Actions to be performed even when approval step is skipped

Question: I have an approval process with multiple steps, in some of which, the record goes to next step if step criteria is not met.
How can I ensure that even for skipped steps, their approval actions (say, a field update to show how far the approval process has progressed) are triggered? If I put some approval actions on each step, the actions of the latest step may not fire and the status will retain the old value when it goes to the next approver.
Basically, I need something which performs like submission actions for approval steps.
If I set to approve if criteria is not met, the record skips all subsequent steps and gets final approved. This does not suit my needs.
Answer: Using a status field to reflect the latest approval will not work when steps are skipped.  It will only reflect the last actual approval, not the current step in the process, as you are observing.
One option could be to use a text field instead of a picklist for status.  Then, in the field update that sets status when prior step is approved, you can add logic in the field update itself that evaluates what the next step will be, and set the value appropriately.  This can get complex and can be a bear to maintain, but is feasible if the field you are writing to is a text field.
Another thing to consider is that approval emails allow you to use approval step name as a merge field.  That can be very helpful in conveying what the current status is.
Comment: In the field update too the same scenario applies. As it is skipping approvers, I cannot predetermine what the next status would be. Say in step 2, there is a set of criteria, and step 3 has a subset of the step 2 criteria and step 4 has a subset of step 3 criteria. So there is no way to implement a definite logic to identify which step is it going into among 3 and 4 and update status based on that.
Comment: I'm not sure I follow.  The approval process follows some logic, and the field update has access to all of the same variables as the approval criteria, so shouldn't it be possible to set the value for status appropriately?  Imagine instead that status is a long text area field, couldn't the field update write a log for what happens at each step, so if from step 1, step 2 and 3 are skipped, the field update from step 1 could write step 1 complete; step 2 skipped; step 3 skipped, etc?
Comment: So you are saying, after step 1, text would be updated to 'step 1 complete; step 2 skipped; step 3 skipped', then if it goes to step 2 and gets approved, update to 'step 1 complete; step 2 complete; step 3 skipped' and so on?
Comment: Yes, very much along those lines, but the step 1 field update should already know if step 2 will be skipped or not as it can follow the same logic as the approval process follows.  I can update my answer later to illustrate this better if it would be helpful.


How do you use a power meter to pace yourself during steep hill time trial events?

Question: The events in questions are no longer than one kilometer and have a gradient that fluctuates between 7% and 13%.
Comment: What kind of power meter do you use? Does it have a handlebar display?
Comment: stages power meter and a garmin displaying the power.
Comment: Are they on the same day? Or are they different days/events in a series?
Comment: I'm not much for climbing, but my inclination would be to use the power meter to set your basic pace, and then *not* try to stay at an "ideal" power level continuously, but let your power fluctuate based on the  slope.  This gives you a bit of a break on the "easy" parts, letting you recuperate a bit between more difficult segments.  Just check your average power from time to time so that you average out near your target for the overall run.  But a climber I'm not.
Answer: First thing to do would be to get some data about your max power outputs over different gradients & conditions.  So you'll want to know what you can sustain over a 10% 3 km climb, or a 10k climb at 5%.  You'll also need to know how this fits into different length rides - you'll be able to output a higher average over 15 km than you would over 30 km.
The relationship between power, gradient, cadence, gear and speed is complex.  Increasing power will cause your cadence to rise, thus speeding you up.  The steeper the gradient, the more resistance there will be, so it'll take more power to remain at a steady cadence (in the same gear).
Dividing your power by your weight will give you a watts/kg rating which is useful.
Once you know all this data, you'll be able to look at a hill and know that, all else being equal, you'll give your best performance if you maintain, say, 4 w/kg for the climb.  You can then use your powermeter output to adjust your effort accordingly.
Edit:
Mind you, if I understand the event description correctly, I suspect that over that sort of distance you are best off just pushing on the pedals as hard as you can.
Comment: Per your last edit comment: Agreed, which is why I asked if they were different days. If they are different days, then yeah, just mash it as hard as you can. If they are same day, then it gets into pacing and recovery.
Comment: they are all on different days. thank you for answering.
Answer: In your previous question hill climb tt pacing strategy for short steep hills?, I got the idea that you know where the races will be and can practice on those hills.
If that's not the case, find some other hills to practice on.
Do practice rides with the power meter.
Firstly, by using the meter, you will develop more power. If you want something to change then measure it. Make sure you follow a proper training and recovery schedule.
Next, you will learn how it feels, at a given power level. And how it feels when you're ready to bonk. Maybe you'll decide you don't like to have the thing telling you what to do, or maybe it will spur you on. But you need to learn to hear what your body is saying; it doesn't always produce the same feelings and performance every day.
And finally, do some tests and keep records. No one can definitively tell you the best way for you to race. Only you (or a personal coach) can discover that. And different people are ... different. That's why sport is so unpredictable.
Tests you might try are variations of

constant power, matching your power to the expected duration of the climb.
constant speed, increasing your power on the steep bits.
a combination of those, so that you a maximum power limit for flatter parts, and a target speed for steeper parts.
either of those, then flat out at the end.
gearing: test which gears give you the best results. As you train, the best gear may change.

Choose some different power levels or different speeds and see how you go. What happens if you do the same hill with 5% more power? Does it work, or do you fade out? What happens if you try at one speed, then try 1kph faster?
Keep reading the various blogs related to power meters and climbing. Affordable power meters are new and we are still learning how to use them best. Remember that you are your own coach, so set out a training plan for the athlete you are coaching (you). Make sure every session has a goal, and give your athlete some training variation. And then come back to the same test, to see what progress is being made. There are more books and blogs on this topic too :-)
Answer: I would recommend using your power data to make sure you aren't going too hard out of the gate, like with any time trial.  Try to keep your power in the Threshold-VO2 max range, with a high cadence,  until you're within striking distance and then drop the hammer to the finish line.  More on determining power levels here.
This assumes you know how long you can hold a sustained AC level (aerobic capacity) effort.  I would try to pace it so that you are ramping up your power into the finish, not a big burst at 200 meters out and then a gradual taper in.
It really depends on the character of the climbs, I think some pre-riding of the course would be as, if not more, beneficial than power data for such short efforts.
Comment: Can you expand TH, VM, and AC, and perhaps add a reference, so that people who don't know those terms can learn from your post?


Why bother with airlock when I can just leave the tube going to the bleach water in place?

Question: Making my first batch!  Using a Brooklyn Brew Shop kit, and did the active part last night.  I've got the jug in a cool/dark place and it it bubbling away, sending CO2 through the tube in the top of the jug into pot of bleachy water.  My question:  why bother taking out the tube and installing the airlock, like the instructions say to do after a couple of days?  Why not just leave the tube in there, going out to the bleachy water?  Seems to serve fine, but then there might be something I haven't considered.
Answer: Short answer: sure, that is fine and jsled is absolutely right.
Long answer: the other thing to consider is just don't bother with blowoff, which I assume is the reason for the bleach water setup, and just use an airlock.
I think being really concerned with blowoff is probably a side-effect of following old Charlie Papazian instructions or people who followed his lead. I know he said blowoff gets rid of a lot of unwanted gunk and fusel alcohols that affect taste of the finished product, but I'm not so sure that's true in a negative (or any?) way and I don't think large breweries tend to worry much about blow-off either. Plus it seems to me there is a slight risk of infection from using/changing blowoff tubes.
You need  blowoff if your vessel is too small, but nowadays I personally would use a bigger vessel.
Comment: Ah OK.  The kit that I was given uses a 1-gallon jug, which is almost full.  I guess that's why the instructions call for blowoff.  But then why would they bother calling for you to take out the tube and fit the airlock after a few days?
Comment: Other than that some people probably don't want a big gunky container of bleach awkwardly lying around, probably no real reason.
Comment: Oh, well,  you might also think of it as a minimum time to leave the blowoff tube set up.  :-D But I think it's up to you whether you let fermentation finish out with that sort of airlock.
Answer: Yes, you can leave the blow-off tube in place if you like. It is just a big airlock, anyways.
Comment: Cool, thanks for the answer.  Why do people bother with airlocks if the blow-off tube accomplishes the same purpose?
Comment: Some of us don't. :)  As BBS point out, an airlock (or just foil over the mouth) is more self-contained and tidier.
Answer: Using an airlock certainly makes handling the vessel easier as it's all self contained, but hopefully you won't have to handle the vessel much.
I liked using an airlock because it was a more compact and simple setup. However, after having a batch overflow the airlock and make a mess while I was out of town  my wife insists that I use a blow-off. I'm happy to do that as there is little functional difference between the two and using the blow-off tube eliminates the chance of making a mess again.


Time scaling of discrete-time sequences and the DTFT

Question: In the second edition of Signals and Systems by Alan Oppenheim, he discusses the DTFT of a "time-expanded" sequence that is effectively a slowed down version of the original sequence and can be thought of as the original sequence $x[n]$ with $k-1$ zeros placed between each sample. However, the DTFT for the sequence $x[an]$ where $a$ is an integer is not discussed. Why is that? Is it because information is lost when we talk about $x[an]$ for example (since it only contains samples evaluated at multiples of $a$)?
One other thing that I noticed is that unlike the CTFT, Oppenheim only discusses differentiation in the frequency domain, unlike the CTFT where both integration and differentition in the frequency domain were presented. Why is that?
Comment: You are asking two non-related questions in one same post. I'd suggest you leave just one of them and ask the other one separately, as they are two independent questions. I'll write an answer for the first one.
Answer: The DTFT of some sequence $x(an)$ is discussed in the book you mention, but rather indirectly.
It's easy to see that $x(an)$ is a decimated sampled version of $x(n)$. This means that we take $x(n)$, we sample it with sampling period $a$, and then we decimate it (i.e. we take every $a$-th sample).
You can derive the DTFT of $x(an)$ knowing the DTFT of $x(n)$ with this in mind. If you have a copy of Oppenheim's Signals and Systems, check the section Sampling of discrete-time signals. Everything is explained there to answer your first question.
Comment: Oh okay, I haven't reached the Sampling chapter yet. But thank you very much.


Points between the unit balls in $\ell_2^1(\mathbb{R})$ and $\ell_2^\infty(\mathbb{R})$

Question: Consider the unit ball in $\ell_2^1(\mathbb{R})$ (that is, the unit ball in $\mathbb{R}^2$ with the $d_1$ metric) and the unit ball in $\ell_2^\infty(\mathbb{R})$. I want to show that every point between these balls lies on the boundary of a unit ball in $\ell_2^p(\mathbb{R}^2)$ for $1 < p < \infty$. This seems like a pretty intuitive result but of course I have to prove it.
So far I have that for a point $x_0$ between these unit balls, there exist $a$ and $b$ with $a < b$ such that $x_0$ lies between the $b$ unit ball in $\ell_2^b(\mathbb{R})$ and the $a$ unit ball in $\ell_2^a(\mathbb{R})$. Can I then apply the Intermediate Value Theorem theorem to say that $x_0$ lies on the boundary of a $p$ unit ball for $a < p < b$? That's really the only way I know how to proceed, but any other suggestions would be welcome.
Comment: Applying the Intermediate Value Theorem as you suggest seems like a good idea to me.
Answer: Suggestion:
Use the monotonic nature of unit balls. Each ball is the subset or superset of others. Finding least superset ball and greatest subset ball including $x_0$ would perhaps help argument.


Seeing a Bollywood movie in Mumbai?

Question: It looks likely that a group of us will be in Mumbai for a few days in June. We're wondering if there's a really nice cinema (not just a chain) where we can go to watch a Bollywood screening with the local audience experience (cheering etc?)
Comment: Don't just stop there. Mumbai is the home of Hollywood, and its easier for a foreigner to even act in one!
Comment: @AyeshK of course (although you mean Bollywood right?), and we already have a [question on that very topic](http://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/17738/how-to-become-an-instant-bollywood-actor-while-traveling-through-mumbai?rq=1) ;)
Comment: Sorry, yep Bollywood I meant. Enjoy your trip!
Comment: Book the ticket online. Less hassle.
Answer: If you really want to know how lower class and lower middle class people of India watch movies, you can visit Maratha Mandir theater. The quality of theater is not that good but it has some history associated with it. It has a record of screening superhit Bollywood movie "Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge" for continuous 1009 weeks. Unfortunately it doesn't screen the film anymore.
The place is easy to reach. It takes just 5-minute walk from the Mumbai Central railway station.
Answer: It really depends on which part of the city you will be staying in. There are many old, single screen theatres in Mumbai, specially in the south part of the city, which is locally called 'Town'. I would suggest that you try one of the following:

Regal Cinema:

Eros
New Excelsior
Liberty
Comment: I've been to Eros, and I believe Regal is quite close too. It's a really more like a regular western type cinema, and not the ones one might expect with the local people cheering when the hero enters screen (I can remember one like that in Delhi though).
Answer: Yes, there are still some standalone theatres in Mumbai, such as Regal Cinema, Chandan Cinema in Juhu and Globus Cinema in Bandra. However, it is better to opt for the multiplexes like – PVR, Inox, Cinemax, Big Cinemas.

Seeing a Bollywood movie in Mumbai?


Should I book flights for multiple people together or separately?

Question: I am trying to book a Ryanair flight, which gives me one price (Say £50) per person if I book one person, but a higher price (say £60) when I try to book 4 people. Is there any way we can arrange to all book separately at the same time to get the same solo price, or do we have to book together and take the hit? Does anyone have any general advice?
Comment: Bear in mind that on Ryanair, you won't be guaranteed seats together even if you book together unless you pay an extra fee to choose your seat (indeed, there is evidence that Ryanair deliberately separates parties in order to further incentive passengers to pay this fee).
Answer: If you get a higher price for a booking for multiple persons, then most likely there are not enough seats for the cheap fare available any more. So you will most probably end up with the same total amount, when you book separately. An edge case could be, that a booking engine would choose the same more expensive fare for the whole booking, even e.g. one seat with the cheap fare would still be available.
Comment: No, if the booking engine is not programmed very dumb, it will process booking requests sequentially at the end, and then simply reject the booking request for a cheaper fare, if it's not available any more.
Comment: @RoddyoftheFrozenPeas These are per person not per booking.
Comment: @RoddyoftheFrozenPeas As Neusser says, none of that is per booking. I have (unfortunately) booked many Ryanair flights, there are no longer any per booking fees. The last to be eliminated would have been fees for using a credit card, which were banned for all transactions in the EU.
Comment: Okay thanks. I thought maybe it might be possible to trick the system by all choosing the cheap price at the same time, but probably not.
Comment: Wouldn't you potentially pay more in taxes/fees if you booked separately, since some of those are flat fees per transaction and not percentages of the total cost? That might cause it to cost more *overall* if you book separately.
Comment: @RoddyoftheFrozenPeas This won't be the case for Ryanair, since they aren't allowed to charge extra fees (anymore).
Comment: I'm sure they still charge government and airport fees.


Why the timestamp component of the block header?

Question: What is the reason for the timestamp field in the block header? Surely the nonce should be the only property that changes? Should the nonce reset to 0 everytime the timestamp changes?
Answer: The timestamp exists so there will be a permanent record of when the block was found. The timestamp needs to pass some sanity tests for the block to be considered valid.
One of the key uses of the timestamp is in calculating difficulty retargets.
Comment: @bytefire: The miner chooses which timestamp to put in the block. Nodes will reject blocks with timestamp that doesn't make sense, but that's on a scale of hours, so there shouldn't be a problem. (See also http://bitcoin.stackexchange.com/questions/3743/how-can-an-earlier-block-have-a-later-timestamp).
Comment: @Anonymous: The network isn't a monolithic entity. Different nodes get the block at different times, and new nodes don't have firsthand knowledge of the history. Having the timestamp part of the hashed data means everyone can agree on the timestamp, and this can never be changed without altering the hash and breaking the chain. The synchronization challenge is why the blockchain exists in the first place.
Comment: But the timestamp (block header field) is hashed? How is that useful to the blockchain? Surely the time the new block is announced to the blockchain is the time value that is recorded?
Comment: Does the time stamp change every few seconds. If yes then if a miner is still hashing while time stamp changes and then it finds a hash lower that target, will that hash be considered valid if other conditions are satisfied?
Answer: the timestamp is very important to authenticate when the block was created and also it has various functions to mempool and the nonce .
just for little deep knowledge of time stamp :-
1- the timestamp refreshes every 1 second and in that 1 second the nonce should be able to find the golden nonce which is approx around 0-4 Billion iterations within the sec. which seems impossible .
2- it's impossible but it can be possible for the people minning together they can use their combined computational power to solve the 0-4 billion iterations within less than second which then the hash could be gained and the block is given to them with fee associated to it
and lastly the nonce do changes every time when the timestamp changes within 1 second


I can not download Freya

Question: I gained Elementary OS and I can not download it, please help.
Try to download from Midori and OS is 0.2.1 Elementary Luna.
Comment: I assume the user is not a native English speaker and is trying to translate "Luna". elementary OS Luna has been replaced with elementary OS Freya, but they are unable to download it with their Luna installation.
Comment: What is elementary OS moon ?
Answer: You can download Elementary OS Freya (the latest stable release) from the main Elementary webpage. They ask for a donation but you can also download and try it out for free but clicking Custom, entering $0, and clicking Purchase.

The easiest way to install Elementary is to use this downloaded ISO file to create a "bootable USB", these instructions show you how to create one depending on your current operating system:
Create Elementary USB on Ubuntu
Create Elementary USB on Windows
Simply reboot your machine with this USB drive plugged in and it should boot off the USB into Elementary OS. This distribution has Midori, the Pantheon desktop, terminal, and scratch text editor built in. You can install from this USB drive (including dual boot configuration options) and install additional packages from the Ubuntu Software Centre or try out the OS by running it directly from the USB.
Answer: just go to the oficial web https://elementary.io/ and select the price you want to pay or simply type how much you think elementary OS cost in the custom box  and click in the download button.
Answer: I wonder if they meant "update" instead of "download" since they already have Luna installed. If that's the case, here is the link for instructions on how to download and upgrade to the latest version of Elementary.

I can not download Freya


Making a Bracha on disliked foods

Question: If you, for some reason, must eat food you despise and will gain no enjoyment from it do you still need to make a bracha?
Comment: I have to make 2 different brachas on oat matzah during the seder, and it's _very_ nasty stuff.  Especially this year, when there was a problem and I had to use machine-made, which is extra nasty.  (And the aftertaste is somewhere between kerosene and diesel.)  Bread of affliction, indeed.  And don't forget: even if you get no enjoyment from is, it still provides sustenance.  If the answer to your question were "no", a person might never make a bracha on food while undergoing chemotherapy.
Answer: It may depend on what exactly is the circumstance forcing you to eat this food, and also on whether it is objectively bad-tasting (like bitter medicine) or simply that you personally don't like it.
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 204:8 states:
"All foods and drinks that a person must eat or drink for medicinal purposes - if they taste good and the palate gets enjoyment from them, he must recite the berachah before and after them."
To which Rema adds: "If people compel someone to eat or drink, even though his palate enjoys it - he need not recite a berachah, since he was forced."
On the first case, Mishnah Berurah (:43) comments that this is true even if the person has no appetite for them, but is eating them only because he is ill. He adds that if the food is bad[-tasting] and the eater gets no enjoyment from it, then indeed he need not say a berachah. On the second one, he says (:45) that this opinion is not universally accepted - some posekim argue that he should have to recite a berachah in this case, since after all he did enjoy the taste of the food (even if it was under duress).
Answer: If the case neither entails healing nor coercion (like the previous answer considered), then it might depend on how much one dislikes the food.
Case 1: You don't like the food, but it isn;t repulsive to you.
The first issue to consider is whether or not the requirement to recite a bracha depends on one's personal experience of enjoyment or if it is based on some more objective standard of establishing that the food being consumed is a pleasure giving food. This particular question is not thoroughly addressed in the rishonim or achronim. One can offer a number of speculations within the various rishonim in terms of how objective/subjective they think the obligation of brachos are.
For example, the raavya (brachos 35b) states that if one intends to eat something, so long as it is not harmful, they must make a bracha regardless of enjoyment, and even if it is something no one enjoys. However, it seems that most do not accept this chiddush and require some enjoyment, at least by some people, to warrant a bracha. Some rishonim discuss the reverse case: when you enjoy something no one else enjoys. Both the ritva and raah say that your personal enjoyment cannot warrant a bracha (batlah daato). This view seems to be accepted lhalacha (see shulchan aruch 204:4 for an example), however, the reverse case (our case - not liking food people do like) might be different, so it is hard to infer from this (basically, it is possible that something no one eats is not even considered a food, or that eating it might not be considered eating, and your preferences cannot change that reality. This reasoning will not translate over to our case).
A second issue to consider is what sort of enjoyment necessitates a bracha. Is a bracha only warranted when there is enjoyment of taste? Maybe the nourishment or energy the food provides, even without a pleasurable taste is enough to warrant a bracha. The beiur halacha 204:7 says that one will make a bracha on water (which has no taste) if it aids in digestion of food. This implies that "pleasure of the stomach" warrants a bracha even without "pleasure of the mouth," although this issue is considerably debated among the achronim.
Case 2: When one is literally repulsed by the food. This is a three part issue. 1) Like case 1, maybe your subjectivity does not play a role. 2) Like case 1, the energy one gets from the food might necessitate a bracha, even without the enjoyment of taste. 3) Maybe such an experience can no longer even be considered halachically defined as eating. The mishnah brurah (197:28) paskons that if one is so full that they would not enjoy eating any more food at all (they won't even enjoy the taste anymore), then they will not make a bracha. This is a generally recognized halachic category of achilah gassah. Our case is a bit different since you are not in any special category, but simply have a personal preference. Nonetheless, Rav Melamed in pininei halacha thinks that in this case one would not make a bracha.
Comment: Welcome to Mi Yodeya Yoni! Thanks for the answer.

Making a Bracha on disliked foods


Is it possible to deploy a python script on Ethereum Virtual Network or NEO?

Question: Is it possible to deploy a python script as a dApp on the Ethereum or NEO virtual network?
Answer: First of all: I don't know anything about NEO, I can just give you what I know about Ethereum.
As far as I know it is not possible to deploy a python script in the Ethereum network. In Ethereum you can only deploy Ethereum bytecode. It is compiled from smart contracts written in Solidity, Serpent, LLL or Vyper.
Other code than Ethereum bytecode will never be stored on the Ethereum blockchain (at least not in an executable way).
When you want to build a dApp you need to write the needed smart contract and (if necessary) somewhere host your python (or whatever) frontend and/or backend.
Comment: Thank you. I believe NEO smart contracts can be created in python, while I know Ethereumis Solidity.


What is the difference between BMW 318i, 320i, 325i etc?

Question: I'm wondering what the difference is between the different model numbers in the BMW 3-series. Also, what is the difference between the E30, E36 and E46?
Answer: Model number differentiates the power (and usually size of the engine) of the car. You can often expect that car with a larger model number will have better optional equipment (it is valid for BMW 7 series models, perhaps series 3 and 5 have the same tendency). Models with bigger engines usually have different (stronger) suspension and stronger brakes. They often have different transmission and a larger battery.
Letter "i" indicates the car is fueled with gasoline, letter "d" indicates it should be fuelled with diesel. Additional letter "L" informs that this model is longer than regular ones (usually series 7 have a "long" attribute). Letter "M" indicates you are dealing with model equipped with "M" packet (special sport engine, different wheels, different brakes, more power, different interior equipment).
E30, E36, E46 are the distinctions of generations of a model in a given series (in this case series 3).
E30 models were sold between 1982 and 1994. Their successor, model E36 was sold from 1990 to 2000, etc. It is as same as with Ford Mustang. One brand, many models.
Comment: It used to be the way you think. Unfortunately it changed a few years ago. For example the newest 3-series E92 335i has a 3 liter R6 engine.
Comment: Yes, @Lars 'i' indicates fuel injection. Older E21 and E30 cars like 315 or 316 without 'i' have carburetors. But I'm not aware of any E36 or E46's without injection.
Comment: I'm not sure if it is still the case today, but I tought that the number behind the model number (5xx or 3xx), also tells you the size of the engine (where 335 would be a 3 series with an 3.5 litre engine). Edit: Nevermind,I see you mentioned engine size
Comment: Does the "i" also indicate fuel injection? Not sure, then, what models without a letter, eg. "316", indicates. Maybe a carburetor?
Comment: Not entirely true, cares with e are still fuel injection, and s refers to sport package, x refers to 4 wheel drive, d refers to diesel, and c refers to convertible and sometimes coupe depending on the model
Comment: My understanding is that BMW will be dropping or has already dropped the "i" in the model name to denote fuel injection because all of their vehicles are now FI, so it's kind of moot.
Answer: The number doesn't always match the engine size. A 320i has a 2.2L 6-cylinder engine whereas my 318i has a 4-cylinder 2.0L engine.
Try wikipedia page here
Comment: Historically, a 318i would have been an 1800cc, etc. But with the last two or three generations, what BMW has sheepishly done is to increase the 318i's engine capacity to 2000cc, and made the 320i a 2.0 Turbo engine. It's all just to keep incrementally upgrading engine performance and power output. Audi is more forthcoming and actually displays the fact that their A4 equivalent to a 320i is now a 2.0T instead of a 1.8T as was the norm a few years ago.
Answer: This wikipedia page explains model naming conventions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_BMW_vehicles#Model_nomenclature


Matrices preserving interlacing/stable polynomials

Question: Let $v_1 = (p_1,\dots,p_k)$ be a vector of interlacing polynomials, and non-negative coefficients,
i.e. $p_1,\dots,p_k$ are real-rooted, and the roots of $p_i$, $p_{i+1}$ interlace.
Let $M$ be a $k \times k$ matrix with polynomial entries, and define $v_n = M^n v_0.$
For which $M$ is it true that $v_n$ consists of interlacing polynomials with non-negative coefficients, for all $n$?
There is a characterization of such matrices for $k=2$ in http://arxiv.org/abs/math/0612833
and some examples of such matrices for $k>2.$
What I need is some results/methods on how to see if a general $M$ preserves interlacing property. There are certain conditions that must be satisfied, such as the constant terms in the matrix gives only non-negative minors.
One such matrix, for example, is the matrix with 1 on and below the diagonal, and x above.
EDIT: Matrices as above preserving real-rooted polynomials with non-neg coefficients
would also be helpful, (clearly if they preserve interlacing properties, then they preserve real-rootedness, but not always the other way around).
Answer: An answer to this question can be found in the survey by Petter Bränden,
https://arxiv.org/abs/1410.6601 Corollary 8.6, where such matrices are described.


Why are high end audio connections gold?

Question: Silver has a lower resistivity than gold and is cheaper, so why are high end audio components gold plated?
Comment: Because audiophools will believe anything.  Actually, high end connectors do use gold since it makes good contact and does not oxidize.
Comment: "lower resistivity" of the metal itself is not relevant at all.  The input and output resistances of the electronics are much higher than the metal's.  What matters is corrosion, which causes much larger, *non-linear* resistance.
Answer: Gold is highly resistant to corrosion or oxidation, so prevents poor connections from those sources.It is also fairly soft, so the mating surfaces deform slightly, increasing contact area to reduce resistance. The gold plating is very thin, so the added resistance from the gold is easily overcome by its other properties.
Note that gold is only needed on the actual contact areas - gold plating (or colour) on the body of the connector is only there to attract the gullible.
Many commercial (not audiophile) connectors have selective gold plating on the contacts - the gold is only placed where it really matters.
Comment: Yes, and many audiophile sources such as AudioQuest use silver on their most expensive products.  But I would never trust a company who charges $3000 for an XLR cable.
Comment: "the added resistance from the gold" does not need to be overcome at all; it's already orders of magnitude smaller than the output resistance of the previous stage.
Answer: Tarnished contacts cause distortion. You can really hear the audio quality degradation; it is not some audio-fool nonsense, like directional speaker cables or two hundred dollar amplifier power cords.
Even a dyed-in-the-wool objective measurement man like like Doug Self acknowledges this problem, in no uncertain terms, right in the middle of his treatise on "Subjectivism":

Corrosion is often blamed for subtle signal degradation at switch and connector contacts. By far the most common form of contact degradation is the formation of an insulating sulphide layer on silver contacts, derived from hydrogen sulphide air pollution; the problem seems to have become worse in recent years. This typically cuts the signal altogether, except when signal peaks temporarily punch through the sulphide layer. The effect is gross and completely inapplicable to theories of subtle degradation. Gold-plating is the only certain cure. It costs money. A switch with gold-flashed contacts can cost five times as much as the silver version.  [Source] [Bold emphasis mine].

Other metals like silver will do, but the contacts will require regular polishing to perform their best. Gold is more maintenance-free.
I own a bunch of old audio and guitar gear, and I can tell you that if you put a little bit of toothpaste on a cotton swab and vigorously polish the inside of a 1/4" phone jack on some old amplifier or signal processor, it comes out black. The sound quality improves drastically.
Comment: *"Gold-plating is the only certain cure"*.  No.  It is one cure, and generally a good one, but there are others.  Nickel and tin are also common connector materials.  Nickel is relatively inert and also resists oxidation well, and oxides of tin are themselves conductive.  Then there are other ways to make connections that are gas-tight.  Saying that gold-plating is the *only certain* cure is just plain wrong.
Answer: Mainly for marketing purposes: Gold is always better than silver, right?
But also, silver oxidizes (tarnishes) readily while gold does not.
Comment: So which is it exactly? Snake oil or correct metallurgy?
Comment: If gold is better than silver, when can we expect to see platinum-coated cables? And then titanium cables! And then uranium cables!
Comment: Of course. That's how companies can get away with selling a 3 foot cable for $50, and why people actually waste their money on them!
Comment: @EJP: What do you think? Obviously, any gold not on the actual mating surfaces is not doing anything to help the electrical performance of the connector.
Comment: It's "mainly" for corrosion resistance, not marketing.
Comment: @StephenCollings They already sell those, too. And "white gold". It's a bunch of nonsense. Nobody can reliably tell the difference under lab conditions.
Answer: An important thing to remember is that when dissimilar metals are joined, and there is a thermal flux, a voltage is generated due to the thermoelectric effect. This voltage is called a thermal EMF.
A good discussion of this effect can be found in the classic Linear Technology application note AN-86 by the late Jim Williams. See in particular page 48 for a table of thermoelectric EMFs.
From that table, note that copper-copper junctions have the lowest thermal EMF of less than 0.2 uV/°C BUT notice that copper-copper oxide junctions have the highest thermal EMF of over 1000 uV/°C. Copper-gold junctions have a reasonable thermal EMF of 0.3uV/°C.
So, in precision voltage / current / resistance measurements we often use cleaned copper-copper junctions or copper-gold junctions to minimize thermal EMFs.
That said, in audio applications, if the contributed thermal EMF was 100uV, if the full scale signal is 15 volts, that's only 6.6ppm (parts per million). That's nearly -120dB. It's pretty hard to make the case that a human can hear 6ppm / -120dB.
Comment: I think he accidentally  a word. ;)
Comment: The thermal EMF is way below 10 Hz, and will be filtered out by almost every piece of audio equipment around.  And even if it isn't filtered out, there is no way you'd actually hear it due to the low freq.
Comment: "a voltage is generated due to the ." - did I miss a word here? :)
Comment: @DavidKessner yup, you're absolutely correct
Comment: Isn't this thermal EMF DC, 0 Hz, and therefore irrelevant to audio?
Answer: Some professional audio gear does use silver or silver alloy contacts (or did : the items I am thinking about are well and truly obsolete!) - such equipment served the broadcast audio for decades - BUT it was regularly and thoroughly maintained, with metal polish being an essential item of the toolkit.
The rotary "stud faders" in BBC mixer desks up until the 1970s were of this type : not variable resistors but switched attenuators with something like 1dB steps, a huge array of precision resistors, and solid silver contacts. These lasted until the stereo era.
Prototype stereo "stud faders" were tried - but however accurately they were made, the two channels switched gain at slightly different times, and the "blurring" in the stereo image during fades was judged to be quite unpleasant.
Here is a description of a mono one - as you can see, rapid maintenance was an important design consideration. (I cannot embed the picture, it appears to be protected) The contacts look pinkish; they need cleaning to show their true colour.
So silver has a long history in audio, and not all of it can be dismissed as woolly headed nonsense (though there is plenty of that too!).
But gold is easier to deal with and, while lower conductivity, quite good enough for most purposes and overall better for domestic equipment. Unless you are so dedicated to perfect sound that you are willing to overhaul every connector and switch contact on something like a regular six-monthly schedule.


Using context in interpreting Scripture

Question: When I am discussing the Bible and I use the Old Testament, often I am told that that portion does not apply to us because it is addressed to the Jews.  By the time I am finished with my discussion I may as well go through the Bible and cut out all the scriptures that are to the Jews.  I am told that I must read the context.  If this is true then it seems that I have very little to support many of my understandings of Scripture. I cannot even use the words of Jesus because he lived and spoke during the time of the law and not grace.   Can you help me with this.  Thanks!
Comment: Sorry, but this is not the appropriate forum for Bible Study-type questions. Furthermore, please do not cut out the Old Testament. Just because you think they are not necessary for the Christian lifestyle does not mean they are completely useless; rather, the Old Testament stories may be filled with gems for some.
Comment: I suggest reading: [What guidelines or rules should be used when interpreting the Bible?](http://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/138) and [If the Bible is open to interpretation, how does one know which one is right?](http://christianity.stackexchange.com/q/3292)
Comment: The underlying question is, why does the Christian Bible include the Old Testament if it is being ignored or regarded as not completely useless as it has a few stories with gems for some in it.
Answer: The context of the New Testament is the primarily the Old Testament.
Everything else is secondary.
Jesus Christ studied and lived according to the Old Testament. Jesus said in Matthew 4: 19, 'Follow me . . .'
No Christian can get away from those words.
What Jesus attacked was not the Old Testament but interpretation of the law especially by the Pharisees.
There are modern 'Pharisees' as well.
(It sounds as if you are being bullied. Don't stand for it. Study, think, and judge for yourself. It is your soul.)
Answer: Whomever is saying that the Old Testament is no longer applicable is totally in error.
Jesus himself said:
Matthew 5:18 KJV

For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Luke 16:17 KJV

And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail.

When will it ever come that Murder will no longer be against God's law, or any of the other nine commandments.
If you search the scriptures you will find that all of the other Old Testament and New Testament is either an extension or in some way a description of those ten Commandments.
Jesus also said;
Matthew 5:17

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

This statement shows the basis of his ability to forgive sin, in that:

No ordinary man could fulfill the Law, because he could not negate all the times that man had broken God's laws.

Only a man who had never broken the Law of God (disobeyed)  could cause them to be forgiven.

Jesus did not do away with the Law, or even do away with the fact that:
Romans 3:23 KJV

For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

When the end comes it will be the Law (as described in the Old Testament) by which we will all be judged, both the saved and unsaved.
Romans 2:12  KJV

For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;

The difference will be that the saved will be judged innocent because of the sacrifice of Jesus, and that judgment will determine their rewards, while the unsaved will be judged as to whether they ever broke the Law or not and those found guilty (which is all of them) will be cast into the lake of fire, to burn for eternity.

Using context in interpreting Scripture


Capture towards the center vs. undoubling

Question:
There is a spoken advice to capture with the pawns always towards the center. This situation let me think for a while. Is undoubling here not better?
Answer: In this particular position both ...ab6 and ...cb6 are reasonable.
Generally speaking I would prefer to take toward the center because the doubled pawns are not weak at all when they have neighbours and the enhanced control of the center might prove useful.
Here however ab6 has the minus that it allows White counterplay thanks to the outside passed pawn after a4-a5.
The evaluation of this position will depend on Black breaking through or not on the kingside, with ...Rf3 or ...g4. My intuition is that White should be able to hold. If that's correct, the best choice might very well be to limit counterplay with 1...cb6. But once again, this is merely due to the specifics of this particular position, and not because undoubling would be better than taking toward the center in general.
Comment: +1 for pointing out the a4-a5 plan, that's coming fast after axb. Now I think I prefer cxb.
Answer: Here all is about whether white a-pawn will be strong passed pawn or weakness on semi open file. Possible undoubling is just a side effect of more important consideration. If you can blow the kingside, make your center as solid as possible and wait a3 will become a serious weakness with white pieces tied to defense. If you can't, you will have to deal with huge distraction problem on the a-file, forcing you to leave attacking position. My first idea was clearly cxb6 but it's better to ask the engine :-)
Answer: I think Olivier is right to prefer axb6. The drawback of allowing White a potential passed pawn is not serious, unless it occurs at some late stage of an endgame. Until then it is just a backward pawn on an open file. But Black also has a great position on the other wing. A Fischer block with Rf3 must be taken seriously.
In the general situation, you should ask, why are doubled pawns weak? Sometimes because they cannot protect each other, sometimes because the square ahead is open to blockade. Neither applies here, but they would exert great control over the center. Whether you are playing with doubled pawns or against them, you have to "accentuate the positive". Remember that anything that cannot be attacked is not weak.


Windows 8 Communication Sound Setting not working

Question: I've been having a problem on my new laptop recently which is familiar but baffling the usual fixes. I'm running Windows 8 with an onboard Realtek soundcard. It's similar to the one on my older computer running Windows 7.
The problem is, when I'm in Skype or Mumble, Windows changes the sound output to lower everything else automatically. I've disabled the communications sound change option on the communications tab within sound devices and checked all the applications settings to insure that they are not responsible. They aren't, and I noticed something else. When I'm in the sound properties dialog, and I switch to the microphone tab, the same audio output reduction occurs. This seems to say to me that the microphone must be responsible in some way, but seeing as I uninstalled all the drivers and installed windows drivers instead, I'm confused as to why this would be occurring.
Any thoughts?
EDIT: I just tried disabling the built in microphone and the sound no longer get changed. More confused now? As soon as I turn it back on, the sound gets dropped again.
Incidentally, the fix for this on windows 7 was this question:
Windows 7 lowers applications' volume automatically
I've got my computer set that way and it doesn't work.
Comment: Try [disabling AGC in Skype](http://thepodcastersstudio.com/skypeaudiocontrols/) and see if it helps (no idea about Mumble).
Answer: Go in the Recording tab, select the built in mic -> properties -> Advanced -> remove the tick "Give exclusive mode apps priority". Hope it helps, i think it solved it for me.


How do I make a grid-like fill in Photoshop or Illustrator?

Question: Is there any way in Illustrator or Photoshop to format the fill of a rectangular object so that the fill looks a bit like here?

Could somebody maybe point me in a direction? Or tell the unclear part of the question?
Comment: Do you want the same roughed up look, or a clean uniform appearance?
Comment: hey - both would do for me what would be easier to do? Although it would be nice if the dots on the grid could have slightly different colours as in the original version
Answer: We can easily create a uniform fill with circles. Much like Red described, you'll want to create a new document to create your pattern. The size of said pattern is up to you but I'd suggest something 256px by 256px or less. To do a simple uniform pattern we will create a 16px by 16px document and just draw a circle. Like so:

Note that the amount of white-space left around the circle will determine half of the space until the next circle. (The white-space of you current circle + the white-space of the neighboring circle)
Then go to Edit -> Define Pattern...
Now simply open any document and create a new layer and go to Edit -> Fill.. -> Use: Pattern and then click OK to fill the layer with your pattern.

This is all great and good, assuming you like complete uniformity. We can spice things up a bit by simply creating a more complex pattern.
Here is an example of a more complex pattern of circle of varying sizes applied to a layer:

While certainly more interesting it's still utterly predictable, and here is where things get interesting assuming you have Photoshop CS6 As of CS6 there's some increased support for patterns, which, albeit is a small improvement though it has a lot of potential. So let's get started.
When you go to fill a layer with a pattern, in the dialog you'll notice this following option:

Take note of the red outlined area.
The Scripted Patterns checkbox will appear only when you have Use: Patterns selected. You'll notice a couple options in the dropdown and each do something unique. More info on that here. Select Cross Weave and click OK.
You'll notice right away the pattern just became more interesting.

And that's that.
As far as randomizing color, you'll have to do some manual work here. But you can still create "varying colors" as a pattern, and make it a clipping mask on top of the existing pattern.

Click for full resolution
It's not perfect but it's a good start. Hope this helps.
Answer: Here's an idea:
First, measure the size of the individual dot (I got about 5px x 5px). The gap between each dot too needs to be measured (say 2 px). The theory here is basically making a pattern, which will be repeated as the 'fill' of the box.
Say making a pattern of 3-4 dots, with 2px gap between each, and a outer border to 2px too. Each dot you could colour differently. Remember to have a transparent background. When done, make it a pattern; it's somewhere like Edit>Define Pattern.
After that there are many ways of getting the pattern to fill the rectangle. One way is to make a pattern layer, selecting the inside of the rectangle as the layer mask, the rotating the pattern a to suit your taste.
Oh by the way, this is on Photoshop.
Hope this helps (:
Answer: In Illustrator, you can use the built-in Symbol Libraries or make your own Symbols by drawing out an area of circles how you want them to look. The Artistic Textures Library has some that are promising. Then use the Symbol Sprayer tool to "paint" down your texture and adjust the distribution/randomness between points.


Where can I buy lunar regolith simulant?

Question: I am a high school student living in Canada that needs lunar regolith for a science experiment? Anyone know where to buy simulant of it?
Comment: What's the experiment? If there's specific properties it depends on you may be able to substitute something
Comment: Possible source: https://sciences.ucf.edu/class/science/regolith-simulants/  The bad news: Their Lunar simulant is currently under development.
Comment: @DmytroKhmara No, I did not. I switched it to Martian regolith simulant instead.
Comment: You might want to consider also asking for a description of what a simulant might be like, or a reference to read more about it. If you can't obtain one, or it turns out to be super-expensive, a DIY simulant might be necessary. Another thought: the moon's surface is of course dry, if your experiment is in a humid environment, you may have some difficulty. Maybe a closed box with a desiccant might be necessary, depending on the simulant used.
Comment: Did you find the lunar dust simulant?
Comment: @opaque_dragon, what kind of Mars regolith simulant do you use?
Answer: So there are a variety of lunar regolith simulants, however, many are commercially unavailable. One such simulant that I have had experience in the past with is known as BP-1. It is a fine dust mined in Arizona. I was unable to find a purchase link.
Another option is crushed limestone: https://www.amazon.com/Pounds-Carbonate-Limestone-Amendment-Fertilizer/dp/B00AL1E4H8 Crushed limestone usually has a comparable particle size and is readily available. It is worth noting that all of these simulants vary drastically from the actual chemical composition of lunar dust, and can only mimic the physical qualities.
One final thing to note is that many lunar regolith simulants can be somewhat dangerous in the long term due to their incredibly fine particulate size. I have been told that they are minorly carcinogenic and have first hand seen vomiting and coughs persisting for several days after extended exposure. Please, at the very least, use safety masks commonly used for dusty operations from your local hardware store and perform the task in a well ventilated area.
Answer: https://exolithsimulants.com/
Saw this post and it's pretty outdated, figured I'd give a 2020 update to this post. Best simulant regolith can be found at Exolith Labs. The previous posts mention the same lab, but they've expanded on their research and product line, making them a reliable, legitimate simulant production lab. They have a variety of lunar, asteroid, and Martian regolith simulant to choose from. I heard they're also currently developing a Phobos simulant and lunar dust simulant! They can also custom make your regolith if you require anything specific, such as a defined particle-size range. Highly recommend these simulants, they get contracted by NASA, Space X, Blue Origin, and the ESA all the time to make simulant for them. I currently use their regolith for my research and couldn't be happier. The link is of their new website!
Comment: Is it possible edit your post and make it sound less like an advertisement? Since the company's founder is a UCF professor and your username suggest an affiliation with UCF this could read like an endorsement or advertisement. *Thanks!*
Comment: Please review this guidance on promotional content: https://space.stackexchange.com/help/promotion. Welcome to the site! I hope you choose to stay and participate in other Q&A.
Answer: Here is a list of lunar simulants taken from University of Central Florida's Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science's Planetary Simulant Database
Simulants for other bodies are listed there as well. I found this link in the Open Access paper mentioned at the end
Lunar Highlands Simulants

LHS-1 Lunar Highlands Simulant

MLS-2 Minnesota Lunar Simulant

NAO-1 National Astronomical Observatories

NU-LHT-1M/2M/3M/1D/2C Lunar Highlands Type

OB-1/CHENOBI Olivine Bytownite

Off Planet Research OPRH2N/H2W/H3N/H3W

Lunar Mare Simulants

ALS Arizona Lunar Simulant

ALRS-1 Australian Lunar Regolith Simulant

BP-1 Black Point

CAS-1 Chinese Academy of Sciences

CLRS-1/2 Chinese Lunar Regolith Simulant

CSM-CL Colorado School of Mines Colorado Lava

CUG-1A China University of Geosciences

DNA-1 De NoArtri

FJS-1/2/3 Fuji Japanese Simulant

GSC-1 Goddard Space Center

JSC-1/1A/1AF/1AC/2A Johnson Space Center

KLS-1 Korea Lunar Simulant

KOHLS-1/KAUMLS Korean Lunar Simulants

LMS-1 Lunar Mare Simulant

Maryland-Sanders Lunar Simulant

MLS-1/1P Minnesota Lunar Simulant

MKS-1 Lunar Simulant

NEU-1 Northeastern University Lunar Simulant

Off Planet Research OPRL2N/L2W

Oshima Simulant

TJ-1/2 Tongji University

Lunar Dust & Misc. Lunar Simulants

BHLD20 Lunar Dust Simulant

CLDS-i Lunar Dust Simulant

CMU-1 Carnegie Mellon University

GRC-1/3 Glenn Research Center

Kohyama Simulant

Off Planet Research OPRFLCROSS1 Lunar Ice Simulant

This just in!
Science Daily Experimental Martian dirt: $20 a kilogram, plus shipping; Researchers publish recipe for Martian and asteriod simulant
Scroll down for the Open Access paper.

Date: September 28, 2018
Source: University of Central Florida
Summary: A team of astrophysicists has developed a scientifically based, standardized method for creating Martian and asteroid soil known as simulants.

This is not fake news. A team of UCF astrophysicists has developed a scientifically based, standardized method for creating Martian and asteroid soil known as simulants.
The team published its findings this month in the journal Icarus.

It continues...

Kevin Cannon, the paper's lead author and a post-doctoral researcher who works with Britt at UCF, says there are different types of soil on Mars and on asteroids. On Earth, for example, we have black sand, white sand, clay and topsoil to name a few. On other worlds, you might find carbon-rich soils, clay-rich soils and salt-rich soils, he added.
"With this technique, we can produce many variations," Cannon said. "Most of the minerals we need are found on Earth although some are very difficult to obtain."

lunar regolith simulant:

Cannon is in Montana to collect ingredients for a moon simulant this week. Moon and asteroid materials are rare and expensive on Earth since they arrived via meteorites in small amounts. That's why asteroid and moon simulants are also on the list of items that can be ordered. The UCF team can mimic most ingredients and will substitute for any potentially harmful materials. All simulants produced in the lab, meet NASA's safety standards.
Britt and Cannon believe there is a market for the simulant. At $20 a kilogram, plus shipping, it may be easier to send UCF an order, than to try and make it in labs across the nation.
The team already has about 30 pending orders, including one from Kennedy Space Center for half a ton.

The paper mentioned:
Kevin M. Cannon, Daniel T. Britt, Trent M. Smith, Ralph F. Fritsche, Daniel Batcheldor. Mars global simulant MGS-1: A Rocknest-based open standard for basaltic martian regolith simulants. Icarus, 2019; 317: 470 DOI: 10.1016/j.icarus.2018.08.019
Comment: Great answer! $20 a kilogram, that is a fairly low price. But half a ton is 10,000 $.
Comment: I've added this answer [here](https://space.stackexchange.com/a/31018/12102) as well. This is *normally done* by closing one question as duplicate of another but I am not sure in this particular case if that's appropriate.


Is there a way to check for non-visible damage on a carbon frame?

Question: I had an accident on my carbon road bike. As I look at it, I do not see visible damage to the frame or forks. Is there a way that the frame can be tested for damage and if so, how do I get this testing done?
Comment: Can you add detail on the crash? Did the bike get hit in such a way that you would assume that damage would have been caused?
Answer: I've heard of people having their frames x-rayed, but for obvious reasons that's not very practical. The most reliable manner of checking a carbon frame for damage that I'm aware of is the old coin tap test. Get a quarter ( or whatever coin fits that form factor in your local currency) and go over the frame lightly tapping the edge of the coin against the frame. Intact carbon makes a distinct "clack", whereas damaged, delaminating carbon will have a much duller thud sound when tapped. Keep in mind that as the tubes change shapes and thicknesses the sound will gradually change. What you're looking for is a distinctly different muted report that abruptly changes within a very localized area.
Keep in mind that this is not a foolproof or exhaustive method of checking your frame and fork for damage, but it does work surprisingly well. I've found many a damaged frame this way.
Answer: In recent years more specialty shops that deal in carbon frame repair have become more available. Many are shops that do custom frame builds. A Google search may get some leads that are local thus savings on shipping. In the Northeast U.S. I have used HotTubes.com to check a frame.  I was reluctant to go to my local bike shop due to the limited number of frames they see per year. In addition to the fact that they couldn't do any repairs if they were needed. As @jm2 has stated nothing is foolproof. However the replacement cost of the frame and the risk involved of riding with a damaged frame would make spending a couple hundred dollars for an inspection or repair a viable investment.


Looking for a mythological flying creatures that has saved human life

Question: Can anyone help me? I am looking for a mythological flying creature(s) that has saved human life?
I am asking for a project in progress. Thanks.
Answer: In the Ramayana, when Ram battled Ravan to free his wife Sita, during the battle Ravan's son Megnaad (also called Indrajeet, for defeating Indra, king of the Devas) fired upon Ram's army the Naagpaash, a weapon which would bind the targets with coils of venomous snakes.
Ram, seeing his army's plight, called upon Garuda, mount of Vishnu, who was the mortal enemy of snakes, who are all the snakes tying down Ram's army.
Of course, this technically doesn't answer your question, since Ram and his brother Lakshman were the only humans in his army, which was made mostly of monkeys and bears.
Answer: One that immediately comes to mind is, "The Golden Ram," or by another name, "Khrysomallos," from Greek Mythology.
Cliff notes version of the story- King had two kids with a goddess (or a cloud nymph). When the king remarried, she plotted the death of the two kids. To save them, the cloud nymph/goddess, in some form, appeared to them with a winged ram who had a coat of gold (as in metal, not color, but color as well I suppose). They climbed on the back of the ram to safety, though one of the children fell off into the sea.
See: Apollodorus, Library 1.9.1
Answer: There is a very similar story found in Hindu epic Mahabharata - Adi Parva- Astika Parva - Section XXX, where "Garuda" the mighty eagle saved lives of "Valkhilyas" the great maharishis or sages.
Background-  In the starting sections of epic poem Mahabharata there is a narration of Garuda the eagle, who is the son of Kashyapa Prajapati and Vinita and is known for his impressive speed and strength. In Hindu mythology, Garuda is Vahana or vehicle of  Vishnu.
Once Garuda was on his way to fetch "Amruta" (the nectar of immortality ) to save his mother from her captives which was guarded by many gods in Swarga i.e. heaven. On his way he became hungry. His father Kashyapa told him to eat a giant tortoise and an elephant bent upon slaying each other in a  sacred lake.
Garuda then grabbed both elephant and tortoise and started to find a place where he can in leisure eat both of them. While searching he came across a large banian tree in the forest known as   Alamva. The banian tree requested Garuda to sit on one of his branches to eat his meal. But on that branch there he saw Valakhilya Rishis hanging with their heads downwards and engaged in ascetic penances. As garuda sat on the branch of the tree, due to his feet the branch of the tree broke away and Garuda caught it in his beak and in order to save the Valakhilya he flew away saving them from falling down. He then left the Sages to a mountain called   Gandhamadana.

And from fear of slaying the Rishis and desire of saving them, held
  that bough in his beaks, and rose on his wings. The great Rishis were
  struck with wonder at the sight of that act of his which was beyond
  even the power of the gods,
"And shaking the mountains by his wings, Garuda leisurely coursed
  through the skies. And as he soared with the elephant and the tortoise
  (in his claws), he beheld various regions underneath. Desiring as he
  did to save the Valakhilyas, he saw not a spot whereon to sit. At
  last, he went to that foremost of mountains called Gandhamadana.

The nature of Valkhilyas are divine they are often regarded as sages or wise men. So here is a story as you have enquired about a   flying creature saving human life.


Do you need to cook tomato puree?

Question: I'm making a tomato sauce cold from tinned tomatoes and I was going to add tomato puree to thicken the sauce. Is it ok to use tomato puree without cooking it?
Comment: Could you edit your question to clarify it? First, it's very confusing that the question you've used as a title is the exact opposite of the question you asked in the body. You accepted the answer "yes" but it's not clear whether that means "Yes it needs to be cooked" or "Yes, it's OK to use raw." Second, it's unclear whether by "tomato puree", you mean something like passata (essentially, tomatoes that have been blended to a liquid) or tomato paste (the result of reducing that liquid into a thick paste, which is sold as "tomato puree" in the UK and maybe other places, too).
Answer: While it is perfectly safe to eat tomato puree without cooking it, it is not generally recommended.
Uncooked tomato puree in a sauce can be undesirably sour and have a rather raw, rough flavour.
If you don't mind this then go ahead, but I would recommend simmering the sauce for at least another 10 minutes after adding the puree.
Comment: In Germany it's usually tripple-concentrated and **very strong**. Still, I have friends who like to eat it with a spoon.
Comment: I completely agree, it's safe but blech. You could fry off the paste in a bit of oil in a small pan and then add it, but using it raw would not lead to a good result .
Comment: Tomato purée differs from country to country. In the US it is cooked but quite different from tomato paste. It can be used raw quite well, but is generally not preferred for fresh sauces because it tastes cooked rather than fresh (like fresh or other canned tomatoes).
Comment: I believe this answer can be generalized to say that any canned food allowed for sale (by the US FDA which specifies heating during the canning process; e.g., at least 3 minute 250F for tomatoes) is safe without cooking, right?  Green beans, kidney beans, chicken...
Comment: @bobuhito - true, but (at least in the UK) tomato puree doesn't always come in cans, and there are foods that come in similar packaging that do require cooking
Comment: @simbabque the question is whether the stuff at hand here is closer to "passierte tomaten" or "tomatenmark" :)
Comment: @rackandboneman I guess you can drink the "passierte Tomaten" as well. It just doesn't taste very good. At the end of the day raw tomato is fine.
Answer: I make tomato juice by thinning a couple of spoons of tomato puree and water. With a can of tomato puree, I can make about 2 litters of tomato juice. At a MUCH lower cost.
Comment: Rod, welcome! The first rule here is "Answer the Question" - unlike in many forums you may be more familiar with. So while your use of tomato puree is creative, do you really want to say: "Yes, one can use the puree uncooked. And I use it for..."? If you [edit] your post, it'd be much clearer. I also invite you to register for Seasoned Advice: This is a friendly and welcoming community and we appreciate all contributions. Take the [tour] and browse our [help] to learn more about how the site works.
Answer: Yes, I assume you are talking about what comes in a tube or a small jar.
Comment: OK, I seriously don't understand that answer. The title asks "do you need to cook". The body asks "is it OK to use without cooking". You say "yes" - but yes to which of the two?

Do you need to cook tomato puree?


What were the first "Big Banks" in the United States?

Question: The large financial institutions of the world have dominated the news cycle for the past few years, and it got me thinking, what were the first large banks in the US? I am interested in hearing about the first big retail banks, as well as financial banks. I know that some of the banks that are still in existence today can probably trace their lineage back to much earlier banks, but I'm curious what were the institutions that were the first to become truly national and be dominant forces in the US economy.
Comment: Goldman Sachs has been around for quite a while.
Answer: This is a very good question with a very weird and convoluted answer. This is my first post, so I've only got two links - I've bolded terms you should google, and referred to interesting wiki articles by their title.
First, banks and corporations did not fill the same functions as they do today - and the giant powerhouse financial institutions were municipal, state or federally chartered institutions. The very first, created to finance the Revolutionary War was the Bank of North America. This acted like a central bank as well as a commercial bank.
Here is an article on commercial banking in the early Republic, listing the chartered banks in chronological order. Here is another article on post-colonial commercial banking.
There is very little information online on private banks before the Free Banking Era (see wiki's article on Banking in The United States), where the sheer perniciousness of the wildcat banks made them infamous.
The first investment bank (see wiki's "History of Investment Banking" article) was J. Cooke & Co., founded to finance the Union's war effort in the Civil War by selling government bonds, and later underwriting the expansion of railroads.
Answer: Retail Banking: There were not national retail banks until the 1980s, due to state and federal restrictions on branch banking and interstate banking. The history of Bank of America is instructive here. After California allowed in-state branching in 1909, BoA opened 453 branches in California by 1929. Attempts to open up branches out of state led to a series of federal actions that resulted in the forced separation of BoA into BoA, Transamerica and Firstamerica.
However, many large retail banks can somehow trace their lineage back to antebellum banks, thanks to the number of mergers that have occurred over the centuries. For example, JP Morgan Chase can trace its lineage to a 1799 water company (with some banking privileges) chartered by Aaron Burr.
"Central" Banking: The largest antebellum banks were those that ensured a sound currency and controlled interest rates. The best known of these are the First and Second Banks of the United States, which also handled the government's finances. However, even private banks could act as de facto central banks for a region, such as Boston's Suffolk Bank.
The Suffolk Bank collected bank notes from the region's other banks. The bank could threaten to redeem these notes, forcing other banks to maintain adequate specie reserves. Such an action was most likely when the economy was overheating, as redeeming notes for specie had a deflationary effect. During Panics, the bank could put off redeeming these notes, which increased the region's monetary supply. New England had the soundest currency in the U.S. and weathered Panics better than other regions thanks to the Suffolk Bank's monetary policy.
Investment Banking: Investment banking was small scale until the late 19th century due in part to the absence of effective accounting methods and disclosure systems. As Naomi Lamoreaux shows, investment banks were highly localized, their boards of directors being restricted to a single family and their associates. This helped solve information asymmetries: If you knew and trusted Providence's Brown family, then you would buy stock in their investment bank, knowing that the Brown's would use this capital to finance their non-banking concerns. As I discuss at too much length here, much of the antebellum investment banking action occurred in Philadelphia.
@RISwampYankee is correct that investment banking began to grow in order to meet financial needs imposed by the Civil War. After the war, these new methods were used to finance railroads, the corporate behemoths of the day.
Best sources on early American banking: Bray Hammond, Naomi Lamoraeux, and Howard Bodenhorn.