What's the best/easiest GUI Library for Ruby?

Question: Whats the best/easiest GUI library out there for Ruby?
I would prefer a cross-platform GUI library, but currently I'm only concerned about Windows (Win32). I am having difficulting finding any that seem to be easy to use. Are there any?
Comment: YES - this should be a feature on THIS site - *closed as software recommendation*, moving it to that SE.  There are so many useful posts on this site closed as 'not constructive' when actually they are just misplaced.
Comment: Would be nice if a Mod could move this one over to the "Software Recommendations" site. http://softwarerecs.stackexchange.com
Comment: I have created a site proposal to give questions like this an official home away from Stack Overflow. It's called [Code Recommendations](http://area51.stackexchange.com/proposals/66606/code-recommendations?referrer=S-_R40wBFZh6TlZ3Al4_Sw2) Help make it a reality by joining and asking questions now!
Comment: I asked http://softwarerecs.stackexchange.com/questions/25199/whats-the-best-easiest-gui-library-for-ruby-supporting-linux-as-minimal-requi
Comment: See [With what tools can I make a complex and advanced GUI with Ruby?](https://softwarerecs.stackexchange.com/q/53553/36725).
Answer: Ruby Shoes (by why) is intended to be a really simple GUI framework. I don't know how fully featured it is, though.
Some good code samples can be found in the tutorials.
Also, I think shoes powers hackety hack, a compelling programming learning environment for youngsters.
Comment: For anyone who has anyone intention of using Ruby Shoes, don't. It's buggy and the support is limited. It promises so much but delivers so little. This is because the author has 'disappeared' and leaves behind what appears to be a 3/4 complete project. It doesn't look that way at the start, but when your code starts to get serious, it will not live up to what it promises. Seriously, RUN!
Comment: Shoes is not made for production environment but for fun, it is the "turtle graphic" of Ruby. It is intended for newbies to get acquainted with 1.) domain specific language, 2.) graphics
Comment: where do you find it now whytheluckstiff is gone?
Comment: AFAIK http://shoes.heroku.com is the new post-_why home for all things shoes.
Comment: The version at http://shoesrb.com/downloads is "3", while the latest version at https://github.com/shoes/shoes/downloads is "3.1.0", while "gem install shoes" installs "3.0.1". What's up with the versoning pandemonium? Is this because _why disappeared?
Comment: @KishyNivas Quite right, thank you. Shoes.rb is now in version 4 and in preview. It looks like worth the shot with an active community of 70.
Comment: @DaneBalia it's been six years, has anything changed with shoes now?
Answer: Here is a good resource for you:
http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Ruby_Programming/GUI_Toolkit_Modules
has links comparing basically all of them.
Comment: as a note I like jruby + swing.  At least it's sane :)
Answer: I started with FXRuby because it had a book.
Comment: And FXRuby is part of the Ruby one-click-installer on Windows!
Answer: I recently started using Qt as a GUI framework for a Ruby application. There is a binding called QtRuby.
For a quickstart tutorial (covers only windows) see this post
Answer: Limelight I really enjoy the theatre metaphor.
Comment: Have you other examples than the one and only calculator demo ? Nothing moves at their website
Answer: Glimmer is an interesting option for JRuby users which provides a very Ruby-ish interface to the SWT toolkit. (SWT is the user interface framework behind Eclipse, which delivers fast performance and familiar UI metaphors by making use of native widgets on the various platforms it supports: Windows, OS X, Linux, etc.) SWT always appealed to me as a Java developer, but coding it was painful in the extreme. Glimmer makes the process a lot more straightforward by emphasizing convention over configuration, and by valuing DRYness and all the other normal Ruby goodness.
Another neat option is SproutCore, a Javascript-based GUI toolkit with Ruby bindings developed by Apple. At least, the demos for it look great, and otherinbox built a pretty slick looking application on top of it. Personally, I've spent quite a few hours trying to get it running on two systems -- one Windows and one Linux -- and haven't succeeded on either one -- I keep running into dependency issues with Merb or other pieces of the SproutCore stack. But it's intriguing enough that I'll go back after a few weeks and try again, hoping that the issues get resolved in that time.
Answer: wxWidgets is worth checking out. It is well supported on Ruby via wxRuby. For an example app, have a look at wxRIDE. See it compared to other toolkits. You might also want to check out Anvil, which is a sort of Rails-ish framework for working with wx. It looks moribund now, though.
Answer: If you're looking for a cross-platform GUI, then I'd highly recommend going with JRuby and Swing.
Also, take a look at the monkeybars library, which is a Ruby library for building MVC applications using JRuby and Swing, where you can also use the excellent Netbeans IDE to visually build your GUI.
Comment: the rubyforge monkeybars link is old, and makes you think the project's abandoned; better go to the project main site (http://www.monkeybars.org), or the github page (https://github.com/monkeybars/monkeybars-core)
Answer: If you're developing for Mac, MacRuby has the best library, hands down. Aside from being blazing fast, it has a very nice GUI interface named hotcocoa. Additionally, the library is developed by Apple, uses the Core Foundation classes as its base, and runs on top of the Objective-C runtime using LLVM. In two words, it's blazing fast.
Answer: Try visualruby you can easily build your forms using the glade interface designer, then write pure ruby code to animate them.  Its much easier than the options mentioned above because you don't have to hand-code everything.
You can see example videos on the visualruby website.
Answer: There are Ruby bindings for QT and GTK so you can't go wrong with those ones (they're portable too).
The Pragmatic Programmers published a mini book on Ruby with QT and a full book on FXRuby, so I think the latter's another good choice.
Shoes, although easy to learn and cute, is pretty situational and doesn't provide as many options for controls as any of the other ones do, so if you want to build anything beyond a simple UI (not to hate Shoes but it's not mature enough yet), I'd recommend you to use one of the more mature and tested toolkits.
Answer: I've had some very good experience with Qt, so I would definitely recommend it.
You should be ware of the licensing model though. If you're developing an open source application, you can use the open-source licensed version free of charge. If you're developing a commercial application, you'll have to pay license fees. And you can't develop in the open source one and then switch the license to commercial before you start selling.
P.S. I just had a quick look at shoes. I really like the declarative definitions of the UI elements, so that's definitely worth investigating...
Comment: Why can't you develop with the OS version and switch? The same code won't work with both versions?  Entirely different APIs or something?
Answer: Using the ironRuby interperter you have the full .net platform, meaning you can code Winforms and WPF(I have only tried Winforms).
It is potentially cross platform since the mono platform exist
Answer: If you are interested, RubyLearning offers a course on FXRuby and Shoes. Actually, the Shoes course is being conducted currently.
Probably the easiest is Shoes. As an assistant teacher at RubyLearning, I hope that we will have better courses for learners.
Some people got stuck in installing FXRuby. But Shoes has an installer for any platforms (Windows, Mac and Linux).
Answer: Try shoes.  Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to work with it yet, but I have an upcoming project where I plan to use it.  It is cross-platform.  Also the API looks very Rubyish so I would give it a try.
Comment: _why left the internets with all his works
Comment: hey knoopx, shoes is alive and kicking, check version 4 out
Answer: There's a discussion here that might be useful.
From my own (limited) exposure, I'd say that shoes was the most fun and probably the "easiest" to get into. Be warned, however, that figuring out what was wrong when something breaks can be tricky (at least, it was for me).
For a real-world application that I was planning to deploy to real-world users, I think I'd go with wxruby.
Answer: Wxruby is a great framework, simple and clean. Try it or use glade with ruby (the simpliest option)
Answer: Tk is available for Ruby. Some nice examples (in Ruby, Perl and Tcl) can be found at http://www.tkdocs.com/
Answer: Use the browser as GUI using Watir like in this question and answer:
use browser as GUI in Ruby


How to have two versions of PHP installed and switch easily between them?

Question: I want to have both PHP 5.2.17 and PHP 5.3.5 installed on my Ubuntu machine and switch as per my necessity. How can I achieve this?
Comment: is there somthing like python virtualenv to have clean isolated deployments of PHP ?
Comment: Define what it means to "switch easily". I used this for work: my webserver was using different PHP for `.php` and `.php5` files. You can also configure your WWW server to use different PHP versions for different ports (like `http://localhost:80` and `http://localhost:8080`) or different domains (like `http://localphp52` and `http://localphp53`) leaving all the remaining structure of folders intact so you can easily compare running one web application in two environments by changing the current URL.
Comment: in ubuntu there is apache.conf in /etc/apache2, i thought about this too, maybe i will in the future make some package it would be very useful for web developers
Comment: You can do this with suPHP, not sure the details
Comment: Have you considered setting up virtual Ubuntu servers using virtualisation software that you use in a headless fashion? I'd be surprised if what you are wanting to do is not well served (no pun intended) by such a set-up.
Comment: I would like to see a containerization-based solution.
Answer: You can use a php version manager to achieve this. Different version managers are available like:

https://github.com/phpbrew/phpbrew
https://github.com/CHH/phpenv
https://github.com/wilmoore/php-version

My favorite is  phpbrew. Hope this helps.
Comment: Whilst this may theoretically answer the question, [it would be preferable](http://meta.stackexchange.com/q/8259) to include the essential parts of the answer here, and provide the link for reference.
Comment: Ironically, one of the reasons not to just post links is linkrot, from which this post now suffers.
Comment: Thanks,Can you please include instructions? (onnu vishadheekarikkamo?)
Comment: Just check the links they have really good documentation on their sites. Do you really want me to copy-paste things from their website?.
Comment: @aneeshep, not copy-paste their documentation, but relevant excerpts and a few lines about what is a "php version manager" and how to use/configure it for that specific problem would really be welcome.
Answer: You can run 2 different PHP versions at once, but it's not as easy as just apt-getting them. You need to run one seperately installed version and serve it up according to the settings in your apache config.
You can do this using fastcgi for example: basically what you are looking for is the config you see on this page. You add a different handler in your config based on the situation/port/domain you need. The trick, after installing both versions, is this step:
===from that page==

The last step was to create virtual hosts. In the end I have three files in /etc/apache2/sites-enabled: 000-default, php5.3.17 and
  php5.4.7 With the following contents

default:
    <VirtualHost *:80>
      ServerName localhost
      DocumentRoot /var/www
      <Directory "/var/www">
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
        AllowOverride All
        Order allow,deny
        allow from all
        AddHandler php-cgi .php
        Action php-cgi /php-fcgi/php5317.fcgi
      </Directory>
    </VirtualHost>

php5.3.17:
    <VirtualHost *:80>
      ServerName 5317.localhost
      DocumentRoot /var/www
      <Directory "/var/www">
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
        AllowOverride All
        Order allow,deny
        allow from all
        AddHandler php-cgi .php
        Action php-cgi /php-fcgi/php5317.fcgi
      </Directory>
    </VirtualHost>

php5.4.7:
    <VirtualHost *:80>
      ServerName 547.localhost
      DocumentRoot /var/www
      <Directory "/var/www">
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks MultiViews
        AllowOverride All
        Order allow,deny
        allow from all
        AddHandler php-cgi .php
        Action php-cgi /php-fcgi/php547.fcgi
      </Directory>
    </VirtualHost>

See for the complete installation the linked question.
Don't forget to look at the two links in the header as well, they look like nice tutorials (but less compressed). This and That
(don't be put of by the fact that the linked question is a big one with no accepted answer. The method should (and does) work fine, but the user forgot to use <?php and used <? with shorttags off, see the comments)
Answer: I installed php 5.6 and 7.0 but besides all tips it kept running 5.6, so this command saves the day (in my case i chosse option 1 and restart apache):
sudo update-alternatives --config php

Comment: it's useful to remember use `phpinfo()` and `php -v` to crosscheck since both of them can have a different value.
Answer: This one works for me: https://lornajane.net/posts/2016/php-7-0-and-5-6-on-ubuntu
Same as the script from "Growling Flea", but using new versions.

Add the PPA
The PHP 5.6 and PHP 7.0 packages are from a third party PPA, not
  provided by the official Ubuntu repositories from Canonical. The PPAs
  I'm recommending here are from Ondřej Surý who packages PHP for Debian
  (which is then used by Ubuntu) so while it's not an official
  repository, he's not exactly random! The PPA itself is
  here
To add the PPA to your setup:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ondrej/php

Then we'll also want to grab information about what is on offer from
  this new PPA, so then run:
sudo apt-get update

Install new PHP versions
I already had some of the php5 packages installed, but I didn't
  uninstall anything, I just let apt work out what it wanted to do when
  I asked it to install the new versions:
sudo apt-get install php5.6 php7.0

This resulted in a lot of complaining from apt and lots of conflicts.
  The first suggested resolution was to remove all the stock php5
  packages so that PHP 5.6 could be installed - so I just accepted the
  first suggestion.
I use apache so this setup gave me apache with both php5.6 and php7.0
  modules available, and the php5.6 module actually loaded.
As well as just the PHP itself, all the extensions and other tools
  you'd expect with PHP are there for both versions of PHP so it's very
  easy to add in the modules that you need. I was very, very impressed
  with how nicely this is done.
Configuring and switching versions
Now you have two completely separate versions of PHP installed on your
  system, so let's have a look at where all the pieces went!
The config files are all in /etc/php/5.6 and /etc/php/7.0
  respectively - inside here is where you can configure which extensions
  are loaded, set the ini settings, and everything else for each version
  in isolation.
I'm an apache user, and as I mentioned both modules are available. So
  to switch from one to the other I need to do:
sudo a2dismod php5.6
sudo a2enmod php7.0
sudo service apache2 restart

For nginx users, the changes are almost as easy, Digital Ocean have
  good documentation on this (they do have great docs!) so check out
  their guide:
  https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/how-to-upgrade-to-php-7-on-ubuntu-14-04
  as it includes a section on reconfiguring nginx to use another version
  of PHP.
From the command-line, I have both php5.6 and php7.0 available as
  commands. I also still have a php command - look in /etc/alternatives
  to see that it symlinks to a particular version of PHP cli*. You can
  also quickly check which yours is using by running php -v.
* more specifically, run which php to see which version of PHP is being used - but this will probably point to /usr/bin/php, which for
  me is itself a symlink to the /etc/alternatives/php command.
Working with extensions
This PPA comes with the usual php-pear package which offers the pecl
  command for both versions of PHP, so any extensions that are available
  via PECL can be installed in the usual way. You will also need the
  relevant headers so either php5.6-dev or php7.0-dev should be
  installed.
When the pecl installation completes, you'll get a note to add the
  *.so file to your php.ini; in fact the best thing to do here is to look at what's in /etc/php/mods-available. There will be some
  modules already here, each in its own file named after the extension
  and ending in .ini. You can copy one to use as a template or create
  your own and put all the relevant configuration for the extension in
  it (as a minimum, you need extension=[extensionName].so).
Once the new extension is in mods available, enable and then check it
  by doing:
sudo phpenmod extension
php -m

This will create the symlinks in the right places for your current
  version of PHP to load this module, and you should see it in the list
  of modules output by the php -m. Pro tip: if you don't see it in the
  output, scroll all the way to the top of the output and see if there
  are any useful error messages there.
Answer: From this post, I just put in order the commands and explain in order as I was served (Ubuntu 12.04)
This method give you:

script with menu, that permit switch between php versions installed (not both at same time)
various PHP versions installed on your server
separated conf files

Install all versions that you need (i have two)
Install dependencies:
sudo apt-get install flex apache2-threaded-dev libxml2-dev apache2 apache2-mpm-prefork apache2-threaded-dev apache2-utils apache2.2-bin apache2.2-common

Install PHP 5.3 first time. Download php sources
md5sum Downloads/php-5.3.10.tar.bz2
mkdir ~/Sources
cd ~Sources/
cp -Rf ../Downloads/php-5.3.10.tar.bz2 .
tar xjf php-5.3.10.tar.bz2
cd php-5.3.10/
sudo mkdir /usr/local/php/php_5.3.10

Install PHP5.6 first time. Download php sources
md5sum Downloads/php-5.6.11.tar.bz2
mkdir ~/Sources
cd ~Sources/
cp -Rf ../Downloads/php-5.6.11.tar.bz2 .
tar xjf php-5.6.11.tar.bz2
cd php-5.6.11/
sudo mkdir /usr/local/php/php-5.6.11

Script manager versions PHP: Create a file called php.sh and put it in /bin/:
#!/bin/bash
opcion=0
cat << CABECERAMENU
Opciones del menu
1 => PHP 5.3.10
2 => PHP 5.6.11
CABECERAMENU
echo -n "Ingrese su eleccion: "
read opcion
echo
case $opcion in
    "1")
        rm /etc/apache2/php.conf
        ln -s /usr/local/php/php_5.3.10.conf /etc/apache2/php.conf
        /etc/init.d/apache2 restart
    ;;
    "2")
        rm /etc/apache2/php.conf
        ln -s /usr/local/php/php_5.6.11.conf /etc/apache2/php.conf
        /etc/init.d/apache2 restart
    ;;
    *)
        echo "Opcion no valida"
    ;;
esac

Compile and install php 5.3:
cd ~/Sources/php-5.3.10/
sudo ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/php/php_5.3.10 --with-config-file-path=/usr/local/php/php_5.3.10/lib --with-mysql --with-libdir=/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --with-apxs2=/usr/bin/apxs2 --enable-zip --with-gd --with-curl --with-xmlrpc --with-freetype-dir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu  --with-jpeg-dir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --with-pdo-mysql --with-pdo-pgsql --enable-soap
sudo make clean
sudo make
sudo ls -lhart /usr/lib/apache2/modules/libphp5.*
sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/apache2/modules/libphp5.*
sudo make install
sudo ls -lhart /usr/lib/apache2/modules/libphp5.*
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/php/php-5.3.10/modules/libphp5.so
sudo mv /usr/lib/apache2/modules/libphp5.so /usr/local/php/php_5.3.10/modules/
ls -lhart /usr/local/php/php_5.3.10/modules/
sudo a2dismod php5
sudo service apache2 restart

Compile and install php 5.6
cd ~/Sources/php-5.6.11
sudo ./configure --prefix=/usr/local/php/php_5.6.11 --with-config-file-path=/usr/local/php/php_5.6.11/lib --with-mysql --with-libdir=/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --with-apxs2=/usr/bin/apxs2 --enable-zip --with-gd --with-curl --with-xmlrpc --enable-calendar --enable-sockets --with-freetype-dir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu  --with-jpeg-dir=/usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu --with-pdo-mysql  --with-pdo-pgsql --enable-soap
sudo make clean
sudo make
sudo ls -lhart /usr/lib/apache2/modules/libphp5.*
sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/apache2/modules/libphp5.*
sudo make install
sudo ls -lhart /usr/lib/apache2/modules/libphp5.*
sudo rm -rf /usr/local/php/php_5.6.11/modules/libphp5.so
sudo mv /usr/lib/apache2/modules/libphp5.so /usr/local/php/php_5.6.11/modules
ls -lhart /usr/local/php/php_5.6.11/modules
sudo a2dismod php5
sudo service apache2 restart

Let's to use them:
$ sudo php.sh
Opciones del menu
1 => PHP 5.3.10
2 => PHP 5.6.11
Ingrese su eleccion: 1

 * Restarting web server apache2                                                                                apache2: Could not reliably determine the server's fully qualified domain name, using 127.0.1.1 for ServerName
 ... waiting apache2: Could not reliably determine the server's fully qualified domain name, using 127.0.1.1 for ServerName

Answer: Problems:

Single apache instance can not run two different PHP versions simultaneously (at least as far as I know it).
Two different PHP versions can't be installed from packages as those will conflict (and try overwriting the same directories).

Solution:

for b) Compile "the other" PHP version from source, manually (or if you prefer, grab source of appropriate package and modify it to avoid conflicts and to modify install paths)
for a) Create separate set of configs for apache with different module paths and separate startup script. And of course run it on separate port.
Comment: A single apache instance _can_ run 2 php versions at once.
Comment: there is no prepackaged script to compile these multiple parallele php instance ?
Just to do it manually and patch paths ?
SO this means that all hosting company develop there custom scripts to run these parallel version and never share their effort.
Answer: Instead of making multiple VirtualHost I just add the below code in my .htaccess file and surprisingly it worked,
<FilesMatch \.php$>
    SetHandler "proxy:unix:/var/run/php/php7.2-fpm.sock|fcgi://localhost/"
</FilesMatch>

Node: I had already installed php7.2-fpm before using the code.
Answer: If you want to run them at the same time, you need two different ports. Maybe you can just change your apache config (httpd.conf) with a simple script that moves one or another version into the correct position before starting apache.
Comment: I already have PHP 5.3.5 installed. How can I install PHP 5.2.17?

Could you please tell me where and what I have to change to switch between in these two versions? The httpd.conf file is empty in my installation.
Answer: You can also run each website with diferentes users. More secure.
I used this aproach one time.
http://blog.servergrove.com/2011/08/22/how-to-setup-multiple-php-versions-on-apache/
Now i think it is better to use php-fpm... but it is a litle more complicated to configure multiple php versions.
Will need to run multiples php-fpms and set apache to use each other.
Comment: Welcome to Ask Ubuntu! Whilst this may theoretically answer the question, [it would be preferable](http://meta.stackexchange.com/q/8259) to include the essential parts of the answer here, and provide the link for reference.
Comment: I did not have time enough to do as you said. I guess, i only wanted to show a way. Stil need to learn how to use the formating stuff. Thanks anyway!
Answer: I wrote a bash script that allows me to easily switch between installed php versions on my box.  I run several virtual hosts because I have several web projects with customers that have old and new programs.  Some of these projects require older versions of php and other projects require php7.0.
Read through my comments and make sure you understand what is going on before using this.
#!/bin/bash
# This file is for switching php versions.
# To run this file you must use bash, not sh
#
# OS: Ubuntu 14.04 but should work on any linux
# Example: bash phpswitch.sh 7.0
# Written by Daniel Pflieger
# growlingflea at g mail dot com

NEWVERSION=$1  #this is the git directory target

#get the active php enabled mod by getting the array of files and store
#it to a variable
VAR=$(ls /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/php*)

#parse the returned variables and get the version of php that is active.
IFS=' ' read -r -a array <<< "$VAR"
array[0]=${array[0]#*php}
array[0]=${array[0]%.conf}

#confirm that the newversion veriable isn't empty.. if it is tell user
#current version and exit
if [ "$NEWVERSION" = "" ]; then
echo current version is ${array[0]}.  To change version please use argument
exit 1
fi

OLDVERSION=${array[0]}
#confirm to the user this is what they want to do
echo "Update php"  ${OLDVERSION} to ${NEWVERSION}

#give the user the opportunity to use CTRL-C to exit ot just hit return
read x

#call a2dismod function: this deactivate the current php version
sudo a2dismod php${OLDVERSION}

#call the a2enmod version.  This enables the new mode
sudo a2enmod php${NEWVERSION}

echo "Restart service??"
read x

#restart apache
sudo service apache2 restart

Answer: I had the same problem when I was handling multiple projects.
I referred this article
 But it was like every time I need to switch the versions if need but this gives the flexibility for cli and web separately.
Moving From php5.6 to php7.0
For Apache, we can use the command as:
sudo a2dismod php5.6 ; sudo a2enmod php7.0 ; sudo service apache2 restart

For CLI, we can use the command as:
sudo update-alternatives --set php /usr/bin/php7.0

Moving From php7.0 to php5.6
For Apache, we can use the command as:
sudo a2dismod php7.0 ; sudo a2enmod php5.6 ; sudo service apache2 restart

For CLI, we can use the command as:
sudo update-alternatives --set php /usr/bin/php5.6

Comment: While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference.  Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes. - [From Review](/review/low-quality-posts/842114)
Comment: @waltinator Thanks for the review, sure will take care of this
Answer: It can be done by disabling and enable the new version of PHP-

switch to older version -
  a2dismod php7.0
  service apache2 restart
switch to newer version
  a2enmod php7.0
  service apache2 restart


How to get Acer AspireOne netbook to re-recognize its webcam?

Question: I have an Acer Aspireone netbook that refuses to recognize its camera.  The model of the netbook is an A0A150, and it is running windows XP SP3.  In the device manager, under the usb devices section there is an "unknown device".  I tried uninstalling this, and scanning for hardware, but no luck.  I also tried updating the driver directly with drivers I downloaded, but with no success so far.  Attempting to run the setup insists that I connect the camera, but as it is integratd, I cannot.  I am fairly sure this is a software, not a hardware, issue.  Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Answer: has the webcam been working before or is this a fresh installation, possible nLited, as it is very popular with netbooks?
Windows XP automatically detects this webcam and will install a generic driver for the webcam, it will then show in My Computer as USB Video Device, unless necessary components have been removed from the installation disk.
Answer: I had my call elevated to the Level II technician.  It turns out the problem is not with the camera, but with the motherboard.  The internal connection between the motherboard and the camera is defective.  Acer is picking up my computer (because they misdiagnosed the problem the first time in May) to repair it.  I suggest you call Acer Tech Service and ask to speak to a Level II Tech Support person.
Good Luck


All Day Event = False throws a workflow error

Question: I have a workflow item that I am stumped on.
It is very basic...
<code>1 If All Day Event equals True
2   Log >SET TIME<
3   then Store [%Date%] in Variable:TimeFrame
4   then Log - OK
5 Else If All Day Event equals False
6   then Log >SET TIME 2<
7
8   then Log - OK
</code>
For line 7, I initially had another then store statement (similar to line 3), but it the else statement keeps erroring out so I removed all code and left just the log.
When the item is an all day event, it works perfectly fine.  As soon as it is a partial day event, it generates a workflow error every time even if no code other than the log is being set.
Is there an issue in how I am assessing the "all day event equals false"?  I also tried to remove the condition entirely (line 5) hoping that if it was not an all day event it would run the code, it still errored out immediately after running line 6.
Any help is appreciated.
Answer: It appeaars it was an issue of mixed variable types.  It is now resolved.


Is it true that the US president can execute anyone without a trial?

Question: Sorry if this is a stupid question. I am not an American (i.e. Canadian) and I was speaking to a friend today and he told me that apparently Obama passed a law last year that gives the president the power to execute any American citizen without having an actual trial. Is this true or not?
Comment: In addition to the good answers below, is also important to note that in the United States the President does not pass laws, Congress does.  The President merely has the ability to sign, and enforce them.
Comment: @MichaelKingsmill - while what you said is technically true as far as passing laws, how does that have any bearing on policy, which is done via executive orders and interpretation of laws passed by executive branch for actioning?
Comment: @DVK - I was just commenting on the questioner's wording.  I have no quibble with the answers, which I think are quite well done.
Comment: @MichaelKingsmill Oops, sorry that was what I meant.
Answer: In a roundabout way, there's some truth to that statement, though it's a bit more nuanced than that. It refers to the administration's claims that they have the power to go after high-level terrorist organizations--including targeting individuals (who could be citizens of the US).
It's an interesting, but also complex issue that's really about how we define war and enemy combatants in the modern era.
There's been plenty of coverage on it over the past year, so plenty to search on. Here's a more recent article that talks about the aspect of US soil, which eventually led to the recent Rand Paul filibuster this past week:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/22/obama-brennan-paul-assassinations-filibuster
Comment: It seems to me that it is fundamentally inaccurate to use the term "execution" then, since a military action against an enemy combatant is very much not the same thing as execution. In this sense, there is no truth to the statement at all, roundabout or otherwise. The president can order someone (with conditions) to be *killed*, but not executed, without a trial. Execution is a form of killing but not all killings are executions.
Comment: @Avi, ah, but there is a roundabout way...as there is no requirement for any sort of due process prior to ordering the military strike. I doubt Obama, or any president, has any intention of using that loophole, but it's there.
Comment: He'd be in violation of the legal framework if he ordered the assassination of a noncombatant. OP specifically asked if a _law_ allowed Obama to assassinate anyone, and it doesn't. The legal framework only allows him to use drone strikes to target combatants, just like we've always been using military hardware to target combaants.
Comment: @Avi: Till we see some result of this violation (like - who has been prosecuted because of "collateral damage" of these drone strikes), I don't believe there _is_ any legal framework.
Comment: Liked the article.
Comment: "In a roundabout way, there's some truth to that statement". no there isn't. Obama can't execute anyone without a trial, he can only order military strikes against al-Qaida operatives. Ordering military strikes is, to my knowledge, not a newly invented power of the president. The original claim, that the President can execute anyone, is egregiously misleading.
Comment: The production of collateral damage in military activity isn't illegal (even under international law, necessarily), and drone strikes produce less collateral damage than normal military activity. The criteria upon which targets are selected for drone strikes has been leaked.
Answer: Short version: No and yes. Not "anyone" (see DA's answer for more detail, but, but yes, some people without trial, when

"an informed, high-level official of the U.S. government" determines the target is an imminent threat, when capture would be infeasible and when the operation is "conducted consistent with applicable law of war principles." (src)

However, this is not new or unique to USA - heads of state always had ability to have enemy combatants killed outside judicial system - it's called "waging war".
The only difference is that in this case, the definition of what specifically constitutes an enemy combatant is shifting away from early-20th-century idea of a uniformed member of an official state army, to include asymmetric warfare guerrilla fighters and their leaders despite not being associated with a specific officially recognized state.
This is supposedly based on standard "self defense" war doctrine which is recognized by United Nations, although specific legal issues are subject to much debating and frequently are more a matter of opinion than law.
Comment: And the US police also have long had the right to kill anyone who poses an imminent threat. There is a common law right of self-defence that allows anyone to do something similar, and various laws about what that allows.
Answer: No, not anyone. US citizens on US soil, not posing an imminent threat may not be executed.
What your friend told you likely stems from comments made by our current Attorney Genrral, Eric Holder. In response to a question about using drone strikes against US citizens, here in the United States, Holder wrote:

[...] The question you have posed is therefore entirely hypothetical, unlikely to occur, and one we hope no president will ever have to confront. It is possible, I suppose, to imagine an extraordinary circumstance in which it would be necessary and appropriate under the Constitution and applicable laws of the United States for the President to authorize the military to use lethal force within the territory of the United States. For example, the president could conceivably have no choice but to authorize the military to use such force if necessary to protect the homeland in the circumstances like a catastrophic attack like the ones suffered on December 7, 1941, and September 11, 2001. [...]

After Rand Paul filibustered the nomination of John Brennan for CIA director, Holder clarified his remarks.

"Does the president have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on an American soil?" The answer to that question is no."

Under questioning by Senator Ted Cruz, Eric Holder seemed to be hung up on using the word appropriate, when asked if using a drone strike on a US citizen in the US who was not an imminent threat was constitutional.
It is important to note that the US Justice Department does believe that they have the authority to execute US citizens that are not in the United States, that would be infeasible to capture, and that are not currently posing an immenent threat. This legal analysis, a 50-page internal memo, was performed a year before Anwar al-Awlaki was killed in Yemen, along with another US Citizen who wasn't the target of the attack. A white-paper version of the 50-page memo was released to the public, the Justice Department removing parts it considered protected due to attorney client privilege.
Answer: I can execute anyone with out a trial.  I would then be guilty of Murder.  I would argue that the same would be true of the a member of the government doing the same with out circumstances where they were defending the lives of others that would have been harmed if it were not for the immediate action.
While the president has sworn to uphold the constitution and laws of the US the president is human and can decide to break that oath and the law if he chooses.  If the president issues an illegal order it is the responsibility of the person whom the order was given to to then refuse that order.  Otherwise they are equally guilty of breaking the law.
Comment: @DA - That is not true of the US Military.  All soldiers have the duty and obligation to refuse to obey an illegal order.  Even if they are recruits in boot camp.  There was a famous case with marine recruits being ordered to viciously beat a recruit who was not shaping up.  The recruit died and even though the beating was ordered the soldiers that carried out the order were guilty of murder, as was the officer who ordered it.  That said the illegal order defense is rarely successful at court martial.
Comment: While there is some responsibility for the lower ranked soldier, in general, the chain of command dictates "that those who issue orders are responsible for the consequences, not those who carry them out." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_hierarchy In the context of being told to target a military combatant (the likely target of such an order by the Commander in Chief), it's hard to assume that the soldier(s) would be held individually responsible.
Comment: @DA. I do not know how it is in the USA but in Russia an order to kill an enemy soldier even issued by a commander-in-chief, would be illegal. He cannot issue orders to kill anybody, even combatants. No officer can issue such orders. The ordiers usually read "strike", "take", "inflict damage" or even "inflict casualties", "force enemy to retreat". Not "kill".
Comment: @Anixx I'm not debating the legality of it, merely pointing out that the chain of command, as designed, is meant to hold superiors responsible. (We can argue if it actually does in practice, but that's another debate...)
Comment: @DA. There was a case in Russia where officer Eduard Ulman killed several captured Chechens. He claimed he was orderd to do so by a higher officer, while the court decided that such order is impossible and counted it as an instigation for murder while sentencing Ulman for committing the murder (and the higher officer also, but not for giving a criminal order but for instigating murder).
Comment: @Anixx, again, no argument with you. I just don't see what that has to do with the *US* Military's definition of *Chain of Command*.
Answer: Yes, it is true, but usually understood as the right of the President's administration to kill anybody they choose outside the United States.
As was later clarified by John Brennan, this is not a punishment for a crime but a preventive measure so to prevent crimes in the future. As such they include in the list not only confirmed criminals but also people who can be suspected to conduct or coordinate crimes against the United States in the future, say on the ideological basis.
====
The list of the people planned for the extrajudicial killings by the Administration can be compared to a similar, so-called "Magnitsky list" which was designed to exert pressure on foreign law enforcement, politicians and judiciary, especially the judges.
Unlike the "killing list", the Magnitsky list is kept secret, a person can be threatened with possible inclusion into this list privately.
A person in the Magnitsky list should be denied entry in the US and their property should be confiscated by any US subject or company who holds or stores it, even abroad (otherwise the company is subject to penalties).
For example if a judge who took a decision against a pro-US politician or businessman stores his money on a VISA card, the money should be taken by VISA.
Among the first people who made into this list (as was admitted) were the judges and prosecutors of the trial over Khodorkovsky, a Russian businessman who was accused in illegal privatization, tax evasion and murdering people via his security service.
Although this is rarely discussed this list is international as well and spans all countries.
Comment: Right... because denying a visa or cancelling their credit card is EXACTLY like murdering someone.
Comment: @DVK this is not exactly the same of course. First you make it into the first list, then to the other one. Or (more realistically) an official fearing possibility of being put in the Magnitsky list will sign an agreement with the US regarding secret prisons or the drone base (a system of such bases is projected to span the whole world, by Brennon).
Comment: "right...to kill anybody" = this is not correct. The right certainly does not state 'anybody', but rather very specific types of people (ie, people posing immediate threats to the nation)
Comment: @DA. Anybody whom the Administration decides to be a potential treat (i.e., undesirables).
Comment: I'm no lawyer, and haven't read all the material on it, but my understanding is that it has to be an immediate perceived threat. Regardless 'potential threat' is not the same as 'undesirable'. The thing with discussions of legal issues is that wording is *very* important, as well as context, and specific *legal* definitions of terms being used.
Comment: @DA.It was claimed by the US officials that such decisions can not be questioned in the court, so there is no difference (although the claim seems doubtful).
Comment: @Anixx - when was the last time an order to attack Grozny was challanged in Russian court, out of curiosity?
Comment: @DVK it can be challenged, no doubt about it. In Russia there is no thing that cannot be challenged in court. Err... The first Chechen war cannot be challenged I am afraid. This is because Yeltsin after installing his dictatorship adopted a personal law that he cannot be taken accountable in anything he did as a president. Of course this law was baked by the USA.


Do angels have free will?

Question: I believe we have free will and that God has free will.  It would seem Lucifer also had free will.  Do all angels have free will as we do?
Comment: I know of no scripture that would suggest that angels have free will. But we do know that nothing is as righteous as God is righteous, thus even angels will fall short of God's righteousness and fall.
Comment: If angels didn't have free will, why would 1/3 of the angels be cast out of heaven. Because they chose to follow satan, no?
Answer: Lucifer and his angels do indeed appear to have independent will.  Revelation 12 describes the fall of the angels:

Revelation 12
7 Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

It seems to my limited reasoning faculty, that it would not be possible for the "dragon" and his angels to make war on God and be cast out of heaven without them exercising their will independently of God's.
Furthermore, Isaiah describes self-will as the cause of the devil's fall:

Isaiah 14:12 ff
12 How you have fallen from heaven,     morning star, son of the
dawn!   You have been cast down to the earth,     you who once laid
low the nations!  13 You said in your heart,     "I will ascend to the
heavens;  I will raise my throne     above the stars of God;  I will
sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,     on the utmost heights of
Mount Zaphon.  14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;     I
will make myself like the Most High."

That's a lot of "I will" statements, for someone without one.
Why some of the angels rebelled and others did not (and do not), is a mystery.  But you must be careful not to conflate independent will with a natural inclination to sin - for example, God has perfectly independent will, but it's not within his perfect nature to sin (indeed, since sin is fundamentally asserting your will over God's it's not possible by very definition for him to sin).
Answer: Angels do, or at least did have free will. Some have taken up a misconception that angels are like God's robots and do only what He wants them to. However, if that was the case, Lucifer could not have rebelled against God, nor could 1/3 of the angels of Heaven rebel with him. It was not God's desire for them to rebel anymore than it is His desire for us to rebel. It was not God's desire for angels to mate with humans, but they did(Genesis 6:1-8). Furthermore, what is commonly known as "the Lord's prayer" isn't a very good reference for God's will always being done in Heaven. When Jesus gave that outline for prayer, sure. Now, sure. But always from the beginning? No. God is the same and changes not, but that doesn't mean Heaven doesn't change, nor does it mean His angels don't. In fact, we know Heaven was created(Genesis 1:1), and we know it will pass away(Matthew 5:18), and will be re-created(2 Peter 3:13). While, this is an interesting topic, it is yet trivial compared to the importance of man's salvation. Many times we get cought up on a subject like this, rather than focusing on the souls of men.
Comment: Why do you say "1/3"? Is there any biblical reference to that?
Answer:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

I've quoted this from the King James Version, since that's the version most people know this passage from. Jesus says in His prayer that God's will is done in Heaven. This would imply to me that nothing outside God's will is done in Heaven, and that therefore the angels do not have free will.
This position stems a larger debate, though, because if it was God's will for Lucifer to rebel, which led to the fall of man, then ultimately the fall of man was by God's design. I recognize that many disagree with that theory. Ultimately, I believe that one can only reasonably state that man has free will if you agree that the angels also have free will, otherwise you must agree that neither have free will. I do not see a meshing point where angels have free will and man does not, nor do I see a point where man has free will and angels do not.
Comment: @Nathan Wheeler.  Maybe the prayer means it is done *now* (wasn't at the time of the rebellion).
Comment: But Satan and the rest of the fallen angels were tossed out of heaven.
Comment: Yes, but how could they have rebelled in the first place if God's will IS done in Heaven?
Comment: @NathanWheeler, Chelonian: and anyone who wouldn't would be cast out from heaven... like Satan

Do angels have free will?


New at mountain biking

Question: I have been biking for about a month and really enjoy it. However my legs just give out on me. I run 6 miles two days a week then bike 6-8 3 to 4 days a week. Any suggestions on how I can improve would be great. Oh, not sure if this matters but I'm not a big eater in the mornings before I go biking. I eat a protein bar and have water to drink.
Comment: In cycling circles, this phenomena is known as "The Bonk" or "bonking." I would get it really bad as a bike commuter while dieting headed up the hills on my way home.
Answer: It sounds like your legs might need some rest. While running and biking make use of different muscles in the leg, there is still some overlap between both activities.
My suggestion would be to take at least two full rest days before you go biking again. Then after that ride take another day of rest before you do another activity (running or biking). Try to focus on rest days: Four days of rest, three days of activity.
While your current activity levels might be OK for you, obviously you can't improve at this level. Adding rest days should enable you to push yourself further. After some weeks high in rest days, you can add more active days. However, the fewer rest days you allow yourself, the harder it will be to improve. You need to find out for yourself how many days you can spend riding and running, how much you want and can improve on your activity level and up to which point you want to improve.
Before your ride you should consume carbohydrates (a mixture of simple and complex carbs) instead of protein to supply your muscles with energy. I personally would prefer something normal to eat, eg bread or pasta, as energy bars are quite expensive in the long term.
You should eat protein after your tour. Again, I'd prefer to just eat some meal high in protein. Even protein shakes should be cheaper than protein bars.
Comment: Thank you!  I actually took this weekend off. Not because I wanted to lol only because I had too. I biked Friday 8 miles and the hills whooped me. It's like my legs had no power. So this weekend I had other things to do and didn't get to run or bike or lift.  However this morning (Monday) my legs we hammered!!! Sore sore sore.  Mondays are my biking days so I was determined to bike, well it was raining so I used the bike at the gym. I am going to try and rotate though because  I do think I need rest and recovery. I just try more cause I don't want to slack :). Thank you!!!
Answer: You've only been biking for about a month; it takes time to build up cycling-specific muscles.
How fast you spin your legs is known as "cadence". You should aim for a cadence of approximately 90 RPM; you can get cyclecomputers that measure it directly or estimate it using a watch. Novices generally ride at a cadence that is too slow; that requires much more strength and can easily burn your legs out. Shift down so that you ride at a reasonable cadence and don't have to push very hard.
Comment: I'm honestly not sure on my cadence :/. Sorry. But I did the bike at the gym today and it said I was 70-80. Sometimes I would drop to 65.  I have only been biking a month :). I just want to be good at it and maybe to fast in a short time. Thank you!!!

New at mountain biking


Why was Jon snow resting with his dragon on the wall?

Question: At around 25 minutes into Game of Thrones S08E03 Jon Snow and his dragon (Rhaegal) were resting on the wall of Winterfell when he could have been burning the army of the dead whom the living were fighting and struggling against. Or most importantly, he could have lit up the trench.  Why wasn't he doing either these things?
Comment: A lot of what happens in this episode is down to poor writing in my opinion, this is one of them.
Comment: @TheLethalCarrot - I'd say it would be really poor writing to have a plan based on the fact that, no matter what they do in the battlefield, they can't beat that army, and to use the Three-Eyed Raven as bait to get the head of the snake, so to speak, and then leave Bran with just the Iron Born to burn some extra corpses that won't make any difference in the outcome of the battle, one way or the other.
Comment: But that would still be so many lives saved. There were lot of the living who died on the battle field, because the trench would not be lit fast enough, or because the dead would not be set on fire. Fire does not wake up the dead, and it would have been a good thing to atleast attempt. I was wondering if there was a reason behind Jon not leaving his post and saving people in the process. ( i got the reason now - battleplan)
Answer: Because that was not the plan. In the war room scene of episode two they basically admit they cannot straight out defeat the army of the dead. The plan is rather to put up a good fight and lure the Night King to the Godswood in Winterfell, by using Bran as bait. There they would kill him and hope that destroys the whole army. So Jon is waiting for the Night King to take the bait, rather than flying out and risking the plan to fail.
However, after Dany sees all her Dothraki massacred she basically abandons the plan and attacks anyway. Jon shortly protests against this ("The Night King is coming") but joins her anyway.
Comment: Yep. They can't burn enough of them to win, so chasing that, while abandoning their one true chance - to get the Night King and kill him, would be folly.


Can one get "more" practice games?

Question: A question here reminded me that I've been playing on Normal speed instead of Faster during the Practice games I've been playing.  I'd like to instead practice at the more oft used speed of Faster in preparation for actual games.  So, can one get "more" practice games?
Answer: You can't get anymore 1v1 practice league games, but you can play custom games that don't count towards your placements.
If you have a friend who has practice games you can sign up together for 2v2 practice league.
Answer: Once you have exited the practice league there is no way to go back.
Your best bet for practicing would be to play custom games vs a computer on faster speed or to go through the campaign (you can change he speed to faster through the menu -> gameplay -> there should be a slider for gamespeed if you push it to the right it will turn it to faster).
The practice league isn't that helpful for much other than learning what buildings make which units which can be taught just as well in custom games vs easy AI. You can make games with YABOT (yet another build order tester) maps to learn common build orders for your race to prepare you for the ladder as well. These can be found by creating a custom game and searching for YABOT when choosing a map.
Once you're comfortable with how everything works hit up the ladder and get the rest of your practice there! You may win or lose but either way you get to learn how others play and where you can make improvements.

Can one get "more" practice games?


A puzzle from outer space

Question: Suppose that we mark five arbitrary points, anywhere on Earth.
Is it then always possible to find a point in outer space from which you would see at least 4 of these 5 points?
Comment: I think it's not very well defined. Obviously if the points are next to each other there is an angle but I suspect you are looking for a non trivial solution.
Comment: Are you *sure* you want the [lateral-thinking] tag? It allows a lot of "unconventional" answers that I don't think you intended.
Comment: You never said that in the question currently.
Comment: Do we have to account for physickey stuff like space curvature, and light taking a non rectiline path when going near massive bodies? I'm pretty sure the answer can be arbitrarily circumvoluted if we play light billard with all available stars to make sure we can see the 5 points.
Comment: This question is ambiguous. What do you mean by "on Earth"? What do you mean by "see"? If I mark points in caves (or under the ocean, or in buildings), they will not be visible from space. A bit more seriously, if I mark a point on the *side* of a mountain (or cliff), then it will be visible from only about half of the vantage points from which you can see the mountain. So, do you mean "mark five points on the surface of an opaque perfect sphere"? What do you mean by "see"? Can you see an entire hemisphere from space, or is that impossible because it requires viewing from an infinite distance?
Comment: Go to outer space, take a map out, put the points where it belongs, tada, you can see all 5 of them!
Answer: If we assume that Earth is a perfect mathematical sphere, then

 the answer is no.

Example:

 Put one point into the Northern pole, one point into the Southern pole, and three points onto the equator that form an equilateral triangle.
 (1) There is no way to simultaneously see Northern and Southern pole (you would have to move to infinity for this).
 (2) There is no way to simultaneously see all three points on the equator. Otherwise you would see the full equator (and you would have to move to infinity for this).
 (3) Hence you can see at most one of the poles, and at most two of the three equator points.
Comment: Great. And what about Earth's shape (oblate spheroid )?
Comment: @ABcDexter I believe the technical term is "potato-shaped."
Comment: @ABcDexter The exact same argument would apply for an oblate spheroid. In more generality, differentiability of the surface is all that is needed - that implies that the set of points from which a given point $p$ on the surface is visible is contained in a half-space. If you choose any vector $v$ and take two points $p_1$ and $p_2$ respectively minimizing and maximizing the dot product $p_1\cdot v$ and $p_2\cdot v$, you'll find that it is not possible to see both $p_1$ and $p_2$ at once. Choosing $3$ such pairs gives $6$ points such that only $3$ are ever visible at once.
Comment: It's actually more difficult with a perfect sphere as more points are visible than with any other shape. So any proof for a sphere holds true for a potato *etc*.
Answer: It's:

 Not always possible to observe $4$ points. BONUS: Not even for $6$ points!

Because:

 For example, place $4$ points on the equator so that they form $2$ pairs of antipodal points.
 Now, we can only observe a maximum of $2$ of these points at a time from outer space.
 As an aside: we can only observe a maximum of $1$ point from outer space if our line-of-sight is perpendicular to one of the antipodal-pair's connecting diameter.
 Add a fifth point point and we can only observe a maximum of $3$ points.
 BONUS: Place the fifth point on the south pole and a sixth point on the north pole we still can only observe a maximum of  $3$ points.
Comment: Any pair of antipodal points can't be seen at the same time, so you could pick any three arbitrary pairs of antipodes.
Comment: nice observation in the bonus section with the 6 points!
Comment: @f'' That's it!  Only realised that after answering this puzzle. If $N$  points can be seen from a point in outer space, then you can simply use their antipodal points to have $2\cdot N$ points where only a maximum of $N$ can be seen anywhere from any point in outer space.
Answer: Since this puzzle was tagged [lateral-thinking], I am compelled to submit this answer:

Yes, because mirrors. No matter where the points are placed it will always be possible to use (appropriately positioned) mirrors to see all 5 points (or more) simultaneously.

Alternatively:

Yes because we have two eyes. All we need to do is extend the organic connection between them and our brain, enough so that we can see two hemispheres of earth simultaneously. (This would require a whole diameter of earth between our eyes, and some impressive parallax)
Answer: One more lateral-thinking answer:

 Yes, all 5 points should be visible eventually,  because the question does not state that they need to be viewed at the same time.Given that the earth rotates about its axis, most points could be seen in a day from a point approximately on the earth's orbital plane.  For the points closest to the poles, the tilt of the earth's axis  would reveal them over the course of a year.
Comment: I believe this is the intended lateral answer.
Comment: Yeah, my thought too - You can view all the points fro most any spot, eventually, since some will be visible from that spot, and the rest will eventually move into a visibility.
Answer: I think the answer is:

 It is almost always possible if we consider the Earth a perfect sphere. There are some edge cases which can cause that there is no such angle though.

Reasoning:

 If viewed from an ideally far distance, all points on one half of the sphere (not including the bordering orthodrome) can be seen at the same time.
 So the puzzle is equivalent to show a half of the sphere which contains at least 4 of the 5 points.

 For example if all the 5 points are on a same orthodrome, then this might be impossible - think about 5 points which divides it in 5 equidistant pieces. In this case the problem reduces to finding a half of a circle with 5 marked points, which contains 4 of those points.
 Another impossible configuration is like the one given by Gamow.
 Or generalizing Paul Evans' idea, even if you have 6 points which are pairwise opposite, you can see at most one from each pair.

 However, generally you can find 2 marked points, which are not on opposing poles of the sphere, and that the orthodrome defined by them does not contain any of the other 3 marked points. This orthodrome halves the sphere into two equal parts.
 By pigeonhole principle, at least 2 of these points will be on the same half of the sphere. These 2 and the 2 on the orthodrome can be seen from a well chosen angle.
Answer:
 NO, because you can choose a point inside of a house or within a cave etc where the view of the point is blocked from viewing from overhead by roof or other physical construct.
Answer: Here's a solution similar to Gamow's but with a different arrangement and an illustration.

Place the five points equidistant in a regular pentagon along the equator. The maximum number you can see at any one time is 3 because if you observe from anywhere except along the North/South pole axis 2 or 3 of the points will be behind the earth.
Answer: Building on Rodolvertice's answer:

 One can simply pick any satellite dish.
 Together, they give coverage of the whole Earth.
 This makes the condition on numbers redundant however.

Alternatively, building on top of this as well

 Simply use satellite images in the comfort of your own home.
 However, the question requires "outerspace".
 So choose a space station.
 And request access to the specified coordinates.

A puzzle from outer space


Android PocketSphinx: Language model files not written when installed from the apk

Question: PocketSphinx works fine. Have also created some specialized voice command dictionaries.
When I installed PocketSphinx the instructions said to create edu.cmu.pocketsphinx and subfolders under /sdcard/android/data on my device. And the language models and dics are present.
App is working fine.
Problem: I have created the apk and sent it to my brother for testing and it chrashes when the recognition starts. I suspected rightly that the edu.cmu.pocketsphinx-folder had not been created on my brother's phone.
I sent him the edu.cmu.pocketsphinx-folder to install manually and it works. But not optimal for a downloader to fiddle with files like that.
Questions:
Is there a way to auto-get-folder-installed?
Something to do with a build path?
Some wrapping, perhaps?
If any of you have experience with exporting pocketsphinxdemo to apk could you please tell me about the trickery associated with it?
Hope this is not too vague.
I am in dire need.
Kind regards
Answer: Here's one suggestion:
Save the files in res/raw/.
When the app starts check if the files have been saved to the sdcard,
if not then copy them from res/raw.
In the sdcard, you could use a directory name with a version string included,
that way it will be straight-forward to update.


Web Analytics in Central Admin not showing all data

Question: I did a full Farm restore about 2 months ago since we were moving to a new AD Forest and to new hardware and now my Web Analytic reports in Central Admin and the Site Collections only shows data going back to that date. However when I check the Analysis Reporting database I can see the data in there dating back to when I first created the farm, 01/09/2011. Has anyone seen this before? Is there a trick to get all the data to show properly in Central Admin?
Comment: None of these have fixed my issue. I do see Web Analytic information, but only since I did a restore. So the Service Application is working, I just cant see any data from before then.
Answer: According to MSDN Technet article "Move all databases", the SharePoint Web Analytics feature relies on SQL Server service broker to function. The SQL Server service broker cannot be started manually. A SharePoint timer job runs one time per day to ensure that SQL Server service broker is enabled on the necessary databases. After moving databases, you should manually run the health rule "Web Analytics: Verifies that the SQL Server Service Broker is enabled for the Web Analytics staging databases."
Would suggest you to check if SQL Server service broker works well for the WA staging and WA reporting DB. More information is here.


Open access 7T resting-state fMRI dataset

Question: I'm looking for an open access dataset of 7-tesla resting state fMRI images of human subjects. I've been able to find one so far (http://www.nature.com/articles/sdata201454). However, I need images that were acquired using MP-RAGE (not MP2-RAGE) sequencing. I've checked the major open neuroscience repos so far with no luck. Does anyone know of an open access dataset that meets this description?
Answer: There two 7 Tesla data sets currently publicly available, bith within the OpenfMRI data collection
Here is a link to a 350 GB data set for 20 subjects watching the audio version of Forrest Gump. The authors also have all the scripts available at Github to enable reproduction. The associate publication can be found here.
The other 7T data set you allready mentioned in your question. As far as I know there are only these two as of June 2016.
Answer: The Nighres project has released some 7T MRI datasets and tools to run them. You can read the paper on the tools here, and download the datasets from NITRC here.


Running Mist with INFURA

Question: Is it possible to run the Mist browser with an external ETH client like INFURA?
Yes, I understand this may not be the decentralized paradise we want to get to, but I'd just be happy to run a browser for now w/o having to download the entire blockchain. I understand I'll have to trust INFURA and I'm willing to do that for now.
Comment: For a _faster_ User Experience, use Metamask instead, so you just download a chrome extension. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/metamask/nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn?hl=es
Answer: To run Mist using INFURA, you need to start it from the command line
If you are using OSX, this is the command you want
 /Applications/Mist.app/Contents/MacOS/Mist --rpc https://ropsten.infura.io

To use the main network, replace with https://mainnet.infura.io
Comment: for future readers, this should now be
Mist --rpc https://ropsten.infura.io
Comment: I'm asking because it gives me back an error `2017-05-16 11:19:52.179] [WARN] Sockets/node-ipc - Connection failed, retrying after 1000ms...
`
Comment: Did you succeed using infura on Mist? I've tried on the wallet dapp and it weirdly keeps refreshing the account list.
Comment: is this still working?
Answer: Also, you may want to try out Metamask, which is a Chrome plugin for connecting to Ethereum, managing your accounts, etc. (Metamask uses INFURA as a backend.)  It's a faster UX since you don't have to download (and possibly sync) Mist.
https://metamask.io/
Comment: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/metamask/nkbihfbeogaeaoehlefnkodbefgpgknn?hl=es
Comment: Thanks, but besides the permissions issue, for some reason MetaMask does not always work on sites, e.g. https://ethereum.github.io/stake-voice/ displays "This Browser does not support Ethereum apps. ". Do you have any idea why that is?
Comment: You need to be using Chrome with the MetaMask plugin installed. Are you sure you have both? I only get that error on Stake Voice using non-Chrome browsers.

Running Mist with INFURA


Is it possible to target 2 allies with the Warding Bond spell using the Sorcerer's Twinned Spell metamagic option?

Question: Is it possible to target 2 allies with the Warding Bond spell using the Sorcerer's Twinned Spell metamagic option?
Comment: I assume you would have access to *warding bond* via multiclassing? ...Or Divine Soul sorcerer subclass, come to think of it.
Comment: Hi Elvenis. You selected an answer pretty quickly. I'd recommend unselecting it and allowing more answers to be posted before deciding on one. We typically recommend waiting about a day to allow people from different time zones a chance to answer.
Comment: Why would it not be possible? Questions like this typically have an underlying ambiguity or uncertainty, and answers would need to address that to be more than a yes or no.
Comment: Related but not a duplicate (due to Twinned Spell): [Can you affect multiple targets with multiple Warding Bond casts?](https://rpg.stackexchange.com/questions/78909/can-you-affect-multiple-targets-with-multiple-warding-bond-casts)
Answer: Warding Bond may or may not be compatible with Twinned Spell, the rules are somewhat ambiguous here
I personally don't think you can use Twinned Spell because Warding Bond has effects that apply to both the touched creature and to the spell's caster. From the spell description (in the basic rules, and online here):

While the target is within 60 feet of you, it gains a +1 bonus to AC and saving throws, and it has resistance to all damage. Also, each time it takes damage, you take the same amount of damage.

Twinned Spell can only effect spells that target a single creature. From the Sorcerer class features (in the basic rules, and here):

To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell's current level.

Usually for this rule, the word "target" should be interpreted broadly to mean "has an effect on". So for example, a Fireball cannot be twinned because even though you only choose one target (a point in space), it effects any creature in the are of effect of its blast. Fireball is also unambiguously ineligible since the chosen target is a point in space rather than a creature, but even a spell like Ice Knife (that targets a single creature but then has further effects in an area) is no good.
Alas, the situation in this case is a bit more ambiguous, as a tweeted ruling by the game's creator, Jeremy Crawford for a related question suggests that the caster of Warding Bond should not count as a target:

Airatome118 @Airatome
@JeremyECrawford Can Warding Bond have multiple active casts if mats are fulfilled? 3 SETS of rings divided out = 3 ongoing separate spells?
Jeremy Crawford @JeremyECrawford
You can maintain warding bond on multiple creatures at once if you have a pair of the rings for each casting. #DnD

The normal reason to expect you couldn't cast Warding Bond multiple times if the caster was a target is that there's a clause in the spell rules saying when it ends early:

It also ends if the spell is cast again on either of the connected creatures.

So if the caster was a target, they'd end the previous casting when they cast the spell again, since they're a target of both spells.
While Jeremy Crawford's tweets are not official rulings these days, given his interpretation, I'd expect him to say Twinned Spell should work too. Who knows how the material components should work in that case, as both the caster and the willing target need to wear a ring for the duration. Maybe you'd need three or four rings (with the caster possibly needing to wear two)?
It's a bit of a mess. Personally, if I was GM and had to interpret these rules for my own table, I'd not allow Warding Bond to be twinned. You'll likely need to ask your GM for a ruling for your game.
Comment: This is a better answer than mine. I wish the OP hadn't chosen an answer so quickly :-/
Comment: I think I've read somewhere that a twinned spell casting is a single casting, which should invalidate your last argument.
Comment: @Vylix: Correct. Twinned Spell changes the target of a spell (or rather, adds a target) - it's not a new casting.
Comment: @Vylix: Right, the spell's termination cause would only apply if you cast it two separate times. But Jeremy Crawford's ruling suggest it doesn't apply even then, which means that the caster shouldn't be considered a target of the spell. If the caster isn't a target, then the spell could be used with *Twinned Spell*. Frankly I think the ruling is wrong, and Jeremy Crawford was only thinking about the material components issue (that you would need separate pairs of rings for two or more simultaneous castings), and he didn't think about the termination clause when the caster gets targeted again.
Answer: Yes, you will probably need a third ring though
In order for a spell to eligible for Twinned Spell1 it needs to only be able to target one creature:

Twinned Spell
When you cast a spell that targets only one creature and doesn't have a range of self, you can spend a number of sorcery points equal to the spell's level to target a second creature in range with the same spell (1 sorcery point if the spell is a cantrip).
To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell's current level. For example, magic missile and scorching ray aren't eligible, but ray of frost and chromatic orb are.

The description of warding bond includes (emphasis mine):

This spell wards a willing creature you touch and creates a mystic connection between you and the target until the spell ends.

So, warding bond has one target and is eligible for Twinned Spell. However, the material component of warding bond reads:

a pair of platinum rings worth at least 50 gp each, which you and target must wear for the duration

Now that the spell is twinned, there are two targets, both of whom need to wear a platinum ring for the duration. While it might be possible for the two targets to share one that sounds... impractical, and so a third platinum ring worth 50 gp seems like a reasonable requirement. As a final note, the range of Touch does require you to touch both targets, however you are free to use whatever appendage you like (feet, tentacle, trunk, etc.) to do so.

A counter argument might be made that the spell affects two creatures, and thus has two targets, however target is not a well defined game term (please take that argument elsewhere) and I would argue twinned spell has a single target by virtue of its own grammar referring to as "the target" as opposed "that target" or something similar.

1: If using the Player's Handbook (page 102), make sure to check the Errata.
Answer: No
It's arguable that you can't twin Warding Bond because it has two targets (the other creature and the caster), which means it's not eligible to be twinned. Even if you don't subscribe to this interpretation, the description of Warding Bond states that there is a material component:

a pair of platinum rings worth at least 50 gp each, which you and the target must wear for the duration

The second creature targeted would have to wear a ring or else the spell would end. Because it's the same spell with its effect extended to a second target, the entire spell would fail (meaning no one was protected).
But what if you had 3 or 4 rings? Unfortunately, the spell requires exactly 2. You're only casting one instance of the spell, so adding more rings does not allow you to target additional targets because the spell uses the first 2 rings and only those 2.
At the same time, consider that the rule for twinning a spell does not dictate that the material requirements for casting a twinned spell are doubled (ie, to allow you to use additional rings to maintain the spell):

When you cast a spell that targets only one creature and doesn't have a range of self, you can spend a number of sorcery points equal to the spell's level to target a second creature in range with the same spell

So, because Warding bond's material requirement does not say "at least 2 rings," additional rings would be extraneous to the material components and therefore of no benefit.
Thus, the would end as soon as it was cast because the third leg of the bond is not (and could not) wear a required ring.
Comment: Why not two pairs of two rings? The caster wearing two, and both of the targets wearing one? This way both copies would use only two rings.
Comment: @John As I say in my answer: the material component for the spell is exactly 2 rings. Twinning doesn't allow or require extra material components for the extra target. Each cast uses 2 rings, so using 2 pairs would be 2 casts.
Comment: @Rykara the spell call for a pair of rings--not for "exactly 2". If we have 3 rings, the caster's can by used to pair with each of the twinned targets.
Comment: @non A "pair" is exactly 2.
Comment: @Rykara, sure. But, the wording of the *components* rules is "f a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell". This doesn't limit components to ones that strictly meet the necessary and sufficient conditions. i.e. nothing limiting it to *exactly 2* https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Spells#toc_19
Comment: @non I think you should submit an answer based on your logic :-)
Comment: @Rykara, This one only needs my vote. I just wanted to point out the assumption underlying your logic.
Answer: Twinned Spell:

When you Cast a Spell that Targets only one creature and doesn't have a range of self, you can spend a number of sorcery points equal to the spell's level to target a second creature in range with the same spell (1 sorcery point if the spell is a cantrip).

Warding Bond:

This spell wards a willing creature you touch and creates a mystic connection between you and the target until the spell ends [...]
The spell ends if you drop to 0 hit points or if you and the target become separated by more than 60 feet. It also ends if the spell is cast again on either of the connected creatures.

Verdict:
Note that Twinned Spell only selects a second target in range, it doesn't cast the spell again. As long as you are able to fulfill the requirements (touching targets, saying the spell, and using two platinum rings to cast), you could theoretically cast it on multiple targets.
Because you need each target (and yourself) to be wearing a ring, and you can only cast the spell with two rings (not three or four to make it work), with base rules it doesn't seem possible to correctly cast the spell. If you were to talk to your DM and work out the ring situation, then the spell could be cast "correctly" under house rules.
Comment: Twinned Spell adds an extra target to a single casting. It doesn't cast again, so I don't think the termination clause in the spell text would apply.
Answer: No, because it targets two creatures.
Based on the extensive discussion Jeremy Crawford (the Sage in Sage Advice and official WotC rules guy) had in the January 19th, 2017 episode of the official DragonTalk podcast about spell targeting in general and twinning in specific, warding bond is not a valid spell for twinning.
When the Twinned Spell metamagic says "target", it does not just mean "in the target line of the spell", but rather "affect in any way". He was very clear on this point; spells like green-fire blade or ice knife -- which attack a single creature but then deal damage to another creature or a zone around that initial target -- are not valid for twinning because they have the capability to affect more than one creature. Based on this, you are indeed a target of your own warding bond, thus the spell targets two creatures and is not valid for twinning.
Podcast time codes:

5:20 - Beginning of the Sage Advice segment
10:20 - What do we mean when we say "target"?
19:20 - Discussion of twinned spells begins
28:30 - How twin works with spells that have secondary targets


What happens to consumer debt if a country defaults on its debt?

Question: What happens to consumer debt if a country defaults on its debt? Also, how will a debt default by a country affect government-backed loans such as mortgages and student loans?
Comment: I imagine that it wouldn't affect consumer debt significantly. Individuals are separate entities from their government like how stockholders are separate entities from a corporation. It would probably make it harder for the country to raise money through bonds. Who wants to purchase bonds from a country that won't pay you back?
Comment: Greg, you should add this as an answer rather than as a comment. I think your answer is correct, and would have voted it up.
Comment: @ChrisInEdmonton - Added as answer below
Answer:
What happens to consumer debt if a
  country defaults on its debt?

Nothing, just as nothing happens to your debt when your neighbor defaults. If you have debts that have floating interest rates - those may (and probably will) hike.

how will a debt default by a country
  affect government-backed loans such as
  mortgages and student loans?

Those that are already closed will probably not be affected, as you've got the money already and signed the loan agreement. Those that are not closed - will probably be delayed or not funded at all.
However, if any of the debts allows the debtor to request an early collection (which I think is rather rare on the consumer market) - someone else's default may lead to the debtor's request for the money earlier than expected.
Answer: If the government defaults on its debt, the holders of the debt get hung out to dry.
You'll personally still owe just what you owed before, but the risk profile for the lender just shot up through the roof if the debt they hold is government-backed.
Answer: Usually when the government defaults, the currency gets devalued. So as a debtor, that's a good thing -- your debt gets devalued.
The "catch" is that your income and buying power is also devalued. So unless you happen to own the type of assets that become more valuable during those circumstances (real property, farms, utilities, certain industrial things, etc) you're looking at tough times ahead.
Answer: I imagine that it wouldn't affect consumer debt significantly. Individuals are separate entities from their government like how stockholders are separate entities from a corporation. It would probably make it harder for the country to raise money through bonds. Who wants to purchase bonds from a country that won't pay you back?


What would be the process for creating a Monero transaction on paper?

Question: I'm trying to better understand the CryptoNote protocol and Monero's current codebase, and I'm having trouble grasping how transactions are made in the protocol. I've read over the CNS standard and I partially understand topics such as the CryptoNote block template/header, transaction template etc. What I am confused on however, is how all this information is turned into a transaction hash that can be relayed and accepted by the network. I find it that I would have an easier time understanding the whole concept if I were to do it on paper at least partially, so what would be the steps to create a Monero transaction that could be relayed to the network on a piece of paper?
Comment: Possible duplicate of [Understanding the structure of a Monero transaction](https://monero.stackexchange.com/questions/2136/understanding-the-structure-of-a-monero-transaction)
Answer: This is the structure of a Monero transaction, listed in the exact order that the information will appear in the transaction structure: Size requirements for different "pieces" of a Monero transaction
Many of these terms will be confusing to you. A great resource for understanding all of the elements of a Monero transaction is the Zero to Monero paper https://ww.getmonero.org/library/Zero-to-Monero-1-0-0.pdf


Term for poetry that mimics what it describes

Question: I'm blanking on the term for when a verse mimics that which it describes - for example, a poem talking about a confusing encounter would become confusing itself - each time I search for it I keep coming up with onomatopoeia and it's starting to frustrate me.
Comment: The form *echoes, reflects, mirrors, parallels, mimics, etc.* the subject. There isn't a special "lit crit" term for it.
Comment: Yep, I'm pretty sure it exists. It might be a dramatic term, but I think I first encountered in it a Renaissance Poetry class.
Comment: Somewhat related, in that it's approximately the opposite: http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/53591/word-for-contrasting-aspects-of-a-work.
Comment: The word is onomatopoeia, so what's wrong with it?
Answer: You might be looking for mimesis (adjective: mimetic). Here's the Wikipedia entry.
Comment: I asked my Professor and he said that the term he uses is "mimetic syntax". I found a journal article about it called "Mimetic Syntax: Metaphor from Word Order, Especially in Ovid" by Donald Lateiner (1990). My Professor also said that he first read about it in John Richardson's notes on Paradise Lost. He also told me that there has been some criticism of this term and that it is sometimes referred to as "enactment fallacy" or "incarnational fallacy" (supposedly coined by Terry Eagleton). Thanks everyone!
Comment: I've always understood *mimesis* to be an exceptionally obscure ancient Greek philosophical term, sometimes drafted into LitCrit as a more erudite alternative to things we might otherwise just call *allegory* or *analogy*. I never heard anyone say, for example, that Hemmingway's simple style of phrasing is mimetic of the uncomplicated people and situations he usually writes about. Or that Joyce's *Finnegans Wake* is mimetic of the complicated stuff actually going on there (which I never understood anyway).
Comment: The "enactment fallacy" you refer to is an academic buzzword used to disparage something without really addressing it on its merits. Whatever an academician may tell you, some words do resonate with the senses in ways other words that mean the same things do not. "The slap of a spade on wet sod" conjures up a distinctly different feeling from "the sound of a shovel on a moist lawn." The former phrase gives us curt words, abruptly halted — a mimicry of the action they describe.
Comment: I completely agree!
Answer: The word you are likely to encounter in a Renaissance poetry class is the scholarly term technopaegnia,¹ ancient Greek for "games of skill".² It encompasses all kinds of interplay between the words of a poem and its structure, including (but not limited to) picture poems, acrostics, and other such puzzles.³[PDF] Technopaegnia is not originally an English word, but is "surely an everyday term in literary theory"⁴.
The four references noted above are highly interesting in their own lights, and I recommend them to anyone who has a few minutes.
Acknowledgement: Texas poet Michael Helsem, one of my go-to poetry experts, kindly suggested the word.
Answer: If it were for a single word, one would call it autological, which the OED calls 'Of a word, esp. an adjective: having or representing the property it denotes. Opposed to heterological adj.'  It gives three citations for this sense:

1926      F.P. Ramsey in Proc. London Math. Soc. 25 358
Let us call adjectives whose meanings are predicates of them, like 'short', autological; others heterological.
1947      H. Reichenbach Elem. Symbolic Logic (1948) vi. 220
Let us comprise as autological all properties whose names have the property they denote.
1952        R.L. Wilder Introd. Found. Math. iii. 75
Is the adjective 'heterological' either autological or heterological?

For example curt, pentasyllabic, and sesquipedalian all count as autological because they are self-descriptive. I don't know that there is a particular word that's exclusive to poetry, but  this double-dactyl by Roger L. Robison surely counts:

                Long-short-short, long-short-short
                Dactyls in dimeter,
                Verse form with choriambs
                (Masculine rhyme):

                One sentence (two stanzas)
                Hexasyllabically
                Challenges poets who
                Don't have the time.
Answer: In music criticism, the concepts of 'word painting' and 'eye music' are well-esablished. This is when the subject of a passage of music is literally reflected in the way the music is constructed. A trivial example is when an operatic character descends into hell, and the music will take a distinctive downward trend.
However, it can get much more interesting if the shape of the musical notation itself reflects some aspect of the subject matter. For example, the theme of Elgar's Enigma Variations is sometimes said (without much evidence I suspect) to be a visual copy of the shape of a stretch of the Malvern Hills that Elgar loved. However, many more examples date back to the Renaissance and Medieval periods, where elaborate musical puns and rebuses (rebi?) were employed - perhaps to liven up some dull workaday music...
Perhaps this idea has occasionally been borrowed by literary folk?
Answer: Shape poetry, or concrete poetry, attempts to convey the imagery of the poem through the way that the words are arranged on the page.
I would suggest mimetic poetry, but Googling the term only brings up references to Plato and Aristotle, and their assertions that "poetry is mimetic in that it creates a representation of objects and events in the world, unlike philosophy, for example, which presents ideas."
Comment: Ah, right! I don't recall hearing the term *concrete poetry*, but even if you'd never heard it before, *shape poetry* would probably call to mind many of [ee cummings](http://harvardmagazine.com/2005/03/the-rebellion-of-ee-cumm.html) poems.
Answer: Could you be thinking of emblematic verse? The most famous (and the only one I can think of right now) being Lewis Carroll's The Mouse's Tale?
Answer: Parody.
Comment: -1:  [parody - 1: An imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect. 2: An imitation or a version of something that falls far short of the real thing; a travesty.](http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&q=parody&tbs=dfn:1&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=ObgZT9DcL8aL8gP5jrWdCw&sqi=2&ved=0CCgQkQ4&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=a17aeb94188cc28e&biw=1434&bih=836) OP's poem is presumably not played for laughs, or grotesque exaggeration
Comment: That's close, but more to a caricaturish mimicry of another person's work.
Comment: Parody is not always intentional.
Comment: You could google or ngram "unintentional parody" and see that it sometimes is unintentional, not played for laughs, etc., per definition #2 at http://www.thefreedictionary.com/parody . And OP's example implied that they are referring to something that at least is risible, if not intentionally so.
Comment: I don't have the impression OP's example was supposed to imply something risible - if anything, the comment about "dramatic effect" and "Renaissance Poetry class" implies an artistic technique that's really supposed to be taken seriously.


Why is the subjunctive mood used here?

Question:
La meditacion no es algo que puedas hacer;

Why is puedas used here instead of puedes? And why?
Answer: The short answer is that the word "no" in the primary clause
La meditacion NO es algo

negates what comes in the subordinate clause
que puedas hacer

thus requiring the subjunctive.
But why?  What does this mean?  The best answer in my opinion (there is more than one theory) is to be found in the explanation given by Ruiz Campillo.  He states that the subjunctive is used when one does not wish to "declare" anything in the subordinate clause.
What does "declare" mean in this context?  Well, when you "declare" something in the subordinate clause, basically you're saying "this thing is true".  In Spanish, according to Campillo, this is a bit of a contradiction:
?? No creo que vas a la fiesta

doesn't make sense then, because at the same time you're saying to someone that you don't believe they're going to go to the party, by using the indicative "vas", you're also DECLARING that they ARE going to the party.  Here is, according to Campillo, where the subjunctive comes in.
No creo que VAYAS a la fiesta

Now you're NOT DECLARING anything about them going to the party, you're simply saying that you don't believe that they're going.  VAYAS, here, isn't expressing an opinion on the matter in the same way that VAS does -- think of the subjunctive, in this context, like "hedging your bets", not "declaring" anything.
So in your phrase, you wouldn't want to say
?? La meditacion no es algo que puedes hacer

because in that phrase you're both saying that you don't think meditation is something that the person can do, but also, by using the indicative 'puedes', DECLARING that the person can do it.  You don't want to say that they are able to meditate.  You don't want to DECLARE that.  So you use the subjunctive, so as not to declare that they can do it.
(Of course in English, and in German, we have no problem with this, but then we don't really have the subjunctive: to us saying "I don't believe you are going to the party" seems perfectly normal, it's just that Spanish allows a greater deal of expression using the subjunctive).
I highly recommend you check out Campillo's work -- once you understand it you will (largely) understand the subjunctive.  His 'declaration' theory works for most of the cases where you'd use the subjunctive.
For an animated intro to his theory on the subjunctive, check out https://marcoele.com/el-subjuntivo-es-logico/ (you need to click on the purple images).
For a more in-depth discussion, see this page on his website (you'll need to be able to read Spanish -- I haven't found his work in English, but since he teaches at Columbia Univ, I suspect it's out there somewhere).
Finally, if you want to read the original academic paper in which he outlines his theory, you can find it here.

Why is the subjunctive mood used here?


Changing User Profile Sync OU

Question: A consultant came and created the sync connection with everything selected (he selected all OU from the forest). Now I have 10,000 + user profiles.
I unchecked all the OU and selected only one OU "Location" where we only have active users (and no other accounts like admin or service accounts, etc.).
I re-ran the full sync and the number reduced to 5000 + profiles. However, I still see service accounts and admin accounts which are in completely another OU.
What are my options to clean this mess? Right now when users do people search they see some users twice (regular account and his/her admin account). Please suggest.
Answer: Yes, you will see service accounts as they log into SharePoint. These are profiles disconnected from Active Directory.

Changing User Profile Sync OU


How to record LAN computer screen on centos/ubuntu server?

Question: we have a office with 40 computers and some computers have ubuntu and some computers have windows 8/7 installed and i want to configure a ubuntu/centos server here for networking and i want to record screens of all my LAN computers so anyone can help me which tool i should use and for better and easy to configure which server platform i should select whether ubuntu or centos ?
Answer: If it were me, I'd go with vncservers on all the machines you want to record from and vnc2flv running on the server. You're going to need lots of storage though (reducing the frame rate will help), and a way of periodically stopping and restarting flvrec to write to incremental files.