ATX Dell PSU to Offical ATX 2.0 spec pinout

Question: Hey all I am using an old Dell Precision R5400 which has the 750w hot swap-able power supply. Problem being, since its a dell, the ATX pin layout is different than that of a normal, standard ATX 2.0 power supply pin out.
What I found to be the Standard ATX 2.0 pinout:

I have taken a volt meter to the R5400's ATX pinout and this is what I come up with:
<code> [1] Ground     [13] Ground
 [2] +5v        [14] +5v
 [3] +5v        [15] +5v
 [4] +12v       [16] +3.3vsb
 [5] -12v       [17] Ground
 [6] Ground     [18] Ground
 [7] +3.3vsb    [19] +12v
 [8] +3.3v      [20] +3.3vsb
 [9] Ground     [21] +12v
[10] +3.3v      [22] +3.3v
[11] +3.3v      [23] +3.3v
[12] +3.3v      [24] +3.3vsb
</code>
Thankfully my motherboard's manual shows the pinout of it's ATX power supply connector:

So some questions are still wondering inside my head:
<code>1) What voltage should the PSON# be?
2) What voltage should the Power OK be?
3) As you see, I do not have access to a +5Vsb from the R5400 PSU.
   Can I just use a normal 5vdc for that (or somehow get 3.3vsb
   that I do have to work with it)?
</code>
Currently this is my pin-out for my new connector from the R5400 connector to the motherboard:

So do you see anything wrong with the above? Just making sure as I do not want to fry a $500+ server motherboard over one wrong pin.
Comment: Your big problem will be the 5VSB. This needs to be supplied to the mobo before it can assert PSON# so you can't use a normal 5V line and 3.3V won't be enough. You may be able to feed the 3.3VSB into a boost regulator to get 5V but I don't know if the line will supply enough current.
Answer: PSON is short for Power Supply On, so that is the same as PS-On from the ATX spec, and you can just power the power good with the 5v signal.


How can I use a private node on Wolfram Warptangent?

Question: I'm using the instructions found on https://www.moneroclub.com/node with no luck. Are these commands still used in monero-wallet-cli?
Answer: First thing to note is that simplewallet was renamed to monero-wallet-cli in Wolfram Warptangent. Secondly, it could be that the node is currently offline. There are other remote nodes available here. To quote:

node.moneroworld.com are nodes that are from Monero long-term community members, so high trust level
2nodez.moneroworld.com are nodes from anyone (includes the nodes in node.moneroworld.com)
Connect to a random remote node by pointing your wallet to node.moneroworld.com or 2nodez.moneroworld.com, using the following commands:
(linux / unix-type)
./monero-wallet-cli --daemon-host node.moneroworld.com
or ./monero-wallet-cli --daemon-host 2nodez.moneroworld.com
(windows)
monero-wallet-cli.exe --daemon-host node.moneroworld.com
or monero-wallet-cli.exe --daemon-host 2nodez.moneroworld.com
or download this file to your monero folder and double click on it.
Remote nodes are secure - they can't spend your money. You do sacrifice privacy though, and you really should be running your own node, you know, because decentralization. But I understand that convenience wins out.

Note that you have to launch monero-wallet-cli from the terminal (on Linux and mac OS X) or from the command prompt (on Windows) with the aforementioned commands. To open the command prompt on Windows you have to go to the folder monero-cli-wallet is located and make sure your cursor isn't located on any of the files. Subsequently do SHIFT + right click and it will give you an option to "Open command window here".
Answer: the command line arguments are the same aside from substituting monero-wallet-cli for simplewallet


Ethereum Event log

Question: is it possible to watch the events of any ethereum transaction? like for erc20 token. when we make any transaction of erc20 on the blockchain event get trigger. is same is possible for ETH transaction. if yes then how we get the ethereum log??
Comment: What does this mean " when we make any transaction of erc20 on the blockchain event get trigger." and its relevance with the question? Maybe I am missing something.
Whenever we need to monitor state of an event(in this case a transaction) there are two options:
1) Polling: Similar to what @cleanunicorn suggested. Querying the status at certain intervals using the txn hash.
2) Socket Communication: Socket communication is basically used for notification models. Web3 provides SocketProvider aprt from HTTPProvider and IPCProvider, though it is still in beta. But, I hope you can find a way out usi
Answer: Yes, that is possible. Watch for new blocks and process all transactions.
For each transaction you can run eth_getTransactionReceipt
And the logs array will contain all the events

logs: Array - Array of log objects, which this transaction generated.
Comment: I am trying to find some other solution so that I can watch any transaction on a particular address. so that I don't need to filter out the entire block. like for any smart contract address.

Ethereum Event log


what to put in center of mulch ring around trees

Question: So I recently put down 4" of double cut down around my yard.  I moved the mulch back away from the tree trunks by a few inches because I know that's bad for them.  Should I put anything in that gap so the mulch doesn't fall back in?  Basically it looks like a 4" doughnut where the trunks are.  I'm okay with it but wasn't sure if putting a nominal amount of gravel would be a good idea.
Answer: No, don't put anything in the gap, the point of not having the mulch or anything else piled against the trunk is to prevent rot problems; the way you describe it though, it probably looks very odd. Its usual to gradually thin the layer of mulch as you get closer to the tree, so that it's much thinner nearer the centre, then you don't get that very obvious large gap between the tree trunk and the mulch and it doesn't look like a doughnut.
Answer: The best thing you could do is leave that donut of mulch alone.  Thrilled you pulled it away from the base of your tree.  Now, there are ideas you could entertain to be able to make a human space near a tree or inside a group of trees.
Leaving the mulch donut alone, create an area that juts off to the side of that donut.  Using upside down paint draw the dimensions of either a round space, a curvy space, a rectangular space. (Assuming these trees are in a lawn). Dig out the lawn, then down another 2 inches, smooth, level then lay landscape fabric down.  The area should be big enough for 2 chairs and a tiny table; about 4'X6'.  Ideally edging that space with pressure treated 2X4's held with stakes, the tops leveled, then install the fabric and then install 4" deep crushed gravel. Either way install 3/8 minus which is finer in texture than normal driveway gravel (5/8 minus). Pea gravel is fun but not as stable as compactable crushed gravel.
Place your weather proof chairs and a tiny table. Then add a grouping of similar pots; a big one and two smaller.  Possibly a medium sized one on the other end of this informal 'patio'.  You can also raise a small plant on top of an upside down pot. A vertical plant, for the large one such as a tall ornamental grass, or even a tree, a beautiful shrub.  Stuff annuals and other perennials in all the rest.  Keep the pallet of plants small enough to be able to have all pots with at least something to tie them together in a composition.  Look for partial shade plants.  Definitely lime potato plant ivy that pops right out of the shade.  Even variegated leaves the white pops out as well even at night. Look for compatibility among the plants for water, shade, partial shade, pH of soil to help choose your groups.  Impatiens will be a huge color producer as well as begonia.  Just a couple of ideas...
Use ONLY potting soil.  No rocks at the bottom of the soil.
Planting annuals within this donut would be okay.  Won't hurt the tree so much as  the annuals relegated to a thin layer of soil.  This other informal patio, sounds daunting but it really is not.  Send a picture of the area you'd like to add some color to.


What are some common pitfalls when adapting a novel (thematic autobiographic in this case) to a screenplay?

Question: I am working on an adaptation of a book into movie format, and I would like to know what experience and guidelines exist for this, so I can improve my way of doing this where possible.
Answer: I've tried to do this myself, so I'll pass along what I've learned.
First, note that the audience hears a play about one-third as fast (150-200 words per minute) as they read a novel (500-600 words a minute).
Because of that, a screenplay requires "crisper" writing, with fewer excess words than a novel. A novel might describe a hero's actions as follows: "The hero forced open the door, with rising anger. Then he slammed it shut, hard." In a screenplay, this might read "The hero slammed the door angrily.
The nice thing about a screenplay is that you've engaged the viewer using two senses: sight and sound. Which is one reason you can use fewer words. Whereas in a novel, the reader only "reads."
Answer: The biggest different between a novel and a movie is that in a novel, things are described to the reader. The reader can get inside the character's head, be told what the characters are feeling, what the characters and thinking... This doesn't happen in a movie. A movie can only show, not tell. A screenplay has to be entirely visual (and auditory.) This is difficult of course, because you can't say something like "Today, John is upset because his classmates made fun of him yesterday."


How to visualize a position

Question: I'm a decent player and am pretty good at tactics and visualizing series of moves with a board in front of me. However I have an extremely difficult time visualizing positions and moves purely in my head. Are there any tricks that make mentally visualizing easier, or is it just something that comes with lots of practice?
Comment: Do you mean visualising positions if you are working from a book with no board set up in front of you?
Comment: @Bad_Bishop that's a great example, yes. I can often do better looking at the board and memorizing the moves in the book and applying them to the board that I'm looking at, as opposed to memorizing a starting position and then reading the following moves from the book, if that makes any sense :).
Comment: @Bad_Bishop just thought of another example: when reading up on openings if the moves are listed in algebraic notation I have a tough time following without looking at a board and actually picturing the moves.
Answer: Improving board vision

When studying on your own, use a book with many diagrams so that you can check your visualisation regularly, e.g. Logical Chess: Move by Move by Irving Chernev
When studying with a partner, ask them to call out the moves of a variation then test your accuracy with questions like "what colour square is white's knight on?"

Source: Adapted from Studying Chess Made Easy by Andrew Soltis
Notes on board vision

I like to put a small (often 2 or 3 whole moves) variation into words as a mini-plan. E.g. "Moves 4-6: White gambits a pawn to develop the bishop". It doesn't have to be a deep analysis at all, just a narration to the moves to convert algebraic notation into English
"Long variation, wrong variation" - attributed to Bent Larsen in The Wisest Things Ever Said About Chess, by Andrew Soltis. In other words, visualising a variation 20 moves deep is unlikely to be beneficial
Don't get side tracked by sub variations
To make the visualisations easier, study endgames (i.e. fewer pieces to visualise)
"You can't see 64 squares at the same time" - attributed to Alfred Binet in The Wisest Things Ever Said About Chess, by Andrew Soltis. This is a natural limitation to human perception. Even looking at a board, you can only really see 12-16 squares at a time. Try to 'chunk' information together to reduce the strain. E.g. you can condense information into words like "White has a castled king behind a fianchetto"

Example with an opening that you want to learn using White
Suppose you want to visualise the opening 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Bxd2+ 6. Nbxd2 exd4 7. Bxc4 Nc6 8. O-O Qf6 9. e5 Qg6 10. Re1 Nge7 11. Nb3 O-O 12. Nfxd4
Let's visualise this step-by-step, checking your visualisation against the board in the spoiler tags below:

d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4

  How close was your visualisation? The way I remember this is in words to remember the mini-plan: White gambits a pawn to get an ideal centre

PS. I've used a screenshot of the position from Ubisoft's Chessmaster, as the replayer can't be hidden in a spoiler tag: How to hide chessboard in a spoiler tag?.
3... e5 4. Nf3

  Black tries to demolish White's centre with the thematic ...e5 and White aims to protect the centre

4...Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Bxd2+ 6. Nbxd2

  Black develops a piece with tempo. White offers a trade to develop another piece that will end up on b3 to regain the gambit pawn

6...exd4 7. Bxc4 Nc6

  Black keeps hold of their extra pawn for the time being as White will have to spend a tempo to regain it

O-O Qf6 9. e5 Qg6 10. Re1

  White castles to safety whereas Black posts the Queen to the Kingside

10...Nge7 11. Nb3 O-O 12. Nfxd4

  Black castles away. White regains the pawn. Let the middlegame begin!

Source of variation and abridged analysis: Starting Out: Queen's Gambit Accepted by A. Raetsky and M. Chetverik
Example with an opening that you want to learn using Black
This is slightly harder as the board is now rotated both for practical play and in the spolier tags. Suppose you want to visualise the opening 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4 Bb4 8. O-O Nbd7 9. Qe2 Bg6 10. e4 O-O 11. Bd3 Bh5 12. e5 Nd5 13. Nxd5 cxd5 14. Qe3 Bg6

d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3

  White's most popular try in the Slav is to develop both knights early

4...dxc4 5. a4 Bf5 6. e3 e6 7. Bxc4

  Black develops the light square bishop and locks it outside the pawn chain

7...Bb4 8. O-O

  Black develops a piece. White breaks the pin.

8...Nbd7 9. Qe2 Bg6 10. e4 O-O

  White expands in the centre

Bd3 Bh5 12. e5 Nd5 13. Nxd5 cxd5

  The centre is closed

Qe3 Bg6

  Black offers to trade bad bishop for good. Let the middlegame begin!

Source of variation and abridged analysis: The Slav: Move by Move by Cyrus Lakdawala
Comment: Brilliant response thank you so much for all the effort you put into it. Hadn't heard "You can't see 64 squares at the same time" before; the chunking tip is excellent I'll try to put that into practice. All the other tips are very helpful too I'll be referring back to this response often. Thanks again!
Comment: Your question about hiding image in a spoiler tag has now been answered

How to visualize a position


Loadrunner Analysis Error

Question: I have created a script in virtual user generator, opened that script in controller and ran it. But the problem is that when I open Load Runner analysis for the results, it will display the error as below:
Answer: I have not seen this before. But searching for the error string you see takes me to this page where they seem to have solved the issue. Please try that out.
It is a good habit to investigate on your own before you post questions.

Loadrunner Analysis Error


Why were Saruman, Gandalf, Radagast, Alatar and Pallando chosen?

Question: Is there any commentary as to why these particular Maia were chosen to help men combat Sauron in Middle Earth? Were they assigned their tasks specifically? Did they volunteer or were they hand picked?
Comment: Did you just name the blue wizards? I've never heard those names spoken...
Comment: @LyndonWhite Yes.
Comment: @LyndonWhite More information: Tolkien talks about them in the Letters but they're also in Unfinished Tales. Tolkien suggested in the Letters that he imagines they started some cult of some kind and essentially failed their task much like all but Gandalf. But Alatar and Pallando are their names indeed.
Answer: This is answered in Unfinished Tales:

Saruman and Alatar either volunteered, or were sent by their Valar (emphasis mine):

[I]t was resolved to send out three emissaries to Middle-earth. "Who would go? For they must be mighty, peers of Sauron, but must forgo might, and clothe themselves in flesh so as to treat on equality and win the trust of Elves and Men. But this would imperil them, dimming their wisdom and knowledge, and confusing them with fears, cares, and weariness coming from the flesh." But two only came forward: Curumo, who was chosen by Aulë, and Alatar, who was sent by Oromë.
Unfinished Tales Part Four Chapter 2: "The Istari"

It's not actually entirely clear from this context whether they volunteered or were volunteered by their Valar liege-lords; it's notable that Curumo and Alatar are said to have been "chosen" and "sent", but also that they "came forward".
Since Radagast was foisted upon them (more on that soon), I'm inclined to suggest that the Valar went to their respective Maia for volunteers, and these were the only two who initially stepped forward. However, that's just my interpretation.
Gandalf went at the behest of Manwë:

Manwë asked, where was Olórin? And Olórin, who was clad in grey, and having just entered from a journey had seated himself at the edge of the council, asked what Manwë would have of him. Manwë replied that he wished Olórin to go as the third messenger to Middle-earth
Unfinished Tales Part Four Chapter 2: "The Istari"

Radagast went because Yavanna nagged Saruman:

The note ends with the statement that Curumo [Saruman] took Aiwendil [Radagast] because Yavanna begged him
[...]
On another page of jottings clearly belonging to the same period it is said that "Curumo was obliged to take Aiwendil to please Yavanna wife of Aulë."
Unfinished Tales Part Four Chapter 2: "The Istari"

The reason for Yavanna's insistence isn't clear; Christopher Tolkien notes:

There is no hint of an explanation of why Yavanna's evident desire that the Istari should include in their number one with particular love of the things of her making could only be achieved by imposing Radagast's company on Saruman
Unfinished Tales Part Four Chapter 2: "The Istari"

Obviously Yavanna's primary motivation is that somebody should keep an eye out for the non-sentient creatures (this is the same motivation that prompted the creation of the Ents). What's not clear is why she couldn't simply nominate Radagast, the way Gandalf was nominated.
Pallando went because Alatar asked him to:

Alatar took Pallando as a friend.
Unfinished Tales Part Four Chapter 2: "The Istari"
Comment: As a friend of my likes to say, they didnt volunteer, they were voluntold.
Comment: Great answer Jason, thank-you.
Comment: I now wonder if Mairon and Curumo actually had all that planned from the beginning.


What are the methods for infering genetic interactions?

Question: Is there a classification of methods for inferring genetic interactions? I mean some work published, utilizes genetical genomics data.  Is this possible with expression data alone? And how about perturbation screens? I guess they all need information about mutants/genetic variations?
Comment: The questions is vague and difficult to answer because there "genetic interactions" is a catch-all bag for anything that isn't a monogenic trait - which is to say, most of them.
Answer: BioGRID is an interaction database, and they catalogue interactions by (among other things) the class of experiment that discovered them. See http://wiki.thebiogrid.org/doku.php/experimental_systems#genetic_interactions
Other than that, you should look at recent reviews and publications, but you will easily get lost unless you figure out some important particulars, like:

What species? Yeast, worm, human, cell line?
What sort of interaction? Synthetic lethality? Complicated, fancy epistasis?
How much? Genome-wide? 2-3 genes?


If I save in RAW, will that give me enough exposure latitude that I can just always leave the camera on "auto"?

Question: It's been several years since I used my Canon DSLR. During that time my vision requires eyeglasses for reading print within normal reading range. This obviously necessitates putting the glasses on to make external settings on the camera body, and the then removing the glasses to use the view window. A few repetitions of this procedure would drive me over the brink.
My question is: Would using camera RAW afford enough additional exposure latitude to simply use auto-exposure and then make necessary adjustments in Photoshop with RAW?
Comment: The Canon Digital Rebel (an oldie but goodie). Admittedly, its microscopic rear display window presents its own set of problems that even reading eyeglasses won't totally correct. So it looks like I'll have to use the "Braille" method, counting/memorizing  dial clicks, etc.
Thanks to all who provided input.
Comment: Which Canon DSLR?  What are typical settings you're changing?  What types of photos?  Do you have a few examples?
Answer: There are plenty of reasons why one might want to save raw files rather than allowing the camera to convert and save only one JPEG interpretation of the raw image data. Having trouble seeing the information in the viewfinder should not be one of them.
Your EOS Digital rebel/300D has a 'Diopter Adjust' wheel on the upper right corner of the viewfinder which should allow you to adjust the diopter value of the eyepiece by +/-2 diopters. The apparent distance of the viewfinder as seen through the eyepiece when the adjustment wheel is centered should be about one meter (3.25 feet). If the "power" of your reading glasses that allow you to see things clearly at one meter away is lower than "+2 diopters", then the adjustment wheel on your camera can provide the same benefit without having to wear your reading glasses when looking through the viewfinder.¹
I have worn corrective lenses since about age 7 or 8. I'm currently well over 50 years old. I've been using readers for at least the last decade. My right eye, which is normally the one I use for the viewfinder, has a prescription of -2.75 diopters.
If shooting with contact lenses, which is what I wear by default, I use reading glasses with around +2.0 diopters. I let them slide down my nose a bit and can see the controls and LCD screens just fine at normal holding positions.
When holding the viewfinder to my eye I look over the top of the reading glasses and into the viewfinder. The camera's maximum +1.0 diopter setting on the viewfinder diopter adjustment wheel is just enough for the viewfinder information to be in sharp focus for me.¹ Once I get everything dialed in, I'll often remove the readers and shoot without them. I buy a lot of my T-shirts and Polos with front pockets just so I'll have a convenient place to put the readers. If not, I just hang one earpiece over the collar.
On the rare occasion when I wear prescription eyeglasses while shooting, I adjust the camera's diopter adjustment to somewhere right around the -1 diopter "centered" setting and look through the glasses into the viewfinder. The larger viewfinders of the cameras I use (primarily a Canon EOS 5D Mark III and 7D Mark II) certainly come in handy with eyeglasses. Smaller viewfinders, which tend to have shorter eye relief, make it much more difficult to get close enough to see the entire viewfinder when wearing glasses.
¹ Keep in mind that the apparent distance of the information displayed in the viewfinder, along with the apparent distance of the focusing screen, is about one meter at the "neutral" setting of -1 diopter for the vast majority of SLRs (analog and digital). This makes infinity focus (and the information in the viewfinder) appear to be one meter in front of the eye. In the Canon system, the rating of an add-on adapter or movement of the 'Diopter adjust dial' is the net effect of the -1 viewfinder and the correction applied. Thus the +1 setting includes +2 diopters of correction, moving the eyepiece from a "neutral" value of -1 to a corrected value +1 diopters. Other camera systems also have a "neutral" setting of -1 diopter, but label correction as how many steps away from that neutral -1 setting the correction is providing. Thus Canon offers add-on corrective adapters for +1, 0, -2, and -3 diopters, but no -1 diopter corrective adapter. The 0 diopter add-on moves the centered eyepiece from it's native -1 to 0. Other camera makers refer to this as a +1 diopter corrector. A Canon -1 diopter adapter would do nothing, since it would leave an eyepiece already centered at -1 diopter remaining centered at -1 diopter. Douglas Kerr covers this in greater detail in this paper.
Answer: Putting camera setting to auto will make good exposure. But you will loose the ability to set camera depend of your needs. For example if you take photo of wildlife you will need fast shutter speed. And camera in auto do not know it and will try to balance between aperture, speed and ISO. You will not be able to set RAW if you try to use basic modes (portrait, macro, landscape)
I can provide you one possible solution I use (I also use glasses). Try to remember the position of the settings and train yourself to change and manipulate them more by memory (instead of vision). And take photos without glasses, use dioptric correction of viewfinder
Comment: Thanks, Romeo. Good points. I do very little "action" photography, so in most cases rapid motion wouldn't present a problem. Given that, would you say that RAW would provide the additional latitude necessary to yield a good+ photo in most cases (obviously with the required tinkering)?
Comment: I've produced some surprisingly good photos with my iPhone w/HR - even with its obvious drawbacks. It's just been TOO EASY AND CONVENIENT.
Again, thanks for your input. Time to sharpen my self-discipline ;-)
Comment: @BRIANHELLER, RAW file by itself is just a base. After taking photo you should seat and start to edit it. And I give action photography as example, you will prefer to manage the aperture to get shallow or deep field of view, also to manage speed, aperture and ISO to make night photo and so on :)
Answer: Actually it's possible to use the viewfinder with eyeglasses. Even sunglasses.
You may adjust dioptric in the viewfinder too, if your eye can't focus on it.
Sadly, using RAW won't help you to recover an underexposed, or overexposed photo. Every pixel in the left or the right of the histogram is lost information, and no computation can recover it.
If you want to shoot in auto, it will work fine on most scenarios. But when it doesn't, you may use exposure compensation and set the light meter to the left (or right) to expose less (or more). Then look at the histogram if there is lost information.
You may try aperture priority in order to control depth of field in your photos. It's almost as easy to use as full-auto.
Both full-auto and aperture priority works reasonably well on most scenarios, if you use exposure compensation when histogram shows lost information.
Comment: The cumulative value of suggestions from all has provided needed encouragement. Now it's a matter of mind over body. Thanks again.
Answer: Cameras are pretty good at automatic exposure these days as that does not involve all that much of decision-making.  What you may want to think of, however, is cameras offering "post-focus".  Basically they do a short 4K video through all focusing planes and then you (or someone else) can pick the correct focus from that sequence afterwards.  Takes considerable storage, of course, but you delay decisions.
With regard to delaying exposure decisions, most cameras offer "exposure bracketing" these days, taking (usually) three photographs at different exposure settings.  Doesn't work with flash, even though some camera/flash combinations actually do offer "flash bracketing".


Running Nunit Project from console

Question: I am new to selenium webdriver C#, I had just jumped into test automation without much knowledge on mechanisms behind automation.
Well, I have automated one process for a web application.
For this, i had created a NUnit project in Xamarin studio. I am able to run my test cases only through IDE i.e Xamarin with clicking- Run button.
 This project folder doesn't have any executable file.
I need to have a way through which i can run the testcases through an executable file asking for inputs(if exist) through console(cmd prompt) so that i can give this Automation project to anyone and all they need to run the testcases is just by running an executable file.
Please can someone guide me to achieve this without having to do any major changes to my existing solution.
Answer: Have a look at the documentation on NUnits site located here Nunit Console Command Line you should be able to run any tests you have created without making any drastic changes.

Running Nunit Project from console


Can't get my Puff Pastry shells to rise

Question: I baked Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells according to what I thought were the directions.
Temperature set at 425 degrees.  I brushed the top with egg wash -- and only the top.
When they baked, there were a beautiful brown, but only 1 rose like the picture on the box.
The others were beautiful golden brown, but either flat or lop-sided.  They were cooked all the way through -- just not puffed up into a shell.
I put the pastry in the oven after I had thawed them in the refrigerator overnight.
What is my problem.  Why did only one of the shells rise??
Please Please help.....
Comment: I wrote an answer, then realized the product you are discussing is not *sheets* of puff pastry, but a preformed product.  You might want to upload a picture if you can of what went wrong so people can help.  Pepperidge Farms may also have a number on the box to call with usage questions....
Answer: The Pepperidge Farm site offers some tips for baking related to the rise:

Always preheat your oven for a minimum of 15-20 minutes before baking, because Puff Pastry depends on even heat to rise and puff. Place pastries 1 inch apart.
If you want a flaky thin and crispy pastry that's not very puffy, prick the unbaked Puff Pastry all over with a fork, which lets steam escape while baking.
To create a tart with an extra puffy crust: take a knife and score two lines around the edge, then prick the area inside this border with a fork.

I would begin by verifying that these tips were observed. Also, I would verify that your oven bakes consistently (i.e. no hot/cold spots). Preheating can be very helpful in resolving this. Also, you can put in a pizza stone or other heat regulating product, and monitor the temperature with a probe thermometer in water in different areas of the oven.
Answer: My mother made these for years, and I make them now, and we NEVER thaw them. We always cook them from a frozen state, and they come out fine. I've found that the only time they don't rise properly is when they're old, so check the expiration/best by date.
Answer: If your fridge is cold then overnight may not have been long enough, and it could be that some were still frozen. I'd say that was the most likely culprit.
Comment: I think the pastry shells didnt need to be thawed prior to cooking. Pastry sheets do on the other hand.

Can't get my Puff Pastry shells to rise


Two countries in the same location and time?

Question: I was thinking of a world in which there are two different countries that are in the exact same location at the same time.  Despite being in the same location these two countries speak different languages, have different cultures, different types of government, and different laws.  What effect would this have on the people living in the two different countries that are in the exact same location?  How would the two countries distinguish who is from which country when the two countries are in the same place and time?
Comment: Have you read China Miéville's *The City and the City*?  It has a situation very much along these lines, and has thought quite carefully through many of the practical aspects.
Comment: Sounds a lot like South Africa during the Apartheid times... They had skin colour to easily visually determine who was from which "country".
Comment: This kind of sounds like what happens in Muslim countries under Sharia, where the dhimmis are forcibly separate and have a different culture, religion and language- even laws sometimes. In this fictional country does either culture have the upper hand or are they on equal footing? Do they like eachother? These would be good questions to answer and could radically change how that relationship works out.
Comment: Neil Gaiman does something like this in Neverwhere, although most people just live in willful ignorance of the situation, and he gets magic involved.
Comment: are you referring to the koreans?
Comment: Not two countries but two **nations** in the same country, yep they exists
Comment: Sounds much like a caste system, only that each caste will have its own ruler.
Comment: What do you mean by two countries in the same place? A country is a piece of land. Are you referring to a contested area, like Kashmir?
Comment: Is there a reason people have avoided mentioning Palestine/Israel? I would think it is the closest example by far.
Comment: Are they intermingled (your neighbors might be from the other nation), or are they somewhat segregated (e.g. by neighborhood)?  How much interaction is there between people of different nations?
Comment: @called2voyage, while I see your point, the israeli civilians don't appear to make a habit of going deep into Palestiunian territory and residing there. And I think Muslim residents of Israel proper are subject to the same laws as Israelis. Your suggestion comes close, I think; but there might be some important differences from with the question suggests. Do both nations in this country have a unified body in the gov't somewhere? Does all of each nation reside in the same places; or are there nation A and nation B ghettos that are hemogenous?
Answer: With two nations (Red and Blue in this post) and two sets of laws, both peoples would essentially walk around with diplomatic immunity in the other nation. There would need to be a carefully negotiated set of shared laws regarding common land like streets, as well as for transfer of people and property from one nation to the other and for transgressions by a citizen of one nation affecting one of the other.
Example time:
 - The Reds have a democracy, are allowed to own (Red) slaves and duel each other to death at a moment's notice.
 - The Blues have a monarchy, have any violence punishable by long imprisonment and can only own property through their birth or adopted clans.

On the street, Reds and Blues can tell each other apart by dress and speech.
Still, Red law requires Reds to verify the passport of any duel opponent before engaging.
If a Red shoots a Blue, he would not be imprisoned (immune to Blue law) but have to pay compensation to the clan of the Blue (shared law).
If a Red shoots another Red without following duel laws, he would become the slave of the victim or his heirs (Red law).
Reds prefer to hire Blues for some jobs (because no duels), but the salary has to be paid to the clan (shared) and the Blues just don't show up on Blue national holidays.
It is possible for a (free) Red or Blue to change Nationality, but a Red needs a Blue clan adopting him and a Blue will only possess what the old clan gives to him right after the switch.
After changing nationality a person is required to wear a large badge of the new nation to prevent misunderstandings. New Reds only gain voting rights after 5 years.

Edit to address some comments:
I'm trying to describe a stable scenario where the two countries coexist in the same location.

If both laws applied at the same time, there would be immense pressure to synchronize them, and the governmental bodies with this authority would together be a de facto single government.
Just imagine that Red laws say you must wear purple outside and Blue law says only the king may wear purple...
If private terrains and buildings applied only the laws of the owner's nation, then it would be a patchwork of two nations with neutral streets and painted lines every to mark the borders. Does it still count as in the same location then?
For stability law officers would have the authority to detain people of the other country, but only to transfer them to those of the other country.
Comment: Why would any Red/Blue citizen have diplomatic immunity? Wouldn't only the "higher ups" have that privilege?
Comment: Diplomatic immunity is only possible when you're in a territory where one country is able to prevent the other from exercising authority. If both countries truly occupy the same territory, then diplomatic immunity is impossible. Now if different buildings could belong to one nation or another (the streets being the only shared space) then diplomatic immunity from one nation's laws could be achieved by hiding in a building belonging to the other nation... but then territories aren't being fully shared in the strictest sense.
Comment: @AndreiROM: because they are in their own country under their own law. If they were also subject to the other country's laws at the same time, things would get unmanageable quickly.
Comment: But what if you're a Red, currently in a store owned by a Blue, and you commit some crime? Who's laws apply? Would there be a difference between public/international spaces, and private properties? What if you're in a "international" space and you hurt a Blue, and the Blue police are the first to arrive? Would they just hold off, while you walk away?
Comment: when you are in another country, you are subject to that country's laws, as well as to some laws that are applicable to your nation when abroad.
Answer: This was quite common in mixed areas in the past. E.g. the Jews, Muslims and Christians had their own judicial systems, and were pretty much independent, as long as they recognized the allegiance to the sovereign - the very idea of a "country" was somewhat loose.
This continues till today in some areas, the Māori have some weak form of separate self-government (e.g. different electorates), and some of the Indian "Nations" in the USA are de iure fully sovereign and independent (as long as they do not try to exercise their rights too much), their territory and political system coexisting with the "non-native" administrative divisions.
Comment: +1 for using already existing societies that can be deeply researched to give OP a direction to read how this is already happening and how each example has addressed and solved, or failed to solve, the cohabitation problem.
Answer: Peter LeFanu Lumsdaine mentioned the book "The City and the City" in a comment.  If you haven't read the book itself, you should at least read the Wikipedia entry.  The author has put some thought into these matters.
Telling people apart will be easy, because people will want to told apart.
The easiest way for people to proclaim their nationality will be by their clothing.  In addition there will be hair/beard style, eating habits, who you greet on the street and how you greet them.  And so on and so forth.
For somebody to disguise themselves as belonging to the other nation would probably be illegal or at least socially very unacceptable.
As you say, each nation will have their own government and laws.  This can work well, as long as most people obeys their own government and the two governments have peaceful relations.  A war between them would be ... ugly.
One thorny issue will be jurisdiction.  An A-lander accuses a B-lander of a crime.  Should this be investigated by the A-police or the B-police?  It could depend on where the alleged crime happened... but that might not be entirely clear.  Many interesting stories could result.
International law is in general a difficult subject, especially when involving international corporations.  Just look in any newspaper for inspiration.  E.g. you could let one country be used a tax haven by corporation from the other.
Answer: Countries (political/national/ethnic groups going hand-in-hand with a physical area) is in my opinion a fairly modern invention that has never been without exception in practice. Ethnic german-speaking Germans are also found in other countries (where their ancestors may have lived for centuries without the desire to move to Germany - e.g. Austria), while people of other ethnicities hold German citizenship. (Historically, Germany consists of many different "states", which contains even more diverse tribes, which in some respects are distinguishable even to the present day by speech and physical appearance.)
So "groups" could easily form with their own culture, rules and enforcement of those, dress, habits, etc. without a physical land area (except maybe the part that each individual incidentally owns). The internet may provide even more opportunities for new groups to form and organize themselves than before.
Some interesting permutations would involve people being part of a distinct subgroup within a wider country, so being subject to both the group's and the country's laws (Indian reservations vs United States?) while others in the same country are only beholden to the country's laws.
I guess not much prevents a person of finding himself a member of more than one group, perhaps having to adhere to conflicting rules at some point....
Answer: In the purest sense, I think overlapping governments is impossible. I can only imagine three possible scenarios:

The overlapping governments are fully independent, with no coordination. Chaos results: a given act might be felonious or completely legal depending on who's looking; public projects like road maintenance or water and power distribution collide; police jurisdictions conflict. If you do something that's illegal in both nations, whose job is it to punish you? This situation is a powder keg that almost naturally devolves into war, ending in separate territories at best.
The overlapping governments work together in harmony. In so doing, a single government is formed. Even if one citizen may be subject to different laws from those affecting another citizen, both citizens are governed by the same entity. Public works are coordinated so that both governments aren't trying to solve the same problem at the same time in different ways. There is one governing body that determines which rules a given citizen is elligible to live by.
The overlapping governments are extremely lax. There is little or no law enforcement, so nobody cares whose laws you might be breaking. Such a system would only avoid devolving into complete anarchy (zero government) if the people held themselves and each other to the law as a matter of honor and pride. Without a structured system to hold people to the letter of the law, the separate groups would meld ideologies into one simple, common sense code of honor supported by communal punishment.

It would be difficult to reliably, fairly determine which nation's laws should apply to a given individual, too. Culture won't work, as clothing, language, and behaviors are easy to fake or adopt, and tastes vary wildly even among people in the same culture. Tattoos can be modified or removed. Even genetic distinctions and lineage are ultimately useless, as inevitable intermarriage will mix gene pools and blood lines.
Note: this answer assumes equality is intended. There are plenty of ways an unfair or unbalanced system would allow two nations to share the same space. As others have said here, see the real world for examples of that.
Answer: What about Belgium? There are Wallon (French influence) and Flemish (Dutch influence) cultures that very closely overlap. As far as I know, they don't have separate governments (possibly different local government councils?) or judicial systems, but they do have their own cultures to a certain degree. I don't really know too much about it, but might be worth asking a Belgian, or taking a vacation there.
Comment: Hi and Welcome to Worldbuilding SE.  If the suggestion is interesting, we like to have clearer answers, possibly supported by external sources. You could have a look at the [tour] and the [help]. Note that the Dutch (in the Netherlands) and the Flemish cultures are, very close. So might say the same. What you probably wanted to say was Wallon (French influence) and Flemish (Dutch influence). Don't hesitate to edit your answer to correct that or add more information.
Comment: Yes, they are culturally close. The post about Jewish, Christian and Muslim cultures overlapping is also interesting, and much more diverse. In Haifa in Isreal Jew, Christian, Muslim and Bahai all once peacefully co-existed - I think the current situation in Israel has broken that apart. That is why I suggested Belgium because the OP could even go there today and see it.
Comment: But those are not "in the same location"; they coexist in the same state but are different areas from it. Also, the question is about "nations", so you should want to have different governments, judiciaries, etc. for each group.
Comment: I think in Belgium there are enclaves of one culture within enclaves of the other, they overlap or intertwine very closely in some areas.
Comment: @SJuan76 No, it's not about the nation (culture) but the country (state). Belgium is just one country.
Answer: As a historical example of something very similar, territory nominally falling under Roman rule usually retained the local form of government. However, Roman citizens were not subject to that government, and the Romans set up governorships of the various nations they conquered to handle Caesar's interests within that nation.
It's somewhat similar to the U.S. system of state and federal governments having some separation of powers, but with the key difference that someone born in the District of Columbia would be immune to prosecution under state law, answerable only to the Feds for any infraction.
Most real-world examples of two jurisdictions coexisting typically involve one jurisdiction having a wider geographic scope, and natives of the region fall under both jurisdictions.
Answer: If they were unaware of each other, they would be effectively isolated from each other. Like the different "phasing" in the Stargate series or something. Alternately, if the different kinds of people are physically incapable of communicating because they're different species. Like one species is deaf and uses visual communication while the other species is blind and uses audio communication.
If you're talking about normal humans, it would be pretty difficult to avoid contact. However, we do have precedent in many cases with various types of racism. Blacks and women have in many cases had different cultures and a different set of laws applied to them. I'm sure there are other examples of similar cases in the past.
As long as you're not trying to keep things equitable, it's not hard to have similar sets of cultural schisms in play.


Light switch with power to the light first

Question: Can I get power from the switch when power goes into the light first? I would like to add another light with a separate switch.
Answer: Depends on the location and age of the building. Modern U.S. code usually requires the presence of a neutral wire in all switch boxes.
Look at the number of conductors entering the switch box. Two conductors, both connected to switch terminals, means older style wiring, and you are out of luck. You'll have to run the new circuit from the light.
Three conductors, one capped off with a wire nut, means newer style wiring, and you can draw power from the switch box. The capped white wire is the neutral, and one of the connected wires -- usually the black one -- is the hot supply. But check everything with your favorite diagnostic device to make sure.
As always, be careful not to touch any wires when diagnosing a live circuit, turn off -- and verify that it is off -- the power at the breaker box before handling the wires, and never change or install anything until you are certain that you know the path and purpose of every existing wire.
Comment: Thank you. That's what I was afraid of. There are only two conductors coming into the switch box. Was a carriage house built in 1928.
Comment: 1928!  Well, good luck trying to find the path and purpose of every existing wire, then.  I admire your courage.


Looking for my grandfather in Germany

Question: I'm trying to locate my mums real father. She was born in Bad Tölz, Germany in 1947 and brought up by her maternal aunt & uncle. She came to Aust when she was 3 years old & was never told who her real father was. Her mum died at 40 and she was bought up by her aunt & uncle and was told they were her parents but later in her life she found out they weren't & she never ever got to meet her real father. Can you please help me try & locate him? I'm in Berlin at the moment on holiday & I have my mothers documents etc so if there is somewhere I can visit that would be helpful?
Comment: Nicole, it's not allowed to post identifying information about possibly-living individuals on this site so I have edited your question to remove it.
Comment: I am glad a very useful looking answer has been posted but have voted to close this question as being outside the scope of GFH-SE because the help says "it is not about:
Locating identifiable [potentially] living individuals".  Good luck with your search all the same.
Comment: @PolyGeo and others voting to close can we discuss at http://meta.genealogy.stackexchange.com/q/1747/104.
Answer: You'll need to visit the Einwohnermeldeamt (registration office), which is usually a part of the Stadtverwaltung (city administration), in Bad Tölz, ideally in person. As long as you can prove that your mother was indeed your mother (copies of your own and your mother's birth certificates and ideally your grandmother's death certificate along with your ID should be sufficient), they're required to give you all the data they have on your mother, including her parents and other ancestors if known and available. This is generally not free (costs run between 5€ ad 25€ per person, usually on the lower end). The key word here is "Melderegisterauskunft".
The address of the Einwohnermeldeamt can be easily found via Google searching for "einwohnermeldeamt (city name)". In case of Bad Tölz, it's:

Stadtverwaltung Bad Tölz
Am Schloßplatz 1
83646 Bad Tölz

If you can't go there by yourself, call them. There's a good chance you'll be able to talk to someone who speaks passable English if your German isn't good enough.

Looking for my grandfather in Germany


What are the most common reasons for NFS auto mounts to fail?

Question: Of course I need to solve a particular problem, but I'm hoping some more general answers on "how to troubleshoot automounting nfs" come up that will help more people with similar symptoms.
We've got a file server 'nas1' and three client servers, 'server1', 'server2', 'server3' with identical /etc/auto.master files including this line:
/net    -hosts  acregmax=10,acdirmax=10

All servers run CentOS 5.
'nas1' has the following in /etc/exports:
/proj/ptn *(sync,rw,no_root_squash)

One of the servers has been up and running without any issues, but on two occasions, separated by several weeks, we've had issues with the mount points appearing empty on the client servers.
For the case where 'server3' is unable to use '/net/nas1/proj/ptn', here are a few things that may help with troubleshooting:
ssh nas1

Works as expected, so it's apparent that the connection is not lost between. It didn't occur while the nfs mount was inaccessible, but it's worth mentioning that we have had intermittent issues (averaging maybe once a week) with a server becoming unresponsive and having to power-cycle it to bring it back up. This becomes apparent since a load balancing server is checking the servers constantly for connectivity to keep track of its available pool of servers.
lsof | grep /proj/ptn
automount 3414 root 5r DIR 0,19 0 13390 /net/nas1/proj/ptn

cat /proc/mounts

included
    /etc/auto.misc /misc autofs rw,fd=7,pgrp=3414,timeout=300,minproto=5,maxproto=5,indirect 0 0
    -hosts /net autofs rw,fd=13,pgrp=3414,timeout=300,minproto=5,maxproto=5,indirect 0 0
    -hosts /net/nas1/proj/ptn autofs rw,fd=13,pgrp=3414,timeout=300,minproto=5,maxproto=5,offset 0 0
service autofs restart
Stopping automount:                                [  OK  ]
Starting automount:                                [  OK  ]

This didn't fix the problem, but allowed for unmounting:
umount /net/nas1/proj/ptn
mount /net/nas1/proj/ptn
mount: can't find /net/nas1/proj/ptn in /etc/fstab or /etc/mtab

The mount behaviour is expected, but it was tried, so I'm including it.
service network restart
Shutting down interface eth0:                         [  OK  ]
Shutting down loopback interface:                     [  OK  ]
Bringing up loopback interface:                       [  OK  ]
Bringing up interface eth0:                           [  OK  ]

Didn't help.
/etc/init.d/autofs restart
Stopping automount:                                [  OK  ]
Starting automount:                                [  OK  ]

This brought it back up.
Since 'service autofs restart' had been run before, it's unknown why '/etc/init.d/autofs restart' worked, unless it has to do with the fact the 'umount' and 'service network restart' were done in between.
Considering it may be weeks before we see this again, what's the best thing to try next time it goes down or right now to make sure that it never does go down again? One would hope AUTO mount would automatically fix the mount when it goes down :-(
Answer:
Too many clients trying to mount the filesystem
Network problems
Too much activity on the filesystem
Server not responding due to high load


Properties of a selection of objects

Question: Imagine a scene containing multiple objects, for example a bed and a chair. The bed and the chair aren't blender-objects themselves, but they consist of many subobjects. To view the dimensions, rotation etc of one of these subobjects is not a problem, but what if I want to see the dimension of the whole bed? I have thought about parenting all sub-bed-objects to one of the parts or adding them all to a group. However, so far I have not been able to figure out how to display the dimensions of a whole group. How could I do that?
Comment: Blender does not support editing groups of objects in *Properties Editor* and N-toolshelf, it only works for the active object. You would have to join all your objects together.
Answer: I have created an addon that will create a mesh cube that encompasses all selected objects. Of note is that non-render objects such as camera, lamp and lattice objects report there bounding box as a zero size cube, this can lead to a cube of zero size that is only seen in the outliner.
To use you can save this link to your addon folder or to somewhere convenient and use the Install from file button in the preferences. You will then find Create Bounding Box under the Add Mesh menu.
This will give you a single object that clearly shows the outer dimensions in the object properties as if all objects had been joined.
Comment: @sambler for some reason when I do the scaling before calling the function it doesn't work. I tried running the scaling part from one text block then running your script from another text block and it works fine. Once I place them together it doesn't work.
Comment: Like your script! Good example how to write a script for me. Also, it does help getting the dimensions of a group of objects :)
Comment: I'm trying to use it as function not an addon
this is my attempt but it's not working pasteall.org/blend/index.php?id=45713 could you please advise?
Comment: Calling 'object_data_add` gets properties like loc/rot/scale from the calling operator, as you aren't using an operator you set it as None and manually set the location. [Working script here](https://gist.github.com/sambler/273d8f8c170e3415f54196f10bdc3b73)
Comment: @sambler thank you very much, but it's not working properly as shown here http://pasteall.org/blend/index.php?id=45724 if you switch between commenting each last two lines in the script you will see the difference.
Comment: @sambler thank you I solved it by doing bpy.context.scene.update()
Comment: Hello, Sambler

I like your addon a lot!

I was thinking, would you be willing to modify it for a case when an object has non-zero rotation? So the created cube would automatically be aligned to local axes of an active object.
Answer: Blender doesn't support showing dimentsions of dupli-group instances or children (directly), You can however use the Ruler to measure it, hold Ctrl to snap to the extents of the objects.

Properties of a selection of objects


Install drupal without node module?

Question: I know this is achievable in Drupal 8 but is there a way to do this in Drupal 7? I've looked into drupal modules, core files but couldn't find anything reliable. I'm asking this because I might want to have a light installation with custom entities and I don't need Node module.
Answer: The node module is marked as
<code>required = TRUE
</code>
in the node.info file, so the developers are basically saying that as far as they're concerned the node module is imperative for Drupal 7 to function correctly.
You could try patching the info file to remove that line, then disabling the node module to see what happens...in fact if you do that you should write a blog post about it or something, it would be very interesting to find out the effects; I've never heard of anyone trying to do this before :)
Comment: I would add that you'll want to correct other things like the front page's default "node" path, taxonomy.module trying to run functions defined in node.module, etc. I think his best bet is leaving the module installed and then deleting all of the node content types. I can't see node.module making a bootstrap noticeably slower in this instance.
Comment: @Charlie Very good points
Comment: Yes, that actually works, although you have to make some tweaks since it gives an error when installing (with minimal profile) because in common.inc there is a call for node_types_rebuild in drupal_flush_all_caches which is not found. still some tweaks are needed for the installation to work.

Install drupal without node module?


How to create "border" around tilemap in Unity

Question: I'm setting up a 2D arena game, and I'm trying to implement an ability for tilemaps to be highlighted (on hover).  I've already managed to get a Vector3 of the hovered tile using rays and WorldToCell, but I don't know how to actually "highlight" the tilemap by creating a border around it.  Is this possible or am I going to need some other sprite that has a highlighted version of the tile?  Here's my layout now:

I need it to look something like this:
Comment: Can you draw an example of what you want this border highlight to look like?
Comment: @DMGregory updated question
Answer: Create an sprite object that is the highlight. Make sure the location of the object corresponds to the center of the object. Then set its position as CellToWorld, using the WorldToCell result you already have.
This is the easiest way to do this. There would be another way using tiles themselves, but that is more complicated and honestly, you don't really need anything more complicated than this, since only one tile will be highlighted at a time.


How do Bitcoin futures acutally affect the underlying spot market?

Question: Lets say when the futures expire today on settlement date, does the seller of the future actually literally sell BTC on the open market so he can pay the cash to the Future buyer/holder? I was told the BTC futures market is cash settled.
Comment: @omega you can buy corn futures while never taking delivery of a single bushel.
Comment: Why would this be different than the way the market for futures contracts affects any other asset?
Comment: Well bitcoin is not a physical asset so I'm not sure how they would actually hold the asset in this case ...
Answer: Although trading Bitcoin futures doesn't require at any point trading actual Bitcoin, the futures market affects the cash market (and vice versa) through arbitrage. Some traders watch for discrepancies between futures and cash -- e.g., if the cash is lower, then sell futures and buy Bitcoin for a small but nearly risk-free profit by expiration (the futures settlement offsets the gain or loss on the Bitcoin). This trade, in turn, brings the markets closer together. The existence of these arbitrage traders means that futures and cash prices move together and the demand and supply of one is communicated to the other.
Answer: Taking for example CME's bitcoin futures, those are futures financially (i.e. cash) settled. This means that on settlement date the losing party is going to pay the winning party the difference between the contract price and that spot price at the settlement date. This difference is calculated on the underlying -- in this case Bitcoin -- and is paid in the settlement currency (here USD). There is no need to buy or sell Bitcoin to settle this contract.
Do note that as the market evolves, it's possible that contracts with different terms like physical settlement (could happen) or settlement in a cryptocurrency (unlikely to happen soon on a regulated exchange) will pop up and make this a possibility.
Comment: But where does the actual flow/ point of contact between fiat and BTC occur ? It has to occur at some point which will affect the btc market
Comment: @omega Not the way the contracts on regulated exchanges are currently set up. You buy or sell the contract in USD, pay margin in USD and cash settle in USD. The "link" between fiat and BTC is in determining the value of the contract at different points in time and in calculating margin requirements. This is executed by, simplistically, calculating the difference between the contract price and the price of an index made up of the price of Bitcoin on different bitcoin exchanges.
Comment: Ahh I get it now. However now I don't get how these futures affect the spot market prices when there is actually no effect on demand/supply in the spot market from these futures !!
Comment: @omega you seem to assume that it does so in a significant way. I am not sure it is necessarily the case. One way I see it may do is in transparency and price discovery. Futures contracts give you a sense of where other investors think the market is going. With information from the futures market in mind, it's possible to alter your investing decisions in the spot market. Obviously, with physical settled contracts you would have to purchase Bitcoins and deliver them. The means to do so would be outlined in the contract's specs.


How can I make an Automator service run a Terminal and display the output?

Question: I'm using Automator to run a shell script (Rar selected files) as a 'Service', so that I can just right click a folder and select the service. It works fine, but i've added verbose and testing (to see the progress and test results) so I need to see the output of the Terminal window to make sure the archive is ok. Is there a way to see the output in real time? or to take it an extra step echo the results?
here's the script that works in automator but the output is silent.
on run {input, parameters}
set nbFiles to count input

if nbFiles = 0 then
    display dialog "No files selected!" buttons {"OK"} default button 1
    return
end if

tell application "Finder"

    set archiveDir to (container of (item 1 of input) as string)
    if nbFiles = 1 then
        set archiveName to (name of (item 1 of input) as string)
    else
        set archiveName to "archive"
    end if

    if exists file (archiveDir & archiveName & ".rar") then
        set i to 2
        repeat while exists file (archiveDir & archiveName & "-" & i & ".rar")
            set i to i + 1
        end repeat
        set archiveName to archiveName & "-" & i
    end if

    set archiveDir to quoted form of POSIX path of archiveDir
    set archiveName to quoted form of (archiveName & ".rar")

    set listFiles to " "
    repeat with i in input
        set listFiles to listFiles & quoted form of ("." & POSIX path of (name of i as string)) & " "
    end repeat

end tell

do shell script "cd " & archiveDir & "; rar a -ol[a] -mt8 -m5- -y -s -m4 -t " & archiveName & listFiles

return input
end run

THANKS!!
Answer: Change the following line of code:
do shell script "cd " & archiveDir & "; rar a -ol[a] -mt8 -m5- -y -s -m4 -t " & archiveName & listFiles

To:
tell application "Terminal"
    do script "cd " & archiveDir & "; rar a -ol[a] -mt8 -m5- -y -s -m4 -t " & archiveName & listFiles
end tell


What do they use for broken glass pieces in movies?

Question: Most of action movies involve tremendous amounts of explosions and shattered glass. I remember watching Die Hard (1988) and the amount of broken glass made me wonder, what was it made of to keep actors safe?
Comment: Definitely related but not the same. I am looking for answers not only to describe broken bottles and glassware, but also windows and larger objects that might use a completely different approach.
Comment: Nope same exact product.
Comment: Related if not duplicate : [Breaking a whiskey glass with your bare hands: how would this have been done?](http://movies.stackexchange.com/questions/11078/breaking-a-whiskey-glass-with-your-bare-hands-how-would-this-have-been-done/11079#11079)
Answer: It's not actually glass...
Originally, they used a product called "Sugar glass" or "candy glass".

Sugar glass (also called candy glass, edible glass, and breakaway glass) is a brittle transparent form of sugar used to simulate glass in movies, photographs and plays. It is much less likely to cause injuries than real glass, and it easily breaks convincingly, making it an excellent choice for stunts. Sugar glass is also used to make sugar sculptures. Because sugar glass is hygroscopic, it must be used soon after preparation, or it will soften and lose its brittle quality.

It's incredibly easy to make, taking no special skill (Practice for clarity and equipment to make large pieces aside).
However, the sugar absorbs moisture, it isn't very stable, so they have modern substitutes made from brittle plastics. They are still very easy to break but they don't suffer from deterioration over time the way that sugar does.

Q: Is it made of sugar?
  A: Breakaway Glass is made of a mixture of plastics, not sugar.

Also, because it's not sugar, it can be used for vessels and jars, so it can hold liquids, at room temperature.
Note that there is still some risk. You're not as likely to be injured by breakaway glass as real glass but you can still get hurt, so stunts people are still very cautious around these products.
Comment: Relevant: http://sugarglass.blogspot.com
Comment: The new stuff's called [Piccotex](https://www.google.com/search?q=Piccotex&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8#q=Piccotex+msds). Its MSDS just says it's 100% "hydrocarbon resin".
Comment: No, not soft... It shatters in a way that is less sharp and less likely to cause cuts.
Comment: @Mazura does that mean it is actually soft yet has same transparency characteristics as glass?


how to create Silverlight application in ASP.net 2.0

Question: I need to create a web application with silverlight controls how to create this in ASP.net 2.0 with VS 2005.
Help me out
Answer: Get Started Building Silverlight 2 Applications
Answer: Also see this previous SO question:Good resource for learning Silverlight 2 Development?
Answer: You won't be able to develop silverlight control projects in VS 2005.  Additionaly you can't use the new Silverlight webcontrol in Vs2005 or on ASP.NET 2.0 since it depends on 3.5.
Hence you should copy the XAPs and/or XAMLs created elsewhere into your project and treat them simply as content files (place XAPs in 'clientbin' folder).  You will need to follow the instructions for using silverlight in simple HTML files in your ASPX.
What I've done is create my own simple WebControl for ASP.NET 2.0 to generate the appropriate HTML for a Silverlight control.  The render method looks some thing like:-
protected override void Render(HtmlTextWriter writer)
{
    if (DesignMode)
    {
        //Display something sensible here
    }
    else
    {
        writer.AddAttribute("data", "data:application/x-silverlight-2,");
        writer.AddAttribute("type", "application/x-silverlight-2");
        AddExistingAttributes(writer);

        writer.RenderBeginTag("object");

        writer.AddAttribute("name", "source");
        writer.AddAttribute("value", Page.ResolveUrl(Src), false);
        writer.RenderBeginTag("param");
        writer.RenderEndTag();

        writer.AddAttribute("name", "minRuntimeVersion");
        writer.AddAttribute("value", "2.0.31005.0");
        writer.RenderBeginTag("param");
        writer.RenderEndTag();

        writer.AddAttribute("name", "initParams");
        writer.AddAttribute("value", InitParams);
        writer.RenderBeginTag("param");
        writer.RenderEndTag();

        writer.Write(@"

    ");

        writer.RenderEndTag();
    }

If you are developing for a public site you would need to include the silverlight.js and wire it up as per the normal HTML usage of the control so that it will automatically attempt to install silverlight and refresh the page when installed.


Is it professional to ask about compensation when offered relocation and training to a foreign country?

Question: If one is verbally offered relocation for a job in a foreign country, is it appropriate to ask about the terms of compensation (i.e. salary, medical benefits, etc.?) before moving forward, e.g. the company is getting ready to find housing, etc.
Answer:
If one is verbally offered relocation for a job in a foreign country,
  is it appropriate to ask about the terms of compensation

Yes, it's appropriate.
Any time you are offered what is essentially a new job, I think you are entitled to learn about all the components of that job, before accepting that offer.
To me, compensation changes, currency, relocation assistance, training, etc - these are all completely relevant.
Answer: Of course. It is normal to discuss all aspects of compensation before moving forward, to verify that they are acceptable to you. This is especially important when a potential international relocation is involved, as the costs for going back if the compensation isn't sufficient would be far higher that with, say, a position in your current location.
Answer: I think, absolutely! Just focus before on your awesome technical skills, and then introduce the subject, politely but firmly. saying that, as it looks like we are seriously talking about that,and the relocation to another country is obviously a complicated process involving all kinds of everything, you'd need to know the details of your contract to make an informed decision. I'd just present myself as a happy worker, happy in your country, but also happy to move if the conditions are right. They should get the impression you are an excellent hire, but not an experiment or an adventurer.


Carrying large amounts of cash in Japan

Question: Is it, generally speaking, safe to carry large amounts of cash (US$4000) in Japan?
Comment: Well, if I had to pick a country to walk around with US$4000 in cash, I'd probably choose Japan...  but I still wouldn't do it.
Comment: Carry it into the country, or with you when in the country?
Comment: Is it anywhere?
Comment: In Japan it is generally safe to walk around for $4000 in cash. But you still might want to consider not-so-general occurrences. Japan is generally free of tsunamis, earthquakes, and nuclear accidents too, after all.
Answer: Generally speaking, yes. However the same common-sense rules apply everywhere. Don't leave it alone in a bag somewhere, don't flash it about, etc. The only time I had anything stolen was my bag, in an ex-pat bar in Roppongi. Says a lot.
More: Japan is still a rather cash-based society given how early and frequently banks close, and I found that my UK bank card would only work in post office cash machines. Basically post-5pm you'll struggle to get cash. This particularly applies to anywhere rural or villages / small towns - part of the reason for this is Japan still has a very large percentage of small / family businesses (much higher than the US / UK), and if it's anything like the UK the cost of processing card payments is far too high for small-value purchases. Of course in large chains and cities this is much less of a problem. As such, people tend to carry around larger quantities of cash than in other countries... though $4000 is quite a lot!
EDIT I should add 7/11 convenience stores seem to accept many foreign-issued cards. I live in Japan but get paid in Pounds Sterling, and usually withdraw it there. Of course any foreign transaction fees will be applied by your bank. Best to check the terms and conditions of your account.
Answer: Japan has ATMs, but couple of things to know

Citibank and Shinsei Bank will be the main 2 banks accepting foreigners ATM cards. You can find the map of ATMs on their respective website in english: http://www.shinseibank.com/english/atm/.
SevenEleven convenient stores spread al over the country will accept some foreign ATM cards
Japan post will accept Visa/Master/Plus cards

Now, in Japan Banks will shutdown ATMs during some public holidays (May and September mostly).
I would recommend taking 2 ATM cards, one always in one of your pockets, the other one in your backpack. Japan is pretty safe, in case you lose anything, report it to the Police (Koban) immediately, they usually find wallets within 1 to 2 weeks.
Have a safe trip.
Answer: The largest denomination of Japanese yen (actually pronounced "en") is 10000, lately worth around US$127.  In other words, you'd still be carrying around a bunch of those, even if you converted half of your funds into yen.
Answer: Even if you weren't worried about crime, you'd need to watch out for accidentally losing it.
Japan does have ATMs. Were you asking because you were planning to take in all the cash you needed for your trip?
Comment: You'll get much better exchange rates by withdrawing from ATMs in Japan than by converting into yen before you leave.
Comment: Yeah and to walk around with it.
Comment: Japanese ATMs are notoriously some of the most painful to use in the world, especially for such a developed country. They generally close at night and on weekends. Citibank has the only "normal" ones. In small places only the post office will have one. 7/11 usually has ATMs that are the most useful for travellers, but from time to time they stop supporting foreign cards for unpredictable lengths of time.

Carrying large amounts of cash in Japan


Can forced movement be used to dismount a rider?

Question:
Are a rider and mount considered different targets so I could push or pull one but not the other with a power?
If I can push the rider off of the mount, would the "Catching yourself"(PHB p284) clause kick in and give the rider a save from the fall?
Answer: Essentially no, they both move together even if you only target one of them.
From the Compendium  Also pg254 in the Rules Compendium

Forced Movement: If the mount is pulled, pushed, or slid, the rider moves with it. If the rider is pulled, pushed, or slid and the mount isn't, the rider can have the two of them move together. Otherwise, the rider is dismounted and falls prone in the destination space of the forced movement.

The mount and rider are considered separate creatures and are targeted independently. (RC p254)
The attack sequence if multiple targets are involved is on pg214 of the Rules Compendium. Simplified it is:

chose targets
roll and resolve an attack on one target
repeat step 2 on a different target until finished.

In the case of a mount and rider you should fully resolve the attack against one before going onto the other.  If the mount is slid left and the rider slid right, they will likely end up right back where they started.
In the case of teleportation, (which is not forced movement).  It is covered on pg255 of the Rules Compendium.  In short they teleport separately, teleport the mount and the rider is dismounted and falls prone.
Comment: I did condense a 6 step process down to 3 to show how I thought this should be resolved.  It seems clear that the initial choosing of targets is sufficient to resolve questions about range and LoE.  After that, you just resolve against each creature regardless of where they are currently standing.  For me, this is a new section of rules that I hadn't known about.  I'd always been curious as to the "correct" way to resolve a Thunderwave against many critters for example.  Mounts and riders may be a unique case that exposes some fugly situations.  I'd have no objection to a DM houseruling here.
Comment: By your analysis of the "multiple target" process, one could say that a one of the creatures involved was moved out of the area of effect (via its attachment to the other) prior the attack against it, even though both are being attacked by a single burst/blast.  How do you resolve that?  Either the events occur simultaneously or they don't - which is it?  And, what would then happen if the mount was slid backward while the rider was slid sideways?
Comment: Yeah, I expect the response from WotC will leave a lot of this to DM houserule.  Even when one particular ruling seems the most sensible, they're not shy about reminding you that the DM is the final arbiter.
Answer: Based on current RAW, the answers aren't quite as simple as the questions - in fact, part of them brings up another question which I'll be shortly sending to WotC support.
First, let's break up your first question a bit:

1a.  Are a rider and mount considered different targets?

Yes.  For the purposes of targeting, the rider and mount are separate entities.  If you have a power that targets one creature, you must choose either the mount or the rider.  If you have a power that targets all creatures within a burst or blast that includes the mount & rider's space (remember, they share the same space) then you must roll separate attacks for each.

1b.  Can you force a dismount by forcing movement of one but not the other?

It depends.
For a push, pull, or slide:

If the target is the mount, then the rider generally moves with it.
If the target is the rider, then the rider has the choice of whether to bring the mount along, or to go on his own.  If the rider chooses to move separately, he is dismounted and falls prone in the destination space.

For a teleport (technically not "forced movement", but can be involuntary):

When only one of the two is targeted, the other does not teleport with it.
If the mount teleports without the rider, the rider is dismounted and falls prone.

2  If I can push the rider off of the mount, would the "Catching yourself"(PHB p284) clause kick in and give the rider a save from the fall?

I'm certain the answer to this would be "no".  This being because, in most cases, (push, pull, slide) a rider's separation from the mount due to forced movement is the rider's choice - it either happens or it doesn't, no save involved.
In the case of a teleport, there is only one situation in which the rider would explicitly be dismounted and fall prone.  This is when the mount is the target of the teleport.  Since the mount is the creature being affected, and rules specifically state that rider and mount are not teleported together, the rider has no choice in the matter - he dismounts and falls prone.
In any case, the "Catching Yourself" clause would not even be effective for forced dismounts, since a successful save still leaves the target prone in the last space occupied prior to the fall.
Some scenarios not explicitly covered in RAW:

What if the rider is teleported without the mount?  (Presumably, the rider would land standing in the destination square, if no other rules or effects apply.)

(Wizards Customer Support):  "1. Since it is not specified, it will be up to your DM to decide. However, Since they are the one being teleported, and are not prone to begin with, they would remain upright."

What if the rider and mount are teleported to the same destination, by a burst or blast?  (Teleportation is instantaneous, so I would venture to guess the rider could stay mounted.)

(WCS):  "2. Again, it's the DM's call. If it is a player's or allies power that causes the teleport, I would go with that they remain together."

What if the rider and mount are subjected to conflicting movement?  (i.e.: Rider is slid left, while mount slides right.)

(WCS):  "3. As written, if they are both affected and moved in different directions, the rider will fall prone."

After reading the rules on this one more closely, I see it is a direct RAW interpretation.  The key lies in this bit:

(Essentials Rules Compendium, p. 254, emphasis mine)
  "Even though the mount and rider occupy the same space, they are still separate creatures and are targeted separately.  …  If the mount is pulled, pushed, or slid, the rider moves with it.  If the rider is pulled, pushed, or slid and the mount isn't, the rider can have the two of them move together.  Otherwise, the rider is dismounted and falls prone in the destination space of the forced movement."

In this case, the condition being triggered is that the rider is being moved, and the mount is also.  This overrides the "mount carries rider" clause, and violates the "rider chooses whether they move together" clause.  Therefore the two are separated, the rider is dismounted, and falls prone.

What if one of them is restrained, when the other is pushed, pulled or slid?  (This is the only combat condition that renders a creature immune to forced movement.  However, teleportation can still take place.)

(WCS):  "4. The restrained creature would remain while the other is moved."

All of the data to support my conclusions thus far, are taken from WotC Customer Support e-mails, and the following Rules Compendium sections:

"Forced Movement", pages 211 - 213
"Teleportation", pages 213 - 214
"Rules for Mount and Rider", pages 253 - 255
Comment: The teleportation rules on pg255 cover the scenarios you raise above.  You should not conflate teleportation with forced movement.  The rules are similar in some cases, but not others.
Comment: Reminder - teleportation is not forced movement.  As you've demonstrated it poses a different set of problems and should be addressed in a different question IMHO.
Comment: Though "teleportation" is not technically a part of "forced movement" by glossary definition, I consider any type of "involuntary movement" to be "forced movement" for purposes of discussion.  This way, all bases are covered for readers who may be unfamiliar with that particular technicality.
Comment: Added input from Wizards Customer Support.  All "involuntary movement" scenarios are now addressed and/or specified as "DM's discretion".
Answer: If only one of the two (mount and rider) is subjected to forced movement then generally no you cannot force a dismount (as explainied by Pat).  But imho that doesn't fully address the more general question (Can forced movement be used to dismount a rider).
If you are using an attack that can target more than one creature, it gets more complicated (mount and rider are targeted separately and therefore bursts and blasts can affefct both of them).  Certainly it can be argued that the rule states that if the mount is subject to forced movement then the rider can always simply ignore any competing forced movement - although it's not clear that is the intent.  Likewise, what happens when the mount is immobilized and the rider is subject to forced movement - the rider can't have the two of them move together - is he then dismounted?
What makes sense to me (and I leave it to each DM to decide to what degree in-game logic versus strict and literal interpretation of the RAW impacts their rule decisions) is the following:  If the mount is immobilized, forced movement can force the rider off of the mount.  If the rider is immobilized, it can ride along with the mount as it is moved.  If both are subject to forced movement and moved in opposing directions the rider can be dismounted.
It may not be strict RAW, but the rules are not and cannot be 100% comprehensive and I feel this specific sub-question is not explicitly covered by the RAW.
Carl
Comment: Forced movement is immune to Immobilized. Perhaps you might want to modify your example to Restrained? (It's not spelled out in the "Forced Movement" entry in D&DI Compendium, but if you look under the "Immobilized" and "Restrained" entries you see that Restrained is the only condition that does not allow forced movement.)
Answer: I asked this question on the D&D forum, check it out here
The part of the rule in particular that I'm asking about is:

If the rider is pulled, pushed, or
  slid and the mount isn't, the rider
  can have the two of them move
  together.  Otherwise, the rider is
  dismounted and falls prone in the
  destination space of the forced
  movement.

I believe that you can dismount a rider, when and because the rider "cannot" move her mount all the way.  After a while people see my point of view.
Comment: Hey Mark! The situation where mount _can't_ move with the rider because of size or space is an interesting edge case and I agree it's covered by _Otherwise, the rider is dismounted and falls prone..._ Thanks!


What model is this Bottecchia bike?

Question: I'm trying to find a decent racing bike for my next triathlon (on the cheap). I saw this bike on Craigslist with no information about the model or features. Can anyone help me figure out what bike this is and how much it is worth?
Comment: usually a vintage bike costs around $100-$200. A vintage bike is fun to ride but it's heavy since a lot of its components are made of steel. Moreover, the components are quite difficult to upgrade since the drivertrain is an old model, and the wheels are 27" instead of 700c.
Answer: Bottecchia are an Italian brand who sell everything from BMX bikes to professional racing bikes. Here in the US the brand is probably best known for being ridden by Greg LeMond in his historic 1989 Tour de France win.
It's hard to say the exact model of this bike. It's a low end model from the 1970s "bike boom". The crankset appears to be a Nervar cottered steel unit. The shifters and derailleurs look like low end Huret models. Both are typical of early 70s bikes.
Depending on your budget you could almost certainly do better than this. Bikes have made tremendous gains since the late 80s. Not only have they gotten lighter but they've also become more reliable. I would look for something more recent.

What model is this Bottecchia bike?


Life of steer manure

Question: I bought some steer manure from Home Depot last year. It came in bags. I was not able to use it last year and the bags are unopened so am wondering if I can use it this year. I stored it outdoors and the bag rips very easily. Also the manure is green from inside. Wondering if I should use it in my vegetable raised bed or fruit trees or for general landscaping.
Answer: I can't see any reason why you shouldn't use it anywhere you want to - the green growth is likely algae, which will grow in damp conditions in daylight or sunlight inside the bag. Home Depot seems to sell a combination product of steer manure mixed with organic compost, so maybe that's what you've actually got - either way, the steer manure should be well aged by now. You may need to let it dry out a bit so that it spreads more easily.
Answer: I agree that the bag of manure is just as good now as it was last year.  I sometimes find that there is really not much manure in there and that it is a lot of other material.  I like to go to a local farmer and get manure and then let it sit for a year or two to rot and decompose and I have excellent luck with it.  Just don't get fresh manure and use it right away - will burn all your plants.
Comment: Sorry - what I mean is that there is other soils in that bag and very little of it is real manure.  It is not bad but don't be misled that you are getting all manure.  Let it sit means allow it to age over a year or so and then use it for your garden.  Fresh manure is very high in nitrogen and will actually burn your plants - like a chemical burn.  We always applied manure in fall and allowed it to sit all winter and then worked it into the soil in Spring.  Hopefully that clarifies it for you.
Comment: Can you elaborate on what you mean by "other material" and is that good or bad?  Also, it would be helpful to elaborate on "let it sit".  I can understand if you are in a farm but for someone that is doing this in their backyard, what would you suggest?

Life of steer manure


oil leaks when driving, not while parked

Question: My wife has a 2004 Mazda 6, 2.3 liter 4 cylinder.  When the car is parked, oil doesn't pool underneath.  After driving for about an hour, we need to add about 1-3 quarts.  With this issue, where could the oil possible be leaking from?
Answer: Oil has a couple of places it can go.

The ground
The radiator
The tail pipe

It could be a leak that only happens under pressure (IE the engine running) but for that amount the underside of the car would be covered in oil and should be very obvious by looking under the car with a flashlight.
If it's going out the tail pipe you would see obvious blue smoke whenever the car is running.
If it's going into the radiator a simple check of the coolant level, color, and quality with let you know.
Comment: Also, if the vehicle has a drip tray / splash guard, check that for tell-tale signs of leakage under pressure.  You'll see either a puddle or evidence that one used to be there.  If it's iffy, try taping white paper to the top of the tray - a leak will definitely show up then.
Comment: The easiest way to find out if it's burning oil might be to drive behind it for a little while and get the passenger to watch the tailpipe. Sometimes cars can blow a lot of oil out the tailpipe before it becomes visible to the driver.
Comment: Agree. The engine could be burning it as it runs. Check the coolant for a milky color to it, and this is a tell that oil and coolant are coexisting and don't mix.
Answer: If you have a plastic valve cover, it can become slightly warped over time and oil can end up being forced out under pressure. This is unlikely, as @Larry said it should be rather obvious looking under or into the engine compartment.
Answer: I will add two reasons worth investigating, first being worn piston rings, with the oil leaking inside the cylinder(s) and being burnt inside the cylinder(s), but this should not burn such a significant quantity (smoke coming out of the tailpipe is a sign of this). The second one would be your valve cover gasket. Either a low quality or worn one, or even being replaced with silicone, can indeed leak only when oil pressure builds up, and that is with the engine in load, while driving (this one means you will have oil marks on the outside of your engine block, which you can easily spot visually)
Good luck with your diagnostic