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The turn of the last century saw a surge in the construction of high-rise buildings. The surge created a demand for performance-based approaches to enable construction using new framing systems rising to heights outside the range of building code prescriptive provisions. The Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center (PEER) responded to this need by leading an initiative to develop design criteria that will ensure safe and usable tall buildings following future earthquakes. Download the primary product of this initiative: Guidelines for Performance-Based Seismic Design of Tall Buildings.
Collectively known as the Tall Buildings Initiative, this project involves the Applied Technology Council, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, Los Angeles Tall Buildings Structural Design Council, California Seismic Safety Commission, San Francisco Department of Building Inspection, Southern California Earthquake Center, Structural Engineers Association of California, U.S. Geological Survey, PEER, and several practicing professionals.
The initiative funded a range of projects. Specific tasks for this initiative are:
- Task 1 – Establish the Tall Buildings Project Advisory Committee
- Task 2 – Develop consensus on performance objectives
- Task 3 – Baseline assessment of dynamic response characteristics of tall buildings
- Task 4 – Synthetically generated ground motions
- Task 5 – Review and validation of synthetically generated ground motions
- Task 6 – Guidelines on selection and modification of ground motions
- Task 7 – Guidelines on modeling and acceptance values
- Task 8 – Input ground motions for tall buildings with subterranean levels
- Task 9 – Presentations at conferences, workshops, seminars
- Task 10 – Performance-based seismic design guidelines for tall buildings
- Task 11 – Instrumentation (under development)
- Task 12 – Quantification of seismic performance levels of tall buildings
The later tasks will synthesize results of the earlier tasks to develop a framework for seismic design of tall buildings, summarized in a final Guidelines document containing principles and specific criteria for tall building seismic design. The document is intended to support ongoing guidelines and code-writing activities of collaborating organizations, as well as being a stand-alone reference for designers of high-rise buildings.
The initiative is guided by a Project Advisory Committee comprising:
Norm Abrahamson, Yousef Bozorgnia, Ron Hamburger, Helmut Krawinkler, Marshall Lew, Ray Lui, Jack Moehle, Nic Rodriguez , Farzad Naeim, and Paul Somerville.
Broader community engagement will be achieved through a series of regular workshops and other outreach activities.


text: Chevy City Express Is The Coolest Cargo Carrier At Chicago Auto ShowAndrew P Collins2/06/14 1:45pmFiled to: Chevrolet2015 Chevrolet City ExpressVansChicago Auto Show833EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink The rest of the Jalopnik crew made fun of me for going gaga over the 2015 Chevrolet City Express van's cargo management features. Whatever, I say OEM cargo shelves are kickass and I don't care who knows it. I also love the flat surface attached to the back of the passenger seat. The seat folds forward to make a desk when the front right seat isn't occupied. Why haven't I seen that in a van before? The rest of the tidy little van's 122.7 cubic-foot cargo area is decked out with tie-down points. But the floor's pretty flat, and the wheel wells are wide enough to accommodate a standard 48" pallet. Advertisement Advertisement As for the shape, well, don't listen to the other guys— it's not "just a van." Check out the sculpting on the front bumper! Tail lights are pretty slick too, if you ask me. The 2.0 four-banger powered City Express will not replace GM's existing Cargo Van, but be the GM alternative to the Ford Transit and Ram ProMaster City in what my colleague Aaron Foley pointed out is becoming a busy market.Reply83 repliesLeave a reply

subset: commoncrawl


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Ask A Scientist
Many animals have more than one stomach and humans only have one. Why is this?
Asked by: Liam Charles
School: West Middle School, Binghamton School District
Grade: 6
Teacher: Jo Ann Summerlee
Hobbies/Interests: Video games, animals, geography, soccer, history, big cities and fireworks.
Career Interest: I would love to be a professional soccer player, but I think I will be a Graphic Designer
Answer from Debbie Dittrich
Research Support Specialist, Binghamton University
Research area: Teardown analysis of electronic packages
Interests/hobbies: Docent at the Binghamton Zoo, nature photography and gardening.
The animals that you are referring to are called ruminants. They don't actually have more than one stomach, but have one stomach with four chambers. Cows, camels, llamas, deer, sheep and goats are examples of ruminants.
As you may have guessed, ruminants are animals that eat only plants, or herbivores. Plants contain cellulose, which is difficult to digest. In fact, many animals (humans included) cannot digest cellulose. Creatures that are dependent on a plant-based diet therefore need special adaptations to be able to digest this material. The four-chambered stomach is one such adaptation.
The ruminant stomach is composed of the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum. When food is first swallowed, it enters the rumen. The rumen contains microorganisms, which produce cellulase, an enzyme no mammal is able to produce by itself. Cellulase breaks cellulose down into fatty acids, which are absorbed in the stomach and used for energy. This process is most efficient when food is broken down very well, as by chewing. Chewing food more than once then sounds like a good idea. In fact, ruminants regurgitate their food and chew it again. We call this chewing cud, or ruminating. Cud comes from food stored in the rumen and reticulum. Once food is chewed thoroughly it passes into the omasum, where water and minerals are absorbed, and finally into the abomasum, which is the equivalent of our stomach. Several years ago, I attended an open house at the Cornell veterinary school. There I met a very special cow with a hole in her side. The hole, called a fistula - is created by a veterinarian. It is a three-inch diameter opening into the rumen and can be closed with a plug. Sometimes cows do not have enough microorganisms in their rumens and become very ill because they cannot properly digest their food. If this happens, vets can replace the microorganisms in the sick cow's stomach with some from the fistulated cow. Apparently the cow does not even notice the fistula, and provides a very important service to cows that could otherwise die.


text:
Charleston Afb, SC, USA < change city >
Bands (48)
Caterers (35)
Florists (32)
Wedding Day Beauty (31)
Coordinators (30)
Cakes (27)
DJs (14)
Decorations (14)
Officiants (14)
Videographers (12)
Limos (11)
Wedding Fashion (11)
Rentals (9)
Ceremony Musicians (8)
Invitations (6)
Ceremony Sites (172)
Reception Sites (135)
See All Vendors >
September, 2009 in Charleston"Our wedding was perfect! Getting married in Charleston was the best decision we ever made. Even though hurricane season had just begun, the weather was amazing! We had the two most beautiful sunsets I've ever seen in Charleston. It's such a romantic and beautiful city. We used Out of Hand for flowers and invitations as well as many other things. The staff is great and very accommodating, plus, it's almost a one stop shop for everything which saves money and makes it so much easier. I highly recommend them."
Ceremony: The Old Rice Mill Building
Reception: The Old Rice Mill Building
- Band: Other Brother Entertainment
- Rentals Vendor: Ooh Events!
- Florist: Out of Hand
- Ceremony: The Old Rice Mill Building
- Hotel: Courtyard Marriott Riverview
- Reception: The Old Rice Mill Building
- Hotel: Holiday Inn Charleston-Riverview
- Hotel: Charleston Marriot
- Hotel: SpringHill Suites Charleston Downtown/Riverview
Other Brother Entertainment
660 Riverland DriveCharleston, SC, United States
"Megan Smith at Other Brother helped me and we hired 3 bands from them. They were quick to respond. They would negotiate prices with the bands for you and were very willing to help in any way. This was one of the best experiences I had while planning the wedding. We had some of the best bands as well. Everyone wanted to know where we found them and who they were. It was a great experience."
Rentals Vendor:
Ooh Events!
113 Pitt StreetMt. Pleasant, SC 29464, USA
"The whole staff is amazing and Lisa had great ideas to make our wedding special and unique."
The Old Rice Mill Building
17 Lockwood DrCharleston, SC 29401
"This is a great place to have a ceremony if you're planning on around 150 or less. It's beautiful and the staff is amazing."
The Old Rice Mill Building
17 Lockwood DrCharleston, SC 29401
"The food is amazing and the space is as well. It's very old Charleston and just a beautiful building. The bar is also beautiful. It was the perfect place for us. There's the tin ceilings and the old pine floors as well as exposed brick walls throughout. The view is gorgeous! The staff will cater to your every whim, and their quick to respond. Another great experience with The Rice Mill and Good Food Catering."
Courtyard Marriott Riverview
35 Lockwood DrCharleston, SC 29401
"The rooms are nice and the patio outside is great for your guests to hang out during all the festivities."
SpringHill Suites Charleston Downtown/Riverview
98 Ripley Point DriveCharleston, SC, United States


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SOAR is a grassroots taskforce of domestic violence survivors dedicated to lending their voices to change the systems that oppress women, while educating the community about the dynamics of domestic violence. We were originally formed in 1989, when a group of domestic violence survivors vowed to move on from their inner healing, so that they could address the root causes of domestic violence and the solutions necessary for change.
We came together with a defined mission in mind, to promote, advocate and work towards the elimination of domestic violence and to embody and give visibility to the voices of abused women.
Since 1989, SOAR has grown to more than 100 members. Members have worked on a variety of projects that enable the voices of domestic violence victims to be widely heard. SOAR has worked on everything from public media campaigns to changing legislation, not only for survivors but also for their children who are affected by domestic violence.
To fulfill the mission of the taskforce, SOAR members actively work in three different areas:
1. Systems change: SOAR has led and participated in different projects that aim to create systemic changes that ensure procedures and safeguards are used to promote victims' and children's safety. Click here to learn about our current project.
2. Legislative Activism: Each year our Legislative Platform attempts to address issues that affect domestic violence victims and their children. SOAR members are very active in reviewing legislation and lobbying to create laws that will protect victims about domestic violence and their children.
3. Community Education: Members provide trainings and presentations to schools, colleges, and community centers to raise awareness of domestic violence dynamics.
Our group holds meetings on a regular basis. At these meetings, we plan our public education and outreach, discuss legislation, organize events, and work towards achieving the goals that SOAR members have chosen. At each meeting we provide childcare, transportation and food.
Finally, SOAR recruits, trains and empowers survivors to use their voices and experiences to challenge and change the areas that continue to be barriers to keeping women safe and maintaining violence-free lives.


text:
Wisconsin: Looking for a Good Fit
Before becoming the director of MBA admissions at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Betsy Kacizak served as the director for the MBA program's career services office. She has spent a total of nine years at the Wisconsin School of Business, where previously she worked as a human resources coordinator.
Kacizak recently shared some admissions advice with BusinessWeek.com reporter Alina Dizik. Here are edited excerpts of their conversation:
Are you seeing more applications now than in the recent past?
We actually have. We moved our first deadline up to Nov. 1 from Nov. 15, which we think caused an increase in the number of completed applications. A lot of times people will log in and won't submit until a later date. This time, there's a number that's ready for review.
What's the most unusual or difficult essay question on your application? What's your advice to students on how to answer it?
The two questions for career specialization are difficult. Candidates need to have focus and need to understand the area which they are pursuing. But overall, I don't think our essay questions are difficult. People need to be honest with themselves—self-reflection is important.
Do students apply in rounds? Are there any benefits to being in an earlier round?
We have four different deadlines: Nov. 1, Jan. 23, Mar. 26, and May 15. Mar. 26 is the last deadline for international applicants as well as the priority deadline for merit-based financial aid. The Nov. 1 deadline works well for candidates who want to hear a decision much earlier. A lot of the people applying are people who have been thinking about this and preparing for a number of years. The January deadline works well for people who usually have extra time off from work during the holidays.
What are some common mistakes that candidates make in their applications?
Follow directions. If there's a page limit or word limit, follow that. Update your résumé. And don't rush your application just to hit a deadline; some people try to hurry, thinking that it's better to hit an earlier deadline than to take your time.
What do you look for in applicants' essays?
I would recommend that you be genuine. Be honest with yourself, and actually be yourself. An applicant mistake you'll see is someone that tries to be something that they're not. It comes down to us being a career-specialized and focused program, and we just want to know you're a good fit...


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the later shows are so much better, really the wrestling is really cool spotastic stuff.
Perfect for the 30 minute-limit.
Wish they'd go on Wed though, having wrestling on 5 days a week would be super.
ahwell thank good for DVR
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text:
Daily Journal
TUPELO – It's not going to get any easier.
That seemed to be the general consensus Thursday in Tupelo's tennis camp following the Golden Wave's 7-0 win against Olive Branch in the opening round of the MHSAA Class 6A team playoffs at Rob Leake City Park courts.
"We generally have drawn an easier match in the first round," Tupelo coach Laurie Bishop said. "We went out in the second round (quarterfinals) last year to Madison Central. This year it's Starkville or Clinton."
Starkville and Clinton's are scheduled for today. A Starkville win would send Tupelo on the road while a Clinton victory would bring the Arrows to Tupelo.
"I'm confident if our players show up and play their best tennis, we can advance," Bishop said.
Tupelo will host individual play today in singles, doubles and mixed doubles. The winners and runners-up all advance the 6A state tournament scheduled for May 1-2. The team championship will be played April 30.
Andrew Hildenbrand, a sophomore who defeated Olive Branch's James Long 6-0, 6-0 in Thursday's match, is expected to play doubles in today's individual action.
"I'm more of a doubles player," he said. "I'm more active at the net. I like to attack the ball."
In the team competition, Hildenbrand likes the Golden Wave's lineup.
"We've got a really talented team with a bunch of good players," he said.
Against Olive Branch, Tupelo's Jessie Nabors defeated Ashley Ricketts 6-0, 6-0 in singles. In girls doubles, Mary Buskirk-Briley Chrisman (6-1, 6-0), and Emily Carter-Megan Ware (6-1, 6-2) were winners.
In boys doubles, Hogan Harrington-Will Brawner (6-1, 6-1) and Robert Thompson-Joel Baldwin (6-0, 6-1) won. In mixed doubles, Sarah Lambert Hollingsworth and Kyle Hollingman (6-1, 6-0) won.


text:
Gregory C Dowdell, PGA
Main Address:
Maplegate Country Club
160 Maple St
Bellingham, MA 02019-3016
(508) 966-4040
160 Maple St
Bellingham, MA 02019-3016
(508) 966-4040
Gregory Dowdell is a PGA Professional in Bellingham, MA. The PGA of America comprises 27,000 men and women professionals with one singular goal in mind - to make the game of golf more enjoyable for you.
Services Offered:
- Instruction
- Play Golf of America Participant
Welcome to Golf Month
Professional has not entered award information.


text: Top Medical Discovery of 2007 Explained via CartoonAnnalee Newitz3/26/08 6:00pmFiled to: science pornbiologyimmuneimmune systemMedicinesteven reinert-cells17EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink For a long time, it seemed as if a medical discovery that Science called "one of the greatest of 2007" might never get covered by the mainstream media because it was just too complicated. But then an enterprising journalist and artist with the Philadelphia Inquirer boldly went where no reporters dared go. Writer Tom Avril and artist Cynthia Greer figured out how to simplify this complicated discovery into a completely-accurate cartoon (pictured).AdvertisementA researcher named Steven Reiner at University of Pennsylvania proved that the human body fights disease with two kinds of immune cells (called T-cells): some that fight the invading microbes, and some that exist just to keep a record of how to fight those microbes in the future. Those "memory" cells are what this researcher revealed, and their mysteries are still being unlocked.Writes Avril:AdvertisementThe University of Pennsylvania physician electrified his field last year by showing how the immune system generates two types of the sophisticated tools known as T-cells: one to fight invaders to the death, the other to remember the battle plan for the next time the same enemy shows up. Reiner's finding, made with John Chang, Vikram Palanivel and colleagues, was named one of the top 10 breakthroughs of 2007 by the journal Science. Using mice, the team provided evidence that T-cells arise from a self-renewing process a bit like that used by stem cells. Without it, we'd fight off a bug once, and the next time we'd be dead."It's an amazing system," Reiner marvels. "You do use these cells, but you don't deplete them. That's how we can live long lives with short-lived cells." I love it when somebody figures out a simple way to explain such a crucial issue to the public. Want to get really complicated about it? Read one of Reiner's published papers. Making Immune Memories [via Knight Science Journalism Tracker]


text: "This Is The Parts Where They Say Who They Thinks Gonna Win"Leitch9/06/06 12:45pmFiled to: College FootballGeorgia Tech Yellow JacketsNotre Dame Fighting IrishClips43EditPromoteShare to KinjaToggle Conversation toolsGo to permalink In his nightmares, this is what Chris Fowler imagines every viewer of College GameDay is like. Advertisement (This guy is probably kidding, which somehow makes it worse.)Reply43 repliesLeave a reply


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1694 Birthday of French author François Marie Arouet, better known as Voltaire (1694-1778) whose satirical novel "Candide" served as source material for the 1956 Leonard Bernstein/Lillian Hellman/Dorothy Parker musical.
1888 Birthday of Adolph Marx, better known as Harpo (1888-1964), silent sibling of the Marx Brothers comedy team, seen on Broadway in I'll Say She Is, Animal Crackers and The Cocoanuts, and a character in the biographical musical Minnie's Boys.
1933 Birthright has just seven performances at the 49th Street Theatre. Richard Maibaum's play deals with the suffering of a German-Jewish family under the Nazi regime.
1934 With words and music by Cole Porter, Anything Goes opens tonight at the Alvin Theatre. The cast includes Ethel Merman, William Gaxton and Victor Moore in this one year-plus run. The book, about cabaret singer Reno Sweeney and Public Enemy No. 13 chasing around a France-bound ocean liner, is provided by Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. Songs include "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "Blow, Gabriel, Blow."
1944 George S. Kaufman directs his own script of The Late George Apley, based on the Pulitzer-winning novel by John P. Marquand. Leo G. Carroll plays the title character, and the production runs 384 performances at the Lyceum Theatre.
1970 Actress Carlotta Monterey, widow of playwright Eugene O'Neill, dies at the age of 82.
1979 Strider, based on a story by Leo Tolstoy, comes to the Helen Hayes Theatre after first being seen at the Chelsea Theatre Center. Gerald Hiken stars as a horse named Strider and is saddled with the part for 27 weeks.
1983 Garry Trudeau's comic strip Doonesbury comes to life in a musical by Trudeau and Elizabeth Swados. It runs just 104 performances at the Biltmore Theatre, but features several future stars: Gary Beach, Kate Burton and Mark Linn-Baker.
1994 Eileen Atkins and Vanessa Redgrave star in the Zoe Caldwell-directed Vita and Virginia, which opens tonight at the Union Square Theatre. The story follows that of Virginia Woolf, whom Atkins has played before in A Room of One's Own. This show, which The Times calls a "literary tea-for-two," runs 29 performances.
1999 Carol Burnett raises a glass with fellow partygoers John Barrowman, George Hearn, Ruthie Henshall and Bronson Pinchot as they try Putting It Together, which opened tonight at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The cocktail party is a front to perform a "review" of songs by Stephen Sondheim. The show was conceptualized and created by Sondheim in 1992, when it was produced in London by Cameron Mackintosh. It then came to Off Broadway starring Julie Andrews. Now on Broadway at last, the show will run 101 performances.
2004 The national tour of the new Disney musical On the Record, featuring more than 50 songs from the Disney catalogue, bows at Cleveland's Palace Theatre, starring Emily Skinner and Brian Sutherland. It will continue through summer 2005 but not go to Broadway.
2010 Simon Bent's Elling, an odd-couple comedy about two inmates from a mental institution who are given a shot at living on their own, opens on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. Directed by Doug Hughes, the cast includes Brendan Fraser, Denis O'Hare, Jennifer Coolidge, Richard Easton and Jeremy Shamos. The production will close the following Sunday, after 9 performances.
2011 For the first time since they dazzled audiences in the original Broadway production of Evita, Tony winners Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin share a Broadway stage in An Evening With Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin. The pair perform songs including "Everything's Coming Up Roses," "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me Blues," "Don't Cry For Me Argentina," "Oh What a Circus," and the famous bench scene from Carousel. The limited engagement will run 63 performances at the Barrymore Theatre.
2013 The world premiere of Amanda Peet's The Commons of Pensacola opens Off-Broadway at Manhattan Theatre Club. Blythe Danner and Sarah Jessica Parker star in the play about a women who was forced to leave her luxurious New York life after her husband's Wall Street scam became headline news.
More of Today's Birthdays: Vivian Blaine 1921. Will B. Able 1923. Marlo Thomas 1937. Robert Drivas 1938. Laurence Luckinbill 1934. Lorna Luft 1952. Cherry Jones 1956.


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I'll never forget the first time I saw a panoramic photograph. It was as if I'd been frozen in place. I couldn't move away. I couldn't stop looking at it. Now it didn't hurt that these first panoramic images were by Joseph Meehan, a true artist by the way. But in any event, the sight of these pictures changed my photographic career.
I have done panoramic work with actual panoramic cameras and with post processing tricks like stitching in Photoshop. Whichever you choose, don't forget one thing. Panoramas look great as verticals too.
The picture above was made in Glacier National Park in 2003. It was shot on film, on a Hasselblad X-Pan and then drum scanned for publication. The photo editor who bought it told me she specifically selected it because as a vertical, it was different than anything she'd recently seen.
If you want to try something different, try spending an afternoon or weekend just shooting and composing vertical panoramas. It should help you see in a whole new way.
Scott Bourne
Latest posts by Scott Bourne (see all)
- Think Tank Photo's Airport TakeOff 2.0 – First Look - March 25, 2017
- Alaska Eagle Photography Diary 2017 – Part 2 - March 20, 2017
- Alaska Eagle Photography Diary 2017 – Part 1 - March 13, 2017


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Simpsonville man named to serve
on board of national arts agency
Kentucky Arts Council Board Chairman Todd Lowe of Simpsonville has been elected to serve a 3-year term on the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies' board of directors.
Lowe has served on the Kentucky Arts Council board – and as its chairman – since 2005. He is president and founder of the investment advisory firm Parthenon LLC.
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Storage Facilities (1)
Life Storage (#436) - 4750 Scarlet Drive
- Colorado Springs, CO 80920
- Phone: 719-282-1000
- 7.1 miles from 80951
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Happy Life Storage Customers
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Rating:Patrick - Colorado Springs, CO April 25, 2016 -
"This facility is top notch. I have had nothing but positive experiences with Christy. I would highly recommend this storage facility to anyone looking for a clean professionally maintained facility."
Rating:Ronald - Colorado Springs, CO March 28, 2016 -
"The facility was very clean and well maintained. The assistant manager was friendly and very efficient."
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"Christy was super!!! She answered all my questions and was courteous and professional. What an asset to your company."
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"Since I have not had reason to use a storage unit before, I was extremely impressed with how pleasant this experience was. If I ever have need for a storage unit I assure you I would definitely use Uncle Bob's [Life Storage] [Life Storage]. Thank you for being so nice and clean."
Rating:Anna - Colorado Springs, CO December 23, 2015 -
"I felt comfortable with the process from the first phone call I made to obtain information, and I was not disappointed when I arrived to sign the papers. The facility is close to where I am staying and that is very important to me. Everyone at the facility has been extremely helpful. "
Rating:Pasty - Colorado Springs, CO June 29, 2015 -
"Norissa and Anthony were very helpful and courteous.They answered all our questions and addressed all our concerns.Informed us of Uncle Bob's [Life Storage] [Life Storage] special offers and took advantage of them. We started our move into your storage facility on a rainy day thank goodness for the overhead cover for the truck. Your facility was very clean and indoors a request my wife was insistent about.The staff checked on us consistently and even offered chairs for us . Awsome job Guys Thanks"
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"Excellence in everything; service,location, maintenance, recommendations, website."
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"The staff is outstanding."
Rating:Cynthia - Colorado Springs, CO March 01, 2017


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This article will present two alternatives to Lazy. One of them is focused on low memory use and the other focused on responsiveness.
.NET 4 added the Lazy class. Its purpose is to allow fast load times and reduce memory consumption.
But, should I say that I consider Lazy class... too lazy? There are two problems that I see when using the Lazy class:
So, to solve those problems, I decided to create my own solution, which I will present here.
I really wanted to create a solution that is both responsive and that avoids using memory when it is not needed. But unfortunately that's impossible... at least for me and as a generic purpose solution. But I can solve one of those problems at a time.
So I did it, as two different classes:
For human beings, being lazy is usually bad. Being weak too is even worse. But for programming languages, being lazy and weak is good, especially when we want to save memory.
LazyAndWeak only creates its Value when it is first requested, as happens with Lazy class. But it also stores the value as a weak-reference, so it can be collected if memory is needed. Ok, it is a bit more than that. To avoid values to be collected at each garbage collection, I use my GCUtils.KeepAlive method so recently used items are not collected in the next full collection, so constantly used items will always be in memory, even after a full collection.
The big downside here is that after the item is unloaded from memory, if it is needed again, the user will need to wait again and any value that was stored in such item will be lost. So, it is very important that the constructor/creator knows how to get the most up-to-date information.
The BackgroundLoader class goes in the opposite direction of LazyAndWeak. Instead of creating items only when requested and then allowing them to die, it tries to load all items in the background, trying not to affect performance of the application and then keeps them there. So, you load the application in a very fast manner, similar to what happens to any Lazy alternative but then when a CPU is idle, it starts loading the items that you didn't use yet.
I say that it goes in the opposite direction because it will not save any memory, as sooner or later all the items will be loaded and kept in memory. But except from the very first item (in case the user requests it as soon the application is loaded), the user will not need to wait for items to load. It opens the application (in a very fast manner), maybe wait for the very first operation to load its items but, later, any other operation will be done instantly as the items will be already loaded.
In my opinion, never use Lazy. Maybe I am too drastic, but I don't see a real situation were Lazy only will be better. For example, if your application has 1000 menu items, each one with a slow load-time, and your users are probably only using 10 of those 1000 menu items, then it is OK.
But what happens when the user does load those 1000 items? They will be kept in memory forever. So, the user will need to wait 1000 times and then those will be there forever (so new requests will not wait).
But if those 1000 items consume too much memory, I'll say that you should use LazyAndWeak, after all the computer gets slower when running out-of-memory. If you think it is OK to keep all of them in memory, then use BackgroundLoader as the user will wait for the program to load, maybe will wait for the first menu item to load... and if he keeps enough time there, when he uses any other item it will be already in memory, without the need to wait again.
In fact, for very large projects, I usually open the application, go out for a while and then return, expecting everything to be loaded. I consider it frustrating that, in Visual Studio, I end-up waiting again when I try to load an ASP.NET project for the first time or a WPF one.
I know CodeProject is for code... but should I really show the code here? I think explaining the basic idea is enough. So, I will only explain the idea.
LazyAndWeak uses a lock when creating the value (so two threads will not create duplicate values). When accessing the Value, a call to GCUtils.KeepAlive is made. I explained that class in one of my first articles, WeakReferences as a Good Caching Mechanism. The main problem of using WeakReferences only is that items are discarded at every collection, even if they were recently used. This class forbids them to be collected at the next collection but allows them to be collected if a second collection happens and they are still unused.
BackgroundLoader is harder. A "loader" thread is created. Each time a LazyLoader is created, it registers itself inside that thread and sets an event (ManagedAutoResetEvent) so the loader thread starts to run. If 1000 items are registered, they will be loaded in order (there is not the risk of 1000 threads trying to load their items). This class also uses locking when accessing its Value so if it is not loaded yet, it loads it immediately and removes this BackgroundLoader instance from the loader class, as it will be already loaded.
Also, there is the problem that you may create the background loader and then you discard it (in the sample project, when you change from one directory to another). That's why I implemented the IDisposable interface. If the item is not loaded yet, it is in the list of "to load" items. If you discard it, it simply removes such item from the "to load" list.
Using those classes is very similar to using the .NET Lazy class. You simply create the LazyAndWeak<SomeType> or BackgroundLoader<SomeType> at the very first moment, probably with a declaration like this:
private readonly LazyAndWeak<SomeType> field = new LazyAndWeak<SomeType>();
And when you need to access the SomeType instance, you must access the Value property of the created field.
It is important that SomeType has a default constructor or that you give a creator delegate to it, or you will get an exception. Also, as happens with lazy, those helper objects are only useful to hold slow loading or memory-hungry objects. Don't use them for fast and small objects, as the helper objects themselves consume memory.
The attached sample is a very simple image visualizer. Its purpose is only to show the differences of the various techniques.
When you enter any directory, all image names are read and some type of lazy-loading will be done. When just opening or scrolling large folders, you will see red lines instead of images. Red lines means such images are not still in memory.
If you force collection, already loaded images will be reloaded using LazyAndWeak (which shows it worked) but will not have any effects on BackgroundLoader or custom Lazy.
I forced a 100 milliseconds delay when loading images. That was on purpose to make the differences more visible as loading images is not that slow.
If you are using BackgroundLoader, when you change directory, it will stop loading the old files. That's why Dispose was needed. If I didn't do that, if I entered directory A, then B... B will only load after loading all (useless) A files.
This article, along with any associated source code and files, is licensed under The Code Project Open License (CPOL)
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A discussion over the need for an ordinance to ban firearms from the Trimble County Courthouse and other county-owned facilities consumed much of Fiscal Courth's meeting March 21.
The issue was raised in letters written to the county by Circuit Judge Karen Conrad and Trimble County Attorney Perry Arnold, whose review of Kentucky statutes revealed a surprising loophole.
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2012-01-20, 01:47 | Link #2062 | |
Senior Member
2012-01-20, 01:56 | Link #2064 | |
Goat Herder
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: The middle of the Middle of Nowhere
Age: 29
2012-01-20, 02:00 | Link #2065 | |
The Flame Crussader
Join Date: Aug 2009
Yeah, there's lots of possibilities for costumes. Nanoha's S1 casual clothes(orange sweater) could be a good alternative costume.
2012-01-20, 03:05 | Link #2067 | |
TSAB Enforcer
Her costumes in order: Set 1 A: A's Anime Barrier Jacket, normal colors B: A's Anime Barrier Jacket, Pink trim instead of blue Set 2: Casual Clothes A: Orange blouse, blue skirt, white jacket, black hair ribbons, white socks, brown shoes B: White blouse, orange slowkirt, yellow-orange jacket, black socks, brown shoes Set 3: Swimsuit A: Pink two piece with some frills, dark pink trim B: Black two piece with some frills, red trim Set 4: Namco costume A: Valkyrie look, green armor, white blouse and dress, brown helmet with white wings, gold shoes B: same look, black armor, black blouse, white dress. black helmet with grey wings, gold shoes Set 5: Nanoha Movie 1st costume: unlocked only through preorder code A: Nanoha movie version Barrier Jacket B: Nanoha movie version Barrier Jacket, red trim instead of blue Set 6: Christmas outfit: also only unlocked through preorder code A: Red Santa outfit, has red glove B: Light Blue Santa outfit, has light blue gloves |
2012-01-20, 03:51 | Link #2069 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Nanoha and Stern are also dissimilar, and yet get along.
Hayate also gets along with Dearche, even if Dearche doesn't get along with Hayate. It's not about the existence of differences, but the willingness to accept differences. Intolerance is immaturity. Dearche is the most immature of the six. Yes, even more than Levi. Levi is impulsive, thoughtless, and perhaps a little dim, but she is more emotionally mature than Dearche. She is willing to accept that people and circumstances aren't always just as she wants them. Dearche wants too much. She wants to be in control, she wants to be her own idea of "perfect", and she wants others to be her own idea of "perfect". This is why she is the most frequently unhappy. |
2012-01-20, 03:52 | Link #2070 | |
Even if it just for a bit
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Cold Storage
Age: 25
Nanoha is Valkyrie from a SNES game IIRC, Fate is Klonoa. Hayate is Wonder Momo Signum I have no bloody idea. Maybe Idolmaster what with it being Bamco and all. Reinforce is KOS-MOS Shamal is from Druaga Vita is well, I think this one is obvious. E: Oh hey got sniped by Sunder.
Last edited by Laith; 2012-01-20 at 04:09. Reason: Wiki I love thy. |
2012-01-20, 17:59 | Link #2071 |
Burst Mode
I knew Reinforce was KOS-MOS because I've actually played that game. Her B version is TEL-OS, right down to the tanned skin.
I like school swimsuits so her's is nice, though I don't like white ones all that much. Her B version is blue but it has an intertube as well.
2012-01-21, 14:51 | Link #2073 |
Burst Mode
So I've been fooling around a bit and found that Hayate, Reinforce, Shamal, Thoma, Precia, and Yuri can all one hit KO Precia with their full drives. Everyone else will deal around 80-90% damage. Linith and Stern do around 95%, though.
The odd thing is that Dearche also deals 100% damage but for whatever reason this doesn't result in a KO. I guess it leaves her with 0.001% health or something.
2012-01-21, 20:06 | Link #2074 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
The thing with Diarche is that her FBD do about 49.9% damage. Since Precia's defense is at the level where all your attacks do double damage to her as compared to the others, she can survive Diarche's blast.
Notice the fun thing of the family: Precia, Linith, Fate and Levi all have lousy defense. It seem that the older you are in the family, the poorer the defense. I guess that can explain why Arf has normal defense here as she is the youngest. |
2012-01-21, 20:46 | Link #2076 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Oh yeah, I forgot about that but yeah, Levi is the youngest. When it comes to usefulness though, I think Levi's spilt form is better than Fate's sonic form as the former's attack raise much higher and the combos are fun to do while Fate's did not give much advantage in my opinion though.
2012-01-21, 22:46 | Link #2078 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Opps, got the name wrong. Anyway, unless you are familiar with Fate's combos in sonic form, I recommand against using it as the disadvantages outweights the advantages. Stripping only cause Fate's poor defense go down further near to the level of her mom. At least Levi's is great to use.
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Judge orders officers tried
SANTA ANA An Orange County judge Wednesday ordered two Fullerton police officers to stand trial on homicide and other charges in the July death of Kelly Thomas, a schizophrenic homeless man, during an encounter that was captured on surveillance video.
Superior Court Judge Walter Schwarm said sufficient evidence was presented during a three-day preliminary hearing, including the 33-minute video, to compel a jury trial for officer Manuel Anthony Ramos, charged with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter in the death of Thomas, 37.
It will be the first time that a police officer in Orange County has stood trial on a murder charge for actions that occurred while on duty and in uniform.
Ramos, 38, a 10-year veteran, remains free on $1 million bail pending a May 22 court date before Superior Court Judge Craig Robison to select a trial judge.
Schwarm said there also is sufficient evidence to try Cpl. Jay Patrick Cicinelli on charges of involuntary manslaughter and excessive force under color of authority. Cicinelli, 40, remains free on $25,000 bail pending the May 22 hearing.
If convicted, Ramos faces a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. Cicinelli faces a four-year prison term.
Many of the 40 or so relatives, friends and supporters of Kelly Thomas reacted with joy when Schwarm announced his decision after a 15-minute recess Wednesday afternoon after summations. One woman mouthed "Thank you, God." Another woman wiped tears. Many gave one another high-fives and hugs as they walked out of court.
From the other side of the courtroom gallery, John Huselman, Cicinelli's stepfather, said the family expected the ruling and is ready for a trial. Huselman said he has no doubt his stepson will be acquitted.
"It's going to have to go to a jury, and the jury is going to have to say no way," he said.
Moments later, Ron Thomas, the victim's father, faced a row of television cameras and said that while he was relieved at the decision, "This is just another battle. … The day I am not concerned is when it's 100 percent over."
Schwarm made his ruling after he listened to about two hours of arguments from prosecutors and defense attorneys that followed 2 1/2 days of testimony.
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas, who is handling the case, argued that the officers abused their "awesome powers" when they took part in wrestling Thomas to the ground and pounding him into unconsciousness. The top prosecutor added that Ramos' attitude, unlawful conduct and bullying turned a routine encounter at the Fullerton Transportation Center into a deadly beating.
Rackauckas insisted that Ramos triggered the sequence of events that led to the fatal beating when he snapped on latex gloves, turned to a sitting Thomas and threatened "You see these fists? ... They are getting ready to f--- you up."
Within moments of those words, Rackauckas said, Thomas was taken down and pummeled with fists, a baton and a Taser gun as he was being subdued by up to six officers – including Cicinelli, who arrived in response to a call that an officer needed assistance. While the struggle continued, Thomas – according to the black-and-white videotape – screamed for help, asked for his father and complained that he couldn't breathe until he slowly went silent.
Thomas never regained consciousness and died five days later, July 10, when life support was removed at UCI Medical Center in Orange.
A county pathologist testified that Thomas died from injuries and chest compression during the confrontation that deprived him of oxygen.
Cicinelli inflicted pain and suffering on Thomas, Rackauckas argued, by first using his Taser to shock Thomas and then using it to hit him in the face before he added his weight to the pile of officers on Thomas' chest.
"It's a bad day in Orange County, a very bad day, when we have to charge two police officers with these crimes," Rackauckas said. "They are sworn to uphold the law and trusted with the authority given to them by the state of California."
At a news conference after the court decision, Rackauckas didn't rule out the possibility of filing charges against other officers.
"Everything is still open," he said.
Barnett argued that Ramos had the right to detain and arrest Thomas, and that Thomas refused to cooperate when the officers asked the homeless man for his name.
"Officer Ramos is not looking for a fight," Barnett argued. "He is not looking to beat somebody. ... He is just looking to get some information and be on his way."
Barnett contended that what is perceived to be a threat by Ramos to Thomas – "See these fists? They are getting ready to f--- you up" – was followed by the statement "If you don't do what we tell you."
"It was a conditional threat," Barnett said. "All Kelly Thomas would have had to do was simply comply. ... Officer Ramos had every right to issue that threat.
"He was trying to resolve this before trying to take him into custody, but Kelly Thomas would have no part of it," Barnett said.
Cicinelli, the third officer to arrive at the scene, rushed to the aid of two officers struggling on the ground with Thomas, argued his defense attorney, Michael Schwartz.
"The only information he (had was) that he was responding to (a) call involving a combative suspect," Schwartz said.
Cicinelli, he said, joined the struggle to help fellow officers and used appropriate force.
"We can all agree that any loss of life is a tragedy," Schwartz said. "But there was no crime here. ... There was none."
It could be several months before potential jurors are summoned to court for a trial, as the defense attorneys fight Schwarm's decision.
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A miracle on Cleveland street in Clearwater is about to happen. Downtown Clearwater is schedule to get 12 tons of snow dumped on the streets for the 5th year in-a-row this Friday, Dec. 7 2012.
Downtown Clearwater's Cleveland Street District will be transformed into a winter wonderland complete with two toboggan slides, holiday crafts, live music and a visit from Santa. Every half hour, snow will fall in front of the Capitol Theatre and the sounds of Christmas choirs will fill the streets. The festivities will extend from the 400 block of Cleveland Street down to the waterfront.
The street fair begins at 5:30 pm with entertainment outside until 10 pm plus three free screenings of the modern Christmas classic Elf in the Capitol Theatre. Miracle on Cleveland Street is proudly presented by Bright House Networks and Morgan Stanley, supported by the City of Clearwater, the Cleveland Street District and the Downtown Development Board and produced by Ruth Eckerd Hall On The Road.
The festival and the parking is free.
Friday, Dec. 7 – 5:30 to 10pm
400 Block of Cleveland Street
Osceola Avenue and Cleveland Street
Clearwater FL 33755 | www.clevelandstreetdistrict.com


text: WELCOME TO ELSIS Since 1991, the English Language School In Sydney (ELSIS) has been teaching English to students from all parts of the world including South East Asia, South America, and Europe. Our mix of nationalities makes it a vibrant place to study and learn English, with such a great mix our students learn very quickly. ELSIS students are attracted to the School's friendly atmosphere, great location, and excellent facilities. We have free workshops and many social activities. ELSIS prides itself on being a boutique school with a welcoming atmosphere that is both supportive and encouraging. ELSIS teachers and administration staff are well qualified and ready to help you with any questions you may have. Whatever brings you to ELSIS, there is something for everyone. You will make great friends as well as learn English in our wonderful city. We look forward to seeing you and welcoming you in the near future. |


text:
Full profile →'">
The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.
Continued from page 1
Second, the IRS is going through a line change with a number of new examiners and auditors being brought on while at the same time a good number of older hands are retiring. The IRS is understandably not een on having these new employees cut their teeth on the biggest companies. Bottom line: if your business isn't in the Fortune 500, has a lot of cash transactions and not much third party reporting – be prepared for a close relationship with the tax man.
As a sidenote: I wouldn't have thought this needed mentioning, but apparently it does -- if you are going to engage in tax fraud and don't want to have the IRS contact you – do not create a rap video and post it on you-tube highlighting your tax cheating ways. Who knew?
You Can Stand Up To The Tax Man – and Win!
During my time as a Senior Policy Advisor to the National Commission on Restructuring the IRS (the Commission's worked served as the basis for the 1998 IRS Restructuring Act) in the late 1990s, after a good deal of effort ("Many Bothans died to bring us this information") we managed to pry out of the IRS statistics on how well taxpayers did when they contested the IRS's audit claims. It turns out – taxpayers do pretty well when they stand up to the tax man. The information from 1992-1996 can be found in the Final Report -- in Tables I-1, 2 and 3 (starting on P. 57).
Just a sample of the 1996 results: for taxpayers who went to appeals, overall they were able to reduce their tax bill by over 68% in the last year provided. Similarly, in tax court with big dollars at issue (over $10 million) the taxpayer was able to reduce the tax bill by over 80%. The numbers make clear that taxpayers with good counsel can have a better day when it comes to tax disputes with the IRS. Not surprising, the IRS is not trumpeting these numbers – your writer could not find any updated numbers (I welcome readers providing more recent information).
I've written previously about steps taxpayers should do if audited. At alliantgroup we find working with hundreds of business clients that a strong offense continues to be key to a good defense – for example, looking hard at open year returns for additional tax savings that weren't claimed on the original claim. This has resulted at times in our clients not having to pay additional tax but actually getting additional dollars back from the Treasury (you can't beat that with a stick). In addition, it is working in cooperation with the IRS early on to establish the framework and ground rules for the examination (we find in practice that the IRS is happy to do this).
Finally, preparing during examination and audit for the possibility that you may have to go forward to IRS appeals or even tax court is key. Quite frankly, focusing on having the needed facts and legal analysis before you and presenting them to IRS during exam will actually lessen the chances you will have to go to appeals or tax court. You don't want to call your lawyer for the first time when you are heading to appeals or tax court.
The IRS calling is never a bowl of strawberries but there are important steps you can take to lower the costs and burdens for your business.


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For Ed Davis to average 12 rpg player, he would need to first become a star (all around or 1st or 2nd all defensive team) or play heavy minutes on really bad team. I don't see the former as being realistic and I hope the latter will not be realized.
You can peruse the following web page to see how few players average 12+ rebounds per game in any one season.
Reggie Evans had the best rebounding rate last year, yet not many teams were interested in his service and his minutes were cut by 40% this year.