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Today, Rep. James E. Clyburn, Chairman of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, released eight weeks of White House Coronavirus Task Force reports obtained in response to the Select Subcommittee's July 29, 2020, request to Vice President Mike Pence and White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx. These reports — which the White House sent privately to states but did not disclose to the public — directly contradict the Administration's rosy public statements downplaying the threat of the virus.
"The Task Force reports released today show the White House has known since June that coronavirus cases were surging across the country and many states were becoming dangerous 'red zones' where the virus was spreading fast," said Chairman Clyburn. "Rather than being straight with the American people and creating a national plan to fix the problem, the President and his enablers kept these alarming reports private while publicly downplaying the threat to millions of Americans. As a result of the President's failures, more than 58,000 additional Americans have died since the Task Force first started issuing private warnings, and many of the Task Force's recommendations still have not been implemented. It is long past time that the Administration finally implement a national plan to contain this crisis, which is still killing hundreds of Americans each day."
The eight White House Coronavirus Task Force reports released today were issued from June 23, 2020, through August 9, 2020. These reports contradict contemporaneous public statements from Administration officials downplaying the severity of the coronavirus crisis:
The Select Subcommittee's investigation shows that many states are still failing to comply with key Task Force recommendations, including some recommendations first made nearly two months ago. On July 29, the Select Subcommittee sent requests to several states with significant recent outbreaks that are not following this guidance, including Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. In response, these states acknowledged receiving the Task Force's private reports and recommendations but did not commit to implementing additional public health measures recommended by the Task Force to stop the spread of the virus. For example:
Fourteen states that have been in the "red zone" since June 23 have refused to impose statewide mask mandates per Task Force's recommendations — including states with severe case spikes like Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Two states — Iowa and Nebraska — have attempted to ban local jurisdictions from imposing mask mandates, and Georgia only recently reversed a similar ban and dropped a lawsuit aimed at invalidating mask ordinances instituted by the city of Atlanta.
The Task Force reports released today recommend that state and local governments implement heightened public health measures to combat the spread of the virus — including requiring face masks in public, closing bars and gyms, and strictly limiting gatherings on a statewide basis in certain states. Yet the Trump Administration has failed to publicly support most of the Task Force's recommendations. For example, President Trump has refused to call for a nationwide mask mandate.
The Administration has also refused to make the Task Force's reports and recommendations available to the public. Instead, the Task Force has privately issued reports to states and held periodic calls and meetings with state and local officials that are closed to the public.
The Task Force's reports also have been kept secret from some local government and public health officials who need them.
Click below to read the Task Force's reports released today:


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Cliff Conner is on the faculty of the School of Professional Studies of the City University of New York Graduate Center, where he teaches history.
Michael Steven Smith is the cohost of the radio show 'Law and Disorder' and on the board of the Center for Constitutional Rights. Both contributed to, and Smith coedited with Frances Goldin and Debby Smith, Imagine: Living in a Socialist USA, to be published by HarperCollins.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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2010 HD Quarter-Mile Acceleration Test (Unloaded)
Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Index
A significant part of our testing involved comparing all nine trucks head-to-head at wide open throttle, with and without heavy trailers. Why? HD pickups aren't muscle cars, after all. At wide open throttle, we can measure the trucks at 100 percent of their maximum power ratings, something we can't usually do for more than short periods when we're on extended drive routes over public roads to grade ride and handling and fuel economy. It's also one of the only ways to empirically separate the trucks' performances from each other – which, in some cases as you'll see, is only measured in the tenths of seconds.
Quarter-Mile Level Ground at Milan Dragway
We rented the asphalt at Milan Dragway, just outside Detroit. The track features an IHRA-sanctioned quarter-mile dragstrip. It's perfect for determining time and speed performance over a fixed distance, unloaded and loaded.
What's the point of running heavy-duty pickups through the quarter-mile? Isn't the job of a three-quarter or one-ton rig simply to deliver a heavy load or haul a trailer from Point A to Point B? You'd be correct, except for the one circumstance where the quarter-mile test almost always comes in as a handy measurement: merging into highway traffic from an on-ramp.
All the tests were conducted in two-wheel drive at wide open throttle, with the air conditioning turned off and with traction and stability control turned on when available. Stability and traction control is not available for Ram HD pickups and one-ton GMC Sierra Denali. The same driver was used for all the runs.
Tow/haul mode was engaged when towing and disabled when not. A minimum of three runs were carried out in each configuration tested. The fastest runs are presented in the results below.
It's worth noting that in the pictures that accompany this story, you'll see the trucks racing each other; however, Ricardo collected metrics and data one truck at a time.
We're not sure who was more anxious: our team of journalists, starting the first set of tests for our biggest comparison yet, or the manufacturers in attendance, seeing all nine trucks together.
Three-Quarter-Ton Gas Trucks
As we've mentioned, it's not just diesel-powered HD pickups that have seen big changes for 2010. The Chevy, Ford and Ram HD gassers have also been improved or are all-new since our last HD Shootout. Anytime there's change like this, we wonder if it still makes sense to spend up to approximately $8,000 more for a diesel engine plus a premium at the fuel pump for diesel over regular gasoline.
Mechanically, all of the gas trucks we tested were as equivalent as we could make them except for the rear axle ratio. The rear axle ratio can make a big difference in towing performance. The higher the ratio, the faster the driveshaft turns and the sooner the driveshaft can transfer peak horsepower and torque from the engine to the rear wheels. The result, generally, is faster acceleration and higher towing capacity than a rear axle with a lower ratio. Over longer distances, the truck can also wind itself out because it will be undergeared at high speeds. You can also picture the same concept if you ride a multispeed bicycle. It's easy to get moving in a low gear but you'll quickly spin out of the optimal leverage range that gear provides unless you shift to a higher gear that's better able to convert your torque to forward motion.
The Chevy and Ram HD pickups had 4.10 rear axles while the Ford had a 4.30, which would seem to give the Ford a bit of an advantage starting out the quarter-mile, especially towing.
Ford only offers a choice of a 3.73 or 4.30 rear axle. We wonder why Ford doesn't offer a 4.10.
Three-Quarter-Ton Gassers, Unloaded Testing
Even though the Ram HD didn't have any electronic help for keeping the rear wheels from breaking loose, the combination of strong Hemi power, a tallish first gear and the best power-to-weight ratio of the group made it the easy seat-of-the-pants winner.
Additionally, because of the noted taller gearing, the Ram HD made it through the traps at the end of the quarter-mile in second gear. The GM and Ford challengers were in third, if not quickly looking for fourth.
It's worth noting that even with a new traction control system, the Super Duty 6.2-liter V-8 was having all sorts of troubles keeping the rear wheels from spinning and hopping at the line. Modulating the starts off the line was quite difficult, as the TCS shuts everything down after sensing slip — like a light switch — then turns it fully back on when all is quiet. This means if your foot is still giving it too much gas, it'll go right back into the bad axle hop to start the whole process over.
The Chevys were much less temperamental and much easier to modulate at or near full throttle. We rank the software program for the GM competitor as smarter and quicker to react than its Ford counterpart. GM should be recognized for the fine-grained intelligence of its TCS.
The Ram 2500, with its 383-hp, 5.7-liter Hemi-powered V-8 that makes 400 pounds-feet of torque, was the dominant contender in the unloaded quarter-mile. From the moment we saw the Ram run against the Ford and Chevrolet trucks, we knew we wouldn't need to look at hard data to determine the fastest truck at Milan. It consistently pulled ahead of the Blue Oval and Bowtie pickups each time it rumbled down the track.
In the zero-to-60 mph test, the Ram HD was more than a second faster than the 6.2-liter F-250, which has a scant 2 extra ponies and 5 more pounds-feet than the Ram, and 1.7 seconds faster than the 360-hp, 380-pounds-feet Silverado 2500.
At the end of the quarter-mile, the Ram was still more than a half-second faster than the Super Duty and a second faster than the Silverado.
We're not fans of Chrysler's five-speed automatic transmission -- which has large steps between cogs and started to show some weakness in the last half of the quarter-mile in the higher gears -- but the Hemi's increased power ratings and 4.10 rear axle found the sweet spot for this gas powertrain and worked very well with the gearbox. The Ram HD was also the only gas truck we tested that didn't have traction control, which likely helped it reach full power sooner without the worry of a computer defueling the engine at the wrong moment. The Ram 2500 was the lightest gas truck we tested, almost 200 pounds less than the Chevy and 620 pounds less than the Ford.
In contrast to our last Shootout, when a 6.0-liter GMC Sierra 2500 with a six-speed V-8 was the fastest gas truck we tested, this time around the 6.0-liter Silverado clearly lagged in performance. With substantially less power than the Ford and Ram and gear parity with the Ford, the Chevy was simply outmatched by the two other trucks. GM needs to replace this engine or give it a major overhaul to stay competitive.
We're a little underwhelmed with the two-valve Ford 6.2-liter's performance, too. Development on this engine took nearly a decade because of fits and starts, so what's been delivered seems a bit behind by modern standards. Any all-new engine in the HD segment should come with direct injection and four valves for improved fuel economy and power.
At the end of the quarter-mile, all of the trucks were within 3 mph of each other.
Three-Quarter-Ton Diesel Trucks
Like the gas trucks we tested, the single-rear-wheel three-quarter-ton diesel pickups were as equivalent as we could make them except for the rear axle ratio.
Given their more powerful engines, it's not surprising that all the manufacturers provided trucks with taller (numerically lower) final drive ratios for improved fuel economy while still maintaining high ceilings for towing and hauling.
The Chevy and Ram pickups had 3.73 rear axles while the Ford had a 3.55, which would seem to put the Ford at a bit of a disadvantage at launch.
Three-Quarter-Ton Diesels, Unloaded Testing
We had a feeling this group would be the hot rods of this year's Shootout, and we were right. Everything came down to how well they could handle getting and keeping power to rear wheels without too much slip.
Again, the Super Duty offered too much torque to the rear wheels and not enough computer control to keep it in line. The system still worked like a light switch, turning wheelspin on and off, unable to finesse. It should be noted that once the Power Stroke found its grip, usually somewhere around 60 feet after launch, most of the push you feel is in the seatback. When the turbo kicks in, you feel it, and it pulled through the finish line. Like the 6.0-liter Silverado, the Duramax Chevy was smooth off the line, without any perceived axle hop and shot down the track. The new rear suspension geometry and wider asymmetrical leaf spring design was able handle everything the new Duramax threw at the rear axle.
The only place the GM diesel seemed to fall down was in the upper gears, shifting up to fourth gear, effectively stopping its pulling, through the 1,320-foot marker.
The Ram HD, although clearly a torque monster off the line, seemed to run out of breath once it was up and running down the track. It just seemed to stop breathing, as one might expect for a Cummins-B oil burner, to stop pushing at upshifting too early. Still, there was a steady and strong feel down the track. Maybe more than any other group on our test, each of these trucks had very different ways of getting to the finish: Ford's was slow at start with a strong push through the middle and end; Chevy always had great launches but tapers off near the end; and the Ram HD pulled strong and steady but runs out of breath rather early. Maybe it's not too surprising their finish times were relatively close.
We suspected that the performance of the new 397-hp, 765-pounds-feet Duramax V-8 and 390-hp, 735-pounds-feet Power Stroke V-8 were going to be tight, but we were surprised at how close all the unloaded three-quarter-ton diesel pickups were -- especially considering the diesels' radically different engine architectures. They were so close that it's almost impossible to say one truck was materially better than the other two. The Ram 2500 with the 350-hp, 650-pounds-feet engine was the fastest truck we tested in the same scenario in 2007, and it performed spectacularly again this time, even though power levels haven't changed.
As you can see in the graph, a scant 0.2 seconds separated the fastest from the slowest over the full 1,320 feet. The Chevy clocked in at only 16.9 seconds while the Ram and Ford tied each other at 17.1 seconds.
The Silverado 2500 showed off its rear axle and power advantage over the Ford F-250 in zero-to-60 times. It took only 8.7 seconds for the Silverado to hit 60 mph. It took the F-250 9 seconds and the Ram 9.3 seconds.
While GM's HD pickup didn't have as big a weight advantage over the Ford as it did during out last Shootout – GM added about 300 pounds to the frame for 2011 when it changed from C-channel to fully boxed – it's still lighter than the Ford by almost 300 pounds. Ford has dropped some weight from its diesel pickups since 2007, including 160 pounds in engine weight by shifting from the 6.4-liter V-8 to the new 6.7-liter V-8.
By the time we finished this test, we knew it would only be with heavy trailers that we'd be able to truly separate those trucks with the best combination of engine power and shift finesse.
One-Ton Diesel Trucks
The one-ton dual-rear-wheel trucks we tested at Milan were as equivalent as could be, down to the rear axle ratios, which were all set at 3.73. To make the towing test more challenging for the brawniest haulers, we used a 12,000-pound trailer. Each vehicle is equipped with the same engine and transmission as its three-quarter-ton diesel counterpart, but each gets unique rear axle setup, as well as weight distribution and tire options. Overall, each is carrying 600 to 700 more pounds of curb weight.
One-Ton Diesels, Unloaded Testing
On the track, these trucks got all the looks. What probably surprised us most was the fact that even with a little extra weight, some wider flares and an extra set of rear tires, these trucks still ran hard and strong. Sure, this type of test was completely outside of their intended design envelope, but the info and data were telling. Even with DRWs, extra weight and a modified version of traction control, rear axle hop remained a problem, while the extra weight and more tires to help grip the track surface seemed to help the GMC Denali get better launches.
Torque braking the vehicles seemed to work best, but each one-ton had to be disciplined in different ways. The Ford couldn't handle a full throttle takeoff any better than the Ram HD; the difference was that the Ford would go into a good hop, then get shut down by the traction control system, while the Cummins could just sit at the start line spinning the four rears all day long, sending plumes of smoke into the sky. All the GMC needed was the slightest modulating of the accelerator at the start to keep the wheels from spinning too quick, then the grip would kick in, and then it was just point-and-shoot at wide open throttle.
We also noticed Ford has built in a slightly longer throttle hesitation than the other brands, we're guessing to allow the other inputs in the computer system to have their say as well. When all is clear, it seems to eventually allow for its slingshot takeoff.
As one might expect, the results of the one-ton empty runs were a touch longer than their three-quarter-ton brothers, but only for the Ram HD and Ford Super Duty. To our surprise, the GMC Denali dually actually ran faster in both zero-to-60 times and quarter-mile than its lighter three-quarter-ton partner. In fact, the Denali ran 0.4 seconds faster to 60 mph at 8.3 seconds, and 0.3 seconds faster in the quarter-mile at 16.6 seconds. At 9.4 seconds, the Ford ran about a second faster than the Ram HD to 60 mph, while the Super Duty timed through the 1,320-foot mark at 17.4 seconds and the Ram HD at 18.0 seconds flat.
As mentioned earlier, each of the unloaded vehicles was tested without tow/haul mode enabled, so the engines, especially in the Cummins, seemed to run out of breath shortly after any shift. Our guess is that we could have squeaked out a few tenths in each of the competitors by running the empty trucks in tow/haul mode and maybe even playing with their respective four-wheel-drive systems for better launches. But we'll leave that for another test.
Page: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Index


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Inbound travelers coming into a foreign country to travel face common difficulties in making mobile telephone calls with their personal mobile handset described as follows:
All the above-stated problems are eliminated when one uses the service of the VIVE IBT Program.
VIVE IBT Program is a service offered through the hotel where the traveler stays as guest during his/her stay in the country. It enables the traveler to use facility of making and receiving calls to/from any telephone number at low call rates (costs) that represent great savings (55%-85%) compared to the rates charged by the home country mobile operator.
At the time of checking in at the registration desk of the hotel, the guest is offered a Courtesy Phone for use which is a specially-equipped mobile handset and is advised to go on line to purchase credit amount for use with the Courtesy Phone so that there is sufficient credit amount to cover the cost of usage when making or receiving telephone calls. The hotel personnel at the registration desk or the concierge may help the guest to purchase the required credit amount on line.
There is no charge for the Courtesy Phone but the guest has to make a security deposit for the phone (US$75-US$100); the security deposit is returned to the guest when the Courtesy Phone is returned to the hotel by the guest at the end of his/her stay. The guest just pays for the cost of usage that is incurred when making telephone calls.
Thus, the guest gets to enjoy a good reliable mobile phone service at call rates that are very affordable.
The service facility of VIVE IBT Program is offered through the website www.roamfone.com.
Reseller enquiry: email@example.com.
PDF for IBT Program
Size: 421k


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Turkmenistan: Arkadag's Day at the Races Redux
Last month, security forces in Turkmenistan tried to prevent video of President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov falling off his horse from reaching the outside world. Perhaps they feared the scenes would damage his cult of personality.
It's safe to say they have: broadcast all over the world, the images make a mockery of the Turkmen brand of totalitarianism, a style embodied in a vain president who feels compelled to show the world he's the best at everything. The riding mishap, which occurred immediately after Berdymukhamedov won a carefully scripted race on April 28, as well as the reaction to it by security forces, say a lot about what years of isolation have done to Turkmenistan.
For starters, despite his security detail's best efforts, it was relatively easy to get cell phone video that captured the fall out of the country, and also to hide a higher-quality digital-video tape. Seen here on EurasiaNet.org for the first time, the higher-resolution footage should dispel any idea that a stunt double could have been riding Berdymukhamedov's favorite horse, Berkarar ("Mighty").
For me, the fall was the only unscripted moment in a four-day all-expenses-paid junket that began with flying into Ashgabat, Turkmenistan's marble capital, on an Airbus with Berdymukhamedov's photo watching passengers from the front of the cabin.
The annual "Horse Day" festival was aimed at promoting Turkmenistan as an international racing destination. Representatives from dozens of horse industry leaders attended, including the United Kingdom's Duralock (fence specialists) and Germany's Ismer stud farm, all eager to work in one of the most closed countries on the planet – one governed by a man obsessed with horses.
"Because it's a big, big horse nation," said a German entrepreneur when asked why he wanted to work in Turkmenistan, which also happens to be flush with cash from the world's fourth-largest natural gas reserves.
Few seemed willing to discuss the Turkmen regime's brutal rights record, even in hushed tones. Priority was given to praising the Akhal Teke horse, a local breed that Berdymukhamedov, who also goes by the honorific title Arkadag (Protector), has promoted as a national symbol.
"Are Turkmen cowboys?" I asked one of the English-speaking university students that looked after festival attendees as minders and guides. The students, who said they were volunteers, accompanied us as we were escorted, by police, between Ashgabat's rows of white-marble high-rises and the newly built horse track. The students were careful and polite. If asked about anything deeper than horses, they would suddenly forget their English.
"Cowboys, as I know, are living on a ranch, kind of as farmers," the student responded. "In our country, [riding horses] is more amusement, entertainment, health, it is good for health."
That is only if you don't fall off. At the racetrack, the crowd of approximately 7,000, according to official estimates, went dead quiet after Berdymukhamedov tumbled over his mount and lay motionless in the dirt. Officials looked nervous. The only sure thing was that, no matter if Berdymukhamedov was alive or dead, the Turkmen authorities would not want news of the fall reaching the outside world.
This is when the polite hospitality ends and the totalitarian regime shows its heavy hand, I thought. But a heavy hand is not the same as a strong, competent one.
Nearly an hour after being hastily carted off the field by his black-suited men – his neck flopping about with disregard to potential injuries – Berdymukhamedov reappeared to wave, a bit stiffly. When handlers brought his steed, Berkarar, back out onto the track, and Berdymukhamedov gave it a few forgiving pats, he appeared to be wearing some sort of back brace under his off-white-colored jacket.
Later, security men ordered all foreigners with cameras inside a stadium corridor. The doors were locked and phones and cameras were checked for imagery of the fall. If individual photos and video could not be deleted, the tape or memory card was confiscated.
By this time I was carrying cell-phone footage of the fall and a broadcast-quality tape shot by a colleague. (We have declined to be identified fearing retribution from Turkmen authorities.) After students approvingly watched me delete a few photos, I avoided a thorough search by slipping the phone into my bag and later sent EurasiaNet.org the cellphone video from my hotel.
The search seemed to work, at first. International news organizations initially relied on state media version of events, with video of the race cutting immediately after Berdymukhamedov won (with other riders offering what appears to be only a modest final push), a second before his fall.
At the airport, security guards made a second, more aggressive search. After x-raying our luggage, guards confiscated computers, cameras, cell phones and passports with no explanation. Those with passwords on their computers were called into a room to unlock them. Video and photos were scrutinized for signs of the fall.
When I was called upon to unlock my laptop, three security officials sat around a table and looked through my equipment. They didn't seem to see my cell phone with built-in camera – the one I used to record the fall, which was in my pocket – but my iPod was of particular interest. It's not clear if they confused it for a phone, but it took some effort to convince the guards it had no camera.
Opening my laptop, one methodical official searched through the programs until finding one that displayed the word "photo."
Opening Apple's iPhoto software he flicked through images of Ashgabat and Akhal Teke horses. Satisfied that there was no sign of Berdymukhamedov's fall, he closed the laptop and handed back my passport.
What he hadn't noticed was a file on the desktop called "Turkmenistan."
The lack of basic competence was stunning. It seems decades of poor education in the closed country have taken its toll.
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Shanghai Environmental and Energy Exchange issued the certifications to the three parties respectively.
The 30,000 tonnes crude oil cargo was produced by Sinopec in Angola, shipped by Cosco Shipping and delivered at Ningbo Zhoushan port, and then be transported to Sinopec's refinery for processing.
It could produce 8,963 tons motor gasoline, 2,276 tons motor diesel, 5,417 tons aviation kerosene, 2,786 tons liquefied petroleum gas, 6,502 tons marine diesel, and 2,998 tons low-sulphur marine fuel oil.
Sinopec is responsible for offsetting carbon emissions from crude oil extraction, storage, processing, transportation of petroleum products and combustion of automotive gasoline, automotive diesel and LNG; Cosco Shipping is responsible for offsetting carbon emissions from crude oil transportation and marine fuel oil combustion; China Eastern Airlines is responsible for offsetting the carbon emissions from aviation kerosene combustion.
The project is a milestone for China to develop a green and new transportation model for energy and transportation sectors.
Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved. Seatrade, a trading name of Informa Markets (UK) Limited.


text:
yoming Wildlife and Natural Resource Trust
A massive wildlife project gets a major donation. The Greater Yellowstone Coalition has donated $200 thousand dollars to the Dry Piney wildlife crossing project, a major effort to reduce the number of vehicle-wildlife collisions on the 17-mile stretch of US-189 between Big Piney and La Barge in Sublette County. Bob Budd, director of the Wyoming…
- 1


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About a year or more ago a nice woman who's husband takes care of my dad's ranch gave me a jar of lotion that she whipped up. She has psoriasis and swears by this lotion, and since I have psoriasis she was nice enough to pass a jar along to me. Now I have to be totally honest and say I was NOT ripping the lid off and lathering up my legs with it, I am very hesitant to use any home remedy on my psoriasis. The likely hood that it will burn and not actually work is far greater than not. I used some but did not stick to it like I should have. My brother and I both have psoriasis and mine had been much more manageable than his, until recently. When you have psoriasis it's genetic, not contagious but is made worse by certain "triggers" like stress, injury, and other things. As much as I hate to admit this, but hopefully it will help others, my stalker situation has created some stress for me (score one for the stalker) and set my psoriasis through the roof. Now, with that being said I am at a point where I will do anything to get some relief from the dry, itchy skin, and so I have made a batch of this lotion in great hopes it will work. I did a google search and found another blogger who has a problem with dry hands and swears by this same mix (she calls her Miracle Lotion). Her blog is Primitive Betty and you can go to it by clicking here www.primitivebettys.blogspot.com
If you have psoriasis or just dry skin this lotion is perfect for you, give it try.
Pink Lotion
You will need:
1 large bottle of Baby Lotion
1 large bottle of Aloe Vera Lotion
1 jar of Vitamin E Cream
1 large jar of Petroleum Jelly
4 Half Pint jars
Plastic bowl for mixing
a mixer
a spatula
Betty (at Primitive Bettys blog) suggest and I totally agree that you should have a mixer, spatula and bowl dedicated to making this lotion. I would NOT recommend using this items to mix food or anything you may eat or drink after making the lotion. Betty (from Primitive Bettys blog) also suggest as well as the nice lady who orginally gave it to me, that the products you buy do not need to be name brand.
I had a hard time trying to get all the baby lotion out by squeezing the bottle, so I cut it in half and used the spatula to scoop it out.
Dump all the ingredients into the bowl and mix until well blended and smooth.
Put in your jars and enjoy. I will be ordering some plastic jars for next time. I am clumsy and I am worried that lotion on my hands and a glass jar might equal disaster (for me anyway).
The jars are adorable.
Check back SOON, my next post will have a consuela give away attached to it. Don't miss out!!!!! A little hint...check out http://www.shopbellen.com/


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NDP party leader hopeful Jagmeet Singh said he would call for decriminalizing the possession of all drugs for personal use during the party's final leadership debate in Vancouver on Sunday.
Singh's response came during a question period where candidates were asked how they would respond to opioid crisis across the country.
"People that are charged with personal possession offences are often those who are poor, are often those who have mental health issues, and often those who are addicted. That does not sound to me like a criminal justice problem. That sounds to me like a social justice problem and a health care problem," said Singh.
"I would call for the immediate decriminalization of all personal possession offences when it comes to drugs. Period. It's not acceptable in our country. It's something that doesn't actually help our country and what it does is it criminalizes those that are already so worse off in society."
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, an estimated 2,458 people died of opioid overdoses in 2016.
Western Canada has been hit especially hard by the opioid crisis. In BC, the death toll has reached 780 during the first half of 2017, averaging at 130 per month.
You can hear Singh's full comments in the video below beginning at 28:50.


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The Luminari founders sat down with renowned entrepreneur Dennis Bennie, who moved to Toronto from South Africa in the late 1970s. Bennie's past roles have included co-founder of software and tech companies Mission Electronics and Delrina. More recently, he's invested in popular local brewery and beer company, Mill Street, and decided to back the University of Toronto's Creative Destruction Lab. During the Luminari speaker series, Bennie discussed what it was like the first time he saw a spreadsheet on a computer and how he marvelled at the Internet. He also explained his switch from accounting to technology—and how his background in accounting gave him an edge. Here are our takeaways from the conversation with Bennie.
Don't be afraid to risk everything.
"When I made the decision (to leave accounting), I clearly had to have a large appetite for risk because I was at the point where I used to do mental counts just to make the rent check every month. If you wanted to go out for a big dinner, it had to be budgeted. That's where I was in my life."
If I weighed everything up, I could say, "Look, I can always go back and become an accountant again." But maybe I enjoyed it so much it was the best incentive to go out and try to succeed."
I have a vivid memory of walking out of the office. I finally decided I was done.
I had this briefcase, I looked right at it, and I threw it in the garbage."
Failure is part of learning.
"That is what entrepreneurial direction is all about. It's about going from one failure to the next failure with an equal amount of enthusiasm for all of them."
You look at any company. For example read about Uber. Wow! Imagine what was going in there on and we're only just getting part of it.
"Looking back on Delrina: there were a few times I thought we're never going to get this done. Sometimes, it's just difficult. There's people issues. There's product issues. Marketing issues. Look at every startup that I'm involved with. It takes a long time to get over those first years and gel and there are so many things that could go wrong."
"At the time, there just weren't enough people doing this, so you had to find a kinsmanship of just a few individuals who were doing this with you. The software companies in Toronto at the time that I connected with, we're all still buddies. There were six of us, maybe 10 of us. Kevin O'Leary was one. Kevin and I are still old friends because he had a software company. There were just very few people doing this."
"The way careers are going to be crafted in the future for success is going to force you to be more entrepreneurial."
"You will have to become more comfortable with how putting yourself first. It's going to be an ongoing learning process. An ongoing process of making yourself that much more desirable. That's going to become a natural thing."
Timing is everything.
"I think if you looked at the various factors for success: it's people, it's product, it's marketing. But, If I had to pick one thing, it's timing. When we got into the market it was probably 6 months, 12 months, 18 months ahead. Everyone wanted to become a craft beer producer."
Be honest and kind.
"I have a very straightforward approach. I'm comfortable being confrontational. I like to call a spade a spade. It's often not as easy to be direct and honest with people as it should be. I think that the whole story that my teeth (are the softest part of my body)…I used to say that to make sure people would respect me."
"The essence of good management is to be honest. There are two attributes that I think make you a good person: honesty and kindness."
"If you want to be honest, the first person you have to be honest with is yourself."
"This took me a long time, but luckily I've matured over time and have realized that we're all just little specks."
"You're very fortunate to have good people around you. And there's the essence of being a good manager. Good management begins with those forms of honesty. The kindness factor, I don't know if I really have it, but it's an ability to listen to others so carefully that you can actually go into their world and make their decisions a lot easier."
"Most smaller companies, it's very difficult to find a style of managing and a way of motivating people and doing things. Almost inevitably, if someone doesn't fit in, by the time they decide they should tell them that hey should find another job or move along, everyone in the company is wondering why it took so long."
As you become more confident or comfortable with what you can do and what you can't do, it becomes easier to be honest with everyone around you."


text:
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text:
I have a large old Gray's Anatomy that I love. While being helpful when I was doing my masters it is just beautiful. The illustrations of the muscle layers and the colorful veins. I personally believe that they are a work of art. So much time and skill went into the plates. It is still one of the books that I am truly proud of owning… I follow a lot of publishers and authors on twitter and I had seen Siphon by A.A. Medina a number of times and the cover is stunning. It was calling me. I was truly thrilled and excited when Mr. Medina contacted me and offered me a review copy.
Summary: Gary is a Dr. with a fixation on his co-worker. Things really go sideways after an accident in the lab.
What I liked: The pacing was perfect. The more manic Gary became in the story the faster the pace. It was sooo sooo good. Medina's has a strong writing voice which allows the reader to become submerged in the story almost immediately. Medina's skillfully created characters which read three dimensional and are well written. The reader truly understands the full force of Gary's obsession. Just when you think that Medina is winding the story down he hits you with an ending that you didn't see coming. That ending tho!!! Completely took me by surprise. Siphon hit all the right notes for me.
What I didn't like: There wasn't anything I didn't like in this book.
Star Rating: 5
My thoughts: I am really looking forward to reading more from Medina. The story was fresh and I had no idea where the story was going to take me and I loved that. The cover is just stunning and fits the story so well. Your feelings toward the main character change throughout the story. It is a manic and fun ride that I personally am seriously glad I took.
***BIG thanks to A.A. Medina for sending me a copy for my honest review***


text: Precise targeting and maintenance of axonal domains in myelinated axons is essential for saltatory conduction. demonstrated paranodal regions which were completely without AGSJs with axolemma separated in the myelin loops and loops arriving from the axolemma. Most of all our phenotypic evaluation of generated mutants found in Horresh Rabbit Polyclonal to PPP4R1L. et Chloramphenicol al previously. (2010) demonstrated that Caspr localization had not been affected in the PNS also after twelve months; and 4.1R was neither expressed nor enriched on the paranodes. Furthermore ultrastructural evaluation of the mutants demonstrated destabilization of CNS AGSJs at about twelve months. We also found that the locus is certainly differentially portrayed in the PNS and CNS and generates multiple splice isoforms in the PNS recommending 4.1B might function differently in the PNS versus CNS. Together our studies provide direct evidence that 4.1B plays a pivotal role in interactions between the paranodal AGSJs and axonal cytoskeleton and that 4.1B is critically required for long-term maintenance of axonal domains in myelinated axons. Introduction A fundamental characteristic of myelinated axons is usually their business into unique molecular domains that allows for saltatory action potential propagation. These domains include nodes where voltage-gated sodium channels are enriched; paranodes where myelin loops establish axo-glial septate Chloramphenicol junctions (AGSJs) with the axolemma and juxtaparanodes where delayed-rectifier potassium channels are clustered (Salzer 2003 Bhat 2003 Thaxton and Bhat 2009 Thaxton et al. 2011 Genetic ablation of resulted in loss of paranodal AGSJs and disorganization of the paranodal axonal cytoskeleton (Bhat et al. 2001 Garcia-Fresco et al. 2006 Disruption of paranodal AGSJs in and mutants Chloramphenicol permitted juxtaparanodal components to move alongside nodal sodium channels indicating that AGSJs serve a fence function at paranodes (Rosenbluth 1988 Dupree et al. 1999 Bhat et al. 2001 Boyle et al. 2001 Pillai et al. 2009 Another member Chloramphenicol of the Caspr family Caspr2 is required for the organization of the juxtaparanodal domain name and localization of potassium channels (Poliak et al. 2003 The stabilization of Caspr and Caspr2 and their associated complexes is Chloramphenicol usually thought to depend on cytoskeletal adaptor proteins that link these complexes with axonal and glial cytoskeleton for their long-term stability. It was reported that this extracellular domain name of Caspr is sufficient for membrane targeting while the intracellular domain name is required for Caspr stabilization at the paranodes (Gollan et al. 2002 Both Caspr and Caspr2 include 4.1-binding sequences recommending that their interactions could be physiologically relevant (Girault et al. 1998 Denisenko-Nehrbass et al. 2003 Many members from the 4.1 protein family are portrayed in the anxious system (Yamakawa et al. 1999 Ohara et al. 2000 Parra et al. 2000 Just 4.1B is enriched in paranodes and juxtaparanodes in myelinated axons (Ohara et al. 2000 Denisenko-Nehrbass et al. 2003 The current presence of a FERM and a spectrin-actin binding domains make 4.1B a perfect candidate to hyperlink Caspr and Caspr2-dependent complexes using the underlying axonal cytoskeleton. Disruption of paranodal AGSJs in and mutants alters 4.1B localization (Gollan et al. 2002 Garcia-Fresco et al. 2006 mutants showed normal 4 However.1B localization (Traka et al. 2003 Latest studies demonstrated that lack of 4.1B will not have an effect on paranodal Caspr localization in sciatic nerves; and deletion of 4.1B-binding region in Caspr and Caspr2 didn't affect Caspr localization but affected Caspr2 localization (Horresh et al. 2010 Right here we survey that 4.1B is necessary for proper Caspr localization and maintenance of the juxtaparanodal and paranodal domains. We demonstrate that lack of 4.1B network marketing leads to destabilization of AGSJs on the paranodes and complete disorganization from the juxtaparanodal complexes. We also present that mutants generated previously (Yi et al. 2005 possess proper localization of paranodal proteins after twelve months in the PNS which 4 even. 1R isn't involved with paranodal recovery or company of mutant paranodes. Our benefits establish a significant function of 4 Together.1B being Chloramphenicol a.


text:
Do any of you, reading today have an old Scottish grannie or a maiden aunt who hails from the Highlands? If you do, and if you've ever visited her at home, then chances are you're familiar with the concept of "best room."
"Don't go in there," she probably chided as you twisted a door knob and endeavoured to enter the secret, shadowy world. "That's my best room and it's only used on Sunday. I don't want your grubby fingers all over it, thank you."
Quite why so many older Scottish homes contain these furtive hallowed places remains a mystery. For us, every room should be used and enjoyed. Our parents didn't believe in locked doors or standing on ceremony. Our homes were built to enjoy. Our friends, too, were welcome and virtually nothing was considered off limits.
Our maiden aunts, however, had different ideas and we clearly remember lost weekends in their strict charge. They'd obsess about us breaking a piece of cherished Lladro, or perhaps spilling tea on a favourite rug. And they'd protect their "no go" zones like mother hens defending their chicks. One of our aunts, God bless her, even ran silicone seal around the best-room door to deter overzealous uninvited guests. This hermetical barrier would be broken — with some ceremony, we might add — when visiting "dignitaries" (posh family members, for example, or the local minister) called by.
What we've learned, since discovering Canada, is that best rooms aren't an exclusively Scottish preserve. Cue the "secret world" of Susan and Neil. Contained within a typically spacious suburban bungalow, it bore more than a passing resemblance to a chapel of rest. With floral wallpaper redolent of the 1980s and pink carpet boasting all the allure of a maximum security twilight home, it really needed our help. OK, so its door hadn't been sealed by some stern-lipped, never married, mastic gun-toting 60 year old, but the room was definitely, by our clients description, reserved for, ahem, "best" use.
To cut a long story short, we fell in love with the style-troubled pair. They couldn't have been any lovelier and purred their trust in our work in time to their heartbeat. Fortunate enough to have a primary living zone at the other end of the house, they revealed a dream, nonetheless, for a casual dining and seating area where anyone who wanted to chat (rather than watch TV) could convene. With their — for the most part clear — instruction we moved ahead.
Our plan was to create a modern take on the parlour, a term that derives from the French word parler, "to speak." Having entered the English language at the turn of the 13th century, the world described a special place set aside for verbal interface in an "audience chamber" and, over the years, the world parlour was born.
So, a lot of work — and conversation — to fashion a bright new world? Well, let's just say our before shot resembles, to all intents and purposes, a spartan backdrop to some 12-part, wobbly set World War II TV drama. Hmm. Our fight against bad taste continuing, here's our latest battle cry!
Drum up some shade
The cream drum-shaped lamp shades and pendant lights gently diffuse light, thereby producing soft, flattering illumination. Because we mixed overhead and surface lamps, our clients can now adjust the mood of their smart new room; overhead for family gatherings or low level to create an intimate and altogether cozier feel. With an eye, as usual, trained firmly on budget, we embellished inexpensive shades with grosgrain ribbon (applied with fabric glue) to add a little extra designer flair.
Shine at home
Blimey! The dated pink carpet had to go. In its place, we installed polished lumber laid front to back to elongate the feeling of space. Had we needed to visually "widen" the room, we could just as easily have selected to arrange the boards from side to side. Little tricks like this make all the difference. The reflective finish bounces light and, as it does, lends an altogether pristine appearance underfoot. Imagine the old carpet as dependable — if rather weary — slippers and the replacement floor as a pair of shiny new shoes. Which would you rather wear when dressing for dinner? Enough said.
Time travels
Traditional and modern pieces easily combine to create an individual — and very personal — look, so, this in mind, don't be afraid to mix a little past tense with a spot of future perfect. Here, for example, an X-framed glass dining set up, a mirrored console and a circular two-tier coffee table bring a degree of modernity that contrasts perfectly with traditional armchairs and a pair of Parsons dining benches.
Hotel chic
Just as designer hotels create comfy seating zones that feel intimate and special, so too can you, with careful planning, achieve similar results at home. As part of this project, we replaced the old sofa with four Bergere chairs positioned to create a circular parlour-style seating area that's perfect for conversation and sharing. Imagine spilling into this zone for a relaxed, post-prandial nightcap to get the gist of the mood we hoped to create.
Wall panels
Adding features adds value; we've long since advocated this principal and, even in a small room like this, you can still make a big impression. The wall panelling has a stately feel but we scaled it to fit so it doesn't dominate the space. Achieved with just $300 of ogee-edged timber DIY store stripping and picture rail, the soft cream painted lumber works well against the green walls to give the newly reworked space a quiet sense of quality and style. Illusions of grandeur or what?
Smart stripes
For our custom dining benches and tailored window blind, we used striped fabric to further bolster schematic grandeur. Banded patterns are gender non specific and appeal to all age groups so they're perfect for family homes. It's also worth noting that striped fabric is much more forgiving than plain when it comes to dirty finger marks so the project will look better for longer.
Work complete, Susan and Neil are thrilled with their lovely new parlour. They still call it their best room, yet now it's a best room that everyone can enjoy — on a daily basis — without fear of familial reprisals or social banishment. No locks on the door, no sealant to prevent entry . . . and not a grim-faced maiden aunt in sight.
Colin McAllister and Justin Ryan are the hosts of HGTV's Colin & Justin's Home Heist and the authors of Colin & Justin's Home Heist Style Guide, published by Penguin Group (Canada). Follow them on Twitter @colinjustin or on Facebook (ColinandJustin). Check out their new candle and room spray ranges at candjhome.co.uk. Contact them through their website colinandjustin.tv.
Hardwood: Beyond Tile & Stone, beyondflooring.com
Building supplies: Rona, rona.ca
All paint finishes: ICI Paints, icipaints.com
Light fixtures: DVI Lighting, dvcanada.com
Drapery panels: Bouclair, bouclair.com
Curtain pole: Levolor, levolor.ca
Occasional table: Bowring, bowring.com
Benches and Parsons chairs: Custom made to our specification by N'Shape Designs, 416-742-7323
Coffee table: Elte, elte.com
Table lamps: Living Lighting, livinglighting.com
Artwork: Posters International, postersinternational.net
Dining Table: Casalife, casalife.com


text:
Turkish and Saudi weapons found in Mosul, says Shia leader
(IraqiNews.com) Nineveh -The leader of al-Hashed al-Shaabi militia, Uday al-Khaddran, announced, that the security forces found Turkish and Saudi weapons in the axes of Mosul, and pointed out that vehicles and weapons entered the ISIS-held areas in Mosul on daily basis across the Turkish border by Gulf senior traders.
Khaddran said in a press statement, "Turkey is supplying the ISIS with weapons and military equipment, in addition to Turkish military advisers and experts to train the group's terrorists, and artillery to support the terrorists' movement."
"Traders from Kuwait and UAE are facilitating the entry of thousands of Toyota vehicles to be used by the ISIS militants in their operations," Khaddran added.
Khaddran also revealed that Turkish and Saudi intelligence transferred ISIS senior leaders and warlords from Mosul to Syria and Libya, in preparation for a new phase that will start from Egypt and Algeria.
Iraqi security forces also found Saudi weapons and vehicles during the battles to liberate Anbar and Salahuddin in the past two years.


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It's been a while since I visited the Windy City of Chicago. Chicago is the major urban center of the Midwest. It's chic and has a buzz but maintains a certain Midwest friendliness and charm. In the summer, Chicago's bike paths along Lake Michigan and Lakeshore Drive are mobbed with people enjoying the outdoors. At night, walking down Navy Pier or along the Chicago River is as romantic as strolling along the river in Paris. Chicago's business is booming and foodies and music lovers rave about Chicago. The city has much to offer and more than can be absorbed in a few days. But most of all, it's people that make the city and there is no more hospitable place than Chicago. And friendliness definitely makes people like to visit.
My last visit to Chicago was for a family wedding. My cousin got married (finally) and we worked in an extra day to tour around downtown Chicago. Being use to the suburbs, my neck got sore staring up at the skyscrapers.
Located in the heart of the Loop, right along the river and only steps from the Navy Pier, the Swissôtel Chicago hotel towers 43 stories above the city with awe-inspiring views. It offers comfortable, modern, and luxurious accommodations for any traveler.
If you've never heard of the Swissôtel, that's probably because there is only one in the U.S. There are others in Bangkok, Sidney, Berlin, Singapore, and Istanbul. The only American Swissotel hotel is situated right off the Chicago River, on East Upper Wacker Drive, allowing travelers to get close to the downtown bustle without the city noise.
Along with its convenient position amid the downtown cityscape, Swissôtel is just 4 blocks from the Magnificent Mile. The hotel puts you right in the middle of the Chicago Loop, and Michigan Ave, putting all the main attractions in easy walking distance for even lazy walkers like me. The hotel provides guest with great views of Chicago, from any room in the hotel.
Swissôtel offers 661 oversized guest rooms and suites (including kids suites) with magnificent views of the Chicago River. It you stay on the south side you will be facing beautiful Grant Park, and Michigan Lake right out your window. The rooms on the top floors looked out on many of the new condo buildings popping up downtown. But if you focused between the buildings, there are stunning views of Lake Michigan, the Field Museum, and Soldier Field.
From the north side of the hotel, you are treated with unobstructed views of Navy Pier and North Michigan Ave.
Among its other amenities are a fitness center, an indoor pool, and the fabulous Spa 42 for a relaxing massage.
The hotel has three restaurants onsite. Geneva Restaurant opened only for breakfast serves a classic American breakfast with European flair. The Palm Restaurant this Chicago outpost of the Manhattan original serves tender-aged prime beef, traditional Italian fare and outrageously sized lobsters. Amuse offers a variety of dishes from fried avocado and crab salad to seasonal sliders to satisfy everyone's palate.
While definitely geared toward business clientele, the Swissôtel is also a comfortable stay for families, girlfriends getaways, and couples traveling to Chicago.
Swissôtel is a global hotel brand (with Swiss roots) with properties world-wide. A full list of locations can be found here: http://www.swissotel.com/destinations/
Follow Swissôtel Hotels & Resort on social media: Facebook, Twitter
Swissôtel Chicago, 323 E Upper Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Swissotel. All opinions are 100% mine.


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During my relaxed hair days, I suffered from dry locks constantly, no matter how much olive oil I lubed onto my scalp and edges. It wasn't a secret to me that my hair diet was seriously lacking in nutrients; I knew the burning chemicals that went into my hair every three months were just one of the reasons why my hair varied between dull and oily making me rely heavily on those trusty hair protein packages that always caught my eye at the local drug store. As luck would have it — not all stores carry them and eventually, in my darkest hour I had to find an alternative. Fortunately, the store was always loaded with eggs and with a quick egg white hair mask, I was able to get the nutrients my hair desperately craved.
In recent years, my hair habits have changed significantly. I no longer treat my kinky hair as a burden that needs to be tamed before I leave the house. In fact, I can only think of one habit that has stayed with me from those straight, easy-to-manage days well into my natural, afro struggles: Eggs to prevent hair breakage and strengthen hair follicles. Not only is this a main ingredient in my hair regimen, egg whites are also great for skin care too. Yes, y'all, I have egg on my face and I'm totally proud of it.
Let's talk about why you should put an egg on that pretty face: Eggs are loaded with vitamins A, D, and E which can slow down signs of aging. That extra protein, though, is how eggs really give OTC products a run for their money. According to sources like Livestrong, eggs have collagen, elastin, and melanin in them which you know is the business at temporarily reducing fine lines, strengthening skin's elasticity, and giving skin a smooth, tight complexion.
The health benefits of eggs for beauty is def not a new thing: Chinese culture started using egg whites to make nail polish as early as 3000 B.C. The refined nail polish process used a combination of egg whites, beeswax, and different flowers to achieve a rich colors, according to Inspirationail's website. Babes from B.C. were also using egg whites to achieve natural, long lasting beauty for their skin and since eggs can shrink the appearance of pores, reduce inflammation, AND stop breakouts? It sounds like they knew what's up.
OK, so how can you take advantage of these eggs? I recommend buying cage-free eggs, pasteurized eggs from a humane vendor or local farmer. The eggs itself aren't necessarily better, but I try to shop cruelty-free as much as possible. You can look for the label "Certified Humane Raised and Handled" instead of just choosing "cage-free" eggs. Now that you are in the know about where your eggies are coming from, here are my fave ways to incorporate them into my hair and skin game.
1. Egg White Face Lift Mask
There ARE times where I WANT a face lift, but clearly cannot afford one — or the side affects. This egg lift is def going to be the next best thing since it's got all the nutrients to tighten up your skin and eliminate pimples. This recipe from the Skincare "Love to Know" website was definitely worth a try for my most recent stress-outbreak. I used one egg white, a tablespoon of raw honey, and a few drops of tea tree oil. I used a blender to mix my mask up quickly and avoid heating my raw honey. If anything, my face thanked me after for being pro-active and gentle on my persistent quest to clear up my skin.
2. The Hair Mask
There are certainly arguments against using eggs for haircare, but they just don't hold up in my book. My logic is that anything that is healthy for our diet is healthy for our skin and actually balances our body, connecting our insides and outsides. Therefore, I'm all about putting eggs in my hair. I've used eggs solo when my hair was relaxed before shampoo and conditioning my hair. Now, I incorporate eggs as a source of protein with avocado, coconut oil, and essential oils. This option is way cheaper than keratin treatments (a single egg goes for what, 50 cents?). This is a great way to restore your hair's natural oils.
3. Egg Nail Treatment
Eggs are high in sulfur which is supposed to be essential for nail growth. A simple egg treatment will not only help grow stubborn nails, it will also strengthen and put in nutrients like vitamin K, E, and iron. All great things for our lovely nails. For this recipe, you'll use the yolk of the egg and add about a 1/4 cup of milk or lactic acid of your choice. I also add a few drops of essential of peppermint oil, known to promote healthy nails. Mix your nail treatment vigorously and then soak your nails in for about 15 minutes. The only downside to this natural nail remedy is the time you have to sit with your hand in water: Make sure you take a bathroom break before you soak your next hand!
Image: Bryan Jones, Steve Johnson/Flickr; LoloStock/Fotolia; Giphy; Kristin Collins Jackson


text:
The more basic stuff I publish source for, the more requests for source I seem to get. This time my Huffman code page landed me a request for C++ code which implements Huffman coding and merge sort. The request obviously came from a student trying to get me to do his/her homework. I didn't do the homework assignment, but it started me thinking about sorting algorithms, and off I went on a trip down sorting memory lane.
I thought that I could put everything to rest after reading about some of the algorithms I remembered the names of. After all, there are people that have made a career out of studying sorting algorithms, what would I want to do that hadn't already been done? I thought wrong, there's a lot of discussion about the algorithms, and even some code. Most of the code I saw had errors. Other code snippets were just obfuscated by object oriented programming techniques. So I decided to write my own library of sorting algorithms.
As time goes on, I continue to discover new algorithms and sometimes even add them to my library. I recently discovered the Radix Sort while reading about optimizations to the Burrows-Wheeler Transformation. I'm sure I'll find another sort to add in the future.
The rest of this page discusses some of the issues concerning the sorting algorithms that I chose to implement.
Click here to skip the discussion and go to instructions on downloading my sorting library.
There are several popular and well researched sorting algorithms. My sort library implements the traditional version of the following algorithms:
Each of the algorithms has the following order of operations:
|Best Case
|Average Case
|Worst Case
|Insertion Sort
|Bubble Sort
|Shell Sort1
|O(n × log(n))
|Quick Sort
|O(n × log(n))
|Merge Sort
|O(n × log(n))
|O(n × log(n))
|O(n × log(n))
|Heap Sort
|O(n × log(n))
|O(n × log(n))
|O(n × log(n))
|Radix Sort2
|O(k × n)
|O(k × n)
|O(k × n)
|1 When using an increment of the form (3k - 1) / 2
|2 Here k is the number of keys
Insertion sort is probably the first sorting algorithm that is taught in programming classes. It is far from efficient in terms of the number of comparisons, but is very compact in terms of code space required. As such, the insertion sort algorithm may be useful for sorting small lists.
Insertion sort is an iterative algorithm that makes n - 1 passes on a list of n items. On the first pass the second item in the unsorted list is inserted in the proper position for a sorted list containing the first two items. The next pass, the third item is inserted in a the proper position for a list sorted list containing the first three items. After the kth iteration the first k + 1 items in the list are in sorted order. The algorithm continues until the nth item is inserted into its position.
The insertion sort algorithm is implemented by my
sort library function
When I first learned the bubble sort algorithm, it was described as "cute". I believe that cuteness is the only thing this algorithm has going for it. It typically requires the same order of operations as insertion sort, and is not any more code efficient.
Bubble sort is an iterative algorithm that makes n - 1 passes on a list of n items. On the first pass, bubble sort starts at the head of the list and compares the first two items, if the items are out of order, they are swapped, then the second and third items are compared and swapped if necessary. The comparison and swapping continue to the end of the list. After the first iteration, the largest item is in the nth position.
The algorithm repeats itself, stopping one item earlier each pass. The algorithm completes when only the first two items are compared. This sort library includes an additional optimization which will halt the algorithm on any pass which finds the list to be already sorted (no swaps are performed).
The bubble sort algorithm is implemented by my sort
library function
Shell sort is an optimization of the insertion sort proposed by D. L. Shell. Shell observed that performing an insertion sort on sublist of items that are separated by some distance (an increment) may allow items to be moved further across the list.
For a list of n items [x1 … xn], select an
increment, i, and start by sorting the resulting n/i sub lists:
[x1, xi + 1, x2i + 1, …],
[x2, xi + 2, x2i + 2, …], …
[xi, xi + i, x2i + i, …].
Next decrease i and repeat the process until i equals 1. At the time of my writing this, no optimal increment value is known. However, D.E. Knuth has demonstrated that using increments of the form (3k - 1) / 2 results in an O(n3/2) Shell sort.
The Shell sort algorithm is implemented by my sort
library function
ShellSort. The Shell sort function
provided in this library uses increments of the form
(3k - 1) / 2.
ANSI C provides a quick sort function,
qsort in
stdlib.h, yet I felt compelled to include a quick sort function
in my library.
Quick sort is a divide and conquer algorithm with two phases, a partition phase and a sort phase.
In the partition phase list of two or more elements are partitioned into two smaller lists. All list items less than or equal to a pivot item are placed in one partition, while all items greater than a pivot are placed in another partition. For my implementation, I always designate the first item in the list as the pivot. To partition, I maintain left and right search pointers and perform the following steps.
Step 1. Start the left search pointer at the second item in the list and the right pointer at the last item in the list.
Step 2. Move the left pointer to the right until it finds an item greater than the pivot or points to the same item as the right pointer.
Step 3. Move the right pointer left until it crosses the left pointer or finds an item less than or equal to the pivot.
Step 4. Swap the items pointed to by the two pointers and go to step 2.
The sort phase is really simple. Just call the quick sort function twice, once passing the left partition as the list to be sorted, then passing the right partition as the list to be sorted.
Quick sort has an average order of operation of O(n × log(n)), but when the partitions are not anywhere near even, the order of operation approaches O(n2). For sorted lists and reverse sorted lists quick sort is an O(n2) algorithm.
My sort library function
implements the quick sort algorithm. It is a recursive implementation of
quick sort which makes it pretty inefficient with stack space. The stack
space consumed may be equal to the size of the list. A web search should
reveal several memory optimizations for quick sort.
Like quick sort, merge sort is a divide and conquer algorithm with two phases. In the case of merge sort, the phases are a partition phase, and a merge phase.
In the partition phase, if the list of items to be sorted contains more than one item, the list is split in half and the merge sort algorithm is applied on each half of the list.
At the end of the partition phase, the algorithm has two sorted list halves. The merge phase merges the two sorted halves into one list. For my implementation of this algorithm, I perform the merge by allocating a block of memory equal to the size of the combined lists, and merge the lists into the new memory block. Allocation of a new memory block means that this implementation requires additional storage space equal to the size of the original list.
To merge two lists, compare the lowest value in one list with the lowest value in the other list. Remove the lowest of the two values from its list and place it at the end of the merged list. Repeat this process until there are no more items in either list.
Unlike quick sort, merge sort always partitions the list in half, so it is always an order O(n × log(n)) algorithm.
The merge sort algorithm is implemented by my sort
library function
Heap sort a popular in place O(n × log(n)) sort algorithm. Unlike quick sort and merge sort, heap sort does not require additional memory allocations to store pieces of the list being sorted.
Heap sort is a two phase algorithm, it has a heap building phase and a promotion phase. A heap is a binary tree with the propriety that every node is greater than it's children. For a list of 1 .. N items this means that item i is greater than it's children, items (i / 2) and ((i / 2) + 1).
Once the heap is built, the largest item will be at the root of the heap. To sort, simply swap the first item in the list with Nth item in the list. Next rebuild the heap with items 1 .. (N - 1). Repeat the process of swapping and rebuilding the heap with one less item, until only two items remain.
The heap sort algorithm is implemented by my sort
library function
Radix sort is an unusual sort algorithm. All the sort algorithms discussed so far compare the elements being sorted to eachother. The radix sort doesn't. A radix sort uses one or more keys to sort values. The key of a value indicates the sort grouping for a value on a particular pass. Successive passes with different keys may be used to sort a list of elements.
On a radix sort pass, a list of items to be sorted is processed from beginning to end. One at a time, the items in the list are placed at the end of a list of items with the same key value. After all items have been processed, the lists of key values are reassembled smallest key to largest key.
A somewhat intuitive example of how to use a radix sort might be alphabetizing strings of length N. Each pass of the radix sort should use a character in the string as it's key. The less intuitive part about alphabetizing is that radix sort passes should be from performed from the last character to the first character. The first pass will use the Nth character, the second pass will use the (N - 1)th character, …, the Nth pass will use the first character.
Example: Sorting 3 Character Strings (start with third character). Each cell represents a bin.
|First Pass
|asd qwd
|Second Pass
|Third Pass
|vbn vgy
Sorting unsigned integers is similar to sorting strings. If we use a radix of 10, we can sort integers one digits at a time. Like strings, integers should be sorted least significant digit to most significant digit.
Example: Sorting 4 Digit Integers (start with least significant digit). Each cell represents a bin.
|First Pass
|5624 1234
|Second Pass
|2453 1356
|Third Pass
|Fourth Pass
|1234 1356
Pierre Terdiman's article Radix Sort Revisited discusses radix sort techniques for sorting signed integers and floating point values.
The radix sort algorithm is implemented by my sort
library function
RadixSort. Each time
RadixSort is called, it makes two passes on the data being
sorted. The first pass counts the number of values with each possible key,
the second pass places the data in its sorted order. Counting the number of
values for each key allows the data to be sorted into a fixed size array
instead of a linked list or similar data structure.
The library archive that I have provided includes
a program file, sample.c, which demonstrates the usage of each sort
function. I have also provided the function
VerifySort which
may be used to determine if a list is actually sorted. All of my sort
functions share the same parameter list as the
qsort function
provided by
By utilizing the same format, code which calls
qsort may be
modified to use use my functions simply by changing the function name.
Conversely, code that uses my functions may be made to use
qsort simply by changing the function name.
It is possible to sacrifice flexibility for speed by rewriting the functions so that a fixed comparison is performed inline instead of calling the comparison function passed as a parameter. Greater speed may also be obtained by using arrays of a known type instead of void pointers with an item size determined at runtime.
I am releasing my implementation of the sorting algorithms under the LGPL. The source code repository is available on GitHub. I recommend that you checkout the latest revision of the master branch, unless you're looking for something specific.
|Repository Location
The source code that I have provided is written in ANSI C. It should work on any system with an ANSI C compiler.
I have received a report that sorting large sets (>224 values) of 64-bit integers frequently fails when attempted on PowerPC system running 64-bit Linux. I have been unable to duplicate the problem on 32-bit x86 platforms and do not have a 64-bit platform to test on.
Another error may occur when the number of bytes being sorted exceeds the
capacity of
If you have any further questions or comments, you may contact me by e-mail. My e-mail address is: email@example.com
Last updated on January 3, 2019


text:
President Mnangagwa yesterday exhorted Zimbabweans to unite and remain strong in the face of prevailing economic difficulties saying the challenges confronting the country will soon be overcome, paving way for an epoch of prosperity.
Addressing thousands of Zion Christian Church congregants gathered at the church's cathedral at Mbungo Estates to celebrate Bishop Nehemiah Mutendi's 79th birthday and also pray for good rains in the forthcoming farming season, President Mnangagwa said challenges facing Zimbabwe required resilience.
The President, who shares the same birthday with Bishop Mutendi – September 15 – was also honoured with his own birthday cake at the church gathering, making the event a double celebration. The President turned 76 while Bishop Mutendi turned 79 on the same day.
The President told the colourful ZCC faithful that Zimbabwe's economic challenges will soon be a thing of the past.
"Things might have been difficult or might still be difficult but I liked what Bishop Mutendi said while talking about what pregnant women go through in childbirth. He said pregnant women (during labour) are encouraged to persevere under pain during that time and after a child is finally delivered mothers become very happy and will be smiling all the way,'' he said.
"It is the same situation to a country. We are currently in problems, but let us unite and persevere saying 'push', 'push'; we must continue moving forward as a nation fully aware that the current challenges are temporary and good times will soon roll,'' he said.
President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe will only speedily overcome its economic challenges if the country speaks with one voice, saying a divided lot cannot stand.
''We must always preach love and unity not to be always at each other's throat if we are to develop as a nation. Of course, there will be always be some elements bent on spoiling the soup but such characters will not stop our country from moving forward.''
The Head of State called on Zimbabweans to love their country,describing those bent on instigating demonstrations and sowing the seeds of instability in the country as ill-adviced and languishing in darkness away from God's grace.
This comes as embattled MDC-Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa, who narrowly lost to President Mnangagwa in the July 30 presidential election, has threatened to spearhead nationwide demonstrations in a bid to gain political power through the backdoor.
''There are some of us who see but they do not see clearly and others who hear but do not hear properly. We have some amongst us in our country who do not want our country to go forward and prosper but the good thing is that the majority of our people want this country to prosper,'' said the President.
President Mnangagwa reiterated that he will always remain a listening President leading a Government that was subservient to the wishes and aspirations of the majority of Zimbabweans. He pledged to continue consulting Zimbabweans to find solutions to some of the country's nagging problems.
The President said he will always remain indebted to Zimbabweans for voting him President during the July 30 presidential contest where he emerged numero uno from a list of 23 presidential aspirants.
''I have actually found a perfect opportunity in broad daylight today to tell to all Zimbabweans in the four corners of the country that I am very grateful, very grateful for voting me President. All earthly leadership positions need God's anointment. Of course, there are others who did not vote wisely but I hope there will see the light at the end of the day and come back home,'' he said.
President Mnangagwa challenged the present generation of Zimbabweans to be at the forefront of finding solutions to some of the country's challenges.
''You have heard about Zimbabwe's time under colonial rule and how men and women waged the war of liberation to remove colonial rule but right now can we plan to go back to war again or sow the seeds of conflict, no, we need to plan about how to economically develop our country.
''This is a generation that has a task, a task to develop our country and to make our life better. A task to bring glory to Zimbabwe that is the task that this generation has,'' said President Mnangagwa.
He hailed the ZCC church for spearheading prayers for a good rainfall season in the country saying Zimbabwe's economy was agro-based hence the importance of good rains every year to ensure production on farms.
The President said if the country received good rains Government will be spared the painstaking burden of importing food, leaving money in its coffers to be used for developmental projects that improve lives of ordinary Zimbabweans.
President Mnangagwa praised Bishop Mutendi for urging his congregants and Zimbabweans at large to hold on to their land dearly saying land was a national treasure which should be jealously guarded.
''All of you in your thousands here cannot get jobs even if you ask for them but if you have land in your possession then you have a good starting point and I am happy that most of us now have land in our hands which we can use to produce food,'' said President Mnangagwa.
The President paid tribute to the ZCC for nurturing morally upright citizens and helping Government to develop the country through building facilities such as schools.
He pledged to be always on hand to help the church to carry out its developmental projects in future.
In his remarks, Bishop Mutendi also urged Zimbabweans to be resilient in the face of economic difficulties facing the nation. He equated President Mnangagwa to the biblical Joshua who led the children of Israel into Canaan.
Bishop Mutendi said economic challenges facing Zimbabwe were caused by illegal sanctions imposed by Zimbabwe's enemies to break the spirit of its people.
"What we are experiencing now is not something new, we have seen this before but it will soon be over. The enemy no longer has any new weapons in his armoury. That is why he is using weapons that have been used before. The country is on the verge of a breakthrough and we should remain strong and focused,'' he said.
The ZCC leader said Zimbabwe has undergone rapid socio-economic transformation since 1980 with most Zimbabweans now in a far much better economic position than during colonial rule. He said while during colonial rule there were no problems such as fuel queues as most indigenous people were wallowing in the murky waters of poverty.
Bishop Mutendi also reminded Zimbabweans on the importance of jealously guarding their land saying his church hoped for good rains in the forthcoming farming season for the nation to produce its own food.
President Mnangagwa, who was accompanied by First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, donated a tractor to Bishop Mutendi, five tonnes of top dressing fertiliser, another five tonnes of Compound D fertiliser and a tonne of maize seed to the ZCC.
After delivering his speech, President Mnangagwa and Bishop Mutendi led the cutting of their birthday cakes amid jubilation from delirious ZCC congregants.
Present at the event were senior Government and Zanu-PF officials among them State Security Minister Cde Owen Ncube and Masvingo Minister of State Cde Ezra Chadzamira among others.
— Herald


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A genetic approach to determine river otter abundance in Missouri
(University of Missouri--Columbia, 2010)
's effects on sport fish populations have sparked controversy. The MDC responded by increasing efforts to monitor river otter populations, using latrine site counts to measure relative abundance across several rivers in Missouri. However, the actual number...


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Last year, a transformer on an electrical pole outside our home decided to go out with a bang and in a blaze of glory, showering sparks onto the street. Pretty spectacular on its own, but even more impressive when you consider that it also took a number of innocent victims with it. I don't know what happened in any of the surrounding homes, but our tally was plenty all by itself: one large LCD HDTV, one small LCD HDTV with integrated DVD player, two small CRT TVs, one stand-alone DVD player, a microwave oven, and one Microsoft XBox 360. We had spares for the CRT TVs and the DVD player, and we were fortunate that we were able to get the two LCD TVs repaired at a nominal cost (a small fraction of the replacement price). So the major expense was for the microwave and XBox.
We could have purchased simple insurance that would have prevented the loss entirely, but as it was, we got these new barn doors only after the horses had escaped and been brought back again. As a computer expert for several decades, I should have known better. All we needed was some quality surge protectors at each device. Just like I already have on all my computers.
A surge protector is essentially a shock absorber for electronic equipment. A nearby lighting strike or other event can cause a spike in the electricity coming into your home, which can fry the circuits of electronic devices. A surge protector has components called "metal oxide varistors" — MOVs — that can absorb this extra energy and keep it from reaching your valuable equipment.
One important point to keep in mind is that MOVs act like a car bumper with a crush zone, not like a spring. When it takes a hit, that uses up some of its capacity to absorb future spikes. And eventually, the protection is used up and it is no better than a simple extension cord at saving your devices. For this reason, I recommend that you pay a little extra for a unit that has an indicator light that will show you if you still have functioning protection.
You'll also want to check the specs; a rating for 1,000 to 2,000 joules should be sufficient for most users. These will cost a little more than the absolute cheapo units with no indicator light, but you'll get better protection.
And take it from me; it costs less to buy them now than it does to wait and buy them after you've had to repair or replace your home entertainment equipment.


text:
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text:
third international conference on food studies
Call for Papers
Proposals for paper presentations, workshops or colloquia are invited for the Third International Conference on Food Studies to be held 15-16 October 2013 at the University of Texas at Austin, USA. We welcome proposals from a variety of disciplines and perspectives to contribute to the conference discourse. We also encourage faculty and students to submit joint proposals for paper presentations, colloquia or panel discussions.
The International Advisory Board is also pleased to announce the Call For Submissions to the peer-reviewed Food Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal. Proposals are invited that address one of the following categories:
Theme 1: Food Production and Sustainability
Theme 2: Food, Nutrition and Health
Theme 3: Food Politics, Policies and Cultures
The current deadline to submit a proposal (a title and short abstract) is 2 July 2013. For more information on submitting your proposal, future deadlines, and registering for the conference, please click on the button below.
Presenters have the option to submit completed papers to Food Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal. If you are unable to attend the conference in person, virtual registrations include the option to submit a video presentation, and/or submission to the journal for peer review and possible publication, as well as subscriber access to the journal.
Austin and Food Studies
The International Conference on Food Studies travels to Austin, Texas in 2013. Home to a thriving and vibrant local and slow foods community, Austin is a leader in sustainable food production. A city rich with a dedicated community of locavores and slow food advocates, boasting some of the country's longest running farmers markets, Austin is an ideal location for the discussion of all the dimensions of food studies including agricultural, environmental, nutritional, health, social, economic and cultural perspectives on food.
We look forward to receiving your proposal and hope you will join us in Austin!
Submit Your Proposal
Common Ground Publishing
University of Illinois Research Park
2001 South First Street, Suite 202
Champaign, IL 61820 USA
Copyright © 2012 Common Ground Publishing
This announcement was received by e-mail


text:
Giving attention to the neglected half of our being/brain means greater wellness for the whole. People from a diverse range of backgrounds are becoming aware of this fact. When American businesses realized that worker productivity could be increased through stress-management techniques, programs teaching these techniques began springing up everywhere. Some of these methods of stress-management require people to do seemingly non-rational things, such as repeating a meaningless sound, which has the effect of quieting the thinking" brain. This relaxation spills over into the whole body and can open up previously untapped creative potential. Thus, top-level executives are signing up for workshops in which they meditate and exercise their way to new and livelier ideas.
Through neurofeedback training, people are learning that lowering blood pressure may be as simple as imagining vapors rising from a sun-warmed lake. Migraine headaches can be relieved when the subject creates a mental picture of heat flowing into the fingertips.