WHERE, WHY, HOW, WHY, WHO!

Saturday, January 31, 2015

In Toronto I went to many editions of the Toronto Jewish Film Festival. I loved it because that meant a very international and diverse selection of films since, after all, Jews live basically everywhere, immersed in many different cultures, and in contact with many other groups. So how could such festival's offer not run the whole gamut?

Obviously, the moment I found info on Mexico City's Jewish film festival (Festival Internacional de Cine Judío de la Ciudad de México), going through its 12th edition, I got ready to buy plenty of tickets for as many screenings! Alas, Mexico City's was much smaller than Toronto's - some 10 films vs around a 100. Even worse, I had seen FOUR of those in Toronto's one! In the end, I got tickets for just two films. It felt so weird going to so few screenings, but at least these were two very fine choices!

Zeitoun
First of all, we were enthralled by this film because it was set mostly in Lebanon, and it was done well! I don't know where it was filmed, but it sure conveyed Lebanonness to us! It's not too dark a film, but it's not a happy one, either. With many layers to it, it really shows how Palestinians were truly in Limbo, from whichever side you looked at it. If you know just enough history, you'll realize how the story stops short of another sad episode in Palestinian history, perpetrated by the Lebanese no less. A very good film.

My Awkward Sexual Adventure

And then, there was this one. Granted, I chose it partly because it was Canadian. But we found out only until it began that it was set in Toronto! Man, we miss that city! and its people! and Canadian culture... We were really happy watching it. Plus, the way Canadians handle sexuality (in this case, the sexuality of an awkward Manitoban Jew who finds himself taking some life lessons from a stripper) is simply delightful. Loved it! Go Canada!

Looking forward to next year's festival, and hoping they'll choose more films I haven't seen yet!

Friday, January 30, 2015

In Canada we solidified our love of porters and stouts, and that means that we're always on the lookout for places in Mexico City that can offer Mexican craft versions of these. Which took us to this place - Crisanta - a former car workshop in the historic centre right by the Monumento a la Revolución (Monument to the Revolution)!

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

I've lived in China for some 7 years in total. After China, I lived in Canada some 5 years. Chinese food - good, authentic, northern Chinese food - is of the essence to me. So, after 5 months of looking for a real Chinese restaurant - and after a number of epic failures - a friend of mine recommended this place in a most unassuming building: Mojing Restaurant (Mojing being a way to call Mexico City in Chinese).

Well, the moment we walked in, it looked like we might have hit the jack-pot: most of the tables were the round type with rotating glass centres! Yay!

Then, we looked at the menu. Chinese writing alongside Spanish strange translations? Awesome! And then, two tests. First, we were dying to have Mapo Doufu, a spicy tofu dish from Sichuan province and which is extremely easy to make vegan. And which wasn't on the menu. But if this was the real deal, the chef would most probably know how to make this, right? Well, we asked... and they said "Sure!". So, first test - passed with flying colours!

Test number two? Dumplings! Vegan ones! Dumplings are relatively simple things. And therein lies the difficulty: making really good ones depends on getting every single thing perfect. We looked at them - they looked good. We prepared the sauce for them - vinegar, soy sauce, chili sauce. And tried them.

Bingo! The dough was as it should. The filling was cooked precisely and contained the right amount of mushrooms and greens. The sauce had the right vinegar and the right chili. WE. WERE. SO. HAPPY! Darn, I think I want to go for some more right now! So good. So, so, so good.

For dessert we had some sesame balls filled with sweet bean paste. I guess this was an innovation by the chef, because they had a slight vanilla flavour, and they were not hollow like others we've had. They were good. But unexpected.

And just to confirm how Chinese this place was, we received a plate with tangerines and watermelon! In China, you don't normally order dessert (at least not the western kind, like cake, ice cream, and so on), but you usually get fruit, without even asking! And more often than not it's these two - tangerines and watermelon! It was such a nice surprise, and such a throwback to our China days!

I know where I'll be this February to welcome the Year of the Wood Goat!

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Another one of those things that we simply bumped into. I love that! This time, we were walking around the Zócalo (Mexico City's main square), trying to decide what to do, and we caught a glimpse of a sculpture inside this nicely renovated old building.

It happened to be the Gallery of the Ministry of Finance (Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público), a most unassuming place, but with a very nice exhibition on pieces made from clay and ceramics by Mexican artists.

These are the ones that struck me as particularly moving or unique...

Los hijos dormidos del Dios (The sleeping children of the God), 1998, by Gerda Gruber

Monday, January 26, 2015

Friday night I finally got to go to the legendary Patrick Miller. A club that's existed for some 20 years or more, and one of the few places where you'll find an amazing diversity of people, from hipsters to bureaucrats to older people to you name it, 'cause the main reason is to go there to dance, and dance, and dance some more to 80's and 90's music and, if you're good, you can join a dance battle and show everybody what you're really made of!

Loads of fun. And quite an experience. Especially if androgynous Ursula allows you into her dance battle circle. You better please her! Gotta start working on my moves, eh?

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Right at one of the corners of Mexico City's Alameda park is the Museo Mural Diego Rivera. The museum was built specifically for a mural of Diego Rivera that was in a hotel that was damaged during the 1985 earthquakes. That mural is Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central (Dream of a Sunday afternoon at the Alameda Central), and pictures dozens of characters that populate Mexico's history and imagination.

These are three shots from the mural, which is too long for a single image with my camera. This one has the Catrina (right in the middle) or death, Frida Kahlo (to the right of the Catrina), Diego Rivera himself (in front of Frida), and "La Revoltosa", one of Rivera's lovers (in yellow, to the right).

The (un)holy Inquisition also hit Mexico, and here's an image of - according to Rivera - the first Jewish woman who fell victim to this horrible period in Mexico and who was burned at the stake.

Finally, a very simple one: a kid enjoying his sandwich (Mexican style, called a "torta") bought on the street.

There's other stuff at the museum. But it's absolutely worth a visit just for this mural alone.

Well, the real real ancient origins? Who knows! For us, this was something the huz had at a couple of times during his childhood (and hence the reason it made a [brief] reappearance at our table). Because that sweet and spicy mixture is pretty unusual. And filling as hell!

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

This city keeps springing surprises on us! Saturday we were just walking towards one of our favourite cafés. It's quite a walk, but then by the time we get there we feel no guilt about having muffins and the like, right?

Anyhow, we followed a different route, to keep the walk interesting, and we got to the Plaza de la Ciudadela, which is a couple hundred years old. And what did we find there? Dancing! Hundreds of people dancing in groups! Though there were some younger couples, most everybody was older, and plenty were dressed in their finest!

We stayed quite a bit there because, well, the music was pretty enjoyable, and it was wonderful to see all these people just enjoying a Sunday afternoon dancing in public, rocking their now-considered-vintage clothes and being pretty sensual.

Sunday, January 18, 2015

I've been to the Pizza del Perro Negro (the Black Dog's Pizza) in the historic part of town a number of times, how could I have failed to notice their Perro Negro (Black Dog) statue! Pretty cool, I'll say.

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Finally! we found it! a Japanese place with simple delicious authentic fare that won't kill your wallet! Mikasa, a Japanese grocery shop in the Colonia Roma Norte, also hosts a most basic outdoor food-court where you can get a number of goodies, mostly grilled. And you can also get one of the most simple staples of Japanese cuisine - udon! Beware, though. They may be simple, but that makes it super tricky to get them right, according to my most unqualified opinion.

Whatever, now I know where to get my udon, and onigiri, and tempura! Super nom nom!

Thursday, January 01, 2015

From Lebanon - champagne to celebrate. From Lebanon as well - a mezze style dinner. From my dad's Spanish side - a table-full of pre-dinner edibles. From Japan - food to cleanse your palate. From China - our dinnerware. And from a life of gypsies - an intimate celebration for just the two of us and a Spanish-English-French trilingual dialogue once drunk.

A very happy ushering in of the new year. And a very bubbly one, thanks to the beau!


There’s no contest when it comes to the most popular first dance song at UK weddings – Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud has even the legendary Etta James’ At Last beat. But it’s not just the music, the sound system and the happy couple that make this picture perfect, you need a dance floor that matches the moment. That’s not an issue if your happy couple is getting married in a swanky hotel, but a big problem if they’ve opted for a marquee on grass. So, it’s down to you as their wedding planner or event organiser to make sure they’ll be slow-dancing on a lovely surface.

Get this party started!

If the event you are planning is going to involve your client's guests strutting their stuff, you need to put dance floor on your ‘to find’ list. A great celebration is often judged on how many people enjoy dancing the night away together, and that means providing a safe, comfortable and smart temporary surface for the night. Whether you are organising a wedding reception, a birthday or anniversary party, graduation party, disco or a family get-together for your clients, the demands will be the same. After all, who wants to recreate the Uptown Funk video on an ugly floor? There’s plenty of choices, you just need to find the right dance floor for their do.

Let’s Dance!

So, what do you need from your event dance floor? It needs to look the part to impress your client's guests – and nothing looks as classy than traditional wood. However, not all event budgets will stretch that far, so, fortunately, there is a great solution – DanceDeck®.

The entry-level DanceDeck® is a lightweight, modular system made of vinyl tiles. Available in a range of different colours and finishes, it’s super easy to lay as each tile snaps together, and it doesn’t require expert installation. The modular system allows you to ensure the dance floor is the right size for the space, as you can easily measure and order the right amount for the venue. As an affordable, smart and safe dance floor surface, DanceDeck® is hard to beat.

Knock on wood

When you’ve got a bit more cash to play with, your client will expect something special, and that often means they need to see a real wooden floor. But before you start sweating over the budget-busting installation, check out DanceDeck® Deluxe. It’s got all the elegance of the traditional wood floor but comes with none of the fuss.

DanceDeck® Deluxe is made with wood parquet but with the functionality of a polypropylene base. It’s a modular system with snap connections that require no specialist tools or workers. Instead, a team of two can have a 15ftx15ft dance floor down in 30 minutes.

When it comes to great style, DanceDeck® Deluxe delivers as you can customise it with different light or dark wood finishes to blend into the event design beautifully. Built to be both shock absorbent and slip-resistant, all dancing queens and kings (as well as head-banging uncles) will be well protected. Once the guests have gone home, it won’t take long to dismantle DanceDeck® Deluxe, ready to be transported flat to the next party.

Don’t Stop Believing

If you’re worried, there’ll be murder on the dance floor if you don’t get this right, get in touch with the Floorbox team. We’re proud to stock great wooden dance floor options and more economical solutions, and we’ll help you find the perfect product for your event.


Here are edited excerpts from the conversation .

There will be no spoilers here. But early on in Season 3, I found myself really rooting for Serena. And then …

She has that look in her eyes. [Laughs] I think that’s the fun of watching a character like Serena. You root for her so much and she does something so good, and then just like that you can be like, Aww, nooo.

Serena is riding the Kingda Ka of emotions this season after giving her baby away.

I was so struck by how overcome with regret Serena would have been, because we pick up right after she gave the baby away. You’d be so upset and in such a low spot, considering that baby was the only thing she ever wanted and the only thing she looked forward to. So to have that one thing taken away from you just would be totally devastating.

And yet the grieving Serena still can’t quite fathom June’s own pain at having had one child stolen from her and then being forced to relinquish another.

I think she does understand it to a point but she thinks that her circumstances and position in Gilead trump June’s. More, “This is how it goes in Gilead and you are my handmaid and will make me my baby — and that’s what we all signed up for, supposedly voluntarily, right?” But I also think that Serena in her own brain has been through a lot and can’t see beyond her own trauma and her own emotion into someone else’s trauma and emotion — because it’s all pretty horrendous. So I don’t know that she necessarily thinks June is worse off than she is.

How did you approach such harrowing scenes with your infant son back in your trailer?

I came to work with a six- or seven-week-old. It was insane. I remember shooting really long days and running back and forth from set to the trailer and breast-feeding — shoot a scene, change the camera setup, run back to the trailer, feed, shoot more of the scene and come back, shoot more of the scene and come back. It was such a Jekyll-and-Hyde moment because Serena is so miserable and depressed when we first come into this season. And then I’m going back to the trailer and looking at my son, and he’s so cute and smiley and brings me so much joy.


                                                                                NO. 12-04-00047-CR

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS

TWELFTH COURT OF APPEALS DISTRICT

TYLER, TEXAS
DAVID SIMONEAUX,                                      §                APPEAL FROM THE 114TH
APPELLANT

V.                                                                         §                JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT OF

THE STATE OF TEXAS,
APPELLEE                                                         §                SMITH COUNTY, TEXAS

MEMORANDUM OPINION
            David Simoneaux appeals his conviction for aggravated kidnapping.  In two issues, Appellant
asserts that the trial court abused its discretion by admitting evidence of an extraneous offense and
that the trial court erred by failing to properly instruct the jury.  We affirm.

Background
            Appellant was charged by indictment with the aggravated kidnapping of his wife, Carol
(“Carolyn”).  The indictment charged as follows:

[T]hat on or about September 20, 2003, [Appellant] did then and there, with the intent to facilitate the
commission of a felony, to wit murder, or to facilitate the flight after the attempt or commission of said
felony and inflict bodily injury [on] Carol Simoneaux [did] intentionally or knowingly abduct Carol
Simoneaux . . . .

            At trial, Carolyn testified that on the night of September 20, Appellant woke her up and threw
her around the kitchen.  Carolyn left the house, ran to her mother’s house next door, and called
police.  A few moments later, Appellant kicked in the front door of her mother’s house.  According
to Carolyn’s sister, Appellant “backhanded” their mother.  Then, Carolyn testified, he walked out of
the house, drove his car into another car, and knocked down a post in the carport.  Attempting to calm
him, Carolyn left her mother’s house, opened the passenger door of Appellant’s car, and leaned in.
Appellant told her to get in the car, but she refused.  Appellant grabbed her hair, pulled her in the car,
and drove off.  According to another witness, Carolyn’s legs were still outside the car although
Carolyn stated that only her toes may have hit the road or the grass.  When the car reached the end
of the driveway, Appellant stopped and Carolyn shut the door.  Without saying a word, Appellant
began to drive down a county road at approximately seventy miles per hour.
            At some point, Appellant’s car went off the road and came to an abrupt stop at the edge of
the woods.  Appellant told her to get out of the car, and she complied after Appellant observed that
the car was on fire.  Carolyn testified that she was scared and did not want to go into the woods with
Appellant. A few minutes later, the car exploded.  After Carolyn observed emergency vehicle lights,
Appellant told her to “get down.”  At some point, Carolyn observed flashlights, and Appellant again
began to tell her to “get down.”  Carolyn testified that she did not scream or call for help.
            The next thing Carolyn remembered was Appellant sitting on top of her with his hands around
her throat choking her.  Carolyn did not recall Appellant saying anything to her, but thought
Appellant was going to kill her.  Although she did not remember losing consciousness, the next thing
she remembered was a police officer kneeling beside her with Appellant in custody.  On cross-examination, Carolyn testified that Appellant did not hit her, force her to leave her mother’s house,
or threaten her.  She also stated that although she did not ask Appellant to stop and let her out,
Appellant did not make her stay in the car or force her into the woods.  She further stated that she
would have gone with him into the woods rather than stay there by herself.  Carolyn admitted that
she did not want to talk extensively to the district attorney’s office regarding this incident and
admitted trying to leave out facts.  Carolyn testified that she did not believe she had been kidnapped
and still loved Appellant.
            Deputy Robert Hartman, a patrol deputy with the Smith County Sheriff’s Department,
testified that while following the K-9 unit searching for Carolyn, he heard a female yelling “help me.”
Further searching led Hartman and other deputies across a barbed wire fence to a pasture where he
discovered Carolyn’s head cradled in Appellant’s arms.  At the scene, Carolyn stated that Appellant
pulled her into the car and would not let her out. Further, Carolyn reported that when the deputies
were crossing the fence, Appellant told her that she was “fixing to die, so we’ll both die together” and
that his arms were around her neck.  She also stated that Appellant told her he was going to snap her
neck and they would die together.  Further, Carolyn declared that Appellant hit her in the face and
kicked her in the chest several times and that he took her from the residence forcefully.  Carolyn
reported that Appellant had hit and kicked her repeatedly and choked her to the point of passing out.
She also said she lost consciousness momentarily.
            According to the emergency medical technician, Carolyn suffered swelling to her left eye,
bruising and circular abrasions around the throat, and multiple scrapes and abrasions on her legs and
arms.  She had tenderness in her left flank or ribcage, stomach, and abdomen, as well as abrasions
on her stomach.  The emergency room physician testified that Carolyn suffered a broken nose, bruises
to her hands, abrasions to her hands and behind both knees, bleeding from her left nostril, and
tenderness in her face, neck, abdomen, right hip, and mid and lower back.
            Additionally, Carolyn testified that on December 30, 2003, she was on the couch at her home
when Appellant walked in. Carolyn stated that Appellant did not assault her, but that his hand hit her
face more than once during a scuffle between them.  However, according to Carolyn, he did not
threaten her.  Carolyn “guessed” that she started the fight because Appellant attempted to take her
pill bottle away and was trying to protect her.  According to Michael Lunsford, the Smith County
Sheriff’s deputy who responded to the alleged assault, Carolyn was crying and complaining that her
nose hurt. Carolyn reported that when she refused to go somewhere with Appellant, he pushed her
down on the couch and began repeatedly beating her with his fists.  Further, she declared that her
husband sat on top of her and hit her in the face and head with his fists.  Both the deputy and a
paramedic, Ben Rasberry, testified that Carolyn’s nose was red and Rasberry observed that
underneath her eyes was red.  When Carolyn met with Detective Pamela Dunklin of the Smith
County Sheriff’s Department a few days later.  Dunklin observed bruising under Carolyn’s eyes.  The
date of the assault, December 30, was three months after the aggravated kidnapping and six days
before Appellant’s trial on the aggravated kidnapping charge.
            At the conclusion of the trial, the jury found Appellant guilty of aggravated kidnapping and
assessed punishment at eighteen years of imprisonment.  This appeal followed.

Extraneous Offense
            In his first issue, Appellant argues that the trial court abused its discretion by admitting
evidence of an extraneous offense.  The State contends that Appellant failed to properly preserve the
issue by objecting each and every time evidence of the extraneous offense was offered.  If Appellant
did not waive this issue, the State contends, the trial court did not err because the extraneous offense
was relevant to Appellant’s intent and any error was harmless.  We must first decide if Appellant
preserved the issue.
Objection at Trial
            Before opening arguments, the State asked the trial court for a ruling on the admissibility of
an extraneous offense, assault, allegedly committed by Appellant against Carolyn on or about
December 30, 2003.  The State contended that the extraneous assault would show Appellant’s intent
to inflict bodily injury.  Appellant objected, stating that Carolyn retracted her initial statement that
Appellant committed the alleged assault.  Appellant argued that the extraneous offense had no
probative value, but that, if it did, the prejudicial effect substantially outweighed any probative value
and admission of the extraneous offense would deny him a fair trial. The State admitted that Carolyn
requested the charges for the extraneous offense be dropped, but conceded that she did not say the
offense did not occur.  Further, the State contended that Carolyn was a reluctant victim because,
during the alleged assault, Appellant threatened to kill Carolyn and all her family.  The trial court
“lift[ed] the in limine” under Texas Rule of Evidence 404 (b), found that the extraneous offense was
relevant under Texas Rule of Evidence 403, and, under Texas Rule of Evidence 404(b), allowed
evidence of the extraneous offense to be admitted for the purposes of intent, motive, lack of mistake,
victim’s state of mind, and pertinence to the victim’s relationship with Appellant.  At  trial, Appellant
failed to further object when evidence of the extraneous offense was offered.
Waiver
            A motion in limine includes an objection to a general category of evidence and a request for
an instruction that the proponent of that evidence approach the bench for a hearing on its
admissibility before offering it.  Rawlings v. State, 874 S.W.2d 740, 743 (Tex. App.–Fort Worth
1994, no pet.).  The granting or denying of a motion in limine, without more, preserves nothing for
appellate review. Id. at 742.  In contrast, Texas Rule of Evidence 103, governing an objection to
offered evidence outside the presence of the jury, requires both specific objections and a ruling on
the admissibility of contested evidence.  See id. at 743.  We look to the substance of the objection to
determine its effect. Id. at 742.  Although the trial court stated that it was lifting the “in limine,”
nowhere during the hearing did either party request an instruction that the State approach the bench
for a hearing on the admissibility of the extraneous offense before offering it.  See id. at 743.  Instead,
the State requested a ruling on the actual admissibility of the extraneous offense.  In substance,
Appellant’s objection resembled an objection to offered evidence outside the presence of the jury and
not a motion in limine.  See id. at 742.  Therefore, the general rule relating to the effect of a motion
in limine is inapplicable here.
            With two exceptions, the law in Texas requires a party to object each time inadmissible
evidence is offered.  Ethington v. State, 819 S.W.2d 854, 858 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991).  The first
exception is the “running” objection, a traditional method of preserving error that has survived
promulgation of the rules of evidence.  Id.  The second exception is contained in Texas Rule of
Evidence 103.  Geuder v. State, 115 S.W.3d 11, 13 (Tex. Crim. App. 2003).  Rule 103 provides, in
part, that “[w]hen the court hears objections to offered evidence out of the presence of the jury and
rules that such evidence be admitted, such objections shall be deemed to apply to such evidence when
it is admitted before the jury without the necessity of repeating those objections.”  Tex. R. Evid.
103(a)(1); Geuder, 115 S.W.3d at 13.
            Appellant did not object to the extraneous offense each time it was offered, nor did Appellant
obtain a running objection from the trial court.  However, the trial court heard objections to the
extraneous offense out of the presence of the jury and ruled that such evidence be admitted.  See Tex.
R. Evid. 103(a)(1).  Thus, it was unnecessary for Appellant to repeat his objections when the
evidence was presented to the jury.  See Geuder, 115 S.W.3d at 13.  In support of its waiver
argument, the State points out that Appellant extensively cross-examined witnesses and produced one
witness to rebut Carolyn’s testimony regarding the extraneous offense.  However, the court of
criminal appeals has held that an admissibility issue is not waived by an attempt to meet, rebut,
destroy, deny, or explain the improperly admitted evidence.  Rogers v. State, 853 S.W.2d 29, 35
(Tex. Crim. App. 1993).  Consequently, Appellant did not waive this issue by failing to object each
time the evidence was presented or by extensively cross-examining witnesses and producing one
witness in order to meet, rebut, destroy, deny or explain the extraneous offense.  Having determined
that this issue is not waived, we must now decide whether the trial court erred in admitting the
extraneous offense.
Admission of Extraneous Offense
            Evidence of other crimes, wrongs or acts, although relevant, is not admissible to prove the
character of a person in order to show action in conformity therewith.  Tex. R. Evid. 404(b).
Extraneous offense evidence may, however, be admissible for other purposes, such as proof of
motive, opportunity, intent, preparation, plan, knowledge, identity, or absence of mistake or accident.
Tex. R. Evid. 404(b).  This list of other purposes for which an extraneous offense might be
admissible is not exhaustive.  Castaldo v. State, 78 S.W.3d 345, 349-50 (Tex. Crim. App. 2002).  If
extraneous offense evidence is not relevant apart from supporting an inference of character
conformity, it is inadmissible under Rule 404(b).  Montgomery v. State, 810 S.W.2d 372, 387 (Tex.
Crim. App. 1990) (op. on reh’g).  After the opponent objects to the evidence under Rule 404(b), the
proponent of the evidence has the burden to satisfy  the trial court that the evidence has relevance
apart from its tendency to show that he acted in character conformity.  Id.  Evidence is relevant that
has any tendency to make the existence of any fact that is of consequence to the determination of the
action more probable or less probable than it would be without the evidence.  Tex. R. Evid. 401;
Montgomery, 810 S.W.2d at 386.
            In this case, over Appellant’s objection, the trial court admitted testimony that Appellant
assaulted Carolyn on December 30, which was approximately three months after the aggravated
kidnapping and six days before Appellant’s trial on that charge.  The State argued that the testimony
was admissible to show Appellant’s intent to inflict bodily injury during the kidnapping and also to
show the victim’s state of mind.  The trial court ruled that the evidence was admissible for the
purposes of showing intent, motive, lack of mistake, the victim’s state of mind, and the victim’s
relationship with Appellant.  On appeal, the State first points out that the issue of intent was “put
directly into issue” by the indictment.  Therefore, it concludes, “it is of obvious relevance that a little
over a week before the start of trial, Appellant physically assaulted the victim again and threatened
to kill her and her family.”
            Intent is a fact of consequence when the indictment requires the State to show beyond a
reasonable doubt that a defendant committed an act with a specific intent.  Boudreaux v. State, No.
14-03-00275-CR, 2004 WL 1877714, at *3 (Tex. App.–Houston [14th Dist.] 2004, pet. ref’d) (not
designated for publication)(citing Morgan v. State, 692 S.W.2d 877, 880 (Tex. Crim. App. 1985)).
In this case, the indictment included an allegation that Appellant intended to commit murder or to
inflict bodily injury when he abducted Carolyn.  Thus, Appellant’s intent was a fact of consequence.
Further, because Appellant’s subsequent conduct made it more probable that he intended to inflict
bodily injury on Carolyn during the charged offense, evidence of his subsequent alleged assault of
Carolyn was relevant.
            We must further determine whether intent was in dispute. In Texas, a simple plea of “not
guilty” does not put intent at issue.  See Robbins v. State, 88 S.W.3d 256, 260-61 (Tex. Crim. App.
2002).  However, intent is a contested issue for purposes of justifying the admission of extraneous
offense evidence if the required intent for the subject offense cannot be inferred from the act itself
or if the defendant presents evidence to rebut the inference that the required intent existed.  Hudson
v. State, 112 S.W.3d 794, 803 (Tex. App.–Houston [14th Dist.] 2003, pet. ref’d).  Moreover, an
appellant can put his intent at issue through vigorous cross-examination or other means, i.e., the
presentation of various defensive theories.  Robbins, 88 S.W.3d at 261.
            Appellant suggested during his vigorous cross-examination of Carolyn’s sister, law
enforcement personnel, and healthcare worker that Carolyn’s injuries were not caused by an
intentional act of Appellant.  Carolyn’s sister and Hartman admitted that they had no personal
knowledge of Carolyn’s injuries.  Although Hartman acknowledged that the wrecked vehicle was
badly damaged, burned, and inoperable, Carolyn’s injuries, from his personal observation, were not
the result of the car wreck.  Hartman admitted that the area near the wrecked vehicle was dark and
that visibility was very poor.  Even though Hartman acknowledged suffering no injuries walking
through the woods, he had the aid of a flashlight.  The Smith County Sheriff’s Department K-9
handler stated that he became tangled in a barbed wire fence even with a flashlight.  The emergency
room physician acknowledged  that a person could suffer injuries to her face, chest, abdomen, back
and neck in a car wreck.  Carolyn stated that she and Appellant ran through woods with thick briars
without the aid of a light.  The responses of the State’s witnesses raised the defensive theories that
Appellant did not intend to inflict bodily injury on Carolyn, but that she sustained her injuries from
the car wreck or running through the woods.  See Robbins, 88 S.W.3d at 261.  Because intent was
a fact of consequence, relevant, and controverted by Appellant, we conclude that evidence of the
extraneous offense was admissible under Rule 404(b) for the purpose of showing Appellant’s intent
to inflict bodily injury on Carolyn.  See Tex. R. Evid. 404(b).
            Even if evidence is admissible under Rule 404(b), it may be excluded under Texas Rule of
Evidence 403.  Mozon v. State, 991 S.W.2d 841, 846 (Tex. Crim. App. 1999).  Under Rule 403,
relevant evidence may be excluded if its probative value is substantially outweighed by the danger
of unfair prejudice, confusion of the issues, or misleading the jury, or by considerations of undue
delay, or needless presentation of cumulative evidence.  Tex. R. Evid. 403.  When determining
whether evidence was properly admitted, the question is not whether the evidence is more prejudicial
than probative, but rather, whether the probative value of the evidence is substantially outweighed
by the danger of unfair prejudice.  Salazar v. State, 38 S.W.3d 141,151 (Tex. Crim. App. 2001).
Evidence is unfairly prejudicial when it has “an undue tendency to suggest that a decision be made
on an improper basis.”  Reese v. State, 33 S.W.3d 238, 240 (Tex. Crim. App. 2000) (citing
Montgomery, 810 S.W.2d at 389).
            If, as here, a proper Rule 403 objection is made, a trial court must engage in the balancing test
required by the rule.  Rankin v. State, 974 S.W.2d 707, 710-11 (Tex. Crim. App. 1996).  In reviewing
the trial court’s balancing test determination, an appellate court is to reverse the trial court’s judgment
“rarely and only after a clear abuse of discretion.”  Mozon, 991 S.W.2d at 847; Montgomery, 810
S.W.2d at 392.  The trial court’s ruling must be measured against the relevant criteria of a Rule 403
inquiry–that is, the proponent’s need for the evidence in addition to determining the relevance of the
evidence.  Mozon, 991 S.W.2d at 847.  Further, the trial court’s determination must be reasonable
in view of all relevant facts.  Reese, 33 S.W.3d at 241 (citing Santellan v. State, 939 S.W.2d 155,
169 (Tex. Crim. App. 1997)).
            The relevant criteria for determining whether the prejudice of an extraneous offense
outweighs its probative value are (1) how probative the evidence is; (2) the potential of the evidence
to impress the jury in some irrational, but nevertheless indelible way; (3) the time the proponent
needs to develop the evidence; and (4) the proponent’s need for the evidence.  Reese, 33 S.W.3d at
240-41.  In addressing the State’s need for the evidence, we consider (1) whether the proponent has
other available evidence to establish the fact of consequence that the evidence is admissible to show;
(2) the strength of the other available evidence, if any; and (3) whether the fact of consequence is
related to an issue that is in dispute.  See Reese, 33 S.W.3d at 242.  When the record reveals that one
or more of the relevant criteria reasonably contributed to a risk that the probative value of the
tendered evidence was substantially outweighed by unfair prejudice, an appellate court should
conclude that the trial court abused its discretion in failing to exclude it.  Montgomery, 810 S.W.2d
at 393.
            In the case at hand, the State presented evidence that Appellant abducted and assaulted
Carolyn.  Appellant’s defensive theory, developed through cross-examination and presented in
closing argument, was that Carolyn’s injuries resulted from the car wreck or from running through
thick briars and not from any intentional conduct by Appellant.  The extraneous offense showed that
Appellant assaulted Carolyn less than three months after the charged offense, at which time Carolyn
reported to the police and a paramedic that Appellant had beaten her repeatedly with his fists.  This
evidence was highly probative for the State because Appellant’s conduct and the injuries Carolyn
received during the extraneous assault were sufficiently similar to the charged offense to at least
weaken Appellant’s defensive theory.  Thus, this factor weighs in favor of the State.
            The jury would undoubtedly be impressed by Carolyn’s reported assault by Appellant three
months after the charged offense, and this evidence could potentially prejudice the jury against
Appellant.  However, this testimony was unlikely to irrationally affect the jury because the
cumulative testimony was not particularly descriptive nor was Carolyn unduly anguished by
Appellant’s actions.  Morever, Carolyn testified that she did not believe an assault occurred.  Thus,
this factor also weighs in favor of the State. Carolyn’s testimony regarding the assault was a small
part of her entire testimony, and the other three witnesses’ total testimony covered less than thirty
pages of the record out of 342 pages, excluding jury selection.  Thus, the time spent developing this
testimony was fairly brief.  This third factor weighs in favor of the State.  Regarding the State’s need
for the evidence, there was no other available evidence to establish Appellant’s intent to inflict bodily
injury on Carolyn other than her statements to law enforcement and healthcare workers.  The strength
of this evidence was cumulative only because there was no direct evidence from any witness
regarding Appellant’s intent.  Further, evidence of this extraneous offense related to the disputed
issue of Appellant’s intent because of its similarity to the charged offense.  Consequently, this factor
also favors the State.
            Because all four factors weigh in favor of the State, the probative value of the extraneous
evidence is not substantially outweighed by the dangers of unfair prejudice.  See Salazar, 38 S.W.3d
at 151.  Further, we hold that the trial court’s determination is not outside the zone of reasonable
disagreement and, therefore, not an abuse of its discretion.  See id.; Montgomery, 810 S.W.2d at 391.
However, even if the admission of the extraneous offense evidence was erroneous, Appellant has not
shown harm.
            The erroneous admission of an extraneous offense does not constitute constitutional error.
Johnson v. State, 84 S.W.3d 726, 729 (Tex. App.–Houston [1st Dist.] 2002, pet. ref’d); Avila v.
State, 18 S.W.3d 736, 741-42 (Tex. App.–San Antonio 2000, no pet.).  Any nonconstitutional error
“that does not affect substantial rights must be disregarded.”  Tex. R. App. P. 44.2(b); Avila, 18
S.W.3d at 742.  In other words, a criminal conviction should not be overturned for nonconstitutional
error if, after examining the record as a whole, we have a fair assurance that the error did not
influence the jury, or had but a slight effect.  Morales v. State, 32 S.W.3d 862, 867 (Tex. Crim. App.
2000).
            In its jury charge, the trial court provided a limiting instruction regarding testimony of
extraneous offenses, requiring that the jury consider the testimony only if the jury believed Appellant
committed such extraneous offenses beyond a reasonable doubt, and then only for determining the
motive, intent, or lack of accident or mistake in the charged offense.  Absent evidence to the contrary,
the jury is presumed to follow the instructions set forth in the trial court’s charge.  Herrera v. State,
11 S.W.3d 412, 415-16 (Tex. App.–Houston [1st Dist.] 2000, pet. ref’d) (citing Hutch v. State, 922
S.W.2d 166, 172 (Tex. Crim. App. 1996)).  Appellant has not rebutted this presumption.  Because
the jury was presumed to consider testimony of the extraneous offense only for the purpose of intent
in the charged offense and Appellant did not rebut this presumption, the trial court’s error, if any, in
admitting evidence of the extraneous offense did not influence the jury or had only a slight influence
on its verdict. See Johnson, 84 S.W.3d at 729; Avila, 18 S.W.3d at 742.  Accordingly, Appellant’s
first issue is overruled.

Jury Charge
            In his second issue, Appellant argues that the trial court erred by failing to properly instruct
the jury.  More specifically, Appellant contends that the jury charge allowed the jury to convict him
of aggravated kidnapping without requiring proof that he committed or attempted to commit murder
as alleged in the indictment.  Appellant admits that he did not object to the jury charge.  The State
contends that Appellant cannot show that there was error or that the error, if any, was so egregious
and created such harm that he was denied a fair and impartial trial.  Moreover, the State argues that
where, as here, the indictment presents allegations of different methods of committing the charged
offense in the conjunctive, the jury may be charged in the disjunctive.
Applicable Law
            Any error committed by the court in a jury charge is waived if a defendant fails to timely
object and request submission of the instruction, unless the harm was egregious.  Jones v. State, 859
S.W.2d 537, 542 (Tex. App.–Houston [1st Dist.] 1993, pet. ref’d) (citing Almanza v. State, 686
S.W.2d 157, 171 (Tex. Crim. App. 1984)).  The standard for egregious harm is based on article 36.19
of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and explained in Almanza.  See Stokes v. State, 74 S.W.3d
48, 50 (Tex. App.–Texarkana 2002, pet. ref’d); Shavers v. State, 985 S.W.2d 284, 291 (Tex. App.
–Beaumont 1999, pet. ref’d).  In Almanza, the court determined that if no proper objection was made
at trial to charge error, the accused must claim the error was “fundamental” and will obtain a reversal
only if the error is so egregious and created such harm that the accused did not have a fair and
impartial trial.  Almanza, 686 S.W.2d at 171.  Further, in evaluating the degree of harm, jury charge
error should be examined in view of the entire jury charge, the state of the evidence, including the
contested issues and weight of the probative evidence, the argument of counsel, and any other
relevant information revealed by the record of the trial as a whole.  Id.; see also Hutch v. State, 922
S.W.2d at 171.  To establish egregious harm, it is not essential to show direct evidence of harm.
Stokes, 74 S.W.3d at 50.  However, an appellant is required to show actual, not theoretical, harm.
Cormier v. State, 955 S.W.2d 161, 164 (Tex. App.–Austin 1997, no pet.).
            Alternative pleading of the differing methods of committing one offense may be charged in
one indictment.  Kitchens v. State, 823 S.W.2d 256, 258 (Tex. Crim. App. 1991).  Although an
indictment may allege the differing methods of committing the offense in the conjunctive, it is proper
for the jury to be charged in the disjunctive.  Id.; White v. State, 890 S.W.2d 69, 72 (Tex. Crim. App.
1994) (Baird, J., concurring); Vasquez v. State, 665 S.W.2d 484, 486 (Tex. Crim. App. 1984).
Where the alternative theories of committing the same offense are submitted to the jury in the
disjunctive, it is appropriate for the jury to return a general verdict if the evidence is sufficient to
support a finding under any of the theories submitted.  Kitchens, 823 S.W.2d at 258;  White, 890
S.W.2d at 72 (Baird, J., concurring).
Analysis
            A person commits aggravated kidnapping if he intentionally or knowingly abducts another
person with the intent to perpetrate any of six aggravating circumstances, including facilitating the
commission of a felony or the flight after the attempt or commission of a felony or inflicting bodily
injury on the person abducted.  Tex. Pen. Code Ann. § 20.04(a)(3),(4) (Vernon 2003).  The
indictment in the case at bar specifically alleged that Appellant kidnapped Carolyn “with the intent
to facilitate the commission of a felony, to wit murder, or to facilitate the flight after the attempt or
commission of said felony and inflict bodily injury.”  (Emphasis added.)  The jury charge authorized
the jury to find Appellant guilty if he intentionally or knowingly abducted Carolyn “1) with the intent
to facilitate the commission of a felony, to-wit: murder, or to facilitate the flight after the attempt or
commission of said felony; or 2) with the intent to inflict bodily injury.” (Emphasis added.)  As
previously stated, even if the indictment alleges different means of committing the offense in the
conjunctive, it is still proper for the jury to be charged in the disjunctive.  See Kitchens, 823 S.W.2d
at 258; White, 890 S.W.2d at 72 (Baird, J., concurring).  Therefore, the trial court did not err by
including the complained-of paragraph in the jury charge.
            Morever, Carolyn testified that after Appellant abducted her from her mother’s house, he
choked her, that she may have lost consciousness, and that she thought he was going to kill her.
Carolyn reported to medical personnel and law enforcement that Appellant threatened to kill her, that
he choked her to the point of passing out, and that she lost consciousness momentarily.  This
evidence shows that Appellant abducted Carolyn with the intent to facilitate the commission of a
felony, murder.  Additionally, Carolyn reported that Appellant hit and kicked her repeatedly.  This
evidence shows that Appellant intended to inflict bodily injury on Carolyn.  Thus, the evidence was
sufficient to support a finding under either theory submitted to the jury.  See Kitchens, 823 S.W.2d
at 258; White, 890 S.W.2d at 72 (Baird, J., concurring).  Therefore, even if Appellant had shown
error in the jury charge, he has failed to show egregious harm.  See Almanza, 686 S.W.2d at 171.
Accordingly, Appellant’s second issue is overruled.

Disposition
            The judgment of the trial court is affirmed.

                                                                                JAMES T. WORTHEN
                                                                                Chief Justice

Opinion delivered July 20, 2005.
Panel consisted of Worthen, C.J., Griffith, J., and DeVasto, J.

(DO NOT PUBLISH)


For sale 3x Antminer A3 with a corresponding Bitmain APW3 Power Supply. three total for sale.Discounts available for anyone looking to buy all three.These have made me $1476 in 35 days of mining 75,600 coins 1.951 cents as of just 419, received 315 however Im going to have in-laws staying with us soon, possibly for the summer who are very noise sensitive and with work being so hectic, I dont ha...


I noticed the stock dropped after the 'Kindle Fire' (et al.) announcement. And then the rumors of 'no iPhone 5; just an upgraded iPhone 4S . A 'drop' from $407 to $374? Not good...... On the other hand: time to buy?

374 - 422 = $92 per share for every one you bought on the day you made this post. I'm not too smart either. I left my money in my [ha ha] high paying certificates at the local bank !! grrrrrrrr

Hold on, the market is slow to get it.Wait until Oct 18th at their Quarterly report.

I'm disappointed too, but AAPL will come back.... I think the bad rumor that started last week about cutting iPad orders spooked people. It's totally false, but the Market has missed that revelation...

"For the first time in recent memory, Apple Inc. (AAPL - Analyst Report) has missed EPS expectations for its fiscal 4th quarter of 2011. The greatest gadget-maker in the history of the world also came short on revenues for the quarter. Earnings of $7.05 per share on $28.3 billion in revenues missed the Zacks Consensus Estimates of $7.31 and $29.5 billion, respectively."

Here's a consolation prize: Apple again edged out Exxon Mobil (XOM, Fortune 500) in the tight race to be the stock market's most valuable company in the world.

And;

Apple said it sold more than 17 million iPhones in the past quarter, falling short of the previous two quarters' sales figures, as some consumers held out in anticipation of the new iPhone 4S. That's still impressive, however, considering the iPhone 4 had already been on sale for more than a year during the past quarter. Apple said Monday that it had already sold 4 million iPhone 4S devices in the first weekend of sales.

Only 17 million in the last quarter. x $300? average each plus all the revenue that comes from the hardware, that ain't chump change.

Here's a consolation prize: Apple again edged out Exxon Mobil (XOM, Fortune 500) in the tight race to be the stock market's most valuable company in the world.

And;

Apple said it sold more than 17 million iPhones in the past quarter, falling short of the previous two quarters' sales figures, as some consumers held out in anticipation of the new iPhone 4S. That's still impressive, however, considering the iPhone 4 had already been on sale for more than a year during the past quarter. Apple said Monday that it had already sold 4 million iPhone 4S devices in the first weekend of sales.

Only 17 million in the last quarter. x $300? average each plus all the revenue that comes from the hardware, that ain't chump change.

The stock will go up before the end of next quarter. This happens every quarter because the ANALysts try too hard to be smart and don't pay attention to obvious things like set release schedules and common sense.

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How To Find Us

Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club is located in West Molesey, Surrey on Ray Road, south of the junction with Island Farm Road and Molesey Park Road. Access to the reservoir is via a gate, across a scrub covered field, and then along a tarmac track to the reservoir compound. The entrance and clubhouse are on the north side of the reservoir. OS Grid Reference: TQ137675.

Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club is located in West Molesey, Surrey on Ray Road, south of the junction with Island Farm Road and Molesey Park Road. Access to the reservoir is via a gate, across a scrub covered field, and then along a tarmac track to the reservoir compound. The entrance and clubhouse are on the north side of the reservoir. OS Grid Reference: TQ137675.


Everyone knows that setting brightness to auto is a pain in the butt because it’s always too dark for you and it’s annoying too. Setting the brightness to a manual won’t be a good option when you just want a perfect brightness setting after you walk out of a dark room or a movie theatre. We are going to show you today how to toggle iPad or iPhone brightness by pressing three times the home button without needing to jailbreak your iOS device. So, here’s what you got to do, follow this simple guide.

How to toggle iPad or iPhone brightness using the home button

If you are on iOS 8 or above, you can tweak the Accessibility Settings to make a shortcut of your home button that changes the brightness with 3 clicks. Here’s how:

Step 1: Go to Settings -> General -> Accessibility.

Step 2: Tap on Zoom and use the toggle switch to turn on the Zoom function. If you see a small window like a magnifying glass that zooms in the screen, ignore that. Remember this guide is about how to toggle iPad or iPhone brightness using the home button, so do not worry if you see anything that’s seems terrible.

Step 3: Now tap three times anywhere with your 3 fingers on the screen and a window pops up showing you a few options about the Zoom feature.

Step 4: First of all you have to tap the ‘Full Screen Zoom’ off so your screen won’t magnify and zoom out of the current screen. Adjust the zoom slider to zero as shown. It will make your screen undo the zoom and we can use the toggle brightness feature on your iPad or iPhone.

Step 5: Tap the Choose Filter and select Low Light as this will function as the low brightness on your iOS device. So when you turn on the Zoom, the screen changes its backlight to dim and when you turn it off, the original brightness is been restored.

But, what if you do not want to go all the way into the Accessibility settings just to change the zoom on/off? With that being said, iOS has another tremendous setting that deals with the shortcut keys. You can change the brightness by pressing 3 times the home button. It is very easy for you to toggle iPad or iPhone brightness.

Step 6: To turn the zoom on or off with the shortcut key, again go to Accessibility settings and scroll all the way down and tap on Accessibility Shortcut.

Step 7: This will be your last step, finally, tap on Zoom. You will see a tiny tick on the right side.

Now, triple-click the home button from any screen to toggle iPad or iPhone brightness. An easy shortcut to set your brightness level to low and high using the home button. The iOS accessibility option has the power to do other things too, find out more in our How-To Guides.


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      <Platform>AnyCPU</Platform>
    </ProjectConfiguration>
  </ItemGroup>
  <PropertyGroup Label="Globals">
    <ProjectGuid>{60A45B1E-7E0C-47D8-AFC3-08BBDC58244F}</ProjectGuid>
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  <Target Name="Build">
    <MSBuild Projects="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\AxoCover.Native.vcxproj" Properties="Configuration=$(Configuration);Platform=x86" Targets="Build" />
    <MSBuild Projects="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\AxoCover.Native.vcxproj" Properties="Configuration=$(Configuration);Platform=x64" Targets="Build" />
  </Target>
  <Target Name="Rebuild">
    <MSBuild Projects="$(MSBuildProjectDirectory)\AxoCover.Native.vcxproj" Properties="Configuration=$(Configuration);Platform=x86" Targets="Rebuild" />
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The Wake County Board of Education allows public comment on issues of concern. This is my 3 minutes.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Your children. Not mine.

Last week, WCPSS Chairwoman Christine Kushner wrote an article for UNC-Chapel Hill's Morehead-Cain Scholars website. (Yeah, that's a mouthful in itself.)Her article is titled "The real crisis in public education, and how to fix it".First of all, "The real crisis"? High and mighty much?Anyway... I wrote a Letter to the Editor to the News & Observer in response to Ms. Kushner's ridiculous and insulting claim that it is the parents of Wake County that cause her and our school system such heartburn.As it hasn't been published (yet), I thought I would share it with you here. Enjoy.

Submitted Nov. 7, 2015:

WCPSS Chair Christine Kushner has proudly announced that it is the parents of Wake County who are hurting the public school system. Yes, you. And me. And every other caring parent who has chosen to stay with
the public school system yet stands up for their child. According to our
School Board, you are a horrible person and simply messing things up.
Kushner condescendingly claims in the article that "individual choice"
is the real crisis in our schools. She berates and belittles parents for
basically being good parents. She hates parents who make decisions that
best serve their own children without considering the "common good".
Hates them.
So, it is a little surprising to find out that Ms. Kushner chose to send
her child to one of the most exclusive publicly-funded high schools in
NC. That's right. She made an "individual choice" for her child's
education. A choice that was made, I would assume, based on what was
best her family and her child - because I don't see how sending her
child to a limited enrollment high school with a highly competitive
admission process that is fully funded by the state (including tuition,
room and board) helps the rest of us.
Apparently, the common good is your problem to solve...with your children
- not hers.


Cerebral blood flow and intracranial pressure in the dog during intravenous infusion of nitroglycerin alone and in combination with dopamine.
Nitroglycerin, long known as a safe and effective dilator of the large coronary arteries, has recently been shown to dilate the basilar artery of the dog after experimentally induced vasospasm. In this study we have evaluated the effects of intravenous nitroglycerin on local cerebral blood flow (H2 clearance technique) and intracranial pressure (intracisternal needle monitor) in normal beagle dogs (Group 1). In each of 7 dogs, infusion of nitroglycerin at rates of 3, 5, and 10 microgram/kg/min did not change blood flow in the right and left caudate nucleus, thalamus, frontal and parietal cortex. Autoregulation of cerebral blood flow remained unimpaired and intracranial pressure remained stable during nitroglycerin infusion. The effects of a combination of intravenous nitroglycerin and dopamine on local cerebral blood flow was evaluated in another group of normal beagle dogs (Group 2). Local cerebral blood flow decreased or remained unchanged in response to intravenous infusion of dopamine at low rates, increased in response to moderate rates and again decreased in response to high infusion rates. These dopamine induced changes in blood flow occurred whether or not nitroglycerin was infused simultaneously. When the vasoconstrictor activity of dopamine was blocked by phentolamine or methysergide, local cerebral blood flow increased at moderate and high infusion rates, again whether or not nitroglycerin was infused simultaneously. Our data suggest that nitroglycerin affects mainly the extracerebral capacitance arteries while dopamine affects the smaller intraparenchymal resistance vessels. Nitroglycerin has little effect on cerebral blood flow even when used in combination with dopamine.


#include "../LATEST_SUPPORTED_VERSIONS.xcconfig"


PSAGOT, West Bank — The fun was over before the tour bus rolled into Har Gilo.

For the past week, 28 college students from the United States had been taking part in a traveling experiment billed as an alternative to Birthright Israel, whose free trips to the country have become a rite of passage for hundreds of thousands of young American Jews.

Birthright’s avoidance of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank has made it the target of angry protests by left-leaning Jewish activists. But for sheer ambition, no critique has approached this week’s attempt by the liberal lobbying group J Street to map out an alternative route for Birthright’s tours.

The organizers said they embraced Birthright’s goal of helping young American Jews connect with Israel and with their Jewishness, but that they also needed to be exposed to the realities of the occupation.

On Sunday, after several upbeat days hiking in the Galilee, learning about the kibbutz movement and bonding over buffets and Israeli pop songs, the J Street cohort took a sharp left turn into territory where Birthright does not go.


Protective Effect of Korean Red Ginseng on Cisplatin Ototoxicity: Is It Effective Enough?
The aim of our study was to investigate the effects Korean Red Ginseng (KRG) on cisplatin (CDDP) ototoxicity in vivo and in vitro. The first part of the study was conducted on the House Ear Institute-Organ of Corti 1 (HEI-OC1) cell line. Cells were treated with CDDP, KRG, and their combination for 24 h. Cell viability, apoptosis, and the expression of 84 apoptosis-related genes were analyzed. In the second part of the study, 30 Wistar albino rats were divided into five groups. Baseline distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) and auditory brainstem response (ABR) measurements were obtained. In groups I, II, and III, only saline, KRG, and CDDP, respectively, were given. In group IV, 500 mg/kg KRG and in group V, 150 mg/kg of KRG were administered for 10 days. In groups III, IV, and V, 16 mg/kg CDDP injections were administered on day 11. On day 14, final DPOAEs and ABR measurements were completed. The rats were then sacrificed, and their inner ear structures were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy. In the first part of the study, pretreatment with 1 mg/mL KRG protected cells from CDDP ototoxicity. This protection was mainly due to a decline in apoptotic gene expression and an increase in antiapoptotic gene expression. In the in vivo part of the study, we found that both KRG doses had otoprotective effects. This protection was more prominent at the lower dose, especially on the spiral ganglion and the brainstem. KRG was shown to be an otoprotective agent against CDDP-induced ototoxicity both in vivo and in vitro.


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TOP 10 RIGHT NOW

‘DEEPLY PERSONAL MISTAKE’

Missouri Governor Accused of Blackmailing Extramarital Sex Partner

Updated 01.11.18 6:01AM ET / Published 01.11.18 12:17AM ET

Facebook/EricGreitens

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens on Wednesday evening admitted to having an extramarital affair after he was accused of blackmailing a woman to keep her quiet about it. The allegations surfaced in a recording provided to local news station KMOV News by the ex-husband of the unnamed woman at the center of the scandal. In the recording, the woman can be heard detailing her first alleged sexual encounter with Greitens, a former Navy SEAL who has portrayed himself as an upstanding family man. The woman alleges he blindfolded her and took a photo of her naked before threatening to circulate the image if she ever went public about the affair. “He took a picture of my wife naked as blackmail. There is no worse person,” the ex-husband told KMOV News. Greitens issued a joint statement with his wife late Wednesday admitting to having been “unfaithful” in his marriage. “This was a deeply personal mistake. Eric took responsibility, and we dealt with this together honestly and privately,” the statement said. Greitens’ lawyer has denied that the governor ever engaged in blackmail, calling the allegation about a nude picture “false.”


Q:

Determine if the amplitude of the sinusoidal function

I know the answer is -10 because at t=0, it is 10 and the midline is 20, and therefore the amplitude is 10, but I couldnt understand the explanation or rationale behind the graph.

Can anyone elaborate the sentence boxed up in red?

A:

To simplify the explanation, let's consider the function $f(t)=a\cos(bt)$.

Case 1: $a>0$, $b\in \mathbb{R}$.
Let's consider the specific case where $a=1$ and $b=1$. Here, I've plotted the graph for you:

Here, note where the graph starts where $t=0$: $\cos{t}=1$. At $t=0$, that is the maximum value of $\cos{t}$. This also applies for the general case, where $a>0$ and $b\in \mathbb{R}$ for $f(t)=a\cos(bt)$: there is always a maximum at $t=0$. Hence, your ferris wheel would have to initially be at its highest point for Case 1 to be true.

Case 2: $a<0$, $b \in \mathbb{R}$.
Now, let's let $a$ be negative and $b$ be a real number. Here, I choose $a=-1$ and $b=1$ for simplicity:

When $t=0$, $\cos{t}=-1$ in this case. It is the minimum value of $-\cos{t}$ at that time. Similarly, this also applies generally for $f(t)$ where $a<0$ and $b\in \mathbb{R}$. Hence, your ferris wheel would have to initially be at its lowest point for Case 2 to be true.

Now, notice for your example notice that:

At $t=0$, when she starts moving, she is at a height $10 \text{ m}$ off the ground, which is as low as she goes. After $20\pi$ seconds, she reaches her maximum height of $30 \text{ m}$.

The function $H(t)$ here starts from a minimum at $t=0$ and is followed by a maximum point. Therefore, $a<0$.


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“Online Groups enable people to work, learn and build shared knowledge-bases together at their own time, their own place and their own pace. Online Groups foster and facilitate innovation, learning, collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
GroupSense partners with organisations to establish self-sustaining Online Groups that achieve specific purposes.

Online Groups use simple technology that requires only standard email. GroupSense provides Planning, Design, Training and Hosting to establish Participation Habits that maximise the value of each Online Group.”

This is my friend & colleague Dan Randow’s site. Business is thriving, and I am pleased to be working with the team as a part time consultant. I have been in on discussions and planning from the start but only this year have I begun to work professionally, as a host. The GroupSense approach makes sense – it is essential to work with *people first*, it is only from knowing people and the organisation that we can design the group structure and format.

These articles are all related to online therapy. Considered a rapidly growing field, online therapy has been subject to controversy. While some professionals argue that the face-to-face therapy relationship cannot be duplicated online and worry about ethical standards, others argue that the Internet offers new ways of reaching people.

“The Net’s most comprehensive info on computers in psychology” This is a site run by Richard Davis and it is comprehensive! I just subbed to the newsletter. Will make seprate items for some of the files I find interesting.

“Welcome to the Apollo Home Page The purpose of the Apollo Page, named after the god of music, law and medicine, is to bring together resources for anyone interested in the philosophy of the arts of the imagination, ranging from ancient philosophies of all cultures to modern theories of the imagination and hermeneutics. Its central themes will be metaphysics, myth, poetics and music and their place in civilization.”

Kalman combined his desire to break new ground visually with a passionate commitment to social causes. From his days as an undergraduate at New York University, where he was a member of Students for a Democratic Society (he left school to support the Communists in Cuba for a period), Kalman’s radical politics and his radical designs were inextricably linked. “I use contrary-ism in every part of my life. In design … I’m always trying to turn things upside down and see if they look any better,” he told Charlie Rose in a December 1998 interview.

Even in the last stages of his illness, Kalman continued to push his artist-as-agent-of-change agenda. Pearlman recalled visiting Kalman in the hospital and being subjected to a heartfelt tirade about how the American Institute of Graphic Artists should require members to do charitable work. “He had a huge sense of purpose with everything he did: It kept him alive and it’s also what drove people crazy about him,” Pearlman said.

In the mid-1980s two names changed graphic design: Macintosh and Tibor. The former needs no introduction. Nor, with various books and articles by and about him, does the latter. Tibor Kalman, who died on May 2, 1999, after a long, courageous battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, was one of the few graphic designers whose accomplishments were legend within the field and widely known outside as well. Tibor may not be as influential on the daily practice of graphic design as the Mac, but his sway over how designers think — indeed, how they define their roles in culture and society — is indisputable. For a decade he was the design profession’s moral compass and its most fervent provocateur.


That’s an impressive list of achievements! You really do have self-discipline, which I admire so much. I didn’t make any resolutins this year, and that was primarily because I’ve never managed to keep them in the past, so I knew there was little point. Now I kind of want to try though. I think I’m going to make some midsummer resolutions on June 21st instead and see how that goes – I always have more energy in summer so maybe that will help me stick to them!

Thanks. Last year I set 5 goal. I figured try for more this year. My self-discipline is so-so. Some things I can achieve others I’m really not doing so well with. 🙂 But I’m trying. That sounds cool to set some mid year goals and see how it goes. 🙂 Good luck!

I see a major problem right here. You’ve got a huge list of resolution & don’t have a cover-up resolution. If I had a large list like your, my cover-up resolution would be, 10) “not to sweat on half met resolutions”. Well for a disciplined person like that won’t help either, it will just add another.
Well I guess your primary resolution now should be to get back the neck in shape. Hope you feel better. 🙂

LOL. Kinda impossible for me. But I gave myself a year so hopefully I’ll have more movement on each resolution by December. Seriously, need to get my neck to calm down. Have you ever tried to relax when you’re in pain? It’s really not easy. 🙂

Thanks! I really didn’t want to update on them because there hasn’t been as much headway as I should have made. But this is the only way to keep myself on track. Publicly admitting my successes and misses. 🙂

Thanks August! I went to the doctor today and he gave me a great calorie counter app for my phone. Hoping this helps. 🙂 He’s not set on me doing low carb, so I’m going to try calorie counting instead. I appreciate the offer. You are a nutrition and wellness guru. I may send some questions your way. 🙂

My neck seems to be my stress point. Whenever enough tough stuff happens, my neck locks up. I got the physical therapy script and muscle relaxants today. Hoping they help me get things back to normal. Aw thanks. I was mad at myself for not doing more on certain ones. But at least I mad headway on several of them. 🙂

Good on you, Kourtney for holding yourself accountable to the most important person of all: YOU! It sounds like you’re doing really well, to date, especially on the writing/submission front. Keep at it! Looking forward to hearing more about all of your progress and successes 🙂

Thanks! I’m frustrated by my weight problem, but I know that is about me not focusing and taking charge and committing to it. I’ve been trying really hard with my two finished manuscripts. I figure I will query them a few more months and then take a break. Hope to have successes to talk about, but at least there is always progress! 🙂

I think the hardest thing for us as authors is to knuckle down to the discipline of regular exercise. So well done, you!!!! But with the neck, you need to take care. The trouble with neck injuries is that they take time. Sometimes they get worse before they get better. Doing upper body moves so you don’t get ‘wound up’ as you’re sitting at a keyboard is crucial. Might be an idea to check out your posture when you’re sitting too. Also you’ve done a lot of travelling and I don’t know about you, but I find that throws me out at times. Get well soon!

Thanks CC! You’re very right, I tend to hunch forward on the computer. And I’ve spent too much time on my computer, so I’m massively restricting online time for a few weeks. It was also massive stress building up and tightening everything up. Sometimes weeks after something happens, I realize how much it really upset me. I had a lovely crying fit today and I think I have a better handle on what stresses blew up in my neck. I’m starting physical therapy and taking muscle relaxants. I’m hoping in a few weeks things will be improved! 🙂 Really appreciate your advice. And I’m going to work on destressing myself. 🙂

Thanks Carol! It’s tough to do. I hate admitting I didn’t complete a goal. But I can console myself with having 6 more months to complete everything. 🙂 Going to cut the online time for a couple weeks and hope that helps. 🙂

He is. 🙂 Though the poor little guy keeps getting an infection on his paw. He’s on a second round of antibiotics. That means more mommy attention as I clean his paw 2x a day. Thanks for the perspective. I am trying. Even if I miss the mark. 🙂 I can always try again.

Hope you are feeling better. Stress is such a problem.(Many carry their shoulders higher when stressed – which messes with the neck.)
Hope Emerson is healing, too.
You’ve done so much on your list – impressive! Seriously impressive!
The weight thing Is so hard – it takes forever – eventually exercise will do the trick – if I walk, I can keep a hold on it. But it is discouraging and hard.
California – and playing with Emerson both sound like great rewards!
Hang in there. You’re doing great…it’s ok to rest a bit!

Thanks for your support. 🙂 I’m doing what I can to help my neck–medication, physical therapy, massages. Trying to spend more time reading and away from the laptop. Might be a couple weeks before I can touch my WIP. I’m worried about his pad, it looks like a cyst or a boil. And the vet doesn’t want to do surgery so we have to get it to go away with medicated washes and antibiotics.

Aw thanks for saying that. I was pretty embarrassed to own the lack of movement on a few of them. The weight has been on my resolutions for two years. I’m an emotional eater and things have been really emotional lately. But I think this calorie counter app may help. I can have my carbs and still stay on track.

Thanks again. It really helped to hear that. I’ve been really hard on myself lately and you reminded me the glass is indeed half full. 🙂

Sometimes it seems you are given others to care for to distract you from yourself? Do hope the paw treatments work – surgery is never easy for dogs.
I know people who said that calorie counter really helped and was so convenient.
Until a few years ago I was one of those people who could eat anything and not gain weight – not any more – weight jsut sneaks up on you – and takes FOREVER to get it off. Constant struggle as I eat under stress also. Tried writing down every single bite that went in my mouth….now that’s depressing. I try not to eat at night. But it’s hard! So your’e not alone. Hang in there. Hope you feel better soon. HUGS

I hope this next round of antibiotics works. 🙂
In my 20s, I could decide to lose weight and the weight would drop off. Now in my 30s, it’s so slow. Ugh. LOL, the phone app is a cool compromise, you can scan barcodes and track what you eat. 🙂 Thanks. Physical Therapy made my neck hurt more yesterday but it feels a tad better today. 🙂

Great job on all of your resolutions! Just the fact that you haven’t given up on them at this point of the year means you’re already ahead of most. Weight is a tricky thing, the only reason I managed to lose and keep off the pounds is that the restaurants around here are notoriously bad — especially the fast food. Otherwise, I’m sure I’d fall back into the bad eating habits in no time.

Thanks Audrey! I make a to do list everyday. It helps me stay on track and attack item by item. With the food, I now have a fitness app that tracks everything I eat and counts my calories. Hoping that helps with that goal. 🙂 I get overwhelmed when I look at the big picture. I try to take most things day by day. 🙂

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U-SCHOS: Youth Beyond Boundaries

OUR HIGHLIGHTS

Scholar Enrichment Programme (SEP)

The programme continues to connect young individuals with movers and shakers of the world — from ministers to heavyweights from various industries and expertise, to gain insights and learn real-life leadership practices.

U-SCHOS LEADERSHIP LECTURE SERIES

U-Schos Leadership Lecture Series 2016: LEADnovate the Future
ULLS Facebook cover
U-Schos Leadership Lecture Series (ULLS) was initiated in line with the objectives of UCSI Scholars’ Circle (U-Schos) to continuously inculcate strong leadership values among the young leaders in the university and also in the country.

HANDS OF HOPE

Hands of Hope is a long-term voluntary project established in January 2014 with a mission to sow seeds of change to the underserved communities through education.

About Us

To create impact among youth by transforming ideas into action.

The UCSI Scholars’ Circle (U-Schos) is made up of scholarship awardees of UCSI University Trust, whose achievements demonstrate a sustained level of excellence in academics, sports and extra-curricular activities.

As the name suggests, the alphabet “U” indicates UCSI University whereas “Schos” refers to Scholarship Awardees. The symbolic feather icon of U-Schos represents a scholar on UCSI’s wings who best exudes UCSI University’s aspirations.

In-line with our motto Youth Beyond Boundaries, we progress towards empowering potential young leaders by providing them a platform to strive to greater heights beyond boundaries as we believe every youth has the capabilities to be successful.

Check out what our previous speakers have to say!

I was very surprised how well this event was run, I was impressed with how it was organised, the lineup of speakers that came and the overall professionalism of the team. I know they are students, but I could have mistaken them for event organisers already years into their careers.
The nature of being young (and I’m talking about myself) is that I was very ignorant, back in university, I didn’t know what my passion was and what I would like to do or to contribute to for the rest of my life. That came from a weak Malaysian primary and secondary education. What the U-Schos does is that it brings experience and awareness from outside the classroom, into the classroom and I believe that goes a long way in helping the youth shape their worldview and the work they will want to do in the future.
Personally I have always been on the fence when it comes to coming for events or talks, because there is a 50-50 chance that it will be a terrible waste of time. The U-Schos Leadership Lecture Series has proven that it is awesome with it’s strong lineup of speakers and the professionalism on how the event was run.

In today’s world, it is vital to entertain the curious mind. Providing a safe space for young people to ask question and find answers is the key for tomorrow’s society – ULLS does exactly that. I strongly encourage students to attend those events to find their own paths. A young leader is always thirsty for knowledge and network. Most of today’s successful companies are created within campus – where the creativity meets the entrepreneurship. They are many paths to success but only the fearless intrigued mind succeed. If you believe in this then ULLS is the place for you to go.

It was overall a fantastic event.
It gives huge insights to the youth about the possibilities available in today’s world, and what the future may hold for them. It provides you with thoughts from some of the most exciting entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and business leaders, ensuring that you are always thinking one step ahead of the game.
Some of the most important things in life is how your spend your time. There is very little to lose when spending your time sharpening your axe

NEWS

UCSI Scholarship ‘a light at the end of the tunnel’ for chemical engineering student 3 Sep 2016 The sudden death of his father on Christmas Day in 2014 almost forced Liew Jer Chyi to give up on tertiary education but his persistence paid off when he earned the UCSI University Trust Prestige Scholarship Award. Date Read more about News[…]


//
//  ACOIResourceResolver.h
//  ACOIResourceResolver
//
//  Copyright © 2018 Microsoft. All rights reserved.
//

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>

@protocol ACOIResourceResolver

// only one IF per scheme is supported
@optional
- (UIImage *)resolveImageResource:(NSURL *)url;

- (UIImageView *)resolveImageViewResource:(NSURL *)url;

- (UIImageView *)resolveBackgroundImageViewResource:(NSURL *)url hasStretch:(BOOL)hasStretch;

@end


Posts Tagged ‘illustrator’

There was a time, not all that long ago, when all I wanted to do was make a living as a comic book illustrator. It was the one true passion I had in my life. I would eat, breathe, and sleep the hope that one day I would get my big break and the annals of history would find my name next to men such as Jack Kirby, John Romita, Will Eisner, Neal Adams, Wally Wood, and so on. I would begin to gain forward momentum and time and time again, something always stood in my way.

People with common sense would say things like, “Have you ever thought that maybe God wants you doing something else?” To which I would reply, “Are you stupid?!!” I mean, clearly I have the tools and ability to do so. It was quite literally the central focus of my passion. Only a complete dunce would dare suggest that God would waste His time equipping me to work in the comic book industry and then make me do something else! Right? Right..?

Sure I’ve done quite a bit of comic book related work. Some writing, some coloring, quite a bit of illustration. Yet, it’s always seems laborious. But why? I’m naturally talented, well studied, oft practiced, and completely in love with the medium. Why should it be hard? I always blamed it on my short attention span. Well, okay… maybe that had a little something to do with it.

Twenty-two years since I began trying to make a living in comics, and I still can’t completely let it go. To clarify, I no longer desire to make my fortune drawing dynamic heroes with extraordinary powers and poor fashion choices. But I still want to hold to the thought that God wouldn’t equip me to do something only to have me not do that aforementioned thing.

Clearly this is flawed thinking. God also equipped me with well above average strength, the ability to fight (as well as win), and a mean streak that manifests itself not with violent rage, but methodical inhumanity. I have no problem believing that God doesn’t want me utilizing this “gift”, so why do I argue the other?

I do love to draw. I really, really do. When not done as a means of income it’s very soothing and therapeutic for me. My mind can wander and think about other things, all the while I can create my own world full of adventure and fanciful nonsense. However, when done vocationally it becomes an idol to me. It is my focus, above virtually all else. This, I believe is why the Lord has never given me the career I desired.

All this to say that I am currently working on a comic book for pay. Good pay actually. I’m grateful for the added income, but I am so miserable… Perhaps God doesn’t want me to keep trying. Perhaps it’s a part of my life best left behind me. Who knows? Of course it could just be a poorly written story with a paper thin plot that doesn’t challenge me in any way. I guess there’s that too.

Anyway, be careful where you place your passions. Idols are easily forged.


News Story

New info released about Tales from the Borderlands by Telltale Games and Gearbox

Telltale Games has released new information alongside Gearbox Software about the studio collaboration Tales from the Borderlands, which marries Telltale's expert storytelling and adventure game know-how with Gearbox's vibrant Borderlands series.

The episodic series will be released on PC, Mac OS, "home consoles" and mobile in 2014. "Home consoles" may or may not include the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Telltale Games CEO Dan Connors noted in the presser, "Gearbox shares the independent spirit that Telltale was founded on, and like Telltale, they've broken the boundaries of what to expect within a gaming genre. Our partnership is something that we are very excited about, because it will unite the incredibly rich world of Borderlands with Telltale's focus on story-telling driven by player choice, and characters that people truly care about."

According to Connors, Tales from the Borderlands will feature stories based on all-new characters, though Handsome Jack made an appearance in the teaser released during the Spike TV Videogame Awards 2013.


Dr. Kelly A. Krueger

M.D.

Dr. Krueger received her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and medical degree from Cornell University’s Weill Medical College in Manhattan. She completed her internship and residency at New York Presbyterian Hospital (Cornell Campus) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. Her fellowship training in Gastroenterology was at the Lahey Clinic in Boston. She is a member of the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Gastroenterological Association. She practices in all areas of gastroenterology including colon cancer screening, inflammatory bowel disease and gastro esophageal reflux.


by Naureen S. Malik and Mark Chediak, Bloomberg

California’s push to use only carbon-free electricity hinges on a big bet — that battery costs will plunge.

Lawmakers are expected to vote this week on a bill mandating that power generation come entirely from clean sources like wind and solar by 2045. But without cheap batteries, that could cause power prices to soar. That’s because it could spell the end for natural gas plants which currently generate about a third of the state’s electricity and are critical to keep the grid stable.

California would need to install more than 200 times as much energy-storage capacity than it has now to make up for the loss of gas plants, according to the Clean Air Task Force, a Boston-based energy-policy nonprofit. Gas plants both provide steady power output and can react quickly when there are supply constraints. The availability of renewables can be intermittent, making the ability to store power key.

“It could happen, but you are taking a gamble,” said Toby Shea, a New York-based analyst at Moody’s Investors Service. Cutting out gas entirely “will require battery costs to continue to decline precipitously.”

Proponents of the bill say solar and wind energy already compete in price with fossil fuels and that costs are expected to decline further. In addition, the proposal allows for the state to meet the target with a mix of clean-energy resources, including large hydroelectric dams. The bill’s sponsor, California state Senator Kevin De Leon, said critics have predicted time and again that clean energy initiatives would drive up costs.

“They were wrong,” De Leon, a Democrat, said in a statement. “California has the fastest growing economy in America — and the fastest growing jobs sector in our economy is in clean energy.’’

The measure makes clear, he said, that the state will only move toward generating all its power from clean sources if it can be done in a cost-effective way.

Renewables are already closing in on gas as the state’s dominant source of electricity. At times, so much solar and wind power is generated that excess supplies cause prices to plunge to negative levels, forcing the grid operator — and consumers — to pay to curtail their output. Gas plants are being crushed by low prices and the grid has had to enter into contracts to keep some of them running so the lights stay on.

Even so, eliminating gas in the state’s power-generation mix won’t be easy. California consumed about 2 trillion cubic feet (57 billion cubic meters) in 2016, accounting for 7.9 percent of total U.S. gas demand that year, according to the most recent government data.

Replacing Gas

Achieving a 100 percent renewable energy target in California would require 36.3 million megawatt hours of energy storage, assuming the goal is met mostly through wind and solar, according to the Clean Air Task Force. That compares with 150,000 megawatt hours of storage available in the state including pumped-hydroelectric facilities, according to the group.

“If you don’t solve the storage problem, you will end up with more solar dumped in the middle of the day and negative prices,” said Sharon Tomkins, vice president, customer solutions and strategy for Sempra Energy’s Southern California Gas utility serving households to industrial consumers.

Battery prices are expected to fall 67 percent from current levels by 2030, according to a Bloomberg NEF forecast.

Even then, California power prices would be “astronomically high” if a 100 percent renewables target goes into effect, Stephen Brick, a senior adviser at the Clean Air Task Force, said in an interview. A clean-energy standard that included other carbon-free technologies would be less expensive, Brick added.

The clean energy bill, which is opposed by California’s investor-owned utilities — PG&E Corp., Edison International and Sempra — has been passed by the senate and needs to clear the assembly and be signed by the governor to become law. Governor Jerry Brown’s staff said he doesn’t take positions on pending legislation.

Climate Leadership

The push toward more clean-power sources is nothing new for the Golden State. California is positioning itself to lead the battle against climate change by cutting emissions even as the Trump administration works to prop up coal-fired power plants.

Already, California has set a goal of cutting carbon emissions by 2030 to 40 percent below 1990 levels and has set stringent standards for auto pollution that are now being contested by President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Monica and San Jose just pledged they would convert all buildings to zero-carbon sources by 2050. While Hawaii was the first state to set a 100 percent clean energy target, California would be by far the biggest to do so.


/*=========================================================================

  Program:   Visualization Toolkit
  Module:    vtkImageLaplacian.h

  Copyright (c) Ken Martin, Will Schroeder, Bill Lorensen
  All rights reserved.
  See Copyright.txt or http://www.kitware.com/Copyright.htm for details.

     This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even
     the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
     PURPOSE.  See the above copyright notice for more information.

=========================================================================*/
/**
 * @class   vtkImageLaplacian
 * @brief   Computes divergence of gradient.
 *
 * vtkImageLaplacian computes the Laplacian (like a second derivative)
 * of a scalar image.  The operation is the same as taking the
 * divergence after a gradient.  Boundaries are handled, so the input
 * is the same as the output.
 * Dimensionality determines how the input regions are interpreted.
 * (images, or volumes). The Dimensionality defaults to two.
 */

#ifndef vtkImageLaplacian_h
#define vtkImageLaplacian_h

#include "vtkImagingGeneralModule.h" // For export macro
#include "vtkThreadedImageAlgorithm.h"

class VTKIMAGINGGENERAL_EXPORT vtkImageLaplacian : public vtkThreadedImageAlgorithm
{
public:
  static vtkImageLaplacian* New();
  vtkTypeMacro(vtkImageLaplacian, vtkThreadedImageAlgorithm);
  void PrintSelf(ostream& os, vtkIndent indent) override;

  //@{
  /**
   * Determines how the input is interpreted (set of 2d slices ...)
   */
  vtkSetClampMacro(Dimensionality, int, 2, 3);
  vtkGetMacro(Dimensionality, int);
  //@}

protected:
  vtkImageLaplacian();
  ~vtkImageLaplacian() override = default;

  int Dimensionality;

  int RequestUpdateExtent(vtkInformation*, vtkInformationVector**, vtkInformationVector*) override;
  void ThreadedRequestData(vtkInformation* request, vtkInformationVector** inputVector,
    vtkInformationVector* outputVector, vtkImageData*** inData, vtkImageData** outData,
    int outExt[6], int id) override;

private:
  vtkImageLaplacian(const vtkImageLaplacian&) = delete;
  void operator=(const vtkImageLaplacian&) = delete;
};

#endif


Multi-class and multi-scale models of complex biological phenomena.
Computational modeling has significantly impacted our ability to analyze vast (and exponentially increasing) quantities of experimental data for a variety of applications, such as drug discovery and disease forecasting. Single-scale, single-class models persist as the most common group of models, but biological complexity often demands more sophisticated approaches. This review surveys modeling approaches that are multi-class (incorporating multiple model types) and/or multi-scale (accounting for multiple spatial or temporal scales) and describes how these models, and combinations thereof, should be used within the context of the problem statement. We end by highlighting agent-based models as an intuitive, modular, and flexible framework within which multi-scale and multi-class models can be implemented.


If you are single and frustrated that you cannot find a decent Catholic man, then this is for you.

Modern culture makes dating hard work and it seems that being feminine and Catholic has no place in today’s world.

Here’s how to find a decent Catholic man without compromising your faith, values, standards or femininity.

ONE

PRAY NOVENAS – Finding a spouse is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life so why not ask your friends in high places to assist in this? Popular novenas for finding a spouse include Novenas to St Anne, Novenas to St Anthony (he does much more than finding lost keys, ya know!) and Novenas to St Raphael the Archangel.

TWO

ATTEND MASS – Attend Mass and when you can, attend daily Mass. Be sure to spend about 5 minutes before or after Mass in silent prayer or meditation. Not only is it good for strengthening your ability to discern, but your spouse could literally be a pew or two away.

THREE

PRAY THE ROSARY – Ask the intercession of your Mother. She is always ready and willing to help us.

FOUR

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION – Spend time in front of the Sacrament at least once a week. I call Eucharistic Adoration ‘Date Night With Jesus’. Spending time with Jesus can help you discern better the right sort of mate for you and also help you recognise him when you meet him. You can also pray the rosary at Eucharistic Adoration……after all, the Son always listens to His Mother!

FIVE

GET SOCIAL – attend local events in your church and sign up for as many volunteer opportunities as you can. It is not only a great way to meet new people, but also a great way to meet people who share similar interests.

SIX

GET ONLINE – Join a few online Catholic dating sites to increase your chances of meeting someone

SEVEN

RELAX – Give it over to God. This is essential. Trust in God, keep yourself busy with activities and have faith that God will bring you the right person at the right time.

EIGHT

BE PICKY – Don’t just go for the first man that shows you a little attention. God presented Eve to Adam. She was His gift to Adam. Remember that, ladies – YOU ARE THE PRIZE! Focus on being CHOOSY, not on being CHOSEN. Just because he goes to Church does not mean he is a godly man….or even that he is right for you.

An authentic feminine woman knows her worth and will never settle for anyone who does not recognise this.

MORE RESOURCES:

THE ABCs OF CHOOSING A GOOD HUSBAND

THE WIFE DESIRED

ad Jesum per Mariam

🌹🙏🌹