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VIDEO: Kevin Love is all smiles after a win over Cleveland
HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS — In an effort to soften the blow, we put our sunglasses on when scanning back at our preseason predictions for this season.
There are so many hits and misses, it helps to have a little shade to work with for the ugly misses. For every prediction we hit out of the park (thank you Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves), there is a prediction that seems to go horribly wrong (there's that mess in Cleveland and, of course, that wobbly start from John Wall and the Washington Wizards).
The BluBlockers are needed for tonight's Timberwolves-Wizards matchup tonight in D.C. (7 p.m. ET, League Pass), a duel between teams on very different paths early on this season. Both teams are loaded with young talent and have quality depth. But the results have been vastly different for the two teams that are inextricably linked — Wizards coach Randy Wittman used to be Timberwolves coach Randy Wittman while the boss in Minnesota, Flip Saunders, once coached the Wizards.
While Wall and the Wizards have struggled to an ugly 2-7 start, including their current four-game losing streak, Love and the Timberwolves have shown themselves to be an exciting and aggressive crew.
At 7-4, the Wolves are living up to all of the hype, internal and otherwise. Love, Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic, J.J. Barea and Co. have managed to take on heightened expectations and handle them appropriately. Throw in that Chase Budinger is back and practicing with the team and Minnesota is looking even better.
Love is in the MVP mix, coach Rick Adelman's got his supporting cast thriving and the roster's balance and depth is finally paying dividends. The Wolves are in the midst of back-to-back grueling stretches of five games in seven nights, a mettle-testing, early-season grind that will could serve them well months from now.
Tonight's game kicks off a monster week that will see Adelman's team face off against the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night at home and the Brooklyn Nets Friday at the Target Center. Then comes a road date in Houston with the Rockets on Saturday and they'll finish this stretch up in Indiana on Nov. 25.
Happy Thanksgiving!
"I don't know if [the league schedule-makers] know that we're almost to Canada and Houston's almost all the way to Mexico," Adelman told reporters Monday.
When your team is top three in the league in scoring and set to get another boost whenever Budinger returns to the rotation, none of the teams you are blindsiding will grant you any sympathy.
The Wizards, meanwhile, could use a little sympathy … and anything else they can get right now. When their owner, Ted Leonsis, used every opportunity in the lead up to the season to tout his team as a legitimate playoff contender in the East, he surely did not envision this humbling start.
Signing Wall to an $80 million maximum contract extension in August was supposed to be a sign of the commitment Leonsis was making not only to the young face of the franchise, but to the future. Wall was not only going to be the change agent for the Wizards on the court, his extension was also supposed to serve as the symbolic change in the way the Wizards did business going forward.
Veterans would see that the organization was serious about putting the resources in the right places and taking that next step from playoff pretender to contender. But it didn't take long for reality to set in. As sound as the plan looked on paper, the Wizards simply didn't have the right mix.
As talented as Wall and his backcourt mate, Bradley Beal — one of a handful of early candidates for the league's Most Improved Player award — surely are, something is still missing.
As my The Beat colleague and TNT's own David Aldridge pointed out in The Morning Tip, Wall does not shoulder the burden of the Wizards' slow start on his own. They're not the same defensive monster they were a year ago, not with Marcin Gortat taking Emeka Okafor's place in the lineup.
A top-10 defensive unit last season, the Wizards are now a top-10 scoring team but falling woefully short on the defensive side. As DA pointed out, the slightest tweak to the Wizards' rotation and chemistry has altered the product on the floor dramatically:
Nene, whose antipathy for banging in the post was well-known, was especially good with Okafor. The quintet of Nene, Okafor, Martell Webster, Bradley Beal and Wall was one of the league's best defensive fivesomes last year. It's not that Gortat is a horrible defender. He tries. But opponents, according to the league's player tracking stats, are shooting 56.7 percent against him on shots at the rim. (By comparison, opponents are shooting 31.4 and 31.5 percent, respectively, on shots at the rim against New Orleans' Anthony Davis and Brooklyn's Brook Lopez.)
"March has done a good job for us," Wizards coach Randy Wittman said Saturday. "No question, 'Mek was solid back there for us, the last line of defense for us, with his basketball knowledge. I think what March brings, though, is that big guy who can challenge at the rim. He's also got a very good IQ. Defense is a matter of getting your knees dirty each and every night. It's not a fun thing, but it's a valuable thing. That's where we have to get back to, understanding how valuable that is for us to be a good team."
A good team?
How about a playoff team?
After all, that's what we all predicted for the 'Wolves and Wizards this season. But as of right now only one of these teams is living up to that expectation.


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|Registration Deadline:
|April 17, 2009 about 10 years ago
|To apply for Funding you must register by:
|January 16, 2009 over 10 years ago
|Parent Program:
Show List of Speakers
- Jamylle Carter (Diablo Valley college)
- Ellen Kaplan
- Bob Kaplan
- Janet Mertz
- Mark Saul (The Center for Mathematical Talent)
- Tatiana Shubin (San Jose State University)
- Fred Smyth
- Zvezdelina Stankova (Mills College)
- Paul Zeitz (University of San Francisco)
The workshop schedule can be found here: Workshop Schedule (PDF 120KB)
Bibliography (PDF 40KB)
Zvezdelina Stankova slides (PDF 3.62MB)
This conference will bring together experienced math circle directors and professional mathematicians along with secondary schol teachers and students, with the three-fold goal of inspiring and equipping individuals to begin math circles in their communities, passing along successful math circle presentations and best practices in math circle administration, and renewing and strengthening ties among members of the existing math circle network.
The purpose of mathematical circles is to cultivate interest and aptitude in math by having mathematicians introduce pre college students and their teachers to the world of mathematics in an engaging and interactive manner. Programs of this type (which were problem- based and focused on students) could already be found in Hungary more than a century ago. They soon spread throughout Eastern Europe and Russia, producing many of the great scientists from the area, in mathematics and other disciplines.More importantly, they have served to introduce bright young minds to mathematical creativity, thus stimulating life-long interest in mathematics and the sciences. These math circles led eventually to the start of many national and international math contests, culminating in the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), initiated in Romania in 1959. Countries such as Bulgaria and Romania attribute their unexpectedly strong performance on the IMO to the presence of these circles.
Given the success of math circles in Russia and Eastern Europe, it is surprising that it has taken so long for the United States to develop similar programs. In 1994 a math circle was started in Cambridge, MA, and the Berkeley Math Circle began soon after in 1998. These were natural choices, both because of the large number of talented high school students in the area and because of the wealth of mathematical talent and leadership available in local academic institutions and scientific corporations. Their success has increasingly been recognized and replicated in the San Francisco Bay Area and across the country. There are over forty active math circles in the United States today in locations as diverse as San Diego, CA; Mobile, AL; Flint, MI; Salt Lake City, UT; St. Louis, MO; and Albany, NY.
The organizers have invited participants to share effective topics and presentation strategies from their most successful math circles with the entire group of conference attendees. To this end, six 15-minute time slots were reserved for "Great Circles" talks. The purpose of these sessions is to efficiently share many curriculum ideas for other circle directors to implement at future math circles. Individuals interested in speaking during one of these sessions have now been chosen and should include a brief description of the math circle to be showcased (topic and creative means for engaging students with this topic) and background information (approximate date this math circle was conducted, name/location of circle, and age/level of students). Speakers should plan to prepare a one-page document with a brief overview of their "Great Circle" along with a selection of sample problems.
Show less
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Rose Garden Inn. Reservations may be made by calling 1-800-992-9005 OR directly on their website. Click on Corporate at the bottom of the screen and when prompted enter code MATH (this code is not case sensitive). By using this code a new calendar will appear and will show MSRI rate on all room types available. The cut-off date for reservations is April 2, 2009.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hotel Durant. Please mention the workshop name and reference the following code when making reservations via phone, fax or e-mail: 0904GREATC. The cut-off date for reservations is April 2, 2009. Our NEW ROOM RATE $139/ night!
Show Funding
To apply for funding, you must register by the funding application deadline displayed above.
Students, recent Ph.D.'s, women, and members of underrepresented minorities are particularly encouraged to apply. Funding awards are typically made 6 weeks before the workshop begins. Requests received after the funding deadline are considered only if additional funds become available.
Show Lodging
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hotel Durant. Reservations may be made by calling 1-800-238-7268. When making reservations, guests must request the MSRI preferred rate. If you are making your reservations on line, please go to this link and enter the promo/corporate code MSRI123. Our preferred rate is $129 per night for a Deluxe Queen/King, based on availability.
Additional lodging options (short term housing page - Short Term Housing
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Apr 16, 2009
Apr 17, 2009

subset: commoncrawl


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The epicenter of automotive coolness this weekend is approximately 50°52'2.38"N and 0°43'58.46"W. That's the Goodwood Estate, where all manner of vehicular foolishness is happening this weekend. For said car p0rn, check out this delectable Flickr pool, or see what Autoblog Frank uncovered on his trip there. Very nice, indeed.
Goodwood Festival of Speed Flickr Pool [Flickr]
Colin McRae Shows off New Rally Car at Goodwood; Atkinson on Atkinson Action: Comedian, Rallyist to Face off at Goodwood [internal]


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TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's All Nippon Airways (9202.T) had three instances of electric distribution panel trouble in its Boeing (BA.N) 787 Dreamliner before it grounded the aircraft in January and had to replace the panel twice, a spokesman said.
In the most serious case, which took place in April 2012, ANA found burns in the protection circuit and the breaker of an electric distribution panel during on-ground inspections after pilots received a generator-related bug message, ANA spokesman Etsuya Uchiyama said on Thursday.
The company believes a foreign material entered the panel and caused the short circuit. The material is likely to have scattered and damaged the breaker, and ANA replaced the damaged panel, he said.
"We believe this is not serious. Fire damage in electric distribution panels are also found in other types of aircraft, and it has no impact on safe operation of aircraft," he said.
ANA, which is Japan's largest airline and the biggest operator of 787s worldwide, reported the case to Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau, Uchiyama said.
The airline also replaced an electric distribution panel in June 2012 and exchanged parts in a panel in March 2012, he said. These two cases were not reported to the Civil Aviation Bureau.
On Wednesday, the Japan Federation of Aviation Workers' Unions said ANA experienced short circuits in its 787 electric distribution panel at least five times between December 2011 and October 2012, citing ANA mechanics.
Asked about the Federation's information, ANA's Uchiyama said the panel problems occurred three times, not five.
The federation, which groups unions representing aviation workers including mechanics, flight attendants and pilots, did not mention Japan Airlines (9201.T), the second-largest 787 operator.
JAL could not be reached immediately for comment.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
ANA operated 17 Dreamliners before the aircraft was grounded in mid-January after lithium-ion batteries burned on two jets, one in the United States and one in Japan.
The 787 uses a large electrical system with multiple generators and power distribution panels to perform many functions that on other jets are powered by compressed air from the plane's engines.
In 2010, a power distribution panel caught fire during a 787 test flight. In December 2012, a United Airlines 787 made an emergency landing due to electrical problems stemming from a distribution panel. Boeing later said it traced that problem to a faulty circuit board made in Mexico.
Reporting by Yoko Kubota in Tokyo and Alwyn Scott in New York; Editing by Dan Grebler


text: Hi Håkon, Since that presentation was written, the 18 benchmarks were pruned down to 13 for various reasons, but none added, so there are still no applications with MPI_Alltoall or MPI_Alltoallv in the suite. We didn't know about this lack until you pointed it out. It is unclear how important is this lack. It could be that applications writers try to avoid these calls when trying to write scalable applications. Also the fact that 18 applications picked more or less at random (while trying to find scalable, publicly available applications from a wide range of disciplines) did not use these calls, may mean something. There is one benchmark still in the suite whose source contains MPI_Alltoall calls, but the test cases we run do not use that function. But still, the HPG committee will entertain adding such benchmarks for later versions of the benchmark suite. Thanks, Tom Håkon Bugge wrote: > From the reference below, 18 benchmarks are characterized; viewgraph 15 > and 16 show the "Message call count". Of the 18 benchmarks, none use > MPI_Alltoall or MPI_Alltoallv. Now, if the suite has been amended with > benchmarks using MPI_Alltoall, we're only lacking benchmarks using > MPI_Alltoallv. > > And to be precise, I do not search for said benchmarks personally; my > intent was to underline that this dimension was missing from the 18 > (initial) benchmarks in the MPI2007 suite. > > > > Thanks, Håkon > >> you wrote: >> ---------------- >> I just read >> http://www.spec.org/workshops/2007/austin/slides/SPEC_MPI2007.pdf >> -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tom Elken Manager, Performance Engineering tom.elken at qlogic.com QLogic Corporation 650.934.8056 System Interconnect Group


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David Broder writes: "Because McCain could not create a coherent philosophy or vision of his own, he allowed Obama and the Democrats to convince voters of a falsehood: that electing McCain would in effect reward Bush with a third term."
To the extent that Obama convinced voters that a McCain administration would approximate a third term of President Bush, he succeeded for three reasons: (1) McCain is more like Bush than Obama is, (2) Obama had virtually unlimited resources with which to exaggerate the similarities between Bush and McCain, and (3) the mainstream media assisted Obama by playing up the bogus theme that McCain had changed and was no longer a maverick.
What "philosophy" or "vision" was McCain supposed to forge that would have overcome these factors? Broder doesn't say. Calling on politicians to create a vision without suggesting what that vision might be is the kind of thing that gives pundits a bad name.
Broder thinks McCain was hurt by his "one from column A; one from column B" (my phrase) approach to policy making. He finds that McCain's Teddy Roosevelt era progressivism and his Reagan era conservatism don't co-exist easily. But one could more plausibly argue that the combination of these elements is what has kept McCain within shouting distance of Obama. Without the Reagan element, McCain would have lost the base; without the TR element, he would be doing much worse among moderates and independents.
At root, Obama and McCain said the same thing this year, which isn't surprising inasmuch as good politicians are good because they figure out the thing that needs to be said. Both argued that our situation has gotten worse in recent years and both argued that they could transcend business-as-usual partisan politics and get the country on course.
Obama based his argument on his personal "freshness" and on meaningless claims of being post-partisan. McCain based his argument on his past history of "reaching across the aisle" and of taking on special interests. McCain had the better case, but as a Republican, and under constant attack from the mainstream media, he was less convincing than Obama as a critic of the status quo and an agent of change.
There probably wasn't anything McCain could have done about this. But it's in the interest of members of the mainstream to develop a narrative that blames McCain if he loses in the hope that disaffected voters won't blame the MSM.
To comment on this post, go here.


text: Folks, In response to several questions/comments posted recently, here's a pointer to a Cornell Institute for Social and Economic Research (CISER) case study on how they use parallel SAS on Windows-based clusters. I think it's telling as a straight forward upgrade for users of the SAS statistical packages. Something that easily and fairly transparently allows folks like sociologists and economists who are big statisticians to exploit the power and scalability of Windows-based clusters. Yes, Windows clusters can run traditional MPI and PVM applications, but also commercial applications like this that have native support running on Windows clusters. http://pikachu.tc.cornell.edu/ac3/tech/TR1005.pdf Todd Needham Manager, Research Programs Group Microsoft Research http://research.microsoft.com


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Why is there no international men's day?" is a question most of the men's used to ask themselves in the week of International Women's Day but actually there is an International Men's Day and it falls on November 19th of every year.
Each year, International Men's Day gets bigger and bigger with an increasingly diverse range of organisations holding an increasingly diverse range of events. It shows the growing recognition across the globe of the need to address issues facing men and boys and celebrate the contributions men and boys make to society. International Men's Day provides a perfect focus and platform for those wanting to make a difference for men and boys.
Objectives of International Men's Day include a focus on men's and boy's health, improving gender relations, promoting gender equality, and highlighting positive male role models. It is an occasion for men to celebrate their achievements and contributions, in particular their contributions to community, family, marriage, and child care while highlighting the discrimination against them. You can read more about Men's Day History on the official website here.
Though Men's day is getting familiar these days but still most of the boys feel that there is a discrimination in society on this celebration matter as people celebrate women's day like anything and doesn't care like same during men's day. Here are the hard hitting international men's day tamil memes which is creating buzz among the social media people.


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TYPE OF ARTWORK: Original Artwork.
NAME: NYC (Bullseye Series)
ARTWORK DIMENSIONS: 46 cm wide x 46 cm tall x 6.5 cm depth
( 18 inches wide x 18 inches tall x 2.5 inches depth. )
DATE: Hand made in 2014.
MATERIALS: Spray paint, Acrylic, and screen printing on laser cut wood panels. Remixed and stapled securely in place. A thick topcoat of industrial resin intensifies the colour, and preserves the artwork.
FEATURES: Original, hand made artwork. Signed and dated, Above 2014 on the reverse of the artwork.
PRICE: This artworks has already been Sold.


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Great things to do in Barbados!
Much more than just the sun, sea and sand usually associated with a Caribbean island, Barbados has an incredible range of holiday activities for almost every interest and taste. In fact Barbados boasts of more attractions per square mile than any other Caribbean island!
Here are some of the best things to do on the island, whether you're staying in Barbados or just visiting for a day on a cruise:
Discover Red Door Lounge - Barbados' premier nightlife hideaway in Holetown's trendy Second Street. This intimate and exclusive lounge offers an upscale, urban vibe with great entertainment. Lively DJ Sessions, live Piano, bands and singers transform it into a late night hot spot! Choose from a daring selection of Cocktails and Tapas as you enjoy the latest hits, the best of the classics, and the greatest mixes. Read more ››
The family friendly, Atlantis Submarines adventure is the perfect ocean expedition to rest your mind and stimulate the senses, safe in an underwater wilderness. Imagine you dive 130 feet down, secure and dry with no snorkel, goggle and flippers to interfere: Into the aquamarine Caribbean Sea with a fish eye view of corals, fans and curious fish at your porthole window. Create safe, fun, unforgettable memories underwater, while preserving the environment and learning with this fully narrated "must-do" undersea voyage. Read more ››
Meet, mingle and dance into the night to talented steel pan artists, the beautiful Carnival ladies and a synergy of rhythm under the stars. Let our entertainers, fire-eater, limbo queen, and the skilful stilt dancers amaze you. With a live calypso band, an open bar and a sumptuous BBQ dinner, this party has it all! Mention code BDS18 to get your US$10 discount off per couple. Valid for direct bookings only. Read more ››
Get on-track to experience the great Barbados horse races at the historic Garrison Savannah: A bit of our world heritage, entertaining you with over 25 races per year. Join us at the The Sandy Lane Gold Cup, the most popular horse race in the Southern Caribbean, and enjoy the spectacle with spectators, jockeys and champions from all over the world. See you at THE RACES! Read more ››
Best Barbados Hotel Deals
Find the ideal accommodation for your Barbados vacation.
Want an unforgettable Caribbean wedding? Barbados invites you to begin your most important beginning in Paradise. Discover more about getting married in Barbados...


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I like when desserts pairings seem to naturally fall into place. I purchased some small Barlett pears the other day from Kensington Market, so I decided to poach them with half a bottle of Riesling that I had left over from the night before. I have been wanting to make Pierre Hermé's chocolate rice pudding with caramelized rice crispies for some time now, and since I had a bunch of left over chocolate from my chocolate ginger brownies and chocolate pudding, I thought that it might be a good opportunity. I like when I have everything on hand at home. Here is the recipe for the poached pears. The chocolate rice pudding recipe can be found in Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé. Pierre's chocolate rice pudding definitely did not disappoint. It was chocolatey, creamy, sweet - without being too sweet and comforting.
Technorati Tags: Baking, Dessert, Pierre Hermé


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Bills TE Scott Chandler and DE Alex Carrington may be next in line to get long-term contracts.
Dolphins G Richie Incognito offered some words of encouragement to his new teammate, Danny Watkins.
Lawyers for former Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez are seeking a delay in the lawsuit brought by the man who claims Hernandez shot him in the face in Florida, a story that came to light around the same time as Hernandez became a suspect in the murder of Odin Lloyd.
Said Tony Dungy of Jets coach Rex Ryan leaving town to see his son's college football game, "I think it's great. I think Coach Ryan is like any dad, excited to see his son. When you can work out the schedule to do it, I think you should. . . . I think it was great that he did that. It actually made me feel good. I was proud of him."
Ravens RB Ray Rice wore Ray Lewis's jersey to practice.
Bengals WR Dane Sanzenbacher is defying the odds by sticking in the NFL.
Browns RB Trent Richardson visited with a member of the military who is back on leave from overseas and timed his return to get to the team's Week One game on Sunday.
Some Pittsburgh senior citizens worked up a sweat with the Steelers.
The Texans are 0-4 all-time against the Chargers, their Week One opponents.
A press release from the Colts praised OLB Caesar Rayford for making the most of his opportunities and making the 53-man roster, even though by the time the press release was posted to the Colts' website, the Colts had traded Rayford to the Cowboys.
The Jaguars are emphasizing their strong commitment to Jacksonville.
Said Titans coach Mike Munchak, "Let the game week begin, and let's find out what we're all about, what we have."
Broncos LT Ryan Clady on playing against his old teammate Elvis Dumervil on Thursday: "He's a good player in this league and he's definitely a challenge. I'm looking forward to the challenge and just playing my game, seeing if I can get the best of him."
Some Chiefs fan got a really bad haircut.
The Raiders came in last in the Associated Press preseason power poll.
Said Chargers coach Mike McCoy of the moves the team has made in the last few days, "I think we got better. And that's our number one thing we're going to do. Anything we do to improve the football team, improve the organization, that's what we're going to try to do."
Can the Cowboys avoid another 8-8 season?
Giants tickets are almost twice as expensive as Jets tickets on the secondary market.
Eagles coach Chip Kelly has a history of starting slowly in new jobs.
Mike Shanahan has confidence in Washington's offensive line depth.
Bears WR Brandon Marshall says his surgically repaired hip is structurally sound and "It's go time."
Lions S Louis Delmas is ready for a healthy season.
The Packers will have the better quarterback on the field when they meet the 49ers on Sunday, at least according to one Green Bay writer.
The Wilf family, owners of the Vikings, want to keep their finances private.
Said Falcons coach Mike Smith of signing OT Jeremy Trueblood, "Any time we make a roster move we are trying to better our roster. We feel like adding an experienced offensive lineman gives us an opportunity to better our roster."
The Panthers have the NFL's worst record in season openers.
After returning to the Saints, WR Robert Meachem said he feels like he's back home.
There's lots of optimism in Tampa about the Buccaneers.
Cardinals TE Jeff King likes to run a play he refers to as the "Oh [expletive] screen."
Said Rams LB James Laurinaitis, "I believe we're better. On paper we are, but we all know how that goes. Quite frankly, I'll bet there are 32 teams out there that feel pretty good about their chances right now."
The 49ers brought in QB John Skelton for a tryout.
Seahawks CB Walter Thurmond was a defensive standout this preseason.


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Dunk Of The Week: Justin Darlington aka Jus Fly Cartwheel Between The Legs, Jumping Over 6'9 Center & More! [Updated]
at Nike World Festival in Washington DC during dunk contest
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SOCHI, Russia, Feb. 11 (UPI) —
Natalie Geisenberger of Germany won the Olympic gold medal Tuesday in women's luge singles.
Geisenberger won the bronze medal in the event four years ago in Vancouver.
The silver went to Tatjana Huefner of Germany, giving her a medal of every color over the last three Olympics.
American Erin Hamlin took the bronze, becoming the first athlete from the United States to win a medal in women's luge since the sport was introduced in the Winter Olympics a half century ago.


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The work turns into a memorial for Chris Kyle, a retired SEAL who was murdered at a Texas firing range by a troubled fellow veteran.
There is something almost spooky about Greg Marra's connections to history, particularly military history.
At 38, the classically trained sculptor has never worn a uniform, nor does the New Jersey native come from a military family. Yet, as Marra strolls old battlefields, particularly those from the American Revolution, he says, "It's like I have the ability to feel the emotions or energy around the area."
Well into this journey of revisiting military ghosts, Marra — who teaches art at Ringling College of Art and Design — encountered a surprise from his family tree that reinforced his career arc a couple of years ago. He discovered five knights in his ancestry, the earliest a likely Crusader born in Yorkshire, England, in 1140. "He died in Palestine in 1184," Marra says.
And so it was that, on Feb. 4, deep into his latest project — a generic elite-warrior statue for the Navy SEAL Foundation — Marra got a phone call that may well propel his skills of craft and intuition onto the national stage.
Chris Kyle, the retired SEAL whose exploits as the deadliest marksman in U.S. history are detailed in his autobiographical "American Sniper," was murdered at a Texas firing range by a troubled fellow veteran just two days earlier. Marra's new friend and promoter, Gene Sweeney of Bradenton, had a request: "You've got to turn the statue into Chris Kyle."
Marra converted his sculpture into a spot-on likeness of Kyle within a matter of days at his Sarasota warehouse studio, with the intent of donating it to Kyle's family in Midlothian, Texas.
Things have been a little crazy ever since.
Texas media has been buzzing over the anticipated arrival of Marra's statue in Arlington, where the clay version is set for a private screening at Schaefer Art Bronze Casting on Friday. Public viewings are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. A fundraising campaign is under way to finance a bronze casting — an estimated $85,000 to complete — along with a pedestal.
"This is a big deal to us here in Texas," says Michael Smith, an Army veteran who services home loans at a Fort Worth bank and is coordinating publicity efforts. "This is a gift to the family in perpetuity, coming from the heart of a man in Florida who wants to memorialize Chris without making a dime of money on it."
Smith says the dispensation of the statue — which left Sarasota on Monday in a truck escorted by the Patriot Guard motorcycle club — will be entirely up to the Kyle family.
A Sense of Patriotism
At a sinewy 6-foot-3, Marra's statue is a full-scale replica of the man officially credited with killing 160 insurgents during four tours of Iraq.
Complete with sunglasses, trimmed beard and battered cap, the sculpture is loaded for bear with three weapons. The boots are planted with full authority upon broken stones resembling the surface of Mars.
"Take all the guns away and he looks like a big high school football player," Marra says. "Give him a shield and a spear and he's a Spartan from '300.' The secret to a masterpiece is to make something that's timeless, and to me, this is reminiscent of a lot of Greek statuary."
Owner of a master's degree from the New York Academy of Figurative Art, Marra would spend much of the decade after 9/11 shuttling back and forth to Europe, where he studied the Renaissance masters.
He sculpted massive lion heads for a presentation of Mozart's "The Magic Flute" opera in Vienna. He worked construction in Zohor, Slovakia, where he met his wife. It was also where Marra located and tidied up a neglected monument at a bomber crash site dedicated to fallen U.S. airmen from the Second World War.
Marra returned from Europe with a heightened sense of patriotism, due at least in part to hearing constant criticism of America's invasion of Iraq. He would open a studio in Bucks County, Pa., where his American Patriots in Art projects would begin to germinate.
From Continental militia leader John Glover to Delaware Indian chief White Eyes, Marra dug deep into the archives to tease long-lost characters into three-dimensional form. His masterpiece, still on the drawing board, is a full-scale bronze recreation of Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze's painting "Washington Crossing the Delaware River." The estimated price tag for that one, which Marra would like to install at Washington Crossing Historical Park, is $3 million.
If someone offered him a blank check, Marra would produce 250 life-sized bronze Revolutionary War soldiers and have them converging, from points afar, upon the banks of the Delaware to join George Washington for his historic rout of the Hessians in 1776.
"In 2026, it's the 250th anniversary of the crossing," Marra says. "People may say oh, that's too expensive, but I say, well, if the emperor of China can have a thousand terra cotta soldiers and nobody even knows his name, don't you think George Washington deserves 250?"
'America's Michelangelo'
Prior to Marra's accepting a Ringling teaching position in Sarasota last year, well-wishers gathered at Moland House (where the Marquis de Lafayette joined the American Revolution) for an emotional farewell.
They included highly decorated Vietnam vet David Christian, as well as retired Army Col. Larry Rubini.
Rubini, a trustee with the Washington Crossing Foundation, compared Marra's work to the National Mall's iconic monuments, and saluted his ability to "bring back to life those who went before us."
Shortly after arriving in Sarasota last summer, Marra paid a visit to the Sarasota County Veterans Commission. He took along a bust of George Washington and expressed an interest in collaborative efforts. Favorably impressed was board member Gene Sweeney, who spearheaded the drive to establish the 9/11 Fallen Heroes memorial last year at Patriots Park in Venice. Sweeney calls Marra "America's Michelangelo" and hopes to secure funding for future patriotic projects.
"Gregory needs to keep his hands in the clay," Sweeney says. "My job is to be his press secretary, so to speak."
Among other things, Marra says he'd like to build a World War I monument, and a tribute to Native Americans ("A large percentage of Native Americans are Medal of Honor winners," he says). But Marra also thinks Sarasota should celebrate its own lore. He tells a story about the namesake of the local Daughters of the American Revolution chapter.
Legend has it that as Hernando de Soto explored Southwest Florida in 1539, his daughter Sara fell in love with a Calusa chief named Chichi Okobee. In nursing the gravely ill Okobee back to health, Sara contracted the affliction and died. Okobee, distraught, ordered 100 warriors to place her body in the bay and then destroy their own canoes so that all would drown and protect her in the afterlife.
Today, the wind-tossed whitecaps are said to be the feathered headdresses of Sara de Soto's eternal sentinels.
"I like to try to preserve things, and if this piece of history was important enough to have fairs and parades pageants in the '20s and '30s — as they did — I wonder where that is today," says Marra. "What about having a Sara de Soto Crossing?
"So it's not just about soldiers for me. But I feel so passionate about them because their sacrifice is what allows me to sit here and sculpt."


text:
Mr Flo needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 81 designs submitted by 11 freelance designers.
GONDWANA DMC's is a professional travel consulting service. Design the concept page for our website considering that it will define the feel for the website itself as well as the newsletters that will flow out of it. At this stage of the design, there is no real wire frame boundaries. Wireframes, imagery and logo is at your disposal.
GONDWANA DMC's http://www.gondwana-dmcs.net
Keep in mind that we focus on a rather upmarket target group.
The website targets are:
- Professionals of travel (agencies,DMC,FIT) first
- Travelers but we are not selling travel products for final client, we help them to find the best serviceThat we sell a professional travel consulting service ... no Xmas trees please. That graphics and pics sell better than many words.
- Color Scheme
- Logo jpg + pdf (can be adapted to the site but same shape and colors)
- You will find an Excel file with home page ideas and menus
- Imagery is also included
- The logo and the color scheme are defined ...
- The rest you can do with it whatever you wish. It needs to be upmarket and with clear communication vectors ... Focussing at a somewhat more conservative target group when one refers to their use of the internet.
- We'd like the design to be a psd (photoshop) file, clear and detailed.
- A Xmas tree ;-)


text:
Our framework is not a an experimental language with a new syntax and uncertain future. Rather, it is a regular, not a bleeding edge, library in mature Haskell. It is modular and extensible: one can add to the target language more features and constants or change it to be typed or untyped, first- or higher-order. Polymorphism over generated environments makes generators composable. The higher-order abstract syntax used in the library makes target functions and variables human-readable. Our library may be regarded as `staged Haskell'.
There are many code generation frameworks with one or the other of the features. Ours has all of them. Template Haskell, among other systems, falls short, assuring -- dynamically rather than statically -- the well-typedness of only the final code. Furthermore, although the generated code, after a type-check, is well-typed, it may still be ill-scoped.
The static types of our generator expressions not only ensure that a well-typed generator produces well-typed and well-scoped code. They also express the lexical scopes of generated binders and prevent mixing up variables with different scopes. For the first time we demonstrate, in an embedded domain-specific language, statically safe and well-scoped loop interchange and constant factoring from arbitrarily nested loops.
Joint work with Yukiyoshi Kameyama and Chung-chieh Shan.
beyond-talk.pdf [193K]
The annotated slides of the talk presented at PEPM 14 on January 20, 2014 in San Diego, CA, USA.
Region Memory Management for Free Variables: Type- and Scope-Safe Code Generation with Mutable Cells
The formalization of one part of the combinator library, as the calculus <NJ>
TSCore.hs [29K]
The core of the code generation library
TSCPST.hs [17K]
Code generation with control effects reaching beyond the closest binder. Far-reaching let-insertion. The implementation of the
CPSA applicative hierarchy.
Examples and Sample code
Here is a sample MetaOCaml code and its Scheme translation
# let eta = fun f -> .<fun x -> .~(f .<x>.)>. in .<fun x -> .~(eta (fun y -> .<x + .~y>.))>. - : ('a, int -> int -> int) code = .<fun x_1 -> fun x_2 -> (x_1 + x_2)>. (let ((eta (lambda (f) (bracket (lambda (x) (escape (f (bracket x)))))))) (bracket (lambda (x) (escape (eta (lambda (y) (bracket (+ x (escape y)))))))))Translating MetaOCaml code into Scheme seems trivial: code values are like S-expressions, MetaOCaml's bracket is like quasiquote, escape is like unquote, and `run' is eval. If we indeed replace bracket with the quasiquote and escape with the unquote in the above Scheme code and then evaluate it, we get the S-expression
(lambda (x) (lambda (x) (+ x x))) , which is a wrong result, quite different from the code expression
.<fun x_1 -> fun x_2 -> (x_1 + x_2)>. produced by MetaOCaml. The latter is the code of a curried function that adds two integers. The S-expression produced by the naive Scheme translation represents a curried function that disregards the first argument and doubles the second. This demonstrates that the often mentioned `similarity' between the bracket and the quasiquote is flawed. MetaOCaml's bracket respects alpha-equivalence; in contrast, Scheme's quasiquotation, being a general form for constructing arbitrary S-expressions (not necessarily representing any code), is oblivious to the binding structure.
Our implementation still uses S-expressions for code values (so we can print them and
eval-uate them) and treats escape as unquote. To maintain the hygiene, we need to make sure that every run-time evaluation of a bracket form such as
(bracket (lambda (x) x)) gives
'(lambda (x_new) x_new) with the unique bound variable
x_new . Two examples in the source code demonstrate why static renaming of manifestly bound identifiers is not sufficient. We implement the very clever suggestion by Chung-chieh Shan and represent a staged expression such as
.<(fun x -> x + 1) 3>. by the sexp-generating expression
`(,(let ((x (gensym))) `(lambda (,x) (+ ,x 1))) 3) which evaluates to the S-expression
((lambda (x_1) (+ x_1 1)) 3) . Thus
bracket is a complex macro that transforms its body to the sexp-generating expression, keeping track of the levels of brackets and escapes. The macro
bracket is implemented as a CEK machine with the defunctionalized continuation. In our implementation, the Scheme translation of the eta-example yields the S-expression
(lambda (g6) (lambda (g8) (+ g6 g8))) . Just as in MetaOCaml, the result represents the curried addition.
CSP poses another implementation problem. In MetaScheme we can write the MetaOCaml expression
.<fun x -> x + 1>. as
(bracket (lambda (x) (+ x 1))) , which yields an S-expression
(lambda (g1) (+ g1 1)) . When we pass this code to eval, the identifier
+ will be looked up in the environment of eval, which is generally different from the environment that was in effect when the original bracket form was evaluated. That might not look like much of a difference since
+ is probably bound to the same procedure for adding numbers in either environment. This is no longer the case if we take the following MetaOCaml code and its putative MetaScheme translation:
let test = let id u = u in .<fun x -> id x>. (define test (let ((id (lambda (u) u))) (bracket (lambda (x) (id x)))))The latter definition binds
test to the S-expression
(lambda (x) (id x)) that contains a free identifier
id , unlikely to be bound in the environment of eval. Our code values therefore should be `closures', being able to include values that are (possibly locally) bound in the environment when the code value was created. Incidentally, the problem of code closures closed over the environment of the generator also appears in syntax-case macros. R6RS editors made a choice to prohibit the occurrence of locally-bound identifiers in the output of a syntax-case transformer.
MetaOCaml among other staged systems does permit the inclusion of values from the generator stage in the generated code. Such values are called CSP; they are evident in the output of the MetaOCaml interpreter for the above test:
val test : ('a, 'b -> 'b) code = .<fun x_1 -> (((* cross-stage persistent value (as id: id) *)) x_1)>.In MetaScheme, we have to write CSP explicitly:
(% e) , which is often called `lift'.
(define test (let ((id (lambda (u) u))) (bracket (lambda (x) ((% id) x)))))One may think that such a lifting is already available in Scheme:
(define (lift x) (list 'quote x)) . Although this works in the simple cases of
x being a number, a string, etc., it is neither universal nor portable: attempting this way to lift a closure or an output-port could be an error. According to R5RS, the argument of a quotation is an external representation of a Scheme datum. Closures, for example, are not guaranteed to have an external representation. For portability, we implement CSP via a reference in a global array, taking advantage of the fact that both the index (a number) and the name of the array (an identifier) have external representations and hence are trivially liftable by quotation. This is precisely the mechanism used by the current version of MetaOCaml.
The source code contains many more examples of the translation of MetaOCaml code into MetaScheme -- including the examples with many stages and CSP.
Joint work with Chung-chieh Shan.
let bindings. Rather, they
can program an automatic insertion at the `right' and assuredly safe
place. The end-users of the DSL do not have to worry about
let-bindings or even know about them. This safe and modular
let-insertion has become possible in MetaOCaml for the first time.
Program generators, as programs in general, greatly benefit from compositionality: the meaning of a complex expression is determined by its structure and the meanings of its constituents. Building code fragments using MetaOCaml's brackets and escapes is compositional. For example, in
let sqr: int code -> int code = fun e -> .<.~e * .~e>.the meaning of
sqr e -- that is, the code it generates --
is the multiplication of two copies of the expression generated by
e. We are sure
of that even if we know nothing of
e except that it is pure.
Likewise, in
let make_incr_fun : (int code -> int code) -> (int -> int) code = fun body -> .<fun x -> x + .~(body .<x>.)>. let test1 = make_incr_fun (fun x -> sqr .<2+3>.) (* .<fun x_24 -> x_24 + ((2 + 3) * (2 + 3))>. *)
make_incr_fun body should produce the code for
an OCaml function. The result, shown in the comments, confirms
our expectations.
Compositionality lets us think about programs in a modular way,
helping make sure the program result is the one we had in mind. We
ought to strive for compositional programs and libraries. The trick
however is selecting the `best' meaning for an expression. Earlier we
took as the meaning of a code generator the exact form of the
expression it produces. Under this meaning, compositionality requires
the absence of side-effects. Our
test1 is pure and so its result is
easy to predict: it has to be the code of a function whose body
contains two copies of the expression
2+3. Although the confidence
in the result is commendable, the result itself is not. Duplicate
expressions make the code large and inefficient: imagine something
complex in
2+3's place. Furthermore,
2+3 in
test1 does not
depend on
x and can be lifted out of the function's body -- so that
it can be computed once rather than on each application of the
function. In short, we would like the result of
test1 to look
let test_desired = .<let t = 2+3 in fun x_24 -> x_24 + (t * t)>.
One may remark that a sufficiently smart compiler should be able to
transform the code produced by
test1 into
performing common subexpression elimination and invariant code
motion. Although the optimizations may be expected for the simple
code like
test1, an expression more complex than
2+3 will thwart
them. First of all, its harder to see the commonality of two large
expressions. Second, the two optimizations are sound only if the
expression to move and share is pure. If it calls external functions
the compiler will not likely to be able to check the functions are
pure. Finally, if
2+3 were replaced with
read_config "foo" where
read_config does
IO, the compiler shall not de-duplicate or move
such an expression. The DSL designer however may know that
read_config, albeit effectful, is safe to move and eliminate. Its
side-effect, reading a file, is irrelevant for the end users of
the program. Therefore, the DSL designer needs a way to explicitly perform the
optimizations like duplicate elimination and invariant code motion,
without relying on the compiler. After all, the aspiration of staging
is to let DSL designers express expert knowledge and use it for domain-specific optimizations -- in effect turning a general-purpose
compiler into a domain-specific optimization toolkit.
We change the meaning of code generators:
sqr e now means the
multiplication of two copies of
e or of the result of evaluating
e. The meaning is the generated code with possible let-expressions.
Compositionality now
permits effectful generators, whose side-effect is let-insertion.
MetaOCaml could offer simplest such generators as built-ins. Adding
more built-ins to MetaOCaml -- just like adding more system calls to
an OS -- makes the system harder to maintain and ensure
correctness. Generally, what can be efficiently implemented at the
`user-level' ought to be done so. Let-insertion can be written as an
ordinary library, relying on the delimited control library
The first attempt at let-insertion takes only a few lines:
open Delimcc let genlet : 'w code prompt -> 'a code -> 'a code = fun p cde -> shift p (fun k -> .<let t = .~cde in .~(k .<t>.)>.) let with_prompt : ('w prompt -> 'w) -> 'w = fun thunk -> let p = new_prompt () in push_prompt p (fun () -> thunk p)The function
genlet takes a code expression and let-binds it -- at
the place marked by
with_prompt. The two functions communicate via
the so-called prompt. The evaluation sequence for a simple example below
demonstrates the process:
with_prompt (fun p -> sqr (genlet p .<2+3>.)) --> (* evaluating genlet *) with_prompt (fun p -> sqr ( shift p (fun k -> .<let t = .~(.<2+3>.) in .~(k .<t>.)>.))) --> (* evaluating shift, capturing the continuation up to the prompt, binding it to k *) with_prompt (fun p -> let k = fun hole -> push_prompt p (fun () -> sqr hole) in .<let t = .~(.<2+3>.) in .~(k .<t>.)>.) --> with_prompt (fun p -> let k = fun hole -> push_prompt p (fun () -> sqr hole) in .<let t = 2+3 in .~(k .<t>.)>.) --> (* applying the captured continuation k *) with_prompt (fun p -> .<let t = 2+3 in .~(push_prompt p (fun () -> sqr .<t>.))>.) -->* (* evaluating (sqr .<t>.) *) with_prompt (fun p -> .<let t = 2+3 in .~(.<t * t>.)>.) -->* .<let t = 2+3 in t * t>.
genlet took
.<2+3>. and let-bound
it where
with_prompt was. The let-binding of
2+3 effectively eliminated
the expression duplication, saving us or the compiler trouble searching
for common subexpressions. The binding place can be
arbitrarily away from
with_prompt (fun p -> make_incr_fun (fun x -> sqr (genlet p .<2+3>.))) (* .<let t_17 = 2 + 3 in fun x_16 -> x_16 + (t_17 * t_17)>. *)thus realizing the invariant code motion, moving
2+3 out of the function
body. Code motion is desirable, but also can be dangerous:
with_prompt (fun p -> make_incr_fun (fun x -> sqr (genlet p .<.~x+3>.))) (* BEFORE N100: .<let t_17 = x_16 + 3 in fun x_16 -> x_16 + (t_17 * t_17)>. *) (* BER N101: exception pointing out that in .<.~x+3>. the variable x escapes its scope *)attempting to move out the expression that contains
x outside its
binding! Before, prior to BER N100, this attempt was successful,
generating the shown code that exhibits the so-called scope
extrusion. In the current version of BER MetaOCaml, the example type checks
as before. However, its evaluation no longer succeeds. Rather, running
the generator throws the exception with an informative message.
We have just seen the code generation with control effects, that let-insertion is highly desirable and highly dangerous, and that in the present MetaOCaml, it is finally safe. It is safe in the following sense: if the generator successfully finished producing the code, the result is well-typed and well-scoped.
Although the naive attempt to program let-insertion works and is now
safe, it is not convenient. One has to explicitly mark the
let-insertion place. When several places are marked, we or the user
have to choose. We want to automate such choices. We would like the
result of
test1 to be the desired code
test_desired, with let-bindings. The
sqr and
make_incr_fun -- which are programmed by the
DSL designer -- may be re-defined. However,
test1 should be left as
it was. It is written by the end user, who should not care or know
about let-insertion's taking place, let alone pass prompts
Recall that trying to insert
let at a wrong place raises an
exception. This dynamic exception lets us program
genlet so to try
the insertion at various places -- farther and farther up the call
chain -- until we get an exception. The best place to insert let is
the one that is farthest from
genlet while causing no exceptions.
We arrive at the following simplified interface for the let-insertion:
val genlet : 'a code -> 'a code val let_locus : (unit -> 'w code) -> 'w codeThe interface no longer mentions any prompts. The function
marks possible places for inserting
genlet chooses the best
place among the marks and let-binds its argument expression there.
This let-insertion is safe, and the safety is easy to prove: since
this interface is implemented as an ordinary library with no compiler magic,
by elaborating the naive implementation,
the static guarantees of MetaOCaml hold.
In particular, if an attempt is made to generate an ill-scoped
code, an exception will be thrown. By contraposition, if no
exception is thrown, the generated code has no scope extrusion.
As an example, we re-define
sqr and
make_incr_fun primitives
for let-insertion. We fully reuse the earlier versions
without re-implementing them:
sqr should let-bind its argument and
make_incr_fun says that places before and after the function binder
are good places for let-insertion.
let sqr e = sqr (genlet e) let make_incr_fun body = let_locus @@ fun () -> make_incr_fun @@ fun x -> let_locus @@ fun () -> body xWith these new
sqr and
make_incr_fun, the very same
produces the desired code (shown in comments below):
let test1 = make_incr_fun (fun x -> sqr .<2+3>.) (* .<let t_17 = 2 + 3 in fun x_16 -> x_16 + (t_17 * t_17)>. *) let test2 = make_incr_fun (fun x -> sqr .<.~x + 3>.) (* .<fun x_18 -> x_18 + (let t_19 = x_18 + 3 in t_19 * t_19)>. *)The slightly modified
test2 also inserts let, at the different,
and safe place.
We have demonstrated for the first time the self-adjusting, safe and convenient let-insertion with static guarantees. The scope extrusion check meant to crash bad generators surprisingly helps implement good ones -- more convenient than those possible otherwise.
genlet_example.ml [2K]
A simple illustration of let-insertion, its convenience and dangers (the example from the FLOPS 2014 talk)
The example uses the `traditional' implementation of let-insertion, which is not convenient.
gengenlet.ml [6K]
The safe and convenient let-insertion
talk-FLOPS.pdf [196K]
The annotated slides of the talk presented at FLOPS 2014 in Kanazawa, Japan on June 4, 2014.
loop_motion_gen.ml [7K]
Loop-invariant code motion with the convenient let-insertion (the main example in the FLOPS 2014 talk)
The example is the following simple expression.
\i -> (if i then 2 else 3) + 4To partially evaluate it, we first annotate all sub-expressions as static
S (known at compile time) or dynamic
(known only at run-time). That is, we perform the
`binding-time analysis' (BTA) and add binding-time annotations. For clarity,
we show all the steps of the analysis. First, we see no applications
to our function and hence do not statically know
\i_D -> (if i_D then 2 else 3) + 4The if-test with the dynamic condition is dynamic:
\i_D -> (if i_D then 2 else 3)_D + 4and the addition expression with a dynamic operand is dynamic:
\i_D -> ((if i_D then 2 else 3)_D + 4)_DAll sub-expressions are dynamic and hence there are no opportunities for partial evaluation.
Let's re-write the original expression in CPS:
\i k -> let k' = \v -> k (v+4) in if i then k' 2 else k' 3and do the binding-time analysis again. As before, function arguments,
i and
k, must be dynamic:
\i_D k_D -> let k' = \v -> k_D (v+4) in if i_D then k' 2 else k' 3The variable
k' is static since its value, the
\v-> ... abstraction,
is statically known. Constants are obviously static:
\i_D k_D -> let k'_S = \v -> k_D (v+4) in if i_D then k'_S 2_S else k'_S 3_SThere are now two applications of a statically known argument to a statically known function. We can do them statically, at the specialization, or `compile'-time, obtaining:
\i k -> if i then k 6 else k 7which is certainly an improvement: there are no longer any additions left for the run-time.
Bondorf (1992) showed the alternative to writing the source program in CPS. We should instead write the specializer (partial evaluator) in CPS, and skillfully massage the continuations to achieve binding-time improvements. A partial evaluator becomes harder to write, but the source programs may remain in the original, direct style, and still benefit from improved specialization. Lawall and Danvy (1994) showed that delimited control helps keep even the partial evaluator in direct style. Thus a specializer capable of improvements shown in this message becomes only a little more difficult to write.
Julia L. Lawall and Olivier Danvy: Continuation-Based Partial Evaluation
Conf. Lisp and Function Programming, 1994
However, the seemingly straightforward ranking operations ORDER BY and LIMIT are not supported efficiently, consistently or at all in subqueries. The SQL standard defines their behavior only when applied to the whole query. Language-integrated query systems do not support them either: naively extending ranking to subexpressions breaks the distributivity laws of UNION ALL underlying optimizations and compilation.
We present the first compositional semantics of ORDER BY and LIMIT,
which reproduces in the limit the standard-prescribed SQL behavior but
also applies to arbitrarily composed query expressions and preserves
the distributivity laws. We introduce
the relational calculus SQUR that includes ordering and subranging
and whose normal forms correspond to efficient, portable, subquery-free SQL.
Treating these operations as effects, we describe a type-and-effect
system for SQUR and prove its soundness. Our denotational semantics
leads to the provably correctness-preserving
normalization-by-evaluation. An implementation of SQUR thus
becomes a sound and efficient language-integrated query system
maintaining the
sqr-talk.pdf [334K]
Slides of the talk presented at APLAS 2017, November 29, 2017. Suzhou, China
We demonstrate a new technique of integrating database queries into a typed functional programming language, so to write well-typed, composable queries and execute them efficiently on any SQL back-end as well as on an in-memory noSQL store. A distinct feature of our framework is that both the query language as well as the transformation rules needed to generate efficient SQL are safely user-extensible, to account for many variations in the SQL back-ends, as well for domain-specific knowledge. The transformation rules are guaranteed to be type-preserving and hygienic by their very construction. They can be built from separately developed and reusable parts and arbitrarily composed into optimization pipelines.
With this technique we have embedded into OCaml a relational query language that supports a very large subset of SQL including grouping and aggregation. Its types cover the complete set of intricate SQL behaviors.
Joint work with Kenichi Suzuki and Yukiyoshi Kameyama.
quel.pdf [425K]
The paper published in the Proceedings of the 2016 ACM SIGPLAN Workshop on Partial Evaluation and Program Manipulation (PEPM), 2016, St. Petersburg, FL, USA, January 18-19, 2016, pp. 37-48
< http://logic.cs.tsukuba.ac.jp/~ken/quel/ >
The source code of the system. It is distributed under the MIT License.
The original Template Haskell (Haskell Workshop, 2002) is essentially untyped, with no guarantees that the generated code is any good, or even well-typed. Writing code generators was akin to programming in `dynamically typed' languages: although we can easily tell that the fully generated program is untypable (because it cannot be compiled), we cannot easily point out which part of the generator was to blame. The dissonance with the type discipline of Haskell is jarring. On the other hand, Template Haskell is very expressive: it generates not only expressions but also definitions, type declarations, classes and instances, etc.-- all sort of things that may appear in Haskell code. Designing a type system for such broad code generation was, and still is, a great challenge.
Against this background, Typed Template Haskell was introduced. It produces code only for expressions (and not for declarations, etc.). On the other hand, we can finally write typed generators. Typed Template Haskell is quite similar to the lambda-circle calculus or MetaOCaml, but restricted to two levels. Here is a sample typed generator.
t1 :: Q (TExp Int) t1 = do c1 <- [|| (1::Int) + 2 || ] c2 <- [|| 3 + $$(return c1) || ] return c2Like in MetaOCaml, the type of code values
TExp is indexed by the type of the expression to be generated.
[|| ... ||] is the typed antiquotation, corresponding to the brackets
.< ... >. of MetaOCaml. The brackets enclose, or quote, the code to generate, which must be a well-typed expression. The unquotation, or typed splice, is
$$( ... ). The splice is evaluated and must produce (a possibly open) code, which is then spliced into the enclosing typed quotation. If the splice appears outside a quotation, it is called top-level. In that case, the splice must produce a closed expression, which is inserted into the code being compiled. The example generator produces the following code:
3 GHC.Num.+ ((1 :: GHC.Types.Int) GHC.Num.+ 2)or, hiding the module qualifications,
3 + (1 + 2).
The problematic example is very short:
t2 :: Q (TExp Int) t2 = do r <- runIO $ newIORef undefined c1 <- [|| \x -> (1::Int) + $$(do xv <- [||x|| ] runIO $ writeIORef r xv return xv) || ] runIO $ readIORef rIt generates
x_0: just the single, unbound variable. It is clearly
not typable. Such code cannot
be compiled or spliced-in at the top level. The culprit is
which runs IO computations from within typed splices.
It is highly desirable, for error handling and many other reasons.
It is also responsible for breaking type soundness.
Once again we see the tension between safety and expressiveness. Without effects, we cannot generate all the code we want and cannot handle errors well. With side effects, maintaining type safety is a challenge. Fortunately, the challenge has recently been met, outside GHC and Typed Template Haskell.
The problem sprang to attention during the lecture by Simon Peyton Jones at
the First Metaprogramming Summer School in Cambridge, UK in August 2016 -- when
runIO was mentioned.
Tagless-Staged: Combinators for Impure yet Hygienic Code Generation
Type sound code generation with arbitrary side-effects
MetaOCaml resolves the tension between expressiveness and safety in a different, easy to implement way
The paper introduces the continuation+state monad for code generation with let-insertion, and briefly describes abstract interpretation for generating efficient code without its intensional analysis. These are the foundational techniques for typeful multi-staged (MetaOCaml) programming.
Joint work with Walid Taha, Kedar N. Swadi, and Emir Pasalic.
Dynamic Programming Benchmark: The corresponding MetaOCaml source code
< http://www.metaocaml.org/examples/dp/ >
Shifting the Stage: Staging with Delimited Control
An alternative, notationally more convenient approach relying on delimited control rather than monads
We demonstrate our extensions' use in specializing functor applications to eliminate its (currently large) overhead in OCaml. We explain the challenges that those extensions bring in and identify a promising line of attack. Unexpectedly, however, it turns out that we can avoid module generation altogether by representing modules, possibly containing abstract types, as polymorphic records. With the help of first-class modules, module specialization reduces to ordinary term specialization, which can be done with conventional staging. The extent to which this hack generalizes is unclear. Thus we have a question to the community: is there a compelling use case for module generation? With these insights and questions, we offer a starting point for a long-term program in the next stage of staging research.
Joint work with Jun Inoue and Yukiyoshi Kameyama.
D a => a -> a where
D is a
Floating-like class, and produce a function of the same type that is the symbolic derivative of the former. The original function can be given to us in a separately compiled module with no available source code. The derived function is an ordinary numeric Haskell function and can be applied to numeric arguments -- or differentiated further. The Floating-like class
D currently supports arithmetic and a bit of trigonometry. We also support partial derivatives.
test1f x = x * x + fromInteger 1 test1 = test1f (2.0::Float) -- 5.0 test1f' x = diff_fn test1f x test1' = test1f' (3.0::Float) -- 6.0 test1f'' x = diff_fn test1f' x test1'' = test1f'' (10.0::Float) -- 2.0The original function
test1f can be evaluated numerically,
test1 , or differentiated symbolically,
test1f' . The result is again an ordinary numeric function (i.e.,
2x), which can be applied to a numeric argument, see
test1' . Alternatively,
test1f' can be differentiated further.
The original function is emphatically not represented as an algebraic data type -- it is a numeric function like
sin or
tan . Still, we are able to differentiate it symbolically (rather than numerically or automatically). The key insight is that Haskell98 supports a sort of reflection -- or, to be precise, type-directed partial evaluation and hence term reconstruction.
Our approach also shows off the specification of the differentiation rules via type classes (which makes the rules extensible) and the emulation of GADT via type classes. In 2006, we improved the approach by developing an algebraic simplifier and by avoiding any interpretative overhead.
Most optimal symbolic differentiation of compiled numeric functions
Our approach is reifying code into its `dictionary view', intensional analysis of typed code expressions, and staging so to evaluate under lambda. We improve the earlier, 2004 approach in algebraically simplifying the result of symbolic differentiation, and in removing interpretative overhead with the help of Template Haskell (TH). The computed derivative can be compiled down to the machine code and so it runs at full speed, as if it were written by hand to start with.
In the process, we develop a simple type system for a subset of TH code expressions (TH is, sadly, completely untyped) -- so that accidental errors can be detected early. We introduce a few combinators for the intensional analysis of such typed code expressions. We also show how to reify an identifier like
(+) to a
TH.Name -- by applying TH to itself. Effectively we obtain more than one stage of computation.
Our technique can be considered the inverse of the TH splicing operation: given a (compiled) numeric expression of a host program, we obtain its source view as a TH representation. The latter can be spliced back into the host program and compiled -- after, perhaps, simplification, partial evaluation, or symbolic differentiation. As an example, given the definition of the ordinary numeric,
Floating a => a->a function
test1f x = let y = x * x in y + 1 (which can be located in a separately compiled file), we reify it into a TH code expression, print it, differentiate it symbolically, and algebraically simplify the result:
*Diff> test1cp \dx_0 -> GHC.Num.+ (GHC.Num.* dx_0 dx_0) 1 *Diff> test1dp \dx_0 -> GHC.Num.+ (GHC.Num.+ (GHC.Num.* 1 dx_0) (GHC.Num.* dx_0 1)) 0 *Diff> test1dsp \dx_0 -> GHC.Num.+ dx_0 dx_0The output is produced by TH's pretty-printer. We can splice the result in a Haskell program as
$(reflectQC test1ds) 2.0 and use it as ordinary, hand-written function
\x -> x+x .
Diff.hs [9K]
The main implementation file, which defines the reification of code into TH representation, differentiation rules and algebraic simplification rules, all via the intensional analysis of the typed code. The file also includes many examples, including those of partial differentiation.
DiffTest.hs [<1K]
Running the splicing tests from Diff.hs. Due to the TH requirement, this code must be in a separate module.
TypedCode.hs [5K]
This file introduces the type
Code a of typed TH code expressions. The (phantom) type parameter is the expression's type. The file defines combinators for building and analyzing these typed expressions.
TypedCodeAux.hs [2K]
Obtain the Name that corresponds to a top-level (Prelude-level) Haskell identifier by applying TH to itself.
The PEPM Symposium/Workshop series is about the theory and practice of program transformation understood broadly, ranging from program manipulation such as partial evaluation, to program analyses in support of program manipulation, to treating programs as data objects (metaprogramming). PEPM focuses on techniques, supporting theory, tools, and applications of the analysis and manipulation of programs. PEPM specifically stresses that each technique or tool of program manipulation should have a clear, although perhaps informal, statement of desired properties, along with an argument how these properties could be achieved. The papers included in this special issue reflect the entire scope of PEPM, its interplay of theory and practice, and its stress on rigor and clarity.
Your comments, problem reports, questions are very welcome!
Converted from HSXML by HSXML->HTML


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AVG Technologies N.V., the provider of Internet and mobile security, privacy and optimization solutions to 150 million active users, recently announced AVG CloudCare integration with Autotask IT business management software is being featured during the 2013 Autotask Community Live! user conference and exhibition June 2-4 in Scottsdale, AZ. AVG also will team with Autotask for a webinar for managed service providers, to be held on June 11.
AVG integrated Autotask into the latest edition of AVG CloudCare, its free, easy-to-use cloud based administration platform that provides for remote deployment and management of IT and security services for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Now, with a single sign-on connection, partners can access LiveLinks for navigation between Autotask and AVG CloudCare's customer summaries, new customers, alerts, reports, policy templates, settings, support, invoices, payments and more. The Autotask integration also provides seamless invoice integration with Autotask customer billing software.
"Many MSPs have adopted PSA software to help them with the workflow, organization, monitoring and management of the technology services they deliver. Our goal is to simplify life for the channel and provide value by integrating AVG CloudCare with a variety of existing systems and tools they are already have in place to run their businesses," said Mike Foreman, General Manager for SMB for AVG Technologies.
Autotask is one of the leading hosted IT business management software platforms for streamlining business processes. Its software integrates a broad range of critical business systems, including customer relationship management (CRM), service desk, tech scheduling, project management, billing and reporting, and provides real-time service delivery intelligence. Autotask is accessible from virtually any computing or mobile device connected to the Internet.
In its recent independent Channel Assessment report on AVG CloudCare, the 2112 Group noted, "The integration allows managed service providers using Autotask to have an easier time adopting and administering AVG CloudCare through their PSA console." The report added, "PSA platforms are a staple of the managed services segment. While MSPs and VARs can use AVG CloudCare without a PSA, the integration makes it more scalable and manageable within the context of a managed services practice."
"Our use of Autotask integration saves us many hours of manual work every week and we couldn't imagine working without it. VanGuard Technologies makes money by providing a high quality 'white glove' service to our clients at the right price and the only way we can do that is by being as efficient as possible and being proper stewards of our resources. Autotask and AVG CloudCare form part of the backbone of this efficient service delivery," said Matthew Adkins, president of VanGuard Technologies. "We haven't found anything that beats AVG's combination of support, pricing, and performance."
AVG will participate and exhibit during 2013 Autotask Community Live event in Scottsdale, AZ June 2-4. AVG will present a session, "Leverage the Power of Autotask and AVG CloudCare to Thrive in the Managed Security Business," on June 4. In addition AVG and Autotask will co-host a webinar, "How To Get Into The Managed Security Business: Leveraging the Power of Autotask and AVG CloudCare," on June 11 at 1 p.m. EDT. For more information and to register for the webinar go to http://www.autotask.com/WebinarRegistration/index.aspx?w=632826338&source=ew-atcom-avg-061113.
AVG CloudCare is a cloud-based IT administration platform provided to partners free-of-charge enabling them to roll out "pay-as-you-go" services that make it easier for them to manage and protect their small business customers. Services include the award-winning AVG AntiVirus technology, AVG Content Filtering, AVG Remote IT, and AVG Email Security Services. Free remote management tools, one-click service user activation plus easy policy deployment and automatic removal of older versions of AV software help to save time and reduce the need for onsite visits – allowing partners to serve even the smallest customer more profitably. Additional benefits include sales alerts and one-click reporting to help demonstrate partners' added value.
AVG CloudCare is available via AVG reseller and managed service partners in the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland. AVG Remote IT is offered for free. For all other AVG CloudCare services, customers pay only for the services they use with a convenient monthly billing option. For more information, visit www.avg.com/cloudcare.
For logos, screenshots and case study videos, please see the AVG CloudCare press kit: http://mediacenter.avg.com/en/press-tools/avg-cloudcare-press-kit/avg-cloudcare-press-kit.html
About Autotask Corporation
Autotask Corporation provides the world's leading hosted IT business management software to streamline and optimize business processes for technology solution providers. The software integrates a broad range of critical business systems, including customer relationship management (CRM), service desk, tech scheduling, project management, billing and reporting, and provides real-time service delivery intelligence to help users understand the factors that drive their business and their profitability.
Autotask is accessible from virtually any computing or mobile device connected to the Internet and features a world-class API that seamlessly integrates with the other systems and tools that providers rely on to run their businesses. For more information, visit www.auttotask.com
About AVG Technologies
AVG's mission is to simplify, optimize and secure the Internet experience, providing peace of mind to a connected world. AVG's powerful yet easy-to‐use software and online services put users in control of their Internet experience. By choosing AVG's software and services, users become part of a trusted global community that benefits from inherent network effects, mutual protection and support. AVG has grown its user base to 150 million active users as of March 31, 2013 and offers a product portfolio that targets the consumer and small business markets and includes Internet security, PC performance optimization, online backup, mobile security, identity protection and family safety software. For more information,visit www.avg.com
SOURCE: AVG Technologies


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John McCoy is a designer and an illustrator
with two decades of experience designing for print, the Web, packaging, identity, package, signage, and many other media.
Click the thumbnails below to view samples of his work. Larger versions and PDFs are available upon request. If you would like to hire him for your project, please email.


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Friday, August 17, 2012
Nokia 5200 restart camera solution
Posted by Unknown / On : 5:44 AM/ Thank you for visiting my small blog here. If you wanted to discuss or have the question around this article, please contact me e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com.
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Signing of ABLE Act a great gift for people with disabilities
Earlier this month, the president signed into law the Achieving A Better Life Experience Act. The act outlines a savings plan, similar to the existing 529 plans for college tuition, that would allow those with disabilities to save their money for when they need it. Find out how these accounts will work in this post.


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Connect with Bertram Capital
Partnering with management, we strive to transform businesses into market leaders through strategic acquisitions, operational improvement initiatives and aggressive business development efforts. By employing The Bertram Capital High 5sm, a systematic, proprietary approach to business building, we enable companies to unlock their full potential. The result: broader capabilities, faster growth, and dramatically improved profitability.
Investors in Bertram Capital's funds include major financial institutions, funds of funds, university endowments, charitable foundations, corporate pension funds, state pension funds and sovereign wealth funds spanning the globe.


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|Gauguin, Paul
Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?
Oil on canvas
54 3/4 x 147 1/2 in.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
This is only a thumbnail image. Use the Image Viewer to study the much larger full-sized image. The Image Viewer allows you to resize the image to fit your screen, display as a thumbnail, zoom in up to 200%, or even change the background color.
For information regarding possible commercial licensing of this image from Scala Group, Art Resource or Bridgeman Art Library, click here.Text from "Sister Wendy's American Masterpieces":
"This is Gauguin's ultimate masterpiece - if all the Gauguins in the world, except one, were to be evaporated (perish the thought!), this would be the one to preserve. He claimed that he did not think of the long title until the work was finished, but he is known to have been creative with the truth. The picture is so superbly organized into three "scoops" - a circle to right and to left, and a great oval in the center - that I cannot but believe he had his questions in mind from the start. I am often tempted to forget that these are questions, and to think that he is suggesting answers, but there are no answers here; there are three fundamental questions, posed visually.
"On the right (Where do we come from?), we see the baby, and three young women - those who are closest to that eternal mystery. In the center, Gauguin meditates on what we are. Here are two women, talking about destiny (or so he described them), a man looking puzzled and half-aggressive, and in the middle, a youth plucking the fruit of experience. This has nothing to do, I feel sure, with the Garden of Eden; it is humanity's innocent and natural desire to live and to search for more life. A child eats the fruit, overlooked by the remote presence of an idol - emblem of our need for the spiritual. There are women (one mysteriously curled up into a shell), and there are animals with whom we share the world: a goat, a cat, and kittens. In the final section (Where are we going?), a beautiful young woman broods, and an old woman prepares to die. Her pallor and gray hair tell us so, but the message is underscored by the presence of a strange white bird. I once described it as "a mutated puffin," and I do not think I can do better. It is Gauguin's symbol of the afterlife, of the unknown (just as the dog, on the far right, is his symbol of himself).
"All this is set in a paradise of tropical beauty: the Tahiti of sunlight, freedom, and color that Gauguin left everything to find. A little river runs through the woods, and behind it is a great slash of brilliant blue sea, with the misty mountains of another island rising beyond Gauguin wanted to make it absolutely clear that this picture was his testament. He seems to have concocted a story that, being ill and unappreciated (that part was true enough), he determined on suicide - the great refusal. He wrote to a friend, describing his journey into the mountains with arsenic. Then he found himself still alive, and returned to paint more masterworks. It is sad that so great an artist felt he needed to manufacture a ploy to get people to appreciate his work. I wish he could see us now, looking with awe at this supreme painting."


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|Louis Armstrong Statue New Orleans International Airport
"Biography of Louis Daniel Armstrong
Louis Armstrong was born in New Orleans in the Storyville District known as "the Battlefield" on August 4, 1901. He left school at the 5th grade to help support his family. He sang on street corners, sold newspapers and delivered coal.
He went to the Colored Waif's Home for shooting a gun to celebrate New Year's Eve on December 31, 1912. He learned to play the bugle cornet and to read music from Peter Davis at the Waif's Home. After 18 months, he left the Waif's Home determined to become a musician.
Armstrong first married Daisy Parker as his career as a musician developed.
King Oliver succeeded in encouraging Armstrong to move to Chicago to join his band. While in Chicago, Armstrong married Lil Hardin on February 4, 1924. Lil was a graduate of Fisk University and an excellent pianist who could read, write and arrange music. She encouraged and enhanced Armstrong's career. Some of the Jazz icon's most important and successful work was accomplished with his Hot Fives and Hot Sevens Bands. They separated in 1931 and later divorced in 1938. Louis married Alpha Smith in 1938 after his divorce from Lil.
During that time, Armstrong became very popular and one of the genre's most sought after trumpeters. He traveled a great deal and spent considerable time in Chicago and New York. He first moved to the Big Apple in 1924 to join Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra. Armstrong stayed in New York for a while but moved back to Chicago in October of 1925. He later went back to New York in 1929.
While maintaining a vigorous work schedule, as well as living and travelling back and forth to Chicago and California, Armstrong moved back to New York in the late 1930s and later married Lucille Wilson in 1942. He remained there until his death on July 6, 1971. He left his entire estate to Lucille, his beloved wife.
Louis Armstrong was the most important creative force in the early development and perpetuation of America's music, Jazz. His influence, as an artist and cultural icon, is universal, unmatched, and very much alive today.
According to the website for the Louis Armstrong House Museum: "Louis Armstrong's achievements are remarkable." During his career, he:
Developed a way of playing jazz, as an instrumentalist and a vocalist, which has had an impact on all musicians to follow.
Recorded hit songs for five decades, and his music is still heard today on television and radio and in films.
Wrote two autobiographies, more than ten magazine articles, hundreds of pages of memoirs, and thousands of letters.
Was the only Black Jazz musician to publicly speak out against school segregation in 1957.
So popular that warring sides in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa temporarily stopped fighting in 1960 to attend an Armstrong concert.
Appeared in more than thirty films (over twenty were full-length features) as a gifted actor with superb comic timing and an unabashed joy of life.
Composed dozens of songs that have become jazz standards.
Performed an average of 300 concerts each year, with his frequent tours to all parts of the world earning him the nickname "Ambassador Satch," and became one of the first great celebrities of the twentieth century.
Through the years, Louis entertained millions, from heads of state and royalty to the kids on his stoop in Corona. Despite his fame, he remained a humble man and lived a simple life in a working-class neighborhood. To this day, everyone loves Louis Armstrong—just the mention of his name makes people smile."
Special thanks to Michael Cogswell, Ricky Riccardi and Louis Armstrong House Museum for their invaluable help and resources."
For more information on Louis Armstrong:
Louis Armstrong House Museum
34-56 107 Street
Corona, Queens, NY 11368
Fax: 718-478-8299


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Go from desk to dance floor in the stylish Faye Midi Skirt. A mid-calf length, subtle waistband and concealed pockets make this effortlessly feminine skirt the perfect addition to your spring/summer wardrobe, while the playful cocktail print adds a fun-loving touch that updates this timeless design.
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All orders can be returned within 14 days of purchase. For more information on how to return an item please click here. You can download our returns form here.
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Laysis Consulting needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 288 designs submitted by 79 freelance designers.
Laysis Consulting
I've been consulting for little over a year now and am in a position to seek out new clients. Before I start doing marketing, I'd like to get a good logo and re-design my site around that logo.
You can view laysis.com to look at the current site and logo which I put together myself. I'm no artist but maybe the site may be a source of inspiration.
My clients consist of web developers and some government work including DoD and the FBI.
I'd like the logo to appeal to a large range of customers. I'd like a web 2.0 kind of look but something very professional looking and slightly conservative to appeal to my more conservative customers.
Image should be a PNG with transparent background. Logo should look good against a white background.
Color isn't important though I'm a fan of the "Digg blue" and the "Techcrunch green". Using either of those colors would be attractive though I am open to new ideas and designs.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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As a part of its 100th anniversary, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will present its activities in various public events to be organised in different parts of the country. On 13 February, a public event will be organised in Pori.
The topics of the event will be the Baltic Sea and the Foreign Ministry's consular services. Ambassadors Erja Tikka and Petri Salo and Counsellor Virpi Kankare will speak at the event.
The event will be held on Tuesday, 13 February, at 12.00 noon in the University Consortium of Pori on Pohjoisranta 11 A.
Inquiries: Ambassador Petri Salo, tel. +358 295 351 018, and Tiina Tähtinen, Desk Officer responsible for the Foreign Ministry's centenary celebrations, tel. +358 295 351 765.
The Foreign Ministry's email addresses are in the format firstname.lastname@example.com


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by Steve St-Pierre
Pistons Sports Writer
In Play Magazine
Team to Offer Lowest-Price Guarantee to Season Ticket Holders
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The Detroit Pistons announced today that season ticket prices for the 2010-11 NBA season have been reduced between 10 and 50 percent in all price categories. Also, for the first time ever, the team will offer a lowest-price guarantee to its season ticket holders.
"As an organization, we understand how fortunate we are to have such a loyal season ticket holder base," said Alan Ostfield, President and CEO of Palace Sports and Entertainment and the Pistons. "The economic situation here in Michigan continues to be a difficult one and we want to continue doing our part to respond to the stresses that have been placed on everyone in this region."
The across-the-board price reductions for Pistons' tickets are the largest rollbacks in team history, in response to the economic climate in the area. Additionally, the Pistons' lowest-price guarantee insures season ticket holders that the team will not sell individual game tickets at a lower price.
For the 2010-11 season, the Pistons will increase the number of 100-Level season tickets available for less than $1,000. This popular season ticket offering sold out this past season.
"The Pistons' experience will be enhanced for the season ticket holder next year by adding many new benefits," said Shawn Kuzmin, Pistons' Senior Vice President of Sales and Service. "These include a Loyalty benefits program, as well as a season ticket holder exchange program for unused tickets and access to ticket upgrades at all Pistons' home games. The new Loyalty benefits program will reward ticket holders on their tenure with the Pistons by offering Palace cards, suites and concert tickets."


text: Every interior sends out signals that consciously or unconsciously influence the feelings and behaviour of its users – whether in an office, in public venue or retail setting. Vitra understands and shapes such signals in recognition of their importance to the perception and quality of these environments. Working in offices, spending time in waiting areas or making purchases in shops is thus transformed into a memorable and inspiring experience.


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- Table of Contents
- Full Issue in PDF
- Francisco J. Sánchez Sworn in as Under Secretary
- Growing the Economy of the Future
- Containing Corruption and Reducing the Cost of Doing Business
- Raising Export Literacy, One Community College Student at a Time
- Short Takes
- Trade Calendar
- World Trade Week 2010
- World Trade Week 2014
- World Trade Month 2013
- World Trade Week 2012
- National Export Initiative Anniversary
International Trade Update
International Trade Update is published monthly by the Office of Public Affairs of the U.S. Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration (ITA). To receive notification by e-mail when new issues are published, please subscribe.For more information and news, visit ITA's Web site, Trade.gov, or contact the Office of Public Affairs, International Trade Administration, 1401 Constitution Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20230; tel.: (202) 482-3809.
Interational Trade Update 2010
- November-December (PDF)
- October (PDF)
- September (PDF)
- August (PDF)
- July (PDF)
- June (PDF)
- May (PDF)
- April (PDF)
- February/March (PDF)
- January (PDF)
International Trade Update 2006-2015
The International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce, manages this global trade site to provide access to ITA information on promoting trade and investment, strengthening the competitiveness of U.S. industry, and ensuring fair trade and compliance with trade laws and agreements. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein. This site contains PDF documents. A PDF reader is available from Adobe Systems Incorporated.


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Linux Mint 15 has been out for a while and so there are already a number of good reviews written about it.
Linux Mint is a very popular distribution and the developers have set out on a different path to Ubuntu in that the emphasis is definitely about evolving the desktop environment as opposed to redefining it completely.
The Cinnamon desktop looks very Windows-esque but with a lot of bells and whistles added to make it a top notch environment. Windows users instantly feel familiar with the Linux Mint operating system.
Those reviews that haven't focused on the Cinnamon desktop have reviewed instead the Mate desktop environment which is basically a lighter desktop environment for users who have older hardware or hardware that misbehaves when running Cinnamon.
For KDE enthusiasts there is a KDE spin of Linux Mint and even this is covered quite well.
It isn't actually well known however that there is a dedicated XFCE version of Linux Mint.
I have been looking again at XFCE recently having written an article comparing Ubuntu and Xubuntu.
I simply stumbled across the XFCE version of Linux Mint whilst looking to download Linux Mint Debian Edition for a separate review.
So here it is my review of Linux Mint 15 XFCE.
To get Linux Mint XFCE edition I visited the Linux Mint website and clicked the XFCE download link.
I then used Unetbootin to burn the ISO to a USB drive and rebooted into a live image of Linux Mint.
I performed my usual checks to make sure there were no glaring errors. The general things I test are internet connectivity and tasks that challenge the graphics and audio.
Satisfied that everything was working correctly I clicked the install icon and ran through the Linux Mint installer.
The install is a simple affair. Choose the language, keyboard, user name and whether to download updates as you go.
For me the trickiest part is the partitioning because whilst most users will choose to install alongside their current operating system or to use the whole disk I have my disk segregated into a number of partitions to allow for the fact that I do a lot of reviews and so I have to pick a distro to write over the top of. To be honest I've done this so many times now that it is second nature and the system installed without a hitch.
First Impressions
One thing that you will notice across all the versions of Linux Mint is a sense of consistency. Whether you are using the XFCE desktop, the KDE desktop, the Cinnamon or Mate desktops the overall style is the same.
The desktop wallpaper is obviously the same across all the versions but the panel at the bottom is also fairly consistent. It would have been easy for the developers to have added extra panels to XFCE and Mate as XFCE and Mate for me work better when there are multiple panels.
The whole Linux Mint look and feel is very Windows like. There is the main desktop with icons and a panel at the bottom which shows a menu icon, quick launch icons, open application windows and a system tray.
Changing the desktop wallpaper
Connecting to the internet
Installing Applications
To install applications you use the software manager. The interface is fairly simple to use.
In the top right corner is a search box and the rest of the screen is a series of categories.
Clicking on a category shows various sub categories and a list of potential applications.
By drilling down you can find applications that meet your needs.
If you know the application you wish to install then you can enter the name or a description in the search box and a list of applications will appear with ratings next to them.
Double clicking on the application in the list shows a description of the software and you are now able to install it.
Flash and MP3
Linux Mint ships with both Flash and MP3 installed by default.
Banshee was able to play any song in my collection instantly. I hate it when I install a distribution and get the GStreamer errors. I'm so glad that most distributions have this resolved by default now.
To get Linux Mint 15 XFCE
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And even more finally but much more relevant …
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