Would a city accept costly taxes and monarchy for protection's sake?

Question: Is it realistic for a rather well-to-do city to accept a monarchy over democracy simply for a promise of protection at the cost of higher taxes given baseless rumors of invasion?
Setting is medieval Europe.
Comment: @StuartAllan There are plenty of historical examples of democracies (often only some people had a vote but the concept was still there). In an alternate history or fantasy setting in particular it might have happened.
Comment: I assume the monach in question can back up his proposal with a number of swords. So i guess the city will gladly accept the monach, unless they are themselves able to withhold the city from him.
Comment: @Serifer democracy did not exist in medieval times - for good reason. Most people were poor peasants, democracy would devolve into demagogue and mob-rule. The fact that you are even asking this question shows you lack a basic conceptual understanding on medieval history and the history of governance. I would strongly suggest some more research.
Comment: We really need more information on the scenario in my opinion...and it seems like once you define that information the yes/no you are looking for will become quickly evident.
Comment: Short answer? Yes. I would have absolutely no problem accepting this.
Comment: In your opinion, why would a monarchy be better at raising defenses than a democracy, if it's coming from inside the city? If the question is "would a city subject itself to outside rule for protection", meaning under the protection of a neighboring city/country that already has a monarchy?
Comment: For Stuart, Democracy was invented by the greeks, and many city-states enjoyed a form of democracy in medieval Europe.  However, to the OP, that's the quintescence of the feudal system. People accepted the nobles in exchange for military protection. So by extension the kings. But that was until they realised that without taxes they had more money and with that money they could hire armies on their own. And that anyways, Kings were lousy military leaders.
Comment: You need to read Machiavelli's Prince. He specifically brings up matters relating to going from democracy to monarchy and vice-versa.
Answer: Yes, feudalism was born so. Dictatorships sometimes are born so. If the danger is felt very strongly by the population and the king appears to be the one who can save them from it, people can renounce freedom and accept higher taxes in order to be protected and safe. However, a lot depends on 2 things: the history of the city and the taxes. A city which has been a republic for much time would not accept very well a monarchy unless it is the only way to be safe form dangers. If the taxes imposed by the king are too high, rebellions are much more likely to happen.
So, summing up, a city would accept monarchy if the danger is felt very strong and the king seems to be the best/the one who can keep them safe. But if the king is silly and impose too high taxes or if the city has a well-felt history of democracy, then rebellions are likely to happen, even if people are scared of invasions (they could see them as liberators).
Comment: @StuartAllan While you may disagree with an answer the best solution is to write your own better answer. Voting will then (if it's genuinely a better answer) cause it to rise ahead of the other one. There is no need to be rude to people who are spending their time to try and help people.
Comment: @Eithne I've seen far worse answers than this one, and your English is pretty good, so don't worry too much. Hopefully Stuart will respond to the question with either more detailed feedback here to allow this answer to improve or a well informed answer of his own.
Comment: It wasn't at any mean a full answer, I'm not an expert in history, only what I've studied at school and what a history lover told me. I only wanted to write something that could be useful to have a start.
Comment: May I suggest taking a more open-minded or "brain stormy" tone when writing from a position of ignorance? Getting things started is certainly useful but when you write your answer in an authorative fashion while knowing very little it can be highly misleading for others who do not know what they are talking about.
Comment: I'm sorry if I wrote my answer in an author active way, but my English isn't really good and I'm not able to rewrite it in a better way. I wrote as I can. If you have any advice for me to rewrite it in a more open-minded way, I'll follow them to have a better answer.
Answer: I'm not sure if baseless rumors would be enough, considering how good people are at pretending things are ok when they are not.
It kind of depends on the nature of the threat, and how much fear mongering is happening around the city.
A vague, undefined threat will be ignored for a while, but with constant rumors and news circulating it will slowly increase stress until people decide something should be done.
So why would the people look for a king instead of just handling it through democratic channels?
Well, one reason would be a lack of confidence in their current leaders.
Say there is a really vague threat, but a lot of people are really nervous about it. So they go to the senate and say "we want to raise an army!"
The leaders don't think that the threat is real enough to divert money from city upkeep, and so they put off voting on it.
The people get mad and decide that if the current leaders won't do something about it, they'll get one who will, by golly!
Another consideration is how the common people feel about having a king
I remember an example of a nation that was ruled by judges who took office for a while, and then stepped down when their time was up. It was mostly a way for larger disputes to be handled, and for some basic organization of the nation, but otherwise the people kind of governed themselves. Then there were a few corrupt judges.
After a while the people started looking at all the nations around them and started asking "why can't we have a king? Real nations have kings and ceremony and big armies to fight for them." and the reply was "well, you can, but if you do the king will make taxes, take your sons to raise armies, your land for himself, your livestock for food, and other stuff you don't have to worry about now." and the people said "We want a king. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and go out and fight our battles."
So if they have king envy, even if their current system is working ok, then they are a lot more likely to think a king will solve their problems.
Harvest failed? A king would know what to do.
Raider attacks? We're only weak because we don't have a king.
Next nation over rattling the saber? They wouldn't dare if we had a king to stand up for us!
It might also happen gradually
I remember another story about a democratically elected leader that used fear and vague threats of war to gather more power. He was very charismatic and conniving. By pulling strings and fanning rumors from the shadows, he was able to convince the senate to give him the authority to raise an army and use it to protect the nation. He also made moves to remove his political rivals and others that might stand in his way. Eventually he had so much power that he was able to dissolve the senate and be the undisputed ruler.
Answer: While the answers are all very good, there is one point they have overlooked: the power of the monarchy to simply force itself on the city-state.
If the people in the city fear a putative invasion enough to be willing to place their own security in the hands of an outsider, then one of the factors influencing the decision is a realization that the local militia/city guard/hired mercenary troops or whatever the city is using to protect itself is not capable of dealing with the new threat. When the King offers to step in and take over with the Royal forces because they are capable of dealing with the threat, then the citizens will calculate that the King's army is also powerful enough to sack the city and take everything from them by force.
A historical example is the Italian city states in the Renaissance. They were fortified and had local militias backed by whatever mercenary bands that could be hired in order to protect their autonomy and have enough force to lean on their neighbours if the local rulers desired. (Venice is an exception, being the only true Republic of the period and also being a naval power). While the situation was relatively stable so long as the Italians fought amongst themselves, once outside powers moved in to seize the wealth of Italy, the individual city states were overwhelmed.
The factors are somewhat different from your story (the city states refused to cooperate with each other and often tried to play both sides of the coin with the invaders, generally a bad idea when the invaders discover your double dealing....), but the end results were the same; the overthrow of the ruling families and incorporation of the city states into other polities or empires. If your setting is similar, once a few city states are made examples of, the citizens of the rest should be persuaded to see things the King's way.
Cities which have the ability to resist will most likely decide to stand against the King to protect their own autonomy, property and wealth. Venice, being a naval power and protected from invasion by terrain remained independent until Napoleon finally occupied the city in the 1700's, and in a different context, Dutch cities in the United Provinces used a combination of fortification, flooded terrain and a fanatical rejection of Catholicism to defy the Imperial Spanish armies during the 1500's. The fact that the United Provinces had access to the sea and were able to establish a commercial "empire" provided the financial means to continue to defy Spain for quite some time. Even farther back in history, Athens defied both the Persian Great King and Spartan Kings by being able to use their sea power to bring wealth and food to the city, and project forces outwards. (The common denominator is using sea power to access wealth, food and resources. It may be possible to do this trick without access to the sea, although it would be much harder).
Some extraneous factors might also skew the calculations of the citizens. If they are in the grip of a religious fervour or other mystical belief system which assures them they will prevail, then they will attempt to resist despite the odds against them. Jewish defenders of Jerusalem fought the Roman Legions despite the odds being heavily against them, and saw the Temple destroyed and the Jewish people scattered to the winds. The Cathars were crushed during the Albigensian Crusade for much the same reason (although their belief system seems to have encouraged some of them to seek martyrdom as a means of spiritual release from the material world).
So there will be a certain amount of calculated self interest involved when the citizens decide if they will surrender their privileges to become subjects of the King.
Answer: You might want to look up the story of Cincinnatus.  The term "dictator" originated in Rome.  Sometimes, when they thought that a problem required a singular authority, they replaced their co-consuls with a single dictator.  The dictator would rule for a period of ten years with greater powers than the two consuls would normally have.
Most of the dictators would stay through the end of their term and take advantage of the power that the position gave them.  Cincinnatus was famous for twice leaving promptly after the immediate crisis was finished.
Anyway, the point is that this is quite possible.  Ancient Rome had something like you describe built into their system.  Presumably this came about in response to some original issue and developed into the more polished system.  So it seems quite possible that another democracy might arrive at something like what you describe.
That said, note that people still may find specific examples to be unrealistic.  For example, a medieval European city would be more likely to already have a feudal government.
It may help to give the example of another nearby city that already has a feudal leader that shows success in avoiding being conquered and a third democratic city that is conquered.  However, that might make the fears less baseless and be undesirable on that basis.
Answer: Higher taxes aren't necessarily bad. The reason we continue to have taxes at all is so that the government can build infrastructure and common goods/services such as armies.
A city or state or country giving up self-rule in order to be part of a larger nation is also not unheard of. For example, Puerto Rico wants to join the US as a state. There has been talk of Turcs and Caicos joining Canada. East and West Germany unified after 1989. And practically every modern nation grew out of smaller political entities that consolidated over time.
So, yes, this is plausible, but the specifics of how it happens in any particular case will depend on the situation at hand. The United States was formed from several independent colonies, as was Canada, though the specifics differ: one was through revolution and then uniting against a threat, the other was through a democratic process to improve self-rule.
It's also instructive to look at how larger groups work. Sometimes you have empires, formed usually by conquest, where several nations are ruled together by one nation. Or you have the US, where (arguably) several nations got together to form a bigger one. Or you have the EU, where several nations got together to form something that is nation-flavoured (it has its own government and currency but the member states are still more autonomous than provinces normally are). You even have cases where "nations" are as small as a few blocks of a larger city: c.f. Vatican City, which operates as if it is its own nation but is really more like a part of Italy.
In short: all kinds of arrangements are possible and people will change those arrangements whenever their reasons for doing so outweigh the costs.
Answer: Yes, of course. In history, you'll find a lot of societies that went from republic/democracy to dictatorship or oligarchy. Sometimes through a military takeover, sometimes through gradual political change. For example, look at the birth of Nazi Germany. Look at the development of modern Turkey from Atatürk to Erdogan.
Look at the impact of propaganda and how propaganda is made. Look at conspiration theories and how they might destabilise a government.
Maybe look at Chile under Allende and how the events turned towards dictatorship.
Helpful factors:

crisis in the current government
the population feels the outcome of the crisis (famine, civil unrest, inflation, hampered trade, shortage of goods and foods)
government is in a way ineffective that undermines every trust in it (nepotism, corruption, bad budgeting)
(violent) religious dispute

If everything is in order a aspiring monarch will have much more trouble to overthrow the government but it still isn't impossible. It would need some 'evidence' even manufactured evidence, to make the threat of invasion believable.
Maybe aggression against traveling traders, a massacre .. anything that can be formed into good propaganda.


Purim Torah as a close reason

Question: Should we ask to add a close reason for purim-torah-in-jest?  Admittedly, anything we do on that front is a hack to the system.
Answer: There was some discussion of this (which I can't find now :-( ) when we got the custom close reasons.  On the one hand we need to be able to close the purim-torah questions with an appropriate reason each year.  On the other hand, we don't really want extra close reasons cluttering up the dialogue the rest of the time (it should be as easy as possible for people to choose appropriate close reasons).
We actually have this close reason, but it is not currently activated (meaning you don't see it in the close dialogue).  Since we can activate it at any time, we decided to try leaving it inactive for most of the year, activate it for that one batch of closings each year, and then deactivate it again.  With luck that will meet everybody's needs.  If somebody asks a purim-torah question out of season, just close as off topic (and, if you can, leave a comment suggesting the person come back later).
Comment: Are we going to retroactively go back and change all the old Purim Torah closures?
Comment: @Daniel, that'd require reopening and reclosing the questions just for that reason, which I don't see the value in. Perhaps others will differ, though.
Comment: I thought we reopen old Purim Torah questions around Adar anyway, so this will happen naturally in a few months.
Comment: @CharlesKoppelman we don't automatically re-open all the old ones, because we'd like to encourage new questions, but we do re-open some.  When the time comes, feel free to make nominations in chat -- that's what people did last time and it seemed to work out ok.  (I'm just speaking for myself here; if the mods decide before then that some other process would work better, there'll be a meta post about it.)
Answer: Since few purim-torah-in-jest questions are asked for most of the year, most closures for that reason are all at once when the season is over. These are easily handled by a moderator, who can copy-paste the reason as a one-off off-topic closure reason even without activating the custom (but non-one-off) closure reason.

Purim Torah as a close reason


What can I do with the pressed grapes (mash) after getting the juice out?

Question: What can I do with the pressed grapes after getting the juice for making wine?  It smells so good.  It seems a shame to just throw it all away.
Comment: One option would be to compost it.  I'm guessing this answer isn't in the spirit of your question.  But, it's still better than throwing it away!
Answer: Although I have not done wine myself, if I ever did I would take the mash and make Grappa, Marc, Raki or one of those similiarities.
I found an eHow on how to make grappa; eHow - How to Make Grappa.
As far as I can see, if there was something (that tastes) better to do with it then Grappa probably wouldn't exist =)
Answer: If you don't want to make Grappa or the like, crushed mash makes excellent compost. I remember taking wheel barrows full to the garden for my grandfather each year.


How can I limit the plot of $f(x,y)=\rm{cons}t$ to the contour that passes through an specific point?

Question: I want to plot a curve given by $$f(x,y)\equiv y-y^3+3yx^2=0,$$ that passes through $(0,0)$ and $f(x,y) \to + \infty$ as $|x|,|y| \to \infty$. I thought of using ContourPlot to do so but when I use ContourPlot[y-y^3+3yx^2==0,{x,x_min,x_max},{y,y_min,y_max}], there are three other curves in addition to the one I want. How can I get only the one that is desired? Is there any other function that can give me the four parametric solutions to $y(u)-y(u)^3+3\, y(u)\, x(u)^2=0$?
Answer: Your equation has a trivial solution y=0 at any x. Its plot is a straight line along the x axis. This one passes through the point (0,0). In addition to that try the following:
eq = y - y^3 + 3*y*x^2 == 0;
sl = Solve[eq, x]

(* {{x -> -(Sqrt[-1 + y^2]/Sqrt[3])}, {x -> Sqrt[-1 + y^2]/Sqrt[3]}} *)

Then one makes a parametric plot:
ParametricPlot[{{sl[[1, 1, 2]], y}, {sl[[2, 1, 2]], y}}, {y, -10, 10},
  AxesLabel -> {x, y}]

returning the following:

where two colors correspond to the two above solutions. As the result, either the solution passes through the point (0,0), but f(x,y) stays indeterminate in infinity, or the solution does not pass through this point, but then f(x,y) turn into infinity at large x and y.
Have fun!
Answer: ContourPlot finds three solutions
ContourPlot[y - y^3 + 3*y*x^2 == 0, {x, -10, 10}, {y, -10, 10},FrameLabel -> {x, y}]

one of them is the solution you are looking for!
select the "right" curve:
cond = Reduce[ y - y^3 + 3*y*x^2 == 0, y] /. Or -> List
(*{y == 0, y == -Sqrt[1 + 3 x^2], y == Sqrt[1 + 3 x^2]} *)
cond /. {x -> 0, y -> 0}
(*{True, False, False}*)

y == 0 is the solution!
Answer: You can also post-process the ContourPlot output to remove the lines that do not contain {0,0}:
Normal[ContourPlot[y - y^3 + 3*y*x^2 == 0, {x, -10, 10}, {y, -10, 10}]] /.
   l_Line /; Not[RegionMember[l, {0, 0}]] :> Nothing

Comment: Just learnt about Nothing! Cool.


Frequent fork swapping, best practice?

Question: For folks who frequently swap forks (i.e. rigid fork for one race, suspension fork the next weekend, back/forth) how do you manage headset/crown race compatibility? I assume you end up with matching crown races on the forks so that you don't have to remove/install with each swap? I'm not seeing many resources online where one can buy an extra matching crown race for my headset....is this common? Maybe it's just not something that is 'retailed' often but the LBS would have to 'special order' it from the manufacturer's catalog? Any known retailers sell complete headsets with TWO crown races? Or am I way off track - is there a different way to approach this?
Comment: Who swaps forks that frequently?  I would honestly expect fork swaps to be rare, and that people who want both would prefer to have more than one bike.
Comment: I swap between rigid and suspension forks on my hardtail MTB frequently, mostly it's seasonal or for certain events, but it happens a few times a year at least. Most of the time I like my fancy suspension fork. However, I like to keep the Rigid fork on during the winter or super muddy offroad rides to prevent too much gunk from getting in my fork seals.  Also, sometimes I like a rigid fork with bosses for bikepacking bags and would swap out for a weekend (or longer) trip.
Comment: Exactly.  One may not be able to afford 2 or 3 very nice bikes, but may be able to afford one very nice bike and an additional wheelset and/or fork that make it more appropriate for a wider variety of situations.
Comment: It is strange I have not found this question before, so I even posted my [own](https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/51318/alternating-two-forks-on-a-single-bicycle-do-i-need-two-headsets) as I have exactly the same issue. My search has shown that you can actually buy only pieces you need, not just the whole set. In my case, Cane Creek seems to guarantee compatibility between its series 10 and 40: https://www.canecreek.com/products/headsets/ten and sells different lower and upper bearings separately, if needed.
Answer: I have done such a thing for many years with a rigid carbon fork for winter and a suspension fork for summer. At the beginning I simply called the headset manufacturer and ordered another crown race for my headset.
Many reputable manufacturers sell crown races separately (or give them away if you call and ask nicely).  It is quite common to damage a crown race if it is not removed properly during a fork swap and SHOULD NOT require buying a whole new headset.  If your manufacturer won't sell you another crown race, I would highly recommend you buy another headset from a manufacturer that will and be done with it.
Companies that won't sell small replacement parts for their products generally have a "disposable" mentality for their products.  If they consider their products disposable, you should as well.  I personally avoid such companies as I would prefer to not ride or deal with disposable parts.
Comment: I use Chris King headsets partially for this reason, and the fact that they are built to last. It's about $18 USD for a spare crown race. I have 2 mountain bikes with the same headset and 4 forks with extra crown races mounted I can swap between them. It's a great system for me to go between rigid forks and suspension.

Alternatively Cane Creek has options for spare crown races for their headsets for less cash than king. You may need to replace your headset, but you should be able to get spares for cane creek 40 and above models (though, you want to confirm availability before you buy).
Answer: I think you are in such a small niche, that there are no dedicated solutions for you. Buying two complete, identical headsets is an option. In general people replace the whole headset, so there is no need for spare parts to be present on the market.
Edited after comment:
If the producer of the fork and crown race does not mention explicitly such possibility,
once removed, crown race should not be mounted back, because it can get imperceptibly bent.
Comment: Many forks (and crown races) have slots intended for removing the race during a fork swap.  It requires a flathead screwdriver and some gentle pressure.  Unless it has been damaged, there is no reason a crown race can't be reused.  Doing so weekly, may however, prematurely wear the race.  Reputable and quality manufacturers will make maintenance and replacement  parts for their headsets.
Comment: *Once removed, crown race should not be mounted back* - please explain
Comment: @andy256 Clarified. If there is no special design, mentioned by Suspended User, I would strongly discourage mounting it back.

Frequent fork swapping, best practice?


Reduce spam from Contact form without CAPTCHA?

Question: I'm using the standard EE Contact Form (exp:email:contact_form) and getting spammed. Apart from enabling CAPTCHA, are there any good ways of reducing spam from it? Using EE 5.3.2.
Answer: You need to check out Snaptcha from Put Your Lights On.  A remarkable add-on for EE - install it and it just works: no configuration or hoopla.  Have used on several installations and it is effective.  Highly recommended.
Comment: Nice! I didn't know that was still around. Used it for EE2 and it worked well. Glad to see it's still around and working.
Answer: Short of using a Captcha there's no sure fire way to stop spam. https://putyourlightson.com/plugins/snaptcha-ee is a good Captcha because it works behind the scenes, I've used it and it does stop most spam.
There's always the option of forcing visitors to do a preview first before sending, using the preview parameter https://docs.expressionengine.com/latest/add-ons/email.html#preview - bots tend to miss this so it can stop most spam, albeit at slight inconvenience.
Answer: Interesting results: With Snaptcha (set to highest protection) + EE's built-in contact form, I still get spammed. But I never get spam via any of my FreeForm Pro forms. So I'm going to use FreeForm Pro for my contact form, as well.
I thought Spaptcha and FreeForm used similar "honeypot" methods? Maybe not.
Update: Been using FreeForm as my contact form for a few days and haven't gotten any spam. It says it's filtered out 62 now and I believe it.
Comment: Is the Snaptcha code being added to your contact form?
Comment: I installed it and it said it automatically did that, so I assumed yes.
Comment: I remember you had to add a line of code somewhere when you're using it with the EE contact form?!?!  Maybe I'm wrong
Comment: Interesting. That would explain things. Reading https://putyourlightson.com/plugins/snaptcha-ee#using-snaptcha, they really hype not having to do anything other than install Snaptcha.


When is it appropriate to use `dump` vs `rsync`?

Question: When is it appropriate to use dump vs rsync for backups?
Comment: See this http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-software-2/rsync-or-dump-405888/
Answer: Having expended far too much time with dump, it is probably best relegated to history. Its primary design goal was to be as efficient as possible with slow filesystems and the constraints of magnetic tape.
Those design criteria no longer obtain and I cannot imagine a situation (aside from legacy systems) where dump would provide any advantage.
Answer: dump is traditionally used in cases where you need to image an entire device once, and not keep backing it up incrementally. Since it was created in a time where magnetic tapes were popular, random disk writes were not all that possible, making incremental backups nearly impossible.
rsync is a more robust tool that doesn't try to account for those obsolete technologies. This allows it to have random access to the backup destination and lets it take true incremental backups.
dump functions at a lower level than rsync, so you can actually ask it to dump unmounted filesystems, which AFAIK isn't a possibility with rsync. Other than that, rsync is a superior tool in almost every way, and allows you to minimize transfer, which is especially useful over network backups.
Comment: No, `dump` is very much intended for incremental backups, hence why it has dump levels.
Answer: In addition to the other answers, rsync's ability to run on most operating systems (even telephones!) and it's sheer ubiquity and popularity make it my choice.
Answer: Strictly speaking, rsync is not a backup tool -- it is a copy tool.  If you want to use a simple copy as a backup method, then rsync is a good tool to accomplish that.  dump gets you an archive file that can be compressed, so it takes up less space than a simple copy, and can be split across multiple backup disks and put on write once media.  It also can do incremental backups both for speed of daily backups, and so you have multiple snapshots in time you can go back through looking for a specific version of a file.  You can get something similar with rsnapshot which uses rsync and hard links, but it requires the backup medium to be a single hard disk that is large enough.


The illusions and delusions of the world

Question: How do we as Buddhists deal with a world that creates and embraces illusions and fabrications? For example, government is an idea and a fabrication, it is not a person or a thing, it just a group of individuals. A lot of people believe in this idea and accept it as something real; they believe it so much they follow without thinking. Next, covid. WOW! talk about following non-truth. This something that has never been proven to have been isolated, therefore it does not exist, yet people follow the the other illusion's advice (government). Why do people follow an illusion of an illusion? As a Buddhist who has learned to strip away many of these illusions, I still find it difficult to fathom. Particularly when others illusions start to directly affect me and my safety. Even other Buddhists have bought into this covid illusion, why?
How do we stay on the path, when our actions of not following these illusions makes a target, by not wearing masks, taking vaccines and not following government illusions?
Comment: Is this question related to Buddhism? We don't want Buddhism.SE to be used to spread misinformation about Covid-19, masks and vaccines.
Comment: Related: [What is the difference between relative and absolute truth in Buddhist philosophy?](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/1259/471), [Conventional versus Ultimate](https://buddhism.stackexchange.com/q/11625/471)
Comment: A Buddhist is as real as Covid, they r both consepts made up by human beings but within  conseptual reality, consepts have to work with other concepts in order to be good concepts that don't lead to suffering. . "Buddhist" is a consept that is in tune with other concepts & it is a doorway beyond concepts. The governments controlled by dictators who claim they r noble defenders of the oppressed  have manufactured  ideas around Covid. These concepts r in tune with concepts that lead us to suffering. .
Answer: The Theravada tradition has the concept of conventional truth and ultimate truth. You can read about it in this excellent answer.
It does not say that the universe is unreal. Rather, it differentiates what we sense from the six sense media, from the concepts that we create in our mind through reification (papanca).
Although the Buddha himself was fully enlightened and saw things exactly as they are, and did not cling to concocted concepts, yet he made use of concepts as far as they were useful. He did not cling to them but saw them as mere conventions. After all, are not the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha all mere concepts?
The monastic rules of the Vinaya has rules pertaining to food, lodging, medicine, conduct etc. There are rules pertaining to medical care. The Buddha ate, slept, wore robes, took medicine when he was ill etc.
The Middle Way of the Buddha avoids both extreme indulgence and extreme asceticism. It includes moderation in food, healthcare and living. To neglect healthcare is to go against the Middle Way of moderation.
From Kucchivikara-vatthu of the Vinaya, the Buddha taught:

"A sick person endowed with five qualities is hard to tend to: he does
what is not amenable to his cure; he does not know the proper amount
in things amenable to his cure; he does not take his medicine; he does
not tell his symptoms, as they actually are present, to the nurse
desiring his welfare, saying that they are worse when they are worse,
improving when they are improving, or remaining the same when they are
remaining the same; and he is not the type who can endure bodily
feelings that are painful, fierce, sharp, wracking, repellent,
disagreeable, life-threatening. A sick person endowed with these five
qualities is hard to tend to.
"A sick person endowed with five qualities is easy to tend to: he does
what is amenable to his cure; he knows the proper amount in things
amenable to his cure; he takes his medicine; he tells his symptoms, as
they actually are present, to the nurse desiring his welfare, saying
that they are worse when they are worse, improving when they are
improving, or remaining the same when they are remaining the same; and
he is the type who can endure bodily feelings that are painful,
fierce, sharp, wracking, repellent, disagreeable, life-threatening. A
sick person endowed with these five qualities is easy to tend to.

Based on this Vinaya quote, I would say that the Buddha himself would have wanted his followers to practice moderation, and accept the advice of healthcare professionals and the government when dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.
Also, spreading misinformation about Covid-19, masks and vaccines is against the fourth precept of not speaking falsehood.
Wearing a surgical mask is more for the wearer to avoid spreading pathogens to others, than for the wearer's own protection from contracting an infectious disease. As such, wearing a mask with the explicit intention of reducing others' suffering, is also an expression of compassion (karuna).
The quote from DN 26 below, also shows that the Buddha did not promote anarchy. He stated that the wheel-turning monarch should provide just protection and security to his subjects and also care for their welfare.

'But sire, what are the noble duties of a wheel-turning monarch?'
'Well then, my dear, relying only on principle—honoring, respecting,
and venerating principle, having principle as your flag, banner, and
authority — provide just protection and security for your court,
troops, aristocrats, vassals, brahmins and householders, people of
town and country, ascetics and brahmins, beasts and birds. Do not let
injustice prevail in the realm. Pay money to the penniless in the
realm.

I would even say that a responsible Buddhist should support his or her government and follow its advice, if the government is discernibly doing the right thing, and if its advice is in accordance with the five precepts, Right Action, Right Speech and Right Livelihood. For e.g. conscription into military service is against Right Livelihood.
Answer:
For example, government is an idea and a fabrication, it is not a person or a thing, it just a group of individuals. A lot of people believe in this idea and accept it as something real

I heard a nice analogy once. If you have a dog and tell it to "come", then it either comes or it ignores you: but if it ignores you, at least it can hear you, and you're being ignored by "the whole dog".
Compare that to a bureaucracy -- if you tell a bureaucrat or functionary something and then nothing happens, that doesn't even mean that the "whole bureaucracy" has necessarily "heard" you.
So in that sense it's true that the government isn't a "thing" -- in the sense that you can't touch it, you can't talk to (all of) it on the phone. That doesn't mean that the government "doesn't exist" though: I tend to equate "non-existent government" with "failed state" -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Failed_state for example Somalia -- if hopefully you're living in a society that's better organised and less violent than that, perhaps that's evidence of some at least partially-effective government.

they believe it so much they follow without thinking

Maybe you should follow it sometimes, but with thinking.
Following government orders without thinking is a characteristic of Totalitarianism, and historical problems including genocide etc.
But mask-wearing for example is recommended by government and by health professionals for a purpose -- which is that it's to avoid harming (infecting) other people. And that seems to be a worthwhile motive, which is inline with Buddhist ethics.
And it's not only the motive (i.e. being harmless) but also the mechanism (wearing masks) that seems to me sensible -- believable -- surgeons for example wear surgical masks, to avoid infecting their patients. Wearing masks, using vaccines, fits with everything I've ever learned (at school and afterwards) about the history of medicine and science and epidemiology and so on.

How do we stay on the path, when our actions of not following these illusions makes a target, by not wearing masks, taking vaccines and not following government illusions?

I think it's a matter of doing things "wisely".
If "the government" (or anyone else) tells you to do things which harm others, perhaps that's advice which you should happily ignore.
If it's advice on how to protect others from harm, perhaps that's advice which you should happily hear.
Your argument seems to be ... "1) This advice comes from the government. 2) The government doesn't exist. 3) Therefore I should ignore the advice." -- which doesn't seem to me a sensible argument.
I gather from the suttas that an argument like, "Nothing exists" is a kind of wrong view, an extreme.
And I think that even the Vinaya implies some obedience to, living with, the national laws (or "king's laws"), and performing bodily actions which protect others from harm (and even which protect yourself from ill-repute).
Answer: The Buddha did not oppose the social distinction of the four castes, namely, priest, rulers/warriors, merchants & workers. The Buddha said the warrior/ruling class is the supreme among the castes and there is even a scripture (DN 26) about the importance of a Righteous Monarch that protects society.
It follows it is a form of "dhamma" ("maintainer of well-being") for society to have right government. For example, without right government, there would not be rule of law and the various universal social infrastructures, such as roads, hospitals, police, schools, water supply, social welfare, etc.
In summary, in teaching his Noble Eightfold Path, the Buddha distinguished between right (samma) and wrong (miccha).
For some onlookers, our current world has the dilemma of wrong corrupt corporate government or plutocracy. Buddhists buy into this because most religions have faith-followers who have not yet reached the level of clear moral discernment. For example, they may believe 88 million suspected Americans, plus 17 million infected Americans, causing 300,000 deaths, with an average of 2.7 comorbidities and average age of death of 75 years old, is an "pandemic emergency".
Covid-19 at times appears similar to when a war falls upon a nation. Try to imagine living in England, France, Germany, Russia, etc, during WW2 or living today in Iraq, Libya, Syria or Yemen. As a Buddhist practitioner, we can only have great patience and prepare for the worst via relinquishment.
In respect to Covid-19, it appears the same unopposed government officials that brought hell to the above mentioned nations of peoples are bringing a similar thing to Western nations. This is the collective kamma from the majority of Western people who turned a blind eye to their lawless governments or, even worse, supported the so-called "humanitarian interventionist wars". Enough Western Buddhist monks & nuns were even guilty of this and these same support the Covid & Climate Emergency hysteria.
Comment: This is sad to ponder.There are few that see these things. Following the path may become more difficult in the future, especially in public. 22:94 "Monks, just as a blue, red, or white lotus—born in the water, grown up in the water—stands having risen above the water, unsmeared by the water; in the same way, the Tathāgata—born in the world, grown up in the world—dwells having conquered the world, unsmeared by the world."
Answer: In any situation like you describe, the often best thing to do (as a Buddhist or anyone) is to focus and develop your own personal and familial situation towards peace and concord.
Like you said, government is more of an idea not so much a tangible thing, made up of individuals. The way of change towards large groups is the way of change in the individual. If you can find some peace and happiness in your own life, then you can begin to spread it to others; and who knows how far those effects reach.
If you find you are obsessing over others and their actions, might be better to focus on making peace with those obsessions first; That is something tangible you can do about it.


Starting with the Sodium Attack

Question: Can someone suggest good to great developments starting with the Sodium Attack Na3? I am currently using this opening for my games, but I cannot find a really powerful strategic development with this opening. Any previous games with this is also welcome, as well as some advice on development strategies.
Comment: That's maybe because it's not a sound opening?
Comment: check the sample size. Also, probably just strong players trolling weaker players.
Comment: You're really making a mistake playing this rubbish. Learn how to play mainline openings instead.
Comment: but the chess.com site's record shows a ~66% advantage for white with this opening.
Comment: You might have heard the old expression "a knight on the rim is dim". If you look at classical openings like the Ruy Lopez or QGD you'll notice the knights are put on their more natural squares in harmony with the central pawns. If you want to improve your game focus on established openings which provide clear strategies to follow. You'll need to explore them a bit but you'll make more progress if you ignore junk like 1.Na3.
Answer: The analysis below is without the aid of a computer or any resources, but are just my thoughts on an unconventional opening:
<code>[FEN ""]

1. Na3 e5 {Black seizes the centre and has the option to play ...Bxa3} 2. b3 {White dissuades ...Bxa3 and plans to fianchetto the bishop later} d5 {Black gains more space to counter white's hypermodern plans} 3. c4 {White must challenge the black centre, and hopes for 3...dxc4 4. Nxc4} d4 {Black wants to retain the space advantage} 4. Nc2 {Preparing e3, Be2 and O-O} Nf6 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. d3
</code>
Comment: After 4 ... Bb4+ you lose the knight on a3...
Comment: @user1583209: Good point. I'd have to play 4. Nc2 before d3. Guess that's what I get for multi-tasking.
Comment: Thanks for your suggestion, I'll work on working with and modifiying this strategy
Comment: @Lelouch Why would you spend any time on this? What are you hoping for?
Comment: Maybe a good strategic development, where  i can bring the knight on a3 to the centre when required, while not disturbing my central pawn line initially. Basically, a non-central attack.
Comment: @Lelouch: even though I've provided an answer, I would recommend 1. Nf3, the King's Indian Attack, which similarly leaves the central pawns flexible. But that's my own take on it.
Answer: Let's think this through.
Frankly, I think Na3 is a terrible opening move.  But I'll play along with the concept for a moment because there is the germ of a useful lesson in this exercise.
Clearly, a3 is a poor spot for a knight - it can only attack four spaces, all of which are near the edge of the board - so this move must be to get the knight to a better square.  c2 and c4 are the obvious candidates.  From c2, the knight exerts pressure on d4, which isn't a bad thing.  (In a lot of openings, d5 ends up being critical, which suggests that Na6 might have potential as an opening move for Black.)  From c4, the knight pressures d6 and e5.  You could imagine this move being paired with f4 or Bf4, along with Nf3, to put pressure deep into the Black center.
I seriously doubt that any of these ideas are really going to be effective over the board.  But the exercise of looking at a move like this and thinking through how it might be turned to advantage is what every player should be doing every time his opponent makes a move.  The moment your opponent lifts his fingers from his piece, you should run through just this sort of exercise.  Try to figure out what sort of strategic ideas (as well as tactical) his move might support.  To win consistently, it isn't enough to have a strategy.  You have to be able to identify and counter your opponent's strategy as well.
Answer: Chess openings are characterized by a sequence of moves and a certain pawn structure in the center. This pawn structure is the major factor that determines the strategic ideas for the middlegame.
In your question you give a single move and in a comment you state that you do not want to disturb the central pawn line initially  (for whatever reason..). As you can see from this, what you have here is not really an opening and therefore it is impossible to give you any specific strategic ideas without knowing your plan/setup for the center. Basically asking for strategic plans in the position after 1. Na3 is like asking for strategic plans in the initial position. All we can recommend are general opening principles in this case: fight for the center, develop pieces...
I agree with anybody else that 1. Na3 is not a good move. It is not going to lose immediately, but gives away the advantage you have playing white. Some reasons why it is a bad start for a game:
1 Na3 puts the knight on the rim where it has few squares. This is not in itself a bad idea, if it could go to some meaningful squares from there or if it could attack something from there. However playing this as the first move you cannot say whether it will be a good place for the knight in the future. If black is an experienced player he will try to take advantage of you committing your knight to such a square that early.
Let's see what future the knight could have from there. On b5 and c4 it could easily get kicked away by a pawn, which leaves c2, which is really only a useful square if you need to defend a pawn on d4 or if you want to push a pawn-break on d4. But do you know whether this will be the case?
A similar purpose you could achieve by moving the knight b1-c3-e2, which is a more flexible route with lots of alternative options, while for your knight on a3 most of the time the only possible path will be to c2.
Also note that in order to get to the semi-useful square of c2 you needed to move the knight twice so you lost a tempo.
As others I strongly recommend to play something more normal. Chess openings are very well analyzed and there is a reason that nobody is playing 1 Na3
Answer: Aka Durkin Opening.
I would tend to agree with some of the negative comments re Na3 as the first move: Knights tend to be most effective when they have a stable central post ie are protected and cannot be kicked away by a pawn.
However, another way of looking at Na3 as a first move for White is that you are in effect playing as Black but with an extra move in hand. Playing a first move as white like a3 or h3 is like this too. In principle these moves as White cannot be bad as such but you may just be handing the initiative to Black.
But assuming you decide to try 1.Na3, if you can drive subsequent play so that the Na3 Knight can find a secure spot at c4 or c2 then the move may have the virtue of getting your opponent out of book early and also strengthen your centre.
Remember, Tony Miles played 1.....a6 as his first move with Black against Anatoly Karpov and beat him in a fine game!
Karpov may even have been World Champ at the time.

Starting with the Sodium Attack


Where can I import my keys from computer to multiBit HD

Question: I have upgraded my multiBit classic to multiBit HD but I am having hard time to find how to import private keys to my multiBit HD wallets.
Any idea ?
Answer: All your addresses and private keys in MultiBit HD are produced from the wallet words that you are given when you create a wallet. (This is why it is so important to write your wallet words down).
Because everything is generated from one thing the randomly generated private keys in MultiBit Classic cannot be imported into MultiBit HD.
The safest way to transfer your bitcoin is to spend them.
There is a step-by-step guide on migrating from MultiBit Classic to HD in the help here:
https://multibit.org/en/help/hd0.1/how-to-upgrade-from-classic.html


Exporting private key from expired bitcoin address (now showing as watch-only)

Question: Is there a way, in theory, to export private key from the bitcoin address (watch-only) that is now expired, but used once before? (even to get a different format of that key, numeric one instead of QR code used in the first place?). If everything is traceable, out of curiosity - has anyone ever managed to actually do this?
Answer: It is not possible to compute the private key for an address, ever, unless there are severe bugs in the wallet that holds the key.
Also addresses don't expire. For privacy reasons it is bad to reuse them, but their security does not depend on this.
In addition the "now showing as watch-only" in your question seems confused. Addresses don't become watch-only by being used; if it's watch-only it's because it has always been watch-only.
Comment: Well some obviously do expire on certain sites, for security reasons (some change after every week etc.) I understand the question might be confusing as I am also not an expert, I am trying to explain situation that I'm faced with and describing literally what I'm seeing from my end. Thinking that, because of the security measures set on that wallet (they have been changed after certain amount of time), could it also be that they - once imported in another wallet - become watch-only now?
Comment: @Zion I don't have enough information to say for sure, but my theory is that you have been scammed. Is it possible someone gave you an account, or let you import information in an account, and the  told you to deposit coins in it so that there is enough to withdraw? If so, the watch-only wallet was always watch-only.


Needs Office for Mac 2011 Outlook Spotlight?

Question: I have deactivated Spotlight, because the mdb process used a lot of memory and I use Spotlight not really often :-) Today I searched some emails in Outlook (Office for Mac 2011) and the mails could not be found, but they are there (I can see them!). Is this only by accident or does Outlook use the Spotlight index?
Answer: As you suspected, Outlook for Mac does use Spotlight's index files (as do many other apps, such as Alfred). If you've got Spotlight disabled, search in Outlook isn't going to work either.
Spotlight shouldn't take up any memory really at all if it's not indexing and/or updating indexes.
Comment: Yep! If you are observing a large memory usage by mdb, it'd be worth deleting the index files & doing a complete reindex. It isn't unheard of to run into issues where mdb goes haywire.


Read and store data with the usb

Question: Hi i am new to Arduino and I want to know if it is possible to read the data from a sensor that it is connected to the Arduino, I am using the Arduino mega 2560, which is already working, as I have a LED which change color depending on the detection of the object and then store it in a file as txt or another normal extension.
Comment: You need to edit this question to be more specific about what you are asking.  A typical Arduino can report data back to a *USB host* such as a PC (typically actually through a serial port like channel, although the transport is USB), however at least the ATmega-based ones are unable to act as hosts themselves, which means that they cannot directly write data to a *USB device* such as a flash drive.
Comment: That's correct.  I use Arduinos of many flavors to write data out their serial port, and have a Python program on  the PC side waiting for data on /dev/ttyUSB0 (for example).  That works fine.  Please take the tour at https://arduino.stackexchange.com/Tour then come back and edit this question to be more specifically about the Arduino.  You are welcome here.  But this question is in danger of being closed as-is.
Answer: I don't have experience with Processing, but probably that is what you need. It communicates through USB and with the CreateWriter function, you can create a text file.
More about Processing can be found at Processing
Also another thread at Electronics stack exchange might help:
Related question
Alternatives (also mentioned in the above thread):

Use serial port directly with a terminal application on the PC
Use an SD card inside the Arduino to log
Comment: Thanks I would want to do that with the serial port directly with a terminal application as putty or the Arduino serial monitor.
Comment: Than just copy the content to a text file.
Answer: From what I understand from your question, you want to store the data displayed in the Serial monitor to a text file or something similar. As the Arduino itself cannot do this task, I used "GoBetwino" to save my data from an Arduino into a text file, from where you can export the data into Excel if you want charts and graphs. The process is fairly easy and described properly in their user manual.
https://playground.arduino.cc/Interfacing/GoBetwino

Read and store data with the usb


Open API for occupations and skills

Question: I'm looking for an API or other service with a taxonomy of occupations, skills and so forth in a structured or unstructured description.
Comment: Anders, welcome to Opendata. Note that this is a general website, *not* from the Department of Labor. [Read this for background](https://opendata.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/351/editing-a-tags-name-wondering-about-us-gov-involvement-just-the-usual)
Answer: Have you looked at Schema.org 's "Occupation"? This may correspond to what you need. It's not an API, but you can build (or someone might have) one which uses it.
Answer: US federal Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) sysem is a federal statistical standard used by federal agencies to classify workers into occupational categories for the purpose of collecting, calculating, or disseminating data. All workers are classified into one of 867 detailed occupations according to their occupational definition. To facilitate classification, detailed occupations are combined to form 459 broad occupations, 98 minor groups, and 23 major groups. Detailed occupations in the SOC with similar job duties, and in some cases skills, education, and/or training, are grouped together.

Open API for occupations and skills


Is 10 concurrent connections to the MySQL servers enough?

Question: Please anyone explain this mysql concurrent connections. My host is providing only 10 concurrent connections. Is that enough?.
Does that mean only 10 users can access the website at the same time?
Comment: If you use a connection pool that you limit to 10, it's enough, and more than 10 people can access your site. If you don't use a connection pool, you'll run into issues.
Answer:
Does that mean only 10 users can access the website at the same time?

This isn't a well-defined measure of what 10 concurrent users means.  Consider the following hypothetical blog I have:
I go to example.com/blog and it loads in 100 ms.  I then read this page for 3 minutes.  In the course of three minutes, the page I loaded spent 100ms loading, where < 100ms was actually used connecting to a database.
That means at the exact same time I was loading the page, 9 other people could have been also loading a page. The page has been open for 3 more minutes, however, and no concurrent connections were exhausted and hundreds of other people could have loaded the page, concurrent connections unrelated to me 'accessing the website'.
So the important take-away is at any given precise moment will you ever have more than 10 people accessing it?   Assuming you find even the most elementary ways to reduce the page load times of your code-behind (the php, not external assets being loaded), you'll be easy able to handle hundreds of people an hour without once running into a "Too many connections" error, which would be the signal of an actual issue.
On the other hand--and again depending on your content--if you think you have enough users (or enough db connections) to by-chance have > 10 users all trying to do something within the exact same ~100-200ms of time window, that persists on attempted refreshes--then you'd have to request the host up that limit or move elsewhere.  On that note, many hosts and the web servers behind it can help log these issues or bring them to your attention.  Until then, there's a good chance 10 concurrent users is sufficient for even medium sized websites.
Answer: Consider the math for this question:  if your average page exec time is 5 seconds and you have 300 users and they tend to click once per minute, then 10 connections will have you at your saturation point: ((300 * 5) / 60) == 10.  Your choices: make your pages faster (eg. a sub-second page will increase your limit x6) or get more connections.  Otherwise, your users will end up waiting longer.
Answer: That means that only 10 users can access the database at the exact same time.
http://dev.mysql.com/tech-resources/articles/mysql-administrator-best-practices.html
10 is a very low value, you can safely increase it.
Answer: No, it's not that just 10 users that can access the website at the same time, it's the number of database connection that are possible at same time i.e.
At a time, only 10 connections get there processing to be done and other requests need to wait until a connection if freed.
If the number of users accessing the site concurrently are less then, this is not a concern. But you would need to increase this number if you need to scale the website for more number of users.


Does traffic-separation warrant its own tag?

Question: I initially rejected an edit to this question as it created an extra traffic-separation tag for a question already tagged air-traffic-control. Since the primary function of ATC is traffic separation, wouldn't an air-traffic-control tag be sufficient? The edit has since been approved by others.
Answer: Well, traffic separation involves more than just air traffic control.  VFR traffic is responsible for their own separation, and many times they aren't even talking to ATC.  There are also technologies that are strongly linked to traffic separation (TCAS, ADS-B, etc.).  That being said, I'm not sure that there will be a lot of people searching for "traffic separation" type questions.  More likely, they will be searching for questions about ATC rules, technology questions, etc. that involve it.
I could go either way on this one. As a tag, I doubt that there will be a lot of activity so we probably don't need it, but it doesn't really hurt either.  I say let it go and we'll see if there are more questions down the road, and if not we can get rid of it then.
Comment: At the moment I don't see much need for [tag:traffic-separation] either -- We have a few questions that are *specifically* about it (like the one above, and the one about [oceanic/non-radar separation](http://aviation.stackexchange.com/questions/492/)), but so far they all seem to be more "ATC Procedure" questions (and really all those questions are in *some way* related to traffic separation)
Comment: maybe it's just me, but I feel the term "traffic separation" is intrinsically associated with air traffic control, sure there is VFR traffic separation... in class B. :) The kind of traffic separation VFR traffic does on their own amounts to "don't hit nobody" doesn't it? I mean you can fly within inches of someone and still be legal, can't you? Of course, that's subjected to the rule "don't do nuthin' dumb", but still.
Comment: @falstro Well, there are regulations that VFR traffic must follow (cloud clearance requirements, lighting requirements, recommended radio practices, see and avoid, etc.) that could be covered by that tag. Like I said, TCAS, etc.  it's more than just ATC is all I'm trying to say.  :)
Comment: True, that's all stuff to give the pilot a decent chance of not hitting anybody, but there are no rules that planes should be separated from each other except when ATC is involved. Or are you saying simply giving someone a wide berth is a form of 'traffic separation'? By analogy, would keeping your distance to the vehicle in front of you on the freeway also be considered 'traffic separation'? To be clear, I'm not trying to troll you, I'm just asking because (until now at least) my understanding of the term 'traffic separation' is what ATC does.
Comment: Well all of the rules and procedures (whether ATC or not) are traffic separation **techniques**. ATC procedures would be a subset of those techniques. As far as the tag, I would think that we would want to keep it generic and not limit the scope of an already low use tag.


Why not ask Bran what's west of Westeros?

Question: In Game of Thrones, it is shown that the Three eyed Raven (aka Bran) is capable of seeing the past through the eyes of any person in the human history. So why couldn't Arya simply ask Bran what's "west of Westeros" instead of sailing into the unknown? Surely Bran could relegate the story of every single human settlement on the surface of the earth?
Answer: 1. We've no evidence that Bran knows anything about anywhere other than Westeros
This is obviously not definitive, we know essentially nothing about the limits of Bran's abilities. But it's possible that this is a question he just doesn't know the answer to, or may decline to answer for reasons we couldn't even begin to guess at.
2. Arya isn't looking for an answer, she's looking for something to do
This is the big one. Arya's story is mostly about revenge and independence. Her enemies are dead, and no one can make her do anything she doesn't want to do.
What other options might seem compelling to her? She's not going to be to be the Lady of Winterfell, even if she wanted to be. She seems uninterested in playing the role of Westerosi noble at all. The only trade she knows is fighting and killing, which she can do at her whim at any time. She seems to have had enough of being a contract killer back in Braavos.
But whether or not she's looking for adventure or something else, it seems unlikely that she's trying to satisfy some nagging curiosity about the literal contents of regions West of Westeros. She's more of a roving loner, like Nymeria, so she's off to rove.
Comment: @GordonBennett - The only one that was still on her list, but left off, was the executioner who cut off Ned Stark's head, Sir Ilyn Payne -  https://gameofthrones.fandom.com/wiki/Ilyn_Payne - after the actor developed Cancer, he was silently dropped from the show, but after recovery they never worked him back in.
Comment: Isa everyone on her list dead? I can't even remember who was on there
Answer: I agree with Upper_Case's answer on why Arya doesn't care about it, but think this is also simply not possible for Bran. While we do not have an exact definition of Bran's powers it seems many people make two assumptions that are not correct, one being he can see everything everywhere at will and the other being he can see in the future. The latter is not terribly important here, so I'll focus on the former.
As a reference, let's start from the books, there is no three eyed raven but the similar concept of a greenseer. These are powerful 'mystics' that possess both the greensight (vague 'prophetic' dreams), are powerful wargs (animal posession), and supposedly could see current events through weirwood trees. For a bit more explanation see here and here.
In the show they turned the dial up to eleven. There supposedly is only one three-eyed raven at the same time, the powers seem to be transferred somehow from 'master' to 'apprentice' and three-eyed ravens seem to have the possibility of extreme longevity (though that may only be true in certain circumstances). As to the powers things are a bit fuzzy, but this is what we've been shown:

He cannot simply see 'everything'. All events he sees (past or current) are linked to people, not places or other creatures. Most notably he still uses ravens frequently to do basic scouting.
While he apparently has access to apparently all memories of all people, he needs some direction and guidance, he does not know everything. He needed Sam's input to start on the path of Jon's lineage but given that could quickly find what he needed.

So while Bran is very powerful and seems even more powerful than in the books, it is also fairly limited. He cannot just put his mind to the west but would need to connect to some (supposedly known) living person or memory of somebody who went there, but apparently they do not know of such a person. He cannot also just see it but would need to use e.g. ravens or crows to scout, which would take a lot of time, energy and the birds may not even survive.
I also want to point out the 'future' seeing again, I strongly believe he can do no more than make very good guesses based on his rich knowledge of the past and present, possibly complemented with greensight prophecies that he has no control over. The proof for that is that he did not expect Arya to come north but keep heading south for Cersei. This also avoids a paradox in this case where he could go into Arya's future to check west of Westeros out but that would invalidate her quest (aside from her adventurous spirit).
Answer: Bran's visions (the ones we know of) have always been in the vicinity of weirwood trees. There is a strong connection between weirwood trees and the old gods (which is where the greensight comes from).
Most of the weirwood trees in the south of Westeros have been chopped. This is mention in the first (or second) season of the show. We also don't see Bran having any visions in the South of Westeros, except for two occasions: Jon's birth and Rhaegar and Lyanna's wedding. Both happened right next to weirwood trees.
So the logical answer is that Bran doesn't know what's west of Westeros because he there are no weirwood trees there.

As a minor caveat, you could argue that if anyone discussed what's west of Westeros in front of a weirwood tree, Bran could find that out. But he has been shown to not know everything yet. He simply has access to everything, but he needs to know where to look.
This is why Bran doesn't know to look for confirmation of Rhaegar and Lyanna's wedding until Sam points it out to him, at which point Bran is able to focus on the right time/location to recall the information.
Answer: Upper_Case said
We've no evidence that Bran knows anything about anywhere other than
 Westeros
Well, from the first book we know

"Finally he looked north. He saw the Wall shining like a blue crystal,
  and his bastard brother Jon sleeping alone in a cold bed, his skin
  growing pale and hard as the memory of all warmth fled from him. And
  he looked past the Wall, past endless forests cloaked in snow, past
  the frozen shore and the great blue-white rivers of ice and the dead
  plains where nothing grew or lived. North and north and north he
  looked, to the curtain of light at the end of the world, and then
  beyond that curtain. He looked deep into the heart of winter, and then
  he cried out, afraid, and the heat of his tears burned on his cheeks."

And he saw it even before waking up for the first time after his fall.
So, he knows about other places than Westeros
I'm agree that Arya doesn't want to be told about it, she wants to see it, she is looking for adventures and a good fight. She is just that kind of person. Even when they was heading to the King's Landing with her father, she managed to find them every day, she enjoy it


Which "God" did Varys see and hear?

Question: Which "God" did Varys supposedly see and hear? I know that the most obvious answer would be R'Hllor since the medium was fire, but I think that begs a greater question: "Can the "Gods" in GoT manifest themselves physically, and if so why haven't they done so rather than using human mediums?"
Comment: Can you clarify which chapter/book or episode the event you're referencing occurred in?
Comment: @AndresF. - He did indeed see something that he described as a demon, not a god.
Comment: Currently it is unknown if any gods exist in GoT at all. We know the supernatural exists (we see wights, "warging" and "shadow babies" and such like), but currently we don't know if any of those can be attributed to gods of any kind.
Comment: I could be completely off, but I think he mentions it when recounting the story of his castration. That's one of Tyrion's POV chapters in the first half of book three, I think.
Comment: @AnthonyGrist Ah, I seem to remember. Wasn't the wizard who castrated Varys trying to summon some sort of demon? Maybe that's it, but I can't remember the exact quote.
Comment: @AndresF. you're right, demon not a god. Same metaphysical realm though.
Comment: _There is only one god, and His name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death: "Not today."_
Answer: Here are a relevant couple of quotes by Varys (A Clash of Kings - Chapter 44 "Tyrion"):

"I watched him burn my manly parts in a brazier. The flames turned blue, and I heard a voice answer his call, though I did not understand the words they spoke."

And later on in the same chapter:

"Yet I still dream of that night, my lord. Not of the sorcerer, nor his blade, nor even the way my manhood shriveled as it burned. I dream of that voice. The voice from the flames. Was it a god, a demon, some conjurer's trick?"

Varys himself doesn't know who or what the owner of that voice was. Even if gods do exist in the world of Westeros (which is still not a foregone conclusion), they are not the only supernatural beings in the series. We've seen:

the Others,
a shadow monster born out of Melisandre,
the ghostly inhabitants of the House of the Undying,
and demonic shadows summoned by Mirri Maz Duur.

So calling what Varys heard that night a God would simply be wild speculation.
Answer: If Varys' story is true, and if there was really a supernatural entity (of any kind: god, demon or whatever) answering to the offerings being made in the brazier, it might have been a deity (meaning, an entity worshiped by men and perceived to have divine status) known as the Lady of Spears, since they share the ritual of burning someone's manhood (I don't think that such a ritual could be common practice in other god's rituals or common practice at all in Essos).
This Lady of Spears could be, in turn, just an aspect or a different name for any other of the (real?) gods in the world of GoT, since the true nature of the gods (if any) has not been explained even in George R.R. Martin's detail-rich world.
Answer: We Do Not Know
The scene in the show is very similar to that of the books.

Varys: With a hooked blade he sliced me, root and stem, chanting all the while. He burned my parts in a brazier. The flames turned blue and I heard a voice answer his call.
I still dream of that night. Not of the sorcerer, not of his blade. I dream of the voice from the flames. Was it a god? A demon? A conjuror's trick? I don't know.
But the sorcerer called and a voice answered.
And ever since that day, I have hated magic and all those who practice it.
Game of Thrones, Season 3 Episode 4, "And Now His Watch Is Ended"

All we know from that scene is what Varys has told us and he doesn't know what the voice was.
However, we do know that the flames can give visions to people, even those who don't follow the Lord of Light, as we see from Sandor Clegane:

Thoros: We can't tell you. Only the fire can tell you. What do you see?
Sandor: Logs burning.
Thoros: Keep looking. What do you see?
Sandor: Ice. A wall of ice. The Wall.
Thoros: What else?
Sandor: It's where the Wall meets the sea. There's a castle there. There's a mountain. Looks like an arrowhead. The dead are marching past. Thousands of them.
Beric: Do you believe me now, Clegane? Do you believe we're here for a reason?
Game of Thonres, Season 7 Episode 1, "Dragonstone"

As such we can speculate that whatever gave the vision to Sandor and the magic to Melisandre, Thoros and other Red Priests is what called from the flames. As for what that is, well we don't know.
Answer: For the second part (the greater question) only speculation can be made at this point.
For the first question, we will find out in a few days time (episode 1 of season 6 "The Red Woman") that the deity in question is indeed R'hllor.
!SPOILER WARNING! below this point
Israeli actress Ania Bukstein was recently confirmed for the part of "High Priestess Kinvara".
Seeing her in the recent #2 trailer interacting with Tyrion & Varys inside the throne room of the Great Pyramid of Meereen, pretty much confirms this piece of leaked script we got last year from another actress' (Tehmina Sunny) audition for the same part.
And, although this piece of dialogue may eventually have been altered for the final version of the shooting script, the gist cannot but be the same, as it is most essential to the overall storyline.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/game-thrones-season-six-leaked-5938294
http://winteriscoming.net/2015/06/21/game-of-thrones-season-6-audition-leak/
On a personal note, I 'm quite sad it won't finally be Tehmina Sunny as "Kinvara"...

Which "God" did Varys see and hear?


Does anyone know the list of all known universal sets of quantum gates?

Question: Does anyone know the list of all known universal sets of quantum gates? I know only two such sets: Cliffords + $T$ and rotations + CNOT.
Comment: For _most_ choices of two qubit entangling gates plus "rotations" you can synthesize a CNOT (SWAP being a notable exception), and so sets like {rotations, sqrt(SWAP)} and {rotations, ISWAP} and so on are also universal.
Comment: Have a look at this paper. You can find there a criteria for universality
https://journals.aps.org/pra/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevA.105.052602 and arxiv version https://arxiv.org/abs/2111.03862
Comment: Also any gate set containing a universal gate set as a subset is universal, so it might help to constrain what you're asking for.
Comment: A universal quantum gate set (for qubits) is any finite set of elements that generate a dense subset (topologically) of $PU(2)$ (the projective group of $2\times 2$ unitaries). In fact, there is probably an infinite number of them.
Comment: Yes, I know, that there infinite count of them. I asked about non-intersecting known! sets...
Answer: Too many to list
There exist uncountably many universal sets of gates. We will sketch a proof of this fact by outlining a construction of an uncountable, though by no means exhaustive, family of such sets.
First, recall (e.g. from sections 4.5.2 and 4.5.3 of Nielsen & Chuang) that if $\mathcal{A}$ is a set of single-qubit gates that is universal for $SU(2)$, i.e. that generates a set dense in $SU(2)$, then $\mathcal{A}\cup\{CNOT\}$ is universal. Therefore, it suffices to exhibit an uncountable family of sets of single-qubit gates universal for $SU(2)$.
For any irrational number $a$ in the interval $(-2, 2)$ and any two distinct unit vectors $\hat{n}$ and $\hat{m}$ in $\mathbb{R}^3$, let $\mathcal{A}(a,\hat{n},\hat{m})$ consist of just two gates
$$
\mathcal{A}(a,\hat{n},\hat{m}) = \{R_{\hat{n}}(a\pi), R_{\hat{m}}(a\pi)\}.
$$
Note that since $a$ is irrational, $R_{\hat{n}}(a\pi)$ generates a set dense in the set of all rotations around $\hat{n}$. Similarly, $R_{\hat{m}}(a\pi)$ generates a set dense in the set of all rotations around $\hat{m}$. Now, $SU(2)$ is three dimensional and does not have any two dimensional subgroups, so rotations around $\hat{n}$ and $\hat{m}$ generate the entire $SU(2)$. In other words, any $U\in SU(2)$ can be written as
$$
U = R_{\hat{n}}(\theta_1)R_{\hat{m}}(\phi_2) R_{\hat{n}}(\theta_3) \dots R_{\hat{n}}(\phi_k)\tag1
$$
for some positive integer $k$ (Caution: In exercise 4.11 on page 176 in Nielsen & Chuang it is incorrectly stated that $k=3$ always). By approximating the factors in $(1)$ using elements of $\mathcal{A}(a,\hat{n},\hat{m})$ we can approximate $U$ arbitrarily well.
Finally, there are uncountably many irrational numbers in the interval $(-2, 2)$ and uncountably many different pairs of distinct unit vectors in $\mathbb{R}^3$. Therefore, there are uncountably many different universal sets $\mathcal{A}(a,\hat{n},\hat{m})\cup\{CNOT\}$. $\square$
Technically speaking, only countable collections can be put into a list, so by the arguments above a complete list of universal sets of gates does not exist.
Notable universal sets of gates
That said, there are a few notable examples of universal sets of gates:

any set of generators of the Clifford group, such as $\{H, S, CNOT\}$, together with a non-Clifford gate, such as $T$ gate or the Toffoli gate,
Deutsch's gate, i.e. controlled-controlled-$iR_x(a\pi)$, is universal whenever $a$ is irrational, see exercise 4.44 on page 198 in Nielsen & Chuang,
$\sqrt{X}$, $\sqrt{W}$ and the two-qubit $\text{fSim}$ gate, see sections VII E and VII F in this paper (disclosure: I'm a co-author).

See also this question for other interesting universal sets of gates.


How Does TCP Trace work on Windows

Question: How does a TCP Trace work?
Comment: Very well, thank you.  Is this another homework question?
Answer: A TCP trace works in much the same way as a more traditional trace, except that instead of sending out ICMP ECHO or UDP packets (which are often blocked by firewalls and load balancers) with an increasing TTL (time-to-live) in each subsequent batch of packets, it sends out TCP SYN packets, again with an ever-increasing TTL until a response is received from the destination.  In this way, the responses of each subsequent error packet received from the router at each hop can be timed from the time each packet was sent until the corresponding response was received.  Additional information (such as a sampling of distinct load-balanced destinations) can be extracted due to return packets originating from different ip addresses for identical TTLs.
Answer: If you're talking about Traceroute (tracert), it works by sending packets with extremely short TTL values.
The first packet has a TTL of 1; when it gets to the first router, the router kills the packet, and sends a message back saying "this is me, and your packet died here".
The next packet goes with a TTL of 2, and so on until the target host is hit, or the max number of hops (30 by default on Windows) is hit.
Edit:  Wikipedia entry on tracert.
Answer: Applications like 'tracert' and others that use protocols other than ICMP work be sending out multiple packets, each time increasing the TTL (time-to-live) by one.  (Some firewalls block all ICMP packets making tracert and ping unusable.)
When a network device such as a router receives a packet it decrements the TTL by 1, if it reaches zero then it sends back an ICMP "host unreachable' along with the IP address of the device that removed the packet from the network.  Thus you get a breadcrumb trail of the path your packets are taking across the network.
If instead of traceroute, you meant TCPTrace, then this looks very similar to a SSH tunnel but I'm not familiar with this specific application.

How Does TCP Trace work on Windows


My 4 year old son always keeps something besides him when he sleeps. Is that normal?

Question: My son always keeps something besides him while sleeping. It can be anything, not necessarily a toy.
Does that mean he fears something?
Comment: I sleep with my iPhone. Constant fear of missing a pointless Facebook update...
Answer: I've known quite a few kids that just wanted to hold on to something while they fell asleep.  Having a cozy, or something to regularly cuddle with is also completely normal and acceptable at this age as well.  I wouldn't jump to the conclusion it means he is fearful, its just a part of how he sleeps.  Do you have a favorite pillow you always sleep better with?  Think of it as being similar.  It is just part of how he falls asleep best right now - and it is fairly common for his age.
Comment: Thank you for your answer. What could be the reason for them to hold on to things. Is he feeling insecure or something?
Answer: My son (2.5) sleeps with approximately 12 trucks, four bears, a caterpillar, three pillows and Iron Man.  (I sometimes wonder how on earth he can fit in there with all those toys.)  He will get quite upset if he wakes up and a toy isn't there and should be.  It's not for protection, or fear; he does it because these toys are his lovies.  My daughter, 5.5, does the same thing (except for the quantity).  We always verify that each one is there at bedtime for her peace of mind.
Research indicates that lovies are there to help kids transition from the parent to the rest of the world.
Answer: Comfort objects are completely normal for small children.

Does that mean he fears something?
Is he feeling insecure or something?http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?q=~child+%22transitional++objects%22

Yes, probably - but that's ok. If he had no fears - of anything at all - then that would be distinctly abnormal.

Growing up in the big world is scary for children, and security blankets, known in child development jargon as "transitional objects," help them transition from the familiar to the unfamiliar with more ease.

http://www.parenting.com/article/ask-dr-sears-security-blanket
It's a well-studied field: http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?q=~child+%22transitional++objects%22
Answer: I guess its normal. Even.when i was a teen, I used to keep my pillow next to me and used to sleep by hugging it. But mostly it was to reduce my anxiety and provide comfort.
Yeah.. So its normal ( hopefully, oe else I am not normal lol)


Is a Canon 450D to Canon 1D Mk 2 upgrade worthwhile?

Question: My local camera shop has a secondhand Canon 1D MkII for sale for approx £500, as a current 450D user is this worth the upgrade or would I be better off saving for a new 5D or 7D?
Comment: Simon, I think you need to tell us a bit more about your shooting style and your expectations. If you shoot sport events and own a good telephoto lens and find your existing photos being too often out of focus then 1D mk2 seems like a worthy upgrade but it all depends on personal preferences and needs. For example for me it is simply too bulky and I would miss many pictures as the camera would be left at home more often then not
Comment: I think kristof nails it. This question is tough to answer without knowing what you shoot. Also consider that the 450 is a tiny camera compared to the 1D2. If you're use to the size and weight of the 450, even with grip, you might be in for a shock.
Comment: I mainly shoot landscape and nature, with a bit of motor sport too (oh and the kids of course). I don't *need* to upgrade but what can I say? I'm a gear head... :)
Answer: For that price, I would grab a 1DMkII. That sounds like a pretty good bargain. Its about the same price as my 450D when I purchased it new (well, perhapse a couple hundred more), and even though the 450D has a larger MP count, the 1D still has several advantages:

Larger sensor (1.3x crop vs. 1.6x crop), so wider FOV

It'll make better use of EF lenses, however it will not be compatible with any EF-S lens

Better ISO capabilities

Overall ISO quality is likely not that much better
You have extended range (50 through 3200)
You can adjust ISO in 1/3rd stops vs. 1 stops

Much finger grained control over most settings

White Balance/Tint
Far more custom functions than the 450D
Larger range of exposure compensation

Better Auto Focus system
Higher flash sync speed
Higher burst rate for continuous high-speed action photography

8.3fps vs. 3.5fps
Larger buffer allowing more continuous shots without slowing down

Better battery life (due to built in battery grip)
Fully environmentally sealed and more ruggedly built
Support for multiple types of storage (CF, SDHC)
Many more benefits

On the flip side, there are some detractors:

Older technology, using Digic 2 and 8mp sensor
Smaller view screen (2" vs. 3", lower res)
Compatible with fewer lenses

Only supports EF lenses, but is also not a full-frame sensor
Does not support EF-S lenses that a 1.6x sensor like the 450D would

Larger and heavier to lug around than a 450D
More complex camera that requires more knowledge to fully take advantage of
Answer: 2 years ago I upgraded from a 400D to a 5D(Mk I), and am really happy with the upgrade. At the time, my primary reasons for upgrading were:

Full-frame sensor size, compared to APS-C (I know this doesn't fully apply to you)
Spot metering
It was a bargain! (And bought from a friend who I knew looked after it)

In terms of saving for a 5D Mk II or a 7D, and before buying this, I think you need to consider where you want to go with your photography. Personally, I see the 5D II and 7D being similar in terms of levels, in the same way the 1D and 1Ds are on the same sort of pro-level. The differences are that the 5D is full frame, and so more costly, but the 7D is faster. Do you want speed or a full-frame sensor? (I'm assuming the video differences are irrelevant since you're looking at a 1D Mk II)
I sold my 400D for about £350, I seem to recall, with kit lens and some accessories and bits and bobs, so you can deduct a bit off the price.
If I were in your position I would be severely tempted to go for it, but bear in mind a few things:

EF-S lenses won't fit a 1D body - if you've invested in these then it'd put the brakes on things for me. I knew I wanted to go to full-frame at some point, so only had EF lenses.
It's a bigger, heavier body (obvious I know), so may be less convenient to have with you as much as the smaller 450D.
It's a pro-level body. It certainly makes you look more professional, and the bodies can take more abuse, but they're also more likely to have been heavily used already - I'd make sure it was in good nick, still.
Reduced megapixel count. If you crop frequently and want to print big, then you may have to work on your framing/get longer lenses to allow you to get the crop you want in-camera.

For reference, here are the links on the Canon site to the 1D Mk II and the 450D
Comment: The 7D is faster, but also has a killer AF system. The 5D2's af performance is quite a bit dated.

There are plenty of 5D2 v 7D threads out there. I went with the 5D2 because I shoot wide.
Comment: Yes. I think the point in my head at the time was that the two cameras are very different, and it'd be a good idea to work out what you want from your next camera first.
Answer: Probably not.
The 1d is a pro level camera, but it is also a fairly old model relative to the 450D. While the build quality is probably higher and it has the look and feel of a pro camera, from a technical aspect, it really isn't that much higher quality, and in some ways it's actually lower than the 450D. The 450D has a digic 3 processor and a 12MP sensor, vs the digic 2 and 8MP sensor in the 1d, which will improve the in camera processing. That said, the 1d does have some other features (more AF points, weather sealed, 1.3 vs 1.6 crop, etc.) that you simply won't find on an entry level dslr.
Also, another concern is the shutter actuation count on the 1d.  Being a pro level camera, you can expect that it was previously owned by a pro, so the shutter count is probably pretty high.  While the quality is higher in a pro level camera, any mechanical system is prone to failing eventually, so you might actually have more life left in the 450D.
If I were you (and actually as a 450D owner) I think the better route is to pass on this and save for a 5D. The exceptions to this would be if:

you need a weather sealed camera
the shutter actuations are low
you need a larger sensor
you primarily use EF (not EF-S) lenses

If you want the pro look without switching, one way to get there is to get a Battery Grip and SpeedLight.
Comment: Any technological edge that the 450D has is going to be pretty minor. Digic 3 and a 12mp sensor are not enough. The larger 8mp sensor of the 1DMkII is more than enough to create extremely high quality images. There are still plenty of technological bonuses to a 1DMkII as well that outpace what is possible on a 450D. The biggest concern really would be the shutter actuation count...however the 1D has a shutter with at least twice the lifetime of a 450D. If I could get a 1DMkII for $700-800, I would do it in a heartbeat. I may not get rid of my 450D, but I'd still get the 1DMkII.
Comment: I think its a good idea to pass and save for a 5DMkII...not sure I would take a 5DMkI over a 1D Mk II, though.
Comment: Very true, I only meant to show that a "pro level" beat an entry level in all aspects.
Comment: @jrista ...if you can find anywhere that has stock of the 5D Mk II (Probably just a coincidence that there are rumours about a new model from Canon to be announced tomorrow though)
Comment: I've heard rumors about a 5DMkIII for a while...its what I've been waiting for myself...but I didn't realize there was one about it being announced tomorrow... :o
Comment: Looks like the 60D was announced today: http://www.canon.co.uk/About_Us/Press_Centre/Press_Releases/Consumer_News/Cameras_Accessories/EOS_60D_Press_Release.aspx
Comment: It also looks like a fantastic 8-15mm f/4 ZOOM FISHEYE lens was released! :o That is really intriguing! There were also apparently updates to the 300mm and 400mm f/2.8 L lenses, and 500mmm & 600mm f/4 L lenses. Lots of interesting stuff today. http://www.canon.co.uk/About_Us/Press_Centre/Press_Releases/Consumer_News/index.aspx
Answer: Every upgrade should have a reason. So ask yourself:

What are the features that you're missing in your 450D?
What are the features that you're expecting from 1D?
What else do you need to upgrade (probably lenses)?
What are the up and downsides of 1D (covered by chills42 and jrista)?
Is it suitable for the kind of photography you do?

And finally - will it improve your photos?
Answer: The Canon 1D MkII is a professional grade camera - see review of it here: http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canoneos1dmkii/ £500 seems like a bargain especially if it was about £3000 when new. Even though it is 6 years old I am sure it will take better (and faster) pictures than most new DSLR's of that price. You need to consider the size and weight of the 1D but it would make you look like a pro. If it was me, the 450D would be on ebay and I would have the 1D instead.


How can you use custom types/taxonomies?

Question: The custom types/taxonomies feature of WP 3.0 is a neat one. I can think of a few ways to use the duo: to display projects, a portfolio, or a gallery. What else can custom types and taxonomies be leveraged for?
Comment: Maybe better suited for Community Wiki?
Answer: Custom types can be leverage for anything that can be repeatable. So as you said a gallery or portfolio would work very nicely. I've already used them on a few different projects:

Recipes
Employee Roster
Callouts for the homepage
rotating sliders.

Other ideas are:

products for a commerce site—The custom taxonomies would make for some powerful option for each product.
For custom sidebar content. Y
An Ad manager.

The possibilities are really endless. Anything that can be seen as a collection is really what this is for.
Answer: How about a forum? Have a look at http://justintadlock.com/archives/2010/07/16/a-wordpress-forum-plugin-using-custom-post-types and a couple of other posts on taxonomies on that site. Justin wrote the Hybrid theme. He is also a core contributor.
Answer: I'm considering using it for a client who runs a tree nursery. This would allow me to logically separate blog-style news updates, pages, and trees (with per-tree galleries) with custom styles for each post type. It'll also be nice to have type-specific taxonomies for categorizing the trees.


Converting JPG map contours to paths for AutoCAD

Question: I have a map in JPG format that I want to turn into contour lines in CAD.  I've been able to make it into a vector drawing in Illustrator (without really knowing what I'm doing with all the settings) but I think all I need is simple paths that follow these lines.  The map is messy, and the lines on it just end up a big spaghetti object.  Wondered if there's a fairly straightforward way to do this.  I also have Rhino to work with.
Comment: It is hard to help without a screenshot, but generally there is no easy way to do this. If you are lucky the jpg has a design and resolution which makes it easy to autotrace (with the right settings), but if it is to blurry or complex there is no way Illustrator will ever guess all the finer details from the chunky pixels. Depending on the number of lines it could be easier to trace the map manually (that also eliminates copyright issues I guess).
Answer: nearly the same subject is discussed here, but the questioner had an overall problem from where to start. Tracing a raster image to simple paths with stroke but no fill
You should start in a photo editor such as Photoshop or GIMP and clean the things. You should make separate photos for the different detail classes. At least make (by the erasing the exessive parts and filling the holes if needed) separate images for

altitude contours
roads
water
buildings
other data

If something has a different color, it is good to have it as a separate photo. All photos can be BW and also should be for easy tracing.
It's good to edit off all crap and discontinuencies from the lines and areas in the photo editor. Later it will be much more difficult.
You should trace the photos separately and combine them as different layers for easy refining and coloring. Put a couple of aiming crosses or corners into each photo in the same position and keep the ungrouped layers available just as assurance against moving something accidentally.
Texts you probably must recreate by writing them yourself in Illustrator. A detailed map vill have quite a bunch of layers to stay manageable.
Note: vectorizing a detailed large area map is a major task. It should be seriously thought if it would be easier to buy that data from the supplier of the map or alternatively "can we live with the rasterized map?" Or can we afford to outsource this job? There are companies that are specialized to vectorize images.
Rhino is 3D modeller. It has no job in pure 2D work. It will be a good starting tool for 2D illustrations of complex 3D objects assuming that creating the 3D model is no problem.
Do not forget: Maps are generally copyrighted - an exact copy can lead to lawsuits.


ADCS WebEnrollment : The context was acquired as silent

Question: I have setup Active Directory Certificate Services with Web Enrollment and I have the following error when enrolling certificate on other computers that are in the same domain :

Certificate enrollment for Local system failed in authentication to
  all urls for enrollment server associated with policy id:
  {4C83C22A-975D-4B74-8300-B61D978FF2C2} (Provider could not perform the
  action since the context was acquired as silent. 0x80090022
  (-2146893790 NTE_SILENT_CONTEXT)). Failed to enroll for template:
  MyCertificateTemplate

Users can enroll certificates with their account on my computer but not on other computers even if their computers are in the same domain. ADCS & Web Enrollment service are on a remote server.
Why? How can an acquired a context without being in silent?
Answer: I have same situation for Windows 7 clients. I dont have this patch yet. But maybe this link will help you.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2633205