Consuming milk and dairy causes bad karma?

Question: Since it is get from the exploitation of innocents mammals, consuming milk and dairy causes bad karma?
Comment: In Ancient days, people in India generally used to feed calves first and then remaining milk was used by owner of cows. Now, people started exploiting everything and the exploitation may give you tiny amount of bad karma.
Comment: The havi that is poured in yagna to satiate the Gods is ghee & that comes from cow's milk.So,obtaining milk from cows is certainly NOT a sinful act(that involves bad karma).Of course let the calves drink their share first. ;)
Comment: Seems that you are specifically asking some good thought provoking questions on Morality with regards to animals! Remember that Morality changes from person to person, though it should be uniform in a decent society. Here is 1 related question: [Killing animals, Karma and our birth](http://hinduism.stackexchange.com/q/8510/1049)
Comment: If we stop taking milk from cows. The Breast part of them become hard and for calves it is hard to grab milk and even sometime breast regularly stops milking. It will lead to the unhealthfulness of cattles
Comment: @PonmariSubramanian That must be true since it is evident that a cow's duty doesn't end with feeding her own calves .But where you got that info from?
Comment: @AnilKumar has the right answer, Milk left over by the calves can be consumed by humans.
Comment: If mammals stop sharing their milk, it will leads to change the milk state from liquid to solid and may lead to have lung cancer disease and all.It is just a general source.It is applicable to women also.In Tamil,they used to say as 'Muram thadiduchi' which means 'something stops the water(milk) path'
Answer: My answer is based  on the info found on this page.
From Mahabharata Anusasana Parva

Bhishma said: No sacrifice can be performed without the aid of curds
  and ghee (clarified butter). The very character of sacrifice which
  sacrifices have, depends upon ghee. Hence ghee (or, the cow from which
  it is produced) is regarded as the very root of sacrifice.

Hence, it is evident that one of the purposes for which cows exist is to produce milk from which ghee can be made.Hence it is evident enough that the act of obtaining milk from cows can't create bad karma.Instead it is good karma since you are aiding in agnihotra(fire sacrifice) which is essential for sustaining the Demi Gods  who in turn sustains life.
More from the link.

Cows have been said to be the limbs of sacrifice. They represent
  sacrifice itself. Without them, there can be no sacrifice. With their
  milk and the Havi produced therefrom, they uphold all creatures by
  diverse acts. Cows are guileless in their behaviour. From them flow
  sacrifices and Havya and Kavya, and milk and curds and ghee. hence
  cows are sacred.

Let's now see what saints have to say on consuming or using cow milk.From the same link :
Vyasa said:

Cows are sacred. They are embodiments of merit. They are high and most
  efficacious cleansers of all. .....For the next three days one should
  drink the hot milk of the cow. Having thus drunk for three days hot
  milk, one should next drink hot ghee for three days. Having in this
  way drunk hot ghee for three days, one should subsist for the next
  three days on air only.

So when a self realised Rishi like Vyasa is recommending drinking milk the act of obtaining milk from cows can't result in bad karma.
Vasishtha said:

By bathing in water mixed with cow-dung, people shall become
  sanctified.... Cows are the best Havi for the deities. The Mantras
  called Swaha and Vashat are forever established in cows. Sacrifices
  are established in the cows. Cows constitute the fruit of
  sacrifices.Cows are the future and the past, and Sacrifices rest on
  them. Morning and evening cows yield unto the Rishis, Havi for use in
  Homa......Cows are the mothers of the universe.*

So, again, it is quite evident from the above quote that being the mother of the entire universe a cow's duty is to feed everyone with her milk and not alone her own calves.Such is the greatness of cows.
I'm concluding my answer with another Bhisma's quote:

Cows are the mothers of the universe The human infant is fed breast
  milk by its human mother for under three years. After weaning, the cow
  acts as the surrogate mother providing milk for the rest of the human
  life-through childhood, adult age and old age. Cow is verily the
  mother of the world.

So, obtaining milk from cow is in no way a bad karma provided you are not forcing her or inflicting pain on her in any form.Also ,her calves should not be deprived.
Comment: You can add [this link](http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m13/m13b045.htm) to Anushasana Parva in your answer.
Comment: @sv. How and where shall i add that link?.Coz i have based my answer on the linked page.The quotes are found on that page.


How do you phrase Celtic and Irish music?

Question: Is there a hard and fast rule on how to slur notes for Celtic and Irish jigs and reels? I have listened to many people play this kind of folk music (Alasdair Fraser, Deborah Klemme, Eileen Ivers...), and I can't seem to get my music to have the same rhythm as theirs (i.e. it doesn't sound folk; it sounds like me trying to play folk).
Comment: Audio examples of your playing  might be useful.
Answer: There is not a hard and fast rule, but there are lots of loose guidelines.
Here are a few places to get started.
1) Emphasize the off beats. In dance music, the phrases will usually start on beat 1, but a strong off beat will pull the dancers along.
2) Slur across the beats. A beginner will often slur the notes in a jig as 123 456. An experienced player won't.   In 4/4 time, 1&2 &3& 4 & is called a serpentine bowing pattern, and shows up often.
3) Learn a couple of ornaments, and pay attention to where your favorite artists use them.
Keep on listening, and if you can, find people in your area to listen to and better, to play with. Find workshops and small concert venues. You can improve somewhat on your own, but you'll get further faster if you have other musicians to learn from.
I primarily play American old time music, so this is mostly tips I've learned from better Irish players than myself.
Comment: How would an experienced player slur a jig pattern.  Would it just be according to the players preference?
Answer: Learn to dance. When you get the dance rhythms into your feet, they will come out in your playing. If you watch musicians playing for dancing, their eyes are often permanently locked on to the dancers' feet - unless the dancers are so good that nothing can possibly go wrong!
The same principle applies to most folk dance music traditions.
Answer: Join a local Seisún. Failing that, go to a Celtic music camp such as Alisdair Fraser's Valley of the Moon. The only way to learn these subtleties is by playing with and learning from other musicians.
Answer: 1) Learn the dances, this is the best way to get a feel for any dance-based music. Not necessarily very practical though, and potentially infectious - I'm a Cotswold style morris dancer, so I tend to play all folk tunes with a hint of Cotswold morris, and I'm having to put some significant effort into modifying my style where appropriate because I don't want everything to sound like a morris tune.
2) Play along with players you like. There are a lot of things which don't really show up until you hear yourself alongside them. If you're doing this with recordings, make sure they're loud enough to be clearly heard alongside your own playing. If live, so much the better as you can watch them as well as hear them.
3) Make the tune your own. I'm not saying you should totally ignore Irish style for Irish tunes, and certainly if you don't play Irish style in an Irish session you're not going to feel very comfortable fitting in with everyone else, but folk is a living tradition and tunes take on things from each person who plays them. That's part of the point. It's possible one of the things you're hearing in the playing you want to emulate is comfort. Absolutely learn styles you like, but folk tunes move around and change a lot, so you don't have to play it precisely like a fiddler from e.g. County Clare would be expected to.
Answer: This site http://www.alan-ng.net/irish/learning/ is a tremendous resource that I found after I posted my question. It is a must read for any Celtic musician for it  provides resources for listening to tunes, finding tunes, and tips for learning tunes.


How to fix stripe webhook settings?

Question: I am on civi 5.16.3, drupal 7.X and stripe 5.4.1
and when setting up stripe webhook, keep receiving this message. how can I fix it please? Thanks
Answer: I would follow the instructions on screen:

Log in to your Stripe account, go to the Webhooks section
Delete the existing webhook (on live and testing sides)
Come back to CiviCRM and use the "Update/Create Webhook" button
Comment: See also: https://civicrm.stackexchange.com/a/31701/26
Answer: If you think the webhook URL is correct and the extension is still printing the error message on the status page and the same is also not getting fixed by Fix Stripe Webhook, make sure -

You have correct latest API version set for your webhook.
Only a bunch of events are enabled for triggering the webhook instead of "All Events". The events currently supported by the extension is -

invoice.payment_succeeded
invoice.payment_failed
charge.failed
charge.refunded
charge.succeeded
customer.subscription.updated
customer.subscription.deleted

How to fix stripe webhook settings?


Pitch correction detection?

Question: What type of signal analysis (if any) might be performed on a recorded music vocal track to determine if pitch correction might have been applied to a performance?
Answer: someone recently pointed me to a paper that purports to detect and count duplicated fragments.  i presume that if the density of duplicated fragments exceeds some threshold, one might suspect that up-shifting may have been done to that piece of audio.  i don't see how it could detect down-shifting (how does it detect a removed fragment?).
if, by "pitch correction", you mean pitch quantizing or autotuning™ on a monophonic sound, then i suppose you might run a good tracking pitch detector (maybe not such an easy problem) and maybe a histogram on the detected pitches.  we would expected pitch corrected vocals to have, in the histogram of pitch, a higher frequency of occurrence for pitches more closely located adjacent to pitch semitones (if autotune was set to correct to equal-temperament) or against some note identified as the tonic and then other notes that are "just intoned" (frequency ratios of small integers) with that tonic.
pitch detection/estimation is a signal processing issue, but determining what the tonic is, might be sorta a musicological question.  also something could be pitch "corrected" to a pitch standard that is not A-440.  perhaps all of the semitone locations are scooted down a quartertone from A-440.
if one is not going for the "Cher effect", pitch correction can be very subtle when it is done well.  one need not clamp the pitch hard against the semitone targets.  one can cause the amount of pitch correction to "slew" a little, which makes it slower to correct.  one can separate the vibrato out of the pitch detector output (with a LPF applied to the pitch contour signal), apply pitch correction to the remaining pitch contour, then add the extracted vibrato back.  that would be very hard to detect.  maybe the singer just sang it well.
not an easy problem.  and not a well-solved problem, at least with the current state-of-the-art.

Pitch correction detection?


How long will iced latte keep in the Fridge?

Question: If I make a batch of iced latte, that is to say I make a regular latte then pour it over ice, how long can I keep a batch fresh in the fridge? A day? A week? If the milk is the limiting factor, could I make a batch of espresso, chill that, and add milk as and when to get the same drink, or would it taste different if prepared this way?
Answer: When I worked in a coffee shop and we prepared a beverage similar to an iced latte, we always mixed the milk in with the chilled espresso. Keep in mind this was a beverage prepared ahead of time and not server to the client right away.
We NEVER added dairy to espresso and then chilled it for later.  It has been shown that 1 liter of milk can develop harmful bacteria after being in a room temperature space for as little as half an hour.
I would highly recommend that you do not prepare your iced lattes completely with milk and then chill them.
I recommend making the espresso, adding whatever sugar or flavor you want while it is still hot, chilling it in the fridge, and then adding milk to the espresso once it has been chilled or when you are looking to drink it. This will keep for a maximum of 48 hours.
As with all coffee, the fresher the better, but if you are indeed looking for a quick way to grab an iced latte, I would do so in the manner I described.
Answer: I mix instant expresso granules, with milk and sugar, and refrigerate. It usually only last a day, because i drink it all up, but i made a double batch last week, and had 2 litres in fridge that kept no problem for 4 days, tasted fine, needed shaking to remix it up after sitting, but it was great. I make enough friday to last the weekend. I mix 2 teaspoon expresso with a small amout of milk (about 100ml), to make a concentrate, add 2 teaspoons of sugar, microwave for 20 seconds (Enough to dissolve sugar), then mix in 1 mug of cold milk (about 400ml), and pour that into an empty milk container and repeat, the last one i make that fills the container to the top, i don't add the sugar, then shake the whole thing up and bung it in the fridge, and enjoy at your leisure. If its not strong enough, i add more expresso granules.
CK. (UK)


Is it unethical to edit the text of my undergraduate thesis prior to sharing online?

Question: My undergraduate thesis was completed almost a decade ago and is not available online, nor was any publication made from the findings. I would like to share it online, but looking back on it I notice many grammatical errors and conclusions that make less sense to me after gaining research experience. Is it unethical to make considerable changes to the text, or should I produce the document as it is to provide an honest representation of my early work?
Comment: Another alternative: Correct only form, not substance (grammar and style fixes) of the original text, noting so at the start. Then, add an appendix or something clearly marked as a later addition, commenting on inaccurate conclusions.
Comment: Why not simply putting both original and revised version online? (With clearly stating which is which.)
Comment: It's unethical to misrepresent it.  Change your views 180 degrees if you like but don't misrepresent.  The safest alternative is to provide both your revised and your original versions.  Do that and you can ethically do what you damn well please.
Comment: Related: http://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/51277/should-i-correct-a-successfully-completed-masters-dissertation-before-publishin/51483#51483
Comment: If you were posting it somewhere like Github (not sure what field you're in, but it's standard in CS for instance) you could easily post the original, edit the next and explain the edits in your commit message. It allows people to see the full history with a changelog at no extra work for you (apart from running these commands: `git init` `git add` `git commit` `git push` `git add` `git commit`)
Comment: I like your suggestion muru, but I think it would be important that the primary text be the more coherent (edited) version. So having it the other way round - the original as appendix to the revised text. This is similar to Peter Cordes answer.
Answer: IMHO it depends on why you want to make it available.
If your primary reason is that you want to make information available more publicly, you could produce a "revised edition" of the thesis and add a preface stating that this is a substantially revised and edited version of your thesis - just like other books do. If you just correct typos and grammar, just say that.
There is also the possibility to comment on the conclusions you don't see like that any more in a way (formatting, footnote) that makes clear that this is a point where your opinion now differs.  (like a commented edition of some work).
If your primary reason is to give the text your online CV refers to, then leave it unchanged.
Comment: Another potential reason to post it as-is would be to provide current undergrads with a reasonable example of a bachelor's thesis.
Comment: The OP could post both versions, so readers could even `diff` them if they wanted to.  You'd probably want to direct readers to the version you think is better / easier to read.  You should still write a short summary of why you updated it and what the changes were, but that section can link to the original.
Answer:
Is it unethical to make considerable changes to the text

No, it's not unethical, but if you make changes it would be useful to include a note or a preface disclosing that that is an amended version of your original thesis, and if your conclusions have changed considerably after further experience, you can explain why.
Answer: The important thing in such matters is to be honest.
Releasing a revised version clearly marked as such is perfectly ethical.
Releasing a revised version while leading people to belive it's the original thesis that you submitted to the university years ago would IMO be unethical.
Answer: If you don't assert that the item posted is your thesis, I see no problem.  If you want its connection with your thesis to be known, you could just state that it is based on your thesis or is a later revision of your thesis.
Comment: I might just say it's a later edition of a work whose first edition was your thesis.
Comment: If you don't want to mention the connection to your thesis, I think you could just say it's something that you wrote.
Comment: How would you refer to it other than by calling it your thesis? It doesn't sound possible in practice...
Comment: Oh sorry, I meant without making the connection to your thesis at all, which was the basis for your second sentence.
Answer: If the subject matter merits publication, but a good publication would require a lot of change, just write up something else and publish that instead; say it's mostly based on your undergraduate thesis. I wouldn't try to rewrite my thesis in retrospect (except for fixing typos etc.)
Comment: This would be the preferred action to take and IMO it does merit publication. However, I no longer have the data set - broken hard drive.
Answer: You could publish both versions, so readers can even diff them if they wanted to.
You'd probably want to direct readers to the version you think is better / easier to read (i.e. the revised one).  You should still write a short summary of why you updated it and what the changes were, but that section can link to the original.
It's probably fine to correct grammatical mistakes in the original, but any changes to how the ideas are presented should only go into the revised version.
Answer: If you want this to be an accurate representation of your undergraduate work, then you should leave the suspect conclusions intact.  There's something to be said for the logic of inexperience.
If I were doing this, I would edit the text for grammar (including spelling, typos, etc.) and possibly form (section headings, page layout, etc).  I would also add a preface discussing the changes, pointing out that they are for readability and do not affect the content of the work.  I would also comment on the content in the preface, discussing how I would amend the old conclusions based on new experience.
It might also be of interest to address why this is a worthwhile endeavor at all in the preface.  Was there some new finding that sheds light on this old work?  Is the old work a step in the direction of a recent technique?
Comment: This came to mind for several reasons: 1) After posting the title of the work online I received several requests for a copy of the text 2) The work is in line with my current focus so will add to examples of my experience in the field 3) I no longer have the data set, otherwise I would attempt to publish the findings instead.
Comment: I meant that statement as a recommendation to include the worthwhileness (?) discussion in the suggested preface.  I'll clarify.


Does Jax's Counter Strike protect teammates behind him from Twitch's ultimate?

Question: Does Jax's Counter Strike skill protect teammates behind him from Twitch's ultimate, or does the dodge only apply to himself?
Answer: No, Jax's Counter Strike dodge only applies on himself. Teammates behind him take full damage when they are hit by Twitch's ultimate.
You can see this in the following image (taken from Rift Myths on youtube)

(Keep in mind that Twitch's ultimate is changing and the answer to this question might change or become irrelevant.)
Answer: As the answer before says. Jax's counter strike only applies dodge to himself, and every time he dodges he gains more damage when it goes off.


Was Einstein's riddle (the zebra puzzle) created by Albert Einstein?

Question: I guess a lot of people have seen this riddle which is commonly attributed to Einstein.  What is the true source of it and did Einstein have anything to do with it and the claim that only 2% of the people are able to solve it?
Answer: The Ultimate Quotable Einstein was written by Alice Calaprice, Senior Editor and administrator of the Einstein Translation Project, who worked on all 12 volumes of his Collected Papers.1 Though the book has an entry for the Zebra Puzzle, the attribution reads:

Supposedly, but not actually devised by Einstein as a child.2

http://www.amazon.com/Alice-Calaprice/e/B001IODLOE
Einstein, Albert, and Alice Calaprice. The Ultimate Quotable Einstein. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 2011: p. 485.
Answer: Clue #13 is:

The German smokes Prince.

According to Wikipedia, Prince cigarettes were introduced in 1957, 2 years after Einstein died.
Therefore, Einstein could not have written the puzzle, as he would not have heard of Prince cigarettes.
Comment: @LarryOBrien If he wrote it when young, as alleged in Wikipedia, then he probably didn't write it in English either. Assuming therefore that someone translated it for a modern American readership, it's easy to imagine their changing the names of the brands.
Comment: The brand is mentioned in the OP's original link. Einstein didn't create that version. QED.
Comment: @LarryOBrien, It's very possible for quotes to be written posthumously. E.g. someone died then someone did a biography on him.


After purchasing fonts, what further "permissions" are necessary to use them in commercial design work?

Question: There seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding font "licensing" and "permissions". Isn't the license to design with it what we are purchasing when buying the font? For basic commercial design work, what further "permissions" are needed? Are we expected to draw up a contract, send additional fees? With whom/To whom? If so, why isn't the fee schedule for basic usage clearly set forth at the time of purchase? There seems to be an across-the-board lack of clarity about this by font providers. And there is this big looming spectre of possible future lawsuits hovering over design work, a bit unfairly, I believe. The rules and requirements need to be spelled out clearly so that designers who are trying to be honest don't have to jump through hoops to get basic information, and don't have to worry about unexpectedly getting socked with some horrible fines at a future date.
Comment: Closely related: http://graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/539/in-what-situations-am-i-required-to-license-fonts-from-its-original-creator?rq=1
Answer: The "further permissions" required are typically spelled out in the End User License Agreement.
Admittedly, this isn't always easy to read nor find, and, I agree, can be confusing.
Typically, things that might require additional licensing above and beyond the standard one you have already purchased may include:

use in a logo (rare, but some foundries, such as House Industries require that you pay for an additional license if you are a large corporation to use a font in a logo)
use as part of a product. Typically if you are using the font to create a consumer product for sale (such as a set of alphabet blocks), you will need an additional license
digital embedding. If you plan on using the font inside of a software product, web site, or PDF, you may need an additional license.
Comment: I'd add any kind of on-demand use by a third party, eg using the font for text on a t-shirt that buyers can edit when they order online. Although this is a special case of digital embedding.
Answer: In addition to DA01's answer, note that:

the licence normally covers use of the font only by the purchasing individual or organisation. So if your client or printing company need to edit your source files, they'll need to buy their own licence.
licences may be for a single device or user, but often they allow for up 3 or 5 devices (which might include printers or servers). There may be options to increase this at time of purchase.


What was the Romans or Roman Empires opinion on the Vikings?

Question: How were they depicted by the Romans in Ancient History?
Comment: Related: "Did the Romans ever encounter the Vikings?" http://history.stackexchange.com/questions/24222/did-the-romans-ever-encounter-the-vikings
Comment: Short answer: there were no Vikings at the time of the ancient Roman Empire. See the question that @Brasidas links for further info.
Comment: No Vikings during Classical Antiquity that we know of although the Vikings did practice slavery so you might start with that and see if there were any connections "in reverse."
Comment: The Eastern Roman empire used vikings as mercenaries after 900 CE
Comment: I think this is a good question , I'd like to post a question asking about Rome's influence if any on Scandinavia but I fear it will get closed,which can be quite disheartening lol
Answer: Useful mercenaries.
Now, the Roman empire from antiquity never encountered what is usually called vikings: sea-born raiders from Scandinavia (the earliest recorded raid that could plausibly be said to be done by vikings were the one lead by Hydelac, known from Beowulf, which is also attested by Gregory of Tours in his Historia Francorum, but that is one hundred years after what is usually considered the end of the western Roman empire), but the eastern successor, based in Constantinople, certainly did (at least if we stretch the meaning of "viking" a little bit).
The Varangian guard was an elite force composed of Scandinavians (and later Anglo-Saxons), serving as bodyguards for the emperor (foreigners have few previous contacts in their new environment, and are dependant on the goodwill of the ruler, which lessens the risk for betrayal). They also served as an reserve force in many battles.
Later Norwegian king Harald Hårdråda was perhaps the most famous Scandinavian to serve in the Varangian guard, where he is reported to have risen in rank, but also to have been imprisoned on charges of misappropriation of plunder.


Why did Cooper not get spaghettificated when entering the black hole?

Question: How did Cooper avoid spaghettification when entering the black hole at the end of Interstellar?
Answer: This is adressed in the film shortly, if only a little superficially. When Cooper is about to leave Mann's planet homeward bound, Romilly asks him to make a trip along the black hole. And while the idea of Cooper going into it rather than just TARS alone isn't yet prevalent, he does adress the difficulties of entering it:

Romilly: Gargantua's an older spinning black hole. It's what we call a gentle singularity.
Cooper: Gentle?
Romilly: They're hardly gentle. But the tidal gravity is so quick that something crossing the horizon fast might survive.

The point here is that not every black hole causes spaghettification when crossing its event horizon. And in fact Gargantua is a humongous black hole (with about 100 million solar masses), or more scientifically speaking, a supermassive one, for which crossing the horizon without experiencing spaghettification could be possible, according to Wikipedia:

The point at which tidal forces destroy an object or kill a person will depend on the black hole's size. For a supermassive black hole, such as those found at a galaxy's center, this point lies within the event horizon, so an astronaut may cross the event horizon without noticing any squashing and pulling, although it remains only a matter of time, as once inside an event horizon, falling towards the center is inevitable.

And this is part of what Romilly alludes to in the movie when calling it a "gentle singularity" (although, there's a little more to it adressed in other answers).

This relation is also alluded to a little by the film's executive producer and scientific advisor Kip Thorne in his book The Science of Interstellar, albeit in the context of Miller's planet rather than Cooper's entering of the horizon:

At so close a distance, Gargantua's tidal grivational forces [...] are especially strong. They stretch Miller's planet toward and away from Gargantua and squeeze the planet's sides [...] The strength of this stretch and squeeze is inversely propoportional to the square of Gargantua's mass. Why? The greater Gargantua's mass, the greater its circumference, and therefore the more similar Gargantua's gravitational forces are on the various parts of the planet, which results in weaker tidal forces. [...] Working through the details, I conclude that Gargantua's mass must be at least 100 million times bigger than the Sun's mass. If Gargantua were less massive than that, it would tear Miller's planet apart.

The same principle applies to the spaghettification Cooper experiences when entering the black hole, since that is based on the strength of the tidal forces, too, i.e. the conflict between simultaneous stretching in one direction and squeezing in the other.

Note though, that while Cooper and TARS can basically survive the black hole's event horizon without getting literally torn apart, the tidal forces get much stronger when approaching the black hole's center, along with a ton of other problems of entering a black hole. But by that point they were already saved by the Tesseract inside of Gargantua, as explained in the answers to this question (and various others linked from there, I suppose).
Comment: But Cooper's spacecraft was torn apart. Right? Before entering the tesseract.
Comment: @SHASHANKMittal Yes, but after entering the black hole. We don't exactly know why it broke. But it's clear he couldn't take it with him into the tesseract.


Why do most websites use a white background?

Question: Apart from the ui being neat and simple, Is there any other reason why every major website uses a white background with very few colors?
Comment: Can you be more specific your question is very broad
Comment: I don't think websites intentionally use a white background, do they? Isn't it just the default background colour in most browsers?
Answer: <code>This answer is more general, instead of just white I'll focus on light backgrounds.
</code>
There are two main factors that influence the fact that most websites use a light background, the first is the power of defaults and the second is readability.
Defaults and standards

HTML and CSS Styling in browsers defaults to white, most of the users, in this case the developers tend to stick with the default options. Just google "The power of defaults" to see what I mean.
There is also an evolutionary component about where the interface comes from and which objects in the real world it is trying to imitate. It could be really straightforward to think that given that the main use is to display information designers tried to emulate books which are light text over dark backgrounds. (I don't have evidence about this).

Readability
The second reason is that dark text on light backgrounds is better for readability, and this is a very controversial topic.
Text readability depends on a bunch of factors: mainly contrast, but also font size, color and lighting conditions.
Contrast and color choices
Assuming that the contrast is right and equivalent (W3C Accessibility Guidelines on contrast) for both light-on-dark and dark-on-light, it seems that for readability purposes the best thing is dark text over light backgrounds:

You should avoid using white text on a dark background when displaying
  paragraph text to make it easier from them to read. Forcing users to
  fixate on the white text for a long time can strain the user's eyes.
  This is because white stimulates all three types of color sensitive
  visual receptors in the human eye in nearly equal amounts.
White also reflects all wavelengths of light. Because the words and
  letters in paragraph text are compact and close together, when white
  text reflects light, the reflected light scatters and runs into
  neighboring words and letters.

Here is also another source that collected some studies on the topic:

However, most studies have shown that dark characters on a light
  background are superior to light characters on a dark background (when
  the refresh rate is fairly high). For example, Bauer and Cavonius
  (1980) found that participants were 26% more accurate in reading text
  when they read it with dark characters on a light background.
  Moreover, a survey by Scharff, et al. (1996) revealed that the color
  combination perceived as being most readable is the traditional black
  text on white background.

Source: http://uwf.edu/ddawson/d3net/documents/web_usability/optimal%20web%20design.pdf
And here is another study on the topic: Letter identification performance is better for negative contrast than positive contrast.
Lighting conditions
However, some people prefer the opposite (although I didn't find any evidence), ie. light text over dark background when they're reading in dark rooms, in fact, most ebook readers have the two options:
Comment: This software engineer prefers light text on dark background as a way to relieve eyestrain over long hours of programming. I sometimes refer to my job as 'staring at a lightbulb'. And that's why I disagree with the two contrasting text boxes you posted above. They refer to what happens in *print*. But on the computer screen, white is the emittance of energy, not the reflectance of it.
Comment: I agree with you but the debate is long, there is a long thread here http://www.stackprinter.com/export?service=stackoverflow&question=498698&printer=false&linktohome=true and although most programmers seem to agree with you I couldn't find evidence. I don't know if is a problem of research bias or something similar.. .
Comment: I am a programmer too, and I vote for the same as psoft. As for evidence: there is scientific evidence for that, concerning the amount of photons that hits the eye and their different characteristics while being reflected off a print or emitted by a lightsource inside a computer screen. If you just google for that, there'll be more concrete explanations. Also, there are standards on how a workplace should be lightened, its luminance and contrast with general background. These differ for paper and screen. Again, no prooflinks, but it easy to find in the corresponding documents.
Comment: Never mind the fact that white background burn the retanas out of your eyeballs.
Answer: To let the content stand out, you want a neutral background to build on. If you use to much colors and color patterns, the background seems more important than the content and structure.

In most cases white is seen as a neutral background color and other colors, even when used in smaller proportion, are the colors that convey the most meaning in a design. Use white to signify cleanliness or purity or softness.

Reference: About.com > White

White is color at its most complete and pure, the color of perfection. The color meaning of white is purity, innocence, wholeness and completion.
In color psychology white is the color of new beginnings, wiping the slate clean, so to speak. It is the blank canvas waiting to be written upon. While white isn't stimulating to the senses, it opens the way for the creation of anything the mind can conceive.

Reference: The Color White
Comment: I would just add that there are many cheap LCD monitors that have problems to display tiny white elements (like consisting of lines that are 1px wide) on dark (especially: black) backgrounds. This makes black text on white background more legible that white on black. Maybe it is not the main reason to do use white background, but it is something to keep in mind as well.
Comment: @DominikOslizlo I agree to that. The fun part is that web sites who want to act as neutral (facebook, google, amazon,...) use white as opposed to gaming sites which often use black (steam, addictinggames, ign)
Comment: Here is an example: http://imgur.com/KDfVwCj - taken from nikoniarze.pl, a Polish Nikon users community. Of course the contrast is low as well, and the photo looks like it was low on contrast, however this pretty much shows the look and feel using one of monitors I have just checked. For game sites it is a little bit different - they usually play with big visuals and don't put a lot of content for reading (not always). Plus, players often are "creatures of the night", so it's not that bad for them.
Comment: "Just Bing the 'power of defaults'" FTFY
Answer: Simply put I think its just harder and costs more to design a site in dark colours than white colours.
Firstly as pointed out in other answers contrast is king when it comes to readability and black on white is easier to read rather than white on black, but not that much easier. I read books on my Android phone with white text on a black background and have no issues reading it.

Websites started off with white backgrounds and its the default colour in browsers as pointed out in the comments.
Its also more expected by website visitors, used to reading books
So more designs and designers are focussed around white backgrounds.
Thus it becomes the norm and there's more templates to use and ideas to share about what looks good on a white background.
Then any major company who has to put in a long term strategy about their site has to decide on either a light or a dark background and then go down that path, becuase switching from a white to a dark background for any large site will be a major (costly) change, e.g. even if a site like Amazon has a site template that can be switched all the millions of product images are optimised for a light background and the same would be vise-versa for a company that decided on a dark background.
So any large company boss will have to factor in the extra cost of using a dark background given that it will take longer (and cost more) for any designer to make changes and improvements to the site as there will have to be more custom design and more thought gone into any images to make sure they look good

So some niche sites that want to stand out will use a dark background but all major sites are compelled to use a white background.


Deriving credit spreads or migration matrices from prob of default

Question: How do I derive credit migration/transition matrices or spreads from default probability? May you please provide references, or do you know what type of articles or authors to find?
Answer: You cannot do it.
It is an under-determined problem.  That is to say, a whole multitude (subspace of $\mathbb{R}^{N\times N}$) of migration matrices will agree with any given table of default probabilities.
Say you want to find a transition matrix for 2 states (IG, HY) plus default
$$\left(\begin{matrix}
 p_{11} & p_{12} & p_{1D}  \\
 p_{21} & p_{22} & p_{2D} \\
 0  & 0 & 1
\end{matrix}\right)$$
and your default probabilities are $(p_{1D},\ p_{2D})$.  You have 6 quantities to find in your transition matrix and only two quantities to populate them from (and, by the way, those two quantities are actually entries in the matrix).  Topologically, there is no solution.
Now, if you have a term structure of default probabilities, then you can work with a least-squares fit or something to ensure that powers of the transition matrix agree with particular tenors on that term structure.
Comment: Thanks @Brian. Any chance you can provide some kind of reference? Or do you know where to look? I mean I understand you, but if I'm going to tell other people, I would prefer to have some kind of material backing me up.
Comment: I can give a simple example....
Comment: Thanks Brian! Sorry for the confusion w/ the question. It was supposed to be credit spreads or not of credit migration/transition matrices. Edited. Anyway, what about credit spreads for PDs?
Answer: Actually, there is a practical way to do it.
You can use you PoD estimates to assign a credit rating to your securities and then use a published transition matrix for your purposes.
Or you can estimate transition probabilities by linear interpolation based on the PoD values that you have.
Here is a publication containing transition matrices from Moody's and S&P (go to page 3).
Comment: Good ideas.  One could quibble about whether they amount to "deriving" a transition matrix, but they do end up with an answer.
Comment: Thanks jaamor! Sorry for the confusion w/ the question. It was supposed to be credit spreads or not of credit migration/transition matrices. Edited. Anyway, that article is for matrices right? What about credit spreads?


Are "Tally-ho" and "no joy" acceptable ATC terms for civil operations?

Question: I keep meaning to ask this question. I heard "Tally-ho" used for the first time by a pilot on Liveatc.net. I know these are pretty standard phrases in military aviation but I wondered if civil pilots use them. Are they acceptable under either FAA or ICAO standards? If not, what's the likelihood a controller will know what you mean?
Comment: You are allowed to yell out Tally Ho! whenever you see a fox. Do not attempt to chase the fox with the airplane.
Comment: Technically no, and using one with a controller who may be unfamiliar may get you chewed out over the radio. Also I think if you use "tally-ho" you are required to buy everybody on the frequency a bottle of whiskey.
Comment: I'd say bourbon, Scotch is technically whisky (yes there is a difference between whiskey and whisky) :)
Comment: @RonBeyer Scotch or bourbon?
Comment: @RonBeyer The pilot I heard is going to need a case of it. It was a FedEx pilot right in the thick of the PM inbound rush. There may have been 30 aircraft on approach at the time. The controller sounded like an auctioneer giving out vectors.
Comment: I've never heard "tally-ho" but I do hear "no joy" from time to time and it annoys me each time.
Comment: @TylerDurden ...has that happened??
Answer: As a private pilot, I have heard "Tally-ho" and other pseudo (British?) military phrases used when talking to ATC.  I understand "Tally-ho" to be equivalent to "target(s) in sight" or "inbound" or even in some cases "affirmative", and that's the problem.  It is important to be clear and precise when communicating on the radio, however, the folks working at ATC seem to understand these phrases.
FAA:
I've read the AIM - Aeronautical Information Manual and Pilot's handbook of aeronautical knowlage (Both available for free download from the FAA's website) and I don't remember seeing these phrases anywhere.
Other texts caution against using these colorful phrases instead of standard phraseology because problems stemming from varied interpretations.  It is important to be clear and precise when communicating on the radio.
I think the correct terminology is: "Traffic In Sight" and "Negative contact"
Comment: Tally-ho should specifically mean "target in sight." It comes from fox hunting. It's what you yell when you spot the fox to send the dogs after it.
Comment: See, I learned something this morning, @TomMcW (and I appreciate that). Prior to reading your comment, I'd have thought it meant "Hello" or "Let's go", or something similar. Hence the reason for using the very clear "Traffic in sight".
Comment: @FreeMan Learned that from all the fox hunts I've been on. (...as if!)
Comment: Another correctly phrased reply: "[aircraft id] looking for traffic."
Answer: No, they aren't considered acceptable although you do hear them from time to time. Neither term is in the P/CG and the AIM 4-2-1 says:

Good phraseology enhances safety and is the mark of a professional
  pilot. Jargon, chatter, and "CB" slang have no place in ATC
  communications. The Pilot/Controller Glossary is the same glossary
  used in FAA Order JO 7110.65, Air Traffic Control. We recommend that
  it be studied and reviewed from time to time to sharpen your
  communication skills.

In other words, if it isn't in the P/CG then don't use it. Of course in reality some pilots do use military terms for whatever reason (force of habit?) but it's definitely discouraged. Apart from anything else, many pilots have no military background (or are foreigners) and have no idea what these or other slang/military phrases might mean.
Comment: "foreigners" is a relatively loose term there. He tagged it [tag:faa-regulations], but "Tally-ho" is very much a British expression, so it wouldn't make sense to those of us who are foreign to Britain/UK.
Comment: @FreeMan Yes, that was exactly my point although I've rephrased it a bit to be clearer
Answer: NO.
Not an acceptable term.
As stated earlier by others - the term has no official recognition and would only serve to confuse. Only a tiny (and rapidly diminishing) number across the globe appreciate its original 1930's context.
Some commonsense and logical analysis:
"Land Ho" means "land in sight!"
"Tally" is another word for a score - or for a count of sorts.
It follows that somebody announcing "Tally Ho" is excitedly anticipating racking up a score. This could be foxes or Messerschmitts. Of course, this only makes sense in the context of a heart-felt outburst in the heat of the moment in old England - or a place influenced by old English culture.
Use of "Tally Ho" in civil aviation makes no sense at all. How would you intend to "rack up" the score?
Tally Ho is believed to be based on a French expression from way back:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tally-ho
It is the nature of humanity to bend language out of shape... What do you call an AERObatic machine designed by AEROnautical engineers?
Not an AEROplane?
Comment: Welcome to aviation.SE!
Answer: "No Joy" or "Tally-Ho" are not acceptable when talking on aviation bands.
Worse yet, they are not even true military terms. While "Tally" does mean you have the enemy in sight, notice there is no "Ho" attached to it.
Since you are up there and NOT shooting at people you should use the term "Visual" when you can see the aircraft being referenced. Visual is not only a military term, meaning you see a friendly but it is also used in civilian aviation and means EXACTLY the same thing.
But! It's just easier to say, "Tower, traffic in sight."
Roger, Wilco (will comply) are great words that mean things. I use them all the time.
Telling ATC your fuel is "Bingo" will get you killed, declare an emergency instead.
Fly safe! Blue skies!
Comment: Welcome to Av.SE
Answer: "Tally Ho!" was adopted by US military pilots during WWII, from British fighter pilots. Who in turn had adopted it from fox hunting. The US pilots must have just liked the sound of it, although it was an official part of the lexicon of British pilots.
They used lots of other lovely quaint terms. "Angels" for flight level, "Bogeys" for enemy aircraft. And the Navy had a particular anti-submarine manoeuvre they called "Raspberry"! Nothing like some jolly fun during a war old boy.
You still hear "Tally Ho" used by military pilots on both sides of the Atlantic, with the same meaning it had in WWII.
Comment: interesting information, but not really an answer
Answer: They aren't "quaint" terms, but are pulled from military terminology that IS approved for use in the air:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multiservice_tactical_brevity_code
Example: No Joy, Bogey, Angels
Comment: No. Brevity codes are for use with other military aircraft. They're not approved (in whatever sense terminology for civilian use is approved) for use by civil aircraft in communication with ATC.  They're official terms in one context, but they aren't approved, nor appropriate, in a civil context.


Was Ares a Hero or Villain?

Question: I know Ares is the god of war and all, but in most stories I've read, he mostly acts more like a villain instead of a god. Why would anyone worship such a god? In stark contrast, Mars was widely worshipped.
Comment: Does this answer your question? [What differences were there in Greek soldiers worship of Ares and Roman soldiers worship of Mars?](https://mythology.stackexchange.com/questions/53/what-differences-were-there-in-greek-soldiers-worship-of-ares-and-roman-soldiers)
Comment: Hello and welcome to mythology and folklore! Athena was the Olympian of choice among the military. Ares stands for the unbridled rage in the mids of battle. While Athena stands for the tactical aspect of warfare and thinking about your strategy instead of mindlessly running into battle. I'll write a more detailed answer once I'm home.
Answer: You can't categorize the Olympians with DC/Marvel labels. The Ancient Greeks didn't even think of their gods as we currently think of that concept. Greek gods were regarded much more like the deep, layered human characters of Bronte or Wolf. That's why virtually all Olympian myths are tragedies.
Answer: Why would someone worship such a god?  So he didn't smite you for your insolence.  Who are you, a mere mortal, to presume to withhold due rites from a god?  Especially one whom you know is willing to do terrible things to you?
I will add that the Homeric Hymn to Ares shows a much more favorable view.  Also, you have such myths as that the Areopagus, which was said to be named from the way that the first trial there was Ares's for murder -- Poseidon prosecuted him for killing one of his sons -- and Ares was acquitted on the defense that the son had been trying rape his daughter at the time.
Answer: Ares, Greek god of war, being the epitome of the horrors of war, was accompanied by his children Deimos (dread), Phobos (fear) and Eris, not his daughter but the goddess of discord with several parentages disputed.  He wore a cape of the skin of men he had killed.  He was fickle promising to fight on one side one day and changing his mind the next.  He was also mindlessly boastful, cowardly,and a loud whiner when injured by Athena.  His appearance represents all the horrors of war and his shadow across the land is a portent of terror, pillage and death.  No hero here.

Was Ares a Hero or Villain?


Green water in aquarium

Question: So my 45 gallon tank water has a greenish tinge to it.  I assume its algae, as I put it below a window.  Even with the blinds closed, Im sure it gets some sunlight causing the algae to grow.  I got a green killing machine to try to fix the issue, however its been 9 days and I see no visible change.  It says it works for tanks up to 50g, so it should work.  Do I just need to let it run longer?  Or perhaps I need to get a larger capacity model like this?
Comment: Can you post how old the tank is, stocking level, and what your maintenance/water change procedures and schedule?
Comment: @Jestep the tank is new, about a month and a half old.  Ive only done a few water changes.  Twice, doing about half, which doesnt help much at all.
Comment: I once [solved a green algue problem by putting daphnia in a small container inside the aquarium](https://pets.stackexchange.com/questions/12152/how-to-remove-green-bacteria-algae-from-aquarium) they'll not populate that fast, but reliably solve the problem and afterwards make a great food source.
Comment: My experience with algaecides is that they kill plants better than they kill algae , Specifically hornwort .
Answer: As a general diagnosis of the situation, it sounds like what you have is an algae bloom. Algae grows when there is sufficient nutrients and light in the tank which is not being used by anything else.
UV Steriliser
You've already got a UV steriliser which can help to combat the problem but is not the only way. The key to a UV steriliser is the amount of time the water is exposed to the UV lamp. If the water is flowing too fast through it, the lamp will have very little effect. Before upgrading, and spending possibly needless money, there are some other things that you can check first.
Test Kit
Get yourself a water quality test kit if you haven't already and check that all the levels are adequate. Ensure that there is no ammonia, no nitrite and somewhere in the region of less than 30ppm nitrate (depending on your fish of course). An imbalance in your nutrient levels could trigger an algae bloom.
Light Levels
If you've got extreme light you open yourself up to the possibility of an algae bloom. The light alone is probably not the cause and you'll likely discover it during the 'test kit' stage. Generally, you should avoid putting a fish tank near a window because it means you cannot control the light that enters your tank which can be a problem. If this isn't an option, read on for more ways to reduce the chance of it becoming a problem.
Carbon Dioxide Levels
Just like any photosynthetic organism, they need carbon dioxide to photosynthesis. If you've got a high level of carbon dioxide in your tank, you've got a great environment for maximum algae growth.

Okay, okay. I get the point but how do I prevent algae blooms?
Glad you asked. The best way is to make sure that you provide a bad environment for algae growth.
Decrease light level
If possible, move your tank away from the window or decrease the amount of time that your fish tank light is on for during the day.
Decrease carbon dioxide concentration
Add some kind of air stone and air pump to increase the oxygen levels in the water and help gas off the carbon dioxide stored in the water. You can also improve your aeration by ensuring there is a good level of surface movement in your tank.
Regular Water Changes
Make sure you're doing your regular water changes. Water changes help to decrease nitrates. Nitrates are a great plant food and is what helps a planted fish tank thrive. Make sure you remove an uneaten food and you're not over-feeding your fish because these all contribute to the nitrate levels increasing.
Get some real plants!
If the nutrients in your water get used up by something else, the algae will have a tough time getting a hold of your tank. There's some really easy to grow plants:

Vallisneria spiralis
Anubias
Java Fern

These will help to suck the nitrates out of the water and use the carbon dioxide in the tank. If you don't fancy having plants in your tank, you can always let the roots of a plant trail into your tank which will work the same. Here's a great instruction video about growing Pothos (devil's ivy) in the top of your tank.

Additional Reading:

Causes and Cures for Green Aquarium Water - Shirlie Sharpe (The Spruce)
Algae - Wikipedia
How to Get Rid of Algae Blooms in Aquariums - Eric Mohrman (The Nest)

PS. To fix your current situation, you'll probably need to increase your water change percentage for a little while until you can remove the algae that already exists in your tank.
Comment: @Keltari I've actually collated this over my years in the hobby and from my own personal experiences with dealing with algae. I cited sources to confirm what I'm saying is correct. Your question says 'I assume it's algae' so I wanted confirm you are correct in that assumption. My answer also explains about UV sterilisation which is what you asked about and explains how **exposure time** is key and that getting a stronger lamp may not help. If that's not question, could you please clarify what your question is?
Comment: I already know its algae.  your lengthy answer doesnt answer my quiestion.  Its just a rehash of easily found googleable online info.
Answer: I spent a lot of money on getting one of these for a 29 gallon volume, for a friend whose tank I tend to when I can. He is a fire-fighter on a military base, working 24 hour shifts, sometimes 11 days in a row.
When I first started helping him out he had this same problem. Thinking I wouldn't spend much time and effort at his place I bought him a UV sterilizer rated for up to 30 gallons. I didn't have much luck with it treating the algae bloom, but it worked great after getting rid of the bloom in prevention/preventative care.
He overfeeds his pleco sinking algae disks with the idea that if he feeds a bunch and then doesn't feed him for days while he's working that it's his best option. Although I don't agree with this concept, he still does it. But, after I turned his lights off, and covered his tank with a blanket for 3 days, the algae disappeared and now the UV sterilization has prevented an additional bloom.
He also has no option to move his tank (room size and space and outlets). I would say your size is adequate, you won't want to go much larger aka more powerful, but may want to try a combination of the answer above, and reduce feedings of foods with algae in it and keep the UV sterilization as a prevention method for future blooms.
Hope this answers your question. The previous answer is very informative for any reader with algae issues in their tank.
Comment: Also I read the description of this specific brand. It says it has a LED light that signals when you need to replace the UV... It shouldn't indicate being out, since it's new, but have you checked the indicating light? Also, I'm just curious, how's the power head working?
Answer: I've been in this case before around 3 years ago. The only thing I did before was moving it to a different location where my tank won't exposed by any light that came from the sun. I didn't have to use any items since it's kinda a waste of money if there any solutions that you can just do without spending a money.
You can check my answer on the link https://pets.stackexchange.com/a/18591/10116
Just try to move it to another location and observe.

Green water in aquarium


Is there an endgame to the QUBE campaign?

Question: I tried the QUBE demo, which just left off in a room with nine light-up buttons after a short little segment. Is that the entire campaign: lighting up those nine buttons? Or is there a storyline and more puzzle-platforming to be had once you beat the intro areas, as there is in portal?
Comment: I think 'how long is it' would be a better question.
Answer: The square you describe is a panel of indicator lights that light up as you progress through the game as you suspected. The game has seven sectors, as indicated by the Steam achievements for the game, and each sector corresponds to one of those lights. The game does in fact end after completing all of the sectors, so lighting up the panel is in a sense the goal of the game, though it is more of a progress meter.
The game does have puzzle platforming and other puzzle elements throughout, but it barely has a story.
Answer: There is not really a story, but without ruining anything, the whole game is not just "lighting up those nine buttons."  The game feels like Portal, in a lot of respects... but without the narrator who insults you.
Also important:  throughout the game, until the very end, they constantly add new elements; so you never feel like you are just repeating permutations of the same old puzzles.
Unfortunately, the game is extremely short:  I'm an avid puzzler, and I beat it in about two hours.  Even those less puzzle-oriented should be able to beat it in 3~4 hours.


How to make a small slam in bridge with less than 30 points between the partnership?

Question: The following hand came up recently in the Common Game. I would like my gentle reader let me know how you would have bid in order to reach the optimal contract (6 clubs). I know that a small slam really is possible because a few partnerships, admittedly rare, actually bid and made 6 clubs. I suspect those partnerships used the Precision Club system, or some variation thereof; but any insights that you can provide would be much appreciated.
Comment: At matchpoints in the typical club, given just the N/S hands, I would much rather be in 3N; I would figure to get most of the matchpoints at little risk, whereas 6C, even if it's more than 50%, can go down in a variety of ways.  It is not good matchpoint play to risk a 75% score for a 60% chance of a 100% score (and 40% chance of a 0).  At a good club, calculations change because I can't expect a 75% for 3N.
Comment: Thank you for your response, Alexander; but I think you miss the point of my question.The safety players in our club bid and made 3NT.  For that they got 400 masterpoints, which is far less than the few partnerships that bid and made 6 clubs, who were rewarded with 920 masterpoints.
Comment: But you should make at least 10 tricks for 430 in 3N, and a good player will probably make 11 for 460.  Making 11 tricks puts you ahead of the players making 9 or 10, and gets you around 75% on the board.
Comment: Stefanovitch, is your club using total scoring? Highly unusual I must say. @Alexander assumed that matchpoint scoring is used. So he wants to be sure that he scores better than the average player holding these cards. Saying that he expects a 75% score declaring this hand radiates a degree of confidence in his own (and/or his partners) declarer play! But the logic is that in a matchpoint tournament 3NT is often a good enough contract with these cards. Partner and I might probe for a slam (when the MP logic would more or less force us to also bid it).
Answer: I propose the following sequence playing a standard approach, with EW passing throughout:
1C 1D
1S     4 Spades, denying a hand suitable to rebid 1NT
   2H  4th Suit Forcing to game, suggesting dislike for NT
3C     5-card Club suit, dislikes NT also, often denies Heart control
   4C  agreeing clubs, still forcing, extras
4D     1st or 2nd round control in Diamonds
   4H  1st or 2nd round control in Hearts
6C     We have the controls, and 5C is almost always a bad result

Another possibility using Single Raise Forcing (10+ Pts)  is:
1C  2C  forcing raise, 4+ support and 13+ support points
2S      4 Spades, two suited with longer Clubs than Spades
    3H  Denies Diamond A or K, shows Heart A or K, Game Force
3S      Spade A or K and Diamond A or K or singleton denied by partner
    4H  Holding both A and K, or singleton A, of Hearts; and
        likes the Diamond and Spade controls from Opener
6C      Looks like a super fit

It is also faulty analysis to claim that NS have less than 30 points combined. The South hand is worth 16 to 17 points in a Club contract (15 HCP and either 1 point for the fifth Club or two points for the two doubletons) and the North hand is worth 16 Dummy points in a Club contract (14 HCP - 1 for the unsupported QS + 3 for the singleton Spade). This is a combined partnership strength of 32-33 points, and as the auctions above indicate that it is quite reasonable, using standard methods, to find the Club slam.
If finding reasonable slams were easy, they wouldn't be worth so much. Bridge is designed to reward those who can accurately reassess hand strength during the auction, in light of bidding by partner and the opponents.
Comment: Many thanks for your comments and proposals, which I found most helpful, especially the second bidding sequence. Am I right in thinking that Single Raise Forcing is also known as Inverted Minors ?
Comment: @Stefanovitch: One can (at least theoretically) play Single Raise Forcing without the second aspect of Inverted Minors, namely the Jump Raise Preemptive. As the sequence above did not require any inference in regards the Jump Raise I used only the most specific agreement.
Comment: @Stefanovitch: Note that not all partnerships use the cue-bid style I have exemplified here -  but as you can see it is very informative.
Answer: It's possible that those partnerships used Splinter Bids, which are artificial bids that promise High Card Points a bit short of a guaranteed slam but also show shortness in the bid suit to compensate.  With a bit of distribution luck it's possible to get extra tricks via ruffs.
As discussed in the article above, specifics like splinter bids after minor openings and other slam bidding conventions come into play.  But I suspect that a splinter bid first alerted South of a favorable card distribution, with an Ace opposite a singleton spade.
Comment: An Ace is always ***more valuable*** opposite a long suit than opposite a singleton - as in the former case it assists in setting up additional length and honour tricks, while the latter case it is a duplicate control. Thus your answer is incorrect analysis - the determination of that duplication should ***slow*** the auction, not accelerate it.


how long can the battery in my new mobile stay idle till first use

Question: I bought a Samsung Galaxy 6 months ago. Have not used it yet nor have charged the battery atleast once. I am worried about the battery. Can i keep it idle two more months.
Answer: You might want to check How frequently is it okay to let the battery discharge fully or as low as possible? and A: Although I was told to charge my Android device before first use, it was already charged. Ha… for this, which include corresponding hints. Some basic stuff here, though:
Wikipedia holds a detailed article on Lithium-ion batteries. For your question, the answer is mentioned there as follows:

Li+ batteries have a self-discharge rate of approximately 5–10% per month, compared to over 30% per month in common nickel metal hydride batteries, approximately 1.25% per month for Low Self-Discharge NiMH batteries and 10% per month in nickel-cadmium batteries. They last longer if not deeply discharged (depleted) before recharging. The smaller the depth of discharge, the longer the battery will last.
Batteries may last longer if not stored fully discharged. As the battery self-discharges over time, its voltage gradually reduces. When depleted below the low-voltage threshold of the protection circuit (2.4 to 2.9 V/cell, depending on chemistry) it will be disabled and cannot be further discharged further until recharged. It is recommended to store batteries at 40% charge level.

(emphasis mine)
From that you can deduce: If the manufacturer behaved responsibly (which we may assume), the battery was charged at about 40% when leaving the factory. Assuming it took at least a month to get to you (it was at store as well, so it should have taken that long or longer), and consider the fact you bought it 6 month ago, the battery wasn't charged for at least 7 months. Self-discharge rate, according to the article, is 5-10% per month -- so your battery is pretty empty now, and most likely already about to enter the "dangerous level" of deep-discharge.
Conclusion: You should at least check it twice a year (once every 6 month) and make sure to charge it up to ~40..50% when not using it.


How soon until I can take my newborn to take a walk outside?

Question: I understand that newborn's immune system is still weak and crowds/strangers are to be avoided. Knowing this, how soon can I take my newborn outside, for example to take ~1 hours walk in a non-crowded park? Any particular things to pay attention to when doing this?
Comment: For most of human existence we've spent our entire lives outside-from birth until death-including newborns. I think sometimes we underestimate our hardiness.
Comment: Well, my daughter is 5weeks old and we go for walks everyday. We live in Nevada so it gets hot!!! But, we put a light blanket over top the stroller for added shade and go walk for about 10-20minutes
Comment: What to do about mosquitoes and tiny bugs and mites and pollen if your baby is born in summer and not yet 6 week old, those mosquitoes bites us adults when we don't know it, I wouldn't let my newborn be some mosquito' dinner.
Answer: This pamphlet, put out by the South Carolina Department of Health, suggests it is safe at one month. You should avoid large crowds, but the fresh air and stimulation is good for baby. You should probably not allow people to touch your baby's hands (since baby may put them in his mouth). Your greater concern in going outside is the weather - keeping baby warm/cool enough and avoiding too much direct exposure to sun.
Personally, in a non-crowded situation, I would not hesitate to take the baby for a walk as soon as I felt up to it - usually within days of birth.
Comment: Totally my experience too.  I was out walking with mine within days of the caesarian because the doctor recommended the walks as a helpful way to heal.  Simply add a light blanket over the stroller so she is in a "cacoon" of sorts and fewer people will be tempted to touch.  They will thing the baby is sleeping.
Comment: I agree that one month is probably a conservative figure. I took all my kids outside for walks within the first two weeks of birth-as soon as I felt up to it. I "wore" my babies in a sling until they were big enough for a stroller. In fact, my second child, born in mid-May, was outside within the first week--I used to do "laps" around the backyard in the beautiful, mild New England spring weather while simply carrying him with a light blanket over his face (I was too hot after/during that pregnancy to use the sling--hormones!)
Answer: The guideline I've been given by our pediatricians was to avoid anybody with an easily transmittable disease for the first six weeks. The main reason to stay away from crowds and/or strangers is that you don't really know who in the area is ill or contagious. You don't want somebody to sneeze in your kid's face at any age, really, but a newborn is more vulnerable than a toddler.
To more directly answer your real question: We took our daughter for short walks through our favorite nearby woods from when she was only a week old. I don't think she necessarily got a whole lot from the experience at that age, but it was great for me to get some fresh air and exercise. As long as the baby is comfortable and adequately protected from temperature/sunshine, you can take her wherever you want to go.
Answer: I have never heard that strangers are to be avoided with newborns, and I certainly wouldn't recommend staying inside to avoid them. You need to get out for your own sanity, so get out and go for walks as soon as you can. Exposure to new environments and people is good for babies development, keeping them cooped up indoors and away from social contact is not the recipe for a happy child. As for any immune system concerns the only way for them to get stronger is to build up resistance, they may as well do it while having fun. If you know someone is sick keep them away by all means, that's just good sense, but going overboard is not helpful.
Answer: Somebody asked the same question in a new parents support group we were in after the birth of our son.  The answer given was, "You already took your baby outside when you went home from the hospital. Find something else to worry about."
Being handled by random people is a different story, but merely being outside the home (assuming adequate clothing and sun protection) doesn't appear to have any good basis for avoiding it.
Answer: We took our newborn daughter out to a crowded shopping center, on a busy Saturday, at 3 days old. And being our first child, we were being overly careful with her as only a new parent is!
Shock/Horror nothing happened. She grew up fine. You should be careful with newborns, they're immune system may not quite be at full power yet, but equally they don't need to be cocooned either.
Comment: Same here. We took the kids out at a few days old and it worked all fine. A full term newborn is not that fragile and oxygen, sunlight, and reasonable exposure to the real world are good things.
Answer: Here in Asia, people are pretty conservative. They don't take babies out until they are 3 months old. We followed that and my child seemed to better than others (perhaps just lucky).
I think the issue with the under-developed immune system is good and it is very hard to tell who has an asymptomatic infection disease. So, for my child, I prefer to fall on the conservative side. That said, we did have friends and family over during those first three months.
Answer: For me it really depends on the weather in your region of the world. We went for longer walks progressively, and when the weather was better (no rain, snow, ice or excessive heat).
We live in the North of France where it is freezing during winter so we didn't really get outside more than a few minutes with our newborn until he was 2 or 3 months old.
On the other hand, our daughter was born during summer when the weather is really comfortabl. After a few weeks for the mother to recover we went out progressively for 20 min to about 1 hour when she was 1 or 2 months old.
Oh, and it seems to be recommended to use one extra layer of clothes for the child since he is not walking himself.
Protecting from direct sun rays is also obvious.
Comment: No, it depends on your preconceptions of weather.  In Finland it's common for babies to sleep in prams intentionally left out on the balcony, in temps down to -10 C.  In Singapore room temperature is 30+C with near-100% humidity.  And babies in both countries do fine!
Answer: My wife and I went out for a walk on the 3rd day in the hospital park. As long as the kid is wrapped in properly so that it doesn't get cold, everything is fine.
Our hospital even provided the buggy and a little jacket for us.


Was the end of Passengers realistic?

Question: At the end of the movie Passengers, the 2 main characters have grown a garden. That's understandable; earlier we saw plants growing on one part of the ship. But where did the birds in the garden come from?
Answer: The Avalon is a ship part of an ongoing colonization of various planets. The ship has entire storage of equipment, tractors, prefab housing,  submarines. In the original script,  there was a gene bank. In the final film, there is also the entire garden of specimens of plants used for transplantation. (Like was explained in The Martian, you don't official colonize until you plant crops).
It's completely realistic that they would also take any number of animals in suspended animation for companionship, work, food or other reasons. They are colonizing, and want familiar species of animals around. Song birds are just the animal version of taking roses to a new planet.
Comment: @BrettFromLa when colonizing new planets, humans are the invasive species.
Comment: Although there are considerations of "invasive species" (such as the Asian Carp, Zebra mussels, Dutch elm disease) destroying the existing ecosystem, it's still realistic that the Homestead company would bring along familiar animals with the intention of keeping them quarantined on the ship.
Comment: Oo! Good point!
Answer: I would argue that it is totally realistic that the ship would contain all of the flora and fauna shown growing and living in the ship. I agree with everything that cde said in his answer.
Now that we have that out of the way I have to disagree that a metal spaceship is going to turn into the garden of Eden like they showed without serious reconfiguring. As I recall they planted a tree into the deck of the space ship. That doesn't seem reasonable to me. Trees require dirt to grow, and the space below the deck is going to be filled with all kinds of conduit and mechanical gizmos. They would have to replace the floor with dirt of sufficient depth to allow the plants to have a stable root system. Furthermore the crew is shown walking out to the central concourse from the elevator door so it isn't like the lower level of the concourse was filled with dirt to accommodate the roots. They created the garden to be level with the old floor.
While it is possible in theory for them to rip out the deck of the ship, fill it with enough dirt, and plant their garden it would be a tremendous project both in terms of scale and risk.
Comment: And you assume that that part of the Concourse has conduits and gizmos under it. Compare it to any number of cruise or battle or cargo ships. There is plenty of dead space in flooring. Nothing says that there is critical equipment underneath that floor. And we know that Jim has no scruples about modifying the ship or using supplies as he wants.
Comment: The passengers arrive at the central concourse via elevator. The pods are on the outer wings.
Comment: @cde I don't understand what the location of the pods has to do with replacing the deck in the concourse. The elevator arrives at the lower deck of the concourse because we saw the upper balconies. This means the dirt had to be level with where the deck was.
Comment: Better counterpoint, the entire point of the trip is homesteading on a new planet. They send skilled workers, information, and supplies to that end. Part of those skills are gardening, and landscaping. Jim and Aurora had plenty of time to learn how to properly plant the tree in a planter (that we don't see due to the flora) for it to grow.
Comment: @cde yes it is possible but I don't think it is a given. Cruise ships don't have all the fancy lighting and other tech we see in the concourse. Also cutting holes in a ship deck can compromise safety in case of a hull breach so even there you have additional considerations. It is shown in the movie so movie cannon says it happened. The question asks if it is realistic and I think it would be a monumental undertaking with plenty of risk. The harder something is the less likely it is to happen.
Comment: @Erik that was probably the whole point of all the drawing Jim was doing on the deck. Mapping out the critical systems under that deck so he could figure out just the right spot to open up.
Answer: DIRT. They would not have been transporting enough dirt on that ship to sustain the tree. Let lone the rest of the plants. I would argue that the ship would have not brought any dirt. As they are going to a planet made of it.
Comment: Are you suggesting that birds come from dirt?
Comment: It is plausible they would have brought some extra dirt/fertilizer to ensure the plants had the microbes they needed to survive on the new planet. After all the symbiosis that plants have with microbes, fungus, bugs, etc. wouldn't exist on the new planet since the new planet didn't evolve with our plants.

Was the end of Passengers realistic?


Send urgent mail in Gmail

Question: Is it possible to set the "urgent" flag in Gmail for outgoing mail? I'd like to be able to flag time-sensitive emails as such.
Comment: And its not too hard to write `URGENT:` at the start of the subject line (together with a concise subject that explains the topic and urgency. However I always remember that one man's urgency is another man's is another man's file for later reading.
Comment: Personally, I think this (inability to set the urgent flag on outgoing mail) is a pretty compelling advantage. Let the recipient decide if your email is indeed urgent.
Comment: This. You could set the urgent flag all you want, but the recipient could still read your email only a week later, or, in fact, never. If, on the other hand, he *expects* an urgent email from you, he'd be constantly watching his inbox anyway, give or take the urgent flag.
Answer: Interesting.
I tested by sending an email to my Gmail acct from an Exchange account, and setting the flag urgent.  Then I looked at the email in the web interface and from Outlook. In Outlook (getting Gmail) I saw the message flagged urgent. In the Web interface, I saw no urgent indication.
I replied to the message from the web interface and from Outlook. In the web interface, the urgent flag was not shown, and did not make it back to the Exchange account. In Outlook, the reply did not have the urgent flag activated, but when I activated it it was visible back on the Exchange account.
So, to summarize .. the Gmail web interface does not recognize the urgent flag, at least not as implemented by Microsoft Exchange. But the Gmail engine does not lose the header data when it is provided by another client.
As an aside .. I find the urgent flag far more irritation than it is worth.  Rarely does "urgent" to you mean that it should be "urgent" to me. When is the last time that you received a message flagged "low priority"?
IMHO it is far better to indicate in the subject and body that the issue is urgent or time-sensitive.
EDIT: Google just added (1-Sept-2010) the "Priority Inbox" functionality and some kind of importance measure. I will redo my tests and update.
Comment: "low priority" gets used a bit within my team for informational stuff that doesn't suit our other comms media.  I have a folder rule that keeps it out of my inbox, and I catch up with it either on the train or the next morning.  I like it.
Comment: I too use the "low priority" flag in Outlook, similarily to what @William receives. Guess there is pockets of use.
Comment: I use "low priority" all the time. Our team uses it for "working from home" and "out sick" emails. I also frequently use "low priority" for emails that just amount to "thank you."
Answer: It's not possible using the web interface.  I haven't tried with IMAP, but I assume it would honour an Urgent flag if set in your email client.
Comment: But if the recipient was using the gmail web interface, he wouldn't get it.
Comment: Agreed, it's mostly pointless flagging urgent if you don't know the recipient's mail client.
Comment: Even with Thunderbird, if you set the priority flags, the gmail interface does nothing.

Send urgent mail in Gmail


Why is North Korea allowed to be in the UN?

Question: It is no obscure fact that North Korea is a major violator of human rights guidelines with its authoritarianism and poverty and is a major threat to world peace with its incessant nuclear weapons tests. Therefore, why is North Korea allowed to be part of the UN? Do the UN not have membership guidelines that directly oppose the kind of behaviour that North Korea partake in?
Comment: Comments deleted. Please note that comments are meant for providing feedback on the question itself. They are not for having debates about the topic of the question.
Answer: TLDR: No real law is opposed to their actions and expelling them would suit nobody
According to the UN charter, membership is open to

is open to all peace-loving States that accept the obligations contained in the United Nations Charter and, in the judgement of the Organization, are able to carry out these obligations

Realistically, the peace-loving is usually ignored in form of the alternative definition of sovereign state. This is largely because several permanent members of the UN Security Council can rightly be accused of not being peace loving (Russia in Crimea; America in Iraq/Afghanistan/Vietnam etc.; Britain in Iraq, Afghanistan etc.)
Indeed, possession of nuclear weapons in not regulated directly by the United Nations, again because if nuclear weapon tests and possession of missiles was a factor which disqualified you from being in the UN, every single permanent member of the Security Council and then some would get disqualified.
And technically speaking, the nuclear tests aren't outright illegal, since again nobody really wrote too many laws concerning the topic because the countries who possessed and wanted nuclear weapons were the primary authors of international law.
North and South Korea were simultaneously admitted to the UN in 1991 long before they started conducting nuclear tests in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 702.
Now technically speaking North Korea could get expelled from the UN. Article 6 of the Charter describes as follows

A Member of the United Nations which has persistently violated the Principles contained in the present Charter may be expelled from the Organization by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.

This has never happened, and is unlikely to ever happen in the case of North Korea. This is because both Russia and China are permanent members of the UN security council, both of whose best interests are not served by expelling North Korea from the UN. To be fair no country's interests are best served by expelling North Korea from the UN, since suddenly you are cutting off dialogue and the possibility of negotiations to being an end to their nuclear program; as such if you refuse to negotiate a surrender of their nuclear program then the only option would be an invasion. An invasion that would result in catastrophic consequences (with or without nuclear weapons).
Side note: North Korea have only conducted 6 nuclear tests (compare to over 1000 by America) -- the tests that keep cropping up on the news are missile tests, not nuclear tests.
Comment: Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been [moved to chat](https://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/74968/discussion-on-answer-by-sleepinggod-why-is-north-korea-allowed-to-be-in-the-un).
Answer: Basically, the United Nations is an international organisation and all independent and sovereign countries are members currently. Only states with limited recognition are not in the UN which includes Taiwan and Kosovo. The Vatican City and Palestine have both been an observer state.
So, since North Korea is recognised by the majority of countries and only doesn't have diplomatic relations with France, Japan, South Korea and the United States, it is a member of the UN.
In addition, even if North Korea violates UN rules and resolutions, it is hard to expel a member nation from the United Nations as it would require all 5 members of the Security Council to agree and China will likely veto any motion to expel the country.
Also, North Korea currently ignores international warnings and UN resolutions even though it's a member state. By expelling North Korea, it will have absolutely no reason to heed warnings issued by the UN.
In conclusion, it's not effective to expel North Korea from the UN, partly also due to the fact that it's difficult to expel a member nation.
Comment: This answer suggests that being an independent and widely recognised country directly leads to being a UN member. This isn't the way it works - recognition is important, but it's a requirement not a cause, and you have to explicitly join the organisation. Switzerland, one of the most diplomatically respectable countries around, only chose to join in 2002 (!) and a number of smaller countries (mostly island states) did not join until the 1990s, after the two Koreas.
Comment: I think you mean all five *permanent* members of the Security Council; those who have veto power. The UN Security Council has more than five members in total.
Comment: @Andrew My point is that once a recognised country joins, it likely won't be out of the UN **now**. The main focus is not really on how it joined in the past or when they joined.
Answer: You could argue the US is also

a major violator of human rights (see Guantanamo)
a major threat to world peace (see Illegal invasion of Iraq, Illegal war on Libya etc.)

and has produced more nuclear weapons than all other countries on earth combined. So, following your logic, the US should not be allowed to be part of the UN either. Not a fan of North Korea but you can't have it both ways.
Comment: You can insert any country that violates human rights into the question and the question remains the same, but I see your point, it doesn't really reflect the premise of my question as my intention was not to single out North Korea, but it simply is the country which first springs to mind.
Answer: It's better to have such a party at the table in a venue where these issues can be discussed with words, instead of leaving military conflict as their only channel for meaningful interaction with other countries.  They do still have a (very slim) number of other options, but having more opportunities for diplomacy is generally better for peace than having less.


Applying for residence permit in Germany with type D visa

Question: I am an exchange student in Germany, with a type D visa for the length of the semester (around 5 months), however, I was offered an internship as well as I am applying for an intensive Germany course for the period of 7 months. I went to the Foreigners Office and they told me it is possible to apply for a residence permit if I provide them with a proof from the deutschkurse or the internship, proof of accommodation, and proof of subsistence. However, a friend of mine just came back from the same Foreigners' Office asking for the same thing and they told him that he would have to go back to our country of origin (Egypt) and then reapply for a new visa? I am a little worried now and I would like to know if I can actually get a residence permit in this condition or not? I have to decide soon.
Comment: What is your nationality?
Comment: @phoog Egyptian
Comment: @phoog says Egypt in the text
Comment: http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/aufenthg_2004/__16.html

I have came across this link while searching for an answer, however, my german isn't that good yet! can someone infer from it, whether I can get a residence permit or not? I came as an exchange student, can I get a residence permit for another purpose or not?
Comment: @blackbird57 oops, I overlooked "our" so I thought that only the friend was Egyptian.
Answer: More of a comment, but I need space to quote.
§16(2)1 says

Während des Aufenthalts nach Absatz 1 oder 1a soll in der Regel keine Aufenthaltserlaubnis für einen anderen Aufenthaltszweck erteilt oder verlängert werden, sofern nicht ein gesetzlicher Anspruch besteht.

That means roughly

During a stay in accordance with section 1 or 1a generally another stay for another purpose shall not be given or extended unless there is a legal requirement.

Under which section did you get your initial student visa, and is the internship legally considered a paid job?
Comment: I got my visa as an exchange student for this winter semester, now what I want to do is to get a residence permit to study deutsch intensively, to be able to apply for a german university, so is this considered as a "different purpose" or also considered as educational purpose? I do not know about the legal aspect of the internship really, and frankly I can drop it if it might make problems. I only care about deutsch, it would have just been a side research nothing more.
Comment: Also would you think it differs, if I take the intensive course in a private sprachschule or if I somehow managed to get admitted in a university for a summer semester and take language preparatory courses there?
Comment: The meaning of Praktikum (internship) ranges from a mandatory part of university courses to paid and insured entry-level jobs. No way to tell without more details. Have you considered talking to a lawyer? That'll cost you some, but it will be professional and specific advice. Or the student's organization at the university (AStA, Studentenwerk) might help.


How to smooth a time lapse video

Question: I want to improve my video time lapse made by many pictures. How can add an effect like fade in/out on overlapped photos (1000+). I want nice changes of photos like in this video

 so the video play smoothly. An example of a my time lapse is here
Comment: the video links are broken
Answer: In order to get a smoother timelapse you should shoot at a higher frequency. If you want you can always blend between two images results in somewhat more smoothenes.
The first video however is made with a totally different technique, there we only have a few videos and use morphing to get from one image to the next.
This technique interpolates the colours on one hand, but also the position of different points on the image on the other hand. This requires you to find some keypoints on both images in order to find a corresponding function. There are softwares that can do this for you, but I do not know any I could recommend.
Comment: What is exactly blending and how do I use this?? Can you post a link of this??
Comment: Blending is the generic transition from one image to another.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_compositing#Alpha_blending
Comment: Yes I was thinking about this.. This is what I meant with "fade in-out" . I used this on movie maker but I don't know how to use it on after effects on multiple pictures.
Answer: In the DiCaprio video above, the main technique used is actually morphing.  You could use this to smooth out your time lapse videos, and I believe there is still cheap/ free morphing software available, but the process would be somewhat laborious for the video you posted above.
A better solution would be to use the built-in motion stabilization tools of programs like adobe after effects or final cut pro x. Both of these programs are capable of optical flow analysis and can use it both to re-time motion (and create new in-between frames) and to stabilize footage.
Comment: Yes I want to re-time the motion. But warp stabilisation is risky because it may shake the video. Is there any other tool that smooth the video like warp stabilisation to create new frames between photos?
Answer: I would suggest you to find more information about Frame Blending or Motion interpolation.
This is for example used in timelapse videos to smooth the render.

To blend frames, use ffmpeg with the tblend filter.
For example the following command can help :
ffmpeg -i {input} -vf "tblend=average,framestep=2,setpts=0.50*PTS" -r {srcfps} -{encoding parameters} {output}. Replace {input} by your input file, {output} by the name of the output file, {srcfps} by your source frames per second, and -{encoding parameters} the parameters you tell ffmpeg to output.
You could also add minterpolate filter to the filter stack to add some motion blur.
To generate new frames based on motion, the Butterflow project can help : https://github.com/dthpham/butterflow

Features
Makes motion interpolated videos (increase a video's frame rate by rendering intermediate frames based on motion, uses a combination of pixel-warping and blending).
Makes smooth motion videos (simple blending between frames).
Leverages interpolated frames to make fluid slow motion videos.
Comment: I'm using `lighten` instead of `average` and it doesn't seem to be working - I've got a timestamp in the footage and instead of blurring together like a lighten-only filter would do it's crisply jumping ahead by 7 seconds each frame.
Comment: Oh... I just reread the documentation on lighten.. I had assumed that if I increased framestep it would blend more frames together but it seems it only blends two.. How do I blend more, say 100 frames at a time?
Answer: Please check another way to mix frame using multiple lighten blending.

https://www.visionrouge.net/web/2020/01/how-to-de-flicker-long-term-time-lapse-pictures-for-smooth-video/
Comment: Welcome! Can you summarize the contents of the link here? That is strongly encouraged so that people can easily get complete answers here and in case the link becomes unavailable in the future.

How to smooth a time lapse video