text:
Notice: This Wiki is now read only and edits are no longer possible. Please see: https://gitlab.eclipse.org/eclipsefdn/helpdesk/-/wikis/Wiki-shutdown-plan for the plan.
- 1 What is Object-Relational Mapping
- 2 What are the Best Practices for using EclipseLink JPA?
- 3 What version of JPA does EclipseLink support?
- 4 What features beyond JPA does EclipseLink support?
- 5 Migrating to EclipseLink JPA
- 6 What databases are supported?
- 7 Does EclipseLink support NoSQL databases?
- 8 How is EclipseLink integrated with the Oracle database?
- 9 How to access table, column and schema information at runtime?
- 10 How to access the JDBC connection?
- 11 How to disable or enable weaving?
- 12 Are stored procedures and triggers supported?
- 13 How to get the SQL for a Query?
- 14 How to diagnose and resolve hangs and deadlocks?
- 15 Do I have to maintain both sides of a bi-directional relationship?
- 16 How to access what changed in an object or transaction?
- 17 How to avoid trimming the trailing spaces on a CHAR field?
What is Object-Relational Mapping
Object-relational mapping or ORM is the category of products that provide services to map objects to relational databases. The Java Persistence API (JPA) is the Java specification that provides a standard to ORM in Java. JPA provides both a standard mapping definition (through annotations or XML) and a standard runtime API and object-level query language (JPQL). JPA is part of the EJB specification and JEE platform, but can also be used in JSE.
EclipseLink provides sophisticated and high performance object-relational mapping services and complete support for the JPA specification. JPA objects are mapped through the package javax.persistence annotations and JPA persistence.xml and orm.xml. EclipseLink also provides extended annotations through the package org.eclipse.persistence.annotations. JPA provides a runtime API through the EntityManager class in the javax.persistence package. EclipseLink also provides extended runtime API through the package org.eclipse.persistence.jpa.
EclipseLink also provides a POJO ORM API and mapping model which its JPA support is based on. The mapping model classes are in the org.eclipse.persistence.descriptors and org.eclipse.persistence.mappings packages, and sessions.xml and project.xml files. The runtime API is provided through the Session and UnitOfWork classes in the org.eclipse.persistence.sessions package.
What are the Best Practices for using EclipseLink JPA?
See EclipseLink JPA Best Practices.
What version of JPA does EclipseLink support?
EclipseLink fully supports JPA 2.0, in fact, EclipseLink is the JPA 2.0 reference implementation.
EclipseLink can also be used the Java EE servers that only support JPA 1.0.
EclipeLink 2.4 also supports some aspects of the JPA 2.1 draft.
What features beyond JPA does EclipseLink support?
EclipseLink provides additional features beyond the JPA specification.
These include:
- Caching: shared/isolated/protected/read-only, clustered cache coordination, invalidation, indexes, in-memory querying, database events driven invalidation
- Mapping: converters, history, additional criteria, interfaces, variable relationships, field locking, query keys, UUID
- JPQL: FUNC, TREAT, ON, FUNCTION, OPERATOR, SQL, TABLE, COLUMN, CAST, EXTRACT, REGEXP, FROM sub-select, SELECT sub-select, NULLS FIRST/LAST, UNION, INTERSECT, EXCEPT
- Querying: join fetch, batch fetch, fetch groups, connect by, SQL hints, cursors, map results, fetch-size, timeouts, expressions, stored procedures
- Performance: data partitioning/sharding, batch writing, weaving
- Connection pooling: min/max/initial, read pool, query retry, DataSource, JTA, UCP
- Composite persistence units: multi-database integration
- Dynamic: dynamic entities, extensions, external meta-data
- Object-relational: Struct and Array data-types
- Extendable: descriptor/session customizers, custom converters, custom inheritance, custom joins, custom partitioning, descriptor/session events
- DDL: schema create/replace/extend, indexes, cascade delete
- Database: Oracle, MySQL, PostgreSQL, DB2, SQL Server, Sybase, SQL Anywhere, Informix, Derby, Firebird, H2, HSQL, MaxDB, Symfoware, Access, Attunity, Cloudscape, DBase, PointBase, TimesTen
- Oracle: RAC, UCP, XDB, spatial, lobs, NChar, timestamptz, QCN/DCN, VPD, flashback, returning, PLSQL
- NoSQL: MongoDB, Oracle NoSQL, XML files, JMS, Oracle AQ, JCA
- Java EE: WebLogic, Glassfish, WebSphere, JBoss
- OSGi, Spring
Migrating to EclipseLink JPA
How do I migrate from using Oracle TopLink to EclipseLink?
See Oracle TopLink
How do I migrate from using TopLink Essentials to EclipseLink?
How do I migrate from another JPA provider to EclipseLink?
See JPA Migration
What databases are supported?
EclipseLink supports any relational database that is compliant with SQL and has a compliant JDBC driver. EclipseLink has extended support for several database platforms. The extended support mainly consists of providing native sequencing support, schema creation, and certain database functions. These platform classes can be found in the org.eclipse.persistence.platform.database
and org.eclipse.persistence.platform.database.oracle
These include:
- Oracle
- Oracle JDBC (8, 9, 10, 11)
- MySQL
- PostgreSQL
- Derby
- DB2 (mainframe)
- Microsoft SQL Server
- Sybase
- Informix
- SQL Anywhere
- Firebird
- Microsoft Access
- Attunity
- Cloudscape
- DBase
- PointBase
- TimesTen
- Symfoware
- MaxDB
It also possible to extend EclipseLink to add extended support for additional platforms. There are also several user contributed platforms in the EclipseLink incubator project, see Platform Incubator.
EclipseLink has extended support for Oracle JDBC drivers. Including:
- LOB's
- NChar's
- XMLType's
- TIMESTAMP (TZ, LTZ)'s
- Native batch writing
- Structured object-relational data-types
- PLSQL data-types and stored procedures
- VPD, RAC, proxy authentication
- XDK XML parser
EclipseLink also has support for structure object-relational data-types and databases, and NoSQL and Enterprise Information Systems (EIS, legacy data-sources and messaging platforms).
See NoSQL.
Does EclipseLink support NoSQL databases?
EclipseLink supports NoSQL databases and Enterprise Information Systems (EIS, legacy data-sources and messaging platforms).
See NoSQL and the JPA Extensions Guide for details.
How is EclipseLink integrated with the Oracle database?
EclipseLink is completely independent from, but also tightly integrated with the Oracle database. EclipseLink has extended support for most Oracle SQL, JDBC and database extensions.
EclipseLink's extended support for the Oracle database includes:
- LOB's
- NChar's
- XMLType's
- TIMESTAMP (TZ, LTZ)'s
- Native batch writing
- Structured object-relational data-types
- PLSQL data-types and stored procedures
- VPD, RAC, proxy authentication
- XDK XML parser
- Hierarchical selects (connect by prior)
- Returning clause
- Flashback history and queries
- Stored procedures, output parameters and output cursors
- Stored functions
- Oracle AQ
How to access table, column and schema information at runtime?
EclipseLink stores the mapping metadata from the JPA annotations and orm.xml in its ClassDescriptor
and DatabaseMapping
These objects can be accessed at runtime from the EntityManager
or EntityManagerFactory
by casting or unwrapping to the EclipseLink JPA interface.
EntityManager em = getEntityManager(); String table = em.unwrap(JpaEntityManager.class).getServerSession().getDescriptor(MyClass.class).getTables().get(0).getName(); String schema = em.unwrap(JpaEntityManager.class).getServerSession().getDescriptor(MyClass.class).getTables().get(0).getTableQualifier(); String column = em.unwrap(JpaEntityManager.class).getServerSession().getDescriptor(MyClass.class).getMappingForAttributeName("myAttribute").getField().getName();
If you use JPA annotations, you may also be able to access specified schema information using Java reflection to access your annotation objects.
The JPA 2.0 metamodel can also be used to provide information on how the attributes are mapped (but not their database schema information).
You can also use native SQL queries to query your database catalogs for schema information, or use the JDBC connection metadata APIs. EclipseLink also exposes the JDBC catalog APIs through its SchemaManager
How to access the JDBC connection?
Sometimes when using JPA it may be required to have lower level access to your database through JDBC. If you are using a JEE DataSource, you can just access the same DataSource that JPA uses, if it is a JTA DataSource it will be in the same transaction context as JPA.
If you are not using a DataSource, or want the same connection in the same transaction as JPA, you can obtain the JDBC Connection from the EntityManager.
See, Getting a JDBC Connection from an EntityManager
How to disable or enable weaving?
In a Java SE environment weaving is not enabled by default. This can affect LAZY OneToOne, ManyToOne and Basic relationships. It also has a major effect on performance and disable attribute change tracking.
To enable weaving in Java SE, the EclipseLink agent must be used when starting the Java VM.
java -javaagent:eclipselink.jar
Spring could also be used to allow JPA weaving in Java SE.
Static weaving can also be used to weave your jar.
See, How to Configure Static Weaving
In a Java EE environment weaving is enabled by default (on any JEE EJB 3.0 fully compliant app server, Weblogic, Webspehere, Glassfish. JBoss does not allow weaving so you must use static weaving or Spring).
To disable weaving the weaving persistence unit property can be used,
<property name="eclipselink.weaving" value="false">
For more information on weaving see the EclipseLink UserGuide, Using EclipseLink JPA Weaving
Are stored procedures and triggers supported?
EclipseLink has extended support for stored procedures and triggers.
Stored procedures are support through the @NamedStoredProcedureQuery, @NamedStoredFunctionQuery, @NamedPLSQLStoredFunctionQuery, @NamedPLSQLStoredProcedureQuery, StoredProcedureCall, StoredFunctionCall, PLSQLStoredProcedureCall, and PLSQLStoredFunctionCall classes.
The following stored procedures features are supported:
- IN parameters
- OUT parameter
- INOUT parameters
- result sets
- CURSOR OUT parameters
- Object-relational datatypes (Struct, Array)
- Oracle PLSQL types such as TABLE, RECORD, BOOLEAN
- Using a stored procedure in a named query
- Using a stored procedure in a dynamic query
- Using a stored procedure to override an Entity's persist, update, remove or find query.
- Using a stored procedure to override a mapping's select, insert or delete query.
- Stored functions
- Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL, Sybase, DB2, other stored procedure capable platforms
Triggers can be used in the tables being processed by EclipseLink.
If a trigger is updating data required back in the application, or the id, the @ReturnInsert, @ReturnUpdate or ReturningPolicy can be used the return the values updated by the trigger.
How to get the SQL for a Query?
To see the SQL for a JPA Query you can enable logging on FINE or lower.
To get the SQL for a specific Query at runtime you can use the DatabaseQuery API.
Session session = em.unwrap(JpaEntityManager.class).getActiveSession(); DatabaseQuery databaseQuery = ((EJBQueryImpl)query).getDatabaseQuery(); databaseQuery.prepareCall(session, new DatabaseRecord()); String sqlString = databaseQuery.getSQLString();
This SQL will contain ? for parameters. To get the SQL translated with the arguments you need a DatabaseRecord with the parameter values.
Session session = em.unwrap(JpaEntityManager.class).getActiveSession(); DatabaseQuery databaseQuery = ((EJBQueryImpl)query).getDatabaseQuery(); String sqlString = databaseQuery.getTranslatedSQLString(session, recordWithValues);
How to diagnose and resolve hangs and deadlocks?
A system hang, or deadlock is one of the most difficult problems to diagnose and resolve.
The first task is to determine where the application is hanging.
Use ctrl<break> on Windows or kill on Unix, or a debugger to log the stack trace to identify what the hung threads are blocked on.
Possible sources include:
- Application - the application uses locks or synchronized methods causing the hang.
- This should be the easiest to diagnose, as it is within your own code.
- Database - the database is deadlocked on a set of transactions.
- You will see JDBC access as the last call on the stack.
- This is normally caused by database table, row and page locks.
- Check for usages of pessimistic locking, or concurrent updates to the same set of rows.
- If a set of updates is deadlocking, trying setting the persistence unit property "eclipselink.order-updates"="true".
- EclipseLink avoids database deadlocks through several mechanisms, including providing optimistic locking, a read and sequence connection pool, and ordering writes by table, and ordering updates and deletes by id.
- Ensure a sequence connection pool is being used if using TABLE sequencing. See PersistenceUnitProperties.CONNECTION_POOL_SEQUENCE;
- Avoid using a SERIALIZABLE or strict database transaction isolation level.
- Connection pool - the application has exceed the size of the connection pool and a thread with a connection requires an additional connection.
- You will see a connection request as the last method on the stack.
- Ensure an adequate number of connections in your connection pool.
- Cache - If using a shared cache, EclipseLink requires locking the cache on reads and writes to ensure consistency.
- You will see cache access, such as IdentityMapManager acquireLock or acquireDeferredLock, or WriteLockManager as the last call on the stack.
- Ensure you are using the latest EclipseLink release, the issue may have been fixed. Otherwise log a bug including the relevant stack dump.
- This is normally related to having relationships that do not use LAZY, ensure all relationship use LAZY.
- An alternative to using LAZY is to set the persistence unit property,
- An alternative to using LAZY is to set the persistence unit property,
- It can also be caused by join fetching, so remove any join fetches to diagnose the problem.
- A workaround is to disable the shared cache. See How to disable the shared cache?.
- The cache isolation in EclipseLink can be configured. Try using a SessionCustomizer to call
. - A possible workaround is to configure
DeferredLockManager.SHOULD_USE_DEFERRED_LOCKS = false
Do I have to maintain both sides of a bi-directional relationship?
Yes, you need to maintain both sides of the relationship in JPA. It is a common problem that an application does not do this, and then sees inconsistent objects afterwords. This is normally not done by mistake, but is also done on purpose, normally with a ManyToOne/OneToMany relationship, where the application programmer wants to avoid the cost of reading in the OneToMany collection, especially if it is large.
If you are updating a child in a OneToMany, then you just need to find() it, and update it, or use merge(). You do not need to merge() or modify the parent or its children relationship.
If you are adding a new child, then you need to persist() or merge() it, set its parent to the one from the current persistence context using find() (merge can do this, but if your parent is transient, or nulled out, then you need to do this yourself, and if the parent's children are transient or nulled out, then you need to be careful it is not merged or cascaded). You also need to add the child to the parent's children (otherwise it will not be there in the current persistence context, or possibly future ones if you are using a shared cache).
If you are deleting a child, then you need to call remove() on it, unless you have set the relationship to deleteOrphans. You also need to remove it from the parent's children, (otherwise it will still be there in the current persistence context, or possibly future ones if you are using a shared cache).
There are alternatives to adding and removing the child though, if you want to avoid the cost of reading the children:
- If you are using LAZY relationship, a List (it is also possible with Set, but there can be issues), and weaving (static or dynamic), then add() and remove() will not instantiate the children.
- If the children is not something you want to ever read, then consider not mapping it, just query it if needed.
- If the parent's children is not instantiated, you could avoid adding the child. (see PersistenceUnitUtil.isLoaded()).
- You can call refresh() on the parent after the commit to reset its children.
- You can avoid adding the child if you clear or throw away your persistence unit, and are not using a shared cache.
How to access what changed in an object or transaction?
EclipseLink tracks changes made to managed objects within a persistence context or transaction. This allows EclipseLink to update only exactly what changed. Changes are tracked in two main different ways, depending on your objects and configuration. These are defined in the ChangeTrackingType enum, and are either ATTRIBUTE, OBJECT or DEFERRED.
ATTRIBUTE weaves a PropertyChangeListener into your class. Whenever any field in your class changes, this listener is notified of the change. ATTRIBUTE is used when weaving is enabled through dynamic or static weaving.
DEFERRED does not require any class changes, so is used when weaving is not enabled. A backup copy of the object is made when it is first registered in the persistence context. On commit or flush, the current managed state of the object is compared to the backup to determine the changes.
OBJECT uses a combination of the two.
EclipseLink creates instances of ObjectChangeSet that capture the changes made to an object. EclipseLink uses these change sets internally, but they are also available to the application if it also requires to know what has changed. There are two ways to access the change sets, directly from the UnitOfWork, and through events.
To access the current changes from an EntityManager:
UnitOfWorkChangeSet changes = em.unwrap(UnitOfWork.class).getCurrentChanges(); ObjectChangeSet objectChanges = changes.getObjectChangeSetForClone(object); DirectToFieldChangeRecord change = (DirectToFieldChangeRecord)objectChanges.getChangesForAttributeNamed("firstName"); Object newValue = change.getNewValue(); Object oldValue = change.getOldValue();
To access changes from events, EclipseLink's DescriptorEvents must be used. Descriptor events can be registered for using a DescriptorEventListener similar to using an EntityListener. DescriptorEventListener has events for pre/post/aboutTo Update/Insert/Delete. You can access the object from the event using getObject
and you can access the change set using getChangeSet
, or getQuery().getObjectChangeSet()
public void MyEventListener extends DescriptorEventAdapter { public void postUpdate(DescriptorEvent event) { ObjectChangeSet objectChanges = ((UpdateObjectQuery)event.getQuery()).getObjectChangeSet(); DirectToFieldChangeRecord change = (DirectToFieldChangeRecord)objectChanges.getChangesForAttributeNamed("firstName"); Object newValue = change.getNewValue(); Object oldValue = change.getOldValue(); ... } }
If you object is weaved for attribute change tracking, you can access the change set directly from the object.
ObjectChangeSet objectChanges = ((AttributeChangeListener)((ChangeTracker)object)._persistence_getPropertyChangeListener()).getObjectChangeSet(); DirectToFieldChangeRecord change = (DirectToFieldChangeRecord)objectChanges.getChangesForAttributeNamed("firstName"); Object newValue = change.getNewValue(); Object oldValue = change.getOldValue();
- JavaDoc for changesets package.
How to avoid trimming the trailing spaces on a CHAR field?
Most databases support both CHAR and VARCHAR column types. VARCHAR is by far the more commonly used type as it supports variable length strings. Historically legacy databases only had CHAR types, so they can be more common in legacy database integration. Most modern schemas use VARCHAR types, and this is by far the recommended option.
A CHAR type is always fixed sized, so if you insert "ABA" into a CHAR column of size 5, it will be stored in the database with trailing spaces as "ABA "
. Normally when you select it back you will get "ABA "
, which is normally not desirable. This is why EclipseLink by default trims the trailing spaces from CHAR field values. Sometimes the application desires the space padding, so CHAR trimming can be disabled in EclipseLink.
To disable the trimming of CHAR fields a SessionCustomizer
can be used.
public MyCustomizer implements SessionCustomizer { public customize(Session session) { session.getLogin().setShouldTrimStrings(false); } }


text: you can use the metaphone function quite effectively with phrases by taking the levenshtein distances between two metaphone codes, and then taking this as a percentage of the length of the original metaphone code. thus you can define a percentage error, (say 20%) and accept only matches that are closer than that. i've found this works quite effectively in a function i am using on my website where an album name that the user entered is verified against existing album names that may be similar. this is also an excellent way of people being able to vaguely remember a phrase and get several suggestions out of the database. so you could type "i stiched nine times" with an error percentage of, say, 50 and still get 'a stitch in time saves nine' back as a match.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Lack of Accountability Cited in Links to North Korea and Iraq
Washington – United States Helsinki Commission leaders have introduced the Belarus Democracy Act of 2003, a measure designed to bolster democratic development in a country held hostage by the dictatorial regime of Alexander Lukashenka.
Helsinki Commission Co-Chairmen Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-CO) and Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ) have introduced virtually similar resolutions targeting democracy- building efforts in the former Soviet Republic of Belarus.
"The goal of the Belarus Democracy Act is to assist Belarus in becoming a genuine European state, in which respect for human rights and democracy is the norm and in which the long-suffering Belarusian people are able to overcome the legacy of dictatorship – past and present," said Campbell. "Against the backdrop of this climate of fear, the powers of the state have been brought to bear against independent journalists, trade unionists, and other voices of dissent." Campbell underscored that "a lack of accountability enables the Lukashenka regime to pursue arms deals with the likes of North Korea and Iraq."
"I hope this bill will help put an end to the pattern of clear, gross and uncorrected human rights violations by the Lukashenka regime and will serve as a catalyst to facilitate Belarus' integration into democratic Europe where democratic principles and human rights are respected and the rule of law is paramount," Smith said. "The Belarusian people deserve our support as they work to overcome the legacy of the past and develop a genuinely independent, democratic country based on the rule of law and democratic institutions."
"While some might be tempted to dismiss Belarus as an anomaly, the stakes are too high and the costs too great to ignore," Campbell added. "I introduced the Belarus Democracy Act in the Senate in an effort to help put an end to repression and human rights violations in Belarus and to promote Belarus' entry into a democratic Euro-Atlantic community of nations."
The Senate version of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2003, S. 700, is cosponsored by Senators Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE) and John McCain (R-AZ). The House version, H.R. 854, is cosponsored by Helsinki Commission Ranking Member Rep. Steny H. Hoyer (D-MD), Commissioner Rep. Joseph R. Pitts (R-PA), Commissioner Rep. Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D-NY), Commissioner Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL), Rep. Joseph Hoeffel (D-PA) and Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA).


text:
'Human Error' Caused Springfield Gas Explosion
A natural gas explosion that injured 18 people and damaged 42 buildings in Springfield's entertainment district was blamed Sunday on a utility worker who accidentally punctured a high-pressure pipeline while looking for a leak.
State Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said the Friday night blast in one of New England's largest cities was caused by "human error." He didn't name the Columbia Gas Co. worker who pierced the pipe while responding to reports of a gas leak.
The worker damaged the underground pipe while using a metal tool to locate the source of the leak, Coan said. A flood of gas then built up in a building that housed a strip club, and some kind of spark touched off the blast, officials said.
Coan said the employee was following older markings on a sidewalk that indicated the location of the gas line. He appeared to be an appropriate distance from the line, but the markings were incorrect and the worker accidentally punctured the pipe.
A message left for a Columbia Gas spokeswoman wasn't immediately returned. Columbia Gas, a subsidiary of public company NiSource Inc., said earlier Sunday that it plans to open a claims center at City Hall on Monday for residents and businesses affected by the explosion.
Preliminary reports show the blast damaged 42 buildings housing 115 residential units. Three buildings were immediately condemned, and 24 others require additional inspections by structural engineers to determine whether they are safe. The building that housed the Scores Gentleman's Club was destroyed.
After the pipe was ruptured, authorities evacuated several buildings. Most of the people injured were part of a group of gas workers, firefighters and police officers who ducked for cover behind a utility truck just before the blast. The truck was demolished.
Some officials said it was a miracle no one was killed. Springfield Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant praised the actions of city firefighters.
"The firefighters did an excellent job evacuating the area which certainly prevented additional civilian injuries and saved many lives," Conant said.
Columbia Gas officials have been cooperating with investigators and have determined that there are no more gas leaks in the neighborhood, Mayor Domenic Sarno said.
Coan said the investigation is being turning over to the state Department of Public Utilities. It's not clear whether investigators will ever be able to determine what caused the spark that ignited the explosion.
Springfield, which is 90 miles west of Boston and has about 150,000 residents, is the largest city in western Massachusetts. It's known as the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame, which is not near the blast site.
The city has been rebuilding from damage caused by a tornado in June 2011.
This article was originally published on November 25, 2012.
This program aired on November 25, 2012. The audio for this program is not available.


text:
So, without further ado, here are the rest of the best of the best Potter cakes! (Oh, and if you missed the first half, click here.)
This one is like an edible still-life; I had to do a double take before I realized it was cake:
Even more I-can't-believe-it's-cake:
For those of you who believe it's the inside that counts, Darla over at Bakingdom did a fantastic house colors cake:
I featured an amazing replica of Hagrid's hut last week, but here's one more:
Ah - wait for it - MAZING.
And here's another jaw-dropping Sorting Hat, too:
From hand painted to hand sculpted:
This Hogwarts Express cake includes the entire platform!
Charm City Cakes (aka Ace of Cakes) again did a castle cake for the movie premier, but this time it was the battle-scarred Hogwarts:
Well, there you have it, fellow muggles! Hope you enjoyed this ridiculously long Potter Sweets feature. Now I'm off to collapse.
Happy Sunday!
Have a Sweet to nominate? Then send it to Sunday Sweets [at] Cake Wrecks [dot] com.


text:
Apple Must Settle With Samsung
Apple Needs To Cut The Patent Nonsense. If Apple really thinks they need to sue the competition out of the market then they must think they're in worse shape than anyone else thinks. Recent legal setbacks, including the reexamination by the US Patent and Trademark Office of the 'pinch and zoom' and other patents, have the potential to embarrass Apple severely and embolden the competition. Now's the time to scale back in their settlement negotiations.
Apple received embarrassing news late yesterday when the US Patent and Trademark Office notified them that one of the key patents which a jury found to be "willfully infringed" by Samsung in a trial earlier this year, would be reexamined for validity. The USPTO reexamination was publicized as a notice to the court from the USPTO, owing to the relevance of the decision to the case. See the full text of the notice and order embedded at the bottom of this article.
Apple's U.S. patent 7,844,915 ("Application programming interfaces for scrolling operations"), called the 915 patent in the trial and known colloquially as the "pinch and zoom" patent, describes the touch-and-drag operations for expanding and contracting the view on the display.
Yes, it's only one patent of many Samsung was found to violate, but it was one of the clearest of claims against Samsung (as proxy for Google, who really implemented the behavior). Pinch and zoom is something ordinary people can relate to. And the invalidation of the patent would serve to dim further the mystique of Apple's reputation for innovation.
Most people hadn't ever heard of smartphones before the iPhone, except maybe for BlackBerry, but in fact other products had been doing many of the things the iPhone did for years. Windows Mobile — not Windows Phone, but a much earlier attempt at a SmartPhone OS by Microsoft — may have been an overall-terrible product, but it had touch-screen and gestures before the iPhone was released.
Now it seems that pinch and zoom may not be all that new either. The specific Apple patent claim used in the trial will be reexamined by the USPTO on two grounds: first, that it was already anticipated in an earlier patent, 7,724,242 ("Touch driven method and apparatus to integrate and display multiple image layers forming alternate depictions of same subject matter"), and as unpatentable in light of other works, including a doctoral dissertation from 1991.
It's hard to come up with something really new in computing. Often what you think you invented was probably done by IBM in the 1970's when a lot of real genius work was done, and not much of that was patented.
And this isn't isolated bad news. A couple weeks ago that other patent claims by Apple, also used in the trial, were invalid. And then a few days ago the trial judge ruled against Apple's motion to block sale of the infringing Samsung products, and did so on grounds that mitigate the claimed damages. As the patents on which the judgement is based fall, Apple's position is weakening.
Their only reasonable avenue at this point is settlement on undisclosed terms. Samsung would surely be willing to do so in a way that puts legal matters behind it. And then the companies can compete for customers based on the merits of their respective products. Maybe that's not the bright future Apple envisioned, but it's a fair one.
About the Author(s)
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text:
A' Design Award and Competition is organized under various categories based on Locarno classification of economic sectors and industries. See the full list of design competition categories. For most popular categories, click here. |
This list includes the most popular A' Design Award & Competition categories, ranked by number of participants and winners. The top design award categories are relatively more competitive than other categories due to higher number of participants; these design competition categories are therefore harder to win due to high level of competition among talents. To view the most popular design award categories click here. |
This list includes all A' Design Award & Competition categories. Includes also new design competition categories. When compared to the top categories, the new competition categories are relatively less competitive and provide a higher chance for newcoming participants to demonstrate their skills and talents. To view the unabridged list of A' Design Award and Competition categories, please click here. | ||||||||||||||||||
These categories are different from the regular competition categories by having their results hidden from the public: Results will not be published online, and their winners will not receive the PR Campaign that is intended for other categories due to the secret, private or hidden nature of the products and designs. However, winners will be able to use a special award winner logo in their communications and marketing and may be entitled to some other benefits. Learn more about the concealed categories here. |
• If you are having difficulties in choosing the right category, simply register and upload your design and wait for the preliminary checking service which is provided free of charge. Alternatively, you could submit your design for the category 24 for hard to classify projects. If you are wondering why there are so many categories, we invite you to read more about it here: networking effects. For an unabridged list of categories, click here. |
Good design deserves great recognition. |
A' Design Award & Competition. |


text:
Construction will begin this summer on the Lakeside graduate community, which will replace the Hibben and Magie apartments with new apartment buildings, townhomes, common areas and a parking structure that are designed to meet graduate students' needs and Princeton University's planning and sustainability goals.
The Regional Planning Board of Princeton approved the site plan on April 12. In June, work at the approximately 16-acre site will begin with environmental abatement and will continue through the summer and fall with the razing of the two existing buildings. The complex is expected to be completed in summer 2014 and to house up to 715 residents in 329 units.
The Hibben and Magie apartments, located south of Faculty Road and east of Alexander Street along Lake Carnegie, have a capacity of 512 residents in 192 units. They currently house 279 graduate students, some with families, as students have begun moving out. While the site is under construction, the University-owned Stanworth Apartments will serve as a housing option for graduate students.
"Lakeside is a great step forward — it will be a beautiful and much-improved community for graduate students," said Andrew Kane, director of housing and real estate services. "The features and amenities were designed with their input and their needs in mind, and we were thrilled to be able to increase the number of units on the site while moving to a neighborhood design."
The redevelopment of the Hibben-Magie site is part of Princeton's Housing Master Plan, begun in 2005 to enhance housing programs for faculty, staff and graduate students, and the Campus Plan, which guides the University's development through 2016.
The Hibben and Magie apartments were built in the 1960s as part of efforts to meet growing demand for faculty, staff and graduate student housing. Originally, faculty and staff lived in the apartments, and graduate students later became part of the community. In preparation for the redevelopment of the Hibben-Magie site, over the last few years housing and real estate services began transitioning faculty, staff and some graduate students to other University housing options. The Hibben and Magie apartments were constructed on a site that previously had been known as Lakeside, so the new complex restores the original name of the site.
The eight-story buildings were made up of two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments. The apartments' layouts have since become outdated, and the buildings lack the amenities of contemporary housing communities.
Graduate students and Graduate School staff have been engaged throughout the process of planning the Lakeside complex, and the plans address their concerns by creating a modern set of facilities with a more intimate feel, and a sense of community similar to that felt by the residents of the Butler Apartments off Harrison Street.
"One of our most important goals was to create a project that would provide a sense of community," University Architect Ron McCoy said. "This has been achieved by designing for diversity, providing units for singles, roommates, partners, families and pets. In contrast to the existing buildings, the design maximizes the amount of units that can be entered at ground level and everything from the corridors to the common areas have been designed to support a sense of community."
The project team includes architectural firm Studio Ma of Phoenix and Princeton, and developer American Campus Communities of Austin, Texas, as well as an interior designer, a telecommunications consultant, a landscape architect, an arborist, a traffic consultant, civil and geotechnical engineers, several sustainability and environmental consultants, and two construction companies.
Among the community's specific elements will be:
- 74 townhome units featuring open-concept layouts, including three-bedroom, three-bathroom units, and four-bedroom, three-bath units in buildings that will be two and three stories tall;
- 255 apartment units featuring open-concept layouts, including one-bedroom, one-bath units; two-bedroom, two-bath units; and three-bedroom, three-bath units, in buildings four and five stories tall;
- a "commons" area with a fitness center, social lounge with a television, a computer cluster with a printer, a children's playroom and a multifunction room;
- outdoor common areas, including a patio for barbecuing, a basketball court and a volleyball court; and
- a parking garage with 504 spots (408 for Lakeside residents and the others to be allocated by the University's Transportation and Parking Services) that is served by the University's TigerTransit shuttle service.
The larger townhomes and apartments reflect many students' willingness, for affordability's sake, to share common living space if they have their own bedrooms and bathrooms. The smaller units are designed for students who wish to have fewer or no roommates, or for couples and small families.
The buildings will have brick and clay tile shingle facades, and the layout of the buildings creates several courtyards within the complex. In keeping with the neighborhood-versus-high-rise design, the apartment buildings' primary entry is through a central lobby and the buildings have short corridors with windows at each end, with views to the woods and Lake Carnegie.
"On the one hand it is very respectful of the principles of planning, organization and composition that one would find in our historic Collegiate Gothic dormitories," McCoy said. "But the buildings are also designed with contemporary sensibilities with respect to materials and surfaces. In some ways this will be similar to the new Butler College complex, a contemporary building that is based on lessons learned from the historic campus."
The buildings will have a lower profile than the current eight-story buildings, with taller buildings situated on lower portions of the site. To maintain the park-like character of the site, much of the existing woodlands will be preserved. The plans also improve the view of Lake Carnegie, as buildings are oriented perpendicular to the lake, rather than parallel to it.
The project has been planned to achieve campus sustainability standards. The University will seek LEED silver certification, a standard established by the U.S. Green Building Council, for the buildings. The new buildings will be constructed on the footprint of the original buildings and lots, with narrower roads and a parking structure, which reduces the paved surface area and helps provide onsite stormwater management. The orientation of the buildings and a geothermal heating and cooling system will promote natural energy use and energy savings. Energy Star appliances will also help reduce energy use, and "smart" water fixtures will be installed to reduce water use.
The site plans also promote walking, biking and mass transit, through pathways connecting to campus, bicycle storage and the TigerTransit shuttle stop.
As the Hibben-Magie site is developed, graduate students will be given the option of living in the Stanworth Apartments, which is located along Route 206/Bayard Lane and has historically been used for faculty and staff housing.
"We've been helping graduate students to find appropriate housing alternatives as the Housing Plan progresses," Kane said. "We're fortunate to have the Stanworth Apartments available for graduate students while the Lakeside units are being constructed."
Graduate students also reside in the Graduate College, Graduate College Annexes, Edwards Place Apartments, Lawrence Apartments and Butler Apartments, as well as in non-University-affiliated housing. After the Lakeside complex is completed in 2014, the University plans to redevelop Stanworth for faculty and staff housing, and eventually to redevelop the Butler site for this purpose as well.
The University's goal is to continue to house 70 percent of its approximately 2,600 graduate students in University-operated housing.


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Zoe Chace
Zoe Chace explains the mysteries of the global economy for NPR's Planet Money. As a reporter for the team, Chace knows how to find compelling stories in unlikely places, including a lollipop factory in Ohio struggling to stay open, a pasta plant in Italy where everyone calls in sick, and a recording studio in New York mixing Rihanna's next hit.
In 2008, Chace came to NPR to work as an intern on Weekend Edition Saturday. As a production assistant on NPR's Arts Desk, she developed a beat covering popular music and co-created Pop Off, a regular feature about hit songs for Morning Edition. Chace shocked the music industry when she convinced the famously reclusive Lauryn Hill to sit down for an interview.
Chace got her economic training on the job. She reported for NPR's Business Desk, then began to contribute to Planet Money in 2011. Since then Chace has also pitched in to cover breaking news for the network. She reported live from New York during Hurricane Sandy and from Colorado during the 2012 Presidential election.
There is much speculation on the Internet about where Chace picked up her particular accent. She explains that it's a proprietary blend: a New England family, a Manhattan childhood, college at Oberlin in Ohio, and a first job as a teacher in a Philadelphia high school.
The radio training comes from the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, and collaboration with NPR's best editors, producers and reporters.


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Today is this blog's birthday and I'm glad for having had the time to prepare a cake to celebrate!
It has been a great thing in my life to be able to share my passion for food with so many others who love cooking and baking like I do – and I want to thank you all for being constant inspiration and for supporting my blog. You really mean the world to me!
Technicolor Kitchen cake
white cake recipe from here;
chocolate glaze recipe from here
120ml milk room temperature
3 egg whites
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
158g cake flour
175g sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
85g butter, softened
¼ cup dulce de leche
58g unsalted butter, softened
140g dark chocolate, chopped – I used 60% cocoa
Make the cake: preheat oven to 175ºC/350ºF.
Grease two 15cm cake pans with butter, line the bottom with parchment paper, grease the parchment paper and flour the pans.
Combine milk, eggs whites and extracts in a small bowl with a fork. Set aside.
Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in an electric mixer and mix at slow speed with a paddle attachment – I have done it with regular hand mixer beaters and it worked fine.
Add butter. Continue beating at slow speed until mixture looks like wet sand (If you're doing this by hand, sift the dry ingredients together and rub in butter).
Add all but 60ml (¼ cup) of milk mixture and beat at medium speed for 1 ½ minutes. Add remaining milk mixture and beat for an additional 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary. Do not overmix.
Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and gently shake to smooth batter. Bake 30-35 minutes, until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes then invert onto racks to cool completely before frosting.
Unfrosted cakes can be frozen for 1-2 weeks.
Assemble the cake before making the icing: place one cake on a plate and spread the filling. Place the other cake on top. Chill the cake for a couple of hours to make icing easier.
Prepare the icing: place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over gently simmering water and melt. Mix well to combine.
Spread it over the cake immediately because it hardens pretty fast.
Serves 8-10


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It's MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. Good morning. I'm David Greene, in for Renee Montagne.
I'm Steve Inskeep. This next report underlines the complexity of keeping the food supply safe. The story affects orange juice - like the juice that may be on your table this morning.
The Food and Drug Administration says it is stepping up testing of orange juice after finding traces of a chemical fungicide that is not approved for use in the U.S. Regulators are holding 13 shipments of imported O.J. at the border until tests are completed, yet officials say this fungicide residue does not present a public health risk.
Here's NPR's Allison Aubrey.
ALLISON AUBREY, BYLINE: Earlier this week, the FDA sent a letter to the Juice Product Association, the trade group that represents orange juice manufacturers - including importers - informing them that a fungicide called carbendazim had been found in several samples of orange juice imported from Brazil.
The tipoff came from Coca-Cola, maker of Minute Maid juices. Erik Olson, who is director of food programs for the Pew Health Group, an independent think tank, explains this fungicide is used in many countries, but it has never been approved for use on citrus in the U.S.
ERIK OLSON: This pesticide is not supposed to be showing up in juices, or in fruits, in the United States. And that is why it was clear, when it started to be found, that this was coming in from imports.
AUBREY: Brazil produces about 11 percent of all the O.J. consumed here in the U.S. And Coca-Cola confirmed that the country does spray the fungicide on its orange trees. FDA officials say what they've detected so far in the imported juice are trace levels of the fungicide - well below the safe limits set in Europe. Officials stressed these low levels do not pose a health risk, and people shouldn't worry about drinking orange juice.
OLSON: They've been very clear in their letter to the companies - and also in their public statements - that they don't believe that there is a safety concern, based on the information they have now.
AUBREY: As well as continuing to check imports, the FDA says it will also do spot checks on juice in grocery stores. Erik Olson says this should reveal how widespread the problem is and, most importantly, he says, could help confirm whether the FDA's initial assessment - that the fungicide is only present at trace levels - is accurate.
Allison Aubrey, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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Meaning of dreams usurer
Listen to Dreams interpretation of usurer
Meaning of dreams usurer & dictionary interpretation
Dreams interpretation of usurer symbol
What does my dream Mean ?
The impact of Dream interpretation should not be neglected because dreams are representation of things to come or be, events that has and will happen in our life. Lets take a look at some interpretations and effects with this examples below.
Pilate's wife, through the influence of a night vision, advised her husband to have nothing to do with the conviction of Christ. But the gross materialism of the day laughed at night vision, as it echoed the voice and verdict of the multitude, ``Crucify the Spirit, but let the flesh live.'' Barabbas, the robber, was set at liberty.
The ultimatum of all human decrees and wisdom is to gratify the passions of the flesh at the expense of the spirit. The prophets and those who have stood nearest the fountain of universal knowledge used daydreams with more frequency than any other mode of divination.
Profane, as well as sacred, history is threaded with incidents of vision prophecy. Ancient history relates that Gennadius was convinced of the immortality of his soul by conversing with an apparition in his daydreams.
Other dreams interpretation to consider
usurper | usurper | ||
vaccinate | vaccinate | ||
vagrant | vagrant |


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What Does Business VoIP in Mill Valley, CA Offer?
If you're looking for a phone system that has everything you need for your business, you should consider using business Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). This type of phone system takes advantage of your existing high-speed Internet connection to make and receive calls, all while offering any feature that you may need to conduct business in Mill Valley, CA
There are service providers targeting both the residential and commercial markets in Mill Valley, CA. While a residential VoIP service works in a similar way, business VoIP comes with more advanced features. In fact, with a business VoIP service, you can get calling features that would normally be reserved for larger enterprises using a PBX.
The biggest advantages of using VoIP over a traditional phone system for your business calling needs are mobility and flexibility. Many providers now let you make and receive calls on your business extension with your mobile phone. Their service plans tend to be more flexible than those offered by traditional phone companies, making it easier to change plans, as well as add or remove additional services.


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Thank you for visiting www.chathammazda.com (the "Site"), developed by Solutions Médias 360 Inc. ("SM360") and provided to you by Chatham Mazda (the "Dealership"). By accessing or using the Site, you agree to be bound by the terms and conditions of the privacy policy set forth below (the "Terms") as a user of the Site. If you do not wish to be bound by the Terms, we ask that you do not access the Site. SM360 and the Dealership may modify the Terms at any time, and such modifications shall be effective immediately upon posting of the modified Terms on the Site.
The Dealership respects the privacy of every individual who visits the Site and is sensitive to privacy issues on the Internet. We believe it is important that you know how we treat information received about you online. Also, this privacy policy outlines the information we may collect about you and how we may use them. We reserve the right to modify or change this Privacy Policy at any time in our sole discretion and without notice.
In general, you can browse the Site without having to reveal your identity or personal information. Our web servers automatically collect some certain non-personal information about you when you log in, or a link will take you to our website. As non-personal information, for example, you can find domain names, IP addresses, type of browser, type of operating system you use and your area. This information is aggregated in order to establish the number of visits, average time spent on the site, pages viewed and similar information. We use this information to evaluate the use of the Site and improve its content, depending on your source.
The Site may use other "cookies". Cookies are text files placed on the occasion of a consultation by the site server's hard drive for users of the Site to store information attached to the browser used by him when navigating a website. Cookies can be stored on your hard drive, or on a temporary memory in which case they are deleted when you shut down your browser or your computer. It may be that we use such cookies to obtain information about your habits and past activities of navigation, and this, in order to help us provide you with improved services. You can withdraw our cookies using the properties of your browser. Please refer to your browser's help function for information on how to disengage cookies. Please note that when you disengage cookies, it is possible that some features of the site can no longer be used correctly.
The Site may also contain links to other websites. They are provided for reference purposes only and may have practices and policies of confidentiality that are different from the Dealership. The Dealership is not responsible in respect of the websites of these third parties and you are invited to review the privacy policies of any such person, if you choose to visit their websites.
In some cases, we may need additional information such as your name, address, telephone number and email address. The transmission of such personal information is not required to use the Site and we will not collect such personal information unless you voluntarily transmit same to us and only for the specific purpose of the Site. The Dealership collects, stores and uses information about you for the following reasons:
Establish a file on the acquisition of a vehicle.
Establish, maintain and improve our relationship with you and provide you with offers, incentives, programs, advertising or promotional material about us and our automotive products and services.
Facilitate the administration of your purchase, lease, warranty, maintenance program, any recall notices.
The Dealership will share, as the case may be and only after having obtained your explicit prior authorization, certain information about you with the manufacturer or any financial institution involved in your acquisition of a vehicle. Please note that each such establishment sets forth its own privacy policy and we disclaim any liability relating to such policies.
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Conversely, if you are not currently registered as a Site user and you click on "Sign in Using Facebook," you will first be asked to enter your Facebook credentials and then be given the option to register and join the Site. Once you register on the Site and you connect with Facebook, you will be able to automatically post on Facebook your recent activity on the Site. You have the option to disable Facebook Connect at any time by logging into "My Profile" and clicking on "My Facebook Profile." Further, you can edit privacy settings for the reviews that appear on Facebook or disconnect this service by visiting the Facebook Application Settings page.
The Site is operated from Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada. Any conflict between a user and SM360 or the Dealership is therefore subject to the laws applicable in the Province of Quebec and the applicable laws of Canada. Furthermore, you hereby agree to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Province of Quebec in respect of any action or proceeding arising out or related to the Site.
The Terms, including all documents that they refer to, constitute the entire agreement between SM360, the Dealership and yourself as to the purpose of these Terms. The fact that SM360 and the Dealership do not ask for nor obtain the strict fulfillment of a condition of the Terms shall not be interpreted as the relinquishment on their part of this condition or other right. The fact that one of the conditions of the Terms herein is declared void, invalid or not enforceable by law by a court of competent jurisdiction shall not affect the other terms of this legal disclaimer.


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Pretty much any movie buff worth his or her popcorn can point to a slew of directors rightly celebrated not only for their enduring films, but for the artistry and attention they lavish on specific, utterly indelible scenes. Kubrick comes to mind, as does Malick. Spielberg, of course. Kurosawa, Fellini, Scorsese. But no director in the history of the medium can lay claim to helming as many signature movie moments as Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock. In fact, devoted moviegoers can reel off a litany of immortal scenes from any one of Hitch's greatest films — Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho and so many others — that live on, vividly, in the memory years after we first encountered them.
Here, as a new biopic based on Hitchcock comes to the screen — with Anthony Hopkins filling the rotund role — we've resisted the urge to salute, say, the 25 or 50 greatest scenes in his career and instead have selected the 10 most memorable moments from 10 of the Master of Suspense's most admired films. Let the nail-biting begin.


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Second day in Punta Cana and I can't be happier. Yesterday we woke up a bit late and the we went to beach to get tanned and contemplate paradise. We carried a pirate flag with us which we took from home and we used it to let people know that we were there haha!. The thing I like the most about this trip, apart from staying on the beach, is that I can be in my bikini all day long and I am able to wear summer clothes. Yesterday's look was simple, comfortable and I love it. The trikini is awesome, from H&M, my sandals are from some Viena little shop. Today we're going to the Saona Island in Catamaran, they say it's amazing! And on Saturday, it finally arrives, the Desalia Festival 2013!! Hope you like it, we're filming a lot of moments for a great video, stay tuned here and Instagram!
Trikini: H&M (Coming soon) / Shorts: Forever21 / Sunglasses: Prada / Sandals: ??


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By Mary Clare Jalonick
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is responding to criticism over new school lunch rules by allowing more grains and meat in kids' meals.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told members of Congress in a letter on Dec. 7 that the department will do away with daily and weekly limits of meats and grains. Several lawmakers wrote the department after the new rules went into effect in September saying kids aren't getting enough to eat.
School administrators also complained, saying set maximums on grains and meats are too limiting as they try to plan daily meals.
"This flexibility is being provided to allow more time for the development of products that fit within the new standards while granting schools additional weekly menu planning options to help ensure that children receive a wholesome, nutritious meal every day of the week," Vilsack said in a letter to Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.
The new guidelines were intended to address increasing childhood obesity levels. They set limits on calories and salt, and phase in more whole grains. Schools must offer at least one vegetable or fruit per meal. The department also dictated how much of certain food groups could be served.
While nutritionists and some parents have praised the new school lunch standards, others, including many conservative lawmakers, refer to them as government overreach. Yet many of those same lawmakers also have complained about hearing from constituents who say their kids are hungry at school.
Though broader calorie limits are still in place, the rules tweak will allow school lunch planners to use as many grains and as much meat as they want. In comments to USDA, many had said grains shouldn't be limited because they are a part of so many meals, and that it was difficult to always find the right size of meat.
The new tweak doesn't upset nutritionists who fought for the school lunch overhaul.
Margo Wootan, a nutrition lobbyist for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, says the change is minor and the new guidance shows that USDA will work with school nutrition officials and others who have concerns.
"It takes time to work out the kinks," Wootan said. "This should show Congress that they don't need to interfere legislatively."
Congress has already interfered with the rules. Last year, after USDA first proposed the new guidelines, Congress prohibited USDA from limiting potatoes and French fries and allowed school lunchrooms to continue counting tomato paste on pizza as a vegetable.
The school lunch rules apply to federally subsidized lunches served to low-income children. Those meals have always been subject to nutritional guidelines because they are partially paid for by the federal government, but the new rules put broader restrictions on what could be served as childhood obesity rates have skyrocketed.
School kids can still buy additional foods in other parts of the lunchroom and the school. Congress two years ago directed USDA to regulate those foods as well, but the department has yet to issue those rules.
Sen. Hoeven, who had written Vilsack to express concern about the rules, said he will be supportive of the meals overhaul if the USDA continues to be flexible when problems arise.
"This is an important step," he said. "They are responding and that's what they need to do."


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Now streaming on:
As much as I enjoy "The Walking Dead" on AMC and movies such as "28 Days Later," one of my ongoing complaints about the explosion of the zombie genre is the general mopery and overall predictability of those ever-staggering creatures.
They lurch. They snarl. They sniff the air for the scent of human flesh. They pounce and gnaw. They pound windows and doors, and express frustration when confronted with 10-foot-high cyclone fences. And then they get shot in the head and die.
That's pretty much it. We almost never get inside the rotted mind of the zombie or see things from the zombie point of view. They're forever penned in as the Big Metaphor.
One of the many exhilarating pleasures of "Warm Bodies" is the flipping of that script. This is a bloody fresh twist on the most popular horror genre of this century, with none-too-subtle echoes of a certain star-crossed romance that harks back to a certain bard who placed a certain young Romeo under a certain balcony.
I kinda love this movie. "Warm Bodies" is a well-paced, nicely directed, post-apocalyptic love story with a terrific sense of humor and the, um, guts to be unabashedly romantic and unapologetically optimistic.
Looking a little like a boy-band heartthrob who won first place at a Hollywood Halloween party thanks to a a professional makeup job and an artfully bloodied red hoodie, Nicholas Hoult gives an earnest and winning performance as "R," who could be a character in "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" or a John Hughes movie, if not for the small fact he's undead, having been recently zombified. (R's attempt to fill us in on the exact nature of the zombie apocalypse is one of the film's many affectionate nods to the all-too-familiar elements of so many zombie TV shows and movies.)
Unable to recall even his full first name (he's pretty sure it begins with the letter R), the kid knows he's a zombie and doesn't deny his hunger for living human flesh — but there are still traces of a real person inside. He spends his days lurching about an airport where he imagines the previous lives of his fellow zombies, listens to music in the grounded airplane he's converted into something of a condo and establishes the beginnings of a bond with M (Rob Corddry in a scene-stealing performance), who also seems to have more than a trace of his former humanity still lurking deep within.
Working from Isaac Marion's short story-turned-novel, writer-director Jonathan Levine infuses "Warm Bodies" with stylistic flourishes and winking in-jokes — some of them subtle, some so obvious characters are compelled to comment on them. ("What? It's funny!" says the delightful Analeigh Tipton when she chooses a particular song to accompany a makeover montage.)
There are three distinct species populating the Earth post-worldwide infection nightmare:
Humans. They're scarred from seeing spouses, children and friends turned into zombies or killed, but they're armed and they WILL shoot any corpse that comes within growling distance of their walled city.
Zombies. Wandering the streets, living in airports and warehouses, always on the alert for the next human meal. Maybe hopelessly lost. Maybe not.
"The Bonies." Zombies that have given up all hope and have resorted to tearing off their own flesh, leaving behind skeletal killing creatures that would just as soon take down a zombie as a human.
There's a key difference between the dead and the really and truly dead — a difference that comes to light when R strikes up a bond with Julie (Teresa Palmer). Granted, their "meet cute" involves mass slaughter and the consumption of one character's brains, which allows a zombie to access a dead character's memory. But other than those small details, the courtship of R and Julie isn't all that different from what we've seen in any number of human/human as well as human/supernatural creature romances, including the "Twilight" movies. Hoult and Palmer have a lovely, natural chemistry, even when the circumstances are grisly or silly — or both.
Perhaps recognizing there's no way he can out-crazy the material, John Malkovich actually delivers a relatively restrained performance as Julie's father, who of course is the leader of the military force that believes in shooting first, asking questions never. This guy's so hard-core, he probably wouldn't let his daughter date Tim Tebow, let alone a zombie who's desperately trying to get in touch with his human side. ("That could have gone better," says Julie with deadpan understatement after Dad finally meets R.)
"Warm Bodies" isn't perfect. It's a shame those Bonies are mediocre special-effects creations that run with a herky-jerky style that would have been mocked by the 1991-era "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" liquid-metal dude. Some of the musical choices are too broad and easy. And even after we get the message, the message is delivered at least two or three more times.
But those are minor drawbacks. Clocking in at a brisk 97 minutes, "Warm Bodies" is terrific entertainment.
A lot of zombie movies have heart — but usually the heart ends up on someone's plate. Cheers to "Warm Bodies" for taking us in a different direction for a change.
97 minutes
Nicholas Hoult as R
Teresa Palmer as Julie
Rob Corddry as M
John Malkovich as Grigio
Analeigh Tipton as Nora


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The Justice Department says for the first time that it intends to use information gained from one of the National Security Agency's warrantless surveillance programs against an accused terrorist, setting the stage for a likely Supreme Court test of the Obama administration's approach to national security.
The high court so far has turned aside challenges to the law on government surveillance on the grounds that people who bring such lawsuits have no evidence they are being targeted.
Jamshid Muhtorov was accused in 2012 of providing material support to the Islamic Jihad Union, an Uzbek terrorist organization that, authorities say, was engaging NATO coalition and U.S. forces in Afghanistan.
According to court papers in the case, the FBI investigated Muhtorov after his communications with an overseas website administrator for the IJU.
In a court filing Friday, the government said it intends to offer into evidence in Muhtorov's case "information obtained or derived from acquisition of foreign intelligence information conducted pursuant to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978."
Last February, a sharply divided Supreme Court ruled in a 5-4 vote that a group of American lawyers, journalists and organizations could not sue to challenge the 2008 expansion of the law. The court those who sued could not show that the government would monitor their communications along with those of potential foreign terrorist and intelligence targets.
Last month, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who had ruled with the majority in the earlier 5-4 decision, said the courts ultimately would have to determine the legality of the NSA surveillance program.
In the majority opinion last February, Justice Samuel Alito suggested a way for a challenge to be heard. He said if the government intends to use information from such surveillance in court, it must provide advance notice. In his argument before the court's decision, Solicitor General Donald Verrilli had made similar comments to the justices on behalf of the administration.
Justice Department spokesman Brian Fallon declined comment Saturday on the new development beyond the court filing.
The program at issue in the Muhtorov case is commonly called "702," a reference to the numbered section of the surveillance law on Internet communication.
In the Muhtorov case, after his contact with the IJU's website administrator, the FBI went to court and obtained email from two accounts that Muhtorov used, according to the court papers.
The FBI also went to court to obtain communications originating from Muhtorov's phone lines. In one call, Muhtorov told an associate that the Islamic Jihad Union said it needed support, an FBI agent said in an affidavit filed in the case. The associate warned Muhtorov to be careful about talking about a founder of group, the affidavit stated.
The FBI also said Muhtorov communicated with a contact in the group by email using code words, telling a contact that he was "ready for any task, even with the risk of dying."
Muhtorov, a refugee from Uzbekistan, resettled in Aurora, Colo., in 2007 with the help of the United Nations and the U.S. government. He was arrested Jan. 21, 2012, in Chicago with about $2,800 in cash, two shrink-wrapped iPhones and an iPad as well as a GPS device.
In March 2012, Muhtorov's attorney, federal public defender Brian Leedy, said at a court hearing that Muhtorov denied the allegations and had been headed to the Uzbekistan region to visit family, including a sister who remains imprisoned in that country.
The IJU first conducted attacks in 2004, targeting a bazaar and police, and killing 47 people, according to court papers in the case. The organization subsequently carried out suicide bombings of the U.S. and Israeli embassies and the Uzbekistani prosecutor general's office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the court papers stated.
Before the recent leak of U.S. documents showing widespread government surveillance, dozens of consumer suits were filed against the government and telecommunications companies over obtaining customer data without warrants. Nearly all the cases were tossed out when Congress in 2008 granted the telecommunication companies retroactive immunity from legal challenges.
Copyright © 2013 Capitol Hill Blue
Copyright © 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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Store Associate - Bradford - PA
Store Associate
Type of Work: Part-Time
Shift Availability: Mornings, nights, weekends, holidays
Hourly Pay Rate: $16.00/hour
Location: 109 Main St, Bradford, PA 16701
Curaleaf Culture:
At Curaleaf, we have a passionate commitment in everything we do. From innovative products to promoting social justice, from environmental sustainability to building world-class brands, we know that none of this is possible without our Team Members, which is why we've committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive experience for all.
What You'll Do:
As a Store Associate, you will represent Curaleaf as a brand ambassador by providing top-notch customer service and educating guests on our products. You will be the first point of contact for our guests, ensuring they have a great experience during each visit.
Your daily responsibilities will include driving sales and using the point-of-sale system to track merchandise and verify purchases.
You will work alongside your team to create an environment of trust and respect in our stores. Staying up to date on promotions and new products through Curaleaf's internal tools and resources will allow you to provide the best service to our guests.
Who You Are:
- A retail sales professional.
- A motivated and collaborative team player.
- Someone who takes great pride in communicating with guests about their needs and providing recommendations on the best products for them.
- You have a high attention to detail.
- Experienced with sales and cash handling procedures.
- Someone who excels in a fast-paced environment.
- Comfortable working retail hours including nights, weekends, and holidays.
- You must be accurate with inventory counts and must be proficient in basic math skills.
What We Offer:
- Competitive Pay
- Community Involvement Through our Rooted in Good Initiative
- Employee Resource Groups
- Employee Referral Payment Program
- Employee Assistance Program
- Commuter Benefits
- Employee Product Discounts
Curaleaf Awards and Achievements:
- 2023 Ragan's Top Places to Work
- 2022 TIME100 Most Influential Companies
- 2020 Cannabis Doing Good's Good Neighbor Award
- 2020: Minorities for Medical Marijuana's Diversity & Inclusion Award
Follow us on Social Media:
Instagram: @curaleaf.usa
Twitter: @Curaleaf_Inc
$16 USD per hour


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The Meeting "From World Heritage to Local Heritage: protecting and managing change" jointly organized by IGESPAR and ICOMOS Portugal with the support of the National Museum of Ethnology and the Portuguese National Commission for UNESCO, is promoted to commemorate the International Day for Monuments and Sites on 18 April 2012.
The International Day for Monuments and Sites is meant to raise citizens' awareness to heritage diversity and vulnerability, as well as to disseminate the efforts made in heritage protection and enhancement. It celebrates both national heritage and solidarity for World Heritage.
This meeting aims at celebrating the 40th anniversary of UNESCO's Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, in the framework of which the World Heritage List was established. It reflects current concerns over two levels of heritage, World Heritage and Local Heritage, which are inseparable and interconnected regarding issues like knowledge, safeguarding and enhancement.
The meeting's main objectives are to discuss perspectives and visions for the future of World Heritage, and to reflect upon the complex challenge posed to safeguarding and managing Heritage in a time of economic and cultural globalization, profound social transformations and change in paradigms.
To know more: http://www.igespar.pt/pt/news/9/2280/


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It's a question that's baffled evolutionary theorists for decades: if survival of the fittest is the rule, how have the genes that contribute to serious, debilitating mental disorders survived?
It's been shown that people who suffer from schizophrenia, autism, anorexia and other disorders are less likely to have children. And yet, the genes that cause these disorders aren't going away. In fact, some of the disorders appear to be becoming more common. Evolutionary theory wouldn't predict that.
Scientists have a few theories that attempt to explain this paradox.
One is that the genetic mutations that cause these disorders occurred relatively recently, so not enough generations have passed to allow the evolutionary process to weed them out.
Another theory is that the genetic mutations that cause a disorder in one person somehow make that person's sibling more likely to have children. In a situation like that, the mutation offers a net benefit to a person's family.
A team of Swedish and British scientists recently tested these theories by comparing the rates at which people suffering from mental illness have kids to those of their siblings. The data came from a medical database of more than 2 million Swedes.
The researchers found that the siblings of people who suffer from schizophrenia, autism and anorexia had on average the same or fewer children than the general public, which would seem to confirm the first theory. But they also found that the siblings of people who suffer from depression or substance abuse had significantly more children than the general public, an outcome more in line with the second theory.
We talked with Dr. Peter McGuffin, a professor at King's College London who worked on the study, which was published in the journal Archives of General Psychiatry. Here are highlights from the interview, edited for length and clarity.
Q: You say at the beginning of your paper that "psychiatric disorders have long puzzled researchers by defying the expectations of natural selection." Why?
A: It's particularly the case with schizophrenia, which in this paper and in many other papers has been shown to be a disorder that drastically reduces your fecundity — the number of kids you have. It's often referred to as reduced fertility but, strictly speaking, people with schizophrenia aren't infertile. It's just that they're less often likely to find a partner and have kids.
Schizophrenia is estimated to have a heritability of around 80 percent. Same is true for autism. So if these disorders are very heavily influenced by genes, but the people who have the disorders are less likely to pass on their genes, why aren't the disorders becoming less common in the population?
Q: What are some of the theories as to why this might be going on?
A: There are other gene disorders that have selection pressures against them, but are maintained in the population. A brilliant example of that is sickle cell disease. If you have sickle cell disease, the chances are if it's untreated it's going to kill you before you reach early adult life. Whereas, if you have the sickle cell trait — which is to say, you have one copy of the gene, not two copies — it protects you against malaria if you happen to live in an area where malaria is rife. So there's a selective disadvantage to having the disease, but there's a selective advantage to having the trait.
Q: Your study looked at not just people who were affected by psychiatric disorders, but also their siblings. Why?
A: The hypothesis would be that the relatives of the people who have the disorder, who don't actually have the disorder themselves, are compensating by having more children. I mean, not deliberately compensating by going out and having more children, but there's just something about their makeup that makes them have more kids.
So that's essentially what we were testing in this paper. We were looking at the fecundity of schizophrenics, which we found to be low, as was the fecundity of people with autism. The question is, do their relatives actually make up for this by having more kids because they're advantaged in some way? And the answer is no in the case of schizophrenia, but yes in the case of depression.
Q: If I'm someone who is the sibling of someone who has a psychiatric disorder, what do I need to know? Do I need to think twice about having biological children?
A: You need to know you'll have an increased risk of getting the disorder yourself compared with the general population. The risk in siblings is increased, but it's not increased so dramatically that it ought to stop you from having kids.
These aren't single-gene disorders. These are complex disorders where being a relative is just a risk factor, not a certainty factor.
Q: So ultimately, if I'm the sibling of someone who has one of these disorders, I should be aware of the risks, but it's not something that would make me say "I'm not going to have children."
A: It shouldn't make you say that. And if you are particularly concerned about it and you have more than one relative affected by it in the family, it might be worth seeking [genetic] counseling from an expert who knows what the risks are.
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.