text:
This document describes the design of a spelling server based on Wintertree Software's Sentry Spelling Checker Engine.
This document assumes familiarity with the concept and implementation of servers, client-server protocol, and concurrent request processing. It focuses on how the Sentry Spelling Checker Engine could be used to implement a server capable of processing spelling requests received from multiple clients. Issues common to all servers, such as communication protocols, client management, and security are not addressed.
A spelling server is typically used in a application such as Web-based e-mail or forms entry. The purpose of the spelling server is to check the spelling of text submitted by clients, and report any misspelled words detected and offer suggested alternative spellings for misspelled words. There is usually one server (conceptually, at least) and many clients. The figure below shows the configuration of a spelling server application:
The spelling server application may be part of a Web server, or it might be a separate process running on a server computer.
The client application is typically a Web page containing forms, plus script code (e.g., VBScript or JavaScript) or Java applets. The client software is used to compose the text to be spell-checked, and to communicate with the spelling server.
The client software communicates with the spelling server by sending a request. The spelling server processes the request and returns a reply.
Many client computers may issue requests to the same spelling server at the same time. The server processes requests in parallel by creating a new thread or process when a request is received.
An important goal in the design is that the protocol between client and server be connectionless. The client can issue any request to the server at any time without having to initiate or terminate a conversation. The benefit of this goal is that the server does not have to keep track of its clients. The server simply processes each request it receives and returns a reply. When a client no longer needs to use the server, it stops sending requests.
The design presented here makes the following assumptions:
The text being checked may have unlimited size
The user will interactively check the spelling of some text entered in a form (for example, an e-mail message). Each spelling error will be presented to the user, who will dispose of the problem by ignoring it or correcting it.
The bandwidth of the connection between client and server may be low (e.g., Internet connection through a modem).
The user enters some text in a form and requests the client software to check the spelling of the text. When a misspelled word is detected, the client software presents the problem to the user in some way. The problem display typically includes:
The misspelled word. If possible, the misspelled word is shown in context (i.e., with the text surrounding it).
A description of the problem (misspelled word, capitalization error, doubled word, conditional replacement)
A list of suggested replacements if the word is misspelled
The alternate word (for capitalization and conditional replacements)
The client software presents the user with a set of actions he or she can use to dispose of the problem:
Ignore (skip) this occurrence of the misspelled word, doubled word, or conditional replacement (Ignore)
Ignore (skip) this and all further occurrences of the misspelled word (Ignore All)
Change this occurrence of the misspelled word or conditional replacement with another word (Change) (also used to delete a doubled word by replacing it with an empty word)
Change this and all further occurrences of the misspelled word with another word (Change All)
(Optional) Add the misspelled word to the user's personal dictionary (Add)
In this design, the client software is responsible for assembling the text to be checked, for performing all edits (e.g., word replacements) to the text, and for interacting with the user. The server is responsible for checking the spelling of submitted text, offering suggested replacements for misspelled words, and identifying words which should be automatically or conditionally replaced.
The interaction described above is carried out via a series of requests (sent by the client to the server) and replies (sent by the server to the client). The conversation between client and server is always initiated by the client. The server never sends unsolicited information to the client. The server always sends exactly one reply for each request.
To check the spelling of some text, the client sends a Check Spelling Request to the server. The Check Spelling Request contains the following information:
The text to be checked
A cursor which contains the position of the first word to check
Spelling options, such as "ignore words in all caps" or "report doubled words." The options are specified as a bit-mask formed from SSCE_xxx_OPT values.
A list of words which should be ignored or replaced (the temporary dictionary)
(Optional) A list of words in the user's personal dictionary (the user dictionary)
In response to the request, the server checks the spelling of the provided text (described in greater detail later). When all the text has been checked, the server returns to the client a Check Spelling Reply containing the following information:
The number of problems detected
A list of problem descriptions containing:
The problem type (misspelled word, doubled word, capitalization error, automatic or conditional correction needed)
The position of the problem word in the text
A list of suggested replacement words (only for misspelled word problem types)
An alternate word used in automatic or conditional correction or for capitalization errors (e.g., if a word was spelled correctly but incorrectly capitalized, the alternate word would contain the correct capitalization form).
The server uses the Sentry Spelling Checker Engine (SSCE) to check spelling. All clients are assumed to submit text for checking in the same language. The dictionaries for that language are memory-based and are statically linked to the server's code. (If clients can submit text for checking in multiple languages, then the dictionaries for all available languages would be linked to the server, and the Check Spelling Request would contain a flag indicating which language to use.)
The server builds a memory-based temporary dictionary containing the words in the Check Spelling Request's temporary dictionary. If the Check Spelling Request contains a user dictionary, the server builds a memory-based temporary dictionary for that as well.
To check the text contained in the Check Spelling Request, the server calls the WS_CheckText function in SSCE's API. WS_CheckText checks the spelling of words in a text string, starting at a given cursor position, against a set of dictionaries (in this case, the set of dictionaries would include the temporary dictionary plus the main dictionary for the language of the text being checked). WS_CheckText returns when it finds a misspelled or doubled word, an automatic or conditional correction is needed, or the end of the text is reached.
If WS_CheckText reports that a misspelled word was detected, the server calls the WS_Suggest function to obtain a list of suggested replacements for the misspelled word. The server then adds the position of the misspelled word and the list of suggestions to the Check Spelling Reply.
If WS_CheckText reports that a doubled word was detected, the server adds the position of the word to the Check Spelling Reply. A list of suggestions is not needed.
If WS_CheckText reports that a capitalization error was detected or an automatic or conditional correction is needed, the server adds the position of the word plus the alternate word to the Check Spelling Reply.
When WS_CheckText reports that all words in the text have been checked, the server returns the Check Spelling Reply to the client. At this point, the server has completed processing the Check Spelling Request and can release any resources allocated during its processing. This would include destroying the temporary and user dictionaries.
The client software reponds to receipt of a Check Spelling Reply from the server by presenting any problems reported to the user. Depending on the user interface design, this could be done through a dialog box that presents each problem in sequence and requests the user to dispose of the problem, or the client software could mark each problem word in the document as misspelled (by changing the word's text color, for example) and allow the user to dispose of problems at his or her leisure.
The client software's response to each disposition is listed below:
Ignore: The client software skips to the next problem or un-marks the word in the document.
Ignore All: The client software adds the word to the temporary dictionary.
Change: The client software replaces the word in the document with the replacement word entered or selected by the user.
Change All: The client software adds the word and its replacement to the temporary dictionary.
Add: The client software adds the word to the user dictionary (see User dictionaries for more information).
For automatic corrections, the client software replaces the word in the document with the alternate word.
Typically, spelling checkers allow the user to add words to a user dictionary, which contains words personal to the user which are not contained in the spelling checker's main dictionary. The user dictionary might contain the user's family name, business name, technical terms specific to the user's business, etc. Normally, the user dictionary is stored persistently so the user need add his or her personal words just once.
The requirement for persistent storage makes user dictionaries problematical in a client-server system. A decision must be made about where the dictionary is stored: on the client computer or on the server.
If the client software is a specialized application (i.e., not a Web browser), then storing the user dictionary on the client computer is straightforward: The user dictionary is simply read and written as a disk file by the client software.
The more likely situation is that the client software is a Web browser. For security reasons, Web browsers usually prevent Web page scripts and applets from reading and writing disk files on the client computer. Some browsers relax these security restrictions if when running signed applets. Another approach is to store the contents of the user dictionary in a "cookie," which is a form of persistent storage implemented by browsers. The contents of the user dictionary would be read by the client software from the cookie, and placed in the Check Spelling Request. The cookie would need to be updated each time the user added a new word to the dictionary.
If the user dictionary is stored on the server, some means of mapping dictionaries to specific users is needed. If the server requires that the user log in, the user id could be used as a key to locate the user dictionary (the user dictionary contents could be stored in a database table, for example, and the key could be the user id, or the user id could be mapped to the name of a disk file containing the user dictionary on the server). The Check Spelling Request would contain the user id, and the server would use it to open the user dictionary when the Check Spelling Request was processed.
Responsibility for updating the user dictionary would be assigned to the server. A new request would be needed to allow the client software to ask the server to add a word to the user dictionary. This request would be sent by the client when the user disposed of a misspelled word by adding it to the user dictionary. The server's response would simply indicate the success or failure status of the request.
In this design, responsibility for editing the checked text (making replacements to correct misspellings) is assigned to the client, as is responsibility for maintaining the temporary dictionary (and optionally the user dictionary). The most compute- and data-intensive operations, checking spelling and obtaining suggestions for misspelled words, is assigned to the server. The advantage to this approach is that the complex software and large data files (the spelling checker engine and dictionaries) do not need to be downloaded to the client. The software required to edit text strings is relatively simple and small enough to be embedded in Web page applets, for example. In a high-bandwidth system, the task of editing the text and maintaining the temporary dictionary could be assigned to the server. Additional requests (replace word, add word to temporary dictionary, etc.) would be needed.
The design presented here is stateless and connectionless. Any client can send the server a Check Spelling Request at any time. The server processes each request as it arrives without regard for any requests sent previously by the same client. The server doesn't keep state information on behalf of its clients. This greatly simplifies the design of the server, since it doesn't have to deal with complex protocols or periodically cleaning up after clients that disappear. However, this approach does require that all information needed to process each request be contained within the request. For example, each Check Spelling Request sent to the server contains the text to check and the temporary dictionary, even if these haven't changed since the last Request was sent. If the text is large, bandwidth is wasted. One solution to this problem is to use a connection-oriented protocol, where the client initiates a spell-check session with the server by sending the text to be checked along with the temporary dictionary (and optionally the user dictionary). The client and server would then enter into a conversation where the server reports misspelled words and the client responds with the disposition (Ignore, Ignore All, Change, Change All, or Add) selected by the user. At the end of the spell-check session, the client would retrieve the possibly updated text and dictionaries from the server.
The design presented here allows multiple clients to check spelling of text concurrently on a centralized server. Issues specific to a common application of this architecture -- clients running a Web browser -- were addressed. Alternatives for specific exceptional cases were proposed.
[Home] [Products] [Catalog] [Ordering] [Search] [Contact Us]
Copyright © 2015 Wintertree Software Inc.


text:
The Nomenklatura
In the Soviet Union and other Communist countries, the nomenklatura was an elite group of Communist Party members in key administrative government positions. It arose during Vladimir Lenin's tenure early in the 20th century. Certain officials—"patrons"—had the authority to appoint individuals—called "clients"—to certain positions. The client was thus beholden to his patron for employment, which helped to maintain the power structure. What was Joseph Stalin's nickname within the nomenklatura?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Zobecs | A Family Desert Session
One of the biggest compliments I could receive is when a friend tells their family about my photography business. Adrienne is the sister of one of my best friends (whose wedding we will both be in next month!) and when she asked if I would do a family session for her, of course I said yes! Her adorable daughter and son were so excited when we got to our photo location, and they ran down the trail with so much energy looking at all the different cactus and picking up every stick and rock they could find. When it came time to smile for the camera, they were so sweet! We would get a few shots, they would ask to see themselves on the back of my camera, and then they were off again running through the desert! I loved every minute of it, and the best part is when they all gave me hugs at the end of our session and said "We can't wait to see you again!" Me too guys!


text:
We are currently living in an era where animals are exploited in the most inhumane way. We see them as food, wear them on our skins and even use them to be our 'guinea pigs' for cosmetics.
In order to put a stop to such torture, we have to show our support towards brands that are in the Animal Cruelty-Free movement, and refrain from buying products from companies who are oblivious to what's going on (it's 2016 guys – time to step up!)Read More


text:
Earle Austin Wins Social Media Competition
Pictured left to right: Chantelle Gianni, Earle Austin (Winner) and Ross Foreman
In May the Pinewood SA team launched a Social Media Competition.
All of those that have liked or followed us on our social media platforms before the competition closing date, would be automatically entered into a draw, with the chance of winning an HD Action Camera.
We received some great feedback and a lot of excitement around this competition. The draw was held on 1 July 2016.
A huge congratulations to Earle Austin, Dealer Principal of Alberante GM .
Chantelle and Ross took a trip up to Johannesburg, Alberton to make the delivery to Earle on Friday morning. He was pleased to hear that he'd won the competition, but even more so on receipt of his awesome prize!


text:
Note: This is the start of a team-journal on how experimentQ gets built, the decisions we take, the ways we think about business and the tools we use to get from ideas to valuable products.
It's July 17th. The second iteration of experimentQ failed, yet another pivot is on the way. Why? Because the problem we try to solve (lack of documentation and validation for informal learning) is still out there, screaming into our faces impacting millions of lives, yet solutions are missing. But first, let me take you to the origins of experimentQ.
Generation 1: In the summer of 2015, while working on Qodemo, we registered experimentQ Foundation as a way for us to develop and release software into open source / non-commercial communities, mainly those working on DIY hardware projects within maker spaces. Qodemo was a Dutch software company backed by Rockstart and Doen Foundation and we were building a web collaboration platform for engineers. We attempted to build the GitHub for Hardware engineers, hence the plan was to release the main product as an open platform and charge for premium features.
At the same time, we traveled to dozens of maker spaces in Europe, USA, and China to document how hardware engineers work and to conduct customer interviews. We realized that there is way more activity and value in the learning/education process of making DIY engineering projects vs the final product itself. Qodemo ran out of money and was close to bankruptcy but we tried one last solution - a Horizon 2020 grant via our office in Romania.
Generation 2: Eventually, Qodemo went out of business and I moved to Paris for private reasons and joined a Master Program for Education Technology. The year was 2016 and I developed a serious crush on lifelong learning, mainly on ways to document and validate continuous learning experiences. Surprisingly, at the beginning of 2017, we got a positive answer for Horizon 2020's nearly 1M euro in funding. We tried to use experimentQ Foundation for it, sadly the legal conditions did not allow to change the receiving entity.
We ended up developing experimentQ from scratch, starting with a podcast about innovative learning communities from which we drew inspiration for a tech tool to track lifelong learning experiences. Despite a small momentum by the end of 2017 / beginning of 2018 and a financial support from CRI Paris to organize a podcast world tour, we failed to build a sustainable model.
Generation 3: Here we are today, launching the 3rd iteration of experimentQ, in Amsterdam. This time our objective is to make it sustainable from day 1, via consulting services. On one hand we build expertise in designing learning experiences by producing the experimentQ podcast and facilitating community engagement with free web resources and in-person learning circles, and on the other hand, we consult individuals and organizations in building world-class learning and development programs. First client project got signed in July.
We still have the technology platform on our horizon but that will be built quietly in the background, from our own savings. No VCs needed at this point.
Voila, the "/made by Q" is our way of documenting the results of generation 3.
Got feedback? Please leave a comment below and #GOexperiment with your learning ;)


text: Released almost exactly a year later, England's own The Pigeon Detectives offer up their sophomore LP, Emergency. With just as much Indie Alt Brit sound as they delivered the first time around, they plan to stay in the ears of those who have the attention span of a flea on acid. "I'm A Liar" is anthem all it's own. With a toe-tapping rhythm and an onomatopoeia chanting chorus, you're caught up inside of the song before you even realize that your body's moving. Though it's the album opener "This Is An Emergency" that properly snatches your attention. Being exactly what an album starter needs to be, the band is well versed in the ways of album track formation. There are some downtimes, though. That's primarily due to the band playing too hard into the Brit-Pop field. Granted, there's nothing wrong with that, but it does start whittling away anyone who might be already bored in that type of sound. But, again, it completely appeals to those fans of indie films like "Trainspotting." The immense praise that has been bestowed upon the band is up for contest, but with tracks like "Making Up Numbers" & "Everybody Wants Me" under their belt, it's hard to contest it for so long. No, they aren't Bloc Party, but they do serve up a good lighterhearted flip-side to the same spectrum. All in all, a year later, and the band marches on wearing all their new badges in pride . . . and offering some pretty nifty music to assist your stride.


text:
John Irish
Everyone understands that sex is important to a marriage, but not everyone understands HOW?
Most people simply conclude that QUANTITY defines the expectations of good sex in a relationship, or a marriage, but this can be mistaken. Each individual -man or woman- differs in his or her view of, and appetite for, sex. Measurement of sexual expectation is both quantitative and qualitative, and they range from no sex at all and pristine sex on the one end of the spectrum, to mind-blowing and near insatiable sexual encounter on the other end.
Here, the famous saying "to each his own" firmly holds sway.
But one thing that can be safely said is that most responsible men know when a woman delivers a unique tailor-made sexual package to the relationship. These men do not expect a woman to be a "whore" or a "slut" -they just know when the woman has gone the extra mile to get deep into a man's heart. These men are attentive to things other men aren't.
A man is mainly interested in keeping a woman sexually to himself alone, and that is why men really marry.
For a woman to "hook" a man, she must make him want to keep her all to himself, and the tips here will help to understand how.
Let's sample three instances:
The first is a woman who comes across to most observers as "dowdy", naive and inexperienced; probably dresses poorly or less fashionably, and talks very little -basically someone a man would expect to be shy in bed. And then comes the night (or day) of the sexual encounter between the man and this woman. If she delivers a "whore grade" sex in that encounter, the man would likely feel one of these two:
(1) She went the extra mile to please him, and so he must have done something special to achieve that -she indirectly bolsters his sexual ego; or
(2) She is a hidden "freak" that nobody has discovered yet, and he would want to keep that way.
He would want to keep her to himself -all for himself -before other men discover this and increase the courtship and conjugal competition. That is a typical man's thinking!
The second example is a woman who most observers would see as urbane, though "street-wise". Most men would think that this lady would be a dream catch, and so would not really expect certain behavior from her in or out of the bedroom. She would be expected to be proud and haughty. She may not be expected to, for example, initiate sex, because the men see her as the feminist or "women liberation" type. But if this same lady were to prove totally submissive in bed, even initiate sex, and finish with a "thank you note" to the man, this would catch the man totally off-guard and make him see her in totally different light. This is possible because of the inner workings of a man's psychology.
It would -again- also make him want to keep this fact about this lady hidden and to himself alone. In other words, he wants her for himself alone -for marriage!
The third example is a woman who most observers would see as a "whore" or "slut" but who nevertheless possesses other qualities that attracted the man in the first place, such as good job, education, and good looks. Most men may go into a relationship with this lady to conduct a "hit and run", but they can be caught for marriage if this lady pulls a totally unexpected sexual behavior on the man. She may, for example, totally deny him sex or offer very few, but consequential moves while in the act and, while at it, "cum" hard for him. Most experienced men don't expect experienced women to orgasm easily, if at all, because they reason that the lady "has been around" and would have been completely desensitized to the simplest of sexual stimuli. Women still underestimate the weight and impact of their orgasm on men.
A little anecdote helps here: A certain traveling man contracted a prostitute for a night of sex, and ended up marrying her because she kept orgasming throughout the whole night of their encounter, and in the morning she rejected his money, and went her way. In another of his trip, he sought her out, and later married her! Yes, men value orgasms, especially when delivered severally in one encounter by a "whore". The man felt that he did what other men couldn't do with this woman and felt appreciated for a "job well done". Ego and men are inseparable Siamese twins!
Having covered three broad categories of women in the sexual world, it is pertinent to conclude on the key point: Men want special and unique sexual experience with the lady that they would marry. There is no one size fits all in this, as every man and every woman is different. The key is to understand that a man marries "to keep" a woman mainly for special sexual companionship. Other qualities a woman may posses only help to make the marriage more joyful and fulfilling. His heart races when he knows that his woman is a hidden sexual package of sorts that only he knows and enjoys all by himself. That is why infidelity from a woman hurts a man more that the reverse. Men thrive on ego.
So, when next that moment of truth arrives, be sure to over-deliver on his expectations, even positively shock him, and you would be ahead of the competition; no doubt.


text:
Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un in Singapore a macabre spectacle that offers hope
There really is much that is deeply distasteful about this meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un.
Here is a leader, Mr Kim, who holds an entire nation hostage to secrecy and fear.
He is brutal, he has been accused of ordering the murder of family members; he exhibits all the hallmarks of a psychopath.
Overstated? Well remember what former Australian High Court justice Michael Kirby found in his 2014 United Nations inquiry into North Korea.
He compared the abuse to the atrocities of the Nazis. He wrote to Kim Jong-un informing him he could face trial in the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Torture, rape, children starved, people locked up for no cause in gruesome gulags; what Mr Kirby found, he said, moved him to tears.
Now Mr Kim is given a motorcade through Singapore as people line the streets to catch a glimpse, telling us how excited they are to see him.
On Monday night he took an impromptu walk (with his small army of bodyguards) around the Singapore streets.
It is part of a charm offensive that only adds to the macabre spectacle.
No other president would give Kim legitimacy
Donald Trump is a man who is accused of demeaning the White House — dogged by rumours of affairs with call girls and porn stars, under investigation for collusion with Russia to win the presidential election.
He has threatened trade war, inflamed racism, insulted and humiliated nations, and bullied and attempted to intimidate allies.
He has left the latest G7 summit trading barbs with other leaders.
Remember just months ago, Mr Trump was lampooning Mr Kim as "little rocket man", threatening to unleash "fire and fury".
Now he is rewarding this young despot, the third generation of a vicious dynasty, with a face-to-face meeting.
He has done what no other sitting American president would ever do; he has given Mr Kim legitimacy.
Mr Trump is no standard bearer of democracy; he praises authoritarian figures; pax-Americana is being supplanted by the post-American world.
He believes the world is a mess, and in the words of the latest Economist magazine it is, "no longer America's job to clean up that mess, but to pursue its own interests".
The Economist says Mr Trump sees international relations as he saw reality television: "Unpredictability and absurdity raise the ratings."
Donald Trump may just be a dealmaker-in-chief
The meeting between the President and the Supreme leader is politics as spectacle; it is the triumph of the cult of personality.
There is little dignified or statesmanlike about this; it smacks of diplomacy as opportunism, on both sides.
Yet, this is what we have; this is what the world hopes will turn the Korean Peninsula back from the brink.
However flawed, however offensive some of it is, these two men could begin a pathway to an unlikely peace.
Like so many others, I find myself willing this to succeed, perhaps this is like when Nixon met Mao in the 1970s. Back then, people said it was crazy too.
In Mr Trump we just may have a dealmaker-in-chief.
We don't have to like what we see to hope for the best.
This isn't about the glory of Mr Trump or Mr Kim, or premature talk of the Nobel peace prize. Hope here is for the millions of ordinary North Koreans who suffer still, and the millions of South Koreans living with tens of thousands of Mr Kim's missiles aimed at their cities.
The word historic is bandied about. Yes, this meeting is a first, and it is worth pondering history.
North Korea has pledged to give up its nuclear program before; there have been false dawns and talk of peace many times before.
All of it has ended in disappointment.
Even if the Singapore summit achieves beyond expectations; the past tells us what is agreed will not hold.
Sadly for all those innocent people in the firing line, when it comes to North Korea, hope is no match for history.
Matter of Fact with Stan Grant is on the ABC News Channel at 9:00pm, Monday to Thursday.
Topics: government-and-politics, donald-trump, world-politics, asia, singapore, united-states, korea-democratic-peoples-republic-of
First posted


text:
The film Lucy conveys the following truth: once a person's intelligence develops beyond 100%, the body, which serves as the intelligence-bearing vehicle, will turn to ashes. The descriptive capacity of "I am everywhere" surmounts temporal and geographic constraints, and at this point, a person transforms into a "god".
This article is reserved for subscribed members only. If you are already a member, you can log in here below.
Subscribe for full access to The Eye of Photography archives!
That's thousands of images and articles, documenting the history of the medium of photography and its evolution during the last decade, through a unique daily journal. Explore how photography, as an art and as a social phenomenon, continue to define our experience of the world. Two offers are available.
Subscribe either monthly for $5 or annually for $50 (2 months offered).


text:
The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.
The LG C8 is the best OLED TV you can buy because it shows off how powerful OLED technology is with excellent black levels, an attractive design, and a slew of features.
OLED TVs have been very popular among home theater enthusiasts for the past few years, and the continually dropping price point of this premium product means there's never been a better time to invest in one. If you want the best streaming, gaming, and movie watching experience, there's no substitute for an OLED TV.
OLED stands for "organic light emitting diode," and while that just seems like technical jargon, it has serious implications for your TV watching experience. Instead of using a traditional backlight, OLED screens use a carbon-based film between two conductors that creates light when an electric current passes through. That means when there's black in an image, the TV won't display light at all, making for the highest dynamic range of any TV technology.
Like any high-end technology, though, there's a lot of confusion surrounding what you should buy. LG, Samsung, and Sony each have their own marketing lingo, which makes it difficult to know if you're even buying an OLED in the first place.
We've scoured the internet and tested some of the premium options on the market so you can find the best OLED TV in our buying guide
Here are the best OLED TVs you can buy:
- Best OLED TV overall: LG C8
- Best OLED TV for less than $1,600: LG B8
- Best high-end OLED TV: Sony A9F Master Series
- Best curved QLED TV: Samsung Q7C
- Best OLED TV for large rooms: Sony A1E
Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.
Why you'll love it: With a reasonable price tag and excellent image processing, the LG C8 is the best bang for your buck in the OLED TV market.
Based on buyer reviews, commentary by experts online, and my own hands-on testing, the LG C8 is where you should look first if you want to invest in an OLED TV. It includes the best features from LG's TV line while maintaining a reasonable price tag. As the mid-tier option in LG's line-up, it's also the centerpiece of most sales.
OLED TVs also rely on processing power, and the C8 is no slouch in this regard. It uses the a9 processor, which is the same processor used in LG's super expensive W8 series of TVs. The processor provides the C8 TV with the best color accessory and sharpness. LG's C8 even earned an "excellent" rating from Consumer Reports for its picture quality.
The C8 also supports HDR content which, unlike with many cheaper TVs, isn't just a flat marketing point. The TV supports HDR10, Dolby Vision, HLG, and Advanced HDR by Technicolor, meaning you can take advantage of just about any HDR content that's available. It's great future proofing, as HDR content is ever growing.
When dropping this kind of money on a TV, though, none of that should come as a surprise. The C8 may differentiate itself with excellent image quality, but the ThinQ AI is what sets it apart from the pack. It integrates with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, so you can watch anything just by yelling at your digital assistant from across the room.
Furthermore, the C8 comes with Gallery Mode, which will cycle paintings and photographs across the screen to avoid the dreaded OLED burn-in. It's also got Dolby Atmos support and access to nearly every streaming platform available — though HBO is oddly omitted.
Pros: Excellent image quality, ThinQ AI, relatively inexpensive
Cons: No HBO support
Buy the LG C8 55-inch OLED TV on Amazon for $1,897 (originally $1,996.99)
Why you'll love it: LG cut some corners to bring the B8 to a lower price point, and while it's not as good as our top pick, it gets damn close for about $300 less.
The LG B8 is mostly the same TV as the C8. Like its more expensive sibling, it uses LG's WebOS, supports a range of HDR content, and comes with the same integration with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. The only thing that's different is the image processor.
It uses the now dated a7 processor, which LG only uses in this TV. While it would be great to say there isn't a difference between this processor and LG's flagship one, there is. The higher-end a9 processor helps bring colors to life more and bumps up the sharpness, but only by a thin margin.
In a side-by-side comparison with other LG OLEDs, the a9 processor reigns supreme. However, when put against competitors, the a7 still shines. The difference between the two is really splitting hairs. The a7 processor helps the B8 beat out TVs that are double its price.
Believe it or not, the largest difference between the B8 and C8 is the stand. LG opted for the narrow, angled stand seen on 2017's C7 instead of the wider, curved version seen on the C8. When put on a wall, though, the B8 and C8 look identical.
Pros: Cheapest true OLED TV on the market, Google Assistant integration
Cons: Older image processor, no HBO support
Buy the LG B8 OLED TV on Amazon for $1,597 (originally $1,796.99)
Why you'll love it: Sonymay not have the chops to compete with LG's inexpensive OLEDs, but it pulls ahead in a high-end market with the excellent app support and truly impressive audio quality of the A9F Master Series TV.
Sony TVs have always had one word associated with them: expensive. The A9F Master Series is no exception to that, touting a price tag that's around $1,200 more than LG's competing top-tier OLED TV. Even so, Sony justifies the price with a unique spin on built-in audio and a wide range of applications.
TV speakers are notoriously bad, but you should listen to the A9F before blowing money on a speaker system. Sony essentially turned the TV into a soundbar, utilizing the surface area of the panel to distribute sound throughout the room. It's called "Acoustic Surface Audio+," and it's impressive.
There are six actuators behind the panel that pour sound into the room, with two dedicated woofers handling the bass. It sounds so good that I recommend using the A9F as a center speaker while connecting other bookshelf speakers for a surround setup, which Sony, thankfully, supports.
You're paying for that tech, mostly. The image quality is about on par with LG's mid-tier OLED TVs, despite Sony's new X1 Ultimate image processor. The colors and sharpness are mostly the same, though Sony falls behind LG when fast-paced action is on screen.
Movie watchers will be fine with either TV, but gamers should seriously look twice at the A9F. It makes a perfect pairing with the PS4 Pro, handling the detailed and chaotic graphics of AAA games with grace. The PS4 Pro supports 4K HDR gaming, too, which the A9F can handle.
Pros: Excellent audio quality, wide app selection, great gaming experience
Cons: Expensive, not the best movie watching experience
Buy the Sony A9F Master Series OLED TV on Amazon for $4,498
Why you'll love it: While not a true OLED TV, the Samsung Q7C is the closest you'll get with a curved TV.
Calling Samsung's Q7C an OLED TV is cheating a little bit, as QLED, which the Q7C is, isn't technically OLED — despite Samsung's attempts to make you think so. OLEDs inherently don't need a backlight, which helps them achieve the deep blacks they're known for. QLEDs, on the other hand, need one.
While not technically an OLED, a Samsung QLED is the closest you'll get if you're on a budget. Plus, the Q7C is one of the few curved TVs on the market. The curve is subtle, but enough to wrap around your peripheral vision if you have the right room size. You won't notice it much, otherwise, thanks to Samsung's bezel-less design.
In addition to the sexy exterior, Samsung has some accessories to clean up your entire TV setup. Despite the curved design, the Q7C can be flat mounted against any surface using Samsung's No Gap wall mount. There aren't any connections to plug into the TV itself, either, so this system works.
Samsung instead has a box that houses all of the TV's connections, so only a single cable runs to it. In a home theater, for example, you could house your Blu-Ray player, game console, and streaming box in the back of the room and only run a single connection to the TV.
App support and ease of use are about on par with the LG range of OLED TVs. The simple, curved remote supports voice commands and can automatically integrate with other devices. As long as your device is on the compatible list, OneRemote, as Samsung calls it, is a simple, universal remote that doesn't require any programming.
Pros: Bezel-less design, excellent universal remote, great image quality
Cons: Not technically an OLED
Buy the Samsung Q7C OLED TV on Amazon for $1,498 (originally $1,999.99)
Why you'll love it: With perfect black levels, a bezel-less design, and great audio quality, the Sony A1E is the perfect 77-inch OLED TV.
Sony TVs are more expensive than their LG counterparts, despite delivering around the same image quality. However, the A1E is unique in that it offers supreme OLED image quality in an absolutely massive size.
It's one of the few 77-inch OLED TVs on the market that's shy of $10,000, giving LG's $15,000 W8 a run for its money. As is expected from Sony, the image quality is breathtaking. The X1 Ultimate image processor looks good in 55-inch models, but the extra screen real estate really makes it shine.
That image can be fully appreciated, too. Sony's A1E has a bezel-less design, meaning all you'll see is what's on screen. There isn't even a stand to contend with. Sony opted to use a massive kickstand to support the TV instead. That, combined with the bezel-less design, make the image look as if it's floating.
The kickstand is more than just a support. Like Sony's other OLED TVs, the A1E utilizes the entire panel as a speaker. Unlike Sony's other OLED TVs, though, the subwoofer isn't directly behind the picture. There's a dedicated woofer built into the kickstand that provides the best bass response out of any TV on the market.
Pros: Great black levels, unique kickstand design, 77-inch model available
Cons: At nearly $8,000, the A1E is one of the most expensive TVs on the market
Buy the Sony A1E OLED TV at Best Buy for $7,999 (originally $9,999.99)
Subscribe to our newsletter. Find all the best offers at our Coupons page. Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at email@example.com.


text:
Have a complaint about I-77 tolls? Time is running out.
Saturday is the deadline to tell the state your thoughts about a recent study of the Interstate 77 toll lanes project.
In response to complaints about the state's contract with I-77 Mobility Partners, the N.C. Department of Transportation hired consultant Mercator Advisors to conduct an in-depth review of the contract and project. Work is well underway on the lanes from Charlotte to Mooresville.
On Aug. 10, Mercator released a draft report of its review, which includes public comments and concerns about the contract. The report assesses options for the NCDOT. The review cost about $100,000.
Mercator in part found that DOT could cancel the contract "to be responsive to concerns that continue to be expressed by elected officials at the local, county and state level about the (public-private partnership) arrangement." That could cost the state as much as $300 million, however, Mercator's report said.
Finding the money to buy out the contract would be a "significant challenge," according to the consultant.
Mercator also reviewed other ways to change the contract, although the report lacked specifics about how much other changes might cost, the Observer has reported.
One possibility is to allow the contract to continue and convert one of the two toll lanes in each direction in north Mecklenburg into a general-purpose lane. Mercator didn't estimate the cost of that option.
Mercator's draft report is available on the state's I-77 toll-lanes project website, https://www.ncdot.gov/projects/I-77ExpressLanes/.
Public comments will be reviewed and incorporated into the consultant's final report, according to the DOT.
Email comments and suggestions to email@example.com.
Joe Marusak: 704-358-5067, @jmarusak


text:
Drive Medical Cobalt Travel Power Wheelchair-Blue
Write a review
| Ask a question
The Cobalt Travel Power Chair by Drive Medical is perfect for users who need an easy and lightweight transportable power chair. The Cobalt easily disassembles into three parts via a quick and easy pull of a release lever. The seat swivels for convenience but also folds down to save room during transport. The seat even has four height adjustments from 20'' to 23''. The armrests flip-up to easily transfer the user from one place to another and they are also removable if needed. The armrests are even height and width adjustable for better positioning and user customization. The controller is adjustable in length and can also be mounted to the left or right arm rest allowing the controller to be adaptable for the user.
- Quick and Easy Disassembly
- Height-Adjustable Swivel Seat
- Padded and Adjustable Armrests
- Armrest-Mounted Reflectors
- Anti-Tip Wheels
- Batteries: 2 - 12V 21AH
- Max Speed: 4 mph
- Product Weight Capacity: 250 lbs
- Seat Width: 18''
- Joystick Steering


text:
Lieutenant General Libutti brings significant administrative and management experience, leadership skills, and knowledge of the defense and federal services marketplace to his new positions at Digital Fusion.
After 38 years of military and public service, Lt. Gen Libutti retired in 2005 as the first Under Secretary for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection at the newly created U.S. Department of Homeland Security. From 2002 to May 2003, Lt. Gen. Libutti served as the New York Police Department's first Deputy Commissioner of Counter-Terrorism. Prior to the NYPD, he had a long, distinguished and highly decorated career in the Marine Corps, retiring in October 2002 at the rank of Lieutenant General.
At the time of his retirement, Lt. Gen. Libutti was the Commander of the U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific; Commanding General, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific; and Commander, U.S. Marine Crops Bases, Pacific, headquartered at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. Lieutenant General Libutti is a native of Huntington, Long Island, New York, and a graduate of The Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina.
About Digital Fusion
Digital Fusion is an information technology and engineering services company that helps its customers make the most of technology to meet their business needs. Digital Fusion's IT Services provide solutions to both government and commercial customers, focused in the following areas: Business Process Automation, Application Development and Data Management, Application Security, Web Portals and Digital Dashboard, System Integration and IT Support. Digital Fusion's Engineering Services support a variety of customers with state-of-the-art solutions that include: Computational Aerodynamics/CFD; Optical Systems Design, Development and Test; Thermo/Structural Dynamics; Modeling and Simulations; Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing; Program Analysis; and Group/Flight Planning, Execution, and Data Analysis. Based in Huntsville, Alabama, Digital Fusion also has offices in Washington, D.C., Orlando, Florida, and New Jersey. For additional information about Digital Fusion, visit http://www.digitalfusion.com.
Forward Looking Statements: All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release are forward-looking statements. When used in this release, words such as "project," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "plan," "intend," and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company or its management, as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company's management, identify forward-looking statements. Similarly, statements herein that describe the Company's business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals are also forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors including, but not limited to: the effect of business and economic conditions; the impact of competitive products and pricing; capacity and supply constraints or difficulties; the Company's dependence on continued funding of U.S. government programs; contract procurement and termination risks; competitive factors such as pricing pressures and/or competition to hire and retain employees, and material changes in laws or regulations applicable to the Company businesses. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity of the Company. These statements reflect the Company's current beliefs and are based upon information currently available to it. Be advised that developments subsequent to this release are likely to cause these statements to become outdated with the passage of time.


text:
During this visit [to New Orleans to consult with Gen. Banks] I reviewed Banks' army a short distance above Carrollton. The horse I rode was vicious and but little used, and on my return to New Orleans ran away and, shying at a locomotive in the street, fell, probably on me. I was rendered insensible, and when I regained consciousness I found myself in a hotel near by with several doctors attending me. My leg was swollen from the knee to the thigh, and the swelling, almost to the point of bursting, extended along the body up to the arm-pit. The pain was almost beyond endurance.
Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S Grant, Chpt. xxxix


text:
Getting a little Lower
Most people know I live in a desert – a dry, dry desert. When we say, "It's a dry heat," we mean that when you step outside, you can literally feel the moisture being sucked out of your body.
I took a brief trip once with one of my daughters to the beautiful state of Tennessee. Foreign country. I'm not just referring to the accent, the speed of life or the plethora of Christian radio stations. It's green – without irrigation! Apparently, while you sleep at night, water comes out of the Tennessee air and condenses on the grass and flowers and then it actually stays there all day, even in the sunshine!
There's another weird phenomenon: wherever the ground is depressed, water gathers! I'm not even kidding – the whole area is dotted and crisscrossed by bodies of water. Where I live, the low places are just extra dusty and give birth to dust devils. What an interesting concept to think of low places filling with water.
It made me think of my life and how I want to be filled with Jesus. However, He cannot fill something that is already full. I need to get lower – be less filled with concern for myself. More of Him requires less of me. It is a natural cause and effect. The more humble I become, the more of Him I will be filled with just as water flows to the deepest areas. This is how the humble are exalted, this is the honor of humility (Matthew 23:12). The humble are exalted because they are full of God.
Our task in life is all about coming to this place of humility and rejoicing in it. We come there by means of our realization of the magnitude and majesty of God and our realization of our place as created beings. We are His creations and are meant to spend our lives honoring, serving and communing with Him.
We cannot come to humility by self-deprecation, though that is our first instinctual attempt at humility. But the use of self-deprecation is merely an attempt to use a demonic devise to conquer a demonic condition. The devil is the author of pride and the accuser of the brethren. We must reject his condition (pride) and his methods (accusation).
Instead we must learn humility from the Author and best example of humility: the Lamb of God. We must attach ourselves to Him and match Him step for step (this is the essence of taking His yoke upon ourselves). We must learn from Him Who is "gentle and humble of heart" (Matthew 11:29). It is in this endeavor that we will become more and more emptied of ourselves and thus more and more filled with God. Martin Luther observed, "God created the world out of nothing, and as long as we are nothing, He can make something out of us."
It is this reduction of self from the equation that ushers in every other glory. The glory of communion with God is birthed in the humble heart. Great service done in the Father's name is only effective with a humble spirit. It is a heart of humility that keeps itself in proper relationship to the Lord that can also keep itself in proper relationship with those around and be an accurate representative of the Lord.
"Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up." James 4:10


text:
It has been an exciting week; so much completed and so many changes coming next week, too!
ATTENTION: The store is closing early next Thursday 4/5/18 (VFC is open 7am-7pm)!
If all goes as planned, we are moving the entire Produce, Grocery, and Bulk sections into the new expansion next Thursday night. Read below to see other phases of progress!
#wecantwait #scalingdownbeforewescaleup #downatthevfcRead More


text:
The REPAIR Bundle: all three of the UN-Plugins, one UN-dispensable toolkit. Boost or suppress reverb in your music, field or dialog recordings and fine-tune overall clarity – with award-winning quality – using the critically acclaimed UNVEIL. Remove resonances, roll-offs, comb-filtering and solve any EQ problem (including mastering applications) automatically, and with the highest precision and quality available using our award-winning UNFILTER.
Restore poorly encoded audio and add clarity, definition and punch to your recordings with UNCHIRP. Whether you are a sound designer, re-recording mixer, mixing engineer, music producer or dialog editor, the REPAIR Bundle will save you massive amounts of time while providing unbeatable results!
System Requirements Mac
System Requirements Windows
This product requires an activation!
You can either "soft" activate on your computer without addditional hardware or transfer the license to an iLok USB dongle which has to be purchased separately. The iLok dongle can be used to run the protected software on different computers. Your licenses can be easily manged using the iLok Licence Manager. To protect your investment against theft or loss we recommend the iLok Zero Downtime protection with TLC.
An internet connection on any computer and a free user-accout at www.ilok.com is required to authorize the product.


text:
[For those who are wondering, this is not turning into a music blog. This post is as much of a thanks to Stephanie and Micall as it is an appreciation for Andrew Bird and his great musical talent.]
After Thursday night's awesome Bon Iver show, I didn't think my weekend would get too much more musical. But I was wrong.
At approximately 5 pm on Friday, I got an email from Stephanie, stating that she got some information from a friend of hers that Andrew Bird was playing a secret show at Ronny's in Logan Square. She couldn't verify the info, but her source seemed credible.
If any of you know me, I mean really know me, then you would know that many months ago, when I thought I would have to be leaving Chicago due to the lack of a job, my target date to leave this great city was the 4th of September. A Thursday. Who leaves on a Thursday? Well, it wasn't a randomly selected Thursday, but rather it was the Thursday after Andrew Bird played a free concert at the Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium Park. One of the more anticipated concerts that I had waited to see. It was the first and only time I had seen him.
However, this particular Friday Micall and I had planned to have our Christmas, go see the Lincoln Park Zoo Lights and have some time together. Alas, I would not see this show.
But upon mentioning this to Micall, she exclaimed, "Well, let's go! We can see the Zoo lights anytime."
Ronny's is a dive. A serious dive. One that sells PBR for $3 in cans (MSRP: $0.50). But as we waited through the sound check and starred through the glass door. Andrew Bird was sound checking his violin and whistle (his mouth). He played about an hour, mostly new stuff, and an old song that I hadn't heard before. It was great. And I was this close to him... Yeah that close. At one point, he couldn't find his shoulder pad thingy for his violin and I pointed it out to him. He head-nodded in gratitude. Yeah, I got a head-nod.
He has a new album coming out in January. Keep an eye out for it. And he's touring the US. He'll be in a city near you soon enough. Even Tulsa.


text:
- 10:30--2 clementines
- 12:00--1/2 cup of creole yam fries, 2 baby apples, 1/2 c. of Trader Joe's Puttanesca sauce (Yup. I adore spaghetti sauce in a cup by itself. I know it's weird, but I promise I'm not the only one! I googled it.)
- 2:00--A late brunch with my beautiful friend Molly! (Three hours of geek-out time on food, organic beauty, and solving the world's problems :) Yam fries in coconut oil, scrambled eggs in ghee w/ leeks and bacon, bone broth with dulse flakes, and a delicious pomegranate.
4:30--1/2 tin sardines, a little pickle juice, tangerine, baby apple (they're so cute!)
- 7:30--soup broth and greens with pickled veggies
- 9:30--carrot and baby apple
Cash Check
$59--$42 at Mississippi Market and $17 at Trader Joe's. I FINALLY went grocery shopping, and should be good to go for the whole week! Challenge to self: no groceries until next Sunday.
...This shouldn't sound as daunting as it does :l Produce is an expensive addiction. The leeks. And bell peppers. And glorious sweet potatoes.
I did, however, overcome the desire for a bag of Turkish apricots. Little victories :)
20 pushup/burpee/tuck jumps. Not much, but it definitely got my heart rate up this morning!


text: Matador Red Cartridges are suitable for general usage on animals between 350-1000kg such as oxen, young cows, heifers and bulls under 3 years of age. When stunning with a captive bolt pistol, it is essential that you select the correct grade of cartridge for the animal's size. If the grain used is too low then a shorter tonic phase is more likely which, in turn, increases the risk of an animal regaining consciousness before sticking. This compromises both the animal's welfare and the operator's safety; the livestock is not insensitive at the point of despatch and there is a significantly increased threat of injury to the sticker from involuntary kicking. If the cartridge is too powerful there are also numerous drawbacks: - Heavier cartridges cost more – using the wrong one wastes money - Excessive wear on the firing chamber increases maintenance requirements; increasing spare parts costs and delivering a less effective stun as performance tails off In either of the above cases a processor is risking their 2009/1099/EC compliance by not following manufacturer's recommendations for most effective use of their equipment. Cutting Edge supply all 3 grades of Matador cartridges (black, red and blue). They are sold by the thousand and then divided into boxes of 500 cartridges.


text:
Parkinson's Care
If you're caring for a loved one who may have Parkinson's disease, we know it becomes increasingly difficult to provide the needed specialized care as the disease advances. Movement disorders can make simple everyday tasks, like maneuvering around the house, frustrating and potentially even unsafe. When these difficulties are combined with cognitive impairments they may be experiencing, your loved one may no longer be able to manage on their own or with the help of family and friends. River Highlands is an enriching assisted living, memory support, Parkinson's Care and short-term respite care community, offering support for your loved one now, as well as for the future.
The personalized Parkinson's care you're looking for.
Our thoughtfully designed community provides a safe and accessible place for residents with Parkinson's to receive help with daily needs, such as preparing meals and going to the doctor. The compassionate staff at River Highlands is on site 24 hours a day/7 days a week, and each private apartment is equipped with an emergency call system. We provide individualized support based on each person's needs, abilities and preferences, as well as interactive programs and wellness activities to promote a healthy lifestyle – both intellectually and physically.
The progression of Parkinson's disease and the degree of impairment vary from person to person. Individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's disease may have problems with balance, coordination, speech or daily activities that require mobility. Their voluntary movements become slower (a symptom called bradykinesia), and they may experience tremors in their limbs, face and hands, as well as rigidity in joints and muscles. Other symptoms include problems chewing and swallowing, fatigue, anxiety and dementia.
We are here to help.
Most individuals who develop Parkinson's disease are 60 years of age or older. Since overall life expectancy is rising, the number of individuals with Parkinson's disease will only increase in the future. Because the symptoms generally progress slowly over time and there's no certain test for the disease, it is not always properly diagnosed. However by getting appropriate support and treatment for loved ones who may have Parkinson's, it's possible to reduce symptoms associated with the disease and provide peace of mind.
A secure, homelike environment.
Typically, individuals who develop symptoms of dementia do so about 10-15 years after the initial diagnosis of Parkinson's. Memory support at River Highlands can help with the effects of dementia and ensure residents with Parkinson's continue to experience comfort and fulfillment while living in a secure, homelike environment.


text:
Ralph Hasenhüttl wanted to break it down for the benefit of his new English audience and, also, for his old friend Jürgen Klopp. When the news had hit earlier in the week about the Austrian's imminent appointment as the Southampton manager, Klopp offered a few pronunciation pointers. "Hasen is the rabbit," the Liverpool manager said. "Hüttl means nothing."
This was an open goal for Hasenhüttl and he banged it in with relish. "Jürgen's German is not very good now – maybe his English is better," he said. "I was laughing about his explaining of my name. He knows what Hasen means but Hüttl means a small hut. So it's a small hut for the rabbits."
Ralph Rabbithutch has a certain ring to it and so does the nickname that clung to the 51-year-old as he made his way up the German leagues, from Unterhaching and Aalen to Ingolstadt and RB Leipzig – Alpen Kloppen; Klopp from the Alps.
Hasenhüttl was born two months after Klopp in 1967 and the pair undertook their Uefa pro licence together in Cologne. Like Klopp Hasenhüttl has built his coaching style on pressing, pace, hard running and what he calls automatism – in other words, drilling good decision-making into his players.
"Jurgen has a very proactive way to play, he set marks in Germany with his kind of football and that really influenced my style," Hasenhüttl said. "I have heard about my nickname but I don't like it so much. I want to be my own character."
Hasenhüttl spoke in perfect English at his Southampton unveiling on Thursday, showing quotable turns of phrase and easy, engaging humour – not only when he was ribbing Klopp. "My goal is to get my name known in the Premier League," he said. "I want to put my footsteps in the snow." He made the point that there were no guarantees in football. "If you want a guarantee, buy a washing machine," he added.
What shone through was Hasenhüttl's conviction, which he said had been hardened by his previous job – the two seasons at RB Leipzig when he finished second and sixth in the Bundesliga. RB Leipzig are the team that many German fans love to hate, because of how Red Bull have thrown money at them to take them from nowhere to the top level.
"The first season [in 2016-17] was extreme," Hasenhüttl said. "And the away games were really interesting. I think everyone knows that in Leverkusen they threw paint at our team bus and when we moved our windscreen wipers we couldn't see anything. But it didn't stop us from winning the game. It helped us to get a good core and we got a big strength from it. The second season was easier."
For Hasenhüttl the opportunity at Southampton represents, in his own words, a return to his roots. He was never a top player although, as an old-school centre-forward, he scored goals, particularly for Austria Vienna. He would win eight caps for Austria. He told the story of how he wanted to play in the Premier League but he was not good enough, as he discovered during unsuccessful trials at Chelsea and Bolton Wanderers.
"I trained with Chelsea for two weeks under Glenn Hoddle when they were in the relegation zone – it was a long time ago," Hasenhüttl said. "And I also trained for Bolton when I was a young player. I was very clear, very soon, that I was missing a lot for that level. I had not so much talent and, for that talent, I didn't do so bad. I could score but running was not my main goal. Maybe that's why, as a coach, I force my players to run a lot."
Hasenhüttl's managerial story before RB Leipzig was at lower-end clubs that tended to scrap for survival. Aalen and Ingolstadt were in the relegation places when he took over and Southampton fans will note that he not only led them to survival but also got them both promoted the following season.
"This experience helps me a lot, even if it's a little far away now," Hasenhüttl said. "Taking the Southampton job is not the easiest step but I never want easy in my life. I am always challenging myself. I am not afraid of anything."
Hasenhüttl will push his new players remorselessly in training. There will also be an emphasis on video sessions which, he said, would "get mind-blowing for the guys". Tactically he wants to find the perfect formation but to be flexible, too. "My preferred system is 4-2-2-2 but also 4-3-3 and 3-4-3," he said. "The main goals are to be very proactive and to press very early. If someone says it is too much running or work, they will fall very quickly behind us."
Most immediately, before Saturday's visit to Cardiff, Hasenhüttl needs to stabilise defensively and lift the collective confidence. Man-management and player development, however, are his greatest strengths. There are no guarantees in football but Hasenhüttl intends to give himself and Southampton the best possible chance through hard work, attention to detail and tried and trusted strategies.
Hasenhüttl raised a laugh when asked to reveal his first thought on being offered the job. "It was about how the Titanic left from Southampton," he replied. "I hope I don't hit the first iceberg waiting for me."
The reality is that he feels he has found his ideal port.


text:
Nikkei Makes a Comeback
TOKYO -- Stocks finished higher Friday for the first time in nine sessions.
The Nikkei 225 average rose 201.09 to 16501.55. The Topix index of all Tokyo Stock Exchange's First Section issues rose 23.59 to 1509.88. Advancers led decliners 859 to 389, with 170 issues unchanged. Volume was 907.10 million shares.
Japanese institutional investors...


text:
Trinity Controversy 3: Council of Nicea
Posted in Church History, Sean's Articles, The Trinity, Trinity Controversy Series on November 21st, 2012 8 Comments »
read other articles in this series »
–Richard Rubenstein
Posted in Church History, Sean's Articles, The Trinity, Trinity Controversy Series on November 21st, 2012 8 Comments »
read other articles in this series »
–Richard Rubenstein
Posted in Church History, Sean's Articles, The Trinity, Trinity Controversy Series on September 11th, 2012 20 Comments »
Did Jesus have a beginning or has he always existed? This simple question was at the heart of the controversy that broke out between Christians in Egypt in the early fourth century. Alexander, the powerful bishop of Alexandria, began teaching Jesus was eternal like the Father while a number of his clergy strongly disagreed with him, arguing that the Son was begotten, and thus had a beginning. Before long, the dispute in Egypt spilled over into the surrounding regions of the eastern half of the Roman Empire and continued to escalate until the Roman government officially endorsed one perspective while outlawing all others in A.D. 381. Although most informed Christians are taught that it was Arius that caused all the trouble, in fact, the historical record reveals a quite different perspective. To better understand what happened back then, we need to acquaint ourselves with Arius and the early years of the struggle, before the emperors started getting involved.
Posted in Church History, Sean's Articles, The Trinity, Trinity Controversy Series on July 4th, 2012 10 Comments »
The stereotype of pious, respectful theologians working together to understand and articulate the doctrine of the Trinity looms large in the collective imagination of countless Christians. However, the truth is that defenders of the Trinity doctrine in the fourth and fifth centuries were guilty of hypocrisy, embezzlement, slander, hatred, beatings, kidnappings, and even murder in their herculean effort to force others, content with simpler ideas about God, to believe that Jesus really was on the same level as the almighty, supreme God and that he really was both divine and human at the same time. In the course of this series of articles, we will see bishops and priests act like children, vying for the attention of their emperor in an effort to use their privileged position as their patron's favorite to undermine, discredit, and exile their theological opponents. As we journey through the historical record, we will look on as myth after myth evaporate like mirages on a desert trek that are convincing illusions when viewed from a distance, but suddenly disappear when one draws near. We will discover why many church history textbooks omit the juicy stories of chicanery, politicking, and megalomania in an effort to cloak this formative period in a conspiracy of silence rather than tell the whole story, warts and all.
We will begin our investigation in the early days of the conflict between Alexander and Arius in A.D. 318 at Alexandria, and end in A.D. 451 when the dual-natures' doctrine was set in stone at Chalcedon. Along the way, I will not be able to cover every important person engaging in the various issues that arose during the time, but will instead focus my attention on the players who most flagrantly flouted Christ's command to love their enemies in an effort to bolster and impose their own belief on others. I intend to restore some balance to the current, one-sided version of the events students of church history are typically spoon fed. I contend much of what is out there represents only the most digestible chunk of a very fatty piece of meat, which is often pre-chewed and partially digested. So, rather than focusing on the good, what follows will expose the bad and the ugly so that truth-seekers may find themselves better equipped to make informed decisions about the Trinity idea.


text:
Join us for a Thursday night Portland Intown Contra Dance!
Beginner's lesson at 7:00 p.m.
Contra dancing from 7:30 'til 10 p.m.
10 bucks at the door
Enter through the courtyard
All ages, all people welcome!
Gender-free dance roles!
No partner needed!
New dancers encouraged to come! :)
Maine favorites Owen Marshall (guitar), Baron Collins-Hill (mandolin), and Elly Marshall (fiddle) will be playing music for us this evening. Our caller is Dela Murphy. Sound will be provided by Glen Loper.
Directions may be found on the State Street Church website.
Parking is free after 6pm on street around the State Street/West End neighborhood. We recommend saving extra time, as it might take a bit to find a spot.


text:
Onion Bhaji recipe
Just vary the ingredients to what you have. All you need are some veg(grated or finely sliced) and the gram flour, everything else is optional. Essentially, it's possible to do this by sight. Grate the veg, sprinkle on the chickpea/gram flour, then add enough water that when stirred it all holds together enough to cook. Either fry or bake on a high heat.
However, here is the recipe for reminders on useful extras.
1 onion
1 red onion
100g gram flour (besan flour/chickpea flour)
80ml water
1tsp curry powder/Garam masala
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Vegetable oil/sunflower oil
Optional extras
Pinch Asafoetida powder
0.5tsp Ginger, finely chopped
0.5tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 chili, finely chopped or 0.5tsp powders
Finely slice the onions and put in a mixing bowl. Separate the slices by stirring.
Add all the spices and the flour and mix again.
Add 1tbs oil and about 3/4 of the water and mix together. The onion should look coated with batter. Add the rest of the water if you need it.
Mix it up again and then make loose patties/balls.
Frying method
Heat the oil until it smokes a little before popping in the bhajis. Leave them to cook on one sided before flipping over.
Oven method
Place on a greaseproof paper lined baking tray and cook on a high heat, turning after 10 mins or so for another 10 mins. You will see when they are done.
Try using frozen mixed veg, or cauli or broccoli, defrosted first to make bhajis, but call them vegetable pakoras to impress your diners.
Serve with green sauce. Just blitz wild garlic and/or coriander leaves. Add a little white vinega and a bit of natural yoghurt and "voila!" You have the sauce served in many an Indian restaurant.


text:
Articles by Jamie Smith Hopkins
Jamie Smith Hopkins can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Grace settles final appeal to its reorganization plan
Columbia firm's stay in bankruptcy protection nears 13 years
Pinched Daily Record owner faces restructuring
The Dolan Co. addresses default as losses mount
'Vapor' shops multiply as e-cigarette use grows
As health professionals debate safety, effectiveness, vaping enthusiasts say the device helped them quit smoking
In Maryland, jobs recovery uneven
Some counties have recovered all recessionary losses; some aren't close
Md. approves BGE rate increase, surcharge
Regulators slice request, but consumer advocates bemoan the first-ever reliability surcharge on BGE customers
Md. insurer, seized by regulators, could be liquidated
As regulators and firm's founder trade accusations, local policyholders say they've been left in a difficult situation
Scammers target commercial property owners, attorney general says
Variant on residential scam demands payment for 'GPS meter'
Region's (likely) first baby of 2014: It's a girl
Brooklyn Jane was almost a month early but is doing well
Md. gains 8,900 jobs in November, Labor Dept. says
Unemployment rate improves to 6.4% from 6.7%; economists expect better growth in 2014 than in up-and-down '13
Home values rise in city, some counties
Commercial values climb 16 percent statewide


text:
New Gallery - Lassen Volcanic
It's taken a little while, but I have finally posted a gallery of my favorite images from a trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park. I took this trip in late July with my friend Rich and it was everything we hoped it would be - maybe more. Very few national parks have the variety that we saw in Lassen - high altitude hikes, extinct volcanoes of different types, forests of tall redwood trees, wildflower filled meadows, geothermal vents, and amazing night skies - all in a very remote setting.
Because we visited in the summer, we had four straight days of being in the park for 15 hours with a little time for eating and four straight nights of less than five hours sleep. But it was worth it. I would go back to Lassen in a heartbeat and consider it one of the top three Parks I have visited.
Click the link to see the full Lassen Volcanic National Park gallery.


text:
The color is BEAUTIFUL! I love the way it looks on my husband and myself. I love the way it fits the both of us. All the adjustments and the fact that it grows with my baby are amazing!
Most comfortable and most beautiful carrier I've had! On baby number 3 and I've been through a lot of different ones, searching for just the right fit. Boba is it! The only complaint I have is the way the buckle lands under my arms given that there are two sets of buckles there for maximum adjustment options. It's not a deal breaker though-still my fav!
Ohemgees!!! This carrier is a game changer!!! It does have a bit of a learning curve, with getting the appropriate fit BUT once it's set, you're good to go! My little has zero problem being carried around as I clean, commute, oh and walk the dog. I LOVE the color and best of all, my Little can discreetly breastfeed.
Quick and easy use.
I bought the Boba X carrier just a few weeks ago and I am in love!! The fabric is so soft, it easily adjusts for different people to wear it, and it has so many nice features to it. Not to mention it is extremely comfortable!! I highly recommend this carrier.


text:
Every year, Fordham invites members of the education reform community to share their thoughts on an issue of critical importance. They call it the "Wonkathon" and this year's question is: What standards should students meet to graduate from high school?
Check it out! This year's twenty-two submissions were excellent and we encourage you to check them all out here.


text:
We are super excited to host Craft Night once again! This month we will be decorating Wine Bottles for the holidays. $25 per person +tax. $15 for each addition bottle decorated. All supplies included. ($5 off if you bring your own bottle.) Come alone or bring a whole group, feel free to bring a beverage, we are going to have a blast! Please RSVP as seats are limited to 24 and a $10 deposit is now required.
Back to All Events
Earlier Event: September 23Kids Night!
Later Event: October 6Paint Night Out


text:
A Type-I X-ray burst is the thermonuclear runaway that occurs on the surface of a neutron star in a binary system. Studies on these bursts are of great importance for understanding neutron stars, nuclear reactions and the equation of state of dense matter at low temperature. I will discuss a subset of X-ray bursts, photospheric radius expansion (PRE) bursts, that is powerful to lift up the photosphere of the star with the simulations based on a new 1D turbulence model, ODT. The model is different in that the turbulent motion is implemented according to a stochastic process and an eddy event is represented by a measure-preserving map. I will compare the light curve and turbulent motion development with a KEPLER model in which the traditional mixing length theory is applied.
Cavity optomechnics studies interaction of cavity confined photons with nanomechanical motion. Many of the studies reported so far are focused on interaction of photons with localized mechanical modes. In my doctoral research, I did experimental investigations to extend this study to propagating phonons. We used surface travelling acoustic wave as mechanical element of the optomechanical system. The system constitutes microwave frequency surface acoustic wave transducers co-intergrated with optical cavities on piezoelectric aluminum nitride film. Acousto-optic modulation with the acoustic wavelength significantly below the optical wavelength and modulation speed over 10GHz was demonstrated. The phase and modal matching conditions in this paradigm were investigated for efficient optmechanical coupling. This system was used to demonstrate optomecahnically induced transparency and absorption, which are dynamical consequences of the optomechanical coupling. Phase coherent interaction of the acoustic wave with multiple nanocavities was also explored, highlighting the scalability of the optomechanical system. In a related experiment, a photonic nanoscavity was placed inside an acoustic echo-chamber, and interaction of a phonon pulse with the photonic cavity was investigated. One limitation of our system is that the surface generated acoustic wave leaks into the supporting silicon substrate depriving the optical cavities the strain field necessary for strong optomechanical coupling. This limitation was addressed by realizing the optomechanical system on suspended aluminum nitride membrane. The membrane confines both the acoustic and optical fields and led to a strong optmechanical coupling.
The NuMI Off-axis Neutrino Experiment (NOvA) is designed to study neutrino oscillation in the NuMI beam. Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) is currently being upgraded to provide 700 kW. NOvA observes neutrino oscillation using two detectors separated by a baseline of 810 km; a 14 kt Far Detector in Ash River, MN and a func- tionally identical 0.3 kt Near Detector at Fermilab. The experiment aims to provide new measurements of ∆m232 and θ23 and has potential to determine the neutrino mass hierarchy as well as observe CP violation in the neutrino sector. Essential to these analyses is the classification of neutrino interaction events in NOvA detectors. Raw detector output from NOvA is interpretable as a pair of images which provide orthogonal views of particle interactions. A recent advance in the field of computer vision is the advent of convolutional neural networks, which have delivered top results in the latest image recognition contests. This work presents a novel approach particle physics analysis in which a convolutional neural network is used for classification of particle interactions. The approach has been demonstrated to improve the signal efficiency and purity of the event selection, and thus physics sensitivity. Early NOvA data has been analyzed (2.74×1020 POT, 14 kt equivalent) to provide new best-fit measurements of sin2(θ23) and |∆m232|.
On February 11, 2016 headlines announced the discovery of gravitational waves from a merging pair of black holes 1.3 billion light years away, confirming the most radical prediction of Einstein's theory of gravity. What is this all about? What are gravitational waves? Why is it so important?
This discovery was made by LIGO using instruments spanning miles and yet capable of measuring distances with an accuracy of one billionth the size of an atom, among the most precise instruments ever constructed. LIGO now involves about 1000 scientists and engineers from 80 universities in 16 countries around the world, including the University of Minnesota.
This talk will explain the excitement, what the discovery means, how it was made and why it will open a new window on the universe. The presentation will be aimed at non-scientists with many videos and photos and no equations or jargon.
This dissertation presents some results on the application of low energy effective field theory vortex dynamics in condensed matter and materials systems. For the first half of the presentation we discuss the possibility of non-Abelian gapless excitations appearing on U(1)- vortices in the B phase of superfluid ^3 He. Specifically, we focus on superfluid ^3 He-like systems with an enhanced SO(3)L- rotational symmetry allowing for non-Abelian excitations to exist in the gapless spectrum of vortices. We consider a variety of vortices in the B-phase with different levels of symmetry breaking in the vortex core, and show conditions on the phenomenological parameters for certain vortices to be stable in the bulk. We then proceed to develope the low energy effective field theory of the various vortex types and consider the quantization of excitations. The process of quantization leads to interesting surprises due to non-lorentz symmetry that are not typically encountered in the analogous cases of U(1)×SU(N)- gauge models discussed in high energy theory.
The second half of this dissertation focuses on two types of vortices that appear in a particular model that is a modification of the well known Abelian-Higgs model. The specific modification includes a vector spin field in addition to the U(1)- Higgs field and gauge fields of the original model. The particular form of the lagrangian results in a cholesteric vacuum structure, with interesting consequences for the vortices in the model. We observe the effects of such a modification on the well known U(1)- vortex appearing in the original model due to the emergent spin field in the vortex core. We also consider a new type of vortex that is most closely related to a spin vortex. This vortex appears due to the topology introduced by the new spin field. The low energy effective field theory is also investigated for this type of vortex.
The associated production of a Z boson and a J/ψ meson provides information about the production mechanisms of quarkonium. A measurement of the associated production of a Z boson, which decays to leptons, and a J/ψ meson, which decays to muons, relative to the inclusive production of a Z boson, which decays to leptons, is presented. The measurement was made using the full 19.7 fb−1 of proton-proton collision data collected at a center-of-mass energy of √s = 8 TeV by the Compact Muon Solenoid detector at the Large Hadron Collider.
All SPA faculty, staff, postdocs, students, and their families are welcome to attend! We ask that everyone who comes either bring a dish to share or contribute $5 towards the cost of the event. Monetary contributions can be dropped off with a GradPhi officer or in any of the physics offices (with Jenny in 250 PAN, Amanda in Williamson, Angie in McNamara, Meghan in WBOB).
Please RSVP if you plan on coming to help us get everything organized.
If you're planning on bringing a side dish or dessert to share, please let us know what you will be bringing on the form.
The quantum laws governing atoms and other tiny objects seem to defy common sense, and information encoded in quantum systems has weird properties that baffle our feeble human minds. John Preskill will explain why he loves quantum entanglement, the elusive feature making quantum information fundamentally different from information in the macroscopic world. By exploiting quantum entanglement, quantum computers should be able to solve otherwise intractable problems, with far-reaching applications to cryptology, materials, and fundamental physical science. Preskill is less weird than a quantum computer, and easier to understand.
Please bring a baked goods plate--or--bag to donate for sale on October 26th, as well as buy a plate from the selection. Donations are also appreciated.
More information about the SPA Community Fund Drive can be found on the website
Over a FREE Pizza Lunch there will be former physics majors talking about their current jobs and the array of careers you can pursue with a physics degree. There will also be lab tours and a panel of current Physics majors to answer questions.
Daytime Session
11:30 a.m. - 2:20 p.m., 110 Physics & Nanotech Bldg (PAN)
Can't make it during the day?
There will be additional lab tours at 6:00 p.m. leaving from the PAN lobby.
An ever-increasing amount of evidence suggests that approximately one quarter of the energy in the universe is composed of some non-luminous, and hitherto unknown, "dark matter." Lower-mass dark matter has become more prominent in the past few years. The Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) detectors can be operated in an alternative, higher-biased mode, to decrease their energy thresholds and correspondingly increase their sensitivity to low-mass WIMPs. This is the CDMS low ionization threshold experiment (CDMSlite), which has pushed the frontier at lower masses. This dissertation describes the second run of CDMSlite at Soudan: its hardware, operations, analysis, and results. The results include new WIMP mass-cross section upper limits on the spin-independent and spin-dependent WIMP-nucleon interactions. Thanks to the low background and threshold, these limits are the most sensitive in the world below WIMP masses of ~4 GeV/c^2. This also demonstrates the great promise and utility of the high-voltage operating mode in the future SuperCDMS SNOLAB experiment.
Hayden McCormick, "Experimental Analysis of Oscillating Guitar Strings using High Speed Photography."
Prashant Dhakal & Jack Goodsell, "The Effect of Lateral Retention Forces of Water on a Plexiglass Surface."
Vandon Duong, "Quantitative Characterization of RF Coils Designed for Human Ultrahigh Field MRI"
Alex Luna & Garrett Marxen, "The Effect of Static Magnetic Field on the Viscosity of Ferrofluid"
Dawson Kimyon, "Pulsed NMR Spectroscopy"
Jake Royal, "Development of a Variable Spectral- Width Wavelength Tunable Laser Using a Superluminescent Diode."
The search for quantum spin liquid physics has been long and storied, but RuCl3 and the iridates A2IrO3 have opened up the possibility of realizing a new family of "Kitaev" quantum spin liquids. The Kitaev honeycomb model is a highly anisotropic quadratic spin model that has an exact QSL ground state. We study the Kitaev model on a variety of 3D lattices with the goal of identifying characteristic signatures of its QSL phase. We use the exact solution to demonstrate several features of the Kitaev QSL both quantitative and qualitative. These include broad Raman spectra characteristic of the fractionalized excitations and rich momentum-dependent RIXS spectra. We discuss how these measurements can probe novel features of these QSL's. For example, topological surface modes accessible to Brillouin scattering, and Landau level peaks in Raman spectra on carefully strained honeycomb fakes. In addition, the technical underpinnings of these calculations are reviewed in detail. Specifically, the theoretical predictions are completed with considerations of the e ects of perturbations, finite temperature studies, and careful analysis of the experimental excitations.
I argue that superconductivity in the coexistence region with spin-density-wave (SDW) order in weakly doped Fe pnictides differs qualitatively from the ordinary s+− state outside the coexistence region as it develops an additional gap component which is a mixture of intrapocket singlet (s++) and interpocket spin-triplet pairings (the t state). The coupling constant for the t channel is proportional to the SDW order and involves interactions that do not contribute to superconductivity outside of the SDW region. I argue that the s+− and t-type superconducting orders coexist at low temperatures, and the relative phase between the two is, in general, different from 0 or π, manifesting explicitly the breaking of the time-reversal symmetry promoted by long-range SDW order.
Solar energy is a good choice to meet the energy and environmental challenges nowadays. Researchers have been searching for materials to make a solar absorber which can be widely applied in inexpensive photovoltaic devices. Pyrite FeS2 has long been recognized as a potential candidate for its theoretical high efficiency, low cost, earth-abundance and non-toxicity. However, the performance of pyrite based solar cells has been limited for some unknown reasons since the mid-1980s. The poorly understood doping mechanisms might be a reason for this low efficiency. Identifying unknown dopants, however, remains a big challenge, as does controlled n and p doping. In this work, we explore an approach to study doping by intentionally introducing Mn into pyrite thin films, which we may produce a p-type pyrite thin film. We focus on p-type films because unintentionally doped films were recently shown to be n-type, likely due to S vacancies. Development of a p dopant would therefore enable p-n junctions, a key step in creating a pyrite based solar absorber. In this work, we synthesized and studied the chemical, structural and electronic transport properties of Mn-doped pyrite thin films via ex situ sulfidation.
External beam radiation therapy is the most common option in the treatment of malignant tumors. It mainly uses Bremsstrahlung photons produced when highly accelerated electrons are incident on a target of high atomic number, gamma rays produced by radionuclides, and electrons beams. In the mega-voltage range of photon beams, the dose absorbed by the tumor is primarily by the incident photons losing their energy to the tissues of the tumor by Compton scattering and pair production. Enhancing photonuclear disintegrations offers the possibility of increasing the dose to the tumor (for the same delivered dose) by introducing secondary charged particles in the irradiated region.
The dose delivered by secondary charged particles from the 16O(γ,n)15O reaction in bone was measured in an attempt to explore the feasibility of local dose enhancement due to photo nuclear disintegrations.
For an externally delivered dose of 13 Gray, the additional dose due to positrons was measured to be 0.18 mGray in bone and 0.025 mGray in tissue, using a photon beam that had about 1.3% of photons of energy needed to initiate the 16O(γ,n)15O reaction.
The weekly calendar is also available via subscription to the physics-announce mailing list, and by RSS feed.


text:
As we head into the holiday season of the year when families do a lot of traveling on the highways, it's important to focus on safety behind the wheel. During the first half of 2016, approximately 18,000 people died on American roadways. This is a massive increase of over 10 percent compared to the first half of 2015, and last year saw similar increases over 2014. Why are fatalities increasing like this?
Although the increase in roadway deaths can partly be blamed on the fact that gas prices declined and more drivers can afford to spend more time on the road, probably the most troubling problem is distracted driving. These days, Americans are doing far more talking, texting and engaging with complicated electronic entertainment systems and gadgets inside their vehicles than they ever did before. This is causing drivers to ignore the road in front of them, and they are getting into more accidents than ever.
Distracted driving causes 9 percent of traffic deaths
Some statistics blame distracted driving for a full 9 percent of auto collision deaths. That means that nearly one out of 10 people who die in crashes were killed because a motorist failed to fulfill his or her most important duties as a driver - to pay attention to the road and watch out for other drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, skateboarders and pedestrians.
Anti-cellphone laws are difficult to enforce
Although the state of Florida has laws in place preventing texting while driving, it is easy to see while driving that numerous drivers have their faces buried in their electronic devices. These laws are very difficult for police to enforce in terms of law enforcement taking preventative measures to ticket these unlawful texters before they get into a crash. What happens all too often is drivers do not get caught until after they cause a horrible accident.
Texting while driving is more dangerous than driving while impaired
Because of the way "texters" and social media enthusiasts take their eyes off the road for sometimes four, five or more seconds at a time - and because drivers usually only have a fraction of a second to react and avoid a potential crash - many experts say that using a smartphone while driving is actually more dangerous than drunk driving.
What can we do?
Until law enforcement officers develop new ways to combat distracted driving, Florida residents will have to face the increasingly dangerous reality of being a modern driver. However, we do not have to face this reality lying down. Florida residents who are injured because of distracted motorists will have every right to hold irresponsible and negligent drivers financially liable by filing a personal injury claim in civil court.