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Sport Diary — February 22
TODAY, February 22
St James FA Sandals/ATL Division One
Violet Kickers vs Firehouse SC — UDC field 3:30 pm
JABA NBL- Western Conference
Granville Jaguars vs MCC Knights — Cricket Club 6:15 pm
FRIDAY, February 23
St James FA Sandals/ATL Senior League
Melbourne Mind Game vs MoBay City FC — UDC field 3:30 pm
Club Stars vs Revelation FC — Spot Valley 3:30 pm
SATURDAY, February 24
Trelawny FA Major League
Kinloss FC vs Friendship FC — Kinloss Playfield 3:30pm
Invaders SC vs Daniel Town FC — Bunker's Hill Community Centre 3:30pm
Falmouth United vs Rio Bueno —Elleston Wakeland 3:30pm
Duanvale FC vs Coopers Pen — Duanvale Community Centre 3:30pm
JABA NBL- Western Conference
Inner-City Avalanche vs Cornwall Courts Chargers — Cricket Club 4:15 pm
Catherine Hall All-Stars vs Holland Saints — Cricket Club 6:15 pm
SUNDAY, February 25
Red Stripe Premier League
FC Reno vs Arnett Gardens — Frome 3:30 pm
JFF Western Confederation/Charley's JB Rum Super League
Reggae Youths vs Faulkland FC — Jarrett Park 4:00 pm
Trelawny FA Major League
Spicy Hill vs Granville FC — Georgia Community Centre 3:30 pm
Salt Marsh United vs Holland United — Davis Pen 3:30 pm
JABA NBL- Western Conference
Catherine Hall Knights vs MBCC Knights — Cricket Club 4:15 pm
Inner-City Avalanche vs Granville Jaguars — Cricket Club 6:15 pm
TUESDAY, February 27
St James FA Sandals/ATL Senior League
Irwin FC vs Heights FC — Irwin High 3:30 pm
Marl Road vs Melbourne Mind Game — UDC field 3:30 pm
JABA NBL- Western Conference
Cornwall Courts Chargers vs Holland Saints — Cricket Club 615 pm
WEDNESDAY, February 28
JFF Western Confederation/Charley's JB Rum Super League
Wadadah FC vs Montego Bay Boys Club — UDC field 3:30 pm
Faulkland vs Reggae Youths — Jarrett Park 3:30 pm
Beaches Negril vs Roaring River FC — Long Bay Beach Park 3:30 pm
Granville United vs Catherine Hall — Granville Community Centre 3:30 pm
Harmony FC vs Clark's Town — Bounty Hall 3:30pm
St James FA Sandals/ATL Senior League
Lilliput FC vs Seba FC— Spot Valley 3:30 pm
Now you can read the Jamaica Observer ePaper anytime, anywhere. The Jamaica Observer ePaper is available to you at home or at work, and is the same edition as the printed copy available at http://bit.ly/epaperlive
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finally, i can SLEEP, EAT, PLAY and ENJOY my life.
because i'm FREE!!!!!!!!!
my semester break started friday afternoon at 1pm~!
have a long list to do thing do that.
i get insomnia this few week TT___TT
can anyone teach me how to sleep early? D:
so, what i actually wil do when i get insomnia and i so free and nothing else can do. ==
don't slap me pls, i really got NOTHING to do.
(erm, exept the research folder file @@ i almost forgot it!!!! okay, tmr start to do) haha
she's so pretty right!!
of course i did not visualize it, haha. got a pretty reference from internet.

subset: commoncrawl


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Dakis Joannou believes supporting the arts is about much more than simply buying work.
Patronage, which ideally means supporting creative energies, takes many forms. The myriad of opportunities range from institutional, like joining museum boards or chairing a gala, to the more democratic, such as online platforms like Kickstarter. For Dakis Joannou, founder of the Greece-based Deste Foundation for Contemporary Art, patronage takes on a whole new scope. Whether it involves collecting, contributing to exhibitions, or simply organizing gatherings, patronage is a question of relationships, of building up networks of friendships through which you contribute to culture," he says. "By that I mean something different from patronage in the traditional sense of the word."
Like Deste's exhibition program, driven entirely by Joannou, the foundation's publications are known for their idiosyncrasy and by projects that are not bound by traditional constraints, like 1968, a book of his Italian Radical period design furniture collection shot by Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari in the style of Toilet Paper, their irregularly published artist's book-magazine of surreal stages photographs, or the co-publication with Paul Chan's Badlands of a radical new translation of Plato's Hippias Minor.
By taking what the book's editors call an "unscientific approach," Deste 33 Years: 1983-2015 retraces the development of Joannou's foundation in a combination of oral history and archival format; 850 pages of photographs, press clippings, critical reviews, correspondence, and unabashed conversations reveal not only the ups and downs of the foundation, but offer an intimate glimpse into the state of contemporary art. The sprirt of the book is driven by Joannou's desire to empower artists to generate ideas and connect with contemporary culture.
Patronage for those with Medici-scaled aspirations and resources start their own museum. Some reflect trends but for Joannou patronage has always meant something personal. As he writes in the introduction to Deste 33 Years, "For some, art is, above all, a luxury. But not for me. We don't need it to survive, but we do need it. It's what man needs to remind him that he's human after all." Joannou, who studied engineering and architecture in the U.S., initially set out to create a museum of contemporary culture when he established Deste (which means "look" in Greek) more than three decades ago. According to him, by building a collection, you're saying, "This is what I believe."


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While we were drooling over the Pixel and Pixel XL, Motorola published the list of phones that will be updated to Android 7.0 Nougat. Most phones announced this year are on the list — including the Moto G4 and G4 Plus, Moto Z, Z Play, and Z Force — as well as last year's Moto X Pure Edition and X Play.
But as is becoming the case more and more often, there are a few notable omissions. The Moto G 2015 won't receive Nougat, nor does the entry-level Moto E3 Power, which made its debut in July 2016. Other phones in the Moto E series are also not going to make the switch to the latest version of Android.
Here's the list of Motorola phones that will pick up the Nougat update:
- Moto G (4th Gen)
- Moto G Plus (4th Gen)
- Moto G Play (4th Gen)
- Moto X Pure Edition (3rd Gen)
- Moto X Style
- Moto X Play
- Moto X Force
- Droid Turbo 2
- Droid Maxx 2
- Moto Z
- Moto Z Droid
- Moto Z Force Droid
- Moto Z Play
- Moto Z Play Droid
- Nexus 6
Motorola says that it will start rolling out the update sometime later this quarter, with the Moto Z and Moto G4 receiving it first. Motorola's comeback tale centered around offering a smooth Android experience — even on budget handsets — layered with its own additions in the form of Moto Display and Moto Actions, and quick software updates to its entire portfolio of devices. That was one of the main reasons for the success of the Moto G and Moto E series in emerging markets.
Along the way, there have been a few missteps. Last year, Motorola announced that it would not update the Moto E — which was just a few months old at that point — or a few carrier variants of the Moto X 2014 to Marshmallow. A year on, we're in the same situation.


text: All home heating systems need periodic checks to ensure their operating life, maintain their efficiency rating and save energy. Have a heating contractor check your furnace annually to make sure it is running efficiently and safely. Be sure to call them if your furnace is not working properly. Your gas furnace is very dependable when it is maintained and running correctly.


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The Global Fool's mission is to raise awareness of environmental problems and their global nature.
Managed and Edited by Roberta Attanasio, PhD
Please note: The Global Fool is totally and proudly independent.
Why the Fool? In mystical symbolism, the Fool is the spirit in search of global experience and knowledge and is associated with zero, the conscious state of being not influenced by the ego. He/she represents the initial stage of development in the journey of discovery through life, a journey that ends with the World to then repeat itself.
Kofi Annan said something like "Arguing against globalization is like arguing against the law of gravity". We won't argue, we'll follow the Fool's journey.


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Know Your Rights!
Employees have more rights in the workplace than they often realize. But these rights only have power when a person knows them and has the confidence to use them. Knowledge is power!
The rights we all enjoy flow from a variety of sources. We'll start with the most basic rights enjoyed by all Canadians, and then to the very specific rights you and your co-workers have negotiated with your employer.
Charter Rights
Every Canadian has basic human rights that are defined in The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The charter guarantees that (subject only to such reasonable limits prescribed by law as can be demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society), that everyone has the following fundamental freedoms:
- Freedom of conscience and religion;
- Freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of speech;
- Freedom of peaceful assembly;
- Freedom of association (In 2007, the Supreme Court of Canada re-affirmed that freedom of association means that every Canadian has the right to be a member of a union and the right to participate in collective bargaining).
Human Rights
Every Nova Scotian has basic human rights defined in The Human Rights Act of Nova Scotia. The purpose of this act is to:
- Recognize the inherent dignity and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family;
- Recognize that the government, all public agencies and all persons in the Province have the responsibility to ensure that every individual in the Province is afforded an equal opportunity to enjoy a full and productive life and that failure to provide equality of opportunity threatens the status of all persons.
Labour Code Rights
Every worker in the province, whether they belong to a union or not, has basic employment rights, which are defined in the Nova Scotia Labour Standards Code and its associated regulations.
Health and Safety Rights
Every worker in the province, whether they belong to a union or not, has basic occupational health and safety rights, which are defined in The Occupational Health and Safety Act of Nova Scotia. (For the amendment regarding working alone in late-night retail premises, please see http://nslegislature.ca/legc/bills/60th_2nd/1st_read/b018.htm)
Collective Bargaining Rights
Every member of a union in Nova Scotia, including the NSGEU, has collective bargaining rights as defined in one of three provincial acts:
Trade Union Act: This act covers almost all unionized workers in Nova Scotia, and a majority of NSGEU members. The Trade Union Act gives the workers it covers the right to strike as a dispute-resolution mechanism in the bargaining process. (However, the act mandates that police officers do not have the right to strike, and must use arbitration to resolve contract disputes.)
Civil Service Collective Bargaining Act: This act specifically covers Civil Service employees (most of whom work directly for a government department) and does not give them the right to strike. It mandates arbitration as the dispute-resolution mechanism for the bargaining process.
Corrections Act: This act governs corrections employees and does not confer the right to strike. It mandates interest arbitration as the dispute-resolution mechanism for the bargaining process.
NSGEU Member Rights
Every member of the NSGEU has union rights as defined in the NSGEU Constitution & By-laws. They are aligned with the Human Rights Act of Nova Scotia: "It is our policy to ensure that all members are treated equally, fairly and without discrimination with respect to age, sex, race, religion, colour, creed, ethnic, national or aboriginal origin, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, family status, an irrational fear of contracting an illness or disease, marital status, political belief, affiliation or activity, source of income, that individual's association with another individual or class of individuals having characteristics referred to above within the affairs of the union and in their occupation in accordance with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act."
Negotiated Workplace Rights
A collective agreement lays out the rules both the workers and the employer agree to live by. These are your workplace rights.
They have been negotiated by your current and former co-workers and can cover everything from your rates of pay, hours of work, and vacation entitlements to enhanced OH&S rights, pensions and benefits, and job security.
Your collective agreement is a long and often complex document, but it is truly worth your while to take the time to become familiar with it.
Active members of your local, supported by NSGEU staff and legal counsel, are here to help you understand your workplace rights and to help ensure that your collective agreement is being honoured by your employer.
Your employer should have provided you with a copy of your latest collective agreement. If not, you can find it under our Locals Directory, or you can contact us directly (902-424-4063, 1-877-556-7438, firstname.lastname@example.com) and we'll help you obtain a copy.
Do You Have Workplace Issues or Concerns?
If you feel any of your rights are being violated in the workplace, please contact your local steward or the NSGEU directly at 902-424-4063, 1-877-556-7438 or firstname.lastname@example.com


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At the box office, 2012 was most definitely the year of The Avengers. The Marvel blockbuster not only outperformed other notable hits like The Dark Knight Rises and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, it provided a launching pad for Marvel's second round of films and an upcoming S.H.I.E.L.D. series from Avengers writer/director Joss Whedon.
With an expected premiere in fall 2013, the project is coming together at a very steady pace. Clark Gregg is already onboard to resurrect fan favorite character Agent Phil Coulson, and the four actors who will take on the previously-announced new characters have already been cast. Now we can add one more performer to that ever-growing list.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chloe Bennet is joining the cast of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Skye, described as "a confident woman who is slightly obsessed with superhero culture and the shadow organizations that exist within it." Bennet currently has a recurring role on ABC's Nashville, but she will take on a regular role on S.H.I.E.L.D., completing the show's initial main cast.
From a storytelling perspective, it makes perfect sense for the series to include a character outside the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization itself, to serve as a proxy for fans. Plus, one can only imagine that Skye will be gifted much of the comic-relief, pop culture-heavy dialogue as past Whedon creations like Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Xander and Dollhouse's Topher.
Considering that Marvel has thus far opted for a lighter shade of adventure than the dark, gritty approach that DC is taking with its properties, the addition of a character like Skye sounds like a good way to keep that spirit alive. The question is whether or not – especially with the dry humor of Gregg's Coulson already part of the formula – the show will overdo the comic element of the series and end up becoming a parody of itself.
Do you think the character of Skye will be a fun addition to S.H.I.E.L.D.? Or would you rather the show's focus remain solely on the agents themselves? Let us know in the comments.
As previously mentioned, S.H.I.E.L.D. is expected to premiere on ABC in fall 2013.
Source: THR


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Throughout the month we will feature the 10 Safe Start Promising Approaches grantees and the work they're doing in their communities to help children exposed to violence and their families.
Marie is a 28-year-old mother of two sons: Jasper age 3 and Dion age 6. Six months ago, Marie broke up with her boyfriend, the father of her sons. Marie's relationship with her boyfriend was volatile, with physical abuse as well as verbal threats and name calling. Jasper and Dion witnessed much of this violence. Recently, Marie and her sons moved into a shelter.
Marie's sons exhibit increasingly concerning behaviors. Dion "acts out," screaming at his mother, hitting her and pulling her hair when angry. He is aggressive toward children in the shelter and in school and calls his teacher names. Jasper has begun to mimic Dion's behaviors. Both children frequently ask for their father and appear distressed and confused about their family's changes. Marie is overwhelmed by her children's behavior and does not know how to respond.
As part of the START with Kids program, Marie's case manager meets with Marie and conducts a child assessment. On the basis of the assessment results, both children appear to have some delays and challenges in social and emotional development, behavior, and learning, and Marie appears very distressed when she is with her children. The shelter case manager discusses the results with the shelter team, including the clinical child specialist, to make recommendations about next steps.
Marie and her case manager work together to develop a child service plan for each son to address past and current family stressors. The case manager helps Marie enroll Jasper in an Early Head Start program and establish ongoing monitoring by a pediatrician. She refers Dion for play therapy and mobilizes school-based supports, including an Individualized Education Plan for Dion.
Filed under: Exposure to Violence, Grantees | Tagged: children's exposure to violence, Safe Start Initiative, Worchester | Leave a comment »


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Beach Almond Tree
By Jorge Ventocilla
This full moon is an excellent time for talking about the beach almond tree which can be found in many areas in Panama. We can even find it in Amador Causeway, and near the Biomuseo. This tree provides much needed shade, it grows quickly and thrives on soils and regions where other trees can't; for example, seashores.
Its branches grow almost horizontally, parallel to the trunk, and are usually arranged in tiers. This kind of tree provides great shade for gardens, if properly trimmed by skillful hands.
Terminalia catappa is the scientific name of this tree. It comes from the Latin terminalis-e (terminal: edge), and refers to the clustering of the leaves at the ends of the branches; and catappa, for its popular Malayan name: katappan.
Its many popular names attest to its presence in many tropical regions. Some of these names are: Indian almond, tropical almond, sea almond, in English; almendro de playa (Spanish), amendoeira da India (Portuguese); castanhola (Galician language); harara or kaduk-kai (Hindi); ho-di-lê, ho-tsze or k'o-tzu (Chinese); Pathya, in Sanskrit.
A word of caution: this tree is not to be mistaken for the mountain almond tree (Dipterix panamensis), which is essential for Panamanian wildlife and a food source for squirrels, common agoutis, lowland pacas, monkeys and other animals. It produces fruit when there is no food around. This other almond tree grows in the forest.
The beach almond tree is native to India and some nearby regions. Literature shows that this is one of the most common trees in India, Malaysia and most of Southeast Asia, where it grows up to 25-30 m high. However, they don't grow that high on this side of the globe. Ours are rather small and medium in size, but tall enough to provide good shade. When its growth apex has been removed, the beach almond tree would not grow that much…
Its flowers are not conspicuous. Its fruits, approximately 7 x 5 cm in size, are green at first and then yellow (...kids in rural areas look for the fruit when it is yellow and eat the outer part). After falling from the tree, fruits turn brown. The seed found inside the fruit reminds us of "real" almonds (Prunus amygdalus); however, these come from a different plant family, the rosaceae (pears and apples are also members of this family). Beach almond seeds germinate very easily and, in no time, this tree becomes very productive.
Fruits from these trees can be found in the sand, after being carried along by the waves. The thick and fibrous shell allows it to stay afloat for up to two years. There they go! They travel through tropical ocean currents and the possibility of germination after this journey is very high (our topic for the full moon of March was all about "drifting seeds").
Years ago, botanist Rafa Aizprúa told me that Scarlet Macaws in Coiba Island love to feast on the fruit of the beach almond tree. There are many beach almond trees in Barco Quebrado beach, located on the largest island of Panama and, every day at sunset, birds fly in to feed.
Besides ocean currents and human intervention, fruit-eating bats are undoubtedly the most important contributors to the spreading of the beach almond tree. These flying mammals love to eat this fruit. You may remember seeing small piles of half-eaten fruit in abandoned houses or locations. These are dinner leftovers.
There are countless medicinal applications for the different parts of the tree. Adalberto Gómez, a fellow biologist who lives in Palmas Bellas (Colon), says that there the fruit is soaked in water and that this water is then used for "cleansing the kidneys" and also for back pains. Because of its antibacterial properties, tropical fish farmers use it in their aquariums.
I once read an anonymous passage about how the roots of trees are like acupuncture needles which help the Earth heal. Trees and flora in general provide many benefits; we just need to pay attention to them. A friend, very disappointed at society, told me one day that we should be sending plants to other planets, instead of people. Well, I think we should keep sending people…but also many, many plants.
English translation by Sara I. Melo D.


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"Everyone who is fond of crochet work will take delight in reproducing the designs of edgings, insertions and medallions that are presented in this booklet, which contains not only an unusually large number of original patterns, but also some new directions regarding filet crochet work which will be appreciated by experienced workers as well as beginners."
Originally published in the 1910s by J. & P. Coats, this charming booklet contains a great number of fully charted filet crochet patterns designed by Anne Orr, one of the most famous needlework pattern designers during the first half of the 20th Century, who produced nearly 100 needlework pattern booklets featuring numerous easy-to-follow charted designs for cross-stitch, embroidery, crochet, knitting, tatting, quilting and rug-making.
Contents Covered:


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EDWARD PAYSON ALLEN, of Ypsilanti, was born in Sharon, Washtenaw county, Michigan, October 28, 1839; worked
on a farm until twenty years old, attending school and teaching during the winter; graduated from the State Normal
School in March, 1864; taught the Union School in Vassar, Michigan, for three months following, when he enlisted
and helped to raise a company for the Twenty Ninth Michigan Infantry; was commissioned first lieutenant in that
regiment in the following September, and went with it southwest, where the regiment was engaged in active campaigning
until the 1st of April; in September, 1865, was mustered out of the service with his regiment as captain; entered
the law school at Ann Arbor, graduating in March, 1867; formed a partnership with Hon. S. M. Cutcheon; upon the
removal of Mr. Cutcheon to Detroit, in 1875, he continued the practice alone at Ypsilanti; was elected alderman
of Ypsilanti in 1872 and 1S74 and mayor in 1880; was prosecuting attorney of Washtenaw county in 1872; was elected
to the lower house of the Legislature in 1876, serving as chairman of the Committee on Education; was again elected
in 1878. at which time he was elected Speaker pro fern.; was appointed Assistant Assessor of Internal Revenue in
1869; was United States Indian Agent for Michigan in August, 1882, which office he held until December, 1885; ran
for Congress in 1884, and was defeated by Colonel Eldredge, Democrat, and was elected to the Fiftieth Congress
as a Republican, and reelected to the Fifty First Congress, receiving 19,660 votes to 18,096 votes for Willard
Stearns, Democrat, 2,010 votes for C. M. Fellows, Prohibitionist, and 143 votes for John H. Hobart, Union Labor.
History of Monroe County, Michigan
Talcott E. Wing, Editor
Munsell & Company, Publishers
New York 1890.
Privacy Policy for
Monroe County, Michigan Biographies
Names A to C
Names D to K
Names L to P
Names R to Z
New York
For all your genealogy needs visit Linkpendium


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It's been a tough winter. Spring is taking its leisurely time in getting here as well. Are you longing for a romantic holiday with your new special "someone" or perhaps wanting to rekindle that playful loving feeling with your spouse or partner?
Top trending hospitality publications such as Conde Nast Traveller and websites like TripAdvisors Traveller Choice Awards; consistently laud Couples Resorts as one of the finest Adult Only all-inclusive resort chain in the Caribbean.
A true "family owned and managed" business, Couples Resorts offers four luxury Adult Only options on the island of Jamaica. Two are located in the Ocho Rios area and two in Negril. Each is unique in its ambience, design and ability to provide a memorable holiday.
Unlike the Sandals chain, Couples does not offer "butler and/or concierge" level room options. There are beautiful suites and varying levels of amenities to choose from but all guests receive the same level of attention and service. Wi-Fi is included in all room categories. Wonderful included excursions such as Sunset Cruises, Glass Bottom Boat rides, Dunn's River Fall Climbs and Margaritaville shopping shuttles create opportunities for couples to renew their sense of adventure and freedom. Menus in their restaurants are based on an extravagant selection of fruits and vegetables, the freshest local seafood and a rainbow of island spices. Every meal is designed to delight and tantalize the senses and all in a variety of unforgettably romantic settings!
Couples Resorts offers Adult Only Options
Workout enthusiasts will be thrilled by the 10 acre fitness and water-sport facility at the Couples Swept Away property in Negril. Within the complex you can find 10 tennis courts, racquetball and squash courts, fully equipped gym and private aerobics room, 25mt lap pool and an outdoor running track. All classes are included as are all lessons by certified instructors. Those of you looking for pure "Zen" will enjoy the spa facilities available at Couples Tower Isle. Named "Best Spa in the Caribbean" by Travel Leisure, this resort also offers the private Au Naturel Sunbathing Island! The Couples Negril is best suited towards those people looking to meet new friends. The layout of the resort lends itself to a central gathering which promotes mingling with fellow guests over a tropical drink or feisty volleyball game! Set on the secluded cliffs of Jamaica's Emerald Coast, Couples Sans Souci offers its own healing natural mineral springs and embraces the "no worries" mantra of island life.
Luxury, romance, amenities and services all offered at significantly lower pricing than similar Sandals properties. Couples Resorts has kept its expansion limited to the island of Jamaica and does not carry a large marketing budget therefore those savings are passed along to their guests. If free golf, scuba diving, indulgent culinary experiences and new vistas are what you need to add that "spark" to your travel love life be sure to check out Couples Resorts. There are Special Offers available for bookings made before May 15th.
What have you got to lose??? Surprise that special someone today!


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This is the full online e-course on the Consumer Protection Act for Estate Agents. The e-course is jam-packed with practical information about the Consumer Protection Act. It's tailor-made for estate agents working in the South African real estate market.
The e-course is presented by Deon Terblanche, an attorney with his own estate agency in South Africa. Deon is an expert on the business and legal requirements facing estate agents on a day-to-day basis.
Main chapters of the e-course:
- Introduction
- Disclosure requirements
- Marketing
- Contracts
- The Consumer's right to quality goods and services
- Compliance
The e-course is presented online. Please ensure that you have access to the Internet when viewing the e-course.
Included Products
When you order this product, you get all the following products for free!![chained_products]


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Distress Oxide - Fun Techniques!07:41
I then took the frame I cut using the heart die in order to create a frame around each heart. I distressed each colour in each heart and gently blended them together where the hearts met. My video tutorial has more tips and tricks on how to do this background. I polished off the card with the pretty Cuddles and Hugs die.
7 comments
What a wonderful technique! love how your card came out. Going to have to try this with something I have, although avoiding small words.ReplyDelete
This is just beautiful.ReplyDelete
Fabulous technique andReplyDelete
love the pretty colors.
Carla from Utah
Awww!!! Simply gorgeous!!! Love your technique!!!ReplyDelete
What I really like is writing essays using advices from this source. It was really helpful for me in college and even now when I am working.ReplyDelete
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TCU eliminates LSU from College World Series
OMAHA, NEB. — For the first time this season, Jack Wholestaff wasn't up to the task for the LSU Tigers.
And now the Tigers' season is over.
LSU danced around its lack of a consistent third starter, and a dependable closer, all season en route to 54 wins, the Southeastern Conference regular-season championship and the program's 17th trip to the College World Series.
At least 13 times this season, the Tigers went with what coach Paul Mainieri called his "Jack Wholestaff" approach, stitching together a complete game out of a cast of relief pitchers.
Every time it worked, but not with LSU's hopes of a seventh national championship on the line. TCU beat the Tigers for the second time this week, sending LSU back to Baton Rouge with an 8-4 defeat before an announced crowd of 26,803 at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.
LSU, which lost 10-3 Sunday to TCU, saw its season end at 54-12. TCU (51-14) advanced to a rematch with Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. Friday.
The Horned Frogs, who lost 1-0 Tuesday to Vandy, must beat the unbeaten Commodores twice to reach next week's CWS championship series.
For more on the season-ending loss, click HERE.


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Enjoy a Magical Night Curated by Justin Vernon at the Oxbow
The Oxbow Hotel just announced plans for two separate "Lock-Inn" events where a select few can take part in an overnight experience administered by Bon Iver's Justin Vernon (one of the hotel's owners) and Sean Carey. The night will be "curated entirely by their musical, culinary, and cultural sensibilities from beginning to end," according to the press release.
Slated for April 10/11 and May 9/10, each Lock-Inn package includes the overnight stay, a six-course dinner at The Lakely (the Oxbow's restaurant), several live musical performances by Vernon and Carey (and some unannounced friends), a late night movie, a morning yoga session, brunch, and a commemorative poster. No word yet on if Bon Iver plans to serenade guests with an aching, poignant folk song before they gently drift off to sleep, but we'll keep you posted.
Packages start at $250/person and go on sale at 3pm on Wednesday, March 14. Only 30 packages are available for either night (so 60 people total at double occupancy), so act fast or risk having to suffer through yet another boring ol' weeknight devoid of any unique happenings, any intimate Bon Iver performances, or any curated cultural experiences at all. The choice is yours.
And hey, if you feel like luck is on your side, you can sign up to win a free package for two.
Learn more about the Lock-Inn and snatch up your spot at www.theoxbowhotel.com/lockinn.html.


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Sudhir Mishra postpones the release of 'Inkaar'
Director wants to avoid a showdown with good friend Prakash Jha's upcoming political thriller at the box office
Finally all the speculations over the release of Sudhir Mishra's much talked about film Inkaar are over. The film will release on January 18 and contrary to speculations, the reason behind choosing the date is to make sure there is a proper gap between this film and Prakash Jha's political thriller (October 12).
The two films were earlier slated to release on the same date. Given Mishra's proximity to Jha and Arjun Rampal being a common factor between the two films, hence the new date.
Sudhir Mishra says, "We needed an open week for a film like Inkaar. With big films releases in the remaining three months of the year, we decided to have a new date for release. Incidentally Sanjay Gupta's upcoming gangster film was to release on the same date but will now release on May 1.
The filmmaker adds, "Arjun is a very dear friend and it makes better sense to have at least a couple of months between the release of two films. On the other hand, Chitrangada is among the few who can hold the film on their own."
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SunGate Insurance Agency Blog
If you are moving to Florida car insurance is probably not one of the most pressing issues on your mind. Is there a need to get new car insurance if you are moving to Florida from out of state?
The answer for this is "yes," but there is a significant caveat.
If you are moving to Florida, it can sometimes take up to a month to register your car and it can only be done after you move. It's during that time that you can straighten out your car insurance situation. You can't do it before moving.
A major piece of advice we can give you is to avoid cancelling your old car insurance policy before you set up the new one. Don't cancel your original policy until you've fully replaced it with a new one here in Florida. It is illegal to drive without insurance in Florida and it can be very costly if you get into an accident.
Your policy may change after your relocation even if you stay with your original carrier. Florida may have different policies and laws that your old state does not have. It may subtract or add a few dollars from your monthly bill. Commuting more or less can also affect your premium. Moreover, your current car insurance provider may not be able to sell insurance in your new state, so it would be good to work with an independent agent here in Florida to get access to most or all of the carriers here.
If you moved to Florida, you should have a valid car insurance when you register your vehicle. Avoid registering your vehicle without getting car insurance first after moving.
Contact your insurance agent if you are moving to a new neighborhood or state. Know what you should ask or look out for if you are moving your vehicle.
Even if you are keeping the same drivers and vehicles on your insurance policy after moving, you should contact an agent here in Floriday so your plan will be correctly updated. A lot of factors may affect your auto insurance coverage when you move that may leave you vulnerable.
Is there a way I can save money on car insurance when moving to Florida?
Checking out all of the coverage options here in Florida will be the best way you can save cash on car insurance premiums when you move. A company you don't have in your old state may offer multiple discounts that apply to your needs here in Florida. Check all the options in your area if you moved to a place that has notoriously high premiums such as a city like Orlando.
Even if your current car insurance provider offers a fair price in your new location, shop around for premiums from other companies with an independent agent to be sure you're getting a fair deal.
At the Sungate Insurance Agency we take pride in making sure anyone moving here to Flordia will be well-protected if they talk to us. To learn more about how we can help you please contact our agency at (407) 878-7979 or Click Here to request a free quote
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June 2019


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Another PM , Mr Ali Zidan was proposed and accepted and had two weeks to propose a government. This guy must have learnt a lesson because interestingly a few days before the deadline a decree was leaked whereby the president of the GNC signed a resolution that grants each of the 200 members a loan of 45,000 Libyan Dinars to allegedly purchase a car! That's a total of 9 million Dinars can you imagine? A deluge of accusations were flying all over social media mostly by citizens disappointed at the materialism and exposed self interest of the GNC members some even jokingly saying that finally Libya's riches have been divided among 200 poor families in Libya in an indirect reference to Gaddaffi's style of giving more benefits to his inner circle while all the time promising to support the Libyan families in need.
While Libyans are understandably disillusioned with all the seemingly irresponsible behaviour of our elected officials and civil servants and the dashing of their hopes, I'm not sure if anyone has stopped to think that perhaps this was a fantastically smart move from all those involved ! why ? because "Congressmen seemed broadly satisfied with the names, [and] this time members have agreed to vote on the government as a whole. It is believed that this time the government will pass." [source]
Why all the confidence and why now ? Could it be that 9 million Libyan Dinars ( approximately 7 million US$) have just bought the approval of the whole GNC. Interesting idea to contemplate no? It's quite possible bribery is nothing new in politics and it helps smooth out problems. On the other hand the proposed list has 32 ministers. 32 for 6 million people! I am thinking it's excessive but if that will make Libyans happy and calm the specter of regionalism maybe it's the right price to pay or is that to placate the parties, militias and various agendas ? Is this the compromise ? obviously we are not able to form coalition governments because of our overall weak parties because we are unable to agree on anything hence these 32 ministries and the 200 GNC members . Looks like some interesting times ahead... and we still don't have the 60 who will be drafting the constitution. We are looking at epic decision making paralysis!
Why is everyone treating Libya as a big cow to be milked and then to jump the boat once it capsizes?There is plenty of cake for everyone let's just have a bit of trust and patriotism.


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2013 Gibby's Day!
Register and pay for the 2014 Gibby's Day: June 7, 2014
Note from Gibby's Mum:
As most of you are aware we have been unable to run our annual Gibby's Run for the past 3 years due to heavy rain. So with much reluctance, we have decided to retire the run. Don't be sad though! We have thought of something else...
Gibby's Day!
Every year since 2006 we have had a wonderful day regardless of the weather. As you know we even moved the bike run last year to October, but we still had a wonderful family day in June.
So the Gibson family has decided that is what we are going to focus on going forward. Family. Something that Gibby truly loved with a passion.
This year Gibby's Day will be on June 8th, 2013
Entry Fees:
21 and over - $20
10 and over - $10
9 and under - FREE
$50 maximum per family
Activities include: Touch rugby - age 10+. Tricky Tray. Beer truck. Food. Music.
Festivities will commence at noon.
We will pull the tricky tray around 3:30 pm.
We will award the annual scholarship to the latest recipient around 4:30 pm.
We will pull the 50/50 at 5:00 pm, by which time I am guessing that the beer truck will be dry!
So please come and join Gibby's Family Day!
Also, if you are looking for photos from the past couple of years we unfortunately do not have any. However, if any of you out there do have some, please share! You can post on our Facebook page or please send to email@example.com and we will have them put on the website.
I look forward to seeing you all on June 8th. I am sure that we will have a great family day!
Thank you everyone,
Gibby's Mum
The Gibby
"The Gibby" is a memorial scholarship fund that the Morris Lions rugby team created to honor their teammate David Gibson, who was a charter member of the Mountville Youth Rugby program.
David was a young man committed and passionate about his family, friends and sports. In his memory, a scholarship award will be presented to a deserving senior on the Lions team at the end of their season. The scholarship is intended to be used toward furthering the recipient's academic or rugby career.
For more information contact Val Gibson


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Donna decided that she wanted to go up to Gettysburg to try to get a particular photograph, and I was wanting to do some fall colors again, so off we went. The colors aren't really ready just yet, so I turned my attention to something else -- some artistic blurs, a la Tony Sweet.
These are all straight out of camera, with the only manipulation being to resize them for the blog using On1 Photo 10.5. Clicking a thumbnail will display the full image.
All of the pictures were made with a hand-held Fujifilm X-E2, and either the XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 or the XC 50-230mm f/4.5-6.7. Exposures on all but one image (the seed pods) are either 1/8 or 1/4 second, at ISO200. The aperture on most of the pictures was around f/22, although some were wider.
I'd never tried doing this before. The results are pretty good, I think, and some are even interesting. I don't know that they signify the start of any particular new direction for me, but it is a new-to-me technique -- something new for my photography tool bag, so to speak.


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William Kimberley
Electronic systems on the car have advanced at a rapid rate in a very short space of time. It was only in 1967 that the first vehicle took to the road with any kind of controlling program—this was the electronically controlled fuel pump that did not even use software. In the current Mercedes-Benz S-Class there are, depending on the options, more than 50 controllers controlling different functions while 600 signals pass along the cables and around 150 electronic messages are multiplexed onto three buses. It was necessary to write 600,000 lines of program code to make the car "smart". By 2015, it has been estimated that there will be around 100 million lines of code on a high-end car. Today, electronic systems and controls account for around 20% of the value of the average light vehicle. However, while 90% of the innovations in today's vehicles are based on developments in electronics, according to Siemens VDO, they account for about 70% of the quality problems, according to DaimlerChrysler.
The growth in the number of microprocessors on a vehicle has been so rapid that the engi-neering consultancy Ricardo reports it is both economically and practically unsustainable. Economically because each microprocessor requires its own separate power supply and EMC/RFi protection, and practically as the process of functional integration of so many nodes becomes unmanageable.
Rapid changes in silicon design and manufacturing technology, combined with economies of scale for higher performance microprocessors, is bringing technology, which is currently limited to the desktop environment, says Ricardo, into the realms of automotive applications. The outcome of this trend is that microprocessors, with a performance that is at least 10 times faster than today's automotive processors, will be used in vehicle applications before the end of the decade. This will lead to dramatic changes in vehicle electronic architectures, functionality, safety strategies and development tools. While this also means that the carmakers will move from being systems integrators to software integrators, the process is still in the transitional stage.
It is software, though, that is playing an increasingly decisive role in the realization of electronic innovations. For the customer, this might make itself felt in the form of new functionality or in the maintenance of a vehicle's value over its lifecycle. Possibilities are, for example, software updates/upgrades for motor controls, suspension or telematics. From the carmakers' point of view, software is therefore becoming an additional core competence. It is, however, "one of the problems downwind" according to David Oates, managing director of AB Automotive Electronics. Software complexity is rising to a considerable degree—investigations show that the volume of software doubles every 18 months. This is mirrored in the rising proportion of development costs that are devoted to software. Currently, depending on the model and level of equipment, 50-70% of the electronics development cost is being spent on software. The downside to this is that the risk of software errors grows exponentially—and it is this which is manifesting itself in the front line when cars break down for electrical/electronic reasons. "Not everything talks with everything else on a car," says Remi Kaiser, general director for Delphi France. "The main issue is to ensure that everyone is working as a team and that the correct communications can be established. This means having the same good set of tools. However, one of the issues is that of coding where each change of layer increases the chances of mistakes despite the comprehensive testing that is done."
During the execution of a system safety program, developers of embedded control systems recognize the need to protect against potential software failures. Unlike mechanical or electrical/electronic hardware, software does not wear out over time, and it can be argued that software does not fail. However, software is stored and executed by electronic hardware, and the intended system functionality that is specified by the software may not be provided by an embedded system if potential electronic hardware failures occur or if the software is incorrect.
According to a recent paper on automotive embedded control systems, presented by Delphi, typical sources of potential hardware failures, which can be either internal or external to the controller the software executes on, include memory failures in either the code space or variable space, CPU failures, and peripheral failures. For example, memory cell failures can cause conditions where the software inadvertently jumps to the end of a routine or into the middle of another routine. Interrupt failure modes, such as return of incorrect priority or failure to return—thereby blocking lower priority interrupts—can also be caused by memory corruption. Software logic errors may arise due to incomplete or inconsistent requirements, errors in software design, or errors in code implementation. Software logic errors can lead to failure conditions such as infinite loops, incorrect calculations, abrupt returns and taking a longer time to complete routine execution. Additionally, software stored in an embedded system may not be correct if the tools necessary to configure, compile and download the software do not function as expected.
"The overall aim is to make electronics systems that are as reliable as mechanical ones that they replace or supplement," says Dr. David Ward, head of research in the electrical group at MIRA in the UK. "The trouble with software, though, is that you cannot test it for durability. Where mechanical and electro-mechanical components can be tested to achieve reliability figures, you cannot attach a number to software reliability because it's basically a design."
According to Claas Bracklo, who is responsible for electronics integration in vehicle development at DaimlerChrysler, "Despite simplifications in the assumptions we made, we arrived at the figure of 10 to the power of 180 potential test conditions for a single vehicle model. If you wanted to examine all these as a simulation, you'd have to book several decades of computing time on a Cray supercomputer."
"There is also the challenge of hardware/software integration and the integration of modules to the vehicle," says Ward. "Automakers are moving to standardize CAN functions and so, in theory, all modules will run the same software, but the auto industry is not there yet. There's also the perception that software can easily be changed, leading to late changes being demanded by the client. However, if part of the software in a network has been upgraded, it does mean that it needs to be checked to ensure that it is still compatible with the rest of the network, but this does not always happen. In the past, electrical problems in a vehicle were typically centered on connectors, but the use of CAN buses has reduced interconnects in the wiring harness, so reliability should be improved. It is because electronics are taking over so much more of the vehicle's functionality it means that failures are more visible than ever before."
Another factor is there is a far less tolerance to faults as there is an expectation that a vehicle will be perfect for at least the first few years of its life. "The reaction to failure is now stronger and more emotional than ever before," says Oates, "However, vehicles nowadays are being developed in tighter timescales which means less testing and sample builds so the whole vehicle testing program is being compressed. This can lead to problems, especially when it comes to the interaction of electronic units on a car."
"In the past we didn't pay enough attention to these interactions among the different systems," says Stephan Wolfsried, head of the electrical/electronic systems and chassis unit at DaimlerChrysler's Mercedes Car Group. "To be able to meet this challenge, we need new tools that measure up to the requirements of a zero-defect culture. The notion that bugs in the software are unavoidable is mistaken as far as I am concerned." As a mechanical engineer Wolfsried believes any tolerance for defects is misconceived, and opens the way to careless and even negligent work on the part of the software designers. He uses a rating system called the "Capability Maturity Model for Software" developed by Carnegie Mellon University in the U.S. for assessing the quality of software manufacturers. In this rating system, the degree of maturity of the development processes at a software maker is assigned to one of five quality levels in a certification procedure based on defined evaluation criteria. Level 1 is the lowest level, and companies certified as Level 5 produce software of the very highest quality.
"We're having our software vendors undergo these certification processes, and we're setting the highest standards in the selection of our partners," says Wolfsried. "We have to present the car as a package in which everything has been correctly dealt with and the driver has nothing to worry about. We also have to guarantee the reliability that's promised and expected. That's what we're doing, and we're going to promote this philosophy among all the automakers, hardware manufacturers and software developers worldwide."
We'd rather send you $15 than rely on our crystal ball…
It's Capital Spending Survey season and the manufacturing industry is counting on you to participate! Odds are that you received our 5-minute Metalworking survey from Automotive Design and Production in your mail or email. Fill it out and we'll email you $15 to exchange for your choice of gift card or charitable donation. Are you in the U.S. and not sure you received the survey? Contact us to access it.


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Our goal in this series is to gain a better understanding of how DeepMind constructed a learning machine — AlphaGo — that was able beat a worldwide Go master. In the first article, we discussed why AlphaGo's victory represents a breakthrough in computer science. In the the second article, we attempted to demystify machine learning (ML) in general, and reinforcement learning (RL) in particular, by providing a 10,000-foot view of traditional ML and unpacking the main components of an RL system. We discussed how RL agents operate in a flowchart-like world represented by a Markov Decision Process (MDP), and how they seek to optimize their decisions by determining which action in any given state yields the most cumulative future reward. We also defined two important functions, the state-value function (represented mathematically as V) and the action-value function (represented as Q), that RL agents use to guide their actions. In this article, we'll put all the pieces together to explain how a self-learning algorithm works.
The state-value and action-value functions are the critical bits that makes RL tick. These functions quantify how much each state or action is estimated to be worth in terms of its anticipated, cumulative, future reward. Choosing an action that leads the agent to a state with a high state-value is tantamount to making a decision that maximizes long-term reward — so it goes without saying that getting these functions right is critical. The challenge is, however, that figuring out V and Q is difficult. In fact, one of the main areas of focus in the field of reinforcement learning is finding better and faster ways to accomplish this.
One challenge faced when calculating V and Q is that the value of a given state, let's say state A, is dependent on the value of other states, and the values of these other states are in turn dependent on the value of state A. This results in a classic chicken-or-the-egg problem: The value of state A depends on the value of state B, but the value of state B depends on the value of state A. It's circular logic.
Another challenge is that in a stochastic system (in which the results of the actions we take are determined somewhat randomly), when we don't know the underlying probabilities, the reward that an agent receives when following a given policy may differ each time the agent follows it, just through natural randomness. Sometimes the policy might do really well, and other times it may perform poorly. In order to maximize the policy based on the most likely outcomes, we need to learn the underlying probability distributions, which we can do through repeated observation. For example, let's say an RL agent is confronted with five slot machines, each with a different probability of a payout, and that the goal of the agent is to maximize its winnings by playing the "loosest" slot machine. (This problem, called the "N-Armed Bandit," can be represented as a single state MDP, with the pull of each slot machine representing a different action.) For this problem, the agent will need to try each slot machine many, many times, record the results and figure out which machine is the most likely to pay out. And, making the problem even harder, it needs to do this in such a way that it maximizes the payout along the way.
The challenge of circular dependencies and stochastic probabilities can be addressed by calculating state-values iteratively. That is, we run our agent through the environment many, many times, calculating state-values along the way, with the goal of improving the accuracy of the V and/or Q each time. Using this approach, the agent is first provided with an initial policy. This default policy might be totally stupid (e.g., choose actions at random) or based on an existing policy that is known to work well. Then, the agent follows this policy over and over, recording the state-values (and/or action-values) with each iteration. With each iteration, the estimated state-values (and/or action-values) become more and more accurate, converging toward the optimal state-value (V*) or the optimal action-value (Q*). This type of iteration solves the chicken-or-the-egg problem of calculating estimated state-values with circular dependencies. Updating estimated state-values this way is called "prediction" because it helps us estimate or predict future reward.
While prediction helps refine the estimates of future reward with respect to a single policy, it doesn't necessarily help us find better policies. In order to do this, we also need a way to change the policy in such a way that it improves. Fortunately, iteration can help us here too. The process of iteratively improving policies is called "control" (i.e., it helps us improve how the agent behaves).
Reinforcement learning algorithms work by iterating between prediction and control. First they refine the estimate of total future reward across states, and then they tweak the policy to optimize the agent's decisions based on the state-values. Some algorithms perform these as two separate tasks, while others combine them into a single act. Either way, the goal of RL is to keep iterating to converge toward the optimal policy.


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Mt. Fuji
Mt. Fuji has been registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.
The soaring peak of Mt. Fuji looms constantly over the Tokyo city skyline. From ancient Japanese art through to today, Mt. Fuji is a cultural and geographic constant for the people of Japan. Considered mandatory to see it at least once in the life of the Japanese it is also a popular attraction for tourists from all over the world.
About Mt. Fuji
Mt. Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan at 3776 metres and lies approximately 100 kilometres from Tokyo. The mountain has been a scared site for the Shinto religion from as far back as the 7th century.
Climbing Mt. Fuji
More than 200,000 people climb Mt. Fuji each year. The mountain is only open to climb during the warm summer months and it is recommended that you join a JTB tour to do so rather than facing the mountain alone. Most people start the climb in the evening and reach the summit to experience the sunrise, which is simply magical.
Tokyo to Mt. Fuji
The best way to experience Mt. Fuji is a JTB tour, which departs everyday from Tokyo. There are a number of options with same day return or staying overnight in Hakone.


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The Botanical Alphabet is exquisite series of hand drawn letters, inspired by botanical prints. Each letter features flowers with names starting with the same first letter (e.g A -is made of Alyssum, Arnica, Anemone, Anise and Apple Blossoms). I have crafted carefully each letter and ensured legibility even in smaller sizes. These are versatile, beautiful letters. You can use them on art prints, wedding invitations, baby announcements, you can use individual flowers in web and branding design. You can make beautiful monograms on your business cards. The possibilities are infinite!
Each letter set contains:
– one letter: vector EPS file
– png image on a transparent background 300dpi
– Extended License included with each letter
Please choose your letter from the options above (note price is per one letter, not the complete set). These are limited edition graphics. Once the letters run out of stock, they will not be listed for sale afterwards. The set is not yet complete and I will be adding more letters soon.
Looking for lowercase matching letters? Check the Blossom Type alphabet which is designed to fit with the botanical capital letters.
By purchasing and downloading these files you agree to the License Agreement.


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Car Care
This group meets once a month to do minor car repairs for single moms and seniors in our congregation. They also meet to work on each other's car projects. This is not only a great way to help people in our church family, but to also get to know other people who enjoy working on cars. If you have questions, contact Pastor Dave Niznik at 763.315.7122 or email@example.com.
Leader: Mike Williamson
When: 8 a.m.–12 p.m., third Saturday of the month (year-round)
Where: Kurth's Auto Repair – 4125 Oregon Ave N New Hope, MN 55427


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Welcome to Birmingham
"Only connect!" Nearly 100 years after Howard's End, EM Forster's epigram has acquired a significance he could not have anticipated. The linkage of information, ideas, people and disciplines has become fundamental to scientific progress in the 21st Century, and - even in the electronic age - there is still no substitute for bringing people together for simultaneous learning, sharing, discussion and networking.
The scientific and social programms and the commercial exhibition at Focus 2008 have been designed to give you the chance to find out what you need to know, meet the people you need to meet - and to be stimulated by new ideas, new insights, new contacts and new connections. As you'll see from what follows, we have cutting-edge science and clinical applications, best practice for today and a glimpse of tomorrow - something for everyone in Laboratory Medicine, as well as 2008's major UK clinical science exhibition.
I very much look forward to seeing you in Birmingham in May.
Make sure you don't miss your connection!
Mike Hallworth
Chairman, Focus 2008
|© Meeting Makers | Low Graphics Version | Sitemap


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During the week of rohatsu sesshin, I had what I can only call an experience of "the sound of one hand clapping": that moment, or maybe even pre-moment of unformed potential before each hand hits the other.
It was a concept I'd concluded a few months before, but experiencing it was unexpected. I thought I knew what 'the deal' was before. I'd had insighful experiences before as a result of my practice but this was completely different. My insights had served a purpose, but this was just 'there.'
I could go on about how wonderfully mindblowing this was, but it wasn't. Or I could be lame and avoid describing it at all by saying "just to depict it in literary form is to stain it with defilement."
But that experience isn't what this post is about, it's about what happens after those moments are over.
This particular moment was just that. There was no lead up or denoument, no beginning and no end. How can there be an after to something with no end?
I've felt what I could only describe as echoes of this sound, mostly now in the gap between everyday mind and diligent mindfulness, but it's gone as soon as it's there.
I'm sure many of us that have had any sort of transcendent experience have felt the pull of wanting to 'go there' again. The interesting thing about it is that we didn't go anywhere; when it happened we were right 'here' at the time. Our mind may feel somewhere else, but we don't actually go there.
For me it happened between the two ritual claps that begin and end our aikido class, but for me to walk around clapping hoping it'll happen again is about as ridiculous as handing someone a tile so I can watch them try to polish it into a mirror, or sweeping pebbles hoping to bounce one off bamboo.
This is where arrow points meet. Our practice controls one arrow, constantly putting it out there in hopes of hitting something. As in kyudo, form and intention are more important than the target. But that second arrow is out there and no amount of skill will let us hit it.
The Song of the Jewel Mirror Samadhi says, "a hairsbreadth's deviation will fail to accord with the proper attunement" so it's just as much a matter of right place at the right time. But it's also not about luck. Without practice or even trying, how can we hit that other arrow?
We have to remember that our calm mind is what allowed us to see the clear reflection but if we try to stir up the water trying to find that reflection it will never reappear. It's the most important ingredient in that recipe and nothing will come of it without calming practice.


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Modelling and Simulation of Integrated Systems in Engineering
1st Edition
Issues of Methodology, Quality, Testing and Application
This book places particular emphasis on issues of model quality and ideas of model testing and validation. Mathematical and computer-based models provide a foundation for explaining complex behaviour, decision-making, engineering design and for real-time simulators for research and training. Many engineering design techniques depend on suitable models, assessment of the adequacy of a given model for an intended application is therefore critically important. Generic model structures and dependable libraries of sub-models that can be applied repeatedly are increasingly important. Applications are drawn from the fields of mechanical, aeronautical and control engineering, and involve non-linear lumped-parameter models described by ordinary differential equations.
Key Features
- Focuses on issues of model quality and the suitability of a given model for a specific application
- Multidisciplinary problems within engineering feature strongly in the applications
- The development and testing of nonlinear dynamic models is given very strong emphasis
Table of Contents
List of figures
List of tables
List of abbreviations
About the author
Chapter 1: The principles of system modelling
1.1 General issues in the development and application of models
1.2 Classes of model for engineering applications
1.3 Questions of model quality
1.4 Methods of experimental modelling
1.5 Model reuse and generic models
1.6 Modelling within the procurement process
Chapter 2: Integrated systems and their significance for system modelling
2.1 An introduction to integrated systems
2.2 Sequential and concurrent design procedures
Chapter 3: Problem organisation
3.1 Model organisation for engineering systems design
3.2 The physical component layer
3.3 The physical concept layer
3.4 The mathematical description layer
3.5 Software for modelling and simulation
3.6 New developments in the modelling and simulation of micro-and nano-mechanical systems
Chapter 4: Inverse simulation for system modelling and design
4.1 An introduction to inverse modelling and inverse simulation
4.2 Methods of inverse simulation
4.3 Example: inverse simulation applied to a linear model
4.4 Case study: an application involving a nonlinear unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) system model
4.5 Discussion
Chapter 5: Methods and applications of parameter sensitivity analysis
5.1 Fundamental concepts of parameter sensitivity analysis
5.2 The sensitivity function
5.3 Methods of sensitivity analysis involving repeated solutions
5.4 Methods of sensitivity analysis involving sensitivity models
5.5 Case study: sensitivity analysis applied to the unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) model
5.6 Sensitivity analysis using bond graphs
5.7 Sensitivity analysis in inverse simulation
Chapter 6: Experimental modelling: system identification, parameter estimation and model optimisation techniques
6.1 The use of system identification and optimisation techniques in the development of physically based dynamic models
6.2 Applications of conventional methods of system identification and parameter estimation to physically based models
6.3 System identification and parameter estimation applied to helicopter flight mechanics models
6.4 Some selected methods of local and global parameter optimisation
6.5 Genetic programming (GP) for model structure estimation
6.6 Some practical issues in global parameter optimisation
6.7 Further examples of system identification, parameter estimation and model optimisation techniques in integrated systems applications
Chapter 7: Issues of model quality and the validation of dynamic models
7.1 An introduction to the issues of model quality and validation
7.2 Model quality concepts, model uncertainties and modelling errors
7.3 Model testing, verification and validation
7.4 Issues of model validation and model quality in typical applications
7.5 Issues of model quality in model reduction
7.6 Discussion
Chapter 8: Real-time simulation, virtual prototyping and partial-system testing
8.1 Virtual prototyping through simulation
8.2 Real-time simulation methods
8.3 Hardware-in-the-loop simulation
8.4 Multi-rate simulation techniques
8.5 Some new developments in real-time simulation
Chapter 9: Model management
9.1 Issues of model management
9.2 Tools for model management
9.3 Multi-formalism in simulation and modelling
9.4 Generic models
9.5 Validation of library sub-models and generic models
9.6 Educational issues
Chapter 10: Further discussion
10.1 A summary of some strategic issues in the modelling and simulation of integrated systems
10.2 Research and development work on modelling and simulation methods for integrated system applications
Appendix A1: models of an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV)
Appendix A2: numerical methods for the solution of ordinary differential equations
- No. of pages:
- 372
- Language:
- English
- Copyright:
- © Woodhead Publishing 2012
- Published:
- 30th May 2012
- Imprint:
- Woodhead Publishing
- Hardcover ISBN:
- 9780857090782
- eBook ISBN:
- 9780857096050
About the Author
D J Murray-Smith
Professor David J. Murray-Smith is Emeritus Professor and Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow. He is also Adjunct Research Professor at California State University Chico. His research has involved helicopter flight mechanics model validation and system identification from flight data, flight control system design, ship and underwater vehicle control and collaborative work in other multidisciplinary areas such as hydro-turbine system modelling and control, electro-optic sensor systems and biomedical engineering.
Affiliations and Expertise
University of Glasgow, UK


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The thirty-second vice-president of the United States, John Nance "Cactus Jack" Garner (1868-1967) was a wily Texas politician and master of the legislative process. He was also the most powerful man in Congress when he chose to join Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the Democratic ticket for the 1932 presidential election.
It is one of the most revered of US political traditions, but John Nance Garner actually was born in a log cabin near the town of Detroit, Texas, in the northeastern part of the state, on November 22, 1868. He was the son of a cavalryman under General Joseph Wheeler. Garner entered Vanderbilt University at age 18, but remained there only one semester before returning home. His reasons for leaving Vanderbilt are unknown though it has been speculated that Garner suffered from poor health during his short time there. Upon returning to Texas Garner studied law in the Clarksville, Texas office of Captain M. L. Simms; he was admitted to the Texas state bar in 1890. Soon after this he made his first run for elected office, but was defeated for the position of Clarksville city attorney. Afterward he picked up roots and moved to Uvalde where he joined the law firm of Clark and Fuller.
It was in Uvalde where Garner won his first election— judge of Uvalde County—in 1893. Actually Garner had already been county judge for a year by the time he won the 1893 election, having been appointed to fill a vacancy. By then he was not only an up-and-coming lawyer and budding politician, but also a newspaper editor: he had received the Uvalde Leader as a fee for his services. In the race for the judgeship his main opponent was Mariette Rheiner, whom he defeated, courted, and finally married on November 25, 1895. Garner served as county judge until 1896. Two years later he was elected to the Texas state legislature, where he served until 1902. In the state legislature Garner supported ranchers' and livestock growers' issues; he also served on the appropriation committee. It was as a state representative that Garner earned the sobriquet "Cactus Jack" for his strident though unsuccessful championing of the cactus as the Texas state flower.
Entered the House of Representatives
The other important, indeed career boosting, event during his tenure in the state legislature came when he was appointed to a committee to help draw up a new federal district in Texas. The result was the new 58th congressional district. Larger in area than many states, it included Uvalde and sent as its first representative to the United States House of Representatives none other than John Nance Garner. In all Garner would serve 15 terms in the House of Representatives, rising to that body's highest position.
The first decade or so of Garner's congressional career was quite inauspicious. He entered the House on November 9, 1903, but it wasn't until January 1905 that he spoke his first word in Congress and not until 1911 that he gave his first speech. Needless to say he introduced very few bills during his 30 years in Congress. What he did do was learn how to master the legislative process. He was a conservative Democrat (opposed to Prohibition, women's rights, and the KKK) who had the knack for steering others' bills through the tricky legislative waters. Garner did this by practicing behind-the-scenes crony politics, by which he also managed to have a new federal building and a new post office built in his district. These projects contributed to his primary goal of getting reelected. Eventually Garner acquired enough seniority in his party to be elected the Democratic House whip in 1909. (The whip is a party's number two leader, responsible for, among other things, rounding up necessary votes). When the Democrats recaptured the White House, under Woodrow Wilson (28th US president, 1913-1921), Garner was an influential man on Capitol Hill. During the war he became the administration's liaison with the House of Representatives.
Speaker of the House
By the end of World War I, Garner had his sights set on the House speakership. Following reelection in 1922, after which the Republicans controlled the House of Representatives, Garner became the ranking Democrat on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee. He had many friends on both sides of the aisle, which was as much a testament to his quiet, pragmatic backroom political style as anything else. Garner was one of Congress's legendary whiskey-drinking poker players in his day. In order to convince recalcitrant colleagues to vote for bills he favored, Garner would invite them to his office to share a drink or two of bourbon and branch water, a method of arm twisting that, in those days of Prohibition, he termed "striking a blow for liberty." During the 71st Congress (1929-30) he was minority leader and after the 1930 election when the Democrats once again captured the majority of seats in the House, he was named Speaker for the 72nd Congress, beginning in 1931. His policy during these early Depression years endorsed a budget that would be balanced by a national sales tax.
Garner was Speaker of the House of Representatives for only a few months when a new prize was dangled before his eyes—the presidency itself. His conservative views (which had always put him in good standing with the Republicans) now made him the darling of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who decided to promote Garner for the Democratic nomination. Garner himself seemed largely indifferent to the proposal, but during the Democratic convention he managed to accumulate enough support, namely the Texas and California delegates, to temporarily slow down the Roosevelt steamroller. The convention was deadlocked after three ballots. When Garner released his 90 delegates just prior to the fourth, and they went over to Roosevelt, Garner found himself in his familiar influential position. Roosevelt, partly in gratitude and partly to neutralize a potential future rival, offered Garner the second slot on the Democratic ticket. To everyone's surprise Garner accepted, albeit somewhat reluctantly. With Franklin Roosevelt's electoral victory on November 8, 1932 Garner became the 32nd vice-president of the United States. Possibly hedging his bet, he was also reelected to Congress that same day though he resigned his congressional seat on March 4, 1933, the day he was sworn in as vice-president.
Garner was nothing if not a true party loyalist and as such he put aside his conservative views to support FDR's New Deal. In fact by most accounts Garner was the second most important person in the New Deal, which meant he (temporarily) elevated the importance and power of the vice-presidency. Garner's tenure was in contrast to his often quoted description that vice-presidency wasn't "worth a bucket of warm spit." (Being a colorful Texas politician Garner often claimed that the journalists had cleaned up his language.) Garner also said: "A great man may be vice-president but he can't be a great vice-president, because the office in itself is unimportant." This less quoted description begs the question: Why did Garner relinquish the post of Speaker of the House for such an "unimportant office"? The usual answer is that he hoped to use it as a springboard for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1940. However years later Garner admitted the decision to accept the vice-presidential nomination was the "worst damn-fool mistake I ever made. Should have stuck with my old chores as Speaker of the House. I gave up the second most important job in the government for one that didn't amount to a hill of beans."
Despite their differing political views Garner and Roosevelt enjoyed a good relationship (FDR also loved to play poker). The president even referred to Garner as "Mr. Common Sense." Garner still had a lot of influence on Capitol Hill, especially through the Texas congressional delegation. Eight Texans chaired regular committees and two chaired special committees between 1933 and 1937. Garner used these connections to push through quite a bit of New Deal legislation. He also sat in on cabinet meetings and became the first vice-president to travel abroad on official business: He went to Mexico, Japan and the Philippines.
Garner's relationship with Roosevelt began to decline in 1936 and continud to deteriorate throughout their second term. Together they won reelection by trouncing Republican candidates Governor Alf Landon of Kansas and Chicagoan Frank Knox, but it was clear that Garner was already showing an independent streak. His dormant conservatism gradually came awake as he tried to counsel FDR against the continued deficit spending. He was also disturbed by Roosevelt's popularity and his influence in congressional races. Probably the end of their working relationship came with Roosevelt's now infamous attempt to pack the Supreme Court by increasing the number of justices from 9 to 15. From then on there was hostility behind the civility between Garner and Roosevelt. When the latter suspected Garner of leaking Cabinet discussions the government's serious business took place in private meetings that excluded Garner while the Cabinet meetings were held merely as window dressing. Throughout Roosevelt's second term Garner was the de facto leader of the loyal opposition, that is, the conservative Democrats, which made him a powerful politician in Roosevelt's New Deal coalition.
Split with Roosevelt
By 1939 Garner had revived his eight-year old dream of running for the presidency with good reason—he assumed he had history on his side. What Garner did not count on was that he did not have FDR on his side. No president had served more than two terms (a precedent set by Washington), but Roosevelt broke with tradition and crushed Garner's hopes. Not that Garner had much chance by 1940. He was nearly 72 years old and the times had passed him by. The previous year he had alienated himself from African Americans and liberals by refusing to endorse a Marian Anderson concert. Later in 1939 he proved no friend to labor by opposing changes in the Wages-Hours Act. For this CIO (Congress of Industrial Organization) leader John L. Lewis branded Garner "a poker-playing, whiskey-drinking, labor-baiting, evil old man."
The 1940 Democratic convention was Garner's political swan song. In the battle for the presidential nomination he was crushed by Roosevelt: 946 votes to 61. He had already made it clear that he would not serve a third term as vice-president (two terms was also the precedent for that position). At any rate Roosevelt, looking for someone to continue the New Deal should he die in office, chose Agriculture Secretary Henry Wallace.
Garner retired to Uvalde and did a nearly unheard of thing: He (or possibly his wife, the story is conflicting) destroyed all of his public and private papers instead of depositing them in either a Texas research library or the Library of Congress itself. This action has left a void in Texas' political history and hindered New Deal scholars as well.
Garner lived in retirement for another 27 years, far outlasting Roosevelt and even his protege, Sam Rayburn. He lived long enough to witness the ascension of another Texan, Lyndon Baines Johnson, on a similar path from Congressional power to the vice-presidency, and then to the presidency. Garner died in Uvalde, Texas on November 7, 1967—just fifteen days shy of his ninety-ninth birthday.
Barzman, Sol, Madmen and Geniuses: The Vice-Presidents of the United States, Follett Publishing Company, 1974.
Dunlap, Leslie W., Our Vice-Presidents and Second Ladies, The Scarecrow Press, 1988.
Healy, Diana Dixon, America's Vice-President: Our First Forty-three Vice-Presidents and How They Got to be Number Two, Atheneum, 1984.
Boston Globe, August 9, 1992.
Houston Chronicle, July 28, 1995.
Texas Monthly, November, 1996.
"Garner, John Nance." The Handbook of Texas Online, nd, http: //www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/GG/fga24.html (December 10, 2000).
"John Nance Garner," nd, http: //www.northeast.isd.tenet.edu/garner/jngbull.htm(December 10, 2000).


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Reading lengthy texts on LCD screens (or CRTs, for that matter) is prone to giving me headaches and otherwise making me miserable. For this reason, I bought an e-ink ebook reader one day, and I found that such a device is an awesome thing for me to have. The ability to lug around large numbers of ebooks on a device that is, frankly, just about as great for my reading pleasure as a physical, dead tree format book has been a wonderful addition to my life. Alas, the Nook Simple Touch is not perfect. After dealing with some of the minor stupidities of my Nook Simple Touch from Barnes & Noble, I started looking for alternatives for my next ereader. Examples:
The first alternative I noticed (Amazon's Kindle having been rejected before I even bought the Nook for a number of reasons) was the Kobo line of ereaders. They appeared to be better devices overall, so I kept that in the back of my brain while going about the business of using my Nook. I also looked at the Kobo site and noticed that the ebook store for the Kobo was somewhat better than the equivalent ebook availability for the Nook. In fact, things are so dismal for using Barnes & Noble's ebook purchasing capabilities for my Nook that I have gone out of my way to get ebooks from other sources and sideload them on the Nook rather than just hooking up to wifi and buying directly from Barnes & Noble. One measure I have taken is to download a lot of economics texts from the Ludwig von Mises Institute, which are available for free. Another measure I have taken is to pay attention to O'Reilly deals, in part because O'Reilly itself offers ebooks for less than full hardcopy price (a shockingly rare state of affairs for ebooks), it does not use DRM (also surprisingly rare -- though perhaps slightly less surprising and slightly less rare); in part because O'Reilly offers other publishers' technical books in its online store; and in part because on top of its already cheaper ebooks in general O'Reilly also offers regular 50% off deals, which brings the price of O'Reilly ebooks below the upper threshold for what I am willing to pay for a bucket of bits at this point in my life. The process for figuring out that threshold is not too complex:
This obviously does not address the option of getting ebooks for free online in contravention of copyright law. While I condemn no one for doing so, as a believer in the unethical status of copyright law, I still tend to try to stay on the "right" side of the law. If buying an ebook from a particular source is so odious that I refuse to do it (as in the case of giving money to Barnes & Noble for a DRMed ebook, at this point, due to the simple fact I do not want to encourage BN's customer-hostile business practices), and if that source is basically the only one where I can buy it because of some kind of exclusive deal or some such crap, I would generally rather just do without and find another book to read. There are far more books in the world worth reading than I have time to read, anyway.
I thought it might be worthwhile to add the Kobo ebook store to my list of sources, given that Kobo seemed a bit less slimy than Barnes & Noble and Amazon as vendors. Unfortunately, I did not find any particular indications anywhere on the Kobo site that ebooks bought there could be read on my Nook, and reading them with a Kobo application on my laptop would just make me miserable (see above re: headaches, et cetera). It was not exactly a high priority at the time (due in part to the huge backlog of books I am trying to read right now anyway, without having to buy any more), so I ignored it for a while.
While ignoring the Kobo ebook store option, I had an issue with a Nook update wiping out the ebook collection on the device and resetting everything to factory settings. I even had to re-enter my account information to get it working again, which is a damned silly requirement. I do not want to brick the thing while it is my only ereader device, so I have not tried rooting it yet, though that is an option the moment I am in a position to easily replace it with an acceptable new ereader device acquisition if things go awry. I can re-download all my Nook ebooks directly onto the device, and re-sideload all my other ebooks (which I have stored in places other than the Nook, of course), but that does not make me any happier about Barnes & Noble inflicting such inconvenience and frustration on me. I started searching in greater earnest for a potential replacement device.
So far, I have not found anything I would be willing to buy apart from a couple of the Onyx ereader device line products. Unfortunately, it would be prohibitively difficult and/or expensive to get any of them, to the point where I find it very difficult to justify the expense and/or effort when I already have an ereader that is usable "enough". The Kobo devices just will not cut it, on further investigation, in part because of what I have learned about how Kobo runs its business.
As part of my recent reinvigorated interest in all things ereader-ish, I started looking at the Kobo ebook store again. Once again, I did not find any indications of whether I could load Kobo books on my Nook, and I suspected the DRM the Kobo ebooks use would be problematic. I decided to go the further step of contacting customer service this time around. I sent the following message:
I have two problems I would like addressed.
Can I buy ebooks from Kobo's store and read them on my Nook Simple Touch device? I have yet to find anything on the Kobo site that answers this question one way or another, and I would like to know whether it is worth my while to stay signed up for alerts on specials, or if it does me no good because I do not want to buy a new e-ink ebook reader device just to use one vendor's store.
The eventual response from Kobo customer service looked like this:
Thank you for contacting Kobo Customer Care!
We would like to inform you that you can read Kobo books on the Nook eReader, in order to transfer them on to your Nook device you have to use Adobe Digital Editions. If you are facing issues accessing the Kobo Web site then we would suggest you to use a different web browser ( Google chrome, Mozilla Fire Fox) and try again.
Ignoring for the moment the customer service representative is evidently not even capable of correctly capitalizing and spelling the names of these browsers, there are at least two major problems with this response:
I basically said I would not be interested in using the Kobo service if I could not use the browser of my choice for that (which is a WebKit browser, not a very hard target to hit when doing web design these days), but the customer service representative's answer to the problem of site usability was to tell me to use a different browser. I guess Kobo does not really care at all about potential customers who are on the fence about buying ebooks from Kobo -- it only cares about those who are so deeply interested that they will change their software using habits just to access the site.
Adobe Digital Editions is only available for MS Windows and MacOS X. I guess Kobo is likewise not interested in getting money from users of any other operating systems (including FreeBSD, what I am using).
Even something as simple as directly addressing the fact that my browser-related problem was not simply difficulty accessing the site, but difficulting accessing it in the browser of my choice, would have greatly improved my impression of this brief exchange with Kobo customer service. As things stand, however, the response amounts to "I do not give two shits what your actual issue is. You have to bend to our way of doing things, or you can happily fuck right the hell off." That is not even remotely like what I would call customer service, no matter how friendly the phrasing used to convey that message.
I guess Kobo executives and managers need to prioritize their concerns, and things like good customer service and maximum availability to draw in maximum potential market share are not very highly prioritized. That is fine. Whatever. Go for it. I know that the bad taste this exchange left in my mouth will prompt me to say bad things about Kobo in the future, as I am doing now. I also know that this is unlikely to make a huge dent in Kobo's revenue -- certainly not anything likely to be noticed by the accounting metrics team or whatever Kobo uses to track the success of its policies in supporting its business model. The fact remains, though, that I am convinced to stay the hell away from Kobo, and to try to help others avoid the annoyance of dealing with a corporation whose decision makers think like Kobo's obviously do, given that even if the particular annoyances that apply today do not affect a particular person directly, they could very easily change tomorrow to have a more direct effect on that individual. When a company's policies are not oriented very strongly toward customer satisfaction, policy changes are likely to make quite a lot of customers dissatisfied, and in bureaucratic corporate culture the standard way to rearrange the deck chairs whenever there is a dip in sales is to change policies in such a potentially customer-hostile manner.
Let the buyer beware.
My response to that pathetically customer-nonserving email, by the way, is:
That is a pretty crummy response. Kobo customer service is as bad as Barnes & Noble customer service. I have already resolved to never buy another Nook, and avoid giving money to BN in general. It is frankly amazing how much companies such as BN and Kobo seem to be almost trying to drive people to "piracy" to satisfy their reading cravings.
Adobe has not released a version of Adobe Digital Editions for any operating systems I use, and I do not want to expose my reading habits to organizations such as Google by using privacy-weak browsers, to say nothing of the user-unfriendly design of Chrome and actively user-harmful design of Firefox. It is becoming increasingly clear that Kobo's customer service and security policies are such that I should not share my reading habits with the Kobo company either, though, so thank you for providing the information I need to make a final decision to end my interest in the Kobo store. I will be telling my friends to avoid Kobo as well.
I am not sure this response will even get through. The reply address is probably not a manned email address, I would guess, and I think the help ticket has been closed at this time.
Well . . . no matter. The less Kobo knows about what is driving customers away, the faster it will crash and burn. The quicker companies like this crash and burn, the better off we are. Too bad most people are so inured to customer-hostile policies that it will take a lot more than behavior like this from customer service reps to substantially harm the company.


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