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October 13, 2019
Election Results are in!
Election results are in! 1,343,478 Louisiana voters showed up for another big election, representing 45% of those registered (38% in Orleans, 41% in JP). We are unsure exactly how many of those were eligible based on Act 636, but we definitely know that a few thousand voters were directly impacted by the criminal justice system when they went into their polling station. While certain races were decided yesterday, and many (including the Governor's race) will still go to a run-off election on November 16. Early voting for the run-off elections starts Saturday, November 2 and goes through November 9. Find your early voting location here.
Remember: There is still time to register online, and vote in the run-off election, if you do it by Oct. 26th. If you have a criminal conviction and need help, contact VOTE (email@example.com) or 504-571-9599.
The Wins:
Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser (68%) Attorney General Jeff Landry (66%), Treasurer John Schroeder (60%), Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon (53%), and Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain (57%) will stay in their positions for another term. For those who were supporting other candidates or change for change's sake, this statewide stability should allow for advocates to push their proposals from day one in 2020.
In terms of local races, Cynthia Lee Sheng becomes the first female president of Jefferson Parish, winning 57% in a 3-way race. Sheriff Joe Lopinto will continue as Sheriff of Jefferson Parish, securing his seat with 62% percent of the vote, a greater margin than his last election against John Fortunato. Justice of the Peace, 2nd justice court is Mark Spears, who beat Dennis Guidry with 56%.
- Senate Dist. 5: Unsurprisingly, Karen Carter Peterson will return to her seat with 79%.
- Senate Dist. 9: Former Rep. Cameron Henry, like some others, is switching across the legislature to become state senator, having gained 78% of the vote.
- Senate Dist. 10: Sen. Kirk Talbot (55%) will be back in Baton Rouge, having defeated newcomer Arita Bohannan.
- House Dist. 78: "Big John" Ilig is the next Representative from Harahan, and won over William Wallis with 59% of the vote.
- House Dist. 80: Incumbent Rep. Polly Thomas solidly returns from Metairie to the statehouse, with 70% of the vote.
- House Dist. 82: In another head-to-head election, Charles Henry (71%) replaces his brother Cameron Henry as the Rep from the Old Metairie/Airline Park area.
- House Dist. 83: Kyle Green will be a freshman Representative from the West Bank, defeating James Simmons with 62% of the vote. In a district where only 8,880 people cast a ballot (31% turnout), it is one of the smaller tallies in the state. We look forward to his contributions to the people of the New Orleans metro area.
- House Dist. 84: Timothy Kerner won outright (51%) in a race many thought would be a run-off. Congratulations to another freshman legislator and Kerner will likely bring a similar determination to win in his work at the Capitol.
- House Dist. 87: Rep. Rodney Lyons won handily with 79% of the vote. An uncompetitive race may be one reason turnout in his district was so low, with only 7,256 people coming out to vote in this race.
- House Dist. 100: Jason Hughes (66%) will be one of many freshman legislators the voters sent to the statehouse, and we look forward to his leadership and representation on criminal justice reform.
The Run-Offs on November 16:
Governor John Bel Edwards (47%) enters a run-off with businessman Eddie Rispone (27%). Expect to see a ton of activity over the next month. JBE needed another 45,000 votes (or less than 1,000 per parish) to have won outright, and it will be interesting to see how many national people get involved in this election.
Secretary of State goes to yet another run-off, one year after last year, with yet another showdown between Kyle Ardoin (41%) and Gwen Collins Greenup (34%). Last year, Collins-Greenup and another Dem split 36% of the vote, while Ardoin only earned 20% in a Republican-heavy primary. Ardoin went on to win the run-off 59% to 41%.
Louisiana Supreme Court Associate Justice, 1st District: With four candidates running, and no clear front-runner, this race will come down to Will Crain (39%) and Hans Liljeberg (32%). One of these men will join the other six justices, and help form the final voice on legal matters in Louisiana. Liljeberg won the South Shore (JP: 47% – 16%; NOLA: 46/18), while Crain won the North Shore (St. Tammany: 47%-28%, and majorities in Washington, St. Helena, and Tangipahoa) the race starting fresh, and a reduced slate, we should expect to see much more attention paid to these two jurists. It will be interesting to see where those 17,000 JP votes for Scott Schlegel go now. Stay tuned for more from Know Your Vote.
- Senate Dist. 3: Joe Bouie (44%) is headed to a run-off with John Bagneris (29%) in a race to move from their old office in the House to the smaller Senate chamber. Bagneris has a lot of ground to make up in this race.
- House District 91: Perhaps the tightest race in the state starts fresh today, with Mandie Landry and Robert McKnight in practically a dead heat (McKnight earning 18 more votes). Carling Dinkler ran a strong campaign in the district, missing the run-off by 280 votes, and we surely have not seen the last of him. With turnout in the district only at 32%, keep an eye on that number next month, where an overwhelmingly Democratic stronghold will be needed to help Gov. Edwards remain in office
- House Dist. 94: A showdown between incumbent Rep. Stephanie Hilferty (41%) and challenger Tammy Savoie (34%) will be interesting. Clearly the campaign Ms. Savoie mounted for Congress has rolled over to build momentum for this Lakeview/Metairie seat. Rep. Hilferty is one of the few incumbents who did not win outright, and the partisans are likely seeing this as a key race to win. With 46% turnout in the primary, it may jump even higher next month.
- House Dist. 97: This run-off between Matthew Willard (34%) and Eugene Green (29%) should bring out voters in the Gentilly area. Willard is endorsed by Know Your Vote, and will certainly continue to pound the pavement in the coming weeks.
- House Dist. 98: This crowded field is now down to Aimee Adatto Freeman (32%) and Kea Sherman (19%%). In what likely proves the challenge of candidates who 'split' types of voters, progressive candidates Sherman, Ravi Sangisetty, and Carlos Zervignon were nearly in a dead heat for the second run-off spot, with 2,331, 2,289, and 2,095 votes respectively. With turnout only at 37%, it is easy to see how anyone might have made the run-off with just a few more voters. It will be interesting to see how the district splits down the line next month, but we know for certain that a woman will be representing the people of Uptown.
- House Dist. 99: In a district where 11,223 people voted, 50%+1 = 5,612 votes to win. Candace Newell surprisingly received 5,596 votes, but they all go back to zero as this is headed to a run-off with Adonis Expose, who took in 40% of the vote. It will be interesting to see if Jameel Shaheer endorses either of the other two and perhaps puts his back into help deciding the race.
- House Dist. 105: Incumbent Rep. Chris Leopold (46%) won't be back in Baton Rouge just yet, as he is in a run-off with Mack Cormier (39%), to be representing one of the most climate-sensitive districts in the United States. In a classic partisan split, fellow Republican Schulz (15%) may have cost Leopold the outright win, but Cormier is a Democrat from a political family, and those Schulz votes may be saying more about the lack of Leopold support.
School Board: Incumbency is hard to shake
For a group of people overseeing a system that is much maligned by everybody, particularly for the charter schools that lack oversight, the voters kept in those people to keep working on it. Jim Garvey (D-1), Kira Orange Jones (D-2), Sandy Holloway (D-3), newcomer Ashley Ellis (D-5), Holly Boffy (D-7), newcomer Preston Castille (D-8). The open seat in District 6 (Washington/Livingston parish area) is a run-off between Ronnie Morris (49%) and Gregory Spiers (22%). Hopefully, some new energy and new ideas will strengthen what has been a weakness in Louisiana.
1: No (53%) on Tax Exemptions for Outer Continental Shelf materials.
2: Yes (by 495 votes, statewide) to Amend Education Excellence Fund.
3: Yes (58%) on Remedy for Unconstitutional Tax Paid.
4: No (63%) to Allow New Orleans Property Tax Exemptions. This last one may be a signal as to how the rest of the state sees Orleans, as 64% of New Orleans voted for it, and 57% of Jefferson Parish voted against it.
Thanks for voting, and remember to tell your neighbors: Know Your Vote!


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DubVegas: Dubbo mayor Ben Shields supports plan for casino
If done right, a casino in Dubbo would not only provide an economic boom for the city but would help curb social disadvantage, says mayor Ben Shields.
Councillor John Ryan is pushing for the NSW government to permit a restricted gaming licence for Dubbo to allow a casino. It's part of his plan to attract international visitors to the city.
Under his plan, the casino would be not-for-profit, with the money it generates going back into community projects. It would also contain no poker machines.
The mayor said he was in favour of the casino, especially as it had no poker machines.
"I particularly like this forward thinking when it comes to how we generate economic activity with the Dubbo region. That's what it's always got to be about. We've always got to be looking at how we can keep our region viable," Cr Shields said.
He compared the casino proposal to that of someone suggesting a zoo be opened in Dubbo more than 40 years ago. Taronga Western Plains Zoo is now the city's biggest tourism attraction.
"If done right, this has the potential to be a great economic boom generator for Dubbo that would employ a lot of people and bring in a hell of a lot of tourists, so I think it's worth chasing. I think it's worth the investigation," Cr Shields said.
Cr Ryan said the casino would be a "hospitality and tourism training ground for people from lower socio-economic backgrounds".
It's a model Cr Shields said had worked in the United States.
"I've been to various parts in America where the casinos are run by Native Americans. They've done a very good job of turning around some social disadvantage in those areas," he said.
The next step is for council investigate the issue further before a report is presented at the April council meeting. Council will also go to the NSW government to request a restricted gaming licence for Dubbo.
"If there's a small chance we can convince government to make something truly fantastic out here in western plains we should do that. We should see if it is possible, we should see if it's viable. We should talk to government and make something happen," Cr Shields said.
Cr Ryan's proposal was given unanimous support at the recent Dubbo Regional Council meeting.
Councillor Kevin Parker was initially against the idea because Dubbo had "enough gambling avenues", but said due to the proposal not having poker machines he had reconsidered.
"I've changed my mind and will support it," he said.
Councillor Greg Mohr said all avenues had to be explored when it came to improving Dubbo's economics and employment.
"As we know employment opportunities in our region are sometimes difficult to hold onto and difficult to manage. With ongoing employment if this casino came into fruition it would be absolutely fantastic. It will highlight our place here on the map," he said.

subset: commoncrawl


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GDANSK, Poland — The struggle for freedom against tyranny in Poland in 1989 was defined by a single word: solidarity.
Workers and union leaders, teachers and students, church leaders and intellectuals united in a common cause that inspired the world, helped lead to the collapse of the Soviet Union, and set the nation on a course toward democracy.
On Tuesday, Poland marks three decades since its first elections after Communism. But that anniversary is best defined by another word: division.
Today Poland is split between supporters of the nationalist, autocratic model of the ruling party, and those favoring the ideals of liberal democracy embodied in the European Union. Elections later this year could decide which path the country pursues.
The government and its opponents both know that Poland's decision for its future will be influenced by the narrative of its past. The anniversary has intensified a struggle to shape the nation's historical memory.
In Gdansk, the port city where the spark of revolution first caught fire in the sprawling shipyards, groups broadly opposed to the government have organized days of concerts, forums and celebrations.
They are using the moment to talk about the dangers facing Poland's democracy. They see a drift toward authoritarianism as the government tightens its grip on the media, state-owned businesses and the courts.
The government wants none of it. Instead, it has chosen this week to focus on another critical and unifying moment: the 40th anniversary of the first visit of the first Polish pope, Pope John Paul II, to Poland.
That focus on the pope's visit is part of a broader campaign by the ruling party, Law and Justice, and its nationalist leader, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, to appeal to a wide swath of the public that feels that the state should promote social and cultural cohesion, namely a homogeneous, Catholic Poland.
But it is also part of a long effort by Mr. Kaczynski to claim ownership of modern Poland's creation story and shape it to suit his nationalist agenda and marginalize his opponents.
For years, Law and Justice has been working to redefine the public understanding of what happened in 1989, casting it as "the original sin" of what it believes ails the country today — immigration, income disparity and liberal values imposed by the European Union.
Mr. Kaczynski argues that the decision to share power with the Communists to ensure a peaceful transition, rather than purge them from public life, allowed for an entrenched elite to take advantage of the emerging capitalist system and many ordinary Poles.
The concessions allowed "red spiders" — as the former Communists are frequently called — to infect the system, according to Mr. Kaczynski's narrative. He argues that this is why the government now needs to recast so many institutions of Poland's democracy, including its courts.
"The Polish public life has been shaped by this hybrid structure: It's partly democratic, partly derived from Communism,'' Mr. Kaczynski said in 2017.
''This system is one huge rot and that rot needs to be treated," he said. "Poland's judiciary is one enormous scandal and we need to end it."
That message, coupled with generous social welfare spending, has brought his Law and Justice party success in elections, most recently for the European Parliament.
The party crushed the opposition in the countryside — precisely where people were hardest hit in the transition from Communism in the 1990s as many state enterprises, including farms, closed practically overnight.
Those areas have mostly since recovered, but the memory remains. Mr. Kaczynski has worked to convince people there that they were betrayed in 1989 by his political opponents.
The hero of the Solidarity movement was Lech Walesa, the legendary union leader of the shipyard workers whose activism planted the seeds of the revolution that brought down Communism.
Mr. Kaczynski played a lesser role in the movement, and his twin brother, also named Lech, a more central one.
Lech Walesa would go on to become president in 1990. Lech Kaczynski would later also become president, from 2005 until 2010, when he died in a plane crash.
Today Jaroslaw Kaczynski, heir to his brother's legacy, and Mr. Walesa embody the bitter rivalry that divides their revolutionary generation — and all of Poland.
Mr. Walesa remains widely respected for his actions in the 1980s but is a marginal figure in Polish politics. Mr. Kaczynski has taken every opportunity to attack his legacy, while trying to elevate the role his brother played during the Solidarity struggle.
Sitting in his office in Gdansk, lined with photos from his more youthful days of revolution, Mr. Walesa is dismissive of Poland's "most powerful politician."
"Don't take Kaczynski seriously," he said irritatedly. "He was such a terrible activist he was never even thrown into prison."
At the time of the revolution, neither of the Kaczynski brothers was part of the small, radical contingent arguing for a punitive approach to the former Communists.
"They both knew the need and supported the decision to leave Communists in public life because it was the only way to achieve a bloodless transition," recalled Bogdan Borusewicz, a prominent democratic opposition activist who now serves as the deputy speaker of Poland's senate.
Early on, after Mr. Walesa was elected president, the brothers worked closely with him. It was only after Mr. Walesa fired the brothers in 1991, following an intense power struggle, that Mr. Kaczynski began to talk about the failures of the round-table talks between the Solidarity movement and the Communist leadership that led to the 1989 elections.
The country was squandering a golden opportunity in his estimation.
"Poland is wasting — perhaps for generations — its chance, which happened to it for the first time in three centuries!" Mr. Kaczynski said in a 1994 interview with the author Teresa Toranska for her book "We."
"Poland is ruled by a system and its further domination will end with the disappearance of this state, don't you see that?!" he said.
He said that even though the Communists agreed to relinquish power, they demanded that their "economic interests be protected" and that they will "become the new middle class that is to emerge here."
At the time, the effort to redefine the transition as a terrible tragedy did not gain much traction. Poland was not interested in looking backward. Joining NATO, entering the European Union and building a thriving market economy were the goals in front of the country.
"The last 30 years have been the best years in Poland in the last 300 years," said Jacek Bendykowski, the president of the Gdansk Foundation and a member of the Young Poland Movement during the fight against Communism.
"For the rational part of society, they understand that, and that is why this anniversary is a cause for celebration," he said.
While nearly all Poles recognize how much life has improved in the country, there is also a deep fear among many that something is being lost as the country embraces capitalism.
"For people raised in the flat society of Polish People's Republic,'' said Mr. Bendykowski, referring to the Communist period, ''the idea that we are all equal, that we all have equal stomachs remains a powerful force."
Mr. Kaczynski has skillfully used the politics of history to tap the underlying grievances of his supporters.
He promoted conspiracy theories around the plane crash that killed his brother, in an attempt to nurture a sense of martyrdom and aggrieved nationalism.
When it comes to the struggle to control the narrative of Poland's revolution against Communism, he has used the levers of the state.
Basil Kerski knows that well. He has been the director for eight years of the European Solidarity Center in Gdansk.
"It was established to strengthen democratic culture," he said. "And that means not only supporting the party in power."
That does not sit well with Law and Justice, he said. Last year, the central government cut its funding for the center from $1.8 million to $1 million. A government minister said the cuts simply restored the funding to its original level.
Mr. Kerski, however, said he has come under pressure to lessen the prominence given to Mr. Walesa and, instead, cast Mr. Kaczynski's brother, Lech, as Solidarity's hero.
"In Poland, there is no more important symbol of democracy than Solidarity," Mr. Kerski said. "The real battle for history is to control the symbols of that history."


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Do you remember when you were a young child? Every possibility seemed in reach. Before the reality of the world set in around you; life was full of choices on what you could do, and who you would become.
Children often approach the world with a confidence unmatched in their grown counterparts. They have never experienced failure, and therefore it isn't an outcome they often factor into their dreams. As a child; we view the world as if there is a lifetime ahead of us. There is, when you think of it. From the eyes of someone at the innocent age of 10; there really is no limitation in life they couldn't overcome.
We become hardened by our experiences as we grow older. We learn to anticipate things that could offer us resistance in life. Naturally we begin to avoid anything that could offer the option of failure. We limit ourselves from activities that would possibly make us feel like less.
But.. What If, You Couldn't Fail?
What if; instead of avoiding new experiences or pushing your boundaries – you embraced them? What if you changed your perspective on negative outcomes? It's time to shift your focus. Stop holding standards over yourself that you cannot achieve. If you have never baked a day in your life, why would you be able to create the most delicious masterpiece your first time? If you have never played football, why would you expect to score the winning touchdown in a field full of pros?
Don't get me wrong; I am not asking you to stop believing in yourself. I'm asking that you see yourself for who you are, and not who you want to be. Dream big, try hard; and put yourself out there. Give your all, in every situation. Don't hold yourself back.
We learn nothing from success. To do something right feels great, but it's only through failing that we learn. You can't limit yourself from growing just because you might fail. Each and every failure in life offers the opportunity to learn a new way, as well as the inspiration you need to try again.
You have your whole life ahead of you. Try things, and keep trying them. If you fail, learn from it. Pick yourself up and try again. With your newfound knowledge of what doesn't work; you will be able to find another way.
Don't limit yourself to only the things you can do right away. Often it is the challenges in life that are most rewarding!


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Posted on Sep 17 2018
In Noida, the Jewar International Airport project is soon going to be executed. The Uttar Pradesh (UP) government is going to drop the project of Jewar International Airport in Gautam Buddh Nagar on Delhi's edges if the ranchers don't consent to hand over their territory for obtaining, the best authority.
This is on the grounds that ranchers have started energetically separating from their territories as the Union Civil Aviation service has at long last given the project on a fundamental level endorsement. Top authorities of Gautam Buddh Nagar organization, including District Magistrate Brajesh Narayan Singh Thursday had discoursed with the agriculturists in Jewar to arrange the arrangement. Up until now, upwards of 2,335 ranchers have chosen to part with 916 hectares of land for the proposed greenfield airport, in this way meeting 75% of the land prerequisites of the project. Executive of YEIDA Prabhat Kumar told PTI in Lucknow they met more than 100 agriculturists of six towns Wednesday in Noida and attempted to clear their questions with respect to the land secure.
The on a basic level endorsement for the airport was issued inside a couple of long periods of the Yogi Adityanath government accepting office in Uttar Pradesh. Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh said if the ranchers make dues with Rs 2,500 for every sq foot, the YEIDA – Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority would not give them recovery and different administrations but rather suppose they arrange the arrangement at Rs 2,300 for every sq foot, the expert would help them in restoration.
The project had been pending leeway with the Central government for more than 10 years because of an absence of activity from the Congress-drove UPA government and the Mulayam Singh Yadav-drove SP government and in addition the BSP government headed by Mayawati in the state. According to the offer, ranchers would be given Rs 2,300 to Rs 2,500 for each square meter for the farming area that will be gained for an international airport in Jewar.
The aggregate land required for the project is 1,334 hectares of which 116 hectares are government arrive. The state government, in the primary stage, needs to procure 1,441 hectares from eight towns. In any case, the administration will take a choice with shared assent from the agriculturists. No agriculturist would be forced for the land obtaining.
The organization needs the assent of somewhere around 70 for every penny agriculturists before it can begin securing as per the LARR – Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. Of these, three towns will be barred from the procurement procedure starting at now won't be required. According to plans, the airport is required to end up operational by 2022 to 2023.
The significant issue looked by the organization in gaining the land was that the state government had before adjusted the land's classification from rustic to urban, in this manner dividing the remuneration the ranchers would have gotten. Be that as it may, at that point UPA government at the Center raised complaints, saying an airport in Jewar could influence business at IGI Airport in the national capital. In 2010, at that point boss pastor, Mayawati endeavored to resuscitate the project. In the years that took after, the state saw the BSP and SP in the seat.
The organization at long last got over the issue by promising the ranchers employments at the new airport and identically valued plots. Considered in 2001 when Rajnath Singh was the main priest, the Jewar Airport Properties has seen a few obstacles, for the most part, attributable to a tussle between the state and central governments. The airport at Jewar is to be worked at an expected cost of Rs 15,754 crore. The arrangement was overlooked after the BJP was voted out of intensity in UP – Uttar Pradesh.
A social effect appraisal provides details regarding the project expresses that around 33.9% of agriculturists possess arrive under 0.6 sections of land in the estimate. After concerns were raised by the then safeguard serve over its nearness to the IAF base in Kheria, it was recommended that the project is moved to Firozabad or then gathering boss Mulayam Singh Yadav's town, Saifai. Also, 39.6% of ranchers claim to arrive estimating between 0.6 to 6 sections of land.
At the point when the SP came to control in 2012, it moved a crisp proposition for the airport to be worked in Agra. 15.7% agriculturists possess arrive between 6 to 12 sections of land. In the year of 2017, ten months after the Civil Aviation Ministry requested that the administration direct a new techno-monetary achievability and obstruction confinement study, YEIDA designated building consultancy organization RITES for the activity. Just 5.1% of ranchers possess somewhere in the range of 12.5 and around 18.7 land acres in the territory.
Address: Noida (201301) Uttar Pradesh , India


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Building Pipelines with Lambdas
The village of Den Haag
Oct. 6, 2018
Consider a toy pipeline:
An off-topic remark is in order now. If you insist on doing everything from scratch, stock up on free time first. Some past Sunday I did not feel like doing much, so I thought I would spend it to write this blog post. I ended up spending it starting to write this blog post. That is, I got stuck with the above diagram. Coding SVG by hand is tedious, so instead I chose to code some Lisp functions that would make it easier to draft flowcharts. As it stands, I am using LaTeX syntax and a custom parser for my blog, but my parser did not support named arguments, only positional ones, and I thought named arguments would be clearer for the flowchart commands, so I had to implement those first. And so it went...
But let us go back to the diagram. I want to implement this pipeline using functional programming where each process is a separate function agnostic of other functions. There is a number of conceptually different approaches to achieve such modularity, I want to try some of them out, and I also want to do a few simple benchmarks. My goal is to organize my understanding of these ideas, but any chance visitor is welcome to tread along.
A good place to start, for comparison purposes, is with a more imperative implementation. (All the code examples are in Lisp, some benchmarks are also for Scheme, Python, and Julia.)
(defun pipeline () (let (buffer) (do ((k 1 (1+ k))) (nil) (let ((j (/ (* (1+ k) k) 2))) (if buffer (let* ((i (pop buffer)) (r (/ (* i j) (do ((x (max i j) y) (y (min i j) (mod x y))) ((= 0 y) x))))) (dolist (d (do ((x r (floor x 10)) (digits nil (cons (mod x 10) digits))) ((= 0 x) digits))) (print d))) (push j buffer))) (finish-output) (sleep 1)))) (pipeline)
This snippet nicely surmises why modularity is important: without it the code become one big mess, or in this case one small mess, very quickly. However, this code has one advantage: it works in an "online" mode. The data is processed the moment it arrives. This feature is important for network applications, for responsive UIs, for processing big data, for parallelism. And we want to preserve this feature when translating the code into a more functional style.
One way to write a functional program is to let the processes earlier on in the pipeline call the process later on in the pipeline. Further, for prototyping and for modularity purposes it is convenient if the functions are agnostic of one another, and so can be combined into arbitrary pipelines (just like with Unix pipes). This level of modularity can be achieved with callbacks. (For the purpose of testing continuations, which I do later on, I have also rewritten some loops as recursive functions.)
(defun source (dst) (do ((k 1 (1+ k))) (nil) (funcall dst (/ (* (1+ k) k) 2)) (sleep 1))) (defun new-make-pairs (dst) (let (buffer) (lambda (chunk) (if buffer (funcall dst (cons (pop buffer) chunk)) (push chunk buffer))))) (defun split (chunk dst1 dst2) (funcall dst1 chunk) (funcall dst2 chunk)) (defun multiply (chunk dst) (destructuring-bind (x . y) chunk (funcall dst (* x y)))) (defun toy-gcd (chunk dst) (destructuring-bind (x . y) chunk (if (< x y) (toy-gcd (cons y x) dst) (if (= 0 y) (funcall dst x) (toy-gcd (cons y (mod x y)) dst))))) (defun new-combine (dst) (let (buffer) (lambda (chunk) (if buffer (funcall dst (cons (pop buffer) chunk)) (push chunk buffer))))) (defun divide (chunk dst) (destructuring-bind (x . y) chunk (funcall dst (/ x y)))) (defun get-digits (chunk dst) (unless (= 0 chunk) (get-digits (floor chunk 10) dst) (funcall dst (mod chunk 10)))) (defun sink (chunk) (print chunk) (finish-output)) (defun pipeline () (let* ((get-digits (lambda (c) (get-digits c #'sink))) (divide (lambda (c) (divide c get-digits))) (combine (new-combine divide)) (toy-gcd (lambda (c) (toy-gcd c combine))) (multiply (lambda (c) (multiply c combine))) (split (lambda (c) (split c multiply toy-gcd))) (make-pairs (new-make-pairs split))) (source make-pairs))) (pipeline)
The code is longer now, but each separate function is easy to understand, easy to modify, and easy to reuse. There is a cost of wrapping your head around the concept of nested lambdas, but one would hope that to be a one time investment. The new definition for pipeline shows that having Lisp-2 instead of Lips-1 is not always bad.
One subtle point is worth mentioning. If a pipeline is organized with callbacks, like we have it now, then resources can be protected with unwind-protect. No reliance on garbage collection and finilization is necessary. Here is an example.
(defun source (dst) (write-line "Resource opened") (unwind-protect (do ((k 1 (1+ k))) (nil) (funcall dst (/ (* (1+ k) k) 2)) (sleep 1)) (write-line "Resource closed"))) (defun pipeline (size) (prog ((counter 0)) (let* ((sink (lambda (c) (if (<= (incf counter) size) (sink c) (return)))) (get-digits (lambda (c) (get-digits c sink))) (divide (lambda (c) (divide c get-digits))) (combine (new-combine divide)) (toy-gcd (lambda (c) (toy-gcd c combine))) (multiply (lambda (c) (multiply c combine))) (split (lambda (c) (split c multiply toy-gcd))) (make-pairs (new-make-pairs split))) (source make-pairs)))) (pipeline 5)
Another way to program the pipeline, which is the opposite of the callback approach, is to let the functions later on in the pipeline request the next value from the functions earlier on in the pipeline. This way would be natural in Python, where there is native support for generators. Lisp does not have generators but they can be implemented in a general way with continuation-passing style. To start off with CPS, let us consider an even simpler pipeline.
With direct style, we have:
(defun yield (v) (print v)) (defun source (start end) (do ((i start (1+ i))) ((= i end)) (yield i))) (source 0 5)
First, let us rewrite the loop as a recursive call:
(defun source (i end) (when (< i end) (yield i) (source (1+ i) end))) (source 0 5)
We can now convert source to CPS now by "inverting" it:
(defun <& (x y k) (if (< x y) (funcall k))) (defun 1+& (x k) (funcall k (1+ x))) (defun yield& (v k) (print v) (funcall k)) (defun source& (i end k) (<& i end (lambda () (yield& i (lambda () (1+& i (lambda (v) (source& v end k)))))))) (source& 0 5 nil)
So far, so good: everything is still working! At this point we already can implement a generator, but I want to use the cl-cont library and its call/cc function, and to go in that direction let us first inline the yield& function.
(defun source& (i end k) (<& i end (lambda () ((lambda (cc) (print i) (funcall cc)) (lambda () (1+& i (lambda (v) (source& v end k)))))))) (source& 0 5 nil)
Up until now we simply have been calling the function print down the pipeline. Doing so is no different from using callbacks. However, this time around we have a continuation, which we can save in the global variable, release control, and then regain control by invoking the continuation.
(defun source& (i end k) (<& i end (lambda () ((lambda (cc) (setq *cont* cc) i) (lambda () (1+& i (lambda (v) (source& v end k)))))))) (defparameter *cont* (lambda () (source& 0 5 nil))) (dotimes (i 6) (print (funcall *cont*)))
Voilà, we have a working generator. Now, instead of rewriting functions into CPS by hand, we can use the cl-cont library. (For those familiar with Scheme, call/cc semantics of cl-cont and Scheme are different. Whereas in Lisp call/cc returns, if no continuation is called within the call/cc form, in Scheme the code execution continues.)
(require "cl-cont") (use-package :cl-cont) (defun/cc source (start end) (do ((i start (1+ i))) ((= i end)) (call/cc (lambda (cc) (setq *cont* cc) i)))) (defparameter *cont* (lambda () (source 0 5))) (dotimes (i 6) (print (funcall *cont*)))
The continuation can be saved in a closure instead of a global variable:
(defun source (start end) (let (cont) (with-call/cc (flet ((source () (do ((i start (1+ i))) ((= i end)) (let/cc cc (setq cont cc) i)))) (setq cont (lambda () (source))))) (lambda () (funcall cont)))) (let ((stream (source 0 5))) (dotimes (i 6) (print (funcall stream))))
We further need a way to stop the iteration once the stream finishes. This can be accomplished, for example, with conditions (exceptions).
(define-condition stop-iteration (error) ()) (defun source (start end) (let (cont) (with-call/cc (flet ((source () (do ((i start (1+ i))) ((= i end)) (let/cc cc (setq cont cc) i)) (error 'stop-iteration))) (setq cont (lambda () (source))))) (lambda () (funcall cont)))) (let ((stream (source 0 5))) (handler-case (loop for i = (funcall stream) do (print i)) (stop-iteration ())))
Finally, we can wrap our new solution in a macro, so that we have a clean syntax for defining and using generators (these particular macros are not fully general, but they will suffice for our purposes).
(require "alexandria") (use-package :alexandria) (defmacro defstream (name args &body body) (with-gensyms (cont cc) `(defun ,name ,args (macrolet ((yield (var) `(let/cc ,',cc (setq ,',cont ,',cc) ,var))) (let (,cont) (with-call/cc (flet ((,name () ,@body (error 'stop-iteration))) (setq ,cont (lambda () (,name))))) (lambda () (funcall ,cont))))))) (defmacro dostream ((var stream) &body body) (with-gensyms (cont start) `(let ((,cont ,stream) (,var nil)) (handler-case (block nil (tagbody ,start (setq ,var (funcall ,cont)) ,@body (go ,start))) (stop-iteration ()))))) (defstream source (start end) (do ((i start (1+ i))) ((= i end)) (yield i))) (dostream (i (source 0 5)) (print i))
The resulting defstream and dostream are as concise as Python code. Kudos to Lisp for making it possible to implement a non-trivial foreign paradigm, and yet make it fill like an existing part of the language. There will be performance costs, of course, and we shall see just how large those are later on. But also, kudos to Python for making generators easy in Python in the first place. In comparison, Julia implements more general tasks, but that makes the syntax for simple generators more cumbersome.
We can implement the pipeline using generators now.
(defstream source () (do ((k 1 (1+ k))) (nil) (yield (/ (* (1+ k) k) 2)) (sleep 1))) (defstream make-pairs (src) (let (buffer) (dostream (chunk src) (if buffer (yield (cons (pop buffer) chunk)) (push chunk buffer))))) (defstream split (src) (dostream (chunk src) (yield chunk) (yield chunk))) (defstream multiply (src) (dostream (chunk src) (destructuring-bind (x . y) chunk (yield (* x y))))) (defstream toy-gcd (src) (labels ((helper (x y) (if (< x y) (helper y x) (if (= 0 y) (yield x) (helper y (mod x y)))))) (dostream (chunk src) (destructuring-bind (x . y) chunk (helper x y))))) (defstream combine (src1 src2) (dostream (x src1) (yield (cons x (funcall src2))))) (defstream divide (src) (dostream (chunk src) (destructuring-bind (x . y) chunk (yield (/ x y))))) (defstream get-digits (src) (labels ((helper (x) (unless (= 0 x) (helper (floor x 10)) (yield (mod x 10))))) (dostream (x src) (helper x)))) (defun sink (src) (dostream (chunk src) (print chunk) (finish-output))) (defun pipeline () (let ((split (split (make-pairs (source))))) (sink (get-digits (divide (combine (multiply split) (toy-gcd split))))))) (pipeline)
With callbacks, each function was written as if processing a single chunk of data. With generators, each function is written as if iterating over all chunks of data, because generators allow us to interrupt a function's execution. The former style is more concise for 1-to-1 pipelines, becomes contrived for more complex flows, and is not possible in some cases. The latter style, in my opinion, is easier to understand for more complex flows. Here is an example where generators will do the trick, but callbacks are not possible:
Lambda Pipes


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Posted by: nickel
just gonna put that here.
What a rad weather website! Thanks bud!
Gonna spend the day riding some legendary tech trails that are still open around Whistler before heading down to Squamish.
Anyone have any good recommendations on loops in Alice Lake to make? I was hoping to just ride slabs. B. Beach would be full awesome to ride on the way out as well, but directions seem very difficult to come by.
Last edited by: MrBaker87 on Oct. 4, 2018, 8:45 a.m., edited 1 time in total.


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The harvest started earlier this year in the Hex River Valley which was a help, as many early varieties were already harvested before the rain came. Crimson, major grape variety in the area, aren't ripe yet so those blocks could in fact benefit from the rain.
A number of growers report that their Crimson, Sweet Celebration and Sweet Globe blocks look to be unaffected, while it's mostly sensitive varieties that have reacted badly, but even there are exceptions. On a cultivar like Midnight Beauty, widely mentioned as a variety sensitive to rain, there are growers who say their Midnight Beauty looks unscathed.
Other sensitive varieties are Thompsons, Flame, Sunred Seedless, Sundance Seedless, late Tawny.
There is a complex combination of factors that determine a block's reaction to unseasonal rain, including the prior water stress of a vineyard. Most rain fell in the north of the Hex River Valley, towards Touwsrivier, which was also the most water-stressed area still in the Hex – until this rain came, so that is a silver lining to the weekend's rain.
Rain brings unplanned costs
Unseasonal rain is a costly affair for Cape grape growers, both in terms of money and labour.
"On our farms we've decided not to resume work in the vineyards, like spraying against botrytis or to dry out cracks, as we wait to see whether it rains tomorrow as predicted," says Gert Mans, Exsa marketing. "If you start spraying today and it rains again tomorrow, you have to redo it and it's an expensive exercise. We'll be led by the grapes and their condition in deciding when packing will resume."
The South African Table Grape Industry visited the valley yesterday, a large area where the harvest can differ up to 10 days from south to north. "There's definitely no need for panic," says Clayton Swart, SATI communications manager. "It was an unusually large amount of rain for this time of the year, but the rain was predicted and many growers covered their blocks about to be harvested with plastic."
One Hex grower tells FreshPlaza that their Sweet Sapphire was kept completely dry by plastic during the deluge.
In the Ondervallei, towards Worcester at the southern entrance to the valley, rainfall was about a quarter of that which fell in the northern part. In a press release SATI notes that the bulk of the Hex River crop is made up of mid to late cultivars, "which are stronger and in any event still unripe, which means that rain hardly affects it negatively. In fact, there is even relief in some areas where water availability was a concern. The crop estimate for this region remains unchanged and the outlook positive."
They also point out that the valley didn't experience the winds that were felt along the coast and while a minimal amount of blocks suffered damage to their anchor poles, wind damage is minute within the industry.
Misleading 2014 article doing the rounds
They have also warned readers against a six year-old FreshPlaza article called 'Torrential rain destroys grapes in South Africa's Hex River Valley' which has been doing the rounds.
Last year the Hex River Valley also had rain during harvest, which dented exports from the area, but that rain came much later, abbreviating the end of the season.
"It's not nice and it's not welcome, but it's the farmer who can manage the unwelcome realities in the best way who's going to survive," says a Brandwacht grape farmer.
Author: Carolize Jansen


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There's a certain trajectory you can expect when you are born into a sporting dynasty and if the family sport happens to be drag-racing you could end up being the fastest woman in New Zealand.
Tamara Silk (22) had her first run in her new Lucas Oil-sponsored alcohol dragster in Masterton recently and clocked at 6.4 second quarter mile at 217 miles per hour.
The target is held by Karen Hay at 5.99 seconds.
Tamara's Dad — and the reason Tamara is a drag racer — a key figure in New Zealand and California's drag-racing scene says the car has clocked 5.8 at 250mph.
"She's number two right now and the car's certainly capable of doing it." But nothing quite prepares you for the step up from the 500-horsepower carburetted C3 modified rail (now in the hands of 17-year-old brother Corey) to the 2600 horsepower Lucas Oils machine.
"It was terrifying but good," says Tamara of her first outing in the car. "I got a bit of a fright and took my foot off a couple of times." But she expects she'll soon get the confidence to hold her foot down hard. Steering wasn't a problem. "It's very easy to keep straight".
That's one reason Robin decided to buy the rail rather than put her in the 3000 horsepower doorslammer he has in the States, where he works half the year building dragster chassis. Standard wheelbase cars with that much power can easily get out of shape.
The Silks bought the rail only recently and were delighted Lucas Oils decided to stay on as sponsors for Tamara.
"I was amazed," says Tamara. I really didn't think they would stay."
She's a practised hand at dismantling rocker gear and checking valves between runs so it won't be long before she's pictured filling the car with her sponsors products.
"I don't want to be just a driver," says Tamara. "I want to learn all about the mechanical side of things."
Lucas Oil distributor Logan Distribution's Rolf Wilson says he was delighted Tamara was joining the team. He says performance oils were one of the niche markets Lucas targeted when it was founded in 1989 and has sponsored many racing cars and events in America and he's continuing that approach in New Zealand.
As for being the fastest woman Tamara says it's not about knocking someone else off the top woman's perch. Getting into the fives is definitely the target but she just wants to do the best she can.


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King trademarks "Candy", begins asking developers to remove games from iOS store
Candy Crush Saga maker King claims similar titles will lead to "consumer confusion".
Game developers are beiing hit with legal notices from King.com about the use of the word "candy" in their game titles.
The maker of Candy Crush Saga now owns the trademark to the word "candy" as it relates to games (and clothing, apparently), and it is now stating that any game in Apple's iOS store that uses the word is infringing on its IP rights.
King is asking games with the word "candy" in them to be removed from the App Store.
One developer to feel the wrath of King is Ben Hsu, maker of All Candy Casino Slots.
"Your use of CANDY SLOTS in your app icon uses our CANDY trademark exactly, for identical goods, which amounts to trademark infringement and is likely to lead to consumer confusion and damage to our brand," reads a note from Candy's legal team, as reported by Gamezebo.com.
"The addition of only the descriptive term "SLOTS" does nothing to lessen the likelihood of confusion"
King applied for the trademark last February and was granted it at the start of this year. The situation is similar to Tim Langdell's claim on the word "edge" which caused grief for game developers for years. The difference here is King is actively creating and supporting games with "Candy" in the title.
If developers refuse to remove their games from the App Store, King has the right to take further legal action.


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RSA Conference is the place where marketing and cybersecurity meet. It's an exciting stage for people like me, who work right at the point where cybersecurity demands your attention and makes SURE you're up to date on its constantly emerging technologies.
I'm a big fan of creative marketing, and although some cybersecurity companies have slipped into the same boring marketing space where industries such as finance and banking tend to fall, I feel that Cybersecurity has a lot of potential to be exciting.
Like, TONS.
I love when cybersecurity companies devise their own unique marketing 'theme' to help them stand out within the industry. Companies like Alien Vault, Norse, and of course SecureNinja have done this well.
Alien Vault has created a unified cybersecurity platform that is so HIGHLY INTELLIGENT, that there are literally aliens involved. Makes sense right?
They also know how to BRING IT to a trade show with these awesome alien masks, delicious lemon lime slushies (almost a margarita, but not a margarita) and an overall fun presence that makes you want to adopt their little green alien and absorb all of its advanced cybersecurity intelligence.
Norse Corp, or "the world's largest dedicated threat intelligence network", carries a Norse Viking theme which they have represented at trade shows like Black Hat and Def Con. They've promoted themselves with live models dressed as Vikings (major photo magnet), and popular Viking hats (everybody is wearing one). Then at RSA Conference this year, they were able to somehow one-up themselves with these new KNITTED Viking hats.
You know, to keep you warm during that Scandinavian winter.
And then of course, SecureNinja. Full Disclosure: I do their marketing.
I did not devise the ninja theme or logo, but I have greatly enjoyed utilizing its power over
the years to generate brand excitement with ninja graphics, course names, apparel (aka #NinjaGear) and delivery of our highly coveted ninja 'light saber' swords at conferences such as RSA, Black Hat, and Def Con.
We even ran a #StickyNinja contest and encouraged fans to add a ninja sticker to their most prized possessions.
ZScaler is another company that dominated trade show marketing at RSA Conference 2015. As screen grabs from my RSA Conference Tour Video would conclude, their little booth activity made a serious emotional impact on certain RSA attendees.. like myself.
I was told to focus all of my frustration with the IT Industry on that device, and so I did.Talk about emotional marketing!
To keep my adrenaline raging at the show, BeyondTrust was also there with a fun game of Whack-A-Mole. Except in this case it was whack Edward Snowden and Anonymous.
You really must see SecureNinja TV's RSA Tour video for the full effect on these last two.
So if cybersecurity marketing develops alongside cybersecurity, which develops alongside technology itself, then where is Cybersecurity marketing going in the future?
Will AlienVault one day present a live alien in their booth?
Will SecureNinja one day deliver REAL light saber swords?
Will we one day smash routers in the ZScaler booth using only our minds?
Will Norse Corp be able to one-up this year's ultimate knitted Viking hat?
Do you have any great Promotional Ideas for a cybersecurity trade show?
Leave a comment and tell us what you think, or tweet @SecureNinja or me, @AliciaMaeWebb with your answers to these far out questions!
What is SecureNInja planning for RSA 2016? Another #StickyNinja contest of course! Stop by the booth for instructions and a sticker to participate. Grand prize is this little gem- NUTRI NINJA PRO
If you or your organization is in need of Cybersecurity training, please view SecureNinja's classroom, on-site and online options HERE. Also, be sure to connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube!
Promotional Items – PSPrint
For fun videos on my travel channel, check out AMaeTV :)


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10.00 $
Herbes de Provence (French pronunciation: [ɛʁb.də.pʁɔ.vɑ̃s]) is a mixture of dried herbs typical of the Provence region of southeast France. Formerly simply a descriptive term, commercial blends started to be sold under this name in the 1970s.[1] These mixtures typically contain savory, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and other herbs. In the North American market, lavender leaves are also typically included, though lavender does not appear in the recipes in Jean-Baptiste Reboul's 1910 compendium of Provençal cooking.[2]
|100 g
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For the 2016-17 school year, the Clear Lake High School, working in a partnership with the Clear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, is beginning an exciting new adventure to help our students and teachers. The goals of this new endeavor are simple: To increase the awareness of great job opportunities available in North Iowa and to inform students about what our local businesses have to offer. It is our hope to have all High School classrooms sponsored by a local business or industry.
If your business would like to be part of this new sponsorship program with one of the high school classrooms, we only ask the following from you:
- You come to visit the school and classroom once per semester (twice during the entire school year), to see what our classrooms and great teaching are doing;
- Allow the teacher to come visit you on an in-service day to observe and learn about your business and the skills needed for its employees;
- Provide for a possible field trip to expose the students to your business, products or services, and what it has to offer to the Clear Lake community;
- Be open to what other type of opportunities that could evolve from your partnership.
The best part of this sponsorship is that there is NO financial requirement for your participation. This will be strictly a LEARNING opportunity for our young people about the many businesses, jobs, products, and services our community has to offer. We hope this a true lifelong learning partnership!
Your participation is vital to make this new sponsorship venture a true success. Please call Tim Coffey, 641-357-2159, firstname.lastname@example.com, by October 14th to join this new program or return the enclosed response form. We will have an orientation meeting prior to the start of this program later this fall. We ask that you join by October 14th so we can make the classroom assignments prior to our orientation meeting.
Please let Tim know if you have any questions or comments. We are thrilled to begin this unique expanded partnership with our students, and hope you will share in our passion to be great supporters of our future workforce!
Participating Businesses (as of 10/13/16)
American Solutions for Business
Athletico Physical Therapy
Bergland + Cram
Clear Lake Bank & Trust Company
Clear Lake Police Department
CL Tel
Cookies, etc.
Farmers State Bank
First Citizens Bank
First Gabrielson Agency
MBT Bank
McDonald's, Courtesy Corporation
McKesson Corporation
McQuaid Agency
North Iowa Area Community College
North Iowa Area Small Business Development Center/JPEC
North Iowa Music Arts & Pageantry
Oakwood Care Center
Optimum Health Chiropractic
Stephany Insurance
Surf Ballroom & Museum
Thrivent Financial
Titan Pro
Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel


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The U.S. economic expansion recently marked its 10th anniversary, but an analysis of merger and acquisition deal activity from the past three years suggests that an economic slowdown could be on the horizon.
Look no further than transaction size and the number of deals closing for evidence that buyers are becoming more wary about the outlook for target companies.
Even amid the deals slowdown, however, there are bright spots. Health care, real estate and information technology appear to have greater strength than other sectors.
This analysis draws on data from S&P Capital IQ from 2015 to the end of the first quarter of 2018, comprising 8,046 deals valued at $4.3 trillion. It shows annual M&A activity is significantly below the $1.82 trillion worth of deals that closed in 2007, before the last recession began, and has been cooling for the past three years.
In 2015, 3,355 deals valued at $2.06 trillion closed. The following year there were, 2,516 deals valued at $1.38 trillion—a 25 percent drop. Last year, there was another 22 percent drop to 1,978 deals valued at $866 billion.
Already in 2018, things have slowed even further. In the first quarter of this year, $44.9 billion worth of deals closed.
"Whether or not a recession is coming, three sectors are accounting for a rising share of overall M&A activity—information technology, health care and real estate."
It's not just the volume and value of deals that are declining. The average size of deals is also dropping. In 2015, the average size was $619 million. For the first three months of 2018, the average deal size was just $229 million. Declining M&A activity is typically viewed as a leading indicator of a shift in the business cycle from expansion to recession.
Rising stock market valuations could partly explain declining M&A activity. As of May 17, the price-to-earnings ratio of the S&P 500 was 24.8x, up from a post-recession low of 14.8x in 2012. Those high valuations have made buyers increasingly cautious, as evidenced by the rising number of earn-out agreements that are now written into the contracts of a growing number of deals.
Earn-out agreements are a more significant feature in deals today than they were in 2007, before the last recession. Back in 2007, such clauses were included in 21.8 percent of deals, withholding 0.63 percent of total deal value. During the first quarter of this year, contingency clauses were included in 28.4 percent of deals, withholding 1.3 percent of value. This could indicate the deal pricing has passed its peak and that valuations can be expected to fall.
The notion that a recession may be looming is in keeping with broad economic forecasts. Among economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal, 8 percent predict the expansion will end next year, 59 percent say it will end by 2020 and 22 percent see a recession starting in 2021.
Whether or not a recession is coming, three sectors are accounting for a rising share of overall M&A activity—information technology, health care and real estate. Where overall revenue multiples declined by 15 percent from 2015 to 2017, valuations have risen in these three sectors.
Information Technology: IT deals over the past three years were worth $752 billion, or 17.4 percent of total deal value. The industry is experiencing disruption, driven by the shift to cloud computing, rising demand for cybersecurity, and the increasing use of big data and analytics as well as artificial intelligence. That disruption is producing target companies with significant growth prospects, prompting buyers to pay growing multiples of revenues, rising from 3.6x in 2015 to 5.3x in 2017.
Health care: The health care industry is undergoing a massive wave of consolidation, driven by a shift in the business model where health care providers are rewarded for outcomes rather than the volume of patients they serve. That has helped produce $576 billion worth of deals, representing 13.3 percent of total transaction value. Revenue multiples increased from 4.8x in 2015 to 5.4x in 2017. Additionally, health care deals are getting significantly larger; the average deal size rose 50 percent to $1.4 billion between 2015 and 2017.
Real Estate: Real estate also accounts for a growing proportion of overall M&A activity, representing 12 percent of transaction value in 2017. The size of those real estate deals has risen as that market undergoes the disruption that comes from the global shift away from old-fashioned retailing to online sales from firms like Amazon that is driving demand for warehouses and logistics centers.
In keeping with an M&A market that is cooling, overall the average revenue multiple paid was down 15 percent over the three-year period to 6.24x. Revenue multiples paid were highest in the real estate sector, at 17.87x, and were the lowest in the telecommunications sector, at just 2.85x.
While the decline in the volume and value of M&A deals overall is a leading indicator of an economic slowdown, the data, coupled with macro trends, suggest that the health care, real estate and IT sectors may weather any potential recession better than the broader economy.
Joanne Baginski leads the transaction advisory services practice at EKS&H. James Drybanski is a consulting senior manager on the team.


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By Geeta Dutta, Office of Research Advancement and Partnerships
In November 2017, the Faculty Senate and the Office of Research jointly chartered a task force to review Washington State University's Centers, Institutes, and Laboratories (CILs) policies and procedures associated with defining, creating, reviewing, and renewing CILs.
Previously, the Faculty Senate's Research and Arts Committee (RAC) reviewed proposals, made recommendations for the approval of new CILs, and created reports for the Faculty Senate and the vice president for research, which were then sent on to the University president. The RAC also reviewed and renewed CILs every five years. But it was the Board of Regents that provided ultimate approval.
Early in the process, the CILs Task Force determined unanimously that the laboratory designation will be left to the discretion of the deans and the vice president for research. Therefore, the recommended policies and procedures identified by the task force will impact the centers and institutes (C/I) only.
The CILs Task Force engaged stakeholders across all colleges and campuses, reviewing and discussing the C/I definitions and guidelines. The task force quickly acknowledged that existing procedures created a barrier for C/I directors to submit applications to the RAC for formal approval, which resulted in the proliferation of entities that used the C/I designation without formal approval. The review process was cumbersome, inefficient, and infrequent to adequately inform those with fiscal oversight authority. In addition, there was no provision for discontinuing a C/I that was no longer meeting stated goals. Subsequent discussions then focused on reviewing definitions of C/I, their respective missions and objectives criteria for establishment, and expectations for outcomes.
The task force determined that most C/Is require some degree of institutional commitment, whether from central or college-based resources, and should be fiscally responsible to those units providing resources. C/Is that require significant institutional commitments should meet more stringent requirements for approval and renewal. In addition, some collaborative units exist that do not require institutional resources but still support and advance the University's mission.
Task force recommendations
After numerous discussions, review of guidelines from numerous peer institutions, and WSU's current CILs guidelines, the taskforce created a report with recommended changes that will facilitate entrepreneurship, innovation, and collaboration at WSU while also establishing improved oversight and accountability for centers and institutes.
A summary of key recommendations is below. The complete list can be found in the report.
- Accountability for the oversight of the C/Is moved from the RAC to the fiscally responsible unit.
- Administrative processes streamlined for application,annual reviews, and the renewal process. The time for new C/I approval will be shortened from approximately one year to eight weeks.
- A central registry of C/Is will be created so that the WSU community, as well as the general public, can easily identify these various units in one common place.
- Entities that may be looser collaborations of faculty and do not require institutional resources will be recognized and encouraged. These collaborative units will be formally recognized and tracked by the University but will differ from C/Is and, thus, have fewer requirements for approval and renewal.
Implementation Plan
The report was approved by the Faculty Senate on February 7, 2019. The recommendations received final approval from the Board of Regents on May 3, 2019. The Board of Regents also approved the delegation of final approval of C/Is from the Board of Regents to the University President, which will greatly reduce the time period from application to final approval of a new C/I.
Procedures for transitioning, renaming, or discontinuing C/Is have been established. It is expected that all C/Is and other collaborative units at WSU, whether currently formally approved or not, will complete a respective application process and will be entered into a central registry of C/Is and collaborative units.
Based on the recommendations of the task force, an online application form will be developed to streamline the process while allowing input from multiple stakeholders in a specified timeframe, progressing efficiently through the approval/review steps. The recommended steps in the approval process will reduce time to approval from as long as one year to about eight weeks. Annual reports will be submitted online to the oversight authority(s) and the RAC, along with a comprehensive five-year review.


text: Killer7 0 Report post Posted August 24, 2005 Yeah I do have to say the second Soul Calibur was overrated. It was slightly above mediocre, but honestly it was so similiar to other fighting games ( as most fighting games are alot alike) it got boring fast Also the first Soul Calibur, aside from being alot more innovative, had more unlockables. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Tutor profile: Eric T.
Eric T.
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About Eric
About Eric
I am a junior at Johns Hopkins University working towards a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering. Designing and implementing electronic and software infrastructures are what I enjoy most. I envision myself designing new methods and technology that will solve current problems and remain serviceable for a prolonged amount of time. In my spare time, I like to catch up on world news and game development
Teaching Experience
Teaching Experience
My previous teaching experience includes being a math tutor during high school and a tutor for ACT. In high school,I helped students with geometry, algebra 2, and pre-calculus through examples and explanations that helped break down the complex mathematical definitions. As a ACT tutor, I led students in the math and science portions as well as writing solutions to the problems to further the student's understanding of the problem.
Johns Hopkins University
Computer Engineering (Electrical Computer Engineering)
Bachelor's Degree
2014 - 2018
Work Experience
Work Experience
Johns Hopkins Nano Energy Laboratory, Research Assistant
2015 - Present
I assist in the research and development of thin-film solar cells using spin-coating methods to reduce cost of manufacture and boost energy efficiency.
Air Force Institue of Technology, Programming Intern
2016 - 2016
In this internship I wrote software to generate plots for over 11 different types of data. In addition, I wrote and optimized code to work with pre-existing military software and then demonstrated the practicality and necessity of these programs to Department of Defense funders.
Wanmile Legal/ Education Group, Tutor
2015 - 2015
Facilitated ACT test for the math and science portion. After testing students, provide reviews and corrections for their answers from a solution manual written by myself.
Scanservices Corporation, Intern
2013 - 2014
Summer internships that involved learning about the electron microscope and the reparations and maintenance needed for these machines.
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Taking Your Business to The Next Level
There is a possibility that your business is operating well. More and more business owners will often find the need to have a business that can take off in a way that will assure them of future success. You will notice that there are a number of ways that you can employ to ensure that your business grows. They will make you to stand out among your rivals. Stop wishing that your situation were a little more different. It is important that you take on actions that aim at ensuring that you have a future that you will be proud of. Get to analyze what does not work anymore and change it when you can. This will actually be the best time for you to consider taking responsibility for the future that we look forward to from now onwards.
It is necessary that you go for newer technology solutions. This needs to be carried out proactively. For instance now is about time that you reconsider the decision to create pay stubs for your employees on excel sheets manually. You will learn of online stubs that will actually be easy for you to use. This will improve both productivity and efficiency especially if you get all your tasks done online. Your staff must be able to learn how to use various computer programs in a way that easily addresses their tasks. It is necessary that you hire in a wise manner. In the event that you bring on board employees that are skilled as well as intelligent you are assured that they will remain committed to making sure that your goals are attained. You will actually not regret spending time in going through resumes and even engage in the interviewing procedure. This will ensure that you actively pick someone that you find suitable for your business. Your employees will often be responsible for raising your business from one level to another. This will ultimately make sure that you build your name in this particular industry.
You will need to set your priorities. There will be no point in doing more than you can handle. In a bid to raise your business to a new level, you will have to go for a few prioritized goals. It is important that you ensure you have the money and resources to help you achieve these objectives. Handling so much at once might lead you to not doing at the end of the day. You need to improve your customer support too. Let employees learn to handle requests or complaints in an effective manner. Better customer interaction is of great relevance. Utilize these tips.
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