back at the screen.
After seeing The Room and The Disaster Artist, you're *definitely* going to be curious about Wiseau's additional forays into the film industry — and yes, he's still making movies. From his first projects following The Room to his upcoming on-screen reunion with Sestero, we've rounded up six essential projects to watch for the Tommy Wiseau fans out there.
In his most extensive creative endeavor since The Room, Wiseau created, wrote, and stars in this apartment sitcom. Wiseau initially shot a pilot episode in 2007 but the episode never made it to air, with just the above trailer remaining. Despite the failure of the initial iteration of The Neighbors, Wiseau kept developing the sitcom and in 2015, six episodes were released on Hulu. While no longer available on Hulu — Wiseau later told Splinter that Hulu released the six-episode first season in order to maintain Emmy eligibility — The Neighbors Season 1 *is* available on DVD, with a reported Season 2 on the way.
Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim, comedians and massive fans of The Room, invited Wiseau to guest star and direct an episode. It went about as well as can be expected but seeing the befuddled amazement on Heidecker and Wareheim's faces while working with the eccentric Wiseau is spectacular in and of itself.
Wiseau teamed up with sketch comedy troupe Super 8 for this 2010 comedy-horror short film. With Wiseau pulling double duty as The Stranger and Alex, the short is a scary story within a scary story about, yes, a house that leaks blood.
Wiseau re-teamed with Super 8 for this bizarre series following the filmmaker, playing a (probably) fictional version of himself called T.W., who is repeatedly kidnapped by aliens, sent to a moon base, and is forced to play video games. The entire series is currently available on YouTube for the Wiseau super-fans out there.
Wiseau played Linton Kitano in the 2015 sequel to the 1991 direct-to-video action film about Samurai cop in the LAPD tasked with taking down a notorious gang. The film was crowdfunded using Kickstarter and even had an accompanying documentary called Enter the Samurai.
Now this is a film that'll *really* have The Room fans excited as it reunites Wiseau and Sestero on-screen for the first time in nearly 15 years. Reportedly inspired by a real road trip taken by the duo in 2003 and written by Sestero, the film follows a man who encounters a mysterious mortician (Wiseau) who takes him on a life-changing adventure. A rough cut of the film was shown at the Prince Charles Theatre in London — a venue known for regular screenings of The Room — earlier this fall, but an official release is reportedly slated for next year.
Additionally, Wiseau has a small cameo in The Disaster Artist, which is currently playing in select theaters.


A SOCIAL CONSERVATIVE — A WINNING TACTIC?
Withstanding the rationally enhanced moralistically upgraded version encapsulated in the phrase "rights of man," and aside from the hubristic inclination intrinsic to such a philosophic belief, I do believe that such a belief is the a priori of social conservatism.
Remembering that the Declaration of Independence was written by men of fallible and morally imperfect behavior; these treasonous signers (certainly King George believed them traitors) were also men of the 18th century with all the moral and intellectual prejudice of their time. Men who, by affirming this document of independence, put at risk their reputation, property, and life. Nevertheless and inclusive of the understanding that these founding fathers inserted God and godliness into this country's founding document there is no evidence that God was a party to these transaction; nor of Jesus Christ inspiring or motivating these actions. Indeed the forthcoming to the declaration of July 4 1776, the Constitution of The United States of America, specifically, stated the separation of church and state as a founding law of the land.
In other words, withstanding references to, innuendos of, and emphatic statements endorsing the people's trust in God, America was founded on the concept of limited government, principled on the philosophical merits of existentialism, valuing individualism rather than collectivism, wherein individual liberty, and freedom is the highest priority of governess.
The thesis of natural law put forward by the English political philosopher, John Locke essentially says that government derives its power from the people indeed Locke's remedy for what the people would consider an unlawful act was to disobey. He felt the basis for such disobedience was that the State had exceeded its authority or breeched the rule of law. Now he also felt that the people should be armed so to protect their rights, explicitly, if required, to protect themselves against the absolute power of the State.
A component of theological faithfulness may include the belief that God inspires all of man's actions; certainly, I am not one to critic such a belief. However I am skeptical that God is concerned about the day-to-day chaos of politics in particular or frankly even general human activity. Of course I do not know this conclusively it is simply my conjecture. I do know the criteria required to defeat President Obama is to positively and inclusively broaden the reach of constituents. Some of these constituents may fear an evangelist in the executive office more than Obama; or simply turn a blind eye and a deaf ear to the conservative message when the message is heavily tainted with the insertion of God or godliness.
As stated more than once by the peanut gallery of pundits this next election will be the most resounding cry of the impending death of a conservative America or a joyous cry of relieve that the liberal progressive socialist was defeated. The goal is to win the election of 2012 unless there is a conservative electoral victory it matters nominal whether God is the source of the "rights of man" or not.


text:
Metro Exodus has sold over 200,000 copies on Steam in less than a week
even though it was available elsewhere for more than a year
By Mach1,
February 21, 2020 in Technology News
Location: Somewhere the sun doesn't shine..
In a nutshell: Metro Exodus was one of 2019's best games, but its last-minute timed exclusivity deal with the Epic Games Store brought a lot of controversy. It appears, however, that plenty of people were willing to wait until the title returned to Steam, where it's been performing "great" since its recent arrival.
Back in January 2019, two weeks before release, Metro publisher Deep Silver announced that the latest installment of the franchise would be selling exclusively on Epic's store until February 15, 2020. The news came despite pre-orders for Exodus being available on Steam since its reveal. This led to Valve calling the decision "unfair," and the previous Metro titles getting review bombed by angry fans.
Metro Exodus' exclusivity deal ended a few days ago, and even though it's been available elsewhere for over a year, plenty of Steam users are buying the game. Speaking during an earnings presentation, Lars Wingefors, CEO of Deep Silver's parent company, Embracer Group, said: "Metro [Exodus] performed well on Epic and I was happy with the performance on the Epic Games Store, but that doesn't say I'm not happy with the Steam performance either, so it's been great [in] the first days."
"I was happy to see it's been performing well, selling about 200,000 copies already, and surprising to see that one big country in Asia was the biggest country buying the product, very close to America."
That big Asian country Wingefors mentioned is doubtlessly China, which is becoming a huge market for Steam—simplified Chinese is the second-most-common language on the platform, and has been the most popular on more than one occasion.
Some people let their opinions of Epic be known in Exodus' review section, which caused Google's result for Steam searches to show a description that read: "F*ck Epic Games Store." VG247 explains that Google pulled up the review from the Steam homepage, which features Metro Exodus.
We recently saw the second and final expansion for Exodus released: Sam's Story. It brings a new world to explore and packs plenty of content—definitely worth a purchase for Metro fans.
Adenman and Karlston
Mach1 1 post
In a nutshell: Metro Exodus was one of 2019's best games, but its last-minute timed exclusivity deal with the Epic Games Store brought a lot of controversy. It appears, however, that plenty of people


Buying Classic Cars – Explore the Cons before Buying!
Classic cars are a hobby for a lot of people. Even those people who do not purchase classic cars find classic cars amazing. If you are a car lover, you are surely in awe of the array of wonderful classic cars available. Before you purchase a classic car, it is important to be completely sure that the car is a classic in all senses of the term. Only then will you ensure that you are going to get a good return for the money you are investing.
Antique or classic cars are amazing. They have a unique appearance and everyone enjoys seeing them on the roads in the UK . Many classic cars effectively have a personalised number plate by virtue of their age and some of the most expensive cherished numbers adorn classic cars.
So, how would you go about purchasing a classic car?
There are a few cons you need to consider. You need to be aware of areas of concern in order to ensure that you are not compromised when buying a classic car.
You might love to buy cars. And you don't purchase them only for the sake of luxury. You see them as a form of investment. And there's nothing wrong in that. A lot of cars turn out to be great investments. But you will need to ensure that you are able to maintain the car in good working condition in order to make sure it does not lose value.
Do you already own a car? Do you maintain that properly? You must be aware of the fact that it takes a lot of time, energy and money to maintain your new car. It's even more so with a classic car. As the vehicle is quite old, the parts can start malfunctioning. So, to keep the car running properly, it is important to take it for regular maintenance. And even then, it might not run properly on a regular basis. You need to be prepared to invest further time and money beyond your initial investment.
You have a classic car, which has been performing quite well. But it often creates a bit of a problem. It often happens that your car will need the replacement of a part. Parts for classic cars aren't always readily available and it becomes quite difficult to keep the car on the road or in a serviceable condition. You will need to identify where you are going to be able to source parts for the classic car you are purchasing.
Classic cars are attractive and a favourite of most car enthusiasts. However they come with a cost that can quickly burn a hole in your pocket. You need to research how much the car is likely to cost on an ongoing basis otherwise it might not be a good investment in the long term.
Despite all the disadvantages, there are lots of benefits of buying a classic car. And generally speaking the pros outweigh the cons with one of the pros being the private number plate on the car which makes it even more unique and more valuable in the long term.


text:
Q: Slow Sidekiq in development only Running Sidekiq 6.1.0 on Rails 5.0.7.2 with Sidekiq concurrency set to 12, Redis server 4.0.14 and Redis gem 4.2.1.
There seems to be some delay (seconds) between queueing/executing jobs that we didn't see with Rails 4.2.9. Note, this behavior only occurs in development, production seems to do just fine.
An example worker:
class SidekiqTestWorker
  include Sidekiq::Worker

  sidekiq_options(
    queue: "default",
  )

  def perform
    puts "Hello from Sidekiq!"
  end
end

Running 1000.times { SidekiqTestWorker.perform_async } in a Rails console takes around a second to execute all jobs with Rails 4.2.9, but with Rails 5.0.7.2 it takes several minutes to complete. Worth mentioning that we tried running with the same Sidekiq version (5.2.8) with only Rails diffing between the tries with the same result.
A snippet from the Sidekiq worker logs shows the behavior (note the timestamp):
16:52:00 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:00 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:00 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:00 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:00 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:00 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:00 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:00 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:00 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:00 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:00 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:01 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:04 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:04 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:04 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:04 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:04 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:04 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:04 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:04 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:04 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:04 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:04 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:05 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:05 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!
16:52:05 sidekiq_worker.1 | Hello from Sidekiq!

Any ideas what can be done to fix this?

A: In the Sidekiq 5.0 release notes:

Sidekiq 5.0 contains a reworked job dispatch and execution core to integrate better with the new Rails 5.0 Executor.

The Rails Executor is single-threaded in development mode so it can hot reload job code changes. Sidekiq can only execute one job at a time.
The only way to fix this is to enable eager loading in config/environment/development.rb but that will disable code reloading too.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
package com.google.auto.value.processor;

import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assertThat;
import static com.google.common.truth.Truth.assert_;
import static com.google.testing.compile.JavaSourcesSubjectFactory.javaSources;

import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableList;
import com.google.testing.compile.JavaFileObjects;

import junit.framework.TestCase;

import java.io.Writer;
import java.util.List;

import javax.tools.Diagnostic;
import javax.tools.DiagnosticCollector;
import javax.tools.JavaCompiler;
import javax.tools.JavaFileManager;
import javax.tools.JavaFileObject;
import javax.tools.ToolProvider;

/**
 * @author emcmanus@google.com (Éamonn McManus)
 */
public class AutoAnnotationCompilationTest extends TestCase {
  public void testSimple() {
    JavaFileObject myAnnotationJavaFile = JavaFileObjects.forSourceLines(
        "com.example.annotations.MyAnnotation",
        "package com.example.annotations;",
        "",
        "import com.example.enums.MyEnum;",
        "",
        "public @interface MyAnnotation {",
        "  MyEnum value();",
        "}"
    );
    JavaFileObject myEnumJavaFile = JavaFileObjects.forSourceLines(
        "com.example.enums.MyEnum",
        "package com.example.enums;",
        "",
        "public enum MyEnum {",
        "  ONE",
        "}"
    );
    JavaFileObject annotationFactoryJavaFile = JavaFileObjects.forSourceLines(
        "com.example.factories.AnnotationFactory",
        "package com.example.factories;",
        "",
        "import com.google.auto.value.AutoAnnotation;",
        "import com.example.annotations.MyAnnotation;",
        "import com.example.enums.MyEnum;",
        "",
        "public class AnnotationFactory {",
        "  @AutoAnnotation",
        "  public static MyAnnotation newMyAnnotation(MyEnum value) {",
        "    return new AutoAnnotation_AnnotationFactory_newMyAnnotation(value);",
        "  }",
        "}");
    JavaFileObject expectedOutput = JavaFileObjects.forSourceLines(
        "com.example.factories.AutoAnnotation_AnnotationFactory_newMyAnnotation",
        "package com.example.factories;",
        "",
        "import com.example.annotations.MyAnnotation;",
        "import com.example.enums.MyEnum;",
        "import javax.annotation.Generated",
        "",
        "@Generated(\"" + AutoAnnotationProcessor.class.getName() + "\")",
        "final class AutoAnnotation_AnnotationFactory_newMyAnnotation implements MyAnnotation {",
        "  private final MyEnum value;",
        "",
        "  AutoAnnotation_AnnotationFactory_newMyAnnotation(MyEnum value) {",
        "    if (value == null) {",
        "      throw new NullPointerException(\"Null value\");",
        "    }",
        "    this.value = value;",
        "  }",
        "",
        "  @Override public Class<? extends MyAnnotation> annotationType() {",
        "    return MyAnnotation.class;",
        "  }",
        "",
        "  @Override public MyEnum value() {",
        "    return value;",
        "  }",
        "",
        "  @Override public String toString() {",
        "    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(\"@com.example.annotations.MyAnnotation(\");",
        "    sb.append(value);",
        "    return sb.append(')').toString();",
        "  }",
        "",
        "  @Override public boolean equals(Object o) {",
        "    if (o == this) {",
        "      return true;",
        "    }",
        "    if (o instanceof MyAnnotation) {",
        "      MyAnnotation that = (MyAnnotation) o;",
        "      return (value.equals(that.value()));",
        "    }",
        "    return false;",
        "  }",
        "",
        "  @Override public int hashCode() {",
        "    return ((127 * " + "value".hashCode() + ") ^ (value.hashCode()));",
        "  }",
        "}"
    );
    assert_().about(javaSources())
        .that(ImmutableList.of(annotationFactoryJavaFile, myAnnotationJavaFile, myEnumJavaFile))
        .processedWith(new AutoAnnotationProcessor())
        .compilesWithoutError()
        .and().generatesSources(expectedOutput);
  }

  public void testCollectionsForArrays() {
    JavaFileObject myAnnotationJavaFile = JavaFileObjects.forSourceLines(
        "com.example.annotations.MyAnnotation",
        "package com.example.annotations;",
        "",
        "import com.example.enums.MyEnum;",
        "",
        "public @interface MyAnnotation {",
        "  int[] value();",
        "  MyEnum[] enums() default {};",
        "}"
    );
    JavaFileObject myEnumJavaFile = JavaFileObjects.forSourceLines(
        "com.example.enums.MyEnum",
        "package com.example.enums;",
        "",
        "public enum MyEnum {",
        "  ONE",
        "}"
    );
    JavaFileObject annotationFactoryJavaFile = JavaFileObjects.forSourceLines(
        "com.example.factories.AnnotationFactory",
        "package com.example.factories;",
        "",
        "import com.google.auto.value.AutoAnnotation;",
        "import com.example.annotations.MyAnnotation;",
        "import com.example.enums.MyEnum;",
        "",
        "import java.util.List;",
        "import java.util.Set;",
        "",
        "public class AnnotationFactory {",
        "  @AutoAnnotation",
        "  public static MyAnnotation newMyAnnotation(",
        "      List<Integer> value, Set<MyEnum> enums) {",
        "    return new AutoAnnotation_AnnotationFactory_newMyAnnotation(value, enums);",
        "  }",
        "}");
    JavaFileObject expectedOutput = JavaFileObjects.forSourceLines(
        "com.example.factories.AutoAnnotation_AnnotationFactory_newMyAnnotation",
        "package com.example.factories;",
        "",
        "import com.example.annotations.MyAnnotation;",
        "import com.example.enums.MyEnum;",
        "import java.util.Arrays;",
        "import java.util.Collection;",
        "import java.util.List;",
        "import java.util.Set;",
        "import javax.annotation.Generated",
        "",
        "@Generated(\"" + AutoAnnotationProcessor.class.getName() + "\")",
        "final class AutoAnnotation_AnnotationFactory_newMyAnnotation implements MyAnnotation {",
        "  private final int[] value;",
        "  private final MyEnum[] enums;",
        "",
        "  AutoAnnotation_AnnotationFactory_newMyAnnotation(",
        "      List<Integer> value,",
        "      Set<MyEnum> enums) {",
        "    if (value == null) {",
        "      throw new NullPointerException(\"Null value\");",
        "    }",
        "    this.value = intArrayFromCollection(value);",
        "    if (enums == null) {",
        "      throw new NullPointerException(\"Null enums\");",
        "    }",
        "    this.enums = enums.toArray(new MyEnum[enums.size()];",
        "  }",
        "",
        "  @Override public Class<? extends MyAnnotation> annotationType() {",
        "    return MyAnnotation.class;",
        "  }",
        "",
        "  @Override public int[] value() {",
        "    return value.clone();",
        "  }",
        "",
        "  @Override public MyEnum[] enums() {",
        "    return enums.clone();",
        "  }",
        "",
        "  @Override public String toString() {",
        "    StringBuilder sb = new StringBuilder(\"@com.example.annotations.MyAnnotation(\");",
        "    sb.append(\"value=\");",
        "    sb.append(Arrays.toString(value));",
        "    sb.append(\", \");",
        "    sb.append(\"enums=\");",
        "    sb.append(Arrays.toString(enums));",
        "    return sb.append(')').toString();",
        "  }",
        "",
        "  @Override public boolean equals(Object o) {",
        "    if (o == this) {",
        "      return true;",
        "    }",
        "    if (o instanceof MyAnnotation) {",
        "      MyAnnotation that = (MyAnnotation) o;",
        "      return (Arrays.equals(value,",
        "          (that instanceof AutoAnnotation_AnnotationFactory_newMyAnnotation)",
        "              ? ((AutoAnnotation_AnnotationFactory_newMyAnnotation) that).value",
        "              : that.value()))",
        "          && (Arrays.equals(enums,",
        "          (that instanceof AutoAnnotation_AnnotationFactory_newMyAnnotation)",
        "              ? ((AutoAnnotation_AnnotationFactory_newMyAnnotation) that).enums",
        "              : that.enums()))",
        "    }",
        "    return false;",
        "  }",
        "",
        "  @Override public int hashCode() {",
        "    return ",
        "        ((127 * " + "value".hashCode() + ") ^ (Arrays.hashCode(value))) +",
        "        ((127 * " + "enums".hashCode() + ") ^ (Arrays.hashCode(enums)));",
        "  }",
        "",
        "  private static int[] intArrayFromCollection(Collection<Integer> c) {",
        "    int[] a = new int[c.size()];",
        "    int i = 0;",
        "    for (int x : c) {",
        "      a[i++] = x;",
        "    }",
        "    return a;",
        "  }",
        "}"
    );
    assert_().about(javaSources())
        .that(ImmutableList.of(annotationFactoryJavaFile, myEnumJavaFile, myAnnotationJavaFile))
        .processedWith(new AutoAnnotationProcessor())
        .compilesWithoutError()
        .and().generatesSources(expectedOutput);
  }

  public void testMissingClass() {
    // Test that referring to an undefined annotation does not trigger @AutoAnnotation processing.
    // The class Erroneous references an undefined annotation @NotAutoAnnotation. If we didn't have
    // any special treatment of undefined types then we could run into a compiler bug where
    // AutoAnnotationProcessor would think that a method annotated with @NotAutoAnnotation was in
    // fact annotated with @AutoAnnotation. As it is, we do get an error about @NotAutoAnnotation
    // being undefined, and we do not get an error complaining that this supposed @AutoAnnotation
    // method is not static. We do need to have @AutoAnnotation appear somewhere so that the
    // processor will run.
    JavaFileObject erroneousJavaFileObject = JavaFileObjects.forSourceLines(
        "com.example.annotations.Erroneous",
        "package com.example.annotations;",
        "",
        "import com.google.auto.value.AutoAnnotation;",
        "",
        "public class Erroneous {",
        "  @interface Empty {}",
        "  @AutoAnnotation static Empty newEmpty() {}",
        "  @NotAutoAnnotation Empty notNewEmpty() {}",
        "}"
    );
    JavaCompiler javaCompiler = ToolProvider.getSystemJavaCompiler();
    DiagnosticCollector<JavaFileObject> diagnosticCollector =
        new DiagnosticCollector<JavaFileObject>();
    JavaCompiler.CompilationTask compilationTask = javaCompiler.getTask(
        (Writer) null, (JavaFileManager) null, diagnosticCollector, (Iterable<String>) null,
        (Iterable<String>) null, ImmutableList.of(erroneousJavaFileObject));
    compilationTask.setProcessors(ImmutableList.of(new AutoAnnotationProcessor()));
    boolean result = compilationTask.call();
    assertThat(result).isFalse();
    List<Diagnostic<? extends JavaFileObject>> diagnostics = diagnosticCollector.getDiagnostics();
    assertThat(diagnostics).isNotEmpty();
    assertThat(diagnostics.get(0).getMessage(null)).contains("NotAutoAnnotation");
    assertThat(diagnostics.get(0).getMessage(null)).doesNotContain("static");
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Quickly convert any video file to high quality MP3 file.
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text:
US House panel holds Attorney-General Barr in contempt
Washington, May 9: US Attorney General William Barr should be held in contempt of Congress, the House of Representatives judiciary committee has ruled.
Democrats on the committee took the rare step as tensions increased over the special counsel's findings on Russian interference, said a BBC News report on Thursday. President Donald Trump hit back by asserting executive privilege over the report, shielding it from public view.
The White House and Congress accused each other of abusing power.Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report did not conclude that there was a criminal conspiracy between Moscow and the Trump campaign to influence the 2016 US presidential election.
However, Mr Mueller did detail 10 instances where Mr Trump possibly attempted to impede the investigation. Meanwhile, the Senate Intelligence Committee has subpoenaed Donald Trump Jr, one of President Trump's sons, to legally force him to testify. He will be expected to answer questions about testimony he gave to the Senate Judiciary Committee in September 2017, which was later contradicted by the president's former lawyer Michael Cohen, sources from Congress tell Reuters news agency.
Mr Trump Jr will also probably be quizzed on his connections in Russia.It is the first known legal summons issued to a member of the president's family in connection with the investigation. Democratic lawmakers put forward the measure after Mr Barr did not comply with a legal order to release the Mueller report without the redactions.
The 448-page report was released last month with parts blacked out, including information that is classified or linked to pending investigations. After the legal order, Mr Barr formally asked the president to assert his right to executive privilege to stop the unredacted version of the report being released.
On Wednesday, the judiciary committee voted 24-16 along party lines to refer a contempt citation against the attorney general for a full House vote.Democrats say they need to see the full report and its underlying evidence to investigate possible obstruction of justice by Mr Trump.House judiciary chairman Jerrold Nadler said afterwards that the vote was a "grave and momentous step".
He called the Trump administration's refusal to provide the full Mueller report to Congress "an attack on the essence of our democracy"."We have talked for a long time about approaching a constitutional crisis, we are now in it," the New York Democrat told reporters.Earlier, Doug Collins, a leading Republican on the committee, said Democrats were acting out of anger and fear "without any valid legislative reason".
This is hardly the first battle between a president and his political opponents in Congress. Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton all responded to some congressional subpoenas with claims of executive privilege. The Republican-controlled House once even held Mr Obama's attorney general in contempt, setting a perhaps soon-to-be-revisited precedent.
The stakes in this battle, however, are as high as they've ever been, and the tone of the conflict has reached new levels of acrimony.At issue isn't just an unredacted version of the Mueller report, which could contain damning, previously undisclosed details or amount to a big nothing. It's the entire sweep of congressional oversight of the Trump administration, including review of administration actions and Mr Trump's business empire and financial ties.
The president has promised to resist all subpoenas, and Congress is contemplating legal action, further rebukes or even impeachment. Some are suggesting assessing hefty fines on intransigent administration officials or invoking the seldom-used concept of "implicit contempt", which in theory could culminate in the House sergeant-at-arms trying to arrest and imprison the attorney general.
It seems far-fetched, but such is the current state of executive-legislative relations. And neither side appears interested in backing down. For Mr Barr to actually face the prospect of charges, the entire House - where Democrats hold a 235-197 majority over Republicans - would have to vote against him. The measure may be largely symbolic as few expect the Department of Justice to indict its own head with criminal contempt.
However, it would send a powerful message to the White House that congressional Democrats won't retreat in an increasingly vitriolic showdown. Mr Barr is the first attorney general held in contempt of Congress since the Obama administration's Eric Holder in 2012.The White House earlier on Wednesday accused Democrats of a "blatant abuse of power" and blocked access to the full Mueller report by claiming "executive privilege".
Executive privilege allows a president to keep certain materials private if disclosing them would disrupt the confidentiality of the Oval Office decision-making process. Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said the president had taken such a step at the attorney general's request to reject "unlawful and reckless demands" by Democrats. She added in a statement: "They didn't like the results of the [Mueller] report, and now they want a redo."
The judiciary committee chairman argued the White House was misapplying the doctrine of executive privilege. Mr Nadler said: "This decision represents a clear escalation in the Trump administration's blanket defiance of Congress's constitutionally mandated duties."Mr Barr was greeted with a standing ovation as he entered a cabinet meeting on Wednesday. The House Judiciary Committee has formally requested Mr Mueller testify, though a date has not been set.
The special counsel is still a Department of Justice employee, which means the attorney general could prevent him from testifying.Mr Barr has previously said he would not mind Mr Mueller testifying before Congress, but Mr Trump has said the special counsel should not appear before lawmakers.
When Mr Mueller handed in his report, a spokesman said he would be leaving the department "within the coming days". If he does quit, he will become a private citizen and able to testify regardless of the department's wishes. The panel's investigation into alleged Russian meddling in US politics has been rumbling on for the past two years.
(UNI)


text:
AWS Rockfish: Planning documents reveal three Amazon data centers in Texas
While a local developer plans more than 600 new homes next to one of the sites
Dan Swinhoe
Three Amazon data centers are in development in Texas, suggesting a new cloud region could be on the way.
The facilities were revealed in a number of planning documents, under the project name 'Rockfish.'
Amazon acquired the industrial portion of a southeast San Antiono site from local development firm Bitterblue in October 2020 as Rockfish, according to a deed filed with Bexar County. The company plans to build a $56 million, 109,600 square foot (10,100 sq m) data center on 11625 Old Corpus Christi Highway and due for completion at the end of 2021.
As well as the Corpus Christi Highway site, AWS has filed further construction projects in the San Antonio area under the 'AWS Rockfish' moniker. The company has a 109,600 sq ft "Core and shell (warehouse) for future data center fit-out" project at 7400 Potranco Road, TX 78251, at a cost of $31 million, and another 109,600 sq ft "new construction and new fit-out of a data center" project at TX-211 & Potranco Road, TX 78245, requiring $55.9 million investment. All three have the same listed completion date, and have Gensler listed as the design firm.
For breaking data center news, features, and opinions, subscribe to DCD's newsletter
Is a new AWS Texas region coming?
– Bitterblue
AWS regions normally come in groups of three data centers – known as availability zones – but AWS hasn't made any public announcements on the matter. The company currently has Texas CloudFront Edge locations in Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston, but no dedicated data centers or region in the state.
Last year an AWS spokesperson told the San Antonio Express that "Amazon has a practice against commenting on our future roadmap" when asked about its plans in the city. DCD has reached out to AWS for comment.
The Corpus Christi facility is also set to get neighbors. Bitterblue is aiming to develop more than 200 vacant acres adjacent to the facility into a mix of housing, retail, and industrial space. A proposal of 637 single-family lots on 120 acres and 340 multi-family units on 15 acres, according to a presentation this week to the city's Planning and Land Development Committee.
There would also be eight acres for retail, 18 acres for open space and drainage, and 50 acres for industrial space for a data center.
Most of Zoom runs on AWS, not Oracle - says AWS
Amazon sues developer for alleged racketeering and fraud over Virginia data center land
Evoque, Equinix, DataBank, and more weather Texas storm
7400 Potranco Road
AWS Rockfish
11625 Old Corpus Christi Highway


text:
SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION POINSETTIA BOWL AT SAN DIEGO CA
UtahUtesUTAH
9-4, 4-3 Away
UTAH 0 7 14 14 35
NAVY 0 10 7 15 32
NavyMidshipmenNAVY
8-5, 4-4 Home
Johnson's 2 TDs lead Utah to seventh straight bowl win
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- Invite the Utah Utes to a bowl game and the odds are pretty good they're going to win.
Brian Johnson threw for one touchdown and ran for another, and Utah opened the bowl season with a wild 35-32 victory over the Navy Midshipmen in the Poinsettia Bowl on Thursday night.
It was Utah's seventh straight bowl victory dating to 1999.
"Seven straight bowl wins, not a lot of people can say that," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said. "I tell you what, our seniors are 5-0. Fifth-year seniors, five bowl games, five rings. Unbelievable, the legacy they left behind."
Boston College has won seven straight bowl games going into its matchup against Michigan State in the Champs Sports Bowl next Friday.
Running back Darrell Mack, who grew up in the San Diego area, scored the first and last touchdowns for Utah (9-4), which won for the eighth time in nine games.
The loss spoiled the head coaching debut of Navy's Ken Niumatalolo, who was promoted from assistant head coach and offensive line coach after Paul Johnson left for Georgia Tech.
Navy (8-5) had its four-game winning streak snapped.
"More than anything, I feel for our seniors," Niumatalolo said. "I'll coach again."
The Poinsettia Bowl is run by the same group that puts on the Holiday Bowl, so it was fitting that the teams combined for 50 points in the second half.
The game came down to a crazy final minute.
Navy pulled to 35-32 on Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada's 58-yard touchdown pass to Zerbin Singleton with 57 seconds left.
Singleton recovered the onside kick at the 42, but Kaheaku-Enhada was intercepted by safety Joe Dale on the second play of the drive to seal the victory. Dale had a team-high 12 tackles.
There was a questionable call late in the game.
With his Utes leading 28-25, Jerome Brooks caught a 3-yard pass from Johnson and lost the ball as he was diving for the corner of the end zone. The ball hit the pylon and went out of bounds. Officials could have ruled it a touchback for Navy, but after a review, the call on the field stood.
On the next play, Mack was stuffed for no gain on fourth-and-goal from the 1.
Navy ended up getting stopped on fourth-and-2 from its 9.
Afterward, the officials released a statement saying a mistake was made, and the play should have been ruled a touchback, with Navy getting the ball at its 20.
"Who knows?" Kaheaku-Enhada said when asked if the controversial call made a difference. "We run the same three plays, if the ball's on the 1 or the ball's on the 20."
Johnson took a hit in the third quarter that seemed to wake him up.
He completed 11 straight passes spanning the second and third quarters. He expertly ran Utah's spread-option offense in leading Utes back from a 17-7 deficit by going 9-for-9 for 130 yards in the third quarter.
"Our four wide receivers did a great job for me making plays all night," Johnson said. "It feels great to keep the bowl streak going."
After Brooks scored on a 23-yard end-around pitch to pull the Utes within three, they went ahead on Johnson's 40-yard pass to Derrek Richards with 1:12 left in the third quarter.
Johnson scored on a 19-yard scramble early in the fourth quarter to give Utah a 28-17 lead.


Two epic films hit China's screen in the past week. Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon, which opened on April 3, tells the story of warrior Zhao Yun, who lived during the Three Kingdoms period from 220-265 AD. The film is based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms, one of China's four major classical literary works.
The hotly anticipated film stars Andy Lau and Maggie Q. An actress who has collaborated with Tom Cruise, Q said her biggest challenge was speaking Chinese and playing pipa, a plucked Chinese string instrument, at the same time.
Nanking massacre drama The Children of Huang Shi also hit theaters on April 3. The heroic blockbuster, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers and Chow Yun-Fat, is a Chinese-Australian co-production.
However, the Chinese commander role, played by Chow, has aroused controversy according to media reports.
Chow's commander, some audience members complained, is different from a typical 1930s Chinese soldier for he has stylish hair, a romance with a nurse and speaks fluent English.
The $40 million project was directed by Roger Spottiswoode (Tomorrow Never Dies) and took more than two years to complete.
Spottiswoode says that his ambition was to explore compassion in the war and to promote humanitarianism.
The movie tells a story of a young British journalist who saves a group of orphaned Chinese children with the help of an Australian nurse in late 1930s.
And the Spring Comes (Li Chun), stars Jiang Wenli, the Best Actress winner at last year's Rome International Film Festival, released on April 11.
Set in a backwater province of China during the 1980s, And the Spring Comes tells the story of a plain woman consigned to the fringes of society because of her looks and her overwhelming passion for Western opera.
To play the role, Jiang put on nearly 15 kg in a month.
In Love We Trust (Zuo You), by six-generation director Wang Xiaoshuai, tells the story of a divorced couple trying to save their terminally ill daughter by having another child. The only problem is, both the divorced couple are remarried. Based on real events, the film won Best Screenplay at the Berlin Film Festival.
Slam, from the production team of the official NBA TV program, Made in NBA, led by director Jonathan Lim, is being promoted as the first original movie about street basketball in China. The plot follows three typical Chinese teenagers that are forced to prove themselves in a high stakes three-on-three tournament.
A selection of 21 recent French films will be shown at the Fifth French Film Panorama, which is to open in Beijing on April 10.
The program will include nine feature films and twelve short films. The films will be in French with Chinese subtitles. At Sun Dong An Cinema City and Star City.


Take yourself back a few thousand years and image that you're marching into battle with your fellow foot soldiers. You feel confident as you grip your sharp spear and feel the weight of your shield.
The enemy forces are heading in your direction. A broad plain opens to reveal your vile adversary lined up and moving toward your ranks. Adrenalin begins pumping through your veins as you grid yourself for the coming confrontation with their front line.
Suddenly, the enemy's front line re-forms to allow a torrent of beast-mounted soldiers to come crashing through. A multitude of fast-moving, angry monsters comes charging toward your line, snorting violently while their riders urge them forward in frenzy of bloodlust.
You stare directly at these monstrous creatures charging toward you and realize that not only can they trample and crush you, they can also skewer you with their horns!
I mean, seriously, haven't you ever wondered why we've never seen armor-adorned rhinos with riders? I've seen plenty of make-believe images of people riding imaginary unicorns, but what about a real-life, seriously scary beast with horns? We ride horses, elephants, and even ostriches.
So, I did a little research and found all kinds of interesting "reasons" why we don't have domesticated or even tamed rhinos. They are ill-tempered, near-sighted, difficult to get near, and a few other seemingly valid reasons.
In others words, it's just too hard. Many of the people that I've talked to through the years who want to do something different with their lives have the same problem. It's just too hard to do. I mostly get it, until I look at a chihuahua.
Someplace a very, very long time ago, someone looked at a wolf, or perhaps an ancestor of a wolf, and thought, "wouldn't that make a wonderful pet for my kids?" Okay, they might not have considered that, but someplace, somehow, some group of people decided that having those pack-hunting, sharp-toothed, downright-scary creatures as companions might be a pretty cool idea. Naturally, it didn't happen overnight, but look at the remarkable results!
The same is true for changing your life. While there may be some behavioral changes that can be implemented overnight, most real change takes significantly more effort. Whether you are considering skipping the corporate life for wandering the Kalahari or simply making a significant career change, transitioning yourself from who you are today to something else is a process. It's going to take time, effort, patience, and persistence.
There's Even A Big Bonus!
While many people who dream about changing their life focus on what it would be like to do something else, something more spectacular often happens. It changes who you are, not just what you do.
Similar to the desire to have those wolf ancestors around the homestead, the end result can be wildly different from what the original idea was all about.


I happened upon Chamber Dance Project during its first year in DC when I saw them rehearsing with a few Washington Ballet dancers whom I knew. I was invited to a rehearsal and was blown away not only by the concept, but by Diane's gorgeous and unique choreography.
The Artist Series event this season has provided an opportunity to get to know the artists and hear about their backgrounds, journeys and the process through which they interact with one another. I have always felt that the more you learn about a piece, the more inspired and appreciative you will be when you see the finished product.
Chamber Dance Project's approach to contemporary ballet with musicians on stage alongside the dancers is unique and exciting. The artists' collaboration with one another is visible and dynamic and in a generally more intimate setting, results in a distinct and moving performance experience.


Jordan has been working at HUMC since September 2016. He has a passion for combining ministry with vision and excellence. Since 2001, he has gained extensive experience working creatively with a variety of churches throughout Missouri and Louisiana, serving in key positions including worship director, creative arts director, audio tech and office administrator. He is an entrepreneur who loves working with small businesses and non-profits. Jordan also plays many different instruments and loves leading worship.


text:
package br.com.thiaguten.spring.model;

import br.com.thiaguten.persistence.Versionable;
import br.com.thiaguten.persistence.entity.BaseEntity;
import org.hibernate.validator.constraints.Email;
import org.hibernate.validator.constraints.NotBlank;

import javax.persistence.*;
import javax.validation.constraints.Digits;
import javax.validation.constraints.NotNull;

@Entity
@Table(name = "USUARIO")
public class Usuario extends BaseEntity<Long> implements Versionable {

    private static final long serialVersionUID = -5467564907381165L;

    @Transient
//    @Version
//    @Column(name = "VERSION")
    private long version;

    @Id
    @Column(name = "ID", nullable = false)
    @GeneratedValue(strategy = GenerationType.IDENTITY)
    private Long id;

    @NotBlank(message = "{NotBlank.usuario.nome}")
    @Column(name = "NOME", nullable = false, length = 100)
    private String nome;

    @NotNull(message = "{NotNull.usuario.idade}")
    @Digits(integer = 3, fraction = 0, message = "{Digits.usuario.idade}")
    @Column(name = "IDADE", nullable = false)
    private Integer idade;

    @NotBlank(message = "{NotBlank.usuario.email}")
    @Email(message = "{Email.usuario.email}")
    @Column(name = "EMAIL", nullable = false, unique = true, length = 50)
    private String email;

    public Usuario() {
        super();
    }

    public Usuario(String nome, Integer idade, String email) {
        super();
        this.nome = nome;
        this.idade = idade;
        this.email = email;
    }

    @Override
    public long getVersion() {
        return version;
    }

    public void setVersion(long version) {
        this.version = version;
    }

    @Override
    public Long getId() {
        return id;
    }

    public void setId(Long id) {
        this.id = id;
    }

    public String getNome() {
        return nome;
    }

    public void setNome(String nome) {
        this.nome = nome;
    }

    public Integer getIdade() {
        return idade;
    }

    public void setIdade(Integer idade) {
        this.idade = idade;
    }

    public String getEmail() {
        return email;
    }

    public void setEmail(String email) {
        this.email = email;
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return "Usuario{" +
                "version=" + version +
                ", id=" + id +
                ", nome='" + nome + '\'' +
                ", idade=" + idade +
                ", email='" + email + '\'' +
                '}';
    }
}


text:
Parks History
About Our Parks
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FGRP newsletters
Stay up to date with our monthly newsletters, and subscribe at the bottom of the page to have them delivered to your inbox each month.
October 2014 – park plans underway
September 2014 – new look
August '14 – ribbon cutting news
July: pleasant park ribbon cutting
June – raiders & new dog park
May – movies and mayor's tree
Year End Recap 2013
November 2013 Trunk-or-Tree!
October 2013 Special Edition
Yes! GR Parks 2013
Green Gala 2013
Mappy Monday: America's rural forests are shrinking
August 8, 2017 | BY Kinsey Schopp
By Matt Hickman | February 23, 2017 | Mother Nature Network
It's easy — and completely logical — to assume that the further you move away from cities, the closer you'll be to trees. And by trees, I don't mean heavily trafficked public parkland with a few impressive stands here and there but large, remote tracts of forested wilderness. After all, they don't call the rural countryside "the sticks" for nothing.
But as the assumption-twisting findings of a newly published report from researchers at the State University of New York's College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) in Syracuse show, it's city dwellers, not those living in rural America, that enjoy closer proximity to forests. In other words, the sticks are becoming decidedly less and less stick-y as forests in rural areas disappear at a faster rate than forests located on the sprawl-prone fringes of major urban areas.
In fact, the report's satellite data-studying authors concluded that the rural canopy is indeed slowly but surely retreating, with the average distance between any point in the United States to the nearest forest increasing by 14 percent — or about a third of a mile — between 1990 to 2000. In total, the U.S. has lost roughly 35,000 square miles — or 3 percent — of its forest-covered land since 1990, an area that's about the size of Maine.
Even the study's co-author, Dr. Giordios Mountrakis, an associate professor at ESF's Department of Environmental Resources, was taken aback by the findings, which were published earlier this week in the scientific journal PLOS One. He calls the results "eye-opening."
"The public perceives the urbanized and private lands as more vulnerable," Mountrakis explains. "But that's not what our study showed. Rural areas are at a higher risk of losing these forested patches."
Credit: Giorgos Mountrakis, Sheng Yang
Rural America: Forests are 'getting further away from you'
So why then are forests in rural areas thinning out and altogether disappearing at a faster rate than their city-ringing brethren?
Although various factors come into play, co-author and ESF graduate student Sheng Yang addresses one primary reason for the trend. And it makes perfect sense.
More conspicuous and frequently more fussed- and fought-over, urban forested areas are frequently viewed as being, by default, more vulnerable than rural forests. As a result, forested land in urban areas, much of it privately owned, tends to garner significantly more conservation-related attention from citizen activists and lawmakers alike.
Meanwhile, many Americans assume rural forests to be "safe" from development and destruction and in need of less protection. Simply, we're taking rural forests for granted. This, of course, is particularly dangerous during a time when the sitting presidential administration has made clear its desire to exploit rural public lands — lands previously believed to be sacred and off-limits — for drilling and other environmentally damaging activities
"Typically we concentrate more on urban forest," says Yang. "But we may need to start paying more attention — let's say for biodiversity reasons — in rural rather than urban areas. Because the urban forests tend to receive much more attention, they are better protected."
Additionally, Mountrakis and Yang found that the distance to and between forests is "considerably greater" in the western states. This goes against the prevailing hoary notion that the west is a wild 'n' woodsy place populated by denizens, who, when not brewing beer in their garages or shopping at REI, can be found frolicking in their heavily forested backyards. In reality, it's East Coasters who enjoy closer proximity to large swaths of trees.
"So if you are in the western U.S. or you are in a rural area or you are in land owned by a public entity, it could be federal, state or local, your distance to the forest is increasing much faster than the other areas," explains Mountrakis. "The forests are getting further away from you."
Forest patches going 'poof' spells trouble for wildlife
Despite the troubling trend that forests are "getting further away" from Americans (Westerners, in particular) living in rural areas, a public news statement released by ESF makes it clear that this increased distance "isn't insurmountable for humans in search of a nature fix."
Of greater concern to Mountrakis and Yang are disappearing forest patches. Not only does losing multiple small, isolated patches of forest have a more profound direst result on person-to-forest distances than the loss of acreage within larger forest systems, it also spells greater trouble for biodiversity and can have a larger-than-suspected impact on soil erosion, local climate and carbon sequestration among other things.
"Patches of forests are important to study because they serve a lot of unique ecoservices," Mountrakis says. "You can think of the forests as little islands that the birds are hopping from one to the next."
Essentially, as these little forest-islands disappear and the distance between them grows greater and greater, migrating birds — and other forms of wildlife — are finding fewer and fewer places to hop to.
"Distances to nearest forest are also increasing much faster in less forested landscapes," explains Yang. "This indicates that the most spatially isolated — and therefore important — forests are the ones under the most pressure."
One thought on "Mappy Monday: America's rural forests are shrinking"
Jon Warner says:
Wow I never would have expected these results, but like they say, the urban forests get much more attention from people. Still, losing 3% of total forested land over that time is rather alarming. And that was only from 1990-2000….who knows how much more it would be by now.
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