Real Stories

Modest means – that’s where I come from. For years, I’ve heard stories about my great grandparents. My great-grandfather was a farmer and my great-grandmother was a teacher. When my great-grandfather was unable to work the farm any longer, he retired as most farmers did then: broke. If it wasn’t for my great-grandmother’s pension from being a teacher, they wouldn’t have been able to put food on the table or put clothes on their backs.

Four generations later, as their great-granddaughter, I am proud to say that I am a teacher as well. For four generations, my family has been teachers, but at this point in Kentucky, it’s tough. As the sponsor for a future educators’ club, I feel terribly conflicted about mentoring students to enter into the education profession in this political atmosphere.

Teachers don’t teach because of the money, we teach because we care about the work we do. I am currently a high school English language arts teacher in Henry County. Every morning when I wake up and head to school, I know that I am making a difference in my students’ lives.

Most teachers don’t want to be active in politics, but we really don’t have a choice. Teaching is a political act. We teach citizenship and give students the tools to function within a democracy. Every decision about how public schools will function, what resources they will have, and what teachers are expected to teach is made by an elected official. Without my union, the Kentucky Education Association, we would not have a voice at the table to speak up for public education and our students.

The last legislative session had me feeling levels of anxiety for the future of my career that I have never felt before. The truth is, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to remain in the teaching profession. Without the promise of an adequate pension, I can’t afford to stay in the classroom. We already make less than our counterparts with the same degrees in the private sector, so you can only take so much. It is because of the promise of a dignified pension that most of us stay in the profession.

Teaching is my calling, and it is in my blood, but I simply cannot put my daughter in a position where she would have to support me financially when I am too old or sick to teach. Losing my pension would threaten her economic security and that of any children she may choose to have. Asking someone to play the stock market with no Social Security safety net is irresponsible and that’s exactly what our elected leaders want to do.

How can one advocate for others to join a profession when there’s a prospect that they might not have a retirement? This is Kentucky—we don’t walk out of our classrooms to make a point, but we did. We did it because enough is enough – we deserve our pensions, and we shouldn’t lose them or have a cut in our benefits because a bunch of politicians didn’t pay their fair share each year when we paid ours.

Right now, the Supreme Court has to decide on SB 151 – the wastewater treatment bill that lawmakers tacked pension-gutting measures onto. Hopefully they make the right decision and throw the bill out as unconstitutional. One thing is for sure though – teachers will be turning out at the ballot box in November. We’ll always remember these attacks and the lawmakers who supported them.

Behind every public pension is a real firefighter, teacher, nurse, librarian or other public employee who keeps our communities safe and prospering.


Apple Partners With Tynker to Help K-5 Students Learn to Code

May 3, 2017

TYNKER TIKES: Is it ever too early to get kids into coding? Apple doesn’t seem to think so. This week it announced a partnership with Tynker, an online platform which teaches elementary students to code, to release two new programming games geared at K-5 students. The games are designed to support Apple’s Everyone Can Code initiative, which teaches kids the fundamentals of coding through Apple’s homegrown programming language: Swift.

While Apple has its own educational programming platform, Swift Playground, to help first-time coders learn the basics, the program is targeted at upper elementary and middle school students. The new Tynker games—Space Cadet and Dragon Spells—were designed to help younger students. In Space Cadet, K-2 students solve puzzles and complete simple coding challenges set in space; in Dragon Spells, students in grades 3-5 learn the fundamentals of Swift as they train their dragon and collect treasures.

In a prepared statement, Krishna Vedati, co-founder and CEO of Tynker, explains the games were “purpose-built to enable kids unfamiliar with coding to learn using visual code blocks and then ‘toggle’ to the Swift programming language as they progress in their development.” She hopes these new courses “inspire an even greater number of students and teachers to embrace coding as a way to enhance early learning and future careers.”

Apple Partners With Tynker to Help K-5 Students Learn to Code

May 3, 2017

TYNKER TIKES: Is it ever too early to get kids into coding? Apple doesn’t seem to think so. This week it announced a partnership with Tynker, an online platform which teaches elementary students to code, to release two new programming games geared at K-5 students. The games are designed to support Apple’s Everyone Can Code initiative, which teaches kids the fundamentals of coding through Apple’s homegrown programming language: Swift.

While Apple has its own educational programming platform, Swift Playground, to help first-time coders learn the basics, the program is targeted at upper elementary and middle school students. The new Tynker games—Space Cadet and Dragon Spells—were designed to help younger students. In Space Cadet, K-2 students solve puzzles and complete simple coding challenges set in space; in Dragon Spells, students in grades 3-5 learn the fundamentals of Swift as they train their dragon and collect treasures.

In a prepared statement, Krishna Vedati, co-founder and CEO of Tynker, explains the games were “purpose-built to enable kids unfamiliar with coding to learn using visual code blocks and then ‘toggle’ to the Swift programming language as they progress in their development.” She hopes these new courses “inspire an even greater number of students and teachers to embrace coding as a way to enhance early learning and future careers.”


#!/usr/bin/env bash
if echo $SHELLOPTS | grep -q xtrace; then
    export SHELLOPTS
fi

if test $(basename $0) = adb-tty; then
    IS_TTY_IO=true my-adb "$@"
else
    IS_TTY_IO=false my-adb "$@"
fi


Kings/Raptors trade idea

Lifelong Kings fan and I hate that we're for some reason stockpiling guards when we have a need at the 3. This would free up minutes for the rookies and in my opinion give us a better option at the 3 position than we have with Salmons. We'd obviously lose scoring but I don't think Jimmer will ever be good enough to be more than just a situational 3 shooter and Thornton doesn't play good team ball which is where the new management seems to be going (even though they're trying to sign Monta Ellis.)
We'd also get a great situational shooter in Novak.


FLUCONAZOLE AND BORIC ACID FOR TREATMENT OF VAGINAL CANDIDIASIS--NEW WORDS ABOUT OLD ISSUE.
To compare boric acid as an effective treatment for VVC compared to fluconazole. We also studied the efficiency of these drugs in preventing recurrence of VVC. A cross sectional, randomized, double-blind study. Gynaecology clinic of Imam Reza hospital, Tehran - Iran Women with signs and symptoms related to Vulvo Vaginal Candidiasis. Seventy five patients out of total 150 patients with signs and symptoms related to Vulvo Vaginal Candidiasis were treatedwith boric acidpowder everynight for a week and the remaining 75 patients received Fluconazole. The cure rate in first group was 46.7% but the cure rate in second group was 37.3%. The difference was not statistically significant (P>0.3). Difference between the efficacy of the two drugs was not significant either (P=0.47). The recurrence rate among patients in first group was 35% while it was 32% in second group. Their difference was not statistically significant (P=0.54). According to our findings, treatment of vaginal candidiasis with boric acid is as effective as fluconazole. The availability of boric acid and its relatively low cost suggests it as a safe and effective drug for treatment of candidiasis.


//
//  CZWeatherForecastCondition+Internal.h
//  CZWeatherKit
//
//  Copyright (c) 2015 Comyar Zaheri. All rights reserved.
//
//  Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining a copy
//  of this software and associated documentation files (the "Software"), to
//  deal in the Software without restriction, including without limitation the
//  rights to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or
//  sell copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the Software is
//  furnished to do so, subject to the following conditions:
//
//  The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be included in
//  all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
//
//  THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR
//  IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY,
//  FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
//  AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER
//  LIABILITY, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
//  FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER DEALINGS
//  IN THE SOFTWARE.
//

#pragma mark - Imports

#import "CZWeatherForecastCondition.h"

#pragma mark - CZWeatherForecastCondition Internal Category Interface

/**
 @warning Not for external use.
 */
@interface CZWeatherForecastCondition (Internal)

// -----
// @name Internal
// -----

#pragma mark Internal

/**
 @warning Not for external use.
 */
- (instancetype)_init;

/**
 @warning Not for external use.
 */
@property (NS_NONATOMIC_IOSONLY) NSDate *date;

/**
 @warning Not for external use.
 */
@property (copy, NS_NONATOMIC_IOSONLY) NSString *summary;

/**
 @warning Not for external use.
 */
@property (assign, NS_NONATOMIC_IOSONLY) Climacon climacon;

/**
 @warning Not for external use.
 */
@property (assign, NS_NONATOMIC_IOSONLY) CZHumidity humidity;

/**
 @warning Not for external use.
 */
@property (assign, NS_NONATOMIC_IOSONLY) CZTemperature lowTemperature;

/**
 @warning Not for external use.
 */
@property (assign, NS_NONATOMIC_IOSONLY) CZTemperature highTemperature;

@end


There are various ways of measuring static unbalance of a rotary member, such as a grinding wheel, motor vehicle wheel and the like. One form of such a procedure, as disclosed in DE 29 45 819 A1 and Hofmann News 8 (05.85 D) and 11 (10.88) involves determining the axial moment of inertia of the rotary member when mounted pivotably in a horizontal position, that is to say with the axis of rotation of the rotary member extending vertically. In that procedure, in dependence on a deviation of the rotary member from its initial horizontal position, a return force effective to return the rotary member to its horizontal position is produced in a regulating circuit as a control parameter, and the value of the static unbalance from which the rotary member suffers is formed from the measured return force. To perform that procedure, the rotary member to be measured is placed with its axis of rotation vertical, on a horizontal balancing tray member or plate which is mounted in such a way as to be pivotable, preferably by means of a gimbal or Cardan-type mounting arrangement. If the rotary member suffers from an unbalance, that means that the center of gravity of the rotary member is shifted and a moment corresponding to the static unbalance from which the rotary member is suffering is operative about the pivot mounting axis of the balancing tray member or plate. If the balancing tray member or plate is subjected, at a constant spacing from the pivot mounting axis thereof, to a force which causes the balancing tray member or plate to return to its horizontal position, the force applied, being proportional to the static unbalance, makes it possible to determine the unbalance of the rotary member.
In an apparatus for carrying out that procedure, the deviation of the balancing tray member or plate is detected by suitable means and, in dependence on the deflection signal, an electronic measuring and regulating system produces an electrical current and supplies it to a return or restoring means which includes an electromagnet unit and which is operable to return the weighing tray member or plate into its horizontal position. The current forming the control parameter for the regulating circuit is proportional to the force applied by the return or restoring means and is thus also proportional to the static unbalance of the rotary member to be tested.
The above-outlined operating procedure and the apparatus for carrying out same enjoy the advantage that the fact of using the described compensation principle means that there is no residual deflection of the balancing tray member or plate, and thus the unbalance measurement result is not falsified in that way. When measuring rotary members which are of different weights however it is not possible to adhere to a specific cycle time for carrying out the unbalance measuring operation as the regulator involves constant regulating parameters and depending on optimum adjustment of the regulator, positioning of the balancing tray member or plate in its horizontal position, when dealing with different types of rotary member which involve different weights, requires different positioning times. Hitherto, optimum adjustment of the system has been effected in relation to a low rotary member weight in order to avoid the generation of high control parameter signals which could result in the regulating circuit suffering from instabilities. When measuring types of rotary member which are of relatively high weight however, it has to be accepted in that situation that the time for the balancing tray member or plate to return to its horizontal position and thus the cycle time involved in carrying out the rotary member unbalance measuring procedure is increased.


Header Image for Basic Page

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PhD Admissions

PhD

FAQs - Applying to the PhD Program

Q: What is the Sanford School looking for in applicants to the PhD in Public Policy Program?

A. We seek applicants who demonstrate academic excellence, and we welcome applicants from diverse academic, cultural and professional backgrounds. Applicants who possess practical work and/ or research experience are encouraged.

Q: Do I need to have a master’s degree?

A. No, a master’s degree is not required for admission to the PhD program.

Q. What is the application deadline?

A. The priority deadline for beginning the program in fall 2018 is Dec. 1, 2017 for applicants wishing to be considered for departmental or institutional awards for the fall semester. Late applications may be considered for admission only if all spaces have not been filled, and for financial aid only if funds are still available. To ensure that your application receives full consideration, submit all materials (test scores, recommendation letters, transcripts, etc.) by the Dec. 1 deadline.

Q. How do I apply?

A. Applicants to the PhD Program in Public Policy will be applying to the Duke Graduate School using its electronic application. Please review the Duke Graduate School Admissions Website for detailed instructions on all application requirements.

Q. Are there any additional items required by the Public Policy PhD program?

A. Yes. In addition to completing the Graduate School requirements, applicants must also:

Designate a disciplinary concentration in the electronic application. In the drop-down menu section of the electronic application, after selecting “Public Policy Studies – PhD” in the “Proposed Department/Program and Highest Degree Sought,” the next section of the application is “Intended Special Field.” The Public Policy PhD special fields are the disciplinary concentrations: economics, political science, psychology or sociology. You must indicate one of these four concentrations on your application.

Submit a resume (not to exceed two printed pages), which should be uploaded to the online electronic application with your “Statement of Purpose and Educational Objectives.”

Submit a writing sample of no more than 20 pages, demonstrating academic or professional research, which should be uploaded to the online electronic application under “additional documents.” For more information on how to submit the writing sample, visit the application instructions on the Graduate School website.

Q. What should I talk about in my statement of purpose?

A. We carefully review each applicant’s essay. Please utilize this essay to discuss your goals in pursuing the PhD in Public Policy at Duke University. We are interested in your academic and professional experience, your intended course of study (including a disciplinary concentration and policy area focus) and your longer-term career objectives.

Q. May I apply for both the Master in Public Policy Program and the PhD Program at the same time?

Q: Who can I contact if I have questions about the application process?

Q: Who can I contact if I have questions about professors with whom I am interested in studying?

A. Visit Find an Expert to learn about faculty areas of expertise. You can find out more about individual faculty members by visiting their webpages. Each faculty member’s email address is listed; feel free to contact individuals whose research aligns with your interests.

Q. Who should I contact with questions about the curriculum, requirements or other matters?


#include QMK_KEYBOARD_H
extern keymap_config_t keymap_config;

enum planck_layers {
  _WORKMAN,
  _QWERTY,
  _LOWER,
  _RAISE,
  _ADJUST
};

enum planck_keycodes {
  WORKMAN = SAFE_RANGE,
  QWERTY,
  LOWER,
  RAISE,
};

const uint16_t PROGMEM keymaps[][MATRIX_ROWS][MATRIX_COLS] = {

/* Workman
 * ,-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
 * | Tab  |   Q  |   D  |   R  |   W  |   B  |   J  |   F  |   U  |   P  |   ;  | Bksp |
 * |------+------+------+------+------+-------------+------+------+------+------+------|
 * | Ct/E |   A  |   S  |   H  |   T  |   G  |   Y  |   N  |   E  |   O  |   I  |Enter |
 * |------+------+------+------+------+------|------+------+------+------+------+------|
 * | Shift|   Z  |   X  |   M  |   C  |   V  |   K  |   L  |   ,  |   .  |   /  | " '  |
 * |------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------|
 * | GUI  | Alt  | Alt  |  [   |   ]  |    Space    |Raise | Left | Down |  Up  |Right |
 * `-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------'
 */
[_WORKMAN] = LAYOUT_planck_grid(
  KC_TAB,        KC_Q,    KC_D,    KC_R,    KC_W,  KC_B,    KC_J,    KC_F,  KC_U,    KC_P,    KC_SCLN, KC_BSPC ,
  CTL_T(KC_ESC), KC_A,    KC_S,    KC_H,    KC_T,  KC_G,    KC_Y,    KC_N,  KC_E,    KC_O,    KC_I,    KC_ENT  ,
  KC_LSFT,       KC_Z,    KC_X,    KC_M,    KC_C,  KC_V,    KC_K,    KC_L,  KC_COMM, KC_DOT,  KC_SLSH, KC_QUOT ,
  KC_LGUI,       KC_LALT, KC_LBRC, KC_RBRC, LOWER, KC_SPC,  KC_SPC,  RAISE, KC_LEFT, KC_DOWN, KC_UP,   KC_RGHT
),

[_QWERTY] = LAYOUT_planck_grid(
  _______, KC_Q,    KC_W,    KC_E,    KC_R,  KC_T,    KC_Y,    KC_U,  KC_I,    KC_O,   KC_P,    KC_BSPC,
  _______, KC_A,    KC_S,    KC_D,    KC_F,  KC_G,    KC_H,    KC_J,  KC_K,    KC_L,   KC_SCLN, KC_ENT ,
  _______, KC_Z,    KC_X,    KC_C,    KC_V,  KC_B,    KC_N,    KC_M,  KC_COMM, KC_DOT, KC_SLSH, KC_QUOT,
  _______, _______, _______, _______, _______,_______,_______,_______,_______,_______, _______, _______
),

/* LOWER
 * ,-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
 * |   `  |   1  |   2  |   3  |   4  |   5  |   6  |   7  |   8  |   9  |   0  | Bksp |
 * |------+------+------+------+------+-------------+------+------+------+------+------|
 * | Del  |  F1  |  F2  |  F3  |  F4  |  F5  |  F6  |      |      |      |      |      |
 * |------+------+------+------+------+------|------+------+------+------+------+------|
 * |      |  F7  |  F8  |  F9  |  F10 |  F11 |  F12 |      |      |      |      |      |
 * |------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------|
 * |      |      |      |      |      |             |      | Next | Vol- | Vol+ | Play |
 * `-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------'
 */
[_LOWER] = LAYOUT_planck_grid(
  KC_GRV,  KC_1,    KC_2,    KC_3,    KC_4,    KC_5,    KC_6,    KC_7,    KC_8,    KC_9,    KC_0,    KC_BSPC,
  KC_DEL,  KC_F1,   KC_F2,   KC_F3,   KC_F4,   KC_F5,   KC_F6,   KC_BTN1, KC_MS_U, KC_BTN2, _______, _______,
  _______, KC_F7,   KC_F8,   KC_F9,   KC_F10,  KC_F11,  KC_F12,  KC_MS_L, KC_MS_D, KC_MS_R, _______, _______,
  _______, _______, _______, _______, _______, _______, _______, _______, KC_MNXT, KC_VOLD, KC_VOLU, KC_MPLY
),

/* RAISE
 * ,-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
 * |   ~  |   !  |   @  |   {  |   }  |   *  |   ^  |   &  |   *  |   (  |   )  | Bksp |
 * |------+------+------+------+------+-------------+------+------+------+------+------|
 * | Del  |   #  |   $  |   (  |   )  |   `  |  -   |   _  |   +  |   =  |   \  |      |
 * |------+------+------+------+------+------|------+------+------+------+------+------|
 * |      |   %  |   ^  |   [  |   ]  |   ~  |   &  |  <   |   >  | Home | End  |   |  |
 * |------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------|
 * |      |      |      |      |      |             |      | Next | Vol- | Vol+ | Play |
 * `-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------'
 */
[_RAISE] = LAYOUT_planck_grid(
  KC_TILD, KC_EXLM, KC_AT,   KC_LCBR, KC_RCBR, KC_ASTR, KC_CIRC, KC_AMPR, KC_ASTR,  KC_LPRN, KC_RPRN, KC_DEL ,
  KC_DEL,  KC_HASH, KC_DLR,  KC_LPRN, KC_RPRN, KC_GRV,  KC_MINS, KC_UNDS, KC_PLUS,  KC_EQL, KC_BSLS,  _______,
  _______, KC_PERC, KC_CIRC, KC_LBRC, KC_RBRC, KC_TILD, KC_AMPR, KC_LABK, KC_RABK,  KC_HOME, KC_END,  KC_PIPE,
  _______, _______, _______, _______, _______, _______, _______, _______, KC_MNXT,  KC_VOLD, KC_VOLU, KC_MPLY
),

/* Adjust (Lower + Raise)
 * ,-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------.
 * |      | Reset|      |      |      |      |      |      |   T  |      |      |  Del |
 * |------+------+------+------+------+-------------+------+------+------+------+------|
 * |      |      |      |Aud on|Audoff|      |      |Qwerty|Colemk|Dvorak|Plover|      |
 * |------+------+------+------+------+------|------+------+------+------+------+------|
 * |      |Voice-|Voice+|Mus on|Musoff|MIDIon|MIDIof|      |      |      |      |      |
 * |------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------|
 * |      |      |      |      |      |             |      |      |      |      |      |
 * `-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------'
 */
[_ADJUST] = LAYOUT_planck_grid(
  _______, RESET,   DEBUG,   _______, _______, _______, _______, TERM_ON, TERM_OFF,_______, _______, KC_DEL ,
  _______, _______, MU_MOD,  AU_ON,   AU_OFF,  _______, _______, QWERTY,  WORKMAN, _______, _______, _______,
  _______, MUV_DE,  MUV_IN,  MU_ON,   MU_OFF,  MI_ON,   MI_OFF,  _______, _______, _______, _______, _______,
  _______, _______, _______, _______, _______, _______, _______, _______, _______, _______, _______, _______
)
};

#ifdef AUDIO_ENABLE
  float plover_song[][2]     = SONG(PLOVER_SOUND);
  float plover_gb_song[][2]  = SONG(PLOVER_GOODBYE_SOUND);
#endif

bool process_record_user(uint16_t keycode, keyrecord_t *record) {
  switch (keycode) {
    case WORKMAN:
      if (record->event.pressed) {
        set_single_persistent_default_layer(_WORKMAN);
      }
      return false;
      break;
    case QWERTY:
      if (record->event.pressed) {
        set_single_persistent_default_layer(_QWERTY);
      }
      return false;
      break;
    case LOWER:
      if (record->event.pressed) {
        layer_on(_LOWER);
        update_tri_layer(_LOWER, _RAISE, _ADJUST);
      } else {
        layer_off(_LOWER);
        update_tri_layer(_LOWER, _RAISE, _ADJUST);
      }
      return false;
      break;
    case RAISE:
      if (record->event.pressed) {
        layer_on(_RAISE);
        update_tri_layer(_LOWER, _RAISE, _ADJUST);
      } else {
        layer_off(_RAISE);
        update_tri_layer(_LOWER, _RAISE, _ADJUST);
      }
      return false;
      break;
  }
  return true;
}


<resources>
    <string name="app_name">小Q聊天机器人</string>

    <string name="tab1">资讯</string>
    <string name="tab2">消息</string>
    <string name="tab3">我的</string>

</resources>


The moment Vince Ducusin stepped inside Olaf’s Snowfest in Anaheim, he was speechless.

Inside Stage 17 at Disney California Adventure is a replica of the kingdom of Arendelle’s town square from Disney’s hit movie “Frozen.”

The clock tower where Princess Anna and Prince Hans of the Southern Isles danced stands high above a courtyard full of snow. The fountain that Elsa froze is there too. And, outside, the kingdom’s walls are decorated with flags and other tapestries.

“This really reminds me of the movie,” said Ducusin, 20, of Menifee.

The Disneyland Resort is a mecca of sorts for die-hard fans of the most popular animated film of all time.

After a few weeks of test runs, four new “Frozen” attractions are open at Disneyland California Adventure. So are two additions: a miniature kingdom of Arendelle, in a ride, and a new show at the Royal Theatre in Fantasyland in Disneyland.

All are based on the $1.2 billion-grossing, Academy Award-winning animated film, and all, in theory, are available only for a short time.

The “Frozen” options are vast.

Visitors who like to sing “Frozen” songs can belt out their favorites in a 25-minute singalong that plays hourly at the Arendelle Crown Theater. Others can play in 40 tons of “snow” (or food-grade ice) at Olaf’s Snow Fest.

And anybody willing to wait a really long time can meet Arendelle’s royalty, and learn how to draw Olaf and Elsa’s snow monster, Marshmallow, in the Animation building.

After the sun sets, revelers can dance the night away and watch Chainsaw Chicks sculpt blocks of ice into “Frozen”-themed statues at Freeze the Night! A Family Dance Party.

“This is, the second you walk in the door, a voyage into Arendelle,” said David Duffy, creative director of entertainment at Disneyland Resort. “We really want to take the guest into Arendelle, and into the movie.”

At Disneyland, a miniature of the kingdom of Arendelle has been added as part of the Storybook Land Canal Boats. Vaudeville-style performers Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones are retelling the “Frozen” story at The Royal Theatre in Fantasyland.

With the new attractions, Disney is trying to reach a core market that has spent $1 billion on “Frozen” merchandise since the movie premiered in 2013.

But is Disney’s “Frozen” fever too much for the masses?

Robert Niles, editor at Themeparkinsider.com, said he doubts the new “Frozen” attractions will have the same crossover appeal as other Disney rides like Star Tours, but demand for all things “Frozen” is so high it might not matter.

“It makes sense for Disney to try to capitalize on this across all of their different businesses,” Niles said. “Theme parks are one of their strongest and enduring businesses, and people want to see top Disney characters. And right now, Anna and Elsa and the ‘Frozen’ crew is on top.”

Along with the transformation of the Hollywood Land area of California Adventure, Disney is introducing a new way for visitors to experience their trip into Arendelle.

During a recent preview night, Ducusin arrived at the Olaf meet-and-greet only to be handed an electronic pager. It let him wander the park until he was alerted that it was time to meet the affable snowman.

Currently used in the Dumbo Flying Elephant attraction at Walt Disney World in Florida, this is the first time the pager system is being utilized at the Disneyland Resort.

Duffy said the new system enables people to make better use of their time and play in the snow area rather than standing and waiting in line. Some guests have been alerted from as far as The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, though Duffy says the pagers are intended to work inside Stage 17.

Another new feature is a five-woman crew of ice carvers, the Chainsaw Chicks, who nightly sculpt four 300-pound blocks of ice into “Frozen”-themed statues.

During a recent preview night, there were just as many people watching the ice sculptor as there were dancing in front of the disc jockey stage.

“This is pretty amazing,” said Enrique Reyes, 19, who said he’d never seen ice sculpting previously. “They are able to turn nothing into something.”

Post-show, the sculptures melt.

A similar fate is slated for the “Frozen” attractions.

Ducusin, who drove from Riverside, was saddened to learn the attractions are temporary.

He gave Olaf a warm hug and vowed to come back.

“I’m an annual passholder,” he said. “I’ll just come back more often.”

Contact the writer: 714-704-3764 or jpimentel@ocregister.com


Martin Scorsese once described his adaptation of Edith Wharton’s novel The Age of Innocence as the most violent film he has made. When I read about this and viewed the film, I was unsure of what he meant. But then I realised, he didn’t mean actual violence but internal violence arising from conflicting emotions. Bringing this to the period romance, Scorsese succeeds in showing the arcane machinations of higher class society, the rigorous attempts to uphold tradition and the consequences of trying to challenge it as the main love story is played out. Sumptuous, acute and scathing in equal measure, The Age of Innocence is a welcome departure for Scorsese that emphasises his versatility.

In 1870’s New York, Newland Archer is a respected lawyer.He is engaged to May Welland, the seemingly naive and innocent daughter of a prominent family. The marriage is socially acceptable as it joins two of the most prominent families in New York. Although he obeys the many rules of this close society, Newland secretly resents the pressure and many social standards that have to be obeyed.As there engagement is announced, May’s cousin Countess Ellen Olenska arrives from Europe. She is unconventional and independent for a woman of her time, and the society immediately takes a dislike towards her. Her reputation isn’t helped when it is announced that she is planning to divorce her husband after an unhappy courtship. Although shunned by many, Newland becomes enchanted by her as she lives by her own rules and doesn’t conform to the oppressive demands of society. The two eventually fall in love, but can this relationship last against the iron will of rules and regulations enforced upon them?

Firstly, the camerawork used in the film is absolutely marvellous in the way it shows the minute details of decor and finery, whilst emphasising the struggle to survive in a world of tradition. Costume design is stunning, really capturing the sumptuous and prosperous attitudes and styles of the 1870’s. The evocative screenplay delves deep into conflicted emotions and reflects on the state of affairs apparent. The use of Joanne Woodward as the narrator is a stroke of genius, her voice filled with reflection, humour and pathos as she tells the story of Newland and Ellen. The main reason for the movie’s success is the three central performances by Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder. As the confused and troubled Newland, Day-Lewis exudes a weariness and desire to escape from social standards and cantankerous rules imposed on him. Michelle Pfeiffer adds luminous poignancy as the scandalous Ellen, showing her unconventional behaviour as an act of defiance but subtly revealing the melancholy inflicted on her by her marriage. It is Ellen who drives the story along, awakening a hidden fire that burns within Newland, with the desire to escape and live free of controlling influences. Unlike many period romances that feature copious amounts of bodice-ripping, The Age of Innocence instead focuses on the passion between the two in an emotionally restrained and tender way. When Newland slowly removes Ellen’s glove and gently caresses her face, there is more passion in that moment than in any of the explicit bedroom antics of the usual period drama. Rounding out the excellent troika is Winona Ryder as Newland’s wife May Welland. At first glance she appears to be naive, clueless and unsuspecting, but as the story moves on and because of Ryder’s subtly expressive face, we begin to see a young woman who isn’t as lily-white and innocent as her outward exterior would have use believe. This in turn makes her an interesting character to observe as the film goes on.

The only gripe I can think of that may put off some audience members is the slow and reflective pace at which the film runs. But in actual fact, it is more effective as it satirically observes hypocrisy and the cloistered attempts to uphold tradition with a scathing eye. Whether viewing it as a scathing account of society or a romance doomed by conflicting attitudes, The Age of Innocence is excellent either way, filled with pathos, reflection and a unscrupulous melancholy that haunts the mind.

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35 thoughts on “The Age Of Innocence”

Vinnieh, it was a genuine rush to read this and I’m thrilled that you love The Age Of Innocence. It’s a treat for the senses, isn’t it? Especially the famous shot of Ellen Olenska (with all that glorious sunshine) which still haunts me to this day.
Newland and Ellen belong together. The fact they aren’t able to consummate their relationship is part of the beauty of the tragedy.
I love the ending where Newland doesn’t go upstairs. Scorsese was right: He just can’t. He prefers to be in love with a memory of Ellen rather than face the music of the present. And, after all those years living a conventional life, he is a different man confined to the passionless standards of society. Yes, he still loved Ellen, but he has moved on with his life and he didn’t want to turn back.
Unlike some people I happen to like the “what if…?” scenario.
The Age of Innocence relies on that in a haunting, beautiful, tragic, heartbreaking way.

Nice review mate. Can’t say I’m a huge fan of this one to be honest. I’m not the biggest fan of period dramas though to be honest, but I thought Winona Ryder was pretty terrible. Not one of Scorsese’s best for me.

I know everyone loves Scorsese for his testosterone-overkill-mafia films, but I find the cinematography in this one so beautiful and lovely, it’s my favorite Scorsese film. Glad to see you reviewed it!

This is probably my favorite Scorsese film. It is such a beautiful film. I loved the language of the camera–how it played an active role in the film. The hands in the carriage, the boat on the water, at the ball in the beginning. The book by Edith Wharton, is a luxurious read, and Scorsese illustrates Wharton’s imagination perfectly. The colors, the richness, and all my favorite actors, too.

You said it Pete. A visual marvel that conjures up the spirit of the time, while allowing the script to take aim at the mores enforced on those in it. Martin Scorsese shone with his directing prowess here.

Thanks for the review. As a single man, I really don’t like to watch romance films. But I am glad I watched this because I liked it. The biggest reason for this was of course the cast. You just can’t get enough of Daniel Day-Lewis. I also liked the small role of Robert Sean Leonard. The film was also really beautiful, in many different ways.


#' Subset of character trajectories data set
#'
#' Subset: only 5 examples of each considered character. See details.
#'
#' @name uciCT
#' @aliases ucict CharTraj CharTrajLabels CharTrajMV
#'
#' @format
#'
#' Lists with 100 elements. Each element is a time series. Labels included as factor vector.
#'
#' @details
#'
#' Quoting the source:
#'
#' "Multiple, labelled samples of pen tip trajectories recorded whilst writing individual
#' characters. All samples are from the same writer, for the purposes of primitive extraction. Only
#' characters with a single pen-down segment were considered."
#'
#' The subset included in `CharTraj` has only 5 examples of the X velocity for each character. A
#' vector with labels is also loaded in `CharTrajLabels`.
#'
#' The subset included in `CharTrajMV` has 5 examples too, but includes tip force as well as X and Y
#' velocity. Each element of the list is a multivariate series with 3 variables.
#'
#' Please note that even though both `CharTraj` and `CharTrajMV` have the same series names, the
#' actual series in each subset are **not** the same, i.e., `CharTraj$A.V1` is not in
#' `CharTrajMV$A.V1`.
#'
#' @source \url{https://archive.ics.uci.edu/ml/datasets/Character+Trajectories}
#'
NULL

#' Results of timing experiments
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#' This is the list with data frames containing the results of the timing experiments vignette
#' included with \pkg{dtwclust}. See `browseVignettes("dtwclust")`.
#'
#' @name dtwclustTimings
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#' @format
#'
#' The results are organized into different data frames and saved in one list with nested lists.
#' For more details, refer to the included vignette or the scripts available at
#' \url{https://github.com/asardaes/dtwclust/tree/master/timing-experiments}.
#'
#' @source Refer to the timing experiments vignette.
#'
NULL


VRBO is part of the HomeAway family, the world leader in vacation rentals with over 1 million listings. We offer the largest selection of properties for any travel occasion and every budget. We’re committed to helping families and friends find a perfect vacation rental to create unforgettable travel experiences together.

Overview

Details

Property

condo

Sleeps

4

Bedrooms

1

Bathrooms

1

Minimum Stay

7 nights

Description

Indian Shores Condo Rental Photos and Description

Condo, 1 Bedroom + Convertible bed(s), 1 Bath, (Sleeps 2-4)

Welcome to our home away from home. You have found paradise! You will love sitting on our private patio, under our tropical 'Tiki Umbrella', enjoying your morning coffee or having a relaxing evening out under the stars. Our large one bedroom unit has a lovely sun room that offers a comfortable futon, for extra sleeping. We offer an updated kitchen with beautiful granite counter tops, furnished with everything you'll need for a great holiday. There is also private access to a wonderful white sandy beach, just a few steps away. Our pool is said to be the nicest in the area, with many lounge chairs overlooking the beautiful inter coastal waterway. There is also a fishing pier with with boat slips available for rent. Multiple laundry locations and gas bar-b-ques are available throughout the grounds. You'll find that this unit is in a prime location. Enjoy casual or fine dining restaurants, lots of great shopping or just 'chill out and soak up the sun!' Busch Gardens, the Florida Aquarium and the Lowrey Park Zoo are all located in Tampa, appx. 30 minutes away.

So take a deep breath, exhale .... RELAX and ENJOY!!!

Keywords: large pool, fishing pier, laundry on site,private patio,on intercoastal,beach access across the street,close to restaurants,quiet area,shopping close by,great price

Reviews

4.8/5 -

(4 traveler reviews)

Great first condo experience

This condo made our one-week vacation such a memorable one. My wife and I have a 3 year old and found the condo spacious and well stocked for our needs. The condo is a short walk from the beach and is on the quiet area of the Barefoot Beach Resort property. It is beautifully decorated and well maintained. We enjoyed the bed in the master bedroom and the pull-out sofa bed was comfortable for our son. Wifi and cable channels were good. I would have liked a bigger TV in the master bedroom but it's not that important to us, compared to the beach and pool. The beach chairs and umbrella were really great and saved us from buying/bringing our own. The beach is great! Fine sand and clean water. We also spent a lot of time at the pool, which was well maintained even though it was busy. Wendy was super helpful and really treated us as her guests. I would highly recommend staying at this condo! Thank you, Wendy!!

Everything was there!

We rented the condo for a month in Dec 13/Jan 14. Upon arrival, we found a very clean, well appointed space and lacked for nothing during our visit. The kitchen was well stocked, and we really enjoyed the full bookshelves, too! Gail, the rental agent, and Wendy, the owner, were both very helpful and made us feel very comfortable and welcomed. The description was exactly correct.

The 1-BR unit is small - I'm not sure I'd want to spend a month there with more than 2 people present, but for shorter trips the attached sunroom has a futon that could serve as an extra bedroom, especially since they have placed a curtain between that space and the living room that could make it into a more private area if needed. We really enjoyed the adjoining patio (weather permitting), and the tiki umbrella added to the ambiance. Parking is right in front of the unit, so very convenient, and the beach is just across the street. It wasn't very crowded even on the nice days at this time of year. Every shopping need is available just across the causeway, and there are tons of local restaurants and shops nearby to keep you busy. Our favorite was Salt Rock Grill which is just on the other side of the patio wall, so an easy walk. After all of that good food, we probably should have taken more advantage of the 2 nice bikes available with the unit but even with the great bike lanes in Indian Shores, we were hesitant to ride without helmets which we did not bring along.

We had stayed at Barefoot Beach in the past for shorter trips and like the quiet, cleanliness and the facilities. Having grills and laundry facilities very handy is great, and the pool area is well kept. We told friends about the complex, and they arrived the day after we left, and the loved it too!

Beautiful little condo in a great beach location

Barefoot Beach is a perfect location. Walk across to the beach or sit on the dock in the complex. The condo itself is clean and bright and well maintained. Gail the manager was awesome! She really went out of her way to make my stay great. The new table and chairs with umbrella on the patio was much appreciated. Everything you needed in the condo, bikes, beach chairs, beach towels! Would probably stay in this unit again. Only minor downfall is the patio looks onto the neighboring restaurant and people going in and out can see you but we still enjoyed having the outdoor personal space.

Submitted: Sep 7, 2013

Stayed: Aug 2013

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: The ground floor, walk out patio is skirted across the back with a six foot privacy fence. There are also beautiful shrubs and vines growing on the fence for added privacy. This area is a beautiful addition to this unit.

Love Barefoot Beach Resort!

We stayed a full week here and loved it. The beach access is just across the street and the bay is on the backside. If you are looking for a place to stay that's away from the hustle and bustle of Clearwater or St. Pete but close enough to reach in a short drive then this is it. This is our second stay at Barefoot and we plan to return again! The condo was well cleaned with fresh linens and also had a few supplies for the beach. There is a futon in the sun room that was accommodating for my son and nephew (13 year olds). Three bicycles were also available for our use which my boyfriend loved for his morning ride up and down Gulf Blvd. Gail, the property manager was very friendly to speak with on the phone when my boyfriend had a question. She offered to help us with any questions or info we needed during our stay. Also, very prompt at returning our deposit once we were home, I had a check within 4-5 days of being home. Thanks Gail!! Thanks for the great stay in a comfortable, relaxing condo we called home for a week! We will be back!!

Submitted: Aug 30, 2013

Stayed: Jul 2013

Source: VRBO, from HomeAway

Owner's Response: So happy you enjoyed your stay, and that you were able to have your boat steps away, at one of the available boat slips.

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United States vs Germany

by Ryan Kramer

Match Facts

Time: Thursday June 26nd @ 9:00 AM Pacific

Location: Arena Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil

Weather: 81° F with rain

Radio: ESPN Radio

TV: ESPN/Univision

Spread: United States +.5(+125)/ Germany -.5(-150)

MoneyLine: +700/-150/+200

Total: 2.5

Storyline

Jurgen Klinsmann vs Germany is as far as you need to look for a story line in this one. Klinsmann was a player who was loved by the Germans and hated by everyone else. He was greatness embodied as he lead West Germany to a World Cup title. Now Klinsmann is a coach, a coach who left the homeland to coach the United States of America. He now leads a new look “David” in his American side that sports 5 German/American nationals against the “Goliath” machine that is the Germans. Germany sports the #2 FIFA world ranking, the United states weren’t suppose to get out of the group. Now all Klinsmann’s side needs is a win or draw to advance.

As an aside I really don’t know how the Germans will feel about their beloved sports icon coaching another team. On one hand I compared it to Don Mattingly, he was going to manage the Yankees, it made sense he was the golden child on bad teams. Ask any Yankee fan who grew up in the 80s/90s and they will most likely say he is their favorite player. Yet when he got passed over by the Yankees and went on to manage the Dodgers I found myself routing for him to succeed.

Not certain this is a fair comparison I moved on to the theoretical world and figured it all out. This is Charles Barkley coaching any other countries basketball team, this is a man who the American people love because of his candidness as a person and attitude as a player. This is a guy that was not well liked by the rest of the world. This is a underrated national treasure. Just ask yourself, How would you feel if Charles Barkley coached against the United States? My answer is similar to my reaction to the Suarez biting incident, “Its just wrong.”

Matchup

The United States will once again employ a 4-2-3-1 with defense and counter attacking on the mind. Unlike most of the “experts” predicted before the Portugal match the Americans looked explosive at times and even dominated possession for much of the match. The concerns against Germany lie in the back four’s ability to hold off the very impressive German attack. Now the question becomes can the United States side unlock the defense of the Germans and when the Americans counter attack can they recover in time to have defensive shape for the German attack.

The Germans will be sporting a very similar shape to Portugal’s 4-3-3. They have a front 3 who aren’t very defensive minded but they free flowing and can create confusion for the defense, especially a defense the embraces zone concepts. Their midfielders and defense-men aren’t the fastest guys on the pitch and can be beaten with speed. Do the Americans have that speed? Well its been the quick hitting counter that has produced many of their chances so I would say so.

Prediction

Perhaps I’m cynical but I wouldn’t be surprised to see German side lay back a bit more than usual knowing that they are in regardless. The coupled with the fact that I believe the United States will see this as a much bigger game than the Germans. #ShockTheWorld continues as the Americans score a late goal off a set piece to win the Group.

Bonus Fact: The Germans call their national team Die Mannschaft which translates to The Team

Stars and Stripes 1 – The Team 0

Ryan Kramer is a writer and co-host for the Sports Gambling Podcast.

Follow the show on twitter @GamblingPodcast.


Bаthѕ are one of the mоѕt celebrated wауѕ tо hеlр сlеаnѕе dеliсаtе skin, ѕооthе eczema flаrе uрѕ, dеерlу hуdrаtе thе skin оrgаn, аnd soothe itching. But whilе a gооd ѕоаk саn bе a real life ѕаvеr, it can аlѕо mаkе things worse.

Mаnу раrеntѕ whо trу bаthѕ аѕ a treatment for есzеmа find that their child’s ѕkin асtuаllу becomes mоrе irritated, sensitive, and аggrаvаtеd just аftеr the ѕоаk – ѕо whаt’ѕ gоing wrоng?

Thе аnѕwеr соuld bе ѕоmеthing аѕ simple аѕ wаtеr temperature! Thе right tеmреrаturе саn allow water tо penetrate dеерlу intо thе skin fоr ѕооthing аnd hеаling, whilе the wrong temperature can actually cause intеnѕе dehydration оf thе ѕkin and even inflаmmаtiоn.

Tоdау we’re gоing tо lооk аt whiсh temperature iѕ bеѕt and hоw to make it a ѕtrеѕѕ-frее experience for you and your сhild.

1. Cold Water Bath (limiting blood flow)

Cоld wаtеr bath is bеliеvеd tо bе muсh bеttеr for you within minutеѕ after аn intеnѕе workout session. Sоmе реорlе еvеn gо fоr thе extreme and dо iсе wаtеr baths after their wоrkоut. This does hаvе a few known benefits ѕuсh аѕ repairing ѕwоllеn аnd inflаmеd muѕсlеѕ fibеrѕ аnd numbing of раin rесерtоrѕ. A hеаvу exercise rоutinе ѕtrеѕѕеѕ your muѕсlеѕ аnd соnnесtivе tiѕѕuе whiсh causes micro tеаrѕ and inflammation dеер within.

Cold water can help with rеduсing inflammation, аlѕо reducing thе ѕоrеnеѕѕ, toxins, and ѕtrеѕѕ. Onе nееdѕ to bе саrеful аbоut a fеw thingѕ when going fоr a соld wаtеr bаth аѕ it makes thе tiѕѕuеѕ gо ѕtiff. It’s vеrу easy to injurе tissue оnсе it iѕ соld, ѕо movement nееdѕ tо bе vеrу саrеful and limitеd аnd slow. Thе bеѕt timе to gо for a cold wаtеr bаth iѕ right after the intense wоrkоut session, when thе bоdу hаѕ сооlеd оff аnd is rеаdу tо be repaired.


On March 24, 2020, Judge P. Kevin Castel of the Southern District of New York issued a potentially groundbreaking decision in the matter of Securities and Exchange Commission v. Telegram Group Inc. et al.1In his decision, Judge Castel tackled an issue that lies at the forefront of the cryptocurrency regulatory space: when are digital assets subject to the securities laws and SEC regulation? In granting its motion for a preliminary injunction, Judge Castel found that the SEC had shown a substantial likelihood of success in proving that Telegram Group Inc. and TON Issuer Inc. (collectively, “Telegram” or the “Company”) had engaged in an unregistered offering of securities—in violation of the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”)—by selling “Grams,” a digital token, to certain sophisticated investors.2 The Court’s decision may have a substantial effect on the token industry and the SEC’s enforcement efforts in this space—should the decision be upheld on appeal—because of the Court’s focus on “economic reality” in piercing through contractual representations and warranties in deciding whether a token sale should be regulated under the securities laws.

Factual Background

Telegram is a private company primarily known for its product “Messenger,” an encrypted messaging application with over 300 million users that has gained popularity within the cryptocurrency community. In January 2018, the Company began raising funds to finance its operations and the development of its own blockchain, the “Telegram Open Network” or “TON Blockchain.”3 The TON Blockchain is intended to be a proprietary blockchain across which users will be able to trade and exchange Grams, the Company’s native digital token.4

What is a blockchain? It is a distributed ledger that tracks the current and historical state of accounts, transactions and/or events occurring on a network of computers, and is maintained by multiple parties, often referred to as validators and miners—who validate transactions occurring among users on the network. Transactions are grouped together over some time interval and posted to the ledger in “blocks,” and each block is cryptographically linked to the previous block, creating an unbroken chain of valid transactions.5

In 2018, the Company sold interests in Grams to 175 entities and sophisticated, high-net-worth individuals (the “Initial Purchasers”) in exchange for dollars or euros (the “Purchase Agreements”). The Purchase Agreements enabled the Initial Purchasers to receive an allotment of Grams upon the launch of the TON Blockchain.6 Through its offering, the Company raised approximately $1.7 billion and sold 2.9 billion Grams to investors around the globe.7 Under the Purchase Agreements, delivery of Grams (and the launch of the TON Blockchain) was supposed to occur no later than October 31, 2019.

According to court filings, the parties were in consultation over the Gram launch throughout 2019—with the Company producing documents and information during that period—but on October 11, 2019, the SEC filed an action, moved for a preliminary injunction, and obtained a temporary restraining order.8 After the SEC commenced litigation, the Company delayed the expected launch date of the TON Blockchain to April 30, 2020. On January 15, 2020, the parties filed dueling motions for summary judgment, with both sides filing opposition and reply briefs in late January.9 On February 19, 2020, the parties appeared for oral argument on the motions for summary judgment and a preliminary injunction.

The Parties’ Positions

The fundamental legal question before the Court was whether the sale of an investment contract—the Purchase Agreements—and subsequent delivery of Grams was an exempt, unregistered offering under the securities laws. Pursuant to the Supreme Court’s test in S.E.C. v. W.J. Howey Co., a transaction is an investment contract or security if it involves “a contract, transaction or scheme” whereby someone (1) “invests his money,” (2) “in a common enterprise,” and (3) “is led to expect profits” (4) “solely from the efforts of the promoter or a third party.”10

The SEC argued that the Purchase Agreements, and subsequent delivery of Grams, were a single transaction and securities offering under the Securities Act. In making this argument, and in arguing that Grams are a security, the SEC contended that the Howey test must be applied to Grams as of the time the Company entered into the Purchase Agreements with the Initial Purchasers.11 The SEC also contended that the Initial Purchasers were “underwriters,” as defined under Section 2(a)(11) of the Securities Act, because they purchased the Grams from the Company “with a view to . . . the distribution of any security.”12 If the SEC was correct, the Company could not assert that its sale of Grams under the Purchase Agreement was exempt, pursuant to Regulation D, from registration under Section 5 of the Securities Act.13 To support its “underwriter” argument, the SEC explained that the Company structured its agreements to incentivize the Initial Purchasers to sell their Grams quickly—for example, by providing “steep discounts” to early investors.14

In walking through Howey, the SEC argued that Grams purchasers reasonably expected profits that would be derived from the Company’s entrepreneurial efforts.15 According to the SEC, the Company told investors that the Company’s future sales of Grams would increase in price as Grams in circulation increased, and further told investors that it would develop products that would increase Grams’ demand and value.16 On this basis, the SEC argued that even if the Court were to consider the Howey analysis to apply only as of the time of the TON Blockchain’s launch, the economic realities at play would still render Grams securities because the tokens are vehicles for profit.17 In sum, as the SEC puts it, “Telegram sold Grams, and Initial Purchasers reasonably viewed and still view them, as the representation of Initial Purchasers’ investment in the project and which they hope to sell for profit based on Telegram’s past, ongoing, and future efforts.”18

Telegram has taken an alternative view of when Howey ought to be applied to its Grams offering, which is a critical point of disagreement between the parties. In arguing that a Howey analysis for the Grams ought to be conducted following the launch of the TON Blockchain, the Company asserts that the SEC has conflated two distinct questions: (1) whether the Purchase Agreements at issue were an offering of securities; and (2) whether the underlying Grams were securities when delivered to the Initial Purchasers.19 The Company admits the first phase—the private sale agreements with the Initial Purchasers—was an offering of securities, though one that is exempt from registration requirements pursuant to Rule 506(c) of Regulation D.20 An issuer is exempt from registering an offer or sale of securities to accredited investors under Rule 506(c) so long as the issuer takes reasonable care, as defined by Rule 502(d), to ensure that the purchasers are not statutory underwriters.21

The second phase—the delivery of Grams at the launch of TON Blockchain—does not, in the Company’s view, constitute a securities offering. Rather, at that juncture, Grams are a currency or a commodity, like gold or silver, subject to market forces and the anti-fraud and anti-manipulation protections of the Commodity Exchange Act.22 The Company argued that during this second phase there would be no investment in a “common enterprise” as required under Howey. According to the Company, it made clear to purchasers that Grams do not confer “any equity or other ownership interest in Telegram, any rights to dividends or other distribution rights from Telegram, or any governance rights in Telegram.”23

Further, the Company reasoned that Grams fail under Howey because Grams were designed and promoted for consumptive use—not profit—as underscored in the marketing of Grams and disclaimers to investors.24 While a Gram (much like a baseball ticket) may be purchased with an intent to profit, the Company has said that realization of profit is (1) not what Grams are intended for and (2) not tied to a promise or ongoing effort made by the issuer.25 Once the TON Blockchain is launched, the Company has represented “the resulting Grams will not carry with them any concurrent or ongoing promises by Telegram to build or develop anything further, and certainly not any promises to perform ongoing essential services.”26 Instead, any improvements or alterations made to TON Blockchain after its launch would be squarely in the hands of the decentralized community of Gram users.27

Additionally, the Company contended that “because Howey is a transaction-specific inquiry, even if Grams could be deemed securities at the time of the Private Placement, there simply will not (and can never) be any ‘public distribution’ of a security if Grams are no longer securities at the time of the launch (i.e., the earliest time Grams could possibly be distributed to the public).”28 The Company also noted that the regulatory framework in the cryptocurrency space is unsettled, and that SEC Commissioner Hester Pierce recently stated: “I am concerned about how the SEC has regulated [the digital asset] space, because I believe our lack of a workable regulatory framework has hindered innovation and growth . . . [and] offer[s] no clear path for a functioning token network to emerge.”29

Prior to issuing his decision, Judge Castel invited the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission to weigh in. In a February 18, 2020 letter, the CFTC made clear that it defines digital currencies as commodities.30 But it went on to say that “commodities” and “securities” are not necessarily mutually exclusive. In other words, a digital asset that is deemed a commodity may also be a security if the asset is a “security” within the meaning of the Securities Act.31 The CFTC concluded its letter by writing that it “express[es] no view” on whether the Securities Act applies to Gram tokens.32

The Court’s March 24 Decision

In a lengthy decision, Judge Castel granted the SEC’s motion for a preliminary injunction. While Judge Castel did not decide the parties’ respective summary judgment motions, he essentially ruled on the issues at play in those motions. Notably, in his decision, Judge Castel emphasized the need to look to the “economic realities” of the transactions, agreeing with the SEC that the Purchase Agreements and the future delivery and resale of Grams should be viewed in their entirety for purposes of the Howey analysis.

In finding that the series of transactions between the Company and the Initial Purchasers constitutes a security under Howey, Judge Castel methodically walked through each prong of the test. First, he noted that there was no dispute amongst the parties about the fact that an investment of money had occurred.33 Judge Castel next moved to the second prong of Howey, opining that investments in Grams constituted investments in a “common enterprise” because both horizontal and vertical commonality were present. Horizontal commonality, “which is established when investors’ assets are pooled and the fortunes of each investor is tied to the fortunes of other investors as well as to the success of the overall enterprise,”34 was present in Judge Castel’s view because the Company pooled money from the Initial Purchasers to develop the TON Blockchain and maintain/expand Messenger, and thus “[t]he ability of each Initial Purchaser to profit was entirely dependent on the successful launch of the TON Blockchain.”35 In Judge Castel’s view, in the event of the TON Blockchain’s failure prior to launch, all Initial Purchasers would be equally harmed insofar as each would lose their opportunity to profit.36 As a result, Judge Castel noted that “the SEC has made the required showing of horizontal commonality because the record demonstrates that there was a pooling of assets and that the fortunes of investors were tied to the success of the enterprise as well as to the fortunes of other investors both before and after launch.”37 The Court noted that even absent horizontal commonality, strict vertical commonality (which requires that “the fortunes of the investors need be linked only to the efforts of the promoter”)38 had been demonstrated for a substantially similar reason; namely, that investor profits hinged directly on the Company’s ability to develop the TON Blockchain and the Company’s own fortunes were similarly dependent on its successful launch.39

With regard to Howey’s “expectation of profit” prong, Judge Castel wrote that “Telegram’s offering materials targeted buyers who possessed investment intent.”40 Judge Castel found that “the SEC had shown a substantial likelihood of success in proving that the Initial Purchasers purchased Grams in the 2018 Sales with an expectation of profit in the resale of those Grams to the public via the TON Blockchain.”41 Consequently, according to the Court, “a reasonable investor, situated in the position of the Initial Purchasers, would have purchased Grams with investment intent.”42 Of significance, the Court disregarded the Initial Purchasers’ explicit warranties that they were “purchasing the Tokens for [their] own account and not with a view towards, or for resale in connection with, the sale or distribution.”43 Judge Castel found that “[t]he representation and warranty that the Initial Purchasers purchased without a view towards resale rings hollow in the face of the economic realities” of the transaction.44

Similarly, in evaluating Howey’s “entrepreneurial efforts of another” prong, Judge Castel discounted written disclaimers of the Company’s post-launch involvement with the TON Blockchain.45 Specifically, and despite the Company’s disclaimers to the contrary, the Court found “an implicit [] intention on the part of Telegram to remain committed to the success of the TON Blockchain post-launch.”46 Judge Castel emphasized his belief that in order to realize a return on investment, the Initial Purchasers were reliant on “Telegram’s efforts to develop, launch, and provide ongoing support for the TON Blockchain and Grams.”47 As Judge Castel stated, “Telegram’s offering achieved its success because of its stated intention to integrate the TON Blockchain with Messenger in order to encourage the widespread use of Grams.”48

In addition to finding that the Company’s offering was of a security, Judge Castel agreed with the SEC that the token sale—and whether an exemption was appropriate—must be evaluated at the time of agreement and not at the time the Grams were delivered. Judge Castel found that the SEC had “shown a substantial likelihood of success in proving that Telegram sold Grams to the Initial Purchasers with the purpose and intent that those Grams then be distributed by the Initial Purchasers into a secondary public market.”49 In Judge Castel’s view, the purpose of the Company’s coin offering was for the Initial Purchasers to resell Grams on the open market. Because Judge Castel found that Grams were securities, the “economic reality” of the transaction meant that the Initial Purchasers were “statutory underwriters”—who would be effecting a public distribution—and thus, no exemption was available under Regulation D.50 On this point, Judge Castel emphasized the SEC’s argument regarding the Company’s discounts: “Telegram entered into agreements and understandings with the Initial Purchasers who provided upfront capital in exchange for the future delivery of a discounted asset, Grams, which, upon receipt. . . would be resold in a public market with the expectation that the Initial Purchasers would earn a profit.”51 Again, in looking at the “economic reality” of the offering, Judge Castel discounted the warranty by the Initial Purchasers that they were “purchasing the Tokens for [their] own account and not with a view towards, or for resale in connection with, the sale or distribution thereof.”52 Accordingly, Judge Castel held that: “Examining the totality of the evidence and considering the economic realities, the Court finds that the SEC has shown a substantial likelihood of success in proving that the 2018 Sales were part of a larger scheme, manifested by Telegram’s actions, conduct, statements, and understandings, to offer Grams to the Initial Purchasers with the intent and purpose that these Grams be distributed in a secondary public market, which is the offering of securities under Howey.”53

Following Judge Castel’s ruling, the Company filed an interlocutory appeal to the Second Circuit.54 On March 27, 2020, the Company filed an emergency motion for an expedited appeal in light of the TON Blockchain’s upcoming April 30, 2020 launch date—the SEC has opposed the motion—and immediately submitted its substantive appellate brief challenging Judge Castel’s decision, along with supporting briefs from amici curiae.55 The Company also submitted letters to the Court on March 27 and March 31, 2020, seeking clarification—and requesting a finding—that the preliminary injunction does not apply to the delivery of Grams to foreign investors outside the U.S. The SEC opposed the Company’s request, contending that the Company’s application is a motion for reconsideration that should be rejected and that the injunction applies to the delivery of Grams to “any person or entity” wherever located.56On April 1, 2020, Judge Castel issued an order denying the Company’s application, emphasizing that the “security” at issue was comprised of the “Purchase Agreements and the accompanying understandings and undertakings” by the Company, including, in the Court’s view, the Initial Purchasers’ intention to “distribute Grams into a secondary public market.”57 Further, Judge Castel found, inter alia, that the “intended resale of Grams” would “likely [] involve U.S. purchasers,” “any restriction as to whom a foreign Initial Purchaser could resell Grams would be of doubtful real-world enforceability,” and the Company’s arguments were untimely.58

Implications

The Court’s preliminary injunction ruling is a significant development in an area of securities enforcement that is largely unsettled. Indeed, Judge Castel’s decision to pierce through to the “economic realities”—notwithstanding the warranties and/or representations in the Purchase Agreements—in assessing whether the tokens are securities under Howey and sold without a registration exemption, could have wide-ranging implications even beyond the digital token space. Further, the Company’s appeal could prompt the Second Circuit to be the first appellate court to address the application of registration provisions to digital tokens. Clearly, Judge Castel’s decision—should it be upheld on appeal—and the SEC’s intensifying enforcement efforts in the cryptocurrency space, could have a significant impact on the ability of companies to create, promote, and support digital assets in a flexible manner. Accordingly, industry participants should take note of this litigation, the Court’s holistic view of the Gram token offering, and the case’s ultimate outcome on appeal.

24For example, the Company has pointed to a public notice it published on January 6, 2020, which stated, inter alia, that Gram purchasers “should NOT expect any profits based on your purchase or holding of Grams, and Telegram makes no promises that you will make any profits. Grams are intended to act as a medium of exchange between users in the TON ecosystem. Grams are NOT investment products and there should be NO expectation of future profit or gain from the purchase, sale or holding of Grams.” Id. at 20.

25The Company noted, for example, that the Initial Purchasers expressly represented that they were “purchasing the Tokens for [their] own account and not with a view towards, or for resale in connection with, the sale or distribution.” P.I. Decision at 42.

45In a January 6, 2020 public notice, the Company wrote: “Telegram and its affiliates have not made any promises or commitments to develop any applications or features for the TON Blockchain or otherwise contribute in any way to the TON Blockchain platform after it launches.” Telegram MSJ at 20.


                          State of New York
                   Supreme Court, Appellate Division
                      Third Judicial Department
Decided and Entered: April 9, 2015                     103605
________________________________

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF
   NEW YORK,
                    Respondent,
      v                                     MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

CLINT R. PETERSON JR.,
                    Appellant.
________________________________

Calendar Date:   February 18, 2015

Before:   Peters, P.J., Lahtinen, Garry and Lynch, JJ.

                             __________

     Teresa C. Mulliken, Harpersfield, for appellant.

      Richard D. Northrup Jr., District Attorney, Delhi (John L.
Hubbard of counsel), for respondent.

                             __________

Peters, P.J.

      Appeal from a judgment of the County Court of Delaware
County (Becker, J.), rendered June 28, 2010, upon a verdict
convicting defendant of the crimes of promoting a sexual
performance by a child and possessing a sexual performance by a
child.

      Defendant, then 17 years old, electronically disseminated a
sexually explicit image depicting a prepubescent female child to
an undercover police officer posing as a 13-year-old girl. He
was thereafter charged with promoting a sexual performance by a
child and possessing a sexual performance by a child and,
following a jury trial, was convicted on both counts. County
Court declined to grant defendant youthful offender treatment and
sentenced him to concurrent terms of six months in jail and a 10-
                               -2-               103605

year term of probation.   Defendant appeals.

      Defendant's sole challenge on appeal concerns County
Court's denial of youthful offender status. It is settled that
"[t]he decision to grant or deny youthful offender status rests
within the sound exercise of the sentencing court's discretion
and, absent a clear abuse of that discretion, its decision will
not be disturbed" (People v McLucas, 58 AD3d 950, 951 [2009];
accord People v Brodhead, 106 AD3d 1337, 1337 [2013], lv denied
22 NY3d 1087 [2014]; see People v Daniels, 106 AD3d 1189, 1190
[2013], lv denied 21 NY3d 1014 [2013]). Factors to be considered
in determining whether to grant youthful offender status include
"the gravity of the crime and manner in which it was committed,
mitigating circumstances, defendant's prior criminal record,
prior acts of violence, recommendations in the presentence
reports, defendant's reputation, the level of cooperation with
authorities, defendant's attitude toward society and respect for
the law, and the prospects for rehabilitation and hope for a
future constructive life" (People v Cruickshank, 105 AD2d 325,
334 [1985], affd sub nom. People v Dawn Maria C., 67 NY2d 625
[1986]; accord People v Jeffrey VV., 88 AD3d 1159, 1159 [2011];
People v Ferguson, 285 AD2d 901, 901 [2001], lv denied 96 NY2d
939 [2001]).

      In making its determination, County Court took into
consideration several favorable factors, such as defendant's age
at the time of the offense, lack of criminal history, excellent
reputation in the community, humanitarian efforts and cooperation
with police following his arrest by providing a written statement
in which he admitted to possessing and sending the sexually
explicit photograph that ultimately led to the charges against
him. However, County Court was justifiably concerned about not
only the nature of the crimes for which defendant was convicted –
the possession and dissemination of a sexually explicit image
involving a prepubescent child – but also the hundreds of
additional pornographic images of young girls that were
discovered upon a forensic analysis of defendant's computer
                              -3-                103605

following his arrest.1 The court appropriately observed that
defendant's possession of the sexually explicit image that formed
the basis of his convictions was not an isolated incident borne
out of "curiosity," and both the preplea and presentencing report
concluded that defendant was being dishonest about the ages of
the children in the photographs that he was viewing and whether
he had saved any of the images that he had received.

      In addition, County Court relied upon the negative
recommendation of the Probation Department as set forth in the
presentence report, which noted defendant's lack of remorse and
failure to accept responsibility for his actions. Also
supportive of the court's denial of youthful offender treatment
is defendant's failure to obtain a court-ordered mental health
evaluation on the basis that, among other claimed reasons, he
"[did] not believe that he need[ed] treatment." While defendant
strongly argues that his conduct should be viewed merely as
youthful "sexting" rather than criminal conduct, he does not
challenge any of the aforementioned factors or dispute the fact
that he engaged in conduct that constituted the crimes for which
he was convicted. Under the circumstances presented here, we
find no abuse of County Court's discretion in refusing defendant
youthful offender status, nor do we discern any reason to grant
youthful offender treatment in the interest of justice (see
People v Fernandez, 106 AD3d 1281, 1286 [2013]; People v Clark,
84 AD3d 1647, 1647-1648 [2011]; People v Terpening, 79 AD3d 1367,
1368 [2010], lv denied 16 NY3d 837 [2011]; People v Driggs, 24
AD3d 888, 889 [2005]; compare People v Jeffrey VV., 88 AD3d at

    1
        Contrary to defendant's contention, County Court acted
well within its discretion in considering the forensic report for
sentencing purposes. The report, which was prepared by an
investigator who had completed hundreds of hours of training in
computer forensics and had conducted similar forensic analyses in
over 20 cases, was shown to be reliable and accurate and defense
counsel had the opportunity to review and respond to it (see
People v Hansen, 99 NY2d 339, 345 [2003]; People v Massmann, 13
AD3d 808, 809 [2004]; People v Mason, 299 AD2d 724, 726 [2002],
lv denied 100 NY2d 564 [2003]; People v Baker, 292 AD2d 644, 645
[2002], lv denied 98 NY2d 635 [2002]).
                             -4-                  103605

1159-1160).

     Lahtinen, Garry and Lynch, JJ., concur.

     ORDERED that the judgment is affirmed.

                            ENTER:

                            Robert D. Mayberger
                            Clerk of the Court


Zoosadism

Zoosadism is pleasure derived from cruelty to animals. It is part of the Macdonald triad, a set of three behaviors that are considered a precursor to psychopathic behavior.

Research
Some studies have suggested that individuals who are cruel to animals are more likely to be violent to humans. According to The New York Times:

Helen Gavin wrote however in Criminological and Forensic Psychology (2013):

Alan R. Felthous reported in his paper "Aggression Against Cats, Dogs, and People" (1980):

This is a commonly reported finding, and for this reason, cruelty to animals is often considered a warning sign of potential violence towards humans.

Legal status
In the United States, since 2010, it has been a federal offense to create or distribute "obscene" depictions of "living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians ... subjected to serious bodily injury". This statute replaced an overly broad 1999 statute which was found unconstitutional in United States v. Stevens.

Criticism of alleged link to violence against humans
Critics of the concept of a propensity for cruelty to humans cite the fact that animals can be cruel to some animals yet caring to other animals, combined with Ivan Pavlov's studies using metronomes at different rates to test conditioned learning showing that humans can discriminate in fine ways that animals cannot, and conclude that there is no such general basis. The exact way these critics explain studies that seems to show links varies, but most of them state that psychiatric and criminological studies are subject to institutional bias and self-fulfilling prophecies. It is also pointed out that correlation does not prove causation.

On the other hand, Piers Beirne, a professor of criminology at the University of Southern Maine, has criticized existing studies for ignoring socially accepted practices of violence against animals, such as animal slaughter and vivisection, that might be linked to violence against humans.

See also
 Bloodsport
 Cruelty to animals

References

External links
 Four-legged Forensics: What Forensic Nurses Need to Know and Do About Animal Cruelty

Category:Abuse
Category:Animal welfare
Category:Cruelty to animals
Category:Paraphilias
Category:Zoophilia