Israeli Courage

What is it that allows so many Israelis to display courage and resilience in the face of tremendous challenge and difficulty?

"Welcome Brave Tourists: Special Discount For You," the signs in Ben Yehudah beseech passersby. Written in a homemade scrawl, signs similar to this are posted in many of the windows of Jerusalem's souvenir, silver, Judaica and craft shops.

Yet who are the truly brave ones? While Israelis have been experiencing overwhelming stress in their daily lives due to the current conflict, they collectively remain strong and resourceful. What is it that allows so many Israelis to display courage and resilience in the face of tremendous challenge and difficulty? What are the lessons that we in the Diaspora can learn from them in this post-9/11 era?

There are certain qualities that many Israelis share that I believe helps them cope with even the most traumatic of circumstances.

Israelis Live For The Present

Israelis do not spend great amounts of time ruminating over issues or events that have occurred years, months or even weeks ago. Israelis live each day anew, understanding in the face of overwhelming daily challenges that each day is a blessing and life must be lived one day at a time.

Israelis Anticipate Challenges as a Normal Course of Events

Israelis do not expect a smooth ride in life. They won their independence and right to exist against great odds, and over the years have never had an extended period of relaxation and complacency where they did not have to be concerned about fighting anew for their survival.

The Talmud states that the Almighty gave the people of Israel three precious gifts, but none were given without suffering. They are Torah, the Land of Israel and the World to Come (Brachot 5). Anticipating challenges and sacrifice as a normal, expected occurrence toward achieving a desired outcome helps to alleviate frustration and successfully manage these challenges.

Israelis live the axiom, "No Pain, No Gain." What is meaningful in life is only achieved with great effort, and the results are valuable not in spite of the struggle but precisely because of it.

Israelis Are Genuine

Spend five minutes with an Israeli cabdriver, shopkeeper or yeshiva student, and you will probably know exactly what they are thinking. Israelis lack pretensions and will often readily share their opinions and feelings about current issues. They say what they mean and mean what they say. Israelis are not shy about expressing themselves and often do so with an honesty that is poignant, refreshing and adaptive.

Israelis Have A Cause

Most Israelis know what they are fighting for. For some it is a religious and spiritual understanding of the importance of the land of Israel to the very existence and soul of the Jewish people. For others it is a fierce determination to ensure that the Holocaust never be repeated by having a safe refuge for every Jew to call home.

Israeli soldiers have the lowest incidence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder compared to other nations' military officers. Many have attributed this to an unwritten rule among Israeli soldiers: staying in touch with and taking care of the families of their fallen comrades for life. Having this purpose to live for helps the surviving soldiers find meaning and cope with their traumatic experiences.

Israelis Have Hope For The Future

Despite the many challenges they are facing, most Israelis have maintained the ability to say "Yihiyeh Tov" -- It will be good.

Despair is a greater enemy to the Jewish people than any external force could ever be. It is important to remember that God Himself declared in an eternal message to the Jewish people, "There is hope for your future" Jeremiah 31:16. It is hope that keeps the Jewish people trusting in God, looking toward the future and believing in the promise of redemption and a better tomorrow.

May the optimism, perseverance and courage of the people of Israel be a model to all Jews in these troubling times and help us merit the redemption speedily in our days.

About the Author

Tzivia Reiter is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Director at OHEL Bais Ezra, where she has dedicated her career to helping individuals with disabilities and their families. Her many articles on topics impacting the Jewish community, including Shidduchim, Mental Health and Disabilities, have appeared in major Jewish publications. A working mother of a growing family, her efforts to find the elusive balance between family, work and community inspired her to write the ultimate guide for observant Jewish working mothers: "Briefcases and baby Bottles: The working mothers guide to nurturing a Jewish home. A life-long multi-generational resident of the Lower East Side of Manhattan, she recently moved to Passaic, NJ with her family.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 4

(4)
Anonymous,
November 15, 2012 4:34 PM

Another good point

The presence of people like Anonymous (1) and Anonymous (2)

(3)
Robin Starkman-Garbe,
December 27, 2002 12:00 AM

I am on my way........

It was only in the last few months that I even considered a vacation to Isreal! Now I am saving every penny to come. It is what I must do as a Jew to show my support to my homeland and to my people. It is right now that Isreal needs our support and money to help us in OUR LAND! See you soon, until then you are in my heart and mind everyday!

(2)
Anonymous,
December 26, 2002 12:00 AM

You have to live it to believe it!

Come here for a visit. Your experience will be 2nd to none. You have to live it to believe it.

(1)
Anonymous,
December 23, 2002 12:00 AM

Thank you for the compliment

I had no idea I was so brave!
Thank you for the compliment.
Life here in Israel is indeed very stressful and hectic.
Impossible bills to pay with a tiny salary.
Fear of losing my job each day.
My son is going in for an operation soon.
Threat of war.
Threat of water shortages.
Threat of terrorism.

My trick is to make a list of the good points in life.

1. I'm earning valuable experience at work.
2. Yeiye Tov.
3. The Health service, doctors and nurses here in Israel are simply fantastic. They are the best in the world.

4. Yeiye tov.

5. The Jewish/Torah education my kids are getting here in Israel is second to none. The dedication and love of the teachers is breath taking. The care that my children's teachers give leaves me with a lump in my throat sometimes.

6. We have here in Israel the world's first country wide multi level missile defense system.

7. You walk the streets of Israel and see tzadikim. People that care. People that run to do mitzvot. I suppose that's why No.8 on my list is so important to remember.

8. Yeiye tov, Be'ezrat Hashem - It will all work out for the good, with Hashem's help.

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This year during Chanukah I will be on a wilderness survival trip, and it will be very difficult to properly celebrate the holiday. I certainty won't be able to bring along a Menorah.

So if I am going to celebrate only one day of Chanukah, which is the most significant?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

If a person can only celebrate one day of Chanukah, he should celebrate the first day.

This is similar to a case where a person is in prison, and the authorities agree to permit him to go to synagogue one day. The law is that he should go at the first opportunity, and not wait for a more important day like the High Holidays.

The reason is because one should not allow the opportunity of a mitzvah to pass. Moreover, it is quite conceivable that circumstances will later change and allow for additional observance. Therefore, we do not let the first chance pass. (Sources: Code of Jewish Law OC 90, Mishnah Berurah 28.)

As an important aside, Chanukah candles must be lit in (or at the entrance to) a home rather than out of doors. Thus, you should not light in actual "wilderness," but only after you've pitched your tent for the night.

There may be another reason why the first night is the one to focus on. Chanukah is celebrated for eight days to commemorate the one-day supply of oil that miraculously burned for eight days. But if you think about it, since there was enough oil to burn naturally for one night, nothing miraculous happened on that first night! So why shouldn't Chanukah be just seven days?!

There are many wonderful answers given to this question, highlighting the special aspect of the first day. Here are a few:

1) True, the miracle of the oil did not begin until the second day, and lasted for only seven days. But the Sages designated the first day of Chanukah in commemoration of the miraculous military victory.

2) Having returned to the Temple and found it in shambles, the Jews had no logical reason to think they would find any pure oil. The fact that the Maccabees didn't give up hope, and then actually found any pure oil at all, is in itself a miracle.

3) The Sages chose Chanukah, a festival that revolves around oil's ability to burn, as the time to teach the fundamental truth that even so-called "natural" events take place only because God wants them to.

The Talmudic Sage Rabbi Chanina Ben Dosa expressed this truth in explaining a miracle that occurred in his own home. Once, his daughter realized that she had lit the Shabbos candles with vinegar instead of oil. Rabbi Chanina calmed her, saying, "Why are you concerned! The One Who commanded oil to burn, can also command vinegar to burn!" The Talmud goes on to say that those Shabbos lights burned bright for many hours (Taanit 25a).

To drive this truth home, the Sages decreed that Chanukah be observed for eight days: The last seven to commemorate the miracle of the Menorah, and the first to remind us that even the “normal” burning of oil is only in obedience to God's wish.

In closing, I'm not sure what's stopping you from celebrating more than one day? At a minimum, you can light one candle sometime during the evening, and that fulfills the mitzvah of Chanukah - no “official Menorah” necessary. With so much joy to be had, why limit yourself to one night only?!

In 165 BCE, the Maccabees defeated the Greek army and rededicated the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Finding only one jar of pure oil, they lit the Menorah, which miraculously burned for eight days. Also on this day -- 1,100 years earlier -- Moses and the Jewish people completed construction of the Tabernacle, the portable sanctuary that accompanied them during 40 years of wandering in the desert. The Tabernacle was not dedicated, however, for another three months; tradition says that the day of Kislev 25 was then "compensated" centuries later -- when the miracle of Chanukah occurred and the Temple was rededicated. Today, Jews around the world light a Chanukah menorah, to commemorate the miracle of the oil, and its message that continues to illuminate our lives today.

A person who utilizes suffering to arouse himself in spiritual matters will find consolation. He will recognize that even though the suffering was difficult for him, it nevertheless helped him for eternity.

When you see yourself growing spiritually through your suffering, you will even be able to feel joy because of that suffering.

They established these eight days of Chanukah to give thanks and praise to Your great Name(Siddur).

Jewish history is replete with miracles that transcend the miracle of the Menorah. Why is the latter so prominently celebrated while the others are relegated to relative obscurity?

Perhaps the reason is that most other miracles were Divinely initiated; i.e. God intervened to suspend the laws of nature in order to save His people from calamity.

The miracle of the Menorah was something different. Having defeated the Seleucid Greek invaders, the triumphant Jews entered the Sanctuary. There they found that they could light the Menorah for only one day, due to a lack of undefiled oil. Further, they had no chance of replenishing the supply for eight days. They did light the Menorah anyway, reasoning that it was best to do what was within their ability to do and to postpone worrying about the next day until such worry was appropriate. This decision elicited a Divine response and the Menorah stayed lit for that day and for seven more.

This miracle was thus initiated by the Jews themselves, and the incident was set down as a teaching for all future generations: concentrate your efforts on what you can do, and do it! Leave the rest to God.

While even our best and most sincere efforts do not necessarily bring about miracles, the teaching is nevertheless valid. Even the likelihood of failure in the future should not discourage us from any constructive action that we can take now.

Today I shall...

focus my attention on what it is that I can do now, and do it to the best of my ability.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...


Details

There's nothing like a fresh cup of joe. Take along the Snow Peak Coffee Drip and have one every morning of your backpacking trip.

Bring the Snow Peak Coffee Drip on your next backpacking trip and skip the cowboy coffee. This 4.0oz coffee drip lets you have a bona fide cup of coffee in the morning. Just open the Coffee Drip and place it on your mug. Add your filter, coffee, and boiling water and…whala!...delicious coffee. Snow Peak designed the Coffee Drip to fold into a small size so you can stick it in your pack easily.

Post a Comment

The best!

Familiarity: I've put it through the wringer

I use this for camping and work trips. I haven't had issues with filters ripping like other reviewers have. Then again, I'm usually using 20 grams of grounds, so I'm not over doing it. It folds down flat and packs into any bag. I've had it for four months and use it once a week.

Post a Comment

Amazing

Familiarity: I've used it several times

I'm a Chemex guy so obviously I'm a big coffee snob. It's a metal filter, but hey you're out there backpacking so what do you expect. Light, easy to use, and honestly made a pretty damn good cup of coffee. Like another reviewer said, I'll probably lose it before I break it.

Post a Comment

It Saved Me From Tigers

Familiarity: I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

I'm really glad stepped up from instant coffee, this thing makes great coffee. It adds some weight but its worth it. I saw the other reviews where people had filter blowouts, I went with hemp filters and haven't had any problems at all. It's very well built and I will probably lose it before I manage to break it. It probably won't save you from tigers, I lied about the tigers.

Post a Comment

Works for me

Familiarity: I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

While I can't speak to its performance outdoors, I did just try it in my kitchen and it worked just as well as my other drip coffee makers. Some have concerns about filter blow-outs, but I used a #4 Mr. Natural hemp filter and I didn't even have to fold it like the instructions suggest. It's better for the environment anyway to use a reusable filter. One concern I had out of the box was that the unit didn't "lock" in place. Apparently it is not supposed to and it doesn't really matter as stability was not an issue as I was pouring the water over the grounds. Seems like I have a winner for camp coffee!

Post a Comment

Must have creature comfort

Familiarity: I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

Worked like a charm! Didn't have any issues with this on trail. Folded up and takes up no space. Durable product as I was worried about possible bending with a full pack, but no issues. Used single filters with no problems. Very good product to keep us caffeinated for years to come

Post a Comment

I wanted to love it

So I got this a year ago and here are some of my thoughts. This dripper is compact and folds up easily to be taken anywhere. It takes up no space at all and is built incredibly well. The only problem I have with this dripper is I have had several instances to the filter blowing out at the bottom because there is too big of a gap. Most plastic dippers have a small drip hole at the bottom. This one has about an inch wide gap at the bottom. I have a quick fix for it, I usually use 2 filters, but that significantly decreases the rate of brewing. I could also consider the fact that I use recycled paper filters that are unbleached and that may have some cause and effect. The filters I buy might not be the best quality, however I have never had any other issues with them with other drippers. Alissa below brings up a good point, a reusable fabric would definitely eleviate this problem. Other than that, I use this guy on trips and at home for a quick one cup. I love the product and will use it to death.

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Nifty~!

Post a Comment

stands up to abuse, great coffee, use a fabric filter

Mine is nearly two years old. Still shiny and works perfectly- have thrown it in many a bag. I use a hemp coffee filter in mine. Same filter is also two years old. Just rinse it out and it dries. Because hemp actually swells and gets stronger when it's wet, you can use fairly fine ground coffee and I have never had sludge. Many places have fabric filters. (check your local food co-op) but I have never had a blow out problem and never needed a second filter even though I often use it at home. It folds flat so would be perfect for tiny kitchens as an everyday option too. With my fabric filter I can fit enough grounds in it to make about a liter to liter and a half of STRONG coffee. Just place it over a carafe instead of a mug.

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Almost perfect

I have owned many types of "outdoor" coffee makers, from the little espresso units to the lexan french presses. The Snow Peak drip is my favorite so far, but still not perfect. It is a little heavy, but it easily comes apart so it can be tucked away. Make sure you fold the filters like they show you on the package (I use #2s) or the filter bottom will break through. It easily fits on most mug sizes, including irregular ones like the old canteen cups. Very durable, and I have even started using it at home for quick one-cup "fixes". *Update* This has become my go-to coffee maker, I use it at home virtually every day and every time I go hiking. Sure, the Starbucks Via is lighter, but there is something to be said for the coffee making process. That being said, I would buy a titanium version in a second.

Post a Comment

Not quite the right solution for me

As I replied to one of the Questions, I was a bit disappointed in this product. I think the partition at the bottom of the drip filter is too wide/large so when the water was poured on top of the coffee grounds in the filter (I used a #4), it took the coffee right along with it, busting through the paper. I love the idea of it -- folding down into a flat piece and the fact that it is made from metal not plastic, but it just didn't do the trick for me.

Answer Evan K.'s Question

I got this and tried it at home first, using a #4 filter over a mug. It immediately poured right through the paper, bringing the coffee grounds with it. I was sad... really wanted this to be my camping-coffee solution!

Post a Comment

i've used this cone for years in the field. you have to use a #4 filter (smaller will blow out). you also have to be sure to fold the filter per instructions and also pour the boiling water slowly and evenly into the filter; too fast and you will blow it out. it is still much better than the plastic "oragami" filters from rei...

Post a Comment

The first time I used this, I just stuck the filter in and it did blow out as others have mentioned. I have probably used the filter around 75 time since then, and haven't had a blow out. The trick is to fold the filter as it shows on the packaging. If you do that, you can use the smaller #2 filters and it will work perfectly.


04 December 2011

Ontario's Lotto 649 lottery involves a draw of 7 different numbers between 1 and 49. Each ticket has 6 different numbers from the same range. Prizes are awarded for various coincidences. This is a good excuse to do some 'statistics by simulation.'

Here's the challenge: What's the probability that at least one number on a ticket will match one of the numbers drawn?


Where to stay for the 2016 Grand National meeting?

The Grand National is one of the true highlights on the UK sporting calendar and will attract plenty of media attention once again in 2016! Every year, tens of thousands of avid horse racing fans travel to Liverpool’s Aintree racecourse to check out the best horses in the business as they attempt to romp home for victory in one of the most testing races on the planet.

The 30-fence circuit spans over four miles and is the biggest test of a horse’s credentials. To win the National, the thoroughbred must be both a stayer and a good jumper. Plenty of punters will already be checking out odds for the big rice but racegoers must quickly turn their attention to accommodation and a place to stay. Hotels are limited in the surrounding area and it may be wise to stay outside of the area and use public transport on the day.

Warrington

If you’d prefer a quieter stay, you could stay in Warrington – which is about a 20 minute drive from Liverpool city centre. There are a number of Premier Inn/Travel Lodge-type hotels as well as local bed and breakfast houses. Trains to and from the Liverpool area are very regular and there are also plenty of shuttle buses from the train station to Aintree racecourse itself.

In Warrington, there are various options for food and drink. If you want a quiet, quick meal, there are a number of local takeaways and fast food establishments. By the same token, there are enough options if you want to go out – especially in and around the town centre. The Swan in Winwick is a lovely, quaint restaurant and with the Premier Inn attached next door and a 1-minute drive to the motorway, it’s brilliant for direct access to Aintree.

Liverpool City Centre

Liverpool city centre is arguably the best place for both atmosphere and entertainment. In the build-up to the event, you can head into one of the city’s many bookmakers and place a bet ahead of Grand National day. If you simply cannot wait, check out those those fixed odds now!

Many racegoers will decide their horses on the day, however, and may want to head into the city centre and scour the odds over breakfast. In Liverpool’s beautiful city, you can do just that. There are plenty of hotel chains, bed and breakfast establishments, restaurants and hostels – there’s something for everyone, especially in the run-up to Liverpool’s finest weekend of the year.

Chester

Or perhaps you are travelling from north Wales and want to stay on that side of Liverpool, well Chester is a great option. Once again, it’s on a direct train-line so there will be no need to change on your way to the racecourse and the local area is also very beautiful. If you have any spare time, feel free to check out Chester’s architecture and embrace the city’s rich history.

Chester truly is one of the prettiest cities in the north west of England and thousands of people travel to the city to attend its very own horse racing festival in the summer months. If you enjoy your stay for Aintree’s Grand National meeting, who knows – you may return for the next major meeting just a few months later!


Q:

Centering image on Nivo Slider using default theme?

To anyone who uses Nivo Slider, is there any straightforward way (or not) to center the image on the slider? I'm aware that Nivo Slider was designed to display images which perfectly "fit" the box (unlike the way I'm using it), but for technical reasons I'd rather try have the images centered instead of make all my images perfectly fit the Nivo box's width and height. Currently my Nivo slide looks like this:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12453703/nivo.png
Sorry I haven't provided any code examples of me trying this. My CSS knowledge isn't too great and most of my attempts at fixing the problem have either been looking at solutions on the web (and attempting to apply said solution), or trying out random one-lines in my stylesheet in an attempt to fix the problem.
If you'd like to know what CSS files I'm using, I'm using the default theme which can be downloaded here:
http://cloud.github.com/downloads/gilbitron/Nivo-Slider/nivo-slider2.7.1.zip
Thanks, I appreciate it.

A:

The position of image is loading in javascript file. Edit "jquery.nivo.slider.js" (Please make sure to use this file instead of "jquery.nivo.slider.pack.js" in the header.)
Goto line 85:
//Set first background
        slider.css('background','url("'+ vars.currentImage.attr('src') +'") no-repeat');

Find the above line. Change it to:
//Set first background
        slider.css('background','url("'+ vars.currentImage.attr('src') +'") no-repeat center');

Now you can see that your first image is in center. Just play around that file and you definitely make the whole images to center.
EDIT:
Find this function: // Add slices for slice animations. Line 253.
Edit the else part of that. Line 262
background: 'url("'+ vars.currentImage.attr('src') +'") no-repeat -'+ ((sliceWidth + (i * sliceWidth)) - sliceWidth) +'px 0%'

By changing 0% to 50% makes the image center vertically. Getting closer...
EDIT
Edit the above line once more and replace with below line.
background: 'url("'+ vars.currentImage.attr('src') +'") no-repeat 50%'

This will definitely works..
EDIT
Forget about all the above edits. Just replace your jquery.nivo.slider.js file with this one.


In today’s NYT, Paul Krugman highlights the subsidy being given to the ‘fracking’ methods of fossil fuel extraction: basically, another example where costs are socialized although, let’s face it, the most common example. The story of an old technology using non-market means to keep itself afloat is, of course, the way things work. (Just travel back to 1845 for this amusing parody from the French Paul Krugman of that day).

What interested me more was the growing evidence that solar energy might be subject to a Moore’s Law rate of improvement. According to Ramez Naam in Scientific American, the cost of solar photovoltaic models has been falling at an exponential rate since 1980. Installation costs have been falling too. So much so, in fact, that in a decade, solar would outperform the average kilowatt energy cost in the US. A decade after that and it will be approaching the cheap baseload fuels.

It is instructive to think about what this means given our experience with Moore’s Law in computing. First, environmental policy has two targets. The first is to change behaviour so that less fossil fuel is used. This can occur through a price effect (increasing the price of fossil fuel) but also through various standards to reduce consumption directly. Economists favour the former because of scepticism that we know how to efficiently do the latter. But given the predominance of fossil fuel usage, what we are talking about in either case is generally energy conservation: that is, we want less energy to be consumed.

The second target is innovation. We want to encourage innovations that make it less costly (from an environmental perspective) to use energy. One class of innovations comes from energy conservation per se: getting more out of our fossil fuels — that is what your Prius is doing. The second class involves allowing energy to be produced without fossil fuels. And that is where solar comes in.

As I point out in a paper forthcoming in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy, the two targets of environmental policy can conflict. First, if we push towards energy conservation in behaviour, innovations that encourage energy conservation are less valuable — that is, if you produce a technology that allows you to save $$ per KW on your electricity bill, your returns are higher when consumers are consuming more electricity. If environmental policy gets that reduction first, the returns to innovation may go down. Second, the same can be true for general energy conservation and so may even effect alternative energy technologies like solar. The conclusion in the paper is that even if we are vigilant in environmental policy (such as establishing a carbon price) then we need to be additionally vigilant in technology policy to support it.

But Moore’s Law in solar may be doing the job for us. In computing, betting on Moore’s Law means changing your usage to appreciate that processing power and storage will be cheap. All of the major innovators in the space for the last four decades have been successful by betting on Moore’s Law. That’s why your Gmail had so much storage and that is why all and sundry are investing in cloud computing. They are all bets on Moore’s Law type effects across the industry. And in each case, they are anti-conservation of what previously was a scarce resource or a bottleneck.

Think about what that means for environmental policy. If we believe Moore’s Law in solar, then the safe bet in terms of behavioural reactions is not to react. Within a decade or two, energy will be socially as cheap as it is privately as cheap now. That means that changing habits for environmental austerity is not the way to go.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not arguing that this is a good or satisfying conclusion. I was uncomfortable reaching it in my research but the basic economics was very clear. Moreover, two more decades of blindly polluting activity is two decades too much. Finally, missing an opportunity to conserve energy may only be delaying a future problem and also locking in infrastructure that is poorly equipped to take advantage of solar. But we have to step back and think about what these trends really mean. In that stark reality, one wonders if efforts for current conservation might be misplaced and instead that it may be time to bet on Moore’s Law in solar.

[For more, see Shane Greenstein’s chapter in this NBER volume.]


Sur le terrain, ça ne tourne pas rond du côté de Crystal Palace, 19e de Premier League. Mais en tribunes, apparemment ce n'est pas beaucoup mieux !

Ce week-end, les Eagles de Mamadou Sakho, Steve Mandanda et Yohan Cabaye recevaient l'équipe de Middlesbrough. Si les joueurs ont visé dans le mille, avec une victoire courte mais précieuse (1-0) samedi, les fans ont raté leur coup lors de la nuit précédent le match.

Persuadés de vandaliser le car de leur futur adversaire, repéré sur le parking d'un hôtel, quelques supporters de Palace ne se sont pas rendu compte qu'il s'agissant en fait... du bus de leur propre équipe.

50 000 euros de dégâts

Et oui, contrairement à d'habitude, le staff de l'équipe locale est allé se mettre au vert dans un établissement généralement dédié aux supporters des équipes visiteuses, proche du stade de Selhurst Park, l'antre de Crystal Palace.

C'est ainsi qu'ils ont tagué "Crystal Palace FC" sur le flanc du véhicule. Résultat des courses : 40 000 livres (environ 47 000 euros) de dégâts selon un membre de l'encadrement.


package section_3_3;
/*
ID: tmwilliamlin168
LANG: JAVA
TASK: game1
*/
import java.io.*;
import java.util.*;

public class game1 {
	static boolean stdin = true;
	static Reader in;
	static PrintWriter out;
	static String filename = "game1";

	static class Solver {
		Solver() {
			int n=in.nextInt();
			int[] a = new int[n];
			for(int i=0; i<n; ++i)
				a[i]=in.nextInt();
			int[][] dp1 = new int[n+1][n+1], dp2 = new int[n+1][n+1];
			for(int l=1; l<=n; ++l) {
				for(int i=0; i+l<=n; ++i) {
					if(dp2[i+1][i+l]+a[i]>dp2[i][i+l-1]+a[i+l-1]) {
						dp1[i][i+l]=dp2[i+1][i+l]+a[i];
						dp2[i][i+l]=dp1[i+1][i+l];
					} else {
						dp1[i][i+l]=dp2[i][i+l-1]+a[i+l-1];
						dp2[i][i+l]=dp1[i][i+l-1];
					}
				}
			}
			out.println(dp1[0][n]+" "+dp2[0][n]);
		}
	}

	static void preprocess() {

	}

	public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
		if(stdin) {
			in = new Reader();
			out = new PrintWriter(System.out);
		} else {
			in = new Reader(filename+".in");
			out = new PrintWriter(filename+".out");
		}
		preprocess();
		for(int testCases=1; testCases>0; --testCases)
			new Solver();
		out.close();
	}

	static class Reader {
		BufferedReader br;
		StringTokenizer st;
		Reader() {
			br = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(System.in));
		}
		Reader(String filename) throws Exception {
			br = new BufferedReader(new FileReader(filename));
		}
		String next() {
			while(st==null||!st.hasMoreTokens()) {
				try {
					st = new StringTokenizer(br.readLine());
				} catch(Exception e) {}
			}
			return st.nextToken();
		}
		int nextInt() {
			return Integer.parseInt(next());
		}
	}
}


Environmental and genetic factors shape the human T-cell receptor repertoire.
Both environmental and genetic factors combine to shape the TCR repertoire as measured by V gene usage. These factors may result in dramatic shifts in normal subjects, which cannot be discounted when studies are performed in patients with disease. Future studies need to explore further examples of genetic and environmental factors that shape the TCR repertoire to understand the full extent of variation in a normal population and the mechanisms involved. Some of these mechanisms may also apply to TCRG, TCRD, and immunoglobulin loci. Certainly variations in the efficiency of V(D)J rearrangement could affect any rearranging multigene locus. Eventually such studies will lead to better designed clinical studies of the repertoire in disease, through the selection of control populations matched for environmental exposure and genetic background. In this respect, family studies will be most useful.


Q:

How do I thread with sockets so that the program doesn't stop

It seems that when I use the accept method from the Socket class the whole program freezes up until data comes through. I've passed the socket to a thread and it doesn't freeze but I need the thread to return data back which I don't think it can do.
Code For getting useername
public boolean checkUsername() {
    NetworkIO n = new NetworkIO();
    // Grabs username from edittext field
    username = usernameEditText.getText().toString();
    System.out.println(usernameEditText.getText().toString());
    // queries databse for username
    try {
        resultFromServer = n.query("username",
                "select username FROM user_info  WHERE MATCH (username)  AGAINST ('"
                        + username + "' IN NATURAL LANGUAGE MODE);");
    } catch (IOException e) {
        e.printStackTrace();
    }
}

Code for NetworkIO class
public class NetworkIO extends Activity {
    Socket networkSocket = null;
    PrintWriter out = null;
    BufferedReader in = null;

public String query(String request, String fieldRequested)
        throws IOException {

    // Tries to get connection
    try {

        networkSocket = new Socket("192.168.1.8", 9009);

        out = new PrintWriter(networkSocket.getOutputStream(), true);

        in = new BufferedReader(new InputStreamReader(
                networkSocket.getInputStream()));
        System.out.println("Hi from in made");
    } catch (UnknownHostException e) {
        System.err.println("Unknown host");
        System.exit(-1);

    } catch (IOException e) {
        System.err.println("IOException");
        System.exit(-1);
    }

    //Sends Request
    out.println(request);
    out.println(fieldRequested);
    String resultFromServer = "";

    //Waits for response and if its null exit
    while ((in.readLine()) != null) {
        resultFromServer += in.readLine();

    }
    System.out.println(resultFromServer);

    //Close the connections
    out.close();
    in.close();
    networkSocket.close();

    return resultFromServer;
}
}

Any criticism of my code will be much appreciated :)

A:

The usual pattern is to run the accept loop inside a thread, and have a separate thread pool of handlers that you dispatch requests to.
When you get a new socket from accept, hand the socket over to a worker thread to process. That way you don't ever need to pass anything back to your main thread.
Example is straight out of the ExecutorService javadocs: http://download.oracle.com/javase/6/docs/api/java/util/concurrent/ExecutorService.html


Q:

Difference between natural response and forced response?

Reference
Second post on EdaBoard.com

Time response of a system is the time evolution of the variables. In
  circuits, this would be the waveforms of voltage and current versus
  time.
Natural response is the system's response to initial conditions with
  all external forces set to zero. In circuits, this would be the
  response of the circuit with initial conditions (initial currents on
  inductors and initial voltage on capacitors for example) with all the
  independent voltages set to zero volts (short circuit) and current
  sources set to zero amps (open circuit). The natural response of the
  circuit will be dictated by the time constants of the circuit and in
  general roots of the characteristics equation (poles).
Forced response is the system's response to an external stimulus with
  zero initial conditions. In circuits, this would just be the response
  of the circuit to external voltage and current source forcing
  function... continue reading

Questions

How can there be even a natural response? Something has to be inputted to create an output? The way I see it is like turning of the main water line and then turning on your faucet and expecting water to come out.
How can we v(t) (from the link above) be solved for if we don't know dv(dt) in order to find the natural response?
If you can please expand on the 2 concepts (natural response and forced response) by explaining their differences in Layman's terms, it would be lovely.

@Felipe_Ribas Can  you please confirm this and answer some of the questions? (you can just edit this directly if you want)

Given an an equation 10dy/dt + 24y = 48 means rate of change of output + 24 * output = 48. The initial conditions are y(0)=5 and dy/dt=0.

That would mean that the input is 48/(24*5) Is that a correct assumption? The solution to that is 0.4 which is the constant input?

A:

Think about a simple mechanical system like an elastic bar or a block attached to a spring against gravity, in real world. Whenever you give the system a pulse (to the block or to the bar), they will begin an oscillation and soon they will stop moving.
There are ways that you can analyze a system like this. The two most common ways are:

Complete solution = homogeneous solution + particular solution
Complete response = Natural resopnse (zero input) + forced response (zero state)

As the system is the same, both should result the same final equation representing the same behavior. But you can separate them to better understand what each part means physically (specially the second method).
In the first method, you think more from the point of view of a LTI system or a mathematical equation (differential equation) where you can find its homogeneous solution and then its particular solution. The homogeneous solution can be viewed as a transient response of your system to that input (plus its initial conditions) and the particular solution can be viewed as the permanent state of your system after/with that input.
The second method is more intuitive: natural response means what is the system response to its initial condition. And forced response is what is the system response to that given input but with no initial conditions. Thinking in terms of that bar or block example I gave, you can imagine that at some point you pushed the bar with your hands and you are holding it there. This can be your initial state. If you just let it go, it will oscillate and then stop. This is the natural response of your system to that condition.
Also you can let it go but still keeps giving some extra energy to the system by hitting it repeatedly. The system will have its natural response as before but will also show some extra behavior due to your extra hits. When you find your system complete response by the second method, you can see clearly what is the system natural behavior due to those initial conditions and what is the system response if it had only the input (with no initial conditions). They both together will represent all the system's behavior.
And note that the Zero State response (Forced response) also may consist of a "natural" portion and a "particular" portion. That is because even with no initial conditions, if you give an input to the system, it will have a transient response + permanent state response.

Example response:
imagine that your equation represent the following circuit:

Which your output y(t) is the circuit current. And imagine your source is a DC source of +48v. This way, making the summation of element's voltage in this closed path, you get:
\$\epsilon=V_L+V_R\$
We can rewrite the inductor voltage and resistor voltage in terms of current:
\$\epsilon=L\frac{di}{dt} + Ri\$
If we have a power source of +48VDC and L = 10H and R = 24Ohms, then:
\$48=10\frac{di}{dt}+24i\$
which is exaclty the equation you used. So, clrearly your input to the system (RL circuit) is your power supply of +48v only. So your input = 48.
The initial conditions you have are y(0) = 5 and y'(0) = 0. Physically it represents that at a t=0 moment, my current of the circuit is 5A but it is not varying. You may think that something happened previously in the circuit which left a current in the inductor of 5A. So in that given moment (initial moment) it sill has those 5A (y(0)=5) but it is not increasing or decreasing (y'(0) =  0).
Solving it:
we first assume the natural response in the format: \$Ae^{st}\$
and then we will find the system behavior due to its initial condition, just as if we had no power supply (\$\epsilon=0\$) which is the Zero-Input response:
\$10sAe^{st} + 24Ae^{st} = 0\$
\$Ae^{st}(10s + 24)=0\$
\$s=-2,4\$
So,
\$i_{ZI}(t)=Ae^{-2,4t}\$
Since we know that i(0) = 5:
\$i(0)=5=Ae^{-2,4 . 0}\$
\$A=5\$
\$i_{ZI}(t)=5e^{-2,4t}\$
Note that until now everything is consistent. This last equation represents the system response with no input. If I put t=0, I find i=5 which correspond to the initial condition. And if I put \$t=+\infty\$ I will find i=0 which also makes sense if I do not have any source.
Now we may find the particular solution to the equation which will represent the permanent state due to the power supply presence (input):
we assume now that \$i(t)=c\$ where \$c\$ is a constant value which represents the system output in the permanent state since the input is also a constant. For each system, the output format depends on the input format: if the input is a sinusoidal signal, the output also will be. In this case we have only constant values which makes things easier.
So,
\$\frac{di}{dt}=0\$
then,
\$48 = 0.10 + 24c\$ (using the differential equation)
\$c=2\$
\$i(\infty)=2\$
which also makes sense because we have a DC power supply. So after the transient response of turning the DC power supply ON, the inductor will behave as a wire and we will have a resistive circuit with R=24Ohms. Then we should have 2A of current since the power supply has 48V accross it.
But note that if I just add both results to find the complete response, we will have:
\$i(t) = 2 + 5e^{-2,4t}\$
Now I messed things up in the transient state because if I put t=0 we no longer will find i=5 as before. And we have to find i=5 when t=0 because it is a given initial condition. This is because the Zero-State response has a natural term which is not there and also has the same format as we found before. Adding it there:
\$i(t) = 2 + 5e^{-2,4t} + Be^{st}\$
The time constant is the same so it only left us B:
\$i(t) = 2 + 5e^{-2,4t} + Be^{-2,4t}\$
And we know that:
\$i(t) = 2 + 5 + B = 5\$ (t=0)
So,
\$B=-2\$
Then, your complete solution is:
\$i(t) = 2 + 5e^{-2,4t} - 2e^{-2,4t}\$
you may think of this last term we find as a correction term of the forced response to match the initial conditions. Another way to find it is imagining the same system but no with no initial conditions. Then solving all the way again, we would have:
\$i_{ZS}(t) = 2 + Ae^{-2,4t}\$
But as we now are not considering the initial conditions (i(0)=0), then:
\$i_{ZS}(t) = 2 + Ae^{-2,4t} = 0\$
And when t=0:
\$A=-2\$
so the forced (Zero-State) response of your system is:
\$i_{ZS}(t) = 2 - 2e^{-2,4t}\$
It is a bit confusing but now you can view things from different perspectives.
-Homogeneous/Particular solutions:
\$i(t) = i_p(t)+i_n(t) = 2 + 3e^{-2,4t}\$
The first term (2) is the particular solution and represents the permanent state. The rest of the right side is the transient response, also called homogeneous solution of the equation. Some books call this also Natural response and Forced response since the first part is the forced part (due to the power supply) and the second part is the transient or natural part (system's characteristic). This is the fastest way to find the complete response I think, because you only have to find the permanent state and a natural response once. But may not be clear what is representing what.
-Zero input / zero state:
\$i(t) = i_{ZS}(t)+i_{ZI}(t) = 2 - 2e^{-2,4t} + 5e^{-2,4t}\$
note that is the same equation but the second term is splitted in two. Now, the first two terms (\$2 - 2e^{-2,4t}\$) represent the Zero-State response. In other words, what would happen to the system if there was no initial current and you turned ON the +48V power source.
The second part (\$5e^{-2,4t}\$) represent the Zero-Input response. It shows you what would happen to the system if no input was given (power source remained in 0v). It is only an exponential term which would go to zero since it has no input.
Some people also call this Natural/Forced response format. The natural part would be Zero-Input and the Forced part would be the Zero-State, which by the way is composed by a natural term and particular term.
Again, they all will give you the same result which represents the whole situation behavior including the power source and initial conditions. Just note that in some cases it might be useful to use the second method. One good example is when you are using convolutions and you may find the impulse response to your system with Zero-State. So breaking those terms might help you to see things clearly and also using an adequate term to convolve.

A:

How can there be even a natural response? Something has to be inputted
  to create an output?

If it helps, think of the natural response as the forced response to an impulse input.

The way I see it is like turning of the main water line and then
  turning on your faucet and expecting water to come out.

Imagine that the water main is connected to a large holding tank like used in well water systems and you close the valve to the water main.
The tank has been filled with water and is pressurized to the water main pressure before you closed the valve.  This is the initial condition.
If you open the tap, water will come out.  The holding tank will deliver water for some period of time, as the holding tank empties, and the pressure at the tap will drop.  This dwindling flow of water and dropping pressure would be the natural response of the system.
Now, after the holding tank has emptied, you quickly open the water main valve while the tap is still open.
Most of the water flow is initially to "charge" the holding tank and, as the tank fills and pressure builds, water flows at an increasing rate from the tap until the tank is full and the flow and pressure stabilize.
This is the forced response to a step input.

A:

This is the problem with text books not clearly defining everything so that everybody can understand the definitions. Natural response is really talking about a system that had (at some point) been 'charged up' such that energy storing elements contain some amount of initial energy, which might translate to an initial voltage in a capacitor or an initial current in an inductor. These result in the initial condition values for capacitors or inductors. Then, at say time t = 0, it is assumed that the magical source that was responsible for energising the circuit, is instantly removed. So, if the magical source had been a voltage source, then 'removing it' could mean physically removing it, or switching it out of the circuit. So, at time t = 0, the natural response will just be the behaviour of maybe a current through an inductor or capacitor, or voltage across a capacitor or inductor. And the circuit is powered only by those initially charged components (because we assume no 'external' source input for time t = 0 onwards).
So, for the natural response, it is really a case where there 'once was' some external input to produce the initial conditions in the inductors and capacitors. Now, if the system were not charged up to begin with, such that all capacitor and inductor voltages and currents were zero to start with, then what would be the natural response of the system? Answer: zero.
Now, the forced response is the response of a circuit (such as a voltage behaviour or current behaviour) for the case where we assume that inductors and capacitors have no initial energy to begin with, which means no initial voltage or initial currents in these components. And then, all of a sudden we apply an external force (source) to the input of the circuit. The behaviour of currents and/or voltages of the circuit for this scenario is just given a name.... called the forced response. Basically, it is a response to a source input based on an assumption that we started off with ZERO energy initial conditions in inductors and capacitors.
Once we've used methods to conveniently obtain the natural response and the forced response, we then just add up both portions to get the complete picture. Kind of like superposition principle.


Detect Human MICB with <10pg/ml sensitivity. Format: 96-well plate with removable strips. Compatible samples: cell culture supernates, cell lysates, serum and plasma (heparin, EDTA). This is a TMB colorimetric sandwich ELISA kit with short assay time and fast experiment set up. MICB tissue specificity: Widely expressed with the exception of the central nervous system where it is absent. Expressed in many, but not all, epithelial tumors of lung, breast, kidney, ovary, prostate and colon. In hepatocellular carcinomas, expressed in tumor cells but not in surrounding non-cancerous tissue. .

*if product is indicated to react with multiple species, protein info is based on the gene entry specified above in "species".

Ontology For MICB (Source: Uniprot.org, NCBI)

Protein Function

Seems to have no role in antigen presentation. Acts as a stress-induced self-antigen that is recognized by gamma delta T cells. Ligand for the KLRK1/NKG2D receptor. Binding to KLRK1 leads to cell lysis.

Tissue Specificity

Widely expressed with the exception of the central nervous system where it is absent. Expressed in many, but not all, epithelial tumors of lung, breast, kidney, ovary, prostate and colon. In hepatocellular carcinomas, expressed in tumor cells but not in surrounding non-cancerous tissue.

MHC class I polypeptide-related sequence B, also called MICB is a protein that in humans is encoded by the MICB gene. The MICB gene is mapped to 6p21.33. This gene encodes a heavily glycosylated protein which is a ligand for the NKG2D type II receptor. Binding of the ligand activates the cytolytic response of natural killer(NK) cells, CD8 alphabeta T cells, and gammadelta T cells which express the receptor. This protein is stress-induced and is similar to MHC class I molecules; however, it does not associate with beta-2-microglobulin or bind peptides. It seems to have no role in antigen presentation. This gene acts as a stress-induced self-antigen that is recognized by gamma delta T cells. It is the ligand for the KLRK1/NKG2D receptor and binds to KLRK1 leads to cell lysis.

*The quality control (QC) data in this section is obtained from Boster's internal QC results and is for reference only. It may differ from the users' lab test results. The users can expect to generate data with similar linearity and quality demonstrated in the typical data but may not achieve exactly the same O.D. values.

This data is generated from a recent batch of EK0963 Human MICB ELISA Kit PicoKine™. It is not necessarily the same data set used to generate the standard curve shown in the image of this product. TMB reaction incubate at 37°C for 15-25min

We measured random samples of Human MICB ELISA Kit PicoKine™ within the same batch/lot to ensure the consistency of the kits' performances. ELISA intra assay consistency is measured using wells from the same plate/assay kit. ELISA inter assay consistency is measured using wells from different plates from the same batch production/lot.

We measured the performance consistency of Human MICB ELISA Kit PicoKine™ to ensure the reproducibility of the assays. Three samples with differing target protein concentrations were assayed using four different lots.

Reproducibility

To assay reproducibility, three samples with differing target protein concentrations were assayed using four different lots.


The LG IPS monitor ensures an awesome picture quality, that provides clear images and vivid colors from any angle for your viewing pleasure. It combines the smoothness and solidness in the curved structure. The beauty of the stand is like the icing on the cake.