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High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of pyridinium crosslinks in serum, urine and dialysate of patients in chronic renal failure.
This study describes an isocratic reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method for the analysis of pyridinium crosslinks in serum, urine and dialysates obtained from patients with chronic renal failure on haemodialysis. The mean (SD) urine pyridinoline (PYD) and deoxypyridinoline (DPD) to creatinine (Cr) ratio in 19 healthy volunteers was 28.9 (6.3) and 9.1 (3.6) mumol/mol, respectively. In the 22 patients the PYD/Cr and DPD/Cr ratio was 244.6 (436.5) and 66.5 (116.8) mumol/mol, respectively. The mean serum PYD concentration in 29 patients of 268.5 (334.4) nmol/L was significantly higher than that of 5.9 (1.5) nmol/L found in normal volunteers: the mean DPD concentration was 82.9 (93.7) nmol/L in the patients but was undetectable in the serum from the normal volunteers. The concentration of crosslinks in pre-dialysis serum samples was higher than those found post-dialysis reflecting a significant removal of the crosslinks during dialysis. The assay of pyridinium crosslinks in serum, urine and dialyses fluid could potentially provide evidence of bone collagen turnover in patients in renal failure. Their measurement in serum and dialysate could be particularly useful in anuric patients. |
Colin Galloway. Picture: Sarah Standing
Colin Galloway’s comments are contained in a motion due to be debated at Portsmouth City Council meeting on July 11.
It comes as the number of rough sleepers in the city has ballooned from eight in 2014 to 60 as of this May.
Cllr Galloway’s motion, backed by Cllr Stuart Potter, says Portsmouth ‘is no is no longer a welcoming city to either business or tourist because it seems we prefer to have vagrants’.
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He added: ‘It is time to get our police and crime commissioner to put pressure on his police force to help us clean up this unwelcome detritus.
‘These beggars, vagrants, rough sleepers, homeless, troubled folks or whatever label you want to put on them must be removed from our city and placed in specific care whether they want to or not.
‘We have tried the soft approach and have found it wanting.’
A former member of Cllr Galloway’s party, independent councillor Paul Godier, has been made the council’s homelessness champion.
Speaking to The News, Cllr Godier said people needed to be treated with compassion – and Cllr Galloway needed to be educated on homeless people’s complex needs.
‘The approach must be very soft, it must be compassionate,’ he said.
‘We’re dealing with, in the majority of cases, broken adults, people who have not faith in local authority.’
He added: ‘I’ve listened to Colin Galloway and I asked for him to be on the homeless working group.
‘He even came on a walk with me but I think he needs to sit down and be educated on their complex needs.’ |
Q:
Optimization, asserts and release mode
Consider a function
void f() {
assert(condition);
...
}
In debug mode, where asserts are enabled, the compiler is free to assume condition holds, since the remaining code will not be executed if it does not.
However, in release mode, I believe the compiler will only see
void f() {
...
}
and can no longer assume condition.
Are there any compiler directives or static assert tricks to let compiler know about certain invariants?
A:
This can't be done in portable C or C++.
Some compilers provide intrinsic functions such as __assume (for MSVC) and __builtin_unreachable (for GCC, ICC, and Clang), that can be used for this purpose.
For example:
void f() {
__assume(condition); //For MSVC
/*...*/
}
void f() {
if (!condition) __builtin_unreachable(); //for GCC and Clang
/*...*/
}
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Top 5 Countries Where Cyber Attacks Originate
Cyber attacks have been around as far back as the internet itself. Most countries have fallen victims to the traditional style of cyber attacks originating from other countries and with the rate of information growing exponentially in value and in volume, cyber risks have started to pose serious threats to governments, businesses and economies around the world. It is possible the continuous growth in cyber attacks could result in man-made disasters around the world.
2016 saw some of the most destructive cyber attacks since the dawn of the internet. Looking at the recent trends of the past, we can expect the this pattern to not only continue, but increase in severity.
What are the sources of these cyber attacks?
Most attacks are hatched by unidentified hackers working in groups or individually. The list below identifies the countries in which some of the biggest attacks were sourced from.
China
China continues to wage forward in cyber attacks, stealing intellectual property in the process despite political pressures by the US government. Also, China's cyber espionage campaigns appear to be more streamlined. The purpose of these attacks is to mostly hack the networks of US government and its allies. As per a research, 27.24% of cyber attacks are initiated by China. And according to various estimates, 41% of the world’s cyber attacks trace their genesis back to China.
Last year, ABC news reported that Chinese spies have reportedly stepped up their cyber attacks on networks belonging to Australian government and individuals in Australia. Hundreds of cyber attacks are now carried out every month. Aussies need to be aware of these hacking attempts and must use an Australia VPN to stay anonymous.
United States |
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Uterine cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women worldwide, with nearly 500,000 new cases per year (Parkin et al., 2005). It caused an estimated 274,000 deaths in the year 2002 and it is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in young women (zur Hausen, 2002). Cervical cancer typically results from cellular transformation after persistent infections with high-risk type human papilloma virus (HPV) (Scheffner et al., 1990). Almost all squamous cell carcinomas and the majority of adenocarcinomas of the stratified epithelium are HPV positive. Although HPV is capable of initiating cancer through the disruption of multiple tumor-suppressor pathways, alone it is not sufficient for the development of the fully transformed cancer phenotype (Burk, 1999). Additional host factors are required for the development of the malignant phenotype.
A precursor of cervical cancer is also called cervical dysplasia, which literally means abnormal cell growth. There are two different systems for classifying cervical dysplasia, the SIL (squamous intraepithelial lesion) system and the CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) system. Although what the systems describe is similar, they differ in some important respects. The SIL system looks only at individual cells, generally from a Pap test, and these cells are classified according to the degree of cell abnormality. According to the SIL system, cervical dysplasia is divided into AGUS or AGCUS (atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance), LSIL (low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion) and HSIL (high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion). In the CIN system, classification of cervical dysplasia is based both on the degree of dysplasia within the individual cells and the depth below the surface of the cervix to which the dysplasia extends. According to the CIN system, cervical dysplasia is divided into CIN1 (corresponding to mild dysplasia or LSIL), CIN2 (corresponding to moderate dysplasia or HSIL) and CIN3 (corresponding to severe dysplasia or HSIL). Most of CIN1 will regress back to normal tissue over time but about 11% of CIN1 will progress to CIN3. Only a very small percentage of CIN1 leads to cancer. About 43% of CIN2 will regress back to normal and 20% will progress to CIN3. Although some CIN3 will spontaneously regress, this dysplasia is almost always treated since the next step is cancer. CIN3 is sometimes also referred to as carcinoma in situ (CIS).
Three methods are widely used for the screening of cervical cancer and cervical dysplasia, cytology screening, visual inspection with acetic acid application (VIA) and HPV tests. Currently, no method is available to distinguish progressive CIN from that destined to regress. The over-treatment of screen positive women is common.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are species of small non-coding single-stranded regulatory RNAs that interact with the 3′-untranslated region (3′-UTR) of target mRNA molecules through partial sequence homology (Yekta et al., 2004). They participate in regulatory networks as controlling elements that direct comprehensive gene expression (Fatica et al., 2006). Bioinformatics analysis has predicted that a single miRNA can regulate hundreds of target genes, contributing to the combinational and subtle regulation of numerous genetic pathways (Hwang and Mendell, 2006; Lewis et al., 2005).
Altered levels of expression of miRNAs correlate with various cancers and the individual controlling elements are thought capable to act as either oncogenes or tumor suppressors (Chen, 2005). A global study on the distribution of miRNAs in human genome revealed that 50% of the annotated miRNA genes are located in the cancer-associated genomic regions known as “fragile sites” (Calin et al., 2004). Furthermore, numerous functional studies indicate that different miRNAs have distinct effects at different stages of cancer progression, from tumorigenesis (He et al., 2007; Voorhoeve et al., 2006) to cancer invasion and metastasis (Budhu et al., 2008; Ma et al., 2007). The deregulation of miRNA levels has been reported in cervical cancer (Lee et al., 2008; Wang et al., 2008), but the effects of individual deregulated miRNA species in cervical cancer are largely unexplored.
Deregulation of miR-133 has also been reported in a number of other diseases, including colorectal carcinoma (Bandres et al., 2006), tongue squamous cell carcinoma (Wong et al., 2008), esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (Guo et al., 2008) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (Szafranska et al., 2007).
The disclosures of all publications, patents, patent applications and published patent applications referred to herein are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. |
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A Talk given by Wayne in Santa Ana, CA August, 1997. It's one of the earliest video recordings of Wayne teaching. Those of you familiar with Wayne's current Teaching will be interested to see the origins of some of the concepts he uses regularly today. |
Q:
tag helper to integrate a non-valued attribute
Attempting to generate:
<div data-dropdown-content class="f-dropdown content">
with the tag helper. However there appears to be no syntax for non-valued attributes
<%= tag(:div, :class => "f-dropdown content", data: {dropdown-content: ""}, :'aria-hidden' => true, :'tabindex' => "-1") %>
and different variants all lead to errors.
A:
Try this:
<%= tag(:div, data: {dropdown_content: ""}, class: "f-dropdown content") %>
Your code is failing because dropdown-content is not valid key here.
Tag helper converts dropdown_content to dropdown-content in data.
|
602 So.2d 291 (1992)
STATE of Louisiana, Appellee,
v.
Elijah ALEXANDER, Appellant.
No. 23812-KA.
Court of Appeal of Louisiana, Second Circuit.
June 24, 1992.
*292 Indigent Defender Bd. by Lewis A. Jones, Ruston, for appellant.
Richard P. Ieyoub, Atty. Gen., Robert W. Levy, Dist. Atty., John F.K. Belton, Asst. Dist. Atty., Ruston, for appellee.
Before MARVIN, NORRIS, and STEWART, JJ.
STEWART, Judge.
Defendant, Elijah Alexander, was charged by bill of information with obscenity second offense. After a trial by jury, Alexander was found guilty as charged and subsequently sentenced to serve three years at hard labor, and to pay court costs. *293 In default of paying court costs, Alexander is to serve 60 days concurrent with the three-year sentence.
On appeal, Alexander contends that (1) the trial court erred in refusing to allow him to wear shorts in front of the jury which he averred were identical to those he was wearing at the time of his arrest; (2) the evidence was insufficient to convict him of obscenity second offense; and (3) the trial court imposed an excessive sentence and failed to comply with the sentencing guidelines set forth in LSA-C.Cr.P. Art. 894.1. Finding no merit to these assignments, we affirm the conviction and sentence.
FACTS
On November 30, 1989, Officer Audrey White, the dispatcher at the Grambling State University (Grambling) Police Department, received a telephone call from a female student who complained that a male was exposing his genitals in front of Grambling's cafeteria. The dispatcher contacted the Chief of Police, Edward Adams, who went to investigate the caller's complaint. Upon arrival at the cafeteria, he saw Alexander, who fit the description given by the caller of the male who was exposing his genitals, engaged in conversation with some male companions. Alexander was clothed in a pair of cutoff blue jeans which were mid-thigh length, the shorts were split up along the outer seams all the way up to the waistband which exposed his genitals. Alexander was not wearing any underwear, shoes, socks, or shirt when confronted by Chief Adams. Alexander was arrested and charged with obscenity second offense.
On September 13, 1991, Alexander was tried, convicted as charged, and sentenced. Alexander appeals.
DISCUSSION
Assignment of Error No. 1
Alexander contends the trial court erred in denying his request to wear shorts in front of the jury which he averred were identical to those he was wearing at the time of the arrest. Alexander argues that his demonstration of the shorts would have shown that his genitals were not exposed.
All relevant evidence is admissible except as otherwise provided by the state or federal constitution, by law or by rule of the Supreme Court. State v. Johnson, 453 So.2d 279 (La.App.2d Cir.1984); LSA-C.E. Art. 402. Even if deemed relevant, however, evidence should be excluded if its probative value is outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues or misleading the jury or by consideration of undue delay or waste of time. LSA-C.E. Art. 403.
The use of demonstrative evidence is within the sound discretion of the trial judge and his ruling will not be disturbed on appeal in the absence of an abuse of discretion. State v. Mayberry, 457 So.2d 880 (La.App. 3d Cir.1984), writ denied, 462 So.2d 191 (La.1984).
At trial, defendant conceded that he no longer had the shorts that he was wearing on the date of his arrest approximately one and one-half years prior to trial. Given this long lapse of time, the trial judge was not convinced that the shorts to be demonstrated were sufficiently identical to have probative value. Even if the shorts were identical, the trial judge reasoned that such a demonstration was not in good taste and might result in the commission of another offense in front of the jury.
The testimony of Chief Adams and Officer White established that Alexander was exposed. Therefore, we conclude that a demonstration by Alexander was not necessary to enable the fact-finder to determine whether his genitals were exposed.
Therefore, based on this record, we find no abuse of the trial court's discretion in denying Alexander's request to wear shorts in front of the jury. This assignment of error lacks merit.
Assignment of Error No. 2
Alexander contends that the evidence was insufficient to sustain a verdict of obscenity second offense. He argues that he did not expose himself or, if he did, *294 he lacked the requisite intent because of his religious beliefs.
The proper standard of appellate review for a sufficiency of evidence claim is whether, after viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, any rational trier of fact could have found the essential elements of the crime proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 99 S.Ct. 2781, 61 L.Ed.2d 560 (1979); State v. Doby, 540 So.2d 1008 (La.App.2d Cir.1989), writ denied, 544 So.2d 398 (La.1989).
LSA-R.S. 14:106 A(1), defines obscenity in pertinent part:
Exposure of the genitals, pubic hair, anus, vulva, or female breast nipples in any public place or place open to the public view with the intent of arousing sexual desire or which appeals to prurient interest or is patently offensive.
In the instant case, Police Chief Adams testified that he observed Alexander in front of Grambling's cafeteria and that Alexander's genitals were exposed. Also, Officer White testified that she observed Alexander when he came into the police station and that his genitals were exposed. A victim's or witness's testimony is sufficient to establish that an obscene public exposure occurred. See State v. Magee, 517 So.2d 464 (La.App. 1st Cir.1987); State v. Arabie, 507 So.2d 859 (La.App. 5th Cir.1987). Therefore, the testimony of Adams and White was sufficient to establish that Alexander's genitals were exposed in a public place.
Alexander's arrest was precipitated by the complaint of a female student who found his exposure patently offensive. Further, upon arriving at Grambling's cafeteria to investigate the student's complaint, Chief Adams likewise found Alexander's exposure so patently offensive that he became the complainant. Officer White corroborated the patently offensive nature of Alexander's exposure. The jury, the ultimate fact-finders and a fair representation of the community, found that Alexander's exposure was patently offensive by returning a unanimous verdict of guilty as charged of obscenity second offense.
Based on the record, we find the evidence presented to the jury was sufficient, considered in the light most favorable to the prosecution, for a rational jury to conclude that Alexander was guilty of obscenity second offense.
However, Alexander argues that he did not have the requisite criminal intent. Alexander contends he did not intend to expose himself or offend anyone by wearing the attire which he did, but instead, he believed that his religion dictated that he wear the attire in which he was clothed. Alexander likened his religious habit as to that worn by a priest or nun. However, the jury rejected his contention and we find no error in the jury's conclusion. Therefore, this assignment lacks merit.
Intentional, as used in LSA-R.S. 14:106, refers to general criminal intent as defined in LSA-R.S. 14:10(2), which provides:
General criminal intent is present whenever there is specific intent, and also when the circumstances indicate the offender, in the ordinary course of human experience must have adverted to the prescribed criminal consequences as reasonably certain to result from his act or failure to act.
In reviewing the correctness of a determination of whether requisite intent was present, the court should review the evidence in a light most favorable to the prosecution and must determine if the evidence is sufficient to convince a reasonable trier of fact of the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt as to every element of the offense. State v. Hunter, (La.App.2d Cir.1984) 454 So.2d 131, writ denied, 456 So.2d 1018.
We conclude that the evidence presented to the jury was sufficient, considered in the light most favorable to the prosecution for a rational jury to reasonably conclude that Alexander was guilty of obscenity second offense.
Assignment of Error No. 3
Alexander contends that the three-year sentence is excessive. The test imposed by the reviewing court in determining *295 the excessiveness of a sentence is two-pronged. First, the record must reflect that the trial court considered the factors set forth in LSA-C.Cr.P. Art. 894.1. The judge is not required to list every aggravating or mitigating circumstance so long as the record reflects that he adequately considered the guidelines of the article. State v. Smith, 433 So.2d 688 (La. 1983). The articulation of the factual basis for a sentence is the goal of LSA-C.Cr.P. Art. 894.1, not rigid or mechanical compliance with its provisions. Where the record clearly shows an adequate factual basis for the sentence imposed, remand is unnecessary even where there has not been full compliance with LSA-C.Cr.P. Art. 894.1. State v. Lanclos, 419 So.2d 475 (La.1982). The important elements which should be considered are the defendant's personal history (age, family ties, marital status, health, employment record), prior criminal record, seriousness of offense and the likelihood of rehabilitation. State v. Jones, 398 So.2d 1049 (La.1981); State v. Mims, 550 So.2d 760 (La.App.2d Cir.1989); State v. Hudgins, 519 So.2d 400 (La.App.2d Cir.), writ denied, 521 So.2d 1143 (La.1988).
The second inquiry made by the reviewing court is whether the sentence imposed is too severe. This depends on the circumstances of the case and the background of the defendant. A sentence violates LSA-Const. Art. 1, § 20 (1974) if it is grossly out of proportion to the seriousness of the offense or nothing more than a purposeless and needless infliction of pain and suffering. State v. Bonanno, 384 So.2d 355 (La.1980). A sentence is considered grossly disproportionate if, when the crime and punishment are considered in light of the harm done to society, it shocks the sense of justice. State v. Hogan, 480 So.2d 288 (La.1985); State v. Richardson, 545 So.2d 714 (La.App.2d Cir.1989). A trial court has wide discretion to sentence within the statutory limits. Absent a showing of manifest abuse of discretion, we do not set aside a sentence as excessive. State v. Square, 433 So.2d 104 (La.1983); State v. Hudgins, supra; State v. Madison, 535 So.2d 1024 (La.App.2d Cir.1988).
In the instant case, the trial court noted that Alexander was 46 years old and was classified as a third felony offender and that he had an extensive prior criminal record which dated back to 1982. The court concluded that Alexander would likely commit another offense based on his prior criminal record and the fact that one of his prior offenses is the same as the instant offense. The court also concluded that Alexander was in need of a custodial environment and correctional treatment which could be best afforded by commitment to an institution.
In imposing sentence, the trial court considered and reviewed the pre-sentence investigation (PSI) report. The PSI indicates that Alexander is single but has been married and divorced twice. Although no children were born of either union, Alexander has four children whom he does not support. The record indicates that Alexander has not been gainfully employed since 1976.
Alexander's criminal history includes 23 separate arrests between 1982 and 1991 with two of those resulting in felony convictions. The first felony was third degree robbery in New York City in which Alexander pled guilty. The second felony was obscenity which occurred at Grambling, for which Alexander was placed on unsupervised probation for two years.
Alexander's other convictions are misdemeanors which include petty larceny, trespassing, criminal trespassing, disobeying a police officer, resisting arrest, and improper dress.
Alexander was also arrested five times after the commission of the instant offense by Grambling Police Department and charged with (1) criminal trespass, (2) failure to obey an officer, (3) disturbing the peace, (4) criminal trespass, and (5) remaining on the premises after being forbidden to stay. All of these charges were still pending at the time of sentencing.
The maximum sentence allowed under the statute for obscenity second offense, is three years without benefit of probation, parole, or suspension of sentence and a fine of five thousand dollars. *296 Maximum sentences are appropriate only in cases involving the most serious violation of the offense and the worst type of offender. State v. Madison, 535 So.2d 1024 (La.App.2d Cir.1988).
In the instant case, the trial judge stated that Alexander was the worst type of offender because he has no regard for the sensitivities of the public and has demonstrated a contumacious and contemptible attitude toward the court, law enforcement and society in general. The trial judge concluded that Alexander's actions demonstrated his antisocial attitude and warrant the maximum sentence. In view of Alexander's third felony offender status and his extensive prior criminal record, we find no abuse of discretion by the trial court in the sentence imposed.
Considering the ample factual support for the conviction and sentence imposed, any less severe sentence would diminish the severity of the offense. The trial judge's articulated reasons for sentence demonstrate adequate compliance with LSA-C.Cr.P. Art. 894.1 and the sentence imposed is not constitutionally excessive. This assignment is without merit.
CONCLUSION
For the above and foregoing reasons, Alexander's conviction and sentence for obscenity second offense is affirmed.
AFFIRMED.
|
This is a scalable context timeline. It contains events related to the event August 1973: Former FBI Director Gray Testifies He Destroyed Evidence. You can narrow or broaden the context of this timeline by adjusting the zoom level. The lower the scale, the more relevant the items on average will be, while the higher the scale, the less relevant the items, on average, will be.
White House counsel John Dean orders the opening of a safe belonging to Watergate burglar E. Howard Hunt (see 2:30 a.m.June 17, 1972). Dean orders that the contents be turned over (six days later, after Dean and other White House officials have had a chance to peruse them) to the FBI. The documents will soon be given to FBI acting director L. Patrick Gray, who keeps them for six months before burning them (see Late December 1972). Gray will later admit to the incident in his testimony before the Senate Watergate Committee (see February 28-29, 1973). [Time, 4/2/1973] Dean finds in the safe, among other things, a loaded .25 caliber pistol; the attache case of burglar James McCord, loaded with electronic surveillance equipment and a tear gas canister; CIA psychological profiles of Pentagon Papers leaker Daniel Ellsberg (see March 1971); pages from the Pentagon Papers; memos to and from Nixon aide Charles Colson; two falsified diplomatic cables implicating former President John F. Kennedy in the 1963 assassination of South Vietnam’s President Ngo Diem Dinh; and a dossier on the personal life of Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA). Nixon aide John Ehrlichman advises Dean to throw the contents of the safe into the Potomac River. [Reeves, 2001, pp. 501-502] Shortly thereafter, Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein, in discussions with a young assistant in White House aide Charles Colson’s office, learns that Hunt has been investigating Kennedy’s checkered past, particularly the Chappaquiddick tragedy of 1969, in which an apparently inebriated Kennedy drove his car into a lake, drowning his companion of the evening, Mary Jo Kopechne. Hunt was apparently looking for political ammunition against Kennedy in preparation for a possible presidential run. According to a former Nixon administration official, Colson and fellow Nixon aide H. R. Haldeman were “absolutely paranoid” about a Kennedy campaign run. [Bernstein and Woodward, 1974, pp. 30-31]
Nixon and Haldeman, three days after the June 23 meeting. [Source: Washington Post]With the FBI tracing the Watergate burglars’ $100 bills to GOP fundraiser Kenneth Dahlberg (see August 1-2, 1972), President Nixon orders the CIA to attempt to stop the FBI from investigating the Watergate conspiracy, using the justification of “national security.” One of the areas Nixon specifically does not want investigated is the $89,000 in Mexican checks found in the account of one of the Watergate burglars, Bernard Barker (see April-June 1972). [Reeves, 2001, pp. 508-510; Woodward, 2005, pp. 59-60] Author James Reston Jr. will write in 2007: “The strategy for the CIA to block the FBI’s investigation of the Mexican checks… was devised by Haldeman and Nixon. This was a clear obstruction of justice.” [Reston, 2007, pp. 33-34] The plan, concocted by Nixon campaign chief John Mitchell, is to have deputy CIA director Vernon Walters tell the new FBI Director, L. Patrick Gray, to, in the words of Nixon chief of staff H. R. Haldeman, “stay the hell out of this… this is, ah, business we don’t want you to go any further on it.” Nixon approves the plan. White House aide John Ehrlichman will later testify that he is the one tasked with carrying out Nixon’s command; Nixon tells Ehrlichman and Haldeman to have the CIA “curb the FBI probe.” [O.T. Jacobson, 7/5/1974 ]Nixon: FBI, CIA Should Back out of Investigation - In his discussion with Nixon, Haldeman says that “the FBI is not under control, because Gray doesn’t exactly know how to control them, and they have, their investigation is now leading into some productive areas, because they’ve been able to trace the money… and it goes in some directions we don’t want it to go.” Haldeman also says that the FBI has a witness in Miami who saw film developed from one of the Watergate burglaries (see Mid-June 1972). He tells Nixon that the FBI is not aware yet that the money for the burglars can be traced to Dahlberg, who wrote a $25,000 check that went directly to one of the Watergate burglars. That check is “directly traceable” to the Mexican bank used by the Nixon re-election campaign (CREEP). Haldeman says that he and Ehrlichman should call in both Gray and CIA Director Richard Helms and tell both of them to have their agencies back out of any investigation. Nixon agrees, saying that considering Hunt’s involvement: “that will uncover a lot of things. You open that scab there’s a hell of a lot of things and that we just feel that it would be very detrimental to have this thing go any further. This involves these Cubans, Hunt, and a lot of hanky-panky that we have nothing to do with ourselves.” Haldeman says he believes that Mitchell knew about the burglary as well, but did not know the operational details. “[W]ho was the assh_le who did?” Nixon asks. “Is it [G. Gordon] Liddy? Is that the fellow? He must be nuts.” Haldeman says Mitchell pressured Liddy “to get more information, and as [Liddy] got more pressure, he pushed the people harder to move harder on.…” Both Nixon and Haldeman think that the FBI may believe the CIA, not the White House, is responsible for the burglary; Nixon says: “… when I saw that news summary item, I of course knew it was a bunch of crap, but I thought ah, well it’s good to have them off on this wild hair thing because when they start bugging us, which they have, we’ll know our little boys will not know how to handle it. I hope they will though. You never know. Maybe, you think about it. Good!” A short time later in the conversation, Nixon instructs Haldeman to tell his staffers not to directly lie under oath about their knowledge of the burglary, but to characterize it as “sort of a comedy of errors, bizarre,” and warn the FBI that to continue investigating the burglary would “open the whole Bay of Pigs thing up again. And, ah, because these people are plugging for, for keeps and that they should call the FBI in and say that we wish for the country, don’t go any further into this case.… That’s the way to put it, do it straight.” [AMDOCS Documents for the Study of American History, 6/1993] Later in the day, both Walters and CIA Director Richard Helms visit Haldeman to discuss the situation. Helms says that he has already heard from Gray, who had said, “I think we’ve run right into the middle of a CIA covert operation.” Helms and Walters both agree to pressure Gray to abandon the investigation, but their efforts are ineffective; the assistant US attorney in Washington, Earl Silbert, is driving the investigation, not the FBI. [Reeves, 2001, pp. 508-510]Gray: Improper Use of FBI - Soon after Nixon’s order, acting FBI Director L. Patrick Gray tells Nixon that his administration is improperly using the CIA to interfere in the FBI’s investigation of Watergate. Gray warns Nixon “that people on your staff are trying to mortally wound you.” Gray is himself sharing Watergate investigation files with the White House, but will claim that he is doing so with the approval of the FBI’s general counsel. [New York Times, 7/7/2005] It is unclear whether Gray knows that Nixon personally issued the order to the CIA. Soon after the order is issued, a number of the FBI agents on the case—15 to 20 in all—threaten to resign en masse if the order is carried out. One of the agents, Bob Lill, will later recall: “There was certainly a unanimity among us that we can’t back off. This is ridiculous. This smacks of a cover-up in itself, and we’ve got to pursue this. Let them know in no uncertain terms we’re all together on this. [T]his request from CIA is hollow.” [Woodward, 2005, pp. 189-191] No such mass resignation will take place. Because of evidence being classified and redacted (see July 5, 1974), it will remain unclear as to exactly if and how much the CIA may have interfered in the FBI’s investigation. 'Smoking Gun' - The secret recording of this meeting (see July 13-16, 1973), when revealed in the subsequent Watergate investigation, will become known as the “smoking gun” tape—clear evidence that Nixon knew of and participated in the Watergate cover-up. [Washington Post, 2008]
Acting FBI director L. Patrick Gray calls President Nixon to warn him that some of his White House aides are trying to “mortally wound” him by interfering with the FBI and the CIA in the Watergate investigation (see June 23, 1972). Nixon merely replies, “Pat, you just continue to conduct your aggressive and thorough investigation.” Gray later testifies (see August 1973), “I expected the president to ask me some questions.” When Gray hears nothing for two weeks from Nixon, he concludes that he is just being “alarmist” about the situation. [Time, 8/20/1973]
Acting FBI director L. Patrick Gray burns key documents in the Watergate case. He has had the documents, originally kept in the safe of Watergate burglar E. Howard Hunt, in his possession for about five months. The two Nixon aides who gave him the documents, John Ehrlichman and John Dean, warned Gray that they were “political dynamite” and should never see the light of day. Gray dithers over what to do with the documents for that entire time period before finally burning them with his Christmas trash. The documents include falsified diplomatic cables that implicated former President John F. Kennedy in the assassination of President Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam, and a dossier on Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy’s troubled personal life. Gray will later tell investigators that he destroyed the papers because they had no relation to Watergate, and in 2005 will admit that he destroyed them on direct orders from White House officials. He will say that he had no idea “that these guys are trying to sandbag me,” and will add, “I know it’s hard for people to think somebody could be so stupid, but I believed them.” [New York Times, 7/7/2005] Gray will reveal his destruction of evidence during the Watergate investigation (see April 27-30, 1973).
Attorney General Richard Kleindienst meets with President Nixon to tell him that White House counsel John Dean has testified about the White House’s ordering of the Ellsberg break-in (see September 9, 1971). The biggest problem is not the ties to the Watergate burglary, Kleindienst says, but the trial of Daniel Ellsberg now going on in Santa Monica, California (see May 11, 1973). The prosecution must inform the trial judge about the new information, and the judge must decide whether to inform Ellsberg’s lawyers. Nixon tries to claim that the break-in is a matter of national security and must not be divulged, but Kleindienst says it is too late for that, the information will “be out in the street tomorrow or two days from now, a week, and the law clearly dictates that we have to do—it could be another g_ddamn cover-up, you know.… We can’t have another cover-up, Mr. President.” Nixon says, “I don’t want any cover-ups of anything.” Motive - Dean’s primary motive for divulging this information is his desire for immunity from prosecution, Kleindienst believes. He adds that Deputy Attorney General Henry Peterson has asked about granting Dean immunity: “and he even comes up to the point where a trump card of Dean would be that I’m going to implicate the president—and I told Henry at that point you have to tell Dean to go f_ck himself. You’re not going to blackmail the government of the United States and implicate the president in the Ellsberg matter.” Nixon, depressed and reckless, says that maybe he should just be impeached and removed from office, letting Vice President Spiro Agnew have the presidency. “There’s not going to be anything like that,” Kleindienst assures Nixon. Details of Testimony - Nixon also grills Peterson about Dean’s testimony, and learns that Dean has divulged his knowledge of the destruction of key evidence by FBI chief L. Patrick Gray (see Late December 1972 and April 27-30, 1973)—Gray denies destroying the evidence, claiming Dean is lying. Nixon says Gray has to resign. Peterson says he will not give in to Dean on any attempt to blackmail his way into an immunity agreement; Nixon agrees, comparing it to the stories of paying Watergate burglar E. Howard Hunt “hush money” (see June 20-21, 1972)—“I would never approve the payoff of Hunt,” Nixon assures Peterson. Nixon ends the conversation by asking Peterson for the details of any upcoming case against chief of staff H. R. Haldeman. Peterson agrees to give him that information. [Reeves, 2001, pp. 595-598]
The New York Daily News reports that acting FBI director L. Patrick Gray destroyed potentially incriminating evidence taken from the safe of Watergate burglar E. Howard Hunt (see Late December 1972). Gray, who testified to this days before to the Watergate grand jury, said that he received the material from White House counsel John Dean. “I said early in the game,” Gray testifies, “that Watergate would be a spreading stain that would tarnish everyone with whom it came in contact—and I’m no exception.” Shortly afterwards, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward learns from his “Deep Throat” source, FBI deputy director W. Mark Felt (see May 31, 2005), that the story is true. Felt informs Woodward that Gray was told by Nixon aides Dean and John Ehrlichman that the files were “political dynamite” that could do more damage to the Nixon administration than Watergate (see June 28, 1972). Woodward realizes that the story means Gray’s career at the FBI is finished. Woodward and his colleague Carl Bernstein write their own report for April 30; the same day, Gray resigns from the FBI (see April 5, 1973). Instead of Felt being named FBI director, as he had hoped, Nixon appoints the head of the Environmental Protection Agency, William Ruckelshaus, to head the bureau. Felt is keenly disappointed. [Time, 8/20/1973; O.T. Jacobson, 7/5/1974 ; Woodward, 2005, pp. 96-98] When he learns of Gray’s actions, Post editor Howard Simons muses: “A director of the FBI destroying evidence? I never thought it could happen.” [Bernstein and Woodward, 1974, pp. 306-307] The FBI’s 1974 report on its Watergate investigation dates Gray’s resignation as April 27, not April 29 [O.T. Jacobson, 7/5/1974 ] , a date supported by reports from Time. [Time, 8/20/1973]
Former acting director of the FBI L. Patrick Gray testifies before the Senate Watergate Committee. He admits to destroying potentially incriminating evidence (see Late December 1972), and testifies that although he improperly cooperated with the White House in providing Nixon aides with FBI files on its Watergate investigation, he never considered himself part of the Watergate conspiracy: “At no time did I feel I was dealing with individuals who were trying to sweep me into the very conspiracy that I was charged with investigating. That’s a madman’s horror.” Gray, a Navy veteran, adds: “In the service of my country, I withstood hours and hours of depth charging, shelling, bombing, but I never expected to run into a Watergate in the service of a president of the United States. And I ran into a buzz saw, obviously.” [New York Times, 7/7/2005]
The Justice Department’s Office of Planning and Evaluation (OPE) submits a report on the role and actions of the FBI in the Watergate investigations. The report finds that, even with the attempts of former Attorneys General John Mitchell and Richard Kleindienst, White House aides John Dean and Jeb Magruder, and others to “mislead and thwart the Bureau’s legitimate line of inquiry,” and the “contrived covers” used to direct attention away from the White House, the FBI investigation was “the ultimate key to the solution of not only the Watergate break-in (see 2:30 a.m.June 17, 1972) but the cover itself.” The report continues: “There can be no question that the actions of former Attorneys General Mitchell and Kleindienst served to thwart and/or impede the Bureau’s investigative effort. The actions of John W. Dean at the White House and Jeb S. Magruder at the Committee to Re-elect the President were purposefully designed to mislead and thwart the Bureau’s legitimate line of inquiry. At every stage of the investigation there were contrived covers placed in order to mislead the investigators.” The OPE notes the following problems in the investigation, and provides explanations of some: Providing information concerning ongoing investigations to the White House, and allowing Dean to actually sit in on interviews of White House personnel (see June 22, 1972). Failing to interview key members of CREEP, the Nixon re-election campaign organization, as well as allowing CREEP attorneys to sit in on interviews of CREEP employees and allowing those attorneys access to FBI investigative materials. The report says that the investigation initially focused on James McCord and E. Howard Hunt, and interviewed CREEP officials tied directly to them. The net was widened later on. However, the report acknowledges that many CREEP employees undoubtedly lied to FBI investigators, “most notably John Mitchell, Jeb Magruder, Bart Porter, Sally Harmony, and Maurice Stans.” Porter and Magruder in particular “lied most convincingly.” Another CREEP employee, Robert Reisner (Magruder’s assistant), was not interviewed because Reisner successfully hid from FBI investigators. The FBI believes it was Reisner who cleaned out the “Operation Gemstone” files from Magruder’s office (see January 29, 1972 and September 29, 1972). Numerous other financial and other files were also destroyed after being requested by the FBI, most notably Alfred Baldwin’s surveillance tapes and logs from the Democratic offices in the Watergate (see May 29, 1972). Many of these files were destroyed by G. Gordon Liddy. “It is apparent that most [CREEP] people in the summer of 1972 were quite willing to lie and/or tell us considerably less than the full truth,” the report notes. An untenable delay in searching and securing Watergate burglar E. Howard Hunt’s desk in the White House, putting the contents of that desk at risk of being removed, and the “[a]lleged activities by former Acting Director [L. Patrick] Gray to limit, contain, or obstruct FBI investigation of Watergate” (see June 22, 1972). Gray is known to have destroyed materials from Hunt’s desk given to him by Dean, and is known to have extensively interfered with the FBI’s investigation (see June 28-29, 1972 and Late December 1972). The report notes that while it cannot find specific evidence that Gray broke any laws in his attempts to impede the FBI’s investigation into the Watergate conspiracy, it is clear that Gray cooperated with the White House, specifically through Dean, to ensure that the White House was always aware of what avenues of investigation were being pursued. The OPE says that Gray’s destruction of files from Hunt’s safe did not necessarily impede the FBI’s investigation, because it has no way of knowing what was in those files. The report says that it is unfortunate that “many people make no distinction between the FBI’s actions and Mr. Gray’s actions.” Failure to interview key individuals with knowledge of the suspicious monies found in the burglars’ bank accounts. Failing to secure and execute search warrants for the burglars’ homes, automobiles, and offices. The OPE says that many of those issuing this criticism “should know better,” and claims that the FBI agents involved did their level best to obtain search warrants within the bounds of the law. The report notes that after the burglary, the assistant district attorney prosecuting the case, Earl Silbert, did not believe there was probable cause to search burglar James McCord’s home or office until after July 10, 1972, when Baldwin told the FBI that he had taken surveillance equipment to McCord’s home (see June 17, 1972). Even then, Silbert decided that because of the amount of time—23 days—that had expired, a search warrant would have been pointless. Failing to identify and interview a number of people listed in the burglars’ address books. The OPE report notes that the decision to interview far less than half of the names in the books was made by FBI agents in the Miami field office, and due to the “fast moving extensive investigation which was then being conducted,” the decision to only track down a selected few from the books was right and proper. The report notes that subsequent interviews by reporters of some of the people in the address books elicited no new information. The report also notes that Gray refused to countenance interviews of the remaining subjects in the address book while the trial of the seven burglars (see January 8-11, 1973) was underway. Failing to find and remove a surveillance device from the Democratic National Committee headquarters (see September 13, 1972). The OPE calls this failure “inexplicable.” Failure to thoroughly investigate CREEP agent Donald Segretti (see June 27, 1971, and Beyond) and other CREEP operatives. The OPE finds that because Segretti was initially uncooperative with FBI investigators, and because an “extensive investigation” turned up nothing to connect Segretti with the Watergate conspiracy, the agents chose not to continue looking into Segretti’s actions. Only after press reports named Segretti as part of a massive, White House-directed attempt to subvert the elections process (see October 7, 1972) did the FBI discuss reopening its investigation into Segretti. After reviewing its information, the FBI decided again not to bother with Segretti. The OPE finds that the decision was valid, because Segretti had not apparently broken any federal laws, and the FBI does not conduct violations of election laws unless specifically requested to do so by the Justice Department. The report also says that politics were a concern: by opening a large, extensive investigation into the Nixon campaign’s “dirty tricks,” that investigation might have impacted the upcoming presidential elections. Media leaks from within the FBI concerning key details about the investigation (see May 31, 2005). The report finds no evidence to pin the blame for the leaks on any particular individual. The report notes that New York Times reporter John Crewdson seemed to have unwarranted access to FBI documents and files, but says it has turned that matter over to another agency inside the bureau. Failing to interview, or adequately interview, key White House officials such as H. R. Haldeman, Charles Colson, Dwight Chapin, and others. The report justifies the decision not to interview Haldeman because the FBI had no information that Haldeman had any knowledge of, or involvement in, the burglary itself. “Alleged attempt on part of Department of Justice officials to limit, contain, or obstruct FBI investigation.” The report is particularly critical of Kleindienst’s concealment of his contact with Liddy about the burglary (see June 17, 1972). “Alleged attempt by CIA officials to interfere, contain, or impede FBI Watergate investigation.” The report notes that during the Senate Watergate Committee hearings, Republican co-chairman Howard Baker (R-TN) tried repeatedly to assert that the CIA was behind the burglary. The report calls Baker’s theory “intriguing” but says no evidence of CIA involvement on any operational level was ever found. The report notes that there is still no explanation for the discussions regarding the CIA paying the burglars (see June 26-29, 1972), or the CIA’s involvement with Hunt before the burglary—loaning him cameras, providing him with materials for a disguise, and helping Hunt get film from the first burglary developed. According to the report, Gray stopped the FBI from pursuing these leads. The FBI report says that the CIA involvement apparently had nothing to do with the Watergate burglary, but was more in support of Hunt’s activities with the Ellsberg break-in (see September 9, 1971). “Alleged activities on part of White House officials to limit, contain, or obstruct FBI Watergate investigation (Dean, Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Colson, et cetera).” The report notes, “There is absolutely no question but that the president’s most senior associates at the White House conspired with great success for nine months to obstruct our investigation.” The report says it was “common knowledge” throughout the investigation that the White House was paying only “lip service” to investigators’ requests for honest, complete answers; the report cites Dean as a specific offender. [O.T. Jacobson, 7/5/1974 ]
In his first interview session with former President Richard Nixon about Watergate (see April 13-15, 1977), David Frost moves from the erased Watergate tape (see November 21, 1973) to Nixon’s damning conversation with Charles Colson about “stonewalling” the Watergate investigation. This time around, Frost is far more prepared and ready to deal with Nixon’s tactics of obfuscation and misdirection than in earlier interviews (see April 6, 1977). Surprise Information - Nixon is unaware that Frost knows about his conversation that same day with Colson (see June 20, 1972). Along with what is known about his conversation with Haldeman, the Colson conversation puts Nixon squarely in the midst of the conspiracy at its outset. More important than Frost’s command of the facts is Frost’s springing of a “surprise card” (Frost researcher James Reston Jr.‘s words) on Nixon at the beginning of the Watergate sessions. Nixon obviously must contend with the questions of what else Frost knows, and how he would ask about it. As Frost details excerpts from the Colson conversation, about “stonewalling” and “hav[ing] our people delay, avoiding depositions,” Reston watches Nixon on the monitor. Reston will later recall: “His jawline seemed to elongate. The corners of his mouth turned down. His eyes seemed more liquid. One could almost see the complicated dials in his head turning feverishly. It was a marvelously expressive face. The range of movement both within the contours of the visage and with the hands was enormous.” Frost concludes with the question, “Now, somewhere you were pretty well informed by this conversation, weren’t you?” After some fumbling and half-hearted admissions of some knowledge, Nixon begins justifying his actions in the conspiracy: “My motive was not to cover up a criminal action, but to be sure that as any slip over—or should I say slop over, a better word—any slop over in a way that would damage innocent people or blow it into political proportions.” [Reston, 2007, pp. 124-126]Pinning Nixon down on CIA Interference - Frost asks about the conversations of June 23 (see June 23, 1972), when Nixon told his aides to have the CIA interfere with the FBI’s investigation of the burglary. Nixon tries dodging the point, emphasizing how busy he was with other matters that day and quibbling about the definition of the phrase “cover-up,” but finally says that he had no criminal motive in ordering the CIA to stop the FBI from investigating the matter of the Mexican checks found in Watergate burglar Bernard Barker’s bank accounts. He was merely engaged in political containment, he says, and besides, two weeks later, the FBI traced the checks to a Mexican bank anyway (see Before April 7, 1972 and August 1-2, 1972). Nixon emphasizes his instructions to then-FBI director L. Patrick Gray to move forward on the investigation (see July 6, 1972). (Later, Nixon staff member Jack Brennan will admit that they had almost convinced Nixon to admit to the illegality of the June 23 orders, but Nixon had demurred.) 'You Joined a Conspiracy that You Never Left' - It now falls to Frost to confront Nixon with the strictures of the law and the evidence that he had broken those laws. Frost says, “But surely, in all you’ve just said, you have proved exactly that that was the case, that there was a cover-up of criminal activity because you’ve already said, and the record shows you knew, that Hunt and Liddy [E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, the leaders of Nixon’s “Plumbers”] were involved… you knew that, in fact, criminals would be protected.” Nixon protests, “Now just a moment,” but Frost says, “Period.” Frost lectures Nixon on obstruction of justice, saying: “The law states that when intent and foreseeable consequences are sufficient, motive is completely irrelevant.… If I try to rob a bank and fail, that’s no defense. I still tried to rob a bank. I would say you tried to obstruct justice and succeeded in that period” between June 23 and July 6. Nixon retorts that he does not believe Frost knows much about the details of the obstruction of justice statutes, but fails to move Frost, who has been carefully instructed in the obstruction statutes all week. Frost eventually says: “Now, after the Gray conversation, the cover-up went on. You would say that you were not aware of it. I was arguing that you were part of it as a result of the June 23 conversation.” Nixon repeats, “You’re gonna say that I was a part of it as a result of the June 23 conversation?” Reston later writes, “It was a crucial moment, a moment that took considerable courage for David Frost.” Frost replies: “Yes.… I would have said that you joined a conspiracy that you never left.” “Then we totally disagree on that,” Nixon retorts. Reston later writes: “No journalist in America, I concluded, would have had the courage of Frost in that vital moment. But therein lay the failing of American journalism. For Frost here was an advocate. He was far beyond the narrow American definition of ‘objective journalism.’” [Time, 5/9/1977; Reston, 2007, pp. 124-126]
Former FBI Director L. Patrick Gray, who resigned under fire during the Watergate investigation (see April 27-30, 1973), appears on ABC’s This Week to respond to the recent revelation that his then-deputy, W. Mark Felt, was the notorious informant “Deep Throat” (see May 31, 2005). Thirty years before, Felt had lied to Gray when asked if he had leaked information to the press (see October 19, 1972). Gray, whose health is in serious decline, airs decades’ worth of pent-up grievances against both Felt and the Nixon administration, which he says left him to “twist slowly, slowly in the wind” (Nixon aide John Ehrlichman’s words—see Late March, 1973) after he admitted giving information about the Watergate investigation to White House staffers (see June 28, 1972 and July 21, 1972). He felt “anger, anger of the fiercest sort” after hearing Ehrlichman’s words, and adds, “I could not believe that those guys were as rotten as they were turning out to be.” He was justified in burning key White House documents instead of turning them over to the FBI (see Late December 1972), he says, because the documents were unrelated to the Watergate investigation. Learning that Felt, his trusted deputy, was “Deep Throat” was, Gray says, “like [being] hit with a tremendous sledgehammer.” Gray says that if he could, he would ask Felt: “Mark, why? Why didn’t you come to me? Why didn’t we work it out together?” Gray says he now realizes that he could not stop the FBI from leaking information to the press because Felt was in charge of stopping the leaks. “I think he fooled me… by being the perfect example of the FBI agent that he was.… He did his job well, he did it thoroughly, and I trusted him all along, and I was, I can’t begin to tell you how deep was my shock and my grief when I found that it was Mark Felt.” Two weeks after the interview, Gray will die of cancer. [New York Times, 6/26/2005; Roberts, 2008, pp. 151] After Gray’s death, his son Ed Gray will call his father “the only wholly honest” man involved in Watergate. [Associated Press, 7/6/2005]
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Traditional U.S. retailers are struggling. Office supply store Staples(SPLS) slumped over 12% on lousy earnings and a warning that results in the current period are likely to fall short of expectations. That news also weighed on rival Office Depot(ODP), which fell 6%.
Dick's Sporting Goods(DKS) tumbled 18% after revealing subpar golf and hunting sales that sparked weaker than expected results. Dick's also spooked investors by dimming its sales and earnings outlook for the entire year. The company needs a new round -- or arsenal -- of ideas.
2. Not so pretty looks at Target, Penney and Urban Outfitters
It wasn't much prettier for regular clothing, either. Shares of Urban Outfitters(URBN) fell 9% after the retailer revealed a profit drop that was driven by higher expenses. T.J. Maxx and Marshalls parent TJX(TJX) slid nearly 8% on an earnings and sales miss.
Another struggling retailer, Target(TGT), announced the departure of Canadian chief Tony Fisher, who will be replaced by Mark Schindele. The move comes just weeks after Target dismissed CEO Gregg Steinhafel and amid concerns about continued losses in the company's Canadian division. Target is set to report results Wednesday morning
One of the lone positive retail stories today is Home Depot(HD), which rallied 2% after upgrading its outlook. The rosier view offset concerns over the home improvement retailer's weak first-quarter profits and sales.
Maybe people really are doing their spring cleaning and summer repairs.
Americans might not be shopping much in brick-and-mortar stores, but they're definitely gobbling up Red Robin(RRGB) burgers. The fast food joint's shares popped 13% on a first-quarter earnings beat fueled by sales and margin growth.
4. Remember momentum stocks?
Growth concerns were triggered by Caterpillar(CAT), which said machine sales slumped 13% in the three months ended in April. The mining equipment maker dropped almost 4%, making it the worst performer on the Dow. Other industrial stocks like United Steel(X) and Alcoa(AA) were also under pressure.
On the heels of Monday's gains, some beat-up momentum stocks continued to make headway despite few major developments. Shares of FireEye(FEYE) climbed 6%, while Pandora Media(P) advanced almost 2%.
Asian markets ended the day on a positive note, though gains were small. Thailand's stock market retreated 1.2% and the country's currency dropped after the Thai army surprised the country by declaring martial law. |
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The opening moments of this week’s “Underground” invites viewers to consider, of all things, the Necco Wafer. A tight shot of a confectioner’s hands shows him meticulously preparing the dough, rolling it into thin sheets and cutting those into small hubs. Arranging these discs in neat cylindrical stacks, they’re wrapped in wax paper and packed into a crate headed South, each package destined to play a silent guest-starring role in the drastically different fates of several children.
Candy is a luxury serving to highlight the division between master and servant in the world of “Underground.” The rich whites always seem to have treats handy, and every now and then, if they’re lucky, a few slaves manage to lay their hands on a piece or two.
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But the choice to feature the Necco Wafer in this new episode, premiering 10 p.m. Wednesday on WGN America, seems particularly intentional, and not just out of a sense of maintaining historical accuracy. Neccos have been around since 1847, having risen in popularity due to their long shelf life and ability to maintain their integrity through even the most adverse conditions. As such, they became a widely-consumed treat in the 1800s and in the early 20th century.
One only needs to eat a Necco Wafer to understand that their relative trendiness wasn’t due to their flavor. Pretty as those little pastel colored discs look, they taste like chalk. In other words – no offense, Necco fans – they are an empty promise and a lure. An edible deception, if you will.
In this week’s episode, titled “Cradle,” the wafers appear in slave cabins and a doctor’s quarters, in candy dishes laying around the luxurious interior of the slave owner’s mansion, and in the elegant sitting parlor of an abolitionist couple. They are given as a gift and a comfort, taken away to prepare a child for hardship, or rejected as would-be peace offerings.
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Until “Cradle,” most of the kids in “Underground” barely had a line or two, largely relegated to the periphery of the action – the exceptions being Ben Pullman (Brady Permenter), who has reluctantly joined his slave-catcher father August to learn the family trade, and Henry (Renwick Scott), the second youngest member of the runaways.
In depicting the action from the viewpoints of Ben, Henry, and the other children, executive producers Misha Green and Joe Pokaski give the drama’s youngest actors the opportunity to fully showcase their talents while lending additional poignancy to a story fueled by the desperation of the runaways and the family they left behind.
When you think about it, sweets and children have played important roles in “Underground” since the show’s beginning. The former is a tool used to reward, placate and manipulate, while the children inspire the adults responsible for them to risk their lives to escape bondage, or twist their moral cores for the sake of financial survival.
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This is true of both the white and African American families featured in the drama. The slave community’s minister and his wife may not have run if not for the opportunity to win freedom for their tiny daughter Boo (Darielle Stewart).
Without molasses candy, head house slave Ernestine (Amirah Vann) couldn’t have bought the compliance and silence of T.R. (Toby Nichols), the young son of slave master Tom Macon (Reed Diamond). T.R. covered for Ernestine’s daughter Rosalee (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) after she stole an important piece of property from the master’s office, for the price of a pocket full of sugar.
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And it was the vision of T.R.’s best friend James (Maceo Smedley) sitting in a cage by the ceiling, listlessly fanning the Southern belles attending a party below him, that lit the fire in a hesitant Elizabeth Hawkes (Jessica De Gouw) to aid the abolitionists running the Underground Railroad. Elizabeth, wife to Tom Macon’s brother John Hawkes (Marc Blucas) witnessed this mundane horror while doing her best to act as if she were enjoying a slice of cake.
Ben, meanwhile, harbors no illusions about his father’s work, and in fact, wonders if August (Christopher Meloni) is a bad person for hunting other people, especially considering that August’s most trusted ally is an African-American man named Jay (Clarke Peters), who is more of a parent to Ben than his largely absent parents.
Director Kate Woods tells each of their stories using plenty of close-ups of the young actors and employing angles that show this world through each child’s point of view, beginning with scenes of James enduring the back-breaking labor of picking for the first time. Filling his bag with cotton bolls bigger than his bleeding hands until the sun sets, James is barely as tall as the plants he’s harvesting, and it’s painful to watch their barbs tear at his flesh.
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In different locales, Boo and Ben are each processing significant trauma – Boo’s perhaps being the more extreme, as the little girl is now alone and being hunted after witnessing a variety of horrors. But their two stories share a commonality as well, in that each learns what dark compromises must be made to ensure survival in this world.
Elsewhere, T.R. doesn’t quite understand why he can’t play with his best friend James anymore, and doesn’t fully have a handle on James’s terrible fate.
Woods and the executive producers highlighting the emotional disconnect between T.R. and James with different versions of “Summertime,” sung by a children’s choir, as a soundtrack running underneath each of their scenes. James’s version is the more forbidding of the two, and for those familiar with the show’s various subplots, the lyric “your daddy's rich, and your ma is good-lookin'” takes on a terrible subtext.
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Scenes like these definitively demonstrate how “Underground” transcends its period setting to sharply resonate with a present day audience. It’s hard to look at James without recognizing parallels to today’s impoverished children, be they American or immigrants — frequently discussed in the abstract during this political season, but not receiving much in the way of tangible empathy.
It is human habit for people who occupy a comfortable status in society to justify unkindness by focusing on what makes the downtrodden, or the foreign, unlike “the rest of us.” But great television makes us see the best and worst of ourselves cloaked in stories that, on the surface, may seem to having nothing to do with our present lives. “Cradle” does this by training its focus on the innocents caught in the net of the slave trade, showing the ways in which both daughters of slaves and sons of slave owners are compromised by widespread injustice.
It brilliantly shows the high price everyone pays to enjoy the sweet luxuries afforded by slavery, a tariff that includes heartbreak, trauma and violence. Indeed, it is a devastating hour of viewing, and one not to be missed. |
No date fixed by US military for withdrawal of troops from Syria
Washington, Mar 8 : US military has not fixed a specific date to withdraw its forces from Syria, General Joseph Votel, head of the US Central Command said.
"We don't withdraw in a manner that increases the risk to our forces. There is no pressure on me to meet a specific date at this particular time," Votel said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday.
The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said that they would launch a final assault on the IS-held enclave of Baghouz in eastern Syria after all civilians have been evacuated, according to media reports.
Votel revealed that the IS militants evacuated from the remaining IS-held territories were largely "unrepentant, unbroken and radicalised," adding that the IS made a calculated decision "to preserve the safety of their families and preservation of their capabilities... and waiting for the right time to resurge."
Declaring victory over the IS, US President Donald Trump announced in December the withdrawal of US troops from Syria, leading to the resignation of then Secretary of Defense James Mattis and wide opposition from home and abroad. UNI |
Books that I have read… / Boeke wat ek al gelees het…
During the holiday, I started to make an inventory of all the books that I have read through the years. The following list includes some of the books that I have read. It is not nearly everyone, but it is a start. As I continue to go through my books, I will be adding the books that I have read. |
We are headed into the heart of the semester and I know you have been busy. Our presses our spinning to prove it!
I’m drinking a large cup of Kroger’s Private Selection Breakfast Blend coffee, which is surprisingly very good. Grab your favorite coffee/tea and dream of some future projects with me. 🙂
This MOTC February Bi-Monthly Update is focused on our recent #HotOffThePress posts and some NEW PRODUCT INTRODUCTIONS. The new products are definitely more on the fashion side of things, so they aren’t for everyone. But I always think it’s good to show you what is out there, even if it’s not quite a good fit right now.
A 3 Color Front print for the beautiful people at Next Step Ministries, an incredible missions trip organization & resource for our Ministry Partners (www.nextstepministries.com):
A 2 Color WINGED Jumbo print for our friends with the North Texas Easter Retreat:
A 1 Color JUMBO for our good friends (old & new) with the Round Rock Area Wide DNow:
A 1 Color WINGED Jumbo print for the ruggedly handsome Ryan Mullins (I totally stole this well made pic from his instagram):
New Product Introductions:
Canvas 3001C Fine Jersey:
This is another great fashion T option. It is most comparable to the Anvil 980 ringspun fashion T, but better. Canvas does a great job making fashion T options that are closer to a standard weight and now they’ve dropped the cost of the 3001C to be competitive with the Anvil 980. I think it’s a better T because it has a better fit and it actually does have a lower price point than the Anvil. So you’ll see it pop up in my product recommendations more and more.
Announcing Alternative Apparel “Fashion Now” Access:
We get some pretty awesome opportunities to bring pieces of the fashion world to you. One of those opportunities is with Alternative Apparel’s “Fashion Now” access. They are offering some pretty wild and pretty exclusive fashion products to us for limited time. Some of the looks include unique stripes, polka dot, bandana floral, and army camo patterns. It’s not for everybody, but if you’re looking for that hipster-chique, then let me know if you would like some more info and we’ll look at the details for you. |
From the makers of The Coverup Film comes “Reefs At Risk”
Set on the beautiful beaches of Hawaii, “Reefs at Risk” explores the harmful effects some sunscreen chemicals have on coral reefs, marine life and people. In order to protect this fragile ecosystem, Hawaii lawmakers pass a bill to ban the sale of sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate, and hope that other states and nations will follow.
“The cinematography! The sound! The editing! Absolutely wonderful! It will shake the world!”
– Dr. Craig Downs, Executive Director Haereticus Environmental Lab
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP:
Protect coral reefs and marine life by choosing to wear sun-protective clothing and sunscreens with non-nano zinc oxide. Many sunscreens are now being labeled as “reef safe” when they are not! If they contain any of the following chemicals they are not reef safe: oxybenzone/benzophenone, octinoxate, octisalate/octocrylene, homosalate, avobenzone, ethylhexl methoxycinnamate, parabens, retinyl palmitate, and fragrance. Read your labels! Download our eco-friendly sunscreen guide to see what brands we recommend and visit your local health food store for good options. Contact your representatives and encourage them to ban sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate (and the other chemicals listed above.) There are many safer alternatives! Help educate others about this issue by sharing Reefs At Risk with your family, friends, clubs and organizations. Tag us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter @thecoverupfilm and use the hashtag #ReefsAtRisk. Become a sponsor or make a tax-deductible donation to support our outreach and help this film be seen on more airlines, cruise ships, TV stations, at more film festivals, online and at grassroots events.
MAHALO TO OUR REEF SAFE PARTNERS
*These reef safe brands have partnered with us to protect reefs by funding our outreach programs and/or providing sunscreen samples for distribution.
CREATING AN IMPACT: Reefs At Risk has been screened internationally, won awards at several film festivals, and been seen by over two million people online. It has been featured by Upworthy, is currently on all flights on Hawaiian Airlines, and helped get legislation passed in Hawaii to ban sunscreens with oxybenzone and octinoxate from being sold in the state by January 1, 2021. The film was featured in the Washington Post Express, the LA Times, Mother Jones Magazine, EcoWatch, was linked in an article in Vogue, and has been featured in many local newspapers. The filmmakers have done numerous talks and sunscreen swaps at community screenings throughout Hawaii over the past year, presented a webinar with NOAA and have gotten their film shown in classrooms in Belize.
We are currently working to get this film seen by more people both locally and internationally: in schools, on more airlines, TV stations, cruise ships, and in hotels throughout the state. If you are interested in helping us translate Reefs At Risk into another language, get in touch with us! Follow our social media pages to hear about future screenings and sunscreen swaps near you.
It’s going to be a hot summer for our coral and although we may not be able to dial down the ocean’s temperature, we can easily eliminate toxic chemicals in sunscreens that cause coral to bleach at a lower temperature by eight degrees Fahrenheit. The chemicals “oxybenzone” and “octinoxate” harm the reproductive ability of coral and prevent reefs from recovering after a bleaching event has occurred, which threatens many species and the millions of people who depend on reefs for their food and income. We can’t wait for legislation to kick in, we need consumers to become informed and to vote with their dollar!
HELP US SHINE A LIGHT ON MORE TOXIC CHEMICALS! “Reefs At Risk” was made possible with support from The Redford Center and the New York Community Trust. Filmmakers Lynn Pelletier and Malina Fagan, a mother-daughter team from the Big Island of Hawaii, were one of 6 teams chosen from 282 grant applications for their feature film “THE COVERUP,” which explores the personal and environmental effects of the toxic chemicals found in everyday cosmetics and personal care products (like shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.) They released “Reefs at Risk” to raise awareness of this timely issue and to help influence legislation in Hawaii.
Click below to see a development trailer of our feature film which is currently in production.
Thank you for your support!
Join Our Mailing List And receive a list of the “toxic ten” ingredients to avoid plus updates about the film. Leave this field empty if you're human:
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for updates and information on toxic chemicals in cosmetics and personal care products. |
Wireless Bipolar Nanopore Electrode for Single Small Molecule Detection.
Solid-state nanopore-based techniques have become a promising strategy for diverse single molecule detections. Owing to the challenge in well and rapid fabrication of solid-state nanopores with the diameter less than 2 nm, small molecule detection is hard to be addressed by existing label-free nanopore methods. In this work, we for the first time propose a metal-coated wireless nanopore electrode (WNE) which offers a novel and generally accessible detection method for analyzing small molecules and ions at the single molecule/ion level. Here, a silver-coated WNE is developed as a proof-of-principle model which achieves the detection the self-generated H2, the smallest known molecule, and Ag+ at single molecule/ion level by monitoring the enhanced ionic signatures. Under a bias potential of -800 mV, the WNE could accomplish the distinction of as low as 14 H2 molecules and 28 Ag+ from one spike signal. The finite element simulation is introduced to suggest that the generation of H2 at the orifice of the WNE results in the enhanced spike of ionic current. As a proof-of-concept experiment, the WNE is further utilized to directly detect Hg2+ from 100 pM to 100 nM by monitoring the frequency of the spike signals. This novel nanoelectrode provides a brand new label-free, ultrasensitive, and simple detection mechanism for various small molecules/ions detection, especially for redox analytes. |
Blog
Read the G.I.G Motors blog today and learn about the vehicle launches, deliveries and events that we host all the time.
This blog is also home to our charity of the month initiative, where we choose to highlight a different charity every single
month.
Read our articles below and contact us for more information on any of these posts. |
When it comes to ensuring that its upcoming Juno spacecraft can survive its mission, NASA is surrounding the spacecraft's electronic innards with titanium to ward off radiation.
Juno's so-called radiation vault weighs about 200 kilograms (500 pounds), has walls that measure about a square meter (nearly 9 square feet) in area, are about 1 centimeter (a third of an inch) in thickness, and weigh 18 kilograms (40 pounds). About the size of an SUV's trunk - the vault encloses Juno's command and data handling box, power and data distribution unit and about 20 other electronic assemblies, according to NASA.
NASA telescopes watch cosmic violence, mysteries unravel
"For the 15 months Juno orbits Jupiter, the spacecraft will have to withstand the equivalent of more than 100 million dental X-rays," said Bill McAlpine, Juno's radiation control manager, based at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., in a release.
According to NASA Jupiter has sizzling radiation belts surrounding its equatorial region that extend out past one of its moons, Europa, about 650,000 kilometers (400,000 miles). Jupiter has 63 moons.
Juno's handlers are taking it on a path that takes the spacecraft around Jupiter's poles, spending as little time as possible in those radiation belt areas. Engineers also used designs for electronics already approved for the Martian radiation environment, which is harsher than Earth's, though not as harsh as Jupiter's. Parts of the electronics were made from tantalum, or tungsten, another radiation-resistant metal. Some assemblies also have their own mini-vaults for protection, NASA stated.
Packing Juno's innards next to each other allows them to shield their neighbors. In addition, engineers wrapped copper and stainless steel braids like chain mail around wires connecting the electronics to other parts of the spacecraft, NASA stated.
Juno is basically an armored tank going to Jupiter," said Scott Bolton, Juno's principal investigator, based at Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio. "Without its protective shield, or radiation vault, Juno's brain would get fried on the very first pass near Jupiter."
Expected to launch August 2011, NASA has outlined a number of key challenges for Juno:
Juno will determine the global structure and motions of the planet's atmosphere below its colorful cloud tops for the first time, mapping variations in the atmosphere's composition, temperature, clouds and patterns of movement down to unprecedented depths, NASA said.
Deep in Jupiter's atmosphere, under great pressure, hydrogen gas is squeezed into a fluid known as metallic hydrogen. At these great depths, the hydrogen acts like an electrically conducting metal which is believed to be the source of the planet's intense magnetic field. This powerful magnetic environment creates the brightest auroras in our solar system, as charged particles precipitate down into the planet's atmosphere. Juno will directly sample the charged particles and magnetic fields near Jupiter's poles for the first time, while simultaneously observing the auroras in ultraviolet light produced by the extraordinary amounts of energy crashing into the polar regions, NASA said.
NASA's Juno mission is the second spacecraft designed under NASA's New Frontiers Program. The first was the Pluto New Horizons mission. Launched into space in January 2006 and has been hurtling toward Pluto at about 50,000 mph. Even at that rate the 1,054lb satellite will get it close to the dwarf planet sometime around July 2015.
Follow Michael Cooney on Twitter: nwwlayer8
Layer 8 Extra
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Beyond the petaflop - DARPA wants quintillion-speed computers |
Italian entrepreneur Andrea Rossi has surfaced again to restate his claim that his E-Cat low energy nuclear reaction kit puts out more energy than goes in. And so it is that the “cold fusion” debate will be re-ignited – this time with new voices in Rossi's corner.
Giuseppe Levi and Evelyn Foschi (Bologna University, Italy); Torbjörn Hartman, Bo Höistad, Roland Pettersson and Lars Tegnér, all of Uppsala University in Sweden, and Hanno Essén of the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, are claiming that the heat produced in the latest tests of Rossi's E-Cat rig is “one order of magnitude greater than conventional energy sources”.
The report has been released via Arxiv.
Rossi's claim for the E-Cat is that a “low energy nuclear reaction” puts together nickel and hydrogen, with the outputs being copper and heat. He has, however, met with a great deal of scepticism – including on the part of The Register – and has not, to date, been able to have his claims considered to be proven.
One of the chief problems is that nobody has had the opportunity to verify the science behind the claims, because – as noted in the current paper – Rossi continues to regard the insides of the e-Cat as a trade secret:
“As in the original E-Cat, the reaction is fueled by a mixture of nickel, hydrogen, and a catalyst, which is kept as an industrial trade secret. The charge sets off the production of thermal energy after having been activated by heat produced by a set of resistor coils located inside the reactor.” (Emphasis added)
The setup included the system being fed by: “... a TRIAC power regulator device which interrupted each phase periodically, in order to modulate power input with an industrial trade secret waveform.” (Emphasis added)
So the test is probably going to be vulnerable to scientific tooth and claw from the start, since it amounts to researchers being asked to visit the premises of EFA – that is, the company that holds the production rights for the E-Cat – and test a black box whose operations are invisible.
The test claims to have observed power production of 2,034 Watts thermal for an input of 360 Watts.
And that's been received with ecstasy in some unexpected quarters, like Forbes, which got all gushy about E-Cat
“While a few commentators have raised criticisms concerning how the measurements were made and sources of error others have argued that the energy produced is so significant even knocking off an order of magnitude on either axis still portrays a process with insanely valuable output.”
Actually, Mark Gibbs (the Forbes author I've quoted), the “order of magnitude” claim wasn't made by unnamed commentators – it's made in the abstract of the Levi paper we've linked to above.
On the plus side, publication of the test on Arxiv will at least give the rest of the scientific world something to get their teeth into. Articles on Arxiv are not peer reviewed, but may be moderated before inclusion.
It'll also be fascinating to see if this test is strong enough "proof" for Australian philanthropist Dick Smith to fork out the $AUD200,000 he has on the table if the E-Cat works.
Over to you, readers of El Reg; we await your comments with fascination and trepidation. ® |
The Premier League has supplied three of the four semi-finalists for the past three seasons, plus a finalist in each of the last five.
And Ferguson believes they will continue to rule Europe this season, despite competition from Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.
He said: “The English teams will be involved in the semi-finals again.
“They have been very dominant in the tournament for the last six or seven years. That is shown by the evidence of the latter stages and I think it will be the same this year.”
Manchester United will book their place in the last 16 with two games to spare if they beat CSKA Moscow at Old Trafford tonight.
Chelsea are similarly well placed after their opening three games, while it would be a major surprise if Arsenal did not make it through after collecting seven points so far.
In contrast, Inter Milan and Bayern Munich are currently outside the automatic qualification spots, while AC Milan and Real Madrid have already lost matches in a group they were expected to dominate completely.
Ferguson added: “Obviously Barcelona are one of the favourites. You cannot dismiss them.
“But there is no question in my mind that the English teams will compete for the trophy.” |
using UnityEngine;
using UnityEditor;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using com.spacepuppy;
using com.spacepuppy.Utils;
namespace com.spacepuppyeditor.Base
{
[CustomEditor(typeof(VariableStore))]
public class VariableStoreInspector : SPEditor
{
public const string PROP_REFLECTNAMES = "_reflectNamesFromType";
public const string PROP_VARIABLES = "_variables";
private VariantCollectionPropertyDrawer _variablesDrawer = new VariantCollectionPropertyDrawer();
protected override void OnSPInspectorGUI()
{
this.serializedObject.Update();
var propReflect = this.serializedObject.FindProperty(PROP_REFLECTNAMES);
SPEditorGUILayout.PropertyField(propReflect);
var propVars = this.serializedObject.FindProperty(PROP_VARIABLES);
var lbl_Vars = EditorHelper.TempContent("Variables");
_variablesDrawer.ConfigurePropertyList((TypeReferencePropertyDrawer.GetTypeFromTypeReference(propReflect)));
var h = _variablesDrawer.GetPropertyHeight(propVars, lbl_Vars);
var r = EditorGUILayout.GetControlRect(true, _variablesDrawer.GetPropertyHeight(propVars, lbl_Vars));
_variablesDrawer.OnGUI(r, propVars, lbl_Vars);
this.DrawDefaultInspectorExcept(EditorHelper.PROP_SCRIPT, PROP_REFLECTNAMES, PROP_VARIABLES);
this.serializedObject.ApplyModifiedProperties();
}
}
[CustomEditor(typeof(VariableStoreAsset))]
public class VariableStoreAssetInspector : VariableStoreInspector
{
}
}
|
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Rate, Reviews & Complaints about Central Digital Imaging Limited. This is the simplest way to share the experience and review & complaint about Central Digital Imaging Limited. It will not only help you but also save other customer to get cheated by such firms. Without any registration, you can share your feedback but please make sure no abusive or offensive language is used. |
On 6 October 2016 Bird & Bird The Hague co-hosted the seminar Digital Business – Big Data & Cloud Services with the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC). The seminar took place in Amsterdam at one of Verizon's datacenters. |
# Copyright (C) 2016-2019 The ESPResSo project
# Copyright (C) 2014 Olaf Lenz
#
# This file is part of ESPResSo.
#
# ESPResSo is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
# the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
# (at your option) any later version.
#
# ESPResSo is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
# GNU General Public License for more details.
#
# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
# along with this program. If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
#
# This script generates gen_pxiconfig.cpp, which in turn generates myconfig.pxi.
#
import inspect
import sys
import os
# find featuredefs.py
moduledir = os.path.dirname(inspect.getfile(inspect.currentframe()))
sys.path.append(os.path.join(moduledir, '..', '..', 'config'))
import featuredefs
if len(sys.argv) != 3:
print("Usage: {} DEFFILE CPPFILE".format(sys.argv[0]), file=sys.stderr)
exit(2)
deffilename, cfilename = sys.argv[1:3]
print("Reading definitions from " + deffilename + "...")
defs = featuredefs.defs(deffilename)
print("Done.")
# generate cpp-file
print("Writing " + cfilename + "...")
cfile = open(cfilename, 'w')
cfile.write("""
#include "config.hpp"
#include <iostream>
using namespace std;
int main() {
cout << "# This file was autogenerated." << endl
<< "# Do not modify it or your changes will be overwritten!" << endl;
""")
template = """
#ifdef {0}
cout << "DEF {0} = 1" << endl;
#else
cout << "DEF {0} = 0" << endl;
#endif
"""
for feature in defs.allfeatures:
cfile.write(template.format(feature))
cfile.write("""
}
""")
cfile.close()
print("Done.")
|
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Chicago Studio FAQs
I've never taken an art class before. Are there classes at Vitruvian that are good for beginners?
Yes. All our classes are open to students of all levels of ability and experience.
Are materials included in the course fee?
No. Since some students already have their own materials, charging a default materials fee can get complicated. It's just simpler if everyone does their own shopping. We do sell "Materials Kits" at the studio for some of our classes, which can be purchased at check-out when you enroll through the website. We offer this as a convenience to our students to save them a trip to the art supply store. Alternatively, a list of recommended materials will be emailed to you when you enroll if you'd prefer to shop elsewhere.
Are model fees extra?
No. The model fee is built into the sticker price of each class.
I'd like to see the studio. When is a good time to drop by?
We're sorry, but we simply can't accommodate studio visits. Our instructors are unavailable to receive visitors because their time here is already occupied with teaching. If you're looking for information about our courses, they're thoroughly described on our website. If you have further questions, we're happy to help via our contact form here.
We'd love to see you, but the best way to see the studio is to take a class!
Does Vitruvian host drop-in drawing and painting sessions with a model?
No. All our studio sessions are for enrolled students only.
I'd like to attend a class on a drop-in basis and just pay-as-I-go. Can I do that?
Sorry, but no. We'd love to have you in the studio, but we ask that everyone commit to the whole class.
Do you ever have daytime classes during the week?
Yes. We have a couple of options for weekdays. Our Weekday Atelier is an ongoing course of study in which students begin with simple drawing exercises that lead to more complicated painting and sculpture work. We also offer 5-Day Intensive Workshops from time to time that are much like their weekly class counterparts, but meet for 5 consecutive days in the studio.
I noticed some different classes that are scheduled to meet at the same time. What’s up with that?
Some classes may feature similar methods and are able to be “piggybacked” in the studio at the same time. For example, we may have Figure Drawing and Grisaille Painting students working at once, since the focus of each is primarily on drawing the figure. An instructor can easily accommodate both, and the cross-pollination of information can make for a richer experience for the students. Bargue Drawing and Cast Drawing is another good example.
Also, we offer “Intensive” versions of some classes that are simply alternative schedulings of existing classes. For example, “Figure Drawing Intensive” meets at the same time as “Figure Drawing”, but lasts all day for 4 weeks instead of a half-day for 8 weeks. This appeals to some students who travel a long distance for class and appreciate a way to minimize their commute.
Does Vitruvian offer classes in Acrylic or Watercolor painting?
Not really. Oil paint is the preferred medium in all our painting classes, although ocassional accommodations are made for students wishing to use other media.
Can I leave my supplies at the studio between class sessions?
We just don't have the space for that. We offer storage racks for work in progress so students don’t have to travel with wet paintings, but if we tried to accommodate the rest of everyone’s stuff we’d soon be over-run with debris. Please be prepared to take your supplies with you at the end of class.
Where can I park?
There are two small parking lots on the north and south sides of our building. Students can park in either lot, but please don’t block the loading dock. For our suburban students, there’s even better news… We’re just a few steps from the Clybourn Metra station, which of course makes parking unnecessary!
I’d like to sign-up, but I’m going to miss a couple of classes. Can I make them up somehow?
Perhaps. For classes that don’t feature a live model, makeup sessions may be scheduled on a case-by-case basis, and must occur within a month of the class completion date. Accommodations for missed class sessions must also be arranged at the time of enrollment. We cannot compensate for unplanned absences.
Our models, however, are booked only for a set number of class sessions, which means makeup sessions are not available for figure or portrait classes.
I’m running a little ahead of schedule today. Is it OK if I come to the studio early and hang out until class time?
Unfortunately, no. Vitruvian isn’t just a classroom space, but is a working studio that we use during the off-class hours. When students arrive too early, it disrupts our workflow and we can get a little cranky. We kindly ask that you don’t arrive more than 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. This should allow plenty of time for students to set up and be ready for when class begins.
I signed-up for a class but I can’t do it after-all. Can I get a refund?
For in-studio classes we offer refunds to students who withdraw from class less the $50 registration deposit, provided they do so before the start of the second class session. Once the second session has begun, however, no refunds will be granted.
Because of the digital nature of our online courses, however, no refunds will be granted. All sales of online courses are final.
I have a question. I called and left a voicemail, but I didn’t hear back. Don’t you guys check your messages?
The studio phone exists for one purpose: as a "doorbell" for the intercom system at the front door of the building. If you're trying to reach us, use the contact form here. We hope to hear from you!
Have a question not listed here? Let us know!
Online Studio FAQs
Our online courses are “asynchronous”, meaning they don’t have a set start-date or end-date. Rather, you can begin an online course at any time, and proceed at your own pace.
How long do I have to complete an online course?
As long as you wish. Once you’ve purchased any of our online courses, your access will never expire. Login to review the material as many times as you wish, for as long as you want.
Can I download the videos from an online course?
The video content of online courses is not downloadable. Instead, the videos “stream” from our server to logged-in students. This means that students must have an active internet connection to watch the videos.
Can I transfer the videos from an online course onto my iPad?
While you can easily login and watch the video content on an iPad – or any device with an internet connection – the video files themselves can’t be “transferred” for offline viewing. As mentioned above, the videos are not downloadable.
Why can’t I order the video content from an online course on DVD?
There are three reasons. First, the videos are just one part of the course content. The great advantage of online courses is that they are multimedia based and interactive. Since the accompanying text, images and Q&A threads are also part of the course, we want students to be engaged with that content, too. Making the videos available on DVD would separate them from the rest of the course and make for a less effective learning experience.
Second, the video content for the portrait drawing course is over 10 hours long, and simply wouldn’t fit on a single DVD, or even two. We’d have to offer more of a boxed set of DVDs that would present production, packaging, storage and shipping challenges that we’re simply not equipped to handle.
Lastly, digital delivery of video content is the future. Support for legacy formats, including DVD, is waning fast and it won’t be long before DVDs have gone the way of VHS tapes. We want our online platform to be forward-looking and demand for DVDs will only diminish with time.
How do I ask questions in an online course?
Each “lesson” includes a Question & Answer area at the bottom of the page where questions are addressed. In-depth, individual feedback – including video critiques – is available to students who purchase a “Critique Extension” as an optional add-on to any course.
Why do in-studio classes at Vitruvian cost more than online courses?
Our in-studio classes offer some advantages over online study, including one-on-one, at-easel instruction for every student included in the price. We offer the same degree of individual attention to our online students, but only with the purchase of a “Critique Extension” as an optional $100 add-on. Including the cost of the extension brings the price of our online courses closer inline with their in-studio counterparts.
Also, in-studio classes cost us more to offer as they require us to maintain a physical studio, and absorb the related costs – rent, utilities, insurance, etc. We also hire models for in-studio classes who are paid by the hour. All these factors contribute to the price difference between in-studio and online study. |
Q:
Pull random 10 entries without duplicating every time when ajax calls
Possible to pull random 10 entries (without duplicating entries) with ajax everytime when scroll to the bottom, right now it loads random 10 entires but it duplicates and some entries never shows up. Any ideas? thanks
index.html:
{exp:channel:entries channel="channel_A|channel_B|channel_C" orderby="random" limit="10"}
{content}
{/exp:channel:entries}
ajax/index.html
{exp:channel:entries channel="channel_A|channel_B|channel_C" orderby="random" limit="10"}
{content}
{paginate}
{pagination_links}
<ul class="lepaginate">
{page}
<li><a href="{pagination_url}" class="page-{pagination_page_number} {if current_page}active{/if}">{pagination_page_number}</a></li>
{/page}
</ul>
{/pagination_links}
{/paginate}
{/exp:channel:entries}
jquery:
var counter = 10;
$(window).scroll(function() {
if($(window).scrollTop() + $(window).height() == $(document).height()) {
var response;
$.ajax({ type: "GET",
url: ""+document.location.origin+"/ajax/P"+counter+"",
async: false,
success : function(text) {
response = text;
}
});
counter += 10 ;
newItems = $(response).appendTo('.grid');
$grid.isotope('appended', newItems );
var $grid = $('.grid').isotope({
masonry: {
columnWidth: 360,
gutter: 30
}
});
}
});
this is using pagination, so it loads like '/ajax/P10' '/ajax/P20' ..., etc
A:
Two approaches come to mind, the first is to load everything (all results) and only show X at a time (JavaScript) based on your own custom pagination or lazy loading effect. But that means you'd still be sending to the browser all the raw html initially, so might have performance issues.
How channel:entries works with the limit parameter in ExpressionEngine is by running a full search and getting all results back as a delimited list of entry id's based on all your search/filtering options. It then runs a second query to extract all the information it needs on the limited subset of entries to then be able to parse and present the data in your template.
So the second approach could actually be done a few ways depending on your skill level, but the principle is that you do a minimal query returning the entry IDs for all results (pipe delimited), then retain that as a JavaScript variable feeding the parts of the total results to match the (paginated) page results you require - feed that to your ajax call which in turn populates the entries to be shown in your final channel:entries tag.
Although initially you could use a channel:entries tag to get the full list, it should be better performance to use the exp:query tag - depending on the complexity of your filtering/search parameters. You could then post the required entries (for next page) to the ajax URL, and on the resulting page/template use the channel:entries parameter dynamic_parameters to use the POST data to automatically populate the entry_id parameter on the channel:entries tag, therefore only showing the limited entries.
Note that by default channel:entries only pulls back 100 results, if you want to pull more, you have to specify the limit parameter. From memory, going over 1000 starts to cause massive performance issues.
|
The Sanctuary of Athena Lindia(Click the image for a full screen view)
The Sanctuary of Athena Lindia
The History of the Excavations
The excavations at the Acropolis
of Lindus were begun systematically by the Danish archaeologists K.F. Kinch
and Chr. Blinkengerg. Their results were published in six volumes published
by the «Foundation Carlsberg» of Denmark. The first two volumes
(1931) deal with the objects, the next two (1941) with inscriptions. All
four are written by Blinkenberg. The architecture was published much later,
in 1960, in two volumes, by E. Dyggve who disagrees with many of the conclusions
drawn by Blinkenberg.
In 1910-1916 and 1929-1932 the Italian
archaeologists Maiuri and Jacopi worked on the site. It should be noted
that the island was under Italian occupation at the time, and the Italians
took an interest in the antiquities. They are responsible for the restoration
of the antiquities of Lindus which contribute to the popularity of the
site today.
The Cult of Lindus
The word Lindia (of Lindus), which
is a constant epithet of the Goddess, is of non-Greek origin etymologically.
Therefore, it seems that a cult existed in Lindus long before the Greeks,
perhaps even before the Mycenaeans, who were Greek-speaking. When the Dorians
brought their Goddess Athena with them, she was assimilated with the older
Goddess, a phenomenon which is very common in the history of religion.
For example, Athena of antiquity has now been assimilated to Virgin Mary
(Panaghia), whose church is to be seen in the village. According to Dyggve,
even the Temple of Athena Lindia was turned into a church of Virgin Mary
in the Christian era.
Apart from the name, another detail
points to an older, pre-existing cult in Lindus before Athena's arrival.
This detail comes from a poem by the 5th cent. BCE poet Pindar, who gives
the following mythical account of the establishment of Athena's cult: Zeus
had a terrible head-ache and asked Hephaestus to split his head. Hephaestus
struck with a brazen hatchet and Athena leapt forth from her father's head
and cried aloud with a mighty shout, while Heaven and Mother Earth, trembled
before her. Then the Sun God, who brings light to men, asked his dear children
to be the first to build an altar for the new Goddess and, by founding
a holy sacrifice, to gladden the heart of the father and daughter. But
sometimes mortals are driven from the right path, and they forgot to take
fire with them. So they performed the sacred rite without fire in the grove
of the Acropolis... (Olympian VII, 35-49).
This is clearly a myth designed to
explain a ritual, namely the custom of performing fireless rites in connection
with the cult of Athena Lindia. This deviated from standard Greek practice,
which demanded fire on the altar and burning of the entrails of the sacrificial
victims. This deviation from standard practice can be explained, if the
cult of Athena was assimilated to an older cult.
Blinkenberg suggested that no sacrifice
was performed at all in the Sanctuary, and that only fruits of the earth,
bloodless offerings, were made. He also stressed that there was no altar.
He concluded that the prehistoric Goddess, venerated before Athena, was
a vegetation Goddess, who did not require animal sacrifice.
Blinkenberg's hypothesis has found
general acceptance, but it may need modification. First, Dyggve identified
architectural evidence of an altar. Second and most important, there is
archaeological evidence of animal bones and ashes from the temenus (enclosure)
area outside the Temple. Third, votive animal figurines, as well as figurines
of men carrying animals, have been found. All this suggests that animals
were sacrificed. Blinkenberg himself was puzzled by the remnants of animal
bones and ashes, but he explained them as remnants of sacred banquets,
which took place in connection with the cult. This makes sense, but it
is difficult to accept that the killing and cooking of the animals was
a ceremony quite separate from the offering ritual.
What is the solution? Can Pindar's
testimony be ignored? Perhaps a close reading of the text will give a clue.
Pindar says that the sons of the Sun God forgot to take fire with them.
Their intention, however, was to perform sacrifice, and Pindar does not
say that they did not perform it; he says that they performed rites without
fire. Perhaps the solution is that they performed the sacrifice and ate
the meat but did not burn the entrails. This would deviate from standard
Greek practice (for sacrificial ritual, see further on) but would allow
the killing of the animal and the eating of the meat by the participants,
a practice which had a very important social function. This is only a hypothesis,
but it reconciles the Pindaric account with the archaeological evidence.
A different solution has been suggested,
Pindar's poem does not refer to Lindus at all but some other city on Rhodes.
The wording of the lines, however, do not support this supposition. Pindar
mentions other cities, but Lindus is mentioned last and the next line begins
with «there it is that...». Thus, the Pindaric account has
to be taken as serious evidence for the cult, whatever interpretation we
give to it.
The Temple Chronicle and the Epiphanies of the Goddess
In the area of Hagios Stephanos (see
map), a marble stele was found with valuable inscription concerning the
history of the Temple and with a list of offerings through the ages. This
is the Temple Chronicle, composed in the 1st cent. BCE. It was compiled
by a certain Timachidas, and its purpose was to advertise the wealth and
importance of the Sanctuary.
Map of Lindus' area, the bays, the Acropolis, the monuments
and the village.(Click the image for a full screen view)
For us it is valuable as a source
of religious belief in the Hellenistic period and as a historical source.
Among the most interesting accounts of the Temple Chronicle are the Epiphanies
(appearances) of Athena to mortals.
Although Athena can appear in person
in the Homeric poems, in the historical period she appeared in men's dreams.
Such forms of epiphany were common in antiquity, and some Greek sanctuaries,
like that of Asclepius at Epidaurus, had special arrangements for people
to sleep in the hope that the God would visit them at night.
One epiphany of Athena occurred at
the time of the Persian invasion in 490 BCE:
"When Darius, King of Persia, sent forth a great army
for the purpose of enslaving Hellas, this island was the first which his
fleet visited. The people in the country were terrified at the approach
of the Persians and fled for safety to all the strongholds, most of them
gathering at Lindus. Thereupon the barbarians set about to besiege them,
until the Lindians, sore-pressed by a water shortage, were minded to hand
over the city to the enemy. Right at this juncture the Goddess stood over
one of the magistrates in his sleep and bade him be of good courage, since
she herself would procure, by intercession with her father, the water they
needed. The one who saw the vision rehearsed to the citizens Athena's command.
So they investigated and found that they had only enough water to last
for five days, and accordingly they asked the barbarians for a truce for
just that number of days, saying that Athena had sent to her father for
help, and that if help did not come in the specified time, they would surrender
the city. When Datis, the admiral of Darius, heard this request, he immediately
burst out laughing. But the next day, when a great cloud gathered about
the Acropolis and a heavy shower fell inside the cloud, so that contrary
to all expectations (paradoxos) the besieged had plenty of water, while
the Persian army suffered for lack of it, the barbarian was struck by the
epiphany of the Goddess. He took off his personal adornment and sent it
as an offering -- his mantle, his necklace, and his bracelets, and in addition
his tiara, his scimitar, and even his chariot, which formerly was preserved
here, but was burned along with most of the offerings when the priest of
Helios was Eucles, son of Astyanactidas (probably soon after 350 BCE),
when the Temple caught fire. As for Datis, he set forth on the business
before him, after establishing peace with the besieged and declaring publicly,
"These men are protected by the Gods".
(From F.G. Grant, Hellenistic Religions, New York 1953)
In this account Athena lives
up to her reputation as a protectress of her city.
The History of the Temple and the Cult Image
Blinkenberg reconstructs the history
of the Temple as follows. At first there was no Temple structure at all,
only a grove to which Pindar refers also. The first structure may have
been built in the 6th cent. BCE. We do not know this; we can infer it only
by analogy from other sites.
A better Temple must have been built
by the tyrant Cleobulus (Kleoboulos) in the 6th cent. BCE. He may also
have strengthened the cult of the Goddess, as other tyrants did with local
Gods of their city-states, in an attempt to foster national religious feeling.
We know that Peisistratus strengthened the cult of Athena at Athens and
Polycrates built a magnificent Temple to Hera on Samos. Tyrants had also
another reason for building Temples: They absorbed the unemployed. The
promotion of national religion strengthened the political base of the tyrant's
power.
The cult image of this Temple has
naturally been lost, but Blinkenberg reconstructs it as a seated figure
with a special hat (polos) wearing necklaces and other jewelry. He infers
that from votive figurines of terra-cotta found in the Sanctuary of a colony
of Lindus which may reproduce the statue.
Figurine possibly representing Athena Lindia.(Click the image for a full screen view)
At the time of Cleobulus there was
also an impressive stairway, 7.5 m. broad, which led up to the Temple and
was used for processions. This stairway went through an enclosure wall
which marked off the temenus from the rest of the Acropolis. The first
built altar was probably erected then. An interesting detail: the Cleobulus
Temple was built above a natural cave in the cliff, which cave must have
been a cult place in prehistoric times. It was perhaps the cave which dictated
the choice of spot for the Temple at the very edge of the cliff. In Byzantine
times, this cave was used for the worship of Virgin Mary.
4th Cent. BCE
Around 342 BCE, the Cleobulus Temple
was burned, and a new one was built in its place in the end of the 4th
cent. BCE or around 300 BCE. The whole temenus area was later reorganized,
the most important addition being the Propylaea, an elaborate gate-structure
leading to the temenus.
The new Temple was in the Doric order.
It had three rooms and two rows of four columns, along the short sides.
(The terminus technicus is amphiprostylos). Its dimensions were 7.75 x
21.65 m.
A new cult image was created for the
new Temple, the type of which we can infer, once more, from votive terra-cotta
figurines. The Goddess was represented standing and carrying a shield,
and the statue almost certainly reflects Pheidian style and the Athena
of the Parthenon at Athens. But on her head she did not wear a helmet,
like the Athenian one, but a polos hat, like that of the older cult image.
An inscription makes some reference to jewelry, so it is quite possible
that this image also was ornated with pectorals and necklaces. The Temple
Chronicle of Lindus gives us some additional information. The statue was
fastened against the short wall of the cella, thus facing the spectator
as he entered from the door. Why was it fastened? Perhaps it was necessary
to secure it in position if it were too big to balance itself effectively
on its own weight, especially since there was always fear of earthquakes.
It must have been over life-size. The materials could have been wood for
the main body and ivory for the extremities, feet, arms, head. The Lindians
could not have afforded a gold and ivory statue as the Athenians did.
The fame of the Temple can be deduced
from the fact that Alexander the Great and many of his successors offered
magnificent sacrifices there, and dedicated weapons after victories. It
can also be inferred from the quality of votive gifts, many of which were
famous in antiquity and are mentioned in the Temple Chronicle. The sculptor
Boethus, the painter Parrhasios of Ephesus and other great artists had
their works exhibited in the Sanctuary.
The Propylaea (Gate)
The Propylaea were built in the first
half of the 3rd cent. BCE. and this involved a radical change in the appearance
of the Sanctuary. Before, the temenus was marked off by a low wall, now
this low wall was replaced by the monumental facade of the Propylaea to
which a very broad stairway gave access.
Reconstruction of the Propylaea after Dyggve.(Click the image for a full screen view)
The Propylaea were in the Doric order
and were U-shaped. The emphasis was on the wings, which looked like the
facades of the Temple. In this way the Temple facade is anticipated before
the visitor enters the temenus. The arrangement was designed to direct
the visitor through a series of surprises and changing views and to prepare
him for a crescendo upon reaching the temenus. We must imagine that the
view changed constantly with gradual ascent by the staircase. When the
visitor reached the top, he had to pass through a hall, which was bordered
by columns on the long sides. He was then confronted with a spectacular
panoramic view on the one hand, on the other he could see the Temple against
this view. The Temple was off the main axis, but the altar stood in the
center of the temenus. This was the sacrificial altar, identified by Dyggve.
Another one, smaller, and destined for bloodless offerings, was placed
inside the Temple in front of the cult image.
The Propylaea were asymmetrical, but
this could be seen only from the inside; from the outside they gave the
illusion of complete symmetry. The rooms of the wings were designed for
banqueting which followed the sacrifice and for display of the most spectacular
votive offerings, the greatest works of art. But the main function of the
whole structure was to isolate the temenus and to screen off unpurified
visitors.
The following prohibitions were effective
regarding entrance to the Sanctuary: Carrying weapons was prohibited. One
had to be decently dressed with the head covered. One had to be barefoot
or else wear white shoes, which could not be made out of horse's skin.
You could not enter at all immediately after loss of virginity; after an
abortion; during menstruation; after you had come into contact with a dead
body; after intercourse, unless a purification bath had taken place, etc.
These instructions shed light on the notions of impurity of the ancients.
The Portico or Stoa
The Hellenistic period was one of
artistic exaggeration. If the early art of the Greeks is characterized
by modesty and simplicity, the late art and architecture, during the Hellenistic
period, delights in dramatic effect. We can seen this in sculpture and
it is valid for architecture as well. By the end of the 3rd cent. BCE,
the monumental Propylaea were no longer considered magnificent enough in
themselves, and another structure had to be added to enhance dramatic effect.
This structure was a Doric portico or stoa which duplicated the facade
of the Propylaea but on a much larger scale.
Reconstruction of the Doric Portico or Stoa.Reconstruction after Dyggve.(Click the image for a full screen view)
The main difference in plan was the
complete symmetry of the Portico. The element of surprise, which was the
principle of the architects of the Propylaea, was repeated here as well.
Most important must have been the interplay of light and shade, as one
passed from the staircase to the columns of the central part. The center
of the long side of the Portico was cut by the stairway which led up to
the Propylaea. In a way the Portico was built as an entrance to this stairway,
just as the Propylaea were built as an entrance to the temenus. The experience
was thus repeated twice, and the visitor's expectations were rising with
each ascent.
It is with purpose that the wings
of the Portico reproduce the facade of the Temple, as was the case in the
Propylaea. The Temple was, after all, the emblem of the Sanctuary and the
culmination of the experience.
The function of the Portico was more
secular. It was outside the temenus and served as an art gallery and as
a shady area, much needed during the hot summer days.
Later Structures
Later additions destroyed rather
than enhanced the effect. The terrace was enlarged in the 1st cent. BCE.
Beneath this terrace there were 10 vaulted cisterns for the collection
of water. In the 2nd cent. CE an Ionic portico was added in the temenus
area, thus blocking the dramatic landscape which acted as a backdrop to
the temenus. Finally, the view from the other side of the acropolis was
blocked by the erection of a Roman Temple in the 3rd cent. CE, presumably
for the cult of a deified emperor. Some think it was for the cult of the
hero Psithyros.
Acropolis reconstruction with later structures.(Click the image for a full screen view)
Votive Offerings
In our times, it is often the case
that votives are placed on an icon of the Greek Orthodox Church as tokens
of gratitude for a difficulty or illness which has been overcome. These
offerings are jewelry or silver/gold limbs representing the healed parts
of the body: Ancient offerings were even more varied. Their value depended
on the economic status of the dedicator. They could range from large-scale
sculptures in stone, or bronze, to small figurines. They could be jewelry,
vases, weapons, and objects of every-day use such as mirrors and spindle
whirls. Most often they had the form of terra-cotta figurines representing
humans or animals. Sometimes the cult image of the divinity was represented,
but more frequently it was the mortal who presented himself as an worshiper
and servant to the God.
In the Sanctuary of Athena Lindia
figurines of musicians, horsemen, men carrying animals (for sacrifice)
have been found, representing different categories of worshippers. It is
female figurines that predominate, however, because of Athena's special
relationship with women as a protectress of the household. Mothers holding
a child are frequently represented; they were placing the child under the
protection of Athena. A special type is the seated boy, which is attested
also in Cyprus. Were these boys rendering services to the Temple for a
period and do the figurines symbolize this? If so, we have an Oriental
custom here. There is also a type of male figurine reclining and holding
a drinking vessel. This must allude to the sacrificial banqueting which
took place in the rooms of the Propylaea. Exotic animals like lions as
well as birds and cats are suggestive of the power of Athena over nature.
There are also objects brought from abroad, gifts from foreigners who visited
the Sanctuary. Egyptian, Near Eastern and Cypriot objects are attested
in significant quantities. A final category of objects represents cult
implements: lamps and torches used in processions, baskets which would
be filled with fruit and offered, wine jars and drinking cups which are
related to the feasting.
Lindus lies 55 km to the S. of the
city of Rhodes and is accessible by bus or even by small boats during the
summer season. The trip by car takes a little less than an hour and the
road is very good. For this reason one can even rent a car and drive without
being apprehensive about the possible mis-fortunes due to the conditions
of some Greek roads.
When you come close to Lindus, there
is a long beach, Vlecha (Vlycha), to your left or N. of the Acropolis which
towers over the landscape. On this beach, there exists the four major hotels
of Lindus: Lindos Bay Hotel, Lindos Royal Hotel, LTI Lindos Royal and Lindos
Mare Hotel. Otherwise, accommodations can be found in the village: there
are rooms to let in pensions or private houses.
The bus, or car, has to stop in the
square of the village; from there one has to go on foot because the village
streets are too narrow. The square is well equipped for the tourist: you
can buy film, souvenirs, refreshments, and there are restaurants as well. |
End of preview. Expand
in Dataset Viewer.
Generated with the following script:
import os
from tqdm import tqdm
import numpy as np
import tiktoken
from datasets import DatasetDict, load_dataset # huggingface datasets
# number of workers in .map() call
# good number to use is ~order number of cpu cores // 2
num_proc = 8
# number of workers in load_dataset() call
# best number might be different from num_proc above as it also depends on NW speed.
# it is better than 1 usually though
num_proc_load_dataset = num_proc
# takes 450GB+ in huggingface .cache dir, about 134M documents (134318121)
dataset = load_dataset("EleutherAI/the_pile_deduplicated", num_proc=num_proc_load_dataset, split=None)
# this results in:
# >>> dataset
# DatasetDict({
# train: Dataset({
# features: ['text'],
# num_rows: 134318121
# })
# })
# we want to reduce to same size as openwebtext
# by documents 8M / 134M = 0.05970149254
# by tokens 9B / 800B = 0.01125
# to be safe I'll take the bigger number
dataset = dataset['train'].train_test_split(test_size=0.05970149254, seed=42, shuffle=True)
dataset = DatasetDict({'train': dataset['test']})
dataset.push_to_hub("gngdb/subset_the_pile_deduplicated")
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