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0.979235	Build a strong foundation for stretching success with these tips! As a beginner, one of the most critical elements for success is to have well-directed guidance. So, here are some of our top beginner tip so you can go after your goals confidently and successfully! Getting started is the biggest hurdle, and one way you can make it easier on yourself is to be kind and positive as you approach your stretching goals. We talk a lot about positive mindset when it comes to stretching because it’s so important. When you practice positive self-talk, you'll boost your confidence and stay motivated to train. Positivity will also help you return to the basics again and again. Don’t let your ego or unrealistic expectations get in the way of the little things you can do to stretch safely. So, what are the things you can do to take a more positive approach to your training? Try to say encouraging words to yourself, expect ebbs and flows with your progress, and thank yourself for taking the time to stretch. These small actions will help reinforce your healthy habits. Flexibility training is a marathon, not a sprint! Stretching is an often-overlooked element of overall fitness. While we encourage the idea that ‘everything counts’—even 10 minutes a day—we also believe that longer stretching sessions are essential if you want to make progress on a goal like a split, a backbend, a more advanced skill like standing needle or chest-stand, or even just to get stronger and more fit! StretchIt classes are a minimum of 15-minutes because we want you to gain the most benefit from the training program. Studies have shown that the greatest improvements to range of motion can happen when stretches are held between 15-30 seconds and repeated multiple times. When you take your time with stretching, you’ll be able to adequately warm up, hold the stretches for the allotted time, and finish the sequences in their entirety. If something is too difficult, choose a modification that is doable but still challenging. Keep moving through the class and don’t worry if you can’t complete the number of reps that the voice instructions are giving you. We often get the question “Is it better to stretch intensely a couple times a week or less intensely every day?” Well, it depends on your goals! Are you working on a skill like an oversplit, or are you aiming to just hit the mat on a regular basis? The answer will also depend on your level and what your body can handle. But in general, we’d recommend a combination. Try several intense stretching days every week with lighter stretching on the alternate days–and of course, listen to your body. If you’re doing 2-3x intense classes and 2-3x light mobilizations every week, and you feel great, then yes: add another day of intense training! But if you can’t move for a few days following an intense training session, think about easing up or modifying the exercises so that you’re not overtraining and exhausting your body. We’d also recommend trying to do a little bit every day to keep your body limber. On the lighter days, try a 15-minute class or even just take some of the moves from the classes and do them in the morning before work or in the evening before bed. Being active is a lifestyle, and more you reinforce the habit of stretching—the harder it’ll be to miss a session! Are you taking your rest days seriously? Sometimes we get so focused on a goal that it’s hard to hit pause on the training days. But don’t forget that your strength develops in the time off. On rest days, muscle fibers repair and rebuild themselves. You, you can always do a little active recovery on rest days—some light cardio or a 15-minute stretch class can help you feel more mobile and invigorated without causing additional stress on the body. Tune in to how your body is feeling and don’t hesitate to add an extra rest day if you’re still sore or need extra recovery time. Add variety to your exercise routine so that you don’t get burned out doing one thing too often. The goal? Work smarter, not harder! Get to know the square position—it’ll be your best friend when working on your front splits! The square hips position is super important for long-term success with your lunges, splits, and pigeon pose. To properly square your hips, your two hips points and your pubic bone should be in alignment, with your hips and shoulders pointing forward. That means pulling the front hip back and the back hip forward. The biggest piece to squaring your hips is that your inner thighs are ACTIVATED! By pulling everything in towards the midline of your body, you’ll create a balanced stretch. While this means lifting up out of your lowest ‘open split, it’ll help you go deeper in the long run. Use plenty of padding for your knees or ankles if you need to, and don’t hesitate to grab your blocks. When you’re working on your flexibility it’s natural to want to go right to the source and start with exercises targeting the area you want to make strides on. But think about flexibility from a whole-body perspective. Training in a balanced, progressive way can help you develop equal mobility in your shoulders, back, hips, and legs, and more—which in turn will help you achieve poses that might at first seem like the “all back or “all hamstrings,” etc. It’s often an ‘Ah-ha!’ moment when you realize that improving your hip flexor mobility will help open your back, or that increasing your overhead shoulder mobility will help you find more comfort and stability in deeper backbends. Remember that what you do for one part of your body will affect the whole system! Alongside staying positive, two qualities that will boost your mental game for stretching (and for life!) are patience and kindness. Some days, stretching will feel magical and effortless and other days, you’ll feel like a rock. We understand! We experience these ups and downs too. Take a deep breath and exhale. Remind yourself that you’re not perfect and that’s not the goal anyway. Your deepest, safest stretches will happen when you are patient and kind to your body. If you feel like you’re being too aggressive with your training, stop and ask yourself why you’re pushing yourself so hard. Sometimes we’re so caught up in the ‘doing’ that we don’t have any clarity about our intentions or motivations. It can be refreshing to finally see what we are doing and how we can change our ways for the better. Mental preparation—bringing positivity, patience, and kindness to your training—is one of the essentials that will lead you to personal success on and off the mat. "The minute you get away from the fundamentals—whether it’s proper technique, work ethic, or mental preparation—the bottom can fall out of your game, your schoolwork, your job, whatever you’re doing." One of the best ways to measure progress? Snap some photos! On your first stretching session, take a few pictures in poses that you want to document over time. If you do this every time you stretch, you’ll have a visual chart of your progress. It’s truly amazing to see the physical changes and it’s a great way to quantify your progress! Taking photos can help you stay on track and motivated as you work on your goals. We ALL need help staying motivated and on track with our training goals. One of our favorite recipes for success: ask someone to stretch with you! When you have someone by your side to help handle the struggles, laugh at the missteps, and celebrate the victories, the journey is more meaningful (and fun!). Text each other encouraging messages and find other ways to keep each other on track. Sometimes having someone by your side is that extra pillar of strength we need in order to go after more ambitious goals. Plus, it’ll make the celebrations ever sweeter after you accomplish what you set out to do! The beginner mindset is a beautiful thing. As a beginner, there are so many possibilities and an open vision for where our practice and goals can take us. Sometimes, experience or expertise can get in the way of being curious, open-minded, and understanding. So, hold on tight to your beginner mindset: the one that keeps you eager for new knowledge, ready to put in the work, and excited at the victories of seeing progress! Keep up the great work. Starting is always the hardest part. Now, you’ve just got to stick with it! We can’t wait to see what you accomplish.
0.938314	Blood thinner is used to reduce the chance of getting blood clots. If you have an abnormal heart rhythm, your doctor has probably already prescribed one for you. Whenever you are combining medications, the interaction should be considered and addressed. For example, taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDS) with a blood thinner could be risky. There are two types of blood thinners – an antiplatelet (aspirin) that will stop platelets from developing into a clot; and anticoagulants (warfarin) slow down the actual formation of a blood clot. Advil, a brand of Ibuprofen, falls into the category of NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). And it has been proven to thin blood by interfering with the way that platelets work and interrupts blood clots. Ibuprofen is also an anti-coagulant, which works as good as other blood thinner that doctors prescribe. Besides using it as a blood thinner, many doctors prescribe this medication to relieve inflammation, reduce or eliminate pain, and reduce fevers. You can find this drug in caplets, tablets and gel caplets. Although you get a yes from the question, "Is Advil a blood thinner?" but before you take it for that reason you may want to check out the list of side effects first. Is Advil a blood thinner? We already know the answer. If you are taking a medication that doesn't work well with ibuprofen, you might want to know other blood thinners. Note: Last three drugs are newer and have less risk of bleeding. Vitamin E makes sure that the oxidation levels do not go over. Some foods in this category include: spinach, Swiss chard, red bell peppers, almonds and kale. Natural antibiotics: You may have thinned your blood if you have been taking antibiotics for a long period of time. Some foods that are natural antibiotics include jicama, garlic, onions, tree ear, garlic and olive oil. Sunshine: Vitamin D from being outdoors and exposed to the sun could result in not only thinner blood but better circulation. Drinking more water is the easiest and most effective way to thin your blood. The suggested amount is a half-ounce for every pound that you weigh every day. Salicylates block vitamin K, which can thin your blood and promote your circulation. Foods that contain salicylates include oranges, prunes, strawberries, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, honey, vinegar and wine. Aspirin is one of the most commonly used salicylates. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include fish, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and canola oil. These fatty acids lower cholesterol and discourage blood clots. Alcohol can increase and activate platelets, thinning blood as in cases of vitamin K deficiency or fetal alcohol syndrome. Do vigorous exercises regularly helps lower your vitamin K levels and thins your blood. So those lead a sedentary life has an increased risk of blood clotting. Is Ibuprofen Bad for Your Liver? Can You Get Cancer from Smoking Weed?
0.999976	Adaptability has always been Jerry Brown's strength and weakness as a politician. The positive view would be that he is not a captive of ideology: When circumstances demand change, such as when voters upended California's tax structure with the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, Brown changes. The young governor embraced the revolt and helped make Prop. 13 work. The negative interpretation would be that Brown can never quite be counted on to stay in the same place, physically or philosophically. A certain level of tolerance for improvisation will be required of the next governor, who will face a still-sputtering economy, a structural deficit in the billions of dollars and a Legislature that can't seem to make the tough decisions to pass a balanced budget. According to the state controller, the state has been operating in the red since July 2007. Brown would inspire more confidence in his ability to lead the state out of its fiscal quagmire if he were more specific about what he planned to do. In his meeting with our editorial board, he claimed to have concrete ideas in the three-ring binder he put on the table - but he never opened it or discussed them in any detail. He argued that opening his budget plans to public scrutiny during the campaign would galvanize the opposition before the process could start. He insisted he would bring legislators together, engage in the process with more intensity and endurance than any governor in memory and push for a consensus on tough decisions that could be sent to the voters for approval on the ballot-required moves in a spring special election. Say this for Brown, who served as governor from 1974 through 1982: He is well aware of the political and personality conflicts that make it difficult to get anything done in the state Capitol. Brown's claim that "If you're looking for frugality, I'm your man," is supported by his history. His tightfistedness during his governorship did not make him popular within the Capitol and helped build the $5 billion surplus that led to the tax revolt by Californians who didn't like the state holding onto more money than it needed. While Democrat Brown has deep ties with labor and environmental groups, he is anything but a pawn of either. He has proposed a two-tier pension system for public employees and, as he noted in Tuesday's debate, he twice vetoed pay-raise packages when he was governor. His largely successful mayoral effort to bring residential life to downtown Oakland as a key step toward revitalization required him to court developers and waive environmental rules in a way that rankled some of his core allies. Longtime Brown watchers know that his bursts of energy and idealism are sometimes followed by periods of inattention and drift, but there is no question of his ability to navigate past political barriers and use the bully pulpit effectively. The same could not be said of his Republican opponent, Meg Whitman, the former eBay CEO whose platform consists of platitudes and ideas that would be nonstarters (cutting 40,000 state workers, shifting $1 billion from welfare to higher education) for even the most inspirational of leaders. Her tightly controlled campaign, heavy on soft-focus ads and light on engagement in substantive exchanges, leaves us wondering whether she has the skills or even the temperament to move or co-opt the forces that would be out to undermine her. Does she really know what she would be encountering in the rough-and-tumble of Sacramento? Brown does. At 72, there is no doubt about his energy or preparedness for a second act in a difficult job at a difficult time. He gets our endorsement in an imperfect but critical choice between a politician Californians know too well and one they barely know.
0.93257	We present a conceptually simple, flexible, and general framework for object instance segmentation. Our approach efficiently detects objects in an image while simultaneously generating a high-quality segmentation mask for each instance. The method, called Mask R-CNN, extends Faster R-CNN by adding a branch for predicting an object mask in parallel with the existing branch for bounding box recognition. Mask R-CNN is simple to train and adds only a small overhead to Faster R-CNN, running at 5 fps. Moreover, Mask R-CNN is easy to generalize to other tasks, e.g., allowing us to estimate human poses in the same framework. We show top results in all three tracks of the COCO suite of challenges, including instance segmentation, bounding-box object detection, and person keypoint detection. Without tricks, Mask R-CNN outperforms all existing, single-model entries on every task, including the COCO 2016 challenge winners. We hope our simple and effective approach will serve as a solid baseline and help ease future research in instance-level recognition. Code will be made available.
0.992136	Did Andrew Jackson think the earth was flat? I know that Jackson had little formal education, but it's still shocking that a head of state in the 19th century would doubt that the world was round. Is it possible to confirm whether Jackson was a flat-earther? I see several ways to approach this question, though there may be others. Did Jackson make any other statements on the shape of the earth? Straightdope members note that John Quincy Adams was willing to support John Cleves Symmes' proposed journey to the center of the earth through a hole in the North Pole, but Andrew Jackson halted it. If the earth were flat, then Symmes' journey would be nonsense. Of course, it was nonsense anyway--but do we know why Jackson quashed the project? Did Jackson ever approve or discuss westward sea voyages to Asia? Did he ever discuss Russian colonization of Alaska? If Jackson ever sent a trade, diplomatic, or military mission to Asia, he likely would have talked to someone who could confirm that, yes, if you sail west you reach Asia. Alternately, did he ever discuss Russian claims on the west coast? I know how concerned he was by other European footholds in America, so I'd imagine he had thoughts on Russia-- and Russia's presence there doesn't make much sense if the earth were flat. Does James Parton have a reputation for embellishing facts in his other works? The evidence is hearsay, but I see no reason why a member of Jackson's family or Trist would lie about this. Trist, who was Jackson's private secretary, is reported to have been loyal to Jackson. On the other hand, the popular biographer James Parton may have had incentive to play up Jackson's reputation as an uneducated soldier. If Jackson was not actually a flat-earther, then I'd guess that Parton was the weak link. Then again, Trist lived until 1874 and so would have the opportunity to rebut any false attributions made to him. The way that was phrased should be ringing bells right off the bat. The USA has a long and proud history of having tall tales (iow: outrageous lies) made up about opposing politicians. As a man who split and refounded the Democratic Party, and the first President from a "western" state, Andrew Jackson had more than the typical share of political opponents. For many months I was immersed in this unique, bewildering collection, reading endless newspapers, pamphlets, books, without arriving at any conclusion whatever. If any one, at the end of a year even, had asked what I had yet discovered respecting General Jackson, I might have answered thus: “Andrew Jackson, I am given to understand, was a patriot and a traitor. He was one of the greatest of generals, and wholly ignorant of the art of war. A writer brilliant, elegant, eloquent, without being able to compose a correct sentence, or spell words of four syllables. The first of statesmen, he never devised, he never framed a measure. He was the most candid of men, and was capable of the profoundest dissimulation. A most law-defying, law-obeying citizen. A stickler for discipline, he never hesitated to disobey his superior. A democratic autocrat. An urbane savage. An atrocious saint.” So difficult is it to attain information respecting a man whom two thirds of his fellow citizens deified, and the other third vilified, for space of twelve years or more. Almost nobody thought the Earth was flat by the 19th century. Even as early as Columbus, the argument was not that the Earth was round, but that it was small enough to go to India from Spain (it wasn't). The ancient Greek mathematician Eratosthenes was able to calculate the circumference of the earth with relatively good accuracy i.e. not flat. Columbus used Eratosthenes measurements and others' to convince the Spanish royalty that the Earth was smaller than it was. It was only after the new world was discovered that people began to be accused of being "flat-earthers" as just an unfounded insult to generally mean uneducated or outdated. Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged united-states 19th-century political-history science or ask your own question. Did King George III turn his back on John Adams and Thomas Jefferson? Did Andrew Jackson kill Dickinson fairly according to the customs of duels at the time? How were 19th century American diplomats paid? Who named the Democratic Party? How could Eratosthenes measure the circumference of the Earth? Was there a time when a Senator was wheeled in from the hospital to cast a deciding vote not to do something? Did Andrew Jackson threaten to kill the Vice President? Did medieval scholars believe the Earth was round?
0.999684	The "Rabbit" robot does not have any feet, but can still balance and walk like a human. ANN ARBOR, Michigan (CNN) -- A team of French scientists working with collaborators at the University of Michigan (U-M) and Ohio State University have created a robot that walks and balances just as a human does. They say it is the first of its kind, and can catch its balance without having to rely on big, clunky feet to do so. Honda has been developing its humanoid robot Asimo, which stands for Advanced Step in Innovative Mobility, during the past five years. The Japanese company claims its robot is also the only one of its kind able to climb stairs, as well as to walk an incline and decline of up to 30 degrees. But the U-M, Ohio State and French scientists say their robot, called "Rabbit," is the first robot that can walk and balance like a human. Rabbit is based in Grenoble, France. The U-M and Ohio State researchers have worked for more than five years with their French colleagues to come up with a way to dynamically balance the machine while walking. At the end of last year they got it to run six steps. U-M professor of electrical engineering and computer science Jessy Grizzle, one of the scientists behind Rabbit, said the robot did not have any feet. Instead, its legs end like stilts so that it pivots on a point when it moves forward, meaning that if you nudge the Rabbit, it steps forward and catches its balance, much like a human would. "If you build a robot that pivots on a point you must understand how the different parts interact dynamically, or else it will fall over," Grizzle said. Other "bipedal robots," or two-legged walking machines, walk flat-footed, which stops them from falling. Grizzle said the theory behind Rabbit, recently published in the "International Journal of Robotics Research," involved a real understanding of the mechanics of walking and balance, which enabled scientists to predict in advance how the robot will move. "The concept of stability is reduced to two formulas," he said. "It's a matter of understanding enough about the dynamics of walking and balance so that you can express with mathematical formulas how you want the robot to move, and then automatically produce the control algorithm that will induce the desired walking motion on the very first try." It could prove useful in designing cost-effective human prosthetics and rehabilitative walking aids for spinal injury patients, Grizzle said. "If you can take properties of a patient, their height, weight, how the valid leg functions, etc., maybe you could more quickly have the prosthetic adapt its characteristics to the person, instead of the person adapting his gait to the prosthetic--which is essentially what happens now." The theory behind the Rabbit could also be used in machines in homes that can climb stairs, or for designing robots that work in rough terrain in exploratory missions. "These things are dreams, we're not there yet. But you need principles to get there," Grizzle said.
0.943347	Mariano Rivera won the AL Relief Man Award in 1999, 2001, 2004, 2005, and 2009. The Rolaids Relief Man Award was an annual Major League Baseball (MLB) award given from 1976 to 2012 to the top relief pitchers of the regular season, one in the American League (AL) and one in the National League (NL). Relief pitchers are the pitchers who enter the game after the starting pitcher is removed. The award was sponsored by Rolaids, whose slogan was "R-O-L-A-I-D-S spells relief." Because the first closers were nicknamed "firemen", a reference to "putting out the fire" of another team's rally, the trophy was a gold-plated firefighter's helmet. Unlike other awards, such as the Cy Young Award or the MLB Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, the Relief Man was based on statistical performance, rather than votes. Each save was worth three points; each win was worth two points; and each loss was worth negative two points. Beginning with the 1987 MLB season, negative two points were given for blown saves. In the 2000 MLB season, the term "tough save", which was worth an additional point, was introduced by Rolaids. A "tough save" happened when a relief pitcher entered the game already having the potential tying run on base, and got the save. The player with the highest point total won the award. The inaugural award winners were Bill Campbell (AL) and Rawly Eastwick (NL); Campbell also won in the following season. Dan Quisenberry and Mariano Rivera each won the AL award five times, while Rollie Fingers and Bruce Sutter won the award four times each. Lee Smith won the award on three occasions; Campbell, Dennis Eckersley, Dave Righetti, John Franco, Éric Gagné, Randy Myers, Trevor Hoffman, Francisco Rodríguez, Heath Bell, and José Valverde each won the award twice. Sutter (NL 1979), Fingers (AL 1981), Steve Bedrosian (NL 1987), Mark Davis (NL 1989), Eckersley (AL 1992), and Éric Gagné (NL 2003) won the Relief Man and the Cy Young Award in the same season; Fingers and Eckersley won the AL MVP as well, in 1981 and 1992 respectively. Todd Worrell won both the Relief Man and the MLB Rookie of the Year Award in the 1986 MLB season. Rivera and Joe Nathan were the only relief pitchers to have tied in points for the award, and both were awarded in 2009. Goose Gossage, Fingers, Eckersley, Hoffman, Rivera, Smith, John Smoltz and Sutter were elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Craig Kimbrel (NL) and Jim Johnson (AL) were the final award winners in 2012. Sanofi acquired Rolaids from Johnson & Johnson unit McNeil Consumer Healthcare in 2013, but the award was not continued as a part of its marketing strategy. Rollie Fingers won the NL Relief Man Award in 1977, 1978, and 1980, and the AL Relief Man in 1981. Goose Gossage won the AL Relief Man Award in 1978. Lee Smith won the NL Relief Man Award in 1991 and 1992 and the AL Relief Man Award in 1994. Trevor Hoffman won the NL Relief Man Award in 1998 and 2006. John Smoltz won the NL Relief Man Award in 2002. Éric Gagné won the NL Relief Man Award in 2003 and 2004. Francisco Rodriguez won the AL Relief Man Award in 2006 and 2008. J. J. Putz won the AL Relief Man Award in 2007. Brad Lidge won the NL Relief Man Award in 2008. a Won Cy Young Award and MLB Most Valuable Player Award in the same season. b Won Cy Young Award in the same season. c Won MLB Rookie of the Year Award in the same season. "Rolaids Relief Man Award Past Winners". McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved March 25, 2012. "Relief Man Award winners". Major League Baseball. Retrieved May 23, 2009. "Rookie of the Year Awards & Rolaids Relief Award Winners". Baseball-Reference. Retrieved May 26, 2009. ^ "About The Award". McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNeil-PPC, Inc. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. ^ "Cy Young Award winners". Major League Baseball. Retrieved May 23, 2009. ^ "Most Valuable Player winners". Major League Baseball. Retrieved May 23, 2009. ^ "Rookie of the Year winners". Major League Baseball. Retrieved May 23, 2009. ^ "Hall of Famers". Baseball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. ^ Van Riper, Tom (April 10, 2014). "Why Can't Baseball Monetize It's Big Postseason Awards?". Forbes.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2014. ^ Neyer, Rob (April 9, 2014). "Kissing the Rolaids Relief Award goodbye". FoxSports.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2014.
0.985884	What do you do when tacos are on the menu for dinner, you go to grab your taco seasoning packet from the cupboard, and find not one single packet there waiting for you? When it's 5:00 pm, and the thought of taking three kids to the grocery store for one little seasoning packet is the worst imaginable torture?? Of course there is no one recipe that you have all of the ingredients to and so you mix a few together and add a couple of extra things to make up for it. And that's how this recipe was born. Mix all ingredients together. To make a taco beef mixture, brown one pound of ground beef and add 2 Tbsp of the taco seasoning mixture with 1/2 cup of water. Simmer the meat to combine flavors.
0.930493	Ancient artifacts found at an archeological site in Argentina suggest that humans occupied South America earlier than previously thought. The evidence for earlier human arrival in the Americas comes from a rich archaeological site in southeastern South America called Arroyo Seco 2. Approximately 13,000 years ago, a prehistoric group of hunter-gathers known as the Clovis people lived in Northern America. Previous research suggests that the Clovis culture was one of the earliest cultures in the Americas. However, more recent research from the Pampas region of Argentina supports the hypothesis that early Homo sapiens arrived in the Americas earlier than the Clovis hunters did. The evidence for earlier human arrival in the Americas comes from a rich archaeological site in southeastern South America called Arroyo Seco 2. A group of scientists led by Gustavo Politis from CONICET and the Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires present the research in a new PLOS ONE study. At Arroyo Seco 2, the researchers excavated ancient tools, bone remains from a variety of extinct species, and broken animal bones containing fractures caused by human tools. They used radiocarbon dating to determine the age of the mammal bones and analyzed the specimens under a microscope. The analysis revealed the presence of limb bones from extinct mammals at the site, which may indicate human activities of transporting and depositing animal carcasses for consumption at a temporary camp. The bones of some mammal species were concentrated in a specific part of the site, which could indicate designated areas for butchering activities. Microscopic examination also revealed that some bones contained fractures most likely caused by stone tools. The remains were dated between 14,064 and 13,068 years ago, and the authors hypothesize that Arroyo Seco 2 may have been occupied by humans during that time. This timeline, along with evidence from other South American sites, indicates that humans may have arrived in southern South America prior to the Clovis people inhabiting the Americas, but after the onset of the Last Glacial Maximum, the last glacial period, which took place 19,000 to 20,000 years ago. While the characteristics of some of these archaeological materials could be explained without human intervention, the combination of evidence strongly suggests human involvement. Humans’ arrival in southern South America 14,000 years ago may represent the last step in the expansion of Homo sapiens throughout the world and the final continental colonization.
0.991023	Why de-icing an aircraft is crucial? Why is it crucial for safety? On the ground, when there are freezing conditions and precipitation, de-icing an aircraft is crucial. Frozen contaminants cause critical control surfaces to be rough and uneven, disrupting smooth air flow and greatly degrading the ability of the wing to generate lift, and increasing drag. This situation can cause a crash. If large pieces of ice separate when the aircraft is in motion, they can be ingested in engines or hit propellers and cause catastrophic failure. Frozen contaminants can jam control surfaces, preventing them from moving properly. Because of this potentially severe consequence, de-icing is performed at airports where temperatures are likely to be around 0 °C (32 °F). De-icing fluids consisting of propylene glycol (PG) and additives are widely used by airlines for de-icing aircraft.Ethylene glycol (EG) fluids are still in use for aircraft de-icing in some parts of the world because it has a lower operational use temperature (LOUT) than PG. However, PG is more common because it is less toxic than ethylene glycol. In-flight ice buildups are most frequent on the leading edges of the wings, tail and engines. Lower speed aircraft frequently use pneumatic de-icing boots on the leading edges of wings and tail for in-flight de-icing. The rubber coverings are periodically inflated, causing ice to crack and flake off. Some aircraft may also use electrically heated resistive elements embedded in a rubber sheet cemented to the leading edges of wings and tail surfaces, propeller leading edges, and helicopter rotor blade leading edges. Some aircraft use chemical de-icing systems which pump antifreeze such as alcohol or propylene glycol through small holes in the wing surfaces and at the roots of propeller blades, melting the ice, and making the surface inhospitable to ice formation. A fourth system, developed by NASA, detects ice on the surface by sensing a change in resonance frequency. Once an electronic control module has determined that ice has formed, a large current spike is pumped into the transducers to generate a sharp mechanical shock, cracking the ice layer and causing it to be peeled off by the slipstream. USAir Flight 405 was a regularly scheduled domestic passenger flight between LaGuardia Airport in and Cleveland. On March 22, 1992, a Fokker F28, registration N485US flying the route, crashed in Flushing Bay, shortly after liftoff from LaGuardia. The plane failed to gain lift, flying only several meters above the ground. The aircraft then veered off the runway and hit multiple obstructions before coming to rest in Flushing Bay, just beyond the end of the runway. Of the 51 people on board, 27 were killed in the accident, including the captain and one of the cabin crew members. A similar accident had happened three years before in 1989, when Air Ontario Flight 1363 crashed shortly after takeoff at Dryden Regional Airport after ice had accumulated on the wings and airframe. Out of 69 passengers and crew, 24 were killed. The subsequent investigation revealed that due to pilot error, inadequate deicing procedures at LaGuardia, and several lengthy delays, a large amount of ice had accumulated on the wings and airframe. Air France Flight 447 from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, France crashed on 1 June 2009. The Airbus A330, operated by Air France, stalled and did not recover, eventually crashing into the Atlantic Ocean killing all 228 passengers and crew on board the aircraft. The BEA's final report concluded that the aircraft crashed after temporary inconsistencies between the airspeed measurements, likely due to the aircraft's pitot tubes being obstructed by ice crystals. Unfortunately, this is just few cases of many, showing how crucial for safety de-icing is.
0.938145	Gerhard Oberhammer (born 1929) studied theology and philosophy in Innsbruck before he turned his attention to Indology. In 1964 he succeeded Erich Frauwallner (1898–1974) as head of the Institute for Indology of the University of Vienna and held this professorhsip until his retirement in 1997. His first cooperation with the ÖAW took place in 1970 when Oberhammer, with the support of Cardinal Franz König and the Academy, founded the De Nobili Resesarch Library, which is now located at the ISTB of the University of Vienna as permanent loan of the ÖAW. Since 1983 Oberhammer oversaw the "Commission for Languages and Cultures of South and East Asia", founded by Frauwallner, as well as the "Research Unit for Cultural and Intellectual History of Asia" that had been formed in 1986. Both units merged into an institute (the IKGA) in 1991, and Oberhammer served as its director up until his retirement in 1997. Dictionary of Indian Epistemology and Logic (1983–2006), with the co-operation of Ernst Prets and Joachim Prandstätter. The Tāntrikābhidhānakośa Project: A Hindu Tantric Dictionary (since 1993), with the co-operation of Marion Rastelli. History of the Rāmānuja School (1994–2010), with the co-operation of Marcus Schmücker and Marion Rastelli. This project led to the work on the Viṣṇu philosopher Veṅkaṭanātha (traditionally dated 1270-1369), which remained a key topic of the IKGA. Hermeneutics of religion, an interdisciplinary research topic which particularly highlights the encounter of and the dialogue between western and eastern religions. Ernst Steinkellner (born 1937) studied Indian philosophy at the University of Vienna under Erich Frauwallner. After a research stay at the Univeristy of Pennsylvania (1971-1973) he founded the Department of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Vienna which he headed until the year 2000. Since 1986 he has been involved in the projects at the IKGA and his former institutions. At the start of the year 1998 he succeeded Gerhard Oberhammer as the director of the IKGA until 2006. In 2008 Ernst Steinkellner received the Ludwig Wittgenstein Prize of the Austrian Research Association. The projects at the IKGA which Steinkellner initiated and worked on are for the most part related to the epistemologic-logical tradition of Buddhism. The documentation of this philosophical school that dates back to the 5th c. CE and especially of the works of Dharmakīrti (6th-7th c. CE) belong to Steinkellner's biggest scientific achievements. In this context, Steinkellner developed further the historico-philological methods of textual criticism which Frauwallner had first developed. His interest in the epistemologic-logical tradition led Steinkellner to his work on Tibet, where those Buddhist schools of thought he studied are still alive today. Thanks to Steinkellner the IKGA has had access to the photocopies of the manuscripts in the China Tibetology Research Center (CTRC) in Beijing since 2004. This has made it possible to make critical editions of the most important Sanskrit texts of the collection, which had up until then only been accessible in their Tibetan and Chinese translations. The results of this cooperation are published annually in the series which had been founded for this purpose, the STTAR. Helmut Krasser (1956–2014) studied Buddhist studies, Tibetology and philosophy at the University of Vienna under Ernst Steinkellner. Since 1988 he worked as research assistant at the later IKGA. He interrupted his work at the institute for longer research stays in Kyoto, Japan (1992-1994 and 2006). Like Steinkellner, Krasser also focussed on the documentation of the epistemologic-logical school of Indian Buddhism, though his main interest lay on Dharmottara (ca. 740–800) und Śaṅkaranandana (ca. 950–1020), aside from the works of Dharmakīrti. Krasser developed the hypothesis that many of the extant philosophical works had originated in transcripts which the students of the famous masters wrote during lectures, and he explained the diverse inconsistencies in this way. The hypothesis caused an animated discussion in the research field. Vincent Eltschinger studied Indology, Buddhist Studies and philosophy at the University of Lausanne and qualified as a professor in 2014 at the University of Vienna. He worked at the Insitute since 2003, where his focus included research on the epistemologic-logical tradition of Buddhism and on the Kashmiri logician Śaṅkaranandana (950–1020). Moreover, he is particularly interested in the ideological and historical aspect of the debate between Buddhists and Brahmanic orthodoxy in the second half of the first century CE. Finally, he made important contributions in the form of several articles for an understanding of Indian philosophy outside of a specialized circle of experts. His highly successful productive period at the IKGA, where he published several important monographs and collected volumes, ended with his appointment to a professor at the École Pratique des Hautes Études in Paris. Eltschinger took over the directorship of the Institute after the sudden passing of Helmut Krasser in April 2014. Despite the difficult situation he was able to not only continue the projects raised by Krasser, but also to gain new projects and research fellows for the IKGA. In particular, the contribution of the IKGA to the interdisciplinary project Visions of Community (VISCOM) were significantly expanded under Eltschinger. Similarly to Krasser, Eltschinger was also an active editor of the publication series' of the Institute (BKGA, STTAR). Die Relationalität des Subjektes im Kontext der Religionshermeneutik. (BKGA 70.) Wien: VÖAW, 2011 (order online). Terminologie der frühen philosophischen Scholastik in Indien. Band III: Pra–H: Ein Begriffswörterbuch zur altindischen Dialektik, Erkenntnistheorie und Methodologie. (BKGA 49.) Wien: VÖAW, 2006 (order online). See also Publications by Gerhard Oberhammer. Dharmakīrtis frühe Logik: Annotierte Übersetzung der logischen Teile von Pramāṇavārttika 1 mit der Vṛtti. Tokyo: The International Institute for Buddhist Studies, 2013. Nachweis der Wiedergeburt: Prajñasenas ‘Jig rten pha rol sgrub pa. Ein früher tibetischer Traktat aus Dunhuang. Mit seinen Glossen diplomatisch herausgegeben, übersetzt und mit Anmerkungen versehen. (BKGA 1.) Wien: VÖAW, 1988 (order online). See also Publications by Ernst Steinkellner. Sankaranandanas Isvarapakaranasankasepa mit einem anonymen Kommentar und weiteren Materialien zur buddhistischen Gottespolemik: Teil 1: Texte. Teil 2: Annotierte Übersetzung und Studie zur Auseinandersetzung über die Existenz Gottes. (BKGA 39.) Wien: VÖAW, 2002 (order online). See also Publications by Helmut Krasser. See also Publications by Vincent Eltschinger. Diese Seite wurde zuletzt am 27. November 2017 um 21:27 Uhr geändert.
0.975735	мож я чего не так понял -не так сделал ?????????? .Net Framework я ставил на систему с уже установленным СП2, стал без вопросов, попросила его утилитка nLite. И фаерволы работают (можно встроенным), можно отключить его в сервисах и поставить альтернативный. И ничего не падает (и не только у меня). И вообще - это злой оффтоп. зайти в Учетные записи пользователей и убить пользователя ".NET" * Deep integration of Language Integrated Query (LINQ) and data awareness. This new feature will let you write code written in LINQ-enabled languages to filter, enumerate, and create projections of several types of SQL data, collections, XML, and DataSets by using the same syntax. * ASP.NET AJAX lets you create more efficient, more interactive, and highly-personalized Web experiences that work across all the most popular browsers. * New Web protocol support for building WCF services including AJAX, JSON, REST, POX, RSS, ATOM, and several new WS-* standards. * Full tooling support in Visual Studio 2008 for WF, WCF, and WPF, including the new workflow-enabled services technology. * New classes in .NET Framework 3.5 base class library (BCL) that address many common customer requests. IMPORTANT: If you have installed earlier pre-release versions of .NET Framework 3.5, then you must uninstall them prior to running this installation by using Add or Remove Programs. Размер NET Framework 3.5 зашкаливает за 200 метров, т.к.дистрибутив включает в себя компоненты и для 64 разрядных систем и для Vist_ы. NET Framework 3.5 можно значительно сократить (до 70М). Для этого распаковав родной дистрибутив, оставляете только три папки dotNetFX20, dotNetFX30, dotNetFX35Х и файл dotNetFx35setup.exe. Из папок удаляете файлы х64. Чтобы в процессе установки установщик не ломился в интернет, распакуйте предварительно файл dotNetFx35setup.exe. Удалите разноязыковые файлы ресурсов установки, ОСТАВИВ ТОЛЬКО РУССКОГО ЯЗЫКА и запускайте setup.exe. - The .NET Framework 4 works side by side with the Framework version 3.5 SP1. Applications that are based on earlier versions of the Framework will continue to run on that version. Just a subset of functionality is shared by all versions of the Framework. - Innovations in the Visual Basic and C# languages, for example statement lambdas, implicit line continuations, dynamic dispatch, and named/optional parameters. - The ADO.NET Entity Framework, which simplifies how developers program against relational databases by raising the level of abstraction, has many new features. These includes persistence ignorance and POCO support, lazy loading, test-driven development support, functions in model, and new LINQ operators. * New ASP.NET chart control. * Added support in Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) for Windows 7 multi-touch, ribbon controls, and taskbar extensibility features. * Added support in WPF for Surface 2.0 SDK. - Improvements to Windows Workflow (WF) that let developers to better host and interact with workflows. These include an improved activity programming model, an improved designer experience, a new flowchart modeling style, an expanded activity palette, workflow-rules integration, and new message correlation features. The .NET Framework also offers significant performance gains for WF-based workflows. - Improvements to Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) such as support for WCF Workflow Services enabling workflow programs with messaging activities, correlation support, durable two-way communication and rich hosting capabilities. Additionally, .NET Framework 4 provides new WCF features such as service discovery, router service, simplified configuration and a number of improvements to queuing, REST support, diagnostics, and performance. - Innovative new parallel programming features such as parallel loop support, Task Parallel Library (TPL), Parallel LINQ (PLINQ), and coordination data structures which let developers harness the power of multi-core processors. * The .NET Framework 4 works side by side with the Framework version 3.5 SP1. Applications that are based on earlier versions of the Framework will continue to run on that version. Just a subset of functionality is shared by all versions of the Framework. * The ADO.NET Entity Framework, which simplifies how developers program against relational databases by raising the level of abstraction, has many new features. These includes persistence ignorance and POCO support, lazy loading, test-driven development support, functions in model, and new LINQ operators. o New ASP.NET chart control. o Added support in Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) for Windows 7 multi-touch, ribbon controls, and taskbar extensibility features. o Added support in WPF for Surface 2.0 SDK. o New line-of-business controls including charting control, smart edit, data grid, and others that improve the experience for developers who build data centric applications. o Improvements in performance and scalability. o Visual improvements in text clarity, layout pixel snapping, localization, and interoperability. * Improvements to Windows Workflow (WF) that let developers to better host and interact with workflows. These include an improved activity programming model, an improved designer experience, a new flowchart modeling style, an expanded activity palette, workflow-rules integration, and new message correlation features. The .NET Framework also offers significant performance gains for WF-based workflows. * Improvements to Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) such as support for WCF Workflow Services enabling workflow programs with messaging activities, correlation support, durable two-way communication and rich hosting capabilities. Additionally, .NET Framework 4 provides new WCF features such as service discovery, router service, simplified configuration and a number of improvements to queuing, REST support, diagnostics, and performance. * Innovative new parallel programming features such as parallel loop support, Task Parallel Library (TPL), Parallel LINQ (PLINQ), and coordination data structures which let developers harness the power of multi-core processors. Данное обновление устраняет проблемы со стабильностью, надежностью и производительностью платформы Microsoft .NET Framework 4. После его установки может потребоваться перезагрузка компьютера. Выявлена проблема безопасности, наличие которой позволяет злоумышленнику проникнуть в операционную систему как удаленный пользователь, не прошедший проверку подлинности, и полностью ее контролировать.
0.997389	Did the Germans purposefully arrange to send Lenin to Russia to start a revolution? A recent documentary, The World Wars, on the History Channel suggested, strongly, that the Imperial German government secretly arranged safe-passage for Vladimir Lenin to return to Moscow from Switzerland in 1917. Moreover, the Germans gave him financing through 1918 with the hope that Lenin would start a revolution that would cause Russia to withdraw its war with Germany during World War I. If true, who came up with the idea and was there any consideration that a communist Russia could eventually be a threat to Germany? How much did the arrangement cost the Germans, money-wise? EDIT: Here's the transcript of "The World Wars" episode dealing with Germany's "Secrete Weapon" [BEGIN TRANSCRIPT] [Narrator] Germany devises a plan to eliminate the Russian threat once and for all. The Germans load a secrete weapon unto a heavily guarded train headed for Russia. It's a weapon that promises to destroy their enemies from the inside out. [Dramatization showing a train station with the caption "St. Petersburg, Russia"] That weapon is Vladimir Lenin. Lenin is the leader of Russia's communist revolutionaries, hell bent on toppling the Russian Czar. For the past ten years he's been in exile in Switzerland ... until Germany sends him home on a train along with over ten million dollars to fund his revolution. [Narrator] When Lenin gets to Moscow, he's greeted by an old friend. Six times he's been exiled to Siberia and six times he's escaped. His name is Joseph Stalin. [Narrator] Reunited, the two play right into Germany's plan as they begin to plot an armed rebellion. Over the next few months, Lenin and Stalin recruit a massive workers militia using the ten million dollars from the German government. They quietly amass a stockpile of weapons until they are ready to make their move. [Narrator] The communists storm the winter palace. The Soviet Union will soon rise to power. [Narrator] Just days later Lenin signs a decree that takes Russia out of the war. The German plan works ... bringing them one step closer to victory. A Russian revolution caused by the Bolsheviks was most definitely the goal of the Germans when they allowed Lenin to pass through their lands. Germany wished to undermine, or end, the Russian war effort and sending Lenin back was done for that purpose. The historian Richard Pipes writes in his book The Russian Revolution that based on disclosed German papers made available after WWII the German Foreign Secretary at the time of Lenin's passage Richard von Kühlmann was either the person that came up with the idea, or at the bare minimum signed off on the idea of letting Lenin pass through German lands to return to Russia. Lenin was even decried as a "German agent" when he finally returned. As to whether there was any consideration of a future threat from a communist Russia, the answer seems to be no for two reasons. The first reason is that Germany was primarily concerned with the demands of World War I. Surviving the war was paramount. The second reason is that, according to former professor Albert L. Weeks, Lenin was a Germanophile. Weeks argues that Lenin viewed Germany as the central linchpin to an eventual proletarian revolution. Weeks further discusses the close relations enjoyed between the two nations after World War I, and how this relationship extended back into the 19th century. The relationship still exists today, see e.g. pipelines, or former German politicians heading Russian companies. According to Pipes, relying on numbers from Eduard Bernstein, the German government sent "more than 50 million deutsche marks in gold" from 1917 to 1918 to help the Bolsheviks establish and hold power. In 1917 US Dollars, 50 million marks would mean $9,041,591 — adjusting for inflation this equals about $172,910,538 in 2017 US Dollars. The investment was substantial, and at least with respect to achieving the goal of ending Russian involvement in World War I, the investment paid off. I'll just try to put some further tidbits into the three questions. He is identified as Lenin in the next message. That is the earliest planning stage I was able to find. Lenin's entry to Russia successful. He is working completely according to our wishes. So it is absolutely clear that the Germans purposefully sent Lenin to Russia. Lenin at this time believed in World / Permanent Revolution - which obviously would also overthrow the German Kaiserreich. Marx and Engels thought that the socialist revolution would break out firstly in Germany or the UK - simply because those were the most capitalistic and thus had the most oppressed workers. Russia wasn't a capitalistic nation and thus from a classical Marxist POV unfit for Revolution. Lenin hoped that by setting an example of a successful overthrow of the Bourgeoisie in one country he could spark the revolutions in Germany and the UK. Even shortly before his death he created the Third International to further the cause of international socialism. Were the German (and Swedish, ...) supporters of Lenin aware of his views? There can be no doubt they weren't - Lenin published enough pamphlets and books stating them throughout his life - even enough before the train ride to Russia make it clear that he would abolish the German monarchy. Were they concerned about it? The Germans also supported various other revolutionary groups; their goal wasn't to make Lenin succeed but to incite turmoil to finish off the Russian Czar or at least get him to sign a peace treaty. I'm not aware of any risk-assessment on the German side or how likely they viewed Lenin to succeed. The first government coming after the Czar wasn't Lenin Bolsheviks but instead a provisional government headed by Kerenski. However this goverment still didn't sign any peace treaty. The German funds kept flowing and were used e.g. to build up Prawda; A few months later the October-revolution did finally bring Lenin to power. Was this new government a threat to Germany? Was all this even foreseeable? I don't know that. At the time this article was published that was approximately 101,835,000 US$. The Russian Revolution by Richard Pipes on page 411 claims (on basis of Bernstein) that it was more than 50 million marks in gold. However there still are some open questions most importantly about the extend of german support for the Bolsheviks. The Auswärtige Amt destroyed bills for finished out-going transactions after an accounting check. In accordance with the Diplomats he (Helphands) founded an export-company ... Lenins confidant Fürstenberg, ... became chief executive officer. Fürstenberg later became Head of the Sowjet Nationalbank. Please note that there is also dissent about this: "The Myth of German Money during the First World War" by Alfred Erich Senn. I was unable to find out exactly what claims he makes. Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged russia world-war-one communism imperial-germany or ask your own question. was communism a weaponized idea deployed against Imperial Russia? When did the Great Purge start? Were the Germans quoting Hamlet to describe their existential struggle in the Great War? Why did Russia support Serbia in the years leading to World War I? Why did Russia expand eastwards? How did Lenin secure his regime? Did Russia and Lenin benefit from the Treaty of Versailles? Did the Germans occupy Kiev or Odessa in WW I? In WWI, How were the Germans able to maintain a submarine blockade of Britain?
0.983075	In his San Francisco office, Mike Rothenberg , a self-described "millennial venture capitalist," is sipping an iced coffee surrounded by three Apple computer screens, an Apple Watch on his wrist and an iPhone within reach. He's explaining what he means when he talks about "the transitive power of amazing." Roughly translated, the idea is that the best way for Rothenberg's venture firm to find promising startups and attract capital is to throw lots of parties for young technology workers. Rothenberg's not a character from the HBO comedy Silicon Valley, but he's been an inspiration to the makers of the show. His three-year-old firm, Rothenberg Ventures, has made a name for itself by sparing few expenses. Its rotating list of invitees have ridden hot-air balloons on wine tours of Napa Valley, eaten at San Francisco's trendy Samovar Tea Lounge, and gotten free seats to Giants and Golden State Warriors games in Rothenberg's luxury boxes. Another regular Rothenberg gathering is Puppy Hour, which brings together puppies and booze. For its biggest event, called Founder Field Day, the firm rents AT&T Park, the Giants' stadium, each April. Startup founders take batting practice on the field and get free massages. Silicon Valley co-creator Mike Judge shot a similar-looking scene for the show's second-season premiere, which aired shortly before Rothenberg's 2015 ballpark outing. Rothenberg, 31, shrugs off the parody as though he's in on the joke. "When you're doing something different, people will have fun with it," he says. During his gatherings, he sets up demos for the bevy of virtual reality startups he backs. Introducing the guys (they're mostly guys) behind those enterprises to other budding entrepreneurs and potential investors could ultimately bolster his portfolio. Widening his in-person social network may also help Rothenberg meet up-and– comers before more established investors do. "Semantics do matter to us. These are not parties – they have business agendas," he says. "The way we build a scalable network is by hosting a lot of events." The approximate number of startups Rothenberg Ventures has invested in to date While some of Rothenberg's events are sponsored by the likes of Hewlett-Packard and Lyft, his company has raised about $20-million, not a big sum by Valley standards. It's backed more than 60 companies, but typically for about $100,000 each. Filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission first reported by Re/code show Rothenberg Ventures tried to raise $50-million for its second fund in late 2013 and secured only $850,000. Rothenberg says the firm raised more money after those initial filings and has more than $30-million in assets under management if you account for the value of its investments. Rothenberg grew up north of Austin, Texas, a national math Olympian in a land of football obsessives. He got a master's in management science and engineering from Stanford, then an MBA from Harvard, where he decided to become a venture capitalist – or, in his formulation, an "entrepreneur talent scout." A bunch of friends from college had started companies by then. Rothenberg says there's a lot of overlap between good startup founders and the kind of people he wants to hang out with. Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom "is one of my best friends," he says. "I introduced Kevin to Mark Zuckerberg in my dorm room." Through a spokesman, Systrom confirmed that account. In 2012, Rothenberg declined a summer job at a New York hedge fund to raise $5-million from friends, family, and former classmates. One of his investors is Michael Cronin, founder of private equity firm Weston Presidio. Cronin's son was one of Rothenberg's Harvard classmates and rooms with one of his co– founders. "When I went out there to check in on my son, I met them and they gave me the pitch," Cronin says. About a quarter of Rothenberg's investments are in people he met at Stanford, where he organized a series of talks that featured Zuckerberg, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, and former Apple executive Tony Fadell. That's where he learned, he says, that "with entrepreneurship, one plus one can be 100." Robinhood, a stock-trading app that raised $50-million in May, was founded by a Stanford friend with some money from Rothenberg. Revel Systems, which makes software to turn an iPad into a cash register, also got money from Rothenberg, as did clothing startup Chubbies. Rothenberg is part of the gold rush to invest in companies just as they're getting off the ground. So-called seed investing increased 49 per cent, to a record $1.3-billion, last year, estimates researcher CB Insights. The money is inflating valuations at a pace that "has just gotten out of control," says Mike Maples, an early backer of companies including Twitter and Lyft. Rothenberg has succeeded in distinguishing his firm from others, says Maples. "If you're just another me-too microfund, you have no chance," he says. "Being different in this environment is really important." As for making the right calls on which startups to back: "That's a higher-order bet." While most seed funds have a handful of employees, Rothenberg has about 25. They include old buddies like Ish Simpson, a former research analyst at Apple who played football at Stanford, alongside new faces he hired away from Google and Lyft. Given the company's finances, it's not entirely clear how it pays for such a large staff. Rothenberg says the firm has four sources of noninvestment revenue, including renting office space to startups. He wouldn't detail the other three. "They have demonstrated an ability to get in on a deal," says Cronin, the investor. "The challenge over the next few years is to see if their portfolio plays out correctly." For Game 5 of the NBA playoffs between the Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies on May 13, Rothenberg's firm rented a luxury box at midcourt. About 20 startup founders, investors, and friends watched the action over Heinekens, Johnnie Walker Red, quesadillas, and fried chicken. For most of the game, Rothenberg was stuck at the office. Colleagues said he's often held up by a steady stream of calls and e-mails. When he gets here, one predicted, he'll joke about his boss being a jerk. Rothenberg arrived midway through the fourth quarter and made the joke. People still laughed. Shortly after the final buzzer sounded, he jumped into a Lyft. Later, he sent an e-mail to say the next Puppy Hour is planned for June 3. The bottom line: Rothenberg Ventures' lavish parties are the firm's primary strategy, but it's unclear if the plan is sustainable.
0.954316	Graham, Yvette ORCID: 0000-0001-6741-4855 (2011) Deep Syntax in Statistical Machine Translation. PhD thesis, Dublin City University. Statistical Machine Translation (SMT) via deep syntactic transfer employs a three-stage architecture, (i) parse source language (SL) input, (ii) transfer SL deep syntactic structure to the target language (TL), and (iii) generate a TL translation. The deep syntactic transfer architecture achieves a high level of language pair independence compared to other Machine Translation (MT) approaches, as translation is carried out at the more language independent deep syntactic representation. TL word order can be generated independently of SL word order and therefore no reordering model between source and target words is required. In addition, words in dependency relations are adjacent in the deep syntactic structure, allowing the extraction of more general transfer rules, compared to other rules/phrases extracted from the surface form corpus, as such words are often distant in surface form strings, as well as allowing the use of a TL deep syntax language model, which models a deeper notion of fluency than a string-based language model and may lead to better lexical choice. The deep syntactic representation also contains words in lemma form with morpho-syntactic information, and this enables new inflections of lemmas not observed in bilingual training data, that are out of coverage for other SMT approaches, to fall within coverage of deep syntactic transfer. In this thesis, we adapt existing methods already successful in Phrase-Based SMT (PB-SMT) to deep syntactic transfer as well as presenting new methods of our own. We present a new definition for consistent deep syntax transfer rules, inspired by the definition for a consistent phrase in PB-SMT, and we extract all rules consistent with the node alignment, as smaller rules provide high coverage of unseen data, while larger rules provide more fluent combinations of TL words. Since large numbers of consistent transfer rules exist per sentence pair, we also provide an efficient method of extracting rules as well as an efficient method of storing them. We also present a deep syntax translation model, as in other SMT approaches, we use a log-linear combination of features functions, and include a translation model computed from relative frequencies of transfer rules, lexical weighting, as well as a deep syntax language model and string-based language model. In addition, we describe methods of carrying out transfer decoding, the search for TL deep syntactic structures, and how we efficiently integrate a deep syntax trigram language model to decoding, as well as methods of translating morpho-syntactic information separately from lemmas, using an adaptation of Factored Models. Finally, we include an experimental evaluation, in which we compare MT output for different configurations of our SMT via deep syntactic transfer system. We investigate various methods of word alignment, methods of translating morpho-syntactic information, limits on transfer rule size, different beam sizes during transfer decoding, generating from different sized lists of TL decoder output structures, as well as deterministic versus non-deterministic generation. We also include an evaluation of the deep syntax language model in isolation to the MT system and compare it to a string-based language model. Finally, we compare the performance and types of translations our system produces with a state-of-the-art phrase-based statistical machine translation system and although the deep syntax system in general currently under-performs, it does achieve state-of-the-art performance for translation of a specific syntactic construction, the compound noun, and for translations within coverage of the TL precision grammar used for generation. We provide the software for transfer rule extraction, as well as the transfer decoder, as open source tools to assist future research.
0.981502	Who is God (Allah) ? Islam is based on monotheism. Tawhid, the oneness of Allah, is an essential belief for all Muslims. Islam teaches that Allah, the one god, has 99 attributes. Although we can understand some of His attributes, His essence cannot be comprehended by a human's limited mental capacity. Allah has created mankind primarily so that they may know their creator through his creations. Realisation of the supremacy of Allah, although necessary for success in the hereafter, has not been enforced on man - it is a test that is based on the fact that man has been given free will. However, man's free will is limited, although he has the freedom to choose between right and wrong, he cannot change parts of his destiny that Allah has pre-determined. Understanding the nature of Allah is essential as it has a substantial effect on a Muslim's duties to Allah. "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Mohammed is His messenger." As well as proving the oneness of god through the Quran, logic too can help prove this as I shall explain. If you ask a believer in god, whether he believes in one god or ten, you will probably find that somewhere in his definition of the term 'God' he rules out the possibility of god being weak, inferior or compromising. From this, we may say that something that is weak, inferior or compromising cannot be a God. Yet the very fact that there is more than one god suggests two contradictory possibilities; That the Gods are of equal power and therefore are compromising, or that their power is uneven resulting in some Gods being inferior to others. From this ontological argument one can conclude that there can only be one true god. Pantheism is another theory that Muslims believe to be wrong. Although Muslims believe that Allah is everywhere, he is a separate entity and therefore cannot be reincarnated in everything as the pantheists believe - who although are not strictly defined as polytheists, they are certainly not monotheistic in the Islamic sense. Other religions believe that God resembles creation- they believe in describing causes by their effects. An example of this is that we can describe a corpse to be horrifying (the effect) but we may also say that the person responsible for this death, the murderer, (the cause) is also horrifying - cause resembles effect. This theory can easily be put aside, for although it may be true for a limited number of examples, the vast majority can prove it wrong, i.e. a shoe does not resemble a shoe maker, etc. Thus Islam does not try in anyway to personify Allah. Whilst it may be true that two of His attributes are that He 'Sees' and 'Hears', this does not mean that He has eyes and ears like you and I, His hearing or seeing cannot be comprehended by us as finite beings. Allah, the Almighty, is ideal. He is the 'Just' and the Judge, as well as the 'Avenger of Evil.' It follows that to test mankind one must judge fairly and punish those who do evil. An example of Allah's justness is that we are only accountable for our own actions, unlike the Christian concept of the original sin, for the Quran says that no bearer can bear a burden of another. "Say, Nothing shall befall us save that which Allah has ordained for us" "The predestined will of Allah and the action of a human are like the spirit and the body, the spirit without the body has no physicality and the body without the soul is a picture without movement. If the two are adjoined they become like Al-Qadr and action, for if there was no Qadr then you would not know the difference between creation and creator, and if there was action without it being willed and predestined by Allah than it would not happen." "O son of Adam, I did not create you for my own benefit, but that you benefit from Me as your God, alone, for I am your saviour" "O people, Allah did not create mankind but that they know Him, for if they know Him they will worship Him, and if they worship Him they will benefit from his grace" However, one may look at the purpose of creation from a different aspect and thus end up with an altogether different answer as to what the primary reason is. If you go back to the question of how can we benefit from Allah, we may come up with a different reason, other than worship. All of creation is already at benefit. Our existence is benefit. Being created is an example of Allah's mercy towards us. Thus one can conclude that we were created, fundamentally because Allah is merciful. However, although there are many different perspectives to the answer as to why we were created, they are all connected and in a way each of them is right. In defining what is meant by a Muslim's duties, we may generalise that a Muslim's duty is to worship Allah. To elaborate further, Muslims do not see the term worship in the vague sense of praying and fasting, etc - worship can be any aspect of a Muslim's daily life depending on the intention. For example even a when a Muslim goes to get an education, provided that he intends to use it for good, it is seen as worship and will be rewarded. "Fear Allah as if you can see Him, if you cannot imagine seeing Him, know that He sees you." "O Allah, I did not worship You for the greed of your paradise nor for the fear of hell, but because you are worthy of all praise." This is the ideal that all Muslims should aim for.
0.999992	When 2^33 is divided by 10, the remainder will be? the answer is 2. The powers of 2 have a standard pattern for their last digits 2^1 = 2 2^2 = 4 2^3 = 8 2^4 = 16-> 6 2^5 = 32 -> 2 This pattern repeats itself . hence, 2^33 will be 2^(4n+1) and the last digit will be 2.
0.949159	Joseph Smith, Jr. (December 23, 1805 – June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was twenty-four, Smith published the Book of Mormon; by the time of his death fourteen years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religion and religious culture that continues to the present. Smith was born in Sharon, Vermont, but by 1817, he had moved with his family to the burned-over district of western New York, a site of intense religious revivalism during the Second Great Awakening. According to Smith, he experienced a series of visions, including one in which he saw "two personages" (presumably God the Father and Jesus Christ) and others in which an angel named Moroni directed him to a buried book of golden plates inscribed with a Judeo-Christian history of an ancient American civilization. In 1830, Smith published what he said was an English translation of these plates, the Book of Mormon. The same year he organized the Church of Christ, calling it a restoration of the early Christian church. Members of the church were later called "Latter Day Saints", or "Mormons". Joseph Smith (1670–1756) was an English churchman and academic, Provost of The Queen's College, Oxford from 1730. The fifth son of William Smith, rector of Lowther, Westmorland, and younger brother of John Smith (1659–1715), he was born at Lowther, on 10 October 1670. On his father's death when he was five years old, his mother moved to Guisborough in Yorkshire, where he attended Guisborough grammar school. He went on to Durham School, and on 10 May 1689 he was admitted a scholar of The Queen's College, Oxford. In 1693 he was chosen a tabarder and graduated B.A. in 1694. Smith proceeded M.A. by diploma in 1697, having accompanied Sir Joseph Williamson, his godfather, who was one of the British plenipotentiaries, to the negotiations for the Treaty of Ryswick as his private secretary. On 31 October 1698, in his absence, he was elected a fellow of the college. Soon after his return in 1700 he took holy orders and obtained from the Provost Timothy Halton the living of Iffley, near Oxford. In 1702 he was chosen to address Queen Anne on her visit to the university. In 1704 he was elected senior proctor, and dubbed "handsome Smith" to distinguish him from his colleague Thomas Smith of St John's College. In the same year Halton died, and friends proposed him as a candidate for Provost; but Smith backed William Lancaster, his former tutor, who was elected. Joseph Henry Smith (17 March 1904 – 2 April 1993) was an Australian politician. He was born in Mansfield to farmer Sidney Gordon Smith and Isabella Martin. He attended state schools and worked on the family farm, and worked briefly for the Electricity Commission before becoming an engine cleaner. In the Great Depression he was unemployed, but he later rejoined the railways and became an engine driver. On 11 August 1934 he married Thelma Duffield, with whom he had two children. He was an active member of the Australian Labor Party and served as chairman of the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen. In 1945 he was elected to the Victorian Legislative Assembly for Goulburn. He was defeated in 1947 but re-elected in 1950. From 1952 to 1953 he was Assistant Minister of Lands, and from 1953 to 1955 Minister of Lands, Soldier Settlement and Conservation. His seat was abolished in 1955 and he was defeated contesting Broadmeadows. He farmed near Seymour after leaving politics, and ultimately retired to Queensland. Smith died in 1993. His brother Arthur Smith was also a member of the Victorian Parliament. Joseph M. "Joe" Smith was a British track and field athlete. He competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics in London. As a member of the upper class, he attended University of Cambridge, with ambitions to move to Liverpool. He only spent one year in college before dropping out and residing right outside the city of Cambridge, where he became interested in running. In the 1500 metres, Smith placed fifth in his initial semifinal heat and did not advance to the final. Joe Smith. Sports Reference. Retrieved on 2015-01-25. Cook, Theodore Andrea (1908). The Fourth Olympiad, Being the Official Report. London: British Olympic Association. De Wael, Herman (2001). "Athletics 1908". Herman's Full Olympians. Retrieved 30 July 2006. Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Retrieved 30 July 2006. Joseph ("Joe") Smith CBE (25 May 1897 - 20 February 1956) was an English aircraft designer who took over as Chief Designer for Supermarine's upon the death of R. J. Mitchell and led the team responsible for the subsequent development of the Supermarine Spitfire. Joseph Smith was educated at Yardley secondary school and Birmingham Municipal Technical School, he served an apprenticeship with the Austin Motor Company and was then given a position of junior draughtsman in the aircraft department. In 1921 he moved to Vickers-Armstrongs as a senior draughtsman, becoming chief draughtsman five years later. Working under Mitchell, Smith was heavily involved with the early design of the Spitfire and was appointed Chief Designer after Mitchell's death in 1937. Smith continued development of the Spitfire and was later involved with designing the Supermarine Spiteful, Supermarine Seafang, Supermarine Attacker, and other Supermarine aircraft. Smith was appointed as a special director of Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd in 1948 and served as chairman of the board of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors from 1948 to 1951. In 1950 he was awarded the silver medal of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He died at Chandler's Ford on 20 February 1956. Joseph Smith often known as Consul Smith, (ca 1682 – Venice, 6 November 1770), the British consul at Venice, 1744–1760, was a patron of artists, most notably Canaletto, and a collector and connoisseur, banker to the British community at Venice and a major draw on the British Grand Tour. His collection of drawings were bought for George III of Great Britain and form a nucleus of the Royal Collection of drawings in the Print Room at Windsor Castle. Smith took up residence in 1700, in the import-export trade and merchant banking house of Thomas Williams, the British consul; he eventually headed the partnership of Williams and Smith and made a modest fortune. His reputation was as a passionate collector, of paintings and drawings – both of sixteenth and seventeenth century masters and of living artists – and of manuscripts and books, coins and medals, and engraved gems. Beside Canaletto, among the living painters whom he patronised were Francesco Zuccarelli, of Florence, and the Venetian Giuseppe Zais. His favoured architect for rebuilding the façade of his palazzo was Antonio Visentini.
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0.998822	Beatrice Prior lives in a futuristic society where there are five factions for the different traits people had, Abnegation for selflessness, Dauntless for bravery, Erudite for intelligence, Candor for honesty, and Amity for kindness. She is born in Abnegation, a faction that valued selflessness, but does not enjoy being in it. When she turns sixteen, she takes a test to see what faction she belongs in and chooses what faction she will go to, and then she learns a big secret she does not understand that could leave her dead if anyone else finds out about it. The next day, Beatrice and all of the other sixteen-year-olds go to the choosing ceremony where they choose which faction they will join, but Beatrice does not know whether to stay with her family or live her own life. Later, she starts initiation where she overcomes many difficult and dangerous obstacles, has to fight and learn how to use weapons, and risk her life for others. She makes some friends, but struggles to see which of them are better to be with, either have friends that protect you when you are weak or have friends that acknowledge your strength. Beatrice, or Tris, then starts a relationship with a boy, when she finds out that something big is happening and society will be broken. She will have to risk her life and use her secret to save her family and friends, or everything will fall apart. In the beginning of the book, I thought it was going to be confusing because it started talking about Abnegation and the factions without saying anything about how society worked. Later, the story became easy to understand and it shows how people are not perfect and can be corrupted. The story is interesting and has details, and the setting is unique. The author, Veronica Roth, used some vocabulary words but not too much so younger readers could understand the book. The best part of this book would be the end of the book when the soldiers are attacking Abnegation and Tris has to save everyone and stop the Dauntless from killing people. I would recommend this book to high school students and older middle school students because it includes some romance. If I could go back in time, I would choose this book again because it is an engaging and hard to put down. I would rate this book nine out of ten stars. 1. Which factions can Beatrice join because of her divergence? 1a. Beatrice can join Abnegation, Dauntless, or Erudite. 2. What do the Dauntless do to get to the school? 2a. The Dauntless jump off a moving train. 3. How is the Erudite sole representative chosen? 3a. The person with the highest IQ is chosen as the representative. 4. What are in the bowls for choosing Abnegation and Dauntless? 4a. The Abnegation bowl has grey stones in it and the Dauntless bowl has sizzling coals. 5. What is at the bottom of the big hole Beatrice has to jump into? 5a. A net that catches the jumpers. 6. Why is Beatrice’s mother unable to visit Caleb? 6a. Erudite people do not want people from Abnegation in their compound. 7. What rank is Tris for stage one of the training? 7a. Tris is sixth place. 8. What building does Tris zipline off of? 8a. Tris ziplines off the Hancock building. 9. How does Four find out that Tris is divergent? 9a. Tris breaks the glass tank in the simulation. 10. What rank is Tris after stage two? 10a. Tris is first place. 11. What is Tobias’s theory on bravery? 11a. Tobias thinks selflessness and bravery are similar. 12. Why does Tris recognize Jeanine’s voice? 12a. Jeanine’s voice was in the aptitude test. 13. What fear does Tris find out about Christina when she opened a cabinet? 13a. Tris found out that Christina was afraid of moths. 14. What does Tris do to overcome her last fear in the fear landscape? 14a. She lets Jeanine shoot her instead of shooting her family.15. How does the Erudite plan on controlling the Dauntless? 15a. They inject transmitters into everyone to make them go into a simulation where they are controlled.
0.999997	As a Palestinian who grew up and lived in the West Bank for 15 years, I can say there is a lack of human rights in my country. It’s true that most people have access to basic human rights such as: food, water and shelter, in addition to education as Palestine has one of the highest rates of literacy in the region. However, Palestinians do not have access to two of the main human rights among others: freedom of movement and freedom of speech. Palestinian youth and people haven't had access to either of these rights. Movement has been a big struggle due to the fact that Palestine is an occupied territory and people have started seeing it as a prison. Many reasons are behind this including: the separation wall, illegal settlements, people being unable to go outside the West Bank, presence of checkpoints between Palestinian cities, and the need to go to Jordan in order to travel because of the absence of an airport in Palestine. This causes depression and frustration among the Palestinian youth, as soon as they realize the reality of the confined situation they live in. Similarly, freedom of speech is not practiced. There have been many cases where Palestinians have been put in prison for saying their opinions aloud or expressing what they think. People have been placed in jail by the Israeli government and by the Palestinian authority. This also greatly impacts the hopes of many Palestinians at an early age, as this lack of freedom of speech frightens people when they realize that their own lives and their families’ lives are in danger when they express their opinions. Last but not least, I would like to wish that one day, human rights will be achieved at my home country Palestine and all around the globe. If we prioritize human rights in every region worldwide, we can make this a possibility and we can reach universal equality, rights, freedoms, and opportunities.
0.953318	It reminds me of the news story a few months back about the guy who saved the stranger who fell onto the Manhattan subway tracks and by laying on top of him while the train went safely (more or less) over them both. - Imagine knowing he probably could have saved her but didn't even try. - Very few people's entire life story and worth is really summed up by a single word, especially words like "lunatic". - If he was the type that said "I'm more important than a lunatic woman", then I'd vote him off the island. Got to go with "Well Done, Fred!" "was Frederick Alfred Croft's act of self-sacrifice worthwhile?" Yes. Always. The example he set, and the fact that people recognized it - and we are doing so today - is of some comfort to me. I think this is one of our cultural ideals, and I think it reflects the best in us. On this one I'm going to side with John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." How much moreso is that act when done for a stranger? I'll offer a dissenting opinion. In the first place, in the absence of more information, it's a bit presumptuous to assume that preventing a suicide is doing the victim a favor. I say this not in a callous fashion, but with the experience of having a beloved sibling commit suicide, and from a background in the medical profession. Few people realize how common suicide is among elderly people - typically undiagnosed or misdiagnosed as "heart attack." Many people are eager to end their lives because of unbearable social circumstances or incapacitating pain or impairment. We don't know that the lady was a lunatic; she may have been labeled such retrospectively because of her attempted suicide. But saving her for a longer life may not have been in her best interest. The second question is whether the sacrifice of one life for another is a priori admirable. Assuming for the moment that we are on earth for some cosmic "purpose," it seems reasonable to assume that that purpose is to benefit mankind (or nature, or the planet) in general. If the young inspector was capable of perhaps three more decades during which he might provide a net benefit to mankind via his profession or by various acts of kindness, then throwing that away for the sake of preserving a single life doesn't seem logical. I think that's very well reasoned. It's getting into post hoc reasoning. I would definitely agree that throwing away his life for the sake of preserving a single life doesn't seem logical, but I doubt anyone thinks Mr. Croft knew that at the time. I would speculate that Mr. Croft's actions were similar to the majority of other acts of bravery throughout history, he decided to take a chance, and risk his own safety. We don't know how risky his actions were, I'm not prepared to argue that his was an unwise decision simply because I have a vague idea of the outcome. He may very well have made the best decision possible, given the information he had at the time. We don't know if he knew the woman was a lunatic, or even if he realized she was trying to commit suicide. He certainly wouldn't have know whether she would have led a rich and full life after the incident. Nor would we in a similar situation. For all we know our risk-taking could pay off. I think that's something to be encouraged. Even if we knew the life being saved was dealing with mental problems, and that the majority of those who try to commit suicide eventually succeed/live a life of pain*, there will always be exceptions to the rule, and isn't that worth considering in a risk/benefit calculation? We have an example here, where I think it's a safe assumption that the lunatic woman did not go on to do bigger and better things, but I think we can find an example to the contrary. I'm going to give an example, not the best example, but just an example of someone who was suicidal but went on to have a good life. Ernest Borgnine nearly committed suicide. This is a bizarre yet true story, he stated in the forward to George Lindsay's autobiography that he was saved, not by an act of heroism, but by his friendship with George "Goober" Lindsay. This was before "Airwolf" and I'm pretty sure this took place before "The Dirty Dozen". I say this with my tongue only somewhat in cheek, but isn't Airwolf worth it?
0.999997	The Orca research team recently completed the second edition of our comprehensive ‘ArchOver Investment Report’ (downloadable PDF) to use for due diligence. This article is a highly-condensed version of the report. The full report can be downloaded by clicking the button further below. ArchOver is a peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform which connects UK businesses requiring finance with investors seeking a secure and favourable return. Launched in 2014, ArchOver offers five investment models: ‘Secured & Insured’ (S&I), ‘Secured & Assigned’ (S&A), ‘Secured’ (S), ‘Bespoke’ (B) and ‘Research & Development Advance’ (RDA). Secured & Insured loans historically comprise 78% of the ArchOver loan book. In 2017, Secured & Insured loans comprised 63% of the loan book for the year, reflective of the addition of new investment models. Investors can expect returns ranging from 6% to 10% per annum (p.a.), however, rates depend on the individual loans selected and vary dependent on the level of security. ArchOver is part of the Hampden Group (Hampden), and 91% owned by Hampden Holdings Ltd, which is the ultimate parent company. Hampden is a leading provider of specialist business support services to the insurance and financial services markets, with a 300-year history and some £2.4 billion under management in the Lloyd’s insurance market. Despite ArchOver operating at a loss for 2017, Hampden has provided sufficient capital to meet the day-to-day operations and regulatory requirements of the platform for the foreseeable future. Hampden has also invested on exactly the same terms as other investors £12,448,000 across the platform to-date. ArchOver does not incorporate a default assumption into the interest rate calculation. To-date, ArchOver has experienced two defaults and no losses. ArchOver defines a default as: a missed capital payment; a missed interest payment; failure to report monthly as required and failure to rectify the issue within 14 days. When a borrower is classified as being ‘in default’, ArchOver will act to recover the investors’ capital. A loss is when the security has been insufficient to repay investors’ money and capital losses have occurred. The two Borrowers which are classified as ‘in default’ are currently in the recovery process. At the time of publication, an Administrator has been appointed and security is being reclaimed. If the borrower misses a payment (interest or capital), fails to report monthly and fails to rectify the issue within 14 days, ArchOver classifies this as a ‘borrower in Default’. Similarly, if ArchOver believes a business is failing and there is a breach on the loan agreement, the borrower will be classified as ‘in default’. In both situations, an Administrator will be appointed. The Administrator will review options for the future of the company, which include ceasing to trade and closing down, restructuring, refinancing, or full or part sale of the business. ArchOver will work with the Administrator to maximise recoveries for investors and limit losses. With regards to Secured & Insured loans, for any amounts not recoverable, ArchOver will enforce the insurance policy. A Recovery Manager is appointed to represent the interest of the investors. Investors will receive regular updates and written monthly reports throughout the entire recovery process. ArchOver has facilitated in excess of £60 million worth of loans cumulatively over time, and £31.5 million in 2017 alone – this is almost four times the total lending for 2015, which was £8.69 million. The platform’s lending total grew 106% between 2016 and end 2017. While this rate of growth may be difficult to replicate in an increasingly competitive marketplace, ArchOver maintains a rich pipeline of high value loans helping to support its continued growth objectives. The borrowing businesses are typically seeking debt-finance for working capital or to replace invoice financing, factoring or bank overdrafts. With ArchOver, borrowers can seek loans from £250,000 up to £15 million. Loan terms average 18 months for 2017 and range from three to 36 months. Businesses can borrow through ArchOver multiple times. ArchOver’s Credit Team performs detailed credit analysis on every loan before approving and listing on the platform. ArchOver’s Loan Management team monitors the business and its assets throughout the loan period on a month-by month basis, giving them advanced warning if a default or change to repayment should be expected. The pie chart below illustrates the diverse range of sectors ArchOver investors have gained exposure to over time. ArchOver does not deliberately align its credit writing with specific sectors, but rather evaluates businesses on a case-by-case basis. As it happens, this has led to a significant portion of borrowers falling within the following sectors: financial services (brown), construction (green), healthcare (blue), software (light grey) and engineering (dark pink). Like ArchOver’s agnostic position on which sectors to lend to, the platform does not prioritise or preclude lending in certain regions of the UK. Again, each business is taken on a case-by-case basis. ArchOver has facilitated lending to businesses across 27 different areas in the UK. Even so, there is an element of geographical concentration, which is perhaps best signified by the fact that 22.2% of the loan book is attributed to Birmingham based borrowers, and 11% is attributed to London-based borrowers. Bear in mind, ArchOver operates out of London and has pre-meetings and follow-up meetings with all borrowers at borrowers’ premises. The platform does not forecast likely defaults as the platform has very limited data to base its calculations, having only had two recent defaults since it started. By way of comparison, however, many major P2P platforms do model future defaults and bad debt rates which can provide comfort for investors in the eventuality of a default. If there is a dispute by the borrower’s customer for services delivered or if the borrower fails to inform the insurer regarding a default within the prescribed period, a dispute over insurance payout could occur. ArchOver’s strict monitoring process ensures that they are kept abreast of any potential customer defaults. Also, ArchOver aligns its Secured & Insured lending with markets which are performing well and are highly insurable. Investors manually select the loans they wish to fund. There are only ever a few borrowers listed on ArchOver at a given time, so diversification can be hard to achieve. Borrowers may also refinance their current borrowing with a new loan. ArchOver clearly identifies each company to avoid borrower concentration. Investors should, however, remain aware of the loans they have made across the platform, to avoid being exposed to a single borrower, albeit two different loans. There is no secondary market on ArchOver enabling investors to sell or buy loans. Investors should therefore be prepared to commit to the duration of the loan term. ArchOver intends to provide a facility during the next year. ArchOver has progressed significantly in recent months, adding new investment models to its platform offering. This will undoubtedly promote the platform to a wider demographic of investors, delivering opportunities which cater to different risk profiles and investor types. The next year will be telling as the platform continues to grow and one thing investors will keep their eye on is the platform’s loan recovery process which, to-date, has been largely untested. Risk Warning: peer-to-peer lending is not a savings product, you are not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Your capital is at risk. Editor’s note: This is an updated version of a review from October 2017. It is also a condensed version of a more detailed and comprehensive report conducted by the Orca research team. This report can be found by navigating to the ‘Analytics’ tab, selecting ArchOver and clicking ‘Download Report’.
0.999993	More comfort closer to the cutting edge. Initial success with open source leads to more mission-critical investments faster in Europe. For example, from an operations perspective, I've noted less apprehension related to making major migrations to open source platforms like Linux. While the use of leading open source development tools such as Eclipse and Subversion, is roughly the same, adoption of open source testing tools such as Selenium, FIT/FitNesse, and soapUI is higher and closer to leading edge in [Western] Europe. More interest in making strategic investments. In the US, widespread momentum to continue to push further exploitation of the opportunities afforded by the open source movement has yet to take hold across the board. As an example, I see the current level of interest in using open source technologies in the infrastructure layer for application services and data services, e.g. business intelligence (BI) and enterprise service bus (ESB) capabilities, as being dwarfed by the quality of options available. Progress is prized similarly to "readiness." I was able to contact one enterprise architect from a fairly large IT shop in France who described an enterprise-wide initiative at his company to bring a full stack of open source software to user desktops. He was adamant that the program's progress has been slow and rife with challenges associated with migrating users and installations from existing Microsoft productivity tools to open source alternatives. And no, the company doesn't think that Microsoft is going anywhere anytime soon. They are just aware of the benefits (and savings) to be realized by taking a long term approach to opening their desktops. Regions prove more diverse than general trends. For those who've noticed, [North] American decision-makers tend to remain more concerned about the potential downsides of open source than their European counterparts, but this doesn't qualify as grounds to fully quantify adoption. Open source adoption remains a nebulous term. Quantifying use of a fully open source project is still more art than science. As a result, we've yet to reach a point where fully reliable usage rates can be produced...especially for entire regions. Worldwide consumption still exceeds participation. Organizations worldwide have yet to realize the benefits to be gained by contributing to vibrant open source ecosystems. This consumer-focused stance is typical of most large IT organizations. In short companies, across the world are still focused primarily on consuming open source and maybe establishing dedicated internal support teams. I eagerly await the day this changes. What can be taken from the article is that the French, from a national level down, have demonstrated very high levels of open source acceptance. That doesn't mean that the French sell the most open source products or can boast the most open source companies. Neither does it mean that France is suddenly the pre-eminent hotspot for open source activity across the globe. It simply means that the country has set an example for others to follow in its footsteps. Thanks for the information. I never thought of it like that before. The smaller business community do see the benefit. Larger organisations are still seeing it as a competitive advantage and therefore do not participate as openly. made in 2005 in aveiro city whit a canadian server provider. P.S. if i ever "catch" the true in the air remember that only God works whit true. keep them in your heart. and yes im not crazy .. pretty cleaver. This will help community a lot. What can I say? So again great post. The info seems to be very interesting - there are some new ideas there. We get know that that’s more simple to purchase the dissertation international and dissertation writing just about this good post, than to write by own efforts. This economy is hitting just about every body world wide. im not sure if i understand. I used already make ones to study them because i was a little bit lazzy to read all tuturials on internet . A tough language to learn! Good job for writing this brilliant article. Yes...I took a couple years in high school. Two thumbs up! I think the theory works.
0.997112	Connect the USB external hard drive directly to your computer. Make an ISO image (an .iso file is an archive disk image of an optical disk) from the Windows XP CD-ROM using your preferred software. Save to your hard drive. I'm familiar with installing and running Linux operating system from an external hard drive, which is very useful to me. I know the advantages of the portable operating system, so I've always wanted to be able to create a portable Windows 10 operating system. Is there any way to install and run Windows 10 from an external hard drive? Step. Connect the external hard drive to the PC via USB connection. Turn the external hard drive on. Step. Begin the installation process for the software and follow the installation prompts.
0.998899	One can think of living organisms in terms of an organization with various levels of structure. Ecology is the study of the patterns and relationships of these systems. The word "oikos" means "house" in Greek and "logos" means "pattern." The word "oecologie" was coined by Ernest Haeckel, German scientist and follower of Darwin, in 1866. Since then and throughout the 1890's European botanists studied systems of plants and land and their interdependencies, giving rise to the science of ecology. Thus the science of ecology has always had a holistic approach top nature, connecting communities and systems. The philosophical roots of ecology and the land ethic of Aldo Leopold are discussed in detail in the unit on Ethical Systems. The early study of ecology was tilted towards moral philosophy. As a science, it grew in parallel, more as a description of the distribution of plant communities, and their patterns of succession. In the 1920's and '30's ecology became more of a discipline of science. In 1927, Charles Elton, a colleague of Aldo Leopold, coined phrases such as "food chain" and "niche" and began to work on the way nutrition started with the sun, and on the natural dependencies of organisms and "communities of plants." The English ecologist Arthur Tansley, reflecting that the land community was anthropomorphic, proposed "ecosystem" for the system of relationships. The following discussion describes each of the main levels, however it does not go all the way back to the most minute level of cells and genes. These structured levels are terminology that you need to be familiar with to start discussing the role of ecology in environmental issues. Ecosystems: living and nonliving components of an area that includes the habitat and the physical and chemical environment. The classic definition of an ecosystem was stated in 1953 by Odum: any unit that includes all organisms (i.e., community) in a given area interacting with the physical environment so that a flow of energy leads to a clearly defined structure, biotic diversity, and materials cycles. The point is that a balance is reached. Species: A particular group of the same organism that depends on an optimum range of each environmental factor such as light, pH, nutrients, food, water, competitors, predators, etc. These ranges should overlap within a particular location. Some of these environmental factors are more critical than others. Population: several members of the same species in a particular area at the same time and genetically distinct from other populations of that species. Community: different species interacting together, forming a distinct system that includes the food web. Note that the habitat is where the community lives. For example, a wetlands habitat is defined as an area often covered by shallow water, or one where the ground is wet long enough to support plants specialized to grow under saturated conditions. Biome: several habitats together in a particular climatic area e.g. tropical rainforest versus coniferous rain forest. Biosphere: highest organizational level in which life exists that ranges from several thousand meters into the atmosphere, and to depths of the oceans including land masses.
0.999945	What happens when you get two Harvard MBA graduates starting a company designed to provide expert advice? You get Evisors. Consult with leading experts to help you and your business succeed. If you're already an expert, you can become an advisor on Evisor as well to generate some supplemental income.
0.999555	When we talk about time in English, we often use the prepositions in, on or at. IN: We use in with parts of the day, and with months, seasons and years. Complete the sentences with in, on, or at. 1. We can play soccer ______ the winter. 2. She must leave ______ six o'clock. 3. Lisa is going home _____ Sunday. 4. Mark was born ____ 1987. 5. My birthday is ____ April 11th. 1. We can play soccer in the winter. 2. She must leave at six o'clock. 3. Lisa is going home on Sunday. 4. Mark was born in 1987.
0.931086	Evangelist Franklin Graham said that although U.S. President Donald J. Trump may not be the best Christian right now, the president of the country is trying to the maximum when it comes to “defending Christianity.” Graham holds traction in the evangelist community as he is the CEO and president of Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, an influential organization within the conservative Christian universe. The comments were made during an interview on Fox & Friends. Graham admitted that although President Trump could not be said to be the best example among Christians, he interjected at this point to remind the interviewer he himself cannot be considered a proper Christian either. The evangelist then said not only does Trump continue to defend the faith, he is also standing firm on this specific issue. The Christian evangelist continued, saying the president has the capability to tolerate what he terms a non-stop assault of hostile media coverage for a maximum period of eight years. Graham was referring to the time length that Trump will hold office if he is elected to a second term in the White House. Graham said President Trump was tremendous and that the president said the U.S. is a nation composed of believers and a country strengthened by the power of prayer. Trump also reminded his largely evangelical audience that faith is important to the American life. The evangelist reminded everyone that it is a matter of great joy that Trump has taken a stand on the faith issue. Trump said during the prayer breakfast that religious freedom cannot be trifled with. He reassured the audience that the present administration will do anything and everything so that the right can be protected. Well, Trump doesn't claim to Evangelical. Here is how one of his Evangelical supporters, Franklin Graham described him: While Trump may not be a Christian he is "defending Christians from secularists".
0.998615	I'm afraid that doesn't work. The right of publicity protects the persona of the person, not only their actual name, image or voice. Appropriation of a likeness may also be actionable if it can be proven that the character is "obviously" likened after the plaintiff.
0.993325	Courteney Bass Cox (born June 15, ) is an American actress, producer, and director. . Cox began dating Snow Patrol band member Johnny McDaid in late The couple announced their engagement on Twitter on June 26, Courteney Cox and Johnny McDaid are said to have finally set their wedding Johnny, 41, and Courteney, 53, first got engaged after dating for. British singer Johnny McDaid (L) and partner US actress Courteney Cox pose on the red carpet on arrival for the BRIT Awards in London. However, TMZ reports there is no evidence in the L. However, doubt has been cast on whether they were even legally married. Courteney has been comforting pal Jennifer Aniston after her marriage split from Justin Theroux pictured June The cute pair giggled like teenagers in love Johnny, who is from Northern Ireland but lives in London, was the perfect gentleman as he chivalrously wheeled his famous girlfriend's luggage. MailOnline has contacted representatives for Jennifer and Justin for further comment. They gazed into each other's eyes after being miles apart They've been back on track since Aprilafter the ex-wife of David Arquette reportedly agreed to spend more time in the U. Her face said it all who is courteney cox dating as she lit up animatedly whilst looking at the Chasing Cars rocker, who is courteney cox dating.
0.963293	Customer expectations can be difficult to live up to, especially as the global marketplace has provided consumers with more choices than ever. Customers are always looking for a cheaper deal, better features and more benefits, making it difficult for many businesses to keep up with the demands of their customers. If you're worried about getting left behind in a global marketplace, finding ways to exceed your customer's expectations can put you way ahead of the competition. The key to exceeding customer expectations is to focus on one key area and aim to be better than your competitors in your chosen area. Businesses often spread their resources too thin by trying to be the best in all areas of their operations, but this rarely works and is unsustainable, particularly for small or medium-sized companies. Start by separating the attributes of your product into three or four areas that can be easily defined. For example, if you sell dog food, your product could be broken down into three simple areas: content (ingredients, food production and related processes), design (visual appeal of the food and packaging, as well as the shape, suitability and materials used in the packaging) and price. Next, you need to identify which key area is the most important to your customers. You may need to conduct some market research or analyze your past performance, but you should be able to choose one area to focus on. In order to exceed customer expectations, you first need to know what those expectations are. Using the example of a dog food manufacturer, the customers may expect the food to meet their dog's daily nutritional needs, packaging that clearly lists the ingredients included, and a reasonable price for the product. Researching the standards offered by your competitors can be useful and provide insights into what consumers might expect from your company. Meeting the basic customer expectations in all areas of your business is the first step to exceeding them in your key area. To excel in your chosen area, you can use your knowledge of the competition to look for ways to offer more than they are currently providing to their customers. You can also look at reviews of similar products to see if there are any helpful ideas. For example, if a large number of reviewers are asking for specific features or benefits that are not routinely offered, you might decide to incorporate these features into your products and your marketing strategy. Another great way to gather information that will help you to excel is to use polls and surveys, either on social media or through your own website. Allowing consumers to have their say can provide a wealth of valuable information that helps to improve your business. Research has shown that, in order to succeed, businesses only need to excel in one key area. As long as you are meeting the basic industry standards in other parts of your business, you only need to focus on one specific aspect of your business operations. By exceeding customer expectations in this area, you gain a huge advantage over your competitors.
0.950485	The Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage at Pinewood was built in 1976 for the Bond movie The Spy Who Loved Me. It has been home to the Cambodian Temples for Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, The Louvre Gallery in The Da Vinci Code and The Chocolate River Room in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. In 2007 the new 007 Stage opened and housed the Greek fishing village for Mamma Mia!, as well as sets for Bond movie SPECTRE, the Fountain of Youth in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and the Summit, Camp Four and Hilary's Step in Everest. The stage was originally conceived in 1976 by production designer Ken Adam to house the set he had designed for the interior of the Liparus supertanker in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me. The stage's construction cost $1.8 million. The stage was christened the "007 Stage" on 5 December 1976 during a ceremony attended by former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson. In contrast to the volcano crater set Adam had built for You Only Live Twice in 1966, the 007 Stage was to be a permanent structure that could be rented out to other productions. The 007 Stage burnt to the ground on 27 June 1984 towards the end of filming of Ridley Scott's Legend. It was rebuilt, and reopened in January 1985, with the new name, "Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage", in time for filming to commence on A View to a Kill (1985). Another fire occurred on 30 July 2006. The fire occurred just after production ended on the Bond film Casino Royale while the Venetian piazza set was being dismantled. Eight fire engines took 90 minutes to bring the fire under control; a spokesman for the local fire brigade said gas canisters may have exploded inside the building. Filming had been completed on the stage several days before and it was being dismantled, so it did not delay production or release of the film. The damage to the building was extensive causing the roof of the building to collapse. On 31 July 2006, Pinewood issued a statement indicating that the stage "will need to be demolished and rebuilt" and that there had been no casualties in the incident. The fire-damaged stage was demolished on 13–14 September. Construction on the new stage began on 18 September and was completed in under 6 months. The new stage was redesigned and included a number of new features including an increased working floor space area, enclosed stairwells to the gantry, a vehicle ramp into the tank, aircraft hangar-style loading doors, increased electrical power and better insulation. The new stage is 374 feet (114 m) long, 158 feet (48 m) wide and 41 to 50 feet (15 m) high (114 x 48 x 12–15 m). The stage is the biggest in Europe around 59,000 sq ft (5,500 m2).
0.991549	The IRS has a known history of scandalous behavior. With Nixon, Johnson, Hoover, Kennedy, and the FBI using the IRS to intimidate their enemies, it's no surprise that people have their eye on the IRS. Now under President Obama, they're at it again, which begs the question: bureaucratic blunder or political profiling? In 1913, congress granted tax-free status to non-profit groups that operate "exclusively for the promotion of social welfare" that donate their earnings "exclusively to charitable, educational, or recreational purposes." In other words, NO POLITICS. In 1959, the IRS defined operating "exclusively for the promotion of social welfare" as "primarily engaged in promoting in some way the common good and general welfare of the people of the community." Go figure! This opened the door for non-profits into politics as long as it wasn't the primary goal of the organization. In 2010, the Supreme Court's landmark "Citizens United" decision cleared the way for corporations and labor unions to raise and spend unlimited sums of money, and register for tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(4). Now, for the first time, corporations, unions and associations can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on politics... anonymously, and tax-free. The 501(c)(4) loophole + with Citizens United + The rise of the Tea Party + The budget cuts at the IRS = The Perfect Storm. "We are doing as best we can with a staff of 14 that used to be a staff of 32" Since 2002 the IRS budget has been cut 17%. The IRS has lost 10,000 employees to attrition in just the past two years, or over 9% of its total workforce. In 2010 alone, the code underwent 579 changes. So, since 2010 there has been a huge influx of 501(c)(4) applications from conservative educational organizations that primarily focus on politics social welfare funded by anonymous concerned corporations citizens. The underfunded/understaffed liberal IRS flagged targeted political sounding conservative groups in order to stop fraud attack the President's enemies. Liberal in WH + tax-free, anonymous, unlimited spending on (51% social welfare + 49% politics) = a whole lot of conservative applications taking advantage of a loophole. Underfunded and understaffed, The IRS is tasked with determining if these groups are "primarily engaged" in social welfare or not (and they didn't fully understand the code themselves). So, 2 months after Citizens United, the IRS decided to start flagging politically sounding groups for further scrutiny. This was in anticipation of the extra burden brought on by the influx of faux conservative social welfare groups. In an effort to save money, he said, the "safety valves" that had existed to move questionable or politically charged exemption applications to Washington were shut off, as part of "a rational allocation of scarce resources. March 2010 - "Tea Party, Patriots, 9/12, We the People, Take Back the Country" July 2010 - "be on the lookout for Tea Party applications" August 2010 - "various local organizations in the Tea Party movement" July 2011 - "Organizations involved with political, lobbying, or advocacy" January 2012 -"Political action type organizations involved in limiting/expanding government, educating on the constitution and bill of rights, social economic reform/movement" May 2012 - "organizations with indicators of significant amounts of political campaign intervention (raising questions as to exempt purpose and/or excess private benefit)" 91 had no indications of significant political campaign intervention. 205 had indications of significant political campaign intervention. No case has yet to be denied exemption. The only known 501(c)(4) applicant to recently have its status denied happens to be a progressive group: the Maine chapter of Emerge America, which trains Democratic women to run for office. The IRS would then ask for Donor lists, volunteer lists, transcripts of speeches by their members, what their views towards Israel are, and lists of politicians the group has met with are demanded by the IRS or anything to determine "political engagement." Requests the names of donors. Requests a list of all issues that are important to the organization and asks that the organization indicate its position regarding such issues. Requests 1) the roles and activities of the audience and participants other than members in the activity and 2) the type of conversations and discussions members and participants had during the activity. Asks whether the officer, director, etc., has run or will run for public office. Requests the political affiliation of the officer, director, speakers, candidates supported, etc., or otherwise refers to the relationship with identified political party--related organizations. Requests information regarding employment, other than for the organization, including hours worked. Requests information regarding activities of another organization -- not just the relationship of the other organization to the applicant. The application process, which normally takes 6 months, is extended up to 4 years or more. The "organization" can still operate, they must however pay taxes. DOUGLAS SHULMAN, Former U.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue, and STEVEN MILLER, Former IRS Commissioner, claim ignorance and Lois Lerner, the head of the IRS division on tax-exempt organizations pleaded the fifth: "I have been advised by my counsel to assert my constitutional right not to testify or answer questions related to the subject manner of this hearing." Screened key appointees to the IRS for party and administration loyalty. Released the Reuther memorandum, a 24 page document on how you plan to fight the radical right.......the memo said the administration shouldn't hesitate to sic the IRS on tax-exempt, right-wing organizations. Launched audits on left of center organizations as cover. Completed 75% of total organization audits on "extremist" right organizations. Persuaded then President Roosevelt not to audit the backers of his Congressional campaign. Threatened businessmen with audits unless they contribute to his 1964 campaign. Allegedly exchanged tax favors for votes. Audited conservative groups, such as the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and the Foundation for Economic Education, continue through the mid-1960s. Institute and use IRS "special services staff" to harass your political rivals with tax audits. Nixon created a broad, systematic political use of the IRS, rather than use the agency on a case-by-case basis. Watergate Articles of Impeachment include charges of conspiring to use the IRS against political enemies. Has long used the IRS to intimidate and silence fringe groups. Planned to "discredit" Klan networks by alleging their illegal non-disclosure of tax information. Audited Martin Luther King Jr.'s non-profit, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference repeatedly to slow development. Obtained tax information as leverage against Black Nationalists and Anti-Vietnam War organizations. Memo: "The New Left on many occasions viciously and scurrilously attacked the Director and the Bureau." So, IRS harassment is used--starting the next day-- to "expose, disrupt, and otherwise neutralize" groups on the left.
0.999998	What food is Jacksonville, Florida known for? Just 25 miles south of Georgia, Jacksonville mixes southern fare like shrimp and grits, biscuits and gravy, and chicken and waffles with fresh coastal seafood. Another popular dish around the city are fish tacos. The Savannah Bistro Cafe at the Crown Plaza Jacksonville Airport serves Southern inspired food and local seafood, like she crab soup and wild Georgia shrimp.
0.997104	The south region of Brazil is located below the Tropic of Capricorn in a temperate zone. The region is the smallest of the Brazilian regions, and it is one of the economically developed regions in the country. It borders countries such as Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. The region has three states including South-Parana, the Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. The three states are known to be the most developed parts of the country. Additionally, the region was the most influenced by Europeans including Germany and Italy as its colonies hence the three states had modern cities with high human development index of approximately 0.859 in 2007. It is also the second highest region per capita income of the country with approximately $ 13.396 behind the southeast region. For instance, the capital city of Parana is known as the experimental lab for modern urbanization and houses remarkable buildings including the metal-framed greenhouse of the Botanical Garden. Most of the immigrants in the region are from Italy, Germany, and European countries including Poland and Ukraine. The main ethnic origins of the population of the region are from the named countries. The region covers approximately 577,214 square kilometers, which is 6.8 % of the national territory. The population is more concentrated in the coastal areas of the region though the region is nearly as densely populated as the Southeast. The major South region cities include Curitiba and Porto Alegre. The South population also enjoys relatively high living standards. Due to the presence of industries and agriculture, States such as Parana had the highest average income of $ 3,674 in 1994 while Santa Catarina had an average income of $3,405. Santa Catarina has small farmers and small industries. The region has attractions ranging from the historic Jesuit ruins of Misses in the Rio Grande do Sul to the remarkable beaches of the Santa Catarina as well as the unmissable Iguacu Falls in Parana. The region offers plenty of attraction for tourists, primarily because of its more temperate weather. The coastal areas have a subtropical climate which draws people who want to avoid the oppressive heat that characterizes the northern regions during the summer months of November to March. The annual medium temperatures of the region range from 14oC to 22oC and in the areas that have altitudes of beyond 1,100m drops to nearly 10oC. In most cases, the climate is known to be temperate climate. The region snows in the mountain ranges. In short, the vegetation and atmosphere in the South region feel more Mediterranean than Brazilian. The leading language spoken in the region is Portuguese, which is the official language. Some of the other languages that the region speaks include Germany or Italian origin dialects. Tourism is not as popular as in the other regions because it is colder than the other regions and the region has a strong culture that it got from Germans and Italians.
0.987268	You have informed a customer that you would attend to his work at 10 AM sharp. However, due to some exigency, you are going to be late by a few hours. In such a case The customer would be expecting you at the specified time. It is appropriate to call the customer over phone, and inform him that you would be late. Sending an email may not be the best option, since the customer may not see his/her email often. Your colleague may not convey the message to your customer appropriately. If the customer complains that scanner is not working , you need to gather information regarding the problem. For example, knowing that the scanner was working previously, would make troubleshooting much easier. While doing any hardware up gradation on a laptop (such as adding more memory, etc), remember to remove the battery in addition to unplugging of AC mains. A junior technician is replacing a memory card on a PC, but does not have his grounding strap. Having an anti-static work station is the most appropriate solution when working with sensitive components. However, under emergencies, it may not always be possible to wear a wrist strap or have an anti static work station. The least a technician could do to minimize static under these circumstances is to tough a metal part in the PC (typically ground point) case. It is assumed here that the PC case is grounded, which is typically the case. Chain of custody: Chain of custody (CoC) refers to the chronological documentation or paper trail, showing the seizure, custody, control, transfer, analysis, and disposition of physical or electronic evidence. Chain of custody ensures that the evidence is not tampered with when presented in a court. Avoid distractions like personal calls, taking co-workers, etc. A user's PC has been confiscated for prohibited use. So before giving the PC to another department technician needs to document change of custody before giving the PC to another department. When you are attending to the maintenance of a clients computers from time to time. On one occasion, you notice that one of the systems have a lot of inappropriate content. In such case You need to report the matter using proper channel first. If technician finds a prohibited content in a computer located in a common area that is used by several employees , in such a case any inappropriate material should be reported to the management for necessary action. The reporting structure needs to be maintained in an organization. A customer calls you because a solution that was earlier suggested by another technician did not appear to have solved the problem. Ask the customer to explain the problem. It is possible that you would be able to resolve the same without escalation. Decide if you need to escalate the issue after carefully reviewing the problem. A user calls to report that a notice pops up on their screen whenever they try to download video clips from a website. The notice says The streaming media is limited to 60 minutes per day, please confirm. You have recently implemented a filter to allow only 60 min of streaming media per day per user computer. You need to maintain the professionalism when conversing with a user. A user reports that he had not heard from a help desk technician for the past two days, after the initial complaint was made. Assure the customer that the problem will be escalated, and would return the call at the earliest. A user has reported that his PC is very slow. After virus scan, you have determined that the PC is infected with virus, and cured the same. However, the performance has not improved after the virus removal. A PC may have multiple problems. Solving one problem doesn't mean that all the problems (or the main concern) has been solved. One needs to investigate and fix the problems that the user has reported. In the event of any difficulty in solving the problem, escalate the same to higher levels.
0.998944	A vehicle history report should be obtained before considering the purchase of a rental car. Many car rental companies offer the public car sales of previously rented vehicles to remove its older inventory and bring in newer models. This awards the company with more customers and with lower maintenance costs. It is very important to the marketing of the rental car company to keep up with the newest models. Before purchasing a rental car, follow the process of completely checking the vehicle history to ensure that the rental car will give you the best performance over a reasonable period of time. Making this decision depends on one’s personal needs and use of the vehicle. There are many free online resources, such as Carfax and eBay Motors (uses an auto check system from Experian) that offer a resource for checking the vehicle history report. All you need is the vehicles identification number (VIN). Plug in the VIN and you can receive information on the vehicle. It will list if the car was in an accident, or had any type of damage or major repairs, and if the odometer has been tampered. It will also verify that the vehicle is the correct vehicle, and the VIN was not altered. There are also online resources that charge for more detailed vehicle history reports that will list more items, such as ICBC and Carproof. The extra charges will provide you with some information such as if the car was stolen. In some states and countries, you can visit your local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) division to obtain a history report. You will need the VIN and make and model of the vehicle. Depending on where you live, this can be a charged or free service. The car rental company should have a vehicle maintenance log and history report on each vehicle it is selling. It should list when basic maintenance, such as oil changes, brake fluid flushes, brake changes, replacement of parts, such as windshield wipers and tires, and other maintenance items were done. This ensures that regular repairs were performed; therefore, the vehicle was well kept. It should also list if the vehicle was in an accident and repaired, or was repainted due to multiple physical damages to the vehicle. If the rental agency will allow you to test drive the rental vehicle, take it to your mechanic or reputable automotive center. They can easily obtain the VIN from the vehicle and provide you with a history report of the vehicle. As mentioned, the main thing you would be concerned about is if the car had any major repairs. The mechanic can also give you a visual history report just by examining the vehicle. Following this process/general guidelines can lesson the possibility of purchasing a useless vehicle that will cause you more money, then if you purchased a new vehicle. Great deals on fairly new cars can be found at car rental companies, due to its high turnover of vehicles; however, remember to still do a thorough check of the vehicle, both internally and externally. Is there a Free Car History Report Online?
0.949471	February 16, 2014 rock avalanche from Mount La Perouse. Relief from head scarp to toe is about 1770 m. We usually hear about landslides and avalanches that are caused by large amounts of rainfall, the shaking from earthquakes, or a volcanic eruption, but we may be hearing more about avalanches caused by the (seemingly innocuous) melting of ice in the coming years. One such rock avalanche occurred on the Lamplugh glacier in a remote part of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve in June of 2016. The occurrence was initially known only because it was captured on seismic instruments used to record earthquakes, and it released the same amount of energy as an M5.2 earthquake. Rock avalanches are landslides of fragmented rock that begin from rock slides and can be extremely hazardous because they are large and can move long distances at extremely rapid speeds. Southeast Alaska, where Glacier Bay National Park is located, has had a notable number of rock avalanches in recent years, including the largest non-volcanic landslide ever recorded in North America in October of 2015 on the Tyndall Glacier. This rock avalanche generated a tsunami that ran about 600 ft up a shoreline, one of the largest tsunami runups ever recorded. Map of the Glacier Bay study area with the 24 rock avalanches in this study shown as red dots. What is happening in Glacier Bay National Park to suddenly cause more frequent and larger rock avalanches? Three landslide scientists (from the USGS, CO School of Mines, and Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development in Canada) examined 33 years of Landsat satellite images to try to find out. They focused on a peninsular area in the western portion of the Park mostly covered with ice, with the Pacific Ocean on one side and Glacier Bay on the other. They identified rock avalanches on the images by 1) looking for areas with a high contrast to the surrounding ice and snow that would indicate rock avalanche material, 2) large differences between successive images, indicating a change in the topography, and 3) typical shapes indicative of rock avalanches. After identifying 24 landslides, they checked the earthquake record to make sure none of them were caused by earthquakes since they were only interested in those that had other causes. None had been caused by earthquakes. All of the landslides were in the northern part of the study area at high elevations, and 75% of them were on the north- to northeast-facing slopes. Those areas are particularly subject to mountain permafrost. Mountain permafrost is the ice in the cracks and crevices between the rocks that hold them together and help stabilize steep slopes. There were 3 clusters of activity: 1984-1986, 1994-1995, and 2012-present, and the most recent cluster had more and larger rock avalanches that originated higher on the slopes and traveled further. Graph showing landslides that occurred when the elevation of the freezing temperature in the center of the northern half of the study area was below the average elevation (blue bars) and above the average elevation (red bars). The clusters are highlighted in yellow. (Temperature data is from the North American Freezing Level Tracker (NAFLT).) The question marks signify that the start and end times for the first and last clusters (respectively) are not known. The clusters in this study occured when the temperature on the upper slopes was higher than normal for successive years. After eliminating several other possible causes for the increase in numbers, rock size, and travel distance for the most recent avalanches, the scientists suggest that the melting of the mountain permafrost is the answer. The overall warmer temperatures in the last few decades in this part of Alaska cause the permafrost to degrade or partially melt, destabilizing the slopes and making rockslides and rock avalanches more likely. The reason why the rock avalanches are initiating at higher elevations and on the north side of slopes is that those are areas that have more mountain permafrost and are most susceptible to changes in long-term temperatures. These observations and hypotheses can be compared with additional observations in the future to see if they hold up. If indeed warmer temperatures cause destabilization of steep slopes in traditionally cold climate regions, there will be more high-risk areas for rock slides and rock avalanches in the future. Jeff Coe is a geologist who has been with the USGS for 30 years. Twenty-two of these years have been spent researching landslide processes and hazards. In his free time, Jeff enjoys building rock walls, hiking, and pretty much everything else outdoors. Erin Bessette-Kirton has worked at the USGS for two years, researching landslides in many parts of the US and around the world. She enjoys hiking, mountain biking, running, skiing, and exploring Colorado.
0.999966	(grammar) A word that expresses the relative position of an item in a sequence. First, second and third are the ordinal numbers corresponding to one, two and three. (arithmetic) A natural number used to denote position in a sequence. In the expression a3, the "3" is an ordinal number. (set theory) Such a number generalised to correspond to any cardinal number (the size of some set); formally, the order type of some well-ordered set of some cardinality a, which represents an equivalence class of well-ordered sets (exactly those of cardinality a) under the equivalence relation "existence of an order-preserving bijection". For not only do the antinomies a) to e) disappear when we admit as elements of sets only such sets, ordinal numbers, and cardinal numbers as are bounded above by a fixed cardinal number, but we see also that paradoxes always arise if we collect into a set any sets, cardinal numbers, or ordinal numbers which are not bounded above by a fixed cardinal number. Is there a set that consists exactly of all the ordinal numbers? It is easy to see that the answer must be no. If there were such a set, then we could form the supremum of all ordinal numbers. That supremum would be an ordinal number greater than or equal to every ordinal number. Since, however, for each ordinal number there exists a strictly greater one (for example, its successor), this is impossible; it makes no sense to speak of the "set" of all ordinals. Ordinal numbers are generally considered to be ordered from high to low, so that first place is considered highest, and fifth is lower than second. Degree is an exception. If an ordinal is followed by a plural noun, the two word phrase refers to a set of items described by the phrase in singular. For example second homes refers to a set of homes which are considered a "second home." Many households have third cars.
0.999913	One of the most widely publicised modern yowie incidents occurred on the 20th May 1981 when three young bushwalkers told reporter Gary Buchanan of the Lismore Northern Star that they had encountered two strange animals in rugged bush six kilometres west of Dunoon. The encounter took place when the boys, aged fourteen, thirteen and eleven, were exploring thick scrub on the top of a range of hills. Around 12.45 pm two of them saw a hairy man-like creature cross the bush track from right to left. Shortly afterwards a second creature appeared from the same direction. ' The second animal seemed to stumble, stopped behind a tree standing on the left side of the path, and peeped around the tree towards us, ' said the oldest boy.' It kind of squatted behind the trees and looked at us for about 5 seconds before running across the path behind the other animal, which had its back towards us and appeared to be waiting for its mate to catch up.' Both animals then disappeared, but could be clearly heard moving through the undergrowth. The boys claimed the animals resembled nothing they had ever seen before. Their dog had 'gone berserk' when they sighted the first creature, making a crying sound and then chasing both animals down the bush path. The boys laughed off suggestions that they had misinterpreted a sighting a sighting of ordinary bush animals. They pointed out that the creatures were about two metres tall and walked on their hind legs. 'I've never seen a wild pig walk down a hill on its hind legs,' commented the eldest lad. On being asked whether the animals resembled gorillas, the eldest of the boys said,' Yes, but these weren't gorillas. Gorillas are black and bow-legged. These had straight legs and were brown, more human-like.
0.941335	As World War I began winding down, Wilson and his advisors, began to formulate plans for peace. Wilson drew up a statement which came to be called the Fourteen Points that he delivered to Congress in January 1918. In the speech to the joint session of the United States Congress, President Woodrow Wilson summarized three major goals in his Fourteen Points for ending the war and attempting to attain lasting peace for not only Europe, but the world. The goals were as follows: A. Improved international relations—Removal of international trade barriers, honor freedom of the seas, advocate open communication with no secret alliances in an international association of nations, and allow for self-rule of nationalities. B. Restoration of territories—Return to pre-war boundaries and make fair adjustments of all colonial claims. C. Restriction on military strength—Military reductions for all nations, especially Germany including demilitarization along the Rhine River. The most controversial part of the proposal was the creation of a League of Nations described in the 14th Point. Both former President Teddy Roosevelt and Senator Henry Cabot Lodge led opposition in the U.S. Senate to ratification of the treaty which had been negotiated in France and included the League of Nations. Against the advice of his doctors, Wilson set out on a railroad tour to build up public support for ratification of the treaty. In October 1919, Wilson suffered a stroke which left him an invalid for the rest of his life. Wilson continued to refuse to compromise on his position, and as a result, the U. S. Senate failed to acquire the two-thirds vote needed to ratify the treaty and the proposed League.
0.999993	Be honest about the house you have Crafting wrought iron over the stairs of a ranch house may seem exaggerated and pretentious. Options for wrought iron include searching for vintage wrought iron in an architectural salvage store, employing a local artisan or doing it yourself if you have some skills. Take into account that, no matter how you install it, wrought iron is not cheap. Painting shiny black anti-rust paint on it will help it look good. Exterior stair railing kits are especially important because of the dangers that are not present in indoor stairs, such as rain, wind and ice. The handrails must be well constructed and very sturdy, but they can also look attractive and give a decorative air to the exterior of a house. If you have a little money to spare and are looking for an old-fashioned or elaborate look , wrought iron railings are an impressive feature for a home.
0.99991	I'm sure you've seen that story circulating around this week - a young couple takes their toddler into a diner, the toddler gets fussy (as toddlers do), and the owner flips out and yells at the child. And she's not in the least bit remorseful. So, aside from the fact that there is something wrong with yelling at a child period (let alone a child who is not your child), there are a number of other things wrong with this picture. To begin with, I find it very strange that the owner is complaining about the child's parents ordering her three pancakes. Um...isn't she supposed to want people to buy more food in her diner, not less? But aside from that, her reaction and the comments on every article I've read about this are very telling - people have forgotten what normal child behavior is. People are not around enough children to know how children behave and that not every crying child is "bratty." Not every parents of a crying child are bad parents (the vast majority aren't). This isn't surprising - we live in a society where two children or less is the norm. There just aren't very many children around, anymore. So, on the one hand, I can't terribly fault these people because they just haven't been exposed to children. Period. But on the other hand, I do fault them. Because, again and again, the comments people have left on this story revolve around the sympathy they have for the owner and the other patrons, and the entitlement of the aforementioned to being able to eat in silence. But...that's just not life. And that's certainly not life with children! The underlying assumption seems to be that you can control your child, can predict what her behavior will be. But you can't. Part of teaching a child how to behave in public means that they need experience being in public. That also means that, sometimes, they are going to get fussy. That's normal. From what I could gather from this story (and the age of the child) she wasn't being bratty - she was acting hungry and maybe overstimulated. If she had been my child, would I have taken her out of the restaurant? Yes, probably. Do I think the couple should have asked for a box to go if she couldn't settle down? Yes, probably. But does any of this excuse the response to this situation? NO. Because what came out, dripping all over the comment boxes, was an absolute repulsion toward children. What came pouring out was the frustration and disgust that people feel toward children. It is hard to parent children in a society with that kind of attitude. I will say, this is where I am incredibly grateful for most Catholic churches. I have encountered one woman - in my nearly five years of parenting - who wasn't nice about my chatty/fussing toddler. But that's it! Everyone else I've met has either ignored us or been incredibly kind. There is an understanding that these little ones belong in the Church. Yes, there are people who respond this way when a child cries at Mass. There are people who hate any sort of inconvenience or interruption. But the overarching tone of our faith (straight from the pages of the Gospel) are that the children belong here. They have a place. If someone has a problem with the presence of children at Mass, well, that's their problem. Even the guy in Rome agrees, wholeheartedly. Do parents have a responsibility to raise their children well? Yes. Do they have a responsibility to teach them how to behave in public? Yes. But are children sometimes unpredictable and act out terribly, not because of anything a parent is or isn't doing? Yes. Does showing anger and blaming those parents help the situation? No. Does offering to help them in some way (i.e. offering to box up a restaurant patron's food and get them their check, so they could make whisk a crying child out to the car faster) make a difference? YES. Part of living in a civilized society is accepting that people don't always do things the way we want them to, and that we can't just start yelling and scaring them if they aren't doing what we want. Part of living in a civilized society is learning to show compassion and give one another the benefit of the doubt. Part of living in a civilized society means that when we see someone who is crying or stressed (as I'm sure these parents must have been) we do what we can to help. In some ways, there was very little difference between the behavior of the restaurant owner and the toddler - except that the restaurant owner should have known better. I'm not sure if I would have understood this as well before having my second born, but having a baby with colic really opened up my eyes. Sometimes she would (and still does) just cry. We couldn't live in our house for the first two years of her life. We had to leave, had to take big sister to school, go grocery shopping, visit friends and family, go to Mass - and sometimes she cried. We did our best, but sometimes there was only so much we could do. Being able to still go to Mass during this time (even if I was pacing in the narthex with a screaming baby) fed me in a way I genuinely needed. Had someone approached me with this kind of harshness, it would have devastated me. Bottom line is - children cry (some more than others), and even the best of parents sometimes have kids that are fussy and cranky (if it can happen to Kendra, it can happen to anyone!). There's no need to add to the yelling or animosity. There is much need for increased compassion, in a society that has forgotten the importance of the weak.
0.975805	North Antrim MP Ian Paisley has made three complaints to police over allegations electoral law was broken in the failed recall petition to oust him. Westminster's first ever recall petition was triggered after Mr Paisley was suspended from the House of Commons for failing to declare two family holidays paid for by the Sri Lankan government, for which he later lobbied. He would have been ousted as an MP if 10% of the electorate in his North Antrim constituency - 7,543 voters - signed the petition over the six weeks it was open. In the event, it was announced after a count early this morning that only 7,099 people signed it (9.4%). The DUP later announced it was readmitting Mr Paisley to the party following a suspension of 57 days, a decision criticised by Sinn Féin. The MP is also serving a suspension of 30 sitting days from the House of Commons imposed by its committee on standards. Hours before the recall petition closed yesterday, Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan said he was asked to remove a video from social media in which he urged people to vote. Mr McGuigan's video suggested that that vote was "on a knife-edge". Electoral rules prohibit the publication of exit polls on the recall petition. They also ban the publication of the names of anyone who has signed it - even if they publicly announce they have done so. Chief Electoral Officer Virginia McVea said she telephoned Mr McGuigan after receiving "various complaints about the tweet". "He was aware that it was a criminal matter - not something for us but for the PSNI," she said. "I did advise him it would be better if he took it down." Mr McGuigan removed the video but described the warning as "incredible". "I do not believe there was anything in the post that predicted the outcome of the petition," he said. Mr Paisley told the Press Association today that he has made "at least three" complaints to the PSNI over allegations electoral law was broken. "A number of people have breached section 124 of the election law and I have raised at least three specific complaints about individuals with police," he said. "It's up to police now to take that forward. I know if I had breached the law in that way, the same people would be asking questions." Asked about the complaints, A PSNI spokesman said: "Police have received a report in relation to comments made on social media.
0.968602	What are some of the major landforms that occur on Earth's surface? Basically any landforms can be classified under major landforms, but you can classify some of these as “major” because they are quite large. Explain how volcanoes change the earth's surface? How do rivers change earth's surface? How can landforms affect weather? What are examples of landforms created by wave erosion? What are some examples of landforms? How do erosion and deposition work together? Why is earth's surface heated unevenly? Why does the surface of the earth change? What is earth's average surface temperature? What causes earth's surface to heat up?
0.999999	Let me begin this article with a joke about something that actually occurred very recently in the greatest country in the world: Question: What happens to the FBI when they lie in court to a judge? The answer: Pay raise and promotion if they get away with it, full retirement if they get caught. Now, getting back to our news-story, two notorious Democrat Senators, Lindsey Graham and Chuck Grassley respectively, recently produced a second Senate-memo, which came as a counter-response/counter-attack of sorts to David Nunes’ now-famous FISA memo, which describes the immense corruption in Obama’s FBI and DOJ, with FBI agents illegally obtaining surveillance mandates to spy on US citizens by lying to judges and intentionally using spurious/tainted/planted/corrupted evidence. Now, the next question is: does Kimberley has a point? Well, the Grassley/Graham second memo is actually a bigger deal than the initial FISA memo by House Intelligence Chair David Nunes, as it basically corroborates the former’s allegations. For example, if you read the Democrat memo, you’ll see that Obama’s Department of Justice relied heavily on the spurious Christopher Steele so-called dossier to get a FISA warrant against Carter Page, Trump’s former adviser. The relevant bits of the memo with regard to how much the DOJ relied on the “dossier” to gain the FISA surveillance warrant are here and here, courtesy of Hot Air. Moreover, the Grassley/Graham second FISA memo claims (it’s an educated claim based on intelligence) that the FBI knew the Steele dossier to be salacious and unreliable (James Comey said it himself), because the former MI6 operative was caught lying previously to British courts and to the FBI, yet the FISA judge who approved the surveillance on Trump team adviser Carter Page was kept in the dark about this issue, i.e. about the unreliability of the dossier which served as a central basis for the surveillance warrant. It’s looking more and more like illegal spying on a US citizen and attempted entrapment by the FBI, all arranged by the Clinton Crime Syndicate. I’m old enough to remember when honest Democrats used to be against that sort of thing. But that was before all red-diaper-doper-babies turned into Marxists. The only thing President Trump is guilty of is pathological “trolling,” though. And you leftist bite hard every time. There’s only a few people who know exactly what’s in the two FISA applications. But I’m assuming that President Trump (or more exactly, very selected people in the White House) are among those who know. I’m waiting for Trump to “yield” and release the applications, complete and without redacting, in the name of “transparency”. It’d be yuge! Trump is the one person who can declassify anything. Go for it, Donald. It’ll be the most entertaining thing we’ll see this decade. And they did this two weeks before the election entirely in secret. Indeed so secretly that a week later the NYT puts out a story saying "FBI finds no Russia link to Trump " on October 30.
0.950014	Which democratic process is that? As I said earlier, there is a good chance that in meaningful votes on Tuesday and Wednesday, MPs will back either a softer form of Brexit that breaches the PM's red lines - on ending freedom of movement and negotiating trade deal - or Kyle/Wilson referendum plan. I have now asked eight members of the Cabinet whether they think @theresa_may would respect the will of parliament and negotiate either of those outcomes with the EU. All said she would not. Like the Brexit vote, people marched for many different reasons. Some want to Revoke, some want a People’s Vote, some would accept EFTA. Provided the process is democratic, and accepted in Parliament. The person that is not being democratic, is Theresa May.
0.957982	How does a nation become a great power? A global order was emerging in the nineteenth century, one in which all nations were included. This book explores the multiple legal grounds of Meiji Japan's assertion of sovereign statehood within that order: natural law, treaty law, international administrative law, and the laws of war. Contrary to arguments that Japan was victimized by 'unequal' treaties, or that Japan was required to meet a 'standard of civilization' before it could participate in international society, Howland argues that the Westernizing Japanese state was a player from the start. In the midst of contradictions between law and imperialism, Japan expressed state will and legal acumen as an equal of the Western powers – international incidents in Japanese waters, disputes with foreign powers on Japanese territory, and the prosecution of interstate war. As a member of international administrative unions, Japan worked with fellow members to manage technical systems such as the telegraph and the post. As a member of organizations such as the International Law Association and as a leader at the Hague Peace Conferences, Japan helped to expand international law. By 1907, Japan was the first non-western state to join the ranks of the great powers.
0.997564	¡Qué aburrimiento de fiesta! Si lo sé no vengo.What a boring party! If I'd known I wouldn't have come. ¿Viste cómo se puso? Si lo sé no le digo nada.Did you see how worked up he got? Had I known I wouldn't have said a thing. ¿Por qué sabes tú lo que dijo Felipe? - Si lo sé es solo porque estaba allí cuando lo dijo.How come you know what Felipe said? - If I know it's only because I was there when he said it.
0.999979	Case facts: The applicant is a Peruvian citizen, born in 1964. In 1993 he was arrested in Berlin on allegations of drug-related offenses and detained in a prison. The case concerns the applicant's complaint that, in the proceedings for the review of his detention on remand, his defense counsel had no access to the criminal files. The applicant invokes Article 5 para. 4 of the Convention. The applicant was brought before a judge who, after a hearing, issued an arrest warrant. The applicant was orally informed of the contents of the warrant, which was based on the statements of K., a convicted drug trafficker against whom separate proceedings had been brought. The applicant's lawyer requested access to the prosecution's file and was given certain documents. However, the prosecution refused access to other documents, on the ground that it would endanger the purpose of the investigation. Subsequently, the applicant's new lawyer repeated the request and applied for review of the detention on remand. The prosecution again refused the full disclosure. The District Court, which had a copy of the file, ordered the continuation of the detention on remand, having regard in particular to K.'s statements. The Regional Court, which also had a copy of the file, dismissed the applicant's appeal and the Court of Appeal dismissed a further appeal. Full access was later granted, as a result of which the Constitutional Court decided not to examine the applicant's constitutional complaint. Law: Article 5 § 4 – Proceedings under this provision must be adversarial and ensure equality of arms, but equality of arms is not ensured if access to documents in the investigation file which are essential to challenge the lawfulness of detention effectively is denied. Given the dramatic impact of deprivation of liberty on the fundamental rights of the individual, proceedings under Article 5 § 4 should in principle meet the basic requirements of a fair trial under Article 6 and in particular should ensure that the detainee is aware that observations have been filed and has a real opportunity to comment on them. In this case, the applicant was informed in general terms of the evidence against him and the grounds for his detention, but he was denied access to the investigation file, and in particular K.'s statements. The District Court, however, took its decision on the basis of the file including, to a large extent, these statements, and both the Regional Court and the Court of Appeal also had a copy of the file at their disposal. The contents of the investigation file, and in particular the statements, thus appear to have played a key role in the decision to prolong the applicant’s detention on remand, yet their precise content had not at that stage been brought to the applicant’s or his counsel’s knowledge. Consequently, they had no opportunity to challenge adequately the findings referred to by the prosecution and the court. An accused must be given a sufficient opportunity to take cognizance of statements and other pieces of evidence underlying them, irrespective of whether he is able to provide any indication as to their relevance for his defense. While there is a need for criminal investigations to be conducted efficiently, which may imply that part of the information collected during them is to be kept secret in order to prevent suspects from tampering with evidence and undermining the course of justice, this legitimate goal cannot be pursued at the expense of substantial restrictions on the rights of the defense. Information which is essential for the assessment of the lawfulness of a detention should be made available in an appropriate manner to the detainee’s lawyer. Given the importance in the courts' reasoning of the contents of the investigation file in this case, the procedure before them did not comply with Article 5 § 4.
0.995423	Someone on Urban Dictionary is taking a swipe at Elon Musk's now infamous tweet in which he declared 'funding secured' in regards to his plans to take Tesla private. The post says 'funding secured' is something said "when you have no idea where you're gonna get the money." Elon Musk's now-famous "funding secured" tweet continues to evolve into an internet meme. Someone on Urban Dictionary, a website dedicated to explaining modern slang, has taken a jab at Tesla CEO Musk's tweet, in which he declared 'funding secured' in regards to his plans to take Tesla private. The Urban Dictionary post defines '"unding secured" as "when you have no idea where you're gonna get the money," and gave an example of the phrase used in a sentence: "Me to my new girl: 'Taking you to Hawaii this winter. Funding secured,'" followed by the hashtags #money #funds #budget #broke #bankrupt. To be clear, Urban Dictionary definitions can be submitted by anyone, and the submissions are then voted on to determine their order in the definition results. Like Reddit, the highest-voted submission will be moved to the top of the available definitions for a particular word or phrase, but 'funding secured' currently only has one submission with 742 upvotes and 200 downvotes. Musk's Tweet has been the subject of a wealth of online jokes and mockery, coming from everyone from regular Twitter users to brands like Carl's Jr and Busch Beer. Jokes aside, legal experts have told Business Insider that the 'funding secured' Tweet could potentially prove problematic for Musk, especially if any of it is false. The SEC is reportedly looking into Tesla and Musk's claims.
0.997038	Take on the role of the ‘The Spirit of the Seasons’ in this animated retelling of a Native American origin legend. Celebrated VR animation studio Baobab, the team behind Emmy-award-winning VR shorts Invasion! and Asteroids!, is back with yet another jaw-dropping immersive animation featuring an impressive line-up of voice talent, including John Legend, Tye Sheridan, Constance Wu, and more. Available now on the Oculus Rift and Oculus Go, Crow: The Legend, is a light-hearted VR adventure based on the famous Native American origin legend of the crow that blends storytelling, music, and light player interaction to create an emotional journey that takes users to the cosmos and back. Users take on the role of “Spirit of the Seasons,” an invisible embodiment of the seasons; using their hands to instantly change the weather from the pleasant coolness of fall, to the unforgiving cold of winter. Throughout the story, players follow Crow (John Legend), Skunk (Constance Wu), (Tye Sheridan), Diego Luna (Moth), Oprah Winfrey (The One Who Creates Everything By Thinking), and Owl (Liza Koshy), a group of well-meaning forest animals who enjoy nothing more than listening to the silky-smooth vocal stylings of Crow. As winter dawns upon the forest however, the animals struggle to manage the bitter cold and must device a plan to survive the unforgiving conditions. They decide their best option is the seek the help of “The One Who Creates Everything By Thinking,” a mystical being located far beyond the sun that’s responsible for creating the universe and everything in it. It’s a story about self-discovery, sacrifice, friendship, and responsibility. Viewers journey beyond the comfort of Earth through a beautifully animated solar system, complete with talking celestial objects and plenty of eye-opening spectacles. NAP, alongside Baobab, Vision Maker Media, and Longhouse Media, has since launched the #GenIndigenous fellowship to assist Native American youth by offering them pathways into the VR industry. Crow: The Legend now available for free on the Oculus Rift and Oculus Go. There’s also a standard 2D version available on YouTube, but trust me, this is a journey you’ll definitely want to experience in VR.
0.999396	Write a new homepage. The previous wording focused solely on their flagship product - Argan Oil. The Lushery requested I expand on more products and champion their Beauty Blog. The Lushery requested a laid-back style that speaks to their customers. After opening with a fabulous hello, I followed it up with the below. (Albeit they'd changed my question mark to an exclamation, but ho hum!). I also hammered home how their health and beauty range is wholly organic - allaying fears that the products for sale will do harm to the purchaser in any way. The read the rest just pop to The Lushery website - and hey - maybe you'll pick up some organic health and beauty products too!
0.999769	As we all know the Beirut marathon is coming up in November, and many of you are planning to participate in this event. How are you going to prepare yourself? Are you going to train for the event? Are you going to run every afternoon? I am sure that most of you have thought of training, but have any of you thought about what you should eat in preparation for the marathon, and during the marathon? And after it? People often underestimate the importance of a person’s nutrition status in athletic performance. Food is the body’s fuel, and is stored in the body according to its needs. Carbohydrates are stored as glycogen in the body and are the primary source of fuel, which is why marathon runners should do something called carbo-loading two to three days before the race. 60-65% of total calories should come from carbohydrates, proteins should make up 15-20% of total calories, and fat should make up 20-25% of total calories. Fat is also burned for fuel in long-distance runs, and it is essential for the body to keep going. Usually carbo-loading involves consuming carbohydrates and proteins in a ratio of 3:1 respectively. The key is to eat a healthy balanced diet with the correct proportions. Each person has to eat right according to his age, height, weight, gender, and medical status. Good carbohydrate choices include: Potatoes, yams, beans, peas, wheat bread, bananas, macaroni, spaghetti, cereal, raisins, apples, bagels, syrup, brown rice, corn, apples, carrots and root vegetables. Some good proteins include: Low fat milk, beans, green peas, lean beef, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese, yogurt, nuts, peanut butter, cottage cheese, tofu and soy products. For some runners, and especially women who are prone to iron deficiency anemia, monitoring their status and consuming iron rich foods may be helpful. Another very important issue for runners is to maintain hydration during the run. In the heat runners could use up to 6 liters of water. Make sure you sip on some water every 15 minutes or so. Energy drinks and gels are also effective in providing you with energy, minerals, and electrolytes. When the body becomes dehydrated it will not be able to perform well, and thus you might not be able to continue the race. The day of the race is here, you wake up early and full of nerves, you open the fridge and you choose fat free milk and cereal? Good option! Remember to eat 2-3 hours before the race. Consume a meal rich in carbohydrates and proteins. During the race you should consume 30-60 grams of carbohydrates every hour to extend your exercise ability (Energy drinks, gels, jelly beans, sugar…etc). Congratulations! You have finished the race! After the race, consume a meal high in carbohydrate and proteins and low in fat to ensure muscle repair, and to replenish glycogen stores, for example pasta and low fat cheese could be a good option. Your body runs on food, so remember to eat your way to optimal performance!
0.999998	Bottom Line: It's Dynasty Warriors with a <i>Mobile Suit Gundam</i> paint job. In other words, it's fun for fans of the legendary anime, but everyone else who wants to battle thousand-men armies may want to look at Dynasty Warriors 8 instead. Bottom Line: The Last of Us is a horror masterpiece that proves that the aging PlayStation 3 still has the potential to produce jaw-dropping AAA games. The Last of Us is a horror masterpiece that proves that the aging PlayStation 3 still has the potential to produce jaw-dropping AAA games. Bottom Line: The new Sony PlayStation 3 packs the same excellent gaming and media features and almost double the storage capacity into an even smaller case. Bottom Line: This strong conclusion to BioWare's acclaimed sci-fi RPG trilogy will be best appreciated by fans who have followed it from the beginning, but newcomers don't need to worry about being lost or left behind along the way. Bottom Line: The Mad Catz MLG Pro Circuit Controller isn't cheap, but with a solid build and extensive customization options, it's one of the best gamepads you can get for the PlayStation 3. Bottom Line: Building on the advances of the previous games in the landmark Elder Scrolls series, the latest chapter, Skyrim, is the most detailed, immersive, and engrossing yet. Bottom Line: The Nyko Charge Base 3 can keep your PlayStation 3 controllers neat, organized, and charged up. All you need is a free electrical outlet. Bottom Line: Madden NFL 12 gives you more control than ever over every aspect of the game, and makes subtle tweaks to make the game ever more realistic and enjoyable, but aspects of it might be too much for the average gamer. Bottom Line: With the release of Duke Nukem Forever, one of the longest-running jokes of the gaming industry has at last received its punch line. But most gamers, even longtime Duke Nukem fans, will wonder what all the fuss was about. Bottom Line: With a nail-biting, political thriller–like campaign set on the battlefields of the 1960s, and a wide range of online and unlockable content, Call of Duty: Black Ops offers a host of captivating ways to get your war on.
0.937519	Webster dictionary was developed by Noah Webster in the beginning of 19th century. On this website, you can find definition for abdomen from the 1913 edition of Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary. Define abdomen using one of the most comprehensive free online dictionaries on the web. 1. The posterior section of the body, behind the thorax, in insects, crustaceans, and other Arthropoda. 3. The belly, or that part of the body between the thorax and the pelvis. Also, the cavity of the belly, which is lined by the peritoneum, and contains the stomach, bowels, and other viscera. In man, often restricted to the part between the diaphragm and the commencement of the pelvis, the remainder being called the pelvic cavity. The abdomen and tail are destitute of articulate appendages. - "On the Origin and Metamorphoses of Insects", Sir John Lubbock. Some individuals have nearly uniform grayish brown ventral surfaces; in others the chin, as well as the abdomen, is brown with cream- colored spots. - "A Review of the Frogs of the Hyla bistincta Group", William E. Duellman. An instant later it was up, but now its movements were dazed and sluggish as it dragged its half- paralyzed abdomen after it, and fumbled and caught on the heavy bar that transfixed it. - "The Raid on the Termites", Paul Ernst.
0.995205	Have you ever questioned your relationship with someone? Here are a few titles for those of you who dare to label.. Acquaintance: A person you know and at times interact with in miscellaneous settings. Some people will label this person as a friend. Friend: A person that you make time for as well as enjoy. True Friend: A relationship that develops over time. This person is always there even if miles away and this friendship is not determined by the amount of time you spend together. Old friend: A person who has been connected to you in some way for a very long time. A friendship that doesn't constantly have to be watered. Eternal Friend: When two people have disconnected for some time, but keep a friendship through a special bond. Karmic Relationship: This relationship teaches you a lesson. It is passionate, but is temporary and often ends before marriage.
0.946537	In a perfect world emotion should not play a significant role in the development of scientific fields. The natural sciences have several, mostly informal, rules for the establishments of new discoveries the paramount of which is the scientific method. The scientific method is based purely on subjective ideas of hypotheses, experiments and finally replicability, these steps should, in theory, be completely independent of the emotion of the scientist conducting the study. In the real world though, emotion can interfere with developments, to a certain extent, at all stages. The formulation of a hypothesis can be influenced by the feelings of the scientist, a person who is fundamentally against the notion of abortion studying its effects might be biased and expect the outcome of an experiment to be horrendous, that is if they even get that far, if the most well-regarded medical researcher in the field of surgical gynecology believes that abortion is a sin the entire community will experience a huge setback due to the lack of excellent research. Additionally, if the necessary experimental methods of a potential discovery induce an emotion of disgust in the scientist, they might not feel comfortable performing the experiment, this could of course be considered a breach of their responsibilities, but nonetheless this flaw will still have an impact. Lastly, the acceptance of findings through peer review should be the final way to separate ‘good’ science from ‘bad’ science, but as we saw in the cases of hypotheses and experiments the process of review could be heavily influenced by the emotions of the acting peers. If the peer does not agree with the sentiment of the discovery he has the power to discredit it purely based on emotion. On the other hand, emotions can also be beneficial in the natural sciences. In some cases emotion can provide the motivation needed to engage in new scientific endeavors. If a scientist is exceptionally passionate about their field they will stop at nothing to innovate and contribute to the community. Emotions take up an essential part of many religious systems. The relationship to a god or several gods is the basis of faith and religious followers would claim to have experienced a certain connection to the God in question. The connection often appears through strong emotions such as love or hate. However one could argue that faith in God(s) is possible without having felt this connection. In most religious traditions, emotions act as the basis of their faith. An example is a wedding which is a tradition based on mutual love and the celebration of it. In order to get married through the church, Christianity requires at one must go through several courses in order to confirm their faith and commitment towards their God. To Christians this confirmation of faith creates a very sentimental connection with their God. Many Christians will refuse to get married with out the approval from their God (as the aforementioned courses require). When making a decision a religious person would conform their decisions to fit their religion in order to satisfy their emotions. “Vase of Flowers” by Hans Memling (1480) in the still-life style. This incredibly realistic piece utilizes shadows and colors to evoke an emotional response. Emotion is a central aspect of art. Aristotle is often quoted as having said “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” That is, the purpose of art is not solely to visually represent the world around us but rather to induce emotion in the receiver. Interestingly, during paradigm shifts in the world of art the public perception and agreement on what constitutes art is changed, does this mean that our emotions suddenly change? Probably not, but rather we incorporate art that evokes different emotions under the umbrella of ‘good art’. Different artists go to different lengths to provoke emotions, where some artists will actively seek out the provocative others will subtly inspire an emotional response through the minutiae of the brushstrokes or the small nuances of color. Note the differences in the examples below.
0.929423	Here are 100+ ways to burn the fat and reduce the weight to lead and Fit, Healthy and Happier Life. 1. Green apples are rich in fiber which helps to boost digestion and bowel movement thus increasing metabolism. Fiber helps to clear your digestive system and get rid of any toxins in the body. Green apples also contain iron which raises the levels of blood oxygen and increase metabolic rate thus getting rid of any toxins in the blood stream. 2. The health benefits of grapes include their ability to treat constipation, indigestion, fatigue, kidney disorders, macular degeneration and the prevention of cataracts. Grapes, one of the most popular and delicious fruits, are rich sources of vitamins A, C, B6 and folate in addition to essential minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and selenium. 4. Apple peels contain large amounts of the antioxidant, quercetin which is known to reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. 5. Spinach is high in fiber and water content, both of which help to prevent constipation and promote a healthy digestive tract. 6. Chia seeds are packed full of important nutrients. They are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which help to raise HDL cholesterol and protect against heart attack and stroke. 7. Cucumbers contain multiple B vitamins, including vitamin B1, vitamin B5, and vitamin B7 (biotin). 8. Rich in pectin, bananas aid digestion and gently chelate toxins and heavy metals from the body. 9. Celery are extremely low in calories and high in fiber that makes it a perfect vegetable for weight loss. Being rich in fibers, it helps keep the tummy satiated for a longer time and prevents mindless cravings, which is one of the main reasons for weight gain. 10. The antioxidants and phytochemicals found in strawberries help to reduce inflammation of the joints, which may cause arthritis and can also lead to heart disease. 11. Raisins contain a considerable amount of iron which directly helps in the treatment of anemia. It also contains many members of the vitamin-B complex that are essential for the formation of new blood. 13. One of these nutrients is beta-carotene, of which spinach leaves are excellent source of beta-carotene, a powerful nutrient that helps to decrease asthma symptoms. 15. Apricots are rich source of Vitamin C.vitamin c is vital for building bone and overall health. It works synergistically with Vitamin D to nourish and build bone. 16. Eating Oranges cut a considerable amount of calories from the diet. It also keeps the body well hydrated. 17. Potassium relaxes the blood vessels and reduces blood pressure.It also reduces the presence of stress hormones in the body which helps in reducing the symptoms of anxiety. 18. Bananas are a great source of vitamin B6.B vitamins help break down homocysteine—an amino acid that at high levels is related to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease. 19. Aloe vera improves the quality of the blood and helps rebalance the blood chemistry in a way that lowers cholesterol and total triglycerides. 20. Stinging nettle is a natural source of quercetin, a plant-derived flavonoid that supports the body's response to allergens and inhibits histamine release that causes bothersome sneezing, itching, and respiratory complaints. 22. Bananas contain high amounts of rutin, a compound that complements the activity of vitamin C and possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. It also helps to maintain strong, flexible blood vessels. 23. Apples are high in potassium, a mineral that helps control blood pressure, they also help reduce the risk of stroke. 24. Flavanols an anti-inflammatory and heart protective antioxidant found in raw cacao may protect against cardiovascular disease, reduce the risk of stroke, and help improve blood circulation. 25. Coconut is suggested for its anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-bacteria effects, and medium fatty acid chains that help to prevent high cholesterol and CHD.
0.953694	What makes Sonoma County one of the best destinations for visitors? It’s the warm welcome and friendly hospitality you get at local restaurants, shops, and inns; the relaxed, inclusive culture; and the strong community of farmers and artisans. Established in the Dry Creek Valley in 1890, Frei Brothers Sonoma Reserve has been crafting award-winning wines from Sonoma County grapes grown where they grow best for more than 125 years. Take a behind-the-scenes peek into the agricultural community that, like Frei Brothers Sonoma Reserve, is at the heart of Sonoma County. Imagine a food incubator in which budding molecular gastronomists, bakers, and cheesemakers learn from each other while perfecting their wares. Now imagine they’re actually seasoned pros—and their workspaces are open to the public. That’s one way to envision the Barlow, a 12.5-acre open-air marketplace in downtown Sebastopol that gives visitors a true taste of Sonoma’s local values. Encompassing 12.5 acres, the Barlow’s 18 industrial buildings span four beautiful city blocks, with more than 30 restaurants, wineries, breweries, tasting rooms, and shops selling crafts made onsite, all surrounded by organic, edible landscaping. Those roots go back nearly 80 years. Many of the dilapidated buildings that made up what was originally an applesauce-canning facility constructed in 1939 had fallen into complete disrepair when Aldridge stepped up in 2005. Working with local architects and designers to extract gasoline-soaked soil and clean up the superfund site, he began construction in 2012 on the $30 million Barlow project, which opened the following year. But just because the Barlow has strong local ties doesn’t mean newcomers aren’t welcome. When Mark Hopper, formerly the executive chef at Farmshop Marin, wanted to strike out on his own to focus on wood-fired pizza, he decided to do it at the Barlow because the other makers there were as passionate as he was. And when six friends making backyard beer needed a full-time production facility for their Crooked Goat Brewing company, they too were drawn to the Barlow’s approachable yet impassioned community. The Barlow is open 7 days a week but hours vary, so visit their website for more information. It is located at 6770 McKinley Street, Sebastopol, CA 95472. Due to the recent fires in Sonoma County, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler and Frei Brothers are committed to helping support the region. Here are two ways to help or donate, should you be compelled to: 1) American Red Cross and 2) Sonoma Community Foundation.
0.999965	What is Ultrasound Imaging (Sonography or Ultrasonography)? Ultrasound is sound waves with frequencies which are higher than those audible to humans (>20,000 Hz). Ultrasonic images also known as sonograms are made by sending pulses of ultrasound into tissue using a probe. The sound echoes off the tissue; with different tissues reflecting varying degrees of sound. These echoes are recorded and displayed as an image to the operator. In the late 1940s, George Ludwig, while serving at the Naval Medical Research Institute in Maryland, used ultrasound to detect gallstones. English-born physicist John Wild first used ultrasound to assess the thickness of bowel tissue as early as 1949; he has been described as the "father of medical ultrasound" Compared to other prominent methods of medical imaging, ultrasound has several advantages. It provides images in real-time, it is portable and can be brought to the bedside, it is substantially lower in cost, and it does not use harmful ionizing radiation. Drawbacks of ultrasonography include various limits on its field of view including patient cooperation and physique, difficulty imaging structures behind bone and air, and its dependence on a skilled operator.
0.999969	Cite concerns about technological and economic feasibility. A coalition of trade associations filed suit against the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's final silica rule. The rule, issued by OSHA March 24, will lower the amount of silica dust workers can be exposed to and mandate certain controls to limit exposure. Eight construction industry organizations filed the legal challenge to the rule, citing concerns about its technological and economic feasibility. The rule is based on outdated health data, opponents say. They point to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that showed that the number of deaths from silicosis has declined 93% to 165 in 2004 from 1,065 in 1968.
0.999984	(NaturalNews) The growing epidemic of farmer suicides in India can be directly traced to the introduction of genetically modified (GM) Bt cotton by multinational corporations, reveals a new paper published in the journal Environmental Sciences Europe. A research collaborative spanning multiple continents found that GM Bt cotton doesn't improve yields as claimed by industry and actually drives farmers so much into debt that they often see no way out other than self-inflicted death. It's a horrific phenomenon, but one that's being largely fomented by the biotechnology industry in its endless pursuit of agricultural dominance and financial preeminence throughout the world. Indian farmers don't, in fact, need GM Bt cotton, but a systematic propaganda campaign launched in the 1970s led them to believe this lie, which has now resulted in some 90% of the country's cotton crop having been converted to transgenic. Now that GM Bt cotton is the norm in India, farmers there are coming to the harsh realization that they've been duped. Not only does GM Bt not protect against the pink bollworm, but it has also led to an increased dependence on expensive and proprietary crop chemicals, which together with patented, non-renewable seeds has driven many Indian farmers to bankruptcy. "Yields in rainfed cotton depend on timing, distribution, and quantity of monsoon rains. Pink bollworm causes damage in irrigated cotton, but not in rainfed cotton unless infested from irrigated fields. Use of Bt cotton seed and insecticide in rainfed cotton is questionable." This is a tactful, if not timid, way of saying that GM Bt cotton is basically useless when it comes to the cotton cultivation methods long embraced by traditional Indian farmers. But even the industrial, irrigation-fed cotton of today doesn't benefit from GM technology, according to the paper, which quickly wanes in effectiveness while leaving farmers locked into onerous contracts with Big Biotech. "Inability to use saved seed and inadequate agronomic information trap cotton farmers on biotechnology and insecticide treadmills," wrote the authors. "Annual suicide rates in rainfed areas are inversely related to farm size and yield, and directly related to increases in Bt cotton adoption (i.e., costs). High-density short-season cottons could increase yields and reduce input costs in irrigated and rainfed cotton." The takeaway, in other words, is that GM Bt cotton isn't needed either for rainfed or irrigated cotton in India. It's always been an industry lie that Indian farmers need to purchase patented products from companies like Monsanto in order to generate high yields and protect against pests, when in reality these technologies have resulted in massive destruction and loss of life in this developing area of the world. Even the Indian government is beginning to recognize the ruse, with some officials speaking openly about the need for Indian farmers to explore non-GMO options in order to release the biotech shackles that are strangling their operations and destroying the country's agricultural network. "Cotton farmers are in a deep crisis since shifting to Bt cotton," stated India's agriculture ministry in a 2012 advisory. "The spate of farmer suicides in 2011-12 [which continues to this day] has been particularly severe among Bt cotton farmers." "In fact cost of cotton cultivation has jumped... due to rising costs of pesticides. Total Bt cotton production in the last five years has reduced."
0.953446	For the saint, see Nunilo and Alodia. Alodia, also known as Alwa (Greek: Aρουα, Aroua; Arabic: علوة‎, 'Alwa), was a medieval Nubian kingdom in what is now central and southern Sudan. Its capital was the city of Soba, located near modern-day Khartoum at the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers. Founded sometime after the ancient kingdom of Kush fell, in around 350 AD, Alodia is first mentioned in historical records in 569. It was the last of the three Nubian kingdoms to convert to Christianity in 580 following Nobadia and Makuria. It possibly reached its peak during the 9th–12th centuries when records show that it exceeded its northern neighbor, Makuria, with which it maintained close dynastic ties, in size, military power and economic prosperity. Being a large, multicultural state, Alodia was administrated by a powerful king and provincial governors appointed by him. The capital Soba, described as a town of "extensive dwellings and churches full of gold and gardens", prospered as a trading hub. Goods arrived from Makuria, the Middle East, western Africa, India and even China. Literacy in both Nubian and Greek flourished. From the 12th, and especially the 13th century, Alodia was declining, possibly because of invasions from the south, droughts and a shift of trade routes. In the 14th century the country might have been ravaged by the plague, while Arab tribes began to migrate into the Upper Nile valley. By around 1500 Soba had fallen to either Arabs or the Funj. This likely marked the end of Alodia, although some Sudanese oral traditions claimed that it survived in the form of the kingdom of Fazughli within the Ethiopian-Sudanese borderlands. After the destruction of Soba, the Funj established the Sultanate of Sennar, ushering in a period of Islamization and Arabization. Alodia is by far the least studied of the three medieval Nubian kingdoms, hence evidence is very slim. What is known about it comes mostly from a handful of medieval Arabic historians. The most important of these are the Islamic geographers al-Yaqubi (9th century), Ibn Hawqal and al-Aswani (10th century), who both visited the country, and the Copt Abu al-Makarim (12th century). The events around the Christianization of the kingdom in the 6th century were described by the contemporary bishop John of Ephesus; various post-medieval Sudanese sources address its fall. Al-Aswani noted that he interacted with a Nubian historian who was "well-acquainted with the country of Alwa", but no medieval Nubian historiographical work has yet been discovered. While many Alodian sites are known, only the capital Soba has been extensively excavated. Parts of this site were unearthed in the early 1950s, further excavations taking place in the 1980s and 1990s. A new multidisciplinary research project is scheduled to start in late 2019. Soba is approximately 2.75 km2 (1.06 sq mi) in size and is covered with numerous mounds of brick rubble previously belonging to monumental structures. Discoveries made so far include several churches, a palace, cemeteries and numerous small finds. To the west of the White Nile, Ibn Hawqal differentiated between Al-Jeblien, which was controlled by Makuria and probably corresponded with northern Kordofan, and the Alodian-controlled Al-Ahdin, which has been identified with the Nuba Mountains, and perhaps extended as far south as Jebel al Liri, near the modern border to South Sudan. Nubian connections with Darfur have been suggested, but evidence is lacking. The northern region of Alodia probably extended from the confluence of the two Niles downstream to Abu Hamad near Mograt Island. Abu Hamad likely constituted the northernmost outpost of the Alodian province known as al-Abwab ("the gates"), although some scholars also suggest a more southerly location, nearer the Atbara River. No evidence for a major Alodian settlement has been discovered north of the confluence of the two Niles, although several forts have been recorded there. Lying between the Nile and the Atbara was the Butana, grassland suitable for livestock. Along the Atbara and the adjacent Gash Delta (near Kassala) many Christian sites have been noted. According to Ibn Hawqal, a vassal king loyal to Alodia governed the region around the Gash Delta. The accounts of both Ibn Hawqal and al-Aswani suggest that Alodia also controlled the desert along the Red Sea coast. The name Alodia might be of considerable antiquity, perhaps appearing first as Alut on a Kushite stela from the late 4th century BC. It appeared again as Alwa on a list of Kushite towns by the Roman author Pliny the Elder (1st century AD), said to be located south of Meroe. Another town named Alwa is mentioned in a 4th-century Aksumite inscription, this time located near the confluence of the Nile and the Atbara rivers. Kushite bronze figurine, 1st century BC. The Meroitic inscription on its underside identifies the captive individual as a Nubian king. By the early 4th century the kingdom of Kush, which used to control much of Sudan's riverbanks, was in decline, and Nubians (speakers of Nubian languages) began to settle in the Nile Valley. They originally lived west of the Nile, but changes in the climate forced them eastward, resulting in conflicts with Kush from at least the 1st-century BC. In the mid-4th century the Nubians occupied most of the area once controlled by Kush, while it was limited to the northern reaches of the Butana. An Aksumite inscription mentions how the warlike Nubians also threatened the borders of the Aksumite kingdom north of the Tekeze River, resulting in an Aksumite expedition. It describes a Nubian defeat by Aksumite forces and a subsequent march to the confluence of the Nile and Atbara. There the Aksumites plundered several Kushite towns, including Alwa. Archaeological evidence suggests the kingdom of Kush ceased to exist in the middle of the 4th century. It is not known whether the Aksumite expeditions played a direct role in its fall. It seems likely that the Aksumite presence in Nubia was short-lived. Eventually, the region saw the development of regional centres whose ruling elites were buried in large tumuli. Such tumuli, within what would become Alodia, are known from El-Hobagi, Jebel Qisi and perhaps Jebel Aulia. The excavated tumuli of El-Hobagi are known to date to the late 4th century, and contained an assortment of weaponry imitating Kushite royal funerary rituals. Meanwhile, many Kushite temples and settlements, including the former capital Meroe, seem to have been largely abandoned. The Kushites themselves were absorbed into the Nubians and their language was replaced by Nubian. How the kingdom of Alodia came into being is unknown. Its formation was completed by the mid-6th century, when it is said to have existed alongside the other Nubian kingdoms of Nobadia and Makuria in the north. Soba, which by the 6th century had developed into a major urban center, served as its capital. In 569 the kingdom of Alodia was mentioned for the first time, being described by John of Ephesus as a kingdom on the cusp of Christianization. Independently of John of Ephesus, the kingdom's existence is also verified by a late 6th century Greek document from Byzantine Egypt, describing the sale of an Alodian slave girl. John of Ephesus' account describes the events around the Christianization of Alodia in detail. As the southernmost of the three Nubian kingdoms, Alodia was the last to be converted to Christianity. According to John, the Alodian King was aware of the conversion of Nobadia in 543 and asked him to send a bishop who would also baptize his people. The request was granted in 580, leading to the baptism of the King, his family and the local nobility. Thus, Alodia became a part of the Christian world under the Coptic Patriarchate of Alexandria. After conversion, several pagan temples, such as the one in Musawwarat es-Sufra, were probably converted into churches. The extent and speed with which Christianity spread among the Alodian populace is uncertain. Despite the conversion of the nobility, it is likely that Christianization of the rural population would have proceeded slowly, if at all. Between 639 and 641, Muslim Arabs conquered Egypt from the Byzantine Empire. Makuria, which by this time had been unified with Nobadia, fended off two subsequent Muslim invasions, one in 641/642 and another in 652. In the aftermath, Makuria and the Arabs agreed to sign the Baqt, a peace treaty that included a yearly exchange of gifts and socioeconomic regulations between Arabs and Nubians. Alodia was explicitly mentioned in the treaty as not being affected by it. While the Arabs failed to conquer Nubia, they began to settle along the western coast of the Red Sea. They founded the port towns of Aydhab and Badi in the 7th century and Suakin, first mentioned in the 10th century. From the 9th century, they pushed further inland, settling among the Beja throughout the Eastern Desert. Arab influence would remain confined to the east of the Nile until the 14th century. South-up map of Nubia by al-Idrisi (1192 AD). Alodia ("galua") is erroneously depicted as being north of Makuria ("domkola", after Dongola, the Makurian capital). Based on the archaeological evidence it has been suggested that Alodia's capital Soba underwent its peak development between the 9th and 12th centuries. In the 9th century, Alodia was, albeit briefly, described for the first time by the Arab historian al-Yaqubi. In his short account, Alodia is said to be the stronger of the two Nubian kingdoms, being a country requiring a three-month journey to cross. He also recorded that Muslims would occasionally travel there. A century later, in the mid-10th century, Alodia was visited by traveler and historian Ibn Hawqal, resulting in the most comprehensive known account of the kingdom. He described the geography and people of Alodia in considerable detail, giving the impression of a large, polyethnic state. He also noted its prosperity, having an "uninterrupted chain of villages and a continuous strip of cultivated lands". When Ibn Hawqal arrived, the ruling king was named Eusebius, who was, upon his death, succeeded by his nephew Stephanos. Another Alodian king from this period was David, who is known from a tombstone in Soba. His rule was initially dated to 999–1015, but based on paleographical grounds it is now dated more broadly, to the 9th or 10th centuries. Ibn Hawqal's report describing Alodia's geography was largely confirmed by al-Aswani, a Fatimid ambassador sent to Makuria, who went on to travel to Alodia. In a similar manner to al-Yaqubi's description of 100 years before, Alodia was noted as being more powerful than Makuria, more extensive and having a larger army. The capital Soba was a prosperous town with "fine buildings, and extensive dwellings and churches full of gold and gardens", while also having a large Muslim quarter. King Mouses Georgios, who probably ruled Makuria and Alodia simultaneously. Faras, late 12th century. Abu al-Makarim (12th century) was the last historian to refer to Alodia in detail. It was still described as a large, Christian kingdom housing around 400 churches. A particularly large and finely constructed one was said to be located in Soba, called the "Church of Manbali". Two Alodian kings, Basil and Paul, are mentioned in 12th century Arabic letters from Qasr Ibrim. There is evidence that at certain periods there were close relations between the Alodian and the Makurian royal families. It is possible that the throne frequently passed to a king whose father was of the royal family of the other state. Nubiologist Włodzimierz Godlewski states that it was under the Makurian king Merkurios (early 8th century) that the two kingdoms began to approach each other. In 943 al Masudi wrote that the Makurian king ruled over Alodia, while Ibn Hawqal wrote that it was the other way around. The 11th century saw the appearance of a new royal crown in Makurian art; it has been suggested that this derived from the Alodian court. King Mouses Georgios, who is known to have ruled in Makuria in the second half of the 12th century, most likely ruled both kingdoms via a personal union. Considering that in his royal title ("king of the Arouades and Makuritai") Alodia is mentioned before Makuria, he might have initially been an Alodian king. Archaeological evidence from Soba suggests a decline of the town, and therefore possibly the Alodian kingdom, from the 12th century. By c. 1300 the decline of Alodia was well advanced. No pottery or glassware postdating the 13th century has been identified at Soba. Two churches were apparently destroyed during the 13th century, although they were rebuilt shortly afterwards. It has been suggested that Alodia was under attack by an African, possibly Nilotic, people called Damadim who originated from the border region of modern Sudan and South Sudan, along the Bahr el Ghazal River. According to geographer Ibn Sa'id al-Maghribi, they attacked Nubia in 1220. Soba may have been conquered at this time, suffering occupation and destruction. In the late 13th century, another invasion by an unspecified people from the south occurred. In the same period poet al-Harrani wrote that Alodia's capital was now called Waylula, described as "very large" and "built on the west bank of the Nile". In the early 14th century geographer Shamsaddin al-Dimashqi wrote that the capital was a place named Kusha, located far from the Nile, where water had to be obtained from wells. Economic factors also seem to have played a part in Alodia's decline. From the 10th to 12th centuries the East African coast saw the rise of new trading cities such as Kilwa. These were direct mercantile competitors since they exported similar goods to Nubia. A period of severe droughts occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa between 1150 and 1500 would have affected the Nubian economy as well. Archeobotanical evidence from Soba suggests the town suffered from overgrazing and overcultivation. By 1276 al-Abwab, previously described as the northernmost Alodian province, was recorded as an independent splinter kingdom ruling over vast territories. The precise circumstances of its secession and its relations with Alodia thereafter remain unknown. Based on pottery finds it has been suggested that al-Abwab continued to thrive until the 15th and perhaps even the 16th century. In 1286 a Mamluke prince sent messengers to several rulers in central Sudan. It is not clear if they were still subject to the king in Soba or if they were independent, implying a fragmentation of Alodia into multiple petty states by the late 13th century. In 1317 a Mamluk expedition pursued Arab brigands as far south as Kassala in Taka (one of the regions which received a Mamluk messenger in 1286), marching through al-Abwab and Makuria on their return. During the 14th and 15th centuries much of what is now Sudan was overrun by Arab tribes. They perhaps profited from the plague which might have ravaged Nubia in the mid-14th century killing many sedentary Nubians, but not affecting the nomadic Arabs. They would have then intermixed with the remaining local population, gradually taking control over land and people, greatly benefiting from their large population in spreading their culture. The first recorded Arab migration to Nubia dates to 1324. It was the disintegration of Makuria in the late 14th century that, according to archaeologist William Y. Adams, caused the "flood gates" to "burst wide open". Many, initially coming from Egypt, followed the course of the Nile until they reached Al Dabbah. Here they headed west to migrate along the Wadi Al-Malik to reach Darfur or Kordofan. Alodia, in particular the Butana and the Gezira, was the target of those Arabs who had lived among the Beja in the Eastern Desert for centuries. Initially, the kingdom was able to exercise authority over some of the newly arrived Arab groups, forcing them to pay tribute. The situation grew increasingly precarious as more Arabs arrived. By the second half of the 15th century, Arabs had settled in the entire central Sudanese Nile valley, except for the area around Soba, which was all that was left of Alodia's domain. In 1474 it was recorded that Arabs founded the town of Arbaji on the Blue Nile, which would quickly develop into an important centre of commerce and Islamic learning. In around 1500 the Nubians were recorded to be in a state of total political fragmentation, as they had no king, but 150 independent lordships centered around castles on both sides of the Nile. Archaeology attests that Soba was largely ruined by this time. It is unclear if the kingdom of Alodia was destroyed by the Arabs under Abdallah Jammah or by the Funj, an African group from the south led by their king Amara Dunqas. Most modern scholars agree now that it fell due to the Arabs. Abdallah Jammah ("Abdallah the gatherer"), the eponymous ancestor of the Sudanese Abdallab tribe, was a Rufa'a Arab who, according to Sudanese traditions, settled in the Nile Valley after coming from the east. He consolidated his power and established his capital at Qerri, just north of the confluence of the two Niles. In the late 15th century he gathered the Arab tribes to act against the Alodian "tyranny", as it is called, which has been interpreted as having a religious-economic motive. The Muslim Arabs no longer accepted the rule of, nor taxation by, a Christian ruler. Under Abdallah's leadership Alodia and its capital Soba were destroyed, resulting in rich booty such as a "bejeweled crown" and a "famous necklace of pearls and rubies". An Abdallab with the typical tribal scarification. The Abdallab trace their origin to Abdallah Jammah, the alleged destroyer of Alodia. According to another tradition recorded in old documents from Shendi, Soba was destroyed by Abdallah Jammah in 1509 having already been attacked in 1474. The idea of uniting the Arabs against Alodia is said to have already been on the mind of an emir who lived between 1439 and 1459. To this end, he migrated from Bara in Kordofan to a mountain near Ed Dueim on the White Nile. Under his grandson, called Emir Humaydan, the White Nile was crossed. There he met other Arab tribes and attacked Alodia. The king of Alodia was killed, but the "patriarch", probably the archbishop of Soba, managed to flee. He soon returned to Soba. A puppet king was crowned and an army of Nubians, Beja and Abyssinians was assembled to fight "for the sake of religion". Meanwhile, the Arab alliance was about to fracture, but Abdallah Jammah reunited them, while also allying with the Funj king Amara Dunqas. Together they finally defeated and killed the patriarch, razing Soba afterwards and enslaving its population. The Funj Chronicle, a multi-authored history of the Funj Sultanate compiled in the 19th century, ascribes the destruction of Alodia to King Amara Dunqas; he was also allied with Abdallah Jammah. This attack is dated to the 9th century after the Hijra (c. 1396–1494). Afterwards, Soba is said to have served as the capital of the Funj until the foundation of Sennar in 1504. The Tabaqat Dayfallah, a history of Sufism in Sudan (c. 1700), briefly mentions that the Funj attacked and defeated the "kingdom of the Nuba" in 1504–1505. Early 19th century Funj manjil ("kinglet") of Fazughli as depicted by Frédéric Cailliaud. On his head he wears a taqiya umm qarnein. Historian Jay Spaulding proposes that the fall of Soba was not necessarily the end of Alodia. According to the Jewish traveler David Reubeni, who visited the country in 1523, there was still a "kingdom of Soba" on the eastern bank of the Blue Nile, although he explicitly noted Soba itself was in ruins. This matches the oral traditions from the Upper Blue Nile, which claim that Alodia survived Soba's fall and still existed along the Blue Nile. It had gradually retreated to the mountains of Fazughli in the Ethiopian-Sudanese borderlands, forming the kingdom of Fazughli. Recent excavations in western Ethiopia seem to confirm the theory of an Alodian migration. The Funj eventually conquered Fazughli in 1685 and its population, known as Hamaj, became a fundamental part of Sennar, eventually seizing power in 1761–1762. As recently as 1930 Hamaj villagers in the southern Gezira would swear by "Soba the home of my grandfathers and grandmothers which can make the stone float and the cotton ball sink". In 1504–1505 the Funj founded the Funj sultanate, incorporating Abdallah Jammah's domain, which, according to some traditions, happened after a battle where Amara Dunqas defeated him. The Funj maintained some medieval Nubian customs like the wearing of crowns with features resembling bovine horns, called taqiya umm qarnein, the shaving of the head of a king upon his coronation, and, according to Jay Spaulding, the custom of raising princes separately from their mothers, under strict confinement. The aftermath of Alodia's fall saw extensive Arabization, with the Nubians embracing the tribal system of the Arab migrants. Those living along the Nile between al Dabbah in the north and the confluence of the two Niles in the south were subsumed into the Ja'alin tribe. To the east, west and south of the Ja'alin the country was now dominated by tribes claiming a Juhaynah ancestry. In the area around Soba, the tribal Abdallab identity prevailed. The Nubian language was spoken in central Sudan until the 19th century, when it was replaced by Arabic. Sudanse Arabic preserved many words of Nubian origin, and Nubian place names can be found as far south as the Blue Nile state. Soba, which remained inhabited until at least the early 17th century, served, among many other ruined Alodian sites, as a steady supply of bricks and stones for nearby Qubba shrines, dedicated to Sufi holy men. During the early 19th century many of the remaining bricks in Soba were plundered for the construction of Khartoum, the new capital of Turkish Sudan. While information about Alodia's government is sparse, it was likely similar to that of Makuria. The head of state was the king who, according to al-Aswani, reigned as an absolute monarch. He was recorded to be able to enslave any of his subjects at will, who would not oppose his decision, but prostrated themselves before him. As in Makuria, succession to the Alodian throne was matrilineal: it was the son of the king's sister, not his son who succeeded to the throne. There might be evidence a mobile royal encampment existed, although the translation of the original source, Abu al-Makarim, is not certain. Similar mobile courts are known to have existed in the early Funj sultanate, Ethiopia and Darfur. The kingdom was divided into several provinces under the sovereignty of Soba. It seems delegates of the king governed these provinces. Al-Aswani stated that the governor of the northern al-Abwab province was appointed by the king. This was similar to what Ibn Hawqal recorded for the Gash Delta region, which was ruled by an appointed Arabophone (Arabic speaker). In 1286, Mamluk emissaries were sent to several rulers in central Sudan. It is unclear whether those rulers were actually independent, or if they remained subordinate to the king of Alodia. If the latter was the case, this would provide an understanding of the kingdom's territorial organization. The "Sahib" of al-Abwab seems certain to have been independent. Apart from al-Abwab, the following regions are mentioned: Al-Anag (possibly Fazughli); Ari; Barah; Befal; Danfou; Kedru (possibly after Kadero, a village north of Khartoum); Kersa (the Gezira); and Taka (the region around the Gash Delta). State and church were intertwined in Alodia, with the Alodian kings probably serving as its patrons. Coptic documents observed by Johann Michael Vansleb during the later 17th century list the following bishoprics in the Alodian kingdom: Arodias, Borra, Gargara, Martin, Banazi, and Menkesa. Arodias might have referred to the bishopric in Soba. The bishops were dependent on the patriarch of Alexandria. Alodia may have had a standing army, in which cavalry likely projected force and symbolized royal authority deep into the provinces. Because of their speed, horses were also important for communication, providing a rapid courier service between the capital and the provinces. Aside from horses, boats also played a central role in transportation infrastructure. Tombstone of King David (9th or 10th century), carved in the Greek language at Soba. While Alodia was polyethnic, and hence polylingual, it was essentially a Nubian state whose majority spoke a Nubian language. Based on the limited extant evidence, the Alodian Nubian language, although closely related, appears to have been distinct from the Old Nobiin language of northern Nubia. In the 1830s it was said a Nubian language was still being spoken as far south as Berber near the junction of the Nile and the Atbara. It was supposedly similar to Kenzi but with many differences. The Alodian language was written in a variant of the Greek alphabet, as was the case in Makuria, although it had five or six additional letters unknown to the Old Nobiin alphabet. Although Greek, a prestigious sacral language, was used, it does not appear to have been spoken. An example of the use of Greek in Alodia is the tombstone of King David from Soba, where it is written with quite correct grammar. Al-Aswani noted that books were written in Greek and then translated into Nubian. The Christian liturgy was also in Greek. Coptic was probably used to communicate with the Patriarch of Alexandria, but written Coptic remains are very sparse. Apart from Nubian, a multitude of languages were spoken throughout the kingdom. In the Nuba mountains several Kordofanian languages occurred together with Hill Nubian dialects. Upstream along the Blue Nile Eastern Sudanic languages like Berta or Gumuz were spoken. In the eastern territories lived the Beja, who spoke their own Cushitic language, as did the Semitic Arabs and the Tigre. The existence of 400 churches has been recorded throughout the kingdom; most have yet to be located. Only seven have been identified so far, given the simple names of church "A", "B", "C", "E", the "Mound C" church in Soba, the church in Saqadi and the temple-church in Musawwarat as-Sufra. Churches "A"–"C" as well as the "Mound C" church were basilicas comparable to the largest Makurian churches. The Saqadi church was an insertion into a pre-existing structure. Church "E" and the church of Musawwarat es-Sufra were "normal" churches. Thus, the known Alodian houses of worship can be categorized into three classes. Church complex of "Mound B", Soba, including, from up to bottom: "Church A", "Church B" and "Church C" On "Mound B" in Soba lay the standalone complex of the three churches "A", "B" and "C". Churches "A" and "B", both probably built in the mid-9th century, were large buildings, the first measuring 28 m × 24.5 m (92 ft × 80 ft) and the second 27 m × 22.5 m (89 ft × 74 ft). Church "C" was much smaller and built after the other two churches, probably after c. 900. The three churches had many similarities, including having a narthex, wide entrances on the main east-west axis and a pulpit along the north side of the nave. Differences are evident in the thickness of the bricks used. Church "C" lacked outer aisles. It seems probable that the complex was the ecclesiastical center of Soba, if not the entire kingdom. Church "E", on a natural mount, was 16.4 m × 10.6 m (54 ft × 35 ft) in size (and like all red brick structures in Soba heavily robbed). Its layout was unusual, such as its L-shaped narthex. The roof was supported by wooden beams resting on stone pedestals. The internal walls used to be covered by painted whitewashed mud; the external walls were rendered in white lime mortar. The "Mound C" church, perhaps the oldest of the churches of Soba, was around 13.5 m (44 ft) in length. It was the only Alodian church known to have incorporated stone columns. Very little remains of it and its walls, probably made of red bricks, have completely disappeared. Five capitals have been noted, belonging to a style that appeared in Nubia at the turn of the 8th century. The church of Musawwarat es-Sufra, called "Temple III A", was initially a pagan temple but was converted into a church, probably soon after the royal conversion in 580. It was rectangular and slightly skewed, being 8.6 m–8.8 m × 7.4 m–7.6 m (28 ft–29 ft × 24 ft–25 ft) in size. It was divided into one large and three small rooms. The roof, of an indeterminate shape, was supported by wooden beams. Despite originally being a Kushite temple it still bears similarities to purpose-built churches, for example having an entrance on both the north and south sides. The southernmost known Nubian church was in Saqadi, a red brick building inserted into a pre-existing building of unknown nature. It had a nave, where two L-shaped walls projected, and at least two aisles with rectangular brick piers between, as well as a range of possibly three rooms across the western end, which was a typically Nubian arrangement. Nubian church architecture was greatly influenced by that of Egypt, Syria and Armenia. The constellation of the "Mound B" complex might reflect Byzantine influences. The relations between the church architecture of Makuria and Alodia remain uncertain. What seems clear is that Alodian churches lacked eastern entrances and tribunes, features characteristic for churches in northern Nubia. Furthermore, Alodian churches used more wood. Similarities with medieval Ethiopian church architecture are harder to find, only a few details matching. In medieval Nubia pottery and its decoration were appreciated as an art form. Until the 7th century, the most common pottery type found at Soba was the so-called "Red Ware". These wheel-made hemispherical bowls were made of red or orange slip and painted with separated motifs such as boxes with inner cross-hatchings, stylized floral motifs or crosses. The outlines of the motifs were drawn in black while the interiors were white. In their design, they are a direct continuation of Kushite styles, with possible influences from Aksumite Ethiopia. Due to their relative rarity, it has been suggested that they were imported, although they bear similarities to the pottery type, known as "Soba Ware", that succeeded them. "Soba Ware" was a type of wheel-made pottery with a distinctive decoration very different from that found in the rest of Nubia. The shape of the pottery was diverse, as was the repertoire of painted decoration. One of the most distinctive features was the use of faces as painted decoration. They were simplified, if not geometric, in form and with big round eyes. This style is foreign to Makuria and Egypt, but bears a resemblance to paintings and manuscripts from Ethiopia. It is possible the potters copied these motifs from local church murals. Also unique was the application of animal-shaped bosses (protomes). Glazed vessels were also produced, copying Persian aquamaniles without reaching their quality. Beginning in the 9th century, "Soba Ware" was increasingly replaced by fine ware imported from Makuria. Sorghum was the staple food of medieval Nubia. Alodia was in the savannah belt, giving it an economic advantage over its northern neighbor Makuria. According to al-Aswani the "provisions of the country of Alwa and their king" came from Kersa, which has been identified with the Gezira. North of the confluence of the two Niles agriculture was limited to farms along the river watered by devices like the shadoof or the more sophisticated sakia. In contrast, the farmers of the Gezira profited from sufficient rainfall to make rainfall cultivation the economic mainstay. Archaeological records have provided insight into the types of food grown and consumed in Alodia. At Soba, the primary cereal was sorghum, although barley and millet were also known to be consumed. Al-Aswani noted that sorghum was used to make beer and said that vineyards were quite rare in Alodia compared to Makuria. There is archaeological evidence of grapes. According to al-Idrisi, onions, horseradish, cucumbers, watermelons and rapeseed were also cultivated, but none were found at Soba. Instead, figs, acacia fruits, doum palm fruits and dates have been identified. Sedentary farmers formed one part of Alodia's agriculture, the other consisted of nomads practicing animal husbandry. The relationship between these two groups was symbiotic, resulting in an exchange of goods. Al-Aswani wrote that beef was plentiful in Alodia, which he attributed to the bountiful grazing land. Archaeological evidence from Soba attests to the relevance cattle had there, as most animal bones are attributed to that species, followed by those of sheep and goats. Chickens were probably also bred at Soba, although available archaeological proof is very limited, probably due to the fragile nature of bird bones. No remains of pigs have been identified. Camel remains have been noted, but none bore signs of butchery. Fishing and hunting made only minor contributions to the overall diet of Soba. Trade was an important source of income for Alodia. Soba served as a trading hub with north-south and east-west trade routes; goods arrived in the kingdom from Makuria, the Middle East, western Africa, India and China. Trade with Makuria probably ran through the Bayuda Desert, following Wadi Abu Dom or Wadi Muqaddam, while another route went from near Abu Hamad to Korosko in Lower Nubia. A route going east originated around Berber near the confluence of the Nile and the Atbara, terminating in Badi, Suakin and Dahlak. Merchant Benjamin of Tudela mentions a route heading west, going from Alodia to Zuwila in Fezzan. Archaeological evidence for trade with Ethiopia is virtually absent, although trading relations are suggested by other evidence.[d] Trading with the outside world was handled predominantly by Arab merchants. Muslim merchants were recorded as having traversed Nubia, some living in a district in Soba. Exports from Alodia likely included raw materials such as gold, ivory, salt and other tropical products, as well as hides. According to an oral tradition Arab merchants came to Alodia to sell silk and textiles, receiving beads, elephant teeth and leather in return. At Soba silk and flax have been found, both probably originating from Egypt. Most of the glass found there was also imported. Benjamin of Tudela claimed merchants traveling from Alodia to Zuwila carried hides, wheat, fruits, legumes and salt, while carrying gold and precious stones on their return. Slaves are commonly assumed to have been exported by medieval Nubia. Adams postulates that Alodia was a specialized slave-trading state that exploited the pagan populations to the west and south. Evidence for a regulated slave trade is very limited.[e] It is only from the 16th century, after the fall of the Christian kingdoms, that such evidence begins to appear. Giorgios ? Recorded on an inscription at Soba. David 9th or 10th century Recorded on his tombstone at Soba. Initially thought to have ruled from 999–1015, but now proposed to have lived in the 9th / 10th centuries. Eusebios c. 938–955 Mentioned by Ibn Hawqal. Stephanos c. 955 Mentioned by Ibn Hawqal. Mouses Georgios c. 1155–1190 Joint ruler of Makuria and Alodia. Recorded on letters from Qasr Ibrim and a graffito from Faras. ?Basil 12th century Recorded on an Arabic letter from Qasr Ibrim and a graffito from Meroe(?). ?Paul 12th century Recorded on an Arabic letter from Qasr Ibrim. ^ "The most southerly church known, which presumably was within the kingdom of Alwa, lay at Saqadi 50 km to the west of Sennar", while "the most southerly find of Alwan material on the Blue Nile is a pottery chalice, from Khalil el-Kubra 40 km upstream of Sennar". ^ In 1918 it was recorded that in parts of Omdurman, the Gezira and Kordofan, practices of Christian origin included the marking of crosses on foreheads of newborns or on stomachs of sick boys as well as putting straw crosses on bowls of milk. In 1927 it was recorded that along the White Nile, crosses were painted on bowls filled with wheat. In 1930 it was not only recorded that youths in Fazughli and the Gezira would be painted with crosses, but also that coins with crosses were worn to provide assistance against illnesses. A very similar custom was known from Lower Nubia, where women wore such coins on special holidays. It seems likely that this was a living memory of the Jizya tax, which was enforced on Christians who refused to convert to Islam. Christianizing rituals are also known from the Nuba mountains: crosses were painted on foreheads and breasts and were applied to blankets and baskets. ^ John of Ephesus wrote of Aksumites in Alodia, possibly referring to merchants, while the contemporary Cosmas Indicopleustes reported Aksumite trade expeditions into the Blue Nile Valley, so arguably in the Alodian sphere of influence. In the 12th century al-Idrisi made mention of a trading town in the northern Butana, a place "where merchants from Nubia and Ethiopia gather together with those from Egypt". Historian Mordechai Abir suggests that merchants from the Zagwe kingdom traveled through Alodia to reach Egypt. Some Ethiopian traditions recall a people named "Soba Noba". ^ a b Zarroug 1991, pp. 89–90. ^ a b Zaborski 2003, p. 471. ^ a b c d Zarroug 1991, p. 20. ^ a b Welsby 2014, p. 183. ^ Welsby 2014, p. 197. ^ a b Werner 2013, p. 93. ^ Zarroug 1991, pp. 15–23. ^ Zarroug 1991, pp. 12–15. ^ a b c Welsby 2002, p. 255. ^ a b Vantini 2006, pp. 487–491. ^ Zarroug 1991, pp. 19–20. ^ Welsby 2002, p. 9. ^ Zarroug 1991, pp. 58–70. ^ Werner 2013, p. 25. ^ a b Edwards 2004, p. 221. ^ Drzewiecki et al. 2018, p. 28. ^ Werner 2013, pp. 161–164. ^ Werner 2013, pp. 28–29. ^ Zarroug 1991, p. 41. ^ Welsby 2014, Figure 2. ^ Obluski 2017, p. 15. ^ a b Welsby & Daniels 1991, p. 8. ^ a b Welsby 2002, p. 86. ^ Welsby 2014, p. 185. ^ Spaulding 1998, p. 49. ^ Edwards 2004, p. 253. ^ a b c Zarroug 1991, p. 74. ^ Zarroug 1991, pp. 21–22. ^ a b c Welsby 2002, p. 26. ^ Welsby 2014, p. 192. ^ Welsby 2014, pp. 188–190. ^ Zarroug 1991, p. 62. ^ Welsby 2014, p. 187. ^ a b Zarroug 1991, p. 98. ^ Zarroug 1991, p. 8. ^ a b c Hatke 2013, §4.5.2.3. ^ Rilly 2008, Fig. 3. ^ Rilly 2008, p. 211. ^ Rilly 2008, pp. 216–217. ^ Werner 2013, p. 35. ^ Hatke 2013, §4.5.2.1., see also §4.5. for the discussion of a Greek inscription with similar content. ^ Welsby 2002, pp. 22–23. ^ Welsby 2014, p. 191. ^ Welsby 2002, p. 28. ^ Welsby 2002, pp. 40–41. ^ Edwards 2004, p. 187. ^ Edwards 2004, p. 182. ^ Welsby 1998, p. 20. ^ Pierce 1995, pp. 148–166. ^ Werner 2013, pp. 51–62. ^ Edwards 2001, p. 95. ^ Welsby 2002, p. 68. ^ Welsby 2002, pp. 68–71. ^ Welsby 2002, p. 77. ^ Adams 1977, pp. 553–554. ^ Shinnie 1961, p. 76. ^ Zarroug 1991, pp. 16–17. ^ Zarroug 1991, pp. 17–19. ^ Zarroug 1991, p. 17. ^ a b c d e f g Welsby 2002, p. 261. ^ a b Lajtar 2003, p. 203. ^ Zarroug 1991, pp. 22–23. ^ a b Welsby 2002, p. 89. ^ Godlewski 2012, p. 204. ^ Danys & Zielinska 2017, p. 184. ^ a b Lajtar 2009, pp. 89–94. ^ a b c d e O'Fahey & Spaulding 1974, p. 19. ^ a b Welsby & Daniels 1991, p. 34. ^ a b Welsby & Daniels 1991, p. 9. ^ Beswick 2004, p. 24. ^ a b Werner 2013, p. 115. ^ Vantini 1975, p. 400. ^ Hasan 1967, p. 130. ^ Vantini 1975, p. 448. ^ Adams 1977, pp. 537–538. ^ Grajetzki 2009, pp. 121–122. ^ Zurawski 2014, p. 84. ^ Cartwright 1999, p. 256. ^ a b Welsby 2002, p. 254. ^ Werner 2013, pp. 127, 159. ^ a b c d Zarroug 1991, p. 99. ^ Werner 2013, p. 138. ^ Werner 2013, pp. 142–143. ^ a b Hasan 1967, p. 128. ^ Hasan 1967, p. 175. ^ Hasan 1967, p. 106. ^ Adams 1977, p. 556. ^ Braukämper 1992, pp. 108–109, 111. ^ Adams 1977, p. 554. ^ Hasan 1967, pp. 129, 132–133. ^ Adams 1977, p. 545. ^ McHugh 1994, p. 38. ^ Zarroug 1991, p. 25. ^ a b Adams 1977, p. 538. ^ a b Adams 1977, p. 539. ^ Hasan 1967, p. 132. ^ a b O'Fahey & Spaulding 1974, p. 23. ^ Hasan 1967, pp. 132–133. ^ Hasan 1967, p. 213. ^ Vantini 1975, pp. 784–785. ^ Spaulding 1974, pp. 12–21. ^ Gonzalez-Ruibal & Falquina 2017, pp. 16–18. ^ Spaulding 1974, pp. 21–25. ^ Zurawski 2014, pp. 148–149. ^ Zurawski 2014, p. 149. ^ Spaulding 1985, p. 23. ^ a b Werner 2013, p. 156. ^ Adams 1977, p. 558. ^ O'Fahey & Spaulding 1974, p. 29. ^ Abu-Manga 2009, p. 377. ^ Taha 2012, p. 10 (Taha ascribes these names a Dongolawi Nubian origin). ^ Werner 2013, p. 171. ^ Adams 1977, p. 564. ^ McHugh 1994, p. 59. ^ Werner 2013, pp. 170–171. ^ Zurawski 2014, pp. 84–85. ^ Hasan 1967, pp. 131–132. ^ Werner 2013, p. 150. ^ Werner 2013, p. 181. ^ Spaulding 1974, p. 22, note 31. ^ Werner 2013, p. 177. ^ Crowfoot 1918, p. 56. ^ Crowfoot 1918, pp. 55–56. ^ Werner 2013, pp. 177–178. ^ Chataway 1930, p. 256. ^ Werner 2013, p. 178. ^ Werner 2013, p. 182. ^ Crawford 1951, pp. 28–29. ^ McHugh 2016, p. 110. ^ Zarroug 1991, p. 43. ^ a b c Zarroug 1991, p. 97. ^ a b c d Obluski 2017, p. 16. ^ a b Vantini 1975, p. 614. ^ Seignobos 2015, p. 224. ^ Spaulding 1972, p. 52. ^ a b Zarroug 1991, p. 100. ^ Zarroug 1991, p. 19. ^ a b Zarroug 1991, pp. 98–100. ^ a b Werner 2013, p. 165. ^ Zarroug 1991, p. 101. ^ Crawford 1951, p. 26. ^ a b Zarroug 1991, p. 22. ^ Zarroug 1991, p. 85. ^ Zarroug 1991, pp. 88–90. ^ Werner 2013, p. 46. ^ a b Werner 2013, p. 186, note 6. ^ Zarroug 1991, pp. 29–30. ^ Russegger 1843, p. 456. ^ Werner 2013, p. 188, note 23. ^ Ochala 2014, pp. 43–44. ^ Welsby & Daniels 1991, pp. 274–276. ^ Werner 2013, p. 197. ^ Ochala 2014, p. 37. ^ a b c d Welsby 2002, p. 153. ^ Welsby 2002, p. 149, note 38. ^ Werner 2013, p. 163. ^ Welsby 1996, p. 188. ^ Edwards 2004, p. 222. ^ Welsby 1998, pp. 28–29. ^ a b c Welsby 2002, p. 154. ^ Welsby 1998, p. 275. ^ Welsby 1998, pp. 30–32. ^ Welsby 1996, p. 187. ^ Welsby & Daniels 1991, pp. 321–322. ^ Török 1974, p. 100. ^ Török 1974, p. 95. ^ a b c Welsby & Daniels 1991, p. 322. ^ Welsby 2002, p. 155. ^ a b Werner 2013, p. 164. ^ Welsby 2002, p. 149. ^ Welsby 1996, p. 189. ^ Welsby 2002, p. 194. ^ Danys & Zielinska 2017, pp. 177–178. ^ Danys & Zielinska 2017, p. 182. ^ Welsby 2002, p. 234. ^ Danys & Zielinska 2017, pp. 179–181. ^ Welsby 2002, p. 235. ^ Danys & Zielinska 2017, p. 180. ^ Welsby 2002, pp. 194–195. ^ Danys & Zielinska 2017, p. 183. ^ Welsby 2002, p. 185. ^ Zarroug 1991, pp. 77–79. ^ Zarroug 1991, p. 75. ^ Welsby & Daniels 1991, pp. 265–267. ^ Vantini 1975, p. 613. ^ Welsby 2002, p. 186. ^ Vantini 1975, p. 274. ^ Welsby & Daniels 1991, p. 273. ^ Welsby & Daniels 1991, Table 16. ^ a b Welsby 2002, p. 188. ^ a b Welsby 1998, p. 245. ^ a b Welsby 2002, p. 187. ^ Welsby 1998, p. 241. ^ Welsby 1998, p. 240. ^ Werner 2013, p. 166. ^ Welsby 2002, p. 213. ^ Zarroug 1991, p. 87. ^ Welsby 2002, pp. 214–215. ^ Welsby 2002, p. 215. ^ Abir 1980, p. 15. ^ Brita 2014, p. 517. ^ Zarroug 1991, p. 86. ^ Hasan 1967, p. 46. ^ Zarroug 1991, p. 84. ^ Zarroug 1991, p. 82. ^ Abd ar-Rahman 2011, p. 52. ^ Welsby & Daniels 1991, p. 307. ^ Hess 1965, p. 17. ^ Edwards 2011, pp. 87–88. ^ Adams 1977, p. 471. ^ Edwards 2011, p. 103. ^ Edwards 2011, pp. 89–90. ^ Edwards 2011, pp. 95–96. ^ a b Vantini 1975, p. 153. ^ Munro-Hay 1982, p. 113. 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0.999995	What needs to be done: Add character's physical description, quotes. Sector Commander Hawkins is the main antagonist in Unreal II: The Awakening. Hawkins is the head of TCA operations in the ship's area of operation, Dalton's superior officer, and the man responsible for sending Dalton on a quest to collect the artifacts. He claims that his orders come from General Drexler of the marines, and that Drexler wants Dalton to collect the artifacts to safeguard them from the enemies of humanity. However, it turns out this is all a lie. Drexler has nothing to do with the search for the artifacts; Hawkins is deceiving Dalton so that he can collect the artifacts and use their power for himself. In fact, he was responsible for purposely shooting down the TCA Atlantis during the Skaarj attack on Avalon, presumably killing Aida, Isaak, and Ne'Ban, when they realize his deception and attempt to prevent him from obtaining the artifacts. After combining the artifacts on his ship, the Dorian Gray, he causes the transformation of seemingly harmless Kai into the mighty Tosc. Hawkins set the ship to fly into the system's star, hoping to destroy the Tosc menace. In the meantime, Dalton learns of the murdering of his own crew at the hands of Hawkins via an audio log sent by Aida before their murder, and after Hawkins offered him a place at his side to rule the galaxy with the power of the weapon of the combined artifacts, Dalton shot and killed Hawkins with Aida's Magnum. Hawkins wears a standard service dress uniform, featuring his rank insignia (two stars on each shoulder), an ID badge, and a necktie. Hawkins wears no body armor or combat gear at all, save for a holstered pistol at his right hip. "The Colonial Authority isn't so bad, John. We don't see as much action as the Marines, but our tradition of service is just as strong." "Good luck out there, John. You're the best we've got." "The Atlantis is gone, John. Shot down. We did a search and rescue, but... nothing. I'm sorry. After we picked you up, we recovered the Artifacts from the wreckage and brought them up here to the Dorian Gray. One we had them all we were able to decipher the glyphs. They tell of an ancient race, the Tosc, noble warriors who served their masters in battle. When there were no more masters to serve, their scientists hid their DNA within that of another race, and forged these Artifacts against the day they might once again be needed. The race that contains that DNA is still with us today: the Kai. Over time, the Artifacts became scattered across the planets. If we are the ones to reunite them, the Tosc will serve us with weapons of awesome power. I will be their new master, and I will wield these weapons on behalf of the Earth in our battle with the Skaarj. It is possible that the glyphs lie, or that we have read them incorrectly. But I am willing to take that chance, with certain precautions. Only one Kai, in a containment chamber, with you and those men standing by in case something goes wrong. Stand by. I am putting the final Artifact in place." "Stevens, take a detail and clear a path to the escape pods. Don't tell anyone or you'll start a panic. I'll follow in a minute." Hawkins is the highest-ranking member of the Terran Colonial Authority seen in Unreal II: The Awakening, or in any game so far in the Unreal universe. Hawkins essentially fabricated the entire plot of the game, making up a story about John Dalton being reinstated into the Terran Marines and his ship, TCA Atlantis, being recommissioned as a Marine corvette, allegedly on authority from General Drexler. None of this ever actually happened, as Hawkins made it all up to get Dalton and his crew to round up the artifacts for him. Hawkins is the highest-ranking Terran authority figure of any branch or service seen in Unreal II. Hawkins wears two stars on each shoulder as his insignia of rank as Sector Commander in the TCA, suggesting that this TCA rank is equivalent to a two-star general or admiral.
0.934748	Trading Biases vs. Predictions: What’s the Difference? A prediction is defined as a forecasting statement on how things will be in the future. Making a prediction means that you are expecting a certain outcome. In forex trading, saying that a currency pair will trade at a particular price at a specified point in time is an example of a prediction. As you probably noticed, the key difference between predictions and biases in trading is that the latter is open for confirmation or negation from the markets. As a trader, you must develop biases instead of simply making many predictions. It is normal to have biases on currencies, especially when technical and fundamental factors support your outlook. It is important, however, to discern if market behavior confirms your biases before acting on it by taking a trade. If you keep trying to prove your forecast is correct but the market disagrees, you’re likely to end up with one loss after another.
0.998953	Send emails to everyone in a list in Excel using a macro. The message for the email can either come from another column in the list and be unique for each email or be the same for each email. The emails will be sent through Microsoft Outlook, so you must also have that program setup on your computer. The macro pulls the email addresses from column A and the message text from column B. It assumes that the email list starts in row 1; to change this, go to the section below the macro that explains how to edit it. user_subject = "Subject Line for the Email" Change A1 to the cell that starts the email list. If you change from column A to another column, also change "A" to the letter of the column with the list. If the email list is in a pre-defined range, you can replace the bold text above with a simple range input like this: "A1:A100" and that tells the macro that the emails are contained in cells A1 to A100. The original code will start from the first cell in the list, A1, and go to the very last cell in that column that has data. "Subject Line for the Email" Change the above piece of code to whatever you want to be in the subject. You can even get the value from the spreadsheet if you want, just reference the cell in the same way that the message body text is referenced. This piece of code tells the macro to get the body text of the email from column B in the same row as the email address. To change the column from which the text is gotten, simply change 2 to the number of the desired column; A is 1, B is 2, etc. To change this to a generic message for each user, simple reference the cell that contains the generic message like this: Range("A1").Value and the message will be taken from the specified cell. You could also replace the code with text directly in the macro like this: "This is the email message."
0.979577	Insurance claims modeled by a distribution with the following cumulative distribution function. The insurance company is performing a study on all claims that exceed 3. Determine the mean of all claims being studied. The insurance company is performing a study on all claims that exceed 4. Determine the mean of all claims being studied.
0.999393	Why use the INCLUDE clause when creating an index? While studying for the 70-433 exam I noticed you can create a covering index in one of the following two ways. The INCLUDE clause is new to me. Why would you use it and what guidelines would you suggest in determining whether to create a covering index with or without the INCLUDE clause? You would use the INCLUDE to add one or more columns to the leaf level of a non-clustered index, if by doing so, you can "cover" your queries. Imagine you need to query for an employee's ID, department ID, and lastname. If you happen to have a non-clustered index on (EmployeeID, DepartmentID), once you find the employees for a given department, you now have to do "bookmark lookup" to get the actual full employee record, just to get the lastname column. That can get pretty expensive in terms of performance, if you find a lot of employees. then all the information you need is available in the leaf level of the non-clustered index. Just by seeking in the non-clustered index and finding your employees for a given department, you have all the necessary information, and the bookmark lookup for each employee found in the index is no longer necessary --> you save a lot of time. Obviously, you cannot include every column in every non-clustered index - but if you do have queries which are missing just one or two columns to be "covered" (and that get used a lot), it can be very helpful to INCLUDE those into a suitable non-clustered index. This discussion is missing out on the important point: The question is not if the "non-key-columns" are better to include as index-columns or as included-columns. (The option to include all of these columns as part of the index-key is just always silly (unless they are also used in restrictions) - cause it would always be more expensive to maintain since the index must be updated and sorted even when the "keys" have not changed). So use option 1 or 2? Answer: If your table is rarely updated - mostly inserted into/deleted from - then it is relatively inexpensive to use the include-mechanism to include some "hot columns" (that are often used in selects - but not often used on restrictions) since inserts/deletes require the index to be updated/sorted anyway and thus little extra overhead is associated with storing off a few extra columns while already updating the index. The overhead is the extra memory and CPU used to store redundant info on the index. If the columns you consider to add as included-columns are often updated (without the index-key-columns being updated) - or - if it is so many of them that the index becomes close to a copy of your table - use option 1 I'd suggest! Also if adding certain include-column(s) turns out to make no performance-difference - you might want to skip the idea of adding them:) Verify that they are useful! The average number of rows per same values in keys (id1, id2 ... idN) can be of some importance as well. Notice that if a column - that is added as an included-column of index - is used in the restriction: As long as the index as such can be used (based on restriction against index-key-columns) - then SQL Server is matching the column-restriction against the index (leaf-node-values) instead of going the expensive way around the table itself. Basic index columns are sorted, but included columns are not sorted. This saves resources in maintaining the index, while still making it possible to provide the data in the included columns to cover a query. So, if you want to cover queries, you can put the search criteria to locate rows into the sorted columns of the index, but then "include" additional, unsorted columns with non-search data. It definitely helps with reducing the amount of sorting and fragmentation in index maintenance. The reasons why (including the data in the leaf level of the index) have been nicely explained. The reason that you give two shakes about this, is that when you run your query, if you don't have the additional columns included (new feature in SQL 2005) the SQL Server has to go to the clustered index to get the additional columns which takes more time, and adds more load to the SQL Server service, the disks, and the memory (buffer cache to be specific) as new data pages are loaded into memory, potentially pushing other more often needed data out of the buffer cache. An additional consideraion that I have not seen in the answers already given, is that included columns can be of data types that are not allowed as index key columns, such as varchar(max). This allows you to include such columns in a covering index. I recently had to do this to provide a nHibernate generated query, which had a lot of columns in the SELECT, with a useful index. There is a limit to the total size of all columns inlined into the index definition. That said though, I have never had to create index that wide. To me, the bigger advantage is the fact that you can cover more queries with one index that has included columns as they don't have to be defined in any particular order. Think about is as an index within the index. One example would be the StoreID (where StoreID is low selectivity meaning that each store is associated with a lot of customers) and then customer demographics data (LastName, FirstName, DOB): If you just inline those columns in this order (StoreID, LastName, FirstName, DOB), you can only efficiently search for customers for which you know StoreID and LastName. On the other hand, defining the index on StoreID and including LastName, FirstName, DOB columns would let you in essence do two seeks- index predicate on StoreID and then seek predicate on any of the included columns. This would let you cover all possible search permutationsas as long as it starts with StoreID. Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged sql-server sql-server-2008 sql-server-2005 indexing or ask your own question. What's the difference between these T-SQL queries (one uses INCLUDE)? What is a Covered Index? Does the number of columns affect query performance? How can i avoid an extra inner join to optimize this query? I have an index suggested by SQL Server database tuning advisor and want to inherit this on Oracle but how? Non Clustered Index - One or two index for almost the same need (join between two tables)?
0.999475	O métodoHTMLInputElement.setSelectionRange() define as posições inicial e final da seleção atual do texto em um elemento <input>. Opcionalmente, em navegadores mais novos, você pode especificar a direção na qual a seleção deve ser feita; isso permite a você indicar, por exemplo, que a seleção foi feita como se o usuário tivesse clicado no fim do texto selecionado e arrastado em direção ao início. Esse método atualiza ao mesmo tempo HTMLInputElement.selectionStart, selectionEnd, and selectionDirection. The 0-based index of the first selected character. The 0-based index of the character after the last selected character. A string indicating the direction in which the selection is performed. This string can be "forward" or "backward", or "none" if the direction is unknown or irrelevant. selectionDirection (Yes) 8.0 (8.0) ? ? ? The support for selectionDirection was added Blink in WebKit bug 60403. Note that accordingly to the WHATWG forms spec selectionStart, selectionEnd properties and setSelectionRange method apply only to inputs of types text, search, URL, tel and password. Chrome, starting from version 33, throws an exception while accessing those properties and method on the rest of input types. For example, on input of type number: "Failed to read the 'selectionStart' property from 'HTMLInputElement': The input element's type ('number') does not support selection." Related links: question on StackOverflow, whatwg bug, Chromium bug. The support for selectionDirection was added to Gecko in bug 674558. The support for selectionDirection was added Webkit in WebKit bug 60403.
0.999994	What is APM? APM stands for application performance monitoring as well as application performance management. Depending on its usage, APM refers to monitoring of an application’s performance or the management of an entire information technology (IT) infrastructure. Either way, application performance monitoring or management is essential for application performance optimization. Here are nine features every enterprise needs to improve the user experience. While the definition of APM is somewhat universal, it covers everything related to performance whether it is a physical infrastructure or cloud-based. APM is also used to provide a variety of enterprise solutions. The three APM monitoring tool types include code profiling and transaction performance, application metrics, and network-based performance measurement. APM software performs many web application tasks, but the most critical element is its ability as a log analyzer and to identify web requests to determine performance issues quickly. APM software also notifies your development operations (DevOps) team when pages are slowing running or what applications are unresponsive. It allows your technicians to explore the issue further and determine what applications, connectivity, databases, structured query language (SQL) queries, transactions or web requests are affected. Developers rely on APM data insights to identify the root cause of an application problem. Here are nine must-have features of APM that identify app issues. Performance measurement is a critical component that determines user accessibility. It is also a tool that allows you to understand transactions and web requests better. Once you determine the most popular applications, apps with slow responses and web requests, you will be able to add them to your backlog for further analysis and progress. Code profiling is essential as you will need to understand it to figure out why applications are lagging, errors are occurring and why software failures occur. Knowing that an application has issues and figuring out the reason why requires coding knowledge, but more importantly, it requires APM software know-how to use coding tools properly. A common issue is the performance of applications, which often occurs with an uptick in traffic. It is generally an application dependency mapping issue due to an uptick in traffic, which produce common issues like web errors or slow SQL queries. Troubleshooting tools like transaction tracing and APM logging are critical as it allows DevOps teams to find coding issues and how the end user’s experience was affected. While some software provides basic monitoring and analytics, application performance monitoring oversees an entire infrastructure from servers to a central processing unit (CPU) and memory storage. It also provides cloud-based metrics that integrate scaling expansion easily. Metrics offer developers valuable data, but an APM metric provides key insight that allows them to monitor many different things like transaction volume, web page response times, webpage request queues and data logging collection. Without a doubt, out-of-the-box application performance monitoring metrics provide you with standard tools to oversee IT infrastructures. That said, you need an APM metric customization capabilities so that your DevOps team can create monitoring metrics based on the need of your IT infrastructure or business functions. Regardless of what occurs, it is the data logs that tell the story, which is why DevOps teams will send for them when a problem occurs. Logged data is the single most important component after an application deployment occurs since an APM also includes a log management solution that identifies issues as they take place. If an APM does not offer this feature, it lacks a fundamental element you need. The quickest way to damage your business’s reputation is by waiting until you receive multiple end-user complaints. Developers take pride in ensuring that websites or IT infrastructures work like clockwork. Like errors occur, they want to be the ones to discover them to prevent end-user complaints. An error identification feature will ensure you have the tools necessary to discover any issues that reduce overall system health. If users are not satisfied, they will find a competitor to fulfill needs, which reduces revenue. An excellent application performance monitoring or application management software system will not only provide monitoring tools but the alert, error tracking, reporting and logging features that your business needs to succeed. It is also of vital importance when developing applications so that you test them when creating and oversee their deployment and production to identify issues as soon as they occur. A DevOps team overcomes challenges with the right APM software.
0.999848	Van Breugel's is an European-style family bistro located near Rawson Square in downtown Nassau, Bahamas. The bistro serves up old world ambiance in a casual setting. The menu is moderately priced and features European-inspired Bahamian dishes. The chef specialties include beef stroganoff, Thai beef, Weinerschnitzel, shrimp Indienne, braised lamb shank, veal scallopinni, boillabaisse, spicy tomato soup and coconut curry conch chowder. There is also a grill menu, pasta menu, snack menu, bar tapas menu, cocktail menu and a small selection of desserts. Attire is smart casual. Reservations are recommended and can be requested on their web site. The restaurant is closed on Sundays. Restaurants near Cruise Port: "The Coconut Curry Conch Chowder is a must. Its the house specialty." Best for Restaurants near Cruise Port Because: This moderately-priced European-style bistro is a great place to grab lunch after a morning of shopping on Bay Street.
0.993005	Which word is better in russian for "office", офис or кабинет? "Офис" is used for the "building" meaning of "office". It's a fairly new word in Russian. And we used to say "контора" back in the day (nowadays контора has some disrespectful, ironical connotation). Head office - Головной офис. Our company has a new office - У нашей компании новый офис. "Кабинет" is more appropriate for the "room" meaning of "office". One can use "офис" in the "room" meaning of "office" too. But it would sound a little bit foreign. Am I correct if I say that мой is for a word with no gender? Is there a difference in pronunciation between мой and мои? Мой is one syllable. Мои is two syllables, stress on the и (so it's actually more like маи).
0.999985	Machine learning methods are developed, including methods for the analysis of big data. In particular, methods for classification of users of online resources are proposed. Methods for solving machine learning problems are being developed using SAT-solvers and CSP-solvers, as well as swarm intelligence techniques. Theoretical study of evolutionary algorithms is being performed, including time analysis of evolutionary algorithms adjusted with reinforcement learning. Single-objective optimization can be enhanced by adding auxiliary objectives, but how should we choose the most efficient ones, and when should we use the particular objective? A method designed to solve these issues was proposed in our laboratory [1-3]. The method is called EA+RL, which stands for an evolutionary algorithm (EA) controlled with reinforcement learning (RL). There are several techniques that involve using some additional objectives in order to enhance performance of EAs. In multiobjectivization technique all the objectives are optimized simultaneously by some multiobjective algorithms (MOEAs). In this technique the objectives should be specially developed in order to increase the optimization performance. It was shown that adding an inefficient objective leads MOEAs to fail on the considered model problems . Helper-objective approach also involves using MOEAs, but it requires a strategy of choosing the auxiliary objective to be optimized at the current population . The strategy can be either random, or ad-hoc . The random one is general, but it does not take advantage of problem characteristics. At the same time, ad-hoc strategies can be efficient, but they lack generality. The EA+RL method incorporates auxiliary objectives into a single-objective EA. It requires less computational effort than MOEA-based methods, which makes it more applicable to resource-consuming problems. The selection strategy used in EA+RL is problem independent and it allows to learn some features of the problem as well, thus the method seems to increase both efficiency and generality of the helper-objective approach.
0.929878	The first Italian feature of Thomas Jefferson's orchard was the name he gave to its mountaintop site. As early as August 1767 he was using the word Monticello, which was both a place name and a noun meaning "small mountain."1 At some point he gave the name Montalto to the adjoining higher eminence, which he coveted and eventually acquired, purchasing only that part visible from his own summit.2 He may have derived from his reading the idea of translating into Italian the local terms for the two landmarks, Low or Little Mountain and High Mountain. Jefferson's first serious study of the Italian language probably began in 1764, when he purchased an Italian-English dictionary and three historical works in Italian. If by 1767 he saw a copy of Andrea Palladio's Four Books of Architecture in the original Italian, he may have been struck by Palladio's account of his most famous structure, the Villa Rotonda near Vicenza. The architect who most influenced the design of the first Monticello house described the Villa's particularly delightful situation on the top of "monticello," on one side washed at its base by a navigable river and on the other surrounded by cultivated hills abounding in fruits and forming a "gran Teatro." Whatever the direct inspiration, the indirect source of the name Monticello was undoubtedly Jefferson's early and intense study of the classical world and his deep identification with Roman culture. He filled pages of his commonplace book with extracts from well loved poems of Augustan Rome.3 He derived continuous architectural inspiration from Roman villas and their sixteenth-century Palladian descendants, and he considered the agriculture of the time of Cato and Varro as the origin of and model for modern husbandry. It is apparent that he regarded modern Italians as the heirs of the classical tradition. He believed that correct pronunciation of the Latin language could be learned in Italy, and perhaps he felt that traces of the idealized rural life so vividly portrayed in the poetry of Horace and Virgil might yet survive on Italian soil. And so, when a boatload of Tuscan farmers, animals, and plants arrived in Virginia in 1773, Jefferson may have viewed it as a delegation from an ancient world. The conductor of this small band of colonizers was Filippo Mazzei, who in his forty-three years had been an itinerant surgeon, a teacher of Italian, and a wine merchant, and was now intent on initiating trade between Virginia and Italy and establishing the culture of some of the agricultural productions of the Mediterranean. Mazzei, on his way to the Shenandoah Valley to settle, was intercepted in his passage by his host at Monticello, where he had stopped for an introductory visit. Jefferson gave him a small parcel of land on the fringes of his own property, Mazzei purchased additional acreage, and a third Italian hill, Colle, joined Monticello and Montalto in a neighborhood of farms with names like Clover Fields, Edgehill, and Buck Island. For a time a Mediterranean Eden in Albemarle County seemed possible. Undaunted by a May frost in 1774, which killed almost all the plants he brought with him, Mazzei imported more and in late 1775 declared in the pages of the Virginia Gazette that hundreds of orange, lemon, and olive trees were growing luxuriantly at Colle. There were no further bulletins from Mazzei on their progress. Jefferson quietly recorded their epitaph in his garden book, when in 1778 he removed from Colle to Monticello root sprouts of the sole survivors of his semitropical plantation — one olive and four sour orange trees.4 Mazzei's grapes fared better, but they too suffered from a climate in a state of transition. The Italian, who had been told in London by the Virginians who encouraged his emigration that Virginia had the best spring climate in the world, could only blame "the solar system." Jefferson wrote in his Notes on the State of Virginia that the moderating climate had since 1769 produced uncharacteristic springs, in which "an unfortunate fluctuation between heat and cold" was often fatal to fruits. Prior to that year the buds remained "locked up" by the intense cold and heavy snow until the sun achieved the proper ascendancy for a general thaw.5 In the same section Jefferson mentioned Monticello's own immunity from random killing frosts: "I have known frosts so severe as to kill the hickory trees round about Monticello, and yet not injure the tender fruit blossoms then in bloom on the top and higher parts of the mountain; and in the course of 40 years, during which it has been settled, there have been two instances of a general loss of fruit on it: while, in the circumjacent country, the fruit has escaped but twice in the last seven years."6 This sentence seems to imply that fruit trees were planted on the hill that Jefferson later called Monticello about the time of his own birth. The location of this early orchard is not known, but of Jefferson's own orchards there is ample record. In the spring of 1769 he first noted the planting of fruit trees in the south orchard, which alternately flourished and languished according to the schedule of his public service.7 This orchard was an important feature of the Monticello landscape, as its fruit, "this precious refreshment" as Jefferson called it, was a conspicuous part of the good life on the mountaintop.8 Monticello was a popular place during fruit season, but at least once the peace of this summer paradise was broken by a skirmish between a privileged company of the friends of Jefferson's grandson Thomas Jefferson Randolph and a rival party of excluded schoolboys, who knocked down the paling fence to get at the forbidden fruit. Philip Mazzei was one of the first to contribute to the diversity of an orchard later known for the remarkable variety of its fruits. In 1774, the first spring after the arrival of the Italians, Jefferson recorded in the garden book the planting not of apricots and cherries, but of albicocche and ciliegi.9 Besides the apricot stones and almost two hundred cherry pits given him by Mazzei, Jefferson planted four fruits of the only Italian tree he gave a name, the Cornelian Cherry, apparently unaware that this was actually a species of European dogwood, Cornus mas, cultivated for its fresh and preserved fruits.10 He probably continued to add exotic fruits from his neighbor at Colle until 1778, when the Revolutionary War shifted Mazzei's attention from agriculture to politics and dispersed his workforce. - Adapted from Lucia Stanton, "Italians in the Monticello Orchard," in Anniversary Dinner at Monticello, April 12, 1982 in Memory of Thomas Jefferson (Charlottesville, VA: Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, 1982), 1-9. 1. For Jefferson's earliest documented use of "Monticello," see Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 3, by Thomas Jefferson [electronic edition], Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). See also MB, 1:30, 1:30n48. Transcription available at Founders Online. 2. See MB, 1:452, 1:452n68. Transcription available at Founders Online. 3. Thomas Jefferson, 1758-1772, Literary Commonplace Book, Thomas Jefferson Papers, Library of Congress. Manuscript available online. See also Douglas L. Wilson, ed., Jefferson's Literary Commonplace Book (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1989). 4. Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 23, by Thomas Jefferson [electronic edition], Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). 5. Notes, ed. Peden, 80. The 1832 edition is available online. See Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia (Boston: Lilly and Wait, 1832), 85. 6. Notes, ed. Peden, 79. See Jefferson, Notes, 84. 7. Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 5, by Thomas Jefferson [electronic edition], Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). 8. Jefferson to James Madison, May 15, 1794, in PTJ, 28:76. Transcription available at Founders Online. 9. Garden Book, 1766-1824, page 14, by Thomas Jefferson [electronic edition], Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). 11. Monticello: orchard (plat), recto & verso [1776-1778], by Thomas Jefferson [electronic edition], Thomas Jefferson Papers: An Electronic Archive (Boston: Massachusetts Historical Society, 2003). 12. Jefferson to Fabbroni, June 8, 1778, in PTJ, 2:196. Transcription available at Founders Online. 13. See MB, 1:491-92n64. Transcription available at Founders Online. 14. Jefferson to Madison, March 16, 1784, in PTJ, 7:30. Transcription available at Founders Online. 15. Jefferson to Mazzei, March 17, 1801, in PTJ, 33:328. Transcription available at Founders Online. 16. Mazzei to Jefferson, September 28, 1801, in PTJ, 35:353. Transcription available at Founders Online. 17. Mazzei to Jefferson, December 28, 1803, in PTJ, 42:194-96. Transcription available at Founders Online. 18. See Jefferson to Mazzei, March 10, 1805, Thomas Jefferson Papers, Library of Congress. Transcription available at Founders Online. 19. See Jefferson to John Holmes Freeman, February 26, 1806, Sterling Memorial Library, Yale University (transcription available at Founders Online); Hepburn to Jefferson, June 12, 1806, Coolidge Collection of Thomas Jefferson Manuscripts, Massachusetts Historical Society (transcription available at Founders Online). 20. Jefferson to Robert R. Livingston, January 3, 1808, Robert Livingston Papers, New-York Historical Society. Transcription available at Founders Online.
0.95968	Juan Álvarez (3 September 1878 – 8 April 1954) was a judge and historian born in Gualeguaychú, . Álvarez was born at a time of massive immigration in Argentina. His father, Serafín Álvarez, was an exiled Republican Spaniard; within the family, discussions about society, politics and religion were common. He studied at the Faculty of Law in Buenos Aires, where the ruling class of the time was raised. His doctoral thesis was evaluated by Bartolomé Mitre. Since 1902, he worked at the Tribunals of Rosario, as a secretary, attorney, prosecutor and judge. He lived most of his life in this dynamic and rapidly growing city of the province of Santa Fe, and made friends within the professional and business elite, as well as firm links with other Argentine intellectuals. He was of a liberal mindset, opposed to nationalism and the tendency to worship tradition. His first books argued that the roots of a nationality should not be sought in the old times, but in the future. This topic was especially relevant due to the wave of nationalistic pride sweeping Argentina near the centennial of its liberation from Spain (the May Revolution of 1810). In his Essay on the history of Santa Fe he went as far as claiming that Argentine history is nonexistent before 1853 (year of the framing of Constitution). The main entrance of the Biblioteca Argentina on Presidente Roca St., Rosario. In 1913, Álvarez founded a public library in Rosario. This library, which is the largest in the city, carries at present the name of Biblioteca Argentina Dr. Juan Álvarez. In 1914, Álvarez wrote about the civil wars of Argentina from an economic point of view, and explicitly looking to prevent similar wars in the future. World War I and the Russian Revolution of 1917 affected his liberal mindset, which led him to write a criticism of liberalism and its limitations. Similar crises came after the Sáenz Peña Law of secret and compulsory suffrage and the conservative revolution of 1930. Álvarez turned towards conservatism, unsure about the new developments in the relationship between citizens, institutions and the state. In 1943, he wrote Historia de Rosario (1689–1939) ("History of Rosario"), which, like other works that deal with the interaction of geography, economy and politics, is considered a seminal work, which introduces the concept of the city as a subject matter, starting from its local identity, without a forced reference to national matters. His thesis about the asymmetric relationships between his adopted home town, Rosario, and the capital city of Santa Fe, opposes the dynamism of the former (devoid of a colonial past or an aristocratic class) and the bureaucratic tradition of the latter. This idea is still considered valid and continues to re-emerge in popular and intellectual discourse today. Álvarez was the Attorney General of the Nation between 1935 and 1946. He died in Rosario in 1954.
0.998849	The clay bank that protected Belleville's gypsum deposits also had another purpose. Clay is waterproof when humid, and when under the earth in the right conditions, can create the phenomenon of sources. The "glaise vert" clay banks in both Belleville and Montmartre were capped by, at their peaks, about forty metres of soft calcaire and Fontainbleau sand. The latter deposit allowed rain and other precipitation to filter downwards until the waterproof layer, above which it would spread in an even layer. Some tight-grained sandstones force water to collect upon it as well, but fissures in these banks sometimes opened to softer deposits below it that sometimes created underground canals. As all mineral banks are exposed through the cut of the hillside, the earth would seemingly spout water from the slope above the clay bank. Paris has known smaller sources of the latter type in Grenelle, Montrouge, Charonne, Montmartre, Batignolles, Passy and Auteuil. The largest, of the first "clay-retained" type, were in lands of higher elevation around Belleville and Menilmontant. The sources from these hills were even the origin of small rivers: one stream led westwards from Belleville across the north of late 18th century Paris to empty into the Seine at Chaillot under the name "Rû de Ménilmontant," and a second series of sources in Menilmontant, after gathering in a pool called the "Etaing de Launay," formed a river called the "Rû de Montreuil" that exited today's Paris towards the south-east, but returned south of Saint-Mandé to zigzag across Bercy and empty into the Seine below La Rapée. The Romans, again, were the first to tap the water from the hills. The sources of Belleville and Montmartre were closer to the Capital than that brought by aqueduct from Rungis, but were on the wrong side of the river from the Roman city centre on the Left Bank. It is more than likely that Belleville had a few residences in those times, but it is absolutely certain that Roman temples and villas topped Montmartre. There is uncertainty as to the first use of Belleville's source water because no remains of Roman conduits were ever found there, but some historians think that it was the restored vestiges of the Roman system that served the hill's ecclesiastic institutions from around the 7th century. Third-century aqueducts collected source water from aboveground basins and troughs that led to a 'collector' basin. A later and more efficient system, it is unsure from when, collected water in underground conduits of un-mortared stone called "pierrées" and directed it to a collector "regard." This building served as an accumulator for all pierrées in the area, and held a basin that redirected the collected source water into an aqueduct. Other regards further along the conduit's path either added the product of other pierrées, redirected water between two or more destinations, or divided water in measured shares into smaller conduits connected to private properties, but some regards fulfilled two of these purposes, and sometimes even all three. There were four collection and distribution systems around the hill of Belleville: Pre-Saint-Gervais, Belleville, Saint-Martin (or "Savies"), and l'Hôpital Saint-Louis. The latter three were later joined under the name "les eaux de Belleville," but all together formed "Les sources du Nord." The monastery Saint-Laurent built (or renovated) the eastern hill's first known aqueduct around the 8th century. They ruled a large fief to the northeast of Belleville then, and probably built the aqueduct to serve their feudal manor in the village of Le Pre-Saint-Gervais. In its first version, the aqueduct arced eastwards from its fountain-regard "prise des eaux" in today's place de la Mairie in Pre-Saint-Gervais. There were eleven other regards along its path through the Les Lilas and Romainville regions, each contributing the product of the pierrées around them. The regard "trou-Morin," still existing today at the corner of the rue Edouard Valliant and the sentier des Cornettes in Le Pre-Saint-Gervais, was the last regard along this chain before the prise-des-Eaux. Another series of five regards on the northern slope of Belleville, probably built in a later time, fed the prise des Eaux fountain through their own aqueducts. Those within the limits of today's Paris were: "Ruelle des Bois," once near the corner of today's boulevard Serrurier and rue des Bois; "les Maussins" was once where the reservoir des Lilas stands today but was moved upon its construction; "les Bernages" is lost under the right side of Paris' boulevard peripherique. The last two out of the five, "Olivettes" and "Pont-Carre," were to the south from there near the town of Pre-Saint-Gervais. The Priory Saint-Lazare had taken over much of the Saint-Laurent fief by 1178. The priory's monastery and leper's hospital was just below today's gare de l'Est, and its monks brought the Pre-Saint-Gervais water there through a pottery conduit which ran around the hill of Belleville's northern face along (roughly) today's rue Petit and Avenue Jean-Jaures. The above date precedes the Parisian aqueduct's construction, as it is mentioned on contracts with the landowners whose properties their conduit crossed; the monastery gave them a right to a share of the aqueduct's product, but in exchange received permission for its construction and had free access to the aqueduct for maintenance purposes. Philippe-Auguste bought a large share of the aqueduct's output in 1182 to feed Paris' first public fountain in its then newly-established les Halles quarter. As already mentioned, the "ferme de Savies" became the property of the Abbey Saint-Martin-des-Champs from 1069. It was probably soon afterwards that they laid their aqueduct; though its pierrées covered was the smallest area of all the other source water systems in the eastern hills, they were the most productive. The Templar monastery blocked the path of an aqueduct that led from Savies to Saint-Martin's abbey in central Paris, so the two agreed to divide the task of building and maintaining an aqueduct and its resulting output. They built only two regards: the main collector regard, "Saint-Martin," still standing on the corner of the rues des Cascades and Savies; and the secondary "petites rigoles" not 50 metres away at #47 rue de l'Hermitage. The main aqueduct extended from the Saint-Martin regard both to the west towards the city and to the east to tap the product of a few other pierrées, and petites rigoles added its debit into Saint-Martin through pottery tubing. The aqueduct to the city centre was also in pottery, and extended from Saint-Martin to the rue de Belleville that it followed (as the rue du Faubourg du Temple) to regard on the Templar property near today's rue Saint-Maur. The source water finished its voyage westwards to the Abbey Saint-Martin through lead piping. An extension of conduit from Abbey Saint-Martin to central Paris also served a public fountain in the time of Philippe-Auguste. The fountain "Maubée" stands today on the corner of the rue de Venise and rue Saint-Martin, but was moved there because of changes to the quarter. Its original form is unknown, as well as the year it was erected, as this fountain underwent many renovations over the centuries. The plaque fronting the regard Saint-Martin commemorates, in Latin, its creation and renovations: "Fount spouting with the intention of the shared use of the monks of Saint-Martin-de-Cluny and their neighbours the Templars. After being neglected, not to say scorned for over thirty years, it was retraced and reclaimed with shared expense and great care from the source and little rivulets. Now, finally, with the insistence and animation that is needed for such a project, we have restored it and brought it more than its original elegance and splendour. Resuming its original destination, it spouted once again in the year of our Lord 1633, not less to our honour than to our commodity. The same work and expense was undertaken together once again, as it is said above, in the year of our Lord 1722." The date of the first version of this aqueduct is unknown. It was reconstructed from the 15th century from its origin at sources collected from pierrées are centred around the regard "de la Lanterne" at #207 rue de Belleville. The Abbey Saint-Denis once ruled a large landholding to the east of Savies, as well as the Saint-Merry chapter whose church and Coventry was just to the east of Les Halles. It is certain that the first version of the aqueduct extended from its pierrées until a distributor regard at the south end of the rue de la Mare, and that the latter institution owned in later centuries. This aqueduct went through many periods of abandon and renovations through the centuries, especially during the period of the 100 years' war. The inner wall of the regard de la Lanterne holds a commemorative tablet that cites a hasty reconstruction of the aqueduct in 1457, and another larger black marble tablet on the opposite wall commemorates the construction of the regard itself between 1583 and 1516. The Lanterne regard is the most massive of all those in the Sources du Nord network, and was probably rebuilt at the same time and in the same spirit as the aqueduct itself, that is to say on a scale ten times larger than necessary. Seemingly half-buried in the middle of a park today, it is a round stone construction topped with a dome, also in stone, which in turn is topped with a rotunda-like "lanternon" which gives it its name. A stout wooden door at the top of a set of stairs opens onto a landing above twin stairways that descend to a basin below; the black marble tablet is between the ramps below the entryway, and the older tablet is mounted on the opposite wall. There were many other regards along the aqueduct, but few remain today. The main conduit head north-west from La Lanterne, then turned 90° left after 50 metres towards the rue de Belleville which it turned to follow until a point below the rue des Fetes, then turned southwards to head in a straight line to the corner of the rue des Cascades and the rue de la Mare and followed the latter street until the distribution regard "Prise des Eaux" above the church of Nôtre-Dame le la Croix. There were four other regards along this line: "Beaufils," below the corner of the rues Belleville and des Fetes, was a simple stone house building holding a stairway down to the aqueduct for inspectors; the aboveground part of "Les Cascades," at the north-eastern corner of the place created by the meeting of the rues Levert and Envierges, is gone today but its foundations are still accessible through a manhole - the sound of rushing water can still be heard from twin gratings which lie below the stairway up to the rue des Couronnes; "La Chambrette," an old inspection access, is gone today but once stood at #44 rue de la Mare; "La Planchette," near the corner of the rues Henri-Chevreuil and de la Mare, also an inspection access, exists no longer. There were many regards along two secondary branches of aqueduct that collected water from the north-west and south-east of the main line. All of those along the north-western branch are gone, but they emptied into the main aqueduct through the regard "Les Cascades." There were only three to the south-east, but two exist: "La Roquette," today in a wasteland at #37 rue de Cascades, collected water from local pierrées, served as a distribution regard, and emptied its water into the main line through La Chambrette; "Les Messiers," at #17 rue des Cascades, of the same type, emptied its water into "La Planchette." The third, "grandes Rigoles," which once stood at #85 rue des Rigoles, collected water from pierrées and sent it to the main aqueduct through a secondary conduit under the same street. It is thought that the Saint-Merri chapter at first used their sources for their fief of Mesnil-Maudam (Menilmontant), but later built a pottery conduit that extended to their Coventry to the east of Les Halles. It is known that Philippe-Auguste claimed a share of this water for Paris' public fountains, and it is certain that it also served a few private properties in the Marais quarter from the 14th century. The regard "Prise des Eaux" had a reservoir that captured the excess of the Eaux de Belleville and sent it to two regards before their Coventry, "Decadaire" at #3 rue de Menilmontant, and "Roulette" at #104 rue Saint-Maur, both gone today. Paris' public fountain multiplied from the time of Philippe-Auguste, and after the management of the city’s water was passed to the Prévôt des marchands from 1364. The ecclesiastic institutions preserved a major share of the source water from then, but the Prévôt "expropriated" the remainder for the city and private clients. Two fountains along Paris' then main street, the rue Saint-Denis, tapped the Pre-Saint-Gervais sources: "Ponceau," at the corner of the street of the same name, gone today; and "Grenata," again at the corner of the street that bears its name - only one face of this fountain still exists as the corner of a building built at a later date. As for the Eaux de Savies, it only served the already-mentioned fountain "Maubée" until the early 18th century. The prévôts also devised a new system of dividing the water debit into shares: each property owner who bought a share of aqueduct water would sign a contract with the city, and each contract had a silver ring attached to it. The diameter of this ring dictated the size of the pipe in the basin of the distribution regard - since both the Prévôt and client had copies of the contract, this eliminated the possibility of fraudulent modifications. A distributor regard divided water between its different clients from a collector basin with pipe outlets. These, as one might think, weren't arranged horizontally in the basin, but vertically, which gave the lowest the priority in case of drought. This position was most usually reserved for royalty and ecclesiastic institutions. The Hôpital Saint-Louis, in the same place as the hospital of the same name today, was only a temporary measure for plague victims upon its construction in 1609. It gained in importance soon after it’s opening, and its constant need for fresh water motivated a search for new sources. These were found at today's Place des Fetes in 1611, and were brought to the hospital through an aqueduct that followed the rues des Fetes and Belleville until the rue Rebeval, where it turned north-west towards the hospital. This aqueduct had only two regards, the "Chambre de Chirurgien" or "regard Saint-Louis," and "Esmocouards." The first stood at the corner of the rue des Fetes and Belleville as collector regard. The second was probably built at a later date, but served the same role just to the north of today's square Bolivar as the centre of a system of secondary pierrées that emptied their source water into the main aqueduct at a point mid-way along today's rue Generale Lasalle. The combined output of the two series of pierrées was not enough for the hospital, which led the city Prévôt to donate a share of its fountain water. Since the regard Saint-Louis was only 8 metres to the west of the Belleville aqueduct, the latter waterway made its contribution through an extension of conduit there. The first mechanical pump to raise water from the Seine, the "Samaritaine," graced the Pont-Neuf from around 1605. Its water went only to the Louvre palace and the Tuileries, but its installation marked the birth of a new technique in water alimentation. Paris' population had outgrown the amount of water available to it then - the output of all three sources was only 350 cubic metres by day, one tenth the needed volume. Paris' water situation had grown so precarious by 1672 that Louis XIV ordered the construction of a second mechanical pump by the Seine. The fountains des Innocents and Maubée distributed river water from then, and source water was reserved for royalty and hospitals. The output of the more northerly fountains remained unchanged until around 1717, when the Priory Saint-Martin gave its aqueduct to the city in return for a share of river water. A new fountain appeared that year, "Vertbois," at the corner of the street of the same name and the rue Saint-Martin, but it spent only a few years in service distributing Saint-Martin sources. The Pre-Saint-Gervais aqueduct had a new fountain from 1718 where the rues La Fayette and Faubourg Saint-Martin cross today - a rich butcher had donated it to the city, so it took his name, "du Chaudron." The city considered the Saint-Martin sources as "undrinkable" by the early 18th century. They were joined to those of Belleville under the corner of the rues de Cascades and de la Mare in 1737, and the old pottery conduit to the Priory Saint-Martin abandoned. The reunited sources then entered service from the regard Roulette for the service of "Grand-Egout de Ceinture." From that year the Vertbois fountain distributed Pre-Saint-Gervais water from an extra length of conduit connected to the fountain Ponceau. The "Grand-Egout" deserves an extra mention: it began as the "Rû de Menilmontant" stream mentioned at the beginning of the chapter. Its natural path followed the ancient bed of the Seine across northern Paris to Chaillot, but its slow current had made it a cesspool by the 18th century. Much like the Bièvre, it was transformed into an open canal, but in an arc between the Bastille and Chaillot. It was operational from 1740, from when Sources du Nord water, after being accumulated in a reservoir near the rue de Filles du Calvaire, was freed to "flush" its contents out its other extremity into the Seine. One can imagine the quality of the riverwater there afterwards. The united Sources du Nord had their final role from 1773. The Hôpital Saint-Louis was almost in a state of ruins then, but a royal decision to transform it into the city's central health-care centre led to the decision to combine all of the Sources du Nord, excepting those of Pre-Saint-Gervais, for the service of the hospital. From that year the sources Saint-Louis emptied into the Belleville aqueduct, and the rest of the conduit, including the regard Esmocouards, was abandoned. Les Sources du Nord spent 59 years as the hospital's only source of water. The canal de l'Ourcq provided another option from 1809, but the Administration des Hospice wouldn't consider it until its source water began to diminish and become polluted by the population growth on the hills. The hospital traded its aqueduct against a share of canal water in 1832, and sold its land containing its sources to the commune of Belleville. This act created its public place and market "place des Fetes." The city used only the sources of Pre-Saint-Gervais from then. They served the fountains Chaudron, Saint-Julien (near Ponceau), Ponceau, and Vertbois even after the construction of the fortifications from 1842, during which its engineer had even reserved an opening for passage of the aqueduct. All fountains continued their service until 1861, the year from when they were progressively abandoned; the annexation of 1860 combined with Belgrand's work made them irrelevant, and the aqueduct was cut at the level of the fortifications in 1868. The Pre Saint-Gervais water filled a ditch until they were united one year later with the sewer along the boulevard Serrurier. The aqueduct de Belleville had been cut since the construction of the Petite Ceinture in 1852, and its water emptied into the sewer under the rue des Cascades. The Eaux Pre-Saint-Gervais was returned to their original form from 1907, that is to say for the service of the town of Pre-Saint-Gervais. The length of aqueduct to the west of the regard Prise des Eaux, closed well to the outside of the fortifications, served as a reservoir for the regard's fountain from then. The vestiges of the former source water system still standing today are; on the Pre-Saint-Gervais series: the regard/fountain Prise des Eaux, the regards Trou-Morin, Bernages, and Maussins, and the fountains Ponceau, Grenata, and Les Innocents (but the latter has been moved to a different location); on the Savies series: the regard Saint-Martin and the fountains Vertbois and Maubée; in the original Belleville series: The regards La Lanterne, La Roquette, and Les Messiers. Most of these are protected under the Historical Monument classification, but the regard de la Roquette is in the centre of one of the only undeveloped plots of land in its quarter. One hopes that it well not share the same fate as the rest of the above system - destroyed in favour of real estate prospectors that find (especially today) the history of a quarter to be more of a hindrance than an importance.
0.992122	Are these the hottest baby names, of 2028??? Charlotte . . . Amelia . . . Harper . . . Emma . . . Olivia . . . Evelyn . . . Mia . . . Aria . . . Ava . . . and Sofia. Liam . . . Mateo . . . Maverick . . . Noah . . . Lincoln . . . Lucas . . . Henry . . . Theodore . . . Jaxon . . . and Oliver.
0.972759	What would a visit to Darwin and the Territory be without a visit to the Territory Wildlife Park? The Park is located at Berry Springs which is approximately 50km from Darwin. The Wildlife Park is not a zoo, but a well laid out natural representation of the fauna of the Northern Territory. Arriving around about 10.40am, we were just in time for the show at the Flight Deck. This is the bird exhibition area where the wildlife keepers put on a show with some amazing birds that are found in the Territory. The crowds gathered and because it was school holidays there were a lot of children filling the seats so the area was quite full. The show started with a group of ring necked lorikeets flying over the heads of the crowd as they went to find the hidden nectar treats in the branches placed around the enclosure. Then an adorable little barn owl appeared. It was so silent flying over the heads of the crowd just like a stealth bomber seeking its prey. A speedy appearance from a Wedge Tailed Eagle, Australia's largest bird of prey was next which I missed with the camera. A Black Breasted Buzzard also made an appearance and demonstrated how to crack an emu's egg open with a rock. These birds are born with this innate knowledge. They just do it from instinct and it is remarkable to watch them go about their work. An Osprey finished up the show taking food in mid air or snatching it from the surface of the pond in the middle of the enclosure. The entire time the show went on the keeper provided a running commentary on each bird, its habitat and lots of information about them. On completion of the bird show, we then took to wandering around the rest of the Park and followed the map provided. You can catch a train to each exhibit area, but we chose to walk the several kilomtres of paths to each exhibit and then back to the main base. The Goose Lagoon is so named probably for a population of Magpie Geese but there were none in attendance on the day we visited. I did get some photos of Rainbow Bee Eaters diving on the water and taking bugs out of the air though. The next exhibit was the Dingoes, but we we only saw one. I think we were lucky to see it too as it was just coming down for a drink. He totally ignored us peering over the fence, had his drink and then wandered back into the scrub at the back of the exhibit. If there were more there, then we didn't see them. There is an aquarium exhibit next which shows many of the fish and other aquatic creatures throughout the Territory. Surprisingly enough, there is only one saltwater crocodile in evidence. Perhaps there are so many other places to see crocs that they don't bother. There are also a few smaller freshwater crocodiles around too. The walk through Aviary is an interesting experience with a boardwalk taking you along through the canopy and past several enclosures with different types of birds. At the end you arrived at a huge netted area where you really walk through the "Aviary" and the multitude of bird varieties. I was particularly impressed to see Curlews and Forest Kingfishers in the mix. The Nocturnal House was rather dark of course, but showed a considerable array of night dwellers. There were all sorts of small wallabies, native mice, quolls and bandicoots to see. Most of these animals you would never see in the bush of course so this is the best you could hope for dark and all as it may be. Somewhere in the mix of these displays were quite a number of snakes including the extremely venomous Taipan and Death Adder. There were also a number of non poisonous snakes such as the Olive Python and the Carpet Python as well. It was almost 2pm by the time we got back to the cafe to wolf down a delightful lunch at the cafeteria and rest the aching feet. Perhaps it would of been wiser to select some more hardy footwear than thongs for such a hike. It is a good day out whether you be an older individual or taking the family along. There is something for everyone at the Territory Wildlife Park. After our lunch we headed down the road a little to the Crazy Acres Mango Farm where they have the most delicious mango ice cream. We were certainly not disappointed.
0.919202	How do we imagine the world in 2030 to be? Nothing could be worse than the world thirty years ago, except the world forty or more years ago. 2030 isn't thirty years in the future either, but sixteen. Just a little further ahead than 2000 was back. Why so? Did you have a miserable childhood? I had a lovely childhood. And already as a child I knew that everything goes worse as time moves on. Thus far it has been completely confirmed. The best life in the world was about thousand years ago. And then about three thousand years before that. Maybe times will become tolerable again in another two thousand years. What made you pick 2030 specifically? The best life in the world was about thousand years ago. The more I study about medieval ages the more I see how the past is distorted by the falsity people learn at schools. ...and I am not so sure about the quality of the "invulnerable areas". Estonia for example has been rapidly and radically deforested during the past two decades. In our climate there's no agriculture possible without sufficient forests to circumscribe the fields. And cities are of course desert landscape from the ecological point of view. A little over a year ago I wrote this...and 2014 was even better. You know, whether it's local pub gossip, television bulletins or newspaper headlines, we're more interested in what's going wrong than with what's going right. Judging the world through headlines is like judging a city by spending a night in its jail--you only see the worst problems. Objectively, 2014 has probably been the best year in history. Take war, for example--our lives now are more peaceful than at any time known to the human species. In a century that began with 9/11, the Iraq war, and genocide in Darfur, the claim that we are living in an unusually peaceful time may strike you as somewhere between delirium and absurdity, but there are fewer conflicts today, and wars don't kill as many people as they did in the Middle Ages, for instance. Also, global rates of violent crime have plummeted in the last few decades and certainly the rise of education has played a large part in that. The Isis atrocities are all the more shocking perhaps, because they come against a backdrop of unprecedented world peace. As usual however, religiosity continues to play its part in promoting violence and abuse. There has been a large increase in the number of countries with high or very high levels of social hostilities involving religion. Incidents of abuse against religious minorities were reported up, there were rises in religious motivated threats of violence, harassment of women over religious dress, mob violence related to religion, sectarian violence, and religion-related terrorist violence. We've all read the headlines pertaining to this, but look it up if you wish, in this PEW study, which shows religiously-inspired violence going up and all other violence going down. I like to balance the good with the bad and try to get the whole big-picture of my reality. Others will continue to read and expound upon all the atrocities in the world which would often include looking at the advances in science as bad or even blasphemous. However, look on the bright side--if science can continue eroding religious belief at its present pace, we may one day soon actually live in a real paradise. Last things first...you'll not see 'a real paradise' in your lifetime, and at 77, I certainly won't. Scientists can and have produced things that are harmful on a grand scale. I'm an agnostic who has a jaundiced view of religion. I see it as a silly diversion from the real world, but I don't see it as necessarily damaging. The great majority of adherents far outnumber the madmen who are running around with machetes and toxic brews. Relatively speaking, the number of people whose outlook is shaped by science is small. We're all bathed in the world of science, but few of us have our outlooks shaped by it. Do you really believe it was a scientist's idea to build an atomic bomb? Puuuuullllleeeeease! Who built it then? The Pope? Didn't Einstein write to President Roosevelt asking him to do just that...? Really, James, did you ever actually go to school? [ see here... ] Do you have intermet access? Or do you just read Howard Zinn's high school texts... ? Scientists are -- people, sometimes paying attention and involved. We are now in 2015, halfway to 2030 if we take the year 2000 as a starting point. 2030 is not far away. How the world in 2020 will be is pretty much a given, but there is still some leeway for 2030. Water supply is an issue. While we're getting less desert in parts of the world, we are getting more in others, and crucially many of the migration patterns are into arid and semi-arid regions with high water stress. Climate change may also make some highly populated areas drier. Cities are not deserts, on the contrary they are highly diverse biotopes, to the annoyance of those needing pest control. I assume the little yellow blob in .de is more or less the state of Brandenburg, also known as "Germany's sandbox". Not exactly a dry area ( go a couple centuries back and much of it is swamp ) but prone to erosion without sufficient vegetation. In 1947 Einstein told Newsweek magazine that "had I known that the Germans would not succeed in developing an atomic bomb, I would have done nothing." Quote from: jseaton2311 on 2015-02-10, 13:00:16Do you really believe it was a scientist's idea to build an atomic bomb? Puuuuullllleeeeease!Didn't Einstein write to President Roosevelt asking him to do just that...? I was certainly aware of the letter, I simply remember it as a warning to the president that the Germans were making enriched uranium and the potential of a uranium chain reaction bomb. I see now that Einstein did suggest the US begin it's own investigation into the potential of nuclear chain reactions. So, what do you need...10 Hail Marys and 10 Our Fathers to sufficiently absolve me of my error? Must be nice sitting back guzzling booze and reading the posts here, only to chime in once in while to bust somebody's balls. How much drawing of attention away from your wife and children does all that boozing do, Einstein? I reckon by 20130 the prayer mats will be everywhere. On a prayer mat I would think 18,115 years would feel even much longer. Water supply is an issue. While we're getting less desert in parts of the world, we are getting more in others, and crucially many of the migration patterns are into arid and semi-arid regions with high water stress. About five million Beijing residents are now drinking water from a tributary of the Yangtze River, two months after a key section of China's massive south-to-north water diversion project was put into operation. Beijing has received more than 50 million cubic meters of water from the south since Dec. 12, when water began to be routed from the central Chinese province of Hubei to the capital, said the Beijing south-to-north water diversion office on Thursday. The first stage of this middle route -- one of three routes involved in the project -- starts at Hubei's Danjiangkou Reservoir, which stores water from the Hanjiang River, a tributary of the Yangtze River [running out in Shanghai]. A 1,432-km-long canal brings the water to China's thirsty northern regions, including the cities of Beijing and Tianjin, and the provinces of Henan and Hebei. The amount of water flowing along the middle route is expected to increase from the current 9.5 billion cubic meters to 13 billion cubic meters by 2030. Two out of the six water plants in Beijing are using the "southern water" as their sole source. The other plants are mixing the southern water with domestic water. Have you actually tried a prayer mat or a meditation cushion? Time does weird things when you get on them. A few moments may seem like a millennium, but a few millennia like a moment too - at the same time. How much drawing of attention away from your wife and children does all that boozing do, Einstein? My "boozing" does help me get by. I wouldn't take that away from you. 2030 is close by: I suspect scientific understanding will (due to proponents such as you...) wane, but its influence grow. Not the actual understanding -of course- but the "scidolitry" you espouse. You need liquor to cope with life. Regardless of the circumstances, this is not a good thing to own up to, imo Oak. And not because it is liquor, but simply because it is anything other than your own good intellectual resources. At one time I thought I could cope with life better using various escape mechanisms and all it did was lead me to depression and suicide (that's not to say this is where you are heading). I finally discovered that life does not need to be coped with generally, if one lives its parts on life's own terms. Regardless of how weak you may consider my intellectual resources to be, I am 'myr' ahead of you on this point, imho. By 2030, political correctness totalitarianism will be so much that people can't interact freely anymore. By 2030, everybody, without exception, will be constantly monitored with computer systems. By 2030, the police will start burning books. By 2030, many of us will be already at concentration camps. By 2030, some of us will keep fighting against 2030. Do you always live your life by taking things to their absolute worst possible conclusion? I'm being realist, not pessimist, I just read the sign of times. You too can do it, you just don't want to and do like the ostrich, prefer to put the head into the sand so you don't see what comes to you. It's more comfortable. We're facing dark times, really dark ones, the 2030 I described it's being prepared for some time, probably since the end of WWII. Page created in 0.090 seconds with 49 queries.
0.934079	For the economist (born 1948), see Charles P. Oman. Sir Charles William Chadwick Oman, KBE, FBA (12 January 1860 – 23 June 1946) was a British military historian. His reconstructions of medieval battles from the fragmentary and distorted accounts left by chroniclers were pioneering. Occasionally his interpretations have been challenged, especially his widely copied thesis that British troops defeated their Napoleonic opponents by firepower alone. Paddy Griffith, among modern historians, claims that the British infantry's discipline and willingness to attack were equally important. Oman was born in Muzaffarpur district, India, the son of a British planter, and was educated at Winchester College and at Oxford University, where he studied under William Stubbs. Here, he was invited to become a founding member of the Stubbs Society, which was under the patronage of Oman's don. In 1881 he was elected to a Prize Fellowship at All Souls College, where he remained for the rest of his academic career. He was elected the Chichele Professor of Modern History at Oxford in 1905, in succession to Montagu Burrows. He was also elected to the FBA that year, and served as President of the Royal Historical Society (1917–1921), the Numismatic Society and the Royal Archaeological Institute. Oman's academic career was interrupted by the First World War, during which he was employed by the government's Press Bureau and the Foreign Office. Oman was the Conservative Member of Parliament for the University of Oxford constituency from 1919 to 1935, and was knighted KBE in the 1920 civilian war honours list. He became an honorary fellow of New College in 1936, and received the honorary degrees of DCL (Oxford, 1926) and LL.D (Edinburgh, 1911 and Cambridge, 1927). He died at Oxford aged 86. He was awarded the Medal of the Royal Numismatic Society in 1928. Two of Oman's children became authors. His son Charles (C. C. Oman) wrote several volumes on British silverware and similar houseware, worked as a Keeper of the Department of Metalwork in the Victoria and Albert Museum, and was active in the Folklore Society (and was in turn father to Julia Trevelyan Oman). His daughter Carola Oman was notable for her historical biographies. England and the Hundred Years War, 1327–1485 A.D. (1898), No. III of The Oxford Manuals of English History, Charles Oman, ed. The History of England from the Accession of Richard II. to the Death of Richard III. (1377–1485), Vol. IV of The Political History of England (1906), William Hunt & Reginald Poole, ed. A History of England Before the Norman Conquest (1910; 8th ed. 1937), Vol. I of A History of England in Seven Volumes (1904–), Charles Oman, ed. ^ "OMAN, Charles William Chadwick". Who's Who,. 59. 1907. p. 332. ^ "No. 31840". The London Gazette (Supplement). 30 March 1920. p. 3759. ^ "The Royal Numismatic Society-The Society's Medal". The Royal Numismatic Society. Retrieved 26 December 2016. ^ "Society Meetings, 18 June 1958". Folklore. 69 (3): 216. 1958. JSTOR 1258870. ^ "Minutes of Meeting: June 15, 1949". Folklore. 60 (3): 305. 1949. JSTOR 1256648. "Minutes of Meeting. Wednesday, 20th November, 1929". Folklore. 41 (1): 1. 1930. JSTOR 1256028. "Report of the Council for 1943". Folklore. 55 (2): 50–53. 1944. JSTOR 1256901. ^ Tait, James (October 1892). "Review of Warwick the Kingmaker by Charles W. Oman". The English Historical Review. 7: 761–767. ^ "Review of History of the Peninsular War, Vol. II, January–September 1809 by Charles Oman". The Athenæum (3953): 145–146. 1 August 1903. ^ Tait, James. (January 1907). "Review of The Great Revolt of 1381 by Charles Oman". The English Historical Review. 22: 161–164. The Peninsular War (1807–1814) was a military conflict between Napoleon's empire and Bourbon Spain, for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when the French and Spanish armies invaded and occupied Portugal in 1807, and escalated in 1808 when France turned on Spain, previously its ally. The war on the peninsula lasted until the Sixth Coalition defeated Napoleon in 1814, and is regarded as one of the first wars of national liberation, significant for the emergence of large-scale guerrilla warfare. Sir Adolphus William Ward, FBA was an English historian and man of letters. The Battle of Corunna took place on 16 January 1809, when a French corps under Marshal of the Empire Nicolas Jean de Dieu Soult attacked a British army under Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore. The battle took place amidst the Peninsular War, which was a part of the wider Napoleonic Wars. It was a result of a French campaign, led by Napoleon, which had defeated the Spanish armies and caused the British army to withdraw to the coast following an unsuccessful attempt by Moore to attack Soult's corps and divert the French army. David George Hogarth,, also known as D. G. Hogarth, was a British archaeologist and scholar associated with T. E. Lawrence and Arthur Evans. He was Keeper of the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford from 1909 to 1927. General Sir Brent Spencer was an Anglo-Irish officer in the British Army, seeing active service during the American Revolutionary War and the French Revolutionary Wars. During the Peninsular War he became General Wellesley's second-in-command on two occasions. He fought at Vimeiro and testified in Wellesley's favor at the inquiry following the Convention of Cintra. He led a division at Bussaco and two divisions at Fuentes de Onoro. After the latter action, he had an independent command in northern Portugal. Wellesley, now Lord Wellington, was not satisfied that Spencer was up to the responsibilities of second-in-command and he was replaced by Thomas Graham. Miffed, Spencer left Portugal and never returned. He became a full general in 1825. To be hanged, drawn and quartered was a penalty in England and the United Kingdom for several crimes, but mainly for high treason. This method was abolished in England in 1870. The Battle of Braga or Battle of Póvoa de Lanhoso or Battle of Carvalho d'Este saw an Imperial French corps led by Marshal Nicolas Soult attack a Portuguese army commanded by Baron Christian Adolph Friedrich von Eben. Soult's professional soldiers slaughtered large numbers of their opponents, who were mostly badly disciplined and poorly armed militia. The action occurred during the Peninsular War, part of the Napoleonic Wars. Braga is situated about 45 kilometres (28 mi) north-northeast of Porto (Oporto). Edward James Rapson FBA was a British numismatist, philologist and professor of Sanskrit at the University of Cambridge. He was a fellow of St. John's College. Rapson died following a sudden collapse at dinner at St. John's. Barclay Vincent Head (1844–1914) was a British numismatist and keeper of the Department of Coins and Medals at the British Museum.
0.999567	Who was a better "Roman Emperor"? Better for whom or what? Justinian. At a time when the western portion of the empire was in collapse he actually expanded his portion of the empire and created relative stability, minus the plague which afflicted the empire (not his fault). I love how dissimilar these two emperors are. We need more polls like this. I voted Justinian. Justinian taxed heavily his subjects due to his expensive wars ergo he was not very popular among lower classes, especially his subjects from the eastern provinces, their homes sacked and pillaged by the persians. In contrast the contemporary writers Josephus and Dio Chrysostom, from the time of Nero, portray him as popular among the lower classes. Tacitus and Suetonius described him as a fiend from hell, but these wrote after Nero's reign. So the answer is: Nero, he played lyre quite well… at least Peter Ustinov did in “Quo Vadis”. He also had a better beard. If you talk about heavy taxation, think about the states of early modern and modern Europe, taxing their subjects heavily for years, decades, and centuries straight to pay for wars with their neighbors, which also taxed their subjects heavily for centuries straight to pay for wars with their neighbors. People who lived near the borders of their states were in constant danger of destructive invasions by armies of neighboring states. The only way to be safe from marauding invading armies is to live too far from the borders and too deep inside your state for foreign armies to ever reach that far. And if you live in a strong modern state the only way to avoid being taxed heavily for military expenses is for there to not be significant foreign threats to demand large defense forces, nor significant tempting foreign targets to justify large spending for aggression. The bigger a state is, both absolutely and relatively compared to potential enemies, the less it needs heavy taxation to support its military machine. Therefore the wars of Justinian to reconquer the rebellious western provinces offered hope for a more peaceful and less heavily taxed world in his era, as well as hope that the evil nations of Italy, Spain, Portugal, France and England would never arise to afflict an unhappy world with their wars and heavy taxes in future ages. The main problems of Justinian's reign were not of his creation. 2) The extreme weather events of 535-536. There was a very sharp temperature drop worldwide in 535-536 causing famines in which probably millions of people died worldwide, disrupting economies and perhaps leading to social instability and the collapse of governments and societies. it was clearly a major stress on the Roman Empire. The temperature drop is believed to have been caused by a thick layer of dust in the atmosphere, theorized to have been caused by one or more volcanic eruptions and/or by one or more asteroid and/or comet impacts. 3) Khosrow I Anushiruwan, King of Kings of Iran, who decide to invade and attack the Roman Empire. Justinian and Khosrow I failed to create an eternal peace between their two mighty empires, just as previous Roman and Persian rulers had failed to create a permanent peace for 600 years already. 4) Baudilla/Totila, a Gothic nobleman was was elected king of the Ostrogoths in 541 when they had been almost totally defeated by the Romans. Totila turned the tide of the war and regained control over almost all of Italy. Italy was devastated by the war which dragged for 11 years until Totila was killed in 552. Totila ruined Italy. If it hadn't been for Totila, Italy would have remained a prosperous province of the Roman Empire. So if a time traveler wants to prevent the disasters of that era, he should stop volcanoes or asteroids from causing the extreme weather events of 535-536, prevent the plague of Justinian, and change the actions of Khosrow i Anshiruwan and Totila.
0.944155	It's easy to say that I left as Kate and came back as Batwoman. The truth, though, is that I left as your lost little girl and came back knowing exactly who I am. I came back as Kate Kane. Kate Kane is Batwoman, one of many vigilantes who protect Gotham City using the imagery of a Bat. She is both Jewish and an out lesbian, playing a socialite during the day, and working as a vigilante by night. Kate Kane and her twin sister Beth were born to prominent colonel Jake Kane and his wife Gabrielle, herself a captain. Both parents were on active military duty, and worked extensively with intelligence organizations. As her parents were promoted, they moved to and from a wide variety of towns and bases, though Jake was often away from home. Eventually, the Kanes moved from Fort Bragg, North Carolina to Brussels, Belgium, where they worked with NATO. However, when Gabi decided to take the girls out for their twelfth birthday, they were attacked and kidnapped by terrorists. Though military intelligence managed to locate the hostages, Jacob only managed to rescue Kate, as both Gabi and Beth had been killed. He tried to prevent her from seeing the worst of it, but Kate was traumatized by the sight of her mother and sister's corpses. Jacob was a supportive father, and Kate managed to deal with her grief by trying to emulate his cool-headedness. She excelled in school, and eventually was accepted into West Point as a cadet. She continued to excel at the Academy, eventually earning the rank of Brigade Executive Officer, as well as completing both Air Assault School and the U.S. Army Airborne School and earning prestigious awards like the RECONDO badge and the Superintendent's Award for Excellence. She also began a romantic relationship with Sophie Moore, a fellow cadet. Shortly after Ring Weekend of Kate's final year at the Academy, she was anonymously accused of homosexual conduct. Though given the chance to stay at the Academy and accept a demotion, Kate instead chose to come out as a lesbian in order to prevent a further investigation and protect Sophie, and was expelled under Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell. After her expulsion from West Point, Kate medicated her depression with alcohol and promiscuity. She decided to travel the world in an attempt to 'find herself' and establish a life outside of the military. During her travels, Kate hit her head on a rock while diving, knocking her unconscious. She wound up on the island of Coryana, off the coast of Malta, and was rescued by the ceremonial leader of the island, a woman called Safiyah. Kate and Safiyah quickly struck up a romance, leading most of the population of the island to dislike Kate for distracting their leader from her duties. Safiyah's lover Tahani was particularly resentful of Kate and attempted to kill her on one occasion. Unbeknownst to Kate, her head wound had been infected with a deadly bacterium that grew in the surrounding ocean reefs. The bacteria began killing the island's native foxes. Kate suspected one of Coryana's warlords had introduced the bacteria in a malicious attack on the island, and Safiyah had the man executed, though Kate begged her to spare his life. When Kate realized she was in fact responsible, Safiyah told her that she had known all along and sought to save Kate from the reaction of the island's populace if they were to find out. Kate was disgusted at Safiyah's willingness to kill an innocent man and left the island after coming to blows with Safiyah and Tahani. Kate returned to Gotham City, where she briefly dated Renee Montoya before the two had a sudden breakup. After a night of drowning her sorrows from this loss, Kate was attacked by a mugger in an alley. She fought the man off and was about to harm him more when the Batman appeared. Seeing him in person made Kate realize that she felt alive when she was fighting crime, and that vigilantism could be her new purpose in life . Her father discovered this habit after approximately a year, and though he was initially angry with her, he agreed to support her mission after she convinced him of her dedication; this included organizing an intense training program to hone her skills, conducted by several of Jacob's former special forces comrades. Kate spent the next three years undergoing fierce training regimens and exposing herself to the worst that the world had to offer. At the end of the third year, Jake gave her one last mission: rescuing a family kidnapped by Russian terrorists and held in the abandoned city of Pripyat, Ukraine. When she found the family, they had already been murdered, and in a rage, she nearly killed the terrorist leader. However, she relented at the last second, and the leader revealed himself as her father. The whole hostage situation had been a ruse, using fake bodies and weapons; it served as a test to prove that she could stop herself from crossing the line and not kill in anger. After that, she was ready to become Batwoman. Batwoman began investigating the arrival of a new leader of the Religion of Crime in Gotham. She briefly met Batman to discuss her findings. Kate demonstrated greater knowledge of the Religion of Crime, and even corrected Batman by saying there were 13 and not 12 covens of the Religion in Gotham. Batman conceded the case to her. The thirteen covens of the Religion of Crime were revived by a new leader named Alice, whose propensity for quoting Alice in Wonderland belied a sinister and callous disregard for human life, and a persistent obsession with Batwoman herself. In an attempt to get answers, Kate dangled the woman over the edge of a rooftop, but rather than give up answers, Alice spat a poisoned razor-blade into Kate's face, causing hallucinations. Kate was saved by Kyle Abbot and a new sect of the Religion of Crime, who rejected the assumption that Batwoman was central to their doctrine. After recovering, rather than immediately seek revenge, Kate went to a charity ball for the Gotham City Police Department, where she met and began a relationship with Margaret Sawyer. They were interrupted by Abbot, who revealed in private that Alice intended to destroy Gotham by stealing military grade firepower. Given that her father had had to leave the party in order to investigate an emergency on base, Kate realized too late that the Religion of Crime was behind it. Alice had captured her father. With Abbot's help, Batwoman managed to board the plane from which Alice planned to unleash a toxic gas onto the city. In the fight that ensued, Alice was nearly knocked out of the plane, but Kate caught her by the hand. In a moment of uncharacteristic coherence, Alice looked up at Kate and stated "You have our father's eyes," before plunging a dagger into Kate's arm. In pain, Kate let go, and watched Alice fall to her death as the realization dawned on her that her twin sister Beth had not died all those years ago. As soon as she had regained her sister, she had lost her - and her father Jacob had betrayed her. When a series of kidnappings and drownings in Gotham's Latino community pointed to the urban legend of a ghost called the Weeping Woman, both Batwoman and Detective Maggie Sawyer began investigating the case separately. While Maggie learned of the origins of the ghost and dealt with the pressures of grieving parents, Kate was faced with reluctantly training her cousin Bette and dodging her questions about her deteriorating relationship with her father. After eavesdropping on one of Maggie's meetings, Kate learned of the location of the latest crime scene. Upon arriving, though, she was accosted by Batman, who offered her a position in Batman, Inc., which she declined. All the while, the DEO had sent Agent Cameron Chase to determine Batwoman's identity, and through her, learn Batman's. She suspected Maggie, initially, but when Maggie caught Batwoman stealing files from her office, she gave her location up to Chase. From the files, Kate sourced the legend of the Weeping Woman to a boathouse, where she was dragged under water by the apparently real spirit. She managed to escape both the spirit and Chase, but the experience led her to decide to stop training Bette, prompting her cousin to go it alone, where Chase was then free to question her. Before Chase could get to her, though, Bette was attacked by a meta with a hook for a hand, who tore open her gut. Unaware, Batwoman learned that the Weeping Woman had been an alcoholic mother named Maria Salvaje, whose children drowned at the boathouse due to her neglect, and she later drowned herself as a result of the guilt. Chase, meanwhile, used Bette's desperate condition to trick her into revealing Kate as her next of kin. Returning to the boathouse, Batwoman set the boathouse on fire, to counter the ghost's water magic. As she began to evaporate, Maria revealed that she had been manipulated into becoming a kidnapper by something or someone called Medusa. Upon her return home, Kate found Chase and Director Bones waiting for her with a deal that they would show her to Bette's location if she would agree to help them take down Medusa. Despite a warning from Batman, Kate agreed, promising herself and the parents of the missing children that she would find them. Now working for the DEO, one of Kate's minor missions involved arresting Detective Melody McKenna for corruption. While attempting to do so, she attacked both McKenna and Batgirl, easily neutralizing both of them. However, Batgirl convinced Batwoman to help them take down Knightfall and rescue Ricky, a young man taken hostage by Knightfall and the Disgraced. Batwoman and McKenna were able to take down the Disgraced while Batgirl fought Knightfall. While on a date with Maggie, Kate realized she was being followed by Kyle Abbot, who informed her that Medusa was being led by a warrior with magical powers named Falchion. Under Falchion's leadership, Medusa manipulated Gotham's 'monsters' into serving them. Batwoman was ordered by Chase to release Sune Ito, the sister of Falchion's second-in-command, Maro. Sune had been captured by the GCPD, and the DEO wanted her in hopes that she could be persuaded to work with them to bring the group down. During Sune's extraction, Maggie got the drop on Kate and accidentally received an injection of a fear toxin cocktail intended for Sune when Kate instinctively retaliated. Despite this, the mission was a success; Sune was liberated and agreed to assist the DEO. She informed Batwoman and Cameron that Medusa's base was located in an underwater lair beneath Gotham Harbor, but did not know how it was accessed. Kate and Sune went undercover at a party on Falchion's private yacht to investigate further, and discovered documents that showed how to access the lair. Batwoman tracked down Falchion and began fighting his army of monsters with the help of state-of-the-art technology from the DEO, however she was forced to surrender when Falchion held a blade to the throat of one of the kidnapped children. However, Sune emerged from the shadows and shot Falchion with an enchanted arrow. A fight ensued, and Sune was injured by Falchion. Batwoman managed to quickly restrain him using the DEO's tech, saving Sune's life. Sune quickly recovered from her injury and attempted to kill Falchion, but Batwoman prevented her from doing so. Sune berated Batwoman and revealed her true identity: Maro Ito, Falchion's warlock. Maro had used his magical powers to shapeshift and take the form of his sister Sune, and had been impersonating her all along, while at the same time hatching his own plan to usurp control of Medusa for himself. Maro killed Falchion and retreated with the kidnapped children in a portal, telling Batwoman that the next time she saw him, he would be at the head of an army. Batwoman and the newly-arrived Cameron Chase were left with Killer Croc and the Weeping Woman, who had been ordered by Maro to kill them, and they narrowly escaped with their lives. Despite her setbacks, Batwoman remained determined to rescue the children. Batwoman found herself at a standstill, with no leads to follow and no way of tracking down Medusa. She interrogated Bloody Mary, one of the former members, who informed her that Medusa was not merely an organization, but the legendary Gorgon from Greek mythology herself. Batwoman turned to the one person that could handle such a threat: Wonder Woman. Together, they ventured to the prison underneath Themyscira where Medusa had been held, but found only Nyx, the Goddess of Night. Nyx attempted to smother them in darkness, but they managed to escape after Batwoman blinded the goddess with a torch. The two heroes tracked down Pegasus, a son of Medusa and Falchion's brother, who had been tortured by Falchion after he refused to join Medusa. He offered to reveal the location of the children, if Wonder Woman would agree to end his suffering and kill him. She reluctantly agreed, and he revealed that Medusa was located in the "dark heart of the world" - Gotham. Kate was infuriated that she hadn't realized her target was underneath her nose all along. Wonder Woman offered to return to Gotham with Batwoman, end Medusa for good and rescue the missing children. During her absence, Gotham had been overrun by Medusa's army of human followers and monsters alike. Maggie and the rest of the GCPD, along with the D.E.O., attempted to fight off Medusa's forces. Just as the children were being led to Medusa herself, Batwoman and Wonder Woman arrived. Kate watched as the Hydra destroyed her home. While Wonder Woman slew the Hydra, the amount of blood spilled allowed Medusa to successfully resurrect her mother Ceto, the Mother of Monsters, who took the form of a hideous creature. Medusa intended to sacrifice the kidnapped children to bind her mother's spirit to Earth. Batwoman managed to kill Medusa, turning her into stone by using a mirror to reflect her gaze back towards her. With Medusa's death, her spell on Gotham was broken. Ceto reverted to the form of a human woman and left Gotham with Wonder Woman, who bid Batwoman farewell with a mutual pact to work together again if needed. The children were returned to their families unharmed. Afterwards, Batwoman approached Maggie, revealed her secret identity, and asked Maggie to marry her. Along with their engagement, Kate and Maggie moved into a new apartment, and Kate began to test the limits of her DEO servitude by sabotaging some of her own missions to prevent them from getting complete intel. She was also briefly targeted for assassination by remnants of Medusa's forces who sought revenge. One of these self-sabotage attempts involved antagonizing Batman by destroying a piece of Mr. Freeze's tech wanted by both him and the DEO. Bette, now working alongside Kate as Hawkfire, began to become suspicious of Kate's actions, knowing there was more to things than met the eye. When Kate was reluctant to explain the situation to her, Bette secretly bugged Kate's suit with a microphone to get answers. Just before the bugging, Kate and Bette took down Shard, who had attacked several DEO agents for, as she put it, "steal[ing] from the Religion of Crime." Batgirl personally recruited Batwoman to help destroy Mother's global array of mind-control broadcast antennas that had affected the world's children; Kate was responsible for destroying the one based in Dubai, UAE. After destroying the antenna, Batwoman assisted the rest of the assembled heroes in mopping up Mother's forces in her Arctic base. Batman later approached Kate after a mysterious group called The Colony, led by Kate’s father Jacob Kane, began hunting down Gotham's heroes. He revealed his identity to her (though Kate had already worked out he was her cousin Bruce Wayne), and the two worked together to lead a "boot camp" for young heroes, consisting of Red Robin, Orphan, Spoiler and Clayface. Batwoman was the first vigilante to interact with Mother Panic; unbeknownst to either of them, they knew each other in civilian life, sharing a past that Kate was "still mad" about. After a brief scuffle during their initial encounter, Kate followed Violet to a location where criminal artist Gala was keeping kidnapped children as part of an artwork. After Violet rescued the children, Kate offered her compliments, only to be verbally harassed. Kate left with a veiled warning that the rest of the Gotham vigilantes would be watching her. After the Night of the Monster Men, Batman received intel informing him that Monster Venom was being sold on the black market and tasked Batwoman with tracking down the seller. Batwoman was accompanied by Julia Pennyworth, and together they discovered the seller was a terrorist arms-dealing group called The Many Arms of Death. Her search led her to Coryana, the island nation she had washed up on years earlier. On her mission to track down the leaders of the group, Kate was followed by an assassin associated with The Many Arms of Death who referred to herself as Knife. Knife was revealed to be Tahani, the former lover of Coryana's leader Safiyah, whom Kate had also loved during her time on the island. Batwoman and Julia deduced that the Kali Corporation, who had acquired the island of Coryana, was merely a front for The Many Arms of Death. Under the guise of seeking to purchase Safiyah's old bar, the Desert Rose, Kate went to meet Elder and Younger, the twin CEOs of the Kali Corporation, but was attacked by Knife. Together with the warlords of the island, Batwoman forced Knife to retreat and was given ownership of the bar, but entrusted the responsibility of leading the island to one of the warlords, Song Tae-Ree. Following the destruction of the Many Arms of Death, the dissolution of the Colony, and her reconciliation with Bruce, Kate returned to regular duty as Batwoman, now with Beth living in her apartment and Julia helping take care of her. While working a cold case, Kate teams with Renee Montoya, and after the case is closed, the two decide to start seeing each other again. Kate was part of the massive assembly of heroes that traveled to Mars to confront Doctor Manhattan. Acrobatics: Kate learned Parkour as part of her Batwoman training, and would also have been required to learn similar skills as a cadet. Archery: Kate is capable of wielding a crossbow with great accuracy. Business Management: Kate works at an office during her day job, though what exactly this entails is unknown. Demolitions: When she was tasked with unmasking Batman by the DEO, part of Kate's ambush involved setting charges to blow out a section of a roof to fall inward. She also knows how to use detcord. Enhanced Senses: Kate's head wound was stitched shut with gold thread, giving her a limited ability to detect strong electromagnetic fields. Equestrianism: On Coryana, Kate helped hunt infected foxes while on horseback. Gymnastics: She is quite skilled in gymnastics (having trained in the sport since she was very young), and made it to Senior Elite level. Indomitable Will: Kate has been able to fight off psychic attacks and various drug trips solely through force of will. Investigation: During her Batwoman training, Kate received education from the FBI. She was able to deduce Batman's identity based on a handful of clues. Leadership: Kate was one of the two leaders of the Gotham Knights. Boxing: Kate was a boxer at West Point, though this was not a requirement for female cadets during her time there. It's possible Jacob may have taught her even earlier than that. Karate: Given the general viciousness of Kate's fights, she was most likely trained in the Kyokushin style. Ninjitsu: Though not a style in and of itself, Kate has demonstrated many of the component skills of ninjitsu, such as unarmed combat, throwing, stealth, horse riding, tactical analysis, geographical knowledge, espionage, disguise, swords, chain weapons, and use of firearms and explosives. Medicine: Kate has been shown able to identify wounds and how old they are and describe them anatomically, administer stimulants, and perform minor surgery on herself. Meditation: She used a word-association form of meditation to figure out how to thwart La Llorona. Multilingualism: Kate knows at least a bit of French, Portuguese, Hebrew, and Yiddish. Music: Kate is a guitarist who occasionally performs in bars. Occultism: Kate owns or is otherwise familiar with a wide variety of occult, esoteric, and mystical texts. Peak Human Condition: As a result of her extremely rigorous training, Kate is now at the upper end of natural human abilities. Peak Human Durability: Kate has shrugged off wounds from bladed weapons on numerous occasions, and even survived being stabbed in the heart; she willingly went off of painkillers after a week and was back at home in a month. She has taken full-force blows to the face from Bane and Killer Croc with only superficial damage. Peak Human Speed: According to Batman, Kate has a reaction time of 50 milliseconds, which is 6-8 times faster than a human eye can blink. Peak Human Strength: Kate is strong enough to shatter stone statues with a single punch, stagger both Bane and Killer Croc, throw and kick larger opponents multiple feet, punch apart military-grade helmets,, and throw enemies through concrete-block walls. Pedagogy: Kate trained the Gotham Knights. Seduction: Of the distraction type. Stealth: Kate once infiltrated an airborne military airship without raising alarm, and managed to make it to the bridge and subdue at least three soldiers before she revealed herself. She has also successfully ambushed Batman. Survival: As part of her training, Kate crossed the Sahara with no supplies, and had to procure her own food and water along the way. Swimming: In addition to required swimming classes at West Point, Kate received underwater combat training and can easily swim while carrying someone of a similar weight as her. Tactical Analysis: While working with the DEO, Kate enacted an ambush against Batman that successfully resulted in his capture. She can identify certain martial arts forms by watching them (including finding flaws), and has studied the ancient Chinese text Thirty-Six Stratagems. Tracking: She was able to read footprints in snow at a crime scene well enough to know that only GCPD officers had been there. Weaponry: In addition to more standard weapons, Kate also regularly makes use of improvised weapons like rocks, bottles, fire extinguishers, etc. Firearms: Kate has a much more lenient attitude toward guns than Bruce does, and has been trained in their use. She can even wield unfamiliar firearms with great accuracy. Low Drug Tolerance: Kate is susceptible to attacks using incapacitating agents like drugs or toxins, especially those of a hallucinogenic nature. Despite weathering many such attacks during her crimefighting career, she seems to have built up no resistance to them, even in general. Red Knight One, a customized Ducati sport motorcycle. The Sequoia: (Destroyed) Kate's family yacht that was refurbished for her global missions with Julia Pennyworth. The refurbishments included the ability to transform into an airship. The Kônos: A hypersonic 1-person jet, included as part of the loadout of the Sequoia. Batarangs: A foldable version shaped like two hinged claws, known as "thorns". Taser gloves: An upgrade from the DEO, using modified tech from the Electrocutioner. Capable of using the suit's stored power to discharge as a large beam attack. Python coil: A lasso-type weapon that constricts and cuts into a victim the more they struggle. Fear toxin: Carried in canisters in her gauntlets. Batwoman was created by Edmond Hamilton, Sheldon Moldoff, and Greg Rucka, first appearing in 52 #7. However, in the Prime Earth continuity Batwoman first appeared as part of the New 52 DC Universe in Batwoman (Volume 2) #1 by J.H. Williams III and W. Haden Blackman. A number of comics refer to Kate's discharge as "dishonorable". However, this is an error since real-life discharges under DADT were mostly honorable, and nothing about Kate's other conduct would have warranted such a severe penalty. Kate has a tattoo of the Green Beret sleeve insignia on her right upper arm, presumably inked at some point during the two-year training her father arranged for her. It is a match to a tattoo her mother Gabi had. Kate has a tattoo of the Nautical Star on her upper back, which she had inked sometime after her discharge from the US Military Academy, but before she became a vigilante. Whilst being a common tattoo and having a broad range of symbolism, the Nautical Star tattoo is commonly associated with the US Navy and Marine Corps. During the 1940s it also started to be used by homosexuals (particularly lesbians) to indicate their sexuality in a discreet manner during a time when homosexuality was frowned upon. Kate's third tattoo, a bluebird on her left shoulder, has no apparent meaning behind it. However, it is in the same area as a bullet scar she received during Zero Year, so it may serve to hide it. Being the heiress of a family whose fortune is comparable to the Waynes', Kate possesses the finances to produce an arsenal of equipment, similar to Batman. Kate is a fan of Blondie, The 69 Eyes, and The Sisters of Mercy. According to J.H. Williams III, Kate's birthday is March 21. Kate's nickname at West Point, possibly due to her participation in boxing, was "Candy", a play on her last name. Her company at West Point was Company B-2. Though Jewish, Kate does not follow kosher guidelines. Kate finds both Wonder Woman and Zatanna attractive.
0.999975	Federal Agency Approved Survival Gear is a more specific category of government approved survival gear. Some of these items include those that are approved for specific use or by a specific federal agency. Examples would be SOLAS, EPA and FDA approved items, among others. Many of these items include those that are medical or food in nature such as survival food, approved medical bandages or medicines.
0.995477	Think of your personal favorite leaders. Did they get there all alone or did they bring others with them? It’s likely that there’s a whole list of people who have been uplifted because of them. To reach the success you crave, it’s important to focus your energy on helping others reach success. When you do that, you’ll have a network of successful people who are inspired to help you continue to reach everything you aspire to.
0.959352	The NCAA men's college basketball national championships have been around since 1939. From Indiana's Branch McCracken in the game's early days to North Carolina's Roy Williams in 2017, a handful of legendary coaches have dominated the sport. These 10 coaches hold the most NCAA men's basketball titles. John Wooden's UCLA Bruins dominated more than a decade of college hoops. The team's seven consecutive titles are an NCAA record, and Wooden coached four of those teams to perfect 30–0 seasons. Nicknamed "the Wizard of Westwood," Wooden coached a number of players who went on to the NBA, most notably Lou Alcindor (who later changed his name to Kareen Abdul-Jabbar). John Wooden died in 2010 at the age of 90. Mike Kryzewski became the face of Duke University's men's basketball team in 1980. During his tenure, the Blue Devils have gone to the NCAA playoffs more than 30 times, including 22 times in a row (1996-2017), second only to the Jayhawks of Kansas. Kryzewski also holds the distinction of having coached the men's U.S. Olympic basketball team three times (2008, 2012, 2016). In his 41 years as head coach at the University of Kentucky, Adolph Rupp led his Wildcats to 876 victories. That record puts him among the 10 winningest coaches in NCAA men's basketball. Rupp's record as a coach is marred by a point-shaving scandal that resulted in Kentucky's being banned from play during the 1952–53 season. He continued coaching until 1972. Rupp died at age 76 in 1977. Williams led the North Carolina Tarheels to their third NCAA men's title in 2017, giving him his third championship. He began his coaching career as an assistant for the Tarheels in 1978, before taking the head coaching job at Kansas. After 15 successful years at KU, he returned to North Carolina as head coach in 2003. Bob Knight was known as much for his explosive temper as for his coaching record at Indiana. From 1971 to 2000, Knight was the head coach of the Hoosiers. He has also coached at Texas Tech (2001–08) and Army (1965–71), then retired to pursue a broadcasting career. When he retired in 2008, Knight had 902 career wins, the most of any coach at that time. The University of Connecticut is known for excellence in both men's and women's basketball. Jim Calhoun, who coached the men's Husky teams from 1986 to 2012, also has won three NCAA titles. Prior to his tenure at Connecticut, he coached at Northeastern for 14 years. Calhoun retired from coaching at the end of the 2012 season. Branch McCracken was there at the beginning when the first NCAA basketball playoffs were held in 1939. That year, his Indiana Hoosiers finished second to Oregon. But the following year, Indiana went all the way and won the NCAA championship. At the time, he was the youngest coach to lead a team to the title. McCracken, who coached at Ball State from 1930–38, joined the Hoosiers in 1939 and remained there until 1965. He died in 1970 at age 61. Henry Iba wasn't just the head coach of Oklahoma State's men's basketball team for 36 years. He was also university's athletic director for much of that time (and for a few years, also the baseball coach). He also served as coach of the U.S. Olympic men's basketball team in 1964, 1968, and 1972. Iba died at 88 in 1993. Like Henry Iba, Phil Woolpert did double-duty as men's basketball coach and athletic director. In addition to back-to-back titles, Woolpert led the Dons (later the Toreros) on a 60-game winning streak, one of the longest in NCAA history. Woolpert died 1987 at 71. Ed Jucker led the Bearcats to consecutive titles in 1961 and '62, as well as a second-place finish in 1963. In his five years with Cincinnati, he had a record of 113–20, one of the highest win percentages in NCAA basketball. Jucker died 2002 at age 85. Other men's basketball coaches who have won at least two national championships include Denny Crum (Louisville), Dean Smith (North Carolina), Billy Donovan (Florida), and Rick Pitino (Kentucky, Louisville). Do You Have Any Idea What a Bruin Is?
0.940675	Much like today's football players or WWF wrestlers, Roman gladiators could win renown and fortune in the arenas. Modern sportsmen sign contracts; ancient ones made oaths. Injuries were common, and the life of a player was generally short. Unlike modern sports figures, however, gladiators were usually slaves or criminals: They were not expected to fight in wars or battles, but instead fought one-on-one (usually) as entertainment, in an arena. As a gladiator, a man could potentially raise his status and wealth if he was both popular and successful. Gladiators were often criminals and slaves, hired to provide entertainment in the Roman Circus or another arena. There were many different types of gladiators, based on their clothing and weapons. Weapons used by some gladiators included knives and swords, shields, and helmets. The use of the weapons was taught at a professional school called a ludus. Both the men and the weapons were owned (and rented out) by the head of the school. Gladiators did not fight in the Roman army, but after the Spartacus revolt in 73 BCE, some were professionally trained to perform in the arena. Training schools (called ludus gladiatorius) taught prospective gladiators. The schools—and the gladiators themselves—were owned by a lanista, who would lease the men out for upcoming gladiatorial events. If a gladiator was killed during the battle, the lease would convert to a sale and the price might be as high as 50 times the rent. There were many types of gladiators in ancient Rome, and they were trained at the ludus by a specialist (doctores or magistrii) skilled in that form of fighting. Each type of gladiator had his own set of traditional weapons and armor. Some gladiators—like the Samnites—were named for opponents of the Romans; other types of gladiators, like the Provacator and Secutor, took their names from their functions: challenger and pursuer. Often, certain types of gladiators fought only specific foes, because the best type of entertainment was thought to be an evenly matched pair with contrasting fighting styles. Most of the information about Roman gladiators comes from Roman historians, as well as mosaics and tombstones. One source is the "Oneirocritica" of Artemidorus, a professional diviner of the second century CE Rome. Artemidorus interpreted dreams for Roman citizens, and a chapter of his book discusses what a man's dream of fighting with a specific gladiator type implies about the wife he is going to marry. There were four principal classes of Roman gladiator: Samnites, Thraex, Myrmillo, and Retiarius. Scutum: a large oblong shield made from three sheets of wood, glued together and topped with a leather or canvas coating. Greaves: leg armor that went from ankle to just below the knee. Engraving of Ancient Roman Gladiators Fighting, Retiarius vs. Secutor. Cardiophylax: small breastplate, usually rectangular or crescent-shaped. The dimachaerii ("two-knife men") were armed with two short scimitar blades (siccae) designed for slicing attacks on an opponent. Reports of the armor they carry range from nothing but a loincloth or a belt to a wide variety of armor including chain mail. The hoplomachii ("armored fighters") wore a helmet and basic arm and leg protection, a small round shield called a parmula, a gladius, a short dagger known as a pugio, and a gladius graecus, a leaf-shaped sword used only by them. The laquearii ("lasso men") used a noose or a lasso. Velites or skirmishers hurled missiles and fought on foot. A scissor fought with a specialized short knife with two blades in the shape of an open pair of scissors without the hinge. Catervarii battled each other in groups, rather than one-on-one. Cestus fought with their fists, which were wrapped in leather wrappings studded with spikes. Crupellarii were trainee slaves who wore heavy armor of iron making it hard for them to fight, rapidly exhausted and easily dispatched. Noxii were criminals who fought animals or each other: They were not really armed and so not really gladiators. Anadabatae wore helmets without eyeholes. Barton, Carlin A. "The Scandal of the Arena." Representations 27 (1989): 1–36. Print. Carter, Michael. "Artemidorus and the Ἀρβήλαϛ Gladiator." Zeitschrift fur Papyrologie und Epigraphik 134 (2001): 109–15. Print. Carter, M. J. "Gladiatorial Combat: The Rules of Engagement." The Classical Journal 102.2 (2006): 97–114. Print. Neubauer, Wolfgang, et al. "The Discovery of the School of Gladiators at Carnuntum, Austria." Antiquity 88 (2014): 173–90. Print. Oliver, James Henry. "Symmachi, Homo Felix." Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome 25 (1957): 7–15. Print. Reid, Heather L. "Was the Roman Gladiator an Athlete?" Journal of the Philosophy of Sport 33.1 (2006): 37–49. Print. Do You Know These 6 Parts of the Coat of Arms?
0.966574	Do we want to implement mkstemps ? It's more of a linux function. While I see mkstemp in stdlib.h, I don't see mkstemps. mkstemps.png (112.4 KB) - added by kallisti5 14 months ago. mkstemps_bsd.png (45.8 KB) - added by kallisti5 14 months ago. libbsd.png (81.5 KB) - added by kallisti5 14 months ago. oh. that's weird. I don't see any history of it getting disabled. I'll test and see if it can be enabled. "mkstemps(): unstandardized, but appears on several other systems." For compatibility purposes, do we want to "just enable it" in stdlib (even though not in POSIX)? It'll make ports easier with fewer modifications. We could put it under _BSD_SOURCE or some other similar guard (and finally implement a features.h so that people don't have to manually #define _BSD_SOURCE - but devs lazyness on that seems very high for some reason, they prefer patching hundreds of buildsystems to writing one header file apparently). I pushed a review here for the "basic" version just copying linux + bsd. That means we're left to porting + patching a lot of sources with "special Haiku things" Well to be honest this function can stay hidden by default: We didn't need it until now, I don't see any patches for this function at HaikuPorts ( https://github.com/haikuports/haikuports/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&q=mkstemps&type= ), so the projects requiring it might need a patch, that's fine. And one more time it's not POSIX. The _BSD_SOURCE define is supposed to be set by default. As I mentioned above (and countless time already), we need to do this just like Linux and BSD and have a "features.h" which sets the define. I can't understand why people insist on the "let's patch everything we port" way instead, when it would be so easy to add that single header file with a few #ifdef/#define in it. The idea is basically to enable this by default, unless someone requested strict C standard (--std=c99 or the like) from the compiler command line. Not defining the extra functions in that case is actually a requirement, because the C language has an exact list of what each header must provide (nothing more, nothing less). This is why there has to be a way of disabling the extra functions. If on the other hand an "extended" standard is used (like --std=gnu89/gnu11, which are the default), then we do not need to strictly comply to C anymore and can make the extensions visible. The macro __STRICT_ANSI__ is predefined when the -ansi option is used. I'm guessing a check like yours would go under the "favor bsd" part since "not favoring BSD over POSIX" would make sense unless _BSD_SOURCE is defined. Sure, if you'd like to propose a change, and not implement it yourself, be nice to submit an enhancement/bug ticket (or post a link if it exists). Yes, that features.h from glibc looks mostly right. Then all we need to do is #include it everywhere in our other .h files where we have a #ifdef _BSD_SOURCE. huh.. waddlesplash just merged my review as-is. This issue isn't solved, don't take that commit as it being solved. As-is, mkstemps is in libroot posix. Do we want it to just live there? I have the code locally moving it to libbsd.
0.999999	Please follow these instructions for an accurate reading of height and distance. Step 0: After entering your height follow these steps to measure distance and then height. Step1: While standing, keep the phone at the eye level and point to the bottom of the object whose height you want to measure. Note: Even if you just want to measure the height, you need to first measure the distance by pointing to the ground. Step 2: While pointing to the ground hit the big button at the bottom of the screen. A window pops up that show the distance. Step 3. If you want to measure the height, select height from this pop up window. Step 4: Without changing the height of the phone, point to the top of the object that you want to measure and while still pointing to the top of the object hit the big botton at the bottom of the screen. this causes another window pop up that shows you the height of the object.
0.998595	Advances in deep learning have led to substantial increases in prediction accuracy but have been accompanied by increases in the cost of rendering predictions. We conjecture that for a majority of real-world inputs, the recent advances in deep learning have created models that effectively "overthink" on simple inputs. In this paper, we revisit the classic question of building model cascades that primarily leverage class asymmetry to reduce cost. We introduce the "I Don't Know"(IDK) prediction cascades framework, a general framework to systematically compose a set of pre-trained models to accelerate inference without a loss in prediction accuracy. We propose two search based methods for constructing cascades as well as a new cost-aware objective within this framework. The proposed IDK cascade framework can be easily adopted in the existing model serving systems without additional model re-training. We evaluate the proposed techniques on a range of benchmarks to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework.
0.998205	Migrating to Kinetis or S08GW ? Here is a little background on me. I have been programming the QG8 and QE32 microcontrollers for a the last 5 years. I Currently working on a project that required a microcontroller with four serial ports (SCI). I found that i could go with either the 32-bit Kinetis K series or 8-bit S08GW. The main portion of the code is fully tested with the QE32 uC and various parts "glued" together. It looks like the S08GW has limited stock. I have about a month to bring the hardware up and running. 1. Which route should i take to achieve this goal ? 2. What is the learning curve like for transition from the QE32 uC to the Kinetis K (K1x or K2x) ? Having only a month to complete the job, I would strongly advise against changing MCU family (if you can avoid it). Assuming enough CPU idle time is left in your application and the baud rate is not excessively high, you could possibly implement soft SCIs using Input Captures (RX) and some timer for TX (or no timer, if you can afford to block while outputting the bit stream for a byte). Also, instead of Input Captures (if not enough are available), you could also use a general-purpose input interrupt (like KBI) combined with some general timer to grab incoming bits correctly. Regarding TX, there's also the possibility of using a single TX 'multiplexed' for more than one channel (assuming common baud rate). If this works, then maybe you don't even have to move away from the QE32 that you already know well. from my point of view is easier the migration to the GW than migrate to Kinetis.
0.999909	Catch up on the basics of Apple's virtual assistant. Hold down the home button on your Apple iPhone, and you can ask a question of Siri -- Apple's version of what we generically call a "virtual assistant." Talk to Siri, and you can search the internet, make a call, set a reminder and even control certain smart home devices. You can also get Siri's attention by holding down a button on attached headphones or saying "Hey, Siri" if your Apple device is plugged in. Here's a list of all the ways to get Siri's attention and almost everything you can ask Apple's assistant. Siri is built into all modern iPhones and iPads, as well as Apple's Mac computers and Apple's smart watches. Siri will also be featured in Apple's upcoming HomePod -- a smart speaker that responds to your voice commands akin to the Amazon Echo. Apple might be following Amazon's lead with the the HomePod, but Siri helped popularize the concept that gave rise to the assistant in the Echo -- Amazon's Alexa.
0.98252	Can't get your kids to quit playing video games? Good news: Depending on what they're playing, they might actually be learning to be smarter about money. Granted, games like “Mario Kart” or “Doom” aren't going to do much to help increase anyone's financial IQ, but a number of popular titles incorporate economic principles into their gameplay, which not only adds to a game's immersive nature, but can impart a few lessons for younger players as well. Whether it's titles that have incorporated economic systems, like “The Sims” or “Civilization”, or education games like Lemonade Stand , there's the potential for players to learn the importance of managing their resources. In many cases, though, it comes down to whether the game makers are looking to emphasize that system. Some players, however, pick up personal finance tips without any prompting. For instance, Alex Recker and his wife Melissa were looking for a way to better keep an eye on their budget. They tried a number of fiscal philosophies and tools, but weren't happy with any of them. But one night, as Recker played “Civilization V” and was examining his in-game finances, he had an epiphany. If he could break down the couple's financial status in a way as clear and concise as the game, it would be the breakthrough they were looking for. "Because the numbers were so straight forward, we were free to look at the data and form simple tests around it," he wrote in a blog post at the time explaining the system. "If I thought taking the bus every day would help us save money, I could try it for a week and examine the results ... Rather than needing to prove everything, I could focus on one behavior at a time and quickly see if these guesses were supported by one clear, obvious result." Games can teach more than personal finance, too. “EVE Online” is a massively multiplayer online game (kind of like “World of Warcraft”) where players spend their time in a deep space setting mining and exploring planets, manufacturing and trading goods and (on occasion) pirating and fighting in battles. The economy in “EVE Online” is a living thing. CCP, the game's developer, actually has an economist in-house who monitors the virtual world, working to curb inflation or introducing new types of technology to absorb currency. In real world terms, that economist and his team are a virtual Federal Reserve, selling bonds to shrink the money supply. As of late April last year, the real world value of the game's economy, noted Himar Petursson, CEO of publisher CCP, at an industry convention, is $55 million . And some players study that economy and use it as a testing ground for real world speculation. "It has been an interesting experiment," said John Purcell, an avid player of the game and creator of Prosper Market Analysis, a de facto financial journalism site focused on “EVE Online,” in an interview. "Since ‘EVE’ has a very complicated economy ... it gives a way to mess with economic principles and ideas in a way that doesn't cost me $10,000 per month in fees. I can analyze some results and test them without ... losing my shirt and telling my wife I've lost our money. Here, I can buy in-game currency for $100. And whether that sinks or swims, I'm only out $100." The biggest hurdle when it comes to teaching players about fiscal responsibility is the game's focus is squarely on entertainment, so many players may choose not to pay attention to any financial lessons. But those lessons can spring to the forefront of a player's mind when they experience a similar real world scenario. "The opportunity to understand investment, supply and demand, opportunity cost, and many other financial concepts are there – the key is getting players to attend to and reflect on them," said Watson. "That being said, there is a whole world of secondary content that is player-generated around games on the internet. So some players do really digest what games have to offer and share the knowledge they’ve gained, even if only presenting it in terms of success within the game ... If they recognize a real world problem as being representative of a gameplay problem they've encountered in the past, I certainly think it’s possible that they could call past in-game experiences to mind." Video games might seem a bit of an odd way to boost your financial IQ. But ultimately, say experts, they can be terrific educational tools. "I think animations are important," says Ray Martinez, co-founder and president of financial education at Everfi. "I think having a multi-sensory learning approach is important, so you can cater to different learning styles. Being able to build an avatar and take that avatar through different scenarios where you're helping them make decisions, but you understand the consequences when you make a bad decision — that's important and makes it relevant to that end user."
0.9998	Limitless: rompiendo barreras, mirando hacia el futuro. … experience a live TEDx-event? … discover how to transform Barcelona into a green city? … admire the impact of a personalized education? … understand the impacts of quantum computing? … convert yourself into a biohacker? Come, connect and inspire yourself and much more at our annual event TEDxBarcelona 2016. A unique and unforgettable experience which will take place the following 7th of October at the Auditori de Barcelona from 15:00h – 19:30h. Following the theme limitless, our speakers will share onstage innovative ideas which are revolutionizing the world today. Additionally we will announce the results of our TEDxBarcelona Awards: a competition of innovative ideas and projects at which more than 200 TEDx-ers have participated! Don’t miss the presentation of three finalists of the TEDxBarcelona Awards and decide – together with the other attendees – who will be the final winner. At TEDxBarcelona we believe in the power of ideas and how they can help us to improve our societies in the future. If you are also a curious mind you must not miss this event! All talks will be in Spanish. We will open doors at 15:00, the talks will start at 15:30. If you cannot come at that time we recommend you to come during the break (17:00 – 17:45). Hola, recien llegue a españa, y me encantaria ir, el problema es que no puedo pagar por las entradas ya que no tengo cuenta de banco aquí, y el pago no se está procesando, y no tengo cuenta de Paypal. Como lo puedo hacer? Hola, no me funciona la página para pagar, como lo puedo hacer? Hi! Are the speeches going to be in english? Hola Aleksandra! Puedes comprar las entradas en esta misma web, registrándote en la página, clicando “Sí, asistiré” y realizando el pago. Solamente clicando “sí, asistiré” no es suficiente, dado que deben comprarse las entradas online. Si las compras antes del día 20 (early bird) obtienes un buen descuento ¡Te esperamos! Hola Clara, he recebido la confirmacion de PayPal que he pagado pero nada de TedXBarcelona, ni si quiera esta en minlista de eventos. Me podrias ayudar? Gracias. Hola, cuando clico en “yes, i’ll attend”, no veo ningun link donde poder hacer el pago, que debo hacer? Hola, ¿podéis indicarme el link desde dónde comprar las entradas?Ya me he registrado.En la web no lo veo.Muchas gracias.
0.999988	Investigate their creative interests and expand on the inquiries. Children learn through hands-on, sensory experiences with positive reinforcements. They look at the world as a place filled with wondrous new things to see, hear, touch, taste, and smell. In the classroom, children have various hands-on learning opportunities to experience these senses. Essential to learning, particularly to the development of intellectual qualities such as originality and creativity; is self-esteem. A child's confidence is essential to their personal, intellectual, and independent growth. We provide an opportunity to succeed and become more confident in their daily routine, peer interaction and individual learning. As the child passes through this milestone of learning, they will become more confident which raises ones self-esteem. Continual improvement is our approach to expanding, updating and introducing new innovations to create the most ideal environment for your children. We attend a minimum of 20 hrs per year to keep up to date with new learning practices as well as refine our current skills and knowledge.
0.968189	Showing results for tags 'valuation'. I am trying to value XRP at the moment and would like to know if im missing something. Current situation First off, XRP is currently trading at around $0.185 USD. There will ever only be 100 billion coins in existence and thus if price were to stay the same in perpetuity with all coins on the market, then the current market capitalisation would be $18.5 billion. Ripple's goal and target Currently, there is $155 trillion(On XRP website) in cross-payments globally annually. This is all being transferred as per Ripple "on an outdated system" and Ripple is offering a new method/medium to transfer this $155 trillion. So this is Ripple's target and we can say the demand for ripple if ripple is the new system and fully adopted is for $155 trillion of value of XRP. A bit of maths XRP's market cap currently (if all coins are tradeable), is $18.5 billion. There are two ways to service demand: - Increase market supply - Increase price Since there's a limit of only 100 billion coins, then in order to service the demand of $155 trillion, the price of XRP would need to increase. However, this $155 trillion is the annual amount in cross-payments, banks turnover money every day and therefore when pricing xrp, the amount of demand should be daily. So per day, the amount of cross-payments is $155Trillion/365 =~ $420billion/day. In order to service this the price would need to increase by (current market cap)/(estimated daily demand) =~ 23 times. Conclusion So the max price, in order to service all the demand in the world (assuming 100% adoption as we want to know max value of XRP) is = current price * multiplier(found in previous section). = 0.185 * 23 =~ $4.25 Is this the max price of Ripple? I do not see why the price would need to be higher than this as this is enough to service all the demand in the world daily. Of course there is growth in the world (globalisation etc.) that would increase the amount of cross-border payments and hence XRP price but that is the stable growth stage (slow growth stage). The price increase to $4.25 would be considered the high growth stage and where you would, "make quick money". 23 time return is very nice but I expected the high growth to be much longer and more potential for XRP (reaching the double digits and maybe triple) but the maths is saying that this is the max it will go. Am I missing something here? Thanks! Crypto Derby - Are you holding the winning ticket? They are heading down the back stretch........ BTC and ETH holders are you watching the same race we are watching? It's not Secretariat......it's RIPPLE/XRP!
0.91982	WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rampant fraud in the mortgage industry has increased so sharply that the FBI warned Friday of an "epidemic" of financial crimes which, if not curtailed, could become "the next S&L crisis." "It has the potential to be an epidemic," said Swecker, who heads the Criminal Division at FBI headquarters in Washington. "We think we can prevent a problem that could have as much impact as the S&L crisis," he said. The FBI has dispatched undercover teams across the country in an urgent investigation into dealings by suspect mortgage brokers, appraisers, short-term investors, and loan officers, Swecker, flanked by FBI executives and Justice Department prosecutors, revealed. In one operation, six individuals were arrested Thursday in Charlotte, charged with bank fraud for their roles in a multimillion-dollar mortgage fraud, officials said. The two-year investigation found fraudulent loans that exposed financial institutions and mortgage companies to $130 million in potential losses, they said. Also Thursday, federal agents in Jacksonville arrested two people and executed seven search warrants in connection with an alleged scheme designed to defraud banks of $22 million, officials said. The number of open FBI mortgage fraud investigations has increased more than five-fold in the past three years, from 102 probes in 2001 to 533 as of June 30 this year, the FBI said. The potential losses are staggering, and many financial institutions are cooperating with investigators. Officials noted mortgage industry sources have reported more than 12,000 cases of suspicious activity in the past nine months, three times the number reported in all of 2001. While the FBI described mortgage-related fraud as a nationwide problem, it said the levels of illegal activity are worse in some locations than in others. States identified as the top 10 "hot spots" for mortgage fraud are Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Michigan, Illinois, Missouri, California, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. "It's bad in Georgia, the Atlanta area," said John Gillies, chief of the FBI's Financial Institutions Fraud Unit. "It was bad in the Charlotte area, but we've had a lot of undercover activity there that's helped push the problem into South Carolina." Josh Hochberg, head of the Justice Department's Fraud Section, said some organized ethnic groups are becoming involved in mortgage fraud schemes, but he declined to identify the groups. Officials said mortgage fraud is one prominent aspect of a wider problem of fraud aimed at financial institutions. The FBI said action has been taken against 205 individuals in the past month in what it described as the "largest nationwide enforcement operation in FBI history directed at organized groups and individuals engaged in financial institution fraud." In addition to mortgage fraud, "Operation Continued Action" also targeted loan fraud, check kiting, and identity theft as major problems.
0.999747	Full list of airports in Cambodia includes both the international airports in Cambodia, the largest airports, large airports, and a small civil airports in Cambodia. The list of airports includes: airport codes in Cambodia (iata codes, icao codes), airport names in Cambodia, the name of the city in which or near which the airport is located. How many airports in the Cambodia? To see a full list of airports in the Cambodia, you can look at the list of airports in the country listed in the table above or find out the answer in the next sentence.
0.999644	Artificial intelligence. To know understanding artificial intelligence is, we must know what intelligence is. Intelligence is the ability to acquire and apply knowledge and skills. This ability is what makes the difference between Humans, Animals, and machines & robots. If we make machines or robots to acquire and apply knowledge & skills and it is what called artificial intelligence. It is a concept inspired by the working of our brain, and researchers have been researching and experimenting to make machines think and learn. We only know a little about working of our brain, we are trying to make artificial brain and this is why the journey of making artificial intelligence is really problematic and challenging. This is now in acceleration mode with all the Tech giants in this journey. If you think that artificial intelligence is something that robots taking control over humans and destroying the world like the way we have seen in science-fiction movies, yes, it is artificial intelligence but at its worst-best, but it does not mean that it is the only artificial intelligence, it is also artificial intelligence. What if I say we all have used AI many times? Excited! Shocked! Knowingly or unknowingly we are using it. Siri, Google Now and Cortana, Assisted Parking, smart home devices, and many other services. According to Wired, Fox, the AP, and Yahoo! All use AI to write simple articles like sports recap, financial summaries, etc. No, this article is not written by AI, but it is on AI. AI is not magic, it is just a code which is N times complex. It is a science or a method focused on designing intelligent systems & machines, using algorithmic techniques. Modern artificial systems use an artificial neural network, a computer code that emulates large networks of very simple interconnected units, similar to neurons in our brain. Suppose you have seen a car, not a car, the Lamborghini Aventador and the next time you see it, you will come to know that it is Lamborghini, but how? The neurons in brain checks with all the large network of images and then matches with Lamborghini and thus tells that it is Lamborghini and this is what exactly happens with an artificial neural network in machines. These artificial neural networks can learn from experience same as the neural networks in our brain. All of this happens through a set of coded programs designed to run neural networks with millions of units & billions of connections at blinding speed. This interaction with a large number of simple elements gives intelligence. The modern artificial neural networks are good at recognizing patterns, translate the language, learning simple logical reasoning. AI is very good at recognizing patterns in a large amount of data which is not an easy task for humans. How a machine become intelligent? It is just like a kid learning from adults and doing mistakes & experiments. There are different ways of making a machine intelligence based on how they get intelligence. They have supervised learning, reinforcement learning, and predictive learning. Supervised learning—we supervise and tell what correct answer is for a particular input. For a particular image input of the elephant, we tell the machine that it is an elephant and the correct answer is an elephant. A machine makes the prediction based on previous examples. This learning technique is the most common for training neural networks. Predictive learning— the machine goes on telling answers either right or wrong. It goes on predicting and thus learns on its own. Reinforcement learning— it is inspired by behaviorist psychology. For a particular input, the machine picks an action or sequence of action and gets a reward. This learning technique requires an extremely large number of trials to learn simple tasks. This technique is used when teaching a machine to play games like Chess, go or other simple video games. For us, an image is an image but for machines & computers, images are an array of numbers. For a computer to recognize the image many layers of units are involved in it. In the very first layer machine recognize the edges of an object. In the next layers it recognizes simple shapes and in the next layer, it detects a combination of shapes which makes objects like a hand, a leg or the bonnet of a car. ‘In’ the final layer, it detects a combination of parts that form objects such as a car, an elephant, a person, etc. This object detection intelligence is very important in smart cars. Artificial intelligence is not magic but it can create a lot of magical inventions. AI is serving millions every day and is making a huge difference in our lives. It is everywhere but it is invisible because it is just an algorithm.

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