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In a few hundredths of a second the shutter closes, capturing the moment. It will be one of our few ways back to it when the past has become a foreign country. The image is perhaps slightly out of focus, the colours too bright or too dark and we pick out little details in the background which we hadn't noticed at that all important moment when we took the picture. For many years, I preferred to look at the photos of others; the portraits of Cartier-Bresson, the carefree heyday of early twentieth century French society in Lartigue's exquisite shots, the pared down minimalism in Irving Penn's work. Since I started blogging however, I became interested in recording the things around me, the places that I discover, the changing light. Often when looking at my pictures afterwards, I become aware that I hadn't achieved what I set out to do, that the eye sees things differently from the lens and that there is still so much to learn. I think back to Andreas Feininger's wonderful but daunting book on photography where he describes how we must silence all of our other senses in order to focus purely on seeing.
For lovers of photography, there can be no finer place in Berlin than the C/O Berlin on Oranienburger Straße. Located in the former Postführamt, it's one of the true really authentic places in an area which has become a tourist trap. Paint peels off the walls, a friend of mine claims it smells rather like GDR disinfectant was used inside and there are still the old markings of a basketball court in one of the rooms upstairs. I love going inside the C/O because it's not all clean and polished and because what really matters is the art. When I heard there would be an exhibition of Peter Lindbergh's work, I wondered whether it would appeal to me. He's recognised as one of the greatest photographers but there's something about fashion photography that generally puts me off. The images are often glossy, airbrushed, the girls are anorexic and the clothes overpriced and awful. Stepping inside the C/O exhibition, I felt relieved to discover gritty, beautifully composed shots, starting with those taken on the streets of Berlin. Grainy black and white images of Alex and the statues close to Unter den Linden, photographed from a moving car make me feel that this is someone who has grasped the essence of the city I love so much. A film shows him walking through the forest with his good friend Wim Wenders while Lindbergh steps in front of the camera for a change as Wenders' wife photographs them. If the girls are still slender, the locations are wonderful; in disused factories or deep in the woods. Small imperfections are visible on the skin and most amazing of all for me is the portrait of Jeanne Moreau with all the layers stripped away. There is simply her wonderful face, full of expression and character, still with fire inside her. I admire her fearlessness for showing herself as she really is and also Lindbergh for finding that beautiful. It makes me hungrier than ever to capture that decisive moment.
At the C/O, Oranienburger Straße 35/36, 10117 Berlin daily from 11-20 until 9th January, 2011


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Mashable Weekend Recap: 23 Stories You May Have Missed
It was a strange weekend here at Mashable. For instance, Apple's building a flying saucer-like HQ that we dubbed "the AppleSaucer," but we found lots of buildings that were even weirder.
A magician figured out a way to separate lies and truth using iPods, and Bill Gates revealed a little secret about Mark Zuckerberg (that, turns out, may or may not be true).
Is there something about humid weather that encourages loose lips? Find out right here in our Weekend Recap, where we bring you up to date on the E3 gaming conference, reveal another clue about the upcoming iPhone, show you how to get hired at Google and a whole lot more.
News Essentials
HOAX: McDonald's Official Statement Condemns Racist Sign [UPDATED]
10 Personal Details Revealed by Bill Gates — Including 1 Secret
Horrific Le Mans Crash Goes Viral on YouTube [VIDEO]
The Top 5 Nintendo Announcements at E3 [PHOTOS]
First Gabrielle Giffords Pics Since Shooting Released on Facebook
The Web's Been Running Out of Space, But IPv6 Is Saving It
Apple Isn't The Only Company With A Spaceship [PHOTOS]
This Week in Politics & Digital: The Information Issue
Exclusive: Who Won The E3 Buzz Battle? [INFOGRAPHIC]
Helpful Resources
51 New Digital Media Resources You May Have Missed
HOW TO: Use Social Media for Recruiting
Mashable Connect 2011: Full Conference Highlights [PICS & VIDEO]
Weekend Leisure
10 Instagram Tips For Bands, By Bands
Full-Court Press: How The NBA Scores With Digital Media
4 Fun Apps for Foodies, Savers & Travelers
Magician Separates Lies & Truth With 3 iPods [VIDEO]
4 Fresh Apps For Your Weekend Enjoyment
10 Must-Follow Fake Twitter Celebs [PICS]
5 Gadgets We're Playing With This Week
Google's Musical Doodle Lives On — On Its Own Web Page [VIDEO]


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Egypt asks Cyprus to extradite suspected hijacker
Nicosia, April 3: Egypt has asked Cyprus to extradite a man held by Cypriot police on suspicion of hijacking an EgyptAir plane on Tuesday and forcing it to land at Larnaca, Cypriot Attorney General Costas Clerides said on Saturday.
Clerides said Egypt's request to extradite Seif Eldin Mustafa, 59, will be examined after investigation into crimes on which Cypriot authorities have jurisdiction are completed, Xinhua reported.
"When investigations are completed it will be decided whether he will be extradited to Egypt," said Clerides.
He added that the decision will be taken in consultation with the government as a decision of political nature is involved.
Mustafa claimed that he carried out the hijacking because he wanted to see his ex-wife, a Cypriot, with whom he separated in 1994.
But on landing at Larnaca he demanded that Egypt release 69 women held in prison.
The hijacker tried to escape after all people on board were either released by him of left the plane, but was arrested while running away.
He is currently held under an eight-day court remand which is valid until Wednesday.


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As I entered the bank and noted the long line, I thought, "Oh well, I'm not in a hurry today." Looking ahead, I saw a grey-haired lady entering the bank from the other side. I could not help but notice that when she saw me, she picked up her pace considerably to ensure that she would be ahead of me in the bank line.
As it turned out, for me, the wait was made more bearable by this woman's antics. Every couple of minutes, she sighed loudly enough for everyone in the bank to hear. Her level of angst intensified as she continually shifted from foot to foot, moving ahead and then backing up in the line's limited space. Then began the verbal bemoaning of the ridiculous amount of time the transactions were taking.
Eventually, the lady in line in front of her, who walked with a cane and was actually leaning on the cane as she waited, offered to let this woman go ahead of her to the next available teller. I chuckled to myself. I was not laughing at her. No, I was laughing at myself. I wondered, "Is this how God sees me?"
Proverbs 16:32 – Better a patient person than a warrior, one with self-control than one who takes a city. (NIV 2011)
This verse from Proverbs is quite astounding to me when I consider how God sees a patient person. In an era when territory was won through the valour of warriors, it is noted that patience is a better virtue than securing an entire city!
Patience has long been a virtue which has eluded me. While there are times when I manage to relax instead of being impatient, I know that patience is still something on which I must work.
I've heard that God has a sense of humour. Well, if so, I think that He must have sent me this woman today to make a point in His humorous way concerning my lack of patience.
Daniel 4:3 – How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation. (NIV)
This verse reminds us that, as children of God, we have an eternity to look forward to in heaven. So how important can a few minutes of waiting in line at a bank possibly be in view of the rest of our lives? How significant is our earthly rushing and tearing around to make up a few measly minutes?
While my initial reaction to this incident at the bank was mirth, my secondary reaction was shame. This verse came to mind:
Psalm 73:21-22a – Thus my heart was grieved, and I was vexed in my mind. I was so foolish and ignorant. (NKJV)
How often have I reacted like this impatient woman? How often have you? How often have we been arrogant and self-important? And yet, how forgiving and wonderfully patient is God our Father with His impetuous, impatient children?
May we desire today to be more like Him!
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for all the ways in which You remind us of our weaknesses. Sometimes, You send specific Scripture passages, and sometimes, You send events or people to speak to us. Even in the midst of the mundane activities of earthly life, like standing in line at a bank, You speak to us. When we become restless and impatient, remind us that our life on earth is but a moment in time compared to our eternity with You. Amen.
Listen to this devotional
Listen while you read: "Anywhere With Jesus" (Lyrics)


text: It has been a long, tumultuous and difficult 2017. We've seen some of our worst nightmares become reality and we've fought and won some incredible victories. Join us Monday, December 11th at Helen's Restaurant, 2527 W. Main st. in the Fan as we prepare to ring out 2017 and ring in the new year and a new General Assembly session. We'll be talking about the election, prospects for the GA, the awful GOP tax bill, impeachment, sexual harassment and more. We'll be entertained again this year by the jazz stylings of the Tim Harding Quartet, we'll drink hot cider and eat sweets and work for a better tomorrow. Come join us and bring a friend.


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Not that there should have ever been any doubt, but consumers like competition.
A new report out Tuesday shows that Americans are increasingly dissatisfied with the TV service they get from dominant cable companies like Comcast and Time Warner Cable. But they have much higher opinions of similar television service when phone companies like Verizon and satellite businesses like DirecTV deliver it.
The report from the American Customer Satisfaction Index suggests that phone and satellite companies, which have not been selling TV service for as long as the big cable companies, are trying just a little harder. Those businesses might be providing more reliable or better quality service or responding faster to complaints. The cost of service is unlikely to be a big factor in consumer perceptions since the two types of companies tend to charge similar prices for popular TV bundles, according to a Federal Communications Commission report published in 2013.
The findings of the customer satisfaction report help to explain why many consumers and lawmakers were opposed to Comcast's proposal to buy Time Warner Cable. Comcast, the nation's biggest cable company, called off that deal in April after federal officials made clear that they would challenge the acquisition. (Last week, Charter announced that it would try to buy Time Warner Cable.)
While consumers prefer satellite to cable, overall subscription TV services were tied for last place in the ratings, along with Internet access, which many people also buy from their local cable company. Most customers have just one or two choices for high-speed Internet service. By contrast, most Americans can generally choose between at least three providers for pay-TV service, not to mention Internet-based services like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and HBO Now.
The next lowest-rated businesses on the consumer satisfaction index are the U.S. Postal Service, landline telephone companies, health insurers, cellphone companies and airlines.


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Mathematics and art have a long historical relationship. The ancient Egyptians and ancient Greeks knew about the golden ratio and regarded as an aesthetically pleasing ratio. They may have incorporated it and other mathematical relationships, such as the 3:4:5 triangle, into the design of monuments including the Great Pyramid,[1] the Parthenon and the Colosseum.[2][3]
Artists who have been inspired by mathematics and studied mathematics as a means of complementing their works include the Greek sculptor Polykleitos, who prescribed a series of mathematical proportions for carving the ideal male nude. Renaissance painters including Piero della Francesca and Leonardo da Vinci made use of mathematics in their work. In modern times, artists like M. C. Escher use mathematical forms intensively, while new branches including Penrose tiles and fractal art have been developed.
Galileo Galilei in his Il Saggiatore wrote that "[The universe] is written in the language of mathematics, and its characters are triangles, circles, and other geometric figures."[4] Artists who strive and seek to study nature must therefore first fully understand mathematics. On the other hand, mathematicians have sought to interpret and analyse art through the lens of geometry and rationality.
The Golden Ratio, roughly equal to 1.618, was first formally introduced in text by Greek mathematician Pythagoras and later by Euclid in the 5th century BC. In the fourth century BC, Aristotle noted its aesthetic properties.[5] Aside from interesting mathematical properties, geometric shapes derived from the golden ratio, such as the golden rectangle, the golden triangle, and Kepler's triangle, were believed to be aesthetically pleasing. As such, many works of ancient art exhibit and incorporate the golden ratio in their design. Various authors can discern the presence of the golden ratio in Egyptian, Summerian and Greek vases, Chinese pottery, Olmec sculptures, and Cretan and Mycenaean products from as early as the late Bronze Age.[6] The prevalence of this special number in art and architecture even before its formal discovery by Pythagoras is perhaps evidence of an instinctive and primal human cognitive preference for the golden ratio.[7]
Evidence of mathematical influences in art is present in the Great Pyramids, built by Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu and completed in 2560BC. Pyramidologists since the nineteenth century have noted the presence of the golden ratio in the design of the ancient monuments. They note that the length of the base edges range from 755–756 feet while the height of the structure is 481.4 feet. Working out the math, the perpendicular bisector of the side of the pyramid comes out to 612 feet.[8] If we divide the slant height of the pyramid by half its base length, we get a ratio of 1.619, less than 1% from the golden ratio. This would also indicate that half the cross-section of the Khufu's pyramid is in fact a Kepler's triangle. Debate has broken out between prominent pyramidologists, including Temple Bell, Michael Rice, and John Taylor, over whether the presence of the golden ratio in the pyramids is due to design or chance. Of note, Rice contends that experts of Egyptian architecture have argued that ancient Egyptian architects have long known about the existence of the golden ratio. In addition, three other pyramidologists, Martin Gardner, Herbert Turnbull, and David Burton contend that:
Herodotus related in one passage that the Egyptian priests told him that the dimensions of the Great Pyramid were so chosen that the area of a square whose side was the height of the great pyramid equaled the area of the triangle.[9]
This passage, if true, would undeniably prove the intentional presence of the golden ratio in the pyramids. However, the validity of this assertion is found to be questionable.[10] Critics of this golden ratio theory note that it is far more likely that the original Egyptian architects modeled the pyramid after the 3-4-5 triangle, rather than the Kepler's triangle. According to the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus, an ancient papyrus that is the best example of Egyptian math dating back to the Second Intermediate Period of Egypt, the Egyptians certainly knew about and used the 3-4-5 triangle extensively in mathematics and architecture. While Kepler's triangle has a face angle of 51°49', the 3-4-5 triangle has a face angle of 53°8', very close to the Kepler's triangle.[11] Another triangle that is close is one whose perimeter is 2π the height such that the base to hypotenuse ratio is 1:4/π. With a face angle of 51°50', it is also very similar to Kepler's triangle. While the exact triangle the Egyptians chose to design their pyramids after remains unclear, the fact that the dimensions of pyramids correspond so strongly to a special right triangle suggest a strong mathematical influence in the last standing ancient wonder.
The Parthenon is a temple dedicated the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis. It is contended that Phidias, the main Greek sculptor in charge of decorating the Parthenon, also knew about the golden ratio and its aesthetic properties. In fact, the Greek symbol for the Golden Ratio is named Phi (φ) because of Phidias.[12] The golden rectangle, a rectangle whose length to width ratio is the golden ratio and considered the most pleasing to the eye, is almost omnipresent in the façade and floor plans of the Parthenon. The entire façade may be enclosed within a golden rectangle.[13] The ratio of the length of a metope and triglyph to the height of the frieze, as well as the height of the columns and stylobate to the entire height of the temple is also the golden ratio. Phidias himself constructed many Parthenon statues that meticulously embody the golden ratio.[14] Phidias is also notable for his contributions to the Athena Parthenos and the Statue of Zeus. As with the Pyramids however, more recent historians challenge the purposeful inclusion of the golden ratio in Greek temples, such as the Parthenon, contending that earlier studies have purposefully fitted in measurements of the temple until it conformed to a golden rectangle.
The oldest mosque in North Africa is the Great Mosque of Kairouan (Tunisia), built by Uqba ibn Nafi in 670 A.D. Boussora and Mazouz's study of the mosque dimensions reveals a very consistent application of the golden ratio in its design. Boussora and Mazouz contend:
Because of urban constraints, the mosque floor plan is not a perfect rectangle. Even so, for example, the division of the courtyard and prayer hall is almost a perfect golden ratio.
Polykleitos the Elder (c.450-420B.C.) was a Greek sculptor from the school of Argos, and a contemporary of Phidias. His works and statues consisted mainly of bronze and were of athletes. According to the mathematician Xenocrates, Polykleitos is ranked as one of the most important sculptors of Classical antiquity for his work on the Doryphorus and the statue of Hera in the Heraion of Argos.[16] While his sculptures may not be as famous as those of Phidias, he is better known for his approach towards sculpture. In the Canon of Polykleitos, a treatise he wrote designed to document the "perfect" anatomical proportions of the male nude, Polykleitos gives us a mathematical approach towards sculpturing the human body. The influence of the Canon of Polykleitos is immense both in Classical Greek, Roman, and Renaissance sculpture, with many sculptors after him following Polykleitos' prescription. While none of Polykleitos' original works survive, Roman copies of his works demonstrate and embody his ideal of physical perfection and mathematical precision.
Some scholars contend the influence of the mathematician Pythagoras on the Canon of Polykleitos.[17] The Canon applies the basic mathematical concepts of Greek geometry, such as the ratio, proportion, and symmetria (Greek for "harmonious proportions") and turns it into a system capable of describing the human form through a series of continuous geometric progressions. Polykleitos starts with a specific human body part, the distal phalanges of the little finger, or the tip of the little finger to the first joint, and establishes that as the basic module or unit for determining all the other proportions of the human body.[18] From that, Polykleitos multiplies the length by radical 2 (1.14142) to get the distance of the second phalanges and multiplies the length again by radical 2 to get the length of the third phalanges. Next, he takes the finger length and multiplies it again by radical 2 to get the length of the palm from the base of the finger to the ulna. This geometric series of measurements progress until Polykleitos has formed the arm, chest, body, and so on. Other proportions are less set. For example, the ideal body should be 8 heads high and 2 heads wide. However, ordinary figures are 7½ heads tall while heroic figures are 8½ heads tall.
The Renaissance saw a rebirth of Classical Greek and Roman culture and ideas, among them the study of mathematics as a relevant subject needed to understand nature and the arts. Two major reasons drove Renaissance artists towards the pursuit of mathematics. First, painters needed to figure out how to depict three-dimensional scenes on a two-dimensional canvas. Second, philosophers and artists alike were convinced that mathematics was the true essence of the physical world and that the entire universe, including the arts, could be explained in geometric terms.[19] In light of these factors, Renaissance artists became some of the best applied mathematicians of their times.
Italian painter Paolo Uccello (1397–1475) was fascinated by the study of perspective. A marble mosaic in the floor of the San Marco Basilica in Venice featuring the small stellated dodecahedron is attributed to Uccello.[20]
Piero della Francesca (c.1415-1492), an early Renaissance artist from Italy, exemplified this new shift in Renaissance thinking. Though chiefly appreciated for his art, he was an expert mathematician and geometer and authored many books on solid geometry and the emerging field of perspective, including De Prospectiva Pingendi (On Perspective for Painting), Trattato d'Abaco (Abacus Treatise), and De corporibus regularibus (Regular Solids).[21][22][23] Historian Vasari in the Lives of the Painters calls Piero the "greatest geometer of his time, or perhaps of any time."[24] He was deeply interested in the theoretical study of perspective and this was apparent in many of his paintings, including the S. Agostino altarpiece and The Flagellation of Christ. His work on geometry influenced later mathematicians and artists, including Luca Pacioli in his De Divina Proportione and Leonardo da Vinci.
Piero began his study of classical mathematics and the works of the Greek mathematician Archimedes in the library at Urbino.[25] In addition to this classical training, Piero was taught commercial arithmetic in "abacus schools," evidenced indirectly by his own writings which copies the format of abacus school textbooks.[26] It is possible therefore that he was influenced by the works of Leonardo Pisano (Fibonacci) from which those abacus textbooks were derived. Piero lived in the time when linear perspective was just being introduced in the artistic world. Leon Battista Alberti sums up the idea: "light rays travel in straight lines from points in the observed scene to the eye, forming a kind of pyramid with the eye as vertex."[27] The painting therefore is a cross-sectional plane of that pyramid. The study of perspective precedes Piero and the Renaissance however. Before perspective, artists typically sized objects and figures according to their thematic importance. Perspective was first observed in 5th century B.C. Greece and Euclid's Optics first introduced a mathematical theory of perspective. Muslim mathematician Alhazen extended the theory of optics in his Book of Optics in 1021 A.D., although he never applied these principals to art. Perspective first exploded onto the Renaissance artistic scene with Giotto di Bondone, who attempted to draw in perspective using an algebraic method to determine the placement of distant lines. In 1415, Italian architect Filippo Brunelleschi and his friend Leon Battista Alberti demonstrated the geometrical method of applying perspective in Florence, centered around the usage of similar triangles, a mathematical concept formulated long ago by Euclid, in determining the apparent height of distant objects.[28] However, Piero is the first painter to write a practical treatise for the application of this idea in art in his De Prospectiva Pingendi.
In De Prospectiva Pingendi, Piero painstakingly transforms art and his empirical observations into "vera scientia" (true science), i.e. into mathematical proofs. His treatise starts like any mathematics book in the vein of Euclid: he defines the point as "essere una costa tanto picholina quanto e possible ad ochio comprendere" (being the tiniest thing that is possible for the eye to comprehend).[19] From there, Piero uses a series of deductive logic to lead us, theorem by theorem, to the perspective representation of a three-dimensional body. Piero realized that the way aspects of a figure changed with the point of view obeyed precise and determinable mathematical laws. Piero methodically presented a series of perspective problems to gradually ease his reader from easy to increasingly complex problems. Mark Peterson explains:
In Book I, after some elementary constructions to introduce the idea of the apparent size of an object being actually its angle subtended at the eye, and referring to Euclid's Elements Books I and VI, and Euclid's Optics, he turns, in Proposition 13, to the representation of a square lying flat on the ground in front of the viewer. What should the artist actually draw? After this, objects are constructed in the square (tilings, for example, to represent a tiled floor), and corresponding objects are constructed in perspective; in Book II prisms are erected over these planar objects, to represent houses, columns, etc.; but the basis of the method is the original square, from which everything else follows.[29]
In his 1919 book Ad Quadratum, Frederik Macody Lund, a historian who studied the geometry of several gothic structures, claims that the Cathedral of Chartres (begun in the 12th century), the Notre-Dame of Laon (1157–1205), and the Notre Dame de Paris (1160) are designed according to the golden ratio.[30] According to Macody Lund, the superimposed regulator lines show that the cathedral has golden proportions. Other scholars argue that until Pacioli's 1509 publication, the golden ratio was unknown to artists and architects.[31]
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) was a German Renaissance printmaker who made important contributions to polyhedral literature in his book, Underweysung der Messung (Education on Measurement) (1525), meant to teach the subjects of linear perspective, geometry in architecture, Platonic solids, and regular polygons. Dürer was likely influenced by the works of Luca Pacioli and Piero della Francesca during his trips to Italy.[32] While the examples of perspective in Underweysung der Messung are underdeveloped and contain a number of inaccuracies, the manual does contain a very interesting discussion of polyhedra. Dürer is also the first to introduce in text the idea of polyhedral nets, polyhedra unfolded to lie flat for printing.[33] Dürer published another influential book on human proportions called Vier Bücher von Menschlicher Proportion (Four Books on Human Proportion) in 1528.
Dürer's well-known engraving Melencolia I depicts a frustrated thinker sitting by what is best interpreted as a "truncated rhomboid" or a "rhombohedron with 72-degree face angles, which has been truncated so it can be inscribed in a sphere".[34] It has been the subject of more modern interpretation than almost any other print,[35] including a two-volume book by Peter-Klaus Schuster,[36] and an influential discussion in Erwin Panofsky's monograph of Dürer.[37]
Written by Luca Pacioli in Milan from 1496–98, published in Venice in 1509, De Divina Proportione was about mathematical and artistic proportion. Leonardo da Vinci drew illustrations of regular solids in De divina proportione while he lived with and took mathematics lessons from Pacioli. Leonardo's drawings are probably the first illustrations of skeletonic solids, which allowed an easy distinction between front and back.[38] Skeletonic solids, such as the rhombicuboctahedron, were one of the first solids drawn to demonstrate perspective by being overlaid on top of each other. Additionally, the work also discusses the use of perspective by painters such as Piero della Francesca, Melozzo da Forlì, and Marco Palmezzano.
It is in De Divina Proportione that the golden ratio is defined as the divine proportion. Pacioli also details the use of the golden ratio as the mathematical definition of beauty when applied to the human face.
"The Ancients, having taken into consideration the rigorous construction of the human body, elaborated all their works, as especially their holy temples, according to these proportions; for they found here the two principal figures without which no project is possible: the perfection of the circle, the principle of all regular bodies, and the equilateral square." from De Divina Proportione (1509)
In the 1490s, Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) trained under Luca Pacioli, preparing a series of drawings for De Divina Proportione. He studied Pacioli's Summa, from which he copied tables of proportions and multiplication tables.[39] Notably in Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, Leonardo's work incorporated linear perspective. By making the lines in the painting converge on a single, invisible point on the horizon, the painting gains apparent depth. The vanishing point creates the illusion that the painting is an extension of the room itself.[40]
In Mona Lisa, the mismatch between the left and right backgrounds creates the illusion of perspective and depth. A Golden Rectangle whose base extends from her right wrist to her left elbow and reaches the very top of her head can be subdivided into smaller Golden Rectangles to produce a Golden Spiral. The edges of the new rectangles come to intersect the focal points of Mona Lisa: chin, eye, nose, and upturned corner of her mouth. The overall shape of the woman is a triangle with her arms as the base and her head as the tip, drawing attention to her face.[41]
In The Last Supper, Leonardo sought to create a perfect harmonic balance between the placement of the characters and the background. He did intensive studies on how the characters should be arranged at the table. The entire painting was constructed in a tight ratio of 12:6:4:3.[42] The entire piece measures 6 by 12 units. The wall in the back is equal to 4 units. The windows are 3 units and the recession of the tapestries on the side walls is 12:6:4:3.[43]
In Vitruvian Man, Leonardo expressed the ideas of the Roman architect Vitruvius.[44] Earlier artists and architects had illustrated Vitruvius' theory, but Leonardo's drawing differs in that the male figure adopts two different positions within the same image. He is simultaneously within the circle and the square; movement and liveliness are suggested by the figure's active arms and legs. The thin lines on his form show the significant points of the proportion scheme and indicate Leonardo's concern with the architectural meaning of the work. Leonardo is representing the body as a building.
Graphic artist M.C. Escher (1898—1972) was known for his mathematically inspired work.[45] Escher's interest in tessellations, polyhedrons, shaping of space, and self-reference manifested itself in his work throughout his career.[46] In the Alhambra Sketch, Escher showed that art can be created with polygons or regular shapes such as triangles, squares, and hexagons. Escher used irregular polygons when tiling the plane and often used reflections, glide reflections, and translations to obtain many more patterns. Additionally, Escher arranged the shapes to simulate images of animals and other figures. His work can be noted in Development 1 and Cycles.
Escher's was especially interested in five specific types of polyhedron, which appear many times in his work. "Regular polyhedrons" are defined as solids that have exactly similar polygonal faces, and are also known as Platonic solids. These tetrahedrons, cubes, octahedrons, dodecahedrons, and icosahedrons are especially prominent in Order and Chaos and Four Regular Solids.[47] Here these stellated figures often reside within another figure which further distorts the viewing angle and conformation of the polyhedrons and providing a multifaceted perspective artwork.[48] Additionally, Escher worked with the shape and logic of space in Three Intersecting Planes, Snakes, High and Low, and Waterfall.
Many of Escher's works contain impossible constructions, made using geometrical objects that cannot exist but are pleasant to the human sight. Some of Escher's tessellation drawings were inspired by conversations with the mathematician H. S. M. Coxeter concerning hyperbolic geometry.[49] Relationships between the works of mathematician Kurt Gödel, artist Escher, and composer Johann Sebastian Bach are explored in Gödel, Escher, Bach, a Pulitzer Prize-winning book.
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) incorporated mathematical themes in several of his later works. His 1954 painting Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus) depicts a crucified figure upon the net of a hypercube. In The Sacrament of the Last Supper (1955) Christ and his disciples are pictured inside a giant dodecahedron. Dalí's last painting, The Swallow's Tail (1983), was part of a series inspired by René Thom's catastrophe theory.
Pablo Palazuelo (1916–2007) was a contemporary Spanish painter and sculptor focused on the investigation of form. Heavily influenced by cubism and Paul Klee, Palazuelo developed a unique style that he described as the geometry of life and the geometry of all nature. Consisting of simple geometric shapes with detailed patterning and coloring, Palazuelo's work was noted as powerful, attractive, unhesitant, enigmatic, and always new. From works such as Angular I to Automnes, Palazuelo expressed himself in geometric transformations and translations. Over time as Carmen Bonell notes, Palazuelo's work evolved very rapidly toward an abstract-geometric language of increasing purity.[50]
John Robinson (1935–2007) was originally a sheep farmer who turned to sculpting. He began a serious sculpting career at the age of 35. Robinson was deeply interested in astronomy and mathematical relationships. According to Ronald Brown, Robinson's work was extraordinary because of its proportion, line, rhythm, finish, the resonance of the titles and the forms, and because some of the complex forms, such as Rhythm of Life, had hardly been visualized in such an exact way. Robinson's work from Gordian Knot to Bands of Friendship displayed highly complex mathematical knot theory in polished bronze for the public to see.[51]
Many mathematicians working in the field of topology and specifically with toruses see mathematical relationships in Robinson's sculptures.
Rhythm of Life arose from experiments with wrapping a ribbon around an inner tube and finding it returned to itself.
Genesis evolved from an attempt at making Borromean rings-a set of three circles, no two of which link but in which the whole structure cannot be taken apart without breaking.
Many of Robinson's works express the theme of common humanity. In Dependent Beings, the sculpture comprises a square that twists as it travels around the circle, giving it a boundary of two strips in contrasting textures.[52]
Sculptor Helaman Ferguson has made sculptures in various materials of a wide range of complex surfaces and other topological objects.[53] His work is motivated specifically by the desire to create visual representations of mathematical objects.
Ferguson has created a sculpture called The Eightfold Way at the Berkeley, California, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute based on the projective special linear group PSL(2,7), a finite group of 168 elements.[54][55]
Named after Roger Penrose, Penrose tiles are nonperiodic tiles generated from a simple base tile. In its simplest form, it consists of 36- and 72-degree rhombuses, with "matching rules" forcing the rhombuses to line up against each other only in certain patterns.[56] Penrose tiles lack translational symmetry due to its nonperiodicity, and any finite region in a tiling appears infinitely many times in the tiling.[57]
Both visually complex and simple at the same time, Penrose tiles arise from basic mathematical principles and can be viewed as intricately related to the golden ratio. Two notable relationships between Penrose tiles and the Golden ratio are:
Fractal art is a form of algorithmic art created by calculating fractal objects and representing the results as still images, animations, and media which has developed from the mid-1980s onwards.[58] The Julia set and Mandelbrot sets are considered icons of fractal art.[59]
The Platonic solids and other polyhedra are a recurring theme in Western art. Examples include:
Middle Ages, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Florence, Italian Renaissance
Epistemology, Immanuel Kant, Philosophy, Ethics, Metaphysics
Pi, Euclid, E (mathematical constant), Johannes Kepler, Leonardo da Vinci
European Union, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada
Painting, Photography, Drawing, Design, Architecture
Nottingham, England, Design, Lincolnshire, YouTube
Visual Arts, Albrecht Dürer, Leonardo da Vinci, Budapest, Hungary


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Britain's top cyclo-cross racers will have been training hard over Christmas and New Year as they head to Ipswich's Chantry Park this weekend [January 7-8] for the Cyclo-cross
Riders from across the UK and Europe will descend on the grounds of the stately home for the pinnacle of the domestic 'cross season; all of them eagerly aiming to make 2012 the year they wear the stripes of national champion.
The event itself will also be a dry run for the European Cyclo-cross Championships which will be run on a very similar course in late 2012.
"The course is quite rolling and firm going; its not much of a mudbath but it can get slippy so it suits a bike handler," event organiser Steve Grimwood explained.
"Paul Oldham will be the one to beat," Grimwood tipped, "he's got the form and he's got the skills. Though my eyes will be on Ian Bibby – he's a dark horse who knows how to win."
Grimwood favours Nikki Harris for the women's race after her fine run of performances in Europe, and hopes for a home win for Hugo Robinson in the Juniors.
"Hugo's grown up with the events that we've been putting on. It would be great for the town if we can get a home win [with Robinson]," he said.
The podium finishers of the last four years will all line up against each other in the men's race. Defending champion Paul Oldham has proven himself this season on the domestic circuit, where even a series of mechanicals have been unable to stop him reaching first place on the series leaderboard.
2009 champion and Oldham's closest domestic rival, Jody Crawforth will have a point to prove as he hopes to go one better than his second place finishes in 2010 and 2011.
Far from being a two-horse race, Ian Field, Liam Killeen, Ian Bibby and Roger Hammond will all be in the mix during a frenetic 60 minutes. Field, despite regular top-level racing in Europe, has never made the podium in the national event.
"I've not raced in the UK so it's hard to look at events and see where you are," he told CW back in December. "But I can gauge a bit off the Belgians who have been winning when they come here.
"That's pretty promising for me, because I'm a step above them in Belgium so I think I've got a good chance."
2000 Roger Hammond
2001 Roger Hammond
2002 Roger Hammond
2003 Roger Hammond
2004 Roger Hammond
2005 Nick Craig
2006 Roger Hammond
2007 Phil Dixon
2008 Roger Hammond
2009 Jody Crawforth
2010 Ian Bibby
2011 Paul Oldham
Helen Wyman has certainly got used to winning when it comes to the nationals. Success this year could give her an Armstrong-like, and unprecedented, seventh consecutive title.
Her dominance may well come to end this year as Nikki Harris, who has been consistently finishing above or around Wyman in Europe, has her heart set on the title.
"I want to win the National Championships more than anything!" Harris said. "I've been surprising myself with my form this year, and I'm confident that I can put in a good showing."
However don't count out fellow continental racer Gabriella Day, or indeed National Trophy leader Hannah Payton who, along with the experienced Louise Robinson, will be aiming for the win too.
2000 Louise Robinson
2001 Nicole Cooke
2002 Isla Rowntree
2003 Isla Rowntree
2004 Louise Robinson
2005 Louise Robinson
2006 Helen Wyman
2007 Helen Wyman
2008 Helen Wyman
2009 Helen Wyman
2010 Helen Wyman
2011 Helen Wyman
Saturday sees the Veteran and Youth competitors give the course a thorough going over before the showcase events take place on Sunday, kicking off with the Under-23 Men's race. The favourite, Steve James, will relish the chance to race free of the usual senior riders.
Local boy Hugo Robinson has local knowledge on his side for the Junior Men's race and comes fresh from his first serious foray into European competition. He will be sternly put to the test by Trophy Series leader Joe Moses, who has proved himself more than equal to Robinson on occasion this season.
Suffolk Cricket Club, Chantry Park, London Road, Ipswich, IP2 0BP
Saturday January 7
11.00 – Veteran 50
12.15 – U14 Youth Male & U14 Youth Female
13.15 – U16 Youth Male & U16 Youth Female
14.30 – Veteran 40
Sunday January 8
10.15 – U23 Men
11.30 – Women
12.45 – Junior Men
14.15 – Senior Men
Related links
Oldham and Wyman clinch national 'cross titles
Gallery: Cyclo-cross National Championships 2011


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Michael Russnow of the Huffington Post states that John McCain sold his soul "in the bleakest of hopes that he could convert angry Hillary voters to his cause.", by choosing Sarah Palin as his running mate.
He goes on to state:
"If he'd wanted to steal Hillary voters and as a double trump show up Obama's inexperience and match Joe Biden's fortitude, why not go with someone like Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, an individualist like he fashions himself who went a bit further and voted, unlike McCain, against Clinton's impeachment. It wouldn't have thrilled the conservatives, but where do they really have to go? To Bob Barr, a Libertarian? No, they'd suck in their tummies, take a deep breath and do anything to stop the upstart Obama machine and his lefty running-mate Joe Biden…"
"So in a misplaced manner, he figured he might pick up two birds with one stone and chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, a young woman of the far political right who would thrill his flagging conservative base and with twisted logic felt just the fact of her gender would bring alienated Hillary voters (especially women) to his cause…."
"Do we believe that the Hillary voters will be more electrified with a woman who is against all forms of abortion, including rape and incest? A woman, though the daughter of a science teacher, who wants creationism taught in our schools? A woman who, like the Bush administration, is not at all concerned about the human effects on global warming? A woman who objected to the Department of Interior's listing of polar bears as an endangered species in order to protect the oil drilling companies?…"
"Suddenly, Dan Quayle is looking a lot better. No, I was not a fan and loved Senator Lloyd Bentsen's comeback to him in the 1988 vice presidential debate when Quayle indicated his experience was similar to John F. Kennedy. It was charming and quite funny when Bentsen said Quayle was no Jack Kennedy. But at least in terms of legislative experience he was. Quayle had been a congressman for four years and a senator for eight years, which, whatever his shortcomings, leads me to my original thought: Sarah Palin, you're no Dan Quayle — not by a long shot, and that's not a compliment."
To read the full article click on the headline


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Qompendium is an evolving and ever-changing platform for philosophy, art, culture and science, represented by a series of print publications: magazines, books and monographs. Furthermore, it is enriched by a gallery concept, a work shop and a fast-moving online portal.
Scientists have increased the power levels at which they smash together fundamental particles, sending them speeding toward each other at energies of 4 teraelectron volts (TeV), creating a collision energy of 8 TeV—a new world record. Ultimately, the collider will run at 7TeV each, producing a collision energy of 14 TeV. The power-up will require the machine to shutdown for refurbishment at the end of the year.
The home lab of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is located at Geneva-based CERN, the European Council for Nuclear Research (Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire). Some of the questions the LHC hopes to answer are: What is mass? What is 96% of the universe made of? Why is there no more antimatter? What was matter like within the first second of the Universe's life? Do extra dimensions of space really exist?
Friday, 20.04.2012
21:30 (Cet)


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Can I just tell you how much fun it is to be around such sweet, funny kids all day? I have the best gig in the world!
It is really hard for this mama's to let her baby climb on one of these contraptions!
Time out for a snack
So full of life
A rare still moment
Okay, this one is just ridiculous. I almost can't take the cuteness factor of these two kissing!
Please God, don't let her climb up there too!
One year ago, the little girl on the left was in Vietnam and the little girl on the right was in Korea. Today they are best friends in the USA. God is awesome!
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Fun at the park
Posted by Neil, Amy and The Girls at 3:15 PM
1 comment:
- Dianna said...
Phoebe was wearing the exactly same outfit as Sophie Le yesterday :)
- May 14, 2008 at 10:34 AM
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Windows 7 Manager 2.0.5 (64 Bit) x64
by admin 2333 views 0 Comments and 0 Rections
Windows 7 Manager is the powerful software tool to tweak and optimize your Windows 7, it bundles more than 30 different utilities in one and help your system faster and more stable, secure and personal.
Features and Benefits of Windows 7 Manager
- Get detailed system and all hardware information on your system; show all detailed information of running processes and threads on your machine; Windows 7 Manager offers 1-clicking cleans your system automatically.
- Tweak your system to improve windows startup and shutdown speed; tweak your hardware to increase system speed and performance; Optimize Task Schedule to turn off unnecessary system tasks.
- Find out which files or folders engross your disk space and shown with chart; Find and clean junk files to increase Hard Disk space; Duplicate Files Finder can scan your computer for files with the same size, name and modification time; Registry Cleaner can easily checks your registry and repair incorrectly linked registry entries, automatically remove invalid entries; Registry Defrag rebuilds and re-indexs your registry to reduce application response time and registry access time.
- Control what is started on Windows startup; tune up Windows 7 boot menu; edit context menus of mouse Right-Clicking; customize system desktop, menus, toolbar and notifications settings; automatically change your desktop wallpaper on background.
- You can improve desktop, menus, Windows logon securities, and enable numerous hidden performance options of system, disable system updates and error reports; hide and restrict to access drives, specify which applications are not allowed to be executed on your computer; encrypt/decrypt and shred files, change the location of system folders; Privacy Protector can maintain your personal privacy by eliminating the tracks that you leave behind; create lots of randomization password once.
- Optimize your Internet connection speed, manage all shares items; tweak your Internet Explorer easily.
- Show the collection of Windows utilities; help you find out the installation key of Windows, Office products; shutdown your PC or remind you automatically.
Download: Windows 7 Manager 2.0.5 (64 Bit) x64
Download: Windows 7 Manager 2.0.5 (32 Bit) x86 Form PlanetMaks
More Posts in "Downloads"
Tags:Shareware All-in-One


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I wanted to design a simple placemat and , seeing as it's close to Easter, I decided it should be a Bunny placemat!
This is what you will need:
- 8 white/light squares at 3 7/8 inch. Mark a diagonal line on the back of all 8, corner to corner.
- 8 colored squares at 3 7/8 inch. These can be scrappy or one color family.
- 6 1/2 by 12 1/2 background rectangle.( this should contrast well with the bunny fabric you are choosing).
- a piece of fabric for the bunny applique, about 6 by 12 inches, plus little scraps for inner ears and nose.
- One 2 1/2 by 10 1/2 strip
- piece of batting 18 by 14
- piece of backing 19 by 15
- fusible web
- bunny pattern
- buttons
- embroidery floss
- binding strips cut 2 1/2 " wide and sewn together to make a binding strip approx.65 " long.
- Layer 1 white square on top of one colored square ( right sides together) and sew 1/4 inch on both sides of drawn line. Cut apart on line and press seams open. ( you will now have a half square triangle). Repeat for all squares. Trim your half square triangles so they measure 3″ square.
- Sew 4 squares together to make a block that measures 5 1/2 " ( trim if necessary).
- Repeat with other squares until you have 4 blocks, each measuring 5 1/2 inches.
- Sew 2 of the squares side to side.
- Repeat with last 2 squares.
- Sew a 2 1/2 by 10 1/2 strip in between the square sets, horizontally.Press seams towards strip. This should now measure 10 1/2 by 12 1/2. Trim up, if necessary.
- Trace the bunny pattern onto fusible web. Trace the ears and nose. Fuse these to the back of your chosen fabrics and cut out.
- Following the picture example, fuse the bunny body and ear inners and nose to the background fabric (6 1/2 by 12 1/2).
- Stitch down your applique using your preferred method.
- Using 3 strands of embroidery floss, embroider whiskers. Sew on 2 buttons for eyes ( or embroider the eyes~ DO NOT USE buttons for young children!)
- Sew the bunny side to the pieced side. Press towards the bunny side.Trim to measure 16 1/2 by 12 1/2.Place your backing fabric wrong side up, Place your batting on top of backing, and place placemat on top. Baste and quilt.I quilted mine in the ditch between the different sections, and then did the diagonals in the blocks. I also quilted around the bunny.
- Trim your finished piece to measure 16 1/2″ by 12 1/2″
- Sew on binding. Tadaaaa! All done!
One adorable bunny placemat all finished! If you want to make a table runner instead, you could make more "placemat" units and sew them together end to end and make a longer unit!
Hope you enjoy making this pattern! And if you have ANY questions or something is "clear as mud", please don't hesitate to contact me! I am always happy to help!


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In this area you will find information related to membership in WFAA. "Members Only" areas require a User ID and Password. These are just a few of the many benefits of being a WFAA member. If you are not a member, please consider joining.
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Speaking at an investor's conference on Thursday, a Microsoft executive offered that Kinect not only knows how many are in the room when an ad's shown, but what kind of team colors they might be wearing. Uh-oh.
Privacy concerns with the Kinect aren't a new subject, of course. At the BMO Capital Markets forum, Dennis Durkin, the chief operating officer of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment division, offered that if someone were watching a sporting event with Kinect on (for example, ESPN's new streaming service to the Xbox 360), Kinect could deduce what team they support based on what kind of jersey or colors they wore, and serve advertising tailored to that.
Digital Trends offers that it's not much different from how Facebook serves its ads, though in that case, there's something of an active opt-in (choosing to publicize your favorite films, food, sports teams, your alma mater, etc.) Durkin's example carries the implication that you don't know you're being watched - basically, studied - for marketing purposes. The results would be aggregated of course - charts and numbers, not a piece of raw video of you saved and stored somewhere - but it still sounds Orwellian.
Orwellian enough that when the Wall Street Journal mentioned it, Microsoft issued this statement:
Xbox 360 and Xbox Live do not use any information captured by Kinect for advertising targeting purposes. Microsoft has a strong track record of implementing some of the best privacy protection measures in the industry. We place great importance on the privacy of our customers' information and the safety of their experiences.
But if we're to take Durkin at his word, it means the capability is there, regardless of whether it's being used.
Kinect's Camera Could Record Data For Advertisers [DigitalTrends]


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Swedish industry seeking local and pan-European opportunities
After a surprisingly strong 2012 for the funds industry in Sweden, foreign asset managers are looking for ways to further tap local demand, while domestic players are positioning for pan-European growth via exports.
After a surprisingly strong 2012 for the funds industry in Sweden, foreign asset managers are looking for ways to further tap local demand, while domestic players are positioning for pan-European growth via exports.
The Swedish investment funds industry has never been in better shape, according to industry data.
The Swedish Investment Fund Association - Fondbolagens förening (FF)- reported record AUM among its members of about SEK2trn (€240bn) at the end of 2012, driven by the effects of stronger net sales of equity funds in the last quarter of 2012 coupled with appreciation in the market overall.
"The end result for funds was very surprising," says FF CEO Pia Nilsson. "Assets reached a record level of SEK2.05trn after an increase of SEK230bn during the year, of which SEK75bn came from new savings and SEK155bn in increased value."
Sweden's role as one of Europe's strongest funds markets was also identified in Lipper data published in February on European cross-border fund sales. The data, which ran up to the end of December 2012, suggested Sweden was the biggest individual market by estimated net sales over that month in the region.
Larger domestic asset management firms were also reported having a relatively good year in the annual reports published by their parent banks in February.
In the words of Nordea CEO Christian Clausen, describing the universal bank's group fourth quarter and full year 2012 results: "In 2012, we had more customers, more capital and higher profit than ever before. We are ahead of the plan that was established in 2011. On that foundation, we will shape the future of Nordea, with closer customer relationships, unchanged costs and increased return on equity."
Nordea's asset management business did well too. Clausen continues: "Fees and commissions from savings and investments increased 18% in the fourth quarter to €447m, mainly due to higher asset management commissions and life insurance commissions. Assets under management increased 4% to an all-time high of €218.3bn, following a net inflow of €3.1bn in the fourth quarter and positive development in the portfolios."
The biggest local asset manager in terms of the share of AUM, Swedbank Robur, part of Swedbank, reported its 140-odd funds in its home markets and its asset management business accounted for 4% of the group's total income in the financial year 2012, and 4% of profit before impairment.
Swedbank Robur is a microcosm of the industry in other ways too, as it consolidated 20 funds, closed down two, and launched four new products, including three ETFs.
Swedbank also identified priorities for 2013 that are likely to be reflected across the industry.
"New customer offerings will be delivered in 2013 in areas with high demand," the bank said in its 2012 annual report
"Examples include so-called absolute return products, where the goal regardless of the stockmarket's performance is to deliver a positive return to the investor, and multi-strategy funds, where the fund management company not only takes responsibility for selecting the securities but also for the distribution between asset classes and changes between them."


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Mirasol Screen on Track for Mass Production Later This Year
MWC 2012 is going on right now in Barcelona, and Qualcomm is there to show off their Mirasol screen.
Chippy of UMPC Portal shot this short video in Qualcomm's booth. It shows the same device we've seen everywhere, including at CES, but Chippy does include a few interesting details. Qualcomm's new manufacturing plant is under construction, and it is expected to open late this year. Hopefully that means we'll see this screen on more devices in 2013.


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Reclaim your street for a day!
Create a more resident friendly road, an "open street" – to enjoy the space to celebrate, party, chat, walk, bike, dance or play.
There are many ways to make this happen, whether you wish to only claim a few roadside parking places by laying out artificial grass to drink tea and cake, swap plants or ideas or temporarily open the entire street for the residents to celebrate together, start a "playing out" scheme or just enjoy a vehicle free day.
If you are planning a Street Party, Street Social, Playing Out or a Swap Shop, the Bristol /BS6 Open Streets project is here to support and encourage you, with practical advice and the offer to lend essential equipment such as "Road Closed" signs, bunting and more!
By Gay Johns – April 2014
The purpose of Sustainable Redland's BS6 Open Streets Project has been to encourage and support small residential community street based events, achieved by loaning essential equipment (signage / bunting etc) and presenting helpful advice online.
How this came about…
Back in 2011, after some Sustainable Redland members helped host their own street parties, the positive benefits of micro local events were considered as worth promoting.
After securing a grant from the Neighbourhood Partnership Community Fund, the next task was to decide how the project would work. Gay Johns joined Hamish Wills to work out the WHO, WHAT, WHY, WHEN, WHERE and HOW structure. The decision was made to purchase traditionally 'expected' street party items, which could be shared and reused (loaned with fully refundable deposit requirement) within the BCR area and booked online.
With a plan established and advice sought from Chris Gittins (Streets Alive), BS6 Open Streets was launched in early 2012, with a logo, flyers, press releases, informational documentation, a shared admin database and own website.
So far, this project has provided more than 55 street events with festive bunting / road closed signs / traffic bollards and a host of other helpful items.


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We restrict access to nonpublic personal Information about you to those employees who need to know that Information to provide products or services to you. We maintain physical, electronic, or procedural safeguards that comply with federal regulations to guard your nonpublic personal information.
Unified Homeowners of Illinois Federal Credit Union is committed to protecting the privacy of Its members. Members can help by following these simple guidelines:
- Protect your account numbers, plastic card numbers, personal identification numbers (PINs) or passwords. Never keep your PIN with your card. The PIN can provide free access to your accounts if your card Is lost or stolen.
- Use caution when disclosing your account numbers, social security numbers, etc. to other persons. If someone calls you explaining the call is on behalf of the credit union and asks for your account number, you should beware. Official credit union staff will have access to your information and will not need to ask for it.
- Keep your information with us current. If your address or phone number changes, please. iet us know. It is important that we have current Information on how to reach you. If we detect potentially fraudulent or unauthorized activity or use of an account, we will attempt to contact you immediately.
Let us know If you have questions. Please do not hesitate to call us — we are here to serve you!


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- Guaranteed for 2 full months
- Pay by PayPal or Credit Card
- Instant Digital Download
When it comes to waterproof cameras, you're likely to think of GoPro or a similar action camera first. But what if you wanted a waterproof camera with full manual control? There aren't many options on the market unless you're willing to splurge for an underwater housing for a DSLR or mirrorless camera. But there's a less-known option made by the venerable camera brand, Leica. In 2016, Leica introduced the Leica X-U – a rugged, waterproof compact camera. It didn't seem to get much fanfare as it was completely unbeknownst to me until I browsed Borrowlenses.com in search of a camera for my upcoming whitewater rafting trip.
So how did it perform? Read on to find out!
The Leica X-U is considered a point and shoot camera. It has a 16.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor and a fixed Summilux 23mm f/1.7 lens (equivalent to about 35mm in 35mm format). The camera can shoot both RAW and JPG photos and record full HD video (1080p).
Some dials allow you to take full manual control of the camera and set the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. You can even manually focus the lens.
Taking into consideration all of these specs, this is essentially a pro-level camera that has the added benefit of being dustproof, shatterproof, waterproof (up to 15 meters for 60 minutes), and shockproof (from heights of up to 1.22 meters). It has a pro-grade camera price tag retailing at $2,999 USD.
There's no escaping the fact that the Leica X-U is a chunky camera, especially when compared to other waterproof point-and-shoots on the market. It weighs in at 1.32 lbs and doesn't float or come with a floating strap. Thus, you'll want to make sure it is always strapped tight to you, or find a floating strap for it.
The camera exterior, made of anti-slip rubber, feels good in the hands. In front is a manual focus fixed lens with a built-in flash on top. There's also a hot shoe on top of the camera for adding a larger flash or extra accessories.
Leica also includes a rubber lens cap with a small strap, but it fits very loosely and is prone to falling off. I recommend looping the lens cap strap to the camera for extra security.
This was my first time using a Leica camera. Up until this point, all I knew about Leicas was that 1) they were expensive, 2) they're very solid in construction, and 3) their user interface is relatively simple and straightforward. All of these assumptions are true in the Leica X-U, but it is the third point that I appreciated the most.
The bulk of the camera's controls are in the top two knobs and the lens' focus ring. If you've used a film camera or Fujifilm mirrorless camera, you'll feel right at home. Any other camera settings are controlled using buttons on the rear end of the camera, where there is also a large, brightly-lit LCD screen. Buttons were decently responsive, and the LCD was fast and accurate.
The one thing I wish Leica included is a touchscreen LCD. Menus are laid out simply, and it was easy to adjust settings. A rechargeable battery powers the camera, and it easily lasted a full day of shooting.
I extensively researched this camera before renting it for my rafting trip. Unfortunately, most of the camera reviews swayed toward the negative. Many claim the Leica X-U's autofocus is too slow, and its overall features fall behind when compared to what modern cameras (and smartphones) can achieve.
When shooting with this camera, I brushed off those negative reviews. Shooting with this camera was an absolute joy. I loved the ability to shoot in manual without having to worry about water splashes. And it is very easy to go from shooting still photos to video since the video record button is right next to the shutter.
Best of all was the ability to shoot photos of the night stars, which was my main reason for wanting this camera. My rafting trip frowned upon bringing non-waterproof cameras, so I didn't want to risk bringing my expensive mirrorless cameras.
However, we would be spending the night in the pitch-black forests of Southern Oregon with stars shining bright every night, and I wanted the ability to snap photos of them.
With its fast aperture and the ability to shoot in manual focus, the Leica X-U had the capability of pulling off star photography, and it did so pretty well.
At the end of each day, I reviewed the photos and videos on the camera and marveled at what I was able to capture. Those negative reviews seemed completely wrong – that is until I reviewed everything on my computer.
It's a classic mistake to review media content on a tiny device screen and think that everything is working well. The real quality test is to review them on a big screen. Doing this showed that those reviewers were 100% right.
The Leica X-U's image quality is quite good when shooting a static or slow-moving object. However, the camera absolutely blew the autofocus when shooting anything in movement.
This is an odd shortcoming for a camera that seems built for action, but it happened on a very consistent basis.
The video quality was downright atrocious, and I'm ashamed that I put so much trust in this camera when shooting videos. My Samsung Galaxy S10, in its waterproof case, took far better video.
Handling this camera was an absolute joy, but I can't commend its photo or video quality.
If you're seeking a waterproof camera with manual controls, this camera might work for you, but it depends on what you're shooting. In fast-paced action scenarios, this camera's autofocus performance won't keep up. But if you're shooting static landscapes or astrophotography, this camera will likely meet your needs.
For videography, don't even bother.


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The coastline varies from dramatic cliffs to long, sea lochs, or 'voes', reaching far into a landscape of heathery hills and green crofts.
This is still a crofting community but also a centre of the seafood industry, with many fish and shellfish farms and inshore fishing boats. The main road west to Walls (pronounced Waas) passes through the middle of the district but, to get a feel for the area, it's essential to head off down one of the many side roads. There's no obvious touring route and it helps to take a good map.
The voes are ideal for yachting and canoeing. Modern marinas at Walls, Aith and Skeld reserve berths for visiting sailors and the annual regattas are major social events. Like the Skeld Sheepdog Trials and the Walls Agricultural Show, these usually include a concert and dance where visitors are welcome. In summertime several village halls offer Sunday teas - terrific value with home-baking and a chance to meet local people.
Most villages on the westside have a shop, post office and fuel pumps. The West Mainland even has its own:
- Swimming pool
- Bakery
- Spinning mill
- Guest house and restaurant
- Community Interest Company which focuses on growing food sustainably
The area is home to some of Shetland's keenest gardeners - in Sand, don't miss Da Gairdins i Sand, an award winning 'Oasis of Life'. The beautiful gardens created at The Lea in Tresta, from what was just a bare croft in the hill 25 years ago is also a must see. Not far away is the Burn of Tactigil, where a major geological fault reveals Shetland's only deposit of china clay. The fault runs south to emerge at the secluded pebble beach of Sandsound, a favourite picnic place.
The Bixter Firth is one of Shetland's most sheltered sea lochs and a favourite with trout fishers and birdwatchers.
Just north of Aith is the hamlet of East Burrafirth, where a path leads up the Burn of Lunklet to the waterfall and on to some exhilarating hill-walking. A viewpoint on the road at Gonfirth shows a grand sweep of lochs, hills, islands and voes.
The uninhabited island of Vementry has ruins of ancient homesteads and burial cairns and derelict First World War gun emplacements. An interesting walk leads from Vementry House over the hills to the sheltered sounds around Clousta & Noonsbrough - including Da Vadills, a special marine conservation area.
A favourite coastal walk is along the coast from Walls to Sandness, taking in the grand panorama of Foula and the Atlantic from Watsness, the superb cliffs and sea stacks of Deepdale, over Sandness Hill and down past the ancient water mills at Huxter to the sandy beach at Melby. Some of the best beaches among dozens in the West Mainland are Sand, Reawick, Westerwick and Culswick.
Archaeological attractions in the area include numerous chambered cairns; Iron Age field systems at the Scord of Brouster; the Staneydale 'temple' and settlement sites; and dozens of brochs, including the Broch of Culswick.
At Burrastow a modern version of a broch serves as the boathouse for the privately-owned island of Vaila, with its magnificently restored Edwardian mansion, Vaila Hall.
What next:
- Learn about Thordale Stud & Driving Centre in Walls
- Download a Shetland Heritage leaflet about the West Mainland (.pdf)


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After years of experiments, you've finally created the pets of the future – nano-rabbits! They're tiny, they're fuzzy … and they multiply faster than the eye can see. But a rival lab has sabotaged you, threatening the survival of your new friends.
Those pesky Nano Cats! Can you figure out if your nano-rabbits will fit into the bottom cell of your triangular habitat? How many trailing zeros should there be at the end of the count of rabbits? And do you need to pull the emergency shutdown lever?
From TED-Ed and Alex Gendler: The Multiplying Rabbits Riddle. Pause at the rules screen to figure the math out on your own:
Watch this video next: The mathematical secrets of Pascal's triangle.
Plus, watch more triangle videos, including the Matchstick Triangle Puzzle, the Pythagorean theorem water demo, and Notes on a Triangle.
Bonus: How to multiply numbers by drawing lines and Mathematica – A World of Numbers… and Beyond.


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The online retailer will take advantage of a program in Ohio, announced in November, to pay a portion of its taxes using the cryptocurrency. Overstock was an early adopter of bitcoin
Overstock chief executive officer and founder Patrick M. Byrne said in a statement that "thoughtful government adoption of emerging technologies when accompanied by non-restrictive legislation over these technologies" is the best way forward for the U.S., and other advanced economies.
The plan may sound like a gimmick, but it could actually be a money-saver for businesses in the crypto space, said Neeraj Agrawal, director of communications at Washington, D.C.-based cryptocurrency policy think tank Coin Center.
"This would be good idea for a business that already has a lot of bitcoin as it saves them the step of converting their bitcoin to dollars before paying taxes," he said. "Now they will just be converted right at the moment of payment."
The same goes for people looking to pay their personal income taxes with cryptocurrency, which is not currently allowed in Ohio but will be eventually in the second phase of the program, Ohio state treasurer Josh Mandel told Bitcoin magazine.
"In Phase II, we hope to expand Ohiocrypto.com to include individual personal taxes, and also to expand beyond just bitcoin and include other cryptocurrencies as well," he said. "We thought the most intuitive and responsible way to begin this initiative, because it's the first time it's ever been done in America, is to start it off right — and that is by only allowing businesses to pay with bitcoin, and expand it out from there."
" As with all cryptocurrency payments, the transaction will trigger capital gains taxes on the bitcoin used to pay taxes, so you'll have to pay taxes on your taxes. "
As with all cryptocurrency payments, the transaction will trigger capital gains taxes on the bitcoin used to pay taxes. In other words, you'll have to pay taxes on your taxes.
While this may sound like a headache, it can actually help people who have lost money in bitcoin's volatile year, said Farrukh Shaikh, chief financial officer and cofounder of Gath3r, a cryptocurrency mining service.
If the current bitcoin price is higher than the price you originally paid, then you would have to pay extra tax on the now realized gain from the bitcoin payment. However, if the current bitcoin price is lower than your basis price, then it amounts to realizing a loss on the bitcoin, which can be offset against your total tax bill and reduce it.
"Using bitcoin to pay taxes may be attractive to people who are currently at a loss from their bitcoin entry price if they want to reduce their bitcoin holdings and pay taxes around the same time," he said.
" People must report whether each transaction was a loss or a gain, which can be difficult given the volatility of cryptocurrencies. "
Bitcoin fell from highs of nearly $20,000 per coin in December 2017 to 10 consecutive sessions below $4,000 in late 2018.
The Internal Revenue Service hasn't released a detailed policy on how to go about paying taxes using cryptocurrency, besides a ruling in 2014 stating that selling bitcoin is treated the same as selling property or any other capital asset. People must report each transaction in terms of whether it was a loss or a gain, which can be difficult given the volatility of cryptocurrencies.
Experts suggest filing taxes with a Certified Public Accountant, particularly one with cryptocurrency expertise, if you have done business in bitcoin in the past year. Thus far, Ohio is the first and only state to accept bitcoin payments from businesses for taxes.
Mandel said the state wanted to show it is on the forefront of new technology by announcing the new tax policy by announcing Ohiocrypto.com.
"We wanted to project to the rest of the country that Ohio is embracing technology and is a place that is welcoming software developers and entrepreneurs who want to build a blockchain business here in the state of Ohio," he said.


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12 Alternatives to Estherbot
Around the web
VentureBeatChris Messina, developer experience lead at Uber and inventor of the hashtag, said back in January that 2016 is "the year of conversational commerce." Today, he's launching his own personal assistant chatbot, called MessinaBot. MessinaBot responds to people who message Messina on Facebook and can make appointments on his behalf.
VentureBeatLast week MessinaBot launched on Messenger. MessinaBot, one of the first public personal bots of its kind, was built by Olabot. It provides basic information about me and my interests, and can act like an automated concierge for simple requests like posting a product to Product Hunt or scheduling live chat office hours without requiring any intervention on m… See more


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Title from web page
Hushpuppy is a six-year-old living in an isolated bayou community. When her father Wink becomes ill, she sets off for the outside world in an attempt to help him. The journey to save her father is delayed by a 'busted' universe that reverses weather patterns and brings about long-extinct animals. Can Hushpuppy save the day? Bonus features include the making of Beasts of the Southern Wild and the theatrical trailer
Originally released as a motion picture in 2012
Special features: Theatrical trailer; making-of
Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly, Lowell Landes, Pamela Harper
MPAA rating: PG-13; for thematic material including child imperilment, some disturbing images, language and brief sensuality
DVD, region 1, widescreen (1.85:1) presentation; 5.1 Dolby digital (English) Dolby surround (Spanish), NTSC
English or Spanish dialogue; Spanish or English subtitles


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Artículos de investigación 2011. Información en inglés
Carlitopolis, the Vanishing Mouse: Reframing Contemporary Cartoon from Early Cinema
by Samuel Viñolo Locuviche
The arrival of new digital technologies has literally flooded contemporary animation with images of high detailed realism, blurring boundaries between reality and fiction without questioning. Instead, Carlitopolis (Luis Nieto, 2006) prioritizes this issue, highlighting it and focusing on this main subject. This article analyses this cartoon deconstruction, through the use of the commentator figure, and linking that way comtemporary animation and early cinema.
Key Words:
Digital animation, Méliès, McCay, cartoon, hyperrealism, primitive representation mode, simulation.
Samuel Viñolo Locuviche (Almeria, 1978) has a degree in Communication Studies from the Universidad de Sevilla, and has worked as an animator in Germany and Spain. He is currently preparing a PhD about CGI Catalonian shortfilms at the Universitat Jaume I in Castelló de la Plana, Spain. As well he has been responsible for the animation blog Animaholic Magazine since 2005.
Go to the complete version in Spanish
The Three Ps in Coraline: Postfeminist, Psychoanalytic and Postmodernist approaches to the Animated Film
by Estefanía Martínez González
This article contributes to the study of methodologies and theoretical approaches to animation, using as study case the animated film Coraline (Henry Selick, 2009), which incorporates different theories from diverse historical, social and philosophical movements to its complex argument. Besides, this research justifies the need of integrating a strong theoretical inspiration in the current animated movies, besides the digital innovations that may accompany in parallel to the narrative.
Through the analysis of this animated production, it is argued that animated figures can and may be protagonists of extremely complex narratives as the one we are discussing here. Animation can potentially dig in depth on questions like identity or the cognitive development of the character throughout the visualization of the protagonist's experiences, fears and frustrations in her way to maturation.
Coraline, Feminism, Identity, Lacan, Castration, Stop-motion, Semiotics
Estefanía Martínez González was born in Benajarafe (Málaga). Currently she is finishing her Master in Fine Arts in Media Arts in Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (Illinois, USA), focusing on the fields of digital animation and illustration. She has worked as a teacher assistant at this university in courses of graphic design, 3D animation and digital production. She is also working on her Ph.D. dissertation towards the Definition of the Soundtrack in Spanish Animated Films at the University of Málaga (Spain).
As an academic researcher she develops questions of gender in digital animation and the relationship between music and animation. As a graduate student of Music and Communication Ph.D, she is writing her dissertation towards the definition and design of the animated soundtrack in the Spanish animation industry.
Go to the complete version in Spanish
Homosexuality, Children and Animation: from the Birth of Pebbles Flintstone to the Adoption of Ling Bouvier
by Emilio Martí López
Animation has grown significantly since its inception and its ability to remain young and creative, despite its century-old age, has become even more evident with the rise of adult animation, distinguishable from most animation in that it is neither infantile, naïve, nor sexualized.
In this article I will analyze the way in which this stereotyped idea of mainstream animation, false yet nonetheless commonly applied to the medium,
particularly in the way in which gays, lesbians, transsexuals, and bisexuals (LGTB) are portrayed in television cartoons, passing from total invisibility in this media to representations which are detrimental and lead to new stereotypes.
Through the analysis of certain episodes from the American series The Flintstones and The Simpsons, I seek to reveal how the notion of animation being always infantile is used to exclude certain determined contents, and the way in which adult animation becomes equally contaminated by this cliché. I shall try to elucidate here whether or not the apparent non-affection towards the LGTB community, whose revolution in the social arena has been reflected shyly and belatedly, is a symptom of homophobia or whether it does actually have to do with an inability (and a resistance) to assume new content, like a certain immaturity (albeit punctual) which removes animation from being able to be accepted in society as a truly serious and adult form of media.
Key Words:
Sex, queer, stereotype, childhood, social activism, adult animation, representation, television, Simpsons, homophobia
Emilio Martí López is an animator, writer and producer of artistic and documentary videos. He studied Fine Arts and animation at the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia; Bauhaus Universität-Weimar (Germany); University of Maryland Baltimore County (Baltimore, USA); and UIMP-FIA in Valencia, and participated in the European Animation Masterclass, at FAM (Halle, Germany). He works regularly for Raimund Krumme, as a junior producer, and with the artists María Jesús González and Patricia Gómez, creating audiovisual pieces to accompany their artistic project. He recently finished producing a short film, Unanimated, which was presented at IKAS 2010 in Bilbao.
Go to the complete version in Spanish


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by Christina Ramirez
I did this project with my step-daughter in mind. She is barely a teenager but has some pretty snazzy electronics. Let's face it...teens + electronics = catastrophe. Not that I think that this will keep it from getting broken, but maybe eliminate some damage from general wear and tear. Besides...he is cute. :) This works up super fast and makes a great last minute gift!
Cotton worsted weight yarn (I used Lily's Sugar 'n Cream)
5mm hook
yarn needle
buttons and felt (if desired)
Finished size: approx 3x5
Row 1: Chain 10. Sc in 2nd ch from hook. Sc in next 7st. 3 sc in next st. Continue to work on opposite side of chain. Sc in next 8st. 3sc in last st. Do not join.Row 21-28: Sc across (9 sc)
Row 2-18: Sc around (22 st)
Row 19: Ch 1, turn. Sc in next 11 st.
Row 20: Ch 1, Sctog in first two sc. 7 sc. Sctog in last two sc.
Row 2-18: Sc around (22 st)
Row 19: Ch 1, turn. Sc in next 11 st.
Row 20: Ch 1, Sctog in first two sc. 7 sc. Sctog in last two sc.
Row 29: Ch 1, turn. Sc back loops only. (9 sc)
Row 30-34: Ch 1, turn. Sc in next 9 sc. Tie off.
Ear Bud Pocket:
Row 29 (the back loop only row) is going to be the fold. Fold over and pin if needed. With opening side down, sc up the sides catching both layers. You will start at the top on the left side and on the bottom of the flap on the right side.
The blue line is the last row stitched (Row 34)
The green line is the last of the continuous round stitches (Row 18)
Turn case over with flap unfolded. Attach yarn for teeth with a sl st on the loops created on Row 29 (back loop only row). *(Sc, dc, ch 1, sc) in attaching st. Sl st in next loop.* Repeat to the end and tie off. This step can be done before sewing down the pocket.
The eyes:
Option 1: Buttons - I used two different sized buttons to give him crazy eyes. Since I had a crazy busy yarn, I added felt circles behind them when I sewed them down.Option 2: Crochet – Small eye: With dark color, 5 sc in adjustable loop and pull to tighten. Sl st into first st. Change to white and 2 sc in each st around. Sl st. to first st. Sl st again going into last sc space to cover the gap in white. Larger eye: Repeat small eye but instead of sc into the loop, make them hdc.
The tongue: I sewed a red button on the case centered and just about in the middle. Just fold down the flap and decide where it should be.
Loop for closure: Take yarn on a needle and start inside the pocket and loop needle out and back inside the pocket. Tie the knot on the outside of the pocket first - this way you can decide how long the loop should be. Then pull up excess yarn and tie tails into a knot.
For the blue/purple one shown, I changed colors on the flap and I also whip stitched some
fun fur along the top. There are endless possibilities for your monster!


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NCI Drug Dictionary
The NCI Drug Dictionary contains technical definitions and synonyms for drugs/agents used to treat patients with cancer or conditions related to cancer. Each drug entry includes links to check for clinical trials listed in NCI's List of Cancer Clinical Trials.
- IL4-Pseudomonas exotoxin fusion protein MDNA55
A fusion protein consisting of the cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4) linked to a truncated form of Pseudomonas exotoxin with potential antineoplastic activity. Upon specific, high-affinity binding to IL-4 receptors (IL-4Rs) located on the tumor cell surface., IL4-Pseudomonas exotoxin fusion protein MDNA55 is internalized; the exotoxin moiety then binds to translation elongation factor 2 (EF-2), which may result in ADP ribosylation, deactivation of EF-2, inhibition of protein synthesis, and tumor cell apoptosis. The Pseudomonas exotoxin moiety of this agent has been engineered to reduce non-specific binding to cells expressing its receptor, the multiligand cell surface receptor alpha 2-macroglobulin receptor/low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (alpha 2MR/LRP). IL-4R is a type I transmembrane protein that binds IL-4 and IL-13 and may be overexpressed by cancers such as renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and glioma. Check for active clinical trials using this agent. (NCI Thesaurus)
Synonym: IL4-Pseudomonas exotoxin fusion protein PRX321 US brand name: INxin Abbreviation: IL4-PE Code name: MDNA55


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What do I get when I open a CodyMobile Franchise?
When you acquire a CodyMobile Franchise you are gaining access to a Very Strong Brand, and proven business systems that has been developed to provide you with a competitive advantage over other competitors in the market. You will be granted an exclusive territory to operate your CodyMobile Business, comprehensive training on our proprietary business systems, industry leading Better Business Management Software and ongoing advice and guidance by our 365 Business Support Centre, email and on-site visits from CodyMobile Business Support Office in Ottawa, Ontario.
How is my investment protected?
At the end of the day, you are buying a business because you love what it has to offer but you are also looking to create long term equity. You want to be sure that you are going to get a return for all of the hard work. The CodyMobile Brand is a big part of what you are buying and that is what consumers remember. We are extremely protective of the CodyMobile Brand, as it means as much to us as it does anyone else. All it takes is a few bad operators to effect the value of your investment and we have taken steps to help ensure this does not happen. Even with all of our due-diligence, we may still end up with a Franchise Partner that does not want to meet our standards. Our CodyMobile Brand Shield is our customer payment promise. A customer never pays until we complete the job and they are satisfied. Therefor, if someone is not meeting our standard, they will not be earning a living and will leave the system.
How do I build long term value in my CodyMobile Business?
With CodyMobile, the value is in the business model. All of our services are high customer retention businesses. In any of our services, once you service a customer, there is a strong chance that they will be a returning customer every 6-12 months. This high customer retention helps build consistent cash flow. You are not always having to hunt down your next job, you know that you have many satisfied customers that will be calling back. This consistent cash flow will give any future prospective buyer alot of comfort in buying the business, which in turn, will provide you an opportunity to ask for a higher multiple on cash flow during the selling process. .
How much profit can I expect from a CodyMobile Franchise?
We encourage prospective franchisees to conduct significant due diligence prior to committing to any new franchise venture. The amount of profit of loss is dependent on a number of factors including the ability of the franchisee to manage the business, drive sales volume and control operating costs. Existing CodyMobile franchisees are an excellent sourse for answering questions. Names and phone numbers of existing franchisees are available upon request.
How long does it take to become a CodyMobile Franchise Owner?
CodyMobile will take as much time as required to ensure that you are making a sound investment decision. On average, however, it takes new Franchise Owners between 1 and 3 months from the first inquiry to the business start-up.
How big is the consumer service industry?
The consumer service industry in Canada is huge. The demand for people looking to have services done on there behalf, have never been higher. Recent statistics reveal that working mothers spend as much as 2.2 hours each day on household chores in addition to their hours of employment.* These stats are not changing - in fact, the number of dual-income families in Canada is on the rise. You can easily see why timesaving services such as the ones CodyMobile offers will continue to grow at a phenomenal rate. (*Source: Statistics Canada)
Request Franchise Info Kit Live Web Business Demo


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The TestCompiler uses a static Set (PAIRING) which can grow very large if there are lots of threads. This limits the total number of thread groups, even when using delayed start.
The Set is used to prevent a child being added to the same parent twice.
One possible solution is to save the information in the parent instance, rather than a static set. At the end of a thread, the parent instance will no longer be needed, and the memory can be reclaimed. [If there is still a reference to either parent or child, the memory won't be released, but that applies to the current implementation also.]
It's not clear whether there can ever be a duplicate ObjectPair, as most test elements are cloned. But in case duplicates are possible, something like the above solution is necessary.
Fixed as per description:
URL: http://svn.apache.org/viewvc?rev=1378780&view=rev
TestCompiler uses static Set which can grow huge
Bugzilla Id: 53796
jmeter/trunk/src/core/org/apache/jmeter/threads/TestCompilerHelper.java (with props)


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Legal Status
This site displays a prototype of a "Web 2.0" version of the daily Federal Register. It is not an official legal edition of the Federal Register, and does not replace the official print version or the official electronic version on GPO's govinfo.gov.
The documents posted on this site are XML renditions of published Federal Register documents. Each document posted on the site includes a link to the corresponding official PDF file on govinfo.gov. This prototype edition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov will remain an unofficial informational resource until the Administrative Committee of the Federal Register (ACFR) issues a regulation granting it official legal status. For complete information about, and access to, our official publications and services, go to About the Federal Register on NARA's archives.gov.
The OFR/GPO partnership is committed to presenting accurate and reliable regulatory information on FederalRegister.gov with the objective of establishing the XML-based Federal Register as an ACFR-sanctioned publication in the future. While every effort has been made to ensure that the material on FederalRegister.gov is accurately displayed, consistent with the official SGML-based PDF version on govinfo.gov, those relying on it for legal research should verify their results against an official edition of the Federal Register. Until the ACFR grants it official status, the XML rendition of the daily Federal Register on FederalRegister.gov does not provide legal notice to the public or judicial notice to the courts.
Document Details
Document Statistics
Published Document
Office of the Chief Information Officer, HUD.
The proposed information collection requirement described below has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act. The Department is soliciting public comments on the subject proposal.
Comments Due Date: August 4, 2000.
Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding this proposal. Comments should refer to the proposal by name and/or OMB approval number and should be sent to: Joseph F. Lackey, Jr., OMB Desk Officer, Office of Management and Budget, Room 10235, New Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503.Start Further Info
Wayne Eddins, Reports Management Officer, Q, Department of Housing and Urban Development, 451 Seventh Street, Southwest, Washington, DC 20410; e-mail email@example.com; telephone (202) 708-2374. This is not a toll-free number. Copies of the proposed forms and other available documents submitted to OMB may be obtained from Mr. Eddins.End Further Info End Preamble Start Supplemental Information
The Department has submitted the proposal for the collection of information, as described below, to OMB for review, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. chapter 35). The Notice lists the following information: (1) The title of the information collection proposal; (2) the office of the agency to collect the information; (3) the OMB approval number, if applicable; (4) the description of the need for the information and its proposed use; (5) the agency form number, if applicable; (6) what members of the public will be affected by the proposal; (7) how frequently information submissions will be required; (8) an estimate of the total number of hours needed to prepare the information submission including number of respondents, frequency of response, and hours of response; (9) whether the proposal is new, an extension, reinstatement, or revision of an information collection requirement; and (10) the name and telephone number of an agency official familiar with the proposal and of the OMB Desk Officer for the Department.
This Notice also lists the following information:
Title of Proposal: Assisted Living Conversion Program (ALCP).
OMB Approval Number: 2502-XXXX.
Form Numbers: HUD-50080-ALCP, SF-269, SF-424, SF-424C, SF-424-D, SF-LLL, and HUD-2880, HUD-50070, HUD-50071, HUD-2991.
Description of the Need for the Information and Its Proposed Use: This package requests OMB approval for use of an application kit and reporting forms for HUD's new ALCP.
Respondents: Not-For-Profit Institutions.
Frequency of Submission: Recordkeeping.
Reporting Burden: Start Printed Page 41484
|Number of respondents
|Frequency of responses
|Hours per response
|Burden hours
|Information Collection
Total Estimated Burden Hours: 4,300.
Status: New Collection.Start Signature
Dated: June 29, 2000.
Wayne Eddins,
Departmental Reports Management Officer, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 00-16958 Filed 7-3-00; 8:45 am]


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Another short web coding tidbit for today. I've been working on a Bottle.py+SQLAlchemy based backend for a personal project, and found very little information on how to convert a SQLAlchemy Core resultset into JSON.
Here is a glimpse into what was most commonly suggested. Tons of code. But wait, did you know you can cast a row into a
dict? No? Well, it makes a world of difference:
import json # somewhere here, accounts table is defined with SQLAlchemy syntax def example(): res = conn.execute(select([accounts])) # return all rows as a JSON array of objects return json.dumps([dict(r) for r in res])
Now, which do you prefer, the last line or the longer 17-lines in StackOverflow? There is a slight problem though, namely date and numeric(x,y) fields, as they will turn into
datetime.date and
decimal.Decimal types. Thankfully, Python's JSON library can be provided with a function to handle classes that the library itself doesn't handle:
import decimal, datetime def alchemyencoder(obj): """JSON encoder function for SQLAlchemy special classes.""" if isinstance(obj, datetime.date): return obj.isoformat() elif isinstance(obj, decimal.Decimal): return float(obj) def example(): res = conn.execute(select([accounts])) # use special handler for dates and decimals return json.dumps([dict(r) for r in res], default=alchemyencoder)